Lucky Mr. Peters
Chapter 60
It took some time for Allejandro’s words to really sink in. I hadn’t expected him to use words like ‘hateful’ and ‘despise’, but he’d obviously thought it through and had used them purposefully. I never had any problems within my own family, so it was hard for me to relate to what he was feeling. It was quite clear though that things were far more complicated than I had originally foreseen.
“So, you don’t hate or miss your father?” I asked, trying to be sensitive.
“I miss the man that used to take me down to the beach and taught me how to swim, but he no longer exists. As for hate, you can’t hate something simply because you don’t understand it, that makes no sense and would be emotionally draining especially now I’m with you and a great family, husband to be,” Allejandro replied.
“Since when did you become so smart?” I questioned rhetorically.
Allejandro understood and just smiled as I put my arm around his shoulders. We talked for a while longer, laughing at the memory of Carlos and Damarion climbing out of the pool and walking into the house without covering up.
“You know I missed my turn with Damarion today and you’ve missed yours with Felipe,” Allejandro commented.
“Well, we can make it up to them next week. For now, I think we should go upstairs and have some fun ourselves before it gets too late,” I smiled and Allejandro agreed.
Monday morning it became quite clear to me that I’d overdone it a bit with the wine the previous day. Luckily, school started early for all of the boys, giving me plenty of time to recuperate with a lot of coffee. I did some light reading until about 11, when Mauricio came into the living room and asked if he could talk to me.
“Last evening, Karim invited us to come over to his and Johan’s place next Sunday to talk and have dinner. We talked it over and would really like to visit them but we don’t want to let you and the boys down, though,” Mauricio stated.
“You won’t let us down by going out and enjoying yourselves. You guys are entitled to have some time to yourselves and I’m sure we can manage a couple of hours on our own,” I replied.
“We could prepare dinner ahead of time, so you’ll just have to heat it up,” Mauricio suggested.
“That sounds fine, but I’m pretty sure the boys wouldn’t mind it a bit if we just ordered pizzas to be delivered,” I laughed.
“You know that’s not very healthy,” Mauricio commented, giving me a dark look.
“I’m sure you and Pietro can make up for that during the week. Now, don’t make me force you to take a day off, because I will if I have to,” I smiled.
Mauricio responded with a weak smile of his own and told me that wouldn’t be necessary. He gave me a peck on the cheek before getting up and disappearing into the kitchen. The two of them really did a great job taking care of the house and feeding all of us. The only time I can remember the two of them going anywhere was when they visited Pietro’s mother during Christmas. They could definitely use some time off and if they could help Johan and Karim to settle in, that was a win-win situation.
I continued reading until Fernando, Rafael and Hugo got home from school and we had lunch together. The boys seemed to be quite cheery and I had to ask them what had put them in such a good mood.
“Next week is Semana Blanca, so we’ll be off school for the whole week,” Rafael explained with a broad smile.
“The whole week?” I asked with surprise.
“Oh, yes. And on Friday it is Día de Andalucía, so there will be big celebrations,” Fernando replied.
I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around all these Spanish school holidays I’d never heard of. I asked the boys if they wanted to do something special during their week off school, but it was clear they hadn’t come up with anything yet. My suggestion that we could go bowling again didn’t seem to spark their interest and I knew that a lot of the other attractions would still be closed.
“So, you’re all going to be just lazing around then, are you?” I queried.
“No, Rafael and I were thinking about going over to Karim and Johan’s to help them out,” Hugo smiled.
“Yes, and Hugo has promised me he won’t be constantly talking in German,” Rafael added pointedly.
Rafael’s comment really made me smile as it confirmed my suspicion that he’d felt a bit left out the day before. When lunch was over, Rafael and Hugo made a show of going down to the game room, while Fernando stayed behind. He waited patiently for Rafael and Hugo to disappear before he took my hand and began to lead me upstairs.
Fernando was enthusiastic as usual and afterwards we talked about school as well as his relationship with Roque. I definitely liked these one-on-one times as it allowed me to better understand the boys, both with regards to their feelings as well as their everyday life. It quickly became clear that he’d felt awkward going skinny-dipping in Julia’s presence, but that peer pressure had more or less forced his hand. I think that the part Julia played in him ending up with me made him look upon her differently than some of the other boys, where Julia played no part. I wondered if Allejandro would concur with my conclusion as I got myself a cup of tea and Fernando made his way down to the game room.
I had just settled down, when Russel got home a little past 2 o’clock. Ever since he’d started school, his demeanor had changed and he definitely seemed a lot happier. He wore his school uniform with a sense of pride that none of the other boys really exhibited. I think it even went so far that he wouldn’t mind wearing it all the time if he could. He probably was the only one who wasn’t happy about getting the whole of next week off.
After the customary greetings, I went back to my book and somehow lost track of time as before I knew it, Damarion and Carlos stood in front of me. I got my usual hugs and kisses after putting down my book, and decided to get another cup of tea and stop reading. I had just finished my tea when the rest of the tribe arrived and dispersed within no time.
When Allejandro joined me on the couch a few minutes later, I asked him about the Semana Blanca holidays. He explained to me that a lot of Spanish regions had their own special holidays apart from the national ones. Semana Blanca had been introduced in Andalusia to ensure that all school kids in Spain had about the same number of days off school during the year. I liked the idea of ensuring that all kids around the country were treated equally, it definitely made sense.
As Allejandro was talking, Jordan had passed us by on his way to the game room. For some reason he was in a hurry as he only smiled and said ‘hi’ before disappearing down the stairs.
“Do you think they’re up to something down there?” I asked Allejandro after he finished his explanation of school holidays in this part of the country.
“If they are, they definitely kept me out of the loop,” he smiled.
“Maybe I should hide a remote camera down there, just so I can keep an eye on what they’re doing,” I suggested.
“You could, but you won’t. You respect their privacy too much to do something like that,” Allejandro countered.
He was right, of course. However much I would like to know what they were up to down in the game room, spying on my boys would be out of the question. Despite my curiosity, I had to trust them not to do anything I wouldn’t approve of. I had to smile at myself as I wracked my brain over what that would actually be. When Allejandro noticed, he asked me what I was smiling about and he laughed when I told him.
“Yes, I can’t think of anything either, unless it’s something where one of them would get hurt,” Allejandro admitted.
“I can’t see that happening. In truth, I think it’s quite amazing how well they all seem to get along. I remember fighting a lot with my younger sister, mostly about the littlest of things that were wholly unimportant,” I commented.
“Well, they all have this one thing, being gay, in common and I think that truly makes a big difference,” Allejandro smiled while looking at me pointedly.
I had to confess that he was likely quite right in that observation. He then suggested we go out onto the patio to enjoy the afternoon sun and have our usual glass of wine while we waited for Aidan to return home. As I made my way outside, Allejandro went into the kitchen to get us our drinks. We talked some more until Aidan joined us a little past 5 o’clock with Jordan coming out mere minutes later.
I was a bit surprised when Aidan told us he’d been contacted by attorneys from the airline about the compensation for Hugo for the loss of his parents. I was even more take aback when he informed us it would only be € 82,000 for the time being.
“But he lost both his parents! How on earth do they think he’d be able to support himself on only € 82,000?” I asked.
“Don’t get too upset just yet, Rudee. This is just a base compensation to cover initial costs as it’s likely that his parents’ remains will soon be released. You also have to understand that any other compensation will be limited by the Treaty of Montreal. In this case, that means that the absolute maximum he’ll be able to get is a total of about € 270,000, € 135,000 per parent. What the actual amount will be depends on a lot of things, but it definitely won’t exceed that maximum,” Aidan explained.
“I don’t think that’s very much, considering what he’s lost,” I commented.
“Remember, this is Europe and not the US, where you can sue for millions in damages. Now, with him being a minor and all, it’s quite likely he’ll get the full € 270,000, but that’s going to take a lot of time, probably a few years,” Aidan replied.
I shook my head as I thought the whole thing was quite unfair. Sure, with his parents’ savings and all that, Hugo had plenty of money, but he deserved a compensation that would do justice to the immensity of his loss. Still, there was little use in discussing it as I knew Aidan would be doing his utmost to get whatever he could for Hugo.
“I think it’s best if I had a talk with Hugo after dinner. He’s still my client after all and it’s my duty to keep him appraised of any developments,” Aidan remarked.
I agreed and we then changed the subject as dwelling on things didn’t make much sense. We chatted until Pietro came out to tell us that dinner was ready. Jordan took it upon himself to inform the boys in the game room, while Allejandro, Aidan and I got to our seats in the dining room. As dinner went on, I asked the boys to start thinking about something they might want to do during their week off school. There wasn’t a lot of enthusiasm until Juanito remembered the karting range at Funny Beach that we’d been to before. The boys that hadn’t been there immediately started asking questions and before long it became clear that karting would be on the menu.
When dinner was over, the boys that had been there were still talking about their experience at the karting range. As they were about to go up to their rooms to do their homework, Aidan managed to get Hugo’s attention. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Rafael following Aidan and Hugo into the study, unable to contain his protective impulses. I was happy to note that Aidan didn’t object to Rafael’s presence, but then he probably knew it would have been futile.
I went back out onto the patio and settled myself in one of the lawn chairs to relax. It only took about 10 minutes before Aidan joined me and I could tell he was relieved.
“Thank god that boy is really level-headed,” Aidan exclaimed as he sat down in the chair next to me.
“I take it that means he’s not putting up a fuss like I did?” I asked.
“Nope, he’s taking it in stride, unlike his boyfriend, who’s rather pissed,” Aidan replied.
“Well, I think that’s the big difference between them. Having wealthy parents, I’m taking that something like money, or the lack thereof, never came up in Hugo’s life,” I said.
“I think you’re right on the money there,” Aidan smiled, obviously quite amused by his own pun.
We talked for a few more minutes as Aidan finished his glass of wine, after which he excused himself and went to his own house. I took the empty glasses into the kitchen and decided to settle down on the couch in the living room. It wasn’t long before Allejandro joined me and the other boys began to trickle down to the game room. Around 7:30 I suggested we go down to watch a movie and Allejandro agreed. The boys from the game room joined us and we enjoyed quite a relaxing evening.
Tuesday morning, I talked with Pietro and Mauricio about the possibility of one of them joining us to the karting range the next week. It would be impossible to fit myself and 11 boys into my car, 12 if Jordan decided to join us. To my surprise, both of them volunteered to come along, saying that they wouldn’t mind doing a bit of racing themselves. I couldn’t help but smile as I realized they were still young enough to get excited by the idea of racing around a track in small karts. I was quite happy with their willingness to go as it meant we could use three cars and would have plenty of room for everyone.
After Allejandro and John got home a little past noon, we had a quick lunch and ended up talking on the patio. I was a bit amazed when John suggested that Allejandro and I should be doing something for ourselves also during the next week. Allejandro said he wouldn’t mind going out to a fancy restaurant and catching a movie in town afterwards.
“Just don’t go finding anyone like me in that restaurant. We’re fully booked here,” John commented, giving Allejandro a sly smile.
I could see Allejandro smile as he thought back to the meeting he had with John in the restaurant, back when he was still living with his foster parents. Even though it was just a couple of months ago, it did feel like a lot longer. I still remembered the phone call I got from John after his foster dad had kicked him out of the house and he was forced to flee to a neighbor. He’d come a long way since that fateful day and I was happy to see him flourish. His birthday had been a bit of a test, but I think he came through it quite well.
I’m not quite sure why, but as I was reminiscing, both John and Allejandro somehow decided it was time for a swim. I could only stare as the two of them started stripping off their clothes right in front of me. The slight upheaval this caused in my own pants only got worse as I watched Allejandro’s skinny butt walking away from me. I couldn’t help myself and as the two boys were plunging into the pool I got up and began to take off my own clothes. I really didn’t like swimming, but some other primeval instinct now took precedence. It wasn’t until I was sprinting towards the pool myself that I noticed the cheers coming from Allejandro and John.
The moment I hit the water, the two of them were all over me and I don’t think I’d ever seen them happier. We really were just having fun, dunking each other every now and then and lazily swimming around in between. I hadn’t expected it, but the physical contact that happened every now and again was rather pleasant. We’d been at it for close to half an hour, when John suddenly made for the edge of the pool and sat himself down on the ridge.
“What’s up?” I heard Allejandro ask, as he swam up to where John was sitting.
“One or both of you had better take me upstairs and fuck the shit out of me or I’ll go nuts,” he replied and just from the look on his face, I knew he was serious.
Allejandro turned to look at me and the grin on his face told me everything I needed to know. I think we were actually racing against each other to get to the ladder that would allow us an easy exit out of the pool while John had already gotten on his feet and was making for the house.
“You’ve got to let me fuck him first,” Allejandro whispered as the two of us hurried after John who’d already disappeared inside.
I don’t quite remember what I replied, but the swat I gave on Allejandro’s skinny butt I can recollect perfectly. By the time we got up to our bedroom, both of us were sporting raging boners, not unlike John, who was already on all fours and lubing himself up. I can’t begin to describe the exhilaration I felt as I shoved my cock into Allejandro at the very moment he did the same to John. I remember John’s screams and Allejandro’s moans as all three of us were getting close to reaching our pinnacle. What I don’t remember is who got off first as the sheer intensity of our tripling blotted my mind.
The next thing I remember is lying in bed as both John and Allejandro hurried to one bathroom or another. It wasn’t until that very moment, that I realized how much Allejandro needed John and I came to the only logical conclusion.
“John, would you like to sleep with us from now on?” I asked after both boys had rejoined me.
“Will you let me?” I heard John’s reply as I could see him starting to cry.
I just nodded and mere moments later John crawled on top of me and hugged me fiercely.
“I’m sorry, papi, but I really need him,” I heard John whisper as he tightened his grip.
“I know,” I simply replied, squeezing John’s little ass as I turned my head and looked at Allejandro.
He mouthed “Thank you,” and I knew I’d made the right decision.
It had been an emotional rollercoaster, and I think all three of us felt giddy as we found our seats on the patio again. We just talked a while as we drank our sodas, considering it was still too early for wine. Not long after, Carlos and Damarion arrived home and as they went down to the game room after changing, John decided to join them. I guess Allejandro had been waiting for that, as he went inside to get us glasses and a bottle of wine.
The weather was really quite nice, bearing in mind it was the middle of February. Predictions for the next few days were far less favorable, though, but as always, we’d have to wait and see. The rest of the boys came home a little later and came out to say hello before going up to their rooms to change out of their school uniforms. Jordan gave us a little wave as he went into the guest house he shared with Aidan. As expected, he came out again after changing, hurried over to us, said hello and then went inside the house to join the others who were going down to the game room.
Allejandro and I discussed the plans for the following week and decided we’d best go karting on Wednesday. It would serve to break the monotony and it would allow us to have our own date on Thursday. We could then go out on the Friday to join in some of the festivities that would undoubtedly be going on around town. Allejandro reminded me that we should also get an Andalusian flag to put on the house, as that was custom. I had absolutely no idea of what to expect on the day, but when in Rome, I’d conform.
Our conversation then turned to John and I could see Allejandro’s demeanor starting to change. I realized that, despite how I saw him, he was still only a teenager with all the little perks that came with that age.
“Why did you tell him he could sleep with us from now on?” he asked, and I could see his face getting slightly red.
“Isn’t that obvious? He’s making you horny and you clearly like to fuck him,” I smiled.
“Yes, I can’t really explain it. When I fuck John, it somehow feels right, but with you it doesn’t. It’s like I need John to be my bottom as much as I need to be yours,” Allejandro stammered.
“So, every one of us is different, there’s nothing wrong with that,” I said.
“Do you love John?” Allejandro questioned.
“Yes. Probably not as much as I love you or Carlos, but more like Rafael and the others,” I replied.
“I like Carlos and Damarion too, but I think that’s because they’re really just younger versions of John,” Allejandro grinned.
It made me laugh as I somehow understood what he meant. Most of the boys after all were, more or less, younger versions of Allejandro. I’d clearly lost track of time as I was a bit surprised when Aidan walked up onto the patio and joined us. As Allejandro was off to inform Jordan and get new glasses, I asked Aidan about his view of the adoption procedure in Spain. As I expected, he was more than happy to explain it to me in great detail and ultimately told me I should definitely contact Julia about it at the earliest opportunity. Jordan and Allejandro had been talking amongst themselves, showing little interest in the discussion I had with Aidan.
“Mr. P, will it be OK for me to join you all when you go karting next week?” Jordan asked me, as soon as he saw the opportunity arise. “Allejandro just told me that Pietro and Mauricio will be going too, and I don’t want to stay here all by myself.”
“Of course you can come, with three cars there should be plenty of room,” I replied with a smile.
“Any other plans I need to know about?” Aidan commented, sounding slightly sarcastic.
“Well, now that you mention it, Allejandro and I are going out on Thursday for dinner and a movie. We could really use someone to babysit the boys,” I said, causing both Allejandro and Jordan to start snickering.
“Oh no! You got away with that once and it cost me a wet suit and some major embarrassment. Besides, I think Pietro and Mauricio are way better suited for a task like that,” Aidan retorted.
“Ah, that reminds me! We’re on our own for dinner this Sunday. Pietro and Mauricio have been invited over to Johan and Karim’s and I told them that was OK,” I uttered, almost unable to keep my composure.
“That’s great! The perfect opportunity for you and me to go out to dinner and a movie,” Jordan immediately intervened, before Aidan could say a thing.
“I can’t prove it, but this smells very much like a conspiracy to me!” Aidan remarked, trying to get in the last word, in typical lawyer fashion.
Allejandro and I sat back as a bit more bickering went on between Aidan and Jordan. In the end, Aidan gave in and promised Jordan to take him on a date on Sunday, just the two of them, but insisting on being home on time as he still had to work on Monday. Semana Blanca was clearly for schoolkids only and Aidan would only have Thursday and Friday off work as those were official holidays.
After dinner, I expected Rafael to stay behind, but he just walked up to me and told me that we’d have more time next week. I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that, but I felt slightly relieved after the intermezzo I’d already had with John and Allejandro earlier. With all the boys going up to do their homework and Aidan and Jordan going back to their own home, it also gave me a chance to contact Julia.
TBC