Lucky Mr. Peters
Chapter 83
We took our time to enjoy our coffee and pie before I settled the bill and we headed back to the car. It was half past 11 and I estimated it would take us about 15 to 20 minutes to get back home, avoiding most of the traffic in town. I was actually quite happy when I drove into the courtyard and saw the garage door opening up. We left the purchases in the trunk, safely locked away from prying eyes, and made our way into the house.
I have to admit that I didn’t actually expect the sight that greeted us as we walked into the living room. Discarded clothes were just about everywhere and we could both clearly hear the screams that were coming from out back. I couldn’t help but shake my head as I realized the boys had taken the opportunity to have some fun in the pool in our absence. I suggested to Aidan we get a cup of coffee from the kitchen before moving out onto the patio to view the spectacle. With a sly grin on his face, he agreed and a few minutes later we took up our position on the lawn chairs outside.
The screams came mostly from boys being lifted out of the water and thrown up in the air.
“Hey, aren’t those …,” Aidan started a question, before I cut him off.
“Yes, Pietro and Mauricio. You know they’re big water rats as any of the boys,” I snickered. “I should one day tell you the story about when I first met Pietro.”
Aidan had the good grace to giggle before we returned our attention back to the scene in front of us. It actually took almost 10 minutes before one of the boys spotted us and alerted the others to our presence. There were some mixed reactions, a few of the boys were clearly a bit upset and my housekeepers were definitely embarrassed. With no towels in sight, going for a swim must have been a spur of the moment decision and the boys would now have to face the consequences.
Carlos and Damarion were first out of the pool and felt absolutely no shame running towards us with their tiny wieners jumping up and down. They stopped near us, gave a little shimmy, then quickly ran past us, into the house, both of them giggling.
Next up were my housekeepers, making a run for their home and Jordan going in the opposite direction. The remaining group was next and I couldn’t help but smile as some of them made a mad dash, keeping their hands in front of their private parts. It was quite clear that Julio, Paolo and Bernardo were still new and not yet used to being as carefree as the other boys.
When Allejandro ran by, I couldn’t help but turn to have a good look at the skinny butt that I loved so much. I noticed that Aidan was also looking after the boys with a wide grin on his face.
“God, what I wouldn’t give to be that young once more,” he smiled as we turned back around.
“I don’t know, at that age I was pretty stupid and not to mention quite poor,” I laughed, causing a loud snicker from Aidan.
It took a couple of minutes for Pietro and Mauricio to reappear. They walked over and apologized, saying that they had somehow lost track of time, but that lunch would be ready quite soon. I assured them there was no harm done as long as they all had fun and to just take their time. There was a definite look of relief on their faces as they both hurried towards the kitchen.
Seeing Jordan walking over, his embarrassment was rather self-evident from the way he looked. Neither Aidan or I made any comments as he rapidly disappeared into the house, mumbling to himself.
A little later, Allejandro made his appearance, carrying fresh cups of coffee for both me and Aidan as well as himself. I took it to be a peace offering and accepted it as such. Of course, he immediately wanted to know if we got everything we wanted and I assured him we did. It was quite amazing that just seeing Allejandro smile could somehow melt my heart. He had me wrapped around his little finger and he probably knew it.
When I asked him who had been the instigator for the dip in the pool, he replied that he wasn’t quite sure. One of the boys had just mentioned it and things took off from there. I told him that, next time, they’d better not forget to bring towels.
I have to admit that I didn’t rightly know why the boys were embarrassed and making such a big deal out of the whole thing. It’s not like they’d been breaking any rules by having some fun in the pool, after all, that’s what it was there for. So they’d forgotten to bring out towels, but even that had happened before and wasn’t really a problem. I guess the only thing they might be upset about was them losing track of time and our unexpected presence.
When, a little later, Pietro announced that lunch was ready, I’d already decided not to bring it up anymore. I did notice that the boys were a bit subdued during our meal, but their mood slowly seemed to improve. At some point, a few even suggested we should go and see the Easter procession the following day. When I asked them why, it quickly became clear that they just wanted to watch the altar boys, which I thought was as good a reason as any. The only problem was that we wouldn’t all fit in the car. That’s when the suggestion came up to take the mopeds. If the boys with mopeds would each take a passenger, we’d all be able to go together.
I didn’t quite expect the enthusiasm with which the plan got received, but it definitely made sense. Driving mopeds in, what would definitely be, crowded streets, was certainly easier than getting through the busy traffic by car. They could also, more easily, be parked in any of the side streets of the Avenida de Julio Iglesias, where the procession would be held. I’d seen pictures of the type of procession and had always felt a little uncomfortable with some participants dressed in white gowns and white pointy hats. It all looked too much like the KKK parading through town to me. I knew it was just an ancient custom and had nothing to do with racism, but the association still lingered in my mind.
We’d definitely need to leave early, so we could find ourselves a decent spot along the route of the procession. The boys suggested we’d go right after breakfast, even though the procession wouldn’t start until 10. I wasn’t looking forward to being on my feet for such a long time, so I insisted we bring along at least one folding chair. My comment, of course, started a round of grins I’d seldom seen before and the morning’s incident was all but forgotten. As I’d more or less anticipated, Aidan and Jordan passed on the opportunity and I couldn’t really blame them.
With the plans having been made, the boys returned to the game room, giving Aidan, Allejandro and me the opportunity to return to the patio. It was Aidan who commented on the fact that it was a pity that Fernando wouldn’t have his camera yet to make pictures of the procession. I maintained that their cell phones had pretty good cameras and would do the job just as well. Even Allejandro’s mention that it would be cool if Fernando could take really good pictures wouldn’t persuade me. Sure, some boys got their birthday presents early, but this one would really open the floodgates and I wasn’t prepared to do that.
While holding firm, I got a call and was a bit surprised that it was Will, the wedding planner. It wasn’t until we spoke that I realized it was only a little over a month before the BIG event. I could see Allejandro’s face grinning as he grasped who I was talking to on the phone.
Will insisted that we should meet up some time in the next week to finalize some things. He also needed to know who our witnesses would be so he could provide their names to the proper authorities. It was on a whim that I provided Aidan’s name as being my witness and then looked at Allejandro.
“Camila Lizana,” he said, taking me fully by surprise.
When asked, he assured me it would be okay, so I told Will in turn. We agreed we’d meet after lunch on Tuesday afternoon as Allejandro would also be home at that time.
As soon as I’d ended the call, I confronted Allejandro about choosing his mother to be his witness at our wedding.
“I’m sorry, Rudee, I forgot to tell you. I talked to her about it when she was here and when Julia said it would be legal, she agreed,” Allejandro explained.
I looked at Aidan and saw him nod, confirming the legality of the situation. Of course, I was happy for my soon-to-be spouse as I knew how important his mother was for him. I’d already been relieved that she’d be able to attend our wedding and for Allejandro, this would be the icing on the cake.
Aidan was curious about the number of attendants and after some calculations we came to a grand total of 30 people, including the Fileras, Will and the photographer. The conversation then turned to Pietro and Mauricio and we came to the agreement that a caterer was called for, so they’d have most of the day off. I didn’t think they’d let anyone into ‘their’ kitchen early enough to make breakfast, but after that they’d have no choice.
I thought it best to take it up with Mauricio first as he was by far the most levelheaded of the two young men. I’d just have to find the right opportunity, where I could catch him on his own.
I guess we just lost track of time and I was taken off guard when Pietro announced that dinner was ready. The boys were back to their normal selves, talking animatedly amongst themselves when their mouths weren’t full to overflowing. As soon as dinner was over, the boys all went back downstairs, except for Jordan. Obviously he and Aidan had plans and they excused themselves, going back to their own home. It left me and Allejandro to sit down on the living room couch to just relax and let the food digest.
After about half an hour, Pietro came out of the kitchen and I took the occasion to take him aside for a moment. I told him about Fernando’s presents in the trunk of my car and how I wanted them divided and packaged. He shook his head, saying I was spoiling the boy, but that he and Mauricio would take care of it as soon as we left the next morning. It was all I could ask for as it would leave all of the boys, including Allejandro, in the dark. It was time to go down and watch another movie before we turned in early to get ready for Easter Sunday.
During breakfast the next morning, the boys definitely seemed ready, though I wasn’t quite sure that I was. They’d all dressed up in their ‘Sunday best’, which I hadn’t expected, and even Carlos and Damarion were looking perfect. Even before leaving the bedroom, I had to suffer Allejandro’s comments on my own initial choice of dress, so I guess I now fit right in.
As soon as breakfast was over, the boys made ready and it wasn’t long before I was holding on to Allejandro for dear life as he rode his Piaggo through some of the narrow streets. I breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived at the area the boys had chosen to park the mopeds and from where we’d make our way on foot.
They absolutely knew what they’d been doing as we found a perfect spot to set up. I was quite happy to sit down in my folding chair as drinks from backpacks were being passed out. It would still be close to 2 hours before the procession would pass us by, but that didn’t seem to bother our boys one bit.
As for me, I couldn’t help but doze off every now and then as I’d had a busy night, keeping Allejandro and John happy. I did notice that the crowd grew, every time I managed to open my eyes and look around. I had nothing to fear, though, as I had a steady cordon of boys around me that stood guard and kept any attempt at an incursion at bay.
I have to admit that the host of altar boys passing us by was quite spectacular. I could even distinguish the cheers from my boys when one of their schoolmates was amongst them. They’d all taken their cell phones and were snapping away pictures left and right. When the hooded men and the priests started to appear, our enthusiasm lessened and we returned to being regular onlookers.
It was all over in less than half an hour and it was quite surprising to see how quickly the crowd dissipated. As we’d already used up our supply of drinks, I suggested we go to one of the nearby bodegas to quench our thirst before going back home. My idea was greeted with great enthusiasm and after packing up, we found a nice place to sit. I don’t think the patron had counted on such a large group almost completely occupying his terrace, but he took it with good grace after I paid him a deposit up front.
The two young waiters were running back and forth, filling our drink orders and I could hear some of the boys snicker. I actually got the distinct impression that John fancied one of the waiters, even though the guy was at least 2 or 3 years older. When I shared my suspicion with Allejandro, he just started to chuckle and then, surreptitiously, pointed out the little bulge in John’s pants. It’s a good thing I’d just swallowed my coffee or it would probably have come out of my nostrils.
Seeing as how we all enjoyed ourselves and the bodega also offered lunches, I didn’t see a need to go home. I made a quick call to Pietro to scrap lunch as we’d be having it in town and he didn’t seem to mind.
I’m sure it must have been a strange sight, an older man with 14 boys, but I really didn’t care. Besides, my boys knew how to behave in public and there was only the occasional sign of affection that most people wouldn’t even notice.
Having a full terrace for lunch made the patron happy and it was actually quite good. Of course, it attracted more customers to come inside, mostly tourists, but the man was gleaming. After about an hour, another waiter appeared, as the two that were on duty just couldn’t keep up with all the customers attracted by our presence.
Once we’d all eaten and had finished our drinks, it was time to head for home, though. As the boys all got ready, I settled the bill with the patron and gave our two waiters a generous tip. The amount left them blushing, but I didn’t care as we made back to where we’d left the mopeds.
We were home about half an hour later and I wasn’t surprised to see the boys all go up to change out of their ‘suits’. I didn’t get the chance as Allejandro grabbed my hand and pulled me after him through the living room and into the study.
“Did you see it?” he asked, quite excitedly, when we were alone.
“See what?” I questioned as I had no idea what he was talking about.
“The note that John gave to that waiter guy!” Allejandro exclaimed.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Don’t you ever pay attention?” Allejandro questioned with a note of accusation in his voice.
“I do normally, but I was too busy settling our bill!” I countered.
“I think John has a crush on him,” Allejandro whispered and I could see him smile broadly.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I laughed as I reminded him, by pointing out John’s little trouser discomfort earlier.
We both started laughing, and it took a while before we finally got a grip on ourselves. Once we did, we went upstairs to get changed and have some hanky panky as we were still both a bit excited from earlier.
Back in the living room, we just snuggled and enjoyed our time together. God, I was so in love with this beautiful boy and I knew the feeling was completely mutual. Just a little over a month and I was going to marry him and there was no force in the world that could stop me. True, I loved all my other boys, too, especially Carlos, but it was a different kind of love compared to what I felt for Allejandro.
About half an hour later, Jordan sped past us on his way to the game room, barely taking the time to say ‘hello’. Aidan came in a few minutes later, and looking rather flushed, Allejandro and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Not you, too,” Aidan complained as he sat down on the couch with us.
We really couldn’t help ourselves and burst out in laughter at Aidan’s remark. Our little tête a tête earlier had definitely gotten us into a funny mood and the expression on Aidan’s face was just too much. I thought he was about to stomp out of the room back to his home, but instead he went into the kitchen and came back with two bottles of wine and some glasses.
“I could use a stiffer drink, but this will have to do,” he commented as he poured our glasses.
“It couldn’t have been that bad,” I snickered.
“Of course not, but I’m not as young as I used to be and even I’ve got my limits, Jordan has still to learn that, the horny energizer bunny,” Aidan stated a bit dryly.
Next thing I knew, Allejandro was filling him in on our day, paying special attention to the story of John and the waiter. It seemed to cheer Aidan up, as he wanted to know every detail and a detailed description of the waiter.
“What was on the note?” Aidan demanded to know.
We both shrugged, “Maybe he gave the guy his cell phone number,” Allejandro suggested.
“Yeah, I doubt he’d give him our address without asking,” I giggled.
“Jordan should know by now,” Aidan remarked, “they tell each other everything down there.”
“So, you think Jordan is spilling the beans about you getting old?” I asked, unable to contain myself.
Aidan shot me a dark look as Allejandro started to snicker. I could tell Aidan was thinking about a retort but then, somehow, thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. I’m sure he knew I wouldn’t have held it against him, but he wasn’t taking any risk with his current landlord.
We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon, mostly talking about everyday stuff. Aidan had a few big cases coming up and it was quite interesting to learn how he prepared for them. I’d never had much interest in the law, but the way Aidan talked about it was definitely fascinating and I counted myself lucky he was on our side.
Before we even realized, we’d started on our second bottle of wine and it was getting close to dinner time. With Mauricio and Pietro having dinner at Mauricio’s parents, I took the easy way out and decided to just order in pizza. I was promised they would be delivered in 30 minutes and I had Allejandro call up the boys to set the table. Luckily the assortment of pizzas arrived on time, so the hungry mob could be fed.
As soon as dinner was over and everything was cleared, Aidan and Jordan made themselves scarce. Allejandro and I went down to the media room soon after and our merry bunch enjoyed watching a movie before bedtime.
It was quite clear that John had something on his mind as he, Allejandro and I sat down in the living room for our usual nightcap.
“Uhm, you guys remember that waiter from this morning, right?” he began.
Allejandro and I both just nodded, allowing John to gather his thoughts and continue his story.
“Well, he texted me this afternoon and wanted to know why I gave him my number,” John resumed.
“Did you tell him that you have the hots for him?” Allejandro quickly interrupted.
“No! I just said that I liked him a lot!” John shot back.
“I love you an awful lot, but you’re such a bad liar,” Allejandro laughed and I saw John’s face turning red.
I could see this getting out of hand, quickly, so I told Allejandro to stop teasing John. I don’t think he expected that reprimand, but he took it in stride as he knew I was right.
Of course, with John still being in my care, I did want to know what had been exchanged between him and the older boy. As it turned out, it had all been quite innocent, but John’s hunch that the boy might be gay had proven correct. The boy’s name was Teodor and he’d suggested for him and John to meet up some time. I could tell that John wanted to, but I wasn’t happy with the place that Teodor had suggested as Allejandro was quick to point out it was a known cruising spot. I didn’t want to disappoint John, though, so I suggested to him to simply invite Teodor to come over to our house some time.
I looked on as John texted his message to Teodor and then we waited.
‘Does the old man know you’re gay?’ came the reply.
‘Of course, he does. We all are,’ John immediately texted back.
‘No way! You’re all gay?’ Teodor questioned.
‘Yes. And we all call the old guy ‘papi’, except Allejandro, as he’s going to marry him,’ John wrote.
I couldn’t help but smile at the reply and neither could Allejandro.
Another ping: ‘Does he know you’re telling me all this?’
‘Of course, he does. He’s sitting here, right next to me!’ John typed and pressed the send button.
The telephone was quiet for a minute or two before a reply came.
‘Do you all have sex with each other?’
‘No! We’re not perverts and we only have sex with the ones we want to,’ John rapidly texted back.
The answer came almost instantly: ‘Good, because I only want to have sex with you!’
I could see how John immediately started to blush, his hands slightly trembling as they held on to his phone. I think Allejandro took pity on him as he took over the phone and started texting.
‘John can’t come to the phone. He’s in love right now, but if you ever hurt his feelings, I’ll kick your ass!’ I saw him type.
I snickered as Allejandro pressed the send button before John could stop him.
“Why did you tell him that?” John asked, slightly angered.
“Because we will kick his butt if he hurts your feelings,” Allejandro retorted and I didn’t miss his use of ‘we’ instead of ‘I’.
PING
‘Would it be okay for me to come over on Saturday? What’s the address?’
John immediately grabbed his phone back from Allejandro and began typing. I don’t think I’d ever seen anyone move his fingers as fast as John’s were as he kept typing and pressing the send button.
He gave me a questioning look as he showed me his final message, ‘around 10 o’clock would be fine’.
I gave him an affirmative nod and a second later the message was sent. We finished our drinks and went upstairs where John surprised me once more by going into Russel’s bedroom instead of ours.
TBC