Piano Forte

CHAPTER 31

GRANDPA’S PLAN

 

 

 

 

Even though Independence Day was a holiday, it was business as usual at the Bainbridge Music Camp. The exception was the evening schedule. There was no set schedule after dinner. Campers who wanted to play music outdoors could feel free to do so and the piano and stage in the old auditorium were available on a first come, first served basis.

 

The rules of decorum were simple: Don’t leave the school campus without adult supervision, don’t entertain any uninvited guests on campus, and no, ABSOLUTELY NO, fireworks on campus. There were viewing areas to watch fireworks. The two big shows in Seattle were visible from the east side of the high school campus or on the upper floors on the east side of the middle school dormitory.

 

Before the campers could get to the evening entertainment, however, they had to manage their way through the routines of the day. When Austin awoke, he was surprised to be alone in his bed. He had become so used to sleeping with somebody that he missed the closeness of having somebody else crowded in bed with him. It was as if he had been abandoned.

 

He looked across the room to William’s bed and at his boyfriend’s beautiful face. He thought about sneaking over to kiss it when William’s alarm went off. William grunted, rolled over, reached for his alarm, and turned it off. He noticed Austin staring at him. “See something you like?” he yawned.

 

“Yeah, you.”

 

“You say the sweetest things. It’s almost like you took a class in how to be a loving boyfriend. What do you like about looking at me when I’m all tired and cranky with probably a bad case of bed hair?”

 

“I dunno, I just like looking at you.”

 

“I feel honored.” William pulled his covers back and sat up. “It was, like, totally weird to wake up with nobody in my bed.”

 

“It was for me, too.”

 

“What do you have this morning?”

 

“We have ‘Fandango’ rehearsal at ten. Before that I have to shower, have breakfast, and at eight it’s my turn to get tuning lessons with Mr. Turner, along with your friend Cindy.”

 

“Cindy, bleah,” William muttered automatically.

 

“Then at nine-thirty I meet with Grandpa Gene who will tell me what he plans to do during our solo time together. That way when we have our first hour class together he doesn’t have to spend part of the hour explaining it.”

 

“Yep, that sounds like Gramps alright. Get everything organized and efficient. And then it’s you and me with Gramps and lunch at Alfred’s. And at one, you have a practice room and I have a practice room. And at two-thirty you and Neddy boy play whoever it is you get to play in badminton so you can play John and me tomorrow.”

 

“We play Benny and Christian, if you can believe it.”

 

“I believe it. It’s not like there’s a ton of people playing in this tournament. We all have too much else to do. Us going out playing badminton is one thing but doing it on a schedule is sucky when it comes to getting shit done. There were a couple of forfeits, yesterday. I bet there won’t be any tournaments next year except for maybe improvs on the piano, where I would kick your ass if we went head to head.”

 

“Hah! Don’t be so sure. And here, I was going to give you a good morning kiss until…

 

William got off the bed, came over to Austin, and planted a kiss on his lips, and the two were soon rolling on Austin’s bed. Since both boys had slept naked, their impromptu wrestling match was as if they were humping each other. William scattered his seed on Austin’s torso within a couple of minutes.

 

Austin was obviously impressed by William’s prowess. “Damn, you were kinda horny,” Austin said.

 

“Yeah, because somebody fell asleep last night before I could tell him to get his ass in my bed. Now, let’s go shower—we’ve gotta get to breakfast or spend the morning starving.”

 

“What about getting me off?”

 

“You’ve got a big night tonight with your buddy Gary. You need to work up all the horniness you can.

 

 

 

Austin ate breakfast with William and Ned. Ned confided that he sucked John off twice the night before. “Did he return the favor?” William asked.

 

“Of course, he did,” Ned replied. “John is a good roomie. He would have done it again, but I was too tired.”

 

“Did you sleep together?”

 

“We did and, as my mom says, we were naked as the day we were born.”

 

“Does Shannon have any idea what you guys are doing?” Austin asked.

 

“Nope. She thinks John is a good roommate and a good ‘example’ for me, instead of a lowlife like you and William and Gary are.”

 

“What about Titus?”

 

“She thinks Titus is a perfect little gentleman.”

 

“You sister keeps getting weirder and weirder,” William said.

 

After breakfast, Austin received his tutorial in piano tuning along with Cindy. Austin thought it was interesting, but not something he would ever want to do. He knew that the piano in the practice room they used for the lesson sounded worse after he did his work than it did before he touched it.

 

Cindy mentioned William once, asking Austin what it was like having an asshole as a roommate. Austin simply answered, “We get along okay.” He wanted nothing to do with the person who messed up the duet with William.

 

After the tuning lesson, Austin practiced his Beethoven in the practice room that was reserved for him and Grandpa Gene. At nine-twenty-five he went down to the foyer at the main entrance of the school to wait for him. Grandpa Gene showed up two minutes after Austin started standing watch.

 

Gene gave the little redhead a big hug and accompanied him to the practice room. During the half-hour, Gene laid out what Austin could expect from him as well as what he expected from Austin during their lessons.

 

“What you are getting are master lessons,” Gene told Austin. “What Mr. Fielding did was teach you how to play the instrument, and he did a brilliant job of that. What I will do is refine your technique, teach you how to work with a partner or an ensemble, and how to play your audience.”

 

“That sounds like a lot with only a week of camp left,” Austin noted.

 

“Oh, this will be stretching out well beyond the end of camp.”

 

“It will? How?”

 

“That is one of the topics of our lunch discussion.” Austin nodded that he understood. “Now, before we begin, how did your session with the piano tuner go?”

 

“It was interesting, but’s a good thing he had us try it on an old piano. I think it sounded worse when I finished than it did before I started.”

 

“Not to worry, he’ll get it back in shape in a hurry.”

 

“Do you tune your own piano?”

 

“Austin, you heard this from me first. I am certain you’ve never heard what I am about to tell you. A proficient keyboard artist has better things to do with his hands than tune a piano. Leave the dirty work up to those who enjoy it—most tuners I know live in their own world when it comes to pianos and sound. From this moment onward your hands will touch a piano keyboard only for the purpose of practicing or playing—not to repair it, not to tune it, not to do anything but treat it as an extension of your musical soul.”

 

“I got it. I’ve screwed up my last piano. But who tunes yours?” Austin asked, coming back to his previous question.

 

“I have my own piano tuner. He tunes my instrument at home, as well as the piano in my piano studio, which I rent in a loft downtown. He also travels with me and tunes the instruments I play when I travel on the road—or I should say traveled on the road. He knows exactly what I want in my pianos and knows exactly how to get it for me.”

 

“Wow, I never realized there was so much that went into being a pianist.”

 

“Oh, there’s more, but that’s for a later time. Right now, let’s see how you’re faring with the Beethoven.”

 

The request was followed by an intense fifteen minutes of piano instruction. Just as with his “Fandango” instruction with Austin and William, Gene didn’t waste a second with his solo pupil. What Austin didn’t realize then, but would discover soon, was that without Mr. Fielding’s own intense instruction and demand for hard work, Maestro Eugene Delacroix would not have had the fertile ground he needed to instill the next level of mastery into the young, talented boy.

 

 

 

Gene ended his instruction five minutes before they were scheduled to meet with William. They found William waiting outside the room. The teen’s face lit up when he saw his grandfather. Gene stepped up to his grandson and gave him a big hug, something William’s father rarely did.

 

“Gramps, Austin and I only have three days after today before we play. It doesn’t seem like near enough time with all the other stuff we have to do at camp,” William moaned as they walked to the media room.

 

“You boys have made amazing strides in the past couple of days,” Eugene told them. “Trust me; you’re going to do just fine. You’re talented and smart and hard working. I have no doubt you boys are going to razzle dazzle everybody Tuesday.”

 

As soon as the trio entered the media room, William shut the door and he and Austin stripped down to their underpants like practiced strippers. Jordan was very pleasantly surprised; he didn’t think they were going to strip down with the great Eugene Delacroix in the room. He thought William looked great in his blue, green, red, and yellow crosshatched boxer briefs, but that Austin was sexier in his plain white briefs. Jordan could see that he had another morning of jerkoff fodder in front of him.

 

Austin and William started warming up and Cole entered the room just as they finished.

 

The next hour was extremely productive. Gene praised Michael and Cole’s work as the boys were highly organized and already working together well. Now he and Cole could take time to work on little things, like how Austin could make use of the new fingering exercise Gene had shown him in their session to help him though a couple of passages.

 

Gene also helped Austin position his hands better for one of his entries. “Josh, I mean Mr. Fielding, never showed me anything like that,” Austin said. “Does that mean he missed some important stuff in our lessons?”

 

“I’ve already told you what I thought of your piano teacher Austin, but I’m going to tell you something that I hope will allow you to thoroughly understand what I’m trying to tell you. First, Mr. Fielding pretty much started your keyboard education from scratch, right?” Austin nodded. “And he did an amazing job with you. I could tell that he saw your talents and ran with them. When it comes to the piano, there is no question he is something I never was and never will be.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“A teacher. Oh, I teach master classes, like what we just accomplished, and I work with young pianists, and by young I’m talking late teens and older, but that’s not the same as receiving a piece of putty and creating an artist from it. And, you are an artist, young man. You’re far from being complete, but already you are an artist. When William started his keyboard lessons his father and I made sure to find a teacher with the reputation of being able to mold artists out of putty.”

 

“So, why didn’t he teach me everything?”

 

“Because there is so much to teach. This is why there are master classes, so old fogies like me who have haunted concert halls most of their adult lives can show young artists like you what they have learned. You were not shortchanged at all by Josh Fielding, and you won’t be when you get back home. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start looking for some master classes, because you are ready to work with some of the best.”

 

“You mean like you?”

 

“It’s a good start,” Gene chuckled. “Okay, let’s go from the top.”

 

When the session ended, Austin and William were feeling much more confident in their ability to master the “Fandango” by Tuesday. For them it wasn’t a matter of qualifying for the next level, it was a matter of not embarrassing themselves.

 

While Austin and William were dressing, Jordan came out to tell William he had the solution to his problem.

 

“Come by my room around three if you can and let’s see if it works.”

 

“I can, and I will,” Jordan said. “I’ll see you then.

“What was that about?” Austin asked after Jordan left.

 

“It’s a surprise.”

 

“Come on, tell me…pleeeese!”

 

“Hang on tight. You’re going to like it, if it works.”

 

“Okay, but I’m not waiting any longer than this afternoon to find out.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

“Are you guys ready to head to lunch?” Gene asked.

 

“Yep, let’s go for it. I am a starving artist,” William chuckled.

 

“Alfred’s Fish Shop, here we come!” Austin shouted gleefully.

 

After the hostess seated Gene and the boys at a window seat, they perused the menus to see what they could get for lunch. William and Austin didn’t have to peruse for long since they knew exactly what they wanted: Alfred’s famous beer battered cod fish and chips. They saw nothing that changed their minds. Gene ordered grilled rainbow trout with garlic mashed potatoes.

 

Once they ordered, William asked his grandpa what his big plan was about. “It’s not a big plan,” Gene responded. “It’s a grand suggestion.”

 

“Whatever, just tell us about it.”

 

“Well, then here it goes. But when lunch arrives, I do plan on pausing to take a bite to eat on occasion.”

 

“Gramps!”

 

“Okay, okay,” Gene chuckled, “here it goes. Some of this you’ve heard before in bits and pieces and most of it will be new to both of you.” The boys nodded. “As you both know, the Seattle Youth Music Festival commences at the beginning of August. William already knows he will be participating, and Austin will as well, if he wishes.”

 

“I don’t think I can. I live all the way up in Bellingham and it’s not like camp with dorms and stuff,” Austin pointed out. “I’d need a place to stay and my mom…”

 

Gene held up his hand. “I should have started by telling you that everything is taken care of, including your mother. She has already approved everything I am proposing. I must emphasize that this does NOT mean you have to do it, it just means that if you should choose to do it, it’s a done deal. Now, how about you two hearing me through. I will answer any questions or hear any suggestions after I’ve finished.”

 

The boys mumbled apologies and begged Gene to continue with his, “plan…er…suggestion,” as Austin phrased it.

 

“Austin would stay at my condo. I have a guest room with a king-size bed and its own bathroom. I will be working at the festival and will supply transportation. Also, all expenses will be paid by me. Extras, like souvenirs, are your responsibilities. William is already registered and is scheduled for two performances, both on the piano.

 

“There will be many workshops put on by some of the country’s top performers. I have some suggestions for Austin, but once he looks at the schedule he may come up with some ideas of his own, which is fine by me.”

 

Gene stopped as the drinks arrived—sodas for the boys and iced tea for Gene. After the waitress left, Gene started up again. “One thing I want Austin to consider and that is a performance. One of the piano performers had to cancel because of an unfortunate accident playing with his friends, which resulted in a broken collarbone. So, no piano playing for the lad for a while.”

 

Austin was hoping Gene would start up question time because he had had some percolating in his brain and one had just popped into his head. What kind of performance was Gene talking about?

 

“Both the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Tacoma Youth Symphony Orchestra will be putting on a performance. Both are excellent orchestras. The injured boy was going to perform with the TYS and they are looking for a young replacement.”

 

William was certain he knew where his Gramps was going with this and decided it was time to interrupt him. “Gramps told me the orchestra asked him if I would fill in, but I agreed to perform with a couple of chamber music groups, and I plan to keep my commitment. I suggested he ask you.”

 

“Me?” Austin was stunned by the suggestion. “I don’t know shi…er…nothing about playing with an orchestra.”

 

“That’s what the festival is about, right William?”

 

“Right. First time I played with an orchestra was at the festival. I just turned twelve and played the Chopin 2 with the Seattle Youth Symphony. Picked that concerto because Dad gave me a CD of Kissin playing it.”

 

“Wow, I have that same CD. It’s my favorite because he’s twelve,” Austin grinned.

 

“And now that you’ve seen some other guys our ages on You-Tube, you know you’re just as good as they are.”

 

“Well, not yet. But, wow, if the director asks me, what do I have to do?”

 

“The TYS director is Dr. Byers. And you should play some pieces you know for an audition,” Gene said. “Also, you….”

 

He stopped when he was interrupted by William. “Stop Everything! Here comes the food!”

 

The conversation slowed down as the trio dug into their lunches. “These fish and chips are awesome, Grandpa Gene,” Austin said. “I think they’re the best I ever had.”

 

“This place has the rep for great seafood, so it better be good,” William said. “And mine are excellent.”

 

“Austin, thank you for calling me Grandpa Gene. It makes you sound like a part of the family, which is how I feel about you. I love you, even if you are a little rug rat,” Gene chortled.

 

“I love you too, Grandpa…Gramps! And I love William. And thanks for taking us to lunch,” Austin grinned.

 

“I’d better get in on the act,” William said. “I love you both.”

 

Gene held up his iced tea glass. “A toast.” William held up his glass and Austin followed suit. “Here’s a toast to the great love and great music you boys have produced over the last three weeks.”

 

They clinked their glasses. William followed up with a toast to “the best Grandpa and the best boyfriend a teenage pain in the ass like me can ask for.” Another round of clinks.

 

“You’re not a teenage pain in the ass,” Austin told William. “If you were, I wouldn’t love you so much.”

 

“Tell my Dad that,” William responded.

 

“This is all great stuff,” Gene said, “but I have a bit more to say. But first, I want to tell William that I agree with Austin. You’ve morphed almost overnight from a, well, teenage pain in the ass to a caring boyfriend who has suddenly accepted who he is.”

 

“And who am I?” William asked seriously.

 

“A beautiful person who has accepted that he can love somebody and that somebody can be the same gender.”

 

“Thanks,” William said humbly.

 

“What else do you have, Gramps?”

 

“Don Markham of the Tacoma Youth Symphony will be in the audience both Monday and Tuesday to hear Austin play. So, he will catch you playing a solo with the Beethoven and playing with someone else with the ‘Fandango’.

 

William could see the look of encroaching fear on Austin’s face. “And Austin is going to do great both nights, right Austin?” Austin said nothing. “Right, Austin?” Austin glanced back and forth between William and Gene. “RIGHT AUSTIN?”

 

William issued a sigh of relief when Austin forced a grin and said, “You know it, William. I’m gonna kick keyboard ass. So, Gramps, time is running out since I have a workshop at one. What else do you got?”

 

“When you, your mom, and I take care of some paperwork, you have a full scholarship waiting to pay your way through the Bainbridge School,” Gene said.

 

“For real? But I wouldn’t live at home anymore. And what about James? I’m getting all kinds of stuff and he’s not getting anything.”

 

“I was waiting for that question. I have arranged for him to work with Jonas Freeman at the Festival and he consented to do so after the two of them met. James will be staying with Jonas and his wife.” Jonas Freeman was one of the premier guitarists in the world and his wife Olivia was first chair cellist in the Seattle Symphony. Their older son, Freddie, was in the second violin section of the Symphony.

 

“Why didn’t he tell me this?” Austin asked. “I mean, Jonas Freeman is a huge name. Not as huge as Eugene Delacroix” he grinned, “but still, this is a big deal.”

 

“Because it was all decided yesterday, and we agreed I would tell you today as part of my talk about plans. Just be sure to give your brother a call later today to congratulate him. Also, he could have had a partial scholarship to Bainbridge, but he feels comfortable finishing his last two years of school with his lifelong friend.”

 

“Wow. Is my brother awesome or what? Okay, I’ve got a couple more questions.”

 

“Fire away, son.”

 

“What about William and me during the Festival? Will we have time to be together?”

 

“Forgive me if I’m out of line here, but I assume that you two might have shared a bed a night or two since becoming boyfriends.” The pair of red faces sitting across the table from him told Gene all he needed to know. “And if not, the king-size bed in the guest room allows you a great deal of space, something you don’t have in one of those dorm beds.”

 

“Last question.  What about a roommate if I come here for school? I’ll be in middle school and William will be starting high school. We’re going to be in two different rooms.”

 

“The school has policies for that sort of contingency. There will be a lot of rules and regulations involved, but you two rooming together is doable if that’s what you want.”

 

“I thought you were going to room with Kevin,” Austin said to William.

 

“That was before I fell in love with this cute little redhead piano prodigy,” William responded, “who fits perfectly into a dorm bed with me.” That little confession had Austin burning with redness.

 

Austin turned his attention back to Gene. “My mom said all of this is okay with her, right?”

 

“Yes, she did,” Gene replied. “But she didn’t say anything to you because she wanted you to hear all about it from me and to make your decision without getting mom pressure. I hope you realize this, but your mom is a wonderful lady and a fantastic mom.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve seen lots of other moms and I figured out that mine is the best.”  Austin took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay, Gramps. Since mom agrees, and William and I have lots of space in our bed, and James is happy, then I’ll do both—the festival and coming to school here. Plus, I’ll even have a friend here since Titus will be coming as a new sixth grader.”

 

Gene didn’t flinch when William turned, put his arms around Austin’s shoulders, and planted a long and loving kiss on his lips, which Austin eagerly returned. It wasn’t until William broke the kiss that it occurred to Austin that he had just performed his first public kiss with his boyfriend. He hoped it wouldn’t be his last. When he looked at Grandpa Gene, he saw a smile of approval on the man’s face. He knew he never had to be embarrassed or ashamed of who he was or of his relationship with William in front of Grandpa Gene. He leaned his head against William’s shoulder while Grandpa prepared to pay the check. For Austin and William all was right with the world.

 

On the drive back to the school, Gene told the boys that he wasn’t going to deal with holiday traffic and ferry issues. “Taking the bridge and the long way around once is one time too many. I’ve got a room in the parental quarters and a meal ticket through Monday night. But don’t worry, I have no plans to be in your hair.”

 

“Another free meal will always be welcome, though,” William smirked.

 

“Teenagers! Always thinking of their stomachs,” Gene grumped with mock seriousness.

 

“Our stomachs are one big part of us, but not all of us,” William pointed out.

 

“Oh? And what else is it that causes you to do what you do?”

 

“Why, our fabulous personalities and our amazing intelligence, as well, not to mention our gonads,” William chuckled.

 

“I give you credit for your forthrightness.”

 

“Hey, Grandpa, I just got to thinking,” Austin said. “Why can’t the guy from the TYS come tomorrow when the trio plays? He can really hear me play with somebody else then.”

 

“He’s away for the holiday weekend. Of course he can look at the recording, but that also gives you one more bit of motivation to qualify for next weekend.”

 

“That works. One more reason to get up for a seven in the morning practice tomorrow.”

 

 

 

After his workshop, Austin met with Ned for the badminton match against Christian and Bennie. Christian was an athletic boy, running cross-country for his school in the fall and playing tennis in the spring. Bennie also played tennis, and while there was a great difference between tennis and badminton, they were experienced at racket sports.

 

The two matches were both one-sided with the older boys winning 9-3 and 9-2. After the obligatory handshakes, Christian reminded Austin about the early morning practice.

 

“I know this practice has been on and off and changed so even I can’t keep track,” Christian said, “but if things get changed again then we just won’t have a last-minute practice, right Benny?”

 

Benny nodded. Hosting his family had been the big reason for most of the changes. His mother could be difficult to work with.

 

“Do you want to shower in the locker room or in one of our dorm rooms?” Austin asked Ned.

 

“I vote for a dorm room. If Christian and Benny were staying to shower, I would too. I bet they look good naked,” Ned replied.

 

“Are you sure you’re the same Ned I met at the beginning of camp?”

 

“Yeah, except that you taught me about sex and being horny and looking at boys makes me horny.”

 

“What do you mean looking at boys makes you horny? Ned, you’ve gotten to where you’re ALWAYS horny; looking at boys makes you hornier is what it does.”

 

William approached them as they walked out of the gym. He had been in the gym watching the match. He and John would be playing Christian and Benny for the championship on Monday. “So, the on again and off again early morning practice, tomorrow, is now on again, right?” he asked.

 

“Right,” Austin replied.

 

“Well, Gramps invited us to join him and Michael after dinner to drive to the beach, sit in some lawn chairs, and watch the Seattle fireworks show. I figure that by the time we get back it will be after eleven. What do you think of you and Gary putting your thing off until tomorrow night and then you and I going at it on Sunday?”

 

“I was hoping for something like that. It would be embarrassing to fall asleep at the piano tomorrow night,” Austin said. “But, if we do that, we’re sleeping together tonight. I’ll talk to Gary about it as soon as I can.”

 

“Sounds good to me. Okay, I got guitar work to do, so I’ll see you guys before dinner. Oh, before I forget, Jordan might come by the room around three-thirty to fix my problem. Could you hang around the room if I don’t make it back in time?”

 

“Not a problem.”

 

Austin and Ned stripped naked as soon as they set their backpacks on Austin’s bed. “John says I’ve gotten to be a really good cocksucker,” Ned told Austin as they headed to the bathroom for their shower.

 

“It’s an important skill if you like doing sex stuff,” Austin said, trying hard not to crack up. Austin loved doing sex stuff and had fun teaching Ned. He never imagined that Ned would go from nothing to total horndog in almost no time at all and he had to be careful not to laugh at Ned’s enthusiasm about sex. At least he doesn’t have a boner, Austin chuckled to himself.

 

The boys went straight to the shower; it was understood they would be showering together, a big reason showering in the dorm was more fun than showering in the locker room. They washed each other, which led to the inevitable formation of erections. Austin turned off the shower. They dried each other off and returned to Austin’s room.

 

“Do you want to, you know, do something together?” Ned asked somewhat shyly.

 

Austin checked the time and was surprised by how quickly it was flying by. It was almost three-thirty and William had told him that Jordan might be coming right about then.

 

“Shit, we better get dressed or we’re going to be naked when Jordan gets here,” Austin said. Before he could reach into his backpack for the clothes he’d tucked in there when he dressed down for badminton, there was a knock at the door. “Oops, too late.”

 

“Go ahead and answer it, I don’t care,” Ned said.

 

“Well, Jordan’s seen me with nothing but my briefs on, and William says he practiced naked in front of Jordan, so I guess I don’t care either.”

 

“Is that you, Jordon?” Austin asked through the door. Neither he nor Ned were tall enough to look through the peephole.

 

“It’s either me or somebody who looks exactly like me.”

 

Austin opened the door a crack. “Me and Ned just got out of the shower so we’re naked. You can come in if you want or wait a couple minutes for us to dress.”

 

“I can handle boys being naked. I promise I won’t do anything out of line. I’ll look at William’s machine while you guys dress.”

 

Austin let Jordan into the room. Jordan had to stop and admire the two smooth tweens in front of him, especially since one of them was boned up. Austin went limp when he heard Jordan’s knock, but having the teen looking at his naked body and his boner had Ned totally turned on. Jordan felt a stirring in his loins as soon as he noticed Ned’s cute little hardon.

 

“Where is it?” Jordan finally asked.

 

Despite all the talk of Jordan fixing something, William never told him what it was so Austin had no idea what Jordan was fixing. “Where is what?”

 

“The electric piano.”

 

“It’s under William’s bed, but it doesn’t work.”

 

“No duh. That’s why I’m here. I’ve got the fix for it right here on this flash drive.” He held up the drive for Austin to see. “And I know I said I wasn’t going to be pervy, but that’s doesn’t mean I can’t say you guys look really cute with no clothes on. I’ve been hoping that Austin would practice naked in the media room, but now my wish has been fulfilled.”

 

“Whatever you say,” Austin said. He got down on his belly, reached under the bed, and pulled the electronic piano out. “The stand is in the closet.”

 

“I don’t need the stand. Let’s just set this on the bed.” Jordan and Austin lifted the piano and set it on William’s bed. As far as the weight was concerned, Jordan could have lifted the piano himself, but having an extra set of hands kept it more stable.

 

Austin grabbed the cord and plugged the piano into a wall socket. Jordan turned it on and set to work following the instructions for the fix he had brought with him. Jordan also noticed that neither boy made any effort to dress.

 

Austin and Ned sat on Austin’s bed, watching Jordan do his thing. After a couple of minutes, Jordan announced that the fix was loaded. He played a simple melody with his right hand.

 

“Sounds like it works,” he grinned. “Hey, Austin, how about you taking a gander at it. I’m a terrible player, that’s why I play drums.” 

 

Austin thought about getting the stand but walked up to the bed instead. He played the opening notes of “Puff, the Magic Dragon” that he had learned off one of his mother’s CDs when he was little. “The lower range needs a little more bass.” Jordan reached around him and showed him how to adjust the tone quality. With a little experimenting, they got a sound that Austin liked. He figured that William could take care of the final adjustments; it was his piano, after all. Having Jordan touching him as he reached around released some hormones and Austin’s penis started to stiffen.

 

When Austin gave his okay, Jordan turned around to sit on Austin’s bed, and saw Ned playing with himself, almost to the point of full-on masturbation. “A little horny, are we?” the teen grinned.

 

“Yeah, kinda. I was just thinking of you naked and wondered how big your dick was,” Ned told him.

 

“It’s a hell of a lot bigger than yours.”

 

“Duh. I’ve seen teenaged guys’ dicks before, so I know that. I just meant yours if you had a boner or something.” Once again, Austin was amazed at Ned’s forwardness.

 

“Well, I gotta admit, seeing you two naked with hardons and seeing you almost jerking yourself off has got me boned up.”

 

“Can we see it? I’m pretty good at sucking dicks, by the way.”

 

“I’ll tell you what, Ned. Even though you’re turning me on, I made a little promise to Austin at the door, and I’m gonna keep it. It’s hard for a gay guy like me to turn down a BJ from a cutie like you, but I’m more into teen dudes like me. But thanks for the offer.”

 

Jordan could see the disappointment on Ned’s face as he started for the door. He stopped, looked back at Ned, and grinned. “I work seven days a week in the media room during camp. If you come to the door up the hall from the main entrance to the room and give me a knock, knock knock knock, knock I’ll let you in if I’m there. I’ve got a couple of good jerkoff spots in the control room, and there’s room for a little dude like you to hide and suck me off if you want to do it. If you come to do it, then we both know you want to do it BAD. Right now, I don’t know how much you want to do on a teen dick.”

 

Ned wanted to say he had sucked a teen dick, then decided to keep his confidences. He was certain right then he wanted to suck Jordan’s cock BAD, but he would do it Jordan’s way. “Okay, thanks,” was all he said. It was enough to make Jordan think something might come of this little conversation. Jordan waved, and left the room.

 

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that between you and Jordan,” Austin said.

 

“Me either, but I bet he’s got a big one to suck.”

 

“What are you going to do when you get home after camp and everybody you’ve done sex with is gone from your life?”

 

Ned gave Austin a sly grin. “Canadian boys like sex, eh. I know I can find the right ones to do it with me. Maybe one of my friends I never did anything with is like I was, and I can teach him everything like you taught me.”

 

“I never taught you everything. Gary and John did a lot, too.”

 

“Yeah, like this.” Ned got on his knees and nestled himself between Austin’s legs. Austin knew what was about to happen and closed his eyes to enjoy Ned’s mouth. Ned licked up and down Austin’s cock, put his friend’s glans in his mouth, and then took all of Austin’s three-and-a-half inches into his mouth. It didn’t take long for Austin to squeak, groan, and squirt his thin cum into Ned’s mouth.

 

Ned hadn’t yet let go of Austin’s tool when the door opened, and William walked in. “Whoa, dudes, I hope I’m not interrupting anything important,” he snickered.

 

Ned let Austin’s cock go, looked up at William, and said, “Nope, we just finished, and your roomie tastes really good.”

 

“I can attest to that. And, I see the piano is out so Jordan must have been here. Did he get to enjoy you guys’s talents?” William mentally scolded himself for using stupid slang terminology.

 

“Nope, I think he wants me to give him a blow job,” Ned said.

 

“It looks like you could use one right now, Neddy,” William observed.

 

“I bet you could, too.”

 

“I gotta admit I got horny in a hurry seeing you guys on the bed.” William unzipped and pulled out his four-and-a-half-inch rod. “Come and get it, you little horndog.” 

 

“Only if you get naked first.”

 

“By the way, the piano works now,” Austin said, as if the condition of the piano trumped William’s desire for a BJ.

 

“Good. Maybe you can play some sexy music on it while Ned and I enjoy a sixty-nine.”

 

“I think I’m gonna go find Gary and talk about tomorrow.” As Austin commenced dressing himself, William was undressing. “Don’t hurt his cock, because it belongs to me,” Austin told Ned before leaving the room.

 

“Is he serious?” Ned asked as he helped William place the piano on its stand.

 

“Austin? You know that Austin is always serious. Now, let me see what the dudes in your Quartet have been teaching you.”

 

“Your friend John’s showed me a lot,” Ned said.

 

“Has he fucked you yet?”

 

“I want Gary to do that after he does Austin—and then John can do it. Or even you. Or maybe…”

 

“…Jordan?”

 

Ned thought for a moment. “No, forget fucking. I’ll do it with a Canuck first.”

 

Ned and William clambered onto William’s bed. Ned shook with a dry cum within a couple of minutes and held tough with William until he took his second mouthful of cum that afternoon. This one was thicker and stronger tasting, but still excellent. As he slipped William’s softening cock out of his mouth he wondered if Canadian cum tasted the same as American cum.

 

 

 

Gary had just finished practicing Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer” when Austin knocked on the door, announcing who he was as he knocked.

 

“Come on in Austin,” he called out.

 

Austin quickly entered the room. He wasn’t surprised to see Gary naked since he had his own “CAUTION: NUDIST AT WORK” sign hanging on the door.

 

“That’s what I should have played for Ned and William,” Austin said.

 

“You’ve played ‘The Entertainer?’”

 

“Lots of times.”

 

“Why play it for those two?” Austin told Gary about William asking him to play his electric piano while he and Ned did a sixty-nine. “Friggin’ Ned has gone crazy since you taught him what his cock is really for.”

 

Austin flicked Gary’s soft cock. “I usually get a boner when I play the piano naked.”

 

“If you did some careful detective work, you’d see tissues in the garbage,” Gary grinned.     

 

“Sorry about tonight.”

 

“No problem. It will be more fun when you don’t have to get up early. Then all we’ll have to worry about Saturday night is sex, sex, sex.”

 

“You’re sounding as pervy as Ned.”

 

Gary shook his head. “No, no, amigo, you got it wrong. Ned keeps sounding more and more like me. But right now, he’s gone past me cuz William gave him a mouthful of cum to think about.”

 

“I gave him some squirts, too.”

 

“I’ll pass the little twerp on Saturday when I fill your butt with a full dose of my elixir.”

 

“Elixir?” Austin asked.

 

“Yeah, like medicine or a magic potion. I bet your cock shoots an elixir, too. Damn, we both came this afternoon and I gotta dress before the next person shows up at the door, or we could taste our elixirs right now.”

 

“Go find Titus.”

 

“He’s dry as a bone.”

 

“But it would still be fun,” Austin pointed out as Gary started dressing.

 

“I’ll see you at dinner. Maybe I’ll have a story to tell.”

 

It turned out Gary did not have a story to tell at dinner, but he did have news to share. “Two pieces of news about Titus and me,” he told Austin and Ned.

 

“Tell us,” Austin implored.

 

“First, we’re going to sleep together tonight. Second, we’ll both be going to the Youth Music Festival and I’ll be staying at Titus’s house for the week.”

 

“Awesome, because I’m going, too,” Austin grinned.

 

There was an exchange of high fives, although they could read the disappointment on Ned’s face. “I wish I could go too, but no way, not with me living in Canada. I probably won’t see you guys after camp until next year’s camp,” Ned grumbled.

 

“Where are you staying?” Gary asked. Austin told them where and that he and William might be roommates. He didn’t mention they would be sharing a bed.

 

“You never know,” Austin told Ned. “You could come down to Bellingham before school starts. We’re not that far away from Vancouver. Which brings me to my next bit of news. I’m going to be a seventh grader right here at Bainbridge starting in September. Me and Titus will be going to school together. William’s gonna be my roommate.”

 

“Fuck, everybody’s got awesome news except me,” Ned said. “I’ve been working on my ‘rents to be able to come here. I mean my sister is going to school here and if the evil bitch can do it then I should be able to. But they said they can only afford Shannon, plus they like having at least one of us at home.”

 

“You could become a snarky brat, so they’d want to get rid of you,” Gary laughed.

 

“Shannon thinks I’m one already.”

 

After they finished eating, Austin walked to William’s table. He was eating with John and Carlos. “When are we meeting Grandpa Gene?” Austin asked his roommate.

 

“Eight-thirty at the parking lot,” William answered. “That gives you and me time to practice in the room now that the piano is working.”

 

 

 

Austin’s evening moved quickly but he enjoyed it all. He was surprised how much he and William accomplished. He liked the sound of the electric piano once William got the settings right. The sound and feel weren’t as good as a “real” piano, but it was good enough for practice.

 

“That was kind of like tuning a real piano,” Austin said after William finished his adjustments.

 

“Not even close. I could never tune an acoustic piano. Getting the right setting on this thing is a piece of cake.”

 

The boyfriends enjoyed their naked practice, and such was their dedication to their task that they concentrated on the music rather than on each other’s bodies. They didn’t stop working on the “Fandango” until it was time for them to dress and meet Gene.

 

Michael Kearns was waiting with Gene in the parking lot. They climbed into Gene’s car and drove to a beachfront house on the east side of the island. The view of Seattle from the deck was perfect and the clear evening made viewing ideal.

 

“I thought we were going to be sitting on the beach,” William said as they walked up to the front door of the house.

 

“Close enough,” Gene grinned. “And if it’s the beach you want, there’s a set of stairs going down from the deck to the beach and you can sit on the rocks and enjoy the show from down there. Or, you can sit up here in some comfortable chairs and see more and better.”

 

“Whose house is this?”

 

“It belongs to Jonas and Olivia Freeman,” Gene told him.

 

“Did you know about this, William?” Austin asked his boyfriend.

 

“I had no clue Jonas Freeman lived on Bainbridge or I would have snuck out of school and picked his brain about the guitar. I’ve met him before, but I had no clue he lived here,” William replied.

 

“Jonas likes his privacy. You may have noticed that your tutor, Cole, is funded by Jonas as is the guitar instructor during the school year.”

 

“Why doesn’t he do any instructing?”

 

“He teaches master classes in Seattle and at the UW and is active in the Youth Festival, but the island is his hideaway.”

 

A man opened the front door and looked down at Eugene and his group. They had been standing at the bottom of the walkway chatting.

 

“Do you gentlemen plan on coming up?” Jonas called out. “There is ice cream and fresh-baked cookies waiting to be devoured.”

 

“We were admiring the landscaping,” Gene lied. “We’re coming up.”

 

“If he doesn’t teach or anything here then why is he letting James stay with him for the Festival?” Austin asked as they trekked up the stairs to the front deck.

 

“He owed somebody a favor,” Gene smiled. “And he really is good working with kids. It’s a shame he doesn’t do more of it.”

 

Jonas introduced his youngest son Darryl. Darryl was fifteen and an incoming sophomore at Bainbridge Island High School. He was the fourth of four sons and the only one still living at home. He was also the only one who was not musically inclined and the only one who was not going to attend Bainbridge School of Music. He was a brilliant math student, however, and would be taking a college level math course through the Running Start program when the school year started.

 

Austin and William took an immediate liking to him and the feeling was mutual. It didn’t hurt that Darryl was exceptionally good looking.

 

The ice cream and cookies made a perfect dessert. Olivia was an outstanding cook and baker to go along with her cello virtuosity. Almost all the conversation was about music. Jonas was intrigued by William taking up the guitar as a second instrument. By the time Gene finished working on him, he got Jonas to agree to come to their “Fandango” session the next morning and offer William whatever help and advice was needed.

 

William and Austin elected not to go down to the rocky beach. They elected to watch the fireworks from the back deck and sat on the swinging sofa chair. Nobody missed the fact that the boys were soon holding hands.  Nobody objected either; even Darryl, a very straight boy, thought it was sweet. Two of his best friends at school were gays who were out. He had been raised to be loving and tolerant to others, regardless of race, creed, or sexual orientation. He took his parents’ lessons to heart.

 

As the sky darkened, William got up to use the bathroom and grab some more cookies for Austin and himself. Darryl met up with him in the kitchen. “Are you and Austin boyfriends?” he asked.

 

“Yep,” William said, a bit leery of Darryl’s motives. 

 

“For how long?”

 

“Not very long—we met at camp.” Seeing the difference in the boys’ sizes, he considered asking what their age difference was, and then decided it wasn’t his business.

 

“That’s cool. Do you guys live close enough together to keep it going?”

 

“Not really, except my Grandfather is helping us out until almost the end of summer. After that, Austin will be starting school at Bainbridge Music and we’ll be roommates.”

 

If William’s Grandfather was helping them out and the school was letting them be roommates that meant that their age difference was no big deal. He figured that they looked farther apart in age than they really were, which wasn’t unusual. “Well, I hope you two hang in and are happy.”

 

William relaxed when he realized Darryl didn’t have an agenda. “Thanks.”

 

“I guess Austin’s brother will be staying with us during the festival. If he’s as nice as Austin, he should be a fun guest.”

 

“Yeah, he’s a pretty nice guy,” William said. Even if we don’t like each other, he thought to himself.

 

The two Seattle fireworks shows across the Sound were spectacular, especially the one at the Seattle Center which used the Space Needle for a lot of its effects.

 

When it all ended, Austin and William thanked everyone and said their good-byes. “My brother is going to be staying with you next month,” Austin told Darryl.

 

“I know. I hear he’s a pretty nice guy,” Darryl grinned.

“I think he’s the best brother in the known universe.”

 

“I’ve got three pretty good ones. My oldest one has even made me an uncle. Theresa is going to be two in a couple of weeks, which is supposed to be terrible,” he chuckled. “But I’ll be a loving uncle anyway.”

 

Austin and William held hands as they walked to the car. They were feeling less shame and embarrassment about who they were, plus the Freeman family was an open and loving family which helped give them a boost of confidence.

 

Austin slept in William’s bed that night. The two kissed long and hard and deep, holding each other tightly, as they rubbed their cocks together until they had orgasms just twenty seconds apart. Austin wished they could have done more, but six-twenty came way too early.

 

Nothing was going to stand in his way the next two nights. Gary was going to set him up for William and then he and William were going to make love for the first time; he could hardly wait. Austin was a sticky mess, but he thought about not showering in the morning so he could set his alarm later. He fell asleep in William’s arms before he could act on that notion.

 

Next: Gary and Austin