Wednesday rolled around and we were up shortly after my parents left. We'd toned down our love making while we were at my house. We hardly fell out of the bed more than a couple of times. Each time we lay giggling, waiting to hear someone get up to check to see if maybe a tree fell on the house, but no one did.

I made the coffee and it might have been a bit stronger than what Chet made, but he was getting there, and the coffee was always strong. It did the trick and got my eyes open. Once they were open wide, I watched Chet sitting across from me, smiling back at me.

At nine, Skip pulled up out front. The moment of truth was at hand.

"Skip's here," I said. "You should go out and say hello. I'll get my board."

I carried my board out to the Chevy. Chet had Skip in his arms and they both had been crying. Chet looked at me and he kept holding on to Skip.

After a minute, Skip let go of Chet to hug me. And we cried.

"If I can't have him, Z, I'm glad it's you that has him."

The reunion was happier than I feared it might be. Skip was delighted to finally know where Chet was, even if he wasn't with him.

I sat in the backseat on the way to get Chet's surfboard. It was decided that the three of us would surf on Wednesdays. Skip would keep our boards at his house. He'd load the boards before coming for us on Wednesdays.

It was all very simple. It was all very complicated.

"We'll go to San Onofre and surf below the bluffs. That will give us more time in the water and we can all get reacquainted. It's so nice seeing you, Chet."

"Skippy, the only reason I'm here was because you took me to live at your house. I'd been there too long when I left. I had to find my way, and I did, as crazy as my life has been, I wouldn't have a life if it wasn't for you."

The irony being, Chet saw Skip as a brother, not as his lover. It was a big distinction, but one Skip accepted. He was genuinely delighted to have Chet join our Wednesday jaunts. As we unloaded our boards, after ten that morning, several surfers stopped to watch the two stunning red heads standing together.

We sat in the ocean on our boards, waiting for a wave. I purposely let my wave pass me by as Chet got up and rode it to the beach. As I expected, he worked the board like a dancer would. He moved forward, back, and forward again as his feet felt the board under him. He paddled back out and he gave me a kiss, once we let the water move us here and there.

The three of us caught the next wave. I wasn't able to watch Chet as closely, but we surfed beside each other, only a few feet between us. It was one more thing that Chet and I could share.

******

Ralph came to mind when I thought I needed to stay in touch with the skaters I knew.

I figured, after a while, Chet and I could skate over to my patch of grass There was only one obstacle left for me to conquer, but it was a big one.

Chet was a hit with my parents and we had a standing invitation to come to dinner and of course stay over in my bedroom that they hadn't changed. Dealing with Skip hadn't been the problem I envisioned. Skip had always been good to me, and except for having sex, nothing else changed. By the time the surfing was done for the day, we were all laughing and enjoying each other's company. At the end of Wednesday, Skip dropped Chet and me at our apartment and he drove off with our surfboards on his roof. He would return the following Wednesday.

I didn't need to change anything. I would still take Wednesday's off and Chet would continue to drop me off and pick me up at work. The only thing that had changed, I once again put my relationship with El Cajon's skaters on hold. No one band looks out for other El Cajon skaters. There would come a time when I imagined we wouldn't spend most of our time in bed. I had no idea when that time would come.

I could wait. I'd never spent that much time in bed before, but bed was okay, depending on the company you kept.

After Skip dropped us off, we raced each other to the bedroom. It was a tie, and we gave each other what for. We were drawn to the bed, anytime we came home. The Lamborghini didn't allow us to get far from one another.

If I was within arm's reach of Chet, I had my hands on him. We managed to find a way for me to lean against him with his right arm around me, and he could keep his left hand on the wheel, and we hardly had to kiss at all, because we would rather not wreck the tiny sports car.

We'd gone out with Skip two Wednesdays in a row, after the first Wednesday, and after a wonderful day of surfing at Pacific Palisades. We were coming up for air, deciding on what we would do for dinner, and my phone rang.

Chet handed me my phone from off the nightstand.

"Hello. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir," I said happily. "See you in an hour."

I handed the phone back to Chet.

"The shower will take an hour," Chet said between kisses. "Who we meeting in an hour?"

"Dad, and Mom, we're invited to dinner. Dad said he ordered Mexican and he realized he ordered way too much for the two of them, and he wants us to come over to help them eat Jose's finest burritos and tacos."

"I'm starving," he said. "I guess we can make it through a shower in less than an hour. What do you think?" he said, and my lips covered his.

We could do it in a half hour while in the shower, but it wasn't nearly as much fun and we couldn't get all of our favorite positions in, but we did manage to leave the bathroom smiling. I asked him to jettison the Spandex and wear a pair of slacks he wore for work. He not only wore the black slacks, but he wore a white shirt that he really looked great in. We got to my parents' house just before seven and my father stepped out on the front porch to see us.

"Hi, Dad," I said.

"Hello, Zane, who is this handsome devil you've brought with you."

"Dad!" I said.

"Chet, what are you dressed for? You look quite nice tonight."

"Not my idea. He put me up to it," Chet said, shaking my father's hand when Dad offered it to him.

"Hello, Chet. It's so nice to see you. You look spiffy tonight."

"Mom, your son came with him in case you didn't notice," I said with a phony hurt feeling in my voice.

"Yes, well, you aren't nearly as neat as Chet is, but you are my son, I suppose I've got to acknowledge it."

"Yes, you do," I said, kissing Mom's cheek.

The food was piping hot, and maybe it was because we were at the ocean all day, but it tasted wonderful. It was a good thing Dad bought extra, because we ate like lumberjacks.

"Mr Hitchcock is worried about you," Dad said.

"He worries more than I do, Dad. I wouldn't pay a lot of attention," I said.

"He thinks you might leave him. He sees how close you and Chet are. He thinks a man who can afford that car can afford to take care of you."

"I've told him. I've told him again. I'm not going anywhere. I know my job and I do it. He has nothing to worry about. I was taught the value of work, Dad. You and Mom taught me well."

"That's what I told him," Dad said. "He does worry about you. You're lucky to have a boss who cares about you. I've had some bosses that would have shoved me to one side if I dropped dead on the floor."

Chet laughed at this, and I chuckled. Dad had worked some rough jobs.

"You're out of tacos, Chet. Here, have another," Mom said.

There was no way for me to check to find out what Mr Hitchcock told Dad when they talked, but he'd seen the way we greeted each other when Chet came for me after work. I didn't believe he'd talk about that greeting with Dad, but there was plenty to talk about, if he talked. I didn't believe he would.

"He has worked every day," Chet defended me. "No mention of him not going to work since I met Z."

My father waited until I took a big bite of my third burrito, before he brought up a subject that had been on his mind.

"How old are you Chet?" Dad said.

I coughed trying to swallow, which had me choking. Mom handed me my glass of milk. Dad waited for his answer.

"I'll be twenty-five soon," Chet said without hesitating.

"You do know how old Zane is?" Dad asked, as I finally swallowed.

"I believe Z is twenty, soon to be twenty-one," Chet said with no doubt.

"Correct."

"Dad," I tried, knowing where my father was going.

"You have the looks of someone who knows where he's going."

"Dad!" I persisted, as my father ignored me.

"I'd like it if you see to it that my son doesn't get hurt in this ... affair. I don't know you, but I trust Zane's judgment. Any friend of Zane's is welcome in my house. Don't be a stranger now that we know who you are. We usually do Mexican, Chinese, or some other ethnic food on Wednesday. You are always welcome to drop by, and Zane knows he can come to dinner even if you can't."

"Dad," I said. "Thank you. Chet was impressed with both of you. Me too."

"Have another taco, Chet," Mom said, dropping one on his plate.

If that didn't say it all, nothing did. My parents could surprise me. Not often, but this was the first time I didn't live with them. They'd keep my room as is, in case I came back from this love affair, but they'd hope we didn't fail.

Because of my parents, Chet would gladly come to dinner with me a couple of times a month, but he hadn't taken me to Tevo's, and I hadn't met Tevo yet. That oversight would be rectified by Tevo, the day he scared the hell out of me.

It was on a Sunday, and we'd been in the shower. Chet always hung back to dry his full head of hair. He liked to towel dry it, until he combed it, and that care was what made his hair look so good.

My hair just sort of sat on my head and dried if it had a mind to. I had a thick head of dark hair that took some time to dry.

I heard the key in the lock. I heard it but thought it was the apartment across the hall. It was a Sunday morning and I was sitting on the couch reading the funny papers. I heard a key turn. A tall slender black man stepped inside. He looked straight at me in my boxers with my legs curled up under me.

"You! You!" he said in a loud deep voice. "You are the one. Stand up and take this like a man. I've been waiting to find you here. You!"

I stood up to run. The guy was big enough to crush me in his arms, and in a second, I was in his arms in a bear hug.

"You are the one Chet has told me about. You could melt the cold, cold heart. Chet, he's precious. I didn't believe you."

The big black man stood back to look me over.

"I'm Tevo," he told me, but I'd figured that one out. "I'd have come sooner, but we're remodeling. I don't leave contractors in my restaurant alone. We're done now. I'm having a brunch this morning to celebrate."

Chet stood in the alcove with a smile on his face as he kept drying his hair.

"Told you," Chet said. "I wouldn't fall for anything but the best, T."

Tevo walked to Chet and swept him up in his arms. He laughed loudly. They danced in a circle.

"The contractors left late last night. The remodeling is done. Let's all go to my restaurant for breakfast. I'm having a brunch to celebrate. I want you two there. I forgot to ask you last night. I came to meet your boyfriend. Invite you to help celebrate," Tevo said sounding very Jamaican.

Tevo was a shock to the system.

We got dressed and followed Tevo, once we got into the Lamborghini. Once we turned on Main Street, Tevo went directly to I-8, going up the ramp in front of us. I'd been riding in the Lamborghini for nearly a month, and it was an experience, although Chet was a good driver.

The Mclaren was bigger, but not by much. I would get a closer look once we got to Tevo's restaurant. For now, I looked at the sleek lines of another sports car. I was trying to see it when it was suddenly gone. We were on the ramp with T maybe ten car lengths in front of us, and then, as we went up the ramp, he was suddenly gone. He simply disappeared.

"Where'd he go? He has an invisibility shield on that thing?"

"He's showing off," Chet told me.

"Jesus Christ," I said.

The Mclaren was nowhere in site as we went up to the Lakeside exit.

"Tevo likes to show off. The Mclaren does the quarter in ten seconds. It goes 0-60 in a few seconds. He'll wait for us at the Lakeside exit. You'll see."

It was only a couple of miles, and Tevo was sitting on the shoulder at the top of the ramp. Once he saw us coming, he pulled onto the ramp and took it to the bottom, where he left with us close behind. He didn't go over thirty.

There were a dozen cars out in front. Most were ordinary enough. We added two high performance sports cars to the mix. I'd passed by the building before it was Tevo's.

"This world is a world beyond the world I know," I said.

I knew how I felt, and I'd rather not embarrass myself in front of my lover. I feared I might not know which fork it was appropriate to use for which item.

"I'm a poor boy, remember? It took some getting used to for me to adapt. I left LA before I lost my mind. Tevo rescued me from a life I couldn't escape. When he found out where I was originally from, he said, 'I bet they need a first class restaurant there. Come be my waiter. I'll take care of you, Chet.' He's like the father I never had, Z. Wherever I go, you are welcome there."

"Thank God for Tevo," I said. "His world is too fast for my world, but if it is okay with you, if's fine with me."

"I guess so," I said. "As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine."

The restaurant was only a half mile from the freeway. It was alive with people. The buffet was set up at the front of the restaurant and there was always people in line to get the goodies. I took some trout, fried oysters, fried potatoes, and Chet scooped a little pile of black goo on my plate. I looked at him for clarification.

"Caviar. Fish eggs. Sturgeon eggs. It's a delicacy. You're required to like it or they won't let you in the club,"

"What club?"

"I don't know. I could never eat the stuff but try it. Take some crackers. They eat them on these tiny crackers."

"If it's so good, why so little, and why crackers?"

"It's how it's done, Z. Some things are better not to know. Try them."

It may have been a delicacy, but it didn't impress me. Chet told me that it was an acquired taste. Once he told me the price, it was a taste I'd not acquire.

The food was excellent and I ate the things I'd pick out at any buffet, but the tastes were exceptional. Only the fish eggs didn't appeal to me. The people talked, laughed, danced to the music, and Chet and I slipped away after an hour.

I'd been by the restaurant and it didn't look like that from the outside, but it was as expensive a restaurant as I'd ever been in. Everything was delicately decorated with many touches of an expensive decor. The flowers were fresh and the smell of the food mingled with a pleasant smell in the room.

We drove out to the Pacific Ocean in Coronado by going over the big ass bridge that crosses the San Diego Bay. At it's peak I could see forever. The entire world seemed to appear on the horizon. I held Chet's shifting hand and I leaned to kiss his cheek.

He looked at me and gave me the biggest smile. I felt warm all over, and it had nothing to do with the California sun.

"What was that for?"

"For you. It was for all the joy you give me."

I didn't sense we were fast approaching one of those moments that would make or break us. At one time, not long ago, I couldn't have done it alone, but I wasn't alone. I was with Chet.

I had no apprehensions or feelings we were about to reach a turning point.

I didn't realize that Chet planned this trip for after I met Tevo. I didn't know the extent to which Tevo had saved Chet

There had been little mention of Chet's LA moment. He seemed steady, in control, and a guy who knew where he was going. Chet possessed a self-assurance that told me he was in control of himself and his life. The idea he wasn't always that way didn't occur to me. Chet was Chet.

We parked near the beach and Chet guided me to the water. We stood looking out at the beautiful Pacific. We held hands as we walked down the beach.

As we walked, Chet began to talk. It was obvious he'd thought about what he might say, and I was all ears. I was never happier doing anything.

Chet began talking several times. Each time he started talking, he stopped, and we walked in silence before the words came to him.

"There are things about me you need to know, Z."

He seemed ready to tell me what was on his mind.

"This must seem tame for a guy who danced in Hollywood," I said.

Chet's face lit up. He leaned to kiss me, and we stopped walking to kiss.

"You can read my mind. You often know what I'm about to tell you," he said, once we'd started to walk again.

"Before I say what I'm going to say, you do know I love you, Z."

"About half as much as I love you, Chet. I know. I feel your love."

"There are things you need to know. It's not an easy story for me to tell. Yes, I've been to Hollywood, and I was reasonably successful, but only in a minor way. For a poor kid, I was successful beyond any expectation I had I could be."

"This is heaven, Z. Being with you is as good as my life has been. I went hungry as a child. My mother, well, as mother's go, she was a disappointment. I was alone a lot when I was young. I was hungry a lot in those days."

"I'm sorry," I said.

I stopped walking and I held him in my arms. He began to shake.

"I'm so sorry, Chet."