I felt the cool rush of air-conditioning escaping, as I unlocked the hotel room door. Dane pushed past me and plopped his suitcase on the carpeted floor. Immediately he started to strip off his clothing as I hurriedly entered and closed the door behind me.
I put my suitcase on the bed and then sat down on the gaudy spread that covered it. I watched with affection, as he continued to quickly pull all of his clothes off.
"God, it's hot," he rasped out. "I want to take a bath before we do anything else."
I nodded, feeling tired from the long drive. "That's a good idea," I agreed, "I think I'll lie down and rest while you're in there."
He turned his velvety-brown eyes on me, and I could see the sparkle in them. "Rest? You sound like you're getting old, Max."
As I gazed at my reflection in the mirror over the dresser, I could almost agree. There were circles under my eyes, and my skin looked sallow. I looked at the tiny around my eyes, and sighed. I had to admit to myself as I sat there, that I did feel kind of old. The five hour drive had just about done me in.
I patted Dane's firm bottom, as he passed on the way to the bathroom. "Let me know when you're ready to go out and get something to eat," I called out to him and then yawned. The combination of the sea air, and the air-conditioner was making me feel drowsy.
"Max!" I heard Dane's voice over the water running into the tub, "Where's my shark?" he demanded, referring to the small, plastic shark on a stick, that he had bought when we'd just got into town.
I tensed a little, feeling a brat attack coming my way. It was just something about the tone of his voice.
"You left it in the car, Dane," I answered as I unbuttoned the top couple of buttons on my shirt.
"Go get it, Maaaxx!" he whined.
"No, you go get it if you want," I replied as I dug around in my pants' pocket for the keys.
"I can't! I'm all naked and stuff."
"You can just take a bath without it then," I told him as I picked the remote from the bedside table and clicked on the TV.
I heard the sound of splashing as I lay on the bedspread and turned the volume of the television down low. I was just about to doze, when the sound of Dane's voice jolted me, and my eyes flew open.
"MAX! I want my JAWS!"
"If you don't lower your voice, young man," I replied, the volume of my voice matching his own, "you're going to get something besides that toy, and I don't think you'll like it!"
I heard splashing noises, and then his deep, rich voice chuckled in answer.
I waited a couple of minutes to make sure he wasn't going to keep on about the _d_a_m_n_ shark, and then I closed my eyes and slept.
The next thing I knew, Dane was lying beside me, his skin warm and damp, and he had twined a lightly muscled arm around my shoulders.
I tried to wake up as I felt the dampness of him seeping through my clothes. "Go dry off, monkey," I told him, my voice still groggy.
"Gimme a kiss first," he answered, with a definite pout in his voice.
I rolled over and kissed him. His lips tasted of soap. "You didn't rinse off good," I growled as I ran my palm gently over his sleek, dark hair, feeling moisture on my fingertips.
"Mmmm," he replied and then puckered his mouth for another kiss.
I smiled. "Go rinse your face," I said gently. "Then we'll go out and have some fun. Decide where you want to eat."
I watched him walking back to the bathroom, and I thought about the strong lithe beauty of his body. His flawless, olive skin, the rippling of the muscles in his calves. He reminded me of a Michaelangelo statue. That's how strong, and perfect he looked to me at that moment.
"Dane!" I barked with surprise and irritation. "Stop that!" I slapped at the toy shark which was blocking my view of the road. He moved the mechanism at the bottom of the stick, and the shark opened it's toothy mouth, revealing its white pointy teeth.
"DUN DUN...DUN DUN..." Dane started singing the 'JAWS' theme.
"Dane I can't see the road!" I said anxiously, as I pushed the toy away from my face.
Without thinking, I reached over and slapped the top of his thigh. "Settle down," I said firmly, and then concentrated on my driving once more.
It took about five seconds of silence, before a wave of guilt washed over me. As we stopped for a red light, I looked over at him. He was huddled near the door. For some reason, I felt like crying as I looked at him. "Is your door locked, baby?" I asked very gently, "Don't want my boy falling out."
"Yes," he mumbled, and then rubbed at the top of his leg, where I'd swatted him.
"We're going to have fun tonight," I said as cheerfully as possible.
"I was just playing," he said in a low, tense-sounding voice.
"I know," I said through the lump in my throat. "I'm sorry I smacked you. I love it when you play, but I couldn't see the road. You understand don't you?"
He nodded. "Yes Max, I understand," he nearly whispered.
"Please, Dane," I said, feeling suddenly desperate that he forgive me, "I really am sorry. When you play around, it makes me happy. It's just when I'm driving..."
"I understand," he interrupted, with a hollow sound to his voice.
The light changed, and I drove on towards the seafood restuarant, that Dane had chosen, frequently glancing over at him to see if he was OK. He was still huddled close to the door, completely shut-off from me. The toy shark lay lifelessly on the seat between us.
I wanted Dane to have fun on this vacation. This was going to be our time to relax and forget all the cares of life...
By the time I stopped at the next light, my remorse and sadness had turned to frustration. "I'm going to pull over at the next gas station, and warm your bottom good. If you don't stop sulking!" I warned him gruffly.
He made no response. I reached over and shook his arm slightly. "Did you hear me, Dane?" I asked with annoyance.
I heard a muffled "Yes."
"OK then, sit up straight, and show me you're trying to be a good boy." I said more gently.
He stayed still, huddled into the corner--and himself.
I shook my head. "OK, Dane, There's a gas station about a block away. I can see it from here," I warned, as I looked over at him, to see what effect my words were having.
He was silent and still.
The light changed and I grimly drove to the station and parked. Snatching the keys out of the ignition, and clicking the button that unlocked Danes door, I got out and went around to the passenger side. I looked around quickly to make sure noone was in view, in case I had use force, and then opened his door. He jerked upwards to catch his balance and I could see tears on his cheeks.
I looked away. "Come on, get out," I said huskily, "You disobeyed me."
He climbed out of the Maserati, his white dress shirt rumpled, and his tie all askew, and followed me listlessly into the restroom.
Once I had locked the door, I turned to him and lifted his chin so he was looking at me. "Your being a bad boy, to sulk like this," I told him, ignoring the redness of his eyes. "I told you to straighten up, and now you're going to get a spanking for not minding me."
Another tear slipped down his cheek. "I don't want you to spank me," he said quietly.
I turned him towards the painted brick, and placed each of his palms flat against it. Placing one hand on his stomach, I stood beside him and began to tan his bottom through his dress slacks.
The sound echoed off the walls as my palm connected firmly and crisply to his small rear-end.
His head tilted downwards in his obvious embarrassment, and after a few minutes or so, of delivering some very thorough spanks, I heard a small whimper from him.
I stopped. "Dane are you ready to be good, and let what happened, go?" I asked, more sternly than I felt.
"Yes, Max," he said thickly and then sobbed.
I pulled him around to face me and then held him close. Biting my lip, to keep my emotions under control, I kissed his face tenderly. "We're going to eat and then we'll ride the ferry," I promised, trying to coax a smile. "We can go to a club or we can walk on the beach. Whatever you want to do. that's what we'll do, Dane."
He managed a small watery smile, and I smiled back. "That's my good boy," I said as I gave him a squeeze and then released him.
Our food, when it finally arrived, smelled delicious. I looked over at Dane as we ate, and saw that he had a smile on his face as he concentrated on cracking a crab leg. "Want another drink, baby," I asked eyeing the empty wine bottle, and noticing his glass was nearly drained.
He nodded, and I motioned for the waiter.
One thing noone could accuse Dane of, was being a picky eater. He finished every bite of food on his plate, and then looked eagerly at the remains of my dinner. I smiled indulgently, and then looked around the restuarant to make sure noone was looking, as I committed my small faux-pas. I took his plate and then put the remains of my food on it for him. His face lit up like I'd just given him a diamond. Sometimes he was so easy to please, that it simply amazed me!
By the time we were ready to leave, We were both laughing and teasing, just like usual. We rode the ferry-boat over to a smaller island, and then rode back under the star-filled summer sky. Dane was too tired to do anything further, and I was a little relieved. It had been an exhausting day for us both.
Early the next morning--too early, Dane woke me up by trying to lick the inside of my ear. I jerked my head, dreaming that it was a big, slobbery, dog licking me, and then came to consciousness. He was laughing merrily.
"What time is it?" I mumbled as his breath tickled my ear.
"Time to get your big ass out of bed!" he crowed.
Eyes still bleary from sleep, I looked at the alarm clock on the table beside the bed. It was just 7:30. I groaned, then sat up and yawned hugely. "Big ass," I mumbled as I rubbed my hand across my stubbly chin. "You're going to have a big swollen ass, if you don't watch it," I said with a sleepy grin.
Dane laughed and then bounced up and down on the bed.
"Stop that," I said mildly as I made my way to the bathroom. He's starting early today, I thought, as I smiled ruefully.
Just as I was turning on the shower, I heard a loud thud. I rushed into the bedroom and saw Dane, sitting on the carpet, his legs askew, and a stunned look on his face.
What happened?" I asked anxiously. "Are you OK?"
He nodded, as I bent over to help him up. I dusted off the back of his pajama bottoms and then turned him to face me. "What happened?" I repeated.
He looked at me sheepishly. "I kinda fell off the bed."
"Were you kinda bouncing on the bed at the time?" I asked, trying to sound stern.
He smiled a wide, impish smile at me. "Kinda," came the glee-filled reply.
I jerked his PJ bottoms down and gave his butt five hearty swats. "Dont...SMACK...bounce...SMACK...on...SMACK...the...SMACK...bed!...SMACK"
Dane yelped, and then danced around, rubbing his butt.
I couldn't help but smile. "Is this going to be a spanking filled day for you, my brat?" I asked him with a laugh.
He pouted at me for a minute and then smiled. "Only if you're going to be all uptight."
I shook my head and chuckled once more before going back into the bathroom. "Stay away from the bed!" I called out to him. "If you crack your skull, you're going to get a big spanking!"
My reward was the deep, rich chuckle, that I loved so much.
That morning after breakfast, we rented some crab traps, and lazed on a weather-beaten pier, while the traps bobbed in the warm water of the gulf.
I shaded my eyes from the blazing sun and watched him as he got a beer out of the ice chest. He was crouched down, his strong taut back, rippling as he retrieved the beer. He had on day-glo orange swim trunks, and they brought out the color of his skin. I glanced at the a nearby pier and noticed an older man watching him. From the looks of his leathery skin, and the stub of a pipe he held in his mouth, I figured he must spend a lot of time outdoors.
"Dane, I think that sea-captain guy, thinks you're hot," I whispered.
Dane looked all around, and finally seeing who I was referring to, laughed. He twisted his mouth. "Arrrgh Matey! do you want to get laid?" he said a little too loudly.
"Shhh...Dane, he might hear you," I chided quietly.
He shrugged, stood up, and popped the top of his beer bottle. With a lazy smile on his face, he plopped down beside me on the pier. Then placing a warm hand on the top of my thigh, he dangled his feet in the water, and began splashing.
"You should've brought your shark to annoy me with," I said lightly as I rolled up the bottoms of my jeans, and put my feet in the water too.
When he didn't say anything, I looked at his face and saw the cloudy look that had settled there.
"What's the matter?" I ventured, fearing that I already knew the answer.
"Nothing," he murmered and then took a sip of his beer. He avoided my gaze, as he moved his feet back and forth slowly in the sea water.
"Are you still upset about what happened yesterday?" I looked impatiently at him, as I waited for his answer.
"I can't help it Max," he said quietly, still not looking at me.
I swallowed the sudden lump that had formed in my throat and put my hand on his arm. "Dane, that isn't fair, my friend," I said in a low, quiet tone.
He looked into my face then, his eyes wide with surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, that it's not fair to expect me to be perfect, 'cause I'm not. I make mistakes." I looked deeply into his soft eyes. "Baby, you've got to learn to let things go. Because if you don't, you're going to ruin some really special times. Will you think about that a little?"
He nodded, a look of confusion in his large eyes.
I patted his arm, and then looked out at the waves. The trap was still bobbing near the surface, no sign of any crabs within it. Impulsively, I bent over, scooped some water in my palm, and flung it at Dane. He laughed and kicked his feet so hard, that water splashed over the both of us.
Grinning, I snatched the beer out of his hand and took a big gulp of it. "Want to go swimming? It doesn't look like the trap's doing much of anything."
He agreed, and I could hear the enthusiasm in his voice. I quickly reeled the trap in, while he carried the ice-chest back to the car.
We found a nice deserted stretch of beach, and Dane pulled his suit off and jumped into the surf. I watched for a few minutes, as he jumped and dived, and then laid down on a towel, to get some sun.
The afternoon passed too quickly.
Sunday evening was bad. As we were packing our suitcases, tears ran down Dane's face. I tried to be cheerful, and matter-of-fact as I helped him pack.
"We'll come back real soon," I said as I hugged him close to me.
"No, we won't," he answered in a plaintive tone.
"I promise we will," I reassured.
He pushed me away and flung himself onto the bed. He sobbed like a child as he lay there, and I watched as his body was wracked with the misery of it.
It was hard to watch.
"Listen to me, young man!" I barked out suddenly. "We are coming back soon. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."
He continued to sob, as if he hadn't heard me.
I strode over to the bed, and put my palm flat on the seat of his jeans. "Dane," I said sternly, "if you don't stop it right now, I'm going to give you a hard spanking. I mean it!"
He cried even harder then.
I closed my eyes and pressed my lips together. Why did our vacation have to end on this kind of a note? I knew it was hard for him to leave. It was hard for me too...
I just couldn't allow him to go on like this. I sat beside him on the bed and wrapped an arm around his waist. My other hand crashed down, over and over, onto his jean-covered backside. "Stop it, Dane!" I demanded, my hand still poised in the air. "Stop it, now!"
He continued to cry. The swats hadn't changed the pitch of his weeping at all. He was going to make himself sick if he continued like this.
I steeled myself and once again began the assault to his backside. My palm slapped down in hard even strokes, the thick denim stinging my hand, as I spanked him.
I paused after a couple of minutes, panting from exertion. "Dane, Stop!" I yelled, trying to be heard over his sobs.
I sighed with exhausted relief, as I realized his outburst was dieing down. I listened for a minute as his breath came in hitches, and his distress subsided
"That's right," I said soothingly, as I continued to catch my breath. "That's a good boy."
I lay down beside him and rubbed his back as he pulled himself together. After a while I heard his voice, but I couldn't understand him because the pillow was muffling the sound.
"What, Baby?" I inquired, as I moved my head closer to his face.
"What if we never come back here?" His voice was choked with tears.
"I told you we will. Believe what I say."
"But Max, what if the test comes back positive? What if the lump is cancer?"
I startled, as he mentioned it for the first time this weekend. My eyes began to burn from unshed tears of fear. Tomorrow we would get the results of his biopsy. A small mass hed been felt on his prostate during a routine physical. At first I hadn't believed it was anything serious. Dane was a young man, after all. But his doctor had felt the need to do a biopsy. I'd been stunned, but concentrated all my energy on getting Dane though the procedure, trying to ease his fears.
But now, looking down at him lying pathetically on the bed, looking so vulnerable, I felt anxiety threating to overwhelm me. I'd spent so much time trying to protect him from things. But, how could I protect him from this? The truth was, I couldn't.
I pushed my own fears down, and cleared my throat. "Then we'll get it taken care of," I assured him, trying hard to make my voice sound confident and calm.
He sobbbed more quietly as I wrapped my arms around him and held him tight. "I'll be with you all the way, no matter what. Everything will be okay." I closed my eyes briefly, and willed myself to believe the words I had just said to him. "Right now we don't even know that it's anything bad. And it probably isn't."
His breathing was slowing now. He was calming down. I rubbed his back for a few more minutes, and then eased myself off of the bed. I finished packing our suitcases while I let him rest.
He'd cheered up considerably as I slammed down the lid of the trunk and we got into the car. I turned to look at him, and the sharp white teeth, of a small gray shark, suddenly filled my vision.
"DUN DUN...DUN DUN....DUNTA DUNNNN!..."
I laughed, pushed the toy out of my face and reached over and ruffled Dane's hair affectionately.
"You brat!" I exclaimed, as I watched the impish grin spread across his sweet face.
He moved the mechanism at the bottom of the stick, and the shark bit down on my arm softly.
"Yeouch!" I yelled in mock pain, as Dane laughed with pleasure.
"I may have to hide that thing, when we get home," I informed him, a grin on my face.
His bottom lip began to slip out at my words.
"But, if you play your cards right, monkey, I'll let you bring it, when we come back."
He looked into my eyes, and I watched as his brown eyes grew soft and hazy. He slid closer to me, and then tilted his head and puckered his lips, demanding a kiss. His lips felt soft and warm, as I deposited a firm smooch onto them.
"Okay, buckle your seatbelt," I ordered, my voice deep and husky, "Let's get this show on the road.
Then feeling some anxiety at the prospect, I started the car, and we began the long drive home.