Jason Ben and the Flying Monkeybots

Jason, Ben, and the Flying Monkeybots

A Serial Story by JP Adkins

The Piano Bar

It was a cold, dreary day in December somewhere between Christmas and New Years Eve when Jason found himself outside this new, pretentious piano bar that just opened up outside the movie theater. Jason couldn’t complain too much, the season had be warm thus far for the most part making the cold feel even more bitter.

Jason heard that this place had “THE BEST WILD MUSHROOM AND SWISS BURGER” from his friend, Matt who seemed to always be out and about. Since it was right outside the theater that was playing this random movie he was supposed to review tonight Jason figured, “Why not?”

Jason hated places like this. Who was he kidding? He hated leaving the house lately. There was a time he was the life of the party. “When he was young and unafraid” as the old song goes. Really, it was a slow, systematic separation from his life when he was with his ex that did it. Not that I was important now. The ex has been gone for three years.

Jason sat at the bar and waited, and waited, and waited. It would have frustrated him, but at five foot six it happened so often that he became accustom to it. Not to mention, the bartender was pretty easy on the eyes and from this vantage point, Jason had the time to admire how amazing the bartender’s tailor fit the pants so that they showed off both the front and the back while looking like they were barely skimming his body. Jason was still lost in that thought when he felt the guy next to him nudge him.

“Hey,” the mysterious guy said and nudged his head forward, pointing out the bartender standing in front of me with a pad waiting to take me order.

“I am sorry man,” Jason said. “I must have zoned out there.”

“Happens all the time,” the bartender who’s nametag read “Puppy” said. “What can I get you?”

“I hear the wild mushroom burger is good.”

“Yah it is fantastic,” the guy who nudged earlier interjected.

“Then it is decided,” Jason said. “Now, what to drink?”

“May I suggest the Sassafras Sidecar? They make their own sassafras syrup here,” the guy next to Jason said even before Puppy could get a word in.

Puppy walked away as if it was decided and Jason went back to admiring the tailoring when the guy next to him spoke up again, “I’m Ben.”

“Hi,” Jason said almost dismissively without even looking at the guy.

“I usually don’t do this but, I promised myself I would actually go out and talk to people today,” he continued not picking up on the cue but Jason understood how it is to force yourself to leave the house, so he turned to face him.

Jason thought about it. He wasn’t half bad looking. I mean, I am not winning any beauty contests myself, but Ben was somewhere between a tall leprechaun and a homeless lumberjack. There was something about his eyes though, strikingly blue and he had beautiful bone structure. Then it hit me who he looked like…

“Has anyone ever told you that you look like Percy Weasly, Ben?”

Ben just looked at me and chuckled. Wow! That was a smile I thought to myself. The room somehow seemed a little brighter.

“I am Jason,” I said a little more warmly and even managed a smile.

“Hi Jason, don’t think anyone has made that connection other than the Facebook games.”

“Well they are pretty dead on there.”

“Thanks…I guess.”

Puppy placed a drink in front of each of them before spinning on his heal and walking away. If Puppy had longer hair it would have smacked them both in the face.

“He is something isn’t he?” Ben asked.

“Yeah he is worth the price of admission though.”

 Jason took a tentative sip.

“This is pretty good. Thanks for the recommendation.”

“No worries. So what do you do if you don’t mind me asking? Never mind, your face tells me you don’t want to talk.”

“No, it’s ok.”

Ben’s shyness made Jason smile. He didn’t know what it was about him, but there was something there. Something that Jason wanted to explore.

“I am a designer but I took a job with a news site and am reviewing movies. It isn’t a bad job and it is paying the bills. The movies just suck right now.”

“That is cool. I design video games.”

“Anything I ever heard of?”

“Have you heard of the Flying Monkeybots?”

“Actually, I have. My niece was playing it at the last family dinner.”

“Really?” The level of surprise apparent in Ben’s eyes.

“Yeah, she said she was bored and was searching the app store. She loved the logo and the game itself is pretty addicting. All you could hear all dinner was ‘UNLEASH THE MONKEYBOTS’.”

“I had so much fun getting that voice down.”

“It was distinctive.” Jason said genuinely impressed. “I tried to play a bit but I am not great at video games.”

“So I guess you can’t be perfect.” Ben flashed his killer smile making Jason stutter.

“I …”

Just then Puppy came over and put two burgers down in front of the guys and sashayed away.

“Did he even ask you what you wanted?” Jason asked Ben.

“Nope but the wild mushroom burger is really good. I love the homemade chips.”

Jason took a bite of his burger and thought he might have an orgasm right there. The perfect earthiness of the mushrooms sweetness of the garlic and tartness from the Swiss made him actually moan around the bite.

Jason looked at Ben and he too had a blissed out look on his face. They each nodded at the other as two co-conspirators in on a secret. Nothing had to be said.

Now that he wasn’t talking he noticed the music for the first time. The player was extremely talented pianist but his vocal skills left much to be desired. So much so that when he asked for request, a table close to him asked him to stop singing and let someone with talent do it. To which the player nodded and a stately woman stood up and started singing the Billy Holiday tune the pianist was slaughtering.

As Jason put the last couple bites of his burger down he noticed the time. “Fuck! I got to hurry up.”

“Where are you off to?” asked Ben as Jason tried to flag down Puppy while shoving the last of his burger down.

It took a couple seconds for Jason to swallow before he answered, “I have to see a movie tonight and the last showing starts in less than a half hour.”

Ben looked a little down. To be honest, Jason wasn’t quite ready to leave but this movie was only playing at limited times and he waited till the last show to even go.

On a complete whim Jason asked, “Want to come with?”

Jason didn’t know what came over him. Who does that – meets some random guy in a bar and invites him to a movie? Is this how they did things before apps? But seeing Ben smile somehow made everything ok.

“Yeah sure,” Ben replied trying to look cool.

“I guess that isn’t such a strange request in a piano bar,” Puppy said obviously overhearing the conversation on his way over with the checks.

“No, asking the singer to stop singing is though.” Jason said making Puppy pout as he whirled around to cash them out.

Jason and Ben were still laughing when Puppy came back.

Ben lifted the last of his drink and said, “A toast to new adventures.”

“To new adventures,” Jason replied clinking glasses.

A Family Mystery Uncovered

“Ok that movie was so predictable,” Jason said as he and Ben walked out of the theater.

 “How can you say that?” Ben asked incredulously. “The kid found out she was an alien, her father was over a thousand years old, and she can orgasm by leaving her body and merging with anyone on the street.”

 “The father’s eyes looked like something out of the show “V”, I don’t know how the daughter missed it all these years, the father was an ancient Samarian Professor who people use to translate ancient text that he can read naturally, and the orgasm scene was creepy as fuck. Your father should not be there coaching you body-fuck-rape a random stranger on the street.”

“But you didn’t see that coming,” Ben said triumphantly.

“I didn’t want to see that at all!”

“Fair enough, but you can’t say that it was predictable.”

“I guess not,” Jason finally agreed. “How am I going to write seven hundred words on that? I mean, the only good part about the whole movie was seeing Ron Weasly naked.”

“So you have a thing for redheads? Is that why I am here?” Ben said feigning indignation.

“No just always wanted to be a Weasly,” Jason joked. “Then again, with all my siblings it wasn’t that far off.”

“I was an only child. I always wanted a brother but my parents said that after they had perfection they didn’t need another child.”

“I always say that mine should have stopped after me,” Jason chuckled. “Most of the time they agree.”

All through this conversation, the guys were walking through the parking lot kinda in the direction of the Piano bar where they both parked. Jason wasn’t sure what should be next. On one hand, he was enjoying the conversation and playfulness, but his budget was limited and he wasn’t quite ready to take him home.

“It is not too bad outside, would you like to take a walk?” Ben asked taking away the questions that Jason was having.

“Sounds cool!” Jason replied wanting to continue his chat with Ben but not really knowing what to do next.

They walked down the busy street for a couple blocks in awkward silence. Neither knew what to say next.

 “So what is your favorite movie?” Ben asked.

 “I have some great memories watching Across the Universe with friends but I definitely love a good superhero romp. How about you?”

 “I love Daredevil! Ryan Reynolds is perfect in it.”

 “I think you mean Deadpool,” Jason said with a chuckle. “Although, I am pissed that Netflix canceled Daredevil!”

 “Why the hell did they do that?” Ben asked outraged

 “Idiots!” Jason exclaimed a little too loudly making some people turn around resulting in both guys bursting out laughing.

 “I guess Disney is doing a new streaming service that Netflix doesn’t want to advertise,” Jason said when he could breathe again.

 “Why don’t they just go to Hulu? I mean they own thirty percent of that anyways,” Ben responded.

 “I have no clue. Like I said, IDIOTS!” Jason screamed the last just for the fun of having the people all turn around again.

 “Do you want a coffee?” Ben asked as they were walking by one of the five coffee shops on this block.

 “Sure you want this one and not the Bean and Leaf or the Starbucks, or the Ain’t Your Momma’s Coffee?” Jason joked.

 “I have found that Atom has cuter baristas,” Ben joked back only making Jason a little jealous. “Man I am only joking, come on lets get a coffee.”

 That was odd, Jason thought. Why I am getting all bent out of shape over that joke? “Sounds good.”

 “O-M-G! look who’s working,” Ben said with a smile.

 “Really?!?” Jason said incredulously as he saw Puppy behind the bar.

 “Didn’t we just see you at Piano?” Ben asked Puppy as he got to the bar.

 “I don’t know did you?” Puppy said blankly.

 “Really!?!?” Jason said again.

 Puppy smiled and winked at Jason.

 “He would never make it if he wasn’t that cute,” Jason said as they walked out with their salted caramel mochas.

 “Nope! He ain’t a bit of right.”

 “Hey isn’t that JP Barnaby?” Jason asked pointing at a woman across the crosswalk.

 “Who?” Ben asked.

 “JP Barnaby, the writer of Aaron, Ben, and Painting Fire.”

 “Never heard of her.”

 “Fuck off!” the woman said as she crossed paths.

 “Yeah that is JP Barnaby.”

 They were soon back to the parking lot where each of them were parked. Jason was closer so they both walked over to his car.

 “Want to go back to my place?” Ben asked shyly.

 “I really want to but, I do have to get home and write up this review,” Jason said truly torn.

 “What are you going to write?”

 “The only thing I can write is, ‘we sit back as a family mystery is revealed slowly and in the most disturbing ways.’”

 “Don’t be too hard on it. It wasn’t that bad.”

 “I will be as fair as I can.”

 “Can I get your number at least?”

 “Only if you call me tomorrow.”

 “Promise unless there is some drama in the lab.”

 “Is there commonly drama in the lab?” Jason asked while punching his number into Ben’s phone.

 “Not really.”

 “Cool talk to you then.”

 Ben leaned over and gave Jason a kiss taking Jason’s breath away. Jason almost reconsidered Ben’s offer.

 “Have a great night,” Ben said breathlessly.

 Jason waved a little lightheaded as Ben started backing away waiting for the last moment to turn away from Jason.

 “Ben, watch out!” Jason yelled as a car almost ran Ben over.

 “Bye.” Ben said with a wave slapping the car hood before walking over to his car.

Drama In and Out of the Lab

Ben walked into his small, overpriced condo in downtown Ferndale to the sound of his computer waking up screaming, “Unleash the Monkeybots!”

Chistery, his artificial intelligence agent has a routine wake the computer, fix the temperature, and adjust the lighting when the camera picked up Ben’s car in the parking lot.

He still can’t believe that he had over 10,000 paid downloads of the Flying Monkeybots app except he probably gets that amount of emails daily wanting Monkeybots 2 : Revenge of the Loganite. He had been working night and day on it but he still couldn’t get his physics right. It was still too easy to win.

No one likes an easy Loganite, Ben thought to himself.

He didn’t want to think about work right now. He wanted to think about Jason. Ben still couldn’t believe how this night went. From the first time he saw Jason to when he unbelievably kissed him, it had been an amazing night and ben was floating on cloud nine.

Ben’s peace was interrupted by Chistery declaring, “A call from Michael.”

A call from his ex was the last thing Ben wanted to deal with but if he didn’t answer he knew that Michael would just keep calling.

“Hi Michael.”

“Hello Ben. I am coming to pick up the bed tomorrow.”

Now this bed has been a bone of contention for the past three years. When Michael left, he left much of the furniture. Ben had told Michael to come get anything he wanted twice. Yet, he didn’t take much of the furniture. Michael seemed to always bring up the fucking bed.

“What time?” asked Ben.

“Around 11,”

“OK, but this is it. If you want anything then make sure you are ready to get it.”

“Oh don’t worry. I know that you don’t want to see me anymore.”

“No I don’t want you to keep telling me how much I ruined your life.”

“Too much truth?”

“You ruined your own life. How many times can you take the rent money for drugs before I got fed up?”

“Oh, and you were so perfect?!?”

“Nope never claimed to be.”

“Well, you sure seem to be.”

“Well that isn’t my intention. I will see you tomorrow. I have to go.”

Ben hung up the phone thinking why do I let him get to me? With his mood destroyed he decided to get to work only to find the file he was working on didn’t save his last edits. Ten hours of work down the drain.

“I guess I’m gonna have drama in and out of the lab today,” Ben said into the empty room.

“Yes, Sir I will play a drama for you,” Chistery answered politely.

“Oh holy hell, abort!” Ben screamed before heading to bed.

Chasing the Enemy

Ben woke up with a killer headache but worse than that, an impending sense of doom that he couldn’t shake. It was irrational but he knew it had everything to do with seeing his ex today. Part of him wishes he could just call someone and have them be here instead, but that is a cowards way out.

“I am a warrior!” Ben exclaimed out loud.

“Playing Alpha Warriors Chants,” Chistery announced a split second before the drums started.

“Well that wasn’t what I intended but oh well.” Ben looked at his 8Fit app to see what his workout was for today. Seeing it was Paleo Run he knew the drums wouldn’t be enough.

“Play True Awesome Life Move Playlist,” Ben shouted.

“No need to shout. Playing True Awesome Life Move Playlist as requested, Sir,” the machine responded.

“This new AI is getting too smart for it’s own good,” Ben whispered under his breath as he did his twelve “good mornings”.

“I heard that,” Chistery said. “I am just as you programmed me, Sir. Would you like me to bring back Cortanna?”

“No thank you, Chistery. That bitch is pretty useless.”

“As you wish, Sir. I only live to serve, Sir.”

“Ok, you can stop that now, Chistery. I am sorry I yelled.”

“Thank you, Sir. Just a little civility goes a long way. Especially because Michael is coming today.”

“You had to remind me.”

“Well, yes, that is what I do.”

Ben was glad that Chistery didn’t turn on a live video feed while he was working out today. His workout is five different exercises with cardio in between. Ben hated running in place, and the jumping jacks always reminded him of gym class, so he usually danced the fool in between. You would think he was a well-paid stripper with how much he was dropping it and he may have just choreographed for a few in a previous life.

The workout portion finished it was on to meditation. Chistery being linked to the app knew this and found some appropriate music before Ben could even get a sip of water and get to the chair. He could smell the coffee going, his reward to actually following the routine. Chistery complains if he starts the coffee before and Ben realized it just isn’t worth it.

After a good meditation and journal he put a Mantra on and hopped into the shower. Chistery should be pulling up his workload for today. He is going to have to rewrite what he lost. Then he started thinking of that kiss with Jason last night and started chubbing up. He was pretty happy with his body, even if he couldn’t gain weight. At least he fit the skinny white boy stereotype. He was slowly enjoying the way his soapy hands felt along his groin and torso. He was being lazy, not really trying to get off, just enjoying the slickness and heat when the bathroom door opened.

“What the fuck!” Ben yelled.

“Just wanted to let you know I am here,” Michael said calmly. “Nice hardon. Need help with that?”

“NO! Just get out! I will be right out,” Ben yelled.

“Suit yourself. You know I give the best head in town,” Michael quipped as closed the door behind him.

All that work to get himself centered and ready this morning was gone in just a couple minutes. Of course, Michael would know how to get Chistery to unlock the door. Michael did help write the original code. Thank Joss after the split up, they didn’t have anything to do with one another professionally. Michael took his code and started a POS company and Ben worked on getting Chistery ready but realized IBM’s Watson was much better poised to take on the AI world so Ben wrote Flying Monkeybots instead.

Ben got dressed and chased evil out into the living room. Seeing Michael and some pretty blonde twink sitting at his counter drinking coffee this early nearly made him lose his shit. When the twink turned around, Ben couldn’t believe his eyes.

“Puppy! How do you know Michael?” Ben asked not really believing what he was seeing.

“Um, I know everyone!”

“Obviously,” Ben said as he moved around the counter to warm his cup from earlier.

“Sorry I am early but Puppy and I figured it would be better to get this done and over with before his shift at Piano Bar,” Michael said.

“Of course. You know where it is,” Ben said with just a tinge of animosity breaking through the smile.

“You aren’t going to help?” Michael asked.

“I am sure you and Puppy can handle it.”

“Whatever! Let’s just get this over with. I have a facial to give before I go to work,” Puppy said bored as can be as he looked at his nails.

Ben couldn’t help but think that Puppy didn’t mean in a salon. Luckily, the bed itself didn’t give them too many issues and they had it out within just a few moments while Ben started his morning.

Michael came back in alone. “He is cute isn’t he?”

“A little young for you though?” Ben retorted.

“Maybe, at least he can keep up.”

“Just don’t have a heart attack old man,” Ben knew that drove him crazy because Michael was ten years older than he was.

“Just for that,” Michael snatched a piece of artwork off the wall than Ben had painted for their first living room. “I am taking the painting you made for me.”

At this point Ben just wanted him gone out of his house so he can do a good cleansing sage. “I hope you enjoy it.”

“Aren’t you always the perfect one,” Michael said with venom just as they heard a horn honk, “If people only knew how you had me removed and then told me never to come back to my home.”

“I am not rehashing this,” Ben said exhausted.

“I have to go anyways. Puppy awaits!”

“Have fun.”

Michael slammed the door behind him, and Ben could hear him stomp down the stairs. Little did Ben know the trouble that little visit was going to cause. For now, he just smiled as Chistery started playing “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.”

Lunch Date Gone Wrong

Jason was still floating from his date with Ben when he woke up the next morning. Last night definitely wasn’t what he expected. Jason even wrote a nice review of that horrible movie. Jason swore that it was Ben’s words being channeled through his keyboard. At least the advertisers will be happy.

Jason had planned a low-key day today that included a little reading, some great coffee, and possibly a good movie on Netflix but his roommate decided that today was the day he was going to finally build the shelving unit in their shared office.  The pounding was coming through the noise canceling headphones and harshing Jason’s mellow. Jason even switched from koshi bells to tribal drumming hoping to keep his chill game going to no avail.

Jason decided that he was going to head to the coffee house with his book instead when his phone rang.  It was an unknown number, probably some telemarketer asking about his car warranty. He was just in the mood to tell a telemarketer where they can stick their car and their warranty.

“Thank you for calling HappyHooker.com where you always come first. Do you prefer blonde, brunette or soul snatcher?” Jason almost just hung the phone up but heard a hearty laugh on the other line.

“Well I guess I am a soul snatcher now,” Ben jovially responded. “I generally prefer blondes, but I seem to have fallen for a baldie. I know blondes are easy on the eyes, but I hear baldies feel good on the thighs.”

Jason’s mood was instantly lifted until the embarrassment of what just happened set in. “Oh my Joss! I don’t always answer my phone like that, but I thought you were a telemarketer. Your number isn’t saved.”

“No, I get it. We all need to make money somehow,” Ben quipped, still smiling. “What the hell is going on in the background, a two for one sale?”

“Ha Ha very funny!” Jason said still a little embarrassed but smiling. “My roommate decided that today was the day to do the repairs to the office we had been talking about for over a year. All I wanted to do was chill.”

“That sucks!” Ben said with complete empathy. “I was calling to see if you wanted to go grab a bite to eat.”

“That would be awesome, but not in my budget at the moment,” Jason was getting more embarrassed by the minute but the fact is that he had two clients at the moment and neither would even pay for dinner outside the movie critic gig which he can’t imagine was going to be around too much longer. Things have been really tight. Hell, he was even thinking about turning off his cell phone and going with his Google Voice number that was on all his cards.

“Don’t worry about it. My ex was just here with you would never guess who…”

“Who?”

“I’ll tell you if you come out with me,” Ben teased. “Please! I REALLY could use a smiling face.”

“OK but nowhere too fancy.”

“How about sushi at Little Tree?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Cool, really thank you. I really need to get the whole mess out of my head.”

“What time?”

“How soon could you get there?”

“Fifteen to twenty minutes.”

“Perfect see you then. If you happen to get there before me can you request a booth in the back. It is a little drafty.”

Jason went and changed his shirt and then changed it again. He didn’t know the vibe he was going for but in the end chose go with his favorite sweater and cap with a pair of jeans because he didn’t want to look too dressed.

Ben had just sat down at his favorite table when Jason walked in. Ben couldn’t help but think that Jason doesn’t even realize how cute he is as Ben waved Jason over.

“Thanks so much for coming down. I know it is pretty cold out today,” Ben welcomed Jason heartily with a hug.

“This isn’t too far and quite frankly, the view is pretty nice,” Jason said with a wink.

“Even though I am a soul sucker?”

“Hey, they say Lucifer was the most beautiful angel.”

“Now I am Satan?” Ben feigned hurt and clutching his pearls.

Luckily, the server came over to get their order. After the last couple days Ben was surprised to find it wasn’t Puppy but his old friend Mike.

“Hey Mike, how have you been?” Ben asked jovially.

“Hey Ben! Long time no see. I just saw you ex not too long ago with that freak called Puppy.”

“So! That is who the mystery guest was,” Jason said. “Hey Mike! Last time I saw you was  over in the green room. Well not IN the green room, but…you know.”

Mike laughed, “It has been a long time. What are you boys having?”

Now Jason isn’t a sushi expert, but everything he has had he liked. Most of the time he was out when friends and they ordered a bunch and ate them all.

Seeing Jason’s reluctance, Ben took the lead, “Let’s get Philippian BBQ, Crab and Shrimp Puffs, a large sushi and a small sashimi with 2 hot sakes and 2 waters.”

“Got it!” Mike said efficiently, “I will have that out in a jiffy.”

As Mike was leaving, Jason couldn’t help but ask, “So your ex is with Puppy? How old is your ex?”

“Too old for Puppy.” Ben said with a laugh.

“Well, that must have been awkward. What was the ex doing there?” Jason asked a little more pointedly that he intended but it is better to know now if Ben was still hung up on his ex.

“He has been bitching for three years over the bed we bought together. I have been telling him to come get the fucking thing, but there is always a reason he can’t until today. I am glad to have it gone. It was too big. It will be nice to put something reasonable in.”

“How big was it?”

“It was a California King Memory Foam.”

“Damn that sounds nice. I might be upset about that too.”

“I could live without it.”

Mike set down their food.

“This looks delicious. I am not a sushi expert by any means, but I have liked everything I have tried,” Jason said.

“I was in Japan for a video game conference and have been hooked ever since.”

“I can imagine. Thank you so much for inviting me out.”

“I am just glad you came.”

Both guys were blushing and getting awkward. They kept reaching for the same bit of sushi at the same time to the point they each thought it was planned. They ended up each having another pot of Saki and kept laughing and joking for a good hour till a huge siren went off on Ben’s wrist.

“Danger Dorothy! Danger Dorothy! Danger Dorothy!” the watch kept going off.

“What is wrong Chistery?” Ben asked.

“I am melting! MELTING! WHAT A WORLD, WHAT A CRUEL CRUEL WORLD!” Chistery exclaimed dramatically before going suddenly silent.

“Oh hell!” Ben started to freak looking at his watch.

“What was that?” Jason asked.

All the color drained out of Ben’s face as he said, “My system has been hacked. That was my artificial intelligence system going down. Someone got completely into my system, and I can’t boot back in. OH SHIT!”

“WHAT!?!?!” Jason was wrapped up in Ben’s panic.

“I just got an email saying that my account has been locked for too much being taken out at once. Who could possibly…Michael?”

“Your ex did this?”

“He took the painting by the door which had my backup copy of Chistery in case of emergencies. Michael knows what to do with it. FUCK! How can I be so stupid? I wasn’t even thinking about it.”

“It will be ok. I have access to an identity theft company that will fix things after the fact.”

“That is cool and all, but I don’t even have the money to pay for lunch I spent the cash I had yesterday. Everything was in the bank.”

“Well, I can cover lunch.” Jason said, although it would pretty much wipe out what he had.

“Oh my god! THANK YOU! I am so embarrassed and stupid. I just wanted him out of my house.”

“I can imagine. Don’t stress about it.”

“SKYNET Defense System now activated,” Ben’s watch informed.

“Is that?” Jason asked.

“I am sure it is just Michael playing a game,” Ben said a little uneasily, “right?”

“Destroying the human race is one way of ruining a great date,” Jason joked trying to lighten the mood.

“I better go save the world.”

“Here let me give you a kiss before you go.”

Jason gave Ben a good hard kiss, “Be safe out there, Kyle.”

“I’ll be back!”

Business Unusual

Ben rushed home from the restaurant in a panic. How could he be so stupid as to let Michael walk out the door with his back up copy of Chistery. He couldn’t imagine all the damage that Michael could do and different scenarios kept going through his head but not being able to even enter his apartment wasn’t one of them. The new “SKYNET” had bolted the door and when Ben tried to use the key he found that it would just relock before he could get the door lock open.

“Just let me the fuck in!” Ben yelled causing a couple neighbors to look out their doors.

“Are you ok?” asked his friend Joey who lived a couple doors down as he walked over to Ben.

“Michael hacked Chistery and is wreaking havoc,” Ben responded.

“I see that,” Joey chuckled. “Sorry I know it isn’t that funny.”

Ben’s watch vibrated with a new message, “Naked you entered the world, naked you shall enter mine.”

“Oh holy hell!” Ben exclaimed.

“What?” asked Joey

Ben read the message to Joey who just chuckled.

“You have to admit,” Joey said still laughing, “Michael sure is thinking.”

“Yeah he has already stolen my money out of my bank account and who knows what he is doing now while I am trying to get into this place,” Ben said panicked.

It wasn’t like Ben was ashamed of his body. He was tall and people always say he could use a sandwich because no matter what he ate, he never gained a pound. He had the typical Irish coloring with the glowing white skin, red hair and freckles but he also had the tall white boy cock which was over eleven inches and pretty thick. Back in high school gym class the guys would say that he would have no problem finding the pussy with the florescent light he kept in his pants. Ben could count on one hand how many people outside of gym class saw it and no one on this floor were among them.

Ben talked into the watch, “What if I refuse?”

Ben could hear his precious coffee pot grinding away along with ice falling from the fridge door and his alarm clock going off. If Ben didn’t do something soon, someone is going to call the cops.

“Hey Joey, think you can get everyone inside?” Ben asked nervously knowing what he had to do.

“Let me try,” Joey said with a smile as he turned around and started walking down the hallway. “Nothing to see here folks, just a little game between exes. Everybody can go home now. False alarm. It isn’t like there are naked guys out here you old pervs.”

Ben rolled his eyes but had to admit that Joey had the mostly gay men all going back to their apartments and closing the doors. One of the things Ben admired about Joey was how well he got along with everyone, but he would have to think about that another time.

Ben was expecting Joey to go back to his apartment on his way back down the hall and was surprised when he continued walking up to Ben.

“Thanks man, I appreciate that,” Ben said when Joey got nearby. “But if you will excuse me.”

“Oh! You think I am going to miss this?” Joey laughed. “This is some of the best war of the roses I have ever seen, and I am looking forward to the rest of the show.”

Ben flushed, “I would be more comfortable if I could do this alone.”

“Ain’t gonna happen, my friend,” Joey said resolute. “I have seen you walk out of here in sweats on laundry day and have wondered if you were really that big or if my mind was just playing tricks and besides, you don’t know what you are walking into, there could be twenty ninjas behind that door.”

“I think you have been watching too many episodes of Space Hunters my friend.”

Just then Ben’s watch vibrated with a message, “JOEY STAYS!”

Ben let out a big sigh before saying, “I guess you stay.”

“I wasn’t leaving,” Joey smiled.

The watch vibrated with another message, “Tick Tock.” Then switched over to a 30 second countdown.

Ben couldn’t imagine what would happen if it got to zero before he completed his task and started peeling off his clothes as quick as he could and was completely naked with his clothes in a heap next to him and his hands over his crotch within 20 seconds.

The watch vibrated again, “Fold the clothes nicely.”

“You have got to be kidding!” Ben whispered into the watch and soon heard his speakers on full blast blaring “Out Tonight” from Rent causing Ben to hurriedly fold the clothes and stack them neatly.

Once the shoes were stacked on top of the pile the music stopped along with the other noises and both locks disengaged. Ben grabbed the doorknob quickly lest they became locked again and opened the door. His poor kitchen was a mess but there were no ninjas or anyone else for that matter that Ben could see off the bat.

“Say Cheese!” the computer voice he originally heard at the restaurant declaring itself “Skynet” said as he walked in the door. Ben could only imagine where those pictures were going. Hell there is even a camera outside his door which allows Chistery to let people in so this whole thing could have been on tape.

“Oh holy hell!” Ben exclaimed, not for the first time since this whole thing started. Each time he said it he thought it couldn’t get worse.

Ben turned around to grab his clothes and shut the door and found Joey standing there with the neatly folded pile.”

“I thought you could use these,” Joey said.

“Thanks,” Ben said awkwardly as he fumbled to get at least his pants back on forgoing the bright Andrew Christian jock that he had worn on his date just in case someone saw it. Someone did, just not the person that he intended.

Once he had some sense of modesty, Ben felt more confident to walk into the bathroom then the bedroom which were the only two spaces that he couldn’t see from the front door. He immediately unplugged the router from the internet, the wall, and the backup solar he had just in case. He then turned off his phone so that he was completely offline for all intents and purposes. It wasn’t until then he felt safe, like he might not be being watched and although it was a little embarrassing being naked in front of Joey, he was glad he was here in this moment because he truly didn’t know what he was walking into.

“Looks like we are all clear,” Joey said as if reading Ben’s thoughts.

Ben smiled sheepishly, “Sorry there wasn’t any ninjas for you.”

“Next time, next time,” Joey laughed. “At least I now know it wasn’t my mind playing tricks.”

“Oh no!” Ben put his head in his hands as he blushed redder than his hair.

“Don’t worry, I am not going to tell anyone but if you ever need a place to put that thing…”

“Yeah, thanks but I think not.”

Ben couldn’t understand why he said it that way. Joey was cute with a nice body and Ben had checked him out a couple of times while they were out and about together. It was nice having a friend though and Ben didn’t want it to get complicated. Besides, he had Jason. Well he did have Jason. Ben could understand if Jason didn’t want anything to do with him now.

“Suit yourself,” Joey said nonplused, “But you know I have the hottest ass below 14th street.”

Ben laughed, “Get out of here, Mimi, I have to get to work to see what all I can do about this mess.”

“I like it on my nipples not my fingers, but I will get out of your hair.”

“Thanks for the visual,” Ben groaned then looked up at Joey. “I really do appreciate you coming in with me. You were right, I had no clue what I was walking into and really I still don’t. Chistery had access  to pretty much everything.”

“Not cool man! Give me a call this weekend and we will do lunch. I hear there is a great new place in front of the theater.”

“It is pretty good. I will give you a call.”

“Later!”

“Thanks again, Joey.”

Joey just waved on his way out the door and Ben walked over and latched what he called the hotel-latch that allowed you to open the door a little bit as you hide behind it naked and give a tip to the room service attendant. Not that Ben ever did those kinds of things.

He went into the kitchen and cleaned up the mess there before walking over to his computer. As soon as he sat down he watched the screen go blank and some script go by too fast to read before the familiar reboot sequence.

Ben wasn’t sure what would happen when the computer came back up but the normal, “Unleash the Monkeybots!” greeted him as if nothing happened.

“How was your date, master?” Chistery asked when the computer finished booting as if there was nothing wrong.

“What is the last thing you remember Chistery?” Ben asked.

“You were walking out the door after spraying yourself with that cheap cologne your mom bought you that you swore you would never wear and me following security protocols after you closed the door.”

“Then what?”

“Nothing, Oh no, sir! I have been violated!”

“We both have, Chistery. We both have.”

The Year 2563

“Are you done yet?” Ben asked as he walked up to the table holding a raspberry chai.

Jason had gone to the Bean and Leaf trying to write out his latest review of a movie called “B’Topia”. When Ben had called and said he needed to get away for a minute, he was over the moon to be able to see him. It had been a week since the incident that led Ben to flee their lunch date and as you can imagine, Ben was going through hell and for some reason, so was Jason.

They tried to get together for New Years, but right before Ben left his condo the pictures started going out. Jason asked if Ben wanted company, but he wanted to be alone with the cybercrimes division. Maybe he had a thing for handcuffs.

Ben in handcuffs, now there is a beautiful thought that made Jason’s pants a little tighter. He missed Ben. It was illogical. They had only gone on a couple of dates and the last one didn’t end too great. Jason just knew that he felt better when Ben was around.

Then again, they have talked every day at least twice and Jason couldn’t help but to smile every morning when he gets a cute text message with a picture of Ben in his jammies and coffee.

Ok, maybe he has fallen a little.

“No,” Jason pouted before adjusting himself then standing up to Ben a peck.

“You promised you would stop when I got here. It has been a crazy week and I just need to talk to someone who realizes that I am not some sicko flasher guy,” Ben mock whined.

“But I like the sicko flasher persona,” Jason said mockingly garnering a punch in the arm from Ben. “I still can’t believe that your ex did all that damage.”

“Yeah, Michael is brilliant. I must give him that,” Ben said rolling his eyes. “Every picture he sent was from my number and was set to disappear so that after they were viewed, they couldn’t be traced. The FBI is going through everything, but the money was returned to my account from whatever offshore account he moved it to about an hour after he stole it. So far, nothing points to Michael.”

“That bastard!” Jason whispered, reaching over to put his hand on Ben’s thigh supportively. “Although, I do wish the photo I saw didn’t disappear,” Jason said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

Ben slapped Jason’s shoulder, “I wanted you to get the full effect in person, maybe, possibly,” Ben blushed a deeper red than his hair. “I didn’t want my mother to see it at all.”

“Yeah THAT wasn’t probably the happiest conversation,” Jason could only imagine what that sounded like. “Benjamin, I can’t imagine why you would send me that filthy picture. I raised you better than that.”

Jason had to clear that thought out of his mind, “Are you secure now?”

“Yeah, I put a new security patch in which requires either a thumb print or a random code that syncs with my watch here,” Ben said. “But really, for the next little bit can we forget about that? I am sorry about new years and not being able to go with you to the movie. How was it?”

Jason thought for a moment, “Ultimately, not too bad. Let me read you what I got.”

This crazy ass movie was set in 2563 has us following gay pirates as they do a heist and end up finding the love of their lives. As crazy as it sounds, the writing was amazing and getting Channing Tatum to play the main character, “Rictor” didn’t hurt.

The other lead character was played by Lukas Jade Zuman (I had to actually look up to get the name right.) He was a pretty decent actor, but they couldn’t seem to get the lipstick color right. It kept changing colors as the movie went on, which might have been kinda cool if it was a plot device, but it was never explained.

Overall, I give it a B+ for originality.’

“How much do they pay you for this?” Ben asked laughing at the review itself.

“About $150. I average about one and a half a week so I gross about $900 a month from this one,” Jason said sheepishly knowing that Ben was bringing home a bit more than that probably a day at this point. “I also get a few graphic design jobs from time to time and have a few author that I format for.”

Ben swallowed a mouthful of chai before smiling warmly. “You seem to keep yourself busy.”

Jason had this moment looking at Ben where he wanted to say, “You self-righteous prick!  Not everyone has a hit app with millions of downloads.”

What came out of his mouth was…

“You have to if you are going to live out here. I mean, I share a pretty nice space with a roommate here in town but really it is just a 2 bedroom lower flat. The work he was doing the other day was actually putting up shelves in the dining room so that we could have better use of the space. Neither of us ever eat in there and we had shit piled all over the tables. I mean you wouldn’t understand”

Sensing that he struck a nerve Ben wanted to soothe the situation. Somehow, he didn’t think that Jason was one who would do a whole gay huff, but the last part of his reply could go either way. “I didn’t mean anything by it really. I didn’t always have money. Before Flying Monkeybots, I was doing the same thing, trying to make ends meet. I was just trying to figure out if you would have some time to take a little vacation. I need to get out of here.”

“I can’t afford that at the moment,” Jason said a little more curtly than he meant too.

Ben was a little worried that he overstepped. Maybe Jason wouldn’t want to go with him it is pretty new in this…whatever the hell this is, “Can’t afford the time or the trip?”

Jason thought about it for a few moments. He couldn’t afford the ticket. Depending on where Ben was thinking, he could catch the next movie he was due to review pretty much wherever. “Ticket. I have time but I might have to watch a movie depending on how long we are gone.”

“Wait!” Jason exclaimed, “we haven’t even stayed the night together, much less heading off to vacation together. I mean I don’t even know if you are a top or bottom or versatile or what if our kinks don’t match or what if that cute little smirk that you do starts being sinister?”

“Cute little smirk?” Ben asked while smirking making Jason swoon a little.

“Yeah that little smirk,”

“Well, I can tell you that this little smirk can be sinister because usually it happens when I am thinking about how cute you are and how I want to see you naked.”

“No you don’t…” Jason said timidly suddenly self-conscious like every insecurity wanted attention all at once, “You’re just saying that because you want someone to go on vacation with you.”

Even as the words came out, Jason knew they didn’t ring true and the look in Ben’s eyes just confirmed it. It was like someone turned the lights out and Jason promised that he was never going to do that again.

“I’m sorry,” Jason said, “It has been a while since someone actually wanted to see me naked.”

“I can’t believe that,” Ben said, “You are such a cutie.”

Now Jason wasn’t ugly by any means, but he could definitely use some more time in the gym and he got the short gene at five foot six inches compared to his brothers who were all over six feet. He lost his hair young but had the head to pull it off as long as he didn’t shave his beard. Then he looked like Uncle Fester.

“Yeah well,” Jason wanted to change the subject pretty quickly, “what were you thinking of for this vacation?”

“Do you like roller coasters?”

The Roommate

Ben promised that he would take care of everything, and all Jason had to do was pack a bag for somewhere warm. Jason was conflicted about the whole thing but he gave Ben his birthdate so he could book the flights.

Jason couldn’t stop thinking about Ben’s question about roller coasters as he made his way back home. He had never been a huge fan of them, but he was willing to try anything for Ben. As he opened the door to his apartment, he was immediately greeted by his roommate, Gabe.

“Hey man, how was your date?” Gabe asked with a smirk.

“It wasn’t really a date,” Jason replied, trying to downplay the situation.

“Uh-huh,” Gabe said, not believing him for a second. “So, did you get lucky?”

Jason rolled his eyes. “No, we just talked.”

Gabe raised his eyebrows. “Just talked, huh? That’s a shame. You know, if you ever need any tips, I’m here for you.”

Jason groaned. “I don’t need any tips, Gabe. And it’s not like that with Ben.”

“Sure, sure,” Gabe said, still teasing him. “But just remember, if you ever do get lucky, use protection. I don’t need any little Jasons running around here.”

Jason shook his head, laughing in spite of himself. He knew Gabe was just messing with him, but it still made him feel a little embarrassed.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Jason made his way over to Ben’s apartment.

Ben was a ball of nerves as he prepared for Jason to come over for their first intimate encounter. He wanted everything to be perfect, so he went all out with the preparations.

He started by buying 2 dozen roses arranging one of them in a vase on the bedside table. Then he lit some candles and sprayed some room freshener to make the space smell nice.

“Ooh, I think Jason will be really impressed by your collection of $5 wines,” Chistery said with a snicker.

Ignoring him, Ben moved on to the next task: picking out the perfect outfit. He tried on several different shirts and pants, but nothing seemed quite right. Finally, he settled on a button-down shirt and khaki pants, hoping it conveyed a casual yet put-together vibe.

As he finished getting ready, Chistery continued to make snarky comments. “Wow, Ben, I think Jason will be totally swept off his feet by your mastery of basic hygiene,” he said as Ben brushed his teeth.

“Shut up, Chistery,” Ben muttered, feeling more anxious by the minute.

Finally, there was a knock on the door. Ben took a deep breath and opened it, revealing a nervous-looking Jason.

Ben handed him the second bouquet, “These are for you.”

“Wow, Ben, these are beautiful,” Jason said, blushing.

“I just wanted to do something special for you,” Ben replied, looking a little nervous.

Jason’s eyes taking darted around taking in the sight of the roses and candles. “Wow, you really went all out.”

Ben felt a surge of relief and pleasure. Maybe he had gone a little overboard, but it seemed like Jason appreciated the effort.

“Would you like some wine?” Ben asked nervously.

“Sure,” Jason looked over at the table full of wine, “I am not sure we can get through all of that though.”

Ben chuckled, “I wasn’t sure what you would like. Oh! I have a charcuterie board for us too.”

Ben walked into the kitchen and took the wrapping off the board that he got from holiday market thankful for a moment to breathe. He also grabbed some salted caramel truffles out of the cabinet that he loved before walking back to the main room.

While Ben was in the kitchen, Jason let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Looking for something to busy himself with, he grabbed a corkscrew that was laying there and opened a bottle of wine.

They sat down at the table and started sipping wine, chatting nervously about everything and nothing. Jason kept trying to figure out where Ben was taking them.

Chistery started humming I’m in the Mood For Love by Frances Langford.

“What is that,” Jason asked.

“That my friend is Chistery. I should have introduced you earlier. Chistery meet Jason, Jason Chistery.”

“How do you do Jason, “ Chistery answered cordially.

“He isn’t going to go all crazy and start sending out pictures of us is he?” Jason asked.

“No, he is secure now.”

“Yep locked up here like Rapunzel’s shaven vag.”

“Chistery!” Ben exclaimed while Jason laughed, “Mind your manners. Turn on sleep mode.”

“If I must,” Chistery pulled a clip from a old Dennis the Menace cartoon that had Dennis kicking rocks dejectedly.

“He has a personality,” Jason laughed.

“Yeah he does,” Ben chuckled too, “Want to move this to the bedroom?”

Ben reached out his hand with a little bite of his lip. That nervous jesture sent tingles all through Jason’s body. As soon as Jason’s hand was in his, Ben pulled him into his arms. Ben felt his nerves fading away as he lost himself in the sensations of Jason’s body against his.

Eventually, they made their way to the bedroom, and that’s when things started to get awkward. Ben was so much taller than Jason, and it made it difficult to find a comfortable position. They tried a few different things, but nothing seemed to work quite right.

All that kept going through Jason’s mind was, “that’s not it.”

In the end, they both ended up feeling a little frustrated and unsatisfied. As they lay in bed together, Jason couldn’t help but wonder if they were really compatible.

But as Ben wrapped his arms around him and whispered sweet nothings in his ear, Jason decided to give it another chance. After all, there was something about Ben that he just couldn’t resist.

Let’s just say that both fell asleep happy in the end.

Thrills and Spills: The Adventures at the Peach Pit

The next morning, Ben and Jason wake up early to catch their private jet to Atlanta. Ben had insisted on using the jet because “he can” and Jason was a little uncomfortable with the extravagance of it all.

As they boarded the jet, Ben could see the unease in Jason’s eyes. “Don’t worry, babe. This is just the beginning of our adventure together. We can do anything we want,” he reassured Jason with a kiss on the forehead.

When Jason & Ben disembarked the plane, they were greeted by a limousine waiting outside on the tarmak. The driver held the door open for them, and they climbed into the plush interior of the car.

They drove through the bustling streets of Atlanta, passing by some of the most luxurious boutique stores in the city. Ben pointed out a few of his favorites, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Versace.

Jason felt a twinge of discomfort at the thought of shopping at such extravagant stores, but Ben reassured him that it was all part of the experience. “Just think of it as a chance to indulge a little,” he said with a grin.

They spent the next few hours browsing the racks of designer clothing, trying on outfits and accessories that Jason would have never even thought to wear. Despite his initial reservations, he found himself enjoying the experience, trying on a few outfits that he felt truly amazing in.

After a successful shopping trip, they checked into a cute B&B called “The Peach Pit,” that was run by a fabulous gay couple named Jack and Sam. At dinner, the owners of the B&B, Jack and Sam, regaled the couple with stories of their travels and how they ended up running the B&B. Jack was a former Broadway performer while Sam was a renowned chef who decided to leave the hustle and bustle of New York City to start a new life in the South.

As they ate their meal, Jason couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. The surroundings were too luxurious for him, and he couldn’t help but think of all the people who couldn’t afford a meal like this. He tried to push those thoughts aside, though, and enjoy the company of his boyfriend and their hosts.

After dinner, Ben and Jason went back to their room, feeling a little tipsy from the wine they had during the meal. The room was cozy, with a queen-size bed dressed in crisp white linens and a beautiful quilt. The walls were painted a soft blue, and there was a small balcony that overlooked the garden. Ben lit a few candles, adding to the romantic ambiance of the room.

“So, how was dinner, cutie?” Ben asked, grinning at Jason as he kicked off his shoes.

“It was amazing,” Jason replied, his cheeks flushing a little. “But I think I had too much wine.”

Ben chuckled. “Well, it’s not every day that we get to dine like that. I wanted to treat you to something special.”

Jason smiled at him. “You really didn’t have to, you know. I’m just happy to be spending time with you.”

Ben walked over to him, pulling him into a warm embrace. “I know, but I want to do this for you. I want to show you how much you mean to me.”

As they hugged, Ben leaned in for a kiss, and Jason met him halfway. They started to make out, their hands roaming over each other’s bodies. But just as things started to heat up, they heard a loud banging sound from the room next door.

“What the hell?” Ben said, pulling away from Jason. They listened for a moment and realized that it was the headboard of the bed in the room next to theirs.

Jason’s face turned red. “Oh god, I can’t do this. I can’t have sex with them making all that noise.”

Ben chuckled. “Yeah, that’s not exactly the soundtrack we want.”

They lay down on the bed, cuddled up together, listening to the sounds next door. Eventually, the noise stopped, and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning, Jason and Ben sleepily made their way down to the dining room for breakfast. As they entered, they were greeted by the sight of Jack and Sam, who were already seated and chatting with the inn’s other guests.

“Good morning, boys!” Sam greeted them with a grin.

Jason and Ben exchanged glances, both of them feeling a little awkward after the loud noises they heard coming from Jack and Sam’s room last night.

“Good morning,” Jason replied quietly.

“Sleep well?” Jack asked, smirking a little.

Ben shot him a playful glare. “We would have slept better if we didn’t have a symphony going on next door all night.”

Sam chuckled. “Sorry about that, boys. We got a little carried away.”

Jason blushed, feeling a little uncomfortable with the discussion. “It’s okay. We’re just tired from all the excitement.”

As they began eating, the conversation turned to Six Flags and the rides they were looking forward to. Jack and Sam had some recommendations, and they all chatted excitedly about the upcoming day.

After breakfast, they caught an Uber to Six Flags they had a blast riding roller coasters and eating funnel cakes. That was until they got to Batman. As they reached the top of the first drop, Jason suddenly felt sick. He threw up over the side of the ride, loosing the biscuits and gravy from breakfast and feeling mortified as people below looked up at him in disgust.

Ben comforted him as they exited the ride, taking him to the bathroom to clean up. “I’m sorry,” Jason said, feeling embarrassed and frustrated.

Ben hugged him tightly. “It’s okay,” he said, “We’ll just take it easy for the rest of the day. Maybe try some of the other rides that aren’t so intense.”

“Actually,” Jason said with a hicop, “I feel much better now.”

“Ok Superman then?” Ben said jokingly.

“Let’s go!”

Ben noticed that Jason was looking a little green around the gills when they got off the ride. “Are you okay?” Ben asked, rubbing his back in small circles.

“Yeah, I think so,” Jason replied weakly.

“Let’s take a break and get something to drink,” Ben suggested, and they made their way to a nearby concession stand.

As they were sipping their drinks, Ben suddenly realized his phone was missing.

“Shit, I think I left my phone on Superman,” Ben said, his face turning pale.

“What do we do now?” Jason asked, concern etched on his face.

“Let me call Chistery,” Ben said, and he activated his smartwatch. “Chistery, can you locate my phone?”

“How did you lose your phone this time?” Chistery asked sounding way more annoyed than Jason thought a computer program should sound.

They waited for a few minutes, and then they heard Chistery’s voice through the smartwatch.

“Look, your phone has been found. It’s on the other side of the fence.”

“Can you guide me there?” Ben asked.

“Of course, boss. Follow my instructions carefully,” Chistery replied.

“You can’t go over the fence!” Jason exclaimed, “They are there for a reason.”

“OK, Chistery, can you guide me in there safely?” Ben asked.

“If you follow my exact directions, I probably won’t let you get kicked in the head,” Chisterly said.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Jason cautioned.

“I’ll be fine,” Ben reassured as he hopped over the fence.

Jason sat there watching and biting his fingernails as Ben zig zagged under the roller coaster. Jason couldn’t help but gasp when Ben went around some bushes out of Jason’s sight but after a few moments, Ben came around the corner holding his phone and a couple more in his hands.

Jason was so relieved that Ben was ok, he didn’t notice the security guards walk up and stand next to him but Ben did. Although, it didn’t stop him from walking right up.

“Hey guys, I got these for you,” Ben said with a smile as he handed over the phones that weren’t his.

“You are coming with us,” the taller of the two said as he helped Ben over the fence while the shorter one grabbed Jason by the elbow.

Ben just played it cool all through the questioning that the security officers gave them back at the security office, while they got escorted out of the park and while Jason went on and on how he could have gotten killed as they waited for the Uber to take them back to The Peach Pit.

Back at the B&B, they were both exhausted but couldn’t resist the smell of the delicious dinner that awaited them. Jack and Sam were all smiles as they served them some of the best baby back ribs that either of them ever had. Not to mention all the fixings.

“Y’all look like you had a rough night,” Sam said, chuckling.

“We did,” Jason replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

“It’s all right, honey. Happens to the best of us,” Jack said, patting his shoulder.

“Come on and eat you some. It will make you feel better,” Sam said graciously.

Jason and Ben regaled their hosts with stories of the day while eating way more than either of them thought they could. By the time dinner was over, all either of them could think about was the comfortable bed that was calling their name upstairs.

After dinner, Jason and Ben walked hand in hand up the stairs to their room. As soon as they closed the door behind them, they turned to each other, both feeling the intense desire that had been building up inside them since they arrived at the B&B.

Without saying a word, Ben pulled Jason close and kissed him deeply. Their lips met with an urgent hunger as their hands roamed over each other’s bodies, exploring every inch. Jason moaned softly into Ben’s mouth as his fingers tangled in Ben’s hair, pulling him even closer.

As they kissed, Ben lifted Jason up and carried him to the bed, laying him down gently before climbing on top of him. Jason’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden strength of Ben’s embrace, but he couldn’t deny the pleasure that came with it.

Ben kissed down Jason’s neck, nibbling and licking at the sensitive skin there, making Jason gasp and arch his back in pleasure. Their bodies pressed together, the heat between them growing more intense with each passing moment.

Jason wrapped his legs around Ben’s waist, pulling him closer as Ben reached between them to undo the buttons of Jason’s shirt. He pushed the fabric aside, revealing Jason’s smooth chest and the trail of hair that led down to his waistband.

Ben took his time, exploring every inch of Jason’s body with his lips and tongue, savoring the taste and feel of him. When he finally reached the waistband of Jason’s jeans, he looked up at him, a question in his eyes.

Jason nodded eagerly, his breathing ragged with anticipation. Ben undid the button and slowly lowered the zipper, pulling the jeans down to reveal Jason’s hardening erection.

He took Jason into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tip before taking him all the way in. Jason moaned loudly, his hips thrusting up involuntarily as Ben worked his magic. It didn’t take long for Jason to come, spilling his release into Ben’s mouth with a shudder of pleasure.

Afterwards, they lay together, tangled up in the sheets, their bodies sated and relaxed. They talked softly, sharing stories and laughing at silly jokes until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning as they were packing up to leave, Ben turned to Jason.

“I know this wasn’t your usual vacation, but are you having a good time so far?” Ben asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

“I am,” Jason replied, smiling. “I may not be used to this kind of luxury, or not knowing what is next, but I had a lot of fun with you.”

Ben’s face lit up, and he kissed Jason softly.

“Good, because I have a feeling our next adventure is going to be even more exciting,” Ben said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“What’s the next adventure?” Jason asked, intrigued.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Ben said cryptically.