LIFE’S A GRIND
Jack Scribe
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Chapter
10, FRIENDS – NEW AND OLD
The
next couple of days were like a rapid fast-forward on a DVD player for Jeremy.
His grooming buddy was a complete gentleman with the touch-up. And Charlie
seemed pleased at the careful shaving he himself received. They made an arrangement
for every Thursday evening thereafter to repeat the process. Jeremy figured
a bi-product of this agreement was the opportunity to develop a solid friendship.
An
initial wave of self-doubt and embarrassment didn’t last long the next morning
at the June Stillman Photography Studio. Jeremy was a little surprised that
the photographer was a tall, older woman – almost a motherly type – who wore
cargo pants, denim shirt, vest and boots. She was the prototypical ‘rough
on the outside; soft on the inside’ person.
“Honey,
I’m June. Come on in.” The woman’s craggy, permanently suntanned face exposed
a lifetime of experience when she smiled.
“Thanks.
I’ve got an appointment. Sloan…Jeremy Sloan’s the name.”
“Hi,
Jeremy. You are certainly expected. Now, let me look at Garin’s newest find.”
She helped him off with his coat and walked around Jeremy, occasionally saying,
“Ah, ha”, “Hmmm”, and “Yes” before stepping back. She took off her glasses
that were chained around her neck and let them drop.
“Do
I pass inspection?” he asked with a smile.
“If
you can dance and work the crowd at the same time…absolutely. By the way,
don’t worry about me lusting over your studly, hot body and everything else
you have. My lover of 15 years, Susan, is more than enough for me.”
“I
suspect Susan is a lucky woman.”
“Compliments
like that will get you a long way.” She told him that all the costume parts
were in a small, screened off dressing area in the corner of the large room
past the backdrop and lights. He was instructed to take off all his street
clothes and put on the Joe College costume, thong first.
Jeremy
gave her a puzzled look. ‘What the hell is this all about?’ he wondered. ‘I
thought I was just going to have my picture taken with my dick and gonads
packed in the slingshot.’
“Garin
asked me to do character shots first. He wants a whole new look for publicity.
It just saves time to dress and then systematically strip down to the basics.
It saves time and allows you to get used to a piece of underwear you may not
be used to wearing.”
“Oh,
okay,” he mumbled. “That makes sense.”
“Don’t
worry about anything, Jeremy. First, I don’t think there’s anything I haven’t
seen before. Second, as gorgeous as you may be…to me it’s just business. Oh,
use the next size smaller when it comes to the thong. If your underwear is
medium, try a small…it works better for the camera.”
“As
long as I don’t get arrested,” Jeremy replied with a nervous laugh.
“Don’t
worry. I’ll make the pictures provocative but decent. Trust me.”
Behind
the large screen were the costume, several thongs in different sizes, and
a picture he could use for reference; a smaller version of the same one displayed
in front of the club. The temperature of the room was cool enough to encourage
Jeremy to undress and change without delay. Once he was bare, Jeremy tried
the small, flesh-colored thong. ‘Kee-rist,’ he thought when he saw himself
in the mirror, ‘a Kleenex would give me more coverage.’ He tucked himself
in so that the head of his cock rested down between his balls. It concerned
him that it was pretty obvious from the outline that he was larger than average.
However, the shave had been successful: absolutely no hair showed above the
top of the tight, skimpy underwear.
He
quickly changed to his usual, more comfortable, medium-size and checked the
results. Although he rated it as an eight on the comfort scale – ignoring
the funny string up his asscrack – the results looked rather lumpy by comparison.
‘Okay, bite the bullet,’ Jeremy decided as he changed back to the small size,
‘it’s just business.’ He tried dressing his privates left…then right. Finally,
he rearranged himself to the original dead center position. His rationale
was it really wouldn’t matter anyway, since he would be wearing a mask and
avoid recognition. The rest of the costume was rather routine. He adjusted
the loose necktie to the same distance from his collar as shown in the picture
and slipped on the school blazer. The final props consisted of the horn-rimmed
glasses and a pencil behind his ear.
“Such
innocence,” June said when he walked from behind the screen. “You should really
be able to stir up some great fantasies for the women…and the men.”
“Not
so innocent when you get down to the thong.”
“That
comes later. First, let me put on the mask and fluff up your hair. These poses,
as you know, will be for the website and for the club programs, posters and
brochures…things like that. Stand over there and just follow my directions.”
She
positioned Jeremy in front of the backdrop, turned on the lights and started
firing with a hand-held camera as she barked out posing positions. 15 minutes
later, she started directing from behind a larger, stationary camera that
sat on a tripod. This time the shooting was longer and more deliberate.
“Okay,
let’s take a break. We’re ahead of schedule and it’s time to take the costume
off. You want a bottle of water?” Without waiting for a response, she went
to a refrigerator and took out a couple of bottles of Evian.
“That
was fast,” Jeremy said as he took the chilled bottle and drank. He didn’t
attempt to pull off the mask.
“It’s
the easiest part of the posing and you did great. Go ahead and go back to
the dressing area and get out of the costume. When you come back in the thong,
this is where the ‘rubber hits the road,’ so to speak.”
Back
behind the screen, Jeremy carefully took off and hung up all the clothes.
He adjusted himself once again, and returned to the backdrop. Although this
very professional photographer didn’t threaten him, it was only natural to
stand with his hands in front of his crotch…the traditional, international,
protective male stance signaling discomfort.
“Even
better than I suspected,” June said with enthusiasm. “You take very good care
of yourself.”
“I
don’t think of myself as really pumped up…not like some of the guys. I work
out to keep in good health. And, to be honest, I want to look my best. Is
that considered vain?”
“Not
at all. Keeping in shape will pay off as you get older.”
“That’s
part of the idea.” Jeremy thought for a moment about his uncle.
“I
guess you agreed with using the smaller thong size I suggested?”
“Does
it look too revealing? In the mirror my…crotch looked…big.”
“Leave everything to me. You look scrumptious
– wholesome with just a suggestion of naughtiness. This will be a good shoot.
Please go back to the mark on the floor and wait a sec while I adjust a few
of the lights.” June went about her tasks and then grabbed a spray bottle.
“Stand loose while I spray some oil on you. It’s just enough to bring out
your skin and muscle highlights.”
“I’ve
never done this and a bit embarrassed. I’m afraid that the thong is too tight.”
“Dahlin’,
it’s tight for a reason. Trust me, this will sell you big time. There’s enough
of a contour down there to let the clients know that you’re all male. Jeremy,
these photos are going to be terrific. You’re a handsome guy with a body that’s
developed to where it is appealing but not intimidating. If I was straight,
I might jump on your bones,” June said with a laugh. “Seriously, Garin can
really spot talent.”
“I
just want to do a good job and make some spending money and take care of my
college expenses.” He stood motionlessly while June sprayed a fine mist on
his body.
“Okay,
here we go.” She adjusted the eye mask and started ordering different body
poses. This time, she would occasionally ask that a particular group of muscles
be flexed or a breath held, or to suck in the stomach. The last set of shots
with the hand-held camera involved Jeremy sitting and stretching on the floor.
A couple of times, she would adjust the lighting to create some shadowing.
Finally, June took more formal poses with the large, stationary camera.
“Is
that it?” Jeremy asked when the lights were turned off.
“We’re
done and it’s only 11:30 a.m. Here…wipe yourself off and get dressed.” She
tossed a towel and motioned him to go back to the changing area.
Jeremy
pulled off the thong and breathed a sigh of relief as he loosened himself.
He vowed to make sure whatever he wore in the show would not be as snug. Once
he neatly hung up the costume and was back in street clothes, he returned
to the front of the studio where June was looking over a few Polaroid instant
pictures she had taken.
“Any
good shots?”
“Mr.
Joe College number two is going to be very popular. Take a look…your individuality
really comes out.” June spread out the pictures and gestured for him to come
closer. “And you have a youthful maturity that jumps out.”
“That’s
me? I mean I know it is…but the pictures seem like they’re someone else.”
He primarily studied the thong shots and marveled at the way June and her
lighting had caught the definition of his body. ‘Those workouts at the gym
have paid off,’ he thought.
“If
you could get permission from Garin, I could find lots of modeling work for
you.”
“If
it’s not porno, I don’t think that’s a problem. As I understand our agreement,
he’s only concerned that I don’t do anything that brings discredit to his
organization. And I wouldn’t feel comfortable at all doing…shit like that.”
Jeremy decided to use the “S” word for emphasis.
“Would
you mind if I sent a few photos to a few of my commercial clients? I think
I might find some good work for you – runway and print – if you’re interested.”
“Just
pass it by Garin, first. If I can make a few more bucks and it doesn’t interfere
with my school or work schedule…that’s not a problem.”
“We
could work around that. Let me see what the interest level is.”
“Super…it might be fun. June, I don’t mean to
be rude but I gotta get to work if we’re finished.”
“Go…no
problem. It was a pleasure doing this shoot and I think that I’ll be able
to find more work for you. Oh, why don’t you take those thongs you had on?
I will never use them again…and you might find them handy.”
“Guess
it’s the main part of the costume that I need to get used to,” Jeremy said
with a sly grin. He returned to the dressing area, took the thongs and slid
them into his backpack. After accepting a parting motherly hug from June,
he headed on to the gym.
In
rapid succession, the remaining hours of his weekend fell together. The next
morning, Jeremy was at the club for an initial briefing and training session
with the choreographer. This was arranged so he could get a feeling for basic
dance steps and his program. The serious rehearsals would begin in another
week. Jeremy had arranged to shorten his Bally’s schedule after the New Year
to Thursday and Friday evenings only. Garin surprised him by inviting Jeremy
to the second show on Saturday night. One of the private room reservations
had cancelled and Garin thought it would be a terrific opportunity for his
newbie dancer to see the show without being distracted on the first floor.
Garin had no problem that Jeremy wanted to bring his best friend to see the
show.
Next,
he got a call from Tommy Turner to inquire if he wanted to attend a party
over at Sam Agosto’s house on Saturday night. Since it was the night before
New Year’s Eve, not many of the guys from school had firm plans. Tommy said
the party would start around nine and the usual crowd would be there. Later,
however, only certain friends from the swimming team would stay around and
Tommy wanted Jeremy to be his date.
Jeremy
said he already had plans for earlier in the evening with Robert Stein but
could get over to Sam’s house around 11:30 p.m. He was stretching the truth
a little; the two friends had tentatively made plans to see a movie and Jeremy
really didn’t want to go through a charade of partying with the girls so soon
after the previous weekend. But he did want to see Tommy. While not exactly
speaking for Robert, Jeremy insisted his best friend would be a great addition
to the late party – and being exposed to a broader base of guys who were at
various stages of accepting their sexuality. Tommy greeted this idea with
enthusiasm and agreed to include Robert. He said most of the guys who were
attending didn’t have regular boyfriends. They planned to meet at Sam’s house
late Saturday evening.
When
Jeremy saw Robert at the gym, he mentioned the party. His old friend was curious
but reluctant to attend; he realized being included would reveal their recently
discovered orientation to others, beyond Sam and Tommy. It was fairly quiet
at the gym front desk and Jeremy was able to take a short break when Robert
was ready to leave.
“Bobby,
it’s not like anyone there is going to care about your…you know…what you’ve
decided about…”
“I
know it’s stupid. From what Sam said, the other guys are cool with it. This
is so new for me. I don’t know…”
“A
couple of weeks ago we went from semi-virgin status to the final step…doing
it. Then, I went all the way with Tommy. And from what you said, Sam was pretty
good in bed. This is just a learning curve for both of us and God knows we’ve
got plenty of condoms. Tell you what; if you feel uncomfortable at the party
and want to go home, I’ll leave with you.”
“Ah,
shit…I guess I’m kinda being an asshole. Maybe I need this to really figure
out who I am. You’re going to meet Tommy there and maybe I’ll find someone…interesting.”
“And
I got something we can do beforehand. We’re invited to see the Studz Barecats
show downtown, at no cost. It’s a freebie. You game?”
“This
is a male stripper show, right? Jeez, how’d this invite happen and what if
someone saw us? Isn’t the show restricted to women?” Robert asked.
“Yeah,
it’s for the ladies…usually.”
“Usually?
What the hell do you mean?”
“Once
in a while they do the show for guys. But not tomorrow night.” Jeremy shuffled
on the floor and looked back at the gym for a minute. “I got something to
tell you. Something big that has happened to me and I’ve been trying to figure
out the best time to fill you in.”
“This
sounds serious.” Robert stepped closer and looked at Jeremy very closely.
“Naw,
not serious…just different.” Jeremy took a breath and continued, “A man –
cool guy, by the way – who is a member of the gym recruited me to be one of
the dancers. I’m just starting to learn the steps and routines. If I’m not
too clumsy, learn the program and rehearse all the steps, I officially join
the group in a couple of months – on the friggin’ stage.” He blinked his eyes
rapidly as he searched Robert’s face for a reaction.
Robert
went from a casual smile to widened eyes to a mouth gaping open. “Like the
end of February? Holy fuck…that’s, wow…”
“Mind
boggling, isn’t it. This all happened over the past couple of weeks and I
feel really good about joining the group.”
“So,
you’re going to be dancing in front of a live audience; mostly women? I’ve
seen a few sites on the web that feature guys dancing in front of these screaming
ladies going nuts. Now that I think about it, some of the audiences were guys,
too. There seemed to be a lot of, you know, groping an’ everything from both
groups,” Robert said with a grimace.
“Barecats
is a quality show that doesn’t allow the audience to get that carried away.
And we don’t strip all the way…just down to the basics.” Jeremy grinned and
shrugged.
“Basics?”
“Dancers
go down to a thong. Nothing more. I just agreed to do this recently but feel
good about the guys I’ve met so far. You know I wouldn’t do anything illegal
or stuff like that. This is a good way to earn some needed cash for school
and the family.” Jeremy decided not to describe how the tips were given to
the dancers.
“I
understand, I think, and don’t have a problem with this new job. It’s just
kinda strange to hear about this and mentally think about my best friend dancing
around, practically naked. Do I get a sneak preview of your dancing?” Robert
said with a snicker.
“As
a matter of fact, I’d do that sometime in early February when I feel comfortable
enough not to make a fool of myself.”
“I’ll
hold you to it on a night when the folks are out.” Robert smiled and raised
his closed hand to tap fists.
“Thanks,
I need all the encouragement I can get,” Jeremy replied, after they bumped
their knuckles together. “Anyway, there’s a semi-private area of the club
on the second floor that’s not being used Saturday night so we won’t have
to be with the audience. The man I told you about who operates the club and
dance troop suggested that I come in to see the show live to get an idea what
it’s all about. I said okay and asked if I could bring a friend. There you
are, buddy, all the details. Whaduya think?”
“I
think it’s crazy and wild…in a good way. As long as you feel good about what
you’re going to do and trust them…go for it.”
“Cool.
Then we can go over to Sam’s house afterwards.
*****
Saturday
night at the club couldn’t have gone any better. They arrived and were admitted
through the stage door 15 minutes before the performance. Garin, in costume,
welcomed both guys very warmly and immediately escorted them to the dressing
room where all the dancers were in the final moments of getting ready.
“Guys,
can I have your attention just for a minute,” Garin said loudly.
The
dancers turned to Garin and looked curiously at the two strangers. Most were
dressed in formal black pants with sequins running down the satin stripe,
gold vest and a white collar/black tie arrangement around the neck. A couple
of the guys stood wearing just a black sequined thong. Jeremy assumed the
thong was for the opening number. He made eye contact with Charlie and the
two smiled at each other.
“You’ve
seen his picture and name on the bulletin board. Allow me to introduce the
newest member of our group and the new Joe College – Jeremy Sloan.” Garin
stepped back and pointed his arm to Jeremy.
“Go,
Jeremy. Welcome,” Charlie called out with a few whoops.
The
rest of the group yelled similar greetings and applauded.
“I
invited him to come in tonight to see how the show works. Jeremy starts rehearsing
the week after next. He’s brought a friend, Robert, and they’ll be in box
three. If ya get a chance, stop by for a minute when you visit the rest of
the boxes. Okay, gentlemen…ten minutes.”
Garin,
despite his costume, took the time to lead them to their secluded seats on
the second floor. The chairs had been placed slightly away from the railing
so the audiences in the other boxes couldn’t see them. But the guys would
be able to absorb everything on the stage and runway. Garin wished them well
and told Jeremy that they’d talk next week. Before he left, Garin mentioned
that the photographs were everything he’d hoped they would be…and more.
This
opened the door for more questions that Jeremy didn’t necessarily want to
discuss. However, until the lights went down, he gave Robert a brief rundown
on the photo shoot at the studio, the fabulous photographer, June, and his
first adventure wearing a thong…one size too small. After a little teasing
and cajoling, Robert got Jeremy to promise he’d give his best friend a private
modeling of the thong very soon.
From
the opening dance number to the final encore, the guys were completely entertained.
Robert’s expression was priceless when he observed how the dancers worked
for their tips at the end of each dance. They laughed during the intermission
when they re-capped the various dancers routines and how many times both got
hard. In addition to Garin’s ‘Mr. Leather’ and the current ‘Joe College’,
the other characters included a fireman, cop, construction worker, military
man, cowboy and football player.
Robert
was impressed and Jeremy was grateful that each of the dancers made it a point
to stop by their box during the show for a brief chat. Charlie was particularly
charming and gracious when he visited the guys. He ruffled Jeremy’s hair and
said they were already becoming good friends. Robert remembered Charlie from
high school and took note when he was told Charlie was a sophomore at Northwestern.
As
soon as the final number was finished the guys left the box and went down
the front stairway and out into the street before the women had a chance to
exit. They had found street parking a couple of blocks away and were able
to start the drive to Sam’s house in short order.
“I
gotta tell you I’m a little overwhelmed,’ Robert said as they headed north
on Halstead Street. “Before I saw the show, I thought this whole Barecats
thing was bizarre…ya know, goofy and maybe close to hardcore porn. But after
the show and getting to meet all the guys, I feel ya did the right thing.
It’s a hell of an opportunity that should work well for you.”
“It’s
gotta work. This is for my college fund and extra money for mom. The only
bummer is that it puts me outta commission socially on weekends cuz I’ll be
working.”
“Just
consider the hours similar to a bartender or waiter; the good ones always
work on weekends because of the big tips. I’m sure that you’ll find time for
a little socializing.”
“Yeah,
I suppose. But I’ll be busy rehearsing as well as keeping up with my grades
and working at Bally’s for the next couple of months. Probably I’ll only be
able to get a little nooky on Sundays,” Jeremy said with a laugh.
“I
assume we’re talking about ‘nooky’ in the generic sense?”
“Generic
as in guys…I’m not going to lead on any more women. I look at Tommy as a friendly
little fling – that’s all - and I hope that you and I can continue to, you
know…do stuff?” Jeremy reached over and rubbed Robert’s neck.
“Remember
what you said about us being fuck buddies in addition to everything else?
I’ll hold you to that.”
“I
will definitely…oh, shit.” Jeremy suddenly remembered he was now groomed differently
than the last time Tommy – or Robert, for that matter – had seen him. ‘Will
this present a difficulty?’ he wondered.
“What’s
with the ‘oh, shit’?” Robert looked at Jeremy for a second and raised his
eyebrow.
“Okay,
confession time. Remember the dancers and you mentioned how trimmed they looked?”
“Yes?”
“I’ve
had a makeover,” Jeremy said with a nervous laugh. “Ah, one of the guys was
assigned to be my buddy and help me get groomed to the Barecats standards.”
“And
that means…?”
“No
chest hair, smooth legs and trimmed pubes.”
“Oh,
that sounds so hot...plus the thong. When do I get to see?” Robert asked with
a giggle. “Can I feel?” He reached over and playfully massaged Jeremy’s thigh.
“Seriously…what’s
he going to say?” Jeremy asked as he held Robert’s hand in place.
“Buddy,
my guess is that he’ll say nothing. Ya gotta remember that he’s on the swim
team and the star diver. They all shave. Shit, remember that Olympic swimmer,
Michael Phelps. Did you ever notice the photo on the cover of Time magazine
and the Olympics five-circle tattoo on his groin? Ever wonder about the absence
of any hair down there? It’s part of their culture.”
“I
suppose you’re right. We’ll see what happens.” Jeremy chuckled and added,
“With the lights off, Tommy will be more interested in other things.”
“If
Tommy wants hair, he can always trade you in for me.”
“Hands
off. Find your own guy.” Jeremy lightly punched Robert on the arm and they
both laughed.
“Maybe
I’ll hook up with Sam, again.” Robert turned off Halstead onto West Dickens
and traveled down Sam’s street for a few blocks and circled a few times before
finding a parking space. At 11:30 p.m., the neighborhood was fairly quiet
except for the area immediately in front of Sam Agosto’s house. Several of
the guests – mostly couples – were leaving as the guys walked up the stairs
to the entrance of the old limestone townhouse. Everyone wished each other
a Happy New Year before Jeremy and Robert entered the large, gentrified home.
Inside, they saw other friends who were saying final goodbyes.
“Hey,
guys. Great you could make it,” Sam said with a big smile. He shook hands
and said quietly, “The second-half of the party is getting underway downstairs
in the kitchen. I’m really happy to see you again.” Sam directed the last
comment to Robert. “I want to get together, ah, like we did last week.
“Hmm…me,
too. See ya later,” Robert replied as he winked. He led the way to the circular
stairway and walked down, with Jeremy close behind.
“Well,
I think that answers my question about Sam’s interest in you,” Jeremy said
with a chuckle, as they reached the kitchen. “Although I see a few others
who may be qualified for a good…”
“Cool
it, horn dog.” Robert nudged Jeremy gently with his elbow.
Jeremy
saw Tommy’s back in the corner of the kitchen. The ground floor consisted
of a large, Martha Stewart-style open kitchen and a spacious dining room.
He also noticed three other members of the swim team, a couple of football
players and a sophomore basketball player mixed amongst a few other guys whom
he didn’t recognize. ‘Maybe from other schools?’ he wondered.
“Better
late than never,” Tommy said from across the kitchen, as he turned and noticed
the two newcomers. “Welcome, guys.” He walked over and immediately kissed
both friends lightly on the cheek.
“Hey,
is it okay kissing like this…in front of the others?” Robert asked with concern.
His eyes nervously darted around the room.
“With this crowd? Yeah, we can be ourselves.
The hard-core heteros are gone.” Tommy gestured to indicate no one was concerned
about his intimate greeting. “Didn’t even cause a ripple.”
“Yeah,
I can see.” What caught Jeremy’s sight was one of the swimmers rubbing the
buns of one of his teammates and the football player tight end with his hands
wrapped around another guy’s waist while they were talking. ‘Tight end, for
sure,’ he thought with a wry smile.
“You’re
right; being open like this is a very new experience for me,” Robert replied.
“That’s
cool. A couple of the guys over there have just been out for little while…and
only to the team and like-minded friends. Jeremy, let’s grab something to
drink and do a little dancing. Sam’s got the den upstairs set up for boogying.”
“Dancing
would be fun. Robert I’ll see you upstairs…or later,” Jeremy said. “Is that
okay with you?”
“Don’t
worry ’bout me. I’m going to shoot the shit down here. But, from the looks
of it, I think ‘later’ is going to be in the morning. Be good.”
“I
plan on being very good.” Jeremy turned on a confident grin and followed Tommy.
____________________
TO BE CONTINUED