This is so much fun to write, I'm glad you guys are enjoying it as much as I am.
Part XI
The game we well matched and nobody knew who was going to win till the very end, it was fun competition. In the end the girls won by one point, and it was all thanks to Troy, “Traitor” Massey whispered under his breath at the end. Once the game was over Ross noticed how late it was and that he was starving, as was everyone else in the guest house. Dinner was no problem, how to stay warm while making dinner on the other hand was a different story.
“Who feels like some grilled chicken with potatoes and asparagus?” Ross asked
“That sounds delicious let me just turn on the over and get it all ready…oh wait no power remember.” Robert said mockingly
“Please have some faith in my abilities to think outside the box, now who’s is good with the grill.” Ross said addressing the group, he would need some help with the food, and he didn’t want to be out in the cold all alone.
“Ah you found one of the few things that both my brother and I can’t do the same.” Massey said “Troy can cook anything on the stove but burns anything on the grill, on the other hand I’m a master of the grill but have trouble boiling water.”
“Cool then you can come help me at the grill; it will go a lot faster that way, the less time we spend out in this weather the better.” Ross said as he got dressed in multiple layers.
The two walked into the cool house and prepared as much of the meal as they could in the houses, it was not going to be fun cooking outside, but it did mean a large hot meal. The grill was on the back side of the house, on the back porch. Thankfully a large part of the porch was covered and thus out of the falling snow, but not the freezing temperature. Ross and Massey pulled the large grill through the snow to the covered area.
The grill took a long time to warm up in the cold weather and Massey were only getting colder while the grill was getting warmer. The two used the grill as a heater and took as much warmth as they could from it but the grill warmed little more than their hands. Once the grill was ready they put the food on and closed the lid, they would have gone inside but both knew that good food came from a watched grill.
Ross was shivering pretty badly when he felt Massey behind him. Massey opened up his coat and wrapped it around Ross and pulled him into his body. Massey was not that much taller than Ross but he was able to rest his head on Ross’s shoulder. It took a moment for Ross to feel the heat radiating from Massey’s body but once he did it was like walking into a warm room and the warmth spread throughout Ross’s body. He allowed himself to relax; this was one of the best feelings in the world. Massey wrapped his arms around Ross and held him tight to his body.
“You know I’m kind of jealous of you.” Massey said
“How could you possibly be jealous of me?” Ross asked
“The relationship that you and Chad have is amazing. The two of you are as close as Troy and I are.”
“Yea well sadly that’s as far as the relationship will ever go. I mean I’m head over heels for Chad but unless I wake up a high school girl one morning I don’t have a chance in hell with him.”
“I don’t know man, my bro and I have not been able to figure out Chad since the day we met him, in the gay, straight, bi department I mean. We have put him down as straight curious but even we don’t trust out judgment.”
“Trust me you can put him down as simply straight and that’s it, the guy has had more girl friends, hook-ups, and one night stands than anyone else on the football team.”
“So what, my brother and I both dated, as did you, before we figured out that we were gay. Since then to keep our cover on the team we make up stories and lies to tell the team mates to make them think we are “just one of the guys” and look at us, both as gay as they come. Just because he says one thing does not mean he is another.”
“True but—“
“Let’s see it from my angle, the two of you have more physical contact then most guys, spend more time together then Troy and I do, he mentions you all the time without noticing it, and hell last night you two shared a bed, let me guess in your boxers and pretty close to each other.”
“How did you know?”
“I didn’t but you just told me.”
“And does he really talk about me that much?”
“It’s not long drawn out stuff or stories about you, just little snippets about something you did recently that made him laugh or something like that. A lot of guys on the football team know you better then you think, and overall we like you.”
“I guess that’s a good thing, but I mean, how can you tell if someone is gay or just curious or what not.”
“Ha if I could tell you that I would be a millionaire by now man. There is no sure way to tell besides asking someone who they themselves know. If you asked me ten years ago which way I swung I would have told you that I’m straight but now I would tell you that I’m definitely gay and don’t plan to ever change.”
“Have you ever done it, I mean have sex with another guy.”
“Just twice and both were one night stands while on the road vacationing last summer.”
“What was it like?”
“Now I’m going to let you find that out for yourself.”
“Come on man don’t leave me hanging.”
“Haha sorry man but trust me it’s better if you find out on your own, now stop asking questions and watch your chicken, I don’t want dry chicken.”
Massey let Ross out of his embrace and for Ross it was like walking out of the guest house and into the winter storm. He quickly checked everything and returned to Massey’s warm embrace. They stayed like that in silence, Ross thinking about the fact that there was a slim chance that Chad was gay or at least bi, it sure would explain a lot of things. But Ross knew he didn’t have the courage to just come out and ask Chad, and coming out himself would be just as hard. He hated the position he was in, and he didn’t want to go to college without knowing.
Ross checked the food a few more times before I was done and the two wrapped everything in aluminum foil to keep it hot and hurried through the house and into the warmth of the guest house. Someone had gotten the dishes and utensils out form the cabinets and set everything up some dinner could be served as soon as the food arrived. Ross and Massey went first and the girls after them and the last guys, there was little left after everyone had gotten their food.
Everyone was in good cheer after the hardy warm meal, Chad had brought some buckets full of snow into the house to melt them so they would have water to clean the dishes with and take care of a number of other tasks that required water. Everyone sat around the living room of the lobby; they were all full and nobody wanted to move. Strangely it was Robert who spoke up.
“Anyone want to play some poker?” He asked. He had produced a pack of cards from his jacket
“I’m in” Chad said, he was a good poker player and despite their dislike for each other Chad and Robert had played poker at the same table on a number of occasions.
“Count me in as well.” Said Troy, never wanting to be left out of a competition
“We’re in as well” Jess and Sara said together as they walked over to the table
“I’m not that good but it could be fun.” Rachel said with a smile, she was not as shy as Ross first thought she was.
“I guess the two of us will play as well, no reason to sit and watch.” Massey said for Ross and himself.
“I’ll see if I can win a few hands.” Ross said with a smile.
Furniture was moved around the largest table in the room and everyone got comfortable.
“So what are the stakes?” Robert asked
“What do you mean, we aren’t really betting, I just thought we were playing for fun” Massey said
“True but its poker, I mean you always have to bet something, it just makes the game that much more fun, plus it’s not a challenge if you have nothing to lose.” Troy said
“Well we know each other well enough, and I know one thing that we can all bet with.” Sara said
“What are you talking about?” Robert asked
Sara reached down and untied her a shoe and laid it on the table.
“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about, now deal the cards and ante up big boy.”
With a big smile Robert began to deal the cards, nobody protested but instead took an article of clothing and laid it on the table, it looked like things were about to get interesting.