Chapter 1

Chad Hilliard was happy to help out his old college buddy, Kevin Uribe, by swapping homes for the month of August. Chad’s house in San Rafael was near the research center where Kevin’s wife was transferring and the couple needed a place to stay while they looked for a house. Chad had the month off anyway and, while Michigan wasn’t his top vacation destination, at least it was summer and not the middle of January. He’d gotten his fill of Michigan winters after his stint in business school there eighteen years ago.

“The only thing,” Kevin admitted somewhat sheepishly after Chad had already agreed to the swap, “is that we were hoping you could keep an eye on Hernán while you’re here.” When Chad took a deep breath, preparing to protest, Kevin added hastily, “He’s seventeen and can take care of himself. We just need someone to make sure he comes home every night and doesn’t throw any wild parties. I mean, you know how it is with teenagers…”

Actually, Chad didn’t. He’d never married and disliked children. Further, when he’d been a teenager, he’d been a good, obedient kid. Now that he was a grown man, he made a point of only dating older divorcees with grown children or younger women who weren’t ready to settle down yet. The relationships never lasted long before he grew bored and moved on. After all, he was only forty years old! He figured he had a good ten years of liberation before he would be forced to marry. In the meantime, he planned to live it up.

Realizing that Kevin was still waiting for his response, he cleared his throat. “Uh, sure. I guess that’d be Ok. As long as I don’t have to clean up after him and he leaves me alone while I’m working.”

The smile on Kevin’s face was obvious from the tone of his voice. “Oh, don’t worry! Hernán’s a good kid. He has his own car and spends most of the day at soccer practice and hanging out with his pals. You’ll hardly know he’s there…”

***

Hernán was nowhere to be found when Chad arrived in Michigan. The kid was supposed to pick him up at the airport but, after waiting a half hour and texting him repeatedly, Chad called an Uber. Kevin had promised him the use of their BMW for the month while he was there and Chad could only hope it hadn’t been commandeered by the boy. Otherwise, he thought darkly, there would be trouble.

The Uribe household was located inside a gated community just outside of Ann Arbor, about a half hour from the airport and less than forty five minutes from Detroit. Fortunately, Kevin had mailed Chad the key card ahead of time so he was able to swipe and gain entry. Soon, they were tooling along a small lane that wound its way up a wooded ridge. When the car pulled up in front of the house, even Chad–who was used to California’s dramatic scenery–was impressed. The sprawling mansion was perched at the highest point in the development and offered a stellar view of the wooded Huron River valley below.

Holy shit, Chad thought with a touch of envy, Kevin and Isabel have done well for themselves! This place must have cost a fortune! His competitive ego took solace, though, in knowing that they would have to purchase a much more modest home in the Bay Area. Two million dollars barely bought you a studio apartment out there…

The driver helped him with his bags and he tipped her well, earning a five-star rating on the app. He paused to soak in the quiet beauty of the place as she drove away; Michigan might be a hellhole nine months out of the year but it sure was pretty in August! The evening sun touched the treetops with scarlet as a trio of sandhill cranes flew overhead, filling the air with their haunting refrain. Chad couldn’t have identified the smells but the breeze was redolent with oak and bracken fern. The temperature was ideal, not too humid and not too hot. Maybe I’ll look at vacation homes while I’m here, he thought. There must be some nice lakes around here…

The house was silent when he entered. Wherever Hernán was, he wasn’t there. Chad disarmed the alarm and carried his bags into the kitchen. He assumed that he would be sleeping in the master bedroom but had no idea where it was so he set off exploring. He loved exploring private spaces but was mindful of the video surveillance systems throughout the house and pledged to behave himself.

The house seemed even bigger from the inside. The palatial living room looked out over a four-lane swimming pool. (Perfect! I can swim laps before breakfast every morning!) The kitchen was state of the art with smart appliances and a pair of French convection ovens. There were two wings off the main floor featuring a library, gaming den and entertainment center. 

Chad investigated every room before heading upstairs and soon discovered the bedrooms were on the second floor. The vast master bedroom overlooked the river, easily the best view in the house, and possessed two bathrooms and a long patio with a hot tub. He opened the sliding glass door and paced out onto the deck, soaking in the view. It was like his own private retreat and he fell in love with it. (I’ll definitely be spending a lot of time out here in the hot tub!)

Hernán’s room was next door. He could smell it even before he rounded the corner and paused to survey the nightmarish mess that was a seventeen year-old boy’s room. Assaulting his nose were scents of marijuana and body odor among other more offensive odors. He covered his nose and looked around. Faded posters of Real Madrid soccer players covered the walls and dirty laundry–including more than a few sweat-stained jockstraps and other pieces of Hernán’s soccer kit–littered the floor. The full-length mirror on the opposite wall bore the suspicious white splotches that could only be one thing. Chad suppressed a shudder of disgust as he closed the door.

Further down the hallway from Hernán’s room was another room. Curious, Chad pushed open the door. Inside was an immaculately arranged bedroom with Pokemon and Sonic the Hedgehog posters adorning the walls. Cute, footie pajamas lay folded at the foot of a bunkbed adorned with matching Super Mario bedspreads. The carpet was bright red and the trim around the windows was sky blue. A canary yellow desk and chairs completed the arrangement.

The kids’ room? Chad wondered. But Kevin and Isabel only have one child and that’s Hernán. Whose room is this? Maybe they took in a couple relatives at some point?

He was puzzling over this when he heard someone behind him and turned to find Hernán glowering at him.

“What the fuck are you doing in here, asshole?” he barked.

Chad jumped and backed away, only belatedly realizing how weak this made him look. Taking a deep breath, he tried to recover by challenging, “And where the fuck were you, asshole? You were supposed to pick up at the airport.” He puffed out his chest, trying to intimate the impertinent teenager–Who did the kid think he was anyway? Chad was a grown man and not about to be bossed around by a teen barely out of puberty–but Hernán was not easily cowed and stood his ground. When Hernán didn’t reply, he pressed, “Well? Didn’t you see my texts?”

Hernán’s mouth quirked and he edged closer to Chad, using his height to his advantage. (Hernán was a tall boy and stood nearly eye-to-eye with him.) “Yeah, I saw ‘em but I was busy. Looks like you got here Ok without my help…and have been making yerself at home.” While he was talking, he moved behind Chad and stepped closer, forcing him toward the door. Before Chad knew what was happening, he was standing outside the room and Hernán was shutting the door. “Your room is in the guest bedroom downstairs next to the library,” he ordered, taking Chad’s elbow and guiding him downstairs. “You’re not allowed up here.”

“Hey!” Chad complained, wrenching his elbow out of the kid’s grip. “Your dad and mom said I could sleep in their room and that’s what I’m going to do!” He was incensed by Hernán’s patronizing and controlling attitude and refused to let the kid dictate where he slept. When he agreed to ‘look after’ Hernán, this was not what he had in mind! He turned to grab his bags off the floor at the top of the stairs and moved them purposefully into the master bedroom.

Hernán watched him with crossed arms but made no move to stop him. When Chad emerged from the bedroom, feeling victorious, he saw that Hernán’s face still wore the same supercilious smirk. He didn’t need to speak; the message was clear: You think you’ve won but just you wait…

Chad stood there observing him, trying to take his measure. There was no doubt that Hernán was an arrogant kid–No, make that cocky!–who was very full of himself. Standing at least six feet two inches tall, he looked and acted much older than his seventeen years. He was wearing a loose pair of soccer shorts and a t-shirt whose arms had been ripped off and slit down the sides to reveal a darkly-tanned torso rippling with muscles. From his beefy arms, thick thighs, and bulging calves, it was clear he lifted weights…frequently. His dense, black hair was freshly shorn in tight, stylish cut that drew attention to his piercing brown eyes, elegant brows, and full lips. His cheeks were covered with black stubble, adding to his brooding air. Chad wasn’t normally one to notice such things but even he had to admit that Hernán was very handsome. Probably gets more than his share of pussy, he thought, somewhat sourly.

Chad sighed. He wasn’t even five minutes into his ‘vacation’ and he was already confronted with the prospect of spending a month with an antagonistic and intransigent teenager. No wonder Kevin and Isabel had been so eager to leave their son behind! Still, he owed Kevin big time. The guy had been a solid friend of his for years and had directed plenty of clients his way. It had been Kevin’s connections that had landed Chad his first job in a venture capital firm. Without Kevin Uribe, he would be much worse off financially. The least he could do is help him out by putting up with his headstrong son for a few weeks.

“Hernán,” he said, walking up to the boy and offering his hand. “Let’s hit the reset button and be friends, Ok?”

The kid looked at his outstretched hand before shrugging and reaching out to grasp it in a strong grip. He surprised Chad by grinning and saying, “Yeah, sure. Sorry ‘bout that. I just wasn’t expecting you to be up here, that’s all.”

Chad dropped his hand and stood back, making a show out of appraising him. “Geezus, I can’t believe you’re the same kid! The last time I saw you was when you were four. You’re a fuckin’ beast, man!”

Hernán dipped his head. When he looked back up, he was glowing and his previous defensive attitude had melted away, revealing a much more sanguine–and appealing–side. “Thank you! I don’t remember you,” he admitted, “but then I was only four. That’s like, what, more than half my lifetime ago?”

“I don’t make it back to Michigan often,” Chad conceded, feeling mollified now that Hernán was behaving like a normal person. “I went to grad school here and then got the fuck out. It’s too cold for the likes of me!”

There was that smile again! It was amazing how different Hernán looked when he smiled. “It’s cold af here, that’s fer sure.” He paused and then looked down the stairs. “What’re ya planning fer dinner? Buy me pizza?”

Chad smiled, relieved that they were getting along better now. See, he told himself, all it took was someone being the adult. He might look like a grown man but he’s still just a kid at heart. He had a feeling this was going to be a fun month!

The rest of the evening passed amiably enough with Hernán retreating into the gaming room after dinner to play Fortnite with some online friends and Chad retiring early to sleep off his jet lag. He awoke in the middle of night to make sure that the boy was asleep in his (filthy) room and then went back to sleep.

So far, so good.

***

Chad awoke before sunrise the next morning and settled into what he hoped would be his routine for the next few weeks: Sitting by the pool and sipping cappuccino brewed from the Uribe’s Italian espresso machine. After he caught up on the latest news and responded to emails on his iPad, he stripped down to his board shorts and swam a half mile in the pool. He emerged dripping and refreshed twenty minutes later, feeling like a whole new man.

The sun was still low in the sky, drenching the trees and house in scarlet. A soft breeze rustled through the leaves overhead and the air smelled crisp, maybe even carrying a hint of autumn. He felt his heart swell as he took in a deep breath, realizing that he was falling under the Midwest’s spell. Was this how unsuspecting coastal elites became seduced into moving to the nation’s third coast? He smiled at the thought as he grabbed his towel.

There was a mirror next to the outdoor shower and he examined his body critically while rinsing off the chlorine from the pool. Tall, broad shouldered and sporting a red beard that had only a few white hairs, he was mostly happy with his appearance. (At least I’m not balding!) For a forty year old dude, he still looked pretty good…as long as you overlooked his puffy stomach and saggy buttocks. In the face at least, he looked much the same as he had at twenty five. Well, Ok, at thirty…ish. The point was that he still looked young and good enough to turn (some) heads. And he turned even more heads once the ladies realized how much money he made. Wealth had done wonders for his flagging sex appeal!

“Are ya done posing, old man? If so, I’d like to rinse off, too.”

Chad gave a startled jump, turning to find a sweaty and shirtless Hernán standing behind him. The boy must have gotten up even before he did and gone for a run. He flushed and moved out of the way, both relieved and embarrassed. Relieved that he had resisted the urge to strip out of his shorts and shower in the nude on the patio and embarrassed to be caught admiring himself. He also felt self-conscious for how out of shape he was compared to Hernán. (Who the fuck got up at five in the morning to go for a run?) Refusing to look at the boy, he picked his towel off the hook and moved aside to dry off.

He retreated inside to change into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt before settling on a stool in the kitchen and reading the New York Times from his tablet. Hernán took his time rinsing off, eventually diving into the pool to cool off further. He emerged perhaps ten minutes later, walking thoughtlessly into the living room without bothering to dry off.

“Um, Hernán, you’re getting water all over the place,” Chad complained, raising an eyebrow at the trail of water across the carpeting.

Hernán stopped and looked backward before shrugging. “The cleaning lady’s coming tomorrow. She’ll take care of it.”

Chad put his cappuccino mug down and fixed the boy with a disapproving stare, warning, “Hernán…”

The kid’s eyes flashed and he clenched his jaw before brazenly shucking his shorts in one quick motion. Wadding them up, he tossed through the still-open patio door and turned to Chad, challenging, “There. Are you happy now…Dad?”

Chad was speechless. All he could do is stare in shock at the young guy’s nudity. He had known even before Hernán took off his shorts that he possessed a stellar physique but seeing him without a stitch elevated him to the level of demigod. A very hung demigod! He flushed and looked away but not before the sight of the boy’s huge, thick, dripping rod was seared into his brain.

The essence of nonchalance, Hernán sauntered over to the counter. Chad looked away, keeping his gaze locked on his iPad. Hernán chuckled at his pathetic attempt to ignore him and then slowly and deliberately reached down to pick up Chad’s cappuccino, raising it to his lips. He tilted it back and Chad’s gaze involuntarily flicked upward in time to see Hernán’s protruding adam’s apple convulse as he swallowed. He looked hurriedly back down at his tablet. Hernán smacked his lips as he replaced the mug, settling down onto the stool next to Chad. Once seated, he spread his legs wide in what could only be described as a provocative manner.

“Hey, Daddy,” he drawled, the corner of his mouth lifting, “I’m hungry and want something to eat. How ‘bout ya make me some breakfast? I’ll have some eggs, toast, fruit, and coffee. But you can skip the meat. As ya can see, I already got more than enough sausage.”

***

Chapter 2

“I got your text,” Kevin said over the phone later that morning. “What’s wrong?”

Chad took a breath. What could he say? That he was being bullied and harassed by a seventeen-year-old boy? That said boy was swaggering around naked in the next room even as they spoke? “It’s…Hernán,” he began, choosing his words carefully. “He’s…acting strange.”

“How so?”

Chad paused, weighing his answer. “He’s…well, he challenges me all the time and won’t listen to anything I say!”

Kevin laughed. “Welcome to my world, bro! Hernán’s been a pain in the ass since he turned fifteen. Isabel and I tried everything but finally gave up. We just sort of let him do whatever he wants as long as he’s not hurting himself or anyone else.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before I got here?” Chad demanded, heat creeping up his neck. He was still roiling inside from Hernán’s latest stunt . When he’d left the room, the boy was sitting naked on the couch in the living room watching Netflix with his legs spread wide and his giant cock hanging off the cushions. “He’s being a total shit! I don’t know how much more of this I can take!”

“Listen, bud,” Kevin said in a reassuring voice. “He’s testing you. It’s something all teenagers do. Just hang in there. He’ll get tired of it pretty soon and settle down. I promise.”

Chad grimaced. He didn’t feel like hanging in there. He wanted to get out now! He wanted to be back in his own home in California where he didn’t have to share his space with an exhibitionistic teenager. Even in a palace the size of the Uribe mansion, he still felt cramped.

“Look, it’s almost ten o’clock there,” Kevin continued. “He’s got soccer practice soon and after that he lifeguards at a private swim club. That’s his schedule every day in the summer. You’ll have at least eight hours to yourself every day, more than that if he hangs out with his friends.” When Chad remained silent, he pleaded, “Just stick it out a couple more days. If he’s still being an asshole, we’ll fly him out here and you’ll have the place to yourself.”

“Ok,” Chad said, kicking himself for letting Kevin talk him into this. “I’ll wait it out. I hope you’re right.”

***

Just as Kevin had predicted, Hernán left at ten o’clock for soccer practice. Chad heard him leave from the library where he’d sequestered himself in the hope of avoiding further interaction with the obdurate teen. He waited until he heard the kid drive off before going back to the kitchen, sighing with exasperation when he saw the mess that Hernán had left behind. Even though the cleaning lady was supposed to come the next day, he wasn’t about to saddle her with a mess of this magnitude and resigned himself to cleaning it up. He gritted his teeth as he wiped up sticky, spilled orange juice from the floor, resolving that he would never have children of his own. If this was what he had to look forward to, he’d rather die alone!

A couple hours later, he had just pulled out his laptop and settled into a lounge chair on the patio when he heard the door slam. He groaned when he looked through the window to see Hernán strolling into the living room. Setting his jaw–But Kevin said he was going to lifeguard after soccer practice!–he decided to ignore him, hoping that the kid was just stopping by to pick up his gear before heading out. 

It was not to be. 

A few minutes later, Hernán emerged on the patio, still dripping from a shower. Chad glanced up at him, relieved to see he was at least wearing a pair of shorts. “Hey,” he grunted, trying to sound casual. “Thought you had to work this afternoon.”

Hernán shrugged. “Got the day off.” Tilting his head over at the outdoor gym next to the pool, he said, “I wanna lift weights. D’you mind?”

Chad was impressed with the kid for asking and shook his head. “Nah, go ahead. I can work through anything.”

“That so?” Hernán challenged, lips curving into a sly grin. “We’ll see ‘bout that.”

Chad scowled and turned back to his computer, vowing not to let the kid yank his chain. It would only prolong the abuse if he kept getting rattled by Hernán’s provocative behavior.

He did a good job of studiously ignoring the boy as he grunted and strained through a rigorous workout. When he was done, Hernán stripped out of his shorts and dove into the pool, stroking over to the edge closest to Chad and pulling himself out. Before he could stop himself, Chad looked over and was relieved to find that Hernán was wearing a swimsuit. Sure, it was a skimpy, red Speedo–What teenager wears a Speedo??!!–but at least he wasn’t naked. Hernán unfurled his towel and lay down to bask in the midafternoon sun.

They stayed like that, Chad doing his best to ignore Hernán and Hernán stretching out languidly in his tiny swimsuit, until the doorbell rang about a half hour later.

“Can you get that?” Hernán asked, glancing at the Ring app on his iPhone. “It’s the neighbors. They’re gonna ask us to play tennis with them. You play tennis, right?”

“Yeah.” Chad looked over at him and then wished he hadn’t. If anything, the Speedo made Hernán’s bulge look even more obscene.

“Ex-cel-lent,” the teen drawled. “Now go answer the door.”

Chad pursed his lips but nonetheless found himself getting up and doing as he was told. As much as it rankled him to do the kid’s bidding, he realized it was in his best interest. He didn’t want to risk Hernán performing another stunt like he had that morning.

A pretty woman about Chad’s age and a young girl he assumed was her daughter were waiting outside the door when he opened it. They wore tennis skirts and had rackets slung over their shoulders.

“Mr. Hillard?” the woman asked, extending her hand. “I’m Cynthia Liu and this is my daughter, Alyse. We’re friends of the Uribe’s. Hernán was telling us about your legendary tennis skills and we thought we’d invite you and him out for a match.”

How the fuck did Hernán know I played tennis? he wondered before realizing Kevin had probably told him. Giving Cynthia a warm smile, he took her hand; it was soft and small but she had a surprisingly fierce grip. Her eyes lit up when he returned her handshake with a solid grip of his own. Beside her, Alyse looked down at the stoop, clearly bored.

Realizing Cynthia was waiting for him to respond, he said, “Please call me Chad and I’m not that great but I do like to play. I’d be happy to join you. Lemme see if Hernán is up for it.” He turned and started to call out when Hernán startled him by appearing by his side. Somehow, the boy had managed to get dressed in a pair of (tight) tennis shorts and a white Izod t-shirt in the minute since Chad had left him on the patio. At least he’s not wearing a Speedo, he thought with relief.

He looked from Hernán and then back to Cynthia, saying, “Looks like he is. Do you mind waiting for a minute while I change clothes?”

***

Chad and Cynthia teamed up against Hernán and Alyse in a doubles match that ended up with  the adults triumphing over the teenagers. He and Cynthia bumped fists after they won two out of three games, leaving the kids ragged, out of breath, and unhappy. If it wasn’t apparent by then, Chad would soon learn that Hernán was very competitive and did not like to be shown up by anyone. It gave Chad secret glee to see the boy so worked up by the loss.

Cynthia had grown increasingly flirtatious over the course of the game. By the end, she had made it crystal clear that she was divorced…and interested. He carefully tucked his growing erection down the leg of his shorts when she pressed up against him, whispering, “See you later, maybe?”

“You got it,” he replied and then smiled, almost giddy with his good fortune at meeting an attractive woman without even trying. 

Hernán was sullen on the walk back up the hill from the tennis courts and Chad couldn’t resist goading him a bit over his loss.

“Ok, asshole,” the boy retorted. “You run ten miles at five in the morning, play soccer for two hours, and lift weights before playing the next time and see how well you do.” 

Chad hesitated, realizing the kid had a point. He looked down, somewhat abashed, stammering, “I-I-I guess you’re right. There’s no way I could have done half as well as you did.” After the words left his mouth, he regretted saying them; any magnanimity on his part was bound to be interpreted as weakness by Hernán.. 

The boy surprised him, though, by becoming unexpectedly diffident. He looked down at his feet before looking away. Finally, he replied, changing the subject.  “She’s real into ya. I could practically smell her pheromones.”

Chad laughed. “She is pretty fuckin’ hot, I’ll admit. What about Alyse? You into her?”

Hernán shook his head, cocky manner reasserting itself. “She wishes! But, nah, I’m not into that kind of pussy.”

Chad stopped, confused. “That…kind…of pussy? Whaddaya mean?”

He never got an answer; Hernán was already ahead of him, jogging up the hill.

***

Hernán’s friend, Ibrahim, came over that evening. Tall and broad like Hernán, Ibrahim could almost have been his brother, in appearance at least. In attitude, it was another story. While he shared some of Hernán’s bravado and machismo–What teenage boy didn’t?–there was something curious about his behavior. He acted almost giddy and cast worshipful glances in Hernán’s direction when the other boy wasn’t looking. Chad pondered this for a while before deciding that it made sense. Clearly, Hernán liked being alpha. It would be too threatening for him to hang out with another alpha dog because they would have to vie continually for dominance. Ibrahim was a sidekick, a role that Hernán obviously relished.

The boys didn’t spend long in Chad’s presence, departing for the gaming lounge at the first opportunity. He wasn’t sad to see them go; he’d had enough of Hernán for one day and was craving downtime. When the sounds of explosions and gunfire erupted from the lounge, he headed upstairs to the master bedroom. There was a hot tub waiting for him…

He lounged in the tub for a long time, enjoying a lazy evening. Tinged with orange by the setting sun, storm clouds were brewing on the horizon and he could hear thunder echoing from far away. Cicadas droned in the trees nearby and a humid breeze ruffled his hair. He had started to drift off to sleep when he heard disturbing noises coming from below. He pricked his ears, straining to discern what he was hearing. The sounds grew in intensity until there was no mistaking the deep bellowing and pounding, punctuated by what sounded like crying.

Alarmed, Chad sat up in the tub, convinced there was an altercation of some sort downstairs. He sloshed out of the tub, wrapped a towel around himself and ran down to investigate. The door to the gaming lounge was open, light spilling out into the hall. The bestial noises were emanating from within, making Chad’s skin prickle. (What the fuck is going on in there?) 

He was rounding the doorway when he slipped on something wet and rubbery. Panicked, he windmilled his arms and caught his balance, righting himself just in time. When he looked down, his eyebrows shot upward: A used condom lay at his feet, filled to overflowing with milky jizz. He swallowed as a sick understanding dawned on him just as he was starting to turn in the direction of cacophony. Even before he looked, though, he knew what he was going to see.

The two boys were naked on the sofa, Ibrahim straddling Hernán’s lap with his back arched and head thrown back, bawling like a stuck bull as he writhed up and down. Hernán bucked underneath, driving his rod deep into his friend’s hole, a proud sneer distorting his handsome face. Their game pads were tossed aside on the floor and the game on the huge flat-screen monitor was suspended.

Chad stood there as shock, revulsion, and astonishment vied for dominance in his beleaguered mind. He opened his mouth and then closed it, uncertain what to say. Finally, he realized that anything he did would be the wrong thing and backed out of the room. He was just about to the doorway when Hernán turned his head and caught his gaze. Grinning from ear to ear, he winked salaciously.

Chad’s face flamed brilliant red and he turned and fled

***

Chad wore earplugs that night to block the sounds of Hernán and Ibrahim’s amorous antics. He awoke in the morning with a headache and a renewed determination to call Kevin and have him send Hernán to California. He couldn’t take any more of this! There was just one problem: It was only 4:00am in San Rafael. Chad might be incensed but he didn’t want to piss Kevin off by waking him up so early. Reluctantly, he decided he could wait a few hours.

He was down in the kitchen brewing a cappuccino when he heard the boys stirring in the entertainment lounge. A moment later they emerged looking sleepy…and freshly fucked. They slumped into the stools at the counter, Ibrahim with his hand on Hernán’s knee.

“Hey, Dad, make us a capp.” It was an order, not a request.

Chad fixed Hernán with a withering stare. “Make it yourself.”

Hernán pretended to look hurt as he gazed up at him with eyes that were suddenly big and soft. (How does he do that?) “Aw, c’mon, Dad!” he pleaded. “Can’t ya see we’re falling asleep over here? We need caffeine!”

“Who’s fault is that?” Chad replied, trying and failing to sound gruff. He didn’t know what bothered him more: Hernán’s imperious attitude or his own ability to resist the boy’s demands. In the end, he sighed and acquiesced, grinding another batch of coffee beans. He realized he could afford to be generous now that Hernán would be leaving soon.

The silence stretched as they waited for the espresso to brew. When Ibrahim started to nuzzle against Hernán, Chad cast about frantically for something to distract them from a renewed bout of lovemaking, finally settling on, “So, um, I didn’t realize you guys were a couple.”

Hernán snorted. “We’re not. Ibrahim’s got a girlfriend.”

Chad blinked, looking at Ibrahim with surprise. “Does she…know…about you two?”

For some reason this made both boys laugh. “‘Course she does!” Hernán answered. “Doesn’t she, Eebs?”

Ibrahim nodded, gazing upon Hernán like a lovestruck schoolboy.

“Just ‘cuz he’s straight,” Hernán explained as if he was talking to a two-year-old, “doesn’t mean he doesn’t like a ride on the ol’ stallion every now and then. Shit, half the guys on the soccer team can’t resist a ride on my giant steed!” He paused, sighing with mock humility. “Sadly, it’s a burden I must bear.”

Ibrahim smiled, nodding sympathetically. The back of his neck was turning scarlet.

Hernán turned and reached over to muss his hair, bragging, “I stretched out yer hole pretty good last night. Didn’t I, Eebs?”

Another nod from Ibrahim and Chad looked away, feeling suddenly very old and weary. He simply didn’t understand the kids these days and their peculiar mating habits. Things had been a lot more straightforward when he was a teen!

***

It was still not yet 6am in California when he finished his coffee (out on the patio, away from Hernán and his ‘straight’ boyfriend. He was still shaking his head over that one.) With nothing better to do, he decided to swim some laps to kill time. A half hour later, he pulled himself out of the pool and dried off before creeping inside the house. He heaved a sigh of relief when he realized the boys had left and headed upstairs to take a shower. When he came back downstairs, he was surprised to find a small, Latina woman in the kitchen. She was wearing an apron and standing with her back to him at the sink.

“Ah,” he said. “You must be the cleaning lady!”

The woman stiffened but before she could reply, Hernán’s gruff voice called out behind him, “No, you racist fucktard, that’s my great aunt, Marta.”

Chad froze, belatedly realizing that her ‘apron’ was actually a lab coat. Marta turned, giving him the gimlet eye. “I-I-I am so sorry!” he stammered, holding up his hands. “Hernán told me yesterday that the cleaning lady was coming today so I assumed…” his voice trailed off as he realized that he was only digging himself in deeper. He stuck out his hand, trying desperately to recover. “I’m Chad Hillard.”

The old woman graciously accepted the proffered hand but her eyes were cold as they raked him up and down. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hilliard. I trust you are enjoying your stay with my nephew?” The words were cordial but the tone was icy.

“Yes, yes! Very much!” Chad lied. “Hernán’s a really great kid!” Even to his ears, the words sounded insincere and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He knew there was nothing to do but beat a hasty retreat. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” He scuttled out of the kitchen, keenly aware of the hostile stares aimed like weapons at his back.

***

“Here, Dad. Aunt Marta made you a cappuccino.”

Chad looked up wearily from his laptop to find Hernán standing over him, holding out a frothy mug. Chad had hidden himself away in the library, waiting desperately for the clock to strike 11 o’clock when he could finally call Kevin without risking his ire. He couldn’t wait for the kid to leave! Tempting visions swam before his eyes of all the fun things he and Cynthia Liu could do together in the hot tub…

“Er, thanks, man,” he murmured, accepting the mug and giving the teen a perfunctory smile before taking a sip. His eyes went wide and he took another sip, exclaiming, “Oh, wow! This is really good!” The creamy beverage was just the right temperature and strength, the complex flavors of some of the finest coffee beans he’d ever tasted caressing his taste buds.

“She grew up in Colombia,” Hernán explained, “and really knows how to make coffee.” He leaned against the desk while Chad took another sip, sighing with contentment before continuing, “She’s fuckin’ brilliant. One of the smartest people I know. Did you know she started the company where my father works?”

Kevin was almost too carried away with ecstasy to pay attention but somehow managed to grunt, “Really? That’s cool. It’s a genetic engineering company, right?”

Hernán nodded. “Yup. They do some pretty fuckin’ cool shit. I’m gonna work for ‘em someday, too. After I graduate from college, ‘course.”

“Of course.” 

Any other time, Chad would have been suspicious of Hernán’s sudden change in mood. This was the nicest the kid had been to him since he arrived, to say nothing of the most talkative. He was too busy savoring the mind-blowing cappuccino, though, to ponder this mysterious change in behavior.

“Well, I’ll leave you alone now,” Hernán said, smiling pleasantly. “Make sure to drink it all up, Ok? You wouldn’t want to offend my aunt now, would you?”

“Don’t worry!” Chad replied with gusto. “Nothing could make me put this down!”

“Good.”

When Chad looked up again, Hernán was gone.

***

Chapter 3

He awoke three hours later, muzzy-headed and sweating. Sitting up with a start at the desk, he looked around, muttering, “Musta dozed off.” His mouth was dry and he reached over to take a sip from his coffee cup, frowning when he realized it was empty. He sighed and pushed himself up from the desk. Strangely, when he took a step his knees buckled and he had to catch himself on the bookcase.

Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with me? Am I drunk? he wondered, propping himself back up on his feet and looking around. A worry nagged at him in the back of his mind, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. There was something important I was going to do but fuck if I can remember now! What was it?

A movement outside the window caught his eye and he turned to see Hernán was out by the pool, dipping a net into the water and extracting the odd leaf. He smiled to himself. Heh, he’d make a great poolboy! He is Latino after all. He laughed at his little un-PC joke, staggering out of the library and into the kitchen.

Marta was gone and the place was immaculate, making him wonder if she really had been the cleaning lady after all. Had Hernán just been playing a mean joke on him? He wouldn’t put it past him. In any case, someone had cleaned up and done an exceptional job. He gazed into the living room and saw that it, too, was much tidier than just a few hours ago.

Outside, the sun was shining and the newly-cleaned pool sparkled invitingly. He stared at it longingly for a few seconds, trying to resist the urge to dive in. It didn’t work. The next thing he knew, he’d stripped off his clothes and was diving headfirst into the deep end of the pool. He surfaced, belatedly self-conscious and embarrassed by his impulsive decision to take his clothes off. What had come over him?

“Jesus, bro,” Hernán teased. “Would ya put some clothes on? What makes ya think I wanna look at that?”

Chad raised an eyebrow. “Really? I thought you were gay.”

“Maybe,” Hernán replied, mouth quirking. “But that don’t mean I wanna look at yer old, flabby bod.”

Chad winced, looking down. He knew he shouldn’t care what Hernán thought of him but somehow found that he did. Sure, he wasn’t the stud he’d been at age nineteen–if he had ever been one–but he was still good looking…for an older guy. He paddled over to the edge of the pool and stared longingly at the pile of his discarded clothes a few feet away. It was too far to reach without getting out of the water and exposing his ‘old flabby bod.’ He kicked himself again for his impulsivity and wished fervently for Hernán to leave him alone.

A warm hand on his shoulder startled him and he looked up to lose himself in the depths of the teenager’s soft, brown eyes. How does he do that? he wondered, forcing himself to look away. The kid could be a total fucker one moment and a seductive tease the next.

“Awww, I’m sorry, bro!” Hernán soothed. “I didn’t mean to hurt yer feelings. C’mon, lemme help ya up.”

Chad resisted when the boy reached down to tug him up but Hernán would not relent and he finally surrendered, allowing himself to be pulled out of the pool. He emerged naked and dripping, uncomfortably aware of how ridiculous his saggy body looked next to the boy’s ripped physique. He looked down at his feet, ashamed. It wasn’t fair that Hernán was such a stud!

“You know what?” the boy asked, putting his hands on his slim hips. “Today yer gonna turn over a new leaf. Today you and me are gonna become workout buddies. I’ll have ya whipped into shape in no time. C’mon! Let’s go for a run!”

***

A half hour later found Chad struggling to keep up with Hernán as the boy took him out for a ‘short, slow’ run through the neighborhood and up into the woods overlooking the Huron River. Within five minutes, he was gasping for breath and struggling to keep the boy’s slender yet muscular back in view as he hurtled headlong over logs and rocks. It was all he could do to avoid tripping, much less dream of closing the distance between them. When Hernán took a break at the top of the hill, pausing to gaze down upon the curling ribbon of the river, Chad nearly fainted beside him.

“Yer doin’ great, stud!”

Chad wrinkled his lip. “Shut up.”

“I mean it!” Hernán persisted. “Most of my soccer buddies can’t run half as fast as you. By the end of the week, you’ll blow ‘em away!”

Even though he knew the kid was humoring him, Chad felt warmth kindle inside his chest at the praise. He bent over, grasping his hips (and saggy belly) in his hands, and dared to dream of being a real runner. It seemed like such an unattainable fantasy…and yet Hernán’s encouragement allowed him to believe it might be true someday. He wasn’t that old, after all. When he straightened up, there was a smile on his face.

“Ah, see?” Hernán said, winking. “I knew there was a little sunshine hiding in there! All ya needed was a little boost.” He paced over and surprised Chad by lifting his baggy t-shirt over his head and tossing it aside before he could protest. “Yer my bro now, man. Bros run shirtless.”

Chad swallowed, fighting the urge to cover his pasty, puffy stomach and formless pecs. He glanced over at Hernán’s perfectly defined torso, his tanned skin glistening with just a hint of perspiration, and felt like an ugly duckling.

“Soak up the sun!” Hernán chided, slinging an arm of his shoulders and guiding him back to the trail. “You’ll be surprised what a difference it makes!”

With that, he charged off down the hill, leaving Chad feeling both confused and emboldened behind him. ‘I’m his bro!’ he thought, absurdly proud. ‘He said I’m his bro!’

***

When they got back to the house, Chad found a text message from Cynthia Liu waiting for him on his phone. It read, >>Picnic tonight by the river?<< He smiled, feeling his cock twitch at the thought and replied with an emphatic yes along with several smiley face emojis. He laughed at himself for including the emojis–he never used them!–but didn’t delete them. Fuck it, he thought, I can do whatever the fuck I want. I’m Hernán’s bro!

Cynthia pulled up in front of the Uribe estate promptly at six o’clock in her shiny, red convertible. The top was down and she had untied her long, brown hair, letting it stream behind her. She looked ravishing in a little yellow dress. Chad smiled as he exited the house, bounding down the steps like an eager puppy. He didn’t know why but his energy level was particularly high after the run with Hernán. He would have expected it to be the opposite but right then he felt like he could run another ten miles and still have plenty in reserve.

“Wow, you look different!” Cynthia commented when he leaped into the passenger seat, not even bothering to open the door. “Have you been tanning or something? And your hair…it’s darker than I remembered.” 

Chad gave her a big, goofy grin. “I dunno. Me and Hernán were just hangin’ by the pool. Maybe I got me a bit of a tan goin’ on?”

Cynthia’s expression turned briefly puzzled as she took in his backward-turned baseball cap, soccer jersey and white Adidas sneakers “Looks like you need some adult time, Chad. Good thing I got here when I did!” She laughed and tossed her head toward the back seat where a picnic basket and a cooler full of wine rested. “I thought we would head over to one of the Metroparks and watch the sunset over the river.”

“Kewl!” Chad drawled, slinging his arm over the back of the seat. “Can’t fuckin’ wait! Let’s go!”

***

Chad whooped with delight as they sped down Huron River Drive on the way to the village of Dexter and ultimately to Hudson Mills Metropark. The evening was deliciously cool after a somewhat humid day and the clouds above were tinged a delicate mauve. Cyclists cruised along the winding road amid light traffic. The night felt full of promise and Chad couldn’t help thinking he might get lucky.

When they pulled up to a parking lot in a remote part of the park, he scampered out of the car and began setting up for their picnic. He pulled out a blanket and, flinging it on the ground, grabbed the basket of food and wine. In a matter of seconds, he’d popped the cork off a bottle of wine and tilted his head back to take a deep slug. Lowering the bottle, he belched and licked his lips. He would have preferred a beer but any alcohol was good if it primed the pump for some sex. Turning to Cynthia, he offered the bottle to her, saying, “Here. Wanna a swig? It’s good shit.”

Cynthia’s eyes were round but she recovered quickly, accepting the bottle and kneeling gracefully to retrieve a wine glass from the basket. Smoothing her skirt around her, she settled onto the blanket and poured herself a small glass. She took a sip and patted the spot next to her, offering, “How about we sit here for a while and enjoy the sunset. It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

Chad looked around, unimpressed. “Yeah, I guess so.” He paused to scan the empty park before dropping his gaze down to her, an impish smile creeping across his face. “We could, you know, fuck if ya wanted. You look super hawt!”

Cynthia shook her head. “Chad, what is up with you? You’re acting so…strange.” Her voice trailed off as she contemplated her next words. Finally, she took a deep breath and asked, “Have you been doing drugs? I know that Hernán has a reputation for being a partier. Did he give you something?”

“No way!” Chad exclaimed, holding up his hands. “I’ve never done drugs in my life!” When Cynthia looked unconvinced, he began to panic. The last thing he wanted was for her to give up on him and go home. He was so fucking horny he needed to get laid and soon! It took everything he had but somehow he managed to collect himself enough to sit down beside her. “Look, Cynthia,” he began. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so hyper tonight but it’s not because of drugs. Can we, uh, maybe hit the reset button and start over?”

Cynthia was quiet for so long that Chad’s panic began to rise again. Finally, though, she nodded and favored him with a winsome smile. “Sure, let’s do that. I would like to get to know you better, Chad. Tell me, what is life like out in the Bay Area?”

***

Chad grew more fidgety as the evening progressed but he was able to keep it in check for the most part. It was just so difficult to concentrate on the conversation with Cynthia when all he wanted to do was rip her clothes off and fuck her senseless. Unfortunately, she played coy and insisted on talking about heady topics like economics, politics, and foreign films–all the stuff that made him want to fall asleep. After four glasses of wine, his restlessness had faded to the point he was nodding off. Only his insistent erection kept him from throwing in the towel and asking to go home. He just had to get inside her panties!

His tenuous grasp on decorum began to seriously slip when a group of kayakers pulled up on the river bank nearby. It was getting on toward dusk by that point but even that couldn’t prevent him from recognizing the familiar silhouette of a certain young man.

Hernán.

It was Hernán and some of his buddies from the soccer team.

Chad sat up straighter and pricked up his ears, straining to hear their conversation. The boys were in a good mood, laughing and joking with one another in such a comfortable fashion that Chad felt envious. He turned away, doing his best to ignore them and trying to pay attention to Cynthia but it was no use. His focus was pulled inexorably back to Hernán.

Hernán Uribe was the undisputed alpha male of the group. The other boys acted like excited puppies, all but falling over themselves in the effort to gain his affection. He sat there, leaning nonchalantly against his kayak, a beer held casually in one hand and the last rays of sunlight caressing his handsome face. As Chad stared, he broke out in loud laughter, a beatific smile creasing his mouth, exposing his perfectly white teeth. The stubble on his cheeks looked heavier than before, probably because he’d neglected to shave. His brown eyes sparkled with warmth as he reached out and batted the arm of a nearby friend.

Chad was beside himself.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, he simply had to be there with Hernán. It should be him sitting there next to the young guy, shoulder to shoulder with his best bro, drinking beers and joking around. He wanted to be there with him so badly! He wanted to…

“Chad?”

Startled, he looked over at Cynthia. “Yeah, what do you want?” he demanded, voice filled with impatience. He was really annoyed that she had interrupted his thoughts of Hernán.

Cynthia blinked, her elegant eyebrows furrowing. “What’s wrong? Was it something I said?”

Chad kicked himself when he realized he’d hurt her feelings and struggled valiantly to come up with the right words to smooth it over. In the end, though, he just couldn’t do it and the rational part of him sat back in horror as he curled his lip and spat, “Yeah, yer nothin’ but a fuckin’ stupid cunt.” As she gaped at him with tears filling her eyes, he staggered to his feet and sneered down at her, “You know what? I’m fuckin’ sick of this grownup bullshit. I’m gonna go have fun with my friends.”

With that, he turned and stalked away to join Hernán. He didn’t give a flying fuck about Cynthia. All he wanted was to be with his best bro.

***

Chapter 4

Hernán grinned at him as he approached, opening his arms and beckoning him in for a hug. Chad all but melted into his warm, strong embrace and lost himself in the pure pleasure of the boy’s rich scent.

“Well, if it’s not my best bro,” Hernán breathed in his ear before squeezing his shoulders and pushing him away. “I was wondering when you’d get here.” He patted a spot on the kayak next to him and Chad sat down, pinching himself at his good fortune to be so close to the young god. Hernán’s bare arm was pressing against his own bare arm as was his bare thigh. The other boys watched them with expressions that ranged from bemused to irritated but they sprang to attention when Hernán barked, “Yo, guys! Get my bud Chad a beer!”

Chad was only vaguely aware of the sound of Cynthia’s convertible as it roared off into the growing night. He cracked the tab of his beer and guzzled it down in one deep gulp, turning to gaze adoringly over at Hernán. Hernán laughed and pushed his baseball cap off his head,  mussing his hair. Chad giggled and bent over to retrieve his cap, pleased beyond belief when Hernán patted his butt fondly. When he carefully replaced the cap on his head, Hernán turned it sideways and stopped him when he tried to move it back.

“Leave it, bro. It looks good like that.”

Chad did as he was told. No one disobeyed Hernán Uribe after all!

They sat like that, shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh, as the night settled around them. At some point, the boys moved to a nearby fire pit, gathering kindling from the woods and starting a fire. Chad sat beside Hernán, feeling pleasantly buzzed from the beer and pot that Ibrahim shared with the group. 

Hernán sat there with his legs spread wide open, the enormous bulge in the crotch of his shorts on full display, like a well-endowed king among his adoring subjects. No one was immune from his spell and he knew it and reveled in it. This vanity and need for attention was both his most endearing and irritating trait, Chad realized in a distant part of his mind. Everything was good as long as you remembered to give Hernán his due respect but god help you if you ever forgot!

The breeze came up after a while and the evening grew chill just as the moon rose above the treetops to the east. It was nearing midnight by then and Hernán stood, announcing the end of the party, “We got practice in the morning, guys. Time to go home.” 

Chad looked around, realizing belatedly that his ride had departed with Cynthia and he had no way to get back unless he walked. Hernán read his thoughts, though, and offered to let him ride back with him in his kayak. “It’ll be tight and you’ll have to sit on my lap but we’ll make it work.” He thrust his very tumescent crotch forward as he said this, a wry smile playing across his face in the silvery moonlight. Chad swallowed and Hernán tilted his head toward the river before turning and sauntering off.

***

The ride down the river sitting on Hernán’s lap in the kayak was a dream for Chad. Sure, the position was awkward and the craft was weighed down to near capacity but the reassuring warmth of Hernán’s chest and the constant throb of his erection in the cleft of Chad’s buttocks more than made up for it.

Chad was so drunk and high that he barely thought about the unreality of what he was doing. It was like he’d crossed the border into a new and exciting country where everything was possible and the past had no bearing. Heterosexuality seemed like an antiquated concept, one that belonged to a far off part of him. He was intoxicated with all these new and joyful feelings flooding through his system. He felt truly alive and young for the first time in his life. Even though he knew he was far from a young man, it didn’t seem to matter because Hernán treated him like he was his peer, his best bro, his friend.

The river was at low ebb because August was the driest month in Michigan and Chad was forced to get out and pull the overloaded kayak over sandbar after sandbar but it didn’t matter. Each time he knew that Hernán’s lap would be waiting for him and each time he knew Hernán’s arms would close around him and pull him close. He was drunk on more than just beer and marijuana by the time they pulled up to the private dock of the Uribe’s housing development.

He and Hernán waved as the rest of the boys drove off into the night, leaving just Ibrahim behind. Chad cast a questioning glance over at the boy and Hernán shrugged, saying, “Eebs is gonna stay with us tonight. C’mon.”

He turned and walked up the hill, not even bothering to wait for Chad and Ibrahim to catch up. Chad looked at Ibrahim and colored when the boy winked. Soon, he was jogging along behind Ibrahim and Hernán, confused and excited by the promise of adventures to come.

When they reached the house, they found Hernán reclining in a lounge chair by the pool, the glowing orange tip of a blunt in his lips. His arms were thrown up over his head and his legs were parted wide as he straddled the chair. Chad shook his head at the sight of him; the guy must be very proud of his equipment because it was always on display.

Hernán removed the smoldering blunt from his lips, announcing, “Eebs here is gonna show you how it’s done. Aren’t you, Eebs?”

Beside Chad, Ibrahim nodded before dipping his head and giving him an impish grin.

Chad’s throat tightened. Only after opening and closing his mouth several times was he able to choke, “Show me what?”

“How to please a man, silly. What else would he show you?”

Hearing these words spoken so plainly made Chad’s heart pound and a little of his old identity reasserted itself. “I…I…I can’t. I mean, I’m not–”

Hernán took another toke from the blunt, held the smoke in his lungs for a long time and then exhaled. “I don’t give a fuck. Get on his lap. Now.”

Ibrahim had taken a seat on a patio chair next to Hernán, patting his muscular thighs when Chad turned toward him. Despite the screaming of his heterosexual self in a sequestered part of his mind, Chad found himself walking on wooden legs over the boy. He paused only a moment before lowering himself down onto that inviting lap, straddling those powerful legs and opening his buttocks to feel the hot, hard rod waiting for him. It pulsed against his taint as he settled down. He was careful to face Ibrahim, folding his legs around his waist and arching his back as the boy wrapped his arms around him.

“Eebs is straight, too,” Hernán was saying, “so it doesn’t really count. The two of you can fool around all you like.”

When he said, it made sense. Yeah, if he was straight and Ibrahim was straight, then it wasn’t gay if they had fun together. He didn’t even stop to consider how ridiculous this was…or how criminal. He was a forty year-old man with a seventeen year old boy after all. In this new world he was inhabiting, though, all rules had been suspended. He could indulge in his fantasies without fear or reproach. At least that’s what he told himself.

Ibrahim removed the cap from Chad’s head and lifted his shirt over his head, tossing both aside. Chad shivered in the cool night air but Ibrahim had him. Ibrahim had him. Ibrahim…had…him…

“Ungh.”

Those lips! And that beard! Ibrahim’s mouth was over his, soft and tentative at first but he became emboldened when Chad didn’t pull away and soon he was playfully elating him with all manner of subtle feints and teases. Chad had no idea that a man’s mouth and lips and tongue could be so versatile, tasty, and pleasing. How could such a young boy have developed these skills already?

The boy’s hands were exploring his body even as his tongue explored his mouth. Chad was overwhelmed by the flood of pleasure cascading over him. He opened his mouth to breathe but Ibrahim took this as an invitation and soon he was smothering Chad to the point of suffocation. His eyes rolled back in his head as Ibrahim overpowered him, dominated him, and thrilled him. When he exploded in orgasm, filling his constricting shorts with jet after jet of potent, hot jizz, he nearly lost consciousness and awoke gasping for air. 

He’d just cum from kissing! Kissing?! How was that possible? That had never happened to him before!

He wasn’t alone.

There was a telltale wetness seeping into the bottom of his shorts and he looked down into Ibrahim’s sparkling and satisfied gaze. The boy lifted his chin and kissed him tenderly before sagging down into the chair, completely spent. Chad smiled and turned in time to see Hernán stuffing his elephant cock into his shorts, a proud, almost gloating, expression on his face.

As he watched, Hernán’s lips curled into a sneer and he murmured, “Welcome to the family, bro. Yer gonna love it here.”

***

Chad awoke spooning with Ibrahim, cradled in his arms. He groaned when he realized he was the small spoon. Somehow, though, he lacked the wherewithal to push the boy away. It just felt so good to be held! Even though he was still not full grown, Ibrahim was a big guy, both taller and broader than Chad, and feeling the heft and bulk of his body awakened a primitive longing inside him that made him crave more.

His head felt muzzy and his thoughts were swirling. Something was definitely not right here but he couldn’t quite figure out what. He took several deep breaths, waiting for his mind to clear but it didn’t help. A worry nagged at him, something about the day before, something about something he was supposed to do, something he was supposed to be, something that Hernán had done to him.

Who was he anyway?

He was Chad…Chad…Chad…

Hilliard?

Was that who he was?

Yeah, that was right.

He was Chad Hilliard.

A venture capitalist from San Rafael.

He was forty years old and had a lot of money.

He was…

“Tadeo.”

It was Hernán’s voice. A movement on the other side of Ibrahim caught his eye and he turned to see Hernán staring at him over the boy’s shoulder. Hernán was in bed with them! Hernán was–

He never completed the thought for at that moment Ibrahim’s eyes opened and he was lost in their dazzling depths. The boy smiled and kissed him lightly before pulling away and lifting his hands to make a series of signs.

“He says you look beautiful in the morning sun, Tad.”

Chad wrinkled his forehead, looking from Ibrahim’s hands to his eyes and back again. “Wait, you’re…deaf?”

Ibrahim shook his head and made another sign that Hernán interpreted for him. “Not deaf, mute.” Hernán propped his head on his hand and looked across the room. “Ibrahim hasn’t spoken since the bombing. His parents and brother were killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq and he was orphaned. His aunt adopted him and brought him to the US fifteen years ago.”

Chad searched Ibrahim’s face and discovered that the boy’s expression had clouded. He wouldn’t meet his gaze. “That’s…I mean, that’s…I don’t–”

“Best not to talk about it,” Hernán interrupted. “I’ve told you and now we can drop it. You might want to learn some sign language, though. The language of love’ll only take ya so far, Tadeo.”

Chad was so busy contemplating Hernán’s word that it took him a while to ask, “Tadeo? Why are you calling me that?”

Hernán smirked at this as if it was the dumbest question in the world. “I’m calling you Tadeo because that’s yer name. What else would I call you?”

Tadeo stared at him for a long time, trying to come up with a response but nothing came to him. There was a vague sense that somehow that name didn’t belong to him and that he had a different name. A name that was sort of similar but when he tried to speak that name, he couldn’t. Finally, he gave up trying and nodded even though he knew that he shouldn’t give up so easily. Hernán was playing some kind of trick on him, trying to fuck with him somehow, trying to…Oh, who cares? he thought. Hernán is my best bro and I can trust him no matter what. All I want is to be with him…and Ibrahim. They’re my bros. My friends. My brothers…

“Tadeo,” he stated happily. “Yes, my name is Tadeo.”

***

Chapter 5

There was a bunch of stuff in his room that confused him. A laptop. A briefcase. A suitcase full of grownup clothes that didn’t fit him very well. He stood there holding up a pair of khaki pants and a dress shirt, trying to figure out why they were in his room. Did they belong to him? If so, why were they so big? And why would he wear such clothes? They looked like something his father would wear.

He caught a glimpse of his naked body in the mirror and turned to stare at himself. The man looking back at him could barely be called a man at all. He had only a trace of facial hair on his cheeks and his hair was shaggy, unkempt. He appeared to be no more than twenty five years old. Probably younger. Dropping the shirt and pants, he paced over to the mirror and examined his reflection, growing more and more uneasy the longer he stood there.

Something was wrong…

Something was wrong…

Something…

Had his hair always been black? He scrunched up his face, trying to remember. Red. Yeah, he had red hair, didn’t he? Or at least auburn? Right? But his hair was definitely black now and it hadn’t been dyed. And his eyes were brown.

Brown?

Wait. He had blue eyes, not brown.

What was going on?

And he wasn’t in his twenties! He was older than that. A lot older.

Wasn’t he?

Or was he?

He dropped his gaze and smiled unconsciously when he saw his belly.

It was soft and protruding but nowhere as big as usual.

He’d lost weight!

For as long as he could remember, he’d had a paunch.

But not not now!

He turned and looked over his shoulder at his butt, smile broadening to a grin when he saw how plump and shapely it was. No sagging! No wrinkles! He had a real ass! And so smooth! Not a hair on it at all! He laughed to himself, shaking it and enjoying the pleasing sway of those firm yet supple cheeks. He had an ass! Ibrahim was going to be happy!

He stopped.

Why did he care what Ibrahim thought about his ass?

He wasn’t gay and Ibrahim most certainly wasn’t his boyfriend. What had happened the night before was just a one-time thing. He’d been drunk and high and had let his guard down. It would not happen again. No, that was–

The iPhone on the dresser buzzed.

Curious, he paced over and picked it up. Was this his phone? It looked like such a grownup phone! There was a name flashing on the screen. The incoming phone call was from Kevin Uribe. Kevin Uribe…That was Hernán’s dad. If Hernán’s dad was calling, it must be important. He should answer it!

“Hello?”

There was a pause on the other end, then, “Chad? Is that you?”

Tadeo smiled at the weird name. Chad? Who was that? “No,” he replied. “I’m Tadeo.”

Another pause. When Kevin spoke again, his voice had changed. It sounded like he was smiling. “Oh, right. Hi, Tadeo! How’re you doing? Is everything alright?”

Tadeo grinned. “Yeah, I’m super great! Hernán and me are havin’ the best time ever! I really love it here!”

“That’s good to hear, Tadeo! I’m very happy to hear that. I was worried that Hernán and you wouldn’t get along but it sounds like my concern was misplaced.”

“He’s totally awesome!” Tadeo chimed in. “He’s gonna take me to soccer practice this morning! He said I could play around with the guys afterward.”

Kevin chuckled. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Tadeo.” His voice trailed off for a moment before he continued, “I’m calling because I am having some important paperwork sent to the house and I need you to keep an eye out for it. Can you do that?”

Tadeo nodded. “Yeah, ‘course I can!”

“Good. Now, listen: When it arrives, I need you to sign it and send it back to me. You don’t need to read it, just sign where I’ve indicated and mail it right back. It’s very important that you do this. Do you understand, Tadeo?”

Tadeo smiled. He felt so important! It was so great that Kevin trusted him to do such an important job! “Yep!” he chirped. “I got it! I’ll make sure to sign the stuff and send it back. I promise.”

“You’re such a good boy!” Kevin praised. “I knew I could count on you. If you need any help, ask Hernán; he knows what to do. I’ll talk to you again soon, Ok?”

***

He sneaked into Hernán’s room and borrowed a pair of his soccer shorts and a Real Madrid jersey. The boy’s rich scent permeated the clothing and he inhaled deeply, savoring the feeling of closeness he got from wearing Hernán’s clothes. He was so happy he felt like he was going to burst right open and came skipping down the stairs at the sound of Hernán’s voice in the kitchen. For some reason, though, he pulled up short before turning the corner and stood on the other side of the doorway, peering carefully into the room. Hernán and Ibrahim were standing in front of the sink, forehead to forehead. Hernán had Ibrahim by the hips and was pressing against him.

“You sure ‘bout this, bro?” Hernán was saying. “I don’t know if I’m ready to lose you.”

There was silence while Ibrahim gently pushed Hernán away so he could sign a reply. Tadeo had no idea what he was saying but he could tell from Hernán’s reaction that it was serious.

“Oh, Eebs!” Hernán complained. “I’m gonna miss you so much! Are you really ready to say goodbye to me? And what about Candace? She’s not gonna understand.”

Tadeo’s breath caught in his chest. Ibrahim was leaving! But, why? Why would he leave?

Ibrahim made some more cryptic signs and smiled sadly, lifting his lips to kiss Hernán. Hernán’s shoulders sagged but he didn’t pull away and returned the kiss, surprising Tadeo by nuzzling against the nape of Ibrahim’s neck.

“I know it’s not forever,” Hernán said. “But ten years is a long time! I don’t think I can wait ten years to fuck yer big, gorgeous ass again!”

Ibrahim’s expression turned sardonic and he made a crude sign that even Tadeo could interpret. Hernán burst out laughing. “Ha! Yeah, I guess yer right. I’ll just have to make the most of it while I still can. Yer not gonna be able to sit down by the time I’m finished with you!”

Tadeo was so startled by Ibrahim’s bark of laughter that he didn’t notice Hernán extracting a syringe from his pocket until he had removed the safety cap and raised the needle in the air. Carefully, he turned Ibrahim around and gently lowered his shorts, exposing an unexpectedly big, muscular butt. Ibrahim arched his back and shifted his weight onto his left leg, presenting Hernán with his ripe, firm buttock. Shaking his head, Hernán lowered the syringe and deftly jabbed it into his friend’s hip. Ibrahim braced and moaned softly as the needle entered his flesh but Hernán was already pulling it back out.

“There you go, my friend,” Hernán said, patting him fondly on the bare ass. “Your new life with Tadeo is just beginning.”

***

Chapter 6

After soccer practice, Hernán took Tadeo for another run up in the hills. This time, Tadeo found the experience much more exhilarating and managed to keep Hernán’s taut, muscular back in sight most of the way. They only had to stop twice for him to catch his breath.

“See? Yer already a jock!” Hernán praised when they were done. “I tole ya I’d have ya whipped into shape in no time!”

Tadeo was bent over, holding his knees and gasping for air on the Uribe estate’s front lawn. He looked up at Hernán and smiled, though, at the words of encouragement. He had no idea how it was possible but his stomach flab seemed to be melting away and he could see the slightest hint of abdominal muscles pushing out from beneath the tanned skin of his belly. It had been years since he’d seen them! There was something magical about Hernán; simply being in close proximity to him made Tadeo feel like a whole new man.

After he was recovered, Hernán sauntered over and patted him on the butt, saying, “I got a surprise for ya. C’mon!” He turned and jogged around the side of the house, leaving Tadeo groaning inwardly. Where did the guy find his limitless energy?

Hernán was standing beside the pool by the time he finally mustered the energy to follow him. The young jock had stripped down to his customary red Speedo, giant member protruding luridly against the sheer material. Tadeo colored when he saw that the Speedo was so skimpy that it couldn’t contain Hernán’s manhood. The base of his fat shaft along with copious amounts of thick, black pubes poured out over the top. Tadeo stood there uncomfortably, looking down at the ornate tilework next to the pool.

Hernán cleared his throat. “Here. This is yer new uniform. Put it on.”

Tadeo looked up, eyes going wide. It was a red Speedo just like the one Hernán was wearing. His mouth fell open. “I…I mean, uh, I can’t–”

Hernán laughed at his reluctance, tossing the Speedo across the patio and calling out,  “Ibrahim. Help him change. I want this pool spotless in time for the party tonight.”

Ibrahim? He’s here? Tadeo thought, following the arc of the swimsuit through the air and giving a little start of surprise when he saw Ibrahim was indeed present, seated on a towel on the other side of the pool. His heart caught in his chest as the boy winked, deftly snatching the swimsuit out of the air. 

Time seemed to slow as Ibrahim stood and stalked over to Tadeo, a sly grin playing across his face. Tadeo shifted when he saw that Ibrahim was likewise wearing a tiny, red Speedo. The material was just as sheer Hernán’s but the boy didn’t fill it up quite as impressively. (Not that he was checking out Ibrahim’s bulge or anything…)

“Ibrahim?” he asked, taking a step backward and barely catching himself when his heel came down on the edge of the pool. “What are you–”

“He’s gonna stay here with us for a while,” Hernán said over his shoulder as he plopped down in a lounge chair. “God knows I can’t train ya all by myself.”

“Train?”

“Yeah, fucktard. Ya gotta earn yer keep around here and it just so happens we need a new gardener…and a pool boy.”

Tadeo mouthed the word ‘pool boy’ as Ibrahim neared, holding out the Speedo and jerking his chin at Tad’s shorts. The meaning was clear: Tadeo was to take them off and don the itsy bitsy swimsuit.

He wanted to run away but he was backed against the edge of the pool and there was nowhere to go. Plus, Ibrahim was already reaching out to untie his shorts. Tadeo watched helplessly as the boy stripped him naked and knelt down, holding the Speedo out for him to step into. He shivered as Ibrahim lifted it up his legs and gently pushed his junk into the tiny pouch before cinching the drawstring.

When it was done and he was clad in the tiniest garment imaginable, Tadeo felt both embarrassed and elated. Part of him couldn’t believe he was wearing such an unmanly thing and another was proud of the way his bulge dwarfed Ibrahim’s. Yeah, Ok, maybe it wasn’t quite as monster-sized as Hernán’s but it was still big. He couldn’t help wondering why he hadn’t realized before that a Speedo was the best way to show off his ample endowment? He smiled to himself, unable to resist strutting around.

Hernán cracked an eyelid and watched him with a smirk on his face. “Enjoy it while it lasts, bro,” he murmured cryptically. Before Tadeo could ask him what he meant, though, he closed his eyes again and lay back, cradling his head with his hands. The last thing he said before drifting off to sleep was, “Ibrahim, show him where the cleaning supplies are, Ok?”

***

Tadeo spent the afternoon cleaning the pool, mowing the lawn, and getting the patio area ready for the evening’s party. When he asked him about it, Hernán explained that he’d invited a bunch of the guys from the soccer and football teams over for a pool party. “There’ll be lots of booze and pot to go around, Tad,” he added. “You’ll have to watch yerself, though. I don’t want the pool boy embarrassing me in front of my friends.”

Tadeo nodded solemnly while privately wondering about this new role. He could have sworn he wasn’t a pool boy but try as he might, he couldn’t remember what his real job was. It had something to do with money, right?

He was hot and sweaty by the time he was finished and the pool sparkled invitingly. Looking around to make sure Hernán couldn’t see him goofing off, he dove in. The water felt amazing on his hot skin and loved the way it caressed all the parts of his body normally covered by his bulky swim trunks. Wearing the Speedo was almost like skinny dipping!

After swimming a few lazy laps, he emerged dripping and refreshed from the pool. He turned and discovered Ibrahim’s towel, iPhone and earbuds were lying on the patio, practically pleading with him to use them. He smiled and shook his head. Why not? Ibrahim and Hernán were nowhere to be seen. Surely, they wouldn’t mind if he took a little break and listened to some tunes?

He awoke sometime later with the pleasant thrum of electronica in his ears. The music was dreamy and ethereal, almost hypnotic. And what was that in the background? He strained, trying to make his sluggish mind concentrate but it was too hard and he gave up. It sounded like someone speaking a foreign language. They kept repeating simple phrases over and over. It was beautiful and melodic and he smiled, mouthing the words that he could barely hear, trying to pronounce them just right…

He lay there, savoring the music and feeling happy for no reason in particular until he abruptly realized he’d fallen asleep in the sun without any sunblock. His skin was so pale that he burned within minutes! He groaned. How long had he been lying out there in the full sun wearing nothing but a skimpy Speedo? Hours and hours? Shit, he was going to be burned to a fucking crisp!

He sprang up, looking around for some shade, and eventually took refuge under a nearby umbrella. Safely hidden from the sun, he looked down at himself and gave a start when he saw that, rather than angry red, his skin was tanned deep brown. Shit, he was almost black! He stared and stared, unable to believe what he was seeing. He’d never tanned like this before!

And, wait, what had happened to his body hair?

His normally furry chest was completely smooth. His pert nipples were tanned even darker than the rest of him. Only the tiniest hint of a treasure trail of black hair led down to the crotch of his swimsuit. When he peeled back the elastic band, he was surprised by the stark contrast between his tanned skin and the milky, tender skin covered by the Speedo.

And there was something else.

Hadn’t his bulge been bigger than this?

He wrinkled his forehead. Yeah, what was going on with his junk? It should definitely be bigger! The water in the pool hadn’t been that cold!

And why were his pubes black?

And so sparse?

He had bright red pubic hair and a lot of it!

He yanked the earbuds out, fighting rising panic, and–

What was the fuck was that?

There was a loud bellowing and braying coming from inside the house. It sounded like a couple of bulls fighting or maybe two bears in the thick of a–

Tadeo’s face colored when he realized he’d heard these sounds before. Two nights ago to be precise when he’d been drifting off to sleep in the hot tub. Suddenly the mystery of Hernán and Ibrahim’s whereabouts was solved: They were inside fucking their brains out.

He scowled as a mixture of emotions washed over him, ranging from embarrassment to envy to jealousy. He hated to admit it but he felt left out. And it hurt. He thought Ibrahim and he were…

No!

He shook his head vehemently. Where had he gotten that idea? He and Ibrahim were nothing. There was nothing going on between them because Tadeo wasn’t gay. And neither was Ibrahim. Or at least that was what Hernán said.

Just then, Ibrahim let out a particularly loud howl and Tadeo clenched his jaw. This was too much! They couldn’t do this with him around! He was going to march right in there and–

“Excuse me.”

Tadeo jumped, spinning around to discover a tall, young man standing behind him. Dressed in an expensive gray suit and holding a briefcase, he was blond-haired, blue-eyed, and very handsome. As Tadeo stared, the man flushed and turned away, holding a hand up beside his face. Tadeo swallowed, belatedly realizing he was wearing the tiniest swimsuit imaginable. He might as well be naked! It didn’t help that Ibrahim and Hernán’s bellowing grew to a fever pitch at that very moment.

Tadeo instinctively dropped his hands over his crotch and backed away, stammering, “L-L-Lo siento, señor,” before adding lamely, “Ees no usual–” He stopped, confused by the way he was talking. Why was he speaking in Spanish? And why did he have such a thick accent? At that moment, Ibrahim’s bellow turned into a hair-raising yowl, distracting Tadeo from these thoughts. Embarrassed, he felt his entire back and neck grow scarlet.

Still refusing to look directly at him, the young man stated, “You speak English?” When Tadeo nodded uncertainly, he continued. “Good. My name is Taylor Scott. I’m a lawyer. I have some papers for a Mr. Chad Hilliard to sign.”

“Echad…Eeleeard?” Tadeo repeated. Why did that name sound so familiar? And why was it so hard for him to pronounce it?

The young man nodded. “Yes. I was told he would be here. My supervisor and I were sent out here to witness the signing of these documents.” He held out his briefcase as if Tadeo was supposed to be able to see the papers contained inside. “Do you know where he is?”

Tadeo was starting to shake his head when a familiar voice interrupted them and they turned to discover Hernán had emerged onto the patio behind them. “He is Chad Hilliard,” he explained. “We usually call him Tadeo, though.” He smiled brightly and extended a hand to Taylor. “I’m Hernán Uribe, my father’s legal representative in this matter. I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow, though.”

Taylor opened his mouth and then closed it, his whole face turning beet red when he saw that Hernán was wearing only a towel and a very naked Ibrahim was standing behind him in the open doorway, unselfconsciously mopping his butt with a cum rag. Taylor looked like he wanted to bolt. After wrestling with himself, though, his lawyerly mask reasserted itself. When he spoke, his voice was deep and calm with only the slightest hint of a warble. “Mr. Spencer is waiting outside,” he informed them coolly. “Is now a good time or should we come back later?”

“No time like the present,” Hernán said, shrugging. He stepped aside and motioned into the house, beckoning him inside.

Taylor swallowed, hesitating only a moment before squaring his shoulders and striding past him into the house.

***

Fifteen minutes later found Tadeo seated across the dining room table from Taylor Scott and a senior lawyer by the name of Charles Spencer. They were from the law firm that represented the Uribe family’s corporation. Hernán had steered Tadeo by the elbow into the dining room, refusing to let him put on more clothes, and now he was feeling distinctly out of place, positioned as he was before two suit-wearing businessmen. It didn’t help that Hernán looked on from the doorway, still wearing only a towel. His hair was dripping with sweat and the odor emanating off of him was distinctly carnal.

“There seems to be some mistake,” Taylor was saying as he examined the documents laid out before him. “It states here that Mr. Hilliard is forty years old.” He paused to study Tadeo before looking over to Mr. Spencer. “It also states he is caucasian.”

Tadeo frowned. He had no idea what Taylor was saying. He looked over to Hernán, asking, “¿Qué me cuenta?”

The corner of Hernán’s mouth lifted. “No te preocupes, chico.” Then he turned to Taylor, replying, “Yeah, sure, we’ll go with that. The papers must be right.”

Silence.

Finally, Mr. Spencer, an older man with greying hair and ponderous mein, took a deep breath. “If the papers say that and Mr. Hilliard attests to the veracity of the information, we can’t deny it.”

Taylor’s eyes widened. “But, that’s not right! He doesn’t even understand what we are asking him to sign over! We can’t–”

“You will do whatever the fuck my father is paying you to do,” Hernán finished for him. Even though Tadeo couldn’t understand his words, he could read his expression and his eyes were flashing. It was a look Tadeo knew all too well. No one challenged Hernán and got away with it. No one.

Mouth tightening, Taylor placed his hands on the table and was pushing himself up to leave when Mr. Spencer forestalled him. “Taylor, he’s right. We’re just here to finalize the estate transfer and name change. This was instigated by Mr. Hilliard. If he wants to do this, we can’t stop him.”

“I’m not convinced this is Mr. Hilliard,” Taylor said, shaking off Mr. Spencer’s hand. “I need proof of his identity before I will sign off.”

“Taylor,” Mr. Spencer said, sighing. “You’re new at the firm. I don’t think you understand how things work with the Uribe account…” 

His voice trailed off and he looked over to Hernán. The two of them exchanged a meaningful look before Hernán nodded curtly and, turning to Tadeo, barked, “Tadeo. En las rodillas. ¡Pronto!”

Tadeo jumped. “¿Mis rodillas? ¿Por qué?”

Hernán’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Hazlo. El abogado lo pide.”

Tadeo looked around wildly, not understanding why Hernán would order him to do this. In the end, though, he realized he had no choice. Bowing his head, he slipped off his chair and onto his knees.

“Bueno,” Hernán praised. “Ahora chúpalo.”

“¿¡QUÉ?!”

“Te dije ‘chúpalo,’ tonto. Dale una mamada.”

Taylor must have understood, too, because he sat bolt upright and would have fled if Spencer hadn’t held him down in his chair. “Go on, son,” the older man urged. “Unzip for him. Let his lips change your mind. You’re thinking too hard with the wrong head.”

“I WILL NOT–” Taylor cried but he was too late. Tadeo had already scrambled under the table and started unzipping his pants. He was just as shocked by his behavior as Taylor but he had no control over his body. All he knew was that Hernán had given him an order and it was his duty to perform it. If Hernán wanted him to suck off another guy, then so be it.

Taylor’s body went stiff at his touch but he didn’t pull away. Tadeo understood why as soon as he yanked down those expensive, tailored pants and pulled back the elastic waistband of the young guy’s fashionable briefs: Taylor Scott’s little knob was flying at full mast.

Tadeo stared at that erect cock, feeling his mouth water for inexplicable reasons. Taylor’s dicklet was barely more than four inches long and slender as reed but at that moment it was the most beautiful thing Tad had ever seen. He licked his lips and, reaching up to slick back the dude’s meager foreskin, launched himself at it.

He had a man’s cock in his mouth!

He was sucking cock!

Shit, he was a fucking cocksucker!

Taylor’s knob twitched as his lips closed upon it, releasing a sweet droplet of precum. Tadeo swallowed this man-honey with relish, instinctively using his tongue to coax more out of that nubile little cockhead. Taylor gripped the edges of his chair, throwing his head back and moaning as Tadeo got down to business, tempting, teasing and titillating him to the brink of a roaring climax that, once reached, had the poor guy screaming at the top of his lungs…and had Tadeo’s mouth filled to bursting with jet after jet of that sweet, hot cum. (For a little guy with such tiny balls, Taylor sure could shoot!) His tongue lingered on Taylor’s cocklet long after it had begun to soften. He didn’t want to let go! Now that he’d developed a taste for the wonders of a man’s cock, he never wanted anything else in his mouth.

In the end, though, he sagged back onto his heels, relinquishing that gorgeous cock and clunking the back of his head on the table. He was scarcely aware of his own throbbing erection; somehow it didn’t matter to him. He only cared about Taylor and his beautiful cock.

When he pushed himself up from the floor and took his seat at the table once more, he was just in time to see Hernán shoving his swollen elephant cock inside his towel as Mr. Spencer wiped off his chin. Across the table, Taylor was glassy-eyed. He didn’t stir until Spencer elbowed him. Tadeo watched, heart swelling in his chest as Taylor’s ice-blue eyes locked onto his own and they shared a brief but intimate moment. He knew it shouldn’t be possible but he found himself falling helplessly in love with the beautiful man. He smiled shyly and Taylor flushed.

“Well, are you thinking clearly now, son?” It was Mr. Spencer. He was watching Taylor with a wry smile.

Taylor shook himself. “Uh, yes, I am convinced. I am ready to sign off on the papers now.”

Hernán leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, drawling, “Ex-cel-lent. Let’s get this done. I got a party to get ready for.”

***

Chapter 7

Ibrahim and Tadeo lifted weights in a corner of the patio while Hernán supervised the setup for the pool party. In between sets, Ibrahim taught him some basic sign language so that gradually Tadeo was able to understand what the boy was telling him. As time passed by, they slipped into an easy rhythm, chatting and lifting, chatting and lifting. It was so fun spending time with Ibrahim! Tadeo felt almost like they were brothers.

Lifting weights didn’t come easily to Ibrahim and he struggled until Tadeo convinced him to go lighter. Even so, it was a challenge for the boy and he needed to rest for a long time between sets. Tadeo had the opposite experience and was surprised to discover he loved weightlifting, especially working on his chest, arms and traps. He swore he could feel his muscles swelling with each set, something that was confirmed when he happened to catch a glimpse of himself in the mirrors lining the side of the workout area.

Mouth forming an O, he stood up and stared. Ibrahim turned, doing a double take as well. Tadeo’s heart started pounding as he gazed at his reflection. Shit, he was so short and squat compared to Ibrahim! Hadn’t he been at least as tall as the boy? Not anymore. Now Ibrahim was nearly a head taller, although Tadeo was broader and more muscular. 

He closed his eyes and reopened them, realizing he wasn’t imagining it. He really was a short guy! He now possessed the body of a young man who was accustomed to manual labor with muscular shoulders and beefy arms. His legs were bowed and thick, perfect for lifting heavy loads or carrying bricks.

He blinked. Even his face was different. It was broad and flat with a hatchet nose. His eyes were almond-shaped and his lips were full and thick. It was the most bizarre sensation! He didn’t recognize the young guy looking back at him!

Tadeo was so taken aback by his strangely altered body that it took him a while to notice that Ibrahim looked different, too. The boy’s beard was gone and his cheeks were completely smooth. He seemed even skinnier than he had that morning. No wonder he had so much trouble lifting weights! Tadeo didn’t want to stare at him but he could have sworn he looked younger than his seventeen years. 

He shook his head, trying to clear it. When he glanced back at Ibrahim, the boy was watching him with a peculiar expression. >>Forget about it.<< he signed, shrugging. >>Let’s lift.<< When Tadeo hesitated, Ibrahim surprised him by leaning down and kissing him lightly. His lips were so soft and sweet that Tadeo promptly forgot about everything else and lost himself in Ibrahim’s mouth. 

They kissed for a long time with Ibrahim gradually pressing him back down onto the bench. He straddled Tadeo’s lap and bounced up and down, causing his cock to twitch. Ibrahim might be skinnier but his butt was still quite full and round. He didn’t object when the boy guided his hands down onto his hips and encouraged him to knead his ass cheeks.

They were kissing and fondling each other like that when Hernán cleared his throat behind them, saying in Spanish, “C’mon, guys! Not in front of the help!” Tadeo and Ibrahim looked around to find they were surrounded by a bunch of caterers and other workers busy readying the pool area for the party. Hernán crossed his arms, jerking his head toward the house. “How about if you go in there and get ready? It looks like you both need to take a cold shower.”

Tadeo’s cheeks colored as Ibrahim slipped off his lap. When he looked down at his Speedo, there was a wet spot on the front. The outline of his cock was clearly visible, although it looked a lot smaller than it should have been. When he stood up, it barely poked out in front of him. Brow furrowing, he thrust his hips forward only to discover this didn’t make it look much bigger. If he didn’t know better, he could have sworn his dick was no bigger than Ibrahim’s little bulge. But that wasn’t possible because he was hung! How–?

“Tadeo,” Hernán warned, startling him out of his fixation on his little bulge. “Go inside and get ready.”

He jumped into action–when Hernán gave an order, you moved!–and followed Ibrahim into the house. He halted, though, skin inexplicably prickling when he saw the decorations around the pool. The workers were busy transforming it into a Mexican ‘playa’ complete with real palm trees in huge pots and beach sand carted in and spread out artfully around the shallow end of the pool. Hammocks swung between the palm trees and beach towels in the design of the Mexican flag lay on the sand. There was even a palapa draped with palm fronds, inside of which a buffet of classic Mexican cuisine lay waiting for the guests. Tadeo’s mouth watered as the aroma wafted into his nostrils, carried on the warm, summer breeze. 

As enchanting as the scene was, it also made him uneasy for reasons he couldn’t explain. He stood there, frozen, feeling his heart beating against his ribcage. 

…everything was perfect. The pool, the sand, the buffet. The fraternity had spared no expense. Tonight the new pledge was going to get a welcome he’d never forget…

“Something wrong, chico?” Hernán was standing beside him, a smirk on his handsome face. “It’s gonna be a fun fiesta, no?”

Tadeo nodded hesitantly. He willed himself to move away from Hernán but couldn’t make his legs move. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end and his skin was clammy.

“Be a good little pool boy and wash up, Ok? I want you squeaky clean and wearing a fresh Speedo when the guests arrive.” Hernán patted him gently on the butt, pushing him toward the house. “I’ve got a surprise for you tonight, chico. A surprise you’ll never forget.”

***

While he waited for the shower to warm, he checked himself out in the mirror. He still couldn’t get over how different he looked! He was barely five and half feet tall and so stocky! His shoulders and hips were so wide! And then there were his legs. Shit, his thighs were huge! He stepped closer, frowning at his reflection. His dark, tanned skin was basically hairless. He turned around and looked over his shoulder, amazed at the muscles rippling down his back. And his butt…Fuck, he had a big ass!

He peeled the Speedo down and shook his butt, both enthralled and horrified by the way the twin bubbles swayed back and forth. How could those hefty yet perky cheeks belong to him? He stared and stared, trying to square his giant butt and wide, stocky frame with his memories of how he used to look. The problem was that his memory was fuzzy and he had trouble remembering anything beyond a couple days ago. At the back of his mind, though, a memory lingered. Something about being taller and older and lighter-skinned…and making money?

Nah, that couldn’t be right! He’d never gone to college. Shit, how could he when he’d dropped out of high school? He’d been lucky to find a construction job this summer because he wasn’t qualified to do much besides haul heavy loads. And then Hernán had come along and rescued him by offering this great, new job. Being the Uribe’s pool boy and gardener was a step up in the world!

He kicked off the Speedo and was starting to step into the shower when he caught sight of his tiny cock.

Wait.

Tiny cock?

But he was hung! He’d always been proud of his big eight-incher and the way it filled up his boxers.

No more.

The little nub stuck straight out from his nearly hairless crotch, the only traces of his formerly thick bush were the wispy black hairs clinging to the base of his balls. His tapering foreskin was so dark the skin appeared nearly black. He wrinkled his brow. He was circumcised, wasn’t he? He preferred the clean look of a cut dick but given how miniscule he was now, he was kind of glad of the extra half inch the foreskin gave him.

He tilted his head, trying to make his brain work. Why was it so hard to think? It was like his thoughts had turned to mud. He knew he should be concerned about what was happening to him but somehow couldn’t make himself care that much. It was stupid to think he’d ever been any different. It was impossible to change overnight! He’d always been a short, stout guy with a tiny prick and big butt. Yeah, that’s right. How could he have been anything else? He must’ve been out in the sun too long…

***

He rinsed off and was drying his thick, stocky body off with a towel when he noticed his Speedo had disappeared from the corner of the floor where he’d kicked it and a new one was folded on the sink. He paced over and picked it up, giving a start of surprise when he saw how skimpy it was. It wasn’t even a swimsuit!

It was a thong.

A thong!

He held it out before him, scrunching up his face in distaste. He couldn’t wear a thong to the party! It had been bad enough wearing the ridiculous Speedo but this…this was disgusting!

He was preparing to toss it in the trash when someone knocked on the bathroom door and he heard a young man’s voice calling out in bad Spanish, “Tadeo? Tu eres aqui?” Tadeo shook his head, thinking ‘Those gringos can never speak right!’ 

Before he could answer, the door pushed open and he found himself staring up at Taylor Scott, the young lawyer from earlier. The young lawyer with the small, hot cock that Tadeo had blown. His first blowjob ever! He found himself grinning despite the fact he was butt-naked.

Taylor froze when he saw him. His blue eyes went round for a moment before sweeping down Tadeo’s nude body. His cheeks colored when his gaze alit on his tiny cocklet and he looked away. He cleared his throat. When he spoke, his Spanish was even worse than before.  “Tadeo, pardon me. I no supposed be here.” He glanced over his shoulder as if expecting to be caught at any moment. “I comes here in house. No want Hernán sees me.”

Tadeo smiled, feeling touched and a little excited that Taylor would come looking for him. “Well, you found me,” he stated, taking a step forward until he was standing directly in front of the young guy. Taylor looked off the side, unwilling to look at him. His neck was pink. Tadeo took this as a good sign and surprised himself by asking boldly, “Want me to suck your cock again?”

“N-N-N-No!” Taylor stammered, pale skin turning deep scarlet. He tried to back away from Tadeo but he was against the door frame and had nowhere to go. He braced as Tadeo reached down and began to unzip his pants. Before his fingers touched his cock, though, Taylor took and held his hand, moving it up to his lips. Tadeo shivered as the young lawyer kissed his fingertips, breathing, “You beautiful. I want you but no have.”

“I want you, too,” Tadeo breathed, standing on his tiptoes to give Taylor a little kiss on the cheek. “And I want you to have me. I will be your boy.”

Taylor smiled briefly at this and seemed about to say something but instead pulled out his phone. Holding it out to Tadeo, he said, “You no boy, Tadeo. You man. Look.”

Tadeo squinted down at it as Taylor swiped his finger across the screen, opening up an app. A picture appeared of a middle-aged white dude with reddish hair and a beard. The man looked vaguely familiar but Tadeo had no idea where he’d seen him before. He looked questioningly up at Taylor, losing himself once again in those clear, blue eyes.

“He you, Tadeo,” Taylor explained. “You before you here. You no Tadeo. You Chad Hilliard.”

“I don’t understand,” Tadeo said, shaking his head. “That can’t be me! I’m not a gringo and I am not old!”

Taylor let out a growl of frustration as he tried vainly to find the words in Spanish. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, “No sure how but Hernán do something you. Hernán bad. Bad man.”

“No! Hernán is good!” Tadeo protested, shaking his head. “He gave me a job. I’m his gardener and pool boy!”

Taylor’s jaw clenched. “He no good. No trust him. He do this you. Look!” He pushed the phone insistently in Tadeo’s face, scrolling through picture after picture of the same man. Tadeo became more and more uneasy. When he tried to turn away, though, Taylor forced him to keep looking, pushing the phone in his face.“This you, Tadeo! This man you! No understand what Hernán do but he change you.”

“No,” Tadeo whispered, unable to find his voice. “No, it’s not possible. That can’t be me.”

“He you. He definitely you!”

Tadeo closed his eyes, head swimming. The photos of the strange man seemed to come alive the more he looked at them, awakening dormant memories. He shook his head, skin prickling. It didn’t make any sense. How could that man be him? He didn’t look anything like him! And yet…

And yet…

His eyes snapped open. “I know him! I know him! I mean, I know me! I was Chad before I was Tadeo! I was Chad Hilliard!”

Taylor’s eyes were wide. As Tadeo/Chad stared at him, the color drained out of his face, leaving him looking pale as a sheet. When he swallowed, his big adam’s apple bobbed up and down in the most alluring fashion. “I knows it. I knows you Chad.”

Tadeo/Chad took a breath and attempted to pronounce his real name but it came out of his mouth as, “Echad Eeleeard.” He cursed under his breath at his inability to say his own name properly without a Spanish accent. Why couldn’t he speak English? The possibility that Hernán had somehow made him forget his native language seemed nearly as impossible as making him change race, age, and body size. But he no longer doubted that Taylor was correct. The more he thought about it, the more his old memories flooded back. Soon, he was on the verge of remembering everything.

Hernán.

Hernán Uribe.

The kid was a total fucker! How the fuck had he done this to him? It was like something out of an episode of Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone. Somehow the asshole had taken control of him, brainwashed him and turned him into a fucking Mexican immigrant! Chad clenched his fists as he looked down at his new body with its dark skin, tiny prick, and thick muscles. He looked like a fucking construction worker!

This wasn’t right!

This was illegal!

He was a fucking millionaire! He was a goddamned venture capitalist not a lowly Mexican pool boy!

And he sure as goddamn fuck wasn’t gay!

This was–

“Chad.”

He looked up and melted into Taylor’s limpid gaze. The young guy was studying him with concern as well as something else, something that sent a little jolt through his body and made his tiny dick stand up. (Well, ok, it was so small, it was already standing up but it got hard when Taylor looked at him like this.)

“Do you understand English now?”

Chad nodded.

“Good.” He smiled, exposing perfect, white teeth. “Because I’m tired of slaughtering Spanish.” He placed a warm hand on Chad’s shoulder, drawing him against his warm body. He lowered his face and kissed the top of his head, inhaling deeply. “Christ, you smell so good! I want to–” He stopped and pushed Chad away, saying, “But I can’t. I need to get you out of here. You’re not safe as long as you’re in this house.”

Chad was a little disappointed but he understood; Hernán was not to be trusted. He opened his mouth and, putting everything he had into it, managed to say in English, “How deed jew know eet was mi?” He gritted his teeth after he’d said it, hating Hernán all over again for what he’d done.

If Taylor was tempted to smile at his poor English, he didn’t show it. “I went back to the office and did some research into the Uribes. Their company is involved in cutting-edge genetics research and…other projects…that are classified. They have a lot of contracts with the U.S. military.” He paused to inhale and run a hand through his thick, blond hair. “It wasn’t easy but I managed to decrypt some of our firm’s files. It appears that you’re not the only person who has fallen victim to the family. There are others, although I couldn’t figure out what had happened to them or where they are now. I think you are the first American citizen they’ve…changed, though. Why they chose you, though, is a mystery. There has to be a reason!”

Chad was silent, processing this information. His head was reeling from the crazy mindfuck of having his life, body, and identity completely altered by Hernán.

Taylor’s hand on his shoulder pulled him out of the chaotic morass of his thoughts. “C’mon!” he urged, taking off his suit jacket and draping it over Chad’s shoulders. It was so long that it reached nearly down to his knees! “Let’s get you outta here. We can figure out how to get your old life back once we’re safely away from Hernán.”

Chad nodded and, wrapping his arms around himself, followed Taylor out of the bathroom. Unfortunately, they had only just made it into the hallway when they heard Hernán’s deep voice calling from downstairs.

“Tadeo! ¿Estás listo todavía? Los invitados te están esperando.”

This was followed by the sound of him running up the stairs. Taylor looked wildly around for an escape route and had started to pull Chad back into the bedroom when Hernán rounded the corner, still clad in his very revealing Speedo. Spotting Taylor, his face broke into a sly grin.

“Yer right on time, man.”

Next to Chad, Taylor bristled, stating in a clear, cold voice, “We’re leaving.”

Hernán’s smile broadened and he spread his hands, entreating, “So soon? But the party hasn’t even started! You wouldn’t want to miss Tadeo’s coming out party!”

These words sent a jolt of outrage through Chad and he shouted, “Jew fahcker! Jew ‘ad no right!”

Mouth quirking at his ridiculous accent, Hernán shook his head. “No, now there yer wrong, Tadeo. I had every right to do what I did to you.”

“No, you didn’t!” Taylor protested, pushing Chad behind him and puffing out his chest. He looked so fierce and strong that Chad felt his heart flutter. “You can’t take his life away like this!”

Hernán made no reply to this. Instead, he looked over Taylor’s shoulder and caught Chad’s eye. He smiled and made a funny gesture with his hand. When he spoke, his voice was calm, commanding, undeniable. “Tadeo, you know what to do.”

His tone and the gesture had an instant, mysterious effect on Chad. He froze, body going rigid. Panicking, he tried to look away from Hernán but found he could not. He was hopelessly trapped in the boy’s feral gaze. Only by exercising herculean will was he able to break from Hernán’s gaze and look up at Taylor. “Pleeeeece,” he begged even as he felt his hand inexorably bunching into a fist. “F-F-Forgeeve mi!”

Confused, Taylor turned to look back at him…just in time to meet Chad’s fist as it slammed into the side of his head. He went flying against the wall and, hitting it head on, crumpled into a heap on the floor. Glassy-eyed, he stared up at Chad with a heartbreaking expression of hurt and betrayal, mouthing the word, “Why?”

Chad didn’t answer. He couldn’t. He was in Hernán’s thrall and couldn’t so much as move a muscle without the boy’s permission.

“Don’t worry, Taylor,” Hernán was saying. “You’ll be happier now. You and Tadeo will be together forever.” Smirking, he turned to Chad, ordering, “Carry him into the bedroom and don’t let him leave. I am going to get something.”

With that, he turned and strode away, leaving Chad with nothing to do but haul Taylor into the bedroom. Whatever Hernán said, he did without question.

***

Chad had finished tying Taylor’s arms and legs to the bedposts by the time Hernán returned with a packet of syringes. He pulled one out and held it up to the light, examining it closely. The liquid inside was blood red.

On the bed, Taylor pleaded, “Hernán, wait! Please don’t!”

Hernán wasn’t listening. “I gotta be quick,” he said to no one in particular as he removed the cap from the syringe. “The guests are arriving and I can’t be gone long. I woulda preferred more time to get everything prepared but these’ll have to do.” Turning to Chad, he asked, “Can you turn him on his side? I need to shoot this into his ass cheek.”

Tears running down his cheeks, Chad obediently forced Taylor to turn over, earning a pathetic howl of despair in reward.

“I like you, Taylor,” Hernán breathed, leaning over the hapless lawyer to unbuckle his belt. “A lot. And it just so happens I’m in need of a new boyfriend.”

“You’re sick!” Taylor hissed, flinching as Hernán yanked down his pants. “I could never love you!”

“Don’t be so sure. I’m very hard to resist.” He accented this by reaching down to pat the very tumescent crotch of his Speedo. “Very hard. Irresistible, in fact.” 

Ripping back the elastic band of Taylor’s underwear, he brandished the syringe before lowering it against the young man’s smooth, pale skin. Taylor let out a little cry, eyes swiveling in their sockets to stare pleadingly at Chad. Chad’s heart twisted in agony but he was powerless to help; he could only stand at attention, waiting for the next command.

“Yer honest and loyal,” Hernán continued, positioning the needle. “Both essential traits in a boyfriend. The only problem is yer too smart. This first shot will dumb ya down a bit. Say goodbye to being a smartypants attorney. When this shit kicks in, you’ll be dumb as fuck.” 

He laughed, jamming the syringe into Taylor’s ass. Taylor screamed, wrestled mightily, but his bonds were too strong and he could do nothing to prevent Hernán from injecting him with the vile solution. Chad watched in horror, tears trickling down his face. All hopes of escaping from Hernán’s control slipped away as the awful drug coursed through Taylor’s bloodstream.

Hernán withdrew the empty syringe and, tossing it aside, pulled out a second needle. This one was filled with a sickly, yellow-colored liquid. “Yer not only too smart but yer too white,” he explained, flipping the cap off the syringe. “I like my men with a little color. This one’ll change yer race. It’s been awhile since I’ve had the pleasure of an Afro-Peruvian man.” He paused to laugh, admitting, “Well, Ok, I’ve never had the pleasure but I will soon! You’ll look great with black skin and one of the longest cocks in the world!”

Another scream from Taylor as Hernán jabbed the needle into his ass cheek. Maybe it was Chad’s imagination but Taylor’s expression already seemed less focused. His eyes had lost some of their sharp intelligence and his expression was now dull, almost befuddled.

“And now for the last shot,” Hernán explained, pulling out a syringe filled with purplish liquid. “Yer too old to be my boyfriend. This one’ll knock a good ten years off yer age.” With a practiced motion, he pulled off the cap and slipped into Taylor’s other ass cheek.

This time Taylor didn’t move. He just lay there, staring up at Chad with a vacant expression. Chad couldn’t be sure but already his features seemed to be shifting. His cleft chin had disappeared and his face was rounder. His eyes no longer were quite as blue. And his skin was blotchy. 

An intense shudder passed through Taylor’s body. When the movement subsided, Chad could have sworn his torso was thicker…and his legs were shorter.

Hernán straightened and, folding his arms, surveyed his handiwork with a wicked smile on his face. “There,” he pronounced. “Much better. You can untie him now, Tadeo. He’s not going anywhere. Ya might not recognize him when ya see him next but I think you’ll find he’s vastly improved.”

Chad unclenched his hands and moved woodenly to free Taylor’s hands and feet from their restraints. On impulse, he pulled off the young man’s pants and unbuttoned his dress shirt. From the way Taylor’s body was expanding, it was clear that his clothes wouldn’t fit him for much longer.

Hernán nodded with approval and dropped his hand onto his shoulder, urging him toward the door. “La fiesta empieza, Tadeo. Ponte la tanga y vete abajo. ¡No hagas esperar a todos!”

***

Chapter 8

The sun had set by the time Hernán led Chad out of the house and onto the crowded patio. The only light came from guttering Tiki torches placed randomly among the potted palms and imported beach sand. Chad swallowed, excruciatingly uncomfortable in the tiniest thong imaginable. The little pouch was just a miniscule triangle but, sadly, it was still more than sufficient to hold his meager package. He looked down at himself in chagrin, noting how his hulking thighs and wide hips only made his lack of manhood that much more obvious. Behind him, the giant, twin globes of his buttocks swayed salaciously, so ripe and firm and luscious they pulled the string of the thong savagely against his tender hole. 

He reached back and tugged on the string but it only gave momentary respite. As he paused, he swore he could hear Taylor moaning on the bed upstairs and he quailed inwardly. What the fuck had he done to the poor guy? Taylor was his friend! He had been trying to help him but what had he done in return? He’d betrayed him. He had betrayed his only chance at salvation, the only person who could have freed him from Hernán’s nefarious plan to ruin his body and his life. Oh, fuck! What had he done to Taylor? For the millionth time, he cursed Hernán Uribe. May you fucking rot in hell, Hernán!

If Hernán was aware of his antipathy, he didn’t show it. In fact, his mood was decidedly jovial as he led Chad into the throng of Speedo-clad jocks milling about the pool area. All faces turned toward Chad and he shrank against Hernán’s side.

They were all wearing masks.

And, not just any masks. They wore the colorful, fanciful superhero masks of Mexican wrestlers.

A sea of gaudy, lacquered faces with shadowed eyes stared back at him, devouring him silently.

No one said a word. The patio was silent except for the Mariachi music playing over the outdoor sound system.

Chad shivered, a flash of a memory searing through his mind.

This had happened before.

He’s lived this all before.

Only the last time, he had been in Hernán’s place and someone else had been in his…

Twenty years ago. It was twenty years ago. He was there. He was…

He violently suppressed the memory, unwilling to go there. It was too disturbing. Too–

“Amigos, our guest of honor has arrived!” Hernán announced loudly, placing a heavy hand on Chad’s shoulder. “I want to introduce our new pool boy, Tadeo Ortiz. He is here to serve, aren’t you, Tad?”

Chad froze, willing himself to remain silent but somehow found he could not help but reply to Hernán’s question. As if from far away, he heard his unnaturally accented voice chirp, “¡Sí, Señores! ¡Estoy aquí para servirles!” After he said it, he felt like vomiting. He couldn’t believe Hernán’s control over him was so complete. It was beyond humiliating.

Hernán looked down at him, a satisfied sneer curling his lip and Chad was unwillingly captivated by his dark power…and handsome features. Even as he fought with every fiber to resist the young stud’s seductive sway, he felt himself capitulating. He couldn’t help it! Hernán Uribe was too powerful!.

Hernán had gotten a haircut before the party. His thick, black hair was impeccably groomed down to the long forelock hanging rakishly over one eye. His brown eyes were soft, almost doelike. And his lips were full, almost pillowy. These suggestions of femininity, however, were misleading because everything else about him telegraphed casual yet complete masculine dominance.

He was tall.

He was broad-shouldered.

Dark stubble dusted his sharp jaw and angular cheekbones.

And, if his long, lean, muscular physique somehow failed to convince the onlookers that he wasn’t the epitome of masculinity, there was the obscene size of his manhood; his giant cock and enormous balls all but spilled out of the straining pouch of his red Speedo. The dense thatch of jet black pubic hair crawling out from his crotch only served to draw everyone’s attention downward.

He stood there relaxed but yet somehow Chad could tell he was alert and in charge like a lion lounging on the savannah amidst his adoring pride. He knew that Hernán could and would spring into deadly action in an instant. And when that happened, pity the poor creature who was the target of his attention.

Hernán was not to be fucked with.

Perhaps this was why Chad instinctively obeyed everything the kid told him to do? He shivered with dread, wondering what further degradation Hernán had in mind for him. Part of him already had an inkling but he was trying his best not to give in to the gibbering fear nagging at the back of his mind.

As if intuiting his thoughts, Hernán’s fingers tightened on his shoulder and he whispered, “Taylor’s interference works to my advantage. I’m actually glad he helped you recover your old identity ‘cuz I want you fully aware tonight.”

With that, he released his viselike grip and shoved Chad forward into the crowd, calling out, “We’re here to help Tadeo. He’s new here and needs to learn the ways of the world. Let’s teach him the valuable life skills that he needs to succeed.”

Silence.

The crowd of jocks were hanging on his every word and Hernán was clearly reveling in it. What he said next, though, surprised more than just Chad. Grinning broadly, Hernán opened his arms wide and shouted, “Now I want everyone to line up in order of cock size from smallest to largest. Off with those Speedos! Prepare to get yer cocks sucked by the soon-to-be finest cumslut in America!”

This was met with stunned silence. Several of the guys looked askance at their peers and seemed about to protest when at least a dozen jocks pumped their fists and shouted, “BOOYAH!” before bending over and pulling down their swimsuits. When they straightened, Chad could see why they were so eager; their cocks were huge, nearly rivaling Hernán’s in size…and getting harder by the second.

There was a perilous moment when the bulk of the crowd–the lesser hung, no doubt–wavered. For his part, Chad was too stunned to notice. Too stunned and too filled with sick dread as a long-repressed memory finally emerged from the depths of his mind.

The whites of Kevin Uribe’s eyes shown in the torchlight. He was naked and terrified.

Chad laughed harshly. “Ya wanna join an American frat, ya gotta earn yer Green Card first. This is the price, fucker. Get on yer goddamn knees!”

Panicked, he cast wildly about for Ibrahim. With Taylor incapacitated, the boy was his only hope. Unfortunately, Ibrahim was not among the crowd of jocks. Instead, Chad spotted him through the glowing window of the Uribe’s game room; the boy was lounging on the couch wearing earbuds and playing Mario Kart. Chad’s heart fell. There was no hope.

He looked back at Hernán and was trapped by his cold, flat gaze. In that moment, he finally understood Hernán’s game and, even worse, he knew that Hernán knew he got it. Chad remembered everything from that night twenty years ago when he had ‘helped’ induct Hernán’s father into his fraternity. When he and the rest of his frat brothers had devised the perfect initiation for the first Latino member of their organization. An initiation that was almost exactly like this one.

The corner of Hernán’s mouth lifted but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned to the wavering crowd and did what he did best: Took command.

“C’mon, guys! Take off those Speedos and line up,” he ordered. “I’ll sort ya myself from smallest to largest. ‘Course, none of you losers are anywhere near as big as me so I will naturally be at the far end.”

His voice was so confident, so compelling and so authoritative that it had an instantaneous effect on the young jocks. Chad watched in disbelief as their uncertainty faded and, in one swift motion, the entire group bent over and pulled down their swimsuits. They kicked them off to the side and stood completely naked before Hernán and Chad.

Hernán surveyed the crowd with amusement, looking them up and down with an almost clinical air. Most of the guys were already erect but there were a few nervous ones whose dicks hung listlessly between their legs. Hernán smiled and, grabbing a bowl from a nearby table, held it out to them, urging, “Go on. Eat. It’s Viagra. You’ll be hard as a fuckin’ rock in no time!”

The boys glanced at each other before reaching hesitantly into the bowl. 

“Chew it,” Hernán said, eyes glinting wickedly as they lifted the pills to their mouths. “And swallow.” He waited until each boy did so before nodding with satisfaction and sauntering off.

Within a few minutes, Chad was surrounded by more than fifty, fully-erect jocks. They varied almost widely in cock size as they did in height, weight, and ethnicity. Most of them were brown-skinned but, with their masks, it was difficult to distinguish their race. Chad could, however, tell which sport they played based on their body size and muscularity. The bulkiest guys were clearly the football players. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they also had the biggest dicks. The soccer team was less bulked-up but had the biggest butts and nicest legs; their cocks were pretty decent, too. The swim team was tall, lean and less endowed. Finally, wrestlers were short and stout and sported the tiniest cocks. 

There was, however, one outlier who surprised everyone: A short, scrawny nerd who wore glasses over his mask. Despite his slight stature, he made a big impression. A very big impression! A ripple of shock passed through the crowd as he emerged from the back and strode proudly to the front of the line. The little dude was HUNG! The jocks goggled at the massive size of his manhood. His swinging donkey cock was erect but so heavy that gravity pulled it downward and it hung nearly down to his knees.

Hernán smiled when he saw him. “Ah, Boris. I had no idea our chess champion was packing! Lends a whole new meaning to the term ‘chess club,’ doesn’t it? Welcome to the seat of honor!” He executed a small bow and, placing a hand on Boris’ shoulder, guided the super-hung nerd to the end of the line.

From there, it didn’t take long to sort the jocks and soon Chad was confronted with a line of erections ranging from a mere two inches on the closest end to over a foot long on the far end. He swallowed, feeling his skin grow clammy with sweat as all heads swiveled in his direction.

“Let the sucking commence!” Hernán announced, lounging in a chair near Boris. He leaned forward, propping his chin on his hand, and spread his legs to reveal his stupendously huge endowment. Even though it was (barely) contained in the stretched-out pouch of his Speedo, it was clear to everyone that he exceeded even the chess champion’s stunning proportions.

Chad froze and was considering fleeing when he happened to make eye contact with the little wrestler on the short end of the line. The young guy was clearly embarrassed by his tiny cock but he was also quivering with excitement at the prospect of getting sucked off. He turned toward Chad and there was just enough light to see his sparkling blue eyes through the holes of the mask. His gaze was filled with pleading. Something about the little guy reminded him of Taylor and he felt his (even smaller) nub tingle. 

“C’mon, man!” the young jock pleaded. “I wanna blowjob!”

Chad took a deep breath and felt his body capitulate. It almost didn’t matter what he wanted anymore because when someone told him–or even simply asked!–to do something, he couldn’t refuse. His body took over and he obeyed.

He walked on wooden legs over to the tiny jock and sank to his knees. Obediently, he raised his head and met the guy’s eager gaze. The boy nodded and Chad moved his lips forward, opening his mouth and taking the short, circumcised nub in his mouth. 

“UNGH!”

Chad’s tongue took over and his mind took the backseat. Instantly, the only thing he cared about was pleasing the young man, working him to a near frenzy and treating him to the very best blowjob of his entire life. He wanted every blowjob the dude received after this one to pale in comparison.

Unfortunately he didn’t get a chance to prove himself because the little guy shot his load almost immediately and all too soon Chad’s mouth was filled with salty, bitter jizz. The little stud grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in close as his hips thrust forward and his nublet spasmed. Chad swallowed ounce after ounce of the guy’s rich spunk.

“One down,” Hernán called out from the end of the line of waiting jocks. “And fifty to go. C’mon, Tad! Get busy!”

Chad looked up, asking permission with his eyes to move on. Smiling happily, the tiny wrestler nodded once again. His face (or at least what Chad could see of it beneath the mask) was suffused with an expression of such contentment that Chad couldn’t help feeling a swell of pride. He was getting good at this! By the time the night was finished, he really was going to be the best damned cumslut in America! Only later did it occur to him to question the desirability of such a status.

He moved down the line to the next jock. This guy was another wrestler from the look of his short, muscular physique. His cock was a mere two and half inches long but it was a lot fatter than the first dude’s. Perched over a miniscule pair of hairless balls, it was dripping like a fuckin’ hose. He looked up and met the guy’s shadowed gaze through the eyeholes of his green and black lacquered mask. The dude thrust his dripping nob forward, commanding, “Suck that big, fat cock, bitch! Suck my man-sized tool!”

Chad paused, looking from the stud’s eyes and down to the tiny nub wagging expectantly before him. Man-sized? Was the kid really that deluded? Then he caught the dude’s smirk and realized he was being ironic. He knew all too well that his cock was anything by man-sized!

Chad smiled, leaning forward and opening his mouth, but before his lips could touch that juicy cocklet, he jumped in surprise at a touch on his bare ass cheek.

“Sorry,” came a chagrined voice. “Yer ass is just so fuckin’ hawt, I couldn’t resist!”

Chad looked over his shoulder to discover the first wrestler on his knees behind him. He was pulling Chad’s thong down his hips. As he stared, the dude wriggled his tongue at him before lowering his mouth downward. Chad grunted as the dude forced his legs were forced apart. Soon, his cheeks were parting as well and he could feel cool air caressing his virgin hole…and then he was moaning in ecstasy as the little wrestler’s tongue worked miracles that his formerly heterosexual mind had never conceived of.

He was getting his salad tossed!

By a guy!

“Hey! Eyes up here, bitch, and mouth on my giant lovestick!”

Chad jumped, turning his attention back to the dripping nublet quivering before him. He lifted his head and met the jock’s amused and insistent gaze before getting to work. With one, quick motion, he peeled back the dude’s little foreskin and got down to business, teasing and tempting and titillating that cock until the jock threw back his head and hollered at the top of his lungs, filling Chad’s mouth with spunk. For a little guy, he sure could shoot!

When he looked back up, he realized that the line of waiting jocks had coalesced into a circle and he was ringed by fifty of the horniest guys on the planet. They were devouring him with their fiery, feverish eyes as they slowly jacked their cocks. Chad swallowed, feeling his heart pound and his dicklet throb between his hulking thighs. He didn’t have time to ponder his situation, though. The second wrestler was already worming his way beneath him intent on returning the favor by lapping Chad’s knob while his buddy continued tongue service his eager hole. He convulsed, perilously close to losing it, but the wrestlers backed off and his mounting charge gradually dissipated to a dull roar.

His next cock awaited.

This time it was a three-incher barely as thick as his pinkie finger but so delicate and sensitive that his tongue barely caressed it before the guy was yodeling like a mountain goat. The kid pulled back before he shot his load, though, creaming Chad’s face with hot jizz. It covered his cheeks, lips, and chin and left him gasping in shock. Before he could wipe himself off, though, the jock had whipped off his mask and commenced lapping his face clean. They ended in a mouthlock as the kid forced Chad’s lips apart. His tongue vied for dominance, not resting until Chad gave in and allowed himself to be conquered. Apparently, these wrestlers knew how to use every part of their bodies to go for the win!

Chad’s work grew more difficult as the dicks grew bigger. He soon realized that the smaller guys were easier not only because he could fit their entire dick in his mouth but also because they were more responsive. Maybe they compensated for their tiny dicks by working harder? Whatever it was, by the time he had worked through the wrestling team, he was being massaged, kissed, stroked, and licked to the point of near insanity. Somehow, the studs knew how to keep him just shy of orgasm so he could continue sucking more cocks.

It was a good thing, too, because he needed all of his concentration to work the larger cocks to climax. There was an almost monotonous stretch of six-inchers where the guys just stood there, making him do all the work. It grew worse as he neared the end of the circle with the eight-inch and above cocks. He was almost ready to give up. His neck was aching and his stomach was queasy from swallowing so much cum. His hair was plastered with drying jizz and his face, neck, and chest were dripping with it. His tongue was starting to cramp!

But then everything changed.

Something shifted when he moved from nine inches to ten. The guy with the ten-inch club was so huge that he could barely fit it inside his mouth. He lifted his weary gaze upward and was met with unexpected sympathy from the shadowed brown eyes looking down at him.

“Sorry, bro!” the towering football jock rumbled. “I’m really big! Here, lemme help ya.”

He reached down and took his huge fuckstick in hand and started jacking himself. He was so vigorous that he only left the tip of his circumcised dick available to Chad’s lips. Chad sighed with relief and focused his efforts on that fat cockhead with its significant ridge and the sensitive scar left by the missing frenulum. Soon the hulking brute was grunting like rutting bull and spraying semen all over Chad’s face. Before he knew what was happening, he was being lifted to his feet and cradled in the jock’s massively muscular arms. It was an unexpectedly sweet and tender moment, especially from one so big and Chad relished the experience.

“Alright, c’mon you two!” Hernán chided. “There’re still five more to go!”

The football jock straightened, reaching down to pat Chad’s ample buttocks fondly before setting him down. As he sank down, Chad’s forty or so admirers resumed their antics and he was now suspended atop a writhing pile of naked guys, all doing their best to get a piece of him. Hands, fingers, tongues, cocks, toes and even feet caressed, poked, prodded and otherwise molested him. All he wanted was to give in and let them have him but Hernán was not about to let him off so easily.

“Today, Tadeo,” he prompted, crossing his arms.

Chad exhaled and got back to business. Cock-sucking was a lot of work!

The remaining jocks were even gentler with him and Chad realized that having a huge dick was almost as much of a liability as being tiny. These massive cocks were almost too big for a human mouth to pleasure and the guys were extremely self-conscious. By the time he made his way to Boris, the donkey-cocked chess champ, his partners were doing most of the work and all he had to do was lap away on whatever portion of the engorged giant he could reach.

There was a palpable silence when Boris finally erupted in climax, slapping Chad’s face playfully with his happy stallion and spraying jizz far and wide. All fifty jocks waited patiently for him to recover before looking hopefully over at Hernán for permission to reward Chad for his labors.

“Nah, sorry, guys,” he rumbled, wiping some of Boris’ splattered cum off of his cheek. “Tadeo and I have stuff to do inside. Help yerselves to the tequila fountain and bowls of weed while we amuse ourselves. We’ll be back soon!”

With that, he extended his hand to Chad, lifting him up from the patio and guiding him back into the house.

***

Chapter 9

“Well, I don’t know about you but I feel better.” 

Chad looked up to find Hernán smiling coldly down at him. The young jock’s eyes were glittering with malice. “I’ve been waiting for this night for almost three years…ever since I seduced Rick Delanger and forced the story out of him. The fucker didn’t wanna tell me but I threatened to tell the police he’d just fucked a fourteen year old and…well, the fucker spilled everything.”

Rick Delanger.

Chad hadn’t heard that name in a long time. It was the name of the former president of his fraternity, the one who had come up with the idea for Hernán’s father’s initiation. It was his idea to stage the mock pool party as a ruse to trap Kevin Uribe into blowing his way through the frat.

Rick may have come up with the idea but it was Chad who made it a reality. Additionally, it was Chad who decided to give the party a Mexican fiesta theme and…

“My dad’s not even Mexican,” Hernán finished as if reading his mind. “We’re from fuckin’ Colombia, dude!” Chad hung his head and Hernán continued, “And, news flash, asshole, my dad was already a U.S. citizen when you threw that party.” He snorted, adding, “Earning his ‘Blowjob Green Card’? Hmpf. That’s some fuckin’ twisted, racist bullshit there. There was no way I could let that go unpunished! I don’t give a fuck how long ago it was. No one does that to my dad and gets away with it!”

Chad swallowed, too overwhelmed to even think clearly. Until that evening, he hadn’t thought about Kevin Uribe’s initiation for years. He’d assumed that Kevin had forgotten about it. They had been super drunk that night and Kevin never mentioned it again. Their friendship had continued just like before; it was as if nothing had never happened. He knew now, though, that Kevin had not forgotten. And Hernán knew everything.

Which meant…

His gaze snapped upward as he finally put two and two together. Working really hard to make his mouth form the necessary words in English, he sputtered, “D-D-Dees eesn’t a ‘ome swap, ees eet? Jew plan-ned dees! Ees a trap!”

“Yer fuckin’ brilliant,” Hernán observed, his lip curling. “Took ya long enough to figure that out. But, yeah, yer right. I lured ya here for revenge. My dad is more forgiving than I am, I guess. He was super embarrassed when I confronted him about it and tried to talk me out of it but, well, you already know how stubborn I am. If it’s any consolation, you don’t wanna know what I did to Rick. You think you got the ‘short end’ of the stick? You should see what I did to Rick. At least ya still got a stick…Well, Ok, it’s more like a twig now.”

Chad flinched, feeling his stomach curdle as if the boy had punched him in the gut. All he could think of was poor Rick…and, of course, poor Chad. Somehow, he managed to muster enough outrage, though, to stand up for himself. Clenching his hands into fists, he shouted, “Jew can’t do dees! Jew can’t take mi life away!”

Hernán watched this pathetic show of moxie with a raised eyebrow. “Too late, bro. Yer life is gone. You belong to me now and I’m gonna set things right.”

Chad yelped as Hernán slapped him painfully on the ass and pushed him up the stairs and into the master bedroom where Taylor lay splayed across the bed. Chad did a double take when he saw what had happened to the poor guy.

Taylor was almost unrecognizable.

His long, lean frame had shrunk in on itself, becoming short and squat and thick. His formerly elegant legs were now swollen to tree trunk size and his arms were bloated with corded muscle. He sported a barrel chest with huge, distended nipples and his once flat tummy had become full, ripe and round. His pale skin had darkened to the shade of rich chestnut and his blond hair had turned black and curly. His narrow face with its high cheekbones had rounded and filled out. His nose had flattened and his lips had plumped up, become full and thick. His ice blue eyes were now golden brown. He’d regressed in age as well and now appeared to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years old.

Perhaps most stunning of all, though, was the way his formerly empty underpants were now straining to contain the biggest pair of bull balls that Chad had ever seen. Taylor’s testicles were truly enormous, easily twice the size of swollen grapefruits. They were so enlarged that it took Chad a moment to realize his cock had transformed as well. From the contours of the hapless guy’s over-stuffed boxers, it was clear his slight four-incher had bloated to well over a foot long and appeared to be thicker than a man’s leg.

It was ridiculous.

Grotesque, even.

And completely mesmerizing.

Chad involuntarily licked his lips as his eyes devoured that disgustingly magnificent bulge. As he stared, Taylor lifted his head weakly from the pillow and met his gaze.

“Whah ‘appened tah me?” His voice was deep, guttural, bovine.

Hernán’s mouth quirked. “I improved you. That’s what. Yer now perfect boyfriend material.”

Taylor groaned, a truly impressive sound more akin to a bear growl than anything else. “Ya..can’t…do…dis…tah…me.” It seemed like he had to work really hard to pronounce each word as if the mere act of talking required considerable mental effort. “I’m…ah…ah…ah…’torney.”

“Not anymore, you big idiot,” Hernán replied cruelly. “Yer impressive brains have moved down and taken up residence in yer balls. You gotta think with yer dick from now on.”

Chad’s eyes snapped up to Hernán’s face and he stared in disbelief when he realized the boy wasn’t lying. He really had swapped Taylor’s balls for his brains.

Taylor winced, closing his eyes, and lay his head back down on the pillow. “Why…ya…do…dis?”

Hernán ignored the question and instead patted the bed next to Taylor, ordering, “Tadeo, Ty needs his brains drained. Get to work.”

Chad wanted to protest but he couldn’t. He was too captivated by those big, heavy balls hiding inside Taylor’s beleaguered boxers. Not to mention that huge, thick piece resting above them. That big fuckstick looked ready to explode! All it needed was a little encouragement…

He climbed up on the bed and straddled Taylor, pinning his arms on either side of his head and pushing back his big, juicy bottom. Beside them, Hernán watched with amusement, murmuring, “That’s right, Tad. Get him off and make his changes permanent. Watch his brains drain out of those huge, useless balls.”

Chad met Taylor’s anguished stare, mouthing the word ‘sorry’ as he worked his bottom up and down over that humongous bulge. It didn’t take long for Taylor’s sleeping giant to wake beneath him and soon the ex-lawyer was writhing beneath him, working his rapidly hardening schlong further and further into the cleft of Chad’s ass. When his underwear finally ripped apart and his bulbous cockhead thrust firm and eager into him, Chad knew Taylor was a goner.

And it was all his fault.

He was the one responsible for sealing his fate.

Something oily and slick ran down his back and he looked over his shoulder to find Hernán squeezing a bottle of lube onto him. “Yer gonna need a lot of it,” he teased, “if yer gonna get that beast into yer tight hole!”

Before Chad could react to this, Hernán had yanked down his own Speedo and hopped up on the bed behind him. Soon, Chad was moaning and groaning as the young jock rubbed the lube into his butt, ensuring that his crack and hole were smeared liberally with the stuff. Once he had Chad sufficiently lubed up, Hernán reached down and slathered Taylor’s mammoth, pushing it against Chad’s rosebud.

Chad gasped and saw stars, feeling his precious, virgin asshole stretch and ultimately give in as Hernán pushed his ass backward, forcing his asshole onto that blunt club. When he finally gave way and his butthole let loose with a tremor that vibrated through his whole body, Chad knew he’d never be the same. Taylor’s giant had just turned him into a gaping bottom slut.

It was the end.

For both of them.

Chad and Taylor would never be the men they were. Hernán had succeeded in transforming them irrevocably into a nearly dickless cumslut and a huge, dumb, sex-crazed ox.

Taylor bawled beneath him, eyes rolling back in his head as he shook his arms free of Chad’s hold and grabbed him violently by the buttocks, forcing his molten-hot rod deeper and deeper inside. Chad howled in agony and ecstasy, unable to comprehend anything beyond the seething lust he felt for the big, dumb brute’s cock.

When Taylor exploded in climax, his body throbbing and thrumming beneath him, Chad could feel his bull semen filling him up inside. Those giant, overfilled balls released their pent-up seed, draining the last vestiges of Taylor’s intellect and leaving him forever stupid.

Chad looked down at him and their eyes locked. A tear slid down Taylor’s cheek. He looked both terrified and relieved. It was probably his imagination but Chad could have sworn he could see the big stud’s eyes growing dimmer and dimmer. Soon, the terror had been erased and in its place was a bovine contentment. Taylor’s big, round face broke into a silly grin..

“Tad-ee-oh,” he pronounced, bucking his hips playfully underneath him. “Yer fuggin’ hawt.”

“Isn’t he, though?” Hernán replied, leaning forward to rest his chin on Chad’s shoulder. “And the only thing ‘hawter’ than Tadeo riding a big, fat cock is Tad ridin’ two big, fat cocks. Let’s break him in, Ty!”

Chad braced, crying out in dread as he felt Hernán’s even bigger monster cock press insistently into the cleft of his buttocks. It was going to be a very long night!

***

Chad’s hole got a workout that night. After Hernán and Ty fucked him senseless, they led him back down to the pool where the party was in full swing. The jocks had removed their masks and were cavorting in the pool. Several teams had formed and were locked in a fierce game of naked chicken. The football players had hoisted the wrestlers onto their hulking shoulders and the resulting pairs were fighting to unseat each other. The losers were hauled out of the water and forced to submit to the devious whims of the victors.

A full-on orgy soon broke out and the patio was a mass of writhing, humping, undulating bodies. No one–and no hole!–from spared and Chad almost didn’t complain when he was pulled down into a semicircle of the most hung guys. They were eager to repay him for the pleasure they’d received from his mouth. By the end, he was so slathered with cum that Hernán almost didn’t recognize him when he called out for him.

“Jesus, Tad,” he joked. “Your really are a cumslut now.” He paused to extend his hand and haul him up, leading him once again into the house. “Let’s get you cleaned up. It’s past yer bedtime.” He paused before adding cryptically, “I hope you enjoyed yerself ‘cuz that’ll be the last time for ten years.”

Hernán’s demeanor shifted once they were inside and, rather than contempt, he now treated Chad to something almost akin to tenderness. Hernán gave him a long, gentle shower, scrubbing him from head to toe until every last trace of cum was gone. When he was done, he massaged ointment into his burning butthole, whispering soothingly the whole time. By the time he was finished, Chad was nodding off and Hernán had to carry him upstairs and tuck him into bed.

The last thing he remembered was Hernán leaning down and kissing his brow before turning out the light. “Sleep well, Tad. Tomorrow is a new day.”

***

Tadeo whined in protest when the first rays of the morning sun hit his face. He turned over on his back and would have gone back to sleep if he hadn’t noticed something.

He was lying in a bunk bed.

Huh?

He propped himself up on his elbows and looked around, discovering that he was in the kids’ room down the hall from Hernán’s bedroom. Why was he in here? How could he even fit into the narrow bed?

Wait.

What the…?

He lifted his hand and stared at it. It was so small! And his arm was so thin! But…how?

A sound in the bed above him startled him out of his growing panic and he looked up to see a little head peeking down at him. It was a young boy, no more than seven or eight years old. He was dark-skinned and dark-haired and somehow familiar.

The boy dropped down onto the floor and jumped into bed with him, curling up against his side and favoring him with a glorious smile. As Tadeo watched, the boy lifted his hands and signed, >>How are you, brother?<<

Brother?

Tadeo’s mouth formed an O as he realized this young boy who seemed strangely familiar must be Ibrahim. He wrinkled his brow, completely at a loss. But there was no way that Ibrahim could be this young! Ibrahim was seventeen years old, not eight! Ibrahim was…

“Tad, Eebs!” a familiar voice called out from behind the door. “Time to get up! Breakfast is ready!” A moment later Hernán pushed into the room, hands on his hips. “Jesus, you two! It’s almost noon!”

Tadeo gaped up at him. Hernán looked so big and grown up! Then he shook his head and realized that Hernán actually looked the same as always. It was Tadeo and Ibrahim who had changed. He looked from Hernán to the strangely shrunken and younger Ibrahim, and then down at his own slight, boyish body lying beneath the colorful bedspread.

He had shrunk!

And gotten younger!

Shit, how old was he now? Six?

He closed his eyes, feeling his body begin to tremble. He was on the verge of losing it when Ibrahim poked him in the ribs. Reluctantly, he cracked an eyelid as Ibrahim was signing,  >>Let’s eat and play Mario Kart, Tadeo!<< Not waiting for a reply, he sprang out of bed and scampered out of the room. A moment later, Tadeo could hear his little footsteps pounding down the stairs.

“Tadeo,” Hernán warned. “Get up. I’m not gonna tell ya again. Just ‘cuz Dad’s not here doesn’t mean ya don’t have to listen to me.”

Tad opened his eyes and was trapped like a deer in the headlights by Hernán’s angry stare. With shaking hands, he pushed himself out of the bed and looked down at his child’s body. He now possessed the frame of a scrawny little boy. A scrawny little boy wearing superhero pajamas.

Heart pounding, he looked back up at Hernán and caught him smirking. The much bigger boy took a step closer and folded his beefy arms. He towered over Tadeo, a giant young man with a personality to match. 

As he stood there gaping up at him, Hernán lowered his hand onto his shoulder and pushed him toward the door. “I made your favorite pancakes with raspberry sauce. If yer good, me and Ty’ll take you and Eebs for a swim at Pickerel Lake.”

Tadeo swallowed, brain striving and failing to process this information. In the end, though, there was nothing for him to do but let Hernán herd him downstairs where Ibrahim and Ty were digging into a stack of pancakes.

***

Epilogue

Kevin Uribe explained everything to him when he and his wife, Isabel, returned from California.

“Oh, Tad! I’m sorry!” he soothed, taking him into his arms and hugging him tightly. “It was Hernán’s idea. I was ready to bury the past but somehow he found out about my initiation.” He spread his hands, concluding, “And, well, you know how Hernán is. Once he sets his mind to something, there’s no stopping the kid!”

Tad pulled away and stared at the man who had once been his best friend but now seemed so old and unfamiliar.

Kevin mussed his hair playfully. “But what’s done is done, right, buddy? The paperwork for your and Ibrahim’s adoption came through and now Isabel and I have temporary custody of you until next year.” When this was met with a blank look, he explained, “That’s when Hernán and Ty turn eighteen and they will become your legal guardians. Until then, I guess I’m your new dad!”

Tad opened his mouth to reply but before he could say anything, Hernán swept into the room. His face was alive with excitement as he scooped Tad up into his arms, tossing him into the air in the way that always got Tad giggling.

“How’s my little bro?” he said, laughing. “We’re gonna celebrate tonight. The lawyers just called and everything is all set. Yer now officially a member of our family! You’re now Tadeo Uribe!”

***

A year passed and Hernán and Ty moved the boys out to San Rafael. Hernán had been accepted into the Dominican University of California and Ty found work as a construction worker. By then, Tadeo had nearly forgotten all of his past life as Chad Hilliard but some of his dormant memories were reawakened when they moved into his old house. It turned out that he had signed all of his property over to the Uribes before the adoption and now his home belonged to Hernán.

It was a bittersweet experience. He’d long since given up fighting the stranglehold that Hernán had over him and had surrendered to the pleasures of being his young son. Surprisingly, Hernán turned out to be a loving, if somewhat strict, father and he and Ty were excellent parents. Ty might not be able to think his way out of a paper bag but he was a gentle and affectionate dad and always took care of his boys.

Ibrahim and Tadeo thrived in their new home, quickly settling into a rhythm with Ty dropping them off at elementary school on his way to work and Hernán picking them up after soccer practice in the afternoon. At night, they would play video games while Hernán made dinner and Ty struggled to study for his GED.

“I told ya I’d make it right,” Hernán would say sometimes when he was tucking Tad into bed. “I may not be able to change the past but I can at least make sure it’s not repeated. I guarantee that I will raise you to be a good and honorable man this time.”

Not comprehending these words, Tadeo would smile and snuggle up against his father’s warm chest. He might not understand but he did know that he was safe and loved.

And that was all that mattered.

***

Hernán never gave up on his quest for revenge and continued hunting the remaining members of Chad’s fraternity. Most of the men disappeared without making the headlines but there were a few notable exceptions. When a nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court vanished just prior to his confirmation hearing, it was all over the media for weeks. In a particularly bizarre twist, a Honduran man turned up in a detention center a couple weeks later with an identical DNA profile. The authorities sent him back to Tegucigulpa despite his furious protests in broken English because everyone knows it’s not possible for a middle-aged white guy to suddenly transform into a young Latino immigrant…right?