I was 20, they were in their late 30s.
I was doing America on the cheap, Greyhound buses and all their glory on my way to Los Angeles. And it was such that I found myself at a service station, somewhere in Colorado, waiting for a Greyhound repair team or replacement bus to come fetch me and the 30 other riders since our coach had broken down. It was a hot, bothersome, July afternoon at 6pm or so, and I just rested down to read a book in the dusty shade of the rest stop cafe to pass the time.
"Hey, nice shirt" I was interrupted by a deep voice in my direction. I looked up, squinting through the light to see a Beefy White dude in chino shorts, flip flops, and a tank. A guy who you'd expect to see driving a truck. I graced my eyes quickly over the tightness of his package up to his face.
"Thanks man, just thrifted it last week in Chicago" I responded, smiling, and putting my book aside.
The dude shifted, I saw he was holding a bag of refreshments and snacks. "Sorry, I disturbed ya! Are you part of the broken down bus crew?" He followed on.
"Yea, you heard the complaining? I last heard we will be here 4 hours... I may finish the book!" I responded, shuffling up from my laid back posture to look at him directly. He was leaning against the railing, quite a density of a man, and with big arms fully on show. He looked beyond me, smiled, and waved to someone.
"I... don't envy you" he followed, before welcoming another man. Similarly beefy, with scruffy jeans and shirt, sleeves rolled back to expose solid arms too.
"Hey" the other man greeted "I'm Dan" he reached forward his hand and I met it, shaking, but his hands enveloped mine and gripped it with warmth.
The first dude introduced himself as Terry, and asked where I was headed to.
"Los Angeles" I responded "I'm on a vacation here, just exploring" truthfully, shrugging casually.
"Huh" terry smiled, looking at the other dude, "we're on our way to LA too, what say we give this poor boy a lift Dan?"
Dan shrugged, smiling. "Sure... but fyi we're going to stop at a friend's house tonight... they're out and letting us crash, but you'll need to sleep on the sofa is that ok?.... Or bunk with one of us, ha"
I nodded, calculating, but settling on a solid fuck it. "Sure guys I really appreciate it, sofa is fine with me" packing my things. "How can I pay you back?" I asked, innocently.
"Ah don't worry, we will think of something" Terry said, quietly and deeply, and helped grab my suitcase to haul it to their car.
They loaded up a Subaru and I got in the back seat, thankfully leaving the stresses and mundanity of the rest stop behind me.
We got into chatting on the Highway, and I learnt they were heading back from a wedding of a friend.
"What was the ceremony like?" I asked.
Terry smiled, "it was great, very personal, him and his husband took sweet vows"
"Husband?" I asked... "that's great" I added quickly, to avoid an impression of homophobia.
"Yea we're old gay friends, met in College" Dan added, looking up at me through the rear view mirror.
"Nice... I'm gay too" I added, now I knew I was amongst friends.
"No shit, with those shorts and that ass I'd bet a lot of money" Terry laughed deeply, reaching back to Pat me on the thigh. Dan chuckled too, looking at me again.
I flushed red, but laughed all the same. "Fair enough, they are a bit tight" I acknowledged.
"Yes... we noticed" Terry added, before adding "we saw the ass you're working with from across the parking lot. Show it off!"
My ass twitched and heart fluttered, I was a little turned on, and wanted to blurt out that I'd clocked a bulge in the chino shorts on him but thought wisely against.
"Oh you've embarrassed him" Dan smirked... "he's gone bright red"
Terry laughed, shuffling in his chair "Sorry, I joke, I joke"
"It's ok, I'm enjoying the company" I replied honestly.
We drove on, and chatted in between silences of reading, learning that Terry works in administration for the LAPD and Dan is a real estate agent. Generally I enjoyed myself, getting into deeper conversations about their experiences, US politics, LA gay life...
"Are you two... a couple?" I asked gingerly.
They both laughed. "If I had a cent for every time..." Dan said.
Terry added "We're not compatible, sexually, and I've grown up with Dan He's like a brother to me"
Dan joked "but we've a marriage pact if someone doesn't come to either of us by the time we're 50"
"Not compatible sexually?" I asked, intrigued... "most couples find a way?"
Dan chuckled again "We're both very giving people, very giving, if you catch my drift" looking back at me and slapping my leg playfully.
We drove on to our overnight stop, in a small town in southern Utah "We're staying in my friends holiday home... Great if you want to visit Zion" Dan noted, pulling into the driveway. "Middle of nowhere, no neighbours for a couple of miles" turning off the car to pressed silence, just for the wind in some trees.
"Beautiful" I whispered. Terry hummed in response 'hmm, yes it is'.
We unpacked and I hauled my suitcase up to the door, where Dan had unlocked it, switching on the light.
I took off my shoes, making myself at home.
"You want a beer? You're not younger than 21 right?" Dan called over to me from looking in the fridge.
I nodded. "I'm 20, actually, and you're 40 right?" I quipped back. Dan sucked air through his teeth and gave me a playful slap as he gave me an opened can.
"Cheeky little bitch, well I won't tell anyone if you have a beer with us" he said quietly with a wink.
He walked over a slumped on the couch, patting next to him to invite me to sit next to him. I began to walk over.
"Hey Terry, boy here is only 20" he called over as Terry emerged from the bathroom.
Terry scoffed "I knew he were young, but not that young.... Fuck Dan we could be his Dads"
I sat down next to Dan on the sofa and shuffled a little as Terry responded.
Dan laughed "well some boys like that, don't they?" Looking at me as he lounged back, smiling, before readjusting his jeans... I looked away for modesty and sipped my beer, softly adding "yea...they do". Dan smirked, grabbing his crotch just out of direct eyesight.
