So a little bit of news for my regular readers. As from next Sunday, I will be updating twice a week until Christmas Eve. The second update will be on Wednesdays. There will be a storyline throughout that sees people doing what they do best... And now, back to Port Jefferson...
More Summer in NYC Part III
Their sandwiches eaten, Thad and Nick rejoined the others by the pool for a short time, as Nick still had a barbecue to prepare for and start up sooner rather than later. He would mainly be involved in the preparing of the meat for cooking, making marinades to dip the meat into before it was placed on the grill to cook. Thad had decided that whilst he would oversee the actual lighting of the grill, he would then stand aside and allow the others to fight over who actually did the cooking. Nick had point blank refused to have anything to do with it; his skills were with an oven and hob, not hot coals. It seemed that David would win out in the competition to be head chef that night over all the other senior Warblers. He had form after all, having done the honours alongside Wes at the impromptu party that had been thrown at the Montgomery house, without his parents' knowledge, the week before Wes had graduated from Dalton. Until then, they were all just content to relax in the sun, laughing and joking, without the use of any form of alcohol whatsoever. Nick would be using bourbon in one of his marinades, but he had kept the bottle hidden away. They all wished to avoid the usual train wreck that came from a group of drunken Warblers, at least until after they had consumed their barbecue supper. Then there would be a few bottles of wine brought out, along with some beers.
When Nick and Thad decided that they had best think about starting their prep, they found themselves in the company of three angels. Kurt and Blaine joined Nick in the kitchen, as the former wished to check that Nick's recipe for the marinade was up to his exacting standards. Nick had been aware of that fact from the moment he had first felt the draught of their wings, and as such he worked more slowly than usual, as he mixed herbs, tomato paste, honey and bourbon to create a rich, dark sauce in which the meat would be dipped prior to grilling. As he watched, Kurt couldn't help but make a few minor suggestions, and Nick listened. He took a couple of them on board, and he had to admit that they had improved on what was already a very good marinade. As well as the meat, he had also purchased corn cobs, which he gave a light honey glaze before placing them on skewers; this done, he scrubbed a quantity of good sized potatoes, which could be wrapped in foil and placed among the hot coals to bake.
With the bulk of his prep now done, Nick and Kurt began to chat about other culinary matters, which left Blaine shaking his head. He headed out to let Thad know that everything was ready, and that someone could head in and start collecting the food. When he got to the grill it was no surprise to find Wes at Thad's side, giving advice. As a result the fire was burning perfectly, particularly after a flap of his wings had given encouragement to the initially reluctant flames. Thad greeted Blaine warmly, then turned back to Wes to talk about his new job. Blaine shrugged, and headed on out to find David, who was sitting quietly by the pool. He informed him that the food was now ready to be brought out and cooked. David smiled, and tapped Seth on the shoulder, asking him to come and help him bring it out. He had done so on the grounds that Seth was closest, but he was only too happy to help. Blaine then headed back to the kitchen, glad that all of the Warblers had dressed again, knowing that nudity was still a source of embarrassment to his husband.
Later on, with the barbecue burning strongly, and the air filled with the smell of cooking meat, Blaine persuaded Kurt to come down and join the others at the pool. Wes had beaten them to it, and was talking quietly with some of the others. For a moment, Blaine forgot himself, and gave in to the temptation of the pool, tearing off his shirt, and glad in only a pair of board shorts, hurling himself into the pool. This left Kurt shaking his head, quite a few people wondering how he could make such a splash, given that technically he wasn't that corporeal, and of course, one person was also left wondering what on earth had caused it in the first place. Fortunately, Cameron had been far enough away from the pool to actually believe what he was being told about someone's shoe having been thrown in the water. As for the splash happening at all, Wes quickly pointed out that the water displacement was basically down to the same forces that generated the draught from their wings.
On coming out of the water, and after having been told off a little by Kurt, Blaine began to dry himself, and more importantly, to ensure that his wings were okay. As he unfurled them, he found himself with an audience, all eager to see just how they were attached to him. Blaine was happy enough to show them, and the fact that the join seemed totally seamless was a source of fascination. When he then put them away, and left behind a back unmarked by any scar or even visible sign that the wings had been there, they were all left to marvel in quiet.
Cameron had not noticed the way that so many of his friends had suddenly clustered together to look at one spot, where to his eye there would have been nothing. This was due in the main to quick thinking from Jeff, who had engaged the other man in a lengthy discussion about his intentions with his cousin Flora, which had left the older man blushing fiercely. Eventually though there came a shout from David that they could start making their way up to the grill for food. Before in such situations this would have triggered a stampede up the garden to the food, but for once they all behaved as the dapper young men that they were supposed to be, and made a leisurely progress up to the grill. After all, they knew that there would be plenty to go around on this occasion; Nick would have made certain of that…
The barbecue was a success, thanks in part to Wes keeping a close eye on the cooking, ensuring that nothing was left underdone and potentially harmful; or worse, so far gone that it resembled the charcoal it was cooking over. Nick's marinade was a success, and the baked potatoes and roasted sweet corn also went down a treat. The wine and beer were accepted by most of them, Cameron abstaining because of his meds, Colin because he still felt that he was far too young to drink, and Thad, on the grounds that today was his day to be responsible - which meant by implication that it was David's day to be so tomorrow. They all toasted Nick for his skills in preparing the feast, David for his skill at cooking, and Jeff for the venue. The sun was by now starting to set, and the lights began to come on around the pool; an automatic sensor turned them on when the light started to grow too dim as a safety precaution.
It wasn't long after that they all decided it would be best to move inside; admittedly that decision was influenced by the fact that Nick refused to bring dessert outside. As they came in, they all brought some of the dishes that they had used inside with them, each of them stacking them neatly in the dishwasher; they all felt that if they didn't, then Nick might refuse to give them any kind of dessert at all. Once this was done, Nick brought a stack of plates out, and placed them alongside forks and spoons; then he went to the fridge and brought out the cheesecakes and pies - well, some of them at least. He had already cut them into generous slices, and so people could just help themselves, which they all proceeded to do. Thad kept a watchful eye over them, just to ensure that no-one took away half the table.
The night ended with them all sitting in the lounge in a circle, playing a game of charades, after spin the bottle had been firmly ruled out. They then proceeded to sing some of their old standards, those well known tunes that they could all harmonise in almost perfectly even now. For their angelic guests, it was a chance to listen to the voices that they missed raised once more in unified song. The only problem was that with Cameron to consider, they could not join in as loudly as they would have wished to; he might not have heard their voices, but he would still feel that something odd was going on, particularly if Blaine had started to sing the lead in the likes of Teenage Dream and Raise your Glass. What made the former lead soloist proud was the way that the others filled in for him. After that, a remarkably sober group of Warblers made their way to bed, all tanned, well fed and tired after a day of good company and fond memories.
The following morning, Sebastian met Skylar at Penn Station in time for the 07.22 train heading out to the island. It was not a direct train to Port Jefferson, but that was okay. As the train moved off and headed through the tunnel under the East River, they chatted away, both of them looking forward to the day.
"How hungover do you think that they will be?" Skylar asked Sebastian as they stood and waited for the connection a while later at Huntington station.
"Based on the normal at this kind of out of school, Warbler only house party, I think that coherent sentences might be an issue for some of them. We will have to tiptoe around for a little while, and we may even have to find a drugstore and get them some more Advil," came Sebastian's response, a smirk on his face.
"That is kind of why I stayed away last night. I hate feeling like that myself, and I am not the most sympathetic person towards others in that state. I will even admit that the morning after one big party in my senior year, when only Colin and I were in any fit state, I might have played the 1812 Overture full volume in the dorm corridor…" said Skylar.
"Now that was just cruel! Their poor heads with all those cannons and stuff! I don't suppose you have it on your iPod?" replied Sebastian with a grin, which made Skylar laugh.
Alighting from the train at Port Jefferson, they headed along with a horde of other people in the direction of the taxi rank, but then found themselves being hailed by Thad and Colin. "We knew what train you were due to be coming in on," Thad explained, "so we thought that given how many people head here on a nice day like today, it would be advisable for us to come and fetch you. This way, you might even get some breakfast." Both of the new arrivals were grateful that they had thought to come, as the queue at the rank was horrendous. They were also happy to see that at least two of their number were not nursing the hangover from hell.
The big shock as they drove up to the beach house was not the sheer beauty and scale of the place, but that from initial appearances, it would appear that none of their friends were suffering from an excess of alcohol the night before. They could hear music playing from the direction of the beach, and the sound of happy laughter was filling the air. Having escorted them inside, Thad and Colin headed off outside to join the others at the beach, leaving the two new arrivals standing beside a kitchen counter that had the remains of a buffet selection of bread and pastries laid out on it. Nick was at the stove, and greeted them both as he prepared fresh pancakes for them without even asking. He also produced a dish filled with bacon and scrambled egg that he had been keeping warm for their arrival.
As Sebastian began to help himself to the food, neither of them having had more than a plate of cereal before heading out for the train, he asked "So, Nicholas, did you forget to pack the alcohol when you were setting up the food and drink for this trip? There do not appear to be any dying ducks around here today; a Warbler party without a quantity of hangovers in the aftermath is unprecedented to say the least!"
"I did pack some, but maybe we are all just starting to grow up and be more mature; to realise that we can have fun without the aid of alcoholic stimulants. We had a good night all things to be told. Anyway, eat up the pair of you; there are burgers made up to be grilled for lunch, and I saved enough dessert for today too. Oh, and I believe that Thad and David have saved you both something special too…"
As both Sebastian and Skylar pondered what that could be, they heard a voice saying "Hey guys! Glad you could make it. As you can see, my husband has all of the catering well under control. Now hurry up and come and join the rest of us at the beach!" They had both turned round to see Jeff as he spoke, and now watched as he made his way over to his husband, gave him a quick kiss, then collected the ice he had come in for from the freezer. "Don't be too long - and that includes you Nicky!" he said as he headed back out the door.
As he left, Nick turned back to the two new arrivals. Skylar was frozen in shock, his mouth wide open and eyes bulging. As for Sebastian, he just had an eyebrow quirked. "So, would you like to explain about that?"
Nick smiled, and in a matter of fact tone said, "It kind of started off as a bit of skinny dipping, but it seemed to then morph into mild naturism. For the first time, the Warblers have gone clothing optional at one of their house parties…"
Sebastian chuckled, then laughed out loud at the fact that Skylar still seemed to be frozen in shock. "What can I say to that statement, Nick? The Warblers are all grown up now, and behaving more like adults than children. So half of us are now running around naked - so what? It's nothing that we haven't all seen before, in the main. Okay, so I am going to head down to the beach and join the guys; where can I go to get changed?"
Nick gave Sebastian directions to his own room upstairs, and he took off, leaving Nick with a still shocked Skylar. "Look, I know that this is a lot to process. You were expecting drunkenness, and instead you've got nudity. Admittedly, they often go hand in hand. So it isn't actually compulsory to be naked down at the beach; I'd say that it was about 50/50 split at the moment. It just kind of happened. The funny thing is that it was all started by David. There was some splashing around going on down in the water, and during the usual mucking about, he pulled down Flint's swim shorts in revenge for something, and threw them onto the beach… He did the same back to him, and that was how it all began. Let's face it - it isn't that abnormal really. I used to read the old history books about the school back at Dalton, and right up until the mid 1960s, the swimming pool at the school was strictly a no trunks zone. Apparently the swim team only ever wore trunks at competitions, and when they had a meet with the girls from Crawford County. My advice on how to handle the situation is quite simple; just go out there, be yourself, and keep your eyes up!"
"I'm not sure that will actually be enough, Nick," Skylar said in a low voice. "I've never been great with being naked around other guys, or them being naked around me. I used to hate games at Dalton, when we all had to use those communal showers afterwards. I used to go out and actually jog around the grounds for ten minutes or so after everyone else had headed in so that the showers would be empty by the time I got back…"
"Well, that gives you something in common with Seth. He was brought up with the notion that nudity was sinful, and as a result he was left horrified yesterday when everyone else was running around naked. I had a chat with him, and told him that when he was ready, I would support him. In the end, it is difficult to be the odd one out; in a way, being one of the few dressed people was worse for him. So, as I did yesterday for Seth, you can stick with me. I have no immediate intention of taking anything other than my shirt off. To be honest, I used to be very uncomfortable like you, but Jeff, he was always much more of an exhibitionist. Of course, the fact that he needed a nude model changed things for me," finished Nick with a smile.
Skylar nodded, and smiled a little too. Before he could speak, Sebastian reappeared, carrying a beach towel and a pair of swimming trunks. "Start as you mean to go on!" he said as he walked past, giving them a wink, before heading down to the beach.
"I just hope that he has remembered to use sun block," mused Nick, his brows knitted together out of concern for his friend. It was that look that made Skylar start to laugh; that and the total nonchalance about the fact that Sebastian was naked. As he heard shouted greetings and cat calls from outside, he knew that he had to face his own fears. He had to head out and join in with the fun the others were obviously having.
As he walked out, with Nick at his side, he followed the older man's advice, looking at faces as people greeted him, keeping his eyes well above the navel. He found a comfortable spot to sit down next to Seth, who welcomed his housemate warmly. Nick headed off to join Jeff, allowing Seth to regale Skylar with tales from the day before. His first words were simple. Do not accept any soda offered to you by David or Thad. When he explained why, Skylar had to admit that even the idea of a bacon flavoured soda made his feel nauseous. The subject then turned to the new dress code, and Skylar confided his worries in Seth.
"I was the same as you yesterday; I was suddenly seeing a lot more of these guys than I was used to, and I had a little bit of a freak out. But eventually, I calmed down, after a chat with Nick. Did he tell you about the naked Warbler group drawing that Jeff did, a few days before their wedding? It turns out that all of the guys that were in the group photo the year Wes was Head Warbler, that were still in contact, posed naked for Jeff to draw, and I'm including Wes himself in that of course. It was suggested last night that the rest of us could pose for Jeff to in the same state of dress. Colin and Edward said yes last night without hesitation, and I think that the older guys, the ex- Head Warblers, are also down for it, after he said that they could all pose with their respective gavels. It turns out that Wes did a pose like that for Jeff, just for a laugh, but now they are serious about doing it. Thad has even suggested he could pose again with Mr Bangy…. I think that Mitch and Cameron will do it too, which just leaves the two of us… So, if you do it, then I will. It could be quite cool to be immortalised in our youthful best by a well known artist, don't you think?"
Skylar was still trying to process the fact that there was a whole heap of drawings of naked Warblers out there, but just as Nick had said, being the odd one out was not an appealing prospect… "Well, I guess we could do it… I guess I just never expected to see the day that we'd end up in this situation! The Warblers were always so proper and dapper; now it seems that we are behaving a lot like a frat!"
"From what I've heard, a frat would be behaving much worse than this… Anyway, I think I'm going to go for a swim, and now that I've experienced the other way, I really don't want to be hanging around in wet shorts afterwards…"
Seth paused to let what he was saying sink in for his friend. Eventually, Skylar nodded, then stood up, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Well, a swim does sound quite appealing - and in the circumstances, getting my shorts soaking wet doesn't really appeal…"
Seth got up and stood at his side. "Okay then. On the count of three…" A few moments later, the two young men were charging down the beach and into the water, their shorts left where they had been sitting…
For the second day running, alcohol was more or less absent from the party. They swam, laughed and just lazed in the sun, enjoying the company of their oldest and best friends. The most hilarity came at the moment that Sebastian, who had not been given any warning, drunk down a mouthful of chocolate bacon soda; seconds later he was chasing David and Thad down the beach, threatening them with the direst punishments. They placated him eventually, and a glass of homemade lemonade was swift in removing the aftertaste. It was mid afternoon before the grill was lit once more, and David resumed his role as chef to cook the burgers, once more with an angel at his side. There was no repeat of yesterday's incident which had left them having to make hasty explanations to Cameron, as they were all being extra cautious. It did create difficulties, but nothing they could not overcome.
After they had finished their perfectly grilled and seasoned burgers, Nick brought out the last of the desserts that he had prepared, which were devoured with the customary gusto. After that, a clean up team designated by Thad took care of the mess, whilst the rest of them returned to the beach to soak up just a little more of the sunshine. After all, they all knew that the party would soon be coming to an end, and all of them had to make their way back to the places that they needed to be on Monday morning. Thad and David would be staying a few more days in New York, but the older members of their group had to head back to various cities for work. All of them agreed on one thing; the event had been a success, and they wanted to get together again as soon as possible.
The gathering broke up in the early evening; the time of the last ferry back to Bridgeport had to be taken into consideration for those heading back to Boston and Vermont. The time of the trains back from Port Jefferson to the city also had to be judged, as it would be a long journey back by taxi, not to mention an expensive one. Trent had to get back to Washington, as he had work to do for Burt the following day, seeing as Rory had been on duty all weekend. There was also the small matter of his work for college, which had become all the more important as he entered his final year. He would be joined in a taxi by Louis and Connor, who would be boarding the train at Port Jefferson with him to head in the direction of the city. They would travel together as far as Jamaica Station, where Connor would alight to catch the air train to JFK, where he would be catching a flight to Vancouver, where he had an important meeting scheduled on Monday afternoon. Louis and Trent would carry on to Penn Station and the Amtrak to Philadelphia and Washington respectively.
With the departure of the older generation, the party became more muted, but it did mean that they could all finally publicly acknowledge the presence of the angelic members of the group. "It's such a pity that Cam can't see you," Beats said to them with a sigh as the taxi disappeared out the gate. "We couldn't include you guys as much, and had to think on our feet, particularly when Blaine jumped into the pool."
"Yes, that was an error of judgement on my husband's part, but I think that we got away with it," replied Kurt, as beside him the man in question blushed.
"I think that Cam was just glad to be accepted back into his circle of close friends," remarked Wes, "even if some of them were acting totally out of character. I mean, David, chasing Flint and then doing what you did! That was a bit childish, even for you!"
As David bowed his head, Flint spoke up. "I didn't mind Wes. Dalton Flint would have been mortified beyond belief, but for me these days it wasn't a big issue. After all, most of the population of gay men in Princeton have seen me dressed like that…" Flint stopped and blushed as he realised how that sounded…
"As our only female honorary Warbler would say, Wanky!" quipped Sebastian. "It is true though. I think that it is a sign of how close we all are to each other and how mature we have become that we can run around naked with each other and not even bat an eyelid. If Warbler gatherings such as these are to be clothing optional from now on, then I have no issue whatsoever."
"I don't think that such a rule could apply to all of our gatherings, but I don't see that it would be an issue at the appropriate events," mused Thad.
"It was at first," Seth added, "but after a while you actually forget that you are naked. Once I got undressed, it didn't matter, as I was having too good a time."
"Plus it does mean no tan lines," remarked Skylar. "Of course, Sebastian will have to explain the absence of those to Dave when he gets home, which might well be an interesting conversation."
"Trent will have to have the same talk with Rory," Sebastian spat back.
"Oh, he might have done, had he not called Rory up last night and told him all about it," said Nick with a grin. "Tell me, Seb, did you call Dave…?"
It wasn't long after that conversation that a group of taxis arrived to ferry the majority of the guests back to the station for the train back to New York. David would be taking the wheel of the people carrier for the drive back into the city, and as it no longer had to carry a mountain of food this time, there was room beside him for a total of four passengers. Thus when the taxis left, they did not convey Thad, Nick, Jeff or Sebastian. As the others departed, Flint, Beats and Ethan had made a bet as to who would get back to the West Village first. The last task of those still at the house was to ensure that everything was tidy and secure, and then they got into the car and headed off.
They had barely left when Nick's phone rang. It was Trent, who told them that he was still in New York. He had been about to step on the train to Washington when he had been called by Rory. Burt had decided at the last minute to take a week's vacation before the election campaign became too heated. Having made the decision, an eagle eyed Carole had spotted a cheap last minute flight to Dublin, and Rory had used his contacts back in his homeland to source them a good hotel at a very low price. After all, they had promised last year that they would head to Ireland to visit Rory's Nana at home. Burt had not originally planned to leave the country during his week off, and he had protested at first. Then Carole had pointed out that a few days away would do them both a lot of good, and that Congress would still be there when he got back. Burt had seen that Rory was about to point out that he would be mad not to, and so he had given in. They were scheduled to take off from Dulles very shortly, and Rory's Nana was overjoyed they were coming.
Rory had hopped on the train to New York, and he would be arriving shortly at Penn Station, the two of them going to stay in the house that would one day be Mike's. The news that Trent would be in town was greeted warmly by all those in the car; with Thad and David also staying around for a few more days, it meant that the big catch up could carry on.
In the end, the people carrier arrived in the West Village first, triumphantly passing the others as they walked down from the subway. They accepted their defeat, and when told, were every bit as pleased as the others that Trent was going to be in town. Then they all headed their separate ways. The four youngest wondered what Luke and Duncan had been up to whilst they were absent. Beats went home to a very warm welcome from Elliott, who had felt lonely and bereft all weekend; he would remark about how much he liked the overall tan later on that night. As was to be expected, Jeff was greeted with distain by Caleb over his perceived desertion; at least until he was offered some of the tuna left over from the previous day's sandwiches, and suddenly Jeff was his favourite person in the world again. In Murray Hill, Sebastian confessed to his absence of tan lines the moment he stepped in the door, and his husband just laughed at the idea of all the Warblers running around bareass. The two of them enjoyed a quiet few hours together, although Sebastian did wonder how the big cast party he had not been invited to was going. Part of him was hoping that it was an unmitigated disaster…
