“Well Baron, old chug, can you believe this guy owns this castle and ordered the front doorman tell us to go on up?” Blake chuckled as he and Baron stepped up the main staircase up to the second story. “And this isn’t the top of this place. Gads! My apartment in Chicago looks like a tiny box compared to the places Jasper, Forest, Baker and now Peter dwell in” He laughed again. “You just can’t live here; one has to dwell, here.”
               “You could have your own place like this if you wanted it. You have the money.”
               “Yeah, I know that. You gave it to me, right?”
“Raht,” Baron said, sounding like a Southerner.
They stepped onto the second floor landing and saw marble floors, marble walls, paintings of knights, damsels, children, dogs, deer, bear, and stopped when they looked left down a long marble hall held together with a long seamless Persian carpet down the center and more portraits, chairs, small flower tables and many French windows. The long hall led to a gargantuan double door. Two attendants dressed in balloon satin pants, shoes, curved at the toes, tight vests, bare chests and turbans, stood with their arms folded on either side of the large doors.
               “This hall is as long as a football field,” Blake said. “Where the heck is Peter? Which way do we go? Where does this way go?”
               “To the right looks like we go up another floor, but...”
               “Hey guys! Hey! I’m down here,” Peter shouted and disappeared behind the door again.
               “Well! You got on your hiking boots?” Blake asked.
They laughed.
               “Say, Baron, old standard fellow, did I notice Peter wearing absolutely no clothes?”
               “That would have been my guess. Either no clothes or all see through garments.”
               They laughed as they walked rapidly down the hall.
“You know. All that anyone can see through these fancy windows...”
               “Their French windows...”
               “I know that. You have some at Largent Meadows...”
               “Right.”
               “Do you like French windows?”
               “They turn me on, Blake.”
               Blake laughed. “They actually are somewhat sexy aren’t they?”
               “Not really,” Baron said.
               They laughed again.
               The attendants bowed. One opened the wide door. It sounded heavy.
               “What is these doors made of, steel?” Blake asked.
               Baron reached out and touched the door as they walked inside the next room. “Blake, this door is polished granite, I do believe,” he said slowly. “Must have cost Peter Gotrocks a fortune.”
               “Could he be as wealthy as me?” Blake asked.
               “He has a lot of money now. At least that’s what he’s told me. He knows how to invest and invest wisely...”
               “Yeah, that’s right. He was the treasurer of The Board, wasn’t he?”
               “Yep! Secretary-Treasurer, to be more exact.”
              They walked across a large circular room that contained eight curved doors. One door was ajar.
              “I’m in here,” Peter shouted.
               “He sounds the same, as he did the last time I heard him talk,” Blake said. “Does he sound the same to you, Baron?”
               “Yeah. I guess. I’ve talked to him more than you have recently. Peter never changes.”
               They walked through the wide door. “Are there any standard size doors in this castle?” Blake asked.
               “I haven’t seen one yet,” Baron said.
               They walked into a large bathroom. Six shower heads lined the far wall. Peter stood under a shower, turned and walked out of the shower flower, stepped over the small retainer wall, and held out his arms. He embraced Baron first, then Blake, pressing his body hard against both Baron and Blake.
               “Ugh!” Baron said as he stepped back. He laughed and hugged Peter again.
               “Peter, my friend. You look marvelous,” Blake said. “But tell me one thing.”
               “What, Blake?” Peter said and stepped back to look at his friends.
               “Do you always greet your friends wearing only your birthday suit?”
               Peter laughed and arched an eyebrow. “I can tell what state you guys are in...”
               “What do you mean?” Blake said following Peter back toward the shower.
               “Wait until you learn what’s in store for you tonight.”
               “What?” Baron asked opening his topcoat. “Gees, it’s steamy in here.”
               “You are really going to be glad you are men after tonight. I have entertainment planned that will straighten those pretty curls of yours, Blake, and as for you, my buddy, Baron, you’re going to be screaming for more and more and more and...”
               “I’m screaming now,” Baron said.
               The three men laughed.
               “Join me in the shower,” Peter said. He pressed a button against the wall. They’ll take care of your luggage. And, if you don’t have the proper clothing, you can borrow mine. The third floor is filled with clothes...”
               Peter stepped out of the shower and stared first at Blake then at Baron. “Say!” he said looking them over from head to toe. “You guys both look great. Well, hell, we’re only twenty-five, right. Our poles are ready...”
               “Always,” Blake said.
               “You bet,” Baron added
               “Yeah,” Peter said as lathered again and watched Baron and Blake undress. “I’ll bet we all wear the same size everything: 14 inch shirt collars, 34 inch waists, size 10 shoes and large briefs or boxers, right?”
               “The better to get out of faster,” Baron said. He stepped over the shower retainer wall. Peter flipped a bar of soap to him.
<           Peter watched Baron lather. “You’re looking as good as you ever did. You look the same to Baron as when we played football or basketball or...”
               Blake stepped over the short wall. Peter tossed him a bar of soap. Peter walked up to Blake and whispered, “You look like your in better shape than any of us. Are you?” He put his arm around Blake’s waist.
               “Well, señor,” Blake said, enduring Peter’s arm, “I’m more comfortable wearing a size 15 inch collar, my waist is closer to 36 than 34, my shoes are size 11, well, 10½ maybe, but you got it right about the underwear. From what I see, we all need large shorts.”
               They laughed. Peter slapped Blake’s back, hugged him again and said, “You don’t know how glad I am to see you again.”
               “There’s no doubt that I feel the same way, Peter,” Blake said.
               Peter walked around Blake to Baron. “And you sir, look to me like you’ve been working too hard. I suppose we’ll hear more about the plot in a few days?”
               “Yeah. Let’s play first, then we’ll get down to work.”
               Peter embraced Baron. They slapped each other’s backs and Peter returned to his shower and let the spray cover his body. “Let’s party tonight!” Peter shouted.
               “Let’s party tonight!” Blake said.
               Baron buried his head in the hot shower spray. Thoughts moved slowly through his mind. He felt the water run down the front of his body, his chest and belly and onto his manhood, down his leg and in the back. He enjoyed the feeling, like being stroked around the curvature of his buttocks. He moved his hips slowly enjoying the warm water. He thought, I’m glad Blake’s finally getting back into the old camaraderie again. I was worried about him for a while. I thought maybe I’d have to put him away. Now I guess not.
<           Baron shuddered imagining Blake’s body lying still in a dark part of the woods, blood covering his face and chest, his heart not beating and his chest not moving.
               “Baron!” Peter shouted. “Are you deaf?”
<            Baron jumped. “What?” he said.
               “Did you hear what I just said?”
               “No!”
               “I said you guys are going to enjoy my princess tonight. She’s arranged the evening for you.”
               “Are you engaged?”
               Peter laughed. “No. I didn’t say that. You’ll see and like I say, when she’s finished, you’ll be glad you’re men and twenty- five. Believe me.”
               “I can hardly wait,” Blake said.
               “Is she cleared?” Baron shouted, bubbling under the shower.
               “Yep and she knows her business.”
               “She does?” Blake asked. I wonder just what that means. She knows her business.
               “I’ll bet she does,” Baron said as he turned off his shower.
               Blake thought it strange that every time Peter spoke he watched Baron for his reaction. Something’s not quite right here. Nope! It’s not quite right.

Excerpt from Chapter Six —Peter Guess