Household Help 12, 13 and 14

By brhmsj

berlioz53@yahoo.com

Copyright 2025 by brhmsj, all rights reserved

[12,166 words]

Household Help, Chapter Twelve

An Unexpected Development


After his day of punishments Henry made up for Tuesday not being a workday by working on Wednesday. There were indoor things which needed attending to and he kept busy. And he wasn’t told to undress but he didn’t question it. Around teatime he and Uncle Martin settled in the kitchen where they had some tea and snacks.

“Are you feeling at all sore, son?” the man asked when everything was served.

“A bit, yes.” Henry paused, blushed, and said “but it was. . . exciting.”

“Good. It is meant to be fun. We can stop any time you don’t want more of it.”

“Thank you.”

“Tomorrow is your normal workday,” Uncle Martin said after that was settled. “Thank you for coming today but I do need you tomorrow, too. The lawn needs mowing, front and back.”

“No problem,” Henry said. “I’m glad to do it.”

“Good boy.” Henry couldn’t help but beam every time Uncle Martin called him a good boy. When tea was done Henry collected his pay and went home, today on his bike. As he rode he thought about Niko. Should he contact him today? Would that freak out Niko, after what happened yesterday? Would he himself be freaked out? The problem was solved by a text which he saw when he got home. It was from Niko.

“Are you free after dinner?” Henry texted back that he was. “Good. Come over as soon as you can.” Henry said that he would.

“What goes on with Mr. Ordway that has you so distracted these days?” his mother asked at one point during dinner.

“Oh!” Henry said. She had broken him from his thoughts. “Nothing. I just work. Y’know, housework. No big deal.”

“I won’t pry but sometimes lately I think you have something on your mind,” she replied. His father nodded agreement.

“I don’t think so. Just being a kid, I guess.” That seemed to satisfy his parents. This was not the first time that she had asked this sort of question since Henry had started the summer job. Henry hoped that she wasn’t getting suspicious. But why would she, he thought. And of what?

He did, of course, have quite a bit on his mind, between the Punishment Room and Niko.

After dinner he left as quickly as he could without looking like he was eager to get out of the house. “I’m going for a ride,” he said as he went to get his bike. Once out of sight of the house he began peddling hard. When he arrived at Niko’s house he was panting a bit from the exertion but it felt good.

“Hey, come in. You can meet my parents.” Niko had seen Henry arrive and came out to meet him. Henry tried to read his friend’s expression but as so often with Niko, nothing was revealed.

Henry enjoyed meeting Niko’s parents. They were warm, making him feel welcome. “I’m glad that Niko is making more friends,” his mother said.

“And that you’re keeping him occupied at your older friend’s house,” Niko’s father added.

“It’s great having someone to help me.” Henry wasn’t sure what else to say. Niko then said something in Japanese to his parents and a conference in their native tongue went on for a minute or so. Henry wasn’t offended by being left out. He envied Niko knowing two languages. Niko’s father’s tone at the end sounded like he was admonishing his son but there was no way Henry could know.

“Let’s go,” Niko said when he was finished with his parents. He led Henry out the back door. When they were at the bottom of the yard Niko said “they worry about me being out late. Dad is strict with my curfew.”

“But they let you stay overnight at Uncle Martin’s and they don’t even know him.”

“When I first told them I was going there they asked around about Uncle Martin. He got nothing but positive comments so they feel I’m safe with him. Anyhow, I want to show you this.” He indicated a path which led into the woods behind the house. When they were out of sight of the house Niko took Henry’s hand. Henry accepted and gave Niko’s hand a squeeze. “We’re going to one of my favorite places.”

After two or three minutes Niko veered off the path and led them to a small opening in the trees. “I always feel safe here.” With that he pulled Henry into an embrace which Henry enthusiastically returned. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

“I’ve thought about you a lot,” Henry replied. Both boys were aware that they were not getting hard. The closeness was all they needed. Neither knew how it happened but they began kissing. That did make them hard and each felt the other’s hardon through his pants. Henry pulled Niko down to the ground. The kissing went on for quite awhile.

Dusk was beginning. Henry said “I think I should be getting home.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

“I know but I really should. And I don’t want you getting into trouble.” He knew that Niko would be spanked if he missed a curfew.

Reluctantly they stood, brushed leaves and dirt off each other, and headed back to Niko’s. “Talk tomorrow,” Henry said as he left. He felt empty, leaving his new friend behind. Or was Niko more than a friend?

Thursday morning Henry arrived at Uncle Martin’s around his now-usual eight-thirty. After a quick cup of coffee and a couple of indoor chores, he got the mower and started on the front lawn. It wasn’t large so never took very long. As he was pushing the mower toward the street he saw two guys he knew from school, Alex and Greg, coming down the road on their bikes. He didn’t know them well nor had he ever seen them around here. He turned off the mower.

“Hey guys! What brings you to these parts?”

“Just riding around,” Greg said. “We’ve never been this way and didn’t expect to see you around here. You don’t live in this area, do you? Are you doing lawn service this summer?”

“Sort of, I guess. I’m helping Un. . . Mr. Ordway with things in the house and landscaping type jobs. It’s been a nice way to earn a little money and get my Dad off my back about having a summer job.” All three chuckled knowingly. Alex and Greg both had part-time jobs for local businesses.

Alex spoke up. “Ordway? My Dad knew an Ordway family. Must be the same people. Sometimes the Ordways would have his family and others over for Sunday afternoon picnics. Dad said they had a big house and a great swimming pool. I guess this is it. Is the pool still there?”

Hearing that Alex’s dad knew Uncle Martin made Henry a bit uneasy. “Uh, yeah, cleaning the pool is one of my chores.”

“Does he let you swim?” The inevitable question.

“Well, uh, sometimes I do have to get in. . .”

“I’ve never seen the place,” Alex continued before Henry could answer. “Would he mind if you took us around?”

“Um, I don’t know. I’ll have to ask. I’ll let you know if he’d like for you to come by some day.” And swim naked, Henry added to himself. He smiled slightly at the thought of those two naked.

Greg saw the smile. “What’s funny?”

“Nothing, really. Just that I don’t know you guys that well so I’m not sure how to ask him but I’ll figure out something. Nice to see you. I gotta finish the lawn.”

“Alright,” Greg said. Alex added “see ya soon,” and they were off.

For some reason Henry kept thinking about Alex and Greg riding by. There was no reason to think it was anything other than chance. After all, anyone could ride by. Henry explored on his bike sometimes. Maybe he could do that with Niko sometime, which would be fun. Yet the fact that Alex’s family knew the Ordways kept Henry wondering if this visit had been chance or not. Was word getting out that there was naked swimming going on? How would it? Their surprise at seeing Henry there seemed genuine.

After the front yard was done, Henry took the mower around to the back. He popped into the kitchen for a drink of water before starting the back yard. Uncle Martin heard him come in and walked into the kitchen to join him.

“Who were those guys you were talking to? Looked like they’re friends.”

“Oh!” Henry was startled that Uncle Martin had seen them. “A couple of guys from school. I don’t know them very well but they seem decent. One said that his family knew yours.”

“Oh? What’s his name.”

“Alex Parks. He said that his Dad used to come here with his family for picnics sometimes.”

Uncle Martin thought for a moment. “I haven’t thought of them for a while. A nice family. I seem to have let a lot of those old friendships slip. Not good.” He thought some more. “Joel Parks. . . I guess he’d be old enough to have a son your age.” Another pause. “What brought them around here? Did they know that you’re working for me?”

“No, they didn’t know I was working here. At least that’s what they said. They said they were exploring a part of town they didn’t know much about.”

“Who is the other boy?”

“Greg Barnes.”

“Barnes. Hm.” Henry wondered what that meant. “Do you think they’d want to swim?” Uncle Martin asked after a moment.

“Gosh, I have no idea. They might think we’re weird, swimming naked in front of you. I don’t know them well enough to have any idea, really. Alex did ask about the pool, though.”

“No matter. Get the back lawn done, take a shower, and you can jump in the pool.” Henry happily went out the door to finish the lawn job.

Later, when Henry was finishing his shower, Uncle Martin was waiting for him. As Henry toweled off, Uncle Martin asked “how are things with Niko?” A blush by Henry gave him an answer.

“Things are cool,” Henry replied trying to sound nonchalant. He went to the pool. The water felt great after all that outdoor work. Swim done, Uncle Martin dried Henry which the boy always enjoyed. He got dressed and collected his money.

“See you on Saturday. Tell the boys they’re welcome as always,” Uncle Martin said as he gave Henry his pay.

“Yup!” Before getting on his bike Henry checked his messages. He smiled when he saw that one was from Niko. It said “can you stop by after you leave Uncle Martin?” Henry texted back “on my way” and was off.

Before Henry could knock Niko had the door open. “C’mon in. My sisters are off somewhere and Mom and Dad don’t get home until after five, so we’re alone for awhile.” Niko led the way to what had to be the family room of the house.

So far Niko showed no sign of wanting to kiss again. Henry sensed that wasn’t going to happen right away, if at all. But he could tell that Niko had something on his mind.

Niko took a chair which meant they would not sit together. Henry sat on the couch, unsure of what else to do. After a deep breath Niko asked “why did you let Mr. Ordway spank you?” A slight blush followed.

“Wow. I didn’t expect that,” Henry replied, a bit stunned by the question. He thought for a moment. “To be honest I, uh, I guess I don’t know. He had shown me the Punishment Room and I had lots of questions. After we were done, he said he knew that I wanted a spanking.”

“Did you?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think I did but it seemed. . . y’know, it. . . somehow, even though it hurt a bit, it felt natural that I should be over his lap. I guess that means I wanted it. Does that make sense?”

“Yes.”

“I guess I can tell you,” Henry now continued. “I found a book in the library about what the title called ‘corporal punishment,’ meaning spanking and all kinds of things.” With a blush, which Niko found charming, Henry admitted “It kinda got me excited. Then Mr. Ordway showed me the Punishment Room. I just got. . . I dunno. . . curious, I guess.”

“Do your parents still spank you?”

“No, not since I was twelve.” Henry started to chuckle at the memory. “Jim, Scott, and I got into some sort of trouble. I don’t remember what it was now. All three of us got spanked by our dads. It wasn’t funny at the time, I can tell you that. Whatever we did was stupid and we deserved what we got. I think it was the only time all three of us got spanked for the same thing. No one was allowed out afterwards so we never got to compare butts.” A pause. “What about you?”

Niko’s expression was hard to read. He hesitated, then said “we all still get spanked.” In his embarrassment he couldn’t look Henry in the eye.

“Wow! By your dad?”

“He spanks me, Mom spanks the girls. Not very often but. . . well, I can admit it to you, I got spanked about a month ago because I missed my curfew. Dad is very serious about that.”

“Naked?”

“Just pants down but that’s bad enough.”

A longer paused. Henry broke the silence. “Why did you let Mr. Ordway spank you?” Both boys were aware that instinctively they were using Mr. Ordway and not Uncle Martin.

“You know what he said, that I was rude to you by asking if you had gotten a spanking. He said I deserved a spanking and. . . well, I. . . I believed him. When it came time he told me that I wanted it, too. I guess that part was sorta true.” Silence. “How many times has he spanked you?”

Henry was beginning to feel more relaxed about this discussion. Having this in the open, and knowing they had a sort of solidarity was making it easier for him. “I suppose that’s the kind of question that earns you a spanking,” he said with a smile. Niko took it the right way and smiled back. “A couple of times. So far. One I ‘earned,’ as he puts it.” Now it was Henry’s turn to be embarrassed but he told Niko about the St. Andrew’s Cross and the nipple clamps.

“Wow. So you’d already been on the Cross before he tied us up.” Henry nodded. “Did the clamps hurt?”

“A lot and he said he hadn’t made them the most painful.”

“Are we sickos?” Niko asked. That made them laugh outright.

“The whole situation is weird, that’s for sure,” Henry replied. “But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it really. And Mr. Ordway says that there are more guys than you’d think who are into spanking and bdsm. And there are guys we know who still get spanked.” This left them thoughtful again. Who might those guys be?

“And how did he talk you into getting naked?”

“It just kind of happened. But I guess it was something he planned to do. He didn’t demand that I take off my clothes. At first it seemed like something that just sort of happened but I also sort of felt like I had no choice.”

“Did you like it?”

“Well at first it seemed weird being naked with an older man who stayed in his clothes. But I started getting used to it. It can be comfortable not to think about clothes all day. Ultimately, though, I think I’ve never had a choice in the matter.”

“Would he fire you if you refused?”

“I don’t know.” Henry changed the subject. “You love being nude don’t you?”

Niko laughed. “I don’t know if I love it but I know I like it. So let’s go to my room and get naked.” Both jumped up and quickly were up the stairs and into Niko’s room. The strip was quick, too. They fell on the bed, holding each other, enjoying being hard, needing nothing more for the moment.

“Would you ever spank me?” Niko suddenly asked.

“If you needed it,” Henry answered with a sly smile.

“Well I know I’d spank you!” Niko responded with a chuckle. The boys started rolling around on the bed, trying to swat each other’s butts. When things calmed down Niko said “I do know that I love being naked with you.”

“And I love being naked with you.”

After a moment Niko said “My parents will be home soon so we need to get dressed.”

“It’s really time for me to go home, anyhow. Uncle Martin said everyone’s welcome at two o’clock on Saturday but I’m sure you could come earlier. Let him know, though. You know what will happen if you don’t!” That was greeted with uproarious laughter. Quickly both boys were dressed.

Saturday Henry arrived early so he could have coffee with Uncle Martin.

“Niko is coming around one.”

“What about the other two?”

“They said they’d be here around two or later. I don’t know what they’re up to these days but I think something’s going on. So, they may be later than usual.” Uncle Martin looked thoughtful after hearing this.

“You’ll need to get leaves and things out of the pool before people arrive. Have you seen those other two boys again?” Henry had not. “No matter. Of particular importance today is to tidy up the second guest room and put fresh sheets on the bed. It may surprise you but I am having a visitor for a couple of days. A man I went to college with.”

“Oh!” Henry said. He never expected a guest. “Will he. . . um, see us. . .”

With a laugh Uncle Martin said “naked? Of course he will. I assure you that he is quite used to naked youngsters so won’t be bothered in the least.” Henry thought that he and his friends might be bothered but apparently that wasn’t up for discussion. They chatted a while longer, then Uncle Martin said “get your clothes off and go get the guest room ready. You can put the sheets in the laundry and then clean out the pool while things are washing. Make sure there are fresh towels, too.”

Other than changing the sheets, which didn’t need doing as the ones on the bed looked quite fresh and Henry knew that they hadn’t been slept on, there wasn’t much to do. But, he did as told. Fresh sheets on the bed and fresh towels set out for the guest, Henry looked around to see what, if anything, needed cleaning. Nothing really did but he ran a dustcloth over everything. That done, he took the laundry down and got things started.

The pool didn’t take long. As always, Uncle Martin was on the patio keeping an eye on Henry as he was alone at the pool. Henry took a quick dive when the job was done. There was more work to do so no time for a swim but Henry guessed that if he was wet he’d get dried off by Uncle Martin. He was right. He also got a couple of swats to his bottom. Uncle Martin knew just what the quick swim was all about. Swats applied, Uncle Martin told Henry what else he needed done and the boy was off to take care of things.

Around one o’clock Henry heard Niko arrive. He was curious as to what he and Uncle Martin would discuss but decided it was better not to be nosy. At two the doorbell rang and Henry went to let in Jim and Scott. Did he see Alex and Greg in the distance?

“C’mon in guys. Niko is here and the pool is ready, so get ‘em off!” The three laughed. In the kitchen Jim and Scott took off their clothes. As they were undressing Niko, already naked, and Uncle Martin joined them.

“Go ahead and get wet,” Uncle Martin said. “I have some things to do and will join you in a while.” The boys went out the back door and splashes were heard. Uncle Martin was expecting his guest around two-thirty. Henry had forgotten about the visitor by the time his friends arrived, so didn’t say anything.

A few minutes after two-thirty the bell rang. Mr. Ordway answered the door to reveal his friend Gustave Schmidt. The men exchanged the hearty handshake of old friends. “Marty!” “Gus!”

“Come in, come in,” Mr. Ordway said. “Let me show you to your room.” They went upstairs. Mr. Ordway had chosen this room for his friend as it overlooked the backyard and the pool.

Mr. Schmidt glanced out the window, then went over for a better look. “My, my, my. You haven’t changed any.” They both laughed. “Which one is your houseboy?”

Mr. Ordway looked out. “The one standing at the far end of the pool. He loves to dive in. The two up to their necks are Jim and Scott. The other is Niko. I’m trying to play a bit of Cupid with Niko and Henry but can’t tell yet where it’s going, though it seems positive.”

“You old sly fox.”

“Let’s get your things unpacked then go out and meet the boys.” The men worked together to get Mr. Schmidt settled. Task done, they descended to the first floor and went out on the patio. They took seats and watched the boys but did not make any attempt to get their attention.

After a few minutes Jim spotted the newcomer. “What the. . .?” he said. The other three turned to Jim, then noticed Mr. Schmidt chatting with Mr. Ordway. “Who is that?” He looked at Henry. “Did you know that someone was coming?”

Henry was just as startled as the others. “He told me he was having a guest but didn’t say that he’d arrive while you guys were here. I’d forgotten all about him.”

“He’s going to see us naked!” Jim protested. “It’s enough that Ordway does but we have no idea who this other guy is.”

“You guys are so silly,” Niko said. “We want to know who he is so let’s find out.” He climbed out of the pool. Henry followed quickly, Scott and Jim more slowly. Jim started to cover himself then decided it was pointless. Four naked, dripping wet boys made their way to the patio. Mr. Ordway was secretly amused by looks of curiosity, perplexion, even annoyance. He’d enjoyed the forced nudity and this was a most enjoyable moment. He didn’t intend for this to be mean but he wasn’t going to give in to any undue modesty. The boys were there, they were naked, and visitors would see their nakedness.

Mr. Ordway made the introductions. “Boys, this is a friend of mine from college, Gustave Schmidt. Don’t be embarrassed by your nudity, he has boys who help him during the summers who often are naked in his house.” He then introduced each boy. Handshakes all around which felt a bit weird to Jim and Scott as they were naked and Mr. Schmidt was not.

After a couple of minutes Jim asked if they could return to the pool. “Of course. Whatever you wish,” their host said. Jim and Scott ran down to the pool, glad that the water could cover their nakedness. Niko and Henry stayed behind and sat down.

“I didn’t invite Gus just to look at naked boys in my back yard,” Mr. Ordway said with a smile. “He knows more about disciplining boys than I do and I thought he could help me with the Punishment Room.”

“Sounds cool to me,” Niko said. Henry said nothing but was curious as to where the conversation would go.

“I’ve never seen anything like it and have to admit I am quite curious. If nothing else, I’ll learn about implements, I’m sure.”

“That can wait until after those two in the pool leave,” Mr. Ordway said. It was unspoken but he expected Henry and Niko to stay behind. They then joined their friends and splashed around for a couple of hours. The two men caught up on their lives.

Eventually the four boys felt waterlogged and returned to the patio. The two men handed towels to them. “I need to get home. We’re having some sort of cookout and I know it will be a bore,” Jim said.

“I’ll be there, douche bag,” Scott said to him. Their parents were friends and often did things like this together. Some other families were invited but none with kids the same age as Jim and Scott.

“Have fun!” Mr. Ordway said with a sly smile.

“Yeah, sure,” Jim said. The two thanked their host and took their leave.

“They’re good kids,” Mr. Ordway said, “but the forced nudity has been an adjustment for them.”

“They’ll get over it,” Mr. Schmidt said knowingly.

“Sit down and let’s talk,” Mr. Ordway told the remaining boys.


to be continued. . .




Household Help, Chapter Thirteen

Uncle Martin Has to Make a Decision. Or Not.


Unlike Jim and Scott, Henry and Niko were interested in Uncle Martin’s friend. Uncle Martin revealed that he’d made arrangements with the boys’ parents for them to stay for dinner, so the boys felt no need to be rushed as they got acquainted with the newcomer.

It was no surprise to Uncle Martin that Mr. Schmidt would get all sorts of information out of the boys. He knew his friend well. He sat back and enjoyed, particularly as he was learning some things about his young friends that they had not shared with him, mostly about their masturbation habits. Mr. Schmidt was particularly good at getting that information out of boys. Other than the day in the Punishment Room with the flogger, there had been no open sexual behavior with the boys. It also was no surprise to learn that the boys masturbated at least twice a day. Normal teen behavior.

Inevitably he got information about their domestic discipline. Uncle Martin had heard these stories but didn’t mind hearing them again. He was pleased that his friend was enjoying this particular bit of personal information.

When Mr. Schmidt was done with his gentle inquisition, the boys had questions of their own. “Uncle Martin. . . Mr. Ordway. . . um, says you have naked boys at your house, too,” Henry managed to get out.

The question was greeted with a good-natured chuckle. With that Mr. Schmidt explained how every summer he hired a boy who had just graduated high school to do yardwork for him. “Not naked for that part, but I have them shower before they leave so they won’t be dirty and smelly when they get home. I have an open shower in the basement so of course I see them as they wash.” Both boys blushed slightly at this revelation. “After a while many boys find that they like it and stay naked around the house. As it should be. Boys need not be modest, as you know.”

Clearly the two men shared that philosophy.

Mr. Schmidt continued. “Like Uncle Martin, as you call him, I pay my boys well. But I have one rule that is a bit different. I don’t want to have to fire anyone unless he has done something truly egregious or illegal. The agreement is that if I am unsatisfied with anything, he’s done a bad job, or behaved badly, I give him a spanking. As you can imagine, most boys receive more than one spanking over the summer,” he added with a smile. He also noticed two penises getting slightly bigger when the boys heard this news. “I understand that there have been spankings here.” This brought on blushes.

“Yes, sir, we have been spanked,” Henry told him. Quite quickly Mr. Schmidt’s questioning ability had the boys telling about their spankings here. Uncle Martin needed to say nothing. The boys were accurate enough that he felt no need to correct them.

After some more conversation Uncle Martin said “it’s time to get dinner ready. Mr. Schmidt and I enjoy cooking together so you boys are free to do as you want until dinner. Please dress for dinner but you don’t have to until then.” Mr. Schmidt watched closely to see how the boys reacted to that. They showed no signs of concern or embarrassment about continuing their nudity. He approved.

“But don’t go into the Punishment Room or there will be some punishments,” Uncle Martin added.

“We won’t, sir,” the boys said in unison. The men chuckled at the reaction.

The boys did go downstairs but obediently stayed away from the Punishment Room. “What do you think of him?” Niko asked.

“Hard to say. He certainly is. . . interesting, I guess. He’s an experienced spanker and I’m sure one reason he is here is to give Uncle Martin some tips.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Niko replied. They chatted quietly until called for dinner. They retrieved their clothes from the shelves in the kitchen and joined the men. Dinner conversation did not include spanking or related topics, much to the relief of the boys. The men certainly were worldly wise!

After dinner both boys said they needed to get home. “I know I’ll see more of you,” Mr. Schmidt told Henry, “and I hope for the same with you,” he said to Niko.

“I’m sure you will,” Niko replied, pleased about the comment.

The boys didn’t walk together too far before heading in different directions. “Talk tomorrow,” Henry said as they parted.

“I think I’ll have the house to myself in the afternoon,” Niko told him.

“Cool!” Both knew what the free house meant.

Around eight-thirty that evening, Martin Ordway’s phone rang. He didn’t get many calls. He excused himself to Mr. Schmidt and answered the phone in his office.

“Martin, this is Joel Parks,” the voice at the other end said.

“Oh my!” Martin said in response. “It’s been a long time and it’s really my fault. I’ve been a bit of a hermit since my parents died.”

“We should put an end to that. The reason I’m calling, though, is a bit different. My son Alex told me that he’d been bike riding with his friend Greg and they went by your house while they were exploring. One of their classmates was mowing your lawn.”

“That’s Henry.”

“Right, that is the name he said. They chatted with Henry for a while and he found out that Henry is working at your house. When Alex got home he asked if this was the same Ordway house I had told him about and those wonderful cookouts we had.”

“It is.” Mr. Ordway was pleased with what he was hearing. It was time to renew some old friendships and come back into the world.

“To be honest, he started bugging me about the swimming pool. I’d told him about it a couple of times. I’m embarrassed to just call up out of the blue and ask. . .”

“Not at all, I’m delighted to hear from you, regardless. As it turns out, having Henry here gave me an excuse to fix up the pool and fill it. He swims whenever he’s here, after his work is done, of course, and some friends join him sometimes. All very cozy, really.” Nothing was said about the lack of swimsuits. “If Alex would like to come by sometime he is welcome and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a day that Henry is here with others. Whenever he wants, really.”

“That’s very generous, considering I haven’t been in touch for so long.”

“No, no, it’s a pleasure. I have a guest now for a few days but after he has left we will set up a date for a small get-together here. In the meantime I’ll have Henry fill in Alex on whatever he needs to know.” There was one minor, still unmentioned, detail.

“Thanks! This has been serendipitous.” The men chatted briefly then rang off.

“Most interesting,” Martin said when he was resettled with Gustave. “That was a childhood friend, Joel Parks, who I haven’t talked to in years. As I told him, I’ve really been a hermit since my parents died. I’m glad he called as it gives me an excuse to re-emerge, as it were. Anyhow, his son was bike riding with a friend and passed by here when Henry was mowing the front lawn. When his son Alex heard my name he remembered that his Dad had come here for cookouts and things and that we had a pool. So of course the kid is eager for a swim.”

“Did you tell his father about the lack-of-dress code?” They both chuckled.

“Somehow I missed that detail,” Martin responded with a twinkle. “We had to swim nude when we were kids, so Joel may remember. Maybe not. I’m going to let Henry be the liaison. We’ll see what happens. He got Jim and Scott out of their clothes, so we know he can do it.”

This would have to wait until Henry came for work on Tuesday. In the meantime, the two men caught up before Mr. Schmidt left on Tuesday. Henry and Niko were together every day, naked whenever they could be. Mostly they talked, solidifying their friendship.

When Henry arrived at the Ordway house on Tuesday, Mr. Schmidt hadn’t left yet. “I stayed until today because I knew you’d be here again,” Mr. Schmidt told Henry.

“I’m glad you did.”

“I have something to discuss with you,” Uncle Martin told him. “It has to do with clothes being off, so you’d best take off yours.” Henry was glad to, even with someone there who he didn’t know well. After all, Mr. Schmidt had seen him naked already. Henry naked, Uncle Martin continued. “The father of your friend Alex is someone I knew when we were boys. He used to visit here for cookouts and swims.” Henry could tell where this was going. “Alex is curious about the swimming pool.”

“I’m not surprised,” Henry replied. “He asked about it that day he stopped by. And I remember that you recognized the name.”

“His father asked if Alex could use the pool sometime. Somehow I omitted the fact that boys swim nude here.” Henry saw the twinkle in the man’s eyes. He was amused that Uncle Martin had done that, but hardly surprised. “We had to swim nude in those days. We’ll see if Joel remembers. I told him that I’d let you talk to Alex. You got Jim and Scott out of their clothes so we know you’re capable in that regard.”

Henry paused a moment. “I don’t know Alex as well as I know Jim and Scott. I mean, I hardly know him.” But the thought of Alex and Greg naked here had crossed his mind well before this. And maybe seeing them spanked. “I don’t know if they’d fit in, even if they didn’t object to being naked.” Henry liked that he had his own small group at the pool and knew that the other three felt the same.

“It’s up to you, son. I won’t judge you if you choose not to invite him.”

“Let me talk to the guys first.” With that everyone’s attention turned to Mr. Schmidt’s departure.

“Bring Mr. Schmidt’s things down, if you would,” Uncle Martin instructed. There wasn’t much to bring down. Henry knew he’d be back up to the guest room as part of today’s duties.

“It has been a pleasure meeting you, Henry,” Mr. Schmidt said. “I hope we will meet again.”

“I hope so, too.”

“Start with the guest room,” Uncle Martin told Henry when the guest had left. Henry went upstairs. He put new sheets on the bed. There really was no other tidying as Mr. Schmidt was a thoughtful guest. A few minutes in the bathroom and things were in order again. Henry took the sheets and towels downstairs and started the wash. Both floors hadn’t been vacuumed in a while so he set himself to that task which took most of the morning.

“Care for some lunch?” Uncle Martin asked when Henry was done.

“Definitely.”

When they were settled Uncle Martin asked “how well do you know Alex?”

“Like I said, not very. Hardly at all, really. We see each other at school and that’s it. He pals around with that guy Greg who you saw, and some others sometimes. I don’t know Greg, either.”

“Will it be awkward for you inviting him, or them, to swim and explain the no swimsuit rule.”

“It was a bit awkward with Jim and Scott and they’re my good friends. Likely it will be strange with Alex.” He paused for a bit. “I wonder if he’ll think it perverted. If word gets out at school we’ll never hear the end of it. And we don’t want you to get in trouble. We are underage, after all.” Uncle Martin considered all of this. Initially he saw the invitation just as doing something pleasant for a friend but Henry had some good points.

“I need to give this some more thought,” Uncle Martin said after a moment. “If Alex is going to get an invite I do need to clear it with his father first.” He paused again then gave a slight smile. “There is the advantage that we always had to swim nude. He always did or he didn’t swim. Dad let us keep shorts by the pool so it was only while we were in the water that we were naked, so it wasn’t all that embarrassing having our parents around. We weren’t naked all the time the way you are. So, Joel should understand that continuing this rule isn’t a whim on my part. But I’m not a parent or guardian. If I tell him I’ll have to tell your parents and those of the other guys. Do your parents know that you swim nude here?”

“No. I told them that you had old bathing suits I can use. I don’t think they know that the other guys come over. I’ve never said anything”

“You also are right that bringing more boys into the group only increases the chances of word getting out. That would be bad all around. I’ll think about it.”

They finished up lunch, no decision about Alex and Greg having been made on Uncle Martin’s part. There wasn’t much left for Henry to do so by two-thirty he was on his way home. He checked his phone for texts from Niko. There was one. It said “come over when you get done. I’m home alone.” A smiley face was at the end. The message put a smile on Henry’s face.

There was a lot to think about as he walked. He had long since stopped thinking that the nude swimming was weird but the idea of bringing Alex and maybe Greg into the mix made it seem weird again.

Henry was glad to get to Niko’s. The boys embraced once Henry was in the house, then Niko said “get your clothes off.” This was usual now when they were together if the situation allowed it. Henry casually undressed. Niko did not.

“Ah, what about you?” Henry asked when he was naked. Niko gave an enigmatic smile, then undressed slowly.

“Get your stuff and let’s go upstairs,” now naked Niko said. Quickly they did and went to Niko’s bedroom. They rolled around on the bed, mostly kissing. After a while Niko asked “has Uncle Martin spanked you anymore?”

Startled by the question Henry replied “no. Why would he?”

“Why not? He knows you want it.”

“He knows that you want it, too. You know that you deserved that first one. Why this sudden curiosity?”

“I dunno. We talked about spanking each other and it just made me wonder.”

“And you want to spank me?” Henry asked. He wondered if that’s where this was headed. Niko had said that he’d like to spank Henry. “Or me spank you?”

“Not today,” was the reply. “I have other things in mind.” Niko definitely took the lead as they went back to making out. Henry noticed it but they were at Niko’s house so it seemed to make sense for Niko lead things Henry thought as they went on. Regardless, he was having fun.

“Roll over,” Niko said after a while. “Back rub time.” Henry liked the sound of that and rolled over. Niko’s hands felt wonderful as they explored from Henry’s neck down to his legs. He’d never had a butt massage and was loving it. Not at all like a spanking.

When Henry was quite relaxed Niko began more exploration of his friend’s butt, gently kneading the muscles. Fingers began to dip between Henry’s cheeks. By now he didn’t care. It just felt good. Henry gasped when Niko’s finger found his rosebud but did not object as Niko teased the sensitive area. No one had ever done this to Henry but it felt so good that he didn’t want it to stop. Niko made a slight entry. That was no different than the couple of times Uncle Martin had done that.

When Henry was feeling quite relaxed Niko stopped and apparently reached for something. After a moment Henry felt a lubed finger seeking admission. He gasped but it was in pleasure. Niko had never done this so was moving slowly. Both enjoyed it. Henry felt two fingers going in. He’d experimented on himself with two fingers so knew he could take it. He let out a “mmmm.”

The fingers were withdrawn. After a moment something new was poking him. He knew what it was. “Niko!” he cried out. Fingers were one thing but a hard cock, even one that wasn’t big, was a different matter.

Niko leaned down. “Relax, baby,” he purred in Henry’s ear. Without thinking Henry did just that. Niko resumed his entry and slowly Henry accepted him. It was uncomfortable at first but Niko did not force him. Suddenly he realized that Niko was fully in and that it felt great. He gave another “mmmm,” as did Niko.

Then Niko started to fuck his friend, moving in and out, slowly and gently. He wanted to savor it as long as he could. He was young and this was new so he didn’t last long. Henry could feel the change, then Niko gave a yell and Henry knew that he was being filled by his friend.

Niko collapsed on top of Henry. As he calmed down he went soft and pulled out. Henry felt overwhelmed by the many sensations of what was happening to him today. “I own you now, baby,” Niko whispered in Henry’s ear.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve filled you my essence and now you belong to me.” Niko got off Henry’s back and gently rolled him onto his back, then gave him a long kiss, the most passionate they had shared so far. Henry now was hard as a rock. After some more kissing which got Henry more excited, Niko slid down and took Henry into his mouth.

“Oh! Oh!” Henry cried at this unexpected, and new, sensation. He’d read about blowjobs but never had experienced it. Henry’s explosion was almost immediate. He lay back, gasping. Niko lay down on top of him, gently kissed him and said “now you’re in me. We have bonded. You are mine.”

When calm was restored, Henry gently pushed Niko off him and said “what do you mean that I belong to you? Like a slave?”

“No, no, no, baby,” Niko replied. Now that Henry was not distracted by sex he was more aware of Niko calling him “baby” and wasn’t sure if he liked that. “It’s an old custom I read about. When two men love each other, one seals the bond by anal sex, making him the alpha. The sealing is complete when the alpha takes in the other’s essence orally. It was called ‘owning’ even though it wasn’t slavery.” Henry was silent.

Finally he asked “does this mean that you love me?”

“Yes!” Niko almost shouted. He was not ashamed of his emotion.

“I don’t know what to say. You’ve become very special and I don’t what it means to be in love.” He started softly crying.

“Oh baby, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Niko held him tight.

“You didn’t, it just that I don’t know what to think.”

“Don’t think, then.” They lay there silently, holding each other. They were like that for a long time, then Niko checked his clock and said “people will be home soon. We need to get dressed.”

They kissed then got off the bed to slowly dress. No one had arrived by the time Niko and Henry got to the door. Niko gave Henry another kiss and said “I love you, baby.” Without thinking Henry said “I love you, too.”

Henry barely slept that night as he tried to sort out his emotions. In a short time this summer had gone in directions unimaginable. What happened with Niko didn’t upset him but he didn’t know how he should feel or react. Could he talk to Uncle Martin about this? Finally sleep overtook him.

When he awoke in the morning Henry felt better about “belonging” to Niko. Did he belong to Uncle Martin, too, he wondered. What did that really mean? He opened his laptop and did some research as best he could. He found the tradition Niko had adopted. There was a lot to it. What did catch his interest was that both parties could own the other. That put an idea in his head. Not to get back at his lover, but to make them true partners. Suddenly it hit him – he had thought of Niko as his lover.

There was a knock at his door and Mom called “are you awake? Do you want some breakfast?”

“I’ll be down soon,” he replied. He gave the erection, which he’d had when he woke up and had not gone away, relax. He pulled on shorts and a t-shirt and went downstairs, making his best effort not to reveal any emotions.

Mom and Dad were at the kitchen table which was not the usual on a weekday. “Not working today?” Henry asked his father.

“Going in late,” Dad replied.

When Henry was settled at the table, his mother said “It looks like you and Niko are becoming good friends.” Henry blushed slightly.

“Yeah, I guess so. He’s a good guy. I don’t know why but he didn’t have many friends.” His parents seemed to accept this but Henry was uneasy, thinking that perhaps they had sensed something about his friendship.

“This is turning into a good summer for you,” Dad said, “a good job which gives you plenty of time outdoors along with good pay, new friends. Do you see much of Jim and Scott these days?”

“Oh yeah, they’re around. I don’t see anyone as much now that I’m working for Un. . . Mr. Ordway.” Henry saw Dad’s eyebrows go up slightly at his verbal slip but nothing was said.

“Anything planned today, dear?” Mom asked. This all was feeling weird to Henry. He did his best to stay cool.

“Not sure. You’re right that I should see what Jim and Scott are up to.” It had been a while since they’d had a jerkoff session together and Henry suddenly was missing that. He figured they were doing it without him, which was cool. Nothing more was said as they finished breakfast. Dad went to work and Henry went back upstairs.

Once in his room, Henry texted Jim and Scott. “What’s up with you guys?” After a moment Jim texted back “can you do a Zoom?” Henry said he could and quickly all three were on screen.

After the usual banter Jim said “Are you and Niko joined at the hip now?”

“Whad’ya mean? He’s a good guy and it’s not like you two aren’t together a lot.” Neither boy responded. Hoping to avoid more comments Henry quickly asked “you guys up for a j.o. session? We haven’t done that in a while.”

“Yeah. I’ve almost forgotten what your hardon looks like,” Scott said with a grin. Then, “My folks are out all day so you guys can come over any time. Drop your clothes at the door.” All three laughed at that. In the past they’d been naked together only for their masturbation sessions but their time at Mr. Ordway’s pool had them all much more comfortable with nudity. At least nudity with each other. Jim and Scott still felt like it was forced at Mr. Ordway’s, even if enjoyable with the pool.

Henry was avoiding contact with Niko and he knew that he was. His emotions over yesterday were too strong. He needed time to sort things out. Yet, he knew that he wanted Niko as a friend. Was he ready for him to be a lover? Could he admit to himself that he wanted Niko as a lover? Was he in love with him?

It felt good to be together with Jim and Scott again. They fell into their usual routine. “First to cum loses,” Scott said, reviving one of their games. Sometimes first to cum was the winner. The boys worked slowly, each trying not to give in to the urge. To his embarrassment Scott, who called the game, was the first. Henry next, making Jim the winner. Jim always gloated a bit when he won any of these contests. After cleaning up, no one made a move to put clothes on, they were just hanging out naked together.

Henry’s phone buzzed a couple of times but he ignored it. He was sure it was Niko. He was putting off dealing with Niko until later.

Next day was a workday and would help him to an emotional reckoning.





Household Help, Chapter Fourteen

Henry Confides in Uncle Martin. The Swim Circles Widens


The next morning Henry arrived at the Ordway house as usual, before nine o’clock, but it was obvious to Uncle Martin that the boy had no spring in his step and was preoccupied with something. He gave Henry time to explain but would press him if he took too long.

“Are you and Niko having problems?” Uncle Martin asked when he felt he’d given Henry enough time to say whatever was on his mind.

“No,” Henry replied slowly. “Just the opposite. I think we’re. . . I guess they call it being lovers.” That hung in the air for a moment then the dam burst and Henry was telling Uncle Martin everything that had gone on.

“Are you happy about it?” Uncle Martin asked when Henry finished.

“Yes! We both are! But it’s. . . I’ve never done anything. . .” Showing embarrassment Henry added “and I haven’t known how to talk to Niko right now.”

“No need to be embarrassed and I bet Niko is feeling the same way. I think you should call or text him and say that you’d like his help here.” Henry hesitated but did take out his phone and sent his lover a message.

“You sure?” Niko wrote back. He had the same uncertainties.

“Yes, yes!” Henry replied.

“See you soon.” Henry, beaming, told Uncle Martin that Niko was coming over.

“Let’s wait for him to get here before you start any projects.”

“May I invite Jim and Scott to come by later? I haven’t seen them much lately.” That was true even though they’d just had a masturbation session. This visit would have wider implications than expected.

In a few minutes Niko was letting himself in by the back door which, like Henry, was his habit now.

“I told Uncle Martin,” Henry blurted out as Niko came in. Both boys blushed deeply.

“Not to worry, young man,” Uncle Martin said. “I won’t say a word. I’ll be honest and tell you that I hoped you two would get together.” With a smile he added “I’ve played a bit of Cupid and I see I’ve been successful.” The boys let out with a nervous laugh which quickly became genuine laughter. The tension was broken.

“Niko, you still have your clothes on. If they’re not off in the next thirty seconds you’ll be starting your day with a sore bottom.” The twinkle in his eye mitigated the so-called threat. Niko was naked in record time.

“Uncle Martin said that I can invite Jim and Scott today, even though it’s not Saturday. I haven’t seen them much lately.”

“Nor have I,” Niko said. He did like the two.

“Make your call and then I’ll let you boys know what’s needed today.” It didn’t take Henry long to send a group text. His friends were happy to come by. Henry told them to come at any time.

Not much needed doing today and between them Henry and Niko made short work of it. They offered to make lunch, something they’d never done, and Uncle Martin was happy to let them.

“Fine lunch, boys,” he said when they finished. The praise brought on wide smiles. As they were clearing the table, the doorbell rang.

“That’s Jim and Scott,” Henry said. “I’ll get it.” He did not pull on his pants. It was Jim and Scott at the door so Henry’s nudity didn’t matter. He was discreet and stayed behind the door, nonetheless. For the second time he thought he saw Alex and Greg in the distance. On a whim he signaled to them.

The two walked up to the door slowly, a bit abashed on being caught. When they got to the door Henry said “I know you guys want to swim. C’mon in.” He pulled the door open and revealed his nudity.

“Whoa, man, you don’t have clothes on!” Alex said.

“No, I don’t. The rule here is that we have to swim nude. Apparently that was the rule when Mr. Ordway and your dad were kids, Alex. It’s no big deal.”

“So, were you swimming?” Greg asked.

“Not yet. I just like being naked and it’s ok here.” Greg gave Henry a look of bewilderment. Henry led them into the kitchen where Niko was naked and the newcomers were shedding their clothes.

“Mr. Ordway, these are Alex and Greg. I saw them outside and invited them in. I hope that’s ok.”

“Of course,” the man replied. He introduced himself to the second pair of newcomers. A glance at Henry told the boy that there would be some sort of “talk” later. “Alex, I remember your father. He called me the other day and told me that you’re interested in the pool. I’m glad to have it used, as these boys will tell you. There is one rule: if you’re going to swim you have to do it naked, as I’m sure Henry told you. Also I firmly believe that boys should not be modest and, as you can see, your friends agree.” Greg and Alex looked at each, overwhelmed by the whole situation.

“Maybe we should leave,” Greg said slowly after a moment’s pause.

“Please don’t!” said Scott, to the surprise of the others. “You get used to it and swimming naked is the best.” The newcomers did not look convinced.

“Um. . . if we do get naked, it’s kinda. . . I guess like a secret.”

“We haven’t told anyone,” Henry said, hoping to sound reassuring.

“Yeah, you don’t want it all over school that you’re running around naked,” Jim added.

“Did my father really swim nude here?” Alex asked after another pause.

“Absolutely. All the kids did, right through high school.” Alex and Greg looked stunned at this information. They were cool about showers after gym but there was no nudity beyond that. With the exception of occasional masturbation together, a normal teen activity.

“It’s entirely your decision, boys,” Mr. Ordway said in his warmest tones.

“We’ve all seen each naked already,” Jim said. He wasn’t so much eager to see them naked as he was to have them make a decision. “And you know that you want to swim.”

After another pause Alex sighed and said “yeah, I do want to swim,” and slowly began removing his clothes.

“We put our stuff on the shelves over there,” Henry told them, indicating where clothes already were. Greg still was unsure but the peer pressure was mounting. Alex got down to his briefs. The other boys were surprised by how revealing they were. They’d never seen Alex in anything like that at school. Alex gave Mr. Ordway a look that asked “must I?”

“Everything, my boy,” Mr. Ordway said. Secretly he was eager to have Alex revealed which would mean he’d have seen father and son naked at about the same age. Greg was getting down to his briefs and in a moment he and Alex stood there in just their briefs. Nerves made Greg start to get hard, which everyone could see.

“Don’t worry about getting hard,” Jim told them. “Niko does all the time.” Niko blushed slightly and then just laughed. American modesty seemed so silly to him. Alex and Greg looked at each other and together dropped their briefs. Now six boys were naked. Greg tried to cover his erection but it was hopeless. Everyone knew he was hard. The newcomers definitely were not happy about it but they very much wanted to get in the pool.

“Go ahead and swim,” Mr. Ordway told them with a smile. Alex and Greg joined Henry, Jim, and Scott in a run to the pool. Splashes and yelling were heard. Niko had stayed behind.

“This is just like I told you. Six guys here and I’m the only one who’s uncut.”

“Does that bother you?”

“I don’t think so but I’m aware that I’m different and that people notice it. Alex and Greg have seen me naked enough that if they care they’ve never said anything.”

“If I hear any unnecessary comments you know what will happen.” They both chuckled at that. “Now, into the water!” He gave Niko a swat to the bottom as the boy left. Both had come to love these little intimacies. As had Henry.

In the pool there was a lot of rough housing. Niko swam over to Jim who was taking a pause from the fun. “You have a big mouth,” he said. Both knew it was in friendly rivalry, not anger. “You just wish you could get hard, too.”

“You think so?” Jim shot back. Both boys were smiling. “I can get hard any time.” He reached under the water and gave himself a few strokes. Once he was hard he pulled himself up out of the pool. “There you go,” he said to Niko in a mildly taunting voice.

“What’s going on here?” Henry asked. He always enjoyed seeing Jim hard but didn’t expect it to be happening at the pool. Alex and Greg looked embarrassed.

“Oh he’s jealous ‘cause I get hard sometimes when we’re here and he doesn’t.”

“Well put it away,” Henry said. “You’re embarrassing our friends.” What was embarrassing Alex and Greg was that they now were hard and thankful to be in deep water.

Greg took a deep breath and said “it’s ok. We are, too.” A cheer went up from the other four. It was an odd way for any tension to be broken but it did the trick. Previously the horseplay had been Greg and Alex together, Henry, Jim, and Scott with each other. Now everyone was trying to duck whoever was closest and other fun things. Mr. Ordway was enjoying the noise and laughter that he was hearing. Two generations of the Parks family swam nude here. He liked the symmetry.

His only disappointment was that the erections were under water and he didn’t get a good look at them.

After about forty-five minutes Mr. Ordway brought out snacks and drinks. “Come get snacks whenever you want,” he called down to the pool.

“Damn, I am hungry,” said Jim. “I didn’t realize it until just now. Who wants to join me?” By now all six were feeling a bit waterlogged and ready for a break. Henry, Niko, Jim, and Scott got out of the pool and ambled up to the patio, unconcerned about their naked state and a lack of towels. Greg and Alex could see that there were towels on the patio. They climbed out more slowly and made an equally slow progress to join the others. A couple of times they moved to cover their genitals but realized there was no point. The nudity still was disconcerting and they had expected to be able to wrap towels around themselves. They did not miss that no one had done that once he was dry.

“Did you enjoy the pool?” Mr. Ordway asked Alex.

“Very much. Thank you, sir.”

“No need to call me sir,” Mr. Ordway said with a smile. “I trust you’re getting used to being naked and shedding your unnecessary modesty.”

Alex and Greg blushed a bit. “This is new,” Greg said. “I never expected it and, well. . .”

“You’re doing just fine.” Then a change of topic. “I don’t want you back in the pool for a half-hour so you can properly digest. Henry can show you around the yard if you’re interested.” Alex and Greg were quite interested and glad of the opportunity. Niko, Jim, and Scott stayed behind and chatted with their host.

Alex and Greg quickly got caught up in the tour and completely forgot that they were without clothes. As Mr. Ordway (and Henry) hoped. Whether they would be converts was another matter. Foremost, though, was, would they return? Henry saw how much they enjoyed the pool so was optimistic. And they were very much enjoying the tour of the yard.

Before anyone knew the time had passed, Mr. Ordway was calling out that they could go back in the pool. Only Niko stayed behind.

“So you know now what happened with Henry and me,” Niko said once they were alone. He knew he could trust Uncle Martin.

“I’m delighted for you two. I hoped you’d become friends and this is even better.”

“Does this mean that we’re lovers?” This all was new. After all, they were sixteen.

“That’s up to you, really. You may just go along having fun or you may find yourselves making a stronger commitment.”

“Did you ever have a boyfriend?”

“I wondered when one of you would ask that. I had a couple over the years but nothing that lasted. I spent a lot of time caring for my parents so it was hard to have a relationship of that kind. I don’t regret it. I feel I’ve been lucky this summer. I genuinely do need some help around here, though I do give Henry some jobs that I could do,” he added with a wink. “But having you boys around has given me some new life. So I thank you.”

“We’re just being us.”

“That’s all you need to do. And stay naked.” Both smiled at that. “Now go join your friends in the pool.” Niko was off. Henry guessed why Niko had stayed behind and it was confirmed later when they were alone. Jim started to get inquisitive but Henry steered the conversation away. Jim was quite aware of what Henry had done which only made him more suspicious.

Around four o’clock the group started to break up. No surprise to the regulars, Greg and Alex were first to go. It was noticed that they didn’t rush getting their clothes back on, however. They were effusive in their thanks.

“May we come again?” Alex asked before they went out the door.

“That’s up to you. You’re always welcome. The boys usually come around two o’clock on Saturdays.” The boys said “thanks” again and were out the door.

“Converts?” Scott, of all people, asked. Everyone laughed.

“That remains to be seen,” Mr. Ordway responded. “However, I’m thinking that a lunch with Alex’s father, just to renew our acquaintance of course, is in order.” The twinkle in his eyes sent the clear message that the lunch was about more than just renewing acquaintance.

When all four had left Mr. Ordway went to the phone and dialed his childhood friend Joel Parks. He’d enjoyed their quick phone chat but now face-to-face was needed. “Martin Ordway here,” he said when Joel answered. “Are you free for a casual lunch on Sunday? Or any day, really.”

“As it turns out I could do tomorrow if that’s not too short notice.”

“Not at all! I eat around one. Very casual, dinner is my fancy meal. The weather should be good so we can sit out back on the patio.”

“Sounds great!” They chatted a little more then rang off.

The next day at about ten minutes before one o’clock Martin heard his front doorbell. Joel Parks was standing there. The men exchanged a lengthy handshake. “It’s been way too long!” Joel said.

“It certainly has,” Martin agreed. Everything is ready to go out onto the patio.” They went into the kitchen where Martin had everything ready on trays.

“Let me help you,” Joel said as he picked up a tray. “Nice kitchen. I’d say there have been some renovations since we were kids.”

“Very observant. Yes, I have made some. I did it after my parents died.” They proceeded outside. “You’re married, have a family, that’s really all I know about you.”

Joel was glad to share a bit of his life story. The two had lost touch when they went to different colleges. As so often happens, Joel met a woman there with whom he fell in love. They married right after college. “We’re still happily married,” he said. “Quite happily.” Martin understood. “Alex came along pretty quickly, then we had a few years before our next son, Stanley, came along, and not long after our daughter Dorothy.

“My wife always liked the town when we’d visit so we decided that we’d move here if an opportunity arose. I’ve been incredibly lucky as I did find a job here with a small company but it’s secure. I teach the odd class at the university and I guess I could work there if for some reason the company folded. When my grandparents died we found out that they had a lot more money tucked away than anyone, even their children, knew. So, all their great-grandchildren one day will have a bit more to guard against the wolf.”

“You have been lucky! I’m pleased for you.”

“We’ve also been lucky because our kids are great, too. Alex told me he had been here yesterday after an unexpected invitation. I trust he wasn’t a bother.”

“Not at all. I very much enjoyed his company and that of his friend Greg, too.”

“Oho, I figured they’d be together. All I got out of him was that there were some others here that he knows and that they did get to use the pool. I shouldn’t presume but I have a good guess as to what he left out.” Both men laughed.

“Yes, I enforced the nudity rule. I hope that wasn’t out of line.”

“No, no, not at all. I’m glad you did, though it did take me a while to remember the rule. Alex has developed that foolish teen modesty which I’d love for him to get rid of. He and Greg were reluctant, no doubt.”

“They were but there were four naked boys here already so, if nothing else, peer pressure got them out of their clothes. Alex and Greg seemed fine with it once they’d been here awhile.”

“Good. Now, I’ve gabbed too long. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”

“You may remember that I got into the university here, which was my first choice. That was good because my parents’ health wasn’t great, though they weren’t infirm, but I wanted to be able to keep an eye on them. My younger brother was still here, which helped. Eventually he went to college, got married, and is living in the next state. We’ve never had issues but somehow we never were all that close, either. I got a job with a major firm, did well, but then I began to have some minor health issues and got bored with the job at the same time. By then my parents needed help here so I quit the job, got a decent pension, and moved back in here, where I’ve been ever since. The family had money, as you know, so being unemployed was not an issue.

“I felt burned out after my parents died and unintentionally went into hibernation, I guess you’d call it. Taking care of this house was becoming a challenge so I advertised for some household help and Henry appeared at my door. He’s a good kid and a conscientious worker. Having him and his friends around has made me come back to life a bit.”

“Any romances, if I may ask,” Joel said.”

“During college and after, when I wasn’t living here, I had some brief relationships with both women and men. I hope that doesn’t shock you.” Joel shook his head “no.” “I never gave it much thought, just enjoyed things at the moment. In this era of everything needing a label I guess that makes me bisexual. I hope it doesn’t shock you, either, that I’ve enjoyed having naked boys around the house.”

“No, no,” Joel replied with a chuckle. “Those sorts of things have never mattered to me. But you said ‘boys’ plural. How many are romping around here?”

Another chuckle from Martin. “It was Henry at first, of course. You and I both were taught the ‘boys shouldn’t be modest’ theory and as it turned out I had relatively little trouble getting him out of his clothes. Mostly it was by being clear that swimming was naked only and he wanted to swim. After that he seemed to naturally adapt to being naked around the house.

“As for the plural, somehow his buddies Jim and Scott got wind of the pool and wanted to get an invitation.”

“I know them slightly. Good kids.”

“Yes, they are. Henry told them what the rules were. They were reluctant at first but they really wanted to swim and that won out. In the meantime a new kid named Niko wanted to meet Henry and so he joined the group. He’s Japanese and much more casual about clothes than American teens. Since then all four are here just about every Saturday afternoon, enjoying the pool.”

“Alex apparently didn’t know there were more guys here than just Henry. How much arm twisting did you have to do to get him out of his clothes?”

“As I said it was Alex and his friend Greg. Neither of them was thrilled initially at the prospect but by the time they arrived the other four all were naked. Again, I think peer pressure and the desire to swim was what influenced them. Neither boy has anything to be ashamed of, I might add.”

“Well all I can say is good for you! There really is no reason for any of my kids to be naked at home but it would be nice if they were more relaxed about it, especially Alex. I’m sure it won’t be long before Stanley is the same way.”

“By the way, do you think I need to talk to Greg’s dad? I don’t want any legal issues.”

“Leave that to me. I know him well.”

“Thanks. How would you feel about joining us some Saturday? Clothes on, of course.”

“I’d like to but I need to consider Alex’s feelings. Maybe some subterfuge at home to ease him into it, though what it might be I can’t say at the moment.”

“Just let me know.” From there the conversation went on to other aspects of their lives, some mutual interests, and the kind of things that brought them up to date.

Eventually Joel said “I need to get home. Janice will wonder where I am!”

“I’m glad you visited. You are welcome any time.”

“Thanks!” After a handshake Martin let Joel out the door.

In his mind Martin returned to being Mr. Ordway, or rather, Uncle Martin. He had told Henry that they would need to talk about Henry inviting Alex and Greg without asking permission first. He had to give some thought as to just how he’d handle it.