Free Hard Sell by Kendall Morgan Page A

Ben’s eyes widen.
    “You name them? You name them, then kill them and eat them?” Ben was very close to getting shrill.
    Gary cackled and strode away.
    Wes shook his head. “He’s yanking your chain, Ben.”
    “What?” Ben looked torn. The pulled pork was delicious, but clearly the thought of eating something that had had a name made him queasy.
    “He’s testing you. He does it to everybody. Don’t let it get to you,” Wes said.
    Ben kept chewing, apparently deciding that excellent pulled pork shouldn’t be wasted. “Asshole.” He grinned.
    Gary and Jeff’s barbecues were popular with the gay men in the area. As a group, they tended to skew older, most of them being in their forties and up. A few younger guys showed up once in a while, usually as the boyfriends of older men. Wes noticed a few younger men were here tonight. One in particular caught his eye. When the man smiled a small dimple appeared just to the right of his mouth. Cute guy, very cute, Wes thought. He suspected the younger man was in his early thirties.
    Jeff sat down next to Wes to finally eat a bite or two before he had to return to being an attentive host.
    “Who’s that?” Wes asked.
    “Who’s who?” Jeff said.
    “The new young guy. The one with the brown hair talking to Jason. I haven’t seen him at any of your parties before.”
    Jeff looked in the direction that Wes had motioned. “Oh, him. He’s Jason’s latest pick-up. I think they met at Big Ed’s.”
    “Really?” Wes asked. Big Ed’s 24/7 XXX Emporium was a place where men met and had a good time with each other, but they didn’t usually go on a date afterwards.
    Jeff nodded. “I think ‘pick-up’ may be a bit of an exaggeration. I think Jason just mentioned the party in passing while they were perusing the porn selection at Big Ed’s. He’s hot. Too hot for Jason, actually. He’s probably more interested in the party than Jason. You like him?”
    “He’s got possibilities,” Wes said. “Does he like older guys?”
    “You’ll have to ask him.”
    *
    A bit later in the evening, Wes joined a conversation going on with Jason, Jesse, Ben and a few other men. They were sitting in the gazebo that Jeff and his dad had built. The conversation ranged from the latest movies and trendiest TV programs to possible candidates for local elections to the best anal lube. At one point, Wes found himself sitting next to Jesse. Jason had excused himself a few minutes before. The solar-powered lamps set around the gazebo started to light up as dusk settled in before giving way to night.
    “Gary and Jeff have got a really great spread here,” Jesse said.
    “That they do. I’m Wes Mitchell.” He offered his hand. The two men shook hands.
    “Jesse Ekstrom.”
    “Pleasure meeting you,” Wes said. “This is your first time here, right?”
    Jesse grinned. “Yeah. Does it show that I’m such a newbie in Jeff and Gary World?”
    “It’s not that. It’s more that I’ve been to every one of Jeff and Gary’s soirees, and I’m pretty sure I’d remember you if you’d been here before.” Wes hoped it didn’t sound too much like a pick-up line, but then would it be so bad if it did?
    “Well, one thing’s for sure. I bring down the median age here, just a little bit.”
    Wes thought he heard a mischievous yet playful edge in Jesse’s voice. In the golden glow given off by a nearby lamp, he may have even seen a naughty flicker in Jesse’s brown eyes. Wes laughed.
    “You’re right,” Wes said. “This can be a bit of an AARP homestead.”
    “Hey! Speak for yourself!” A guy named Philip had piped up. “I will always be 30, and no one can tell me different! I’ve got the receipts for my skin care regimen to prove it!” Philip preened to the delight of the guys in the gazebo.
    At that moment, Jason returned and wedged himself between Wes and Jesse. He handed Jesse a drink. It was all Wes could do not to laugh out loud. Jesse was so not into Jason, but Jason was