Chapter Text
Ennis Del Mar drove on Route 295, heading towards Memphis. Not Memphis, Tennessee where Elvis is presumed to be alive and well, but Memphis, Kentucky, a small town with a population of 1010. A struggling ma’s and pa’s store needed more CarCos can vegetables in less than three days. Ennis was a day behind and needed twenty more hours to make it to the store.
He rubbed his eyes, trying to keep them opened. He glanced at the empty coffee cartons in the cup holder. The dark stains still remain on the edge of the carton where his lips sipped from. Then he glanced at the other seven empty cartons lying on the passenger side. Eight cups of coffee in four hours and sleep was still slowly crept up on him.
He watched the lights change from bright yellow to neon red to rigid green, each having their own meaning on the road. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, observing the dark night sky and near empty streets. Each mile he passed, the signs begin to look the same, merging into a gigantic sign that reads “Not Even Close Enough.”
Ennis ran his fingers through his messy blonde hair. He wished he could change his life; but with only a high school education and married with a kid and one on the way, he had no choice but to drive cross country and deliver can vegetables to small and large stores for a living.
What made it worse was he had to work for Alma’s uncle’s warehouse and truck driving business. It wasn’t his first choice, but after many rejections from other truck driving companies it was all he had.
It was a blessing and curse after considering how much Alma’s family didn’t care for him. And quite frankly, Ennis didn’t give a rat’s shit about them either. But, he shouldn’t complain. The way the economy was heading, he was grateful to have a job.
Although, Ennis had to admit, he felt like he was missing something in his life. Almost all his high school “friends” were in college, getting drunk off their asses and chasing tails or going up in their career. He envied them. He wished he was able to live a more “fulfilling” life like his “old friends.”
But Ennis had to keep telling himself, he has a pretty decent life.
Ennis Del Mar is a simple man with simple pleasures of life. He loved Alma and will do anything for his baby girl, Alma Jr., and his unknown gendered child. He provided a good home for them despite living in a small, cramp apartment in a not so decent part of town. He’s living something of the American Dream, or “The American Dream of Simplicity, but he still believed something was missing.
Ennis didn’t know what he was missing, but it kept him lying awake at night. It kept him from having a deep connection with Alma (who sometimes blamed him for ruining her dreams of becoming a doctor). The American Dream of Simplicity didn’t work all the time and Ennis just simply “existed” in his life. He hated his job, his rocky relationship with his wife, and his current situation.
Maybe Ennis should stop complaining and deal with the set of cards God gave him. It could’ve been worse as he saw with his Old Man and Ma.
When he saw the sign for Orlando, Kentucky, a little smile appeared on his 5 o’clock shadow face. Instead of a twenty hour drive to Memphis, it became an eighteen hour drive. If he keeps driving on Route 295, he might arrive in there earlier than he thought.
Deliver the cans, sleep inside a cheap, bug infested motel that smell of stale bread and musk, eat greasy burger and fries than go back home…my family.
Ennis almost heard his heart hit the pit of his stomach as he held the steering wheel tightly. There was a time he couldn’t wait to get back home to Alma. Just holding her in his arms while in bed or making love to her was the best parts of coming home, but, lately, it became a duty. The arguing became a mandatory duty and not a once in a blue moon occurrences. His heart was no longer—
Ennis saw the “Welcome to Orlando” sign and knew he made it. Although it was night, he knew the city was quite tiny. Small 1850’s buildings stood side by side, outlining the sidewalks. He might saw some horses if he looked hard enough. It took him awhile to see the modern side of the city like shopping centers, Wal-Mart, car dealerships, empty stores, and new houses with “Foreclosures” signs on the edge of the yard.
Ennis swallowed the lump forming in the back of his throat. Thank God they lived in an apartment although they are struggling with the bills.
Ennis’ eyes begin to close. He wished he brought another cup of coffee but there were no stores opened which pissed him off. He tried keeping them opened but slowly the muscles in his eyes begin to work on their own.
He saw a small bar called Marilyn Monroe Café & Bar, a memorial for the Blonde Bombshell of his Old Man’s time and an all night drinking binge for thrill seekers. Next to it was a small, one floor motel with the sign “vacancy” blinking on the front window of the lobby.
Ennis parked his truck in the parking lot reserved for large travelling trucks. He turned off the engine and pulled out his wallet.
“Shit,” Ennis grumbled. He closed his wallet and put it back inside his pocket. He might as well make use with his money. Two more weeks and he will have a paycheck for his family. Two weeks was like four years for the unemployed and the money he makes was enough to pay most of his family’s bills. Truck driving might be “good money” in some people’s eyes, but, to Ennis, wasn’t enough to survive with a wife and two kids.
And Alma’s uncle didn’t particularly like him. Ennis believed he was cutting his check on purpose but he didn’t have proof. All he had was an intuition and the cold eyes of the fat fuck.
Ennis took out his logbook and made note of his rest stop. There were times he lied in order to make more money. He knew it was wrong, but a few extra dollars wouldn’t hurt his uncle-in-law’s business.
Ennis got out of his truck and entered the lobby. His eyes blinked a couple of time before his eyes readjust to the light. Fake plants decorated the room and it made it look more like a zoo than an actual motel lobby. Ennis paid for one night, grabbed his receipt and checked inside his room.
Like most of the motel rooms he stayed, it tried to be modern but failed in taste and design. Pale, over painted walls with dark green strips outlining the top edge of the walls which matched the dark green carpet with noticeable stains. A small television—with basic cable and payable porn—stood on a stand which hasn’t been dusty in days or, perhaps, weeks. The only thing that appeared to be decent was the queen size bed with the yellow comforter and fluffy pillows.
Ennis scowled: it would have to do for one night.
He lied on the bed for several minutes until his stomach growled. Empty stomach and mind full, Ennis knew he wouldn’t get any sleep. So he left his small room for the bar.
Ennis popped his collar and pulled it close to his neck. Despite it being April, there were still cold nights. Can’ wait for it to get warm, Ennis thought as he walked towards the bar.
The closer he got to the bar, the more he can hear the music blasting from the inside. He opened the door and, not as he expected, the bar was smaller than the ones he visited.
Several posters of Ms. Marilyn Monroe smiling hanged on the walls, making it tackier than ever. Most people were on the dance floor— which barely could hold them— while others was watching TV and talking about the game.
Ennis ordered a bottle of beer before he went to his own corner. He drank it slowly, listening to the psychedelic sound of the sixties. It wasn’t his type of music, more like his Old Man, but it didn’t stop him from tapping his feet.
He saw the people moving to the beat, rubbing and grinding against each other. Ennis wasn’t the type of man who made a fool outta himself in public. He wasn’t shy or nothing, more observant in nature. He was like his Ma in that sense. Her solid built and cold demeanor made her intimidating.
“I’ve been in this bar for the second time and they’re still playin’ The Doors. Can they change it already?”
Ennis turned to his left to find some tall, lanky guy sitting next to him. The guy had a charming cat’s grin, stretching from both side of his face. He leaned over the bar, his voice was louder than usual in a crowded room.
Ennis gripped his beer in one hand and tilted his hat with the other. He wished he could move to another area but the bar was already full.
He looked at the lanky guy and sized him up. He watched how his Adam’s apple wobbled when talking and his eyes glossed under the dimmed light. He can tell the guy was young, probably around the same age as him. The small freckles and buck teeth made him more boyish. And he wasn’t hard on the eyes either.
Not at all.
Ennis went back to his beer and took a sip. He shouldn’t have those thoughts about another man. He wondered what his Old Man would think.
He tried listening to the music when he felt the boy staring at him. Ennis turned around and looked at the boy who smiled at him.
Ennis could feel his heart beating quickly against his chest. He never felt that way since he first met—
“Hello stranger, haven’ seen you ‘round this place before,” the boy said.
Ennis didn’t know how to answer. He was a man of few words and social interactions. It took him twenty times to ask Alma out.
Ennis kept his head down, nursing his drink.
“Don’ talk much, huh?”
“Depends.”
“Depends, huh? Well, I don’ bit unless provoked,” he laughed, “So are you’re new in town?”
“You can say that. Just stayin’ for a day or two? You?” Ennis should have ended the conversation, but some part of him knew the guy would keep talking to him. Or Ennis needed an excuse to stay awake which didn’t make sense in his mind.
The guy leaned against the bar, his back hit the hard edge. He prompted his elbows on the counter, head tilting to the heavens. Great, he thought, I had to make conversations with a bat shit drunk.
“Vistin’ some friends for the weekend and then headin’ to North Carolina.”
“Originally from there?” Ennis asked before ordering another beer. He might as well entertain the drunk.
“Nah, I’m originally from Texas. Left there at sixteen, tryin’ to make it big as a rodeo rider. It didn’ work out, though. I found myself in Virginia, workin’ as a rent boy.”
“Rent boy?” Ennis asked.
“You don’ know what’s a rent boy is?” The guy stared at Ennis as if he had two heads.
Ennis shook his head.
“Well, let’s just say I like to rent my services to paying customers,” he paused, scanning the room, “It’s not the worse job I did, but it’s a decent livin’.”
“Hear you on that,” Ennis agreed.
“So, whatcha do for a living, stranger?” The boy pulled out a Newport cigarette and placed it in between his lips. He lit it, allowing the smoke to leave his parted lips. He stared at Ennis, eyes full of curiosity and a seductive half way smirk on his face.
Ennis then ordered a shot of vodka, something a bit stronger. He tried his best not to look at the guy although he’s failed miserably. He kept looking at him, from his slight wet lips to the protruding collar bone. There was something about this boy that ruffled his nerves.
“Truck driver. I deliver CarCos vegetables—”
“CarCos vegetables?”
Ennis drink his shot. The strong liquid burned down his throat causing him to shut his eyes.
“Yea,” he said, recovering from the bitter taste, “those cans.”
The boy let his head back and laughed. His rich laughter send shockwaves through Ennis’ body, hitting his most sensitive spot. Ennis ordered another shot.
“I hate to say it but those damn vegetables taste like shit.”
“That’s why it’s not doin’ a lot of business,” Ennis agreed, “But need to make ends meet, yer know.”
“Hell ya. Broke as a joke, too. Maybe I should ova stayed in Texas and not run off, y’know. Then again, I like the freedom. I like traveling, getting into different shit. Just livin’ off the land.” The boy said.
“I wished I had that kind of freedom, but I got mouths to feed,” Ennis said, drinking another shot of vodka.
“Married?”
“With a kid and one on the way.”
The boy stared at him with disbelief.
“You’re a father already? How old are you?”
“Twenty-two.”
The boy whistled as he patted Ennis on the shoulder playfully.
“I’m twenty-three. Kids and wife free. I don’ need one and don’ want one.”
Ennis snickered, the first time in a while.
“It’s not that bad.”
The boy moved close to Ennis until their hips were brushing against each other. Ennis thought he did it because it was crowded, but he was a fool to believe that. The crowd started to spread out, not as many people when he first came in. But Ennis enjoyed the closeness between them. He knew it was wrong, but it’s been a while, God knows it has, since he had someone near him.
“Enlighten me, friend.” The boy whispered.
Five bottles of beer, two more shots of vodka later, Ennis had a wide grin on his face. They were two of the ten people in the bar. Everyone else left for other attractions of the night or went home.
Ennis never felt this free since he first delivered the damn can vegetables. The endless roads, away from his wife and responsibilities, away from being blamed for everything bad in Alma, his and her folks, or anybody’s life. He missed this feeling but knew when the last alcoholic drink hit his tongue, the thrill will end and normalcy begins.
He held his tiny glass, looking at the clear liquid. He swore he could see his reflection when he heard the boy laughing beside him.
Jack Twist, the boy with buck teeth and freckles, can out beat anyone in running his mouth. He was charming and could use it to get out of any situations.
He liked that. He liked it a lot.
“Pa whopped my ass for stealin’ his car for the fourth time. He made sure I learned my lesson.”
“Did you? Did you learn your lesson?” Ennis asked, rubbing the tears from his eye.
“Hell nah. Stole it again and never returned it. He’s still askin’ for it. I still have the same excuse: left it in San Francisco. Old fool got another car to replace it, though.” Jack took his shot of tequila and put it down on the bar with a loud bang, “You have any tales about yer family, yer girl, anythin’, Del Mar. Hell, how you get yer name? Never heard any men with a name like that.”
Ennis blushed.
“Born after a city in New Mexico, I suppose. My Old Man never told me much about my name? You? Where you get your name?”
“After Pa. Bet he’s regret it now,” Jack paused, caressing the tip of his chin, “It’s kinda ironic. You know, my name is Twist, the trickster, prankster, all around snake charmer,” Jack purred in Ennis’ ear.
Ennis pushed Jack slightly away from him. His head was already swimming with loose thoughts.
“I mean, I like my name. I think it suits me just fine.” Jack moved close to Ennis who, this time, allowed him to invade his comfort zone.
Ennis wiped the sweat from his forehead as his eyes roamed Jack’s body. He never paid that much attention to another man. It scared him a bit, to be sexually arousal by someone with the same body parts. Then again, Jack was handsome and had a voice that made Ennis completely hard.
“You’re a character, Twist.”
“And you’re cute, Del Mar,” Jack whispered in his ear as his fingers caressed Ennis’ inner thigh.
Ennis hissed. The slow movement of Jack’s fingers brought him into a new reality he never thought would happen.
“Jack…”Ennis warned. His voice was a bit shaky. .
“What? I’m just teasin’ you, friend. ” Then he whispered, “You are a good lookin’ fellow, Del Mar. Why not let yourself get loose? Let me…” Jack’s palmed Ennis’ hard cock. He stroked it through the thick denim.
Ennis had two choices which could change the path of his life forever. He could invite Jack to his motel room or jack off, alone, in the shower. The latter wasn’t the best choice, but it will keep him out of trouble.
And he wouldn’t feel bad about betraying Alma either.
But his body needed it. He’s tired of “existing” in his life. He’s tired of Alma and her fucking family.
Then again, he didn’t want to feel guilty in the morning…
…but one look at Twist’s pretty eyes and curled lips made his insides flip and spin. He never was good at making decisions.
“So whatcha say, Del Mar?”
Before Ennis knew it, he pinned Jack on his queen size bed. Ennis bend over, his lips several inches away from Twist’s. Jack smelled of liquor and days old cologne. He didn’t look bad nude. Still put together, slender with harden muscles and curly dark hair surrounded his thick cock. Ennis felt a bit subconscious about his own dick, but he pushed those thoughts aside
“Whatcha waiting for, Ennis?” Jack’s legs wrapped around his waist.
Ennis stared at him, confused, not sure what to do next.
Jack rolled his eyes. He maneuvered their bodies until he was on top of Ennis. Ennis’ eyes rolled to the back of his head, feeling the friction of another man’s cock grounding his own. His toes curled when Jack ran his tongue along his neck until he reached his ear.
“I guess I have to teach you a thing or two, friend.”
Ennis watched Jack kissed down his chest, hands caressing the inside of his thigh with so much slowness that it made him burn inside. He moved his head against the thick sheets, feeling his temperature rise each time Jack sucked on his skin, hands teasing him.
“Fuck, Twist,” Ennis groaned, running his fingers through hair.
“I haven’ done anythin’ yet,” Jack said, lips tugging on Ennis’ light blonde public hair. His nose nuzzled it, inhaling the musk scent before his lips brushed against his leaking cock.
Ennis never thought he would allow another man to suck him. If someone told him it would happen, he would have punched them in the face. He wasn’t no queer but the way Jack sucked on his cock and tongue licking the underside, he might be.
He bit his lower lip, arching his back as Jack caressed his inner thigh, sucking on his head. Ennis hate to admit it but Jack was better than Alma when it came to giving head. The way his tongue circled around his head or how he did this humming sound that vibrated his cock and whole body. It made his toes curled, stomach doing flips, head buzzing from the effect.
“Shit…boy. Where…you learned how to…oh fuck…”he moaned, tugging on Jack’s hair.
Jack didn’t response. He was too busy pushing it all the way inside his mouth. Ennis cock brushed against his throat.
Ennis thrust his hips, hoping (and praying) Jack won’t stop. It was too good for his whole body. He wanted more. He wanted more of Jack’s hot mouth on his cock.
Then Jack released him.
Ennis tried to push Jack back on his cock, but he refused. Instead he rose from the ground and straddled his lap.
“Yer so impatient, Del Mar. We haven’ got to the main part and yer were close to cummin’. Just relax and let me take my time.”
Ennis was still clueless when Jack licked his lips opened and explored his mouth. Ennis gripped the back of his head, trying to dominate and deepen the kiss.
Ennis threw his head back when he felt Jack’s tight little asshole enclosing his cock. He thrust his hips upward impatiently. He gripped Jack’s hips, pushing his heat farther down his cock.
“Fuck, boy…what are you doin’…to me…” He growled.
Jack didn’t answer him as he was getting off on his own high. He rocked his hips, angling Ennis’ cock to get a more friction against his walls.
This made Ennis cried out, thrusting inside him while Jack responds to him by grounding his ass on his cock. Ennis watched the other man arching his back, rolling his hips to his movement. They seem to make a good team, Jack rocking his hips as Ennis thrust inside him.
Ennis loved it. He loved Twist’s tight hole and how it fitted his cock. He loved the loud groans coming from his mouth when Ennis pushed against his prostate (he didn’t know if can produce this much pleasure. He should try it on himself).
What he loved the most was Jack’s face. How it showed the pleasure he was giving him. The twist of Jack’s lips when he angled his cock a certain way and how his eyes squeezed shut when he stroked his cock, matching the rhythm they created.
“Oh…hmmm…you never did this before…friend….” Jack asked, continuing to rock his hips.
“…never…first…time,” Ennis grunted. He rose from the bed and pressed his body against Jack. Ennis wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist, moving inside Jack quickly.
He pulled him close, just to touch him, feel him, fuck him senselessly. He gripped a handful of Jack’s hair and pulled his face close that their lips hovered over the other.
“How bad you want this, boy?”
“Bad! Just so…fuck…Ennis…I should…have known quiet man like you were…fuck.”
“You talk too much, Twist.” Ennis kissed him passionately. He was almost there. He could feel it at the bottom of his stomach.
Jack came, first. His back stiffened, cum running down Ennis’ fingers. Ennis came after him. He held onto his waist as he lied back on the bed.
Before Ennis could gather his thoughts, Jack pulled him into a fierce kiss. Ennis moved his cock against the other man.
“Are you sure you never done this before?” Jack mumbled against Ennis’ lips.
“Sure. You?”
Twist grinned.
“Secrets, friend, secrets.” Jack rolled onto his back, bringing Ennis on top of him. He rolled his pelvis against Ennis.
They fucked two more times before Ennis drifted to sleep. He hoped he doesn’t feel guilty in the morning.