Page 8 of Bicycle Built for Two

Four

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,”Ben called from the hot tub as Jason walked into the hotel’s spa area. The space, in a greenhouse-like enclosure, had a lap pool surrounded by many lounge chairs in addition to the bubbling water where Ben soaked. From the ceiling speakers, top 40 hits played softly. Even though it was only nine o’clock, no one else took advantage of the amenities.

“Hey, man.” Jason might have sounded too excited. Finding Ben was an unexpected, and quite welcome, surprise. “I should be asleep, but my legs were too restless. A good soak should take the edge off.”

“I couldn’t get to sleep either. Since my roomie conked out quick, I didn’t want to pop the TV on so I decided to relax here.” A warm smile broke across Ben’s face. “Glad to have some company though.”

Jason kicked off his sneakers and pulled his T-shirt off. Shyness rolled through him as he revealed himself to Ben. He wasn’t sure why. He was a decently built guy—shorter than Ben, but only by a couple of inches. He considered his legs to be his best feature. With all the running, cycling, and the soccer he played, they were firm and muscled. The rest of him was nothing extraordinary, but he certainly didn’t have a couch potato physique. While Ben was the typical fair-skinned redhead, Jason had dark hair, dark eyes, and a slightly darker complexion from his mixed heritage.

Ben turned out to be everything Jason had imagined from seeing him during the day. He’d definitely had more than a few lusty thoughts while riding behind him on the last stretch of road. He’d seen a lot in the tight spandex cycling clothes, which can leave little to the imagination. His broad chest dusted with fine red hairs was almost more than he could stand. He’d happily lose himself exploring Ben if given the chance.

Jason stepped into the hot tub wearing black boxer briefs, his only option since he hadn’t packed a swimsuit. With all the bubbles, Jason couldn’t see what Ben wore, but he planned to stay in the tub until he saw whatever wet, clinging fabric it turned out to be.

“So, besides not sleepy, how are you feeling now that you’ve gotten to decompress a little?” Jason sat across from Ben and submerged as much as possible to let the hot water work on him.

“I can’t believe I rode more than a hundred miles today.” Ben sounded relaxed as he looked at Jason. “I’ve got you to thank for the last part. I couldn’t have done it on my own. Between the physical challenge and spending too much time in my head, the day was brutal.”

“Kyle, Drew, Diane, and I bonded over those very things during our first year. It’s why we stick together as much as we can now.”

“You have some incredible friends. I’m excited to see what riding tomorrow will be like with the team.”

“I think you’ll like it. Ending up alone can happen for one reason or another. But if we get separated, we reorganize at the rest stops.”

Ben pulled himself out of the tub and sat on the edge. “Oh man. Got to cool off for a second.”

Jason swallowed hard. The water drops trickling down Ben’s chest and onto his flat stomach, which featured a vivid red treasure trail, drew Jason’s attention. The trail disappeared into red briefs that sported a significant bulge. What Jason had seen earlier in the cycling shorts wasn’t an exaggeration.

Jason’s cock went to full attention, straining against the boxer briefs. He was glad this particular pair didn’t have a fly. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about his cock floating out unexpectedly.

“So how did you decide to do this ride?” Jason got his vocal cords working to restart the conversation.

“My dad died of AIDS in ’88 when I was sixteen.”

Jason didn’t know what to say. He’d heard a lot of answers as to why people participated in this event, but never a parent dying.

“I’ve done various walks and runs around the country ever since. I did the Chicago Ride for AIDS last year. This year I wanted to tackle something longer, more challenging. Next, I want to take on the California ride, provided I survive this one.”

“That is… well… I….” Jason frowned, not used to feeling at a loss for words.

“It’s okay.” Ben gave a reassuring smile. “People rarely know how to respond. They expect to hear about a friend or boyfriend, or even a brother or sister, but not a dad. What about you? What got you into this?”

“I wanted to do something.” Jason ran his hand over his forehead and hair to push back the sweat. “You hear so much about how people think AIDS is over since it’s not a death sentence anymore. But there’s such a need for services and education. It felt like a good thing to do, and I like a challenge too. I try to raise more money and ride stronger every year.”

Jason kept his focus on Ben’s eyes and not his body. This wasn’t the time for a hookup or even flirting. At the same time, he relaxed into the water. The tension in his legs loosened, as did the ache in his lower back.

“Yeah. The amount of support these organizations need is staggering. I consistently give in Chicago, but I try to do things like this in different places when my schedule allows. I lend my professional services as often as possible too. Since I’m in marketing and event planning, I know how to fundraise pretty well.”

“Oh, nice. I’m a marketer too, more for brand and image than the event side, but the know-how helps me do some pretty sweet fundraising too. I can convince friends and strangers to donate to my causes.”

“You got a really mischievous look in your eye when you said that. I like a marketer who understands they can wield the power for good just as well as evil.”

Jason laughed and Ben joined. He didn’t realize his expression had changed when he said that. He firmly believed that raising money for the charities important to him put his marketing talents to better use, rather than only encouraging people to buy something.

“What kind of events do you do?” Jason asked.

“It varies. I run my own consulting firm. I worked in agencies for years and got fed up with some of the stuff I had to do. I’m lucky that I was successful enough to go out on my own. I try to do good. Sometimes I still sell my soul, but I do what I can to keep that to a minimum.” Ben slid off the side of the tub’s rim and back into the water. “Man, that’s good.”

The two sat in comfortable silence and allowed the music to provide the sound. Jason closed his eyes to soak in the good companionship and the peacefulness of the water.