Field of Blooms: The Beginning Ch. 06

Once Christmas had passed and all the decorations had been packed away, life returned to normal. One snowy day after school Tyler and Austin went to thelocal coffee shop so they could study for the English test coming up.

"I have a question for you." Tyler asked as he set down his English book.

"What is it?" Austin looked up.

"My cousin's wedding is in a few weeks and I wondered if maybe you'd like to go with me?"

"I'll have to ask my parents but yeah, I think it would be fun." Austin smiled.

"Really? Awesome!" Tyler picked his book up, "Oh by the way, it's in Malibu."

"California?!"

Tyler laughed, "Yeah California. Is that going to be a problem?"

"I don't think so; I'll definitely have to ask my parents about that."

Later that night, when his parents got home, Austin asked them about going to the wedding. At first, they were a little hesitant, especially since it was across the country and Austin had never been that far, and he would have to miss three days of school. After they discussed it though, they agreed to let him go. His parents told him that they wanted to talk to Tyler just to make sure of all the details. The next day after school Tyler came over to Austin's house and talked things over with his parents.

"We just want to make sure you understand that Austin has to stick to his meds." Mr. Montgomery said. "With him being so far away from home, god forbid something happens, we are not right around the corner to come and help."

"Would you guys feel more comfortable coming along? I can't get you into the wedding, but I know my parents would have no problem with you staying at our house there." Tyler offered.

"As sweet as that is, we have to let Austin venture out on his own. He is eighteen and needs to start experiencing the wonders that life has to offer." Mrs. Montgomery answered as she put her hand on Austin's shoulder.

"I promise the both of you that I will take excellent care of Austin while we are away." Tyler flashed his signature smile.

"Then we want the two of you to have a great time." Mr. Montgomery giving Tyler a handshake that let him know he better mean what he said.

Austin could hardly contain his excitement as the weeks leading up to the trip slowly passed by. Finally, it was the night before the early morning flight and Austin was putting together a few last-minute items. He had never flown before and was a little nervous about being on a plane for such a long time. Just as he was closing his suitcase a knock came at the door.

"Come in." He offered as he sat on the bed.

"I just wanted to make sure you have everything for tomorrow." His mother asked as she sat next to him.

"I think so. I've gone over the list like a dozen times." He laughed.

"Okay good. Just please remember to take your meds when you're supposed too."

"I promise I will." Austin smiled at her.

His mother looked at him for a moment, "You really like Tyler, don't you?"

"What do you mean?" Austin questioned as he felt his face flush with heat.

"Ever since the two of you became friends you have been a lot happier." She smiled at him.

"He's a nice guy, a nice straight guy." Austin was trying to deflect this conversation.

"Are you sure of that Austin? Just from my point of view there is more than friendship in his actions."

"Even if he was gay, I'm not ready to try and date. After that crap with Eric I don't think I want to open myself up anytime soon." Despite the feelings he had been having towards Tyler, this was the truth.

"I understand that. I'm just saying that 'if' Tyler were gay and the two of you wanted to date, your father and I would be incredibly happy for you."

"Thanks mom, but I don't see that happening anytime soon." Austin laughed. "I better get going to bed. Tyler is going to be here early to pick me up."

"Okay, sleep well and I love you." His mom kissed him on the forehead before leaving the room.

At five o'clock his alarm went off and he drug his body out of bed. After a nice hot shower, he was awake and ready to get going. Looking at the time he knew Tyler would be showing up in less than forty-five minutes. Once he was dressed, he checked his room one more time before heading downstairs to wait. Tyler was right on time and after helping put Austin's bags in the trunk he walked over and said goodbye to Austin's parents. Up to this point Austin had assumed they would be taking a flight out of Philadelphia International Airport, so when Tyler headed down a road in the opposite direction Austin became confused.

"Aren't we going to the airport?" Austin questioned.

"Yeah, we are." Tyler gave a little smirk knowing that Austin hadn't figured it out. "We are taking the private jet, Austin."

When they pulled through the gates of the Millville Airport, Austin was amazed at the stunningprivate jet he could see waiting for them. It was not your typical Lear Jet; it was a retired MD-11 jetliner that had been converted for personal use.

Noticing the look of amazement on Austin's face Tyler leaned over, "My dad always said, 'If you're going to fly, fly in style.'

The inside had been completely stripped out and renovated. There were separate sleeping quarters, seating areas with lavish leather recliners, private bathrooms and even a bar area. Once the ground crew finished loading the suitcases, the captain informed everyone that they would be getting ready for takeoff. When the airliner had taxied into position, Tyler could see that Austin was shaking a little.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I have never flown before."

"It will be okay, here take my hand." Tyler held his hand out and Austin graciously accepted.

Soon the engines spooled up and the jet started to take off down the runway. Then Austin felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as the wheels began to lift off the ground. He stayed quiet as he watched the world below him grow smaller and smaller. They passed through the clouds and for the first time in his life he was looking at the tops of the clouds. The view from up there looked like something out of a dream; big, white, puffy fluffs of cotton candy covered the horizon. Once they reached cruising altitude, the captain turned off the seat belt sign.

"See, this isn't so bad." Tyler smiled.

Austin finally let go of Tyler's hand, "No, it's not. How long of a flight is it?"

"About five hours. Would you like me to show you around?"

"Yeah, that would nice."

Tyler walked him around and showed him the different sections before he stopped at the cockpit door.

"I wanted to save the best for last." He said knocking on the doorto the cockpit.

When the door opened Austin got see what the world looked like out of the front windows. He was in awe at all the switches and buttons around the cabin.

After spending a few minutes talking to the captain they went to one of the sitting areas to relax.

"You said this was your first time flying?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah, it is. My family never went on a far-away vacation before." Austin looked out the window.

"You mean Eric never took you anywhere on his family plane?"

"They have one too?" This was the first time Austin had heard of it.

"It's not as big as this one, but yeah they do." Tyler enjoyed the laugh at Eric's expense especially having noticed the expression on Austin's face.

"No, he never did anything like this before. Honestly, I didn't spend a lot of time around his family. His mom didn't like me at all, and she had no issue making sure I knew that."

"I'm sorry she did that." Tyler placed a hand on Austin's leg, "I am so happy you came with me."

The flight went smoothly and Austin all but forgot they were flying thirty-two thousand feet above the ground. He was having such a good time talking with Tyler and his parentsthat he didn't even notice how fast time was going by. Before he knew it, the captain made the announcement that they were going to start the decent to Los Angeles. Everyone took their seats, fastened the safety belts and waited while the plane slowly started its descent. After a few moments, the wheels screeched as they touched down and the sound of the reverse engines kicked in slowing them down to taxi speed. Finally, the MD-11 came to a stop and everyone stood up to get off. As Austin walked down the roll away staircase, he could feel the warm California sun shining on his face. He saw a long, sleek, black limo waiting to whisk them away, he suddenly felt like a celebrity! During the flight. Tyler told him that they would be staying at their Malibu beach house. When they arrived, it was just as grand as the one back in jersey. It had a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean and Austin hoped that at some point they could go for a swim.

"Before you boys leave for whatever fun you have planned you should take Austin for his tux fitting." Mr. Stetser told Tyler.

"Okay, dad. We will go change and then I'll take him."

Once they had changed into clothing more suited for the California weather, they walked to the garage. They decided to take the red Mercedes SL-500 convertible. Tyler dropped the top and Austin turned up the radio as they headed out to Rodeo Drive. As they drove towards the tux shop, Austin couldn't help but look like a typical tourist trying to see all the sights. When Tyler pulled out front of the shop, they were met by one of the staff.

"Good afternoon Mr. Stetser, it is a pleasure to see you again. Everyone is waiting for you and Mr. Montgomery inside."

The moment they walked through the doors the staff greeted them with fresh drinks and some light snacks. Since the colors for the wedding had already been chosen this was just a simple fitting which only took about twenty minutes.

"So, what would you like to do now?" Tyler asked as they left the shop.

"I've never been here so I would love to see some of the sites." Austin offered as he opened the car door.

Tyler gave him a grand tour of Los Angeles. The first place he took Austin was to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of Mann's Chinese Theater. Since Austin loved the piano, he wanted to find Elton John's star. After looking around they finally found it and Tyler took Austin's picture. Then they went on the Paramount Pictures Studio tour before heading to Pink's Hot Dogs for a bite. Since Austin had never been there before he didn't know how popular this roadside place was but once he took that first bite, he understood why.

They spent the entire day touring around the Los Angeles area. Just as the sun was beginning to set, Tyler suggested that they head up to the observatory and watch the lights of the city come alive, which truly was a magnificent site to behold.

"I really want to thank you for inviting me on this trip and showing me around." Austin said as he looked at Tyler.

"I am happy that you agreed to come. I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else but you." Tyler smiled.

Austin just smiled back but was a little confused. The way Tyler had said it made it almost sound like it was a date. After they watched the sunset over the city, they decided it was a good time to head back to the house.

The next morning was a warm beautiful California morning. After everyone had breakfast Tyler suggested that they go down to the beach and relax. This was a new experience for Austin, being on the beach in the middle of winter but he was enjoying every minute of it.

"You want to go for a swim?" Tyler asked as he stood up and stretched.

"Sure, that sounds nice." Austin smiled somewhat giddily as he got up.

The water was warm and very inviting as Austin dipped his foot in. They were having a grand time until Austin's mind decided to play a cruel trick on him and remind him of the past summer. Austin's mood quickly changed, and Tyler noticed it immediately.

"Austin, is everything okay?"

"I'm sorry. I just had a flashback to last summer...."

Tyler's heart dropped wondering if it had anything to do with him.

"Just the last time I was at a beach it was with Eric." Austin had started wading in the water.

"Was it a bad memory?" Tyler questioned as he moved closer to Austin.

"No, it was a happy one. It is fucked up how good memories can cause you pain."

"Do you want to go back to shore?" Tyler questioned.

"Would you mind if I stayed out here for a little alone?"

"Sure." Tyler started to swim away but then he could hear the soft sniffles come from Austin's direction.

He swam up behind Austin and placed his arms around him. Austin turned around with tears in his eyes and buried his face into Tyler's chest. Tyler pulled Austin in close to him.

"I'm sorry he hurt you like that Austin."

"Am I a bad guy Tyler? I know I am not perfect, but I don't know what I did wrong for him to hate me the way he does."

"You can't blame yourself for the way he has acted. Everyone makes their own choices and unfortunately, he made a bad one."

The guilt was starting to tighten in Tyler's chest. He did not know how much longer he could keep the secret.

"Tonight is the big bachelor party and being the host, I kind of have to go but I would understand if you didn't want to join me. I would not be upset, you know that, right?" Tyler offered as he let Austin go.

"No, I would really like to go. I think it will be fun plus, it will help keep my mind off things." Austin wiped the remaining tears from his eyes.

"You're right it will be a lot of fun." Tyler smiled at him. "If you start to feel that it is too much please let me know."

"I promise I will. Curious, what is happening tonight?"

"We will be flying to Las Vegas! What better city to throw a wild party in than Las Vegas?" Tyler laughed.

"Oh wow. It sounds like it is going to be a night to remember." Austin smiled.

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Tyler grinned.

Once they got back to the house Tyler needed to run some prewedding errands. Austin gladly tagged along as Tyler picked up the wedding rings from the jeweler, the suits andstopped by the florist to make sure the order was going to be there on time. Just before they headed back home, they stopped over at the venue. Austin was expecting them to head to a grand church or a fancy winery, but he was surprised when they pulled into the parking lot of the historic Queen Mary.

"This is where the wedding is going to take place?" Austin's eyes were wide with awe.

Tyler laughed, "Yes, my family has always believed in doing things on a grand scale. What could be grander than getting married on a retired ocean liner."

Austin sat in the car while Tyler quickly ran in and made sure everything was set for tomorrow. After Tyler finished, they made their way back home to get ready for the night's festivities. Austin was a little nervous about going to Las Vegas. He had never been there, but he knew that it was a party city. Before they headed for the airport, he made sure that he took the evening dose of his meds and broughta few of the quick acting ones just in case his nerves started to get the better of him.

Soon the groom and all the attendees were seated on the jet and everyone was ready to start partying. Being that Austin and Tyler were underage they had to forego the alcohol part of the festivities.

When they arrived in Vegas, there was a black SUV limo waiting to whisk them away to all the hot party spots. Tyler made sure that he stuck close to Austin making sure Austin was having a good time and that things were not getting to out of hand. It was your typical bachelor party with drinking, night clubs, more drinking, strippers, and of course more drinking. As the midnight hour approached, the groom's party was beyond inebriated. They talked and slurred their words loudly as they walked the streets, Tyler looked at Austin and smiled as he shook his head.

"You are doing okay?" Tyler asked as they walked to the next night club.

"Yes, I am thanks. Honestly, I'm surprised that I am having such a good time." Austin chuckled.

They arrived at the final nightclub of the night, and of course were seated in the VIP section. Tyler was starting to get a little bored and decided to try and drag Austin out on the dance floor, Austin protested.

"Tyler no!" Austin tried to pull his arm back.

"Austin it's fine, I promise you. Come on it will be fun; besides, I am getting bored watching them drink all night."

"This is a straight club, and I don't really want to get beat up tonight."

"Trust me, you are safe with me. No one will say one word to you."

Austin relented and went onto the dance floor with Tyler. To his surprise not many people even looked in their direction. Austin's nerves soon faded away into the thumpa-thumpa of the club music. The two of them danced the night away right up to the moment they had to head back to the airport. Austin truly did have a wonderful time but was happy when they took their sets on the jet.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Tyler asked as he fastened his seatbelt.

"Yes, I had a great time. Thanks for dragging me onto the dance floor." Austin smiled and laughed as he leaned back in the seat.

"I'm glad, so did I." Tyler smiled at him.

On the plane ride home, not surprisingly, Austin figured the other guys had passed out from overindulging. He was relieved when they got home, and he could crash in bed. His eyes were heavy as he lay there thinking about the night and quickly fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning the house was abuzz with everyone getting ready for the opulent wedding. After a big breakfast and a lot of coffee, they all started to get dressed.

"Wow Austin, you look amazing in that tux!" Tyler's eyes looked at Austin from top to bottom. He loved the way the pants hugged his firm ass.

"Thanks, I guess I shine up pretty nice, huh?" Austin laughed as he did a little spin in front of the mirror.

"We better get downstairs soon; I know the limo will be here in about an hour." Tyler said as he turned around and had to readjust the excitement growing in his pants.

When the two of them entered the living room they saw Tyler's mom on the phone, and she was not happy. Once she was off Tyler asked her what was wrong.

"Apparently the piano player ate some bad fish last night and is in the hospital with food poisoning. I now have to try and find someone last minute." She rubbed her forehead as she set the phone down.

"Austin knows how to play the piano!" Tyler offered enthusiastically.

Austin quickly yanked Tyler back, "Not good enough to play at a wedding!"

"Yes, you can. I have heard you play a few times, and you are damn good."

"I have never played in front of a big group of people. I don't want to mess up your cousin's wedding."

"You won't. Besides, we will never be able to find someone this late. Please Austin?" Tyler gave him the puppy dog eyes.

Austin took and deep breath, "Okay, but I need to warm up first."

"Thank you so much Austin." Tyler pulled him into a hug.

"You're welcome, and don't ever use that look on me again." Austin cracked a smile.

"Austin, you can take one of the cars and head over to the venue now so you can warm up. I will call ahead and let them know you are coming." Mrs. Stetser offered.

"Okay, I'll do that." Austin replied as he followed Tyler to the garage.

After Tyler programmed the address for the venue in the GPS, Austin took off and made his way. When he arrived, the wedding planner was already outside waiting and showed him to the piano. Thankfully, the place was empty, and Austin could start warming up. He looked over the sheet music to get familiar with the songs he was going to play. He wasn't a rusty as he had thought and soon the room was filled with beautiful sounds coming from the piano. After about forty-five minutes the wedding planner came back in and informed Austin that the guests would be arriving shortly. Now was a good time to take a break. As he was walking down the aisle, he saw Tyler's cousin, Riley, coming towards him.