Jamie - The Journey Begins Ch. 10 - A Day on the Water

Round one of the water fights started.

I stood up - the water was about nipple high - looking for Lucas.

"Ahh" I spotted him a few yards to my right. I think he was trying to circle around behind me. Just as he broke the surface I gave him three seconds to catch a breath and pounced on him.

"Gotcha, buddy" I shouted, dragging him back under, twirling around under the surface and drifting into shore a bit. We popped back up a few seconds later. I grabbed him and tried to deadlift him out of the water. Lucas caught on quickly and waited till I had lifted him almost clear of the water - then he pounced.

"I gotcha now, Jamie." Lucas grabbed me by the neck and pushed off in one swift movement, causing me to lose balance. We both crashed back into the water with Lucas screaming "Victory" as we went under.

"Shit, buddy," I turned to him. "That was the same old trick you pulled when we were kids. I should have known better."

We went back and forth for a while till exhaustion started to kick in. We both surfaced and held hands up in surrender at the same time.

"Come on, Jamie," said Lucas, both of us puffing and panting from trying to half drown each other. "Let's see if the guys are here."

As I turned towards the beach, well, the sight before me was... breathtaking. I stopped dead.

Josh had turned up and was in a pair of very firm fitting shorts, a Converse singlet, and chucks, with just enough of his body visible through the gaps in the singlet and his defined legs to get my heart racing.

And what a smile too!!

"Hey, Jamie. See you've already been in. Is it nice?"

"It's awesome, man. Come in."

He didn't need any further invitation, his top and sneakers were off in seconds and a sexy body flashed past me. I took chase after him, diving in near where he'd plunged seconds before.

I nodded my head in Josh's direction at Lucas. "Let's get him."

Round two of the water fight started two-on-one, and Josh damn near beat us.

I circled around beside him, while Lucas had distracted him from the other side. We were like lions stalking our prey. Unfortunately, my clumsy ninja skills extended to water, tripping on something and making a splash.

Josh turned side on to face me with a sexy ass smile to distract me. In a split second I leapt up on to him landing with my legs wrapped around his body, pulling me against that rock hard six-pack wall of muscle.

"Oh fuck," escaped my mouth quietly. Josh just smiled back.

My legs crossed behind him and my ankles locked above his butt crack. I wasn't going anywhere fast.

At the same time, I wrapped my arms around his shoulder blades and pulled his head in against my chest, it was a well-rehearsed move, refined over years of play fighting at the beach.

Then, I just leaned over him.

"Oh are you falling for me Josh."

Corny, but funny, as we tumbled backward into the water, the look on his face was somewhere between surprise and a smile as we hit the water.

We both came up for air, still all tangled together. "Okay," he grunted flipping us over.

He's only two inches taller but the same weight as me I think, so it was like climbing a sexy muscle pole.

"Jamie." We shared a lingering moment as we slowly slipped under the surface again.

Lucas dived in back beside us and broke us up as we resurfaced. I was kind of glad of that. I'm so conflicted - not sure what I should be doing or feeling with Josh, seeing I've only me him, and left Sam like, twenty-six hours ago.

I'm not a slutty guy, but damn, Josh is hot! I couldn't help myself leaning in and gave him a peck on the cheek.

In the distance I could hear a boat approaching. Both Josh and I looked over towards the closing sound of Tom's boat.

"Yes, Tommy's here with the boat," I almost squealed.

"Fucking fantastic! It's time to go skiing."

"Hey Josh, do you water ski?"

"Yeah, I've only just started on a Slalom last summer."

"Cool, we should go doubles. Come on." I climbed down off Josh and feeling his semi, I looked up at him and smiled. I was a little embarrassed, I think, so, to ease the tension, when I grabbed at his hand, I accidentally brushed past his package.

"Nice," I thought to myself.

Clearly, my face was reflecting my thoughts and Josh busted me. I shot back an 'oops - my bad, cutie face'. He replied with a sexy smirk - winner move Spence.

Tom had slowed the boat and was pulling in to the beach, leaning over the side.

"Hey, a few of the guys from work are coming up too. Let's go for a ski before they get here. Jamie, you want to go first, Lucas second?"

Tom stopped when he saw Josh, more surprised than anything else.

"Sorry Tom, this is Josh from the dealership."

"Josh, this is Tom, the new LACOFD Captain out here. Tom and I went to college and worked together till he relocated to the States."

Tom was still the easy-going guy from college. His face warmed with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Josh. Jump in." The boys shook hands as Josh was climbing into the boat, with Lucas following in after pushing the boat back out.

"Hey Tommy, you got a barefoot suit in there? Wouldn't mind a barefoot after a slalom ski."

Tom dropped out of sight for a second and had quickly found his barefoot suit, throwing it out to me.

"Let's go, Jamie." Lucas threw me the ski rope.

"Hey, Tommy - where's the ski?"

"Come on Spence, you don't need that, the water is flat like glass. Step off the first, mate. You can do a deep water start still, can't you? Or are you soft now?" he teased with a mile-wide smile.

"Come on, Jamie," Lucas started chanting.

"Okay, you're on. Let's do this."

And with that, I was floating in the water all suited up with the tow rope tucked under my right heel.

"GO!" I threw my head back taking a breath and arching my back. The boat dragged me for a few yards and I popped up bouncing above the water on my butt. Tom waited for me to nod once I'd got settled, then he stepped up the speed for me to stand up.

"Go, Spence!" was all I could hear over the engine, oh and Lucas saying "I was soft."

Standing up almost instantly, I looked a little over my shoulder. 'Hmm... throwing a nice butterfly shaped spray behind me. Nice flat wake', I thought to myself. Let's try this out. I cut the wake then crossed back and forth a half dozen times easily.

I could see the guys on the boat enjoying the show I was putting on, so I slipped a little further out to the side in the clear water, skiing along outside the wash lifting one foot out at a time. I was the biggest show off I could be ... I was having an absolute ball.

Tom signalled they were going to stop, so I let go and skidded around onto my butt for a bit, then stopped without too much fuss. Man, I earnt some bruises when I was learning to barefoot and dismounting, but a sore ass was better than a black eye, which I did when landing face first a few times.

The boat looped around and Lucas had pulled on a second suit. He'd given Tom the one he had on this morning before heading out to get me from the airport, as I recognised it.

Well, I did say to Lucas that Tom had a boat now and apparently there was a lake almost on their backdoor step.

Pulling alongside me in the water, Lucas cried out, "Hold on brother, let's go double," and dived in with rope in hand. Josh was smiling and talking away to Tom when he looked over at me for a second. I gave him a splash of water.

"You're next, Josh."

"Yeah, I'd love to have a ski."

The reply came fast and emphatically. I wasn't sure who was more excited.

"You ready, Lucas?" The big goofy grin was the answer.

"Tom! 3-2-1 GO!"

The roar of the engine came to life. "Game on."

We both arched back in the water, next minute we were on top zipping along.

"OK, Lucas, you call it."

Lucas nodded a few seconds later, let out a "GO!" At that, the boat accelerated to skiing speed and we stood up skiing across the lake.

"Jamie, this is awesome! We haven't double-skied for about, what, five years - the last summer I came down under and we took Uncle Rob's boat to the river every day for those awesome two weeks."

"Yeah, that was some holiday, Lucas."

I could see Tom directing Josh to get a cell phone out and video us.

We stopped after a few moments - I knew Tom was keen to have a go, like super keen. The boat had only just come to a stop and he dived over the side.

"Come on, Josh" I yelled out signalling him to jump in.

"This is awesome, Jamie. Thanks for asking me along."

"You ain't seen nothin' yet."

"Tommy here is a gun on the slalom."

Lucas chimed in, "These two guys" pointing between Tommy and me. "were known for doing nude ski runs up and down the river in the middle of the afternoon a few times."

I shot Lucas a 'shut up or die look' when Tom piped up: "Think I've got some video of that at home if you're interested, Josh," Tom laughed.

"Funny thing was someone tried to blackmail me with the footage not too long ago. Sent me a copy. So, to thank them, I put it up on the big screen at my going away party. Remember, Jamie? Fail for them."

"Hold on, that's right! You weren't there, Jamie, were you?" he chided, looking at me trying to remember why.

Then it dawned on him - the ex - she hated my friends - so we were a no show most of the time.

"Well Jamie, that's in the past now. Happy days ahead. Right boys, Lucas-Josh?"

We had a quick deep water swim, then climbed back in.

"You know me, Tommy - I don't care if people see me with my gear off. What the hell - you've got what you've got, and you've got to love it."

"Ok, you're on, Spence." Tom stopped short of the boat and was fiddling around in the water.

Next minute his shorts flew up out of the water on the boat, quickly followed by Lucas'. The guys climbed back in butt naked.

Not to be outdone, I had my gear off in seconds and put them on my head as a hat as I started swimming back towards the boat.

Climbing up on the rear deck, I executed a perfect crouched front flip into the boat, to a host of cheers. "Clumsy ninja my ass!"

Tom pulled on the buoyancy suit and dived back in to the water as Josh climbed out, mind you, with his pants still on.

I was pulling mine back up as I looked up at him stepping off the rear deck.

"Sorry about that, Josh. Just, well, we've known each other since we were kids so... Sorry if it made you feel, you know... uncomfortable."

Josh smiled back.

"No problems from me. I liked the dismount into the boat, Jamie," he replied, aiming a very sexy 'eat shit' grin at me.

"So, you know other gymnastic tricks?"

"Yeah, he likes watching people do some close-up pole dancing," Lucas chimed in.

My face burned red - I could feel it. I shot Lucas a 'shut the fuck up' look.

"Really! don't give all my secrets away dickhead, ha-ha."

"Oi."

"You two finished fucking about in there? I wanna' ski. Throw me out the slalom. Let's get this boat moving."

"What - no barefoot, Tom? Come on, Jamie and I did."

"I'll just slalom. You guys will make me look bad behind my own boat."

I towed Tom around for a bit. He can really work that slalom ski too - he was always a fantastic technical skier, where Lucas and I were more 'fuck, let's have a crack, go at it hard and fast, see if we survive'. Tom was skill and poise, fantastic to watch.

..o0o..

We headed back in after towing Tom around for a good 15 minutes.

"Josh, you thirsty? There's a drinks locker under that cover." I pointed to the other side. "Help yourself."

"Sure, thanks, Jamie. Can I get you something?"

"You'd better be careful asking him that, Josh. My cousin is free and single - you never know what he'll ask for, bud."

"Lucas!" I couldn't believe he just said that. I'd only met Josh today and Lucas is already hitting on the guy for me. Cool it!

"Wha..." Lucas replied with a 'what-did-I-do-wrong' look.

Josh didn't know which way to look for a second. I wasn't sure if he was pissed at what Lucas was saying or a now a very scared, maybe straight-bi, guy getting hit-on by my wingman.

"Sorry, Josh. That was a little out of line." Lucas offered with his best' butter wouldn't melt in his mouth' look.

Not phased at all, Josh shrugged it off, and dug into the cooler pulling out a few sodas.

"Nah that's all good, Jamie. I can see you and Lucas are brothers, but friends too. A bit of smack talking each other, but in an okay way, all good. If me and my brothers did that I think we'd be punching on by now," replied Josh, flashing a comical eye roll and smile, totally disarming us all.

Lucas chimed in again, this time standing closer to Josh. "Sorry, bud, didn't want to make you feel weird or anything. Just haven't seen Jamie for almost a year, so probably operating without a filter. Anyway, we're not going to punch on. We did that as kids - no real winners there, hey Jamie?"

"Nah, even matched, Lucas and me, no winners. We'd say sorry to each other for days afterwards."

"You see, Josh, Lucas here is the brother I wanted," I said, nodding towards him with a genuine smile.

"Oh what, you don't want Mason to join us?" Tom chipped in... "he's such a fuck-wad." Tom shook his head as he walked beside the boat tucking the ski into the side locker.

"Sorry, Josh," who now had a totally confused look on his face. "Mason is my older brother and Lucas is my first cousin."

"Tom or Tommy as we all call him - we went to high school, college and recruits into the fire service together, so he knows my family very well, and where the bodies are too."

"Really Jamie, wow! I thought you and Lucas were brothers - there's such a strong resemblance."

"Nah, I'm better looking," Lucas shot back.

"Jamie's got a bigger cock," Tom offered and smacked Lucas on the butt while walking back past him.

"Jesus guys, really." I shook my head and climbed out of the boat. I could feel that red heat building in my face again.

"Lucas' dad, Reid, and my dad, Robert, are brothers. That's where the resemblance comes in."

"But I'm better looking than Jamie, don't you think, Josh?" Lucas was trying his best to strike a pose.

"If you're into that kind of thing, I guess, you know." Tom hadn't lost any of his quick tongue, not at all.

"Oh yesss! Burn Lucas, burn." I couldn't help myself. At that we all started laughing.

Tom and Lucas busied themselves with setting up all the gear on the beach. I don't know what came over me, but in a rush I leaned in close to Josh, and placed a gentle peck on his lips.

"Hmm," was his response.

..o0o..

The beach had filled with people, and Tom wandered off to say hi to the loads of new arrivals.

I took the quiet moment to show Josh the basics of how to barefoot sitting on the beach, and was desperately trying to convince him to have a shot on the trainer bar.

"Come on, Josh, on the Trainer bar it will be easy. I'll be right there beside you to guide you."

But, no joy. We settled for a two-up slalom ski together after Ryan and a few of the guys off shift had a ski and their kids too.

There were kids and partners everywhere. It was a fantastic atmosphere.

"Hey, Josh, let's go and join the crowd," I said while nodding towards the people along the beach.

"Sure." Josh stood up a little quicker than me.

I think the skiing, flights and long day which really started over thirty hours ago, was starting catch up with me.

Josh held his hand out in front of me. "Come on, Jamie. It's been a long day, my Aussie action man."

I took his hand and pulled up on it, flexing a little too much maybe, as I ended up colliding chest to chest against him. We only had our shorts on. His warm skin on skin contact was, so nice to say the least.

"Um, sorry about that," I offered and stepped back a little. This guy must think I'm the biggest whore around or what.

"No problem, Jamie. It was nice," he flashed another one of those, fucking yummy smiles at me.

We wandered over and Tom started introducing us to everyone.

Josh was standing close to me, at times our arms were touching or we'd move about and our feet were against each other - so high school like, right, but it was nice.

He's a nice guy, what little I know about him so far.

..o0o..

Tom gathered everyone around, pulling out a satchel with the biggest tablet I've seen.

Made me think back to the first television set I bought when I moved out of home. It was smaller than that tablet, way smaller.

"Josh, Tom's always been the biggest tech head I've known. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a surround sound hooked up somewhere too."

Josh laughed, "You Jamie, are funny as..." pulling me into a side hug.

"Let's go watch the video, Jamie. Maybe Tom will put the one of you guys skiing naked," he remarked with a sly grin on.

I laughed and Josh took off running up to the others. He was a little in front of me looking back over his shoulder to see if I was following, which I was.

Although I was a little lost over Sam, it felt like waves smashing over me, like I was caught in the surf. I was feeling so confused. On one hand I was pretty sure, we, well I was sure, that Sam and I were not happening. But it still hurt, and I had this feeling that I needed to be faithful to that memory for a bit before jumping into the arms of the next hot guy that came my way. I couldn't help but be totally taken with Josh - he's so nice - charming and funny, plus okay, he's fucking hot too. I'm human, right, not a saint.

"Argh!! What do I do."

I quietly slipped up next to Josh and we exchanged smiles.

There was Tom in his element and he'd hooked the tablet up to the high speakers on the overhead rails of the boat. "Pretty amazing, Tommy".

"What do you reckon, Jamie, pretty cool, huh?"

"You've smashed it this time, Tommy."

"Fricken awesome, Tom." Lucas agreed, as did half the beach nodding along.

Tom fired up the first video. It was of me and Lucas skiing, the stuff that Josh had taken of us going two up behind the boat. It looked good-really good. I looked good.

Josh moved a little closer, our bodies were touching from hip to shoulder.

"Shit Jamie, you're looking good there, buddy." Tom gave me the double thumbs up.

"My boat sounds pretty cool, too. Guys, what do you reckon - that 6.2L V8 Mercruiser has a nice note to it."

Josh leaned in closer and softly said to me, "I think you look better than the engine sounds," with a half sexy, half unsure smile.

"Thanks. I should hope so." I gave him a gentle punch in the arm.

"You two need to get a room over there or what?"

"Shut-up, Lucas. I've got a room anyway. You've got the couch."

"Oh what, no fair. You had the bed today that nap counted as a sleep."

"No way, Lucas. I don't even remember arriving at Tommy's, let alone remember going to bed."

"Shut it you two," came from some unknown in the group.

I shot Lucas a eat shit look - he flicked me the bird.

Josh took distraction between Lucas and me to quietly slip his arm around my back, resting his hand on my hip, looking at Josh.

I could see he was a little unsure, so I offered a simple smile.

Bingo, he pulled me a little closer at that.

"Oh shit," Lucas jumped off the railing he'd been sitting on, running back over to his bag which was now in the tub of Tom's truck and pulled out his cell waving it at us.

"Look, almost forgot. Hey Tom, when you've finished that video, there's the one of the Moomba master himself today."

Tom plugged Lucas' iPhone into the tablet and started the video of my first ski today.

"What's a Moomba master, Jamie?" Josh asked.

"It's a water-ski tournament they have in Melbourne each Easter, along the river that runs through the city itself."