Bo Richmond was finishing the installation of the last set of bookcases in the library of the Deke fraternity house. He heard a bunch of the brother's whooping-it-up down the hall from where he was working. He didn't pay much attention to the commotion since most of the guys were already boozing it up before the big game. Outbursts like this were common occurrences in many frat houses.
This frat house shared the same reputation as the Animal House in a movie of the same name. When he heard a cry of pain, Bo became concerned. With several stereo systems playing loudly, it was a wonder he could hear anything at all, let alone a cry for help. When the cry for help continued, Bo decided to check it out. He walked down the hall and stopped outside the door from where the screams were emanating. He pushed the door open and was shocked at what he saw. Three men were holding down a fourth man on a bed. He was the one screaming for help. He was laying face down on the bed, naked as a jaybird. A fifth man was on top of him with his pants down around his ankles, raping the guy on the bed.
"What the hell is going on here?" Bo shouted.
"None of your fucking business," one of the dudes yells. "Get the fuck out of here; this is a private party."
"Hey, you, on the bottom, what's your name?" Bo asked.
"Dustin Taylor, will you please help me?"
"Is this your room, Dustin?"
"YES!" Dustin yelled... "Please, call security?"
"Okay you assholes, you heard the man. Get out!"
"Fuck off, asshole, can't you see were busy?. They all laughed.
"I'll tell you guys one more time to get out," Bo hollered.
Again they laughed, "Get lost, asshole."
Bo grabbed the guy raping Dustin and knocked him out cold with two rapid punches. He kicked the leg of the second guy holding Dustin. The guy grabbed his leg and began screaming with pain as he fell to the floor. The other two guys realized too late, what was happening. Bo knocked the wind out of the first guy and slammed the second one into the wall. He was about to finish them both off when they gave up.
"You bunch of cowards, how does it feel to be on the receiving end? You make me sick. Now pick up your friends and drag their sorry asses out of here before I beat the shit out of you. I suggest you get that jerk moaning on the floor to the emergency room. I think he has a broken leg. One more thing: if you sorry excuses for men ever try to hurt Dustin again, I'll come looking for you and fuck you all with a baseball bat, right after I break your kneecaps. You got that, assholes?" Bo shouted. They nodded their heads as they helped their friends out of the room.
Bo closed the door behind them. Dustin lay sobbing into the pillow. Dustin's clothes were strewn all over the room. "Okay, Dustin, they're gone.. He pulled the sheet off the bed and covered him. "Come on, Dustin, I'll help you into the bathroom. You need to get cleaned up."
"Thanks. What is your name?"
"It's Beauregard, but everyone calls me Bo."
"Will you stick around until I get cleaned up. They might come back to finish what they started."
"Don't worry, they won't be back again."
"Jack Bailey will be back, he's my roommate."
"Which one was Jack?"
"Jack was the guy that was raping me."
"You picked some roommate. Look, Dustin, do you have a friend you can spend the night with. You sure as hell can't stay here anymore, not after what's happened."
"I'll rent a room at one of the motels in town until I find my own place."
"Can you stand?"
"I don't know."
Bo helped him to stand. "God, my butt is sore. It hurts like hell when I walk."
"You'll be okay," Bo said. "Look, I've got to finish installing those bookcases down the hall. Lock the door behind me and check your rear end to see if you're bleeding. If you're not, take an enema with cold water. Then you may want to soak in a tub of warm water for twenty minutes. That should ease the pain. I'll be back to help you pull your stuff together and we'll load it in my truck. You'll never find a room in town tonight. Every room is booked because of the big home game. You can stay with me tonight and look for a place tomorrow. I should be finished up in an hour, so if you're up to it, pile all your clothes on your bunk and I'll be back to help load up your stuff."
"Thanks. I really appreciate this, Bo."
Bo knocked on Dustin's door an hour later. "It's me, Dustin, open up."
Dustin opened the door. "I'm almost ready. All my stuff is on the bed."
Dustin pointed to the wooden rack against the wall, "The computer, the microwave, the TV and those books are mine, too," he said. "I'll need to move everything out now, or I'll never see it again."
"I agree. Do you have any cash on you, Dustin?"
"Sure, how much do you need?"
"Sixty bucks should do the trick." Dustin handed Bo three twenties. "I'll be back in a few minutes, and you keep packing."
Bo was back in twenty minutes with a bunch of empty cardboard boxes and three guys to help. They loaded Dustin's stuff into Bo's pickup. "Thanks for your help, guys." Bo handed each of them a twenty-dollar bill."
"Hey, no problem man, any time." "Bo, I'll follow you in my car," Dustin said.
"Are sure you can drive? Do we need to take you to the Emergency Room for a check up?" Bo asked.
"I'll make it, that cold enema and soaking in the hot tub helped a lot. There was no blood at all." Dustin chuckled, "At least I'm not walking like I had a broom up my butt anymore."
Bo's apartment was in the older section of town. He rented an apartment on the third floor of a private home. It had an exterior private staircase, so Bo backed the truck up to the stairs and began unloading Dustin's stuff.
"Bo, can't we find some guys to carry this stuff upstairs?"
"We could, but I can use the sixty bucks. You leave everything to me. I'll carry your clothes up first and make some room in my closet for you.. It took Bo an hour to carry everything to the third floor.
"Sorry. Dustin, I've no bookcases for your books. They're going to have to stay in the cartons for now. This place isn't much, but it's clean and the rent is reasonable."
"I'm grateful to you for taking me in on such short notice, Bo. Don't worry about the books I'll make sure I'm out of here in a couple of days. This apartment is too small for two guys. Do you have a cot or a sleeping bag I can use for tonight?"
"I'm afraid not, Dustin. Looks like you're going to have to sleep with me for now. Don't worry though, you're safe sleeping with me. It's a king size bed and a shrimp like you will have plenty room."
Dustin smiled, "You don't have any social diseases, like crabs or anything, do you?"
Bo laughed, "Hell no. I'm a clean cut, wholesome red neck from Alabama, no lice, fleas, crabs or VD."
"Do you have any special dinner plans for this evening, Bo?"
"Nope, unless you call cooking up a batch of beans and franks something special," Bo said.
"Since were sleeping in the same bed, let's skip the beans for tonight. I'm treating you to dinner. You get cleaned up while I'm making reservations. Think you can be ready in an hour?"
"You bet, with time to spare."
"The place I had in mind is a jacket-and-tie restaurant, is that okay with you?"
"No problem, I do own a suit and a blazer," Bo said with a smile, "I'm not dirt poor."
"Who said anything about being poor? I only mentioned it because this restaurant won't let you in otherwise."
"Make yourself at home. The telephone is next to the bed, in the meantime I'm going to take a quick shower and change."
Dustin made the reservations and changed for dinner. He wore an oxford light blue button front shirt, striped silk tie, light gray wool slacks, black belt, socks and black Farragamo loafers. He was sitting on the end of the bed watching the news when Bo returned to the room to dress.
"My, my you look like the perfect Ivy League preppie," Bo said. "You clean up nice, although I'm going to have to take you in hand when it comes to your casual clothes. Tell me, where in the world did you get that haircut. You look like a dork. First thing tomorrow, we make an appointment with my hair stylist. Also, can you afford to spring for a new style of eye glasses, Dusty?"
Dustin smiled, "I take it you're not happy with my appearance. Yeah, I can afford to buy new glasses. I take it you don't like my name either?"
"To me you're Dusty, any objections?"
"No, I like it."
Bo was a careful dresser and the results showed. "I'm ready, is this place far?"
"Twenty minutes, tops," Dusty said. "You're really a handsome guy when you're all dressed. And, I like your hair style, just fine."
Bo smiled, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You are a good-looking guy, why spoil those good looks with that dorky haircut and those glasses. I'll take care of you tomorrow."
Dusty handed Bo the keys to his BMW, "Here you drive."
Dusty gave him directions to the Patio Restaurant. The valet opened the car door for them and gave Bo the ticket. The owner greeted Dusty as he entered the restaurant, "Good evening, Mr. Taylor, so nice to see you again. Your favorite table is ready. He led them to a table that overlooked the gardens. I'll send the wine steward for your order. Enjoy your dinner gentlemen."
"Would you care to join me with a good bottle of wine, or would you prefer something else?"
"I'll be honest with you, Dusty. I've never been to a restaurant this elegant before. I'm just a country boy from a small town in Alabama. You go ahead and order that bottle of wine."
"That's fine, in that case let me explain the basics to you when ordering dinner in this place. This restaurant happens to be a four-star restaurant. First rule, if you're not an expert at ordering wine, don't pretend that you are. Let the wine steward guide you. Sometimes a formal dinner may serve as many as five wines. Of course, that depends on the courses served. We won't get carried away tonight. In most states, it's against the law to doggie-bag the wine. I grew up dining this way, so it's second nature to me."
When the wine steward arrived Dusty order a bottle of a good German wine. Dusty went on to explain about German wines and the difference between a fruity and dry wine.
Their waiter came by, took their order and left.
"We haven't had much time to talk, Dusty, but I'd like to know about that incident in your room this afternoon. Why did Jack act that way. I know he was a jerk for what he did, but what set him off?"
Jack and I roomed together last year. They stuck us together because we were both from the same area in Connecticut. That's the only thing we have in common. Jack is a first class bigot. He's angry with me because I told him that I was not going to room with him again this semester. He is on a one-man crusade to save my soul from the devil. Ever since he learned that I was gay, he has been on my case. Jack is from an ultra right-wing religious background and believes that homosexuality is a disease that you can pray away. Since I refused to talk to his minister over the summer, he has made my life miserable this past month. Jack is not only scary, but he's a hypocrite as well. He'd hit on me a couple of times last semester when he came back to our room drunk. On several occasions, I'd find him bare-ass naked in bed with me the next morning. My shrink thinks Jack is a latent homosexual. Today is the day he picked to get even, because most of the good guys in the frat house were at the football game."
"What would have happened if I hadn't been there this afternoon?"
"It would have been a gang rape. They were fighting over who was going to me next."
"You know you should report what happened to the authorities, don't you, Dusty?"
"No way; you think I want this to go public? This incident will be handled discreetly. My dad will see to that."
"Look, Bo, you won't hurt my feelings if you have second thoughts about sharing your bed, if you'd rather I can sleep on the floor."
"Hell no, I don't feel threatened by a geek like you. Hell, I could snap you in two without batting an eye. Unless they discovered something new, homosexuality is not contagious. Anyway, if you start coming on to me in the middle of the night, I'll hog tie you to your side of the bed."
"You needn't worry on either score. I'm not contagious and I would never come onto you. I make it a rule never to get emotionally involved with straight or bisexual men. Even if they happen to be a hunk like you, I'd rather keep you as a friend. You see I have this annoying habit of turning people off. In any event, I don't have any friends that would come to my rescue the way you did today; you're quite a guy."
Bo smiled, "You're quite a guy yourself. I'd like us to be friends. I think we can help each other."
"I think it was a good omen that we met today, Bo. I'm into omens these days."
"Are you in any serious relationship?"
Dusty laughed, "No, and I don't intend to become involved in any relationships until I graduate Law school. Anyhow, who would even bother with a nerd like me?"
Bo smiled, "Well, Jack had the hots for you."
Dusty grimaced, "Aside from the fact that Jack is an asshole and he doesn't happen to be my type, it's unfortunate that his brain has been poisoned with misguided religious nonsense. Don't think I wasn't tempted a couple of times when that hard naked body was pressed against me." Bo shook his head and smiled, "Tell me something. How can you afford a restaurant like this?"
"I'll tell you if you can keep this between us, okay?" Bo nodded his head in agreement. "I'm not hurting for money. I have a trust fund that takes care of my every need. I can pretty much spend as much as I want as long as I don't go overboard. In that event, I would need my dad's or my trustee's approval. Incidentally, I called my dad while you were dressing earlier. He is not a happy camper about what happened today. This really complicates my life, big time. Dad was dead set against my going to this college in the first place. Now, he is annoyed with me because I'm quitting his fraternity. Of course, his first reaction was to hire a bodyguard and have me change schools. When Dad has the bit between his teeth, he won't stop until the culprits are dealt with and the fraternity cleans up its act. Tell you one thing for sure; you won't see Jack and his friends on this campus next week."
"Gee, but life has been tough on you, right Dusty?"
Dusty got serious, "If you must know life has been rough for me. Don't make any snap judgments if you've never walked in my shoes. One day I'll tell you about it. Being the scion of a wealthy family is great, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't want it any other way, but everything in this life comes with a price tag and we all must pay the piper."
"You're right, it's for sure your money didn't buy you happiness."
The waiter returned with Dusty's credit card and his receipt. "If you're finished, let's head back to your castle," Dusty said.
"Thanks for the delightful evening, Dusty. I'm sorry you missed out on the succulent menu I had planned for this evening. But maybe you're right; beans and franks would not have been a good choice since we'll be sleeping together."
They both undressed and slipped into bed. "You know you shouldn't leave that BMW parked on the street," Bo said.
"Why not. It's insured. I really don't have much of a choice where I park anyway. The last one was stolen six months ago. BMW's are the car of choice for discerning car thieves. If this car is stolen, I may buy a beat up truck like yours. What are your plans for tomorrow?"
"To relax, baby. God and I take Sundays off. If it's a nice day, I plan to take one of my law books to the park and read for a while. Why do you ask?"
"I thought you might like to help me look for a place to live."
"Sure, why not?"
"Great, I'm beat," Dusty said, as he turned over on his side. "I'm a sound sleeper; it won't bother me if you want to watch TV."
Dusty awoke at six the next morning. He carefully climbed over Bo and headed for the bathroom to shower and dress. After checking the kitchen cabinets, he found the coffee and brewed a pot. He set up his computer on Bo's desk and began to review the rental agency listings on the Internet. After an hour of scanning, he selected an agency to call.
He was so involved in his work he didn't hear Bo moving around until he was standing behind him. He jumped when Bo spoke to him. "How long have you been up?"
"Since six, I hope I didn't wake you?"
"Whatcha up to?"
"I thought I'd see what was available for rent in this area. I have a call in to a real estate agency that looks solid. We can find out what they have available. I've already emailed them and gave them some idea of what I'm looking for. If you make yourself presentable, I'll treat you to a hearty breakfast. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Bo, but your cupboards are bare."
"I know. Seems like a guy named Dusty screwed up my Saturday night marketing schedule. Saturday is payday and that's when I do my shopping. So you only have yourself to blame for the bare cupboards."
Dusty laughed, "I can see this is going to be a Beat Up On Dusty kind of day. I left your sixty dollars on your dresser."
"Thanks, Dusty...if I didn't need to make an insurance payment I wouldn't take your money."
"Are you running that close to the edge?"
"Yeah, my folks can't help me out this year, so it's going to be a rough ride for me. Are you sure you wouldn't like to share this place with me?"
Dusty frowned.
"Never mind, that was a dumb question. This place is rather cramped for me, let alone two of us. Even it you are a runt."
"Why don't you get your ass in gear so we can take advantage of this beautiful day? We can talk about this place later," Dusty said.
"Hey, Dusty, why didn't you warn me you were taking me to such a fancy place for breakfast?"
Dusty laughed, "You call this place fancy. I can see you need some serious training, my good man. What are your plans for next Sunday?"
"You're a real comedian; I do the same thing every Sunday, I crack the books."
"In that case, when we get back here tonight pencil in brunch with Dusty for next Sunday, jacket and tie required. You can take your book or notes with you and study while I drive us to Atlanta. You, my good man, are about to embark on your new training program. I plan to teach you the difference between a good and a mediocre restaurant. If your schedule permits, I would like you to join me every Sunday for brunch. This town is a cultural waste land."
"We'll see about that," Bo said. "Let me see the list of realtors you contacted. Wow, there is nothing cheap about you. These are definitely the top Realtors in town."
"I figure I'm entitled," Dusty said. "I've done my year in purgatory, living in the frat house. God, those guys act like a bunch of morons. I've never lived with such lowbrows before. The only reason I put up with it was to please my dad. Now I do it my way. I figure since I'm the last of the Taylor's I might as well enjoy my money. I'm not planning to marry, so there won't be any offspring to inherit the Taylor fortune. Everything goes to the gay community when I die. So why not enjoy the money?"
"I don't blame you, and I'd do the same thing in your shoes. However, you're wrong about not having children, Dusty. You can still have children without getting married to a woman. Spend some of your money to find the right surrogate mothers and presto there are offspring."
"Hey, that's not a bad idea, Bo. I know I'll make a good parent and I'm crazy about kids."
"The down side of course is that you're lessening your chances of finding a mate with kids in the package."
"Tell you a little secret, if my future spouse loves me, he will love my children. If not, he is not the right person for me."
"Don't wait until you're an old fart before you start raising a family, Dusty. At least you'll have someone around to put up with you in your old age."
"Thanks, mister... what did you say your name was again?"
Bo laughed heartily, "Sorry about that. Why do I suddenly get the feeling that brunch is canceled for next Sunday?"
Dusty smiled, "No way, buddy. You're not going to get out of it that easily. So you think I'm incapable of finding a significant other?"
"That's not what I said. There are probably hundreds of guys waiting to get into your pants. But it's going to take time and you're going to have to change your attitude and looks."
"What are you suggesting?"
"You're not a bad looking guy, but you could improve your chances if you spent some time building up that sorry looking body of yours."
Dustin thought a while before answering. "Okay, if that's what it will take to improve my odds, I'm game. Since I'm on a crusade to improve your social graces, you can improve my standing with the 'in' crowd. There's a lot of competition out there, in case you haven't noticed."
"No, I hadn't noticed as a matter of fact. Sounds like a good deal for both of us. We can start next week, Dusty."
"Great, before we do anything I need to stop at the bank then see what the Realtor has put together."
After looking at five listings, they headed to the park to make a final decision. "Which one did you like the best, Bo?"
"I liked them all."
"Come on, you're supposed to be helping me here. Personally, I liked the townhouse best."
"Forget the townhouse, Dusty. The agent told you the owners took it off the rental market. I don't know why we wasted time looking at the place anyway."
"It's the perfect place and completely furnished. It's the ideal layout for entertaining. Didn't you notice the way the family room doors slid into the wall allowing for unobstructed access to the screened in patio. It would be ideal for alfresco dinner parties. I like having fireplaces in the library, family room and living room. I also like the spacious bedroom suites. Not to mention the maid's suite. The best thing of all is that it's a short walk to the campus. What do you think, Bo?"
"I have to agree that it's a beautiful place and by far the nicest place we've looked at so far. But again, it's not a rental property."
"I know, but I think it would be a good investment. The furniture and artwork alone are priceless," Dusty said. "That's why they installed that expensive security system. I like the idea of the gated community with 24/7 security guards. No one is going to gang up on me there."
"Go for it, Dusty, if that's what you want. I'm sure you'll feel safe there."
"Right on. Wait a second while I grab my cell phone from the car and call the agent."
Dusty returned smiling, "We can swing by the agent's office and close the deal this afternoon." "That's great, Dusty, I'm happy for you. Would you like to join me while I do some food shopping?"
"Sure, than we can swing by the real estate office and sign on the dotted line and pick up the keys. Now before you start to buy out the store, I need to talk to you about a proposition I have in mind for you."
"You have my undivided attention, Dusty. What's on your mind?"
"I want you to listen to everything I have to say before you give me your answer, okay?"
"Shoot."
"I want you to move into that townhouse with me. You don't have to lay out one penny and there are no strings attached. However, there are certain things I would expect from you as a housemate in return. I would expect you to treat it as your own home, join me for meals unless you're working or have a date. If you're not planning to be home, I would expect you to let me know your plans in advance. I will abide by the same rules. If you're free, I would like you to join me on vacation trips. I want you to treat me like a brother, the same way you have for the past two days. If you want to bring a girlfriend along, that's okay too. I will also introduce you to the right people and help you to polish those rough edges.
"I'm going to help you make it, Bo. All I expect in return is your companionship and your protection. You're the only person that has treated me as an equal in a long time. You know what I'm referring to. You've also accepted the fact that I'm rich. If you accept my offer, I plan to support you financially until we graduate from law school.
"I'm the first one to admit I act like a nerd. I'd like to change that image and try to be more like any other normal guy. Right now, I don't know how to act any other way and no one is willing to take the time to explain to me what I'm doing wrong. Even if they do, how do I know I can trust them. How do I know they are leveling with me. That is one of the reasons I don't have any friends. I want you to help me change all that.
"You're popular, Bo. I've seen how easily you make friends. It's easier for me to blend into the background because of the way I am. You never noticed that we were in three classes together last year. Yesterday was the first time you've ever spoken to me. I want you to help me create a new image. I want you to keep up to date with the latest fashions and trends. It's not going happen overnight, but if we give it time, I know I'll improve. I like you Bo and feel safe with you around. I can accept criticism from you because I know you are genuinely interested in helping me and it won't be a put-down.
"I've always been a loner. I thought I could take care of myself. Yesterday was a real wake up call for me in many ways. It made me realize the lengths that people like Jack will go to hurt me. I should have realized he was a time bomb ready to explode. It was stupid of me not to see that. I misjudged him and I paid the price for dismissing people like Jack. Furthermore, I'm never going to meet any interesting men if I look and act like something the cat dragged in. I've got to change if I want to find the person for me.
"In return, I'll teach you everything you need to know if you are going to fit into the corporate world, if that's what you want. I'll be your Professor Higgins. However, I'm not going to waste my time if you are not interested in becoming a successful lawyer. At least the kind that makes the serious dollars in the profession. I don't care how brilliant you are, if you don't have the right connections, you won't be accepted into any of the prestigious law firms. There are many smart, bright lawyers out there and most make a comfortable living. However, they'll never get the chance to make the big bucks a lawyer can earn if he is well connected to the good-old-boy network. The men in control of these large law firms use the old-boy network. They check with their contemporaries to see if a young law graduate is one of the club. They trust each other and they know that their attorneys won't allow them to get into serious trouble. If you are as good as I think you are, and you want my help, I will see that you get into one of those law firms in New York. What you do once you're in, is up to you. I realize this is a big decision for you to make right now, but give it some serious thought and let me know. I'll be moving into the townhouse tomorrow."
"Jesus, I don't believe you, Dusty. You're a nice guy, but understand one thing; there can never be anything between us. I am straight, period. So if you have any thought along those lines, get it out of your head right now."
Dusty smiled, "I know that. You made that clear last night. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. If you were gay, things could have turned out differently. I have no intention of wasting my time on a straight guy."
"You've got my head spinning right now, Dusty. I've got a lot of thinking to do. I'll buy enough for dinner tonight and let you know my answer tomorrow."
"Good, what are you we having for dinner tonight?"
"I'll cook one of my specials since I have someone to cook for tonight. How does baked stuffed pork chops, scalloped potatoes, fresh carrots and apple sauce sound?"
"Delicious. It also sounds like a lot of work."
"It is, but I enjoy cooking."
"Now that surprises me, I can't imagine a big bruiser like you rustling up gourmet meals in the kitchen."
"When you're the eldest of six children you learn to do everything around the farm, including cooking and housework."
"You must tell me about yourself and your family."