Chapter 1. Welcome to Anteros Island. Jonah lay back on the bed and peered up
at the brochure in his hand. Its enticing pictures promised fun and adventure on ...
Chapter 1 Welcome to Anteros Island Jonah lay back on the bed and peered up at the brochure in his hand. Its enticing pictures promised fun and adventure on Anteros Island, an island in the Caribbean that catered to gay men. He had a goodsized pile of pamphlets on the bed next to him and had decided that since they were about to disembark, it was as good a time as any to sort through them. Reno was still ‘otherwise occupied’ and Zach was on the phone with his twin brother, Cole, who still lived at home on their family’s ranch in Texas. Midway through their senior year at Bennington College, Reno had suggested that they celebrate their graduation with a cruise to Anteros Island. Zach had immediately agreed. He was always ready for anything that involved a good time and, if Reno participated, then a good time was almost always assured. Jonah had taken longer to agree. It wasn’t the cost since he had a small trust fund from when his father had passed away. He was careful with the money. Reno had helped him invest some of it and that allowed him to have fun once in a while. He understood how to make money work for him and had given Jonah good advice over the years. Jonah wasn’t sure exactly how much money Reno’s family had but he knew that they were definitely wealthy and not merely upper middle class.
Zach’s family fell more into the upper middle class area. They owned a small ranch and came from a long line of sheriffs. His father currently held that position in the small town where Zach was raised. His twin brother, Cole, had no interest in law enforcement but did plan to take over the ranch one day. He had chosen to stay home while Zach went away to college. It was the first time that the twins had ever been separated but they talked on the telephone almost every day. Jonah had met Cole several times and was always astonished at how difficult it was to tell the twins apart. They were both tall and broad shouldered with light brown hair that they generally wore short. With large hands and a presence that dominated the room, they both reminded Jonah of football players. Both frequently wore a huge smile that wrinkled up the corners of their eyes, which usually held equal degrees of laughter and mischief. When Zach smiled, it was impossible for anyone not to smile back. Jonah knew that while he might look like a football player, he was a cowboy through and through, right down to the boots and hat that he never went anywhere without. In spite of how different the three of them were, Jonah had fun with Reno and Zach. While Zach was the cowboy, Reno was the one that Jonah considered model perfect. The only word that Jonah could think of to describe Reno’s looks was ‘smoldering’ and he wore it well with a confidence that was unmatched. His tousled brown hair and
full lips caught the eye of every woman and several men and, while he was tall like Zach, his body was perfectly proportioned with a lean look that reminded Jonah of a panther. The only thing that Jonah had in common with Reno was the blue eyes. He was a few inches shorter than either of his friends. Light blond hair, framing what could only be called a baby face, gave Jonah looks that leaned more towards pretty although he wasn’t effeminate. Jonah’s family was less affluent than Reno or Zach’s. The trust fund was from a life insurance policy. Reno was confident and the leader of the group. Zach was also strong-minded and just as likely to take over if Reno was in the mood to let him. Jonah was quieter than either of his friends and more introspective but he rarely declined to join them on adventures. He was always glad that he did and that was why he had finally agreed to the cruise and the island trip. Jonah expected to always be good friends with Reno and Zach but he knew this trip would mark the end of their time constantly being together. “Oh, hell, no!” Zach shouted into the phone. Jonah smiled to himself. He loved hearing the rich Texas accent. “You did not just doubt my ability to hog-tie a few live ones on an island where everyone is a sure thing! Including me.” Laughing out loud, Jonah shook his head but then raised an eyebrow in shock as he eyed a pamphlet describing a sexy pirate show. Both eyebrows nearly disappeared
into his hairline when he saw the next brochure and everything that was offered at a BDSM club called The Raven. “Yeah,” Zach went on. “Reno disappeared on us late last night and I was too drunk to make appropriate choices, or that’s what Jonah said, so we came back to our cabin. Once Reno gets done breaking another heart we’ll get our stuff together and hit the island.” Jonah had already packed that morning. He was anxious to explore the island and take in some of the sights. He knew that his agenda was slightly different than Reno and Zach’s but he didn’t mind going off on his own for some of the time. “No real plans so far except Reno participating in the poker tournament,” Zach told his brother. “Just get drunk as hell, hit some clubs, gamble, and see if we can’t lasso ourselves a few wild ones. No way we’re leaving until each one of us gets a piece of ass!” Jonah eyed his friend out of the corner of his eye. Zach was grinning wickedly and then winked lasciviously. Shaking his head once more, Jonah snorted softly in mock disgust, put down the brochures, and picked up the guidebook that he had purchased at the ship’s gift shop. Reno’s conquest the previous evening made him the winner of their current game. As Jonah flipped through the colorful pages of the book, he wondered if they would be taking a break from their ‘games’ while on the island. Most of the time, the challenges included having sex with a specific target. During college, they had only
played once in a while. Now that they had graduated and were celebrating, it seemed as though they were making up for lost time and it had been one game after another. Jonah had been rather relieved to lose all of them. “Okay, bro,” Zach said. “Gotta go before Jonah gets lonely and starts crying. I think he has a crush on me and I’ll have to let him down easy although there may be a sympathy fuck in there for him if he begs nicely.” Jonah’s mouth fell open in shock. Zach laughed before ducking to avoid the guidebook that was hurled across the room and hit the wall behind him. “You’re a jerk,” Jonah murmured. His tone was both annoyed and amused. “A jerk?” Zach repeated after hanging up the phone. He sat down on the bed where Jonah was stretched out. “Wow, that’s pretty harsh lingo coming from you. Won’t you get your mouth washed out with soap for saying that?” “Shut up,” Jonah said while blushing slightly. He covered his face with his hands for a moment when he felt his cheeks heat up. He was often teased about the fact that he rarely stepped out of line or used bad language even when drinking or angered.
“Come on,” Zach teased. “You know you want to call me something else. Bastard? Asshole? How about a fuckwit who couldn’t find his ass with both hands and a flashlight?” Jonah laughed and kicked Zach’s thigh. “Knock it off!” “All right, all right,” Zach agreed while leaning back on his elbows. “I’m just so danged bored waiting on Reno’s ass. I can’t believe he won again.” “He always wins,” Jonah pointed out. “And when it’s not him, then it’s you. You’re good at the games too, you know.” “Well, you could be too, if you played to win instead of always ending up feeling bad for the targets and making friends with them instead of fucking them. You’re cute and blond. No reason why you can’t round yourself up a win now and then.” Jonah ignored Zach’s comment. “Do you think Reno will have a new game for the island?” Zach’s eyes widened. “Do the women in Texas have hair so big it requires a zip code? Hell, yeah, he’s got one already lined up! And this time you better play to win. There’s no reason not to since you’ll never see any of these people again so it’s not like you’ll run into them later and have to feel all fucking embarrassed that they saw you naked.”
“I always play, don’t I?” “Just make sure you give us some competition, that’s all. I like winning a lot better when I have two people to gloat in front of and it’s no fun to gloat in front of you when you throw the game.” “I don’t throw the game,” Jonah argued. “It’s just not always that important, that’s all.” “Fuck that,” Zach replied. “I don’t care what the game is. This time you’re trying harder. This is our last time together before we start real life or more school or whatever and we’re gonna go out in a blaze of kick-ass glory. And we’re counting on you.” Those were the words that could always make Jonah promise to do his best even if he didn’t agree with what they were doing. When he knew that he was being counted on, Jonah rose to the occasion. He never wanted to let his friends down. “All right…I’ll play, but one of these days someone’s going to get hurt,” Jonah said. “I just know it.” “It’s just a game,” Zach said while yawning and closing his eyes. “Nobody’s getting hurt and we always have fun so quit worrying. Where the fuck is Reno!?” “He’ll be here,” Jonah answered and got off the bed to pick up the guidebook he had thrown earlier. “He wants to get to the island just
as much as we do. More, probably, since he’s got that tournament and you know how he is about winning money.” “Yeah. I just want to check out the clubs and the beaches.” “Hard to believe it’s over,” Jonah said and smiled. “And that we all managed to graduate.” “Have you heard back from any of the nuthouses yet?” “They’re psychiatric hospitals,” Jonah said wearily even though he knew that Zach was just kidding. His friends had a hard time understanding why he chose to work with mentally ill patients. “I’ve heard from a couple so far and I’m on the waitlist for the hospital near my parents. I’d rather try someplace new but at least I wouldn’t have to pay rent if I stay with them.” Zach laughed and opened his eyes. “Oh, trust me, little cowboy, you’ll pay. I know you’re trying to make your money last until you finish grad school but you’re better off getting a roommate and making the dollars stretch. It’s never the same when you go back home.” “Aren’t you going back home?” “Same town but my buddy, who’s going to work for a big music company, has a place and I’ll move in with him until I can get my own place. My dad already has a job lined up for me working at the
station, courtesy of Nepotism International Inc. Once I have a few paychecks put away then I’ll get an apartment in town.” Jonah nodded thoughtfully and then checked his watch. “Reno needs to get here soon so we can get checked in at the hotel. Any thoughts about what the next game is?” Zach smirked. “I have a vague idea but I’ll let him tell you.” “Do I have a quota this time or do I have to find a virgin and seduce him at the top of a volcano before I shove him in as a sacrifice?” “What the hell good would that do? Once you fuck him, he’s no good as a sacrifice anymore, dumbass.” Jonah rolled his eyes and went back to thumbing through the guide. “Fine. Keep your secrets.” “Aww,” Zach crooned. “Don’t get all pouty on me. It’s Reno’s idea so he gets to share it.” “Okay, fine,” Jonah said and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m kind of getting hungry. Should we go get something to eat and wait for Reno to find us or should we go looking for him?” “How long have you known Reno?” Zach asked while starting to beat out a rhythm on his knees. “Do you think he’ll be happy if he has to hunt us down or gets hunted down by us?”
Jonah shook his head and blushed again when his stomach growled loudly. “No, but I really am hungry.” Zach got up and walked over to his suitcase and fished around in a side pocket until he found a bar of chocolate. He tossed it to Jonah. “Here, eat this, because I know that once we get to the island, Reno won’t be taking a break for grub.” He sat back down. “So, are you glad you came?” Jonah had already unwrapped the candy bar and bitten off a large chunk. Around the chocolate, he mumbled, “Yeah. The cruise has been fun and I met a lot of nice people so far.” “But nobody with potential?” “Not really,” Jonah admitted. “Seems like everyone is already hooked up or they’re just not what I’m looking for.” Zach snorted softly. “I don’t need a boyfriend, anyway. I have my intern work for a year and then two more years of college after that. Although it would be nice to have someone to go out with every now and then.” “Who the fuck are you kidding?” Zach asked, arching one eyebrow. “You have ‘boyfriend material’ written all over you! Once you find someone even close to having potential, then you’ll be lost forever, buddy.”
“You don’t know me as well as you think–” Jonah stopped talking as the door swung open to reveal a smirking Reno sauntering into the cabin. “Yo, kids,” Reno said as he sat down next to Jonah and slapped the blond on the thigh. He chose not to mention last night’s seduction and victory because he knew that his friends already knew. “Ready to pahrtay? The tenders are starting to leave.” “Ready, willing, and amazingly able!” Zach answered back. “We’re all packed and Jonah promised to actually party with us instead of cheering from the sidelines. I hid his pompoms…” “I’m ready,” Jonah confirmed while rubbing the stinging spot on his thigh and smiling at Reno. “Sort of willing and possibly able.” “Good to know,” Reno deadpanned and rolled his eyes. “We know that Zach is willing although his ability is certainly questionable.” He shot Zach a knowing smile before looking back at Jonah. “With you, considering your major wimpin’ out of late, ya gotta wonder if it’s even functional nowadays. Did’ja break it from disuse?” Jonah’s smile disappeared. He glanced over at Zach, who had snorted at Reno’s question, before looking back at Reno. “I’m just not as good at the games as you two are, that’s all. I don’t want anyone to get hurt but I said I’d try harder this time and I will. I promise.”
“Good,” Reno quipped. “I already told you…nobody gets hurt,” Zach reminded Jonah. “It’s not like we’re marrying them or anything like that, thank fucking God.” Jonah nodded and repeated softly, “I said I would.” “We’ll see,” Reno interjected but winked at Jonah. Zach laughed. “You might want to listen to the rules of the game before promising anything, though. I can’t believe that you haven’t learned anything from us in four years. I’m cryin’ on the inside with massive humongous disappointment.” “Such a baby,” Reno teased. “Are you guys packed? You’re supposed to put your stuff outside the door and there was nothing out there when I walked in.” He then eyed the chocolate bar that Jonah was eating. “Candy bars aren’t good for you.” “Damn!” Zach shouted and began gathering the bags that were stacked on the other side of the bed and hauling them to the door. “I knew I was forgetting something.” Jonah looked sadly at the chocolate bar and began wrapping it back up. “I know but I was hungry and we didn’t know when you would be back here. There was nothing else to eat.”
Zach smirked. “I would have offered him a protein drink but I’m saving myself for the island boys.” “Good point,” Reno agreed while smiling smugly. “You’re usually out for a week afterward.” Noticing Jonah’s bags, he eyed the blond pointedly. “Are you done?” he asked even though he guessed that Jonah would have packed early. Jonah nodded. “I packed last night when we got back to the room. Zach was passed out and I figured that we wouldn’t see you until sometime today so I took care of it then. I forgot we had to set our stuff out though.” Standing up, Jonah walked over and checked the small bathroom to make sure he had everything while Zach set his cowboy hat on his head and tilted it slightly. Jonah grabbed his sunglasses and reached for his toiletries bag just as Reno stood up and waved him away. He picked up both bags and took them to the door. “Thanks,” Jonah said and stood next to the other two young men. “I think we’re ready.” “Yeehaw!” Zach yelled and grinned at his friends. “Look out, island!! We’re about to put the joy into your boys!” Shaking his head, Jonah laughed at Zach’s cheesy comment. “And we are gonna play the best game of our lives,” Reno added as he ushered Zach and Jonah out the door before closing it. “You’re gonna love it. No pain, all fun.” He eyed Jonah. “And since we’re on
an island where you’re expected to have fun and everything is casual, even you can let your hair down and party it up.” Zach slapped Jonah on the back and knocked him forward a couple of feet. “This is our last summer to go wild. We have to pretend to be grown-ups after this so I want to see you cut loose for once. I demand it!” After catching himself, Jonah glared at Zach and then turned to Reno. “So what is the game? And when does it start?” “We’ve done something similar before,” Reno explained as they headed for the deck where the tender boats would be docked to the ship. “This particular version is based on an old episode of the Love Boat. It starts after we get settled into our rooms and head to the bar.” “Love Boat?” Jonah tried to recall where he had heard that before. He had been serious when he had said that he would play to win this time. Zach was right. After the summer was over, things would never be the same again. Jonah already missed the collegiate camaraderie with Reno and Zach and they had barely graduated. “Any stakes on this one? I have a good feeling and I think that I might win this time.” “The way to win is when you actually get that good feeling located further south than where it is right now,” Zach teased.
“Not that Zach would know,” Reno said, laughing. “He needs the Hubble telescope and a Geiger counter to actually find anything in his nether regions.” He laughed again when Zach bestowed him with an upraised middle finger. “Besides the usual bragging rights, the winner gets a drink from the other two. Although since you say that you’re gonna play for real…notice my confidence here. I’ll raise the stakes. Winner gets dinner when we get back to Miami unless you peeps whine about money. When one of us scores, the others will buy him a drink. How’s that? Think you two can handle that?” Jonah and Zach both looked at each other and grinned before saying in unison, “Yes!” “And get your mind out of my nether regions, man,” Zach continued after smirking at Reno. “Unless you’ve taken a recent liking to bottoming.” Jonah’s face turned red and he walked ahead of Reno and Zach in an attempt at hurrying them along. “Is that why I felt an Arctic chill all of a sudden?” Reno asked and smiled as naively as he could manage. “I found your nether regions even without the use of GPS?” Zach winked at Reno. “I can warm you up, baby. Once you go Zach, you never go back.” “And the reasons for that are not really what you think they are,” Reno retorted.
Zach gave in and laughed before shouting, “Hey, Jonah, get your ass back here! You belong to us until the game starts so stop trying to escape the corral.” Jonah turned around and jogged back to the other two. “I just want to get there, that’s all.” He was excited to get to the island and explore. He practically bounced up and down trying to urge the other two to walk faster. “The island isn’t going anywhere and you need to hear the rules of the game before we get there,” Zach stated. “It starts today and no way we’re putting up with you whining that you couldn’t play because it wasn’t explained clearly. So listen up, little cowboy.” “Yeah, you better listen up,” Reno agreed. “Because we know that if you don’t score, Zach and I are gonna email you once a week to remind you that you failed us.” He smirked. “The rules are pretty simple. We go to the bar and we each pick a drink, either one of the specials or we can pick an island classic like a strawberry daiquiri or margarita. Once we declare that the game is officially on, the first person to order each of our drinks, is our respective target. Bang ‘em and mark ‘em! First person to score wins the dinner. Got it?” Jonah nodded while walking between Reno and Zach. The game actually seemed tamer than some of the other games that they’d played in the past. He was sure that he could handle this one especially since, as Zach had pointed out, these were strangers and
not fellow students that he might run into later. “I can do that,” Jonah stated and then smiled. “Get ready to buy me dinner! Last game is all mine!” “That’s the right attitude, lollipop,” Reno said and smiled as the three climbed the stairs toward the tender boats. “Although you know that I’m gonna win, I will happily buy you boys that drink when you score.” He turned and winked at the other two. “If you score. And don’t forget that the target has to be marked as usual.” “I happen to think you’re both letting the sea air get to you since it’s clear that this game is mine but you can buy me the drink anyway,” Zach said firmly. He then shot Jonah a pointed look. “And, no matter what, everybody is scoring! Some of us may score a few times but I won’t make either of you feel bad if you only get one.” “That just shows what you get for thinking,” Reno countered as they reached the tender boats and got in line. Since it was later in the morning and the majority of people had already disembarked, there were just a dozen people ahead of them. “It’s a complete and utter waste of time for you. I’m surprised you made it past small engine repair.” “You must stay up all night thinking of comebacks,” Zach said nonchalantly as they shuffled forward. “I mean, what with you being so quick on the draw in bed, there must be lots of extra time to just lay there and think, right?”
“I’m not like you, Einstein,” Reno retorted. “I can multitask so thinking in bed while I’m taking care of the latest chew toy gives me enough time to outline a thirty page term paper.” He smirked at Zack. “I could call you to prove it next time but I don’t want to wake you. Everyone knows you need your beauty sleep.” Jonah barely listened to Zach and Reno exchanging comments while staring out at the island off in the distance. They already had rooms reserved at the Blue Flamingo and, according to Reno, the first item on their agenda included the bar. He wondered if he could get something to eat there along with his drink and idly wished that he had finished the candy bar. Recalling Zach’s comment about being “boyfriend material”, Jonah scoffed inwardly. While it was true that he did want someone stable in his life, he had already attempted three relationships. Each time he had been dumped for men that he considered to be a bit lacking in the decency department. He often felt that the saying, about nice guys finishing last, had some merit. “What’re you thinking about, Jonah?” Reno asked. It was their turn to board the tender. “We need to get on this thing.” Jonah turned his attention to Reno and then climbed on board. He headed to his left since it was less occupied than the other side of the boat and leaned against the rail. Reno, however, still had that look on his face, which meant that he expected an answer to his question. “Um…relationships?” Jonah finally muttered. “I pretty much suck at
them so maybe playing the game and getting better at it might be a good idea.” “Exactly. Although I don’t think you necessarily suck at relationships,” Reno said quietly. “Other than the fact that discussing relationships makes me want to hurl,” Zach groaned, “I will agree that you don’t suck at them. You suck at hooking up with the right people. Can we change the subject now?” “Wuss…” Reno taunted. “Sure,” Jonah said and smiled as he turned to look at the island again. He knew that his friends were right and that there was no point in trying to figure out how he managed to choose the wrong person every time. Jonah glanced at Reno. “So tell us about your win.” “Talk about a piece of cake,” Reno replied, smirking. The previous evening’s game had been to see if he could pick up the person who had sat at the table where the three of them had previously had breakfast. “John Q. MacLonely, technical writer for a major software company, is on the ship alone, hasn’t made any friends, done anything, and sure as hell was easy pickings.”
“Fuck,” Zach whined. “I was horny as hell last night. Least you could have done was sent me the leftover cake or some frosting or something.” “I didn’t think he was too bad but weren’t you the one who said that he was so ugly that he had to sneak up on the dipper to get a ladle of water?” Reno asked sweetly. “But just let me know when you want my sloppy seconds and I’ll send ‘em your way.” Jonah looked pensively at Reno. “So was he upset when he found out it was just a one-night thing? Did he think it was going to be more?” “Nope,” Reno answered. “And I was fairly open about the fact that it was going to be for just one night.” One of his talents lay in being able to determine what the other person wanted and modulating his approach to suit each situation. Although he preferred honesty, he was not above embellishing the truth or telling outright lies in order to score. “And besides, anyone that thinks they’re going to have a serious relationship with a complete stranger whom they just met on a cruise ship or a Caribbean island deserves everything that they get.” Jonah wasn’t sure if he believed that was true since he still hoped that love at first sight was a fact and not just a myth. However, he could see Reno’s point and he wished that he could feel the same way. It would make his life much easier. “I guess,” Jonah said and
shrugged. “But don’t you think it could be possible to find the right person when you least expect it?” “Stop thinking like that!” Zach yelled and then growled out loud. Several people on the boat turned to look at him and smiled. “That kind of thinking has lost you every game and gained you too many friends that you didn’t need. We’re just here for fun, not love, man.” “And nobody gets hurt?” Jonah reiterated. “Only the ones that are dumb enough to be hurt, get hurt,” Reno answered and then smirked. “So, what exciting things did you find in all those brochures…”
