Middle of Nowhere - Chapter 20 Part 1
Title: Middle of Nowhere
Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They were created by Annie Proulx. I make no money from this and don't want to.
Rating: NC-17 for the whole story
Thanks: To Em (smilesalot) for your fast turnouaround and great help with this chapter, and to Keren for your constant support.
Feedback: Oh yes please!! I appreciate every word.
Authors Note: This is the last chapter. There will be an epilogue but I am doing a Christmas one-shot first. I like snow ;)
The day camp ended was sunny and warm, bringing with it an eerie stillness that covered the whole camp. The obvious absence of familiar noise was felt in every corner of the place that had once been filled with children’s voices and excited laughter, broken only by the muted sounds of tasks being finalised, doors being closed and locked for the winter.
Ennis stood in the middle of the workshop, taking one last look around before he left it for good. The smell of cut wood lingered in the room, and he inhaled the aroma as if that would somehow help to retain the memories of his time here, and all that had happened.
He picked up his box of tools from the worktop and smiled to himself as he looked inside. The roughly carved horse he had brought with him lay at the bottom, and he thought on what that simple object had brought to him and how his once sedate and uneventful life had changed beyond recognition over the past few weeks of this long, hot summer. He knew he still had things to figure out but, as he looked out of the window towards the lake, he also knew that one part of his life was certain.
He turned to leave and saw Jack standing by the open door, silently watching him with a smile that never failed to grab his heart and make him lose his breath. He felt the tingle of pleasure spread through him and the urge to kiss Jack right then was strong and undeniable. He grabbed the box tighter, hoping that would help focus his mind. But he was looking at Jack, and nothing else mattered.
“Time to get goin’ cowboy,” Jack said, stepping in and taking the box from him.
“Gotta lock up,” he said, not moving, just looking at Jack, who was doing the same.
“Yeah. Gonna miss this place,” Jack said. Ennis nodded, knowing they were both remembering the same things.
He could feel Jack’s eyes on him as he locked the door and tugged at the handle to make sure it was closed. It was probably the time to say something important, but his mind was too full to say much of anything that would make any sense. He hoped Jack didn’t mind.
“Could have our own workshop, someday, maybe,” Ennis whispered finally, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them. He didn’t know if that was true, or if it could happen, but just looking into Jack’s eyes and the hope that lay in them as he said it, made him want to believe it himself.
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Jack leaned against the side of Ennis’s car, playing with an old cigarette he’d found when packing his stuff away; he was desperate for a smoke. Although it would probably be okay to do it, he decided to hold back and wait until they were out on the open road. This was the only cigarette he had and he knew that sharing it with Ennis, although a really nice thought, would last all of five seconds. Considering the long journey they were about to embark on, he knew the first stop they’d have to make after leaving camp would be for gas and provisions, including a plentiful supply of cigarettes.
As he thought some more on the journey ahead, he wondered how long it would actually take. He hadn’t taken much notice on the way here, not that it mattered too much on the way back, since he’d be spending it with Ennis. That made his mind wander again, thinking on whether they would have to make a stop for the night since it was early afternoon already, and he doubted Ennis would want to drive to the point where he was falling asleep at the wheel. It would be better to take a rest, break the journey up and start fresh again in the morning.
He realised it was no longer just his mind that was taking an interest in these thoughts. Images of a room with a bed and him and Ennis in it filled his mind and flooded his crotch; it twitched in excited anticipation as he thought of how they could spend part of their journey home.
He scanned around to see if he could find Ennis but there was no sign of his cowboy, and wondered what could be taking him so long. Howie had already given the staff his farewell speech, along with an envelope filled with their pay for the summer.
Most of the other staff had already left, and he knew Ennis had purposely avoided most of the farewells so he didn’t have to answer any awkward questions about his journey home and his plans once he got there. Jack had been able to field most of them easily, not giving anyone any specific details, keeping things as vague as he possibly could. Ennis’s reticence was obviously rubbing off on him.
He was just about to go searching for Ennis when he saw him emerging from the gap in the trees by the office. He was carrying a box and being talked to animatedly by Meli, who was carrying so many bags and boxes it looked like she’d just spent the whole day shopping.
“Hey Jacky,“ Meli shouted as she approached the parking lot. “Stop standing there looking like a moody model and give us a hand, my hands are about to drop off.” He pushed the cigarette behind his ear and headed towards her, taking as many bags out of her hands as he could. He noticed sweet packets and candy poking out of some of the bags.
“What you’ve been doing, Meli, raiding the local sweet shop?”
“No, I was clearing out the back room in the office and remembered about the care packages that some of the kids had been sent.”
“And you decided to just take them. That’s stealing, you know,” Jack said, laughing.
“Hey! I am not stealing. They knew they weren’t supposed to have them. What else could I do? Throw them out? It’s a waste.”
“I guess,” Jack agreed, “but you surely don’t need all these sweets.”
“No, I don’t. Simon likes them, but not as much as me. Some of these are for you two. Here.” She looked in some of the bags and randomly pulled some out and handed them over to Jack.
“They should keep you going for a while,” she said, winking at Jack.
“Where do you want this, Meli?” Ennis asked, leaning the box against his car.
“Oh I forgot about that!” Meli laughed. “Here give that to me, it’s my makeup and stuff.”
“Jeez, how much makeup do you need?”
“Enough. Why, you want some?”
“No thanks, I think I can do without that.”
“Okay. Oh, here’s Simon. Oh, that means we’re leaving now.”
Meli stood there looking like a lost child as she looked from Jack to Ennis. Jack felt a pang of emotion as he reached out and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, not really sure he wanted to let her go.
“I’m gonna miss you, Meli girl,” Jack whispered into her hair.
“Me too, Jacky,” Meli said, hugging him back. “So much. I want everything to work out for you and Ennis. But you’ve got to let me go now, or I’ll suffocate.”
Jack laughed, gave her a kiss on the cheek and let her go. Without giving Ennis a warning, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and gave him a bear hug. Ennis looked awkward, but he let her do it, hugging her back in return. Jack smiled as he watched them.
“Be good to Jacky,” Jack heard Meli whisper in Ennis’s ear. “He’s special. And he loves you with all his heart.”
“I will,” Ennis replied. “Be good. And thanks. You know,” Ennis said, leaving the sentence hanging as he tugged on a thumb nail.
“Yeah, I know,” she said. She kissed Ennis and she attempted a smile, her tear-stained cheeks glistening in the afternoon sun. Simon came from loading his truck and put his arm around her, kissing her gently on the top of her head.
He held out a hand to Jack, who took it warmly. “Well, we’ll be going now. Was great knowing you Jack, and you too, Ennis.” Ennis shook his hand in turn.
“Bye guys,” Meli said, as she got into the passenger side of the truck, pulling the window down. “We’ll be in touch when we know where we are, so don’t leave the country.”
Jack laughed. “We won’t. But we might leave the state. Just give us enough warning.”
“Oh very funny. You know I still have the tiger I got you for your birthday, I could always have that delivered home for you.”
“No, that’s okay. You keep it. It’ll help you remember me.”
“Yeah, as a sweet, cute, adorable, squashy tiger. Maybe I need to ask Ennis if that’s true.”
“Er, I think that’s our cue to get going, don’t you Ennis?”
Ennis nodded, laughing and they got into the car.
They watched as Simon pulled the truck out of the parking lot and towards the exit. Meli had her head out of the passenger window, craning her neck and waving at them furiously. They waved back, shaking their heads in mock distain.
“Guess this is it,“ Ennis said as he reversed out of the parking lot and made his way to the exit.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Jack agreed. He felt his chest tighten and his heart beat faster as the realisation of what they were about to embark on started to sink in.
When Ennis turned on to the open road, Jack felt a hand rest on his thigh. He grabbed it automatically, stroking his hand over the long, sleek fingers that pressed gently on his leg. His dick twitched, and all he could focus on was having Ennis. He didn’t know how long he could endure the journey before he went crazy with desire.
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End of part 1