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Chapter Twenty-Five

It was just after three that Jovian went to the little desk in the living room, and after finding the pens and paper, wrote the note that he hated to write.

Cherokee,

I know you’re going to be so mad at me, but I can’t go on the camping trip. Alan has another buddy set up already, but I have something really important to do. I swear, it’s really important. I just can’t tell you about it.

You may never understand this, and if you don’t want me anymore, then I will have to find a way to be okay with that. What I’m doing, though, it's important to you, for you. Know I’m doing it with a lot of love.

I’ll see you tomorrow, hopefully. Until then, please know, I really do love you.

Jovian

After folding it in half, he left it leaning on the French Press.

After texting Alan and Mike, he waited for ten minutes for them to meet him.

“Sorry,” he said when they were out of earshot of the cabin. “After the mountain lion…”

Alan assured “It’s fine, Jovian. We’ll get you to your car and head back to Cabin C. I expect the Coach will call pretty early.”

“Don’t you dare tell him a thing. Say you don’t know, or something.”

“I wish you’d just tell him,” Mike said.

“I can’t, and we’ve gone through this!”

“Fine,” Mike growled. “Just go save the damn camp. We’ll be praying for you.”

“Thanks. I guess God would be okay with all this.”

“Yeah,” Alan teased. “A big party with porn stars in a BDSM club filled with gay people. Yeah, I’m sure he’ll bless us all.”

“Hush,” Jovian said, then laughed.

“We’re saving the place from a church camp,” Mike reminded them.

“We’re screwed for help from upstairs, I guess,” Jovian said, then laughed. “We’ll take our chances without His help.”

After they got to Jovian’s car, Alan pulled out his back from behind the back bumper. “I hid this on the way to get you. It’s got your wallet and makeup. I didn’t think you’d want any of the clothes.”

“No, you’re very right about that. I have much better, not ruined clothes at home. Thanks, both of you. I’ll call you to tell you how it’s going.”

“Call me,” Mike said. “Alan will be in the mountains.”

“With Cherokee,” Jovian said miserably. “God, he’s gonna be so mad at me.”

“Just go before you talk yourself out of it,” Alan said, pushing him into the car once the door was open. “I’ll try to find some service and call you. Good luck, buddy.”

“Thanks.”

Speaking of calling, he expected about a hundred calls from Cherokee, but Jovian had put all the numbers on his phone hethem,ld find, and he labeled them so he’d know not to answer.

By the time he got to the city, the sun was already up and lighting the world.

Jovian went right to his apartment, showered, moisturized and dressed in casual clothes, nothing expensive, as he’d be working that day. Plus…all his expensive clothes suddenly seemed so…pointless.

He tried not to think about what that could mean and when he got to Chaps two hours later, there were already people inside, getting the place ready.

Including Travis and Lonnie Walton.

“Hey! I didn’t know you would be here!”

“We wanted to see our friends and help,” Lonnie said as he gave Jovian a hug. “We’ve looked into the camp since we saw you. It’s…incredible what they do for people. When we get older, a lot of us don’t have a place we can find community.”

“Wow, thank you. I’m glad you see it’s worthwhile.”

Travis shook his hand and said, “It very much is. Anything to help our community, we’re all for.”

Gary came over then and shook hands with Travis and Lonnie. “Glad he found you guys.” He turned to Jovian and sighed heavily. “So, it worked?”

“Yes, it did, but there’s no time to lord it over me right now. What are the plans?”

“I made a signature juice mix, and I have my guys cutting oranges and limes now, lining all the martini glasses with fruit sugar.”

“That is perfect.”

Lonnie said, “So, Armand would like to limit the non-members to this floor and the stage floor on four if they pay extra. No private rooms and no VIP unless they’re members. More in both your pockets.”

“That’s fine! I doubt a lot of them would want to see what happens on the other floors.”

“Well, Dirty Duke, who we know affectionately by his real name of Julio Cortez, will perform in the VIP for tips that he plans to donate to the camp, and our friends who work for Blew Boys will dance on the fourth floor, taking tips as well they plan to donate.”

Hearing all that made his eyes fill with tears. “Everyone’s so…wonderful.”

“Yes, we have some amazing friends, like I told you. We also have a ton of people sending out flyers in emails. One of our friends, Pez, he works marketing for Slutae, the kinky clothes and toys company.”

“I know the website well. I have spent probably too much money on it.”

Travis laughed, “So have we all. Lonnie and I saw their potential when we owned Chaps, and became exclusive with them, our go-go boys wearing nothing but Slutae. It was a great partnership, and one Armand signed on for too.”

“Anyway,” Lonnie continued, “He’s sending out flyers to every patron of Slutae in the Denver area. So many have already written back that they’ll be here.”

His heart couldn’t take much more. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“Thank you works,” Travis said, and Lonnie gently slapped him.

“Travis, stop.”

“No, he’s right. Thank you both and everyone. This means the world.”

“Look at that,” Gary said. “The little shit does have a heart.”

He stuck his tongue out at Gary, then laughed. “The camp…I found a lot there, including my heart, okay?”

Gary slapped him on the back and gave him a wink. “Glad to hear it.”

People were everywhere, cleaning, putting up banners that were pictures downloaded from the Pride Camp website, advertising them and what the event was all about.

His friends called to tell him that their socials were blowing up with excitement for the event too.

There would be a hell of a diverse group at the club that night.

From snotty club hoppers to leather men, to drag queens that Gary had on speed dial.

“They’ll perform down here, so those not paying extra to head up, get their money’s worth, too. ”

The affair was going to be amazing, and for every person showing, twenty-five dollars would be the entrance fee, all going for the camp, and all the special things would be split in half with the club.

Tallying it all up, he thought. Unless the camp owed a million dollars, they’d likely be saved.

The first hour after waking and finding the note saw Cherokee sitting in the back, staring off at his plants. That was his place of peace, where the hurt the world could dole out went away.

That morning, it didn’t work.

Instead, it riled him to the point he called Jovian twice, and when the little fuck didn’t answer, he ran, literally ran, to the camp and to Cabin C, where he found Jovian’s friends bent over their phones. “Can I talk to you?”

Kathy yipped and paled, but Alan wouldn’t even meet his eyes. “Hey, Coach. What’s up?”

“Don’t pull that bullshit with me, Alan. He’s your friend and I can tell just by looking at you that you know what’s going on.”

Mike stood and said, “Coach, it’s nothing bad. In fact, it’s really great, what he’s doing.”

“What the fuck is that?”

Alan shook his head at Mike when Mike looked at him for help. “Don’t. He’d kill us.”

“He’s ninety pounds soaking wet. This one, on the other hand…”

“Will bust some heads open if you don’t tell me right fucking now!”

Mike laughed nervously. “Yeah, that was my next sentence. Anyway, Coach, he’s…he’s trying to save the camp.”

“Mike,” Kathy gasped.

“I don’t care. He didn’t want the recognition, but for one thing, I don’t want Coach thinking Jovian doesn’t love him.

” Looking at Cherokee, Mike said, “He’s crazy about you, Coach.

Has been since he first saw you. And…well, it’s the camp.

He met you here, we befriended him, so he took it on himself to save it. For all of us.”

Cherokee sat hard on Kathy’s bunk, and she wrapped her arm around Cherokee’s shoulders. “He does really love you.”

He looked at Kathy, who’d had her own troubles all her life, but she wanted to help them, wanted Cherokee and Jovian to be nothing but happy. “Kathy, I love that little fucker. Why didn’t he just tell me?”

“He doesn’t want the credit. He didn’t want pats on the back.

He was set to send the money anonymously and everything, but…

he’s been coordinating this via his phone, terrible reception be damned.

He drove all the way to Apishipa Creek to enlist the help of two men that used to own the club in Denver he frequents. ”

Alan and Mike were sitting across from them and he asked the three, “That’s where he went that day, missing the survival class?”

“Yup,” Mike said. “He’s funny about it. I mean, of anyone that wouldn’t want credit for something like this, I’d never guess he’d be the one.”

“And not only that,” Alan said. “He was worried it wouldn’t work, so he didn’t want anyone to be let down.”

“I can’t even believe this.”

“Well, it’s true. The event is tonight, starting at eight at Chaps. If this works out, and True and Bernie don’t have to give up the camp, you could push the survival camping trip back a few days and go see him,” Alan suggested.

Kathy asked, “Wouldn’t that make him mad? That we told?”

“I don’t give a shit,” Cherokee said. “Alan, get the others that were going on the survival camp and let them know it’s postponed. Kathy, you and Mike get everyone to the Mess Hall this morning. Even the ones that don’t eat breakfast.”

“Sure. Why?” Mike asked.

“We’re all going to Denver. I think we should be there to support him, don’t you?”

“Road trip,” Alan said, laughing. “I have to admit, I was dying to go!”

“Me too,” Kathy confessed, then blushed. “I’ve never been to a club, you know, like that .”