Epilogue
DeAnna Zankich
Sequel to | Down All the Years, Down All the Days
Summary: This story takes place three months ahead in my "Tenant" time line and after ep. 122 in the US series timeline. Basically, this takes place somewhere around the end of August.
Warnings: None
Author Notes: THIS STORY IS SET IN NEW YORK CITY BUT CONTAINS NO DISASTER CONTENT.
Spoilers: None
She folded her fingers around her coffee cup tightly so her son wouldn't see her hands shaking. "I don't think it's a good idea, Justin," she said as calmly as she could. Calm for a person who no longer had any control over a situation that used to be her primary domain.
Seated across from her at the kitchen table in her new apartment, her son sighed and picked at the place mat in front of him. "I'm not asking you, Mom. I'm just letting you know where I'll be. I'll leave Kate's number by the phone so you can call me if you want. And I'll have my cell phone, too. It's only a two hour flight. It's not like I'm going to China or anything."
She swallowed and tried to smile. Even though her eighteen year old son didn't need her permission to do anything anymore, she still couldn't help voicing her opinion. After all, she was still his mother. "I'm not trying to tell you what to do, honey," she said. "I know I don't have that right anymore. I was simply saying that . . . I don't think it's a good idea for you to go away with him."
"You don't think anything about Brian is a good idea," he returned.
Jennifer sighed. "That's not true. He's been . . . well, let's just say he surprised me. I don't really have any objection to him at all. Other than his age, of course."
Justin let out a breathy laugh. "HE objects to his age, too."
She smiled at her boy and sipped her coffee, still holding the cup with both hands. "When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow night. We'll only be gone for four days. Apparently Kate's house is enormous. Like a hotel or something."
"Oh," Jennifer said. "How nice for her. Have you met her?"
"I've talked to her on the phone a few times," he said. "When she's called for Brian. She's nice. Funny. Her husband has a ton of money."
Learning that the woman her son would be staying with was married somehow put Jennifer's mind at ease. Even if she was a friend of Brian Kinney's, she was at least responsible enough to maintain a committed relationship.
"Does he know her through his business?" she asked, trying to sound conversational while she carefully mined for information.
"No, she and his sister used to hang out in high school. Kate's still friends with Claire, but she spends more time with Brian these days."
Jennifer nodded slowly and then she sighed again. "Justin, it's so soon after your recovery. I just wonder if . . . you shouldn't still be taking it easy."
"It's not like I'm running the New York Marathon, Mom. I'm just going with Brian on a short business trip. The most strenuous thing I'll probably do is hail a cab."
They looked at each other directly, both letting the unsaid and obvious remain so. Although he had been staying with his mother, Justin had spent most every night with Brian since he was released from his doctor's care a month before. Jennifer tried not to imagine what they did in bed together, but she knew better than to think they didn't break a sweat.
"If he's going to be at the marketing forum all weekend, won't you be bored?"
"Are you kidding?" Justin said. "I'm having him drop me off on museum row and just leave me there all day." He smiled, then leaned forward on the table. "I'm going to get lost in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and never come out. Besides, he'll only be at the forum during the day on Saturday and Sunday. Friday and Monday he's going to show me around Manhattan."
Softly she brushed a piece of his spiky blonde hair away from his eyes. Her fingertips grazed the thin but still raw scar along his left temple. "I just don't want you to rush yourself, is all."
"I know, Mom. I feel fine. Really. Good as new." He smiled reassuringly and she was almost convinced.
"Well, it's not like I can stop you," she said.
Justin leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "There's really no need to worry. Brian will take care of me if I need him to, but I won't. I'll be fine. Besides, it'll be nice to get in a little trip before school starts."
Jennifer sighed reluctantly. "If you say so, honey."
"I say so." He got up and walked over to the phone table by the front door. His mother watched him write two phone numbers down on the note pad she kept beside the answering machine, then he proceeded down the hall to his bedroom.
She got up and refilled her cup, then she walked by the phone table to glance at the numbers. One of them was his cell phone number, which she already knew by heart, and the other was a residential number in Manhattan. 212-582-3007. Jennifer tore off the sheet of paper and slipped it into the little drawer under the table for safe keeping.
Walking down the hall to the bedroom where Justin had been storing his stuff since the divorce, she leaned in the doorway and watched him start packing for his weekend in NYC. While he sorted through his closet most likely choosing the garments Brian liked to see him wearing, he glanced at Jennifer in the doorway.
"So, is it safe to call him your boyfriend now?" she asked tentatively, still clutching her coffee mug for reassurance.
Justin put three folded t-shirts into the bag then went back to the closet again. "No, Mom," he replied. "We're lovers."
She tried not to cringe visibly at all the implications of that word. "Still sounds pretty serious. Is that how he feels, too?"
He looked at his mother a bit coolly, lowering his chin. "He asked me to go away with him for a weekend, didn't he? I'm there practically every night sleeping next to him. Sounds like lovers to me." He shoved a pair of his most battered 501's into the bag.
"Those jeans have holes all over the back pockets," she pointed out.
"I know." He gave her an impish grin, then he started looking around the room for something.
Jennifer forged ahead. "Do you think he'll ask you to move in with him?" She tried to keep her voice neutral but that was the question she had been trying to ask her son all morning. Call it a mother's instinct, but she just knew it was brewing.
Justin regarded her with wide eyes and then he laughed. "Not in this life time, Mom. He's into having his own space."
"Well, like you said--you're there all the time, anyway." She gave him a slightly playful smile and he just rolled his eyes.
"That's not gonna happen," he said. "Trust me. We're just hanging out right now. I don't want to push him too much, ya know? He gets cagey." Spotting what he was looking for, he walked over to a chair by the door and began rifling a pile of clean clothes she had put there for him.
Jennifer nodded to the pile. "You had a few things in the hamper so I went ahead and washed them with my stuff. I would have put them away but I wasn't sure where you wanted them. You haven't really moved into this room."
"You don't have to do that," he said, noticeably side-stepping her last remark. "I mean, thank you and all. But you don't have to do my laundry." He stuffed the sweats into the bag then opened a drawer in his dresser for his socks and underwear.
"I know I don't have to," she said softly. "I just wanted to. It was only a few things. I feel like I never get to do any `mom' things for you anymore."
He looked at her for a long moment, seeming to assess her expression. "Have you and Dad talked at all?"
"Sure," she said. "We talk often. A few times a day sometimes. But it's usually just to do business. House stuff."
"Anything happening with that one buyer?"
"Yes, it looks good. If they qualify, we could close escrow as soon as next month."
Justin shook his head. "God, that's just so weird. We don't have our house anymore. It's like everything changed so fast. You guys getting divorced, Daph going to Harvard, all that . . . stuff at the prom. It's kinda hard to believe it was only a few months ago."
"Yeah," she said, trying to maintain her neutral smile. "Everything did change pretty quickly."
He tossed his under things into the bag then went back to the closet again.
Jennifer let her eyes pass over his body as he looked through his dressier shirts hanging in the closet. Her son, who had started out on the slight side as a child, had grown into a handsome young man with nice shoulders and graceful, assured posture. Even after the accident two months ago, he was still strong and agile. He had been in a coma for three weeks after that animal Chris Hobbs cracked his skull with a baseball bat on the night of Justin's prom.
At the time, Jennifer felt certain she had lost her boy and she had vented her anger on Brian Kinney for being there when the attack occurred. Logically she knew it had nothing to do with him directly, but she had to blame someone. In order to get through the horror of it all, Jennifer Taylor simply had to focus her rage. Brian seemed to understand what she was doing and he endured her tirades with a great deal of patience. It wasn't until after Justin had been awake for three days that she was able to speak to the man calmly and offer some semblance of an apology.
Brian had only looked at her with his haunted hazel eyes and said, "never mind, Mrs. Taylor. I'm just glad he's going to be all right."
Jennifer had watched Brian Kinney walk out of the hospital that night and then just stood there in the bustling corridor with tears streaming down her face. She had never been so relieved in all her life and she had also never felt worse for the way she'd treated another human being.
Lost in thought, she hadn't noticed that Justin was zipping up his small suitcase. Her son had finished packing and was getting ready to leave.
"Honey, do you need anything for the trip? Spending money, specifically?" she smiled sweetly.
"No, thanks," he said. "Brian said I didn't need to bring any money, but I have a little from my bank account, anyway." He walked over to her with his suitcase in his hand and kissed her cheek. "It's nice of you to offer, though." He moved passed her in the doorway and started down the hall. "Did you see the numbers by the phone?"
"Yes," she said, following him toward the door.
"Okay." He opened the door and turned back to her. "Well, I'll be at Brian's until we leave tomorrow night if you need me."
"Will you at least call me when you get to New York?" Jennifer said.
Justin smiled at his mother. "Of course I'll call you." He gave her cheek another kiss then stepped out into the hallway. "Why don't you do something fun this weekend, too?" he said. "You'll have the whole place to yourself."
She ruffled her son's hair. "You never know, I might just have a wild party and really let my hair down."
He turned toward the stairs with a smile. "Just don't tell me about it, okay?" he teased. "See you on Tuesday."
"Bye, honey. Have fun." She bit the insides of her cheeks to keep herself from telling him to be careful. Instead she just waved at him as he went down the stairs of her new apartment building and made his way out the lobby door.
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Stuart:
Sitting at his desk that Wednesday evening, he pulled up the email program and clicked on Kate's address. It was lunchtime in NYC and she would most likely not be there, but he wanted to send her a note before he left the office.
To: KatherineStephani@Thrive.nyc.com
From: StuartAJones@Thrive.uk.com
Hiya.
I'm getting ready to leave and I just wanted to give you our itinerary once more. Vince and I will arrive at JFK at 3:30 tomorrow and we should be at the hotel no later than 5:00.
The number at Le Parker Meridian is 212/245-5000. I'll let you know the room number when we check in.
I'll call you when we get there. Kiss Richard for me.
See ya soon.
Stuart
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Closing the program and logging out, he grabbed his jacket off the back of the door and checked for his keys. Sandra was still at her desk out on the main floor and he strode over to her, reaching into his pocket for his Mont Blanc.
"Sandra, do you have the number at the hotel?"
"Yes, of course I do," she said. "Would have needed that to call for a reservation, wouldn't I?" She gave him a cheeky smile. "I've got Kate's home number, her and your mobile numbers and her husband's pager number. Believe me, Stuart, if I need to find you in New York, I will."
"Right," he said, leaning over her desk and scribbling on the corner of her note pad there. He wrote the number of Vince's mobile and then slipped the pen back into his pocket. "Just in case."
"What are you expecting to happen while your gone?" she asked, frowning slightly. "Anything I should be aware of?"
"No," he said, turning toward the stairs. "I just don't want you to be lonely." He smirked and gave her a wave as he trotted down the steps. "See ya."
"Right. See ya," she called back. "Have a nice trip!"
Stuart stepped out into the fresh evening and crossed the street to where the Jeep was parked. The air had the scent of fall in it already and he took a deep breath. After living so much of his life in Manchester, he'd grown accustomed to the little clues about the upcoming seasons. By the way the air smelled that night, he knew it was going to be a cold winter.
That was fine with him, really. Since he and Vince had been married, Stuart never noticed the cold much.
He got in the car and flipped open his mobile, pressing the code for their home number. Vince answered on the second ring, slightly breathless.
"Hel-loh?"
"Hiya."
"Hello, there," he said his tone becoming instantly flirty. Vince always flirted with him over the phone. "Where are ya? I hope you're coming home, I made dinner."
"I'm on my way. What'd you make?"
"Well, I figured since we were going to be away for a few days that I'd use up the steaks and veggies we had in the frig. I hope you don't mind a bit of a stew. It was an experiment. Smells nice, though."
"I'm sure it will be nice. Do we need anything for the flight? I can stop on my way home."
"Not that I can think of. I'm all packed, actually. I looked up the weather on the internet and it's nice there. I was afraid it would be really humid and hot."
"It usually is this time of year," Stuart said. "We're getting lucky, I reckon."
"Yeah. So you're coming home, then?"
"Be there in ten minutes."
"Right," Vince said, his tone dropping a bit and becoming more seductive. "I missed you today."
"Then I expect to be kissed as soon as I walk in," Stuart purred.
"I believe I can accommodate that request," his lover said and then he hung up.
Stuart pocketed his phone and turned on the radio, shifting channels until he found a station playing something he liked. He was excited to be going back to New York, even if he would have to endure that boring marketing forum. He'd been missing Kate terribly since the wedding, having only had email and phone contact with her. He was also looking forward to seeing Richard again.
Stuart tried not to think about the fact that Brian would be staying with the Stephanis--which was why he and Vince were NOT. Even though Vince had sworn he was all right with them all staying together, Kate had refused the responsibility. She said she'd had enough of the two of them drooling all over each other for one lifetime. Kate had also said that Brian was bringing someone with him. She didn't say who, but Stuart had a pretty good idea.
Through Kate, he had learned of Brian's continued relationship with that young boy he deflowered earlier in the year. There had apparently been a brutal attack on the kid a while ago, one from which he barely recovered. Since then, Brian had been spending a great deal of time with him and the relationship had taken on some rather serious undertones. Stuart was anxious to meet this young man who had so smitten the stoic and sensual Brian Kinney. He would lie to say he wasn't the tiniest bit jealous.
Whatever the outcome, he felt certain it was going to be a very interesting few days across the pond. The range of possibilities made Stuart Jones smile to himself.
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Brian:
He left the door open for Justin after the boy had buzzed him from downstairs. Brian's loft was a choppy ocean of dry cleaner bags and shopping debris. A trail of tissue paper and credit card receipts littered the path between the couch and the bedroom. He had to get some new clothes for the marketing forum and for two meetings he was taking while he was there. Well, they weren't meetings, exactly. They were interviews. Ever since he got a taste of what the ad industry was like in NYC, he'd wanted to get in. Even if nothing came of either interview, it still didn't hurt to get his name out there and to let people know he was looking.
"Hey," Justin said, rolling the door closed. He was carrying his suitcase and his backpack and his sunglasses were pushed up on his head.
"Hey." Brian stood in the bedroom with a brand new pair of Kenneth Cole's in his hand, trying to decide if he should wear them on the plane or pack them.
Justin dropped his bags behind the couch and set his sunglasses and keys on the coffee table, then he walked up to the bedroom and stoodvery close to Brian. "So, can I kiss you or are you crabby this morning?"
Brian looked at him wearily. "Just kiss me if you want to," he said. "You don't have to ask my permission."
"Oh, right. And risk having you push me away cuz you happen to be in a shitty mood? No, thanks." He stayed where he was, standing on his tiptoes just close enough to brush his nose against Brian's ear. Justin smirked playfully, challengingly. "So? Are we smooching, or what?"
Brian tried not to show that he was smiling as he leaned over and softly pressed his lips to Justin's. He started off gently, then slid his tongue into the young man's warm mouth, loving the way he responded to the deepened kiss. Justin sighed against him and gently sucked Brian's bottom lip. His cock tingled and heated up and he set the shoes he was holding on the end of the bed to free his hands.
Turning to face his young lover, Brian gripped his lean hips and pulled Justin toward him, letting the boy feel his lengthening erection against his belly. This action was answered with the hot burning throb of Justin's own cock as it rapidly engorged with blood. His fingers tickled up Brian's naked arms and stroked the hair at the back of his neck, teasing the soft cowlick there. Pressing their bodies tightly together, they both moaned into the increasing intensity of the kiss and Justin rotated his hips very slowly.
Feeling their cocks rub together like that made Brian's nipples hard and he lifted Justin's shirt so he could touch his silky skin. They stood there feasting on each other's mouths and breathing deeply, tasting and inhaling, smelling and suckling. God, kissing could be so primal. Brian loved it. Kissing was one of his favorite things in the world. That, and rimming.
Brian gripped the boy's hipbones and all but lifted him onto the bed, spreading him out beside his freshly cleaned suits and shirts. He was suddenly raging with desire and he pulled Justin's clothes off with swift, impatient movements. He hovered over the boy like a panther, looking into his deep blue eyes with fierce intent. His mouth watered and he devoured Justin's lips, driving his tongue between them hungrily.
Then lying naked beneath him, Justin panted and his gaze locked on Brian's possessively. "All I wanted was a little kiss," he whispered, his eyes glinting with mischief.
"Well, you're gonna GET a great big fuck," Brian grinned, sitting up on his knees so he could take off his sleeveless tee. He reached down and picked up Justin's right hand, sucking each of the fingers one at a time, nibbling the soft pads with his teeth. He loved the clean salty taste of the boy's skin and he reached for the other hand to suck the fingers there.
Brian got off the bed momentarily to step out of his jeans and then he crawled back on top of his prone lover. Parting Justin's lean thighs with his hands, Brian lifted the boy up by his hips and drew him closer, closer, up and up until he was resting on his upper back on the bed. His legs were over Brian's shoulders and he held onto Brian's thighs with his hot, slightly damp fingers.
"You just want everything in your mouth today," Justin teased lustfully.
Brian just grinned and spread the boy's smooth butt cheeks with his thumbs to reveal that lovely little rosebud. Wasting no time, he wet his tongue and ran the tip around the satiny wrinkled skin, teasing it, tasting it and sighing when he felt his willing captive shudder with pleasure and relax into the contact. He supported Justin's light body with his hands and lowered his back down just enough so he could lean forward and suck his straining cock. The head was swollen and delicious with salty pre-come and Brian licked it with wide, lavish strokes of his tongue.
Justin groaned softly and pet Brian's hair with gentle fingers. For a moment their eyes met and Brian felt that hard jolt inside again. It wasn't even like an emotion, it felt more like an internal kick right below his heart. He felt it the night of Justin's prom when they were dancing and everyone was watching them--all those wondering eyes focused on him and his young lover, their fellow student. He felt it in the carport no more than a half hour later when Justin was attacked. He felt it as he rode in the ambulance--over and over again, he felt it there.
The sensation made sense that night, with all those horrible events taking place. But since then, it usually surprised him when it came. It snuck up when he wasn't expecting it . . . like right then.
He ran his hand down the smooth plane of Justin's belly, stroking the skin and taking in the warmth there . . . drawing it into his hand and spreading it over the boy's chest slowly. Justin reached for his hand and held it for a moment, then he brought the fingers to his lips and kissed them. Still watching each other's eyes, Brian let the hint of a smile come through in his own. Justin returned it, his expression also just a hint of the bigger feeling.
Softly lowering the young man down onto the mattress, Brian covered him again with his body. They rolled over once, kissing and exploring each other's skin with tender but eager hands. At one point they got too close to the edge of the bed and Brian's hand went up behind Justin's head to hold onto him. The boy smiled.
"I won't fall, Brian," he whispered. "Even if I did, it's only two feet."
Brian simply rolled them back the other way and made certain Justin wouldn't say anything more by kissing him deeply.
As was always the case, Justin's legs wound around him and held his body tightly, possessively. In this position, his perfect little ass wasn't only irresistible, it was almost impossible to miss. Brian grabbed a condom from under the pillow and tore the packet open with his teeth. Bowing his back to give Justin access, he kissed the younger man's neck while he rolled the latex over Brian's erection. He always kept a tube of KY on the night table within reach and without even looking, the tube found its way into his hand. He squeezed a dollop into his other hand and warmed it before reaching down to stroke the lubricant over Justin's hot opening.
"Ooooo . . ." the boy purred against his ear. "I love how that feels . . . the first touch of the lube . . ."
Brian slid his fingers inside and Justin arched his back in pleasure. He wiggled and rolled his hips, begging with every gesture to be impaled. Brian grinned seductively and growled into the curve of Justin's neck.
"Please . . ." the boy sighed. "Please, Brian . . . fuck me . . ."
He held Justin's hips still with his hands and then he drove his cock into that slick, grasping hole. Moving those lean young legs up over his shoulders, Brian braced himself with his knees and began a slow, even drilling. He felt like he could come right then and he thought Justin might do just that, but then the initial intensity smoothed out and they both settled into a gentle but urgent pace.
They kissed the whole time, whispering to each other about how good everything felt. The heat from Justin's body seemed to pour into Brian's, making his skin tingle and need to be touched everywhere. He asked for that touch, murmuring into his lover's ear and then Justin's hands were all over him, squeezing softly and rubbing his skin wherever he could reach it. Brian moaned gratefully.
Somewhere in the gentle, hot blur of touching and kissing and fucking, Brian started to come. He sucked Justin's nipples and rubbed his thick cock as his own erupted and tingled deliciously. Then he felt the boy trembling and crying out under him, that hard, burning cock shuddering in grasp. Brian's fingers were wet with semen and lube and he caressed Justin's sensitive penis gently as they caught their breath. He was still moving, rubbing his own cock in long slow strokes inside the boy's body. Everything felt good. Everything tasted good. His body hummed with pleasure. The lazy kisses that followed were like a sweet dessert and Brian sighed contentedly.
"God," Justin breathed. "We're really good at that."
Brian laughed. "Works for me." He carefully withdrew his penis and discarded the condom over the side of the bed, then he laid back on the duvet and took a deep breath. Staring at the ceiling for a moment, he started thinking about packing again. He wasn't sure if he should bring something to wear clubbing or not. He didn't know if they would have time.
Justin curled up under his arm and rested his head on Brian's chest. "When are your interviews?" he asked.
"They're both on Monday morning. One at 10:30 and one at noon."
Looking up, the younger man said "what if you get one of the jobs?"
"Then I'll move," he answered. "But I wouldn't worry about that yet. For now, I'm just taking a couple of meetings." He ruffled Justin's hair softly and his fingers grazed that jagged scar. The skin there was a different texture--slick and almost waxy--and Brian hated the way it felt. He hated it being there at all. Moving to sit up, he patted Justin's pert little butt affectionately. "I've got to finish packing."
Justin stretched out on the bed, fluffing the pillows behind his head. He watched as Brian slipped his jeans back on then proceeded to unwrap another suit from its dry cleaner bag.
"I'm looking forward to meeting Kate," he said.
Brian smirked. "So is she. I'm sure she'll have a blast rippin' on me about your age." He walked over to the closet where his garment bag hung on the door. "Did your mom have a conniption about you coming with me?"
"She kept a lid on it, but it was definitely boiling under there." Justin laughed a little. "She asked me if we were officially boyfriends."
Carefully smoothing his favorite Ungaro suit into the bag, Brian said "and what did you say?"
"I told her we were just hanging out."
Brian looked at the blonde over his shoulder. "Is that really what you said?"
"I'm afraid so," Justin replied. "Besides, I don't want to be your boyfriend. You're too selfish." He was obviously kidding because he couldn't keep from grinning, but the words still had a crisp sting.
Brian frowned. "I don't appreciate that," he said.
Justin's eyes widened in instant alarm and he sat up. "Brian, I was just kidding. You know I'm kidding, come on." He lowered his voice to a revealing whisper. "Being your boyfriend is the only thing I've ever really wanted in my whole life."
Sighing, Brian walked back to the chest of drawers and took out some underwear. "Whatever. I'm just . . . I've got too much on my mind. And I haven't eaten anything today."
After a long pause, Justin said "are you worried about seeing that guy again?"
Brian placed five pairs of new Calvin Klein briefs into his suitcase, arranging them neatly beside some t-shirts. He was stalling and he knew Justin could tell. Truth was, he'd been avoiding thinking about seeing Stuart again. So much had happened since the last time they'd been together that Brian wasn't sure how he felt anymore. True, having no interaction with Stuart had definitely helped Brian move beyond the more intense feelings he'd had back in June, but he had no idea what would happen once he actually saw the man again in the flesh.
When Brian's thoughtful silence went on too long, Justin said "well, I've been thinking about it."
"Why?"
"Because. I mean . . . you were in love him not very long ago. That makes me nervous, Brian."
He shrugged and walked down to the kitchen, still not having much to say on the subject. His stomach was rumbling and he opened the frig to see if he had any food. Since Justin had been spending so much time there, the frig was usually stocked with various munchies and sandwich fixings. While he took out a loaf of bread, some sliced turkey and a jar of mustard, he heard Justin rustling up in the bedroom. When he turned around, his young companion was crossing the floor with his jeans on, pulling his shirt over his head as he walked.
"Want a sandwich?" he asked as Justin sat on a barstool.
"Sure. I'll make them if you want."
Brian rolled his eyes. "I'm capable of making a fucking sandwich."
"I didn't mean that--Christ! You're so grouchy. Maybe we shouldn't talk anymore until after you've eaten." He rested his chin on his folded arms and sat quietly, his blue eyes watching Brian's every move.
Brian ignored him, turning back to the frig for some lettuce and provolone. As he pulled open the crisper drawer, the phone rang. Justin sprang off the barstool and went to answer it.
"Hello? Yeah. Oh, hi. I know, I'm really excited about coming there. Uh huh. Sure, hang on a sec." He walked across the room with the cordless and handed it to Brian. "Kate."
"Thanks." He tucked the phone in between his ear and his shoulder and proceeded to slice a fresh tomato on the counter. "Is this Nicole Kidman?"
Without missing a beat, Kate replied in her worst Australian accent. "You bet it is, you bitchy queen! And I want to discuss that email you sent to my official fan site about the dress I wore to the Oscars last year!"
Brian laughed. "It was orange, you stupid cunt. It was fashion terrorism. I had to complain on behalf of gay men everywhere."
Kate chuckled. "What's up, bunny? You all packed?"
"Almost. I can't decide what to wear for the Chiat\Day interview. I'm torn between the Ungaro or the Armani."
"Which Armani?" she asked. "The navy or the black?"
"Navy. The black one doesn't fit me right anymore."
"Are you becoming a chubby hubby?"
"Fuck. You." Brian put a piece of the fresh tomato into his mouth. "I am not a husband. How's yours?"
"Wonderful," she said. "Did Justin tell his mommy he was coming to Gotham with you?"
"Yes."
"And she didn't chain him to the dining room table?"
"He answered my phone, didn't he?" Brian spread some mustard on a slice of bread. "Besides, he's a big boy now. He can do whatever he wants."
"Well, I can't wait to meet him in person and see what all the fuss is about."
Brian looked up as Justin sat across from him again. "He's probably exactly what you would expect."
"Really? He's a young Stuart Jones?"
Shaking his head, Brian picked up another piece of bread and spread some mustard on it. "I don't have a type," he muttered, knowing that wasn't at all her point.
After a moment, Kate said "I just got an email from him, actually."
"Yeah? When do they get in?"
"Tomorrow night. I was thinking of doing a breakfast thing on Friday morning. Is that okay with you? I can see them on my own if you're not comfortable with it."
"No," he said. "I want to see them. I like them, remember? Breakfast sounds good."
"Okay," she said. "I'll do that, then. Richard will actually be home, if you can imagine. This is the first weekend he hasn't traveled in months."
"And you'll have houseguests so you can't screw his brains out," he teased.
"Like that's gonna stop me?" she said. "Just don't listen."
"I won't if you won't."
Kate chuckled. "No way, man. You know me--if you're doing that young thing in my guest room, I'll be the one in the doorway with the video camera."
He laughed as he put tomatoes on the bread. "Want me to bring you anything from Pittsburgh?"
"A picture of your sister's kids. I haven't seen those boys in two years."
"Okay," he said. "Then I'll see you tomorrow night."
"See ya, cutie. Safe journey."
Brian blew her a kiss and then he hung up, setting the phone on the counter. Justin was back in his original position with his chin resting on his folded arms, blue eyes watchful. Brian looked at him for a long time, then suddenly he leaned forward and gave those dark pink lips a soft kiss.
"Mmm . . . what was that for?" Justin said, clearly pleased with the gesture.
"Because I like your lips." Brian turned back to the frig to get out the jug of guava juice and also to excuse himself from any further comment on his last action. He hadn't even thought about that kiss before he'd given it.
It caught him completely by surprise.
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Vince:
He stirred in his seat next to Stuart and shifted until he was on his side. His partner was reading an article in Esquire magazine and he was frowning slightly. Vince watched him for a long time, just taking in the subtle changes in his expression and watching the way the light played in his black curls.
Without looking over, Stuart said "you're staring at me."
"Yes."
He smiled and closed the magazine, shoving it into the pouch behind the seat in front of him. Turning on his side, Stuart wriggled down until they were facing each other. He reached over to play with Vince's fingers.
"You're doing really well on this flight," he said. "You don't seem scared."
"I'm a bit scared," Vince admitted.
Stuart glanced at his watch. "It's almost over, anyway. We're landing in an hour. You'll love New York. It's mad. Like London but more . . . I dunno . . . just MORE."
Vince smiled as they softly toyed with each other's fingers on the seat cushion between them. "Did you bring the honeymoon photos?"
"Yeah, they're in my carry-on. Kate even called to remind me to bring them this morning."
He chuckled. "It'll be nice to see her and Richard."
"Yeah, brilliant. I miss her."
They sat for a moment just listening to the quiet shuffling of the other passengers around them in first class. People were packing their books and magazines into their carry on luggage and preparing to land in New York City. A woman sitting in front of them was reapplying her make up in a small compact mirror. A man across the aisle was rifling through his day planner, scowling at his schedule through his bifocals. Stuart reached over and carded his fingers through Vince's long fringe and he smiled from the tickly sensation.
"I love your hair long like this," Stuart said. "I love touching it."
"I like it, too. Even though I feel a bit like I should be playing bass guitar for Oasis."
Stuart giggled. "My husband, the rock star."
Shaking his head, Vince glanced out the window at the darkening sky. He'd managed to keep his concerns about seeing Brian again to himself during their preparation to leave for New York. But the plane ride had been long and he'd had way too much time to mull it over since they took off. Sighing, he figured he might as well get his thoughts out in the open.
"I'm a bit worried," he began.
Stuart's sapphire eyes peered into his own. "About?"
"You know."
Sighing, Stuart brushed their noses together and gave Vince a kiss. "Just don't let me out of your sight," he said playfully.
Vince wasn't feeling playful about the subject and he showed that in his expression.
"Oh, come on, luv," Stuart groaned. "I don't even remember what Brian looks like. I dunno why you're bothering to worry." He tickled Vince's belly gently. "Your mother's right, you know. If you don't have something real to worry over, you'll make something up."
Vince tried a smile but didn't quite pull it off. He looked at his watch, then out the window again and tried not let his imagination create visions of ghosts and dark hallways ahead.
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Kate:
I have to say, I don't know what to expect when I open the door on Thursday night. I only know what Bri's told me. The kid is eighteen, blonde, blue-eyed, solid and lean, super smart, an artist. And a few months ago he was assaulted by a schoolmate and he almost died from his injuries. Since then, Brian hasn't been able to let the lad out of his sight. I had to laugh when he said that. I doubted Brian even knew this, but that was Kinneyese for "I'm head over heels".
I make a point not to look too closely at the security monitor before I open the door. Just enough to know it's Brian. I want my first encounter with the boy who stole his heart to be unbiased.
Richard is wrapping up a call upstairs in his loft office and I find that I'm a little glad I'm on my own for this initial encounter. I take a deep breath and open the door and the first thing I see is Brian holding out his hand. Resting on his palm is a tiny light brown cricket.
Just as I start to speak, the little thing sproings out of his hand and goes leaping across the entryway toward the living room. I stare after it, unsure of what to do or say and then I hear him chuckling.
"We brought bugs," he says.
I look behind him at his young companion who is also holding out his hand. The cute little blonde boy steps up to the doorway and gives me a look at the critter he's presenting. It's tiny and round--a spotted ladybug. I smile at the kid and he smiles at me. I hold out my hand and the ladybug crawls across to me, sitting on the end of my finger.
"They're for luck," the boy says.
"The cricket, too?" I say doubtfully. Just as I ask the question, we all hear the little jumper chirp from the other room. He does it once, then again and then two more times. I can't help giggling, it's all so absurd.
Richard leans over the railing of the loft and calls down to us in the foyer. "Is that a cricket I hear?"
"Yes," I tell him. "Brian and Justin brought us bugs."
My husband surprises me by laughing happily. "Crickets in the house are good fortune," he cries. "Thank you, Brian!" He turns around and comes down the stairs to help me greet our guests. I still have the ladybug on my fingertip as I step aside to let the boys in.
"See?" Brian says. "Your husband knows a good gift when he gets one." He hugs me gently and gives me a kiss. I love it when he kisses me. He has the best lips ever. "This is Justin Taylor. Justin, this is Kate Stephani."
I shake hands with him, using my left hand because the ladybug is still occupying my right. "It's nice to meet you finally," I say. "And thanks for the lucky bug."
"You're welcome," Justin says. "Of course it was his idea. He told me he always brings you a garden creature when he visits you at home."
Richard bounds into the foyer and he and Brian exchange a good solid hug. My husband extends his hand to Justin and they shake warmly.
"Nice to meet you, Justin. Welcome to New York."
"Thanks. I'm totally excited to be here. Thank you for putting me up. It's really nice of you."
"My pleasure," my husband says. He sees the ladybug on my finger and squints at it. "Ah . . . another symbol of luck." Richard takes the little red critter from me and it crawls up the sleeve of his shirt.
"How do you know these things?" I say.
"The Discovery Channel," Richard says, winking at me.
"Of course." I walk over to close the door, glancing warily out on the porch to make sure they haven't brought any more things I'll have to kill with Raid. Luck or no luck, I am just not a bug girl.
"Let me show you where you're sleeping," Richard says. "Then we can have cocktails."
"Ah, yes," Brian said enthusiastically. "Cocktails."
I turn toward the kitchen to get the libations started. "Justin, do you like vodka?"
"Sure," he says.
"Oh, no. He's under age," Brian teases. "He'll just have a Sprite."
Justin glowers at him.
Richard chuckles as he leads them upstairs to the guest room I prepared. Once I'm alone in the hallway, I suddenly feel creeped out that there's a cricket loose in my house. I have images of it crawling up my leg while I'm sleeping and I shiver. Walking into the kitchen, I decide to busy myself being a hostess so I don't have to think about it.
The phone rings while I'm loading ice into the martini shaker. I dry my hands on a dishtowel and pick up the kitchen extension. "Hello?"
"Hiya," Stuart says over a statically cell line. "We're here. We're in the car in traffic on the way to the hotel."
"Hi, bunny! I'm so glad you landed safely. Did Vince need a tranquilizer?"
"Not this time, he did well. Are we still having breakfast tomorrow?"
"Yes, definitely. We can eat and then do some sightseeing. Vince has to see all the touristy stuff, right?"
"Yeah, but he's mostly interested in the museums. We'll just be there in the morning and play it by ear, all right?"
"Of course. Come by around nine?"
"We'll see you then, luv. Bye."
"I'm so glad you're here," I say. "I've missed you like crazy."
"Me, too, luv. See ya tomorrow."
"Bye." I'm still smiling when I hang up and I'm so lost in my thoughts of how great it's going to be to see them that I don't even notice the cricket in the middle of my white tile kitchen floor. He's brown so he totally stands out and when I finally do see him, he looks much bigger than he did in Brian's hand.
For a moment it seems like he just looks at me. I am definitely looking at him. I don't even know if crickets bite or sting or what, but I'm absolutely positive they're ugly. It looks like a pale inch-long replica of H.R. Giger's alien.
And then it moves.
I freeze and hold my breath, too freaked out to even call for the guys. While I'm standing there staring at this critter with my eyes all bugged out, it chirps. Twice. I jump both times and then it jumps--right out the side door and back into the living room.
"God," I gasp, leaning against the frig. Of course, I'm completely annoyed that I'm so wigged out by something one-hundredth my size, but I really, really hate bugs. I can hear Richard upstairs with our guests--all three of them laughing. It's a good thing I didn't call for them. They'd be laughing at me right now.
Still trembling a little, I go back to the task of making martinis. I start thinking about seeing Stuart in the morning and all thoughts of that creepy little jumping thing vanish within minutes. But on some subconscious level I am wondering how long crickets live.
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