A Little Competition

Part 4

Eager to deliver the good news to their boy, Tony, Brian, and the remainder of the fifth of bourbon that had survived the battle of penthouse four hurried over to Justin's place. Brian laid on the doorbell.

"He's not here." Tony looked up at the dark windows of Justin's flat.

"He's here, he's just pissed off, and won't answer." Brian rang the doorbell again.

"I don't think so." Tony continued to look up at the windows. "Where do you think he went?"

"He's probably sulking over at Daphne's." Brian suspected.

"Maybe we should go look for him." Tony suggested. "Brian, what are you doing?"

"It's cold out here. I'm getting us inside the building." Brian pressed all of the doorbells on the panel, until one of the tenants buzzed them in. The two men hustled up the three flights of stairs to Justin's door.

"Open the door, princess." Tony knocked.

"Justin!"

"Shhh!" Tony placed his finger to his lips. "You're going to wake up the whole building. Justin's obviously not here. Let's go look for him."

"You go look for him. I'm too drunk." Brian plopped down onto the floor.

Tony slumped down next to him. "You're right. We'd better wait here for him," he said. "Hey, I just thought of something."

"What?" Brian twisted the cap off of the bourbon, and took a swallow.

"Where are we going to live?"

"Live?"

"Yes, live! You know, like picket fences, and driveways, and dogs."

"Dogs? I hate dogs! One bit me once." Brian said.

"Where?"

"On my ass."

"Really, where?"

Brian passed Tony the bottle of bourbon, then leaned over on his side, and slid his jeans down to reveal his left butt cheek. "Do you see it?"

Tony was having a difficult time focusing. "That's just a little nip." He ran his finger over the area.

"It's still a bite!" Brian insisted, as he pulled up his pants.

"Ok, no dogs, but we can't have a cat. They like to scratch on the furniture." Tony took a drink from the bottle, and passed it back to Brian.

"We can have a fish." Brian took another swig. "I had a fish. His name was Ali."

"Like the boxer?" Tony asked.

"He was a fighting fish." Brian passed the bourbon back to Tony.

Tony took another drink. "Where do you think Justin would like to live?" he asked.

"I don't know. He was born in the suburbs." Brian said.

"I hate the suburbs." Tony frowned. "Too many kids, too many mini-vans….."

"And too many desperate housewives." Brian added. "Man, they would love you. You know how women go for that gray haired, distinguished look."

"Me? What about you?" Tony said just a little too loudly.

"I don't have any gray hair." Brian slurred.

"The fuck if you don't!" Tony begged to differ.

Brian reached up, and felt the top of his head. "Where?"

"Right there." Tony leaned over, and stroked Brian's temple. "See, we're already growing old together."

Brian quickly changed the conversation. "We have to think of a song for the wedding," he said.

"Wedding song? Oh, I know one!" Tony's eyes lit up.

"Please don't say 'Oh Promise Me'." Brian frowned.

"Oh Promise Me?"

"Oh promise me that some day you, and I will take our love together to some sky….…." Brian howled a few drunken bars.

Tony looked on in horror. "Oh hell no! What the fuck was that? I was thinking more on the lines of "At Last" , by Etta James."

"Hum a few bars." Brian said.

"At Last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over, and life is like a song…." Tony belted out the first chorus.

"At last, the skies above are blue. My heart was wrapped up in clovers, the night I looked at you….." Brian added the second verse.

"I found a dream that I can speak to. A dream that I can call my own. I found a thrill to rest my cheek to…." They sang together.

"HEY! SHUT UP OUT THERE, BEFORE I CALL THE COPS!" One of the tenants yelled down the hall.

Brian stumbled to his feet. "ATTENTION EVERYBODY! EVERYBODY IN THE BUILDING! WE JUST GOT ENGAGED!" He announced as loudly as he could.

"Now we're going to jail." Tony sighed.

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Earlier that evening, the telephones at the 12th district police station had been ringing off the hooks with concerned citizens. There was a disturbance taking place in a normally quiet building, located in one of Pittsburgh's more upscale neighborhoods. The unusual noises were coming from the apartment of Ethan Gold, a young music student who lived on the second floor. Immediate assistance was required.

The corridor was lined with frightened residents by the time the police arrived. The walls of the apartment still shook, and the sound of breaking glass could be heard coming from behind the locked door. Surely the assault was still taking place inside. "Open the door!" The police ordered.

The hands of the building custodian trembled, as he fumbled to find the right key. Finally he unlocked the door, allowing the first officers on the scene to rush inside. From the loud sounds in the hall, they expected to find at least four to five combatants. Instead, they only found two.

"ARREST HIM! I WANT HIM ARRESTED NOW!" The dark haired one was down on the floor.

"IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT? GET UP YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!" A bare-chested, clenched fists little blonde towered over him………………………………........

It was almost midnight when the 12th precinct showed up on the caller ID of Craig and Jennifer Taylor. Their son, Justin had been taken into custody. No further details could be given. The frantic parents rushed to the station. "We're here for Justin Taylor. We've come to post his bail." Craig announced to the desk sergeant.

The unassuming officer briefly looked up. "Are you his father?" he asked.

"Yes I am." Craig said.

The sergeant shook his head, and resumed his paperwork. "You must be very proud." He mumbled under his breath.

Jennifer immediately took offense. "Excuse me? I heard that. What's that suppose to mean?" she demanded.

Again the sergeant looked up from his work. "It means that I have better things to do than break up a cat-fight between two boys who can't decide which one is going to be on top, and which one is going to be the bottom. Now go over to the window, and post your son's bail before I ship your little petunia off to the county jail for the night!"

The sergeant's last remark sparked a chain of chuckles from other nearby officers.

"How dare you talk to me like that! I want your badge number!" Jennifer insisted.

"Come on Jen." Craig wisely lead his wife away.

The shamed father posted the required bail, and kept his head low, while he sat next to Jennifer, as they waited for Justin's release. If only there had been a trapped door to escape through. Craig would have used it. To have his son referred to as a flower, and told that Justin had been in a fight with another boy about who would fuck who was the mother of all humiliations, or so Craig thought, that was until Justin walked through the waiting room door.

It was November, and Justin was shirtless. His belt, and shoestrings were missing, causing his jeans to droop, and his shoes to flop. Justin's blond hair was matted on one side, and stood up straight on the other. There was dirt, and bruises all over his body, including two very prominent rings around his wrist from handcuffs that were purposely placed on too tight.

Jennifer hurried over to her battered son. "Justin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine mom." Justin avoided her eye contact.

Craig pretended not to hear the snickers from the other families, and friends waiting for the release of their own loved ones. He quickly removed his jacket, and flung it over Justin's shoulders. "Let's get the hell out of here," he said.

The Taylors couldn't get to their car fast enough. Craig hopped in behind the steering wheel, and started up the engine even before Justin and Jennifer were properly seated. The furious father burned rubber away from the courthouse. "Craig, slow down before you get a ticket!" Jennifer warned.

"Slow down my ass, I've never been so humiliated in my life!" Craig barked. "Do you know what the desk sergeant said, Justin? He said that you, and another boy were fighting over which one of you was going to be the GIRL for the night!"

"That's not what happened. He wouldn't give me my clothes!" Justin said.

"Leave him alone, Craig. He's already been through enough for one night." Jennifer came to her son's defense.

"This is too much. You wanted me to accept your lifestyle, and I did. You wanted me to accept Brian, and I did. Now look at what's happened." Craig ranted on. "What happened to the two men who claimed to love you? Where were Brian and Mr. Massey tonight when you were out picking up strange men to go home with?…."

"Craig!"

"SHUT UP, JEN!" Craig was livid. "I was right, wasn't I? Neither one of them give a shit about you. I knew it. That's why you had to call me and your mother to come, and get you tonight. This is the last time you're going to shame me like this, Justin. I refuse to allow my son to walk the streets, like a common whore….or hustler…or whatever they call your kind. You WILL conduct yourself like you have some dignity, and self-respect, even if you are gay! Do you understand me, Justin?"

"Yes sir." Justin uttered.

It didn't take long for Craig to realize that the present situation had spiraled down much further than it was supposed to have gone. Once again, he had allowed his temper to get the best of him. The remorseful father took a couple of deep breaths and began again. "Justin….son…your mother, and I love you. We just don't want to see you hurt again," he said.

"I know. I'm sorry, dad, but this wouldn't have happened if he had given me my clothes when I told him to." Justin said.

"This wouldn't have happened if you had been at home with a man that you love." Jennifer said.

Craig and Jennifer Taylor spent the rest of the ride apologizing to their son. They were sorry for what had just happened, and even more sorry for what had happened to Justin earlier that evening. Maybe it was time for Justin to meet, and date guys more his own age, guys who did not hang out in bars. Jennifer suggested some of the nice young men who volunteered over at the Gay & Lesbian Center, and Craig was certain that there must be some nice young men at The Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts. The sincere advice of Justin's well-meaning parents was falling on deaf ears, drowned out by the sound of their son's breaking heart, as Justin finally conceded that his father had been right. Neither Brian, nor Tony loved him enough to commit to him. The shattered young man stared out of the window, and bit his bottom lip in a valiant attempt to hold back his tears. Dear God, if he could just make it home to the solitude of his apartment, without falling apart.

Thankfully, the car finally pulled up in front of Justin's building. Unfortunately, much to the exhausted young man's dismay, his parents insisted on seeing him inside. Justin used his key to open the outside door.

"Here, and now….I promise to love faithfully…………"

"What the hell is that?" Craig looked at Jennifer.

"It sounds like someone's having a party." Jennifer smiled.

"A karaoke party." Craig added.

Justin proceeded to open the vestibule door that lead to the stairs.

"You're all I need…Here, and now…I vow to be one with thee…." Another chorus sang out.

Justin stopped, and listened. Among the inebriated off keys, one voice could be heard above the rest. "Brian."

Justin began to take the stairs two steps at a time. Rounding each floor, he followed the sound of the voices. By the time he reached the second floor, Tony's voice was coming in loud and clear as well. "Starting here.. Starting now…" The Luther Vandross wedding song was still being belted out when Justin reached his third floor landing. The startled young man looked down the hall at the line of tenants who lived in his building. They were all holding drinks in their hands, and singing at the top of their lungs.

"Hold it everybody! The groom has arrived!" Tony hushed the crowd.

Jennifer and Craig were just making it to the third floor landing as Brian and Tony were both going down on one knee. "Justin Taylor, will you do us the honor of marrying us?" Brian spoke for the both of them.

Justin opened his mouth to give his answer, only to find that he was too overcome, for the words would not come out.

"Say yes, princess." Tony purred.

"Yes." Justin whispered.

"LOUDER!" Someone in the crowd called out.

"Yes…Yes… YES!" Justin wailed.

It was high-fives, and cheers all around as Justin's two princes stood up on their feet to claim their princess. A bewildered Jennifer looked on with her husband, as the royal trio embraced. A little competition for Brian was one thing, but this certainly wasn't what she had in mind.

NEXT WEEK: Say What?

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