Summer in the City

Chapter 13

It was still early in the evening, Brian had called stating he would be back by seven so they could all have dinner together. Joan and Bree were going over their plans for the next day’s expedition to the New York Aquarium. Joan also wanted to look through the list of books Gus had recommended regarding basic computer knowledge. Danny’s Bookstore might have the appearance of a quaint turn of the 19th century shop; however, the volumes were ordered, tracked and inventoried by computer. Joan needed a crash course. So she and Bree were happy in their room at present.

“Jus, can I talk to you?” Gus asked softly. Justin was sitting in their shared living room sketching a picture of Bree playing fetch with Beau. The room was light and airy, affording enough natural light for Justin to draw.

“Sure, buddy,” Justin answered, closing his sketch book for the moment. “What’s up?”

“You met my dad when you were seventeen, right?”

“Yes.”

“And you knew what you wanted.”

“I knew I wanted him the minute I saw him. Why?”

“And he was your first?”

“Yes, he was my first. Gus, did something happen today? Bree said you left the library and she’s under the impression that you don’t like her anymore.”

“What? No, I love her, but sometimes a guy needs...”

“You don’t have to explain to me. Remember, I have Mollusk.”

Gus laughed out loud. He’d never dream of calling Aunt Molly, Mollusk. “And she had her Jester. Justin, what was it like, your first time? I really need to know,” Gus pleaded.

“Don’t you think you should be having this talk with your dad?”

“I will but I need a different point of view.” Justin’s eyes grew wide at the implication.

“Let’s go into your room,” Justin said. as he led the boy into his room and shut the door for privacy. He turned to face Gus who was just about his father’s height which meant he was several inches taller than Justin. “You want to know what it’s like from a bottom’s perspective.”

“I think so. Dad said something like it could hurt and doing damage and...”

“Wait, there’s more to sex than just penetration.”

Gus rolled his eyes. “Justin, I’m not that naive. I know about hand jobs and blowjobs and I’ve got rimming figured out.”

“You do?” Justin blushed as he recalled Brian’s words, “Now you know what rimming is,” after Brian first ate his ass. That’s when Justin found out what a slut he could be for Brian’s tongue. Shaking off the memory, Justin turned his attention back to Gus. “What do you want to know?”

 

*****
 

“Ted! What brings you out here?” John asked as Ted got out of his car and began to walk around the Village.

“I wanted to ask you if I can send a photographer around later next week. We want to start the advertising for the Village. We have all the work in progress pictures that Gus took. Now we want the finished project. It’ll all build up to the grand opening on Labor Day then we get ready for the holidays.”

“Damn, it’s still June and you’re talking about Christmas!” John exclaimed.

“Yes, well, we have to be one step ahead in advertising,” Ted said by way of explanation. “Is Emmett’s open for business yet?” They walked over and stood in front of the new restaurant.

“Not yet. He hired the staff and the decorators are almost done. But he wants to be here, and with all the July 4th parties he has in the works, he’s decided to wait until the beginning of August. But Drew’s place is ready to launch.”

“Yes, we’re handling his promos too. With each of the businesses staggering their grand openings and appealing to different types of customers, it’ll keep bringing the people into the area.”

“Exactly. Come on; let me give you the grand tour.” With that, John led Ted through the Village.

 

*****
 

“Hiya, Ma!” Michael called out as he and Ben walked through Debbie’s door. They had come over for a visit.

“Sweetheart!” Debbie gushed then planted a gooey kiss on Michael’s cheek. As he was trying to recover, Debbie planted one on Ben’s cheek. “What brings you here?”

“Do I need a reason to visit?”

“Of course not, honey, but you’re going to be here tomorrow night for Sunday dinner with my Jenny Rebecca, aren’t you?” Debbie scowled, daring her son to contradict her.

“We’ll be here, Deb,” Ben reassured his mother-in-law as he stuck his head in the refrigerator looking for juice.

“Inside the door, sweetie. I keep a bottle of your brand,” Deb stated, as she glared at her son. “What’s going on, Michael?”

“Nothing, Ma. Like Ben said, we’ll be here tomorrow night.” Michael smiled sweetly.

“And on the Fourth? You’ll be here for our barbecue? Carl’s having some of his buddies from the force and I’ve even invited Kiki. Teddy and Allen are coming and Hunter and his doctor Nick. Raph and Hector with Curtis will be coming too. That poor little boy, I have to put some meat on his bones.” Debbie paused, noting that neither Ben nor Michael had said a word. “You will be here on the Fourth of July. I asked Emmett and his hunk but he’s doing a party.”

“We know,” Michael ventured.

“You know what, Michael? Michael?”

“Ma, Mel and Lindsay are throwing a party and Ben and I were invited.” Michael suddenly found the carpet fascinating.

“You and Ben?” Michael nodded. “What about the rest of the family?”

“Brian's in New York,” Michael said.

“I know that, besides, Melanie would never invite him even though he invites her to every family gathering. And he treats JR like his own. I just don’t understand Melanie sometimes. So how did you get an invite?”

“I think that was Lindsay’s doing,” Ben stated from the kitchen. He just hoped to keep the peace. He had no idea what Mel was up to; however, a few of his colleagues were invited as well.

“Hmm, this sounds suspiciously like a party someone else threw a long time ago.” Debbie glared at Michael, making him wish he could walk out into the backyard like Brian would when things got a little too much to handle.

“What party was that?” Ben asked in all innocence.

“Get your husband to tell you about it sometime. Michael, far be it for me to get in the way of your social climbing; however, my barbecue is set for four in the afternoon. See if you two can make it for dessert,” Debbie said as a compromise.

“Okay, Ma,” Michael sighed with relief. “I love you, Ma.”

“Love you too, Sweetheart. Can I get you something to eat?”

 

*****
 

“Hey, Cole,” Gus said into his cell phone. “Whatja doin’?” He hoped his voice sounded sexy.

“I … um … I was … just talking to my cousin before you called.”

“Your cousin?”

“Yeah, his name’s Lex. What are you doing? You didn’t call to tell me that you don’t want me to meet you at Coney Island tomorrow, did you?”

“No, nothing like that. I’m looking forward to meeting you at Coney Island.” In fact, Gus knew he could hardly wait to see Cole again.

”Good. Do you think you can ditch your family for a while? I’d like to spend some time with you.”

“I … um … I’m not so sure about that,” Gus hedged. “I’d like some time with you too.” Gus didn’t like the idea of blowing off his family again, especially since Justin had told him that Bree thought he didn’t like her anymore, but he didn’t see any way around it if he wanted some time with Cole. He was torn about what to do.

“I thought that was the fucking idea of me meeting you there,” Cole stated, anger evident in his voice.

“How would you like to meet my family?” Gus asked hopefully. Maybe they could all be together, and he’d still be with Cole.

“I didn’t want to meet your parents at the GLC and I don’t want to meet them tomorrow. I’m not into parents,” Cole said decisively.

“I know what you mean,” Gus sighed. Sometimes parents really cramped your style.

“So, if you don’t think you can get away from the ‘rents for a while then I don’t think I’ll be there.”

“I … I’ll be able to get away for a while,” Gus promised. “I’ll manage it somehow. I’ll call you as soon as I’m by myself.”

“Okay.” Cole cut the connection. He sat back on his bed thinking about some of the things he wanted to do with the tasty tidbit called Gus Kinney.

 

*****
 

“How did your meeting go?” Justin asked as Brian came into the suite at the hotel.

“Not bad.”

“So, you’re free for dinner?”

“I could be.”

“I thought maybe we could go out for dinner. I kind of get tired of the hotel food, even though it’s pretty good.”

“I know,” Brian agreed. “Where’s everybody else?”

“Bree and Joan are in their room. They’ve been reading and working on the laptop. And probably … napping.”

Brian chuckled. “That’s good. I guess nobody missed me.”

“I always miss you, big guy,” Justin said with a sparkle in his blue eyes.

Brian smiled and touched Justin’s cheek. He always loved that kind of affirmation from his husband. “Where’s Gus?”

“In his room.”

“Has he been in there all afternoon?”

Justin nodded. “I … um … had a little chat with him … about S-E-X.”

“You did? I thought that was my job.”

“He had some questions about what it’s like to bottom.”

“Fuck!”

“What? I gave him good information,” Justin declared, feeling somewhat offended by Brian’s reaction to what he had done.

“It’s not that. I was fucking afraid that he was going to be a bottom. My brother and now my son…” Brian shook his head in disbelief.

“Do you want to talk to him?” Justin asked.

“No, I’m sure you told him whatever was necessary.” Brian flopped down on the sofa.

“Brian, you know he’s young and inexperienced,” Justin said turning to face his lover. “He doesn’t know what he is yet. He just wants to experience everything … and he doesn’t want to appear too naïve and scared when he does.”

“You mean like you were?” Brian asked with his tongue in cheek.

“If I didn’t know you better, I’d be offended by that remark,” Justin replied trying to look stern.

“You know you were naïve and scared that first time.”

“Scared shitless,” Justin chuckled.

“I seem to remember something about you liking the cereal Special K and playing Tomb Raider.”

“You remember that?” Justin asked in amazement.

“I remember everything,” Brian bragged.

“Apparently so.”

“You were quite adorable … back then.”

“And now?”

“Irresistible!”

“Good answer.”

“Only good?” Brian asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

“Very good,” Justin corrected as he leaned into Brian.

“If you want to be fed first, you better keep your distance,” Brian warned.

Justin giggled and sat back at his end of the sofa.

“Gus!” Brian called.

“Yeah, Pop?” Gus said sticking his head out of his bedroom.

“What are you doing in there?”

“Jerking off,” Gus said with a grin.

“Sonny Boy,” Brian said in his best warning voice.

“Just watching TV,” Gus amended.

“We were thinking of going down the street to that Italian restaurant for dinner. You up for that?”

“Sure,” Gus agreed.

“Go check with Joan and your sister,” Justin suggested to Gus.

Gus gave Justin a look and then nodded. “Okay,” he said walking over to the bedroom door and tapping before entering.

“Why did you send him in there?” Brian asked raising an eyebrow.

“It’s better than having you bellow across the suite.”

“I do not bellow.”

“Gus has some making up to do with the two women in there,” Justin stated, deciding that Brian needed to know what had happened at the library.

“What do you mean?” Brian asked.

“Apparently Gus disappeared for a while at the library. Joan and Bree were getting worried about him by the time he came back.”

Brian frowned. “Why didn’t anybody mention this to me?”

“You’ve been over at N’Rgy. I just found out a while ago when Bree told me she didn’t think Gus liked her anymore.”

“Why did she say that?”

“She thinks Gus doesn’t want to spend time with her since he abandoned them at the library.”

“And doesn’t he?”

“I think he’s a teenage boy and he wants some time on his own.”

“Is that all or is something more going on?”

“I don’t know about anything else, but I think we need to keep our eyes open,” Justin suggested.

Brian nodded. “The teenage years have to be the fucking worst.”

“Yeah, the only good thing is that Gus will be past them by the time Bree is entering them.”

Brian groaned. “I don’t even want to contemplate that event.”

“It will happen whether you want to face it or not.”

“I know. What am I going to do?” Brian moaned.

“You still have a few years, and I’ll be here to help you through it,” Justin chuckled.

“Twat!” Brian laughed as he pulled Justin against him.

 

*****
 

“Hey, short stuff,” Gus said as he entered the bedroom. Bree looked up at her brother with a frown, but she didn’t reply. “Grandma Joan, I want to say again that I’m sorry for disappearing at the library.”

“That’s all right, Gus, but I hope you won’t be making a habit of doing that,” Joan cautioned.

“I … sometimes, I just need to be by myself,” Gus said hoping that didn’t sound too lame.

“I can understand that. Being with an old woman and a child isn’t a teenager’s idea of a fun time,” Joan said trying not to sound too put out.

“It isn’t that, Grandma. I like being with you guys … most of the time. But sometimes I feel like it’s twenty-four hours a day.”

Joan chuckled. “Sometimes it is.”

“See,” Gus said with a grin. “It’s just that I want some time of my own.”

“I think we can arrange that,” Joan said honestly.

“That would be great,” Gus replied looking at her fondly. He felt like he had an ally if he asked to be on his own at Coney Island the next day.

“Do you like me again, Gus?” Bree piped up.

“I never stopped liking you, Squirt. I love you,” Gus said bending down and giving his sister a warm hug.

“Love you too, Gus,” Bree said.

They hugged for a moment before Gus stood up. “Pop wants to know if you would like to go out for Italian for dinner,” Gus explained.

“I could go for that,” Joan replied. “Maybe a nice glass of red wine.”

“I have lasagna,” Bree stated.

“I’m sure you can have whatever you want,” Gus told her.

“Will you help me cut it up?” Bree asked.

“If you want me to.”

“I do,” Bree said nodding her head emphatically.

“Then get ready, because all of a sudden I’m really hungry,” Gus stated.

“Me too,” Bree agreed.

 

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