CHAPTER 5 - THEY MEET

WOODY’S - EVENING

BRIAN

I don’t know who to kill first, Lindsay for trying to play Lady Muck or Bucky for telling me what he told me! But at least I know what his name is...Justin...yeah, I could growl that!

“Hi Brian!” Michael’s whine interrupts my lustful thoughts. “You okay? You had a funny expression on your face.”

“Yeah, just thinking about the circumstances that make coincidences happen.” He looks confused and I understand more why we drifted apart. “So what have you been up to?”

“Not much, have to pull an…” He pauses. “Never mind, are we going to Babylon?” I quail on the inside, at the idea of just me and him, and take a large swig of beer. “Oh, there’s Emmett! Hopefully, he’s calmed down now.”

“Why what was he…”

“Hey-hey! Well what did you think?” Emmy comes up, ignoring Michael.

“I hate you.” I retort, smiling.

“So...will you help?” He looks worried.

“Didn’t I say I hate you?”

“Oh, thank you!” He throws his arms round me and kisses me on the side of my neck.

“This is your baby, okay?” I tell him firmly and his eyes fill with tears. "Honeycutt, stop leaking!”

“D-don’t call me Honeycutt! Off for a Cosmo and...cooee Vic over here!”

“Uncle Vic, what are you doing here?” Michael seems to be complaining.

“This is a drinking establishment, I am thirsty, therefore, I am here.” He replies with a slight sneer. “So what’s with you and Bucky?” He turns to me.

“My, he has been a bit of a social butterfly, hasn’t he?” I grouse.

“Stop avoiding the question.” He elbows me and then gives me the Debbie Don’t Fuck With Me look.

“Went to college with him…”

“A little too far back. I am asking about the fucking you two have participated in recently.”

“Which one..?” I blink at him.

“You’ve fucked him...more than once?” Michael gasps just as Emmy comes back with drinks for him and Vic. “Did you know about this Emmett?!”

“Did I know about what?” He asks, his voice a little chilly.

“That Brian and Ben fucked more than once... that’s unheard of!”

“Not when you are a randy teenager, it isn’t!” Vic snickers. “Oh the times I could barely keep my eyes open in Calculus.”

“So what’s happening tomorrow with the blue-eyed beauties?” Emmy asks him.

“We’re going to New York. I still have contacts there.” Vic explains.

“So you’re not going to be here this weekend? I have the house to myself?” Michael demands, excitedly.

“Yes, so what marathon are you figuring on watching?” He smirks.

“Not sure, but I’m definitely getting the boys round..”

“You have boys to have round who aren’t us?” Emmy snipes.

“I do have other friends, Emmett!” He retorts.

“So why don’t you go play with them for a change?”

I notice the unusual fire in Emmy’s eyes and swallow down the rest of my beer. “More drinks, Ted and Blake are coming. Emmy, come help and you can find out where Bucky is.” He follows me to the bar and I turn to face him. “What’s going on with you? You’re not normally this snipy.”

He sighs crossly then tells me what Michael said to Justin and I am fucking furious! Why should he be in the diner at all? He’s not Debbie; she has more balls than him, for a start! “Look Ems…” He gives me a small smile, it’s not often I call him Ems. “Don’t let the fantasist stress you out or ruin this for you. You’re good at what you do and from what you sent me, the catering side is going to be fantastic. So call Bucky and tell him to meet us at Babylon in an hour.” He nods and I hand him my phone with a picture of a very naked Bucky on the screen. He gasps and then giggles. “Feel better?” I nudge him.

“Yes. Much! But I have a question…”

“Head fuck is what Vic means. Bucky is all about mischief! We always rescue each other when the tricking gets tough. I love the guy, he is my best friend but it was once and once only. Okay?” He nods. “Though from memory, he is one hell of a kisser. He does this thing with his tongue that you feel in your dick!”

He chokes on his Cosmo!

THE OLD CHURCH HOUSE, OFF TREMONT - MOLLY AND JUSTIN’S RESIDENCE

SATURDAY MORNING

MOLLY

“Justin!” I call up the stairs. “Come on, Vic is here!”

“Coming!” He shouts back and soon there is a thunder of steps as he comes down, ladened with more stuff for Hero.

“One night. He’s staying with her for one night!” I exclaim.

“You know how he likes his blankie and his chew toys, especially when I’m not around.”

“Molly, it’s fine.” Kiki touches my arm.

“No, it’s not fine.” I tell her quietly. “Justin, I’m sorry I’ve just realised...now if you don’t want to go without Hero just say and we can move this trip to another day. Maybe Monday? Kiki can handle the interviews, right?” She nods. “Now do you want us to move the trip?” He bites his lip and says nothing for a while before he gives a very small nod. “Right. Now go upstairs and unpack and Vic and I will sort this out.”

The relief that hits his body is like an avalanche and he belts up the stairs with Hero chasing after him.

“Can you tell me what’s going on with him?” Vic asks quietly. I jump slightly as I hadn’t realised he was behind me.

“Come on, let’s go to the kitchen. I can’t believe I forgot that!” Molly sighs.

“Let me make some tea and you can tell us what’s wrong.” Kiki suggests and I slump in the seat.

Ten minutes later, they are tearful and appalled. “Yeah, so he gets almost beaten to death by his high school bully boy. Our parents, were oh so caring, that they didn’t come to see him once, but of course threw money at the situation to make it go away. But I thought fuck that! You tried to kill my brother because he wouldn’t go down on your girlfriend! So I found a lawyer and we sued that fucking family for everything they had! Naturally, when we won suddenly our parents loved us and were so fucking proud. Well by then we could see them for who they were; nasty assed money-grabbing guttersnipes. So we packed and moved to Pittsburgh and any attempts at reconciliation have been firmly rebuffed.”

“Oh, sweetie. Do we tell him that we know?” Vic asks.

“Yes. Let me just get him.” I get up and yell for him to come down. The moment he comes in and sees the concern on their faces, he sighs.

“You told them?” Justin glares at me.

“Yes. I’m so sorry that I didn’t remember the date. It is something I always want to forget, but you never can.”

“So is today the day of the beating or…” KiKi questions.

“Yeah, today is the day I almost died.” He sniffs and immediately, Vic has him in his arms and lets him cry. I feel so helpless and it isn’t until I feel Kiki tug on my hand that I start crying, too.

Twenty minutes later, we are all cried out. “ So what are we going to do today instead, then?” Vic asks. “Michael has his friends round and I haven’t done anything bad enough to stay in the same house when he’s having a geekathon with his comic book nerds! And he wonders why he is perennially single and laughed at in the gayborhood! It took a lot of pleading and begging by Debs to get me to come back here I tell you!”

“You came back because Debs asked you?!” Kiki gasps.

“Of course! It was proving difficult to sell the house and what with Michael’s continued imbecility and immaturity, he wouldn’t have lasted seconds on the mean streets of the Avenue now that Debs would no longer be there to protect him! Wait a second...why did you gasp?”

“Because Michael said, you got fired in New York and had to come back.” Kiki growls. “Oh, that boy is such a shit-fuck liar. Anything to make himself look good!”

“You know what we need?” I declare.

“Cookathon?” Justin smiles and starts to pull out pots and pans.

“Do you want me to go?” Kiki asks and then puts up her hands in supplication. “Let me take off my heels. I do not cook in heels!”

ASPCA-PITTSBURGH DOWNTOWN

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

BEN

“Why are we here again?” Kocky grumbles.

“Because you are doing a nice thing for Effy and company for you. And you need company, when I’m gone. So stop with the bullshit bullshitting and come and see what I found!” He muttered crossly as he follows behind me, but I know him and can hear him sighing and cooing as he passes puppy after puppy. “There!”

“Where?” He demands.

I look in the kennel and point in the corner. “Right there, you idiot!”

BRIAN

I look at where he’s pointing and at first, see nothing. But then the blue eyes turn to face me and I am captivated. “Fucker.” I mumble at Bucky. I click my tongue and the first thing that comes out of the hiding place is a snout. “Come on.” I encourage quietly and the face comes into view. “Oh fuck, Bucky. He’s beautiful!” I groan. “Why? You are supposed to be my best friend! How can you take me to meet something like this while I am hungover here?!”

“Just wait.” He tells me quietly.

“Does he have a name?”

“Not yet. Want to go inside?” The vet tech asks. “See if he will come out and sit with you?”

“Please.” I try to keep from fangirling like a virgin at a Ricky Martin concert. As she lets us in, for once I think to hell with my jeans, and sit on the cold concrete and wait. I tap the floor and click my tongue, but he retreats back into his cave with those blue eyes still trained on me.

“Maybe if you move closer?” Bucky suggests and I shuffle along and get a low growl.

“Okay, boy, I’m stopping.” I look at the vet tech and she nods. We wait in silence and slowly, the tip of his snout and his front paws come out. “You’re going to have to grow into those things, they’re huge!” I turn back to the vech tech. “How old is he?”

“Five months, so he’s got a lot of growing to do!”

I keep tapping my fingers and he starts whimpering. “I won’t hurt you, I promise.” I whisper to him and stretch out my arm so that he can sniff me from a safe, for him, distance.

“Now you know why I also made you a bacon sandwich.” Bucky laughs as the puppy licks my fingers and sits up to investigate further. And when his entire self comes out from his cave, I know that I am done!

“Two things. One, get the papers sorted out and, two what exactly is he?”

“Husky and pomeranian.” Both Bucky and I look at her. “No, I have no idea either.” She laughs quietly and then gapes. I know what she’s looking at as I can feel the warmth of a small body against my thigh. “Do not move!” She whispers. “He’s come out of there but then normally goes back into his cave...I mean kennel!” With bated breath, we watch as the head slowly comes up to rest on my thigh. “Did you dip him in bacon grease or something?! He has never and I mean never done that! Be right back!”

Twenty, very cold on my ass, minutes later she’s got the paperwork and a crate. “Don’t you need to do a home visit or something?” I ask.

“No. Not for this guy.” She spits out. “I am madder than a wet hen!”

“What’s wrong?” Bucky looks concerned and then shakes his head. “Someone here wanted him?”

“Oh yes, my supervisor does, for fuck sake, and I have just found that out! That poor little guy could’ve gone to a decent home months ago, but she was waiting to fucking move! She handled all the previous viewings and visits for him...and she calls herself an animal lover! Turns out she was sending him back inside so that he would look unapproachable and nobody would pick him and there were no home visits ordered either!”

THE LOFT - FORTY MINUTES LATER

BEN

They are both asleep on the sofa. He hasn’t named him yet as he has a hangover that only sleep can cure. We didn’t mean to get so drunk last night but Emmy, who is still pissed at Michael but won’t tell me why, invented a drinking game that involved shots and then champagne!

I’m startled when the door knocks and I open it to find Emmy outside. “What’s wrong?” I whisper and then nod at the sofa. “Actually, let’s go out. Leave him to sleep.”

After I leave him a note, I grab my jacket and we head out. Ten minutes later, he’s still said nothing. “Get it off your chest.”

“Do you know who Drew Boyd is?”

“Yeah, the gay Ironman.” I reply and suddenly find myself walking alone. I turn back to see Emmy stock still, looking like he’s catching flies “Emmy!” I have to shout at him to bring him out of his stupor.

“G-gay Ironman?” He finally starts to speak.

“He came out about three or so months ago. He copped a lot of flack for 2 weeks, but then he punched a guy out who called him a faggot and suddenly all was fine. He was still the same Drew Boyd...albeit a man’s man!”

“He did? Well that explains it then.” Emmy mutters and rifles in his bag. “Here.” He hands me his phone and I start to read the many texts.

“We need to wake Kocky up!” I declare and we head back to the loft.

CHAMBERS STREET WINES, NEW YORK - MONDAY LUNCH TIME

PRIVATE TASTING ROOM

VIC

After the trying anniversary weekend, they are back to their ebullient best. Hero is with Kiki and we’re here on my old stomping ground. We have the finalised menu and I am waiting for Madeline to come back in with the food. I have known Madeline for years. Whenever I had a menu change where I worked, she was the go-to person to match the wine. We all look up as the door opens and she sweeps in.

“Who devised this menu?” She asks.

“We did, between the two of us.” Molly answers and then squirms under Madeline’s intense gaze. “Ma’am.” She adds quickly.

“Okay, let’s have a seat and get to testing!” She orders.

After two hours, the food and wine are gone and she and I are arguing the finer points over dessert wine.

“Justin, may I ask a question?” Madeline smiles at him and he nods. “Where did you study for your culinary arts?”

“I didn’t, neither did Molly. We’re both self taught and…” He trails off at her stunned expression.

“You old dog, you never told me that!” She glares at me before turning back to them. “Well my darling dumplings, I suggest you both do that at night school. This food is exquisite, but some techniques need to be honed. Okay?”

“But we’re going to keep it…” Molly begins.

“If you are going to say small and bijou, then you won’t. Sorry darling, but the food is ex-quis-ite now. With training it will be per-fect-ion when you’ve sharpened your skills. Because nothing spreads the news faster than an A-Gay...and trust me when you open, you will be inundated with A-Gays!”

“Oh fuck!” Justin groans.

LIBERTY FINE DINING - SAME TIME

KIKI

I think incredulously about the people who think that they would be suitable to work in this establishment! I have a headache that only a mallet could kill! As the bell rings again, I sigh and paste on my best smile and then almost sag in relief as it is Miley.

“What’s wrong and who is that?!” He cries out on seeing Hero, who...and I know this sounds weird...had an expression of are you shitting me...during the six interviews I have already done.

“Miley, meet Hero. Let him come to you.” I tell him and immediately, Miley pauses and sits...on the floor! “Uh…”

“Sssh.” He whispers and then I watch as he bows his head and keeps it bowed as Hero circles him, sniffing and nudging, before he chuffs a growl and returns to his spot, looking very proud of himself.

“What the hell did you just do?”

“Respected him as the Alpha Male.” He gets up, dusting down his pants. “This place is awesome! Can you show me the other side?” I nod and take him across. Then we watch as the grease monkey as I have heard Michael sometimes call him, adjust a picture here, a napkin pot there...and smile as he does so. “I think there’s someone at the door.” His words jolt me out of my thought process.

“Oh goody. Another no-mark from Nowheresville! I swear there is a conspiracy here!”

“What are you talking about?” He asks as he follows me across when suddenly he grabs the back of my dress. “Stop!” He hisses and starts to pull me back.

“What is wrong with you?!” I smack his hand away. “This is charmeuse satin. You do not mishandle charmeuse satin!”

“That  is one of Michael’s geek friends. You do not want to hire that guy!”

“Michael’s geek friends, you say?”

“Yes! They meet once a month at one of their houses and play dress up or some shit. Seriously, the way he rhapsodises about those weekends, you’d think he’s finally gotten laid, fallen in love and was flying away with Captain Asshole or whatever-the-fuck his name is! He, naturally, is the leader of the Unfuckables, which is what I call the geek gang...yuck!”

As I take that little nugget of information onboard, I nod sagely. “Stay here and out of sight.”

Pasting on a smile, I head to the door and unlock it. “May I help you?”

“Yeah, I have an interview for a busboy or waiter job.”

“Oh, I am so sorry, but the positions have been filled by the previous applicants.”

“Fine.” He grins and leaves as quickly as he arrives. I poke my head out the door and watch him almost run up the street. And lo and behold, out of the alley like the rat he is, comes Michael! I slam the door hard and call Miley out.

“Give in your notice at LAFF. He wants people to be busboys then they can work there!” I declare and snatch up my phone to call Vic.

LINDSAY AND NORMAN’S RESIDENCE - THURSDAY EVENING

EFFY

Mom has been all sweetness and light after Molly turfed her out on Friday. I just know she’s planning something, but I can’t think what it is. But that can wait since today is date night! Which means that mom and dad go out and all my uncles and Amy come over, but there’s no Amy tonight as they have a dinner...and when they come over we play poker!

“Now remember to be good for your father and uncles.” Mom looks at us as if we’re going to burn the house down.

“Yes, mom.” I reply dutifully and try not to look at dad.

“I have set the movies up. Now you know your uncles will most likely work for awhile. Try not to disturb them, okay?” Dad says and Gus looks at the floor.

“Norman, let’s go. We can’t keep the Rivermans waiting!” Mom orders before turning back to us. “Now remember, only open for your uncles or father.”

“Yes, mom!” We chorus and telepathically will them out of the door.

Ten minutes later, I hear the sing song voice of Uncle Brian, demanding entrance. When I open the door, there is no Uncle Brian but there is a puppy! “Guuuuus!” I call back and he comes up to me, grinning.

“You have a very persuasive boyfriend.”

“Wha…” I look between him and the puppy, desperate to hunker down and pet him.

“Okay, he’s not going to live here because your mother will pitch a fit. So he’s going to live with me and we could share him, right?” Uncle Brian leans against the door frame.

“Oh yes, oh please yes!” I cry.

“Well since I got him, you can name him.” Uncle Brian scoops him up and carries him to the lounge.

“Dad! He is gorgeous!” Gus follows him, trying to take him off him.

“Gus, for fuck sake calm down. He’s a puppy, not your first vibrator!” Uncle Brian says as he plops the puppy in my arms. Finally, we get to the sofa and the puppy snuggles into my lap. When he looks at me with those big blue eyes, all I can say is “Moonshine.”

“Huh?”

“You have to call him Moonshine.” I order Uncle Brian and he smiles.

“So you won’t be coming Saturday?” Gus asks.

“Coming where?” Uncle Brian asks.

“For my first day of work to show your support, as any decent, caring and loving parent would.” He sneers, sarcastically, and I look at him. “I overheard mom telling Norm that she’s going to be there on my first day. And not to tell me!”

“Oh fuck! Sonny Boy, sorry about that I forgot! I’ll  be there, but what the hell are we going to do with Moonshine? We can’t leave him alone; he’s only a baby!” Uncle Brian says as he strokes Moonshine’s head,

The room goes silent as we all look at Uncle Brian, who clears his throat. “Tell anyone I said that and I shall have you murdered!”

“Give me a second, let me call someone!” Gus declares and runs out of room.

Ten minutes pass, but Gus comes in, grinning. “Now I want you guys to go play poker while we wait for our special guest.”

BRIAN

I’m beating the house whilst waiting for whoever the fuck Gus has called. So the rest of the guys were relieved when the door knocks.

“Hey! Come in!” Gus exclaims.

I look up as I hear the soft and gentle tone of his guest. I was all prepared to dismiss him, but then my 12 o’cock blonde comes into the room and he has a Husky too!