Nathan sat at the breakfast table buttering his toast. Rhona was fussing over the baby trying to get him to eat his breakfast. Patrick was coming in from the kitchen with a coffee in his grasp.
Rhona got up from the chair and frowned at the sight of Nathan's trainers, "Ohhh Nathan you've done it AGAIN! that's 3 times this week...Patrick you are gonna have to tell him!"
Nathan threw a glare at her, " HE has actually, like you know!" He stood up and nods to the refrigerator," and it was me drinking from the milk carton again before you stick your nose in"
Patrick swallowed and poured himself another coffee, " Nathan come on, you should be happy...that guy is gonna be stopping by with your cell today..."
Nathan pulled a face at him, " and you think that's a good thing, do you? I might've WANTED a new one!" and with that he shot up the stairs, face all flushed.
Rhona was starting to gather up the breakfast things, " I'm sorry honey, but HE is gonna have to go...you never know what sort of mood he's gonna be in...it's not good for the baby"
Patrick tried to make excuses for him, " he's just adjusting to something..."
"To what exactly?"
Patrick helped her to load the dishwasher, " never mind...I'll have another word..."
Xxx
At the loft, Brian sat at up the breakfast bar eating his breakfast. Beside him Justin had both hands full, one holding the cellphone to his ear, the other holding a spoonful of cornflakes.
"yeah...thanks Mum...no, everything is under control...no that's booked...no that's booked...no all done...I know what can I say? I'm not just a pretty face..." he smiled at Brian as he said it.
"yep...well I check with Brian on that...no we don't want you clashing with Deb wearing the same outfit on the day..." he rolled his eyeballs, " yeah, yeah...okay I'll call you later", Justin ended the call, " Fuck, she's stressing over what to wear to the wedding..."
Brian stood up and put his coffee cup and bowl in the sink, "I'm sure the delightful Jennifer will look lovely in whatever she chooses to wear... I'm gonna have to shoot off...I've got to get across town in morning traffic..."
Justin stood up and went up to him. With Brian's back to him, he wrapped his arms around Brian's naked waist resting his hands onto his stomach, "I'm gonna miss you...I've got a late shift on at the bar and I won't be back until tomorrow..."
Brian turned around and kissed him tenderly on the lips, " I'll miss you..." he said quietly, stroking his hands through Justin's short blonde hair.
Justin pulled away and went to grab a shower, " hey, remember to call your Mom...we need to know if she's coming to our wedding or not..." he told.
Brian went over to the closet, " My Mom? I'm sure her attending a fags wedding is right at the top of her daily agenda...actually, I think she'd rather burn herself at the stake", he pulled on his shirt and did up his tie, then sat and tied his shoe laces.
Justin smirked at him as he opened the bathroom door up, " Well, that could work, just as long as her outfit doesn't clash with my mothers, that's fine"
Brian watched him disappear into the bathroom then went over and snatched up his works folder and suit jacket...he grabbed his sunshades and jeep keys and was out the door.
It was as he was getting into his jeep when he settled down, and pulled Nathan's cell out from his pocket, then grabbed the map-book from the glove box...he pursed his lips together as he mused, " Easter street..." he whispered, beginning to use his finger to scan down the index.
Xxx
Nathan didn't feel at ease...he hadn't done since Patrick told him that Brian 'what's his face' was stopping by to return his lost cell phone.
It was in the jeep...he was remembering that part now...when he fled from the jeep that night, it must of fallen out of his pocket.
He stood there in his greasy overalls with a wrench poised at the car engine. Uncle Brad watched him as he looked up from his own job, " Hey, are you gonna do a stroke of work today? Or are you just gonna be stood there like a stuffed turkey all day!"
Nathan shook his head and blew out a huff. Why couldn't folk just leave him alone...so what if he was just having a bit of a think...
Uncle Brad was still giving him an icy glare.
"GIVE ME A BREAK ALREADY, I'M ON TO IT!" Nathan pointed out in protest.
"See that you do, that's all" Uncle Brad barked at him.
Xxx
Brian watched as his map book slid across the dashboard, as he rounded the corner into Easter Street. His eyes were fixed to the buildings around him. This block looked a bit run down, he just had to quickly find the garage.
The garage office lady was just coming out to have a coffee and a smoke in the sunshine when she saw the jeep approach and pull up onto the forecourt.
She was hurrying up to him with a big smile on her face, this was a lovely looking young man,
"ohhhhhh honey, if I was 20 years younger..." she cooed as she swooned over to him at the curbside. She had a broad New York accent.
Brian gave her one of his amazing smiles and took her arm, " Ohhh come on!, don't you mean 10 years younger ?" he said making her blush.
"Oh YOU! " she said waving her neck-scarf at him. Removing his shades, Brian nods his head towards the garage, "am I right to be guessing this is Maloney's auto repairs..."
The lady took his arm, and led him across the front to the garage, " you would sure as be correct, and your luck must be in...because I was about to put the coffee on..."
Brian raised his eyebrows keeping to a fake grin, " Lucky me! Make it strong and black..."
Xxx
Nathan looked up to see the jeep parked outside the garage, as he was coming back from the local cafe with a bag of donuts. At first he didn't think much of it. It was probably a client. But then he just knew it was him...he KNEW it was HIM...Brian 'whats his face'
Xxx
In the small and somewhat cramped garage office, Brian handed the cell phone over to Patrick.
"Thanks for this...Nathan will be over the moon to get this back..." the garage owner told him.
Brian glanced around, a chipped cup of coffee from the office lady he now knew as Grace being handed to him, " so Nathan not about, is he?"
Patrick shook his head, " nahhh...he's popped out..."
Brian took a sip of the coffee, and grinned again at Grace giving her the thumbs up, " Just like how my Mom would make it...", he lied.
"So'a..." began Patrick, " how do you and arrrr...Nathan know each-other?"
Brian was put on the spot...he knew, even by the little time he had spent with Nathan, that he was probably still a closet fag, " he...fixed my jeep" he lied, but pleased that he at least came up with something half decent.
"Well, I'm sure he won't be too long..."
Xxx
Nathan was crapping himself...WHAT WAS HE saying in there! He hovered about the area and stalked the place pacing up and down with his hands over his head, then, when he saw the door open and Brian was coming out the garage...he hid behind his jeep ready to ambush him.
Brian strolled across the forecourt back to the jeep.
He rounded to the drivers side and then it happened, he was up against the side of his vehicle looking into those sexy blue eyes he had craved to see all this time.
"Nathan!" he said, with a flash of a smile, although he was a bit uncomfortable with Nathan's hands digging into the scruff of his shirt.
"WHAT have you been saying in there!" he hissed, nodding toward the garage. Brian shook his head quickly, " nothing...and THAT'S the truth, I just handed your Dad your cell, that's all...I guessed that you're not out and proud" the last bit sounded like a dig.
"Well THANKS for that...now GO and never come back, do you hear me!" hissed Nathan, there was a threatening overtone running through his voice.
"Fine...I'm going...but call me, yeah" The older guy managed to wriggle his hand into his packet pocket and hand over a business card, " if you or your family ever need an advertising executive..." he said light heartedly.
Nathan shook his head, "We don't need nothing from you...now go "
Brian shook his head at him and quickly jumped into the jeep, when he fired up the engine, Brian turned his head and made a phone call sign with his hands to his ear, and mouthed 'Call me' and with his foot put down, he was off. Nathan glanced down at the business card in his grasp, then tearing it in two, he threw into the summer breeze and marched up to the Garage, just to make sure that nothing WAS said.
Xxx
Much later, at the late night bar in town, Justin walked out of the busy all night crowds and pushed into the rest room with a face like thunder. Jill his colleague and friend held her hand up to him, " hey Justin over here, I've grabbed you a quick coffee to keep you awake on shift..."
Justin slumped into the seat and took hold of the poly-carton, Jill could see that he was really not happy about something...she placed a hand over the top of his, "hey, are you alright...you look as white as a sheet"
"It's HIM...Brian...I just tried to call him earlier..."
Jill shrugged.
"His cellphone went to voicemail so I called his work...he never showed in today" he told.
"and...what did they say, did you not get hold of him?"
"No...I just told you, he NEVER showed up..." he spat, " but I KNOW where he is...he said he had some guy tucked away across town..."
Jill pursed her lips together, she knew a little of 'what went on' in their relationship, "but that's what you two 'do' isn't it..."
"One off's, mainly when we're together...but we set a rule...NEVER get too involved with someone...get too attached...I BET he's up to something...just wait until I see him!"
Jill watched him gulp down his coffee because he was needed back at the busy bar. And by Justin's mood, she hated to be in Brian's shoes when Justin got home...
Xxx
Nathan sat on his bed. Dad had giving his cell back to him, and by all accounts, Brian had said nothing about where he had found it, or who he was.
Nathan sighed, scrolling through his contacts...until he gasped in surprise. He even looked around him, just in case someone else at seen it.
Brian's number appeared on his contact list! He had to smirk, the complete nerve of it, entering his number into his directory.
And in a funny way...he was impressed.