Chapter 23Gus turned on the burner and heated up the butter mixture. "Emmett, tell me more about marriage.  I mean, Mom and Momma just hang out together, and then they had me.  Do people get married to have kids?  I wonder if my Dad would want a kid with Justin?  I know they couldn't actually have kids as guys can't have kids.  I know the story of how Dad helped Mom and Momma make me.  But that would be cool, you know.  Having a brother or sister."
Brian finished his shower and walked toward the kitchen as Gus finished his statement about having a sibling and Brian stopped just outside the door to listen to the conversation.
"Gus, I'm not married so I can't really answer that question. I'd first have to find someone who I'd want to be with for the long haul.  As for your Dad and Justin, well.... I think you should just wait and see what happens.  If you're really curious about marriage, maybe talk to your moms or Ted and Blake,"  Emmett said, hoping that Gus would not ask him any more questions.  He loved hanging out with Gus and sharing life stuff, but up till now it was mostly frivolous stuff like who he played with on the playground and what he and Brian did over the weekend.  Sometimes he talked about stuff that he learned from Justin or Brian, but usually, it was nothing intense like today's discussion.  He heard Brian open his bedroom door, signaling he was done with his shower, and he hoped Brian would return quickly.
Brian was thankful for Emmett's responses and made his way into the kitchen.  "What is this about a brother or sister?  Since when did you want a sibling?"  Brian asked, joking about the statement.  
Gus was a little startled that his father heard his last comment, but he never kept his thoughts to himself, especially when it came to his interactions with his Dad.  "I was asking Emmett if you and Justin would get married and maybe want a kid.  I think I'd like a little brother or sister,"  Gus said as he stirred the rice into the herb mixture.  
"Gus we just talked about this. Remember, I said that Justin and I were dating and at this point, anything more was not on the table.  As for a brother or sister, I don't think so.  One of you is enough,"  Brian said, quickly silencing Gus' request. 
"The food smells great.  I don't want to know what's in it.  I can just feel the fat cells attaching themselves to my body."  Brian looked at the clock above the stove.  I'll leave you two cooks to finish cooking.  Gus, I'm sure your debut will be fabulous," Brian said, using Emmett's words.  
He walked out of the kitchen and went to the computer to finish responding to some emails that he hadn't gotten to this afternoon.


Chapter 24
He finished responding to the last email when the buzzer rang.  He walked over to the intercom and asked who it was.
"It's Molly. Can I come up?"
Brian said, "Sure" and buzzed her up.  He opened the door and waited for the elevator to come up to the top floor and for her to step out.  He ushered her inside and then closed the sliding door.  
"Welcome to my home,"  Brian said as he waved a hand in an arc.
"Thank you for inviting me.  Normally I would have brought a bottle of wine, but since that wasn't appropriate, I brought these," she said as she handed Brian a bouquet of flowers. 
"Have a seat and I'll see if Emmett can find something to put them in," Brian said as he walked into the kitchen.  "Tell me I own something that I can put these in.  I'm not exactly a flower person,"  Brian said as he thrust the bouquet into Emmett's hand.
Emmett said, "Oh they're lovely.  I think I remember a tall pitcher that we could use."  He opened the cabinets and found the pitcher.  He filled it with water and placed the flowers inside  "I'll just have to buy you a proper vase the next time I go shopping.  Every home needs a vase."  Emmett placed the makeshift vase on the counter and said, "Oh, does that mean that Molly is here?  No one else would bring flowers.  I must go introduce myself."  Emmett dried his hands on the kitchen towel hanging from the oven door and quickly walked out to the living room.
"Molly's here,"  Gus said and ran out to the living room where he promptly walked up to her.  "Hi.  I'm Gus.  I like Justin."
Molly said, "Nice to meet you.  I understand you're the reason that I'm here tonight.  Justin told me that you are cooking dinner.  It smells delicious."  She could see where Justin would like to hang out with the boy. He was obviously charmed by Justin. 
A tall man in tangerine pants and a matching top walked out of the kitchen area.  He reached for Molly, gave her a hug, and said, "I'm Emmett."
She was surprised by the hug but she remembered Justin talking about Emmett as the person who watched Gus while Brian and Justin went to their weekly AA meeting on Saturday night.  "I've heard about you.  You're teaching Gus to cook and tonight we're going to enjoy a home-cooked meal.  I've been looking forward to it all week."
"I did all the cooking tonight, even picked out the menu.  Emmett just did the big stuff, like putting the pan in the oven and picking up the pan with all the chicken in it.  It's still a little hard for me to do that stuff," Gus said, explaining Emmett's limited role.
"I'm sure it will be great.  Justin has raved about the meals you guys prepare on Saturday night. I can tell you nothing tastes better than a meal that you did not have to cook,"  Molly said.  "Can I help with anything?"
Gus shook his head and said, "Nope.  You look a lot like Justin.  Are you an artist too?"
Brian said, "Gus, you can talk to Molly but do you need to do anything more in the kitchen? Everybody else should be here shortly."
"Oh yeah.  We got to cook the broccoli and I think the chicken is almost done.  We have to take it out of the oven on time or it will be overcooked.  Thanks, Dad.  I'm just really excited about meeting Justin's sister."
"I promise we can talk at dinner, Gus.  I'll just sit here with your Dad while we wait for the other people to arrive,"  Molly said, giving him a warm smile. 
Gus and Emmett returned to the kitchen to complete the final prep for dinner.  
"He's adorable.  He looks like a mini you. I'm surprised Jus isn't here yet," Molly said as she sat down on the couch.  "You have a beautiful home."
"Justin texted me a bit ago, stating he would be here soon.  He's talking to his agent about a possible new commission.  Evidently, the show last week garnered some real traffic and now he's got requests for several new pieces.  The bain of success,"  Brian said tongue in cheek. 
"I'm so excited for him.  His career is really taking off.  I remember when he was a struggling artist.  Of course, sobriety helped his success a lot.  He really screwed himself when he was drunk all the time.  Hard to paint if you are not functioning." Molly frowned, unsure if she had said too much. She knew that Justin had originally been Brian's sponsor but she did not know if he knew about the dark time in Justin's life when he was struggling with his sobriety and his painting.
"He's told me about that time in his life.  We've both worked hard for our sobriety.  I'm glad he has you on his side,"  Brian said, sensing her unease and assuring her that he was aware of the time
Molly was relieved and smiled at Brian, enjoying talking with him about Justin.  Molly didn't like to talk about that time in Justin's life as she knew it was painful for him to discuss. 
While Justin sometimes spoke with their mother, he was still slightly estranged from her and he did not talk to their father. As a result, her relationship with their parents was awkward at best, but she had decided a long time ago to support her brother.  Since he was unusually reticent about talking about that time in his life, she had no one to share her thoughts and feelings with until she met Brian.  Not only had Justin been Brian's sponsor, but they were also now dating.  As always, Molly felt the world worked in mysterious ways and while she didn't believe in fate, she was excited that Justin and Brian had found each other and were developing a relationship.  
"I know Justin is coming tonight, but who else will be here?"  Molly asked, hoping that some of the guests would arrive soon.
"There's Gus' moms.  They are the ones that I contacted Boros about.  I wanted to ensure my access to him was solid.  Then there is Ted and Blake.  Ted is my CFO and Blake is his partner.  And to round out the table, there is Debbie.  Debbie is my surrogate mom,"  Brian listed all the people as he touched his fingers from his left hand to his right hand.  
Before she could respond, the buzzer rang again, announcing a new guest.  Brian walked over to the intercom and pushed the button.  "Let me up, I've got my hands full with a tuna casserole."
Molly looked at Brian with confusion but didn't say anything. 
Brian chimed in, "That's Debbie.  She can't come empty-handed to any family event, even if it's billed as a dinner. I'll just put the casserole in the freezer and we'll eat it later,"  Brian explained.
Brian buzzed her up and opened the door for her so she could just walk in. After entering the loft, she took a quick look around and spotted Molly sitting on the sofa.
"You may have changed a lot in the last year, Brian but I don't think you've started batting for the other team.  Who is the pretty blond sitting on your couch?  Don't tell me you've started taking in strays,"  Debbie said, putting down the casserole on the island.
Brian shook his head and raised his eyebrows.  "Debbie, this is Molly Taylor.  She is Justin's sister and Gus invited her to join us this evening."
Turning toward Molly, he said, "Molly, this is Debbie. Debbie play nice.  I'll go put this in the freezer."  Brian picked up the casserole and took it into the kitchen.
Molly stood up and reached out her hand to shake Debbie's hand, but instead of a handshake, Debbie pulled her into a bear hug, squeezing tightly.  Molly felt the wind almost knocked out of her and attempted to pull away.  She wasn't sure what to make of Debbie. "Nice to meet you."
"Ma, you're gonna scare her for life.  Let her go,'  Brian said, chastising Debbie as he entered the room.  
Debbie released her and sat down on the couch.  Molly sat down as well.  "So you're Justin's sister.  I've only met him once, at the last dinner but he seems nice enough.  Gus talks about him a lot."
"Thank you,"  Molly said.  She was feeling extremely awkward and wondering if this had been a good idea.  She knew Brian and Justin, but no one else, and being invited to a family dinner seemed innocent enough.  Now she was having second thoughts. 
The buzzer rang again and Brian let up more guests.  This time it was Blake and Ted.  After introductions, they sat down on the couch and chair respectively.  Ted remembered meeting Justin at the last dinner and he had been having regular talks with Brian about relationships and sobriety.  While he did not know Molly, he felt he had at least more than a passing knowledge of Justin. While Debbie had met Justin at the first dinner Gus had, Blake had not met Justin, even though he had heard Ted talk about him in relation to Brian's sobriety and now about their budding relationship.  
Ted said, "Brian told me he was taking you to see Justin's latest show.  I know nothing about art, but he seemed to enjoy it." Blake added, "To me, anyone who can create is amazing.  I think writers, artists, and singers all have special talents.  Creativity is not something you can learn."
"I'm so proud of Justin.  He always wanted to be an artist and is now living his dream.  It is amazing to me when I look at his work and think about the creativity involved to make something someone else wants to buy.  I think I'm doing good to get the colors right for my makeup,"  Molly said, feeling very comfortable with praising Justin's talents.
Emmett had walked into the room, right before Molly made her last statement and said, "Oh, don't I know it.  Finding just the right shade of green and purple has been my downfall for years.  Why just the other day, I...."  Emmett was interrupted by the buzzer.
"That must be Mom and Momma," Gus said, having followed Emmett into the room. 
"Brian let us up. We had to park on the side of the street instead of the garage since some jerk was getting furniture delivered and the truck was blocking the entrance,"  Melanie said, obviously angry at the inconvenience.
Gus pushed the buzzer and opened the door, waiting for his mothers.  As they walked through the entrance, Gus said, "Mom, Momma that's Molly.  She's Justin's sister. She has blonde hair just like him.  She goes on fake dates with Dad so guys don't pick her up at Justin's show."  Looking around the living room, he noticed that Justin wasn't there.  
"Dad, where's Justin?  He said he was coming, right?  We bought all the stuff to make pancakes in the morning,"  Gus asked, not realizing that sharing this little tidbit might not be the best idea. 
Brian said, "He'll be here shortly.  He had to meet with his agent.  He texted me a little bit ago, saying he was on his way."  Immediately after Brian spoke the buzzer rang again.  "That's probably him.  Why don't you go see?"  he asked Gus.
Gus went to the buzzer and asked who it was and Justin told him it was him.  Gus buzzed him up and opened the door for him.
When Justin got out of the elevator, he walked into the loft and gave Gus a big hug.  He searched the room for Brian and walked over to him to give him a quick kiss on the lips and then searched for Molly whom he also gave a quick hug to.  
Gus said, "Cool, everybody is here.  Let's eat."  he waved everyone toward the table.  
"Should we sit anywhere in particular, Gus?"  Blake asked.  
"Just at the table.  But I'm going to sit next to Dad and I guess Molly will want to sit next to Justin,"  Gus said.  He hadn't thought about where everyone should sit.  "Aunty Emm, do you tell people where to sit when you do your fancy parties?"
"I don't tell them, but sometimes the host does set out cards telling people what table they will be at.  If you do that then you can oftentimes avoid having people who don't like each other sitting at the same table,"  Emmett explained.
"Weird.  I would think people could figure out not to sit at the table with people they don't like.  Grown-ups are funny,' Gus said, shaking his head.  "Sit wherever you want.  Emmett and I will be out with the food in a minute."  
Everyone found a seat.  Lindsay was eager to sit next to Molly to try and glean some information about Justin but when people started finding their places, Molly chose to sit next to Justin and Blake had claimed the seat on her other side.  Ted sat next to Blake and Melanie sat on his other side.  Lindsay ended up sitting between Melanie and Debbie.  Next to Debbie Emmett found a seat. Gus sat next to Emmett on one side and Brian on the other side.  This left Brian sitting next to Justin.  So the oval table looked like this:
Molly, Blake, Ted, Melanie, Lindsay, Debbie, Emmett, Gus, Brian, and Justin.  
Lindsay's plan to be either next to or across from Molly was foiled as she ended up being on the same side of the table from her as Melanie.  She was enough of a WASP that talking behind or in front of other people at the table was something that felt unnatural and strange.  She hoped after dinner maybe she could glean some information from her; however, she was somewhat across from Justin and maybe could learn a little more about him.  
Gus and Emmett brought out the chicken, rice, and broccoli.  "I made chicken, rice, and broccoli and for dessert, we have a Lemon trifle.  Leave room for it as it is fabulous,"  Gus said as he sat down and waved his hand encouraging everyone to eat.  Emmett had told him that at most formal events the plates are already made up but for more casual events like dinner tonight, the food is typically brought out and folks help themselves.  Everybody busied themselves with taking some food from each platter.
"It looks delicious, Gus.  I bet you and Emmett make some great dishes.  I envy Brian and Justin for having the two of you cook every week.  I wish I had a cook,"  Blake said.   
"Thank you," Gus said.
Molly took a small portion of everything and cut a small piece of chicken and placed it in her mouth.  The flavors exploded as she chewed and swallowed.  "Wow.  I wish I could cook like this.  Maybe I need to get lessons from Emmett.  I bet I'd stop eating takeout so much if my meals turned out like this."
Lindsay ate some chicken and said, "This is good.  Maybe we should have you cook dinner at home.  It sure would save us a lot of time.  Maybe this could be your new chore." 
"I agree.  Mom and I hate cooking.  You could take over anytime.  It would be a nice change of pace."
Brian could feel his aggravation building and said, "Lindsay, he is not your personal chef.  He still needs some supervision in the kitchen. He can't lift the pans on his own and while he's gotten really good at using knives, he is not ready to cook unsupervised.  A few nice meals do not mean he is ready to do the family cooking."
"Gus is a great cook, but he's still a kid.  He shouldn't be cooking every meal.  He should be out there playing with his friends,"  Debbie chimed in, frowning at their suggestion.  
Lindsay said, "I was only teasing.  Of course, he shouldn't be cooking us dinner."  She backtracked her previous statement, realizing too late that her comments would not be seen in a positive light. She silently told herself that she could still have Gus cook some of his own meals when they were busy or didn't feel like cooking since no one would be around to monitor it.  She resented Brian telling her what Gus could and couldn't do as she was his mother and he lived with her and Melanie.  She started to say something but stopped herself as she didn't want to argue in front of Molly, still hoping to get some dirt on Justin.
Debbie said, "Gus, this is good.  I think I started learning to cook by famous Puttanesca when I was just a little older than you.  Maybe, you could come over earlier on Sundays and I could teach you how to make Puttanesca.  I'd be passing down a family tradition since we all know that Michael would never be interested in learning to cook."  The mention of Michael was a little uncomfortable for almost everyone at the table, except Gus who had been shielded from the ongoing disagreements between his Dad and him.
"That would be fun, Grandma.  I bet Dad could drop me off early a few times.  Besides, it would give him and Justin some alone time.  I bet he'd like that,"  Gus chimed in.
Brian did not like being mentioned, even if Gus' comment was innocent.  He knew Gus liked him and Justin spending time together and thought Gus was just trying to encourage their relationship.  
"If that is what you want to do, sure we could arrange for you to go to Debbie's a little early on Sunday.  What time do you start cooking, Deb?"  Brian asked.
"Oh.  Well, I guess I start at about 3:30.  You already drop him off at about 4:30, so just an hour earlier should be good.  Do you want to come this weekend, Gus?"
Gus looked at Justin and his father for any sign that this weekend wouldn't work, but his father nodded his head in agreement.  "Yeah.  Two times cooking dinner in one week.  I bet I'll get good enough to cook on my own even faster."
Everyone ate for a few minutes, enjoying the food and not wanting to add any tension to the meal.  When no one was talking, Lindsay decided she would try to start a conversation.
"Justin, how was your show?  Gus said you took him to see it last weekend.  I'm amazed as he never was interested in attending any of the gallery shows, despite my best cajoling,"  Lindsay asked, innocently.
"Great.  I was late tonight as I had a meeting with my agent about three commissions that might come my way as a result of people seeing my work.  I've already sold almost everything.  It was a unique show as the pieces are on showcase for the month, but can be bought at any time.  The agreement was for the pieces to be ready for the fundraiser, but had to stay displayed for the month.  I think there is only 1 small piece that hasn't sold.  My agent is really excited about the talk that my work generated,"  Justin said, explaining the process to everyone at the table who might not understand how the charity show worked.  It was the first time he's been involved in this type of function as well and he'd been pleased with the outcome too.
"Let me make sure I understand.  You put a bunch of your work out for a charity event and people can buy it at the event but it has to stay and be displayed for a month after the event?  How is that beneficial to the charity?"  Blake asked.
"The charity charges money for a ticket to the actual event, but then people can continue to visit the exhibit after the main event but still are charged admission.  That way they continue to make money even after the big event.  That is why the pieces have to stay on display for a month after the event,"  Justin explained.  
"Wow!! That is great exposure for your work and it continues to make money for the charity.  Do you get any money from it?"  Blake asked.
"Actually, I get some money from the ticket sales after the event.  The big gala is for the charity, but after that, the artists on display get a portion of the ticket sales.  It's not a lot and most of us are doing it more for exposure.  Still, it is an extra bonus.  And it seems to have worked in my favor.  I've already had three conversations with potential clients.  So everybody wins,"  Justin explained.  
"That's great Jus,"  Molly said,  "I've always known you had talent. I know I'm biased, but I liked your work the best.
Lindsay saw her opening and asked, "And Molly what do you do?"
"I'm a receptionist for Boros Law Firm.  I also work as a paralegal for them.  I'm definitely not the creative one in the family,"  Molly said.
"Boros law firm,"  That's a prestigious family law firm.  I'm impressed,"  Melanie said, upping her impression of Molly.  She wasn't just a pretty blonde.
"It is one of the top ones in the area.  They agree with my assessment of Justin's work.  One of his pieces is even in our lobby,"  Molly said proudly.
"Where did you go to school?"  Melanie asked.
"I went to Carnegie Mellon and studied Criminal Justice and then obtained my Paralegal training at Duquesne University,"  Molly said, used to be asked that question.
"Well if you ever get tired of working for Boros, my firm is always looking for paralegals," Melanie said.
Molly wasn't sure what to say to that statement so politely said, "Thank you, but I love working at Boros. They are very generous and really strive for a good work/ life balance."
Molly asked Blake what he did and was impressed when he talked about his treatment clinic.  Having watched Justin struggle with addiction, she had great respect for professionals working in that field.  
"Emmett, I already know you are a caterer.  Justin told me that you are helping Gus learn to cook but that you own your own business.  Sadly, I can't afford someone to cook all my meals for me.  But I bet I might be able to convince Justin to cook for me a little more often,"  Molly said.  
"You could join us on Saturday nights.  Dad and Justin go to a meeting and then we all eat dinner together.  After dinner, we could all watch a movie.  Don't you think that would be fun, Dad?"  Gus offered.
Molly was surprised at the offer and wasn't sure if she should accept or not as she did not want to intrude on their time together.  She looked at Justin for guidance.
Brian said, "Well if you want her to come over sometimes, I think that would be fine.  But you know Molly has a life too and she probably wouldn't want to hang out with her brother every Saturday night.  She might be going on real dates,"  Brian added.
"Oh, I guess so.  Molly, do you have real dates on Saturday nights?"  Gus asked, hoping that his new friend might have Saturdays free as he was already thinking about things that the four of them could do on Saturday nights.
"Sometimes. I'm still looking for Mr. Right,"  Molly said, hoping Gus would understand the term.
"Yeah.  Dad said he was never interested in dating and now he's dating Justin.  You just have to find the right guy.  But in the meantime, maybe you could join us sometime.  I bet the four of us could play some games on Saturday night or watch a cool movie.  What do you think?"
"If it is alright with Brian and Justin, I guess I could come occasionally,"  Molly answered.  
"Cool.  Dad, can we eat dessert?  I think everybody finished their food,"  Gus asked. 
"Sure Sonny Boy.  Everybody seems to be finished.  I'll help you clear the table,"  Brian said as he took a few dinner plates to the kitchen.  
Justin stood up and helped clear the table as well and then grabbed the food dishes so he could place them in containers for storage.  After the table was clear, Gus brought out the dessert dishes and everybody raved about the trifle as well.
After dessert, everyone left the table and went to the living room.  It was a little crowded as Brian's place was not meant to host more than a few people at a time.  Emmett had instructed Gus to thank everyone for coming and he did so.  Everyone talked for about 45 minutes, catching up on the week's activities.
Gus sat next to Molly and said, "Thanks for coming.  I really like Justin.  I can't wait for you to come over on Saturday and play games with us.  It will be so cool."  
Molly thought Gus was so cute.  "Thank you, Gus.  I love hanging out with Justin but since he is with your Dad a lot, this gives me an opportunity to do so.  What kinds of movies do you like?"
"I like Star Wars and Jurassic Park.  I love the Marvel Movies and Alvin and Chipmunks are fun too.  I like a lot of stuff.  Do you like games?  I like to play games too."
"I like games.  I don't have too many people that I can play with so it sounds really fun to play with the three of you.  Thanks for inviting me. I enjoyed it."
Gus reached out and gave her a hug.  "I like you, Molly."
Lindsay desperately wanted to talk to Molly, hoping for more information about Justin, but she waited for an opening in her conversation with Gus.  She thought it was cute that Gus was so excited to have Molly join them.  She wasn't sure what was so enticing, but it seemed harmless.  Just as they finished talking, Melanie announced that they were going to leave.  Lindsay gently shook her head and tilted it toward Molly, but the silent message was ignored by Melanie. 
Lindsay said, "Molly it was so kind of you to join us.  Perhaps we could get together for lunch.  We barely had time to talk tonight,"  Lindsay said, hoping her WASP upbringing wasn't off when she sensed that Molly and Justin had grown up in similar circles as she did.  
"Perhaps we might have time the next time Gus has dinner.  According to Justin, he has plans to cook dinner often,"  Molly said, not wanting to share a meal with Lindsay.  While she tried to keep her work and personal life separate, she and Brian had shared a few conversations regarding Lindsay and she was not eager to become her friend. While Gus appeared very happy, she understood that Brian had to take legal measures to ensure his access to Gus.  As a paralegal for a law firm that specialized in family law, she didn't think well of people who appeared to use their children as pawns in their disputes.  
"Oh, of course.  I hope to see you soon,"  She said as she reached out to shake hands with Molly.  Unlike Debbie and Emmett, Lindsay was not a hugger, something that Molly was very happy about.
Lindsay said, "Gus, dinner was delicious.  I can't wait until you are bigger and can cook all on your own.  See you on Sunday.  Be good for your Dad,"  Lindsay said, reiterating her desire for Gus to take over some of the cooking chores in the home.  
Brian scowled but kept his mouth shut.  Things had gone pretty well at dinner and he didn't want to ruin the evening for Gus. Melanie and Lindsay said their goodbyes quickly followed by Ted, Blake, and then Debbie.  Emmett went to the kitchen to ensure it was in order before he also said his goodbyes. That left Molly, Justin, Gus, and Brian.
"Molly, thanks for coming.  Everyone was pretty well-behaved.  Seems like you have a new fan, Gus.  I guess it looks like we'll be seeing you before Justin's next show,"  Brian said.
"I wasn't sure what to expect and at first, I must admit I was a little scared, especially when Debbie hugged me.  But I had a good time.  I guess it's time for me to go too.  I do have some errands I need to run and I am meeting up with some girlfriends tomorrow."  Molly said as she stood up to leave.  
Justin hugged her as did Gus and Brian.  "Maybe you can come in a few weeks.  I'll talk to Dad about it,"  Gus said.
"Sure, "  Molly said and then left.
The three of them sat down on the couch.  "Gus, you did a great job.  I'm proud of you.   We can watch a few episodes of Detention Adventure and then you need to go to bed.  We have a big day tomorrow.  I think you and Justin talked about going to a museum and then hitting the botanical garden to photograph the new flowers."
"Okay, Dad," Gus said as he grabbed the remote and flipped to the right channel.
They watched tv for an hour and then Gus got ready for bed.  After tucking him in, Brian said to Justin, "Now it's our time to enjoy the evening.  What do you say to hanging out with me in the bedroom?"