Druid II

Chapter 4


Brian and Justin got through the next couple of days at work with only a little tension between them. Things seemed to have returned to normal, as normal as they were going to get until the weekend. Jennifer and Molly were arriving Saturday morning after an all night flight. Brian’s friends would be coming to the townhouse late in the afternoon for the party that evening.

Mrs. Hopkins had provided them with suggestions for a menu for the party, starting with hors d’oeuvres and including a rather lavish dinner, much more lavish than she was used to cooking for her two gentlemen. She was all atwitter with the prospect of a real dinner party, the first since her dear Mr. Reilly had passed.

Brian heard from Maggie confirming that she was going to drive up with Pats and Mick, and then go back that night with Quinn. That way her husband would only have one day to look after the pub on his own. Quinn called to confirm that he would be attending. He was hiring a car and driver for his trip, so he’d be able to drink as much as he wanted and still get back to the quoin safely.

Justin made arrangements to meet his mother and sister at the airport. He was so excited to see them after all the time that had passed. He wanted to show both of them how well he was doing. He wanted them to see how handsome Brian was, and how they had made a life together. That would put an end to his mother’s worries about him. He desperately wanted her to like Brian and accept him as Justin’s partner.



*****



Friday afternoon Brian was sitting in his office at Triskele. Justin was at his painting course. Brian was supposed to be working on a new campaign for one of Brendan’s old clients who was making some noise about returning to Brendan’s company after jumping ship when Brendan was ill and unable to run the company in his usual fashion.

Advertising was what Brian was supposed to be doing, but in his head he was going over a myriad of things from his past, present and future.

He couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to his days at the quoin. He had grown up there, become a man there in many ways and had thought the quoin was his future. Quinn had been a good friend to him over the years. Without Quinn, Brian would have probably died on the streets of Dublin. Quinn had accepted the small, frightened boy that Brian had been. He had treated Brian like a son. When Brian was about to turn thirty years old, Quinn had offered him the job of running the quoin. Brian had almost accepted. He knew he had to do something with his life, because past thirty no man was allowed to work at the quoin, not in the capacity of high priced callboy anyway.

An unwanted voice from the past sounded in Brian’s head. "You're old, over the hill, covered in wrinkles."  It was the voice of Angus, the arrogant Scotsman who was known by the persona of Rob Roy at the quoin. He had kept taunting Brian about being old, as Brian approached his thirtieth birthday. In many ways Angus had done Brian a favor. He forced Brian to deal with leaving the quoin. And that was when Justin Taylor had appeared in Brian’s life.

Brian smiled to himself. Justin was his present and his future. They were totally intertwined in every possible way. That was just how Brian liked it. If only Justin’s mother could see her way clear to accept Brian as Justin’s partner, but that didn’t seem very likely. In fact, Brian was worried about Jennifer Taylor meeting Quinn. She would undoubtedly want to know what Quinn did. The fact that he ran a high priced brothel for gay men would not go over well. And the fact that Brian had worked there for most of his adult life would be even harder for Jennifer to swallow. This was going to be one helluva weekend.

And Brian’s whole future hinged on the outcome.

Brian leaned back in his big office chair. He closed his eyes and tried to think about nothing. That lasted about five seconds. Justin’s face jumped into view, and in his mind he saw Justin smiling at him, encouraging him. That was the moment that Brian knew he would do anything to make the weekend work. He would do it for Justin. He would be nice to Jennifer Taylor. He would be sweet to Molly. He would be kind and sensitive to his friends. He could only hope that they would reciprocate.

So, now he had his plan.



*****



“Are you ready, Brian?” Justin asked. “We need to get going.”

“Almost,” Brian said taking another look at himself in the full length mirror. “Do you think this tie is all right, or should I wear the red one?”

“That one’s great,” Justin replied straightening the tie and standing on his tiptoes to kiss Brian’s mouth. “You look beautiful. You always look beautiful.”

“To you maybe, but what about your mother? Am I son-in-law material?”

Justin grinned from ear to ear. “I’m the son that will make that decision. And you are definitely son-in-law material to me.”

“You’re no help at all,” Brian griped. “Should I change the tie?”

“You don’t need a tie at all.”

“I want to make a good impression.”

“Just be yourself, and my mother will love you.”

Brian snorted. “Yeah, right!”

“Brian, relax. Let’s go or we’re going to be late for their plane. That won’t make much of an impression on my mother, certainly not a good impression.”

“Right,” Brian agreed looking at himself once more in the mirror.

“Come on!”

“Okay, okay, right behind you,” Brian said slapping Justin’s ample rump as they finally left the bedroom.



*****



Brian paced back and forth in the arrival area at the airport. Jennifer Taylor’s flight had landed only a few minutes late. They were waiting for Jennifer and Molly to get their luggage and clear customs.

“Brian, for fuck sake, stand still!” Justin demanded. “You’re making me nervous, and it’s my fucking mother we’re waiting for.”

“Watch your language, little boy,” Brian snarked. “Your mother might have to turn you over her knee.”

“I’d rather have you spank me,” Justin said mischievously, and with that certain look in his eye.

Brian felt his cock respond immediately. He let out a loud groan. “Fuck! Now I’m going to have a hard-on when I meet your mother.”

Justin laughed out loud and then let out a loud shout, “Mom!” He raced across the arrivals area.

“Down, boy,” Brian muttered to his uncooperative dick. Then he slowly began to follow Justin who was hugging a very pretty blond lady. “You must be Molly,” he said to the girl with the reddish hair standing beside them and apparently waiting her turn for a hug. “I’m Brian, Justin’s partner.”

Molly studied Brian for a moment. “Yeah, I’m Molly,” she said finally extending her hand to shake with Brian.

“Nice to meet you,” Brian said taking her hand. He was tempted to kiss it, but thought that would be a little over the top. “Justin’s been waiting for so long to see you both.”

“Yeah, if he even notices that I’m here,” Molly griped.

“I’m sure he will in a minute.” They both watched Jennifer and Justin still hugging and whispering about how they had missed each other and it had been so long and they were so happy. “Could I get a hug?” Brian asked the girl. “We’re almost family, and I’m feeling kind of left out.”

Molly let a little smile play at the corners of her mouth then she stepped closer to Brian wrapping her arms around Brian’s waist. She thought she could grow to like this handsome man that her brother had found. Brian returned the hug warmly. Hugging was something Justin had instructed him in over the months they had been together.

“My brother can be a dick,” Molly whispered to Brian. Brian leaned back and looked into her eyes. “Sometimes,” Molly amended. “But you probably know that.”

“I quite like your brother just the way he is.”

“That’s good,” Molly said releasing Brian from the hug just in time to be grabbed by her brother who lifted her off her feet and swung her around.

“Mollusk, I missed you,” Justin whispered into her hair as he set her down but didn’t release her from the hug.

“I didn’t miss you at all,” Molly declared, but the happy smile on her face belied her words.

“I’m Brian,” Brian said to Jennifer holding his hand out to the woman. Somehow he didn’t think a warm hug between them was in the cards.

“Nice to finally meet you, Brian,” Jennifer replied as she shook his hand. She was the picture of prim and proper. Those were the hardest people to deal with, Brian knew.

“Justin’s really been looking forward to your visit,” Brian said trying to make conversation.

“It’s so good to see him. It’s almost a year since he came to Ireland.”

“And I’m very glad he decided to come here,” Brian stated.

Jennifer’s face puckered at that remark, obviously before she could prevent it. “He seems to have … enjoyed his time here in Ireland.”

“I hope so,” Brian said hoping the sarcasm in his voice wasn’t too apparent.

“I think we should get going, Mom,” Justin gushed as he put his arm around her waist. “We want to show you our house, and we have a party planned for tonight.”

“A party?” Jennifer seemed very surprised.

“Yeah, Pats and Mick will be there. They’ll be pleased to see you and Molly.”

“Oh,” Jennifer replied. She didn’t seem very happy at the prospect of seeing them.

Some time later the Renault pulled up in front of the townhouse.

“Where are we?” Jennifer asked as she looked at the street of elegant townhomes.

“This is our house,” Justin said proudly.

“Y…Your house? But…”

“I’ll tell you all about it,” Justin assured his mother. “But let’s get you and Molly settled in first.”

Brian opened the door of the townhouse and carried Jennifer’s suitcase inside. He set it down in the foyer and called for Mrs. Hopkins. She came immediately.

“Mrs. Taylor, this is our housekeeper, Mrs. Hopkins. Mrs. Hopkins, this is Justin’s mother.”

“Very pleased to meet you, ma’am,” the housekeeper replied. “Master Justin has been so looking forward to your visit. And you must be his sister, Molly,” she added looking at Molly who was gazing all around the foyer and at the doorways that opened off it.

“I’m going to give Mom and Molly a quick tour,” Justin said.

“I have a little snack ready for you when you’re done,” Mrs. Hopkins told them before heading back to the kitchen.

“You have a housekeeper?” Jennifer asked in amazement once Mrs. Hopkins had disappeared.

“Yes, Mom. Brian and I are doing very well.”

“But you’re a student…”

“I also work at Brian’s company.”

“You do?”

“Yes, Mom. Come see the house and I’ll tell you more,” Justin promised. Justin and Jennifer started into the library.

“Want the tour, or want some food?” Brian asked Molly when she made no move to follow.

“Food,” Molly said with a grin.

“Follow me,” Brian said leading her to the kitchen where Mrs. Hopkins had muffins and juice and coffee ready for them.

“Those smell so good,” Molly observed eyeing the freshly made muffins.

“Mrs. Hopkins is an excellent cook,” Brian said holding the basket of muffins towards the girl.

Mrs. Hopkins beamed her approval. “There’s butter, jam and cream cheese to have with the muffins,” she told Molly.

Molly sat down at the kitchen table and doctored her muffin. She took a big bite and let out a sigh of ultimate satisfaction. Then she eyed Brian quizzically as he sat across the table from her. “Do you love my brother?” she asked after a moment.

“I do.”

“That’s good, because my dad is really mad that he’s here with you, and mom, she…”

“Your mother doesn’t like me,” Brian supplied.

“Not much, but you seem okay to me.”

“Thanks, I’m glad I have the Molly Taylor seal of approval.”

“I wish my brother could come home,” Molly added after a brief pause.

“He misses his family,” Brian said trying to be sympathetic, “but we’re making a new life here.”

“Could I have another muffin?” Molly asked, and that was the end of the Justin-moving-back-home discussion, at least for the moment.



*****



“This will be your room,” Justin said as he opened one of the bedroom doors. He had carried his mother’s suitcase upstairs with them, and he placed it on the chest at the end of the bed. “Molly will be in the bedroom next door.”

“How many bedrooms do you have?” Jennifer asked still amazed at the splendor of the old house.

“Four,” Justin answered. “And Mrs. Hopkins has a bed/sitting room off the kitchen.”

“Justin, how have you managed all of this?” Jennifer asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed, suddenly weary from the long trip and all the new things she was learning about Justin’s life.

“I told you, Mom. Brendan Reilly owned this townhouse. He was a very good friend of Brian’s. He sold Brian his advertising agency, and when he died not long ago he left the townhouse to Brian. He had no other family.”

“Must have been a very good friend,” Jennifer said bitterly. She was sure without Brendan Reilly’s interference Justin would have returned to the States months ago.

“Mom, Brian and I are making a good life here. Please try to be happy for me.”

Jennifer studied her son. He seemed so much more grown up than the boy she had sent off to Ireland a little less than a year ago. She wasn’t sure she liked what Justin had become. She still wanted her little boy.

“I think I’d like to have a nap,” Jennifer said. “I didn’t sleep much on the plane.”

“Sure, Mom,” Justin agreed. “Then you’ll be ready for the party.”

“Yeah, party,” she mumbled as she kicked off her shoes and pulled the quilt at the foot of the bed over her. A party was the last thing she wanted to be part of. She heard the door close behind her son, and then she quickly fell asleep.



*****



Justin found Molly and Brian still bonding over the muffins. He sat down at the table with them and grabbed a muffin. Brian got him a coffee, while Mrs. Hopkins was working on hors d’oeuvres for the party.

“Where’s your mother?” Brian asked.

“She’s lying down.”

“The vapors?”

“No, just tired.”

“I guess I should be grateful she didn’t run away,” Brian said.

Molly giggled. “I like him, Jester,” she said sweetly, batting her eyelashes at Brian. Brian merely smirked. He had made a conquest of another Taylor. That left the mother.

“That’s good, Mollusk. Do you think you can work on Mom?”

“I could try,” Molly volunteered.

“I’m just kidding,” Justin said quickly. He didn’t want to place his sister in the middle of all this.

“No, really,” Molly said. “I can tell Mom that Brian’s a good guy. She likes to hear my opinion. I’m always right.”

“Is that so?” Brian asked with a raised eyebrow to show his skepticism.

“You should be thankful I like you,” Molly said knowingly. “It wouldn’t be much fun if we both hated you.”

“See,” Brian said, “I knew she hated me.”

“She doesn’t really hate you,” Molly amended. “She just wants things to go back to the way they were.”

“Before I came along,” Brian interjected.

Molly nodded her head. “Mom and dad have been fighting a lot lately,” she said sadly. “I think they’re going to get a divorce.”

“Shit!” Justin reacted. “Because of me.”

“That’s only part of it,” Molly informed them. “They fight about everything. They’re not happy.”

“I’m really sorry, Molly,” Justin said softly. He took her hand.

“I’m okay, and it’s not your fault,” Molly declared, but Justin could see the tears in her eyes.

“Let’s get you settled in your room,” Brian suggested. “Maybe you should lie down a bit before our guests start arriving.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Molly agreed. She stood up holding back her tears and followed Brian to the foyer to get her suitcase.

Justin watched them leave the kitchen. He suddenly felt very tired. His family was a mess and it was all his fault.