BRIAN 

Did I really say Emmett was harmless? I changed my mind. Warren was waiting for me to I think, explain. But for the first time, Emmett had kept something to himself. 

“Brian, give me some way to spin this?” Warren asks.

“Denying it is just going to add fuel to the fire. Head it off by giving an interview. Be nice about the fiancée, because it makes her look worse. Do not hide anything you've done, it will just feed the fire.” I tell them. “How do think the team is going to react to this?” I ask Warren.

“I wish I could say they would respect his choice, but it's football.” Warren tells me. 

“I'm still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.” Drew tells us. 

“It's not going to matter to your team, you hid something that they might have accepted if you were honest with them. One of the things in any relationship that has value, is honesty, you leave out things and you compromise everything you have so far, leaving them blindsided when they get hit with something they don’t know.” Warren tells him, and is he really here to ask me for help, or tell me to talk to Justin about my past?

“Am I off the team?” Drew asks.

“No, but you’re going to have to deal with how the other players feel about it. I could enforce the clause that says you have to inform your coach and I of anything that could affect the team, but I don’t want the team to see us not supporting you when your life is about to be turned upside-down. I will ask that you take the next two games off.” Warren tells him.

“So I’m being suspended for being gay.” Drew argues.

“No, you're being asked to consider the team, and not turn the next two games into a circus that has nothing to do with football.” Warren tells him.

“If I’d cheated with a woman I wouldn’t be asked this.” Drew tells him.

“No, but it’s not about your sexuality, it’s about giving your team the respect that you didn’t when you took Emmett to your home and slept with him in your fiancee’s bed.” Warren tells him. I really need to find out how Warren gets his information.

“Don’t you see it as about my being gay?” Drew asks me.

“Yes, but you haven’t really grasped what Warren is telling you. You did this to yourself, and if one of my employees did something that could have a negative effect on my business, then gay, straight, or undecided, doesn’t really matter to me.” I tell him.

Cynthia stood at the door with an older woman, she passed Cynthia and kisses Warren’s head. I gave Warren the ‘good job’, because Jen and he had both married a decade younger, unless Granny just never aged past late forties maybe early fifties. Then again, Justin looks like he’s still barely legal, so maybe they found the fountain of youth.

“What happened?” She asks us.

“I thought you were going to wait for Justin to bring him to meet you.” Warren winks at her.

“Please, I wanted to see anyone who managed to marry our grandson.” She smiles at me. “Helen, Justin’s grandmother, although he says Granny.” She tells me walking around me.

“Brian Kinney, Ma'am.” I tell her.

“So what’s Justin think of you?” She asks me.

“We’re still seeing if we fit.” I tell her.

“You know, it isn’t rocket science. Do you see him in your future? I think so, because five years is more than enough time to have filed divorce papers.” She tells me.

“Helen, let them figure it out.” Warren tells her.

“Honey, I didn’t show up when you showed me the investigator’s report, and really that took some effort on my part. Look at him, trust me, Justin wants him.” She tells Warren, pointing at me. “Drew why are you in the hot seat?” She asks when she’s done inspecting me.

“Drew is coming out.” Warren tells her.

“Oh Dear, is Sierra taking it well?” She asks Drew.

“No, she caught him.” Warren tells her.

“Well, that’s something you can handle, so Brian, take Granny to lunch.” She orders me.

I wasn’t really sure what I was suppose to do, Granny grabbed my arm and dragged me out. Warren just smiled adoringly at the five foot nothing woman dragging my six foot two self out the door. 

“So my husband told me you know where to get a greasy burger.” She tells me, and I’m trying to figure out how I end up being the junk food connection.

JUSTIN

Emmett, Hunter and I decided to get some lunch in the mall, even though I try to make sure we eat healthy, there was just a taco calling my name. We were looking for a place to sit when a perky blonde and her friends came in. Emmett turned and pretended to be reading the directions map, but the chick’s eyes narrowed on Emmett. I wasn’t sure what had Emmett acting like a kid caught doing something wrong.

“YOU BASTARD, I let you plan my wedding.” She screeched, and was hauling back to slap him.

Grabbing her arm to stop her, even though Emmett seemed to just stand there, I hoped to calm her down.

“Is this really where you want to make a scene?” I ask.

“Better than in my bedroom with my fiance.” She tells me, which didn’t make much sense.

“Hope you like being a social pariah.” The brunette next to her tells Emmett.

“I’ll make sure the owner of the team blacklists your ass, for fucking my fiance.” The blond tells him.

“Emmett?” I ask.

“Can we just leave?” He asks not looking at the blond.

“You can leave but I’m announcing to the world that you turned Drew Boyd into a faggot like you.” The blonde screams it and, shit.

Hunter was giggling and I stared at him because Emmett looked like he was about to puke. 

“Hope she likes being considered a homophobe.” Hunter tells me.

“What do you mean?” I ask him.

“Look I get being angry to find out your fiance seems to like dick better, but you don’t throw that word around and then get to cry on TV as if you're innocent.” Hunter tells me.

“Okay, but why is that funny?” Emmett asks, getting in the car texting like a madman.

“I posted her wonderful performance.” Hunter tells us.

“I wish you didn’t.” I tell him.

“Why not, it’s not Emmett’s fault the woman didn’t realize her guy was gay.” Hunter tells me.

I held up my phone that I left in the car. “Justin, you need to bring Emmett to Brian’s office.” was sent from Grampy.

“My grandfather wants me to bring you to him.” I tell Emmett.

“Shit, I promised Drew that no one would know.” Emmett tells us.

“Why would your grandfather care?” Hunter asks me.

“He’s the owner that they threatened Emmett with.” I tell him.

“Hey Emmett, maybe we could get matching busboy uniforms at the diner.” Hunter was not helping Emmett at this point.

“Don’t worry, Grampy doesn’t bite, but he might nibble around the edges.” I tell Emmett and yeah, I wasn’t really helping much either.

BRIAN

It’s a small world, really it is. I took Granny to the diner and didn’t expect this one.

“Deb Grassi is that you?” Granny yells louder than Deb.

“Helen Devore, what the hell are you doing here, your mom said you married some big deal.” Deb hugs her.

“Why are you still in the diner sweetie, I thought you wanted to be a nurse?” Helen asks.

“Life happened, got knocked up, left to raise a son alone.” Deb tells her.

“Well you're still a knockout.” Helen tells her.

“I’m also finally getting married.” Deb tells her showing her the ring. Helen admired it, which was really small compared to the one on Helen’s finger.

“So tell me about your life, Brian why don’t you order for us.” Helen acts like we are eating at fine dining, but this family never seems out of place anywhere.

“I… had a son and you know just boring stuff, tell me about you.” Deb passing up talking about Michael, Ben, Hunter, Jenny, and Carl just doesn’t happen.

“I met my Warren when he was touring the Penn State, lord girl, I about tripped on my feet when he said hi. He found out who I was and well one date turned into two then a month later I was married to him. Had my daughter, and two beautiful grandkids.” She tells her.

“She’s Justin’s grandmother.” I tell Deb.

“Soon or later this one will get use to calling me Granny.” She tells Deb, smiling like I’m her favorite and you know, I’ll take it.

I sat with Granny and Deb and was really having a hard time with Deb being so quiet. It just wasn’t something Deb did. When my phone rang, I got up and left the table to see what Justin wanted.

“Brian, Grampy said he needs you.” Justin tells me.

“Why?” I ask.

“Hunter kind of posted something and it went viral.” Justin says distractedly.

“On my way, let me grab Granny.” I tell him.

“We are never getting divorced if you called her Granny. She would kill us.” Justin tells me hanging up.

“Helen, we need to get back.” I tell her.

“Really, Helen, I liked Granny better. I mean you did marry my grandson.” She tells me and I now believe that parents hear everything. “ Deb, come for dinner while I'm in town, I'll even get Daniel to come.” She tells Deb, who looked pale. Deb handed her a to go box for Warren, and I have a feeling the doctor is going to love the Philly and fries she got Warren.

It took all the way to Kinnetik for it to hit me, and I just hope Justin doesn't leave the country again when he finds out. When we walked in Hunter was sitting in front of my desk like he was in trouble, but since he was smiling I figured this couldn’t be to bad.

“Brian, I figured out what we're going to do.” Warren tells me.

“Grampy, think of something else, you are not using my marriage to deflect the press.” Justin tells him.

“It's going to happen anyway, you're just showing support for your team.” Warren tells him. 

“You know, I love how my twenty percent, turns it into my team when you want to use me.” Justin tells him.

“Well the twenty I sign to Brian makes it forty, so I guess you just have to realize it's part yours too.” Warren argues. Wait I own part of a football team?

“I can't believe you'd bribe Brian to do your bidding.” Justin tells him. 

“I'm only including all my grandchildren.” Warren tells him. 

“You just met him, yet he's family?” Justin asks incredulously.

“I'm keeping up with his life the same way I did yours, and you did marry him, So guess what Smarty Pants, he's one of us.” Warren tells him. 

“Why am I even trying to stop you, you'll just do it behind my back like everything else.” Justin tells him.

“I have never done anything behind your back, I tell you, you just think I'm kidding.” Warren tells him. 

“I can deal with drop shipping enough food that the camp didn’t have to get donations, I even graciously accepted the house that has TEN bedrooms, not eight, maybe nine, but I will not make Brian and I the center of a press conference so you're obviously gay player doesn’t have to finally tell the world he likes DICK.” Justin was really hot when he was going toe to toe with Warren. 

The very loud whistle from the very tiny Granny seem to stop the two in their tracks.

“What the hell are you two shouting the building down over?” She asks loudly herself.

“He wants Brian and I to parade ourselves so Drew’s little news get’s drowned by us.” Justin tells her.

“Why would that be so bad, we like that you married someone like Brian.” She tells him and kisses my cheek after sitting me next to Hunter on the other side of my desk.

“Brian, are you going to go along with this?” Justin asks me.

I look at Grampy, Granny, and Emmett and shrug. I mean it’s not like I hate the idea of staying married. 

“See, Brian understands family loyalty.” Warren should have just stayed quiet.