The Quarterback and the Chef

Chapter 13

"Daddy! Dada!" Bree yelled as she saw her fathers enter the door to her new classroom. "Look what I did." She held out a piece of paper. Her name was printed across it in large letters, using a capital 'B'. It looked perfect.

"That's great, sweetheart," Justin said bending down to kiss her.

"Now I know what big letters are, and I can make them good as Patrick," Bree stated proudly.

"Very nice, Squirt," Brian said looking at the paper. "What else did you learn today?"

"I learn all about dinosaurs."

Brian groaned. He remembered when Gus had been in his dinosaur phase. "Great," Brian said trying to keep most of the snark out of his voice. He could envision the cottage with room to room dinosaurs.

"Mr. Taylor, Mr. Kinney," Miss Sharma said as she approached the two men. She was Bree's teacher in the special class. "Bree is doing very well in her new class. I wanted to let you know that she has fit in very well."

"Go get your backpack, Bree," Justin said, wanting a more private word with the teacher. "Has Bree made any friends?" Justin asked. That was their greatest worry at the moment. If Bree didn't make friends, they were sure she would want to go back to her old class … and Ashley.

"Take a look," Miss Sharma said. Brian and Justin turned to look at Bree who was talking animatedly with a little boy and girl. They were giggling as they gathered up their belongings to go home.

"Looks like she's found a couple of friends," Brian said to Justin, feeling relief flood through him. He knew Bree could do whatever work this class might ask of her. It was the friends thing that he had been worried about.

Bree ran over to them. "Kyla and Griffin say hello."

"Hello, Kyla and Griffin," Brian said. Justin waved at the children as they left the room with their parents.

"You like your new friends?" Justin asked.

"Yes," Bree said with a frown. "But I miss Ashley."

Justin winced. He should have kept his mouth shut. "Maybe we could call Ashley this weekend and see if she can come over to play with you."

"Yes, Daddy, I like that." Bree hugged Justin's legs.

"Have a good evening, Bree," Miss Sharma said.

"I will," Bree replied and reached up to give Miss Sharma a hug too.

They made their way out of the classroom and down the hall.

"How come you hugged Miss Sharma?" Brian asked. "I never saw you hug Mrs. Black."

"Mrs. Black was different," Bree said thoughtfully. "She didn't smile like Miss Sharma."

"I see."

"So, you like your new class?" Justin asked.

"Yes, Daddy. Very good."

The Taylor-Kinney family headed home, feeling very good about themselves.

*****

"So when is this hoedown?" Brian asked Justin with his usual snark. "It ain't getting any warmer. If he doesn't have it soon, we won't all fit in that postage stamp of a restaurant."

"Brian, it's not a restaurant."

"Well, whatever it is, the big fairy better have his grand opening soon or the waiters will be wearing boots, parkas and serving shovels."

It was mid-October. Emmett wanted everything to be perfect before holding his grand opening. He wanted the family to tour the whole building including the upper floors. That meant that the Anderson Construction crew had to complete the second floor part of which Emmett turned into a small apartment for his head waiter. Sean was still living at home when he got the job at Emmett's Place. He was hoping his new job would pay enough to finally be able to move out. His parents weren't all that thrilled with his 'way of life'. And since Emmett decided that Sean would open the place each day, it made sense to have Sean live close by. You couldn't get any closer than right upstairs.

The rest of the second floor was devoted to Emmett's office and showroom. There he had a few tables and chairs all ready to be decorated to demonstrate to his prospective clients his concepts for the occasions. Emmett believed a picture was worth a thousand words. Brian had one of Kinnetik's photographers photograph many of Emmett's success stories. They were turned into posters, framed and prominently displayed. It was all rather impressive.

"Oh, knock it off, you big poop," Justin chided Brian. "The opening is this Saturday. We all drive in, ooh and ah, then we can spend the night at the loft. We come home Sunday afternoon. If you behave yourself, I'll treat you to breakfast at the diner. We haven't been there in a while and I want to see how Lacy's doing at PIFA."

"You have it all figured out, doncha, Sunshine."

"Yes, I do. Now, are you going to argue with me?" Justin said sternly.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sunshine." Brian captured his spouse into his arms to thoroughly kiss him.

*****

"Where is he?" Emmett was pacing the bistro floor. Friends and family were filtering in, Emmett was dressed to the nines in something that would make Brian's eyes bleed and he was wringing his hands like a worried old fish wife.

"Emmett, honey, he'll be here. Stop worrying," Debbie tried to placate Emmett but it wasn't working.

"Drew's late. He's never late," Emmett said as he rearranged a fruit tray for the tenth time before allowing Sean to take it out back.

"Emm, sweetie, you're going to make yourself sick. I'm sure there's a simple explanation. Maybe their bus was late."

"Debbie, this is professional football. They're supposed to have all angles covered."

"Well things happen! I'm sure he'll be here soon. Now go mingle!" Debbie said as she pushed the tall man out toward the yard. Most of the guests were out there.

*****

"Dada, do I look pretty?" Bree asked Brian. They were primping, getting ready to make their grand appearance at the new bistro. Bree still loved to dress up in her frilly dresses, but Brian suspected that that was going to change as Briana started to excel at sports. There wasn't too much call for frilly dresses on a soccer field. Bree's new class stressed sports as well as the arts and academics.

"Beautiful, Squirt. Just like your Daddy," Brian said softly. Brian and Justin were together for sixteen years now and to Brian, Justin grew more beautiful each day.

"Not sad, Dada!" Briana saw the misty look in her Dada's eyes.

"No, Squirt, not sad at all. Very, very happy," Brian replied then kissed his daughter's forehead.

"Hey, you guys ready in there?" Justin called from the loft living room.

"Ready!" Brian and Bree replied as they came down the bedroom steps. Justin's breath hitched as he saw his two favorite people in the whole world looking beautifully picture perfect. His artist's brain memorized every detail for the future. There were more paintings waiting to be painted.

The lovers kissed then kissed their daughter. The Kinney-Taylor family was ready to wow the family at Emmett's Place.

*****

"Hey, Emmett!" Brian yelled out over the noise at the bistro. He snagged a piece of cranberry muffin off of Justin's plate and popped it into his mouth. He giggled at the angry scowl his loving spouse threw at him. "Do you know there's a busload of football players pulling up out front?" Brian said casually like it was an everyday occurrence.

"What?" Drew was over an hour late and Emmett was about to call every hospital in the state.

The family watched as Emmett ran out to the front of the café. The family whooped and hollered as Drew came off the bus then found himself with an armload of happy party planner. After their greeting and hasty explanation of the snafu, Drew, followed by several Ironmen, entered the café.

"Maybe I should pay attention to football more often," Brian remarked as several of the football players walked past. More than one gave Brian the eye. The stud of Liberty made the briefest of appearances.

"Stick to soccer, Bri. Bree has already volunteered you to be an assistant coach," Justin stated nonchalantly as he sipped his champagne, smiling flirtatiously at a huge defensive lineman. In an instant, Brian was at Justin's side with an arm around his shoulder. Justin smiled smugly into his glass.

The opening of Emmett's Place was a resounding success!

*****

"You happy, Babe?" Drew asked his partner later that night as they stepped out of their shower and dried off.

"More than words can describe," Emmett answered dreamily. "Now that the opening is done, I can concentrate on Molly's wedding."

"What about your other clients?"

"Sean is turning out to be a godsend. He majored in business as well as in the culinary arts. But we won't take on more than we can chew, so to speak. I have no intention of running myself ragged."

"That's good. And we have the cottage to relax in."

"Yes, we do. How about we do some relaxing right here?" Emmett asked Drew with a twinkle in his eye.

"Great idea!" Drew said as he executed a perfect flying tackle, wrestling his lover onto their bed. Within minutes. "Touchdown!"

*****

Brian and Justin were in the shower with the bathroom door closed and locked. Bree was sound asleep on the futon in the living room. She had been exhausted after the big opening at Emmett's Place. She had done her little princess thing going from group to group and telling them all how pretty they looked. She, of course, received the same compliment in return, and that seemed to please her no end. Now she was sleeping, her work for the day apparently done.

Brian was washing Justin's hair. As he caressed Justin's scalp, he felt himself growing hard. He could hardly believe that after all these years his love for his husband continued to grow. He felt tears well up in his eyes. Thank the gods that the hot water would cover the emotional moment.

"Hey," Justin said gently. "You okay?"

Brian smiled. Justin was onto him. He had always been onto him right from that first night they had spent together. "I'm fine. I love you, you know."

Justin's face lit up with one of those special smiles that made Brian's heart melt and his dick get hard. Then the smile faded from Justin's face.

"What?" Brian asked, concerned as he watched the transformation.

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?"

"Tricking."

"Fuck no!" Brian reacted immediately.

"But you did for a few minutes today … at Emmett's Place."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend, Brian. I saw the looks you were getting and that look that came across your face."

"You did, huh?"

"I did. You know I'm onto you."

Brian chuckled, because he had just been thinking about Justin being onto him, but in a very different context.

"What are you laughing at?" Justin wanted to know.

"Nothing important."

"So, do you miss it?" Justin repeated, as he rinsed the suds out of his hair.

"It was fun to look, and be looked at," Brian admitted.

"You miss it, don't you?" Justin asked wrinkling his nose.

"Have I ever done anything to make you think that?" Brian asked, a little disturbed by this line of questioning.

"Well, no. But I did see the stud of Liberty Avenue rear his beautiful head for just a few seconds today."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I guess not. As long as you don't act on it."

"I'm not planning to act on anything except maybe your ass, as soon as we finish this needless discussion."

"It's not needless, Brian. I hate thinking that I've made you do things you really don't want to do."

"You haven't made me do anything I don't want to do, twat," Brian said affectionately as he pulled Justin against him and kissed the sweet, wet lips. "It was nice to look … and even nicer to have them all still show some interest. I don't think I will ever get tired of that. I'm married, for fuck sake, not dead."

"Definitely not dead," Justin whispered as he felt Brian's erect cock pressing into his stomach.

"Definitely not," Brian stated, as he sought Justin's mouth for a deep and searing kiss.

"You were just a little bit jealous when you saw that burly football player giving me the eye, weren't you?"

Brian sighed. "I don't do jealous," Brian stated trying to sound like the stud of Liberty Avenue.

Justin's face sank a little at that statement. "Sure," he muttered.

"Can we fuck now?"

"Sure."

"So, turn around and spread 'em," Brian ordered.

"Sure."

Brian knew he had said the wrong thing. He grabbed the lube and squirted some into Justin's hole. He readied his cock and positioned it at Justin's entrance. Before he plunged in, he knew he needed to say something to make things right. He didn't want Justin feeling that he wasn't appreciated or loved or worthy of jealousy.

Brian pulled Justin back against his chest. "I may not do jealous," Brian whispered into Justin's hair. "But I was ready to punch out that big bruiser's lights if he came onto you."

Justin grinned at Brian's words. "Then it's good that you don't do jealousy, or I'd be bailing you out of jail tonight."

"You got that right."

"I wouldn't have let anything happen with the football player … you know that." Justin wanted to reassure Brian too.

"Of course not. Now, are you ready to shut up? We have more important things to do."

"Definitely!"

Justin leaned against the glass of the shower as Brian released him from his hold. This was what he wanted, what he would always want. No fucking football player could possibly hold a candle to Brian Kinney.

Justin let out a little moan as Brian entered him and started thrusting. There was nothing better than this.

"I love you," Brian whispered against his neck.

Well, maybe there was one thing better.