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BRIAN


It was so adorable, but really, unless my kids are doing something adorable, I really don’t want to talk it to death. Granted, I figured Ted was about to get a whole lot of Brandon tonight, so I might have watched the way Brandon seemed to watch Ted. There was interest, but how much, who knows.


Ted asked to talk to me alone, and all I could think is ‘grow the balls you showed in the car’, but that’s not what this was about.


“Deb called me. She went to see Michael’s new apartment and found Lindsay there with Gus. I guess they seemed to think they could get out of Gus where you were.” He tells me.


“Good thing we told Gus I went to West Virginia. You know how much I hated lying to my kid, but I didn’t want Gus to have to lie.” I tell him.


“It’s not really a lie, you do have a meeting there next week with WestTech.” He tells me.


“What are you talking about?” I ask, because it’s the first I’m hearing about this.


“They called Cynthia, looking for you. I guess they were clients of yours or wanted to be.” He tells me.


“They called when I was about to retire, I handed them to Adam. I didn’t know at the time that I was going to start a business. I guess Adam screwed up what should have been a sure thing. Just get me the dates and time so I can let Justin know. Call my attorney, Julie, and let her know what the two of them did. I doubt it’s going to matter. Lindsay is his mother and it sounds like concern, even though we know better.” I tell him.


“Mel is keeping a record of her visits, so far this is her first visit, and Gus asked to go with Deb half way through.” He tells me.


“My problem is only how Lindsay can get sympathy. It’s what Julie told me would be the hardest part of getting primary custody of Gus. She and Mel both think that it will end up being our biggest battle. The detective reports are on our side, because Lindsay doesn’t seem to see that those reports don’t show either Justin or I as doing anything a court could argue with. We both look as if we worked and Justin was a great father.” I tell him.


“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the whole detective thing. It’s not something anyone rational does.” He tells me.


“She’ll have to explain that at the mediation. Mel is trying to get the date bumped up.” I tell him.


“Mel found a firm that is willing to take her when she wants to make the move here.” He tells me.


“Ted, is it going to be a problem for you that she’ll be here and you’ll be in Pittsburgh?” I ask him.


“We agreed she would be the primary parent. If everything goes well in Pittsburgh than I could possibly move here.” He tells me.


“It looks like you would have a reason to want to stay in Pittsburgh.” I tell him, tilting my head at Brandon.


“Don’t get me wrong, it would be nice, but he’s still playing the field. I couldn’t put up with what Justin did at one time.” He tells me.


“I wouldn’t expect anyone to put up with what I did to Justin. Do the one thing Justin never did when we were first together, tell him that you won’t wait around for him to admit he loves you. If he does than he’ll leave the game behind.” I tell him.


“If Justin had told you that, would you have?” He asks me.


“He just never asked me to.” I tell him.


“I’ll call Julie and let her know for you. I can’t believe you're taking this so well.” I tell him.


“I’m not.” I tell him.


TED


I drove Brandon to his hotel room, I was staying with Emmett and Charles tonight. Brandon waited like he expected me to go in with him, but I wasn’t kidding when I said that I couldn’t do what Justin did.


“I know it might seem like mixed signals, but I can’t be the guy you screw while you screw other guys.” I tell him.


“Why do you think I would do that to you?” He asks me.


“When was your last trick?” I ask him.


“A couple days ago, but I didn’t think you were interested.” He tells me.


“I’m not interested in a player or someone who’s with me until they decide I’m not who they wanted. We really don’t know each other and until we do, I’m not interested in your bed.” I tell him.


“Then agree to a date that doesn’t have anything to do with business.” He tells me.


“I’ll take you out next Friday. There’s an opera I wanted to go see.” I tell him, waiting for the look that I get from guys when I mention it.


“I’m good with that, as long as I can pay for dinner somewhere nice.” He tells me.


“I would have picked a real restaurant.” I tell him.


“You can’t be the only one planning my first date.” He tells me, pecking me as he gets out.


I drove to the house Emmett and Charles live in. Brian and Justin were over there with Hannah when I got there. Brian answered the door.


“Really, they got you involved in their gossiping?” I ask Brian.


“Hannah wanted to spend the night with Emmett and Charles. It’s just a bonus that I’m disappointed in how fast you got here.” Brian tells me.


“We made a date, but until then I’m not jumping on.” I tell him.


“Are you kidding me?” Emmett asks Justin, as they come out of the back of the house.


“Nope, but I agree with Brian, Lindsay can make it sound like she’s a concerned mom.” Justin tells him as they sit down.


“Hannah wants you before she goes to sleep.” Emmett tells Brian.


“I called my friend who’s in family law. He told me to tell you and Brian to make sure Mel writes a statement on how you got the detective reports. Lindsay can’t have them thrown out if she left them with Mel.” Charles tells Justin.


“I’ll let him know.” Justin tells him. “When is the WestTech meeting?” Justin asks me.


“They want to meet on Wednesday.” I tell him.


Justin looks through his phone and cringes at whatever he sees. Brian goes over and looks at Justin’s phone. “Ted tell them I can’t be there on Wednesday. I can go on Friday but not until then, Hannah has her first game.” He tells me.


“Brian, she’ll understand.” Justin tells him.


“I won’t, I want to see my daughter win and business isn’t going to be a reason I don’t.” He tells me.


“If they won’t reschedule, what do you want me to tell them?” I ask him.


“Tell them that it’s the only way they get me to help them.” Brian tells me.


BRANDON


I didn’t get it, I mean guys tend to fall all over me. How did I end up alone last night? Brian came to pick me up to take me to the airport and I decided to get his opinion on this very strange occurrence in my world.


“Did Ted say anything?” I ask.


“Are we really having this conversation?” Brian asks.


“It’s just, he was with me until he drove me to my hotel.” I tell him.


“Ted wants a relationship that isn’t between tricks. He watched the shit Justin and I were doing and he knows he couldn’t deal with it. Most people couldn’t.” He tells me.


“We all hear things about the way you and Justin partied, but it’s hard to see it now, when you're practically soccer Dad.” I tell him.


“I did a lot of things that should have killed me or Justin. There’s just a time when being the stud becomes less attractive than being with my family. You need to understand that Ted hasn’t ever really been into the whole party, tricking, and drinking until you pass out. He loves opera and one-on-one things. If you want to trick, then Ted isn’t going to be there to see it.” He tells me.


“Why did Justin put up with it?” I ask him.


“He was young and exploring his sexuality. He would have eventually wanted to know what it was like with other people, so my lifestyle suited him. It made it easy for us to be together, because I wasn’t ready to settle down.” He tells me.


“I want to at least try with Ted. I mean, he’s different from most guys.” I tell him.


“My only advice is that if you still need the other things, don’t get involved with him. Ted and you have to be able to work together. I won’t replace Ted.” He warns me.


“I won’t give you a reason to replace me.” I tell him, getting out at the airport.


DEB


I brought Gus back to Mel’s house, she opened the door, smiling at Gus and barely looking at me.


“Gus, go in so I can talk to your mom.” I tell him, kissing him before he goes in.


“Deb, if this is about what a bitch I am, I don’t have time for this.” I tell her.


“Lindsay and Michael were trying to find out where Brian and Justin are by asking Gus.” She tells me.


“You should have let Gus tell them.” I tell her.


“Mel, Brian doesn’t need the bullshit that would cause.” I tell her.


“All it would cause is Lindsay and Michael searching the wrong state. I’m just waiting until Lindsay figures out that her assumption that Brian and Justin wouldn’t be together is wrong. Then the problems will start. How the two of them haven’t put it together that Brian left with Justin is beyond me.” She tells me.


“Why would Lindsay even know where Justin was?” I ask.


“She had a detective checking on his life, so she knows where Justin lives.” I tell her.


“Mel, you need to tell Brian and Justin.” I tell her.


“They know, I’m sure Brian will do what it takes so that Justin and Hannah never have to see them. I’m helping to make sure that Gus doesn’t end up living with Lindsay. It’s the reason I hid all the money in our accounts, that way Lindsay doesn’t have a way to stalk Justin or Brian.” She tells me.


“I’ve made it so Michael doesn’t have any way to help Lindsay pay for anything. If you need help, just ask.” I tell her.


“Why are you suddenly not helping Michael?” She asks me.


“I got my eyes opened to how little my son cares about anything, and how much Brian and the others do, even when they could have walked away from me for the things I expected out of them. I owe it to them not to help my son when he’s only out for what he wants.” I tell her.


“Deb, Brian doesn’t feel like anyone should owe him anything. That’s how you and Michael equate doing something for someone, they owe you.” Mel tells me.


“No one owes me anything, after the way I treated them.” I tell her.


“Hopefully you really believe that. Thanks for letting me know about Lindsay.” She tells me walking in the house.


I walked home glad that for once I didn’t try to correct someone telling me something I didn’t like to hear. Jen and I had started talking again, but agreed that our sons didn’t need to be in our conversations. I was teaching Jen how to knit, and she got me interested in books. I was finally getting a life that didn’t include my son. I was lost in thoughts of how nice it was to have something that was mine, that I didn’t see the guy I bumped into.


“Sorry, just too busy thinking.” I tell him, smiling.


“Bump into me anytime, Red.” He tells me.


I was trying to think of something to say when his radio went off and he threw his lunch in the garbage to get in his car. “Debbie Novotny, not Red.” I tell him.


“I kind of like Red, Carl Horvath, look me up at the police station sometime, Red.” He tells me, jumping in his car to go.






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