Chapter 20
Kurt stepped off the plane feeling the need for a hot bath and a warm bed. He had decided to go to Milan earlier than planned since Blaine had returned to Ohio and was soon headed for his four-day Los Angeles conference. Kurt had been flying all day, timing his arrival in Milan so he could go right to his rented apartment and rest before starting work the next day. His phone was already chirping with texts and messages from both New York and Milan, some asking for his opinion for direction, others providing instructions for his time on the Milan project. The most important text was from Blaine.
"Loving you across the ocean. It's not even wide enough to keep my love from reaching you. xoxoxo"
He tapped out a quick response.
"Just landed. Going to soak in hot bubble bath. Would be even hotter if you were in it! ;)"
There was no response, but Kurt wasn't surprised. He had learned quickly that Blaine was often called in to the hospital after hours and willingly spent the extra time there. He was devoted to his patients and this is what made him such a good doctor. He really cared about each person and their family, he took that time to know and understand his patients, and he made the extra effort to visit those in the hospital to make sure they were comfortable. Kurt smiled to himself as he remembered that he was one of Dr. Anderson's patients once, and it was the doctor's professional and deeply caring manner that had first drawn Kurt to the dedicated healer. Kurt had no doubt that Blaine's other patients received the same care and attention as was given him, and he loved his fiancé all the more for it.
Kurt's British junior assistant from the Italian design office was waiting in the baggage claim area and Kurt spied the young lady easily. Her signature purple braided waist-length hair, combined with her colorful choices in mixing traditional and trendy clothing pieces made her stand out among the conservative, professional passengers now surrounding the baggage carousel.
"Lisbeth!" Kurt called. "Over here!"
"Kuuuuurt!" Lisbeth shouted, moving gracefully in her yellow stiletto heels. He welcomed her hug and she hugged him tightly. "It's so good to have you back!"
"It's good to be back. I love it here." Then he asked, "Is the apartment ready?"
"Of course. Michael made all the arrangements. He said you would want to go there straight away."
"Michael's a doll. As usual. He'll be joining us later in the week, you know."
"No!" Lisbeth exclaimed, clapping her hands. "I can't wait to see him again."
"He should be here on Wednesday. Oh, oh, I see my bags. Let's grab them and get out of here."
"Yes, sir!" Lisbath saluted and called for a porter to get Kurt's six bags. "Jeez, Kurt, how long are you staying?!"
"You brought the van, right? Michael was supposed to tell you…"
"Yes, Kurt, he told me," she stopped him before he was could even finish. They had worked together since the time Kurt had lived in Paris and she knew what we wanted, sometimes before even he knew.
The porter loaded Kurt's bags into the back of the minivan under the designer's watchful eye. Kurt tipped the man and proceeded to climb into the passenger seat, waiting for Lisbeth to buckle her seatbelt before turning to ask her, "Do you have time to stop at Bella Maria's? I'd love a glass of wine to relax before I go to the apartment."
"Sure, Kurt. I have time for one glass. But, my boss is a slave driver and I need to be in the office early," she snickered.
Kurt laughed with her. "Onward, my dear."
One glass of wine stretched into two. Kurt felt the exhaustion from the trip fade as he listened to Lisbeth's latest dating escapades.
"You just wouldn't believe how badly he sang, Kurt," she was rambling while he was half-listening. "He really thought he could sing and serenaded me while walking me home in the middle of the night. It was so embarrassing!"
Kurt laughed with her, but was eyeing his phone, looking for any message from Blaine. Still nothing.
While sitting there, one of male models they used frequently in Milan entered the small café. He was just famous enough to cause a buzz among the café patrons, earning obvious visual examination of his fine form. Kurt was well acquainted with Raphael and had always enjoyed his company.
"Ah, Kurt. Lisabeth," the model greeted them. "What are you doing here, Kurt?" he asked with a thick Italian accent.
Kurt rose to greet Raphael in the European tradition of kissing each cheek. FLASH! Paparazzi had following Raphael into the small restaurant and were delighted when they discovered Kurt Hummel was there as well. FLASH! FLASH!
"Go away!" Kurt ordered, not to be messed with just when he was enjoying his evening. The paparazzi had gotten some good shots, so they left at Kurt's request.
"Join us. Please." Kurt pulled out a chair for Raphael. Raphael sat and ordered a bottle of wine for the table and the three friends ended up closing the place. Lisbeth wanted to get home, but she had the van loaded with Kurt's suitcases so she urged him to leave with her. She had been pacing her wine consumption, but noted that Kurt drank more then he normally would. She could tell that he was thoroughly enjoying the company and became more and more relaxed as the evening progressed.
Raphael agreed that it was time for him to leave, too. Kurt insisted that they give him a ride so the three walked out together, arm-in-arm. FLASH! The men with cameras had waited outside, hoping to catch another candid shot of Kurt and Raphael. Their wait was worth it as they captured a moment where Kurt stumbled over a crack in the pavement and fell into Raphael, hand landing on Raphael's chest and Kurt looking up into the taller man's eyes to apologize. Little did any of them know that the still camera shot would be used later on to imply a different version of the event.
Lisbeth drove the short distance to Raphael's home, then drove to Kurt's. Unloading all of his bags proved to require some effort since Kurt was still tipsy from the amount of wine he drank. They finally got everything in and Lisbeth helped him unpack, knowing his aversion to wrinkles. She filled his dresser drawers while he hung his shirts and suits. She placed each pair of shoes and boots in the main closet while he ran his bath and arranged his toiletries and creams.
"I'm outta here, Kurt. I'll see you in the am."
"Bye, Lisbeth," he kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks for hanging with me this evening. It's just what I needed," and he kissed her other cheek."
Kurt closed and locked the door after watching Lisbeth get in the van and drive away. Making sure she was okay. Returning to the bath, checking to see that it was still hot, he disrobed and slowly entered the tub full of bubbles. "Mmmmmmmmm," he moaned as his muscles responded to the warmth. He found the neck pillow and positioned it to fully recline. Closing his eyes, he allowed the combined effects of the wine and warm water to erase the exhaustion from his weary body. He soon realized he was on the verge of falling asleep and forced himself to release the plug and allow the water to drain. Stepping out, he toweled himself dry and sat at the vanity to begin his moisturizing routine. Hours on the plane and his skin felt like it was screaming for attention so he was determined to take the extra time for a full routine before going to bed.
When he was ready, he slid between the fresh linens on the antique bed and adjusted the fluffy comforter so he was nestled snugly for the night. He fell asleep within minutes of his head laying on the pillow and missed the muted ringtone of his phone signifying that Blaine was calling. He had left his phone in his messenger bag and forgotten to move it to his nightstand where he would hear an incoming call.
XXX
Blaine realized Kurt wasn't going to answer after the fifth ring and rolled his eyes in exasperation. He had just come out of an hours-long surgery and hadn't been able to see his phone until he returned to his office after showering and changing. He saw that Kurt had texted as soon as he landed which was hours ago. Blaine did a quick calculation and figured that Kurt was asleep, so he waited for the beep to leave Kurt a wake-up message.
"Hello, my love. I think you're sleeping. Getting your beauty sleep, as you say. But I say that you're naturally beautiful. I missed your text but you surely know I was in surgery or I would've called earlier. I really don't like to go a whole day without talking to you, so call me when you get up. I miss you and love, love, love you, baby." Blaine clicked off. He settled at his desk to make some notes and update charts. He was soon nodding and morning found him still in his desk chair, head resting on his folded arms on his desk. This wasn't the first time Dr. Anderson has slept in his office, but sleeping at his desk left him tired and sore. He rubbed the back of his neck before rising to walk into his private bathroom. Brushing his teeth and washing his face made him feel better. He gelled his hair, making sure he was presentable because, at this point, he wasn't going home. He always kept some clean scrubs in his office, so he changed, found his ID and stethoscope and opened the door to his reception area. He smelled fresh coffee and was immediately thankful that his assistant was an early riser, often beating Blaine to the office.
With a cup of coffee, Blaine walked the short distance to the hospital ward where he would complete his rounds before seeing his scheduled patients. He knew he had a full day and was preoccupied with the thought of who he was seeing that day; he didn't know he had left his phone on his desk, hidden by an open case file.
He completed rounds in just under two hours. Stopping at the nurse's station in ICU, he reached in his pocket for his phone and panicked when he couldn't find it.
"Looking for something, Dr. Anderson?" one nurse asked.
"My phone," he replied. "I thought I had it with me. I must have left it somewhere."
He thought for a moment, retracing his steps, and he didn't remember seeing it that morning. "Must've left it in my office," he mumbled to himself.
On his way back, he saw Wes who motioned Blaine to follow him. Blaine walked with Wes, hearing his friend talk about his daughter, Corinne's, latest school art project. Blaine listened attentively, internally jealous of the proud parent. He wanted that. He wanted a family. A family with Kurt that they had talked about. Blaine accepted an invitation to dinner with Wes, Olivia and Corinne, explaining that he would be in L.A. until Thursday. "Olivia wants to hear all about the story-book romance," Wes was relaying. "She is caught up in the huge romantic gesture and now wants me to take her to Tiffany's. You set the standard pretty high, buddy!"
"I can't wait to see her. And Corinne. It's been a while. Tell Olivia I'll bring wine and a dessert."
"Make it brownies and Corrine will want to go home with you!" Wes laughed.
"I'd love to steal her from you."
"You know, you need a little girl. You'll be great with a daughter, Blaine. I can already see it."
"Yeah, me, too." Blaine sighed.
Wes heard his name called from down the hall, so he excused himself. Blaine checked the time and noted that he had just enough time to get back to his office and call Kurt before his appointments started. He quickly made his way back, entering from the back entrance. He heard some commotion in his assistant's area and poked his head out of the connected door to find out what was going on. He saw his assistant looking at a phone held by another one of his assistants and they were excitedly whispering over something they were looking at on the phone's screen.
Catching sight of Blaine, Annie, his main assistant shoved the phone away and peered at her boss, waiting.
"Annie, everything okay?"
"Yes, Dr. Anderson. I was just waiting for you to get back to start calling your patients back. Three are checked in and waiting, whenever you're ready to start."
"Give me five minutes, then call the first one back."
"Will do," Annie replied.
Blaine closed the door and Annie looked at her friend with wide eyes. "I wonder if he's seen these," she whispered to her friend.
"Surely not. He's too calm," her friend countered.
"Yeah, I don't think he's had time to see anything. I just hope there's an explanation."
XXX
Kurt slept in the next morning, taking his time to get ready but not before he dug out his phone and listened to the sweet message from Blaine. He rang him back, but it seems they were destined to play phone tag. Blaine's recorded message greeted him so he dashed off a breathless "Call me, you sexy thing. I miss you and love you bunches. Ciao!"
It was his Milan office of KH Designs so Kurt had to dress the part of a successful designer owner. Once he was close, he called Lisbeth to tell her that he had decided to walk to the office since it was only a few blocks away. She didn't answer so he left her a voicemail. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and he wanted to stop by his favorite bistro to get coffee. He arrived at this office 15 minutes later to find the staff huddled around Lisbeth, all talking at once.
"I hope you are all brainstorming new design concepts for the runway show," Kurt greeted them.
"Kurt!" Lisbeth immediately broke away from the group. "Can I speak with you? In private?"
"Sure, let's go to my office." And Kurt led the way.
Lisbeth closed the door behind her and waited for Kurt to hang his coat and messenger bag. She sat on the designer couch on one side of his office and he detoured to join her there instead of going to his desk.
"What's up, Lisbeth?" he queried. "Why did you need to talk to me?"
"Have you seen any news this morning?" Lisbeth posed the question with nervous glance at Kurt.
"No, why? Is there something you want me to read?"
"No, not read. There are some pictures…."
"Pictures of what? Why are you being so mysterious?" Kurt was getting impatient. He had already wasted part of the morning by sleeping late and he was anxious to get to work.
"Last night," Lisbeth started. "The paparazzi…"
"I know they took some pictures. What's going on?" Kurt crossed his arms, the diva coming out and his voice was rising. "Lisbeth, right now. Tell me."
"Kurt, there are pictures of you and Raphael. And two make it look like something it's not."
"Let me see."
Lisbeth went to Kurt's computer to pull up a well-known celebrity newsite and clicked on the Search field to type in Kurt Hummel.
"Oh, no!" Kurt gasped. He was staring a picture of Raphael kissing his check in the café the previous night, but the angle looked like the kiss landed on his mouth." Kurt's hand flew to his mouth. He saw other pictures of them laughing, drinking wine with Lisbeth effectively edited from the photos. The last photo was the shot of Kurt falling into Raphael after he had stumbled. The picture showed Kurt touching Raphael in what appeared to be an intimate moment with Kurt gazing up at Raphael.
Kurt sunk into his chair and just shook his head. "Oh, no," he repeated.
A few seconds later after the initial shock had passed, Kurt barked at Lisbeth. "Call the agency and get them to retract the pictures. Or at least print the truthful version of what happened. I've got to call Blaine before he sees this."
XXX
Blaine found his phone after patting his desk. He was ready to press Call to phone Kurt when his phone buzzed with an incoming call. Kurt. Blaine grinned as he answered with a smile in his voice.
"Hello, my world traveler. I love you!"
Kurt was quick to respond, "I love you, too. Blaine, I don't like it when we can't talk. I'm so far away and I miss you."
"I know, baby. We knew there would be days like this."
"I know, I know. Blaine, listen, I need to explain something to you."
"Okay, my love, I'm listening. Explain away." Blaine chuckled.
"Blaine. Please just listen to me and let me finish before you ask any questions."
"Okay, now you're worrying me. What's going on?"
"Well, when I got in yesterday, Lisabeth, my assistant – you remember me talking about her, right?" Kurt waited for Blaine's quiet "yes."
"I asked Lisbeth to stop at a café near my apartment so we can have a glass of wine before I went to bed. I was exhausted from the flight and just wanted to settle my nerves."
"I get it, baby. That sounds like a perfectly wonderful way to relax." Blaine agreed.
"While we were there, one of the male models we work with occasionally came in and we invited him to join us,"
"Yes….." Blaine was getting an idea of where this might be going once a male model was introduced to the story. The fact that the male was a model meant he was attractive and Blaine felt a pang of jealously.
"Blaine, I know you trust me. Nothing happened. But paparazzi had followed Raphael into the café and they recognized me, too, so some pictures were taken. Some of them are very misleading and I want to assure you NOTHNG HAPPENED." Kurt's voice raised as it was clear that he was incensed by the paparazzi's actions. "I'm trying to get the photos retracted, but they're already out there, Blaine. I am so sorry."
"Kurt, you know I love you. And I believe you. If you tell me that nothing happened, then that's all I need. Don't worry about this. I've come to understand that we'll be faced by things like this since you are famous here and in Europe. As long as we're honest and communicate, you and I will be fine."
"Oh, Blaine. You know how deep my love is for you. You know you can trust me. I'm not interested in any other man. Just you, " he let out a deep breath. "Just you, sweetheart."
"Let's put that to rest. What are your plans today? What will you be doing?"
"We've got to start planning the show here. I need to approve designs and see if I want to make any last minute changes. I'm already inspired just being back in Italy and I feel like I'll be sketching today. I've got some ideas I want to get down on paper. And Michael is coming this week so I need to get ready for him. And Lisbeth found some new boutiques with accessories she wants to show me, and.."
"Kurt," Blaine interjected with a laugh. "I love you and can tell you have a lot to do. Get to it, baby, and call me tonight. I'm off at 5 today. I didn't go home last night, so I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed."
"Blaine! This is why we need to get married soon," Kurt emphasized "need." "You just cannot sleep at the hospital. It's not good for you. If I was there, I would come get you and take you home where you would sleep." Kurt finished, "With me."
Blaine giggled. "I don't think I'd get much sleep with you. You're way too sexy for me to fall asleep without taking advantage of your beautiful body."
"Wow…" Kurt was speechless.
"Baby, I want to make love to you. Every night. In our own bed. I promise I'll come home every night when we're together. I promise I'll take care of you."
"You're amazing, Blaine. You are truly my prince charming."
"I love you, Kurt. Now, get to work. I want you back in the states in two weeks."
"I love you, too, Blaine. I'll call tonight."
They hung up as Blaine stared at the pictures he found while talking to Kurt. He slumped in his chair, ran his hands through his hair, and felt a sick feeling creep over him. Kurt was half a world away and Blaine couldn't reach out and hold him. That's what he needed right now. He trusted Kurt and he was confident that Kurt loved him. He knew Kurt was devoted to him. But he couldn't help but be influenced by the look the handsome man, Raphael, was giving his fiancé in many of the pictures. He recognized that look.