April 1921
Kurt
Two days after Easter
Once Blaine has finally gotten out of bed and gone to the bathroom, Kurt quickly dresses for their first day back at work since Easter. He opens the bedroom window so that he can water the window box, which is overflowing with lavender, purple, and magenta colored petunias; he's thankful that they weren't damaged by the recent rainstorms. He closes his eyes and lets the morning sun warm his face.
Kurt returns his attention to the bedroom, and smirks at the clothes tossed every which way on the floor. He deposits them in the laundry hamper and starts to make the bed. When he hears Blaine's clear tenor voice coming from the shower, he sits down to listen.
And where you see clouds upon the hills
You soon will see crowds of daffodils
So keep on looking for a blue bird
And list'ning for his song
Whenever April showers come along
Blaine singing in the shower is a sign that he's happy.
Kurt is happy, too.
It was serendipity that they had given everyone the Monday after Easter off. For the past two days, they have been reconnecting with each other - talking, dancing, and making love, over and over again. It was only when they couldn't stave off their hunger pangs any longer, that they reluctantly got dressed and went to the nearby greengrocer, butcher, and bakery for much needed food.
Blaine had been quite the sex god - commanding but giving. He seemed to know when Kurt wanted it rough and fast or gentle and slow. And how did he think of those new positions? Blaine certainly knew how to surprise him, especially with that flittery thing he did with his tongue around his hole. Kurt's cock stirs just thinking about it. If Kurt didn't know better, he would have thought that Blaine went on some sort of pilgrimage to visit a sex guru in India.
When the shower turns off, Kurt dashes to the bathroom and holds open a fluffy towel. Blaine steps out of the shower stall, and Kurt wraps his arms around him and rubs him dry, intermingled with kisses. Kurt kneels to pat down Blaine's legs, and smiles when he sees Blaine's stiffie.
"You don't need to do this every morning. I know you have other important things to do," Blaine reassures him.
"What could be more important than giving you a stiffie?" Kurt smirks.
Blaine's eyes darken. "Taking care of my stiffie."
Fifteen minutes later, they leave the bathroom, both sated from an early-morning orgasm. It's a good thing that they woke up extra early because they both need to be at Westerville's for a management meeting. There is a lot of work to be done before they open the restaurant in a few weeks.
When they enter Westerville's, Finn is giving the crew orders on what needs to be done during the day. Carole is in a nearby playpen, shaking a rattle.
Blaine rushes over to Carole and picks her up. "Good morning, sweetheart. Are you here today to help us work?"
Finn walks over to the pair. "Umm… I hope you don't mind, Blaine. Rach is busy with your granny today to prepare for some sort of Broadway audition. Now that the messy work is over, I thought Carole might enjoy spending the morning here. Her nanny will collect her at noon for her lunch and nap."
"Mind? Heavens no. I'm delighted to see Carole any chance I can. You don't think it will be too noisy for her here?"
Finn shrugs his shoulders. "It's just as noisy at home with Rachel singing."
Blaine chuckles. "I can believe that."
Kurt takes off his jacket and hangs it on a hook. He pats his cravat to make sure that it's covering all the bruises that Blaine had left on his neck. When Kurt turns around, he sees Finn and Blaine whispering to one another. "Anything you care to share?"
"Err… I was just telling Blaine that I have given the key to your townhouse to James. He's taking all of Blaine's stuff over today."
Blaine nods and smiles brightly. "That's it. James. My things."
Kurt is a little suspicious of how Blaine is looking nervously toward the kitchen but decides to let them have their little secret. If Finn doesn't blurt it out during the day, he has ways with his fingertips, lips, and tongue that will have Blaine revealing their secret later tonight.
They all sit down at a table, and Kurt takes out his schedules. It's time to get down to business. "Finn, how are the renovations coming along?"
"We are ahead of schedule. The main job left is the painting. We'll start with the kitchen, so it's ready when the equipment arrives."
Blaine pipes in, "The kitchen equipment will be delivered early next week. I'll confirm that with the supplier."
Finn continues, "Kurt, we'll do anything you need in the dining room. I'm not sure what things you want us to hang on the walls."
"I'll be sewing the curtains this week. When you're done painting, I'll need the crew to install them. The rest will be done closer to opening day. I'm still collecting things that we need."
"How about the city inspectors? When are they coming next?" Blaine asks.
Finn straightens up in his chair. "I met with them yesterday, and they signed off on all the renovations. They'll come one last time when the kitchen equipment is installed. They assured me that the final certificate is merely a formality."
Blaine pats Finn's back. "I'm so proud of you for meeting with them on your own. You're a really important member of the team."
Finn's chest swells with pride. "After watching you deal with them before, it was pretty easy. I pretended that they were only wearing underpants, and that made them seem less scary." Finn fidgets in his chair. "Except for one thing. They were asking me a lot of questions about you and Kurt."
"Like what?" Kurt probes.
"They looked you up in the city records and found out that you both own the restaurant and the townhouse on MacDougal Alley. They wondered why two business partners also live together. Why you aren't married. Things like that."
"What did you say?" Blaine asks.
"That we're all related. Kurt is my brother, and I'm married to Blaine's cousin. We're all from the same village in England, and Westerville men take care of their own."
Kurt pinches the bridge of his nose. "June Dolloway is right about one thing. We need a cover story. Finn, if anyone asks about Blaine and me again, tell them that Blaine has an old war injury that flares up from time to time. I'm his family's former servant who has dedicated his life to becoming Blaine's companion and tending to his health issues."
Blaine shakes his head. "I'm not comfortable having it about that you are somehow not my equal, but merely a servant who tends to my needs. Why can't we just live the way we choose to? We're not hurting anybody."
"Blaine, we've talked about this before. Heaven forbid if we're charged with sodomy. The business and our reputations would be in ruins." Kurt pulls Blaine's hand into his. "We know what we mean to each other, and those who matter know, as well. That's enough for me, my love."
Blaine places his hands on Kurt's cheeks and pulls him in for a lingering kiss.
"Guys! I'm here! I'm happy that you are back together, but can you save the mushy stuff for later?" Finn protests.
Carole throws her rattle out of the playpen and begins to squawk. Blaine immediately dashes to collect her and returns with Carole sitting on his knee, while Finn goes to the kitchen to warm a bottle. Blaine is soon feeding her, and Carole calms down.
Meanwhile, Kurt focuses on his schedule, making notes and changes based upon Finn's update. "I guess the next order of business is the staffing. We really need to find a head waiter quickly. I'll go to the newspaper's office today and submit an ad. Do you want to see it beforehand, Blaine?"
Blaine looks at his wristwatch and hollers, "Oh, it's almost ten o'clock… Time for morning tea."
Kurt sets down his pencil and frowns. "You don't need to shout, Blaine. We're all right here. I'll go make us a cuppa if you're so desperate for tea."
Before Kurt can stand up, the kitchen door swings open, and Elliott appears. He's dressed in a crisp white cotton shirt with black trousers and is wearing an apron. He is holding a large tray filled with a teapot, cups, and a platter filled with pastries from the nearby bakery.
Kurt jumps up. "Elliott! What on earth are you doing here?"
"Please sit down, sweetheart. Our new head waiter is serving us morning tea," Blaine informs Kurt.
Kurt gawks at Blaine. Did he hear him right? Elliott is their new head waiter?
Elliott's huge smile seems to confirm the news. He places the tray on the table and picks up the teapot. Blaine sets him straight by handing him the milk jug. Elliott pours the milk and then the tea, before handing each man a cup. He offers the platter of pastries around before sitting down.
"How did I do?" Elliott asks.
Blaine grins from ear to ear. "Not bad for a Yank's first attempt at serving tea. Kurt will teach you everything you'll need to know before Westerville's opens."
Kurt looks at Elliott and then Blaine, who are both smiling at him. He pinches his thigh, because this can't really be happening. He's far too stunned to speak.
Elliott looks at Kurt with concern. "Blaine said that you would be okay with this, but if you don't want me to be the head waiter, I'll understand. Maybe this was a bad idea."
Kurt finally finds his voice. "Let's just back up a moment to when Blaine announced that Elliott is our new head waiter. How? When? Why? I need all the details."
While holding Carole securely, Blaine tosses his head back and roars with the laughter. "It's not every day that I can render you speechless. I'll start at the beginning. When you first suggested that Elliott would be a perfect head waiter, I vetoed the idea. Elliott has no experience in the restaurant trade, and I'm ashamed to admit that I felt threatened by him."
Blaine sets the empty bottle down and adjusts Carole so that he can pat her back and burp her. "However, I promised you I would take the time to get to know Elliott. I was able to do that at the Mitchel Field Air Show."
Elliott adds, "Yes, we had a rather interesting chat while you were signing autographs. We talked about all manner of things. It turns out that Blaine and I have a lot in common."
When Blaine smells something foul coming from Carole's rompers, he hands her over to Finn. "She's daddy's little girl now."
Finn grabs the baby bag and heads to the restroom without complaint.
Blaine returns to the conversation. "I realized that my jealousy was completely unfounded and that it was blinding me to the fact that Elliott would actually make a great head waiter."
"And why is that?" Kurt asks.
"Because you trust him. We've talked about this a lot, how trust is so important for the key jobs. We need a head waiter that can manage the restaurant's dining room on our days off or when we are in Europe this summer. Elliott is smart and will pick up the waiter's duties quickly. Also, as you've said, he's a natural leader, and that's a skill that's very hard to teach."
Elliott pats Blaine's back. "Thanks, pal. That's really nice of you to say. I'm going to enjoy working with you."
Blaine gives Elliott a fist bump on his shoulder. "You're not so bad for a fly boy."
Kurt's eyes open wide in disbelief that Blaine and Elliott seem to actually like each other. He didn't think he could love Blaine more, but then Blaine goes and surprises him like this, and the love in his heart swells even bigger.
Kurt places his hand on Blaine's arm. "Are you honestly happy with this decision?"
"I wouldn't have offered the job to Elliott if I wasn't 100% convinced that he would be a great head waiter."
"Does this mean I have the job?" Elliott asks.
Kurt bites his lip and nods. "I'd love to work with you. I'll have to give you an intensive course on serving because what you just did needs a lot of work, but I'm sure you'll be first-rate before we open."
"I should warn you that Kurt's father trained him, and he is a stickler for exacting standards," Blaine smirks, using air quotes. "Beware of Kurt when he's wielding a measuring stick."
Kurt playfully slaps Blaine's arm. "You can joke all you want about my father, but he does Westerville Abbey proud." He turns to Elliott and adds, "Just be glad that there won't be any silver to polish."
"I'm happy to learn everything to your father's exacting standards. I can't wait to get started," Elliot replies with eagerness.
"I could use your help with the interviews for the other waiters."
"As of last Saturday, I'm no longer in the Air Service. I can do anything you want, including the interviews."
Finn returns to the dining area and sits down with Carole curled into his chest, fast asleep.
Blaine leans back in his chair with a smug smile. "I guess that's settled then. Is there any other business?"
Finn raises his hand. "Have you guys decided on an entertainment platform? Because I have time to build it this week."
Blaine smiles brightly. "Yes, please!"
Kurt looks up from his schedule. "We'll only have enough money to build a platform and install spotlights if we don't buy a soda fountain. It's your choice, Blaine."
Blaine sticks out his lower lip in a pout. "It's not fair. Why can't I have both?"
"Because we don't have enough budget, that's why," Kurt reminds him.
Finn coughs to get their attention. "Can I suggest that we build the platform now? We have the crew, and it would be a huge disruption to build it later when the restaurant is up and running. A soda fountain can be installed anytime, within a matter of hours."
Blaine lets out a deep sigh. "I suppose you're right. Let's build the entertainment platform now and I'll cancel the order for the soda fountain."
Finn nods. "It's really the best decision. I'll ask June Dolloway for the name of someone who can advise me on the best spotlights for the platform. She knows people who are good at this sort of thing."
Kurt replies, "Good idea, Finn. Now we just have to figure out what to do with the platform before we have live music."
"What's stopping you now?" Elliott asks.
"We'll need a piano, and there is definitely no money in our budget for that," Kurt explains.
Blaine rocks in his chair and strokes his chin. "We could always move the piano from the townhouse here."
"But that one is for your personal enjoyment," Kurt exclaims.
"I would definitely enjoy hearing music wafting from the dining room while I'm cooking. Besides, I could always play the piano when the restaurant is closed. When the profits roll in, I'll buy another piano for the townhouse."
"Are you sure?" Kurt asks. He knows how important it is for Blaine to play the piano to help him relax and work through things.
"Absolutely positive," Blaine confirms.
"If you're sure, then it seems like a sensible solution. I'll have to put finding a musician on the list of things to do," Kurt says, then scribbles it down in his notes.
Blaine mock whispers to Elliott, "Just wait until you see Kurt's plans and schedules. They are really impressive."
Elliott chortles, "I'm sure they are. Us fly boys are wired that way. Listen, I was planning to hit the night scene around here before the restaurant opens. I'll put the word out that we're looking for a piano player. Blaine, I assume that you'll be in charge of the hiring? Just let me know when to schedule the auditions."
"Sure thing. Perhaps next week, after the kitchen equipment has been installed. Let's say Wednesday afternoon."
A warm feeling fills Kurt's heart watching Blaine and Elliott get along. Blaine is such a remarkable man. He has managed to move past his jealous feelings. Seeing them work together so effortlessly is more than he has ever dreamed of.
One week later
Blaine and Kurt arrive early at Westerville's to prepare for the day. The entire place smells of fresh paint, and it's starting to look like a real restaurant. Today, the work crew will be installing booths and delivering all the tables from the closed-down Polish restaurant in Greenpoint. Meanwhile, Blaine will be experimenting with new recipes, and Kurt will develop the draft menu with prices.
Blaine takes Kurt's hand. "Come to the kitchen with me. I want to show you the new equipment."
"You're like a boy with new toys," Kurt jokes.
When they enter the kitchen, they discover Elliott asleep on the floor in a sleeping bag.
"Elliott! What are you doing here?" Kurt exclaims.
Elliott sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes. "I hope you don't mind that I crashed here last night. It's too far to commute from New Jersey each day, and I'm sort of waiting for my first paycheck before I find some digs."
Blaine taps his foot and tuts. "You should have told us. We can advance you some money, and you can stay at our place until you find a boarding house. We have a guest room."
Kurt doesn't think that having Elliott as a houseguest is a good idea. Blaine has only returned home ten days ago, and there are some noises that he doesn't want Elliott to hear. There is no way that he's going to curtail their bedtime activities, not when Blaine has promised to do that thing with his tongue again tonight.
Elliott comes to the rescue. "No, I couldn't impose on you like that, though I wouldn't mind the cash advance. I'll find a place to stay in the next day or so. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a shower."
Kurt asks, "Where on earth would you take a shower? There isn't one here."
Elliott stands up and grins. "There's an old bathroom on the top floor, and the shower still works. Come with me and I'll show you."
Kurt and Blaine really haven't investigated the top floor yet, too busy with the renovations down below. When they all walk out to the dining area, Finn has just arrived, and is taking off his jacket.
"Finn, do you know anything about the top floor?" Kurt asks.
Finn shakes his head. "I took a quick look at it on my first day to make sure that the floor was sturdy, but I haven't been upstairs since."
"Follow us. There seems to be a working bathroom and I want to make sure that it's safe to use."
They climb up two flights of stairs to the top floor, which is filled with small dusty rooms. Wallpaper is peeling from the walls but the wooden floors look like they are in reasonable shape. Elliott leads them to a large bathroom. There are three sinks along one wall, two urinals, two toilet stalls, and two shower stalls. The tiles look fine although the grouting is dark with mould. Elliott turns the tap on one of the sinks and water spews out. "See, everything is still working."
"I wonder what this floor was used for," Finn ponders.
Kurt leaves the bathroom and checks out the eight individual rooms. They are small but each has a window and a sink. He meets the others in the large open space. "This used to be a dormitory of sorts, maybe for the servants or workers."
"Do you have any plans for it?" Finn asks.
Blaine shakes his head. "We've been so focused on what is going on downstairs that we haven't given it a single thought. But I have an idea about what to do with the space."
Kurt tosses his hands up in the air. "Blaine, I know what you're thinking, but we can't. Not now."
Blaine perseveres, "Hear me out, Kurt. The basic structure is here for us to rent rooms to our staff. And as Finn pointed out with the entertainment platform, we won't want the noise of renovation once the restaurant is open. It seems to make sense to do it now."
"But where are we going to find the money, Blaine? We don't have any left over to renovate this floor. Besides, we need to focus all of our attention on making sure our restaurant is a success."
Blaine replies, "Let's not totally discount the idea. Finn, can you put together a plan and budget of what needs to be done?"
"Sure thing, Blaine. What I'll do is break it down into the noisy messy work that should be done before the restaurant opens and the quiet work like painting that can be done any time. The crew will be finished two weeks before the opening, and they should have time to do the work. They have experience with building houses, so this will be child's play for them."
"I'm still not convinced," Kurt mumbles.
"Think about it. When you started to work at Healy's Tavern, you needed to find someplace nearby to live. Elliott needs to find a place to live, and I bet there will be others that we interview that are in the same situation. We could charge a fair rent, which would eventually pay for the renovation. Besides, what else could we do with this floor?"
"I can tell you right now that I would definitely rent a room here. Nothing like rolling out of bed and walking down two flights of stairs for work" Elliot confirms.
Kurt mulls it over. "It is a good idea, but there aren't enough hours in the day for us to get it ready before the opening. In the meantime, the staff will find somewhere else to live."
Elliott perks up. "Let's say that during the interviews, you explain the plan of providing room and board at a reasonable rate, but it won't be available for a little while. That's a big perk on offer. I think that people would find something temporary or make do with where they are living now until it's ready. From your point of view, there are staff readily available on the premises in case someone calls in sick at the last moment or doesn't turn up. And you won't need to worry about security. Someone would always be here to accept the early morning food deliveries."
"See, Kurt. Establishing rooms for some of our staff could work to our advantage," Blaine adds.
"But where would we find the money? We can't go running to Rachel with our hands out again. She's already told us that we will need to make do with what she has lent us already. "
Blaine counters, "I agree, but I'm thinking that Uncle Hiram might be interested. He's already told me that he'll give us financial support if we need it."
"Can we talk about it once Finn comes up with the plan and a costing?"
Blaine takes Kurt's hand and squeezes it. "Of course we can. We shouldn't rush into any decision, but I think that this could work."
The men descend the stairs to start their busy days. Kurt reminds himself that sometimes you need to think big to reap the best rewards. He doesn't need to do everything himself. He's surrounded by people who are working hard to make Westerville's the very best. Maybe the idea would work.
Author's notes
Many thanks to my fantastic betas - Fearlessly, Lilyvandersteen, Dblmalfunction. I made the last-minute edits and performed the final proofreading by myself, so all mistakes are mine.
Grlnxtdr29 has a lot of in-progress stories that they are working on. I think my favorite is "Somewhere, Ohio". In this story, Kurt and Blaine are married with children, and they decide to move to Lima. Kurt is running for his father's senate seat, and Blaine has a job at McKinley High. It has a long list of characters and little story arcs. Please check it out.
I'm HKVoyage on Tumblr.
Next up: June Dolloway has lunch at the restaurant and a decision is made about the boarding house.