Callie arrived at the apartment Frank had rented for the two of them a little after seven that night.
"Hi, Baby," Frank greeted her at the door with a kiss. "I'm glad you called before you left," he continued. "I was starting to get worried."
"Looks like I'm going to be late a lot," she told him, leading the way to the sofa. "Joe has to go on location for a while and he's going to alternate taking his two other assistants and me."
"You can tell me about it after dinner," Frank said. "It's ready. I'll bring it in here," he added, seeing how tired she looked.
Frank fixed two plates and poured two glasses of cola then set the items on a tray and carried them to the coffee table. He was anxious to find out about his brother but he doubted Callie had learned much in one day. Soon, however, he discovered how wrong he was.
"So you think he would be willing to listen to us if we could get him when no on else was around?" asked Frank hopefully, his brown eyes lighting up like a four-year-old child's on Christmas morning.
"Probably," Callie confirmed, her forehead wrinkling a bit without Frank noticing.
"But if he does still care about us then why did he arrange those restraining orders?" Frank wondered aloud.
"I don't think he did," Callie replied slowly.
"Then who did?" asked Frank. "And why?"
"I think it was Rick Tyrell," Callie answered.
"Makes sense," Frank accepted her suggestion. "Kind of anyway. I was at Joe's place of employment creating a scene but he could have just banned me from the premises."
"Which he did," Callie reminded him. "But there's more to it than that," she warned him. Frank narrowed his eyes on Callie, noticing for the first time how nervous she seemed. "Joe's living with him," Callie dropped the bombshell.
"He's...what?" gasped Frank, his eyes going wide. "How did that happen?"
"Calm down," Callie ordered him as he paced quickly across the floor in front of her.
"I am calm," snapped Frank.
"You won't be," she retorted gently. "Frank, Rick is in love with Joe and Joe said he thinks he returns Rick's feelings."
Callie sat up and listened. There it was again. She slid into her slippers, pulled on her robe from the chair by her bed and put it on as she moved across the floor to the bedroom door that stood partially open. She put her hand on the knob and pulled it toward her, letting the light from the living room bathe her as she blinked at its brightness.
Again she heard the sound that had awoken her and she walked into the living room and stood tot he right of the sofa, her brown eyes sorrowful when she spied Frank sitting on the floor by the coffee table with a picture of Joe in his hands. She watched as Frank sniffed yet again and used the back of his hand to wipe his eyes.
Callie sat down on the couch and put her hands on Frank's head, pulling him close as he buried his head in her lap and wept silent tears. Almost half an hour later he sat up and wiped his eyes again. "Its all my fault," croaked Frank.
"Don't..." Callie started but Frank shook his head and continued.
"It is," he insisted. "I said I wished I were an only child. I got everyone to ignore him. I changed the locks." He looked up at Callie. "Everything that's happened to him since he left is my fault because I drove him away."
"Okay," agreed Callie. "It's your fault he has a job he really enjoys. It's your fault he's healthy. It's your fault..."
"It's my fault he had to live on the streets," snarled Frank, refusing to be absolved of blame. "It's my fault he's living with some pervert. It's my fault that perv is trying to turn Joe into one!"
"Stop it!" snapped Callie. "Is Phil a pervert?" she demanded.
"No, of course not," Frank denied.
"But he's gay," she reminded him.
"That doesn't make him a pervert," objected Frank in defense of his best friend.
"And it doesn't make Rick Tyrell one either," Callie pointed out.
"It does when he's made Joe a homo!"
"From what Joe told me, he isn't sure if he is or not," Callie said. "He said he thinks he loves Rick. He said he lived with Rick with no strings attached. You know Joe. He's totally against sex without marriage."
"That's right!" said Frank, brightening. "I can still save him. Callie, you're brilliant!" he said, jumping up and kissing her. "I've got to call Dad."
Callie sighed as Frank raced to his room to place the call. She would have to tell Frank what she thought. She had to let him know that if he tried to get Joe away from Rick at the present then Joe would never forgive him.
"Hi, Baby," Frank greeted her at the door with a kiss. "I'm glad you called before you left," he continued. "I was starting to get worried."
"Looks like I'm going to be late a lot," she told him, leading the way to the sofa. "Joe has to go on location for a while and he's going to alternate taking his two other assistants and me."
"You can tell me about it after dinner," Frank said. "It's ready. I'll bring it in here," he added, seeing how tired she looked.
Frank fixed two plates and poured two glasses of cola then set the items on a tray and carried them to the coffee table. He was anxious to find out about his brother but he doubted Callie had learned much in one day. Soon, however, he discovered how wrong he was.
"So you think he would be willing to listen to us if we could get him when no on else was around?" asked Frank hopefully, his brown eyes lighting up like a four-year-old child's on Christmas morning.
"Probably," Callie confirmed, her forehead wrinkling a bit without Frank noticing.
"But if he does still care about us then why did he arrange those restraining orders?" Frank wondered aloud.
"I don't think he did," Callie replied slowly.
"Then who did?" asked Frank. "And why?"
"I think it was Rick Tyrell," Callie answered.
"Makes sense," Frank accepted her suggestion. "Kind of anyway. I was at Joe's place of employment creating a scene but he could have just banned me from the premises."
"Which he did," Callie reminded him. "But there's more to it than that," she warned him. Frank narrowed his eyes on Callie, noticing for the first time how nervous she seemed. "Joe's living with him," Callie dropped the bombshell.
"He's...what?" gasped Frank, his eyes going wide. "How did that happen?"
"Calm down," Callie ordered him as he paced quickly across the floor in front of her.
"I am calm," snapped Frank.
"You won't be," she retorted gently. "Frank, Rick is in love with Joe and Joe said he thinks he returns Rick's feelings."
Callie sat up and listened. There it was again. She slid into her slippers, pulled on her robe from the chair by her bed and put it on as she moved across the floor to the bedroom door that stood partially open. She put her hand on the knob and pulled it toward her, letting the light from the living room bathe her as she blinked at its brightness.
Again she heard the sound that had awoken her and she walked into the living room and stood tot he right of the sofa, her brown eyes sorrowful when she spied Frank sitting on the floor by the coffee table with a picture of Joe in his hands. She watched as Frank sniffed yet again and used the back of his hand to wipe his eyes.
Callie sat down on the couch and put her hands on Frank's head, pulling him close as he buried his head in her lap and wept silent tears. Almost half an hour later he sat up and wiped his eyes again. "Its all my fault," croaked Frank.
"Don't..." Callie started but Frank shook his head and continued.
"It is," he insisted. "I said I wished I were an only child. I got everyone to ignore him. I changed the locks." He looked up at Callie. "Everything that's happened to him since he left is my fault because I drove him away."
"Okay," agreed Callie. "It's your fault he has a job he really enjoys. It's your fault he's healthy. It's your fault..."
"It's my fault he had to live on the streets," snarled Frank, refusing to be absolved of blame. "It's my fault he's living with some pervert. It's my fault that perv is trying to turn Joe into one!"
"Stop it!" snapped Callie. "Is Phil a pervert?" she demanded.
"No, of course not," Frank denied.
"But he's gay," she reminded him.
"That doesn't make him a pervert," objected Frank in defense of his best friend.
"And it doesn't make Rick Tyrell one either," Callie pointed out.
"It does when he's made Joe a homo!"
"From what Joe told me, he isn't sure if he is or not," Callie said. "He said he thinks he loves Rick. He said he lived with Rick with no strings attached. You know Joe. He's totally against sex without marriage."
"That's right!" said Frank, brightening. "I can still save him. Callie, you're brilliant!" he said, jumping up and kissing her. "I've got to call Dad."
Callie sighed as Frank raced to his room to place the call. She would have to tell Frank what she thought. She had to let him know that if he tried to get Joe away from Rick at the present then Joe would never forgive him.