Saviours and Lovers – Chapter 3
-O-
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV
-O-
"That's it, Jaquesone!" Pierre trilled as he took snap after snap of the young TV presenter, "Smile for ze camera, now pout! Cross your arms in front of you and look zultry! Yeah, zat's it!"
Jackson was wearing a pair of tight, torn jeans, heavy work boots and a hard hat, but he was naked from the waist up. He felt slightly uncomfortable with all the posing and it didn't help that he knew Pierre had the hots for him! He was an attractive enough guy, with his thin face, brown eyes and long, floppy black hair, but Jackson was not interested. He had his Aaron at home; the love of his life; no other man would ever come close...and especially not the mincing, gushing specimen pointing his lens at him at that very moment!
Jackson could have done without the photo session, but he knew it was good for his profile and he always counted himself lucky to be popular with the public. The pictures were for a TV listings magazine and he was about to appear in a game show called 'Bluff or Double Bluff'. He had seen the caption that would accompany the pictures already: 'Buff Builder Double Bluffs'! Even now, he blushed at the thought of it! He knew that Aaron would have a field day with that one!
When the session was over, Pierre stood next to Jackson. He caught a whiff of Pierre's strong after-shave lotion in his nostrils as the photographer moved close to him, "Jaquesone, 'ave you thought any more about doing zose 'artistic' shots?"
Jackson knew that by 'artistic' Pierre meant 'nude' and he still did not want to do it, "I told you before, Pierre, I'm not interested!"
"Oh, but Jaquesone, you 'ave ze perfect body for it; zo fit, zo zexy!" Pierre put his hand on Jackson's ripped abs, but Jackson pulled away.
"I told you...NO!" Jackson gave Pierre a stern look, leaving the overheated photographer in no doubt about his feelings on the matter!
"OK!" Pierre looked crestfallen, but did not press it any further. He knew when he was beaten.
Jackson was relieved that the photo session was over as he headed home in his Jaguar. Just after he pulled up in front of the garage at his apartment block, he switched on his phone to see that he had one missed call. It was from Brett, so he called him back.
"Hi Brett! Is everything OK?"
"Yeah, great thanks! I just wanted to know if you and Aaron wanted a little break in Wales," Brett said.
"Wales?" Jackson said it almost as if he had never heard of the place, "What's brought this on?"
"It's Mason's idea," Brett sounded like he was 'passing the buck' on to his husband, "He said that he wants to spend a bit of time at his granddad's place and he wanted to know if you and Aaron would like to join us for a little holiday; if you can make it, that is."
"I thought Mason was already there...at his grandfather's funeral!"
"He is! But he called to say that he wants to stay on for a while and he wants me to join him when I'm finished my TV stint. He suggested the four of us could have a get together."
Jackson thought about it for a few moments, "I'll have to speak to Aaron, to see if he's free!"
"That's OK!" Brett replied, "I'll leave it with you! Let me know tomorrow, mate, yeah?"
"Yeah, OK buddy! See ya!"
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Mason was with his brother Bryn in the living room of their grandfather's old farmhouse. The room brought back so many memories for them both. The rest of the family were in the kitchen or out in the garden, having returned from the funeral, but Bryn had asked Mason for a quiet word, away from the others, before he had to return to London.
"Well?" Mason looked at his older brother, who had suddenly gone very quiet.
Bryn stared at the floor, he was about to say one of the most difficult things he had ever had to say to his brother, "You know I share a flat with Mitch," he began.
"You didn't pull me to one side just to tell me THAT, did you?" Mason raised his eyebrows.
Bryn looked at his younger sibling, "No, not JUST that!"
Mason continued to look at Bryn with an inquisitive expression, "Come on; spit it out, bro!"
"Look," Bryn continued, awkwardly, "I hope you're not going to think any less of me; that I've let you down in some way. I know you've always looked up to me and I wouldn't want that to change!"
"What have you done?" Mason was intrigued now!
"I slept with him!" Bryn suddenly blurted it out!
"What? Who?"
"Mitch...I slept with him!" Bryn searched Mason's eyes, wondering if he could comprehend.
"You mean...?" Mason stared, with his mouth open!
"Yeah, we got a bit drunk...no...that sounds like I'm making excuses! We did get a bit drunk, the first time, but we've been sharing a bed ever since..."
"Wow!" Mason could not find the words!
"Don't hate me!" Bryn looked close to tears.
"Hate you? Why should I hate you?"
"Because I'm your big brother! You've always thought I was straight and now you know I'm not who you thought I was!"
Mason digested Bryn's words, "But, you've had girlfriends! You're not like me!"
"I know!" Bryn replied, "But, things change, I guess! I'll understand if you think I've lied to you in the past...and I'll understand if you want to call me names, but honestly, I thought I was straight; I didn't know I would enjoy it with...you know!"
Mason suddenly felt an overwhelming rush of love for his brother, "You are a Muppet!" he chuckled, "I'm hardly in a position to call you names, am I? Listen, you've always been a 'way cool' big brother...and this changes nothing! So, you've found out you like sex with a guy...big deal! You're very brave to tell me this; and you're still my lovely big bro; my hero; and I love ya!"
Relief was etched all over Bryn's face, "You really mean that?"
"Of course I do! Come here!" Mason pulled Bryn into a hug. The brothers held each other for what seemed like hours, although it was actually only a couple of minutes.
As they drew apart, Bryn looked into Mason's green eyes again; eyes that were a mirror of his own, "You've always been a 'way cool' little brother too!"
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The house was up a fairly steep hill and the road was little more than a farm track. Brett steered his Range Rover around a corner with hedges on either side; and, suddenly, Mason's grandfather's house came into view.
"I'm glad you gave us a lift in your four by four!" Jackson piped up from the back seat, "I'd probably have done the suspension in; on my Jag!"
Mason, who was in the front passenger seat next to his husband, turned around to answer, "Yeah, Gramps would never spend the money on having the access road done up; his Land Rover was quite capable of getting him in and out."
They pulled up outside an old, stone-built farmhouse which looked as if it had seen better days! They all clambered out of the Range Rover with their luggage and Mason unlocked the front door.
Once inside, they all looked around the place; with Mason as their guide.
Aaron noticed a large, black stove in the kitchen, "What's that?" he asked.
"It's a range!" Brett replied.
"A range of what?" Aaron said, not even intending for it to be a joke!
The other three all laughed, but the humour was lost on Aaron, "What?" he said, in all innocence, his face a picture of incomprehension!
"It's called a range!" Jackson put him straight, "It's an oven!"
"You mean; you actually have to cook...on THAT?" Aaron was amazed.
Jackson drew Aaron into a hug, "You are so funny sometimes!" he said, still giggling.
"Get off!" Aaron knew that the joke was on him and he felt a little embarrassed.
"I'll show you how it works, if you like!" Brett said, chortling as he spoke.
"You're the cook; I'll leave it to you!" Aaron replied.
"Chef, please!" Brett corrected him.
Mason's mobile phone rang and he answered it, "OK, bro...I'll pick you up at the station!"
"Have Bryn and Mitch arrived?" asked Jackson.
"Yeah," Mason answered, "We'd better go and pick them up!" he looked at his husband, "You coming, babe?"
"Yeah!" Brett said.
Mason addressed Aaron and Jackson, "Make yourselves at home, guys, we won't be long!"
Jackson looked at Aaron, "Take your time! I'll be a while explaining how a range works!" he chuckled.
"Smart-arse!" was Aaron's response, as Brett and Mason disappeared out of the door, still laughing.
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Later on, Aaron, Jackson, Brett, Mason, Bryn and Mitch were all sitting in the living room at the farmhouse. It was a chilly evening and they had the fire lit; the flames were illuminating their faces with a flickering glow.
"We'd better divi-up the bedrooms!" Mason said, "There's two doubles and one with bunk beds."
"Perhaps we should draw lots!" Jackson suggested.
"I tell you what," Bryn chipped in, "You two 'marrieds' can have the double beds and me and Mitch can use the bunks...it's only fair!"
"That's very diplomatic!" Mason smiled at his older brother, "Married couples get the double beds! I think the unmarried ones should have separate rooms!" he laughed.
"We've only got three bedrooms!" Bryn laughed along with his brother, "It's not like the old days bro! We haven't got the old caravan anymore as an 'overflow'!"
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you two to bunk down together then!" Mason said, sarcastically, looking at Bryn and Mitch.
"Shouldn't that be 'bunk up'?" Aaron chortled; he really was making a joke this time.
All six lads laughed together and it looked like they were in for a very entertaining few days!
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The next day, in Leeds, Sylvia was driving and Hazel was in the passenger seat, navigating; or at least, that was the theory!
"It should be about three streets down!" Hazel said, as Sylvia negotiated the traffic in the city centre.
"I don't know why they had to relocate the magazine's headquarters!" Sylvia was becoming agitated as she thought that she might be late for her appointment, "I knew the way to the old place; blindfold!"
"Look, next left!" Hazel almost shouted in Sylvia's ear!
After they had parked up in a depressing multi-storey car park, the two women walked towards the address that Sylvia had been given, chatting as they went.
"I shouldn't be long at this meeting," Sylvia said, "Then we can meet up at that cafe afterwards and maybe have a spot of lunch."
"That will be nice," Hazel replied, "As long as I've got some money left after I've been shopping!"
Sylvia laughed as they approached the small, red brick block of offices, a portly, middle-aged man came rushing out of the front doors and nearly collided with them.
"Oi! Watch where you're going!" Hazel said, sternly.
"Sorry!" the man apologised.
"Fred?" Sylvia had recognised the man.
"Hi Sylvia!" Fred hugged her, "Long time; no see!"
"What are you doing here?" Sylvia enquired as Hazel looked on, a little bemused.
Sylvia saw the look on Hazel's face, "Sorry, you haven't met, have you? This is Fred; George's business partner in their printing firm. Fred, this is my friend Hazel."
Fred shook Hazel's hand, "Nice to meet you Hazel...sorry I nearly knocked you flying!"
"No problem, I'm still in one piece!" Hazel chuckled.
Fred turned back to Sylvia, "We've got the contract to print the magazine, plus some letterheads and business cards. I've just come down for a meeting to finalise a few things."
"Is George with you?" Sylvia asked.
"No! In fact, I haven't seen him for days!" Fred grimaced, "Between you and me, I think this new girlfriend of his is taking him to the cleaners! He's always buying her expensive gifts...talk about no fool like an old fool!"
"Oh, a gold-digger is she?" Hazel interjected.
"Yeah...and a lot younger than him! I think she's turned his head!" Fred added.