Chapter 26 – Family
Justin and Emmett walked down the darkening street, heading toward the Wild Rover.
"What did Eric's professor say?" asked Justin.
"He was struck speechless by my fabulous attire, of course," Emmett confided with a grin. "After he recovered, I got the story of Eric's life. Did you know that gorgeous young man came to the university at fifteen?"
"I thought I grew up fast."
"He grew up in a trailer park in the middle of nowhere. When he first got here, he lived with a family named Lewis, dated their daughter Daisy. They moved away. After that, he moved into the men's dorm for a couple of years, then some roommates and then finally with you and Ari."
"He started pretty young, but other than that it all sounds pretty normal." Justin thought out loud. "So why doesn't he want to graduate?"
"I asked the professor if they'd ever discussed what Eric would do after he graduates and he got really excited. They're planning to give him a non-teaching professorship under the dean of engineering. They're creating it just for him." Emmett started laughing, "As we were talking, the poor man realized that he'd never actually spoken to Eric about it. He's asking around to see if anybody else has."
"So Eric sees his most trusted friends and advisors pushing him to graduate, which pushes him out of his only home, but they really want him to stay and nobody noticed that they haven't told him about the job?" Justin asked incredulously. At Emmett's nod, Justin swore, "Idiots. Well, at least some problems are easy to fix. Is Dr Lankin telling him about the job offer?"
"He certainly is. He's out of town tomorrow, but he'll talk to him on Friday." Emmett grinned as a thought struck him. "Did you tell Eric about the deal with Brian?"
"Yeah, I thought I should warn him that Brian's going to want to kiss him the next time he sees him." Justin started laughing, "I don't think I could have confused him more. He told me he's not very experienced at relationships, but that Brian's and mine seemed a bit unorthodox to him."
"A bit unorthodox?" Emmett chortled. "That has to be the understatement of the millennium." He looked up at the entryway of a well-lit pub. "Here we are."
Justin opened the door to the Wild Rover, holding it for Emmett and immediately smiled, relaxing. The pub was one of the most welcoming places he'd ever been, although he knew the appeal wouldn't be universal. The large, open area had heavy wooden tables of different sizes scattered throughout the room, most filled with casually dressed families or groups. A mild scent of roast beef mingled with tobacco and deep-fried food. At one side, a game of darts was accompanied by insults, cheers and jeers from the surrounding tables. To the left of the bar, a small stage with an upright piano had a small group singing folk songs. The excellent music filled the room, but wasn't loud enough to kill the conversations.
"Welcome to the Rover. Well, now, I've not seen you two lads in here before, now have I?" a smiling voice with an Irish lilt was accompanied by a small red-haired woman.
"No, this is our first time. We've both just moved to New York," Justin answered.
"Well, then, we can only hope you'll like our company and we'll see you often in the future. I'm your hostess, Aileen Kinney-Stafford. Now, you've a few choices about where to sit. You can join the boys at the dart board, take the small table near the front or join Aiden at the bar. I wouldn't recommend taking the table, the Montgomery's are at the table next. She's a lovely woman but I'm afraid that the children aren't accustomed to being out in public yet." With those words, a fight broke out between the two children at the corner table which quickly escalated into small objects being thrown. "They don't come in all that often," Aileen continued with a sigh, "and I haven't the heart to turn her away. I think she needs the break more than most."
Justin and Emmett exchanged laughing glances before Justin responded, "The bar would be great."
As she led them to the bar, Aileen continued the light conversation, "You're in luck tonight, with young Nick at the piano there, the music is guaranteed excellent." As she sat them at the bar she called out, "Aiden, I've got a couple of new migrants to New York for you." Tossing them an easy smile as she handed them menus, Aileen moved toward the kitchen.
With those words, a tall, slim brunet came around the corner, face lighting in an easy smile. "Welcome. I'm Aiden Kinney. What can I get you?"
Neither Justin nor Emmett could respond. But for very subtle differences, green eyes instead of hazel, casual, inexpensive clothes instead of designer, Brian Kinney stood before them. The immediate impression was softer, slightly blurred - more sensual than overtly sexual.
Aiden began to look a bit puzzled as the two men continued to stare. "Cat got your tongue, lads?"
The question, with its Irish lilt, jarred Justin out of his shock, "I'll have a beer and Emmett would like a cosmo."
"I haven't had a request for…" Aiden started.
"Aiden Kinney!" Aileen yelled as she rounded the corner from the kitchen. The sound in the pub immediately dropped as the musicians lowered their volume to hear. "You've given both Mitchell and Robert the night off? We're packed! I can't manage this many tables and Brenda needs to go home to her daughter. What were you thinking?"
Aiden's slightly panicked look held a hint of apology. "I was thinking that the boys are in love and Mitchell wanted to introduce Robert to his grandmother at her birthday party. I was also thinking that Josie could come in, but I called and she's ill. And I was thinking it's Wednesday night, and we're never this busy on a Wednesday."
"But we are tonight." Aileen's eyes were smoldering as she glared at her brother. "I'm the one who gets to handle all the tables, while you lord it back here."
One of the men at the dartboard yelled over. "We'll serve ourselves, Aileen. Just leave it at the bar and wave at us." The young man gave Aiden a suggestive look, "Besides, Aiden and I haven't seen each other in a while. It'll give us a chance to visit."
Justin watched the exchange, rapidly assessing. "I can help," he offered softly. "I know how to wait tables."
"Looking for a job, lad?" Aileen asked with interest.
"No, but I don't mind helping out."
She looked at Justin curiously, "You're brand new here. Why would you want to do that?"
Justin exchanged a quick glance with Emmett, who nodded in agreement. "You're family. Why wouldn't I offer?"
"Family?" Aileen said with a laugh. "How do you figure that? You don't look at all Irish."
"No, but my partner, Brian Kinney does." Justin nodded in Aiden's direction while reaching for his wallet. "He and Aiden could be twins." Justin pulled out a picture of Brian hugging him and laid it on the bar.
"The long lost cousins," said Aileen softly before raising her voice, "Hugh, get out here." A moment later, a very tall, very thin, brown-haired man with an easy smile came through the kitchen door.
"What's up?" Hugh's deep, gravelly voice with a pure New York accent was a remarkable contrast to Aileen's Irish lilt.
"Family," Aileen said with a smile. "My father looked for his cousin Jack Kinney when he first came to America. Aiden and I were twelve. I think we just found him, thanks to this young man," Aileen gave Justin a quick smile. "Justin, this is my husband Hugh Stafford."
A voice came from the far corner of the restaurant, "Aileen, can I get my order?"
Aileen looked up, startled, before calling back. "Just give me a moment, Dennis. There's momentous things happening here."
Justin laughed, "It isn't going to get less busy if no one gets served. Why don't you hand me one of those aprons and we can talk after it slows down?"
Aileen smiled in return, handed an apron to Justin and turned to Hugh, "Let Justin know our specials. I'll get started serving." She glanced back at Justin thoughtfully, reaching a decision. "Welcome to the family. You'll find I place great store on family." With that, she gave him a hug, and walked away to take orders.
"I hope you're planning on Sunday dinner," Aiden drawled. "I've been trying to get out of it for years, and I haven't succeeded yet."
Justin smiled back, "It sounds nice. I'll probably be in Pittsburgh this weekend, but maybe next week." Justin left Emmett staring appraisingly at Aiden as he followed Hugh into the kitchen.
"What?" Aiden demanded, obviously unnerved by Emmett's unblinking stare.
Emmett came to himself with a light shake of his head. "The resemblance is uncanny. You and Brian look as alike as two ticks on a hound-dog. The only thing that's different is the attitude." At the exasperated look Aiden sent him, Emmett laughed, "and the attitude isn't all that different. Are you married?" Emmett asked as Aiden moved to get a drink for Aileen's order.
Coming up behind Emmett, Aileen answered the question for her brother, "What, a tomcat Kinney settling down before forty? It can't happen."
"Tomcat?" Emmett asked curiously.
"Aye, the Kinney men are a sorry lot. Born randy and never grow out of it, at least that's what happens to the tall, skinny ones. Himself there," with a nod of the head in her brother's direction, "he'll have at anyone, male or female."
"Why halve the possibilities?" Aiden asked before looking at his sister indignantly, "I'll have you know I've been in mature relationships. They just didn't last very long." The last was said with a wink to Emmett.
"So, tomcat Kinney's never settle down?" Emmett wondered.
"No, they settle down all right, just never before thirty and almost never before forty." Aileen flashed a smile at her brother, "You know we all love you, Aiden, but you've got to admit, you have a powerful itch that needs scratching. And it would take someone pretty remarkable to get you to settle down."
Emmett looked down at the photo of Brian and Justin and started laughing. At the puzzled looks from Aiden and Aileen he simply said, "Brian is definitely a tomcat Kinney. He probably defines the term." Glancing over at Justin as he started clearing a table expertly, Emmett grinned proudly. "Brian met Justin when he was twenty-nine. Justin was seventeen and he wanted Brian. That was six years ago."
"And he got him?" Aileen asked disbelievingly.
"Not easily. It's been Clash of the Titans meets Gone with the Wind around them since they met. Drama queens, both of them." Emmett gave a winsome smile, "Even more than me and that's saying a lot."
"Sounds like it's been interesting," Aileen commented, wanting to hear more.
"Interesting! Sweetie, you don't the half of it." Emmett leaned in and waved his hands, "If you'd asked me six years ago, I would have bet a million dollars that Brian Kinney would never settle down. And look at him now, moving to New York for love." Emmett gave a satisfied sigh as he concluded.
"So you're telling me that's a fairly remarkable young man over there," Aiden asked with a nod in Justin's direction.
"Do not underestimate Justin Taylor," Emmett advised.