Debbie and Carl's House – One Hour Earlier
"Ma…"
"Come on. Just one more, Honey, or I'll just have to throw it out!" Debbie leaned over her son's plate at the round, Formica kitchen table, poised to slide the last pancake onto his plate, even though Michael had already eaten four of them already.
Michael rolled his eyes in barely-restrained irritation. "I'm stuffed, Maw!" His mother pursed her lips tightly together as if she had been severely insulted for several seconds until her son sighed in resignation, knowing this was a fight he couldn't win.
"All right, all right," he grumbled at last as his mother smiled and deftly tilted the platter to plop the still-warm pancake into her son's plate. She promptly placed the empty platter down on the table in an empty spot as she took a seat opposite her son, automatically pushing him the plastic bottle of imitation maple syrup over to his side of the table as he took a stab of butter out of the tub with his knife and began to slather it on top of the pancake.
"So business has been good lately at the shop?" Debbie asked. She was actually enjoying a little quality time with her son; Carl had already gone to the police station a few hours earlier, and she wasn't scheduled to come to work at the diner until around 11:00 for the lunch crowd.
She eyed her son with concern, wondering if he had lost some more weight. Ever since Ben had died a few years ago, unable with his weakened immune system to combat the pneumonia he had unfortunately contracted that winter, she had watched her son plunge into a severe depression. It had taken at least a year afterward, mainly with Brian's help, before her son had finally emerged from his grief and morphed into a semblance of his former self. Thank God he had had his comic book and collectible shop to occupy his time with; if he had not been kept busy keeping his livelihood afloat, and hadn't had his best friend's companionship and support to lift his spirits, Debbie hadn't been sure if the sensitive, caring son she had known previously would ever re-emerge; but he had, and for that she was thankful. She knew Michael had loved his husband deeply, and she knew his and Ben's son Hunter tried to bolster his spirits as much as could from his remote location in Florida, but it wasn't easy to do being so far away. Michael, though, had insisted Hunter had his own life and he didn't want him disrupting that; he was now married to a wonderful woman who was as passionate about helping others as he was (Hunter was now a full-fledged social worker specializing in helping teen runaways and his wife was a child psychologist), and they now had a baby on the way. Michael adamantly told him that he did not want him negatively affecting his own life just to help him cope with his own problems.
Debbie had to give Brian credit, then; he had been instrumental in eventually pulling her son back from the brink of emotion desolation. Actually, she always knew deep down there was a loving, sensitive side to her 'second son' – she had certainly seen it from time to time where Michael was concerned and it had definitely surfaced clearly when Justin had come into the picture – but once he and Justin had gone their separate ways, she had been afraid that the old Brian would come back with a roar – the one with the cavalier, outward, I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude; the one that seemingly only cared about himself and his own personal pleasures. It appeared, though, that between Justin's influence on him and subsequently having to take care of his new daughter on his own that Brian had matured for the better. From what she had gleaned from Michael and from the conversations she overheard between the gang at the diner, Brian only occasionally went out now to go clubbing, to Woody's, or to any of his other typical hangouts; it seems that his daughter took up a lot of his time and amazingly he seemed to be quite willing to sacrifice his own interests in deference to her. In essence, Brian had actually become a responsible parent, even though there was never any real doubt that he loved his daughter deeply, as much as he did Gus. He actually showed up at her sporting events for school, and was known to even – heaven forbid! – attend the occasional father-daughter dances there. Debbie still found it hard to believe how much Brian had changed, but in her opinion he had certainly become a better man for it.
It hadn't all been good that had resulted over the years, though, because she had also noticed some of the light in Brian's eyes go out the day that Justin and Kaylee had left. Oh, he maintained the stoic upper lip he always did – outwardly acting like it was no big deal, that their relationship was doomed to fail eventually anyway, but Debbie knew better. She could see it in Brian's face when he thought no one was looking and she could hear it sometimes in the soft sighs he breathed out when he thought no one could hear; fortunately, however, having to take proper care of Katie had managed to prevent him from falling back into his old destructive cycle of drugging, drinking, and fucking; she would still catch glimpses even now of the swaggering, moody and irritable side of Brian at the diner from time to time, but he never seemed spaced out on E or smashed out of his mind on Beam anymore. He didn't leer openly at every semi-attractive trick possibility that entered the diner like he used to do, and from what Michael had told her, he rarely even visited the backroom of Babylon anymore; that is, when he took the time to go there, which he now did infrequently and only when his daughter was visiting Justin's mother or having a sleepover with a friend. The way the 'new' Brian handled his pain and loneliness so differently now could only be attributable to his adorable daughter who both she and Brian absolutely doted upon. Of course, it was also ironic that the beautiful girl had that effect on her father because Katie was the spitting image in so many ways of her biological father – same button nose, same lips, same eye color, even the same blinding smile when she was delighted with something, and almost the same golden-colored hair, just a shade darker than Justin's, no doubt due to Daphne's influence. Debbie actually felt sorry for Brian sometimes, because despite hearing what he had done to Justin to drive him away, not only had he lost the only man he loved but he constantly had to live with the painful reminder of it every day when he looked at his daughter.
"Ma… Did you hear what I said?"
Debbie started as she realized she had been holding onto her coffee mug and staring off into deep space for several seconds; she looked over sheepishly at her son. "I'm sorry, Honey… I was just thinking about something. What did you say?"
Michael huffed out a small breath of aggravation as he stabbed a couple bites of the pancake with his fork and lifted it to his mouth. "I was saying that the workers should be able to start the expansion into the old corner food mart next week. Isn't that fantastic?" The small store, a staple of the Liberty Avenue area for several areas, had finally fallen victim to the poor economy and the ability of the big-box grocery chains to undercut its prices and had been forced to close about six months ago. The store owner's loss, however, had been Michael's gain, because he had been cramped in his rather small space for a couple of years now next door and had desperately been seeking more room. The ability to buy the adjoining property for a song had been a fortuitous happenstance – the owner wanting a fast closing on a sale – and he had jumped at the chance to buy it before it even officially went on the market. He had had to take out a small mortgage loan to afford the purchase, but he was confident that at the rate his business was going and the added sales he was hoping to generate from the expansion he would be able to keep up with the monthly payment easily.
"That's great, Honey!" Debbie exclaimed excitedly as she reached over and gave her son's shoulders a delighted squeeze. "I'm so fucking proud of you, Michael!" She studied the beaming smile on her son's face and was amazed with the transformation. He really had changed in the past year; gone was the constant sorrowful, hound dog look on his face since Ben had died; there had been some sort of transformation in Michael lately for the better. She couldn't quite put a handle on what had happened – whether it was the excitement over expanding his business or he was just simply coming normally out of his depression at last – but she was thankful for the dramatic improvement because she finally had her old son back. "You sound like my old Michael again," she observed aloud as she stared over at him. "I've missed him. What happened to change you? Is it because of the shop?"
Michael smiled back at her mysteriously. "Oh, that's part of it," he told her as he picked up another bite of the pancake. "Let's just say that things are looking up and I'm seeing my life in a new light now."
Debbie frowned. "What the fuck does that mean, Michael? Seeing your life in a new light? Sounds like Em when he thought he needed to go straight – you're not going to tell me the same thing's happened to YOU, are you? Have you 'seen the light'?"
Michael snorted and shook his head as he laughed. "No way, Maw… Please, it's nothing like that; you might even say it's just the opposite – I am completely and utterly gay as the day is long." He stood up as Debbie opened her mouth, prepared to ask another question; now she was really confused as well as curious.
"What does THAT mean?"
Her son shook his head in dismissal as he wiped his mouth with his maroon cloth napkin picturing a rooster on it before he hurriedly scooted back from his chair and placed it down on the table. Picking up his orange juice glass to take a last, quick gulp, he leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his mother's cheek. "I gotta go, Maw," he said as he rushed toward the door, leaving his mother's question unanswered. "I'll see you Sunday for dinner."
"Michael…" Debbie called to her son, but the screen door had already banged open and he was out the door. What the fuck? She shook her head as she, too, rose from the table and began to carry the dishes over to the sink just as her garish-colored, banana yellow wall phone rang nearby. Placing the two breakfast plates into the warm, soapy water she had already run earlier, she wiped her hands on her crocheted dish towel before walking over to pick up the phone. "Hello?"
"Grandma, it's Katie. I need to talk to you."
Debbie's face broke out into a delighted smile of surprise. "Katie! Sweetheart! How are you, Honey?" She was so glad that Brian had made her his daughter's 'unofficial' second grandmother; it filled her with such pride to be accorded that honor and she had instantly fallen in love with the adorable, beautiful miniature version of Sunshine when she had first laid eyes on her. Of course, she deeply missed both Justin and their other daughter, Kaylee, too. Not a day had gone by that she hadn't thought about them. At first, it had hurt her deeply when Justin had cut off all ties to her; she had thought of him as one of her sons and loved him just as much as if he were her own blood, as well as her other missing 'granddaughter,' and it had felt just like a part of her arm had been cut off when Justin and Kaylee had left town. Jennifer had eventually explained to her, though, that Justin thought it was best to make a clean break with his old life, except for keeping in touch with his mother, even though it pained him greatly to do so. He had, though, raised no objection to Jennifer keeping her apprised of how he and Kaylee were doing, and he had told his mother that he hoped one day he could be free to return to the Pitts to see everyone he loved and missed. Jennifer did her best to show Debbie through videos and photos how Justin and Kaylee were doing, and while it helped ease her pain somewhat, she still couldn't quite forget the young man whose smile would light up a room and whose sweetness and passion for life would energize everyone he came into contact with.
She thought back briefly to when Justin and Brian had first brought the girls into the diner to show her the day after they had been born; they had been so fucking proud and overjoyed by the birth of their two beautiful daughters and couldn't wait to show her. Each man had been tenderly holding one of them cradled in their arms, both wrapped up in identical pink knit blankets, only their shock of sun-kissed blond hair poking out from under their matching pink caps. Both Brian and Justin had had these wondrous looks on their faces as if they were still coming to terms with the fact that they were the proud, new fathers of two baby girls, but they also had these soft, loving looks on their faces as they each leaned down to kiss their new babies' foreheads and hold their faces against their own cheeks as they breathed in the fresh, sweet scent that only newborn babies seemed to have. It had been so touching, seeing how deeply affected they had been and how much in love they were as they looked into each other's eyes and smiled. How had all of that gone so horribly wrong?
She soon had discovered the reason why, though after the separation – Michael had eventually told her what had happened. She would never really understand how Brian could have risked everything and reverted back to his old habits – she knew how deeply he loved Justin and how happy he was to be by his side as they waited anxiously for news about the births of their twins, and he had been so wonderful as a new father to both girls, taking them for walks in their stroller and from what Michael had told her, even taking turns with Justin feeding, bathing and changing them. How could he have thrown that all away for just another nameless fuck? She would comprehend how he could do that – she only knew that that one, seemingly minor indiscretion had cost Brian something very dear to him – something he apparently would never get back. On the outside around others, Brian seemed the same as always – assertive, confident, and even a bit cocky when it came to business and to his impeccable looks; still dressed to the nines and at the top of his game when it came to advertising. But in his eyes, in the poet's windows of the soul, she could tell – he was a broken man now. She turned her attention back to her granddaughter as she heard her reassure her, "I'm fine, Grandma, but I need your help."
Debbie frowned as she suddenly remembered where she was and her blood ran cold with fear. "Honey, are you at camp right now? Where was it – yeah, somewhere up in the wilds of Michigan. Your grandma Jen told me you wouldn't have access to a phone unless there was an emergency. Are you all right? Were you not able to reach your father? What's going on?" The words came out in a torrent of concern.
"I'm fine, Grandma," the girl assured her again as Debbie crossed herself in relief. "It's just… I needed help and I wasn't sure where to turn."
"What is it? You can tell me. It must be pretty important if you're not supposed to be using a cell phone up there. How are you calling me, in fact, if you don't have access to a phone?"
She could hear a soft sigh from her granddaughter. "I… I sort of stashed my cell phone away in my suitcase before I left," she admitted before hastily explaining, "Just in case I needed it. And right now, I really need it. But first you have to promise me that you won't tell Dad what's going on."
"Well, I can't do that, young lady, until you give me some idea of exactly what we're talking about," Debbie responded emphatically. She didn't want to be a tattletale when it came to her granddaughter – the two of them had shared many a secret among themselves, just the two of them; after all, there were some things that were best left said among girls. She knew at Katie's age that telling her father about such things as being concerned over needing her first bra or being worried about one of her friends not liking her anymore was best kept between just the two of them. And truth be told, it made Debbie feel special to know that her granddaughter felt comfortable confiding in her, and she would never want to lose that sense of trust between the two of them. But on the other hand, there were some issues that arose from time to time that Brian, as her father, needed to know. Without knowing any details, then, it was hard to make that promise to Katie sight unseen.
"Katie, Honey, I want to help you," Debbie began softly. "But if you're in some kind of trouble…"
"No, Grandma, I'm not in trouble," the girl maintained as she sighed heavily. "Please, though, promise first that you won't tell Dad what I'm about to do; it's for his own good, I promise. You'll see."
Debbie bit her lip in thought over her granddaughter's intentional hedging; she trusted her granddaughter – she was a good kid; to his credit, Brian had raised a self-sufficient, independent, albeit sometimes headstrong daughter, much like he was. And she had proven to be responsible – she took care of their two horses by herself, for instance, faithfully performing her weekly grooming and feeding chores her father had given her; Debbie didn't have any reason to doubt her words. Was it a good idea, though, to make a promise on something she knew nothing about? Deciding she had to take a leap of faith, though, she finally responded, "Okay, Honey, I promise. But only if it won't hurt you or be dangerous in any way."
Katie breathed out a sigh of relief as she glanced over at her sister sitting next to her on the bunk bed. "I promise, Grandma, I promise," she vowed softly. "It's nothing like that."
"Okay, then," Debbie answered as she leaned her right shoulder up against the wall nearby and restlessly played with the cord of the phone; she cocked her ear when she thought she heard someone whispering to Katie over the phone. "Is someone there with you?" she asked sharply. "Katie? Your Grandma Jen told me cell phones were prohibited up there – if someone catches you using it…"
Katie sighed again, deciding to take the direct approach. She placed her hand firmly over the receiver portion of the phone as she held it out to her sister. "Here… Say something. It's Grandma Debbie."
"What? You mean the red-haired weirdo?" Kaylee shook her head nervously as she held out her hands in a defensive posture.
"Katie? You'll have to repeat what you said – I didn't hear you."
"Not YOU, Grandma," Katie told her as she uncovered the phone's lower portion and spoke up. "Hold on a minute." Debbie shook her head as she heard a rustling noise on the other end. What in the fuck?
Kaylee's eyes widened in dread when Katie looked over at her expectantly as she continued to hold the phone out to her, her hand wrapped around the lower end again so Debbie wouldn't overhear. "What do I say?" she asked her sister. "I don't even know her."
"Well, you're going to soon," her sister told her emphatically. "Just say hello."
"But…" What was her sister talking about – she was going to soon? She had just met Katie and now she was wanting her to talk to a grandmother she had never ever met?
Katie's eyes flashed impatiently; they had no time for this! In less than an hour they were due back at the activity center or someone would come looking for them and then they'd really be in trouble. "Just do it," she commanded as she shoved the tiny phone against her sister's chest, "We're running out of time!" She bobbed her head at her in encouragement and waved her free hand out in front of her as she hissed, "Go on – say something, ANYTHING for crying out loud!"
Kaylee took a deep breath as she slowly raised the phone to her ear. She cleared her throat and looked over at her sister who rolled her eyes in aggravation. "Hello?" The one word greeting came out raspy and tentative as she cleared her throat. This time her next word was a little louder and clearer. "Grandma?" She held her breath as she waited for the stranger on the other end to respond.
She didn't have long to wait as the woman's voice boomed loudly back at her. "Katherine Elizabeth Taylor-Kinney! What kind of game are you playing here? Now I want to know exactly what is going on up there or I'm going to call your father right now and tell him what you're doing!"
"No, Grandma, don't do that!" Kaylee pleaded, a little startled by the intensity in the woman's voice; she certainly had no problem hearing her loud and clear, and from the expression on her sister's face, neither did she. She was fortunately spared having to try to explain to a total stranger exactly who she was when her sister grabbed the phone out of her hand.
"Shit," Katie muttered in disgust. "Let me have that!" She quickly brought the phone up to her ear. "Grandma, that wasn't me just now," she tried to urgently explain, realizing at once how crazy that must sound, though.
"Excuse my French, young lady, but what in the fuck is going on there? You've got thirty seconds to give me a reasonable explanation before I hang up and call your father!"
"Grandma, listen to me…" Katie huffed in desperation; sometimes her grandmother was so quick to jump the gun and she was beginning to wonder if her plan – and getting Grandma Debbie involved with it – was a good idea or not. "Just give me a minute and I'll tell you… Okay?"
There was several seconds' pause where Katie wondered if her grandmother was still there before finally she heard her say, "You got one minute, Katie."
Katie placed her cell phone on speaker mode and held it slightly away from her face so Kaylee could hear the other side of the conversation clearly; her sister bit her lip anxiously as she simply said, "It's about Kaylee... My sister." Katie thought the word 'sister' still seemed a little odd rolling off her tongue as she said it aloud; even now, even with Kaylee sitting next to her and looking almost exactly like her, it was still hard to believe she even HAD a sister. She heard a gasp on the other end followed by an expletive, however, and knew without a doubt that there could be no question about whom this other girl was; her grandmother had just confirmed it.
Debbie's breath caught in her throat. Kaylee? "My God," she whispered back once she had regained her speaking voice. "Honey, you know about Kaylee?" Her hand gripped the phone's receiver so tightly her knuckles were white from the effort as she turned and walked over to a nearby kitchen chair for support. Pulling it out, she slumped into it as her granddaughter's words began to make more sense. "Are you trying to tell me that Kaylee is there at CAMP with you? THAT'S who I was talking to just now?"
Katie felt her sister place her hand on her upper leg as she leaned it to listen to what her grandmother was saying. She turned to give Kaylee a reassuring smile as she nodded, even though she knew her grandmother couldn't see them. "Yeah," she said. "That was Kaylee."
"Sweet Mother of…" Debbie muttered, her mouth agape at the knowledge she had just spoken to her other granddaughter she hadn't seen in over eight years. "How?" she managed to inquire. "How did this happen?"
"That's a good question," Katie replied curtly. "We just found out about each other this morning. Dad flew me up here and Daddy brought Kaylee here in their car. I have no idea how they both managed to come up with the same idea, though; somehow I don't think it was intentional. Neither one of our dads said anything about the other sister being here. This can't just be a big coincidence, though," she stated firmly. If both of their fathers had gone to great lengths to hide their existence from each other all this time, why would they wait until now for them to find out on their own? It just didn't make sense they would do that.
Debbie was in shock; how many times had she thought of just this moment when the two girls who had been separated at such a tender age were reunited again? She had prayed so hard for this day, so very hard. But every time she had, she had also envisioned both the girls AND their fathers together again as one big, happy family, kind of like when Brian and Justin had proudly brought them into the diner that first day. She had never envisioned it happening this way, though. She tended to agree with Katie; she couldn't imagine after all this time that Brian and Justin had set the girls up to meet; that just didn't make sense to her at all. Besides, Jennifer had told her how they were bound by their custody agreement not to divulge the other girls' existence until they were adults.
"No, I don't think it is, either," Debbie replied, shaking her head incredulously. "My God. I still can't believe it! Both of you together… Well, I know maybe I shouldn't say it, but I for one am glad you know about each other now; no sisters should be separated from each other, I don't care WHAT happened."
Katie turned to stare at her sister, who nodded; it was as if the two were reading each other's minds as Katie asked the question they both wanted to know so desperately. "What did happen, Grandma? Why were we never told about each other?"
Debbie closed her eyes and placed one manicured hand up to her mouth; damn it. She shouldn't have said that; she should have known that would be the automatic follow-up question. Now she really felt like she was in a quandary. She hated the two girls being separated as much as she hated the idea of her two boys being apart, because she knew deep down that both stubborn men still loved each other; a love as deep as Brian and Justin had shared couldn't have been rendered apart that easily. And she hated having to be evasive; she and Katie's relationship was built on brutal honesty between the two of them – her granddaughter was comfortable coming to her with subjects that little girls didn't always feel comfortable talking about with their fathers. But when all was said and done it wasn't her place, either, to disclose the reasons behind their breakup to their daughters – that was their fathers' job.
She took a deep breath before replying, "Katie, Honey, I wish I could tell you. I do know some of the reasons why, but it's not for me to say. You need to hear that from one of your fathers. I'm sorry, Sweetheart, I really am. You can ask me anything else and you know I'll give you the God's honest truth, but this is between you, your sister, and your very headstrong and bullheaded fathers."
Katie groaned in frustration and aggravation. "But why, Grandma? You've always been honest with me – at least I thought so. How could you hide this from me – from Kaylee?"
Debbie closed her eyes as she sat at the table, her elbows propping her up, the painful question hard to hear. She could understand why Katie was so upset; this was a huge secret to keep from her. She had hated having to do it, but she felt she had no choice. "Honey… It's complicated. I want to tell you and Kaylee everything, I really do. I hated having to keep that secret from you. But I made a promise to your Dad that I wouldn't tell, and there's a good reason why no one could." She sighed sorrowfully. "I know that's not a great explanation. But when your father talks to you I'm sure it will make more sense. You haven't talked to your father about this yet?"
"No," Katie told her, glancing up over the door at the clock; they were quickly running out of time and she hadn't even gotten to the real reason why she had called her grandmother. Of course, when she dialed her number she didn't realize how much it would all hurt – the fact that such a big secret had been kept from her and her sister all this time. She took a deep breath before she responded, her voice full of resolve, "But you can bet that I will be." She glanced over at Kaylee before continuing. "If you can't tell us the reason why we weren't told about each other, or why our fathers broke apart, the least you can do it try to help us all get back together then."
Debbie's eyes widened. "Get back together?"
"Yeah. Will you help us, Grandma?"
There was a pause on the other end. "I don't know, Honey… How do you think I can help? Your father never wants to talk about your other Dad; it's too painful for him, even now."
The two girls shared a mutual look as if they were again reading each other's minds before Katie asked the question she was almost afraid to ask, but they had to know. "Grandma – do you think Dad still loves my other Daddy?" Kaylee reached over to take Katie's free hand as the two intertwined their hands together tightly for support as they waited for Debbie to answer. She knew what her father had told her on the plane, but she had to make sure.
They heard the woman huff out a breath; both girls sighed with relief as they heard her say, "Yes, Honey. I know he does. I know your father and I know Justin, and I know he's never stopped loving him."
Kaylee smiled through the tears forming in her eyes as they heard what they desperately needed to know. Katie smiled back at her sister and nodded. "Well, Kaylee thinks Daddy never stopped loving him, either. So you have to help us fix everything."
Debbie grasped the front of her red, short-sleeved t-shirt inscribed with the words Proud as A Peacock PFLAG Mother nervously as she said, "Let's say I agree to help you 'fix everything.' What exactly do you have in mind?"
Katie took a deep breath and let it out in relief as she glanced over at her sister. "Okay, here's what I need for you to do." Kaylee beamed a smile at her in return as her sister began to explain their plan.
Same Time – Windsor Suites Hotel
Alex watched quietly from a rust-colored, overstuffed, antique Queen Anne chair as Justin stuck the tip of his tongue out in concentration , his hand slowly flying back and forth over his sketchpad; the hotel room was situated in a busy intersection of Windsor, overlooking a variety of small, unique artisan shops and a large park with massive shade trees, a circular cement walking trail and a huge bronze fountain with massive lions' heads spouting gushing water out of their open, sharp-toothed mouths that was located in the middle. Justin was sitting on a window seat in their suite overlooking the picturesque view, making a preliminary sketch for possible use later as an eventual painting. As Alex watched him draw, he found himself fascinated by how Justin could take practically anything he had seen and make a virtual masterpiece out of it no matter what it was. It was the other man's determination, passion, and drive that he found quite attractive in addition to Justin's obvious physical qualities when they had first met.
As if he could feel Alex's gaze on him, Justin stopped what he was doing and raised his head to peer over at the other man, who smiled at him softly. He started to return his smile before he shook his hand slightly all of a sudden, wincing as he realized he had overused it; it was beginning to throb now as he stretched his fingers apart and then closed them into a fist, trying to put some more circulation back into them as he attempted to ease the cramping spasms shooting down his fingers and into his wrist. "Fuck," he muttered as he balled his hand tightly together and cradled it with his other, unaffected one.
Alex gazed at him sympathetically from a few feet away, feeling helpless to know what would ease Justin's pain. His boyfriend had told him the basic details of why his hand acted up occasionally; he couldn't help feeling a stab of resentment that Justin's ex had been at least the indirect cause of his boyfriend's pain each time Justin suffered as a result of it. Of course, Kinney remained the white elephant in their relationship no matter what they discussed. Justin had been noticeably evasive about his long, apparently tumultuous union with his ex, but Alex knew enough to know that the man still seemed to have some sort of hold on him. It wasn't so much what Justin said – in fact, his boyfriend seemed very hesitant to discuss him at length, merely telling him his relationship with Kinney was in the past and that's where it needed to remain – but it was more the expression that Justin wore when he talked about him and in the change of the tone of his voice. When he mentioned Kinney, it was with a mixture of melancholy, regret, and something akin to tenderness. The inflection in his voice was softer and Justin's eyes took on this faraway look on the rare occasions when he divulged any information at all about him, and it simply filled Alex with a mixture of jealousy and curiosity as a result.
"Hand bothering you?" he said, tilting his head at Justin's right hand that he grasped in his left.
Well, duh, Justin couldn't help saying silently. Out loud, though, he merely nodded and answered, "Yeah, a little. Would you mind getting me some aspirin out of my toiletries bag?" Alex nodded as he rose and walked into the bathroom. Justin sighed as his mind involuntarily went back years ago to how another man had helped ease his pain when this sort of thing happened; how he longed right now to feel Brian's long-fingered, warm hands grasping his and gently massaging it until either the pain subsided after a few minutes or his attention was diverted to more pleasure matters. Invariably, once Brian had begun gently stroking his hand it led to stroking other things: his shoulders, his cheeks, his nipples, his forearms, his belly, and then eventually his much-neglected ass and cock as the two of them moved on to making love. Even on those rare occasions when his partner's attempts at easing the pain in his hand failed, Brian always succeeded in taking his mind off his pain in some other way. And who would have ever thought massaging a person's hand would be so fucking sexy? But it wasn't just the physical touching – that was certainly a part of it. It was also Brian's loving, tender voice of concern and the compassionate look on his face as he tried to alleviate his suffering that had made his heart skip a beat; the fact that his lover was trying to ease his pain was what made it so sexy to him and it was one of the things he had loved about Brian. As he waited for Alex to return with the aspirin and some water, he closed his eyes momentarily as the truth assailed him; who was he fooling? He still loved Brian, he supposed he always would. But they just couldn't be together; you could love someone deeply, but that still didn't mean you could trust them.
He sighed softly in resignation as he opened his eyes to see Alex returning. "Thanks," he replied softly as Alex held out a couple tablets and a stout, round glass of water toward him. He took the glass and quickly tilted his head back and swallowed a couple of gulps and the pills before he set the glass down on the ledge and Alex joined him on the window seat. He winced once more as another flare of pain shot through his hand. "Damn it," he whispered in disgust; he was so tired of this happening after all this time. He knew the therapists and doctors had cautioned him that due to the partial brain damage he had sustained he could expect this to happen on occasion for the rest of his life, but deep down he was still hoping that eventually it would disappear altogether. Apparently that was not going to be the case, though. For a brief second, he allowed himself a small degree of both self-pity for his predicament as well as loathing for the asshole prick who had caused it, but he quickly swallowed both down; neither emotion would do him any good and he wasn't about to allow Hobbs to rule his life – he wouldn't allow him that satisfaction and it was totally non-productive.
He turned his head as he felt Alex place his hand on his left shoulder and give it a brief squeeze. "It'll be okay," he told the architect, letting out a breath to try and calm himself. "Just give me a few minutes."
Alex bit his lip, unsure what to do to help Justin. At the time Justin had revealed to him the cause of his flare-ups, he had been aghast that something so heinous had been done to someone who was merely trying to enjoy an event that any typical high-school student would have engaged in, but while it was a horrible attack and he had been surprised to learn that Justin had been the victim of a baseball bat assault, he sadly wasn't totally shocked by it. He had certainly experienced his share of at least verbal attacks or ridicule due to his sexual orientation himself – both at work and while out on the town. But still, as he looked at his companion's face contorted in pain, he couldn't help feeling hatred for the punk who had inflicted this injury on him.
"Is there anything else I can do?" he asked Justin, who shook his head no. "Ice pack?"
Justin shook his head again. "No… It's getting a little better," he assured him. He swallowed hard and took another breath as he tried to take his mind off his pain as he asked instead, "What did you want to do today?"
Alex smiled; he had some definite ideas in mind, the most important event being later tonight when he and Justin had dinner together. "Well, I know you're intent on seeing the art museum; how about we go there first and then just do some sightseeing until dinner?"
Justin nodded; at least the pain in his hand was slowly subsiding now. He stood up, reaching over to grab his sketchbook. "Okay," he said, smiling slightly as he tried to sound more enthusiastic than he actually was. He couldn't quite figure out why he felt that way; Alex was a decent enough man – stable, successful, responsible, and good-looking. He was patient, reliable, and treated him well enough. So why did he continue to feel like something was missing in their relationship? Was it because he was continuing to compare him to someone he could never compete with? We he being unrealistic that anyone could ever take the place of his former partner? Was it even fair of him to expect that? As Alex walked over to grab a lightweight jacket from a nearby chair, Justin took the opportunity to study the other man. What exactly did he feel for him? And where exactly was their relationship going? He knew Alex well enough by now to know that eventually the other man would expect more from him, more of a commitment. Was he willing to do that? He reminded himself that it wasn't just his feelings that were relevant here, though; he had Kaylee to consider; in fact, she was the most important factor of all.
As his boyfriend turned to face him, Justin pushed all those philosophical thoughts aside; there was no rush to worry about it now. He smiled again at Alex before he followed him over to the door to leave.
Camp Pineland – Same Time
Katie glanced around the lakeshore, making sure none of the girls participating in the canoeing were there yet; she and Kaylee had broken up a few minutes ago with the intention of meeting up in the reception hall with their respective groups before their activity began. She had made up a quick excuse that she needed to go to the bathroom and that she would meet her sister for lunch later before she hurried around to the back of the restroom/shower stalls and dashed over to a nearby maintenance shed where she located what she needed.
Looking furtively around her, she tucked her precious equipment under her camp vest as she walked down to the water's edge where the canoes were lined up together, lying on their side waiting for use by the assigned campers. She bit her lip in thought as she quickly surveyed the area, knowing she was quickly running out of time and her absence would be noted soon. It has to be here somewhere…
As she looked over at the camp's wooden events board nearby, she smiled in triumph as she realized there was an 8 ½" by 11" white piece of paper with the names of each girl and the canoe they were assigned to tacked onto it. Walking quickly over to it, she scanned the list, locating the name she was looking for. Sandra McKenzie – Canoe No. 8.
"Thank you, Jamie," she murmured, referring to the maintenance man who often visited Britin to perform repair tasks for her and her father. She had become fascinated with several tools and pieces of equipment the man frequently brought with him, and after a lot of pestering by her, he had finally showed her how to use some of them, even letting her help out from time to time. He had even eventually allowed her to help repair one of the deteriorating stalls at Britin for one of their horses and she had actually become quite proficient at using the same type of cordless drill that she was currently holding hidden in her hand.
Taking one more glance around the lakeshore, she hurried over to Canoe No. 8 and proceeded to get to work.
Reception/Dining Hall – Early Lunch Period
"Katie! Over here!" Kaylee waved her hand back and forth enthusiastically as she spotted her sister arriving at the lunch hall and bounced up and down restlessly in her seat; she scooted over slightly on the wooden bench as her sister walked over with a hard, plastic, mint-colored lunch tray and sat down next to her near the wall. Her sister's face was aglow with barely contained excitement as she told her, "I am SO glad you're here – you are NOT going to believe what happened this morning down at the lake!"
Katie hid the smile that was threatening to appear on her face as she asked innocently, "What?"
"Remember my roommate, Sandra? The awful bully?"
Katie snorted. "How could I forget? I saw her in action earlier, remember?" She picked up a nearby, red plastic Ketchup bottle and squirted a large glob of ketchup onto an empty spot on her lunch tray.
Kaylee nodded, her eyes large and expressive as she said, "Well, you won't believe what happened to her! We all went down to the lake for our canoeing lesson. The camp counselor started out by giving us a lesson on the right way to use our canoes to move around in the water," she explained. "I could hear Sandra mocking her behind her back while she was demonstrating how to do it," she reported as she leaned over toward her sister, making sure that the other girls nearby weren't listening in; fortunately, though, there was so much chatter at the moment from everyone congregated together that she had to speak up just to be heard over the din and no one seemed to be paying them any particular attention. Just to make sure, however, she spoke directly into her sister's ear as she said, "Well, the counselor let us drag our canoes out toward the water and get in them. We all started paddling out from the shore and a few minutes later, I heard Sandra shouting and cursing a blue streak!" Kaylee's mouth broke out into a beaming smile so like her father's as she saved the best part for last. "Her canoe had a leak in it; she sunk faster than a lead balloon! She was flopping around in the water like a fish trying not to get reeled in! It was hysterical! She was SO mad – her face was red as a beet! And when she got out of the water, she just stood there like a sopping wet statue with her arms hanging out from her sides, and she had this sort of algae hanging all over her! Oh, my God, Katie, you should have been there! She looked like this swamp creature!"
Katie grinned. "Yeah… I should have. I'm sorry I missed that." If you only knew…
Kaylee sighed as she shook her head and smiled. "It was so great! It almost made up for how mean she's been to me."
Katie huffed. "Well, it's about time someone… I mean, something knocked her down a peg or two; serves her right." Kaylee nodded as her sister surveyed the contents of her tray and scrunched up her nose. "What are you eating?"
Her sister looked over at her questioningly. "Just some tuna salad and bottled water."
"That's what I thought it was… I could smell it coming from a mile away. How can you eat that stuff?"
Kaylee narrowed her brows as she looked at her plate-sized tuna salad loaded with romaine lettuce, tomatoes and a hard-boiled egg. "What's wrong with it?" she asked in confusion. "I eat this all the time at home."
"You've got to be kidding me!" Katie retorted. "You LIKE eating all that healthy food?"
"Of course I do," her sister said just a little defensively. "Protein's good for keeping you alert and gives you lots of energy. I need it for my cheerleading moves." She eyed the French fries and cheeseburger her sister was currently munching on; a carton of chocolate milk sat next to her plate. "You know all those empty carbs will make you weak as a boneless chicken if you keep that up. Didn't you tell me that you played sports? How do you do that with that kind of food? Do you eat like THAT at home?"
"Well, sometimes I have pizza or fried chicken instead," she pointed out. "My dad doesn't like it very well, though. He eats more like YOU do; if that's how you eat at your home, you and he would get along just fine." She picked up a fry loaded with ketchup and promptly plopped it into her mouth.
Kaylee shuddered with revulsion. "I can't believe you put that kind of garbage in your stomach." She quickly stabbed a bite of lettuce and egg and placed in her mouth as her sister smiled at her and gobbled up another French fry. "All that greasy food doesn't bother your stomach?"
Katie shook her head. "Nah... I have some Oreos and milk every night before I go to bed, too; that helps me sleep."
Kaylee was astounded as she stared at her sister in disbelief. "You sure eat differently than I do. Our dad loves junk food, though; he's as bad as YOU are."
Katie stared at her a little wistfully at the mention of her other father, the one she didn't really know but longed to. "What kind of food does he like?"
Kaylee grinned. "The greasier or sweeter, the better. Danishes and donuts for breakfast, Snickers bars for snacks, Vanilla and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream after dinner for dessert while we watch t.v." She glanced over at her sister's almost devoured meal to add, "He loves cheeseburgers and French fries, too, just like you; and pizza! The more meat on it, the better!" She smiled. "He's very lucky, you know, because he has to have a high metabolism. I mean, he's constantly on the go with his art and all, and he loves to bicycle ride with me, but he doesn't really work out and never seems to gain an ounce!" She sighed. "I hope when I get older I take after him when it comes to that."
"Oh, I'd love that!" Katie cried, thinking of spending time with him and getting to know him better. "It's funny that we both like the same kind of food." She pursed her lips together to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "Kaylee… I want to meet him so badly."
Her sister smiled back at her. "I know – me, too; I mean, our other father." She stared into her sister's eyes. "Do you really think this will work?" Kaylee bit her lip thoughtfully. "No, it has to. You already told me that Dad told you he still loves our other father, right?"
Katie nodded her head. "Yeah, he told me he did on the way up here, and I've seen how he gets when I bring him up. He hasn't forgotten him. Sometimes when he doesn't know I'm there, I'll catch him staring at this photo of him on his desk at home. He gets this sort of dreamy look on his face, but kind of like he's in pain." She stared into space for a moment before she turned to look at her sister, her jaw set. "No, he still loves him; I can tell he does. What about Daddy, though? You said he had a boyfriend."
Kaylee grimaced. "Yeah… Alex," she said, emphasizing his name with disdain as she contorted her face in disgust. "Big shot architect; he always acts so lovey-dovey around me when he knows Daddy can hear him, but when he's out of the room he barely acknowledges me."
"That's terrible!" Katie told her. "Have you told Daddy about that?" When Kaylee shook her head, she asked, "Why?"
She looked at her sister a little apologetically. "I think Daddy gets lonely sometimes. Alex at least keeps him company and they seem to like each other. I don't want Daddy to get hurt or upset if I tell him that Alex barely talks to me when he's not there."
Katie huffed out a heavy breath of disbelief. "But he needs to know! What if they get serious with each other? I mean, how serious are they now? That guy could ruin all our plans!"
Kaylee shook her head firmly as she took a quick sip of her water. "No… Daddy doesn't love him."
"How do you know? You can't be around them all the time. Maybe he's told him he loves him when they're alone and you just don't know it."
Kaylee stuck out her chin, her jaw set with resolution. "No, I can just tell; he likes Daddy a lot better than Daddy likes him. He's always trying to get Daddy to go on vacation with him and Daddy always tells him no. And he doesn't look at Alex the way he would if he was in love with him."
Katie snorted. "How would YOU know what that looks like? Have you ever been in love with a boy?"
"Of course not," Kaylee told her as she rolled her eyes. "I think boys are obnoxious. But I don't need to have personal experience. All I have to do is look at that copy of the picture of the two of them together that you have to know what being in love is. And all I have to do is listen to the way Daddy talks when he mentions him – his voice gets all soft and choked up. He never does that when he's talking about Alex."
Katie slowly nodded as she thought back to the photo that she had found in the library of their two dads together. She couldn't argue with her sister – the two men in that photo had been deeply in love. But what about now? She knew her father still loved her other Dad – he had told her so. But did her other father feel the same way? "Are you sure about him and Alex, Kaylee? REALLY sure?"
Her heart leapt when her sister nodded firmly. "I'm sure," Kaylee told her. "But that doesn't mean that Alex won't be trying to push our Daddy into something he may not want to do. I told you Daddy was lonely for company – he just may be lonely enough to do something stupid before we have a chance to get them back together. I don't trust that other man."
"It's only a week away," her sister reminded her. "What could happen before then?"
The two sisters rose to take their lunch trays over to a dishwashing employee that was stacking the dirty trays into a large, industrial rack. As they placed them down on the stainless steel surface, Katie turned to her sister and gently grabbed her arm. "All I know is that we need to get started right away. We need to tell each other everything we know about each other's lives or this won't work at all."
As Kaylee nodded at her in agreement, her sister added, "And there's one more thing, you know."
As they walked outside and stood near the entrance, Kaylee frowned at her, noticing that her sister looked distinctly uncomfortable for some reason. "What?"
Katie hesitated for a couple of seconds before she dropped the bombshell she knew her sister would be dreading. "You're going to have to get a haircut."
Later That Evening – Windsor, Canada
Justin studied his appearance in the bedroom dresser mirror; he felt way overdressed in the only expensive designer suit he owned, especially after he and Alex had spent the day at the Art Gallery of Windsor and the Caesar's Casino earlier, dressed casually in jeans and button-down cotton shirts and loafers as they leisurely strolled through the different wings of the museum and then tried their luck at the nearby casino's slot machines. Alex had wanted to try out the blackjack tables as well, but Justin had declined, choosing instead to sit in the hotel lobby and people-watch the variety of patrons coming in and out of the adjacent casino with his sketchbook; an hour later, his boyfriend had emerged with a grin on his face and $200 to the better, telling Justin he would use his newly-found wealth to splurge on a really nice dinner for them that evening.
As he studied the way the dark-blue Armani suit hugged his body perfectly, he sighed; he always had hated getting dressed up like this, but he knew it was necessary at times in order to make a good impression, mainly at art gallery showings for his work. He normally wouldn't go to so much trouble to get this dressed up for any dinner, choosing instead to opt for a more business casual outfit, but Alex had specifically asked him to wear this particular suit for their dinner this evening, telling him how beautiful he looked in it.
He could remember vividly the day that someone else had told him he looked beautiful in a different suit; it had been the one that he had intended on wearing for his wedding to Brian. He could still remember how his face had broken out into a giant smile of delight as Brian had told him how beautiful he looked in front of another mirror; his heart had skipped a beat and his face had warmed as Brian had breathed out that single, unbelievably romantic word; it was so seldom that Brian ever said anything that even remotely bordered on sentimental or sappy, so when he did say something like that, it struck his heart like an arrow aiming straight for him and made his entire body warm in response. It was the same type of feeling he had felt when Brian had unexpectedly told him that day that he had bought a house "for his prince" because he was "taking a chance on love."
He sighed as he came back to the present; why did he keep doing this to himself? Why did he keep conjuring up images from the past? What's done was done; he couldn't change it, no matter how much he might like to. He had a daughter and a different man who cared about him now – one that he knew he could trust and wouldn't let him down. Wasn't that enough?
"Justin? Almost ready?"
He heard Alex calling him through the closed door. "Yeah… I'll be right out." He smoothed his rebellious hair down with his hand and straightened his suit jacket with his hands before he turned and walked over to the door. As he opened it, he noticed immediately that the room lights were dimmed considerably; the main light in the room was now coming from several pillar candles flickering in every corner of the living area. The round, glass-topped dining room table was covered now with a white, linen tablecloth; two elegant, crystal place settings with matching white napkins were placed on top with silver dome lids covering them, along with another pillar candle in the middle and a silver bud vase holding a single, huge red rose. A matching silver champagne bucket was sitting on the kitchen counter nearby with two matching tall, crystal flutes with gold trim next to it, and soft jazz music was playing in the background. The sun was setting low just beyond the tall windows of the suite, casting a rainbow of colors throughout the entire room.
Justin's eyes widened in shock as he took it all in before he finally looked over at Alex, who was standing by the table with a smile on his face; if Justin thought HE was overdressed, Alex was even more so; he was wearing an unbuttoned black tuxedo jacket and matching black pants with a crisp white shirt, ivory-colored tie and matching silk ivory vest. Justin had to admit as he stood there studying Alex's choice of dinner apparel – with his boyfriend's darker coloring and his more muscular body frame, he looked extremely attractive in the body-hugging, tailored outfit.
Alex smiled back at him as he gazed at the beautiful face of his lover. God, every time he saw this man his heart did flip-flops, but right now in his Armani suit, Justin looked like a sexy wet dream. The dark color of the suit contrasted perfectly with his pale skin and golden-colored hair as he stared back at him in shock.
"Alex? What is this? I thought we were going out."
Alex smirked. "I think it's called dinner, Mr. Taylor." He walked over to the other man and, placing his hands on his upper arms, he leaned in to give Justin a short kiss. "I thought we'd eat here instead, if that's okay with you. I wanted us to have complete privacy."
Justin couldn't help blushing at the tone of Alex's voice and his words. "How did you manage all this?" he asked in wonder.
Alex smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I arranged it before we got here," he admitted. "I wanted to surprise you with a special dinner." He grinned. "The extra money I won earlier today just helped me fancy it up a little more. You like it?"
Justin shook his head in amazement. "It's… Incredible," he said at last as he glanced around the room once more to soak it all in. "You did all this while I was getting ready?"
Alex grinned. "I work fast," he said. "The hotel delivered the food and champagne a few minutes ago, and I had already arranged to have the candles here in the closet before we got here. I just had to put it all together and get dressed in the other bedroom while you were getting ready. I AM an architect, you know; I specialize in quick design construction."
Justin laughed. "I can see that. I'm impressed you managed to do all this in such a short period of time! But Alex, you really didn't have to go to all this trouble..."
Alex gazed into Justin's eyes as he slowly stroked his upper arms. "Yes, I did," he said softly. "I wanted to show you how much you mean to me, Justin. And I wanted this night to be a memorable one."
Justin licked his lips, a little self-conscious to be the center of so much attention. "Well, you certainly did it up big, Alex," he told the other man as Alex smiled at him. "I don't know what to say except thank you."
Alex nodded as he kissed Justin on the cheek and let him go. "Would you like some champagne?" he asked him as he walked over to the ice bucket holding the bottle of bubbly.
"Sure," Justin responded as he walked over to join his dinner companion. Alex deftly pulled out the top and, tilting one of the flutes, poured some of the liquid into each glass and handed one to Justin. "To new beginnings," he said softly as he clinked his glass with the blond's.
Justin eyed him curiously as he slowly raised the glass to take a sip. "It's good," he said appreciatively as Alex nodded, staring at him intently. Justin cleared his throat, a little uncomfortable at the intensity of the other man's gaze. Trying to lighten things just a bit, he asked with a smile, "So what's for dinner, Mr. Architect?"
Alex walked the few feet over to the dinner table and pulled out a chair. "Have a seat and I'll show you," he said. Justin nodded and walked over to join him, sitting down in the proffered chair and scooting it in toward the table; Alex took the chair directly opposite his.
"You first," he told Justin as the blond slowly lifted the silver domed lid to reveal a perfectly-prepared New York strip steak, a huge baked potato topped with butter, sour cream and chives, mixed steamed vegetables and a homemade dinner roll tucked inside. He knew it was Justin's favorite meal and he had gone to great pains to duplicate it for tonight; he wanted this night to be a perfect one for both of them.
"Alex," Justin said as he smiled over at him. "You certainly know what I like."
Alex grinned back at him, pleased at Justin's response. "I've got a special treat for you later, too," he mentioned as he saw Justin's eyes light up. "But only if you finish your dinner first."
"No hints?" Justin smiled back at him playfully. "Not even one?"
Alex shook his head in amusement. "No… You have to wait," he said mysteriously. "But I guarantee it'll be worth it."
Forty-Five Minutes Later
"More champagne?" Alex held the bottle up as Justin shook his head.
"Hell, no," Justin told him firmly. "I've already had three glasses; if I don't stop now, you might take advantage of my virtue."
Alex laughed. "Well, we couldn't have that. How was the dinner?"
Justin smiled as he looked down at his empty plate. "You really have to ask?" he asked as Alex grinned. "I'm stuffed but it was really great. I could get used to this treatment."
Alex stared at him intently. "You deserve it," he said softly as Justin blushed again slightly. He stood up and pushed his chair back. Picking up his dinner plate and placing it over on the nearby portable room-service cart, he teased, "Well, you must not have room for dessert, then, if you're full." He walked over and picked up Justin's empty dinner plate, too, as Justin grabbed his forearm before he had a chance to leave.
"Like hell I'm not!" he retorted. "I always have room for dessert. This treat wouldn't by chance have anything to do with chocolate, would it?" he asked hopefully. After Alex had provided him with his version of his favorite meal, the only other thing that would make it absolutely perfect was if he had also managed to come up with his favorite dessert – chocolate bread pudding with lots of ooey, gooey dark chocolate syrup and tart cherries.
Alex looked down in amusement at his boyfriend's vise-like grasp on his arm and chuckled, knowing that was the response he would get. "If I said it'll be the most memorable dessert you'll ever have, will that be sufficient to release me?"
Justin twisted his mouth in contemplation for a few seconds, deciding whether that response was good enough.
"Well?"
Justin grinned. "Well, since the main course was so good, I'll have to take you at your word." He began to release Alex's arm before he tightened his grip once more to add, "But I'd better see my dessert NOW or I may change my mind."
Alex smiled, clucking, "Uh, uh, uh... No dessert before I get at least one dance with you first."
"Alex…"
"No dance, no dessert, Taylor." He arched his eyebrows in challenge as Justin mock glared back at him for several seconds until, finally, Justin rolled his eyes in acquiescence. "The things I have to do just to get something sweet."
"But I thought I was…"
Justin laughed. "Don't even go there," he said as Alex grinned back at him. He sighed. "Okay… Just one, and then you have to fulfill YOUR part of the bargain."
Alex laughed and nodded as Justin released his grip on him. He took Justin's hand and slowly pulled him up from the chair to walk with him a few feet further into the living room area where there was more room. As they reached an open area, he slid his arms around Justin's slender waist and gazed down into the soft blue eyes that were reflected in the candlelight's flickering glow nearby. In the dark-blue suit that accentuated his skin and his eyes so perfectly, Alex's heart skipped a beat as he thought of how beautiful this man was, inside and out. He couldn't help voicing that same sentiment aloud as Justin placed one hand at the back of his neck and the other, palm down, on his chest as they slowly rocked to a Kenny G song, the saxophone sounding a sensual beat around them. "You look incredible in that outfit, Justin," Alex whispered as he stared into Justin's eyes. "You should wear it more often. It's my second-best outfit on you."
Justin colored at the compliment and inherent promise of more to come later as Alex's gaze slowly lowered to take in the full, plush lips before they came together for a soft kiss; Alex's tongue poked out after a few seconds to silently request to deepen it but for some reason Justin seemed to resist slightly, breaking off their kiss instead to nuzzle his neck, one of his favorite erogenous zones. Of course, when it came to Justin, he was happy with anything his boyfriend initiated and his initial disappointment at being rebuffed was quickly forgotten. Justin was a skilled lover and he was so physically attracted to him, he could practically do anything and it would make him sigh in pleasure. He had never felt this strongly before toward any man, and even now after the two years they had known each other, it still engendered a sense of wonder in him at the emotions he aroused in him. Justin's lips traveled from his neck to his collarbone as he arched his head away from him to allow better access. After a few seconds, he took Justin's head in his hands and lifted his face back up so he could stare into his eyes before he gently kissed the soft lips once more.
As they broke apart, he whispered with a smile, his fingers slowly stroking Justin's cheeks, "I'm so glad you agreed to come up here with me so we could be alone, just the two of us. How about you?"
Justin peered into his boyfriend's dark-blue eyes. It had been a nice day today; he had enjoyed strolling the streets of Windsor, taking in the exhibition wings of the Art Gallery and studying so many artworks of the painters that he admired. He always received a lot of inspiration from doing that and it provided him with ideas on how he could improve upon his own style of painting. And he had actually enjoyed watching the myriad different types of people that had walked by his bench in the casino's lobby; even now after all these years he could literally spend hours just watching the sights and sounds of someplace new, sketching out all sorts of possible ideas for new artwork. All in all, it had been a very nice day. But perhaps that was just it; it had been nice, sort of like getting together with all your relatives once a year for a family reunion, or sitting on a grassy knoll on a blanket at night, listening to the local symphony playing a free concert in the park, or petting a Persian cat with long, soft white hair. It had been nice. How he longed, just for once, to have the type of explosive relationship he had had with someone else. It was sort of ironic in a way; he had always longed for a stable, reliable, responsible relationship. Now that he had one, though, he was finding it just a little TOO predictable… Where was all the excitement? Where had it gone?
Somehow, though, as Alex stared back at him, waiting for his reply, he didn't think that particular response would go over too well with him. Instead, he replied out loud with a soft smile, "Yeah… This has been a nice change of pace." There… At least THAT was honest… At least as far as it went… So why did he feel so badly about it?
Alex nodded, however, and smiled, seemingly none the wiser as the music ended. "I told you it would do you good to get away," he softly chided him as the two broke apart. He placed his hands on Justin's shoulders and stole one additional, quick kiss before he asked, "Okay… I guess you've lived up to your part of our agreement; ready for your dessert now?"
Justin laughed, almost relieved their dance was over. "You have to ask?"
Alex grinned and shook his head no as he took Justin's hand and led him back over to his seat. As the blond sat back down and waited for his promised final course, Alex picked up Justin's dinner plate and placed it alongside his own on the serving cart as he tried his best to keep a neutral expression on his face; inside, though, his stomach was doing cartwheels and butterflies were running rampant around his gut as he turned and placed the other soiled dish on the room service cart. Walking over to the oven where he had their dessert warming, he opened the door and, snatching a potholder hanging nearby on a hook, he picked up the matching crystal dessert plates and walked back into the dining area, placing one of them down in front of Justin as he bowed formally with the upper part of his body. "Does this meet with Picasso's approval?" he asked, tongue in cheek.
Justin's eyes lit up at the sight of the familiar, decadent dessert. "Oh, yeah," he nodded approvingly with a grin, observing the abundant chocolate syrup and plump cherries swimming in the bottom of the bowl. "This is just fine." Alex laughed as he took his own dessert over to his side of the table and sat down; he picked up his fork as Justin did the same, but he couldn't bring himself to take a bite. He was too busy observing his boyfriend devouring the dessert in the bowl, waiting until his true intentions were discovered and watching expectantly for his reaction. His idea to bring Justin up here on a vacation to get away, just the two of them, wasn't simply so they could visit the art museum his boyfriend had been desiring to see or try their luck at the slot machines; no, his push to get Justin here was about to culminate in this one, particular moment…
"This is great," Justin told him with an appreciative smile as he swallowed the first bite and looked over at Alex, who was holding his fork suspended in mid-air as he gazed back at him strangely. "What's wrong?" Justin asked with a slight frown. "Why aren't you eating yours?" Despite his own obsession with chocolate desserts, he knew his dining companion was a close runner-up when it came to adoration of all things chocolate: Alex had a secret staff of double-stuffed Oreos in his office desk at work, and he always ordered a dark-chocolate latte mocha at the coffee shop down the street every day before he went into his office.
Alex shook his head slightly in dismissal and smiled slightly as he gazed into the beautiful blue eyes looking back at him inquisitively. "Nothing," he said softly. "Just enjoying the view first." He noticed Justin blushing back at him – he always did think that was such an adorable trait in him – as he added, "I'm glad you like it. I had it made especially for you."
Justin nodded with an appreciative smile as he dug back into his dessert, unable to resist the sticky, sweet, over-the-top concoction. He took a bit of the bread pudding and swirled it in the chocolate sauce, noticing a sort of swirled design underneath all the syrup as he did so. The two men sat there in companionable silence as the jazz music continued to play softly in the background.
Alex sighed softly as Justin continued to eat, making sure he didn't hear his expression of trepidation and anxiety; inside, however, his stomach was tied up in knots. It wasn't like he did this a lot; in fact, he had NEVER done anything like this before. How long would he have to wait? he wondered, as he finally took a small bite of his own pudding and placed it in his mouth, stealing frequent, surreptitious glances over at his dining companion as he waited for Justin's reaction.
Justin couldn't help the 'mmmm' that erupted almost involuntarily from his mouth; the combination of the dark chocolate syrup, cake-like pudding, and the tart, tangy cherries on his tongue was incredible. "This is soooooo good," he murmured with a smile to Alex as he licked his lips. "You can fix this for me every day."
Alex laughed nervously as he watched Justin take his fork and stab another bite of the pudding, swirling it once more around the thick syrup on the bottom. The way Justin was attacking his dessert he had to be getting down to the bottom of the bowl, didn't he?
Justin frowned as he pushed the bread around the syrup to gather up more of the sticky-sweet topping; the so-called swirling pattern on the bottom of the bowl was coalescing, instead, into actual flowing, scripted words. He could now distinctly make out the word ME in the bottom of the bowl. It had to be more than just a coincidence that what he had initially thought was just a fancy sort of design pattern actually spelled out a word now. He bit his lip, the remains of his dessert quickly forgotten, as he took his pudding-laden fork and pushed aside more of the syrup at the bottom of the bowl, trying to make out what the message says. "Alex…" he began tentatively, keeping his gaze downward in concentration.
The architect's heart stopped in his throat as he realized that Justin was finally beginning to uncover exactly what was at the bottom of his bowl. He remained silent as Justin continued to stare down at his dessert; silently, he reached inside his jacket pocket to retrieve what he knew he was about to need and slowly rose to his feet quietly as Justin continued to stare, perplexed, down into the brown, soupy-covered container.
Justin slowly pushed the left side of the syrup aside as another word painstakingly revealed itself underneath: M… A… R… R… Y. Marry ME. He gasped softly in shock now as he realized what the message said; my God – why had he not somehow seen this coming? His eyes slowly lifted upward as he heard Alex walking around to stand by his side; he watched as the other man slowly knelt down in front of him and took his left hand in his.
Alex took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he said the words he had rehearsed silently for some time now. "Justin… We've been together for a couple of years now, long enough for me to know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He huffed slightly in confession. "Hell, I think I knew that from the second I laid eyes on you that day; God, you were so amazing in so many ways. You still are," he added even more softly as Justin continued to stare at him silently, his light-blue eyes dilated and his mouth hanging open in disbelief. He cleared his throat nervously, feeling like this was harder than the time he had had to pitch a new design to a convention room full of people last year; he had wound up winning that contract for a new hotel, though, and he was intent now on winning this much more important pitch, too. This, though, would be the most important pitch of his entire life, so he had to get it right. "Justin… I want to go to bed with you at night and wake up with you every morning; I want to support you and comfort you, whether it's in good times and bad. I want to grow old with you, experience all life has to offer with you. You are my soulmate, Justin, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Alex took another deep breath as he relished the soft, warm skin under his touch; he wasn't sure if it was his hand trembling or Justin's as he thought to himself, here goes…
He slowly revealed the gleaming, gold wedding band he had kept hidden in the palm of his right hand; a rainbow of colors reflected off it in the candlelight as he gazed into Justin's expressive eyes and asked softly, "Justin Taylor… Would you please do me the tremendous honor of marrying me?