The Storm: Safe Harbor
Chapter Sixty-Five
By Gayforkurt
Summary: Kurt and Dave have come to terms with the past but can they battle the envy and jealousy of others to make a future for themselves? This is rated M.
A/N: Thank you all for the many kind comments and the continuing interest shown in my little saga. Please, keep the reviews and PMs coming! I LOVE to hear from you. BTW, I hope not too many of you liked Cooper Anderson too much; just saying ;-)
Disclaimer: Messrs. Ryan, Falchuk, et al are the owners of my favourite boys. Only the OCs and situations belong to me, alas.
Kurt gazed up at the stunning interior of the grandest hotel in Milan, a smile brightening his somewhat downcast face. Xavier nodded and grinned; even Julian looked suitably impressed as they walked with the impeccably dressed concierge to the lifts. There was something to be said for boutique hotels, Kurt thought to himself as they were whisked up to their suites, a couple of bellhops following with their luggage.
The opulent, old-world elegance of their surroundings was breathtaking. It was clear that quite a lot of money had been spent on the upkeep of the magnificent hotel over the years and he was tickled pink that David had chosen this place for them to stay. If he had to be away from his lover for the next few months, being in this beautiful building would certainly make the separation more bearable.
He almost felt as if he were being seduced by the romantic atmosphere and décor with its gold scrollwork, lavish floral arrangements, plush carpets and magnificent furnishings. The very wealthy certainly knew how to live, he mused, especially back in the days when this hotel was first opened to the public. He wouldn't have been surprised if he found out it had once been some rich duke's or prince's palazzo.
He and his companions had landed at Linate Airport not 50 minutes earlier and due to the Karofsky name, no doubt, they were processed and ushered into a waiting limousine and out of there in fifteen. The hotel was in the centre of the city and only three blocks away from the opera house, something of which he was appreciative and he could walk there if he ever felt like it. Hmmm, or maybe if the guys allowed him, he thought now as he glanced at Xavier and Julian walking with him.
The concierge showed Xavier and Julian to their suite first and after they'd separated their luggage, they headed out with Kurt and the concierge to the other, much more lavish suite. Kurt had to hold back a tiny gasp but he did laugh out loud when, with a flourish, the concierge let him inside.
The man was staring proudly about as if he'd had a personal hand in the suite's décor but Kurt couldn't blame him at all. He informed them in his heavily accented but perfectly fluent English that all the furniture was historical period furniture including root wooden cabinets and the heavy parquet floors covered with handcrafted carpets of obviously tremendous value.
He even pointed out that the Hotel used only the very best Italian marble inside each spacious bath-room that included every amenity you can imagine. Kurt, stepping to the bedroom door looked in and turned to smile at the others, commenting that he loved nothing more than a huge, beautiful canopy bed.
The concierge pointed out other facilities, flicking his hand at the bellhops to take Kurt's luggage into the bedroom and bowed to Kurt before handing over the passkey. Kurt had noticed the giant fruit basket that awaited him and thanked the concierge, smiling at Julian who had tipped the bellhops discreetly.
The concierge was a rather garrulous gentleman and even when he was heading to the door of the suite he turned back once again. "Oh, I understand, Signore, you are a singer of the opera, yes?"
Kurt nodded, his smile warming up a bit. "Yes, I'm with the company that will be opening at La Scala in about two weeks."
The man paused with a gleam in his eyes, his hand on the ornate brass door handle. "Ah, then, maybe you'll be interested to know that the most famous soprano of all time stayed at our hotel many, many times!"
Kurt's ears perked up and even though he was a little anxious to get out of his clothes and luxuriate in a nice, hot bath, he looked at the man in polite curiosity. "Oh, who was it?"
The man smiled widely, proud as ever as he answered, "None other than the great Maria Callas herself. Yes!" He nodded as Kurt's pink lips rounded in an interested 'o'. He could have continued but he didn't want to overwhelm his guests so he simply nodded farewell, wished them a pleasant stay again and left them with a dignified and satisfied air.
When the door was shut firmly they waited a few seconds and then started chuckling. Kurt shook his head and started to remove his coat which the other two took as a signal for them to leave. At their simultaneous move towards the door Kurt looked up, somewhat taken aback.
"Oh, you don't have to leave just yet!" He gazed at them, not realizing how vulnerable he appeared as he stared at them in mild dismay.
Xavier grinned at him, however, and assured him they would be back as soon as they, too, had freshened up a bit. He noticed that Kurt perked up a bit at that and suddenly realized that the singer had not been on his own for a while now. He was bound to feel a few withdrawal symptoms, he mused.
When the two agents left him, Kurt moved slowly into his bedroom, his gaze admiring but his mind far away. He began undressing but his fingers slowed as he thought of David and what he was doing back in England without him. He smiled as he figured that more than likely his fiancé was already getting some work done.
He spent a few minutes removing some of his things and hanging them in the roomy closets, humming one of the arias he needed to rehearse soon and selected something to wear after his much-needed bath. He also set out his hair care and skincare products on the elegant dresser that would not have looked out of place in the boudoir of some royal lady, he smiled to himself. The whole hotel gave off that ambience of barely restrained decadence and he for one felt quite at home in it.
Finally, he disrobed completely and strode into the gorgeous en suite that strangely enough had some huge and vaguely erotic paintings on its walls. He perused them as he started his bath, fluttering his fingers beneath the flow of water into the tub as he tested its temperature. Humming to himself, he took up a square glass bottle with its faceted, pestle-shaped stopper, removed it and sniffed the contents before pouring some of the pretty pink bath salts into the rising, hot water.
Kurt was a bit of a hedonist and he smiled now as he slipped into the water, sighing and relaxing at its soft, silky feel. He leaned back against the warming porcelain of the tub and closed his eyes, imagining that David was with him and about to join him in his bath.
His mind drifted and he thought of Monica and how much work she would have to do to get their wedding ready in just the four months until June. He made up his mind to keep in touch with her as often as he did with David; after all, it was his wedding and he was developing an idea for its theme even as he lounged in the huge tub in this decadent suite.
Opening his eyes he reached for the sea sponge that sat in the little recessed area in the tiles near him and dipped it into the water, a dreamy expression coming over his face. He was remembering how much David seemed to love to bathe him, his large hands gentle and caressing on his skin. He dragged the sponge now across his chest, his nipples perking up at the feel of the slightly rough material. Glancing down at them he admired the contrast of the pink buds against the creaminess of his chest and smirked. He had once told David that if he took a picture of him it would last longer and although he had been teasing him at the time, he thought now that that was actually a great idea.
Kurt sat up and as his mind rolled the new idea around, his movements sped up and before he knew it he was ready to rinse off. Pulling the lever to let the water drain from the tub, he stood and grabbed the shower attachment, adjusting the flow and temperature of the water absentmindedly. Hmmm, maybe not a photograph, he thought as he finished up; maybe a painting would be a better idea.
He stepped out of the huge tub and wrapped himself in one of the large, sinfully soft towels the hotel provided and headed into the bedroom. His mind had taken the idea and was galloping off with it. A painting wasn't something David would be expecting and Kurt thought now that it would be a great and unexpected gift for his lover. All he had to do was decide how to get it done and what it was going to be.
Heading back into his bedroom he reminded himself to arrange maid service with that very helpful concierge. For now, though he selected one of his tight, black jeans, grabbed a loose sweater and some underwear and got dressed as quickly as possible. He then took care of his moisturising regimen but left his hair slightly tousled for now and just as he finished the door chime sounded.
He hurried out to the sitting room and yanked open the door, expecting to see Xavier and Julian. He had been about to tell them he was starved and ask what they wanted to eat but the words dried up as he stared at the last person he'd expected to see in Milan. His mouth fell open and his eyebrows furrowed but he finally shook his head and smiled faintly.
"Cooper? Wh-what are you doing here?"
.
KHDK
.
That afternoon, after discussing his plans with Mrs. Lawrence and Eddy, Dave headed into London with Devon at the wheel. He'd left Puck back at the house using the office to take care of a few important matters with regard to starting up his own company, Aveinu. He knew there would be a lot of things to put in place and he wished his former security chief luck in this new venture that he'd sort of dropped into his lap at Christmas.
Now, with his mind half on Kurt and half on the coming months' activities, he strode into his headquarters' penthouse offices, nodding at and returning the cordial greetings of his staff even as his executive assistant, Martin Getrick, came hurrying up to him. He smiled at the man and nodded towards his office door, indicating that he would only start talking when they were in his office.
He loved the design of the building, seeing as he'd had a lot of say in quite a few of its architectural features. He'd incorporated many of the newly-introduced environmentally-friendly developments that had won the building's designers several 'green' awards over the years. No less important were the accolades heaped on the interior decorators that had come up with a work space that was both beautiful and functional.
David had, over the years since then, developed something of a reputation as a lover of structures that melded form and function to an almost unprecedented degree. It wasn't even that his buildings were all of futuristic designs; no, he had eclectic tastes that spanned various time periods and cultures. It also helped that he was wealthy enough to indulge these tastes and every now and then he would find himself being approached for interviews from publications whose interests were either based in architecture or the arts.
With regard to this particular building, too, he'd had an internal debate as to whether to locate the main offices of Karofsky Industries in England or back in the U.S., but his reasons for his final decision would always remain private. Now as he glanced out of the huge floor-to-ceiling windows at the view of the new Parliament buildings (they were still referred to as such even after several years have passed), he reveled in its splendor.
His assistant, Martin, whom he annoyingly insisted on calling 'Marty', a man who had worked for his father for more years than either of them cared to mention, asked how he'd enjoyed his time away from the hurly-burly of business and Dave grinned at him. He'd always respected Martin but he loved to tease him about his old-fashioned turn of phrase whenever he got the opportunity.
He undid the button of his suit jacket and took his seat behind the huge glass and chrome desk before answering the slender, grey-haired man with a smile. "Oh, I can tell you I didn't miss the 'hurly-burly' at all, Marty; not at all."
Martin seated himself in one of the elegant Queen Anne office club chairs that David preferred for guests and crossed his legs at the knee. He gazed at his young boss, observing how relaxed and tanned he appeared and waited while he booted up his computer. David was a gadget guru, as Martin liked to call him, and even now he was taking out a tablet from his attaché case, no doubt about to upload more data to his company's server. He often wondered if David ever really stopped working; he figured not because, with a first class brain like his, he probably didn't even know how to power it down.
He smirked now as he watched David's face light up and wondered what was work-related that would give him such an expression. He didn't have long to wait; the younger man looked up at him, his eyes alight with happiness and smiled before he started talking.
"Uhm, I know you must have seen the photos of Kurt and me in France; don't deny it because I know what the rumour mill is like in this place!" He and Marty shared a grin before he continued, glancing back at his computer. "I've asked Monica to coordinate arrangements for the wedding – which we hope will be at the end of June."
Marty nodded as he looked blandly at David's beaming face. "I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to meet your fiancé as yet. I hear he's quite charming… and extremely talented."
Dave nodded, remembering that Marty had been out of the country when Kurt had had his pre-Christmas party. "Oh, yes, he's a catch, I can tell you." He made a funny face and shrugged deprecatingly. "I don't know what he sees in me, really, and I was blown away when he proposed, I can tell you."
Marty nodded and smiled, enjoying the flush on his boss's face and the way it made him look younger, less the 'ruthless' businessman and more the lucky-in-love young man he truly was. "Oh, don't sell yourself short, David, I'm sure he thinks you hung moon, if that photo is anything to go by."
Dave chuckled a bit, his colour deepening and then he cleared his throat, anxious to regain his persona of busy billionaire. "So, what's been happening while I've been gallivanting all over Europe and the U.S.?"
Marty, understanding his cue, simply nodded and took out his own mini tablet and stylus, calling up the data he needed to share with David and within minutes they were both immersed in the business of running a billion-dollar empire.
Dave handled various calls and business matters within the next hour or two and by the time they had to break for tea, he asked Marty to get his lawyers to set up a meeting with Kurt's agent, William Schuester of Schuester and Schuester Management. When Martin paused at the door with his eyebrows raised in inquiry, Dave elaborated.
"We have to have a sit down to go over the prenuptial agreement." When he saw the faint surprise in his assistant's eyes, he grinned. "Yeah, I'm not a complete romantic; honestly, though, it was Kurt's idea. He insisted as he doesn't want people to think he's after my money and not my body."
Martin burst out laughing, shook his head at Dave and said he'd get onto the lawyers immediately. When he left Dave buzzed Monica, asking her to have a lunch meeting with him and he sat back, turning to gaze out at the silver-gray ribbon that was the Thames. His mind wandered to what Kurt was doing at the moment, realizing that Milan was an hour ahead and that his fiancé was probably just settling in at his hotel.
He grinned as he imagined the look on Kurt's face when he entered the Hotel et de Milan with its awe-inspiring décor and fascinating history. He had had his office book that hotel in particular not only because it was close to La Scala but because he knew Kurt would enjoy the fact that so many famous entertainers had stayed there over the centuries.
Pressing the button on his intercom he asked his secretary Heather to bring tea for two and told her Monica would be joining him shortly. Her sultry but very professional voice responded crisply, asking if there were anything in particular he would like. She asked him this every, single time he requested tea and, as usual, he smiled as he said he would leave it up to her to surprise him. Her customary light chuckle sounded as he cut off the call and he sat back to wait for Monica to arrive.
He hoped that his choice of honeymoon spots would go over well with Kurt but he had a feeling that his fiancé wouldn't mind if they decided to stay home; anywhere would be fine as long as they were together. Dave shared that feeling too, as their relationship was still so new, being together was still exciting and would probably continue to feel that way for some time to come.
However, he had decided on a Mediterranean cruise, using Kurt's mega-yacht, the Chèreâme, and he wanted Monica to add that to the list of things she needed to sort out. The yacht was currently berthed in St. Tropez and he figured they would fly out to Nice and have their helicopter waiting to take them out to the yacht. It conveniently had two helipads so the whole trip should be hassle-free. A most auspicious start to a honeymoon, he thought, grinning to himself.
He sat up straight when there was a knock at the office door and he rose to greet the women; Heather pushing a laden tea trolley with Monica strolling in behind her. He smiled at Heather and thanked her for bringing in their tea and she nodded in acceptance, smiling as she turned back to the door.
"I'd like to congratulate you, sir, on your upcoming nuptials…" she said, pausing with a hand on the door handle. "We all saw the photos and I hope you don't mind…" but he cut her off with a nod and wave.
"Thank you, Heather, I appreciate your good wishes. Just keep the last weekend in June clear on your calendar, okay," he said with a grin, holding back a chuckle as her eyes widened with pleasure. She nodded back at him and slipped quickly out, pulling the door shut behind her.
Monica, taking a seat over on the office's large leather couch, looked up as her boss came over to join her, waving his hand at the teapot and the array of sandwiches and tea cakes before them.
"Go ahead, please, help yourself," and nodded in thanks as she poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him. He helped himself to sugar but no milk and then placed a couple of the tiny sandwiches on a plate.
He gave her a few minutes to set herself up and after they'd started eating, he brought up the honeymoon plans.
Monica always had her data device with her and now she pressed its recording button and continued eating as he outlined everything for her. She nodded as she listened and, when he mentioned Kurt's yacht, struggled to keep her surprise hidden. As she bit into a sandwich, keeping her interested gaze on her boss, she mused at how lavishly the other half lived but she wasn't aware of any envy within her. She was quite adequately and generously compensated for her work so now she listened carefully, asking a question here and there and nodding when he answered her rather comprehensively.
"Oh, and I want to arrange for the staff here to get that weekend off, if possible – the Friday, at least, so could you get onto Human Resources about that?" Dave had wanted to somehow involve the people with whom he worked almost every day in his happiness and figured giving them an unexpected day off, even if they all couldn't attend the wedding, was good enough.
Monica smiled as she replaced her cup in her saucer and sat back. She nodded now and spoke, something she rarely did and that Dave always liked in her. "By the way, you'll be happy to know Haverly Castle will be free that day. What I thought about was this: since money isn't an issue, of course," she paused as he chuckled, "would you want to rent the castle for the weekend?"
Dave laughed outright now because it was something he had thought about and now he felt pleased that Monica was not only doing what he asked of her but that she was using her initiative. Now, he leaned forward, ignoring the temptation of the little iced cakes before him, and looked earnestly at her.
"Monica, anything you think of that will make that weekend utterly unforgettable, go ahead and do it. Run it by me, run it by Kurt, I won't mind. I don't ever intend to marry again so this is it; it can be spectacular or intimate – as long as Kurt is happy with it, I'll be happy."
She stared at her boss as he spoke with a passion she'd only suspected lurked beneath the usually impassive persona he showed to the world. When she'd been to dinner at their house she'd glimpsed some of it and surely, she realized someone like Kurt Hummel wouldn't have fallen for a stolid, unexciting person. Now, though, for maybe the first time in all the time she'd worked for him, she suspected she was seeing the real David Karofsky.
Dave watched as she assimilated what he'd just said, the torrent of words that he'd had no idea was there waiting to come out and was satisfied with her reaction. Which was almost no reaction at all, she was so professional and he smiled now as she nodded at him.
"Well, then, I will have one more of these cakes – they are sooo good – and then I'll get on with the plans," she said now in her firm, quiet voice, her dark eyes smiling. "I've yet to find a wedding planner but I will, eventually. Oh," she paused in her selection of the perfect little cake, "will there be a theme and do you have a preference with regard to the cake?"
Dave smiled and shook his head but hurried to let her know she should talk to Kurt… and soon. He had no idea what his lover's rehearsal schedule was like but he knew their show was soon to open.
"Ah, I think you need to talk to Kurt; he was saying something about Nehru jackets so maybe he wants to expand on that theme? I have no idea."
Monica finally rose with him as they finished up and he walked with her to the office door where he thanked her again for taking on such a monumental task. On her way out the door she commented, a little sarcastically: "It won't be easy planning the wedding of the century but at least I won't have to worry about a budget!"
With that she headed out and Dave turned back to his now-silent office, his mind already winging its way to Milan and his lover, wondering what he was doing at the moment and if he was happy.
.
KHDK
.
Kurt poked his head outside past a grinning Cooper Anderson and looked up and down the corridor before stepping back. "What are you doing in Milan? Is Blaine with you?"
Cooper, his pale blue eyes dancing in his ridiculously handsome face, shook his head and spread his hands.
"No, it's just me. Aren't you happy to see me?" His eyes roved up and down Kurt's lithe body and he swore he looked as if he'd just stepped out of the shower, all flushed and still slightly damp. That look was such a turn-on…
Kurt, his eyebrows still knit together, stared at him and then stepped back. "Uhm, come in, please. It's just… I thought you were someone else."
Cooper, stepping into the huge suite and staring around with something close to awe on his face, turned back to Kurt, his eyes taking in everything about the singer and obviously liking what they were seeing. His smile grew predatory but he simply nodded and asked, "Your fiancé not with you?"
Kurt, suddenly remembering his manners, gestured towards one of the beautifully upholstered chairs and invited him to sit. He shook his head now as he replied, "No, he's not with me. I was expecting my bodyguards, actually."
He grinned as Cooper's head turned swiftly toward him, his eyebrows almost touching his hairline. "Bodyguards? Why - because you're engaged to a billionaire?"
Kurt chuckled as he took a seat opposite him. "No, silly. It was just something that had happened last December. They're with me all the time now but they have the suite next door."
Cooper looked around, understanding dawning. This suite was obviously too large for one person so obviously Kurt was expecting his fiancé to join him at some time.
He was about to say something when the door chime went again and Kurt jumped up to get the door. He stood as two men – one fair and one dark but both with the same hyper-alert look about them – entered the suite. Kurt smiled cordially at them before heading back to take his seat and made the introductions.
"Xavier (the dark one nodded), Julian (the cool blond), this is an old friend, Cooper Anderson." Kurt looked quizzically at Cooper now. "You didn't say how you knew I was in Milan, much less where I was staying…?"
The agents nodded at the introduction but said nothing, simply taking the seats nearest Kurt. Cooper suppressed a grin but looked directly at Kurt as he replied: "Oh, I thought Rex would have informed you."
Kurt shook his head, murmuring 'Rex?' with a faint frown. Cooper smiled, showing off his million-dollar smile that he'd used to get him into many a door and underpants.
"Oh, that wasn't nice of him. I guess he's still a bit peeved. You see, I'm the new Assistant Artistic Director. Board decided, you see, and Rex wasn't best pleased."
Kurt narrowed his eyes at both the information and Cooper's smug air. He knew Rex would resent the Board foisting someone on him and as far as he could recall, Cooper wasn't a theatre person. On the contrary, he'd used to scoff at Kurt and Blaine's theatre aspirations, saying he was headed for the bright lights of Hollywood. Now here he was and Kurt was beginning to feel just a tad uneasy.
However, he was hungry and he had been planning to ask Julian and Xavier what they wanted for dinner. Now he turned to the two men and told them he was starving. He coloured faintly at the little smirk that came over Xavier's face and was glad that Julian was too well brought up to tease him about his way with food.
"So, guys, what say we head downstairs to dinner? I suppose a hotel of this calibre will have something other than Italian food if you don't want that."
To his surprise, Julian was the one who answered, telling Kurt he had been perusing the hotel's brochure while he waited on Xavier to get dressed.
"Apparently this hotel is a famous stomping ground of celebrities, in general, and the restaurant 'Don Carlos' in particular. They specialize in Milanese cuisine that they seem very proud of and they have a world-class wine cellar, the brochure claims."
He raised his fair eyebrows at a grinning Kurt who nodded and rose. "Okay, I'll ask the concierge to reserve a table for … (he raised his eyebrow at Cooper who nodded quickly) okay, for four."
Cooper, his head turning as his eyes roved over Kurt's body so enticingly displayed in his black jeans, relaxed and congratulated himself. He was so busy in his head that he failed to notice the way the other two men were watching him. Had he taken the time away from ogling his brother's old friend – a man who was obviously not interested in him – he would have felt a little trepidation.
He smiled as he listened to Kurt's melodious voice and recalled when he'd asked Blaine years ago if it got higher when he climaxed. His brother had flown into such a fury that he'd backed off, reminded him he wasn't gay and that he was just teasing. Still, there had been something about Kurt's innocence and the way he never seemed aware of his effect on people that stirred the devil in Cooper.
There were some people who were attracted to purity not because they wanted to preserve it but that it made them want to destroy it. Kurt was a perfect example and Cooper was just fluid enough in his sexuality to see Kurt's naïveté as a challenge. Ever since he had run into the beautiful countertenor and his fiancé at the Sondheim, he'd been intrigued all over again. In no time at all he'd gotten in touch with Blaine, found out about Kurt's company, looked up their itinerary online and managed to pull a few strings. In fact, he'd had to call in a favour with a friend of his father's and now, here he was, an irritating pimple on Rex Hambleton's backside masquerading as an assistant artistic director.
Kurt Hummel was a powerful man, he grinned internally, powerfully attractive, that is, and engagement or no, Cooper Anderson always got what he set his eyes on. It didn't matter that David Karofsky was a billionaire because he himself came from 'old money'. To his mind, Karofsky was just a jumped-up thug, a nouveau riche arriviste who couldn't compare to him when it came to looks or class.
Kurt, unaware that he was the featured attraction in Cooper's lurid mental porno, came back to join them explaining that they had a reservation and he was more than ready to eat. He smiled at them, told them he would change quickly and exited the room.
Behind him Cooper was oblivious to the tense silence but Xavier and Julian exchanged cold, speaking glances. This 'friend' of Kurt's was a predator but no matter, they were trained, willing and very ready to handle all comers. After all, that was what they were here for, weren't they?
Xavier nodded, made a quick surreptitious gesture to Julian and the blond relaxed a bit. His colleague had decided to take lead on this mission, relegating him to back up and he appreciated it. He didn't believe his feelings for Kurt compromised him but he knew Xavier was still a little concerned about him.
Now he rose along with the others as Kurt came back, looking his usual glowing self and he swore to himself that no one would mar that happiness beaming at them. He didn't know who this Cooper character was but there was something very shady about him. It didn't bode well for him because Kurt's team was expert in taking care of shady characters.
Cooper Anderson, he of the gleaming, pearly teeth, perfect hair and flawless features had just unknowingly earned himself two enemies. As he moved towards sweet, unsuspecting Kurt, secure in the knowledge that he was the apex predator here, he ignored the 'hired help' behind him. All his sights were set on Kurt, no one else counted and that was where he made his second mistake.
.
TBC
.
Please review!