Outfits, Children & Accents.
The day after his former tutor had been provided with a new ensemble by Isabelle, Jeff found himself heading downtown, prompted by Nick, to visit the Vogue closet himself. He had told his husband all about the gallery owner's new outfit the previous night, and Nick had replied sagely, "So what are you going to be wearing for the opening of your exhibition? If there are to be numerous dignitaries and celebrities there, then you will need to look the part too. I am sad to say that a lot of your more formal outfits are starting to look a little threadbare and tired, and I know that you would not want the coverage of your exhibition on social media spoiled by comment about your appearance…"
Jeff had huffed at that, but nonetheless, once dinner was over, he had headed upstairs to have a closer look at the contents of his wardrobe. Nick was content to wait downstairs, finishing stacking the dishwasher, then helping Wes with his homework. He was certain that the same glasz eyed angel that had appeared to him that afternoon in his office at the UN to drop the least subtle of hints about his husband's wardrobe would be upstairs now, sat on the end of the bed, passing judgement on every item that his husband brought out of the closet…
That was why Jeff was now heading downtown, to see what delights the closet could offer up to him. When Isabelle had called him the night before, also prompted by Kurt, he had been quite specific in stating that he did not want a full blown designer suit. "That kind of business outfit is very much my husband's domain. I want something more smart casual, more bohemian, and ideally, a little retro in style. If there was more time then I would head for a vintage store to find a genuine piece, in the same vein as the suit I wore when I married Nicky."
Isabelle held her tongue, not wanting to say he had just declined a suit, bit contented herself by saying, "So definitely not a collar and tie?"
There was a pause, then Jeff replied, "Well, actually, I would like a collar, as I am intending to wear my wedding bowtie with the Warbler logos on it. I think that it will bring me luck…"
As he headed up in the elevator to the Vogue offices, Jeff began to practice all the facial expressions he might require, along with choice phrases, like, "It is a lovely piece, but it doesn't match the image that I am wishing to portray." To his surprise, it was Gideon that met him at the door of the elevator, and he was full of apologies…
"Isabelle has been called to a last minute meeting with the advertising department. One of the major cosmetic brands has cancelled a spread in the December issue at short notice, and we need to know why, if we can fix it and get them back, and if not, decide how we can fill the space. Thus the task of assisting you in the closet has fallen to me. Before she was called away, Isabelle did look out a few items that she felt would suit you, and give you the look that you wish to portray, but she has also given you carte blanche to search for yourself in the racks. That is a very rare privilege; heck, even the top models do not get that kind of access…"
Jeff nodded, and a couple of minutes later he found himself in the closet. Gideon had also been called away, and now all he could do was stare at all the racks of menswear, unable to decide if he should search the racks on his own at once, or look at the items that Isabelle had chosen for him first. He decided on the latter. He smiled as he saw the pair of brown leather monk's shoes, with the buckle fastener, a style of shoe that he loved. There was a pair of trousers nearby, stoutly made in wool fabric, which would make them warm, and alongside it was a Harris Tweed blazer, in a shade of blue that he had never seen before. He took off his own jacket, and then put the blazer on over his own clothes, before heading over to check how it looked in the mirror. He was not in the least surprised when he realised that Kurt was standing behind him, judging the look.
"Isabelle still has the knack for perfection. It fits perfectly, that shade of tweed is so unusual, and paired with that pair of blue grey worsted pants, it will be perfect. Not too smart and formal, but close enough to satisfy the media…"
Jeff agreed, but nonetheless he decided to have an explore too, something that Kurt agreed was a good idea, and offered himself as an expert to guide his old friend around the racks. The angel's first find was a navy blue velvet jacket, with a design of birds and flowers stitched on to it in red across the breast and around the lapels. He handed it to Jeff, who tried it on, and found that it fitted him like a glove. Kurt looked at him critically, appraising his choice on the ex Warbler.
"On most people, that look would not work, but on you it does, fitting with your bohemian style and the artistic bent of your character perfectly. That it is in Dalton colours is a bonus. I would pair it with a crisp, white shirt, possibly with an old style wing collar, and a brightly coloured waistcoat. As for pants, once again those blue grey ones would be ideal, or even just a pair of grey dress pants, the sort that would normally be worn with a dinner jacket. As for shoes, with that ensemble I think that black leather would be best, but I am sure there will be a pair of monk's shoes in that colour and your size in here. So, let's search for them, and whilst we are here, see if we can find an outfit for Nick and little Wes too…"
When Isabelle was finally able to get to the closet, it was to find Jeff changed into the full ensemble that Kurt had suggested with the velvet jacket. She paused for a moment, and then heard Kurt's voice. Then he appeared, arms full of clothes, and Isabelle chuckled. Turning her attention fully to Jeff, she scrutinised him, then said, "Yes, that does work on you, and certainly suits the image of the young bohemian artist that is living in a garret in Paris…"
"I loved the outfit that you chose too," said Jeff sheepishly, not wanting to offend her.
"Well, in that case, you should take them both, just to be certain," replied Isabelle with a smile.
Nick arrived home that evening to discover that dinner was almost ready, although it was not the casserole that he had left instructions for his husband to take out of the freezer. Jeff smiled at his husband's questioning expression, and said, "I was downtown, and I decided that as I was close to the train that would take me over to the Atlantic Terminal, I would head across to the Stop n Shop rather than go to the local supermarket for the things that you had written on the list pinned to the bulletin board. I know that you think I don't notice these things, and most of the time you would be correct, but I recalled all five of the items, and they are all in the pantry."
Nick nodded, recalling that all of said items were crucial to the production of cookies, and wondered if that was what had made them stick in his husband's mind…
"I had picked them all up, and was walking past the butchery section when I noticed that there was a special on ground turkey, and I mean a 50% off special. That made me think that it was a long time since we have had burgers and fries for dinner, and as I can make a burger, I decided to get some turkey and do just that. I will admit that I might have bought a little too much, because it was such a good price, but I put most of it in the deep freeze for another time."
Nick nodded and smiled, whilst internally dreading what his husband meant by too much and most of it. He headed off to wash his hands, taking time for a quick peek into the freezer on the way back. There was indeed a fair quantity of ground turkey, but not an overwhelming amount, and it had been packed away in small quantities. He took his place at the table just as Jeff served up. The burgers were well seasoned and cooked, the fries thick cut, more like the 'chips' they had been served in England, and thus healthier. Jeff had, of course, bought buns for the burgers, so they dispensed with cutlery altogether.
With the meal over, Nick spent time with Wes, before it was time for their son to get ready to head up to his bed. As the boy went to take a shower, Nick headed for his study, and immediately found himself confronted by a suit carrier hanging on the bookcase, and below it, a shoe box…
Nick knew that there was no point in saying anything, aware that either Isabelle or Kurt had probably persuaded his husband to take it with him. The three piece suit was just the style he liked, in a fabric he could not criticise, and as for the shoes, he knew that the supple Italian leather would make them so comfortable from the off. It was just that he did not really need it, as his wardrobe was adequately stocked. He headed back down, and gave his husband the same look he had given him from the kitchen doorway back in Bushwick, when he had walked in and found a kitten in a shoe box…
"Jeffie, someone appears to have mislaid a designer suit in the study, along with some shoes. Was Isabelle here by any chance?"
"No, Kurt was here actually, and he insisted that it had to be left there as I got two new outfits from the closet, and it was only right you got one too." Jeff pulled out his phone and showed his husband the photos that Isabelle had taken of him wearing the outfit she had chosen, and then the one that Kurt had.
Nick nodded, then said, "I prefer the second one, but I think that the first one might be the best choice for the private view. It is the more formal, and as the tweed is manufactured in Scotland, it will be seen as a nod towards the country that your major guests are from."
"I never thought of it like that, but yes Nicky, you are right. I will change and wear the second one for the official opening though, as it will be perfectly acceptable for that."
Jeff was silent then, and Nick smiled at him. "I take it that Wes will have a new outfit for the event too?"
"It would have been a serious omission if we had left our boy out," replied Jeff in a scandalised tone. "He has tried it on, the clothes fit perfectly, and more importantly, he liked them."
"Whilst we are on the subject of the private view, Ms Worthington has asked me to say that she has accepted her invitation, and is looking forward not only to seeing your latest works, but to meeting royalty and the Vice President, as she has never had the opportunity to meet the latter before."
"I am glad she is coming; it seemed the right thing to do. Of course, it isn't a shock. So far there has not been one reply which had been in the negative…"
As Nick and Jeff continued their discussion, along the street Beats had found himself on the phone to Elliott. His call had come as a complete surprise, as the two husbands had agreed not to call each other every night during their separation out of necessity. That it was Elliott that had broken first did make Beats smile…
Elliott had finally cracked after spending three very stressful and tiring days in Williamsburg. Although Beats had joked about seeing his younger brother as a Pinocchio figure when it came to discussing how his children behaved, he had not anticipated all of the things that Josh had left out when he was explaining the routine that his children had and that he wanted his brother to try and adhere to. For a start, he had not told him that the twins liked to get up at 5am, and would come and wake up the adult in the house so that they could get breakfast. On that first morning, Elliott had almost sworn when he was jolted awake by two small bodies jumping on him, and bouncing up and down. If he had then thought that breakfast would be simple to prepare, he was wrong. They had to have their cereal just so, with the same amount of the flakes in each bowl, and whereas his nephew liked the milk on it icy cold, his niece wanted hers warm. He then had to referee an argument as the latter stated her brother had more flakes than she did...
That was a preview for the rest of the day, when the general peace would be broken by a fight over the most trivial of matters. He then made the simple error of not getting himself an apron when the were doing some painting, and found his clothes redecorated in a veritable rainbow of colours... The excursion to the park was fraught with dangers, from crossing the roads to the people they passed. Shepherding them ahead of himself at all times was a challenge, but vital so that he did not lose one of them, as they informed him point blank that they were too old to hold hands with him. The playground itself presented problems too, as there was only one swing free, and they both had to swing there and then. A choice had to be made by him, and that left him with one sobbing child and one smug one that first day, and other adults staring at him. The next day, he tried a different tack when the same situation existed, but the come back to the swings later suggestion left him with two sobbing children... He was so relieved on the third day to see two empty swings that he had punched the air, and found all the other parents staring at him. Then his two charges had announced they didn't want to go on the swings that day...
Mealtimes too were difficult, as he would have described both of his brother's children as fussy eaters. The perfectly delicious and healthy meal he had prepared on the Saturday night had been picked at, and in one case, ended up on the floor by 'accident', a claim he seriously doubted, suspecting the pixie had done it again. He didn't try and cook from scratch after that, instead heading to the deep freeze and assembling the poultry shapes and fries that they loved; in the end, he ate the same, as he was too tired to do much else. For two small people, they made a lot of mess and laundry. On the Monday night, he had almost cracked, but then he had felt a draught, and Kurt was there...
"I do not know how people do this all the time," he said before the angel could even speak. "I used to shake my head when people went on about the terrible twos, but now I know why the term exists! If Beats ever suggests we foster a kid this age, he will find me packing my bags. I shall also be telling Dante that if he and Lachlan have children, they are on their own!"
"I'm sure you don't really mean that about your future grandchildren," replied Kurt in all innocence.
"Dante and Lachlan can have children as long as they are living somewhere out of New York - like New Zealand," muttered Elliott, then he laughed at Kurt's facial expression. "Ok, so I don't, but why do kids have to be so contrary and loud at two? I almost called Beats earlier, just to scream."
"Well, that might be an idea, no matter what you promised you wouldn't do," said Kurt. "Maybe not tonight, as you've vented to me, but if the day is the same tomorrow, then break your promise and let off steam."
Elliott nodded, but the next day had been slightly better, maybe because he was now used to the two terrors, and could be mentally prepared for all of it. The twins even seemed calmer. Then his brother had called from Japan, and that meant a chat with the kids, and that meant tears just before bedtime. They took forever to get to sleep that night, and when Elliott finally got back to the sofa, he had no hesitation in picking up the phone and dialing. He felt so much better for hearing his husband's voice, and after sweet greetings, Beats talked about his day, and then it was Elliott's turn...
"The twins are in bed, and I am just off a video call from Josh and Scott in Japan. They are being treated like heroes there, as if they were royalty, according to my little brother. They have been given a huge suite in a hotel complex, ten minutes walk from the manufacturing plant. Although they have both been hard at work since they got there, the company has still made time for them to experience local culture. They have also had a trip on a bullet train, and an excursion to a local rail station that has a cat as the stationmaster…"
"I'm sorry, a what?" asked Beats.
Elliott laughed, and replied, "It is apparently not an uncommon thing over there; the local people see it as quite normal. Josh sent me a photo, so I will forward it to you now…"
Beats cellphone buzzed, and he opened up the message, to find himself looking at an image of a tabby cat, wearing a replica railway cap and an employee nametag. "Well, they dress them for the part as well," he chuckled. "Now, I will not share this, and neither should you. Brittany would want to know why Lord Tubbington hasn't got himself a paid job if that cat can, and a certain blond artist might be persuaded to dress Caleb up so he could draw him, and the cat in question would not like that one iota…"
Elliott laughed, but then he sighed deeply. "I am missing you Nate, so much. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying the opportunity to bond more closely with the twins, being a good uncle to them, making them laugh, but once they're in bed, I'm so lonely. I miss our family; I miss the diner too. Heck, I can't even sing to myself at night in case I wake the kids up…"
"I miss you too. When I woke up that first morning and you weren't there, and that side of the bed was cold… But it is what it is. It is short term, and in three days time I will be there, snuggled in at your side."
"I think that prospect is the only thing that is getting me through the nights over here. That, and the fact that the week after, Scott's parents will be back, and the minute that they are, I will be saying my goodbyes and be on the subway back home."
"Dante has said that he will be staying at Lachlan's that night, and he has offered to take Ty with him, so we will have the place to ourselves…" replied Beats with an involuntary wink, even though he knew his husband couldn't see it.
"He really is the best son in the world," Elliott responded, with a grin. "Okay, so I am going to head off now. Watch some trash TV then have an early night. Count the minutes until Friday arrives…"
"Me too, my love. Next time you speak to Josh, tell him that I am insanely jealous. Japan was always somewhere that was on my bucket list of places to visit, but it is unlikely that I will ever get the chance now."
"You've never mentioned that before," said Elliott quietly.
"It was a list that I made at the end of my sophomore year at Dalton, when I was full of dreams, but then life came along and it all got real. I did manage to get to the Antarctic, which was pretty cool, so it's not all bad. I also got to marry the love of my life, so who am I to complain…"
"I have a bucket list too, that I made when I was young. When I get home, we will have to compare them, see if there is anything that we can do as a couple."
"That sounds like an excellent idea," admitted Beats.
They ended the call then, but all Elliott could think afterwards was if there was any possibility that he and his husband could go and pay his brother a visit before he returned to the States. After all, Josh had mentioned that their hotel suite even had a guest bedroom…
The week carried on slowly. Wednesday saw Cooper in the West Village again, with Nick doing his best to make his brother-in-law sound less like a bad cliché, and more like an Austrian. The language course that Cooper had downloaded had been helpful in learning him the words, but not the accent. Nick had also found a number of clips of German people talking English, which was accented from their natural speech. Then he had had a brainwave…
He had called Fritz up, and asked for his help, something that the young man over in Baden Baden was only too happy to give. Thus that Wednesday they had a video chat, the three of them talking together, alternating between German and English. After a few minutes, Cooper had a call on his phone he needed to take, leaving Fritz and Nick on their own. Quietly, in German, Fritz said, "His accent is not the worst that I have ever heard, but it is not at all good or convincing. I do not envy the scale of the task you have before you…"
Cooper walked back in just as he was speaking, and looked at Nick curiously, wondering what had just been said. "He was just confiding in me about an issue with his grandmother's health," the brunet said.
"I don't know if I believe that, but until I am better versed in the language, the two of you will have an advantage over me," came his reply as Cooper sat back down.
"I think that the key thing for you to do there is to listen as Fritz and I talk together, is to listen to the words, and see where we put the emphasis…"
"I agree," said Fritz, a little red-faced. "I also think it would be a good idea to have him repeat phrases until we are both satisfied that he has the pronunciation and accent right. We start with the basic ones that concern shops, restaurants, hotels and travel, so that if he ever does find himself in Germany on his own someday, he will be able to cope."
"We can also repeat them in English, but with the benefit of the accent," agreed Nick. They proceeded to do just that for the next hour, by which time the two younger men agreed that Cooper's accent was a little more convincing, but still needed a lot of work…
Nick would see Cooper again the following day, but this time it was at the UN. It had struck him that his brother-in-law might find it easier to learn the language and the accent if he was surrounded by a group of native speakers, so he had arranged to have him pay a visit to the offices of the German and Austrian delegations. His one instruction to them had been to talk to him in German for the simple things, as that would allow him to test his knowledge of the language in an actual conversation…
Eventually it would be one of the Austrian delegation that would come up with another idea. "He is trying to perfect the accent fro his role as one of the native sons of my homeland, so why don't I read him some of his lines, so he can hear what they should sound like?"
Nick could have taken the young man in question into his arms there and then and kissed him. He cursed that he had not thought of something so simplistic himself, but then Cooper had been determined to learn German. At the same time, he was pretty sure that Klaus would eventually curse his own suggestion….
The young man made quick work on some of the more famous lines, and Cooper parroted them out in an accent that was improving, but still wasn't quite right. Contrary to what Nick had anticipated, it seemed that Klaus had the patience of a veritable saint, and in the end, Nick was persuaded to leave his brother-in-law in the capable hands of the younger man. He could only hope that Klaus would not lose his mind before the actor had mastered the perfect accent for his character…
Nick's phone rang the moment that he stepped back into his office, and on answering it, he found himself dealing with an urgent enquiry, one so serious that everything else he had been doing that day was immediately placed on hold. The scale of the problem grew as he talked, and he was soon forced to ask for assistance, not only from within his own department, but also the other legal teams, and the representatives of both the nations involved in the issue at the UN. It required a fair amount of compromise and juggling to find a way forward; a temporary fix, if not a long term solution. By the time that was achieved, a glance at the clock told Nick he had worked through lunch, and it was now almost 4pm.
With his phone finally out of his hand, Nick relaxed, but then his boss, Ms Worthington, appeared at the door. She smiled, and said, "Once again my faith in your ability has been proven to be correct. The issue that you have just dealt with his been popping up, on and off, for nearly three decades. It was one of the first issues that I was assigned to when I was fresh out of law school, and we thought we had solved it then… What you proposed today was a much more radical solution than has ever been attempted before. Somehow you have also managed to find a way that lets both nations keep the moral high ground and tell themselves that they have won. I shall certainly be putting all of that into my weekly briefing for the Secretary General."
Nick shrugged, and said, "All I really did was apply logic and common sense."
"You are much too modest, but I will admit that in the world of international relations, such a strategy is not applied too often, more is the pity. Now, as you have worked through your breaks, I want you to head home now, although you will need to pop by the offices of the Austrian delegation on your way out. They have called me a few times asking for you, as obviously your line was constantly busy. Apparently you left something there earlier…"
Nick looked at her in confusion for a moment, and then clarity came to him, and he paled. He had forgotten all about Cooper and how he had said he would get him at lunchtime. He had left the Austrian delegation to suffer his atrocious accent for over 5 hours, and he just hoped that they were not about to declare war for the suffering they had endured…
Five minutes later Nick was knocking on the door of the Austrian delegation's office, and stepped in, apologies at the ready. He was shocked to discover that the team inside were all working away in silence, and not tearing out each other's hair. The chief of the delegation saw him, and came over. "Ah, I hear that congratulations are in order, Mr Sterling-Duval. We hear on the grapevine that you have just brokered a deal that will satisfy a problem that has defied all attempts at solving it for decades."
Nick felt his cheeks redden, and once again he shrugged. "Apparently so, but as we are all too well aware, tomorrow may see it all flare up once again. Now, I must apologise that I failed to come and retrieve my brother-in-law as a result. I take it that he headed for home?"
"No, he is still here. He and Klaus have been occupied all afternoon. There have been shouts, tears and swearing coming out of the conference room they are holed up in since you left, more or less…"
"Oh God!" exclaimed Nick. "I am so sorry, and I will, of course, apologise unreservedly to Klaus…"
Nick stopped as the delegation chief began to chuckle. "You misunderstand me; the person doing the crying was your brother-in-law. Klaus might be young for a diplomat, but he can be a very stern taskmaster if he requires to be. I think Captain Von Trapp might feel that he was interrogated by the Nazis this afternoon…"
Nick's eyebrows raised a little at that, and then he realised that the n word in question had been used by someone from a nation that knew all about them, so it was okay for him to use it, like the other n word. He nodded, and hastened in the direction of the conference room. He paused outside, hearing a voice speaking in a flawless accent, asking in German if Fraulein Maria was well. Then, to his total surprise, he heard Klaus congratulate his pupil…
As they stepped back onto American soil ten minutes later, Cooper finally turned to Nick and broke the silence he had maintained since he had come to collect him. "That was horrendous! It was like being a teenager again, back in my room at home with dad lecturing me. It was like being in one of those prisoner of war films. He had a wooden ruler that he would slam on the desk if I got something wrong. He made me say the same things over and over. It was unethical, bordering on torture! Why did you leave me there so long?"
"I am so sorry, something came up and I was stuck at my desk…" began Nick, but then he realised something. "Wait, if it was really that bad, why did you not just make your excuses and leave? No-one was keeping you there!"
"At first that was exactly what I intended to do; say I needed the restroom, and run. But then I heard my own voice, and I realised that the tough approach he was using was actually reaping real rewards. Thanks to Klaus, I think that my accent is now really convincing. He also offered to help me anytime that I want to perfect it, and well, I think I might just take him up on that… Don't get me wrong, learning from you has been good, but the truth is that you felt you had to be kind, because I am family, whereas Klaus isn't so restricted…"
Nick nodded, thinking that Cooper had hit the nail on the head. He had been restrained, as he didn't want to risk a family rift. He parted company with him at the junction of 42nd Street and 3rd Avenue, and thought nothing else about it until later that day, when he received a phone call from his sister…
"Okay, little brother, what is your secret? Did you try hypnosis, because when I went to work this morning, I left a husband with an accent from the Dick Van Dyke school of foreign language, and I have come home to one that is almost a native of Salzburg!"
Nick laughed, then said, "It wasn't my doing. I left Cooper in the hands of a young man from the Austrian delegation at the latter's suggestion, and work meant I was away much longer than I intended to be. I am every it as flabbergasted as you are at the transformation that he achieved. I think that Klaus is wasted in an office job; he should be on Broadway as a vocal coach."
Grace laughed then, and replied, "I am looking forward to finding out what Pam thinks when she come over for dinner tomorrow. She will probably wonder what the heck happened to her son, just as I did…"
"That moment she hears him for the first time will be good, and between us, I can't wait to let Fritz hear him now too," Nick responded.
