Date Night
Part 2
Tony had already left for work when Justin awakened. The teen yawned, stretched, and rolled over in the covers, allowing the softness of Tony’s featherbed to enfold his body. Justin reached over, and pulled his lover’s pillow to his chest. It still held the scent of his Tony’s cologne. It had been a simple, yet memorable night. Justin and Tony had popped microwave popcorn, drank chilled Mountain Dew, and watched scary movies. The teen had brought over “Night of The Living Dead,” and Tony had sent out for his favorite, “Psycho”. They never made it past the shower scene. By the time Janet Leah turned on the water the lovers were already lost in each other’s arms. Janet’s screams had been drowned out by Justin’s moans as Tony was fucking Brian’s baby well. Justin’s sweet recollections were interrupted by the doorbell. He slipped into Tony’s oversized terry robe, and climbed out of bed to answer it. The stranger’s eyes widened, and a broad smile spread across his face when he saw Justin.
“Good morning, is this Anthony Massey’s suite?”
“Yes it is.” Justin said.
“My name is Kevin, and you are?”
“I’m Justin.” The teen flashed his signature smile.
Kevin did a quick mental check list young, blond, beautiful, very fair skinned, with gorgeous blue eyes. “Justin.” Kevin smiled.
“Do you want to leave a message for Tony? I’m not sure what time he’ll be back.” Justin said.
“Oh no, it wasn’t anything important.” Kevin said. “I just stopped by to invite him downstairs to breakfast. I’ll call him later on. Goodbye Justin.”
“Goodbye Kevin.”
With temperatures already topping ninety in June, it promised to be an early summer. Brian was sweltering in stop-n-go traffic as he attempted to reach Michael’s side. The 911 message had been vague, Michael was too upset to give details. The only thing Brian knew for sure was that Ben was sick, and had been taken to the emergency room. The extent of his illness was yet unknown. Brian instructed Cynthia to cancel his appointments for the day, as he prepared for the worst.
Brian paused for a moment upon entering the hospital emergency room. Memories of the night he rode in with Justin were still vivid nightmares that haunted him. He looked down the familiar corridor to find Michael sitting very near the same spot he himself had sat on the night of Justin’s attack. A visibly shaken Michael stood when he spotted his friend, and Brian hurried over to embrace him. “How is he?” Brian asked.
“I don’t know yet. The doctor’s in with him now. He’s in so much pain Brian.” Michael cried.
Brian hugged his friend tighter, and assured him. “He’s going to be ok.”
The two men took a seat near the treatment room doors, and watched as the ER staff scurried in, and out of Ben’s area. Brian reached over, and entwined his fingers with Michael’s. It was the first time the best friends had been together alone since the incident at the loft.
“Thanks for coming.” Michael said. “I didn’t want to bother you, but I couldn’t think, I couldn’t.....”
Brian interrupted him. “Thanks for calling me.” he said. “How long have you been here?”
“Since about eight thirty. He became sick at school. They said he passed out in the middle of his first lecture.”
“Have you eaten?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’ll be back.” Brian said.
Brian walked to the end of the hall, to the same coffee machine that had sustained him during his long hours with Justin. He could still hear Craig Taylor’s words describing the extent of Justin’s injuries. “My son has a fractured skull, he’s lost a lot of blood, his brain is still swelling, and he hasn’t regained consciousness. If they can’t get the swelling to stop, Justin’s going to need emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain, and we can’t rule out the possibility of permanent damage.”
Brian felt a sharp pain in his chest, as he slipped the coins into the slot. He took a deep breath, and leaned against the machine to steady himself before making his selections, two coffees with extra creamer, and sugar. Brian returned to his seat, and handed one cup to Michael.
“Thanks.” Michael said. “I hate this. I shouldn’t be here, Ben shouldn’t be here. We haven’t done anything to deserve this.”
“I know you haven’t.” Brian said.
“So why is this happening? Why can’t we just love each other in peace?” Michael cried.
“I don’t know Michael, everything doesn’t have an answer. Wipe your face.” Brian said.
“I don’t have a tissue.” Michael sniffed.
Brian stepped over to the nurses station, and pulled two tissues from the box sitting on the counter. He handed them to Michael. “Do you know I’ve never done it without a condom?” Michael said as he wiped his face. “I don’t even know what it feels like, do you?”
“No.” Brian lied.
“I’ll never know what it feels like to touch the man I love.” Michael said sadly. “For us sex will always be like a game of Russian roulette.”
“Now you’re sounding like a drama queen.” Brian took a sip of his coffee, and rested his head on the wall behind his chair. He closed his eyes, and tried to suppress the mental flashback of the first time he, and Justin made love following Brian’s release from the hospital. It had been twenty two days, and in the heat of the moment both men had slipped, and forgotten their condoms. Shamefully, Brian still yearned for a repeat of the incredible feel of his baby raw.
“I’m not sounding like a drama queen.” Michael insisted. “What’s wrong with wanting to share that intimacy with someone you love?”
“You share enough.” Brian said. “Why would anyone be stupid enough to put his life on the line for a fuck?”
“Ben’s not just a fuck, we love each other.” Michael snapped. “Of course you wouldn’t know anything about that. You don’t care if you go through life with a different trick every night.”
“I can think of worst.” Brian grinned.
“You think it’s funny? It’s people like you who put people like Ben, and me in this kind of situation.”
Brian looked at Michael. “Hey, don’t blame me for the dark plague that has befallen upon the earth.” Brian said sarcastically.
“Why not blame you? If everyone stayed with his own partner there wouldn’t be any HIV, or AIDS.” Michael theorized.
Brian closed his eyes, and once again leaned his head against the wall behind him. “You’ve been watching those “Father Knows Best” reruns again I see.”
“Make fun of me if you want to. I don’t expect you to understand. You and Justin, and your goddamn open relationship, and your stupid date nights. What kind of shit is that?”
“It’s our shit, it’s what we agreed on.” Brian said.
“Yeah right, that’s why you had a fit when you found out Justin was fucking Anthony Massey.”
Brian looked at his friend. “I did not have a fit!”
“Shhh!” a nurse warned.
Brian looked at her, then lowered his voice. “I did not have a fit.” he hissed. “I knocked the fuck out of him because he wasn’t showing me any respect.”
“Respect? That sure sounds funny coming from someone who’s fucked Pittsburgh.”
“You’re still pissed at me for fucking Ben. That was over two years ago, get over it Mikey.”
“What if it was the other way around, what if I fucked Justin?”
Brian laughed.
“What’s so funny.” Michael frowned.
“You don’t know Justin, he’d wear your ass out.” Brian warned.
“Yeah right.”
“I’m serious, don’t let that baby face fool you. Justin can take down the backroom of “Babylon” on a Saturday night, with one ball tied behind his back. Sometimes I can barely keep up with him.”
“You?”
“He’s a tough one to handle, once you get him going.” Brian grinned.
“Is he as good on top, as he is on bottom?” Michael caught his friend off guard with that one. Brian looked at him. “Well is he?” Michael insisted.
“He’s better.” Brian blushed.
Michael smiled.
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.” Michael grinned.
“What about Ben?” Brian asked.
“You already know about Ben.” Michael frowned.
“I told you, I don’t remember, besides you can’t really learn anything about a person from just one trick. I’m speaking as an authority here.” Brian said.
“What made you go back to Justin for a second time? Other than Kevin, I don’t ever remember you fucking anybody more than once” Michael said.
Brian pondered the thought for a moment. “I don’t really know.” he said. “I guess it’s because Justin kind of reminded me of a new “Armani” suit.”
“Excuse me?” Michael looked puzzled.
“He was all fresh, and new, and beautiful, and waiting to be tailored just for me.” Brian smiled.
“Ben is different.” Michael smiled. “I’ve never met anybody so sure of himself, so grounded, so spiritual. He’s special, and he makes me feel special when I’m with him.” Michael’s smile faded as he looked over at the treatment room doors. “He doesn’t deserve this Brian. I can think of a hundred backroom whores who....” Michael caught himself.
“.....who does deserve it.” Brian finished his friend’s sentence.
“I wasn’t talking about you.” Michael said.
“I know you weren’t.” Brian said.
Justin was stretched out on the bed, and watching television when Tony appeared at the bedroom doorway. The teen’s eyes lit up. Tony looked absolutely stunning dressed in full business attire, charcoal gray tailored suit, starched white shirt, with black and white tie. “Good morning princess.” Tony smiled.
“Good morning handsome.” Justin glowed. He beckoned for his lover, and Tony took a seat on the bed. Justin kissed him. “Ummmm, I missed you this morning. I had to shower all by myself.”
“I had business to attend to.” Tony said. “Is it cool enough in here for you?”
“It’s freezing.” Justin said.
“That’s because the air conditioning is finally fixed. I have a couple of more things to do, then if you’d like to, we could spend the day together.”
Justin smiled.
“What would you like to do princess?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where do you like to go on your dates? I’m not very familiar with all of the hot spots here in the Pitts.” Tony admitted. He looked at the blank expression on Justin’s face. “You do go on dates don’t you?”
“Sure, Brian takes me to “Babylon” all the time.” Justin said.
Tony smiled, and waited to hear more examples.
“We go to dinner sometimes, and sometimes he takes me shopping.” Justin added.
Tony nodded, and waited to hear more, but the blank expression returned to Justin’s face. He thought for a moment. “You get dressed. I have a couple of runs to make, and I’ll be back in an hour.” Tony said.
“Where’re we going?” Justin smiled.
“It’s a surprise.” Tony headed for the door.
“Do I need to go home, and change?” Justin asked.
The teen had come not only to expect the unexpected, but also only the finest from his part-time lover. During Justin’s spring break, and on their stolen afternoons together, the older man had introduced his young lover to the A-list of some of the most prominent businessmen in the country. They had jetted to various cities to dine at the finest of restaurants, luncheon at exclusive country clubs, and attended private art gallery openings. Mr. Massey, and his guest had attended the private screening of the new “Star Wars” movie, sat in the owner’s box at the race track, and danced all night on private yachts. Indeed everyone who was anyone seemed to know Anthony Massey, and now they knew Justin as well.
“We won’t have to dress this time, your jeans will be fine.” Tony said. “I’ll change when I come back.”
“Tony wait!” Justin called to him. “There was someone here looking for you this morning.”
“There’s always someone looking for me. Whoever the fuck he is, he can wait until tomorrow, or he can see my assistant. I’m taking the day off. Hurry up princess.” Tony said as he exited penthouse four.
“Hey, do you know what this reminds me of ?” Michael grinned.
“What?”
“This reminds me of the times we sat outside of the principal’s office in high school.”
“Not quite.” Brian said. “At least this time I know I’m not going to get suspended.”
“How many times did you get suspended?”
“You mean in one year?” Brian shrugged his shoulders. “Who knows, five, six, a hundred times.”
“It would have been more than that if it hadn’t been for Mr. McLauren.” Michael grinned.
“Yeah, it pays to fuck PE teachers in high places.” Brian said sarcastically.
“Do you ever think about him?” Michael asked.
“Why would I think about him?” Brian danced around the lie.
“Because he was your first love.” Michael said.
“Some first love, he passed me around like a blunt at a “Grateful Dead” concert.”
“I thought you liked it, fucking all those hot guys.”
“They weren’t all so hot.”
“Do you think he’s still coaching?”
Brian shifted positions in his seat. “Nope.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Because he works for “Brown Athletics” now.”
“No shit, how do you know that?”
“He was flown in from Chicago to work with me on their first “Vanguard Advertising” campaign. We’ve been working together for the past week.”
“No shit?” Michael’s eyes widened. “Has he tried anything yet?”
Even though Michael knew of Brian, and Kevin’s ongoing high school affair, and was there for his friend when Kevin broke his heart, Michael wasn’t privy to the depth of abuse that had taken place in the relationship. Kevin had an unknown sadistic streak that manifested itself in the form of endless afternoons of sexual experimentations. More often than not a young Brian had submitted to his lover’s sometimes painful fantasies, content that any form of affection was better than none at all. Brian shifted in his seat again. “No, everything’s been completely professional.” he lied.
“Kevin’s been working with you.” Michael repeated in disbelief. “I’d like to see him. Why didn’t you tell me he was back?”
“We haven’t exactly been speaking.” Brian said.
“Who’s fault is that? You could have called.”
Brian looked at his friend. “I thought you were still mad at me.” he said.
“I was never mad at you.”
“You should have been. I shouldn’t have done what I did. You’re my best friend, I never wanted to hurt you Mikey.”
“You can’t hurt me Brian, I know you too well.” Michael smiled. “You may do some crazy things at times, but I know you love me, and you know I’ll always love you.”
“I love Justin Michael.” Brian said.
Once again the smile faded from Michael’s face. “You’re going to get hurt Brian.” Michael warned his friend.
Brian smiled bleakly. “I wouldn’t know the difference.” he said.
“Mr. Novotny?” The ER doctor had appeared from behind the treatment room doors. “We’ve stabilized your friend. We’re going to admit him.”
“Can I see him now?” Michael asked.
“Of course you can. You can stay with him while we get his room ready.” the doctor said.
Brian watched as Michael followed the doctor back into Ben’s treatment area. He stood, stretched, and checked the time. It was a few minutes past eleven o’clock. With Ben out of danger, and Michael by his side, Brian decided to take advantage of the rest of the day. Justin had probably forgiven him for last night, and was back at the loft waiting to make up right now. Brian decided to surprise his pouting baby. He would make a couple of stops on the way home, one to Justin’s favorite pizzeria, and one to the video store.
Brian scanned the horror section, trying to remember the movie Justin wanted to watch last night. He picked up a copy of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, and began to read the back of the box.
“Horror movies, I didn’t know you were a fan of the genre Brian.”
Brian turned around. “Tony, speaking of horror movies. What are you doing out in the daylight? I thought bloodsuckers only came out at night.” he said.
“Why is it that every time I try to be nice to you, you insult me? One day I ’m not going to turn the other cheek.” Tony smiled.
“Some cheeks are best left unturned.” Brian said sarcastically, and resumed reading the CD box.
“Taking the day off?” Tony asked.
“Yeah, I’m going to spend some time with MY boy.” Brian smirked.
“Ummm, that sounds nice.” Tony handed Brian a copy of “Night Of The Living Dead”. “Try this one.” he said. “I’m returning it, I saw it last night. There’s a colorized remake, but this black and white version is much scarier. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. All you need is a box of microwave popcorn, and a tall, chilled “Mountain Dew”, and you’re set for the evening.”
Tony smiled as he watched the smirk fade from Brian’s face. “Have a nice day Brian.” he said, then walked away.