Bad as New
Chapter 2
Hunter arrived at the cottage promptly at
six. He figured that if Brian Kinney called it would be best to be punctual. He
pulled up in front, got out of his truck and strolled up the path. It was late
August, still hot but with a slight breeze that took the edge off. The shrubs
and flowers in the garden were all in full bloom. Hunter smiled to himself at
the thought of Brian Kinney, home owner and gardener. Hunter knew that Brian
took pride in his home. And while Brian did have a professional landscaper come
over monthly to keep things neat, Brian, Justin and Gus had gotten into the
habit over this summer of doing a little of the gardening themselves. Brian
called it 'therapy'. Justin called it 'puttering'. Gus called it 'silly' but went
along with it because he enjoyed the time he spent with his father.
Hunter knocked on the front door.
"Hey, Hunter, right
on time. We're in the
porch." Brian opened the door with his warm greeting for Hunter.
"Want a beer?"
Hunter shook his head, no. He really did
want the beer but he took his anti-viral medications faithfully and they didn't
mix well with alcohol. Hunter opted for bottled water.
"Justin's been grilling up a storm,
so I hope you came with an appetite," Brian commented as his led the boy
to the porch.
"Been shoveling manure all day, I'm
hungry. I could eat a cow," Hunter laughed.
"Then cow it is," Brian answered
with a chuckle.
Justin was finishing grilling steaks and
chicken for their meal. Salad and sweet corn on the cob were on the table. Briana was sitting in her high chair waiting for Brian to
feed her. Justin served Hunter then made up a plate for Brian. Brian was busy
cutting up chicken into tiny baby sized pieces for Bree
and had a small bowl of mashed peas cooling for her. Brian also had a 'sippy' cup prepared for Bree. She
didn't quite have the hang of it so it only held a sip or two of milk but Brian
beamed with pride at every valiant attempt Briana
took.
Hunter watched Brian feed his daughter
with fascination. Who knew that Brian fucking Kinney could ever grow up enough
to care so thoroughly for a baby? Justin spied Hunter staring at his spouse and
daughter. He knew what Hunter was thinking.
"Next year he's putting in a spice
garden," Justin remarked, matter-of-factly at the blissful domestic
picture Brian presented. Hunter giggled as Brian arched a brow then snorted.
They continued to eat dinner with little fanfare.
After dinner, the three men cleaned up.
Justin took Briana to get changed, leaving Hunter and
Brian alone to talk.
"You're probably wondering why I
called you here tonight."
"I am a little curious. I didn't
think it was only to feed me. Claire's been doing a good job of that."
"I bet she is. You look great,
Hunter. How have you been feeling?"
"I'm good. My T-cells are right where
they're supposed to be and my viral load is practically non-existent."
"You playing
safe with Nick?"
"Yeah, very safe. He spends a lot of time in school and in the hospital
so we're not fucking like bunnies; we don't have that much time. But when we
do, yeah, we're safe."
"Good boy." There was an awkward
silence so Hunter pushed a little.
"Can we walk down to the stream? I
want to see if you've retained your rock skipping skills." Hunter got up
and walked toward the back of the porch.
"Sure," Brian said as he
followed. When they got to the edge of the stream, Hunter picked up a few
stones and began to skip them across the surface. He handed a few to Brian and
after a couple of false starts, Brian skipped a few too.
"You remembered," Hunter
remarked.
"Had a good teacher," Brian said
quietly with a far away look in his eye.
"Brian, what's wrong?" Brian
leaned on the big rock and began to tell Hunter about Frank. He told Hunter of
how helpless he felt and his fear of making things worse for Frank. He didn't
mention the nightmare but Hunter could tell how deeply the events had affected
Brian. They both sat, leaning against the rock in silence for some time.
"Hunter, I'd like to do something, I
mean really do something worthwhile. But I'm not sure how to go about it or
even if it would make a difference," Brian sighed. He was doing a lousy
job of relaying his thoughts.
"Tell me what you have in mind and
let me be the judge of whether it's feasible or not." Hunter wanted Brian
to get to the point but realized Brian had to do it in his own way
"You know the bathhouse off of
"You mean Terry's?"
"Yeah. Did you ever, um...?"
"A few times, but the cops hung out
there too much. It was easier in a hustler bar or on the street. I thought Terry'd be retired by now."
"Nah, business is way too good. And
now that the kid's got it all cleaned up, he's attracting a classier
clientele."
"So, what about it? You want to shut it down or something?"
"No, I was thinking about some sort
of clinic or counseling center inside. Well, not inside but around the back.
The building has a back entrance. It looks like when the bathhouse was built it
was really a high-priced gym. The gymnasium part is still there but Terry uses
it for storage. I don't think he knows what's in it. I was able to get a copy
of the original plans for the building. It probably was a men's club in the
fifties, with a gym, pool, sauna, massage rooms and small apartments for
traveling businessmen. I guess over the years when we took over that part of
town, it became a bathhouse. I was thinking that we could rent the space, clean
it up and make it into a counseling center for runaways and hustlers. Kids like
you used to be, scared, lonely, nowhere to go and we
can get them tested. Maybe even get tutoring for them, job counseling. That sort of thing."
Hunter let some of what Brian mentioned
settle in then it dawned on him.
"What do you mean, WE?"
"I mean, you
and me. Actually, you. I'd put up the money. You'd run
the place."
"Me? You want me to run a clinic?
What about the Farm? I love it there. I can really do something good
there!"
"I know that but that's only three
months out of the year. What about the other nine months? You going to sit around
watching the grass grow? Hunter, who better than an ex-kid hustler to offer
counseling? You still look like a kid, not much older than Frank. And you of
all people know what's at stake. Hunter, you have Ben as a mentor. He knows
what you're going through. He's always been there for you. Those kids don't
have anyone. If Ben and Michael didn't pull you off the street, where would you
be now?"
"Probably dead," Hunter
whispered but without hesitation. Brian put his arm around the ex-littlest
hustler.
"Then help me do this. What good is
all my fucking money if I can't do anything significant with it?"
"Brian, you do a lot of good with
your money." Sensing there was a little more to it, Hunter pushed Brian
just a bit more. "Brian, what's the real reason? Some hustler trying to
blow you isn't news. A lot of guys want to blow you; a lot of guys would pay
you to let them."
"I had a...that kid, he...shit.
Frank. He reminds me of you and Justin and..."
"Jason Kemp?"
"Yeah. Fuck, Hunter. If it wasn't for Debbie, no one would
have even known Jason Kemp's name. If it wasn't for you, the truth would have
never come out about his murder." Brian shot up and began to pace,
startling Hunter into getting up. "I don't know why but I have to try to
do something."
"Okay! Okay, Brian. Let me think
about it. The summer's almost over and you're right, I have no idea what to do
with myself when we close up for the season. I wanted to do something to help
kids like me, to make sure they knew they weren't alone, that someone cared.
Maybe this is why I went through all that shit and lived to talk about it. But
Brian, I can't do this all by myself. And I'm sure there are rules and state
and city regulations. All the money in the world won't help if I can't get
through the red tape."
"Then enlist Bobby. He's one hell of
a lawyer and he's the legal eagle behind the Farm. He'll know what to do. I
still have some pull at the mayor's office. I can help there. But I don't want
my name in this. Shit, there's already rumors on
"Okay, we'll be discreet; a need to
know basis. But you may eventually have to tell the family. You may not have
any choice."
"I'll cross that bridge when I get to
it. For now, I just sign the checks. So, do we have a deal?" Brian stuck
his hand out to Hunter to seal the deal with a handshake.
"Yeah," Hunter said while
grasping Brian's hand, "we have a deal." Hunter smiled at Brian.
Just then a frog leapt out from behind the
rock.
"Friend of
yours?" Hunter nodded
toward the frog.
Brian caught a glimpse of the plump green
frog inching his way toward them. "Is that the baby I hear? I think it's
time we went back to the house." Brian quickly turned and sprinted back to
the cottage. Hunter laughed then broke into a run to keep up with the long
legged Brian.
Safely inside the house and cuddling Bree against his chest, Brian started to relax. Hunter
watched Brian with his daughter and couldn't believe how the man had changed
from the incredibly hot, sexy, arrogant man that he had first met. Brian was
all those things still, but now he was so much more. Hunter shook his head.
"What are you looking at me like that
for?" Brian asked.
"You look so peaceful, so happy when
you hold Bree," Hunter said.
"I am."
Hunter smiled. "I love babies. Can I
hold her?"
"Sure," Brian said as he passed Bree to Hunter. "It's almost her bedtime so she may
start to doze off."
"That's okay. They're best when
they're quiet."
Justin snorted as he brought in some
coffee and cookies for them all. "Everybody loves the quiet moments."
"I … I wish someday…" Hunter
shook his head and tickled Bree's chin.
"You want one of your own?"
Justin asked.
"I wish that was possible."
"It is."
"What do you mean?" Hunter
asked. "You know I'm positive. I'm not going to pass that on to a
child."
"I'm not saying you should, but you
do have a partner too. If you and Nick make the decision to have a child, Nick
can father the baby."
"Yeah, but then it would be Nick's
child," Hunter said with a frown.
"The baby would be yours too. You
would need to do all the paperwork in case you ever, you know, broke up or
anything."
"Did you and Brian do that?"
Hunter wanted to know.
"Of course we did," Justin
explained. "Gay couples have to be very careful. You never know what could
happen."
"I think Bree's
asleep," Hunter whispered as he stared at the little bundle in his arms.
Brian got up and took the baby. "I'll
put her down." He disappeared with his daughter.
"Patrick's getting so big. He's not a
baby anymore," Hunter observed as he fixed his coffee.
"I know," Justin agreed.
"They grow up so fast." He sipped his coffee and munched on a cookie.
Hunter remained silent. "You know," Justin said. "If you're
worried about a baby being more Nick's than yours, I don't think you have to
worry."
"What do you mean?" Hunter asked
not sure why Justin was bringing this up again.
"Look at Brian. Bree
is more his than mine. I may have provided the sperm, but he dotes on Bree like nothing I've ever seen. She's his baby through
and through. You could be the same. I see a lot of similarities between you and
Brian."
"You do?" Hunter asked but with
a smile. That comparison pleased him.
"Remember when we first met? You
hated my guts, and you didn't want any help from anybody."
Hunter nodded. "The
bad old days."
"But once we got to know you, we
found a big heart under that prickly surface. That's the way Brian is."
"Thanks," Hunter said with a
genuine smile. "I have to admit I never thought I'd hear you say something
like that."
Justin laughed. "A few years ago, I
never would have said it. You sure knew how to push my buttons, especially
where Brian was concerned."
"You're awfully lucky," Hunter
said staring down the hallway where Brian had disappeared.
"Don't I know it!"
"Glad that you
do."
"I think you've found a pretty good
one in Nick," Justin added.
"I think so too," Hunter smiled
as he finished his coffee.
"How do you think Nick will feel
about Brian's proposal?"
"I don't know. We'll still be
separated, but at least it's a major career move for me if we can make it
work," Hunter said thoughtfully.
"Couldn't Nick apply for a residency
at one of the
"Yeah, I guess he could … if he wants
to."
"He'll want to be near you,"
Justin said hoping he was right. "Everything's all right between you two,
isn't it?"
"I guess. It's just hard being so far
apart."
"I know."
"You and Brian were separated a few
times, weren't you?"
"More than a
few."
"How did you hold it all
together?"
"Just hold on and believe,"
Justin said with conviction. "If it's meant to be, it will work out."
"You sound like Claire," Hunter
chuckled.
"I think we've all learned a lot from
that remarkable woman," Justin stated.
"That we have, Sunshine," Brian
said as he came back into the room.
"What took you so long?" Justin
asked as he looked up at his husband and Brian leaned down for a kiss.
"I was watching the Squirt."
"It's his guilty pleasure,"
Justin grinned.
"Among other things," Brian
agreed with a waggle of his eyebrows.
"On that note I should probably get
going so you two can enjoy some of those guilty pleasures." Hunter stood
up as did Justin. "Thanks for dinner and the talks."
"Any time," Justin said.
"I'll walk you out," Brian said
as he followed Hunter to the door.
Hunter and Brian walked out to Hunter's
truck.
"Is this old piece of junk still
rolling?" Brian asked as he gave the back tire a kick.
"Hey! Take it easy on that. I have to
talk very sweetly to old Betsy here so she doesn't give up the ghost at the
first sign of trouble."
"Hm,"
Brian said thoughtfully.
"What?"
"Oh nothing. We're having dinner at Claire's day after tomorrow.
Bobby and John and Patrick will be there. If you don't have a chance to talk to
Bobby before then, maybe that would be a good time," Brian suggested.
"I need to give this whole thing some
serious thought," Hunter said honestly.
"I know you do. Just make the
thoughts go the right way," Brian grinned.
"You're incorrigible."
"I think that's the first time you've
ever said that to me. Many others have used it frequently however," Brian
laughed. "I'm not sure if I should be horrified since I thought I had
changed for the better."
"You didn't need to change as far as
I was concerned."
"Yes, I did. I had some very
important things to face up to and let go of."
"And Justin helped you do that?"
Hunter said.
"The one and only.
"Thanks for the offer, Brian. I
really mean that. The fact that you think I could set up a center like that and
make it work is a real vote of confidence. I appreciate your faith in me."
"As far as I'm concerned you're the
man for the job."
Hunter grinned. Brian watched the smile
play across the young man's face.
"Get your mind out of the gutter,
kid," Brian ordered.
"There's no harm in thinking."
"No, I guess there isn't, but don't
do that in front of Justin," Brian warned.
"Which one of us would be in
trouble?" Hunter teased.
"Both of us," Brian laughed as
Hunter drove away.