Bad as New
Chapter 3
"There you all are! I was beginning
to worry." Claire exclaimed as the Kinney/Taylor family walked through the
front door of the farm house a little later than the appointed time.
"I hope we didn't ruin dinner,
Claire. We had a couple of false starts," Justin said by way of
explanation. Brian was so nervous about the evening that he had forgotten the
baby's bag. Fortunately they weren't too far from the cottage to turn back.
"No. Nothing's ruined. I've learned
to plan ahead for you three. Now, let me take your precious little girl while
you set up her high chair."
Claire reached for Briana
as Justin set up her portable high chair and took out her supplies from her
bag. They greeted Steve, John, Bobby, Patrick and Hunter before finally
settling down at the table. Brian noticed two extra place settings at the table
and arched an eyebrow. Hunter noticed the inquisitive look and responded.
"Nick's coming; he should be here in
a few minutes. He was able to get some time off before the next semester. And I
asked Bill to come. Is that okay with you?" Hunter asked Brian. Brian
nodded nervously. He felt like he was on display and he wasn't thrilled about
it.
By the time the dinner fixings were on the
table Nick and Bill had arrived. Hunter and Brian were exchanging nervous
glances all throughout the meal. If Justin didn't already know what was going
on, he'd be one very jealous Sunshine. Nick, on the
other hand didn't have a clue and it was getting obvious that he wasn't a happy
camper.
The dinner conversation was light, ranging
from the Farm to Rage to Kinnetik and of course, Bree and Patrick. Nick wasn't having any of it. Claire
sensed an impending queen out and began to remove the breakables and sharp
objects from the table. Nick was able to contain himself until it was time for
dessert.
"Forgive me, Mrs. McNally, but I want
to know what the fuck is going on? Hunter, why are you and Brian looking at
each other that way? And why aren't you stopping them?" Nick
pointed a finger at Justin with his last statement and slapped the table with
his hand, startling Patrick and Bree.
"Nick!" Hunter stood up and
growled at his boyfriend. Hunter couldn't really blame him, they were acting a
little weird and Nick knew of Hunter's fascination toward Brian. Secretly
Hunter was pleased that Nick was a little jealous but he also knew what Brian
wanted to propose. Hunter didn't want Nick's jealousy to cloud the issue.
"Let me," Brian started to stand
and went into full ad exec mode. He grabbed an oatmeal cookie off the top of
the heaping plate that Claire brought in from the kitchen. Brian took a bite
and started to pace while he made his pitch.
"Nick, please don't be angry or jump
to any conclusions. What I have to tell you may involve some of you and definitely
will affect all of us. So let me get this all out and then Hunter and I will
answer your questions." Brian scanned the faces of the family and watched
them nod in agreement.
"I've been spending a lot of time at Kinnetik. The
"Brian, I'm not sure if I understand
you," Claire remarked in all innocence.
"Claire, Brian's office was a rundown
old bathhouse. That part of
"Oh, so the offer was for..."
"Sexual favors. Let me clarify that.
Some snot-nosed little blond kid wanted to suck me off for ten bucks. I turned
down his offer but made him one in return. He now has a job at the local
bathhouse, hustling towels and condoms and cleaning up. He's doing well from
what I hear," Brian continued.
"But what does this have to do with
any of us?" Bobby asked.
"I'm getting to that. The kid struck
a sore nerve in me. He reminds me of Justin when we first met and he is a lot
like Hunter, like Hunter used to be. There was also this other kid, several
years ago, a hustler, we never knew much about him but he wound up dead in a
dumpster near the diner. Nobody cared about him, no one except for Debbie. With
her persistence, Jason Kemp's name was finally made known and with Hunter's
help, his murderer was discovered."
"Oh my!" Claire gasped.
Nick had never heard this part of Hunter's
past and was more than curious and very proud. Hunter smiled and patted Nick's
hand. "Later," he mouthed to Nick.
"I don't know if it's all the hoopla
about Rage, or because the kid was so young or that he
reminded me of Justin..." Justin saw the strain and worry splay across
Brian's face and slipped his hand into Brian's for comfort. Brian stopped to
squeeze Justin's hand which calmed him then went on. "I feel I have to do
something worthwhile with my money. I want to fund a counseling center and
clinic for runaways and hustlers and I want Hunter to run it."
"Brian!"
"You what?"
"You've got to be kidding!"
"Do you know what you're up
against?"
"What about the Farm?"
The whole family was in an uproar except
Hunter, Brian, Justin and Bill.
"Brian, I think that's an excellent
idea and I can't think of anyone more qualified to run it than Hunter,"
Bill said with conviction.
"Bill?" Steve looked at his
friend and partner in the Farm with astonishment.
"Okay, let's all calm down and
analyze this one step at a time. First, we put aside Brian's motives to fund
the clinic. I suspect there are a multitude of reasons and frankly there aren't
enough hours in the day to delve into the psyche of Brian Kinney." Bill
scanned his audience and then went on. "Now, let's look at how this will
affect the Farm. The majority of the work with the kids is done over the summer, three months that Hunter can use his unique talents
to help out the children that stay with us. That leaves nine months that we use
Hunter as a farmhand. Does anyone but me and Brian see
the waste there? Hunter worked his butt off to finish his education and with
honors and went on to get his masters. Aren't we doing Hunter a disservice by
not letting him practice what he's been trained to do and for a most worthy
endeavor?" Bill waited a moment to allow that to sink in.
"Steve, we can always hire another
farm hand to handle whatever Hunter has been doing. Next summer, if the clinic
is up and running, we can work out a schedule with him. He can spend time in
"Nick, I realize that you and Hunter
have precious little time together while you're in school and learning what it
takes to be a doctor. And I imagine you feel a little guilty that you're always
so busy. But do you expect Hunter to just sit around and wait until you have
five minutes to spend together? And perhaps, don't you find it a little
distracting trying to rush through a complicated experiment in the lab when you
think Hunter is waiting? I'm sure Hunter is well aware of how heavy your schedule
is. Once you're out of school, it'll be time for your residency. Allegheny
General has a link with Penn, I'm sure you can do your residency there. You
want to specialize in Infectious Diseases, right? That's a major hospital; you
can learn a lot there. And maybe when you're ready you can give some time to
the clinic. Your knowledge of HIV and AIDS would be invaluable there."
Nick smiled at the thought of working with Hunter.
"Claire, I know you've grown
accustomed to having Hunter here," Bill began.
"Bill, you don't have to say another
word. I will miss Hunter terribly but
"Bobby, Brian and Hunter will need
your talents. I'm sure there is a lot of legal red tape that must be cut
through to get this project off the ground. It may go a little easier since the
initial funding will be put up by Brian. I'm sure there are grants and special
funds that can be applied for and I know some pharmaceutical companies may get
involved too. You will have to do some research," Bill continued.
Bobby was pleased to be included and since
he specialized in charities he knew where to start.
"Brian, where did
you intend the clinic to run out of?" Bill addressed Brian.
"Terry's bathhouse. It's a very large building and only a small part of
it is used. There's a separate entrance to the area that I was of thinking of
but it will need a lot of renovations. And the more work we do to upgrade that
part of town, the better it will be for the community."
"Then I suspect you may need John's
talents. I see this as a family project to some extent," Bill added.
"I'm beginning to see that too. I
didn't want to become overtly involved, for many reasons. I still have a
certain reputation down there. I can't let that get in the way of business or
get back in a bad way to Gus. He's at an age where acceptance by his peers is
crucial. If it gets back to him that his dear old dad is spending time with
whores, he may not understand, no matter how noble the premise may be,"
Brian said with worry in his voice.
"Brian, how can that happen?"
Justin didn't see any problem.
"Brian's right. I can see Lindsay
being a supporter once she gets the full picture but Melanie may jump to
conclusions too quickly. Brian, you may want to have a family meeting to let
them all in on it. At the very least, Ted may have to be informed. He is your
accountant."
"Bill's right on that point,"
Bobby spoke up. "Ted will need to know unless you plan to use someone else
to handle the accounts.
"Shit! I wanted this to stay quiet.
If Ted finds out, then Emmett finds out, then it'll be all over the
Pitts." Brian scrubbed at his face at the thought that his life would
again be at the mercy of scrutiny.
"Brian, may I remind you that Ted is
a certified account and a licensed individual. Your business is confidential
and he will treat it as such," John said sternly to Brian, his eyes
reminding Brian of the conversation that they had had the day before Brian's
wedding. Ted had been instrumental in setting up various trust funds. Brian
nodded.
"Hunter, you've been very quiet
during this discussion. What's your take on this?" Bill asked Hunter's
opinion. It was his life that was about to take a major turn.
"Needless to say, I was a bit shocked
that Brian proposed this to me. It's silly when you think about it. I did all
that studying and I still feel like I should be mucking out a stall. This
scares the shit out of me. I wouldn't know where to begin, how to get the kids
into the clinic to get the help they need," Hunter confessed his
apprehension.
"You start small. Start with the boy
Brian helped. The word will slowly get out that the help is out there. That you care about what happens to him. Follow up with him.
Sure, he may feel that having a job and a place to sleep is all that he'll ever
need but in a couple of years from now, it won't be enough. And what if he
turns out to be HIV positive? How will he feel then?" Bill was trying to
get Hunter to think things through.
"He'll feel like killing
himself," Hunter stated almost coldly. When he had been on the streets,
there hadn't been a day that went by that Hunter didn't feel like there was
nothing to live for.
The family remained silent.
"Honey?" Claire wanted to help, wanted to take away Hunter's
pain but she couldn't.
"It's okay,
Claire. Most days are good. I have a lot to live for." Hunter smiled at
the woman who was more of a mother than his own ever was. He looked down as
Nick took his hand. "If this clinic can save just one kid from becoming
positive or get them off the streets then it will be
worth it."
Claire got up to make a fresh pot of
coffee and put the kettle on. Brian got up to check Bree's
diaper and get her another piece of cookie and some milk. The family buzzed
quietly and hovered around the table and the kitchen cleaning up. Within twenty
minutes they were back seated around the table.
"As I see it," Steve put forth
his opinion. "We close up the Farm as usual and prepare for the Fall harvest. There is an older young man who expressed an
interest in farming, I'll speak with him. If it works out, I'll offer him a
permanent position. He's a local boy who never had any real direction in his
life. This may be just what he needs. Although my barn will never look as clean
and organized as it has since Hunter got his hands on it. Hunter, would you
consider giving up old Betsy. I think Joey would give her a good home,"
Steve said with a smirk and a wink to Brian.
"Uh, I guess so but how am I going to
get back and forth to
"I think I may have a solution to
that." Justin stood, dug into his pocket and pulled out the keys to his
Cherokee.
"You're giving me your
Cherokee?" Hunter's eyes grew large.
"Yeah, if that's
okay with you. I was going
to get a new one but she still has a lot of life in her and I'd like to see her
have a good home." Brian smiled at his spouse. Justin often had twinges of
jealousy when it came to Hunter. Brian couldn't be more proud of Justin at that
moment. "Just use the good gas and change the oil regularly," Justin
counseled.
"Okay, so now I have some new wheels
but that doesn't get me a clinic," Hunter commented.
"I think that's where I come
in." Bobby got a pad and pen and started to make some notes. "First,
we see who actually owns the building in question and start from there. I'll
research what it takes to get a license to run a clinic of this sort. If that
goes well and we get a go ahead from the city, then we find out what
renovations are needed and permits."
"That's my job," John jumped in.
"We'll have to submit plans to the city inspectors. Brian, you may have to
renovate the whole building not just the part you want to use for the clinic.
That may be a big financial expense."
"Then I'll have to get Ted involved.
Between him and Bobby they know my net worth and how much I can spend."
"Brian, a lot of
"Steve's right," Bill confirmed
and Brian nodded.
"Okay, I guess Ted can do that,"
Brian agreed.
"Uh guys, where am I going to stay
during all of this? I mean I guess I can stay with Ben and Mikey
or at Deb's but considering the amount of phone calls I imagine I'm going to
make and the research, I'd rather not do it under their noses. Especially if we want to keep Brian's name out of this. Talk
about some major rumors. Plus if they see me out on the street, it'll get back
to them very fast. They may all think I'm hustling again."
"My apartment
building. On the third
floor, there's a vacancy. It's a studio, just right for a young man starting
out and there's a bonus. It's close to the back stairs. That staircase leads to
the alley around back. I can have a special lock and code installed. You can
come and go as you please without being seen, at least until we feel
comfortable about letting the world know what we're up to. The rent can be part
of your salary for now."
Nick gave Hunter and Brian a pleading
look.
"And we can have an extra key made
for your special guest. The studio is big enough for two." Brian smirked
with his tongue planted in his cheek as he directed his comment to Nick. Nick's
smile lit up the room.
"I'm going to miss you," Nick
whispered to Hunter.
"Not hardly. Bill's right, you need to concentrate on your
studies. Brian and Justin's relationship has weathered many separations but
they always found their way back to each other. And look at Emmett and Drew.
They were separated for years but now they're so happy with each other. I think
if our relationship is for the long haul, we can make it work."
Nick nodded. It was true. This would be a
test for them both but they were both starting out in their life careers. Some
things needed to be accomplished before they made that last commitment.
As Bobby and Brian continued to make some
notes, Hunter observed that Patrick and Briana were
both yawning as they sat in their respective high chairs.
"Guys, I think some of us are getting
bored," Hunter said as he nodded toward the children.
"I guess that's our cue," Brian
said as he looked over at his daughter who was getting sleepy. "Come on,
Sunshine, we better get her home." Justin agreed and began to pack up
their stuff to go home.
Later that evening after Briana was tucked securely in her crib, Brian and Justin
decided to cuddle under the stars on the brass bed. The night was cloudless,
the stars looked bright. Justin's head was resting on Brian's chest. The even
beating of Brian's heart comforted the younger man. Brian's fingers were
entwined in Justin's hair. With each caress of the silky tendrils, Brian began
to relax.
"Justin, am I being an asshole?"
Brian whispered softly.
"Why do you ask?" Justin said
raising his head a little to see Brian's face.
"Is the reason why I want to open
that clinic because I'm arrogant enough to think that Rage can save the day or
is it that my past sins have guilted me into
it?"
"I don't know. Does the reason really
matter? What matters is that you have an idea, a very good idea and instead of
going off and trying to do this on your own, you came to the family and asked
for help. And now with their help, something very good may come out of
it."
"But what if I fall flat on my
face?"
"First of all it won't be just you
falling on your face. We all have a stake in this. And second, we won't let you
fall." Brian gently pushed Justin back down so his head could again rest
on his chest.
"Promise?" Brian asked.
"I promise." Justin replied.