Bad as New
Chapter 8
"Ted, thanks for dinner," Hunter
said as he cleaned his plate. He was sitting at the dining table with Ted in
Ted and Allen's loft. "Claire sent some food with me but this was a nice
change."
"Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Allen decided to go out and grab a bite with some guys from the orchestra. Do
you think you're going to enjoy setting up this clinic?"
"I think so. It won't be easy."
"I guess it will take a while to gain
the trust of the hustlers."
"Yeah, but I think I made a step in
the right direction this afternoon."
"Why? What happened?"
"I went to scope out the bathhouse
and I met that Frank kid that sort of started all this."
"Did you now? What's he like?"
Hunter hesitated for a moment. "He's
like all the rest of them. He's like I used to be. They're all running away
from something. They need to start running towards something instead. Anyway I
made contact with him and told him a little of what we're planning to do
there."
"I got the go ahead from Bobby this
afternoon. The papers will be filed tomorrow. The clinic is a go."
"That's great," Hunter smiled.
"I'll soon be official."
"What's your first move?"
"There won't be an actual clinic for
a while yet, but Frank will start to spread the word for me. I want them to see
my presence around the area, get to know me. They have to learn that I'm on the
up and up, that I'm not screwing with them or turning them in to the
cops."
"That's true. I think that's a good
idea. You know, I've seen the plans for the renovations. I think we might be
able to find you an office space while the changes are being made. It would
give you a base to work from. I'll talk to Brian tomorrow."
"That would be great, now let's go
see this furniture you don't need anymore."
*****
Ben was sitting in the dark living room
when Michael came in having stayed late to complete his inventory at the comic
book store.
"Why are you sitting in the
dark?" Michael asked.
"It seemed appropriate."
"Why? What's wrong?"
Ben let out a long sigh. "Everything."
"Are you sick? Ben,
oh no. What's going on?"
"I'm not sick. I saw Hunter
today."
"You went to the Farm?"
"No, he's here in
"He is? Why didn't he let us
know?"
"Because we've failed him," Ben
said choking back tears.
"Failed him? What are you talking
about?"
"He's gone back to hustling,"
Ben said wearily as he wiped at his eyes.
"Don't say crazy stuff like
that," Michael replied his voice full of fear. "He wouldn't do
that."
"I saw him."
"Saw him? Saw him where?"
"Near Terry's
bathhouse. He was with a
kid who tried to hustle me a few weeks ago."
"That … that can't be true,"
Michael said desperately. "It just can't be."
"Well, it fucking is, Michael! Do you
think I'd make something like this up? I saw them together with my own two
eyes. Our son has turned back to the streets."
"No, it can't be," Michael said
sitting down beside Ben and holding his head in his hands. "It can't be
true," Michael whimpered. He looked up at the pain written all over Ben's
face and then he knew it was true.
*****
The next day a very enraged Ben stormed
through the doors of Kinnetik and stalked towards
Brian's office. His was met by Cynthia who was about to go in, carrying Brian's
lunch in a bag.
"Hi Ben."
"He in?" Ben asked curtly.
"Yes, I was about to take in his
lunch," Cynthia raised the bag. Ben snatched the bag out of Cynthia's
hand.
"I'll deliver it to the son of a
bitch." Before Cynthia could say or do anything, Ben was through the
doors.
Brian was sitting at his desk pouring over
the permits and licenses that Bobby had faxed over. Ted was looking over his
shoulder and they were discussing when to start the renovations on the bathhouse.
They both looked up as the freight train known as Ben Bruckner
threw the bag down on Brian's desk and proceeded to get ready to throttle him.
"You fucking son of a bitch! First
you fuck up your own life and now you're messing with mine. I could, could..."
Ben hadn't felt this angry since the time he had 'roid-rage'
and slammed Brian into the locker. His fists were balled up ready to strike.
"Ben!" Teddy threw himself in
front of the big man. He knew that Ben could tear him in two but he needed that
time to get Ben to calm so they could get to the bottom of this. "Ben,
stop. You have to get a hold of yourself. What do you think Brian's done?"
"That fucking whore has been seen
with that little hustler and now I saw Hunter with him last night. Why Brian?
Why can't you keep your dick in your pants and away from my family?" Ben
broke down and fell to his knees. Everything he believed in was crashing around
him and he had no idea how to stop it.
Ted looked at the hapless Ben sobbing on
the floor then looked at Brian who was completely stunned into silence.
"Brian, do something! You've got to
tell him and NOW!"
"Oh for fuck's
sake. Ted, help me get him
up off the floor. Damn he's big. Shit, probably banged his knees up bad."
Ted and Brian were able to get Ben up and to the sofa. "Go get me some
water, no, tea. Someone should have some herbal shit tea around here." Ted
went for the door. "No, stay here with me. Get Cynthia to do it. Ben may
not believe what I have to say." Ted nodded, went out to Cynthia then
quickly returned. Who would ever believe that Brian Kinney needed Ted Schmidt
to protect him?
"Ben, if I explain what you saw, will
you promise to listen and not break my neck?" Ben nodded slightly.
"Ben, I swear on Briana and Gus' heads that I
have not been tricking and Hunter is not turning tricks." Brian waited to
see Ben's reaction.
"Then why did Michael say he saw you
give that hustler money? And why didn't Hunter tell anyone he was in
town?"
"Because, my brawny friend, I've been
giving the kid money to keep him off the streets. He was hitting on half the
men in the neighborhood. I took him to Terry's and got him a real job but you
know Terry's a cheap bastard."
Ben looked up at Brian with a 'duh' look.
"Okay, maybe not. The bathhouse is so
not you. I've been matching what the kid's been earning at the bathhouse. He
passes out towels, cleans up..."
"The place has gotten so much nicer
ever since..." Ben and Brian turned to glare at Ted. "Um, so I've
heard."
"Anyway, I give the kid a few bucks
as long as he stays clean."
"And Hunter?"
"Hunter will be the head counselor of
the drop-in center," Brian said proudly.
"What drop-in center?"
"The one we just got the license and
permits to open. We're going to renovate the bathhouse and use part of it as
the clinic. Next will be that old theater next door and last but not least the
bowling alley at the end of the block. With any luck, we'll have that end of
"You? You're funding all of this?"
"Brian's putting up the initial
costs. We've applied for city and government funding and we've redirected some
of Brian's charitable contributions to the new clinic. John and Bobby have donated
their expertise to the cause. And your son, Hunter..."
"The new Master of Social Work,"
Brian smiled warmly as he spoke that phrase, "has been trying to scope out
the territory. Get to know the new kids on the block, so to speak. The kids he
used to hang with are all gone. But there's always a new crop to take their
place."
"Ben, the plan is to offer as many
kids as we can a real job, get them training, and tested. Maybe get them back
in school," Ted continued from where Brian left off. "That's why we
decided to try to clean up the whole street."
"I understand," Ben finally said
something. "What good is getting a kid off the street if he doesn't have a
job?"
"Correct thinking, Professor. Now,
you still want to hit me?"
"No, but I think I owe you
lunch."
"Okay, but not at
the diner. I don't think
I'm Debbie's favorite person right now."
"She doesn't know?"
"Not yet, but Carl does. We've been
trying to keep this quiet because we weren't sure if we'd get the permits from
the city. I don't make promises I can't keep."
"I should have realized that. Brian,
I'm so sorry," Ben said very contritely. "But I still don't
understand why all the secrecy about Hunter."
"It was a difficult decision for him
to make. Everything's so clean and fresh up at the Farm, and neat. All he had
to do was get up, muck out a barn, say a few words to
some kids then go home. Don't look at me that way, I know it was so much more
but think about it. He left this life so long ago. I don't think he knew if he
could come back here. So he needed a little time to figure things out."
"He's a lot like you." Ben made
his revelation.
"Me?" Brian was almost horrified
at the thought.
"You're both very
complicated men, many layers and you both tend to keep things to yourself. And
it's only the people you love and trust that get to see all the layers. And
you've both worked very hard to achieve your accomplishments." Things were
getting way too emotional when Cynthia came in with a cup of herbal tea.
"It's
peppermint, I hope that's okay," Cynthia stated, handing the cup to Ben
and hoping all the shouting was over for the day.
"Thank you, its fine and I'm sorry if I frightened you."
"You get away with it only once and
that's because you're cute. Next time, I wipe the floor with your ass. This is
my shop, mister, and no one shouts around here but me." Brian cleared his
throat a little and arched a brow. "Oh, and Brian too, but we tend to
ignore him," she said in a loud whisper to Ben that she knew Brian and Ted
could hear. Then Cynthia left the office. Ted giggled until a Kinney death
glare stopped him.
"Now, did I hear you say something
about lunch?" Brian very quickly changed the subject.
"Sure, how about that Italian place a
few blocks over?"
"Sounds good. If you have the time, we can cut through near
Terry's. I'll give you the quick tour. Ted, you want to join us? It's the least
I can do for you throwing yourself in front an on-coming truck."
"What truck?" Ted asked in all
ignorance.
"That truck," Brian nodded
toward Ben who was now blushing from head to toe.
"Thank you, Brian, but I think I
should start working on setting up the special account for the clinic. I can
transfer the money, we can collect interest
while..."
"Ted, Ted, all that money stuff is
giving me a headache. Just do what you do and give me the bottom line
later." Brian regally waved his arm.
"Sure thing, boss," Ted said as
he waved goodbye at his two friends as they walked out.
Ted sat at Brian's desk to study the clinic
papers, opened the brown paper bag and pulled out
Brian's sandwich. As he took a bite out of the dry turkey on whole wheat, he
mumbled, "Needs mayo." Then he continued to do what he did so well.
*****
Brian and Ben walked along the street from
the restaurant where they had had lunch. Ben's good humor had returned and he
had apologized profusely for jumping to the wrong conclusions. Brian was
beginning to wish the big man would just shut up about it and things could
return to normal. Maybe the tour of the bathhouse would take both their minds
off the earlier drama.
As they turned into the street where the
bathhouse was located Brian started his explanation of what the renovations
would entail. He became very animated as he pointed to the various buildings
and the long term plans for each. When they arrived at the entrance to the
bathhouse, Ben was about to start up the steps when Brian stopped him.
"Not that way, Ben. We don't actually
need to go into the bathhouse."
"And here I was kind of looking
forward to it," Ben grinned.
"A trip down memory
lane?"
"Just wanted to see
if anything had changed."
"It hasn't." Ben grinned.
"And this time of day it's hardly worth looking."
"I don't really want to go in
there," Ben admitted. "I'm in a committed relationship. Anything we
might find in there is of no interest to me."
"Michael's very lucky."
"I hope he sees it that way. What am
I going to tell him about Hunter?"
"Don't tell him anything until I give
you the go ahead. There's just a few more papers to sign and i's to dot and then the whole thing will come out."
"I don't know if I can keep it from
him. He was very upset. You saw how I was."
"If you have to tell him, then do.
Ask him to keep it between you two. Okay?"
Ben smiled. "I'll handle it."
"Thanks Ben," Brian said pulling
the big man into a hug.
Just as that happened Michael crossed the
street heading for the diner to grab some late lunch. He stopped dead in his
tracks when he saw Ben and Brian hugging. All he could think was what the fuck
was going on. He stepped back behind the building so they wouldn't see him but
he could peer out at them.
"I should be thanking you,
Brian," Ben said as he released Brian from the hug. "So should a lot
of other people when you get this up and running."
"I don't want thanks. I want it to
work."
"It will," Ben said confidently
patting Brian on the shoulder.
"Then come," Brian said loudly.
"Let me show you the entrance to the place that will change our
world." Brian gestured to a doorway a little farther along the building.
"You have your own entrance?"
Ben asked with a big smile and a shake of his head.
"This will be Hunter's
entrance," Brian said. "Come in." He used his key and unlocked
the door.
"I can't believe my little boy will
have his own office and in the back of a bathhouse," Ben laughed.
The two men went inside letting the door
lock behind them. Michael stood rooted to the spot. His fists clenched and
unclenched. Now it seemed that Ben was going along with some weird plan
involving their son, Brian and the bathhouse. How had the world gotten so
screwed up?
Michael turned slowly and started across
the street not paying any attention to where he was going or what was happening
around him. His head was full of images of Brian and Ben together and Hunter
with men all over him. Everything was so wrong.
Michael never heard the horn as the street
sweeper approached him. He just kept walking. The first time he realized how
close he was to the street and what was about to happen was when the first wave
of water hit his shoes and lower legs. As the rest of the street sweeper passed
him by and he stood stock still, the water shot higher and higher drenching him
from head to toe. He looked like a drowned rat as he seemed unable to move.
Finally he got his soggy shoes to start
moving and he ran in the direction of the diner. "Ma," he whined
forlornly. "Ma!"
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