Blasts From the Past

Chapter 15

“So what’s Katy’s son like? Any pings on the gaydar?” Brian asked as they were sitting at one of the large tables in the reception hall.

Lunch consisted of a variety of salads and several hot dishes as well. Everyone was able to find something appealing and very tasty. Pitchers of cold beverages were on each table and everyone was encouraged to help themselves. Bree and Patrick loved being surrounded by the college kids.

“Timmy? Nah, he’s straight, but he’s cool. His mom is a member of PFLAG in Harrisburg. We found out we’re going to be in the same suite,” Gus said with enthusiasm. Brian nodded calmly but inwardly was very glad his son had made a friend. Katy was smart and compassionate. She accepted Brian as he was back then, being one of his few confidantes, other than Lindsay.

“Um, Dad,” Gus leaned in closer to Brian to speak in confidence. “A lot of people remember you.” Brian was about to reply with something flippant like being unforgettable, but something in Gus’ tone told Brian to be cautious.

“And is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“I’m not sure. They all remember you as being really smart.”

“And you’re worried that you can’t live up to the reputation,” Brian said cutting straight to the heart off the matter.

Gus nodded his head with a sigh, then he lifted worried eyes to his father.

“Sonny Boy, you have nothing to prove to me. I know you’re very smart. You’re here to learn the basic principles of business and to pass each course with flying colors. You and I are not competing. You’ll have enough trouble competing with yourself and with all the other students. My goals back then weren’t the same as yours are now.”

“What were your goals?”

“To be the best student and the best fucking adman ever. Make a boatload of money and get the hell out of the Pitts.”

“Not so different from mine,” Gus said with a twinkle in his Kinney hazel eyes.

“Oh yeah?” Brian retorted knowing that his son had a smart answer for almost everything. “Then tell me, oh son of mine, what are your goals?”

“To be the best student and the best fucking adman ever, after you, make a boatload of money and...”

“And?” Brian repeated while arching his famous brow.

“And to stay in the Pitts because I want to be a part of Kinnetik, and maybe one day, after I’ve learned from the master, take over. Cause, Dad, I’m really proud to be your son,” Gus said as he wrapped his arms around his father.

“I’m so proud of you too,” Brian whispered into his son’s ear as he hugged Gus back. The family smiled as they shared the moment.

 

*****
 

“Hi.”

“Hello! I didn’t think you were going to call me,” Jamie said.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Leda asked.

“I wasn’t sure if I was your type.”

“I’ve thrown out the rule book on ‘types’. They don’t seem to apply anymore or make any sense,” Leda said thinking about Brian and the life he had made for himself.

“What do you mean?” Jamie asked as she picked up the menu in front of her. Leda and Jamie were about to have lunch at the Village Diner. They ordered their lunch before Leda continued.

“I’ve always been a free spirit, traveling wherever the road took me and finding companionship in whatever form it took.”

“Meaning?” Jamie asked over her water glass.

“Meaning, I like women. I like warm and wet, and I like a woman who’s not afraid to experiment.”

“Nothing wrong with that.”

“But I also like an occasional dick if it’s attached to someone hot. And sometimes I like topping that dick. I have a pretty extensive toy box.”

Jamie blushed. She took several sips of ice water. “Maybe you’ll show me your toy collection one day. I’d love to learn how to use them.”

“I thought you were a teacher,” Leda drawled seductively.

“I am but I’m also a firm believer in continuing education. It never hurts to learn.”

“Unless you want it to,” Leda added.

Jamie’s blush deepened as she nodded.

 

*****
 

After lunch the family decided to take in some local sights while Gus and Brian went over his class schedule. Gus was pre-registered for several courses so he already had a syllabus.

“Pop, can we go get some of my books?” Gus asked nervously. He was anxious to get started.

“I don’t see why not. And if I’m not mistaken, there should be a small branch of our bank on campus. I want to add to your account while we’re here.”

“Thanks, Pop!”

“You’re welcome. Just don’t spend it all on beer and poppers,” Brian grumbled.

“Beer and poppers,” Gus said as he held up his class schedule. “Nope, not on the list.”

“Make sure it stays that way,” Brian said as he led his son into the campus bookstore.

“No, problem, Pop.”

 

*****
 

“Is this the right building?” Brian asked as they stood in front of a renovated building that was one of the off campus houses. “Doesn’t look like much,” he murmured.

“I don’t care what it looks like, Pop. As long as I get a room where I can hook up my laptop, I’ll be fine.”

“Gus, I’d prefer you in a room and building that won’t fall down around your ears,” Brian said with a critical tone.

“We meet again!” Katy shouted out her car window as she and her son pulled up in front of the same building. The boys shook hands as Brian and Katy exchanged warm hugs. “Wow, look at this, my boy is really growing up,” she said excitedly and from a different perspective. Brian realized he was being a snob. As a student he was thrilled with his ‘closet’; it represented freedom and unending possibilities. Whether he now had the ability to buy the building in front of him wasn’t the point. Brian took his head out of his ass and began to share his son’s enthusiasm.

“Let’s see if we can take a look inside the place,” he said to Gus and the others. Getting wide smiles as his reply, he led them across the threshold.

 

*****
 

“And it has this huge refrigerator,” Gus said as he spread his arms out to describe the monster. “But they recommend we keep the dry stuff in our room in plastic tubs and that we have one for the refrigerator too.”

The family went back to the steakhouse for dinner. Brian invited Katy and Tim to join them since the boys were to be roommates of sorts.

“We have to share a bathroom but that can’t be any worse than at home,” Gus said innocently.

“Gus, who do you share with at home?” Justin asked nonchalantly as he helped Bree cut up her chicken.

“Um, my moms and my sister, you know that.”

“And the bathroom, is it clean?”

“You can practically eat off the floor. The moms are anal that way.” The table laughed at Gus’ choice of words.

“Gus, your moms are not the ones you'll be sharing with,” Justin stated the obvious.

“It says in the brochure that each suite holds up to six people,” John said as he perused the housing info. “That’s six teenaged boys, six teenaged boys with questionable hygiene habits. Present company excluded,” John remarked as he looked at Gus and Tim.

Two sets of eyes widened in horror, as knowing parents nodded their heads and laughed.

 

*****
 

Michael walked up to the door of the restaurant where he was supposed to meet Hank. He paused as his hand reached out to turn the doorknob. He took a deep breath and told himself that he would do the right thing. He wanted to help Hank, to steer him on the right course for his life, to make sure that he felt like he could count on Michael. But Brian had told him to let Hank talk and not offer advice. He would try that, but if Hank asked for advice he was prepared to give it, or why would the young man be asking for it?

It wasn’t often Michael was placed in the role of mentor to someone younger, and he wanted to get it right. He liked that Hank had come to him, rather than to David, who always had all the answers and knew exactly what should happen. It never mattered to David what other people thought. He just did what he knew was the right thing, and everyone else be damned. Michael knew he was being too harsh in his opinions about David. They hadn’t parted under the best of circumstances, and Michael still felt some resentment about their whole affair. He didn’t want to have those feelings mess up his talk with Hank.

Drawing himself up to his full, if meager, height, he opened the door and went inside.

Hank waved to him from a table across the room. Michael made his way over there. The usual pleasantries were exchanged, and the menus read. Once they had made their choices and ordered their drinks and food, Michael knew it was time to hear about Hank’s trip to Philadelphia.

“So, how was Philly? Still the town that everyone loves to hate?”

Hank frowned. “I can’t say that I agree with that statement,” he replied thoughtfully. “I quite liked the city.”

“It was just a joke,” Michael said hastily. This wasn’t going as smoothly as he had hoped. The waitress brought their drinks, and he quickly tossed back some of his beer. “So, tell me what you thought of Philadelphia.”

“I liked it. It’s a big city, but not too big. I think I could live there.”

“How was the practice you looked at?” Michael asked.

“Interesting.”

“Interesting good … or interesting bad?”

Hank chuckled. “Good,” he said rather ambiguously.

“Are you going to tell me what it was like?” Michael asked as their food arrived. “Or will I have to beat it out of you?” he joked.

“I guess I could tell you,” Hank replied taking a bite of his food. “This is good.”

“Hank!”

“I bought the practice,” Hank said quickly.

“Oh? Wasn’t that a little hasty?” Michael was surprised at this seemingly rash action. He wanted to say something about not jumping in head first, but he bit his lip and waited to hear the rest of Hank’s explanation. It wasn’t his place to tell Hank he had done something wrong.

“You told me to go check it out. I checked it out, I liked it, and I bought it.”

“Just like that?”

“Yep.”

Michael frowned. “I have a feeling there’s something more you’re not telling me.”

“There is something else, but I thought I’d save it for coffee and dessert,” Hank said with a grin. “Until then, I’ll tell you about the practice.”

“Okay,” Michael replied as he continued to eat his dinner. He couldn’t help but wonder what Hank was going to spring on him for dessert.

“The practice belongs to Old Doc Cherney,” Hank began.

“Old Doc Cherney?” Michael asked with a laugh.

“Yeah, that’s what he told me to call him. Apparently he’s known far and wide as Old Doc Cherney.”

“How the fuck old is he?”

“Probably seventy,” Hank laughed. “That’s why he’s selling his practice. He’s going to retire to Sarasota. He’s hoping there will be some old babes down there in need of adjustments, if you get my drift.”

“Straight people!” Michael laughed. “And old straight people are the worst.”

Hank didn’t respond, merely continued to look at Michael with a gentle grin. “Anyway,” he said after a minute, “Old Doc Cherney’s practice is kind of on the decline. He hasn’t had many new patients over the last few years, but he has quite a few regulars who seem to be willing to give me a try. He let me sit in on some of his sessions, with the consent of the patients, of course,” Hank added.

“Of course,” Michael said as he finished off his dinner.

“Some of them said they would be willing to keep coming to his practice if I took it over.”

“That’s encouraging,” Michael said cheerfully. It sounded like Hank’s trip had gone well.

“Yeah, I was encouraged. The place needs some sprucing up, and there’s some new machines I would need to buy. It won’t be cheap.”

“Do you think you can swing it?”

“I’ve got some savings, and I went to a bank in Philadelphia. That’s why I stayed an extra day. I think I’ve got the financing all worked out.”

“Great!”

“I’ll have to be diligent for the first year or two. I won’t have much disposable income. But I’m hoping that I can expand the practice. If I can do that, I should be fine.”

“Maybe you should go after a sports team, like David did with the Penguins,” Michael suggested. Hank made a face, and Michael realized he probably didn’t like being reminded of how successful his father was.

“Yeah, there’s the Phillies, but they probably already have a chiropractor,” Hank said slowly.

“Oh, yeah,” Michael agreed, realizing that it wouldn’t be that easy to get an in with a big league sports team.

“Maybe I could start with some of the minor league teams,” Hank threw out.

“Yeah, that might be a little more realistic.”

“Dessert?” Hank asked as the waitress cleared their table and handed them the dessert menu.

“I guess I’ll have to, so I can find out your secret,” Michael laughed. “Chocolate cake,” he said, “and coffee.”

“Make that two,” Hank said handing the menu back to the waitress. She hurried away to fill their orders.

Once she had returned with the coffees and cake, Michael couldn’t wait any longer. “So what’s the ‘something else’ you have to tell me?” he asked.

Hank smiled long and slow. His eyes twinkled, and Michael began to wonder what he was going to say. “I met someone.”

“Someone? Someone who?”

“A girl.”

“A girl? As in a girl you like?” Michael asked slightly bewildered.

“Exactly.”

“How…how did that happen?”

“She’s the receptionist at Old Doc Cherney’s office. She’s cute as a bug.”

“But … when you left here, you were questioning your sexuality,” Michael felt compelled to remind David’s son.

“I know, and then I met Maryanne.”

“Is that her name … Maryanne?”

“Yes.”

Michael could see something in Hank’s eyes. He wondered if that was the love of a man for a woman. “Did…did you tell her about your … questions … you know?” Michael stammered.

“No, not really, but I think she answers some of my questions.”

“Be careful, Hank,” Michael warned. “You know what your father and mother went through when they weren’t perfectly honest with each other.”

“No one’s perfectly honest with another person,” Hank said with a tinge of bitterness in his voice.

Michael blinked wondering just how damaged Hank had been by the domineering father and the uncaring mother. “I just want you to be sure.”

“We went on a date while I was there,” Hank explained. “We had a great time, and no, I didn’t sleep with her … yet. But she’s going to keep working at the practice, and I plan to wine her and dine her, and see where things go.”

Michael studied the young man. “That sounds like a plan,” he said slowly. “But I think you should be honest with her … if things get serious.”

“I plan to be,” Hank assured him.

“That’s good.”

“Michael, I want to thank you for listening to me and acting as a sounding board. I feel like I’m taking a big step into a whole new life. Things look so much better for me than they did the first time I came to your comic book store.”

“I guess I’ll be losing a good customer with you moving to Philly,” Michael joked and then smiled. He said sincerely, “I’m really happy that you felt you could come to me. I’ve enjoyed our talks, and I hope the future is nothing but bright for you.”

“I hope so too,” Hank smiled back. “Is … is it okay if I keep in touch, not like every day, but every now and then, maybe call or drive over when I have a weekend?”

“I’d like that, Hank,” Michael said as they got up to leave. “Can I drop you somewhere?”

“No, but thanks. I’m going back to the hotel to pack up and head for Philadelphia.”

“Not wasting any time, I see,” Michael said with a smile.

“I have too much to look forward to. I don’t want to waste a minute. Thanks again, Michael.” He pulled Michael into a warm hug, before heading off down the street.

Michael walked towards his car. He hoped for nothing but the best for the son of his old lover. He also knew he felt like a million bucks, having heard Hank’s words about how much he appreciated Michael’s help. Sometimes life was great.

 

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