Cottages

Chapter 2

“You got everything, Squirt?” Brian asked.

“Yes, Dada.”

“Good girl. Have a good day in first grade.”

“I will, Dada. Love you,” Bree said holding her arms up for a hug.

“Love you too, Little Red,” Brian said as Patrick shouldered his backpack.

“Bye, Uncle Bri. Bye, Dad.”

“Don’t I get a hug?” John asked rather indignantly. He didn’t often take the children to school. That usually fell to Bobby or Bree’s parents. This was the first time he was accompanying his son to school this new school year.

“I’m too big for hugs,” Patrick replied. “I’m in fourth grade.”

“You’re never too big for hugs,” John declared as he pulled Patrick into a warm hug.

Patrick pretended to struggle, but he really didn’t mind. “I love you, Dad,” he whispered to John.

“I love you too, son,” John replied with a big smile.

“Bye, Unca John,” Bree said as she got her own hug from her uncle.

“Bye, sweetheart. Have a good day.”

“I will,” Bree said as she saw Ashley waving to her from the playground. “Ashley!” she shrieked and ran over to her friend.

“Bye, Dad,” Patrick said as he headed for a group of boys who were kicking around a soccer ball.

“They’re growing up,” Brian sighed. “I want Bree to stay the age she is now. I don’t want mornings without hugs, and teenage angst and rebelliousness.”

“Dream on, little bro’, dream on,” John chuckled.

“Can’t you let me have my fantasies,” Brian griped good-naturedly as they got into John’s SUV.

“Fantasies don’t accomplish much,” John replied as he started up the vehicle.

“When did you become such a realist?”

“I have my moments of reality,” John laughed.

“Look,” Brian said with a shake of his head. “They didn’t even wave at us. They don’t care that we’re gone.”

John pulled out of the schoolyard onto the road. “And they will care even less as time goes on. They are making their own lives now, and that’s the way it should be.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Brian grumbled.

“You don’t have to like it, but you better get used to it.”

They rode along in silence as John headed for the cottage that Lindsay and Melanie had purchased.

“You okay, Brian?” John finally asked as he pulled up in front of the cottage.

Brian nodded and got out of the car. “Is this place worth fixing?” Brian asked looking at the overgrown mess that confronted him.

“It hasn’t been lived in for quite a while, but it’s a basically sound building. It needs some TLC and some sprucing up.”

“Looks like it needs a wrecking ball,” Brian said snarkily.

“Brian, don’t talk about this building like that. It has good bones. We’re going to resurrect it.”

“Hm.”

“Remember what Edna’s Treasures looked like when you first found it? And look at what it is now.”

“Home,” Brian said wistfully.

John smiled. “This place can be transformed too. Look at what Lindsay drew up as her vision of this place.” John opened his briefcase and took out Lindsay’s drawing.

Brian studied it for a couple of minutes while John watched him. “This is what she wants, what she sees when she looks at this place.” It wasn’t really a question, more a statement. Brian stared at the building in front of them.

“Can you see it, Brian? It will be lovely.”

“Yes, maybe it could be.”

“Then let’s get started. I have some measurements to take and you can look around, get a feel for what might be.”

“What might be,” Brian whispered.

“You okay, Brian?’

“Just thinking.”

“About…?”

“About how everything continues to change.”

“And that’s a good thing,” John said. “If we didn’t change, we’d stagnate.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So, shall we?” John asked as he held out his arm to indicate that they should go inside.

Brian walked up to the front door. In his head he was picturing Lindsay opening the door and walking into the studio she had captured on the paper he still held in his hand. He followed John inside.

It was pretty rundown, Brian noted, as he looked around. But he would glance at Lindsay’s drawing and then he could envision what the place could be. John had his tape measure out and was looking at some papers he had laid out on the kitchen counter.

Brian opened the back door and stepped out into the yard behind the house. There was a long stretch of very weedy lawn. It was full of crabgrass and other weeds, but it could be transformed with some hard work and new sod. Brian walked towards the back of the property picturing beds of flowers in various spots as he went. As he neared the end of the grassy area, he could hear water running. He pushed some bushes aside and looked into a stream that bubbled along the back of the property. This must be the stream that was also part of the property at Edna’s Treasures. It was shallower here and more rocky, but the sound of the water running by was very pleasant. This would be a great place to sit and think, if he cleaned out some of the scruffy bushes that had grown up along the edge of the stream. If only there was a big rock to sit on or lie on and study the clouds as they drifted by.

Brian looked around, but there was no big rock to be found. And then it hit him. There were all kinds of artificial rocks that you could get nowadays. He would make a little area back here with rocks to sit on and wildflowers so there would be a fragrance to tempt the nose. Yes, he knew what he wanted to do.

“Brian!” John’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “I’m done with my measurements. Are you ready to go?’

Brian turned and looked at his brother. He smiled at John. “I’m ready,” he said as he strode back to the cottage.

“You look pleased with yourself. What were you doing back there?”

“Envisioning,” Brian said.

John looked at his brother as they made their way back through the house. “Is that right?” John asked as he locked the front door behind them.

“Yep.”

“Sounds like you know what you want to do with this place.”

“I know what I want to do back there. This front yard I need to give some more thought to.”

“Well, take your time. We’re not going to fix this place overnight.”

“No, we’re not, but I can definitely see now that it’s worth fixing.”

“What made you decide that?” John asked, pleased that Brian had come to that conclusion. “You didn’t sound very interested when we first got here.”

“I wasn’t,” Brian admitted. “I guess I was still pissed off that they bought this place instead of coming to Edna’s Treasures.”

“And now?” John asked as he started the engine.

“I see the potential. I think they made a good choice.”

“I’m really glad you feel that way,” John said as he pulled away. Brian looked back as they drove off. ‘More envisioning,’ John thought to himself. That was exactly what he had hoped would happen.

 

*****
 

“Unca John?” Bree’s little voice called out to her uncle. She was slowly and carefully climbing up the spiral staircase to her uncle’s attic office.

“I’m here, princess,” John said as he met her at the top of the stairs. “What are you doing up here?” John lifted her up to bring the petite child to his desk. He sat in his chair placing Bree on his knee.

“Dada says it’s time for dinner. He says everything’s gonna get cold if you don’t come down right now.” Bree gave her uncle her best Brian Kinney death glare to show him she meant business. John worked very hard to stifle his laughter.

“I see. Then I suppose I should put my things away and come down to dinner,” John said as he began to put away his drafting pencils.

“What are you working on?” Bree asked as she looked at the plans on John’s desk.

“These are plans for Miss Leda’s cottage.” Bree scrutinized the blueprints intently.

“Unca John, do you sign your drawings like me and Daddy do?”

“Yes, ma’am. Right here.” John pointed to the corner of the paper where his name and the name of his company were printed.

“You’re an artist too!”

John chuckled and gave his niece a squeeze. Bree flung her arms around John’s neck. John buried his nose into her fine blonde hair. For a moment a sadness came upon him as he had a fleeting memory of a child that never was born. He had always wondered if the child they lost was a boy or a girl. John quickly buried the memory. They had Patrick, the most precious part of their lives. Bree seemed to sense John's turmoil.

“I love you, Unca John.”

“I love you too, princess,” John said as he kissed her little cheek. “Let’s go down before your Dada gets angry. Besides, I like my dinner hot.”

“Me too!” Bree agreed with a bright smile.

 

*****
 

“Hi,” Bobby said softly so not to startle his spouse who was studying the Kinney album, specifically the painting of the original mansion.

“Hey, Babe,” John replied as he looked up from the album.

“You’ve been up here for days. What have you been doing?” Bobby asked as he came over to John’s desk.

“As you’re aware, Anderson Construction has been commissioned to renovate two cottages.”

“Yes, the old Somerville place and you said there’s a cottage near the Village.”

“Leda bought that one,” John said.

Bobby’s eyebrows rose up into his hairline with disbelief. “Somehow, Leda does not strike me as the cottage type.”

“I agree but the serenity and beauty of Edna’s Treasures has struck again. The minute Jennifer showed Leda the cottage, she made an offer. Gordon’s been keeping an eye on the place and one thing led to another.”

“So the Pittsburgh crew is working on that one?”

“Yup, and the Harrisburg crew is working here.”

“Sounds like everything is under control, so why have you been sequestering yourself up here?”

“I’ve been fascinated by the history of the cottages. We know the origins of our cottage, even though it’s been displaced and there’s a good possibility that Leda’s cottage could have had a similar beginning. I’ve decided to do a little research on them.”

“Are you done for the night?” Bobby asked as he leaned in close and batted red lashes at John. John smiled then laughed.

“I think you’ve been taking flirtation lessons from Justin,” John remarked.

“Is it working?” Bobby laughed as well.

“Yes it is. I surrender. Let me just put this all away and I’ll come down in a bit.”

“I think I’ll stay and wait,” Bobby said as he made himself comfortable on the pullout sofa.

“You don’t trust me?” John said in a mock hurt tone.

“I always trust you. I trust that you have been so carried away in your research that it may be too tempting to stop. I’m not sure I can compete with a two hundred year old building.”

“True,” John replied, surprised. “Classic architecture has always held a special place in my heart.”

Bobby got up from the sofa to sit astride John. He slowly began to grind himself into John’s lap. John felt his pulse begin to race and his cock respond.

“There is no competition,” John said as he kissed and nipped at Bobby’s neck. The lovers kissed deeply. “I want you,” John murmured into Bobby ear. “Let’s go to bed,” John said as he patted Bobby’s butt.

“Are you sure?” Bobby teased. “I don’t want to be accused of distracting you from your research.”

“You, my love, can distract me any time you want.”

The lovers turned off the lights in their office then retired to bed.

 

*****
 

“What are you doing, Brian?” Justin asked as he came up the stairs to Brian’s attic office.

“Thinking.”

“About what?”

“John asked me to help design some gardens over at Lindsay and Mel’s new place. I was thinking about what to do.”

“You usually just know,” Justin said as he looked over Brian’s shoulder. “What’s this?”

“Lindsay did some sketches for John. This is what she thinks the cottage should look like when it’s finished.”

“Do you get the feeling we’re converting everyone we know into cottage livers?”

“I didn’t know cottages had livers,” Brian laughed.

“You big goof!” Justin laughed as he swatted Brian affectionately. “You know what I meant.”

“Yeah, Edna’s Treasures works its magic on everyone who comes here,” Brian said softly.

“It is magic, isn’t it?”

“Hell yeah! If we could get Joan to come around then there’s no denying its power.”

“And Bree’s,” Justin chuckled.

“She’s like the Borg. Resistance is futile,” Brian replied with a grin.

“These sketches are great,” Justin said as he picked up Lindsay’s drawings and looked at them more carefully.

“She wants a studio,” Brian informed Justin. “Maybe she’ll start to paint again.”

“You think she will?” Justin asked. “I certainly hope so.”

“It would be good for her, and Melanie wants a place to write.”

Justin smiled. “That sounds great. It’ll do them both a world of good to create.”

“You know that from experience, don’t you?”

“Yes, and so do you.”

“Me?”

“When you create your ads, your gardens, you know what it feels like. It’s a real high.”

“Better than drugs?” Brian asked with a grin.

“Sometimes.”

“I have another idea of how we can get high,” Brian said as he pulled Justin onto his lap.

“And just what might that be?”

“Oh, it involves kissing and squeezing and rubbing against each other.”

Justin laughed. “That sounds pretty all right to me.”

“Me too.”

“You done here for tonight?”

“I guess so,” Brian sighed, pushing Lindsay’s designs back onto the desk.

“You don’t sound very sure,” Justin said looking into Brian’s eyes.

“I have a clear idea of what I want the back gardens of this place to be like, but I can’t picture the front.”

“Why do you think that is?”

Brian shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

“I just had a thought,” Justin replied.

“And what might that be?” Brian asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Why don’t you take Bree over there in the morning? It’s Saturday.”

“Bree?”

“You know how much she loves gar-gar. Maybe you’ll see something new through her eyes.”

“And then I’ll have to pay her a consultant’s fee,” Brian chuckled.

“Yeah,” Justin agreed with a laugh. “Ever since Ted paid her for her rainbow design, she thinks she’s going to earn her fortune with each piece she produces.”

“And then reality will hit one of these days.”

“It always does,” Justin said with a sigh. “Let’s go to bed and see if we can get high.” He batted his lashes at Brian. Justin stood up and swished his ass suggestively at his husband.

“Right behind you,” Brian said immediately.

They ran down the spiral staircase to their bedroom.
 

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