Then Comes Marriage
Chapter 3
The following morning Brian woke early. He rolled over and watched Justin sleeping. He still enjoyed doing that. After a while he slipped quietly out of bed and went to take a shower. He had decided that he would make breakfast for everyone. That would be his treat for them all.
He had just arrived in the kitchen when Gus and JR came running in to join him. He gave Gus a hug and picked up JR and gave her a smacking good kiss on the cheek. She giggled and he set her down.
"I was going to make breakfast for everyone. Want to help?" Brian asked.
Gus nodded.
"You're going to cook?" JR asked skeptically.
"Yes, young lady, I am going to cook."
"Mama says you can't cook," JR declared.
"Does she now?" Brian looked at Gus who nodded. "Shall we prove her wrong?"
The two kids giggled and nodded yes.
Brian got out the pancake mix and he instructed JR about how to measure the ingredients and water. He put Gus in charge of stirring. He pulled the little step stool over to the counter and set JR standing on top of it. He then got out a dozen eggs and carefully showed JR how to crack them. She was kind of young to be doing that, but he figured keeping her involved and entertained was worth the sacrifice of an egg or two. She was very slowly and diligently cracking all the eggs while he started the bacon. When he checked on her again, she had all the eggs broken with only one or two puddles of spilled egg on the counter, and one shell in the bowl that he quickly fished out.
Gus had the pancake batter ready so Brian heated up the griddle. He asked Gus and JR to set the table and bring in some extra chairs. While they were doing that, Brian put on a batch of pancakes and then flipped the bacon. He beat the eggs and then dumped them in a frying pan. By then the first round of pancakes were done and he placed them on a plate which went into the warm oven to stay hot.
Brian was like a well oiled machine. He flipped and stirred and poured until everything was almost ready.
"Gus, grab the juice pitcher and the syrup from the fridge, and then go wake up Justin. JR, can you go wake your mothers?"
JR smiled and Brian knew she was going to go jump on their bed and scare the living shit out of them. That bitch, Melanie, would be paid back for telling the kids he couldn't cook. With a satisfied smile on his face he placed all the finished platters in the oven until everyone arrived. He could hear Melanie and Lindsay squealing and protesting as JR dragged them out of bed. The little girl was giggling up a storm, and he could hear her telling her mothers that Uncle Brian had cooked.
Soon Justin and Gus arrived. Justin gave Brian a good morning kiss as Lindsay, Melanie and JR came in from the sun porch.
"Morning, ladies," Brian said with a smirk. "Did you sleep well?"
"Until someone sent this little munchkin to wake us up," Melanie groused. JR giggled.
"She makes an excellent alarm clock, I see," Brian said tongue in cheek.
Melanie scowled and Lindsay said, "That porch is the most wonderful place to sleep. It's almost like being out in the meadow. We could hear the crickets and see the stars."
"It is nice, isn't it?" Justin said filling the glasses with juice.
Brian brought all the platters to the table and everyone sat down. "I didn't make toast, but I can if anyone wants any."
"Let's start with this and see whether we have room," Lindsay said.
They dished out the food making sure the kids had lots of pancakes which they loved. Then they all dug in.
"Confess, Brian. You had this sent in from some restaurant. Right?" Melanie demanded.
Brian snorted. "Like I'd go to all that trouble for you lot?" Brian laughed.
"Dad cooked it all and we helped," Gus stated.
JR nodded her head vigorously. "Uncle Brian let me crack eggs."
"He did?" Melanie asked with a frown. She wasn't sure she liked Brian teaching her daughter things that she was too young for. "And how big a mess did you make?"
"She made barely any mess at all. JR was a big help. By the way, thank you, Gus and JR, for being my sous-chefs."
The children beamed and Brian looked extremely self-satisfied. Melanie was rather quiet for the rest of the meal. Lindsay kept saying how much she loved the sun porch and what geniuses Brian and Justin were for having decided to decorate it that way.
By the time the girls and the children left, Justin was happy as a lark with the sun porch. His attitude about it being too gay had changed to one of it being just right.
"Do you think we should sleep out there tonight?" Justin asked.
"Absolutely not. We are stripping everything off that bed, opening all the doors and windows and fumigating."
"Brian," Justin frowned. "That's pretty extreme. All the girls did was sleep in the bed one night."
"We don't know that that's all the girls did, and I'm not taking any chances."
"Fine, have it your way."
"I intend to."
Justin shook his head and helped his husband strip the bed and start the washing machine.
*****
The same day with everyone going back to
"Hey, little man, you really are learning how to walk," Bobby cooed against the baby's face as he gave him a kiss.
"I can't fucking believe it," Debbie said. "It seemed like he was only born a few days ago and now he's walking." She wiped a tear from her eye.
"I remember when JR was that size," Michael said. "They grow up so fast." Ben gave his husband a kiss on the cheek.
Meanwhile Patrick was safe in Bobby's arm and was chewing on Bobby's collar.
"He's teething," Claire observed. "You need to get him a teething ring."
"I think we have some," John said. "Someone gave us one as a baby gift."
"Michael used to have one that was shaped like a big green frog."
"Maw!" Michael objected.
"Well, you did."
"Maybe that's what scarred him for life," Hunter laughed. "Make sure Little Red gets something less gay."
"I don't care if he's gay or straight," John declared.
"Neither do I, but help him get off on the right foot, unlike someone else we know," Hunter grinned.
Michael made a face. "I don't even remember the fucking thing."
"Too bad you don't still have it," Bobby said. "We could give it to Brian for their baby if they ever have one. That would really freak him out."
"Are they thinking of having a baby?" Michael asked his eyes wide.
"I don't know," Bobby replied. "I was just making a joke. You know how Brian is about his frogs."
Little Red chose that moment to stick his finger in his father's eye and that effectively turned everyone's attention from the possibility of Brian and Justin having a baby.
*****
After the Labor Day weekend and the end of summer, life again returned to
normal. Justin was preparing for another show. This one would be in
Kinnetik was in high gear. Cynthia won another sporting goods account and wouldn't you know it, they wanted Drew to be a spokesman. Ted and Cynthia were discussing the account when their thoughts drifted to other subjects.
"Cynthia, are you and Matthew going to get married? Seems like wedding bells have been ringing a lot lately."
"I'm not sure. We've discussed it and we've been thinking of moving in together. Matthew has decided to retire by the end of the year. We both have small apartments; we may need bigger digs."
"Yeah, Allen and I have been having the same discussion. Although my apartment is big enough for the two of us, it's not big enough for the three of us."
"Three of you! Who's the third?"
"Not who, what. His kettle drums. He chose his apartment because of the acoustics and that it's rather private. He can bang away on his drums without bothering anyone. My apartment certainly is not appropriate for them."
"You know what the solution is, don't you?"
"You are not suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?"
"What do you think I'm suggesting?"
"Brian's building has several vacant apartments and you think one of them may do for Allen and me."
"If the kettle drums fit."
"You've been Brian's right hand man for way too long. You even talk like him at times."
"Learned from the master. Look Ted, I'm not suggesting anything but start thinking like an accountant."
"What the fuck does that mean? I am an accountant."
"Then add up the facts. Number one, you and Allen seem to be ready for the next step. You need a place big enough, out of the way enough so that his practicing and your arias won't disturb anyone. Now I've been to the loft hundreds of times and on Brian's floor there is a vacant apartment. Brian's not there 95% of the time so he won't care how loud you and Allen get. Number two, it's close to where you work and to the Philharmonic. You're familiar with the building; you know how modern the apartments are. Number three, I'm sure Brian would be relieved knowing that his place was looked after. Number four, I have it on good authority that Emmett will be moving in soon. It adds up to a happy couple, a happy friend downstairs and a very happy boss. And one very happy accountant who handles Brian's accounts."
"Well, you put it that way. I'll ask Allen to join me there after work. We can take a look at the place."
"Very good. Now, back to work, Theodore."
"Yes, Brian, uh, Cynthia."
Later that evening, Ted, Allen and Emmett met at
"Do I get to see the infamous loft?" Allen joked. He had heard about it from his brother and couldn't believe all the stories. Even after all this time, the loft remained legendary.
"I guess it might help to get a perspective. An empty apartment is so cold. Even with Brian's penchant for minimalism, it does have a certain charm."
"Stop it, Teddy. He just wants to see the bed," Emmett said honestly.
"That too," Allen agreed.
"Do you have the keys and the codes?"
"Yes, I do. Let's start with the first floor."
The three friends let themselves into the first floor apartment. As boasted, it had a huge kitchen with a large modern oven and big refrigerator with separate freezer. It seemed perfect for Emmett. As with Brian's loft, it was an open space with the bedroom in the corner.
Next, they took the elevator to the fourth floor to look at what might become Ted and Allen's apartment. They opened the door and peered inside. This too had a large open space but also two walled off rooms, one of which looked like the master bedroom and another smaller bedroom or office. There was also an alcove. Allen could almost picture his drums there. They explored some more, jotted down notes, took measurements then locked up.
"Come on Ted, Brian won't mind, much." Emmett batted his eye lashes at the accountant.
"Okay, okay. I could never refuse you." Ted let them in and quickly keyed the alarm pad.
The loft hadn't changed all that much. Brian's expensive Italian furniture was still intact and the platform bed restored to its original place. It did look a little more stark without all the appliances and the shelves were bare except for a few select vases and pictures. They stared at the bed for a few moments. The neon lights remained off. The loft appeared cold. It really wasn't Brian anymore.
"Ted, I think we should go."
"I think you're right, Allen. This is so not the man I know and work for now."
"Teddy, I hate to say this but maybe he wasn't ever really that man. We just wanted him to be."
"You may be right, Em. I've seen enough."
"Me too and I've decided to take the apartment. I just love all that counter space!" Emmett gushed.
Allen and Ted were a little hesitant, so after locking up and setting the
alarm. Ted and Allen went to Ted's apartment to discuss it.