Nuff Rope

Chapter 3

 

“That was delicious,” Riley said as he finished the steak on his plate.

“I’m glad you approve. Pappagano’s has been around for years, but the quality of the food and the level of service is impeccable,” Danny explained. “When I want to celebrate a special occasion, this is where I come.”

“And is this a special occasion?” Riley asked with a gentle smile.

“Very special.”

“Danny, I’ve enjoyed tonight and talking with you, but…”

“I have no expectations, Riley,” Danny assured him. “I enjoyed having dinner with you. I hope we can do this many more times.”

“But…”

“Let’s just see how things develop. Would you care for dessert?”

“Couldn’t eat a bite more,” Riley declared.

“Then how be we go for a walk down by the river?”

“That sounds … nice.”

“Good, let me get the bill.”

“You don’t have to pay for everything, let’s split it,” Riley suggested.

“Call me old fashioned, but I asked you out. I pay,” Danny stated forcefully.

“Okay, Old fashioned,” Riley said with a twinkle in his eye. He was really enjoying spending time with Danny Devore, much to his surprise. He hadn’t let himself do this for years. Maybe it was time for some changes, he thought, as Danny paid the bill.

 

*****
 

“Brian?”

“What?” Brian snapped.

“Can we talk?”

“What for?”

“Because you’re not happy, and when Brian Kinney isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.”

Brian snorted derisively. “Did you draw the short straw?”

“Huh?”

“You know, you’re the one who has to face the evil beast while the others cower back at the house.”

John chuckled. His brother did have a way with words. “I guess that’s me,” John said.

“Well, pull up a piece of rock and we can watch the sun go down,” Brian conceded patting the big rock beside him.

John settled himself beside his brother. “It is beautiful here.”

“If I didn’t have this place to come to…”

“You’d find another place instead,” John informed him.

“I would explode,” Brian corrected.

“No you wouldn’t. You might want to, but you have people who need you. You’d stay here for them.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Of course I do! You’re still here, aren’t you?”

Brian studied his brother’s face for a moment. It looked so much like his own face, but it always seemed happier, more serene than his own face did. He wished he had John’s inner calm and understanding. “What am I going to do when they all leave?” Brian asked in a whisper.

“Who’s leaving?” John asked surprised.

“You and Bobby are going to New York with Gus and Ray. Bree wants to go to sleep away camp when Patrick goes. The house will be empty.”

“What about Justin? I thought you two could have all the hot monkey sex you want all over the old structure.”

Brian laughed. “Trust you to bring architecture into this.”

“Brian, I’m sorry, but I don’t see what you’re worried about. Bobby and I will be back. Gus has been away at school, and he’ll be back at the end of the summer. Patrick and Bree will come back from camp. What’s to worry about?”

“She’s growing up … and I’m getting … old…er. My life is over.”

“Do I detect whining?” John asked in surprise.

Brian snorted. “Fuck whining! Fuck all this shit!” Brian made to get up. John’s hand on his arm stopped him. The next thing he knew, he was pulled into John’s strong arms. The hug took him by surprise, but he gradually relaxed into it. “What am I going to do?”

“You’ll figure it out. I have faith in you,” John said as he released Brian. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

Brian shook his head. “Stay and watch the sun go down with me,” Brian requested.

John settled back on the rock. He wasn’t sure whether he had made things better or worse. Brian would have to decide that for himself. For now he would enjoy the sunset.

 

*****
 

“Dad, can we talk,” Gus asked his father after most of Edna’s Treasures had gone to bed. Brian was pacing the sun porch grumbling about wanting a cigarette. “You really don’t want to take up smoking again?”

“No, but it’s moments like this that I miss drinking and smoking myself into a stupor,” Brian groused.

“You don’t mean that, do you?”

“No, Sonny Boy, I don’t,” Brian said softening his demeanor as he reached out his arm to draw Gus in closer; he bussed his son’s cheek. “So what do you want to talk about?” Brian shook off his melancholy to get down to business.

“Why don’t you want me to drive to New York? Don’t you trust me?”

“I trust you; it’s everyone else I don’t trust,” Brian said flippantly. Gus rolled his eyes. “Gus, bringing a car into a city like New York makes no sense. You’ll be staying with Simon and Ken and working in the same building. Unless you intend on taking a weekend trip out of the city, you won’t need a car. John and Bobby will only be there for a week or two and are going to garage the Navigator at their hotel. They’re more than happy to drive you and Ray and all your clothes to New York.”

“Oh,” Gus said disappointedly.

“Sonny Boy, your Jeep will be kept safe and sound right here until you get back. You can drive it to college when you go back in the Fall,” Brian said reasonably.

“Okay. I guess that makes sense,” Gus acquiesced after seeing his father’s logic. “But I get to drive it back to school, right?” Gus perked up. Brian smirked.

“That’s what I just said, and I don’t lie.”

“No, you don’t. Thanks Pop!” Gus threw his arms around his father. “Dad, about Bree,” Gus slowly began as he hung onto his father. “She really wants to go away to camp.”

“Gusss,” Brian growled, still held fast by his son.

“Come on, Dad. She’s a smart little kid; she knows what she wants.”

“Don’t I know it, and what she wants will give me a heart attack.”

“Dad, it’s for only two weeks and she really, really wants to go.” Gus felt Brian sigh. “You’ll be her hero forever,” Gus singsonged wearing a grin. Brian snorted. “Besides, when was the last time you and Justin had the opportunity to walk around naked for two whole weeks?” Gus knew he had his father when he felt Brian chuckle. “You get to do the nasty wherever and whenever you guys want, even though old guys like you should have the decency to be all done with sex. I mean, puh-leez! Do you know how embarrassing it is knowing my parents are getting more than I am? I’m in my prime! I should be fucking myself silly.” Gus dropped his hold on his dad when Brian cracked up with laughter. Gus joined him.

“You’re good, Sonny Boy, and you can go ahead and fuck yourself silly all you want, but you’ll still never get more than me,” Brian drawled.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. There can only be one Stud,” Gus mimicked in his best Highlander voice. Brian laughed then suddenly grew serious again. He walked out into the garden, Gus accompanying him.

“Mmm,” Gus exclaimed as he inhaled deeply. “I love this garden,” he said as he followed Brian out. “You and Bree made something beautiful out here.”

Brian smiled as he snaked his arm across Gus’ shoulder. “You helped.”

“So did Patrick but it was mostly you and Bree. Dad, letting Bree go to camp is more than her just playing soccer. It means you trust her and that she’s growing up. She wants to be more independent.”

“Enough!” Brian barked. “What makes you think I want her to grow up, or you for that matter.”

“Dad, we all have to grow up sometime. Even Peter Pan grew up.”

“Did you know that I used to call your mother Wendy and she’d call me Peter? I swore I’d never grow up. Never get old, always be young and beautiful.”

“I remember mom calling you Peter. I used to think you were playing a game.”

“I was, with myself. I thought if I grew old no one would want me.”

“Dad, I want you, Bree wants you and Justin, he couldn’t live without you. You haven’t lost a thing; you’ve only grown up.”

“So my wise, grown up son is trying to tell me that I should let my daughter grow up too and go to soccer camp.”

“You think I’m wise?” Gus asked as he smirked at his father. Brian curled his arm around Gus’ neck bringing him into a choke hold then giving him a noogie. “I give up! I give up!”

“I give up too, Sonny Boy. You can tell your sister that you twisted my arm and she can go.”

“I think it’s you that has me twisted, Pop. But I’ll tell Bree in the morning,” Gus said from the vicinity of his father’s chest.

“You do that, Sonny Boy,” Brian said softly as he kissed the top of his son’s head then let him go. “I love you,” Brian whispered.

“I love you too, Pop,” Gus replied as he turned to go back into the cottage.

“But I don’t like that you and your sister are growing up!” Brian added with a grumble. Gus laughed as he slid the porch door closed.

“Well?” Justin asked as he passed Gus in the hall.

“She can go,” Gus said with confidence then high-fived Justin. “He needs you.”

“Yeah, I know. Thanks, Gus, you’re a good son and the best brother,” Justin said warmly as he caressed Gus’ cheek. “Good night.”

“Night, Jus,” Gus said as he went to his room.

“Hey,” Justin said as he opened the porch door to go out into the garden.

“Hey,” Brian replied as he held open his arms. Justin slid into them.

Neither man said a word as they held each other surrounded by the fragrant flowers of their garden.

 

*****
 

Todd smoothed the last shovelful of dirt in the Mayor’s garden. He wiped his brow and looked around. Everything looked great, at least as much as he could see in the deep dusk of the summer night. In a few more minutes it would be pitch black. He glanced at his watch noting that it was heading for 10 p.m. Heaving a sigh, he started gathering up all his tools and tossing them in his wheelbarrow.

He had sent the two men on his crew home at six o’clock. That was a bit later than their usual quitting time, but he didn’t want to pay time and a half for overtime. He had stayed for about four more hours trying to get this project finished. He’d have to return in the morning and check that everything was to Mrs. Mayor’s satisfaction. Maybe he should get Brian to do that, since he seemed to be able to schmooze the woman into buying whatever he was selling. Todd was just glad that this project was finally finished. He hoped he could now get caught up on some of the paperwork he was so far behind with.

Todd pushed the wheelbarrow around to the driveway where his truck was parked. He loaded his tools into the truck bed and climbed into the cab. As he started the engine, he heaved a weary sigh. This wasn’t quite what he had bargained on when he came back to the Pittsburgh area from Chicago. He headed for the office of the landscaping company.

 

*****
 

“So, what do you do for fun?” Danny asked as he and Riley strolled along the riverfront. The evening was cooling off now that the sun had gone down. Lights sparkled in the water and a gentle breeze blew.

“Not much. I like to read and play the piano.”

“I might have guessed as much,” Danny laughed.

“What do you do with your spare time?”

“I don’t have a great deal of free time with the bookstore. I’m there mostly every day. I have a house with a little garden that I putter in occasionally. I volunteer when I can at Vic Grassi House.”

“Oh?” Riley stopped and they looked out across the river.

“Yeah, I figure it’s the least I can do since I’ve been lucky enough to avoid the AIDS epidemic.”

“Lucky?” Riley asked with a strange look on his face.

“I was around when the whole AIDS epidemic exploded. I could have as easily contracted it as not. I was lucky not to. I have to admit that I didn’t play safe back in those days.”

“Not many of us did,” Riley said shaking his head. “My partner didn’t. I guess you could say I’m pretty lucky too. I could have got it from him, but he realized early on that he might have contracted it, and we went back to using condoms until we knew for sure. When I found out that he…” Riley stopped. Feeling the lump in his throat and in his heart made it impossible to continue.

“Were you angry?” Danny asked softly.

“Of course, I was angry!” Riley retorted. Danny blanched and looked sorry for having asked. “I was fucking angry at him for doing this to us, to himself, to our lives. Back then AIDS was a certain death sentence, and it was … for him.”

“Riley, I’m sorry I brought up bad memories,” Danny said touching Riley’s arm.

“It’s … all right,” Riley said softly. “I’m not angry at you. And they’re not bad memories … just sad memories.”

Danny nodded and stared out at the river for a moment. “How about going into that bar over there and having a good stiff drink?” Danny asked after a couple of minutes of silence had passed between them.

“How about we get an ice cream from that vendor instead?” Riley asked nodding towards a man who was selling ice cream from a cart.

“I have to watch my girlish figure,” Danny said with a grin, batting his eyes at Riley.

“You are a fine figure of a … man,” Riley said with a laugh.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Danny said coyly.

“Come on, you have to splurge every now and then.”

“You know, I think you’re right,” Danny replied as he started to head for the ice cream vendor.

“I’m usually right, and I’m paying for the ice cream,” Riley said walking quickly past Danny to get to the cart first.

“Such a gentleman,” Danny chuckled.

“I am,” Riley declared as he purchased two ice cream bars.

 

*****
 

Todd sat at the desk in the office of the landscaping company. He was looking at bills and revenue and upcoming jobs. It was … overwhelming.

He dropped the papers he was holding onto the desk. With a tired, defeated feeling he rubbed his eyes. He wasn’t making this work. Things were getting further and further ahead of him. He wasn’t able to keep up, and he knew it.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He had come back from Chicago full of hope. Brian wanted to go partners with him in this nice little landscaping company. Todd had planned to do a lot of the work himself. He figured he could get rid of one of the men who worked for the old owner. He would let the one who was the slacker go. The trouble was Todd hadn’t had time to even figure out which of his workmen might be the slacker. He had been dumped right into the day to day running of the company.

And then Brian had started getting him more jobs, jobs from influential clients, like the mayor’s wife. And more and more people seemed to be interested the more the Kinney name became linked with the company. Now Todd couldn’t afford to fire anybody. In fact he was pretty sure he should be hiring one or two more men to work for him. The problem was that he didn’t have time to look for new workmen. He didn’t have time for this paperwork. He didn’t have time to finish the jobs he had already started, let alone start the new ones that were coming along. This was not what he had bargained for.

Drawing in a deep breath, he picked up the phone. He dialed, dreading what was about to happen.

“What?” the voice demanded over the line.

“Brian, I’m sorry if I’m calling too late.”

Brian and Justin were sitting snuggled up on one of the chaises in the backyard. Bree was sound asleep, and Gus and Ray had retired to their room. Brian had been enjoying the stars and the soft breeze that caressed the two of them.

“It’s not too late,” Brian replied into his cell phone when he realized that it was Todd. “Is something wrong?”

“I … I think so,” Todd said hesitantly.

“What?” Brian demanded. Suddenly Todd had his full attention.

“I … I finished the Mayor’s landscaping tonight,” Todd said. He wasn’t sure how to tell Brian that he was ready to bail on the whole landscaping enterprise.

“Did it turn out wrong? Didn’t Mrs. Mayor like it?” Brian asked.

“It’s not that…”

“Then what the fuck is it?”

Todd swallowed hard. He wasn’t sure he could do this. Brian Kinney was famous for his temper. He did not suffer fools, and at the moment Todd felt like a fool. He had obviously bit off more than he could chew. Maybe if he took a few more days he could straighten some of this out.

“Um, I was wondering if you could go by the Mayor’s tomorrow and talk to Mrs. Mayor. She likes you better than me,” Todd said.

Brian snorted. “Nobody likes me better. I just know how to fling the bullshit better than your average bear.”

Justin chuckled. “That’s some mixed metaphor,” he whispered in Brian’s ear. Brian grinned.

“Um, what was that?” Todd asked, having heard some of Justin’s words.

“Nothing,” Brian said curtly. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

“Make sure the work is satisfactory with Mrs. Mayor. If I talk to her, she’ll want to change something, and I don’t have time for any more of her fanciful whims.”

“Okay, I can do that. I have heard that there are more clients interested in our company. Once they see the full splendor of the Mayor’s garden, I think we’ll have even more business.”

“M…more business?” Todd stammered feeling his heart sink into his boots.

“Yeah, this company is going to be a major success. I’ll deal with Mrs. Mayor tomorrow morning,” Brian said and then he cut the connection.

Todd stared at the phone before setting it back in its cradle. “What the fuck!” he muttered. That had not gone at all the way he intended. He ran his hand through his hair. Maybe if he stayed up all night working on these papers he could get ahead of the game. He had to do something. What was one night without sleep?
 

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