Summer in the City

Chapter 12

“Hey, short stuff,” Gus said as he looked up from the computer screen in the library. The little touch on his leg had come from his sister.

“You done yet?” Bree asked.

Gus chuckled. “I found out about the aquarium and we’ve got tickets.”

“Yay!”

“So what have you been doing?”

“Gamma and me found a whole bunch of new books to read.”

“You love books, don’t ya, Squirt?”

Bree bobbed her head in agreement. “Books are the bestest.”

“Yeah,” Gus said with a laugh.

“Come and read with me and Gamma Joan?” Bree requested batting her eyelashes at her brother.

Gus was about to acquiesce when he looked up and saw a familiar face. “Um, Bree, I see someone I know over there. Can you read with Grandma Joan for a while and I’ll … um … I’ll meet you later.”

Bree studied her brother with a frown on her little face. It wasn’t like Gus to turn her down. “Who do you know in N’York?” she asked innocently.

“It’s … um … someone I met at the dance last night.”

“Oh, okay,” Bree said, thinking that it would be all right if Gus had already met this person before. She ran over to the children’s section where Joan was sitting in a rocking chair waiting for her.

Gus glanced over at the young man who had walked in. He smiled and cocked his head towards the lobby. They could talk there without being told to shush.

“Hey,” Gus said as he walked up to the young man. “Glad you could meet me.”

“I was surprised to get your call so soon.”

“I … I really enjoyed dancing with you last night, Cole,” Gus said honestly. They found an empty bench where they could talk quietly. “I hope you liked it too.”

“I did,” Cole replied.

“I’m only in New York for a month, but I’d like to get to know you better if that’s all right.”

“Sounds good to me. Want to go outside and grab a soda?”

“Um … I’m here with my sister and my grandmother. I can’t really leave.”

“Can’t you blow them off? Tell them that you’re thirsty and you’re going to grab something down the street,” Cole prodded.

“Okay,” Gus said slowly. “I guess I could do that.”

“Do it,” Cole said with a provocative grin.

Gus got up and walked back to the children’s section. Joan and Bree were still in the rocking chair reading a story.

“Grandma?” Gus said.

“Hi, Gus, we’ll be done in a few minutes if you’re ready to leave,” Joan responded.

“I … I … um … I thought I’d go down the street and get something to drink,” Gus stammered.

“Oh, we can all go. I’ll just be a few minutes more.”

“Why don’t you take your time with the story, and I’ll go get a drink. I’ll be back in … um … fifteen minutes.”

“Don’t you want us to come with you?” Bree asked, a hurt look on her face.

“Sure, short stuff, but you want to finish your story, don’t you?” Gus asked.

“Yes, but…”

“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes,” Gus said quickly and walked away before either his grandmother or his sister could question him more.

Gus met up with Cole and they walked down the street to a vendor’s cart and got a soda each. Cole was funny and Gus enjoyed being with him. They cracked jokes and window shopped as they walked along.

“I should get back,” Gus said reluctantly.

“Why?”

“I told them I’d be back in fifteen minutes and it’s already after that.”

“Who cares? They can get themselves home, can’t they?”

“Yeah, but…”

“Let’s go do something fun?” Cole suggested.

“Like what?”

“I know a private place we could be together.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Cole took Gus’ elbow and started to move down the street.

“Wait. I can’t.”

“Chicken?”

“No, no, I’m not a chicken, but they’ll be waiting for me.”

Cole sighed. “Okay, little boy, you do what you have to do. I have better things to occupy my time.”

“Wait, Cole. My family’s going to Coney Island tomorrow. Maybe I could meet you there?”

“Coney Island? Nobody goes there anymore.”

“Well, we do,” Gus replied. “Please.”

“I’m not looking for time with your family, Gus. I wanted some time … alone with you.”

“I … I want that too. Meet me at Coney Island tomorrow and we’ll work something out. I promise.”

“All right,” Cole agreed. “But you better make it worth my while to head all the way out there.”

“I will,” Gus said with a smile. “Now I have to get back.”

“See you tomorrow. Call me with the time you’ll be there.”

Gus nodded and then ran back to the library. He found Joan and Bree standing by the front door of the library looking up and down the street for him.

“Sorry I was so long. I had to walk way down the street to find a place that sold sodas,” Gus lied.

“That’s strange,” Joan replied. “They sell them in that convenience store right across the street.

“Oh,” Gus laughed nervously. “I didn’t notice it.”

Joan raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t like her intelligent and very observant grandson. She had a funny feeling something was going on, but she didn’t want to pressure Gus and make him more secretive. She would keep her eyes open until she knew what was happening.

“Let’s grab a cab back to the hotel,” Joan said.

Gus flagged down a cab and they climbed in. Bree had been watching her brother wondering why he seemed so different. She didn’t say anything but she was worried about him. She wanted her old Gus back.

Cole watched them all get in the cab before he turned around and headed home. He wondered if the very handsome Gus Kinney would be as good as his word tomorrow. It would be worth it to find out.

 

*****
 

“Hey, there, big boy, can I tempt you away from all this?” Drew was standing at the counter of Emmett’s Place. Emmett had his head in an oven removing a new batch of fruit tarts. It had to be well over one hundred degrees near the ovens. And Emmett looked like he was feeling every one of those degrees.

“I can’t, Drewsie. We have a party to do later today. These tarts are for it.” Emmett was looking like a wet dish rag.

“Babe, please tell me you’re not doing this on your own.”

“No, Honey. Sean is bringing the van around. The salads and cold platters are in the fridge ready to go and the buns and rolls are all bagged. All that’s left are the pastry trays. More help should be arriving soon.”

“Can I help?”

“Sweetie, just be patient with me and rub my feet every night. It’ll calm down after the 4th.”

“All right, Babe. But promise me you’re going to hire more people.”

“He already has,” Sean, Emmett’s first and most trusted employee/partner, replied as he came through the door. “We’ve hired three more people for this place and the event planning business. And there’s the whole crew that will run the restaurant.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You boys have been doing the work of ten since you opened this place. By the way, what are you going to call the restaurant?” Drew asked, happy to hear the news that they’d finally have more help.

“Emmett’s Place Too! Spelled t-o-o, as in also. Kinda like when Brian named his second branch in Harrisburg, Part Deux,” Emmett said with pride but also a little apprehension. “Too much?” he asked his lover and life partner with a shrug.

“Nah, I like it and I love you. Now, why don’t you let me at least help load up the van. Moving heavy objects is something I can do.” Drew’s offer could not be refused by Emmett and Sean.

“Thank you, Sweetie, I gladly accept your offer,” Emmett said with a toothy smile then leaned over to give his he-man a kiss.

“Why can’t I find a man like yours?” Sean said with a sigh.

“My Drewsie is one of a kind,” Emmett boasted as he removed another tray from the oven.

“Sean, you like them big and brawny?” Drew asked Emmett’s young assistant.

“Who wouldn’t?” Sean replied as he began to arrange the dainty confections on a decorative tray.

“Then I know just the man for you. He’s a lineman for the Ironmen. Big kid, 6' 4", 280 pounds of muscle. But I have to warn you, us ball players aren’t always the smartest cards in the deck.”

“Oh Drewsie, you’re one of the smartest men I know,” Emmett gushed.

“Babe, the smartest thing I have ever done was hook up with you,” Drew said with a wink, eliciting a sigh from both Emmett and Sean. “What time you boys gonna wrap up your shindig?”

“We should be all done by seven tonight, why?” Emmett asked.

“Then why don’t you boys meet me at Woody’s later and I’ll bring the kid. His name is Anthony and he hates when people call him Tony.”

“I’ll remember that,” Sean said. “Good first impressions are always a plus,” Sean beamed.

“Things have certainly changed in the sports world, haven’t they, Honey?” Emmett asked, referring to the time when Drew came out on national TV.

“Yes, they have. It hasn’t completely changed but it’s getting there.”

Emmett nodded then glanced at his watch. Clapping his hands, he fired off his orders. “Let’s go people; we have a party to give!”

“Aye, aye Captain,” Sean answered with a salute.

“Whatever you say, Babe,” Drew said with a smile. Several more of Emmett’s minions entered the bistro and began to lend a hand.

 

*****
 

“Daddy, why doesn’t Gus like me anymore?” Bree asked Justin.

They had returned from the library and Gus had headed for his room as soon as he thought it was safe to do so. Bree had wanted him to read to her. It seemed that she could never get enough of her “bestest books”. Gus had declined as gently as he could and disappeared from sight. No one had seen him since.

“I’m sure Gus likes you very much, sweetheart,” Justin told her. He was sketching, thinking about what he might paint on Monday when he thought he’d take advantage of the studio space Kyle had directed him to. Brian had gone over to N’Rgy to talk to Stacey and Ken about something.

“Unh unh,” Bree contradicted her father. She was sitting on the floor at Justin’s feet, drawing in her own sketchbook.

“What do you mean? Did Gus do something?”

“He wouldn’t wait for us to finish our story at the li-berry. Gamma told him we’d only be a few minutes and we’d go with him, but he went without us.”

“Where did he go without you?” Justin asked wondering what this was all about. It wasn’t like Gus to take off on his grandmother and sister.

“I don’t know. He went down the street without us.”

“I see,” Justin said although he wasn’t at all sure that he did see.

“And now he won’t read to me,” Bree pouted.

“I’ll read to you,” Justin volunteered.

“It’s okay. I like drawing with you, Daddy.”

“I like drawing with you too,” Justin grinned.

Bree frowned. “Maybe I did something to make Gus mad.”

“I don’t think so, sweetheart. Gus is growing up. Sometimes teenagers like to be by themselves.”

“Oh.”

Justin smiled. He thought he had effectively quashed Bree’s worries and had given her an honest explanation.

“When will I be a teenager?”

“Much too soon,” Justin replied quickly.

“But when will that be?”

“In about eight years.”

“Eight years?” Bree asked with very large violet eyes. “But I’m only five now.” She held up her hand with her fingers splayed to reinforce her age.

“That’s right,” Justin chuckled. “So you have to live five more years and three more after that.” Justin used his own fingers to show Bree the number of years that would have to pass before she reached the dreaded teenage years.

Bree frowned, looking like she was calculating. “That’s forever!”

“Not quite,” Justin chuckled. “But it is quite a while. I don’t want you to be a teenager any sooner than necessary.”

“Why?”

Justin sighed. He could certainly understand why Brian worried so much about Bree’s questions and how to answer them. He often had his own taste of Bree’s questioning skills.

“Let’s get some chocolate milk,” Justin suggested knowing that there was a quart in the fridge in the kitchenette.

“Yum, I love chocklet milk.”

“Me too.”

Justin poured the milk hoping he had ended Bree’s string of questions or at least distracted her until they finished their chocolate milk.

 

*****
 

“So how do you like a picnic so far?” Hector asked Curtis.

“Not bad,” Curtis said, his mouth full of sandwich.

“You sure you don’t have a hollow leg?” Raph asked.

“Is that a medical condition?” Curtis responded with a grin.

“Yes, it’s called neverfullitis, and the treatment can be very costly.”

“I’m sorry. I’m eating too much, aren’t I? Am I eating too much? I didn’t mean to cost you a lot of money. I’m sorry,” Curtis apologized hastily. He set his half eaten sandwich down on the paper plate and stared at the ground.

“I was teasing, Curtis,” Raph said quickly. “Hector made extra sandwiches. You eat as many of them as you like.”

“Are you sure?” Curtis looked into Raph’s eyes, and then over at Hector. They both smiled and nodded at him. Curtis picked up his sandwich and gnawed off another big piece. “You make the best sandwiches, Hector. I love them.”

“Thank you very much. I’m glad to be of service.”

“Were you hungry when you … lived with the Hardigans?” Raph asked gently. He was still trying to learn whatever he could about Curtis’ life in foster care.

“No, never really hungry. They knew we’d tell the social worker if they starved us. But I don’t ever remember being full either. And the food was pretty shitty. Pardon my language.”

Raph chuckled. “I think calling something shitty when it obviously was shitty is very appropriate.” That got a smile out of Curtis. “What about when you were on the streets?”

“I was really hungry a few times then, but there is a lot of good food thrown away out of restaurants and fast food places. I did all right most of the time. But it was the cold that was really terrible. There were some nights that I thought I wouldn’t wake up the next morning. I could hardly feel my fingers and my toes.”

“You were very brave,” Hector stated.

“No, I was stupid. I should never have run away when the cold weather was coming.”

“Why did you?” Raph asked.

“They … the Hardigans locked me in the closet for a couple of days and they wouldn’t let me go to school. I knew I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to get away.”

“I’m glad you did get away, and I’m glad you found us,” Raph said honestly.

“Me too.” Curtis couldn’t conceive of a better outcome.

“Want to go for a dip?” Hector asked standing up. “I’m hot.”

“Okay,” Raph said getting up too. “You want to come, Curtis? You could just walk along the edge if you don’t want to get all wet.”

“Naw, I’ll just stay here and finish my sandwich.”

“Okay, we’ll be back in a few minutes,” Hector said as he and Raph ran into the water and plunged under.

Curtis watched from the blanket marveling that these two men had taken him in and were so nice to him. He wasn’t sure why this had happened, and he was sure that he didn’t deserve it, but he was going to enjoy every minute of his new life for as long as it lasted.
 

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