Testing, Testing ... 1,2,3

Chapter 2

“Auntie Rachel, when my daddies get home, will they be all better?” Bree asked her aunt who had picked up both Bree and Patrick from school. They were sitting quietly at Rachel’s kitchen table doing their homework and enjoying an afternoon snack.

“What do you mean by better?” Rachel asked.

“My Dada has been very grumpy and Daddy doesn’t seem to care,” the little girl pouted. Rachel had some grasp of the situation but she marveled at how perceptive the little girl was.

“I think they’ll be better when they get home,” Rachel assured her niece.

“That’s good.” Bree seemed to be satisfied, for the moment. The children continued to work on their assignments.

 

*****
 

“All hail the conquering hero!” Bobby called out as Brian and Justin came through their connecting door from the sun porch. Justin laughed and took a small bow. John and Bobby were preparing dinner for the Edna’s Treasures family that night.

“Dada! Daddy!” Bree screeched out. She ran into the waiting arms of her fathers.

“Baby girl!” Justin cried out at he scooped up his daughter into his arms for a long overdue hug. Brian gave them a moment before hugging both his blonds.

“Daddy, come see, I make you a special card for your show!” Bree pulled at Justin’s arm leading him toward her work table to show him her card.

“Go on, we have plenty of time before dinner,” John said happily. He was much relieved to see his brother and brother-in-law looking so relaxed. “I take it your little fuck-a-thon this weekend worked?” John asked Brian with a smirk.

“It did until we saw this.” Brian handed John the Dispatch article. “All of the reviews have been very favorable.”

“Justin must be riding high,” Bobby commented, as he thumbed through an art magazine which featured Justin on the front cover and a very encouraging article within.

“He is. All the critics were kind,” Brian confirmed.

“So what’s the problem?” Bobby asked.

“This,” John said as he handed his spouse the newspaper article. “Is this that slimy weasel we met on Saturday?” John pointed to the name in the byline.

“The one and only,” Brian said with a sneer.

“I can’t believe a few lines in the Arts and Style section will make any difference,” Bobby said. “He liked the show.”

“Yes, he liked the show but it’s what he inferred about us. We’ve already had a few propositions when we were having lunch at the diner. And Debbie was about to chew us a new one. Now if Debbie, who reads nothing but the obits and cuts out coupons, found the article and thought we’re having trouble, what will the rest of the Pitts think?”

John and Bobby huddled over the newspaper to re-read the article.

“Brian, I could call the editor. Just casually mention that you and Justin are displeased with the tone of the last part of the review. And to ask why an Art critic sounds more like a gossip columnist,” Bobby suggested. “I am your lawyer; I do represent your interests.”

“Maybe. My first reaction was to strangle the asshole but I restrained myself,” Brian boasted.

“You mean, Justin restrained you,” John snarked. Brian shrugged eliciting giggles from both men. “But Bobby does have a point. You and Justin are solid. That article is almost slanderous and if it’s already gotten you unwanted solicitations then I don’t think it should be ignored.”

Brian contemplated his brother’s advice as he helped to set the table for dinner. “I’ll talk it over with Justin tonight and let you know in the morning. I don’t want it to get any worse. And don’t say anything in front of the kids, especially the princess. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

John and Bobby agreed. There was no reason to worry the little ones.

“Dinner’s ready!” Bobby called out. Patrick came into the kitchen from his room, as Bree and Justin came in from the porch.

 

*****
 

“That was delicious, Bobby,” Justin said as everyone finished up their dinner. “My grandmother always said things tasted better when she didn’t have to cook them.”

“Smart woman,” Brian agreed.

“Thanks,” Bobby said getting up to start removing the dirty dishes.

“Hey, no dishes for you,” John said gently shoving his husband back into his seat. “You did the cooking. I’ll take care of these and I’ll start the coffee.”

“Thanks,” Bobby said with an affectionate smile at his husband. “Rachel sent over a homemade apple pie for dessert.”

“Yum,” Patrick said.

“Auntie Rachel makes the best pies,” Bree stated. “And Gamma Susan makes the best chocklet chip cookies.”

“Shall we have coffee and dessert in the sun porch and enjoy the sunset?” Bobby asked.

“Sounds like a plan,” Brian said as he gathered up the last of the dishes to take to John and Bobby’s kitchen.

“I want coffee too,” Bree declared.

“Milk for you, Squirt,” Brian replied.

“No! I want coffee.”

“I said milk,” Brian repeated. “Coffee will stunt your growth.” He reverted to the old adage that had been used on him as a child.

Bree frowned. “My growth isn’t stunned. It knows how to grow.”

Justin almost swallowed himself. “I don’t think that’s what Dada meant, sweetheart.”

“I want coffee,” Bree stated again crossing her arms on her chest.

“Coffee isn’t good for little ones like you,” Justin tried to reason. “You want to grow up big and tall, don’t you?”

“Not too tall,” Bree said as she thought about Justin’s words.

“But you always say you’re a big girl now, and you will get taller … but only if you don’t drink coffee at your age,” Justin added for good measure.

Bree frowned again. “Okay, if I will be able to see your pictures, Daddy, wifout Gampa holding me up in the air.”

Justin smiled at his daughter. “That will happen before you know it,” Justin promised.

“’Kay, Dada, I have milk.”

“Me too,” Patrick agreed, having waited to see how Bree’s demand for coffee worked out. He had thought he might like to try some coffee too, if Bree got her way.

Soon they were all assembled on the sun porch. Bobby prepared to carve the pie, as he liked to call it.

“Just a small piece for me and the Squirt,” Brian said.

“I’ll have a big piece,” Justin piped up.

“Me too,” Patrick called out.

Bobby snorted. I’m cutting this pie into six pieces. If you want less than that, you can cut a piece in half yourself,” he stated.

“Okay, okay,” Brian said holding up his hand. “I’ll take one piece and Bree and I will share. How’s that, Squirt?”

Bree nodded her approval and then snuggled up beside Brian when he sat down on the chaise. Brian fed her a bite of the pie.

“Good, Dada,” Bree said. “Now one for you,” she encouraged him, and he took his bite of pie.

“It is good,” Brian had to agree. He fed another piece to his daughter.

“I like everybody here together,” Bree declared as she licked her lips. “No more grumpy Dada!”

“Make sure you hold him to that, Bree,” John chuckled as he handed Bree a small glass of milk and set Brian’s coffee on the end table beside him.

“Hey, I wasn’t that bad,” Brian protested.

“Yes, you were,” five voices all declared at once.

Brian held out his hands in defeat.

“Eat more pie, Dada,” Bree instructed him, waiting for another bite for herself.

The phone rang in the Kinney-Taylor side of the house.

“I guess they know we’re back,” Justin said with a sigh and got up to answer it.

“More, Dada,” Bree instructed.

“Yes, my lady,” Brian said feeding her the last bite and making her giggle.

“More, Dada,” Bree demanded looking at the empty plate her father held.

“Oh, all right,” Brian said getting up to retrieve the last piece of pie for himself and Bree. He had just sat back down when Justin returned from their side of the house. “Who was that?”

“You’re never going to believe this,” Justin said.

“Believe what?”

“That was Sharon Brenner. She wants us to come to dinner on Thursday. A formal dinner, as she very specifically informed me.”

“What the fuck for?” Brian demanded.

“It’s a family thing … with Molly’s family which includes you, me and Bree. She also wants it to be a thank you for having them here at Christmas.”

“I would have thought they would have wiped the memory of being snowbound with a house full of fags from their minds,” Brian stated tongue in cheek.

“Apparently not,” Justin chuckled.

“What did you tell her?”

“That we’d be there.”

“But…” Brian began.

“But what?” Justin asked.

“What if you-know-who is there?”

“Who’s you-know-who?” Bree asked.

“Oh,” Justin said, figuring out that Brian meant his father. “Sharon didn’t say anything about him. I don’t think she would…”

“Who’s you-know-who?” Bree interrupted.

“Um, nobody, sweetheart,” Justin said quickly. He didn’t want to get into this in front of Bree.

“I fucking hope Sharon Brenner knows what she’s doing,” Brian retorted. “Maybe I should just stay home.”

“That would really fuel the gossip columns,” Justin said knowing that would hit its mark.

Brian glared at his husband and shook his head.

“Who’s you-know-who?” Bree repeated once again. She got another mouthful of pie, but no answer to her question.

 

*****
 

When the phone rang again a little later, Brian answered it this time.

“Hi, Pop,” Gus said.

“What’s up, Sonny Boy? You sound a little down.”

“I am.”

“You didn’t hear from that fucking Cole again, did you?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“Then what are you depressed about?”

“Could I come to the cottage this weekend?” Gus asked. “There’s a few things I’d like to talk to you about.”

“What kind of things?”

“Could … could we talk when I get there?” Gus asked not wanting to get into this over the phone.

Whatever Brian heard in Gus’ voice, he agreed to the weekend together and let his questions drop. “Do you think you could find time out of our Q & A sessions to take Bree and the other kids riding? I promised them we’d get back to it. It will be the first time since Patrick broke his arm.”

“I think we could make time,” Gus said. “Besides, Ashley and I get along really well.”

“Is that right?”

“She’s a neat little kid when you get to know her. I can see why Bree likes her so much.”

“Hm.”

“What’s the hm for, Pop?”

“Just thinking. Maybe I need to get to know Ashley better.”

“You could do worse,” Gus laughed. He could just picture his Pop and Ashley having a heart to heart.

“What’s so fucking funny?”

“Nothing, nothing at all,” Gus said stifling more laughs. “Pop, thanks for not grilling me on the phone. I’ll tell you all about it on the weekend.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“Later,” Gus said and cut the connection.

“Later,” Brian replied to the dead line. He couldn’t help but wonder what problem Gus had for him on the weekend. He was still sitting in the kitchen thinking about that when Justin came in.

“I put Bree to bed. She’s asleep already. Must have been all that pie,” Justin laughed. “What are you doing?”

“Thinking.”

“That can be a dangerous thing.”

“Quiet, or I’ll fuck your other ass off,” Brian threatened with a less than menacing look on his face.

“What other ass?” Justin asked. “As far as I know I only have one.”

“Nope, there’s definitely two asses. That was your city ass that I took care of on the weekend. Your country ass needs the same attention.”

“Oh, I didn’t know there was a distinction between the two.”

“Well there is.”

“Some time you’ll have to explain to me what the difference is.”

“As an ass connoisseur, I’d be happy too.”

Justin giggled. “I’d like nothing better, but I have something to tell you first. And I don’t want you to get mad.”

“Fuck! I know when you say that, I’m going to hate whatever it is,” Brian groaned.

“After I tucked Bree in, I called Tre` and Troi`. They want me to come into Pittsburgh tomorrow to see what they’ve done on the Rage cartoon so far.”

“They started that already?” Brian asked in surprise. “Didn’t you just dream up this idea?”

“Yeah, but they were really eager to get started. They want my opinion and some help with the storyline. I should call Michael and get him to sit in with us some time during the day.”

“Oh joy, oh fucking rapture! Another day with you in the city and me stuck here.”

“I thought you loved it here.”

“I do,” Brian sighed. “But I love it most when you’re here with me.”

“Aw, you are the sweetest man.”

“Buttering me up will not make it better.”

“Sure it will,” Justin said sliding onto Brian’s knee. “And my country ass will prove it when you’re ready for bed.”

“I’m ready right now,” Brian declared as he felt his cock swell under the pressure of Justin’s delectable country ass resting on his knee.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Justin said with an evil grin. “Let’s go.” He stood and took Brian’s hand leading his husband into their bedroom.
 

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