What a Difference A Year Makes 2
Chapter 4
"Brian Kinney."
"Brian, it's Bobby."
"Hey Red, any news?"
"Yes."
"And?"
"We're pregnant!"
"Thank the gods. Everything okay?"
"It's good so far but..."
"It's early days yet."
"Yeah. Brian, this has to work. If it doesn't..."
"It'll work. If Rachel is anything like you, she'll be fine."
"I hope so. I didn't pay attention when she was pregnant with the girls. I was in school, working..."
"Too gay to notice."
"Something like that. But she told me that her pregnancies were normal but that was a long time ago. Her youngest is ten. Brian, if anything goes wrong I'm afraid John couldn't handle it. He's already driving my sister nuts. Calls her everyday. Keeps telling her to put her feet up. Brian, she's not even a month along. God only knows what he's going to be like in a few months. He wants to start remodeling the spare room now. Brian, BRIAN! Stop laughing."
"I'm sorry, Red. I'm picturing that big bro of mine hovering over Rachel, bringing her snacks, making her sit with her feet up and shoving baby magazines in her hands."
"Brian, you're not helping."
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"Would you? Just get him to slow down a bit. He's going to work himself into a nervous wreck."
"Look, in a few months it'll be the building season. He'll be too busy to be annoying and I may have a project for him."
"Oh yeah? What?"
"Can I tell you something in the strictest of confidence?"
"As your lawyer and your friend, you can tell me anything. I won't say a word."
"Justin and me, you know."
"How long has it been?"
"Officially since your ceremony but pretty much since we got back from our trek following Kinney and Patrick."
"Brian, are you going to ask Justin to marry you?"
"Maybe."
"Can you be more vague?"
"Sarcasm? Bobby, this is a big step for me. I never believed in monogamy let alone gay marriage, especially not for me. But the little twat grew on me and..."
"Brian, you can bullshit with the best of them but don't try it on me. You love Justin, you're IN love with Justin and you want to spend the rest of your life with him. Admit it."
"I thought I just did that."
"You're hopeless. So is that what you wanted to tell me?"
"Part of it. I was thinking about asking him on Valentine's Day."
"Oh how sweet!"
"I do not do sweet!"
"Tell it walking, old man. You happen to be one of the most romantic men I know except for John."
"Fuck, Bobby, you're going to ruin me. And look who's laughing now!"
"I'm sorry Brian. You Kinney men, big tough exterior, marshmallows on the inside. Go on; tell me the rest of it."
"I want to buy a house. I've been looking but..."
"You're going to leave the loft?!"
"No, I've decided to keep the loft. I love this place and if I find a house that I want it may be outside the city. I'll need the loft as a base just in case I have meetings and stuff for Kinnetik. And as a buffer, just in case I need some space. If you haven't noticed, I can get grouchy sometimes."
"That's an understatement."
"I'm going to ignore that. I think I may have found a cottage. I love your cottage. It has a peaceful, rustic feel to it. After the competitiveness of my business I need something quiet to come home to. It has several bedrooms, one of which I want to turn into a room for Gus. He's getting so big. He'll need his own space too."
"Especially if he's anything like you."
"I'm ignoring that one too."
"So what do you want John for?"
"I want him to design and build a sunroom studio for Justin.
Justin's staying; he's not going back to
"You miss him already and he hasn't gone. You've got it bad, old man."
"Watch it with the old shit but yeah, I've got it bad. So, do you think John would help me?"
"In a heart beat. He loves you."
"And I love that devastatingly handsome big brother of mine."
"Some things never change."
"I have no idea what you're referring to."
"Sure you don't. Call John as soon as you know about the house. He'll drop everything to help you. And it'll give Rachel a break. Thanks, Brian."
"No, it should be me thanking you, and John. If it wasn't for you two I'd never have the guts to make this commitment to Justin."
"You're wrong. You would have done it. but maybe we just gave you a shove in the right direction."
"Either way, I'm glad I saw the light before I lost him. I'm nothing without him."
"Wrong again, big guy. You're a good man, Brian. A phenomenal businessman, loyal friend and a great partner. You're just better with Justin."
"You can say that again. Now leave me alone. I have a ridiculously romantic night to plan and a house to buy. Give my brother a hug for me and a kiss to that wonderful sister of yours. Later, Red."
"Later, big guy."
Brian hung up the phone. He had a lot to think about. He had almost convinced himself that he should ask Justin to marry him. If his lover didn't die of a heart attack when he heard the words coming out of his mouth, he hoped that Justin would accept. This love business was always so unpredictable. There were so many variables, hormones and competition and work and other people and parents and in-laws and expectations. Fuck! He was talking himself out of it.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He had a couple of weeks to get ready to ask Justin. Surely he could work up the proper presentation. He visualized Justin sitting at the conference table in his office and he was naked like he visualized all his clients. It gave Brian a great edge of superiority when he was making his pitch.
Brian felt his dick grow hard as he pictured Justin at the table. His hand would be under the edge of the table and he would be playing with himself. His beautiful cock would be hard and purple and leaking. He would drag Justin onto the top of the table and ravish him in front of the whole office if they cared to watch. And they would, of course.
Fuck! Now he was hard and he would, of course, do no such thing. Why did his mind always wander to sex? Brian laughed to himself. Sex was what he was, it was what he sold and it was what he loved more than anything else. Or used to. Now he loved Justin and Gus and he wanted a house and a future and happiness.
Shit! This was going downhill fast. How was he ever going to get those
words out? He knew his mouth would be full of cotton and he would have to have
several drinks to get up his courage. His heart would be hammering in his chest
and he would be petrified that Justin would refuse him. He still wasn't sure
exactly what he had to offer the young man. Now that Justin was gaining some
success as an artist, he didn't need Brian's money anymore. He could have any
man he wanted. He could go live anywhere in the world. Why would he want to
stay with an old, no, older man in fucking
Brian rubbed his temples. He was giving himself a headache. This would be the biggest pitch of his life and he had to make it work. He had a little over two weeks. He could do it. He knew he could.
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"I have to go back to Penn tomorrow," Nick told Hunter. "We won't see each other as much."
"I know. I've been dreading it."
"We did okay last semester. We can do it again."
"Yeah," Hunter replied trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice.
"You don't sound very sure of that."
"I'm not. You got really busy there for a while. Maybe the same thing will happen this term. Maybe you'll forget all about me. Maybe you'll find someone else."
"Queen out alert!" Nick smiled.
"I can't help it. I miss you already."
"It's going to be all right."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I love you."
"Right thing to say," Hunter smiled as he leaned into Nick's kiss.
They were sitting in Hunter's truck outside Nick's house and it was fucking freezing outside. The kiss certainly helped to heat up the inside of the truck. When they finally broke apart Nick leaned down and unzipped Hunter's jeans.
"I want you," Nick whispered.
"I want you too," Hunter gasped as Nick stroked him off. He reached down and stilled Nick's hand. "I want more than this."
"But where can we go. I don't want to freeze my balls off in this truck."
"I think there's a few canisters left for the fireplace in the treehouse."
"Would it be warm enough?"
"I'm sure we'll heat the treehouse up too," Hunter grinned.
"I really want to spend this last night with you."
"Me too."
"Wait here and I'll tell my parents that I'm spending the night at the farm."
"Is that what you're going to say?" Hunter asked with a mischievous grin.
"Well, technically the treehouse is at the farm. I'll tell them that you are going to drive me back to Pitt tomorrow and we want to spend as much time together as we can. Can you drive me?"
Hunter nodded. "You bet. Go tell them and hurry.
Not long after the two boys were snug in their sleeping bag in the treehouse. The fireplace provided enough warmth, and their passion provided the rest.
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"Brian, are you sure about this? This place is a disaster."
"No worse than the bath house and we did fine with that."
"At least that structure was sound. This so-called cottage looks like it's going to fall down around us."
"Where's your sense of adventure? I see potential."
"I see a lawsuit. Seriously Brian, you're not going to let my son live in a dump like this, are you?"
"What are they asking for it?"
"Too much."
"I can afford it."
"That's not the point."
"Is the land and the stream part of the deal?"
"Yes, you have five acres of land with the stream running through it."
"And it's only an hour and a half away from the Pitts and the same
from the
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Make. The. Deal. Don't tell Justin. Leave that to me. I'll gut the place, tear it down and start all over if I have to but I want this and the land."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure. Go wait in the car, stay warm. I want to walk around for a while."
"Okay but please be careful. Justin would kill me if I let anything happen to you."
Brian nodded as Jennifer left the cottage. She prayed that the floor would hold up as Brian walked through the house. Brian took out his digital camera and started to take pictures. The cottage was almost the mirror image of John's cottage with a huge kitchen and fireplace in the middle of the living room. Only this house had three bedrooms and with plenty of land all around for privacy and to build on. It also had its own private lane so it was well off the main road which suited Brian. He was a city boy but all the time he spent at Claire's made Brian appreciate the quiet of the farm and it was exactly what Justin would need to paint and express himself. Justin could play all his nasty music without annoying the neighbors. That is if they had any neighbors. The next house was about three miles away. Again that suited Brian. Over the years he had considered installing a revolving door to the loft due to all the traffic that was constantly streaming in and out. This was the right step for him and for Justin.
As Brian continued to explore the cottage he took more pictures then he pulled out his phone and sent a text message to his brother. "John, I have a big job for you. Call me later, Brian." That's all it said. Before leaving the property, Brian walked around to the back of the house. The trees were all bare and there was nary a trickle of sound from the stream, all but frozen in the stillness of February. He walked toward the sound. Almost to its bank, Brian stopped. Just before the stream was a huge rock just right for sitting and reflecting.
"Oh yeah," Brian muttered to himself. "I'm sure."