Chapter 11 Brian had been home for three days now and the pace at Kinnetik had kicked up several notches now that the boss was back. Ted sat at his desk, buried in reports that he had just gone over with Brian. He ran his hand over his bald head, and then rubbed his eyes, acknowledging that although he loved his job, he could use a vacation himself. He and Blake were planning a trip to Hawaii, unfortunately it was weeks away and right now he had to deal with the unpleasant decision of whether or not he should tell Brian about Gus and his little ‘affair’. After getting Aedan’s name from the manager of the gym and listening to Blake warn him one more time to stay out of it, Ted had forged ahead with his investigation. What he had come up with was surprising and a relief in many ways. At least the man wasn’t a serial killer or some club boy that was stalking Gus. He was an accomplished Nobel prize winner, someone with an impeccable reputation in the scientific community and on a personal level, no evidence of promiscuity or addictions anywhere. What he did find out was that Aedan had been with Layton Pharmaceuticals for a few years now and seemed, by all outward appearances, to be a fair and honest person, whose staff was loyal to the extreme. It had taken a lot of elbow grease to come up with the little information he did have. It didn’t help when his source found out that Remson was one of their top clients, a major rival of Layton. At first they thought Ted’s investigator was some sort of industrial spy but after many sessions of wining and dining, they opened up a little bit, giving the private detective some insights into the man that Gus seemed to be very involved with. Apparently Aedan Hughes was originally from Pittsburgh but had moved away in the early two thousands, shortly before the Babylon bombing. He’d moved somewhere west, to go to college and had only come back to Pittsburgh three years ago, to take on the job with Layton. His reputation was one of a hard working, methodical and extremely dedicated member of the Layton executive hierarchy and his personal life was without any black marks or incidents. He lived in a house on the outskirts of the city. Close enough to get to work within twenty minutes, yet far enough away to be rid of the daily noises and pollution infecting downtown Pittsburgh. His parents lived in another suburb, in a home that Aedan had purchased for them years ago. They were simple folk, retired and living quiet lives. Once a year they made a trip to Europe, staying in Ireland for six weeks, and then coming back to Pittsburgh to partake in all the joys of suburbia. Aedan’s mother belonged to the garden club and his father would meet daily with his buddies for a round of golf followed by a round of drinks. One game of poker a week capped off their exciting lives. Aedan visited at least three times a month, staying for dinner or lunch; other than that, there was little contact with them. He was an only child and had never been in a long term relationship, as far as the investigator had made out. His forays into Babylon’s backroom were few and far between, only to pick someone out, then leaving with that person. Public sex wasn’t his thing. Financially, he was set for life. His salary was in the six-figure range and he was, from everything they had seen so far, not a big spender. He owned his home and his car free and clear. His credit score was way up there. If Ted had to pick someone for Gus, this guy was perfect. The only problem he could see was that Gus was sixteen years younger and the very small matter of a dick being present, instead of a vagina. Switching his mind-set and seeing Gus as a gay man was really difficult for him. He could only imagine what this information would do to Brian and Justin. It’s one thing to know your son is gay from an early age and to accept it. It’s another matter altogether to wake up one morning and announce to the whole world that you are switching teams. That would blow anyone’s mind! He debated his decision again, reviewing all the reasons in his head as to why he should stay out of this. But, being the responsible person that he was and Brian’s loyal friend, he couldn’t keep this information to himself. He heaved out a huge sigh, and then stood up and picked up the folder with all the findings and made his way into Brian’s office. Brian looked up when Ted walked in, a red folder in his hand. “God, Theodore, I thought we’d gone over every fucking thing possible. Don’t tell me there’s more?” Ted stood in the middle of Brian’s office, staring at the man he had known now for almost thirty years. Their relationship had been through many phases and had survived a lot. Starting with Ted’s near death from a drug-induced coma, to his almost-imprisonment after being busted by Stockwell, to his tragic sojourn into the depths of a crystal-meth addiction and his pathetic attempts at finding his one true love, entering into one loser relationship after another. Brian had been there through it all and despite his initial misgivings, had offered Ted a helping hand at a time when it was desperately needed. He had given Ted the confidence he needed to put his life back together and for that Ted would always be grateful. He had repaid Brian tenfold over the last twenty years, working his heart and soul off for Kinnetik, contributing his meticulous love of numbers and accounting, being the spine of Kinnetik while Brian was the brain and Cynthia his right hand. Ted stood in the middle of the room tonight, thinking long and hard about his decision to talk to his boss. It was one thing to bring bad news about business; it was another thing to open up a family matter that really should be a private affair between Brian and his son. Ted kept hearing Blake’s voice telling him that they always shoot the bearer of bad tidings and he was almost tempted to turn around and walk out. “Ted? What is it?” Brian asked, seeing Ted’s hesitation. Unable to avoid the confrontation any longer, Ted moved forward and stood in front of Brian’s desk. “I’m not quite sure how to tell you this,” he started. “You can’t quit Theodore. I already told you. You’re not retiring until I do, so don’t even go there,” Brian said, looking up at Ted and twirling a pencil in his right hand. Ted huffed out a small laugh, “No, I wasn’t planning on retiring just yet; however, you may want to fire me after this conversation.” “Why?” Brian asked, the eyebrow going up questioningly. “While you were gone, something happened,” Ted started. “What?” Brian asked, shaking his head and waiting. “It has to do with Gus.” “I think I know where you’re going with this,” Brian said, sticking the pencil in his mouth and gnawing on it, in lieu of the cigarette he would much rather have had. “Gus has been seeing someone Brian. Someone he met at Babylon,” Ted said, looking like a deer in the headlights, waiting for Brian to reach across his desk and choke him. “I know.” “You do? Thank God! So Gus told you himself?” Ted asked, feeling the relief coursing through his body like an antacid coating his stomach. “No, I stumbled onto the information all by myself.” “Oh,” Ted said, feeling his panic rushing right back. “How did you find out?” “I happened to have the webcam on Babylon one night and saw him with this guy,” Brian answered, almost breaking the pencil in half with his teeth. “Does Gus know you know?” Ted asked. “No he doesn’t and I don’t want you to say anything to him. I want him to tell me himself.” “That’s fine with me,” Ted blurted. “Gus doesn’t know that I know either. The only reason I found out was because Blake told me.” “And he found out, how?” Brian asked, his voice getting lower by the minute. “Oh God,” Ted said, pulling out one of the leather chairs in front of Brian’s desk and sitting on it. “You may as well tell me Theodore. We’re already into this way too deep to back out,” Brian said, the pencil back in his right hand again. Ted took a deep breath and said, “He walked in on them at the sauna at Gold’s, while the guy was blowing Gus.” The pencil snapped in half and Brian moved his chair back a foot as he kicked his desk viciously. “Motherfucker!” “I’m sorry, Brian,” Ted said, standing quickly, ready to commit Hara-kiri right then and there. “What the fuck are you sorry about! You weren’t blowing him,” Brian spat out. “Who the hell is this guy?” “Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I had him investigated.” “Thank God,” Brian said, reaching across the desk and grabbing the folder away from Ted. He opened it and skimmed the contents briefly, picking up the key points, discarding the trivia. He looked at the photo that the investigator had included; one that was taken for the official Nobel Prize program and personal bio. He stared at it intently, frowning as he did so. Ted caught the look and said, “What?” “What, what?” Brian asked, looking at him strangely. “Don’t tell me,” Ted asked with a sinking heart. “Please don’t tell me you’ve had this guy.” “How the fuck should I know? He’s blond and blue-eyed. Do you have any idea how many of those I had while Justin was in New York? They were part of my pain management in those days. I couldn’t possibly remember every guy I’ve fucked!” “That is bullshit and you know it, Brian. You can remember every single one and can describe their dicks in minute detail, so don’t tell me you don’t remember.” “Well, I don’t remember him. I would have, ‘cause he’s hot as fuck! At least Gus has good taste.” “Yes, and a penchant for blonds, just like his dear old Dad.” “Shut up Theodore,” Brian said, picking up the picture and staring at it intently. “I’ll know more when I meet him,” Brian said, under his breath. “Why? Does your dick have a homing device? Does it twitch once for yes and twice for no, if it recognizes a former fuck?” “Don’t,” Brian said, looking at Ted, his eyes gone completely dark with anger. “Sorry,” Ted said, back-pedaling furiously. “Look Brian. I didn’t mean to stir up any trouble. I just thought you’d want to know as much about this guy as possible,” Ted said. “I do,” Brian replied. He looked up at Ted and took a deep breath. He dug into his pocket, fishing around for the cigarettes that he knew were no longer there. “God, I need a cigarette so bad. You wouldn’t happen to have any, would you?” he asked. “No, but I know where I can get one,” Ted said, walking out the door. “I’ll be right back,” he said. “Thanks Ted.” Brian put his head back on the head rest and closed his eyes. He’d been home now for three days and Gus had still not said one word about this new development in his life. The fact that the guy was already blowing him was a clear indication that this had progressed much further than either he or Justin had thought. He tried to analyze his feeling again. Why was he so upset about this? Gus had every right to be the person he wanted to be and if that was a bisexual man, then that is who he should be. Unfortunately, Brian didn’t know any bisexual that wasn’t a closet queen. Everyone he’d ever met who professed to be bi was really a big queer hiding behind the skirts of bisexuality. They were all a bunch of chicken shit cowards and he’d be damned if his son was one of those. He knew there were people out in the world that were truly attracted to both sexes. He’d gone to college and had taken two years of psychology, mainly to figure himself out, but finding out a lot about human sexuality in the process. He knew they really existed, and if that is who Gus truly was, then he would accept it and welcome him into the fold, so to speak, with open arms. What he wasn’t prepared to do was accept blindly, without investigating. He wanted to be damn sure that this wasn’t a rebound thing, some game that Gus had embarked on to try and forget Ashley. The last thing he wanted was a fucked up kid who couldn’t tell the difference between cock and pussy. He would only hurt himself more and end up hating what he had become. Not to mention hurting people who loved him, including this guy, whoever-the-fuck he was. Gus didn’t need to be sitting on the fence. He needed to see a shrink. Daphne, Brian thought. She’d know exactly what to do. He picked up his cell phone and punched in her numbers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gus looked in the mirror one last time, satisfied with the results. He’d never been very vain, accepting his looks without the accompanying ego, but lately he’d taken extra care with each outfit, making sure everything matched and his hair was perfect. For the first time in his life he actually cared what he looked like. And he wanted to look good, for Aedan. The phone rang and he saw that it was Brian. “Hey, Dad, what’s up?” “Not much. What’re you up to?” “I’m going over to Mom’s for lunch. It’s Sunday, remember?” “Right. You want to come over afterwards? I have a suitcase full of shit for you.” “That’s right…yeah, I’ll come by, around three or so. Is that good?” “That’s fine. I’ll see you later. Say hi to the mothers.” “Okay, Dad.” Gus disconnected and went over to his bureau to get his keys. He looked in the mirror one more time and stood there, staring at himself, and wondering if anyone would be able to tell the difference. The face that stared back at him was the same, same dark hair, same hazel eyes, same lips. It was the brain that was totally different and somehow, Gus wasn’t ready yet to show anyone the new and improved Gus Peterson-Kinney; the Gus that was madly attracted to another man. Aedan was on his mind constantly. He made his pulse race with one look, a mere word from him could reduce him to a stumbling sixteen-year-old, literally coming in his pants. Gus looked forward to their daily phone calls like a junkie seeking a fix. They had seen each other almost every night for the last week and he had gotten to the point where the thought of being with another man no longer bothered him. He had accepted the fact that something was happening to him that was beyond his control. He had not sought this out, well, not intentionally, but here he was; caught up in something that had a grip on him tighter than anything he had ever experienced before; one that was getting stronger by the day rather than weaker. He never realized being with someone could be this intense. All the years he’d spent with Ashley never meant this much, or ever made him feel this way. In retrospect, his feelings for Ashley had been so juvenile compared to what he was feeling now. It was more a comfort thing with her than anything else. He had loved her the way he loved his family, loyally and with all his heart, but it was nothing like this. He never obsessed over her the way he did Aedan. And maybe that was the whole point. He should have never been with a woman when his heart clearly belonged to the opposite sex. Or did it? Because the fact was he did not think of himself as a gay man. He still considered himself straight. This thing with Aedan was some fluke thing that just happened. He could not imagine being with any other man. The thought alone disgusted him. He ran his hand through his hair once again and shook his head, wishing once more that he could turn the clock back and rethink the whole decision to stop in at Babylon that night. If he had never gone there, he’d never be in this predicament. On the other hand, the thought of never having the opportunity to be with Aedan made him sick. He’d never been happier, in spite of his confusion. His phone buzzed and he picked it up. “Hey, Angel,” the husky voice said, causing an immediate flutter in Gus’ stomach. “Hi.” “Are you on you’re way to your Mom’s?” “Yeah, I was just getting ready to leave.” “Can we meet afterwards?” “I promised my Dad I’d swing by his place after lunch. He has a bunch of stuff he bought for me in Europe and he wanted me to come get it.” “So what time do you think you’ll be done?” “It’ll probably be early evening before I get back in town. Why don’t you meet me here? I’ll call you before I leave Britin.” “Britin?” “Oh, that’s the name of my father’s estate. My other Dad named it long ago and it stuck.” “Sounds pretty fancy.” “Whatever. It’s a big-ass mansion with a million rooms but it’s home. I spent every summer there for a long time. I love the place.” “Maybe you’ll show it to me someday,” Aedan said softly, not wanting to start a fight, but chafing at all this secrecy. He was getting tired of meeting at night, respecting Gus’ wishes to keep things under wraps until he disclosed everything to his fathers. It was all getting really old. Aedan hadn’t been in the closet for years so this was one more thing about his relationship, or non-relationship, with Gus that was difficult. “Why don’t you come to my place?” Aedan asked. “You’ve never been here before.” “Okay, I’ll call you just before I leave. You can give me directions.” “That’s fine. Angel?” Aedan said. “What,” Gus asked, feeling himself getting hard. It happened every time he heard Aedan say ‘Angel’ like that. “I miss you,” Aedan said. “I miss you too,” Gus replied, disconnecting the phone. He was shocked that he actually meant every word. He hadn’t seen Aedan in one day and it already felt too long. It was all insane as far as he was concerned and once again he thought that he was going nuts. He decided that if everything went right, he’d talk to his fathers this afternoon. He was tired of all the secrecy and indecision. He needed to get this out in the open and be done with it. Gus was surprised when he pulled into the driveway at the Marcus-Peterson home. It seemed as if the entire Novotny-Bruckner clan had descended on them, which meant only one thing. Jenny was home. He got out of the car and made his way into the house, only to be greeted by loud noises coming from the kitchen. He could hear Grandma Deb’s voice and his sister, equally as loud, trying to keep up. “Anybody home?” he called out, hoping to be heard above the din. “Gus,” Jenny yelled out, making her way out of the kitchen and giving her brother a big hug. “Hey, little brat. I didn’t know you were going to be here,” Gus said affectionately. “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. A couple of my classes got canceled and I had two free days and many airline miles available so here I am!” Jenny said, looking at her brother with a big grin. She was still a whole head shorter than him, but she made up for it with a personality that was a combination of Melanie and Debbie rolled into one; dynamic, outspoken and fiercely competitive. Jenny Rebecca was a mover and a shaker all wrapped up in a petite, brunette body. She had her mother’s brain and her grandmother’s motor mouth. She also had her father’s puppy-dog brown eyes and her very own beautiful smile. She was in her second year of law school, already making deep impressions, acing every test, challenging her classmates and professors alike with her probing questions. “That’s great,” Gus said, kissing her cheek. “Hey Gus,” Deb hollered out, “Come into the kitchen and give your old Grandma a hug.” Gus grinned and he and Jenny moved into the kitchen, noting that his two mothers were elbow deep in lasagna pans while Deb sat on a chair, sipping a glass of wine, giving directions. Carl sat on the other end of the table, reading the sports page, while Michael and Ben were on the sofa on the other side of the room, watching some documentary on TV. They all looked up when he walked in and all yelled ‘hi Gus’ at the same time. “Hey Guys,” he responded, pleased to see everyone. “Where’s Hunter?” “Couldn’t make it. He had plans,” Michael answered, from his spot on the sofa. “Apparently, this new girl he’s dating has some monster Harley and they took it out for a spin. She’s opened up a whole new world for him. One I’m not so sure I like,” Michael said, his tone of voice irritated and judgmental. “Oh lighten up, honey,” Deb said from across the room. “It’s not like he’s going to marry her or anything. You know how Hunter is. He’s got the attention span of a gnat. He’ll get bored in a few months and move on.” “It’s time he settled down. He can’t be flitting around from girl to girl forever,” Michael said. “He’ll settle down when he’s good and ready,” Ben answered, putting his arm around Michael’s shoulder and giving him a squeeze. “Well, I’m getting tired of waiting for my grandchildren,” Michael said. “You guys are all lagging. If you don’t hurry up I’ll be too old to play with them,” he said. Deb heard that and laughed out loud. “Too old? Honey, you’re not that old. If you think you’re old then Carl and I are museum-relics.” “Some days I feel like that,” Carl replied, peering over his glasses at his sort-of-wife of over twenty years. “Oh stop, honey. You’re not that old. At least, not last night,” she said naughtily, embarrassing the hell out of Carl. “Ewww,” the whole room said in unison. “Too much info?” Deb asked, laughing out loud, enjoying everyone’s shocked faces. “Mother, you are disgusting,” Michael said from across the room. “Oh be quiet Michael. You’ve turned into such a fuddy-duddy.” “I am not!” he replied indignantly, responding like a twelve-year-old, always letting Deb get a rise out of him. Ben just smiled, used to the playful bickering between his mother-in-law and his husband. “How about you sweetie?” Deb asked, turning her attention to Gus. “Have you started seeing anyone new?” Gus felt the blood rush to his face, a reaction his body always had to embarrassment, one he still had not outgrown. “No,” he answered quickly. “Gussie!” Jenny said, recognizing the look from her spot over the salad bowl. “You are, aren’t you?” she asked as she stood there, tearing the lettuce leaves with her hands. “Good for you. Who is she?” ‘No I’m not,” Gus replied indignantly, wishing they would leave him the hell alone. Lindsay and Melanie looked at each other and then they both turned to look at Gus, noting his discomfort. “Who is she, Gus? You can tell us, we promise not to interfere,” Melanie said. “Yeah, right,” Gus huffed out, sitting down at the table and grabbing a bread stick out of the basket. He bit into it, chewing slowly, his mind racing, willing himself to relax and to not slip up. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss his private life with an audience of seven. “Where did you meet her?” Lindsay asked, knowing her son was hiding something. “Does she work at Kinnetik? How long have you been going out?” she said, turning on the third degree. “I’m not dating anyone mother. Leave me alone,” Gus replied, his discomfort clearly apparent in his beet red cheeks. “Oh, please tell us. We’re happy for you honey, we’re glad you’re moving on with your life,” Lindsay said, coming over to Gus and giving him a kiss on the cheek. She caressed his face affectionately, hoping he really was seeing someone new. He deserved some happiness and it had been over two years since the divorce. It was time. “I am not dating anyone and if you guys don’t leave me alone I will stand up and walk out of here,” Gus said quietly, looking at everyone with a Kinney look they had not seen in a long time. He stood up and walked over to the refrigerator and opened it, pulling out a bottle of beer, uncapping it and taking a swig. His audience watched in stunned silence, seeing a side of Gus they had never seen before. “Well, let’s just drop this whole conversation,” Melanie said emphatically. “Jenny, let’s move everything over to the table,” she said, looking at her daughter as she picked up the pan of steaming hot lasagna and headed towards the dining room. Gus moved to join them, avoiding his mother’s eyes. She was staring at him intently, trying to decide whether she should push for more answers but she decided against it, leaving well enough alone. “You want to hang out today or tomorrow?” Jenny asked her brother, holding the giant salad bowl in her hands, moving it towards the table. “Sorry Jen, I have plans.” “Do the plans include a blond or a brunette?” She asked, picking up that conversation again and pressing for an answer. Gus looked at his sister and shook his head. “You’re like a pit bull, you know that?” “I know,” Jenny grinned at him. “Well? And your answer is?” “Blond,” Gus replied, throwing in the towel. He knew that resisting Jenny would get him nowhere. She was a persistent little shit and would make a great attorney. “I rest my case,” she replied, looking at her mothers with a satisfied look on her face. TBC