Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 14:04:49 -0700
From: Drew Filchak <dfilchak@qwest.net>
Subject: Confirmed Seating - A Sequel to 'Reservations'

Author's Note:  The incredible response to the first part of this
story was overwhelming.  This sequel was written with the readers in
mind that wrote to me with such kind words.  Thank you so much!  The
requests for more were many, but as I shared with those that wrote,
I'm over half-way finished with a novel I'm currently working on and
I have to finish it.  Still, I too felt the pull for more and so this
sequel is actually dedicated to Rock, a reader that shared my same
burning desire ... "I want to know what Hank's reaction to all of
this is!"   Enjoy!



Confirmed Seating
A Sequel to 'Reservations'

By Drew Filchak


     I paused on the corner of 18th and Stout, stopping for many
reasons.  I was early for one thing.  Not ridiculously early, but out
of sync with my schedule all the same.  I found myself looking
through the restaurant windows at my empty seat at the bar.  I also
looked towards its counterpart across from it.  It also sat equally
empty.
     Last week I wouldn't have thought much about the far seat being
empty, nor felt much about it except maybe a slight bit of hopeful
anticipation.  My breakfast companion never showed up until 7:15 as a
rule.  But today, the sight of his space at the bar brought a sudden
frantic thumping to my chest.  My heart beat rapidly and my face
flushed.  The memory of his kiss upon leaving Saturday evening was
suddenly, once again, hot on my lips and the recall of his touch
against my cheek with the back of his hand, doubled my present blush.
But the lingering sound of his whisper claiming how much he would
miss me for breakfast today was what caused my emotions to explode.
I shouted loudly as the memories collided in ecstatic union -- elated
beyond containment.
     A woman coming towards me from the opposite corner caught the
brunt of my surprised exclamation.  My shout caused her to shriek in
startled, wide-eyed surprise.  She instinctively veered towards the
curb some fifteen feet from my place on the corner.  Once safe, she
looked back towards me over her shoulder and chuckled a bright laugh
as her own surge of adrenaline flashed.  The scene I had just caused
flashed before me and I too began to grin, then chuckle.
     Then I laughed outright -- the loss of inhibition infinitely
satisfying.
     "Blair!  What the hell are you doing?"
     The raised voice from the other corner penetrated my bubbling,
self-induced hilarity.  I looked up to find Hank standing in the
doorway of the restaurant, looking at me with his head cocked to one
side, eyes wide and bewildered.  I slapped my leg as my laughter
surged again.  I left the corner to join Hank.  My hands rubbed my
eyes and cheeks in an attempt to control my runaway mirth.  A
shrieking horn screamed in warning and I instinctively jumped back
raising my hands in a protective motion.  The light-rail train car
glided passed, its bell clanging in belated warning.  Instantly
sobered, I stood in the street, gazing at the retreating train, then
looked at Hank.  His mouth stood open and his eyes blazed widely.
     My words spilled forth in an inane attempt to explain myself.
"Guess I should be paying more attention this morning."
     Hank broke through his momentary paralysis.  "Jesus!  Get out of
the street, Blair!"
     I made my way to the corner wearing an impish grin.
     "Where the hell is your mind at, man?" Hank bellowed.  "I've
watched you stand on that corner for at least five minutes.  What was
that about?"  He thrust his head and shoulders towards me,
emphasizing his question.  "And then suddenly, you shout out and damn
near give that woman a heart attack.  And as if that wasn't enough,
you almost walk into a train because you're laughing hysterically."
He grabbed my shoulder firmly, his piercing, concerned gaze studying
my face.
     I suddenly felt very stupid.
     "Hank, I'm sorry.  My mind was on ... elsewhere."  Embarrassed,
I dropped my eyes.
     "No shit," he replied.  His hand squeezed my shoulder once, then
as the intensity of the moment passed, he chuckled lowly.  "You just
got off of those damned crutches and I don't see a cane.  So before
you suddenly need them again, I think you'd better get in here."  He
gestured over his shoulder towards the door.
     I stopped a few feet from my stool and studied it.  My grin
returned.  I recalled fleeting moments from the past six weeks.  The
memories caused me to touch my cheek and again hear Joel's parting
words.
     Circling towards the inner bar, Hank grabbed the coffee pot and
moved towards me.  "All right," he started.  "What gives, Blair?"
     Jolted from my thoughts of Joel, I looked up from the bar stool
in confusion.  "What do you mean, 'what gives'?  What gives what?"
     Hank studied me for a minute, his hazel eyes studying my face.
The intensity of his look caused my blush to return.
     "What?" I asked defensively.  "Can't a guy just be in a good
mood?"  I raised my hands plaintively.
     "You're in way too weird of a mood for a Monday morning, buddy."
He reached the pot towards my cup and began to pour, then stopped mid-
way.  His eyes again darted to my face, dancing with playfulness.
"You got laid this weekend."
     My cheeks grew hotter as my blush deepened.  I dropped my eyes
and reached for my cup.  "C'mon, Hank.  Can't a guy just be happy for
no more reason than the sun is up and it's time to start a new week?"
     Hank snorted then turned to replace the pot on its warmer.  "All
I can say is the guy must be pretty fucking special for you not to be
bragging about him."
     "What do you mean by that?" I asked, automatically in defensive
mode.
     "It's simple," he replied as he punched his code into the
service terminal. "You're just like any of us straight guys with your
puffed-up-chest and swagger.  You can't kid me, Blair.  But what ..."
     "But, nothing," I interrupted.  "Can't a guy change?  Huh?"
     He snapped his head towards me.  A raw grin prefaced his words.
"So you admit it?"  He asked as his eyebrows rose playfully.
     "Fuck."  I sighed.  "I'm hungry.  Get me some food, would ya?"
     He nodded repeatedly with a pursed, smug grin that said he knew
he was right.  "Coming right up, buddy."  He punched the order into
the computer and headed to the kitchen.
     Alone finally, I chuckled to myself.  A deep, contented sigh
rushed from my mouth.  Joel's spot across the bar was empty and I
grinned widely knowing that it was going to remain empty because the
chair next to me would be permanently occupied come Thursday morning.
The thought caused my body to shiver excitedly.  The past two and a
half days had changed my outlook on life dramatically.


     Mikey cried non-stop as Joel and I entered my house from the
rear.  His plaintive meows filled the room, chastising me with their
incessant repetition.   He pushed himself from me and dropped again
to the floor when I tried to pick him up for a rub, then raced out of
the room into the kitchen towards his food dish.
     I turned towards Joel and rolled my eyes.  "I'm one hundred
percent certain that there is dry food in his dish.  He's just
spoiled."  I laughed.   "He wants his moist food in the morning and
I'm over two hours late with it.  He gets very cranky when his
schedule is upset.  You'll see that the more you're around here."
     Joel stood before me, staring into my face.  His brown eyes
showed desire, almost hesitant and longing, that was very plain for
me to see and enjoy.  Surprisingly, I realized that I also saw what
seemed to be an underlying current of apprehension which confused me.
Concerned and a bit unsettled, I reached for his face.  His eyes
follow my hand.  He shivered once as I touched his cheek,   sighing
quietly, then closed his eyes.
     "You okay?"  I asked softly.
     He remained silent, but turned his head into my hand as if he
craved the security or assurance offer by my touch.  Then he
shuddered.  Initially, his reaction to my touch thrilled me.  It was
obvious that he liked it, but the slight trembling I felt had a hint
of uncertainty about it.   Then, it hit me.
     "Is this too much for you?  Too much too quickly?"  My voice
softly raised in concern.  His eyes opened as he clasped my hand in
his, pressing it against his cheek.  He gave me a tiny, slight nod in
response.
     "Yes..."
     His whispered confirmation shoved my heart into my throat.
     "and ... no," he finished a little louder.
     I paused, trying to read the mix of signals his eyes and words
sent me.  I wanted to ease his confusion now like I wanted to ease
his pain last night after seeing him sitting alone again through the
restaurant windows.  A part of me also wanted nothing more than to
sweep him into my life at a pace and complexity level which my
personality naturally sought.  Yet as I looked at him now and saw
those unsure eyes stare back at me, unknowingly begging me for
sanctuary from the unfamiliar, I knew that my wants were meaningless.
The about-face in my thinking astounded me.  And at the same exact
time, I felt it embrace me in warm, soothing validation.
     I brought my hand to cup his other cheek.
     "It's okay," I whispered.  "At whatever pace and at whatever
level you choose and are comfortable with is where you'll find me.
You can just be here with a new friend feeding his cat if that's all
you want, okay?  This is about you, not me and ..." I paused,
realizing that he might need an escape route, "and if you wish, I'll
quickly feed Mikey and take you back to your apartment.  Maybe some
time without me in your face would help with your . confusion."
     His reaction to my words surprised me.  "No!" He whispered
forcefully after a moment.  He grasped my hands firmly and pulled
them from his face.  His grip remained tight.
     "No, what?" I asked.
     "I don't want to be in my damned apartment now," he explained
quickly.  "I've spent too many days and weeks there alone and I'm not
going to let my fears chase me back to being alone again.  Last night
and this morning were the first times that I've felt comfortable
there in months and that was because you were there with me.  It's
just, Blair . that I'm a little bit overwhelmed to suddenly find
myself following you into your house and seemingly into your life.
It's all so foreign to me."
     He shook his head once in frustration.  His eyes looked a bit
lost, but at the same time resolved. He groaned slightly.  "I know
this all has to sound pretty silly to you."
     "What?" I asked, interrupting him.  "No way.  Not in the least
bit, all right?"
     He checked my face to see if I was sincere.  Then he blinked and
took a deep breath.
     "It's just that I move through my business day quite normally,
confidently even.  But the casual familiarity of you talking about
your cat and including me and . and you being so free with your
emotions and yourself and ."
     His words stumbled to a halt.  He dropped his head, eyes gazing
to the side and let go of my hands.  I got the feeling that he wanted
to scream 'hold me now' while at the same time, simultaneously scream
'stay over there because you're way too close'.  The odd thing was
the I knew instinctively that he was not aware clearly of his own
conflict.  His words alone made that obvious. And I was at a loss for
a response.  This was foreign territory for me too.  I normally
pursued and hopefully caught and enjoyed what I wanted, then quickly
moved on.  Now the ole 'catch and release' analogy was out the window
along with what I thought I knew about how to handle someone else --
or hell, handle myself!  But I had to do something because he looked
so confused, so conflicted.
     "Joel?  Look at me will you?"  He met my glance looking so
unsure.  I blazed on.  "Can I share with you what I think you're
feeling?"
     He snorted lightly once as if to say 'sure, but you don't have a
clue'.  Still he nodded and I continued.
     "I think you're feeling that for the past countless years, maybe
since your wife died, that you had a level of comfort and confidence
in being alone.  Your solitude, it's ... it's shielded you almost and
helped to keep you from feeling too much, too deeply.  The problem is
that it's also kept new experiences from reaching you physically and
emotionally.   And I'd imagine that while you've known this
intellectually, you've not been able to do anything about it.  How am
I doing so far?"
     He remained silent, but raised his chin slightly to continue.
     "Okay," I said slowly, taking a deep breath.  "So, obviously
your business life and persona have expanded exponentially.  I mean
the results are there for the world to see, but the critical thing
is, unfortunately your personal ability to experience new things
hasn't changed or grown much in that time.  So suddenly, you find
yourself in a brand new personal situation, one that you've basically
had no experience at because you've spent such a long time alone.
I'm not just talking about the fact that I'm a male, but also, and
almost more important is the fact that you haven't engaged on a
personal level with anyone but your daughter, Megan, for years."
     I stopped for a second to allow my words sink in.  He again
dropped his gaze to the side, but I could sense that he was waiting
for me to continue.  It felt like a good sign, so I went a little
further.
     "All of that said, now that I'm suddenly in front of you and
with everything I bring to the table, you're in overwhelm with a part
of you wanting to back away.   And it's understandable.  You want to
embrace and experience the newness of life that's suddenly before you
and, at the same time, you want to run like hell back to what's
comfortable."
     He looked back at me wide-eyed, not moving.  I could see the
analytical factions of his mind as they worked rapidly to process and
verify my words.  I watched the successful business man sift through
and apparently reconcile his reality with everything I just said.   A
minute or so passed, then surprisingly, his brows lifted in visible
conclusion.
     "How did you know all of this, Blair?  How could you possibly
know, after so short of a time, that I am so rusty at interacting
with people socially that a part of me simply wants to not even try?"
His voice trembled with emotion as he tilted his head in question.
     I shrugged.  "Let me just say that it's familiar, but that's not
important right now, is it?  What is important, at least how I see
it, is for you to see the last bit of what I'm meaning.  I need you
to realize just how much you've changed me over the past six weeks."
     He pulled his head back clearly confused, but I continued.
"I've changed because of you and due to that change or I guess ...
because of the change you innocently instigated, you are finally safe
to venture out -- try on the concept of living life again."  My eyes
softened as I stroked his chin with the back of my finger.  "Joel,
what I mean is that I want you to use me as your safety net and your
shield for when the volume of living gets too loud.  At least until
you're used to it again.  I promise I'll be there if you'll let me."
     His confused and worried eyes clenched tightly for a moment.
Then, when he looked at me again, I saw that they'd changed in hue
and intensity -- relief and resolution looked back at me.  He smiled
and sighed.
     "Wow."  He pushed the breath from his lungs.  "I think I need to
tell you ... thanks.  From the point we left my apartment a short
while ago, I've felt this unease growing in me.  It was almost
reaching like a panic level and what made it worse was I didn't know
what was happening.  I'm not used to feeling afraid ... shit, Blair."
He swallowed twice.  His head moved uncertainly for a second, then he
shrugged.  "I still don't know how you knew all of that, but you sure
did get through to me.  So . thanks, uh ... my friend."  He grinned,
then obviously needing a change in our intensity level, flipped his
thumb towards the kitchen.  "I think that someone is still hungry."
     I grinned widely in return and chuckled.  "He's always hungry."
     I sensed a great relief coming from Joel's tall frame.  It felt
good.  I winked at him  "You're amazing, you know that?"
     He shrugged and I continued.  "So . you feeling a little less
scared?"
     "Yes."  He replied immediately with a relieved sigh then grinned
wider.  "I think I'm back to feeling like a giggly teenager."  He
scanned my face, focusing on my lips.  Playfully, I licked them
sensually, then returned his grin.
     "See something you like, stud?"
     "Oh, yeah," he growled quietly.  "But before I attack you,
answer me a question."
     "Shoot," I said then moved through the doorway into the kitchen.
Mikey was gonna come at me with his claws if I didn't get him some
food.
     I scooped up the cat dish.  "What's your question, stud?"  My
playful, leering smile flashed again as I glanced at him over my
shoulder.
     He feigned an exaggerated sag.  "God!  I feel like a ninety
pound weakling when you look at me sometimes.  I can't believe all
the things you've made me feel since last night."  He shook his head
then as if to refocus his thoughts.  "What did you mean when you said
that by the changes I instigated in you that I could now be safe in
venturing out? What changes and how did I do anything to make you
change?"
     I continued to mix the moist food with the dry, nodding as I did
while I thought about my response to his question.  "To begin with,"
I started, jutting my chin towards him, "just look at yourself.  Even
out of your power suits you are raw, barely-contained energy.  It's
palpable, do you realize that?"
     He furrowed his brows in question.  I continued.  "A month ago,
I tried to force myself on you, thinking that as usual, you would be
bowled over by me and I could claim my catch.  And trust me, what a
catch you were!  But, what I didn't realize then was that you weren't
catch-able."
     I finished mixing the food and placed it in front of Mikey, then
turned to face him.  "Just like with you standing there now, a month
ago and without even knowing it, I wanted you, up close and personal
because of the intense energy that radiates from you."  I shook my
head in dismay.  "Back then, I took it as wanting to fuck you.
That's all.  And when you," I smirked at the memory, "very
effectively put an end to my pursuit, I looked at what it all meant."
     "Okay, so . I still don't understand."
     I nodded.  "I realized that it wasn't your dick that I wanted or
your mouth or your earlobe, but rather it was just to be closer to
you so that I could . bathe in your energy, if you will.  See, I knew
that you were more different than any other guy I'd ever wanted.
Sure, other's have shot me down or not been interested, but the
change that happened when I finally saw that it was the 'whole of
you' I wanted to be near, well ... it rocked me to my core, Joel.
Suddenly, it was as if all of the bluster and cock-and-balls swagger
was useless because I realized that you so desperately needed to be
loved and ... cared for and I . I . god, Joel.  I don't know how to
say this without sounding pathetic, but . I desperately needed to
love someone and care for them, not just fuck 'em."
     The reality of what I'd just admitted to him slammed into me
full force.  I looked up to him and panted slightly with emotion.
"Joel, I've spent so many years in chase-mode that I suddenly found
this huge hole in me.  I knew I needed to fill it and even though I
knew that I couldn't fill it the way I needed to with you, I still
... desperately wanted to be near you.  But, you see, I knew that the
bravado crap was bullshit, especially with you, so without even
knowing it, I contented myself with trying on a new, less aggressive
me.  And it changed me."
     Joel moved closer to me and hesitated, but then reached to take
my hands in his.  "Wow, okay . uh, but I still don't understand why
or how any of that makes it safer for me to expose myself to other
people."
     I sighed.  I knew that I'd stopped short of giving the full
explanation.  It would make me so very vulnerable and leave me more
exposed than I'd ever been in my life.  Then, somewhere in the doubt
of going further, something clicked inside of me and I glimpsed what
could be if I'd only let myself go.  I took a deep breath and pulled
him closer to me, thighs touching as I leaned against the counter.
     "Look, Joel.  You haven't even been awake yet ." I winced at my
choice of words.  "No, that's not what I mean.  You haven't been
aware of anyone or anything outside of your very, small sphere for
even 24 hours.  I really don't know if it's such a good idea to slam
you with some really intense shit all at once."
     He pursed his lips once quickly.  "I'm a big boy, Blair."  His
words were gentle, but firmly stated.  The brown of his eyes bore
into mine and I realized that all I could do was go forward and hope
that I didn't drive him away.
     I swallowed once.  "Last night you heard me whisper my love for
you in your ear, right?"
     He nodded once, continuing to hold my gaze.
     "And you heard me say that I'd thought of you everyday since I
first saw you."
     Another nod.
     "Well, what I haven't told you is that I've not even looked at
another man since you walked into the restaurant and sat in your
place at the bar.  Actually, that's not even the half of it.  I've
flatly not wanted anyone else but you, period.  Even after you made
it clear that that just wasn't going to happen. But I couldn't stop
thinking of you."
     I pinched my eyes shut tightly and grimaced before I continued.
"I've dreamt of you.  I've thought of you in meetings.  I've caught
myself writing 'My Guy' on business notes even before I knew your
name.  And the amazing thing is that through all of my obsessive
actions and from all of the time that I've spent taking quick glances
at you, I came to realize that protecting you from further pain and
hurt was going to be my main focus from now on."  I chuckled wryly to
myself, then continued.
     "Granted, I couldn't fully see how that was going to work
because you didn't want to have anything to do with me, but hey, in
my mind, that was a minor detail.  The confidence and bravado are
still a big part of me.  Then I saw you sitting in the restaurant
last night with the most painful and defeated and alone expression
that I've ever seen on another person's face and all I could think
about was grabbing you in a hug and making all the hurt go away."
     I snorted in amazement and continued.   "God, I can't believe
that was just last night.  Amazing!"  I shook my head quickly to
refocus.  "Then, you basically let that happen, meaning you let me
help you with your pain.  And when I whispered in your ear that I
loved you, it wasn't because we'd just had sex, it was because . " my
voice trailed off with uncertainty.
     Joel jumped in, prodding me.  "What?  Please, Blair . please
finish what you were saying."
     I growled.  "Christ, Joel.  It was because I never wanted to be
apart from you again.  Now that I'd finally been granted the
incredible gift of being close to you, I wanted you a thousands times
more fiercely than before.  I want you close to me so that I can
breathe you, hold you, touch you and . protect you.  I want to show
you everything again that you once knew about being alive and I want
you to experience that with me at your side.  I . fuck!"
     My voice cracked with the emotions my words spewed forth.  "It
sounds so damned pathetic, but I want to be your champion, be fucking
Lancelot to your Arthur."
     I pinched my eyes shut tightly to close out the piercing
intensity that I saw in his gaze.  I had to finished this now.
     "And I want all of this not even 12 hours after you first spoke
to me.  You surely have to think that I'm fucking psycho or
something, but ."
     I stopped because his lips crashed into mine.  His tongue
burrowed into my mouth and his hands grabbed my face with a force
equivalent to that released in a major earthquake.  I moaned in
surprise, wanting him so badly, but I grabbed his shoulders, pulling
us apart.
     "Joel!  Stop!"  I hissed.
     "Stop?  Why?  I've never been hotter in my life!  God!  Your
words, your ... incredible passion have me ready to scream.  I feel
like I'm going to burst."
     My mouth dropped open in surprise and I stared into his panting
face, dumbfounded.  It suddenly hit me that he wasn't going to run
away from me!  "What ."
     "What, nothing, Blair.  Don't you see?  In the past 12 hours
since you sat at my table, I've become alive . so alive it almost
hurts and if you think you're going to scare me away with your
honestly and the intensity of your feelings, then you're absolutely
mistaken."  He launch another set of kisses at my face, then laughed.
     "I feel better than I've ever felt before and you're the reason.
I want to kiss you and not stop until I've tasted every square inch
of you.  With you in my life, next to me, suddenly I know I can
literally do anything.  It's like I've been reunited with my missing
self and that's all because of what you call your obsessive actions
and your need to 'breathe me'.  God, Blair ..." he kissed me again.
"Do you have any idea what that does to me to hear you say that?  I
can't believe that I've gone so many goddamned years without you in
my life.  What did you call me . 'my guy'?  Well, you're definitely
my guy and you definitely also have to understand the fact that you
being a man makes everything all the more new and exciting for me."
     He pounced again with his lips and ground his groin into mine.
The onslaught of his passionate expression brought me close to
exploding.   His ardor burned into me, searching out and cauterizing
the last remnants of my worries over being exposed and then converted
them into indescribably awestruck feelings; solid ones that were
built to last.
     We broke apart, flushed and panting.  He leaned his forehead
against mine and, as he caught his breath, his insidious grin bathed
me with loving emotion.  The richness of his voice as he laughed
breathlessly caused shivers to race through me.
     "I'm glad we got all of that out in the open.  I know I sure
feel better," he chuckled.
     I laughed with him.  My hands moved to stroke the back of his
head as he continued to lean against me.  The closeness, brought on
by the touch of his forehead against mine and the gentle stroking of
his hands on my arms, nearly caused me to sag to the floor.  My
breath slowly reverted to a normal level.  I was amazed by his
comment.  It was as if he'd processed everything thing I'd said and
everything nuance of his own feelings and moved it all to a
conclusion that he was completely satisfied with.
     I breathed in his masculine scent and felt his own breath flow
across my lips.  My body shuddered.  "I can't believe you," I said
with a quick kiss as I brushed my lips against his.  "Somehow I sense
that as of this moment, you're one hundred percent okay with
everything and ready to take on the world."
     He chuckled, but remained pressed against me.  "Well, I don't
know about the world just yet, but I'm ready to take on 'us'."
     I shuddered again.  'Christ! Does he mean it?' my mind screamed.
I couldn't help but laugh quietly.  "So in twelve hours you've
processed being locked away inside of yourself, allowed a near
stranger to give you a massage and two hand-jobs, dealt with any
residual demons about being with a man, learned to kiss me like a
porn star and . AND . decided you want there to be an 'us'!  Jesus,
Joel, you sure don't waste anytime, do you?"  I kissed his nose and
pulled my forehead back a bit.
     His grin widened, revealing his dazzling, white smile.  "Hey,
stud, I guess it's just not in my nature to dwell on things for too
long.  Except for being closed off for the past twelve years
personally, I guess I normally view the information presented to me,
make my decisions and move on to enjoy the rewards."  He chuckled and
I could feel it on my face as he continued.  "And now, with my
Lancelot beside me, or better yet in my arms, I can do the same thing
with my personal side.  You've set me free.  You've become my Holy
Grail, if we're going to use Arthurian analogies."  He pulled his
forehead from mine and looking deeply into my eyes.  "I'm serious.
You've given me my life back, Blair."
     I sighed and felt my eyes fill with tears.  I closed them in an
attempt to contain myself.  The new, raw emotions coursing through
me, threatened to overwhelm me.  I felt his lips softly kiss my
closed lids.
     "Oh, god."  My whisper, soft and breathless, fell into the quiet
spaces between our heartbeats.


     "Hello? Blair?"  Again Hank's voice reached into my thoughts and
brought me back to the present.  He placed my food in front of me
then rested his hands on the bar and leaned towards me.  "What's his
name?"
     I darted my gaze once quickly towards him, then dropped it to my
plate.  "I . uh, can't tell you that right now, Hank.  But I promise
you'll meet him on Thursday when he gets back into town, all right?"
     I felt his searching gaze as he stood frozen before me.  I knew
that in one way I was being unfair to Hank.  We'd shared a ton of
stuff over the past year, but this was one thing that I simply
couldn't share, not yet and not until Joel gave me the go-ahead.
Hank was ultimately his employee.
     "Fine, Blair."  Hank said, his voice laden with resignation, but
acceptance.
     "Hank, if I could tell you, I would.  I'm sorry, bud."
     Hank turned from me.  "Yeah, sure, man.  I'll stay out of it."
As he approached the kitchen, the main entrance door opened and two
customers entered.  Hank greeted them as he shifted directions toward
the coffee pot.
     I watched him as he welcomed them and provided menus.  Then my
thoughts drifted back to Joel.


     Later Saturday morning after our emotional catharsis in the
kitchen, Joel agreed to go where I wanted for breakfast.  As we
walked into the park near my house, Joel looked at me quizzically.
     "I thought we were heading to breakfast?"
     I grinned and nodded once.  "We are, but it's going to be a
little informal if that's all right with you?"
     He shrugged.  "It really doesn't matter where we go.  It's
actually very nice to be outside.  It feels like this spring has been
a long time coming."  He looked at the trees around us.  "Look,
they're covered in buds and it's only late March."  He sighed as he
reached for a low-hanging branch.  "Wherever we're going, I hope they
have a patio.  I don't really feel like being indoors right now."
     I grinned, but remained silent.  We progressed through the park
and approached the park-side entrance to the zoo.  Joel looked at me
in surprise.
     "We're having breakfast in the zoo?"
     I laughed.  "Not exactly.  Just wait."
     I flashed my Zoo pass to the attendant and paid the nominal
entrance fee for Joel and we proceeded into the main part of the
complex.  I spied the vendor I was looking for and stopped in front
of his cart.
     "Joel, this is Ralph and he makes the best damned breakfast
burritos in town, don't you Ralph?"
     Ralph grinned.  "How many today, Mr. Michaels?"
     I laughed.  "I'll take two for myself and two for my friend."
     We added two tall coffees to our order then made our way back to
the entrance and into the park.
     Once seated on a bench along side of Ferrill Lake, Joel
understood first-hand that I wasn't exaggerating my claims regarding
the burritos.
     "You're right, these are incredible.  Now I see what you were
talking about.  Even the tortillas are loaded with flavor.
Incredible.  They remind me of some I get in Manhattan -- the same
kind of tortilla packed full of the good stuff."  He took another
bite and continued.  "I hope he's there tomorrow, but I kind of doubt
it.  I think it's been snowing off and on there lately."
     I thought about his words as I finished chewing.  I didn't want
to acknowledge what they meant.  "It's actually pretty cold there," I
began.  "At least it was yesterday when I talked with my home office.
Take some warm clothes."
     Joel nodded in response to my advice and continued to chew the
bite he just took from the burrito.  Then, he froze in mid-chew.
"Fuck!" he said, voice muffled by the remaining food in his mouth.
He quickly swallowed and looked at me.
     "Damnit!" he swore.  "I forgot.  I never forget things."  He
wiped his mouth quickly with his hand.  A sigh prefaced his words and
the look of resignation that crossed his face expressed his upset.
"I'm flying to New York tonight for a four day meeting with my top
site managers and my executive team.  I leave on the eight o'clock
flight to Kennedy."
     We stared at each other for a long moment.  Comprehension dawned
as we each realized that in the swell of events and the surge of
emotions we'd bathed in for the last twelve hours, that we hadn't
spoken a word to the other about anything but our current moments
together.  I gave him a quick sigh, then smiled.
     "And so real life intervenes.  Four days, huh?  Damn.  When do
you get back?"
     "Late Wednesday night, I think.  I'd have to check with Rob, my
assistant, to be sure.  But I think it's like midnight or so."  He
looked at his partially eaten burrito, then sighed dejectedly.  "In
the back of my head, I was trying to decide where to take you to
dinner tonight.  You know, get a little romantic.  You're really all
I've been thinking about."  He sighed again.  "I'm sorry, Blair.  I
can't cancel the meetings or else I would."
     "A little romance, huh?"  My face beamed with uncontained
delight.  "Don't worry.  It's the thought that counts, right?"  I
grinned and bumped him with my shoulder.  "Now finish your burrito.
Suddenly what I thought was going to be a leisurely day spent idly
gazing into your eyes while I got to know you more has to be packed
into . what?"  I looked at my watch, "five, six hours?  It's 10:30
now.  I imagine that you would need to leave for the airport by six
and probably need time to get yourself together, so that takes us to
maybe three o'clock.  So, damn, actually, we only have four hours.
And ."
     Joel pulled my head to his and pressed his lips to mine,
effectively shutting down my rambling.       "That's better," he
winked.  "Rob will have everything ready for me to go, so all I have
to do is let him know where I'll be around 6:30 so he can have the
car pick me up.  That gives us all day to spend together.  How does
that sound?"
     I sighed as I grinned and leaned against him.  "Sounds good."  I
chuckled silently.  "God, I sound like a pathetic, love-struck kid.
What's worse is that I'm actually a pathetic, love-struck 42 year
old."
     He bumped me in return with his shoulder.  "Well, I'm pretty
love-struck too."
     I looked at him incredulously, then watched as he blew me a
slight kiss.  I had not felt this complete and whole  before in my
entire life.
     We spent the day together, some of it in the park, some of it in
my bed -- all of it was perfect.  And when his car arrived, our
goodbye was brief.  He held me as we stood on my porch and whispered
how much he'd miss breakfast with me on Monday at the restaurant.


     I picked at my food, but realized that I wasn't all that hungry.
Joel's calls throughout Sunday had filled me with the inescapable
truth that his feelings for me were as real as mine were for him.  I
finally pushed my half-eaten plate forward.  Hank grabbed my plate
with a raised eyebrow, but remained silent.  He grinned as he
refilled my cup.
     "Must be pretty special indeed, my friend."
     My smile and nod communicated my agreement.
     Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a movement in the back of the
restaurant, near the entrance to the main part of the building.
Unbelievably, Joel stood there, dressed in a dark suit with his lock
of dark hair dangling over his forehead, grinning madly at me.
     My mouth dropped open as my face exploded with an ecstatic look
of surprise turning to happiness.  Joel began to move into the
restaurant.
     Hank looked up to my face when he heard my gasp.
     Joel quickly approached the bar veering to the left instead of
heading towards his normal space.  As he rounded the bar, Hank turned
to see what I was looking at that made me react so strongly.  He
quickly greeted Joel.
     "Uh . good morning, sir."
     Joel grinned and answered him, refusing to drop his gaze from my
face.  "Morning, Hank."
     His grin widened as he rounded the last corner of the bar.  I
stumbled to my feet and opened my arms as Joel slammed into me,
pressing his mouth to mine.
     I groaned loudly at the same time that I heard a crash of
breaking glass followed by a curse.  I kissed Joel feverishly,
returning the intense passion that flowed from him.  Finally, I
pulled away and stared into his face.  His smile electrified me.
     "What are you doing here?" I exclaimed.  "You're supposed to be
in New York?  I can't believe this!  I thought I wouldn't see you
until Thursday morning."
     Joel's laughter covered my own.
     "Oh ... my ... god!"  Hank's exclamation caused us both to look
at him.  He stood, feet wide apart and straddling the remains of the
broken coffee pot.  He was half-bent over yet still staring at the
two of us.
     I laughed at the bewildered expression on his face.  His eyes
were wide and confused looking.  There was shock in his face, but
underneath it was a growing realization of what he was seeing.  His
mouth was open and, as he stood up, his shock converted itself into a
wide smile.
     "Christ, Blair.  When did this happen?"  Understanding suddenly
covered his face.  "So this is why you were so dopey this morning!"
He laughed as he put the pieces together.  "Now I understand.  You
could have given me some hint or warning."
     Joel answered for me.  "It's not his fault, Hank.  It's mine.  I
wasn't supposed to be back until Thursday."  He then turned to me.
"You were dopey this morning?  Me too!  I couldn't stay away from
you.  I had to get a deep breath of you."
     The air was forced from my lungs by his words and my grin
threatened to split my face in two.  I pulled Joel to me for another
kiss and heard the female customer gasp behind us on the end-side of
the bar.
     "Did you hear that," she whispered loudly to the guy sitting
next to her.  "Have you ever heard anything more romantic?"   The
guy's stuttered response caused me to start laughing again in the
middle of my kiss with Joel.
     I pulled from him and turned to the couple.  "I'm sorry, folks.
I don't know who this guy is or why he's attacking me."  Joel bit my
ear playfully.  I laughed and turned back to him.
     Hank, realizing that he had to do something besides stare at us,
shook his head and grabbed the second coffee pot from the burner.  He
poured the steaming liquid in the cup in front of the place next to
mine.  "Uh, I take it you won't be using your normal spot anymore,
Sir."
     Joel nodded and clasped my hand in his.  "No Hank.  I think I
have a new place to sit.  And please, call me Joel, if you don't
mind."
     Hank grinned.  "Okay, then.  Joel.  We'll consider this
'confirmed seating'."  He winked through his grin.  "Have a seat
while I clean up this mess.  Uh, sorry about the coffee pot.  I just
lost my grip when you and Blair . uh . never mind."
     Joel waved off his apology, then placed his hand on my lower
back, gesturing towards the bar stools.  I felt giddy and light as
Joel and I took our seats.  I felt as if I could float away into the
clouds.  I turned to him and found he was staring at me intently.
     "I couldn't be happier, Joel.  You know that, don't you?"
     "Yeah.  I do," he gushed intimately.  "I feel the same way.
Saturday night and all day Sunday was just terrible.  I couldn't
stand being without you.  I just couldn't.  Not after just finding
you.  So, halfway through our meeting day yesterday, I pulled
Halstead -- he's my London manager -- from the meeting and asked if
he would mind flying a little further to Denver.  He agreed and so
last night I had us all flown back here to continue our meetings. I
had to see you ... and talk with you about a few things."
     "God, Joel, I can't believe you did that, but . I mean . wow!"
My smile shared the intensity of my feelings.  "What did you say to
the rest of them as far as an explanation?"
     He smirked.  "Just that I had to return to Denver for personal
reasons and would they mind a change of plans.  I kind of made it
clear that I wasn't really asking their permission." He dipped his
head in accepted resignation.  "It's one of the perks of being who I
am and I rarely pull the boss card."
     "Well, I for one am glad you did," I replied.  "Does this mean
that we can be together tonight?"  My voice betrayed my desire, but I
didn't care.  The man that I wanted to spend every waking minute with
was again before me.  As far as I saw it, we'd been apart long
enough.
     "Yes, of course that's what it means.  I wouldn't want it any
other way."
     I grinned at the near repeat of my words from Saturday morning.
     "And," he continued, "I'd like you to join me for dinner with my
team this evening, if you don't mind.  I know you won't know any of
them yet, but it would mean a lot to have you sitting next to me."
     "I'd love to, babe.  I mean that.  But, man, Joel ... it'll be
difficult trying to keep my feelings for you hidden.  I will try,
though."
     "Don't bother.  I'm not asking you to be there as a friend, but
as my lover.  Is that all right with you?"
     I stared at him as his words sunk into my mind ... and my heart.
"As your lover . I . I'd like nothing more, Joel.  Man!  This day
just keeps getting better."
     His smile, while bright, was short-lived.  I saw a small cloud
cross his face as he went to speak.  "I also want to talk to you
about something else, something both personal and professional."
     I took in his expression and a slight worry sprouted in my mind.
I nodded for him to continue.
     He swallowed once.  "On the flight back last night, I, uh .
called my good friend, Rod Sampson."
     My gaze froze as the name sunk into my consciousness.  Rod
Sampson was the head of the acquisitions firm that I work for.
     "What brought on that phone call, Joel?"  I had a slight sinking
feeling in my gut, but I kept my voice neutral.
     He paused before responding, gauging my reaction to his surprise
statement.  "I called him specifically to ask him about his Senior
Acquisitions Project Manager in his Denver office."
     I nodded my head slowly, watching his expression as he watched
mine.  My gut told me that there had to be a logical explanation for
his call and that I would understand his motives shortly.  My heart
told me to rest assured that Joel wouldn't do anything to hurt me
either professionally or personally.  The problem was though, that my
mind screamed warnings to me that I had a hard time ignoring.  The
firm I worked for was cut-throat and extremely competitive and if
word leaked out that someone was looking for another position it went
straight to the top with rather unsavory results.  Loyalty was
required, not requested.
     The buoyant, floating feeling I'd been experiencing only moments
before evaporated in an instant.  I continued to hold Joel's stare,
not bothering to hide my surprise, nor my growing upset.
     "Go on."  My words came out in the form of a command.
     He nodded.  "I started the conversation saying that you didn't
know that I was calling, nor had you and I spoken the first word
about what I wanted to speak to Rod about.  I told him that if there
were any repercussions against you because of the phone call that I
would no longer hold any respect for him or our friendship.  We've
known each other for over fifteen years in the business setting.  He
assured me of his certainty of your loyalty and to proceed with
asking what I wanted to know."
     I watched him fixedly as he again took a measure of my response.
He licked his lips, continuing steadily.
     "I had heard your name in certain circles before, but obviously
we had never met until a month ago.  I asked Rod if the rumors I had
heard about your worth to an organizations were founded in fact or
speculation."
     My head jerked involuntarily as I coughed angrily.  I wet my
lips to unclench my jaw and renewed my stare.  My eyes began to
blaze.  He didn't flinch.
     "Rod told me that the rumors were one hundred percent based in
fact and that you have twice declined vice-president appointments
with the company because you refused to relocate to New York.  He
also shared that because of your worth to, and standing in the
company, you were allowed to continue in your position even though
the culture in the company doesn't tolerate declinations for
advancement.  Your strengths and loyalties, it seems, are worth your
weight in gold in Rod's estimation."
     My patience was almost gone and with a low, controlled voice, I
made my feelings clear.  "Would you get to the point, Joel?  Like
now."
     Again he failed to flinch.  God!  I now was beginning to see how
he'd made it to where he was today in the business world and it
pissed me off!
     "Sure.  There's just a little bit more, Blair.  Rod then asked
if I intended on stealing you from him."  My eyes flew open wide in
surprise.  Joel noticed, but continued after a pause.  "I said that,
yes, I did in fact plan to try that very thing.  He assured me that I
didn't stand a chance."
     My head shook back and forth repeatedly with small, controlled
movements.  Suddenly, I felt very much like a pawn on a chess board
and what surprised me the most was the certain, instant knowledge
that I'd bitten off more than I could chew when I foolishly, and very
stupidly, failed to leave Joel's table the night I found out who he
was.  For ten years I had fought to make a name for myself in the
acquisitions field, a tenure that is hard to match for most people.
I sensed that something vital was tearing itself loose inside me and
was shocked to realize that it was my heart.  I felt betrayed.
     "Why?"  The one word question was all that I could voice.
     He touched my hand as it lay clenched on my thigh and I
flinched.  I saw the first sign of a crack in his steely gaze when he
felt my reaction to his touch.  Then, I watched as he steeled himself
again.
     "It's simple, my love.  I took a major risk on your part last
night in talking with Sampson.  I know that, but I balanced that risk
with the intensity of feelings I have for you and I banked on you
having for me.  I knew that at that point, we'd only been together
for 48 hours, but ... I was ... I am certain ... that they are true,
honest feeling on both sides.  The only thing that I could think
about since I left you Saturday evening was that I had to have my
Lancelot with me, by my side, always -- not just when I come home at
night."
     His words threw me into a dizzying spiral.  They came from so
far out in left field that I could do nothing to right myself.  I
simply stared at him.
     "From everything that I've heard about you and what Rod
confirmed last night, you are stronger by far than anyone else in the
Denver office and most of the sharks in New York."
     That pissed me off.  "And so you think that because I've given
you my heart that I would chuck the career that I've fought fiercely
for over the past decade just to be your acquisitions lackey?  So
that I could insure smooth acquisitions for your future empire
building endeavors?  Is that it, Joel?" I hissed.  My anger and hurt
spurred me forward.  "God, that's so fucked up!  What do you take me
for?"
     I turned from him because I felt my voice begin to rise.  I
grabbed my coffee cup with the intent of draining it and leaving, but
my eyes caught Hank's as he leaned against the far side of the bar.
He wiped his hands on the bar towel as his glance moved from me to
Joel and back again.  Then, surprising me, he nodded pointedly
towards Joel and turned to refill a customer's cup.
     I looked at Joel, planning to tell him to fuck off, but what I
saw on his face stopped me cold.  His eyes stared at me widely and
tears pooled at their base, threatening to spill onto his cheek.  He
started to speak, but no words came out.  His lower lip quivered with
emotion and the sight of him, upset to the point of tears, wrenched
my heart.
     "What, Joel?"  My voice trembled angrily.  My anger lay rooted
in the obvious fact that regardless of how pissed off I was, the
protection instinct in me for him flared strongly.  "What are you so
upset about?  I'm the one that should be pissed and you can damn well
believe I am."
     He blinked rapidly at my words, clearing his eyes.  Then in a
voice raised slightly above a whisper, he blind-sided me fatally.
     "I meant for you to be by my side as my partner, as my equal.
Never as my employee."
     My mouth dropped open in stunned shock as my mind whirled with
the implications inherent in his words.  I snapped my mouth shut then
went to respond, but no words came forth and my mouth dropped open
again.  The tsunami that had become my emotions in the last ten
minutes rolled over me to, in effect, flatten my processing and
emotional centers.
     "You win, Joel."  I groaned unable to force much else out of me.
"I'm all played out."
     "Blair?  Look at me.  What do you mean by that?  What do you
mean that I win?  Win what?"
     My head hurt with the swell of tension and emotion flowing
through me.  I shook my head with confusion.  "I don't know how to
even respond to something like that, Joel.  I've been on such an
emotional high lately and then you come in here and take off on some
fucking tangent about me being your equal business partner after
telling me that you told Rod Sampson that you're going to steal me.
Joel, for the love of God, you win.  You win the prize."  I shook my
hands at him in resigned defeat.   "I've never felt so fucked with in
my life.  I can barely make coherent sentences and I don't know how
to even begin to process what you're saying to me."
     He leaned towards me emotionally, forcefully.
     "Blair, stop.  Hang on a second, would you?  Please, you gotta
believe that I'm not trying to fuck with you.  Nothing is further
from my mind."  He grabbed my limp hand and pressed it to his lips.
"Let me start over, please.  Will you let me do that?"
     I bobbed my head randomly at him then glanced at my watch.
"Look.  I have a conference in less than 30 minutes with New York and
Rod Sampson is supposed to join us."  I closed my eyes and pulled my
hand from his.  "Joel, I need to focus on something other than .
this," I said holding my hands up to include the two of us, "or else
I'm gonna look and sound like a babbling idiot."
     He grabbed my hand again, forcing me to look him in the eye and
not look away.  "Then focus on this one thing:  I am asking you to be
a part of my life with no holds barred.  I want you with me, beside
me in the boardroom and the bedroom.  I want your equal input and
your expertise on my business decisions as well as what we eat for
breakfast.  I'm asking you to be my shield, my sword and my mate when
we decide to buy another building or we organize a new enterprise or
when we pick out matching rings."  He cupped my cheek firmly for
emphasis.  "Don't you see, Blair, I'm asking you to partner equally
with me on everything that has to do with us.  I'm not bluffing or
trying to win anything except your love.  I'm asking you to drop
Sampson and join with me in our business, in our love, and in our
life."
     His intensity and honest passion penetrated me utterly.  In an
instant, the fears and doubts dropped from me as Joel's heartfelt and
impassioned proposal rang in my head.  I couldn't keep up even a
pretense of misunderstanding between us now, not after having it
spelled out so clearly that even my bravado was forced to see it.
     My heart leapt in my chest and I flung myself into his arms.  He
hugged me close to him and I took in a deep breath of Joel, my
Arthur.
     A few of the other diners behind us looked our way when they
heard my sigh and moan.  I realized that in the passion and intensity
of our moment, we hadn't been even slightly discreet, though there
were several empty chairs separating us from the other diners.  I
took one last breath of the man that had thundered into my life, then
pulled back from the embrace and looked into his eyes, silently
nodding.
     His entire mien exploded in a smile, strong and bright enough to
eclipse the morning sunlight.  "So . you say yes?"  He asked, though
my answer was blatantly apparent on my face.
     "I think I need to call Sampson and I don't think he's going to
be too happy."


     The call went pretty much the way I expected it to go.  Sampson
took my call immediately without delay and proceeded to attempt to
talk me out of leaving.  The dollars he offered me left me astounded,
but resolute.  I thanked him for the experience, which didn't go over
very well, and the call ended.  Again, pretty much like I knew it
would.  The firm no longer required my services and I could pick up
my personal items from Security by noon.
     As I hit the off button on my phone, I stared at it for a
moment.  I wondered, briefly, if my life could get any more bizarre,
then chuckled to myself as I realized that I had no one else to
blame, but myself, for the incredible, wonderful turmoil that was now
my life.  I raised my eyes to face Joel and gave him a wry, sparkling
smile and an off-hand shrug.
     Hank's voice broke into my thoughts as he addressed Joel.  "I'm
sorry Mr. Summers, but..." his eyes turned towards me, "but Blair?
Did you just do what I think you did?"
     I looked at him with a grin and nodded.  "If you think that I
just quit my very lucrative position to spend the rest of my life
with this amazing guy, then you'd be correct.  I did just that."
     Hank's eyes widened briefly.  "Man!  I can't keep up.  I'm so
damned behind the game.  I'm still reeling from your first kiss when
you saw each other."  He shook his head then let out a loud wahoo.
Joel and I laughed fully as he continued.
     "Well then, this calls for a celebration.  Everybody," he said
to the rest of the customers, "this is a great day to be at the
diner.  Monday mimosas are on the house!  I'll send you off to work
with a smile!"  The patrons joined in our laughter and there was a
little, confused applause.
     As Hank began to set up the glasses, Joel signaled him over to
our corner and asked him to bring us a bottle of Moet for our own
private celebration after he served the customers.  Hank winked at
him.  "Right away, sir."  Then he cast a long glance at me and slowly
shook his head in disbelief.
     Once the customers had their drinks in front of them, Hank
raised his glass to me in a toast.  "Congratulations on making it to
the All-Stars, Buddy.  I'm sure glad you didn't follow my advice!"
There was a chorus of congratulations from around the bar even though
I could see that people didn't have a clue as to why they were
toasting me.
     Once everyone again returned to their private conversations and
Hank had left the bar to obtain the Moet, Joel placed his hand behind
my neck and pulled me into a quick kiss.
     "So, how do you feel, Lover?"
     My expression melted at his usage of the endearment.  "Like I'm
not in Kansas anymore, Toto."
     Joel burst into laughter and pressed his hand to my cheek.
"Good analogy."  His laughter quieted.  "So what did Sampson say to
you?  Just curious, you know."
     I nodded.  "Well, first he began with saying he knew that 'that
bastard Summers' had most likely called me and when I acknowledged
your call, then gave him my resignation, he exploded, saying that I
was making a huge professional mistake.  Then he offered me an
outrageous amount of money and when I thanked him, but declined, he
called you a ... 'fucking bastard', I think, and informed me that the
firm no longer desired my services.  I can pick my stuff up at noon."
     Joel chuckled.  "How many times did he call me a bastard?"
     "Uh, three times, I think.  Among other things."
     Joel shrugged with a renewed grin.  "He'll get over it."
     "Yeah, that's pretty much what I figured.  He also said that you
now owed him one."
     "I suppose.  I'll have to think of something good to make the
peace."
     Hank returned then with the champagne and two crystal flutes.
He grinned at us as he deftly popped the cork and filled our glasses,
setting the bottle in front of us in a bucket of ice on the lower
service bar.  He gave a slight bow and then, grinning like a mad man,
turned to tend to the rest of the group.
     I chuckled, a big smile spread widely across my face.
     "What's that smile for?"  Joel asked as he leaned into me.
     I grinned.  "Hank repeatedly refused to share even a morsel
about you and endlessly told me to just forget about having anything
to do with you"  I nuzzled into Joel's face.  "I'm glad I ignored
him."     We silently raised our glasses together, touching them
gently, then grinned broadly as we sipped, eyes locked in a shared,
lasting gaze.
     I pulled Joel's hand to my chest so he could feel how hard my
heart was beating.  My head moved back and forth in quiet disbelief.
I was at once filled with awe and wonder at the magnitude of changes
my life had undergone in less than 72 hours and at the same time, I
was more than a little unsettled with all of the 'unknowns' suddenly
facing me.
     "It's all catching up to you, isn't it?"  He asked quietly.  I
nodded as he smiled to me with understanding.  "I know," he said.
"It caught up with me this morning in the elevator coming down here
to surprise you.  It's quite a feeling after all of these years to be
suddenly facing such incredible changes and new things, but, if I
can, I want to share with you just how certain I am that with the two
of us joined together," he grinned slyly,  "Lancelot and Arthur,
there is nothing that can harm us, nor separate us."
     I nodded for him to continue.
     "Blair, I was standing in our first meeting yesterday, sharing
my vision of where I wanted to take the properties and how I
envisioned our expansion on a global scale to include new markets and
a shift of our acquisitions into other global industries.  I told
them that we cannot be afraid to change and that we must embrace the
changes with exuberance and passion.  I challenged each of them to
bring me three new development concepts within the next month."  His
eyes shined with excitement.
     "And then, in mid-stride, if you will, I was blasted with the
idea that you and I are a new concept and I instantly saw that we,
together, had unlimited potential.  I'm not just talking business-
wise, either.  I saw us as being unstoppable in all aspects of our
life.  I paused in my delivery to them and held my hand up, asking
them to give me a moment.  And then, my love, I saw it all laid out
in front of me ... your reputation for flawless acquisitions, the
article you published in CEO Magazine about the doom of companies
that limited their scope to acquisitions solely, and the dynamo that
had resulted in our meeting on a personal level ... all of it."  His
arms flew open wide to encompass seemingly everything.
     "And behind my vision," he continued passionately, "I knew that
I was doing what I was supposed to be doing in leading my company in
a new direction.  But I also saw that I was cruelly short-changing us
by being away from you after finally, just finding you.  I know this
all sounds convoluted, but bear with me.  It was perfectly clear to
me then as it is now.  We had to be together in order for us to
unleash our own unlimited potential as a couple.  It wouldn't happen
with me flying around somewhere and you remaining here in Denver."
He paused to take a long sip of his champagne and then hurried on.
     "And then the vision clarified itself and I saw us together as
one, in both our personal lives and our business lives.  I didn't see
us as me being the CEO and you being my personal assistant.  I saw us
as equals, as co-generators of ideas and opportunities based on the
aptly stated premise in that magnificently presented article of
yours.  I knew instantly that we would tear up the business world by
day and equally tear up the sheets by night since we wouldn't
constantly want to be where the other of us was.  I knew that even
though we'd just met, that I was more certain of this than I'd ever
been about anything in my life.  Does that make any sense?  I know
it's a lot to grasp all at once, but that's how I am and I have to
tell you, I haven't been this clear about something in years."
     His enthusiasm and vision launched me into the stratosphere.  My
very real questions of  what I was going to be doing with Joel's
company disintegrated instantly.  My mind raced forth with ideas and
possibilities like a thoroughbred on a track, newly released from its
holding pen.  All the ideas that I'd wanted to put into play,
suddenly flooded me and I had to force myself to return to Joel in
the here and now.
     "My god, Joel.  You are absolutely as dynamic as I've always
heard.  Of course what you're saying makes complete and perfect sense
to me.  And it feels utterly right to me also, okay?  Sampson asked
me if I was going to be handling your acquisitions and I told him not
exactly, even though I didn't quite know what you had in mind."
     "Handle them?  No fucking way!" he exclaimed forcefully.  "You
and I are going to decide what we want to do next and then put the
team to work obtaining it while we shepherd the process."
     "This is all so amazing, Joel.  I never dreamed that the man I
became infatuated with six, short weeks ago, would in turn, offer me
the world, but it feels like you're doing just that."
     He leaned in closely to me and brushed my lips with his own.
"No, Lover.  I'm not offering you the world, I'm offering you me.
The world is just our playground."
     As his words sunk in, I started to chuckle, but it soon turned
into a full laugh.  I spilled champagne onto my slacks as my laughter
increased.  Joel looked at me with a confused, yet exuberant
expression.
     "What's so funny?" He asked smiling.
     "What you just said," I laughed.  "'the world is our
playground'.  Gosh, it's gonna take a while to get used to how a
billionaire thinks."
     Joel grinned with understanding as a faint blush covered his
flawless cheeks and reddened his sexy ears.  "I know.  I get a little
carried away at times.  I don't think so grandly all of the time."
     "Don't apologize, Lover.  It's incredible and I love it, but
it's just going to take a little getting used to.  I mean," I glanced
at my watch to gauge the time, "my career-end at the firm has now
been announced and I frankly don't even care because I'm so happy to
just be with you."
     "Good!" Joel exclaimed.  "Because we have confirmed seating on
the 9:00 am flight to Paris on Sunday."  His eyes twinkled
mischievously.  "I have my eye on an industrial manufacturing concern
there that I really want your opinion on.  We'll do a little business
and then I thought that maybe we could take a little sojourn into the
vineyards around Bordeaux.  You know, maybe take a little, uh ...
unofficial honeymoon."
     My mouth dropped open and my eyes flooded with tears.  It was
all too much!  I suddenly found it impossible to capture the extent
of happiness that I felt with words.  I pulled him to me and poured
all of the happiness and emotion and promise I felt into a soul-
wrenching kiss.  His passion matched mine and we quickly forgot that
the rest of the world was watching.
     "Aww.  Isn't that sweet, but get a room, already."
     Ah, Hank.
     We erupted into actual giggles and blazing blushes.  A couple of
the customers laughed.
     "So, I guess that means you and I are going to Paris together
and ... beyond?"  Joel whispered.
     "Confirmed seats, huh?" I grinned.
     "Yeah.  Is that a problem?"
     "Oh, no.  I wouldn't want it any other way."

The End. (Really.)

Comments are appreciated.   dfilchak@qwest.net