Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2005 10:32:26 -0000
From: Mike Arram <marram@wanadoo.co.uk>
Subject: the-decent-inn-14

'Oh I had a great night,' said Paul as they sat in the huge kitchen with
iced tea, coffee and pancakes provided by Minnie.  'Me and the girls
explored the sports bars of Salonica.  Except all that was on the TV was
what they call football, but doesn't seem to involve much kicking.  Then we
went to several bars, two of which refused to serve me because of my boyish
good looks.  But we bumped into some Brits later on and they took us to
what they called an Irish pub, which it may have been, cos they made no
bones about serving me.'
  Jim shambled in, wearing just a bathrobe.  He stretched.  'Hi, men.
Andy, you know it's the game today?'
  Matt asked, 'Game?'
  Jim ignored him.  'The guys'll be here after lunch.'
  Andy looked nettled, 'I forgot.  But you can do without me just this
once.'
  'Dude, no way.  The guys need you.  How can we play with just the three
of us.  Who'll get the beers?'
  Minnie cut in.  'Snow's forecast today.'  Matt looked out the window.
The morning was overcast and the cloud was low and brownish.
  Jim cocked a brow, 'Better get the boy to put grit in the drive then.'
Big flakes began drifting down not long afterwards.  Paul got very twitchy.
He wanted to be out in the snow, and Matt volunteered to go out with him.
  'This is so great, Matt.  Here we are in the States, in the snow.'  He
looked a little sly, 'It's time for a confession.  You know I think that
those films you and Andy watch all the time are crap.  But I do so love
White Christmas.  I watched it last year when you and Andy left me all
alone, and I cried and cried over me meagre seasonal turkey sandwich with a
piece of holly on top.  Sad, innit?'
  By the time they were dressed, complete with gloves and scarves, the snow
was settling fast and coming down harder and harder.  They walked down the
road in a world gone suddenly quiet.  The temperature had sunk low in the
night and the snow wasn't even thinking about melting.  The campus looked
magical, and the valley had already gone white, with thick blue masses of
trees just visible on the opposite hills.  There were quite a few students
around, many holding hot coffee in vacuum mugs.  For this was not Britain
and the weather didn't close things down.  By the time they trudged back
the snow was up to their knees, and a genuine snow plough sluiced past them
spraying snow high over their heads.  The roads were open.
  It was so cold that they weren't that wet when they got back into the
warmth of Andy's place.  More cars were in the drive, snow heavy on their
roofs, and the card party had begun downstairs.  Beer was stacked on the
floor and the air was filled with a haze of smoke.  Jim and two strangers
in baseball caps were setting up in a front room.  It looked like serious
cardplay; there were plastic chips and several new packs.  Andy was sitting
at the table with a beer and a roll up.  Matt caught his eye; he looked a
little sheepish.  Paul sniffed the air and whispered in Matt's ear,
'Recognise that stench?'  Matt did.  It hung round corners of the Union
back home, and also featured at certain sorts of party.
  'Want a smoke, you English guys?' said one of the strangers.
  'I'll pass.'
  'No problem.'  Matt and Paul watched the cards begin, but Matt soon got
bored.  The Americans were by turns monosyballic or let loose streams of
cultural references he couldn't follow.  From the uncomfortable look on
Andy's face, he got the impression that some of the comments were directed
at himself, and they always came from the direction of Jim.  He got fed up
of it, and the pot-stink was making him light-headed.  He drifted off to
the other room and read one of his books in front of the TV.  Paul hung on
and sat behind Andy and watched him play.
  Eventually Paul joined Matt.  'How's he doing?'
  'Losing.  You know Andy.'  Matt did, Andy tended to play his luck, and in
poker that did not work too well.
  'How much is he losing?'
  'Couldn't really say, as I don't know what the chips represent.  But does
it matter?  He could probably buy half this town and not miss the price.'
  'These guys are taking him for a ride.'
  'Maybe.  But he chose to get on board. I don't think they're cheating, if
that's what you mean.'
  Paul drifted back, and quarter of an hour later, to his surprise, Andy
appeared offering him a beer.  Matt looked a question.
  'Paulie wanted to play, so I let him have my hand.'
  'Was that wise?'
  'Oh, I don't think they'll be too hard on him.'
  'It's not him I'd be worrying about.  We never beat him, and I don't know
anyone else who has.  None of his first year mates will play him any more.'
  'But these guys are good.'
  'If you say so.'  Andy pulled at his reefer, a bit defiantly, Matt
thought.  He was not going to mention it.  He noticed the exaggerated care
with which Andy moved around and sat himself down.  He was clearly getting
stoned, and he wouldn't talk to him like that.  They sat together silently,
Matt feeling troubled by a sense of real distance between them.  He could
no longer deny to himself that Andy had taken a long step away from the
quiet and funny suburban boy he had fallen in love with.  The game went on
next door, and got a lot quieter.  In the end, they both got up to see what
was going on.  They felt the concentration and tension as they moved in.
The blue-grey smoke cloud was low over the table, and the Americans were
growling.  The stack of chips in front of Paul was significantly higher,
and those before his rivals were significantly diminished.  Paul was
smiling and perfectly at ease.  The secret of his success.
  He threw down his cards.  'No-one calling?' and he raked in another pot.
Jim swore.  Matt half expected him to reach for a gun.  It was that sort of
atmosphere.
  His two friends looked at each other and rose.  'The little faggot's
cleaned me out.  I've had it,' said the biggest of the two.
  'Hey!' protested Andy.  The two left under a thunder cloud, with Jim
behind them pleading, 'C'mon guys, hey!'  He came back eventually as the
two cars bounced and ploughed their way down the drive into the dark of
evening and the falling snow.
  'Jeez, Andy. Couldn't you just have stuck with the game!'
  'Don't lose very well, do you guys?' observed Matt, no longer bothering
to hide his contempt.
  'No one asked you, asshole.'
  'Jim, cool it, please!' pleaded Andy.  Jim picked up an open beer, threw
it like a foaming comet at the expensive wall paper, and stormed out.  His
car started up moments later and he was gone.
  Andy, Matt and Paul were left, looking uncomfortable.
  'So how much did I win?' asked Paul anxiously.

They sat over some pasta, marvelling at the depth of the fallen snow round
the house.  The blizzard was slackening now.  The TV was on in the kitchen.
It was warm and comfortable, but the three of them were hardly at ease.
  'You don't like Jim Rosso, do you?'
  'It's not a matter of me liking him.  He made it pretty clear from the
beginning he'd rather we weren't in his house.'
  'He's OK, most of the time.  I guess you make him uneasy.  He knows we're
lovers.  It can't be easy for him.'
  'Why?  Does he fancy you?'
  'No, that's not what I meant.  He's not comfortable round gays.'
  'Seems OK round mega-rich gays.'
  'His people aren't poor, Matt.  It's not snobbery.'  Matt sighed.  He
hadn't crossed the Atlantic just to pick a fight with Andy, and he only had
three more days.  He let Paul rattle on about his great card victory, 'Man,
it was like Deadwood.  I was the one in the thin black tie who comes into
the saloon, and is so cool and takes down the bad guy who's in league with
the corrupt sheriff.'
  'Doesn't someone get shot in that scenario somewhere?'
  'Hey, this is modern America, such things cannot happen.'
  Andy was not going to let the subject of Jim drop, 'He was really good to
me when I got here.  He went out of his way to find me a group of friends,
and was full of good advice.  I owe him, Matt.'
  'OK, I understand.  I'll be good for the next few days, honest.'  Minnie
returned, and they put up Christmas decorations all evening.  Jim came back
late, looking a little sullen.  He nodded at the others, and went up to
Matt, much to his surprise, and took him by the shoulder.  His breath
smelled a little of spirits.
  'Guy, I was sorry to have been such a heel.  Shoulda remembered you were
a guest.  Shake?'
  What else could Matt do?  His hand was swallowed by Jim's.  He was given
a thump on the shoulder, and Jim rolled off to bed, picking up Minnie on
the way.  Andy looked pleased, and Matt didn't have the heart to be mean.
He and Andy went to bed.  Matt slept badly, troubled by he didn't know
what, other than that he didn't like the sour reek of marijuana that clung
around his lover, who had passed out next to him.  There was no thought of
sex.

Matt and Paul spent three uneasy days under the roof of Jim Rosso.  He
didn't get to like Rosso any the better, but at least there were no further
outbreaks, which was as well since they were all socked in by the blizzard.
In any case Rosso spent a lot of the time out of the house, either with
Chuck or about some other business.
  Mostly Matt hung round with Andy, enjoying what time he had with his
lover, and trying to get used to the new Andy; for he was different.  There
were moments when Andy was remote and if Matt had wanted to be frank, he
would have been tempted to call him a stuck-up rich kid, but he knew that
there was more to it than that.  The fact was that they had lost the
intimacy they had once had, the jokiness, the bizarre flights of fantasy,
the mad little moments and the mock rhetoric that had reduced them both to
hysterics.  Andy did not sing much to himself, in fact he did not sing at
all, which Matt knew was a bad sign.  Matt was forced to admit to himself
that all was definitely not well.
  By their last day the snow had retreated into frozen drifts and cliffs by
the side of the roads.  Andy drove them all the way down to Niagara to
enjoy the splendour of the still unfrozen Falls.  They returned to find a
big new car with Michigan plates in the drive.  Andy didn't recognise it.
  When they got in a slight trace of expensive perfume and a musical laugh
alerted Matt to the presence of the Stepmom.  Andy looked surprised.
  She was talking to Jim and Minnie.  Jim was on the arm of the chair on
which Minnie was sitting.  Paul looked suddenly very interested; he
recognised her immediately from their descriptions.  She was on her feet
and gathered up Andy, and then Matt in a very warm embrace.  They placed
kisses on the proffered cheek.  Then she warmly greeted Paul, once he was
introduced.  He looked utterly charmed and highly intrigued.
  'I was sorry you couldn't join us for Christmas again, Matt; but Andy
explained that you wanted to be with your parents.  After a year like this
last one, you were quite right in your decision.  That foolish little
vice-chancellor of yours.  I hadn't realised that people with those
responsibilities could be so lacking in sense and discretion.  Well, he has
paid for his mistake.'
  'But Andy and Matt paid more,' chipped in Paul.  She looked regretful but
smiled at him.
  'Indeed.  I was so sorry for the both of you.'  She looked across at Jim.
  'Now where would you suggest for dinner, Jimmy?'
  'The faculty go to the Lansing Country Inn, I guess it's the best round
here, unless you want to risk the Statler.  Statler's closer.'
  'The Lansing Country Inn then.  Can you ring and get a table, Jimmy
dear.'  Jim salvaged his cell phone from one of his pockets, wandered out
to the hall and they heard muttering as he carried out his instructions.
Matt was puzzled by Ellie's obvious familiarity with Jim Rosso.
  'They've had a cancellation, it's OK,' he said as he came back in and
resumed his place.
  'We'll go directly then my dears.  It's all on me.  A Christmas treat.'
The meal was very good and very long.  Ellie took control of the
conversation, and had amiable support from Paul and Minnie.  Matt was
discontented as he'd hoped to have Andy to himself for one last time.  Andy
seemed a little depressed, perhaps for the same reason.  But Jim was
rendered more or less mute, and even a little awed, by the presence of
Ellie.
  It appeared that she had looked in on Andy as she was passing through on
her way to Christmas shopping in New York.  She brought some details of
holiday arrangements for Andy.  Christmas this year was to be in Colorado.
  She left for her hotel and the others returned to the house.  As Paul and
he were packing, Matt asked him if he noticed the odd relationship between
Ellie and Jim.  Paul surprised him by laughing, 'It's not odd.'
  'Well, she treated him like a lap dog.'
  'What do you expect, she's his aunt.'
  'His aunt!  How do you know that?'
  'You really should talk to people.  Didn't Andy mention it?  Ray-ray told
me three days ago.'  Ray-ray was Paul's name for Rachel Hollister, Fred's
ex-girlfriend.  They had been inseparable for days now.  She was a
dark-haired feisty girl, exactly Paul's height, and possessing much the
same chaotic temperament.  Perhaps because of the instant connection with
Paul, she had dumped Fred the first day they had been there, 'He's a total
shit.  He's been cheating on her almost since they became an item.'
  Matt reeled, 'They tell you everything, don't they?'
  'That's cos I'm irresistible but safe.'
  'Do they know you're also weird?'
  Paul looked questioningly at Matt.  'Weird?  Now see here Matthew.
Ray-ray may well be the woman of my dreams. I won't have you saying things
that could impede your chances of being a bridesmaid at our wedding.'  Matt
laughed.  When he was finally undressing with Andy, Matt asked him about
Jim and Ellie.
  'When I arrived at dad's last Easter, they had a family conference, and
Ellie said that it would be easier for me if I went to a US university
where there was someone to give me support, so she mentioned that her
sister's son was at Burnett.  The University President was an old friend
too, so it was settled quickly.  One school was as good as another to me,
so I went along with it.  It was a good plan as it turned out.'
  They lay facing each other on the bed, Matt memorising every detail of
Andy's beloved body, as his right hand traced its contours and inner
spaces.  He wondered how he could stand the pain of separation yet again.
  'Promise me you'll keep in touch'
  'I'll keep in touch.'
  'Promise me you'll try to get over to Britain, just for a flying visit.'
  'I promise.'
  'Promise me you'll love me for ever.'
  'Oh, Matt.'  Andy smiled, reached over and pulled him towards him.