Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 05:58:26 -0400
From: CJ Abello <cjabello1997@gmail.com>
Subject: CJ: Summer: Chapter 15 : Crush on You

CJ: Summer: Chapter 15: Crush on You

This is a work of fiction set in the real world.  Certain living
individuals make appearances in the story; all other characters and the
events in which they all participate are the creation of the author. Any
resemblance of the fictional characters to actual individuals is purely
coincidental.


Saturday, 8 June 2013

The plans made by the Eight for Capital Pride weekend required changes when
CJ arrived in Washington earlier than expected.  Brunch at King and
Dragon's place near Dupont Circle, where the festivities would take place,
was to be followed by time at the festival itself and a night of
dancing. After the first weekend spent with CJ, Brett and Cesar decided an
evening of partying did not sound so interesting anymore. They told their
friends they'd be heading to Rogo's for dinner instead. Spending time with
CJ was much more appealing. Potus and Pope decided they would join the two
fathers and their son at the bar and also pass on the dancing.  Brunch at
the apartment on Q Street was relaxed; after eating and a few Bloody Marys,
the men strolled the short distance to the festival where they planned to
spend the afternoon.

"Hey, Dad, do you guys get together every weekend? I don't remember it
being like this last year." CJ was walking between his dads when he asked
Cesar the question. He'd been allowed one cocktail with brunch, light on
the vodka, which his dad thought made him feel as much a part of the group
as he had the previous weekend. The uncles leading the way, the large group
ambled down the sidewalk, enjoying each other's company, and soaking up the
warmth of the sunny day.

"Nope. The past few weeks have been unusual. You weren't here at this time
the past two years so you've missed all the early summer events." Cesar put
his arm around CJ's shoulders and gave him a sideways hug. Every time
either one of the fathers touched him, or did anything else to show their
fondness for him, CJ smiled. Cesar was fairly certain their son had no
issues with PDAs.

"I like this, Dads. I know it'll be different once school starts, but I'm
having a blast hanging out with you guys and the gang. It's cool to be the
kid in the crowd, y'all are always taking care of me. It's a nice change
from Miami."

"Yeah, well, I think the guys are having as much fun with their nephew
hanging around. Damn Dragon can't stop bragging about you. You saw how he
was last night at the StandUp reception." Brett added his arm to CJ's
shoulders as he spoke and the boy responded by placing his own around the
waists of the two older men.

"Stop y'all! Hell if it ain't a Kodak moment. I need a photograph of the
three of you the way you're right now." Trip, ever the reporter, had his
big Canon camera hanging around his neck and was already raising it to his
eyes appearing intent on capturing what he must have deemed an interesting
shot. He had turned around, seen the boy walking between the two men, and
smiled. "Guys, you look like the gay version of the All-American family. I
can sell one of these pics for a bunch of money to almost any paper or
magazine."

"Remember the rules, Trip; no publicity unless CJ agrees to it." Brett's
warning came an instant before Cesar was about to express the same
sentiment. Both fathers where on the same page when it came to protecting
CJ's privacy. Not easy when the kid went around acting like Bruce Lee,
beating up bad guys in public.

"Don't worry, Jarhead. If one gets published, I'll be real happy. But no
matter what, one will get printed and framed for my place. You guys look
real good together." Trip made his comment as he showed them the camera
screen displaying the pictures he'd taken.

"Can you email some of them to me, Uncle Trip? I wanna post one on
Facebook."

"Will do it right after I download them to my laptop, CJ."

"Uncle Trip?" Brett smiled as he asked the question.

"Yeah, Papa, he's been hanging around Uncle Danno a lot so I think he's
becoming part of the family."

"I think CJ's right, Brett. Danno would be back at Rogo's getting the place
ready if it wasn't for Trip and his two out-of-town friends being here. Can
you believe he left his manager in charge on what will be a real busy day
for them?"

"Not surprising at all, Cesar. Adriano's been working there for so long he
can handle the place as well as the boss does. He's as close to the perfect
manager as Danno could have found."  With the day rapidly heating up, CJ
stripped off the navy blue Stand-Up Foundation t-shirt Ben Cohen had given
him the previous evening and threaded it through one his cargo shorts' belt
loops. One after the other, making one recall falling dominoes, each of the
men shed their shirts, exposing a variety of well-honed bodies. Some were
furry and some were hairless, but the result was the same--all were gawked
at and often propositioned by the passing crowd.  Each offer was met with
smiles, good natured ribbing and a polite decline. CJ was now by himself,
walking in front of the group, garnering attention from young and old
alike.  Not all of it was sexual, a little smile could be seen on the faces
of some of the men and women which appeared to hint at parental
instincts. They frequently stopped to chat with someone one or another of
the Eight knew; they always took time to introduce CJ to their
friends. When an invitation to audition was made to the boy by a
representative of Corbin Fisher, Cesar intervened. He informed the young
man who made it his son was fifteen and told CJ it would happen over his
dead body.

"A bit protective, babe?"

"Fucking-a, Brett! The kid can do whatever he wants in private, but hell if
I'm going to let him become fodder for some creep's jerk-off fantasy. Not
while we're responsible for him."

"Hear that, JP? Betcha that possessive and protective display has Brett all
horned up right now." Hearing the exchange between his two friends, the cop
had started laughing right before making his comment.

"Damn, Tommy, when did you turn into such a pig?" Replied JP while bumping
his partner with his shoulder.

"When I joined the police academy?"

Walking through the many vendor and information booths, CJ stopped at the
Human Rights Campaign display which had caught his attention. Approached by
Quenby, a volunteer who reminded CJ of a Norse god, the teen's hormones
kicked into high gear. The short haired, scruffy, blond man with the
lightest green eyes the kid had ever seen, had CJ's imagination running
amok with images not suitable for the prudish. There was some innocent
flirting which came to a stop when the boy's age was revealed. Once again,
the appearance of being older and fair game, left a drooling man with blue
balls. Cesar and Brett, standing a few feet away, worked hard at not
laughing when they saw the look of disappointment on the booth volunteer's
face.

CJ and Quenby chatted a bit about the organization and its current
activities before the youngster took out his debit card, made a donation
and walked away with yet another t-shirt for his collection. His dads let
him know they were very proud of his interest in HRC and for taking the
initiative to make a contribution. The Human Rights Campaign was a strong
advocate for GLBT rights and one of the organizations Cesar and Brett
supported financially.

"I like their current emphasis on marriage equality, Dads. I know the
District of Columbia allows it, but back in Florida it's not legal and I
think that sucks. The government's saying they'll grant some rights to
straight people, but will deny them to me because I'm gay. No fucking way
that's right."

The two men again realized their kid was wiser beyond his years and their
pride in him felt justified one more time. Stepping away from the booth,
the boy again walked in front, leading the men towards the section with
food vendors. Sex and food were definitely the teen's primary interests.

Walking towards the group was Ian, the ginger guy the three men from
Georgetown had encountered a few times and whom Cesar had seen Chip
with. He was accompanied by another redhead--a good looking man with a very
cool infinity symbol inked over his heart. CJ would later describe him as
sex-on-legs and a walking wet dream. The man was a mass of muscles.  Wild
dark orange hair, resembling flames, covered his head, a bushy red beard
did nothing to detract from his handsome face, and reddish brown fur spread
over his wide chest enhancing his sex appeal.

"Sup, Ian?"

"CJ! Seems we can't get away from each other, man. We see each other at the
gym all the time and now we're running into one another all over town."

"I know, right?" The boy was talking to Ian but was looking and smiling at
the man standing next to him. "Ian, these are my dads, Cesar and
Brett. Dads, this is the guy who's always at the gym when I'm there."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sirs, this is my big brother Sean, who's
visiting from New York."

"Sean, Ian, nice to meet you both." Cesar said as he shook hands with both
men. "Forget the sir, first names is much better."

"Welcome to Washington, Sean." CJ bumped fists with the hairy man who gave
the boy a smile and a wink. "You guys here alone? We've got a bunch of
friends with us, I think some are walking ahead but these are my adopted
Uncles Tommy, JP, Chip and Doc. Why don't you two join us?"

The men exchanged pleasantries as Cesar, very aware of who Ian was, paid
close attention to everyone's reactions; ready to intervene if necessary.

"Yes, welcome to our city, Sean. Ian, good to meet you." Chip appeared a
little formal as he shook hands with the brothers. Ian gazed at him in a
way which made Doc stiffen as the proverbial light bulb appeared to light
up.

"Hello, guys." Doc was brief but polite as he acknowledged the newcomers.

"What's up, Doc? Sorry, I couldn't help myself." Sean smiled and stared at
the physician, the smile indicated his appreciation of the man's good looks
while his eyes reflected realization something was amiss.

The newcomers were a perfect visual addition to the hunk parade being led
by the fifteen-year- old now walking between Brett and Tommy. Behind them,
Sean made it a point of sticking close to Doc engaging him in conversation
while Chip and Ian walked side by side right, quietly talking to each
other, a few steps after.

"Is that him?" JP quietly asked Cesar as the two walked at the rear of the
group. The rest of their friends had wandered off in different directions.

"Yeah. Did you see Doc's reaction?"

"How could you miss it? I noticed even Sean caught on something was
amiss. He kept shifting his gaze between his brother, Chip, and Doc."

"I wish there was something we could do, JP. Our plans to confront Chip
later on at the bar may be derailed if CJ invites the brothers to join
us. The boy has no idea of what's going on and I don't want to bring it up
to him now."

"Fuck that, mate. I'm confronting the tosser no matter what. If Chip
refuses to speak with us privately, you take Doc out in back of the bar to
smoke a cigar and I'll bloody well call the asshole--"

"Hello?" Chip's phone must have been on vibrate mode, no one heard it
ring. "When did it go off?"

Doc had stopped and turned around when he heard his partner's voice. He
glanced at his friends walking behind them and then focused his eyes on
Chip. He did notice Ian pulling out a key ring from his shorts' pocket as
if getting ready to go somewhere.

"I need to get to Georgetown, Doc. The alarm went off at the bank, the
police think it's a malfunction, but want me there before they enter the
premises. I'll catch a cab and meet you guys at Rogo's later." Chip looked
directly at Doc but didn't quite make eye contact. His demeanor reminded
Cesar of what a child acted like when caught doing something wrong.

"I'll give you a ride," offered Ian. "I need to get back to campus
anyway. Sean, ready to go?"

"Nah, that's okay. I'll hang out a bit longer and catch a cab later. Maybe
one of these guys will offer me a ride if they're headed in the same
direction?" Sean didn't sound very convinced that would be the case. He
appeared uncomfortable. Apparently, realizing his brother was someone's
dirty little secret made him feel dirty himself.

The look on Doc's face showed sadness and defeat. The man appeared to
deflate in front of his friends. He had to be admitting to himself the
fears he harbored about his relationship with Chip were very real. The look
of loss was not missed by Sean: he glanced at Chip with contempt, gave his
brother a look which promised unpleasantness later on, and wisely said
nothing. He stood close to the obviously heartbroken Doc offering silent
support. He didn't approve of what his brother was involved in. His
demeanor reflected how bad he felt for the physician, as they watched Chip
and Ian walk away.

"I think I'll head back now, guys," said Doc looking at the ground trying
to hide the moistness in his eyes "I'm not really in the mood for hanging
out at a bar tonight. And yes, Daddy Cesar, I'll go straight home, stay
there, and call you sometime tomorrow morning." The Alabaman's accent was
thick as molasses. He didn't wait for an answer, walking away while putting
his shirt back on.

Sean turned around to face the remaining group of friends; he seemed
embarrassed like an outsider intruding in a private family matter. Very
slowly and distinctly he said: "I'm so, so, sorry, gentlemen. I had no
inkling of what my brother was involved in.  It's probably not a good idea
for me to go back to Ian's place until later and remaining with you is not
an option--a bit too awkward right now. So I'll say goodbye, thank you for
the company and once again, I apologize. I'll find a bar to sit in for a
few hours."

X X X

CJ looked at the other men and realized what was happening. Somehow he kept
his anger towards Chip under control, smiled, and decided he was going to
lower the tension he felt growing around him. The previous week, he had
used force to deal with a bad situation; this time he was ready to try
something different.

"No need for that, Sean; guilt by association is not acceptable in my
book. I believe you when you say you didn't know what was going on, there's
no reason for you to lie. Hell, I just figured it out myself. So you hang
out with us a bit longer, come to Rogo's, buy me a couple of club sodas,
and flirt with me. I'll drool and look at you with adoring puppy eyes,
until you realize I've got a crush on you!"

"Asshole!" came quickly from his dads. The men chuckled and the furry,
redheaded man blushed before joining in the laughter and draping an arm
around the boy's shoulders. He made a show of inhaling deeply and noisily
when Sean pulled him close, causing them all to laugh once again. There
wasn't much acting involved, he really did get a rush from the smell of his
body.

"Drool away, baby boy, my ego can use the boost! You're cute. You'll make
some lucky guy a good husband one day."

"Yeah right..." CJ burrowed closer to Sean, enjoying the man's affectionate
touch.

"CJ, mate, you are fucking brilliant! You sure you're not an Aussie? Yanks
are generally not so sharp at your age."

Tommy spanked JP's butt after his comment. "Watch it, buster, I'm one of
those Yanks, you know?"

X X X

Doc went home to the condo in Crystal City, poured himself a large Four
Roses bourbon and sat in the twilight, staring at the magnificent skyline
of Washington as the sun set while nursing his drink. Tonight, that skyline
didn't take his breath away as it usually did; he barely noticed it.  Frank
Sinatra played in the background. Those old love songs usually calmed him,
but tonight they deepened his sadness. Although sad, he was calm. He felt
no real anger and no need for revenge. His fears had been confirmed and he
was now free to move on. The hurt would dissipate in time. Drawing strength
from the overwhelming feeling of loss enveloping him, he sat in the
encroaching darkness, mulling over options, and making some of the
much-needed decisions required to move forward.

He awoke to the sound of keys opening the front door and someone quietly
walking into the apartment. He was on the couch, his clothes were rumpled,
there was an empty glass on the floor, and an almost empty bottle of booze
on the coffee table.

"Come in, Chip. I've been waiting for you."

"Sorry it took me so long, you know how those things go sometimes. Let me
take a quick shower and I'll join you for a drink."

"Don't bother. I can smell him on you. That boy has a mighty big crush on
you. I hope you're nice to him and don't hurt him the way you've hurt me."

"Matt, I..."

"Sit down, Chip. We need to talk. And please don't lie to me. Show some
respect for whatever we had the past few years we've shared our lives."

The banker sat on a chair and stared at the twinkling lights of the city,
unable to look his lover in the eyes.

"Is he the first one? Ian, I mean."

The older man appeared to crumble into the armchair; the air let out in a
loud breath. Defeat evident on his face, he softly replied: "No he isn't,
but I'll get rid of him and I promise--"

"Stop, Chip, don't make promises you won't be able to keep. I'm going to
pack a couple of things and then I'll go check into a hotel until I figure
out where I want to move."

"Please don't go, Doc. I'm sorry, baby. We can work through this. I never
intended to hurt you."

"But you did, Chip. You did hurt me. You ripped my heart out by breaking
the promise you made when you swore you wanted to spend the rest of your
life with me. You promised to talk to me anytime doubts or questions
bothered you. It's a shame you also broke that one. Instead, you've been
sneaking around, playing with a kid not much older than your own son and
treating me like a fool."

"Stay here, I'll go to a hotel for the night and we can talk tomorrow."

"Save it. You own the condo, you stay. There's nothing else I want to say
about our relationship.  We'll talk about logistics but nothing else. This
isn't some cheap romance in which the characters go back and forth and
can't make a fucking decision for the lives of them. You hurt me, Chip. You
hurt me like I've never been hurt before. You lied to me and you've killed
my trust in you. Were we to reconcile and remain together, I'd always
wonder if you were lying to me again. That's not something I'm willing to
live with. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

"Let's keep the separation as civilized as possible. There's no need to
throw tantrums or get nasty. Clear and cut, don't expect me to come back
and don't expect us to be friends. I recognize your weakness: that you're
not the man I thought you were, and that we need to go our own ways."

His phone chimed indicating a text message.

----R U OK?----

It was from Brett.

----HEADED TO HOTEL---- Doc replied.

Seconds later the phone rang, Brett was calling.

"No hotel for you, bubba. Cesar just ran downstairs to get his car and come
pick you up. Bring whatever you need short term or bring nothing at all. We
can supply anything you need tonight or tomorrow morning. After we eat and
talk in the morning, you can start making decisions and we'll help you out
anyway we can."

"Wait, what about your kid?"

"Our kid? Who the fuck you think forced me to call you and ordered his
other dad to go get you?"


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Human Rights Campaign : http://www.hrc.org/


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Copyright 2015 CJ Abello
Edited by: Mann Ramblings

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