Date: Sat, 28 May 2011 21:22:36 -0700
From: TBWCST@GemstoneEyes.com
Subject: The Boy Who Cried Sapphire Tears - Part 10
As always, my first thanks goes out to my proofreaders. This time,
I only used one of them because of the lack of time that I had on it. With
the book taking up 90% of my free time, I wanted to get it out to everyone
as soon as possible. Meg, as always, you saved my butt on a lot of
mistakes and I appreciate you for it.
To the readers, well, because of all of you guys, the book finally
happened. I can't thank you enough for the support you guys have given me
over the last three years. All your emails, which I will get to
eventually, have been more than generous and they mean the world to me.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
Well, the proof books came to me from the publishing company and all
I have to do now is go through it and correct the mistakes that I and my
proofreaders missed the first go through. Once this is finished, it
shouldn't be too long before the book is ready to be bought. Very shortly,
I will be offering a pre-sale of Quarterback with the Emerald Eyes for a
discounted price at www.GemstoneEyes.com. Head on over and take a look at
the site and leave a message on the comment page.
**Note** If you've previously bookmarked the site, the home page title has
changed and the old bookmark won't work. Just type in the website again
and re-bookmark it and it won't change again. Promise.
Also, don't forget about the fan page on FB. Do a search for QBWTEE
and you can't miss it. Hope you see you there!!
I hope you all enjoy this latest installment.
The Boy Why Cried Sapphire Tears – Part 10
Pax had given his permission for the boys to start moving their
things into the new apartment, since it was completely furnished and all
the utilities were already on. Todd and Robert were to meet the head
doorman, a man named Nigel Sekibo, from West Africa, on Saturday so he
could program their thumb prints into the computer system, allowing them
access to the express elevator.
Saturday came and the boys already had their first load of boxes and
things from the dorm room packed. Nigel was in the lobby waiting as Todd
and Robert came through the front doors.
"Todd?" Asked a squat, black man.
"Yes, sir. Are you Nigel?" Todd asked.
"I am. Mr. Pax told me to help you two any way I can. Welcome to
The Blythmoore Apartments," Nigel said in a friendly, but very thick
African accent.
"Thank you," Todd said as he set his box down on a coffee table
across the lobby. He couldn't help but smile when he heard his name
associated with the building. Robert did the same, and they walked together
up to the desk, shaking Nigel's hand in greeting.
"You two are the first official residents of The Blythmoore," Nigel
said.
"When are the rest of the tenants allowed to move in?" Robert asked.
"The official date will be April 20. Every unit is already sold, so
we expect a full house by the end of August, if not earlier," Nigel
answered.
"That's gonna be great for Pax," Todd said.
"So, let's get you two in the system so you guys can start getting
settled in," Nigel suggested.
"Sounds great," Robert said.
They both stepped around the desk and Nigel hit a few keys on the
computer. When instructed to do so, Todd placed his thumb on the plate
reader. When he was done, it was Robert's turn. When they were finished,
they thanked Nigel while they grabbed their boxes and headed over to the
elevator.
"You want the honors?" Todd asked of Robert.
Robert smiled and placed his thumb on the plate and the elevator
doors opened. "Sweet," he said, before stepping inside.
When Todd was in the elevator, he hit the only button on the wall,
and up the forty-five floors they went. Along the ride, Robert was giddy
with excitement to see the new apartment as Todd was just as giddy to show
him around.
"How's the view?" Robert asked, nervous and excitement mixed in his
voice.
"Amazing. Just wait. You'll love it," Todd said, smiling.
When the doors opened, they stepped out and Todd put his box down
and told Robert to do the same, then he started with the tour. He loved
the rec room, but out of all the rooms that Todd showed him, leaving the
bedroom until the very last, Robert loved the kitchen most of all. He
loved cooking and grilling, a skill he learned from his father. When he
saw the hibachi grill, he almost started hyperventilating.
"You never told me there was a hibachi grill in the kitchen!" Robert
said, walking over to inspect the appliance with a goofy grin.
"I didn't know it mattered," Todd said.
"I have wanted one of these for as long as I can remember. There
was this little Japanese restaurant back in Savannah, and when I saw the
cooks using it, I was amazed."
"I didn't know you could cook," Todd said.
"Well, I don't have a lot of hands-on experience with helping him
cook, but I used to watch my dad and I picked up a lot. When I was able to
get in the kitchen, I would cook, but nothing too big. Just something for
myself and my brothers, usually," Robert explained.
"So you know how to bake too?" Todd asked.
"Yeah. My mom taught me that. I'd be hanging in the kitchen,
talking to her and she'd give me orders. Get this, or get that, and my
reward was getting to lick the bowl of whatever concoction she was making."
Robert gave a sly smile and added, "That made it worth it."
"I know. My dad and I used to fight over the bowl when Mom made
cakes or brownies or whatever. Finally got to where I overpowered him and
got the bowl, but I usually left him something—out of the kindness of my
heart," Todd said in a slyly sweet voice.
Robert busted up laughing as Todd just smiled. A minute later, Todd
asked if Robert was ready for the rest of the tour. Seeing as how he
didn't have food in front of him to test out the new grill, he agreed.
Todd finished showing the rest of the rooms and Robert was impressed
with the entire apartment. But it was in the bedroom that Robert truly
fell in love.
"Holy, shit!" Robert said, stepping into his new room. "Two king
beds?"
"Yup. Pax only likes the best. Who knows what's going to happen
when we leave. He might keep them, he might not. It's kinda funny,
though," Todd said.
"What is?" Robert asked.
"If you saw Pax's apartment back in Atlanta, you'd never know he had
any money. It's a small two bedroom, two bath place. But seeing this, it
just seems too fancy for his taste."
"Can I be nosy and ask how much he has?" Robert asked, going over to
the couch at the foot of the bed and sitting.
Todd followed, but remained standing and said, "A few hundred
million."
Robert whistled. "Damn, that's a lot of money."
"Yeah, it is," Todd agreed. The room fell silent as Robert looked
around. "So," Todd started, breaking the silence, "which bed do you want?"
Robert stood and surveyed the beds. Turning to Todd, he answered,
"Whichever one you're sleeping in, that's the one I want."
"So, if I choose that one," Todd said, pointing to the bed on the
right, "you'll choose it because I wanted it first?"
"Todd, when's the last time we slept in our own beds?" Robert asked,
walking close to Todd.
"Oh, now I understand." Todd smiled, pulling Robert into him.
"I was hoping you would," Robert said, smiling back.
Todd leaned in and kissed Robert as his hands started roaming over
Robert's body. Before he could actually do anything, though, Robert pulled
away. "We can't start anything right now. We gotta finish moving things
in."
"Aww, c'mon. We can have a quickie," Todd said, stepping closer to
Robert.
"Todd, we've never had a quickie. Every time, it's lasted at least
an hour, if not longer. No. Let's finish moving things in. If everything
is done tonight, then maybe we christen one of the new beds," Robert
explained, raising his eyebrows and smiling.
"Deal," Todd said, heading out of the bedroom back to the elevator.
"We also need to find some roommates. This place is too big for just you
and me."
"I've got a couple of ideas already," Robert said.
"Really? Who?" Todd asked, moving the boxes out of the way and
hitting the elevator button. The doors opened and they stepped in.
"Jarrod Smith and Ricky Franklin. They live in one of the other
dorms, but I have a class with each of them, and they seem like good,
decent guys. I've studied with each of them for the respective classes.
Jarrod, I know is single, but I think Ricky has a girlfriend," Robert said.
"Do you know if either of them would have a problem with me?" Todd
asked.
"A problem?" Robert asked, not understanding.
"Me being gay?" Todd clarified.
"Don't think so, but I'll ask them about it," Robert said. "You got
any ideas for roommates?"
"Maybe one guy. He used to be a study partner last year. We still
talk, but not as much. He's a great guy. Name's Chuck. He's from Alaska.
But I think he's here on scholarship or aid or something. I don't know if
he'll be able to afford the rent," Todd explained.
"Never hurts to ask," Robert said. "Is he gay or straight?"
"Straight. Got a girlfriend back home and last time we talked, was
depressed because he missed her so much," Todd said.
"Cool. Speaking of which, can we make a deal that no couples can
move in?" Robert asked.
"Why no couples?" Todd asked.
"Too much drama. Think about it, if they get in a fight, we'll have
to deal with it, or at least hear it, and I really don't want to. It'll
make everyone uncomfortable dealing with that," Robert explained.
"Good point," Todd said. "No couples. What about a girl roommate
or two girls?"
"What if the girls hook up with the guys that I talked about and
they start dating? All I see is drama."
"Point taken, again," Todd said. "Strictly guys, then."
"Sounds good," Robert said. "Now, gay or straight? If it's two
single gay guys, they might start dating."
Todd thought for a second and said, "Straight guys only. I'll be
the token gay." He smiled as Robert laughed.
They cut back through the park and grabbed their first load to haul
back to their new apartment. It took a total of four trips before their
dorm was cleared out. They did, however, leave their beds made up, just in
case they decided to stay in the room on occasion. After all, it was paid
up until the end of the year.
By the time everything was moved in and unpacked, it was dinnertime.
They decided on Chinese and, after, they hit the market for food and
supplies to make their move complete. When they got back, they unpacked
the groceries, filling the fridge with the usual items, and putting a few
items on the pantry shelves against the wall. Looking at all the empty
space, they knew they had a long way to go.
"We need to get someone who's at least twenty-one to be a roommate
with," Robert said, as he put the last of the items in the fridge and
closed the door.
"I agree. A cool beer after class sounds like a great idea," Todd
said.
"My thoughts exactly," Robert said, before laughing.
Heading back to the bedroom, Todd closed the door behind them both
and started removing his shirt. He looked at Robert and said, "I'm gonna
get a shower. Wanna join me?"
"Sure. I could use one," Robert said, starting to get undressed as
well.
After their shower, they came back to the bedroom and chose the bed
against the wall overlooking the park. They got in the bed and looked out
over the park and the lights of the city before they started to get in the
mood for the evening. Even though it was still early, they played around
for about an hour or so before their orgasms took hold. They fell asleep
soon afterwards.
When Blake arrived back in Montana, after his visit to New York, he
had completely gotten back into the swing of things. He and Jackson had
gotten more comfortable having sex with each other. In fact, since Blake's
first night back, they had been inseparable when it comes to sleep. They
were in one bed or the other—never apart. Blake felt comfortable
sleeping with someone, and Jackson loved it.
As he predicted, he knew his feelings were going to get stronger as
time went along, and they had. His love for Blake grew deeper, and if
Blake found out and cut Jackson off of being close, not just sexually, but
everything, he knew it would crush him. In his mind, they were boyfriends,
but it was something he brought on himself. He knew that Blake couldn't
ever return the same feelings, but what he got from Blake, emotionally, was
what he thought he needed at the time.
As he got back into the working, he added workouts with Dwight to
his usual routine in November. He tried to convince Jackson to join them,
but Jackson admitted he was too lazy to get up that early. So, every
morning at 3:45, Blake would get up by his alarm clock and hit the brisk
early morning with Dwight. During their first thirty minutes, they would
stretch and get their heart rates up a bit by running in place, and
occasionally, Dwight would show Blake some karate moves. This was Blake's
favorite part. He had never been one to start a fight, and, in fact, was a
bit afraid of not being able to defend himself. With Dwight teaching and
fine tuning his learning of karate, he grew more confident everyday he
learned something new. For the second thirty minutes, they would go on a
run down into the pasture, following the trails, and after fifteen minutes
or so, they would turn around and come back the same path. Their last
thirty minutes, Dwight explained to Blake how to meditate and clear his
mind for the new day. After a couple of weeks, Blake could actually feel a
difference in his energy level. Every night since he started working out
with Dwight, he was usually beat about a half hour after dinner was over.
Because of this, he was usually asleep by 7:30.
This became his routine over the next few months. This became his
routine, no matter the weather. The only reason they wouldn't run was if a
storm was raging. Dwight learned to push through snowfall, but only if it
was light. He didn't want to go out in a blizzard. Blake, on the other
hand, didn't like the snowfall at all; light or heavy, as they ran. On
mornings of a big storm, which weren't many, they would meet in the barn
and do their exercises there, before running back and forth, down the open
hallway for their thirty minutes. It was covered from the storm and it was
fairly warm for the horses.
The first break in his new routine came in December, when Blake
booked a flight back to Atlanta for Christmas. He was going to see Mom and
Dad and he knew it was his last time seeing Todd until Todd came to the
ranch over the summer. This excited him. The thought of being back in his
familiar surroundings and seeing Kelly, Howie and his friends from
Brushstrokes, made him more excited. But, of course, his main reason was
to see Todd.
When he arrived in Atlanta, Christine met him at the Lenox Marta
station, at his insistence. He didn't see a need for her to drive all the
way down to the airport when the train practically brought him to her.
Christine was there waiting when he got off the train. She saw him
and, moving towards him quickly, took him into a big hug. Stepping back,
she said, "Whoa, Cowboy. You're lookin' mighty fine there." She gave a
wink.
Blake blushed and grabbed the bill of his cowboy hat and tipped it
forward, just a bit. "Thank ya, Ma'am," then smiled and asked, "You like?"
"I love it," Christine answered. "A real cowboy."
"Well, a wannabe cowboy. I've still got a long way to go," he said,
smiling at her.
Christine took him in another hug. "We've missed you so much," she
said, squeezing him.
"I've missed y'all, too, Mom," he said, squeezing her back.
Breaking the hug, she grabbed the lighter of the two bags and they started
walking to the car. "How's Dad doing?"
"Great. Had a check up recently and everything is back to normal.
His exercises and eating right got his blood pressure back under the limit,
and his cholesterol is down, too," she told Blake.
"How's his energy level?" Blake inquired.
Christine smiled and said, "Let's just say that everything is back
to normal."
"Good for you, Mom," Blake said, bumping into her playfully.
Christine smiled and Blake could actually see a spring in her step
and a glow on her skin.
Over the break, Blake and Todd did almost everything together. They
only spent a few hours apart a couple days before Christmas to buy gifts
for each other. The problem was both of them told the other they didn't
need or want anything for Christmas. They did, however, decide on
something small to exchange, but it wasn't to exceed $30.
What neither knew was that the other not only bought a Christmas
gift, but an anniversary gift as well. Blake was sure that Todd would
forget that their third year anniversary was coming up, and Todd figured
the same for Blake.
On the twenty third of December, Blake suggested to Todd that they
go out on a date, and Todd liked the idea. Todd was going to suggest the
same thing, but Blake beat him to it. But, he did suggest to Blake they
have a night at the Gregory Bed and Breakfast and Blake fell in love with
the suggestion.
"Okay, for dinner, though, you need to wear business casual.
Slacks, shirt and a tie. We're going someplace we've never been before,"
Blake explained.
"Where?" Todd asked with a half smile.
"It's a surprise," Blake said, teasing Todd like Todd teased him on
their first official date.
"No coat?" Todd asked.
"Nope," Blake said, grabbing a white button up out of the closet and
a green tie to go with it.
"So, the Atlas is out," Todd said, thinking of another place that
requires dress up.
"Would you stop worrying about it and get dressed?" Blake asked
playfully. After a second, he asked Todd, "When does the sun set?"
Todd thought a minute and said, "I think it sets around six thirty.
Maybe seven. Why?"
"No reason," Blake said, walking up and pecking Todd on the lips.
As he turned, he looked at his watch and realized they had about forty-five
minutes before the sun set, which should give them enough time to get there
as the sun is disappearing.
While they packed, they secretly hid their presents in their
overnight bags, hoping the other wouldn't notice the gifts. As they were
leaving, they told the parents of their intentions for the evening, and to
Todd's bewilderment, his mom wished them a great date.
"Wait, you don't care that we're not staying here tonight?" Todd
asked.
"No, why would I?" She asked.
Todd looked at Blake and then back at his mom. "Never mind. See you
guys tomorrow, then."
"Be safe," she called.
As they were putting their bags in the backseat of the car, Blake
asked why Todd asked Christine that question.
"She basically told us no sex in the beginning. We're staying out
at the bed and breakfast. She's gotta know we're gonna have sex. She's
acting like she doesn't care," Todd said, closing the back door and opening
the driver's side door.
"Todd, you're 20. I'm 19. She probably doesn't care anymore. I
mean, we are legal adults now," Blake explained.
"Yeah, you're probably right. I mean I don't really care anymore,
but it was weird, I guess" Todd said, closing the driver's door and waiting
for Blake to do the same to his door. As Blake closed his door, Todd
started the car and asked, "Where are you taking me for dinner?"
"Still can't figure it out?" Blake asked.
Todd shook his head.
"Start heading downtown. That's a clue," Blake said.
Todd pulled out of the neighborhood and onto Peachtree and headed
toward the city. After a few more minutes, Blake reached over and grabbed
Todd's hand and said, "Any other ideas?"
"Nope. Can I have another hint?" Todd asked.
"Hmmm," Blake said, putting his finger up to his chin, thinking.
When he got it, he said, "Tonight, we won't be over the moon, this time,
but we'll be close."
"'We won't be over the moon, but we'll be close,'" Todd repeated.
He chuckled with his first thought and dismissed it immediately.
"What?" Blake asked, hearing the laugh.
"The first thing I thought of was something NASA themed, but we
don't have a space-themed restaurant in Atlanta. At least, not that I know
of."
"No, it's not NASA themed," Blake said, smiling. "Don't worry;
it'll come to you in a few minutes.
They continued to the city in silence, and when the skyline came
into view, Todd looked at the buildings and only one caught his eye. It
was tall and round and closer to the moon than they were now. "The
Sundial," Todd said with confidence.
"I told you you'd get it," Blake said, pulling Todd's hand to his
lips and kissing it.
"You realize it's expensive, right?" Todd asked.
"I still have some money from Pax. Plus I got my ranch money, too.
I got this," Blake said slyly. "Have you made the reservations at the B
and B?"
"Yup, all done. Same room as before," Todd said.
"Nice," Blake said, turning his attention back to the road before
them.
When they arrived at the hotel, Todd pulled in the driveway and
parked on the side. As they walked up to the valet, Todd handed him his
keys and got a ticket stub in return. At the last minute, Blake decided he
wanted to give Todd's gift at dinner instead of at the Gregory, so he made
an excuse about packing his wallet and needing to get it.
When he was at the car, he opened his bag and reached in and pulled
out the box that contained Todd's gift and placed it in his pocket. The
box was too big to hide, so this was his only choice. After he returned,
making sure he showed Todd his wallet for show, they walked into the lobby
of the Peachtree Plaza hotel. Blake started toward the elevator they used
on their first visit, but Todd grabbed his hand and pulled him in a
different direction.
"But we've got to get up to the top floor. The elevator is this
way," Blake said, pointing over his shoulder.
"There's more than one way to the top," Todd said as he pulled Blake
to another, lone elevator.
Todd pressed the button and a few moments later, the doors opened
and a few people stepped off. When they stepped on, they were the only
ones there. Todd pressed the button for the 72nd floor and the elevator
started its upward climb. He looked at Blake and saw Blake was standing
facing the doors. A moment later, what little light was left outside,
illuminated the elevator and Blake turned around.
"Oh, wow!' He exclaimed as the glass elevator soared up the outside
of the hotel, encased in a glass tube, allowing them to see all the sites
grow smaller and smaller the higher they went. As he watched, there was a
recording that came over an intercom telling of the height of the building,
when it was built, when the Sundial restaurant was established, and other
information about the restaurant. The elevator ride took exactly one
minute and when the doors opened, Todd had to pull Blake away from the view
before him.
They crossed a carpeted catwalk to the smaller internal floor and a
host asked if they had reservations. Blake gave his name and a moment
later, they were being led to a small table next to the window on the
revolving floor. Once they were seated, the host told them of the
evening's specials and left them.
The waitress came and took their order and when she left, they
continued to scan the city as the sun was below the horizon, but its light
was still in the sky. About 20 minutes later, Blake noticed the first star
appear and told Todd to make a wish.
Todd looked at the star, then back at Blake, grabbed his hands and
said, "It's already come true. I'm sitting here with you, celebrating our
third anniversary together."
Blake smiled and said, "I was sure you had forgotten."
"Me?" Todd asked in a surprised voice. "Never!" He said with
confidence. "In fact, I got you a gift, too," he said, and reached into
his pants pocket and pulled out a white box.
"May I give mine first?" Blake asked.
Todd placed the box before him and said, "Sure, Baby."
Blake reached in his pocket and grabbed the item, but held it under
the table for a moment and explained. "It was in a box and I was going to
give it to you tonight, but I decided while we were on top of the city, it
would probably be more romantic. The box was too big to hide in my pocket,
so I had to remove it."
Pulling his hands above the table, Blake presented Todd with a gold
and silver plate, stainless steel watch with a brown leather band.
"Oh, my God, Blake. It's beautiful," Todd said taking the watch and
looking at it.
"It's got a stopwatch feature, the date, indigo backlight, stainless
steel and it's water resistant. Oh, and the hands glow in the dark," Blake
said, adding that last bit of information with a silly smile.
Todd looked up from the watch and asked, "Blake, how much did this
cost you?"
"Don't worry about it, Puppy. I can afford it and I still have a
lot of money left."
"But I thought we put a limit on the gifts. What I got you isn't
nearly this nice," Todd said, covering the white box, trying to slide it
off the table and out of sight.
"We agreed for Christmas gifts, but we never mentioned about
anniversary gifts," Blake said. "Go on, put it on. I think it's going to
look great on you.
Todd unclasped the buckle and slipped it on his left wrist and
bucked the straps then looked at the watch and instantly felt bad about his
gift for Blake. "Blake, it really is beautiful, thank you. But I didn't
get you anything nearly this nice. I just assumed the $30 dollars would go
for both the gifts, even thought I thought maybe you'd forget the
anniversary."
"Me?" Blake said, mimicking Todd's reaction from when Blake made the
same statement. "Never!" There was a slight pause, and then Blake said,
"So, can I have my gift now?"
Todd grabbed the box, which he moved to his thigh, and brought it
back to the table. "Please forgive me. It's not as nice as the watch,"
Todd said, looking a little ashamed.
"Todd, I don't care how much it cost. Because you got it for me, I
know I'll love it," Blake said, taking the box from Todd and opening it.
Inside, there was a brass keychain in the shape of a heart that had
`T&B' inscribed on the surface. Below that was their anniversary date
`12/23/07'.
Blake was smiling because he instantly loved it and told Todd as
much.
"You don't have to fake it. If you don't like it—"
Todd was cut off when Blake said, "Todd, please. I really do love
it. I needed a new one anyway. This really is perfect," Blake said,
smiling at his boyfriend.
"Really?" Todd asked.
"I promise you. Really. It's perfect," Blake said, reaching over
and placing his hand on Todd's.
They took between four and six revolutions around the city before
their evening in the restaurant, and on top of the city, came to an end.
As they rode down on the elevator, Blake put his arm around Todd's back and
lowered his head to Todd's shoulder. A few of the other passengers glanced
and then quickly averted their eyes.
It was only nine o'clock when they left the hotel and figured before
they headed to the Gregory, they would catch a movie. When they got to
Midtown Arts Cinemas, they had just missed the last showing of a romantic
comedy they had wanted to see, so instead, they headed to Ansley for
Starbucks. As they were walking in, talking to each other, another man
walked out and turned around.
"Todd?" The man called.
Todd and Blake both turned and Todd smiled and said, "Zack?" And
walked to him and took him in a hug. "Oh, my God—it's good to see you
again."
"You, too. How've you been?" Zack asked.
Blake remained at the door watching the two talk.
"Not bad, not bad. Just in town for the holidays, then it's back to
New York. We're celebrating our third anniversary tonight," Todd said,
then remembered he hadn't introduced Blake and Zack yet. "Sorry," Todd
said to Zack. Turning to Blake, he held out his hand and said, "Zack, this
is Blake. Blake, this is Zack."
Blake dropped Todd's hand and grabbed Zack's and gave it a shake.
"It's great to finally meet you. Todd's told me a lot about you,"
Zack said.
"Yeah, same here. I feel like we've already met, actually," Blake
said, picturing Zack with his fingers in Todd's underwear, ready to pull
them down. He had to force himself to keep smiling.
"Hey, you wanna join us for coffee?" Todd asked, glad to see his
friend again.
If Blake could, he would have hit Todd for suggesting it.
"Actually, I can't. I'm heading to my boyfriend's place. We got
some movies we're planning on watching," Zack explained.
Blake, instantly, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ahhh, well congratulations. He's one lucky guy," Todd said.
"Well, thanks—but then, you were already taken, so I couldn't
wait," Zack said, winking at Blake with a smile.
"Well, you look happy, and that's what counts," Todd said.
"I am. We've been together now for about five months. Met him
here, actually. His name's Paul. He's a really great guy...and I think
I'm in love," Zack said, smiling even bigger.
"It shows," Todd said.
"Well, I hate to run, but he's waiting on me. Give me a call
sometime and we'll catch up," Zack said, walking over to take Todd in
another hug. Again, Blake was ready to hit someone, and, with his new
karate lessons, he knew he could.
"Yeah, I will," Todd said, breaking the hug.
Turning to Blake, Zack extended his hand again and said, "It was so
great to meet you, Blake. Maybe we can get together one day and talk. The
four of us."
"Sounds great," Blake said before giving a fake smile. Todd noticed
and made a note in his mind to ask Blake about it later.
"Congratulations again on the new relationship," Todd said as he
started backing to the door.
"Thanks, and happy anniversary to you guys," Zack said. "Take
care."
"You, too," Todd called, and then turned toward the door. He
grabbed the handle and opened it for Blake to enter. When they were both
inside, Todd asked, "What's with the fake smile?"
"What do you mean?" Blake asked, trying to act stupid. They walked
up to the counter and instead of answering, Blake said, "Venti caramel
mocha and a venti caramel macchiato, please."
"You know what I mean," Todd said, taking out his money to pay for
the drinks. This gave Blake an excuse to avoid the question again, as he
walked over and waited for their drinks.
Only another minute later, Todd joined him and said, "Well?"
"I got jealous," Blake said, then turned around, looking out the
windows.
"Of what?" Todd asked, with a smile on his face.
"To know that you and he almost did it. Knowing he almost took you
away from me, because I was being stupid," Blake said, still looking out
the windows.
Todd put his hand on Blake's shoulder and turned him around and
said, "Wait a minute, you're jealous that I almost slept with him, but
you're okay knowing I sleep with Robert?"
"Well, I know and like Robert. I don't know Zack," Blake explained.
"And you also know that nothing happened between us except us
kissing. He's the one that stopped us from doing anything, remember? He
saw your name. It was me that was trying... You know what? Let's drop
this. Nothing happened, and we're celebrating our anniversary. Let's
forget about the past, and concentrate on us today, okay?"
Blake looked down for a second and then back into Todd's emerald
eyes and said, "Deal," then gave Todd a hug.
"Venti caramel mocha and a venti caramel macchiato," the girl behind
the counter called out.
Todd and Blake grabbed their drinks and headed over to one of the
open couches, cuddling up next to each other while they enjoyed their
coffees. When they were done, they decided to head to the bed and
breakfast. After checking in, they headed to their room and closed the
door. They didn't emerge until breakfast the next morning.
Christmas morning arrived and, after getting showers, everyone
showed up downstairs, where mom got things started with the big Christmas
dinner. While things were cooking, simmering, and baking, they headed into
the living room and were about to start exchanging gifts, when there was a
knock at the door.
Blake went and opened it and on the other side was Pax and Tristian.
"Merry Christmas," Pax announced, taking Blake in a bone crushing
hug. "I've missed you so much."
"You too, Pax," Blake said, pulling out of the hug and stepping over
to Tristian. "How've you been, big guy?"
"Not bad, just traveling a lot," Tristian said, wrapping his arms
around Blake.
Todd, Christine and Don followed suit. Once all the welcomed
pleasantries were exchanged, Pax said, "I hope you don't mind, but we
decided to crash in on you guys for a while."
"Not at all," Christine said, taking their coats and hanging them on
the rack.
"The more the merrier," Don added.
"What smells so good?" Tristian asked.
"Just started Christmas dinner," Christine said, heading back to the
kitchen to check on things.
"Honey, I'll be there in a minute to help," Pax called to her, but
looked at the boys and said, "Everything in the back of the Rover that's
wrapped comes out," then threw both of his thumbs over his shoulders,
giving them the hint to get moving.
Todd and Blake headed outside and started unloading the SUV, and
Tristian met them, grabbing a couple of covered dishes to add to the
dinner.
When they were inside, the presents went to the tree and the dishes
went to Pax, who headed into the kitchen with Christine. As Pax and
Christine were busying themselves with the dinner, the other four men sat
in the living room and caught up with what was going on with things in
their lives. The conversation soon got on football and Tristian, Don and
Todd were on a roll, leaving Blake behind. He didn't understand the sport,
so he didn't keep up. Instead, he headed into the kitchen to see if mom
and Pax needed any help.
After he asked, they turned and said things were fine and they were
heading back to the living room for gift exchange. So Blake turned back
around and headed back and took his seat next to Todd once more.
"Okay, boys, you ready for gifts?" Christine asked.
"May I hand them out?" Pax asked.
"Be our guest," Christine said, taking a seat next to her husband.
Pax grabbed a few of the gifts he didn't bring and started handing
them out. There wasn't a need to wait and everyone started tearing into
their presents.
"I hope you like it. I thought it was kinda ironic, so I had to get
it for you," Blake said to Todd.
When he opened the box, he found a tee shirt that said, `I heart New
York'.
Todd laughed and said, "I love it," then leaned over and kissed
Blake.
Blake opened his gift next, and when he did, he saw the biggest belt
buckle he'd ever laid his eyes on. It was one of those big, silver oval
belt buckles and on the front was a carving of a horse in mid buck. Front
hooves on the ground and back hooves up in the air.
"A belt buckle?" Blake asked, smiling.
"All the sexy cowboys wear them. Brings the attention to the crotch
area, if you get my drift," Todd said, winking at his boyfriend.
Blake leaned over and said in a voice where only Todd could hear,
"Pervert."
"Hell, yeah," Todd said in agreement.
They both shared a laugh and turned to watch the others open their
gifts. Mom had gotten Dad some new ties and a couple of new shirts and his
big gift was a vacation package for him and Christine to Italy.
"You booked us a vacation to Italy?" Don asked in disbelief.
"You said you'd love to go, so I figured, why not? You and me in
Italy for two weeks, touring all the cities and the countryside. It'll be
like a second honeymoon," she explained.
"Oh, Honey, this is amazing," Don said, taking her in a hug. "Thank
you."
"You're welcome, Sweetheart," she said, grabbing her gift from Pax.
"I hope you like it," Don said.
She unwrapped the long box and when the paper was gone, she felt the
velvet covering of the box itself. As she opened it, her mouth dropped
open and she said, "Oh, Don, it's beautiful." She reached in and pulled
out a diamond tennis bracelet.
"I saw you looking at it the last time we were at the mall," Don
explained.
"I was," she said. "Can you put it on me, please?" She asked her
husband.
He clasped the bracelet around her wrist and she admired it for a
moment, and then leaned over and gave Don a long, lingering kiss. "It's
beautiful. Thank you so much."
"Anything for you, Honey," he said, smiling at her.
"Don, you've got amazing taste in jewelry. It's magnificent," Pax
said, grabbing Christine's hand and bringing it closer to inspect.
"Thanks, Pax," Don said.
Letting Christine's hand go, Pax turned to the boys and asked, "What
did you get your parents for Christmas?"
"Um," Todd said, looking at Blake, then back at Pax and said, "Us.
We came home," then gave a big, theatrical smile.
Pax turned to Don and Christine and said, "If I were you, I'd give
them back."
Don and Christine laughed as Blake and Todd shook their heads,
defeated.
"It's okay. We told them not to get us anything," Don said.
Before Pax handed out his presents, they watched as the last few
gifts from the family were exchanged and opened. In just the family, the
gifts were great and really appreciated. But being Pax, he wanted to make
sure they were going to have a very Merry Christmas.
"Okay, guys. I got y'all some things," Pax said as he handed both
Todd and Blake envelopes. After doing so, he handed Don and Christine an
envelope each.
As everyone opened their cards, a piece of paper slipped out from
between the flaps. Todd and Blake were actually ready, and held their
cards flat as they opened them. When they saw the check and the amount,
they were speechless.
Todd and Blake looked at each other with huge smiles before Todd
turned and said, "Seriously, Pax? We already love you. You don't need to
buy it from us."
"I'm not buying your love, asshole," he said, with slits for eyes.
"I just want you to have it. It's from both of us," Pax said, smiling and
putting his hand on Tristian's shoulder.
Both Blake and Todd went over and gave Tristian and Pax a hug as
thanks for the gifts. When Todd hugged Pax, Pax gave him a light slap on
the face.
"Whaaa?" Todd asked, so surprised he couldn't finish the word.
"See, I can be a bitch, too," Pax said, receiving a slap on the leg
from Tristian in protest.
"I wasn't trying—" Todd started, but was cut off by Blake
"What's wrong, guys?"
Don and Christine were staring at their checks with their mouths
opened, shocked at the amount on them. When Christine tried to answer,
nothing came out. She looked back at her check and then over at Don.
"I take it they haven't seen that much in one place before,"
Tristian said.
"Maybe not with their names on it," Pax added.
"How much is it?" Blake asked.
"Fifty thousand, each," Pax said.
"What?" Todd and Blake said together, walking over to look for
themselves.
"Pax," Christine finally was able to muster. "This is way too
much."
"Honey, I didn't know what y'all wanted, so I figured you could use
this. And if you want it as a gift that's fine, but it could be your sign
on bonus if you'd like."
"Sign on bonus?" Don asked, finally able to form words.
Pax reached behind him and grabbed two more, bigger envelopes and
handed them to Don and Christine.
When they opened them, they couldn't figure out exactly what they
were looking at, so Christine asked, "What is this?"
"It's an offer to come and work for me. $250 thousand each per
year, five weeks of vacation, benefits out the wazoo, and a complete staff
of your own. Christine, I want you as head lawyer or chief council or
whatever it's called. And Don, I need someone to scout locations for more
buildings," Pax explained. "Head real estate agent, I guess."
"Are you serious?" Todd asked, excited for his parents.
"Todd, please," Don said, looking at his son with shock still in his
eyes. He turned back to Pax and look at him and for a moment, still
nothing was said. Without knowing anything else to say, he repeated Todd's
question. "Are you serious?"
Todd felt vindicated and smiled.
"As serious as I can be. You guys are like family to Tristian and
myself. We've known each other for a couple years now, and we have such a
great time together. Yeah, I know this will be work, but I need you guys to
come to the party and help us make it more professional. I've been
consulting my own lawyer on the business, so far, and he told me I needed
to get someone who was familiar with business law. Christine, I know
that's what you do."
"I defend my clients in lawsuits," Christine said. "I don't know if
I'm the right kind of lawyer for you."
"Well, what if I get sued? I'm going to need you then. Listen, you
can hire more attorneys or paralegals or whatever you need to cover all the
bases, I just want you as my head lawyer for the company. I trust you,
that's why I want you," Pax said.
"What about me? You really don't need me, Pax. You've got the
business going on your own, scouting out the locations. Do you really need
me to take over?" Don asked.
"So far, I've got 17 buildings opened, and I'll have another one in
about five months ready to open. I want more. I want to become the leader
in affordable apartments around the country. I want to set a standard, but
it all starts with the buildings. You have a better idea about all this.
So far, I've been lucky, but I need a professional to take over. You can
hire a couple of those people who come through and look at things to give a
price." Looking at Tristian, he asked, "What are they called again?"
"Appraisers," Tristian answered.
"Exactly. You find the buildings," Pax said, turning his attention
back to Don and continued, "then have them come behind you and check it
out. If you want to add a couple more agents to the roster, that's fine
too. If they like something, you check it out and if you like it, I'll be
the final approval."
The room fell silent for a few moments and Don and Christine looked
at each other and it looked like they were communicating with their eyes.
After a minute or so, Don looked at Pax and said, "Can you give us a little
time to think it over?"
"Think it over?" Todd asked, surprised. "What's to think about? It
sounds like an amazing opportunity."
"For one," Don started, "I like my job and the people I'm working
with. And another thing, I love spending time with your mom. If we take
this job, we might be separated for a long stretch at a time."
"Actually, you won't," Pax interjected. "You see, I figured you
guys can travel together, and if I need Christine, I'll have the satellite
phone and a fax on the jet. I got it all covered."
"The jet?" Christine asked, surprised.
"I bought two jets: one for the company and one exclusively for
scouting. Basically, it'll be yours and Don's while on business. There's
an office, a lounge, a kitchenette, and even a bedroom for overnight
flights, if that should occur."
The two of them let that sink in for a moment, then Don said, "Give
us a week, if that's okay, Pax. Let us talk it over and we'll give you an
answer then."
"Sounds great," Pax said, elated.
A second later, everyone heard water boiling over and hitting the
eye of the stove, and Pax and Christine jumped up at the same time. Once
the food crisis was over, the rest of the boys talked for a while longer,
until it got quiet and Todd picked up the remote and flipped on the TV to
the game. Blake hated this part, but tried to look interested. He didn't
understand football, and even after Todd tried to explain it, it just
became more confusing. After about ten minutes, he excused himself and
headed to the kitchen to see if he could help.
By the end of the night, everyone had had a wonderful day. Pax and
Tristian left around seven that evening and spent the rest of the night
drinking wine while watching old Christmas movies snuggled together on the
couch back at their apartment. Don and Christine retreated to the living
room to look through their packets that Pax had given them about the
positions within the company. They talked about the pros and cons and
after a while, put things away and enjoyed the rest of the evening.
Blake and Todd decided to clean up the kitchen after the day was
done and because they didn't want Mom on her feet anymore. Since they
didn't give any gifts to their parents, they figured they could at least do
this for them.
Over the next week, Blake and Todd got together with Howie, Kelly,
Paige, Jason and a few other friends from high school and caught up on
everyone's lives. It was good to see everyone again, but Blake was a
little depressed because he wasn't able to see his brother, Mitch. He
tried calling, but Mitch's cell was disconnected and he had left the tattoo
parlor, and Blake didn't know exactly where Mitch lived. Blake hoped that
everything was going well with his brother, and made a note to continue
trying his number on a regular basis until he got an answer.
Seeing as how Christmas was on a Saturday this year, Blake took a
week and a half off so he could bring in 2011 with Todd. He promised Papa
that he would be back by Monday, January 3rd if Papa would give him the
week and a half. Sadly, Papa didn't have much of a say, because Mama
interrupted and said it would be fine. Therefore, Papa didn't have any
problem with it, at least, that he could voice.
Unfortunately, for both boys, the vacation went a little too fast.
Friday came around and that meant they only had 2 full days left. Blake's
flight was on Sunday at ten in the morning, just to give him more time to
get settled back in the evening, after he arrived. But for now, Todd and
Blake wanted to enjoy the time they had left.
Friday was spent at Piedmont Park, the aquarium, the World of Coke
and at the end of the evening, at the last minute, they decided on a movie.
Don and Christine had plans with Pax and Tristian. They were all going to
make an appearance at a few parties before finally coming back home. Pax
hired a driver for the evening to make sure they didn't have to worry about
driving.
When Todd and Blake got back to the house, they found it empty.
They assumed that Mom and Dad would be late getting in, and they took
advantage of the privacy. They say that whatever you're doing at midnight,
you'll do all through the year. Todd and Blake were too busy loving each
other, they didn't even realize that 2011 had already arrived. After their
love making, they got a long, hot shower together and were asleep about 20
minutes before Mom and Dad arrived home.
Saturday was another lazy day with Todd and Blake spending every
moment together just relaxing. They only left the house around lunch to
meet with Kelly, Howie, Paige and Jason for one last get together. They
all met at the local Applebee's and enjoyed their time together, laughing
and talking about the future. After a couple of hours, they started
walking to their cars and Blake leaned over and told Kelly he had something
for her. As the two of them walked to the car, the other four stood around
and talked for a few more minutes.
"What's this?" Kelly asked, taking a CD from Blake.
"Remember when I told you that when I had my own copy, I'd let you
see it?" Blake asked, trying to be discreet.
"Own copy of what?" Kelly asked, not understanding.
"Remember what happened the night before Todd left for college?
The...movie?" Blake said, reminding her.
Kelly's eyes grew wide and she asked, "This is it?"
"Yeah, but make sure no one but you sees it," Blake said, looking
over her shoulder at the other four, still lost in their conversation.
"Oh, my God," she said, not believing Blake remembered. "Are you
sure?"
"You said you wanted to see it, so here it is. I still don't know
why you want to watch it, but, it's hot," Blake said, smiling big.
"Am I going to be able to look at you two the same after I watch
this?" She asked.
"I don't know. That's up to you," Blake said, smiling. He looked
over her shoulder and saw Todd coming toward them. "Put it in your purse.
Todd's coming," he said.
Kelly put the disk in her purse and Blake gave her a hug to cover
their separation from the group. "I'm gonna miss you so much," he said to
her.
"You, too, Blake. When will you be back?" She asked him.
"Probably next Christmas. But you're more than welcome to come to
the ranch over the summer," he added.
"I'll see what I can do about talking Howie in a vacation," she
said, smiling.
"Paige and Jason need to leave. Come on over and say goodbye," Todd
said to them both.
After the goodbye hugs and handshakes were given, Todd and Blake
headed back to the house and enjoyed the rest of their day by watching
movies and cuddling on the bed, dozing in and out of consciousness. They
emerged from their room long enough to join Mom and Dad for dinner. Before
bed, they made love with more passion than either of them remembered having
before. They knew it was going to be a long while before they saw each
other again.
Sunday finally arrived, and Todd and Blake drove to the Marta
station and boarded the train to the airport. Along the ride, Blake kept
his arm around Todd's back as Todd held Blake's free hand. They made small
talk about the upcoming summer and Todd's arrival back at the ranch. When
they arrived at the airport, Todd and Blake shared a kiss before Blake
walked through security and headed to his plane.
Todd's flight was scheduled at six that evening and Mom and Dad went
with him to the airport to say goodbye. When he arrived back in New York,
he hailed a car and arrived back at the dorm around eight. Walking in, he
saw Robert was already there. They hugged hello and Todd even gave Robert
a kiss. They talked about their vacations as they headed out for dinner.
Back in Montana, Blake booked an additional flight from Billings to
Missoula. He didn't see a need for anyone to come and get him since the
flight only cost an additional thirty dollars. "It was faster and it saved
on gas," he explained to Jackson. When he arrived at 10:30, local time, at
the airport, Jackson was there waiting for him. Jackson took Blake in a
hug when he saw him and helped him with his bags to the car. Once safely
in the car, Jackson leaned over and gave Blake a hello kiss. Blake kissed
him back and told him how much he was missed while they were apart.
Inside, Jackson was on cloud nine, though he made sure to keep his
excitement internal.
The summer finally rolled around and Todd was due to arrive in
Montana in a couple of days. He had passed all his classes with A's and
B's and was taking a couple of days of sleeping in and relaxing before he
headed over to get back to work at the ranch and to be with Blake. Robert
was leaving on that Saturday to head back to Savannah. He was going to
miss seeing Todd and was already feeling the dread of not being with him.
Todd noticed that something was wrong with Robert, but when he asked,
Robert gave a smile and said nothing, while shaking his head.
After Robert boarded his plane, he felt the dread already take him
over. He was going to miss Todd so much; he just hoped he could handle the
separation. Sunday rolled around and Todd arrived in Montana at 3:45 that
afternoon. Blake was there waiting for over an hour because his excitement
couldn't be contained any longer. When he saw Todd, he jumped into Todd's
arms, giving him the biggest hug he'd received in a very long time. Like
Jackson, they were safely in the car before they shared a kiss.
When they arrived at the ranch, Todd and Blake took his things into
Blake's room and put them away. They wanted to skip dinner and jump into
bed and just hold each other until they fell asleep, but the other workers
at the ranch were looking forward to seeing Todd again. Once dinner was
over, Blake and Todd walked down through the fields and talked while they
held hands. When they arrived back at their room, they finished the night
by holding each other, staring into each other's eyes and talking until
they fell asleep. Just like last year, Jackson felt left out and started
declining into a depression.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Jackson, secretly, dealt with
his depression, until he finally forced himself to snap out of it. He knew
that he was going to feel this way, ever since Blake announced that Todd
was, indeed, coming back to the ranch for the summer. He also knew it was
something he had to deal with because he let himself fall in love with
Blake again. Once Blake told him about Todd and about his true feelings
for Todd, Jackson did everything he could to pull his emotions back. After
admitting to Blake how he felt, he knew that nothing could happen and
figured that nothing would. But when Blake invited him to be a part of his
open relationship with Todd, he instantly regretted it.
If he could go back to that day and say no to Blake, he would. But
Blake turned out to be his weakness. As soon as he was told about Blake's
and Todd's arrangement, he took advantage of it because he had fallen in
love with Blake and wanted to be with him, sexually and emotionally. He
secretly thought that if he could show Blake how good he was at pleasuring
him, Blake might tell Todd that he didn't want to be with him anymore and
finally choose Jackson instead. Unfortunately for Jackson, it didn't work
out that way.
He told himself that if he wanted to keep feeling sorry for himself
because Blake still chose Todd over him, he could, but he'd be miserable.
Instead, he decided to work through the depression and thought that it was
for just two months before things could go back to like it used to be
before Todd arrived. But he knew he had a choice to make. He knew that
nothing was going to break Todd and Blake up, and he could choose to be
with Blake again, after Todd left and fall even deeper in love, or he could
hurt Blake and tell him that he couldn't do it anymore. Either way, he
knew that someone was going to be hurt with the truth.
Nothing really changed this summer from last summer for Todd and
Blake, but they did decide to go camping. Instead of a gay or nude
campground, they bought a tent and a sleeping bag and headed down in the
pasture and set up their campground next to the lake. It was one of the
hottest weekends, but they didn't know this before they made their plans.
Most of that first day, they spend in the lake, cooling themselves off and
horse playing and having a good time. As they got out of the lake and ran
around because of Todd's threat to tickle Blake, four eyes were watching
them from a cliff about a half mile away.
"Remember when we used to do that?"
"I sure do, Oli," Papa said, pulling Oliver to his side and kissing
his cheek. "Those were such good times."
"They still are, Papa. Every day I'm with you and things are good,
it's still great times for me," Oliver explained.
"For me, too, Mama, but I just wish we had our energy like we used
to." Norman said, looking back at Todd and Blake running around and
finally, falling to the ground, kissing each other. "That used to be us.
That was forty years ago, though. If we got on the ground, you'd need a
fork lift to help me up again."
Oliver let a laugh escape, then responded. "Same here, Papa. My
old crickity knees couldn't take it, I don't think."
Oliver looked into Norman's brown eyes and leaned in until their
lips touched. Oliver's eyes, instinctively, closed and he enjoyed the kiss
from the man of his dreams. When they broke the kiss, Norman stared into
Oliver's hazel eyes and said, "I'm the luckiest man in the world. I still
can't believe you said yes all those years ago."
"Well, you were in your uniform. Was I supposed to say `no'? You
were so handsome, I just couldn't resist."
"And I'm so glad you didn't. You've made my life so special and I
actually miss you when I'm asleep. You're the reason I live, Oliver.
You're the reason I breathe."
"Norman," Oliver said, bringing his hand up to lay against Norman's
cheek. "I love you so much and you've made me the happiest man in the
world. I don't have one regret in all our years together."
"Me either, Mama." Norman leaned in and kissed Oliver once again.
"Let's leave these boys alone and get home. I wanna give you a back
rub tonight."
Norman had a twinkle in his eye and asked, "Do I need to take one of
my little blue pills tonight?"
"I'm hoping you will," Oliver said with a smile.
"Hot damn! Tonight's going to be a great night," Norman said through
his smile, helping Oliver mount his horse before mounting his own.
Blake and Todd's make out session turned into a love making session
that lasted a good two hours. The sun set over them in the middle of it,
leaving one last pair of eyes miserable, for they couldn't watch everything
that happened after it got dark.
How he longed to be Todd in that scenario with Blake. Jackson's
heart couldn't take it. When it was too dark for him to be able to watch
the couple anymore, he got off his stomach, hung the binoculars around his
neck and lowered his head and walked the half mile back to his room. When
he arrived, he put the binoculars back in their drawer and fell upon his
bed and cried himself to sleep, praying that one day, he'd finally be able
to find someone like Blake to love him back.
Whenever Blake was around Jackson, Jackson did everything he could
to not let his disappointment show. He truly was happy for Todd and Blake,
but inside, he was dying. Over the course of the summer, Blake invited
Jackson to watch or even participate in sex with him and Todd, but Jackson
always said he didn't want to intrude because they had such a limited time
together. Blake reassured Jackson that he wouldn't be intruding, but
Jackson politely declined every time.
Blake continued his morning routine with Dwight, and even Todd
joined them about three times a week. His work was a little harder than
Blake's, but Dwight knew what he was going through, although, he was used
to it, as Todd wasn't. On the mornings Todd did join them, he also learned
a few karate moves. He didn't take it as serious as Blake, for he knew how
to fight already, but he did learn a few new things to add to his
technique, if it ever came about again.
During Todd's two months visit, he and Blake made love more times
than either of them could count. They had their work routine down, but the
sex between them was spontaneous. It never felt routine. Todd even
bottomed a few times, allowing Blake to take control. On the nights they
didn't make love, they spent that time just being together or even visiting
the cousins down in Missoula. The four of them were practically
inseparable on the weekends Todd and Blake didn't have to work. They were
all fast friend as well as being family.
On one of Todd's last visits to see the cousins with Blake, Tripp
made an announcement that both stunned and excited Todd and Blake.
There was a lag in the conversation for a few minutes, when Tripp
broke the silence saying, "Mark and I'll be moving to California soon."
Todd and Blake looked at Tripp and Mark. Todd asked, "Why?"
"'Cause I got a job offer down in L.A. One of the movie studios is
looking for an assistant costume designer. I applied, went down for a
couple of interviews, and got the job," Tripp said.
"When did you go to California? I didn't know anything about this,"
Blake said, stunned.
"We wanted to keep it quiet, just in case he didn't get it," Mark
answered. "He went a couple of months ago, and then again, last month."
"Which studio?" Todd asked.
"MGM," Tripp answered.
"When are y'all leaving?" Blake asked.
"I start the first of September. We'll be going down the beginning
of August to look for an apartment, and then hopefully, move in a couple
weeks later, if we find something," Tripp explained.
"What are you going to do?" Blake asked of Mark.
"I'll be looking for accounting work. It'd be cool if I could work
at the studio, too, but right now, I want to make sure we find a place and
get him working first. I'll look for something after we arrive."
"Can y'all afford it? On just one salary?" Blake asked.
"Yup. They offered a great salary and all the benefits to go with
it. In a year, I hope to be head costume designer. That's my goal,
anyway," Tripp said.
Blake and Todd sat there, letting the information sink in, when,
finally, Blake broke the silence, saying, "I'll miss you guys. I can't
believe you're leaving me."
"Blake, we aren't leaving you, we're just moving a little farther
away," Tripp said, smiling.
"But, y'all are the reason I chose Montana. To be close," Blake
explained.
"Now don't go and give them a guilt trip," Todd said, grabbing
Blake's hand.
"I'm not, but I'm feeling the same way when you left for college,
freshman year."
"How's that?" Mark asked.
"Sad. I love you guys. I don't want you leaving. I know I'm gonna
miss y'all so much," Blake said.
"But then, after Todd gets out of school, maybe you guys can come
down for a visit or something before moving back to Georgia," Mark offered.
"Sounds like a fun time to me," Todd said.
"I guess," Blake said, disappointedly.
Breaking the mood and the sadness Blake was feeling, Tripp asked,
"So, where do you guys want to go for dinner?"
Blake kept quiet, letting the other three decide for him as he was
thinking about the news. Blake and Mark had never been close, even though
they were cousins, but after his move to Montana, Mark was like an older
brother to Blake. Their friendship had really blossomed and Blake didn't
want to lose that. He had made the relationship work after Todd moved to
New York, so he was determined to make the newly formed friendship last, no
matter what.
A couple weeks later, the sadness crept its way back into Blake when
he had to say goodbye to Todd. He refused to shed tears, because he knew
it was only a few more months before his annual trip to New York to see him
and Robert. A few times that day, both Todd and Blake almost broke down
with the sadness of saying goodbye, but they held back, knowing that if one
started, the other would join. They were thinking more of the other than
of themselves.
After their small talk of saying goodbye was done, Todd glanced to
his left and saw a man kissing a woman goodbye. Blake followed his gaze
and saw the same thing. They looked back at each other and stepped closer
and closed their lips together. After about five seconds, they broke apart
and smiled at each other.
"I love you," Todd said.
"Love you, too, Puppy," Blake countered.
"Fucking gross," they both heard from beside them.
When Blake and Todd looked to the man they glanced at earlier, he
gave a face of disgust.
"What's that?" Blake asked the man, being brave.
"You two kissing. It's disgusting," the man repeated.
"So, our love isn't equivalent to your love of your wife...or was
that your mistress?" Blake asked.
The man lifted his hand up like he was about to attack Blake, but
Blake was ready and got in his karate stance. After his move, the man
froze and Blake said, "I'm legally bound to tell you that I know karate.
You wanna do this, then come on. I will beat your ass down."
Holding his stance, he saw the man lower his hand, and then Blake
finally relaxed.
"You probably won't ever see either of us again. The love I have
for him is just the same as you have for her." Blake let that sink in for
a moment, then added, "Next time, keep your comments to yourself."
The man looked at the both of them again, and finally gave another
face of disgust and walked away. Blake looked back at Todd and saw a face
of surprise.
"What?" Blake asked.
"I can't believe you just did that," Todd said.
"I wasn't going to let him treat us like animals. We're humans and
he needs to get used to it," Blake said.
Todd gave a smile that told Blake he was proud of him. "Are you
required to tell him you know karate?" Todd asked.
"Nope. But he doesn't know that," Blake said.
Todd let out a laugh and then stepped closer and took Blake in a
hug. "You are so sexy to me right now," Todd whispered into Blake's ear.
"Thanks, Puppy. Now, go on and go, otherwise, you'll miss your
flight," Blake said, giving a slight push for Todd to leave.
"I'll miss you," Todd said.
"You better," Blake responded with a smile. "Call me when you get
in tonight."
"I will," Todd said, then turned and started toward the security
line. Before he got too far away, he called out over his shoulder, once
again. "Love you."
Blake smiled and responded, "You, too."
Once Todd was on the other side of security, Blake turned and walked
to his car, eyes dry and a smile on his face.
To be continued...