ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
There were clues in the story, but by now you know what the clues were. More to come late Saturday night or early Easter Sunday.
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The houses in rossford
- Thread starter ChrisGibson
- Start date
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
Does it change the way you feel about Brendan?
CharmedFan28
JUB Addict
Well I feel bad for Dena but still like him as a character. He has clearly been a very confused kid. What he did was bad but I hope he can redeem himself.
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
I love Brendan, and there is more to come, but rereading this I was really disappointed in him. But, in the end, he's the one who's there for Layla.
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
GODDAMN
“Oh, God! Oh… Oh!”
He touched his hair. He buried his hands in his hair and bit his lip, he moaned and wailed and held onto his back. Their thighs moved together, their groins pressed together. They came and came and sighed.
Brendan gasped with the shock of his orgasm. His toes curled, and his body went tight on itself before releasing. For a long time he lay still before he rolled over, still breathing a little heavily.
For a long time Kenny McGrath also lay, catching his breath, his fingers steepled in his hair. He massaged his brow and lay still, breathing softer and softer. Brendan reached over to put a hand on his chest, but Kenny gently pushed it away.
“You need to go, Brendan,” he said.
“Huh?”
Kenny sat up. “You need to go, Brendan. I shouldn’t have done this.”
“Whaddo you mean?”
“I mean… I mean you should go. Please go.”
“But you said… I came over. You said you wanted us to—”
“Look,” Kenny said as Brendan climbed out of bed and began dressing. “I don’t know if I was just horny, or… I don’t know what. But I can’t be with you. I can’t.”
Brendan figured he didn’t have the right to protest right now. He smoothed his shirt and took his hands through his hair.
“I didn’t mind when it was just heat. I should have minded. I can’t do the affection thing. I can’t. I don’t trust you, Brendan. I’m still angry at you. I still…”
Kenny stopped talking and looked at Brendan as if he’d never seen him before.
“I still kind of hate you. I hate myself for wanting to be with you. But… I can’t give up hating you. Not after everything. Not yet. I’m not ready.”
Brendan nodded his head and went to the bedroom door.
“Can you understand that, Brendan?”
“I can understand it. But… Do you think it’s going to last?”
Kenny climbed out of bed. He pulled on his shorts and reached for his tee shirt.
“Whaddo you want from me, Brendan?”
“I…” Brendan shrugged. “I dunno.”
“If that’s all you can say, man, then it looks like you just got what you wanted. And so did I. So what’s the problem?”
“What you said,” Brendan said. “Before. The day I broke up with Dena, when I came to you, how you said we were… in love, we were going to be together. That’s what I want.”
“Well, I wanted it to.”
“Don’t you still?”
“Not with you. Not right now. Bren, I don’t even look at you the same. I don’t look at anything the same.”
“You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust myself,” Kenny said. “Clearly I can’t make a sensible decision. Or else we wouldn’t have done what we just did.”
. “We just made love,” Brendan said. “Do you really feel bad about that?”
“Bren, we fucked,” Kenny said. “And it was good cause you were horny and I was weak, and if you want to know the truth: right now I pretty much hate myself.”
Brendan nodded.
“I guess that’s my cue to go.”
“Yeah,” Kenny said, chewing on his lip.
“I know I’m not supposed to tell you this,” Paul said walking around the boxy Element, “but I don’t really know anything about cars.”
The young man in the tie and blue slacks looked at him.
“I mean I lived in LA, but I always had a battered car. And people say that you need a car there, but lots of people don’t have cars and they’ve always got buses. I’ve never really been into cars,” Paul confessed. “Basically, I need it to get me there and back.”
The car dealer laughed and Paul, who had spent his life acting, studied him to see if he was acting. Some people talked fast, so fast you couldn’t keep up and that was when you knew they were trying to lie to you.
“Do you have a large family?” the man said.
“No. No, this is just for me.”
“Well, then you don’t even need to be looking at an Element.”
“It’s sort of ugly anyway.”
“I know,” the salesman nodded in sad agreement. “Isn’t it? When I was little the cars were so much better. They were gas guzzlers, but they were better.”
“My dad used to have this huge El Camino.”
“Oh, God, mine too! He still has it. I wanted to drive it. It’s like sitting in a boat, right? But now with the price of gas and everything-”
“I know.”
“Hey,” the young man said to Paul. “Let me show you something little and economic.”
“That isn’t ugly?”
“That isn’t ugly.”
“By the way,” the young man said, “I love that Land Rover. I don’t know why you need something new.”
“It’s not my Land Rover.”
“Oh. Would you like your own?”
Paul grinned and said, “Not really. I kind of just need something for me. A Rover’s more like a family car.”
“Well, when you get a family, come back and I’ll sell you something. Ask for Kirk, personally.”
“Oh, and if I ask for Kirk, then I’ll get a deal?”
“No, if you ask for Kirk,” he said, raising his auburn brows over mischievous blue eyes, “you’ll get Kirk Hanley. And I’ll give you a deal.”
“Hanley. Like the Hanley on the outside of the car lot.”
“Yeah, Hanley Honda. Gotta love the alliteration. Especially since we don’t really sell Hondas anymore. And Hanley Ford next door. My sister does that place. Women like to come and shop there because she feels less sinister.”
Paul said, “You do seem rather un-sinister for a car dealer.”
“Well, it’s the used ones who are really sinister,” Kirk said, rubbing his hands together.
“Unfortunately that means you’re in trouble, because we sell those too. C’mon.”
Kirk led Paul out the door and into the back lot facing Demming Street.
And then he said: “Look at this.”
“Wow!”
“It’s a Jeep. Gets good mileage. A few years old. It’s a 2004 which makes it a hell of a lot cheaper than a 2008. I tuned it up myself.”
“You can fix cars?”
“You’re damn right I can,” Kirk thumped his chest. “You wanna take it on a test drive?”
“Sure.”
“The usual procedure is I come with you to make sure you don’t steal it, and to talk off your ear about how great it is. Let’s go.”
Paul wondered if it was this boy’s—he was hardly more than a boy, and not very tall, sort of like Noah—shtick to be this winning and likeable.
“I have to try to like you less.”
“Really,” Kirk said, closing the passenger door and pulling his seatbelt on. “And why is that?”
“Because your charm could be part of your shtick.”
“True,” Kirk agreed. “I was born with charm, but I was born selling cars so…” he shrugged.
“Why don’t you just fasten your seatbelt, start the car and enjoy the shtick.”
The Hanleys owned five lots all between Demming and Dorr, the used one faced Demming, and they headed southwest on it, down the Strip.
“I’ve seen you somewhere,” Kirk said. “Your face is so familiar.”
By now Paul was used to the fact that anyone could be a closet homo, so this man could have been sitting around watching Johnny Mellow.
“Have you ever heard of Johnny Mellow?” said Paul.
“No. But—that’s it!” he interrupted himself.
Johnny Mellow could sneak out and blacken Paul’s day. Johnny Mellow could take him down into a depression. Here he was, becoming normal, and this Kirk could only think of Johnny Mellow.
“You were in that play last weekend. You were Biff. You were really good. I mean, it was kind of funny cause I just sort of found myself wishing I knew you. Can you believe that?”
Paul stared at Kirk for so long that Kirk had to shout for him to stop for the red light.
“Yeah,” Paul muttered. “Yeah. Yeah. That was me! Thanks.”
“You were fantastic,” Kirk said. “I used to want to be an actor. The good thing about that playhouse is you don’t have to travel so far out to see something. You know? You can see something nice here. I like that.”
“Yeah,” Paul said, his mood lightening. He felt good. He wanted to be recognized for something beside Pizza Slut.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” Kirk said.
“Kirk, you can ask me whatever the hell you want.”
Kirk burst out laughing.
“Well, good. That thing you said, about not expecting to ever have a family…?”
“Yes?” Paul.
“Is it because you’re gay?”
For the second time in five minutes the car dealer caught Paul off guard.
“I only ask,” Kirk explained, “because, you know, I used to feel the same way too. But…. Anything’s possible. Provided you find the right man.”
There was a red light as they approached Emerson. Paul turned to survey Kirk, and he said, “You don’t mince words do you?”
“No, I don’t. There’s not enough time. So…?”
“So what?”
“At around eight o’clock tonight one of us is going to pick the other up. Should it be me or you?”
ELEVEN
GODDAMN
“Oh, God! Oh… Oh!”
He touched his hair. He buried his hands in his hair and bit his lip, he moaned and wailed and held onto his back. Their thighs moved together, their groins pressed together. They came and came and sighed.
Brendan gasped with the shock of his orgasm. His toes curled, and his body went tight on itself before releasing. For a long time he lay still before he rolled over, still breathing a little heavily.
For a long time Kenny McGrath also lay, catching his breath, his fingers steepled in his hair. He massaged his brow and lay still, breathing softer and softer. Brendan reached over to put a hand on his chest, but Kenny gently pushed it away.
“You need to go, Brendan,” he said.
“Huh?”
Kenny sat up. “You need to go, Brendan. I shouldn’t have done this.”
“Whaddo you mean?”
“I mean… I mean you should go. Please go.”
“But you said… I came over. You said you wanted us to—”
“Look,” Kenny said as Brendan climbed out of bed and began dressing. “I don’t know if I was just horny, or… I don’t know what. But I can’t be with you. I can’t.”
Brendan figured he didn’t have the right to protest right now. He smoothed his shirt and took his hands through his hair.
“I didn’t mind when it was just heat. I should have minded. I can’t do the affection thing. I can’t. I don’t trust you, Brendan. I’m still angry at you. I still…”
Kenny stopped talking and looked at Brendan as if he’d never seen him before.
“I still kind of hate you. I hate myself for wanting to be with you. But… I can’t give up hating you. Not after everything. Not yet. I’m not ready.”
Brendan nodded his head and went to the bedroom door.
“Can you understand that, Brendan?”
“I can understand it. But… Do you think it’s going to last?”
Kenny climbed out of bed. He pulled on his shorts and reached for his tee shirt.
“Whaddo you want from me, Brendan?”
“I…” Brendan shrugged. “I dunno.”
“If that’s all you can say, man, then it looks like you just got what you wanted. And so did I. So what’s the problem?”
“What you said,” Brendan said. “Before. The day I broke up with Dena, when I came to you, how you said we were… in love, we were going to be together. That’s what I want.”
“Well, I wanted it to.”
“Don’t you still?”
“Not with you. Not right now. Bren, I don’t even look at you the same. I don’t look at anything the same.”
“You don’t trust me.”
“I don’t trust myself,” Kenny said. “Clearly I can’t make a sensible decision. Or else we wouldn’t have done what we just did.”
. “We just made love,” Brendan said. “Do you really feel bad about that?”
“Bren, we fucked,” Kenny said. “And it was good cause you were horny and I was weak, and if you want to know the truth: right now I pretty much hate myself.”
Brendan nodded.
“I guess that’s my cue to go.”
“Yeah,” Kenny said, chewing on his lip.
“I know I’m not supposed to tell you this,” Paul said walking around the boxy Element, “but I don’t really know anything about cars.”
The young man in the tie and blue slacks looked at him.
“I mean I lived in LA, but I always had a battered car. And people say that you need a car there, but lots of people don’t have cars and they’ve always got buses. I’ve never really been into cars,” Paul confessed. “Basically, I need it to get me there and back.”
The car dealer laughed and Paul, who had spent his life acting, studied him to see if he was acting. Some people talked fast, so fast you couldn’t keep up and that was when you knew they were trying to lie to you.
“Do you have a large family?” the man said.
“No. No, this is just for me.”
“Well, then you don’t even need to be looking at an Element.”
“It’s sort of ugly anyway.”
“I know,” the salesman nodded in sad agreement. “Isn’t it? When I was little the cars were so much better. They were gas guzzlers, but they were better.”
“My dad used to have this huge El Camino.”
“Oh, God, mine too! He still has it. I wanted to drive it. It’s like sitting in a boat, right? But now with the price of gas and everything-”
“I know.”
“Hey,” the young man said to Paul. “Let me show you something little and economic.”
“That isn’t ugly?”
“That isn’t ugly.”
“By the way,” the young man said, “I love that Land Rover. I don’t know why you need something new.”
“It’s not my Land Rover.”
“Oh. Would you like your own?”
Paul grinned and said, “Not really. I kind of just need something for me. A Rover’s more like a family car.”
“Well, when you get a family, come back and I’ll sell you something. Ask for Kirk, personally.”
“Oh, and if I ask for Kirk, then I’ll get a deal?”
“No, if you ask for Kirk,” he said, raising his auburn brows over mischievous blue eyes, “you’ll get Kirk Hanley. And I’ll give you a deal.”
“Hanley. Like the Hanley on the outside of the car lot.”
“Yeah, Hanley Honda. Gotta love the alliteration. Especially since we don’t really sell Hondas anymore. And Hanley Ford next door. My sister does that place. Women like to come and shop there because she feels less sinister.”
Paul said, “You do seem rather un-sinister for a car dealer.”
“Well, it’s the used ones who are really sinister,” Kirk said, rubbing his hands together.
“Unfortunately that means you’re in trouble, because we sell those too. C’mon.”
Kirk led Paul out the door and into the back lot facing Demming Street.
And then he said: “Look at this.”
“Wow!”
“It’s a Jeep. Gets good mileage. A few years old. It’s a 2004 which makes it a hell of a lot cheaper than a 2008. I tuned it up myself.”
“You can fix cars?”
“You’re damn right I can,” Kirk thumped his chest. “You wanna take it on a test drive?”
“Sure.”
“The usual procedure is I come with you to make sure you don’t steal it, and to talk off your ear about how great it is. Let’s go.”
Paul wondered if it was this boy’s—he was hardly more than a boy, and not very tall, sort of like Noah—shtick to be this winning and likeable.
“I have to try to like you less.”
“Really,” Kirk said, closing the passenger door and pulling his seatbelt on. “And why is that?”
“Because your charm could be part of your shtick.”
“True,” Kirk agreed. “I was born with charm, but I was born selling cars so…” he shrugged.
“Why don’t you just fasten your seatbelt, start the car and enjoy the shtick.”
The Hanleys owned five lots all between Demming and Dorr, the used one faced Demming, and they headed southwest on it, down the Strip.
“I’ve seen you somewhere,” Kirk said. “Your face is so familiar.”
By now Paul was used to the fact that anyone could be a closet homo, so this man could have been sitting around watching Johnny Mellow.
“Have you ever heard of Johnny Mellow?” said Paul.
“No. But—that’s it!” he interrupted himself.
Johnny Mellow could sneak out and blacken Paul’s day. Johnny Mellow could take him down into a depression. Here he was, becoming normal, and this Kirk could only think of Johnny Mellow.
“You were in that play last weekend. You were Biff. You were really good. I mean, it was kind of funny cause I just sort of found myself wishing I knew you. Can you believe that?”
Paul stared at Kirk for so long that Kirk had to shout for him to stop for the red light.
“Yeah,” Paul muttered. “Yeah. Yeah. That was me! Thanks.”
“You were fantastic,” Kirk said. “I used to want to be an actor. The good thing about that playhouse is you don’t have to travel so far out to see something. You know? You can see something nice here. I like that.”
“Yeah,” Paul said, his mood lightening. He felt good. He wanted to be recognized for something beside Pizza Slut.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” Kirk said.
“Kirk, you can ask me whatever the hell you want.”
Kirk burst out laughing.
“Well, good. That thing you said, about not expecting to ever have a family…?”
“Yes?” Paul.
“Is it because you’re gay?”
For the second time in five minutes the car dealer caught Paul off guard.
“I only ask,” Kirk explained, “because, you know, I used to feel the same way too. But…. Anything’s possible. Provided you find the right man.”
There was a red light as they approached Emerson. Paul turned to survey Kirk, and he said, “You don’t mince words do you?”
“No, I don’t. There’s not enough time. So…?”
“So what?”
“At around eight o’clock tonight one of us is going to pick the other up. Should it be me or you?”
CharmedFan28
JUB Addict
I hope Brendan and Kenny work things out! I feel bad for what Brendan put Kenny through but I am still rooting for Brendan to have a happy ending. Sounds like Paul has met someone interesting in Kirk! I look forward to reading about their date. 
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
There's still time for so much to happen. But as in life, there is no easy road to forgiveness. Poor Bren won't be the only person figuring that out.
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
GODDAMN CONTINUED
“You’re a good friend,” Kenny said.
“I’m just a good listener,” said Milo Affren.
“I… Do you carry a torch for Dena?”
“I don’t carry shit for Dena,” Milo said, spreading his hands out across the kitchen table in the Affren kitchen.
“I don’t know. I knew she was with Brendan, but I hoped that something might happen with us. And, well, it didn’t so…”
“But now it could,” Kenny said. “Now that we’re all free.”
“Free? You make it sound all spiritual. Are you carrying a torch for Brendan m’lad?”
“No,” Kenny said. “That shit screwed me up. I was straight as an arrow before him. And I might go back.”
“You had a girlfriend?”
“Yeah. A while ago.”
“And you were sleeping with her?”
“No!” Kenny sounded shocked. “I mean, hell. I’m just eighteen.”
“Dude,” Milo told him, “I don’t think you were ever straight as an arrow. I mean, nothing wrong with that. I just think Brendan turned you on to what you were. You’ll find around guy who’ll make your bells ring one day.”
“If I can get rid of Brendan first.”
“What’s that?” Milo stirred.
In a low, defeated voice, Kenny leaned in and told Milo:
“We’re still fucking each other.”
“Oh, gross!”
“Milo!”
` “No,” Milo waved it away. “Not the whole gay thing. But the whole…. I don’t get what’s so hot about the guy. And he’s banging everyone!”
“He’s not like that. He’s—”
“And you’re justifying him.”
“I’m not,” Kenny said. “I’m just…”
The kitchen door swung open and Barb Affren walked in.
“You don’t have to get quiet just because of me,” she said.
“We’re not, grandma,” said Milo.
“You kids think you started everything, but I’ve done some stuff in my time,” Barb said, reaching into the cupboard and pulling out the Saltines. She went into the refrigerator and gathered up dip and soda.
“Like I bet you didn’t know to pay my way through school…” she said at the door, “I was a stripper.”
And then she bumped the door with her behind and was gone.
“Is she serious?” Kenny said.
“With grandma? I don’t put shit past that old broad. But back to you?”
“No, Milo!”
“Back to you,” Milo insisted.
“You’re still in love with Brendan? Aren’t you?”
Kenny shut his mouth tight, and chose to plead the Fifth.
“I JUST FEEL SO BAD about everything that’s happened,” Dan Malloy said over coffee.
“Yeah,” Fenn said. “And yet… didn’t we already know? I mean, I feel bad for my niece, no one telling her the truth. I hate to say this,” he turned to Todd, “but my sympathy for Dena is pretty slim.”
“Brendan came to me,” Dan said, hands clasped. “He came to me and told me how he thought he might… not be straight.”
“Be gay,” Todd supplied baldly.
“Yes. And he even told me about how he thought he’d start something with Dena. To… fix himself. I didn’t know what to do. Or what to say.”
Fenn refilled his cup and noted, “You could have told the truth.”
Dan looked at him. “No, Fenn. I couldn’t have. I’m a priest.”
“Strike One!” Todd sang, “for the Catholic Church!”
“I’m not a shrink,” Dan continued. “Or even Oprah. I can’t just say exactly how I feel or talk about myself. Brendan was coming to me as a symbol of the Church, and as that symbol I could not say or betray anything that was not in line with the Church.”
“You know what I think?” Todd said.
“What?” Dan sounded a little irritated.
“I think Brendan came to you as a wise person who could help him, and I think you failed him. That’s what I think. Strike Two for the Catholic Church.”
“I think you’re too hard on him,” Fenn said to Todd.
Dan said nothing.
“I think when people go to certain places for certain answers they know what they want to hear, and what they’re ready for. Brendan wanted to be a heterosexual. The only seventeen year old whose conduct I need to be concerned about is Layla’s. But I’ll say that what that boy did was shabby, and you can’t blame Dan’s or—for that matter—Dena’s stupid behavior on him.”
Todd began: “Dena wasn’t stupid.”
“She was stupid,” Fenn insisted flatly, and sadly, as the door opened and Paul walked in, face shining.
“Father Dan!”
“Paul,” Dan nodded.
“I need to talk to you.”
“As a symbol of Catholic Church?” Todd said smiling tartly at Dan, “Or as himself?”
“As a man to a man.”
Dan thumped the table and stood up.
“Let’s talk, then,” he said.
“I have a date. Or, at least I’m supposed to have a date,” Paul said.
“Well,” Dan said hesitantly. “That’s good… Right?”
“I don’t go on dates,” Paul said.
“I’ve never been on one before.”
“Really?” said Dan. Then he smiled. “Neither have I.”
“Not a real date,” Paul said. “In the old days there were things where I would go to dinner with someone, you know… as part of the service. But that’s not the same thing.”
The priest nodded.
“This guy… I think he’s nice. I think we could get along. I really feel good around him, He made me feel good, Father. He saw me in the play. But when he said he knew me, I instantly went back to… ”
“You thought he knew you from something else. Like a film.”
“Yes, exactly like a film. And… he doesn’t know what I’ve done, and I don’t know how to date someone, what he expects, what’s moving too fast or to slow or even if I can. If I can move at all with someone I really like. I don’t know what to do.”
Dan Malloy was silent for a while. He scratched his unshaven chin, then said,
“You’re thinking about canceling on him, aren’t you?”
“Honestly. Yes. All I know is fucking people. That’s what I do. I fuck guys. I don’t even have real friends. Aside from Fenn. And you I guess.”
“You guess?”
Paul grinned, “Well, then I know.”
“You do,” Dan said. “And I think you also know that the one thing you can’t do is cancel on this man.”
“Father—”
“No,” Dan said. “You can’t run away from everything that scares you. You said you wanted a new life. You wanted to do new things. You’ve gotta do this. All right?”
“All right, I guess.”
“Look, this isn’t confession, and you’re not a kid, so I can tell you everything that’s on my mind. Do this, Paul. Don’t spit on the chance to find a good guy—”
“If he is a good guy—”
“If he’s not you’ll figure it out by the night’s end.”
Paul nodded.
“And you don’t have to tell him anything you don’t want to,” Dan added.
“Make it through tonight before you think about confessing your deepest secrets.”
Paul nodded.
Then he grinned and shrugged.
“I’m gonna go through with this.”
“You’re damn right you are.”
“He’s really cute, Fath—I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
Dan shrugged.
“I’m not made out of stone,” he said. “I wasn’t always a priest.”
Paul thought about this and blinked, and then he said, “Father, can I ask you a question?”
Anticipating the question, Dan folded his hands together and spoke.
“Before there was a Todd, or a Tom for that matter,” Dan said, “I knew Fenn. And I could feel and do whatever I wanted, and love him as I chose. As we chose.”
Paul’s eyes waited for more of an explanation, but all Dan Malloy said was, “Things happened the way things were meant to, and Fenn is who he is, and I ended up being Father Dan.”
Paul opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Dan said:
“And since no one else ever came along, being Father Dan makes me happy.”
“Well, I like you both,” Claire said.
“I’m not saying she’s not a good person,” Julian clarified. “It’s only…”
“Look, I get it,” Claire said, throwing up a hand. “I don’t get along with Matt half the time. In fact, I could sell him to gypsies. That said, I think you should do as I say and not as I do. She’s your sister, you should work something out.”
“Layla’s attitude is not my fault,” Julian said, turning to look out of the restaurant window onto Demming Street.
“First, this man who has had nothing to do with me my whole life turns up in our house, because his wife couldn’t tolerate him anymore, and then I’m saddled with this sister giving me the evil eye. Cause I took her father? I don’t want him. To be honest, I don’t want my mother, either. God,” Julian broke off, looking out the window, “I can’t wait to start school this fall.”
“Good,” Claire drummed the table. “Let’s find another topic. Like, where are you going?”
“Well, I had thought about Carmel about an hour and a half from here. And there was the Art Institute in Chicago. I already got rejected from The University of Chicago.”
“Sorry.”
Julian shrugged, “But that was to be expected.”
“All right,” Claire said quickly. “Here’s what I think you should do. Don’t go to the Art Institute because that’s probably bullshit anyway, and you should learn something real. Don’t go to Carmel either.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Claire said doing a drum roll on the table, “I’m going to Loretto!”
“What!”
Claire nodded. “Pretty sure of it. It’s far enough from East Carmel for me. And I can keep an eye on Paul.”
“Well,” Julian said, closing his hands and smiling to himself, “that is something.”
“You bet your ass its something.”
“Claire, I’m really glad you came down here.”
“Actually I came up here,” she said. “And between meeting you again and spending Sunday in East Carmel… there wasn’t a big contest.”
“I’ll come down next time. We could do the cruise lap.”
Claire shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“You’re really a horrible person, you know that, Julian?”
“Thank you. Oh…” Julian stopped.
Claire followed his eyes.
Out in the parking lot there was an old, thin blackened man she thought she knew. She was sure of it, and he had climbed out of his very old, very large rust bucket of a car and was walking around Julian’s. He frowned and pushing his glasses up, then headed for the restaurant.
“Jul’yen!” he croaked. “Jul’yen!”
He marched over to the table and smiled saying, “I know this pretty thing.”
“Yes,” Claire said, remembering suddenly. Layla’s grandfather.
“What’s up?” Julian said, turning to him casually.
“Don’t what’s up me, boy. I ought to whoop your ass,” he muttered negligently. “Youth ain’t got no goddamn respect these days.
“Tell, your mama I’m staying with her and that son of a bitch for a few days. Tell ‘em I’m camping out there cause that ornery bitch and her mama won’t have me. Tell ‘em.”
Julian shrugged and looked woebegone.
“All right,” he said. “The more the merrier.”
As the bow legged old man sauntered out of the restaurant, Claire leaned across the table and hissed, “Julian! How do you know him?”
Julian frowned at her in confusion.
“He’s my grandfather.”
ELEVEN
GODDAMN CONTINUED
“You’re a good friend,” Kenny said.
“I’m just a good listener,” said Milo Affren.
“I… Do you carry a torch for Dena?”
“I don’t carry shit for Dena,” Milo said, spreading his hands out across the kitchen table in the Affren kitchen.
“I don’t know. I knew she was with Brendan, but I hoped that something might happen with us. And, well, it didn’t so…”
“But now it could,” Kenny said. “Now that we’re all free.”
“Free? You make it sound all spiritual. Are you carrying a torch for Brendan m’lad?”
“No,” Kenny said. “That shit screwed me up. I was straight as an arrow before him. And I might go back.”
“You had a girlfriend?”
“Yeah. A while ago.”
“And you were sleeping with her?”
“No!” Kenny sounded shocked. “I mean, hell. I’m just eighteen.”
“Dude,” Milo told him, “I don’t think you were ever straight as an arrow. I mean, nothing wrong with that. I just think Brendan turned you on to what you were. You’ll find around guy who’ll make your bells ring one day.”
“If I can get rid of Brendan first.”
“What’s that?” Milo stirred.
In a low, defeated voice, Kenny leaned in and told Milo:
“We’re still fucking each other.”
“Oh, gross!”
“Milo!”
` “No,” Milo waved it away. “Not the whole gay thing. But the whole…. I don’t get what’s so hot about the guy. And he’s banging everyone!”
“He’s not like that. He’s—”
“And you’re justifying him.”
“I’m not,” Kenny said. “I’m just…”
The kitchen door swung open and Barb Affren walked in.
“You don’t have to get quiet just because of me,” she said.
“We’re not, grandma,” said Milo.
“You kids think you started everything, but I’ve done some stuff in my time,” Barb said, reaching into the cupboard and pulling out the Saltines. She went into the refrigerator and gathered up dip and soda.
“Like I bet you didn’t know to pay my way through school…” she said at the door, “I was a stripper.”
And then she bumped the door with her behind and was gone.
“Is she serious?” Kenny said.
“With grandma? I don’t put shit past that old broad. But back to you?”
“No, Milo!”
“Back to you,” Milo insisted.
“You’re still in love with Brendan? Aren’t you?”
Kenny shut his mouth tight, and chose to plead the Fifth.
“I JUST FEEL SO BAD about everything that’s happened,” Dan Malloy said over coffee.
“Yeah,” Fenn said. “And yet… didn’t we already know? I mean, I feel bad for my niece, no one telling her the truth. I hate to say this,” he turned to Todd, “but my sympathy for Dena is pretty slim.”
“Brendan came to me,” Dan said, hands clasped. “He came to me and told me how he thought he might… not be straight.”
“Be gay,” Todd supplied baldly.
“Yes. And he even told me about how he thought he’d start something with Dena. To… fix himself. I didn’t know what to do. Or what to say.”
Fenn refilled his cup and noted, “You could have told the truth.”
Dan looked at him. “No, Fenn. I couldn’t have. I’m a priest.”
“Strike One!” Todd sang, “for the Catholic Church!”
“I’m not a shrink,” Dan continued. “Or even Oprah. I can’t just say exactly how I feel or talk about myself. Brendan was coming to me as a symbol of the Church, and as that symbol I could not say or betray anything that was not in line with the Church.”
“You know what I think?” Todd said.
“What?” Dan sounded a little irritated.
“I think Brendan came to you as a wise person who could help him, and I think you failed him. That’s what I think. Strike Two for the Catholic Church.”
“I think you’re too hard on him,” Fenn said to Todd.
Dan said nothing.
“I think when people go to certain places for certain answers they know what they want to hear, and what they’re ready for. Brendan wanted to be a heterosexual. The only seventeen year old whose conduct I need to be concerned about is Layla’s. But I’ll say that what that boy did was shabby, and you can’t blame Dan’s or—for that matter—Dena’s stupid behavior on him.”
Todd began: “Dena wasn’t stupid.”
“She was stupid,” Fenn insisted flatly, and sadly, as the door opened and Paul walked in, face shining.
“Father Dan!”
“Paul,” Dan nodded.
“I need to talk to you.”
“As a symbol of Catholic Church?” Todd said smiling tartly at Dan, “Or as himself?”
“As a man to a man.”
Dan thumped the table and stood up.
“Let’s talk, then,” he said.
“I have a date. Or, at least I’m supposed to have a date,” Paul said.
“Well,” Dan said hesitantly. “That’s good… Right?”
“I don’t go on dates,” Paul said.
“I’ve never been on one before.”
“Really?” said Dan. Then he smiled. “Neither have I.”
“Not a real date,” Paul said. “In the old days there were things where I would go to dinner with someone, you know… as part of the service. But that’s not the same thing.”
The priest nodded.
“This guy… I think he’s nice. I think we could get along. I really feel good around him, He made me feel good, Father. He saw me in the play. But when he said he knew me, I instantly went back to… ”
“You thought he knew you from something else. Like a film.”
“Yes, exactly like a film. And… he doesn’t know what I’ve done, and I don’t know how to date someone, what he expects, what’s moving too fast or to slow or even if I can. If I can move at all with someone I really like. I don’t know what to do.”
Dan Malloy was silent for a while. He scratched his unshaven chin, then said,
“You’re thinking about canceling on him, aren’t you?”
“Honestly. Yes. All I know is fucking people. That’s what I do. I fuck guys. I don’t even have real friends. Aside from Fenn. And you I guess.”
“You guess?”
Paul grinned, “Well, then I know.”
“You do,” Dan said. “And I think you also know that the one thing you can’t do is cancel on this man.”
“Father—”
“No,” Dan said. “You can’t run away from everything that scares you. You said you wanted a new life. You wanted to do new things. You’ve gotta do this. All right?”
“All right, I guess.”
“Look, this isn’t confession, and you’re not a kid, so I can tell you everything that’s on my mind. Do this, Paul. Don’t spit on the chance to find a good guy—”
“If he is a good guy—”
“If he’s not you’ll figure it out by the night’s end.”
Paul nodded.
“And you don’t have to tell him anything you don’t want to,” Dan added.
“Make it through tonight before you think about confessing your deepest secrets.”
Paul nodded.
Then he grinned and shrugged.
“I’m gonna go through with this.”
“You’re damn right you are.”
“He’s really cute, Fath—I shouldn’t be telling you this.”
Dan shrugged.
“I’m not made out of stone,” he said. “I wasn’t always a priest.”
Paul thought about this and blinked, and then he said, “Father, can I ask you a question?”
Anticipating the question, Dan folded his hands together and spoke.
“Before there was a Todd, or a Tom for that matter,” Dan said, “I knew Fenn. And I could feel and do whatever I wanted, and love him as I chose. As we chose.”
Paul’s eyes waited for more of an explanation, but all Dan Malloy said was, “Things happened the way things were meant to, and Fenn is who he is, and I ended up being Father Dan.”
Paul opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Dan said:
“And since no one else ever came along, being Father Dan makes me happy.”
“Well, I like you both,” Claire said.
“I’m not saying she’s not a good person,” Julian clarified. “It’s only…”
“Look, I get it,” Claire said, throwing up a hand. “I don’t get along with Matt half the time. In fact, I could sell him to gypsies. That said, I think you should do as I say and not as I do. She’s your sister, you should work something out.”
“Layla’s attitude is not my fault,” Julian said, turning to look out of the restaurant window onto Demming Street.
“First, this man who has had nothing to do with me my whole life turns up in our house, because his wife couldn’t tolerate him anymore, and then I’m saddled with this sister giving me the evil eye. Cause I took her father? I don’t want him. To be honest, I don’t want my mother, either. God,” Julian broke off, looking out the window, “I can’t wait to start school this fall.”
“Good,” Claire drummed the table. “Let’s find another topic. Like, where are you going?”
“Well, I had thought about Carmel about an hour and a half from here. And there was the Art Institute in Chicago. I already got rejected from The University of Chicago.”
“Sorry.”
Julian shrugged, “But that was to be expected.”
“All right,” Claire said quickly. “Here’s what I think you should do. Don’t go to the Art Institute because that’s probably bullshit anyway, and you should learn something real. Don’t go to Carmel either.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Claire said doing a drum roll on the table, “I’m going to Loretto!”
“What!”
Claire nodded. “Pretty sure of it. It’s far enough from East Carmel for me. And I can keep an eye on Paul.”
“Well,” Julian said, closing his hands and smiling to himself, “that is something.”
“You bet your ass its something.”
“Claire, I’m really glad you came down here.”
“Actually I came up here,” she said. “And between meeting you again and spending Sunday in East Carmel… there wasn’t a big contest.”
“I’ll come down next time. We could do the cruise lap.”
Claire shook her head and rolled her eyes.
“You’re really a horrible person, you know that, Julian?”
“Thank you. Oh…” Julian stopped.
Claire followed his eyes.
Out in the parking lot there was an old, thin blackened man she thought she knew. She was sure of it, and he had climbed out of his very old, very large rust bucket of a car and was walking around Julian’s. He frowned and pushing his glasses up, then headed for the restaurant.
“Jul’yen!” he croaked. “Jul’yen!”
He marched over to the table and smiled saying, “I know this pretty thing.”
“Yes,” Claire said, remembering suddenly. Layla’s grandfather.
“What’s up?” Julian said, turning to him casually.
“Don’t what’s up me, boy. I ought to whoop your ass,” he muttered negligently. “Youth ain’t got no goddamn respect these days.
“Tell, your mama I’m staying with her and that son of a bitch for a few days. Tell ‘em I’m camping out there cause that ornery bitch and her mama won’t have me. Tell ‘em.”
Julian shrugged and looked woebegone.
“All right,” he said. “The more the merrier.”
As the bow legged old man sauntered out of the restaurant, Claire leaned across the table and hissed, “Julian! How do you know him?”
Julian frowned at her in confusion.
“He’s my grandfather.”
CharmedFan28
JUB Addict
Sounds like Kenny still has a torch for Brendan! I hope Paul's date goes well. This Julian situation just gets more and more complicated!
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
Julian's situation is the definition of complicated!
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
GODDAMN CONTINUED
“So explain to me how you got into the car business.”
Across the table, Kirk pushed up his glasses and said, “I was born into it. A long and illustrious history. My grandfather had an old used car lot. My father and his brother expanded it. My sister and my cousins work there now. Three generations of caring. I mean, you must have seen the commercial with us all in it.”
“Is it a good market for a gay car salesman?”
“It’s the same market as for any other car salesman,” Kirk shrugged. “Besides, my family doesn’t know anything about that. There was never really a way to bring it up. And… there doesn’t seem to be much of a point.”
“I know what you mean,” Paul nodded.
“People always act like you’re in the closet or not. I know men who are. They sneak around and lie to everyone, and they’re always afraid. I’m not afraid, it’s just…”
“Your life is your life.”
“Right. And, until I have a guy at my side who I care about, what would I have to tell my family anyway? Instead of them thinking I’m unlucky in love and can’t get a girl, they’ll just think I’m unlucky in love and can’t get a man.”
Paul took a sip of his water and said, “My family just found out. I mean, I was living away from them. I didn’t really tell them, I showed them. They came to visit for the show, and stayed the night with some of my friends. Then they put it all together.
“I used to think that the good thing about coming out was my family wouldn’t think I was this lonely old virgin.”
“But straight people always think gay men are all lonely old virgins.”
“Or perverts.”
“They can’t really make up their mind,” Kirk laughed. He rubbed his hands together.
“My dad used to quote Saint Paul about me,” Kirk said. “Saint Paul said the married man is concerned about pleasing his wife and the things of this world, but the single man is worried about the things which please only heaven. Only he would say the Business instead of heaven, and clap me on the back.”
“So you’re the hard little worker?”
“Being the hard little worker keeps my mind off of being sick of being alone.”
There was a silence for a space, and in that moment the very winning, confident Kirk Paul had met earlier was gone. And then he came back and Kirk spoke.
“So, whaddit you do in California?”
“Mostly fail at being what I wanted to be.” Paul had seen the answer coming and planned for it early on.
“I wanted to be an actor. I don’t even remember if I wanted to go to Hollywood, but I must have.” He frowned.
“I just wanted to get the hell out of East Carmel.”
“I hear you,” Kirk said. “I wanted to get out of Rossford. I did too. Went to school out in California. Probably the same time you were working there. But I came back. And now I’m here.”
“You happy here?”
Kirk thought about it for a moment and then smiled, surprised.
“Yeah,” he said in a long, satisfied breath. “I actually am. Yeah.
“You?”
“Right now. Yes.”
Kirk grinned and sipped his drink.
“That’s what I like to hear.”
“You didn’t have to walk me to the front door.”
“Well, let’s just say I wanted to walk you to the front door.”
“Thanks. I… I don’t really want this night to end.”
“Well, then, is that your way of saying you’ll go out with me again?”
Paul chuckled and put a finger to his teeth. “I think…”
“I think that’s a yes,” Kirk said, grinning.
“Yeah. I think it might be.”
“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. I… uh,” Kirk put out his hands awkwardly.
“I guess I should—Ahh—” he broke off in a scream.
“I hate to break this up,” Claire Anderson said, emerging from the bushes. “But I really need to talk to you, Paul.”
“Claire?”
“Hi, pleased to meet you. Claire Anderson,” she said, shaking Kirk’s hand.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Same thing you were doing? Dating,” she smiled at Paul, appraisingly.
“Nice work, big brother.”
“Thank you,” Kirk said the same time Paul did, and then they both grinned at each other.”
“Call me,” Kirk made a phone sign to his ear.
“He’s gotta call you,” Claire said. “He’s buying a car from your lot.”
“Oh, yeah,” Kirk remembered, but Paul said, “How did you—”
“Don’t worry about it,” Claire said. “We need to talk.”
“Paul, I’m serious, that guy is cute. Don’t let him slip away. He’s all little and bite size. Looks like he was a wrestler back in college.”
“He was.”
“Yeah,” Claire said, thoughtfully. “He could be fun on a winter’s night.”
Paul looked at his little sister in horror.
“What do you know about fun on a winter’s night.”
“Don’t you worry about it, Brother.”
“I don’t ever want to hear you talk about winter nights,” Paul murmured, still horrified.
“All right, we’re past that. Back to my point. Do you know Julian Lawden?”
“I know who he is. He’s Layla’s half brother.”
“Right, well, I was with him.”
“Really!”
“Paul, focus.”
“All right. I’m focusing.”
“Good. Anyway, I was with him and who should come up to him but Fenn’s father, and I don’t want to go into the whole thing, but to make a long story short, when he left I asked Julian who he was and Julian looked at me surprised, and then said, it was his grandfather.”
“Well, yeah because Layla and—” and then Paul stopped while Claire looked at him critically.
“There’s no reason Fenn’s father would be related to Julian, is there?”
“No.”
“I mean, what you’re saying is Fenn’s father is Julian and Layla’s grandfather?”
“Right.”
“And Julian and Layla would have one grandfather in common.”
“But it would be from her father’s family.”
Paul nodded and said, “Well, then I’m confused.”
“To top it off,” Claire said, “I’m pretty sure that Julian doesn’t know his grandfather is Layla’s grandfather.”
“Well, then what the hell is going on?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
“No!” Paul shook his head. “It’s a lot of ways to find out. But they all involve getting our noses deep in the Houghton family business, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
“I was just thinking…”
“Hum,” Paul turned to his sister.
“I’m glad I gotta go back to E.C. now. It’s kind of all on you.”
“If you’re going out with Julian now, it’s gonna be on you.”
Claire shrugged.
“Your Kirk?”
“He’s not my Kirk.”
“He looked like your Kirk, Paul. Anyway…”
“Anyway, what?”
“He’s got a cute ass.”
“Where do you get off!”
“Doesn’t he?” Claire said, grinning wickedly, as she stood up and readjusted her purse.
When Paul didn’t answer she said:
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Dena Reardon saw him in the grocery store. At first she thought about avoiding him, but why should she? What had she done wrong. At the sight of Kenny McGrath she was instantly ashamed. All the talk about innocence, about the flawless prize of virginity, not to be sacrificed until the marriage bed came back to her. She’d been screwing Brendan for well into a month, the first few times not even using condoms, sure that as they sweated and struggled in her bed they were doing something wonderful, something he had wanted. He had said he’d wanted it. Right? It had been his whole idea. And then for him to come to her like that, all hangdog, and say that he didn’t really love her, that he was gay, that he knew because he’d been fooling around with Kenny McGrath. Well, good God and holy shit!
Dena got in line. Look at him. If she didn’t know what he was she might want him a little. Kenny had thick auburn curls, and he always had those black lashes. He was big, not football big, but Lacrosse big, which is why he played Lacrosse she supposed, and he sort of rough and tumble. But always… pretty. The freckles across his nose, the sharpness of his blue eyes. Once she had liked him. But after Brendan, she put him out her mind. Once the liking had been sweet and she had Layla had whispered about it.
Layla.
Layla had held her and comforted her that day, but there was no getting around it now, Layla was hurt and she had stayed away. Dena tried to call her once.
“You always call like no one but you has a life, Miss. Dena. All about you? Except for when you want to lie to me. Did you think I had problems too? I do, Dena.”
“That’s why I called.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. You called to go on about Brendan. Well, you made your own bed and you can lie in it with or without him. Without me too.”
It was pretty clear Layla was not in the mood to talk.
Brendan, to his credit, had called everyday. But Dena had told her mother to say she wasn’t home. She couldn’t deal with Brendan. She felt stupid and angry just thinking about him. She hated him really. She couldn’t believe she’d let him inside of her.
The only thing worse than that is…
I liked it.
She enjoyed having sex with Brendan. For her it was just so good, and to think the whole time it had been a lie. The whole time he’d been fucking her and she’d been thinking that somehow they were corkscrewing themselves into spiritual union, he’d been picturing Kenny.
He never opened his eyes when we did it!
“Dena!” Kenny said, suddenly startled when she stood before his cash register.
She stared up at him, eyes hard.
“Kenneth,” she said. “I have something for you.”
She put down the eggs, and the bread, the two bags of Oreos on sale that Nell had sent her to get, and said, “And this.”
He blinked at her.
And reaching across with all her might, Dena rolled her hand into a fist and knocked Kenny unconscious at his station.
ELEVEN
GODDAMN CONTINUED
“So explain to me how you got into the car business.”
Across the table, Kirk pushed up his glasses and said, “I was born into it. A long and illustrious history. My grandfather had an old used car lot. My father and his brother expanded it. My sister and my cousins work there now. Three generations of caring. I mean, you must have seen the commercial with us all in it.”
“Is it a good market for a gay car salesman?”
“It’s the same market as for any other car salesman,” Kirk shrugged. “Besides, my family doesn’t know anything about that. There was never really a way to bring it up. And… there doesn’t seem to be much of a point.”
“I know what you mean,” Paul nodded.
“People always act like you’re in the closet or not. I know men who are. They sneak around and lie to everyone, and they’re always afraid. I’m not afraid, it’s just…”
“Your life is your life.”
“Right. And, until I have a guy at my side who I care about, what would I have to tell my family anyway? Instead of them thinking I’m unlucky in love and can’t get a girl, they’ll just think I’m unlucky in love and can’t get a man.”
Paul took a sip of his water and said, “My family just found out. I mean, I was living away from them. I didn’t really tell them, I showed them. They came to visit for the show, and stayed the night with some of my friends. Then they put it all together.
“I used to think that the good thing about coming out was my family wouldn’t think I was this lonely old virgin.”
“But straight people always think gay men are all lonely old virgins.”
“Or perverts.”
“They can’t really make up their mind,” Kirk laughed. He rubbed his hands together.
“My dad used to quote Saint Paul about me,” Kirk said. “Saint Paul said the married man is concerned about pleasing his wife and the things of this world, but the single man is worried about the things which please only heaven. Only he would say the Business instead of heaven, and clap me on the back.”
“So you’re the hard little worker?”
“Being the hard little worker keeps my mind off of being sick of being alone.”
There was a silence for a space, and in that moment the very winning, confident Kirk Paul had met earlier was gone. And then he came back and Kirk spoke.
“So, whaddit you do in California?”
“Mostly fail at being what I wanted to be.” Paul had seen the answer coming and planned for it early on.
“I wanted to be an actor. I don’t even remember if I wanted to go to Hollywood, but I must have.” He frowned.
“I just wanted to get the hell out of East Carmel.”
“I hear you,” Kirk said. “I wanted to get out of Rossford. I did too. Went to school out in California. Probably the same time you were working there. But I came back. And now I’m here.”
“You happy here?”
Kirk thought about it for a moment and then smiled, surprised.
“Yeah,” he said in a long, satisfied breath. “I actually am. Yeah.
“You?”
“Right now. Yes.”
Kirk grinned and sipped his drink.
“That’s what I like to hear.”
“You didn’t have to walk me to the front door.”
“Well, let’s just say I wanted to walk you to the front door.”
“Thanks. I… I don’t really want this night to end.”
“Well, then, is that your way of saying you’ll go out with me again?”
Paul chuckled and put a finger to his teeth. “I think…”
“I think that’s a yes,” Kirk said, grinning.
“Yeah. I think it might be.”
“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. I… uh,” Kirk put out his hands awkwardly.
“I guess I should—Ahh—” he broke off in a scream.
“I hate to break this up,” Claire Anderson said, emerging from the bushes. “But I really need to talk to you, Paul.”
“Claire?”
“Hi, pleased to meet you. Claire Anderson,” she said, shaking Kirk’s hand.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Same thing you were doing? Dating,” she smiled at Paul, appraisingly.
“Nice work, big brother.”
“Thank you,” Kirk said the same time Paul did, and then they both grinned at each other.”
“Call me,” Kirk made a phone sign to his ear.
“He’s gotta call you,” Claire said. “He’s buying a car from your lot.”
“Oh, yeah,” Kirk remembered, but Paul said, “How did you—”
“Don’t worry about it,” Claire said. “We need to talk.”
“Paul, I’m serious, that guy is cute. Don’t let him slip away. He’s all little and bite size. Looks like he was a wrestler back in college.”
“He was.”
“Yeah,” Claire said, thoughtfully. “He could be fun on a winter’s night.”
Paul looked at his little sister in horror.
“What do you know about fun on a winter’s night.”
“Don’t you worry about it, Brother.”
“I don’t ever want to hear you talk about winter nights,” Paul murmured, still horrified.
“All right, we’re past that. Back to my point. Do you know Julian Lawden?”
“I know who he is. He’s Layla’s half brother.”
“Right, well, I was with him.”
“Really!”
“Paul, focus.”
“All right. I’m focusing.”
“Good. Anyway, I was with him and who should come up to him but Fenn’s father, and I don’t want to go into the whole thing, but to make a long story short, when he left I asked Julian who he was and Julian looked at me surprised, and then said, it was his grandfather.”
“Well, yeah because Layla and—” and then Paul stopped while Claire looked at him critically.
“There’s no reason Fenn’s father would be related to Julian, is there?”
“No.”
“I mean, what you’re saying is Fenn’s father is Julian and Layla’s grandfather?”
“Right.”
“And Julian and Layla would have one grandfather in common.”
“But it would be from her father’s family.”
Paul nodded and said, “Well, then I’m confused.”
“To top it off,” Claire said, “I’m pretty sure that Julian doesn’t know his grandfather is Layla’s grandfather.”
“Well, then what the hell is going on?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
“No!” Paul shook his head. “It’s a lot of ways to find out. But they all involve getting our noses deep in the Houghton family business, and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
“I was just thinking…”
“Hum,” Paul turned to his sister.
“I’m glad I gotta go back to E.C. now. It’s kind of all on you.”
“If you’re going out with Julian now, it’s gonna be on you.”
Claire shrugged.
“Your Kirk?”
“He’s not my Kirk.”
“He looked like your Kirk, Paul. Anyway…”
“Anyway, what?”
“He’s got a cute ass.”
“Where do you get off!”
“Doesn’t he?” Claire said, grinning wickedly, as she stood up and readjusted her purse.
When Paul didn’t answer she said:
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Dena Reardon saw him in the grocery store. At first she thought about avoiding him, but why should she? What had she done wrong. At the sight of Kenny McGrath she was instantly ashamed. All the talk about innocence, about the flawless prize of virginity, not to be sacrificed until the marriage bed came back to her. She’d been screwing Brendan for well into a month, the first few times not even using condoms, sure that as they sweated and struggled in her bed they were doing something wonderful, something he had wanted. He had said he’d wanted it. Right? It had been his whole idea. And then for him to come to her like that, all hangdog, and say that he didn’t really love her, that he was gay, that he knew because he’d been fooling around with Kenny McGrath. Well, good God and holy shit!
Dena got in line. Look at him. If she didn’t know what he was she might want him a little. Kenny had thick auburn curls, and he always had those black lashes. He was big, not football big, but Lacrosse big, which is why he played Lacrosse she supposed, and he sort of rough and tumble. But always… pretty. The freckles across his nose, the sharpness of his blue eyes. Once she had liked him. But after Brendan, she put him out her mind. Once the liking had been sweet and she had Layla had whispered about it.
Layla.
Layla had held her and comforted her that day, but there was no getting around it now, Layla was hurt and she had stayed away. Dena tried to call her once.
“You always call like no one but you has a life, Miss. Dena. All about you? Except for when you want to lie to me. Did you think I had problems too? I do, Dena.”
“That’s why I called.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it. You called to go on about Brendan. Well, you made your own bed and you can lie in it with or without him. Without me too.”
It was pretty clear Layla was not in the mood to talk.
Brendan, to his credit, had called everyday. But Dena had told her mother to say she wasn’t home. She couldn’t deal with Brendan. She felt stupid and angry just thinking about him. She hated him really. She couldn’t believe she’d let him inside of her.
The only thing worse than that is…
I liked it.
She enjoyed having sex with Brendan. For her it was just so good, and to think the whole time it had been a lie. The whole time he’d been fucking her and she’d been thinking that somehow they were corkscrewing themselves into spiritual union, he’d been picturing Kenny.
He never opened his eyes when we did it!
“Dena!” Kenny said, suddenly startled when she stood before his cash register.
She stared up at him, eyes hard.
“Kenneth,” she said. “I have something for you.”
She put down the eggs, and the bread, the two bags of Oreos on sale that Nell had sent her to get, and said, “And this.”
He blinked at her.
And reaching across with all her might, Dena rolled her hand into a fist and knocked Kenny unconscious at his station.
CharmedFan28
JUB Addict
Poor Kenny I hope he is ok! I am glad Paul had a good date. Kirk seems like a nice guy. Great writing and I eagerly await whatever happens next.
Great writing and I eagerly await whatever happens next.ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
Frankly, I am more inclined to feel sorry for Dena, but Kenny's gonna have one hell of a shiner.
CharmedFan28
JUB Addict
I feel sorry for her too but I don't think she should blame Kenny.
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
GODDAMN CONTINUED
“Aw, yeah, and this sweet thing is fine. No butch in her,” Tara said. “She looks a little bit like Jessica Alba.”
“You running around with a Mexican now?”
“I don’t know what the fuck she is. But what I do know is she is nice.”
The phone rang, and before Fenn could get up Todd came into the kitchen and picked it up.
“Why don ‘t yawl invest in cell phones?”
“Because then you could reach me anytime.”
Todd said, “All right. I’ll be there. Hold on.”
“What’s wrong?” Fenn looked up as Todd hung up the phone.
“It’s Dena. She’s in jail.”
“I told them I wasn’t pressing charges,” Kenny said, pressing the ice to his face. “But they said she had to stay down here until an adult came.”
“First she called me,” Milo explained. “But I wasn’t enough.”
“Dena,” Todd turned her.
“Don’t Dena me.”
“Apologize at least.”
Dena turned away from all of them.
“Dena,” Todd gripped his niece’s arm. “Apologize. Apologize now.”
She took a deep breath, turned around and said, “I’m sorry they wrestled me off of you before I was finished.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were friends with Kenny,” Dena said.
“And I can’t believe you were boffing Brendan.”
“You were what?” Todd turned to her.
“You didn’t know?” Milo said from the backseat.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Young lady, if you’re having sex it does matter,” Todd said.
“Oh, God, shoot me, Todd!” She wanted to say: You were banging my dad when you were far younger than me, but she knew that wouldn’t do.
“Besides, nothing’s happening now.”
“All I knew was Brendan said he was gay. I didn’t know about… that. Deenie!”
“Todd, please don’t Deenie me. And whatever you do, don’t tell Mom.”
“God, no.”
“Everything’s so messed up right now,” Dena said.
“Kenny is my friend,” Milo insisted. “I guess it happened the same time you and Brendan started up. Neither one of us had anyone. You really hot potato dropped me, Dena.”
“I didn’t.”
“Dena, let me interrupt,” Todd said.
She turned to him, woebegone.
“This is not the time to insist on your innocence.”
Dena was silent and Milo said, “You did. And me and Kenny just sort of became friends. Then a few weeks ago he told me the whole truth.”
“Everything’s so messed up,” Dena repeated. “Brendan was always my friend. I always loved him. Now I hate him.”
“You don’t hate him, Deen,” Todd said.
“Yes, Todd. Yes I do. And Layla hates me. And she’s not talking to Will, and I haven’t been talking to Milo and… ”
“And you punched out Kenny.”
“Yes. But… he and Brendan… He knows what he did to me.” She shook her head, angrily. “I can’t be sorry for that part, Miles. I’m not.”
“Well, looks like we’ve made it, Kirk said, smiling. “To the second date at least.”
“Yeah,” Paul said. He looked around the interior of the car.
“Say, now that the Jeep is mine I better pick you up next time.”
“So there will be a next time?”
“Oh, yeah,” Paul said with a small smile. “There’s gonna be a next time.”
“Well, you know what they say about the third date.”
“An angel gets his wings?”
Kirk snorted.
“No, and never mind. I was being crude. I like things the way they are.”
“Oh,” Paul said. Then, “You know what? I hardly date. Yes, that is what’s supposed to happen on the third date.”
“Well, that’s what straight people say. I don’t mind it happening on the first date, only then there usually isn’t a second date. I… ah… I’d like to have lots of dates with you.”
“I like you, Kirk.”
You say it like you just found that out.”
“I dunno,” Paul shrugged. “Maybe I did.”
“I think we could be good,” Kirk agreed. “Maybe… get a house together one day, raise two Korean kids.”
“Just stop!”
“Mee-Ling and Shoo-shing! They’ll both have glasses and be really really smart. And grateful. But Shoo-shing—he’s the boy—will have a glandular problem and be a little tubby. It won’t matter to us, we’ll be so gay and grateful.”
“Kirk, you’re really too much.”
“I think I’m not enough. Give me a kiss, Paul.”
A shudder went down Paul. It was short and powerful in his stomach, rocking his groin, leaving his whole body shaking a little. He hadn’t expected to be weak kneed at that.
He leaned in.
“Sure,” he whispered.
And in the driver’s seat, Kirk took his face, and pressed his lips to Paul’s.
“That’s nice,” he murmured, kissing Paul’s lips lightly again. “Now what else can I do for you?”
“Oh shit! Oh, God! Yeah. Yeah. That’s it. Fuck me. Fuck me harder now! Don’t stop!
Paul, on his hands and knees, gasped and moaned as he put his ass up to be fucked harder and harder, and sweat dripped from his face. He let his knees buckle and squeezed his buttocks together, reaching behind him, to the strong back, to the small of the back, to the firm ass, smelling the mixture of sweat and expensive cologne.
“Fuck me. Keep fucking me harder!” he cried.
“I’ll fuck you,” he murmured. “I’ll fuck you all night long. I’ll—”
But he couldn’t make good on that. At the same time Paul’s body seized, and he came, they both came and Paul heard the long shout from behind. Then their bodies separated.
Laying on his stomach, shivering and hot, feeling sweat dry on him, Paul felt a large firm hand on his hair, tender, on his shoulder now, going down the small of his back, caressing his ass.
Brian Babcock pressed his body to Paul’s and murmured, satisfied, “That was good.”
Paul lay on his side so Brian could spoon him and nodded in agreement, groaning with a primal pleasure.
“It was damn good,” he said. “You’re too good, Brian.”
They lay like that for a long time, Brian’s hand on Paul’s stomach, moving up and down.
“Would you like to stay the night? See if we can go into a second round?”
“Maybe a third?” Paul whispered.
Brian chuckled, sleepily.
“Maybe a third,” he agreed.
“I’d like that,” Paul told him. “I’d like that a lot.”
“So Paul,” Tara said, swinging, her legs wide apart, “I hear you took a page out of my notebook last night.”
“What?” he said, as they crossed the stage.
“This new Kirk. I heard you went out with him and didn’t come home till the sun came up! Um?”
“Oh, it wasn’t like that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really, Tara,” Paul said, suddenly figgity. “Look, I’d love to talk, but… Can we talk later?”
“Sure thing,” she murmured as he walked down the narrow corridor toward the offices and the old lounge.
“White dudes always play prim and proper,” she muttered. “But yawl the nastiest motherfuckers around. Yes sir!”
“Paul!” Brian said, running into him down the hall.
Paul blinked.
“Yeah. Yes?”
“Uh… I wanted to know,” he frowned. “Would you be free for… say, lunch? Or something like that?”
“Not really. I… have something with someone.”
“Oh.”
And then Paul said, “I’m sort of seeing someone.”
“Oh,” Brian said. He nodded, and then turned around. He’d gone five stylish steps down the hall when he turned around, came back and said, “Well then could you tell me what the hell last night was? If you’re… sort of seeing someone?”
“Last night… Was like the night after the play. And the other nights. It was… what it was.”
“What it was?” Brian repeated. “All right, then.”
“Do you have a problem with that?” said Paul. “I thought you liked what it was?”
“No problems,” Brian said, tonelessly. “What it is… is just fine.”
Paul thought about offering his hand to shake, but then decided that would probably be too much. And it didn’t really matter because by then, with a considerably straighter walk, Brian had already gone down the hall.
When Todd opened the front door he saw the Kirk he had heard about for days for the first time.
“Is Paul in?”
“No. Fenn—Fenn’s my partner—”
“Yeah,” Kirk smiled wistfully, “I’ve heard about him.”
“He’s got Paul managing some big project at the theatre. You know, once Fenn dreams about something he dreams big. He’s got all these plans. I… uh… I’d offer you Paul’s cell but you probably have it,” Todd shrugged. “And I don’t know it anyway.”
“Thanks, anyway,” Kirk said.
“Would you like to come in?”
“No—yes,” Kirk said. “Yes, I would love to see the place where Paul hangs his hat. Or would hang his hat if he wore hats.”
Todd grinned and ushered Kirk in.
“You want something to drink?”
“No, that’s alright.”
Kirk looked around.
“This is a really nice place,” he said. “This is like… what I would like to have one day.”
“Whatcha got now?”
“Just an apartment. You know, in that complex off of Birmingham.”
“Meadowlark?”
“Yeah. Near the mall and all those office-plexes.”
“Looks sort of posh. For Rossford, you know.”
“It’s sort of really expensive,” is what Kirk said.
“So… You guys just all live here together? That is so neat.”
“Yeah,” Todd said, feeling a duty to build Paul up in front of his new boyfriend.
“Paul could live wherever he wanted, but we both wanted him to stay around, so he agreed. I guess… if things get more serious between you and him—”
Kirk waved that off with a grin and jammed his hands in his pocket. He reminded Todd vague of Tom Mesda.
“We’re not quite there yet.”
Todd raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’d like to be there. I’d love to be there. And I think I’d like to be there with Paul. He’s just… not ready. I’m probably not either. We just met, right? And, he doesn’t date. I mean, the guy is innocence pure and simple.”
No, Todd decided, there was no way this guy knew that Paul had been a pornstar.
“I keep on trying to take it to the next level,” Kirk admitted, approaching Todd. “But… he’s nervous. I can tell. Every time I start to suggest something past a kiss, he backs away.”
“Frustrated?”
“No,” Kirk said after a time. “It’s sweet, really. For now, at least.”
ELEVEN
GODDAMN CONTINUED
“Aw, yeah, and this sweet thing is fine. No butch in her,” Tara said. “She looks a little bit like Jessica Alba.”
“You running around with a Mexican now?”
“I don’t know what the fuck she is. But what I do know is she is nice.”
The phone rang, and before Fenn could get up Todd came into the kitchen and picked it up.
“Why don ‘t yawl invest in cell phones?”
“Because then you could reach me anytime.”
Todd said, “All right. I’ll be there. Hold on.”
“What’s wrong?” Fenn looked up as Todd hung up the phone.
“It’s Dena. She’s in jail.”
“I told them I wasn’t pressing charges,” Kenny said, pressing the ice to his face. “But they said she had to stay down here until an adult came.”
“First she called me,” Milo explained. “But I wasn’t enough.”
“Dena,” Todd turned her.
“Don’t Dena me.”
“Apologize at least.”
Dena turned away from all of them.
“Dena,” Todd gripped his niece’s arm. “Apologize. Apologize now.”
She took a deep breath, turned around and said, “I’m sorry they wrestled me off of you before I was finished.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were friends with Kenny,” Dena said.
“And I can’t believe you were boffing Brendan.”
“You were what?” Todd turned to her.
“You didn’t know?” Milo said from the backseat.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Young lady, if you’re having sex it does matter,” Todd said.
“Oh, God, shoot me, Todd!” She wanted to say: You were banging my dad when you were far younger than me, but she knew that wouldn’t do.
“Besides, nothing’s happening now.”
“All I knew was Brendan said he was gay. I didn’t know about… that. Deenie!”
“Todd, please don’t Deenie me. And whatever you do, don’t tell Mom.”
“God, no.”
“Everything’s so messed up right now,” Dena said.
“Kenny is my friend,” Milo insisted. “I guess it happened the same time you and Brendan started up. Neither one of us had anyone. You really hot potato dropped me, Dena.”
“I didn’t.”
“Dena, let me interrupt,” Todd said.
She turned to him, woebegone.
“This is not the time to insist on your innocence.”
Dena was silent and Milo said, “You did. And me and Kenny just sort of became friends. Then a few weeks ago he told me the whole truth.”
“Everything’s so messed up,” Dena repeated. “Brendan was always my friend. I always loved him. Now I hate him.”
“You don’t hate him, Deen,” Todd said.
“Yes, Todd. Yes I do. And Layla hates me. And she’s not talking to Will, and I haven’t been talking to Milo and… ”
“And you punched out Kenny.”
“Yes. But… he and Brendan… He knows what he did to me.” She shook her head, angrily. “I can’t be sorry for that part, Miles. I’m not.”
“Well, looks like we’ve made it, Kirk said, smiling. “To the second date at least.”
“Yeah,” Paul said. He looked around the interior of the car.
“Say, now that the Jeep is mine I better pick you up next time.”
“So there will be a next time?”
“Oh, yeah,” Paul said with a small smile. “There’s gonna be a next time.”
“Well, you know what they say about the third date.”
“An angel gets his wings?”
Kirk snorted.
“No, and never mind. I was being crude. I like things the way they are.”
“Oh,” Paul said. Then, “You know what? I hardly date. Yes, that is what’s supposed to happen on the third date.”
“Well, that’s what straight people say. I don’t mind it happening on the first date, only then there usually isn’t a second date. I… ah… I’d like to have lots of dates with you.”
“I like you, Kirk.”
You say it like you just found that out.”
“I dunno,” Paul shrugged. “Maybe I did.”
“I think we could be good,” Kirk agreed. “Maybe… get a house together one day, raise two Korean kids.”
“Just stop!”
“Mee-Ling and Shoo-shing! They’ll both have glasses and be really really smart. And grateful. But Shoo-shing—he’s the boy—will have a glandular problem and be a little tubby. It won’t matter to us, we’ll be so gay and grateful.”
“Kirk, you’re really too much.”
“I think I’m not enough. Give me a kiss, Paul.”
A shudder went down Paul. It was short and powerful in his stomach, rocking his groin, leaving his whole body shaking a little. He hadn’t expected to be weak kneed at that.
He leaned in.
“Sure,” he whispered.
And in the driver’s seat, Kirk took his face, and pressed his lips to Paul’s.
“That’s nice,” he murmured, kissing Paul’s lips lightly again. “Now what else can I do for you?”
“Oh shit! Oh, God! Yeah. Yeah. That’s it. Fuck me. Fuck me harder now! Don’t stop!
Paul, on his hands and knees, gasped and moaned as he put his ass up to be fucked harder and harder, and sweat dripped from his face. He let his knees buckle and squeezed his buttocks together, reaching behind him, to the strong back, to the small of the back, to the firm ass, smelling the mixture of sweat and expensive cologne.
“Fuck me. Keep fucking me harder!” he cried.
“I’ll fuck you,” he murmured. “I’ll fuck you all night long. I’ll—”
But he couldn’t make good on that. At the same time Paul’s body seized, and he came, they both came and Paul heard the long shout from behind. Then their bodies separated.
Laying on his stomach, shivering and hot, feeling sweat dry on him, Paul felt a large firm hand on his hair, tender, on his shoulder now, going down the small of his back, caressing his ass.
Brian Babcock pressed his body to Paul’s and murmured, satisfied, “That was good.”
Paul lay on his side so Brian could spoon him and nodded in agreement, groaning with a primal pleasure.
“It was damn good,” he said. “You’re too good, Brian.”
They lay like that for a long time, Brian’s hand on Paul’s stomach, moving up and down.
“Would you like to stay the night? See if we can go into a second round?”
“Maybe a third?” Paul whispered.
Brian chuckled, sleepily.
“Maybe a third,” he agreed.
“I’d like that,” Paul told him. “I’d like that a lot.”
“So Paul,” Tara said, swinging, her legs wide apart, “I hear you took a page out of my notebook last night.”
“What?” he said, as they crossed the stage.
“This new Kirk. I heard you went out with him and didn’t come home till the sun came up! Um?”
“Oh, it wasn’t like that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really, Tara,” Paul said, suddenly figgity. “Look, I’d love to talk, but… Can we talk later?”
“Sure thing,” she murmured as he walked down the narrow corridor toward the offices and the old lounge.
“White dudes always play prim and proper,” she muttered. “But yawl the nastiest motherfuckers around. Yes sir!”
“Paul!” Brian said, running into him down the hall.
Paul blinked.
“Yeah. Yes?”
“Uh… I wanted to know,” he frowned. “Would you be free for… say, lunch? Or something like that?”
“Not really. I… have something with someone.”
“Oh.”
And then Paul said, “I’m sort of seeing someone.”
“Oh,” Brian said. He nodded, and then turned around. He’d gone five stylish steps down the hall when he turned around, came back and said, “Well then could you tell me what the hell last night was? If you’re… sort of seeing someone?”
“Last night… Was like the night after the play. And the other nights. It was… what it was.”
“What it was?” Brian repeated. “All right, then.”
“Do you have a problem with that?” said Paul. “I thought you liked what it was?”
“No problems,” Brian said, tonelessly. “What it is… is just fine.”
Paul thought about offering his hand to shake, but then decided that would probably be too much. And it didn’t really matter because by then, with a considerably straighter walk, Brian had already gone down the hall.
When Todd opened the front door he saw the Kirk he had heard about for days for the first time.
“Is Paul in?”
“No. Fenn—Fenn’s my partner—”
“Yeah,” Kirk smiled wistfully, “I’ve heard about him.”
“He’s got Paul managing some big project at the theatre. You know, once Fenn dreams about something he dreams big. He’s got all these plans. I… uh… I’d offer you Paul’s cell but you probably have it,” Todd shrugged. “And I don’t know it anyway.”
“Thanks, anyway,” Kirk said.
“Would you like to come in?”
“No—yes,” Kirk said. “Yes, I would love to see the place where Paul hangs his hat. Or would hang his hat if he wore hats.”
Todd grinned and ushered Kirk in.
“You want something to drink?”
“No, that’s alright.”
Kirk looked around.
“This is a really nice place,” he said. “This is like… what I would like to have one day.”
“Whatcha got now?”
“Just an apartment. You know, in that complex off of Birmingham.”
“Meadowlark?”
“Yeah. Near the mall and all those office-plexes.”
“Looks sort of posh. For Rossford, you know.”
“It’s sort of really expensive,” is what Kirk said.
“So… You guys just all live here together? That is so neat.”
“Yeah,” Todd said, feeling a duty to build Paul up in front of his new boyfriend.
“Paul could live wherever he wanted, but we both wanted him to stay around, so he agreed. I guess… if things get more serious between you and him—”
Kirk waved that off with a grin and jammed his hands in his pocket. He reminded Todd vague of Tom Mesda.
“We’re not quite there yet.”
Todd raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’d like to be there. I’d love to be there. And I think I’d like to be there with Paul. He’s just… not ready. I’m probably not either. We just met, right? And, he doesn’t date. I mean, the guy is innocence pure and simple.”
No, Todd decided, there was no way this guy knew that Paul had been a pornstar.
“I keep on trying to take it to the next level,” Kirk admitted, approaching Todd. “But… he’s nervous. I can tell. Every time I start to suggest something past a kiss, he backs away.”
“Frustrated?”
“No,” Kirk said after a time. “It’s sweet, really. For now, at least.”
CharmedFan28
JUB Addict
I am glad Kenny is ok. I feel bad for him and Dena. Hopefully Brendan finds a way to make it up to them. Paul is making some questionable choices still. I hope he doesn't screw it up with Kirk anymore then he has already.
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
Things are about to get a lot more questionable.
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
GODDAMN:
CONCLUSION
On the rooftop overlooking Dempsey Street, Tara put down her cigarette and said, “So you really ain’t gon’ tell me about this new, what’s his name?”
“You’re a beautiful girl, Tara Veems,” said Paul
“I know I’m beautiful, quit trying to distract me.”
“I mean, if you weren’t so crude, no one would know your were a dyke.”
“How about I eat your pussy, and then you’ll know. Now tell me about this—” she stopped, following Paul’s expression and where his head turned.
“What?”
Paul was watching Julian Lawden who had just come around the alley and was talking to Leroy Houghton.
“Is that…?” Tara started. “That’s Fenn’s daddy. That old bastard. What’s he… What’s he talking to Julian for?”
Paul didn’t answer and Tara said, again, “What’s he talking to Julian for?”
But this time it wasn’t idle wondering, she had turned to him.
“You know something, you skinny homosexual.”
“Uh…” Paul began. “I… I might.”
“Com’on,” said Tara. “spill it to baby girl.”
“That’s Julian’s grandfather.”
“No, it’s not. It’s Layla’s grandfather.”
“It’s—he’s,” Paul corrected himself, “both of their grandfathers.”
Tara cocked her head toward him.
“Paul, you gotta do better than that.”
“I don’t know better than that.”
“We gotta tell Fenn.”
“Fenn’s got enough to deal with. And Adele, and Layla—”
Tara Veems gripped Paul’s wrist.
“We—have—to—tell—Fenn.”
“Do you still hate me?”
“I can’t hate you,” Layla didn’t look at Will, though. She looked at the floor of the back porch where the shadows of the trees played in the wash of sunlight.
“I’m too tired to hate anyone.”
“What about Dena?”
“I don’t want to deal with her.”
“Layla,” Will sat down in the chair across from her. “I didn’t want to keep the secret. But it wasn’t mine to give away, all right?”
“Brendan told you not to tell me?”
“Yes. He thought you’d tell Dena.”
“But Dena already knew. The secret was she and Brendan were fucking each other.”
“But… she…”
“That bitch wanted to keep it from me,” Layla said. “And Brendan wanted to help her keep it from me, and he told you to keep it from me—”
“Dena didn’t even know I knew—”
“It doesn’t goddamn matter, Will. He’s gay and she’s stupid, and you let what they wanted come between our relationship. You chased after me, chased after me, chased after me. And then when you finally had me, you lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie to you.”
“You didn’t tell me the truth. Which is the same.”
“No, it’s—” Will stopped. “Yes, it is.”
The phone rang; Layla put up her hand and rose to enter the kitchen and answer.
“Hello?”
“Layla, is your mother home?”
“Yeah, Fenn. Hold on.”
Layla actually walked up the stairs instead of shouting.
Adele was folding clothes in her bedroom, and Layla said, “Mama, it’s Fenn on the phone.”
“All right,” said Adele, and Layla turned around.
“Layla?” said Adele as she picked up the phone and took off her earring.
“Yes?”
“Don’t hold on to so much… Will’s sorry. Let him be sorry and end it.”
Layla started to think of something smart to say, put it aside, and turned around going downstairs.
She came back to the porch and Will said, “You’re right. I kept something from you specifically because people asked me to. I was wrong, and I’m sorry. Really.”
Then he said, “I do want us to be together. I want us. So, I hope we can… get past this and start up again, and no more secrets I swear.”
“My father hid from my mother that he was married, that he had a secret family, another child.”
“I know.”
“When you start keeping stuff from your… partner, they’re not your partner, Will.”
“I know.”
“You know now.”
Will didn’t know what else to say.
Suddenly Adele was coming down the steps in a fury. She threw the screen door open and said, “I gotta go for a while. Mind the house.”
“Mama?”
Adele was fiercely brushing her hair. She walked around the kitchen looking for her keys, and her hands landed on them. She pulled her purse over her shoulder and headed down the hall, heels clacking.
“I gotta go!” she shouted. And she was gone.
There was a knock on the door and Hoot Lawden, upon answering it, was shocked—and not in that good way—to see his wife.
“Where is she?”
“Who?”
“Her.”
Hoot stared blankly at his not quite ex-wife.
“Move,” Adele commanded, and pushed him aside, followed by Fenn.
“Where you at?” Adele barked, going through the living room, into the dining room, down the hall.
“What—?” another woman began, coming out of the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks at the approach of Adele who said, readjusting her purse strap:
“Bitch, we need to talk.”
This woman, whose name she did not know, opened her mouth, but Adele advanced toward her.
“You took my husband, you took my name, you hid his baby and now,” Adele said, “My father!”
Before anyone saw it, she had the woman by the collar and Hoot was shouting: “Let Vanessa go!”
“Vanessa?” Adele said, dragging her into the dining room. “Bitch, your name is Vanessa?”
Vanessa got free of Adele and shouted, running around the table as Fenn moved out of his sister’s way and let her seize the woman again by the collar.
Hoot moved in front of Vanessa shouting, “Calm down, Addy!”
But Adele popped him in the mouth, moved past him, and caught Vanessa, headlocking her over the table.
“How do you know him, Vanessa? How you know him? How do you know Leroy?
“Bitch, tell me how do you know Leroy Houghton?”
“Let me go!” Vanessa screamed.
Adele released her, breathing hard.
Vanessa rubbed her throat and said, “He’s my father.”
“What?” said Fenn.
“He’s my father.”
“Look, that ain’t possible,” Adele said. “Because see, he’s my daddy.”
“In all fairness,” Fenn said, “he could be half the county’s daddy.”
Vanessa massaged her throat, and shaking her head she told them:
“All I know is Leroy had a wife, and he had my mother. They never got married.”
“Oh, hell no,” Adele said getting ready to launch on her again.
She hid behind Hoot who said, “You didn’t know?” to her.
“Did you know?” Vanessa said. “How was I supposed to know your wife’s last name before she married you? And by the way you married me first.”
“You son of bitch,” Adele said, shaking her head at him. Then she looked around him, eyes burning on Vanessa.
“This bitch,” she began. “This… bitch. This is… This bitch...”
Fenn finished, succinctly, “This bitch is our sister.”
“Goddamn!
“Goddamn, goddamn, goddamn, goddamn, goddamn.
“Born in a hotel-died-in-a-hotel-goddamn…”
“How many ways,” Todd said, “do you think you can say goddamn?”
“Goddamned motherfucking, blue-red shit fucked goddamned if I know,” Fenn said.
He folded his legs under him and murmured, “Damn!”
“Baby, how bout I get you a Blizzard?”
“You really think a Blizzard will make me feel… Well, I don’t feel bad. I mean, I feel shocked. Not bad. But my point is: you think a Blizzard will unshock me?”
“Since when has having me at you beck and call not soothed you and made you feel better?”
Fenn looked at him.
“In that case get that Georgia Mudslide thing with all the brownie bits in it.”
Todd got up and was pulling on jeans and reaching for his wallet.
“I’ll be back in about twenty,” he said. “I’m gonna stop and get a movie.”
“We should stop paying Blockbuster,” Fenn reflected. “I’m gonna look into Netflix tomorrow. I like the idea of people mailing you shit.”
Todd turned out of the Dairy Queen, and he was headed up Birmingham when he saw a car he thought he knew.
“Paul,” he murmured.
He thought he’d chase him and Kirk a little bit. Honk at them, make a joke. So he followed Paul to where he turned off Armory, and then parked in front of the apartment building. But it wasn’t the apartments Kirk had talked about. These were older. Maybe Kirk didn’t know directions?
Then, just as Todd was about to give up thinking about this, and thought about how he wanted his Blizzard and it was getting late and he’d told Fenn he would be back, the front door of the apartment building opened, and in shorts and a large tee shirt that he had never seen him wearing, came Brian Babcock.
Paul stepped out of the car. The two men looked at each other and then, savagely, Paul caught Brian’s face and they kissed each other before Brian ushered him inside.
Inside the Land Rover Todd murmured:
“Goddamn.”
Next time we begin the final chapter of The Houses in Rossford
ELEVEN
GODDAMN:
CONCLUSION
On the rooftop overlooking Dempsey Street, Tara put down her cigarette and said, “So you really ain’t gon’ tell me about this new, what’s his name?”
“You’re a beautiful girl, Tara Veems,” said Paul
“I know I’m beautiful, quit trying to distract me.”
“I mean, if you weren’t so crude, no one would know your were a dyke.”
“How about I eat your pussy, and then you’ll know. Now tell me about this—” she stopped, following Paul’s expression and where his head turned.
“What?”
Paul was watching Julian Lawden who had just come around the alley and was talking to Leroy Houghton.
“Is that…?” Tara started. “That’s Fenn’s daddy. That old bastard. What’s he… What’s he talking to Julian for?”
Paul didn’t answer and Tara said, again, “What’s he talking to Julian for?”
But this time it wasn’t idle wondering, she had turned to him.
“You know something, you skinny homosexual.”
“Uh…” Paul began. “I… I might.”
“Com’on,” said Tara. “spill it to baby girl.”
“That’s Julian’s grandfather.”
“No, it’s not. It’s Layla’s grandfather.”
“It’s—he’s,” Paul corrected himself, “both of their grandfathers.”
Tara cocked her head toward him.
“Paul, you gotta do better than that.”
“I don’t know better than that.”
“We gotta tell Fenn.”
“Fenn’s got enough to deal with. And Adele, and Layla—”
Tara Veems gripped Paul’s wrist.
“We—have—to—tell—Fenn.”
“Do you still hate me?”
“I can’t hate you,” Layla didn’t look at Will, though. She looked at the floor of the back porch where the shadows of the trees played in the wash of sunlight.
“I’m too tired to hate anyone.”
“What about Dena?”
“I don’t want to deal with her.”
“Layla,” Will sat down in the chair across from her. “I didn’t want to keep the secret. But it wasn’t mine to give away, all right?”
“Brendan told you not to tell me?”
“Yes. He thought you’d tell Dena.”
“But Dena already knew. The secret was she and Brendan were fucking each other.”
“But… she…”
“That bitch wanted to keep it from me,” Layla said. “And Brendan wanted to help her keep it from me, and he told you to keep it from me—”
“Dena didn’t even know I knew—”
“It doesn’t goddamn matter, Will. He’s gay and she’s stupid, and you let what they wanted come between our relationship. You chased after me, chased after me, chased after me. And then when you finally had me, you lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie to you.”
“You didn’t tell me the truth. Which is the same.”
“No, it’s—” Will stopped. “Yes, it is.”
The phone rang; Layla put up her hand and rose to enter the kitchen and answer.
“Hello?”
“Layla, is your mother home?”
“Yeah, Fenn. Hold on.”
Layla actually walked up the stairs instead of shouting.
Adele was folding clothes in her bedroom, and Layla said, “Mama, it’s Fenn on the phone.”
“All right,” said Adele, and Layla turned around.
“Layla?” said Adele as she picked up the phone and took off her earring.
“Yes?”
“Don’t hold on to so much… Will’s sorry. Let him be sorry and end it.”
Layla started to think of something smart to say, put it aside, and turned around going downstairs.
She came back to the porch and Will said, “You’re right. I kept something from you specifically because people asked me to. I was wrong, and I’m sorry. Really.”
Then he said, “I do want us to be together. I want us. So, I hope we can… get past this and start up again, and no more secrets I swear.”
“My father hid from my mother that he was married, that he had a secret family, another child.”
“I know.”
“When you start keeping stuff from your… partner, they’re not your partner, Will.”
“I know.”
“You know now.”
Will didn’t know what else to say.
Suddenly Adele was coming down the steps in a fury. She threw the screen door open and said, “I gotta go for a while. Mind the house.”
“Mama?”
Adele was fiercely brushing her hair. She walked around the kitchen looking for her keys, and her hands landed on them. She pulled her purse over her shoulder and headed down the hall, heels clacking.
“I gotta go!” she shouted. And she was gone.
There was a knock on the door and Hoot Lawden, upon answering it, was shocked—and not in that good way—to see his wife.
“Where is she?”
“Who?”
“Her.”
Hoot stared blankly at his not quite ex-wife.
“Move,” Adele commanded, and pushed him aside, followed by Fenn.
“Where you at?” Adele barked, going through the living room, into the dining room, down the hall.
“What—?” another woman began, coming out of the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks at the approach of Adele who said, readjusting her purse strap:
“Bitch, we need to talk.”
This woman, whose name she did not know, opened her mouth, but Adele advanced toward her.
“You took my husband, you took my name, you hid his baby and now,” Adele said, “My father!”
Before anyone saw it, she had the woman by the collar and Hoot was shouting: “Let Vanessa go!”
“Vanessa?” Adele said, dragging her into the dining room. “Bitch, your name is Vanessa?”
Vanessa got free of Adele and shouted, running around the table as Fenn moved out of his sister’s way and let her seize the woman again by the collar.
Hoot moved in front of Vanessa shouting, “Calm down, Addy!”
But Adele popped him in the mouth, moved past him, and caught Vanessa, headlocking her over the table.
“How do you know him, Vanessa? How you know him? How do you know Leroy?
“Bitch, tell me how do you know Leroy Houghton?”
“Let me go!” Vanessa screamed.
Adele released her, breathing hard.
Vanessa rubbed her throat and said, “He’s my father.”
“What?” said Fenn.
“He’s my father.”
“Look, that ain’t possible,” Adele said. “Because see, he’s my daddy.”
“In all fairness,” Fenn said, “he could be half the county’s daddy.”
Vanessa massaged her throat, and shaking her head she told them:
“All I know is Leroy had a wife, and he had my mother. They never got married.”
“Oh, hell no,” Adele said getting ready to launch on her again.
She hid behind Hoot who said, “You didn’t know?” to her.
“Did you know?” Vanessa said. “How was I supposed to know your wife’s last name before she married you? And by the way you married me first.”
“You son of bitch,” Adele said, shaking her head at him. Then she looked around him, eyes burning on Vanessa.
“This bitch,” she began. “This… bitch. This is… This bitch...”
Fenn finished, succinctly, “This bitch is our sister.”
“Goddamn!
“Goddamn, goddamn, goddamn, goddamn, goddamn.
“Born in a hotel-died-in-a-hotel-goddamn…”
“How many ways,” Todd said, “do you think you can say goddamn?”
“Goddamned motherfucking, blue-red shit fucked goddamned if I know,” Fenn said.
He folded his legs under him and murmured, “Damn!”
“Baby, how bout I get you a Blizzard?”
“You really think a Blizzard will make me feel… Well, I don’t feel bad. I mean, I feel shocked. Not bad. But my point is: you think a Blizzard will unshock me?”
“Since when has having me at you beck and call not soothed you and made you feel better?”
Fenn looked at him.
“In that case get that Georgia Mudslide thing with all the brownie bits in it.”
Todd got up and was pulling on jeans and reaching for his wallet.
“I’ll be back in about twenty,” he said. “I’m gonna stop and get a movie.”
“We should stop paying Blockbuster,” Fenn reflected. “I’m gonna look into Netflix tomorrow. I like the idea of people mailing you shit.”
Todd turned out of the Dairy Queen, and he was headed up Birmingham when he saw a car he thought he knew.
“Paul,” he murmured.
He thought he’d chase him and Kirk a little bit. Honk at them, make a joke. So he followed Paul to where he turned off Armory, and then parked in front of the apartment building. But it wasn’t the apartments Kirk had talked about. These were older. Maybe Kirk didn’t know directions?
Then, just as Todd was about to give up thinking about this, and thought about how he wanted his Blizzard and it was getting late and he’d told Fenn he would be back, the front door of the apartment building opened, and in shorts and a large tee shirt that he had never seen him wearing, came Brian Babcock.
Paul stepped out of the car. The two men looked at each other and then, savagely, Paul caught Brian’s face and they kissed each other before Brian ushered him inside.
Inside the Land Rover Todd murmured:
“Goddamn.”
Next time we begin the final chapter of The Houses in Rossford
CharmedFan28
JUB Addict
You were right about things getting more questionable! I look forward to the final chapter and hopefully getting some conclusions to all the drama that is going on. Great writing and once again thanks for posting so often!
ChrisGibson
JUB Addict
I'm glad you had fun. Thanks for always commenting. There's a tangle of shit to get through in the next chapter. More tomorrow night!
