Chapter
17, SEPTEMBER STRATEGIES AND REWARDS
“The
first thing is to deal with the mother and boy – Sylvia Brown and Billy,” Jerry
Sebastian said after looking over the reports and case data Monday morning. He
and Dex were sitting in the AOI conference room reviewing the paper trail. “The
ideal situation would be to get them out of the Chicago area and relocate them
to another state.”
“I
asked Jon Brooks to contact Mrs. Brown. He spoke very briefly to her last
Friday night and found out that she works as a housekeeper at the large
downtown Hilton. Apparently she wasn’t too happy about discussing the situation
with a stranger but was concerned for her son. Jon’s reading is that Mrs. Brown
would really like justice…if that’s possible...with some guarantee of safety.
Stone’s people were pretty intimidating that evening at the hospital.” Dex
leaned forward and continued, “Some of her relatives are in Atlanta and we
think that she might jump at the chance to move there with Billy.”
“Having
a support group in Atlanta is a good alternative…if she agrees.”
“Jon
is going to speak with her this afternoon after her shift at the hotel. I’ll
pass on the information about Atlanta,” Dex said as he wrote a few notes to
himself.
“Let’s
see how the meeting goes. We could relocate them to Atlanta by the end of the
week and a decent apartment in an integrated neighborhood. It’s an ideal time
for Billy to start school and we can transfer his records without the actual
forwarding address so there’ll be no trace to the new school district. Be sure
she knows that the moving expenses and first couple of months’ rent will be
taken care of. And, we will find her a comparable job.”
“Handling
the expenses and providing a job will probably be the dealmaker. What else can
I do at this point?”
“Sit
tight for a day or so. The first thing is to get the boy and his mother out of
Chicago.”
“I’ll
be on that first thing in the morning.”
“Good.
Then comes the next step. Because of Toby’s position, I don’t want to involve
him. It might just look too political. I’m going to have a meeting with a
Democrat congressman who’s also a member of Alpha. The board feels that the
best strategy is to force Stone to resign rather than to drag this through
court.”
“And
have this congressman speak with Stone?”
“Exactly.
Very forcibly.”
“I
don’t think that Stone is going to roll over easily. What’ll happen if he
rejects resigning?” Dex wanted the predator to get nailed but understood the
pragmatic approach that Alpha and AOI were taking. He also thought about the
downside of exposing Russ Bennett in a trial.
“Then,
he’ll be advised that the evidence will be taken to the Justice Department, to
the Congressional Ethics Committee and to the Mayor in Chicago. Plus, it’ll be
suggested that the files may find their way to some conservative blogs.”
“Then
Fox News picks up on the rumors and runs with it?” Dex added.
“And
the Chicago papers…the Trib and Sun-Times would eat this up. However, let’s
hope that it doesn’t come to that. There’s something else surfacing with a GOP
congressman that’s not good for gay rights and the image of gay men everywhere.
We’ve been advised that it’s being handled with people in the Speaker of the
House’s office…but we’re not so sure it’s being taken seriously. The last thing
we need is a pedophile scandal to erupt involving congressmen and boys who are
minors.”
“And
these people are running our country? Scary.”
“Add
into the mix the Abraham mess with which you were involved and it’s not a
pretty picture. Keep me posted on Jon’s meeting with the mother and I’ll do the
same thing once I’ve got my end of the operation handled. Dex, you’re a
valuable member of our team.” Jerry stood and reached out his hand as Dex did
the same. “I understand that you’ve been completely cleared for new
assignments. Let’s get this one under our belt before we move forward.”
“Yes,
Sir. Um…would it be all right if I gave my partner, Kyle, a sketchy rundown on
the ‘whys’ of my travels?”
“I
don’t have a problem with that if you don’t mention names and be very vague.
Obviously you don’t want to involve his boss, Phil. I know you trust Kyle and
he may be a candidate for Alpha someday. We all engage in some pillow talk.”
Jerry winked and nodded a friendly dismissal.
“I’ll
make sure that it’s a whisper.” Dex turned and left the comfortable corner
office suite. ‘Does Jerry have someone he talks with at night,’ Dex wondered as
he returned to his desk, ‘like his cute executive assistant that’s always
nearby?’
~~~~~
Kyle
cut across P Street, dodging a Diamond cab and a black Mercedes with diplomatic
plates, to spend the evening with Dex. It was shortly before 6:00 p.m. and he
was sure that Dex would be home. He had already exchanged his adult uniform for
jeans and tee. In one hand he carried a change of clothes for tomorrow. In the
other, Kyle clinched a bottle of red wine for dinner. Tonight was London broil
night.
“Hi,
babe, I’m home,” Kyle announced loudly when he opened the apartment door.
‘Well,’ he thought, ‘not exactly home…but the next best thing.’ He was hoping
that they could seriously start looking for a ‘real’ home in the fall.
“I’m
in the kitchen checking on the meat and marinade.” Dex walked out to the entry
and gave Kyle a light peck on the lips as he grabbed the bottle of wine. “Hang
up your stuff and I’ll open a beer for ya.”
“Mmmm,
that’s something that sounds good. “Be back in a sec.” Kyle walked back to the
bedroom and stowed his work clothes for tomorrow. Being Dex’s ‘nurse’ during
the recent healing period only made them closer. He felt sure they were in a
partnership for keeps. “What’s in the FedEx envelope?” Dex asked when he
returned to the living room. He noticed that it had an international U.K.
sticker on it.
“Something
from Geoff Timmons. I received it at the office this afternoon.” Dex handed
Kyle a bottle of Heineken’s and joined him on the couch. “It’s really a
mystery. Check it out.”
Kyle
reached into the opened cardboard FedEx envelope and pulled out a letter with a
key taped to it. He carefully scanned the brief, typed note while sipping his
beer, and then read it aloud:
Dear Dex,
I’m delighted that you’ve recovered from our unplanned adventure
this summer. Look forward to hopefully seeing you and your delightful friend,
Kyle, in London next spring under less strenuous circumstances. Perhaps Brad
Lewinthal can break away from his studies and join us.
Please take this key on Wednesday evening, 13th
September, and both proceed to 1525 Q Street. Mr Scott from the Timmons Bank
will meet you at 6:30 p.m. He will explain the urgency of this request and
personal favour when you arrive.
Fondest regards,
Geoff
“The
first part is a nice thought about us, and it appears that young Brad is still
part of Geoff’s life. However, the end of the note is a little curious.”
“Curious?
That’s an understatement.”
“Hmmm…very
cryptic, I think. But I’m game for a little suspense in our lives…as long as it
doesn’t end up like the last time we were involved with Timmons,” Kyle said
with a laugh. “I’m free if you are.”
“Let’s
plan on leaving here around 6:00 p.m. and walk over. Whatever it is can be
handled in short order and we can get some dinner afterwards.” Dex took a long
sip from his beer bottle and continued, “Speaking of ‘cryptic,’ I wanted to
clear the air and let you know why I had to fly out to Chicago so abruptly on
Friday. I talked to my boss and he gave me a heads up to tell you what I was
doing.”
“Hon,
whatever you want to tell me is fine. You can trust me not to blab what we talk
about. I must admit that I was curious.”
“I
have no doubt that whatever we talk about is between you and me…only. This is
stuff I don’t even share with my folks. Let me give you the scoop on what I was
doing and then we can do dinner.”
For
the next 15 minutes, Dex ran down in very general terms the problems that they
were facing with an un-named congressman. He mentioned Chicago’s AOI labs were
better equipped to handle the DNA samples and didn’t go into any detail about
the methods used to obtain the congressman’s DNA.
At
the end of their conversation, Kyle felt Dex had let him into his life with a
deeper bonding. He was also aware that there were – and always would be –
several gray areas that had emotional and professional ‘do not enter’ barriers
attached.
They
finished dinner and cleaned up the kitchen before retiring to the bedroom to
watch the Washington Nationals play the Arizona Diamondbacks, televised from
Phoenix. The late season game was lackluster and Dex started fidgeting by the
end of the fourth inning.
“So
much for our macho, stay-at-home, baseball watching,” Kyle said with a laugh.
They had both stripped down to their boxer briefs and lay in a relaxed,
horizontal position while lazily focusing on the television screen.
“Maybe
we’d best wait for the World Series.” Dex turned to Kyle and placed the palm of
his hand on Kyle’s firm, warm stomach. He started slowly moving his fingers
around Kyle’s navel in a light, circular motion.
“Um,
any ideas what to do in the meantime?” Kyle smiled and took Dex’s hand to his
mouth. He licked each digit before he sucked on the index finger. His other
hand deliberately sought out Dex’s warm, expanding crotch. Kyle synchronized
his sucking while he maneuvered his hand under the elastic band of Dex’s
underwear. With a small adjustment, he
grabbed onto Dex’s hardening member and started a steady stroking action.
“Babe, I think that your talent is going to waste
on my fingers.” Dex pulled his hand back and quickly removed his boxer briefs. He next
took Kyle’s briefs and eased them off. Kyle rose up to allow his CKs to depart
speedily from his hips and down his legs.
“Not
so fast,” Kyle said as he quickly rolled over on top of Dex, and supported
himself on his knees and elbows. With
precision, he kissed Dex’s face from his forehead to his eyes to his cheeks
and, finally, to his very willing lips. Without much effort, he opened Dex’s
mouth and inserted his tongue – striking, probing and burrowing into the
welcoming orifice. At the same time, he ground his hard, dripping cock into
Dex’s wet crotch. The natural lubrication eased the friction to produce very
pleasant frottage stimulation. As each penis touched the other’s frenulum ‘G’
spot under their glans, the kissing became more urgent – Kyle’s body movements
more deliberate. He pulled away from Dex’s lips as his body continued grinding
back and forth along Dex’s manhood. For several minutes he looked into his
lover’s face as he deliberately intensified the contact of two young, virile
men’s throbbing hardons.
“You
fucking dog, I love it. Oh…yeah…jeez, don’t ever stop…you really know how
to…Christ…ahhh…” Dex started moaning as he matched with counter-movements. His
hands grabbed Kyle’s buttocks to steady his partner.
Kyle’s
moans were more of a growl as he urgently increased the frottage. He knew from
the tension and strain of their bodies that both were within seconds of
powerful ejaculations. He kept grunting and pounding away until his glutes
flexed and his cock started stabbing for a grand finale.
“Do
it…ah, shit,” Dex yelled. His hands gripped Kyle’s hard glutes as they rounded
third and sprinted to home base.
“I
love you…ohhh,” Kyle said while he intensified the final thrusts. Within
seconds, both exploded with sudden spurts of white male lava. One…two…three –
each man shot out several eruptions of hot semen. Slowly, Kyle powered down his
body and gently collapsed on top of Dex. He found Dex’s mouth and tenderly
applied feather kisses. The two men stared into each other’s eyes and silently
communicated a binding love that had only strengthened this evening.
“Babe,
that was heaven. I love you, too…and forever.” Dex kneaded Kyle’s back as he
accepted a continued shower of kisses.
“But
we gotta work on the dialogue,” Kyle replied with a snicker after he came up
for air. “I’m sure we sounded like some dumb porn video.”
“I
could find a cute dialogue coach to get us through those difficult passages, I
ya want.” Dex grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.
“Naw,
we can work this out between the two of us.”
~~~~~
“So
you’ve got the ball rolling?” Dex asked Jon Brooks early Wednesday morning on
the speakerphone. The meeting with Sylvia Brown had gone well two nights
earlier: she was more than willing to relocate to Atlanta with her son.
“Sylvia
and Billy Brown are leaving Chicago tomorrow morning. I’ve got our men packing
their household effects as we speak.”
“Is
the boy reluctant about moving away from his friends and attending a new
school?”
“Actually,
he is relieved,” Brooks replied. “This attack by Stone really did a number on
his head. He looks at this as an escape from what happened to him and a new
start. After we get Billy enrolled in school, however, he’s going to need
serious counseling.”
“That’s
been arranged, along with pre-enrollment in The Galloway School in Atlanta.
Billy is very bright and has good grades...it’s the emotional scars that will
take time to heal.”
“Wow…Galloway…I’m
impressed. That’s really raising the bar for Billy. I wonder how he’s going to
react to attending a private school?”
“Hopefully,
well. Martin Luther King III is a graduate and the school, while very liberal,
is respected in the community. We have an associate who will meet the Browns
when they arrive. I’ll email all the details as soon as we’re finished. You’re
handling the transcripts from Billy’s middle school?” Dex was concerned that
there wouldn’t be any missing documents to derail the process.
“Yes.
As you requested, the mother went to the school to notify them they were
moving. The school has a forwarding address in Dallas, Texas, and the name of
an accredited private school that they think he’ll be attending there. Sylvia
got a copy of his transcript and the Dallas school will be officially
requesting that the transcript files be forwarded. Our guys in Dallas will
handle re-directing the files to Atlanta once they’ve been received.”
“Rather
devious but necessary to protect Billy from any danger. We’ve also set up a new
Social Security number for Mrs. Brown so that they can’t be traced that way.
And your handling the paperwork for the household effects move?”
“Done”
Brooks answered in a positive sense. “Our team is picking up everything in our
truck and will drive to a warehouse in Indiana. All-State Moving will pick up
everything from there and transport it to Atlanta. Billy and Sylvia both know
that they are not to mention to anyone where they are actually going. As far as
neighbors and friends are concerned, they are off to big ‘D’.”
“I
think all the bases are covered and please pass on to your team a well done from
everyone at headquarters. I’ll let Jerry Sebastian know that we can proceed
with the next step. I’m sending the email with all the details about Atlanta as
soon as we’re finished and would appreciate you taking it from there.”
“Not
to worry. This whole thing is going to be pretty expensive but certainly worth
it. And thanks, Dex, for all your help.”
“My
pleasure. To answer your question, it’s very much worth everything – manpower
and money. But Jerry’s got some ideas about funding this move and Billy’s
education. I’ll speak with you tomorrow after the Browns have departed. Bye.”
“Until then. Bye.”
Dex
walked over to Jerry Sebastian’s office and knocked on the open door. “I’ve got
an update concerning the family in Chicago.”
“Come
in and sit. I’m just finishing some correspondence.” Jerry hit ‘save’ and
closed the Word window while Dex walked over to the desk and sat down.
“Just
spoke with Jon Brooks and the move is underway. The mother and son leave for
Atlanta tomorrow and all the mechanics to cover their tracks appear to be in
place.”
“Good.
Maintain close liaison with Atlanta. If everything goes as planned, they’ll be
in a temporary apartment by Friday and the boy can start school on Monday. I’ve
got an appointment next week to start phase two.”
“The
Alpha congressman?” Dex thought he knew who the man was but didn’t push when a
name was not offered.
“Yes.
And if all goes as expected, he’ll have a serious come to Jesus meeting
with Stone shortly thereafter. By this time next week, we’ll know what the next
step will be. If he doesn’t heed to the evidence and our suggestions, things
will get messy. The road permanently leaving Congress is getting pretty
crowded. Between the Abraham mess, Stone and some baffling emails involving
another congressman and former congressional pages, this’ll be a busy fall –
both in terms of the season and jobs being lost.”
“I’ll
return to my desk and continue monitoring the progress. Unless I hear from you,
shall I plan on meeting with you on Friday morning?” Dex asked as he rose from
the chair.
“Coffee
at 8:30 a.m. unless some emergency comes up. Oh, by the way, I know you’re
meeting with a Mr. Scott from the Timmons Bank this evening. What he has to
discuss has been reviewed by me and approved.”
“Yes,
Sir.” Dex nodded with a puzzled smile and left the office.
~~~~~
The
pending arrival of the equinox officially ending summer was in the air as Kyle
and Dex walked along P Street to Dupont Circle. The first leaves were turning
color and a few had fallen to the ground. They traversed the circle, crossed
Connecticut Avenue and continued east. Both had changed into a variation of
khakis, shirts and sneakers for this mysterious meeting.
“Whatever
is going on between Geoff and me…um…us, is not a secret as far as AOI and Jerry
Sebastian is concerned. I did call the bank and found out that this guy, Scott
– Drew Scott – is a vice president with the bank,” Dex said as he
subconsciously fingered the key in his pants pocket. “Not that I think Geoff
would bullshit us.”
“We’re
a couple of minutes from finding out what this is all about,” Kyle added, “and
it can’t be anything to worry about if AOI is cool with it.”
They
turned onto 16th Street and walked one block north to Q Street. They
crossed over to the odd number side and continued past the vintage town
homes and brownstones. Over the past several years, the Dupont and Logan Circle
neighborhoods had been yuppyfied and guppyfied in a renewal
effort that had produced very attractive results. Half way down the street,
they saw a tall, middle-aged man in a dark suit. He was standing next to a
silver Jaguar sedan talking into a cell phone in one hand, while holding a
briefcase in the other. The executive looked at the two approaching men, nodded
and spoke briefly before flipping closed his cell phone.
“Dexter
Tate and Kyle Blakesfield?” he asked when they were all together.
“I’m
Dex and this is Kyle. You must be Mr. Scott?”
“Drew
Scott…I prefer Drew if we can dispense with the formalities.” He smiled, put
the cell in his pocket and shook the younger men’s hands. “It’s a pleasure to
meet the man who…helped out Mr. Timmons.”
“You
obviously are privy to the incident, Drew. I’m just happy that it worked out as
it did.” Dex smiled and put his hand around Kyle’s waist. “I assume that you
also know that this is my life partner?”
“Yes…and
just starting out? I look at you and think about my relationship with my life
partner, Judy, where we were 20 years ago and where we are, three sons later.
The initial impression I have is that the two of you will be together for a
long time.”
“That
is what we’re working on,” Kyle replied with a grin.
“Enough
about relationships and so forth. You received the note and key from Geoff
Timmons on Monday. I’m sure you’re curious about the situation and what is
being requested?”
“Especially
since Mr. Sebastian is aware of this. That kind of threw me today.”
“Ha.
I expect it did. If you have the key with you, why don’t we enter this
brownstone and I’ll explain.” Drew pointed to the door three brick steps down
from the street level and nodded for Dex and Kyle to precede him.
“This
key has been burning a hole in my pocket.” Dex stepped down to the old bricked
entrance area in front of the brownstone and to the side of a large, exterior
stone stairway. He couldn’t see in the windows because of the closed, dark wood
interior shutters. Dex wrinkled his brow as he slowly inserted the key into the
polished brass lock. The lock disengaged. He turned the doorknob, heard the
latch open and slowly swung the heavy wooden door inward.
“The
light switch is on your right,” Drew said from behind.
Kyle
took the initiative and flipped on the lights. “Whoa…this is pretty cool.”
“Cool
is an understatement.” Dex led the way into a foyer of black slate floors and a
neutral, taupe wall covering. Basic, well-appointed furnishings dotted the
layout. Forward was a carpeted stairway to the second floor. On the right was a
spacious living room that had a quiet, masculine feel. Leather and upholstered
over-stuffed furniture sat on spotless Berber carpeting. They walked further
into the spaces, passed through a dining area and ended up in a large kitchen.
The granite and limestone coexisted with the cherry wood cabinetry and
stainless steel appliances.
“What
are your impressions?” Drew asked.
“Excuse
me, err…I’ve just got to say, ‘holy fuck.’ This is incredible. I hope that
doesn’t offend you?”
“I’ve
heard worse,” Drew chuckled. “But I think ‘holy fuck’ is an apt exclamation.”
“Okay,
I’m a little confused. What are we doing in this gorgeous brownstone?” Kyle
asked.
“And
whose place is this?” Dex looked around and mentally inventoried the
surroundings.
“Valid
questions. That’s what we need to resolve…and attend to the personal favor and
request of Geoff Timmons. We – the Timmons Bank – own this two-story,
three-bedroom unit and four, small one-bedroom apartments above. Mr. Timmons
and his father, Sir Geoffrey, would be most grateful if the two of you would
consider managing this brownstone for the bank. In return for these services,
the Timmons’ family has authorized me to offer this apartment for your use as
long as you would like.”
Dex’s
mouth dropped open and he immediately sat down on one of the chairs in the
kitchen. “You mean that we get this apartment for…how long?”
“The
agreement is in your name, Dex, and says ‘in perpetuity.’ You two are, what, in
your late-20’s? I think that you could look at this as your home for a long,
long time.” Drew smiled and joined Dex at the table. “Kyle, sit down so we can
review what Geoff and his dad have in mind.”
“There’s
an old saying, um, how does it go…if a deal is too good to be real, it probably
isn’t. I mean this place has to be at least, um, 1800 square feet?”
“Actually,
it’s closer to 2,500, plus the back patio. The two upstairs bedrooms, den and
lavatories are quite spacious. To answer your earlier question, Geoff Timmons
got Jerry Sebastian involved so that there would be no misunderstanding that
this was any sort of unacceptable gift. I’ve been assured that there is
precedent for this in AOI. The bank
will continue to own the building and be responsible for maintenance, taxes,
and etcetera. Just consider the rent you would pay as waived for services
rendered.”
“I
am humbled. What I did was in the line of duty…nothing more,” Dex said as he
reached over to hold Kyle’s hand. “And the value of the rent boggles the mind.
I mean, look…something like this would fetch, um, around $4,000 a month?”
“Actually,
it’s a little more…but that’s not the point,” Drew countered.
“You
said that there is precedent for this with AOI?” Dex’s reaction had gone from
numbness to initial reasoning.
“On
two occasions, I’m told. In each instance, the AOI man rescued the client from
certain death. Please understand that when someone has the resources, the value
of their life is limitless. Mr. Sebastian also said that the arrangements were
kept confidential. So if we go forward, only Mr. Sebastian’s office, certain
Timmons officials and you will know the actual details of this, ah, situation.”
“It’s
just a little overwhelming. Ah, a half-hour ago we were in Dex’s nice bachelor
pad. Now, I’m in a friggin’ fantastic apartment right in the middle of our
favorite neighborhood that might be our new home.” Kyle returned the hand
squeeze and continued, “It’s just that, um, well, ah…it’s so sudden. I feel
like the frog getting kissed by the princess…make that prince,” he added with a
shy smile.
“You
mentioned ‘agreement.’ I assume that you brought all the legal documents with
you?” Dex looked at Drew with a combination of intrigue and curiosity.
“I’m
indeed the messenger.” Drew opened his briefcase and pulled out several
sheathed legal documents. “We can review these, if you wish. It’s basic
legalese for what we’ve discussed.”
“I’ll
take your word for it. As Kyle said, this is very sudden…I need to review the
papers and discuss this with my partner...alone. Could he and I have some
privacy to do a walk-through and figure out your generous proposal?”
“Yes,
absolutely. And we can amend anything that doesn’t appear satisfactory.
However, I think you’ll find everything in order.” Drew pushed the contracts
towards Dex and added, “The caveat that you are not to mention this arrangement
to anyone is in the agreement. As far as anyone is concerned, this is an
apartment you are renting with a ‘consideration’ for your duties as the
building manager.”
“I
would certainly agree to that. Please understand that we need time to determine
the impact on our lives. Whatever the case, we’ll keep this quiet.”
“My
lips are sealed. Out of curiosity, would we have to be Mr. Fix-it if a tenant
had a problem?” Kyle asked. “Handy, I’m not.”
“That’s
what the Yellow Pages are for.” Drew smiled and added, “Actually, there’s a
complete list of vendors and professional trades you would use. They bill the
bank directly for services after you approve the invoice.”
“Okay,
here’s what I propose. I assume that you have no problem with us spending some
time, by ourselves, in the apartment to inspect it and talk over the
ramifications of the Timmons’ generosity?” Dex felt a certain degree of comfort
coming from his internal debate.
“None,
whatsoever. Trust is a given.” Drew took two of the three agreement copies and
put them back in his briefcase. “I’ll hold on to the other copies while you
sort this out.”
“Then,
here is what I propose. Kyle and I will carefully review the agreement and what
this all means. I’ll get back to you by Friday morning with an answer either
way. Is that all right?”
“I
have no objections. You’re taking a mature, careful approach to this very
unusual arrangement. Let me give you the code for the alarm system so that it
can be engaged when you leave later on. Now, I’m off to my family and you’ll
have a chance to take an extended tour of the place. Although it’s getting
dark, you can check out the patio by switching on the lights by the back door.
Be sure and see the master bath…the shower is spectacular.” Drew stood and
concluded, “Let’s touch base on Friday...or call me if you have any other
questions. This is a heartfelt token of thanks on behalf of a most grateful Timmons
family and comes with no strings attached. Mr. Sebastian was assured of that.”
“Drew,
thanks for understanding my initial reluctance.” Dex stood, stepped forward and
instinctively hugged the older banker. “Whatever our decision, it will not have
a bearing on our friendship with Geoff.”
Kyle
followed with a double-clasped handshake. “This is a very important moment in
our lives. There’s a lot to sort out.”
“I
understand,” Drew added. “We’ll talk Friday, if not before.”
The
two younger men watched their benefactor’s ‘messenger’ walk away and out to the
front door. Silently, Dex and Kyle held hands and slowly walked back to the
hallway.
“Buddy,
let’s really check this place out.” Dex turned on the stairway lighting and
motioned for Kyle to take the lead up to the second floor. “I’m still stunned
by this offer.”
“You
have to feel comfortable with the situation before we discuss anything,” Kyle
said as he approached the upstairs landing in the center of the floor.
“So
if I can rationalize this, you might be in favor of moving in?” Dex put his arm
around Kyle’s shoulder and gently kissed him on the cheek.
“My
apartment is just a collection of hand-me-downs that my roommate and I got from
our families. Except for a few things that I consider a link to my past, I
could get outta there in a fast, New York minute.” Kyle grinned and continued,
“And my roomie would love the full-time privacy with his girlfriend.”
“My
place…well, almost ours, is functional…nothing more. It’s like we’re
driving down the street in a used Toyota, we blink twice, and all of a sudden
the vehicle becomes a Lexus.”
“Babe,
I don’t think that a Lexus is bad.” Kyle shrugged and added, “I could get used
to driving this. It has the basics – albeit pretty nice – but it would
be fun to add personal touches to really make it our place.”
“Got
your point. Um, let’s continue the tour.” Dex visually scanned the second floor
layout. From what he could tell, each end of the floor had a bedroom. ‘The room
in front of us is probably the den,’ he decided. Instinctively, he turned to
the rear bedroom. “I think this must be the master cuz it’s away from the
street and has a view down to the backyard.” He again grabbed Kyle’s hand and
walked to the doorway. Inside was a king bed with an upholstered headboard,
double chest of drawers, and a 42” plasma flat-screen mounted on the wall
amongst the rest of a normal bedroom setup. “This is something I could get
into.”
“Correct,
Sir. This is fan-fuckin’-tastic.” They entered the spacious room and stood by the
foot of the large bed. “Come on, I wanna check out this famous bathroom.”
“As
long as we don’t take a shower…tonight,” Dex said with a chuckle as they walked
past a large walk-in closet. He reached inside the darkened adjoining doorway
and turned on the lights. Marble, porcelain and brushed stainless glistened in
a layout that would have been at home in Architectural Digest. However, the
shower with the six showerheads arranged at varying angles was a signature
masterpiece of design.
“Let’s
look over the rest of the place and go back down to the kitchen. We need to do
some soul-searching.”
____________________
TO BE CONTINUED