Bad Boy B Rok

Hey everybody! I'm back again. I had to take about a week off from writing. I was getting carpal tunnel...from the, um, typing. Yeah, that was why. As always, thanks to all my wonderful readers for supporting me for the last three months. You guys totally rule. Anyhoo, on with the other obligatory posts. I don't know the Backstreet Boys or any other celebrity that may or may not be mentioned in this series. I don't know if they are gay or not. Well, I mean, Rupert Everett has admitted he's gay, so I guess I'm safe saying that yes, he is gay. However, I don't know about the rest of 'em. If you have any questions, answers, want to say you hated or loved the story e-mail me at bbbrokworknprog@aol.com! Here's the story...

"And yes, they're in shock. They are panicked. You and your chronic--them and their drama. You this embarassment--Us in the middle of this delusion. If we were our bodies. If we were our futures. If we were our defenses I'd be joining you. If we were our culture. If we were our leaders. If we were our denials, I'd be joining you."~Alanis Morissette, 'Joining You'. (To whom it may concern...)

Bad Boy B-Rok A Thanksgiving To Remember By-Lep

(Part One)

"It's not clean, Matt!" Andre yelled at me from across the room.

So, I tried harder. I gave more attitude. Made the pop-locking sharper and "cleaner". Sweat was dripping off me. I knew I was doing the routine exact. However, there was always room for improvement. Atleast, that was Andre's motto. If you were a walking wet dream like him, you would probably think everyone could improve in one way or another. Andre was a tall, built, cut black man. He was always smiling with his perfect teeth shining. His eyes were always warm and kind. He was in charge of getting me into shape for dancing in Harvey's musical.

"You're getting sloppy." He shouted again as I danced in the middle of ten other people.

"Bite me." I sung happily to him as I did a fling of my head, causing small droplets of sweat to fly.

Andre just gave his deep rich laugh that made you want to smile. He never took insults from me personally. It was a good thing, considering how bad my mouth was. Fabio had already left as the vocal coach. He told Harvey I was a "loud-mouthed, obnoxeeous, crude icehole". I didn't understand most of it, so I told him to "just eat me. Just get on your knees and munch away". The fact that I said it with a smile on my face made him even more pissed off. That wasn't what finally made him quit, though.

After I extended him the invitation to lick my ass, he added that I was a "spoiled movieee star that couldn't act my way out of a paper bag". Atleast, that's what it SOUNDED like he said. My next response sent him over the edge. It went something like "Did you not hear me? Eat me. If that doesn't work for you, you can blow me. Either way, you'll have to shut the fuck up for a bit. Comprenez vous?". To make a long story longer, Harvey got me a new vocal coach. She was much more reasonable. Alot less ugly and irritable, too.

"Come on, Matt. Do it like I taught you." Andre was looking to get hurt. "You know that ain't right."

I stopped, mid-step, reached down and yanked a sneaker off. All the other dancers stopped to watch me lob the shoe at Andre. I hadn't even aimed, so he easily ducked it. Andre came back up with a loud laugh. I yanked the other shoe off and threw it right at him. Andre caught it and lobbed it back at me. I ducked it, then realized I was out of shoes. Andre began laughing, letting the horrified dancers know we were just playing. They finally began laughing as well.

"Oh, you think it's funny?" I acted like I was pissed off at him and ran at him.

Andre just turned, putting his back to me. I ran right up and hopped on his back. Andre leaned down and grabbed my sneakers. He handed them to me over his shoulder as I wrapped my legs around his middle and my arms around his neck.

"Everyone can go home. We'll meet same time tomorrow." Andre held onto my legs, carrying me piggy-back style.

I knew he meant the OTHER folks could go home. He still planned to make me do my daily two hour workout. As usual, he headed towards the gym, carrying me easily with him. This was our daily ritual. He'd make me dance for a couple hours until I got pissed enough to throw something at him. Then he'd send the other dancers home, and give me a piggy back ride down to the gym. It was our "making up" ritual.

"You lasted three hours today, dude." Andre gave another rich laugh as we went down the hall.

"I would have danced longer if one of the shoes had actually hit you." I teased.

"No, 'cause I would've whooped your ass." He replied.

Andre's threats never sounded real due to his perpetual smile. He was about as harmless as me--well, when I wasn't throwing shit.

"Here we are." He announced as we entered the gym.

Brian was already sitting on a folding chair by the door, waiting on us. He had his legs crossed roughly, with a magazine unfolded across his lap. However, he was talking into his cell phone. He smiled and waved when he saw us. I hopped off Andre's back and went to the large mat in the center of the room. Andre and I had only been working together a week, but I knew we always stretched before and after working out.

I got down on the mat, slowly getting flat on my back, then bending my knees and laying my feet flat on the mat. I took a few, deep, controlled breaths to relax, then brought my left knee to my chest. Andre knelt above me and laid against my bent leg, holding it against me.

"Breathe, Matt." He stated softly as I clenched my jaws together and he pushed himself into my leg more.

"That's easy for you to say." I grunted as he applied a slight more pressure.

Andre just laughed as he kept me in that position for a few more seconds. Then he moved back a bit until he could stretch the leg out straight. Then he tried to bend my leg again until my ankle was by my head. He did all this by laying on top of me. It would have felt somewhat sexual to me if so much pain wasn't involved. I gave a loud breath as Andre slowly let that leg go back into place.

"Brian and I do that one alot better." I winced.

"You're not going to gross me out of making you do this." Andre laughed and slowly pushed my other knee to my chest.

"Damn." I grunted painfully.

Andre just showed his warm smile as he went thru the stretch routine with my leg. He stretched my knee to my chest for a couple minutes, then stretched it out and pushed it towards my head. I was pretty limber, but there was no way my ankles were making it to my head. I'd had my legs over Brian's shoulders many many times, but that wasn't even close to what Andre tried to do to me. Brian always watched with morbid fascination as Andre and I stretched. I could only guess why.

"That's good. Flip over." He started climbing off me.

"Oh, my favorite words." I teased.

He just rolled his eyes. Andre knew it was useless to try to stop my jokes. If I gave him enough jokes, he'd finally start teasing back. Without being asked, I propped myself up on my toes and forearms, and held myself a foot from the ground, sorta like I planned to do a push up. Andre let me hold this position for about twenty seconds, then placed a hand in the small of my back.

"Shift forward for me." He stated lightly.

I shifted my feet to where my body moved a few inches forward, but didn't let my arms lose position. Andre called it "strength training". I called it torture. He had me shift back and forth several times, keeping his hand in the small of my back. Then he had me turn on my left side and lift myself with only the use of my one forearm and the side of my foot. I had to hold this for two minutes, then switch to my other side. By the time--it took ten minutes--that we got done with these stretches the first day, I was tired. However, after only a week, I was getting more stamina.

"How about trying some yoga today?" He patted me on the shoulder, signaling I could relax for a minute.

"Sure. I'll get my ankles to my ears if it's the last thing I do." I made him laugh.

"After that, we'll do lunges, sit ups, pull ups, then a light jog."

"Oh, joy." I reached into my pocket and got a cigarette from my pack.

"I don't know how you have such a good chest and stomach if you don't work out." He shook his head as I lit up.

"Good sex and lots of it." I blew the smoke at him with a smile.

"Well, it obviously does a body good." He waved a hand in front of his face.

"Thank you." I smiled fakely.

"You're welcome."

"When are we gonna do the secret agent stuff? Like kickboxing and flips and where I get to punch and kick shit?" I teased.

"When you're ready for that, grasshoppa." He finally teased back.

"Well it better be soon. I wanna be able to kick Brian's ass better." I exhaled.

"I heard that." Brian snarled playfully, finally hanging up his phone.

"Let's get right to the lunges. We'll do the yoga to cool down." Andre supressed a laugh.

"Baby, that was mom on the phone." Brian announced as I stood slowly.

"How was she? I hope you told her 'hello' for me." I smiled as I did my first lunge.

Andre stood at my side, one hand on my stomach, the other in the small of my back. He made sure my torso stayed straight as I lunged forward, then moved back to a standing position.

"She's good. And yes, I said 'hello' for you." Brian chuckled. "Mom, Dad and Harold are coming for Thanksgiving."

"Good. Now we'll have someone that knows what to do with a whole turkey." I tried to breathe right by Andre's standards and still talk.

"I can't ask momma to do all the cooking!" Brian laughed. "She'll get onto me."

"Well, if you ask me to cook, you'll never get sex again." I stated with a shrug.

Brian didn't answer right away, he just stood there with a desperate look on his face. The way it felt, Andre was going to have me do a million reps.

"I'll help, baby." Brian stated softly.

"Ah, fuck, he called my bluff." I made Andre laugh.

"Please, baby?" Brian pleaded.

"Fine. But I'm not touching anything up a turkey's ass." I sighed.

"Thanks, baby." Brian beamed with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah." I sighed.

"Daddy, you stinky and sweaty." Booker squinched his nose up as I leaned over him in the car to buckle him in.

"Thanks, Booger. Daddy hasn't had a shower yet." I tweaked his nose.

"Yuck."

"Oh, shush." I laughed as the seatbelt snapped closed and I closed the door.

As I got back into my seat and was fastening my seatbelt, Brian pulled away from the curb. Immediately I kicked back in my seat, feeling like someone had beat me with a stick. Even though my stamina was increasing, I was still sore after hours upon hours of dancing and working out. I'd just have to get Brian to massage me later. Preferrably all over.

"Nanny and Pa-pa are coming for Thanksgiving." Brian spoke to Booker over his shoulder.

Booker cheered, making me crack a smile.

"And they're bringing Uncle Harold with them." Brian followed up.

"I like Uncle Harold. He's crazy. Like you." Booker stated matter-of-factly.

"Not as crazy." I stated under my breath.

"Oooooh, I heard that, daddy." Booker warned.

Brian and I both laughed loudly.

"Baby, I know you know how to cook all the stuff that goes into a Thanksgiving meal, right?" I asked as I leaned over and laid my head on Brian's shoulder.

"No, I thought you'd figure it out." Brian laughed nervously.

"Great. Now I have to watch Martha Stewart Living. That's not a good thing." I sighed and sat back up.

"You better hurry. She might be in jail soon."

"They'll play re-runs, I'm sure." I winked as Brian pulled the car into our driveway.

"Daddy, can I watch Sponge Bob?" Booker asked quickly as Brian pulled into the garage and shut off the car.

"I don't care." I replied as Booker squealed his happiness and ripped his seatbelt off.

Brian and I had barely undone our own belts when Booker had torn off into the house. Brian and I just smiled about it and made our way in as well. I couldn't help but laugh as I saw the discarded clothes and other accoutrement leading like a trail of breadcrumbs into the den. I let my backpack fall beside the kitchen counter and ran my hands thru my hair. The answering machine was blinking like crazy.

"I'll take his stuff to his room." Brian kissed me on the cheek and set about picking Booker's clothes up.

"Booker, make sure to keep the volume down, buddy!" I hollered towards the den.

"Okay, daddy." He yelled back in his tiny voice as I pushed the play button on the answering machine.

The first message was from Garrett, just checking in. The next few were from Bob and Harvey, checking in as well and wanting to know how 'training' was going. Juliette Lewis had called to see how I was. Booker's friend's mother called to set up a "play date", and Madonna had left a message to invite Brian and I over to dinner with her and Guy so we could meet Rupert and his new boyfriend. I'd definitely call "Madonner" back. The last one was from Lynn Carter. Apparently, she had a "huge favor" to ask of me. I wrote down the number she spouted off for her home in Orlando quickly and picked up the cordless phone. Once I was out on the deck with a lit cigarette, I dialed her up. Immediately, she recognized my voice.

"Well, Matt. I was wondering if you had gotten the message."

"Yes, ma'am. I was just awfully busy today."

"Everything good with you and Brian? How's Booker? Jackie told me the other day that she was playing to come out there to spend Thanksgiving with you boys." She wanted details like any other mother.

"Everything's fine. We're all doing great. We can't wait to see Brian's family."

"Well, it sounds like it'll be very nice. Very family-oriented."

"Yes, ma'am." I shrugged to myself.

"I don't see how someone with such good manners got involved with one of our boys." She sighed, very much amused.

"I think Mom said that once." I chuckled, speaking of Jackie.

"Well, it's true enough. Do you want to know what Aaron said that made me call?"

His brother let him drink beer from my fridge?--I thought to myself.

"What's that?"

"He said you and Brian had invited him to Thanksgiving." She paused. "Naturally, I thought he was making it all up so he wouldn't have to go with us to see Nick on tour. But he was dead-set on coming out there."

"Doesn't he want to see Nick?" I didn't answer her questions.

"You know, Matt--Nick and Aaron just don't see as close as they used to. At first I thought it was because Nick was gay." She paused like she was afraid I'd get offended. "But he sure enjoys being around you and Brian? I don't know what to make of it."

"We guys can be fickle, too, sometimes." I didn't tell Aaron's mother anything he had told me in confidence. "I'm sure he'll get over whatever it is."

"You wouldn't tell me if Aaron had told you why, would you?" She paused, but quickly apologized. "No, I'm sorry. I won't put you in that position. Even a fifteen year old young man should have privacy from his mama."

She chuckled, so I did, too.

"Anyway," she continued,"had you invited him to Thanksgiving?"

Oh, this was a lose-lose situation. If I said "yes", she'd think I was luring Aaron away from his family. If I said "no", she'd think Aaron was a big fat liar. Oh well, I thought, Aaron brought it on himself.

"No ma'am, I didn't. I really didn't know we were doing anything until today. However, if Aaron wants to come that badly, we'd love to have him." I spoke evenly and sweetly. "If it's okay with you?"

"Ofcourse. I wish he'd go with us, but he's dead-set against it. I just don't know what to do with him anymore." She spoke in a voice that made me envision her tossing her hands up in the air. "Do you know I caught him making out with a girl in his room the night he got back home?"

"No ma'am, but boys will be boys."

I wanted to say, "Atleast you know one of your sons likes poonanny", but thought better of it.

"He doesn't listen to me anymore. He doesn't listen to anyone. Well, except you." She sounded like she was thinking hard.

"Me?" I was truly shocked and I was sure she heard it in my voice.

"Yes. Nick told me on the phone last night that you're the only person he responds to anymore."

"I guess I hadn't noticed." I thought for a second. "He's a sweet, sensitive--just a good kid, Mrs. Carter."

"When he's out there will you--I don't know--find out what's wrong? See if you can help? He's got his whole career and life ahead of him. I don't want him to be a screw-up." She stated evenly, almost in a business like tone.

"Yes ma'am. I'll see what I can do." I squinched my eyes, thinking of a comment Aaron had made about missing his mom.

Why was he withdrawn if he missed her?

"Maybe he's burnt out?" I suggested.

"That can't be it." She laughed increduously. "He loves to work and sing."

"I guess so...." I shrugged to myself again.

"He's here. He wants to speak with you. It was nice talking to you, Matt. Love to you, Brian and Booker." She stated with a sunny tone.

"Same to you."

"I'll call you about when to pick Aaron up at the airport for Thanksgiving." She added, then there was a muffled noise of the phone exchanging hands.

"Matt?" I heard Aaron's voice suddenly.

"Hey, buddy." I stated cheerfully as I lit another cigarette. "What's up?"

"Nuthin'. Am I coming to stay with you?" He sounded hopeful.

"Yeah. Your mom's gonna send you out here at Thanksgiving." I replied.

"Can I stay longer than just Thanksgiving?" Aaron asked quickly, almost desperately.

I heard his mother's muffled voice in the background. It sounded like her feelings were hurt, but the end of her sentence was "....go ahead".

"Aaron...." I drug the word out.

"Please?" The boy sounded downright depressed.

I wanted to know what would make him this way.

"What's up with you, baby boy?"

"I don't want to talk about it now." Aaron mumbled.

"'Cause of your mom?" I asked.

"Yeah." He sounded relieved that I caught on.

I took a deep breath. Should I get involved or not? This sounded like family business. However, his mother gave me the "okay". And Aaron sounded desperate.

"I want to come back now." Aaron muttered, sounding embarassed to ask.

More muffled sounds from his mother.

"Aaron, put your mother on." I sighed.

"Pleeeeeeeease?" He begged.

"Put her on, Aaron." I stated firmly.

"Matt?" I heard his mother's voice.

"When do you want me to take him?" I sighed.

"I guess right away." She sounded defeated. "It won't inconvenience you will it?"

"I have a six year old, a career and Brian. Everything's an inconvenience." I laughed. "But I'll make it work."

"Sure?" She sounded skeptical, but relieved.

"Positive." I replied. "Send the little turd and I'll find time for him."

"He'll be on a plane as soon as he's packed and booked." She breathed a sigh of relief. "And, Matt?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Thank you." She sounded grateful.

"Not a problem. I'm happy to do it." I tried to be gracious. "Just call when you have a time I have to pick him up."

"Sure thing. Goodbye."

"Bye." I replied, then quickly hung up the phone.

I stood on the deck and lit another cigarette. Maybe lung cancer would save me from this mess. After thinking about it, I didn't figure I was that lucky. Jumping off the deck would only break a wrist. If I landed right, anyway. Oh well, I was doomed to a second child for awhile. When my thoughts of doing myself in vanished, Brian opened the sliding glass door and came out onto the deck.

"Baby? Kevin just called me on my cell. He's coming to Thanksgiving, too." Brian stated before wrapping his arms around my waist and propping his chin on my shoulder.

"So's Aaron." I replied.

"He's not going to stay with his family?" Brian looked confused.

"Well..." I gave a small laugh.

I went on to explain. Brian just listened as I ran on and on about Aaron and his mother's problems. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell Brian what Aaron had told me in private, but I could give him the jist. Brian seemed to be concerned , but skeptical.

"You sure he just doesn't want to just run wild away from his mother?" Brian squinted.

"I'm not positive about anything. But I'm pretty sure it's something else." I stated. "I think he genuinely has a problem with his mother or his career. Or he's just a teenager. But if he is thinking he'll just come out here and party, I'll set his shit straight quick."

"When will he be here?"

"His mother will call to let us know." I replied, flicking my cigarette out in the ashtray.

"Okay." Brian kissed me gently on the lips and drew me into a hug.

(Part Two)

"Um, hello?" Brian answered the ringing phone grumpily.

I rolled over onto my side and looked up at Brian sleepily.

"Yeah?" Brian rubbed his eyes and spoke into the phone.

"Who is it, baby?" I yawned.

Granted it was only ten-thirty at night, but we had been in bed for an hour. We'd had a long day, so as soon as Booker was out, so were we. However, not many people would call us after ten. Not unless they were drunk. Or something was wrong. Or they wanted to die painfully.

"His plane's been in the air for three hours already?" Brian shot up in bed. "Alright, I'm on my way."

Brian slammed the phone down.

"Who was that?" I asked quickly.

"Aaron's mother. The crazy skank says he'll be here in an hour." Brian got out of bed and started yanking on some jeans.

"And she's just now calling?" I shook my head in disbelief.

"I know, right?" Brian huffed. "I'll go get him. You stay with Boog."

"Okay, baby." I yawned.

"Hopefully I'll be back in two hours or less." Brian yanked a tee on then started getting some sneakers on.

"I'll be asleep, but okay." I chuckled tiredly.

"You'll wake up when I get back. I'll be needin' a little sumpin' sumpin' from you then." Brian laughed.

"I have to be awake for THAT?" I laughed back.

"Ha, ha." Brian leaned down to kiss me before grabbing his back-pack.

"Bye, baby." I yawned.

"Bye, sexy." Brian was gone.

I rolled back over in bed and snuggled up in the covers. It wasn't long before I was back asleep.

When I did wake back up, Brian was snuggling up against me in bed. I had rolled back over, facing his side of the bed. He was backed up against me. There was a soft blue light coming thru the window over the bed, signaling that dawn was coming. I smiled happily to myself and stretched out, feeling like I'd had a great night's sleep. I curled up against Brian's back and laid an arm over him, holding him tightly to me. It was either just my imagination or Brian had lost several pounds since the night before.

As I squinted in the low light, I realized that it wasn't Brian laying in bed with me. It was Aaron. Brian was nowhere to be found. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands and rolled out of bed. Aaron made a slight noise at my movement, but didn't wake up. I didn't know why he was in my bed, but the only thing my body cared about right then was food and coffee. So, instead of freaking, I went to the kitchen after slipping a tee on.

"Hey, Grizzly." Brian rubbed my unshaved cheek as I entered the kitchen.

"A lady is never 'grizzly'." I lisped as I picked a seat at the table.

"Right." He kissed the top of my head. "Whatcha want for breakfast?"

"Cawwwwwwwwfeeeeeee." I groaned. "And to know why Aaron's in our bed."

"He was crying last night but wouldn't tell me why. So I let him crawl into bed with you." Brian replied as he poured me a jumbo sized cup of coffee.

"You're a beautiful person." I stated as he handed me the mug. "Did you sleep any?"

"Yeah, I slept 'til about twenty minutes ago." Brian put something in the toaster.

"Good. I need sugar and cream, daddy." I cooed.

"Okay, baby." Brian laughed as he camed over and dumped cream and sugar in my coffee, knowing exactly how much I liked.

"Monin', daddy." Booker walked into the kitchen, his hair sticking up in every which direction.

He was rubbing his eye with his fist as he pulled a chair out and hopped into it.

"Smooches." I leaned over and gave him a kiss.

"'Mooches, daddy." He yawned.

"Here ya' go, baby." Brian kissed the top of my head as he set a toasted bagel and a tub of cream cheese in front of me.

"Thanks."

"Trix, daddy." Booker paused, then added quickly, "Please."

"Okay, buddy." Brian reached over and tried to pat down some of his hair.

"How'd you sleep, buddy?" I asked as I sipped my coffee.

"Good, daddy." He yawned again.

"I don't know why you'll fuss and fight during the week, but get up at the butt crack of dawn on a Saturday." I teased him.

"'Cause there's no school." Booker stuck his tongue out at me playfully as I began slathering cream cheese on my bagel.

I just laughed as Brian set a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice in front of Booker.

"Baby, do we have any..."

"Pears?" Brian set a plate with sliced pear on it in front of me.

"Thanks, baby." I gave him a kiss.

"No prob, Bob." He plopped down in the seat across from me with his own cup of coffee and a bagel.

"What are we doing today?" Booker asked as he shoved a spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

"Baby?" Brian looked at me.

"Well," I swallowed my bite of bagel,"we need to practice our culinary skills for Thanksgiving, and we could go..."

"Morning." Aaron finally entered the kitchen.

He had on boxers and a tee, with a black hooded sweater throw on. He had the hood over his head and his arms over his mid-section. It looked like he was cold.

"If you put on some pants, you might be warm." I teased as I bit into my bagel.

"Har, har." He smiled and plopped down next to Brian.

"You want some breakfast?" Brian asked.

"Sure, whatcha got?" He yawned wide.

"What do you want would be an easier question." Brian laughed.

"Um, eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes." Aaron smiled widely.

"I'll take you to McDonald's when I'm done here." I replied blandly.

Brian laughed loudly.

"You didn't say we could go to McDonald's!" Booker yelled.

"'Cause you wanted something we had." I tweaked his nose. "And something daddy could fix."

"Hey!" Brian laughed again. "While ya'll are doing that, Booker and I will get some stuff from the store so you and I can practice making some Thanksgiving food."

"Are we have a pre-Thanksgiving run?" Aaron teased as he stole a piece of pear from my plate.

"Yeah, and if all goes right, we'll eat turkey for dinner." I replied skeptically.

"If being the operative word." Brian sighed.

"I've never seen someone eat so much in my whole life." I chuckled as Aaron and I walked out of McDonald's.

"I was hongry." Aaron made me laugh at his pronunciation as he rubbed his belly.

"Well, where shall we go now?" I wrapped an arm around his shoulders as I popped my sunglasses on.

"Are those Versace?" Aaron asked.

"You're just a little label queen."

"King." Aaron corrected me.

"Whatever." I laughed. "So, where shall we go King Aaron O' Fashion?"

Aaron laughed at the English accent I used.

"Shopping? Have tea?" I continued.

"You didn't answer my question." Aaron laughed harder.

"No, they are from Tar-jay." I answered.

"When did you start buying sunglasses at the local Target?" Aaron sounded shocked.

"When I found one with a Starbuck's in the parking lot."

"Ah-ha. So, where're we going?" He stated.

"I know! Let's go take pictures of ourselves in front of the Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly that Winona got herself busted in." I jumped up and down in excitment.

"I'm in!" Aaron gave me a high-five.

"We could write 'Free Winona' on some posterboards and hold them up for the pictures." I got another brilliant idea.

"You're strange, ya' know it?" Aaron paused with a smile. "But in a good way. Can I drive?"

"Yeah, right." I snorted.

"Why not?" He frowned.

"'Cause one day I'm gonna trade this car in for something else. It has to be in one piece for that to happen."

"Pleeeeeeease?" He begged.

"Oh fine." I slapped the keys into his hand. "It's not like you can't buy me a new one."

"Exactly." Aaron smiled and hit the unlock button the key ring.

Nervously, I climbed in shotgun and fastened my seatbelt. Aaron hurriedly strapped himself in and started the car. Aaron was old enough to drive with an adult and probably had numerous times. However, I didn't want his first day staying with me and Brian to end in tragedy.

"Can we go see a movie, too?" Aaron asked as he pulled out of the parking space.

"We can do anything you want until noon. But we gotta be back at the house by then so I can start cooking with Brian." I replied.

"That's only three hours!" Aaron squealed as he pulled out onto the street and headed west.

"And we can do whatever you want for those three hours." I cooed.

"Okay." He groaned, but smiled.

We sat in silence for a bit as he got on the highway and went north. He seemed to be a good driver. No squealing tires or fender benders, yet.

"So are you gonna tell me what's been bugging you?" I asked.

"Nuthin'." Aaron replied.

"I don't want to pressure you, baby boy." I explained. "But, something is goin' on between you and your mother."

"I just don't really feel like talking about it." Aaron sighed. "Can we just chill together for today?"

"You aren't like a closeted fag are you?" I asked the most horrifying question I could think of.

"Hell no." He laughed loudly.

"Thank goodness. I wouldn't have known how to handle that." I laughed with him.

Aaron looked confused. "But, you're gay."

"Yeah. It's just that most guys close to me end up gay and attracted to me. I didn't want that to happen with you." I explained honestly.

"Oh." He laughed. "No, definitely not. Not to offend you or anything, but I wouldn't screw you for money."

"Thank God--no offense taken." I sighed with relief. "What is it then?"

"I don't really want to talk about it--right now. But maybe later."

"Okay." I placed a hand on the back of his head and ruffled his hair. "But, you gotta tell me sometime why you're practically moving in."

"Speaking of which, more of my stuff will be here this afternoon." He smiled sheepishly.

"Okay." I was amused. "Like what?"

"More clothes, some CD's, and my bookwork."

"Is she sending the tutor, too?" I teased.

"No." He laughed.

"Just to let you know, I have some rules for you."

"Like what?" He asked, not sounding upset.

"If you think you're gonna be humping up on girls in my house--uh uh." I stated.

"Mom told you, huh?"

"Yeah. Ain't gonna happen. And it's not a hetero/homo thing. If you were gay, I wouldn't let you be humping on the boys, either."

"Okay." He laughed, obviously not upset still.

"This ain't 'House Party 5'. You're still a kid, no matter how many albums you sell, kapeish?"

"Gotcha." He grinned widely.

"Brian and I are in charge, so don't fuck with either of us. And be nice to Booker." I finished.

"I can handle that."

"And do your school work!" I ruffled his hair again.

"Okay." He laughed.

"If you do happen to fuck up, just tell me. Don't lie to me, k? I have this thing that really bothers me about liars. I have to kill them."

"I won't ever lie to you. I swear." He took one hand off the steering wheel long enough to hold it over his heart.

"Good boy."

We sat in the car for a few more seconds before he spoke up again.

"Thanks Matt. Really."

"Glad to do it." I gave him a smile.

"Baby! Help us!" I squealed as I pushed the door to the house open with my bags.

"Oh, good Lord." Brian chastised me as he came to my rescue.

"Take these." I handed him the bags I had over one arm.

"Did you buy out all of Saks?" Brian laughed as he took several bags off me.

"They're souvenirs. Winona Ryder doesn't get arrested in just every store. They're the ones that caught her." I explained as Aaron and I finally got into the house, closing the door behind us.

"Oh, then that makes sense." He rolled his eyes.

"It was horrifying." Aaron stated. "Matt kept asking if he could get his picture taken with the guy that caught her."

Brian almost fell over with laughter.

"I'm glad you're amused." I pushed him out of my way. "'Cause they weren't. Well, not until I started buying shit."

"I bet."

"Fortunately, Old Navy was happy as always to see me and my money." I held up two full sacks of their's.

"Matt taught me that the best shopping to be had is with a gay man." Aaron beamed from his new found information.

"That's not gay men, baby boy." Brian ruffled his hair. "It's just Matt. Matt and Visa make a lethal duo."

"Shaddup." I poked Brian with an elbow.

"You get anything for me?" Brian laughed.

"Yeah, from Saks. Remember those pair of khakis that you wore out from wearing so much?

"My favorites--ofcourse I remember." Brian looked shocked that I'd even think he'd forgotten.

"Well, I found the exact same ones. I bought you three pairs."

Brian dropped the bags he had and took me in his arms, making me drop my bags as a result. He stared intensely into my eyes as he held me.

"I've never been more sexually attracted to you than I am right now. Let's make love right here." He kissed me.

I laughed loudly. "I thought you'd feel that way."

"Gross." Aaron faked gagging.

"Shaddup." Brian kissed me on the lips again then let me up.

"I got the Old Navy stuff for Booker. My child must be stylish--but at a reasonable price." I lisped.

"Well go put all that crap up for now." Brian patted me on the butt. "We need to start cookin'."

"Okay, sexy man." I winked as Aaron and I gathered up the bags and headed towards the back of the house.

Aaron helped me get the bags to my room, then followed me back to the kitchen. Brian was hauling the turkey out of the fridge. It looked fairly small, but still too big for just the four of us. Oh well, turkey's come by the pound, not the portion. Brian set it on the island in the middle of the kitchen and gave me a smile.

"I got a cookbook and all the shit to do this." Brian looked very proud of himself.

"You gonna help, Aaron?" I asked.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world." He teased.

We both joined Brian at the island where he was flipping the cookbook open. He finally found the part that told you how to prepare the turkey and read it outloud to us.

"It says we have to remove the giblets." He scrunched his nose up. "Go for it, Matt."

"Bite me." I deadpanned.

"Fine." Brian sighed, defeated. "It can't be that bad. Just unwrap the sucker and yank out it's baggied innards."

"Right." I tried not to laugh.

Brian opened the bag on the bird and stripped it off. I watched with Aaron as Brian chunked the bag in the trash. He pulled the turkey's legs apart and took a deep breath.

"It's dead, don't worry, Brian." Aaron laughed.

"Yeah, stick your arm up that dead bird's ass." I stated.

Brian exhaled and slowly slid his hand in. He had just gotten to his wrist when he spoke up.

"This ain't so bad." He smiled and pushed his hand further up the turkey's ass.

Brian yanked his arm out quickly and squealed shrilly.

"I touched giblets!" He queened out and started dancing towards the sink, still squealing like a bitch.

Aaron and I just ignored him. I bent over 'til I could see up the thing's ass as Brian squealed and washed his hands.

"Here, Matt." Aaron grabbed the long serving spoon out of the utensil holder and handed it to me.

"Thanks, boo." I winked and took it from him.

It took me a few seconds, but I finally dug the bag of giblets out without having to touch them. And I only gagged once.

"Nasty." I shook the spooon at Aaron with the giblet bag hanging on.

"No kidding." He stuck his tonge out as he took the spoon from me. "Catch Brian!"

Brian squealed again. "Stop it!"

"So, he's the, um, woman in the relationship?" Aaron asked me.

"Not where it counts." I laughed.

Aaron just stuck his tongue out as if he was disgusted.

"Okay, baby. The bird is de-gibletted. Or whatever. You may take back over." I saluted Brian.

"This is alot more disgusting than I thought." Brian came back over to the turkey.

"You know, we should probably learn to actually cook, so when it comes to this kind of shit, we don't freak." I shrugged as Brian looked at the cookbook.

"Ya' think?" He snorted.

"Just a bit." I replied. "So, what do we do with it now?"

"Throw it out and order in?" Aaron joked.

"Shaddup. I can do this." Brian shoved Aaron away with a laugh.

Aaron and I just looked at each other, not really sure we should trust Brian to cook something we had to eat. However, we waited patiently while Brian read in the cookbook what to do next. He looked just about as confused as I felt. I don't know why we had gotten ourselves trapped into making Thanksgiving dinner for everyone. There was no backing out now, though.

"Okay, we gotta like tie the legs together to keep the moisture, um, in the turkey. Then we season the turkey and pour this marinade we gotta mix on it. Then we cook the sucker and baste it every thirty minutes while it's baking." Brian nodded his head,obviously in agreement with the book.

"My mom used to shove stuffing up the things ass. Don't we have to do that?" I honestly didn't know.

"No, this cookbook has a recipe for stuffing that you bake in a pan. It doesn't say you stuff the turkey with it."

"Yeah, okay."

"Can we go to McDonald's if this bombs?" Aaron asked me.

"Sure, I'll spring."

"You two can shut up already. It's going to work out just fine." Brian grunted.

"What do we need to do now that you're done playing bondage with Turkey boy here?" I asked as soon as Brian had the legs tied together.

"You play bondage with me." Brian wriggled his eyebrows at me.

Aaron made more gagging noises. He was definitely going to have to get used to our displays of nastiness if he was going to stick around for any length of time. I reached over to Brian and cupped his cheek in my hand, running my thumb along his cheekbone.

"That's my baby--the eternal optimist." I teased him.

"Oh piss off." Brian pulled away with a laugh.

"Okay, okay." I gave him a quick kiss. "What do I put in the marinade or whatever? I guess I can do that."

"Thanks, baby." Brian beamed.

The table was set expertly, if not elegantly, by Aaron. There were a couple candles lit in the middle of the table, the only light in the room. All of our carefully made dishes were arranged on the table, just waiting to be dug into and devoured. The four of us were sitting around the table. Ofcourse, we were in PJ's, so it wasn't really like Thanksgiving. However, this was just a dry-run.

We were all taking turns passing dishes back and forth, scooping portions out onto our plates. I had turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, a roll and loads of gravy on my plate. We had glazed carrots and peas, but I had no room left on my plate for them. So, I had to skip that dish. I helped Booker get his food. For the most part, he was pretty self-sufficient. However, sometimes he turned into Mary Catherine Gallagher in the coordination department. After all our plates were filled, we all sat there looking at each other.

"Well, here goes nothing." I sighed and put a forkful of stuffing in my mouth.

Aaron and Brian just watched me for a reaction as Booker dug into his food. The stuffing tasted very good, which surprised me quite a bit.

"Damn we're all good." I smiled at Aaron and Brian after I swallowed the bite.

"Thank God." Brian dug into his food.

Aaron attacked his plate as well. Booker was the only one of us that had eaten any lunch, so we were all hungry. So hungry, we probably would've eaten the food no matter how bad it tasted.

"You know, Mom's gonna expect one of us to say the blessing." Brian glanced across the table at me as he took a bite of turkey.

"You can take that one." I replied.

"Why don't you?" He asked.

"I wouldn't have the first clue what to say in a prayer." I shrugged.

"Didn't your family go to church?" Aaron asked, his cheeks full.

"No, we weren't really religious."

"Didn't you say a prayer at Thanksgiving?" Brian prodded.

"Please. They might have uttered a prayer that Neiman Marcus would be open after we ate. Or they worshipped to the demi-gods of high-end, marked-up, pretentious department stores."

Brian brayed at my dead-panned speech. Apparently, he thought it was a joke.

"It's the truth. My aunt Floriene always managed to insult my mother, her cooking habits, and the wine in one breath every year."

"Oh yeah?" Brian raised one eyebrow.

I began speaking in an old Jewish lady's voice. "I swear to Gawd Carol, no kosher salt? I'll have to get Harry to take me down to market to pick some up. I don't know why you buy this Berringer crap, for Christ's sake. It's a meshuggene the way you pick out wine. If I didn't know better, I'd think you a farmishtah."

"Oh, is your family Jewish?" Brian looked shocked.

"No." I replied, dropping the accent.

"Just Aunt Floriene?"

"No, she was Catholic."

"Um, I don't get it." Brian was confused.

"Aunt Floriene was a bit touched, baby." I didn't look up from my plate. "That would probably be why she called my mother Carol when her name's Deborah. She always referred to me as Walter."

Brian began braying loudly again, having to put his fork down from his hard laughter.

"She actually had a habit of pinching my butt when I walked by her in the living room, then pretend to be asleep when I spun around.

"Can I meet her someday?" Brian giggled.

"She's dead now." I replied. "The funeral was unusual. Her Will stipulated that a rabbi had to do the service in St. Theresa's on Thirteenth. But that was my family--tacky."

Brian couldn't stop laughing, even when the doorbell rang. I didn't know who could possibly have thought ot stop by. However, I put my fork down and wiped my mouth before getting up.

"I'll get it, baby." I spoke to Brian. "I'll tell you about Uncle Larry asking us to reach into his pockets for a 'surprise' when I get back."

Aaron and Brian both choked on their food as I left the room. I made my way thru the house, noticing I was going to have to make Booker clean up some of his toys from the living room. He had apparently made the living room into "Sponge Bob Land" or something. As I was looking at the mess, I realized that I was finally going to have to furnish and clean out the formal dining room. We had been using it for storage until the time came to clean it up. The time was coming very shortly.

I was so deep in thought about how to decorate the dining room that I almost didn't realize who was at the door when I opened it. Barbara was standing on my doorstep, smiling in at me. I actually took a step back in surprise as it registered with me. She was in front of me, looking skinny, but happy. Probably as confused as I was about the situation, she waited for me to speak first.

"Barb?!?!" That was all I could manage.

"Hi, Matt." She smiled warmly.

Her presence was so shocking, I didn't know what to say to her.

"I'm out of rehab." She offered.

"I see that. Um, how'd that work out for you?"

"Well, I haven't had anything to drink yet." She smiled wider.

"Great. That's great. Would you, um, want to come in?" I pushed the door open further.

"Sure. For a minute, then I should leave." Barb finally stepped inside.

Barb followed me into the house as I closed the front door behind us. She looked a bit thin, but she had always been a trim gal. Definitely no junk in her trunk. She looked better than she ever had, actually. I guess Aunt Betty took care of her folks when they visited.

"You look good, Barb." I smiled as we walked into the living room.

"As do you." She replied warmly. "I love the hair. Giorgio?"

"No. It's an original Brian and Matt creation." I unconciously ran a hand thru my hair.

"That saved you about three hundred bucks." She replied.

"That and it's one of a kind."

"You look buff." She tilted her head slightly as she looked me up and down.

"If you can tell thru my flannel pajamas, then I guess I am." I laughed, slightly embarassed.

"Well, I can." She laughed. "Listen, I just came by to apologize."

"For what?"

"For flaking out on you basically." She offered. "You didn't deserve it. And obviously, I was wrong about your career from what I've heard and read."

I had to smile when she chuckled to herself.

"No, you weren't wrong. You were just going thru a tough time." I waved her off. "I shouldn't have said half of what I said to you."

"I'm glad you did." She stared me in the eye. "It made me check into rehab."

I was shocked.

"I didn't realize what I was losing in my life until I lost you as my client." She sighed and sat down on the couch. "You have the loyalty of a labrador, Matt. When you left, I knew I had fucked up big time. It was about time, too. Everyone else left me way before you did."

"I thought I had pushed you over the edge." I stated as I sat down next to her.

She laughed, making me laugh as well. "No, you finally made me see how much I was screwing up."

"I'm glad it all worked out for the best." I grabbed her hand and held it.

Brian screamed from the kitchen, wondering where I was. I hollered back to him to "shut up" and I'd be back soon.

"Matt, I had something to ask you, too." Barb brought my attention back to her.

"Sure." I noticed her grip on my hand got tighter.

"Can I come back? To work with you, I mean."

I barely had to think about it. My answer was automatic.

"Ofcourse you can." I laughed. "Now that you're on the wagon and all."

Barb let out a sharp laugh and pulled me in to hug her.

"I was so afraid you'd tell me to fuck off." She laughed loudly.

"Well, don't be too happy. I do have Garrett that I'm using as management right now. I don't have a contract for any specific length of time with him, though. But I can't just fire him--that'd make me feel so bad."

"Listen, worry about this later. You go ahead and get back to whatever it was you were doing. We'll talk about this later." She stood.

"It's just dinner with the boys, Barb." I laughed. "In fact, do you want to eat? You look like you need to."

"I don't want to impose." She shook her head.

"Whatever." I laughed and wrapped my arm around hers, dragging her into the kitchen. "We have turkey, stuffing, peas, carrots, taters, basically the whole bit."

"Now I'm really hungry." She gave my arm a tight squeeze with hers as we walked to the kitchen.

(Part Three)

"These are too damn tight." I grunted as I fastened the button on the jeans. "I won't be able to sit down."

"They're supposed to be tight. It's provocative." Garrett huffed.

"I look like an overstuffed sausage." I got attitude back with him.

"They look fine in the waist."

"But look at my thighs!" I squealed.

"It's just a photo shoot for Christ's sake." Garrett rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, they're going to take photos of this!"

Garrett and I were in the dressing rooms of Out magazine L.A. Apparently, Garrett was going to make me pose for a shoot with them, no matter how much I blew them off. He thought it was "fucking brilliant" for me to be in Out. I thought it was overkill. We just agreed to disagree for the time being.

Barbara had gone off to get both of us some Starbuck's. I knew when she saw me in those jeans, looking like circa 1988 Bon Jovi, she'd laugh her ass off. She might even offer to sing "Dead or Alive" for me. Or buy me a one way ticket to New Jersey.

"They scream bad fashion sense. I'm never letting you bring wardrobe, you hear me?!?" I screeched.

"Oh fine. Poof out. You can prance about in nothing for all I care." Garrett flipped a wrist rudely at me.

"You sorry piece of..."

"Hello, venti caramel machiatto." Barb burst into the room.

"...European trailer trash!" I finished.

"Did I come in at the wrong time again?" She handed me my cup and sat down in the vanity chair.

I took a healthy gulp of the coffee and slammed it down on the counter top.

"You know jack squat about fashion!" I pointed a finger at Garrett.

"You know bullocks about business!" He snarled back. "Furthermore, you wouldn't know Prada from Payless!"

I gasped and brought a hand to my mouth. "Bastard!"

Barbara watched with morbid fascination as I interacted with Garrett while she sipped her coffee.

"That's enough now. I don't know much more insults." Garrett waved a hand in front of himself.

"Thanks, cutie." I stepped over to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then went back to my coffee.

"Terry on."

"Am I lost here, or what?" Barb shook her head.

"A good argument gets Matt alert and ready to do the photo crap. The dramatics gets his creative juices flowing. It's genius, no?" Garrett stayed relaxed in his chair as he explained.

"A fight gets my mojo flowing, Barb." I explained in human terms.

"Oh." She replied, looking confused as she sipped her coffee. "I forgot how it was working with you."

Garrett and I laughed loudly. The pants weren't going to work. I was going to have to do something since they were the only wardrobe Garrett had brought. There was only one thing to do. Barb would have to make a quick jaunt to the store. Other than that, my option was to do the photo shoot in the nude.

"Barb, bounce down to some cheap ass deparment store and get me some loose fit Levi's or something. Nothing that screams 'Bon Jovi'. Pick me up some oversized button down silky type shirt. Grab some accessories, we're talking Dollar General here, and some black eye liner." I slapped some money into her hand after digging it out of my backpack.

"Still thirty and thirty-two?" She stood.

"Twenty-eight and thirty-two." I replied. "But get a bit longer inseam. I have an idea."

"You HAVE shaped up, skinny waist." She pinched my side as she left the room again.

"Ouch! You're poking me with those scissors, damnit!" I laughed at Barbara as she knelt next to me.

"Sorry, babes." She chuckled at me.

Barbara was cutting off the bottom inch of the jeans and fraying them. I was sitting in the vanity chair as she clipped and Garrett drew a tattoo on my chest with black eye liner. He had already drawn a faux Chinese symbol on the back of my neck. I couldn't believe it took all three of us to get me ready. We were already ten minutes late for starting the shoot, but Garrett had told the people in charge to "sod off. Matt will be out when he's ready, aw right?".

"Done." Garrett stood up straight again. "Those scars are nasty."

Garrett was staring at the knife scars.

"They are, aren't they?" I smiled sweetly.

"Can we cover them up?" He asked shyly.

"No. We can't." I took the eye liner from him and lined my eyes heavily. "Hand me some hairspray."

Garrett handed me the can and I sprayed the back of my neck and chest so the fake tats wouldn't smudge easily.

"How's this?" Barb looked up at me.

"Wonderful, Babs." I chunked the eye liner onto the vanity and stood up.

The jeans still drug under my feet, but in a comfortable, care-free way.

"This is definitely better." I replied as I slid on the red silk button down Barb got.

I left it unbuttoned as I pulled on the red cotton "condom cap".

"Here." Barb held up a hemp bracelet with red and blue beds woven in it.

As she tied the bracelet on my wrist, I examined a few rings she had bought for practically nothing. Probably because they were cheap like the rest of the outfit. After the bracelet was on, a ring got put onto the thumb and middle finger of my left hand and on the index finger of my right hand. I stripped the ring off the left middle finger after deciding it looked like too much next to the two rings on my left hand ring finger. Those were the two rings from Brian, so they never came off.

"Excellent." Barb gave her final approval as I pulled on some black plastic 'Buddy Holly' glasses.

"We'll call this the 'hip nerd' look." I sighed and took the last sip of my now cold coffee.

"Altoids." Barb dug in her purse, then practically shoved three breath mints into my mouth.

"Thanks. Should I leave the shirt open?" I asked Barb, thinking of Garrett's 'scar comment'.

"Definitely."

"These have to go." I chunked the glasses on the vanity. "It's overkill.

"Yeah." Garrett agreed with me for once.

"It's hot, Matt. I'd do you." Barb dead-panned her compliment.

"I might switch for you even." Garrett helped reinforce her compliment to make me feel more at ease.

"That's 'cause you're both sluts." I teased them. "Let's do this thing.

With that, the three of us exited the dressing room.

"Someone tell that asshole to stop groping my client like that!" Barb demanded for me.

"I'm not groping." The photographer stated defensively.

He WAS groping. He'd touched my chest, ass and crotch. I don't know why he thought he could pass it off as anything else. However, I let Bard do the fighting.

"You touch my client one more time like that, I'll rip your goddamned arm off and beat you with it." She hissed. "Goddamnit, where's Paulo?"

The woman had a way with words. A handsome, long haired, tan man walked over to Barb.

"What's wrong, my flower?" He schmoozed as he sideled up to her.

"Paulo, thank God." She hugged him. "This asshole here won't keep his hands to himself. If he doesn't start behaving, we're walking."

That's what I had missed about Barb. She knew everybody important. Everyone loved and respected her. That and she was a fuckin' barracuda made me miss her. She definitely took care of me.

"You let me handle it." The guy displayed a thick Italian accent. "Marco!"

The photographer huffed and followed the other man away to talk.

"I'm sorry, Matt. Paulo will give him a talking to." She came over and sat next to me on set.

"It's cool, babe." I patted her knee. "You got a smoke on you?"

"Sure." Barb replied and gave me a Camel and lit it for me.

"How do you smoke this shit?" I grumbled after my first drag.

"After thirty years, you get used to it." She shrugged.

"Why do people feel they can just grab you if you're a celebrity? It pisses me off." I exhaled heavily.

"I have no clue." She shrugged. "While that asshole was snapping pictures and fondling you, I got a call from my friend Marie at Paramount."

"Yeah?" I stripped my hat off and ran my fingers thru my hair.

"She really wants to tap you for a bit part in the new movie they're doing with Sandra Bullock." Barb gave me a sly grin.

"Sandra Bullock, huh? Hold on." I turned away for a second and shivered with a groan. "Sorry, had to have an orgasm."

Barbara cackled. "Is that a yes?"

"Why just a bit part, though?" I was happy, but slightly disappointed.

"Well, it starts filming in January and you'll be doing other things. Otherwise they would've tapped you for the male lead."

"Oh."

"When Sandra heard you really wanted to work with her, she said she wanted you for the movie. But, with your schedule, I let them know you couldn't commit to much." She explained.

"So, what exactly is this part?" I took another drag on my smoke.

"You'll play Sandra's 'Dorothy Parker-esque dry-witted, scathingly sarcastic gay neighbor'. That's how Marie put it anyway." Barb shrugged.

"That's me in real life." I waved her off

"She said you should read the script. It's got best-supporting actor Academy Award written all over your part."

"I have an Academy Award already. For Best Actor. So what?" I replied with a shrug.

"Okay, Mr. Snob. You know you want to do this. Let's just have the reading and see if you like it." Barb lit another cigarette for me as I put it to my lips. "Don't act all snotty because you've entered the big leagues. The only reason you didn't get the lead is because you're too busy next year. So shut up and agree to go to the reading already."

Barb knew how to keep me in line, too.

"You're right. Okay, I'll go read the scrip. When do we go?" I replied, giving her a smile finally.

"In one hour." Barb looked at her watch. "Yo, Paulo?! Could we start back up here or what?"

I put my second cigarette out as Barb herded the cameraman back over. After warning him about touching me yet again, she let him get back to work. He started snapping pictures as Garrett brought over my cell phone. He explained it was Brian and got out of the camera's view. The cameraman began snapping again, continuing as I put the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I spoke into the phone, then yelled at Barb. "Cigarette please!"

"Hey, baby." Brian replied. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Being photographed for the millionenth time in my life. What are you up to?" I asked as Barb chunked the pack of smokes and a lighter to me.

"Missing you." He sighed wistfully. "I wanted to hear your voice."

"Awwww." I cooed as I lit up. "I miss you all the time, too."

"When're you getting home today?"

"Probably around dinner time. Can you pick Booker up?"

"Sure. I think I'm gonna take him and Aaron to see the new Harry Potter right after he gets out of school."

"No! Wait to see that some other time, I want to see that, too." I begged.

"8 Crazy Nights?" Brian asked.

"No. Booker doesn't need to see that shit." I snorted.

"Santa Clause 2 it is." Brian laughed. "Then we'll be home after that."

"Okay, baby. I love you." I replied and kissed the bottom part of the phone.

"I love you more. Guess what?" Brian replied in a sexy voice.

"What?"

"Tonight, I'm gonna rub your body all over and lick every inch of your body from toe to head."

"Gee, what's in it for me?" I teased. "I'll love that, baby."

"I thought you would." He cooed. "Anyway, hurry and get your sexy ass home tonight."

"My sexy ass is all yours when I get there." I replied.

The cameraman stopped taking pictures to look at me.

"Yo, Mary, keep going." I snapped at him.

"I don't even want to know who you're being rude to." Brian laughed loudly.

"Anyway," I sneered at the photographer,"I'll see you tonight."

"Alright, bye baby." He replied and hung up.

"The run-through has already started, well almost." Marie ushered us towards the meeting room. "But we can still make it."

"Run-through? I thought I was coming to just get the script and read it?" I was confused.

Barb looked confused when I glanced over at her.

"Well, the cast is here for an initial run-through, so we thought you could sit in on it and read the part of Austin." Marie spoke quickly as we made our way down the hall. "That's the character we want you to play."

"Um, yeah, okay." I replied.

We all stopped outside of the meeting room, waiting for Marie to open the doors.

"Do you need a Starbuck's or anything?" Marie asked me.

"Sure. I'll take a venti mocha frap." I replied.

She looked down at the clipboard she was carrying, then wrote it down.

"They're doing Chinese for lunch and asked me to order. Do you three want anything?" She looked up at me.

"Szcechwaun Chicken, extra spicey." I answered.

"Oh, that sounds good." Barb turned to me.

"Wanna split?" I asked her.

"Sure." She rubbed her belly for emphasis.

"For you?" Marie turned to Garrett as she wrote down our order.

"Kunp Pao and a spring roll." He replied.

"Oooooh, could I also get Hot & Sour Soup?" I looked at Barb. "For two."

Barb laughed at how well we knew each other.

"Will do." Marie chuckled. "Now, let's let these folks know you're here."

Marie put the clipboard to her side and finally pulled the door open for us. Instantly we heard loud chatter that signaled that the read-through had definitely not begun yet. Everyone stopped speaking at once as Marie entered the room and we followed her in. Immediately, I noticed that Sandra Bullock wasn't the only major celebrity in the room. She was sitting in the middle of a long table that had the cast sitting around it.

Around the walls of the room was where the managers and agents and God knows who else was sitting. Most of them were having conversations on their cell phones or trying to look important in other ways. Sanaa Lathan, William H. Macy, Susan Sarandon and Ben Affleck were around the table, along with a few others I didn't know. A weird set of cast members, I thought, but still loved it.

"Everyone, Matt's finally here." Marie walked into the room with a prescence, making everyone pay attention. "We're going to have him sit in and read the part of Austin to help convince him to do the movie."

I suddenly felt very naked. My outfit from the photo shoot was what I was still wearing. Ofcourse, I'd put on a pair of sandals instead of going barefoot. The eye liner was still on, my shirt was flapping open, showing my bare chest and stomach. Definitely, it made me feel like a B-rate celebrity. Sandra was the first to smile and then stood.

"I saved a place for you." She motioned to the chair next to her.

"Thanks." I smiled and pulled my baggy shirt closed, buttoning it quickly. "I just came from a photo shoot, so I'm a little unprepared and a little under-dressed."

Everyone chuckled and some even gave me looks that they totally understood.

"I sort of tricked Matt into coming today." Marie made everyone laugh. "He didn't know I was going to parade him in here like a circus animal." She placed a hand in the small of my back. "If you'd like you can go sit with Sandy. Barb and Garrett can have a seat behind you."

"Sure." I stated, finally getting the last button done on my shirt.

I walked over to my seat as non-chalantly as possible as Barb and Garrett took their seats at the wall.

"It's great to finally meet you." Sandra held her hand out to me.

"Same here. I just wish I didn't look like crap right now." I replied as I shook her hand.

"Hey, it's not like I put on makeup to do a read-through." SHe chuckled. "I assume you know everyone?"

"Actually, I think the actors and actresses I haven't met yet all convened here." I replied.

Each person took their turn saying their "hello's" and tried to compliment me as I gushed about loving their movies. William H. Macy seemed surprised that I knew who he was, and absolutely beamed when I named five of his movies in one sentence. Lanaa complimented me back when I told her I was dying to see "Brown Sugar". Ben and I joked about the controversial Rolling Stone lay out. I almost had to leave the room when Susan told me she'd seen and loved all of my movies.

"Um, so I know absolutely nothing about this movie or the character." I stated as we all took our seats.

"Well, the movie is basically a romantic comedy, but a bit more dramatic and real to life." Sandra began as Marie came in and set my coffee in front of me.

"Much edgier." Ben nodded.

"It's an amazing story." Sandra went on to explain as everyone nodded. "My character, Emma is madly in love with Ben's character Marc."

"How could she not be?" Lanaa reached over and pinched Ben's cheek with a laugh.

"Stop. You're making me blush." He teased back.

Sandra laughed. "However, he's completely stuck up and doesn't even think of her in that way. In the end, he wisens up, but she decides he's not good enough for her."

"Cool--a twist." I nodded as I sipped my coffee.

"I play Sandy's alcoholic, pill popping mother who's always putting her down for everything." Susa spoke up. "And I recently married a black man...."

"Which is where I come in." Lanaa stated. "I'm Sandy's step-sister and new best friend. I'm always telling her how she shouldn't put up with her mother."

"The movie touches on race themes, family, sex and emotional-slash-psychological themes." Sandy finished.

"Where does my character come in?" I asked.

"Austin is my neighbor in my apartment building. He's the token gay man that adds the scathing humor and delivers the one liners. Underneath it all, he's a wisened, seen it all, done it all type o' guy that gives amazing backbone to the story." Sandra replied. "William's going to be your older lover-slash-life partner."

"He's kinda like the guy that's been thru a lot of horrible crap in his life that you would probably feel sorry for if he didn't have such courage." Ben stated. "He's the guy that's had more emotional, physical and psychological trauma in his life than all the other characters combine. However, he's the least fucked up."

"You guys sure make it sound good." I laughed.

"Food'll be here in forty-five to an hour, folks." Marie popped her head into the door for a second to announce.

"Well, I guess we should start and get some of this out of the way, then." Sandy stated, opening her script.

"Is there any particular way you want me to read this character? Any specific mannerisms or anything?" I asked as I grabbed a script and opened it as well.

"Feel free to interpret." She smiled.

With that, we began, Sandy reading the narration and camera information. Everyone was so kind and got along so well, that after my initial butterflies, I didn't feel the least bit overwhelmed. Before I'd read even read my character's first line, I knew I'd sign on for the movie.

(Part Four)

"Your shoulders are so tense, baby." Brian stated lowly.

"Are they?"

"Yeah. It's like someone tied your muscles into knots or something." He stated as he massaged me. "But I'll make it aaaaaaaall better."

Brian was sitting on my ass as I laid on my belly on our bed. We had successfully gotten Booker to bed and Aaron promised to not bother us for the rest of the night. So, we both went to our room and stripped down to our boxer briefs. I had felt like crap after the photo shoot, the read-through and then a very lengthy work out with Andre. Brian told me to lay down on the bed and he'd make me feel better. I didn't doubt him for one second.

"You know, you're so gorgeous, baby." Brian kept his hands on my shoulders and leaned down to lick my neck.

"Oh yeah?" I was so relaxed that I could doze of if I wasn't careful.

"Yeah, baby." Brian shoved his crotch against my ass, showing me how hard he was. "You make me so horny."

"Scars and all, huh?" I sighed.

"Ofcourse. Every little inch of your tan body." Brian ran his hands up and down my back.

I laid there in silence, my eyes closed, as Brian ran his hands up and down my back. The feeling of his hands on my bare back made my whole body relax, made the tension in my back slowly ease away.

"Why would you ask that?" Brian asked lowly as his hands moved to my lower back and started rubbing.

"What?" I moaned as the tension in my lower back slowly eased away by the work of Brian's hands.

"About your scars--why'd you ask that?" He kept massaging me.

"Just 'cause." I sorta shrugged. "Just wonderin' I guess."

"Okay, did someone say something about your scars again?" Brian stopped and got off me, kneeling next to me on the bed.

"You make it sound like someone is always putting me down or emotionally abusing me." I chuckled nervously and rolled onto my side, propping my head up with my hand.

"I just know how sensitive you are about it, baby." He laid a hand against the side of my face and stroked my cheek. "That's all."

"Sensitive?!?" I was only halfway pretending to be shocked. "Me?"

"Oh, drop the act." Brian laughed.

I just laid on the bed and looked at him. Sensitive? Why would he even mention me and that word in one sentence? Okay, maybe I was sensitive about my scars. But no one knew that but me. Or so I thought.

"Baby, you're sexier than hell. No scar will change that." Brian reached out and touched the scar on my pec.

"Other people seem to want to cover them up in photo shoots."

"Well, when they're making love to you...." Brian paushed and looked thoughtful for a minute,"Or love you even half as much as I do, then their opinions will count. Until them, I say you're drop dead gorgeous and fuck everyone else."

"Oh yeah?" I smiled and rolled onto my back, looking up at him. "How much do you looooooooooooove me?"

"More than life itself baby." Brian laid down next to me and laid a hand on my chest. "More than anything else."

"More than cheesecake? That's impossible!!!" I teased.

"Even more than that." Brian moved over me, propped his torso up by his arms, but letting the lower half of his body press against me.

"I love you more than...." I cuppped his face between my hand,"Old Navy."

"Don't say it 'less you mean it." Brian laughed and leaned down to kiss me.

"Oh, I mean it." I licked his chin as he pulled away.

Brian just stared at me, love in his eyes as his cock pushed against my thigh. I let my hands wander to his back. Slowly, I slid my hands up and down his back, running over his smooth, bare skin. Brian got a mischievious glint in his eye and his cock seemed to grow even harder against me.

"I really want to make love to you right now. You need to know how sexy you are." Brian pressed his crotch against me harder.

"Yeah, but what's in it for me?" I teased, then thought about it. "I'd really, really, really want you to make love to me."

Brian just looked down at me. He had a sexually aggressive look to him, but he seemed uncertain. I'd never seen Brian look uncertain about sex. Well, atleast not with me. My first thought was that he didn't really want to make love that night, he wanted to just go to sleep. I would have understood, but it was still depressing.

"What's wrong?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Matt, can I tell you something without you freaking out?" Brian almost whispered.

"Uh oh." I stated nervously.

"Well, it's sorta big." Brian pulled away until and sat indian style on the bed.

I bot up and sat across from him on the bed, looking him in the eye. "What is it?"

"Did you ever have the feeling that you were being overwhelmed?"

"Once in awhile...." I was getting really nervous.

"Well, I'm overwhelmed right now." Brian paused for a long time, leaving me wondering what to say. "I don't know what to do about my feelings."

"What feelings?" I croaked.

"Matt," He sighed,"I love you so much, it hurts. My heart aches for you. I've never--ever--loved anyone like I love you. Not nearly as much as I do. Just being here with you, I know you'll have to leave tomorrow to do whatever, and I'll have to cope with you near. That right there makes me sad."

I just stared at him, trying to keep a blank stare at him and not cry.

"If I loved you anymore, there'd have to be two of me to love that much." He smiled widely, as if he had some private joke he wasn't telling me. Then he grabbed my hand and made me lay it over his bare chest, where his heart would be. "Baby, I don't know if this is, um, clear enough..."

"It's clear." I jerked back tears.

"Underneath everything, you're the sweetest, most sensitive, most caring, sexiest damn guy I've ever known. Without you, I'd probably have to just kill myself because I couldn't live with you."

"That's kinda severe..."

"Don't joke. This is serious. Even if we only act serious this once, I want to be able to say I tried to tell you how much I love you atleast once."

I just waited.

"Baby, there's just not enough words for me to explain how much I love you. Or maybe I'm not smart enough or don't have a big enough vocabulary. So, I'll just say this." He held my hand tighter to his chest.

"Yeah?" I squeaked, keeping my eyes on his.

"When you're not with me, it physically hurts me. If you're not near, everything seems petty. Unless I have you with me, I feel completely empty. My heart just beats for you, Matt." Tears were starting to dribble down his cheeks. "I feel like I'm dying if I don't have you."

I was having to struggle hard to keep from crying with him. My heart said to cry, but I didn't want him to see me be that emotional.

"Was that clear?" He gave a wet laugh as he held my hand against him.

"Crystal, baby." I took my other hand and stroked his cheek.

"I love you sooooo damn much, Matt it hurts. I thought love was supposed to make you feel like a million bucks." He continued his teary laugh. "Sometimes I wonder."

I waited for him to finish his sentence, but he didn't.

"Sometimes you wonder....what?" I urged him.

"I just wonder how I got so lucky. You're so good to me. Soooooo good FOR me. I love you, baby." Brian stroked the side of my face as he looked into my eyes and spoke to me softly.

I smiled widely and looked away. The tears were finally streaming down my face, over my cheeks and into the corners of my mouth.

"Baby, what is it?" Brian grabbed my chin softly and moved my face back to look at him.

"Nothing." I laughed wetly. "Just sometimes you know just what to say and when to say something and it makes me all squishy inside." I said the last couple words with a lisp, making Brian chuckle.

"Baby, let's just get married. Like tomorrow." Brian grabbed me and hugged me firmly against himself.

I laughed loudly, but not in a condescending way.

"Let's do it, Matt. Let's get hitched." Brian drawled, making me laugh again.

"Fine." I acted like he was putting me out.

"Yesssssssss!" Brian cheered loudly as we sat, staring at each other, then grabbed my hand and laced his fingers with mine, then leaned forward and kissed me.

"But not tomorrow." I stroked the side of his face softly as we sat Indian style across from each other.

"When?" Brian asked urgently.

"We have to tell your parents first, baby. And Harold, Jr. will want to know. And all the guys. I'll have to call Kylie. Maybe even my mother--who knows?" I shrugged.

"We'll just tell everyone at Thanksgiving. The ones that aren't here will just have to be called." Brian nodded his agreement. "Then when are we going to get married?"

"Do I have to think of everything?" I teased.

"Christmas, baby. Or like a week before, anyway." Brian stated matter-of-factly.

"Tell me everything you want now so I won't be surprised later." I grinned evily.

"I want ALL our friends and family here. Make it a huge event. Catered food, free bar, lots of dancing and partying and having fun. Then you, me and Booker--and whoever else wants to tag along--are going for a honeymoon in Paris." Brian nodded, leeting me know this wasn't up for discussion.

"Oh great! Now I have to learn French!" I teased, but kissed Brian on the lips.

"You're agreeing to this?" Brian looked shocked.

"I'm positive I only want you and only you, baby. If you want this, so do I."

"Thanks, baby." Brian kissed me back.

"Can we make it England, though?" I whispered, afraid.

"Well, since you're going along with everything--okay." Brian replied.

"Woo hoo." I stated lowly with a smile and leaned in to kiss Brian.

Brian returned my kiss, placing a hand on the back of my head. His tongued slowly entered my mouth and rolled around, exploring my mouth thoroughly. His hands moved to my chest and slowly ran up and down my pecs, rubbing my abs every now and then. Finally, I pulled away from him, my lips wet with our saliva.

"In case you didn't know already baby, I'm mad crazy over you, too." I laughed. "And I love you much more than you could ever imagine."

"Since you've been on your best behavior, I won't say I love you more." Brian kissed me deeply on the lips. "Even if I really do." He laughed loudly as we fell back onto the bed together.

(Part Five)

"Matt! Come on!" Aaron pleaded fromt he backseat of Brian's car.

"I said no, Aaron. Don't try to beg Matt!" Brian stammered as he drove down the highway to the airport.

I tried to zone out as Aarona nd Brian argued. I really didn't want Brian to get into the fighting so much that he forgot he was driving us down a busy highway and kill us all in a wreck. Booker was looking out the window, ignoring the fighting that was going on in the car. That was what I wanted to be doing, but I was concerned baout the direction the fight was going in--and it was ugly.

"Matt--pleeeeeeease." Aaron shouted over Brian.

"Aaron!" Brian sputtered.

"Okay, both of you take a breather." I tried to state in a calm, normal voice. "I want everythong to be chilled out when we pick up Kylie."

"I'm chilled, Daddy." Booker stated from his seat.

"I know, buddy." I reached back and patted his leg. "However, Daddy and Aaron aren't."

"But, Matt....." Aaron began.

"Brian said 'no', Aaron." I stated, interrupting him.

"But why?" Aaron frowned.

"Because, Thanksgiving is two days away. We have that to deal with. We have family coming into town. Because you're not going to a party alone where there will be alcohol, sex and drugs, that's why!" I began in a calm voice, but built to a scream. "You're not going to any party without supervision because you're only fifteen years old! There's another reason for you!"

Suddenly, the car was very quiet.

"I go to parties all the time." Aaron squeaked.

"Yeah, thrown by record companies or celebrities where you go with a parent or bodygaurds. You're not going alone to some random party at Brad Renfro's house." I turned to Booker. "Close your ears, Booger."

"Okay, Daddy." Booker slapped his hands over his ears, making me want to laugh.

"That little son of a bitch has been to jail one too many times for drug possession for me to let you go to his house for ANY reason, let alone a party. I don't trust that little sumbitch any farther than I can throw him." I snapped.

"Who throws a random party on Thanksgiving Day anyway?" Brian looked at me.

"EXACTLY!" I threw my hands up in the air. "So, no, you can't go."

"Fine." Aaron was wide-eyed, watching me.

"So, let's all chill out." I relaxed back into my seat.

"Daddy?" I heard Booker's voice.

"Yes, sweetie?" I reached up with both hands to rub my temples.

"What's 'fag' mean?"

Brian swerved, almost hitting a car in the lane next to us. Aaron and I screamed at the same time for him to 'watch out'. Brian corrected quickly and was driving in the right lane again.

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Booked asked quickly.

"Nothing." Brian squeaked.

"Okay. So what does..." Booker started.

"We'll talk about it tonight when we read Harry Potter, buddy." I managed, glancing over at Brian.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Daddy." Booker corrected me.

"Exactly." I gave a nervous smile as Brian made a "gulping" noise.

"He didn't hear it from me." Aaron added quickly.

I just went back to rubbing my temples as Brian drove us to the airport.

"You gonna be okay, baby?" Brian rubbed my back with one hand as I sat in the seat outside of the terminal, rubbing my temples and leaning over.

"My head's bugging me." I stated lowly. "Do you have any Tylenol, baby?" My head was absolutely throbbing.

It was probably due to the nerves of the family all coming into town, Kylie coming in and Kevin in the picture again. That and we still had to make the actual Thanksgiving meal for everyone. Barbara and I had gone shopping and found perfect furniture for the dining room. We got a heavy, long oak table that was stained a very dark chocolate brown with chairs to match. The table was long enough to seat twelve, so that's how many chairs we bought.

We bought another long, slender table to go along one wall to put knick knacks on and an armoire/hutch that had a built in wine rack to go along the opposite wall of the slender table. Bother were a deep chocolate brown as well. We got deep auburns, yellows, oranges and greens for the place settings, napkins, table runner and cushions for the chairs. A few pieces of artwork in the same colors and candle sticks for the table completed the look. Barb was out buying the stem ware, dishes and silverware for me.

Garrett was out buying two cases of wine for me to fill the wine rack with. I threatened his life not to pick up anything that would make me want to kill his straight ass. I didn't know if he fell for it or not, but I would find out soon enough. We needed a nice floral arrangement for the middle of the table for decoration until Thanksgiving dinner came. "God, I'm gay", I thought to myself after seeing how fabulous the room looked. Even Brian was impressed.

"Yeah, hold on." Brian took his hand off my back to dig thru his backpack.

"I didn't mean to give you a headache, Matt." Aaron apologized from my right.

"You didn't, baby boy. It's just from too much thinking." I took one hand off my head long enough to ruffle his hair with a laugh.

"Want me to get you something? Coffee?" He jumped up quickly.

"Yeah, a doppio Espresso. Maybe caffeine will help." I replied.

Here, baby." Brian held two pills out to me.

I dry swallowed them while Aaron dashed off for coffee.

"Lawdy, help me." I exaggerated the pain as Brian went back to rubbing my back.

Kylie's flight had been delayed thirty minutes, and we had arrived thirty minutes early, so we had to wait a full hour for her. My headache wasn't completely unbearable, it was just irritating as fuck. Besides, I hadn't see Kylie in quite awhile, so I was a little stressed about that. She had probably changed so much. Hopefully in good ways.

Slowly, but surely, the Tylenol, Brian's rubbing and my own hands against my temples made me feel better. Aaron finally showed back up with my espresso, so things were looking up for me. Besides the coffee, he had several magazines under his arm, and a huge smile on his face.

"I got all the magazines you're in this week so we can see what's being said about you." He grinned as he handed me the coffee and the stack of mags.

"Oh, goodie!" I chuckled softly as I took them from him.

He had bought People, Vanity Fair, EW, W, GQ, Details and Out. I wasn't on the cover of all of them, but there was atleast a paragraph about me in each. Out had me on the cover in my too long, loose jeans and silky red button down with my condom cap and fake tats showing, so I grabbed it first. The picture on the cover showed me in a standing position, my arms crossed over my chest, as if hugging myself. My legs were crossed over each other, my feet on top of each other and my mouth as wide open in mid-laugh. Obviously it was a candid snap of me. The caption under the cover picture was "Matt Thompson: Going Down! (in history that is)".

"How lovely." I sighed. "I hope it's referring to the movie deals."

"That's hysterical!" Brian laughed as he looked along with me. "Sexy, too."

"Thanks, baby." I snorted.

"This one has a picture of you and Juliette Lewis at a party together, holding hands. Next to it is a picture of you and Brian at the beach holding hands. The caption is 'What's going on here?'." Aaron giggled.

"Groovy." I replied and began reading the article in Out.

"Anything good to say about you?" Brian asked.

"Yeah, I guess. It basically says I'm every fag's wet dream."

"What's that mean, Daddy?" I forgot Booker was sitting next to Brian.

Suddenly, I realized Booker heard "fag" from me before. That made my cheeks turn red.

"Nothing, buddy." I replied evenly. "And don't repeat it, either."

Booker studied me for a minute. "Okay, daddy."

"What's People got?" I asked Aaron.

Um," He flipped thru the magazines quickly,"it has a picture of you and me at Saks, carrying out a shitload of bags."

"Cool. And watch your language." I replied.

"GQ has you in a pair of Kenneth Cole slacks and nothing else." Brian announced how boring that mag was.

"Details!" Aaron hollered, drawing attention from people nearby.

"Shhhhhhhhh!" Brian slapped his leg by reaching over me.

"Sorry." He blushed. "Details is the best! Good photo spread, and it also has commentary from other famous folk. You're actually fully dressed in the photo spread, too!" Aaron laughed loudly.

Brian looked over me to look at the open mag on Aaron's lap. "It says Madonna says you're the hottest hing since her."

"Crunchy." I smiled. "That's quite a compliment."

"No kidding." Brian agreed. "You look so handsome in that McQueen suit."

"Duh." I teased. "Thanks, though, baby."

"Let's see--Vanity Fair." Brian grabbed the mag out of the pile and flipped thru, looking for me in it.

"They took a lot of fucking pictures when I went in to see them. They took even more than that freak at Rolling Stone." I sighed as I laid the Out magazine down and settled back into my seat.

"Daddy, what are we waiting on?" Booker jumped out of his seat and hopped into my lap.

"You're aunt Kylie."

"I know, but why ain't she here yet?" Booker threw his hands up in the air.

"Isn't--and she will be soon." I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him back against me.

"Okay." Booker relented and laid back against me as I held him.

"Well, Vanity Fair has you paired with someone, too." Brian stated evenly, as if not interested.

"Imagine that--another rumor about my personal life." I giggled.

"Well, they got it right, though." Brian replied, again not sounding interested really.

"Who'd they say it was?" I ask, not looking at the mag with Brian since I was holding Booker.

"Me." He shrugged.

"Well, I'll be," I had to stop myself and think of a different word than I planned to say,"darned. They got it right."

"It says they got an 'inside tip from a person in the business', which is sorta circumspect. To the public anyway." Brian snorted.

"Five bucks it's Carson." I held a hand out to Brian.

"No thanks, baby. I'd lose that bet I'm sure." Brian sighed and tossed the magazine into a nearby seat.

"Obviously." I sighed.

"Well, I bet the phone calls from the media will start soon. They'll all want to know if it's true or not." Brian replied tiredly.

"You really need to consider getting a bigger car. Or one with a bigger backseat anyway." Kylie laughed richly from her spot between Aaron and Booker.

"I thought you'd love being wedged between two of the handsomest men around." I reached back and tugged Booker's pant leg and gave him a wink.

Booker just smiled back at me, fully understanding I had complimented him.

"Well, I do. But not the ones that are jailbait." She replied.

"Why'd we bleach the hair, sis?" I turned sideways in my seat so I could look at her.

"Why not?" She shrugged.

Her hair was cut into a pixie cut, and was bleached blonde. Not in a fake Clorox way, but more like a sun-bleached blonde.

"I love it, K." Brian winked at her in the rearview mirror.

"Thank you, Bri." She winked back. "I love it, too."

"I didn't say I didn't like it. Just wondering why is all." I huffed playfully.

"Guess I did it for a change." She gave me a knowing grin. "Getting away to college and all..."

"Away from the wicked witch of the south..." I added.

"Yeah, I decided to do something radical." She ran a hand thru her hair. "And here it is. I was thinking about a tattoo, but I wanted to see if you wanted to go with me."

"Tattoos??? Hell no, too permanent. And they're tacky." I shook my head furiously.

"I've got tattoos, baby." Brian stuck his bottom lip out.

"Yes, well, yours are okay." I patted his thigh.

"Don't I recall, Miss Thang," Brian laughed at me,"that you have been known to sport fakies?"

"You recall correctly. However, they were temporaries, so not quite as trailer-trash-like as you." I stuck my tongue out.

"Yeah, we'll work that out later." He winked suggestively at me.

"Stop bothering my sister-in-law!" Kylie made everyone except Booker laugh. He didn't get it.

"I think Matt's the female, actually." Aaron clued her in.

"Well, he does make a good mother." Kylie replied.

Brian laughed loudly. "Yeah, he's a mother alright."

"I meant that in a sweet way." She laughed with him.

"You're all so funny...,"I paused for effect,"looking."

"Huh huh huh huh." Kylie gave a 'retarded' laugh.

"God you guys are so much alike." Brian shook his head with a grin.

"Wow. My brother is rich." Kylie nudged me in the side with her elbow when she looked off the deck into the yard.

"Well, we've never been poor." I replied.

"I'm glad to see you're kickin' ass. You deserve it after all the shit we had to go thru." She nodded her head up and down. "It's good to see you can laugh in mom's face now."

We both shared a knowing giggle.

"So, Donna gave you Booker?" I was wondering how long before Kylie brought it up.

"Yep." I sighed as I leaned against the deck railing and pulled my cigarettes out of my pocket.

"Who knew she had HIV." Kylie sighed as well.

"Not I. Not anyone I guess." I lit a smoke.

She just stared at me for a second.

"Let me have one of those." She reached for the pack.

"Fuck off. No." I tucked my cigarettes back into my pocket.

"Oh fine." She rolled her eyes. "Don't contribute to the ADULT here."

"If you want to ruin your lungs, buy your own."

"Alright, alright." She put her hands up in front of her body. "So, you are a uberfamous actor, a father and you're with Brian Littrell. Goddamn I'm jealous."

"Nice language." I laughed.

"Oh please, I've heard much much worse come from your mouth." Kyle slapped my arm lightly.

"I'm thinking of buying a bigger place." I stated out of the blue.

"Good God, why? This place is bigger than the witch's." Kylie waved around to the house.

"Yeah, I know. But I don't really like the layout or anything. I'm gonna need more room." I sighed.

"So, what kind, of like, house do you want California dude?" Kylie teased me.

"Oh shush." I laughed. "I want a house with an office for moi. And I want a indoor pool. Then I want a room that Booker can play in."

"He won't be young forever." Kylie snorted.

"As he gets older we'll make it more grown up."

"Ah."

"Then we need a den, living room, dining room,a much bigger kitchen and like six bedrooms. And bigger bathrooms would be nice." I began dreaming.

"Jesus."

"Yeah. And I want one of those media room thingies. If you're rich nowadays, you need one of those. Then we need a big room for parties."

"Dream big, baby." Kylie put an arm over my shoulders and looked out across the lawn with me.

"I know. I haven't got the time to look for a house or have one built anyway." I leaned into her, exhaling smoke.

"Oh what a pain in the ass it is to be rich and famous. How to spend all that money." Kylie stated sarcastically, but not hatefully.

I laughed lowly. "You're right. Sorry for sounding so pathetic."

Kylie giggled. "It's no prob, big bro. I mean..."

"Baby, mom and dad and Harold are here." Brian popped his head out of the sliding glass door.

"It's showtime, sis." I exhaled smoke and put my cigarette out quickly.

"Are his parents nice?" Kylie cringed.

"Extremely." I reassured her as we entered the house.

"Nanny!" Kylie and I got into the living room just in time to see Booker launch himself at Jackie as she came thru the door.

"Booker!" She squealed back at him and scooped him up in her arms. "Good Lord, you've grown.

"I miss you, Nanny." Booker hugged her tightly around the neck.

"I missed you, too, sugar." She cooed back and kissed his cheek before looking at me. "Matt!"

"Jackie!" I laughed.

"Let Nanny put you down." Jackie slowly lowered Booker to the floor and walked over to me, looking me up and down. "You're not eating." She shook a finger at me before pulling me into a hug, Kylie standing to our side.

"You've got to be kidding me." I laughed and hugged her back. "I eat like a horse. But thank you for thinking I'm skinny."

"You're all skin and bones, sweetie." She pulled back to look at me, but held my hands in hers. "I noticed my song is getting a bit soft."

"Don't let him hear you say that. He's sensitive about his belly."

Granted, Brian was getting some fat on him, but he was far from pudgy.

"Well, atleast one of you has been eating." She winked.

I chuckled. "Jackie, this is my sister Kylie."

Kylie stepped forward slightly as Jackie turned to look at her. My sister looked a bit nervous as Brian's mother examined her for the first time.

"Another one that hasn't been eating." Jackie winked at Kylie, making her laugh. "You two look so much alike--you could be twins."

"I don't know about that." Kylie smiled and held out her hand to Jackie. "It's nice to meet you."

"Family hugs, they don't shake hands, sugar." Jackie pulled her in for a hug.

Kylie gave me a wide smile over Jackie's shoulder as she returned her embrace. I could tell Kylie loved Jackie immediately. It was nice to see Jackie accepting Kylie so quickly. However, Jackie considered Booker her "real" grandson. That was probably why everybody loved her so much--'cause she loved everybody.

"Where is my boyfriend?" I asked as Jackie and Kylie seperated.

"Out there helping Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum get the bags." She waved in the direction of the front door.

"Daddy, can I go help?" Booker perked up.

"Um, sure, buddy. But don't get in the way." I replied as he darted out the door.

"I need a glass of wine. You wouldn't happen to have any, would you?" Jackie fanned her face with her hand.

"You've come to the right place, ma'am." I held my arm out for her.

"Thank goodness." She chuckled and laced her arm thru mine.

We began to walk back towards the kitchen, Kylie following us.

"You've done something with the house. It feels different." Jackie queried as I lead her away.

"Well, the dining room is finally decorated and furnished." I replied.

"You'll have to show me later. Wine first, ofcoure." Jackie made a joke. "However, I think what feels different is you stopped letting all the boys freeload."

"Well, they weren't freeloading. It's not like they weren't invited guests." I shook my head but laughed at her.

"You say tomato..."

"When will kevin be in?" I asked as the three of us entered the kitchen. "You two sit down. I'll get the glasses and the wine." I spoke to Kylie and Jackie.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Jackie sat down at the end of the kitchen table. "He should be in anytime now."

"Do we need to go pick him up?" I asked, opening the fridge.

"He's arranged for a limo." She waved me off as I gathered the wine, glasses and corkscrew. "I'm so glad you're not as disgusting as my son."

"What do you mean?" Kylie asked from her seat next to Jackie.

"Well, I'm sure Brian doesn't do the cleaning." She winked at me as I sat down on her other side. "It's always spic and span here."

I smiled as I went about opening the bottle of chardonnay.

"You might be surprised." I replied as the cork pulled free of the bottle. "Brian is a great house-husband."

Jackie and Kylie both laughed as I poured three glasses of wine and passed them around. Kylie was thrilled that I let her join us in our "celebratory drink".

"I don't know what I would do without him, actually." I stated truthfully after taking my first sip of wine.

"Well, I'm glad he's behaving and helping out." Jackie nodded.

"You three wouldn't happen to be talking about me, would you?" Brian slunk into the room, coming up behind me.

"Did you hear anyone say 'jackass'?" I teased.

"Thanks, baby." Brian laughed, then leaned down to give me a peck on the lips.

"Where's the boys?" Jackie asked Brian.

"Dad and Harold are unpacking, ma." Brian replied. "Baby, we're gonna have to put Kevin or Kylie in Booker's room. We're down one guest room."

"We'll make Aaron sleep in there for a couple nights. He's the youngest." I shrugged.

"Sounds good to me." Brian sat down on my lap.

"Brian..." I motioned at his mother.

"Oh, don't worry, Matt. It doesn't bother me." She smiled.

"See?" Brian tweaked my nose.

"Where is Aaron, anyway?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Talking to Harold, Jr. Probably about something icky. Like girls." Brian made me laugh.

"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Kylie pointed an accusatory finger at Brian.

Both Harold's finally entered the kitchen with Aaron and Booker in tow. Both the boys looked thrilled to have the older men around. It was probably nice to have a "straight" influence every now and then. Atleast they could talk about girls and sports with Brian's father and brother. Granted, Brian was into sports, but he still had the "gay vibe" going when he talked about it.

"I think Kevin's here. Either that or there's going to be a funeral." Harold, Jr. came to sit down at the table, patting my shoulder on the way.

"His limo is out front." Harold, Sr. shook his head in amusement at his son's comment.

"He probably needs help bringing in bags or something." Jackie started to stand.

"Don't you dare!" I pointed a finger at her. "I'll go help him. Get up, baby."

"Oh fine, just leave me." Brian winked at me as I scooted out from underneath him.

"And I'm taking this with me." I grabbed my wine glass with a suspicious look at Brian, making everyone laugh as I exited the kitchen.

I was only halfway kidding about the wine. Brian probably would be tempted to drink it if I had left it. Eventually, he'd probably get up and pour himself his own glass. Oh well, I thought to myself, if he doesn't get stinking drunk and controls himself, then I won't bitch about it. He was entitled to have one drink with his mother and father. Ofcourse, if he got out of hand, I'd be the one forced to deal with him.

As I exited the house thru the front door, I immediately realized why Harold, Jr. made a joke about there being a funeral. It looked like Kevin had found the biggest damned limo he could find. He was obviously trying to make a statement, or he just wanted a shitload of room. The driver hadn't gotten out of the car yet, he was just sitting in the driver's seat--waiting on something.

The windows of the limo were completely blacked out, so I couldn't see in when I sauntered up the rear end of the limo. However, Kevin had to be in there somehwere. I didn't know what he was doing in there, just sitting and waiting. So, instead of waiting to find out, I rapped my knuckles against a window playfully.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." I sung to the window.

It took a few seconds, but the window rolled down. The electric "Whir" was the only noise. Kevin peeked his head out, a cell phone clamped to his ear. He held up a single index finger with a smile, signaling for me to give him a minute to get off the phone. I decided to be a good boy and be patient, so I leaned against the side of the limo and sipped my wine while Kevin finished speaking on the phone. It didn't take him very long and the phone, and soon he was opening the door to get out.

"And how are you, Mister Matt?" He asked as he climbed out and stood before me.

"Pretty good. And how are you?" I let Kevin lean down and give me a quick peck on the lips, then pull me into a hug. "Oooh, a kiss, how European."

Kevin laughed lowly. "I'm doing great. I've missed you, though. I don't have anyone to talk to anymore."

"You know you can call me anytime you need someone to talk to, Kev." I leaned back against the limo as Kevin pulled away to shut the door.

"Yeah, I know. But you barely got all of us out of the house. I didn't know if you'd want to have me calling you every chance I felt like it." He paused and looked thoughtful. "I really don't know what I have to say, though."

I gave a low chuckle. "Well, sometimes that's when you really want to talk. How's the situation with Kristin?"

Kevin snorted and headed towards the trunk of the limo.

"That bad, huh?" I gave a nervous laugh as Kevin knocked on the trunk, signaling to the driver to open it.

"Well, she moved out. That much is clear." He replied as the trunk popped open from some un-seen force. "But she's calling me all the time telling me how she wishes she had never married me. She says that she should never have signed a prenup, blah blah blah."

"Sounds like a bitter old bitch to me." I replied and took a sip of my wine. "Need help with bags?"

"Nah, I got 'em. And she says she's gonna go to the media and tell them all I was having an affair with you." Kevin gave me a hard stare.

"Oh, does she know about that?" I had to supress a laugh.

"Well, ofcourse not. She's just heard rumors like everyone else, and seen the pictures of us in New York and at that gay club. But she doesn't know anymore than anyone else." He waved a hand at me. "She's just trying to say that she's willing to screw me over for money."

"Screw US over, you mean." I winked.

"Well, yeah." He laughed at me. "Am I the last one here?"

"Well, Kylie, Jackie, Harold, Jr. and Sr. are here. And did you know that Aaron's back with us?"

"Howie was telling me something about that on the phone the other day. Or he was trying to. What up with that?" Kevin pulled a large duffel bag, backpack and overnight bag out of the trunk.

"Well, apparently Aaron and his mother are having problems. What kind, I don't know. But Aaron's very circumspect about it, and his mother has no clue. I really don't know what the think, but that little fucker is gonna have to tell me sooner or later what is bothering him." I replied.

Kevin laughed loudly at me as He swung the duffel bag and overnight back onto his shoulders. I leaned down and grabbed the backpack quickly.

"I got your baaaaackpaaaack." I sang lowly and teased Kevin

"Well, I guess since you came out here to help me, I may as well letcha."

"Exactly. Do we need to wake this guy up and let him know he can leave now or what?" I laughed as we walked up to the driver's side window.

Kevin just knocked on the window and signaled to the driver to basically get lost. We stood there and watched as the driver slowly backed out of the drive and went on his merry way.

"So, did you miss me?" Kevin asked as we tredged up to the house.

"How could I not?" I nudged him in the side, then swallowed what was left in my wine glass.

"I missed you, too." Kevin nudged me back. "I miss having you around."

"Brian and I are going to get married." I whispered to him playfully. "But don't tell anyone. We plan to tell everyone over Thanksgiving dinner."

"Oh." Kevin faltered in his walk a bit, then corrected himself. "That's just, um, great Matt."

"Well, don't sound too excited. You are invited afterall. And ofcourse you're welcome to come on the honeymoon, too. In fact, everyone that wants to join us in London for the honeymoon can come. All expenses paid."

"That sounds cool."

"I think it will be. Hopin' so, anyway. When Brian asked, I was just agreeing because he wants it soooo badly, but I can't wait now." I kept running at the mouth.

"I'm very happy for you." Kevin stated in a monotone.

"You sure sound like it." I laughed as we got to the front door.

"I am. It's just kinda depressing." Kevin sighed as I reached for the knob.

I almost wasn't going to address that comment, but I really felt I had to. My hand slowly dropped from the knob and I turned to Kevin. He just looked at me as I brought and arm up and draped it over his shoulders. Suddenly, a pained look came to his eye, but I just gave him a warm smile.

"What say you and I walk around the back way and have a sit by the pool before we go in to see everyone?" I asked.

"Yeah, okay." Kevin let me lead him around the house to the backyard.

We didn't speak during the short walk around the house, thru the privacy fence gate, over the lawn, down the steps and to the side of the pool. It wasn't until Kevin and I had set his bags down and had taken seats around the umbrella covered pool-side table that we spoke. I didn't exactly know what to say or how to go about saying it, but I knew that Kevin and I still had unresolved issues.

"So, not happy about our wedding." I asked, then restated. "Or committment ceremony is more accurate I'd suppose."

"I'm happy for you. I already told you that." Kevin gave a tense smile.

"Yeah, well," I pulled my cigarettes out of my pocket and went about lighting one,"you sure don't act happy."

"I am." He stated belligerently. "Okay, maybe I'm not. But how can I be happy that my cousin is marrying someone I want to be with?"

"Well, it sure didn't take long to get that out of you." I tried to lighten the mood with a joke.

Kevin gave an amused smile. "I mean, is it so much to ask that you let me mourn that?"

"Well, no. But I don't want you to be unhappy, either." I took a long drag off my cigarette.

"Neither do I." Kevin threw his hands in the air, then paused, looking thoughtful. "Just answer me one thing."

"Okay--if I can."

"If, well if you had met and had sex with me first. Would I be the one asking you to marry me. Or have a committment ceremony?" Kevin gave a crooked, nervous grin.

"Knowing what I know now?" I asked basically to hear myself talk.

"Yeah."

I knew I could think about that, but I didn't want to. There was no good way of answering the question Kevin posed to me. Either way, someone was going to get hurt. Goddamn I hated being stuck in Catch-22 situations. Kevin's smile got more and more tense as he watched me sit and think about it.

"You know I can't answer that." I replied, exhaling a large cloud of smoke.

"Why?"

"What if I told you 'no', that I wouldn't have wanted to be with you?" I asked.

"I'd probably be disappointed." He frowned.

"And if I said 'yes'?"

"I'd be more disappointed that you'd have me, but I'd missed you by default." He gave a defeated sigh.

"Exactly. Either way, you're screwed. So maybe I shouldn't answer." I nodded once in affirmation.

"That's just the easy way out." Kevin replied.

I really didn't have an answer for that.

"Yeah, I guess it is. The easiest and least painful."

"Just answer it, though. I have to know. For my own piece of mind." Kevin reached across the table and grabbed my hand that wasn't holding the cigarette.

I stared back across at him as I exhaled smoke.

"Just let me know that you love me." He looked down and rubbed my hand between his. "And that if you didn't love Brian so much you'd be with me."

"You're a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, trapped in an enigma, Kevin." I stated.

"I don't get you." He cocked his head to the side.

"It's just a quote. But I meant that I don't get you because you're a straight man that doesn't want anything to do with guys. Well, except me." I shrugged at myself. "Why me, Kevin? What's so special about me? You can go get alot of girls or guys. You're definitely hot enough that they come running like flies to shit."

"Nice analogy." Kevin crinkled up his nose.

"Well, it's the first thing that came to mind." I replied.

"Matt, it's you because of just the way you are. You're nice, you're sweet, you're funny, you're gentle, you're a good person,"Kevin lowered his voice,"you're great in bed, and I just love you. I can't really put into words why I love you, but I do. So there."

I couldn't help but laugh loudly at the last part of his speech. "So there, huh?"

"Yeah. There's nothing you can do about it." He nodded once.

"Kevin, I love you very much." I gripped his right hand with mine. "But you know it doesn't mean anything can come of it."

"Why not?" He shook his head in frustration.

"Because I love Brian. And Brian loves me. And, well, fuck. He's marrying me. That's why." I was getting frustrated, too.

"But, don't you want to be with me?" Kevin pulled his hand away from me.

"Ofcourse. I love you very very much. Probably as much as you love me. But that doesn't make my love for Brian any less. And I think maybe I love you while you're in love with me. Trite, maybe, but it's true."

Kevin sat back in his seat, staring up at the umbrella as it rippled slightly in the light breeze. My cigarette was smoked down to the butt, so I put it out and lit another. The silence between Kevin and I wasn't exactly uncomfortable, but it wasn't exactly friendly, either. I could almost hear the wheels in Kevin's head turning as he sat staring at the underneath of the umbrella. I wanted to tell Kevin more, but all of it would be a lie. I loved him very much, but Brian was who I was going to choose if it came down to that. Brian was my heart--my soul--I couldn't give him up for anyone.

"So, what you're saying to me,"Kevin gave a sharp,single laugh,"is that all I was to you was an affair?"

"I didn't say that." I squinted slightly.

"You didn't not say it either." Kevin snorted.

"Is this gonna end in an ugly, nasty argument where you call me a dirty queer or something. Then I have to get nasty right back?" I asked an honest question.

Kevin's darkened eyes turned light suddenly and they began to droop as he frowned painfully.

"I'd never say something like that to you." He shook his head furiously.

"Will it make you feel better if you did?" I laughed lowly.

Kevin examined me for a second, then laughed as well. "I somehow doubt calling you derogatory names will make me feel better at all."

"Well, you're the first guy I've heard of that felt that way." I teased.

"It's just painful, ya' know?" Kevin looked me in the eyes with an intensity and heat that made my body tense up. "It's hard to sit here across from you and not just, I don't know, lay you on the table and..."

"Okay, okay." I held a hand up.

"I just want to feel you pressed up against me again. God, I'd give anything to have a chance to be inside you again." Kevin groaned painfully.

"Okay, that's enough, Kevin." I warned him.

"I'd probably go crazy if I felt your skin against mine, Matt. That's all I'm trying to say. It's going to be hard to be around you and not act on those feelings." Kevin sunk down in his chair.

"No it won't. Just don't do it." I replied, then lit a third cigarette.

"Do you think Brian will let me have sex with you one more time before you get married?" Kevin asked quickly.

"Oh my God." I practically whispered.

"What?"

I wanted to act pissed off. I knew the right thing to do was to get angry at Kevin for even suggesting such a thing. Kevin needed to be punched in the mouth and have the shit kicked out of him. However, at the very suggestion of sex with Kevin again, the lower part of my body tingled. Would Brian go for it? Especially after I jumped his ass for Nick and A.J.? And if he said it was okay, would I do it? Would I feel like trash afterwards and go back to resenting Brian again?

"I don't know, Kevin." I sighed and flicked the ashes off the end of my cigarette, sitting back in my chair.

"You want to?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"That's like asking me if I want to eat a whole german chocolate cake on my own." I replied. "I know that if I eat it, it'll be sweet, but it's just gonna go right to my ass."

"You're comparing me to cake..." Kevin leaned forward.

"I'm comparing the situation to cake." I laughed. "It's so tempting, but not really a good idea is all I'm saying."

"Maybe if we let him join in." Kevin looked wild eyed.

"Okay, Kevin. We've seriously got to discuss this mental condition you've developed. You're acting so crazy you could qualify for a post office job."

"Well, you know normal around this place is just a setting on the dryer." Kevin teased.

"We have a dryer?" I pretended to be confused.

"Okay, enough jokes." Kevin waved me off. "Just one more time, Matt. That's all I want. One more time in bed with you. If we have to include Brian, that's fine. But ya' know, we don't even have to tell him." Kevin stated so quick I barely understood him.

"Kevin, this isn't a negotiation. You don't have anything to negotiate with if it was." I laughed.

"Well, no, I guess I don't. Except for the fact that you want to have sex with me. I can see it in your eyes." He sat back in his seat with a satisfied smile and stared at me.

Maybe he was right.

(Part Six)

"Watch out, hot stuff coming thru." Brian danced by me playfully in the kitchen as he carried a pot full of hot boiling water and potatoes.

"You can say that again." I wriggled my eyebrows at him with a laugh.

"If you think I'm sexy and you want my body, come on baby let me know." Brian sang an old Rod Stewart song, making me laugh.

"Consider yourself told, then." I laughed.

"How ya' comin' with the green bean casserole?" Brian asked.

I opened the oven and peeked inside quickly.

"Disco." I gave him a thumbs up.

"Baby, where do you come up with your slang?" He shook his head with a laugh.

"The voices in my head." I replied blandly. "I listen to them all the time. They always tell me they don't like YOU, though. So far I've ignored them on that one."

"Har frickin' har." Brian rolled his eyes.

"You know you love all my eccentricities, babes." I replied.

It was Thanksgiving Day. And instead of being in the den, visiting with our friends and family, Brian and I were stuck in the kitchen making the food. We had gotten up at the butt-crack of dawn to start fixing the food. It was now eleven o'clock, and we were supposed to eat at twelve. Ofcourse, we weren't behind. But I didn't like having deadlines, either.

Barbara showed up around ten o'clock, with no date. She had tried to do something to help, but I made her go relax and visit with everyone else. Garrett showed up shortly thereafter with his date. It had been a long time since I saw a guy holding a girl's hand, so that was a change. Both he and his fiance were forced into the den to visit as well. Altogether, we had twelve people for Thanksgiving. Well, that was until (blast from the past) Devon Sawa called crying to me.

Apparently he didn't have anywhere to go on Thanksgiving--seeing that he was Canadian and all--and asked if he could spend the day with us. Everyone else had something to do, so he felt that he had to do something as well. I told him it was no problem. However, when I got off the phone with him, I realized that we only had twelve chairs for the table, so I was going to have to find a thirteenth for Devon to sit at. With a little help from Aaron, we decided to bring in one of the pation chairs for him to sit at. Kinda tacky--but it would work anyway.

"You are soooo sexy." Brian stopped on his way by me again and kissed me on the side of my neck.

"Likewise, babe." I stated in a deep voice and pinched his butt.

"If I realized we'd have this much fun cooking together, I'd have learned how to do it long ago." Brian joked.

"Same here." I replied. "It's realy fun when you do most the work, too."

"Well, atleast we both know of something to be thankful for today." Brian winked.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Each other, dumbass." He rolled his eyes at my slow-wit.

"Oh, bestill my little heart. I'm so damn thankful for you." I laughed at him, then got serious. "I'm very thankful for you, baby."

"Same here." He smiled widely. "I'll be really damned thankful when potatos mash themselves, though."

"Amen."

"Soooooo,"Brian put the pot of potatos to the side and came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, his chin resting on my shoulder,"I say we tell them right after the prayer that we're getting married."

"Sounds like a plan to me." I replied, then turned my head to give him a kiss.

"Are you as excited as me?" Brian smiled evily.

"Probably more." I replied, then looked away, pretending to check some pot on the stove. "Has Kevin talked to you?"

"No, why?" Brian asked, then began nibbling on my neck.

"Just wondering." I gave the most sincere smile I could muster. "When do we put the rolls in?"

"Um, I guess like right before we take everything to the table?" Brian shrugged then went back to man the potatos.

"Works for me."

Brian grunted and groaned as he dumped butter, milk, salt and pepper in the potatos, then grabbed the electric mixer. The pot was like twice as deep as the mixer reached, and was extremely full of potatos, so it probably wasn't going to do the job.

"Baby, I don't think that's gonna do the job." I laughed, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Why not?" He asked, not looking over at me.

"Because that thing ain't even long enough to get to the bottom of the pot. Trust me on this." I explained.

"Are you trying to tell me, I'm gonna have to mash these by hand?"

"Not how you mean 'by hand', no. Use that big stick in the drawer with that flat thing attached to it. It's a manual potato masher. Atleast, that's what your mother said. She hasn't lied to me yet, either."

Brian set the electric mixer aside and opened the drawer to his left in the cabinet. After alot of looking, and about the same amount of noise, he found the thing I was talking about.

"Funny lookin', ain't it?" Brian stated as he held the masher.

"Could pass for a sex toy." I wriggled my eyebrows at him.

"You are soooooo right." Brian giggled and waved it at me.

"Just mash the taters." I waved him off.

Brian couldn't help but giggle while he jammed the masher in and out of the potatos. Watching him work, I decided it was somewhat sexual, but decided we'd keep out kitchen accoutrement fetish unspoken. That was a little too weird--even for us. The green bean casserole was bubbling nicely.

Luckily, we had made the cranberry sauce ahead of time. When I had told Brian's mother we had made it from scratch and not bought it in the can, she was thoroughly impressed. Hell, I was pretty impressed with us, too. I never thought I'd see myself in front of a stove or an oven and look like I knew what I was doing.

"Oy! Matt! We're out of wine out here." Garrett suddenly appeared in the kitchen door.

"What kind are you wanting?" I asked, looking at the carrots and peas on the stovetop.

"Any kind of red. What are you doing? It's a cooker, not the telly." Garrett walked over to stand beside me.

"It's a stove, and a T.V., old chap." I mocked him.

"Ah, someone's got a pickle up his ass." He laughed heartily.

"Are you guy's getting drunk out there?" I turned to him and put my hands on my hips.

"Just a smidge." He held his fingers up in a 'pinch formation' to me.

"Oh good lord." I reached into the drawer next to the sink and grabbed the corkscrew. "Here. The wine is in the hutch in the dining room. Help yourself."

"Brilliant, thanks." He grabbed the corkscrew from me. "What is a hutch?"

Brian laughed loudly.

"The pantry. Armoire. Whatever. It's the big brown thing in the dining room." I huffed playfully.

"I knew that. I just wanted to ruffle your feathers." He winked.

"Go get drunk with everyone. We'll tell you when dinner's ready. And watch Barb. Don't let her have any wine."

"Okay, mate." Then he was gone.

"I don't know where you find your managers, sexy. But they're the rowdiest bunch of folks." Brian shook his head, amused.

"1-800-DRUNK-BITCHES. They always have the best folks." I rolled my eyes.

"No joke. Okay, taters are thoroughly mashed." Brian finally pulled the masher out of the pot.

"The peas and carrots are done. And we need to put those crispy onion things on the casserole. The stuffing looks pretty well done. Cranberry sauce is ready to go. Blah blah blah." I followed up.

"What about the turkey and ham?"

"Baby, now you know you're the master of all meat." I winked.

"You remember that, damnit!" He laughed and walked over to the oven to look. "The turkey has to be done by now, and the ham was precooked ofcourse, so it should be heated by now. I guess we can shove the rolls in."

"You do that while I get reinforcments." I stated as I headed towards the kitchen door to holler. "Aaron! Devon! Come're!"

We had to wait a minute, but both blonde boys showed up in the doorway. Devon looked a bit red faced from drinking, and Aaron looked a bit pink himself.

"I need you two to set the table." I squinted at both of them. "Who gave you wine, Aaron?"

"Well..."

"Nevermind. I don't want to know. Brian's parents are out there, so I'm sure they are making sure nothing goes wrong." I waved my hand at him. "Do you think you can manage to set the table nicely?"

"Sure thing." Devon strolled over to me. "Thank you so much for letting me come over, I'm having such a good time."

I grunted as Devon grabbed me around my middle and hugged me. I expected him to say "iccup" and bubbles to float out of his mouth. It would have been alot funnier that way. Granted, it was pretty funny anyway. Brian just looked over and shook his head as Devon attempted to squeeze the ever loving shit out of me.

"Aaron, show Devon where the plates and everything are, then help him set the table." I asked of him as I finally got Devon off of me.

"Okay." He came further into the kitchen towards the cabinets.

"How much have you had?" I grabbed him lightly by the chin and looked at his cheeks.

"Just one." He answered, and I could tell he was being honest.

"I've only had one." Devon finally hiccuped. "After another."

I just shook my head as he sputtered into laughter. It was pretty funny, but he was quite a bit drunk. He'd have to sober up before he drove home, 'cause we didn't have anywhere for him to sleep. All the beds were taken up.

"Just go set the table for us." I waved them both off. "Make sure to put out matching plates and napkins. And make sure to put out silverware and glasses."

"I know how to set a table, I'm not THAT drunk." Devon rolled his eyes.

"Riiiiiiight." I rolled my eyes as they started gathering up everything to take to the dining room.

"Amen." Brian stated lowly as he ended the prayer.

Everyone followed his example by saying their "amen's". Devon and Harold, Jr. more or less said "iccup". It was probably a good thing they were about to eat. Otherwise, alcohol poisoning wasn't going to be too far away. Jackie, Booker, Barb, Brian and I were the only ones that were completely sober. Not even fifty-percent of us. And since someone had placed a glass of wine in front of me, I was going to lower the percentage even more.

"Now, before we all dig in, I have something else I need to say." Brian announced and looked at me.

I was at one end of the table, and Brian was at the other end. Our guests were lined along the sides the table. I grabbed my wine glass and took a healthy gulp as everyone kept their eyes on Brian.

"Ma, Dad, Harold and Kevin, you know how we always go around the table and say what we're thankful for?" Brian asked his family. "Well, this year, I want to tell everyone what I'm thankful for."

His speech was starting out very sappily, but it still made me get misty-eyed.

"I'm thankful that I have you four, and that we're all able to be here together during the holiday."

Always be thankful for family first. Otherwise, they may take offense when you tell them the thing you set out to tell them. Everyone looked at Brian and smiled, obviously enjoying his speech thus far.

"And ofcourse, I'm glad we have all our friends with us." Brian looked around at everyone.

That seemed to take up the slack to let everyone know they were appreciated.

"I'm awfully thankful I have the oppurtunity to be in Booker's life. I thank God everyday for that." Brian got a little watery eyed at that.

Booker smiled up at Jackie, who was sitting on his left,and she wrapped one arm around him and squeezed him. Kylie seemed to think alot of that statement and smiled down at me.

"Kylie, I'm very glad that you were able to be with Matt and the rest of us today. You can't even begin to understand how much Matt loves having you near him today."

Kylie glanced at both Brian and I, and blushed somewhat, but seemed extremely pleased.

"Ofcourse, we're glad that Barb, Devon, Garrett and Susan could be here today, too. It's always great to have your friends nearby on the holidays." Brian took turns smiling at each of them, then turned his attention to me.

Everyone looked from Brian to me, then back at Brian expectantly. Brian paused for a minute, prolonging the drama.

"Most of all, I'm thankful for Matt. I don't know what I would have done without him for these last four years. My life would be so empty without him here with me. He's my all, my everything. Every morning that I wake up with him by me, I thank God and pray he'll let it continue." A single tear went down his cheek.

"Ditto, babes." I knew a few tears had escaped my eyes during his speech.

Everyone gave a small chuckle.

"Truthfully, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him. Life just wouldn't seem quite as full and exciting without him near me."

Get to the damn point before I bust out in tears, I thought to myself, but was loving the attention he was giving me.

"So, needless to say, I'm extremely thankful for each and everyday, hour, minute, second, that I get to spend with Matt. I hope it never ends." Brian raised his glass, signaling he was done with his speech.

I was completely confused, but raised my glass with everyone else.

"Cheers." Brian stated, followed by everyone else.

We all took our sips and set out glasses down. Everyone looked a bit teary-eyed from Brian's heartfelt speech, especially his mother. I guess she figured that even though Brian was with a guy, it was nice to see he could still be tender and loving. Brian patted his father on the shoulder, signaling he could tell everyone what he ws thankful for. I just thought to myself 'aw fuck, he changed his mind'.

"Well, first of all..." Brian's father started.

"Oh wait, I forgot something, Dad." Brian stopped his father quickly.

When I looked down at Brian, he was grinning from ear to ear. He had "forgotten" on purpose just to make me tense up and worry. He'd pay for that later.

"I'm really thakful,"Brian looked straight at me,"that Matt said 'yes' the other day when I asked him to marry me."

Kylie and Jackie let out squeals of glee at the same time. Then a split second later, everyone else began roaring their approval. I just smiled down at Brian, as he stared back, his father patting him on the back from one side, and Harold, Jr. patting him on the other side. Jackie and Kylie immediately hopped up from their seats and ran down to me. They immediately began smothering me in kisses, hugs and praises. Barb even ran down and gave me a kiss and hug.

It took quite awhile, but finally everyone settle down, and made their way back to their seats. Brian's eyes never left mine as everyone made a fuss over us. I didn't know whether anyone would be excited about two gay men getting hitched when it wasn't legal, but apparently everyone loved it. Even Garrett was beaming down at me. The only one that didn't show any sign of understanding was Devon. I think it was because he was trying to figure out how to work the wine bottle and pour more wine in his glass. Kevin didn't utter a word either, but managed a smile.

"Ya'll haven't even heard the best part, yet." Brian announced.

"I don't know how it could get much better than that.

"The wedding is going to be on December 21st. And all of you are invited, ofcourse. We're going to pay for all airfare and shack you all up for the night. Then the next day, we're flying out to London for a honeymoon that will last thru January 3rd. You're all invited for that, too." Brian spouted out dates I hadn't even thought of yet.

I figured I wouldn't argue about the dates. The sooner the better.

"Oh my God!" Kylie stood and stamped her foot on the floor, doing a little dance. "I'm going to London, I'm going to London."

Everyone laughed loudly at her, and immediately began cheering that Brian and I were the greatest.

"Now, you can take over, Dad." Brian patted his father on the back.

"I don't know how I'm gonna top that." His father made everyone laugh.

"Well, I don't think we'll be topping this Thanksgiving for awhile." Jackie took a celebratory sip of wine.

"You really don't have to do the dishes." I tried to argue as Jackie and Susan bent over the sink, scrubbing pots and pans.

All the leftovers had already been stored in the fridge. Tupperware was a concept I was not familiar with until Barb had picked some up at the store for me. When she bought the dishes and other things. Luckily she had because we had beaucoup leftovers.

"Nonsense. You boys slaved over the stove all morning long, you left us girls clean up." Jackie basically told me to get lost.

"You don't mind, Susan?" I asked her as well, just to be sure.

"Ofcourse not. Now go take a rest. Go smoke a fag or a sippy."

"Do what?!?!" Jackie froze, suddenly tense.

"She's from England, too, Jackie. She meant smoke a cigarette or have a drink." I grabbed Jackie's shoulders.

Susan and I just laughed as Jackie relaxed.

"No offense, Susan, but I thought you were insulting one of my boys and I was gonna have to hurt you." Jackie winked at her.

"Never. I wait until the second invitation to insult my hosts." She teased back.

"Well, I think you girls will get along famously. I'll go smoke that fag now." I laughed and headed out to the deck.

I had to hear more congratulations from everyone as I went thru the den, where everyone had congregated to watch football. Kylie seemed to be stricken with Howard, Jr. It was kinda funny to watch her bat her eyes at him and act innocent. The good Lord knew she wasn't.

Booker agreed that he'd behave for "Pa-pa" while I stepped outside. I didn't know if I believed him or not. I always had this very vivid image of him turning into Rosemary's Baby whenever I left him alone with someone other than Brian. In the back of my mind, I knew he wouldn't misbehave, but you just never know with kids.

I lit my cigarette as soon as I stepped out onto the deck. For L.A., it was a pretty chilly November day. The smoke from my cigarette was filling my lungs to capacity as I sauntered over to the edge of the deck and leaned on the railing, finally blowing out the smoke. The sky was absolutely cloud free, but a bit brown from smog, and a bit dark from dusk starting to settle in.

It had taken us over three hours to eat dinner. Everyone had stories to tell, things to be thankful for, and plenty of wine they wanted to drink. Fortunately, the only thing that turned out bad was the pie that Devon had brought for desert. It was a frozen pie, and we had forgotten to take it out of the freezer and cook it before hand. I was sure Brian would eat it at a later date, though. Luckily, Brian and I had made four pumpkin pies and had plenty of whipped cream. Barbara had also brought a homemade chocolate pie. Garrett had brought some suet pudding--which amazingly didn't get touched.

As I stood and smoked over the rail of the deck, I suddenly realized that Kevin and Brian were sitting at one of the tables down by the pool. Talking, obviously. What they were talking about was a mystery--although I had an idea what it was. They didn't seem to notice me at first, but Kevin happened to glance up and saw me standing on the deck. Brian crooked his head to look at me as well. Then, they both smiled and waved me over.....

(To Be Continued....)

Well, whatcha think, folks? Are we all getting excited or what? This one wasn't full of sex, was it? Well, maybe there will be tons of sex in this next one. But I'll never teeeeeelllll! Bwahahahaha! LOL Anyway, on a more serious note: I want to wish all my American readers a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Eat lots of turkey, stuffing and whatever else so I won't feel so bad for doing it, too! To all my other readers, well, have a Happy Thanksgiving, too! Just 'cause wherever you live doesn't have a Thanksgiving doesn't mean you can't still use it as an excuse to gorge! I had a reader write me a letter with an interesting question. He asked if I could make a soundtrack for any particular episode of Bad Boy B-Rok, what songs would I choose. I went ahead and chose this episode. If any of you want to see the "Soundtrack Listing", just write me at bbbrokworknprog@aol.com and I'll send a copy to you, too! See you all again soon!