Chance Encounter, Chapter 5
I was really bogged down in work the following day, so I asked Gavin if he felt okay about running on the track alone. He was fine with it and went out at the time we had gone the past couple of days.
When he came back, he wore a grin the size of Cleveland. He'd bumped into Kip again and they had run the track together. In the process, they had exchanged more information about themselves. Seth's father had deserted them a couple of years before. It was hard on the family emotionally, but not so much financially since his mother had gotten a pretty good divorce settlement and had a lucrative job of her own. The problem was that it left the lad on his own a lot. His sister was studying in Europe for the year, and he had no one to hang around with at home.
Gavin had expressed an interest in getting a job, so they had decided to apply to be bag-boys at one of the local grocery stores if they got permission from their families.
I told him he'd have to clear it with Chance, but I thought he was making a mature decision about trying to find a little something to make money on his own. Still, I didn't want him to think he had to work because I was happy to buy him the things he needed. I told him I'd get him a bike for transportation whether or not he decided to do it. He might want to ride to school in nice weather, or simply to go on the trail with Seth.
It was shortly after dinner, as the three of us were in the living room hanging out, when the phone rang. Not recognizing the number, I thought I'd let the answering machine take it.
"Hello, this is Karen Kipps. I hope I have the right number. I'd like to talk to Matt or Chance if possible. My number is...
"Ms. Kipps, sorry I didn't pick up quickly enough. This is Matt."
"Matt, my son, Seth, is begging me to have Gavin stay overnight with him. I'm sure that Gavin is a fine boy, but I guess I'd like to meet with his family before they make plans."
"Would you like to come to our place, or should be come to yours? We're in the Greenwood Condos on Rock Valley."
"Oh, that's only a couple of blocks from us. I'd be happy to come there whenever it's convenient."
"We're not doing anything at the moment. Is that too soon?"
"That would be fine. Seth is ready to race me over there right now!"
After giving her the address, I hung up and grinned.
"What?" Gavin said.
"I told you he was boyfriend material."
"Shut up," Gavin giggled.
"Gavin, don't speak to Matt that way?"
"It's okay, Chance. I know how he meant it," I insisted as I bumped fists with the boy. "We've been teasing each other."
"I'm sorry, but it's what I would say to a buddy and I feel kinda like you're both my buds," Gavin blushed.
"Okay," Chance tousled his hair. "I guess I overreacted; I just don't want you to be a smart-ass punk."
"I'm not planning to be," Gavin said sheepishly. "I'll have to learn some manners."
"Manners are for company! We're family," I pronounced. "Come give your other bro a hug."
Gavin jumped up and gave me an embrace that nearly took the wind out of me. He was as demonstrative as he was cute. I thought of how dull my life had been before I met Chance. It was even more exciting with his little brother in the house too.
Gavin hastened to answer the door before the sound of the bell had died away. Chance and I smiled and shook our heads.
As soon as he had politely introduced himself to Ms. Kipps, he ushered her in and introduced Chance and me.
"You probably want to talk about me in private, and I want to show Seth my room. So if you'll excuse us, we'll get out from underfoot," Gavin announced.
"You have a lovely place, and a very polite young man," Karen said when they'd gone.
"We're very lucky to have him," I agreed.
"You're probably wondering about our little family before you let your son get too close to Gavin," Chance began. "I'm his older brother and Matt is my partner. We're planning to get married in the near future, if Matt has his way.
My mother isn't a good person to be raising a teenager. Frankly the environment he was in was awful. My amazing boyfriend insisted that we give him a home.
Knowing all of this, I hope you'll still allow the boys to be friends. Gavin doesn't know anyone else here yet that's his age."
"Certainly I'll let them be friends. I believe that you two could be good role models for Seth since he doesn't have a father around."
"But, you do understand that we're gay..." Chance frowned in thought.
"Yes, and that's why he needs men like you. He came out to me a year or so ago, and I love and support him, but there are lots of things I can't help him with. I have a feeling that you would understand better than I would, especially since he's at the age of developing hormones."
"Wow! I wish I'd have grown up with a mother like you," Chance exclaimed. "You have a great attitude."
"One of the reasons I wanted to talk to you was to ask if Gavin would be okay hanging around with a gay kid. I'd hate to have him grow attached and then be rebuffed by someone who was homophobic. I don't think I need to worry since he seems to be a gentle boy and seems okay with your living arrangement."
"I'm sure Gavin will be fine with it," I smiled.
Our conversation was interrupted by two exuberant teens who nearly bounded into the living room.
"Mom, it's so-o-o cool! Gavin and I just came out to each other. He didn't think it would be fair for me to invite a gay boy over if I didn't know. He thought I'd be uncomfortable if I found out later. Isn't it awesome?"
"Yes it is," Karen agreed.
We conversed about half an hour longer over light snacks. The three adults felt as comfortable visiting as the boys did. It looked like we'd all made new friends.
Gavin was over the moon about going for a sleepover with his new buddy who was also gay. Chance and I did our best to let him know that we approved of them getting better acquainted, but we gently tried to remind him that high school passions don't automatically lead to a lifetime of love. In other words, we didn't want to rain on his parade, but we didn't want him to get hurt from having high expectations that might not pan out. We explained that we'd both had been through similar crushes before we found each other several years down the road. I'm not sure he heard anything we said.
From Gavin's demeanor when he came home on Sunday afternoon, it was evident that he had had a good time with Kip. He bubbled about the video games they'd played and the music they'd listened to. Their interests seemed to align nicely.
We didn't tease him by asking if they had played any other games when the lights were out. It was such a joy to see him in good spirits, that we didn't want to spoil the mood.
On Sunday night, I was so restless that Chance began to worry about me.
"Man, I thought I was the only one in the house with a screw loose! What's up with you?"
"Sorry; I'm obsessing over my appointment with the attorney tomorrow about the guardianship papers we need in order to take care of Gavin. Ever since I met that Landon guy on the bike trail, it's been bugging me. What if something goes wrong and we lose him?"
"I'm sure most of it's a formality. Come on, let's take a shower together and I'll see if I can come up with something to distract you."
And distract me he did! We were about as hot as could be. Maybe we were thinking about what Gavin and Seth might have done the night before, or possibly we were reliving our first time together. Either way, we were frisky, to say the least.
I reached the firm of Gladbrook and Day exactly five minutes early. I was immediately shown into Michael Day's private office. He was as handsome as I had remembered him, and as gracious as his father had been. I immediately felt I could trust his counsel.
After a few pleasantries, we got down to business. He had prepared the forms for our guardianship of Gavin, and all that was needed was our signatures and that of Chance's mother. That latter part was what had been worrying me. Knowing her only through her gravelly voice on the answering machine and the tales her sons had told, I feared that she might throw a wrench into the works just to be nasty.
Michael nodded thoughtfully as I voiced my concerns.
"I've run into such situations in my years of practice, and I agree. My best advice is that you use your cell phone or some other device to record your conversations so that you have a record of what she says. It may be paranoia on my part, but I'd go with your gut-feeling. It's better to have evidence, and not use it, than to wish you had it when you don't.
I know you're eager to get this done, but it has to be notarized. The quickest way to do that would be for one of you to run the paper up to her and wait while she signs it. The other possibility is to have a lawyer friend of mine in Worthington see to it and send the results."
"Thanks, but I think I should do it myself. I have this nagging feeling that we've put it off too long already."
"Okay, that sounds fine. Let's deal with the power of attorney forms for your partner and you. These are pretty standard, and you guys can sign them before a witness or a notary after you read them over to make sure they're what you want. If not, I can tailor them to your specifications."
Chance met me in between leaving school and going to work. We had a quick lunch while going over the documents. There was just enough interval to go to the bank to have our signature witnessed, and then I hurried home so that Gavin wouldn't be alone all day.
I don't think my absence had been a problem, because Gavin and Kip had used the morning to apply at the two closest supermarkets for bag-boy jobs. They had eaten in the café in one of the stores, and had gone biking on the trail as soon as their lunch had settled. Currently, they were sitting at the kitchen table playing with the old laptop I'd given Gavin.
"Thanks for the use of your bike, Matt. It's awesome!" he said, looking up. "We went all the way to the railroad tracks and back in about 45 minutes."
"I'm glad you had fun. We'll go bicycle shopping and get you one of your own before the week is out. By the way, how did the interviews go?"
"I think they went fine," Seth said. "The manager at Kroger is a little creepy, in my estimation. I got the feeling that I wouldn't want to be left alone in the back room with him. Maybe I'm reading things into it."
"Someone recently told me to trust my gut, and I'll pass that along to you," I mentioned. "If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't."
"The problem is, he's the most eager to hire us, and the store is open on Sunday which would give us more hours, and we'd like the extra money," Gavin added.
"Well, guys, money isn't everything. You need to feel safe, and you can't neglect your studies when school begins again in the fall."
"You sound like my mom," Seth grinned. "She says that I'll be okay financially even if my dad is always late with child support. She wants me to have fun as well as to develop a good work ethic."
"I agree with Karen. Your teen years need to be balanced. It should be a time for experiencing life more than just making a buck."
I did my best not to appear antsy again on Monday night. I would be driving to Worthington the next day because I had an appointment to meet Gavin's mother, Marilyn, at noon to get her signature. She had acted as if it would be an inconvenience, but one she would take on in order to rid her of her younger child.
Chance picked up on my mood despite my attempt to appear carefree. He held me close, telling me that I had the strength and valor to vanquish the dragon lady. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Perhaps I should stay up all night sharpening my sword or at least my wits!
"I spent a restless night thinking about handing Gavin over to you," Marilyn began. "I may be sorry in my old age if I give him up. He may prove to be of use to me."
(That's when I pressed the "record" button.)
"What is your point? On the message you left on my machine the day you threw him out, you referred to Gavin as a piece of shit' and a faggot.' Have you had a change of heart?"
"Maybe a little. This is a nice car you're driving. I bet you could spare a few hundred bucks to make me, um, feel better about parting with him."
"So, basically, you want to sell your child?"
"I didn't put it that way, but I do need the money."
"You want me to buy Gavin?"
"I just want a little compensation, say, maybe five hundred."
"We're at the bank now and we need to get this done so that I may get back to work," I stated quietly.
"So, we have a deal!"
"What we have is a recording of you offering to sell your son to me for $500. Either you sign this form, or I WILL turn this matter over to the police."
"You bastard!"
"Come, Ms. Spencer, your words don't hurt me, and we don't have all day!"
I was happy that the notary made her produce her driver's license for identification, because she was going to sign her assumed name. She was still, legally, Mrs. Monroe. Funny, I thought, she certainly didn't look like my mental image of anyone named Marilyn Monroe.
"Oh Baby, I'm sorry you had to go through all of that!" Chance kissed me.
"I was kinda joking about the knight in shining armor meeting the dragon lady, but I fear it was brutally close to the truth."
"Too true!" I agreed. "If you'll be the designated driver, I'd like to take us all out to dinner, and I know I need a serious drink!"
"Would you settle for getting naked, eating leftovers and having a glass of wine from the bottle in the fridge? Gavin is invited for supper and another sleepover at his buddy's house again. I don't have any tests tomorrow and my homework is caught up. The two of us could hang out and..."
"Yes!" I replied. He'd had me at "naked."
Gavin's presence in our household hadn't put a real damper on our sex life, but it did cut into the spontaneity a bit. Tonight was going to be a wild romp in the hay!
We turned the thermostat to a warmer setting before undressing one another. Then we drank a toast with a glass of Riesling each. That was enough to take the edge off of my stress and not dull my senses. I could fully appreciate the reheated quiche with the promise of man-meat for the main entrée.
Lord was he hot! By the time we had made out for a while and he'd rimmed me properly, I was begging for him to breed me like a bitch in heat. He fulfilled my every wish - twice!
The rest of the week was about as quiet and normal as life can be. I took Gavin to buy his bicycle. I had several appointments with my clients to update their portfolios, ensuring nice commissions for me in return. I met with Michael Day again to make sure we had everything properly filed with the state about our custody of Gavin.
He suggested enrolling Gavin in Washington High as they had done with their teenager. Fortunately, we lived in that district. He recommended doing it soon to ensure Gavin got a good schedule as there was a lot of competition for placement there due to the school's excellent rating. I remembered vaguely the realtor touting the educational system when I bought. At the time, I never assumed that I'd have any reason to care. Now, it seemed like a godsend.
Added to that, it was the high school that Seth attended. That was frosting on the cake for Gavin. Seth was eager to go with us when we enrolled Gavin. He had gone there his freshman year, and thought that he could show Gavin around the place. I wasn't sure that the powers-that-be would allow them to roam on their own, but I didn't want to spoil his day.
Armed with Gavin's transcript and proof that I was one of his guardians, the three of us arrived at Washington High for our appointment. To my surprise, we were greeted by an associate principal before we saw the lady who would be Gavin's counselor.
Mr. Price was a new addition to the staff, and he already knew Seth by name from checking out his picture. Evidently, this administrator had a photographic memory and would likely make a good impression on the kids.
Mrs. O'Grady was a motherly type who made Gavin feel at home immediately. She was also Seth's counselor, and she did her best to put them in classes together, seeing that they had become friends. She even moved Seth to a different language arts section to make it work out. Both boys were thrilled.
Since I had an appointment with a client right after we finished, I suggested that I drop the boys off at my house to forage for their lunch. They declined my offer, saying that they would like to explore the building further and then walk to the supermarket café for lunch. They also wanted to check on their tentative employment chances at the same time. Another boy had told them they'd get preferential treatment if they appeared to be eager. I slipped them $20 to pay for their meal, and offered more if they needed it. They assured me that it would be more than enough and that I'd get change back.
To my surprise, Mrs. O'Grady okayed their plans to walk around the school on their own because she knew Seth to be a responsible kid.
When I came home again, I was greeted by two elated teens who, starting tomorrow, were part-time employees as grocery sackers at Kroger. I wondered how excited they'd be 10 or 20 years in the future as they found themselves stuck in the work-a-day world.
Author's notes: The first three or four name were not on the last list because they arrived after I'd sent the new chapter in. The rest are from chapter 4. They include: Jim H, Norm W, Paul R, Chandra B, Lonnie R, Wayne, Bill K, John L, AZ, Joel R, Jae B, Craig S, Don S, Geoff S, Dick M, Tom A, Walt S, Randy M, Trish R, Larry S, Peter M, JCH, Jeremy R, Walter Sz, Paul R, Tim E, Scott H, Jim L, Neal H, Cole N, and Paul F.
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David