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Family Matters
An act of kindness toward a stranger sets off a chain reaction which dramatically alters the lives of two men in their late 20's.
Chapter 1
Landon Brooks was not a happy man at the moment. He was pissed at his wife for spoiling what was supposed to have been a romantic evening to celebrate Valentine's Day. Earlier in the week, he had surprised her with the promise of a Saturday night date. They were to begin with dinner reservations at their favorite Greek restaurant. After a great meal, they would head to the symphony. The major work for the concert was to be Gustav Mahler's "Symphony Number Five" which was one of Landon's favorites.
Sarah had seemed pleased at the time, but on Saturday morning, she had informed him that she wasn't going. She didn't care for Russian composers, and Prokofiev's Second Piano Concerto was the main piece scheduled for the first half of the concert. Since she was behind in her reading for the on-line class she was taking to finish her degree, she was staying home to catch up. He was welcome to go without her. She thought the symphony was stuffy and overrated anyway.
At first, Landon had thought he wouldn't go either. The weather forecasters had predicted a chilly evening and he wasn't in the mood to dress up and head out alone. Then, he suddenly changed his mind. By damn, he was going to go out and enjoy himself! If Sarah didn't take pleasure in cultural events, that was her problem and not his. So he showered, dressed, gelled his hair, and applied a tiny bit of subtle after-shave. He looked like a man ready to go out on the town. When she saw him leave, Sarah wondered if he was going out on the make. She'd better start keeping closer tabs on him.
The restaurant was busy. As Landon awaited his turn for the hostess to seat him, the young man in front of him was being turned away.
"I'm sorry, but all of the non-reserved tables are taken. I can seat you around 7:15 if you want to come back then. Otherwise, we can't accommodate you. I would suggest calling ahead for reservations in the future for dinner on a Saturday," she told him.
The man was about to leave when Landon spoke to him.
"Hey, don't we both work at the Great America Building. I think I've seen you in the elevator."
"Yeah, my firm is there. I thought you looked familiar."
"Look, if you're alone and want to join me for dinner, you're certainly welcome. I have a reservation for two, but my wife stood me up. I'd enjoy eating with someone. By the way, my name is Landon, Landon Brooks and I'm employed at Ad Tech.
"Nice to meet you, Landon," he said as they shook hands. "I'm Michael Day and I'm an attorney with Gladbrook and Day. The `Day' in the firm's name is my father, not me. I'm just a junior partner," he blushed.
"You will join me then, won't you?" Landon asked.
"Sure, I'd love to. Thanks for inviting me."
The two men were soon seated in a dim corner not too far from the kitchen. It wasn't the best location in some ways, but it was fine in others. It was a surprisingly quiet place (except when the kitchen door opened) where people could have a private conversation. Not that either was likely to say anything that he didn't want overheard, but it was still good to be away from the noisy chatter that was taking place at some of the tables toward the front.
After Landon had requested a bottle of white Boutari for them to split, he and Michael studied the menu. When the waiter came to take their orders, both guys were surprised that they had chosen the same salads and entrees. Since Landon had insisted on buying the wine, Michael ordered flaming saganaki for their appetizer.
In the course of their conversation, the men discovered that they had a number of other things in common. Both had married fairly young and were close to their third anniversary. Both were moving up in their professions. They had similar tastes in art, theatre, and music as well.
"I don't suppose you're a Mahler fan," Landon said. "That would be just too much of a coincidence."
Michael's face lit up as he answered.
"I think Mahler may be my favorite composer – certainly of that period. I really messed up in not getting a ticket for tonight. I suppose they'll have some rush seats available if I decide to go. I like the Fifth very much, but I think the Second is my top choice."
"Get out of my head!" Landon exclaimed. "I would rank the Second as my number one choice followed by the Fifth, First, and then the Fourth in that order. The rest are sort of equal with maybe the Third having an edge. And, guess what; I have an extra ticket and they're in the loge. You must come as my guest."
"I'll be happy to accompany you, but please let me pay for the ticket. I know they're not cheap in that location."
"Hey, they're not all that expensive when you buy the whole season and it was going to go to waste anyway. I want to give it to you."
The men talked over the logistics of getting to the concert hall. They finally agreed to drive to Michael's condo and drop off his SUV so there would be one less vehicle trying to find a parking place in the crowded downtown area. Landon had access to a stall in a private garage only half a block from their destination. A friend, who rented the spot, had given him the code to get in.
On the way, they discussed some other things in their lives. They were already beginning to feel like they could confide in each other. Michael revealed that his wife was in Mississippi visiting her mother for several weeks. She missed the South and seemed to be unhappy in the Midwest. He also alluded to the fact that this was causing a lot of stress in their marriage. Landon picked up on that more from what he didn't say than from what he said.
In return, Landon mentioned some of the problems that had arisen in his marriage lately. It seemed like his wife was constantly suspicious of everything he did. Her attitude had changed greatly in the past several months.
The concert was awesome. From the opening trumpet fanfare to the final chord, Mahler's Fifth was a polished work of art. Not only did the musicians display technical perfection, but the new young conductor led them to project feelings that would have moved the composer himself. The audience rose to show their appreciation, applauding until the house lights came up to signal the end of the first half.
Conversation during intermission was interesting to say the least. Landon ran into several people that he knew socially who inquired about Sarah's absence. He was going to make up some excuse that she was ill, but decided to tell it like it was. He simply gave her reasons for staying home – she didn't like Russian music and had class-work to do. Several eyebrows were raised slightly. Landon didn't care.
He introduced Michael as a friend who worked in the same building. Several people who already had a nodding acquaintance with the young lawyer asked about his wife and made some comments about its being great that the men had each other for companionship in absence of their spouses.
Some of their casual acquaintances had wondered at first if the men were brothers. The guys were close in height and build. Their skin and hair color were similar. And, both had hazel eyes that seemed to change color to match what they were wearing.
In the second half of the concert, the performance by the guest pianist was nothing short of exquisite, in the opinion of any classical music aficionado present. The Prokofiev was flawless in technique and filled with expression. The last note had barely died away when the audience sprang to its feet en masse yelling "bravos" and applauding wildly. The handsome young pianist was called back for several bows. He finally played a short encore that earned him more shouts and applause.
On the way back to his condo, Michael invited Landon in for a shot of Bailey's over ice. It was an agreeable way to end a very pleasant evening.
Michael also gave Landon a quick tour of his "patio home." It was a free-standing condo with three bedrooms. The living room was spacious and well appointed. There was a small fireplace flanked by built-in book shelves. Overhead was a cathedral ceiling that flowed up to a loft situated above the guest bedroom. The master suite had a number of attractive features like the large walk-in closet, elegant bathroom, and a sliding door leading out to the deck.
The deck led to a small backyard which was completely surrounded by a high board fence. There was a hot tub too. Landon wondered if Michael and his wife used it in the buff. He could see that they might have some romantic moments there, given the privacy the fence provided.
The basement design had also been well thought-out. It had a family room with a wood-burning fireplace. There was a small bedroom, bath, and laundry room as well as an area for the mechanicals. The place was compact but efficient.
"Wow, I'm impressed," Landon exclaimed. "We live in a townhouse that has a common lawn area in back. We don't have the space you have or the privacy. I'd love to live here. I wonder if any places will come on the market in this area."
It was well after midnight when Landon crept quietly into the house. Fortunately the garages were under the guest rooms rather than their bedroom. The opener was rather noisy and could easily awaken anyone sleeping above it.
Sarah seemed to be asleep when he carefully climbed into his side of the bed. Landon soon found himself in dreamland too. He was transported to a pleasant place filled with sunlight and the sound of ocean waves breaking on a sandy shore. He was running nude along the beach with someone. He turned to see Michael smiling beside him. The two of them spread out their towels and lay naked in the warm sun. He was looking into Michael's eyes when he suddenly woke up.
For whatever reason, Sarah appeared particularly distant on Sunday morning. Perhaps it was "that time of the month." Landon was never sure what cycle she was on anymore. It seemed that often when he wanted to make love it wasn't a good time. She couldn't have periods twice in 30 days, could she? He speculated that she might be having mental problems. Would it do any good to talk to the family doctor, he wondered?
At breakfast the interrogation began.
"What time did you get in last night? I know you weren't home when I went to bed around 11:45. What were you doing and who were you with?"
Although Landon didn't feel that he needed to account for every minute he was out of her sight, he told her quite honestly what had transpired. He also mentioned that their friends thought it odd that she had chosen to stay home.
"Didn't you make up some excuse?" she asked in amazement.
"Why should I, it was your doing, not mine. I left out your comment about the symphony being stuffy, but I didn't leave out anything else. I told the simple truth just as I am now."
"I'm not convinced that you ARE telling the truth! I can't imagine that you conveniently ran into someone you don't really know other than by sight and that you had a great evening with another man. I think you're seeing some woman on the side!"
"And just how could I have arranged that at a moment's notice? Until yesterday morning, I thought WE had a date," he countered.
"Men figure out ways. How do I know that you don't have a mistress? I should have listened to Mother. She never did trust you."
"Look, I'm not in the mood to fight over this. There is nothing to it other than in your imagination."
"You are just like all men. You're inconsiderate and untrustworthy."
"Damn it, Sarah, I'm not like your father!"
That last comment earned Landon a hard slap across the face. He had poked at a sore spot and he knew it. Sarah's father had been a notorious skirt-chaser from day one. The man had ended up dying in his secretary's bed and the social fallout had been devastating for Sarah and more-so for her mother.
Landon grabbed Sarah's wrist firmly.
"Don't you ever hit me again," he demanded. "I'm not going to take that kind of shit! I don't intend to be a battered spouse. If you strike me, expect to end up on the floor!"
"You're hurting me, you big bully! If you don't stop, I'm calling 911 and have you arrested."
"Be my guest! When they come, they'll see that the mark on my face is worse than the one on your arm!"
Sarah went into the bedroom they used as an office and slammed the door. Landon went to the bathroom to check his face. There was a red area, but it seemed to be fading. He was angry. He had to find some way to deal with this. Their spats had been mild in the beginning, but seemed to grow in intensity over the last few months, but this was the first time that it had become physical in nature.
It occurred to Landon that he might find some solace in going to church. At the very least, it would get him out of the house for an hour or so. He shaved, showered, and got dressed in a suit and tie. His reflection in the mirror showed that he still had some evidence of Sarah's blow. He thought about using the makeup base he kept for the occasional zit outbreak, but at this point he didn't care if it showed. If anyone asked, he would tell the truth like he had the night before.
Sarah came into the kitchen as he was heading for the garage.
"You going out to meet someone special?" she taunted.
"Yeah," he shot back. "I think God is pretty special."
Sarah knew that Landon was in the habit of going to St. Stephen's on Sunday mornings, but she was beginning to wonder if that was where he ended up. She made a quick decision to follow him. Sure enough, he pulled into the parking lot of the large Episcopal Church. He was greeted by several other people who seemed to know him. He was joined by a couple and a blond-haired lady in a mink coat. The woman took Landon's offered arm. Sarah couldn't see her face, but the lady had great legs. So, now she knew why he had an interest in going to church. She snapped several photos on her cell phone camera to confront him with later.
Landon sat with Terry and Marie Langston and Mildred, his aunt by marriage. Mildred was a delightful matron who was probably more than 70, but was endowed with a youthful appearance and a lively sense of humor. She was older than Landon's mother by a number of years, but could have passed for her contemporary even close up.
The service did help to lessen Landon's emotional turmoil. He felt much more at peace after having heard the homily and taken the Eucharist. He arose from his seat with renewed strength and he looked forward to the coming week at work.
After church, the Langston's invited Landon to join them for brunch. He took them up on the offer because it would give him another hour or so away from the house. It seemed like he had been increasingly taking refuge in situations that kept him occupied away from home. Was this how his life was intended to be lived? He had to work on a plan to alter things. Yeah, he needed to make some changes in his life.
Around 1:30, Landon came home. He was no more than in the door before Sarah started her tirade.
"Just explain this," she demanded as she thrust her cell phone toward him with the picture of Mildred and him arm in arm.
He grinned broadly, which was a mistake because it made Sarah all the angrier. She was tempted to slap that look off of his face, but wisely remembered his earlier warning.
"That is Terry Langston's aunt Mildred. She has osteoporosis and is deathly afraid of tripping on something and breaking a hip. She's really great; you'd love her. You must come to church with me next week and meet her. She's been asking about you."
"You are really something, Landon Brooks. You can't tell me that a woman who looks like that is an old lady!"
"But, she is. I would never say that in front of her because she's too proud even to ask for the senior discount at a restaurant. I don't blame her; she could probably pass for 40 in dim light – like Blanch Dubois."
"And who is this Blanch person? Are you seeing her too?"
"Sarah, for God's sake! Blanch Dubois is a character in `A Streetcar Named Desire.' Surely you have read Tennessee Williams or at least seen the old classic movie with Brando!"
Landon's answers only served to further kindle Sarah's wrath. She had always felt inferior to him because of his wide range of knowledge. She was well aware that he was better educated and more cultured than she. He didn't need to rub it in.
She informed him that he had better choose his clothes for Monday and get them out of their closet because he was sleeping in the guest room that night.
When it was time to retire, Landon's only chance of sexual release came from his right hand while he was checking out a porn-site on his laptop. Oh well, why should tonight be any different from most other nights lately? God, he wished he looked as hot as some of the guys in the video clips.