Kasey with a K

Chapter 12

Maxieplus

I walked around the warehouse thinking it was too big for me, what will I do with all the extra space.

"How much is it?"

"This is the weird part baby, the building is still on the government's books and they were offering free rent for six months if someone wants to lease it from them. I told the guy in supplies it was for you to start up again and he got on the phone and made a deal with someone in Canberra. They are giving it to you lock stock and barrel, as long as you don't sue them, and I did mention you were going to talk to the press about the Military." His grin got wider.

"What, you blackmailed the Government?"

"They are giving the whole building to you, title and all for free, so you can't sue them, or talk to reporters, you hear me?" His grin was gorgeous.

"I'm getting to like this not suing business I think my Kasey with a K. Did you stand over them, like did you have your lawyers wig on?" I smiled back at him.

"Yes." He giggled.

"You're going to be pretty bloody good as a lawyer Mr Kasey, thank you.' I kissed his mouth, then he said.

"You're my first client." "Then you had better send me your bill."

"First clients get it all for one kiss." He kissed me again.

"Adam, it's not much for them to lose and it saves a drawn-out court case, and bad publicity and I have also negotiated the Military sparkie's and plumbers to come in when you're ready to hook everything up, want to go shopping?" He looked as pleased as punch.

My tears arrived and my heart was heavy, this wonderful man has done all this for us, I say us because this means if we get it up and running the staff will have work again. It didn't matter about the address my clients will travel here no problems, and it's a quiet area although I saw some ladies and men going into a café to get lunch, so there are other workers in the area.

"It's a big job baby," I said.

"No it's not, first we have to make a floor plan, and the guys can start anytime you want them to, you have to go into the commander's office and sign things, then you will own the building. The guys don't have much to do nowadays they mainly do maintenance work interstate, but they can be called back at a moment's notice. All you need is a reception desk a few lounges and coffee tables, some barber chairs and wash troughs, if you want to put your stamp on it you can get the chandeliers and mirrors done, the guys are pretty nifty when it comes to that sort of stuff, they will install everything to your liking, all you have to do is tell them where you want things to sit."

I couldn't stop kissing him and if the floor wasn't so dusty I would have opened my legs so he could get his reward right here, right now on the concrete floor, which I will have polished. I did the next best thing and tried to give him a thank you blow job, but my legs wouldn't bend properly. He laughed and said.

"I had better get you home as soon as possible, I think you're a little horned up maybe." He buttoned up his shirt but I did see a slight grin on his lips.

We locked up and headed back to the commander's office, Adam with an A was back in business.

I called Trish and insisted she has another sleepover tonight at our place. I wanted her in on this, she will know things I had forgotten, and can help us with the layout.

On the bus ride back we talked about a lot of things and he was telling me that the guys in his team are very happy for us, they don't care what he does in bed they only care about him being there when it counted. I had a new respect for his extended mates and my heart lifted because Kasey can now, be himself.

At the office, I signed away my rights to sue the Military once again and was handed three sets of keys. Keith said we could start anytime and he had the men on call to do the plumbing and electrics.

"Use them up Adam, they are skilled workers and as I'm sure Lieutenant Kasey has told you they don't have much work to do at the moment."

"I will Keith, and thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Then I said.

"Can I see your phone?"

He stared at me and handed it over. I looked in his phonebook for Tim's number then pushed call, then I handed the phone to Keith. Kasey and I left the office to give him some privacy, we sat at the reception and talked quietly about our new adventure.

"You need something to occupy yourself, Adam, don't reflect on the past just focus on the future. He's not coming back and you're all safe." He was trying to move me along from that dreadful explosion and the aftermath.

"I am worried Kasey, worried about a lot of things, you mainly. I worry about you a lot."

"Well don't worry about me, I don't have that long to go and then we will be together forever." He grinned and blushed.

"Remind me what are we again Kasey?"

"We are a couple, partners, friends, lovers, many things Adam with an A. I want that and I want you to want that too."

"Oh, I do Kasey with a K, I do, I feel I have been waiting around for you for a lifetime, and now it's unbelievable that you are finally here with me."

"I am pleased Adam because I love you so very much." He was about to kiss me when the guy behind the reception desk cleared his throat.

"I think he's finished his call fellas, you can go back now."

The commander was on a high, he blubbered about his call to Tim and yes he would love to go out for dinner tonight, he said that he was absolutely over the moon to finally find the time to do some more courting. I looked this bulky god up and down and laughed.

"Get on with it, he won't hang around forever you know," I said. That was our cue to leave and I wanted to pick up some stuff for dinner because my friend Trish is coming over.

"I think I'm in the mood Adam, my bum is itchy and it's calling for me to lay on the bed in the nude and have someone shaft me."

"I know what you mean Kasey, do you want to walk faster?"

We did, well we tried, and were in bed in no time at all, my groceries were left on the kitchen bench and I was planted firmly in Kasey's butt.

The doorbell rang and Trish was all smiles when she kissed both of us. I fixed her up with a drink and she sat at the table talking to my beautiful husband. I grabbed a handful of paper from the printer and sat with them. I also handed over a set of keys and the address of where the warehouse was situated.

"Go take a look."

"I know this area very well Adam, I was bought up there. It's quiet and more industrial, plenty of little satellite businesses there, mainly steelworks and panel beaters. Well done Kasey and the good thing is, it's only a five-minute drive for me." She grinned.

"How's Janice."

"She will come good, she did say she was shattered because she loved working at the salon, maybe you can give her a reassuring call. But she is all for coming back to work she said she couldn't imagine her life without all of us, and the salon."

"I will do that in the morning, I was a bit worried she may not want to work in the industry again, now, do I rebuild or sell it?"

"Rebuild and replace everything in the salon kiddo, no option in my book." She smiled, so did Kasey.

"Okay I will have to find more staff, Trish will you think about managing the new one on your own. You can take what staff that wants to work on the other side of the city and hire anyone you deem fit. Because of the circumstances, I am thinking I will ask Eva to manage the old one when it's up and running. It's just that I have a different life now and want to cut back a bit." They both looked at me and laughed. Kasey took my hand and said.

"If you give up all those sweet smells, and the beautiful customers that come in just to see you, I won't be coming in for my new haircut."

I stared at him and smiled, how could I even think about letting my clients down.

"Maybe let Eva take the manager's role as I do, and you just concentrate on doing good hair. Adam I know why you're thinking of doing this, you're going to hide up here and the only human contact you will have will be Kasey. I feel that's not a good thing my lovely, not at all." She was right, I do plan to have a full-on relationship with my man, and my work will be secondary.

"All right you have me, now we have electricians, plumbers and carpenters for free, and from what I have been told we have to make them work hard. Where do you want your stations, reception, tea room storage rooms."

I passed a plan of the warehouse over in front of her.

"It's big Adam really big"

" I know." I blushed at Kasey, Trish slapped my hand.

"Stop it you two or I'll sleep in your bed tonight." I shut up because we don't want that.

"Right, eight stations right down that wall with the wash trough across the back, the storage and tea room over here with an office."

"Great, but what do we do with the other sixty percent of the shell." I had her there.

"Boutique store, high-end vintage clothing, and Knick knacks, deco evening wear and accessories. You might like to ask Susan if she would be interested in running it, she's a sassy woman nowadays Adam, and don't forget, she has the look."

She couldn't stop grinning, and when my jaw left the table a few tears had started again. I knew Trish would see things I couldn't and I hugged her for all her brilliance.

"It won't be hard Adam, you know a lot of shop owners down the alleyways, they will either supply you or tell you where to source from. You might even think about consignment goods until you find a solid supplier. The bomb just didn't happen to us, it happened to all the surrounding area, they are all feeling the pinch and lack of customers willing to brave the area at the moment."

"What do you think Kase," I asked him.

"I think you have a plan Adam, start making notes." I did what I was told and also noted to go talk to the businesses to judge their feelings. My hand shook as I wrote down my orders.

"But there's more." She grinned again.

"What?"

"Well we seem to be getting more and more of the guys in, how about over here at the front a separate old fashioned barbershop with its own entrance, we can get two stunning ladies to lease it from us. They can do everyday shaves and cuts."

"Brilliant," Kasey yelled and thrust his arm into the air, then he winced and grabbed his ribs.

"But what about Evans, Wilson, and Hargraves?"

"We will still be doing them but there are a lot of guys working in that area Adam, let's not close the door on them."

"I think you have just organized us beautifully, so we need another wash trough and two more stations."

"And a candy stripe light out the front, vintage of course." She laughed. The image appeared in my head and my decorator's mind was running at full steam ahead.

We set about mapping it out while Kasey started dinner.

It was a very pleasant night, Kasey's stew was delicious and once again Trish took another stack of magazines to bed with her. I had told her about the warehouse gift for my silence, and she did say to Kasey he would make an amazing lawyer one day. Kasey's grin never left his face all night, I was so proud of him.

We snuggled in to get a good night's sleep, I was comforted in the knowledge that the new salon would be in good hands, I will go see my contact at the military offices tomorrow and he can get the ball rolling on the fit-out. I will have to meet the guys to let them know where I wanted the utilities.

"You're still scared aren't you." I looked into his eyes and nodded, he pulled me closer.

"Well don't be, it's all over, in the past, nothing can hurt you anymore."

"Your job will hurt me more than any bomb," I whispered.

"I know." His eyes dropped, then he kissed my head.

"Get some sleep Adam with an A, I love you."

"I love you back, my Kasey with a K."

I heard him groan once then his soft breaths sang me to sleep.

Trish was showered and dressed by the time we got up, she also had been downstairs to get some fresh croissants for breakfast. Kasey, of course, grabbed one when he passed to open the balcony doors to let some fresh air in. I grabbed the broom to sweep up the crumbs he left in his wake, I understand army boys, they aren't all like me. Trish gave me a small giggle as I passed by.

"You know that you're going to be doing that constantly don't you?"

I shrugged and replied.

"He repays me in awesome ways, Trish, I guess I will get used to it. "

"Get used to what?" He said in passing to grab another one.

"Nothing Kase. There is fresh ham and cheese in the fridge why don't you grill some." He looked at his bland breakfast and went over to the fridge check.

"Did you sleep well Trish?"

"Yes Adam, like a log this place is so quiet."

"Well one day you may find yourself living in this building, and you can sleep all you like." I knew Trisha's place was noisy because I stayed with her ages ago before I met Adele. I would have liked to have offered her my other flat but for now, the boys are living in it, I hope they vacuum up the crumbs they drop.

Kasey sat with his loaded plate and coffee, I stared at him, he pushed the plate over and said,

"Eat." I couldn't stop laughing as I got the rest of the foodstuff and placed it in front of my friend and myself.

"Thank you, Trish, if you don't have anything on today we can go see the warehouse, and I need to call Janice before we head out."

"That would be good, I will drive but you may have to catch a bus home."

"We are buying a car today, you do have a car park downstairs don't you baby?" Kasey interrupted.

"We don't need a car Kasey, the bus stops just out the front it can take us anywhere."

"Do you have a car park, Adam?"

"Five, three with this flat and two with the other, plus storage. But we don't need a car."

"I want one, I sold mine when I enlisted and miss having one now."

"Okay, then we get a car or two." I laughed, I knew the guys downstairs would be using the ones attached to their flat.

He grabbed his laptop and started searching for cars in the city area. I changed clothes and I grabbed Trish and the pieces of notepaper, and we all left for the day.

Trish loved the space so much, she said the ideas were running rampant through her brain and she will jot them down later, in the meantime, she took many photos. After some time we said our goodbyes to her then we headed for the BMW dealership, I didn't say a word as Kasey almost battered the salesman with orders, not requests. I think the guy was just about to call in security, but he got a great deal on a nice white one, last year's model but hardly any mileage on it.

"You do have a license Adam, don't you."

"Yes Kase, but I never use it."

"Good, you do now." He grinned.

"What's my share?"

"Nothing, I have the cash." What could a boy say but promise a really good loving moment in the back seat someday? He proudly sat behind the wheel and pulled into a supermarket car park on our way home.

"We better do a shop while we are out, what do we need?"

"Nothing really baby, but we can go and have a look."

He grabbed a market trolley, I had no idea what he liked food-wise, simple fare I think. I got it so wrong with him, he grabbed ten different kinds of cheese six boxes of different crackers, olives gherkin pate by the tub, and things even I didn't know about. His bill was high, he passed the card over and winked at me.

We loaded the bags into the trunk and I returned the trolley to the store.

He was sitting there behind the wheel with a huge grin on his face. I belted up and he still sat there. After two minutes I looked sideways at him.

"You want to know why don't you?"

"An explanation would be nice, but you don't have to." He took his time and turned his body towards me and said.

"Mum never bought this kind of luxuries, her cooking was country style. Ever since I can remember I have craved to have everything that is in this car."

"I'm sorry Kasey, I think I know what you mean,"

"I craved a boyfriend as handsome and generous as you Adam, I wanted to drive him around in a luxury car and I wanted to feed him the better things in life. I longed for this so much it hurt to even think about it in the end. My life had changed, and I knew I would never be able to live my dream. I would be all alone until I died."

"Oh Kasey, I do love you, you perfect man you unselfish human being, if not me there would have been someone out there for you."

"But I dreamed he would be just like you."

A tear slipped down my cheek as I reached over and squeezed his hand. What else could I say this moment was to be remembered by me dearly for the rest of my life.

"We had better go, the cheese will go off."

"Give me one more minute."

I gave him five more, then his eyes kept darting over to me all the way home. He parked in the better car park and suggested I rent the other two out, they all had storage cages. I did think about it at one stage but placed it in the too hard basket.

"Put a sign on the buildings notice board, the other owners will jump at the chance of renting them. Maybe ask a couple of hundred a month each, that will pay your apartment outgoings." I will do that when I get the chance, but for now, I have to get this perishable stuff into the fridge and Kasey in the nude.

The first was easy the second was instant, I hadn't even unloaded the shopping yet and he was down to his underwear, and very nice underwear it was too black hipster trunks.

We didn't have to cook dinner, Kasey made up a cheese platter and we grazed while we watched some old Abbott and Costello movies, we laughed into each other's faces and kissed more than talked. In bed later he stared, kissed, and stared again, until he went to sleep. He was hanging onto me and making a home for us because in the back of his mind he could be taken away from all this in a heartbeat. I knew I had to make Kasey's life a better one and give him the tools to believe nothing bad is going to happen to him. I had nightmares all night and I relived the blast over and over. In my dream Kasey left a gaping hole in my heart I thought would never heal, he faded from my dreams then there was nothing but emptiness. I now know how my darling Adele felt about her son's death.

I woke with a start and sat up, he was sleeping gently beside me so I leaned over and kissed his sweet lips, he stirred and a gentle smile appeared across his face.

"Are you having a restless night Adam, dreams?"

"Yes, several Kase, I can't shake them off." My eyes were bleary and I wanted to go back to sleep, which I finally did, and I knew he watched me.

Five days after the explosion I was allowed to go inside the burnt-out shell, there was nothing that I could see to salvage as I looked around the mess. I found my cut-throat razor but decided I would get a new one, so I left it there. The staff hadn't lost anything personal so I talked to the man in charge and he said the insurance accessor had already been in and he was getting the ball running to start cleaning it out. He said it won't take that long to get it all ship shape. I was in a quandary as to what to do with it. Sell the shell or rebuild the salon. I had bought this property when they were cheap, but now Kasey tells me it is a goldmine, I don't need the money and the insurance will replace everything, I had top coverage. I looked back at my safe working place and felt sad it was in such a horrible condition.

"Adam, listen to me for a minute."

"Yes, Kase?"

"We rebuild it, the insurance check will be more than enough because we can get the guys to do it for free. I really think we should start looking at fittings asap because they won't stop until it's all done. Maybe a roofing firm first to stick a new one on while they are doing that the new one will be ready by the time that's finished."

"The insurance said they will restore it to lockup which includes a new roof, so we don't have to worry about that."

"Good."

"Okay, what's the first thing I do?" I asked Mr. Organizer.

"We go shopping, where do we get hair salon stuff from?"

"At the hair salon stuff shop, silly man."

I was laughing all the way up the street, we will need the car.

He drove again and that smile was back on his face. I directed him to the warehouse I had dealt with before, they had almost everything to do with hairdressing equipment. Kasey went crazy but instead of trying out the standard chairs, he zeroed in on the upscaled imported vintage looking ones. I didn't have the heart to tell him I had already decided to buy that style for the barber shop, but they weren't cheap.

The account was high and I gave the guy the new address and handed over my credit card. Kasey told me to put it back in my pocket he will pay for it and I could pay him back when the insurance check comes in.

I let him do that, then we headed for the mirror shop where I had bought my old ones, again sixteen were ordered, eight for each shop, they were in stock so a good discount and a delivery date was set, which thankfully was only a week away. In the hair product warehouse, the girls were nearly crying when we dropped eight grand in their pockets, and Kase got us a free delivery, and I think a certain overly eager blondes phone number. Trish will have to go through everything and make sure we hadn't forgotten anything important. Combs, brushes, smocks, towels, everything that was on the list we had made the other night.

A few days later we headed for the new warehouse, I wanted to see if the guys had turned up, they were supposed to start work this morning. Sure enough, the music was blaring and four guys were going about their business, there were electrical wires everywhere and I noticed eight box's stacked in the corner, that will be my beautiful chandeliers and light fittings.

We told them that everything will be delivered by the end of the week, and they were also to hand me any receipts where they had to spend their personal money. They said they had credit cards to use on the job so everything will be paid for by the government.

It all blew me away as Kasey drove me down to a secluded beach nearby.

"And we are here for what?"

"To look at the ocean, play a little, make out, and to relax and regroup, want to come for a swim?"

"No, it's too bloody cold."

"Okay, we can go for a walk then." He opened his door and stepped out. We walked for half an hour down the beach then we started walking back.

`Have you found it yet?"

"Found what?"

"The nice grassy spot where we are going to make love." I looked at him sideways.

He cleared his throat and said.

"Just down here a bit."

When we got there he had my clothes off in an instant, but I was too cold, so as I shivered he helped me redress. The laughing hardly stopped all the way back to the car. He turned the engine on then the heater full blast. To shut me up he kissed me deeply, then my seat fell back and he was all over me. My legs felt a little better, the cream I rubbed onto them helped enormously, because they ended up resting on the dashboard as Kasey squashed himself between them.

A long hot shower was on offer when we got in, and some more bandages and creams.

"I think you can lose the bandages, Kase, let the wound breathe a bit. It is healing nicely."

"Yes, I will lose the strapping, my ribs feel a lot better too." He smiled then kissed me again.

"We can just concentrate on getting you well now." He smiled at me.

"I'm okay really I am, the build is keeping my mind occupied and when the old salon is finished I can relax properly then."

Kasey grabbed the broom and started sweeping the balcony, I guess he's trying to help with the chores, I had to giggle to myself when he picked up the few leaves and a bit of dust and threw it over the railing.

He got a reprieve when Wilson, Hargraves, and Evans knocked on the door, they had the afternoon off so the beers were passed around and all three settled in front of the TV. While they did that I made out a `for rent' sign for the notice board downstairs. I took it down in the lift and pinned it to the empty notice board.

Upstairs again and Kasey was at the bench making up a cheese platter for his mates. I started making a pasta bake for dinner, a very large one. As the afternoon rolled by the guys moved to the balcony, the sun was out, so I set up the table out there and they destroyed their late lunch early dinner. I got a phone call from one of my fellow tenants and yes he will take both of the parking spaces, he was happy to pay my price and I told him I would leave the keys with John the janitor and we will work out the payment when we catch up.

The boys broke out the cards, they asked me to join in but I declined because I don't know much about it and I would only slow them down. I sat and watched the four of them place their bets, but I couldn't make out if anyone won any big money or not.

"So when are you going to tell us, Kasey?" Wilson said.

"Tell you what?"

"What you're going to do at University." He smiled at Kase.

"Oh that, I'm going to study law, maybe one day I will become a bad assed lawyer."

"Really? well, that's a new one, I didn't figure you to be that interested in the law." Evans said.

"I've always been interested, it's my dad that pushed me into the army."

"Mine too I wanted to do engineering design, ." Wilson said.

"I wanted to be a farmer," Evans said.

"I couldn't get a job, so the army was hiring." Hargraves laughed.

"Why don't you look at the University online you can do engineering part-time mate, by the time your contract is up you will probably have your diploma." Kasey knows everything.

"I might look at it, anything is better than what we do at the moment, yes email me the address will you."

"Done."

Kasey went into the lounge and bought out his laptop, he sent Wilson the links and then all four started talking about it. Evans was from a large country town, his father ran the family business and he joined the army to see some of the world, but it hasn't happened the way he imagined so he's keen to get back home and start a family, he misses the farm now. From the vibes I am getting it's not just a farm.

"With Trish I suppose, I hope you're not going to kidnap my best girl Evans, I won't be happy at all," I said.

"She can open a branch in town Adam, of course, you can pay for its fit out." He laughed.

"That I will happily do, any updates on any engagements or weddings?" I looked at all three of them. They all said no, but I didn't believe them. I have more information on them now, and the conversation did change from work to more personal news.

We did have a great evening but it was ruined by Kasey getting a phone call from Maree, his sister, his folks are coming to town on the weekend, he wasn't too happy about that and I fully understood, from what he has told me his dad is a real charmer.

We went to bed and spoke about it for a while, lovemaking wasn't on the menu tonight, I offered up our apartment so he could have some room to entertain them and he said he will get with Maree, and maybe it's a better idea to go out to a restaurant, nothing too posh because his dad could be quite embarrassing sometimes.

"Kasey, this is probably the last time you will see him, just go with the flow and hopefully he will disappear into the background again."

"Maybe Adam, it's hard to tell how he's going to be, of course, he will talk about the military all night even though he left it when I was around five years old. My gran had passed away and the dollar signs got to him, he had no need to work anymore, luckily for mum, most of the money was invested with ours and in our name, so he can't touch it."

"But they have some money?"

"Yes, he lives it up big, mum doesn't she doesn't see the need to throw money around at all."

"You should try and talk her into leaving him."

"I don't even know if she's thought about it through the years, but I'm sure Maree and I will be the first to know. I would like to see her have some happiness in her life." He was being reflective.

"He was furious when gran left most of mums inheritance in our care, he tried everything to get his hands on it but the accountants wouldn't hear of it. My gran was a smart lady she knew he would spend it all and she really didn't like him anyway."

"So why did your mum marry him?"

"He was apparently different back then, but when there was money involved he changed a lot."

I thought about it while he reached over and turned the light out, my hand went straight for his face and I stroked it and said.

"Do you need me there?"

"I would like you there Adam with an A. It's up to you whether you can put up with his bull shit or not. I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable position."

"I will think about it, I don't want you to be on your own but it's the gay thing I worry about."

"Be yourself, he's not going to start in on you, I'm well aware that he has read the reports on what happened to you. I'm sure he won't want to add to that story." He kissed me goodnight I snuggled in.