For the full disclaimer, see earlier chapters. Basically don't copy, don't read if you shouldn't and don't be under the misapprehension that it's real, cause it isn't.
Author's Note - In this chapter we meet three individuals who I have written about in a previous story. The reader may wish to read 'Ties That Bind' found in the 'Incest' section, last posted on Aug 9 2003, before reading this chapter. Although the three people have an incestuous relationship, please be assured that no graphic scenes of incestuous sex will appear in this or future chapters of 'The House On The Hill'.
Chapter 7
"Oh, hi Carl, c'mon in." Chris Blake stood to one side to allow Carl to gain admittance.
"Morning Chris. Looks like we'll be in for a warm one today." Carl said remembering the weather forecast he'd heard on the local radio as he drove across town.
"Yeah, there's a fan in the living room, you can bring it in here if you like. I'm not looking forward to being cooped up in the office today."
"No, I don't blame you. An office job would never suit me."
"Well, it kind of grows on you."
Carl cast his eyes around the kitchen, thinking to himself what he'd rip out first. "What type of office work do you do?"
"Department of Work And Pensions. Or at least that's the latest name for it, they keep changing it. Still, I guess it keeps the people who design the office stationery in business."
Chris, who was dressed in the usual white short-sleeved shirt, black tie with a red diagonal pattern, and the expected black dress slacks with a black tooled leather belt excused himself for a moment from Carl and went into the hall. "Danny, if you don't get a move on, we'll be late." Walking back into the kitchen Chris asked, "Would you like a cup of tea or coffee before you start?"
"No, it's fine thanks, I've just had one. You realise that you won't be able to use anything much in here for a few days."
"Oh yeah, we're all eating at mum's place tonight. It'll give her a chance to feed us up again. She doesn't think that three guys who live together can take care of themselves."
"And can you?"
"Oh yeah, we manage pretty well. Danny's a pretty good cook really."
"Lion, we've got loads of time to spare." Danny said just before coming into the room. "Oh hi, erm, Carl." Danny said blushing a little at forgetting that they had a stranger in the house. He, his brother Scott and Chris had pet names for one another, though they tended to keep them private.
"I was just telling your brother that the kitchen would be pretty much out of action for the next few days. You should be able to plug in a kettle or the microwave if you like, but until I get your new built-in hob and oven installed, and my mate Pete comes round to do the wiring, that'll be about all you can do in here."
"Oh, no problem, we're off to mum's."
"Yeah, Chris said." Carl told him.
"Right, have you got everything?" Chris asked his brother.
"Yeah, Chris."
"Okay, our brother Scott will be in and out of here most of the time, but if you need to leave the place you've got a key, haven't you?"
"Yeah." Carl said patting the pocket in his jeans.
"Well, just leave the place secure, that's all I ask."
"No problem."
Chris and Danny left the house. The twenty-two year old Chris started his car and reversed out of the driveway. His old Datsun had finally given out on them, and he'd dipped into his trust fund and bought himself a Saab, it was the first new car he'd ever owned, and he was rather proud of it.
Chris pointed the car towards the hospital, where his nineteen-year-old brother worked as a porter attached to the x-ray department, where their mother was also employed as a radiographer.
"Sorry Lion, I'd forgotten that we'd have someone in the house." Danny said remembering his entrance into the kitchen.
"It's okay, Cub, don't worry about it."
"I just wish sometimes we could be a bit more open about our relationship."
"Yeah." Chris mused. He loved both his biological and unofficial brother very much. The three had formed an unlikely but extremely happy threesome gay relationship. However, Danny was right, they had to hide their love for one another, which caused the otherwise outgoing Chris a fair bit of discomfort. He remembered when his mother's boyfriend as he was then, Barry, had been told of his fiancé's sons' ménage a trois. The news had almost threatened to end Barry and Penny's chances of getting together. Chris had taken Barry aside one day, and admitted that although their incestuous and multi-partnered relationship was unusual, he Chris loved his two brothers totally, and he wouldn't allow anyone to spoil their happiness, nor the happiness of his mother. After a period of time, Barry realised that he'd have to accept the situation, or lose Penny. Over the months Barry's reservations had gradually lessened.
Whilst Chris agreed with his brother Danny's sentiments about wishing to come out to more people, Chris wasn't sure if he could go through the whole business of educating the person they decided to share the news with. The only other people who were aware of their forbidden love were their friends Dr Larry Finch and his partner Eric Townsend. Chris decided that he'd have a word with his two friends, who had become his as well as Danny and Scott's surrogate fathers, to see if they could help to widen their circle of friends.
Carl got on with his work, first unscrewing the doors to the kitchen cabinets, which he'd dispose of once the rubbish skip arrived later that day. Then he began to remove the old worktops.
Carl was busy; he had his head in one of the empty cupboards taking out one of the screws that fastened down the worktop.
"Hi there!"
Carl jumped in surprise and hit his head. "Ouch, what the fuck!"
Carl withdrew his head from the cupboard, rubbing the injured area with his right hand. He looked at the eighteen-year-old blonde-haired boy who had surprised him. He couldn't help notice the strong family resemblance between Chris and this figure; Carl remembered the man's name then. "Do you often sneak up on unsuspecting people, Scott?"
"Err, no, sorry."
"Your brother said you were in the house somewhere."
"Yeah, had a lie in. Not much doing since A-levels finished."
"Oh right. Are you worried about your results?"
"Well, I guess a bit. Hope to get into Liverpool Uni if I get the grades."
"I see."
Unbeknown to Scott, Carl had three A-levels at pretty good grades, though he never wanted to go to university. "What subject do you want to read?"
"Medicine."
"Right. Looking forward to moving out of home and into the halls of residence?" Carl asked.
In point of fact Scott was not looking forward to leaving home at all. Scott didn't want to leave the safety and security of his lovers. Though their unusual relationship had held up very well, this was mainly due to Chris making sure that all three of them talked out any potential jealousies before they grew into anything major. Scott was worried that while he was out of the picture during the week, the other two would begin to love him less, and therefore he'd be edged out of the relationship. He'd not been able to disclose his fears to his brothers, though both were aware of his feelings to a greater or lesser extent.
"It'll be good to study at a higher level I suppose." Scott answered.
As Carl was blissfully unaware of Scott's inner struggle, he decided to get back on with his job of work.
Robbie and Ben decided that as it was going to be a warm day, they'd head off to the coast. Robbie had invited Sarah to go too, but she claimed to have things to do. So the two got into Robbie's car and headed towards Blackpool.
"Wow, this is great." Ben said bouncing up and down a little in the leather seat.
"Yes, but it's not really suitable for round here. I'm thinking of getting something a bit less flashy, maybe a four wheel drive?"
"Cool."
Ben spent some time fiddling with the in-car stereo, eventually settling on an Indie-pop station. Robbie turned the volume down a little from the controls on his steering column. He'd have much preferred light classical, but this was Ben's treat, so Robbie suffered in silence.
The two had a lively discussion as they coursed along the roads. As neither was in a hurry, Robbie decided not to use the motorway network. Robbie was pleasantly surprised by his passenger's interest in the things around him. Ben asked a series of intelligent questions about the small towns and villages they passed through. Although Robbie was no expert on local geography, he did his best to answer the many questions fired at him. Clearly, if Ben were to spend the summer with him, he'd have to brush up on his knowledge.
Once the pair had found somewhere to park, Robbie was not surprised that when Ben was given a choice of what to eat, he chose a hot dog with the works. Robbie decided he'd have the same. The two walked along the crowded promenade eating their fast food. Once they'd finished and deposited their paper napkins in one of the many litterbins, they continued to walk until Ben spotted the tower.
"Isn't the Eiffel tower like that, too?"
"Yes, it was modelled on Alexander Gustav Eiffel's design. Do you want to go up it?"
"Oh, can we?" Ben's youthful exuberance warmed Robbie inside.
"Sure we can, mate." Robbie ruffled the lad's hair, and then he put his right hand on the boy's right shoulder for a moment, before dropping his hand to his side. Ben reached down and put the hand back on his shoulder. "I like it there."
'You're a lucky bastard, Carl Powers.' Robbie said to himself. The only outward display of his emotions however, was a light sniff and a squeeze to Ben's shoulder.
Drawing opposite the tower, the two paused to cross the tramlines and the main road. After Robbie paid for their admission, the two spent some time in the aquarium section, and then they took a brief look inside the world famous ballroom. Though as neither was interested in old-time dancing, this didn't hold much of an appeal. Though they did spend a few minutes looking at the famous Wurlitzer organ. The organ's console is housed on a stage that can be raised or lowered through a couple of storeys, but it remained stationary whilst they were there.
"Can we climb up the tower now, please?" Ben said once he'd seen enough of the ballroom.
Robbie grinned. "Yeah, of course we can."
The two made their way to the main tower structure.
"How high is it to the top?" Ben asked as they climbed the steps.
Robbie consulted a brochure that he'd picked up on entering the complex. " The height to the top of the flagpole is 518 feet 9 inches."
"That's not as high as the tower in Paris, is it?"
"No that's 984 feet." Robbie was glad that they weren't in Paris, because his legs were aching once they'd reached the top.
"Oh wow, they've got a post-box up here." Ben said.
"Yes, the Post Office installed it in 1949." Robbie said reading the brochure once again.
Despite the promised warm temperatures at home, it was a little chilly at the top of the tower. Ben stood at the barrier looking out at the coastline. To help keep his friend warm, Robbie stepped behind him and put his hands to either side of Ben's. Robbie gave a deep sigh of satisfaction.
Unfortunately, a mist was rolling in from the sea, which marred their view somewhat, though they could still make out the three famous piers.
"Had enough now?" Robbie eventually asked.
"Yeah, can we have a ride on a tram please, if it's not too dear?"
"Of course we can, it's ages since I've been on one."
The two walked down the steps to ground level. As they waited for the next tram to arrive, Ben looked back at the tower. "They light it up for the illuminations, don't they?"
"Oh yes, it's a major feature." Reading the booklet again Robbie told Ben that they use over 10,000 bulbs.
"Bet you're glad you don't have to pay the electricity bill, then."
Robbie laughed.
The tram soon came, and they got on. When the conductor came round, Robbie asked for one and a half fares for the pleasure beach.
"Wicked. Dad took me there when I was really little, but I can't remember much about it."
"Well, you won't be able to go on all the rides because you aren't tall enough, but I'm sure we'll find plenty to keep you happy."
When they reached their stop, the two alighted. Ben hadn't actually thought that much of the tram ride; they hadn't gone very fast, and it was just like being on a bus really, but he was glad he'd actually done it. Ben watched the tram pull away; he saw the long arm reaching up from the tram's roof that connected the vehicle to the overhead power lines. Then he took Robbie's hand as they both crossed the busy road in front of the entrance.
Looking up at 'The Big One', one of the largest roller coasters in the country, Robbie was glad that Ben was too small to ride on it, because he didn't fancy going on it himself. His feelings were confirmed when he saw one of the carriages careering at an alarming rate of knots along the tramway.
"Aww, I wish we could go on that." Ben said when he saw the carriage shoot down one of the sharp inclines.
"Maybe in a few years time, Ben." Robbie said. 'So long as your dad takes you.' He thought.
At first Ben didn't want to go on many of the rides, because he saw how expensive they were, he shied away from the amusement arcades, too.
Robbie questioned his friend's reticence. "Is everything okay, little guy?"
Ben looked up at him. "Oh yeah, I'm fine."
Robbie wasn't convinced. "Look, Ben," Robbie said hunkering down so their faces were at the same level. Speaking quietly he continued. "You know that I'm gay, and I'll never have a son of my own. Please don't worry about the cost; I can afford to take you on as many of these rides as you want, and to let you play on the slot machines too. I've spoken with your dad, and he doesn't mind if I spoil you a bit. Okay?" Robbie then treated his young companion to a warm smile.
Ben put his arms around Robbie's neck and gave him a tight hug. "I love you, Uncle Rob."
This was the first time that Ben had used the term 'uncle', Robbie straightened up, got a paper tissue out of his pocket and blew his nose. He sniffed then said. "Come on then, young fella me lad, let's go and have some fun."
And they did. Both were exhausted after four hours of being spooked in the ghost train, drenched by the log-flume and generally jolted and pummelled by the other rides. Robbie watched on in quiet satisfaction as Ben pushed buttons, pulled levers and twisted knobs as he played on almost every slot machine, nudge-the-penny device and racing car game in the place. He didn't know which was brighter, the bulbs that lit up the many display boards, or Ben's radiant smile. On the few occasions when Ben won some money, he'd hand it over to Robbie, who would immediately give it back again.
It was a tired but very happy duo that left the hustle, bustle, noise and glitz of the pleasure beach. As the car park was some distance away, Robbie told Ben that they might as well take another tram.
"Tired, little mate?" Robbie asked Ben as he drove the car home. Ben's head was beginning to droop.
"Yeah, but it's all been fantastic, thanks for taking me."
"We've got plenty more adventures ahead this summer."
"Yeah." Ben treated Robbie to a lazy lopsided grin. The two travelled the rest of the way home in comparative silence, the only sounds coming from the noise of the tyres on the road, and the somewhat muted playing of the car radio.
Robbie had rung Carl from his mobile phone earlier that day, to let him know that they'd be a little late home, and as Ben had stuffed himself full of various junk-foods in the fairground, Carl was advised to see to his own tea.
As the two sat and watched television that night, Ben treated his dad to a detailed description of his day. Carl also recounted to his son what he'd been up to, telling him of his encounter with Scott, and how he'd come to have the darkening bruise on his forehead.
"So you had a good time then, son?" Carl asked once Ben had wound himself down.
"It was ace dad. Rob's a really great guy. I was a bit worried at first because everything seemed so expensive, but Rob said not to mind. Dad, he must have spent a fortune today on me, that was really good of him, wasn't it?"
"Yes, he's a good bloke." Carl at first was slightly disturbed that he couldn't shell out the money to treat his son as much as he would have liked, but he knew that Robbie was merely doing his best to provide his son with a good time.
"Hi guys." Robbie said welcoming Carl and Ben in through the front door the next morning.
"Hi, Uncle Rob."
Carl raised an eyebrow.
"He started calling me that yesterday, I don't mind if you don't?" Robbie said to Carl, hoping he didn't. In truth Robbie's feelings went much deeper than not minding.
"Err, no, no it's okay." Carl said. He honestly didn't mind his son calling his best friend that. Carl was surprised that Robbie had been restored to best friend status in his head. "Well, I'll pick you up about half-past five tonight, son. Unless you two are planning another visit out of town, that is?"
"Oh no, half five will be fine. We can't really go too far today, because I've got a few bits of work I need to sort out." Robbie said.
"You sure it's okay for Ben to stay?" Carl asked worrying about where else he could go.
Robbie rolled his eyes, and then he put a hand on Carl's shoulder. "Now what do you really think the answer to that one is, huh?"
"Yeah, sorry mate. I just don't want..."
"Stop right there, Car." Robbie interrupted. "And when you come round at half-past five, plan on staying for tea, and that isn't a request." Robbie wasn't sure where this small streak of dominance was coming from. He'd always gone along with whatever Carl wanted to do when the pair were in school.
"Yes, Squire Foster, sir." Carl tugged his forelock in mock deference.
A mixture of anger and pain passed across Robbie's face. Up until the First World War, though there was no definite date for it ending, the Foster family had been considered by the townsfolk to be the Squires of the area. This was an old-fashioned title usually given to the landed gentry, whereby the nearby townspeople would bow down in deference to the Squire and his family, as they were perceived as being the most influential, affluent or most respected people in the area. Robbie detested the custom, and Carl knew it.
"Oh God, Rob, I'm sorry." Carl said wrapping his arms around his friend. "I didn't think. I'm so sorry. I honestly don't see you as the Squire dolling out charity to the working classes. I know you hate to be reminded of your family's past. I'm sorry, Rob."
"It's okay, Car."
Robbie made no effort to remove himself from Carl's embrace. After a few seconds Carl released Robbie, he looked deeply into his friend's face. "I'll have to get off now, mate, but I'd be delighted to have tea with you."
"Thanks, Car. I'm looking forward to it, too."
The two parted and Robbie closed the door.
Ben had seen the whole thing. "Dad really didn't mean it, you know."
Robbie let out a long held breath. "Yes, Ben, I know." He was still recovering from the awesome hug. A fact not lost on Ben, either. Ben determined to redouble his efforts to get his dad and Robbie hitched. Ben couldn't be sure, but the hug that his dad had just given Robbie was a bit more than just a hug of friendship. Apart from himself, Ben realised his dad didn't ever hug anyone else, not even his own dad.
"Okay, have you had breakfast, oh nephew of mine?" Robbie smiled down at Ben.
"Yeah, I'm not hungry just at the minute."
"Gracious, there's a first. So what do you want to do?"
"Can I watch the TV for a bit, then maybe I could have a swim?"
"Yeah mate, no problem. Come and let me know when you're ready to swim, I'll be in the study. Neither your dad nor me want you in there on your own, Okay?"
"Thanks, Uncle Rob."
Ben spent a little time surfing through the many satellite channels on Robbie's TV. He only had access to the five main terrestrial channels at home, so it was a real treat for him to be able to choose from a much wider range. Though after about an hour of channel hopping, he came to the realisation that more channels didn't necessarily mean more choice. He settled down to watch a documentary on Britain between the wars on the History Channel.
As Carl drove across town, he pondered over the scene on Robbie's front doorstep. "God, what a stupid thing to say. I know I only did it in jest, but I know how that sort of shit winds Rob up." Carl then began to reflect on the hug he'd given Robbie. How he'd missed those intimate touches. He'd always seen himself as Robbie's protector at school. Not that he really needed much physical protection; it was more of an emotional thing really. In truth the two had a symbiotic friendship. Though Carl was by no means stupid, if it hadn't been for Robbie's gentle encouragement and support, Carl wouldn't have stayed on at school and taken A-levels. He was sure that without Robbie's calming influence, he'd have fallen in with the wrong crowd. "God, I love that man." The revelation, never before spoken out loud, caused Carl to jolt upright in his seat. "What the hell am I going on about?" He said to himself. Did he think of Robbie as more than a good friend? The idea really worried him; in fact it would cause him some serious soul searching over the next little while.
Robbie decided to set in train his plans to weaken his ties with his life in London. It had taken him some time to come to the realisation that the rat-race lifestyle wasn't for him. Although he knew his ultimate wish, that of a happy future together with his boyhood love, would always remain a mere fantasy, there were plenty of other things to keep him in Greenville. He contacted the letting agency that was looking after his flat, telling them to look for someone to take on the lease on a long-term basis. He then called Martin Harris, one of the partners in the software company, which he partially owned. He discussed with him the possibility of allowing him to work in kind of a freelance capacity from Lancashire.
"I can't say I'm surprised, Rob." Martin said once Robbie had disclosed his reasons for changing his working arrangements. There was a time when Martin and Robbie looked like they would be more than just business partners, but the spark that certainly existed between them, just never seemed to grow into anything more substantial.
"Yeah, Martin, since I've been back here at home, I think this is where I need to be."
"Found yourself someone special, then?" Martin questioned. The most probable reason why the two had never made it past first base was that Martin was too practical, more analytical than Robbie. Martin wasn't a romantic, this was because he'd been hurt too many times in the past by men who he'd given his heart to, only to have his feelings crushed when his hopes were dashed. This had caused Martin to over-analyse any potential situation, his need to be cautious and not commit had smothered any chance of him and Robbie getting together.
Robbie sighed. "No, there's no one, I'm afraid."
"That sounds profound. Let me guess, its more a case of there is someone, but there's a big obstacle in the way."
"You always could get right to the root of the matter, Martin."
"Yep, that's me."
Robbie went on to tell Martin all about his hopes and fears regarding Carl. He opened up his heart for a good 15 minutes. Martin just sat at the other end of the phone, allowing his friend to leach out all his pain.
"Feel better now, love?" Martin said once Robbie had wound down.
"Yeah." Robbie smiled. "I do feel a little bit lighter now I've shifted all that pent-up emotion."
"Good, I hope the cheque for my fee is in the post."
Robbie laughed.
"You'll probably have to come up to town every now and again for major meetings and the like, you could always sleep at my place if you need to stop overnight."
"Yeah, thanks for that, I figured I'd have to drop in now and again. I don't mind that, it's just I don't want to live in London anymore."
"I understand, mate. You look after yourself, and good luck with that hunky builder."
His phone-calls done, Robbie went to find Ben; they spent the remaining time before lunch in the pool.
A nervous and strangely unsettled Carl drove up the hill to Robbie's house that afternoon. Once he'd shut off the engine, Carl sat in his seat for a moment collecting his thoughts. He wiped his sweating hands on his jeans. Carl took a deep breath and alighted from the van.
"Sorry I'm a bit late, but I had to get rid of all the old kitchen units before they came for the skip this evening." Carl said as Robbie welcomed him into the house.
"Oh, it's fine, Sarah hasn't dished up yet anyway." Seeing his friend looking a little dusty from his days toil, Robbie asked Carl if he wanted to go and freshen up before he ate. He knew that Sarah wouldn't welcome him to the table in the state he was in.
"Oh yeah, please. I've got a change of clothes in the van, I'll just nip out and get them."
Fifteen minutes later saw Carl, Robbie, Ben and Sarah sitting around the table in the kitchen eating their meal.
"I think I'll be able to train her up nicely." Sarah said of Jean Rowlands, the woman she'd decided would clean the house. Jean had been pleased to accept the post. Although the job at the glassworks was a good one, Jean preferred to work during the day; the job at the glassworks was evenings only.
The rest of the meal was spent with Carl and Ben telling one another about their day. Sarah smiled at how well the two seemed to communicate with one another. There didn't seem to be the usual animosity, which often existed between child and parent.
"I managed to do four lengths of the pool, Uncle Rob timed me, and I'm getting faster." Ben said.
"That's great, son." Carl was genuinely pleased at his son's accomplishment.
"It won't be long before he's faster than me." Robbie admitted.
"That won't take much doing." Carl said smiling at his friend.
"Well, we can't all be super-fit athletes, can we?" Robbie returned the smile.
When they had finished their meal, Sarah shooed the men-folk out of her kitchen. They retired to the drawing room with a pot of coffee, though Ben decided he'd have a soft drink instead.
As they talked, both adults sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, Carl realised that he'd been looking forward to this all day. As he worked at the Blake home, he'd often found himself thinking about the evening yet to come. For some reason, the thought of being with his best friend, sharing a cosy evening talking with him, felt very comforting. These hitherto alien thoughts, combined with the declaration he'd made that morning had disturbed him. Carl really wanted to sit a little closer to his friend, hell; his arms ached to hug him again, though Carl wasn't sure how he could achieve this desire.
Robbie ached to be closer to Carl, too, but fearing his friend would get the wrong, or should that be the right idea, Robbie kept his distance. Though the two still talked to one another animatedly.
"Much as I'd love you to stay longer, Car, it's half-past nine, and you might have things to do at home, maybe?"
"God, it never is?" Carl looked over at the clock. "Yeah, I meant to put a load of clothes through the machine this evening."
Robbie wanted to offer Sarah's services to do their laundry, he was sure that she wouldn't have minded, particularly as she would soon have extra help in the house, but Robbie had to remain cautious, he didn't want to overwhelm his friend with offers of help. He knew Carl had a fiercely independent streak; he didn't want to upset the applecart.
The three went into the hallway. As they stood by the front door, Robbie didn't know where he got the nerve from, but he held out his arms and advanced towards his friend. "It's been another great evening, Carl, I've really enjoyed myself."
"Me too, Rob, me too." Carl held the hug for a long time before he disengaged.
Robbie wanted to invite him over again for the next evening, but he didn't want to monopolise his time, so the request remained unasked.
"Drive safely now." Robbie said to Carl and Ben's backs.
"I will." Carl turned round and smiled at his friend. He so wanted to run back up the few steps and embrace Robbie again. Carl shook his head to rid it of the strange desire.
Carl and Ben drove home in silence, Carl thinking about the cosy evening he'd just experienced, Ben wondering how much longer they were going to take before the pair woke up to their feelings. He'd have to think of a way of speeding things up. 'Adults!' He sighed.
To be continued.