Chapter 8 It had been four days since Gus and Aedan had been together. Four days of interrupted sleep and miserable frustration. Gus had picked up the phone a dozen times, staring at Aedan’s business card, getting ready to call, then changing his mind at the last minute. He refused to call him until he decided where he was going with this. It would be unfair and juvenile to expect the man to endure another session of mindless kissing unless he was willing to follow it through all the way. Aedan had been very understanding about his refusal the other night, but Gus knew that he had left the loft horny and frustrated. He didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire. He wanted the fire put out! Gus still hadn’t decided who he should talk to, to try and get some insight or some sort of explanation as to where all these feelings were coming from. What he had done was ‘Google’ Aedan Hughes and discovered the man was a huge success in his field. Gus sat at his desk, stunned by the discovery that Aedan had won a Nobel prize. Dr. Hughes was world-renowned, a respected member of the scientific community. Gus looked at the Layton Pharmaceutical website reading all about Aedan’s accomplishments and he felt like a jerk; like some love-struck teenager, trying to decide whether he should give up his virginity or not. The whole situation was ludicrous! He tried to imagine himself naked in bed with Aedan. He wasn’t very clear on what exactly went on between same-sex couples. Obviously blowjobs played a large part in the repertoire but what else they did was somewhat of a mystery. He and Brian had never discussed Gay sex because the need had never been there. Gus assumed that certain orifices would have to replace a missing vagina, however the mechanics of the whole thing was lost on him. He couldn’t imagine anyone putting their dick up his ass or vice-versa. He didn’t think that would be pleasurable in any way and that was never part of any sexual fantasy of his, but neither was kissing another man, and yet he had been completely aroused by that. He’d ventured onto a few Gay websites at home, to get more information, but was completely repulsed by what he saw. He ended up closing out of the sites with no information and thoroughly disgusted with himself. He couldn’t understand how he could fantasize about a man he’d only been with twice, yet was unable to look at two guys blowing each other on a porn site. What was it about Aedan that made it okay? How was he able to enjoy kissing him and literally coming in his pants with a few words whispered in his ear? Either he was losing his mind or Aedan was some sort of magician that had woven a spell around him, making him forget everything he had known and been comfortable with for the last twenty-six years. He was creating feelings in him that he never even knew existed. The phone rang and his secretary announced that she had Brian on the line, calling from London. Gus rolled his eyes, unreasonably worried that Brian already knew what was going on. That was impossible yet he sat in his chair feeling like a sixteen year old being caught masturbating. His father was a genius but in no way was he all-knowing. Even ‘DJ’ for all his intuitive skills could never in his wildest dreams know what was going on in Gus’ head right now. “Hey Dad,” Gus said, as he picked up the phone, waiting to see what Brian wanted. “Sonny Boy! How’s it going?” “Good. We’re holding down the fort, no tragedies so far,” he said. “Of course you are. I wouldn’t expect anything else. How are you doing, mentally?” Surprised and alarmed by this question, Gus thought, he can’t possibly know. “I’m fine Dad, why are you asking that?” “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about you a lot, so I want to make sure you’re okay.” Gus felt his eyes tearing up when he heard that, surprised at his quick reaction to Brian’s solicitous words. He missed him so much and wished desperately that he had the nerve to tell him what was going on. But he decided not to say anything because he knew that Brian would take the next flight home if Gus just said the word. “I’m great Dad. Couldn’t be better,” Gus said, leaning back on his head rest and rubbing his eyes with his left hand. “Are you sure?” Are you a fucking mind-reader now? “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine, but thanks for asking. How’s it going with the dynamic duo? Are they breaking the bank yet with all their shopping?” “They have been amazingly restrained,” Brian replied, amusement evident in his voice. “I think I’m more out of control than they are. I spent all morning at the tailor buying hand made shirts and picking out suits. I mean, this is London after all. Are you still wearing the same sizes?” “Yeah, I am. Don’t go overboard though, okay? I still have suits in my closet from your last shopping melt-down that I haven’t even worn yet.” “Whatever, Gus. It gives me pleasure to buy things for you, so let me have my fun, okay?” “Okay Dad, whatever turns you on. How’s ‘DJ’?” Gus asked. “He’s great. He and the girls are touring the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace and all the Lady Di memorabilia. Lots of girly shit I’m not in to.” “Oh right, you’d rather be into the more manly pursuits of shopping till you drop, right?” “Shut up, Gus,” Brian said affectionately. “Dad?” Gus said. “Yeah?” “I miss you.” There was a pause on the other line and then Brian responded with “Me too, Gus. Are you sure you’re okay?” No I’m not, Dad. I’m losing my fucking mind and I need you desperately. “I’m fine, Dad. Give the girls a hug for me and tell ‘DJ’ I love him.” “I will…later,” Brian said quietly. “Later, Dad.” Gus put the phone down and wiped up a stray tear that had appeared out of nowhere. He closed his eyes and wished again that he had someone he could talk to. His phone rang once more and this time his secretary announced that a Doctor Hughes was on the line. Gus almost stopped breathing when he heard that, his mind instantly alert. “This is Gus,” he said into the phone. “Hey,” Aedan said, in a low and somewhat gravely tone of voice. “What are you doing tonight?” “No plans.” “You want to meet me at Gold’s gym and play some racquetball?” “Oh,” Gus answered, surprised by this request. “Sure, that sounds great. What time?” “Let’s say, six-thirty. Does that work for you?” “That’s perfect,” Gus replied. “Okay, I’ll see you later,” Aedan said then hung up. Gus put the phone down and sat there staring at it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Across the world, Brian sat staring at his phone. Every fiber of his being was telling him that Gus was in trouble and needed him but it was impossible to help unless Gus reached out and asked for it. He picked up the phone and dialed Babylon, asking for Security. Ron picked up on the first ring. “Ron, it’s Brian.” “Hey Boss, how’s it going?” “Good. Have you anything to report?” “About your kid and Hughes, you mean?” “Yeah.” “No, nothing. Neither one has been here since our last conversation.” “Okay,” Brian said, “Everything else alright?” “Yeah, it’s all good, Boss. Stop worrying about us and enjoy your vacation.” “Right.” Brian hung up, frustrated that he knew no more now than he did ten minutes ago. This was driving him crazy, so he decided to leave it all behind and go spend a ton of money at Harrods; that always made him feel better. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Justin sat on the top level of a double-decker bus in-between his two daughters, listening to the idle chatter between them as the tour guide droned on and on. His ears were hearing the noises, but his mind was far away. He was thinking of Gus, Sorina and Sasha and all the decisions that seemed to be looming on the horizon suddenly. His thoughts went back to the gypsy’s words in Florence, “someone in your family is in trouble” and he shrugged that off, telling himself that this was real life and not a Stephen King novel. Of course someone was in trouble, they always were. That was the reality of having children, as Brian had reminded him many years ago. There was never a dull moment, only peaks and valleys and right now they seemed to be moving up a peak again. He was worried about this obsession that his daughter had, to be the best in the ballet world. The reality of that happening was slim; Prima Ballerinas didn’t just fall off trees. They were painstakingly trained from a very early age and their entire lives and their families’ lives got caught up in the whole business of trying to reach that goal. He knew that Daphne and Alex would not be supportive of this need to move to New York to pursue a career that may or may not happen. It was one thing to be a starving young artist when you had no choice, sacrificing everything in life to reach your goal. It was another thing altogether to have money and all the comforts of home and yet want to leave that all behind to enter into a highly competitive and very often-times vicious world of performers, vying for the one spot that was available. And how often did those positions open up? Ballerinas stayed with the same company for years, prime spots only becoming available as they got injured or retired. It wasn’t like the world of sports where there was a draft and a million spaces to fill every year. Ballet was an exclusive world that only the finest and the very best would excel in. He had no idea if Sorina had what it would take to do that. Furthermore, she would never be able to do it alone. She would need constant support and guidance from one of them. He knew this for a fact, having been in the same position years ago. He would never have made it in the art world without the help and support of Brian. Not so much in the financial sense, but more in the knowing that someone believed in him and loved him unconditionally, taking a stand to help him succeed in more ways than one. He knew that without it, he would have failed. He would have never gone back to PIFA after the first time he picked up a pencil and realized he could no longer draw. Without Brian goading and pushing and supporting, it would have never happened. And this of course would open the other can of worms. Who would go with Sorina? The logical choices were him and Brian, of course. He could paint anywhere and Brian could open up a branch of Kinnetik in Manhattan, or continue to run the Pittsburgh office electronically from New York. It’s not like he hadn’t done that once before. Besides, this time, he had Gus and Cynthia and Ted to help him. Justin’s big worry was that this might create a rift between the two couples that had never once surfaced in the eleven years since the girls were born. Incredibly and much to everyone’s amazement, there had never been any issues that all four of them had not agreed on. He didn’t want to start now, not when the girls were at a critical juncture in their lives. He and Brian had become as important to the twins as Alex and Daphne were and the thought of not being a part of their lives for whatever reason was enough to cause some major anxiety. And finally, there was Gus. The big mystery that neither he, nor Brian, could figure out. Where was this all coming from? How did a kid who had been straight all his life suddenly wake up one morning and decide he wasn’t? Justin wished that he had more information about the mystery man in Gus’ life and how this all came about. Unfortunately, without actually picking up the phone and asking his son point-blank there was no way he could know or make any kind of judgment. All he could do was hope for the best and be as supportive to Brian as possible. “Daddy,” Sasha said, pulling on his sleeve and interrupting his thoughts. “What sweetie?” “Do you think they’ll let us sketch at the jewelry exhibit?” “I don’t see why not, you don’t look like an international jewel thief, I’m sure they’ll be fine with it.” “I would love to sketch some pieces and then make revisions. You know, design my own, using the crown jewels as a start. Like Aunt Molly.” “Honey, Aunt Molly designs her pieces from scratch. They are all products of her incredibly creative brain, although I suppose she did have to start somewhere. I wasn’t around much when she got into the whole jewelry designing phase of her life. By then I was long gone, living my own life.” “I would like to explore that, I think it would be fun,” Sasha said, looking up at her father seriously. “To create things that beautiful, that people can wear and carry around with them.” “Paintings can be just as beautiful Sasha, you know that.” “But you can’t wear them, Daddy. There’s a difference.” “That’s true. Maybe we can get you into some jewelry designing classes when we go home, how does that sound?” “Good,” Sasha smiled widely, looking every bit like her mother. “Okay,” Justin smiled back, giving her hand a little squeeze. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The gym was packed tonight; Gus had to circle several times to find a parking spot. He made his way in and over to the section where the racquetball courts were, looking around to see if Aedan had already arrived. He was unfamiliar with this gym but it was easy to find the locker room and he signed in for a temporary guest pass, throwing his bag in an open locker and then changing into shorts and a t-shirt. By the time he was done tying his shoes, Aedan had walked in and pulled the locker beside his open. “Hey,” Aedan said, smiling when he saw Gus. “Glad you could make it.” “Me too,” Gus replied. He leaned against the metal door, watching silently as Aedan pulled a pair of shorts and a t-shirt out of his gym bag. He was wearing a dark gray suit and a navy blue shirt. The colors were muted and conservative but on him they looked vibrant and youthful, probably because of the yellow and blue tie that pulled the whole look together. Aedan looked even better in the harsh lights of the gym than Gus remembered. He’d forgotten how the blond streaks shot through his hair and how perfectly his beard encircled the very full lips that broke into an easy smile when he saw him. His teeth were white and straight and that dimple was some kind of trick of nature, placed in the precise spot that drew Gus in, like a small magnet. Aedan took his jacket off and hung it up while he continued talking to Gus. “I try and get down here at least three times a week but some weeks it’s impossible.” Aedan said, now taking off his pants and folding them neatly before hanging them up in the locker. Gus continued to watch him, noting how tanned he was and how his legs were long and well shaped, with clearly defined calf and thigh muscles. Aedan grabbed his shorts and pulled them up over the black briefs that clung to his body, leaving very little to the imagination. He threw on the white t-shirt and then he sat on the bench to put on his athletic shoes. Gus noted that although he was slim and probably weighed as much as he did, Aedan seemed more muscular. Gus knew that the only way to achieve that was by constant exercise. “Do you work out a lot?” he asked. Aedan looked at Gus, noting the eyes moving up and down his body with interest. “I try to, but lately I’ve been so caught up with this project at work I’m lucky if I can spend a half-hour on my stationary bike at home. I hate not being able to get down here and workout but it’s always like this towards the end of a project, so I just deal with it. How about you?” he asked, standing up and grabbing his racket and protective goggles. “I’m at the gym about three times a week. It keeps me in shape and I enjoy playing racquetball with my Dad and other friends.” “Are you and your Dad close?” Aedan asked as they moved out of the locker room and headed towards the courts. “Very,” Gus answered. “I’m surprised,” Aedan answered. Gus stopped at looked at him. “Why?” “Didn’t you tell me he was gay?” “Yeah, so what?” “I just didn’t think a ‘straight’ son would have much in common with a gay father,” Aedan answered. “We love each other,” Gus answered, looking at Aedan with a questioning look. “Gay has nothing to do with anything.” Aedan stopped and looked at Gus. His eyes were like the marbles he played with as a child, the layers of blue and green and brown just seemed to go deeper and deeper, almost hypnotizing him with their unique beauty. His mouth was just screaming to be kissed and Aedan had to use every bit of self-control not to. “You’re right; that was a stupid statement on my part. Sorry.” “No worries,” Gus answered, as he turned and started walking again. Aedan reached out and pulled Gus back, “Hey, I’m really sorry I said that, it’s just that my Dad and I don’t have much in common. He doesn’t get my choices in life and has never really tried to understand them. So I just assumed you had the same issues.” “It’s okay,” Gus said, feeling better hearing the explanation. “My Dad and I have been close since I was a kid. Both my Dads are great. They never had a problem with my choices, even though I’m sure they’d have preferred that I was Gay, just because we’d have more in common, I guess. But my fathers are not your typical gay men.” “Oh?” Aedan said, surprised by Gus’ quick defense of his fathers. “Have you told them about me yet?” Aedan asked. “No,” Gus answered emphatically, moving forward rapidly, wanting to end the interrogation. They played three games and were drenched in sweat by the time they were done. They were a good match on the courts, Gus had won two games and lost one to Aedan at the end. They sat on the floor, wiping their faces with small hand towels, drinking water from the bottles they had brought with them. “That was fun,” Gus said. “Yeah, you gave me a good workout. We should do this more often,” Aedan answered, smiling at Gus, producing the dimple that Gus found so enticing. “Do you want to sit in the sauna for a bit?” Aedan asked, curious to see if Gus would be willing to move in that direction. “Sure,” the younger man replied, unfamiliar with gay men and steam rooms and what usually went on in there. They separated when they got to the sauna, to discard their clothes and take a quick shower before moving out into the larger room heavy with fog. There weren’t very many people in there tonight, only a group of three on the far end of the room. Gus followed Aedan to the opposite corner and they sat on the warm wooden benches with their water bottles in hand. Aedan noted that Gus’ chest had a light layer of dark hair that covered his upper body then thinned out into a line heading south towards his pubic area, disappearing under the white towel that he had wrapped around his waist. It was a pleasure to look at the beautiful body without any restraints and Aedan was pleased that Gus wasn’t into waxing off his body hair, something that most gay men did as a matter of course. Gus sat on the bench with his head leaning up on the wall. There were beads of moisture dotting his forehead and his hair was damp and clinging to his head. He had his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open as he rested in that position. He had no idea how beautiful he looked in the dim light of the room, shrouded in the foggy mist like some sort of magical apparition, placed there for Aedan’s viewing pleasure. Aedan slid closer and bent forward to kiss Gus softly on the lips. Gus’ eyes flew open in shock and he quickly looked around the room to see if anyone was watching them. He noted that the three guys that were sitting in the corner earlier had left and there was no one in the Sauna except for him and Aedan. “It’s okay Gus, they’re gone. I had to kiss you,” Aedan whispered softly, placing his lips against Gus’ neck and nibbling on his ear. “ I could no more resist doing that than I can resist doing this,” Aedan continued, his left hand moving up Gus’ thigh, under the white towel, stopping just short and waiting to see what kind of reaction he would get. Gus’ breathing started to change to shorter huffs and he moaned ever so softly as he felt the warm hand moving closer to his cock which was now growing stiffer by the minute, announcing the fact that he was completely aroused by the man beside him. The one who was now sucking on the soft flesh around his ear, whispering how much he wanted him and how he could give him so much pleasure if Gus would just let him. Aedan’s hand started moving again, encouraged by the fact that Gus had not pushed it away and he gently cupped Gus’ rigid sex, noting with pleasure that it laid heavy and thick in his hand. “Oh my God,” Gus moaned as he felt the warm hand moving against his groin, enveloping him firmly and beginning to stroke slowly but surely, as Aedan’s mouth wreaked havoc on his neck and ears, now moving back towards lips that were wet and inviting. Gus felt Aedan’s mouth on him, felt his tongue moving softly against his lips, circling them then plunging forward, meeting its mate all the while continuing the movement with his hand, relishing the feeling of extreme heat that was rushing through his body, causing his brain to completely lock down and stop thinking of anything except the pleasure he was experiencing at the hands of this persistent man beside him. “Gus, I want you in my mouth,” Aedan moaned, pained with desire, his cock now pressing firmly against Gus’ thigh. Gus nodded, despite all his misgivings, unable to say no at this point, moving towards the inevitable as he watched Aedan get down on his knees and pull the towel aside, inhaling with pleasure as he took in the full measure of Gus’ beautiful cock as it waited for his mouth to take it in. Gus looked into Aedan’s blue eyes as they locked in on him, minutes before he bent forward to take him in his mouth and he was completely aroused by what he saw there. Aedan’s face was enraptured with lust, the blue eyes now smoky and dark. “You are so beautiful,” Aedan said, never taking his eyes off Gus, holding him in his stare. “I want to hear you groaning, I want you in my mouth, coming down my throat. May I?” he said, waiting for final permission to proceed. “Yes,” Gus said, nodding his head as Aedan moved forward and captured his prize. “God, yes,” he said again, as he felt the pressure, moving up and down his shaft. He moaned, as his body told him that it was okay, that this was not the abomination that he thought it would be. The man giving him so much pleasure was beautiful and extremely talented with his tongue and Gus would rather die than put a stop to this. He felt himself getting closer, the motions of Aedan’s mouth moving him forward much too quickly, knowing he was minutes away from exploding. He got ready to pull out, doing what he’d always done with Ashley, as she had never allowed him to come in her mouth, but he was restrained by strong hands and a mouth that clamped on for dear life and he felt himself coming in big spurts, hot and strong. He watched with fascination as Aedan swallowed every drop, humming deep in his throat, never letting up on his movements, even as Gus bucked and pulled frantically, lost in the pleasure of the moment. Another groan escaped from deep down in Gus’ chest, as he watched Aedan move his hand towards his own hardness, jerking himself off, coming in long ropes of hot come all over Gus’ legs, leaning into him and resting his head on Gus’ lap when it was over. They were both breathing heavily, lost in their post-orgasmic haze, unmindful of the fact that someone had walked in the room, right as they were both coming, someone who was completely shocked by the sight of two men getting it on; not because of what they were doing, but because he recognized the young man sitting on the bench being feasted on by the handsome man on his knees. Blake turned around quickly and left the room before they saw him. TBC