Chapter 24:  You and I are Just Friends

Thursday morning (day six of Brian and Justin’s honeymoon) Brian announced at breakfast, “It’s been just the two of us for some time now.  It’s about time we saw some other people and maybe a bit of Jamaica.  How do we get back to the inland – I want to see some of Jamaican life?  How about you?  Want to get out of here for a few hours?”

“Sure.  I can call the realty office that leased us this place, and they will send a boat to take us to Jamaica.”

“Great!  But Justin…”

“Yeah?”

“We have to be discreet,” Brian warned.  “This is not the USA; and I’m told Jamaica is probably one of the worst places on earth to be a homosexual man.  We have to be extra cautious.  In fact, maybe we should take off our rings and try to give off the impression that we are brothers or just two straight men that are just really good friends.  We can’t let anyone suspect us.”

“You mean like being in the closet, Brian?”  Justin found that highly disturbing.  He hasn’t hidden his sexuality since he came out to his parents at the tender age of fifteen.  He definitely never felt the need or desire to hide since he’s known Brian.  No one seemed more comfortable in their own skin to him than his husband.  It was one of the main things that first attracted him to Brian.

“I wouldn’t ask you to do it, Justin, if it wasn’t for your own safety.  I don’t want to risk anything happening to you.  However, if you are completely uncomfortable with this, we just won’t go.”

“But I want to go, Brian.  I really want to go.  So for you, I’m okay with pretending.  I want to see some of Jamaica too.”

“Okay, but remember… you and I are just friends – no holding hands, no kissing and feeling each other up; and watch what we say to one another.  Do you think you can handle it?”

“If it would keep you safe, I will handle myself accordingly,” Justin assured Brian.

“Me too,” Brian accentuated.

Justin then left Brian in the kitchen alone while he went inside the bedroom to search for his cell to make the call.  However, Justin looked around for his cell but couldn’t readily locate his own but he found Brian’s quickly enough though.  And, it was highly disturbing to him when he turned Brian’s phone on and noticed all the missed calls, voice mails and texts from his family members. 

Justin listened to some of those messages and read the texts (and not one of them was positive).  And, he thought it was extremely shitty of them to call Brian on his honeymoon to beg for money and complain to him about their problems.  Especially when not anyone of them had enough love in their hearts to show up at Brian’s wedding or even call to congratulate him (but they don’t think twice to call whenever it comes to begging him for whatever it is that they want).  Justin didn’t have to wonder then why it is that Brian’s finds it so hard to trust anyone.  He almost had the urge to erased everyone of those messages; and probably would have if he hadn't thought that Brian wouldn't appreciate him doing that.

“Fuck them all!”  Justin instinctively and angrily mumbled to himself.  Next he called Emmett and got the realtor’s number from him and then called that office.  A broker named Saraphina told him that she would send a boat at noontime to the island to pick up Justin and his bride.  Saraphina had referred to Justin’s spouse as such.  She never asked or had it ever even occurred to her that the newlyweds were a same-sex-couple.  Also, she meant to mention to Justin that she was sending (very soon) someone from housekeeping and someone to tend the grounds, since no one has been there since the honeymooners arrived.  However, Justin disconnected too soon for her to tell him that.  She shrugged it off as 'no big deal' and then she called the workers and told them to be on the island by no later than 11 a.m. the next morning.