Hershie's Kiss

rounded the block. Shit.

* * * *

Charlie paced his way around the small living room. His ringing cell phone caused him to nearly jump out of his skin. Fumbling for the phone, he quickly opened it. “Charlie.”

“It’s Rick Hutchins. I’ve got an address for Stella Davis.”

Charlie’s chest tightened and did his best to commit the street address to memory. “Have you contacted her?”

“Yes. She was a little leery at first. I think she was afraid you’d take some sort of anger out on her. But she finally agreed to stay home from work to meet you.”

“Excellent,” Charlie said.

“Would you like me to accompany you?” Rick asked.

“No. This is something I need to do on my own. I’ll call for a cab.”

“Let me know if I can be of any more help.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what you’ve already accomplished. Thank you, Rick.”

“Thanks, but it’s all in a day’s work.”

Charlie pressed the disconnect button and immediately called for a taxi. He gave the dispatcher the address in case he forgot. His mind was whirling with thoughts and emotions.

After he was given an estimated time the taxi would arrive, he called Jack. As soon as his lover answered, he started in. “Michael’s still not back, but Rick called to tell me he’d found Stella. I’ve called for a cab and I’m going over as soon as it gets here.”

lie didn’t know what Michael was going on about. “What?”

“Fuck, Charlie. You grew up in a mansion. The biggest fucking one I’ve ever seen.”

Charlie shrugged. He knew the house was large from wandering around in it as a child. “Can you believe I’ve never even been in all the rooms? There were certain areas that were off-limits to a clumsy blind boy.”

They eventually made it to the circular drive in front of the house. “We need to use the servants’ entrance,” Charlie said. He led Michael off to the right, surprised that after all the years, he still had the map firmly entrenched in his brain.

He heard the squeal seconds before he was almost knocked over by a short, small boned woman. “Lupe,” he greeted the old woman with a kiss to the top of her head.

“I’ve missed you,” Lupe said. “I ask your parents about you, but they don’t reply. Before you leave, I’ll give you my phone number.”

“I’d like that,” Charlie replied with a smile. “This is a student in the dormitory that I supervise. Michael, I’d like you to meet the best housekeeper in the world, Lupe.”

Lupe broke away from their embrace. “Nice to meet you, Michael.”

“You, too, Ma’am.”

“Ma’am? Oh, Charlie, it’s nice you bring a boy with manners.”

He reached out and put a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “He’s a fine young man.”

Michael snorted and Charlie rolled his eyes. “Sometimes.”

Chapter Two

After unhooking the trailer in the back of the lot, Jack parked in front of the dorm. Brian sat staring out the passenger side window. He felt like he should say something, but at this point, he didn’t know if it would be welcomed. “It’ll just be until we can find our own place.”

“I already had a place,” Brian said without turning towards him.

Jack rubbed his eyes. They’d been through the same argument for almost two months. “Please try to understand that my life and my job are here. I know you miss your friends back in LA, but you’ll make new ones.”

Brian looked at the dorm. “What? In there? I doubt it.”

His fingers gripped the steering wheel. “I won’t have you making any snide remarks to anyone living at BK. These people are here to get away from bigots. I won’t bring one to their doorstep.”

“I’m not a bigot.”

“Sounds like it to me,” Jack answered. He knew his temper was getting the better of him, but dammit, the boy had to learn. He wondered, not for the first time, just what his mother had taught him about homosexuals.

Brian had taken the news of Jack’s homosexuality with shock. He hadn’t blamed his son. First Brian had been hit with the news of Becka’s fatal car wreck and before the boy even had time to get over the shock, he’d appeared back in his life.