Uninvited Guest by Iomax61

[Timothy M.]

You can't excuse someone out of a promise to someone else. JMO

 

No but if Martin finally got hold of Stephen, and he said "I'm going to call Anton right now and tell him about my dad." why would Martin call Anton back that night? If Stephen tried Anton first and then called Martin, then surely Martin tried to call Anton, but he'd switched his phone off, remember?

 

And Gal was surprised Anton didn't know about Stephen's dad, so he and Martin probably assumed he'd talked to Stephen at some point. I can't see Stephen get back to Martin after failing to get hold of Anton for a few days and saying 'please will you call Anton and explain?" Not after they apparently had a huge row about Martin interfering.

[drpaladin]

No but if Martin finally got hold of Stephen, and he said "I'm going to call Anton right now and tell him about my dad." why would Martin call Anton back that night? If Stephen tried Anton first and then called Martin, then surely Martin tried to call Anton, but he'd switched his phone off, remember?

 

And Gal was surprised Anton didn't know about Stephen's dad, so he and Martin probably assumed he'd talked to Stephen at some point. I can't see Stephen get back to Martin after failing to get hold of Anton for a few days and saying 'please will you call Anton and explain?" Not after they apparently had a huge row about Martin interfering.

Point taken. But not even a call to say, 'It was bad about Stephen's dad?' or "Are you OK?' Come on. Judging Martin's character from what we know, he seems the type to call or text at the very least. He does care about Anton's welfare. That was the entire point of his tête-à-tête with Stephen after all. 

[impunity]

They should have at least realized something was wrong when Anton didn't show up at the funeral.

[Timothy M.]

Point taken. But not even a call to say, 'It was bad about Stephen's dad?' or "Are you OK?' Come on. Judging Martin's character from what we know, he seems the type to call or text at the very least. He does care about Anton's welfare. That was the entire point of his tête-à-tête with Stephen after all. 

 

Do we know when Gal called in the time line? After that Martin may have kept his distance, because Gal said something about him/them realizing why they were being ignored.

 

They should have at least realized something was wrong when Anton didn't show up at the funeral.

 

Are you sure they went to the funeral? From the way Gal said 'they buried his dad' I got the impression it was a very quiet event with only the immediate family.

[impunity]

Are you sure they went to the funeral? From the way Gal said 'they buried his dad' I got the impression it was a very quiet event with only the immediate family.

 

You're correct. I have a bad habit of reading chapters at 4 am during bouts of insomnia and forgetting the details afterwards.

[drpaladin]

Do we know when Gal called in the time line? After that Martin may have kept his distance, because Gal said something about him/them realizing why they were being ignored.

 

 

Are you sure they went to the funeral? From the way Gal said 'they buried his dad' I got the impression it was a very quiet event with only the immediate family.

Then you call from another phone or just text. As to the funeral, some families want privacy. Some to the point of absurdity. I remember a family friend dying. He died in the night and was buried first thing in the morning. His daughter had state troopers block a major state highway during the grave side service so no one could even drive by. Her sister was majorly pissed. "She buried my daddy like a dog."

[impunity]

Then you call from another phone or just text. As to the funeral, some families want privacy. Some to the point of absurdity. I remember a family friend dying. He died in the night and was buried first thing in the morning. His daughter had state troopers block a major state highway during the grave side service so no one could even drive by. Her sister was majorly pissed. "She buried my daddy like a dog."

 

You have the best stories!  

[Timothy M.]

You have the best stories!  

 

I was gonna say: yikes, you know some weird, scary people...

[impunity]

I was gonna say: yikes, you know some weird, scary people...

 

Out of 'likes', but love this!

Edited April 19, 2015 by impunity

[drpaladin]

You have the best stories!  

I've got tons of them. I remember going to that man's house as a child and he would come downstairs in a Sulka silk smoking jacket, smoking a cigarette in a long cigarette holder. It was like something out of a '30's movie.

 

I was gonna say: yikes, you know some weird, scary people...

And yeah. That too. I wonder sometimes why they seem to be like moths to my flame. Seriously.

[impunity]

I've got tons of them. I remember going to that man's house as a child and he would come downstairs in a Sulka silk smoking jacket, smoking a cigarette in a long cigarette holder. It was like something out of a '30's movie.

 

And yeah. That too. I wonder sometimes why they seem to be like moths to my flame. Seriously.

 

I really need some more 'likes'!

[Timothy M.]

I really need some more 'likes'!

 

use   https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/39932-cards-on-the-table-by-headstall/?p=501040

[Puppilull]

I was gonna say: yikes, you know some weird, scary people...

My thoughts exactly!

 

As to the whole call, text or nothing at all- I sometimes find that in this day and age when everyone is constantly updated about everything, people just assume that everyone is informed without checking this is really the case. I suspect it's one of those "But I thought you talked to him...?" situations.

 

Sad to hear about Stephen's dad. It's tough losing a parent, even if you are grown up.

[Kitt]

Ok - from what I read in this latest chapter, dad had the stroke, and did not make it through the night. I remember what it was like the day my dad had his stroke. Initially you are totally absorbed in all the decisions that need to be made pretty much on the spot. Being a doctor himself and knowing just what the potential outcomes could be would only have added to Stephens stress levels. As such, I can understand not thinking about where he was supposed to have been with Anton until things wound down, by which time Anton's phone was on its last photon.

 

Should Stephen have tried harder to reach Anton in the days following the Medical Ball/Dad's death fiasco ? Yes. A couple of words - "Dad died"- in that first message would have solved the entire issue. 

 

Should Anton have answered the messages? Yes. Actually knowing as opposed to guessing is always preferable, even if the outcome was the worst case and Stephen did want to end things.

 

Should Martin have kept his mouth shut?  At that dinner in Wimbledon yes, after Stephen's dad died? NO! He put the breakup idea in Anton's head in the first place and that seed grew when Stephen missed their date. Had Martin called and mentioned the death it again would have solved the entire issue.

 

Don't get this next comment wrong Iomax, I love this story and would love to see many aspects of it expanded. But the boys, Anton, Stephen and Martin, are all acting like...well boys. Teenage boys who have no clue how to keep a relationship on an even keel. After having had to be the one to explain everything to Anton, I can totally see Gallagher going home and smacking Martin upside the head.

[drpaladin]

Ok - from what I read in this latest chapter, dad had the stroke, and did not make it through the night. I remember what it was like the day my dad had his stroke. Initially you are totally absorbed in all the decisions that need to be made pretty much on the spot. Being a doctor himself and knowing just what the potential outcomes could be would only have added to Stephens stress levels. As such, I can understand not thinking about where he was supposed to have been with Anton until things wound down, by which time Anton's phone was on its last photon.

 

Should Stephen have tried harder to reach Anton in the days following the Medical Ball/Dad's death fiasco ? Yes. A couple of words - "Dad died"- in that first message would have solved the entire issue. 

 

Should Anton have answered the messages? Yes. Actually knowing as opposed to guessing is always preferable, even if the outcome was the worst case and Stephen did want to end things.

 

Should Martin have kept his mouth shut?  At that dinner in Wimbledon yes, after Stephen's dad died? NO! He put the breakup idea in Anton's head in the first place and that seed grew when Stephen missed their date. Had Martin called and mentioned the death it again would have solved the entire issue.

 

Don't get this next comment wrong Iomax, I love this story and would love to see many aspects of it expanded. But the boys, Anton, Stephen and Martin, are all acting like...well boys. Teenage boys who have no clue how to keep a relationship on an even keel. After having had to be the one to explain everything to Anton, I can totally see Gallagher going home and smacking Martin upside the head.

I've seen my share of petulant little boys squirming around, cleverly disguised as grown men.    Every once in awhile I have to put a halter on that entitled little sh*t still squirming in me. Hehe

[drpaladin]

My thoughts exactly!

 

As to the whole call, text or nothing at all- I sometimes find that in this day and age when everyone is constantly updated about everything, people just assume that everyone is informed without checking this is really the case. I suspect it's one of those "But I thought you talked to him...?" situations.

 

Sad to hear about Stephen's dad. It's tough losing a parent, even if you are grown up.

I didn't find out my aforementioned uncle had died until six weeks after the fact. I stumbled across it in a news article on the internet. That would lead into a story, but I'll restrain myself. 

[Timothy M.]

I've seen my share of petulant little boys squirming around, cleverly disguised as grown men.    Every once in awhile I have to put a halter on that entitled little sh*t still squirming in me. Hehe

 

LOL, I know exactly what you mean.

 

Oh and you know you can remove the irrelevant parts of posts you quote, right? Particularly if your reply is immediately below the original post....

Edited April 19, 2015 by Timothy M.

[Kitt]

Oh and you know you can remove the irrelevant parts of posts you quote, right?

Irrelevant???  IRRELEVANT??

 

How about "parts you are not responding to?  LOL

[drpaladin]

LOL, I know exactly what you mean.

 

Oh and you know you can remove the irrelevant parts of posts you qoute, right? Particularly if your reply is immediately below the original post....

To the second part - yeah, I'm just lazy.

 

To the first - A friend that didn't know me growing up made the comment that this guy we knew acted the way he did because he was spoiled as a child. I told him that I was spoiled to a far greater degree than that as a child and he looked at me like I was crazy.

[drpaladin]

Irrelevant???  IRRELEVANT??

 

How about "parts you are not responding to?  LOL

LMFAO  And I didn't think any of that was, God forbid, irrelevant.

[Kitt]

LOL Sorry, I just couldn't resist.  Just like the editor in me couldn't resist correcting the spelling of quote.

[Timothy M.]

Irrelevant???  IRRELEVANT??

 

How about "parts you are not responding to?  LOL

 

yeah, sorry, I'm getting tired and need to go to bed.

got up at 5am and it's now approaching 11pm

Just like the editor in me couldn't resist correcting the spelling of quote.

 

I do that too

correct typos in quotes, I mean

[impunity]

 

I do that too

correct typos in quotes, I mean

I noticed!

Now I'm doing it, too.

Sleep well, hon.

Edited April 20, 2015 by impunity

[drpaladin]

Brian,

  I just read your response to one of Tim's reviews where you describe thinking of the coach house as another character in the story. I believe you delivered on that admirably. That is the way I've felt about the place all along. It has a presence far beyond a mere shelter or dwelling and has a central place in Stephen and Anton's relationship. I was happy Stephen pulled it off the market.

Edited April 20, 2015 by drpaladin

[lomax61]

Hi Paladin.

 

Thanks so much for that. The coach house IS a character, that's the way I feel. And I'm really getting a lot out of responding to the reviews, it's making me rethink some of the actions and the characters.

 

I'd be interested what you make of my response to Lisa on her review of chapter 11 and calling Max (quite deservedly) an asshole.

 

"I am going to be controversial here and throw in something in asshole Max's defence. Who was sent off to get the champagne at the gallery opening? Who was left to arrange the skiing weekend? Who's doing the manipulating here? How did Max know all about Anton's love of art? If you were Christian's new BF and all he ever did was talk about his ex doing this and that, how would you feel? Remember, it's Christian and Anton's 'old friends' coming to dinner, none of Max's seem to have been invited. He has to meet them for a beer miles from home. Is Christian trying to make Max feel inferior in the relationship this time around, make Max feel lacking in all the ways that Anton excelled. I bet Max's dinner conversation will be a struggle for him. And I bet Christian makes no bones about pointing out all of these failings to Max, just to rile him. Not beyond the realms of human nature is it?"