Walls - 8. March 2015

Light snow started falling as CJ, Bradley and Patrick met Chipper at the bus stop. Worried the streets would be too slick to ride a motorcycle CJ had urged his boyfriend to borrow Defiant as he’d done on other occasions. Owen refused; he had no experience driving on snow and instead took public transit as he’d done before.

By lunch time, the flurries had intensified and schools in the District of Columbia closed early. The streets were a mess and the cityscape wore a fresh coat of white. CJ smiled while trudging up the Exorcist stairs; Owen was fighting the same battle he had the previous winter―snow and below freezing temperatures were as uncommon in the Hunter Valley of Australia as in South Florida.

• • •

“Hey, Ethan, what’s going on, man?” CJ was curled up on the couch, reading Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, waiting for his dads to get home. He’d turned down the thermostat and laid in a few logs in the fireplace. The pleasure he found sitting in front of a crackling fire had not diminished after his first winter in the nation’s capital. The previous year his fathers had joked about him being responsible for global deforestation because of how fast he’d gone through the half-cord of seasoned wood they’d ordered in early December.

“Dude, I heard in the news that public schools in the District will be closed tomorrow. Do you and Ozzie have any plans for the weekend?” After the Valentine’s Day party fiasco, and the subsequent apology by the hungover Ethan the following morning, the guys had become friendly. Ethan had treated them to lunch the next weekend and was welcomed to hang out with CJ and his posse one night. The law school student apparently enjoyed playing pool with the high school kids. He’d been fishing for another invitation since.

“Umm, nothing I can think of. Why? What do you have in mind?”

“The university’s shutting down too and I’m thinking of heading home for a couple of days. Maybe the two of you want to come up to Roslyn with me? We could take the train up to Long Island, stay at my parents, and drive into town Saturday. I’m sure I can get one of my friends at NYU to put us up if we want to spend a night in Manhattan.”

“Ummm, I’d need to get my dads’ permission but I’d be up for it. What did Ozzie say? I haven’t seen him since this morning.”

“Haven’t talked to him about it. Thought I’d check with you first.”

“Why don’t you call him and see what he thinks? I’ll call Dad as soon as we hang up. And unless you really want to see the ’rents, we can spend both nights in town. I know a place we can stay at for free.”

• • •

“Hi, CJ. How’s my favorite son? What are you up to?”

“Funny, Dad, you keep forgetting I’m your only son. You’re getting senile. They let us out early because of the snow. I’m sitting here reading.”

“Let me guess, the house’s cold and you have the fireplace going.” César’s soft chuckle made CJ smile; his parents knew him all too well.

“Yup!”

“So, what do I owe the pleasure of your call to? It’s rare for you to call me at work.”

“Ummm, they cancelled classes tomorrow and I was wondering if it would be okay for Ozzie and me to go to New York for the weekend.”

“Just the two of you?”

“Actually, Ethan called me and invited us to go up to Long Island with him. He mentioned we could stay at his parents’ tomorrow night and then drive to the City on Saturday. He thought we could crash at a friend’s place if we wanted to spend the night in town. But I figured it’d be easier to use the apartment.”

“You’re definitely not staying at a stranger’s place. Are you going to invite anyone else?”

“Maybe Chipper? He’d prolly want to see his sister. Brad’s still grounded. I don’t think Uncle Tom would let him go.”

“What did Brett have to say?”

CJ wasn’t stupid, he knew the marine had a tendency to be overprotective while César was more willing to give their son a free hand. But if one gave him permission to do something, the other one followed along most of the time. “Nothing. I called you first.”

“Oh, so I’m the soft touch, eh? Hang on a minute, I’ll conference him in right now and we can see what he thinks. You’d be going up tomorrow morning, right?”

“Yeah…”

• • •

Moments after he’d finished talking to his fathers, CJ’s phone rang again. “Hey, Ozzie, what you doing?”

“Studying. Ethan called me and said he’d already talked to you. What do you think?”

“It’d be fun. The dads said it was cool but no pot allowed and I can only drink in the apartment. Same shit, different day.”

Owen’s hearty chuckle caused CJ to smile; his boyfriend’s laughter made him all warm and mushy every time he heard it. Damn, he was turning into such a sap.

“They’re bloody predictable, aren’t they? I’m up for it if you are.”

“Cool, any chance Uncle Tom will spring Bradley and let him come with? He’d prolly love to see Cristina.”

“Are you nuts?” Owen lowered his voice and CJ could imagine him looking around to make sure the Kennedy brothers were not around to hear him. “Tom and JP are going to Atlantic City on Saturday―”

“Yeah, the dads said their whole group’s going up for a night to celebrate Trip’s thirtieth birthday.”

“You should have heard the conversation at dinner last night. Tom railed against Brad, promised to lock him in his room and throw away the key if he stepped out of line this weekend while alone in the house. Struth, I believed him. But he did promise to lift the ban on going out if he behaved. I wonder if I should go away. Do ya think Tom and JP will mind?”

“I doubt it. I don’t think they’d want you playing baby sitter. Didn’t Uncle Tom put a lock on the liquor cabinet anyway? Brad looks too young to buy booze on his own. He always hates it when I do, so that won’t be a problem. And with us away, there’s no chance he could raid our supply over here.”

“You mentioned Cristina. Should we invite Chipper?”

“I was thinking about it. I’ll give him a call right now. Why don’t you get back to Ethan and let him know we’re in? Figure out what time we want to leave and I’ll go online and get us all tickets after I find out if our New York City boy wants to go.”

• • •

“What’s up, CJ?” Chipper sounded lethargic answering the phone. “What you doing? Are you as bored as I am?”

“Hey, dude, reading Hemingway. Papa rocks. I’m loving the book.”

“What does Cap have to do with it? And does your liking it have anything to do with the setting? You being Cuban and all?”

“Asshole! I meant Papa Hemingway, not Papa Brett. I don’t think the setting’s what grabbed me. But I know I’d love to visit Cuba sometime. I like hearing about the place from my grandparents. Anyway, I may have a solution for your boredom. Wanna go to New York this weekend?”

“Fuck, yeah! Who all’s going? I need to get Doc’s permission, but if your dads are letting you go, I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes. What’s the plan?”

“It was Ethan’s idea, believe it or not.” CJ snorted when Chipper chuckled; all the guys had heard the story about Ethan putting the moves on Owen while drunk and the following day’s apology and threats by Ritchie. “You, Ethan, Ozzie, and I; Brad’s still under house arrest. Head up tomorrow morning and come back Sunday.”

“I’m in as long as Doc agrees. We have to make time to see Cristina, okay?”

“For sure. I mentioned it to Ozzie already. I like your sister. She’s always fun to be around. Why don’t you call Doc and find out? If he says it’s okay, call me back. I’ll get us tickets and you can pay me back later. You can come spend tonight here if you want. I’ll invite Ethan to do the same and Dad or Papa can drive us to the station in the morning.”

• • •

“Hi, Uncle Matt! Did you talk to Chipper? Is that why you’re calling?”

“Hey, CJ. Yes and yes. I also called Brett and he said he and César agreed but set down a couple of rules.”

“Yeah, no drugs and limited booze but only in the apartment.”

“Same rules apply to Chipper, okay?”

“Sure, no problem. Thanks for letting him go!”

“Who’s this Ethan guy? Is he the one your brother threatened with a broken nose?”

CJ couldn’t believe how that portion of the story was what his dads’ friends all seemed to remember. Dragon had started calling Ritchie “Killer” once he’d been able to stop laughing. “Yep. He’s an okay guy. He screwed up but he manned up and apologized. And he did it right away instead of waiting forever. I respect the man for having the balls to admit he fucked up.”

“Well, if your dads think he’s okay to invite to the apartment, I’ll trust their judgement. But I have one more request.”

”Sure, Uncle Matt. Shoot.”

“I know Owen’s over twenty-one and I’m assuming Ethan’s too, since he’s in law school.”

“Yep, they both are.”

“I’d still feel better if there was another adult around. Not that I don’t trust you and Chipper, but shit happens as we well know. Call Sean and see if he’s free this weekend. If he is, invite him to hang out with you guys and to spend the night. Pay for him whenever you guys go out. I’ll give Chipper some money and I’ll reimburse you guys for anything else you spend.

• • •

“Well, this is a nice surprise. What’s going on, CJ? Everything good? How’s Owen?”

“Yeah, things are cool and Ozzie’s still hot.”

The redhead’s infectious laughter made CJ pull the phone away from his ear; the guy was loud. “You’re such a little pig, always thinking about sex. A man after my own heart.“

“Speaking of sex… what are you doing this weekend? You have any clients?”

“Yes and no. I’ve made a few changes since we last saw each other in November. I’m out of that line of business.”

“WHAT? For real?”

“Yes, for real. Don’t sound so surprised. Sex can only get you so far.”

“What’s the problem, old man?” CJ was chuckling so hard he had a hard time getting the words out. “Can’t get it up anymore?”

“Jesus, no wonder your dads call you an asshole all the time. If it wasn’t because I think of you as a younger brother, I’d show you how well I can get it up. Though you’d end up walking funny for a couple days.”

“Sorry, but I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.” CJ loved talking to Sean. As open as his conversations were with his parents, their friends, and his friends, there was a thrill in discussing sexual matters with a man who made a living out of the activity. “I’m a one man type of dude. Ozzie keeps me happy. And I’m more of a top anyway, so we’d have to flip to see who bottoms.”

“Ha! As if that would ever happen. Anyway, I have a couple new jobs. I’m working Friday night late, Saturday morning for an hour, and again Sunday late afternoon. Why do you ask?”

“I’m coming up to New York tomorrow. Doc thinks it’s a good idea to have you around―can’t figure out why unless he’s over-prescribing himself―and I was wondering if you’d like to hang out. I’d love to see you. Maybe we can do it Saturday? We can go out to dinner and you can spend the night.”

• • •

By the time snow had stopped falling the previous evening, the nation’s capital was all but paralyzed. An inch of the white stuff created the type of havoc which made people from other regions laugh. Chipper spent the night at CJ’s place but Ethan declined the invitation and instead showed up early in the morning for the ride to Union Station.

The four travelers stowed their luggage, grabbed coffees, and settled in for the ride to New York. CJ had bought copies of The Washington Post and The New York Times hoping to read with leisure, but his plans were derailed soon after they’d claimed their seats.

“Are you guys sure the people who own this place in the City will be okay with us staying there?” Ethan asked, looking at CJ and Owen in the seats across from him.

Sitting next to him, Chipper chuckled. “Oh, I’m pretty sure the owner’s cool with it. Why don’t you ask him?” He nodded in CJ’s direction while Owen smiled and shook his head.

“You own an apartment on the Upper East Side?” Ethan’s surprise could be heard loud and clear, and seen in the way his mouth gaped and his eyebrows rose.

“Stop making shit up, Chipper. I’m not the owner. The dads and Uncle Matt own it.”

“Wait! Isn’t Matt your dad?” Ethan stared at Chipper sitting next to him in confusion. “Are you and CJ related?”

“Hell no! I ain’t related to that douchebag.” Chipper pointed at CJ, who rolled his eyes. “And Uncle Matt’s not my father. He and my father were a couple. They broke up and Dad moved to Florida. When Mom returned to Argentina I didn’t want to move with her or to Tampa so Doc took me in.”

“Uncle Matt needed to buy a place of his own in Washington. My dads owned a condo they rented out and traded it to Doc for an interest in this place in New York he’d owned for years.”

“Bloody hell, would you two wankers give Ethan a break? Mate, they’re fucking with you. It took me forever to understand all these damn relationships and you’re not going to figure it all out right away.”

Ethan leaned back in his seat, staring at each of his companions in turn. “Fine, we have time. Forget those newspapers. If we’re going to spend the weekend together, I want to know more about you. Start with the apartment. We’re all going to fit in, right?”

CJ sighed and tucked the papers away. “Yeah, it’s pretty big. When we’re all there the dads have their own bedroom, Uncle Matt has another one, and Chipper and I share the third one. Plus, there’s this big living area from when the two units were combined which has pull-out couches. We’ve had a bunch of people stay there before. This time around Ozzie and I get my dads’ room. Chipper gets Doc’s and you get the one the two of us normally use.”

“Let me get this straight. We’re talking about two apartments in one of Manhattan’s high-rent districts combined into one huge place. It sits empty most of the time and you guys get to use it whenever you want? Damn, CJ. I knew your parents were well off but this is ridiculous. Something like that’s gotta be worth millions.”

“Don’t go there, mate,” Owen warned. “My boyfriend’s kinda sensitive about his family’s wealth. It’s taken me over a year and I’m still not entirely comfortable with it, although I’m getting better.” The Aussie preened, sounding proud of himself. “I brought up the money issue with César while we were in Miami last summer. He slapped me down real quick. Told me to butch up and stop being a bitch. Whining’s frowned upon in this family.”

There was a lull in the conversation, Chipper and Owen stared out the window at the passing landscape, and CJ thought he could get back to reading. He’d stopped frowning and made to retrieve the Post from where he’d stashed it.

“Don’t even think about it, buddy.” Ethan shook his head and pointed at the newspapers. “Put those away, I’ve still got a bunch of questions for the three of you.”

“Fine, whatever.” CJ sighed, resigned to the interrogation continuing. “You damn lawyers are all the same. You need to know everything. Shoot.”

“Your little crowd of friends seems pretty tight, how come you guys didn’t invite anyone else to join us?”

“We did, but I was the only one who could come.” Chipper looked at CJ for confirmation and received an agreeing nod. “Harley―that’s the tall, lanky, skater dude―is CJ’s bestie. He’s a gearhead and works part time for Danno restoring old cars. They’re driving somewhere tomorrow to pick up a new one they’re gonna start working on.”

“I met Harley the first day I was at Walls. I’ve known him the longest. That’s why these other losers call him my bestie.” CJ’s smile hinted at his love for Mr. Motormouth. “Thiago also has to work this weekend. He’s the half-Brazilian black guy. He wants to be a pharmacist, has a job at Walgreens’s, and has already been accepted to Howard University. He’ll start this coming fall and is trying to save money so he works a lot. He’s the senior in our group.”

“Brad would have loved to come but he’s grounded. He stole a bottle of vodka from his dad’s liquor cabinet last weekend and got roaring drunk with two of his Lacrosse team friends. Tom has him under house arrest.” Owen couldn’t stop chuckling even though he’d already stated he felt bad for his cousin.

“His brother Patrick’s two years younger than the rest of us,” CJ added. “He hangs out with us, but not all the time. He’s got his own friends who’re his age. We decided not to invite him even though I’m sure he would have turned us down if we had. He’s a little quieter than the rest of us. So it ended up being the four gay boys.”

“Wait!” Ethan looked a Chipper in surprise. “You’re gay? I didn’t know that.”

“Nah, not gay. I’m bi. Doubles my chances for a date on Saturday nights.”

“Okay, enough of this shit about us.” CJ stretched out his legs and crossed his arms while staring at Ethan. “Your turn. Tell us about you.”

“Sure, what do you want to know?”

“I don’t care, start at the beginning and we’ll go from there.”

“Okay. I’m twenty-two, my birthday’s November eighteenth―”

“Hey,” Chipper exclaimed. “That’s a week after mine.”

“Cool, maybe we’ll celebrate together. Anyway, Mom’s from New York, Dad’s from Toronto, they met in college, married right after graduation, and moved to Canada. I was born in Burlington. That’s in Ontario. But we moved to Long Island when I was a kid. I have dual citizenship.”

“Hell yeah! I’m still the only real New Yorker in the group. Born and raised in Manhattan.” Chipper pumped his arm in victory, eliciting groans from CJ and Owen, and a smile from Ethan.

“I grew up in Roslyn. That’s where I had my bar mitzvah and went to high school.”

“Okay, I may be the true New Yorker but you’re the only Jew in our crowd. Well, except for Uncle Matt.”

“My family’s not really religious. We celebrate the High Holidays, my brother and I had bar mitzvahs, and my sister had a bat mitzvah, but that’s about it. With us, the Jewish thing’s more of a family tradition than anything else. The ’rents belong to a reform temple but seldom go.”

“When did you come out, mate?” Owen had been quiet for most of the ride, smiling often while listening to the banter between the other guys.

“Senior year in high school. I was on the baseball team and hooked up with the short stop during a trip to a tournament out of town. After that, I realized my checking out guys wasn’t curiosity. So when I was accepted to NYU I decided the closet was no place to be if I was gonna be living in the City. Too many temptations and I’m too honest to sneak around. Oh, one more thing. I’m cut and my dick’s―”

“STOP!” CJ clamped a hand over Ethan's mouth and looked around to see if any of the other passengers were staring at him. He noticed Owen blushing, grabbed his boyfriend’s hand and kissed it. He didn’t release it when he returned it to the armrest. “Dude, you’ve confused me with someone who gives a shit about that kind of stuff. I have zero interest on how little your dick is. I have all I need right here next to me.”

“Little, my ass! I’ll have you know baseball players carry baseball bats.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. What evah. You jocks are always bragging about the littlest of things. Plus, you’re Jewish. They cut ten percent off automatically.” The four guys dissolved in laughter when CJ held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart and waved his hand in front of Ethan.

• • •

CJ glanced at the name tag pinned to the uniform, smiled at the olive-skinned, salt and pepper haired man, and extended his hand. “Hi Pedro, I’m CJ Abelló. We haven’t met before but―”

“Ah, yes, Mr. Abelló. We had a memo letting us know you and Mr. Pereira would be in town this weekend. Welcome back, sir.”

“Thank you, it’s good to be back. But Mr. Abelló’s my father, I’m CJ. This guy’s Chipper, not Mr. Pereira. The tall blonde’s Owen, my boyfriend, and the other one’s our friend Ethan.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And stop calling me, sir! It’s CJ, remember? Hey, is Ajax working today?”

“Yes, he is. He’ll be here around three, he’s working the late shift this weekend.”

“Cool, we’ll see him later on then. Have a good one, Pedro.”

Inside the apartment, CJ asked Chipper to open the sliding doors to the balcony for a few minutes to air the place out; the temperature hovered near the freezing mark so they were soon closed again after the guys stowed their luggage in their rooms. “So, what do you guys want to do?”

“Eat. I’m hungry.” Chipper shook his head and chuckled. “Crap! I sound like Harley.”

“That sounds good to me too. Let’s go order the bagels and we can eat there. I’d love me some good egg salad.” CJ licked his lips and rubbed his stomach eliciting groans from Chipper and Owen.

“What do you mean order bagels?” Ethan asked.

“Mate, my boyfriend’s addicted to those things. But he likes the ones from here so he’ll place a large order and pick them up Sunday to take back to Washington. He brought an empty duffle bag for them.”

“How the fuck many are you talking about?”

CJ smiled sheepishly and waved a hand in dismissal. “Ummm, four dozen for me and my dads. But Uncle Matt requested a couple dozen for him and Chipper and so did Tom and JP. Plus, we’ll pick up a few and bring them back so we can have them for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Fuck!”

“I need to text my sister and let her know we’re in town. And I told Doc I’d let him know when we got here too.” Chipper fumbled with his phone as CJ fished his own from the back pocket of his jeans.

“Yeah, I gotta text the dads too. Ask Cristina if she wants to meet us for lunch tomorrow or if she’ll just come here before we go out to dinner.”

Chipper thumbed away at his phone while CJ did the same. “Done! Hey, can we walk over to Lincoln Center after we eat? I wanna stop in at Julliard for a few minutes. We can hang around the West Side the rest of the day. Owen can see the side of town I grew up in.”

“Did you decide to apply for sure?” CJ knew the Julliard School of Music was one of the colleges Chipper was considering.

“Yeah, it’s pretty much my first choice. I like Washington a lot, but I’d like to get back to New York. I miss it.”

Later in the day after the sun had set, the four guys returned to the UES. They’d had a long day exploring and CJ was happy Ethan seemed to fit in with them. He’d been worried the older guy would object to all the sightseeing and a G-rated Friday evening in New York City. He and Chipper had discussed the possibility of suggesting the two law students go out on their own to a bar or club since the high school students’ age was an obstacle to them entering many places. When he broached the subject with Owen, the Aussie had been adamant he wasn’t going anywhere without his boyfriend. Ethan overheard the conversation and let them know he was fine with hanging out at the apartment, having a couple of drinks, and watching a movie.

“CJ!” Ajax’s enthusiastic greeting caused Owen to chuckle while shaking his head. “Welcome back, buddy, it’s good to see you again. Hi, Chipper, Owen. Welcome back to New York.”

“Hey, Ajax, I asked about you when we got in this morning. How are you, man? What’ve you been up to?”

“Oh, same shit as usual. Work and school keep me busy.” During a previous visit, Ajax had told the guys he was attending Hunter College, working on a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design. The doorman job was something he had no interest in doing for the rest of his life the way his father had done. For him it was a way to pay the bills.

“Dude, this is our friend Ethan. He’s staying with us this weekend. Ethan, this is Ajax Karalis, our favorite doorman. How’s your girlfriend, Ajax? She keeping you happy?”

“Always! But she’s out of town this weekend. I’ll be going home to an empty place.”

“Dude, you should come upstairs and hang out with us after you get done with work. We’re staying in tonight. Or if you want, you can come to dinner with us tomorrow.”

“Can’t tonight, need to get home. I have to be somewhere early tomorrow. And forget dinner tomorrow. I’ll be working until eleven again.”

“Then come up after work tomorrow. Bring clothes and you can spend the night. You know our place has plenty of room.”

• • •

“CJ!”

“Bloody hell, this is getting monotonous.” Owen shook his head while Chipper bent over laughing with gusto. CJ lowered his head to hide his small smile and the flush on his face, and Ethan looked at his three companions in confusion. “You see what I have to put up with day in and day out, Ethan? I’m dating Mr. Popularity. No matter where we go, people know him.”

“Shut up, Ozzie. It’s not as bad as he makes it sound, Ethan. I just happen to know these guys.”

Listening to the boyfriends argue, the two men behind the gym’s counter chuckled. One of them―a well-built redhead with a furry chest visible through the scoop of the muscle shirt he wore and just as hairy arms and legs―lifted a portion of the counter and walked towards the new arrivals with arms spread. “It’s great to see ya again, buddy. I’m glad you called me.”

“Like I would come to New York without trying to see you. You’re looking good, Sean.” CJ grunted when the air was squeezed out of him, and winked over Sean's shoulder at the other man who’d shouted his name. “Hey, Colt.”

“Welcome back, bud.” Colton Mann, the gym’s owner, was in as good shape as Sean. The skin-tight shirt he wore, emblazoned with the WOOF Gym logo on the front, left little to the imagination; his sculpted torso and the visible abdominal ridges proved he was an avid user of the facility. “Did I hear Owen say you two are dating? When did that become official? You were adamant he wasn’t your boyfriend last time you were here.”

CJ shrugged and stared into the man’s bright eyes. “Yeah well, shit happens. I kinda gave in to the inevitable over Thanksgiving. Sean, Colt, the man standing next to Ozzie, drooling like an infant, is Ethan. They go to law school together and he came up with us. Ethan, close your mouth and say hello.”

“You keep this up, CJ, I’m gonna rethink our friendship. Stop embarrassing me. Hi Colt, Sean. I hope it’s okay I tagged along. The guys said I could buy a day pass to workout with them today.”

“You sure can. CJ’s friends are always welcome at my gym. Heads up, Sean. Your appointment’s walking through the door.”

The redhead glanced at the establishment’s entrance to watch a plump young woman, wearing makeup as if going to a nightclub walk in. “Catch you later, kids. Duty calls. Have a good workout. I’ll be done in an hour or so and we’ll head out after I shower and change.”

“Who the fuck are those two studs? Please tell me one or both are gay and single.” Ethan’s question, when the four were in the locker room changing, earned him a slap to the back of the head from CJ.

“Down, horn dog,” CJ replied. “They’re both gay. Sean’s single and he’s the one joining us tonight. Colt’s attached but I understand he and Tony play around.”

“Who’s Tony and how the hell do you know all this shit?”

“Tony’s Colt’s boyfriend. He owns a bar a few blocks away from here. And how I know all this shit, as you call it, is a long story. I’ll fill you in on the details later. Let’s go work up a sweat.”

“Damn, CJ, there seems to be a long story attached to everything with you.”

Once done working out, showering, and changing back to street clothes, the guys left their bags at the gym. They used the small cubicle masquerading as Sean’s office since he’d become certified and started work as a personal trainer at WOOF, and headed out into the Chelsea neighborhood. CJ insisted on one specific stop in the Village: Schott NYC.

Walking into the store, the fact CJ wore one of their classic Perfecto leather biker jackets ensured the group of friends a warm welcome. While the guys browsed through the shop, CJ asked to speak with the manager and after some conversation, handed over his credit card.

“What did you buy, mate?” Owen draped an arm over his boyfriend’s shoulder as they walked back onto Elizabeth Street.

“A present.” The teasing tone and coy smile earned him a frown from Owen. “Don’t worry, Ozzie, not for you. I’m not ready to spend that much money and risk having you get upset at me.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I might not have complained about getting one like yours.”

CJ came to a sudden stop and stared at the man in surprise before smirking. “Well, if you’re a good boy, a really good boy, I might think about it. You have a birthday coming up and Christmas’ always an option.”

“Sure thing, daddy.”

• • •

“Welcome to Tao Uptown.” The hostess smiled at Cristina and the five men surrounding her before turning her attention to Sean. CJ thought it was because he was the oldest looking one in the group. “Are you joining us for dinner?”

The redhead grinned and pointed at CJ. “Don’t look at me, he’s in charge.”

“Hi, we have reservations under CJ Abelló?”

“Of course, sir, here we are.” She tapped the screen embedded on the podium while smiling and looking at CJ. “If you’d like to wait at the bar, your table will be ready in a few minutes. I’ll come get you myself when it’s ready.” The woman’s flirty tone didn’t go unnoticed. Owen placed an arm around his boyfriend and steered him away from the voluptuous woman.

CJ tugged on Owen’s sleeve until the taller man bent his head down. Whispering in to his boyfriend’s ear so the rest of the group couldn’t hear, he asked, “You okay with me picking up the tab?”

Owen looked at him with a goofy grin and nodded. “Thanks for asking.” He gave CJ a kiss on the cheek, reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers together.

“Guys, I need a picture with the five of you.” Cristina had slipped into the bar stool her brother held for her, while the men stood around her. “It’s not every day a girl’s lucky enough to be surrounded by such hunks. My friends are going to be sooo jealous. I bet I start getting comments as soon as I post it on Instagram.”

Owen gave CJ a worried look, but he smiled and shook his head. “It’s cool.”

Cristina didn’t miss the exchange. “Is that okay, CJ? Chipper’s told me you don’t like to put a lot of stuff out there.”

“Nah, this is fine.” He dismissed her concerns with a hand wave. “I don’t like to make a big deal about money. The dads are always worried about security. And before my mom and her husband died, we had an agreement about me avoiding publicity so people wouldn’t start asking questions about why I’d left Miami and moved to Washington.”

“Well, I don’t have to post it…” The girl sounded disappointed.

“Here, give me your phone.” Cristina handed it over and while CJ looked around for someone to take their picture, he tried to reassure her. “Mom and her husband aren’t a concern any longer. And a picture or two out there don’t mean much. For all they know, I’m here because Sean invited us. Anyway, I think the picture will be real hot. I’ll be adding this one to the basement’s gallery when I get back home.”

On the way to their table, Cristina turned to Sean and slipped her arm through his. “So, Sean, my brother tells me you’re a personal trainer at a gym in Chelsea. Do you do women?”

• • •

“Mate, this is like a bloody United Nations meeting.” The guys had put Cristina in a cab headed to her place in Greenwich Village after dinner and walked back to their building. Ajax was already off work, waiting for them with a small shoulder bag in his hand. CJ ushered everyone upstairs, showed the doorman where to stash his stuff, and asked Chipper to open a bottle of wine for them.

Owen’s comment made CJ tense up remembering the trip with Jose-Maria which was supposed to have been for a UN breakfast. “Let’s not bring up the United Nations, okay? Not a favorite subject.” His comment earned him knowing looks from Sean, Chipper, and Owen.

“You know? You guys do this shit all the time.” Ethan had claimed the spot next to Sean on the couch and was sitting closer to the redhead than necessary. He accepted a glass from Chipper and took a tentative sip. “Damn! That’s a great Malbec, buddy.”

“You can thank my mother. She works for a wine distributing company and she sends us stuff all the time. What did you mean we do this all the time?”

“One of you makes a comment, another one replies and it’s like you all can finish each other sentences and know what the other one’s going to say. It’s not fair.”

“Don’t look at me.” Ajax scooted over to make room for Chipper. “Sean’s on the permanent guest list and has his own keys to the place. He spends a night here now and then, so I’ve come to know him a bit. CJ and Chipper come up every other month or so, and this is the second time I’ve met Owen.”

“Fine, so you and I are in the same boat. What did you mean this is a United Nations meeting?” Ethan pointed a finger at Owen before shifting his gaze to CJ. “And why do you dislike the UN?”

“You first, babe.” CJ shared a big armchair with his boyfriend and leaned his head back against the guy.

“I’ll start with myself because I’m the only one here who’s not a US Citizen. I’m from Australia.”

“Oh, really? We hadn’t noticed.” CJ was chuckling but stopped when Owen turned his boyfriend’s head around and smashed their lips together.

“Shut up, you. Ethan’s Canadian, Chipper’s Argentinian, Ajax’s Greek, Sean’s Irish, and you’re Cuban.” Owen wrapped his arms around CJ and gave him a hug, drawing him in closer. “Could you imagine if the world got along the way we do? Instant peace.”

When Owen mentioned Sean, Ethan gave the redhead’s knee a squeeze and kept his hand there. “Cute. That’ll last until some religious nut decides to force their beliefs on us. Okay, CJ, why do you have issues with the UN?”

“Ummm, about a year ago I came up to New York with a friend from school.” Although the previous year’s events still bothered CJ, he had no qualms telling the story. Ethan was fast becoming a member of their inner circle. “His cousin had invited us to go to a breakfast at the United Nations. The night before, the three of us went to dinner and then came back here to have a drink. They tried to drug me. They were planning on raping me. One of my dads had called Sean and asked him to keep an eye on me. Mr. Brody walked in, saw them putting a powder in a drink, and the shit hit the fan. I almost killed one of them. I wanted to throw him over the balcony railing but Sean stopped me.”

“Fuck! What happened to them?”

“Last I heard they were both back in Venezuela. The cousin who was the instigator lost his government job and the guy I went to school with was pulled out of WALLS by his parents and forced to finish high school and go to college down there.”

“Damn, no wonder you’re so close to Sean.” Ethan moved his hand up and down the redhead’s thigh and grinned at him. “So you were the big hero, eh?”

“Nah… I was just at the right place at the right time. When I realized what was going down I saw red. I’ve made my money selling my body for a long time, but I draw the line at forcing someone to have sex against their will. I’m all for having fun. But just because I made a living out of fucking guys for many years, rape’s not acceptable to me.” Sean spoke in a soft tone but CJ could tell he was revisiting his experiences as an escort and a porn actor. “Some guys can’t have sex unless there’s the emotional romantic connection bullshit involved. They look down on sport fucking and judge those who practice it. They’re the worst type of hypocrites, standing on their soapbox looking down at anyone who does things different from what they consider the proper way. I’ve turned my back on them. I provided a service to my clients and tried to do so in a safe way they enjoyed. Who the fuck am I to judge? But those guys were hiding behind their professional, straight façade and I wouldn’t have minded CJ throwing the fucker to the street. But I had to think of what was best for my bud, so I pulled them apart. I’d do it again.”

“Umm, Sean? Buddy? You know I love you, but would you mind stepping down from your soap-box?”

“Sorry. I’ve been thinking about my lifestyle a lot since I gave up my previous line of work and started slinging cocktails at PRIME and doing the personal trainer thing at WOOF.”

CJ disentangled himself from Owen and sat on the edge of the chair between the Aussie’s legs. “Neither my parents, their friends, or I have ever judged you for what you did for a living. Fuck! Who the hell did Papa call when he was uncomfortable with me being in this apartment alone? You saved my ass that day, literally, when you walked in here. My dads think the world of you. You’re honorable and loyal and those are qualities I, and the dads, value more than most others.”

With the second bottle of wine almost finished, Ajax stood and stretched his arms above his head, yawning. “Guys, I’m beat. I was up early this morning and I’m ready to crash. Where do I get to bed down?”

Chipper jumped off the couch and looked at the sexy Greek doorman. “Hey, the couch’s alright but if you don’t mind sharing with a bi guy, you can sleep in my room. The bed’s big enough.”

“And why would I mind? I’m bi myself. And before any of you say anything,” he added looking at the slack-jawed guys staring at him, “my girlfriend knows and she’s fine with it. I think she likes to hear about my occasional hookups. It sure as hell makes the sex between us hotter.”

“Weeell…” CJ stood, grinning from ear to ear. “Amazing what you find out when you hang out having a couple of drinks. Sean, you want me to open the sofa for you?”

Ethan squeezed Sean’s knee again and stared at the man. “Actually, Sean can bunk in with me if he wants.”

CJ and Owen stared at each other and started laughing. “Mate, I’m glad there’s a leftover condom supply now we’ve stopped using them. Have fun guys. If you hear me scream, ignore it. It always hurts a bit when CJ first gets the truncheon between his legs in me.”