The Boot - Three Years On - 17. Chapter 17

Andy was constantly busy at The Boot and had settled in well building good relationships with the regular guests, some even turning to him for advice and support in preference to Jeff or Christian. This hadn't gone unnoticed and at Christian's suggestion he undertook a course to help him gain further qualifications in care and support work. To Andy's dismay the only relationship he had with Christian was a professional one, but he decided he would take what he could get and hope that he met someone who could fill the void in his life.

It was one of those nights where there was a lot going on and Christian had called in to help out for a few hours. Jeff was taking some tome off so it was Steve and Andy working with one of the regular volunteers. Steve was watching Christian, who in turn was watching Andy. The guests had all eaten and were socialising with each other but what caught Christian's eye was Andy talking with one of the guests. They seemed to be sitting very close together and in deep conversation, there was the occasional touch as Andy would place fleetingly a hand on the young guests knee or squeeze his hand.

“Penny for them.” Steve startled Christian back into the here and now.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

“I noticed, why don't you just let your guard down for once and go speak to him.” Steve was quiet and gentle in the way he spoke.

“What do you mean and who are you talking about.” John sounded perturbed by the comment.

“I think you know what I mean, do you really think that that nobody notices the way that you look at Andy when he's not looking. The way he looks at you when you're not paying attention hasn't gone unnoticed either, it's been going on for a while between you even Kate noticed in fact she was the first to see it.”

“I don't know what your talking about or what you think you know, it's just a professional interest that's all.”

“If you say so, but a 'professional interest' wouldn't look like a love sick puppy who just had his heart ripped out.” Steve was trying to be supportive to his friend who he respected and loved in a brotherly way.

“This conversation is wrong on so many levels, we are professionals, Andy is straight and even if he wasn't he's way out of my league in the looks department. Anyway I'm not interested in him or anyone for that matter so it's a nonstarter anyway.”

“Okay you carry on kidding yourself of that and one day he will meet someone else and you will have your heart broken again. Just remember Kate, Jeff and I are here for you too, not just our guests.” At that Steve rose from his seat and went to speak with some of the guests so that he could be available to them.

John was now thinking to himself 'am I that obvious, but what's the point I'd have no chance anyway.' Just then his phone rang in his pocket, as took it out he saw Ian's name flashing on the screen.

“Hi Ian how's it going and how's Pop?”

“He's good, nervous when we got here but Marty soon had him settled. I'm so glad that we brought him here it's really brought him out of his shell.”

“Good I'm happy to hear that, do you think that Marty will help him with his bank and in getting some help from the army?”

“I don't think it, I know it Marty has insisted that Pop has his support, it's so good to see it's like they are brothers and we've had a chance to learn a lot too. Marty has even promised to be there for us if we need help in supporting Pop, he keeps referring to us as Pop's sons.”

“Take that as the compliment that it is and they are like brothers, that comes from being in the army, comrades and brothers in arms. He's in good hands with you and Kevin, and now Marty and his son.”

“Yes I guess you're right. Kevin and I are coming home tomorrow Pop is staying here for a couple of weeks and we are going to come and pick him up then, I think he will benefit from a break from us and like you said he is in good hands here.”

“Okay I'll see you both when you get home, call me and we can make arrangements for a night out, okay.”

“Will do, I'll call tomorrow, g'night, luv you bro.”

'Speak to you soon, luv you both too.” John hung up placing his phone back in his pocket he felt emotional, 'I'll call it a night, I need some time to think and clear my head'.

After saying his goodbyes and receiving a few hugs from guests and Steve, and one from Andy seemed to go for longer than usual, he left returning home for a restless night's sleep.

Back at The Boot the guests drifted off to bed, the thoughts and dreams in their heads many and varied.

Where will I get my next fix - Will I make enough tomorrow for my next bottle of booze - Am I really that bad that my family don't want me - If only I could get a job – Why can't I have somewhere real to live. Some had dreams or nightmares of past experiences. Some dreamt of unrealistic idealised futures that they wanted. Yes they were that varied and there were even more that could not be put into any context.

One young man dreamt of Andy, he knew that nothing could happen between them. Andy had told him that he was flattered that he felt that way but also partially let him into a secret. Andy's heart lay elsewhere but the person who held his heart didn't know and Andy was too shy to say anything. Whoever this anonymous person was didn't know how lucky they were or what they was missing out on, so it left a small glimmer of hope and hey a young man can dream can't he?

…...

JJ was feeling on top of the world, his treatment was making a positive difference and today he was meeting with a couple who he hoped would be his foster parents. They were friends of Kate and Steve and the best part was they only lived a couple of streets away from them. He was almost praying that they were as nice as Kate and Steve, no not almost he really was praying.

The meeting went well and arrangements were made for a day visit the next week and if that went well then it would be followed by a weekend visit, yes he would sleep in a real bed and bedroom not in a hospital room with a hospital bed.

Two weeks after that initial meeting JJ was packing his bags and getting ready to live a normal life, in a normal household. He stopped in his tracks when he heard a knock on his hospital room door as it opened. There in the doorway stood a tall strongly built man a builder by trade with muscles that showed, his masculinity betrayed by his smile and the youthful look in his eye. Quickly he was at JJ's side.

“Are you ready Jamie, let's get you home.” JJ's bag was swept up by Max Robins and they walked out of the hospital with Max draping his arm over JJ's shoulder. To JJ this was heaven and almost as good as when he could hold 'his Danny'.

As they drove 'home' JJ was chattering on almost non stop, only briefly stopping for the occasional answer. Stacy was at home making sure that JJ's room was ready for him and preparing a nice meal to welcome him. He was told that he had to act surprised when Stacy served up dessert, it was JJ's favourite chocolate cake and vanilla ice-cream. Max also asked if he minded that they had invited a guest over to meet him. JJ wasn't sure how he felt about it as he didn't know who the guest was but he said it was okay.

When they arrived Stacy was a bag of nerves and panicking, “Hi JJ I'm so happy that you're finally home, now let's get your things up to your room and put them away.” Turning to Max as they went upstairs, “Max honey can you listen out for the door our other guest hasn't arrived yet and I don't want to leave him standing at the door.”

“Stacy who's the other guest Max wouldn't tell me, he just said that we would get along just fine.”

“And you will get along just fine so don't worry about it, now let's get your things put away.” As they busied themselves putting t-shirts sock and underwear in drawers and hanging shirts and trousers in the wardrobe they heard a knock on the door, Max let them in and took them through to the lounge. “Hmmm now looking at what clothes you have tomorrow we have to go shopping, a young man needs jeans, trainers and a whole host of other things that you don't seem to have, is that okay JJ?”

As they made their way downstairs JJ started to worry, 'I hope who ever this is likes me and that I don't do anything to upset Max and Stacy they are really nice, I don't want to mess this up'.

JJ was surprised when he met the guest who promptly pulled him into a hug and kissed him passionately, when got his breath all he could say was, “Do that again.” And pulled him into another passionate embrace.

Max looked on then turned to Stacy, “Okay you was right, it was a good idea to invite Danny over.”

“I'm always right and don't you forget it you big hunk.” Then Stacy, the more slightly built of the two men, pulled his partner into a passionate embrace of their own. “It's good to see two boys so happy and in love, and don't forget you big lug I'm in charge around here.”