A Summer Love - 14. Chapter 14

November 30, 1991

It was late when we got in, almost 9pm. We thought about staying on board, but we were all ready to get onto dry land. The Grangers said goodbye as the yacht was cruising slowly toward its berth, so they were ready to bolt as soon as the boarding ramp went up. I noticed that the goodbyes were not as tearful this time, and I felt sad for them. I hoped that in time they'd be able to appreciate their son for the man he was, not the boy they'd known.

Stef was just as organized, and right after the Grangers left the crew loaded our stuff into the waiting limo and we zipped up the relatively traffic-free roads to Malibu. “Did you have a nice trip?” Stef asked.

“It was one of the best times ever,” Max said, beaming at him. Greg patted his knee affectionately.

We got home and heard the chaos next door as Brad tried to get his kids to go to bed. I guess they were pretty keyed up. I figured I'd wait until they were in bed before I went over to pay my respects.

“You want to go say hello?” Max asked.

“I will wait until the kids are asleep. I'm not in the mood for noise and screams right now.”

“Well I guess we shouldn't go to bed yet either,” he teased. I pulled him into a kiss, really enjoying it, until I felt a familiar presence in the room. I broke off the embrace and turned to see JP standing there, smiling at us. I felt Max stiffen, but I gently stroked his back to reassure him.

“I'm sorry I interrupted. I should have left, but the two of you together make such a beautiful couple. It's breathtaking.” I looked at Max, whose behavior changed immediately. He beamed at JP, recognizing him as a friend to us and our relationship, and not a threat.

“Thanks JP,” I said, and gave him a big hug and a friendly kiss. Max followed, doing the same thing, and shocking the shit out of JP. It was too funny.

“Well Marcel, I told you that I hoped you'd find happiness, the right guy, and I told you that I'd be one of the happiest people when you did. And I am.” He turned to Max. “I hope you know that I am your friend too.”

“Thanks JP,” he said. “I wasn't sure how things would work out, but I figured that you'd be the most gentlemanly of everyone. If only my parents were so understanding.”

“Were they a problem?” he asked innocently. Like he didn't know. Like Stef hadn't called him from the yacht to gossip.

“Yeah. They want to control me, and now that they can't, it pisses them off.”

JP laughed. “You want to see parents struggling with control, just walk next door. They'll get over it, and be prouder of you than they’ve ever been. Just give them time to get to know the new Max Granger.”

“Maxwell Granger,” I teased. “That's what his mommy calls him.”

That got me a playful smack.

December 20, 1991

“It seems like we were just doing this yesterday,” Max said as the plane lifted off from Meigs Field.

“Well, it was almost a month ago, but I know how you feel. You sure you're OK with spending Christmas at Stef's?”

“My fucking parents don't seem to give a shit one way or the other anyway. I think I'll be more comfortable at Stef's, and I know you will be too.”

I ran my fingers through his hair lovingly. “I'm sorry. Did you talk to them or something?”

“Yesterday. I should have told you, but I was so pissed off I didn't really want to think about it. My mother was giving me shit, telling me that she didn't know what to get me anyway since I didn't wear the clothes they bought me. Jesus Marcel. One time I show some independence, and that's it for them.”

“You know what I think?” He shook his head. “I think it's a damn good thing you did not put that shirt on that she wanted you to wear.”

He laughed at that. “Yeah, you're right. Who would have thought that a pale orange polo shirt would be the beginning of my emancipation?”

“You're going to see them when we're there are you not?”

He tensed up. “They invited me over on Christmas Eve. They didn't really say anything, but they only invited me. I think they blame you for my new surge in independence. I'm sorry babe.”

That bothered me. “You know, I've seen you make so many changes in your life since you took charge and got your self-confidence back. I think it's the coolest thing. I just do not get why they do not. I would have thought your happiness would be more important than having you do exactly what they say.”

“I guess it's not. There's something else.” He paused for a minute. “Lark is working for my dad.”

“He's working for your dad? He's a stockbroker now?” That was unbelievable. “I thought they hated him.”

“I guess they would rather have me miserable with him and still have their little boy under their thumb, than happy without him.” He sighed.

“So when you go over there, he will be there,” I said. I couldn't hide my distress over that. “He wants you back.”

He hugged me tightly. “Marcel, he can want all he wants. He's not getting me. I told you that I love you. I've never been as happy as when I'm with you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Are you going to go over and see them on Christmas Eve?”

He shrugged. “I don't know. You think I shouldn't?”

“I do not know. I know they're important to you, but I cannot stand the thought of you walking into a trap.” I stopped him from interrupting. “I'm not saying you cannot handle yourself, I'm just saying that you should not have to.”

“I'll think about it,” he said. We were mostly silent after that. There was a car waiting for us at the airport, and it seemed like we were in Malibu in no time.

December 24, 1991

“Do you have to look so good?” I asked him, admiring how handsome he looked in his gray flannel slacks and blue blazer.

“It's your fault,” he said. “Thanks for the monogrammed buttons.”

“You're welcome. How long do you think you will be over there?” I was really nervous about this, nervous that he'd never come back.

“Relax Marcel. You can come with me if you want,” he said insincerely. No one wanted me to be there. Not his parents, not him.

“If I thought you really wanted me to be there, or your parents wanted me to be there, I'd go.”

“It's not like that and you know it,” he said, pissed. “I need to do this, to face them on my own. And there's no guarantee that Lark will even be there.”

“You know better than that.” I sighed and kissed him goodbye upstairs. He was borrowing Stef's Porsche, not unlike mine. As soon as he walked out the door I looked at my watch. 4:00pm. In eight hours, this would all be over, one way or another. I tried not to cry, not to let my emotions run away from me, but it was tough.

The door opened gently and Stef came in. “You are OK?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Why do his parents hate me? Why are they doing this? I make him so happy Stef. And he makes me happy right back.”

“I do not know Marcel. It has caused much stress here though. Greg and Robbie barely talk to Janet at work. When I call for Greg, she is just short of rude. Quite frankly, I do not think she will be working for them much longer.”

“That's really sad Stef. She's been with Greg forever,” I observed. “How will he manage without her?”

Stef smiled. “She is efficient, but not indispensable. Robbie is already irritated with her reluctance to computerize their projects and operation, so I think he is secretly gunning for her. It cannot help your cause that you two could be twins.”

“Lark will be there Stef. He will be there, and he will try to get Max back.”

“This is one of those times where you must be patient. You know he loves you. But you need to know that he loves only you, that he has put the past behind him. If he has not, then you need to deal with that now.”

I nodded. He was right, but that didn't make it any easier.

I tried to be festive and enjoy the holiday, but it was impossible. I asked Greg and Stef if we could exchange presents tomorrow, and headed up to my room to sulk. There was no way I could pretend to be at ease, to be happy, around these people who knew me so well and would see right through me. I looked at the clock. 10:00pm. I sighed and thought about calling Max's house, but decided against it.

At 10:30 my resolve failed and I picked up the phone to call him. Janet Granger answered. “Hello?”

“Is Max there?” I asked politely.

“He's busy right now Marcel,” she said rudely.

“Would you please tell him I'm on the phone and ask him if I can talk to him for a minute?” I asked curtly.

She sighed, an irritated sigh, and put the phone down. I heard another extension pick up, and I heard people laughing in the background. “Hey there,” Max said, slurring.

“Hey baby, you OK?”

“Yeah, drank too much. They want me to stay here. Can't drive,” he said.

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to come home,” he said, then belched.

“You are home,” I heard John Granger say in the background. “Now get off the phone and come have another drink.”

“Gotta go babe,” he said. “I love you. I'm sorry I'm drunk.” Then the phone went dead.

I charged down the stairs to find the others still festive. “They got him drunk off his ass and they're making him stay the night. I'm going to get him. Stef, do you have an extra set of car-keys?”

They all looked at each other. “I'll drive you,” Robbie said. Brad looked at him, worried, but he let it go. I grabbed Stef's keys and hopped into Robbie's truck. Funny how someone as successful as him would have a truck, a Toyota, but Brad said he'd been into them ever since they moved to LA.

“Lark is there, I know it,” I told him.

“Good. I wouldn't mind settling a score or two with that guy,” Robbie said. “He tried so hard to fuck up things between Brad and me.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“About two years ago, I put my foot down and told Brad that if he didn't evict Lark from his life, I was gone.”

I stared at him, shocked. “I did not even know about that. I'm sorry I was not there for you.”

He smiled. “It's alright. In the end, we worked out a deal. I agreed to work less, and he wrote Lark off. It ended up being one of the best decisions either one of us ever made. Otherwise I'd be a workaholic like Greg.”

The Grangers lived in a nice house in Westwood, not too far from UCLA. We drove up and I saw Stef's Porsche parked out front. We heard voices in the back yard, and since the gate was open, we decided to head back there first. We came around the corner and stopped. There, on the patio, were Max and Lark. And they were embracing. Then they were kissing. I was about to lose it, but Robbie put his hand on my shoulder.

“Marcel, stay calm and just watch OK? Let's see how this plays out. If he tries to fuck him, we'll intervene.” I nodded at him and got myself under control.

Max pushed Lark away. “Knock it off Lark. I told you we were through.”

“Yeah, but your lips just said we aren't. Come on Max, you know you love me. We've been through so much together, we have so much history. I love you so much. I want you back. I want us to be together again.” Lark was being really plaintive, and really persuasive.

“Oh yeah. Together again. Where I suck your dick all the time and beat off. That sounds like fun. And then you leave me high and dry, and in debt up to my ass. And we won't ever go out together, because you won't be seen in public with a fag. No fucking way Lark. I'm not doing it.” Max was firm and resolute, even though he was drunk. I was so proud of him.

“It's not like that Max. I know I treated you like shit before. I know I was an ass. I'm so sorry for that. So so sorry. I've changed. I'm a new person. I even have money now, my own money.” He didn't give up easy.

“This isn't all about the money Lark, and it isn't all about you and what you want.”

“I told my parents I was bisexual, and told them all about you. They weren't happy at first, but they're dealing with it. They really like you Max.”

“You told your parents you were bi?” Max asked, incredulous.

“I did. I did it for you. I did it so we could be together again. You don't like Chicago. It's too fucking cold, and there's no surf. You live to surf. Come back here; get a job at UCLA, or USC. We'll live near the beach. It will be heaven.” Wow. He had this all planned out. Except positions at UCLA and USC weren't as easy to get as he made it sound, and Max knew that.

“I don't want to move back here. I don't want to be with you,” Max said firmly.

“Maybe you forgot how fun I can be,” Lark said, and pulled him into his arms again, then spun him around. He ground his groin into Max's ass.

“Knock it off Lark. Let me go,” he said.

“No fucking way baby. I'm gonna have your ass again. You know you want it,” he said.

Max tried to get away but Lark pushed him onto the ground, onto the grass, and thrust into him. I saw his hand reach around for Max's zipper. “Don't fight me you stupid bitch,” he snarled in Max's ear. “You know you want my dick. Beg for it.”

That was enough for me. I nodded to Robbie and we moved across the lawn toward them. I stopped, horrified, and nudged Robbie. We looked up, and there, in the family room, looking through the screen door, watching the whole thing, were Janet and John Granger. Robbie started moving before I did, and he was next to Lark before the Grangers even knew we were there.

Robbie pulled Lark up by the hair with his left hand and slammed his face with his right. “I've wanted to do that for a long time.” Lark tried to get his balance back and pulled away from him, giving me the perfect shot, the perfect revenge. Like a field goal kick, my foot flew through the air full force and struck him right in his groin. I thought I could feel his dick, still hard, as I kicked him. He doubled up in pain, but Robbie had another blow for him, another fist in his face, laying him out on the lawn. He curled up in the fetal position, grasping his balls.

“Get off my land! You're trespassing! I'm calling the cops!” John Granger yelled as he surged out of his house.

“Fuck off!” I told him, shocking him enough to shut him up for a minute. “You OK?” I asked Max.

“I'm fine. Let's get the fuck out of here.” I helped him up and we started walking out the side gate.

“Maxwell, don't you dare leave,” his mother said, stepping in front of us. “You're staying here.”

“Mom, I wouldn't stay here if this was the only shelter left on earth. You tried so hard to control me, so hard to keep me under your thumb that you lost me.” She looked at him as if he had hit her.

“How dare you talk to me like that?!” she exclaimed.

“You are nothing to me now. As far as I'm concerned, I'm an orphan,” Max said calmly, looking directly at both of them. For a guy who was blasted drunk an hour ago, he was doing damn good. His calmness made his statement that much more effective. He pushed past them with me in tow.

I felt Robbie behind me. “Oh, and Janet,” Robbie said, getting her attention. “You're fired. Don't show up at the office again.” She stared at him, aghast, as we walked out of the backyard.

I took the keys to the Porsche and helped Max into the passenger seat, buckling him in. Then I hopped in and started to drive off when Robbie stopped me. “Tell Greg I went to the office to have the locks changed.”

“On Christmas Eve? How will Santa get in?” I teased. He smiled and nodded at me as we drove off.

“How are you doing?” I asked Max

“I love you,” he said drunkenly, making me laugh.

“I love you too.”

“You came to save me. You're like my knight in shining armor. What was that guy’s name? Sir Galahad? That's you. You're my Sir Galahad.” He had me cracking up now.

“I'd do anything for you,” I told him seriously.

“I know,” he said. “I wouldn't have let him fuck me Marcel. No matter how drunk I was.”

“I know baby, I know. We eavesdropped on you before we jumped in. I heard most of it.”

“You were spying on me?” he asked belligerently.

“No, we got there, in the backyard, and decided to see what was happening before we jumped into things.”

“Oh,” he said. “That's cool.” We drove up to the house. “Look! We're home. I want you to fuck me.” He was still trashed.

“You got it, right after we talk to Stef and tell him what's going on.”

“Are they mad at me?” he asked nervously.

“No, they're not mad at you. Do not be ridiculous. You're my boyfriend, so that makes you part of my family.”

We walked in to find everyone except the kids hanging out in the big open family room, a fire blazing in the fireplace, while the sound of the crashing waves was audible occasionally when the Christmas carols playing on the sound system were softer. It was a scene of domestic bliss, totally unlike the nightmare we'd just left behind.

“You are back,” Stef said, strolling over to us. Greg was right behind him.

“Robbie fired my mom,” Max said. “Fucking bitch. Can I have some eggnog?”

Brad intervened and led him over to the eggnog so I could explain what happened to Stef and Greg. “Robbie went to the office to have the locks changed,” I told them, mostly for Brad's benefit, so he wouldn't worry.

Then I gave them a play by play, remembering everything like I was still there, reliving the whole scene.

“They were watching through the screen door?” Stef asked, shocked.

“It was amazing. I could not believe it. I'm not sure if they were going to watch Lark rape their son or not, but that's where it was heading,” I told Stef emphatically.

“So Robbie fired her huh? He could have asked me first,” Greg said. We both glared at him.

“You are a fool if you make this an issue,” I said to him rudely. He stared at me, then at Stef.

Then he relented. “You're right. I should have done it a year ago. Janet just couldn't make the transition to the modern age. Computers scare her. But she's been with me so long, and been so loyal, that I felt like I owed her some loyalty of my own.”

“Well,” I said, “that's not really my business. But Robbie was so disgusted with her, and so pissed off; I think that if you overruled him on this you'd have to choose between them.”

“You're right, and so was he. She used to complain about how she had to send Max money all the time to pay off his bills. I can't believe she was willing to bring Lark back into the picture and start that all over again.” Greg was being philosophical.

“Hey Max,” I said, calling him over. “Did your mom send you money for your bills?”

“Ha,” he laughed. “After Yale, they sent me nothing. That was fine anyway; I didn't need their fucking money. Well, I wouldn't have except for Lark.” He yawned.

“You ready for bed?” I asked, and winked at him.

“Hell yeah,” he said, and shoved his eggnog glass into Stef's hand, making him giggle. He stopped and looked at Greg and giggled, then laughed, then giggled again.

“What?” demanded Greg, pissed off.

“I was just remembering when I was growing up how I so wanted you to fuck me,” he said, then burped. We all cracked up except Max, who didn't think it was funny at all.

I led him to our room and helped him take off his clothes, slowly and deliberately like he trained me. Only he didn't want slow and deliberate tonight. He ripped off his shirt, popping a few buttons off, and then his boxers, and then he was on his hands and knees on the bed. “Fuck me Marcel. Fuck me hard God damn it.”

I grabbed the lube and quickly moved up behind him. I slathered a good amount of it on my cock and slammed into him. “Oh yeah, that's what I want, that's what I need. Your hard dick slamming into my ass. You feel so good Marcel. God, you feel good.” He rambled on and on, moaning, then talking to me, driving me nuts. Unusually for me, I blew my load first.

He got up and almost threw me on my back and lubed his own throbbing cock. “Now it's my turn,” he said crazed, drunk lust in his eyes. Still, Max was Max, so he added thoughtfully: “If that's alright with you.”

“Fuck me Max. Your turn. I want to feel you inside me.” He growled and plunged into me. He was so keyed up he only lasted for a few thrusts before he blasted his load up my ass. Then he collapsed, passing out in the bed next to me.

I cuddled up behind him and wrapped my body around him. “I love you Max.” I felt him smiling.

December 25, 1991

We sat around the tree munching on bagels while watching the kids open the presents Santa brought them. Max kept grabbing his temples every time one of the kids shrieked, which made me giggle.

“How's your hangover?” Robbie asked, putting his arm around him.

“Not too bad,” he said. “OK, I lied. It's bad.” We laughed. “Thanks for helping me out last night.”

“No problem,” Robbie said. “That was twisted, the way your parents were watching you and Lark.” I grimaced. I hadn't told him about that yet.

“What do you mean?” Max asked, looking not at Robbie, but at me. Robbie mouthed the word “sorry” and moved off.

“You remember your conversation with Lark outside?” I asked. He nodded. “You remember how he had you pinned on the ground and called you a bitch?” He nodded again, but remembering it pissed him off. “Your parents were watching the whole thing through the patio screen door.”

“What? They were watching? They were gonna just watch him rape me?” He was upset, and stunned. I nodded sadly.

“Robbie and I saw them standing there when we ran across the lawn to get you,” I told him.

He put his head in his hands and I put my arm around him. “I really am an orphan now. I have no family.”

Stefan stood in front of him and pulled his head up, looking him in the eyes. “That is not true. You have a family. You are part of our family. If you want to be, that is.”

Max grinned up at Stef and stood up and gave him the biggest hug, actually lifting Stef off of his feet. I smiled at Stef while Max hugged him, thanking him with my eyes. “I'd love to be part of your family, even if Brad is here too,” he said, joking.

Brad threw a Nerf football at him and beaned him in the head. It was like his initiation.

“If there comes a day when we can get married,” he said to me, “I'd do it in a second.”

I stared up at him, his pale blue eyes, his blond hair, and his handsome face, and thought about how lucky I was to have found the one man meant to be my partner. “So would I,” I said.