Andre and Chris - 18. Chapter 18

David rounded up Bradley and Ollie and was about to leave when Tyron said, “I was stoked when some of the girls on campus commented to me about the last video. I’m looking forward to hearing their comments about this one.” He then teasingly asked, “Bradley what did the girls at your school say to you after they saw the last video?”

Bradley went red and started urging David, “Come on Dad we’ve got to get home”. That seemed to provide an answer the question.

There was a round of cheerful goodbyes, during which Ollie gave Andre a very long hug. I was tasked with posting the video on my YouTube channel at 6pm. I knew I’d be in deep shit if I didn’t.

The action started on Monday morning when I received a text from Andre.

“Everything’s ready for us to settle on both properties. I’m ready to transfer the money now.”

I replied, “Fantastic. I’m sooo pleased that you have taken over our finances. When will we have the keys and take possession?”

“Finance is my specialty. I’ll call Noah about the keys.”

“It’s not your only specialty. I expect to explore another one again tonight.”

“Tease! I can’t wait. I’ll keep you informed about the keys.”

“Love you.”

“Love you more.”

It was really happening. We were going to have our own business premises and then our own new home. Then I thought about how much there was still to do to bring the two shops up to our requirements and our new life a reality.

Even so, we had something to celebrate so I put a bottle of sparkling red wine in the fridge to cool. I also decided to surprise Andre by taking him out to dinner. I wanted to book for two at Yume Japanese Restaurant in Erina. Unfortunately, it doesn’t open on Mondays so I changed from Northern Asian cuisine to the Asian Sub-continent cuisine and booked a table at Vishal Indian Restaurant in East Gosford. It would a nice informal place to celebrate.

Having done that, I went back to work. I now had to give more thought to the business software Andre would need for Lachlan’s (or more accurately their family) business and also the much needed makeover of their website.

I also needed to make my clients take cyber security more seriously. While I’d made some progress, I needed to convince the owners and other key people of the need for protection from outside attacks. I was hoping to use recent media reports of hacking of company customer data and ransomware attacks to increase their awareness of the need for increased security. As well as using my YouTube channel I needed a place where I could do presentations to clients. I’d need to think about that.

Andre arrived home looking exceptionally pleased with himself. I went to kiss him but he was faster. Who cares? We kissed like reuniting lovers after an absence. We were so happy.

He broke the kiss and moved back enough to look lovingly into my eyes. “You know today is the start of a significant change in our relationship and our lives?”

I returned the eye gaze and kissed his soft lips. “I think I know but I’d like to hear it from you.”

He pulled back and half laughed. “I so love you. Today is the day we became business partners with the shops and even more importantly joint owners of our future home. That apartment will be our home. Not just your place or my place but our home.”

“Which is exactly why I’ve got a bottle of Cassegrain Sparkling Chambourcin in the fridge to celebrate. I’ve been saving it for such a special occasion.”

He shook his head. “I should have known. What else have you arranged?”

“Just dinner at Vishal Indian Restaurant. After that it’s just us and what comes naturally.”

“Sounds great. You get the sparkling wine and I’ll get the glasses.” Before getting the glasses he placed a handful of keys on the table.

I popped the cork on the Chambourcin. We clicked flute glasses and toasted “to us”. Of course that was followed by a kiss.

The moment was disturbed, but not in a bad way, by Michael and Jamie excitedly bursting in on us. I could see Michael smiling broadly and Jamie was carrying a bottle of champagne. Michael announced proudly, “We’ve brought some champagne to celebrate my good news.”

I couldn’t avoid reciprocating his broad smile as I replied, “Snap. We’ve got an open bottle of sparkling red to celebrate our good news. Would you like a glass while we share our good news?”

Jamie held out his bottle. “Sure, I’m happy to exchange this for two glasses of what you’re drinking and then Michael can share his news.”

It only took a moment for Andre to hand Jamie and Michael a full flute glass each and for me to put out the platter of cheese, dips and crackers I had already prepared. We clinked glasses and toasted.

Jamie commented, “I’ve never had sparkling red wine before but I love this.” We all nodded agreement. However, Michael was keen to tell us his news. “I’ve started the next step in my career. I’ve been accepted for a part time position in the Med Faculty at Newcastle University.”

Andre and I expressed our congratulations, and again we clinked our four glasses.

I asked, “Does this mean you are going to become an academic?”

“I hope not. I still see my future at the cutting edge of surgery, if you’ll excuse the pun.”

Our collective groan was the response.

“So you found out today?”

“That’s why we’re celebrating today with our best friends.”

“That’s great, because we’re celebrating today because of our good news.’

We then told a very interested Michael and Jamie about today and what it meant to us.

Michael suggested we should go somewhere to eat and continue celebrating. I changed the booking at Vishal’s from two to four.

We looked at the menu and agreed to order dishes to share between the four of us. Over an ample selection of delicious Indian curries, rice and side dishes, the conversation flowed with Jamie and Michael asking us about our plans and Michael telling us more about this move in his career.

“When do you start in the teaching position?”

“Surprisingly, next semester. I’ll be filling in for someone on sick leave.”

“That’s soon. You must have impressed the selection panel.”

“What impressed them was my presentation to the hospital surgeons. My Director sent a copy with the reference he wrote. I’d forgotten it had been videoed. I don’t even have a copy myself.”

“So they’re likely to distribute that presentation as a teaching resource?”

“Yeah, so it’s a good thing I let Sandra see it and got Mamma’s permission before I did the presentation.”

The conversation became more general, which it easily does between the four of us. We continued to enjoy the food and a shared bottle of wine.

We were nearly finished when Jamie enthused, “I haven’t eaten here before, but this food is excellent. I love this place, so this won’t be the last time we come here.” We all agreed. Andre settled the bill and the tip, and we ended another congenial meal together.

Back home we hadn’t forgotten that we intended to celebrate more physically. Naked in bed together had not lost any of its alure or sexual desire. Kissing and caressing moved to mutual cock sucking. While I loved Andre’s oral skills I wanted more and he gave what I wanted. We kissed passionately as simultaneously he exploded inside me and I coated our abbs. Declarations of love and sleep followed so easily.

Tuesday was still my day for looking after William and even if I say so myself, I’d become skilled at looking after him. He was also growing rapidly. I wasn’t surprised when the door opened, but I was surprised that it was Beau with William. It was usually Skye.

“What’s wrong, is there a problem with Skye?”

He gave me a hug. “No, Skye’s fine. I was hoping to catch Andre before he went to work. Is he still here?”

“He hasn’t left yet. I think he’s in the bathroom.”

Andre was in the bathroom and when he emerged, he was as surprised as I was to see Beau. He was about to ask the same question I had when Beau stopped him.

“Skye’s fine. I wanted to talk to you about running the business and how we work together.”

Andre walked over and hugged Beau, a gesture Beau, as usual, reciprocated. “I’m glad you want to do that because I need to talk to you about it as well, but it’ll take more than a couple of minutes over coffee.” That was my cue to make some more coffee.

“I know that, but I have some time this morning. How about you?”

“I’ve just about finished up what I was doing at work and my replacement is a promotion from within my section. She can handle anything that comes up. I’ll call in and take some of the leave I have.”

I put Beau’s coffee on the table and told Andre, “You should tell Beau our news” and left to make two more coffees.

By the time I returned, Andre had told Beau about us taking possession of both shops and apartments.

Beau’s response was, “You said you wanted to break up the shop space to make it more usable for you. We need to take some accurate measurement and design the interior layout.”

Running the business seemed to have been forgotten in favour of some actual building. Beau continued, “I’ll call Dad. His input will be valuable, and he can order the internal wall frames.”

It was a very short phone call after which Beau said, “They’ll be here ASAP.”

I queried, “They?”

“Sure. Mum is coming to look after William.”

It wasn’t long before Lachlan and Carol arrived. Carol immediately went to check on William and then gave us that “you’ve been neglecting him” look. We hadn’t but grandma knows best. She picked him up and started carrying him around and talking to him.

“Well what are you all waiting for? Go and check the shops. I’ve got this under control, now.”

We picked up the keys and headed out.

I’d never seen Beau and Lachlan working together. They started by asking us what we wanted in the shops. Andre was easy because all he wanted was a small reception area and a couple of offices.

Lachlan looked around. “That’s easy but, this is a big shop. What are you going to do with the rest of the space.”

I spoke up. “I’ve got an idea but how about we look at my shop and then come back here.”

We all walked next door where I explained that I wanted a reception area, a work area big enough for three workstations, a video studio, an air conditioned room for my servers, a storeroom and a kitchenette and toilet. There already was a small kitchenette and a toilet.

Lachlan looked as if he was going to pace out the size of the space but instead pulled out a laser distance measure and started taking measurements. Beau joined him and they continued taking measurements, doing calculations on their phones, chatting and writing in a notebook.

I watched and then looked at Andre who commented, “They both love doing this and they really bond when they work together. They seem to know what the other one is thinking.”

They walked back to us. “That’s all easy. We could give you a small office or a bigger area for your workstations. We need to see your servers to see how much space you need for them. Where are they now?”

“In my garage. I can show you when we go back.”

“I wondered why your car is always parked outside. Earlier you said you had some ideas for the extra space in Andre’s shop. What did you have in mind?”

I looked at Andre. “I hope you don’t mind and if you agree I thought that extra space in your shop would be good for a conference room or for small presentations. I could run sessions for my clients on things like trends and cyber security and you could do sessions relevant for your clients, like investment trends.”

Andre hugged me. “I love the idea. Of course it means we would need a better kitchen area and restrooms. We would need to be able to provide at least some drinks and snacks to our client who attend.”

Lachlan smiled. “You may be running different businesses but you’re both on the same page. You are perfect for each other.”

Beau smiled at us. “You’re right about that Dad, but can we get the measurements done next door before they get all mushy.” Andre and I burst out laughing, followed by Lachlan and then Beau who was not successful at trying to remain serious.

Back at the townhouse Beau and Lachlan immediately disappeared into the garage, which left Carol wondering what they were doing. Andre didn’t help by saying, “Don’t worry Mum, it’s secret men’s business.” He didn’t escape being playfully swatted by a tea towel.

When they returned from the garage, they told us they had allocated enough room for more servers when I expanded the business. I didn’t bother explaining Moore’s law and Kryder’s Law.

Carol had not only looked after William but organized a simple lunch for us. Over lunch Lachlan told us, “Beau’s got all the measurements. I’ll draw up some plans and we can order the frames for the internal walls. Once they’re delivered, we can start on both shops.”

“What about upstairs?” I asked.

“You are combining the two apartments. For the best result, you need an architect for that. I’ll get the one we use to contact you.”

Beau spoke to Lachlan. “Dad, if you can do the plans and order the frames, I’ll go out to the worksite and check on where the guys are up to.”

“Yeah, I can handle that. Let me know if there are any problems you can’t sort out.” He turned to Carol. “Darling, are you ready to go?”

“Yes, as soon as I collect William. We’ll take him back with us. He needs his grandma.”

Four of us rolled our eyes but made sure Carol didn’t notice.

On Thursday David called to see if I was home and said he wanted to talk. I told him I was home and he said he’d be around straight away. He must have been close because he arrived less than five minutes later. He was still on duty so we agreed to having a coffee.

I was surprised when he started talking about Bradley and the YouTube channel. “Chris, I’ve told you before how pleased we are about the way that YouTube video has helped Bradley. Well it’s reached the stage where his brother and sister are now a bit envious of him. We have to be careful about this but it’s really good for them to experience a bit of what Bradley has had to experience with them being the popular sports stars. It also made them discover that sport isn’t the only path to being popular.”

I responded, “Social media fame has to be handled carefully.”

“Exactly what we’ve researched. Bradley’s young. Can we count on you helping us. We’re not asking you to stop him being on your channel. We want your help in keeping him grounded.”

“That I will certainly help with and I’m sure Tyron and Jackson will as well.”

“And that reminds me about Oliver.”

I couldn’t tell from his tone if this was good or bad news, so I asked cautiously, “What about Ollie? Is there a problem.”

David looked confused for a moment. “Sorry Chris, I wasn’t thinking just then about Oliver in relation to the trial. I’ve been looking at the comments and seeing how popular he is without even being seen or saying anything.”

I relaxed and laughed. “I’ve noticed that as well. I think he’ll be OK when he does make an appearance.”

“I do too but let’s talk about the trial and the offender. He appeared in the local court about two hours ago and entered a plea of ‘guilty’ to all charges. He tried to have most of the historic cases dropped but, except for a couple, the evidence was too strong so he’s now hoping for a lighter sentence by pleading guilty.”

“Is that likely?”

He shrugged, “Can’t say! That’s up to the judge. Anyway it’s been referred to the District Court for a hearing and sentencing. At the moment it’s listed for a hearing in two weeks time.”

“Really, that soon.”

“Yeah, the prosecutors want to get it out of the way ASAP and that brings us back to Oliver. No one wants him to go back to his mother, including his mother, and you don’t need to know all the messy details. What I’m saying, off the record of course, is you need to have a bedroom for him in a few weeks.”

David knew very well that at present we didn’t have a spare bedroom that Ollie could use, and we’d have to have that to be able to foster him.

“Thanks for the heads up. Andre and I will do everything we can to be ready to foster Ollie.”

“I know you will. Everything has been approved except for your home inspection and they will want to see what room you have for Oliver. Let me know when you’re ready for the home inspection.”

We had started on the layout of the shops so there was a chance that I would be ready to move all my work stuff there. My fear was that the timeline was tight. I didn’t say any of this to David but instead asked, “Are you still on duty?”

“Yes I am, but if you are about to offer me a scotch I’d love to accept as long as you don’t dob me in to the Superintendent.”

“Never. I’ll get a couple of glasses.”

We sat and enjoyed a glass of scotch and chatted about a pile of general stuff including world cricket, the NRL season, Women’s soccer and current shows streaming on TV.

While I was outside saying goodbye to David a courier pulled up, handed me a parcel and asked me to sign for it. David drove off and I took the parcel inside and placed it on the dining table.

Andre arrived home and took one look at me. “Well tell me what it is because you look as if you’ll burst if you don’t.”

We both knew I couldn’t hold back and I spoke rapidly. “We could have Ollie living with us in a few weeks. David told me that it’s a guilty plea and the court hearing will be in two weeks so Ollie could be here after that. But he can’t. We have to have a bedroom for him so we pass the inspection. They need to see that we have a bedroom for him so they can approve us as foster parents. Andre we don’t have a bedroom for Ollie so he can’t stay with us. What are we going to do. Nothing’s going to be ready in time. We could lose Ollie. Also, Jackson’s coming up at that time and we don’t have anywhere for him to stay and . . .”

Andre stopped me in the way he knew was best. He kissed me until I calmed down.

I pulled back. “I started blathering didn’t I?”

“Yes you did, but because you are usually so organized and unflustered I thought it was just so cute.”

“Only you would consider me being an idiot, as me being cute. No wonder I love you.”

“And I love you. Now putting together what you’re trying to tell me. It’s a guilty plea so you and Ollie won’t have to give evidence in court and Ollie can be with us in just a few weeks.”

I went to interrupt, and Andre stopped me.

“I’ll talk to Dad and Beau about how long the renovations to the shops will take. Remember, we have a two bedroom apartment over the shops that we can live in with Ollie if the shops aren’t ready for us to move your workroom over. Besides, I reckon that when we explain what we are doing, Ollie will be allowed to stay with us. As for Jackson, Michael said that he can stay with them. I think that covers all your news and concerns.”

“More than.” I wrapped my arms around him.

Andre smiled at me; a smile with a devilish edge.” Now we’re sorted, lets go to the pub and have beer and burgers. Yeah, not like yours but still good.”

“Sure, I’d like that too.”

Andre looked at the dining table. “What’s this parcel?”

“Oh that. It arrived this afternoon. Judging by the sender, it’s electronic or games stuff for review.”

“Why haven’t you opened it?”

“Because it’s not addressed to me. It’s addressed to the awesome foursome. Each of them.”

We both started laughing. “Come on let’s have dinner.”