The Barnstable Chronicles: The Prodigy - 10. The Torpedo Diversion

Eric stood in the bedroom and couldn’t believe what he was hearing through the bathroom door. How could Charlie be talking to the man he loved like this? What the Hell was going on?

It didn’t take long at all for Eric to hear sobbing from inside the bathroom. He checked the door, and it was unlocked. Slowly opening the door, Eric first looked and then eased into the bathroom. He sat on the tub across from a crying Charlie.

“What was that about, dude? Were you really talking to David like that? What did he do? If it was anything less than murder, then we’ve got some major talking to do.”

“He fucking brought my mother—my mother and my son—my son to his house for Mother’s Day.”

“And he did this because—”

“Mama said he didn’t want her to be alone for Mother’s Day, so he invited her to come up with his mother so they could get reacquainted.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a good reason to get so monumentally pissed at this amazing man who is madly in love with you.”

“Shut up! That’s not what pissed me off.”

“So? What did? Spill it, Charlie.”

“He stole Noah’s heart. He fucking went and made my son adore him.”

“Yeah. That’s horrible. By all means, if you’re autistic son connects with another person—a pretty remarkable person, by the way—then, by all means, you need to put an end to that.”

“Leave me alone, Eric. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just go.”

“No. You’re my friend, Charlie. I love you. I’m not going to let you do this to yourself—or your son—or David.”

“You don’t understand, Eric! David-fucking-Chase doesn’t get to decide if he’s going to be a part of Noah’s life. That’s my job. I’m his father! I make those decisions!”

“Wait a minute. Doesn’t Noah have a say? Doesn’t Noah get to pick his friends?”

“No, not really. I’m the one who knows what’s best for my son. I’m not going to let anyone worm their way into his life and then hurt him by abandoning him when something goes wrong!”

“Wow.” Eric took Charlie’s hands and looked him directly in the eyes. “Do you even realize how loaded that last statement was?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you decide who Noah gets to be friends with at school? Did you vet his teachers and let them know they are to keep their distance so Noah wouldn’t get hurt when he moved on to another level?”

“Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.”

“How about those swim lessons at the Y? Did you tell the instructors that they were only allowed to teach him to swim and that they were forbidden to develop a close relationship with Noah? Do you think he would have won those Special Olympic medals if his instructor didn’t develop a relationship with your son and encourage him—nurture him?”

“You’re making no sense, Eric. Just leave me alone!”

“Then how about this? What about your ex-husband? How’s that going for Noah?”

“He sees Jacob every weekend. That’s different.”

“Yeah. I get it. An arrangement made by who? You, maybe?”

“What the fuck are you saying, Eric?”

“Hear me out. You’ve talked about your son more than anything else since we’ve been here. Everything you’ve told me, everything you’ve told me about Noah—I don’t know if you realize how truly bright, talented, and smart he is. Charlie—listen to me. Noah isn’t that little boy you saved all those years ago. He’s a young man now. He’s a young man completely capable of developing relationships on his own. And this weekend, you weren’t with him to take control, and he seemed to have developed a pretty damned tight relationship with David. Oh, wait! Your son develops a bond with the man you love—the man you claim you want to spend your life with. Thank God you put an end to that before Noah gets hurt!”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t you think Noah will be hurt when he realizes that his own father ripped David Chase out of his life? I bet that’s going to do wonders for your relationship with your son.”

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up!”

Eric stood up and slowly made his way out of the bathroom, talking the entire way. “Okay. I think I get it now. You’re jealous. This whole thing is all about your jealousy that David and Noah developed a tight bond, and you had nothing to do with it. Or try this one on for size—you couldn’t prevent it.”

* * * * *

A confused Noah looked up and saw David running toward the ocean. Pushing the confusion aside, the teenager sensed something terribly wrong. Something was hurting his new friend.

Noah started running at full speed to the water, following David and not letting him out of his sight. He could hear David’s mother shouting his name. He could hear his Nana calling his name. But Noah was determined to get to his friend. He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Daaaaviiid! Daaaaviiid!”

Noah saw David start swimming away from the shore and dove into the water, swimming out to David.

About 100 feet from the shore, David began to swim as hard as he could. Swim. Harder. Faster. About 300 feet out, David stopped swimming and began to tread the water. Solitude. Peace. Calmness. The hurt and anger left his mind. The tension flowed from his body—that is, until he drifted around, facing the shore.

“What the fuck?” David thought to himself when he noticed someone swimming toward him. “It that?? Nooooo!” David began swimming as quickly as possible toward Noah.

Noah stopped swimming when he realized David was just ahead, swimming toward him. In mere seconds, Noah and David had their arms around each other and were gasping for air. David began to swim them both back to shore.

“Don’t help me. I can swim.”

“Let’s—let’s swim together then.”

“O-okay.”

David and Noah made it back to shore, and as soon as they were able to stand, they wrapped their arms around each other. Beverly and Nancy watched from the shore as their boys stood in the surf and tightly held each other. David and Noah were both in tears.

“Noah! Why? Why did you swim out that far? You could have been hurt—or worse!”

“You were hurt and upset. I saw you swim out. You could have been hurt or worse, too. I had to save you.”

“Oh, you are a wonderful young man. But I was okay. When I’m—confused—or don’t understand something. I swim as hard and as far as I can. It helps me understand things, and then I come back. You had nothing to worry about.”

“Yes, I did.”

“What? What were you worried about.”

“Daddy was a bad boy. He said something to you and made you sad.”

“But then I swam into the ocean, and I understand now.”

“Is Daddy mad at me? Did I make him say bad things?”

“Oh, Noah! You sweet, sweet boy. Your daddy could never be mad at you. I think he’s more upset that he can’t see you right now, and he misses you terribly. I think more than anything, your daddy wishes he was here this weekend.”

“I miss Daddy.”

“I know, little man.”

“I’m not little anymore.”

“No, you’re not. You’re a grown-up young man—a grown-up young man who saved my life. You’re my hero.”

“I didn’t save your life.”

“Yes, you did.”

“How? You swam real good.”

“Remember the other night when I came to meet you at the airport?”

“Yes. In the big car.”

“Do you remember when we tapped our apple juice boxes?”

“Yes. Daddy calls that toast.”

“Do you remember what you were thinking when we did that?”

“Yes. It was neat that you drank juice with me. I knew I was going to like you.”

“That’s right. You decided to let me be a part of your life. I could see it in your eyes. That made me the happiest man in the world, ya know.”

“Me too.”

“From that moment on, you helped me see the world in a completely different way. You showed me all these things I never even thought about—and you showed me how important they were to me. You showed me how to be happier than I’ve ever been. And even better—you’re my buddy—the best buddy I could ever have. And you will be my amazing buddy for the rest of our lives.”

Noah let out a small sob and buried his head into David’s neck. “I love you, David. I want you to be my other Daddy.”

“I love you, Noah. More than I ever thought possible. And I hope when I talk things out with your daddy, I’ll be able to be your other daddy. Now—my mama and your Nana are standing in the sand waiting for us to come ashore. I think they might be worried.”

“They don’t have to be worried. We’re okay.”

“Let’s go show them, okay?”

“Okay.”

* * * * *

Charlie was sitting on the toilet, sobbing. “I’ve fucked it up. I’ve lost David. I’m such a fucking ass!”

Eric heard Charlie, went back into the bathroom, sat on the edge of the tub, watching his weeping friend. Out of nowhere, he reared his arm back and slapped Charlie on the side of his face. “Snap the fuck out of it!”

Charlie stopped crying and looked up at Eric. He was stunned with eyes wide and his mouth hanging open. After several seconds, Charlied started to laugh. “Jesus, Eric! That was sooooo Cher!”

Eric shrugged and said, “Moonstruck. Favorite movie. I had to do something, and that’s the first thing that came to mind.”

The boys embraced. Eric pulled some toilet paper off the roll and handed it to Charlie. “Blow your nose. You’re a fucking mess. And—umm—I’m sorry about the mark on your face.”

“Fuhgedaboudit. I deserved it.” Charlie paused and looked at Eric. “God—I’m so fucked! I’ve lost David, and my son is going to hate me. What am I going to do? I could be up here for another six weeks! Oh, fuuuuuuuuck!”

Charlie started to cry again. “Don’t make me smack you up on the other side of your head, Charlie! Stay here. I’m going to find Christian and ask him to see if there’s something that can be figured out.”

Eric walked out of the bedroom and found Christian and the camera crew getting ready to leave the apartment.

“Christian! Wait a minute. Can I talk to you?”

“Is it Charlie? How’s he doing?”

“Not good. He fucked things up big time. Can you come and talk to him for a few minutes? It’s really serious.”

Christian told the crew to wait for a bit so he could go and talk to Charlie. They grumbled their agreement, and Christian followed Eric into the bedroom.

“Hi, Charlie. Eric said you needed to see me?”

Charlie was sitting on his bed, looking down at the floor. “Oh my God, Christian. I got pissed off and completely over-reacted. I said things to David that he probably won’t ever forgive me for. And even worse, I might have destroyed my relationship with my son. You see—he’s Autistic and—”

“Yes, I know. What do you need from me?”

“Can I have five minutes on my phone? I have to fix this. If I can’t, it could be six weeks before I can talk to them. God only knows how bad things could get. If I can’t talk to them, I’ll have to leave the show. My family is more important than anything and—”

“Nobody’s leaving anything. I’ll go out and get your phone. I’ll give you five minutes. And both of you—not a word about this to anyone. All three of us could get booted from the show.”

* * * * *

Beverly was surprised to see Charlie’s name show up on her phone. She had brought it with her in case she needed to make a 911 call.

“Hello? Charlie? What’s wrong?”

“Mama. I only have five minutes. I’m sooooo sorry I lost my shit. I know I ruined your Mother’s Day. But my roommate let me have it, and well, I’m seeing things a lot more clearly.”

“Don’t worry about it, Charlie. I understand better than you know.”

“I love you, Mama, but I need to talk to David. I only have four minutes left.”

“Hold on. I need to get him.” Beverly called out to David and started running toward them with Nancy at her heels. “David! It’s Charlie. Hurry—he only has a couple of minutes!”

David and Noah ran to meet Beverly and Nancy, and the phone was handed over.

“Charlie?”

“David! Oh my God! I’m so sorry! I was a fucking idiot. Please don’t give up on me. I love you!”

“Charlie, do you think I was going to let your being upset about something you didn’t completely understand be the end of us? Before we even got started? No fucking way! I’m not giving up on you—or us.”

“David. You’re not supposed to say bad words like that!”

“I’m sorry, Noah. I’ll be more careful, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Oh God. I love you, David Chase. Don’t you ever forget that! But I need to talk to Noah. I only have a minute left.”

Charlie handed the phone to Noah. “Daddy?”

“Noah! I’m sorry if you got upset and sad. I didn’t mean to say anything to upset you.”

“Daddy, you were a bad boy. You made my buddy hurt.”

“I know, son. I’m so sorry! Will you forgive me?”

“Yes, I forgive you. And David is smiling now. He’s not hurt anymore.”

“I love you, Noah. And I love David, too—and your Nana.”

“Is he still your boyfriend?”

“I sure hope he is. That would make me the happiest Daddy in the whole world.”

“Okay.”

“I have to go now. I love you. Will you give David a great big hug and tell him it’s from me?”

“Yes, please.”

“Bye, Noah.”

“Bye, Daddy.”

Charlie ended the call and handed the phone to Christian. “Thank you, Christian. I owe you sooooo big time now.”

“Yes you do, Charlie Danner!” Christian gave Charlie a wry smile and added, “And I fully intend on a massive payback.”

“I don’t know if I should be scared or—terrified.”

“You don’t need to be anything but focused on the show. You and Eric are both doing quite well, and I fully expect to see you two in the finals. But—no more drama, okay?”

“I promise. I think I was able to fix things enough that I won’t have to worry about it. But I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of talking—with a lot of people—when this is over.”

“I’m sure. By the way, nice mark on your face. What happened?”

“I got Moonstruck by the timid guy sitting across the room.”

“You mean like Cher-snap-out-of-it Moonstruck?”

Christian looked over at Eric. “Good job, Eric! Remind me never to piss you off. Hopefully, that mark will vanish by morning. We start another challenge, and no—I’m not telling you anything about it!”

Christian went out to the living room and gathered the crew so they could head over to the girls’ apartment for their round of Mother’s Day calls.

* * * * *

Everyone got back into the house, and Nancy decided a glass of wine was definitely in order. Beverly agreed while David and Noah enjoyed some fresh-squeezed lemonade.

The group went out to the deck and settled into the seats. David looked at Beverly and apologized, “I’m sorry to have given you a scare earlier. Mom probably told you that a long, hard swim is one of the ways I deal with the shi—stuff that gets thrown my way.”

“Yes, she explained that you were going to be fine. When Noah went after you—well, that’s when we both became concerned.”

“I swim good, Nana. But I got scared. I had to save David.”

David wrapped an arm around Noah. “Where did you learn to swim so well? I mean it, you’re really good!”

“Yes, I know.” Noah snuggled into David’s side and let out a deep sigh.

“You getting tired, Noah?” David kissed the boy on the top of his head.

“A little tired.”

“Well, you go ahead and relax. You’ve had a pretty big afternoon.”

“Okay.”

Noah was out in less than five minutes.

“Happy Mother’s Day, mom! I’m sorry things got a little crazy, but then again—this family isn’t known for normal holidays!”

“Yes, I know that’s right, David. But thank you so much for including Beverly and Noah on this trip. I’ve missed my dear friend, and I’m looking forward to spending more time together once we get back home.”

“So, do you know where all that craziness might have come from? He really scared me, Beverly.”

“It’s not from a bad place. I completely believe that. Charlie’s love for Noah is as fierce and complete as any parent can have for a child. It started as soon as Noah came into our lives—and under the most difficult of circumstances. You see, when Noah was seven, his mother died in her sleep from a brain aneurysm.”

“Oh my God, that must have been traumatic for him.”

“Yes, and no. Noah’s mind couldn’t fully process the concept of death. He just understood that she went to sleep and couldn’t wake up. It was almost miraculous how Noah and Charlie connected—right from the beginning. I’d never seen anything like it before or since. Well—that is until this weekend. It’s not the same type of connection, but it’s there nonetheless.

“I’ve never seen Noah open himself so freely and completely as he had with you. He has carried himself with a new confidence that none of us have ever seen before. I’m almost positive Charlie heard that in Noah’s voice. That most likely startled him.”

“But he told me I was a thief—he said I broke into his family and stole his son’s heart.”

“Well, that’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

“Of course I do. But Charlie made that judgment without knowing a huge chunk of the circumstances and details. That and the pressure he’s under with the show—well, I get to forgive him. Especially since he called back and apologized.”

“And do you think that’s the end of the story?”

“No. I would say that when we finally do get together—face-to-face—we get to have a pretty intense talk. And I’m not thinking about this whole phone call thing. I think we need to figure out the deeper-rooted reasons that caused that reaction.”

“He’s even more stubborn than he was when you knew him before, you should know.”

“I’m not surprised. Charlie’s been through quite a lot. But then again, so have I. I’m quite a bit wiser than I was when we knew each other. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few days, it’s that there’s nothing more important than this guy right here.”

David kissed Noah on the top of his head and continued, “You keep saying how far he’s come during this visit, but I have to say he’s not the only one. He’s taught me what’s important in life. He found my heart and opened it to so many possibilities. Even if things don’t work out the way I hope with Charlie, Noah will forever hold a huge chunk of my heart. I won’t let him out of my life. He’s too important to me.”

“And you’re so very important to him. You immediately accepted him without an ounce of judgment. You respected him from the very beginning. Despite what so many people think—including Charlie at times—this wonderful boy isn’t broken. His mind may seem simple to many people, but it’s just as brilliant as anyone in our family. And there is one thing he has learned from Charlie. When Noah loves, it’s with his entire heart, mind, and soul. Once Noah Danner loves you, it’s for life.”

David glanced at his watch and realized that the limo would be arriving in about 90 minutes to take everyone back to the airport. Beverly asked David to stay where he was and let Noah nap. She would pack his bag for him.

“Please don’t forget to pack the camera. He loved taking pictures yesterday.”

“I won’t. And thank you again for that. You helped my grandson find another interest. You have no idea how marvelous that is!”

After the ladies went inside to pack, David kissed Noah on the top of his head once again. He spoke softly to the boy in his arms. “I can never tell you enough how amazing you are, Noah. You found places in my heart that I never knew existed—and you moved right in. When I knew you were coming down for this visit, I hoped to get to know you a little. I never knew that I would find an entirely new kind of love that I never thought was possible.

“You see, when you let yourself love someone, you have a magical power that lets that person learn new ways to love themself. In just a couple of days, you’ve made me a better man. I just hope your daddy can see that like you do. I love you, Noah Danner.”

After another kiss on the top of his head, Noah stirred and looked up at a tearful David. “Please don’t cry, David. You should be happy. You’re my buddy now.”

“Noah, I am happier than I ever thought was possible.

“Good. Will you be my other daddy then?”

“Oh, Noah. I would love that more than you know. But your daddy and I have a lot of things to talk about and work out before that can happen. And I promise you I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure it does.”

“Me too, David. I want you to be my other daddy.”

David hugged Noah. “I love you, buddy. Now—will you come inside with me and help make something to eat on the way to the airport?”

“Okay.”

“I think we might be able to find some more of that cheesey mac you liked from lunch yesterday.”

“Okay. I like cheesey mac.”

When they got to the kitchen, Noah was brimming with excitement. He had never been asked to help prepare food of any kind before. All he could think of was what his Nana said before the trip—this was going to be an adventure. And this was yet another adventure.

David gave Noah simple instructions to help make sandwiches. Noah laid out slices of bread, and David would layer either roast beef or ham slices on them. Noah would peel slices of cheese from the platter and place them on the meat, and David would spread on some mayo and deli mustard. Noah would place the second piece of bread on top of the sandwich, and David would slice it on the diagonal and place it in a zip-lock bag.

As they were about half-way through the last step of their assembly line, Beverly walked in and was astounded to see Noah and David working together. “Noah! Are you helping David make lunch?”

“Yes, Nana. It’s fun!”

“This is wonderful to see! Now I can have a helper when I’m making dinner back home!”

“Okay.”

Ninety minutes later, everyone was in the limousine, enjoying Noah’s sandwiches and recalling the fun they had over the weekend.

Another ninety minutes later, they had arrived at the airport. Luggage was checked in curbside, and Beverly had arranged for TSA Precheck so they could avoid the larger crowds. Within the hour, the plane was in the air and heading for Boston.

On the way home, David started to think about his plans for when Charlie finished the show. It was then he realized he had zero plans. He dashed a quick email off to Christian, asking for his help:

Christian,

I don’t know if you are aware of the insane phone conversation Charlie and I had this morning. If not, there’s nothing to worry about. If so, then you know that my number-one priority MUST be seeing Charlie as soon as he’s done with the show.—even if it’s for ten minutes.

I just realized I had no idea how to make that work since there is no way for me to know exactly when he finishes the show. I was hoping you might have a solution.

Thanks for your help!

David

P.S. Oh! The photoshoot with the winning (and purchased) designs was magnificent! I will definitely mention you and the show in my liner notes!

David checked his email and found a few more properties in the city for him to look over. He was still completely intrigued with the large townhome Sarah had shown him the week before and sent her an email telling her he would be in the city in the morning and would like to look at it if it was still available.

He had another hour before he would be back home and decided to close his eyes and rest.

The next thing David knew, he was home. He hadn’t expected to fall asleep in the limo and was a bit disoriented. He shook off his grogginess and made his way inside.

David was overwhelmed with how quiet the house was. He was already feeling a pang of sadness in the pit of his stomach. Although he’d been living alone for years, David was lonely. He missed his mom. He missed the kind smile he always got from Beverly. But most of all, he missed Noah.

* * * * *

Charlie and Eric nearly squealed like little girls when the designers walked into the runway for their next challenge. Standing between Karlie and Christian was none other than Kylie Jenner! The challenge was to create a couture gown for the launch of Kylie’s newest fragrance.

Charlie was in heaven. The challenge was no challenge at all—it was his specialty. In minutes he had a design worked out in his mind. He looked at Eric and smiled. He knew his friend had done the same thing as Eric returned the same smile to Charlie.

All the designers were relieved that this was a three-day challenge. Couture takes time since so much of the work involved hand-sewing.

At the end of the challenge, Charlie and Eric were two of the final three designers standing. One of them had been chosen the winner, and this time it was Charlie. Eric came in second place.

Charlie’s gown was a form-fitting black bodice with a neckline that stood up and worked its way into the model’s hair. The skirt flared a little in the front, while the rear featured a massive pleat exposed a flash of white satin. The pleat and white strip opened into a sizeable five-foot train.

While the judges congratulated Charlie on his design, he caught Christian’s eye. The mentor was smiling and nodding, which pleased Charlie to no end. However, he could also see the wheels turning inside Christian’s head, which concerned him a bit.

* * * * *

Monday afternoon, a little past 1:00, the realtor opened the front door to the townhome and let David and Ben in for a tour.

Both men were stunned to see the house was completely furnished and move-in ready. When Ben questioned if the price included the furnishings, the realtor explained that the list price was for the house, unfurnished. Furnished, the house was available for a higher price.

Ben asked what the catch was, and the realtor explained that it was an estate sale. The surviving relatives were from the Midwest and had no interest in becoming residents of the Big Apple.

David fell in love with the house immediately. The lower level opened out to a small back yard and would be perfect for Charlie’s workspace. The next level was a living room that filled the entire floor, including a ten-foot Steinway. David sat at the Steinway and was pleased to find it in perfect condition. The third level, which was also the main entry-level, featured a large foyer, a formal dining room, and a massive kitchen.

There was a deck overlooking the back yard with a built-in outdoor cooking station. The next five floors were filled with eight bedrooms. The first three each had two bedrooms with ensuites. The top two levels each featured a master suite with a small living room. The top floor had access to a roof garden and terrace.

David excused himself, along with Ben, and stepped out on the kitchen deck. “Ben, I know this is only the second property I’ve looked at, but damn! I want it. It’s perfect. Do you really think I can afford it?”

“Yes, David—quite easily. Are you sure it’s not too big?”

“No. Things will work out with Charlie. That means I’ll need space for his son and a place for both our mothers when they come to visit. I can even have my own fucking office in one of the bedrooms—and the piano—shit Ben, it’s wonderful. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is!”

“Okay, David. I’ll put in an offer and get the ball rolling. I can’t believe I’m finally going to get you into this god-damned city!”

“It’s kind of exciting, isn’t it? But I’m keeping the Westhampton house. That place is too fucking special now.”

David wrote a check to the realtor as a good-faith deposit, holding the house for 48 hours. Ben promised to get back to him with an offer after discussing the particulars with David’s financial team. An extremely happy realtor showed the men out to the front of the house. Soon all were on their way to their own destinations.

When David got home, he found an email from Christian.

Hi David,

Yes, I’m quite aware of the Mother’s Day drama our boy found himself creating. I’m happy to hear that things have at least worked out to the point that you’ll both be able to get to the end of the show. And let me say that after the challenge that just ended this afternoon, I’m fully expecting Charlie to make it to the finale.

I have your cell number, and I will call you the very minute I know that Charlie is done with the show. We film our contestants leaving the show in a limo. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful surprise for Charlie if he walked into that limo and found you waiting for him inside?

I don’t know. Just a thought! If you like that idea, let me know. And if you can be available on very short notice, I’ll make sure you’re in that limo!

All the best,

Christian

Over the next several weeks, things became insanely crazy for David Chase. The offer on the townhome was accepted. David was meeting with design teams to turn the house into something more suited to his taste. Fortunately, the changes most often were nothing more than fresh paint and new flooring.

Every four to six days, David would get a text from Christian telling him when the next runway show was filming. While deep down, David ached for a text from Christian saying he needed to get himself to the Atlas, he knew that getting a text saying that Charlie was in for another challenge was nothing but wonderful news.

At least three times a week, David heard from Noah—either by email or a phone call. Emails would always have several photos attached, taken by a very excited Noah. Phone calls almost always ended with David singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” at the end of the call.

It was two days after an exhausted David moved into the townhome when the phone call had David sobbing. Noah had picked up that David was tired and feeling more than a little frustrated that he still hadn’t been able to be with Charlie.

Noah went into the “daddy mode” he had often used with his own father during some of his more difficult times. But it was when Noah sang “Friend in Me” to David that opened the floodgates. At the end of the call, Noah asked David if he still had that Buzz Lightyear doll he got for Noah’s visit.

David knew exactly where it was and smiled through his tears when Noah told him to hold on to Buzz when he went to bed. Buzz always made things better for Noah—and Noah was sure Buzz would make things better for David.

Two weeks later, David got the text he was waiting for.

--meet charlie in front of atlas at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow. finally happening!

David immediately drove to Westhampton and got the beach house ready. He didn’t want to spring the townhome on Charlie until there was more certainty in their relationship. Besides, if all went as he had hoped, there would be quite a surprise for Charlie Danner waiting for him.

It was Friday afternoon at 4:15. David met a production assistant in front of the Atlas, and he was led to the limo that would take Charlie away. His heart was pounding, and his hands were sweaty. As confident as David Chase had been over the past several weeks, doubt started to rear its ugly head.

What if Charlie didn’t want to see him? What if things were really over before they had even been started—or restarted? What if they started talking about things, and it turned into a horrific argument? What if—

There was movement outside the limo, and David saw the most beautiful thing he had seen in over a month—a smiling Charlie Danner. The driver opened the door, and Charlie slid into the seat. When he looked up and saw David sitting across from him, his body started to shake, and tears began to fall down his face.

“You’re here—You—David! You came for me!”

Charlie lept from his seat, into the arms, and onto the lap of the man he loved. David held Charlie’s head in his hands and finally pressed his lips to those he’s been craving for so long. Their passionate, moan-filled kiss was interrupted by the driver.

“Mr. Danner, where are we taking you?”

“Oh! Uhm—hold on just a second!” Charlie looked into David’s eyes and asked, “Where are you taking me?”

“It’s your choice. Laguardia or Westhampton.”

“If this limo goes anywhere near that fucking airport, I might have to hurt you—badly. Take me to your house.”

David pressed the intercom button and told the driver they would be making the trip to Westhampton.

“Excellent. We should be arriving in about an hour and forty-five minutes.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh my God! Am I really sitting in your lap? Did you just kiss me like that?”

“I love you, Charlie Danner.” David kissed Charlie again. He then moved his mouth to Charlie’s ear. We have a fairly long trip ahead of us. The way I see it, we can talk—or you can get out of those clothes, and we can make love all the way to Long Island.”

“I’ve never made love in a limo before. Have you?”

David looked awkwardly at Charlie and smiled. “Well—”

“Right. Whatever. I promise you that even if you’ve fucked a hundred boys in one of these things, nothing is going to come close to what’s in store for you!”

Charlie pulled the black tee-shirt off David and gasped. “Jesus-fucking-Christ! You always had a hot body, but fuuuuuck! You are rockin’ it, David!”

David responded by pulling off Charlie’s shirt and marveled at the sight. “What happened to the adorable skinny Charlie Danner? Somebody’s been putting on some muscle!”

David and Charlie fell to the expansive floor of the limo, kissing and caressing each other like they did when they were teenagers. In a matter of minutes, both were completely naked and kissing while their hard cocks fought for the space between their bodies.

David rolled Charlie onto his back and kissed him once again. When he broke the kiss, he panted, “You’re going to cum down my throat now. That way, you’ll last longer when you fuck me.”

“Was that a prediction or an order?”

“Maybe a little bit of both.” David kissed his way down Charlie’s torso, marveling at the cut abs he never saw before. He found a pool of sweet precum and licked it up before taking the head of Charlie’s cock into his mouth.”

Charlie gasped and shuddered. “You have no idea how long I’ve been dreaming about this.”

“Yeah, I think I might. I would guess it’s about as long as I’ve been dreaming about it.” With that, David opened his throat and took all of Charlie’s 9½ inches to the hilt.

Charlie was thrashing about on the floor of the limo when David placed a finger to his lips. Charlie sucked the finger in and made love to it as if it was a miniature cock.

Without missing a stroke on Charlie’s cock, David pulled his finger from Charlie’s mouth and worked it into his smooth ass. In seconds David was massaging Charlie’s prostate, causing him to moan loudly, “Oh fuuuuuck! I’m so close, David! I’m—I’m—Oh, God! Cuuummmmmming!”

Charlie shot volley after volley deep into David’s throat as he swallowed as rapidly as the shots came. He kept sucking and licking Charlie’s cock until he was sure he had completely drained it of every drop of nut.

“Is this real? Am I really lying on the floor of a limo? Did I just shoot this ginormous load down my lover’s throat?”

“Yes, baby. This is real. I’ve been dreaming of this for years—and even in my dreams, I couldn’t come anywhere close to this.” David pulled himself up and kissed Charlie deeply, making sure he could taste the remnants of his load.

“That was fucking amazing, David. But dammit, if I don’t have you shooting a load down my throat soon, I might just explode!”

After some more rolling around on the floor, Charlie told David to sit on the seat. He knelt in front of David’s large cock and gave the best blow job he could remember giving.

Exhausted and spent, David looked into Charlie’s eyes. “Jesus baby, that was fucking incredible.”

“Hehe—I guess it is like riding a bike—just without the pedaling or braking.”

David pulled Charlie up to the seat with him and kissed him, this time getting a taste of his load as their tongues danced together in each other’s mouths.

“You know, Charlie Danner—I’ve never stopped loving you. Even when I couldn’t understand why I never heard from you while I was in Russia, I think I knew in my very core that one day I would have you in my arms again.”

“Enough talking. We have less than an hour, and now you get to have me in your ass again. Oh, fuck! Lube!”

“Find my pants. I have some in there. I was a good boy scout and came prepared.”

Charlie found David’s pants pushed to the side of the limo floor. He reached in the pocket, found a packet of lube, and handed it to David. David tore it open with his teeth and poured the slick liquid up and down Charlie’s massive, throbbing cock.

Charlie’s breath hitched as David lubed him up. “Jesus, was this thing just down my throat?”

“Yeah, baby. Are you ready for it to slide up your ass?”

“I’ve been ready for eight years. Make love to me, Charlie Danner. Please—make love to me!” David lay back on the limo seat, lifting one leg up to the top of the seatback as Charlie positioned his cock at the entrance to David’s sweet ass.

As the massive mushroom head broke through David’s outer ring, he started to weep.

“Oh, David. I’m sorry! I don’t want to hurt you!”

“You’re not hurting me, baby — just the opposite. I’ve wanted this to happen for so long it’s just bringing all these emotions out. Good emotions. Keep pushing. It feels amazing!”

Charlie looked into David’s eyes as he slowly pushed deeper and deeper. When he hit bottom, Charlie leaned forward and kissed David as he began pumping in and out.

“Oooooooooooooh, fuuuuuuuuuuuck! You feel so fucking good! Fuck me, baby! Hard! Fuck me hard like you used to!”

That’s just what Charlie did. David moaned and groaned as his ass was filled to the brim with Charlie’s pistoning cock. Charlie panted and grunted as he enjoyed his first sex in nearly a year. Both were sweating, and their slick bodies slid across each other, with David’s cock nestled between them.

The friction on David’s cock soon became too much to handle, and he soon felt the approaching orgasm as he moaned, “I'm sooo clooooose, baby! Gonna nut soon!”

“Do it baby! Milk the load outta my fat cock!”

As David’s load covered both of them, his pulsing ass sent Charlie over the edge. “Ohhhh! Fuuuuuuck! Cumming, baby! Ooooohhhhh! Ooooooohhhh!”

Charlie collapsed on top of David, and the two of them held each other as they began to recover.

“Whoah! Charlie Danner, that was by far the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life!”

“Yeah? Better than winning the Tchaikowsky Competition?”

“No comparison.”

“Better than Ellen?”

“Ha! Waaaay Better!”

“If it’s better than Ellen, then I know you’re telling the truth!”

The driver spoke over the intercom. “We’re about ten minutes from our destination, sir.”

“Thank you!”

Charlie and David giggled and sat up. Charlie looked at the mess on their chests and stomachs. “I don’t suppose you stuffed a cum rag in your other pocket, did you?”

“Damn! Totally forgot that! No worries, though. There are napkins in the bar over there.” David opened the top of the bar and pulled out a stack of napkins. “Oh, look!” David found a package of wet-wipes, and soon both were clean and getting dressed.

For the last few minutes of the ride, they sat in the back seat as Charlie took in the sights. “It’s beautiful here, David. No wonder you chose to live out here.”

“One thing I learned over the last couple of months—it wasn’t really living out here by myself. I somehow got this reputation of being a bitter pain-in-the-ass when I performed. But you know what? That night I saw you after my concert—that night changed everything. You rocked my world when you took my hand. I know you felt it, too!”

“Yeah. That’s when I knew you still loved me—just from that touch.”

The limo slowed and turned into the drive leading to David’s house. “Here we are! Our own private little beach house.”

Charlie looked out the window and laughed. “There’s nothing little about it! I hope you’re right about the private part, though!”

The driver opened the door for Charlie and David. He opened the trunk and retrieved Charlie’s luggage. David handed a card to the driver and said, “Please, bill me directly for the cleaning. I don’t want that bill to end up at my management’s office!”

The driver half-smiled and said, “It will be my pleasure. And welcome home, Mr. Danner.”

“Oh—this isn’t my—never mind. Thank you.”

David and Charlie walked into the house as the limo pulled away. “David! This is beautiful! What a wonderful place!”

“Thanks, babe. Look—I’m dying of thirst. Can I get you something to drink?”

“What are you having?”

“Vodka and Cranberry.”

“Sounds good.”

David made drinks and gave Charlie a tour of the house. When they got upstairs, David took a deep breath. “I don’t want you to get upset with me, but I kind of fixed up one of the bedrooms for Noah when they visited. I learned from your mom that he was a little obsessed with Toy Story.”

Charlie laughed and said, “A little? That’s an understatement!”

Charlie followed David into the bedroom and gasped. “David! It’s perfect! Did he love it?”

“Yeah. I got him a Buzz doll, but he didn’t need it since he had his own.”

“I’m sure he felt a lot better about being in a strange place with some of the things he loved around him. That was some smart thinking, Mr. Chase!”

“Oh! Thank God! I was afraid this would upset you! But I don’t want to hide anything from you. Tomorrow morning I want to take you to the aquarium where he had the most amazing experience.”

“What a wonderful thing! Thank you!”

The last stop on the tour was the master bedroom. When Charlie saw the walk-in closet that was more than half empty, he looked at David and said, “I need to make you some clothes! This is all you have? Really?”

“Well, about that. I just bought a place in the city. That’s my main place now. This is my weekend home.”

“Why didn’t we just go there?”

“Because I wanted privacy and no distractions for tonight. We’ll go back into the city tomorrow afternoon.”

The boys went out to the deck and talked while looking out at the ocean. They discussed the disastrous Mother’s Day phone call.

Charlie explained how Eric helped him see how wrong he was—not just about the visit, but after several days of talking and more than a few tears—Charlie learned a lot about his fathering skills and how he intends to make a lot of things right with a lot of people.

“As soon as I get settled, I’m going to get some counseling and straighten my head out. I have to do for Noah—and us.”

“So, there is an us?”

“Are you kidding me? Like you said at the meet-and-greet, ‘Even the Gods couldn’t keep us apart forever.’”