If It Fits - 12. Chapter 12

May 31, 1995

“You can take us straight to the airport?” I asked JP as we motored over Highway 17, back to Palo Alto.

“I can,” he said. “You sure you don't want to stop by home first?”

“We have all of our things, so there's no point,” I told him. He nodded and went up Highway 101 instead, taking us straight to the airport and to my plane.

He got out, giving me a hug goodbye. “So will you still be going on a cruise with us next week?”

He sighed. “I don't know what I'll be doing, but I'll try to make it.”

“You are letting Erik control your destiny?” I teased.

“No, Cody has me so sore I don't know if I could withstand the cruise,” JP responded cleverly.

“You were a lot of fun JP. You ever want someone to fuck you, just call me,” Cody said, and gave him a hug and a nice kiss.

“Now that's an offer I will remember,” JP replied. I winked at him and he got into his massive Mercedes and sped off.

“You think he will get back together with Erik?” I asked. It was so fun to have someone to gossip with.

“Probably. I think Erik enjoys being at Escorial too much to let JP slip away.”

I stared at him, confused. “You think Erik is after him for his money?”

“I don't know. I'm just guessing. It's a nice place to live,” Cody said unemotionally.

“I have a nice house too. Is that why you're with me?” I joked.

“Yeah. You have a nice house. And a nice plane. And a nice boat. But you have a great ass.” I rolled my eyes and kissed him. We landed and made it back to Malibu quickly. Somehow we'd managed to maneuver around traffic.

I expected to find Brad and Robbie and their brood waiting for us, but instead, I found Max.

“Max!” I rushed over and embraced him. “What a great surprise! How good to see you!” I was effusive, perhaps too much so, but I meant it.

“Thanks, Stef. I didn't know if you'd mind, but I thought I'd come hang out for a few days. I can stay at a hotel if it's inconvenient to have me here.” His shy grin was so endearing.

“Nonsense. I should hit you for insulting me like that. You are always welcome here. My house is your house.” He grinned at me.

“Hey Max,” Cody said in his cocky bar persona. That told me volumes about how uncomfortable Cody was around Max.

“Cody. Good to see you still around,” Max said in a tone that said he was anything but glad to see Cody here.

“I'm going to take our stuff upstairs,” Cody said, diplomatically giving us some time alone.

“You're wondering what I'm doing here,” Max said. “I found out why Marcel was so defensive of Bruno. Bruno is fucking him.”

I stared at Max, stunned. “What? How did you find out? Did he tell you?”

“He didn't have to. I found him in Bruno's office with Bruno's dick in his ass. Not much to say after that, is there?” I could see the sadness in his eyes, the pain.

“What did he say to you?” I asked.

“I don't think they saw me. I just packed up some stuff and left. I didn't want to stay in Chicago, and since my parents hate me, I didn't really have anywhere else to go.” He seemed so sad, so lost.

“So you came home. It makes total sense,” I told him reassuringly. “What got into Marcel?”

“Bruno,” Max said, trying to joke about it. Then he looked up to see Cody standing there and looked really upset.

“So Bruno was boning Marcel?” Cody asked crudely. “Makes sense.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Max asked, really pissed, so pissed off he stood up and got in Cody's face.

“Bruno's like that. He's a fucking hypnotist I think. He casts a spell on guys. Picks one out and works him. He's good. Way better than I ever was. That's what he did with Chad.”

“With Chad?” I asked.

“Yeah. Chad told his parents he was gay, and they basically threw his sorry ass out. No big deal, since he was in college, but still it was tough on him. Bruno came on to him like a friend, like a father figure. That's his mode. One minute he's their daddy, the next minute his dick is in their ass.”

Max and I just stared at him. Cody looked back at us, unfazed. To us, it was the ultimate in manipulation, an older man preying on younger men, and successfully, so it seemed. To Cody, it was just his game. The way he scored.

“So this is my fault?” I asked, really distressed. “When I argued with him, when I cut him off, did I leave him vulnerable?”

“This isn't your fault, Stef. Don't go there,” Max said.

“Besides, Bruno was working Marcel long before you came to visit,” Cody said.

“What?” Max demanded. “And you didn't say anything?”

“Dude, what is your deal?” Cody asked. “I'm gonna cock block Bruno so you two could stay together? I don't even like your asshole boyfriend.”

“I thought you liked me.” Max said. “You sure acted like it.”

“I do like you, dumb ass. I tried like hell to get you into bed. But you were so fucking loyal it was hopeless. All I got was one kiss, a good kiss, but not what I was hoping for,” Cody said. It was intriguing to see the player come out. Cody understood so much more than people gave him credit for.

“So you were hoping Bruno would fuck Marcel, and screw up our relationship so you could fuck me?” Max asked, stunned.

“Yeah. Pretty much,” Cody said flatly. “I mean, I liked you a little more than that Max. I probably would have fucked you at least two or three times,” Cody said, teasing him, flashing him that smile.

“Like that would have happened,” Max said, but smiled shyly.

“It would have. You know it, and I know it. Even Stef knows it.” I thought about it, and it made sense. “I'm not trying to bust your balls Max. I'm just telling you how it is. You don't want to know, I'll shut up.”

I saw Max mellow. “No, I'm sorry, Cody. This thing just has me so pissed off, so fucking pissed off I can't see straight. I didn't mean to take it out on you.”

“There are other ways to express frustration and anger,” Cody said, and winked at Max. I couldn't help giggling.

“So what are your plans?” I asked Max. “It would be great to have you stay here all summer, or longer, as long as you want.” I hadn't forgotten his words to me, how he'd hit on me if Marcel was out of the picture. Another conundrum.

“I don't know. I just needed a safe place to stay,” he said. “I'm kind of tired. You mind if I go to bed?”

“Not at all,” I said.

“Only if it's with us,” Cody said, standing in Max's way.

“Get the fuck out of my way Cody,” Max said, pissed.

“I've waited a long time to fuck you. Your ass is mine,” Cody said. He was taunting Max, trying to piss him off. I almost intervened but I saw Cody’s look.

Max pushed Cody hard, and made to walk past him, but Cody pushed him back. Then Max pushed Cody again, Cody pushed Max, and then Max let his fist fly, aiming it at Cody's face. Cody was quick, and was ready for him. He jumped sideways and grabbed Max's arm, twisting it around and behind his back. “Up the stairs you fucking bitch,” Cody snarled at him. He pushed Max along, and Max tried to get away, but Cody jammed his arm up even higher, so Max struggled a little less. Cody led him up to the room we used when we fucked around with Zach and Grant and pushed him in, pushed him on the bed.

Max tried to turn around but Cody was on top of him. “Get the fuck off of me!” Max yelled.

“No way,” Cody said, pushing his groin against Max's ass. “You are so fucking hot.”

I saw Max's body go limp, then he turned around and tried to hit Cody, but Cody blocked him then pushed Max’s arms back above his head. “If you don't fucking let me go I'm gonna kick your ass!” Max screamed. I didn't intervene. I figured that if Max wanted me to intervene, he'd ask. Then Cody moved his mouth down and kissed Max. I watched Max struggle and fight, and watched Cody move his neck to keep Max's lips in contact with his. Then Max's whole demeanor changed, his body went limp, and he started to respond to Cody.

I watched how Cody let him get into it, and then relaxed his own body. Max sensed it, and then he rolled Cody over and was on top of him. Cody spread his legs, letting Max in, and then wrapped them around him. I saw Max, angry, crazed as he started thrusting against Cody, thrusting hard. Max leaned down and kissed him this time, ramming his mouth onto Cody's mouth roughly. “I think I'm going to fuck you instead,” Max said, sneering at him. I got nervous then. Max was a pretty big boy, from what I'd heard. And Cody was no bottom. I watched, amazed, as Cody let Max roll him over and pull his pants down. I stripped off my clothes and swallowed hard, and then I ran at the bed and tackled Max.

That really freaked him out, me, naked, my skinny little body knocking him off Cody and onto his side. “Leave him the fuck alone!” I yelled. Then I bit him, hard. Max was crazed, really crazed now. I was naked, I was there, and I was hurting him. He pulled his pants down and threw me, literally threw me onto my stomach and jammed his dick into my ass.

“You fucking bit me!” he yelled into my ear. “What the fuck is wrong with you guys?!” Max slammed into me, fucking me hard, really really hard, and it was fucking awesome, not just the feeling of his dick, but the feeling of his anger and his emotions as he fucked me.

I forgot where Cody was until I felt Max's pants coming off. I bent around and saw him, naked too, massaging Max's now naked ass. Cody lay on top of Max, now their combined weight was on top of me, smashing me. I heard Max grunt, then groan, as Cody entered him. “I told you I'd have your ass Max. God, I've wanted this for so long.” Then Cody started to really fuck Max. Max slowed down, getting slow and mellow, and now he was gentle with me, loving. He was sucking on my neck, kissing my ear.

“Yeah, Cody, go ahead, fuck me. You wanted my ass? Well I want this one. Damn, Stef, you are fucking hot.” We turned into a writhing, groaning threesome, until Cody blasted into Max's ass. I could tell, I heard his primal scream. Max followed right behind him, growling just as loud. Then as he came, his roars, his screams just got louder and louder. It was intense, and it was hot. Then he collapsed on the bed, and now that his orgasm was over, he just started crying. A body wracking sob. Cody spooned up behind him and I rolled over and pulled him to me tightly, encasing him with our bodies. Finally his sobs stopped.

“I'm sorry if I hurt you,” Max said to me.

I kissed his cheeks, kissed the tears away. “Max, you did not hurt me. It felt really good. Not just the sex, but because it was you.”

Max turned around and looked at Cody, then pulled him into a nice kiss. “Thank you too.”

“Happy to help,” Cody said simply, and winked at me.

June 3, 1995

“What are you doing?” Brad asked as he came into the kitchen.

“Sending Dana and Christopher Reeve a condolence card,” I told him.

“Superman? What for?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Do you not watch the news or read the paper. He fell off a horse in Virginia and is paralyzed from the neck down.”

“No shit? That sucks. Paralyzed.” That got his attention. “There any hope he'll get better?”

“It does not look good, but we will hope.” I'd met them at premieres and parties. A nice couple.

“So how is Max doing?” Brad asked.

“You see him. What do you mean?” I demanded. I knew exactly what he wanted to know. He wanted to know if I was sleeping with Max.

“Are you fucking him?” I laughed at Brad's directness.

“Why not ask him?” I teased.

“I'm asking you, but it's alright, I already got my answer,” he said, grinning.

“He's been sleeping with Cody and me. He's really cute, really sweet, and a lot of fun. Although I have to say I feel a little like a third wheel sometimes.”

“You didn't feel that way when Zach and Grant were here,” Brad said.

“I know, but I think Cody was really hooked on Max before, and I think that Max is seeing just what a great guy Cody is.” It was a little strange, but still fun.

“Have you heard from Marcel?” he asked.

“No. Have you?” Brad shook his head.

“I don't get this. One minute he's happy, in love with a great guy, and the next he's gone off and hooked up with Bruno. Blows my mind,” Brad said, shaking his head sadly.

“Well, Marcel always did like older men.”

I heard the clattering of feet, and then Max and Cody came bounding into the kitchen. “Hey Brad,” Max said in a friendly way. It was so nice to see him talk to Brad, look at him, without that sad look, that pining look. “We're surfing. You up for it?”

Brad looked at me, as if he needed my approval. “Go, surf,” I said. “We were supposed to cruise over to Hawaii but I’ve not been able to get in touch with your father.”

“Alright. I'll see you later,” Brad said.

“I think I will fly up to Palo Alto and check on JP,” I announced to all of them. Cody and Max looked nervous.

“I'll go with you,” Cody said.

I smiled. “No, you stay here and surf. Have a good time. I will be back later tonight, tomorrow at the latest.” They both kissed me goodbye, while Brad winked at me and headed off to the beach.

I gave up on getting in touch with JP, and just decided to head to Escorial anyway. I loved it up there. If he wasn't home, I'd just ride one of the horses, or maybe go swimming. The limousine drove up to the familiar gates and I punched in my code. I was all alone, and it was actually kind of refreshing. I'd been dragging Cody around, and Lou before that, so it was kind of nice to be on my own, and mobile.

I strolled into the Great Hall and found no one, then wandered into JP's bedroom. No one there either. In fact, I didn't find anyone until I wandered into the kitchen and found Isidore.

“Stefan! You are back!”

“I am. Just for the day. I came up to see JP. Is he here?”

“It's graduation day. He will be on campus in his robe, handing out diplomas and shaking hands,” she said. “You will have to be stuck with my company for the time being.”

“Your company is the ultimate in charm and grace,” I said, flirting. “Is Erik here?”

She laughed. “He's been in and out. JP will not talk about it, at least not to me, but I think they are trying to work things through.” In the end, we decided to go out to eat lunch, and then stopped by to see Jack and Claire. They had built a house on some land that JP carved out of the 25 acres he'd acquired when he bought Escorial. The house was contemporary, yet in a way that seemed to mould itself to the side of the hill.

We got back to Escorial around 6:00, so we had an hour to freshen up before dinner. We walked into the Great Hall and heard yelling coming from JP's bedroom. Yelling wasn't allowed at Escorial. Isidore raised her eyebrows and we headed to JP's room, stopping outside where we could eavesdrop and still peek in.

“So this is how it's going to be, eh?” Erik yelled. “I'm going to come home and find you fucking God knows who?”

“You told me you wanted space to think about things, so you get your space and I get mine,” JP said. It was his pissed off, scary voice.

“Yeah, space is one thing, being a total slut is another. First Stef walks in with that brainless pretty boy and you bend right over, and now I find you with this guy’s dick in your ass,” Erik said.

“I did not mean to cause you problems,” said a different voice. Marcel. Isidore and I looked at each other, our mouths agape. So Marcel had wandered out here to see JP and had seduced him, and Erik had picked that time to come home. How exciting!

“Fuck you!” Erik said. “You little shit. You couldn't keep your own man, so now you come and try to steal mine away?”

“I did not see a brand on his ass when I fucked him,” Marcel said. There was a scuffle.

“Marcel, Erik, no one is going to fight anyone in my bedroom.” JP said, loudly. That was as close to yelling as he got. “Erik, wait outside. I'll be out in a minute. I'm taking a shower. Alone.”

“Bullshit. I'll leave when he leaves,” Erik said. I winked at Isidore, and then strolled into the room.

“You are holding a convention in your bedroom?” I asked JP. The three of them just stared at me.

“What are you doing here?” JP asked.

“Your tone does not make me feel welcome,” I said, reminding him that I was on a whole different level than these two idiots.

“I'm sorry, Stef; it's just that your timing is not the best.”

“Au contraire JP,” I said. “It seems I got here just when things got exciting.”

“Did you bring your boy toy with you?” Erik asked rudely.

“You will keep a civil tongue in your head,” I snapped at him, shocking the shit out of him. “But to answer your question, I did not. He is too busy fucking Marcel's ex-boyfriend to come up here with me.” I didn't even bother to look at Marcel, but I could feel that hit him like a punch. Good.

“Max is staying with you?” Marcel asked. I looked at him, glared at him, and refused to even answer.

“So the two of you were leaving,” I said. “Get the fuck out of here now.”

“You don't order me around,” Erik said.

“Look asshole. I said get out,” I repeated, getting in his face. “You do not, and you will not have a career.” He was about to argue but I just glared at him. Money is power, and I had a lot of money. He stormed out.

“You too,” I said to Marcel. “I do not even want to see you, much less in here.” I picked up his clothes and carried them to the alcove outside the bedroom and dropped them on the floor. He stood up, naked, and strode from the room. I slammed the door behind them and locked it.

JP looked at me sheepishly, and then smiled. “That was pretty impressive, Stef.”

I grinned back at him. “I learned from the master.”

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“I just came up to see you,” I told him. I walked over and climbed in bed with him and kissed him. “Is that not a good thing?”

“It is a very good thing,” he said.

“But you seem to be busy,” I told him.

“I need to take a shower,” he said. “Join me?”

“Marcel did not wear you out?” I teased as I pulled my clothes off.

“We'd barely taken our clothes off and gotten in bed when Erik burst in,” he said. I started laughing and couldn't stop.

“Poor JP. All these men and none of them satisfy you.”

“You do,” he said. So I made love to him. And as fun as Cody was, as fun as Zach and Grant were, as fun even as Max was, none of them came close to JP.

We dressed and headed out to the dining room. We were five minutes late, a major sin at Escorial. Isidore was there with Frank, while Ace and Cass had come over to join us as well. And separated from each other, as if to keep them from punching each other were Marcel and Erik. Ace and Cass were happy to see me, so that broke the ice and reduced the tension slightly.

Maria brought dinner out with some help from her assistant, and then left us alone. We just stared at each other, and started eating in silence.

“So what brought you out here, Marcel?” Ace asked.

“He has fucked up his whole life, screwed over his family and the people who loved him, all except for JP, so he came out here to fuck him too, and complete the whole picture,” I said, glaring at Marcel. He glared back at me. “He is scum. If this were my house, he would not be welcome here.”

“I see,” said Ace, confused.

“Well it is not your house,” said Marcel as he looked nervously at JP.

“Since you are here, Marcel, I will take this opportunity to tell you that your income is about to drop dramatically.” I dabbed my mouth with my napkin. “I normally would not raise such a crass topic as money at dinner, but I really do not want to have to see you again.”

“You are going to steal my money?” he asked.

“Of course not. It will be there for you, when I die. Greg set up a trust for the assets he left behind and designated for your benefit. I am the trustee, and the income is available for my benefit if I want it. I want it.” I stared at him coldly. He still had plenty of money, but I suspected that he was running through some serious cash keeping Bruno propped up. And Max had said Marcel was flying on chartered jets now.

“You cannot do that!” he objected.

“Actually, he can,” Erik said. “I'm an estate lawyer. It's my job to know these things.”

“I cannot believe you would be so cruel to me,” Marcel yelled.

“Please keep your voice down at my table,” JP said, a demand not a request.

“So how have you been Ace?” I asked, changing the subject, leaving Marcel sitting there flustered. I was not finished with him yet though.

“Great, Stef,” he said nervously.

“Brad said to say hello. It is hard to keep him out of the water.”

Ace smiled at me. “He always was a fish. I should go down and see him.”

“You should. Maybe you can keep him on land for more than five minutes. He taught Cody how to surf, and now that Max is there, they are like the three surfing musketeers.” I glanced at Marcel to watch his reaction to that.

“So you and Cody are no longer an item?” Isidore asked.

“I did not say that,” I told her with a leer. “I now have two young men to keep me happy.” Isidore laughed, and so did Ace. Marcel did not.

“So you're fucking my boyfriend too?” He demanded.

“I was not aware that you had a boyfriend,” I told him.

“You know Max is my boyfriend,” Marcel said, almost spitting it out at me.

“That is interesting Marcel. Max does not think so. As far as he is concerned, he is completely free. I think that when he walked into the bar and went downstairs and found Bruno's dick buried in your ass, he assumed your relationship was over.” Everyone looked at Marcel, but Marcel was staring at me. He knew Max had left, but he didn't know Max had caught them.

Marcel stood up, now thoroughly panicked. I looked at him, and saw that he realized what he had actually done, what he had actually lost. He put his napkin down on his plate and headed for the door.

“Marcel,” I called after him. “If you go to Malibu, you should know that you will not be welcome at my house.” He pretended not to hear me and strode outside. One down, I thought to myself playfully.

JP sat there, playing with his food, looking incredibly guilty. He should be. “Wow, what an asshole,” Ace said.

JP looked at me, and I dared him to defend Marcel. I would flay him alive and he knew it. He said nothing. “There is perhaps hope for him,” I said. As mad at Marcel as I was, and the anger was considerable, when he figured it out and was truly contrite, I would have to forgive him. It was my nature.

Erik cleared his throat. “JP, I'm so sorry for losing it. I had no right to do that. I missed you so much. I've been so miserable without you. I came over here to tell you that, to tell you how important you are to me, and to ask you to take me back.” We all looked at him, everyone else at the table seemed to think this was really sweet, everyone but me.

Cody had trained me, taught me new ways to look at people, and I could see it in Erik's face, his manner. He'd lost his possession, and he wanted it back. He was going to say whatever it took, use his great looks and his overwhelming charm to close the deal. I didn't stand a chance.

“I want us to be a couple JP. Just you and me, and nobody else.” I felt the knife at my throat now. In other words, JP had to give me up too. I looked over at JP and met his eyes. There was a twinkle in them. I smiled at him.

“Erik, you are a wonderful companion, you are fun, you are smart, and you are a great lover. But I am not in love with you,” JP said definitively.

“JP, I know what we have isn't love, but it could be. It could be. You feel it, you know that. Give it a chance to bloom.” Suddenly Erik’s charm sounded like desperation.

“That won't work, because I'm in love with someone else,” JP said. He looked right at me. “In fact, I've been in love with him, in one form or another, for 33 years now.” I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I couldn't speak. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? Was he going to give us that chance?

“Stefan?” Erik asked, amazed. “That won't work. You're both bottoms.” Isidore laughed so hard she actually spit out some food, and so did Ace and Cass. Frank just glared, still pissed off at me over the way I'd treated his nephew, Marcel. Still, he'd known Marcel was wrong, so he'd kept his mouth shut.

“I am quite versatile,” I said coquettishly.

“So Stef, you want to grow old together?” JP asked.

“We are not already old?” I teased. He smiled. “Yes. I want to grow old with you.” Then JP got up and walked over to me. I stood up and he gave me a big hug, and a nice kiss.

“I love you,” I told him.

“I love you too Stef.”