I've Always Loved You - 13. Christmas Part 5

Christmas Part 5

I couldn’t miss out, so I got up and hugged them both. Then I kissed Mike tenderly. “You said what you had to very well.”

Mike smiled still hugging Chet. “I just don’t want to affect how he sees me. I want to keep my little boy a while longer.” He said ruffling the hair against him now.

Running my fingers through Chet’s red hair, which Mike was right, it was getting darker as he got older. “I don’t know…” I grinned. “He’s very smart. He will probably see you better. Just like I do.” Then I grinned. This had been tense, so it needed something special. “How about some fried ice cream?”

Chet looked up stunned and with a little doubt. “How do you fry ice cream? It’s cold and frying is hot…that’s not possible!”

“Oh, really?” I grinned at him. “But I say it can be done. It’s time you learned some more. There’s an Asian restaurant not far that serves some good fried ice cream and I’ll prove it.”

Mike got up but chuckled as he was enjoying what was happening now. “I thought it was Mexican.”

“Is it?” I asked and shrugged. “I know it’s served in many Mexican restaurants…I heard it was Asian, too. Then I heard it was done at the World’s Fair in Chicago at the last of the 19^th century.” I threw my hands up. “Who cares? It’s good! Let’s go.”

Chet loved it! It was nice just being out as a family, but I should have known what was going to happen. We came in the family restaurant fine, but I noticed a few faces look up and were startled as more were recognizing us…or just me. Fortunately, we got through our deserts with no problem, but there was a table with four people, two couples that were young. Late teens or early twenties as they commented about who we were. They were straight and on dates it seemed. As they finished getting up to leave, they came in our direction but was stopped by an Asian man who worked there. Was he the owner? Perhaps, but he stopped them. I couldn’t hear much, but I heard him ask something and the girl said.

“That’s Eric Richards!” She claimed excitedly loud enough for everyone there to hear, to which the man explained that we’d come as a family and deserve to left alone.

I looked at Mike and leaned closer to him. “I better handle this, or there will be trouble when we go to the car.” I got up going over to them. “Hello.” I touched the owner and smiled. “Thank you, but…I’ll talk to them.” I nodded and the owner bowed slightly and moved off.

“We saw you there…” she said excitedly to me. “I knew you lived in Fort Worth, but…” she grabbed her…boyfriend’s…date’s arm, “I never dreamed…”

Her boyfriend grinned. “She’s a little excited.”

“I love your music!” She claimed and poked her boyfriend in the side to make him laugh and yelp. “You do, too! The music is so…”

“Energetic.” Her boyfriend added quickly interrupting her.

“Charged!” The other young man added.

I grinned as I nodded. “Well, I didn’t want people to fall asleep when they listen.”

The other girl frowned. “So…you’re…gay?” She asked as if that fact was hard to believe.

Handling this took delicacy. “If you’re asking because you want a date…that won’t happen.” I answered. “Whether I am or not…I’m taken. Why else do you need to know?”

She shook her head realizing how it sounded. “No, no it’s not that…it’s just…you’re…so cute!” She said waving at me. “It’s just a shame.”

“Why?” I did laugh at that. “There’s no shame in it at all.” I chuckled. “A shame that no woman would ever have sex with me!?” I shook my head. “Don’t worry about me missing out on anything. I’m fine, thanks.”

The first girl turned to her friend. “Really, Tiff?”

Something was given for me to sign autographs which I did and then said I needed to return to my family. Sitting again with Mike and Chet, Mike chuckled. “It’s just going to get worse.”

I nodded returning to my ice cream which had started to melt and was softer now. It was still good though. “Mark was talking about some increase needed for security. I guess we have to do that.”

“The protesters in front of the house are pretty well disbanded now,” Mike said. “They weren’t much of a threat really before, but you’re increased popularity...”

I nodded. “There are some…crazy people out there.” I conceded. “Mark suggested moving, but…I like our house.”

Mike grinned taking my hand. “Our house.” He said nodding bringing my hand to him kissing my hand lightly. “I like that. Our house.”

“It is our house,” I said again. “Mark suggested moving, I’ve thought about a wall around the house…but I have to get that approved by the Homeowner’s Association. I had a hard time with them when I started a business. I made it part of the purchase before I bought the house. I was buying both halves…” I shrugged looking at now more faces that were looking in our direction and talking in hushed voices to whomever they were with. “I write music. I sing songs and now…” I waved at the others in the restaurant, “it’s not the occasional gay men that know us now, but a lot of others as well.”

“We’re going to California in little more than two weeks,” Mike said. “We’ll be there a month or so…there will be time.”

Chet had a confused look on his face. “We will come back though…from California?” He asked.

Mike shrugged and looked at me. “Will we?”

I looked at him surprised. “This is my home now. It’s your home, too.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to leave Fort Worth. It was very welcoming to me.” I looked at Chet. “You like it here, right?”

Chet nodded assuring me quickly. “I do! It’s got everything, school, my friends, Six Flags!”

I laughed and didn’t want to tell him technically Six Flags was not in Fort Worth, but Arlington, but an easy drive. “We’re just going so I can work.”

“And I wanted us to go with him this time,” Mike told Chet. He looked at me. “Where will we be staying in California?”

“Mark’s negotiating with the people filming the movie. I was hoping a nice apartment or condo somewhere near the studio.” I shrugged. “If they want me, which I signed the contract for…they will have to accommodate.”

Mike nodded with a grin. “If Mark is negotiating, it will be more than fine.” He took my hand. “These people want you badly. They know a money maker. They’ll have something you’ll approve of.”

The commotion with the fans had caused the few others to look, but they didn’t come over to us. We enjoyed our ice creams and went home.

The next few days we packed. Not only for the three or four days in Charleston but to move to Los Angeles. Mark had come over to see that everything was working toward a mutually common end.

“…it’s a house.” Mark was saying in Mike’s and my room as he was reading over what he’d been sent. “It’s in the West Hollywood area…not far from the studio they will be filming in...” he said reading off his laptop.

I was listening, but…I was packing! “The weather for January in L.A. is cool?”

Mark looked up surprised. “What?” He shook his head. “I don’t know…I guess…it’s Los Angeles.” He said as if that answer gave me the answer.

I chuckled. He’d never change. “You’ve been watching reruns of Baywatch again.”

Mark frowned. “No, but it’s always sunny.”

I nodded. “Is it?” I walked in to my computer and typed quickly. I read the page as it displayed. “No, it’s not.” I chuckled pointing at the screen. “Average temperatures in January are in the mid-fifties to upper forties.” I looked back at Mark. “And it does rain despite Hammond’s words in the song that says, it never rains in Southern California.”

Mark shrugged as he thought of the song. “The weather is not what that song was about.” He waved at his laptop. “Aren’t you listening to me?”

I shook my head. “Nope.” I chuckled going back in the closet to begin to sort through clothes. “Is there a decision about who my co-star will be?”

“Yep, Tom Spencer.”

I gave a nod coming back, knowing who he was and had looked at all three on the internet. I hit the internet again and pulled up his page. “Sure. He looks nice enough.” I saw pictures of him and his lovely blonde female fiancé. Looking back at Mark. “He’s bisexual? Or gay-friendly?”

Mark shrugged. “He’s an actor.” He said simply.

“I’d like to meet him,” I said. “If I’m going to kiss him convincingly, I need to know him.” I walked over to Mark. “I mean, I want to meet him and his fiancé Heather with Mike and me. We need to become friends. Our screen romance has to be convincing.”

Mark nodded. “I’ll see if we can get that to happen.” He frowned as he looked at me. “I guess that’s why we never…” he shook his head. “Sorry.” He knew he was beating a dead horse. “What’s past is past.”

I walked toward him. “No, finish the sentence.”

Mark grimaced. “I wouldn’t think twice about kissing Tom Spencer. If he’d let me. It wouldn’t be an odd thing for me.” He shook his head. “I never got that.”

“I know.” I smiled daring to ask him. “When we did kiss…I meant if every time. Did you?”

“Sometimes.”

I grinned and kissed him on the cheek. “I meant that one, too. We’re friends. That’s why you’re in Mike’s and my bedroom without Mike being here!”

Arrangements were made for our trip to Charleston. We took a plane to Atlanta, where we met Avi and Eli Bau. Why is it that they never assigned the same concourse? Chet was very happy to see his adopted uncles again hugging them both. From there we flew to Charleston. Again, we stayed at The Charleston Place. This time, we had to get a suite with an additional connecting room. We arrived the day before to make sure we were on time.

I came to Avi’s and Eli’s room to see if they were ready. Their door was open, so I watched Avi load his shoulder holster with his gun from the doorway. Avi looked at me and saw my frown.

“You know this is only a precaution,” Avi said quietly as he put on his sports jacket to cover the gun.

I nodded. “I just wonder about the need for this kind of caution.” I shrugged. “All this because a family wants a grandchild to visit for Christmas,” I said sadly.

Eli had been coming out from the bathroom and heard us. “Manny Atkins used a gun to try to,” he did air quotes, “persuade Mike into giving him his son to them. I don’t think being overly cautious is a bad thing in this case.” He held the big envelope with the court papers in them…instructions on how this would go. He walked over and put his arm around me. “We’ll be careful. Nothing will happen to Chet.”

We had rented a big SUV while in Charleston. It was necessary for all that was going. Arriving at the Atkins’ home a little before six that evening. It was getting dark, so the lights were on and there was nothing to tell about the family’s intentions. Like Sherry, the house was…cute. I thought the lights on display were a little overdone. Garish to me, really with the whole roof lined with too many twinkling lights, lighted candles in all the windows, the Santa on display with all the reindeer under a bright light. The lighted inflatable snowman lit, candy canes in the yard, the complete nativity set out with Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, and several barn animals, with the shepherds…all lit!

Mike looked as he parked the SUV and shook his head and chuckled. “They just don’t get it.”

I smiled at my husband. “What are you talking about?”

“Look at Mary.” He pointed to the nativity.

Sure enough, Mary…she was white and was very blonde. I chuckled, too. “Well, at least they are displayed. Only about ten percent of this whole display has any religious part about Christmas.”

“Manny and Wynonna would never believe Jesus was possibly black.” Mike grinned.

“Or perhaps a Sand Nigger?” Avi said from behind Mike as he grinned. Eli slapped him lightly and Avi chuckled and shrugged. “What? I’m just saying!”

“We’re here now, so…” I said opening the door. “Let’s deliver Chet as promised at the appointed time.”

Chet grunted from between Avi and Eli. “I really don’t want to.”

Mike turned in the driver’s seat. “I know, son.” He reached caressing his son’s face. “But part of you is in that house.” He sighed. “They are your family. You like some of your cousins. You might have a good time.” He pleaded a little. “Try to have a good time?”

Chet sighed as if it was an almost impossible task he had to do. “Okay.”

We all gathered at the door and rang the bell. When Wynonna answered, she smiled seeing Chet, but frowned looking up and seeing Mike and myself…then looked at two she didn’t know. She looked back at Chet. “Hi, Chet!” She bent to kiss him, but Chet backed away slightly, so she didn’t move to continue the attempt to make Chet kiss her.

“Hi,” Chet answered distantly but didn’t move forward.

Mike waved at Avi and Eli. “This is Avi and Eli Bau…” He began.

“They’re Jewish!” Chet said proudly. “They are my new uncles. Are you serving anything kosher tonight?” He asked a little irritated that she wouldn’t be or even know what it is.

“Kosher?” Wynonna asked looking up and saw Eli’s ever-present Yarmulke. “Oh, I see.”

“They will be staying here while Chet’s here,” Mike explained.

“Why?” Wynonna asked shaking her head. “We have a social worker here.”

Avi smiled. “Understandably, we don’t take your preparations into consideration,” Avi said firmly. He pulled out a folder. “Here is the documentation of this visit. Court directives and sanctioned by a judge. Who we are, our credentials and outline for this visit…my husband Eli…”

“Your husband!?” Wynonna gasped.

Eli chuckled. “Yes, Jews can be gay, too. We are married. This social worker…do you have her credentials available? Was she court approved as a part of the chaperoned visit?” He waved at the papers she was holding. “That is a signed document stating ours and the court approval from both states.”

Wynonna shook her head. “No, I don’t have Sally’s credentials.” She snapped.

“Okay.” Mike walked closer. “We are fulfilling what we said we would do. We are complying with rules agreed to by our lawyers…” he stood up straighter as he got what Wynonna said. “Wait. Sally? Sally Evette!?”

Wynonna nodded. “She is a social worker.”

“And a member of that sick church!” Mike stated and cocked his head turning to me. “Deben pensar que soy tan crédulo.” He said telling me they must think he was gullible.

“Mike,” I said touching him lightly on the hand.

Chet chuckled and looked at his grandmother. “Dad and PopE speak Spanish when they don’t want others to know what they’re saying.”

Then Mike turned to Wynonna again. “Do I strike you as being that stupid!? No!” He shook his head. “We have the papers, which are copies. Avi and Eli will remain with Chet and he does not leave their sight…not even once! That is written and filed with a lawyer! Understood?” He said calmly but putting his hand on Chet’s shoulder. “Avi and Eli have our confidence and we will come back immediately if they call. It’s that, or we go back to Fort Worth right now.” He shook his head. “I don’t trust either of you. You are Chet’s grandparents and want him to know you. No. I will comply with the court's directives, but so will you!”

“Both of them have to stay?” Wynonna asked pointing at Avi.

“Eli’s the psychologist and social worker.” Mike grinned. “Avi’s the police enforcer.” He looked back as Avi opened his jacket and showed his badge. His shoulder holster held the gun at his side. “And don’t say any crap about not allowing guns in this house. Manny’s got quite a few…or did until he used one on me.”

Avi nodded. “All this is covered in the documentation.”

Eli smiled. “Just curious.” He began. “Jesus was Jewish, right?”

Wynonna was surprised. “Of course, he was.”

“To be a Jew, you must be born of a Jew…meaning Mary had to be the Jew.” He waved at the nativity. “She doesn’t look Jewish…at least not two thousand years ago…Anglo Saxons were held in Rome as slaves, but…”

“So, do we take Chet and go back?” Mike asked.

Wynonna frowned but stepped back to let Avi in first, followed by Chet and then Eli.

“We won’t be far, son,” Mike said waving at Chet. “Be good!”