Catering with Benefits (2) - Second Course - 35. Don’t Worry About It

“Jared, after that explanation about you and Thomas and your friends and my wife and I, it seems I need to reflect upon our lives. To hear the way you explain it we sound like we live our lives in some sort of soapy.”

“Sorry Jonathan, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. It wasn’t meant to sound like that. I just tried to explain it the way it is.”

“That’s fine Jared. I just didn’t realise there was so much happening around me that I don’t know about. All the time I spend running the business keeps me out of the loop. Is that the current expression, I heard some management consultant use it recently. Anyway, I really should spend more time here and keep up with things. It’s all positively fascinating. You know Jared, you could write a book about it.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare do that.”

“It was just an expression Jared.”

“Oh, I see. Then I really should be going now. Thomas will be wondering where I am.”

“Doesn’t he know you’re here, where you’re supposed to be working?”

“Of course he knows I’m here, but I promised him I would be home for dinner, when I found out Mrs P wouldn’t be returning today, and I’m way late.”

“You’re right, time is getting on and I should call the kitchen and order dinner for us.”

“I didn’t mean that Jonathan, I meant I should go home and have dinner with Thomas. Also I should check my messages, there may be something from Mrs P.”

“You go and check your messages and I’ll order dinner. What would you like, perhaps a big steak to feed those muscles of yours?” Jonathan said with a big smile.

“I really don’t want to stay for dinner Jonathan. I would prefer to go home to Thomas.”

“Need I remind you, that despite us forming a friendship today, you are still on the payroll here. Furthermore, why would Thomas expect you for dinner when you are supposed to be here servicing my wife?”

“Servicing, really?” Price ignored this, so Jared continued, “Anyway, I called him earlier and he knew Mrs P was staying on the Gold Coast and I wouldn’t be needed here.”

“Fine, I won’t play the tyrannical head of the house role. I’m growing tired of that anyway. I genuinely want us to be friends Jared and as such I should value your relationship with Thomas. In fact I am probably jealous of your relationship, maybe that’s why I react this way. Please forgive me.”

“Jonathan, over the months I have been here I built up an image of you from snippets of information and when we were introduced originally you were very cold towards me and treated me as just the hired help. But in just one day you have changed that image in my mind.”

“Thank you Jared, that makes me feel...oh I don’t know...I’m not used to people around me being as open and honest as you have been today. I’m only used to being the boss and people around me acting accordingly.”

“I am who I am Jonathan. I don’t know how to be anyone else.”

“But don’t you play a role with my wife?”

“In some ways yes, but we both know it, so there’s no deception and I genuinely do like Mrs P and she’s fun to be with.”

“All right, enough of this deep and meaningful stuff. It’s still not a comfortable fit with me, but I hope to get used to it. So, young man, get that cute arse of yours out of here and take it home to your man.”

No more words were said. They smiled at each other and Jared gave Jonathan a thumbs up sign. As he left the gym and walked down the stairs he called out “Bye Desmond” but got no reply. He then went to the kitchen to advise cook that he expected to be away for a few days and Price was ready for dinner. He was relieved to see Desmond eating in the kitchen.

Jared checked his messages and rather than deal with an angry Thomas on the phone, he sent a text message. ‘Leaving now, don’t be mad at me, will explain all. Luv you’

***

As Jared walked down the hall, he called out “I’m home.” but got no reply so he proceeded to the living room to see Thomas sitting bolt upright and remained expressionless, even when Jared kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re hot to trot mad, aren’t you? I asked you not to be, as I can explain all.”

“I’m as cool as a cucumber.”

“Cool is fine, but frigid is another.”

“Explain.”

“It’s been a very long and interesting day and will take a long time, so on the drive I came up with a short version for starters.”

“Proceed.”

Jared laughed, and Thomas frowned.

“As we are into one word sentences, let me see what I can do.”

“Fine.”

This time Jared lost it and laughed loudly. “You know I think I like this alien who has taken over the body of Thomas, it gives me a chance to get a word in. But your masters should have told you, humans don’t talk in one word sentences, especially my Thomas.”

“So.”

“That’s very good, just a two letter word. Can you do better and get it down to one letter?”

“Y” Thomas indicated in Village People sign language.

“Oh that’s cheating, but I’ll give you a point for doing it in silence.”

“Now it’s my turn. Price, friendly, pool, drinks, share, talk, workout, no sex. Oh bugger, that’s two words.

Then Thomas burst out laughing so heartily, he feel off the lounge, rolled around the floor and finished in an upturned beetle position.

Jared was relieved but confused and asked “Why the sudden change?”

“I just... sspppt.” was all he could manage before falling in to fits of laughter again.

“I love to see you happy but you have to explain.”

“I know... ppfftt.” and he was off again.

“Do you want me to throw a bucket of water over you?” No reply, just laughter. “Since you don’t seem to be able to put more than two words together, let’s try that.”

Thomas obliged “Phone.... Mrs P.... Mr P.... explained.... friends.... changed.... good.... love you. Fuck, two words.”

“Call it a draw.” concluded Jared.

***

Mid-January Jared called Justin. “Hi mate, what’s doing?” asked Justin

“Over the holidays Mum helped me find my birth certificate.”

“That’s great, did it give you any more clues about your background?”

“Yes, I have my birth mother’s and father’s names. Can we get together sometime and discuss it?”

“That’s going to be hard Jared, Craig and I have the busiest month coming up, that we have ever had. I just hope we can cope.”

“Why, what’s happening?”

“It’s our catering commitments. First we have a huge Australia Day party for our most supportive client, Cynthia. We have been running parties for her doctors’ wives club for a few years. Now she has just established a fund-raising foundation for medical research. We are catering for her biggest event yet, on Australia Day. It’s going to be enormous and it’s critical that we get it right. This will mean big things for our business if this goes off well.”

“So, how about after that?”

“That’s just half of it. We are also preparing for our first Mardi Gras event, called Cocktales, where older members will be sharing stories about their lives.”

“Wow, you guys certainly have a lot on your plate. So I guess we’ll have to leave it until after Mardi Gras to get together.”

“Yes, sorry about that. It’s just that I’m so pre-occupied and worried about these two big events so close to each other, I don’t want to be distracted by anything else.”

“I get that, no problem.”

“But as long as we are talking, why don’t you give me your birth father’s name and I can run it by Mum and Aunt Julia to see if they know any family members with that name?”

“Sure, my birth father’s name was Brendan Haynes.”

“Fuck!”

“What’s wrong Justin?”

“Did you say his name was Brendan Haynes?”

“Yes, why do you know him?”

“I certainly do, he’s my father.”

“Can’t be, maybe it’s a family name that cousins shared by being named after a common grandfather or something like that.”

“Oh, maybe you’re right; surely we couldn’t have the same father.”

“Bit much of a coincidence, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, so I’ll mention it to my mum and my aunt and see if they know anything.”

“OK, let me know what you find out.”

“Oh, when were you born?”

“1987”

“So you’re eight years older than me.”

***

A few days later Justin called his aunt Julia.

“Hi Aunt Julia, how are you and the family?”

“We’re all great Justin, but the boys miss you; in fact we all miss you, don’t see much of you these days. They still talk about the time they spent with you and Craig, Christmas before last. They missed that this year.”

“I’m sorry I don’t drop over more often, but work has just been so busy the last few months we hardly get any free time.”

“How’s your mum, has she settled in well to her new home?”

“She’s doing very well. She really likes where she lives, she got a transfer to Maroubra High, so she is quite close to work and to Craig and me. She has also made friends with the people who run the restaurant below her flat. Apparently she eats with them many nights.”

“That’s good to hear Justin, she deserves some good times after all the trouble my brother has caused her.”

“Aunt Julia, I need to ask you a family question, I’m a bit confused.”

“Yes, what’s that Justin?”

“Aunt Julia, is there anybody else in the Haynes family named Brendan?”

“Not that I know of; why do you ask?”

“Well I met someone also named Haynes and he says his father’s name is Brendan. That seems a bit of a coincidence to me.”

“Does his father know our branch of the family?”

“Actually he doesn’t know his father, he was adopted.”

“Well Haynes is not an uncommon name; don’t worry about it.”

“I suppose so, thanks anyway.”

“No problem Justin. Take care and keep in touch.”

“Sure, and say hello to the boys for me. Tell them I will catch up as soon as our busy period is over. Bye and love you Aunt Julia”.

Justin was so busy with preparations for the Australia Day party and Mardi Gras that he left his enquiries about the Haynes name.

***

Thomas and Jared’s plan was working out well. Thomas moved back to Leichhardt on the pretext of sharing with Andy and Jared went to Leichhardt on all his nights off. As it turned out he had more nights off than he had expected and discussed this with Thomas and Andy.

“Not that I’m complaining, but Mrs P doesn’t seem to need me as much as I thought she would. Am I not pleasing her? Has she said anything to you?”

“Not specifically and I’m sure she would tell one of us if she was not happy with you.”

“So what do you think is going on, is she just getting older and not needing it as much?”

“Maybe, but I’m also surprised by the amount of time Mr. P is spending at Castle Hill these days.”

“You don’t think they are,.. you know...”

“I wouldn’t have thought so after all these years. Anyway, I thought he was your new best friend, hasn’t he told you anything?”

“Not about that. Do you think I should have any concerns about my employment?”

“I am not really sure. Mrs. P. has not said anything to me. What about Mr. P, Andy?”

“Same here, I have not heard anything from him. I haven’t found him a man yet, so I’m surprised he hasn’t chased me up about it.”

Thomas decided to take the situation in hand by suggesting, “I think I should talk to Mrs. P, just to be sure we are all doing the right thing.”

“Well if anybody can get information out of the Prices, it’s you Thomas.” suggested Andy.

“I’ll arrange to have coffee or lunch with her as soon as possible”

***

“I’m glad you suggested we have lunch Thomas, there is something I have been meaning to talk to you about and I suspect you want to talk about the same subject”

“Those motherly instincts kicked in again Mrs. P?... Sorry I didn’t mean that.”

“Yes you did Thomas, and it’s OK, I know what you mean. In fact I’m flattered that you see me that way.”

“Do you want to go first Mrs. P.?”

“Yes, Thomas. I think you want to talk to me about Mr. P’s increased presence in the house and also about Jared. Is that correct?”

“Yes, exactly Mrs. P.”

“Firstly I want to assure you that I do not have any problem with Jared or your choice of him. On the contrary, he is wonderful and consequently, I’m pleased with your choice.”

“Then may I ask something that might seem a bit personal?”

“No need to ask, Thomas. I know what you want to know and that is why has Jonathan been spending more time here and why do I need Jared less. Is that your concern?”

“Exactly Mrs. P, you can always read me, like a book.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment about the closeness of our relationship.”

“Thank you.”

“Now to set your mind at rest I will explain what has been happening. As you know my husband came over just before Christmas to arrange the Christmas Day lunch for the staff. After lunch that day, you know we went upstairs together. We chatted in my private sitting room for a couple of hours and shared another bottle of Moet, which seemed to relax us. We discussed how we lived our lives, what we had missed out on and what could have been. I won’t go into details, but the upshot of that discussion was that we began to feel closer to each other than we had in many years. Yes, we did spend the night together, but only as companions, each in need of emotional support.”

“You don’t need to tell me all that Mrs. P.”

“It’s alright Thomas, I want you to understand fully. Jonathan and I have slowly grown closer to each other over the past month. As you know we have lead almost separate lives for many years, each had our own lovers and accepted that. Now that we are growing older we both need a different form of support and have found we can do that for each other. For now I will keep Jared employed, but as we age the need for that decreases and the need for emotional support increases. We both agree we cannot get that emotional support from employed lovers. Am I making myself clear Thomas?”

“Of course Mrs. P., I’m sure I understand.”

“Good, now I want you to assure Jared this has nothing to do with his professionalism and he will continue to be employed, although his services may not be required as often.”

“Thank you for being so candid with me Mrs. P”

“I wouldn’t want to be anything less, my boy. Oh, there is one other thing. As my husband will be spending more time here at Castle Hill, he will require some arrangement to have a sexual partner here. Potts Point will only be used for occasional accommodation when Jonathan works too late to return to Castle Hill.”

“Do you want me to handle that for Mr. P.? I thought Andy was working on that.”

“I’ll have him speak to you about that.”

“No problem, I’ll wait till I hear from either one of you.”

“Good, now that’s settled, pour me another glass of Champagne and tell me all about you and Andy sharing an apartment. I don’t know Andy very well, but Jonathan speaks highly of him now, since they patched up their differences.”

***

“Good morning Price’s Prestige Jewellery, how may I help you?”

“I’d like to speak to Mr. Price please.”

“I’ll put you through to his secretary.”

“It’s a personal call. No need for that.”

“Just the same Sir, all Mr Price’s calls must go through his secretary. Hold the line please.”

 

“Good morning, Mr Price’s office, how may I help you?”

“Yes, good morning, I’d like to speak to Jonathan Price, it’s a personal call.”

“Who shall I say is calling Sir?”

“Can you just put me straight through?”

“No Sir, I must know who is calling.”

“Very well then, my name is Juanito Villiar.”

“And what is the nature of your call Mr Villiar?”

“I told you it’s personal.”

“Just hold please Mr Villiar.”

Prism selected Price’s extension.

“Mr Price, I have a Mr Villiar on the line he says it’s a personal call, do you know him.”

“No Prism, ask him what he’s calling about.”

Prism switched calls “Mr. Villiar, Mr Price does not recall your name, can you give me any more information?”

“Ah..er..oh tell him I’m a friend of Andy’s.”

“Is that Mr Andrew Murphy, Sir?”

“Yes, that must be him.”

Prism spoke to Price and then came back to her caller. “I’ll put you through now Mr. Villiar.”

“Thank you”

“Price.”

“Oh good morning Mr Price, so nice to speak to you.”

“Have we met Mr Villiar?”

“No Sir, but we have a mutual friend, Andy.”

“So, what do you want?”

“Sir I hear you are in need of an intimate assistant. Is that the correct term?”

“I beg your pardon. I don’t understand what you are saying.”

“Oh I get it Sir, perhaps I should not have called you at the office on such a personal matter, but I didn’t have any other way of contacting you.”

“I don’t know what scam you’re playing here, but I’m not going along with it.”

“It’s ok Sir, I understand the situation and I want to be discreet, so could we speak somewhere else or I could give you my number for you to call me back at a more appropriate time.”

“And just what is you connection with Mr. Murphy?”

“Oh, Andy and I are friends and he told me about your, shall we say, needs.”

“This is very inappropriate, but I will follow up with Mr Murphy and one of us will call you back. Now give me the number.”

Price terminated the call after jotting down the number and then spoke to his secretary.

“Prism, get Murphy up to my office immediately.”

“Yes Sir.”

***

“Andy when I said I wanted us to be friends, I didn’t mean you could share details of my private life with all and sundry.”

“What have I done Jonathan?”

“Do you know a Juanito Villiar?”

“I know a Juanito, not sure of his surname.”

“Well that must be him. I’ve just had him on the phone wanting to help with my, needs, as he put it. What do you know about this?”

“Oh, now I understand. I did suss him out about the position before Christmas, but dropped it when he got other work and then I decided to suggest the other idea we discussed.”

“Well it seems he has decided to approach me directly. That’s very improper Andy. I thought after all these years, you would understand that.”

“I do, but I don’t know what prompted him to do that. I thought I made it clear to him.”

“Well, looks like he didn’t get the memo.”

“Sorry Jonathan, I’ll fix it straight away.”

“Not so fast there. He says he’s a friend, what do you know about him?”

“I’ve met him a few times socially and I know he is a sex worker. Works freelance, not for an agency.”

“Is he a good fuck?”

“I genuinely don’t know.”

“Why do you say ‘genuinely’, do you think I wouldn’t believe you?”

“Oh, it’s not that, but I did think at one time we might try it on, but due to circumstances it never happened.”

“So what do you think now? I mean about his suitability for me. We never really fixed up anyone, what with Christmas and holidays and me now more resident at Crystalline.”

“I should apologise about not following up on that for you, but as you say circumstances seemed to change.”

“I’m not being critical Andy, but maybe we should revisit this and I have to give this Villiar character points for effort. He seems very keen. I don’t suppose you could bed test him for me.”

“Oh..oh..no..no, I couldn’t do that.”

“That’s not the answer I was expecting. But I won’t pry any further. How about we play it this way? You have a chat to him and if you think he’s still suitable then we give him a try, on a casual basis only, as you suggested before.”

“That might be awkward, but I’ll do it for you.”

“Good man. Now if you want to take him for drinks or a meal, choose somewhere we have an account and charge it to me.”

 

Andy immediately called Thomas for advice. “You’re not going to believe this but Juanito approached Mr P directly about working for him.”

“And did he tell him to fuck off?”

“No, after talking to me, Mr P decided he wants me to talk to Juanito and assess his suitability for a casual arrangement.”

“Bloody hell, he is getting softer in his old age. Previously he would have gone right off at such an approach. So what are you going to do?”

“That’s why I’m calling you. I don’t want to do this alone, especially given our history, or lack of it.”

“No problem, when?”

“Can you do lunch tomorrow, in the city?”

“Yeah, text me where and when.”

***

“May I ask, would I live in full-time at this man’s home, would I be paid a regular wage, would I provide exclusive service to him and how much freedom would I have outside the home?” asked Juanito

“Good questions,” replied Thomas “No, the position has changed since you last spoke to Andy about this. It is now a casual position, but overnight stays may be involved. You will be called when needed and paid per session at a pre-negotiation rate and there may also be fringe benefits at your employer’s discretion.”

“What sort of fringe benefits?”

“Food and alcohol when you are with him. Then you may be given gifts of clothing, jewellery and other items.

“Sounding better all the time.”

“In regard to exclusivity, if you mean will Mr. P share you with other friends, I think no. Is that correct Andy?”

“Yes, Mr P does not host friends at the apartment. But in regard to what you do outside the apartment I would insist that you not see any of your other clients. That would not be acceptable. However, if you were to have a discreet personal relationship that would be allowed provided it did not detract from your availability or performance for your employer. Do you agree Thomas?”

“Yes Andy, I think that would be fine, but I have found that the men that have done this work for my employer have in fact found it difficult to have relationships.”

“I do have a relationship, with someone you know. It’s early days, but Raj and I are into each other at present.”

“How do you think he will feel about this?”

“We have discussed it and he understands; for now at least.”

“If I agree to this, when would I be required to start?”

Thomas replied, “You would need to have a full medical and we would need to check your residency status and unofficially we would have a police check done.”

“What do you mean unofficially?” asked Juanito.

“Private citizens and companies can’t ask for police checks unless they are in a specific business, like say security. But we have connections that can have it done unofficially.”

 

The trio then moved their meeting to a room at the office for a more formal interview.

The questions asked were similar to those Thomas had used for the employment of Jared, except the demonstration of ‘getting it up on demand’ was not required given Juanito’s experience. At the end of the interview, Thomas reminded the others of the need for a complete medical, especially given the nature of Juanito’s previous work. While Andy phoned the company doctor for an appointment, Thomas inspected Juanito’s passport and permanent residency visa. He then asked Miss Prism to make copies. When he returned Andy advised “The medical will be tomorrow at 10.00am. Is that OK for you Juanito?”

“No problem Andy.”

“Here is the address. Doctor Anderson will send the results to me and I will let you know as soon as I receive them. It may take up to a week for all lab tests to get back.”

“Andy, why don’t we make an appointment for a meeting here at this time next week to finalise everything.” suggested Thomas.

“Good idea and if all goes well we can make Juanito an official offer then.”

“As we are just near Mr. P’s office you might also want to invite him to meet Juanito then. If he is happy then we get the staff paperwork started also. Are you happy with that Juanito?”

“So does that mean I will get the job?”

Thomas answered on behalf of Andy “We are satisfied that you have the qualifications and experience for the job, so as long as the medical and other enquiries come back clear then the most likely answer is, yes as far as we are concerned. We will of course require the final approval of Mr. Price.”

“Great, I’m excited about this. I want to thank you guys for your help and having confidence in me.”

“I do need to clarify one more thing with you Juanito.” Asked Thomas “I understand you gave up your street work to work with Craig and Justin and that you also have taken up study.”

“That’s right, but the college does not commence till March, so that gives me time to get to know Mr Price and how often I would be required. In regard to the waiting work, that’s only casual, so I can work around that.”

“Ok, just so long as you don’t take on too much.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage.”

“Andy will you please tell Juanito more about Mr P.”

“Mr. Price is a very private person, who expects confidentiality and loyalty. We have already discussed the need to protect the family’s privacy and I’m sure you will do that. He can be demanding at times, I won’t hide that fact from you. However, at other times he can be a most pleasant and generous person. He will be interested in your welfare and will protect you when necessary. I encourage you to talk openly to him about any concerns you have regarding your work. You may also talk to me or Thomas, anytime about personal issues or if you have any problems working with Mr. Price. We like to solve problems before they get out of hand. Do you understand Juanito?”

“Yes, I’m confident that I get what you are saying.”

 

When Juanito left, Thomas said to Andy, “In view of the trouble that you had separating from Mr. P, I think it would be appropriate to have the arrangement with Juanito a more formal arrangement, such as we have for Mrs. P.”

“You mean there is a formal contract for Mrs. P’s live-ins?”

“No, such arrangements can’t be put in writing but it is the understanding of both parties that the arrangement only lasts as long as both want it to last. There is no obligation beyond mutual benefit and no emotional attachment.”

“I see what you mean. My arrangement with Mr. P started on a casual basis and grew from there, so I guess we had no specific expectations. In the early days I didn’t even live at Potts Point, we just had the occasional night together. I did actually feel emotionally attached to him at one stage and I think it was mutual. That was when he asked me to move in, although he didn’t spend much time there in those days. He only stayed there for us to have nights together or when he didn’t want to drive out to Castle Hill. After I took up residence he started staying there more often till it almost became his permanent residence.”

“That’s why we need to make it clear to him that this is a professional arrangement only and that Juanito or whoever may take his place in the future is free to leave anytime they wish, just like an employee. Also Mrs P asked me to make some arrangement for Mr P to have a sex partner at Crystalline, so we’ll have to make arrangements for Juanito to travel out to Castel Hill sometimes.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem, I’m sure Mr P will pay for travel expenses.”

***

The following week all three met again. Andy made a formal offer of employment to Juanito, who accepted on the spot.

“Prism, would you have tea and coffee sent to the meeting room and ask Mr Price if he would like to join us?”

“Of course Andy and just between you and me I think he is anxious to meet the new man.”

“That’s good and also mention that I have requested him to join us in the meeting room.”

“I’ll get right on to it Andy.”

***

“Mr. Price, I would like you to meet Juanito Villiar.”

“Pleased to meet you Juanito.”

“Honoured to meet you Sir.”

“Ah, first mistake young man.”

Juanito looked worried, “I’m sorry Sir, what did I do wrong?”

“Just teasing you a bit, please don’t call me Sir. As we are going to be so intimate then I want you to call me Jonathan when we are in private, and Mr. P. at other times, it seems to be my accepted nickname around here.”

“Certainly Mr. P.”

“Now, are you a good fuck my man?”

“I think so and I didn’t get complaints from my previous clients.”

“Good, do you top and bottom Juanito?”

“Yes, either way and I also do blow jobs and massage, but I don’t rim, do S & M or extreme kinky stuff.”

“Fair enough, I think there’s enough there to keep me satisfied.”

“I am sure I can make you happy Sir...er...Mr. P.”

“Good, I’ll let you boys sort out the paperwork, but can you come over for a test run tonight?”

Juanito looked at Andy for guidance and Andy answered “That should be OK, won’t it Juanito. I can drive you. Will that be at Potts Point Mr P.?”

“Yes, see you about 8.00pm.” As Price was about to leave the office he turned and said, “Andy, just show Juanito to the apartment door, there will be no need for you to stay.”

“Certainly, Mr. P.”

After Price left, Andy then asked Juanito “Is everything clear to you or do you have any questions?”

“Just one and that is, do you now know what you missed out on when you ordered me out of your home?”

“But you were treating me like a client.”

“I tried to explain to you that it was just a joke and I thought you might enjoy it. All you had to say was you weren’t into role play and I would have been yours. Problem is Andy, you don’t listen once you’ve made up your mind, that’s a very annoying character trait. So, I guess we’ll never know.”

Andy sat in stunned silence, even when Juanito stopped talking. “Andy, are you all right?” asked Thomas.

“Um..yes..just thinking. We should leave now?”