To Have a Sweetheart - David Ch. 05

Luke slowly moved in bag by bag. He didn't sleep a night away from me. He hadn't had a single nightmare from the day of my panic attack which was just five nights, but that was the longest he'd gone without nightmares by his memory. Our week consisted of him being at work, a few brunches at Nancy's where I officially introduced him, him coming by to watch me rehearse - boy did he turn into a horndog watching me play - and a visit to Regan and Hanson's.

So yeah, getting laid after rehearsals was essentially guaranteed, if not in the middle when he really couldn't help himself. I couldn't even be mad, it was endearing that he got that hot for me from watching me play - how could one be mad at that? Plus studio sex? Naughty. I approve.

Luke and I were both quite nervous before visiting Regan and Hanson - that is Charles and Willam correspondingly. Luke was far from the man he used to be, at least compared to the great majority of the years he'd spent in the service with them. And no matter the profession, there was almost always a difference who you were at work and who you were in private and top that all off with the 'I'm suddenly gay and decided to be a gardner'. I on the other hand was meeting Lukes friends for the first time and was over thinking everything from my underwear and flossing to my clothing and eating habits.

Luke gave me an apologetic look when I asked if he'd told them I was a vegetarian, but since I was accustomed to people apparently considering my diet so normal that they tended to forget about it all together, I'd already prepared some marinated vegetables and grillables as a back up anyway.

Luke apologised over and over almost the entire car drive there and I kept on telling him that I'd have insisted on bringing my own food anyway since when ever you told anyone that they needed to feed a vegetarian, then suddenly they had no idea what a vegetable was and started to look into some super weird tofu-meats and whatever the hell 'facon' was.

Reaching their townhouse I was nervous as hell, I'd be the twink between three manly men, not to mention how different of a life I lived from them and then there was the age difference I had with them.

Luke picked up on my unease and reminded that he was the one who was turned from a soldier to a gardener, straight to gay and I was still nine years younger than him, if anyone'd get a roasting, than it would be him. Though, it wasn't getting 'roasted' that I was worried about.

Luke hadn't even fully parked the car before two dark headed, my height-ish, bright eyed hunky guys were out on the front porch. With a little sigh of 'here we go' and a finall caress of my hand, he opened the door and was immediately showered with sweet ride and nice beard compliments topped off with bro-hugs.

Never had I been as happy that the passenger side was at the further side as I looked over the three of them, praying to god that the strangers were above stereotypes.

With a focusing sigh, I opened the door to slid out of the car. Their conversation immediately stopping at the sight of me, with both of the strangers eyes transfixed on me with their mouths agape.

Luke nor I had no idea how to react as we watched them slowly look back and forth between each other and me with forming grins, until they both broke out in a whistle, one muttering "Of all the gay men out there..." and the other chiming "Fucking hell, that's fucking David Carter!" as he looked at Luke.

"Know him?" Luke asked in stun.

"I had to sit through a two and a half hour concert sporting wood because of him, if any twink can get me hard then that's him." he joked and was immediately treated to a scolding from his partner and Luke that he laughed off good heartedly.

"William Hanson, Will," the same man introduced himself to me and I quickly tried to spot a major difference between the two, which would have been probably that William had a square face compared to Charles oval, because overall they were surprisingly similar at the first look.

"Charles Regan, Char," offered the other man and Luke pulled me to his side by the waist, introducing me as rather a formality as they already knew me in a way, but damn was his embrace soothing and very much welcome at that moment.

Luke got a fair teasing over the fact that he hadn't mentioned me being a vegetarian to them after we received a scowl for bringing our own food. All from "who does that" and "do you think we can't accomodate" to "did you think we wouldn't let such a sinful person as a vegetarian into our house if we knew", but it was all good natured. And quite fun to watch Luke squirm under their torment as we settled behind their outdoor table in the backyard.

"So, okay, I really have to know, how long have you known?" Will asked with playful curiousity.

"About you?" Luke asked and was treated to exaggerated nods in the style of what else we would be talking about, before he said "Well, I didn't really KNOW, but I highly suspected ever since Iraq."

"Ha! I told you so!" Will chimed to Charles.

"Yea-yeah you told me so," Charles muttered annoyedly, "but he still would have had to separate us if he actually KNEW."

"And a point to Regan, finishing the game off in a tie." Luke said sports commentator style and breaking off a possible forming argument effectively.

"Though, why didn't you?" Will asked in wonder.

"Well, you proved that you two could function together and... why make being at war even harder?"

"Luke Serene if I'd known this was the man you really were..." Charles cooed with an over exaggerated lovey-dovey face earning a hard smack from Will who called him a bastard, even as he tried hard to hold back his laughter.

"Wa-ait..." Will said with a glass shatter face and looked dead in the eye to Char, "That's why we were housed together that much!" he gasped in shock and both of their faces snapped to Luke at the same time.

Luke just rolled his eyes, stating "I think I was doing everyone a favour considering how much the two of you can talk." A statement that made everyone laugh.

Even as I'd known the guys for maybe twenty minutes, it was already apparent that they indeed did not tolerate silence. It even seemed they were the kind of people who didn't really care if anyone was listening, just as long as they could talk.

Next off was obviously the unavoidable round of roasting Luke starting with a good old question of "So how did this happen?" that was directed at us.

Going through our coming story, I really realised for the first time that I actually took all the first steps. All the time I'd thought that I'd been pathetically shy, but I actually held my shit together - at least outside of the safety of my bed where I might have or might not have a few less than noble moments. Maybe I did have some balls after all.

"So that's why you were like a beat up puppy coming back." Will snickered as Luke very delicately described our day at the park when I kissed him - or rather tried to kiss him. But ehh, leaving out the hundreds of excessive details, it was rather a cute story.

We all had a good laugh when we got to the dinner at Lukes mothers, when his mother just casually dragged him out of the closet like she had, the closet he didn't even really know he was in as it was that god damn early for us. And as neither of us felt too open enough to share about our sex life we ended our story there.

Char and Will essentially had a similar moment, they'd been close friends forever and lovers for almost as long, but at one dinner with Charles's family, when they were twentytwo-ish, his mother just snapped and smacked them both on the heads, scolding them "Enough with the friends act, do you think we're that stupid?" Having them both mutter "Sorry ma'am," but that was about it.

Williams family was not exactly that accepting, his folks just didn't want to understand that him being gay wasn't really a guestion of choice. But they were trying, though almost every third phone call included an offer to meet a nice girl from here or there even six years later.

I just skipped my turn with a "Nope, not going there," and was met with understanding nods.

Luke had a little more roasting over his career choices, but overall we had a rather fun afternoon soaking up the last of the September sun in the almost warm weather with a few beers and food. Surprisingly I felt right at home there, the guys were genuinely lovely, fun people and treated me more than nicely.

Luke looked darn cute looking a little shocked seeing Char and Will kiss behind the barbecue. I just had to have a little laugh over him, teasing him if he'd never seen two men kiss before.

He blushed crimson at my words and I had an even better laugh that he tried to muffle with claiming my lips. And I'll be damned for getting hard every time he was like that with me in public.

We both were quite pleased with the outcome of the day and could easily see us socialising with them, as long as we of course pretended to be oblivious to the intimate side of their relationship outside the safety of their home. I could see why couples weren't often allowed to work together, but damn... I had to feel for the guys, having to juggle being out to select people and deeply closeted to others.

We headed to bed early that night as Luke was working the next day, just cuddling away, sharing our emotions of the day as we slowly fell to sleep. Both sharing hopes that meeting Lisa would go as smoothly, but I knew her too well for that.

Since I had nothing better to do the following day, I went and checked out Kath and Johns upcoming restaurant. The construction looked nearly finished. I found Kathrine standing in the middle of the chaos, looking rather like she owned the building company and not the restaurant.

It was the first time I saw her without a suit. Ever. Wearing paint stained cargo joggers and a tight fitting T-shirt that showed off her much more built body than I would have guessed she had. I guess she looked like a wrestler. She'd point, demand and pat anyone who'd walk by her. I suspected that not a single move in the building was made without her being aware of it.

She called my name as she noticed me and gestured me to stand next to her. "Can you feel it? People chatting, murmuring, enjoying and flirting. All happening in a pleasant buzz. Enjoying the simple, yet elegant cuisine, simple, but caring service, in a simple yet luxurious environment?" she asked as if she'd been in a transe, looking into the future, gazing over a crowded dining hall in a finalised restaurant in her mind.

"I'm not quite there yet, I still see the construction boys." I half-joked, but I had to recognise that the venue looked stunning even half finished. Industrial ceilings, multi-leveled floor plan, room dividers that looked natural and a perfect blend of the old and new.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you. They look quite juicy, don't they? Come, I'll show you the plans." she chuckled and walked away to a table with a laptop on it, "Here, that's my current vision."

She showed me digital sketches of her future restaurant, floor plans and primary menus. Plus a lot of things I understood nothing of, like control plans, estimated budgets and food safety regulations. Raising a question why in the first place was she showing them to me. "Umm, that's all great, but I don't really see how all of this concerns me." I noted.

"Who else should it concern, but the duty manager?" she asked sternly.

"Exactly." I said assuming that it supported my initial statement, but as she kept looking at me with an unamused face, then I realised what she'd really said. "Wait... you're not planning on making me duty manager, are you?" I asked doubtfully.

"I am."

"Why?"

"You're a head turner, you have the personality, when you're behind the bar, most of the women want you and the men want to be you, minus the ones who want you. In the four years I've been drinking in your bar, I've never seen you take one single shortcut. People love you. And not to mention that you don't seem to mind our late night lifestyle." she listed casually as if it'd be obvious.

"And that makes me management potential? I haven't even been a team leader. I've never had staff under me." I semi-scoffed at her. To go from a bartender to a restaurants duty manager was quite a leap, I'd be skipping half the ladder at least.

"David, I wouldn't be offering if I wouldn't believe I'm right. And if it doesn't work, it's more my fault than yours." she groaned with an eye roll, like I'd be the unreasonable one in our conversation.

"So what do you expect of me anyway?" I asked, rather pretending to play along than actually wanting to go along.

"Have the children do their homework, feed them, give them some chores, make sure they clean their rooms and behave themselves." she listed without a hint of humour in her face.

"Seriously Kathrine." I scoffed.

"Yes, seriously. I've had a bit different understanding of restauranting from quite the beginning of my career. I do not give a single slightest fuck about how anyone does anything as long as the work is properly done. I want to see intelligent conversations with the guests, great food on the table and excellent drinks in their hands. That's all I want. And I want you to make sure of it when I'm not here." she listed and it finally started registering that she was actually dead on serious.

"Sounds a lot like a simplified version of it." I muttered and scanned over the venue again. I'd be stupid to not recognise that the place had riddicoulous potential and Kath probably didn't earn her millions with shitty business managment, but me AS management?

"It's restauranting, everything is as easy as it sounds, just much harder. But I am serious. My vision is simple, but very high on quality. No stupid regulations, standards or whatever the hell they do nowadays. I want a nice, friendly and simple place that is just amazing. That's what I want." she said, wrapping up the conversation.

"Sounds good, I guess."

"I'll just give you these home." She said handing me a document envelope. "Look them over and let me know. But until then, walk around with me."

She showed me around the nearly finished building and briefed me on stats like how much staff they were planning on, management structure and such.

They were starting to fit the kitchen under Johns intent gaze. It was even odd how he barely even glimpsed in my direction, as if I wouldn't exist, as if I'd have been just a random anyone, but I assumed that he was in pure work mode. Apparently the two tended to separate private and work to a level that people didn't even know they were married - in the 'to each other' meaning.

Considering that, maybe I could work under them?

The dining hall was covered in plastic and the bar didn't even look like a bar yet. Kath ended the tour in the most finished room of the building, the office, just needing a few retouches to be called complete.

"This is neutral grounds. The only room where my relationship to John exists and the rule of no intimacy at work place doesn't apply. I nor John will never be involved with any staff, under any circumstance. But me and John, we might blow off some steam every once in a while. You know us, you know how it works, so you'd better not be too shy about it - we're not." she said and boy did I believe her, having watched John 'handle' three men by himself in bondage behind the same table with Kath while casually drinking bourbon was probably a good example of that. Needless to say, we didn't talk behind that table.

"Only management has access, without exceptions," she continued, "so only you and us until we decide on a sous chef."

"I still don't see why me and why management level." I semi-scoffed to her. I was just a regular twenty three year old, okay maybe a bit more than just 'regular' with all the orchestra stuff, but besides that...

"Because, how many people you think there are who accept me and John as who we truly are?" she asked with her voice laced in bitterness, "Regardless of the money? And there's absolutely no point for your talent to stay behind the bar. Yes, you need some catching up to speed, but I'll be damned if I let anyone else snatch you before I do." she explained as she sat down behind a desk and leaned back in the chair that was still plastic wrapped.

"I think you're giving me a little too much credit." I noted as I browsed the room. I knew their lifestyle wasn't a one that people would usually regard well, but all that about 'snaching me up'? I was rather the one who had to do some snatching.

"You really don't see yourself do you?" she asked in wonder, "Tell me this, have you ever watched any recordings of your concerts?"

"No, I haven't." I answered in confusion. What was her agenda? Why'd I watch my concerts?

"Please do, maybe then you'll see." she said and twirled in the chair in the least playful manner I'd seen anyone twirl in a chair in my life.

We talked a little more and I headed home. I opened the envelope she gave me. She was doubling my old wage and not to mention the benefits. I'd be silly not to take it. But to work with her? Under her? And hopefully not in the literal meaning. Not to mention having John in the kitchen. Somewhere, sometime private and work had to meet in the end.

I wondered why Kath wanted me to watch my concerts, there wasn't a single niche of the repertoire that I didn't know by heart. If I was to see how I managed to play through a two hour concert without mistakes then I really needn't to, I already knew that. But now I was intrigued, was there something I'd missed?

I searched through the concert halls youtube channel and found the recording of my last years solo concert series opening night.

That had been a hell of a day. I couldn't even imagine what I'd have done without John. The first solo of my life (at 22 years old!!) and he kept me calm, grounded and focused when all I wanted to do was freak out.

He was just the perfect boyfriend that day, but that was all a game. His game with his rules. It was the very day I decided I couldn't keep it up with him, but failed to enforce it for another two months.

I played the video and felt like I'd be looking at a stranger. I looked... hot. Since when did I look hot, not cute? And even hotter when I actually started playing. Damn, I looked so deep in my bubble, just me and my music. Which I probably owe to John as he let me fuck my brains (and anxiety) out on him just maybe ten minutes prior. All the time I'd been a little worried I looked fresh fucked on the stage, but hell, he had really groomed me down.

It was an odd moment for me, all my life I'd been the lanky kid. Next moment I had stripped down and was staring at myself in the mirror. I hadn't really looked at myself for a while, like really looked, the standing nude in front of a full length mirror looked.

My wavy hazel hair that didn't want to recognise gravity, looked to be in a permanent sexy tousle. I was still quite skinny, but far from the lanky kid I used to be, I actually looked like a slender man. Hell, I didn't even have a single rib showing - unless I took an even slightly deeper breath. I even seemed to have some little muscle definition - probably due to the skinnyness, but still. Fuck, when did all that happen? Fuck, even the ten chest hairs I had, had multiplied to a faint smattering.

I smiled, my smile was sexy as hell. Well that didn't really surprise me as my smile was something people always complimented me on. How had I missed the rest of it? I wasn't the lanky kid who only benefitted from being cute anymore. Hell...

I pulled some shorts on and went back to the video and had to admit I saw myself in a new light. Fuck you Kathrine, fuck you. You fucking played me. Now I wanted to jump on to your bloody irresistible offer with all the tuition contracts and benefits and be the fucking cute, young and sexy duty manager of a probably very reputable restaurant. Fuck you Kath.