by Ryan Taylor
“A lot better now,” I said, dipping my fingers in the pancake batter and licking them clean while he swatted at my hand. “My run helped me think things through.”
“Will you fuckers quit making so much noise? All that yelling woke me up.” Ben walked into the kitchen wearing boxers and a too-tight T-shirt. He rubbed his eyes, probably for comedic effect.
“Dude, go put on some clothes! Matt’s standing right here.” There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that my brother was straight, but it still bothered me that he was parading around half naked in front of my boyfriend.
He twisted his lips into a sardonic smile. “Let’s see…. Matt, who’s a dude, has never seen another dude in his boxers before?” He snickered, shaking his head. “His eyes would get more action on the beach any day.”
“Yeah, well….”
Matt came and gave us both a sausage. “Sit down, guys. Food’s up in two minutes.” He turned back to the griddle. “Oh, I meant to ask. Who’s wearing boxers?”
Ben made a face and grumbled under his breath. “Got to start working out more.”
Matthew
I loved both of the Roth brothers. They were so alike, yet very different, and they had a way of giving each other grief without getting mean. I realized that growing up with a brother might have been a lot of fun.
“How’d it go with Macadam last night?” Ben asked, through a mouthful of pancake mush.
“Pretty good, I think.” Aaron tried to play it cool. “Good seeing him again.”
I took a sip of my coffee. “I really liked his husband, too. John doesn’t seem old at all.”
Ben looked at me strangely. “Don’t say anything like that to Liam. At the bachelor party, one of the guys we knew from growing up asked him why he was marrying an older guy, and Liam offered to rearrange his teeth.”
“Ouch!” I drank some more coffee. “Anyway, it went really well. Liam offered Aaron a job.”
Ben scooted forward in his chair, eyes wide. “Dude! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Not offered,” Aaron said, glaring at me. “Said he’d like to offer but had to talk to his partner first. There’s a big difference.”
“Liam’s always been a stand-up guy,” Ben said, reaching for more pancakes. “If he wants you, you’re in.”
“Let it alone, both of you,” Aaron snapped. He looked pissed, and I was sorry I’d said anything. “It might or might not happen. I want it, but let’s not count any chickens yet, or whatever that saying is.” He stuffed more food into his mouth.
I turned to look at him. “I’m sorry, Aaron.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t mean to yell. It’s just…. I really want it.” He swallowed and looked at Ben. “It’s helping people, Ben, real people.” He leaned over to kiss my cheek before looking back at his brother. “We have to go over there at two o’clock, to Andie’s house. He said he’d let me know for sure then.”
“Lucky dogs,” Ben said, grinning at me. “Andie’s the best cook on Long Island. If she offers you anything to eat, say yes, and put some in your pocket to bring home to me.”
We arrived at the hospital about ten o’clock. Aaron’s mom was sitting up in bed again, looking very happy. “They said I can go home today. I don’t want to interfere with your holiday, so I’m going to hire a nurse.”
Aaron gave his mom a kiss on the cheek. “No nurse. You’re not interfering with anything.”
“Please,” I said, “unless you’re going to need something that would make you uncomfortable around us, don’t go to that trouble. We’ll be there to help you.”
“It’s unanimous.” Ben pushed Aaron out of the way and gave his mom a hug. “We’re your nurses.”
She grinned, obviously pleased. “All right, if you’re sure. Who am I to say no to the three handsomest men in the Hamptons?” She sat up straighter, her smile wide. “Did they deliver the holiday tree?”
Aaron nodded and broke out his excited-little-boy grin. “It’s set up in the living room.”
“We always decorate a tree, Matt.” Mrs. Roth’s eyes had the sparkle I usually see in children during the holidays. “It’s a lot of fun. Everybody in the house helps.”
“It’s a great time!” Ben’s voice was very loud, and he wore a huge version of the boyish smile he and Aaron shared.
“The best time!” I’d never heard such glee in Aaron’s voice, and he and Ben turned toward each other and actually did a chest bump.
When the noise died down, Mrs. Roth was beaming at her sons. She turned her eyes on me, and the smile lines around them made her look even more beautiful than she already did. “You know we’re Jewish, but we’re very open. If you have any special Christmas traditions you’d miss, we’ll work them in.”
That put a lump in my throat. “Mrs. Roth, that’s so kind, but—”
“Call me Louise, please. Mrs. Roth is so formal.”
“I’ll try. Sorry if I slip up.”
We stayed in Louise’s room until the nurse came in and said the discharge paperwork had come through. Ben had brought his mom’s car when we drove over, so there was plenty of space for everybody when we took her home.
Aaron
Mom was mega happy to get out of the hospital. After a heart attack, surgery, and hospitalization, she was thrilled to be alive and kept saying how glad she was that she’d dodged the Grim Reaper. She laughed when she said it, but it was true. Heart attacks are about as serious as it gets.
Matt got some sandwiches together for lunch, and by the time we ate, it was almost time for us to go over to Liam’s and see if we were going to be employed.
We were in our room getting changed when Matt gave me a serious look. “I know you’re nervous, but I think you’ll get this job. I could tell how much Liam likes you.”
“What should I wear?”
“Well, let’s see,” he said, turning to the closet. “I’m amazed at how many clothes you still have here.” He started pushing things around to get a better look.
“I want it, Matt!” I was feeling frantic again. “I really want this job!”
He turned and listened while words tumbled out of me so fast that I could hardly say them.
“This is the kind of thing I’ve always wanted to do. I’m not cut out for BigLaw. When I was in high school, I used to watch this show where some lawyers followed their hearts and got amazing things done because they had the balls to try, and it wasn’t always money first. I’d be good at this job, I know it. Do you really think Liam will hire me?”
Matt silently crossed the Berber rug on bare feet, put his hands on my chest, and pushed up on his tiptoes. “I really think you’ll get it. I’d bet on it. But if you don’t… well, you’ll still be Aaron Roth. You’ll find something else that’s just as good.”
I nodded, not realizing there were tears on my cheeks until he wiped them away with his thumbs.
“Good things are going to happen, Aaron. We’re due.”
I wrapped my arms around him, and the kiss, while very sweet, was much too short. He pulled away and trotted back over to the closet. “We’ll be late if we don’t get dressed, and that won’t make a good impression.” He took down the light blue jeans I’d brought from DC and handed them to me. “Put these on. They make your ass look great.” He struck fast, smacking my cheek before I saw it coming. “Use what you got, handsome. If you need any help, those jeans will provide. Liam is gay, after all.”
We laughed while we finished dressing, and pulled our coats tight against the wind when we stepped outside. The Macadam house was only two streets down, and the walk didn’t take five minutes. Along the way, Matt admired the sculptures some of the neighbors had installed on their front lawns. Soon we came to a house that brought back a lot of good memories from all the times I’d hung out there growing up. It was a roomy, shingle-style house, similar to ours in a lot of ways, but more traditional. My folks had gone contemporary.
A beautiful young woman with reddish hair answered the door. “Vonnie? You look
amazing! Marriage agrees with you. Sorry I missed it, by the way.” I looked around at Matt. “Matt Kennington, my beautiful boyfriend, meet Vonnie Macadam, Liam’s little sister.”
She flashed the same memorable grin that Liam had, and put out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Matt. It’s cold as shit outside, so you two get in here. Liam said you were coming.”
As she closed the door, she glanced back around at me. “By the way, it’s Vonnie Yamamoto now. Justin, my husband, is in here somewhere, so you’ll get to meet him.”
Matthew
John walked into the foyer. “Aaron, Matt… come on in. Liam’s on the phone, but he’ll only be a minute. Andie’s laid out a huge finger food feast, and we need your help eating it.”
Aaron was talking to Vonnie, and John took my elbow and led us into a stunning living room with some of the nicest Christmas decorations I had ever seen. The room was spacious, and a high beam ceiling made it seem even larger than it was. A giant stone hearth, plush upholstered furniture in neutral shades, and wooden pieces the same color as the ceiling beams gave the room an elegant but comfortable vibe.
John introduced me to Liam’s mom, a striking woman named Andie. She had the same brown hair and eyes as Liam’s, and was very friendly. After talking to me for a moment, she caught Aaron in a bearhug, and when she turned him loose, he made a beeline for the food. John took me around, introduced me to a roomful of people I liked right away, and then steered me toward a sideboard piled high with goodies.
“They’re here!” a loud voice called out. “Glad I didn’t scare you off!” I guess there wasn’t any missing Liam when he came into a room. He walked over to where John was helping me pick and choose things to try, and I had to set down my plate to receive a hug. “Welcome, Matt. You know, don’t tell him I said this, but Aaron’s an awesome guy. I’m happy for both of you.”
Aaron was sitting in front of the fireplace, stuffing his face while he talked to Liam’s other sister. He stood up when Liam walked over to give him a hug. Liam’s hugs were powerful, and Aaron’s cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk’s while he made frantic efforts not to spew chewed up food all over the room.
John gave me a glass of wine, and Liam set Aaron up with some kind of beer he and his brothers-in-law were drinking. Aaron thought it was great, and they all sat around “oohing” and “aahing” about it. It was fun getting to know everybody, but I could see Aaron getting increasingly nervous. After a little while, Liam stood up and said they needed to go talk business.
“Be back soon,” Aaron said to me, caressing my cheek with his thumb.
“Oh, you need to come, too, Matt,” Liam said, indicating that I should follow.
He led us into what could only be called a library, with its comfortable, earth-tone furniture and three walls of books. The other wall was all windows, overlooking a garden that was beautiful even in December. I could just make out a pool and hot tub off to one side. Trees surrounded the property, providing a natural barrier of privacy, and I remembered noticing the name of the street was Arboretum Drive.
When we were seated, Liam cut to the chase. “Aaron, Michael and I would be proud if you’d come to work with us. If you’re still interested, how does Tuesday, January third sound to start? You’ll be assisting us on some cases we already have, plus you’ll get your own cases, right away.” He took a sip of his beer. “If everything goes well, we’ll consider you for partner in two years.”
Aaron
The buzz started in my toes and rushed upward like a rocket. Consider me for partner in two years? That’s unheard of. I wanted to jump up and cheer, but Matt’s firm grip on my hand kept me grounded. My mouth stretched into a wide grin, and I scooted as far forward as I could on the sofa cushion. “That sounds awesome, Liam. I’d really love it. You…. Wow…!”
Liam’s boisterous laugh transported me back to a summer day when I was fourteen, and we were by the pool at my house. I don’t know where Ben was, but it was just Liam and me, and I said something he thought was funny. I had the worst crush on him back then, and I jerked off for months afterward to the memory of him, wearing Speedos and laughing his ass off.
Matt was squeezing my hand rhythmically, and I realized maybe I needed to say something else. “It sounds so cool. The job, I mean. It’s great of you to offer.”
Liam laughed again. “Can I take that as a yes?”
“Definitely, it’s a yes!”
His wiseass expression told me something good was coming. “I called Michael last night when we got home, and we decided right away to hire you. Michael’s a character, though—you’ll love him—and given how badly they treated you two, he wanted to call Craig Swan today just to see what they’d say.”
“Oh fuck.” I sank back into the cushions. But wait, I had the job. Didn’t I?
“No, it’s cool!” Liam held up a hand and showed me that grin again, the one teenage Aaron used to jerk off to. “This is good. He said some man in HR transferred him to somebody named Macombe, who was in charge of associates, right?”
I nodded.
“Apparently, Macombe hemmed and hawed for a minute or two, then transferred him to somebody named Townsend.”
“Mr. Townsend was our boss,” Matt said. “He was always nice to us, even that last day.”
“I guess so,” Liam said, grinning and pointing out the window at a cardinal that was perched on a nearby tree branch. “Michael said that Townsend sang your praises for a while before he told him we were fools if we didn’t hire both of you.”
That did it—my eyes overflowed and hot tears ran down my cheeks.
“It’s okay, Aaron,” Liam said, and I remembered fall break of my freshman year at Hamilton, when I visited him in this very room and told him I liked guys. I’d realized I couldn’t pretend away being gay, and since Liam had been out since his early teens, I went to him for advice. He spent half the afternoon promising me everything would be okay while I cried my eyes out.
That same sensitive guy was smiling at me now. “You’ve both been through a real shitty hell at the hands of BigLaw. Get the emotions out, and let the whole thing go. Don’t let an evil institution cheat you out of having a great life.”
We all sat there for a moment, and he slapped Matt on the knee. “Matt, Macadam Lawton badly needs a lead paralegal. Would you consider coming to work for us? We have a couple of paralegals already, but they’re inexperienced and need a guiding hand. You’d also be helping my assistant, Brandon, run the office. I keep him plenty busy, and the administration’s too much for him to do alone.”
Matt nodded hard, his happy grin making me eager to get him alone. “Thank you, Liam, I’d love to. I promise I’ll do my best.”
Liam nodded and pursed his lips for a second. “There’s something you guys need to know. The lawyers in the firm are me, Michael, Michael’s wife Jess, and John. But here’s the thing: John and I are going to be taking some time off, starting in February. Probably a month for me, but at least several months for John, maybe even longer.”
Matt cocked his head. “Why?”
Liam grinned like somebody who’d just won the lottery and gotten laid at the same time. “Our lives are getting ready to change in a huge way.” His eyes filled up and he grinned from ear to ear. “Guys! We’re gonna be dads! We did the surrogate thing, and she’s due in late February.”
He told us a story that had us laughing, then crying, then laughing again, and giving him huge hugs where we couldn’t quite let go.
My mind reeled. From what I knew, John and Liam had fallen for each other really quickly, and they went through some rough times—even survived a lunatic who tried to destroy them. They made it, though, and loved each other so much that they had to share it with a kid.
Damn! It was a dream come true.
All at once, everything came into focus, and I knew exactly what had to happen. What I’d always wanted, who I’d always wanted, and what would make my life complete.
Matt and Liam were talking in the
background, but soon Matt was rubbing my arm. “Aaron? You okay, honey?”
I finally landed back on planet Earth, and in a little while, we had all the niceties taken care of. Liam matched the salaries we’d been making, and the benefits at Macadam Lawton sounded even better than the ones at Craig Swan. He had letters of agreement ready for us all to sign, and just like that, Matt and I had jobs again.
Matthew
I found John as soon as we got back into the living room and had to hear everything from him. He was so happy that he kept breaking into tears, and every time he did, I did too. Besides being so thrilled for him and Liam, I kept thinking about how much I loved Aaron. I hoped against hope that we could find our own place in the sun. It would be amazing to marry him someday, and then who knew what might happen?
After another hour with the Macadam family, Aaron and I walked back home. We’d eaten way too much, and Andie sent us home with as much food as we could carry. She also promised to bring more food over every day until Louise was back on her feet. I’d always thought the Hamptons were full of stuck up people who didn’t care about anything beyond the ends of their noses, but I was quickly learning how wrong I’d been.
When we went into the house, Ben rushed into the foyer and broke into a cheer. “We don’t have to order pizza! Good old Andie!” He took some of the food out of our arms. “How’d it go? Macadam hired you, right?”
“No.” Aaron glanced at me, and the bad-boy look in his eyes almost made me giggle. “He said he didn’t want to risk it. He’s afraid I might turn into as big an asshole as you.”
Ben’s eyes got as wide as half-dollars. After a moment, recognition dawned and he started laughing. “You fucker! Congratulations!” He glanced at me. “Both of you, right?”
Louise was resting but had left strict instructions for us to come up and give her the news as soon as we got back. I loved her bedroom; it was huge, and pale yellows and greens softened the angular, contemporary furniture. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from what I was pretty sure was a genuine Sisley hanging over the fireplace.