by Andrew Grey
"I know this is going to be hard and nerve-wracking. The other side is going to try to make it as difficult as possible, hoping you'll give up. That's what they do. Our job is to stand firm, and we'll need to fight the entire way. You may not always like the way I have to fight, but that's what I'll be doing.” Dieter turned to look at Gerald. “I love you, Dieter, and I want this because you want this.” Gerald kissed him lightly. “Now let's finish our breakfast and find something much more fun to take our minds off courts and lawsuits."
Dieter set his fork on the plate and turned toward Gerald, pulling him in for a kiss before standing up and moving them toward the bedroom. He'd had more than enough to eat, and it seemed Gerald had as well.
* * * *
The rest of their weekend was magical. They made love so many times, Dieter lost count. On Saturday afternoon, they visited Sean at the wine store. Gerald bought some wine while Dieter and Sean talked and caught up. They also walked to Tyler and Mark's, visiting with both of them for a while and agreeing to meet at Snugs for drinks and dancing later that evening. Then Gerald and Dieter returned to Gerald's, where they curled together on the sofa to watch a movie. The movie quickly became an accompaniment to kissing, petting, and another round of passionate lovemaking that left Dieter breathless.
"I think we can forget the movie,” Gerald told him as he reached for the remote to turn off the television.
"Yeah,” Dieter replied as he leaned against Gerald, soaking up his warmth and basking in his heady scent. “Were we meeting for dinner or just dancing?"
"I wasn't sure. They said they were meeting at the Kettle for dinner, and that we were welcome to join them. I wasn't sure what you'd like to do, so I left it open, but if you're up for it, we could clean up and join them."
Dieter held on to Gerald, not quite ready to move yet. “In a few minutes."
Gerald chuckled, deep and rich. “We have all the time in the world,” he said as Dieter's arms pulled him tight. “But I think I'm starting to get a little hungry."
Dieter gave Gerald another hug. “Then I think we better get dressed.” Dieter got up and walked with Gerald into the bedroom, where he dug some clothes out of his bag, and after dressing, they left the house, arriving at the restaurant as Mark and Tyler arrived as well.
"Hey, guys,” Tyler called as he held the door, and they walked inside. Sean and Sam were waiting at a large table along with some of the customers Dieter knew from working at the wine store.
"Gerald,” Sean said as he stood up to shake hands, “you remember Sam.” They shook hands as well. “And these are our old friends, Tom and Bill, and this is Gary and his partner, Scott.” Gerald shook hands with everyone, and Dieter shook hands with Gary and Scott, but got a warm hug from both Tom and Bill. They were both friends of Sean and Sam, and Dieter had met them many times at the wine store. Everyone sat down, and the conversation began in earnest. It was a great meal, and Gerald and Dieter told everyone about their trip.
After dinner, everyone walked over to the bar. Slow music drifted out when they opened the door. Dieter had been expecting hard beat, like at Dance All Night, but this was even better. Everyone made their way to the back of the bar, finding a few tables around the dance floor. After getting drinks, Tom and Bill began to dance, the two men holding each other close. Mark and Tyler joined them, and so did Sean and Sam. Gary and Scott sat at the tables with Gerald and Dieter, watching the others. Then Scott led Gary to the dance floor, and the two of them were left sitting alone. “You didn't bring me here to watch other people dance, did you?” Dieter asked.
"You know I have two left feet,” Gerald retorted, and Dieter stood up and extended his hand.
"It's easy. All you do is hold me and sway to the music,” Dieter said, rolling his eyes, and Gerald finally got up and demonstrated that even with two left feet, he was still great fun on the dance floor. Once Dieter got him to dance, Gerald didn't leave the floor all night. Songs played and ended, but Gerald held him and swayed to the music while Dieter spent most of the evening with his head resting against Gerald's shoulder. He had a difficult time remembering a more wonderful evening in his whole life. And once they made it back to Gerald's, they made love again, slowly and quietly, like they were still moving on the dance floor.
* * * *
The remainder of the weekend was calm and relaxed, and on Monday morning Dieter hated going back to work. He and Gerald talked every evening, but it was the call Dieter received on Wednesday afternoon that surprised him.
"Dieter, we received a call from the Austrian consulate, and they said that their attorney will be here at four today,” Gerald told him, and Dieter felt a lurch of nervous excitement. “I don't know if that's normal, but I was calling to ask if you'd like to join us. You don't have to, and this meeting will probably be pretty boring, but I wanted you to know."
Dieter checked the clock on his desk. He had plenty of work he needed to get done. “I'll try to be there.” Dieter hung up his phone before returning his attention to the program he was working on.
"Is everything okay?” Reed asked as he stepped around the partition.
"Yes,” Dieter answered rather quickly, his nerves making him jumpy. “I need to meet with the lawyers after work, and I'm a little nervous. Thankfully I got in early this morning, but I need to figure out what's wrong with this code before I leave, and it's not cooperating."
Reed pulled up the chair next to his desk before peering at his screen. “What is it doing?” he asked.
Dieter told him as best he could. “There don't appear to be any issues with the data."
"This system is as old as the hills. Whenever I work on it, I have to ask what's happening now that's new, because these jobs have been running for fifteen years.” Reed pointed to the screen and began looking through the code. Soon he said, “Do you see it now?"
"Yeah.” Dieter turned toward him and smiled. “Thank you."
"No problem. These systems should probably be replaced....” He gave Dieter another smile and walked back to his desk while Dieter made the change and began completing the required documentation. Thankfully, the rest of the day was quiet, and Dieter had been able to move the fix into production without any issues, so after explaining the situation to his supervisor, Dieter left the office and managed to make it downtown and into the parking garage a few minutes before the meeting.
Pressing the button for the elevator in the lobby, Dieter looked around him as he waited and saw someone familiar approaching. He couldn't quite remember why he knew him, but the man had “attorney” written all over him. As the elevator doors slid open, Dieter remembered. It was Gerald's brother Angus. Dieter got inside and Angus got in as well, along with the two men with him. Angus glanced at Dieter briefly, but he didn't seem to recognize him. Dieter pressed the button for Gerald's floor, and he noticed that they seemed to be going there as well. Dieter got an unsettled feeling in his stomach and it wasn't from the elevator ride.
Reaching the floor, the doors parted and Dieter let the others exit first. Angus walked right up to the receptionist, explaining why he was here, and she asked them to have a seat. Dieter approached her once they had sat down, and she immediately recognized him. “He'll be right out,” she explained, and Dieter took a seat, occasionally looking over at Angus, who still hadn't recognized him.
Dieter didn't have long to wait before the lobby door opened and Gerald walked up to him. “Come on back, we're ready for you.” Dieter stood up and saw the exact moment Gerald realized his brother was sitting in the lobby.
"Good afternoon, little brother,” Angus said, his voice dripping with superiority. “We're here for a meeting.” Angus checked his watch before adding, “And it seems to be running a little late."
Dieter caught a hint of surprise in Gerald's eyes for a split second, and then it was gone. “It'll be just another minute,” Gerald said stiffly before leading Dieter through the door and back to his office. He said nothing until the door closed behind them. “
Their attorney is Angus,” Gerald said softly. “This could be interesting."
"We rode up in the elevator together, and he didn't recognize me,” Dieter said.
"That's Angus. He only remembers people who he thinks will be of use to him.” Gerald paced for a few seconds, and Dieter watched and wondered what was going through Gerald's mind. “This really doesn't change much,” Gerald said as he stopped walking and looked at Dieter. “In fact, this might be to our advantage. Let's go to the conference room, and I'll have them escorted back."
Dieter nodded, still a bit confused, before following Gerald to a large conference room with plush chairs. Since they'd met, Gerald had been the strong one in their relationship, or at least that was how Dieter saw it, and for the first time, Dieter was worried about his lover. Lawsuit be damned—he didn't want to come between Gerald and his brother. A pitcher of water and some glasses sat on a tray in the center of the table, and Dieter poured himself a glass, gulping the water as Gerald took the chair next to him. “Dieter, this is Brian, my managing partner. He'll be joining us if that's all right with you."
"Of course,” Dieter stood up and shook Brian's hand. They'd met a few times, but Dieter hadn't remembered his name, and he was grateful Gerald had supplied the help.
"You know who the opposing attorney is?” Brian asked Gerald, and he nodded forcefully before standing up as Angus entered the conference room, followed by the two other men. Dieter saw no sign of surprise from Angus as he and his associates took seats across the table from them.
"Let's get this dispensed with, shall we? I've already filed a motion with the court to dismiss the case on the grounds of national sovereignty. The courts in this country have no jurisdiction, and you know it,” Angus explained forcefully, speaking to Brian, and Dieter lowered his eyes to the table.
"The Austrian government made money on the property in question in the United States—that means the courts do have jurisdiction and national sovereignty doesn't apply,” Gerald answered, and Angus's head snapped to his brother. “But before we go any further, I think introductions are in order. I'm Gerald Young, and this is Brian Watson, one of our partners.” Brian stood and shook hands with the other man. “This is Dieter Krumpf, our client.” Dieter shook hands with the other attorneys and saw the instant Angus recognized him.
"I'm Angus Young, and these are my associates, Steven Gillespie and Jonas Holt, and so there's no misunderstanding, Gerald Young is my brother,” Angus added to his associates before taking his seat once again. “That still doesn't change the fact that your case is really reaching."
Gerald didn't rise to the bait. “Your client requested this meeting, so we're not going to debate the case here. That's for court.” He spoke strongly and confidently, which Dieter found a little exciting. “So why don't you come to the point."
Dieter felt his eyes shift from Angus to Gerald and then back, like he was watching some sort of imaginary tennis match.
"I've also submitted a motion to have your ‘evidence’ gathered at the Belvedere suppressed. There's no way to know those copies are genuine, and without access to the original documents, they can't act as proof, and you know it.” Angus glared across the table, and Dieter's eyes shifted back to Gerald.
Opening his case, Gerald pulled out one of the copies they'd obtained. “You mean the official seal on the document from the Belvedere itself isn't enough? You should have done your homework, Angus. All the copies were certified by the Belvedere and consequently the Austrian government, since they own the institution, so I tend to believe your motion to suppress will be denied, just like all the other frivolous motions you can come up with. Is there anything else? Or did you come here simply to throw your excess weight around. That may work with other people, but not with me,” Gerald added, and Dieter swung his eyes to Angus, who looked almost murderous. “I have provided copies of all the documentation we're using to prove our case. It's quite voluminous and very thorough, so you'll need to be on the top of your game with this one. Is there anything else?"
"No.” Angus stood up and walked toward the door of the conference room before turning around dramatically. “My client has authorized a return of the seven non-Pirktl paintings in return for dropping this baseless suit right now, but that offer terminates when I leave this room.” Angus turned and took a step toward the door. Dieter's heart pounded in his chest, and his eyes turned to Gerald, wondering what he was going to do or say. He didn't know how he felt about just those paintings, but getting them back would be something. Gerald never looked at him, though; his eyes were glued on his brother. Angus took another step toward the door.
"About those particular works of art,” Gerald started to say, and Angus turned with a smug look on his face. He looked as though he thought he'd won, and Dieter felt his heart sink slightly as he looked at Gerald. “I contacted a friend in the art-theft division of the FBI. He works closely with Interpol on a lot of cases, including a case last year that returned two Rubens stolen from a museum in Spain. It seems he's contacted his colleagues at Interpol, and they're quite interested in those seven paintings. They were fascinated to think that the Belvedere is in possession of stolen art.” Gerald's voice seemed so confident and self-assured, but his brother's face fell and his eyes burned at Gerald. “So I suggest you inform your client that in order to avoid an investigation into their entire collection as well as international press and scrutiny, those seven paintings will be returned to my client immediately. And just so we're clear, the lawsuit will continue. We're not backing down,” Gerald said firmly, and though he hadn't raised his voice much beyond a whisper, the power behind it was more than evident.
"Shouldn't you ask your boyfriend what he wants?” Angus asked with a raise of his eyebrows in his direction, and Dieter shifted in his seat. He actually opened his mouth to say something, but Gerald beat him to it.
"I know what he wants. Those paintings that hang in that gallery in Vienna are his family legacy. The Woman in Blue is a portrait of his great-grandmother. These aren't some nameless pieces of art being grabbed at by some greedy divorcee, like your usual clients. These are a link to his past, and they belong to him. They were stolen from his family first by the Nazis and then by the Austrian government. So take that back to your clients along with the fact that we will fight them with every weapon in our arsenal, and that includes the media. They'll eat this up, especially against a foreign government."
Angus moved back to the table and leaned over it, his face right in Gerald's. “You don't want to take me on, little brother,” he hissed.
Gerald stood up, leaning back across the table. “No. You don't want to take me on, old man. I'm going to screw with you six ways from Sunday. I've seen you in court, and I know how you operate. So I suggest you go back to your office and give your clients the bad news. Because we will drag them through so much mud, the Viennese tourist board is going to wonder why there are no Americans in town. Now, you have a lot of explaining to do, so I suggest you go to it.” Gerald motioned his head toward the door. “I'll expect to hear from you soon regarding the tracking numbers for the shipment of seven paintings. My offer is limited, and then I let loose the hounds."
Gerald sat back down, and Dieter watched as he turned to him. “Just tell me when he's gone,” he said very softly, and Dieter met Gerald's eyes before glancing up as the three opposing attorneys left the conference room. Dieter saw Brian get up and close the door behind them.
"They're gone, Gerald,” Brian said before bursting into ecstatic laughter. “Jesus Christ, I thought he was going to shit a brick when you mentioned the FBI and Interpol. Remind me never to play poker with you."
Gerald turned his head toward the other attorney. “I wasn't bluffing. These officers on the art-recovery teams would love nothing more than to have reason to go into these museums and make them produce provenance for every item in their collections. Most museums have items in their collections that don't really belong to them. The Metropolitan in New York recently r
eturned a number of items that were found to be looted art that had made its way into their collection over the years. The Austrians were among the worst in getting looted art that was turned over to them back to its owners,” Gerald explained before turning back to Dieter. “Are you okay?"
Dieter nodded, still barely able to believe what he'd just seen. “I guess so."
"Brian,” Gerald said, “would you give us a few minutes?"
"Of course.” Dieter saw Brian leave the room, and he wanted to throw himself at Gerald to feel the other man's arms around him.
"What's bothering you? Don't say ‘nothing’ because I can tell by the way you're biting your lips that something has you shaken,” Gerald said as he touched Dieter's arm, fingers brushing lightly over his skin.
"I don't want to come between you and your family.” Dieter could no longer meet Gerald's eyes and looked toward the floor. He'd never had brothers and sisters, or much of a family, except Gram and Auntie Kate, and he didn't want to be the cause of Gerald losing his. “The way Angus looked, he's going to be mad at you forever."
"No, he won't, and so what if he is? I was doing my job, and he was doing his. That comes with the territory.” Dieter felt Gerald's fingers under his chin and he lifted his head. “If you want me to step away from this case, I will. You are more important than any legal case, and you're also more important to me than my brother, who, in case you haven't guessed, is a bit of an ass, even on a good day. I don't want you to feel bad about anything."
"Is this one of those client/boyfriend separation things?"
"No. Not this time. This is one of those, ‘I don't want my boyfriend to feel bad because I had to do my job’ things. This is what I do, and I'm good at it. I know I looked angry with Angus, but that was just an act. The same as he was acting with me, at least partially. Part of the job is trying to intimidate your opponents. It's a bit of gamesmanship, and today I showed him we're not a team to be messed with."