Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:12:43 +1100 From: Marcus McNally Subject: Love On The Rocks - 13 This story contains sexual situations between males. If material of this nature offends you then you should not read this story. If you are under 18 years of age you are probably not legally allowed to read this story. This story is purely a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons living or dead, or to events that may have occurred, is purely coincidental. The author claims all copyrights in this story and no duplication or publication of this story is allowed (except by the web sites to which it has been posted) without the consent of the author. ************* In the distance I could hear raucous laughter and I was pleased that Scott and Simon seemed to be hitting it off. While I hoped that Scott might find a like-minded soul to hold his hand – and maybe other body parts – as he took his first exploratory steps into the world he seemed destined to be part of, I was happy knowing that if nothing else, they'd be friends and that Scott would have someone closer to his own age as a friend and possible confidante for the next few weeks. Making my way to the kitchen, I realised I'd left it a bit late to get anything substantial organized for dinner, and boys of Scott and Simon's age would no doubt be famished after burning up all that energy romping on the beach. I might have known that George would have everything in hand. "Good evening sir," George smiled. "Did you and Mr Hill enjoy your `nap'?" "Yes thanks George, we did," I grinned. "It was, er, just what we needed!" "I wasn't sure what to do about dinner," George continued, "and I didn't want to disturb you. So I thought I'd keep it simple. I've made beer-battered trevally with potatoes and salad, and for dessert, caramelized banana parfait with honeycomb, and chocolate sorbet." My shoulders slumped. "George, I swear, if it wasn't for Ty getting in our way ..." "Yes, sir, I know," he smiled. "But you're still a hundred years younger than me. I'd be cradle-snatching." We both jumped when the kitchen door swung open and the room was suddenly alive with two excitable young men, keen to fill us in on their afternoon. Ty joined us in time to hear about Scott's driving lesson, and how Simon had taught him to reverse park without mounting the kerb. As Ty quietly uncorked a bottle of wine, Simon suddenly realised we were getting ready for dinner. "Ah, I'd better get going," he said. "Maybe we can catch up tomorrow Scotty?" Before Scott could answer, I jumped in. "Would you like to join us for dinner?" I asked. Immediately, Ty looked up. It wasn't quite a glare. He looked at me questioningly, but said nothing. "Hey, that'd be great," Simon grinned. He looked at Ty and added, "If that's OK with you?" Ty shrugged. "Sure, I guess." Something about Ty's indifference annoyed me. "Ty? Is it OK or not?" Ty looked momentarily stunned. "Sorry, yeah of course it's OK if you stay, Stephen." It was Scott's turn to be annoyed. "His name's Simon, Ty," he snapped. "Simon". Ty looked embarrassed. "Yeah, Simon. Sorry." "Well if you're sure," he said uncertainly. "Better just go ring my folks and let them know though." Simon wandered out on to the balcony, while Ty disappeared into the lounge, leaving George, Scott and me in the kitchen. "What the fuck's wrong with him?" Scott asked, before turning to George. "Sorry." "Don't sweat it, Scott," I reassured him. "He's just having trouble adjusting to his baby brother growing up." "I'm not a baby!" Scott said defensively. "Mate, I know that," I said. "Leave Ty to me. Just let it rest." ********** The awkward moments now forgotten, dinner was a pleasant enough affair. Ty was fairly quiet, but Scott and Simon's happy chatter covered the gaps. George's battered trevally got the thumbs up from all of us, and the parfait and sorbet was a winner, especially with the Hill boys, both great lovers of chocolate. I made a mental note that chocolate seemed to lift Ty's spirits, a handy hint for the next time he was being churlish. We thanked George and I cleared the table for him. I offered to help him with the washing up, but he shooed me from the kitchen. I poured another wine for Ty and myself and wandered back to the lounge, where Scott and Simon were watching TV. Ty was sitting at the desk in front of his computer, opening the email attachments containing his album artwork. I put his glass of wine next to his keyboard and stood behind him as he opened artwork files. With the boys preoccupied by a sports program, I leaned over and tweaked Ty's nipple. He didn't respond but in the reflection of the computer screen I saw a smirk. The cover looked pretty good. It featured a close-up shot of Ty's head and shoulders filling most of the cover, his name emblazoned in the top right corner. Presumably the album title, once it had been agreed, would run across the bottom of the cover. "What do you think, mate?" he asked. "It's pretty good," I replied truthfully. "It's a great head shot. Pity they didn't send a few choices though." "I'm pretty OK with it as it is," Ty said. "I still don't see why it needs a title. It's my album so why shouldn't it just be called `Tyson Hill'?" During a commercial break, Scott and Simon had made a beeline for the kitchen for beer, and on their return, wandered over to the desk and looked at the screen. "Hey, that's pretty cool!" Scott enthused, and Ty seemed pleased. "The only thing is, the photo's a bit big. It's too `in your face'" Ty thought about it for a moment. "Maybe it shouldn't just be a head shot," he suggested. "They could use a shot of me with my guitar. It's what I do." "How about you Simon?" I asked. "Do you like it?" "Yeah, sort of," Simon replied. Ty's irritated sigh was audible. Here we go again. I pushed the point. "Well spill it Simon," I encouraged. "None of us can really be objective. If you think there's anything wrong with it, now's the time to speak up." Behind Ty's back, Simon looked questioningly at me. "Go on," I said. "I'm interested in your opinion," I added pointedly. There was a pause before Simon spoke. "Well," he hesitated. "I think a shot of Tyson with his guitar would be playing it too safe. That's what the first album had on the cover. And just calling it `Tyson Hill' doesn't really say anything. It just names the `brand', but it doesn't tell you what the album's all about." Ty, I could tell instinctively, was riled. He spun around on his chair and said, in as controlled a voice as he could manage, "So, you're an expert then?" Scott and I simultaneously held our breath, and all of a sudden Simon found his balls. With confidence he shot back, "I did graphic arts as a VCE subject. I got a high distinction, and a final score of 96." Ty grunted. Simon continued, "The album needs a proper title, and your name shouldn't be in the right hand corner, because that's where the record stores put their price stickers, so you risk having your name covered up." Ty softened. "Yeah, maybe you're right," he said quietly, rubbing his chin and staring at the cover again. "The photo's good," Simon continued, with building confidence. "It could be reduced a bit so there's more of your shoulders and chest, and your name could run across the top left corner, a bit larger than it is now so it's immediately seen when people are flicking through CD racks." "Actually, that's a great point," Ty nodded. Simon was on a roll. "And as for a name for the album, do you want to use a song title again, like you did with `Love On The Rocks'? What do you think of `Hill Songs'? That's what the album's full of." "Not bad mate!" Ty enthused, clearly impressed. "Hey, thanks Simon." George was walking across the room and clearly couldn't help himself. "His name's Stephen, Mr. Hill!", which cracked Scott and me up. Even Ty laughed. Pulling up a second chair in front of the computer screen, Ty said, "You wanna sit down and look at the back cover with me?" "Sure," said Simon, looking for the OK from Scott. I knew it was time for us to fade into the background. "Come on Scott, let's watch TV." We engrossed ourselves in a `Seinfeld' re-run as Simon and Ty exchanged opinions on the back cover artwork. After half an hour, Simon ended the discussion with advice that while the track listing in red type looked great on the screen, it would look flat and almost unreadable when it was printed, especially on a dark background. He was suggesting to Ty that the song titles should be in white and the font should be slightly larger, and Ty was busily making notes. As Ty shut down the computer and he and Simon stood, Simon said "I could come over tomorrow and do a mock-up of what we've talked about, if you like. I can bring an artwork disk." "Hey, that'd be great. I could show my manager how it would look instead of trying to describe it." "Great," Simon smiled. "What time suits you?" Scott and I looked at each other in surprise when Ty unexpectedly replied, "Well, it's kinda late. Do you wanna stay the night and we can get stuck into it in the morning?" Simon concealed his own surprise and said, "Sure, that'd be great." I jumped in with, "I'll get George to put towels in the fifth bedroom". As Simon again walked to the balcony to phone his parents, I took advantage of the distraction to ask Scott to help me clear the glasses from the coffee table. When we were in the kitchen with George, I turned to them both and said, "Scott, I'm happy for Simon to stay, but George, you'll need to throw some of my clothes all over the fourth bedroom, and make the bed look like it's been slept in. That'll be my room tonight." "What's the problem?" Scott asked, surprised. "Scott," I said, taking a deep breath. "I think Simon's a great guy and he's proved to me that he's discrete. But people talk. You know the situation Ty's in, and to the outside world there's no `Ty and Mike'. I'm here as his lawyer and we're `working on contracts'." "OK Mike," Scott sighed. "I know Simon wouldn't say anything, but you're right. That's cool." While Scott showed Simon where he'd be sleeping, I wandered into our bathroom to grab some toiletries and some pajama bottoms. Ty followed me. "I'm sorry for the way I behaved," he said sheepishly. "He's a nice kid, Ty. You were a bit rough on him." "I know. I do like him. I guess I just don't want Scott to get hurt." "He can look after himself, mate," I smiled. "He's a big boy now." Ty quickly slipped his jeans and jocks down to his thighs. "I'm a big boy too!" he smirked. "Yes you are!" I groaned. "And you're cruel. You know we can't. I'll take a rain check though!" I grabbed my guy and planted a wet one on his smacker. "I love you mate, even though you're fuckin' hard work!" We returned to the lounge, said goodnight to Scott and Simon, and made sure they were aware we were heading to bedrooms in separate directions. ********** Sometime around 2am I woke. I'd rolled over and instinctively reached for Ty and realised he wasn't there. I sat up and looked around in the dark before realising, of course, we were in separate rooms. I registered an urgent need to piss. Shouldn't have had that last glass of wine ... It was my piss horn that signaled the need. I'm usually happy to see Mr Swollen, but half asleep, I cursed him. I stumbled to the main bathroom and finally managed to get the flow happening, but by then I was more awake than I really wanted to be. As I shook my dick, I thought of Scott and Simon. Had they stayed in their separate rooms? Or had they gone to their rooms and stayed there until the old guys in the house fell asleep? And was it really any of my Goddamn business? Well, yes, in some ways it was my business, seeing I'd taken it on myself to bring the two of them together in the first place. Should I check? The lawyer in me was warning "invasion of privacy", but the responsible adult in me was reminding me that I needed to be up to par with where they were at, lest things move too quickly. Responsible adult won. I thought it over as I plodded to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and took the long route back to my bedroom via bedrooms three and four. I stopped outside Simon's bedroom. I was so tired, I put my head against the door and listened. I heard light snoring. I shuffled to Scott's bedroom and again, tiredness saw me resting my head against the door. Complete silence. Well, obviously Scott doesn't snore. Or, maybe he's in Simon's room and Simon has had his evil way with him, and then rolled over and started snoring? Was any of this my fucking business? No. I should leave them alone. I sleepily thought it through and decided I was a bad person for even considering checking on them. Interfering and manipulative. Didn't stop me quietly opening Scott's door, though. I was relieved to see Scott's sleeping body, bathed in a splash of moonlight from a crooked wooden blind. My eyes moved from the top of the sheet up. He was covered to just under his belly button, and the start of his dense treasure trail. A flat stomach, well defined pecs and a graceful neck. So like his brother. I silently closed the door, and reminded myself that I'd done what I just did in case evil work had been afoot in our holiday home, before tottering back to my room. I stood in the doorway and gazed at my empty bed. I knew I'd never get back to sleep on my own. I was throwing caution to the wind, but I walked to the room I'd shared so far with Ty, and slipped beneath the covers. He was lying on his side, breathing evenly. I spooned behind him and cradled him in my arms. Within a minute, he moved and I rolled on to my back, and I was amused – and touched – to have him once again shift so that his head was resting on my chest. I stretched my arm to encircle his shoulders and the last thing I remember was kissing him on the top of his head. *********** Fortune smiled the next morning and I was awake by 6.30. There was time for me to slink back to the other bedroom, and nobody in the house would be any the wiser. Ty had moved and was lying on his back, his head turned towards me. I briefly toyed with the idea of waking him and making love, but he looked so peaceful I didn't have the heart. How I loved him, this incredibly beautiful man. I leaned in and very lightly kissed his forehead before throwing back to the covers. Still in pajama bottoms, I started to tiptoe towards the other bedroom. I almost leapt out of my skin when a hand touched my shoulder, and I spun around to see a fully-dressed George with a finger held in front of his lips in the `shhh' position. "Simon is using the bathroom," he whispered. "Slip into the music room until I tell you the coast is clear." I nodded, and did as I was told. I heard the toilet flush and a couple of minutes later, George walked in and let me know Simon was back in his room. "Thanks George," I whispered. "By the way, I'm thinking this morning we might all sleep in til 8 and then you can wake us all and we'll have breakfast together." "Very good, sir," George replied. "Eight it is." I crept back to my room, slipped into bed and despite being alone, I managed to fall back to sleep, rousing only when I heard a knock on my door. I ignored it. A louder knock followed. "Yes," I called out sleepily. The door opened and George stuck his head in. "It's 8, Mr Stewart," he said quietly. "Breakfast will be served on the kitchen balcony at 8.30." I lay in bed for a few minutes, waking up. I yawned, stretched and climbed out of bed. I decided I'd worry about a shower after breakfast, stripped off my pajama pants, threw on some shorts and a tee-shirt, and headed for the kitchen. I walked in to find Simon and Scott yawning and scratching, and pouring fruit juice. Scott was wearing a pair of striped cotton boxers and Simon, to my surprise, was completely unselfconscious in a pair of tight-fitting polyester boxer briefs which clung to his body and showcased a basket that was impossible to miss. I did try not to look, but hey ... We all mumbled "mornin'", and I was pouring a juice myself when Ty wandered in bare-chested, wearing a pair of track pants. There was another round of "mornins'" before I grabbed a second glass and poured Ty a juice. George took over and herded us, like dazed sheep, on to the balcony where the table was set. To one side was an extender table covered by a white cloth, with cutlery, white plates, white napkins and every possible crockery configuration. While we all made sleepy small talk, George ferried platters and bowls to and from the kitchen and finally announced, "please help yourself". What a spread! A choice of cereals and muesli, fried bacon, scrambled eggs, freshly sliced fruit, toast, muffins, preserves, and a pot of steaming hot coffee. "Thanks George!" we chorused, before tucking in. Simon and I took toast, a small plate of fruit and a coffee each, while Ty and Scott stacked one plate each with bacon, eggs, toast and muffins and piled another high with fruit. Simon caught my eye and I winked. "Hollow legs," I grinned. Midway through his second helping, Ty's mobile rang and he took a call from Vince, while Simon, Scott and I talked about the day ahead. Simon decided he'd go home after breakfast to get the software programs that would allow him to manipulate Ty's album cover artwork. "I think Mum and Dad would like to meet you," Simon said. "They're pretty cool, but I think they're just curious about whose house I'm staying at. They just wanna make sure you're not a serial killer!" I chuckled. "Sure mate. I'll drive you there and say g'day, and Scott can come too. We'll charm the pants off them!" "Oh, please don't!" Simon laughed, screwing up his nose. Ty returned to his half-eaten meal and announced that Vince would be sending through MP3 files of the final mixes of the 10 tracks for his new album, which he needed to listen to and sign off on by the end of the day. Breakfast over, we all headed for the showers. The house had three, and once Simon and Scott made their way to the first two, Ty and I disappeared into our shared bathroom, stripped and slipped under the spray. We knew there was no time for fooling around, but that didn't stop us soaping each other's body, paying special attention to those areas we knew and loved the most. "Hey," Ty said, "I think I dreamt you were cuddling me last night!" "You weren't dreaming, mate," I grinned. "I had to piss at 2 and I climbed in with you until 6.30." "Why didn't you wake me?" he asked. "You looked too peaceful. I kissed you, though. And felt you up." "In my sleep?" "Yup," I grinned. "Isn't that date rape or something?" "I'm the lawyer, mate. You'll never make it stand up in court!" "If you're in the courtroom, it will!" he laughed. We dried quickly, dressed, and were back in the lounge before either of the boys had finished their ablutions. ********** I grabbed my wallet and keys and hollered from the foyer, "C'mon guys!" Scott and Simon bounded to the door and we hopped in the car and headed for Simon's parents' rental property, only as couple of kilometers away. We were welcomed inside by Simon's parents Rob and Jill and, introductions complete, we were offered tea and biscuits while Simon went in search of the software programs he needed. "So, Scott's your son?" Rob asked. I laughed. "Thanks! Do I look old enough to be his dad?" "Well, no," Rob replied, clearly embarrassed. "No, I'm staying down the road with a mate of mine and Scott is his brother," I explained. "Rob's an insurance broker," Jill said. "What do you do?" "Entertainment lawyer," I replied. "That sounds exciting," she enthused. "I enjoy it," I smiled. "It's pretty full-on, so I'm enjoying the sea change." Simon's sister Rachelle chose that moment to make her entrance. I stood for the introduction, and said a friendly hello. She was a pretty girl. I saw her gaze fall to Scott and I was reminded of the same look on the face of the girl who disembarked with him at Brisbane airport the afternoon I picked him up. "This is Scott," I said, as he too stood. "Hi," she beamed. "Nice to meet you. Has anyone ever told you, you look like that singer. Tyson Hill?" Scott laughed. "Yeah, I get that a lot," he grinned. "Unfortunately I can't sing a note!" We exchanged pleasantries for a while longer, until Simon emerged with his disks. We thanked the Millers and hit the road. I stopped in the township and called George. "Have you started lunch yet, George?" I asked. "Not yet, sir. I've just been thinking about it." "You can have a break," I chuckled. "The shitheads in the back seat are pushing for pizza, so I'll bring some in with me. Maybe if you could just throw together a salad?" "Very well, sir" George sighed. "Try and sneak a meatless pizza in with the others." ********** Lunch was quick – the boys seemed to inhale their pizzas. To George's surprise, Scott began to the clear the table while Simon and Ty made their way to the computer and Simon loaded the software to manipulate the CD artwork files. George and I looked at each other and smiled. Once the dishes were stacked on the sink, Scott began filling the basin with suds, before carefully hand-washing each piece of crockery and cutlery. "Voluntarily doing chores, mate?" I laughed. "Do you have a fever?" Scott chuckled. "Simon says he and his sister have to do the dishes after every meal. He reckons I'm lazy." I congratulated myself on my skill in picking boyfriends, even for somebody else! George instinctively picked up a tea towel and was about to start drying dishes when I took it from him. "You've earned a break, George," I smiled. "Have a cup of coffee and read the paper. We'll take care of this." George protested, of course, but he was frog-marched to the balcony. Scott and I worked our way through the whole lunch load, and started putting them back in cupboards and drawers. "So, lazy boy," I asked, "what plans do you and Simon have for today?" "We're going to the beach for some sun and a swim," he replied. "Then Simon has to go to work. The supermarket's open late tonight and he's working from 5 til 9." The kitchen spotless, Scott and I moved to the lounge to find that Simon had made short work of manipulating the artwork files and we looked at the results on the screen. Without doubt, the changes he'd suggested made a huge difference, and both the front and back covers were noticeably improved. Ty was as pleased as punch. "This kid's a genius!" he grinned. Scott and I congratulated Simon, who seemed genuinely happy to have been able to help. "Seeing we're all here," Ty continued, "wanna listen to the final mixes of the tracks for the album?" We all sat on couches as Ty opened a media player and lined up the MP3s to play sequentially, and from the start we listened closely. Scott and Simon were hearing them for the first time, but I knew most of the songs from the rough mixes Ty had brought home to my apartment in Melbourne at the end of his sessions. Something in the final mixing process had brought them to life and made them sparkle. When we'd heard all 10 tracks, I was the first to tell Ty I thought they were fantastic and that his album would be awesome. I congratulated him on pushing for more stripped back tracks this time. It gave the album a nice balance, sitting comfortably as they did between the fuller band tracks. Scott was equally complimentary, confidently predicting the album would sell "a zillion copies". Ty seemed happy with our reaction. "And you, Simon?" he asked. "What do you think?" There was no hesitation on Simon's part this time. "I think overall, it's a killer album, and the perfect follow- up to `Love On The Rocks'. The second album is always the tricky one, and I think you've nailed it ..." He paused. "But?" Ty questioned. "Well, maybe just a minor thing. Only my opinion, of course." "Let's hear `it." "Well, I noticed on the third track, is it `To The Outside World'? It might just be me, but I thought the volume of the vocal dipped a bit after the bridge. Only slightly, but it's noticeable." Ty played the track back. "You're right!" he exclaimed. "Well spotted. That's easily fixed. What's your favourite track?" "I'd need to hear it all again, but `Angels On High' is a standout. And I really like `Open Letter To You'." As Ty scribbled down notes for the call to Vince he'd be making, Simon and Scott wandered into the music room, and both sat at the piano. Scott played his party piece – `Chopsticks' – which made Simon laugh. "You can do better?" Scott challenged. Without missing a beat, Simon began to vamp "Game Of Chance", the second single from `Love On The Rocks'. His playing was faultless. I was standing in the doorway and I meant it when I said, "That was incredible, mate!" Scott seemed equally awestruck. "You play piano too?" he asked. "Yeah," Simon replied sheepishly. "I learnt for years. I've got the sheet music folio for `Love On The Rocks', and `Game Of Chance' was always a favourite." Encouraged by the praise, Simon took a stab at "Angels On High", which admittedly, he'd heard only once. It wasn't very good. After several false starts, he gave it another shot and I could tell he was improvising. By now, he had Ty's attention. He put down his pen and joined me in the doorway. "What's that, mate?" Ty asked. "It was supposed to be 'Angels On High'," Simon mumbled, clearly embarrassed that Ty couldn't identify it. "That fiddly bit in the middle?" Ty queried. "The fill. What were those chords?" "I don't know. I just made it up." "Can you do it again?" "I'll try," said Simon, and as he proceeded to play the same progression of notes. "That bit!" said Ty excitedly. "Stop there." "That's where the flute comes in," Simon explained, self-consciously. "I just played a fills higher than the melody to make it stand out a bit. I was just pissing around ..." "Shift over," said Ty, and Simon slid to the left of the stool as Scott stood up. Ty began to play the piece perfectly, and experimented with variations of Simon's fill. "Maybe when the flute melody comes to an end, I could change the piano backing to a minor key? Then the instrumental section comes in in 7/8 and holds through the second verse, before dropping back to 4/4? What do you think guys?" I laughed. "Great idea Ty! Whatever the fuck that meant!" "Ditto," giggled Scott. "That would really work," Simon smiled. "It gives the song a climactic moment in the middle, which is brilliant!" "OK men," said Ty, hopping up from the stool. "I have work to do." Scott cleared his throat. "That's today's music lesson over," he said. "Weren't we going to beach, Si?" Simon looked at his watch. "Yeah, right. Sorry Scott. Let's go." The boys kicked off their shoes, grabbed beach bags and headed for the balcony stairs, Ty calling after them, "Have fun. Don't forget sunscreen." As they disappeared, I turned to Ty. "Change of heart about Simon?" Ty smiled. "'Change Of Heart'? I like that. I could write it piano voce ..." "I'd better get a co-writing credit for suggesting the title ..." "Yeah, 10 percent of the lyric is industry standard," he grinned. "Seriously, mate," I said. "I told you he was a good kid." "I know," Ty replied. "You were right. Don't rub it in." "Actually, with the boys out of the way, I was thinking maybe I'd get to rub it in!" Thwarted again! Ty's phone rang and he said hello to Vince. He looked at me and shrugged as he sat down at his desk and started discussing all the points he and Simon had talked through last night and today. Doubtless, it would be a long call. I walked into the kitchen, poured a glass of orange juice and was about to grab my book and read for a while when my own mobile rang. Monique! "Hey Monique! How you going?" "Good thanks Mike! Do I have some great news for you!" Monique went on to tell me what she had unexpectedly been able to organize and as the details unfolded, I got more and more excited. "Mate, you're the greatest!" I raved. "I can't believed you pulled it off!" "Yeah," Monique chuckled. "It's a great way for Ty to celebrate his 30th!" Shit! I knew, of course, that Ty was 29, but for some reason I hadn't registered the fact that this Saturday marked the Big 3-0. "I don't know how to thank you Mon," I said. "Next time I see you I'll take you out for a slap-up meal!" "You're on, mate!" she chuckled, before telling me the name of the Warner Music publicist and his mobile number. "He knows all about it so you shouldn't have any hassles." I hung up, and could barely wipe the smile off my face. My surprise would be Friday, the day before Ty's birthday, so what to do on the actual day? As Friday would involve a trip to Brisbane, I suddenly had an idea. With Ty still deep in conversation with Vince, I grabbed my laptop and jumped online, clicking through sites until I found what I was looking for. I phoned and made all the necessary arrangements. I was logging off when Ty wandered on the balcony. "Vince was OK about pretty much everything," he said, looking relieved. "He took some convincing about the album title, but he's come around now I think. Sorry mate, but I need to call the producer in Sydney and talk through the changes to the three mixes with him so he can get everything done to meet the deadline." Ty wandered back to the lounge and made the call to his producer. George appeared with two glasses of white wine, handed me one and put the other on Ty's desk. I walked out to the kitchen balcony to figure out how I was going to pull everything together without Ty knowing. As I gazed at the water, I could see Scott and Simon splashing in the shallows. Naked! There's one less mystery for them both. Thankfully, Ty was still deep in conversation with his producer, although with his about-turn towards Simon, perhaps there was nothing to worry about ... My concentration was broken when my mobile rang again ... unknown caller. I took it, and was surprised to be greeted by Ben Chappell, my mate from The Song Factory, who looked after the publishing catalogues of a few of Australia's best known songwriters. It was Ben I turned to right at the start for a publishing deal for `Love On The Rocks', and he'd successfully signed Ty after upping the ante to $250,000. "G'day Benny!" I said enthusiastically. "How are they hangin'?" "Hangin' loose and full of juice, mate!" he shot back. "How about you?" "Much the same, mate! Haven't heard from you for a while?" "Yeah, I know. Two things I wanna fill you in on." "Shoot." "OK, first up ... you heard of the new Hollywood blockbuster that's now in production – `Time And Tide'?" "Yeah, that's the one with Tom Hooper directing?" "You got it! We've just signed a deal with them to use "Deep Inside Of Me", from `Love On The Rocks' in the soundtrack, so we're gonna make a shitload of money, and so is Tyson! It'll also give him a big bite at the American market." "Man, that's fuckin' awesome!" I gasped. "Fuck! Does Vince know?" "Yeah, he told me to call you. He'll be emailing you the paperwork in a few days. He also wanted me to discuss something else with you. He sent us 6 tracks from Tyson's new album and we want the publishing. They're hits, mate, every one of them!" The lawyer in me rose to the surface. "How much?" When he told me what was on the table, my knees almost gave way. "Holy fuck! Mate, that's fantastic!" "So, it's a yes?" "Benny, you know I can't make that decision. I'd be feeling pretty confident if I was you, but Ty needs to sign off on it." "When can you talk to him?" "Can you wait until Monday?" "Shit, mate. Can't it be in the next 24 hours? What if someone else comes in over the top?" "Ben, I won't let that happen. I give you my word I won't talk to anyone else between now and then. There's a reason I need to wait. Trust me." "OK, Mike," he said. "It's a bloody good deal, mate. We won't let him down." "One thing, Benny. Can you make a formal offer in writing and email it to me?" We ended the call and I had to sit down. George, who'd been watching from the kitchen, approached me with a glass of water. "Are you alright, sir?" he asked. "George, I am so alright I think I might explode!" I grinned, chugging the entire glass in one hit. Little did Ty know it, but his 30th was shaping up to be one birthday he was never going to forget! ********** While Ty continued his long conversation with his producer, painstakingly explaining what he wanted and listening intently as the producer played back down the line the changes he was making to the song, I lay on the couch and mulled over the details that would enable me to make Friday and Saturday a complete surprise for Ty. My phone started ringing. Monique again. Vince had asked her for the exact address of the house we were renting so that Ty's team could arrange to have something delivered to mark his special day. I gave her the details and again thanked her profusely for what she'd managed to arrange. I looked at my watch and realised it was close to 4 o'clock. The boys had been on the beach for a couple of hours and I hoped they'd been careful in the harsh afternoon sun. I walked on to the balcony to see where they were, only to find they were almost back at the house. Thankfully, with their shorts back on. I watched them as they climbed the stairs and asked them if they'd enjoyed themselves? While they assured me they had, I immediately picked up on the subtle change in the body language between them. Scott seemed flushed, while Simon appeared a little self-conscious, like he was trying to not give anything away. Was it just mutual attraction? The first flush of desire? I hoped it was. I suddenly didn't want to think about the possibility that Scott might have thrown himself in the deep end and grabbed it all in one hit. But my homo hunch was that they were both just flustered. Infatuation was oozing from them as obviously as their sweat. My success as a lawyer has been largely down to my ability to instantly appraise people. I know how to read body language. I can sense nervousness within seconds. I can pick an excuse from 20 feet away, and I'm pretty good at identifying a lie the moment it's left someone's mouth (Although before Ty, I`d had partners who'd managed to lie through their teeth and somehow get away with it. Love's funny that way). "Um, I have to get going, Mike," Simon said. "I'm working at five and I've got to go home and change. Thanks for letting me stay." "My pleasure, mate," I smiled, extending my hand. "Thanks for helping Ty with the artwork, and for making those suggestions about the mixes. He's talking to his producer about them right now." Simon and Scott disappeared and returned a couple of minutes later, now wearing tee shirts and sandals, and carrying Simon's overnight bag and computer case. Simon said goodbye to George and waved to Ty, who put his hand over the phone's mouthpiece and said, "Thanks again mate! Hope to see you soon!" Scott walked Simon to his car and I went to discuss dinner with George. When Scott returned, he joined us in the kitchen, looking sheepish. He took a beer from the fridge and I asked him to grab two more. I opened both and handed one to George. "Could you take this in to Ty? He could probably do with a beer." I took advantage of George's absence to follow Scott on to the balcony. "So you boys had a good time?" I asked casually. "Yeah," Scott mumbled, not really able to look me in the eye. "It was ah, great in the water." As he gazed at the beach, my eyes fell to his neck. "Nasty bite you've got there, mate," I said, trying not to make my amusement obvious. Scott looked flustered. I reached out a hand and turned the collar of his tee-shirt upwards. "Perhaps don't let Ty see that," I said. "You know how he gets. In fact, maybe rub some toothpaste on it. There's an old wive's tale that it bleaches the skin and disguises the bruise." We were still on the balcony when Ty bounced in, full of enthusiasm. "Those mixes have all been changed and over the phone they sounded good. They're gonna be emailed to me as sound files tomorrow. I want Simon to hear them." "He was going to give me another driving lesson and then we were gonna hang out at his house," Scott said. "But I can get him to come here first so we can all listen." "Great," Ty grinned. "When's dinner?" "Probably an hour away, mate," I replied. "I'm gonna help George with the preparation, so why don't you guys go shoot some pool?" "Actually, I need to wash up," Scott said. "My hair's gone weird with the salt water and I've got sand in my butt crack!" Ty smirked, grabbed Scott by the scruff of the neck and started marching him out of the kitchen, saying "Don't suppose that means you and Simon were naked on the beach does it?" As the door swung shut I turned to George and said "So what's cookin'?" "I've kept it simple, if that's alright sir?" George replied. "I thought toasted Turkish pide bread with melted Swiss cheese and tomato relish, with sides of wok tossed green vegetables, fries with lime and chive aioli, and a plate of roasted pumpkin, nut brown butter and toasted pepitas. And then maybe fresh fruit and ice-cream. "Very simple, George," I smiled. "And very vegetarian, too!" "It's not a good thing to get meat into you every day, sir," he pokerfaced. "Although it doesn't seem to do you and Mr Hill any harm!" I blurted rather than laughed. "If you weren't hold that carving knife, George, I'd give you a slap across the back of the head!" ********** Within half an hour, dinner was underway and it would be another half hour before it was served. I left George to set the balcony table, and went to check on Ty and Scott. I was surprised they weren't in front of the TV, nor were they in the music room or the pool room. I checked our bedroom and heard voices from the en suite bathroom. I was about to walk in, but I stopped. In the bathroom mirror, I could see Scott in the tub and Ty sitting on the side of it, washing his brother's hair, just like he told me he'd done so often when Scott was little. It was a sweet sight. I knew I was eavesdropping, but I stayed where I was while they continued their conversation. "So you're off with Simon tomorrow, eh?" Ty asked. "Yeah, we have a cool time together." "He's a cool guy. It's good you're mates. I like him." "Then why were you so fucking rude to him, Ty? That was so embarrassing. And for Mike, too." "I know, Scott, and I'm sorry," Ty said. "Mike was right, like he always fucking is. I think I was worried about him coming here and catching on to Mike and me, and for now that's gotta be a private thing. And even more important than that, I didn't want you to get hurt. I could see straight away how much you like him. Yeah?" "Yeah, I like him," Scott admitted. "I like him a lot. He's a nice guy and he likes me too. He kissed me." "Really? And?" "Then he kissed me again," Scott laughed. And to make sure Ty laughed, he started singing "he kissed me in a way that I've never been kissed before, he kissed me in a way that I wanna be kissed for ever more ..." Ty did laugh; "Asshole!" And of course, he lightly smacked Scott across the back of the head. "Seriously mate," Ty continued. "I know where a kiss leads. Are you ready for this? You're only here for weeks, not the rest of your life. I don't want you to end up sad." "Thanks Ty," Scott sighed. "I know that. In my heart I want to have what you and Mike have, but in my head, I know this is probably only short term." "What Mike and I have only comes along when you've been around the block a couple of times," Ty said quietly. "And it usually only comes along once in a lifetime." "You really love him, don't you?" "Mate, more than you'll ever know." "That's what I want one day," Scott said reflectively. "Right now, I just want to know what it's like to suck a dick!" "Fuck me!" Ty laughed. "If Mum could hear what's come out of the mouth of her baby! Time to get dried and dressed. If we're late for dinner, George will start pacing." As Scott started to lift himself out of the tub, I crept back out the bedroom and returned to the kitchen to see if I could help. Once in a lifetime, eh? ... ********** It was interesting that it was Scott, usually a big meat eater, who mentioned how surprised he was that a meal without meat could taste so good. He ate his serve and then polished off what Ty and I had left on our plates. When George served our fruit and ice-cream, both Ty and Scott looked up at him with expectant puppy-dog faces. George rolled his eyes, walked back to the kitchen and returned with a squeeze bottle of chocolate sauce, which he placed on the table with a noticeable thud. Watching both boys hoe in was a sight in itself. Like starving cats with a bowl of cream. We traipsed into the lounge and, with nothing good on TV, we played a few rounds of poker, and a revelation for me in this new situation was that Ty and Scott find it perfectly acceptable to cheat, if it helps you win. "I'm not playing Monopoly with you bastards," I laughed, when the last of my coins disappeared into the Hill brothers' pockets. We watched the end of the late news, before the yawning started. Scott was the first to announce his departure. He lifted himself off the couch and, as he occasionally did, kissed both Ty and me on the head. "Goodnight," he yawned. "Goodnight mate," Ty replied. When Scott got to the door, Ty added, "Hey asshole!" "What?" "Don't think for a second toothpaste disguised that love bite!" Scott automatically put his hand across the side of his neck, unsure of what to say. Ty laughed. "Simon's obviously a great kisser!" Scott relaxed. "Yeah, he is! And apparently, I give great head!" With that he scurried out of the room and moments later, we heard his bedroom door close. Ty and I looked at each other. "Fuck me!" was all Ty said. Resisting the urge to say, "OK!" I simply smiled and said, "Our little boy is all grown up!" Ty smirked. "I suppose you give good head too?" "Not sure," I laughed. "Let's go find out!" We got up from the couch and headed for our bedroom. Passing the kitchen door I called out, "George, Ty and I are taking another nap!" ... ********** Always happy to have your feedback. marcusis32@live.com.au