Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:39:57 +1030
From: Marcus McNally <marcusis32@live.com.au>
Subject: Love On The Rocks - 36 AMENDED

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.

*************

I have no memory of leaving Ellie's hospital room or whether I even spoke.
All I remember is stumbling along the hallway to the lift and darting for
the hospital's entrance, desperately in need of air.  I sat there for a few
minutes trying to come to terms with what Ellie had just told me.

I somehow found a cab and needed to have the window open for air all the
way home, to stop me from being sick.  By the time I was back in my
apartment I think I was in shock.  I opened several redirected bills and
put them in a pile in order of payment due date, turned the television and
radio on, and started a load of washing even though there was only a shirt
and two pairs of boxers and socks in my laundry basket.

I turned on my laptop, checked my emails and my bank account balances,
ironed a business shirt for the next day even though I was on leave from
work, and for want of anything better to do, made a large fruit salad using
whatever fruit was in the bowl on my kitchen bench.

I kept finding myself things to do until about 1:30 in the morning when
sheer fatigue got the better of me and I undressed and crawled into bed.

There in the dark, reality came to call.  It started with a small tear in
the corner of one eye and before long the well burst and I literally cried
myself to sleep.  I didn't wake until almost eight and after a quick toilet
break I was back under the covers, hiding from the real world.

Here was me thinking I'd resolved to start afresh, and worried that Ty was
unable to move on.  In fact, he'd moved right on and I was the one left
feeling devastated.  I had hoped we might part friends with no hard
feelings, had hoped Ty might come to feel the same.  But he had managed to
fill whatever void I'd left in his life in next to no time at all.

I couldn't face the day, so I stayed in bed and ignored the phone when it
rang.  And rang.  I knew it would be Max checking in, but I wasn't ready to
talk just yet.  I finally crawled out of bed just after five in the
evening, driven by hunger and pleased I'd made a fruit salad the previous
evening.  I sat on the couch in boxers and a tee watching the news and
eating the fruit when my buzzer rang.

I dragged myself to the door and opened it to find Max carrying a bottle of
wine and some takeaway Indian food.  "You look fucking awful!" he laughed.

"Yeah, thanks Max," I sighed.  "Come on in."

I followed Max to the kitchen and stood by like `a shag on a rock' as he
found plates, cutlery and wine glasses.  He served the meal and we sat side
by side on kitchen stools to eat.

"So I take it you haven't had a great day?"

"I've had better," I grimaced.

"Anything Uncle Max needs to know?"

"I went to the hospital last night to see Lachlan and Ellie's babies."

"And Tyson was there?"

"No, it was just Ellie."

"So, what?  The babies are that ugly?"

I forced myself to smile.  "No, they're beautiful," I said, shaking my
head.  "And it was great to see Ellie.  She's a really special girl."

"So why the long face?"

I paused.  "She told me Ty's seeing someone."

"Oh."

"Yeah, that's what I thought.  Fuckin' oh!"

Max was quiet for a time while he mopped up his sauce with roti canai.  "Is
that such a bad thing, son?" he asked.  "You already turned off the life
support in this relationship.  You're free to get on with your life now."

"Yeah, I guess," I sighed.  "I just, I mean ... I just didn't think it
would happen so quickly."

"It's possibly a rebound thing.  Maybe he's trying to make you jealous?"

"That's not Ty.  He's very shy, Max.  I can't see him getting involved with
someone just to spite me."

"Seems to me that your `care factor' is pretty high."

"Well, I do care about him, Max," I said sharply.  "It's over, but that
doesn't mean I don't want him to be happy."

"Maybe this is his way of getting happy, Mike?  Don't you think it's time
for you to start thinking about your own happiness?"

I was about to argue, but why bother?  I knew Max was right.  I had shut
the relationship down, and Ty had obviously put `us' behind him, so it was
time for me to do the same.  In lawyer speak, the case was closed.

I sat and sipped my wine at the kitchen bench as Max washed the dishes.  He
said a couple of things but my mind was elsewhere.  He wiped the sink and
hung up his tea towel and looked at me.  "Are you sure you're gonna be OK?"

"Yeah," I said.  "I'll be OK."

"Why am I not buying it?"

Unexpectedly my eyes filled with tears.  "I'll be OK Max," I choked, as a
renegade tear fell and splashed on the bench.

"Let's get you packed," Max said.  "You're coming with me."

"No Max, really," I sniffled.  "I'm just having a moment."

"I'm going down to my holiday place at Shoalhaven Heads tonight," he said.
"And you're coming too.  My girls will be there, the weather's supposed to
be great and it's right on the water.  It'll be fun."

"Seriously Max, I'd just put a damper on the weekend for everyone," I
argued.  "I'll be perfectly fine on my own."

Max walked past me and into my bedroom.  I heard him open wardrobe doors,
and then I heard the clank of coat hangers.

"What are you doing?" I called.

"I'm packing your suitcase.  You'd better come and take over because I'm
about to rifle through your underwear drawer and I've been known to hunt
for souvenirs."

I trudged to my room and watched as Max folded my clothes.  "I don't think
this is a good idea, Max," I said.  "I'd rather stay here."

"Fine," he agreed.  "Then I'll stay here with you.  I'm not leaving you
alone.  And that means we'll have to share a bed.  Seriously, you'd be
better off at the Heads."

I sighed.  "OK Max, you win."  As I packed up my toiletries in the
bathroom, I admitted to myself that being obliged to be social rather than
self-absorbed right now was probably a good thing.

Max finished packing while I locked up the apartment and we were soon
pulling into the circular driveway of his waterfront Potts Point home.  If
I thought Ty and I had lived in comfort in Point Piper, Max took luxury to
a whole new level.  And he owned this joint!

He poured me a wine and opened the lounge doors onto the balcony while he
went about packing his things for the weekend.  As I walked onto the
decking, I was greeted by a hissing, growling Chocolate Pointer Siamese cat
wearing a diamond collar.  By the look of it, a real diamond collar.

"You must be Cleopatra," I said, trying to be friendly, but when I reached
out my hand to pat her it got swiped, drawing blood.  "Shit!" I yelled, and
the cat darted off down the outside stairs.

"Everything alright?" Max called.

"Your cat scratched me!" I called back.

"She's in one of her moods," Max said as he walked towards me with a wet
flannel.  "She knows I'm going away and she's in a right royal snit!  And
she doesn't like the kid from next door who I pay to come and feed her."

"She's a cat, Max," I chuckled.

"No, she's Cleopatra, the most famous Queen of them all."

"I could get her out of her mood.  I'd only have to open a can of cat food
..."

Max recoiled. "Canned cat food," he gasped.  "Cleopatra doesn't eat from a
can!  She has dry food for breakfast, sardines for lunch and fresh lobster
tail for dinner.  Except on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday nights when she
has mud crab."

"You treat her better than most guys treat their partners!" I laughed.

Max gave me a withering look.  "Be warned, Mike," he said.  "This could be
you in 20 years ..."

**********

Two hours later we were pulling into the elevated driveway of Max's
spectacular holiday hideaway at Shoalhaven Heads.  It was a standout piece
of architecture on one of the area's most prime pieces of real estate.  We
carried our bags inside and were immediately greeted by Hannah and Mia,
Max's two lovely daughters.  I'd not seen them since they were in school,
and I was reintroduced to them as one of Max's work colleagues in need of a
weekend sea change.

The girls had prepared a lavish seafood meal and we sat outside in the
breeze eating prawns, scallops and salad and drinking some excellent wine
from Max's extensive cellar.

It was nice to sit back and watch how easily the girls interacted with
their father, whom they clearly adored.  Max was putty in their hands, and
very witty.  The night flew by and before I knew it, the cleanup was
underway and sleep was beckoning.

After my offer to help clean up was declined, I was shown to a large guest
room with water views and a balcony, and a huge four-poster bed.  I said
goodnight to all and within an hour I was curled up and properly asleep for
the first time in days.

I had an unbroken sleep and felt relaxed when I woke just after eight.  I
lay in bed on my back with my hands behind my head, and gave some thought
to where I was right now in my life.  Well, I was in limbo, because I
hadn't quite given myself permission to move forward.  I realised sadly
that nothing was now holding me back.  Ty was seeing somebody else and in
one way, that took a fair amount of stress away from me.  I had been
worrying about the heartache I had caused him, but if he was able to start
a new relationship, then I could put that worry behind me.

The fact is, I had never thought of life beyond Ty.  I had never
entertained a thought of life without him in it.  Yes, I needed to move on,
but I had no strategy in place to do that.  Common sense should have told
me that I probably need to discuss it with someone professional, but the
lawyer in me refused to accept that I couldn't work it all out myself.  I
was still processing my thoughts when there was a light rap at my door.

"Come in" in called.

Max stuck his head in and said, "The girls have made breakfast, whenever
you're ready."

I lost myself in thought for a while more before showering and dressing and
joining the girls on the balcony.  Max had gone for his morning walk.  "He
bum watches on the beach!" Hannah laughed.

I hadn't intended to discuss my woes with anyone this weekend, but within
half an hour Max's daughters had cleverly extracted from me that my need
for a `sea change' was because I was a troubled soul who'd lost at love.
Ty's name wasn't mentioned of course, but I think they quickly sussed that
my affair of the heart was testosterone fuelled.

For the next 30 minutes I listened to their opposing advice.  Hannah
believed I should stick to my guns and let "him" make the first move.  Mia
thought I should swallow my pride and reopen the lines of communication.

"It can't be that hard," she smiled.  If only she knew ...

The weekend flew by and it was very enjoyable.  Max wanted to take us all
out to dinner on Sunday night but I insisted I repay them for their
hospitality by cooking them a meal.  I spent the afternoon strolling around
the few food stores in the Shoalhaven area that were open on Sundays,
finding something for us to eat.

I had to settle for Turkish bread with dips, penne with mushrooms and
courgettes in basil pesto with goat's cheese and finally, homemade trifle.
It wasn't prizewinning, but it got a nice round of applause at the end.

Over coffee and liqueur, we played a lazy game of Scrabble and the girls
filled their Dad in on the advice they'd given me about coping with my
breakup.  Max heard their opposing points of view and reflected for a
moment before speaking.

"Don't listen to either of them, son," he grinned.  "They're females; they
can't make a decision without consulting other females.  They're pretty
things, females ... but very strange.  Your judgment's always been good
Michael.  Just follow your instincts."

Hannah and Mia looked at one another and grins spread across their faces.
"Are you thinking what I'm thanking?" Hannah asked Mia.

"I think so!  Dean Kennedy?"

"You don't think he's too old?"  Hannah asked.

Mia looked at me.  "How old are you?"

"Stop this right now, girls!" Max chuckled, holding a hand up.  "Don't let
them do this Mike!  They'll have a dinner party organised before you know
it and they'll be in matchmaker Heaven!"

I laughed.  "Thanks you guys, but I'm nowhere near ready for that!"

"But Dean's so cute, Mike!  He's got the sweetest smile and he's a great
cook ..."

"Tell him to audition for the next season of `Masterchef'!" I chuckled.

Mia slumped back in her seat.  "Damn!  Well at least file him away, will
you?  We'll keep him on the backburner for when you're ready."

Max changed the subject and we sat around having a laugh for another hour
before it was time to turn in.  As soon as I turned my light off and slid
beneath the covers, my thoughts turned to Tim or Tom or whatever his name
was.  I couldn't begin to imagine life with someone else.  For so long I
had believed I'd found my soul mate and that naturally, we'd be together
and always love each other.  Knowing that was now not the case, I still
couldn't think of being with another person.

I curled up and willed sleep and the last thing I remember thinking was
whether I was destined to be alone for the rest of my days ...

**********

We were all up early on Monday morning.  The girls had their own homes and
individual lives to return to, and Max needed to hit the road early before
the traffic turned nasty, in order to be back in town for a client meeting.

We headed off after breakfast and the drive back to Sydney was relaxed.
Max kept the conversation light and rather than coax me to talk about how I
was feeling, he just went with random flows of conversation about nothing
important.

I convinced him to drop me at the office rather than risk being late for
his meeting by dropping me at home.  In the car park, I thanked him
profusely for his hospitality, took my suitcase and headed to the cab rank
on the corner.

I dropped my bags in the apartment and headed for the gym where I spent a
few hours working out and swimming.  I felt invigorated after all the
exercise and on my way back to the apartment I grabbed a baguette for
lunch, and picked up some more fruit and vegetables.

I had plenty to do, including the washing of sheets and towels.  The
apartment got a good vacuuming and I read the magazines from the weekend
newspapers that I didn't get around to while I was at Max's beach home.

I watched the television news as I threw together a simple vegetable curry
and I was sitting in the lounge room eating when my mobile rang.

"Hey Max!" I answered.

"The girl who just had the cute babies?"

"Ellie?"

"Yeah, she's rung twice today.  She wants you to ring her tonight after
ten.  She really wants to talk to you."

"Is everything alright?"

"How would I know?  I'm just the secretary.  I don't ask questions, I take
messages and pass them on."

"Thanks Max, I'll call her tonight."

After my meal, I folded and put away my washing and remade my bed.  I dozed
on the couch during some boring television and woke with a start when my
phone rang.

"It's Max.  That woman rang me again.  It's nearly 11pm."

"Sorry Max, I fell asleep," I yawned.  "I'll call her now."

I did a web search for Mater Hospital's number and asked to be put through
to Ellie's room.  It was late and she sounded tired when she answered the
phone.

"Is this too late to call?" I asked.

"Mike!" she enthused.  "No, of course it's not too late.  I'm so glad you
called."

In the background I heard a little voice gurgling and I smiled.  "Who's
that?  Awesome One, or Awesome Two?" I asked.

"Awesome One," Ellie giggled.  "Or as he's now known, Rodney.  Awesome Two
is Matthew."

"I thought you'd picked Archer?"

"We had, but when we had two boys, it just seemed like the perfect thing to
do, to remember Lachie's mates."

 "That's such a beautiful thing to do."

"Lachie's gonna make sure they're known as Roddy and Matty, just like his
mates were.  Their full names are Rodney Francis Scott Hill and Matthew
Tyson Michael Hill."

My voice choked. "Really?  You included me in the middle names?"

"Of course we did Mike.  Lachie and I wouldn't be together if it wasn't for
you.  Are you forgetting?"

"If my time with Ty counted for anything," I said pensively, "it was worth
it to get you and Lachlan together.  If that's my life's work, I'm proud of
it."

"I was wondering whether you'd like to come by tomorrow afternoon and see
the boys, now that they've got names?" Ellie asked.  "They've been asking
for you!"

I laughed.  "I'd love to see them, Ellie," I said genuinely.  "But I'm not
up to seeing Ty."

"Tyson's recording and mixing demos all of tomorrow, so early afternoon's a
good time.  Maybe one, one- thirty?"

"I'll be there.  Anything you'd like me to bring?"

"I'd love some good quality coffee," she giggled.  "The stuff they have in
here is like lumpy dirt!"

"Done!"

I managed to sleep OK, after pushing my sadness aside and thinking about
Lachlan and Ellie and their boys, how happy their life is and how much they
have to look forward to in bringing up their boys.

I woke the following morning with my persistent morning wood, but even by
keeping my eyes closed and focussing purely on the job in hand, I couldn't
get there.  No matter what fantasy place my mind took me to, Ty would poke
his head in.  I gave up in the end, and as I showered I realised it had
been weeks since I'd had any sexual release.

I decided to skip the gym and, after a light breakfast nearby, I caught a
bus to the Queen Victoria Building for a bit of shopping.

I headed to the Coffee House and had them make up a small hamper with an
assortment of fresh roasted and ground coffee beans and a good quality
plunger, which Ellie would be able to use in her hospital room.  In another
store, I found her a small drink heater in which she could boil water.

I wandered around the different levels of the QVB and eventually wound up
in an upmarket baby store where I marvelled at the clothing available for
babies and children.  Roddy and Matty were much too small for the adorable
Bebe baby sailor suits, and they were at least a year off being ready for
the blue and white Adidas leather boots.  I couldn't go past the navy blue
jumpsuits for newborns which came with letters.  I was in luck, they had an
`R' and an `M' in stock.  I bought them and had them beautifully boxed and
gift wrapped.

I had enough time for a light lunch before hailing a cab and heading to the
hospital, keen to see Ellie and the boys.

I felt momentary panic when I walked into her room and realised all her
boys were here – Roddy, Matty ...  and their Dad.

"Mike!" Lachlan beamed.  "Mate, it's so good to see you."

He was out of his chair and heading towards me.  I looked at Ellie and she
smiled.  I was engulfed in a bear hug and was unable to reciprocate because
my arms were full.

"Lachlan," I managed.  "I didn't expect to see you here."

Ellie said, "You only said you wouldn't want to be here at the same time as
Ty.  You didn't mention Lachie."

I sighed.  I walked to her bedside, leaned in and kissed her and presented
her with her gifts.  While she opened them and oohed and aahed, Lachlan put
his hands on my shoulders and said, "We've all missed you so much, Mike.
We've been really worried about you."

"I know Lachlan," I said softly, feeling flushed.  "I've missed all of you
guys too, but it's been difficult for me.  I've been trying to focus on
getting myself together before tackling everything else."

"Mate," Lachlan said seriously, "you're such a special part of this family.
We all know that, especially Ty.  He behaved disgracefully, we all know
that too.  But he's so sad, Mike.  Can't you two work it out somehow?"

My shoulders slumped and I stared at the floor, wishing I was anywhere
else.  "What would be the point now?" I asked bluntly.

"Huh?"

"Well, Ty's seeing someone else, so what would be the point of working
things out?"

"Seeing someone else?" Lachlan asked incredulously.  "Are you nuts?"

"That's what Ellie said."

Ellie looked up from the gift box of baby wear in shock.  "I did no such
thing!"

"You said, `I probably shouldn't tell you this, but Tyson's seeing
someone'."

There was a short silence as Lachlan and Ellie looked at each other in
alarm, and then Ellie put her hand over her mouth to stifle nervous
laughter.  "Sorry," she said.  "It's not funny, really ..."

"What's not funny?"

"Yes, I probably said Tyson was `seeing someone'.  I'm a bit sleep deprived
at the moment Mike.  What I meant is he's seeing someone
professionally. He's been seeing a counsellor to try and work out what his
issues are, and to find a way of dealing with them.  This has rocked him,
Mike.  He'll do whatever it takes to get you back"

"You mean he hasn't met someone else?"

"As if!" Lachlan said, almost defensively.  "Like he'd wanna replace you!
He's seeing the counselor like three or four times a week between his
commitments to the record company.  I've been to a few sessions with him,
for support, and it's been tough going."

"Oh," was all I could manage.

Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Nurse Carol, wheeling
the Awesome Brothers ahead of her.  "I have hungry boys!" she announced,
and then looked at me with narrowing eyes.  "I thought you were off to
London?"

"You're going to London?" Lachlan asked in surprise.  "Why?"

"Um, well, er ... my flight got cancelled."

"But why were you going to London?"

"He's not," Carol assured him.  "His sister here made it up so he could see
these fellas long after visiting hours had finished!"

"His sister?" Lachlan asked, confused.

"Shut up Lachie," Ellie said. "Sorry Carol.  It's a long story ..."

"Yeah, I'll bet," said Carol, rolling her eyes as she strolled out of the
room.  "Luckily I don't have time to hear it."

Lachlan got sidetracked from following up on the details when he heard his
sons making baby noises.  His face beamed and he leaned over their portable
cot and started making baby talk, between kissing them all over.  In turn,
they gurgled and it was Ellie's turn to roll her eyes.

"They need to be fed, Lachie," she said patiently, and Lachlan immediately
started building up the bank of pillows behind Ellie to get her
comfortable.  While Ellie unhooked her nursing bra and lowered the top of
her nightgown, Lachlan picked each baby up as if he was a priceless piece
of crystal and handed them in turn to their Mum.  She got them in position
and straight away they started to suckle.  Lachlan's expression was worth a
million dollars; I don't ever think I've seen a more smitten Dad.

He sat as close to his wife as he could and stroked each son's tiny arms in
turn.  "Now remember what I told you guys," he addressed them.  "You get
access to them whenever you're hungry, but you can't keep them because they
belong to your Daddy!"

Before long, both babies were full and were falling asleep.  Ellie covered
herself up and held both arms out with a boy each for Lachlan and me to
burp.

"You've got Matty," he grinned.  "This one's Roddy.  He's got a little bit
more hair!"

"They're so beautiful, mate," I sighed.  "Just perfect, and so little."

"Little? You wouldn't be saying that if you checked inside their nappies,"
Lachlan chuckled.  "They're really well hung for `little' guys!"

"Oh Lachie!" Ellie chided.  "For Heaven's sake!"

"So Mike," Lachlan said, as he rubbed Roddy's back, "I'm sorry you
misunderstood what Ellie said about Ty, and I don't mean to put any
pressure on you either, but you need to know that this therapy he's been
doing has been fantastic.  I sort of understand his behaviour now that it's
all been explained, and the best thing is, Ty understands it.  The
counsellor has been great."

"I'm pleased for him," I replied.  It was all I could think of.

Lachlan looked at me sadly.  "I don't know what's going to end up happening
with you two," he said, holding my gaze.  "But as a mate, can I ask you to
do me one favour?"

"I can't see Ty right now," I said quickly.  "I just can't."

"Will you come and see his counsellor with me?  Ty won't be there."

"He won't talk to me about Ty," I scoffed.  "That's doctor/patient
privilege, or whatever you call it."

"He's a she," Lachlan replied.  "She's a friend of Andrew Wall.  It was
Scott who convinced Ty to see somebody, and Andrew recommended this amazing
woman in Sydney.  She knows who Ty is and she's very professional about
it."

"So Scott and Ty are OK?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, of course mate.  The three of us are.  No matter what happens, we're
there for each other, even when one of us is off the rails.  Scott's been
devastated by what's happened, but since he's calmed down he's been
incredible with Ty."

"This woman still wouldn't be able to discuss Ty with me.  That would an
invasion of privacy."

"I phoned her yesterday.  She wouldn't normally discuss a client with
anyone else, but under the circumstances she's agreed to talk to you.
She's made herself available this afternoon on the off chance you agreed to
see her."

"I don't know Lachlan," I said hesitantly.  "It doesn't seem ..."

"Mike," Lachlan interjected.  "Maybe it isn't salvageable for you guys.
But at least you deserve to know what triggered all of this.  I understand
it, but I forget all the big words she uses to explain it.  Please Mike?"

I stared at the floor for a while as I cuddled Matty.  "This isn't a
setup?" I asked "It's not a `couples' session for Ty and me is it?"

"I swear it's not," Lachlan insisted.  "Ty's in the studio all day.  He
doesn't know anything about this.  The counsellor is only in Kensington.  I
could drive us there in 15 minutes.  You can stay as long as you're feeling
comfortable.  I'll drop you back to wherever you're staying."

I looked back at the floor again, unsure of what to do.  Lachlan stood and
placed Roddy back in his mobile cot before leaning over and extricating a
sleeping Matty from my arms and putting him down next to his brother.  He
kissed both boys and then kissed their Mother before picking up his car
keys.

"Come on mate," he said gently.  "Let's go."

I looked at Ellie.  "It'll be good for you to go, Mike," Ellie promised.
"Just so you have some idea of what got you both to this point."

I stood and passively followed Lachlan.  Before I was out of the room,
Ellie called out "thanks for the gifts Mike!  They're beautiful.  As soon
as these kids are back in the nursery I'm having a Brazilian!"

Lachlan spun around on his heels and grinned.  "Damn!" he cursed.  "That's
something I wish I could stay and watch!"

"Coffee, Lachie!" she sighed.  "Brazilian coffee."

As we walked into the corridor, we heard her say to her sons, "Are you two
going to grow up to be sex mad like your Daddy?"

"You bet they are!" Lachlan whispered to me as he strode towards the lifts.

**********

On the drive to Kensington, Lachlan reiterated how glad he was to see me,
and how much his whole family cared for me.  "The fact that everyone came
down on him like a ton of bricks about his behaviour made him agree he
needed help," he said.

Lachlan pulled up at the top of a hilly street outside a neat semi-detached
period home.  He opened the gate and I paused.  Was I ready for this?  As
if reading my mind, he assured me, "If you're uncomfortable, tell me and
we'll leave.  Just meet her though."

I walked through the gate, along the path to the front door.  Lachlan rang
the buzzer and a few moments later the door was open by a mature aged woman
with a gentle demeanour.

"Hello Lachlan," she smiled.

"Hi Janet, this is Mike.  Mike, Janet," he said by way of introduction.
She extended her arm and shook my hand warmly.  "Come in Mike.  It's nice
to meet you."

I stood limply in her hallway.  "I don't really know what to say," I said
uselessly.

"You don't have to say anything at all, Mike," she said reassuringly.  "I
normally don't discuss my clients with anyone, but in this instance Andrew
has suggested it would be beneficial to at least let you know what my
sessions with Tyson have revealed."

Janet showed us into a nicely decorated sitting room with two couches
facing each other over a coffee table.  "Would you like some tea?"

"No thank you," I mumbled.

We got comfortable on the couches and Janet started by telling me, "I have
had more than a dozen very fruitful sessions with Tyson and because he is
so wounded, it was difficult for him at first.  But over the past three
weeks he has been able to open up to me about his feelings and that has
been very revealing for me, and very beneficial for him."

I could only nod.  She continued, "I believe Tyson's problems coincided
with the start of his relationship with you.  The two aren't related, but
that was how the timing had it.  At that time, Ty had started to realise
that he wasn't the same figure he had been in the lives of his two younger
brothers, of whom he was so fiercely protective.  Lachlan was overseas
fighting in Afghanistan and didn't need his older brother quite so much as
a presence in his life.  Scott was also growing up very quickly and
starting to strive for independence.

"Throughout this past year with you, Tyson has been experiencing what's
known as anticipatory relational grief over his changing role within his
family. There have been systemic changes in the family and Tyson struggled
to keep everything as it had always been in the family system.

"You entered his life and he experienced joy in a loving relationship and,
after a shaky start with his father, your role in Tyson's life was embraced
by his whole family.  That pleased him, but they became so accepting of you
that they quickly came to treat you the same way they treated Tyson, as
another son and brother.  Tyson's position in the family was diminished.

"Over time, he saw you stepping in and taking on a brotherly role.  When
Lachlan was injured in Afghanistan, it was you who fast-tracked the flow of
information to his family.  When Scott returned distraught from his
overseas trip, it was you he called and spoke to.  Tyson was no longer the
person Scott turned to in a crisis."

Janet stopped and smiled.  "Are you feeling uncomfortable at all?" she
asked kindly.

As my mind swirled with information, I shook my head.

"Would you like a cup of tea?"

"No, thank you."

"We've talked about Tyson's relational grief," Janet continued.
"Coinciding with the anxiety of knowing that his brothers didn't need him
to be the `big brother' he had prided himself on being, his career
fast-tracked and he found enormous success as a singer, songwriter and
performer.  He had longed for his music to be shared and at first he
thought everything was perfect.  He signed contracts as a naive country boy
unaware of the control he was giving away to third parties with vested
interests.

"It's what we call intrapsychic loss. The life he was living did not match
the dreams of his inner mind. Tyson was feeling the loss of his dreams for
his music.  Tyson had expectations of how his music would be heard but very
quickly he found he had little say in his own work.  Other people were
calling the shots and he was left without a support network."

"His manager was acting in the best interests of his career without
considering his client's needs and when he turned to you, more often than
not you supported his manager.  Your rationale was always formulated with
his best career interests at heart, but that's not how he saw it.  He saw
it that he had effectively lost his brothers and his manager to you.  He
was crying out but nobody was listening.

"All these things were colliding.  His brothers, who for so long had looked
up to him and relied on him, were taking control of their own lives, his
professional life was being manipulated by outside forces, and he was under
enormous pressure to suppress his sexuality.  Central to but not the cause
of all these obstacles was the one person he truly loved."

I realised when Janet stopped talking that I had been holding my breath.

"Does any of this make any sense to you Mike?" she asked gently.

"Yes, it does," I said slowly.  "I don't understand why he just didn't open
up me the way he's opened up to you ..."

"Tyson sees you very much as a man in control of his own life," Janet
replied.  "You were a hero to him.  He aspired to be as confident as you,
to be as happy as you, and to be as comfortable in his own skin as you are.
The reality is he felt he fell short of all those goals and he didn't want
to expose those weaknesses to you.  Instead, it manifested as resentment."

I expelled my breath.  "He resented me?"

"He saw himself as a flawed person by comparison with you and that in turn
made him feel unworthy of your love.  He envied the fact that you were able
to live your life as a gay man while it has been drummed into him that his
career would be in jeopardy if he ever revealed his sexuality.  For Tyson,
there is no level playing field with you being openly gay and him being
forced to live a lie.  When he summoned the courage to rally against the
suppression of his true self, it was you who supported the idea that he
remain closeted."

"Jesus," I sighed.  I looked at Lachlan.  "He never expressed any of this
to me," I said.

"He didn't express it to himself, mate," Lachlan replied.  "It was all
happening in his head.  He just wanted to play his music for people, and he
somehow turned into an `industry' where a lot of people rely on him for
their livelihood.  The more dissatisfied he became with his career, the
more he tried to `prove' himself by being the best big brother in the world
to me and Scotty, without realising that we'd grown up and didn't need him
to play that role in our lives anymore.  What he didn't realise is that
we've been able to become the people we are now because of the
unconditional love he showed us and the support he provided all through our
growing years.  So, there was failure number two.

"Then, you came along and he fell in love for the first time.  It should
have been the trifecta for him – family, career, partner.  But the way
he saw it, his brothers no longer needed him and his career was being
dictated to him so he focused everything on his relationship with you."

I was shocked by what I was hearing.  "The three of you have always been as
close as three brothers can be," I said.  "Are you saying he thinks you
don't love him?"

It was Janet who responded.  "Tyson doesn't doubt that his brothers love
him," she said gently.  "But he realised he was no longer needed.  His
brothers didn't turn to him to make things right for them, as he had always
done.  When they started to solve their own problems, his role became
redundant.  That's why he looked for new ways to `help' them.  Scott needed
a car, so Tyson bought him one.  Lachlan and his partner needed somewhere
to live, so Tyson provided them with a house.  These were material
gestures, but in some small way they enabled him to again be the big
brother who takes care of his younger brothers.  He was trying to restore
some sense of purpose."

Lachlan jumped in.  "He'd lost a sense of purpose in his career, too.  He
was no longer writing his songs and singing them for people.  His record
company created a `Tyson Hill' persona that he couldn't relate to, but
everyone insisted he play that role.  He was being told how to write and
what to sing, and it was killing him that his `image' had become more
important than his music.

"He'd fallen in love with you, but he felt you were stepping in and taking
over the things he thought he was failing at."

I was stunned.  "He didn't fail at anything ..."

"Of course he didn't, mate.  We know that.  But you were helping with my
problems, dealing with Scotty's problems, you pulled off massive publishing
deals, arranged the purchase of the house, and now you've pulled him out of
the shit with his record company."

"That's my job," I sighed.

"For someone who was already feeling like he wasn't needed, it was a bit of
a shock for him to realise you don't need him either."

"I didn't need his money," I said quietly, realising that what I was saying
was in the past tense.  "But I always needed him ..."

My voice started to choke and Janet interrupted.  "It's OK to be upset,
Mike," she said softly.

I nodded.  "I'm sorry, but I need to go now," I said.  Turning to Lachlan I
added, "I'll get a cab ..."

Lachlan exchanged a glance with Janet.  "No," he said emphatically, picking
up his keys, "I'll drive you."

We all stood and I shook hands with Janet.  "Thank you.  What you've said
makes a lot of sense.  It's still just all a bit raw at the moment."  I
felt my eyes fill with tears as I continued, "I think I'm doing okay, but
sometimes I realise I'm not.  It's painful ..."

Janet leaned in and hugged me.  "You did great," she smiled, as she handed
me her card. "Keep my number.  If you ever feel you want to talk to someone
impartial, give me a call anytime.  Tyson's really made progress sorting
out his feelings.  You'll know when the time is right for you to do the
same but for now, put some time into you."

Lachlan shook Janet's hand and thanked her again and we walked to Lachlan's
car.  I was lost in my own thoughts and Lachlan and I didn't really speak
on the drive back through the Sydney, except for me giving him road
directions.  I asked him to drop me at the office.

He pulled up outside the building and we sat in silence for a moment, me
staring at my lap.

"Thanks for meeting Janet," Lachlan said as he put his hand on my shoulder.
"I don't know what's going to happen with you and Ty, but I just wanted you
to get the answers we've both been looking for."

"It's explained how Ty was feeling, Lach," I sighed.  "But it doesn't
explain what he did."

"He lashed out, mate.  It was wrong.  Very wrong.  He's drowning in remorse
and he can't get to tell you how sorry he is."

I was quiet for a moment.  "He treated me like shit, he virtually accused
me of seducing Scott, he said I'd `wormed my way into his family' and he
broke my tooth," I said.  "Saying `sorry' doesn't make that go away."

It was Lachlan's turn to be quiet.  He eventually said, "You have to do
what's right for you, Mike.  Whatever happens, you know I'm your mate."

I gripped his arm.  "I know Lach," I said.  "You're a great mate.  Like I
said to Ty, I'm sorry it has to be this way."

I saw Lachlan slump slightly as I opened the door and stepped out on to the
footpath.  "Thanks Lach," I said.  "I hope it's not too long before I see
you and Ellie and the boys again."

"The ball's in your court," Lachlan said.  "Can I just say one thing
though?"

"Of course."

"I know my brother.  He loves you."

My tear ducts groaned.  I pumped my fist lightly, smiled and closed the
door.  I stood looking at the tower that housed my office as Lachlan drove
off.  I had been going to fill Max in on today's session but decided
against it.  I needed to walk for a while ...

**********

I don't know how long I walked, but the sun was starting to set by the time
my tired feet led me to Hyde Park, where I sat on a bench and watched the
inner-city dog walkers, late kids on their way home from school and workers
taking a shortcut to the tube.

I look at the city skyline and realised the building opposite me with its
imposing silhouette was St Mary's Cathedral where months before Ty had sung
in tribute to Lachlan's fallen mates, Lieutenant Matthew Burgess and
Private Rodney Maguire.

I let my mind wander to that sad but uplifting day and I remembered how
selflessly Ty had brought some measure of comfort to two grieving families.
That started a replay in my head, like a movie trailer of my life with Ty.

That time I opened the door at Grand Apartments and saw him for the first
time, dressed in his jeans and black tee shirt ... our first kiss ... the
first time we made love, after his showcase on Bedarra ... our magical six
week holiday on the Sunshine Coast ... moving into Point Piper together
... the song Ty wrote for me ...  the surprise Leonard Cohen meeting I
arranged for him on his birthday.  So many special moments made me smile.

My mind changed reels and I was suddenly recalling the past few weeks.  The
awful silences, the inferences, the accusations, the confrontations, the
assault ...

As dusk began to close in, I felt a single tear roll down my cheek, a
reaction to the pain I felt inside as I realised with a devastating sadness
that this love so right had gone so terribly wrong.  I knew it was time to
go when a young couple strolling through the park pushing a pram stopped
and looked at me.  "You OK mate?"  the man asked.

"Yeah, thanks," I managed to croak.  "Bad day," I added with a weak smile
as I lumbered down the path and out of the park.  I headed straight back to
my apartment and called Max.  Although he never pried, I wasn't up to a
discussion about what had unfolded today so I lied.  I said I felt unwell
and was going to bed which, when I hung up, was exactly what I did.

For two days I stayed hidden under my doona, emerging only to eat, drink or
piss.  I cried and I slept and when I wasn't doing either, I tried to
fathom the tremendous emptiness I felt.  For someone who had always been
able to `move forward' I was not doing very well; one small step forward,
two giant steps back.  I wasn't drowning, but treading water was making me
tired.

For two days I ignored calls from Max, George and Steve and on the third
day I rose and scared myself when I looked in my bathroom mirror; who was
the miserable, unkempt creature staring back at me?  For the first time
since the weekend I turned on the radio and heard human voices.  I listened
to the usual mindless morning radio as I showered and shaved, and I
faltered as I dressed when the announcer introduced Tyson Hill's new
chart-topper "All You've Got To Give", from his brand new Greatest Hits
album which had debuted at Number One.

The song was a corker and while it was difficult to listen to Ty and Daniel
sing, I was pleased that it had taken Ty back to the top of the charts and
given his record company what they so greedily wanted.

I had tea and toast while I returned Steve and Max's calls.  I couldn't get
Steve so I left him a message, and I invited Max over for an early dinner,
knowing that tonight he played cards with some of his lawyer mates.

I cleaned up a little before heading to the gym for a punishing workout.  I
pushed my body until it couldn't take any more and then enjoyed a long hot
shower.

It was a little late for lunch when I left the gym but I needed coffee and
something light to eat.  I headed to my favourite café and ordered latte
and a muffin.  Travis, the regular barista, was his usual chirpy self and
before he made my coffee he needed to change the CD.  He slipped a disc
into the player and he saw my face when "Love On The Rocks' started echoing
around the room.

"Not a Tyson Hill fan?" Travis asked.

"Er, well, um," was all I could get out.

"This is an awesome CD mate," he grinned.  "It's got so many hits on it,
plus his new song and a couple of rarities.  Well worth the price!"

As Travis made my latte I flicked through the CD booklet.  It was lavishly
put together.  Along with a selection of photos of Ty throughout his
career, I was pleased to see a nice full page shot of he and Daniel in the
studio.  Daniel still looked unwell, but his face radiated excitement and
happiness.

I heard maybe five or six tracks from the album before I paid the bill and
headed to the supermarket for supplies.  Back in the apartment I tossed a
Greek salad, baked some potatoes and marinated some fillet steak while I
watched the news.  Max arrived on the stroke of six with beer, and the
steaks were almost done.

Max looked at me closely when he was settled in the kitchen.

"What?" I asked.

"Just trying to work out where you're at on the sad-o-meter," he said.

"Yeah, a bit off the scale this week," I said as I prepared the meal.  I
went on to tell him about Ellie's faux pas and my subsequent meeting with
Ty's counsellor and for me, the emotional wash-up that came with it.

"It's probably gonna be like this for a while," Max nodded knowingly.
"It's an emotional see-saw.  You should probably think about getting back
into circulation ..."

I rolled my eyes and we finished our meals.  Once again, Max did the
cleaning up and out of nowhere he asked, "You know how I told you that two
new junior partners had joined the firm?"

"Yes, the Canadian guy and the New Zealander?"

"The Canadian guy is really cute.  About 35, single, great body, excellent
teeth, and his accent makes you weak at the knees.  I reckon he'd tick most
of your boxes."

I laughed.  "You're not serious Max?"

"You could do worse.  He doesn't even like rock music.  He's more your
classical music and opera kind of guy."

"I'm not getting involved with someone I work with, Max!" I exclaimed.

"If you like him, I'll fire him," Max offered.  "Then you won't be working
with him!"

"I think I'll be just fine being single thanks Max!"

"Yes, that's all well and good at this age, son.  When you get to my age,
it ain't got so much going for it."

"Tell you what mate, you can have the Canadian cutie."

"Yeah, like he'd be interested in someone like me!" Max guffawed.  "Of
course, there's always a vague chance he's a chubby chaser."

"You could come to the gym with me Max," I grinned.  "Get yourself all trim
and buffed!"

"Mike, the only `gym' I'm interested in is the `Jim' in accounts.  The one
who wears that blue pin-striped suit."

It was my turn to guffaw.  "I know the one.  Who the fuck wears `Gatsby'
suits these days?  He looks like an extra from `The Sopranos'.  And he
drives a Datsun!"

"Son, I'm rich!" Max declared theatrically.  "I'll buy him a Hugo Boss suit
and a Hummer after the first date!  On my checklist he's an eight."

"You have a checklist?"

"Of course.  The Canadian, by the way, is a nine!"

I rolled my eyes.  "Want some coffee?"

"Nah, gotta get home to Cleopatra.  She'll be in a mood."

"Give her a kick in the head for me," I grinned as I walked Max to the door
and gave him a hug.

"Thanks Max," I said.  "You make me laugh."

"Pleasure's all mine," he smiled.  "It's not every day I get a hug from a
hot-looking, young single lawyer!"

I pushed him out door.  "Go!" I said.  "Cleopatra awaits."

I had only just closed the door when I opened it again.  "Hey Max," I
called.  "If the Canadian's a nine, what am I?"

Max smirked and waited until the lift doors were closing before calling
back, "You're an 8.9!  You've let yourself go ..."

I closed the door, leaned back against it and smiled.  It was nice to have
a friend like Max.

**********

The next morning I lingered over coffee and toast at a sidewalk café.  I
forced myself to channel my inner `logical lawyer', who convinced me that a
door had closed and I needed to start looking for new doors.  It helped,
but it didn't lift the veil of sadness that hovered around me night and
day.

Fortunately, I had a lot to do.  There was a checkup visit with
Mr. Hoffman, and a medical checkup at a health clinic in the city.  I
donated at the Blood Bank, talked to my bank manager about a term deposit
and spent the rest of the afternoon at the gym.

As I listened to the TV news, I cooked some sausages and steamed some
vegetables.  My ears pricked up when I heard a network promo for `Kenny
Best Tonight'.  The new season, the voiceover trumpeted, featured a
star-studded lineup that included mining magnate Clive Palmer, tennis champ
Sam Stosur and tonight, rock heartthrob Tyson Hill.

He'd done it!  He'd stepped outside his comfort zone and agreed to appear
on the one program he'd always sworn he would never do.  I was mulling over
whether to watch the telecast when my mobile rang.

"I thought the reason the record company had the shits is because Hill
wouldn't do `Kenny Best Tonight'?"  Max asked.

"You're supposed to be playing cards!" I replied.

"I am.  Just saw the promo.  How come he changed his mind?"

"He's got a great lawyer!" I smiled.

"You can say that again, Sunshine!" Max chuckled. "You gonna watch him?"

"Not sure."

"You should."

"Why?"

"You won't be able to move on until you can watch him and go `ho hum!'"

"Go play cards!"

"You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm good.  And Max?"

"What?"

"I love ya!"

"You and all the other junior partners.  Take your place in the queue!"

As I finished my meal, my mobile rang again and it was Steve, wanting to
catch up.  We talked for a while and he delicately brought up Ty's imminent
appearance on `Kenny Best'.

"I know, mate.  I've seen the teasers," I said.

"You gonna watch?"

"Haven't decided yet.  I want it to go well for him, but I don't know if I
can deal with it."

"Lachlan and Scott are going to the studio with him."

"They are?" I asked, surprised.

"Just for moral support.  Lachlan's staying with him at Point Piper, as you
know.  Scott and Simon are staying there too, and Dot and Frank are
arriving at the end of next week."

"The whole family?"

"Yeah, Ty wants them to go to the ARIA Awards with him."

The ARIAs!  Shit, I'd forgotten all about them.  "Is Ty nominated?" I
asked, hoping I didn't sound too ignorant.

"Only like five categories, including Album Of The Year!  Vince booked a
table and asked me if I'd like to come to Sydney with Ty's parents and go
to the awards?  I said `yes', but then I thought maybe I shouldn't have.
I'll pull out if you're not cool with it?"

"Of course I'm cool with it, Steve!" I replied.  "You'll have a great
night. You can hobnob with all the celebs and check out all the pretty
single chicks!"

"Um, I'm bringing Fran with me ..."

"Hey!  Are you two an item?"

"Yeah, she stayed on at Stanthorpe and ... well, you know.  We're like, a
couple!"

"Stevie, that's awesome!  Good for you!"

"She's a great girl Mike," he assured me.  "We really hit it off, you know.
And not just in the sack."

"I'm happy for you mate."

"I wanna catch up with you when I get there."

"It'll be great to see you mate, but it's gotta be you on your own.  I'm
not ready for the family yet."

"I heard you saw Lachie and Ellie ..."

"And that's as much as I can manage right now mate."

"Mike, you know Ty's really doing it tough, don't you?"

"I can't talk about this now Steve.  I need to work on me."

"Sorry, Mike.  It's just so ... sad.  We won't even talk about it though!
I can't wait to see you!"

"Let me know when you've got some time and we'll grab a meal."

I washed up my dishes, changed my bed sheets and sorted out my washing.  At
8.30, I sat on the couch and flicked on the television.  For a moment I
pretended to flick around the channels and see what was on, but I realised
how absurd I was being.  Of course I was going to watch `Kenny Best
Tonight' ...

I poured myself a glass of wine and changed stations.  I sat through an
endless commercial break before the theme music for `Kenny Best Tonight'
struck up.  As always when it was a musical guest, the guest opened the
show with a musical number, customarily whatever they were pushing at the
time.

When the set lit up I expected to see Ty and Daniel about to perform "All
You've Got To Give".  But it was Ty alone and the opening chords were
nothing like his new single.  He started to sing and I realised he was
doing a cover version.  A couple of lines in, I recognised it; "Making Love
Out Of Nothing At All".

In the middle of an album promotion it was curious that Ty was performing a
cover on prime-time network television instead of his latest hit, but I
figured perhaps the producer had asked him for something else because "All
You've Got To Give" had been performed on so many other programs.  I found
myself distracted by the lyric.

"Every time I see you, well the rays of the sun are all streaming through
the waves in your hair / and every star in the sky is taking aim at your
eyes like a spotlight / The beating of my heart is a drum and it's lost and
it's looking for a rhythm like you / You can take the darkness from the
deep of the night and turn it to a beacon burning endlessly bright / I
gotta follow it `cause everything I know well, it's nothing `til I give it
to you ..."

I knew he was singing it for me.  He looked so beautiful, and he was
pouring his heart out to me.  I was caught in emotional turmoil yet at the
same time I was numb.

"I can make the runner stumble, I can make the final block / And I can make
every tackle at the sound of the whistle, and I can make all the stadiums
rock / I can make tonight forever or I can make it disappear by the dawn /
And I can make you every promise that's ever been made and I can make all
your demons be gone / But I'm never gonna make it without you, do you
really wanna see me crawl? / And I'm never gonna make it like you do /
Making love out of nothing at all ..."

Shivers ran through me as I listened to what Ty was actually singing.  I
knew he would never sing a lyric that didn't mean something to him, and
there was not a doubt in the world that he meant the words being belted out
his mouth.

They'd brought out the big guns for this performance, with a full band, a
female backing chorus and a full light show.  The audience was on its feet
as Ty took his bows, and a voice-over kicked in.

"This week's guest on `Kenny Best Tonight' is without doubt Australia's
biggest selling male recording artist.  A shy and unassuming country boy,
he traded gumboots for glory and in two short years has become the
Australian Music Industry's hottest property.

"He swept the pool at last year's ARIA Awards ... his albums and singles
consistently top the charts ... his concert tours sell out in minutes
... and few are the teenage girls who don't have his posters plastered all
over their bedrooms walls ...

"He is, of course, Tyson Hill!"

The camera shot widened to catch Ty walking from where he'd performed to
the host set, waving to a delighted studio audience.  If he was ill at
ease, he wasn't letting it show.  For the first time, I took in how he
looked.  Mind-bogglingly handsome of course, he was dressed in a black
designer suit, a white shirt with black trim and polished black shoes.  His
hair had been trimmed but his tight curls still framed his stunning face.

If anything, his weight loss made him look younger, and as the applause
started to sit down after he sat, his first close up reminded me so much of
Scott.  Ty and the host got the pleasantries out of the way and Best threw
to a video `package' of highlights of Ty's career; grabs from several of
his film clips, footage of him winning his ARIAs, and singing at the
funerals of Lachlan's fallen mates.

Applause greeted the end of the `package' and the host started off light,
asking Ty how he felt looking at a capsule of his career to date.

"Humbled and thankful," Ty replied.  "This probably sounds strange but
whenever I see my film clips or see footage from my concerts DVDs, I have
this sense that I'm watching somebody else.  I know it's me up there, but
it's like watching some other guy."

"People in the industry often comment on your shyness," Best said, "but up
there on stage you almost explode with confidence?"

"That's what I mean about `the other guy'," Ty smiled.  "I think you'll
find that a lot of performers are basically shy people.  They step into a
`character' and that's how they can transform into their public personas."

The two went on to discuss Ty's early years through to his late teens,
their conversation peppered with anecdotes and interspersed with overlay
images of Ty through the years.  He talked of his love for the land and the
happy upbringing he had.

The discussion led quite naturally to talk of Ty's family life, and Best
commented on the publicly acknowledged close bond he has with his brothers.

"You're `big brother' to Lachlan and Scott, and I see they're here with you
tonight," Best said, as a camera picked up the boys sitting to the side of
the set.

"My brothers have been towers of strength for me in every aspect of my
life," Ty said sincerely.  "They've supported and encouraged everything
I've done.  They're both living in Stanthorpe and I'm based in Sydney, so
it's fantastic when we have the opportunity to all get together."

The talk turned to discuss Lachlan's injuries in Afghanistan and the loss
of his two best mates, and vision was screened of Ty's performance at their
funerals.  Best talked about the educational trust fund Ty had set up to
benefit the children of our fallen troops, and when that topic was wound
up, the birth of Lachlan and Ellie's sons was revealed and the fact that
they had been named after Lachlan's mates.

Best made mention of the physical similarities between Ty and Scott and
once again the camera zoomed in on Scott as he and Ty appeared side by side
on a split screen.

"If you ever get tired of personal appearances," Best joked, "you could
have Scott stand in for you!"

Each ad break so far had featured a big-budget commercial for Ty's back
catalogue, tagged with his `Greatest Hits – Out Now!".  When they
returned from the latest break, Best got Ty talking about his involvement
with Daniel and their musical collaboration, which was fending off all
competition for the coveted top spot on the pop charts.

Ty spoke touchingly of his friendship with Daniel and with great respect
for the contribution he'd made to the song.  Best threw to the film clip
which had been shot on a beach and in the studio, with the two playing
guitars and singing together.

As a surprise for Ty, Best announced a special guest had arrived and the
sliding doors opened to reveal Daniel, bubbling with excitement and looking
good.  Ty was momentarily flummoxed but recovered quickly, grabbing Daniel
in a hug and then letting him enjoy the thunderous applause.

Best spent a few minutes talking to Daniel about how it felt to not only
get to know, but to record with his hero.  Daniel was Ty's greatest PR
agent and before he left the host set, Best convinced them both to do the
chorus of the song, handing Daniel an acoustic guitar.  Even with no
rehearsal, it was magnificent.  Ty's voice soared and Daniel's perfectly
pitched harmonies complemented it beautifully.  It was a mesmerising moment
and it perfectly captured the respect each had for the other.

The rest of the segment was spent with Best chatting with Ty about his
philanthropic heart and his willingness to rise to the occasion when a
cause needed a boost.  It was all `feel good' stuff.  Another ad break
relentlessly flogged Ty's CDs and DVDs and then we were back for the final
quarter.  There was another package of smouldering footage and then Best
skillfully eased Ty into a more personal discussion.  He asked about the
amount of time it took to be `Tyson Hill', and whether it left him any time
for his personal life.

Ty gave him a generic answer about always trying to keep a happy balance
between his professional and personal life, but it was obvious that Best
wasn't going to let it rest.  He was working up to the money shot.

"You've been seen out and about with some gorgeous women," Best beamed,
"and thousands of girls would kill to become Mrs. Tyson Hill, but you don't
seem to ever have anyone special?"

"My career is pretty full on at the moment and my manager tells me I need
to stay focussed on my music," Ty shrugged.  "I'm just doing what I'm
told!"

"Let's do a hypothetical.  You're Tyson Hill, the king of cool.  You make
women swoon and you can take your pick of Australia's most beautiful women.
If you had the choice, who would you pick?"

"I'd pick the person who made my heart beat fast," he replied.  "The person
I thought about first thing in the morning and last thing at night, and the
person I thought about every minute in between.  It wouldn't necessarily be
one of Australia's most beautiful women," he replied.

Kenny Best milked it when the audience, largely women, let out a collective
sigh.  "So go on Tyson," he cajoled, "tell us who.  If it could be anyone,
who would it be?"

"It would be the only person I have ever truly loved with all my heart."

My stomach did a somersault.

"This is potential bad news for all our female viewers!" Best exclaimed, as
the cameras moved closer.  "Break it to us gently!  What's her name?"

The camera zoomed in on Ty's face and my jaw dropped when, with a tiny
grin, he replied, "His name is Michael."

The audience gasp was audible and the camera picked up stunned looks on the
faces of Lachlan and Scott before returning to a slightly shaken Kenny Best
who said, "we'll be back, right after this!" ...

**********

Always happy to have your feedback.  marcusis32@live.com.au

FOOTNOTE:

You can hear other versions of songs referenced in this chapter via the
following links:

"Making Love Out Of Nothing At All":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jNCmO62tYY