Chapter 74

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Chapter 74

I was going to use the rental to drive back to Orange County the next day, but after getting Seth’s call, I reconsidered. Emmett, Seth and Garrett would undoubtedly take a limo to the jail, and I wanted to be with them for the return trip. Instead of giving the parking ticket to the valet that morning, I headed over to the concierge and gave her the ticket, requesting that she arrange the car’s return. Assured the task would be completed, I contacted the car service to arrange for my pick-up.

On the way to the jail I occupied myself by checking news on the web and catching up with Maggie. Seth hadn’t included her in the news loop, so I filled her in on what happened to Nasir. She was understandably horrified about his ordeal, and I was glad I hadn’t called her until it was nearly over, saving her a couple of days of worry. It was early enough in Washington that I got to talk with Liam and Owen as well, before Maggie had to take them to school. Hearing Liam’s excited chatter and Owen’s more reserved conversation made me happy, even though it reminded me how much I missed them.

After I let Maggie and the kids go I spoke with Roger, sharing Nasir’s news with him as well and giving him a rundown on everything I’d been up to since our call the previous Friday.

“Sounds like you made that move just in time. I’m sure Emmett’s glad you’re in New York to offer Nasir moral support.”

“He probably would’ve been fine without me, but I’m glad to provide a little diversion with my visits. I’ve never seen him look so scared and helpless.”

“Jail will do that to people who don’t belong there. It’s good he’s getting out so quickly.”

There was something in Roger’s tone that said he spoke from experience.

“Anything you want to share, Rog?”

I could hear his deep sigh over the phone.

“When you look like me growing up, it’s not all that unusual for cops to pick you up, deserved or not. I’ve seen the inside of a holding cell. My mamma and uncle straightened it all out before it ever got to actual jail, but even the holding cell at a police station is not an experience I could ever forget.”

“Shit, Rog, I never knew...”

“It’s not something I share with a lot of people. I can tell you, though, mamma was glad when I got a job where I wore a uniform and worked in a forest. Until a few weeks ago, she was under the mistaken impression that the National Park would somehow insulate me from gun violence.”

“She wasn’t that wrong. Thankfully, that asshole was a fluke.”

“I know. And don’t think I don’t wish every day that Ren follows in our footsteps or chooses some other career that keeps him as much out of harm’s way as possible. I don’t know, though. That kid’s too much like Yvie. A social crusader in the making.”

“Like Yvie, right. Nothing like you at all,” I teased him.

“I’m an ecological crusader,” he reminded.

“Different cut from the same cloth. Ren’ll be fine.”

Roger said nothing.

“Are you really that worried?”

“You can’t be black in this country and not worry. You wanna have faith in the cops, but there are too many stories of cops shooting first and asking questions later when a black kid is involved. Like I told you, I learned about racial profiling first hand. That shit is not urban legend. It’s real.”

“But you guys don’t live in a neighborhood where cops do that.”

“We live where we live so that Yvie can teach at the better schools and the kids can go to those schools, but it also makes them stand out. That’s why every year we go to the National Night Out events and I make sure all the local cops know Ren. When he gets older, I may make those visits to the police station more frequent. Still, when he gets older he won’t always be in this neighborhood...”

I had no idea shit like that went through Roger’s mind. I was seeing a totally new side of my friend. Sadly, I couldn’t say anything that would give him any real comfort.

“At least, thanks to you and Leah, we have some contacts on the Seattle police force. Someone to call if, God forbid, something ever happened,” Roger added. I could tell he was deliberately trying to lighten the mood.

“I hope they’re never needed,” I told him earnestly. I loved his kids almost as much as I loved Liam and Owen. I felt foolish for forgetting that just because our circle of friends was colorblind didn’t mean the rest of the world was, and that Ren and Larissa might suffer as a result.

“Me too, buddy, and I didn’t mean to put a damper on your morning. You need to go into that jail and put a smile on as you deliver the good news.”

We spoke for a few more minutes as Roger caught me up on park news. We hung up when the car pulled into the jail parking lot.

I signed the charge slip and got out of the car, taking a deep breath and hoping this was the last time I’d have to enter this place. Inside, I checked in and waited to be led into the visiting room, getting strange looks from the guards who’d already seen me the two previous days. I supposed it was unusual for someone to have visitors every day, considering the jail’s location. Logically I knew it was dictated by the fact that no one wanted a jail in their back yard, plus the remote location made escapes more challenging, but for the first time I was starting to feel sympathy not just for the men locked up inside, but their loved ones too. It definitely wasn’t easy for visitors to make their way out here, especially those who had economic hardships and no cars of their own.

I stood up when the guards finally let the inmates enter the room and pulled Nasir into the tightest hug I could manage.

“Nasir! We did it, Buddy! You’re free!” 

“What?” He looked at me with disbelief. 

“Em said I would be the one to get to tell you.” 

We both sat down, noticing a glare from one of the guards.

“Allah! Edward, this is such good news! Why am I still in here? When does this happen? How did it happen?” 

“The paperwork takes time, I guess. You won your appeal. The judges released the order at about seven o’clock last night, our time.  I’m told it was faxed to the immigration office here, but Duane will be there when they open with his own copy to make sure they get on it right away.” 

“Ah, good, I am so relieved!” 

“And Em, Seth and Garrett’s plane should be landing right now.” I watched his face as the final bit of news registered and a smile of pure joy broke out.

***

We tried to fill the time with conversation, but as minutes stretched, punctuated by Nasir’s repeated glances at the clock, I knew we were both wondering what the hell was causing the delay. Finally a guard came in and informed Nasir that he was being released, ordering me to leave the visiting area. I was more than happy to comply, snickering at the guard’s assumption that I was Nasir’s boyfriend. I was surprised when I found the general waiting area empty, but I didn’t have to wait long. A few minutes later Emmett charged into the jail reception, with Seth following closely behind. I didn’t even have a chance to intercept him before he was showing the court order to the man behind the front counter. It was only when I called his name that he turned around and grabbed my arms

“He’s being released right now, “I told him. 

“Oh, thank God!” he exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. 

It took nearly two additional hours for the prison staff to do whatever it was they had to do to release Nasir. I managed to distract Emmett for part of that time by describing my previous visits in great detail, but after about an hour he began pacing and repeatedly asking the increasingly more irritated guy behind the front desk for progress reports. I glanced at Seth, worried that Emmett’s impatience could somehow negatively impact the process, but he just shrugged and shook his head. Emmett was beyond even Seth’s control.

Finally, just as Emmett was threatening the deputy with lawyers and judges, Nasir emerged. Seth noticed him first and cried out “There he is!,” drawing Emmett’s attention. Our friend flew towards his husband and enveloped him in his strong arms. Seth and I exchanged a relieved glance before his face took on his usual haughty expression and he handed me Nasir’s dropped Louis Vuitton. 

“What am I, a pack mule?” I joked. 

“Be quiet now,” Seth dismissed me as he moved to rub the backs of our two hugging friends. “Okay, we’re in Hicksville. Time to go,” he directed. 

“Yeah, let’s get out of here,” Emmett was all for the idea but Nasir had other plans. Before we left, he deposited cash in the accounts of men who’d helped him navigate the hazardous jail environment.

The drive back was long but we hardly noticed as Nasir told Emmett and Seth about his ordeal. When he was finished, we all called and texted friends and loved ones to let them know that he was finally a free man again.

Emmett was disappointed when Nasir announced that he needed to go to work instead of staying home to recover, but he quickly filled our time by announcing that he, Seth and I would prepare dinner for our guys. I didn’t mind, as I’d missed cooking, but I felt a little guilty texting Barney to let him know that Jasper and I would have to cancel yet another viewing.

The good news is the emergency is over, so after tonight I’ll be available during the day again

I told him in a follow up text. Barney texted back letting me know that he’d reschedule but that since the next day was Friday the appointments would have to be during the day. I assured him that was fine. Jasper and I had known all along that I would have to do most of the legwork alone.

I texted Jasper to give him the good news and to let him know about dinner plans.

Yum. What are you making? He texted back.

Don’t know. Em’s running the show, so I bet something German.

Sounds filling. I’ll have a light lunch. It’ll make for a nice change from the hotel grub, though.

Absolutely. Em’s a good cook.

I remember. I’ll get out of here as soon as I can. What about Barney?

I already let him know and he’s rescheduling for tomorrow. He’s probably regretting he ever agree to take us on.

All that regret will be forgotten when his commission check clears.

Good point. I typed, smiling at the phone.

“Are you two sexting?” Seth asked, leaning over to look at my phone screen. “Where are the dick pics?”

“We’re not sexting. He’s at work.”

“So? Garrett would send me a picture of his dick from work if I asked him.”

I was sure that was true, since there were few things Garrett denied his bossy bottom husband.

“Jasper’s not Garrett, and I wouldn’t ask him. I can take all the pictures I want when we’re together.”

“Yeah? Let’s see,” Seth said eagerly.

“I don’t think so.” I shook my head firmly.

“You’re such a prude! Sometimes I still wonder if you’re really gay,” Seth rolled his eyes. I knew he was joking, but his words were chilling. What if he’d said something like that in front of Jasper, and cultivated whatever seed of doubt Peter might have planted about my intentions?

“Hey, you okay?” Seth sensed the change in my mood and leaned into my personal space to look into my eyes.

“Fine,” I tried to brush him off. The less said about all this the better, as far as I was concerned.

“No, you’re not. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” I almost snapped, managing just in time to keep my voice more or less neutral. Seth just narrowed his eyes. “Not wanting to share my private pictures of the man I love doesn’t make me straight. Just because you like to parade your husband practically naked in front of the whole world doesn’t mean we all have to do the same.”

“Garrett likes it!” Seth protested.

“I never said he didn’t,” I countered, though I privately wondered if he really did or if he just tolerated it to make Seth happy. The answer wasn’t relevant to my point. I was starting to regret my decision not to drive to the jail separately.

I glanced over at Emmett and Nasir, but quite understandably, they were cuddling and having a quiet private conversation oblivious to everyone around them. Short of ignoring Seth for the rest of the ride, I would have to continue this discussion until he was ready to let it go.

“This isn’t really about the pictures, is it? You know Jasper wouldn’t care if you showed them to me,” Seth persisted.

“He probably wouldn’t, and you can ask him to show them to you later. But why do I need to share things that I’d much rather keep private in order to prove my sexual orientation?”

Seth grimaced. “You don’t. I was only joking. Is that why you’re upset?” He reached for my hand. I shook my head and looked out the window. “It was just an off the cuff remark. I mean, you’ve been sucking dick exclusively for the last five years so it’s obvious which team you play for. Why would you let such a dumb thing rattle you?”

“Drop it, Seth, okay? It doesn’t matter. Why would you want to see those pictures anyway? It’s not like you and Jasper are ever going to fuck, so why do you need to see his dick?”

Seth bristled. “I don’t need to see it. I was just curious, and I forgot what a prude you are. Besides, I’m going to see the real thing if you two ever get in the hot tub with us.”

He had a point, but somehow that was different in my mind. Jasper could choose to be naked around others and he could choose to share his pictures, but while Seth and Emmett seemed to take great pride in showing off photos of their guys, I wanted to keep those intimate moments to myself. Was that still some vestige of growing up pretending to be straight? I dismissed the idea immediately. Back then I wouldn’t have had any qualms sharing nude photos of any of the girls I’d been with, though I was grateful I hadn’t actually done it, since it probably would have been a violation of child pornography laws. But if it wasn’t that, then what? Could it be some aspect of control? Was it a reemergence of the possessive streak that had scared Jasper back then? Was Peter right in worrying that if Jasper and I stayed together we’d revert to those old habits? I shuddered, and had to stifle an impulse to pull out my phone and open the photo gallery for Seth’s perusal just to prove myself wrong.

I leaned over and pressed my forehead against the cool window. My thoughts were spinning out of control and my world with them. What if Peter was right? What if the bastard was actually right and Jasper was better off without me?

I was startled when I felt Seth forcibly crawling into my lap and wrapping his arm around my neck. He pressed his ear to my chest and I knew he’d hear my thundering heart.

“What is going on? You’re shaking,” he said and took my hand. When I looked down, I saw the mild but still discernable tremors. I concentrated on stopping them. Eventually it worked.

“I’m okay.”

“Sometimes I speak without thinking. The last few days I’ve been so worried about those two,” he motioned with his head in Emmett and Nasir’s direction,” that I forgot what you went through here. And even if I remembered, I thought Jasper was the one who was most upset. I didn’t realize Peter got to you, too. I’m sorry. I should have seen.”

“He didn’t get to me. At least, I didn’t think he did, until just now,” I confessed.

“Because of me and my big mouth. I’m sorry. I never should’ve implied...”

“It’s not that, Seth. I thought it was, at first, but I don’t think Jasper or even Peter have any doubts that I’m really gay.”

“If it’s not that, then what?”

I shook my head again. It was one of those moments when I felt like speaking my fears out loud could make them come true.

“Edward, you’re a good man and Jasper is a good man. You two love each other, you’ve always loved each other, and you deserve to be together. You’ve paid many times over for the mistakes you made. It’s time to stop beating yourself up and focus on the present and the future. Stop letting some sanctimonious know-it-all-wannabe who doesn’t actually know anything, drag you into the past.”

Seth spoke earnestly and I wanted to believe him, but I could feel doubt taking root.

“I’m right. You know I’m right. Have I ever been wrong about any relationship, ever?”

This, at least, wrung out a laugh. I couldn’t help it. Besides, the little shit had never been wrong about a relationship before, at least not since he hooked up with his first abusive boyfriend. But in the back of my head I kept hearing “past performance is not a guarantee of future success.” Just because Seth had always been right before, didn’t mean that this wasn’t the first time he wasn’t.

 

“I’ve always loved him, but that wasn’t enough, was it? I wasn’t right for him before, and what if I’m still not right for him now?”

“Edward, you can’t be that dense. You are right for him now. Why must you always be so stubborn? I see that you’re right for him. Everyone can see that. I don’t know anyone who loves each other as much as you and Jasper do.  Except us, obviously. You’ve known me long enough to know not to doubt me.  You see this?” he pointed to the Eagle feather tied into his long hair and hung down the side of his head.  “It means when I speak, you listen.  It means you trust me and believe me.”

“Okay, I believe you,” I told him to get him to stop, even if it wasn’t totally true. He cocked his head as he looked at me and we both knew that he saw the truth, regardless of what came out of my mouth.

“We’re almost there,” he said, without looking out the window to confirm, “so I’ll drop this for now, but you and I are not finished. We will talk again before I leave for Seattle. Deal?”

I nodded. As though I had a choice.

“Okay. Now, put on a happy face. We’re supposed to be celebrating!”

I gave him a grin which he must have found acceptable because he slid off my lap and onto the seat beside me. He didn’t, however, let go of my hand.

***

When we got to Emmett and Nasir’s place I offered to give Seth the tour while the husbands shared a shower so Nasir could get ready for work. My mood improved a little with the knowledge that, for once, I actually knew more than Seth about something.

“I love the place, Emmy.” Seth gushed after Nasir left for work

“I knew you would.” 

“I love the artwork.  I mean, I’m in it,” Seth continued and I couldn’t help wince at this reminder of our earlier conversation. Nasir obviously loved showing off his husband’s assets, even if the revealing picture of Emmett with Seth, Wayne and Simon was not nearly as intimate as the pictures I had of Jasper. Still, I knew that I would never voluntarily display such photos of Jasper in our home, especially if he was posing with other men. I didn’t like how this made me feel possessive and insecure.

“So, what’s the plan for dinner, Em?” I asked to change the subject and distract myself.  

“I’ve actually been thinking about that.  I want to make something comforting.”  

“What does that look like?”

“That’s the thing. First I thought I would try to make all his favorite Arabic dishes, but then I thought that I don’t really know how to make most of them.  We don’t have that ever, obviously, though I think we should.” 

“German,” Seth contributed. 

“Make something German? Yeah, I thought that too.” Emmett agreed. 

“Making Arabic dishes would be thoughtful and delicious, but, it would only serve to remind him of how different he is,” Seth theorized. “What we should ask ourselves is, what gives him the most comfort?  The answer is, you do.  His German husband and his German family.  And us, obviously.  We could grill something like steaks or swordfish and scallops, but I couldn’t help but notice on my tour, the absence of a grill, so make something German, definitely.” 

I smirked to myself, thinking about my earlier text to Jasper with the prediction about German food. How these two could even consider something different was beyond me.

“A traditional German meal then,” Emmett confirmed. 

“Just tell us what to do,” I told him, eager to get started. 

“We’re gonna have to divide and conquer.” 

“No problem.”

“Can you two grab a cab and hit the butcher and the wine shop?  I’ll run down the street and grab everything else,” Emmett suggested. 

“Done,” I assured him. I looked forward to losing myself in shopping and cooking and hopefully clearing all the dark thoughts from my head.  

Emmett got dressed and we were on our way. Seth and I got into a cab outside Emmett’s building and Emmett instructed the driver where we needed to go while giving us a list of the things he needed from the butcher and the liquor store.

We were at the butcher counter when my phone rang. I took it out and saw that it was Barney.

“It’s my realtor. I should take this,” I told Seth. He waved me away. “Hey Barney, what’s up?”

“I rescheduled the appointments from tonight to tomorrow, but Edward, there’s something else. I wanted to call you because this is the kind of opportunity that can disappear in an instant, and I don’t want you to lose out.”

“You have my attention.”

“There is a townhome that was scheduled for a closing today. Someone else in my office is representing the seller. The house was owned by a CEO who changed jobs and as part of his relocation package his new employer bought the house so he could get a new one near their headquarters. They don’t care about profit, they just want to get it off their books, so they accepted a below market offer. The house is perfect for you and Jasper. Everything has been remodeled with top of the line stuff and the location is ideal.”

“But I thought it was closing. What happened to the other buyer?”

“I’m not really sure. I saw in the paper that there were some indictments handed down today and assets of some people were frozen. I don’t know if they’re related, but it would explain a sale falling through at the last minute. Everyone is still trying to salvage this, but if the buyer can’t come up with the money by the end of the day the house will go back on the market. And since the company will get to keep the escrow, they might be willing to entertain an even lower offer.”

“Okay, so what do we do?”

“Technically we can’t do anything today, but I will monitor everything and if the sale does fall through then I’ll ask my colleague to let us look at it tomorrow and put in an offer if you and Jasper choose to go ahead. I think as long as the company ends up with what they were originally promised, they will jump at a chance to do another quick sale. Now, will you be able to put in a five point five million dollar offer without contingencies, except for an inspection, of course?”

“Yes. No problem. My financial advisor wants me to take on a mortgage, but if the cost is below market then the approval should be very quick.”

“I’d say put the wheels in motion today. I’ll text you the address. You can’t do anything today, but you can line everyone up to send out an appraiser ASAP if you decide this place is it. And Edward, having met you and Jasper, this place is it.”

“All right, Barney, I trust you. Send me the address.”

“I will. And I’ll text you as soon as I know for sure. If it’s available, we’ll go see it first thing tomorrow.”

“Not to complicate things more, but I do have a lawyer.”

“Can I ask the name?”

“His name is Duane Syler and he’s with.. hold on, let me dig out his card,” I reached for my wallet and pulled out Duane’s card, reading off the name of his firm.

“I don’t know him, but that’s not a problem. Text me his information and I’ll forward a copy of the paperwork. Let him know it’s coming and see if he’ll be able to review it promptly.”

“Sure, I’ll do that. And thanks!”

“Don’t thank me yet and keep your fingers crossed. I’ll be in touch as soon as I hear what happened with the closing.”

We disconnected and I saw Seth standing with a bag, tapping his foot impatiently.

“What’s going on? Why are you talking about lawyers again? And since when is Duane your lawyer?”

“Since he offered to help with our closing,” I shrugged.

“Oooh! Did you find a house?” Seth nearly jumped with excitement.

“No. But our realtor thinks there may be something on the market tomorrow that would work. It’s too early to be hopeful, though, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Well yeah, if you haven’t even seen it yet,” he rolled his eyes. “And here I thought you had something exciting to share.”

“Sorry,” I shrugged and tried to look nonchalant, even though my stomach twisted into knots. Despite Barney’s advice, I couldn’t help getting my hopes up. He’d sounded so convinced this home was right, and even though we didn’t know him long, I didn’t think he would have done that if he didn’t believe it.

“No matter. Let’s go get the booze!”

Despite being hugely distracted by Barney’s news, I still somehow managed to remember the wines Emmett wanted. The store staff were able to set me up with a case of each without me having to wander the aisles. We loaded the cases into the trunk of the cab and headed back to Emmett’s place.

I was dying to call Jasper and share the news, but I had to wait for a moment of privacy because I didn’t want Seth to hear all the details. Fortunately, Seth had some sort of an epiphany as we passed a florist shop. He made the cab driver stop and jumped out, assuring us that he’d be back very soon. I immediately took out my phone and called Jasper, hoping he’d be able to pick up.

“Is Nasir out? Are you back in Manhattan?” he asked in lieu of a greeting.

“We are. He’s out and already at work. But that’s not why I called and I don’t have much time.”

“What’s up?” he sounded concerned.

“Nothing. I just don’t want Seth to hear this and make a mountain out of a molehill. Well, hopefully it’s not a molehill.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

“Barney called. There was a closing scheduled for today that he thinks is in danger of falling through. If so, we may have a shot at a house that he thinks is perfect for us.”

“Perfect how?”

“Good location, remodeled, move-in ready, quick close and below market value.”

“Sounds too good to be true.”

“I know. That’s why I don’t want to get people too excited. I had to tell you because Barney sounded so convinced this was it. He never sounded like that before.”

“So when can we look at it?”

“Assuming the closing falls through - and is it wrong that I’m crossing my fingers for that? - we can see it tomorrow. Barney says we’ll have to move fast. He suggested I line up an appraiser and home inspector just in case.”

“Wow,” I heard his loud exhale over the phone. “How much?”

I took a big breath “He mentioned Five and a half million. I know that’s a little over our ceiling, but if it’s really as perfect as he says then that’s a great price. You’ve seen the listings.” I babbled, hoping I could talk him over the five million mark that he was just warming up to in the first place. I got nervous when there was silence on the other end. “Jas?”

“I’m here. If the house is remodeled and as perfect as you make it sound, then that is a good price. But-”

“Don’t say any more. Let’s look at it. We haven’t bought it yet. It’ll either be right in person or not, and if it is, the money won't matter.”

I remembered how I felt the first time I walked through my house in Covington. That day, the price tag would not have made a damn bit of difference unless it was completely out of the realm of possibility. I could only hope the same would be true for the perfect house Jas and I found together.

“Okay. I won’t freak out yet. Hell, the place may not even be available-”

“Shhh. Don’t jinx it,” I implored.

“Okay. Do what you need to do as if we were going to look at it tomorrow, and then we’ll see. I didn’t mean to rain on your parade,” he cajoled as an apology.

“Our parade, Jas. Our private parade, at least for now. I was just so excited-”

I was interrupted by the cab door being yanked open and Seth jumping in.

“Excited about what? Who are you talking to?” he immediately grilled me.

“Excited about Emmett and Nasir reuniting,” I improvised. It wasn’t exactly a lie, just not what I’d been talking about. “And I’m on the phone with Jas.”

“Let me talk to him,” Seth demanded. I knew better than to try to get in front of a steamroller, so I handed him the phone while directing the cab driver to go back to Emmett’s place.

“I hope you’re hungry because Emmy, Edward and I are cooking up a huge dinner for our guys,” Seth told Jasper. I heard Jasper inform him that he already knew. I let the muted sound of his warm, indulgent chuckle wash over me as he and Seth continued their conversation. I didn’t want to take too much of Jasper’s time while he was at work, but I knew he would have ended the call if he had to. In any event, the drive back to Emmett’s was short and in a couple of minutes Seth was handing me the phone to say my goodbyes as we pulled up in front of Emmett’s building.

“I’ll get out as early as I can today, which should actually be really soon,” Jasper promised. “I can’t wait to see you. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

***

We had time to unpack the groceries and relax for a bit as Emmett laid out his plans to outfit the spacious terrace with an outdoor kitchen.  Based on what I’d seen of Manhattan real estate so far, there was no way Jasper and I would ever have as much outdoor space as Emmett and Nasir did, even if theirs wasn’t exactly a yard. Still, even a small garden and patio - hell, even a window flower box, if it came to that - would work as long as I got to share it with Jasper.

We started cooking, with Emmett directing Seth and me like a professional chef. The flowers were delivered and we all admired Seth’s choice of a gorgeous arrangement for the entrance hall. Soon thereafter the phone rang and even though Seth answered without sharing the message, I knew it was the doorman announcing Jas. My heart beat a little faster just from thinking about being near him and giving him a welcoming kiss.

“Honey, I’m home,” Jasper teased as he followed Emmett’s shouted directions to join us in the kitchen.  

“Hey, Jas,” I gave him a warm smile while I pushed chopped parsley from cutting board into a frying pan. 

“Wow, what’s for dinner?” Jasper looked around and sniffed the air. 

“Mustard tartar,” Seth announced and finished spreading mustard on the last piece of raw beef. 

“And whalla, dinner’s ready!” 

“Mustard tartar,” Jasper pretended to consider and approve the meal.  “And it looks just delicious, Seth,” he told our friend while rubbing his back. then, over his shoulder, he added in my direction, “Edward, our hotel serves room service all night, right?”

He chuckled and kissed first Seth and then Emmett, before finally moving close to me and pressing his whole body against me.  “Saved the best for last,” he whispered and lowered his lips to mine.  

“Now can we open the wine?” Seth complained when he deemed our kiss had gone on long enough. I gave him a dirty look but Jasper smiled and looked over his shoulder.  

“Wine? Fuck that.  I’m gonna sit over here, have a beer, watch you cook for me and scratch my nuts!” 

Emmett’s deep-bellied laughter filled the kitchen. 

“Oh, shit, he went straight,” Seth lamented. 

“Jas, pull a bottle of Kabinett out of the freezer,” Emmett said.  

“Oh, thank you, Em.  I’d love a glass of wine,” Jasper quipped. He pulled himself away from me and walked over to the freezer from which he pulled out a bottle.

“I’ll do that, Jas,” I offered, but Jasper was already pulling the corkscrew out of the drawer.  

“You’re cooking. The least I can do is open a bottle of wine or two.”. 

“Glasses?” Seth asked.  Emmett handed him four wine glasses out of a cabinet and Jasper poured before offering a toast, “Here’s to my friend and your husband, the ex con.”

“Fuck,” Emmett swore and shook his head as we all drank. “Oh this is good, Eddie.  Nice choice,” he said approvingly, reaching for the bottle to read the label. 

“Thank the girl at the wine shop. I said, ‘I need a good Riesling Kabinett’ and she said, ‘here it is.’” 

“Good job anyway.  So, Jas, how’s married life treating you?” Emmett gave his dimpled grin. I worried for a moment how Jas would react to that characterization of our relationship, but it didn’t seem to faze him. 

“You know, I’ve lived in this city for a long time and I love everything about it, but now, it’s like there was never light here before. Coming home to Edward every day is just so, God, I don’t even have the words.  And we’re only in a hotel.  I can only imagine how wonderful it will be when it’s our home I’m actually coming home to.” 

“I can’t wait for that too, “I said with a smile. “Oh, I talked to Barney earlier.  He has another place for me to see tomorrow,” I slipped in casually, catching Jasper’s eye. He turned his head and gave me a wink that could not be seen by our two friends. 

“Good.” 

“And Nasir asked us to move in here with him in the meantime,” I told him. 

“Oh, that’s right. I think that’s a great idea!” Emmett said.

“Two tops for the price of one!  How can I go wrong?” Jasper approved with a laugh. 

“Well, our room is occupied until very early on Monday,” Seth reminded us.  “We can actually help you move in on Sunday, if you want.” 

Jasper deferred, explaining that we didn’t have much that needed moving yet. The conversation drifted to other topics as we went back to cooking. A while later Garrett came home from work, and after a brief respite and conversation he and Jasper put themselves to work setting the table. Unlike the rest of us.

Between cooking and setting the table, I did manage to pull Garrett aside for a few minutes, only long enough to explain that nothing was yet certain, but that I might need to get a very quick appraisal and approval for a mortgage on a home that might cost around five and a half million.

“It won’t be a problem,” Garrett assured me, “and since I’m here I can speak with the head of our mortgage lending division to ensure that personally. Can you tell me more about the house?”

“Only in very bold strokes, since I haven’t seen it yet. I don’t even...” As if on cue, my phone chirped with a text. I pulled it out to look and saw a message from Barney letting me know that the sale didn’t close and asking if he could pick me up at the hotel at nine the next morning to show me the house. I typed a quick yes and looked back at Garrett with a huge grin. “Sorry. That was our realtor letting us know that the house he was thinking about is available for me to see tomorrow. He says it’s move-in ready and priced below market, and perfect for Jas and me.”

“You will need an appraisal and a home inspection,” Garrett reminded.

“I know, that’s why I wanted to talk to you. Barney can recommend an inspector, I’m sure, but you guys hire an appraiser, right?”

Garrett nodded. “I’ll make sure that someone is available to do it as soon as your offer is accepted. Do you need a lawyer?”

“Duane. He seems like a decent guy. He dropped everything to help Nasir.”

“I know Nasir had him draft documents to add Emmett as co-owner of this place, so he trusts him,” Garrett said. “I haven’t met him, but real estate is not very complicated for someone with experience.”

“Which Duane claims to have. I think it’ll be fine.”

“Good. Then I’m really happy for you and I hope it goes well tomorrow.”

“Me too, but can I ask you a favor? Please don’t mention this to anyone else, even Seth.”

Garrett raised a brow. “I don’t lie to my husband.”

“I’m not asking you to lie, just don’t volunteer information. And if he asks you, please tell him that your client requested confidentiality. He’ll accept that, won’t he?”

“I can’t guarantee that he won’t immediately call you demanding information directly from the source.”

I sighed. He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. “I’ll deal with that if I have to. Hopefully it won’t come to that. It’s only for a day, less than twenty-four hours.”

“I can assure you I won’t bring it up.”

I clapped my hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, Garrett. You’re a good banker and an even better friend.”

“Thank you. And on that note, we should rejoin the others, lest we raise Seth’s suspicions.”

Jasper had managed to keep Seth occupied, so my conversation with Garrett went mostly unnoticed. Nasir returned home from work and shortly thereafter we were joined by Duane and his partner, Rodney. While Duane didn’t make any overtures towards Seth or Jasper who, judging by Rodney’s appearance simply weren’t his type, Rodney made no effort to hide his interest in both me and Garrett. The poor man had no idea how territorial Seth was when it came to other men hitting on his husband, or the potential ferocity of our friend who may have been the smallest in stature, but certainly not in spirit. I had a feeling, however, that before the night was over he would learn and, sure enough, we’d just started the appetizers when Seth’s Green Monster reared his head.

“So, Rodney, what do you do?” Seth question may have seemed innocent, but all of us who knew him knew better. 

“I’m a nurse at Lenox Hill Hospital, a block down.”  

“Run into a lot of injuries in your line of work?”  Seth continued, though Rodney seemed oblivious to the ominous tone.

“Sickness much more often than injury, I’d say.” 

“How was your Halloween party?”  Rather than point out the obvious, Seth apparently decided to change tack.

“Oh, hella fun, man!” Duane jumped in.  “It was still goin’ Sunday afternoon.” 

“Oh, yeah?  Sounds like a good time,” Seth said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his calculating eyes. 

“Best party of the year!  I wish all y’all coulda come,” Duane continued, still not sensing that he was being led into dangerous waters. 

“There’s always next year,” Rodney said with a smile for Garrett and Seth’s eyes flashed with fury. 

“We would love to attend, but see, the thing is,” he said coldly, “at a party like that, if someone who was not on my approved short list, and it’s a very short list, grabbed my husband’s dick, I would make a War Dance, because I very much do not share.” 

For a moment the room was silent as Seth’s message settled on both Rodney and Duane. Then, quite unexpectedly, Jasper added, “Neither do I,” in an equally frigid, threatening tone.

“Gotcha.” Finally understanding, Rodney nodded his head. He threw a quick surprised glance at Garrett, who merely smiled and drank a bit of wine.

I kept cooking, but it wasn’t easy to ignore the hard on that sprang up at hearing Jasper’s steely tone. It was a perfect reminder that I wasn’t the only possessive one in our relationship, and it made me feel much better about my earlier conversation with Seth. I only wished I could have found the way to sneak away with him and show him how much this side of him turned me on. With the spacious and relatively private butler’s pantry nearby, that might even have been a possibility if dinner wasn’t so close to being ready. In fact, just a couple of minutes later Emmett announced that it was time for everyone to adjourn to the dining room.

“Should I open a couple bottles of the other wine, Em?” Jasper asked.  “Is the red wine for dinner?” 

“Yes, please.  Thank you, Jas.”

I moved toward the wine cooler so I could lean back to say, “Hottest wine steward ever.”

“How can I resist you when you smile at me like that?” Jasper  asked and kissed me.

“Don’t try,” I replied.

“I don’t!”

Emmett and I transferred the food to serving dishes and brought everything out to the dining room before taking our seats across from each other at one end of the table next to our partners. Garrett had had the good idea to make the huge table slightly more conducive to a smaller dinner party by having all of us sit along the longer sides and ignoring the ends. It was a good setup, as no one had to sit away from their partner and it was still very easy for all of us to converse.  I was happy that Rodney took the hint and sat on the other end of the table across from Seth, thus nowhere near any of the men who may have caught his interest. I liked Duane and Rodney, but if they wanted to spend time with our group they could only do so if they gave up any idea of swapping partners.

The rest of the evening was pleasant, the delicious meal accompanied perfectly by good wine and conversation.  After dinner we sat and talked for a while in the living room, but when Duane and Rodney rose and said their goodnights, Jasper and I followed their lead. As fun as the day had been, I was exhausted again and Jasper’s day had been even longer.

We were waiting for the doorman to grab us a cab when Duane stepped out of the elevator.

“Edward, glad I caught ya.”

“What’s up, Duane?”

“Your realtor faxed over the standard forms to my office and I had a chance to look them over. Pretty standard, but I did have a few small suggested revisions. I faxed them back to his office, but here’s your copy,” he said, handing me several sheets of paper.

“Thanks, Duane, I appreciate it. We may be making an offer as soon as tomorrow.”

“If you do and it gets accepted let me know and I’ll make arrangements for the closing. Good luck, guys,” he said just as the doorman signaled for us to come out to the taxi.

“Good luck on your lunch with the general counsel tomorrow,” I replied.

“Just tryin’ to make it rain,” Duane said, spreading out his arms and looking up as if expecting precipitation. He walked backwards to the elevator and gave us a wave as he got back in.

***

“You look tired,” Jasper said back in our hotel room.

“Do I? This week hasn’t been the life of leisure I anticipated when I quit my job, but it hasn’t been heavy labor either. You’re the one who has to get up before the crack of dawn.”

I glanced at my watch, noting it was almost too late for him to get six hours of sleep, which he claimed was all he needed.

“We’d better get to sleep,” I told him, hanging up my jacket and reaching to do the same with his.

“I’m okay. I’m used to it,” he protested with a laugh. “We’re acting like old men before our time.”

“Only during the week,” I countered. “You have to get your rest when you can.”

“I can think of something I’d rather be doing than sleeping,” he tilted his head and gave me a sexy smile.

“We’ll see how you feel when the lights are off and we’re horizontal,” I told him while taking off my clothes.

“Now you’re talking,” he spoke approvingly and also stripped.

“Bathroom?” I indicated the direction with my head.

“Might as well.”

We hurried through our evening toilet and made our way to the bed, where I immediately pulled him into my arms.

“This is perfect,” he purred, pressing himself even closer against me. “Did I mention how much I love sleeping with you every night?”

“I’m pretty sure I love it more.”

“Let’s call it a tie.”

“Deal.”

We sealed our agreement with a kiss. I contemplated just holding him without another word until we fell asleep, but I couldn’t quiet my mind. Eventually, I decided it was better to talk things through while the evening was still fresh in our minds.

“So, you and Seth were pretty firm with Rodney tonight,” I mentioned tentatively, wondering if I was stepping on a landmine.

“Can you blame us? The way he was leering at you and Garrett, it was just a matter of seconds before he dropped his pants and presented himself,” Jasper’s words were clipped with residual anger.

“I doubt that. Not to mention, neither Garrett nor I were remotely interested.”

“Maybe it’s a slight exaggeration, and Seth and I weren’t worried about you guys. It’s just good to draw clear lines from the start.”

“I made things very clear to Duane when we drove to see Nasir Tuesday. It’s probably why he left you alone tonight. Guess he forgot to fill Rodney in.”

“Or maybe Seth and I just aren’t Duane’s type?”

“Let’s give him the benefit of a doubt.”

“Why are we talking about this? Did you mind us staking our claims?”

“Not at all. It was hella sexy.” I buried my face in his neck and growled. “I’m not the only tiger around here.”

“When it comes to you, I get a little possessive. Always have, even when I couldn’t act on it.”

“You know it was the same for me, except I acted on it before I had any right to. And actually, that’s the reason I brought it up.”

“Oh?” he pulled back and our eyes met in the grainy darkness of the room.

“Something happened earlier, on the way back from the jail, with Seth.”

He frowned. “You’d better tell me, because I can’t even imagine...”

“No, nothing happened with Seth, of course not. What I meant was, Seth wanted to see the pictures I had of you on my phone, and I didn’t want to show them to him.”

“Okay. Why is that a problem?”

“He gave me a hard time about it and got me thinking if maybe I was being too possessive. I know you said you didn’t want us to start our relationship on someone’s couch, but I’m worried that I may be slipping back into that possessive jerk who scared you away before.”

“Because you didn’t want Seth to see our intimate photos?” He reached up to stroke my cheek. “That’s not being possessive, Edward, that’s just being private. There’s nothing wrong with it. Seth didn’t need to see those pictures. He’s just being nosy as usual.”

“But you wouldn’t have cared if he saw them.”

He considered before he answered. “No, I probably wouldn’t have, but that’s not the same as thinking that you had some obligation to share them. He’s a total exhibitionist and maybe I am too, to a lesser degree, certainly more than you, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to keep some things to yourself.”

“So this doesn’t worry you?”

He kissed me, slowly and deeply. “Not at all. I saw the way you acted with Lance when you were here last, and with Ros. You let me handle the situation instead of acting like some caveman. I can handle your possessiveness over pictures, as long as you respect me as an adult and don’t try to control my actions.”

“I don’t ever want to do that, but if you see signs, tell me.”

“I will. What about you? Of the two of us, I’ve been far more possessive with Rodney and those waiters in Seattle. You’re sure it doesn’t bother you?”

“Like you said, you’re just staking your rightful claim, not trying to control me. And like I said, it’s a turn on. Just thinking about it gets me hard.”

I proved my point by guiding his hand to my expanding cock.

“Oh, now we’re talking. What else gets you hard?” he asked, wrapping his hand around my girth.

“You know better than anyone,” I rasped as he gave me a slow stroke.

“Let’s confirm that I do,” he said, his breath trailing down my body. I fruitlessly pointed out that he needed to get some rest. Before either of us got any sleep, he thoroughly confirmed his skills and carnal knowledge.

****

Not enough hours later, I woke up just long enough to wish Jasper a good day before he left for work.

“You too. I can’t wait to hear about this house Barney found. Good luck!”

“I’ll text you as soon as I know anything. If necessary, could you get away to see it during lunch?”

“I’ll make that work. Let’s hope it is necessary.”

I had similar hopes, but they didn’t stop me from falling back to sleep. By the time I woke for good, hours later, I was running late and had to rush through my shower to meet Barney outside at the appointed time. I apologized when I saw him waiting in the lobby.

“No problem at all,” he assured while I swept a hand through my still wet hair. “The house is empty, so no one’s waiting for us. I’m just psyched to show it to you. The bane of most realtors is that it’s rare for us to find the absolutely perfect house for a client, so when something like this happens, it’s a real thrill.”

“Let’s go see it!” I caught his enthusiasm and it only amped up my anxiety.

We caught a cab and even with morning traffic we arrived in front of the property a few minutes later.

“This is it. What do you think?” Barney asked, pointing to an imposing stone staircase leading to a wood and etched glass double doors of an impeccably maintained row house.

“It’s beautiful,” I made no secret of my first impression. The home was truly gorgeous, its facade decorated with authentic architectural details. The first floor had two tall, narrow windows while the upper floors all had three windows. I counted four full stories plus a level that was slightly below ground and accessible by a staircase that disappeared beneath the main stone steps. “It certainly looks spacious enough. Let’s go inside.”

“Normally I would take clients through the main entrance, but in your case I think we should start at the lowest level,” Barney said, opening a gate in the thigh-high iron fence that separated the property from the sidewalk. We walked onto the property and then down several steps that took us to an intricately carved solid door below the main staircase. Barney produced a key and pulled the door open, leading to an airlock illuminated by light streaming through a small stained-glass window in the wall on the other side of the staircase.

“This is a nice bonus storage area,” Barney said, pointing to the open space beneath the stairs. “You could leave bikes or other equipment here, or firewood. The house has seven working fireplaces.”

“Seven! I guess firewood storage would be a good use of this space,” I agreed, looking around as Barney opened the door to the house.

“Now, keep in mind, this is the utility entrance. It’s not meant to be impressive. Still, I’m sure you’ll appreciate this level, starting with the spacious laundry room.”

I looked to the right and noted the counter that ran underneath the two shorter windows on this level. A large double basin utility sink was in front of one of the windows while a washer, dryer, and a storage cabinet occupied the rest of the space. A fold-down ironing board and drying racks were bolted to the wall opposite the counter. The entire set-up was more impressive than what I had at Covington.

“There’s a storage area through here,” Barney said, pointing to a door. He opened it to show me a decent-size windowless empty space.

“This would be perfect for bikes,” I mused.

“Exactly. Down the hall we have a powder room,” Barney continued the tour. I stuck my head in to see the basic but nicely outfitted and decorated room. “And right past that a pantry.”

The pantry was another internal space, large and outfitted with floor to ceiling storage shelves and cabinets as well as a refrigerator/freezer and a dumb waiter.

“That’s different,” I said, pointing to the contraption.

“Different and useful. You can send your food right up to the dining room, above, or your laundry and shopping up to the master bedroom level.”

“Very convenient,” I commented. Neither Jasper nor I minded the stairs, but I imagined there would be days we’d appreciate not having to navigate multiple flights with trays of food or baskets of clothing.

“But I saved the best of this level for last,” Barney said dramatically, leading us out of the pantry and down the hall. He wasn’t wrong. Past a staircase leading up, we walked through a doorframe that opened up on a huge, modern kitchen.

“Oh, wow, you weren’t kidding,” I exclaimed, feeling like I had just stepped into a tiny slice of heaven. The kitchen was very obviously recently renovated with top of the line stainless steel appliances, gorgeous wood cabinetry and granite countertops. A large fireplace faced with matching granite and a carved wood mantel was centered on one wall. A large island held a deep single bowl stainless steel sink and dishwasher, as well as a raised bar-height overhanging dining bar. There was also plenty of room beneath the two windows in the back of the house for a full size table and chairs. “This is amazing. I’d love to cook in here.”

“I thought you might like it,” Barney spoke confidently through a wide smile. “And there’s more. Look here,” he opened a door that led to a downward staircase with a floor to ceiling wine storage cooler built into the wall of the landing.

“We’re gonna have to buy some wine to fill this,” I said. “And there’s a still lower level?”

“It’s a cellar with some basic finishings but intended primarily for storage. Of course, that’s not to say you couldn’t renovate it and turn it into living space down the road...”

I followed him down to see a large empty space. The walls and floors were finished and there were basic fluorescent light fixtures throughout, but as Barney warned, this was definitely not living space. Still, the amount of storage space available was impressive.

“I honestly don’t know what we’d do with all the space down here.”

“The previous owners felt the same way. There’s more than enough room upstairs, though this could make a nice home gym. Should we see the rest?”

“Please,” I agreed, my mind reeling.

“Before we go up, I wanted to show you this,” Barney spoke excitedly, leading us to the back door. He opened it to reveal a covered patio. A stone staircase led up to a backyard garden with a lawn, planting boxes and a larger patio in the back. A vine covered eight foot tall brick wall surrounded the yard, providing plenty of privacy.

Wordlessly, I looked around and contemplated the possibilities. After the disappointing lack of outdoor spaces at the properties we’d seen so far, this was more than I had dared to hope.

I turned around and stared at the rear facade of the house. A wood staircase led to a porch on the first level that spanned the width of the house and was accessible by a main door and two sets of narrow french doors. The next two levels had Juliet balconies and french doors except for one double-hung window on the third level that matched the three similar windows on the highest floor.

“Is this the kind of outdoor space you had in mind?” Barney asked, smiling. I almost hugged him.

“This is perfect.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that, and you’ve only seen one level.”

I glanced at my watch. It was still too early to call Jasper. I was torn, wanting to wait to see the rest with him, but also feeling the responsibility to make sure that the rest of the house was, in fact, as perfect as what I’d seen so far.

“Show me the rest,” I said, practicality winning out.

“Keep in mind we’re doing this backwards,” Barney reminded as we walked up the straight staircase to the first above ground floor.

We emerged to our right into an empty open space. On the back wall I saw the door and two sets of narrow french doors that led out onto the porch. The side wall was dominated by another large fireplace. The interior wall was wood paneled to match the hardwood floor and trim of the rest of the room and was split in the middle by a corridor that led to a  room in the front of the house. On one side of the corridor was a built-in wet bar with a hidden mini refrigerator, ice maker and a small wine cooler with shelves for glassware in the upper portion of the cabinet behind wood and glass doors. On the other side was the housing for the dumb waiter.

“This is unbelievable,” I muttered. “How much did you say this was selling for?”

“We’ll talk numbers after we finish the tour,” he evaded. Jasper may have balked, but I was too enthralled with the place to force the conversation.

There were two doors on either side of the small corridor between the rooms. One led to a coat closet and the other to another small but very functional powder room. The room in the front, which Barney referred to as a parlor, was approximately the same size as the dining room with an equally impressive pink marble-faced fireplace. The wood floors and trim continued here as well, creating a uniform appearance on the entire first floor. The only difference here was that the two tall narrow windows facing the street did not open up onto their own porch or balconies.

“This house is made for parties, really classy parties,” I observed.

“I can see you and Jasper entertaining your friends here,” Barney agreed. “Shall we go upstairs?”

The next level was just as impressive. An enormous spa-like bathroom was located in the front of the house, complete with generous cabinetry and double sinks, and an oversized shower stall with multiple showerheads. By far the most eye catching features of the room, however, were the large fireplace and the oversized jetted claw foot bathtub that was large enough to fit two and was installed in the center of the room. There were two large walk-in closets, one in the front and one in the back of the house and, also in the back, a beautiful Master bedroom with its own fireplace. Taking up the entire floor of the house, it was a master suite fit for kings.

I didn’t need to tell Barney how much I loved it. He could easily read my reaction from my expression.

“Two more floors to go,” he said and scaled the next flight of stairs.

The level above the master suite held two large bedrooms located roughly over the front parlor and back dining room with a fireplace and ample closet space in each. Adjacent to the front bedroom was a separate smaller room that could be used as a bedroom, but that I immediately thought to turn into a home office. On the same side of the house in the back was the guest bath, outfitted with more scaled down standard fixtures, including a tub/shower combo. I immediately knew this level would be where the boys stayed on their visits, mentally furnishing the front bedroom for them and imagining Maggie and Rosalie staying in the back bedroom, with the two Juliet balconies looking out over the back yard.

“You said all the fireplaces work?” I asked Barney.

“They sure do, and with that dumb waiter it’s easy to get the wood as far up as the master suite. You’d have to hand carry it up to this level.”

“We’d only use these when we had out of town guests, so that’s not a problem.”

I couldn’t get over the sheer beauty of the house. All of the rooms had polished wood trim and gleaming, flawlessly refinished hardwood floors. Once furnished, the place feature in any number of home magazines.

I followed Barney up to the last level and my jaw nearly dropped. In the back of the house was another good sized bedroom with a generous walk-in closet. A bathroom accessible from the hallway featured a large marble-tiled shower. Connecting the back bedroom to the room in the front was a narrow galley kitchen outfitted with another fridge and icemaker, dishwasher, microwave built-in toaster oven and a full-size popcorn machine. Through the kitchen was a large room very obviously set up as a home theater.

“The kitchenette is there so you don’t have to go down all those stairs to get a snack,” Barney pointed out. “And the guests staying up here obviously can take advantage of it as well.”

“You’ve stumped me, Barney. I don’t know what to say.”

“So, is this it?”

“Without a doubt. This is definitely it for me. Jas has to see it, of course, but I can’t imagine him not liking this place.”

“How soon can he be here?” Barney wasn’t going to let any grass grow under our feet.

I looked at my watch. We’d spent enough time touring the house that Jasper’s show was off the air, but it wasn’t quite lunchtime. Still, I could call him to let him know how much I loved the house and see if he could take his lunch early. I pressed the preset for his phone and pulled the phone up to my ear to see if he’d pick up.

“Good news?” He didn’t waste time with preliminaries. I could hear in his voice that he’d been waiting to hear from me.

“Very good news. You have to see this place. I’d tell you about it, but I want to watch your face when you see it. Can you take an early lunch?”

“I actually made a deal with my boss to take the rest of the day off if I need it, as long as I come in tomorrow.”

I grimaced. I hated hearing that he’d have to work on the weekend. If the house wasn’t as perfect, I might have tried to talk him out of it.

“I know what you’re thinking, but it will only be for a few hours tomorrow morning. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“That wasn’t what I was thinking, Jas. You haven’t had a decent night’s sleep all week. The weekend is supposed to be your time to rest.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m used to this schedule. I have to tie up some loose ends, but I should be able to leave in fifteen. I’ll take the subway so I should see you in less than thirty.”

Jasper had looked up the address Barney provided the night before, and determined that there was a convenient subway stop nearby. This was yet another bonus that came with the house.

“He’ll be here in half an hour, maybe sooner,” I told Barney as I pocketed my phone. “I’m not even sure how I want to show this to him. Not starting at the bottom, as we did. Maybe we should start up here?”

Barney smiled. “I’ll leave that up to you.”

I quickly cycled through various options, trying to think which would make the biggest impact.

“Yes, let’s start up here,” I decided, “Walking in through the proper front entrance.”

“That will be the first for you too. Shall we go downstairs to wait?”

“Yeah. Would you mind if I took a look around the neighborhood? And point me to the nearest subway stop. Jasper said he’d take the subway here, so I can meet him.”

“Good idea. The subway stops at Lexington and 63rd. Just go down the block towards Lexington and then left for one block. You’re in an excellent location here, between Park and Lexington. There are lots of shops and restaurants right on Lexington and, of course, Central Park is just two and a half blocks in the other direction.”

We made our way downstairs and out onto the stone front stoop in front of the ornate doors. 

“Now that I know this is the right house, we may as well talk price,” I told him, walking down to the sidewalk.

“I think I mentioned five and a half million yesterday?”

“You did. Is that the price?”

“Pretty much. I’d recommend offering five-four and a super quick close, but I wouldn’t go lower than that. It’s already way below market value at that price. You’d be getting a huge bargain.”

“You’ve sold me. And if we need to go up to five five, that won’t be a problem. As long as Jas likes it,” I threw in, though I was virtually certain he’d love the place as much as I did.

“Of course. I’ll just wait here while you take a stroll over to Lexington and check out the nearby amenities?”

“Sounds good. I won’t be long. Thanks, Barney.”

I walked down the tree-lined block past well maintained homes that were clearly occupied by very affluent owners. I figured these people wouldn’t be all that different from my Covington neighbors, who were pretty wealthy themselves, except maybe in terms of attitude. I’d heard New Yorkers tended to look down on the rest of the country, but fortunately I hadn’t seen that with Jasper’s friends and I wasn’t planning to hang out with folks next door. Safety and security concerned me far more, and this definitely seemed like a neighborhood where Jasper and I wouldn’t have to look over our shoulders every time we stepped outside the house.

As Barney promised, Lexington Avenue was lined with shops and restaurants, some of which spilled down onto 62nd Street on the properties closest to the street corners. I was happy to see a small grocery store, a pharmacy and a liquor store, as well as a couple coffee shops, including a Starbucks at the corner of Lexington and 63rd. The restaurants offered a huge variety of food, from burgers to Mediterranean to Japanese and Indian.  It was almost a shame I enjoyed cooking as much as I did, because we could have easily had something different every night of the week without walking more than two blocks from our house.

I ventured down another half a block, occasionally stepping into a store to check it out, and then returned to the subway entrance, which I’d located earlier. I people watched, looking down the stairs after each rumbling start and stop of the subway that disgorged its passengers up to the street. It was a crisp autumn day and I was glad I wore the heavier jacket Jasper had picked out for me when we went shopping, which made it possible for me to wait on the sidewalk instead of ducking into the Starbucks for protection from the elements.

He showed up pretty much on time.

“Jas?” I called out when I saw him walking up the stairs. He looked up and broke out into his gorgeous smile, jogging the rest of the way up.

“This is a nice surprise” He said, pulling me into a brief hug.

“I thought I’d check out the hood. How was the ride?”

“Just two stops. I couldn’t ask for a better commute. Walking won’t be bad either,” he said as we started walking back to 62nd street.

“I’m so glad. I can’t wait to see what you think of the house. Barney outdid himself today.”

“Sounds good. And oh, before I forget, Nasir’s assistant called me. We’re having dinner with the guys at six and then we’re going to see a play, Kinky Boots.”

“Dinner and a play?” I grimaced. “Sounds like another late night, and you said you have to work tomorrow.”

“Sounds like fun with out of town friends, and I’m still in my twenties. I can party all night and still shine at work. Not that we’ll be out all night. Dinner and theater is actually a pretty tame Friday night, you know,” he poked me in the ribs with his elbow. “Come on, if we don’t live on the wild side now, when will we?”

I laughed. “Okay, fine, you win. Dinner and theater it is. Kinky boots, huh?”

“It was my choice. You’ll love it.”

“If it was your choice, then I’m sure I will.”

We turned the corner and walked down a bit, waving to Barney who was waiting for us in front of the house on the other side.

“Looks expensive,” Jasper observed, casting an eye over the other houses on the block. “Bigger than the row houses on this side.”

I looked around as well, noting that some of the houses on the side we were walking on were only two windows wide.

“Barney says it’s a huge bargain, and from what we’ve seen in the listings, he’s right.”

“What’s that down the street, with all the flags?” Jasper asked, pointing.

“I don’t know. Want to see?”

Barney crossed the street to join us.

“That’s actually the Bulgarian embassy. It takes away some of the street parking, but increases the safety factor.”

“Bulgarian embassy? Really?” Jasper laughed.

“What’s funny?” I asked, confused.

“Remember my friend Greg, from the UK, and his partner, the professional soccer player?”

“Yeah.”

“Victor’s Bulgarian. If he ever comes to visit, he’ll be right down the street from his little corner of Bulgarian soil in the US.”

“Wow, that’s a lucky coincidence,” I said. “And I guess that would make the street pretty safe.” I said. I could see one person outside the row house who may have been a guard, though he  wasn’t wearing any obvious uniforms or carrying visible weapons.

“With or without the embassy, this neighborhood is very safe,” Barney assured. “So, should we go inside and give Jasper the tour?”

“Absolutely,” Jasper encouraged. “I know Edward already loves it.”

“You have to love it too,” I told him.

“My tastes aren’t all that different from yours. Let’s go take a look.”

We walked up the stone stairs and through the double doors. “It’s already impressive,” Jasper remarked, looking down the hall and up the straight stairs that hugged the side wall.

“Edward thought you should see it from the top down,” Barney said, reaching for the stair handrail.

“Is that how you saw it?” Jasper smirked at me.

“As a matter of fact, no,” I replied with a smirk of my own, “but I thought you might appreciate this view.”

“Fine, let’s see it from top to bottom,” Jasper said and winked. I chuckled and followed him up the stairs, which gave me a perfect view of his toned ass. As my cock grew in my pants, I realized I needed to shift my thoughts to something else or risk giving Barney more of a show than I intended.

We weren’t exactly winded when we reached the top level, but the climb made me remember the dumb waiter fondly. I didn’t envy the moving and delivery people who’d hauled furniture up and down all those flights of stairs.

“It’s like we have our own skyscraper,” Jasper joked. “Minus the elevator.”

“Many homeowners have retrofitted elevators into these homes. It’s something you might consider down the road.”

“Way down the road. For now, I’ll think of these as our own version of the stairmaster,’ I said.

“So back here we have a bedroom...” Barney began his tour. Jasper listened to him while I was content to watch the reactions on Jasper’s face. This was the least impressive of the bedrooms, except for the small den on the level below, but it was larger than Jasper’s room at Dimi and Peter’s place. I could immediately see he liked it, especially when he looked out the window and down at our private garden.

“Does all that come with the house? It’s perfect for you, Edward.”

“It’s perfect for us. Lots of space to plant a garden and host outdoor parties. You’ll see better when we get downstairs.”

Okay, what’s this door here?” Jasper asked, pulling open the door to the galley kitchenette. “What the hell? The kitchen’s upstairs? And so small? And what’s with the popcorn machine?”

“It’s the second kitchen, and it’s up here for snacking,” I told him. “Walk through to the other room.”

He did as I asked and his eyes widened at the media room set up. The seating had been removed but the large built-in screen remained, as did the long heavy draperies that could be pulled closed to block any light coming through the windows.

“Holy crap! It’s a private movie theater.”

“Yup. Imagine skyping with the boys or your family up here. It would be like having them here in person.”

Jasper turned to me, his eyes full of emotion. He reached for my hand and squeezed. “That would be great,” he said, his tone carrying as much meaning as his words.

Barney showed him the bathroom and then we went downstairs, where Jasper was clearly impressed with the two large bedrooms and the den.

“With all this space, we could have both our families staying with us,” he commented. “Or all the guys when they visit from the UK.”

“Exactly what I thought.”

“That front room would be great for the boys, as long as we installed some doors on the fireplace.”

“You read my mind again,” I said with a smile. I was encouraged by the fact that he was already mentally adapting the house for our future use, without having seen the best parts.

“This is the master suite,” Barney announced as we descended. Jasper walked into the bedroom first and walked rapidly towards the fireplace, placing his hand on the green marble front.

“I love it! It matches your eyes,” he said, turning back to look at me. “I could definitely see us in this room.”

I was touched. I walked up to him and reached up to caress his cheek. “Me too, Jas,” I said as I kissed him, ignoring our realtor. “Come on, you have to see the bathroom,” I told him when we parted, pulling him by the hand into the other room.

“Holy crap. This is huge!”

I couldn't tell if he was talking about the room itself or the giant tub in the center or both, but he was definitely impressed. He walked around to check out all the fixtures, pausing at the dumb waiter.

“What’s this?”

“It’s our way to get stuff up and down to or from the two lower levels.”

“We have a dumb waiter?” he sounded incredulous. I looked over at Barney. The present tense possessive wasn’t lost on either of us.

“Yup. You like it?”

“I never would have put it on my wish list, but yeah, I love it. Too bad it doesn’t go all the way to the top.”

“I doubt we’ll have to carry all that much up there.”

“Probably not,” he said absently, running his hand over the carved wood cabinet that housed the convenient contraption.

Barney pointed out the walk-in closet and then doubled back to show Jasper the other closet that we missed on our first viewing before taking us down to the main level.  It was easy to see that Jasper loved it all as we walked around, hand in hand.

“How’s the kitchen?” he asked as we stood on the porch and looked out at the garden.

“Come see for yourself.”

“Oh, Edward, this is fantastic,” Jasper exclaimed when he saw the kitchen. “Dimi and Ros will be green with envy!”

“I’ll happily share the kitchen with others. My home cooking will hardly do it justice.”

“Your home cooking is delicious. Dimi may take you up on your offer,” he said, giving me a cautious glance.

“They’re both welcome, as long as Peter can be civil. Let’s go outside.”

I led Jasper out the door to the covered patio and out into the yard.  This time, Barney stayed in the house, giving us privacy.

“So, what do you think?” I asked anxiously.

“I think we found our home. Do I want to ask how much?”

“Five and a half million, though Barney suggested starting at five million four. I really do think it’s a bargain. I would be willing to pay more. It’s just so perfect.”

I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was thrilled when Jasper simply nodded and said, “Okay. Let’s make the offer.”

“Really? You haven’t seen all of it yet.”

“I doubt anything I haven’t seen yet can change my mind.”

“The dungeon in the cellar?” I teased. His eyes flashed in confusion. “I’m teasing. There is a cellar, but there’s nothing in it.”

“Oh, good. I was concerned there, for a second, though I know some guys who’d drool at the prospect.”

“Felix and Anton?”

“Maybe, but they’re not really hard core. I’ve met some other people who are. They’re not close friends. It’s never been my scene.”

“Not mine either. I don’t get any of it,” I confessed.

“Yeah. Different strokes for different folks. As long as it’s all consensual...”

“But we digress.  Let’s go back in. Barney can show you the rest while I call Garrett. Is that okay?”

As much as I wanted to see everything with him, I also wanted to get the wheels in motion for the purchase.

“Sounds like a plan.”

I watched him go back inside and pulled out my phone. Before I made any call, I snapped a few pictures of the house and garden, wishing I’d thought to do the same while we were touring the house earlier. I made a mental note to go back and do that before we left, knowing everyone would want to see the pictures when we told them we put in an offer.

“Edward, good to hear from you,” Garrett greeted me warmly. “Unfortunately, I may not have much time. I’m expecting Seth and Emmett to join me for lunch, and I’m not sure when they’ll arrive.”

“I’ll be brief. Seth doesn’t need to know anything until tonight. I didn’t get any calls from him today, so I take it he didn't get inquisitive last night?”

“I kept his mind on other things.”

“Good man! I’m sure you enjoyed that as much as he did.”

“You know us well, but you didn’t call me to talk about that.”

“No. I’m at the house and we’re going to put in an offer. The initial offer will be for five million four, but it may go up if needed. Do I have approval for a mortgage?”

“You are approved for up to seven million right now, with ten percent down, and I’m sure I could get more if needed. The approval is pending an appraisal, but I have someone who would be willing to get that done over the weekend, if necessary.”

“I think we can wait until Monday. The offer hasn’t been accepted yet, and we can’t close over the weekend.”

“As long as the appraisal comes in at the mortgage amount or above, you’re good to go whenever all the other pieces are in place.”

“Thanks, Garrett, I appreciate it. This place is... it already feels like home. Jasper and I both started thinking about how we’d use the rooms as we walked through it. It feels exactly right.”

“I’m really happy for you. You and Jasper deserve a perfect home.”

“Thank you. I know you and Seth will likely always stay with Nasir and Emmett when you’re in town, but I want you to know our door is always open, for you guys and your families. We’ll have plenty of room. Three bedrooms in addition to the master suite.”

“I’m sure Justin and Leah and their families would appreciate that.”

“It would be a pleasure to host them, and to have the gang back together on this coast.”

“Let’s see if we can make that happen. In the meantime, I should probably go.”

“All right. Thanks again. You’ve really watched out for me all these years and it’s because of your wise investment strategies that I can do this without giving it a second thought.”

“Just doing my job, but in your case it’s obviously been a pleasure as well.”

Inside, Jasper and Barney were waiting for me in the kitchen, leaning against the breakfast counter of the island. I walked up to Jasper and took his hand.

“The rest of the house okay?”

“More than okay,” he assured.

“So we’re ready to do this?”

“I am if you are.”

We both turned back to Barney. “We’re going to make an offer of five million four, per your suggestion.”

“Great. My office is very close. Let’s go there to sign the papers there. Since one of my colleagues represents the seller, it’s possible we can finish our negotiations today.”

“That sounds good. Duane said he faxed some proposed revisions to the forms to your office. Could you have the offer forms prepared to include those revisions so they’ll be ready when we get there? In the meantime, I’d like to go back through and take some pictures. Would that be okay?”

“Yes, of course. There’s nothing here that we wouldn’t show on a listing. Take as many pictures as you wish while I call the office.”

I started with the kitchen and then took a few snapshots of the rest of the lower level. There was nothing in the cellar so I didn’t bother going down there, heading for the upper floors instead.

“This was a good idea. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it,” Jasper said as he examined the rooms again. “I do love this house!” he told me, his eyes shining with excitement.

“I know! I feel such a buzz just being here. I want to move in tonight!”

“Might be a bit uncomfortable without a bed.”

“We’ll buy an air mattress.”

He laughed. “Somehow, I don’t think that will happen. But I guess next week is not out of the realm of possibility?”

“I will move heaven and earth so we can own this house by this time next week.”

“All this talk about the bedroom makes me wanna go up there,” Jasper suggested with a leer.

“We can’t exactly break it in with Barney downstairs,” I pointed out.

“Spoilsport,” he pouted. “Let’s go up anyway. I want a picture of that fireplace.”

We took several pictures of the fireplace and the walk-in closet in the back of the house, outfitted with high-end, wood, custom organizers.

“Is this gonna be yours or mine?” he asked.

“This one’s a little smaller than the other. Let’s just share them both.”

“I like that. We can separate the clothes by seasons or occasions. Good idea. Now, let’s take another look at that master bath. It’s as big as this room.”

“It sure is. We’re gonna have a lot of fun in here,” I agreed, snapping pictures.

“Mmm-hmm. Let’s start right now.”

“What?” I turned to see him pulling off his shirt. “What are you doing?” Nervously, I glanced at the two doors into the room. Both were closed. Jasper must have done that while I was taking pictures.

“I decided we need a selfie. A nude selfie.”

“Barney may be up any moment.”

“He won’t come up, and if he does, he’ll find the doors locked. Come on, the faster you strip, the faster we’ll be done.”

“Strip?” Even as I asked the question, I pulled my shirt up and yanked it off. Jasper’s request to get naked was not something I could refuse.

“You don’t have to take your jeans all the way off, just get them down to your knees,” he said, leading by example. We stood facing each other with our pants tangled around our feet. I still held the phone in my hand.

“We need to get closer,” Jasper said, shuffling towards me until our fronts were pressed so close we could have been conjoined twins.

“Now what?” I asked, my arms automatically circling his body, my free hand cupping his ass. He did the same with his arms and I felt both of our cocks hardening.

“Now you point the phone at the mirror and take a picture while we kiss,” he said, as if the answer was obvious. He covered my lips with his before I could ask any more stupid questions. I lifted the phone and used my thumb to press the screen until I heard the tell-tale shutter click sound. I expected him to pull back, but instead I felt his tongue enter my mouth. I snapped another picture, and another, unwilling to be the first to break the kiss. Jasper didn’t seem worried as he leisurely explored my mouth. I dropped my hand and rested it against his lower back, closing my eyes to better enjoy the kiss. I felt one of his hands move up my back, tracing lazy patterns as we kissed.

“I love you,” Jasper said when he finally pulled back. “Did you get the picture?”

I moved the phone to where we could both see it and opened the gallery. I scrolled through the several selfie shots. Somehow, without even trying, I’d managed to take several great pictures. Because of our positioning the pictures didn’t reveal anything indecent, but they were still highly erotic.

“These are great! We’ll have to have one framed. We can put it on the mantel over the fireplace.”

“But not poster size, please. Something we can put in a drawer when the boys are visiting?” I requested.

“You got it. Now, let’s get dressed and finish the photo shoot. Of the house,” he said, laughing at my expression.

We dressed quickly, though not quickly enough for me to stop Jasper from sinking to his knees and engulfing my still hard cock into his mouth. Had he wanted to go further, I wouldn’t have had the strength to stop him, but he knew me well and released me soon thereafter.

“I’d love to finish, but I kind of want to save that for when the place is really ours,” he explained, standing up and reaching for his shirt. We both left zipping up our pants for last, forcing our erections into the tight confinement. After another passionate kiss, we practically ran upstairs to take photos of the remaining two levels.

“Are we gonna share all these pictures with the guys tonight?” I asked as we were making our way downstairs after we were done. He gave me a half smile.

“That’s totally your call.”

***

By the time we reached Barney’s office the paperwork had been prepared and we only needed to review and sign the offer. Barney walked it over to his colleague’s desk. It took a little time for the owner to respond, because the guy who had to make the decision was in a meeting and could not be disturbed. Our offer of five million four hundred thousand dollars was countered with five million seven, which we then countered with five million five. That offer was accepted and we arranged for a quick closing the following Wednesday.

“This is all a whirlwind. Can it really happen this quickly?” Jasper asked.

“As long as the bank shows up with the money,” Barney confirmed. “And speaking of money, we have to sign the sales contract. I assume I should fax it to your lawyer first?”

“The money  won’t be a problem,” I assured him. “And yes, please send whatever I need to sign to Duane so he can review it.”

“Okay, now, about the inspection. We don’t have the full report, because it was prepared for the buyers, but we can get a name of the inspector the last would be buyers used and see if they would be willing to do one for you. Since they saw the house so recently, most of the work is already done. They’ll just have to reconfirm their findings.”

“Sounds like a great plan. Let’s call them.”

We reached the home inspection company and they agreed to our request. The man I spoke with told me I’d have to pay the full price, despite the fact that the report was basically already done, but that in lieu of a discount he’d have the inspector go out to the house over the weekend. Since time was more important than money, that was just fine with me.

I called Garrett to let him know about the agreement and to have him messenger over the check for the money I needed to put into escrow after the agreement was signed. He told me that the check would be sent over immediately, but I was disturbed by the caution in his congratulations.

“What’s up, Garrett?”

“Nothing too serious, but would you and Jasper mind stopping by our offices here this afternoon?”

“That’s not a problem, but why?”

“It occurred to me that the house will be in both your and Jasper’s name, which means he’ll also have to be on the mortgage. We’ll need him to fill out some documents.”

“Oh, okay, sure. This isn’t going to delay anything, is it?”

“It shouldn’t, no.” Garrett said, but he sounded more reserved than usual.

“Well, we’re done here so we’ll be on our way. Shouldn’t take us long to walk over.”

I assured Barney that my check was on its way His colleague would pass it on to the Seller’s lawyer. Barney, in turn, told us that he’d work with Fifth/Third’s lawyers and Duane to arrange for the closing, which in Manhattan apparently took place at the lender’s lawyers’ office. I made a mental note to discuss that with Garrett as well, and maybe even get an introduction to the attorney who would be handling the transaction for the bank.

“Garrett didn’t saw what was wrong?” Jasper asked as we set out for the New York offices of Fifth/Third bank.

“He didn’t say anything was wrong. It’s just the way he sounded. Maybe I’m imagining things.”

Jasper reached for my hand and squeezed.

“Let’s hope that’s all it is. I’d hate to lose the house now that we found it and fell in love with it.”

“We’re not going to lose the house. If there’s a problem with the mortgage, I’ll just pay cash,” I insisted.

“Even though that’s against your financial advisor’s counsel?”

“It won’t be. Garrett understands. He’d do the same thing in my place. And if that happens, promise me you’ll be okay with it.”

Jasper grimaced. “That’s so unfair. You know I love the house, but to have you pay that much cash for something that’s in both of our names...”

“If something happens to me, provisions have been made for everyone I love except you, and we’ll remedy that soon. It’s something else I’ll need to talk to Duane about. This will be your home, and it’s only right that you should have it if...”

“But we just started seeing each other again. What if...” he started and paused. He clearly didn’t want to say what he was thinking.

“I don’t want to think about this stuff either, but no matter what happens, I know you have too much integrity to screw me over for money. Hell, you pair your half of the rent after you moved out of our Seattle apartment, and you had no money then. I know you haven’t changed that much. So I’m not at all worried about that.”

“You worry about other stuff?”

“Sure, stuff we talked about last night. Making Peter’s predictions come true despite my best ef-”

Jasper yanked me to a halt. Several people used choice words to curse us for messing up the sidewalk traffic flow, but he didn’t seem to hear them.

“Peter’s no psychic and his predictions are shit. He’s wrong. Maybe he wasn’t totally wrong about you before, but he is now. And someday he’ll probably admit it. But whether he does or doesn’t won’t make a difference, because I know you a helluva lot better than he does, and so do Seth and Em. And we all know you’re not like that. I know. So stop worrying, okay?”

“Okay,” I agreed, taken aback by his vehemence and then by his powerful, almost violent kiss. “Okay.”

“Our relationship is built on love and trust. Mutual trust. The value of my trust isn’t as easily quantifiable as yours, but-”

“It’s worth more to me than all the gold in Fort Knox,” I told him and kissed him. “Are we done with this discussion, then?”

“Yeah. Let’s go see Garrett and hope we were worried for nothing.”

We introduced ourselves to the guard in the bank lobby. He made a call and directed us upstairs where a receptionist was waiting to take us Garrett’s visitor’s office.

“First of all, congratulations!” Garrett said warmly as he rose to meet us. When the receptionist left the room he gave us each a hug and a brief kiss. His welcome took some of the edge off my nerves.

“It’s a great house. Exactly what we wanted. We took pictures. Do you want to see?”

I started pulling out my phone but Garrett waved me off.

“I wish I could, but not now. I already kept too much from Seth. He’d never forgive me if I looked at these before he had a chance to see them.”

“You don’t mind him being so bossy?” Jasper was slightly incredulous. Garrett smiled that soft, indulgent smile I’d sometimes seen on his face when talking to Seth.

“I certainly don’t mind doing something so simple to keep him from being unhappy. I understand what drives Seth, and it’s hardly the need to boss me around.”

Jasper arched a brow at me and I shrugged. Garrett understood Seth better than anyone in the world except maybe Emmett, though probably not even him. More to the point, whatever the dynamic between them, they were both very happy and still in love, so I didn’t question it.

“I’d ask you to sit, but we may be more comfortable at a conference table. I reserved one for us. Let me get the paperwork and we can go across the hall.”

Back in Seattle, Garrett had an office that held a conference table as large as the one in the room we adjourned to in addition to his desk, but the visitor’s office here didn’t offer those kinds of perks. Once we were all sat around the table, Garrett placed an application in front of Jasper and asked him to fill out the relevant information. Jasper paused almost immediately, when it came time to fill in the address.

“I guess I should put down Dimi and Ros’ place. I don’t think the bank would appreciate a hotel address.”

“Whatever address you’re using at work at the moment,” Garrett confirmed.

Jasper continued to fill out the forms, occasionally asking questions and looking up information through his smart phone. In addition to the application there were credit check authorizations and other disclosure forms. It all took much too long, but eventually Jasper was done.

“Thank you, I know these are a pain,” Garrett said, gathering up the documents. “Now, we’ll need to go over paperwork to add your name to Edward’s bank accounts.”

“I don’t want that,” Jasper protested. Garrett frowned and I completely understood the reason. This is what he and Nasir did when they began sharing their lives with Seth and Emmett. He was perfectly reasonable in expecting Jasper and me to follow suit.

“Jasper prefers to keep our finances separate, for now,” I confirmed. “Is that a problem?”

“It’s not a problem, but Jasper, you need to understand that you and Edward are taking out a mortgage for five million dollars. If something happened to Edward, that loan would be your responsibility, and without access to his accounts...”

“I have some savings plus a trust fund my dad set up for me. It’s not five million, but I could handle the payments for a while, long enough to sell,” his face fell when he realized the implications.

“You wouldn’t have to do that. I’ll have Duane change my trust to make sure if something happened to me you’d be well taken care of, including keeping the house.”

Jasper started to speak but stopped himself, apparently recalling our earlier conversation.

“You can keep me from sharing my money with you while I’m alive, but not if something happens,” I tried to tease him.

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you need to think about more than just death. There are other ways to become incapacitated. If I may suggest, you could set up a separate trust with enough funds to cover the mortgage and leave Edward as a trustee except in the event he is unwilling or unable to make payments on the loan, in which case Jasper would be authorized to do that and only that. The trust could be written so that Edward cannot withdraw more than is necessary to cover the remaining payments on the loan.”

“That sounds very complicated,” Jasper complained.

“It sounds perfect. It will protect you no matter what happens in the future. And it’s not all my money, so you can’t complain about that.” I told him, grateful for Garrett’s ingenuity.

“I’m sure Duane could easily draft a trust document. It’s a good way to meet both your needs.”

“I don’t know,” Jasper hesitated.

“I want you protected. Assume the worst, Jas. Assume that I’m a piece of shit that will change his mind tomorrow and leave you. With this trust in place you wouldn’t have to worry about selling the house immediately. It would give you some breathing room.”

“But you’re not leaving, are you?” he sounded far too uncertain and I almost regretted sowing that seed of doubt, but if this was what convinced him to agree to a trust that would ultimately protect his interest, then it was what needed to be done.

“Of course not, not without you, anyway, and only if you want to leave. But these agreements exist to protect the other person in a worst case scenario, and I want you fully protected. Please, Jas, this is not signing over half of my money to you, though you know I’d be happy to do that right now. But that’s not what Garrett’s suggesting.”

“The bank would feel much better approving a joint mortgage with this kind of a trust in place. If you and Edward were married, approval wouldn’t be a problem, but since you have no legal ties...,” Garrett pointed out. I could have kissed him, except I wished he’d said something sooner, especially when this turned out to be the winning argument.

“All right. I guess that makes sense. The bank wouldn’t trust me to make the payments on my own, not with my income, and they’d be right. And I don’t want you to have to pay for the house in cash because they won’t approve me for the mortgage. Let’s talk to Duane and have him draft the trust,” Jasper agreed with a resigned sigh.

We called Duane and found him back in his office, his lunch concluded.

“Your realtor faxed over the contract. Congratulations, guys!” Duane spoke enthusiastically. “I took the liberty of looking up the house and my God, you two are the luckiest SOBs in all of Manhattan to pick up that property for that price. I love our place, but I’m jealous as fuck, I don’t mind telling ya. You’ll make millions in equity the moment the sale goes through.”

“Thanks, Duane,” I chuckled. “We’re glad you approve. But listen, we have a little more business to throw your way, assuming you have time. We’re in Garrett’s office to finalize the mortgage and he has an idea that will need some legal paperwork. I’ll let him explain.”

Garrett succinctly explained what he had in mind while Jasper and I listened. We understood the basics, but as the other two men began discussing nuance Jasper and I felt a little superfluous.

“I get what you’re saying, Garrett, and I can draft something like that up, no problem,” Duane confirmed. “Edward and Jasper, could you stop by my office now? I’ll need you two to sign some paperwork as clients of the firm and I’ll probably have some questions as I think more on this. Oh, and we should contact Edward’s lawyers in Seattle. I’ll need to see copies of your current trusts, since those may need to be modified.”

Jasper and I agreed to head over to his office and spent the rest of the afternoon with him and in conference calls with Seattle. By the end of the day all of the questions seemed to have been answered.

“I’ll work on this over the weekend and have it ready for you on Monday,” Duane assured us.

“Thanks, Duane. I appreciate you making time for us. We’re moving at the speed of sound here, and it’s nice to have experts helping us along.”

“No problem. I wish we’d met under better circumstances, but I can’t regret the timing of our meeting. It’s a pleasure representing you both.”

It was nearly five when we left his office.

“We have an hour before we have to meet the guys at the restaurant,” I noted.

“We may be a little late. There’s one more stop we need to make.”

“Oh? Where are we going?”

“You’ll see shortly.” He flagged down a cab and gave the driver an address. I was dying of curiosity, but I didn’t pester him with questions. I was surprised, however, when we pulled up in front of a medical clinic.

“What are we doing here, Jas?” I asked after we paid the cabbie.

“We’re getting tested. I’m tired of waiting to be with you the way I really want, and I don’t want anything between us the first time we make love in our new home. We’ve both been careful, so I’d be willing to go ahead without the tests but I know you’re not, so here we are. We’ll get our definitive results today and we can get rid of the damned condoms once and for all.”

“Jas...”

“Don’t tell me you don’t want to do this.”

“I would never lie to you like that. I’m just mad I hadn’t thought of it.”

The clinic was one Jasper had used in the past, so they had his information on file. Because we didn’t have an appointment we had to wait a bit to be seen, giving me plenty of time to fill out my forms. Then it was just a matter of giving up a little blood and waiting the requisite twenty minutes. We requested to get our results together.

“Now, guys, I know you’re familiar with the process but I need to inform you that this test only detects the presence of HIV, so if there is any doubt you should screen for other sexually transmitted infections,” the cute male nurse said after the three of us were alone in an exam room.

“We both tested negative for everything else three months ago and have been exclusive and practicing safe sex since. This is just checking off the last box before we ditch the latex,” Jasper explained impatiently.

“Well, as to that, we strongly advise the continuous use of prophylactics, even with exclusive partners. Sometimes exclusivity means different things to different people and the risk...”

“We’re confident we both understand exclusivity exactly the same way. And we’d never put the other at risk,” I said, looking at Jasper with absolute certainty.

“Okay. Well, I’m pleased to say both of your tests came back negative. It sounds like that was the expected result?”

“Very much so, but thank you. This was the confirmation we needed,” I told him.

“All right. Here are the result printouts for your records. And do continue to get tested regularly according to the standard protocols. Do you need a brochure outlining those?”

“No thanks, we’re good,” Jasper said, standing and grabbing my hand to pull me out into the waiting area. “Sorry to run, but we’re late for dinner.”

I glanced at the clock in the waiting room on our way out. It was a few minutes to six.

“We’re not gonna make it there on time, are we?”

Jasper looked at his watch. “No. We should text Seth to let him know.”

I pulled out my phone and typed while he hailed a taxi.

Might be late to dinner. Don’t wait for us. We bought a house! Can’t wait to tell you guys about it.

At this hour on a Friday night, it took a while for an empty cab to finally pull up. When it did, we quickly scrambled in and Jasper gave the driver the address.

“We should have walked,” Jasper grumbled as we inched through stop and go traffic. “This’ll take just as long.”

“But if we were walking, we couldn’t pause to do this,” I told him, pulling him close and kissing him. “I’m so glad you thought to do this today. I love the thought of starting our life in our new home with nothing between us. Thank you,” I whispered in his ear so as not to be overheard by the cabbie.

“I did it for both of us, you know. I’m just glad you don’t mind, especially since it’s making us late.”

“It’s just dinner. We’ll eat fast.” I frowned.

“What?” he asked.

“It’s strange. Seth hasn’t texted or called back, even though I told him about the house.”

“They probably think we’re late because we’re sharing a celebratory fuck and don’t want to interrupt,” he said with a grin.

“If only,” I said wistfully. It sounded better than dinner and theater, and if it wasn’t for the fact that all six of us being in Manhattan at the same time was likely to be a rare event, I might have tried to beg off. It would be good, though, to share the good news with everyone in person.

“Should we tell them to order for us?” Jasper asked.

“Good idea. Are you familiar with the menu?”

“Familiar enough. What do you feel like eating?”

“I’m not picky.”

“Trust me to order for you?”

“You never need to ask me that, about anything. I trust you implicitly, and hope you feel the same.”

He reached to run his fingers over my cheek.

“I do. Now, give me just a minute and we can get back to doing that stuff we couldn’t do while walking.”