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A Stepbrother's Desire - Josh and Tyson 77
Ford Fisher would finish out the season with six wins out of ten. The coach was very happy given it could've been so much worse. Ford was also pleased but hard on himself nonetheless. I know because I was the one on the phone with him til midnight helping him sort it all out. They lost the homecoming game which you're not supposed to do due to pure carelessness. It was a rainy night and it seemed nobody could hold on to the ball. I did have to call that one out. But in the end, everyone's strengths and weaknesses had been defined and now he would know how to prepare for next year.
Ty would come to the University to support Perry in his performance juries. I couldn't sit in because students weren't allowed but you could tell how serious the juries were because students sat in halls looking stressed. Apparently they all went well for Perry. He exited the performance hall with a huge grin and Ty was right behind him, brushing his hair back. A couple of other music students would ask Ty if he was available for Spring Semester.
"No promises," he would announce. "Talk to me next year!" he said, as he strutted down the hall toward the entrance of the Arts building.
"Did he just announce he was coming here next year?" asked Perry.
"I believe so," I said with a smile.
I would proceed with my exams but it was under some duress. There was some respiratory infection going around and everyone was getting sick. I thought it had passed me until I came home from my last exam and found Perry in the bed. I reached down to touch him and he was sweating profusely.
"Perry! Are you sick? I demanded. He just groaned. I picked him up and led him, to the infirmary. That evening I felt the tickle in my throat and I knew it was on. I got home for Christmas break just as the fever broke out. And with that, I spent the first week of Christmas break in bed. Ty checked on me regularly but my family didn't want to catch it so I was alone for the first week.
There was a big Christmas party that the highschoolers attended. Ty and Tristan came home in a state. Tristan was screaming mad and Ty was trying to be comforting. Later, Ty would tell me that Jack had gotten really drunk, and told his best friend Jason that he had always been in love with him, causing them to fight. Tristan broke up with him and that was the end of Tristan and Jack.
"Are you going to..you know...give them a push?" asked Ty.
"Nope, I have saved the day enough times already. It's up to them to fix their problems," I responded as my temperature roiled. .
Bill came into my room at some point and asked me for my University password. I told him no.
"The password, Josh. We want to check your grades. The password," he growled.
"Ty&Josh18$" I said. He shook his head in disbelief and accessed my account from the laptop on my desk.
"3.869?" he asked. He looked at me.
"What? Is that not good enough? Because I worked fucking hard for it!" I snapped in my feverish mood. He sighed a deep breath.
"It's a close call and watch your tone!" Bill barked. "It is good Josh, I give you that. A lot of parents would gladly trade places with me right now but, it is the worst you can do. You've set your own bar. Nothing less than this? Get it? To be honest, it's a damn fine Grade Point Average but for law school, it's damn close. Tell me you understand, Captain Sick!" he asked.
"I do, and I understand. It took everything I had plus multiple pushes from Perry but I have a rhythm now, a cadence. I know how to keep it there," I responded.
"That's an appropriate attitude, son. I knew you could do it. Would you like some ginger-ale from the kitchen?" Bill asked. I nodded that I would.
Second semester kicked off. Perry and I traded stories about the break which was mostly uneventful. Classes were tough but equal to the previous semester so I didn't have any trouble maintaining the scholastic front while taking part in some social things. Spring Break approached and I felt something weird was going on at home. Texts from Tristan and from Ty seemed to have a similarity, the way their schedules connected, the way they had the same things on their minds. Perry left for his home up North and I skirted across the state to get home. I left two hours earlier than I had intended and got home at 3 pm that afternoon rather than at 5. When I entered the house, I heard sounds coming from upstairs. I dropped my things on the floor and crept up the stairs. I was shocked near to death, and turned-on like hell to see Ty on top of Tristan, Tristan's legs pulled straight back.
"Why are you always on top?" Tristan hissed. "Fuck that's good!" My dick nearly bursted out of my jeans. I undid my belt and let them drop with a thud on the floor. Ty turned to look at the doorway. Tristan peered up.
"Josh!" yelled Ty and he was about to pull away from Tristan.
"Don't even think about it!" I snapped. I was on Ty's backside in a minute and that was the first time Ty did the double-whammy...fucking while getting fucked. Well, it was all of our first time doing that.
"Oh damn, he's fucking us at the same time!" quipped Tristan as the three of us moved like a wave. I pushed into Ty as he pushed into Tristan. We were coated in sweat and cum by the time we finished an hour later.
Afterwards, they told me they had run out of patience. They had nobody to do anything with so they had "teamed up". I warned them that if messing around together cost them their friendship I would be really angry. Their friendship was important and not...
"Shut up, Josh," said Tristan. I would have eased back between them in the bed except the parents would be home soon. Tristan would understand that I was home for the week, and Ty was mine again. I washed cars and made some money at the dealership. I caught up with Bryce and a few others including Kyle Davis, who's dad had recovered from his bout with cancer.
Ty and Tristan and our parents would come to the University for the university orchestra concert. Tristan and Ty bounced into my dorm room with white silky scarves around their necks and they looked so cool, so sophisticated.
"I don't have one of those!" I declared. I remember that so well. Tristan handed me a small box and when I opened it, I found that it contained a white silk scarf. Ty draped it over the shoulders of my coat and I felt so proud. The concert was great, even though there were some parts that seemed to drag on. Perry had a big feature part and he was amazing, like he was caught up in his own world. He looked good on stage, his bushy hair waving to his movements. He played like he was on fire. We were all really proud of him.
Ty's graduation came and so did all the events that came with it. There were, of course, parties and a club gathering that Bill had put strong emphasis on since he was the club president and Ty was graduating.
There was a big graduation ceremony that I was able to watch this time. There was a segment in the graduation ceremony where the Mayor had asked Ty to come forward. My parents had slipped out of the seats and left me sitting there beside Mrs. Chatley and her daughter Julia.
"Tyson Breck, you have not only represented your high school, but the city, and the diverse lifestyles that make up our community...You not only put inclusion into practice, but you put it into policy as well..." Mom and dad were standing on the stage with Ty looking proud as peacocks as the Mayor delivered the special commendation.
"And with our appreciation, and on behalf of the Office of the Mayor, we are happy to award you this $5,000 scholarship. Your work, while self-developing, was not for free. We hope this is the beginning of the type of contribution you have to make to society, not the end!" and everyone applauded.
"And the motherfuckers left me up here by myself. Where's my inclusion?" I barked at Mrs. Chatley who screamed with laughter. "It was a good speech, though," I said. "Maybe one of his best."
Mrs. Chatley laughed again and responded, "And I bet your mother wrote it!" and then I screamed with laughter.
Ty and Tristan both came to the University the following year. While Perry and I moved into a two bedroom apartment, Tristan and Ty had to reside in the freshman dorms. I wouldn't go back to dormitory living again. Perry and I both agreed that aside from living with each other, which had been very good, we would voluntarily live in a car before living on a hall with a bunch of stinking college morons! We had very similar ideas since we were both introverts.
Two interesting things occurred with the start of the new year. First, the elite society I had been inducted into, partly because I was a "stepson legacy" of Bill Breck, and partly because I was considered a moderate or part time asshole, took shape my sophomore year, which was officially the beginning of the "Chapter." The society, which has to remain nameless, put me through the ringer during the "Interview", showing me pictures of myself in the newspapers, winning football games, then in an accident where a student tried to hit me with a car. By the time we finished that interview, I was wringing wet with sweat and the Council was fully aware that it all started because I had feelings for my stepbrother and took up for him, leading to the whole disaster.
"A man who's willing to put down a threat to someone he cares about..." said one of the guys on the Council.
"That's how we do things around here!" barked another.
I stood at the bar, having been inducted, along with four other guys, waiting for a gin and tonic.
"What do you want?" the leader, I will refer to as KP, asked.
"Sorry?" I asked.
"Name the thing you want and we will see if WE can make it happen, and we'll assess how it will impact the Chapter as a whole," he said with a smile. Bill had warned me this would come and to be thoughtful about what I asked for. It would distinguish you between men and boys.
"I want a seat on the Campus Judicial Board," I said. "I have the application in my apartment and it's almost ready for submission. I think the JB needs someone like me to help temper justice," I said.
"Nice!" yelped one of the members. "We haven't put anyone on JB in a couple of years!"
"Agreed," said KP. "Good choice, Warner. "This will reflect well on our Chapter this year. Thank you."
A few weeks later, I was asked to interview for the University Judicial Board, which handled matters on behalf of the Dean's office to ensure students got a respectful hearing for the actions and conduct, as it occurred on campus, with potential impact to the integrity of the campus. I was accepted and remained on the Board until my Senior Year when I became President of the Judicial Board.
The other interesting thing was that, while Perry and I had a small apartment, I made plenty of room for Ty; however, that rather left Tristan out frequently. There was a bit of a tug of war that we had to deal with that year. It was a temperamental time but not a disastrous one. Tristan did some branching out and made some really cool friends. He did some light dating which I observed from a distance. It was obvious that many guys wanted him but I wasn't letting just any fucker get their hands on him. I was fiercely protective. Finishing our second year, Perry and I said our goodbyes as he would be attending the Conservatory for Music the next year so that he could go on and become one of the more formidable violinists in the United States.
I will have to admit, and nobody gave me any crap for it, I would miss him dearly. To have had such a tremendous friend for those two years, well, it changed my life, every step of it for the better. WE had our quiet times, we had our laughs, especially those at someone else's expense, we bantered, we compared notes on everything and every now and then, I would climb into his bed and help ease out of dark moods. Never sex, just comfort. He would say having a friend like me had done the same for him. Something like that only happens to deserving people. The question is, what had I done to deserve somebody so amazing? When I look at Ty, I ask a similar question.
Tristan took Perry's room the next year and Ty moved in with me. We lived like this through graduation. It was a blast. We were a fierce threesome. We each had individual friends but in the end, everyone would have to contend with the three of us.
I graduated a year before Ty while Tristan went another year because he was getting a double major. Despite his love of the nightlife, he was a really good college student. I had to ride Ty across the field to get him to focus to ensure he would secure his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.
I started law school immediately after college and I had no idea what was coming for me. It was so much work. Day and night with study groups. It was fun and harsh at the same time. A professor had a keen way of knowing when to offer you that bit of guidance he considered you worthy of and when to tell you to go to hell! We lost Gigi during Ty's senior year and that was tough. She talked to him at length about what would happen if she had a third stroke and she made him promise he wouldn't fall apart. It was touch and go but he made it through, fortunately because he was so busy. We had talked once about his inheritance and he wasn't kidding. He inherited nicely and Bill helped him set up his trust so that he would have income and savings at the same time. I continued working through the law. Tristan took a job working for the Treasury and was so professional. I guess I will always see him as the cute little high school boy with curly hair and sparkles on his face but in truth, he grew up and became very serious about finance and economics.
It was a big deal when I graduated from law school. The mayor of our city had finished his second term and my mother ran for the position. She won and it too was a big deal. She was the first woman mayor and she loved it. She was on the news frequently and my friends would see her and realize what an influential family I came from.
I accepted a position with a transitional law firm as a junior in their Trust and Wealth division, which was newly created, branching out from tax and litigation. The firm has spent many years focusing on corporate tax and other litigation. The build-out of personal trust was adding a lot of new business and was a discipline I would thrive in. I couldn't catch a break time wise because I took no time between college, law school, and the new job. I worked all the time. Every now and then, I would catch up with Bryce or Ginny when they came through town. Bryce was working for a large bank learning operations and compliance. Ginny got her Master's degree and was teaching English. She did, after all, follow in her father's footsteps. She would continue to work on her Doctorate but she took her time with that. Lisa was in London working for a fashion designer.
Ty used some of his money to buy two store fronts in the Capital where we resided. He created a new brand of thrift. He wouldn't take anyone's junk unless he had examined it but he wasn't an overpriced antique store either. His two stores grew quickly in popularity. He was featured in various local papers and people would travel from all around the city to see what they could find at the stores. He went through a whole process of gathering used prom dresses for girls who couldn't afford new ones but they didn't sell quickly and he found out, just from some high school girl, that the dresses had all come from local proms and nobody wanted to be seen in a dress, bought second-hand, at the same or nearby school!
"Why didn't I think of that before?" he asked me one night as we lay cuddled in the bed.
"What are you going to do?" I asked.
"I've talked to another thrift chain down in Virginia Beach and they have the same problem so we're going to trade the dresses so that..well, so that..."
"The girls will have fresh, affordable dresses? Is that what you were going to say?" I felt a moment of emotion, thinking about all those high school kids who couldn't afford all the things that came so easily to us. Ty was on a good path, contributing while solving problems. I could see it comforted him to know he could do this.
His third store would come a year later and Bill wouldn't appropriate his money from his trust to buy it. He had to raise his own capital but he took an old bank building in a not so popular area of town, cleaned it up, and created a "drag queen consortium". I'm not kidding. We were at a big drag show one Sunday evening and one of the performers told Ty they were struggling to find a place to buy, sell, and trade. They had tons of gowns, costumes, jewelry, and wigs. Wow, did they have wigs!
In any case, he opened the store, called it The Drag Inn and the performers who ran it paid him rent. They made good money too. Not only did drag performers come from all over to shop but local people loved coming to see the store and looking at all the things. Ty got busy. Traveling between stores and managing "asset acceptance" was a big undertaking. He had two university students helping him who were getting intern credit for working for him. A feature in one of the independent magazines got him some more notice as well. I just kept working at the firm - it seemed all I did was work. I was somewhat happy to come in and find him still awake.
So all the drama hit the fan and in a big way when Tristan's grandmother passed. We knew he was likely to hit it big but I had no warning for how big. His parents had been expecting the bulk and a controlled amount to go to Tristan since he was the only grandson. It turned out to be reversed, however. The parents got $1 million but Tristan got the rest and it was quite a lot more. They tried to contest the will but it was uncontestable. All the documents had been completed correctly and according to law and I had the opportunity to represent him. And on top of that, I was able to bring his account into our firm. The partners were excited that a junior would bring in such a large account. I didn't understand his parents or why they were so concerned about needing the money because they didn't need it unless they had plans to travel the world or something. The partners agreed that by the time Dr. Lane sold his dental practice, he would be worth a couple of million which he probably was already.
The problem we had to explain to Tristan was that the taxes on interest and dividends were going to be complicated and expensive. He would have to set up a charity where he would have to donate and support worthy charities in order to manage the tax implications. I thought he would stew over this but shortly thereafter, he met with a legitimate and reputable agency that helped gay teens expelled from their homes get off the streets, find work, finish school, and have a place to live. Again, I was struck at the amount of information Tristan brought to us about the number of boys just in the District of Columbia had been thrown out. I mean, these weren't poor kids from the country. Many of them came from wealthy homes. He, Ty, and myself sat at a bar one night and tried to figure out what it would take for our parents to throw us out of a house.
I mean there were reasons they might have but it wasn't likely Ty or I would embark down those paths. I pulled experienced lawyers from my firm together and we created a non-profit foundation, that Tristan would lead, which would support these agencies in fund-raising and overall support. I was named a trustee and Ty was made a director. We had a few other influential people from the community appointed who would support such a cause. Tristan became a noticeable individual in the City. The mayor, Mayor Bartley, a short, well spoken lady, invited us to dinner at her home which was a huge deal. Ty and Tristan fretted for two days about what to wear. I have an array of suits from J Press to choose from. Of course, mom and dad would be there because mom was friends with Madame Mayor. She had teamed up quickly with influential women in politics to lend her support and who would help her. Ty and I never quite knew how ambitious she was and maybe she didn't either. Probably it was the mayor who set the bar for her. He knew what he was getting which is why he harped on her until she joined his administration.
Dinner at Boxwood Manor was amazing. I mean, our family was prosperous but this was something different. Wait staff and multiple courses and Mayor Bartley took great interest in the work the Lane Foundation was supporting with gay teens and Ty was dressing young girls with clothing lines exchanged between communities.
"Marvelous young men," she extolled. "Karen, what a blessing to meet young people of this caliber. I was about to lose the will to live, thinking there were no good ones out there!. These young men,"
"Are going to do what?" asked mother with a catty tone.
"Oh most certainly help me with my liberal constituents," she said with a giggle.
When the dinner was over, the parents left on their own to stay the night downtown. They were having a hard time finding time together with competing schedules. Ty and I knew how that felt so we were glad they took some time to themselves. Tristan, Ty, and I climbed into the backseat of the car service I used for transportation since owning a car in the District of Columbia was very difficult. It was a perk provided by the firm. As the car pulled away from the Mayor's mansion, I looked at the two of them.
"You two are so fucking amazing, you know that?"
"Aw, babe, so are you. You are working so hard," said Ty.
"But you're making a difference. Both of you just got a big commendation from the Mayor over dinner. I was just along for the ride," I said.
"That's bullshit," said Tristan. "I suspect, no, I'm pretty damn sure, Ty and I both are doing things because you're a part of it. Not as a tag along!"
"Agreed," said Ty. I appreciated them stroking my esteem. I wouldn't disagree about my personal success but my success would not be featured in magazines or dinner with prominent politicians.
I had done what everyone wanted. I made it to law school and made incredible contacts. My application to law school reflected much on my time with the Judicial Board. That was not a "fun" thing to do. Some of the instances under review were very serious and there was nothing that burned me to the core like making a determination that expelling a student was our only recourse. Some cases cost me sleep at night. Other's made me irritable. I learned very quickly that you could not make judgments based on someone's looks. Cute could be just as guilty as non-cute. I learned that guilt and innocence and overall liability were difficult to determine because there was not a playbook for every situation. I remembered threatening Ty and Tristan that I would bring them before the Board if they didn't settle down. .
And on this drizzly night, as the car wound past Embassy Row that would lead to Tristan's apartment, I thought all of that was worth it. And for whatever we had accomplished or not, we still had each other. It was me, Ty, and Tristan; the grown up versions.
Now, with Ty running his thrift empire and Tristan wining and dining with the city's elite, I was at work as usual. I had three high risk cases and all the firm wanted was billable hours. With all those hours at work, I had created an absence at home and Ty wasn't happy about it. He complained I was never there. He scheduled outings to trick me into taking time away. I stood him up a couple of times but canceled regularly. He had found a couple of Versace articles that were very rare and he set out on a mission to find the others. He took a couple of short trips. Some nights I would come home and the condo was empty and I knew he was sleeping at Tristan's. Tristan, at the age of 27, had been handed some very serious news, very dire. It was a strain on all of us to handle so I didn't resent Ty for being there with him so often. The pair of them, despite their professional commitments, were still inseparable. Tristan had not proven to be relationship oriented after his time with Jack. Ty had tried to pair him up but Tristan didn't need pairing. He got who he wanted and when he wanted and would leave them completely shell-shocked. One night at a bar over drinks, he would tell Ty and me that nobody would get his ass and his estate. If they wanted his money, they would have to wait for another day. He did meet some incredible guys in the city. Ty and I marveled in some instances.
It had been a hot summer that year. The city was broiling. I stepped out of the office and onto the sidewalk. It was 10 pm and the night was sweltering. I loosened my tie and climbed into the back of the car. The driver knew where to go without having to be told. I thought I would stop somewhere on the way home but I had an intuition that I should get home. I hadn't talked to Ty in two days.
"Something the matter, Mr. Warner?" the driver asked.
"No, why?" I responded.
"You're tapping the floorboard!" he said with a laugh. "There's no brake pedal back there!"
"I'm sorry," I chuckled. "I have things on my mind."
"I understand. Lot going on in the world," he responded without further conversation. He let me off in front of my building. I thanked him and climbed out. The doorman opened the door and I took the elevator to the 10th floor where Ty and I had a super cool two bedroom condo. I opened the door and set my laptop bag onto the floor. There was no movement which was not unexpected. I had rather hoped Ty would be home on a Friday night. I would love nothing more than to have a gin and tonic with him.
When I entered the bedroom an eerie feeling fell over me. Things were missing. The room had an empty feeling. My heart jumped and my stomach turned. I opened the closet and my feelings were proven correct. Ty was gone. I grabbed my phone and texted him. No response. I pressed the dial button and it went to voicemail.
"Fuck the Almighty! What have you done, Ty!" I screamed out loud. I looked around the room for any hints. His colognes, gone. His bling, gone. I went into the bathroom. His toiletries, which were always neatly in place, were gone.
"Shit!" I screamed out loud. I darted back to the living room and checked the kitchen for a note. There was none. I texted again but got no response. I called again and got his voicemail.
"Ty, wherever you are, please call me back! It's ok, we can fix this. Please!" I shouted.
I started breathing heavily. Then, it dawned on me. He had moved in with Tristan. Ty wouldn't get too far away from home. I called.
"Hey," Tristan said.
"Is he there?" I asked.
"No," was his only response.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"It's a long story," Tristan said.
"Fuck the long stories! Where the fuck is Ty?" I shouted.
"Calm down, Josh. I'll be right over." The phone went silent. Oh, I poured that gin and tonic for a different reason than originally intended. I stormed around the room. I walked out onto the balcony and watched the people walk by, coming from or going to the bars, walking their dogs, coming home with dates. It took eighteen minutes for Tristan to arrive. I finished the drink and set the glass down. He walked in.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"Can I have one of those?" he asked, pointing to my glass. I mixed two more gin and tonics.
"Lime?" he asked.
"Fuck you! Where is Ty?" I said, with a brittle voice.
"He's taking a break," Tristan said.
"What, did he go home?"
"Well no."
"Tristan, Goddamnit, don't need half assed answers. Spill it and I mean right now!"
"He's gone with somebody. And I'll start by saying, Josh, he warned you."
"Oh he complained but I got no such "warning" that he was running off with someone. Now who the hell is this "someone" because they're about to meet the wrath."
"Well, apparently, it's a guy you all met a long time ago and it seems he and Ty have been in communication for much of that time." I looked confused, trying to think of who we met a long time ago. College?
"A guy named Keon. Keon Li." Well that was a name I hadn't thought of in a long time and in fact, it caused me to drop my glass and ice and gin splashed all over the floor. Leaving the damn mess on the floor I walked over to the french doors and peered down the street, just in case I could see Ty coming down the sidewalk, getting out of a car, and just standing out there, looking over at our home.
"How could you do this to me, Ty?" I asked myself, silently, with both anger and regret.