Cards in the Deck

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Cards in the Deck - Adam and Ben 24

The Last Brevard

So Jane and Brett were ready for the tour. We started in the front parlor with its colonial furniture and dark wood accents. We moved to the south parlor with its french furniture, grey walls with gold accents. Jane's well trained eye went right to the place where it sat. She stared, then looked at me.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"The Crystal Ball?"

"Yes, is that a Waterford Crystal Ball?"

"Yes, it is. You recognize it. I'm impressed."

"How ever did one happen to find its way here, in Alabama?"

"It belonged to my great grandmother's family. Her family were in Augusta and her extended family in France. When they came under siege in World War II, they sent it to her family for safe keeping."

"Does that create a concern for legitimacy? Does anyone have claim on it?"

"No, her family sent them money in exchange to help them clean up and establish their estate. The bill of lading is in Grandfather's study. The package was described as World Book Volumes A, D, and H. They lied so that no one would attempt to steal it in transit."

"Fascinating," said Jaine. "May I hold it?"

Quinn reached up to the high shelf and brought it down to her. It was very heavy. There was just a fine layer of dust on it which embarrassed me to no end. She looked into it with thoughtfulness. "Only 5 were made. Three have been accounted for and I just found the fourth."

"That valuable?" asked Quinn.

"Worth several houses in your town."

Quinn took it from her as she pushed it toward him and he carefully put it back in its place on the shelf.

We moved to the dining room where we opened the sideboard to reveal the Gorham Sterling. Then we moved to the library where she examined the books. There were some rare finds in there plus some 1st edition series. There were a lot of chess books which Phil had left behind. She told Quinn to get Amazon and Ebay accounts set up. We could sell many of these books but Christie's wouldn't be able to do much with them. The reading table was another story. Solid mahogany with claw feet and brass parts.

We went through the study then covered the east and west wings. Then Quinn took them through the upstairs while I took a conference call from work in the study. When they came down, Quinn took over the study and began walking them through his project plan plastered all over the walls. Brett was fascinated by the floor plans while Jane poured over the lists he had created.

They found me in the kitchen sorting through the mail.

I asked, "so what do you think?"

"Ben, I am going to give you some feedback but I also have a few questions. First, everything in this house is vintage. Absolutely vintage. Most people have a need to shop. They buy things for their home. Have you never redecorated or added anything to the collection?"

"No, that's not my cup of tea, Jane. Everything in here was put here for a reason. There are some paintings in my bedroom which are modern but that's about it."

"Yes, I have noted those."

"And I have put some money into the Rolls Royce to keep it up to date."

Brett gasped. ":You have a Rolls?"

Quinn nodded proudly, "Oh yes. 1976 Silver Wraith, mint condition, too."

"Oh my God I have never seen one up close," said Brett.

"Take him out to the garage and show him,"I instructed Quinn. They took off through the side entry.

"Ben, I am going to have to tell you this place is immaculate. And albeit vintage, nothing looks more than a day old. The lamps, the rugs, silver, art. It's all brand new."

"There isn't a lot of traffic here, Jane. Margo had the walls repainted a number of years ago but she kept the same colors. She wasn't into house decorating projects. Neither was I."

"I am going to have to say this will be the finest estate sale this year."

Brett and Quinn came back in. Brett was gasping he was so excited.

"What do you think, Brett?" Jane asked. "Will it fetch?" Jane looked at me and said, "I let Brett review the automobiles. He loves them. I can't tell one from the other."

"Oh yes," he said. "It's gorgeous. Really amazing."

"Well," I interrupted. "Let's not throw it on the block too quick. It belongs to the Brevard Foundation and if I can help it, it's not for sale. If I keep anything it will be that."

"Ah, I see," said Jane. "So there is some sentiment in there?" pointing to my chest.

"Grandfather used to drive me around in it on weekends. He never drove during the week because his eyes were not good but we took it around the country and he talked to me. He always liked talking to me." I paused for a moment, "Good memories, you know."

Quinn added, "I drive it for him now. Good eyes, but...very distracted and I love driving it."

"This is a good one, isn't it Jane?" asked Brett.

"Yes, Brett. I'm glad you are assigned to this estate. This one is going to be special for you. Great training ground."

I looked at Brett and asked, "How did you get into this business, Brett?"

"I was an Art Major at the College of Charleston. My family laughed at me and said I was wasting money on a useless major. I am already proving them wrong. I love this work. Best job ever."

"I would say finding such a good fit at such a young age may make you very prosperous, Brett. Congratulations!"

"Ben, as I was saying, we walk into these houses and find them in all kinds of wretched conditions. Wallpapers hanging off the walls. Carpets worn and shabby. Mismatched furniture and missing pieces. Nothing frustrates me more than to walk into a room and see one of the dusty squares on a wall where something once hung. What is it that we ask Brett?"

"What was it and WHERE did IT go?" Quinn laughed at this.

"What was the worst?" I asked curiously.

"Tell them about the snakes Jane," shouted Brett

"Well I went into a house, not far outside of Chattanooga. It was a prominent house. I was rather excited but had no preliminary pictures to go by. Ben, that house full of snakes!"

"An infestation?" I asked with a grimace.

"Oh no. Their pets. In boxes, jars, glass containers. Everywhere. One of those snakes was hanging on the damn chandelier over my head. I tried not to scream but I did. It was something out of a horror movie. They acted like it was no big deal. Just step over them. Oh I was not going to step over anything. I turned and ran back out the door and I swear to you one of those things was chasing me. It was terrifying."

I could tell she was really worked up about this. I would have been too.

"What did you say to them?"

She looked at me with squinty eyes and pursed lips. "I told them in the fucking solid gold throne of Hum Drum Mingh himself were in that house, I would not come back in . The deal was off!"

Ok, I had to laugh out loud. HumDrum Mingh was pretty funny. Brett laughed too. Apparently, he liked that story every time he heard it.

So I offered, "Jane, Brett, in case you would prefer to grab some dinner before you drive back to Birmingham to your hotel, I made reservations at the club. I thought we could get you fed and talk some more."

"Oh? The club?"

"Yes, the country club has a dinner special on Monday night. Really to cook off the prime rib and seafood that didn't get served over the weekend. Monday night has really turned into a Saturday night because of it. Come on, Quinn and I would love to take you."

"Lets do," said Brett. "Please?"

"Of course," said Jane. "What a great idea."

"Can we..." asked Brett and before he could finish, Quinn jumped in and said, "Yes we will drive the Rolls." Quinna and Brett were of the same mind when it came to these frills.

Once we were seated at the club, Jane asked if she could embark on some personal questions. I said sure. Open books here. She first noted that although Quinn and I had a wide age range, how we could clip along on the same page so well. Quinn answered that and told her that even though we had only been a couple for a month, we had known each other since he was 17. He mentioned how we met at the Tastee Freeze all those years ago and that one of his friends had become endeared to me due to some personal issues. "His needs outweighed mine at the time," he explained. "But that ran its course and being more mature, I decided I was ready."

"Jane, I was at my worst, having a miserable time. And in the middle of an emotional breakdown in the front yard, Quinn, here, put his arm around me and told me he had me. He would get me to the finish line, whatever it took. Jane," I said, "he had me right there and I pointed to the palm of my hand." She put her hand to her chest and responded, "He had me too. That is incredible." She looked to Quinn and said, "I hope you've got a concrete foundation young man because you are going to carry a heavy load over the next few months."

"I'm all in, Jane," said Quinn confidently. I knew all those years ago I would be here one day. I'm not going to drop the "crystal ball"," he said using hand quotes.

Brett looked at him with envy and said, "Where do I find one? You are so lucky."

"Jane, if I might offer some feedback. I was rather expecting a prima donna to come in and waltz through my house with some drama and flair and by all means, treat her assistant like a gopher or a minion. I really appreciate that you treat Brett like a colleague. You train and accept his views. You did all afternoon. I think that's a great approach."

She smiled but Brett interjected, "Oh Jane is amazing. Everyone wants to work on her team. We have some like you described and they're terrible. Just miserable. But the partners won't put a stop to it."

Jane added, "Ben, the estate business is changing rapidly. People don't have estates like yours anymore. They have a few nice pieces here and there. The kids don't want any of it. They don't want heirlooms and momentos. Just show `em the money. I want Brett and his peers to be ready to keep this business afloat. To be ready to find new ways to approach the estate industry. He has a great eye and remembers everything. Perfect combination for my tastes."

"Thanks Jane!" said Brett.

"Refreshing. I prefer the mentor approach as well. Quinn has been working for me since he came home in January and with little effort, I found myself trusting him with most anything. We have to use the younger resources effectively or they won't be prepared." Jane nodded in agreement.

The prime rib was delicious in case you were wondering. They headed back to Birmingham for the evening. Quinn and I were changing into nightwear.

"Hey Ben, question. What do you think of Brett?"

"He's a stunning guy. I like him. Very cute but smart as shit." "I like him too. Hey," he said and slithered over to me, "what do you think they would say if I asked him to stay over with us one evening?"

"Quinn," I snapped, "I don't think we are ready for all that!"

"I'm not talking about fucking him, perv!" he shouted at me. "I don't have any friends here. No one to go out with and have a drink or a beer. He would be fun to go down to the Pub with. Just go out for an evening." He looked at me pleadingly.

I completely understood. I had recognized some time ago that Quinn's peers had all moved off and he was in a unique age range for our town. Single black guy, out of college early, just working all the time. He wasn't in with the local folks these days.

"Sure. Lets ask Jane to be sure there isn't a conflict of interest. He would be fun. But, Quinn, I don't want any surprise attacks. Our relationship is very new and I don't want us getting sideways over him. Got it?"

"Oh yes," he said. "I got it. He had his hands tucked between my legs as if to keep them warm and he kissed me. He leaned back and told me he thought Brett was very attracted to me. I replied that I had Brett liked him. Brett was between a rock and a hard place this time. But, in the end, I told Quinn, "he is not my man. He can't be my man. My man is right here and he knows what I need."

He parted my legs slightly, "you mean he couldn't get away with this?" I nodded no. Then he pressed into me and drilled into my mouth with his tongue. He lifted my legs so they wrapped around his waist. "You mean, he wouldn't be man enough to get into here?" he asked. No, I nodded.

Then with a few flicks, my jogging pants came off and so did his. And in a few more flicks, he was inside of me. He whispered in my ear, "that little stud made me horny. But all I have been able to think about today is fucking you with all my might."

"As I said, as I whispered in his ear, flicking my tongue in and out of his lobe, "Only this man knows what I need," and shortly thereafter, he was tapping that need.

Jane and Brett worked tirelessly through the week with Quinn going through the items and taking pictures and notes. Quinn was very impressive making notes about the best methods of packing and delivery as he went. Jane agreed to Quinn's invitation for Brett to stay over with us and I'm sure she gave Brett specific instructions about decorum and so on.

On Thursday she headed back to Birmingham and Brett and Quinn took off downtown. They returned home later that evening with the munchies so I put together some snacks and we went out onto the back porch to relax in the evening air. We shared stories and experiences. Brett was very engaging and a great story teller. Gotta love a good southern boy. Some music was playing on the Alexa Quinn had brought out. Brett got up and started dancing a bit, feeling the alcohol. Quinn got up and positioned himself behind Brett and started doing a little erotic thing. They looked good until they motioned for me to join. "Oh no, thank you. Y'all go ahead." Silly things thought I was going to join in but I got pulled up into the thing. I was facing Brett sandwiching him between Quinn and me. "Oh Lord, here we go," I thought.

Our passions ran high and we got quiet. The heat coming off Brett was stimulating. Quinn had a slight sheen on his forehead. I ran my hands along Brett's sides while Quinn held on around his waist. I leaned forward and kissed Quinn. It was very intense. Brett said "Fuck that's hot." Then he pulled me into him and kissed me. I was hesitant and pulled away my senses taking hold.

"Brett," I whispered, "Quinn and I are very new in this relationship and I'm not going to allow anything to jeopardize that. Understand?" He nodded. Then I said, "that being said, I wouldn't mind a taste. Just a taste," I said, smiling at him. He leaned forward and our lips met. I took his bottom lip into my mouth and he sucked me in like a vacuum. I went all in and thrashed his head sideways to get the lip lock in place. His soft hair was bunched in my hands. I swear to you had I been a vampire, I would have sucked him dry. Quinn turned Brett toward himself and did the same. They kissed deeply and I heard a moan escape Brett's throat. I was pressed into the finest ass I had ever seen. "Oh my God!" my head was screaming. I wanted in there so badly.

"Control Ben!" I told myself. "Control."

Brett turned to me for one more round. He had a wet spot on the front of his khakis and he must have been leaking crazy. I touched him there and he shivered. Quinn's face was squinched up in ecstasy and I knew dry humping was going to take him over the edge.

I pulled us apart. "Fair enough and far enough are where we are now, gentlemen."

Brent asked if he could be excused to go up and change. So he took off through the south parlor.

"Did he cum?" I asked Quinn.

"I don't but he is probably going to when he gets upstairs," he said laughing.

"That boy is hot," I said.

"He is that," Quinn replied.

When Brett came back down, he found Quinn and I making out on the porch.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

"Come on out," I motioned.

"Brett, you are one really hot guy, I have to tell you. The temptation was very strong. But, all my value is in Quinn now. I just couldn't, well, we just couldn't."

"Oh I get it Ben. Y'all are so hot together. I long to find someone like you. Like either of you."

"I'm not sure what the hold up is Brett. You meet people everyday. I will tell you this - don't give it up so easily. Leave guys hanging until you see if they have qualities. They will take advantage of you if you let them.

"Already have," he said quietly.

"You are a gracious spirit strategically. Make them come back for more. You can do it."

"I know but everyone is off to the next one so quick."

"That's exactly how guys are," said Quinn. "I was totally put out with college. I was so happy when things clicked with Ben. I knew I wouldn't be in that rat race anymore."

We talked a bit longer but the buzz had caught up to everyone so we all turned in.

Quinn and I were still very turned on when we got upstairs. We quietly kissed and stroked and gave each other that relief so that we could sleep.

Tomorrow would be Jane's and Brett's last day with us. Then we would begin the appraisal updates to the family. The next couple of months would hold some of the most unusual events. I will only give you this to keep you on edge - a football stadium, an unknown relative, a proposal, and a party are all coming. Bear with me as I walk you through the grand conclusion!