Jake and Charley were lounging around the kitchen table Sunday morning drinking coffee and munching English muffins with marmalade and discussing the move into their new house with Jason and Pete. They heard the front door open, and Teddy walked in fully dressed. He didn't bother to get a cup of coffee, he just sat down and grinned. Jason offered to get him one, but he just thanked him and said that he'd already had two cups. Even in their half awake state, the fellows couldn't miss the change in Teddy's demeanor, the grin that wouldn't leave his face. "So you're just coming in, not going out?" Jason asked.
Teddy continued to grin. "Yes and yes."
"So where're you headed so early?" Pete asked.
Teddy grinned. "To my bedroom. I've got to pack. It's been fun living here with you guys."
That gave everyone a jolt. They sat with their mouths agape. "Not even going to miss us, huh?" Jake said.
"Why should I?" Teddy said with an even larger grin. "I'll be seeing you as much as I have the last three weeks."
"Okay, give it to us, Teddy, and stop grinning." Charley growled at him.
"Gio asked me to live with him." Teddy's grin didn't diminish. "He's waiting. I gotta go." He left the four guys staring at each other.
"He left Gio sitting in the car?" Jason asked as he got up and left the room.
"I didn't even realize Gio is gay," Jake said.
"Yeah, he is. He lived with a guy who graduated and went out to L.A. to get his Master's at UCLA. Then he had another young college guy for his boyfriend when we first met him. The fellow wanted to live with Gio, but Gio wouldn't let him. They broke up over it." Pete explained.
"Then that means this is serious between Gio and Teddy," Jake deduced.
"I'd say so," Pete said.
Jason came back in with Gio following him. All three guys stood up to welcome and congratulate him. Gio just grinned and didn't say a word until they all had sat down and Jason had slipped a mug of coffee in front of him.
"Thank you, my friends."
"Maybe you'll socialize a little more now." Jason said.
Gio quizzically looked at him. Jason didn't get what the look was saying. "What?" he asked.
"People don't invite chefs to dinner very much. I guess they find us intimidating to cook for. So my social life is in my restaurant... serving food to my friends."
They all blushed.
"Gee, I never thought about it, but I guess that is the reason we haven't invited you," Jason said. "We're having a house warming for Charley and Jake Sunday after next; we'll have to make it a dual party to welcome you and Teddy into our group."
Teddy came into the kitchen after dropping his bags by the front door. Gio stood as Teddy came to his side. Teddy whispered in his ear, "I love you, Gio." Gio turned and kissed Teddy. They didn't mean for it to become a full blown passionate kiss, but that's what it turned into as the other four sat and watched. They were both blushing and grinning when they realized they were putting on a show.
"Ain't new love grand?" Pete smirked.
"How come you never kiss me like that?" Jason asked.
Pete looked at him in astonishment. "And who was asphyxiating who this morning with an all out kiss?"
Jason blushed. "Yeah, that was something, huh?"
It was Pete's turn to blush as he relived the kiss.
Friday afternoon, Arlen sprawled in the middle of the sofa, his arms spread out on each side of the back, his feet stretched under the coffee table. He and Pete were just hanging out until Jason got home from class.
"I haven't been able to get hold of Teddy since he started working downtown. His answering machine just goes right to message. And he doesn't call back." Arlen sighed. "I'm beginning to feel like he's avoiding me. Do you ever see him anymore?"
"I haven't seen him since last Sunday. I kinda thought you'd be around then."
"No, some buds and I went hiking up in the mountains."
"So you haven't talked to him at all?" Pete asked.
"Not in about week and a half. All he does is work and sleep."
"Oh boy."
Arlen suddenly got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "What's going on, Pete?"
"Nothing."
"Don't give me 'nothing'. What was that 'oh boy' about?"
"Teddy hasn't told you anything?" Pete asked.
"Told me what?"
"He's gotta tell you himself."
"Come on, Pete, what the hell are you talking about?"
"Look, I'll give you the number. He needs to tell you, not me."
"Fuck you, Pete. He's making it with Gio, isn't he?"
"I'm not saying a word." Pete disappeared into the kitchen.
"Why can't you tell me?" Arlen whined.
He returned and handed Arlen a slip of paper. "Call him."
Arlen pulled out his cell phone. Pete headed upstairs to give him some privacy. He had no idea how serious Arlen was about Teddy, but he wasn't going to tell him that Teddy had moved out the previous Sunday morning.
Arlen dialed the number. He subconsciously knew what was coming. He'd been out with Teddy three times and Teddy had always kept it cool, just two buddies out for the evening. He'd had the hots for Teddy - but when he'd tried to get intimate with him, Teddy had just blown it off as a joke. And he'd seen the look in Teddy's eyes when he looked at the man he was working for. He'd subconsciously known from the beginning that he didn't have a chance of anything more than friendship with him, so why was he feeling so depressed? Without searching for an answer he knew that answer, too. He heard someone answer the phone.
"Dave's Place, this is the kitchen."
Arlen knew by the accent who it was. "Hi, Gio, this is Arlen. May I speak to Teddy, please."
"He is around. Let me find him." Gio laid the phone down without putting Arlen on hold. Teddy was sitting across the desk. They'd been reviewing how things were progressing in the restaurant.
"Who is it for?" Teddy asked.
"You. It's Arlen. How did he get this number? It's not listed yet."
Ted shrugged. "The only person I've given it to is Pete. What's the problem?"
"You haven't told him about us."
Teddy laughed. "Like I've had time?"
"Take the time. Take off early tonight and tell him."
"Take it easy, Gio. There's no need to be getting uptight. Arlen is just a friend."
Arlen listened to the conversation. For a moment he couldn't hear anything and then he heard Teddy say, "I love you, Gio. Just relax."
Arlen turned his phone off and sighed to himself. "I guess I should be thankful that I didn't succeed in getting him into bed. I just tried to make it more than it was," he said out loud, even though he was the only one in the room.
Teddy picked up the phone and said "Hi Arlen. How's it hanging?" There was no response, and then he heard the dial tone. He turned and looked at Gio. "He must have heard us. You've got to learn to push the hold button."
Gio shrugged. "I'm sorry. But maybe it's better this way."
Teddy grimaced, and then quickly dialed Pete. "Hi, Pete, is Arlen there with you?"
"He's downstairs. He was calling you."
"I know. He hung up before I could talk to him. Can you get him on this phone?"
"I'll try. Hang on."
Pete headed down the stairs with the cordless phone. Arlen was slumped where he had left him. Pete walked over to him. "Here, talk to him."
Arlen looked up at him with a hard frown. "What's to say? I heard what he said to Gio."
"At least let him tell you about it, alright?"
Arlen took the phone. "Ted."
"I know you heard what Gio and I were saying. I'm sorry; I didn't want you to find out like that." Teddy said. "Arlen, have dinner with me tonight. Let me tell you to your face."
"Why, what's the point?"
"I still want us to be friends."
Arlen didn't reply.
"You know I have never led you on. I knew what you were feeling, but it just wasn't there for me. I do value you as my friend, though, Arlen. I don't want to lose that."
Arlen cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'd like that, too, Ted. Where shall we meet?"
"Gio Gio's? You haven't tasted the new chef's cooking yet have you?" Teddy asked.
"No. Gio Gio's sounds good. Seven o'clock?"
"Yeah."
Arlen had been seated and was waiting when Teddy came out of the kitchen and sat down across from him. Arlen grinned at him and then asked, "Where is Gio?"
"He's in the kitchen talking to Silvano. He doesn't want to interfere with our dinner."
Arlen folded his napkin and laid it on the table next to his knife and fork." Excuse me, I've got to go see the man," he mumbled as he stood and walked toward the kitchen. Teddy assumed he'd headed toward the restroom. When he realized that he hadn't, he watched the kitchen door with trepidation, waiting for the fireworks to start.
When Arlen walked into the kitchen, Gio was sitting on a stool with his back to him. Silvano looked up with a surprised expression to see a stranger just walk into his kitchen as if he belonged there. Gio turned to see who it was just as Arlen laid his hand on his shoulder. "Gio, please come join us."
Gio stood up and moved away from him. "Promise you won't be hitting anyone?"
"Gio, I'm sorry I hit Teddy that day. I was striking out at myself. I was having a difficult time accepting who I am. Ted understands and has forgiven me. Won't you try?"
Gio did not look happy, but he gave Arlen a curt nod. "Okay, I'll be out in a minute."
When Arlen sat back down at the table, Ted asked, "Why did you go into the kitchen?"
"I just asked Gio to join us for dinner."
"Why? You don't even like him."
"I really don't know him well enough to say that. We competed for you, and he won. That's not enough reason to dislike him."
"I don't think he likes you much either."
"He saw me as the competition. Now that I'm not, maybe we can be friends."
"How come you didn't show this maturity before? I really thought you were just a spoiled rich kid, used to getting what he wanted," Ted said.
Arlen chuckled. "I am. But I sure failed this time."
"Are you two going to Johnny and Tim's Commitment?" Arlen asked.
"You think I would dare miss my cousin getting.... how do you Americans say...hitched? What does that word mean anyway?"
"Hitched?" Teddy asked, looking blank.
"It's a term from the Old West," Arlen explained. "It means tied to. Like a cowboy would tie his horse's reins to the hitching post when he went into the bar for a drink."
"Oh, yeah, to connect, like the ball hitch on the back of a pickup is used to attach a trailer for pulling," Teddy added.
"Yes, okay. That's a very good word. English in America is very colorful."
They all laughed.
"So you've been invited?" Teddy asked.
"Yeah, in a kind of roundabout way. The invitation was addressed to my dad and family. My parents are coming down, so I am going with them. And you?" Arlen asked Teddy?
Gio answered for him. "He is now my mate. Of course, he's invited,"
"Do your cousins even know about you two?"
They looked at each other and then at Arlen and shook their heads.
"Well, I think that Joe suspects," Ted said. "He's in and out of the kitchen quite a bit. He keeps giving me these strange looks."
"He does that to you, too?" Gio asked.
Right on cue, Dave and Joe came through the door. The first thing they saw when they entered the restaurant was Gio and Teddy sitting with Carl Aldridge's son, Arlen.
Teddy and Arlen were conversing while Gio looked like he'd rather be in the kitchen. He glanced toward the door and saw his cousin and Dave. His face lit up with a big welcoming smile.
Since the three men were already sitting at the large round table that was reserved for family and friends, they moved around and made room for Dave and Joe to join them. Of the three, Teddy was the only one that wasn't delighted with the interruption, since the two men were basically strangers to him. But he smiled at them and welcomed them. The original intent of the dinner, to tell Arlen to his face that he and Gio were now an item, was forgotten as they all chatted.
At one point ,when there was a lull in the conversation, Dave grinned at Gio and asked, "When are you two going to make an announcement?"
"Announcement?" Gio asked,
"Come on, Gio," Dave said. "My young friends have informed me that Teddy moved out of the house." He glanced at Teddy who blushed, but didn't say anything. He noticed that Arlen frowned and wondered if he was unaware of Teddy's move.
Gio grinned and blushed. He looked lovingly at Teddy, then said, "We were going to surprise everybody with an announcement on your birthday. But since everyone seems to already know...." He stood and placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder. "Gentlemen, may I present mi amore. After much groveling and begging, Teddy has consented to be my mate."
Teddy grinned up at Gio. "You are so full of it, Gio. You know you fought it all the way... to your bed."
"Whatever." Gio glanced off coquettishly, but couldn't keep the grin off his face.
Teddy stood and wrapped an arm around Gio. "Gentlemen, when an irresistible force," he pointed a finger at Gio, "meets an immovable object," he pointed the finger to his own chest, "well... it was a bit tumultuous, but it looks like it's going to be a good marriage."
Gio looked surprised. "Marriage? No one said anything about getting married. I just asked you to move in with me so I wouldn't have to drive all the way over to Jason's to pick you up every morning."
"I'm so grateful to you for making such a sacrifice. It was so far to have to drive - around the block."
Silvano walked up behind the two clowning men and tapped them on their backs. "Would you two please sit down and be quiet. You are disturbing my dinner guests."
Gio glanced around the room. He had personally prepared meals for everyone in the room at one time or another; they were all regular customers.
"Forgive me, Friends, for disrupting your meal. We are soon opening two new restaurants on top of the new high rise office building downtown. Ted Edwards," he took Teddy by the arm and presented him to the room, "is a graduate of the Cordon Bleu in Paris. He will be in charge of preparing the food in these restaurants." He then walked around the room passing out cards to each table. "Please come join us after we open and present these cards for a free dessert on the house."
Everyone politely clapped and said, "Congratulations and thank you."
When Gio sat back down, Joe said, "You are always surprising me, Cuz. That was suave, turning a possibly embarrassing moment into a business promotion."
Gio grinned and nodded.
Arlen at that point stood and tapped the edge of his wine glass with a spoon. When he had everyone's attention, he said, "I'd like to be the first to congratulate you two. May you have a long and happy life together. And may this restaurant venture be a huge success for you."
He sat down and Teddy gave him a one armed hug.
Later, as they were leaving the restaurant, Dave paused to say in private to Arlen, "You're father would be proud of you. You are definitely his son."
Arlen hugged Dave and said, "Thanks, Dave. You have my permission to tell him the whole story, and don't forget to tell him about your part in it."
During dinner Gio and Arlen had learned that they did like each other. Arlen had found that Gio had a wicked sense of humor, and Gio had discovered the young New Yorker was quite debonair and much more mature than his first impression of him.
The second week of October was turning out to be a little more than hectic for the Paolini women who were efficiently panicking as the big day drew closer. They had been planning for months getting ready.
The back yard was looking beautiful, the lawn was still green. Fall flowers filled the beds around it. Back in April a bower had been built at the back of the yard, especially for this occasion. Texas Ivy had been planted around it and had grown up and covered it perfectly. Now, with cool nights coming on, the leaves were beginning to turn yellow and red.
Gio had insisted that he have the honor of catering the food for Johnny and Tim's wedding long before things had gotten so hectic with the Grand Opening of Dave's Place drawing so near. Since Gio and Teddy were totally involved in Dave's Place working toward the "big Day," Silvano with his staff at Gio Gio's would be doing all the work. With Silvano and Teddy helping Gio, they'd came up with a trove of delicious finger foods, all of which Silvano and his staff would prepare.
Teddy ended up ordering all the food through the outlets they'd set up for the new restaurants. He pointed out to Gio that if they ordered all the supplies for all three restaurants together, he'd save a lot of money. It was at that point that Gio started to seriously think of bringing Teddy into the partnership shared with Joe and Tom Duncan, Joe's foreman.
Gio dragged his tired body into the bedroom and dropped onto the bed. The long hours were taking their toll. But the new restaurants were nearing ready for opening and they were ready for Johnny and Tim's commitment ceremony the upcoming week end. He lifted his left foot onto his right knee to unlace his boot. Teddy walked in and knelt in front of him. "Here, let me do that for you, Mi Amore."
Gio reached out with both hands and drew Teddy's head to his lips and kissed him on the forehead. "You worked harder than I did today. Let's each undress ourselves and meet in the shower."
Teddy grinned at him. "Sounds like a good deal to me."
Seeing Teddy's eager grin, suddenly Gio wasn't feeling so exhausted. The thought of washing his lover's beautiful body was sending surges of energy through him.
Teddy looked up as he shucked his boxers and caught Gio's lascivious grin and grinned back at him. "I know what you're imaging, you dirty ol' man."
"Yes, and I know you are as eager as I am. Last one in the shower has to wash the other one," Gio answered, pulling his Jockeys off. He threw them at Teddy and headed for the bathroom.
Teddy caught them in one hand, brought them to his nose and inhaled with his eyes closed. He dropped the Jockeys and trotted up behind Gio just as he started though the bathroom door. He wrapped his arms around Gio's chest, lifted him off the floor, turned around, set him back on his feet, and then stepped into the bathroom laughing.
"That's cheating, you big oaf."
Teddy stuck his head around the door, grinning. "So who loses here?"
Gio grinned back. "Not me," he said grabbing Teddy around the waist. "I love washing your beautiful body."
Teddy wrapped him in a bear hug and sought his lips. "I love you, Gio," he whispered.
"The feeling is mutual My Love," Gio whispered back. "I've wanted you in my arms all day. Thank God my pants are baggy, otherwise everyone at work would have seen what I was feeling."
"Come on, I want to bathe you," Teddy urged.