by Shawn Bailey
Frankie ejaculated all over his stomach as Adam came deep inside of him.
Adam stopped moving his hips and Frankie put down his legs. Adam sank down on him. Frankie felt Adam’s heart beating against his skin. He ran his fingers through Adam’s hair. When damp it curled just like his.
“I am extremely happy and content at the moment,” Adam said.
Frankie agreed. “Me, too. Too bad we can’t stay like this forever.”
“We can be together forever, but not always in bed,” Adam said. “We have a long road ahead of us, sleeping in hotels, traveling to different countries, and meeting so many new people.”
“How are you going to run your hotel if you’re on the road with us?” Frankie asked.
“I can use one of my managers,” Adam said.
Frankie said. “Do you really want to do that? I feel so bad that Mr. Albertson sort of threw us on you.”
Adam kissed Frankie on the chest. “I could have said no, but I have the feeling I am supposed to do this. Even though I might not seem deep, I do believe in fate….that our paths were destined to cross.”
“I also feel bad for Mr. Washington.”
“Don’t,” Adam said. “Nico made his decision. He knew you and I belonged together, and we’re still friends. The man is my stylist so I will run into him occasionally.”
“Do you believe we belong together?” Frankie asked.
Adam nodded. “I knew it from the moment I looked into those soulful blue eyes when you performed in the park.”
“Before or after you kissed Mr. Washington?”
“Before,” Adam said. “I was in a good mood and about to get sex.”
Frankie chuckled. “I knew it.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me who is better in bed?”
“No,” Frankie answered quickly.
Adam laughed. “You are both warm and comforting, but you’re less of a diva.”
Frankie rubbed Adam’s hair. “I’m no diva. Now Jonas, that’s another story.”
Adam chuckled, too. “I can’t wait for the two of you to get started with Tory. I want to be right there when the world discovers how great you are.” He moved up and kissed Frankie on the lips. “Are you excited?”
Frankie nodded. “A couple of weeks ago I was homeless. Yes. I’m very excited, and I can’t wait to give Kalen and Jonas a sense of security and a home. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“You are the most unselfish person I know. You also deserve a home and to feel secure. But don’t change once you become famous. Don’t give in to the hype, the drugs, or the fast life.”
“I won’t,” Frankie promised. “You will have to keep us grounded. And don’t be afraid to kick our asses if we start drifting in the wrong direction.”
“I won’t be afraid,” Adam said. “And you can’t leave me for some hot, young, rich star.”
Frankie chuckled. “You either.”
Chapter Eight
The transition from the hotel to the house took only one trip. Between the town car driven by George and Adam’s car, they were able to move all the Kerrys’ belongings and them in about an hour. And then Adam took them grocery shopping where they ran into his brother David.
“Fancy meeting you here,” David said, looking at the three young men with him. David was two years older than him and practiced law in the central business district. “Who are these guys?”
“David, I’d like you to meet the Kerrys. This is Jonas, Frankie, and Kalen. They’re the new musical group I told you about.”
“Nice to meet you,” David said, shaking Jonas and Frankie’s hand. “Cute baby. He’s seems kind of attached to you.”
“Nope, it’s the other way around,” Adam said, tickling Kalen under his chin.
Kalen giggled for Adam.
“David is my older brother,” Adam explained.
“By only two years,” David corrected. “Don’t make me sound old.”
“He’s a lawyer,” Adam said proudly.
“So why are you grocery shopping with Tory’s clients?” David asked.
“Because I’m their manager,” Adam answered.
“And I suppose they’ll need an attorney to handle their legal affairs and yours.”
“Yes,” Adam answered. “I planned to call you next week. Right now I’m helping them move into their new home.”
“Oh, they’re the reason you had me jumping over barrels to buy that mansion near you.” David looked them over again. “I always wanted more younger brothers.” His gaze landed on Frankie. “I can see what all the fuss is about.”
Frankie blushed.
Jonas chuckled.
“Call my secretary and make an appointment,” David said. “Call mother, too. I’m sure she’ll love to meet your new extended family.”
“I’ll call her later, and she already knows about them,” Adam said.
“I better finish up my shopping,” David said. “I’m having a guest for the weekend and I need food. I’ll see you guys later.” He waved and pushed his cart down the aisle.
“Are the two of you close?” Frankie asked as Adam selected a couple of boxes of sugar-free cereal for them.
“Yes,” Adam answered. “And yes my family knows I’m gay.”
Frankie’s cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink.
“They’re going to love you. In fact, I’m having dinner with my folks tonight. You guys need meat,” he said as he pushed the buggy with Kalen in it. “And we need to get some toddler food for Kalen since he doesn’t have enough teeth to eat steak.”
“If you believe that, don’t stick your finger in his mouth,” Jonas said. “He’s bitten me a couple of times.”
“That’s because you tease him,” Frankie said.
Adam paid for the groceries, and then they left the store. “Is there anything else you guys need while we’re out?” He turned to Jonas. “Do you have enough medicine?”
“Yes, thank you,” Jonas said.
Adam went over his to-do list in his head. The electricity and gas were on. The cable and Internet had been hooked up. They now had food, paper products, and cleaning supplies. “Oh you guys need lunch.”
“Didn’t we just buy groceries?” Jonas asked as they loaded the trunk of the car with the bags.
“Yes,” Adam answered. “But you’ll be too busy putting things away to stop and cook. How about some chicken?”
“Cool,” Frankie said. “Hot and spicy.”
“You must have a cast iron stomach,” Adam teased.
“Where to, sir?” George asked once they all were back inside the car.
“Popeye’s on Saint Charles Avenue,” Adam answered.
* * * *
Adam left the Kerrys around two after he fed Kalen mashed potatoes and gravy and after he made sure the groceries had been put away. He also gave him and Jonas a set of keys to the house and locked the deed in a fireproof safe in Jonas’s closet for safekeeping.
“Let’s start unpacking,” Jonas said when Kalen went down for a nap in his new bed.
Frankie went to his room and opened the suitcase Adam had brought him and began putting away his clothing into drawers and hanging some in the closet. Afterward he put toiletries in his bathroom and other things into the night table drawer.
Frankie went to Jonas’s room to see how much progress he’d made. Jonas was on the phone. “I’ll talk to you later, Myron,” he said.
Damn, he’d thought Jonas would give them a day before notifying his friends of their whereabouts.
“Myron was worried since he hasn’t seen us since the seafood festival,” Jonas explained.
“Did he ask a lot of questions?” Frankie asked.
“Yes, but I didn’t tell him much. I don’t want him showing up unannounced.”
“You think he’ll like Sean?” Frankie asked.
Jonas shrugged. “But I know he won’t like Adam.”
“Not my problem,” Frankie said. “Are you finished unpacking?”
“Yeah, but I’m tired. I think I’ll take a nap.”
Sometimes having asthma wore Jonas out.
“Okay, what would you like for dinner?”
“Red beans and rice,” Jonas answered.
“Okay,” Frankie said. “You rest while I get acquainted with the kitchen.” He left Jonas alone.
Frankie turned on the television in the kitchen to keep him company while he put on the beans and rice. He decided to bake cornbread so he whipped it up and put it in the oven. He put away the dishes, glassware, bakeware, and cookware. Frankie had to use a stepstool to put things in the top cabinets.
Adam called later to see what he was doing and got a big laugh when Frankie told him “cooking.” He said he would call again after he had dinner with his parents.
“Have fun,” Frankie said. “I have to take the cornbread out of the oven.”
“Yummy. Maybe I should break my plans with my parents and come eat with you.”
“You can always eat with me. Go see your folks,” Frankie said. He got off the phone, smiling, and took the baking pan out of the oven. Once this was done, Frankie turned off the television and went up to his room to relax.
* * * *
“Are the boys settled in?” his mother asked Adam after dinner and they had adjoined to the parlor to talk.
“Yes,” Adam answered. “I can’t wait for you to meet them.”
“David said he met them today,” his father said.
“Yes, Dad. We were grocery shopping.”
His mother chuckled. “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed since you’ve met them. You usually let George shop for you.”
“I’ve never been responsible for anyone before, Mother. You and Dad should have had more kids after me.”
Both parents laughed.
“You and your brothers were enough,” his mother said. “So tell us about the Kerrys.”
“Well, you already know they were orphaned several months ago and they don’t have any other family. Jonas, he’s the oldest. He’s twenty. He plays guitar and piano, and he suffers from asthma and diabetes.”
“Poor thing,” his mother said. “You can be a big help to him since you have diabetes, too.”
If he knew his mother, she was going to just spoil Jonas to death. “Then there’s Kalen. He’s the baby and just two years old. He’s the cutest little boy. He’s just learning how to talk, and he has the sweetest smile.”
“Uh-oh,” his father said with a grin. “You do have a parenting gene in you.”
“Yeah, it surprised me, too. And then there’s Frankie. He just turned eighteen. He plays the violin and piano, and he cares for Kalen like he’s the child’s parent. He also cooks. Tonight he fixed red beans, rice, and cornbread for them.”
“And he’s the one who brought about his change in you, isn’t he?” his mother asked.
He never could hide anything from his mother. “Yes. He might put on this tough persona, but once you get to know him you see the real Frankie. He’s sweet, kind, and considerate. And you should hear him play the violin. He puts me to shame.”
“You were pretty good, too,” his father said. “But you gave it up too quickly.”
“Does Frankie feel the same way about you?” his mother asked.
“I think so,” Adam said. “But he’s still too young to tie down. He has so much ahead of him.”
“So when can we meet these wonderful young men?” his father asked.
“When would you like to meet them?”
“Would next weekend be too soon?” his mother asked. “We’re hosting a dinner party for the governor and I’m sure he’d love to hear them play. He’s a big fan of classical music.”
“I’ll have to check with their publicist first to make sure there’s not a conflict of interest, but I don’t see where it would be a problem. Of course I will have to arrange for a sitter for Kalen since he’s too young to be up so late, but I’ll bring him around to meet you two soon,” Adam said. He’d invite Sean, too, so Jonas wouldn’t feel so lonely.
Adam called Frankie later that night to tell him about the dinner with his family. Frankie seemed quite excited and nervous at the same time, and he wanted more than anything to go over and be with him. But he wanted them to get accustomed to being alone in the new house for a couple of days. And he would see them on Monday for their first photo shoot.
Chapter Nine
“Well what do you think of my hair?” Jonas asked Frankie after they left the stylist Luke had recommended.
Frankie liked the way Nico had styled his hair, but Jonas said it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to go to Nico since technically Frankie had stolen Adam away from him. “Now you really do look like Dad,” Frankie answered. “And a rock star.” The stylist had dyed Jonas’s hair with Luke’s direction.
“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not.”
“You look great,” Frankie said.
“So do you,” Jonas said.
Frankie looked at himself in the mirror. His hair had been dyed a darker shade of blond. “Do I look older?”
“Yeah, you look at least nineteen,” Jonas teased.
Kalen looked at both of them but appeared confused by their sudden change of appearance.
“It’s me, Kalen,” Frankie said letting his baby brother hear his voice. “And Jonas, too.”
Kalen giggled. “Frankie.”
Jonas chuckled. “Kalen’s so goofy.”
The women at the magazine company went completely gaga over them when they arrived with Luke and Adam.
They got whisked off to separate dressing rooms and met up again in makeup. The cosmetologist made up their faces.
Frankie frowned. “Why are you putting mascara on my eyes?”
“It’s to make those blues pop,” he told Frankie.
Another stylist messed with his hair.
“Let’s go meet the photographer,” Luke said. “His name is Brian Brown, and he’s one of the best in the business.”
Brian, Frankie discovered, wasn’t much older than Adam. He shook hands with the friendly African-American man.
“I like your outfits,” Brian said.
“Our publicists chose them,” Jonas announced. He wore blue, and Frankie was all decked out in red.
“Luke is correct. Bold colors look better with pale skin and blond hair,” Brian said. He looked at Kalen. “Who’s the little guy?”
“Our brother,” Jonas answered.
Adam had sat down with Kalen to keep him out of the way.
“I’d like to include him in some of the shots if you don’t mind,” Brian said.
Frankie didn’t like the idea, but he agreed.
Brian described what he was going to do with them. “I’ll take some individual pictures of you guys first, and then some of the two of you together. Then we’ll add the baby. So who wants to go first?”
Jonas volunteered.
Luke and Frankie found seats by Adam and Kalen and sat down.
Brian suggested some poses. “Give me a serious look.”
Jonas posed, and Brian took his picture.
“Perfect, now move around a little. Shake that hair.”
Jonas performed like a professional. As a kid he was always the one who liked to have his photograph taken.
“You’re a natural,” Brian said. “Now smile for the camera. Enchanting.” He shot the picture. “You can rest now. You’re up, Frankie.”
Jonas and Frankie changed places.
Butterflies danced in the pit of Frankie’s stomach. He felt stupid and embarrassed about being the center of attention.
“Let me see your serious face,” Brian instructed.
Frankie frowned.
“Ooh, bad boy. Okay, relax the face a bit. Give me happy.”
Frankie smiled for the camera, and Brian took his picture.
“You have perfect teeth. Are they capped?”
“No,” Frankie said.
“Okay, give me lo
ving,” Brian said.
Frankie glanced toward Adam and smiled.
Adam smiled back at him.
“Cute,” Brian said, snapping the picture. “Now give me sexy.”
Frankie put his gaze back on Adam and imagined him naked.
“Ooh, hot damn,” Brian said excitedly as he took the shot.
“What?” Frankie asked, realizing he wasn’t paying the photographer any attention.
“Nothing,” Brian said, smiling sheepishly. “Show me those eyes. Make them smoke.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” Frankie asked.
“Just pretend you’re looking at your girlfriend and you find her desirable.”
Of course he had to think about Adam and then imaging he was looking deep into his lover’s eyes. He licked his lips to wet them.
“Perfect,” Brian said. “The women are going to love you. Okay, Jonas. Come on back. I want to get some pictures of the two of you together. And then we’ll have a costume change.”
Jonas joined Frankie in front of the camera. Frankie was a lot less nervous with his brother standing next to him. Several minutes later Brian sent them to the dressing room. This time Luke had chosen a white outfit for Jonas and black one for Frankie. Two hours later they were still posing for the camera. Kalen joined them later dressed in his little red outfit.
“He’s very photogenic,” Brian said about Kalen. “Look how he smiles for the camera.”
“You hear that, guys,” Adam said. “Kalen is going to be a model when he grows up.”
“He’s going to be a drummer,” Frankie insisted. He picked Kalen up.
Kalen kissed him on the cheek, and Brian took the picture.
“How sweet,” Brian said. “The fans are going to go wild for these three guys.”
“Can I get an album of all these shots?” Adam asked Brian. “And maybe a couple of eleven by fourteens of the family shot?”
“Anything else?” Brian asked their manager.
Adam whispered something to Brian.
Brian chuckled, looking at Frankie. “Yes. I’ll make sure you get one of those, too.”
