The Russos 10

by D. J. Manly

  When he drove up in front of Mac and Janet's new six-bedroom bungalow, the house was all lit up. There was Mac's four by four in the driveway, and Janet's car parked beside it. There was a motorcycle at the curb, a brand new one.

  Tony drove up behind it, and pulled to a stop. He got out of the car, locking the door behind him. He stood there, keys in his hand, considering his next move. He was too close to him now, he had to see him.

  In fact, he was quite desperate to see him.

  He walked up the path and rang the doorbell.

  Mac answered, giving him a huge smile when he saw him. "Tony, come on it, kid," he said. "Angelo is here."

  "I know," Tony said. "How have you been?"

  "Good...good. Janet?" he called. "Guess who's here?"

  Mac led him into the living room where Angelo sat on the sofa holding his little sister. She was playing with his hair. He was kissing her chubby little cheek, making a funny sound as he did. She was giggling.

  Angelo was tickling her now and holding her up in the air. He was being so gentle with her. It was clear he was crazy in love with her.

  He looked up as Mac walked into the room.

  "She's so strong," he told Mac. "What a grip. She's going to be a drummer!"

  Angelo laughed, then sobered instantly when he saw Tony standing behind Mac.

  "Look who's here," Mac said, sensing the tension in the room.

  Janet chose that moment to come into the room. She embraced her nephew and told him to come in and sit down.

  Angelo put his little sister down onto his knee and nodded at him. "Hello, Tony, how are you?"

  Tony bit his bottom lip. He looked wonderful. He realized how much he'd missed him. He was dressed in a well-worn pair of jeans and a navy blue baseball jersey. His long hair hung down over his shoulders and he had thinned out the moustache. He looked a little drawn in the face, tired.

  "Mac, why don't you help me for a minute, it's time to put little Abigail down for her nap," Janet suggested.

  "Mom, already?" Angelo protested. "I'll put her down."

  "No...it's okay. Give her to me. You can feed her later, okay?"

  Mac took her, and they hastily left the room.

  Tony hovered around the entrance to the living room.

  Angelo stretched out his long legs and leaned back against the sofa. "Are you going to sit down, or stand there staring at me all night?"

  Tony took a few steps into the room. "Was I staring?"

  "Yeah, you were."

  "I'm sorry. It seems like forever since I've seen you."

  Tony came and sat in the chair across from the sofa.

  "Why didn't you want me to know you were in L.A. before?"

  "I don't know. It was less complicated that way, I suppose," he replied.

  "Oh, less complicated. I see," Tony replied stiffly.

  There was silence.

  "So, where is your new boyfriend?" Tony asked him when it didn't appear like he was going to say anything else.

  "Santa Monica."

  "Santa Monica? Why there? Shouldn't he be here with you?"

  "He's working."

  "Oh. Is that where you live now, Santa Monica?"

  "Some of the time."

  "I see. With this guy?"

  Angelo sighed. "Does this conversation have a point to it?"

  "I suppose so."

  "What is it you would like to know specifically?"

  Angelo leaned forward on the sofa.

  "Do you love this guy?"

  "This guy has a name, it's Nicolas."

  "Do you love Nicolas?"

  "No."

  "I expected you to tell me that it wasn't any of my business."

  "Well, it's not, really, is it? But what the hell."

  "Does he know you don't love him?"

  "I don't know. Would you like to call him up and ask him?"

  "But he loves you," Tony stated rather than asked.

  "Perhaps. He never said." Drake rubbed his thigh.

  "I see," Tony nodded. He looked at him. "Why does it bother you so much to see me?"

  "Who said it did?" he demanded.

  "Do you hate me?"

  "No."

  "Then why did you ask your father not to tell me you were in L.A. the last few times?"

  Angelo stood up, all six foot three of him. "Maybe it's because every time I see you, you end up interrogating me like the fucking Gestapo! Could that be the reason, Tony?"

  Tony stood up. "If you were honest with me, I wouldn't have to ask you so many questions."

  He shrugged and looked away. "I'm tired. I'm going upstairs to sleep for a while. My little sister kept me awake half the night and if I'm not going to sleep at night I'd prefer another reason, if you know what I mean."

  "I know what you mean," Tony met his eyes. "I could keep you awake tonight if you'd like." His tone was soft, seductive.

  Angelo smiled at him. "Yes...you could, couldn't you?" He moved to walk by him.

  Tony reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'll make a deal with you. Spend the night with me, and if in the morning you decide that you never want to see me again, I promise, I will leave you alone. I'll even stay away from the awards presentation if you ask me to."

  Angelo pulled his hand away. "No," he replied, shaking his head. "No deal." He began to walk out of the room.

  "It's because you know you'll lose," Tony said desperately. "You'll have to face how you feel, and you won't be able to walk away like you're doing now. Prove you don't care anymore...prove you don't love me. Prove it, if you have the guts."

  Out in the kitchen, Janet and Mac stood frozen as they heard Tony's words. They didn't know what to do, where to go, but they felt like they shouldn't be hearing this.

  Janet squeezed Mac's hand. They both held their breath.

  Angelo turned around and looked at Tony. "You really like to tempt fate, don't you? Do you think spending the night with me will make it easier? Since you pretend to love me..."

  "I don't pretend to love you," Tony snapped, "I do love you, and if you walk away tomorrow, I'll just have to face that when it comes...if it comes. Right now, I'd risk anything to be with you, to hold you. Nothing else matters to me. So, I'll tell you what," Tony walked up to him, "I'll rent a room at the Hyatt down the street, you know the one?"

  He nodded silently.

  "I'll leave word at the desk to give you a key to my room. Just tell them my name. You can come anytime tonight. It will be completely up to you. I'll wait for you. If you don't come, the deal is off. Is that fair?"

  He shrugged. "Not really."

  "You have a choice to change things between us forever, or to leave things the way they are," Tony managed.

  "I'll think about it." He nodded.

  Tony called to his aunt. "I'm leaving now, Aunt Janet...Mac..."

  Mac and Janet came out to say goodbye. Angelo went upstairs. He didn't feel like getting into any discussions with his mother.

  Tony was shaking like a leaf when he got into his car.

  He drove directly to the Hyatt Hotel down the street and rented a room. He told the desk clerk that Drake Russo may be coming by and to give him another key to the room. When he noticed the desk clerk's elated expression, he added that it was the son, not the father that was expected. The clerk was clearly disappointed.

  It was eight-thirty in the evening by the time Tony entered the room. He stripped off his clothes, took another a shower and got into bed. He turned on the television and watched the music channel. The latest video from Company Angelo came on. There were several songs by the Russo Brothers Band after that and a lot of talk about the similarity or lack of similarity between the music of Drake and Drake Russo Junior.

  By midnight, he fell asleep. He was awake again at one thirty. He was alone. He got out of bed and paced the floor. He opened the seal on the little bar and drank some whiskey, and then he drank some more.

  By three o'clock in the morning, he knew Angelo wasn't coming. He crawle
d back into the bed alone and cried himself to sleep.

  When the morning came, he was full of bitterness.

  He wandered around the room muttering about how he could have had a warm body next to him last night.

  There were plenty of hot, attractive, young men who would have gladly made love to him. The problem was that none of those men would do. There was only one man who could ease the ache in his heart and the ache in his cock, and he had to be the most stubborn, unforgiving man on earth.

  Two nights later, Tony sat beside his aunt in the audience of the music awards in Los Angeles. Mac sat next to his wife and Drake. Johnny and Pepi sat on the opposite end of the row. Angelo and the two other members of his band sat one row behind them.

  The Russo Brothers' latest CD won for CD of the year, the title track being the song Tony had written with the help of Drake and his father.

  Company Angelo won for best new group, but lost out on best song to the title track from the Russo Brothers.

  Tony got up with the Russo Brothers Band to accept the award for best song. He felt quite proud when his father gave him most of the credit for the song itself.

  Drake felt a little awkward at being nominated in the same category as his son's band, but Angelo appeared to be happy when The Russo Brothers Band won for best song. He stood up and applauded.

  The surprise of the evening was that the four members of the Russo Brothers Band were initiated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. No one had any idea that was going to happen. It was a great honour for them and in many people's minds, long overdue.

  Tony and Angelo both ran up on stage and hugged their fathers, and embraced Pepi and Mac.

  The crowd was on their feet, fellow musicians recognizing the immense contribution Drake and the rest of the band had made to rock music over the last fifteen or so years.

  Tony and Angelo returned to their seats and after about twenty more minutes of screaming and clapping, the president of the Association gave a little overview of the Russo Brothers career.

  A huge screen showed them performing various classic hits over the years. Then, there was a picture of the house in Brooklyn where they had grown up. "Four little boys from the working class neighbourhood of Brooklyn, three of them siblings and one, the neighbour down the street, never dreamt when they began jamming in Mac's garage that they would be here today. From the overpacked clubs to endless nights on the road, the diving force behind The Russo Brothers was the eldest brother Drake, who was determined to succeed."

  The video went on to show them touring the country, first on a bus, then on the jet. There were close ups of them sleeping, or walking off to backstage. The sweat, the exhaustion, the immense talent and brilliance of these four musicians came through quite nicely on the video.

  After the presentation, they were each given a plaque and Drake began to thank people. He had nothing but praise for the three other members of the band, and Frank Carr, as well as many other people who worked in the recording studio; the roadies, and the technicians. The list was endless. He also thanked Janet. He referred to her as "the mother of my son, who now is married to my best friend, Mac. She was there beside me in the early years. She took up the slack and did a marvellous job of raising my son, of whom I am so proud."

  Johnny spoke now, making a crack about how Drake never knew when to shut up. He went on also to thank people and to mention his own son, Tony, "who will be my inspiration in my old age," he remarked with a smile.

  Mac and Pepi also took their turn and then they all hugged each other as the crowd again cheered loudly.

  Then, Drake and Johnny Russo walked up together to the mike, and Drake dropped a bombshell. "This award," he said, "is especially meaningful because both Johnny and myself are planning to retire sometime next year. We will leave this band in the hands of our brother Pepi and our dear friend, Mac."

  People in the audience sat in stunned silence. Some fellow musicians literally shed tears. Members of the press raced out of the room to write up the story.

  Everyone was in shock. The announcement came out of left field, and not even Pepi, or Mac had been warned about it.

  Backstage, hordes of people came up to Drake and Johnny and begged them to reconsider. Tony stood off to the side, feeling extremely depressed. This announcement only added to the depression that had set in last night, when he had woken up alone in the hotel room.

  Angelo came walking in to the room backstage as if on cue. Tony was surprised when he spotted him, and came right over to him. "Did you know that Dad and Uncle Johnny were planning on making this announcement tonight?" He was visibly upset.

  "No, not really. There has been some talk about it, but nothing official. Think they'll change their minds?"

  "I doubt it." Angelo shrugged.

  "What will become of the band now, of Mac and Uncle Pepi?"

  "Mac and Uncle Pep are pretty upset. I saw them a few minutes ago outside. Uncle Pepi is ready to punch someone."

  "Should we go and...?"

  "No. He's with Mac. He'll cool off," Angelo said.

  Then out of the blue, he said, "Look, I'm sorry I didn't come last night. I almost did. I..." He trailed off when he noticed anger creeping into Tony's face.

  "Well, you know what?" Tony sneered, his voice full of pain. "It's all right. It's just fine." He turned his back suddenly.

  Angelo placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tony, listen to me..."

  "Don't touch me," Tony snapped, jerking away from him. He turned now to look at him. "I've paid enough for my stupidity. I can't pay any more, Angelo. I'll get down on my knees if you want me to, but for Christ's sakes, stop tormenting me!"

  "You're right. I'm sorry," he said, his deep voice free of any sarcasm. "Will you give me another chance?"

  Tony blinked. "You mean tonight?"

  He nodded. "Meet me at Mom's old house in Malibu around midnight. We'll...talk," he said, and then smiled at him.

  Tony tried not to be too excited. It could all be a dream. "Okay, I'll be there. You'll really come this time?"

  He nodded, then walked over to where his father was standing. The press was taking pictures. The other three members of Company Angelo were there now, crowding around Angelo.

  Tony said nothing to no one. It was eleven o'clock.

  He left quietly.

  At ten to twelve, he was sitting outside his aunt's old house in Malibu, waiting. Maybe he wouldn't come. He got out and paced a little.

  Around ten after the hour, he began to think that Angelo was just playing with him. Then he heard the roar of a motorcycle. Angelo drove up into the driveway.

  He turned off the bike and lifted off his helmet. "Hi," he said. "Sorry, there was a lot of traffic on the freeway. Come on in."

  Angelo led Tony through the garage, turned off the security system and walked into the hallway.

  "This is your house now, isn't it?" Tony mentioned as they walked into the living room.

  "Yeah. Dad didn't want Mom to sell it. He's sentimental that way. I guess he thought that..." he stopped talking because Tony wasn't listening. He was looking down the hallway.

  "What is it?" Angelo asked him.

  "Just that...the first time we made love...well, it was the first time I ever made love in a serious way to anyone really; it was in that room down there."

  "I remember," he said.

  "Do you?" Tony met his gaze.

  "I remember everything about that night," he said softly, and then he tore his eyes away from his.

  There was an uncomfortable silence between them.

  "Why did you want to meet here?" Tony cleared his throat, trying to lessen that uncomfortable painful feeling inside his gut.

  "I...I don't know," he forced a laugh. "It's better than a hotel. It doesn't cost anything."

  "As if money is an issue for either one of us," Tony muttered, ending with a sharp laugh.

  When he didn't respond to his joke, Tony sobered.

  "So," he challenged him, soundin
g a hell of a lot more cocky than he was feeling, "you willing to accept my deal tonight, or what?" He was shaking all over now.

  After a few seconds, Angelo said in a low voice, "I don't want to do any deals, Tony." He moved toward him, his voice cracked a little. "I don't want to talk anymore either. Tonight, I just want to hold you. Would that be all right with you?"

  His beautiful brown eyes were soft, pleading. Tony nodded wordlessly as Angelo pulled him into his arms.

  He couldn't believe that Angelo was kissing him. Tony tightened his arms around him, savouring the feeling of Angelo's tongue moving seductively with his. All he wanted was to get those clothes off of him.

  As Angelo continued to kiss him, Tony reached up and pushed off Angelo's jacket, then began to undo the buttons on his shirt. Angelo stepped back for a moment and began to do the same for Tony. Angelo's chest was heaving slightly as Tony pushed the shirt off his shoulders and then moved his hands over his torso and down to unzip his jeans. He felt his hands tremble.

  "I...I want you so much...I..." Tony began, which caused Angelo to brush his hands aside and undo his own pants. He kicked off his boots and let his pants fall to his ankles, then allowed his underwear to follow.

  Angelo stood there naked with only his socks on, his dark hair in his eyes. He was so beautiful. Tears stung Tony's eyes as Angelo reached for him. For a moment he just held him, then, with a great sigh, he proceeded to take off the rest of Tony's clothes. He took his hand.

  "Come with me," he said. He walked down the hallway, to his room, stumbling a little as he removed his socks and left them lying on the carpet.

  In the room, Angelo turned to Tony and pulled him roughly against him. They kissed passionately, their hands roaming freely over each other's bodies. Both of them were hard, ready.

  They smashed against the wall, Tony pinning Angelo's arms out straight, moving his mouth over the length of him until he found himself on his knees. He glanced up at him for a moment, meeting his gaze in the darkness. "I want to suck your cock," Tony breathed.

  "Go ahead," he croaked. "Think you can do a better job of it this time?"

  He was teasing him. Tony smiled. He was a hell of a lot more experienced than he was before. He wrapped his fist around Angelo's cock at the base and laughed softly. "You'll see." He moved his tongue around the head.