Chapter Twenty Two of L&L
Author’s Note: Thank you so very much for my friend Kathy (kittie8571) who is the Beta of this story!
Chapter Twenty Two: Your (secret) confidant
Mr. Santos’s party was quickly becoming another potential nervous breakdown. Or so Ennis thought on that particularly cold morning.
Ennis leaned upon his cane while he stood next to the main door of the Twist mansion, trying to wait patiently for his boyfriend. He looked at his watch and rolled his eyes.
Jack had decided that they needed some designer clothes for the two-day party in Madrid. Ennis had no idea why. Elizabeth said something about Michael Khors, whoever that was, but Jack said that the Europeans wouldn’t really know how to appreciate it. They discussed it for a bit, but after about two minutes, Ennis had completely lost interest in the topic. He didn’t mind dressing in whatever Jack decided to be fit for the occasion, as long as it wasn’t pink.
He hated the color, he always had. He was a Texan and Texans don’t wear pink, at least not the ones Ennis knew. No matter what people tried, he never felt comfortable wearing pink, not even pink ties or pink shirts. So he had decided that it wasn’t really his color and he just wasn't going to wear it. Not even if pink turned out to be the "new black."
“Sorry for the delay. I was talking with Matilda again.” Jack shared a worried glance with him.
“Still no way to convince her?” Ennis murmured in a half question.
“Nope.” Jack grabbed his coat from the hall stand.
“Are we still going to see whoever it was that you and Elizabeth were talking about the other day?” Ennis asked curious.
“Have no idea what you’re talking about, but we are going to beg for help from two of my dearest friends in the fashion business. Daniel and Nick.” Jack said happily.
“How have I never heard about them before?” Ennis asked smiling back at Jack.
“Because you’ve never gone shopping with me.” Jack rearranged Ennis's black scarf.
“I always hated spending any amount of time buying clothes and now that you buy them for me, I spend even less time thinking about it.”
“You’re forgiven, honey, especially because of that orchid you gave me yesterday.” Jack reached up and kissed him on the lips. “I haven’t forgotten yet.”
“I didn’t know you were going to like it so much.” Ennis said between Jack’s feather like kisses.
“I did.” Jack’s eyes rested on the Ennis black scarf again. “I swear I used to have a scarf just like this, but I haven’t seen it in a while. Did you find it among my clothes?”
“Yeah, it’s yours, but it wasn’t among your things. You gave it to me on our first date. It was windy or something…” Ennis looked away feeling a little awkward for not mentioning this before.
“You kept it.” Jack's smile had crept into his voice, showing his surprise at the gesture.
“I… yeah.” Ennis took a deep breath. “And I’m not going to give it back.”
“Of course not, honey.” Jack kissed him again and this time if it hadn’t been for his cane, Ennis would have ended up on the floor.
“Come on, honey. We’re already late.” Ennis remembered when his poor leg started to protest against all the pressure Ennis was putting on it.
“Yeah, we really need to go anyway.” Jack answered, finally moving to the door. “But you’re so going to get laid tonight.”
And Ennis silently cursed the damn party again.
They drove to the center of the city, with Jack complaining about the horrible traffic on the weekends. Ennis was almost sleeping, the back of his seat laid down because of his leg. He hadn’t sleep very well in the damn butterfly room, which wasn’t helping a bit.
“Hey, don’t leave me talking to myself.” Jack complained behind the wheel.
“Sorry, the pain killers are giving me a hard time.” Ennis sighed. “And the bed is just too soft for my taste. I didn’t sleep much this week.”
“Don't worry, we’ll be returning home soon.” Jack flashed him a smile.
“I should have stayed home sleeping.” Ennis complained.
“We’re almost there.” Jack’s hand moved blindly to arrange Ennis’s curls.
“Leave my hair alone.” Ennis said with a smile.
“I can’t, it’s stronger than me.”
“At least tell me that your friends aren't going to force me into trying on all the stuff you asked them to design.”
“They won’t. They have our measurements, it’s going to be perfect.” Jack made a sudden turn to the left and cursed someone in a grey car. “I hope you’ll like them.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Ennis asked suddenly interested.
“You’re right, everybody likes them.” Jack left the car a few streets away where it was still possible to park.
“There’s no chance that Daniel and Nicholas are just good friends, is there?” Ennis asked when they left the car.
“What do you think?” Jack asked amused. “Nope. I’ll tell you all about them at lunch, I promise.”
“I would love to say that I wouldn’t care for the gossip, but I’m actually interested. I don’t know anyone who works in this business.”
“They’re really cool. But then, what's the fun in having a straight designer working for me? I’m gay for God’s sake.”
They'd reached the street of their destination. The multi-level building shined with the light of the day reflecting on the orange and grey panels around the long glass windows. The building was right on the middle of N.Y.’s fashion district. Ennis had never come to this part of the city, with the exception of that one time when Elizabeth helped him pick a suit for the Magnet Spring Party.
Ennis looked at the building again.
Directly above the large glass main door, there was a big black sign with a modern look and the words "Daniel and Nick" connected on an artistic way by a capital S. The word "Studio" was just under the two other words. Looking at the other buildings on the street, it was just another fashion design studio.
They crossed the street, trying not to get run over by one of the many yellow taxis.
“Here we are.” Jack said happily. “They’re going to be ecstatic about meeting you."
At the door there was a young receptionist that almost squealed at the sign of Jack Twist’s presence.
“Mr. Twist, it’s a pleasure to have you here again.” She smiled at jack but looked with curiosity to Ennis’s cane.
“We’re in a hurry, Miss…” Jack read her name from the desk. “Spencer.”
“Of course.” She smiled widely and guided then trough the corridor.
Ennis shared a curious glance from behind the woman’s back, but Jack dismissed it with a small smile. The blond lawyer limped all the way trough the corridor, wondering when he could sit again. His knee was hurting a lot. Physiotherapy was much harder than he had suspected. His muscles refused to cooperate and his sessions were usually long moments of torture. During the days in which he didn’t have physiotherapy, the constant muscle pain was always a nice reminder of what he had gone through and what he would endure in the future.
Finally the receptionist opened a big double door and they entered a very luminous room with white walls and various tables covered with fabrics and others materials. There were mannequins with dresses and shirts, some finished and others still incomplete. On the left side there was a small white board and hangers with glamorous dresses hanging from the wall; on the right side there were dozens of papers with drawings of faceless women and men wearing possible garments.
But as he moved closer to the big white table closer to the window, he focused on the two surprising figures in front of him. Daniel and Nick were not exactly as he had imagined them to be. Against Ennis’s fertile imagination, Nick and Daniel looked quite normal with no exaggerated colorful clothes or fashion hairdresses.
“Good to see you, J.” The younger man said to Jack, moving around to hug him.
“Daniel, you look great.” Jack said enthusiastically.
Daniel was the kind of man that could lighten up a room with his smile. It was definitely his most attractive feature, although he was far from being an unattractive young man. His hair was wild, styled in a way that covered almost all of his face, but he had a rather nice, sculpted chin. He was dressed in basic jeans and a sweatshirt, which give him a comfortable look. Ennis also noticed that Daniel’s right arm had a much unexpected tattoo. It looked like thorns around his forearm. It surprised him that Daniel couldn’t possibly be older than 26 years of age.
“Daniel has been annoying me all week since your call, darling.” The other man said, watching them amused.
The dark haired man, who was definitely Nicholas, moved to shake Ennis’s hand. He was taller than Daniel or Jack, but not as tall as Ennis. His tone of voice was careful and his smile much more reserved. Nicholas was wearing a shirt and tailored trousers, which made him look even more respectful. He looked to be a Latin man, perhaps Spanish, with tanned skin and black hair, which was cut short in a simple style. He was definitely older than Daniel and had a completely different style and attitude.
Nicholas looked like a business man. Daniel looked like a kid fresh out of college.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Ennis. My name is Nicholas.” Nicholas was the perfect gentleman, his grip strong and firm.
“What was I thinking? My name is Daniel.” The younger designer said sweetly, moving his attention from Jack for just a few minutes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Ennis said, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by his curiosity about them.
“We’ve heard a lot about you.” Daniel said with another perfect smile.
Daniel grabbed two chairs, and Jack and he sat behind one of the tables, already laughing about some personal joke. There was no mistake, Daniel was Jack’s not so secret confidant. He should have suspected by the number of Saturday mornings that Jack spent away from home, shopping in this area.
“Ennis, let’s leave this two talking for a while. God knows when they start it takes a while to stop them.” Nicholas was probably used to these little reunions. “I thought maybe I would give you a tour, but I don’t want you to overextend yourself, I know you should rest.” Nicholas said carefully, glancing at Ennis’s cane.
“It’s ok. As long as we can find a place to sit from time to time.” Ennis smiled.
“Splendid, follow me.” Nicholas opened the door for him, while blowing a kiss to Daniel, who repeated the movement.
Jack didn’t even look up from the sketches Daniel was showing him, but Ennis smiled just the same. He was beginning to like this Nicholas fellow.
“Have you ever been in a studio before, Ennis?” The black haired man asked.
“No, I’m not much of a fashion fan, to tell you the truth.”
“Really?” Nicholas asked surprised. “So I guess someone picks the clothes for you.”
“Jack does it.” Ennis confessed easily.
Nicholas looked shocked at the revelation but his face turned into an honest smile and he shook his head, opening a door for Ennis.
“So what do you think of this?” Daniel asked showing him a few more drawings. “Nick drew them based on the photos you sent.”
“It looks really nice.” Jack traced the line of the black trousers.
“I’ve picked some really good fabrics. And we’re going to work our asses off to have this finished by the set date.” Daniel showed him samples of the fabrics.
“Thanks for doing me this favor, Dan. I know you’re both uberfamous now…”
“Stop it, already it. I haven’t forgotten what you did for me, and Nick is just as grateful as I am.”
“How are things going, by the way?” Jack asked smiling.
“Great. Our collection for New York’s fashion week is going well and we couldn’t ask for more requests of red carpet gowns.”
“And the rest?” Jack asked in confidentiality tone.
“Amazing. Nick and I…” The younger man looked embarrassedly to his lap. “And I owe it to you.”
“Don’t be silly. I just kept Nick close to you, the rest was all your doing.” Jack punched Daniel playfully on the shoulder. “How many times do I need to tell you that, hmm?”
“What about you?” Daniel asked, changing the topic. “I see you’ve finally brought him here, but… Did you tell anyone about Mary’s news yet?”
“No one, yet. Not even Robert.” Jack confessed sadly. “I’m going to tell Ennis this weekend. But I can’t face Matilda about this or Uncle Daniel…”
“Jack, maybe you should be sure of the facts first.”
Daniel always looked younger than he really was, but when it came to serious matters he was always sounded much older. He was a mature man and had the tendency to despise all signs of immaturity. There was a reason why he had fallen in love with an older man.
“I know. I heard the same from Dr. Whistle.” Jack murmured.
“Ennis still thinks you’re not seeing her anymore?” Daniel asked in a confidential tone.
“I started going again after what happened with Allan Pore, I couldn’t tell him how much the damn thing had affected me. How can I tell him now?”
“I’m repeating myself, but you know what they say about secrets in a relationship.” Daniel shrugged at the thought.
“I know, but some secrets are good.” Daniel made a face at Jack’s answer. “As if you don’t keep things from Nick.”
“Sure, he has no idea I do wax on my chest. But, I’m sure that’s not going to hurt his feelings if and when he finds out.”
Jack frowned at Daniel’s words, but he knew that the young designer was right.
“Hate you, Dan.”
“Love you too.” Daniel stood up to show Jack a suit that was already finished. “By the way, he looks way better in person than in the photos…”
Daniel made an approved gesture and Jack laughed heartily.
Nicholas guided him around the building, waving at everybody. Many of his employees called him Mr. Stark, but a few of them greeted him by his short name, Nick. The studio was full of activity, with people sewing, cutting and measuring fabrics. On the upper floor, Ennis found more people working, this time behind desks. They were working on the merchandise and financial aspect of the studio.
“I remember when I used to do all the financial work.” Nicholas said looking at one of the women’s work. “How we’ve managed to have a profit was beyond me.”
Ennis smiled in answer.
“Nowadays we design and sew the reproductions and our team makes it possible to replicate it the number of times we need. We have deals with factories in other countries to obtain the fabrics and produce the pieces for shops all over America.”
“Sounds very impressive.” Ennis commented.
“Actually, this is what we designers are forced to do to survive. To make money. What truly gives me pleasure is to create originals for one specific client. Design from the knowledge I have of the person in front of me.”
Nicholas moved away suddenly and guided Ennis through the corridor and into an elevator.
“I’m going to show you our trophies room.” There was a feminine tone in his voice, which sounded perfectly adequate in his personality.
Ennis followed him into a new room, with no windows, but still strongly illuminated by lamps coming from the ceiling and from the inside of opened closets. Actually, the closets had no doors, they were presenting dresses and tuxedos with small pictures attached to them.
“Let me show you my newest baby.” Nicholas called his attention, moving to take a scarlet dress from the closest closet.
Ennis touched the dress carefully, the fabric encrusted with small pieces of a shining material, which looked like glass, but as far as Ennis knew it could even been real diamonds. Ennis’s eyes focused on the picture attached to the left strap. He recognized the brown haired woman immediately, she was posing for the photo at some red carpet event.
“Is she…?” Ennis asked shocked.
“Yes, she is.” Nicholas said proudly. “Two weeks ago at the world premiere of her new movie. She even got tickets for me and Danny.”
“Now you’ve really impressed me.”
“Oh, you have your own remarkable share of cases to impress.” Nicholas said with respect. “Jack has been singing your praises long enough for me to recognize that.”
“I guess, if you say so.” Ennis lifted his cane slightly and Nicholas looked at it seriously.
“I read about the incident in the newspapers and then Jack told Danny the details. But I wanted to tell you that I was really impressed by the courage you showed in the face of danger. It was truly inspiring.”
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you. I suppose.” Ennis said surprised.
“No need for that.” Nicholas sat on a couch between closets and waved for Ennis to join him. “I believe gay men must fight against prejudice and stereotypes, but very few of us do that. I’m really glad to meet you.”
Ennis felt a bit shocked by the speech, but tried hard to hide it. And as Nicholas keep going on about the need to fight for gay rights, Ennis understood why Jack had never mentioned this two designer friends before. A few months ago he wouldn’t have been ready to hear just how important his example was for the gay community in the city.
“Nicholas thinks I’m the newest example for the gay community.” Ennis finally confessed to Jack while they were waiting for dessert at lunch.
“Did he?” Jack asked amused and not at all surprised. “He’s a bit obsessed with the responsibilities of being a gay man.”
“I’ve noticed.” Ennis smiled at the memory of Nicholas showing him the projects he was commanding inside the gay community.
“He’s a cool guy, and he's helped a lot of people with his ideas.” Jack stated.
“He’s also crazy in love with your skinny friend.” Ennis continued before Jack could protest. “And somehow I got the feeling from our conversation that it was all your fault.”
“I only helped a little, they did the rest.” Jack said dismissively.
“I don’t really believe it. You like to play match maker, I’ve seen it before.” Ennis raised his eyebrows. “With disastrous consequences.”
“I don’t know where I failed when it came to Cecilia and Robert.” Jack tried not to remember their last fight, which included classics like Roberts haircut and the correct use of the toilet.
“Maybe you don’t understand the female part involved.” Ennis said amused.
“Anyway…” Jack glared at him. “I didn’t do much about Nick and Dan.”
“Come on, spit it out.” Ennis said, when dissert had arrived. “You promised.”
“You’re eager to know, aren’t’ you?” Jack chuckled. “It’s difficult to catch your attention, but when you’re focused on something, you want to know everything.”
“Have we finished analyzing me?”
“Ok, ok.” Jack stopped eating his dessert to think. “Where to begin?”
“Come on, now you’re just teasing me.” Ennis demanded.
“Well… When I met Dan he was already crazy in love with Nick.” Jack started. “But back then I had no idea who Nick was, except he had been Daniel’s teacher at some Design school back in Syracuse.”
“What? Nicholas was Daniel’s teacher?” Ennis asked surprised. “Now that, I wasn’t expecting.”
“They met at a bar a few days before they even knew that they were going to be teacher and student. They had a thing and imagine their surprise when they faced each other in the school a few days later. Nick, always the shining example…” Jack said without malice. “Ended it immediately. But Daniel was far from being over Nick, and I think the same thing happened with Nick. The problem was that, when Daniel’s time at the school was over, he was forced to return to New York. He didn’t have a job and all his family was still here. His father forced him to return.”
Ennis tried to imagine Nick and Daniel acting on Jack’s words, like some soap opera. Oddly, in his mind, the characters spoke in Spanish. So telemundo then.
“So that’s when I met him.” Jack smiled. “We were at this charity party and he was introduced to me by his father. He was fairly well-known around the city, and he wanted to use me as an example for his gay son.”
“It doesn’t look like it, but we’re almost the same age.” Jack added. “We quickly became friends, but Daniel was a sad guy. Nothing like he is now. He kept talking about Nick all the time, no one was good enough in comparison. You can imagine...”
“I finally gave up of introducing him to all my gay friends and I decided to do things my way.”
“What did you do?” Ennis asked curious.
“I called Nick and I told him I had an opportunity of work for him. I asked him if he could spend the next few months in New York. The idea was that he had to design me a summer collection, with the help of my designer friend, who already knew my personal taste.”
“You’re kidding me?” Ennis asked delighted with the story.
“He was already a well-known designer back then and I really liked his collection at New York’s fashion week that year. But I would have done it just because of Daniel anyway.”
“What did Daniel think about your plan?”
“That’s the best part! He didn’t know a thing. I told him the same thing I had told Nick. He was going to help a famous designer to whom I had requested a difficult work.”
“You’re crazy.” But the tone said I love you.
“He was a bit furious when he found out. But eventually it all turned out right. Nick came around and ended up moving to New York. Perfect ending for a romance architected by me, I must say.”
“You were right, you didn’t do much.” Ennis said mocking him. “Otherwise it wouldn’t have worked out.”
“But the best part is that the clothes were amazing and it convinced Nick and Daniel to start designing together.”
“With all this, how was it that you were still single when we met?” Ennis asked curious. ”Wasn’t there anyone to play matchmaker with you?”
“I was searching for true love.” Jack said simply.
“And you just knew it was me?” Ennis asked incredulity.
“Yes.” Jack answered simply and Ennis was left with no words to answer.
Mr. Santos’s party was everything Ennis had expected and some more. He had, long ago, lost count of how many blond women there were at the party and how many of them were Mrs. Santos’s friends. It wasn’t his type of party but he just had to deal with that. From the cocktail dresses to the vain topics of conversation, it all was slightly irritating for Ennis Del Mar. He was like a wild animal confined to a steel cage. Ennis began to pace around and soon his discomfort had turned into a profound frustration. He was anxious to leave the place.
“I’m surprised with how many people you know.” Ennis commented in Jack’s ear.
“I don’t really know them and they surely don’t know me. We just recognize each other's names and that’s enough to fake a nice smile and keep the chances of ever working together open.”
“Sounds pathetic.” Ennis murmured.
“Honey, I need you to be patient.” Jack’s hand caressed his left arm. “The firm needs this and I have to do it.”
“Ok, but next time they come asking you how was that I hurt my leg, tell them I fell playing tennis.” Ennis answered back still upset.
“You haven’t even taken more than two lessons! Now, who’s being a liar?” Jack’s tone was soft.
Ennis groaned tiredly as a response.
“Come on, we just need a couple more of hours of this and then we’re hiding in our hotel room.” Jack encouraged his boyfriend.
“Why don’t we just go now?” Ennis used that soft, pleading tone that he so rarely used.
“Ennis, we can’t.” Jack felt torn between giving in to Ennis’s wishes and fulfilling his professional goals for this visit.
“Are you seeing the guy with a weird mustache on your left?” Ennis looked slowly, moved by curiosity. “I basically came with the goal of getting him for our side.”
“Is he a lawyer?” Ennis asked confused.
“No, he’s the owner of an insurance company.” Jack murmured.
“Then, I’m out of here.” Ennis said moving away.
“Ennis!” Jack murmured following him, his tone a mix of worry and guilt.
“Relax, I’m just going to the fucking bathroom.” Ennis murmured back angrily.
“Well, do me a favor and cool off before you come back!” Jack snapped back, quickly moving away, blending in among the other guest, until Ennis couldn’t see him anymore.
Ennis sighed. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t mix with these people. He simply couldn’t. He was out of his habitat, out of his comfort zone. It had been hard enough to accept Jack’s background, but to be forced to mingle with this kind of people... It was just too much for him. They weren’t like Uncle Daniel, Elizabeth or Nicholas. These people were social climbers, ex-models, major owners of corporations... People to whom money and fame were the most important things. It defined who they were, instead of being a part of their lives. And Ennis could easily work for them, could represent them in any case or any court, but he refused to socialize with them.
Maybe he could have tolerated it all a bit longer, if it hadn’t been for the sharp pain in his right knee. The painkiller could only do so much. Some of the pain still appeared when he stood up for long periods of time. And after four hours of standing in the same place with a drink on his right hand and a fake smile on his face, Ennis had definitely reached his limit.
“I hate this shit.” Ennis murmured to himself, walking away from the big white tents placed on the majestic garden of Enrique’s land.
After a few minutes of limping with no certain direction, Ennis finally found out where the bathroom was. Actually, he had to ask the gardener for instructions, but he eventually reached the right place. He entered the atrium, just to find Mrs. Santos and one of her friends talking to each other and laughing. He quickly moved to hide behind the wall, he had no intention of being interrogated again by the Spanish ex-model. It had been bad enough when Mr. Santos had introduced him and Jack to the young woman. She had been rather aggressive in her questions about their relationship and Ennis’s accident with Alan Pore. Even Mr. Santos seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with his wife’s attitude. But Ennis knew why. They were Mr. Santos’s lawyers, the ultimate obstacle between her and the old man’s money. And if Ennis had ever any doubts about the woman’s intentions in this marriage, he had clearly forgotten them tonight.
So he stood hidden behind the corner of the brick wall, where he could easily pretend to be resting from his hurt knee, in case he was found by Mrs. Santos or somebody else. He sighed, frustrated with the whole situation, when the female voices of the two women he had just seen sounded closer. He could actually hear what was that they were talking about. He had no intention and no interest in hearing their conversation, when the tone on Mrs. Santos’s voice caught his attention. It was secretive, careful and full of intense anger that he hadn’t heard when they had previously talked.
“I swear this is just as bad for you as it is for me.” The voice of Mrs. Santos sounded right next to Ennis, divided only by the brick wall.
“Patience, my sister, is a virtue.” The other woman said with amusement on her tone of voice.
“The sooner I finish with this, the sooner I’ll get my revenge.” Ennis could hear the bitterness coming from her perfect full lips.
“Our dad will be revenged and the money will return to its rightful owner.” The woman, who obviously was Mrs. Santo’s sister whispered back.
“Silence, Jen. We mustn’t talk about this.” Mrs. Santos’s voice was distant and Ennis could see that the women were now walking in the direction to the party.
Ennis rested his head against the brick wall, the pain in his right knee completely forgotten. His mind was fighting with the possible explanations for the conversation he had just overheard. Was she talking about revenge against her husband? Why was her father involved on this? Was his suspicion unfounded? He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and remembered once again why he hated these parties.
Because when you mix with this kind of people, and if you got really unlucky, you may actually get a glimpse of their real lives. You can find out how miserable they really are… how fake the smiles that surround you can be. And it’s one of the scariest things one can see in his life.
Ennis kept talking about what he had heard during the entire drive to the hotel. He explained the details inside of the limousine and confessed his worries when they entered their hotel room.
And Jack had remained silent, because he didn’t really know what to say.
“I knew I should have never let you go on your own.” Jack whispered falling on top of the bed.
“What are we going to do?” Ennis sat next to him.
“She could be talking about something else, for all we know.” Jack rationalized.
“Her father had worked with Mr. Santos a long time ago. You’d told me so, when they got engaged.” Ennis remembered.
“Yes, and if you remember, Mr. Santos forbade us of searching more of her background. He probably knows what he needs to know.”
“Jack, did you see her today? Do you honestly think she loves him?” Ennis asked.
“Then why would she got pregnant? The revenge, whatever it is, could be simple if she weren't carrying Mr. Santo’s only child.”
“Only child. The heir of all the money.” Ennis insisted.
“And how would that be revenge in name of her father?”
“I don’t know.” Ennis murmured defeated, falling down on the bed next to Jack.
“We need to be extremely rational about this. If we mess this up, we might lose Mr. Santos as a client and the firm surely doesn’t need that.” Jack rose up onto his elbow. “I’m not saying your suspicions are wrong, I just want you to remember that that’s exactly what they are… suspicions!”
“I hate this party.” Ennis sighed.
“I know.” Jack’s lips were on his boyfriend’s worry lines, right on Ennis’s forehead. “That’s why I told Mr. Santos that we were going to fly home tomorrow.”
“What?” Ennis asked surprised.
“After you threw your little tantrum, I went to speak with him and I told him that your leg was giving you problems and that we couldn’t stay for tomorrow. He was totally understanding.” Jack felt Ennis move closer. “I had already convinced our target for the party to be our client, so…”
“You shouldn’t have.” Ennis was feeling guilty, Jack could tell.
“You don’t snap unless you’re on edge, honey. You don’t go around making dramatic scenes unless things are really messing with you. And this party was pure torture for you, I could tell.”
“It’s just… so fake. And I know that you agree with me.” Ennis rolled so that he was laying half on top of Jack, his right leg resting on top of Jack’s legs.
“It comes with the job. We can’t work with the long time philanthropists. We need to find clients among the social climbers and the newly famous.”
“Sorry, baby. I tried, I really did.” Ennis talked against his chest.
“Forget about it, I should have predicted this.” Jack sighed deeply.
“Jack?” Ennis asked after a few minutes of silence. “It wasn’t only because of them, you know? You weren’t talking much with me either. What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Honey…” Jack said softly.
“The truth, Jack.” And Ennis's eyes were on him demanding.
“It’s about Hanna Olson.” Ennis’s eyes widened with curiosity. “She may actually be my half sister.”
“Oh, Jack.” Ennis whispered holding him close.
And Jack let the worries wash over him, as he confessed to Ennis his desperation. The tears rolling down his face as he spoke about his father. His hands holding tighter, as he opened his heart to the man he loved.
Ennis cried too, wondering how it was that every time they came to Madrid, shit was bound to happen. But he still found the courage to whisper…
“Everything is going to be all right. You’ll see, baby.”
Author: I had a blast coming up with these really cool designers. But I don’t know a thing about the gay community and personally I had never met a gay man in my life, so I think they’ll be like everybody else. Some more relax, others more obsessed about defending their rights and fighting for fairness. Jack and Ennis are both two very rational guys, to whom the idea of being a part of a minority doesn’t really sink in. They live on a very privileged situation,situation; far from the reality other men are forced to live with. I wanted to give a different perspective, so I created Nick and Daniel. And my sister loved it, because I took inspiration on her little obsession. (A cookie for the reader who knows what I’m talking about.) Anyway, I love them too and I want to know how interested you guys are in knowing more about them.
On the next chapter: Jack and Ennis try to find answers to some of the pending questions. What were Allan Pore’s reasons? Where’s the new part of the riddle? What about Mrs. Santos?