by Josan
She sighed as she looked around the small Italian
restaurant. New York and all its foibles! She loved
the place.
At the ripe old age of 19, Abby was off on her own. Not
that she didn't miss her family, she did. Some more
than others. Her grandmother had reluctantly let her
leave, but that was more because she feared loneliness
for she would be alone in the house now rather than the
belief that Abby could not survive in the big bad city.
Her parents, who alternated years in Middlebury with
years in Africa, were used to not having her around,
even when they moved back to the States. Abby had
preferred the constancy of living with her grandmother.
She hadn't lived in Gram's pocket all that time. After
graduation, the Uncles had given her a three month
Eurail pass, a credit card and their recommendations of
places to visit. Unbeknownst to Uncle Walter, Uncle
Alex had slipped her an account number, a list of
contacts and places to visit in Russia. She'd
returned, finally knowing what she wanted to do. So,
here she was, first year student at the Columbia School
of Journalism, waiting for her cousin Eli to show up
with his newest conquest.
Abby sipped the red wine she'd ordered. She was used
to Eli. Even though he had told her to be at the
restaurant for 12 sharp, she doubted she would see him
much before 12:30. It was a family joke that Eli would
be a half hour late to his own funeral.
As for the conquest, she wondered what Eli was into
now. The last had been tall, almost waif-like, all
arms and legs. About her age. He had lasted almost
three months. Not quite par for the course for Eli's
lovers.
Poor Eli.
No. Poor lovers. The first love of Eli's life was his
music. When he was composing, all else ceased to exist
for him. Eating. Sleeping. All that took a back
seat. Lovers too. And they tended to resent that
fact.
Except that this time, when he had called her to invite
her to lunch, his voice had been different. Less
sleepy. More like when he had won some coveted award
for his composing. Not a tone she usually heard when
Eli talked about a lover.
Not that there had been that many of them. But he was
28. And he was certainly attractive to men who went
for the short, slim, creative type. Not to mention the
hair. She did envy him that long hair. Dark chocolate
brown. Straight. He usually wore it tied back,
dangling between his shoulder blades. Once she had
watched him mesmerize a room full of people as he had
undone the tie and shaken his hair free. She doubted
that he was even aware of the effect he had had.
"Abby."
Abby looked up to see Eli grinning at her from the
entrance. She checked her watch, only 15 minutes late.
Well, well, well.
And well, well, well, for the man accompanying her
cousin.
The first thing that struck her was that he was older
than Eli. Unusual for Eli's lovers. Not the usual Eli
physical type either. Not tall and lanky, but just a
head taller, almost stocky in build.
"Abby." Eli bent and kissed her cheek. "I knew you
would be on time. Jamie wondered if you wouldn't just
arrive a half hour later like he's learnt to do."
Abby smiled at the two men. Hmmm. Like he'd learnt to
do, she thought. That sounded promising.
"Abby, may I present Jamie Forester." To Abby's
amazement, Eli blushed slightly as he turned to the man
at his side. Jamie, she was pleased to see, reacted to
that with a softening of expression. My, my. "Jamie
is a pianist, a studio musician I met when we were
doing the music for that wildlife documentary. Jamie,
my favourite cousin, Abby Skinner, who one day expects
to be the top political columnist in the States."
Abby gave Jamie a thorough once over.
Jamie Forester had to be a good ten years older than
Eli. From the golden brown colour of his skin, the
ebony black of his hair, he was probably of mixed
background. From the shape of his eyes, probably some
oriental ancestry in there too. Startling in their
colour. A blue, almost violet. As busy evaluating
her as she was him.
She let Eli order for them, sat back and enjoyed her
meal while she brought Eli up to date on her activities
at school, the adventures she had had in Russia which
she was not supposed to have had. He discussed the
music he was composing for a Canadian-American co-
production documentary film about the humourous
misconceptions each had about the other's country.
Jamie didn't say much, just watched the two of them
interact, eyes mainly on Eli, occasionally speaking in
his slight foreign accent when Eli drew him into the
conversation.
Not typical Eli behaviour there too. Once Eli got
started on his music, he was usually not concerned
about his lover's inclusion in the conversation. Nor
had she ever seen him look at a lover in public the way
these two did. Like, she giggled to herself, the other
was the reason sex had been invented.
They were considering dessert when Eli finally said,
"Out with it."
"Out with what?" Abby tried hard to look as though she
had no idea what he was talking about.
"You're wearing Gram's smile, the one she puts on when
she thinks something is really funny but doesn't want
to spoil the mood. The one that drives your mother
crazy."
Abby merely raised her eyebrows.
Eli raised his back. "Spill it, brat."
Letting the suppressed grin out, Abby propped her
elbows on the edge of the table, dropped her chin onto
her clasped hands. She looked from Eli to Jamie's
interested face and back to Eli.
"It's never going to work, you know."
Eli shifted in his chair. "What's not going to work?"
"Passing Jamie off as a mild mannered reporter for the
Daily Planet. Not going to work."
Eli froze. Jamie didn't move. But the tension that
had been underlying the whole lunch rose a degree or
two.
Abby smiled reassuringly at Jamie. "Look, guys. I
don't for one minute doubt the two of you are happy
together, and frankly, I'm happy for you, Eli. I don't
really know Jamie, but I'm glad that you've finally
found someone.
"But passing him off as a studio musician... that might
work in most families, but not going to happen in ours.
Not with the Uncles."
Jamie rested his arms on the table and leaned over. "I
don't quite understand. I am a studio musician.
That's how I earn my living."
Abby ignored the subtle threat that Jamie was
projecting. "Now maybe. But before? What were you?
A mercenary? A terrorist?"
Jamie gave a soft laugh. "What an imagination you must
have."
"Abby..."
"Eli." Abby interrupted, her voice serious. "What do
you think is going to happen the first time the Uncles
get a look at him?"
"Jamie's a studio musician. Nothing more."
"Yes, I really have looked at Jamie. I love looking at
Jamie. I do it as often as I can. I know what I see."
"Eli. You look at him exactly the same way Uncle
Walter looks at Uncle Alex."
"That's because Uncle Walter is in love with Uncle
Alex. As I love Jamie."
She didn't doubt that. Nor that this time it was the
real thing. "Yes. And he looks at you exactly the
same way Uncle Alex looks at Uncle Walter."
"Maybe," Eli's tone bore an edge of sarcasm, "that's
because he loves me the same way."
"And that's the trouble. He has the same look in his
eyes. Think about it, Eli." Abby moved her focus to
Jamie whose attention had stayed locked on her, a hint
of menace in his eyes. "Jamie, has Eli told you about
the Uncles?"
"Yes." Jamie shrugged slightly. "He's told me about
your Uncle Walter who works for some think tank in
Washington, that your Uncle Alex works for some company
that specializes in computer security."
"Has he told you what they used to do?"
Jamie looked to Eli who made a barely audible sound and
winced. "He said Walter used to be with the FBI."
"Assistant Director," stressed Abby watching for a
reaction.
Jamie raised an inquiring eyebrow at Eli who shrugged.
"I didn't think it was important."
"And what Uncle Alex used to do?"
Jamie looked from his lover who was rubbing his hands
over his face, groaning softly. "No. Do tell, just
what did Uncle Alex used to do?"
"Have you ever heard of an organization called the
Consortium?"
Jamie gave a dismissive laugh. "The Consortium? Isn't
that a fairy tale used to scare children?"
"You know better than that," Abby's voice was sharp.
"Uncle Alex was one of their assassins." Her tone
serious, she enumerated, "You walk like Uncle Alex.
You hold yourself like Uncle Alex. Your eyes are like
Uncle Alex's. You even dress," she pointed to the
leather jacket that had been thrown on the fourth chair
at the table, "like Uncle Alex. And as I said, you
look at Eli the same possessive way Uncle Alex looks at
Uncle Walter."
"Abby..."
"Eli. If I can see it, do you think the Uncles won't?"
She turned back to Jamie who was watching her with the
same expression Uncle Alex wore when he sensed a threat
to his lover. It gave her a shiver, but she shook it
off. Jamie, she recognized, was irritated, not really
a danger to her. "So, all I'm saying is, you two had
better come up with a story that will satisfy the
Uncles because all three of us know that with Uncle
Alex's computer skills and both Uncles' connections,
whatever is in Jamie's past is not going to stay
there."
Abby sat back in her chair.
Eli and Jamie shared a look then, with a sigh, Jamie
turned to Abby. "I'm in a sort of witness protection
program. Actually an exchange one. The Brits thought
I would be safer here... that I could melt into the
background. My problem seems to be that I have chosen
the only man in the States I can't hide that from to
fall in love with."
Abby sympathized. "Welcome to the family."
Jamie signed for the rental car while Eli handled the
luggage. Abby carried the box of gifts the men were
bringing with them.
"Peace offerings?" she teased.
"Better than human sacrifice," Jamie muttered.
Abby reached over and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't
worry so much. Eli gave his mother more than enough
information to set the Uncles on their way. Better
they all know the truth now then find out they've been
deceived. Skinners don't handle deception well."
They were on their way to their Gram's for
Thanksgiving. A Skinner tradition. Christmas was for
families, Gram had announced to all the grandchildren
who now had families of their own. She expected them
to spend Christmas with their own families. She was
more than satisfied to have as many of her horde as
possible for Thanksgiving.
The Uncles would already be there. They usually
arrived a few days early to see to the house and
property. Gram always had a list of things she wanted
them to do.
Her parents would also be there this year, one of their
State-side years. Abby expected one good argument from
her mother about her selection of career. She had
wanted a doctor in the family: the older boys had
settled on careers anywhere from teaching to
stockbroking. But no one had gone into medicine.
Still, thought Abby, she did have three younger
brothers, her mother still had hope.
Aunt Louisa had been out on the West coast for the last
few weeks, managing and babying a couple of promising
musicians. She had been expected to arrive earlier in
the day. Eli had insisted that she go ahead to Gram's
rather than wait for them at the airport in Burlington.
Abby had decided to accompany the two men, feeling that
they would probably be in need of some moral support on
the tense trip ahead.
The drive was done in absolute silence. Eli was not
talkative at the very best of times, and as Abby had
discovered over the last two weeks, Jamie tended to be
the strong silent type. But even for the two of them,
this was bordering on the ridiculous.
"Jamie, see that scenic view rest area up ahead. Stop
there, will you?"
Eli twisted to see her face. "You okay?"
Abby smiled. "Just stop. Okay. Now, everybody out."
Jamie looked to Eli who shrugged. All got out of the
car.
The view was a familiar one, though the late autumn
meant that some of the colours were still around. Abby
waited until the quiet and the scenery got to the two
men. Jamie rotated his head, as if trying to loosen
some muscles. Eli placed a hand on his lover's neck
and massaged. They shared a smile.
"Okay, guys, listen up." Abby was sitting on the top
of the security railing. "You two have got to relax
before we get to the house. You're both tensed up and
the last thing we need is a major blow-up."
Eli took exception. "I am not..."
"Eli! Don't try and bullshit me. I know everyone
thinks you're laid back to the nth degree, but
remember, this is me, Abby. I've seen you lose your
temper. And it's not a pretty sight."
Jamie mocked. "Something else you forgot to tell me?"
Though he was joking, his tone was dry.
Abby immediately came to Eli's defense. "Doesn't
happen often. Once every five years or so. Usually at
something my brothers have said or done. But it is
spectacular. What's yours like?"
"I'm still alive, aren't I? Can't have pissed off that
many people."
"Or maybe they're just not around to be pissed,"
countered Abby. Then, "Sorry, that was uncalled for.
But this has the makings of a pretty tense weekend so
it has to start with everyone cool and calm." She
paused. "So, do you guys want to stop at the motel on
the way in, release some of that tension? I can wait
in the car."
Eli's jaw dropped open. "Ab-bey," he wailed.
"Well," Abby shrugged. "I understand it's very
relaxing, having sex in the afternoon."
"Jesus! Abby!"
"I'm serious, Eli. I have some books I can read. I
don't mind waiting for you two."
Eli looked as though he was going to pull his hair out.
He was ready to tear a strip off Abby when they both
turned at the sound Jamie made. A choking sound. Abby
jumped down to go help when they both realized that
Jamie was laughing. Stifled at first, as though he
didn't dare let any of his humour out. Then he saw the
way both of them were looking at him and he just let
go.
Abby and Eli exchanged shrugs, sat on the railing until
Jamie finally got himself under control.
It took a few minutes. Every time Jamie got the
laughter under control, he would turn to Eli and Abby
who were watching him with identical looks of amused
concern and he would start all over again.
"You all right now?" Eli asked when there had been a
couple of minutes of silence coming from the man who
stood his back to them.
Jamie turned around. "Yeah. You want to take her up
on her offer?"
Eli was stunned, "Are you serious?" He shook his head,
"No."
"Sure now? I mean this may be the last chance we ever
get to fuck each other silly."
Eli went up to Jamie, wrapped his arms around the man's
waist, raised himself onto his toes and gently kissed
his lover. "I love you."
Jamie pulled Eli tight to him, one arm around his hips,
the other clasped around a shoulder, fist knotted in
the thick ponytail. He rested his forehead on Eli's.
"I love you, too. But you're not the only one who's
hidden a few things."
"Doesn't matter. Won't matter. Like the old cliche
says: that was then and this is now. Now is all I'm
interested in. I love you, Jamie Forester. And I will
still love you tomorrow."
The two men melted into each other as Abby turned and
discreetly checked out the scenery.
"Okay." Eli stepped back to the car. "Let's go face
the family."
Nadia Skinner was thankful she had sent the others on
errands so that she was alone in the house when her
grandchildren arrived. At the kitchen door, Abby
hugged her tightly, looked her over with those eagle
eyes of hers—where in heaven's name had the child
gotten that gaze from?—to be certain she was healthy
and stepped aside for Eli's tight hug.
"They're not here," she answered his unasked question.
"You've got about an hour to convince me that this is a
good idea."
And then she turned to the man watching from the
doorway. "Oh, dear."
The man stiffened slightly, but Nadia shook her head
and addressed Abby. "You're right. I wonder what it
is about the Skinner men that they're attracted to the
same type."
Abby rested her chin on her shoulder, chuckled softly.
"None of my brothers have so far shown any tendency
towards bad boys. Or girls."
"That, Abby dear, is because your bothers are more
Dempsey than they are Skinner. " She held her hand out
to Jamie. "Please, I apologize. Abby did tell me, but
this is just such a case of deja vu. Please, Jamie, do
come in. Eli, I've had to give you two the TV room.
Abby, you're in your bedroom. Ouisa is sharing with
me."
The quick scurrying of her grandchildren left Nadia
alone with Jamie in the kitchen. This one, she
thought, is less damaged, no less dangerous. "Well, I
think a snack is called for. I know Eli is a
bottomless pit. Do you like apple pie?"
"Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Skinner."
She looked back to see Jamie take a place at the table,
eyes still on her. She was certain that in any other
household that gaze would certainly be disconcerting.
But here, after nine years of Alex Krycek, she was
rather immune to that look.
The others joined them at the table. Over the chatter
that Abby and even Eli set up to cover the fact that
Jamie was not speaking, Nadia watched him over the rim
of her teacup. Oh, yes. This should prove to be quite
a holiday. She wondered if the house would still be
standing by the end of it.
Louisa arrived first, her arms full of boxes from the
bakery. Once Nadia would have insisted on going all
the baking herself. Now, nearing 80, she had no
trouble at all letting professionals do all the work.
There were the usual Louisa happy noises on seeing Eli
and Abby. And then she graced her son's lover with one
of those cold looks she reserved for wayward musicians.
"So you're James Forester. I've heard a great deal
about you. From Eli, of course."
"And from others as well." Jamie confronted her.
Before there was a chance of escalation, the front door
opened.
"The Uncles!" Looking just a little relieved at the
interruption, Abby enthusiastically greeted the two men
coming in with arms laden down with bags from the local
grocery store. Eli was less enthusiastic knowing the
reprieve was only temporary.
Nadia watched from the living room, perching on the arm
of her favourite chair, felt the temperature in the
entrance plummet as introductions were made. She
decided to take matters in hand. "Ouisa, dear,"
pulling her daughter's attention away from her
grandson's lover, "put the things you've got in the
kitchen, will you? Walter, Alex. I would appreciate
if you would put the groceries away before the ice
cream melts. The rest of you, come in here."
Jamie looked impressed with the way everyone hurried to
obey orders. Eli slipped his arm around Jamie's waist
and pulled him gently into the living room and over to
the loveseat in one corner. Room only for the two of
them. Abby took up an ottoman that was near the
loveseat.
From the doorway, Louisa swept the room with one of her
evaluating glances. She took up a stance, sitting on
the arm of Nadia's chair, long legs stretched out, one
booted ankle over the other, arms crossed.
Lines, thought Nadia, are already drawn up.
They all waited in silence until the Uncles came in,
took up the couch, both of them glaring at Jamie
Forester.
Jamie, from his seat, saw two men, neither in the first
bloom of life, whose age had not lessened their air of
danger.
Walter Skinner was eyeing him like he was something
that the ex-Assistant Director was considering taking
apart. Jamie doubted that the man had lost any of his
sharpness, or his ability to see through bullshit, even
if he hadn't been with the FBI for ten years. Nor that
he was still as good as the grapevine suggested he was.
Jamie found that he suddenly felt like some
recalcitrant agent, about to be raked over the coals.
And that, from the tightening of the lips that he
supposed was meant to be a smile, Walter Skinner knew
it.
As for Alex Krycek, the position the man was sitting in
made him look as though he were only casually
interested in what was going on. It took another
professional to recognize that the casual pose was one
that could easily change into an attack.
His research on "Uncle Alex" had turned up the
probability that, in spite of the amputated arm, this
was the same Alex Krycek whose name he had heard once
or twice in Hong Kong. Moreover, in their business,
one didn't survive long handicapped. The fact that not
only had Krycek survived, but was still alive—Jamie
sighed, mentally—nope, did not bode well at all.
Jamie could understand why they all felt protective
toward Eli. Hell, he did too. And hell—beginning
to feel just a bit put out by his reception—surely
the fact that this was the first time Eli was bringing
anyone with him to a family gathering had to tell them
that they were serious about this relationship. That
he and Eli loved each other.
The silence in the room was deafening.
Eli's sigh resounded loudly. "Okay. I have a couple
of things to say and then you can all have your turn.
This is Jamie Forester. And, yes, I do know about his
background. All you need to know that I love him.
Nothing you can say today will change that."
"You say," Walter spoke into the silence, "that you
know about his background. Are you basing that on what
the man has told you?"
Eli looked his uncle straight in the face. "Yes."
"And you believe him?"
Eli's face broke into his sleepy grin. "Well, I don't
think that he told me about Hong Kong to show me his
sweet, gentle side.
"Nor," he quietly emphasized, "about Macao. Certainly
not about Indonesia."
Jamie kept an eye on Alex Krycek. Of the two men, he
was the more dangerous. Though his focus was on
Skinner, Krycek of course knew he was being watched.
One predator recognized another.
"I just hope," continued Eli, "that all this digging
around hasn't put Jamie's life into jeopardy. I would
hate to go into hiding just as the music for that
documentary is gelling."
"Eli," the long fingers of one of Louisa's hands
drummed a beat against a shoulder, "is this man a wise
choice?"
Eli grinned at his mother. "No. But he is my choice.
In the past you've always respected my choices."
Louisa looked from her son to his lover. Jamie felt
she was trying to read his soul. He knew from Eli that
she had accepted Eli's preference for men over women.
But he also knew that like any mother, she would have
preferred anyone else to be her son's choice.
Looking him straight in the eye, she spoke to Eli.
"Yes, I have. But this is a wolf. Do you really want
a wolf in your life?"
Nadia silently patted her daughter's hand.
Walter was not so reticent. Over the next few minutes,
he revealed what all their research had discovered
about one James Montgomery Chu, aka James Forester. His
involvement as a child with a Hong Kong tong, his
capture and imprisonment under the British, being
turned to provide them with inside information, his
rise in a tong companion group run by Europeans who
helped control the Asian black market. The gun battle
and inferno that had left behind several blackened
bodies, including the one identified as Chu.
Identified by his wife.
That, Eli hadn't known.
"Wife!" Eli blurted, unslouching suddenly. "You have
a wife?"
Jamie hesitated. "I did. I needed a cover.
Homosexuals aren't particularly liked within certain
tong factions. Anyway, she was married to James Chu,
now deceased. She didn't mourn him long. She married
my keeper with the British a couple of weeks after I
died."
"Kids?" questioned Eli, wondering what else Jamie
hadn't thought to mention.
"No. She has a peke that she calls Baby. That's as
close to motherhood as MeiLee will ever get." He
looked at Eli and smiled. "I didn't think it was
important enough to mention."
Abby snickered.
Jamie knew from Eli's grimace that she wasn't the only
one who had caught the reference back to the lunch and
his forgetting to mention the Uncles' pasts. He spoke
to the room. "Let me make this easier for you. I was
declared dead, but the Brits wanted more out of me
before they would set me up with a new identity here in
the States. That's why Indonesia. I gave them one
year of my life and I've got the scars to prove it.
"I know you're worried about Eli. I would too in your
place. Look. I don't take unreasonable chances. I
keep my head very low. I want to stay alive. But I'm
also selfish enough to want Eli in my life."
Jamie waited for reaction and got it. Not what he
expected. The silent man on the couch finally spoke.
"How old are you?"
"Thirty-seven. I'll be thirty-eight December 26th."
Alex Krycek nodded, as if that satisfied all his
questions. "Well," he stood, stretching, "Nadezhda,
isn't it time we started dinner. There's one of those
things that passes for football on TV this evening. I
promised Walter I would watch with him."
"Silently," reminded Walter, knowing that they had done
all they could. The choice was Eli's and if this man
was what he wanted... well, who was he to protest?
"What? No commentary?" Abby grinned at Alex as she
went to help in the kitchen.
"I lost a bet," he admitted.
"Must have been a beaut."
Alex and Walter exchanged looks and grins. Jamie
watched the heat shimmer between the two men and
wondered in passing if he and Eli really did look at
each other that way.
"Eli, dear," called Nadia, "could you come with me for
a moment?"
Nice moves, thought Jamie. They'd managed to separate
them. And here he was alone with his lover's mother.
He stood when she did. Eli had made his choice, but he
loved his mother and would want her approval at least.
So Jamie stayed where he was as she took her time
coming up to him. He watched her warily as she looked
him carefully up and down, evaluating him. She was a
name to contend with in the music business. If she put
the word out, he would never again find work as a
studio musician, probably not even in a flea-bitten bar
in the far back of beyond.
Slowly, Louisa rested her weight on one foot as she
shifted her posture to that side. Her hands fisted,
rested on her hips. She gave a slight nod, as if she
had answered a question that bothered her.
"He's not easy to live with," she said, her tone
neutral.
"No, ma'am, he's not."
"Especially when he's composing."
"Especially."
"How do you handle that?" She sounded only faintly
curious.
"I leave him alone. Except when I feed him."
Louisa nodded. "You feed him."
"He forgets to eat when he's working."
"What about sleep?"
"He forgets that too. But I figure I'm pushing my luck
by insisting he eat, so I leave his body to tell him
when he's pushing too hard."
Louisa nodded again.
"And you love him."
Jamie waited until she was looking him in the eyes to
answer. "Yes, ma'am. I do."
The quiet avowal seemed to be what Louisa needed to
hear.
"Well, we'd better go help them fix supper or we're
going to be stuck with the washing up. And, Jamie, I
hate washing up."
Jamie smiled and revealed a glimpse of the man her son
had fallen in love with. "I'll remember that, ma'am."
"Ouisa. Call me Ouisa. That's what the family calls
me."
"Ouisa?" Louisa paused at the door, turned to look at
Jamie. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, remember the dishes," and led
the way into the clamorous kitchen.
"The air out here is sweeter than city air, don't you
find?"
Jamie looked over his shoulder to find Alex Krycek
slouching against the closed door. He hadn't heard the
man come out. He didn't assume that meant he was
losing his touch, just that the other man was that
good. Still.
"How did you get away from the football game?"
"Half-time. Doesn't count as part of the game."
Alex came and rested a hip on a side of the porch
railing. The November air was crisp but refreshing.
Jamie waited for the older man to begin his
interrogation.
Alex just smiled. "You're expecting me to what? Rip
out your guts for daring to fuck our poor, sweet,
defenceless Eli?"
"Something like that."
Alex shook his head. "First of all there is nothing
poor about Eli. His bank account is well padded."
Jamie's voice matched the air. "I pay my share, and my
own way."
Alex continued as though nothing had been said. "As
for sweet... Eli has a reputation as a perfectionist.
Probably one of the reasons his cupboards are filled
with awards. Perfectionists are many things, but sweet
isn't one of them."
Jamie nodded. "He does have a certain reputation. But
only with musicians who think they're too good. Or who
think they deserve special privileges because of who
they are. He's patient with studio musicians who give
him their best. And he can make that best better than
usual."
Alex leaned his head back against the support post.
"As for defenceless. Both Walter and I have taught all
the kids ways of defending themselves." He didn't need
to mention that he and Walter were the next line of
defence.
"Abby too?"
"Abby especially. She and Eli were the first of the
kids to welcome me into the family. And she's
adventuresome enough for the two of them. Do you think
for a minute we would have let her loose in Europe
without a few tricks up her sleeves?"
"Not to mention Russia."
"By all means, let us not mention Russia. Walter still
hasn't decided if he's going to forgive me that."
Jamie grinned and then lost it as the tone of Alex's
voice changed. "There are a few rules to joining this
family you need to know about. To think about before
making a final decision."
Jamie took a mirror position to Alex and waited.
"First of all, there is the fact that the Skinners
expect fidelity. Whether you be male or female,
partners are expected to fuck one body only."
"Does that work both ways?"
"Oh, yeah. The Skinners are really into monogamy. And
even if Eli doesn't look like a Skinner, he is in
upbringing. So you'd better think about that."
"Anything else?"
Alex nodded. "Sometimes relationships don't work out.
That can happen. If it does happen in this case, you
get in touch with me."
"You're also a marriage counsellor?"
"No. I'll just want to hear your side of the break-up
before I decide if you live or die." He smiled and
Jamie felt a chill that didn't come from the night.
"Will you listen, or just plain shoot?"
"I'll listen. Frankly, I'll listen anytime. Skinners
take some getting used to and sometimes there are
tricks to handling them that might make things a little
easier. In fact, if you decide that all this is too
much for you, say within the next two weeks, you can
just take off without contacting me. Anytime after
that, I'll consider you fair game unless you call."
Jamie looked over the yard and thought for a minute.
"Okay. That's fair. It won't happen, but that is fair
of you."
"Another thing."
"Yes?" There was an undercurrent of humour in Jamie's
voice, one that Alex met with a grin.
"Has Eli warned you about his aunt Jilly?"
Jamie grinned. "No, but Abby has."
"Good. She means well, but you'll probably want to
strangle her five minutes after you meet her. Her
husband Gene thinks she walks on water even after all
this time. See what I mean about monogamy?
"You just take it like the rest of us do. Grit your
teeth and swallow your words. On the other hand, if
the boys say anything that you feel crosses the line
for you, they're open season. Just remember that
Nadezhda loves them and do it out of her hearing."
"Uncle Alex, half time is over." Eli came out onto the
porch and joined the men.
"Shit! Remind me never to bet on a sure thing where
Jilly's involved, will you? The only thing sure about
that woman is that she's full of surprises. Why the
hell Walter can't follow soccer..."
"France," said Jamie.
Alex stopped in his tracks. Turned around to glare at
the smiling man. "Italy," he insisted. Then he
grinned at Eli, "Thank you."
Eli laughed softly. "My pleasure."
Alex closed the door behind him. With an exaggerated
sigh, he joined his lover on the couch. "Jamie's a
soccer fan," he announced with one of those shit-eating
grins of his.
Walter took his eyes off the screen. "Effete sport,"
he growled as he wrapped an arm around Alex's shoulders
and pulled until Alex lay on the couch, head on
Walter's lap. It wasn't a bad way to watch a game he
pretended he hated.
Out on the porch, Eli was far too busy to think about
the game.
Dangerous Relations
bby Skinner smiled at the elderly gentleman who found
her a menu and led the way to the table Eli had
reserved. His usual. In the back corner so that he
could pursue his favourite pastime: people watching.
He maintained that he got the inspiration for his best
music from watching people.
Abby cocked an eyebrow. "Eli. Have you really looked
at Jamie?" She smiled at Jamie, inviting him to enjoy
the joke. Jamie ignored the invitation.
