The boss' youngest brother

.:6:.

The next few days, I tried to block out my emotions, and succeeded quite well. I didn’t know what to think, really. I came back for Tim, and he had another lover. If it had been that simple –Tim in love with someone else and not with me anymore– I would be able to let it go. But he’d told me he loved me. My Timmy was still mine. So I stayed, just for a little longer, to see what would happen.

I was daydreaming again, as I sat on my knees painting my deck. I dreamed about how Tim would stand up against his brother, break up with Gilbert, and follow his heart. I fantasized about how I closed him in my arms and kissed him, about taking him with me on my ship, away from Mel and his restrictions and lies. I dreamed about how he said my name.

“Jake…”

Usually, I was quite alert on my ship. Not that day though, I just painted, sliding my roller over the deck to divide the black pigment.

“Jakey… Jake!”

I looked up. “Tim!” I even looked around for Gilbert, but he was alone. Tim stood on a dry spot, in his impeccable light clothes, wringing his hands and looking down on me. “Hi, Jakey…”

“Timmy, what are you doing here? Does Mel know you’re here?” Stupid question, of course no one knew. I stood up and wiped my hands, only to smear the greasy paint rather than to clean. “You shouldn’t be here…”

Still wringing his hands, Tim looked up at me with that expectant look on his face. “Jakey…” he ignored my remark. Then he abruptly grabbed my head, pulled me down, and kissed me.

I tried to object. I tried to protest, but my hands were black with paint and Tim’s clothes so light, I couldn’t push him away without smudging him. Only a ‘mph!’ escaped me, as I received the demanding lips and possessive tongue.

Tim let me go. He was breathing heavily, my face still between his hands. I kept my hands far away from him, and looked at him, my mouth hanging open a bit. He smiled. “I love you, Jake,” he said, and he turned away.

He was gone before I realized he was leaving. I saw him walking over the plank, stepping into the grass, and into his car. I stared, watching him driving away, and finally sat down on my deck plates. “I love you too,” I breathed, as I fell down on my back. “So much…”

God that kiss had tasted good. It had tasted like the first time I’d kissed him, in that restroom. If only my hands hadn’t been dirty. Maybe I should’ve just grabbed him, regardless the consequences.

I sighed deeply, and again, but the heavy feeling on my chest stayed. It was a familiar feeling I had so often since I met Tim. Love, desire, and lust. “Damn you, Timmy,” I muttered the clouds. “Just damn.”

I finished my ship. The butterflies gave me energy, and I painted the deck, fixed some rusted spots. For days, I didn’t leave it. I told myself I had a lot of work, but I knew I stayed on board because I was afraid I’d miss another surprise visit of Tim.

I didn’t miss him. He didn’t come.

After a week, my cupboards were empty and I was forced to go to the grocery stores. I took my wallet and locked my door, and stepped ashore to get my car.

I found myself tapping my pockets for the keys when I realized I was standing next to my car. I sold it, didn’t I? What the hell was my trusty old car doing on my parking space, all buffed up and shiny, and locked up?

Confused, I went to my shed, and opened the lock of the rickety door. I nearly stepped on something. As I bent down, I saw it was a rose.

Someone had pushed a rose under the door, with a red ribbon. A car key and a card were tied on. The card had a little drawing, I saw; a drawing of a heart with a T and a J.
Timmy had bought my car back for me.

I opened the car and stepped in, but I didn’t start it up immediately. I just sat behind the wheel, staring out of the window, before I finally looked around. Someone had taken good care of my vehicle. I opened the glove department and found the papers, all registered in my name, as if nothing ever happened. As I looked them through, a note fell out. A small piece of paper, full with the neat handwriting of my Tim.

‘Jakey, I love you, so much. I’m sorry I left you. I can understand why you went away, away from me and the memories. I can’t understand why you came back, though. What is it you want? Do you want me back? Call me. I have another number. Gilbert will never know.’

Gilbert will never know? I folded the paper, and put it in my pocket. But Gilbert had to know. Melle had to know, as well as the whole world. I wasn’t going to be a secret lover, waiting for Tim to come to me when he had the time.
If I was going to have my Tim back, I was going to have him back completely.

I didn’t phone him. Instead, I went to the groceries, and brought the bags home. I was thoughtful all the time, but I didn’t think of Tim. I thought of Melle, and about how I would confront him. He would have to get out of my way and respect his brother’s decisions.

*

Mel’s car was parked in front of his house, and I parked right behind it. My heart was beating when I stepped up the path and to the front door. I trembled a little as I pushed the doorbell. But Mel didn’t open. It was his wife…

I recognized her of the pictures Tim had once showed me. I never had the opportunity to meet her.

“Yes?” she asked friendly, peeking through a crack of the door.

“Hi…” Hm. I wasn’t prepared for this. “Is Mel in? I would like to have a word with him. It’s about Tim.”

“Tim?” The older woman turned white and opened the door completely. “Is he hurt? Are you a police officer? Is everything alright?”

I blinked. “No! No, I’m no police. I only came down to talk about him. My name is Jake… Tim has lived with me for a while. He’s… I’m his—”

“Ah… You’re his best friend,” smiled the woman, visibly relieved. “In that case, come in. Mel is busy at the moment. Lets have a coffee before I call him down.”

Yeah. I was Tim’s friend. And if it was up to Melle, that was all I would ever be.

The lady introduced herself as Jan. It almost made me laugh. Mel, Jan and Tim. Short names, anyone? I followed her in, and looked at the cleanest white sofa I’d ever seen outside of a shop. I didn’t dare to sit down, with my ever-oily jeans and hands. Having coffee, on a sofa like that? No way.

Jan joined me, and smiled as she saw my inner struggle. “Oh dear, would you prefer the chair, darling? There, have a seat in Mel’s chair.”

I gratefully sat down on the dark brown chair. That was safer, I thought relieved. “Thank you… I hope Melle won’t mind me sitting in his chair…”

“No, why would he?” Jan gave me a cup of coffee. “A friend of Tim is a friend of ours. I remember the stories now,” she continued, as she sat down in a nearby chair. “Tim was very fond of you. He still is, I believe, but he didn’t mention you for a long time. What happened?”

“I went to France,” I explained softly. “But I’m back now. Melle won’t like that, so I’m here to tell him personally.”

“Why wouldn’t Mel like it?” Jan obviously had no clue. I decided to inform her, confront her, and see her reaction.

“I’m not just Tim’s friend,” I said. “I’m his lover. I love him, and he loves me, and I want him back.”

Jan blinked. And blinked again. “You’re his lover?” she then repeated, with a soft voice. “Oh dear, Jake, I had no idea… But he has Gilbert now, hasn’t he? I mean- you say he loves you?”

I nodded, and took the note out of my pocket. I’m sure I wasn't supposed to, but I needed help against Mel, so I gave it to her. She unfolded it, and read it in silence. Without a word, she gave it back to me, and picked up her coffee.
Only after minutes, she looked up.

“Why did you two part, if you love each other so much?” she asked softly.

I sighed. And told her. I told her about her husband, and his influences over Tim. I told her how Mel had screamed at us, and had called me a rapist. I told her how Tim and I lived together on my ship, before Mel convinced his younger brother we had to give it some time, how I left with a broken heart, and returned because I needed him so badly.

And I told her about Tim coming on my ship, and telling me he loved me.

Jan stared at me, and listened without words until I was finished. “Mel…” she eventually said, with an angry undertone. “I believe I will have a word with my husband, before you talk to him.”

“Actually, that might be a bad idea,” I tried to object, but Jan didn’t listen.

“I will talk to him,” she said sternly, raising her hands. “This is no way to act. No matter how much he loves Tim, this is preposterous! But you’ll have to talk to Tim yourself, young man. ‘Gilbert will never know’… Ha! If he loves you so much, he’ll have to break up. No discussion.”

“I…” I was stunned for a moment. I cleared my throat, and grinned a bit sheepishly. “I should’ve met you earlier,” I then said. “My life would’ve been much different…”

Jan said she didn’t doubt it one minute, and we finished our coffee before she let me out. I went home without having talked to Melle, hoping Jan would keep her promise and would be able to convince her husband to let Tim go.

On my way, I thought about the conversation I would have with Tim. I would call him, and tell him would have to leave Gilbert before he came to me. I truly didn’t want to be ‘the other man’ in his life, I wanted to be the only man.

I tried out the words against the surroundings, and turned my car into the deserted, dead-end street leading to my ship.
I wasn’t even surprised to find Tim’s car parked near my spot beneath the trees.