Uninterrupted Part 2
May. 31st, 2012 06:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warLeverage (the TV show) filmed outside the empty office building near my house. They even built a guard box and put up a sign. And I think they filmed inside another business across the street. Now I’ll have to watch some of the new episodes to see if the crew visits Dodgson Energetics (on the portable sign that looked permanent once sand was added to the posts) and Parker dressed in a lab coat surrounded by people in red coveralls.
Title: For an Uninterrupted Date
Status: Part 2 of 10
Universe: (A Balance of) Harmonies Portland
Genre: m/m romance, family, city life, businessmen, kids
Content: shopping, a call, shampoo, sheets, another call,
Length: about 1,600 words
Master List
Diemen pulled into a department store beside the freeway. He could look at their selection of bedding, check if they — unlike his regular store — had his favorite shampoo, see if they had any shirts he could wear to the office, and pick up some grapes which were on sale.
His phone rang. Pavel. “How’s your sister?”
“She and the baby are fine. But they are keeping her in the hospital for a while. She isn’t happy.”
Diemen didn’t quite know how to respond to that. He didn’t want to say anything cliché.
“But, my darling Diemen….”
Diemen smiled. He’d never been anyone’s darling before. “Yes.”
“I can’t wait until Sunday to see you again.”
Diemen’s heart warmed. “I feel the same way.”
Their date had been much too short.
“So come out with me. We can watch a movie and have dinner.”
That sounded wonderful, except that all their dates so far had been interrupted. “How about you come over to my place after work on Friday? I will make dinner and we can watch a movie on my TV.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
And if someone called, Diemen would have an excuse not to leave. If the interruption continued on the same pattern, the next one would be his. “Then it’s a date.”
“A date.” Pavel’s accent turned Diemen to jelly. Maybe Pavel would spend Friday night. Diemen added condoms and lube to his shopping list.
“I can hardly wait. Would you like me to pick the movie?”
“Yes.” That would be one thing off his mind.
“And,” Pavel hesitated, “I’m moving in with my brother-in-law. I don’t think Channing and I should be living together.”
“Even if it’s your house?”
“Even then.”
“Good.” Diemen sank back in his seat. He asked if Pavel had any food allergies or things he didn’t like, Pavel said no and the conversation skittered around until someone at Pavel’s end wanted his attention. Diemen could have listened to him all day.
Diemen got out of his car with a sigh. He grabbed a cart as he entered the store. Maybe this place would have sheets that were an acceptable color and were nice without being too pricy. Pea soup green and dirty blue were not his colors.
But first he headed to the shampoo aisle. He hoped this store had the kind he wanted. He’d finally run out of the supply he’d bought last year after Pavel leaned close and told him he smelled good that night Channing had made a drunken fool of himself.
Diemen had hoped that that would be the end of Pavel and Channing together, but Channing begged forgiveness and Pavel gave it.
But that was the night Diemen decided not to feel guilty about his feelings for Pavel.
One bottle of the right kind of shampoo was left on the shelf. He really hated to hunt up an employee, but he wanted at least three bottles. He hoped they had more in the back.
He spotted a young man in a safety vest and name tag and hailed him. Bobby, who couldn’t be more than eighteen, smiled brightly and said he’d look in the back. As Bobby walked out of the aisle, an older woman told him he was needed at the front, but Bobby glanced at Diemen and said he was with a customer.
He probably didn’t like bagging groceries and would be on his hunt longer than necessary, but Diemen still had several things on his shopping list.
This store had a set of cranberry red cotton sheets with a satin finish. They cost a tad more than Diemen had wanted to spend, but they would look good with his dark blue quit. But his bed had green on it too. This wouldn’t look too much like Christmas, would it?
Not if he added black. He picked up two pillow cases in silky black. The sheets they went with were too expensive to even consider. But the pillow cases were now too nice for his pillows. He looked down the pillow aisle and chose two that were on sale. He might buy two more and make his bed look even better, but with all the stuff in his cart, maybe next month.
The shirts could wait too, but the condoms and lube couldn’t. And the grapes wouldn’t break the bank either. He strolled into produce. His phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number.
“Logan, why didn’t you answer the first three times I called?”
The woman’s voice was familiar, someone in his family perhaps. He hadn’t talked to any of them since Christmas.
“I’m shopping and the phone only rang this one time.”
“So, you’re in…” she named the store Diemen was shopping at. “Is it the one near my house? That would be great because I need you to come get Emmet. He’s driving me crazy. I remember you were always a girly boy, wanting to play with my dolls and wear my hair barrettes, but Emmet takes this one step further and wears his sister’s dresses and insists we call him Emma.”
This had to be Courtney, his mother sister’s granddaughter, who was only a year younger than him.
“Aunt Janet says you didn’t do either one. And I think I could stand it if he always wore a dress and answered to Emma. You turned out all right despite how you were as a kid. Aunt Janet says to be patient and give him his own way.”
Diemen was so very lucky to have a mother with this philosophy.
“But half the time he wears pants and only answers to Emmet. I am going insane and I need you to take him for a while. Just for a few days. I’m going crazy. Come and get him. No. Better yet, I’ll come to you. Which side of the store are you parked on? I’ll meet you by the grocery door in five minutes. Emmet likes to look at the flowers.”
And then she hung up without letting Diemen get a word in edgewise.
Diemen put his phone away. He was grateful Courtney thought he’d turned out well. She’d been extremely outraged as a kid whenever he played girl games, no matter how many times he did so.
Diemen picked out some grapes and then headed back for the shampoo aisle. Just before he got there, Bobby stopped him. He had a shampoo bottle in each hand. “This variety has been discontinued, but we still have four bottles left. How many would you like?”
Diemen decided to take them all. After he ran out, he’d need to find a new variety for Pavel to compliment him about.
Bobby was very social and talked about everything from sports to the weather. Diemen would have been happier if the kid flirting with him was a several years older, but he was polite. Every young person, gay or straight, should have the opportunity to flirt in a safe environment.
Bobby was called to the front and Diemen swung by the flower section. He had an idea for what he wanted on the table on Friday and he would order it from the grocery store near his apartment where he knew and trusted the florist, but if Emmet liked flowers, maybe Diemen should get some to last the week.
A toddler in a boy’s haircut, a flowered headband, and a sun dress sniffed a bunch of carnations. A little girl, her hair longer but the exact same shade of blonde and wearing similar clothing, pointed to some roses for the toddler to sniff.
Courtney looked up from her phone and relaxed with a sigh. “I’m so glad you could do this. I didn’t know who else to ask. I need a break, but I don’t want to leave him,” she glanced at her youngest, “or her with anyone who doesn’t love… Emma. But I need…”
“A break.” Diemen put his hand on Courtney’s shoulder. “I understand. I can keep Em until Friday afternoon.”
“Would you? Thank you!” And she gave him the first willing hug he could remember. “I love my child. And I want him or her to be happy all the days of his little life, but… I’m trying. I’ve read the library out and we are buying some books next time Rob gets paid, but none of the books I’ve read deal with a child who won’t stay one gender.”
Diemen patted Courtney’s arm. She must be very desperate. Diemen’s mother said Courtney hated to part with her kids for any reason.
“Mama,” asked Amelia, “why don’t I get to stay with Uncle Logan?”
Em spun in a circle. Diemen swept him— or rather her— up before she bumped into anything. “Do you have Em’s clothes? Or should I stop by your place?”
“Everything’s in the car.”
“Let me pay for this,” Diemen sat Em in his cart. She sat primly for almost a minute, but she just had to help Diemen put the items on the conveyer belt.
Diemen moved to the side of the cart to get the last of his purchases. Amelia gasped. Diemen turned. Em had crawled from the cart onto the conveyer belt. Diemen sat Em on the floor.
“Sorry,” said Courtney.
Em burst into tears. “Cart.”
“Uncle Logan, Emma wants to ride in the cart.”
Em nodded, her eyes wide.
“I can see that. Em, you can get back in the cart if you wear the safety belt.”
Em put her hands over her belly.
“Emma doesn’t like the belt. It hurts her tummy.”
Well, Diemen was going to have to come up with something. He still had to shop for the food he was making for his date.
Title: For an Uninterrupted Date
Status: Part 2 of 10
Universe: (A Balance of) Harmonies Portland
Genre: m/m romance, family, city life, businessmen, kids
Content: shopping, a call, shampoo, sheets, another call,
Length: about 1,600 words
Master List
Diemen pulled into a department store beside the freeway. He could look at their selection of bedding, check if they — unlike his regular store — had his favorite shampoo, see if they had any shirts he could wear to the office, and pick up some grapes which were on sale.
His phone rang. Pavel. “How’s your sister?”
“She and the baby are fine. But they are keeping her in the hospital for a while. She isn’t happy.”
Diemen didn’t quite know how to respond to that. He didn’t want to say anything cliché.
“But, my darling Diemen….”
Diemen smiled. He’d never been anyone’s darling before. “Yes.”
“I can’t wait until Sunday to see you again.”
Diemen’s heart warmed. “I feel the same way.”
Their date had been much too short.
“So come out with me. We can watch a movie and have dinner.”
That sounded wonderful, except that all their dates so far had been interrupted. “How about you come over to my place after work on Friday? I will make dinner and we can watch a movie on my TV.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
And if someone called, Diemen would have an excuse not to leave. If the interruption continued on the same pattern, the next one would be his. “Then it’s a date.”
“A date.” Pavel’s accent turned Diemen to jelly. Maybe Pavel would spend Friday night. Diemen added condoms and lube to his shopping list.
“I can hardly wait. Would you like me to pick the movie?”
“Yes.” That would be one thing off his mind.
“And,” Pavel hesitated, “I’m moving in with my brother-in-law. I don’t think Channing and I should be living together.”
“Even if it’s your house?”
“Even then.”
“Good.” Diemen sank back in his seat. He asked if Pavel had any food allergies or things he didn’t like, Pavel said no and the conversation skittered around until someone at Pavel’s end wanted his attention. Diemen could have listened to him all day.
Diemen got out of his car with a sigh. He grabbed a cart as he entered the store. Maybe this place would have sheets that were an acceptable color and were nice without being too pricy. Pea soup green and dirty blue were not his colors.
But first he headed to the shampoo aisle. He hoped this store had the kind he wanted. He’d finally run out of the supply he’d bought last year after Pavel leaned close and told him he smelled good that night Channing had made a drunken fool of himself.
Diemen had hoped that that would be the end of Pavel and Channing together, but Channing begged forgiveness and Pavel gave it.
But that was the night Diemen decided not to feel guilty about his feelings for Pavel.
One bottle of the right kind of shampoo was left on the shelf. He really hated to hunt up an employee, but he wanted at least three bottles. He hoped they had more in the back.
He spotted a young man in a safety vest and name tag and hailed him. Bobby, who couldn’t be more than eighteen, smiled brightly and said he’d look in the back. As Bobby walked out of the aisle, an older woman told him he was needed at the front, but Bobby glanced at Diemen and said he was with a customer.
He probably didn’t like bagging groceries and would be on his hunt longer than necessary, but Diemen still had several things on his shopping list.
This store had a set of cranberry red cotton sheets with a satin finish. They cost a tad more than Diemen had wanted to spend, but they would look good with his dark blue quit. But his bed had green on it too. This wouldn’t look too much like Christmas, would it?
Not if he added black. He picked up two pillow cases in silky black. The sheets they went with were too expensive to even consider. But the pillow cases were now too nice for his pillows. He looked down the pillow aisle and chose two that were on sale. He might buy two more and make his bed look even better, but with all the stuff in his cart, maybe next month.
The shirts could wait too, but the condoms and lube couldn’t. And the grapes wouldn’t break the bank either. He strolled into produce. His phone rang. He didn’t recognize the number.
“Logan, why didn’t you answer the first three times I called?”
The woman’s voice was familiar, someone in his family perhaps. He hadn’t talked to any of them since Christmas.
“I’m shopping and the phone only rang this one time.”
“So, you’re in…” she named the store Diemen was shopping at. “Is it the one near my house? That would be great because I need you to come get Emmet. He’s driving me crazy. I remember you were always a girly boy, wanting to play with my dolls and wear my hair barrettes, but Emmet takes this one step further and wears his sister’s dresses and insists we call him Emma.”
This had to be Courtney, his mother sister’s granddaughter, who was only a year younger than him.
“Aunt Janet says you didn’t do either one. And I think I could stand it if he always wore a dress and answered to Emma. You turned out all right despite how you were as a kid. Aunt Janet says to be patient and give him his own way.”
Diemen was so very lucky to have a mother with this philosophy.
“But half the time he wears pants and only answers to Emmet. I am going insane and I need you to take him for a while. Just for a few days. I’m going crazy. Come and get him. No. Better yet, I’ll come to you. Which side of the store are you parked on? I’ll meet you by the grocery door in five minutes. Emmet likes to look at the flowers.”
And then she hung up without letting Diemen get a word in edgewise.
Diemen put his phone away. He was grateful Courtney thought he’d turned out well. She’d been extremely outraged as a kid whenever he played girl games, no matter how many times he did so.
Diemen picked out some grapes and then headed back for the shampoo aisle. Just before he got there, Bobby stopped him. He had a shampoo bottle in each hand. “This variety has been discontinued, but we still have four bottles left. How many would you like?”
Diemen decided to take them all. After he ran out, he’d need to find a new variety for Pavel to compliment him about.
Bobby was very social and talked about everything from sports to the weather. Diemen would have been happier if the kid flirting with him was a several years older, but he was polite. Every young person, gay or straight, should have the opportunity to flirt in a safe environment.
Bobby was called to the front and Diemen swung by the flower section. He had an idea for what he wanted on the table on Friday and he would order it from the grocery store near his apartment where he knew and trusted the florist, but if Emmet liked flowers, maybe Diemen should get some to last the week.
A toddler in a boy’s haircut, a flowered headband, and a sun dress sniffed a bunch of carnations. A little girl, her hair longer but the exact same shade of blonde and wearing similar clothing, pointed to some roses for the toddler to sniff.
Courtney looked up from her phone and relaxed with a sigh. “I’m so glad you could do this. I didn’t know who else to ask. I need a break, but I don’t want to leave him,” she glanced at her youngest, “or her with anyone who doesn’t love… Emma. But I need…”
“A break.” Diemen put his hand on Courtney’s shoulder. “I understand. I can keep Em until Friday afternoon.”
“Would you? Thank you!” And she gave him the first willing hug he could remember. “I love my child. And I want him or her to be happy all the days of his little life, but… I’m trying. I’ve read the library out and we are buying some books next time Rob gets paid, but none of the books I’ve read deal with a child who won’t stay one gender.”
Diemen patted Courtney’s arm. She must be very desperate. Diemen’s mother said Courtney hated to part with her kids for any reason.
“Mama,” asked Amelia, “why don’t I get to stay with Uncle Logan?”
Em spun in a circle. Diemen swept him— or rather her— up before she bumped into anything. “Do you have Em’s clothes? Or should I stop by your place?”
“Everything’s in the car.”
“Let me pay for this,” Diemen sat Em in his cart. She sat primly for almost a minute, but she just had to help Diemen put the items on the conveyer belt.
Diemen moved to the side of the cart to get the last of his purchases. Amelia gasped. Diemen turned. Em had crawled from the cart onto the conveyer belt. Diemen sat Em on the floor.
“Sorry,” said Courtney.
Em burst into tears. “Cart.”
“Uncle Logan, Emma wants to ride in the cart.”
Em nodded, her eyes wide.
“I can see that. Em, you can get back in the cart if you wear the safety belt.”
Em put her hands over her belly.
“Emma doesn’t like the belt. It hurts her tummy.”
Well, Diemen was going to have to come up with something. He still had to shop for the food he was making for his date.
