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frogs_of_warI’m trying to rip books on CDs to my computer, but tracks keep moving around. For example while I was ripping a different book, half of Disc 4 of the second book I ripped today moved from the Autobooks file back to the file named for the author (where to computer put it) and then all but track 62 of disk 2 and now the last twenty tracks of Disc 8 have just disappeared. This doesn’t happen to CDs ripped on other days; the one I did yesterday is fine.
This is keeping me from writing the last chapter of Trifecta so I can post it. Argh.
Title: The Rights We Have
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter ninety-one of gobs
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: laughter, food, baked Brussels sprouts, dirty dishes, surprise, eighty-one days, plans, a fall back, the future, 12:30, a long goodbye, thanks, bedtime, laundry, a note.
Length: about 1,500 words
Summary: Peregrine enjoys the dinner party. Emil does his part. And Kurt wakes the sleeping beauty.
Master list
Peregrine presided over the table. The tears had had been overtaken with smiles and laugher after just a few bites of Brandon’s cooking. Grant and Julian sat on Peregrine’s left and right and Emil and Kurt were at Brandon’s end of the table because Brandon had read that there should always be a person between each member of a relationship to keep the conversation flowing at a dinner party. And flowing it was.
Peregrine preferred simple meals where all the food fit on one plate and not the multi course kind that had the cook, in this case Brandon and Emil, rising from the table all the time, but he could see the benefits. His hours this afternoon didn’t not tell him half as much as watching Grant and Julian interact with Peregrine’s men and Brandon.
Brandon was the perfect host, making sure everyone’s glasses were filled and plates were cleared away when they were done. He cajoled Kurt into trying Brussels sprouts. Peregrine hadn’t thought he would live to see the day. The baked Brussels sprouts were good, but Kurt hated vegetables.
Brandon and Emil got up to serve the next course. Where had they found all the dishes? Did Peregrine, Emil, and Kurt own enough for more courses? “My love, if you need anything washed…”
Emil flashed him a pretty smile. “I’ll let you know.”
Peregrine sat back in his chair. Emil cleared off the last of the dirty dishes while Brandon plated the next course. Peregrine made a mental note that they keep the kitchen within easy talking range of the dining room. “Brandon, I took Grant and Julian by the shelter.”
Brandon spun in place. “What? Why?”
“I wanted Andre to meet them.”
“What did he think?”
“He doesn’t know they are your men, but he liked the idea a bringing in other professions to talk to the boys. I know a doctor that might do it. But he was really impressed by Julian not letting his accident hold him back.”
Julian waved his hand. “It’s nothing.”
Brandon carried in two bowls of soup. He set one in front of Julian and kissed his cheek. “It isn’t nothing. But I knew that since you two thought of it that way, that my brokenness wouldn’t make me unlovable.”
Grant reached across the table and put his hand on Brandon’s cheek. “You aren’t broken.”
Brandon smiled. “I love you too.”
Grant turned away. “Eighty-one days.”
Peregrine accepted his bowl. “What are you going to do when those eight-one days are up?”
Brandon sat down. “Move back in with Grant and Julian.”
Peregrine nodded. “And then?”
Grant cleared his throat. “I think you should get your GED.”
Julian nodded. “And Peregrine here tells us that you are very gifted even outside the kitchen.”
Brandon turned his head. Peregrine picked up his spoon. “I’m not saying you have to be an artist. You could teach people how to host dinner parties or something entirely different.”
“But I don’t want to work. I just want to take care of my men.”
Emil touched his hand. “I understand, but if something happened to one of both of them, you should have a little put away so you can take care of the family financially until they recover.”
Peregrine would have said something about taking care of himself if they died, but maybe Emil had the right of it because Brandon nodded. Then he looked at Emil. “Do you have a little put away?”
“I’ve had my own little income since I was younger than you. And I continued to work a few hours a week, even when I didn’t need to. The other condo is partly mine.”
Kurt lifted his glass. “But I found us an attorney to make everything legal. I want my estate to go to my men, not to my family. We have to use the rights we have, since we are missing so many that others take for granted.”
“But you two are worth it.” Emil smiled at Peregrine.
This meal was a happy, fun occasion, but once Peregrine got his men alone, he wasn’t going to allow either to sleep.
--
Emil served tea on the coffee table. He sat between Peregrine and Kurt on one couch, so the other three could sit together. Brandon held Grant’s hand and leaned on Julian. They talked of the future and the past and how close Julian was to getting his degree and what Grant liked about his job and how soon they could move and which community college Brandon would get his GED at and that they’d like to see Emil and his men again after Brandon moved back in with them.
Kurt volunteered to help them move and Peregrine promised another dinner party once the condo was remodeled. And Emil invited Brandon over to teach him some of the dished Kurt and Peregrine showed particular interest in. He remembered a lot of what went in each and he was sure he could follow a recipe, but Brandon needed something to do to pass the next eighty-one days.
Brandon agreed. He had a lot more dished that he hadn’t showed him.
Peregrine got up. “I’m going to do the dishes.”
The clock read twelve thirty. Kurt and Grant had work tomorrow and Julian had classes. Plus the long drive home.
Grant looked longingly at Brandon. “We better go too.”
“No, please,” Brandon begged. “Just a little longer.”
Emil stood up and took Kurt’s hand. “We’ll give you a little privacy for your goodbyes. And let me just state that I don’t think kisses as sex.”
“Neither do I.” Kurt followed Emil into the kitchen. Everything was dirty. After Emil started the dishwasher, Peregrine still had too many dishes for the drying rack. Kurt dried them and put them away. When Emil walked out to wash the table, Brandon and his men were still lost in themselves, but just before one, the three stood in the dining room. Grant said, “We better go.”
All three looked well kissed with red eyes and smiles. Emil was glad he’d done his part. “Where did you park?”
Julian looked at Grant. “At an all day parking place by the café.”
Grant shook his head. “I don’t remember the cross streets, but I know where it is.”
Kurt dried his hands. “I’ll drive you over and then take Brandon home.”
Peregrine held up his hand. “It’s after curfew. Brandon is staying here tonight.”
“That’s right.”
Brandon kissed both his men one more time and slowly let their hands go. After they left, he slumped into a chair. “Three more months.”
Emil nodded. “Forever, I know. But you got to see them and you know they are still waiting for you and that they love you.”
Brandon looked up, his eyes wide. “I…” He looked down. “Thank you.”
Emil patted him on the back. “I’m happy to help. Let’s get you settled in the spare room.”
Emil pulled a spare toothbrush out of the bathroom drawer and hunted up some clothes that might fit Brandon. He could wear them or not as he saw fit. Emil offered to wash the clothes Brandon was in if he wanted that and then closed the door after himself. Peregrine had cleaned up the kitchen and was nowhere in sight. Maybe he was painting.
“Emil.”
Emil turned to Brandon where he stood in the bathroom door. He held out his clothes. “You can wash these?”
Emil went and got them.
“And.”
Emil waited.
“And I don’t mind if you guys are together tonight. I have my headphones. I’m going to think of Julian and Grant anyway.”
Emil stiffed the impulse to ruffle Brandon’s hair. “Thank you for your consideration.”
He put Brandon’s clothes in the washer with the tablecloth and napkins and started it up. One thirty was really too late to be awake. He went in the bedroom to get this night clothes, but Peregrine was rearranging the furniture. “Hurry, Princess, and get ready. I want to be ready when Kurt gets back.”
Emil grabbed the first night clothes he came across and hurried into the bathroom. He wasn’t going to be wearing them long anyway.
--
Kurt locked the condo door behind him. The only lights were a small one in the kitchen and a dim light coming from under the bedroom door. The washer was still spinning out, so they couldn’t have been in bed long. A small note asked Kurt to put the clothes into the dryer. Since the note was by the coffee maker perhaps it was meant for tomorrow. He took off his shoes and his jacket. Tonight had been fun. They should have people over more often.
He went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Everything in Peregrine’s studio was just where it had been this morning. He needed a chance to work on his art. The washer finished and Kurt moved everything over. Brandon’s clothes were in here. Would he need a ride to school in the morning? Breakfast. He’d need breakfast, eggs, bacon, maybe pancakes.
Kurt stretched. He needed to get some sleep if he was going to be ready to get up in four hours. Or maybe he should just stay up.
He opened the bedroom door. Peregrine lay on his side watching Emil sleep. He looked up as Kurt walked in and held up a note. Kurt took it. In Emil’s writing it read, Darling, my beautiful love, wake me from my slumber with your gentle hand.
Kurt made sure the door was closed and peeled off his clothing. No sleep was better than only a few hours, and Emil wishes should always be obeyed.
This is keeping me from writing the last chapter of Trifecta so I can post it. Argh.
Title: The Rights We Have
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter ninety-one of gobs
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: laughter, food, baked Brussels sprouts, dirty dishes, surprise, eighty-one days, plans, a fall back, the future, 12:30, a long goodbye, thanks, bedtime, laundry, a note.
Length: about 1,500 words
Summary: Peregrine enjoys the dinner party. Emil does his part. And Kurt wakes the sleeping beauty.
Master list
Peregrine presided over the table. The tears had had been overtaken with smiles and laugher after just a few bites of Brandon’s cooking. Grant and Julian sat on Peregrine’s left and right and Emil and Kurt were at Brandon’s end of the table because Brandon had read that there should always be a person between each member of a relationship to keep the conversation flowing at a dinner party. And flowing it was.
Peregrine preferred simple meals where all the food fit on one plate and not the multi course kind that had the cook, in this case Brandon and Emil, rising from the table all the time, but he could see the benefits. His hours this afternoon didn’t not tell him half as much as watching Grant and Julian interact with Peregrine’s men and Brandon.
Brandon was the perfect host, making sure everyone’s glasses were filled and plates were cleared away when they were done. He cajoled Kurt into trying Brussels sprouts. Peregrine hadn’t thought he would live to see the day. The baked Brussels sprouts were good, but Kurt hated vegetables.
Brandon and Emil got up to serve the next course. Where had they found all the dishes? Did Peregrine, Emil, and Kurt own enough for more courses? “My love, if you need anything washed…”
Emil flashed him a pretty smile. “I’ll let you know.”
Peregrine sat back in his chair. Emil cleared off the last of the dirty dishes while Brandon plated the next course. Peregrine made a mental note that they keep the kitchen within easy talking range of the dining room. “Brandon, I took Grant and Julian by the shelter.”
Brandon spun in place. “What? Why?”
“I wanted Andre to meet them.”
“What did he think?”
“He doesn’t know they are your men, but he liked the idea a bringing in other professions to talk to the boys. I know a doctor that might do it. But he was really impressed by Julian not letting his accident hold him back.”
Julian waved his hand. “It’s nothing.”
Brandon carried in two bowls of soup. He set one in front of Julian and kissed his cheek. “It isn’t nothing. But I knew that since you two thought of it that way, that my brokenness wouldn’t make me unlovable.”
Grant reached across the table and put his hand on Brandon’s cheek. “You aren’t broken.”
Brandon smiled. “I love you too.”
Grant turned away. “Eighty-one days.”
Peregrine accepted his bowl. “What are you going to do when those eight-one days are up?”
Brandon sat down. “Move back in with Grant and Julian.”
Peregrine nodded. “And then?”
Grant cleared his throat. “I think you should get your GED.”
Julian nodded. “And Peregrine here tells us that you are very gifted even outside the kitchen.”
Brandon turned his head. Peregrine picked up his spoon. “I’m not saying you have to be an artist. You could teach people how to host dinner parties or something entirely different.”
“But I don’t want to work. I just want to take care of my men.”
Emil touched his hand. “I understand, but if something happened to one of both of them, you should have a little put away so you can take care of the family financially until they recover.”
Peregrine would have said something about taking care of himself if they died, but maybe Emil had the right of it because Brandon nodded. Then he looked at Emil. “Do you have a little put away?”
“I’ve had my own little income since I was younger than you. And I continued to work a few hours a week, even when I didn’t need to. The other condo is partly mine.”
Kurt lifted his glass. “But I found us an attorney to make everything legal. I want my estate to go to my men, not to my family. We have to use the rights we have, since we are missing so many that others take for granted.”
“But you two are worth it.” Emil smiled at Peregrine.
This meal was a happy, fun occasion, but once Peregrine got his men alone, he wasn’t going to allow either to sleep.
--
Emil served tea on the coffee table. He sat between Peregrine and Kurt on one couch, so the other three could sit together. Brandon held Grant’s hand and leaned on Julian. They talked of the future and the past and how close Julian was to getting his degree and what Grant liked about his job and how soon they could move and which community college Brandon would get his GED at and that they’d like to see Emil and his men again after Brandon moved back in with them.
Kurt volunteered to help them move and Peregrine promised another dinner party once the condo was remodeled. And Emil invited Brandon over to teach him some of the dished Kurt and Peregrine showed particular interest in. He remembered a lot of what went in each and he was sure he could follow a recipe, but Brandon needed something to do to pass the next eighty-one days.
Brandon agreed. He had a lot more dished that he hadn’t showed him.
Peregrine got up. “I’m going to do the dishes.”
The clock read twelve thirty. Kurt and Grant had work tomorrow and Julian had classes. Plus the long drive home.
Grant looked longingly at Brandon. “We better go too.”
“No, please,” Brandon begged. “Just a little longer.”
Emil stood up and took Kurt’s hand. “We’ll give you a little privacy for your goodbyes. And let me just state that I don’t think kisses as sex.”
“Neither do I.” Kurt followed Emil into the kitchen. Everything was dirty. After Emil started the dishwasher, Peregrine still had too many dishes for the drying rack. Kurt dried them and put them away. When Emil walked out to wash the table, Brandon and his men were still lost in themselves, but just before one, the three stood in the dining room. Grant said, “We better go.”
All three looked well kissed with red eyes and smiles. Emil was glad he’d done his part. “Where did you park?”
Julian looked at Grant. “At an all day parking place by the café.”
Grant shook his head. “I don’t remember the cross streets, but I know where it is.”
Kurt dried his hands. “I’ll drive you over and then take Brandon home.”
Peregrine held up his hand. “It’s after curfew. Brandon is staying here tonight.”
“That’s right.”
Brandon kissed both his men one more time and slowly let their hands go. After they left, he slumped into a chair. “Three more months.”
Emil nodded. “Forever, I know. But you got to see them and you know they are still waiting for you and that they love you.”
Brandon looked up, his eyes wide. “I…” He looked down. “Thank you.”
Emil patted him on the back. “I’m happy to help. Let’s get you settled in the spare room.”
Emil pulled a spare toothbrush out of the bathroom drawer and hunted up some clothes that might fit Brandon. He could wear them or not as he saw fit. Emil offered to wash the clothes Brandon was in if he wanted that and then closed the door after himself. Peregrine had cleaned up the kitchen and was nowhere in sight. Maybe he was painting.
“Emil.”
Emil turned to Brandon where he stood in the bathroom door. He held out his clothes. “You can wash these?”
Emil went and got them.
“And.”
Emil waited.
“And I don’t mind if you guys are together tonight. I have my headphones. I’m going to think of Julian and Grant anyway.”
Emil stiffed the impulse to ruffle Brandon’s hair. “Thank you for your consideration.”
He put Brandon’s clothes in the washer with the tablecloth and napkins and started it up. One thirty was really too late to be awake. He went in the bedroom to get this night clothes, but Peregrine was rearranging the furniture. “Hurry, Princess, and get ready. I want to be ready when Kurt gets back.”
Emil grabbed the first night clothes he came across and hurried into the bathroom. He wasn’t going to be wearing them long anyway.
--
Kurt locked the condo door behind him. The only lights were a small one in the kitchen and a dim light coming from under the bedroom door. The washer was still spinning out, so they couldn’t have been in bed long. A small note asked Kurt to put the clothes into the dryer. Since the note was by the coffee maker perhaps it was meant for tomorrow. He took off his shoes and his jacket. Tonight had been fun. They should have people over more often.
He went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Everything in Peregrine’s studio was just where it had been this morning. He needed a chance to work on his art. The washer finished and Kurt moved everything over. Brandon’s clothes were in here. Would he need a ride to school in the morning? Breakfast. He’d need breakfast, eggs, bacon, maybe pancakes.
Kurt stretched. He needed to get some sleep if he was going to be ready to get up in four hours. Or maybe he should just stay up.
He opened the bedroom door. Peregrine lay on his side watching Emil sleep. He looked up as Kurt walked in and held up a note. Kurt took it. In Emil’s writing it read, Darling, my beautiful love, wake me from my slumber with your gentle hand.
Kurt made sure the door was closed and peeled off his clothing. No sleep was better than only a few hours, and Emil wishes should always be obeyed.
