Friends and Family Series
Jarv Trilogy

Jarv & Scott

By: Ron Robbins
(© 2011 by the author)
Editor: Frank Perry

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 4

The Retreat

The chopper ride was pleasant and touched down in the middle of the most beautiful complex Scott had ever seen.

"Welcome to the Retreat, Dr. Purdey," the pilot said.

He saw Jarv standing off to the side with a porter. Scott got out and walked over to where Jarv was standing. Their eyes meet and he stared into Jarv's eyes without speaking. He finally extended his hand, "It's wonderful to see you, Jarv."

Jarv smiled, and pushing his hand away, hugged Scott. He whispered in his ear, "Has it been that long, Scott? Welcome to the Retreat." As he released him, he said, "You haven't changed, and you're still the most handsome hunk I know. Come, sit next to me in the cart, and I'll take you home."

"Jarv, I'm impressed with your plane; that was quite an eye opener."

"My pleasure, after all you're my brother. Actually, it worked out quite well. I flew the plane back yesterday, and Todd used it to fly back to Atlanta last night."

"That's our only executive aircraft. The others in the fleet are available on an as-need basis. The other jets are much smaller but do the job. You'll probably be using the smaller aircraft when you fly back next week."

"This complex looks quite large from the air, and beautifully laid out. It looks more like a college campus. Who owns this place?"

"Mac and Drew Stevens, two close friends of mine you'll meet them this evening. We've been invited over to their house for dinner."

The cart took them through the winding road that lead to the gate of a stately mansion. "This is home, Scott."

"This place is absolutely beautiful, Jarv. Mom told me about it but I wasn't prepared for this. I never dreamed of anything on this scale."

"Thank you. Leave the bags, Scott, my staff will take care of them. Let me show you to your room so you know where everything is."

Jarv led the way up the wide curved staircase to the second floor. They turned on the landing and took the corridor to the end.

Scott could see a marble fireplace with a gold-framed mirror above it through the large opening at the end of the corridor. Once inside he observed a tastefully decorated sitting room. Two doors stood open at either side of the fireplace, each one leading to one of two master bedrooms. The door to the right of the bedroom led to a large dressing room. Beyond that the bathroom, and exercise room. The dressing room was large with matching mirrored doors on each side.

"This is your dressing room Scott, it contains all your clothes." The formal evening wear started from the far left followed by the dress suits, sports coats and slacks, casual shirts, and dress shirts. In the center section, the Lucite drawers hold the sweaters, socks, underwear, ties, & handkerchiefs, next to that, the shoe racks. Every article of clothing was color coded from black to white.

"My house manager, Jim, is in charge of our wardrobe; if there is something you don't like, or that doesn't fit, Jim will see to it. I want you to try on this tux."

Scott looked at Jarv in disbelief. Jarv watched him as he undressed and slipped on the pants and jacket.

"How do I look?" Scott asked.

"Great; that fits perfectly," Jarv said. "You'll need to wear that for dinner this evening. You can change back to your casual clothes now that we know it fits you. Jim will help you dress this evening."

"Jarv, I don't understand all this, we need to talk."

"Later, the children are anxious to meet their uncle. Let's head down to the nursery."

Jarv led Scott in the opposite direction along the right wing beyond the main staircase to the nursery. He opened the large hand-carved door and they entered a spacious, sun-filled sitting room.

"I selected warm pastel colors for the children." The room was neat and uncluttered and their toys were neatly placed in brightly papered bookshelves, the same was true for the books and dolls.

"The table on the other side of the room is for the boys." The table had several miniature trains sets. It was divided into two sections. One section is a replica of a miniature metropolitan city, at the other end was a country village.

"I have more fun playing with the trains than the boys do. Their teacher uses it to teach them geography." Jarv laughed, "We can come back and play with them later."

The three children were seated at a large round table, coloring. Classical music was playing softly in the background.

"Children, I would like you to meet your Uncle Scott. You remember me telling you about Daddy's older brother, don't you?"

They stood and walked over to greet Scott. Scott bent down and spoke to each one.

"They are beautiful, Jarv."

"I think so; Bobbie is my oldest child, then Scott, and my youngest, Jarvis. Come along children, let's take Uncle Scott on a tour of the house, this is his first visit. We'll start on this floor first," Jarv said.

"There are seven bedrooms in addition to the master suite and the nursery on this floor. There are four guest suites on the third floor." Jarv opened the door to the elevator. "This elevator runs from the basement to the third floor. Let's take it to the third floor. I want to show you my studio. Bobbie, will you show Uncle Scott how well you can operate the elevator? We want to go to the third floor, sweetheart." Bobbie pushed the third floor button. "Bobbie, tell Uncle Scott how old you are."

"I'm four and a half, Uncle Scott; Scott is four and Jarvis is three. Daddy wants us to call my brother, Jarvis. He is never to be called Junior, or Jarv, because that's Daddy's name. Dad said it would be confusing to have two people answer to the same name."

Scott smiled as he winked at Jarv, "I couldn't agree with you more."

Jarv led the group to the last door at the end of the corridor. "My studio is really two bedrooms combined, with skylights in the ceiling." Several large professional quartz flood lamps suspended from a grid illuminated the work area. "The easels covered with protective cloths scattered about, are works in progress. I especially want to show you a portrait I've been working on for the last several years," Jarv said as he removed the cover from the easel they were facing.

"It's not quite finished as you can see, some of the fine details are missing. You can't imagine how many times I have revised your face. It is not easy working from a memory or small pictures. I should be able to finish it now that I have you here in the flesh."

"Your work has improved, Jarv."

"Thank you. Children, let's show Uncle Scott our kitchen where we prepare all those little treats you like so much."

They took the elevator to the basement. It bore no resemblance to any basement Scott had ever seen. The halls were brightly lit. The walls were papered in bright pastels and the doors were also painted in bright colors. The floor was covered in white marble with a pale pink design imbedded in the background. The kitchen looked professionally designed and equipped.

"This is really nice, Jarv."

"I love this kitchen; it has everything I need. I can prepare a meal for a hundred guests, without a problem. I'm a member of Mac's Gourmet Club. Tonight it's the Stevens' turn. It's a formal affair, that's why I wanted to make sure that the tux fit. Ah, here is my master chef, Chen Yu. Chen I would like you to meet my brother, Doctor Purdey." They shook hands.

"Chen, I'm starved, I skipped breakfast this morning. Why don't you plan on serving lunch at eleven-thirty today? That should give us enough time to complete the grand tour."

"That dumb waiter transports the food up to the butler's pantry on the main level. The rest of this level is devoted to storage, the pantries, and the utility area. We also have our own emergency generators, and sprinkler systems throughout. Let's take the elevator to the main floor, children."

Jarv smiled, "I think it only fair to warn you in advance that I am responsible for the design and decoration, so be careful what you say. Drew Stevens helped me to select the antiques. Drew is also an expert on antique art, among everything else. All the antiques in the house are authenticated and are the real McCoy. The only exceptions are the furniture in my den, the family dining room, the family room and the children's rooms. This house was build to my design and specifications. The antiques are mostly from the Adams period."

The elevator stopped on the main floor and opened into the main hall. "The ceilings throughout this floor are all twelve feet high. The plaster moldings and decorative relief work are copied from a manor house in England. I also brought craftsmen over from Italy for the plaster work. You'll notice that the designs from the antique Persian rugs were used as a pattern for the relief design on the ceiling in each room. The colors in silk damask were also taken from the Persian rugs, as well as the fabric used on the walls, the drapery, and chair coverings. Each room has its own unique design and color scheme."

"My two favorite rooms are the sitting room and the ballroom. The sitting room for its beauty and furnishings, and the ballroom for its versatility. If you'd like, we'll just take a peek at the ballroom now so you can see how it's set up today. It would take me several hours to show you how this functional three-in-one room changes in a matter of hours. We'll save that for another day."

"We have strict house rules, Uncle Scott," Bobbie said. "We're never allowed to run in the house, touch anything on the tables, or to sit on the furniture wearing jeans."

"Those sound like good rules to me," Scott said.

"Ah, Jeff, there you are," Jarv said. "I would like you to meet my brother, Dr. Scott Purdey. I want you to run him through our security system after lunch. Please see that he has a card with all my access codes."

"Yes sir."

"Jeff wears two hats; he's my secretary and director of security, and he is my virtual shadow. What time did Kim say he would drop by this afternoon, Jeff?"

"Five o'clock, sir. He is bringing the new man along this time. He will be taking care of you after today"

"Ask him to squeeze my brother in today, please?"

"Yes sir."

As they walked into the sitting room, young Scott asked, "May we be excused, Daddy? We have to wash our hands before lunch."

"Yes, Scott, please let Miss Tracy know that we're eating at eleven-thirty today, and please use the stairs."

"Yes Daddy." The three left Scott and Jarv alone to continue their tour. They finished up in the family room.

"Mattie, I would like you to meet my brother, Doctor Purdey."

"Good morning, sir"

"Mattie is my housekeeper and keeps everything on an even keel. If you need anything at all, Mattie is the one to ask."

"The table is all set, Mr. Purdey, as soon as the children arrive I will serve your lunch."

"Thank you, Mattie. Would you like a glass of wine while we're waiting for the kids, Scott?"

"That would hit the spot."

Jarv poured them each a glass of wine and handed a glass to Scott. Scott raised his glass, "Congratulations are in order. You've accomplished everything you set out to do, and you're a remarkable guy. Mom was right, you are unique. I'm really happy for you, Jarv. Thanks for inviting me, and it's great to see you again, little brother. You haven't changed; you are more beautiful than before. You have mellowed and have taken on the mantel of the successful business executive. This home is absolutely magnificent and I can see your artistic taste in every corner of it. I remember what you told me so many years ago about your Princeton apartment. Now, you have created a gorgeous home for everyone to see, and far superior to that place in Princeton."

The children arrived with their Nanny in tow. Jarv introduced Tracy and they all sat down to lunch. After they finished their lunch Jarv said, "Tracy, I'll be taking the children for their walk while my brother runs his errands. I'll stop by the nursery when I'm ready to leave. Excuse us children."

The brothers left and headed for the master suite. "You look good, Scott. The tailor will need to check out those pants though; you've lost some weight. Kim will need to trim your hair when he comes by later."

"I don't know what is happening to me, Jarv, but whatever it is, I like it."

Jarv smiled, "Good, we'll have a long talk later." He walked over to Scott, put his arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. Scott wrapped his arms around Jarv and held him tightly and kissed him back.

Jarv pulled away and stared into Scott's eyes. "They are very detailed with their security briefings at the Retreat; you'll be there for over an hour. I plan to do a little work in my studio after my walk with the kids, so make yourself at home and if you decide to take a nap, I'll wake you up at four-thirty."

Scott returned from his briefing and went directly to Jarv's studio, where he found Jarv sitting in front of the easel at work on the portrait. "Is it alright if I sit with you for a while, Jarv?"

"Sure, in fact, you can pose for me, if you don't mind." Jarv sat Scott on a stool and adjusted the light and positioned Scott's head the way he wanted it to catch the light in his eyes. After a half hour of painting in silence, Jarv asked, "Would you like to relax for a few minutes, Scott?"

"Thanks, my muscles are getting a little stiff."

"Sure, go ahead, I've worked enough for today. How did it go with security?"

"Everything went fine. Jarv, will you please tell me what is going on. You banished me from your life forever. Today, you act as if nothing has happened. I've been sick with worry for two days for fear that you would change your mind and cancel at the last minute. Mom told me how indifferent you were every time my name was mentioned; I never thought you would act this way again. Don't misunderstand me, I'm happy you agreed to see me, yet today, you act like my lover, and frankly I'm as confused as hell. If I live to be a thousand I will never forget what you said that last night we were together. Your words are indelibly etched in my brain and I've lived with that for four long years. I want to know where I stand with you now and I'm afraid to ask you how this is going to end."

"Do you still love me, Scott?"

"I've never stopped loving you, Jarv."

"I didn't sleep too well myself last night in anticipation of seeing you again," Jarv said. "I had no way of knowing how the years had changed you. Mom told me everything you said and how you wanted to try to salvage our marriage. I want that too, Scott. This separation has been hard on both of us, but it was much harder on me, because I've never stopped loving you. There can never be another man in my life as long as you are alive."

"I've been keeping track of you, Scott. I've had private detectives keeping an eye on you since you divorced Cathy. I was pleased that you reestablished your friendship with Pip and Grant, I thought that was a good sign."

Jarv wiped his brushes and turned off the overhead lights. "I'm not playing games with you. My feelings for you are genuine; I've always been your lover. How can I act any differently? It's time to concentrate on our future together as a couple. It's going to take time to work everything out, because we both have made career commitments, but I am willing to make that effort. The security pass you were given today, together with your voice and finger prints, are in the master computer now. This gives you unlimited access to the Retreat grounds, all my properties, here, in Manhattan and on Paradise Island."

Jarv put his brushes away and walked to Scott and kissed him, "You realize that this is our last chance at happiness, Scott. Make absolutely sure that I'm the one you want for the rest of your life. I can't go through this again, because if you hurt me again, I will never forgive you."

"Oh, Jarv, I love you so much, my life has been empty without you. Before you take me back I have a confession to make that may affect your decision."

"And what is that?"

"I'm impotent! That's the reason Cathy divorced me."

Jarv smiled, "Do you really think that I would reject you because of that? Tell me, doctor, will that prevent us from having sex?"

Scott chuckled, "It shouldn't affect you."

"Is there anything else I should know?" Scott shook his head, no.

"Good, that's settled, it feels good to be a couple again. Come on, lover, let's get ready for our first date in four years, I want my friends to see what a handsome hunk I married."

Scott took Jarv in his arms and kissed him tenderly, "You still feel and smell wonderful," and he kissed him again.

"Scott, my love, we must get ready. You're giving me an erection and Kim will be here in thirty minutes." Scott released him and they left.

♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

On the ride to the Retreat manor house, Scott asked, "Who are some of the people I will be meeting tonight, other than Mac and Drew Stevens?"

"They're all gay except for Drew's sister Claudia, and her husband, Charles King. There's Karl and Mike, Doug and Pete, Noel and Scott, Lloyd and Randy, Grant and Pip, Gil and Todd, Dirk and Shaun, Sandy and Dan, and finally Alex and Sandy. They're a fine group of people and you would never guess in a million years that they were gay couples. They also happen to be extremely wealthy. We're talking billionaires, baby.

"I didn't know that Grant and Pip would be flying in from Atlanta?"

"Actually, there are three couples from Atlanta, and they all own their own jets. Alex Savage, the owner of Stonewall & Savage Engineering, and his spouse, Sandy, have a fleet of jets. Alex's company builds industrial plants and high-end private homes. They constructed the buildings on this estate. Of course, we have flown in Grant and Pip's Queen Air before. Dan and Sandy Dunnlap... Oh, incidentally, Scott MacGregor, who is Noel's spouse, is a plastic surgeon. He heads up Mac's Health Care Divisions — a prince of a guy. Noel also heads up a division for Mac; they are both billionaires in their own right. Jarv pulled into the underground garage of the Retreat Manor house and parked the electric car.

They took the elevator to the main floor and were greeted by Mac. "Welcome to the Retreat, Scott, it's always a pleasure to welcome a new member to our community. I hope you will be a regular and enjoy our little gatherings. Jarv tells me that you will be relocating to our little community."

"I plan to, but I need to find gainful employment around here first, before I can resign my teaching assignment at Emory University."

"I think I may be able to help you out; why don't you drop by my office tomorrow morning around nine o'clock and we'll kick some ideas around?"

"I would like that, thank you."

"You two come with me," Mac said. "Jarv you don't mind if I introduce Doctor Purdey to Doctor MacGregor, do you?"

"Since when have I ever objected to the wishes of my best client?"

Mac chuckled, "That's the spirit, Jarv. Keep those happy thoughts and you'll go places in this world. In case you didn't already know it, Scott, you have a talented brother and we all admire him. He has brightened our little corner of the world."

"He's everything you said, and more," Scott answered. Mac ushered them over to where Noel and Scott were sitting.

"Scott, I've found a colleague of yours wandering around. Scott, Noel, I have the pleasure to introduce Jarv's brother, Doctor Scott Purdey. Scott is teaching at Emory and plans to move in with Jarv, as soon as he can find a job. I thought we might be able to put our heads together and come up with something that would appeal to Scott; what do you think, Scott?"

"There is always room for good talent, Scott said, "I'm sure we can help him out, Mac."

"Thanks, Scott, you're a prince," Mac said. "I'd better get back to the kitchen and fry up those burgers for you guys. See you later."

By the time the cocktail hour was over, Noel tried out several nick names on Scott. Jarv thought Scott-P was out of the question. So they settled on Doc. The party broke up by eleven o'clock. Drew let it be known that Sunday brunch would be early, because he had invited the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and the Foreign Affairs Secretary up from Washington to drop by for lunch, to give them a little talk on the administration's future policies for Latin America and the Common Market. All the executives from the MacDonald-Stevens and the Stevens Company and their trading partners, would be attending.

On the way back to Jarv's estate, Scott said, "That was a pleasant evening, Jarv. You're right about one thing, there were a lot of savvy people at that dinner party tonight, and I was very impressed. I liked them all, but especially Mac and Drew. They are super people; they just couldn't do enough for me. Mac went out of his way to make me feel at home. I thought that was very nice."

"They are truly wonderful people; they made it possible for me to build my company to where it is today. Drew gave me a 99-year lease on this land to build my home. This is a wonderful place not only to raise children, but it's an enriching environment for me as well."

Jarv parked the electric cart in the garage and they entered the house from the rear entrance. Jarv activated the night alarm and turned off the lights. "I don't know about you, but I exhausted, I'm heading straight to bed."

"I feel the same way," Scott said.

They climbed the stairs to the second floor and into the master bedroom suite. Jarv closed the doors behind them.

"Well goodnight, Jarv. Thank you for a wonderful day."

"Scott, don't you want to sleep with me?"

"You know I want to, baby."

"Good, after you've changed and brushed your teeth, you get that beautiful body in my bed with me."

Scott smiled, "Mom was right, you are a tiger."

Jarv was in bed by the time Scott had finished in his bathroom. Scott took off his robe and slid into bed and pulled Jarv into his arms. They kissed and held each other. "Jarv, you're more beautiful than I remembered. God how I missed you. What a jerk I was."

"Let's not dwell on the mistakes of the past; we're beyond that now." Jarv pulled the covers back.

"Lay on your stomach, baby, I want to give you a rubdown."

Scott obliged, and Jarv knelt between his legs and began. "I love the feel of your firm muscles. You've always turned me on, sweetheart." He worked on the leg muscles and groin area. "Okay turn over on your back."

Jarv leaned forward and kissed Scott tenderly on the eyes, neck, and mouth. He spread the lotion on Scott's chest and worked it into his body from his stomach to his groin where he gently worked on his erogenous area. Scott moaned softly and Jarv's fingers rubbed his anus. "I thought you said you were impotent?"

"Up until tonight, I was, Jarv. This is the first time I've had an erection like this since we were together. The urologist was right; he said my problem was psychological. I want you deep inside of me, my beautiful lover."

After their breathing returned to normal, Scott said, "I had forgotten how beautiful it was between us, Jarv. You are the only person I have ever loved, and it's wonderful to be home again." They took a quick shower and returned to bed. Scott pulled Jarv into his arms and they fell asleep as they always did.

♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

Scott opened his eyes as the sun was rising over the range of mountains. He kissed Jarv and could feel him stir. Jarv turned to face Scott. "Good morning, handsome," Jarv said. "This is the way I would like to wake up every morning. Nothing has changed between us; we still have the magic."

"I know, baby. I need you in my life, Jarv. I don't want to live without you again. I dread the thought of going back to Atlanta without you. I won't have any problems finding a job up here. I want to be with you and these darling children of yours. Will you marry me, Jarv?"

"I gave you my answer six years ago you were always my spouse, Scott. We never divorced. Your marriage to Cathy meant nothing to me and I knew it would never last; you were always mine. You're cured now and you know what you want out of life. That is all I care about. We became a couple once again this afternoon in my studio. You are my spouse and everything I have is yours. I expect you back here when you resign your position with Emory. We have a lot to discuss after you have your chat with Mac. Let's get dressed and take a drive around the complex. I'll drop you off at Mac's office on my way back."

"I'll check with Alex and find out when he and Sandy are leaving for Atlanta. If they are leaving early, then I'll have one of my jets fly you back to Atlanta on Monday. I want to spend as much time as I can with you. We have so much to discuss. I'll have Todd cover for me the week after next and spend a week with you in Atlanta. I'm leaving for Brazil Monday evening for another week. Darn, I can't be with you in Atlanta the following week. I just remembered I'm locked into a tight schedule in New York City that week."

Jarv drove him around the grounds of the Retreat ending up at the office complex. "The children's classrooms are on the first floor of this office building. There is a large dining room for the children and special tables set aside for parents who have lunch with their children. It makes for a warm and friendly family atmosphere. You never hear any loud voices, or shouting in the dining room. The children are well behaved, and it makes it pleasant for everyone. The children can attend school right here at the Retreat, up to middle school. From there on, it's down to Stevens Glen, or off to special private school. Of course, only the exceptional children, like Mac's son, go to the special school. He is in his second year at Yale Law School. Lance is an exceptional young teenager; he is eighteen going on forty. I hope you have a chance to meet him today. Lance and I have become good buddies. I love him like a younger brother, nicest young man you ever want to meet."

"You better go on up, and good luck. Mac's office is on the top floor. One thing, baby, you can trust Mac, so be open with him," Jarv said. "Ask him to drop you off at the house when you finish up; love you."

Scott took the elevator to the top floor and stepped into a tastefully decorated reception room. It was as elegant as the sitting room of Drew's mansion. The maintenance people were buffing the hardwood floors along a wide corridor that led to the private offices. A plain clothed security man was seated at the reception desk. "Doctor Purdey?"

"That's me," Scott said, "I have an appointment with Mr. Stevens."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Stevens' office is the last door on the right."

Mac was seated behind a large mahogany desk that was centered in front of a large picture window. The view overlooked the mountains. One wall was a mural depicting horses grazing on the blue grass hills of Kentucky. It was so realistic, you felt you could reach out and touch the horses. The office was decorated in earth tones and smelled of leather and polished wood. Mac was so absorbed with his computer he was unaware of Scott's presence.

"Good morning, Mac," Scott said.

Mac stopped typing, and stood, extending his hand to Scott. "Good morning, let's move over to the lounge area where it's more comfortable. Would you like a cup of coffee, or tea?"

"Tea would be fine, thank you."

Mac poured them each a cup of tea. "We may be interrupted this morning, Scott; my son, Lance, said he would be dropping by to pick up his notes for his speech tomorrow. It's his turn to act as master of ceremonies. He's on his way back from the King's place in Pound Ridge. He and his cousins were attending a concert last night."

"Let me say I'm delighted that you and Jarv are back together again. Jarv is a talented businessman and has become a dear friend. He is a pleasure to work with. I can't imagine how we ever got along without him.

"Jarv has taken me into his confidence regarding your relationship, so I am aware of how much you mean to each other. Based on what Jarv has told me about your background, and from what I have learned on my own, my gut feeling is you have not achieved your full potential yet. I personally feel that you have the talent and the brains to do a heck of a lot better than Emory. But, before we get to that, I would like to hear your side of the story about your breakup with Jarv."

"If Jarv has told you about me, then you must know what I lost when Jarv left me. No matter what Jarv thought then, I never stopped loving him. I know what you must be thinking, because I've asked myself the same question. How could I have loved Jarv that much and yet have an affair with a woman? The answer to that question took me four years in analysis to find out. I can tell you honestly that they were the most depressing four years of my life. Jarv and I have a second chance at marriage and we are both going to make sure it lasts.

"One thing I find hard to accept is that our roles have changed. Jarv has always been my little brother, the one I protected. I wanted to be the bread winner and provider for our family. Now Jarv is the provider for the family. I've always been the dominant one in our relationship from the very beginning. Now things have changed and I feel I have no control. I'm overwhelmed by his wealth and I was not prepared for this. I accepted the teaching position at Emory, instead of starting my own practice, because I always hoped that Jarv and I would get back together again. Knowing Jarv as I do, I knew he would never return to Atlanta. The one thing that Jarv didn't know when he left me was that my affair with Cathy was already on the rocks. If he had allowed me to explain things to him I feel we could have worked things out. What I did was wrong, but I was not convinced that I was a homosexual. That was why it took me four years in therapy to discover myself. Jarv is a very unique person, and he accepted his homosexuality and dealt with it. It was clear cut with him. Sure he had some tough times in the beginning as we all do. But, he went into counseling because he was in love with me and did not know how to handle it.

"He is a very sensitive and emotional person and I hurt him badly, I know that. But, he has a brilliant mind and the ability to use that marvelous brain of his to sort things out. It's uncanny, but I've seen him do it many times in the past. He does this with everything. It doesn't surprise me that he has made his millions. I don't have his abilities to block things out at will. I never knew until last night that Jarv knew in his own mind how everything would turn out between us. Thank God, he was right. Jarv knew that the threat of never seeing him again, was what forced me to come back to him. I wanted to die the night he left me. I never realized he could be so strong. That night he gave me the scenario of the steps I needed to take to win him back."

"After my marriage failed and my desire for Jarv became unbearable, I took his advice and went into therapy. I took a leaf from Jarv's book and concentrated all my energy into my teaching job, and earned my MBA at the same time."

Scott stopped talking when he heard the light knock on Mac office door. "That must be Lance," Mac said. "Come in."

Lance walked over to Mac and they hugged, "I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting."

"No problem, son", Mac said. "Lance, I have the pleasure of introducing Doctor Scott Purdey, Jarv's brother."

"It's really nice to meet you at long last, Dr. Purdey. Jarv has told me so much about you, and I feel I already know you. How long are you staying?"

"I will be leaving early Monday morning."

"That's too bad, I was hoping the three of us could do a little sailing, I understand you two love to sail. That's all Jarv talks about. I thought it would be super if we could do some sailing while you were here."

"Maybe the next time, Lance," Scott said.

"Great, I'm going to hold you to that."

Mac said, "Well, how was your weekend, Lance?"

"We had a great time, Dad. We all went horseback riding early this morning; I found a great trail that you will really enjoy. Well, I must run, I have to get ready for my little speech. Hope to see you again, Dr. Purdey. Dad, would you mind stopping by later for a dry run on my presentation?"

"I'll be glad to as soon as I finish up here."

"Thanks, Dad. It was a pleasure meeting you, Dr. Purdey." Lance left and closed the door.

"God, you should have called him Chip," Scott said. "He looks acts and talks exactly like you. He's a nice, clean cut young man."

"Thank you, I'm very proud of Lance, he's my eldest, and I also have twin boys and a daughter. Drew has two daughters, they are all wonderful children.

"I try to make it a practice to stay out of my associates private lives, unless they ask for my help," Mac said. "I know that Jarv has been under analysis for some time and I've seen a change for the better in him over the last few years. I think he has matured emotionally. I think you should tell Jarv some of the things you have told me about your marriage. You should have no secrets when it comes to role playing in your marriage. But, I do feel that you both should continue to see your analysts until you feel comfortable in your marriage.

"Why should you stop being Jarv's big brother and his knight in shining armor, Scott? Remember that is the way Jarv will always see you. His money won't change that in his mind. He loves you because you are Scott, his protector. I suggest you continue to be his big brother and lover.

"You said you felt overwhelmed by Jarv's wealth. Well, I'm telling you from experience, don't let that worry you. Jarv doesn't think that way. I'm sure you will learn that whatever he has is yours. That was one of the most difficult things I had to overcome when I married Drew.

"I was a poor Kentucky farm boy when I married Drew. My family was from the old school and didn't believe in accepting money, or expensive gifts from people. If you wanted something you worked for it, or you did without. Drew married me and made me a millionaire. Not only that, he invested hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money in my companies. So I know how you feel about Jarv's wealth. But, to Jarv the money is a means to an end.

"Jarv felt, and rightly so, that the only way a gay couple can have children is to buy them. You do that with surrogate mothers. Today it costs over $100,000 per child to find the right surrogate mother. And that is after you have spent a small fortune in legal fees and search fees to find the right match. The other reason Jarv needed money was for you, to buy you a practice. Granted, Jarv may have been twenty-four at the time, but he had a dream and he went after it, because these were the things you both wanted.

"Sometimes we become so wrapped up in our own self interest, we lose our perspective. I feel that Jarv got caught up in that and assumed that you wanted the same things. I don't know how I would have reacted under the same circumstances then. When I awarded him his first major contract, he knew he had reached his goal, and that was the same night that he learned of your infidelity. He had no choice but to sever all relations with you because he felt that you would repeat the same thing over and over again.

"I thought you should know where Jarv is coming from and what he has told me. I know you're serious about Jarv, and my advice is to go back to the way you were before the breakup. Jarv is still Jarv, he has not changed in sixteen years and he is not going to now. Like all of us, he's just gotten older and wiser.

"My job is to find intelligent, professional men like you, and place them in a position that allows them the opportunity to prosper and grow to their full potential. I feel confident that you have the potential. Now you have nothing stopping you, your marriage is back on track and I know you are going to do well in our Health Services Group. Scott MacGregor feels the same way. Scott had his own successful practice and was one of the top Plastic Surgeons in Manhattan before I recruited him. Scott was interested because he disliked the long hours he had to devote to his practice. He had no private life to speak of, and was not really happy. Today, he is home every evening for dinner and spends quality time with his family.

"Scott thinks you would be a natural for one of the management openings he has within his groups. Don’t worry we'll train you, then turn you lose. You'll earn a good income and once you've outgrown that job, we will move you up to the next level. You'll work right here at the Retreat and be home every day to take care of your family while Jarv is running around doing his thing.

"I think you'll also solve that problem you were concerned about as far as the money. I can assure you that if you apply yourself, you will be a millionaire yourself down the road. What do you think, Scott?"

"I think this is the opportunity of a lifetime and I accept your generous offer, when would you want me to start?"

"The sooner the better; you let me know the date you're ready and I'll start the ball rolling. I like to work with my new managers in the beginning. After that I turn them over to their division managers. In your case, that will be Scott MacGregor, who happens to be an excellent manager. Of course you must pass all our company tests, do you have any objections to taking my tests?"

"None whatsoever."

"Before you leave, I'll give you our employment packet, and ask you to fill out the employee application before you return to Atlanta. Ask Jim to drop them by my office first thing Monday. The drug screening, blood work and psychological testing can be taken care of in Atlanta; Scott can schedule that for you. I'm confident you'll pass all the tests with flying colors."

Mac smiled, and extended his hand, "It's good to have you on board. I know you will be happy with us and I'm convinced that you will have a bright future with us, Dr. Purdey. On a personal note, I wish you and Jarv a long and happy life together. If you have any problems, my door is always open."

"Thanks, Mac, for the job and for your encouraging words. I can assure you I will do my best to become successful in your organization."

Mac smiled, "I know you will, Scott. You have the ability and the drive to become one of my top executives. I'm giving you the opportunity to prove that I'm right about you. Now, we'd better get a move on, or we'll both be in trouble with our spouses. I'll run you home; let me turn off my computer.

"One thing that you are going to have to live with as long as you work for me is my security people. They are here to protect us and are good at their jobs, but we cannot go anywhere without them. It's something you get used to after a while. I know I have. Try not to let it bother you. Their presence will be more visible this afternoon, because of the visitors. All of my fellow executives take this very seriously. We cannot afford to relax our guard for one minute. It's unfortunate, but necessary. You're safe at the Retreat. When you come on board, Mike Lee will give you a complete run-down.

"I know you and Jarv want to spend time together today, but I want you to join us for brunch tomorrow, and for our meeting tomorrow afternoon." Mac handed Scott the employment package. "Now let me drive you home."

Scott found Jarv in the nursery with the children. "You're smiling," Jarv said; "your meeting must have gone well with Mac."

"Can you break away for a few minutes?" Scott asked.

"Daddy has to talk business with Uncle Scott, children; I'll be back in a little while."

"Let's sit in our suite," Scott said. Scott closed the door after them. He took Jarv in his arms and kissed him tenderly. "Mac hired me. He wants me to start ASAP."

"This is wonderful news; congratulations, babe. How long will it take you to break away from Emory?"

"My contract runs for another six months, but I'll find someone to take over for me. I won't know anything until after I talk to my boss. I'm so excited; God, what a weekend this is turning out to be. I have you back, and a new job to look forward to. Let me hold you a few minutes longer, my beautiful babe, I have a lot of catching up to do. I wish I could make love to you this minute."

"We'll have lunch with the kids," Jarv said, "and then spend the rest of the day together. I need to read to them before dinner, but after that the night is ours."

"Good, we can make out after lunch, and get down to the serious stuff after dinner. I'm going to savor every inch of that beautiful body of yours, so it's early to bed and a light supper in our bedroom tonight, baby. How does that grab you, my little tiger?"

Jarv laughed, "Very nicely, I can hardly wait."

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The End
 

Posted: 04/06/12