Keith & Dean

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 telephone rang about six. It was Dean. "What's up?" Keith asked.

"Have you started fixing dinner yet?" he asked.

"It's too early," Keith said. "Are you going to have to work longer tonight?"

"No, I have a date," Dean said. "I'll be eating out tonight and I wanted to get to you before you started cooking anything."

"That's fine."

"One more thing; is it all right if I use the van tonight?"

"Sure, I'm not going anywhere; I have a ton of reports to catch up on tonight. Have a good time."

"Are you alright, Keith? You sound disappointed, did you have something planned for tonight? I know how you hate sudden changes."

"I'm fine, have a good time. I'll see you in the morning." I smiled and took a chicken potpie out of the freezer and popped it into the microwave.

I finished reading the textbook for my assignment. I was not going to get caught again by being unprepared, once is enough. I sat in front of my computer and began downloading the memos from Lindstrom Plantation. Many required my comments, but most were routine. I kept plugging away.

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When Dean returned home at eleven, he found Keith sound asleep sitting in front of the computer. He went over to the computer and saved the file Keith was working on and shut down the computer.

He shook Keith to wake him, but he was dead to the world. The shrink kept Keith on special medication to stop the nightmares. He was okay during the day, but if he didn't take them before bedtime he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night.

He carried him into the bedroom and pulled back the covers and striped him. Dean smiled; he noticed Keith was wearing a pair of the briefs that he had given him for his birthday. He removed the briefs and observed that Keith was back to shaving himself again.

The burns scars were still noticeable in his groin area, as were the scars from the kidney operation. The surgeon said that it would take years for that scar to fade, even with all the special lotions the plastic surgeon gave him.

He covered him with a sheet, picked up his clothes, and hung them the dressing room. He undressed and turned off the lights and returned to the living room.

He noticed the red light flashing on the answering machine. There were two messages. He played them back. One was from Keith's Uncle Jeb. "I've taken your advice; the signed and notarized documents are on the way to your lawyers now."

"My attorneys will have the deed for the Plantation ready for your signature tomorrow. I've discharged and paid the staff, so it's your responsibility now. I'll be out of your way and will be out of the country, by Wednesday. Maybe one day you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I will always love you."

The second message at ten thirty was from Keith's attorney.

"Keith … just got off the phone with your uncle; he has agreed to all your terms and is overnighting the signed documents to me; congratulations."

Dean smiled and shook his head in amazement. He took his book out and began to read. He turned off the lights at 1AM, and slipped into bed next to Keith and fell asleep.

The clock radio went off at 8AM. Dean opened his eyes and heard the shower running in the bathroom. He got up, put his robe on and headed out to the kitchen to make the coffee. He poured two glasses of orange juice and set them on the table. He took out the Canadian bacon, eggs, butter and bread out of the refrigerator. He beat half a dozen eggs in the bowl and heated the frying pan.

"Good morning," Keith said as he walked into the kitchen. "Would you like me to make the toast?"

"Sure," Dean said.

"Thanks for putting me to bed last night."

Dean chuckled. "I can't leave you alone anymore; can I?"

"Sure looks that way. I take it the fair damsel turned you down and didn't put out for the savage beast?"

"What are you, psychic this morning?"

Keith had a broad grin on his face when he answered. "If you had scored, I wouldn't have woken up in your arms this morning. You know I think I'm going to stop taking those sleeping pills; I'm missing out on the fun."

Dean blushed. "I'm sorry; I wasn't aware of that."

"Don't be sorry; I enjoyed it. I must say, you have one fine looking piece of meat there, Dean, I only wish you had gone further. That gal didn't know what she missed."

Dean chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky the next time."

"Promises, promises," Keith said, laughing.

"For your information, wise guy, she didn't turn me down. I turned her down. I'll never go on a blind date again. What a wasted evening. I could have had a hooker for a lot less. Not to mention the satisfaction."

Keith smiled, "Look, baby, I'd be happy to take care of you for free. What are buddies for anyway?"

Dean chuckled, "Look out, Keith, I may just jump your bones. One thing's for sure, you're a lot more attractive than the air head I dated last night. I noticed you've taken to shaving from the face down again? I also saw that you nicked yourself in a few places. I told you I would shave you."

Keith blushed. "I couldn't let you do that."

"I don't understand you sometimes," Dean said. "I've been your nurse for five months; what's your problem?"

"If you must know, you would turn me on. It was different when I was recuperating; I hurt so much I didn't care. But, that's all changed now."

Dean raised his eyebrows, "Oh, thanks for telling me," Dean said. "Do you mind me asking how long you've felt this way?"

"For the last two years," Keith said.

Dean smiled and shook his head, "Congratulations on knocking your uncle out of the box. I didn't think it was going to be so easy. You're one smart dude."

"How did you know about that? I only spoke to him yesterday afternoon," Keith remarked.

"I checked the answering machine when I returned last night. Why don't you check it out while I shower and dress?"

After Keith checked his messages, he cleaned up the kitchen and made the bed while Dean was dressing.

"I have a big favor to ask you," Keith said. "Will you fly with me to Jackson early Wednesday morning?"

"Sure, how long will we be gone?"

"About two days, tops. You're a prince, Dean. I'm afraid to walk into that manor house alone. We'll be flying back Thursday night."

"That's cool," Dean said.

"Call your dad and ask him if he's free to meet me Thursday morning. I'd like to have him take care of some renovations I'm planning. One last thing, do you want to stay with your folks Wednesday night, or share a room with me at the Marriott in Jackson?"

"I'll stay with you at the Marriott," Dean said. "We can have dinner with the folks Wednesday."

"Dean, I'm going to need your help to get rid of all that crap in my uncle's play room before your dad starts his work on the house. I have some special plans for the S&M toys, however. I'm going to have your dad turn that playroom into a storage area."

"We better get a move on, or we're going to be late for our first class," Dean said.

♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

Keith's narrative continues:

The trip back to the scene of the crime was a nightmare for me. I was a nervous wreck by the time I reached the attorney's office in downtown Jackson. Dean took off in the rental van to see his folks while I sat down with the attorneys. They transferred the deeds of the Lindstrom Plantation, and Jeb's stock over to me.

After finishing with them, I headed over to the Jackson Security Systems office. I needed to sign a new contract with them to guard the plantation. I had discussed the arrangements with them over the phone, Tuesday. They were to install a new state of the art security system in addition to the 24/7 guards. I made sure that Bruno was the man assigned to be responsible for my security. I paid for their Class-A service. It was costing me a bundle, but I felt it was worth every cent.

The mansion had been in the family for generations and it had an outstanding collection of fine art and porcelain. Not to mention the antique furniture collection that my family had collected over the years.

In spite of his misplaced loyalty, I held no ill feelings against Bruno. He said he did his best to protect me in spite of my uncle. Bruno was right; Uncle Jeb had been his employer. After signing the papers, Bruno and I left the office and made two more stops.

One was to the Lawn & Landscaping Company to sign a service contract for the maintenance of the Plantation grounds. The other stop was to the House maintenance service. Even though I would not be living in the house, it still had to be maintained. Again, Bruno had to schedule extra guards to watch the maintenance and cleaning staff.

Since Bruno had his car, I called Dean and told him to pickup lunch for the three of us and meet us at the plantation. On the drive over, I explained to Bruno how I wanted him to dispose of the S&M toys.

He was to divide the toys and hide them at Ken's, and Norm's homes, in a place where they would not be discovered accidentally. He was to make sure there were no prints on the toys.

We would go through my uncle's room to remove his costumes. He was to contact the insurance company for a copy of the current inventory. In addition, Bruno was to arrangement to have a certified appraiser catalogue and appraise everything in the manor house and to videotape every item.

Dean was parked outside the gate waiting for us when we arrived. Bruno opened the gate and we drove around to the kitchen entrance. We ate lunch in the staff dining room. After lunch, we headed down to the basement. Bruno packed up the toys while Dean and I began removing the chains, hooks, and paraphernalia that my uncle had installed. After Bruno finished his task, he worked with Dean to finish the job. I went up to my suite to pack up some clothes that I would need in Atlanta.

I felt a mixture of fear and hate when I stood alone in my bedroom. The original staff was gone, and the house had that feeling of emptiness. I've never felt this alone in my life before. I walked over to my desk and looked at the last family photograph we had taken together.

The tears welled up in my eyes and I began to cry. I missed my family terribly. I often wished I had died with them. Sure, I had won the battle, and taken control the family business, but so what. What did it all mean when my family was gone? I had no one to share my life with. I had no children to leave it to. All this would go to charity one day and I'll end up as another statistic when I died.

I was startled when Dean came up behind me and started rubbing my back and tried to console me. He didn't say a word, he put his arm around me and pulled me to him and handed me his handkerchief.

"Breathe deeply, Tiger," Dean said. "You miss your folks, don't you?"

"Yes, I do, that and remembering what happened the last time I was in this room. You know, as stupid as it may sound, the beating I received was not as painful as the thought of being alone once again. That together with the realization that I'm the last of line, there will be no heirs to pass on the family name. I feel I let my family down. This has been bothering me for some time."

"I even considered a marriage of convenience. Yet, that is fraught with all kinds of problems, as you can well imagine. Anyway, I haven't the will or desire to have sex with a woman. I really would want to have children. And even if it were possible, what guarantees would I have that my wife wouldn't leave me and take the children with her. She could demand that I support her and the children, yet not allow me to see the children. A homosexual hasn't a leg to stand on in this society, and particularly in Mississippi."

"Are you absolutely sure you are a homosexual? You sure don't act like one," Dean said. "Have you tried going out with a woman?"

"I know what I am, Dean. I have no interest in the opposite sex at all. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoy the company of women. It's just that I don't have any desire to have sex with them. My shrink tried to help me on that score. I tried dating some lovely women, but I had no desire to pursue them any further.

"I was still getting calls from women inviting me to gatherings and dinner. You know how big my uncle was on me socializing. I suppose that has something to do with my money, but not all of it. After spending that weekend with Chuck, I had no doubts about what I am. Even my shrink had to agree."

"That's my point about dating; according to you, Chuck was just as turned on as you were, yet he is not gay."

"That's true, but not all of us are the same. Chuck happens to be one of those rare men who do not feel threatened by male sex. I'm sure he means what he said about being straight. But, who knows if he'll stay that way. I personally feel he is bisexual, but then again, who knows? Whatever he is, I wish him well."

"Look, Keith, I think you should find a shrink in Atlanta and talk to him about your problem. Christ, you're only twenty-one, you're wealthy, and you have your whole life ahead of you. You're an intelligent guy and have a lot going for you and I'm not alone in that opinion."

"You proved to your Board of Directors and the lawyers that you were intelligent enough to be given control of the Lindstrom Corporation. Do you know how many men would give their right nut to be in your spot right now?

"You're not alone, Keith, I'll always be here for you and I'm sure Chuck feels the same way. I know we're not family, but so what? We're a hell of a lot better than that uncle of yours, and he's gay. You've been through a lot and it's finally catching up to you. I don't want to see you do anything stupid like going off the deep end, or worse. I would really miss you." Dean chuckled. "And I'm not saying this because you're a hunk."

Keith smiled and blew his nose. "You're right. I need to find out what's causing these nightmares. I don't want to keep taking those knock-out pills. Who knows? One night you might take advantage of me when I'm asleep and I would miss all the fun. Thanks for the encouraging words, Dean. Are things presentable enough to have your father in to look at the room?"

"The room looks like any other room now," Dean said. "We've disconnected the hoses and capped the water lines. Believe me, it's fine. Let's see what Bruno has turned up in your uncle's old room."

Bruno had completed the search of Jeb's bedroom suite when they walked in. "Everything is as clean as a whistle, boss, the place is empty."

"That's fine, Bruno," Keith said. "Sometime next week Ms. Whitehall, my interior decorator, will be calling you from Atlanta to make an appointment to see the house. She probably needs a couple of days to look the place over. She said she would be accompanied by some of her assistants to take pictures, and measure."

"I'm also having an architectural firm in from Atlanta give me a price on restoring this Plantation to its original condition. I rather like the original classic design my great-grandfather intended for the place.

"One last thing, I want you contact a few employment agencies and start interviewing staff people to run this house. I'll need a butler, a housekeeper and a chef. I would like you to screen at least three qualified people for each position. I'm planning to have a big Christmas party this year and I want them in place by then."

"Yes, sir," Bruno said. "Anything else, sir?"

"When we're in public, or around the staff you can address me as Mr. Lindstrom. When we are alone, or I am with Dean, please call me Keith. I'm going to ask you an embarrassing question Bruno, but it's important that you answer it honestly. My uncle used to use you to check out people for him and to run his — shall we say — confidential errands, didn't he?"

"Yes, sir; that was part of my job."

"Did he have you check out Dean?"

"Yes, sir."

"What did you learn about him?"

"Squeaky clean, honor student, outstanding athlete, normal all-American boy, doesn't do drugs or booze, and is active in the community."

"Did my uncle have you check out Chuck, Ken, and Norm as well?"

"Yes, sir, he did."

"What did you learn about them?"

"They all came from old line Mississippi families. But, the Olsen family was the only decent one of the three. Chuck is a nice kid. His parents brought him up properly and made him toe the mark. He had curfews and he stuck to them. He wasn't allowed out on a school night and his folks had to know who his friends were.

"He only got in trouble once and that was because he was with those two spoiled rotten kids, Ken and Norm. They were always getting into trouble. As far as their parents were concerned, they could do no wrong. You know the type. My buddy found out through private sources that they were into kinky sex and you weren't the first guy they did a number on. The police couldn't prove anything, but they think they were responsible for several unsolved cases. That's why your uncle approved of them. He did caution me to keep an eye on them. He didn't want you hurt. Those two can get carried away when they're doing drugs. If anything happened to you or Chuck, there would have been hell to pay. You two were considered jail bait until you were sixteen."

"How could you stand to watch those gang-bangs?" Dean asked.

"I've seen much worse in my job. It was not my business to judge you boys. Sure you were jail bait, but you were enjoying yourself. I felt that if I didn't keep an eye on you, your uncle would hire someone else to guard you. Believe me you were much better off with me. I was glad I was here that night. They were all so high on drugs that I thought they were crazy."

"At the time, I knew that they were beyond caring. I slipped some strong drugs in their drinks and waited until they passed out. I quickly untied you and took you up to your room. Then I carried your uncle up to his room. One by one, I carried the boys out to my van and dumped them on a dirt road out in the country. When I came back to take you to the doctor, you had disappeared. My boss told me to say nothing and leave the house since none of you would remember what happened.

"Your uncle called me late the next day and wanted to know where you were. I told him I had no idea. You see, I had already quit after what they did to you. I suggested he call his two slaves and ask them. I never heard from him again."

"So that's what happened that night," Keith said. "I couldn't sleep the pain was so intense. I could hardly breathe. That's when I called Dean."

"Thank you for saving my life, Bruno." How would you like to work for me?"

"I'm already working for you."

"You're working for the agency; I'm your client. I don't want that kind of an arrangement. I want you to work for me exclusively. I don't want your loyalty to be split between me and your employer. You think about it and let me know before I leave tomorrow."

"I can't leave the agency even if I wanted to; I've signed a three-year contract with them," Bruno said.

"That's not a problem; I can buy your contract out. Think about it and let me know your answer tomorrow."

"Yes sir."

"Hire someone to come out here tomorrow and pack up my clothes and airfreight them to Atlanta as well," Keith said. "And let's change that entry code before we leave tonight."

"Yes sir. Will you need me earlier than eight o'clock tomorrow morning?" Bruno asked.

"No that's fine," Keith said. "If you need me for anything, I'll be having dinner with the McCall's tonight. After that, you can reach me at the Marriott in town. Oh, before I forget … if you need petty cash, or have any unpaid invoices, take them to my Attorney's office in town. I've authorized them to reimburse you for any expenses you have. We'll be leaving you now; see you in the morning, Bruno."

"Good night, sir. Good night, Dean."

They got into the van and drove out the front gate.

"Well, I think we got a lot accomplished today, don't you?"

Dean grinned, "You know, little man, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you were crazy."

"What's wrong?"

Dean shook his head, and smiled. "Nothing really; how are you feeling now? Are you over your blue funk?"

"Yes, thank you," Keith laughed; "you made it all better. I thought about what you said and you were right on two points. I have a good friend and I'm wealthy. I plan to make good use of both."

"Mmmmmm, I don't know if I like the sound of that, Tiger. I saw the way you got into Bruno's head today. I don't understand why you just don't leave the arrangements the way they are? This way, if you don't like the way he does something, you can always replace him."

"That's true, but I trust Bruno; he is competent and will take good care of me. He has already proven that. Anyway, he knows all about my family background and me. Bruno will make sure he doesn't make any more mistakes. If he works for me, he will learn the way I want things done. Another thing, he knows my enemies. The important thing is that you two get along. I have a proposition to make you and I want you to give it a lot of thought before you give me your answer."

"This sounds very serious," Dean replied with a grin."

"I want you to continue to live with me until we graduate from college. We both want to get our MBA and now is the time to make the decision. It means carrying a heavy program in the next four years. Now that we've been at it for a while, I think we should consider taking the accelerated program that Tech is offering. We may have to give up our Friday evenings and Saturdays for a while, but I think it is worth the effort. I know we have the marks and the brains to do it."

"Hold is right there, Tiger. Even if I wanted to go along with the program, I can't swing it financially. I can't ask my parents for any more money?"

"I know your financial situation and we'll talk about that in a minute. We are compatible and think alike on most issues. Right now, I need your moral support and companionship. The shrink will help me to straighten out my life again. If you do this for me, I will not only foot your bill at Tech, but I'll pay for your other expenses as well. Since you will be giving up your part time job, my company will send you a paycheck for the same amount you are presently earning. You're not getting a free ride. I want you to work for me and design a new computer system for the Lindstrom Corporation.

"If this works out, and you want to stay with the company, I'll move you into our new Executive training program. After that, you can have your pick of a career with the firm. We both have different life styles and I would expect you to do your thing, I will do the same. We can work that out if you agree to live with me. We will continue the petty cash arrangements for the household expenses. If you agree to go along with the arrangements, I'll provide you with a company credit card. That will make the bookkeeping much easier all around, plus we get bonus miles on our airline tickets."

"Jesus, Keith, that's a tempting offer, but I'll feel like I'd lose my independence if I allowed you to support me like that. I don't think this is a good idea knowing how you feel about me. Look, you're only human. Suppose you decide that you don't want me around anymore, or you want more from me than I'm willing to give. On the other hand, suppose you meet Mister Right and decide to play house together? Where does that leave me?"

"That's not going to happen," Keith said. "I've been honest with you from the beginning. Sure, I have a thing for you, but that has not affected our friendship. I have never made a pass at you and I never will. I'd certainly never use my position, or money to force you into a compromising situation. I value our friendship too much to allow that to happen. You should know me well enough by now to know that I never go back on my word. I intend to draw up a letter of agreement that will cover all the points you've made and will guarantee that no matter what happens, your education, and subsistence will continue until you receive your MBA.

"Look, you could find the girl of your dreams and leave just as easily. I'm not saying that this is going to be the ideal arrangement, but it's something to strive for. I'm willing to do everything I can to make it work. Look, Dean, there are no guarantees in this life and everything you get comes with a price tag. Look at the price I paid for what I have today. I have more money than I can ever spend in three lifetimes. Yet what good is it to me if it cost the lives of my family."

Dean shook his head and smiled, "Your uncle didn't realize what a treasure he cast aside. You're smooth, Keith; I can see why the Board let you have controlling interest in Lindstrom. This is a big decision to make. I need some time to think this through."

"Take all the time you need."

♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦      ♦

After dinner at the McCall home, they drove back to their hotel.

Keith showered first and slipped into his robe. He plugged in his computer and checked his email. He read and answered ten messages by the time Dean returned to the sitting room. "I don't know about you but I'm going to hit the sack before that pill kicks in," Keith said.

Dean turned off the lights and followed Keith into the bedroom. "I'm going to call it a night, too." They both crawled into the king-sized bed. Dean reached over and turned off the lights.

"You have a great family, Dean; they are down-to-earth people. It was nice to be part of a loving family again. I had forgotten how nice it can be."

"They like you too, Tiger. You really made a big hit with my dad. He still can't believe you're giving him the opportunity to become the prime contractor for Lindstrom. His eyes got a little watery when he told me about what you had said. Do you know how long he's been trying to land a contract from your company?"

"If your father is as good as you say he is, he shouldn't have any problem landing the contract. I told your dad he needs to present a sound proposal to my managers. He will be bidding against some tough competition but I think he can land the contract if he can line-up enough of the top sub-contractors to handle the work. He knows who they are. Now all he has to do is sign letters-of-intent with them. It wouldn't be ethical for me to show favoritism, but you tell your father that it wouldn't hurt his cause at all it he let it be known that he has a direct pipeline to me. If the subs want to check that out with me, they can. I've given your father the name of my investment banker who will make sure he gets the financing he needs."

"It looks like I'm going to owe you big time," Dean said.

"You don't owe me anything; that's what friends are for. If you hadn't been there for me when I needed you, we would not be talking about this tonight. Well, buddy, I can't keep my eyes open any longer; good night."

To be continued...

Posted: 03/30/12