Disclaimer: I do not know nor do I claim to know Jake Gyllenhaal, or any other celebrities that may wander through these pages, and I do not know or mean to imply any knowledge of their personal/private lives or their sexual preferences. This is a work of fiction. The character of Michael is my own creation and therefore any use of him outside of this story must be done with my permission. If you are under 18 years of age or are bothered by the prospect of of a homo-erotic relationship between two men, you had better go and find something else to read on another website.
Happy Easter everyone!!
Hmmm....Brokeback Mountain! Loved it, almost cried, again, when Ennis hugged the shirts!! Donnie Darko! Totally bizarre!! That is one movie that just screams out for a sequel!! Yeah, I know Donnie bought the farm, but hey, as weird as the premise of the movie was, a sequel wouldn't be beyond the realm of possibility! And finally, congrats to Jake's big sister Maggie and her boyfriend, Peter Sarsgaard on both the news of their engagement and their forthcoming child. That said, on with the story...
Michael's POV
You have no idea how much I had to fight the urge to raise up that last foot and bring our mouths together, but if the look on Jake's face was any indication, he was having just as hard of a time as I was. I felt as much as saw his heated gaze memorizing each and every detail before Maggie cleared her throat.
"I'm, uh, I'm so sorry about that! Here, let me help you get up," he said, moving back to stand up and pull me to my feet. "I have no idea what got into Atticus to make him do something like that," he continued, squatting back down to pick up my scattered sketch pads.
I couldn't help but notice how the action pulled the fabric of his cargo pants tautly across his ass. Damn, I think I must have been living in some kind of sexual limbo or something, because now all I could think of was all of our flirting back at the grocery, and all the things I wanted to do to him, and what I wanted him to do to me!
Yes, another secret about to be revealed! Believe it or not, I am, still, at twenty-five years of age, a virgin! Hey, what can I say! I work three days a week on the show and the rest of my time is devoted to the twins! Plus I'm back living at my parents.
I had been sub-letting a rather nice apartment at the time Eric and Shelly had been killed, and rather than take on the added expense of hiring a nanny, my folks suggested I move back home, at least until Ryan and Michelle started first grade, and as my dad worked from home and my mom either worked evenings or weekends at the hospital, there was always someone there for them when they got home from pre-school. But I digress.....
"Hey, these are really good," Jake said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"What?" I said, mentally shaking my self.
"These pictures. I assume you did them."
"Yeah," I replied.
"Beautiful old house."
"Thanks. I just found out yesterday that I had inherited it."
Maggie gasped. "I read about that in the paper this morning! From what I gathered from the article, the family aren't very happy about it."
"I didn't think they would be," I said frowning. "But it's not my job to make them happy."
"I take it from these, then, that you're considering doing a re-model?" Jake asked.
"Mm-hmm. I'm going to up-date the systems and then sub-divide it into four apartments and live in one of them myself."
"Cool," Jake said, flipping through the different pictures I had done. "I imagine that all this will probably set you back a bit financially."
"Not really," I said, looking around. "Can you two be trusted to keep a secret?" I asked.
"Sure," Jake replied answering for both he and his sister.
"You know the huge Mega-Millions packpot?" I asked. They both nodded. "Well, I won it."
"Seriously?" Maggie asked.
"Seriously," I replied. "This week has certainly had it's....moments....to say the least. I think things are finally starting to look up though," I said, stealing a quick sideways glance at Jake and smiling, something which did not go un-noticed by Maggie, who ducked her head to hide a smile of her own.
"Oh for Pete's sake, why don't you two just exchange numbers and be done with it!" Maggie said.
"Um, yeah," I mumbled, grabbing a pen and Jake's hand and writing my number across his palm. I wrote his on the corner of one of my sketches. "Well, I need to get going," I said feeling reluctant to leave.
"Why don't you join us for dinner?" Maggie said impulsively. "Then you can give me all the dish on what it's like to work on a Soap!"
If I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn Jake looked greatful!
"Okay, I'd like that," I said finally.
"Great, it's settled then. I'll have Jake call you with the details. And bring your sketches. I'd like to see what you have planned, since my baby brother here didn't seem too inclined to want to share them when he was picking them up for you," Maggie said, making Jake blush.
"Okay, I really need to get going," I said reluctantly, taking the twins' hands and heading for one of one of the many paved sidewalks that snaked their way through the Park.
We got all the way out of the park and were heading for home when I realized that I had forgotten something. At that exact moment, my phone signaled that I had a text message. I stopped, took it out of my pocket, opened it, and pressed the button to display the message. It read, "Don't worry about your blanket, I'll bring it later. Maggie said to text me later when you get ready to leave. And just for the record, yes, I am a better kisser than my dogs. Much better. Maybe someday I'll give you a demonstration. Jake."
I sent back a one worded reply.
Jake's POV
My phone vibrated as I walked back to my hotel, signalling I had a text message. I took it out and opened it, clicking to read Michael's simply worded reply to my message, "FUCKER!!" I threw my head back and laughed out loud. Oh hell yeah, I was in for the ride of my life!
I put the phone back in my pocket and shifted Michael's blanket under my arm and continued on my way back to the Hotel, definately in a much better mood than when I had left.
We were doing dinner at Maggie's apartment. I would have to call him and tell him not to dress up for dinner as we were eating in. Hmmmm, I wondered if Peter was going to be there. I think before I told anyone else, I needed to tell my parents first. I pulled my phone back out and hit Maggie's number.
"Hey, Mag's, um, is Peter going to be there tonight?"
"Well, yeah, he lives here...."
"Well, the thing is, so far, you're the only person I've told any of this to."
"You mean you haven't told the folks yet?"
"No, and could we please not get into this while I'm walking down the sidewalk?"
"Alright, don't get your undies in a bundle! If you don't want Peter here......"
"Never mind, I'll come over early and talk with him......"
"Well okay then, if you're sure......"
"I'm not sure about any of this, I just know I have to follow my heart."
"Okay then, I'll see you later."
"Yeah, later Mag's," I said, closing my phone.
Maggie's POV
I hung up and looked at Peter.
"Well?" he asked.
"He's coming over early to 'talk' to you."
"Okay. So, what's he like?"
"Who?"
"The 'guy'?"
"Michael? Here, let me show you," I said, leading the way to my office/ guestroom. Since I was such a huge fan of the show, I had kept all the different magazines that featured the show on the cover, including the ones that had featured Michael's "open letter", and pulled them all out, as well as a couple of recent ones with more current pictures. "Here, read these," I said, handing Peter the magazines, and then went back into the kitchen and tried to figure out just what in the hell I was going to fix for dinner!
Michael's POV
We got home and the kids immediately launched into a detailed replay of that afternoon's events. While they were going on, I went into my room and emptied my back-pack out onto my bed. As I was gathering up my sketch pads, my phone rang, startling me.
The number showed up as "blocked" on my caller ID, so I hesitated momen- tarily before answering.
"Hello, you have reached Val's cell phone. I'm holding Val hostage until he up's my airtime minutes, so please feel free to leave a message, and I'll think about telling him you called. Beeeeeeep!"
I heard a girlish giggle a moment before a woman asked "Michael?"
"Who's calling please?" I asked cautiously.
"It's Maggie. Jake gave me your number, I hope that's okay?"
"Oh, hey! Yeah, that's fine, so, what's up?"
"I just wanted to let you know that we're eating at my place tonight, so you don't have to dress up, just jeans and whatever else you feel comfortable in."
"Okay, cool."
"Oh, I should probably give you my address, too."
"Yeah, hang on, let me get something to write on and with," I said as I grabbed a pen and scratch paper from the depths of my back-pack. "Okay, let me have it." She gave me her address and then we were ending the call.
"Oh, before I forget, my boyfriend Peter is going to be here. I hope that's okay?"
"Sure, no problem."
"Great, see you at, say, 5:30-ish?"
"Sounds good, see you then."
"Okay, I'm looking foreward to this." I could hear the smile in her voice.
"Me too. See you later," I said.
"See ya." With that we concluded the call, and I closed my phone and picked up my sketch pads and went looking for my dad. I found him in his office working on his computer.
"Hey son."
"Hey, could you take a look at some sketches I did and tell me what you think?"
"Sure."
"Here," I said, handing him the books. I waited and watched nervously as he flipped through my sketches for the house.
"These are good son, really good," dad said after looking at each and every sketch I had done.
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely!"
"Good, I was hoping you would like them. I want you to do the floor plans for the re-model. Or at least think about it anyway. I want someone that I know and trust, and I think you qualify on both counts."
"Thanks son. I'll do some digging and asking around and see what I can find out about this new house of yours."
"Thanks dad, you're the best. Now I need to go get in the shower and get ready."
"Ready for what?"
"Dinner. I'm going out with a new friend, who also happens to be a huge fan of the show," I said with a mischevious grin.
"Son---"
"Dad, don't worry, she's fine," I said.
"'She'?"
"Yes, she. As a matter of fact, she and her brother, especially her brother, are bigger celebrities than I could ever hope to be, so you have nothing to worry about."
"Okay, so do this mysterious 'she' and her equally mysterious brother have names that you can divulge?"
"I suppose, but you have to promise not to say anything."
"I swear," my dad said, raising his right hand.
"Okay, it's Maggie. Maggie and Jake. Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal."
"Oh! Huh," my dad said, looking nonplussed for a second. "You mean Jake Gyllenhaal, as in Jake Gyllenhaal from 'Donnie Darko', 'Jarhead', and 'Brokeback Mountain'?"
"Yes, and 'The Day After Tomorrow', and several other pictures as well. Yes, it's that Jake Gyllenhaal, so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go plow through my closet for something decent to wear." With that, I left my dad's office and headed for my bedroom. As I was crossing the living room, my mom came in the front door, home from work.
"Hi mom," said going over to give her a hug. "I won't be home for dinner after all," I said with a huge smile.
"What? Where are you going?" she asked.
"Ask dad, he'll fill you in on the details. I'm going to shower and change clothes."
Jake's POV
Getting off the elevator, I walked down the hall to Maggie's apartment where I knocked on the door. I had only to wait a few seconds before Peter answered it.
"Hey bro, come on in. Maggie tells me you wanted to talk," he said.
"Um, yeah," I replied, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
"Maggie ran down to the store for something, so we're alone. Let's go into the living room," Peter said, leading the way.
I had purposely forgotten to bring Michael's blanket, on the pretext that if we continued to hit it off as well as we had in the Park, I could invite him back to my Hotel room for a drink before he headed back to his place, or maybe I could tempt him into staying the night and putting his blanket to use in a more pleasurable manner!
"So, you wanted to talk?" Peter said, using pretty much the exact same words Maggie had used just a couple of hours ago.
"Yeah," I said, and once more I found myself telling of my feelings of lonliness and confusion, and when I finished, I looked at Peter with uncertainty.
"Thanks for telling me bro. Maggie wanted me to give you something to read when we got done talking. She said it would help you understand yourself, and your new guy, a little bit better," Peter said, giving me a small stack of magazines.
"But I'm not----I mean, he's not----" I fumbled.
"Just read," Peter told me. And so I did. And I came to know, and respect, and yes, love, a beautiful and couragous young man named Michael Valentine O'Neill- Orsini.
Michael's POV
I got out of the shower and started drying off. When I was done, I padded bare naked into my bedroom to get dressed. I pulled on some sox and boxer-briefs and a pair of Levi's 501's and gave myself a light spray of cologne before pulling on a heavy white sweater and my favorite old cowboy boots.
I grabbed my old leather book-bag off the shelf in my closet and went to go get my sketch pads and books from my dad's office and put them in it. I put a few pens and pencils in there also, just in case.
"My little brother! Dating a celebrity!" Julie teased.
"I'm not dating him! Besides, we only just met this afternoon. And I hardly think that dinner with his sister and her boyfriend qualifies as a date. It's just a simple dinner with some friends," I said.
"Mm-hmm, whatever you say."
Mom came out of the kitchen at that exact moment, carrying a bottle of wine.
"Here, take this, and don't forget to stop and get flowers."
"Mom!"
"For his sister!"
"Oh, I knew that!"
"Have a good time and feel free to stay out late."
"Mother!" I blurted, blushing crimson
She simply smiled, and I grabbed my jacket and left.
I stopped at a flower vendor on the corner and bought a nice big bunch of fresh cut daffodils, and then hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address that Maggie had given me.
Before long I was being let out in front of a nice building on Park Avenue, and walked up the front steps. I pulled out my phone, scrolled down to Jake's number and hit dial.
Jake's POV
I had just finished reading Michael's last interview when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and opened it up and smiled when I saw Michael's name.
"Hey."
"Hey, I'm here, if someone wants to buzz me in?"
"Will do. We're up on Ten. Apartment 'C'".
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."
"I'll see you in a few then. Bye."
"Bye."
I closed my phone and got up and went into the kitchen. "He's here."
"Good, perfect timing. Everything is all done. We can sit for a bit before we eat," Maggie said as she hit the button for the front-lobby door.
Five minutes later there was a light tapping at the apartment door and Peter went to answer it. I should probably say right here that at six-three, Peter is several inches taller tham my six feet, and with his buzz-cut blond hair and piercing blue eyes, he looks quite imposing, but he's really just a big pussycat.
"Hi, I'm Maggie's boyfriend, Peter, come on in. Here let me take your things."
"Hi, I'm Michael, nice to meet you. I liked you in Jarhead, by the way."
"Thanks. It pays the bills. Hey loverboy, make yourself useful," Peter said as he gave me a wink and handed me a bottle of wine. We were joined a moment later by Maggie.
"These are for you," Michael said as he handed her a huge bouquet of daffodils.
"Beautiful! Thank you. Let me just put these in some water and we can go sit in the living room and talk," Maggie said as she took the flowers and disappeared into the kitchen.
Peter headed for the living room and Michael hesitated a moment in indecision until I gestured that it was ok, and then I followed behind him, enjoying the view.
Maggie and Peter were sitting together on one sofa, and Micheal sat on one end of the sofa across the coffee table from them, and I sat on the other end, one leg folded underneath the other and just watched Michael.
"Okay, so, dish! Tell me what it's like to work on a Soap!" Maggie started.
Michael's POV
I got buzzed in several seconds after Jake and I hung up and took the elevator up to the tenth floor and went down the hall to Apartment C and knocked on the door. It was opened several seconds later by Maggie's boyfriend.
He was at least nine inches taller than me, and very imposing looking, until he smiled.
"Hi, I'm Maggie's boyfriend Peter, come on in. Here, let me take your things," he offered.
"Hi, I'm Michael," I said, shaking his hand before handing him the wine and slipping my book-bag over my head to hand it over as well. My jacket was folded and draped across the bag. "Nice to meet you. I liked you in Jarhead, by the way."
I stole a quick glance at Jake. He was wearing a black, long sleeved Henley t-shirt and snug fitting black jeans and boots. The shirt was loose fitting, yet it still managed to emphasize the width of his shoulders and hint at the leanly muscled torso underneath.
"Thanks, it pays the bills," he said with a smile before giving Jake a wink and the wine and saying, "hey loverboy, make yourself useful."
We were joined almost immediately by Maggie.
"These are for you," I said, handing her the daffodils I had purchased, glad to see that they had struck the right note.
"Beautiful! Thank you. Let me just put these in some water and we can go sit in the living room and talk," Maggie said, taking the flowers and heading into what I assumed was the kitchen.
Peter headed into the living room and I hesitated a moment, unsure, until Jake made an "after you" gesture, and I followed Peter, Jake following me. Maggie and Peter were sitting on one sofa, Peter with one foot crossed over the other knee and an arm casually wrapped around Maggie's shoulders, so I sat down on the other one, opposite them, and Jake folded one leg under and sat down at the other end of the one I was sitting on.
"Okay, so, dish! Tell me what it's like to work on a Soap!" Maggie said.
Peter's POV
While Michael gave Maggie the low-down on the day-to-day workings of a Daytime Soap Opera, I watched Jake who watched Michael. Oh yeah, he's got it bad, I thought to myself, and all any of us could do was just sit back and watch it unfold. Whether any of us realized it yet, or not, Michael and Jake were true soul mates, and only Heaven knew what lay ahead for the two of them......
Well, that's part three, I hope you all enjoy it. As always, feedback is encouraged and welcomed. Just be sure to include the story title in the subject line. My email is dnsphelps@mcsi.net and I can frequently be found on yahoo where my chat ID is twains_fan_03, or on AIM where my chat ID is PhelpsCNA. Until next time,
Stephen