1562

We have just pulled into the hotel parking lot. We are both carefully guarding our words. "So what are we going to do about our Colombian friend", says Carl, pausing before he reaches for the door handle. "Your guess is as good as mine." "Well, we can't have him hitting on you like that." "Jealous?" "Don't expect me to dignify that with an answer." "You just did. Wow, lucky me. Pushing forty-five and two handsome young men fighting over me."

1561

I am at least as surprised as Carl by the quickness of my retort. We are quiet as we approach Westminster Highway, then I feel his hand on my knee. "Take it off. Now." He promptly removes his hand. As I stop for the red light at Number Three Road he says with a weary sigh, "I´m sorry." "Look, Carl, we have lots of time to figure it out. We've only known each other, just less than two weeks, and we have been almost constantly together. We both need time." "That's a refusal?" "Maybe a postponement." "We are called to be together." "That I have no question about. But we are going to need time, at least several months, to really get an idea of where we are going to go with this. Right now..." "Yes, the others. Chris, I am sorry, that was premature. You're right", he says as we pull into the parking lot of the hotel where Erik has been staying...

1560

"You're not going to dignify that with a reply." We are passing over the brown wet flatness of the North Arm of the Fraser River. "Christopher", he says, and then pauses as I take the right hand turnoff to the airport. "Christopher...", and now i am turning up Grarden City Way.. "Marry me, Chris." "We've only known each other for ten days...."

The Peacock 1559

" "You placed yourself under his power, you mean." "Okay." "But you didn't let him get away with it." "He seems to still have an agenda with me. I mean, I thought, or I hope, that all he really needed was meaningful connection with me, so we spent the whole day together, church, then hiking in the forest, then the coffee shop, and somehow, it all backfired." "our friend is playing hardball." "So, what are we going to do?" "What are you going to do-" "I guess I will just have to keep setting boundaries with him" "Are you atttracted to him?" "Yes." "That's going to make it difficult." "Hey, you and I are attracted to each other." Carl doesn't respond, but simply stares out his window as we approach the oak Street bridge...

The Peacock 1558

"We went to Wreck Beach." "No way." "Well, we did get as far as the first gun tower." "Then what." "i dragged him up the trail with me and told him to never pull something like that on me again." "Pull what on you?" "He basically took the lead. We were walking in the forest near Spanish Banks, after hiking around a lot. We were at church erlier. The Anglican church on university boulevard." "How was that?" "The priest is a fag and he almost couldn't keep his eyes away from our Colombian brother." "How did Jesús respond." "He was grossed out." And then he took you to Wreck Beach."

The Peacock 1557

"Getting mom and sis onboard is going to be a challenge." "I would imagine." "But at the end of the day, it's my house, and they cannot override me, not legally anyway." "Would it come to that?" "First I need to know for sure what kind of answer I am going to give Chuck about it. But in the meantime..." "We already have lots on our plate." "That we do...So, Chris, what did you guys, you and Jesús get up to today

The Peacock 1556

What did Chuck have to say?" "That he's prepared to hire all of us. He wants the whole kit and kaboodle and was also asking about our providing housing and shelter for some of the homeless." "That would be a huge step. Do you reckon he's thinking of the house you just bought?" "We could buy another one. But we already have an ace up our sleeve." "Being..." "The mansion." "You don't say."