THE FALLOUT from Leonard’s last stand lasted a lot longer than Phillip would have liked, with investigations into all of the company records, security systems, and accounts, unwinding all of the ways that Leonard had used to spy on him. Sometimes Phillip still felt a little creeped out just thinking about it. But over the last six months, he had slowly come to grips with what had happened and the impact that Leonard’s machinations had had on him and his life. Barry helped a lot, and so did the therapist he had been seeing to help him work through his issues.
One change he had made was to redistribute some of his tasks at work. Phillip hadn’t realized just how much Leonard had been doing for him. It had taken time, but Phillip had reorganized, expanding the role of his VP of operations and adding some new staff to take on other responsibilities. Phillip had found it hard at first, but in the end, he had time to return to the game development he loved, and even better, time to spend with Barry, who made him happier than he could ever have imagined.
Phillip’s phone chimed just as he was packing up his things to go home for the weekend. I’m just leaving now, Phillip said in response to Barry’s text. I’ll meet you at Mark and Tyler’s. He added some smiley faces and hurried out toward the elevator. The car came right away, and he stepped inside, pushing the button for the lobby.
When he stepped out, Barry stood right in front of him, still bundled from the cold. “I thought we were meeting there?” Not that he wasn’t thrilled to see him. Phillip smiled the way he always seemed to when he first saw Barry after work. There was something about him that made Phillip feel strong, almost invincible. He knew part of it was the fact that Barry had his back and was his most ardent supporter. When things had gone to hell with the new game platform, Barry had encouraged him, and sure enough, he’d gotten the project back on schedule with only a minimal delay.
His smile grew even brighter when Barry pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. “I thought I’d do something a little special for you.” He handed them to Phillip with a grin. “Why don’t we leave your car here and I’ll drive? My car is already warm.” Barry motioned him toward the door to the garage, and Phillip followed him out, sniffing the sweet roses as he went.
“No one has ever given me flowers before.” He got in the car once Barry unlocked it, pulled on his seat belt, and put the flowers across his lap. “We should put these in water.”
“We will…,” Barry said before starting the engine and pulling out. He drove north to Mark and Tyler’s eastside neighborhood, pulling up in front of a house and turning off the engine. The front door opened and a woman stepped out.
“Why are we here?” Phillip looked down the block toward Mark and Tyler’s house. “There are closer parking spots.” But he got out when Barry did, and the woman approached.
“Please come in out of the cold.” She motioned, and Phillip followed Barry.
“You’ve always liked Mark and Tyler’s house, so I thought that maybe you and I could look at buying one that makes you feel the way theirs does.” Barry had that excited look that Phillip remembered from when they were in college.
“Amelia, this is my partner, Phillip.” Barry introduced them. Amelia went through all the pleasantries, but Phillip barely heard them. His gaze was already drawn to the interior and the walnut-paneled entrance hall and intricate stained glass window visible up the stairs.
“The home has been largely restored, with the kitchen and bathrooms fully updated. The previous owners planned to stay here, but a job change is forcing them to leave. The ceilings are eleven feet down here and a little under ten feet upstairs.” She was smart enough to stay out of the way as Barry led him through the home. The living and dining rooms were spacious, with original woodwork and fireplaces. There was even a conservatory off the dining room.
“Look here,” Barry said as he stepped on the tile floor. “I checked under that cover. There’s a water line. We could have a fountain in here, if you wanted.” He was like a kid in a candy store, and Phillip found he was falling in love all over again, with the house, and with Barry and his enthusiasm. “The kitchen is nice and clean. Modern, but that’s perfect.” Barry showed him through an old-fashioned butler’s pantry and then into the kitchen with white cabinets, granite counters, and new appliances.
Barry led him up the back stairs and showed him the bedrooms. “These two still need work, but I think you and I could do them together as projects. I could see one of these rooms as a game room and the other as a second guest room.” Barry practically bounced down the hall and pushed open a door. “This is the master bedroom. It’s big enough for a king-size bed, and we can have a sitting area there.”
Phillip was speechless.
“Is this the kind of house you wanted?” Barry asked. “There’s an office downstairs that we could put a partners desk in.” Phillip nearly dropped the flowers he had forgotten he was carrying, setting them on a chair near the door before throwing himself at Barry.
“Is this what you want?” he asked Barry.
“God, yes. A home of our own, together.” The loft was great, but it didn’t fit the two of them. It was Phillip’s space, just like Barry’s house was his space. This could be their space, their home.
“The only thing is that it’s so big. What are we going to do with all this space?”
Barry gathered him in his arms. “I was thinking… eventually… kids. Maybe two would be good. Ones who need good homes.”
Phillip buried his face in Barry’s shirt, nodding. This was almost too perfect and a little overwhelming, in the best way possible. He and Barry had talked a few times about what they wanted their futures to look like, but this spelled it out clearly, and it was nearly Phillip’s exact vision as well. “Yes.” He kissed Barry hard, tasting the happiness on his lover’s lips. Footsteps on the stairs eventually pulled them apart, and Barry took his hand and picked up the roses. They met Amelia on the stairs. She turned around, and Barry showed him the library on the main floor.
“Thank you,” Phillip told Amelia once they had seen everything. “I’d like to see the whole house from top to bottom in the next few days, but Barry and I will call you in the morning to write up an offer.”
“Excellent. The owners would rather handle the sale privately as opposed to listing it on the open market, so we’ll talk tomorrow and work out the details.” She seemed pleased, Barry wore a smile a mile wide, and Phillip was overjoyed…. He was so happy, in fact, that he handed Amelia the yellow roses Barry had given him. “Please take those home with you and enjoy them.” He turned to Barry, wrapping an arm around his. “I already have the best surprise of the evening.” He leaned against Barry’s arm, and they walked together down the sidewalk as snow lightly fell around them and Christmas lights shone out of almost every window.
“This is magical, and giving her the flowers was such a nice gesture.”
“You aren’t mad? They weren’t going to last out in this cold, and….” He tugged Barry’s arm tighter as they approached Mark and Tyler’s front door. Barry turned, and his smile told Phillip all he needed to know.
“You made it,” Mark exclaimed as he opened the door. “Did you like the house?”
Phillip grinned. “I think we’re going to be neighbors.”
They stepped inside, took off their coats, and received hugs all around. Mark and Tyler had a huge tree in the corner of their living room, and Christmas music drifted in the air, as did the scent of cinnamon and pine. “I hope you’re happy.”
“I really am,” Phillip whispered and gave Barry another kiss, which ended with catcalls from the peanut gallery.
“Come on inside, you lovebirds,” Tyler said, and they joined the entire group in the living room. Drinks were poured, and they toasted to the holidays and to wonderful new changes ahead. Phillip sipped his drink, joining in the conversation until Jolie barked up a storm. Tyler stood peering out the front window.
“Barry, can you come look at this?” Tyler asked.
“If there’s a stalker out in your damned bushes, just tell him to go somewhere else. I’ve been there, done that… no thanks.” He made light of it, but his belly did a little flip.
“I don’t see anything,” Barry said.
“Then look over here,” Mark said as he stepped in the room with a tiny white-and-black bundle. He placed the puppy in Phillip’s arms. “Her name is Isabelle. She was rescued from a puppy mill a couple of weeks ago and needed a home. We already tested her out with Crookshanks, who ignored her completely.”
Phillip turned to Barry. “Did you know about this?” he asked as Isabelle licked under his chin.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” Barry said as he sat next to him. “Do you remember what you told me on our first real date? What your dream was?” Barry put an arm around his shoulders. “You told me you wanted a home, with someone to come home to, a dog, and maybe kids. You’ve got me, the home seems on the horizon, and now we have the dog. You and I can work on the rest. One brave step into the future at a time.”
Phillip smiled. That sounded perfect.