Exit Hollywood
By Chris James
Chapter Five
Ted awoke on Sunday morning to the sensation of light streaming through the broad glass windows. The bed was unfamiliar, but the body beside him was...and then he remembered the day before...
They had sailed a broad reach out into the Pacific only to tack back into Catalina and the picturesque harbor at Avalon. The hills of the island were dotted with homes and businesses, the harbor filled with watercraft of all kinds, shapes and sizes. Steve was still at the wheel when Ted helped Tim lower the sails and they motored into an empty slot at the marina.
The town was filled with people, many of them out to see the sights...or be seen. Once the harbor was in sight Steve had shrugged his shoulders and put on his best smile.
"Now you will get to see what I have to face when I'm out in public. It will make you appreciate why either Tommy or Tim needs to be around." Then he laughed. "All these fans would be disappointed if they knew anything about the real me."
Tim laid a protective hand on Steve's head. "Just be calm and we'll get through it."
Tim jumped over to the dock as Steve killed the engines, Ted and Dennis went over the side to help secure the boat.
"Got everything you need?" Steve asked.
"We're fine," Dennis said, and Steve locked the companionway door.
They were only a few hundred feet off the dock when a young girl rushed up and in an excited voice she asked: "Steve...Are you really Steve Biddle?"
Steve smiled and Ted could see the look of patience settle in on his face. "I am...and what's your name, dear?"
The girl was about twelve, and she looked overwhelmed at this star sighting. "I'm Marsha...can you sign my book?"
She held out a small square autograph book and a purple pen with some kind of fuzzy animal attached to the end, girlie stuff. Ted watched as Steve wrote a few lines in the book and signed his name. The whole time the girl babbled about how much she missed seeing him on Adam Conquers Earth and how wonderful he had been in Top Dog.
And then the inevitable question: "Are you going to be in any new films?" Marsha asked.
"Yes, we start shooting in a few months," Steve said. "I get to co-star with Jim Curry."
"Oh My God...really?" Marsha squealed.
"You're the first to know," Steve said.
"Oh wow...thank you, thank you," Marsha said, and Steve shook her hand before walking on.
Ted had almost laughed as he watched Marsha pull out her cell phone. The word about Steve and Jim would be all over the internet in a matter of hours. Networking such information would probably put the film advertising industry out of business within a few years.
Tim had promised lunch and so they climbed the street with people smiling at Steve, and looking at Dennis and Ted to see if they might be somebody special. Several autographs later they came to the entrance of a restaurant named Chez Marie and stepped inside.
It was still a little early but a man approached and smiled at Tim. "Good Morning, Mr. Real...we haven't seen you in some time."
"Busy season, Andre...a quiet table for four if you can," Tim asked. "Outside would be fine."
Andre looked at Steve and Ted saw recognition cross his face. "Hello to you, Mr. Biddle."
"Hi, Andre...the town looks busy," Steve said.
"The Seafood Festival this weekend, so many tourists. Right this way, Gentlemen."
He led them through the restaurant and out a set of glass doors to a patio with just a few tables. Avalon was nestled on the flat land surrounding the Bay, but the town quickly spread into the surrounding hillside. From here under the arbor covered patio they had a fine view of the hills.
"What a gem," Ted said.
"Yes, I've been coming here for a long time...some of the best food on the island," Tim said.
"Andre knows you, so I guess you've been here too," Ted asked, smiling at Steve.
"I have, it's a good hideout. Andre understands and he keeps this patio space for people he knows. I saw Alec Baldwin last time we were in here."
"It didn't look like too many fans bothered you on the walk up here," Dennis said.
Steve sighed. "It's not a bother and I have a responsibility to them. Back when we had the television show it was much, much worse. But I learned the best way to deal with it is to be proactive. I know they want the personal contact, a signature and any news of what I'm doing. I owe them that much for the dollars they spend in the theater."
Tim chuckled and Ted gave him an inquisitive look. "He wasn't always this way," Tim said. "But he grew into it after the girls calmed down a bit. It is his responsibility, he's created the fan base, and they own his image...just not him."
"I want their attention in a limited way," Steve said. "Its good publicity on a level you can't buy...ask Tim, he knows all about the studios."
"You do?" Ted asked.
"Um...not like my father did..." And a waiter interrupted them at that point.
Tim made some menu suggestions and then ordered grilled fish for both Steve and himself. Ted chose a grilled chicken salad and Dennis ordered the grilled shrimp in a pesto sauce. Tim nodded at their choices and the waiter left to bring them tea.
"Okay, I have to ask...are you on some kind of diet?" Ted said.
Steve nodded. "Both Mark and I have been for years. Brian and Tim have this strict diet plan for us, very little red meat. But I have to say, Tim has very good taste and I always agree with what he orders."
"Brian and Mark...do I gather this is another partnership?" Dennis asked.
Steve looked at Tim who nodded. "Yes, they introduced me to Tim. You'll have to ask Mark about the details, I shouldn't be talking behind his back. But you know something about the gay side of Hollywood I gather."
"We do and that came about when Dennis met Bobby Lambert in high school," Ted said. He proceeded to tell them about the after-Christmas gatherings at Lake Tahoe, leaving out the names he now knew so well. And then he turned to Dennis. "We'll still be going, won't we?"
"Yes, sweetie...we can't miss a minute of that."
Tim smiled. "I'm sure we all have a lot to explain about our lives...or at least what we feel comfortable sharing so soon after discovering one another. How would you like dinner at my place tonight?"
Ted nodded. "I think that would be grand."
Steve laughed. "Knowing Tim it will probably be outrageous."
And it had been every bit of that, and more than either Ted or Dennis expected. They wandered the streets of Avalon for several hours, and another dozen autographs later they returned to the sea.
The sight of two beautiful blond boys at the helm of Steve's Deal had allowed Tim and Dennis to sit back at the stern and admire.
"We are very lucky, my friend," Tim said. "But I'm sure you've felt that way since you first met Ted."
"I have...he is my everything," Dennis said. "He's been so supportive of my career, even when I had doubts."
"I take it this venture in film is something new for you both?" Tim asked.
"Completely new. I had no idea why Jim Curry wanted us to come work for him this summer, and now it looks like we've decided to stay on. I don't mind if Ted finishes his high school program, but at some point we have to get into college."
"That would be a good idea. Steve already knows he has a year or so left before he needs to take a hiatus from his career and get a college degree. I imagine by then he'll be able to write his own course of study. I guess they're both smart enough to achieve that goal. How did you do in school?"
Dennis smiled. "Valedictorian of my class with a four point two average."
"Oh Lord, that was a silly question, wasn't it?" Tim laughed.
"I'm the proverbial geek, Tim, at least I was. Now I want to get into studio work even if all I have is a theater background."
"I don't see that as an issue. We were interrupted before I could mention my father, may he rest in whatever hell he deserves. No, that's wrong of me, I loved him but he and Walter Triton ruined the budding careers of two very fine boys and a lot of cast members on that television show. I had no doubts that Mark and Steve would get over that hurdle, and they have with a vengeance.
"But it seems my father fell off his damn boat in a storm and left mother and I with his share of the studio. In fact Triton Studios was fifty-one percent his which will come as a shock to some of Triton's investors. The lawyers are still working on that and if I was at all interested Mom would let me buy her out and take over...but that is not going to happen.
"So you see we have much in common. I know very little about film work and I'd be a fool to get involved in running a studio. I have other interests, other loves, and what you're planning to do for a career isn't one of them."
Dennis smiled. "From what Jim tells me my talents lie in taking things apart and putting them back together, at least that's what I've done with his latest project. Ted loves to write and I have no doubt that there's a good story in his head somewhere that would make a fine film, if that's what he decides. It's all too soon to make those decisions."
"Have patience, absorb everything...or as a very wise Japanese man once told me: Expect nothing, embrace all. The answer to everything lies within us and just has to be discovered. If you want something to truly be yours then you have to search for it."
"That philosophy certainly has worked for Steve. I imagine he owes you a great deal," Dennis said.
"I see it as just the opposite," Tim said. "He's the one in control and I had no choice but to fall in love with him. We each bring something to the table. I taught him to meditate through Tai-Chi and gave him strength with martial arts, but what he returns to me is unconditional love."
Tim sighed. "I suppose we better allow you to return home and clean up a bit before this evening. I hope you won't mind getting dressed up, Steve looks so handsome in something a bit formal."
"Coat and tie, we can do that," Dennis said.
"We'll go with you so James can learn where you live. He can bring you home later if you don't decide to stay the night."
"Where are we going, Tim?"
"I'm not going to tell you...don't you love a good surprise?"
By the time they got back to the condo Tim had made several phone calls, one of them to James, his driver.
"My car will be along in a while. Sorry, we can't all fit in the Ferrari," Tim said.
"I should have known that was your car, at first I though it was Steve's," Ted laughed.
"He has let me drive it," Steve said. "But you know...young Hollywood star in an expensive sports car, that's tabloid material. Tommy usually drives me around."
Tim and Steve made themselves comfortable in the living room while Dennis and Ted hurried off to shower and change.
"I gather Tim is pretty wealthy," Ted said as the water poured down on them.
"Somewhere in the category of Mike Stone I imagine, more money than he needs," Dennis replied.
"Perhaps they would enjoy a visit to Tahoe?" Ted said.
"I thought of that too, Steve should meet Betty."
"We should call her now that we're in town. Her place in Santa Barbara isn't that far away."
"Tim said we could spend the night, so I suppose this will be a late one," Dennis said.
"Do you feel up to it?"
"My batteries are fully charged."
Ted looked down through the spray of water and smiled. "I can see that."
They appeared back in the living room all dressed up, Ted in his white suit and Dennis all in black.
"My, my...don't they clean up well," Tim laughed.
"Forgive him," Steve said, "Tim never met a tie he didn't like."
Tim looked at his watch. "I have dinner scheduled for nine, so let's make a run up to the house. It's our turn to clean up."
They walked back downstairs to find a beautiful white limo sitting in front of the entrance. The driver opened the door and Tim introduced Ted and Dennis to James. "You can follow us this time," Tim said, like that was even possible.
James didn't even bother to tag along with the Ferrari; he was well used to Tim by now. The limo drove at a slow easy pace, down Venice Boulevard and then up onto the 405 northbound. Ted knew Tim had to live in the hills, probably another mansion in the woods. It made him wonder where Steve lived.
Other than mentioning that his mother knew of the relationship with Tim and the father did not, there had been little said about parents. Tim was certainly in a mentoring role, but Steve was still a minor. It made Ted curious about the arrangement.
They were cruising into the hills now and the limo took the exit onto Mulholland Drive where they wound around the hilltops until Ted was completely lost. Vince lived south of here somewhere, Jim a hill or two further east. But eventually the limo slowed down and James pulled into a driveway and parked beside the Ferrari.
This was no mansion, just a large and comfortable looking stone and glass construction surrounded with greenery. Ted could tell they were high up, but as yet there was no view to confirm that. The front door opened and Steve was standing there in his bathing suit.
The living space in the house was one vast room with an open kitchen and dining area. Beyond the wall of glass Ted could see the azure color of a swimming pool and past that nothing for miles except the city.
Steve followed his gaze. "Daytime views can be disappointing through the haze, but at night it's stunning."
Tim walked in from the kitchen with a tray holding four glasses. "Time to restore your energy," He said.
"What's this?" Dennis asked.
"Tim makes healthy drinks. We don't have soda or sugared drinks here."
"That works for me, I don't do soda at all," Ted said.
"Any particular reason?" Tim asked.
"Diet, medication...I'm ADHD, or at least I was as a young kid. Wow, this tastes good."
"My own concoction," Tim said. "They're beginning to realize that so many adolescent problems are due to a bad diet, something else we can discuss. Sweetie, we ought to clean up...I feel like a bum standing next to these two."
"I agree...we'll be back, make yourselves comfortable," Steve said, and they left the room.
Dennis went to look out the window at the view. "I think Steve lives here," He said, pointing to the Oscar statuette sitting on the mantle above the fireplace. "He wouldn't leave that anywhere except at home."
"I think Steve can live anywhere he wants, he seems very much in control of his life," Ted replied. "Imagine telling your mother that you were in a relationship with someone like Tim."
Dennis turned with a smile. "Imagine telling our parents that we're in a relationship...we have to do that at some point."
"Yes...when it becomes necessary." Ted looked out the window at the layer of smog above the city. "I wonder what it would be like to have a house like this. Do you think it's in our future?"
"Perhaps...if we stay in this town. Are you still thinking about that journalism program at UCLA?"
Ted laughed. "I have no idea what I want now. I feel like my life is a jigsaw puzzle and the pieces keep changing shape...but it doesn't worry me."
Dennis slid his arms around Ted's waist and pulled him close. "I understand, we have a sense of security here. I never knew we'd meet such unusual...such wonderful people. We could never do this alone but it seems we don't have to."
Ted leaned up and gave Dennis a kiss and then they stood quietly, each with their own thoughts. Ted knew what Dennis had left unsaid. The real security they both felt was with one another. No matter what life brought them they had each other and that was worth more than all the money in Tim's bank account.
Steve finally appeared in a pale blue suit while Tim wore dark blue. Handsome men, Dennis thought and could tell Ted was thinking the same thing.
"Okay, all dressed up...is anyone going to tell me where we're going?" Ted asked.
"A nice little place with good food," Steve said, but he could hardly keep from laughing.
"This isn't fair, I have to tell them," Tim said. "I own a nightclub."
"I'm not at all surprised," Dennis said. "How do you get underage guys in a place like that?"
"We have a private entrance, they won't even enter the club but they can see everything," Tim said.
"Again, not surprising," Dennis said.
"Then shall we go, it's getting dark," Tim said.
The ride down into the valley below the house didn't take long, and yet James seemed to glide the limousine through the residential streets until they entered a warehouse district. They couldn't be that far off Sunset Boulevard Ted figured, but he would easily get lost.
The limo pulled up to a large plain looking brick building and they got out on the quiet sidewalk. The only indication that this might be a club was the uniformed doorman who stood in front of a single shinny brass door and smiled.
"Good Evening, Mr. Real," The man said.
"Evening, Teddy. These are personal friends, Ted and Dennis, you already know Steve," Tim said.
"Good Evening, Mr. Biddle."
"Hello, Teddy...is it crowded?" Steve asked.
"Getting there, but it's still early," Teddy replied.
Ted finally noticed the dark blue neon sign over the door that read simply: Outrageous
"Ahh, cool name," Ted said.
Tim placed a hand on the glass panel beside the door, a blue light dimly flashed and the door snapped open.
"Thank you Gentlemen," Teddy said with a smile. "Enjoy your evening."
And with that Tim led them through the door. The walls inside were nondescript, and then a seamless door slid opened and another man welcomed them inside.
"Good Evening, Tony," Tim said.
"Tim...Steve, good to see you both again," Tony said.
Again Tim introduced Ted and Dennis as personal friends and they shook hands. "Your suite is ready," Tony said. "Allow me to show you the way."
They stepped through the door which quietly closed behind them with a hum. Tony pushed a button on the wall and the elevator took them down a level and the wall once again slid open. They were now in a quiet hallway and Tony led them down a short distance to a double door.
"Enjoy your evening, Gentlemen," Tony said and he left them.
"This is all pretty intense," Steve said. "But anyone in the club can feel secure, only members get in."
"That was the private entrance," Tim said. "The public side has just as much security but nothing that obvious. As you might imagine some of our members need a discreet way to enjoy the club. For instance Steve here, it would not do for anyone to see him enter or exit."
Beyond the door was a small lounge with dim lighting and against the far wall was a dining table set with four places. The wall was covered in a thick brocade fabric, a drape that ran from floor to ceiling. Dennis smiled as he realized the club was behind that curtain.
"Would you like to see the club?" Tim asked.
"Sure, give us a thrill," Dennis said.
Steve picked up a small remote control and pushed a button. The quiet whine of a motor and the drape parted, pulling back the full length of the wall and revealing the cavernous space beyond. The club was aptly named, the view was outrageous.
Below them the club floor was covered in dancing guys, and a few women couples. The space seemed to be the size of a basketball court, except where the balconies curved at each corner. An elevated stage sat on one end facing the club and even that was part of the overall showcase.
Lights flashed and spun, throwing patterns and spots on the dancers, it was a disco on steroids, a huge playpen of color and sound.
"You want to feel a part of it?" Tim asked. "I can turn on the sound."
"Please," Ted said.
Another button on the remote and the room filled with sound, as if there was no wall whatsoever. It was more than just the music, the sound of the people was mixed in, and it made them feel a part of the club.
"Can they see us?" Ted asked.
"The wall looks like a mirror to them, this is completely private."
As they stood by the glass, Dennis began to absorb the atmosphere and studied the decorations. The lower walls were covered in film posters; huge reproductions of famous stars and starlets. Between them old silent films were projected on the walls, it worked well, everything was in black and white including the tables and chairs. The only color out there was in the people and overhead lighting moving across the dancers.
On stage there were acrobats performing amidst the chaos, six guys in white outfits, lots of skin showing. Out on the floor amidst the dancers were jugglers and clowns. It seems that engaging the clientele was all part of the fun.
"Do you have live performances?" Dennis asked.
"Sure do, we have a comedy act most weekends, sometimes a singer for special occasions...or both," Tim said. "When I first bought the club it was mostly strippers of the male kind."
"Oh, what a shame, we missed that," Ted laughed.
"It wasn't very classy and there were hardly any patrons. Now we have almost two thousand members and growing. I'm even considering throwing open the door on a Thursday night to the straight crowd with just a cover charge to keep out the riff-raff. We have a gay comedian tonight, I think you'll like him," Tim said.
There was a gentle knock at the door and it opened to reveal a pleasant looking man in a waiter's outfit. "Are you ready to order, Mr. Real?" He asked.
"Come in, Luigi," Tim said.
Tim ordered a bottle of red wine and allowed Steve to get the prime rib, which ended up being the choice they all made. Salads, vegetables and a dish made with small red potatoes finished off the meal. It was all on the table twenty minutes later Ted noted... it must be nice to be the boss.
"I offer a toast, and yes, red wine is good for you," Tim said. "To our new friends, may we always be content in such wonderful company."
It was an excellent wine, some of California's best. Dennis had savored the French wines Mike Stone had offered him, but that always felt like cheating when they lived in a state with such excellent vineyards. He mentioned the Raveneau Grand Cru to Tim who seemed to know about such things, and they agreed, it was better to go local.
Steve managed to tell Ted about what happened the first time he met Tim, and despite the thumping background of sound emanating from the club beyond the glass, he got his point across.
"I have a father who isn't half the man I see in Tim," Steve said. "It isn't that I don't love my father but we don't share the same outlook on life. As you may have guessed, I'm living with Tim and have been since last year."
"Your parents agreed to that?" Ted asked.
"My mother has a new baby girl, I just moved out of the way. I bought them a house and people still think I live there, but I don't. It's just easier being me when I'm with Tim, you probably understand that."
"I do, it's the same with Dennis..." And here Ted smiled. "I had no idea who you really were as a person, Steve. Most of us only know the public image, and I'm thrilled to know the real you."
Steve stretched a hand across the corner of the table and grasped Ted's. "The image wears me down, Ted...I'm thrilled to know real people like you. I can't wait to introduce you to Mark when he gets home."
"I'm looking forward to it."
They were just finishing up dinner when the music in the club faded out and the patrons returned to their seats. A man strode out on stage and picked up the microphone. "Good Evening," He said, and Dennis started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Tim asked.
"Why I haven't seen Todd since last weekend, I didn't know he was doing a show here," Dennis said.
"Oh, you know him?" Steve asked.
"You might say that." And then Dennis had to go on and tell the story of how he had met Todd at Spring Grove. But here was Todd in front of a gay audience and so his material was much different.
Tim was curious about the important contacts Dennis and Ted had in town, but he also understood their reluctance to discuss names.
"Perhaps we can do something about that this winter, if we can get away," Dennis said. "I think you both would enjoy the gathering in Tahoe. What I don't know at this point is if the studios generally take a holiday around Christmas and New Year."
"Most of them do," Tim said. "I had thought to take Steve, Mark and Brian out to the Pacific on a long cruise. My father's boat survived the storm and we've had her refitted in Manila, now I just have to get her back here."
"That sounds like fun, you should keep your plans," Dennis said. "The people we know can be met on another occasion, perhaps even here in town if it's discreet."
Dinner was over and they sat watching the act on stage. Waiters circulated on the floor and Ted could see they were busy. It must take a brigade of them to service a room that large.
"How many gay men does it take to change a light bulb?" Todd asked...followed by a moment of silence. "Oh come on, you know...a light bulb? I'm sure some of you know how to change one. The last time I had to change the bulb in my kitchen fixture I had to call the building super.
"He came up to the apartment with his ladder and all these masculine looking tools on his belt. He took two steps up that ladder and I was all over him. We never did get that bulb changed, but it doesn't matter. I've become an expert at making coffee by candlelight."
There was raucous laughter after that and Tim smiled. "He's pretty good."
It was about then that Dennis yawned and Steve was the one to comment. "We ought to get going. I know you guys have had a long week."
"Don't leave on my account..." Dennis said.
"We'll go back to the house, won't you stay over?"
"We will, just so he can sleep in," Ted said.
James was waiting outside, and within minutes they were pulling into Tim's driveway. Dennis was already falling asleep and Ted put him to bed in the guest room before rejoining Tim and Steve in the living room.
"Out for the count. He's been sleeping well at night but I don't think it's been a very restful sleep. He's been worried about this new edit and I finally think they have a handle on re-cutting that film," Ted said.
"When my father first got started he spent days in the studio doing things like that," Tim said. "I'm glad to see Dennis is so dedicated to his project."
"He's always been that way," Ted said. "It's like he has this sixth sense for making the right decisions, I watched him do that time and again. He has a good creative side too. In fact he acted in a play and pulled it off even though he says he's not an actor."
Steve smiled. "Acting is something you learn by doing. In film you have to assume the character the director wants to see and a lot of your creativity is taken away. I found stage work a more personal approach, but then you don't have a camera in your face for hours at a time."
"I just don't want all this to wear Dennis down," Ted said.
"Then indulge him," Tim said. "Allow him to work but make sure he gets to play after it's over. When Steve was shooting Top Dog I had to drag him away on the boat most weekends. Just as you set goals for work you have to make plans to relax, do you have any hobbies?"
"I write when I have the time," Ted said. "So far it's been all about the Sacramento music scene or the minority cultures there. I had those published in the newspaper, like a junior reporter. But I also wrote reviews of the shows Dennis did at Cabot Performing Arts and that gave me an insider's look at theater."
"And what did you learn from that?"
"I wanted to be a journalist...and then I thought about working in cultural affairs...and then..." Ted laughed. "See, it's not that easy to decide. Now I'm reading scripts, talking with people like you and my interests are evolving."
"Could you write a screenplay?" Tim asked.
"Not yet, but working for Jim is giving me ideas."
It was those thoughts which kept Ted awake even as he slid in bed beside Dennis. He could see that Tim and Steve were interested, and perhaps they were in a position to be supportive if he did sit down to write.
Ted knew he could learn just as much from reading a bad screenplay as a good one. The story in a film was often extracted from just a kernel of an interesting plot. The right director and cast made all the difference to the development.
So many interesting real life moments had presented themselves in the past three years, it was as if all Ted had to do was reach out and grab one of them. He would not write anything on a personal level, his relationship to Dennis and their friends would not allow that. Past events were a great lure, and in time Ted knew he would discover just the right thing.
And so he awoke to sunlight and listened to Dennis' soft breathing. That rejuvenating slumber would last a while longer, but he needed to get up. The living room was quiet as Ted made his way across the room, wondering if there was any way he could make coffee. But a glance into the kitchen showed him that someone was already up, the coffee maker was chugging away, and the clock read six-thirty.
He turned to look out through the glass at the pool deck and saw Tim and Steve. They were standing on the far side of the pool dressed in white karate uniforms. The name for those outfits escaped Ted's thoughts at the moment. But Steve wore a brown belt on his while Tim's was black. The two were in the midst of a set pattern of movements, Tai-chi, a slow and methodical exercise. Ted pulled out one of the dining room chairs and sat down to watch.
It was easy to see that Tim was the master of this movement, but Steve's form was exacting and they moved in unison. This had all taken hours of practice and Ted knew this was all part of a normal morning routine. Somehow he knew Steve was a most willing student as he watched the routine evolve.
Tim had mentioned his involvement in martial arts as part of his security business. It was therefore more than interesting to watch the two square off as Steve went through a series of attack moves against the larger man.
This too looked formalized as Tim easily parried the blows from hands and feet. Steve was not throwing a lot of power in those kicks either, but his style was smooth, the exercise seemed to flow. Steve had spoken of Tim as the source of confidence in his life, and now Ted could see how it had developed.
The drill lasted all of fifteen minutes and then they stopped. Fist to palm, the pair bowed to one another and the routine was over. This was followed by a hug and then they undressed. Ted was not at all surprised to see they were naked under those uniforms, but the effect of all those pumped up muscles was thrilling.
Steve's body was a smaller copy of Tim's in almost every way. For a man in his early forties Tim could have been a male model, or centerfold material. Steve was a very lucky young man, but one look showed Ted that he was hardly a boy anymore.
Tim looked up and gave Ted a wave as they walked towards the door. He pulled it open and smiled. "Come on out, we have to shower off," He said.
Ted stood by the pool as the two stood under the spray of the shower attached to the outside wall. There was no embarrassment and it was obvious that nudity was normal around Tim's place. Steve finally broke away and ran to the pool, making a long arching dive into the water.
"He's a show off...actors," Tim laughed. He grabbed up a towel and dried himself before wrapping it around his waist. "Come on, coffee ought to be ready."
Steve finally joined them at the kitchen table wearing his own towel. He fairly glowed with good health and Ted was impressed.
"You do that routine every morning?" Ted asked.
"Wherever we are, at least when we're on dry land," Steve said. "You ought to learn Tai-chi, it helps you focus."
"I can see that...not sure I'd be much good at the kung-fu."
"That took me a while to learn, but I have a good teacher," Steve said.
"I can see that. Tim, does everyone in your business do the martial arts?" Ted asked.
"I get many of my employees from the dojo, but they have to be gay. All of them are black belt and some came to us from the military like Tommy. His fighting skills are extraordinary although his kung-fu is a little awkward because of his bulk, but he gets the job done."
"You mean there are people stupid enough to face him? One look would make me run away," Ted laughed.
Steve laughed too. "Yeah, he does have that effect on people. Is Dennis still asleep?"
"Dennis is not," He replied from the living room. His hair was a mess and he was still clad only in boxers.
"The dead arises," Ted said.
"Wow did I sleep, what was in that wine?" Dennis asked.
"You just needed to relax," Tim said. "No one spiked your wine. What would you like to do today? Why don't you stick around? Take a swim and then we'll pull out the grill."
"We don't have any commitments," Ted said.
"I didn't bring a bathing suit," Dennis said.
"That won't matter," Ted laughed.
It was a great weekend, one that Dennis would remember for a long time as he walked back into work the following day. If there had been any concerns about how someone like Steve could be in such a committed relationship with an older man they had evaporated. Ted agreed, Steve was a young man with an old soul. He was Tim's equal in every way.
Ted's team meeting would take place without Jim today; he would only focus on the re-editing of Partial Payment this week. There was still work to be done on casting and Barry had some details to work out with Pixar for the charity event.
They decided to drop any pretense with that captive audience about the polling. By the time they were going to have a theatre full of kids they would also have their cast. Instead of asking unrelated questions they decided to just go straight to the storyboard and use the cast to present it.
"Do you think the kids will understand?" Mark Coglin asked.
"Oh Lord, yes," Ted replied. "Think about the graphics in your average Saturday morning kid's show. All this exposure to anime scenes, characters and sounds have a huge effect on their ability to interpret visual images. A storyboard is just a fixed cell in an animated work up."
Barry grinned. "Okay, wise guy, you want to explain that to those of us who don't waste their Saturday mornings on cartoons?"
"I'm not talking about your love life," Ted said, and there were hoots and laughter around the table. "No, let's bring on the cast, show the kids our images in a Power Point presentation and have the actors talk about what they are doing in a scene. Yes, it's interpretive but it will grab the audience because no one will be treating them like dumb little kids. And the best part of all, these kids will feel they had a part in developing the film."
"I like it," Marie said.
"I agree," Mark said. "I already have a lot of art underway, if there aren't going to be any more script changes."
"No promises there, you know Jim," Marie said.
"He's not going to be there," Ted said.
"What? He's the star of the film," Barry said.
"He'd steal the focus. I could see him doing a pre-recorded presentation and introducing the kids in the cast, but that's it."
"He's right, you know," Bob Ware said. "What you want is to keep the kids focused on their peers in the cast."
"I wanted to ask you, Bob...can we film all this without the audience feeling like they're on camera?"
Bob smiled at Ted. "You want a documentary?"
"Yes...of course," Barry said. "This is all new. If we get the right response from the kids, if they change our ideas for the filming or if it gives us unique insight from the audience's point of view, this would be golden."
"We'll need a website," Ted said. "Some kids will respond better with that kind of privacy. We can hand out cards and give them a password to log on, and we could even get the parents to sign a release to allow their kids to talk to us."
There was a moment of silence and then Karen laughed. "I think I'll retire now, you guys have all the angles covered, what do you need me for?"
"We need you to pay for it," Barry said, and they all laughed. "We'll write it up for Jim."
"Is Jim going to be upset about not appearing?" Marie asked.
"Oh, he can be there...we just have to find him an appropriate disguise," Barry said.
Ted nodded. "That won't be hard...trust me."
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