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 Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:10 pm
It was Christopher Gallo's nineteenth birthday, so of course there had to be a party. His mother made sure to arrange it so that relatives and family friends could come by and wish their baseball star a happy birthday. It was the same every year, really. Aunts and uncles and cousins coming over to socialize and eat, asking him how school was going, what he was planning on doing when he graduated, asking if he'd been approached by a scout yet. It was all pretty predictable at this point, and although Chris didn't mind it, he also wasn't too enthusiastic about it.
Sure, he smiled and spoke to everyone there, but it was really an exhausting thing to do. He would have been happy to stay home with just his immediate family, watch a movie, and eat some cake. Not wanting a big party like this just made him seem ungrateful, which he wasn't! He just didn't think it was worth all the hassle and trouble. It was nice of everyone to come and see him, and he was appreciative of his mom taking the time to make food and organize catering and all that special stuff... but he didn't need it.
He'd already lost track of his girlfriend in the crowd of people. He'd introduced her to as many of his relatives as he thought she could stomach, and then lost her somewhere between the kitchen and the front door. Maybe she was outside?
Chris smiled and paused to shake his uncle's hand, before skirting around his younger cousins so he could check out back.
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:29 pm
Paris had been kidnapped by Mrs. Gallo and one of Chris's aunts half an hour prior, at which point he'd been whisked away from the Gallo residence to pick up Mr. and Mrs. Gallo's present to Chris. Mrs. Gallo had insisted that she needed the help, but considering the gift itself was a new car and Paris's couldn't drive, he was sure it was more likely that she wanted to monopolize his time and hear about all the juicy details concerning his relationship with Chris, which he was happy to provide her with -- tame as they were. He'd never been very shy about such things anyway.
The aunt, who's name he couldn't remember as there were so many of them, drove he and Mrs. Gallo to the dealership before returning to the party. Paris and Mrs. Gallo returned some minutes later, pulling up in front of the house instead of taking the brand new BMW around the drive and to the car garage at the back of the large house, where the party was in full swing out on the terrace, by the pool, and into the pool-side cabana. Paris no longer even bothered to marvel at the amount of money the Gallos seemed to have at their disposal and just went right along with it, excitedly exploring the interior of Chris's new car before his boyfriend even had the chance to see it.
He felt quite glamorous as he and Mrs. Gallo climbed out of the car, he in his taupe colored dress and matching heels, hair swept back into a lovely French twist, and she in her navy cocktail dress and silver shoes.
"Lori says Chris just showed back up outside," Mrs. Gallo said after reading a text on her phone. Paris assumed 'Lori' must be the aunt who'd been in on the surprise with them.
Together, they went in the front door and snuck through the house toward the back, coming out onto the terrace where some of Chris's family and family-friends were mingling. It was a party the likes of which Paris had never been to before. The men wore nice slacks and collared shirts -- some polo and some oxford, depending on their preference -- while the women wore nice dresses or skirts, slacks and nice tops. Some of the children wore similar attire, though others had changed into swimsuits for some fun by the pool. There was food everywhere, and plenty of wine -- Paris had to settled for sparkling grape juice -- and some light background music coming from... somewhere. Paris had given up trying to find out where.
Mrs. Gallo caught Mr. Gallo's eye and exchanged brief "mission accomplished" nods, while Paris looked around for Chris. He found him not too far away, and crept up on him to circle around front, smiling brightly and propping his hands up on Chris's shoulders.
"Looking for me?" Paris asked, leaning up for a kiss just as Mrs. Gallo made her own way over. She, unlike Paris, remained behind Chris, and once Paris broke the kiss, her hands came up to cover Chris's eyes.
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:00 pm
Chris had indeed been looking for Paris, and was glad when he finally found her. He had two of his cousins trying to convince him to jump in the pool with them, but he was trying to explain that he didn't want to leave his girlfriend on her own when she couldn't go in the pool. Talk about rude!
"Hey," he said with a smile, kissing her when she leaned up to him, only to frown when he felt a pair of hands go over his eyes. "What the...?"
"Pumpkin, you've gotten so tall!" his mother gushed, impressed as she did her best to keep her hands over his eyes.
Others around them laughed in amusement, although just as curious as he was about what the heck was going on. "Mom, what are you doing?" he sputtered, almost stumbling as she tried to lead him along the pathway and towards the house. He reached out for Paris, since she'd just been next to him, grabbing onto her arm so his mother didn't lead him into a wall or something like that.
"Your father and I wanted to show you your present first," she giggled, waiting for Paris to at least help her with leading him before going back through the house and the crowd of people.
"Mom... I'll keep my eyes closed. You don't have to hold them like that," he insisted, but she didn't seem to be paying attention. Despite being wary about all of this, he was rather curious and somewhat amused that his mother thought it would be a good idea to cover his eyes before showing him. "You could have gotten me a blindfold," he suggested. Heck, she could have used his tie. That's right, Chris Gallo owned more than just polos. He was actually wearing a button up shirt and a tie today. Talk about surprises.
"Almost there. Precious, can you get the door please?" she asked Paris, pushing her son over the threshold once the door had been opened.
People around him were already gasping in awe, and he really hoped there wasn't, like, an elephant or something ridiculous for him to see. Finally his mother let go of his eyes and he blinked, staring at the driving way. Someone had left their very nice car out front instead of taking it around the back and... wait... this wasn't his present, was it??
He glanced down at Paris to see if this was a joke or not, unsure of if he wanted to fall for it if it was.
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:20 pm
Paris kept close to Chris's side, letting him hold his arm before just grabbing onto his hand and walking a little bit in front of him to lead him through the house. He opened the front door at the request of Mrs. Gallo -- liking her "precious" better than his own mother's "baby," though both made it sound as if they were talking to small children -- and carefully took his boyfriend out into the front drive where they'd left the car, making sure they didn't go too fast for Mrs. Gallo to keep her hands covering Chris's eyes.
The fact that Chris's reaction wasn't immediate had Paris rolling his eyes. "Do you like my new car?" he joked, letting go of Chris to step toward it, running a hand along the exterior. "Isn't it lovely? Can't you just see me riding around town in it?"
He stopped to lean casually against the side, toeing the ground with one of his heels. "I'll need a chauffeur, of course. I don't have my licence. I didn't think you'd mind so much since you'd get to drive it."
A few of the others took a step or two closer to get a better look at it, though they seemed to be restraining themselves until Chris had his moment with it. Eventually, Paris returned to his boyfriend, giving him a look of exasperation. "You know, usually when someone's parents buy them a new car for their birthday there's cheering and excitement, maybe some tears, then a lot of showing off. Naturally, you would be the exception," he said, grabbing onto one of Chris's hands again to try and tug him closer. "Say 'thank you' and hug your mom and dad, and then come look. It's fantastic. I've already been inside it. Your mom, aunt and I just got back from picking it up. Just wait until the kids on my street see it. I can imagine their eyes popping out of their heads."
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:35 pm
Chris continued to stare for a little while longer, before it finally sunk in that this was his car. Really...?
He sputtered at Paris's comments, before turning to hug his mom, who looked like she was going to break down from nervousness, as if he would for some reason not like it. "Thank you! It's great!" he said, not really sure what else to say. "You didn't have to. I mean. It's great! Thank you!" He moved over to give his dad a hug too, who had come out to stand in the entry way to the house.
"Hopefully this makes up for using a hand-me-down for the past few years," his dad said, casually leaning against the doorframe when his son pulled away to look at the car. His mother looked like she was going to cry, happy that Chris actually liked it.
"Um, yeah...? Of course it makes up for it. I didn't mind using the other car, though. But this is really nice. Wow." Now that he'd uncorked, he couldn't seem to stop stammering exclamations and words of thanks and gratitude. He didn't think he deserved a car like this. Maybe another used car, but this was a brand new one. He moved over to stand next to Paris and place his hands on the side, and then on the door and then on the side mirrors and --
"Where are the keys?" he asked, and his mom let out an 'oh!' and quickly fished them out of one of the pockets in her dress that weren't really pockets, but she needed to put the keys somewhere. She tossed them to him and he caught them, opening the front door. He leaned down to search for the right button and pulled it, popping the hood so he could see the engine.
His mother rolled her eyes and mumbled something about 'boys and their toys...'
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 7:47 pm
That was more like it...
Paris stood back while Chris expressed his appreciation, watching him finally draw closer to examine his car, and rolling his eyes again as he moved to examine the engine. When Chris had asked for the keys, he'd hoped for a quick joyride, but it didn't take long for him to realize that that wasn't in Chris's game plan yet. He moved to stand by him regardless, happy that Chris liked it.
Not that it had been his idea. Not at all. He hadn't known about it until Mrs. Gallo and her sister had pulled him away from the party to go pick it up, but he did like the idea of being driven around town in a car like this, all sleek and classy, and the more Chris liked it, then more chances he'd get to do so.
Call him shallow. He wouldn't deny it.
"I take it you like it then?" he said, though the answer was obvious. Chris had that amazed look on his face that made it seem as if he couldn't believe it was actually his; it was quickly morphing into something else, more of a look of "oh, yeah, I can dig this."
"We can go for a quick ride around the neighbor if you want," he suggested, looking in at the engine but not really seeing anything about it that impressed him. He was sure that had to do with the fact that he knew nothing about the inner workings of an automobile. His concern was in how it looked and how the two of them would look in it. "You know, so you can test it out."
Paris was really beginning to love this lifestyle -- the big houses, the nice cars, the fancy clothes, the food, everything.
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:30 pm
"Of course!" he grinned, happy with what he saw in the engine and shutting the hood, before moving around to check out the rest of the exterior, leaning over to look at the muffler in the back, and then moving back around to hug his mom, and then move back to the car.
Well, damn, he hadn't been expecting a car. Maybe a nice camera, or a promise of a trip somewhere, but no a car. Especially not such a nice car like this. But yeah, he definitely didn't know what he did to deserve it. Or maybe it was a joke?
"Sure!" he grinned at Paris, still not sure about how this was his car, but he opened the driver door and almost got in, before quickly backpedaling and jogging around to the other side to open the door for Paris to get in. Oops! Once she was in, though, he moved around to the other side and climbed in, shutting the door behind.
"This is... amazing. This is like, super luxury... Like, I don't even know what to do with this. My parents are crazy. I can't believe this," he stammered, not sure where to begin. Well, he supposed starting it up would be good.
He started it up and giggled a little. Wow, okay Chris, it wasn't that exciting, was it? It sounded so nice though. And it was a hybrid? Jeeezzzz... He wondered if Peter had talked his parents into trying to get a car that would be better for the environment, but since Peter had been awol for the entirety of the party (so far) he couldn't imagine him being all that thrilled, either way.
After making sure there were no little kids running around in front of them, he reved the engine and pushed it into drive and took off down the driveway. Just a quick lap around the neighborhood.
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:59 pm
While he could have gotten in perfectly fine on his own, Paris let Chris come back around to open the door for him, laughing lightly and lifting a hand to pat one of his cheeks, then sliding into the passenger seat where he'd been only minutes before, and pulling his seat-belt across him to wait for Chris to climb in on the other side. He settled himself in comfortably and turned his head to watch the young man beside him, amused by his excitement and enthusiasm. He was like a little kid with a toy, not unlike Peter when he got something he really wanted, just much less mischievous about it.
"It's not 'super luxury,'" he said with another laugh. "It's not as expensive as a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. Of course, it's still more than my dad could ever afford," he observed, running a hand over the leather interior. "It's classy, but functional. I guess it's considered a luxury vehicle, though, isn't it? It's comfy. Nice looking, too. If I could drive, I'd be jealous."
He took a few moments to relax as Chris turned to head down the street a ways. The party was going wonderfully, and Chris's family were all very nice -- though he was having trouble keeping names straight, and he had to keep reminded himself to say "Crystal" whenever one of them asked him where he went to school. He didn't think he'd slipped up at all, but it was so much harder to keep the act up when there were a lot more people around to scrutinize him. He could only be happy that they seemed to like him well enough.
Not that he really cared what a bunch of stodgy rich people thought of him. He was simply relieved to experience no complications.
He paused to consider when he wanted to give Chris the present he'd planned for him. He could do it now when the others were none the wiser, but as he looked around the inside again, fiddling with with the radio to pre-set a few of his stations favorite stations -- and Chris's, too, of course; he knew what he liked to listen to by now -- he thought the new car wasn't the best place.
When they got back then...
"Does this make up for the party?" he wondered, smiling still. "I can tell your parents are into it more than you are. I would have thought as a baseball player you'd be used to having the attention of crowds. Probably even like it. Your mother kept telling me about how you always like to escape to your room and hide in there after a while. I guess it's different around a bunch of 50-plus-ers. You were more into it at the party we met at."
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Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 10:00 pm
The car accelerated down the street, although he made sure to stay close to the speed limit. He didn't want anything happening to the car (or his girlfriend or himself) on his first test drive. And yeah, it wasn't super luxury, but it was a big step up from what he had been driving. Not that there was anything wrong with his old car, but it wasn't what he was sitting in now.
Chris laughed, feeling rather giddy for the first time in a long time, shaking his head at Paris. "Any time you want a ride, I'd be more than happy to give you one." He had to wonder if it was mean for him to be driving around Paris's neighborhood in a super nice car like this, but if he didn't, then how would he be able to pick Paris up? He wasn't exactly proud to be lumped in with the 'bunch of stodgy rich people' that others like to assume that he was, just because he had a nice car and home and all that. He happened to think he wasn't that much in the stereotype... Or at least he hoped he wasn't.
"Huh? Oh..." he frowned a little, feeling guilty for how his parents obviously noticed how he snuck off after a while. Well, damn... that was embarrassing... "Uh... yeah, it's not that I don't like the attention. It's just... not the attention I want, I guess," he tried to explain, not really sure how to. He liked attention, yeah. He loved attention. He just... didn't like it when he was crowded. There was a difference. Wasn't there...?
"Are you having fun, though...? I hope my mom and aunt behaved themselves," he said, still frowning as he looped around a round about. "You're not being bored by everything, are you? Or overwhelmed? I know there's a lot of people..." And he knew that as soon as they got back he would be expected to mingle some more.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 10:34 am
"Your mom and your aunt were fine," Paris told him. He really didn't understand Chris's concern. It wasn't as if Chris's family were at all like his family, in which case he would have expected Chris to be a little more embarrassed by any bad behavior. "It's not like it's horrible to be around them. Your mom's harmless. I can honestly say it'd be hard to do anything wrong by her."
He had to wonder if she'd even be upset about him lying to her son. She was so kindhearted and trusting he could imagine her saying something along the lines of "I'm sure you had your reasons, precious" and then continue to gush and coddle them both, as if she could fix every problem by showering its subjects with love, hugs, and kisses.
Before, Paris might have found such things annoying, but it seemed so right coming from Mrs. Gallo. That was just who she was.
It made him feel guilty, playing on the feelings of such a warm, genuinely kind woman. Her easy acceptance of him as she immediately welcomed him into the family made everything seem so much worse. He wasn't just fooling Chris anymore. He was fooling Chris and everyone who was important in Chris's life.
He frowned at himself momentarily then forced such thoughts from his mind and put a smile back on his face. "I'm having a blast. I don't know how you'd think I'd be bored during all of this," he said, motioning to the car with one of his hands but including the entire party atmosphere in the gesture. "Sometimes I don't think you realize how lucky you are. You have such a big family and everyone gets along, and your parents obviously love you. Being around everyone is a lot more comfortable than I thought it'd be. I guess I was expecting a bunch of snobs. In reality, I'm probably the snobbiest person here," he finished with a small laugh, truly amused by that fact.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:39 pm
No, he didn't think his family was horrible, but he didn't want them to be bothering Paris or anything like that. Girls were strange to him, a lot of the time. He never knew what they were thinking. Paris didn't seem all that unpredictable, though. It was probably why he got along with her as well as he did. But maybe she was just different like that.
"I know," he said softly as he pulled back into the driveway after just a few minutes of driving around. He knew he was lucky, but maybe Paris was right. Maybe he didn't know just how lucky he was sometimes. "I'm glad you're having fun, though. I didn't know if you'd feel intimidated or out of place at all." It was better to be cautious, or at least that's what he thought.
"And I don't think you're a snob," he said, looking strangely at Paris. She thought she was a snob? Well, maybe she was, but she didn't show it that much around him. Or maybe he just sucked at picking things like that up. "I think you're great... I'm glad you're here." It made his birthday even better.
Most of the people had gone back inside, but there were a few still lingering when he pulled the car up and around the front, turning it off and getting out. He did the same as he had when they'd gotten in and hurried over to Paris's side to hold the door open for her. It was probably really geeky for him to be like that. Heck, if Paris was a feminist, she probably would have gotten mad at him for it. It was really just supposed to be a kind gesture, but... who knew.
"I bet we're having cake soon," he said, leading the way into the house to look around to see where everyone was congregating. There was a decent sized pile of presents in the great room for him, and he knew he'd have to open them later. He felt horrible for not showing his appreciation more before, but he was going to do better. Or at least that's what he told himself.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 12:50 pm
Paris couldn't say he disliked being helped in and out of the car. It was the pampering thing again. He had to enjoy it. No one else opened doors for him or made him feel like they worshiped the ground he walked on. Like he was worth something. Chris made him feel worth more every single day. It seemed to please Chris to be able to do those little things for him, too, so he saw no reason why it shouldn't continue if both of them felt some sort of pride or worth in the action.
He followed him back into the house, linking his arm with Chris's and walking close to his side. The sight of the presents in the Great Room had him pausing before they could head out back again, and he put a bit of pressure on Chris's arm to get him to stop.
Now was as good a time as any. Now was perfect, actually.
"Wait," he said, glancing around to make sure they weren't going to be watched or overheard. He thought he might hear a few people in the kitchen -- Mrs. Gallo's voice was definitely coming from that direction -- but he didn't see anyone in the immediate vicinity, which would make sneaking off that much easier.
"I have something for you," he explained. "I've been waiting for the right moment. I thought it'd have to be later, but right now seems fine."
How many people even realized they'd gotten back? No one would notice if they happened to be missing for a little longer...
Paris's smile spread slightly wider, almost mischievous. "I have a present for you. Something no one else can see. Let's go up to your room for a little bit."
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 1:08 pm
Chris stopped when Paris pulled on his arm, looking at her curiously. She had a present for him...? "Okay," he said, trying not to sound suspicious. He wasn't that he was suspicious of her, but he couldn't tell what that smile on her face meant. He was a guy, after all, but he didn't want to look like he was expecting one thing and then be unintentionally disappointed. Wow, he sounded like a pig in his head.
Either way, he glanced around to make sure no one was watching where they were going, keeping an eye out for his brother as well, just in case Peter wanted to come by and bother them. But the coast was clear and Chris lead the way to the back stairs that lead up from the hall near one of the living rooms, rather than going back out to the foyer. These stairs were closer to his room, anyway.
It didn't take them very long to get up to his room, and since Paris told him not one else could see, he quietly shut the door behind him. Through the windows they could see the party going on by the pool, as well as out back where his dad had a small putting green. He'd never been as interested in golf as he was in baseball, but he didn't mind going to a course with his dad when he was invited along. He was decent, but not good enough to bet money on.
There were also a bunch of children running around in the grass by the flag pole. He couldn't see where Peter was, but that didn't really matter to him. He was probably off doing something else, or hiding somewhere as he played on his phone. For such an active kid he could sure isolate himself in social situations sometimes. Moody kid...
He turned back to Paris, not sure if he should look expectant or if she was going to pull a present from under his bed or what.
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Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2011 1:20 pm
Paris quietly followed Chris, hoping his expression didn't betray his plans. He said nothing about what Chris should expect, and waited instead until they were in his room with the door closed. Only then did he release his arm, taking a step back to appraise his figure, before scanning the room to decide how this was going to happen.
Should he pull the curtains over the window? Would anyone notice the change if he did? Well, they were on the second story, and depending on where they were in the room, he doubted anyone would be able to see them. They were all too engrossed in the party anyway.
Returning his attention to Chris, he grabbed him by his tie and pulled him into a hasty kiss, sliding his hands up over his shoulders until his arms were around Chris's neck. He still had that mischievous smile on his face once the kiss ended. "Why don't you sit down over here?" he suggested, maneuvering his boyfriend to the desk along the wall. He pulled the leather chair out a bit and turned it around, pressing on Chris's shoulders until he was sitting. "You'll want to be comfortable."
He took a step back then, staring at Chris again -- at his neatly brushed hair, his confused but expectant eyes, the look on his face that made it seem as if he'd thought of something but didn't quite want to believe it, his button down shirt, his dark slacks... Having known one another for the time they had was long enough, he'd decided. He wouldn't have bothered to wait for anyone else, and after everything... Chris should know how much he liked him...
Paris took another step back, then another, and another, until he'd reached the door.
Then he turned to lock it.
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