Chapter 25 – Richard
Dave’s nightmare was the wake up call I needed. I’d been thinking that he needed to see someone, but the nightmare confirmed it. I spent the rest of that night awake. Just holding him in my arms. Needing him to know that he was safe and that I was there.
I was there the following morning when Dave woke up. Heartbroken. My strong wonderful man was lost. Dave had whispered that he needed to see someone. I kissed him on his forehead, agreed, and called Vincent.
“How is he doing?” Vincent asks, as I open the door to him two days after calling him.
“Better, I think.” Still in our room.
“How are you?” Vincent suddenly asks.
“Worried sick,” I confirm. “He has been so strong, and seeing him like this is hard.”
“Well, hopefully, I have someone to help,” Vincent replies, as he moves to the side, and I see two men behind him, holding hands. “Can I introduce Jefferson Winston-Romano and his husband Charles.”
“Hi,” I say, reaching out my hand to them both, which they shake with firm grips. “That’s quite a surname.”
“It is,” Jefferson confirms, giving me a smile, and I instantly like him.
“I know Jefferson’s parents,” Vincent explains, “and I called them for Jeff’s number. Jeff is one of the best psychologists, and, as a bonus, Charles here is a doctor.”
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” I say over to them.
“No problem,” Jeff replies. “It was nice to get away from the US for a while, plus Vincent bribed us with invitations to Miami next year. And please, call me Jeff.”
I led the party into the house, telling Vincent to make himself comfortable in the living room, and I took Jeff and Charles upstairs to Dave, gently knocking on the bedroom door.
“Baby,” I whisper, as I push the door open. “There is someone here to see you.”
Walking in, I see Dave sitting up in bed, which is a development that makes me happy. He seems to be watching the TV, but I know that he really isn’t. He looks over to me and gives me a slight smile.
“This is Jeff and Charles,” I say, introducing them.
“It’s Chas,” Charles states. “Only my mother calls me Charles.”
“Richard, do you mind if we spend some time with David alone?” Jeff asks.
“Yes, of course. I will be downstairs if you need me.” With one last look over to Dave, I give him a smile, close the door, and head back downstairs.
“Thought you might need this,” Vincent says, meeting me at the bottom of the stairs, and handing me a mug. The smell of coffee hitting my nostrils.
“Thanks.”
“Come on, let’s go sit,” Vincent says, pushing me towards the living room, but I still look up the stairs, even though I can’t see our room from here.
“David is in good hands,” Vincent adds.
A few minutes later, I hear footsteps on the stairs, and I’m jumping from my seat. Racing over to the stairs, I see Chas coming down.
“Richard, he’s fine. But let’s go sit,” Chas says, giving me a smile.
We walk back into the living room and I retake my seat, but I’m watching Chas closely.
“So, Chas, how is our patient?” Vincent asks.
“Physically, he’s doing well. The knee still seems to be stable, but it’s still very early to tell yet. David told me that you’ve been icing the leg every day.”
“We have,” I confirm.
“All I can say is keep doing it. You’re doing well,” Chas continues.
“And the rest?” I ask.
“That, we are going to have to leave to Jeff,” Chas states. “But he’s good.”
“I trust Vincent,” I say over to him.
“Chas,” Vincent says. “So, how is married life? David and Rich took a leaf out of your book. Got married in Vegas.”
“Really? When? That must have been fun,” Chas says.
“Just after the Vegas Grand Prix,” I tell him.
“Wow. You really have had an interesting few weeks. We saw the crash on the TV.”
A knock on the front door stops us all from talking. I’m not expecting anyone, and it would have to be someone who knows the code for the gate. Getting up, I go over, opening the door to see Lars and Jasper standing there.
“Hey,” I say over to Jasper, who steps forward and pulls me into a hug.
“Hi,” Jasper whispers back. “Hope it’s okay that we came unannounced, but we were training at HQ, and we both realised we weren’t concentrating.”
“No, it’s fine. Please, come on in,” I say over to both of them. “I‘m sure David will be happy to see you.”
“Have the press figured out that David is here?” I ask, as I close the front door.
“No, the vultures don’t, but they’re camped out at HQ. Wanting to get that first look at him.”
“Jasper!” Vincent shouts from the living room.
“How the fuck can he hear me from there?” Jasper whines.
The three of us go over to the living room, and when we walk in, the scowl directed at Jasper from Vincent is comical.
“I thought Charmaine had gotten you PR training,” Vincent adds.
“She has, for when I’m dealing with them in public, but I was talking to Rich, and I’m not wrong. You know they called my parents, and sister?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, really?” Vincent groans. “What did they say?”
“My parents didn’t say much. My sister, due to the nature of her business, was a little more brutal. She warned them that if any more details of my private life came out, then she would sue.”
“Wow,” Chas voices, and I realise that no introductions have been made.
“Sorry Jasper, this is Chas. Friend of Vincent’s,” I start, and I chuckle when I see him look him up and down, and smile. “His husband is upstairs with Dave.”
“Well, damn,” Jasper mutters.
“Seriously, Jasper,” I mutter, but can’t help feeling better, at the reminder that Jasper has no filter.
“You need to meet my brother-in-law Trip,” Chas starts, “the two of you together would be a hoot. He doesn’t give a fuck either.”
“Oh, really. So, are there more of you? Any brothers?” Jasper asks, as he licks his lips.
“I’m one of seven and have six brothers,” Chas tells him.
“Interesting,” Jasper adds. “And do any of those brothers bat for the same team as us?”
“We all do,” Chas adds. “And we are all very happily married men.”
“Life really is unfair. Everyone is either married or getting married,” Jasper complains.
All of us laugh, and it’s a good feeling. I needed this. I needed a slight distraction from what was happening upstairs.
“Hang on,” Vincent suddenly shouts. “What do you mean by the nature of your sister’s business?”
Vincent finally registered the words Jasper said. Oh, this is going to be good, and I feel like I should warn Chas, but I don’t. I just sit back and wait for the fireworks to happen.
“Rich, you never…?” Jasper asks, looking over to me.
“Not my place,” I answer, giving him a smile.
“Kimber, my sister, owns the service that I work at. The one Rich used,” Jasper says, and I notice that he used the present tense. “She has some very loyal, and very influential, people using her service. The papers wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“You mean worked?” Vincent asks, and for a brief moment Jasper is silent.
“Umm, no. I have never fully left,” Jasper whispers. “There are some special clients that only I can deal with.
“I don’t want to know,” Vincent adds, and I’m disappointed. I thought Vincent would have had a lot more to stay.
“It won’t affect my work with Lars, or the team. They come first,” Jasper adds.
“It better not, and you need to be extra careful. The press has a spotlight on you now,” Vincent adds, and this seems to be it. The topic is over with.
“I thought our family had some secrets,” Chas adds. “Sounds like yours is just as fun.”
“Your family is not fun. They’re scary as hell,” Jeff’s voice sounds, and all of us turn around to see Jeff and Dave standing there.
“Dave,” I mutter, and race over to him, not quite believing that I’m seeing him standing there, but helping him over to the couch, settling him down, and pulling over a stool to rest his leg on.
With Dave settled, everyone takes a seat on the couch, with the exception of me and Jasper, who pull some stools over so we’re sitting closer to Dave.
“I heard everyone talking and wanted to come downstairs,” he replies.
“It’s good to see you, Dave,” Jasper announces.
“Rich told me that you had to have some PR training. Have to admit I enjoyed hearing that. Has Charmaine quit yet?”
“She hasn’t quit, yet,” Vincent interrupts.
“I still don’t understand why I needed it. I only told the truth,” Jasper adds, and I see Dave smile. Really smile for the first time in days and there is a small glimpse of light in his eyes.
“Jeff, so how is our boy?” Vincent asks.
“Our boy?” I say over to Vincent.
“Fuck off,” Vincent replies, and turns back to Jeff.
“Vincent, that’s between me and David,” Jeff counters. “He has the name of a colleague I know in the UK, who I recommend he visits.”
“Talking helped,” Dave replies.
“That’s good,” I say over to him, and I notice that his voice seems to be stronger.
“I’ve been thinking, too. I want to make a statement, or at least do an interview, but only about the crash. Do you think that will be possible?” he says.
“Like a press conference?” Vincent adds.
“No. I was thinking about a one-on-one interview. Where only the crash is discussed.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. You need to rest,” I tell him.
“No, I need to talk about this. The F1 world needs to see me. I probably should have done it sooner.”
“I will contact Nicky,” Vincent says. “We can do it at HQ, and I hate to say this, but it might help to take some of the heat off everything.”
“Thank you, Vin, and soon, please,” Dave adds.
It took Vincent just twenty-four hours to sort out the interview.
Nicky had jumped at the chance to have this one to one with Dave.
I, of course, had spent twenty-four hours telling him that I didn’t think it was a good idea.
He needed more time, but my stubborn man was coming back, and he wasn’t listening to me.
“He’ll be fine, you know that, right?” Vin asks.