The rest of the week, Sharon and her family showed Cion what Queens had to offer and showed him Manhattan during the weekend. He was enthralled. Bright lights and big city were words that could never have hoped to do New York justice. As they drove along the streets or made their way through the subways, Sharon made a point to show Cion every gay bar she knew of or suspected. Her son Alec had scoffed when he had found out Cion's preference till Jake tapped him upside the head.
"We don't judge in this family." He said with a strength behind his words.
"Don't worry, Cion." Jake and Sharon's daughter Jess said. "He hasn't even had a girlfriend so what does he know. He could very well be gay too."
"Jess, stop aggravating your brother!" Sharon yelled, then went back to whatever it was she was saying about New York.
Cion had gotten used to the whirlwind that was the Burgoyne-DeLuca family. Their love was apparent but the parents gave their children no quarter when it came to disrespecting others. And all in all, Cion had to admit that the kids were pretty good kids, even Alec. He definitely felt welcome with them and looked forward to his time here with more excitement, but couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking for something. How was he supposed to find something in a city this big when he didn't know what it was he was supposed to be searching for?
They called it an early evening Sunday and went home for dinner rather than eating out as they had most of the week. Everyone seemed tired but happy with the fast paced tour they had given Cion and happy to have a nice quiet evening at home. Even Alec's music, usually rather loud, was quiet and subdued. Sharon and Jake sat on the couch, her legs propped up on his, reading and unwinding from the day.
"You have a minute, Jake?" Cion asked as he came up from his room.
"Sure. What's on your mind?"
"I was wondering if I could start at work tomorrow with ya?" Cion asked and saw Sharon frown.
"We told you, Cion. You're not to be paying us anything, so why don't you take some time for yourself?" Sharon argued.
"Sharon, if I did that I'd likely go off the rails. I've been working since I could spit in a dogs eye. I'd really feel much better with something to do."
"If you want to, Cion." Jake finally relented.
"I do."
"Great. I leave around six in the morning."
"Grand." Cion said, smiling. "It'll be great craic, Jake. You'll see."
Cion left to go downstairs to his bedroom. Jake looked at Sharon.
"What the hell did he say?" Sharon only smiled.
The next morning, Cion's alarm rang at quarter after five and he pulled himself out of bed like a hibernating bear who thinks it's a bit too early to be lumbering about. Once under the shower spray, set to tepid to help him wake up, he felt more human and able to meet the day. He dressed quickly and was upstairs as Jake was buttering a slice of toast.
"Morning." Jake greeted cheerfully.
"Morning." Cion's greeting was not as cheerful.
"Wow. You know, you don't have to do this."
"It's fine, Jake. I'm just a bit slow in the morning is all. I'll have me mother's milk and be right as rain in no time."
"Your 'mother's milk'?" Jake asked.
"Aye. Tea, I believe you Yanks call it."
"Oh right. Um... not sure where it is. Sharon's turned into more of a coffee drinker."
"She keeps it right over there in the cabinet. She was sweet enough to buy it special." Cion said as he set the kettle to boil and took out two bags. "We've time, yeah?"
"Yeah. We've got another couple minutes. You sure you're going to be good with just that? You wouldn't want toast, or eggs or something?" Jake asked.
"An Irishman can go to war on one of three things; love, whiskey and tea."
Jake laughed. "I'll have to remember that."
They arrived home later that night, tired but feeling a sense of accomplishment. Jake was suitably impressed with Cion's work and Cion was happy that Jake was impressed. They walked in the door and Sharon came to meet them.
"Jesus! You both look like hell. Go take your showers and I'll have supper on the table when you get out."
They both agreed and went to their respective rooms to change. Cion stripped down in the bathroom and turned the shower on allowing it to steam the room up nicely. After the work out he had today, his muscles would need some relief. Not that he wasn't used to manual labor, but the extra effort he used to convince Jake that he was capable took it's toll.
Cion used his hands and wiped some of the condensation away from the large mirror in front of him and thought of Sharon's comparison of him and his father. He had seen very few pictures of Dylan Malloy when he was growing up and had thought that his father and mother had been married until finding out that M had legally changed her name after his death.
He stood at the mirror, all six feet two of himself and smiled. His teeth were white and thankfully straight as he thought if there had been a problem, his mother would have tried crystals or blue green algae before braces. His dark hair was a bit long, but it suited his face which he usually swept it back from. His eyes were bright blue and his lovers often said they changed with his moods.
His lovers also said he often had the look of Clive Owen but with his goatee, Cion couldn't see it. His chest was muscular and sparsely covered with hair. His arms were muscular from the many years of hard work and his stomach was flat despite his non-vegetarian diet. All in all, he thought he made an attractive package and wished he would soon find the man that would steal his heart and gladly give him his. And with a sigh, he slipped into the water and let his worries wash away.
The week went on pretty much the same as it had started. Cion loved the work, the new challenge and the area. It was exciting being in Queens, where all he had to do was stop in the local pub to hear a bit of home and look to the east to see Manhattan stand so tall and pretty. Some nights he would go up to the roof of the house and stand watching the city sparkle and shimmer in the summer heat. The breeze that would blow by him was so warm it felt like a hot whisper against his skin. But he couldn't bring himself to go exploring much more than to the local store. Something held him back and he wasn't sure what it was.
"You should go out." Sharon began to push him as he sat in one weekend. "You've been here two weeks and you haven't stepped outside the door. Go out and make some friends. If you want I can call some and ask if you could tag along."
"Thanks, Sharon but no. I couldn't do that. I'd feel awkward. Besides, they're already friends. I'd just be an unwanted addition."
"You wouldn't though. At least let me call one and ask for a nice place for you to go."
"You'd better let her, Cion." Jake said. "You'll never hear the end of it if you don't."
"I'll go with if you like." Sharron offered, her face bright with the thought of going to a gay club.
"Again Sharon, thanks but no. I'll go on my own. It'll be grand."
And with that it was settled. Cion worked the week with Jake and his crew, took his pay and bought some new clothes with the help of Sharon's daughter Jess. She was young, but Cion had to admit, she had an eye for good clothes and he trusted her to show him what was in style. Sharon met them as they got back to the house with their arms loaded with bags.
"I see you had the help of our professional shopper." Sharon said nodding at Jess.
"I did and she was magnificent. Apparently I needed more than I thought I did." Cion grinned.
"You got him good deals on all of it, Jess?"
"Course I did, mom. As you said, I'm a professional." The teenager smirked. "Have a great time tonight, Cion. I'd say that I'd go with you but there's no chance in hell."
"You can say that again, miss." Sharon nodded. "You're lucky your father allows you an occasional beer when I'm not looking. You won't set foot in a bar till you're twenty one."
"That's such crap though. You were in bars when you were sixteen."
"I grew up in Ireland. You don't. Live with it."
"So when we go to Ireland again I can drink?" Jess looked hopeful and her mother looked trapped and unhappy about it.
"We'll discuss it then." She said and watched her daughter head up to her room.
