Come Again?
By Suzette
Disclaimers - I do not own Antoine LaConte or any of the other characters from Deuce Bigalow, or Nick Kokoris or any of the other Presidio Med characters. I am only respectfully borrowing them. Image is courtesy Ariane's wonderful vid-caps.
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Chapter 1
She was already quite wet when he slipped the vibrator inside her. She always was, and she always wanted him to do her first with her little battery-operated friend before she took him into her. She said it made her “ready.” He was happy to oblige as he always got paid double; once for being the “operator” and a second time for doing her himself.
“Oh Antoine…Oh….yes…yes…” She always said the same thing…he smiled confidently…MOST of his women said those words…eventually…some preferred to take a longer route to get there, that was all.
“It is good for you baby…eh?” He growled as he thrust the massager in and out of her. “Are you ready for the real thing baby?”
“Oh God yes….” He pulled the massager out and ran it, still vibrating, across her breasts. He discovered last time she enjoyed this; even with his regular clients he liked to keep things fresh. He was already fully aroused and he knew she could take him; the beauty of knowing your client base, he thought as he drove hard into her. He was even bigger than the vibrator and she gasped as he filled her. “Do me hard Antoine…do it like I like it.”
She was a good client, prompt, easy to please and pleasant. She was even beautiful. It was a shame her husband was too old to give her what she needed. Of course, he was rich and his money bought her what she needed…including his services once a week.
She was a perfect client. She never quibbled prices with him and was extremely discreet.
He held the vibrator over her clitoris now as he pumped in and out of her. She required a lot of stimulation to reach her strongest climax. The thought of her husband surviving a night with this woman was laughable. She was the “trophy wife” of an old rich man. Antoine thought it a waste; like having a sports car and not knowing how to shift a manual transmission.
This woman was like his Porsche. She needed to be driven hard. She had already wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him into her deeply with each thrust and now he pounded into her relentlessly, like a machine…an engine piston …filling her chamber to bursting with each stroke.
She was vocal and already moaning loudly. He appreciated this particular apartment building for the extra soundproofing in the design, and his own voice joined hers. Then he rode her to one of her thrashing climaxes.
He was tender to her afterwards; it was good customer relations to treat his regulars with consideration, and he did like this woman. “You are all right, baby? Can I get you something to drink perhaps…a little caviar?”
“Mmmm. Yeah, hon. That would be great. You know what I like…”
He knew she liked the same snack after sex; caviar on little round wheat crackers and mineral water. He padded into the kitchen, not bothering to dress. He dropped the used condom in the trash by the bedroom door as he passed by. He knew the woman’s eyes followed him, and felt them on him again when he returned. This was fine; he wanted her to feel she got her money’s worth.
“God, Antoine. You have such a wonderful body. Have you ever modeled?”
“The hours are too long.” He crooned, settling back in bed with her. He spread a towel over the cream-colored Egyptian cotton sheets to catch any cracker crumbs. Antoine was fastidious about his apartment. “And I get paid almost as much as they do for much more pleasurable work.” He kissed her behind the ear. “Same time next week, eh?”
She furrowed her brow, “Ummm.no I have to move to Thursday afternoon if we can…I have a Junior Women’s Club meeting. I’m the new Social Services Chair.”
“I cannot do Thursday, baby…all afternoon is shot. I’m going out of town. How about Tuesday? I’ll give you a second half an hour for the same price…”
“Done. I don’t care what I have on Tuesday afternoon but I’ll reschedule.”
“Wonderful. Remember I’ll be out of town the next week. Do you want a referral or…?”
“I’ll wait for you to get back. No one’s quite like you, Antoine.”
“I know baby.” He stretched back on the bed, sighing as he watched her put her clothes on. She had a nice firm body. The plastic surgeons had done a good job on her. She was his last appointment for the afternoon. As soon as she left he’d catch a nap before his evening appointments. “Take your time. No rush. You’re my last for a few hours.” It was very pleasurable, this profession of his.
“God, Antoine. Do you take vitamins or something?”
“Just clean living.”
“Where’re you going?” She asked casually.
“San Francisco. Nice city. A bit cold.” He stood and pulled jeans on over nothing, and drew on a silk shirt, leaving it unbuttoned. The color, a deep eggplant, set off his tan nicely, he thought as he caught his reflection in the mirror.
“Yeah, it is. If you get stuck up there, call me. I’ll take the plane up and join you for a few days. How much do you charge for an entire day, Antoine?” She placed a sealed envelope containing five hundred dollar bills on his dresser.
She was fully dressed now and he knew she was waiting for him to escort her outside. He would walk her to her car, as he always did, then find that nap he had been looking for. Still, he never dropped his romantic demeanor. The follow through was the most important part of his job. “For you, baby, I’d make a deal, eh? It’s a business trip – something with lawyers. I am certain I will be back quickly.” He leaned against her, brushing his cheek on her hair. “Mmmmm. You smell so wonderful, baby.”
~*~*~*~*~
A little over a week later, Antoine rushed into the Law Offices of Llewellyn, Harriman and Thom. He was late, which annoyed him, not that he minded making people wait for him; it was simply that he hated waiting himself and he had been caught in the notorious San Francisco traffic. It put him in a black mood, and the anger seemed to rise from him like steam.
He had dressed conservatively, in a black suit with a gray cashmere sweater underneath. He preferred himself in the more somber shades, although a number of women requested he wear pastels…something he couldn’t fathom.
He stopped at the receptionist’s desk. A cute girl with nice breasts, he thought. He always noticed the women… occupational hazard. “I have an appointment with Mr. Llewellyn. I am Antoine Laconte.”
“Certainly, Mr. Laconte. I believe they’re waiting for you. Head on back through those doors and I’ll let them know you’re coming.”
Antoine’s temper was cooling and he nodded his head at the woman, giving her a stunning smile and a sincere “Thank you.” It often served him well to charm the ‘guards of the gates’. He observed how the woman’s voice softened as she announced him over the intercom. The satisfaction of knowing he had triggered an instinctive arousal in her pleased him, and he grinned slightly as he strode towards the conference room.
Three people waited inside: the lawyer, of course, and a handsome older couple Antoine didn’t recognize by either name or face. The men rose as the lawyer made the introductions. “Antoine Laconte, I’m Bob Llewellyn and this is Dr. Constantine Kokoris and his wife Maria.” Perfunctory greetings were exchanged and Antoine noticed the husband watched him suspiciously while the woman stared at him with curiosity and…..something else…possession, perhaps.
“What is this about? I have business in Los Angeles I must return to. I do not like to waste my time.” Antoine had little patience for whatever this was and sat in a chair with its back to the door. It was the closest chair to the exit.
“We have come all the way from
“Please Constantine…” His wife put her hand on his arm. “This is hard enough already. Can we try to be kind to each other?”
At that moment the doors opened again and a tall young man came into the room. He smiled warmly as he apologized. “Sorry I’m late. There was an emergency at the hospital. I hope I didn’t miss anything.” He had walked past Antoine, not looking directly at him until taking a seat next to the older couple. He now stared into the face he saw. It was….his own face.
Llewellyn imitated a smile as he introduced the two men. “Dr. Nicholas Kokoris, meet Antoine Laconte.” They watched each other guardedly – each realizing there was something not yet said that would change everything they thought they knew about the world. Nick had sensed something odd in his parents since their arrival three days ago. The visit had been spontaneous, they explained. They missed him and just wanted to spend some time with him. Then they had ‘mentioned’ the meeting with the lawyer…and now he gazed at a stranger who looked enough like him to be him.
“Well…I am certain you’re both curious now as to why we are all here – although it is pretty obvious.” The lawyer paused to sip his water nervously before continuing. He hadn’t been told the twins were identical. One had short hair, a touch of gray at the temples, and a far more pleasant attitude than the other. Except for that they were clones. They were even dressed similarly in dark suits. “Gentlemen. I’ll cut to the chase. You’re brothers. Twins. Mrs. Kokoris is your mother. Your father was her first husband.”
Nick turned to stare at his parents. “Father?” He asked softly. He idolized his father and now it sounded as if…. It couldn’t be, Nick reasoned, his mind entering the realm of denial. Everyone always remarked on how much he took after the elder Dr. Kokoris. Everyone said he was just like his father….his father…. “Papi?”
His father’s next words cut him in two.
“I am your stepfather, Nico,” the older Kokoris softly said. “But you have always been my son in my heart.” He rested his hand on his son’s shoulder.
The lawyer continued. “Your biological father was a man named Georges Laconte.” Antoine cursed upon hearing his father’s name. The bastard had died seven years before and Antoine still celebrated the day every year. It was the only time he actually allowed himself to get drunk.
Nick stared at his parents, ignoring everyone else in the room. “Perhaps you should explain this – I’d rather hear it from your mouths than the lawyer’s.”
“Oh, Nico…I was married very young. It was…unwise. He was not… not who I thought he was.” His mother began, emotions already welling up inside her.
“He was a sadistic drunken pig,” spat Antoine. “And you left an innocent child with him. What woman could do that? What sort of mother are you?” He glared at Maria with seething hate.
“Shut up,” yelled her husband. “You know nothing about our family.”
“It seems I’m pretty ignorant on that subject as well, ” Nick quietly observed.
“We divorced before I knew I was pregnant. I returned to
Antoine stood and stared out the window, struggling to keep his temper in check and failing. “He beat me every day of my life until I ran away at eleven. Where were you? Hmmmm?” He turned back to them, rage distorting his features. “Where the hell were you?”
“This is a very emotional issue. I’m sure we all understand you are a bit taken aback at all this, Mr. Laconte. Why don’t you retake your seat…”
“I’ll retake my seat right up your ass.” He snarled at the lawyer then turned to his ‘mother’. “Answer me! Why didn’t you try to find me?”
The older Dr. Kokoris answered. “We tried. Don’t you think we tried? We hired investigators ….dozens of them. We DID finally find you…that’s why we’re here now. Do you know your mother’s cried for you ever since the day you were stolen?”
“How would you know, eh?”
“I was the doctor your mother took Nico to that day. I married your mother and adopted your brother. If we could have found you, I’d have adopted you, too.”
Nick had silently observed this entire thing. He now rose and just as silently strode from the office.
“Nico…please…” his mother called after him.
“Nicholas!” His father yelled.
Antoine stared at the couple before him. “What the hell do you expect, eh? You tell him you’re not his father, that he has a twin brother and his entire world is a lie. You think he’s going to sit there and take it? You are all fucking idiots. What a waste of time.” Antoine gestured rudely at them and stormed out the door.
“Well…” lilted the lawyer, optimistically. “That didn’t go too badly.”
~*~*~*~*~
The clicking sound coming from under the hood of Nick’s BMW meant only one thing; the battery he knew was on borrowed time chose the worst possible moment to finally die.
“Shit.” He banged his hand hard on the steering wheel then instantly regretted it. JUST what he needed to do was injure his hand. He got out of the car and angrily opened the hood, looking for SOMETHING that maybe would miraculously render the battery charged again. He checked the cables, just in case.
“Hey…You…….brother….guy,” a voice behind him called. He looked up to see the man just introduced as his twin at the wheel of a cobalt blue Porsche Boxter. “Your car is …not working?”
“Yeah. Dead battery. I can call the shop and take a taxi…but I don’t have time to wait….” He looked at this watch; he really needed to get back to the hospital.
“Get in. I’ll give you a ride, eh? Call the fancy-ass lawyer upstairs and have him get your car fixed, eh?”
Nick climbed in the Porsche and the men stared at each other again. “Weird isn’t it?” he asked quietly. “Seeing your face on someone else’s head?” He stuck his hand out. “Let’s start again. Nick Kokoris.”
“I always wondered what I’d look like with short hair. I think I’ll keep it long.” He smiled warily and shook his brother’s hand. “Antoine Laconte.”
“Why don’t you have this stuff ?” Nick gestured at the gray that was creeping into his beard and temples.
Antoine laughed. “I have it colored. In my business, youth sells.” He gave Nick a knowing grin…Nick had no idea why.
“And what business is that?” Nick asked. “You obviously do well.”
“I am in a service industry, and yes…I am usually on top.” He thought his joke very funny. “You? They called you doctor?”
“Yeah – I’m a surgeon.”
“Just like dear old Dad?”
“No…Dad’s a GP. He’s a good man….a good father. I should call them…go back there…”
“They can all go to hell for all I care. What do they want from me, eh? I have nothing for them and they have nothing for me. Any of them.”
“That include me? You want to get to know me before you write me off or is that asking too much of you?” The frustration of the day boiled barely under Nick’s polished surface. One more insult from this…brother…and he thought he’d explode. “You know what? Shut up about my family,” Nick ordered tersely.
“You I like.” Antoine grinned wickedly. “I see a lot of myself in you.”
Nick glanced at his brother. Talk about the “evil twin” syndrome. He didn’t know much about his brother but what he did know made them NOTHING alike. Antoine was loud, temperamental, rude, demanding, egotistical and vain. “I don’t see it,” he muttered.
“You just don’t want to. OK…nice twin. Where can the bad twin take you, hmm?”
Nick laughed to himself at the irony that his brother was thinking of the ‘good twin/bad twin’ thing as well. “You familiar with San Francisco?” Nick asked.
“I live in Malibu, but have visited. Tell me where to go.”
Nick restrained an impulse to tell his brother to go back to where ever it was he came from – anywhere as long as it was out of his life. Instead he gave him directions to the hospital. It wasn’t far and neither man felt like speaking much on the way. Nick had him pull into his parking place. “I just have to run in and check a couple of patients. Wait here.”
He was hoping Antoine would say yes. Explaining his twin would be difficult, particularly if he ran into Rae. They’d agreed to avoid each other unless professionally necessary while she tried to decide what to do with her life…and his, ultimately, he thought wryly. The situation between them had disintegrated lately, and he seriously doubted the wisdom of his moving to
“No. I don’t like to wait. I will go inside,” Antoine announced.
“Whatever,” Nick muttered, thinking he’d need to get home to repair the relationship with his folks. He loved his parents. He also dreaded the thought of even seeing them right now. It would be far to easy to let his emotions take over, to strike out in his confusion and Nick had no desire to hurt either of his parents. He was glad to have patients that needed him. It kept him from dwelling too deeply on the rest of his life.
“We need to get you a pass,” Nick commented, angling across the parking lot to the Security Department. “It will take just a minute.” Nothing else passed between them as Nick filled out the visitor information at the desk. As he handed the badge to Antoine, Nick’s voice became more authoritarian. “Keep this on you. If anyone asks, you’re with me and try not to wander off. We’ll be on Four West if you get lost.” This was his world, and he was accustomed to giving orders. Whether Antoine followed them or not was immaterial.
Nick half hoped his new-found brother would get lost somewhere in the hospital, perhaps the basement. As the two entered the elevator, Nick fought back an urge to press B instead of 4…just so he could abandon Antoine in the laundry room. Instead, he pressed 4, and the elevator doors opened to the lobby of the Surgical Recovery Center. Stopping only briefly to speak, Nick said, “Look. I have patients. Wait here. There’s stuff to read and…” he looked around the room, finally spotting the desk nurse. “…Maggie…?” a pleasant middle-aged woman smiled. “This is my brother. Can you …?”
“I’ll make sure he has whatever he needs. I didn’t know you had a brother, Dr. Kokoris. Is he visiting from
“I don’t know where he’s from,” Nick muttered. Didn’t know…didn’t care…hoped to not find out…no…that wasn’t true, he corrected himself. He was dying to find out everything about his brother despite finding him grating.
Maggie looked quizzically at the young doctor as he disappeared down the patient wing. How could he not know where his brother was from?
Antoine wandered around the room, picked up several magazines, only to toss them back on the tables. Perhaps waiting in the car would have been less boring, he thought, annoyed at having to wait at all. Then he noticed the room across the way had a huge aquarium set as a divider between it and the main hallway. It was open to both sides, like a window full of fish, and he wandered across the hall to look at it. He liked to look up at fish as they swam and often lay on the floor of his condo staring up at his. He decided the floor in the hospital probably wasn’t clean enough for him to do that, and squatted down on his heels.
It was a saltwater tank, and a small cowfish puttered around the tank. It hovered at the glass directly before him and he quietly tapped on the glass, “Hey fishy, hey little fishy fishy.” His friend Deuce told him fish hated this but the little cowfish seemed to like it. It shimmied along the glass and Antoine smiled in delight. He’d have to get such a fish…as long as the big one wouldn’t eat it.
His hair kept falling in his face and he impatiently pulled it back with one hand. From the side, this made it look like he had the short hair of his brother. This led to the first case of mistaken identity the twins would encounter, for at that very moment Rae Brennan was looking for Dr. Kokoris.
Rae knew Nick would be in to check his patients still in surgical observation and expected he’d be furious with her for changing medications on one of them, Mrs. Greenway, an oncology patient sent to Nick for surgery, Rae had disagreed with his post op. prescriptions, and changed the meds without prior discussion. Nick had been off that day and she saw no reason to page him simply to tell him. It wasn’t a big deal, really, but he’d blow a gasket over it.
She admitted to herself that she liked annoying him; she resented how he had shown up on her professional doorstep expecting her to completely change her life. She had asked him to give her time to decide what she wanted to do; to leave her alone while she did it. To her surprise he agreed. In fact, he had honored that request too well. She missed him and found herself setting up circumstances to throw them together…such as a minor change in medications. Rae was ashamed that she was giving him mixed messages but she couldn’t quite give him up.
Rae caught his shape from the corner of her eye. The suit really, more than the man. He loved those dark suits and he did look good in them. What was he doing? Squatting on his haunches tapping on the aquarium?
“What the hell are you doing on the floor?” she hissed although she certainly wasn’t unhappy to see him. She always savored a chance to look into those melted chocolate eyes of his. He’d be a little angry with her, but she didn’t mind, and she’d smooth things over between them later.
“Looking at the fish. What’s it to you, eh?” Antoine stood up with a toss of his head. A couple of the nurses overheard and stifled laughter. From where they were, they assumed Antoine was Nick as well. They didn’t mind Brennan, she was a fine doctor, but wondered what Dr. Hunk-o-Rama was doing mooning after her when there were so many other women….single ones… quite willing to warm his stuffed grape leaves.
Rae realized the man wasn’t actually Nick. He had Nick’s face…and Nick’s long hair from several years ago. There were other differences, too. His voice carried a heavier accent and there was a blatant sexuality about him that ever-reserved Nick only showed when they were alone.
“Who are you?” She squinted at his visitor badge; it was correct for the floor. “Mr. Laconda?”
“Laconte. Antoine Laconte.” Antoine appraised the woman before him. Attractive, in her forties and very tightly wound. She was obviously accustomed to being in charge. Yes…indeed…a woman with secrets…and likely one who enjoyed a little light bondage. A smile barely lifted a corner of his lips as he ran his eyes from her face to her feet and back. He read the name embroidered on her lab coat. “What I’m doing is none of your damned business, Dr. Rae Brennan.”
His confidence set her back on her heels and she responded with the strident superiority of uncertainty. “These are non-visitor areas, and unless you’re accompanied by a physician you have to leave.”
Antoine’s sensuous lips curved up into an ironic smile. “But you accompany me now, eh?” He was toying with her and made his voice as silky as his boxers. “And you seemed to recognize me, Dr. Rae Brennan. Maybe we have met before, hmm? Perhaps we have been lovers. You and I?”
“I mistook you for someone else.” She almost stammered under the heat of his dark stare. He was so like Nick, yet so totally NOT Nick.
“Most women find me unmistakable.” His eyebrow shot up seductively. “And incomparable.”
Nick finished with the patients and stepped into the waiting room. He’d seen Rae’s notes changing medication on one of the surgical patients without consulting him. Again. It wasn’t the first time, damn her! He didn’t even know why she was doing it. Spitefulness? Playfulness? A desire to arrange interactions between them? It didn’t matter; she simply couldn’t engage in professionally undermining behavior. It endangered the patients and he wouldn’t stand for any more of it.
He scanned the area, knowing Rae would be on the floor this evening. His eyes lit upon Antoine and Rae obviously engaged in….something. Shit. As if today couldn’t get any worse. He quickly walked towards them, placing his body between his brother and his…lover. His sometimes lover. His lover when it suited her .
“Dr, Brennan, I need to see you about Mrs. Greenway.” His tone was brusque and she smiled knowing she’d annoyed him. She loved when she could get under his polite skin and bring up the….beast….in him.
Antoine glared at his brother. He had just started to enjoy this waiting. “What doctor finishes that quickly, eh?” he muttered, returning to the fish as Nick and Rae stepped a short distance away.
Nick held the chart toward Rae. She didn’t look at it; she didn’t need to. She knew what was on it. “You authorized this change in meds?” He asked deliberately.
“You can read my initials.”
“You are aware she has a clotting problem and this will further thin her blood? I just did a bowel resection on her. If she has any abdominal bleeding she’ll end up back in surgery.”
“Then you didn’t close correctly, doctor,” she snapped, biting off each word sharply. “I wanted to get her back on the protocol as soon as possible. I’m trying to keep her in remission.”
“If she bleeds to death, remission won’t be an option.” His face was close to hers and he growled in a low voice to keep their conversation private. “Dammit, Rae. You’re risking the patient here. Why? To get at me? Does it make you that uncomfortable having me here? Then why don’t you just say it instead of playing these games…asking for time and stringing me along?” He felt a rage build in him and he cut her off before she could say anything. “No. Don’t answer. I’ve switched the meds back. She’s still on surgical floor and she’s still MY patient. When she goes back to your floor you can do what you want. Do this again, I’ll file a grievance.”
“Do what you need to, Dr. Kokoris.” Rae challenged him. She cursed herself under her breath. She’d wanted to get under his skin, not piss him off. This had gone very badly….again.
“Be assured of that, doctor.” Nick walked to the desk, handed Maggie the patient chart and turned to leave Then he remembered Antoine was…somewhere. His eyes fell on his brother and he pointed towards the exit, not bothering to slow his pace.
Antoine leaned against the wall next to the aquarium, completely enjoying the dueling doctors. Apparently there was more to these two than a simple disagreement over patient treatment. He rocked forward off his heels and strode after his brother, but not before giving Dr. Rae Brennan a polite yet teasing nod of his head. He caught up to Nick in several strides.
Rae watched them disappear through the exit doors. She was aware several nurses had witnessed the whole nasty affair. “Don’t you have patients?” she asked testily before returning to her own duties.
“Christo. She needs to get laid badly…oh yes…verrrrrrrry badly….” Antoine’s voice was a nasty snarl as the pair entered the parking structure.
“Be quiet.” Nick growled in a voice that told Antoine there was far more here than he knew.
“A little old for you, isn’t she?” His profession made him an expert at reading people and seeing what they didn’t want him to see. It was often most useful, for the things people hid were usually those very things most desired.
“Shut the hell up.” Nick spun at his brother.
“Fuck whoever you want. I don’t care. Of course, she is married – or does she wear that ring for decoration? Ah…that’s it… eh ? Your parents don’t know their perfect son is screwing a married woman. Some good twin you are, eh?”
Nick balled his hand into a hard fist and swung at his brother’s chin. Antoine, who grew up in gutters across Europe, saw it coming. He ducked and returned a hard blow to Nick’s abdomen. The doctor staggered backwards, landing half-standing against a mini van.
“You’re not hurt,” Antoine advised. “You would have broken your hand if you had hit me. You should thank me for saving your career…brother.” He smirked, then added as an afterthought, “It wasn’t a bad swing for a spoiled rich boy.”
The air was returning to Nick’s lungs. “You’re a son of a bitch.”
“She’s your mother, eh? Call her what you like. She’s been dead to me for as long as I remember. The street was my mother. She at least taught me to fight. Let me help you up.” Antoine extended his hand to Nick, and to his surprise, his brother took it.
“Where did you grow up?” To Nick’s surprise his anger seemed to flow out of him.
“Many places. Marseilles, Rome, Venice, Paris, Barcelona, Palermo, Ankara and a hundred other filthy cesspools in between. You?”
“Athens.” Nick had visited most of the places Antoine mentioned – as a wealthy tourist staying in the best hotels. “Look…Antoine. Regardless of….regardless of what’s happened with our parents, I’d like to at least talk to you. My parents are staying with me at my apartment. Otherwise we could go there…”
Antoine cut him off. “I have a suite at the St. Francis for the week. Why don’t you come there? You can stay if you like.” He slid behind the wheel of his car. “We can ‘get to know each other’, eh?” Upon first impression, Antoine assumed his brother was a soft, easy to manipulate rich boy. He was rethinking this. Nick WAS pleasant. He was also intense. They had that in common, at least….that and their father’s volatile temper.
Nick considered his brother’s offer. He wasn’t ready to see his parents again – not yet. He resented the way they manipulated this entire visit and couldn’t get past the secrets they’d kept from him. Not just yet. “Fine.” A suite at the St Francis for a week would have left a large dent in Nick’s take home. He wondered what his brother actually did for a living that afforded him such luxury. He hoped it wasn’t narcotics; just what he needed; an identical twin drug lord. Nick pulled his cell phone out and punched a few numbers. First was his service. He wasn’t on the surgery schedule that day but in case there were any emergencies he’d have them transfer the calls to his cell. His beeper was, of course, always on.
The next call was the BMW dealership. His car was a lease and had 100% covered service. He told them where it was. They already had a key to it and assured him it would be ready for him by noon tomorrow and they would deliver it to the hospital
The last place Nick called was his apartment. His mother answered and started crying when she heard his voice.
“Mami…I’m fine. I’m going to take a day to think about all this. …..I just need a little time to think………….no……….no Mami……….I’m staying with….. a friend…………if it is an emergency, use my cell, or the beeper to reach me. My service can get me as well………I have surgery tomorrow……….I know Mami…….please don’t cry. ……I’m sure he’s fine. He seems to be…” He glanced at Antoine “…a survivor. If I see him I’ll tell him. I’ll call you tomorrow Mami….I love you too, Mami…Papi too…Okay.”
Nick didn’t look at his brother as he switched the phone to silent. “Mother asked about you. She wanted to know you were all right.”
“It’s a little late for that, eh?” Antoine’s bitterness was palpable.
“I’d say that’s up to you,” Nick acerbically replied.
“She was upset?” Antoine quietly asked as he pulled the car up to the hotel valet. “Your mother?”
“I’ve never seen her quite this way, and she’s a Greek woman, so she’s always emotional,” Nick addded, getting out of the car.
“More emotional that the one in the hospital. What are you doing with her, eh? Other than the obvious,” Antoine baited…well…semi-baited. He really just wanted to keep Nick talking. Despite his claims to want nothing to do with his new-found relatives he was intensely curious about his twin.
“I ask myself that question. Love drives a man to do strange things. It’s a long story.” Nick gave a self-deprecating laugh and rolled his eyes as he followed Antoine into the hotel.
Nick watched with interest as Antoine captured the eyes of every woman in the room. As a tall, good looking fellow, Nick was used to attracting feminine attention. It was professionally troublesome as a surgeon and he’d tried to perfect a cool, slightly unapproachable demeanor to discourage it. His brother seemed the opposite, welcoming the female attention that focused on him as they walked through the lobby. A couple of matrons near the foyer were practically drooling. Nick could have been Woody Allen for all they noticed of him. He smiled at this. Antoine was certainly an interesting branch on the family tree.
He also didn’t need any of the family’s money – which was quite obvious. The car was new and expensive, the clothes were custom made and the man could afford a suite at the St. Francis. Antoine truly didn’t NEED the family.
Nick leaned against a pillar as Antoine picked up his messages at the desk. It was quite a stack. “Popular guy,” he joked as his brother walked towards him.
“Yes. I am,” Antoine replied. “But I can’t be in two places at once.” He had several clients in the area who appreciated knowing when he was in town. He tried to accommodate them when he could. For a brief moment he thought how convenient it would be if he was two people…he looked at his brother in a way that made Nick uncomfortable.
“What?” The doctor asked as the two stepped into the elevator.
“I was just considering how useful it would be if we were in the same business. I could send you to half of these appointments.”
Nick’s voice took on an edge. Best to be clear on the drug issue now before he – heaven forbid – forged any bonds with the sibling from hell. “Look. I want something clear right now. If you’re dealing drugs I want nothing to do with you.”
Nick watched his brother’s face turn dark with fury. Antoine stepped threateningly towards his brother and growled. “I don’t take drugs and I don’t sell them. That was my father’s….OUR father’s profession. He was a trafficker. Heroin, opium, hashish…he smuggled it out of
As a doctor, Nick had seen children used to smuggle drugs. He’d had to operate on several. If the “balloons” broke, a horrible death followed. “I’ve seen kids forced into that, Antoine. …I…I’m sorry.”
“Why? Because it wasn’t you? Be glad for it.” He stepped away from Nick, suddenly reserved. “Let me return these calls and we can have an early dinner – room service or…whatever you want, okay?” Antoine realized his brother would learn what he did for a living as soon as the phone calls were made. It was best to tell him before. Of course, Antoine had planned on entertaining the ladies in his suite, which would be difficult if his brother was staying with him.
They stepped off the elevator and walked towards Antoine’s room. He was still struggling with the pros and cons of revealing his profession to his brother. Antoine wasn’t ashamed of what he did, although for obvious legal purposes he was discreet. Also, many of his clients were married to prominent figures in business, politics and the media. They appreciated a low profile.
“Can I get you something to drink, Nick? I have a fully stocked wet bar.”
“Water. No. You have a decent white wine? ” The suite was palatial. “How many bedrooms does this suite have?”
Antoine’s eyes rolled up as he thought. “Three. A master and two smaller. Choose whichever smaller you like.” He took a bottle of very expensive Chardonnay from the refrigerator, opened it and filled two glasses.
“You got a place this big just for you? It seems a bit excessive.”
Antoine smiled slightly as he handed his brother a glass. “I do a lot of entertaining and the extra bedrooms are practical. Sometimes an appointment runs long.” He sank into one of the plush leather chairs. He liked the smell of leather. It was…sensual. He studied the other man’s face and decided to take the risk. “Nick.” He sipped his wine. “Your evil twin is a gigolo. A very good one.”
Nick focused on the wine in his glass. He’d had more than enough of surprises on this day and was in no mood for some rather ridiculous answer to a genuine question. He raised his eyes to his brother and sneered nastily. He pointed angrily at Antoine with his finger. “My family; my entire life has just been rearranged by a sledgehammer. Maybe you think this is funny. I don’t see too much humor in this and I don’t appreciate your making some stupid joke about being a male prostitute.”
Antoine stared at his brother. “I do not make a joke.”
Nick took a long draw on the wine. He cursed softly. “Son of a bitch. You’re serious? So you make the sort of money that supports this lifestyle by sleeping with women? It IS women?” Nick’s voice held a palpable edge still.
Antoine’s face took on a dangerous shadow at the suggestion he was gay, but he restrained his anger. It was a legitimate question. “It is women and I don’t make the money by sleeping, my dear brother. I assure you, I work very hard and I have invested quite well.” He continued, his tone still strident. “I am a businessman. I have a retirement plan, a 401K and the best health insurance. I am fully incorporated in the state of California. My condo in Malibu has appreciated in value 76% in three years.”
Nick considered before he answered, sipped his wine again as he contemplated his brother’s words. “This is very good wine,” he remarked, calmly. There were worse ways to make a living, he supposed, but wondered if his parents knew Antoine’s profession. “I’ll take a look around the place if you don’t mind.”
Antoine answered tersely. “Whatever. I need to return these calls.”
Nick heard his brother on the phone; he wasn’t trying to eavesdrop but it was impossible not to overhear. “Barbara…darling. Of course I’ll make time for you while I’m here…..tomorrow afternoon is wide open….an hour? Is that enough time for you baby? ……naturally I brought them…….I hoped I’d get a chance to use them on you….” Throaty laughter followed. “Three then, baby? Downstairs…we’ll have a few drinks first? ….Ciao.”
Antoine punched the info into his Palm Pilot scheduler and made the next call. Nick watched thinking how his brother could be a stock broker taking buy orders.
“Marta….baby….it is Antoine . I was so happy to hear your voice…….” More laughter “…You are a bad girl Marta. I will have to spank you a little, eh?….The St. Francis - ….like usual…..Inflation affects even me darling, but for you I’ll never increase the rates……I would almost do you for free baby……okay then…day after tomorrow at noon? Beautiful baby…..downstairs?……Perfect. Ciao.”
The next few phone calls were variations of these. The last one, Nick noted, was vastly different. “Hello. Is this Ruth? This is Antoine Laconte. You left a message for me. ….. Why don’t we meet somewhere. See if we like each other and take it from there, eh?……Wonderful. No, everyone is nervous the first time…….Ruth, who referred you, may I ask?……Ah Natalie. Of course. Charming girl.….I am sorry she is in New York this week…..Are you familiar with the St. Francis? …..Good……I can meet you in the lobby around ten in the morning. Does that work for you?……Excellent….Now…how will I know you?……..You sound very beautiful. I look forward to seeing you. Ciao.”
He hung up and noted his brother sitting on the arm of a chair watching him in bemusement.
“Amazing. You talked to each one as if she was special.”
“Each one is,” Antoine said as he logged the final appointment in his book. “Aren’t each of your patients special to you?” He looked at Nick with challenge in his eyes.
Nick’s eyebrow cocked upwards. “Good point. So….how long have you been doing this?” Nick’s voice betrayed no emotion. It was the ‘doctor’s voice’ perfected by years of speaking to patients in such a way as to give nothing away.
“Since I was nineteen. That’s thirteen years, eh?”
“Longer than I’ve been a doctor. Have you ever wanted to do something else?”
“Eventually I’ll have to. I am not getting any younger.” He patted his perfectly flat belly. “I spend three hours a day now either running or working out. I’ve invested in several businesses that should be able to support me when I’m ready to retire. But…it has been a good life, Nick. I have no regrets. I enjoy giving pleasure to women. I’m good at it, and they are willing to pay me very well for my services.”
“Okay…I have to ask… How much?”
Antoine’s eyebrow shot up thoughtfully and a slight smile curved his lips. “Well, that depends on a number of factors. First of all, what do they want and for how long do they want it? Sometimes they simply want an escort to a social affair. Other times they prefer a more private appointment. I try not to increase my rates to my regular clients. I take care of my ladies who have taken care of me. There are some things I don’t do - I’ve never done – no matter what’s been offered. But….for thirty minutes of regular sex – no serious bondage, or multiple partners – five hundred.”
“Damn.” Nick’s eyes rolled in surprise. “I had no idea.”
“Rethinking your career?” Antoine joked.
“No. I like what I do. It suits me. I like helping people and I’m good at it.”
“You see? It is perfect. You cause pain and I cause pleasure. Maybe you are the bad twin. You are not disgusted, eh, by my line of work?”
“It doesn’t seem to bother me as much as I would have thought.”
“Perhaps this is all a bad dream and when you awaken I will be gone, eh?” Antoine’s lips curled into a laugh.
Nick found he liked his brother’s slightly off center sense of humor and laughed with him. Still, there was much to discuss, and not all of it funny. Nick was nothing if not a realist. It enabled him to compartmentalize situations and deal with them when he had to. It made him an excellent surgeon. Right now he had shoved the turmoil over his parents and Rae into nice little boxes while he dealt with Antoine. “So where is our father now? Do you know?”
“The bastard’s in hell where he belongs. He was killed seven years ago; he bled to death in an Istanbul alley with a fish knife in his neck.”
“You seem to know a lot about it.” Nick wondered if Antoine had anything to do with their father’s murder.
“I have friends in that part of the world. They got a copy of the police report to me.” He picked up the room service menu and held it up questioningly.
“Yeah,” Nick answered. “Let’s order in. It gives us some privacy. Any siblings?”
“Not on my side that were ever acknowledged. Father had plenty of women but few stuck around very long. Not after he started beating them.” He looked up at Nick. “Your mother is lucky she got away from him. You have any brothers or sisters?”
“We have a sister and brother – both younger…of course. Sophia and Marcus. They’re in college in Athens. I have pictures in my apartment. I’ll get copies made for you if you like.”
“I’d like that. We look like him, you know.” He handed the menu to Nick.
“I figured. I’ve never looked much like mother and everyone said I looked like dad, but after today I could see the similarities were not that strong. I’ll have the ciopino.”
“As will I. It is excellent here.” Antoine picked up the phone and placed the order. In addition to the ciopino he ordered a Caesar salad. “I love the seafood here. It is different in Southern California – a completely different …palate. Have you lived in San Francisco long?”
“Not quite a year.” Nick debated telling Antoine he had relocated because of Rae, then decided why not? His brother just admitted to being a high paid male prostitute; why not admit to being a fool in love with a married woman? “I moved here because of the woman in the hospital.”
“The bitch at the fish tank?” Antoine recognized the dark look on his brother’s face; they shared a hot temper even if Nick’s was well-concealed. “Sorry. You must love her. If it makes you feel better I came to the
Nick related how he and Rae met while both serving two week stints with Doctors Without Borders. They’d see each other once a year for an intense two weeks, then he returned to his practice in Athens and she returned to San Francisco…and her husband. After the last time, he decided to put an end to the temporary nature of their affair and pursue her outright.
“And…?” Antoine asked, already knowing the answer. Most of his clients were married and he understood how their minds worked. They liked the excitement of an illicit lover but needed the security of a husband like an addict craves the needle.
“She’s still deciding what to do.”
“Nick, if I had a pain in my stomach, I would ask your advice, yes? You are the expert in these things. I am an expert when it comes to married women. Would you like my advice on this one? If you say no, I will say nothing. I would rather not offend you.”
“Go ahead and speak your mind. It doesn’t seem to be a problem for you.” Nick refilled their glasses with wine.
“If she was going to leave her husband, she would have already done it. I don’t doubt she loves you – but she loves security more. For whatever reason, she feels more secure with her husband; more safe. Maybe he is not hung like you eh?” Antoine lifted his wineglass in a playful toast. Nick nearly spilled his wine on himself. Antoine laughed at the shocked look on his brother’s face. “We are identical twins, after all. It is intimidating to some woman. Trust me. Ah, Nicky, you must visit me in Malibu. I will introduce you to women who will appreciate you….and no…none are clients. I do have lady friends who don’t pay for my time.”
“I’d like to visit you. Maybe in a few months. First we have to take care of our parents.”
“Your parents, Nicky…are YOUR problem.”
“Antoine, look, let me…let me put something together where we can just talk. No lawyers, no expectations. Just us. You have nothing to lose by giving them a chance. At least give yourself that. I’m not happy they never told me about you or my father, but it’s done. I’m in surgery all day tomorrow – and it sounds like you’re booked up pretty solid – but the next day is flexible. My place is nowhere near as large as this suite, but there’s room to get away from each other if things get hot. One night, Antoine.”
A knock on the door signaled dinner had arrived. Antoine rose, letting the waiter wheel the cart in. He waited until the server placed the food on the table and left before speaking. “I will think about it, Nick. Let us not discuss it more tonight. I want to learn more about my…brother. I would like to know what sort of man I find myself so suddenly related to.”
“Not half as interesting as the one I’m looking at.” Nick softly laughed. “This has been one of my most surprising days in America.”
Antoine returned the smile. “For me as well. I am most surprised that I like you. Tell, me, do you have interests beyond cutting people open and sleeping with uptight married coworkers?”
These words from anyone else’s mouth would have either embarrassed Nick or enraged him, depending on how much control he had on his temper at the moment. Something about Antoine’s non-judgmental acceptance of Nick’s affair with Rae helped him see the humor in the relationship. He hadn’t seen anything funny about it in several months.
The two men talked long after their dinner was over, and well into a second bottle of wine. They found many shared interests, as well as several things on which they were perfect opposites. Most importantly, they found they truly did enjoy each other’s company. Nick finally excused himself; he had a 7:00 a.m. surgery and needed a decent night’s rest. It wasn’t particularly late, a little past 10:00 p.m., and he’d take a taxi to the hospital in the morning. Of course, he realized as he stripped down to his boxers, by morning the entire hospital would know of his brother. The most efficient system in the place was the grapevine.
Well, he reasoned, stretching under the sheets, it wasn’t the first time he had been the subject of the rumor mill. At least this time he and Rae wouldn’t be the topic of the moment. He fell asleep easily; he’d always been able to do that. It was useful with the long hours he often kept. Strangely, his last thoughts were of Rae, and the look of shock on her face when she was speaking with Antoine.
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Come Again? - Chapter 2