JJ Harper author of gay romance novels
Writing happy endings one word at a time
Sunday Interview -
Gray Tremaine & Atticus Bennett
I decide to choose couples for the interview poll. I wasn't surprised that my latest couple, Gray and Atti would be picked. And as before some of the questions came from members of the Honeys group.
Today we have Gray Tremaine and his beautiful boyfriend, Atticus, with us. The first double interview, and looking at the way Atticus is smiling, I think he’s happy to be here.
Good afternoon, to you both. Thank you for giving up some of your private time to answer a few questions. Who wants to go first? No takers? Okay, I’ll ask, and I don’t mind who answers. What has been the biggest change to your individual lives since you got together?
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(Atticus looks at Gray, then mumbles something) Okay, I’ll go first. I think everyone would expect it to be all the new things I have in my life. Daddy doesn’t seem to be able to slow down his present buying. But it’s not that. The way it’s changed the most is the happiness I’ve found with Gray, with his friends, especially Felix. I’m more me than before I hadn’t realized how much I hid of myself until I didn’t have to.
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Gray?
For me, it’s brought me a reason to not work, to be able to happily leave my desk because I have someone who completes me. Being with Atti has given me my life back. (Atti blushes and kisses Gray’s cheek).
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This is for Atticus. Share the gossip on just how bad Gray was as your boss. What was the best and worst part of being his PA?
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(Atti laughs and nudges Gray) I think the best part was that after everyone knew we were together, we would come into work together. Which meant I knew he hadn’t worked for two hours before I turned up, and wouldn’t have a chance to wreck my tidy, ordered diary. The worst part was clearing up his mess. He’s the messiest worker ever. He makes notes on any piece of paper he can find, then expect me to know what’s important and what is rubbish.
Gray, the treat you gave Atticus at the New Year’s Eve party at the club was an exciting yet brave thing to do. Did you plan it, or was it orchestrated? I think you may have set it up.
(Gray whispers something to Atticus, who nods) It was planned, but I wasn’t going to push him to do anything. It was Atti’s fantasy, and I was more than happy to let it be just that. Dirty words whispered in bed don’t always need to happen in real life. If all we’d done was watch the demonstration, I would have been happy.
I loved it. I knew when I told Daddy, he would be up for trying it out. But like he said, it wasn’t something I thought would happen. It went far beyond how good I’d imagined it, but that was all down to Daddy.
Would you, or have you, had a repeat?
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(Both men laugh) No comment.
You had a huge life-changing year after the art exhibition. How did that affect both of your lives and your relationship?
A. The modelling part was okay. I enjoyed it enough at the time. I hated being separated from Daddy, although I did have him with me for a lot of the shoots. I knew it wasn’t going to be a forever thing, so I focused on banking my fees and using that money to start up the events venture.
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G. Atti knew I would always support him in anything he chose to do. (No, Atti, I don’t think you should be a stripper for the lols). I was thrilled he was so sought after but happier still to have him find what he really wanted to do. Our relationship only grew stronger through it all.
Oh, come on, no quarrels or arguments? No couples live like that.
Gray: Of course, we have our disagreements. Atti doesn’t like it when I don’t ever let him pay for anything, and he’ll kick up a stink over me leaving half-drunk cups of coffee all over the house. He still sleeps like a starfish, and I end up with no space or covers.
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Atticus: I picked up six last Sunday night. You’d left them in nearly every room in the house. He shouts at me for the amount of time I take to decide what to wear or to get ready in general. But he likes me to look pretty and that takes time. But we don’t fight or argue.
Seeing as you mentioned getting ready, what your favourite thing to wear to relax at home is?
Atticus: If it’s after work, I usually take off my make-up, then shower and just sling on casual sweats or old jeans and a T-shirt or sweater. Weekends we usually see our friends. That’s still casual, but I may have done something with my face. I’m not as high maintenance as Daddy likes to tell people I am.
Gray, does Warwick still moan about the amount of nail polish Felix has now?
(Gray laughs) He does, especially the glittery stuff. That’s a bitch to remove. But he loves how happy Felix is when he spends time with Atti. He can be little around him without thinking about what he has to say, act, or look like.
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Atticus: I love Felix.
We’re doing really well at finding our leads into the next question. Have you rebuilt your friendship with Christian?
Atticus: That’s still ongoing. We haven’t spent a lot of time together, but we’ve met up for coffee a couple of times. And we have had meetings at the studio about his wedding. It’s good. We won’t ever mean the same to each other again, though. I don’t think that would be healthy for either of us. We’ll have to see what the future holds.
And that brings me to my final question. What’s next for you, and how much will we see of you in the future? You’ve been engaged for a long time now. (I wink)
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Grey: I think you may know the answer to that, JJ, but we don’t have anything planned for this year. No wedding plans this year. Atti will be busy enough doing everyone else’s. But we’ll be around. Our circle of friends has grown, and we are always in and out of each other’s homes and lives.
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Atticus: What Daddy means is watch this space. We’re not going too far away.
Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure to be with you again. Thank you.
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Gray: We will always have time for you, JJ.
Atticus: Yep, if it wasn’t for you, we would never have met.
