Brit's life is exactly how he wants it: neat, ordered, and disciplined, the way it needs to be if anybody is going to take a thirty-two year old CEO seriously. If that means being so discreet that you're basically in the closet, then so be it.

Then, at a charity dinner, he meets the good Mr. Hart. A very drunken Mr. Hart. Who gives Brit the kiss of his life. That's all that happens, of course; Brit has got a reputation to protect. Only, he can't get Mr. Hart out of his head, and he realizes that it might be time to make some changes.

Excerpt:
"It's all about sex."

The words carried very well through the lull in the conversation, and Brit couldn't help turning in his chair after the speaker's voice. It wasn't exactly what you expected at the annual contributor's Christmas dinner at the Symphony, after all.

The voice belonged to a man in his thirties, well dressed but with the subtly shoddy air of someone having had just one too many. The man's inebriation didn't do anything to diminish his good looks. Very good looks, in fact, the light brown hair was almost the same color as his eyes and he had the sweetest smile on his face.

And Brit was being entirely too obvious in his gawping. Discretion was more important to him than almost anything else.

He wasn't the only one being somewhat too open, though.

"Now, take the Rite of Spring. That's about a fertility ritual, and at the premiere, you couldn't even hear the music over the booing. If something's too sexy for Paris, then it's damn sexy." The last couple of words were a bit slurred, and the speaker was looming slightly to one side where his dinner partner, an elderly lady with an aristocratic air, had a hard time concealing the slightly uneasy look on her face.

"I must admit to being rather more interested in Haydn than Stravinsky, Mr. Hart." Her tone was polite. She must have incredibly good manners.

"Yes! Haydn." It didn't deter the inebriated speaker in the slightest to have his subject changed. "Do you know the Farewell Symphony, Mrs. Campbell?"

"Oh, yes." Poor Mrs. Campbell sounded relieved. "It's a charming piece of music; so very moving when the musicians leave one by one. The Symphony played it a couple of years back when the financial circumstances threatened a cut to the orchestra. But I believe that was before your time, Mr. Hart. How long have you been writing the program notes now?"

The valiant attempt at changing the subject was completely lost on Mr. Hart. "That symphony is about sex, too."

"Knowing it by Hart" is available at Torquere Press or All Romance.

"The character of Brit is well written and sympathetic, especially in the way it shows how he is afraid to step out from the shadow of his father’s legacy and strike out for himself. Despite this, Brit’s innate kindness shines through his character, as does the poignancy of his loneliness. There’s also a humour about the writing, particularly in Brit’s slightly bewildered reaction both to Mr Hart and to shopping for furniture, as well as the opening scene with Mr Hart’s octopus hands! [...] Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet holiday short about stepping out of your comfortable life and making changes for the better, then I’d recommend Knowing it by Hart."  Brief Encounters Reviews