FABULICIOUS - EARLY MORNING
EMMETT
I hum to myself as I wonder how their morning will go. Both with the vituperative vultures and a certain Stud and his admirer. I wince slightly as the Advil has yet to kick in but it was, oh so worth it. Once I poured in the right direction and kept chatting about that little Tiger, I knew, I just knew that he would bite…
57TH PRECINCT - SAME TIME
DEBS
After I throw the pen across the desk and snatch the bag with my personal effects in it, I stomp to a seat and wait for Michael and Lindsay to come out. She’s out first and is clearly still fucked off with me. It is not my fucking fault that she got out of the damn car! She sits down beside me in silence. There is no ‘good morning,’ or ass kissing queries as to my welfare...even if she doesn’t care she should damn well ask! Just as I’m about to say something to the uppity witch about her decided lack of manners, I hear Michael long before I see him.
“My car and contents had better not be damaged or I shall sue! In fact, we should sue for harassment and unlawful arrest!”
“You are lucky that Detective Horvath was feeling generous and got this smacked down to a misdemeanour. Not what I would’ve done, but hopefully you will use your sudden free time to repair the damage you have caused on the Avenue. But somehow I doubt it. So pay the fine and be on your way to the pound.”
“And how do you propose we get there?!” I demand and glare at Lindsay when she sighs in exasperation. “And what is wrong with that question, Lindsay?”
“We can take a taxi. The most important thing is to get out of here without further contention, okay?” I have to concede both points and just nod. Then frown when she gets up and approaches the desk. “Officer, could you tell me how far the pound is from here?”
“Yes.” He replies and goes back to his paperwork.
“So how far is it?” She asks and I smirk as she clenches her fists.
“Let me see. Oh, there doesn’t seem to be a note on here. Let me call down to the lock-up to see if they know. Take a seat as they might take awhile to answer. Seems they are celebrating the departure of a noxious whiner.”
“Of course, officer. Come along, Michael.” She orders firmly and to ensure his compliance, she all but drags him to the seat.
“You don’t need to fight with everybody.” She hisses. “Let’s keep the chat to a minimum until we get to the car please.”
2ND FLOOR LOFT - AN HOUR LATER
LOUNGE
JUSTIN
I swallow and wish I hadn’t. Grim does not even come close describing to that taste. I risk opening my eyes and find myself looking at a glass of water and two familiar headache pills. On a slightly familiar table, in a slightly familiar loft...oh my goodness! I carefully lift the quilt and while part of me is relieved, the other part is somewhat disappointed.
“Mr Slim, good morning. You remain unmolested.” The flu filled voice of Brian Kinney floats down from his bedroom. “There is a spare toothbrush in the bathroom, which is through here.” I cringe slightly on the sofa and try to do something about my sofa-head. “Now is not the time for preening. Just get up and go and use the bathroom.”
I get up and keep my eyes glued to my feet as I rush to the bathroom. Five minutes later, two things are better with my world. One, my mouth feels clean and two, I can smell Blue Mountain coffee. “Don’t suppose I will get a cup.” I sigh to myself and after doing what I can with my hair, head back out to go to work.
“Do you want one and are you serious?”
“One what?” I ask pausing in mid stride. “And about what?”
“Writing the Tiger that Found Its Roar with me? And coffee?”
“I didn’t dream that, then?” I sit down and stare at him before inhaling the Advil.
“No. In fact, we were most enthusiastic about it at the time. Something that I blame Honeycutt for and I don’t think Mel was too impressed.”
“Mel?” I frown and then nod when he waves a mug at me. “Who’s Mel and why is she peeved?”
“Peeved? You are a veritable polyhistor of diction.”
“This from the man that says veritable and polyhistor at this time in the morning!” I point out.
“Yes, but I can rest my tongue from its linguistic gymnastics because I have the day off, and plan to watch movies all day. You, on the other hand…”
“Oh crap! I forgot that!” I stand up and hurriedly, start to fold the quilt. He watches with amusement until I can bear it no longer. “What?”
“You’re not hungover or hangry?”
“Hangover is fading, but yeah I am a bit hungry.”
“There’s enough food to stock a small army. Eat something and I can tell you what we did last night…”
Start of flashback
2ND FLOOR LOFT - NIGHT BEFORE
“Come and join us, Mr Slim. We do not eat on a cream Italian leather sofa.” I tell him and he quickly gets up.
“So what is it that smells so nice?” He wiggles, actually wiggles, and almost drools as he takes in the array of food.
“Well my pretties…” Ems begins with a look of pride. “...first, we have barbecue pork buns…”
“How is this light, Honeycutt?!” I grumble, thinking of how much I have already eaten today.
“You have been ill. You need nourishment. You will eat.” He tells me firmly and pushes the plate closer. I just roll my eyes and think of the gym session at the weekend!
“Oh, this is gorgeous!” Mr Slim exclaims around a mouthful of bun and although I don’t say anything, I have to agree. We eat in a comfortable silence until there is only one of the pork buns left. Ems shakes his head and I catch the pleading look in Mr Slim’s eyes and slide the plate towards him with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t have to leave the soup, do I?”
“No, Mr Slim, you do not.” I gape as he quickly stuffs the entire roll in his mouth. “I am not going to say a word.” I mutter and shift a bit in my seat.
“So then, Justin...” Ems reaches for the bottle of wine and tops up his glass. “What are you going to do with it? You never said.” He gestures to the sofa.
“Apart from change the bear, you mean? Oh and do the copyright. Must remember to do that.”
“Why a bear?” I ask.
“Well it’s big and dangerous and to a tiger cub, it would be scary.”
“Exactly. Tyson is going to be scared already. Walking into that is not going to help. How about another animal? Or can you only draw tigers and bears...oh and swans and frogs.”
“Frogs? Why do you say frogs?” Ems asks.
“Had a campaign for a frog and he was charged with doing the artwork. It was a very good marbled frog.” I reply and get my hand swatted for attempting to look under the main meal lid.
“Don’t forget caterpillars and butterflies. Did he like them?” He asks, primly. “You never said.”
“He liked them. He thought I had captured the characters wonnerfully.” I roll my tongue in my cheek at his slightly outraged expression.
“He’s teasing you, Justin. Now, can we go back to the parental figure? I agree with Brian that it shouldn’t be a bear. Why can’t it be a wolf?”
“Don’t live in the same area.” Justin explains, taking a sip of his wine. “This is really good. I could just do another tiger.”
“Why have another animal at all?” I lean back in my seat. “Think about it... this is about a brave tiger cub, trying to find his way back to his family. So supposing...that he has a series of adventures as he makes his way back to them and each character gives him insight, advice and courage…”
“Hang on let me get my pad!” Justin leaps up and dashes to the sofa.
“Mr Slim, I am an advertising genius. The idea is not going anywhere have your main meal, and then we’ll talk some more.”
“He’s right, sweetie. Now sit down and this will not do!” Ems exclaims removing the suddenly empty bottle of red and replacing it with a white. “Seabass with ginger and chilli needs a white. I will get you a fresh glass, Justin.” He lifts the lid and not for the first time today, my mouth starts to water.
“Thanks, Emmett.” He beams at him and while his back is turned, sneaks a piece of ginger off the plate and pops it in his mouth. He gets such an expression on his face that like the food, makes my mouth water… oh, the thought of putting that look there!
“You love your food, don’t you sweetie?” Ems asks, bringing over the rice and pouring the wine. I am profoundly grateful that I am off tomorrow. “You will be pleased to note, Brian, there is no dessert. Well not until tomorrow anyway. Remember the ice cream sandwiches you requested?”
“Ah yes, not until the evening though. Promise.”
“I promise.” He grins and then looks across at a slightly pouting Justin. “What’s…”
“Made two and I ate them both. I am blaming the flu and he is pouting.”
“I am not pouting.” He pouts. “I am merely…”
“Pouting.” Ems and I say together and he pokes his tongue out.
“But I have to say...” I smirk at Justin. “...that him angry is impressive!”
“Ooh yes. Graham said something about that when he was dispensing with Lindsay…”
“Lindsay? What was Lindsay doing here?” I demand.
“Don’t know. Didn't ask. But she did have the tears at the ready. Cough-fucking-cough!”
“Lindsay? Who’s Lindsay?”
“The should-be misanthrope of a creature that begat Gus. Thank goodness for nurture and not nature. Mel has been more of a mother than she ever was.” He frowns and then sighs. “And she went with them.”
“Great.” I sigh. “Wonder what they are going to try this time?”
“Don’t worry about them tonight. Now tell me what happened?!”
By the time I finished telling him what happened, not about the kiss, Justin is bright red and squirming in his chair and Ems is slack jawed with admiration. “That deserves a top up definitely!”
I tense up with my phone rings and Ems looks at it. “Mel.” He smiles and I sigh in relief.
I put her on speaker. “Melly the Smelly, what can I do for you?”
“Hello Buttman...” She snarks and I can’t help the chuckle. “...I am actually to impart that some woe-is-me-Brian-help might be coming your way…”
“Lindsay?” I ask.
She laughs bitterly. “Well it sure didn’t take her long, now did it? But as well as contending with that, you also may have to contend with Michael. I went through that store like a dose of salts. He’s going to be squiticking for days!”
“Squiticking? Although I know I shouldn’t ask, but does that mean what I think it means?”
“Yep, squatting and shitting bricks...squiticking. He was not happy, but oh well. It’s time he paid for his beloved only when it suits him daughter.”
“Speaking of Michael...Mel, it’s Ems, by the way. You’ve not met Justin, have you?”
“Uh no.” She replies uncertainly.
“Say hello, Justin. Now Mel, he needs some help on copyrights because he and Brian are going to write a comic together…”
“A comic? Are you fucking with me, Buttman?!” Her voice rises with excitement and a touch of enmity.
“I’m game, if he is. Why?”
“Because that’s what Michael wants to do! He wants to write a comic about a superhero! Oh my god, you should see the works of art that he has produced. Naturally, he’s coming to you to borrow your artists to create his fantastical concept...unquote!”
“I’m game!” Justin hiccups and grabs for his pad. “And I have just thought of characters for DQ and the Gimp.”
“Perhaps we should do this when you are somewhat sober?” Ems says, draining the rest of the bottle into his glass but Justin shakes his head and takes another healthy sip. “Okay, he can crash here. Can’t he Brian? On the sofa, I mean…”
End of flashback
JUSTIN
I groan into my hands as I remember my feverish drawing and insistence that we sign an agreement there and then. “So should I look?” I point to the pad.
“Yep. I think you should.” He is definitely smirking.
I slowly open the pad and clap my hand over my mouth.
“This one you insisted is DQ...I mean Debs. Next page, please.”
“I think you captured his mutinous expression perfectly. But it’s this one, that is the piece de resistance…”
“Oh my God.” I whimper. “These didn’t go anywhere, did they? It’s just that they are torn out and…”
“Mel.” He replies simply. “But I can reassure you that I was teasing you earlier. Mel is not mad about your perception of Lindsay, she’s going to have it framed. However, what happens next is down to you. It’s up to you where you want to go.”
DEBS’S HOUSE - EARLY LUNCHTIME
LINDSAY
Well the first thing I am doing is finding a hotel! I can’t stay another night here! In between their bitching about Brian, Carl, Ben and Mel, screaming at each other and then making up, I feel nauseated of stomach and violated of ears.
“So what do you suggest we do?” Michael demands, truculently.
“Brian is going nowhere at the moment!” Debs snaps. “What I need to find out is who this Jennifer Taylor bitch woman is and why I wasn’t told about the vote!”
“Look, can I interject for a minute?” I stand up and rub my temples. “Why don’t we do something that we’ve never done to him?”
“What’s that?”
“Apologise.”
“What?!” They both exclaim.
“Listen to me! We have never apologised to Brian for anything, correct?”
“It’s called tough love!” Debs asserts.
“Exactly. So he won’t expect it and he will believe it. At the end of the day, Brian needs our love and acceptance, and only ours. We’re the only ones that truly know him and accept him for exactly what he is. And unlike some, we don’t want him to change.”
They slowly start to nod and I sigh in relief. “Now I am going to book into a hotel. I’ll be back tomorrow and we start the charm offensive then. Brian will be back to being ours in no time. I know what I am doing.”
2ND FLOOR LOFT - AN HOUR LATER
BATHROOM
BRIAN
What the hell am I doing?! But I can’t stop myself. I reach down closing my eyes as I wrap my hand around my cock and start to stroke. All I can see is his big blue eyes starting to close and hear his soft voice calling my name as I thrust into what I know will be a hot and tight place of heaven...
Pork buns: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3362/barbecue-pork-buns
Sea bass:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3366/sea-bass-with-sizzled-ginger-chilli-and-spring-oni