CHAPTER 19 - DINNER...AN ETHAN APPETISER!

BRITIN - EARLY EVENING - A WEEK LATER

STUDY

BRIAN

Finally the dinner is happening. Both Mom and Dad came down with a bug, so we waited for them to get better. Lynette was also out of state, seems the grass in Baltimore is not so green and her ex tried to win her back, so she went to visit a friend. Lindsay was most pissed when she found that out, especially as he didn’t try and see her.

“I am not placing it again!” I declare, and try to stop the tremble in my arms as I hold the canvas up. “Can this be perfect enough?!”

“Could we just try it by that window one more time?” Justin looks thoughtful. “That way when you come down the drive, and when the….ummmph!” In his musings he hadn’t noticed me put the canvas down and come up behind him. I have my hand buried in his hair and his head tilted back. 

He tries to turn around, but I keep his body facing forward as I kiss him. I deepen the kiss as he stops ‘struggling’, and lessen the grip on his hair. He sighs into my mouth then nudges me, so I walk us back to the couch. I sit down; now how he did this I don’t know, but without breaking the kiss he is straddling me with one hand in my hair and the other working my pants open. His hand is so warm as it strokes my abdomen, I groan and reach for his zipper. We spring apart like scalded cats when his phone blasts into life. He lands on the floor, and laughing, I help him up. 

“Did you bruise your butt?” 

“You had best kiss that better later.” He smiles as he rubs his cheek. The smile falls off his face when he reaches for his now silent phone. 

“What?” I ask, he turns the screen to face me. “Who’s number is that?”

”i think, it might be Ethan’s.”

”Him, why is he calling you?”

“I don’t know.” He steps into my embrace. “I didn't send it by mistake, did I?”

“No, we didn’t. We deleted it. So it’s gonna be a for shit evening anyway, let’s see what he wants. As a matter of interest, what phone is he calling you from?”

“Huh?” He nudges me again so I sit down and let him get comfortable. “What do you mean?”

“Jewel said that he left his phone that night, so which phone is he calling you from and why?”

“I suppose you could call it the work one. Not sure why he had two.” He turns his phone in his hand. “So let’s see if he left a message.” I remain quiet as he unlocks itt, there is one. “Ready?” He asks me, I nod and he hits play.

“I can't fucking believe you, man!” Is screamed out. “You could ruin everything, why did you do this to me?! So I gave you a bit of a slap and you do this?! It was your fault I reacted like that! Because of you, I could spend the rest of my life in jail!” 

“What the hell is that about?!” I demand, then look at him, because as well as shocked he looks frightened. “We need to go to the police with this! Justin? Justin, can you hear me?” I gentle my tone as he stares into space. “Hey, come on back, Blue Angel.” He blinks a couple of times, then his eyes lock onto mine. “You want a Beam?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.” Daph’s voice startles us. “Door wasn’t shut. Mark and I were snickering at the two stooges trying to hang one painting for three hours.” I relish the sound of his giggle-snort. When I brush the hair out of his eyes he smiles. “If it means anything, it looks better above the desk; you know, where you had it the first time.”

“Blue, you still want the drink?” 

“Please, Storm.” I am relieved that he is following my lead. I wait for Daph to settle next to him before I move to the cart. When I sit back down he clings to me a bit again and I look to Daph. 

“Justin, call him back let it ring once. Okay?” He nods and within seconds of him hanging up, Justin's phone rings again but she snatches it away from him, and at the same time Mark joins us. “Record this when I play it, honey, that way we have a back up of it.” We wait for what seems a day for him to leave a message.

“So you going to drop the charges or are you going to be joining Jay in the ground?! I enjoyed watching him take his last breath, now  drop the charges if you want to live, because I will find you!”

“Oh my god, oh god!” Justin cries, I pull him tight to me. “Brian! He said that.” His voice is barely above a whisper. “I remember. Just before he left me in the apartment, he said that. He said that they would never find me. What the hellfuck is happening?!”

“What’s the name of his agent Justin?” Mark asks, surprising us all except Daph.

“Antson. Philip Antson. He didn’t like me, said that us being a couple didn’t work with the image he wanted to project, so I was kept in the background, which was fine for me…never got him any work anyway.”

“You need to drink that.” Daph orders, we wait until he has taken half of it down. “Better? Justin, you feel better?” I finish off the rest when he nods. “So did you find him?” 

“Who?” I frown, then check my watch. “The family will be here soon.”

“Yep, got him.” Mark replies, before starting to dial a number, when it connects he puts it on speaker. 

“Anston Residence, how may I help you?”

“My name is Daphne Chanders, I wish to speak to Mr Anston about Ethan Gold.”

“Mr Anston is not here right now. I can take a message.” 

“Please. Can you tell him that Jay’s alive.” There is a long silence. “Did you hear me?”

“Yes. Yes, I heard you.” A male voice comes over. “Are you sure he is okay?”

“Philip?” I am pleased that Justin’s voice is strong. 

“Jay?! Oh, thank God! Where in Pittsburgh are you?! I had no idea he was like that!” He babbles. “Did he...I assume that’s why…”

“So he was fucking you too?!” Justin sneers. “Oh I think not.” 

“What do you mean?” Philip asks, then I realise what is happening.

“You made him a dirty little secret!” I fume. “You both did! As a matter of interest, how long has this been supposedly going on for? And where is he now?”

“I don’t…who is this?!”

“Oh, come on! You seriously expect us to believe this shitshow?! That he called his ‘next victim’?” Mark snaps. “Oh look he’s already deleted the messages. I am not going to allow you and that psycho to bully Justin from afar! Now I suggest that...”

JUSTIN

“Can we settle out of court?” Philip’s business voice cuts in “He is on the verge of greatness, and…”

“No.” I bite out. “Did he say what he did to me?!” I snarl. “How can you disregard it?!”

“I am not disregarding it. You are clearly better, he is willing to have counselling as well as issue a statement of contrition. Whatever it takes for this to go away for you.”

“He was going to kill me. He said it that night.” I retort, then there is mumbling. “I take it he is with you?”

“He is, and he wants to…”

“Fuck off.” Mark raps out. “The police will be there in ten minutes.” 

“What do you mean?!” Philip gasps. 

“We have had an out of state warrant issued for his arrest, which you know about or this charade would not be happening. We’re done with these horse apples and will be sending this recording the police.” He cuts off Ethan calling my name.

“Someone explain.” I sigh.

“It was Jewel that got me curious.” Mark begins. “She came over when you were working out and you were  with your Mom…”

Start of flashback

BRITIN - FOUR DAYS PRIOR

KITCHEN

MARK

“Hi, what are you doing here? Justin is with his…”

“I know. I stopped by and left Pearl with her. Do you know people in the precinct?” I am taken aback by that, but nod and she smiles. “Thought you did. I know Justin’s most likely going to hate me, but is there anyway this thing with Ethan can be made an out of state arrest?”

“Why?” I gesture for Jewel to sit down. She sighs as she does so. 

“This restaurant near where we worked is a mecca for wannabes and thinkstheyares…” She pulls out a magazine and shows me a centre spread, I am not sure what or who I am looking at. “...Philip Anston and Ethan Gold. He’s an instafame agent, no matter how dirty your linen, he makes it clean. He almost killed my best friend. I want his career stopped before it begins.”

“Leave it with me.” I smile tightly, and reach for my phone.

End of flashback