CHAPTER 21 - TALK…HONESTLY, DRUNKENLY AND BACK TO JAIL

JUSTIN’S HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON

LOUNGE

BRIAN

“What I want to understand is…” Justin turns to me. “...why you lied?”

“About what?” I frown.

“Gus being conceived naturally.” 

Sighing, I close my eyes. “Who told you? Um…” I frown when he sits in my lap.

“Daphne.” He scoots closer. “She asked me if we’d compared woman stories.”

“Woman stor…you did too, when?! As for why, I didn’t want you to see me as less...”

“Less than a gay man?” He holds my chin and gaze. “I would never! As for when, I was 15. It was a disaster! I didn’t say because you looked absolutely revolted by the idea.”

“I’m sorry. That's the only thing I’ve lied about; won’t ever do it again.”

“Thank you and I promise the same.” He sighs, leaning into my neck. I pull the blanket over us. “Just ask!”

“What happened?” I chuckle.

“It took half an hour to get hard, I tore two condoms then I faked it just to get it over and done with.” 

“Wow. That...that’s a lot…

“...there’s more.” I feel his pain and embarrassment. “She destroyed my reputation in school so badly that I couldn't get a date, even if I paid for everything, for prom. I was looking forward to it, had the tux and everything. Stayed at home and cried.”

“I’m sorry that happened. As for Mel and I, we watched porn - separately - got in bed naked from the waist down, she guided me in. We never made eye contact and were done in less than two minutes.”

“Two  minutes?”

“It was a lot of porn.” I cringe. “So…were you curious, not out, why did you?” He mutters into my neck. “You lost a bet?” 

“No, no, spin the bottle we got paired up. Peer pressure I guess.” I follow the brush to his lips with butterfly kisses. “What did you do after?”

“Had a forty minute shower then watched…wait a sec, will you come to prom with me?” 

“Pardon?” 

“Well, I didn't go either. So the grand opening of Babylon will now be prom night themed; wanna come with?”

“You’re serious?” He whispers.

“Enough to let you plan it.” I pull him close when his lip wobbles, then rub his back. “That a yes?”

“Mmmhmm.” He wipes his eyes. “And speaking of yes…” He grins as he gets up. “…you need to read this.” 

Twenty minutes later, I’m shaking my head. “We can’t put that in there!”

“Why not?” He giggles.

“Gus is reading it, and…”

“So?!” He guffaws. I biff him with a cushion. “Keep reading!” He orders, since I know I’m gonna lose that fight, I continue. I look up at the click. “You look so turned on, it would be perfect in the Babylon mural, that expression, looking down at the crowd. Um, actually, would you mind if…”

“Go ahead and paint. When do you want me to do dinner?”

“Couple of hours? And could you stop being like this, or I’ll fall in love with you.” 

As he blows me a kiss over his shoulder, I know I won’t stop until he starts falling and catches up with me. 

EVEN HOTEL DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH, LATE EVENING

CLAIRE’S ROOM

JOAN

“So what do you think?” Claire hands me a picture of a house. “That’s going to be our summer home and the boys will want driving lessons, we will get a driver for us. Oh, what about their schooling?”

“A part time tutor would be sufficient, they won’t really need schooling since we're going to be set for life.”

“Finally we get our hands on what should’ve been ours in the first place! I can still see his smug face when he got that money!” 

“Hmm.” I read the particulars. “This is very nice. Have you heard from Kip? And what are you going to do about Michael?”

“Yes, he said that Michael’s out of state. He’s told, not asked, told me to call the feckless fairy as he’s left a couple of messages and got no response.”

“You know who Kip reminds me of?”

“It?” She scowls, I nod and hand her the phone, as she waits for him to pick up I help myself to a brandy. “Dubhan! Where the hell have you been, my friend Kip has been trying to get in touch with…” 

“Calm down!” I whisper. 

“Dubhan, it’s about Brian, he’s coming back, we’ve made up and he wants to be a family again. You will? Oh that’s great, I’ll let him know. Bye.” I pour generously, she splutters then grimaces at the burn. “He’s going to call him back now. Oh, I can’t wait for him to be in our reach again. The sounds his bones made when they broke was so good!”

“Oh weren’t they, I imagined it was Brian sometimes! Do you remember when…”

MICHAEL’S HOUSE - SAME TIME

LOUNGE

LINDSAY

“Well you’ve certainly had a difficult few hours, haven’t you?” I smirk.

“Your sympathy is as genuine as our marriage!” Michael steams.

“Now I’ve had my fun, I will leave you to bathe!” 

“You need to sign this first!” I take it from him then grind it into the carpet. “What the…”

“Our attorneys need to be present.” I toss it onto the desk. “And you need to present all the accounts and share ownership for Rage PR at the same time.”

His cheek spasms. “What for? You got the house, cash and agreed to not coming back for anything…”

“I’m not coming back for anything that isn’t already mine.” I interrupt.

“You don’t have anything!” He spits.

“One percent of Rage PR is mine.” I stare him down. “Our former attorney apprised me of that before he was unavoidably detained.”

“He left me to rot! Sapperstein has it in for me I swear to fucking god!” 

MICHAEL

I hate this dyke so much! I want to knock her block off then throw her off that pedestal she’s put herself on. I couldn't believe it when I got to the precinct and Eric wasn’t directly behind me. 

“So why didn’t you?” 

“What?!” I demand.

“Give them this address as well? It would’ve saved you a lot of time, trouble and worry about your virtue.”

“You cold hearted old…” He bellows, balling his fists when I burst out laughing. “...just get the fuck out before I really let you have it!”

“Tisk-tisk and you’ve only just got home too.” I grip the desk as she heads to the front door. “I am so glad you came, officer…”

“...I am going to wring your fucking scrawny…” I screech to a halt when I see an officer alongside her. “...what is going on? No, wait, there’s no need for handcuffs, I wasn’t…”

“You’ve just threatened her with violence! Face the wall, hands behind your back!”

DREW’S HOME - TWO HOURS LATER

LOUNGE

EMMETT

“He’s finally asleep.” I sink into the sofa. “...Jesus Christ; he said it was bad, but this bad!”

“They sounded so…” Drew pulls me close. 

“Sadistic?” I swallow down the revulsion then the wine. 

“I’m glad they were too drunk to realise they hadn’t hung up and you recorded it.”

“Mmm, so practicalities. First, we get Dubhan some therapy. Second, Brian should listen to it…” He squeezes in agreement. “...and he makes the decision on what we do.”