CHAPTER 31: THE ENEMY Part 2

JUSTIN

I’m trying my fucking hardest not to explode into a million fucking pieces right now. From the rigidity radiating off Brian right now, he’s feeling the same. I am having the hardest time trying to reconcile how I ever thought of those two assholes as friends, in any form. To know that they have been plotting against me from almost the beginning…

I mean, yeah in terms of Michael, I expected the worst news about him. It’s no secret that he’s wanted me gone since Brian first laid eyes on me beneath that infamous streetlight. Contrary to everyone else’s point of view, I believe that was the exact moment that he knew something was different, instead of the morning after like everyone believes. Let’s face facts: I didn’t fit the mold of Brian’s usual sexual fare… I was blond, twinkie build, innocence-personified in many ways, but with a determination and surety of myself that Michael never had or will have. But to go so far as to plot and plan even with events leading up to the bashing… yeah, his viciousness even surprised me!

As for Lindsay, that… are there even any words in the dictionary adequate enough to describe what I feel for her right now?! Fuck the fact that she was jealous of me, but let’s face the fact that she has a son herself! What would she have done if it wasn’t me but poor little Gus being tormented with some harridan’s assistance? How could she do this to another woman’s child?! I swear, both of them should count their blessings and name them one-by-one that I’m not able to get my hands on them at this moment.

I’m jarred out of my thoughts when I realize that Brian had not driven us to the loft as I had expected, but to the one place I have no desire to be. “Brian, what are we doing here?”

“Are you coming inside?” he asks me.

“Do I really have to?”

“Of course you don’t have to, Justin, but… well I could really use your support right now... please.”

Okay, that got my attention. Brian may ask, but he rarely ever actually says the word please when he does. Usually he cajoles me with logic, or he plies me with kisses so decadent and luscious they should border on the forbidden, combined with unforgettable fucks. But to hear that word of supplication uttered at such a time when our worlds and preconceived notions of the people around us are crashing down about our ears, there was no prize for guessing what was going to happen. I unlatched my seatbelt and alighted from the car, waiting patiently for him to join me on the sidewalk. He took my hand, grasping it firmly, leading me into the dreaded building.

As we reached the front desk, Brian wastes no time letting his wishes be known. “I’d like to see Michael Novotny.”

“Only his attorney, or the officers directly related to the case, can see him at this time. He still has to be processed and an arraignment hearing scheduled, Mr…”

“Kinney. Brian Kinney, and this is Justin Taylor. We, specifically Justin, are the victims of his crimes.”

Before he can answer, Carl steps up next to me. “What are the two of you doing here, Brian and Justin? You know you shouldn’t be.”

“I would have asked the same thing, Carl, but…” I answer, leaving the last bit open for him to finish.

“I take it the DA spoke to you both this morning, then?”

“Yeah, she tracked us down at Mel’s. How much of this shit do you know about, Carl?” Brian asks brusquely, and I know that tone all too well. It’s the sound of Brian trying his best to rein in his emotions. He’s not only angry, but hurt by Michael and Lindsay once again. And it’s at this moment that I wish they would lock me in a cell with Michael... so that I can kill his ass!

“Since I’m the one investigating and building a case against him, I know more about this than I would care to. I should have recused myself once I started seeing Debbie, but… well, the Hobbs case has always bothered me. I was originally doing some additional work during my off-hours, trying to make heads-or-tails of the loads of misinformation that was given before, during, and after the sentencing. Something just wasn’t adding up... until now, that is.”

“I want to see him,” Brian spoke through gritted teeth.

“You can’t, Kinney. Come on man, you know this! You have a restraining order against him. Just being here for the express purpose of seeing him is violating it. Don’t let him get off on a technicality. Use your head... both of you!”

I could see just how torn Carl is in trying to speak some sense into the both of us. He’s just as pissed off as we are, probably a bit more so, because it could really jeopardize everything he has going with Debbie, no matter that she just moved in before the shit hit the proverbial fan with her boy. I really wonder which way the wind will blow with her. Now that everything will be out in the open and Michael will be formally charged once the arraignment hearing happens, will she run true to form and threaten us and Carl? Or will she surprise us all and finally let Michael face the consequences of his actions? I’m really hoping for the latter mainly for Brian’s sake.

“You should know, Carl, that Ethan issued a statement hoping for a plea deal. I told DA Donnelly that she has my authorization to downgrade the embezzlement charge, provided that Michael hands me over Debbie’s house, his store and its contents, and everything else Rage-related. As for the other charges the state is building against him, well…”

“Those are going to stick Justin and stick hard. I don’t mind telling the both of you that there is no way he’s going to avoid jail time. Even if they downgrade the embezzlement charge, he’s still going to do Federal time. With that particular charge, there is also usually tax evasion involved and everyone knows that the IRS doesn’t play any games when it comes to people paying them. However, the State time he gets will depend entirely on him and the DA. If he’s smart, he’ll take whatever deal he’s offered. But then again, we’re talking about Michael here and when has he ever seen himself or any of his actions as wrong? No, he always sees himself as justified.”

Brian and I nod at Carl’s assessment of Michael. It’s funny and very revealing that in such a short time of knowing the gang, he’s been able to point out that major personality flaw in Michael when others have either missed it or overlooked it for so many years. I also know that if Deb isn’t careful, and pushes Carl to make a choice, he’s going to choose his career over saving Michael’s ass. Hopefully she will choose herself over Michael, for once. I would hate for Deb to lose everything Carl has to offer, especially her happiness, simply because Michael fucked up… again.

“I got the impression that there is more to DA Donnelly’s bloodlust about this than just a simple matter of justice for Justin,” Brian tells him.

“You would be correct, but we can’t discuss that here. Suffice it to say that Ms. Peterson is not going to be let off the hook for anything she’s done. For once, Lindsay will pay for her suggestions in ways that she cannot imagine.”

Both Brian and I nod. That’s good enough on the info-front for now. I still can’t believe that they almost cost me my life and all because I fell in love with the man they wanted. The funny thing is that even if they never broke the law to the degrees they have, they would still never have a man like Brian. The sad thing is that they had people who genuinely loved them and still couldn’t find a way to be happy with that. As far as I’m concerned, putting Michael and Lindsay away will be doing the public the ultimate service so that they will never be able to use and hurt decent people, like Ben and Mel, again.

“We’ll leave you to it Detective, but be warned… Debbie is likely to be on a warpath when she finds out that Michael won’t just be paying a fine or handing over the rights to the Rage franchise to Justin. She has no idea just how low Michael has sunk with Lindsay’s help. It’s going to anger and sadden her by turns, and she’ll expect me to help him. I won’t!” Brian tells him just before we leave the station.

As we’re getting back into the car, he turns to me. “I meant it, Justin. You know that, right?”

I look at him, really look into his eyes and what I see there breaks my heart. Knowing that he’s made his choice between the family he’s always known and the man he loves, is killing me. I have to be honest in saying that I never in a million years thought he would ever have to make such a decision, or that he would choose me… or I didn’t up until our time in LA. Now I know better.

“I know Brian, I know.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ADLS

LINDSAY

It took forever to get here, but I have finally arrived at Inez’s shop. I look down at the thrift-store cast off I am wearing and once again, I am ready to kill my mother. But as I reach for my purse, that thought dissipates. The emergency card in my wallet is about to serve its purpose. I mean, since she sent me out of the house looking like a 60s hausfrau, knowing that Clarence and I are going to the country club for lunch, well this constitutes an emergency... a fashion emergency that needs to be fixed immediately! Her and Daddy receiving this particular bill will serve them both right!

“Hi Lindsay. It’s good to see you again,” Inez calls to me.

“It’s lovely to see you as well. I’m so sorry that I’ve come in so close to the time you would normally close to visit your mom, but it simply couldn’t be helped. I shouldn’t be too long since I’m due at the Club in just under two hours.”

“Don’t worry about it. My per diem assistant is going to come in while I go take care of Mom. She should be along shortly. In the meantime, go on ahead and look around. The new line from Prada has just arrived.”

“Oh good! I’ll just make my way over there. Also, has Donna Karan’s latest come out yet?”

“Hers and Carolina Herrera’s. Going through those will certainly keep you busy. In case I don’t see you when I get back, have fun and enjoy the rest of your day.” With those parting words, she heads off back to behind the counter and I set off to replenish my wardrobe at Nancy and Ronald’s expense. Serves them right for their rotten behavior this morning!

I spend the next hour trying on pantsuits and dresses, loving the feel of quality material against my skin. This is the life I was born to lead. Hopefully Clarence will be more than willing to provide it, since Brian’s head is once again lost in Justin’s ample ass! I wonder how that happened again. I was so sure that Michael and I had made it so that there was no way Justin would ever rise beyond a passing acquaintance again. Ethan and Michael both had roles to play in ensuring the rerun of the Brian and Justin show was cancelled permanently. Their idiocy and ineptitude last night proved how wrong I was in picking them as puppets. I should have stuck with my usual band of fools, but the advent of Justin Taylor made that neigh on impossible.

Justin coming out while still in the WASP nest made all of those publicly homophobic- privately queer-as-a-three-dollar-bill fathers start scattering, like roaches when a light is turned on. If he had just waited until he graduated and was off to Dartmouth, he wouldn’t have been kicked out and I would still have had my network of spies to make Lynette’s life miserable. But once he came out of the closet, I couldn’t pick up any more dirt on the rich and powerful men who my father fucked while cheating on my mother; couldn’t find out who Nancy was fucking, or who Lynette was going to marry until it was too late to stop it. As a result, she ended up richer with every divorce while I stayed trapped with Melanie, and largely being ignored by Brian. I had to do something! And I did.

That’s another thing about all this though... I really need to find a way to gather all my numbers from the contact list on my former cell phone. Yes! This is yet another slight that bitch Mel will pay for, alongside Nancy and fucking Lynette. I wish there was a way to make that little whelp Daphne and the Queen of Mean, Jennifer, pay as well. It would have been far easier if she was still married to that coward Craig. I knew every one of his secrets, even before I officially met his son. I had been using those secrets and several others about the ‘straight’ men my father associates with as blackmail to set up my life with Brian. Well, Brian’s loss will certainly be Clarence’s gain with the information I have. Then once he sees how valuable I am, he’ll do what I want and drop Brian as a business associate, just as he should have done last night when I told him to.

And what the fuck does he mean that he knew Justin as well?! When Brian was at Vanguard, Justin was nothing more than a glorified gopher. There is no way that Gardner would have let that little blond upstart work on any real campaigns, without telling me during our ‘lunch’ meetings. Hmm… I simply must call him and find out the truth of the matter, preferably while he’s eating me out. If he was a woman, his tongue action alone would make him a much sought after lesbian. The dexterity in his fingers isn’t half bad either, although not as good as Mel, Sam, or William Donnelly’s. Lawrence as he's often called, was another great pussyeater, and it gave me great pleasure to destroy his marriage to the uptight bitch, Annette. But back to my thoughts about Vance...

The good news is that we can finally fuck in his office, since apparently Brian and Cynthia are no longer there. Such a shame he had to pay Brian off, instead of just being able to fire him like we had talked about. Don’t get me wrong... Brian still would have been able to start his company eventually, but only with me as his wife. The first thing I would have insisted on was he left that uppity little madam, Cynthia, to the tender mercies of Gardner.

I would have fulfilled the role of Brian’s assistant, while Cynthia would have either needed to buy some knee-pads to keep her job- no sense ruining a good pair of pantyhose while sucking off the boss- or get blackballed within the Advertising industry. That was what we had talked about. But then we discovered that my bitchy-butch of an ex-wife put that fucking clause in there! It stated that if Gardner wanted Brian out of Vanguard, he had to buy him out of the partnership. Fucking Leo Brown and his fucking clauses!

Anyway, without consulting me until it was too late, Gardner metaphorically bent over and let Brian fuck him without lube. Not only did Brian bring Cynthia with him, but most of the clients he’s brought into Vanguard, even back when the company was still Ryder Advertising. That’s exactly what I love and absolutely hate about Brian, and his overachieving ass. He never does anything small and without the fanfare! Gardner could have spun the dissolution of the partnership any way he wanted, if not for the fact that most of his multi-million dollar accounts left with Brian.

And there was no legal recourse available to him, since they all had it put in their contracts that they work with Brian Kinney and his team ONLY. Of course, there were also the clauses that stated the contract could be renegotiated to fit the new rep's track current track record, or the contract could be terminated immediately, should Brian choose to retire instead. But as long as Brian was around and working somewhere, it was made more than obvious that any renegotiation of their contracts was not an option. It was a major hit to Vanguard, causing a major loss of assured income. But that was months ago, and now that Gardner’s had a chance to regroup, I sure hope that he will be able to help me plan my next move.

I alight from the dressing room, having chosen all of my signature pieces, and a few others that I know I’ll need in the near future. If Clarence is to be believed, he’ll be very busy over the next month. Naturally, that means that he’ll have his influential, very stylish fiancee accompanying him at every turn. As I head to the register, I hear a familiar tinkling laugh which always makes me cringe. No way that heifer is in here!

“Lindsay,” Lynette drawls. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Hello, Lynette,” I utter through gritted teeth. Of all the fucking times for her to surface, why now?! “What are you doing here? I thought surely you would be out, spreading your good cheer somewhere else,” I say, meaningfully.

“Nonsense, Darling. I just received an invite to George Schickle and Malcolm McGregor’s impending nuptials in the mail. It’s never too early to look for something to wear.”

“Malcolm? Wait! George Schickle is marrying his gardener?” I chuckle. "That’s not only unbelievable, but insane! I guess Virginia was right before she died that he was losing his mind."

“You must have forgotten just who Malcolm McGregor is, Lindsay. Sure he’s loves to garden, but he is also the president and CEO of the large corporation, with his family name. Once again, you deem yourself so important that you forget the first rule in the WASP- know your enemy. I would have thought that particular point would have been driven home with you in the last few months. I guess I was wrong.” She shrugs.

I roll my eyes at her, wishing that she was anywhere else but here at the moment. “Be that as it may, don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Not really, since I am what you aspire to be. A woman of leisure. In any event, I came by to see how Inez’s new assistant, Claire, is getting along.”

“So how are things… Claire, is it?” She looks familiar to me, although I can’t place where I’ve seen her before. But I figure that if I can engage her in conversation, that perhaps my narcissistic pain-in-the-ass sister will take the hint, and leave.

“Things have been going well for me, thanks for asking.”

“Claire is engaged to be married, and is setting herself and her sons up with a little nest egg by working here. He’s said that she didn’t have to worry about money. But you know, coming out of one bad marriage tends to make us women cynical of love everlasting,” Lynette volunteers, looking over from the rack of the latest D&G. I’m suddenly glad that I didn’t pick out that gold pantsuit. The last thing I need to hear is the WASP networks version of ‘Who Wore It Best.’

“So who is the lucky groom? Anyone I know?” When it becomes apparent that my sister isn’t going to leave, I carefully place my items on the counter where Claire starts to ring them up.

“Sure, you know him,” Lynette twitters. “Can I tell her, Claire? It’s rare that I have this big a bit of rare gossip, and since Lindsay is just coming back into the fold, before finding her next victim. Oops, I meant to say a husband finally, or is it to be another wife, Lindsay? Anyway, it’s rare that I get to tell her news that will shock her out of her shoes. I’m sure you and your brother used to play these kinds of games all the time.”

Claire nodded. “Yeah, Brian and I aren’t close, but we still do enjoy needling each other on occasion. It’s the best part of sibling rivalry, in my opinion. So sure Lynette, have at it. Besides, from what I know of your sister, no doubt she deserves it.”

That brings me up short… Who is this woman? I think back to see if I can place any interactions I’ve ever had with anyone named Claire. It’s times like this I envy Justin his whip-sharp memory… well in reference to everything except the prom. Hopefully, he will never remember that, since it was a key point in getting him to leave Brian alone.

Anyway, there is only one Claire in my memory that keeps jumping out at me, and it’s then that I can’t stifle a gasp. “You’re Brian’s sister?”

“One and the same,” she answers me, dryly.

“But… how…”

“Lost some weight, stopped drinking heavily, got some help for my jealousy issues since I didn’t like the impression it was leaving on my sons… you know, like a caring mother would. Strangely, once I cleaned up my act I met my William, and my children and I have been the happiest we've ever been.”

“You know William, don’t you Lindsay? William Donnelly."

"Yes, but he often prefers the name Lawrence. I guess Claire doesn't know that," I snicker.

"Oh she does, but well, it's a name he no longer wishes to be associated with since it's linked to so many other regrets. He still has remorse about what you two did to Annette, but it’s all worked out for the best, don’t you think? I mean, she’s moved on and gotten a promotion in the DA’s office, which no doubt you’ll hear the formal announcement of her title very soon. But Bill, well he’s incredibly happy! He’ll have sons that will formally take on his name, as will Claire, when they are married. And hopefully, they will be able to have one of their own.”

“If you should see my brother around, tell him that I’m sorry. He’ll know what I’m apologizing for.”

“Oh Claire dear, don’t worry about it. Brian’s started his own company, so you should drop by there to deliver your apology, in person. It is, after all, the right thing to do. As for Lindsay seeing him, I doubt that will happen again any time soon. You see, Lindsay is a bit of a haymaker herself, and has been causing all sorts of catastrophes wherever she goes. You would do well to remember that, dear, as you will run in circles far removed from where my sister can reach, even though I'm sure you'll hear of her exploits.”

I narrow my eyes at Lynette, tempted to say something completely hurtful, but instead, I look at my watch. Swallowing several sharp retorts to Lynette’s heckling, I direct my attention back to Claire. “Congratulations on your new situation, Claire. Knowing the kind of life you and Brian had, I can’t begrudge you your happiness. As for my estrangement from Brian at the moment, I expect that to be cleared up rather soon. It was all just a misunderstanding.”

Claire shakes her head as she rings the last of my purchases. “If you believe that, then I wonder if you really know my brother at all. No one holds a grudge or writes people off better than Brian, even if it takes awhile for him to do so. But I hope for your sake that it will happen the way you believe. From what I’ve heard, not in spite of his lifestyle, but because of it, he’s becoming a much sought after business man. With the exposure of Stockwell by Brian and Justin- that is his name right?” Lynette nods as she continues. “Well, with their exposure of what Stockwell did to that young man and the fact that he covered up the murder, people are starting to seriously reevaluate their prejudices, including me.” She hands me the bill.

I hand her the card while Lynette looks on, watching every single move I make. I know this will get back to Nancy and Ronald, but it’s already too late. Mother would never force me to return these purchases, because people will think the worst regarding our finances. No… no matter how much Lynette tattles and prattles, I’ll have my replacement wardrobe free and clear, and there isn’t a damn thing they will do about it!

As I leave the store, I hear Lynette ask Claire to give her minute. Yeah bitch, call them! Once I load them all into the car, I’m off to meet Clarence. I had thought that I would have time to drop off my new purchases to Everston Storage beforehand, but the cackling hen society know as Lynette Spalding and Claire Kinney detained me too long.

Speaking of which, what the actual fuck?! I really must talk to Bill. I wonder how much he actually knows about Claire and her bratty offspring.

Hmm... And maybe, just maybe, if I fuck up his sister’s happily-ever-after, it will bring Brian face-to-face with me again. He owes me some major apologies!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ADLS

LYNETTE

Well, that went better than expected. Not only was I a witness to Lindsay’s fraud and forgery, but so was Claire Kinney. Although Inez knows about this, I didn’t want her to have to stand up in court to testify; she’s already going through so much. But Claire wanted to do this, not in order to get back into her brother’s good graces, but because she’s never liked Lindsay.

“So what happens now?” she asks me.

“First, can you make me a copy of the receipt? And then I need you to pull a copy of the videotape. Did Inez show you how to do that?” When she nods in the affirmative, I continue. “I’m going to ‘anonymously’ drop it off at the DA’s office, but in the meantime, you and I are going dress shopping. We have a wedding to prepare for.”

For the first time all afternoon, she smiles. I have to say, being involved with Bill has done wonders for her. Although I haven’t been privy to everything regarding her and Brian’s childhood, I know that she has suffered psychological and emotional abuse to the likes of which I have never seen, at the hands of her mother. Joan Kinney should be burned in oil for what she has done to her children, just as Lindsay should, just for breathing. I have never known such evil women in all my life! But no matter, they both will pay in their own ways.

“By the way Claire, I don’t know if you know but there is a gentleman running around town asking about you and your brother.”

“I wasn’t aware of that. Does Brian know?”

“I’m not sure, but I will find out what I can. I’m only mentioning it so that you aren’t surprised if Lindsay should find out about it. As you’ve seen, she takes great pleasure in causing people distress. There are people all throughout the WASP nest like that…”

“But you aren’t like that…”

“Oh no, Darling, don’t get it twisted. Each of us are like that, but some of us cover it up better than others. You’ll get used to it. But I only lash out when pushed; people like Lindsay, do so all the time. Remember the difference, okay?”

Strangely, I really want her and her children to succeed in this new world they’re entering. Unlike Brian, Claire doesn’t have the kind of determination that her brother has. Well actually, that’s not entirely true. She did have it, but the sheer will to be better has been berated out of her at the hands of that underachieving harridan, Joan. From what Claire has intimated, Jack’s words and harassment weren’t any better for Brian throughout the years.

But whereas Claire kept allowing herself to be beat down, Brian kept fighting back. I believe that was at the core of Claire’s resentment of her brother; the fact that she couldn’t fight and he was so busy saving himself that he forgot about her. But in truth, he didn’t. He still took care of her, the kids, and also Joan while they stood there and badmouthed him, even if it was for no other reason then to be rid of them until they needed money again. I’m still showing her the error of her ways, and with Bill’s help and support, I think Claire will lead a much different life than Jack and Joan Kinney meant for her.

“I’ll remember, Lynette. And thank you. For everything.”

“I never had a sister… Lindsay certainly doesn’t count, so it’s my pleasure.”