CHAPTER 80 - LEARNING AND TESTING
LINDSAY’S APARTMENT - MONDAY LATE AT NIGHT
LINDSAY
I am exhausted! But every time I thought of snapping at Michael, I remember that picture of him. He looked hilariously hideous! He’s at his hotel and will remain there until he needs to go back to Pittsburgh. I wouldn’t even share a cab with him. But right now, I am waiting for Brian to call me back and organise the transfer of the money for Michael’s bail.
“Brian, it’s Lindz again. I’ve got Michael bailed out and he’s at the Trylon Hotel. Could you call him as he might want to hear some words of comfort from you? I’ll send you the bank details so you can pay me back as you promised. Bye.”
I finish off my glass of wine and then stumble to bed.
TRYLON HOTEL - TUESDAY MORNING
MICHAEL’S ROOM
MICHAEL
Well that didn’t work out the way I wanted it to! Not only am I still here! But I have puncture wounds in my back and I have tried Brian four times, but he’s not returned my calls. The only person who has called me is Lindsay and that’s to order me to be at her place by six, dressed as a man. But that’s to be after I have been to the library to read up on the advertising world! And even more than that, she wants me to take out books on etiquette and bring them with me!
“Bossy boots!” I grumble and head to the bathroom to have a shower and then head to the library. As I turn the shower on, I sigh at what I look like. I was so exhausted last night that I just slumped into bed. I pull off the jewellery and the dress and start to wipe off make-up and while the eyeshadow comes off easily enough the lipstick takes a bit more time and my lips end up bleeding as I scrub them so hard. But it’s when it comes to the wig that I have a problem. It appears to be stuck and it’s then I remember the words of the guy in the costume shop. Take it off as soon as you can. The longer it is on your head, the harder it will be to take off.
“Oh for fuck sake!” I grumble and start to pull harder, wincing as it refuses to budge and then I decide to get into the shower in the hope that the glue will soften under water. Twenty minutes later, I look like a drowned rat and the wig is still firmly attached. I decide to dry it as best I can and head back to the store so that they can take it off!
Two hours later, I am fucked off and even more humiliated! When I got to the store, the first thing he did was laugh when I said I couldn’t get it off until he realised I was serious. Then he told me off for getting it wet, saying that the water has helped fuse the glue thus making it harder to come off! I denied that he ever told me that. Instead of being contrite, he points out that even if I wasn’t told, I could surely read as the instructions were in the care package that he gave me at time of purchase! And apparently I bought instead of hired the clothes and the jewellery but even if I hadn’t, he wouldn’t take back the dress in its ruined state. So the upshot is that I have a drag outfit and jewellery I don’t want and a fucking wig stuck to my head, which is starting to curl back into its original state!
LINDSAY’S APARTMENT - EVENING
LINDSAY
Michael is currently sitting in my lounge with a towel round his shoulders as I try to be as gentle as I can removing the wig. It is slowly coming off, but unfortunately, it is taking some of his own hair with it. He gripes and yelps. “Stop doing it so slowly! It hurts more like that!”
“You just want me to rip it off, then?” I ask, trying mightily to keep the laughter from my voice.
“Like a fucking Band Aid.” He declares firmly.
“Okay, brace yourself.” I order and grip the front of the wig where I had managed to detach it from his scalp. “On three...so one, two…”
I am surprised when he yanks his head forward leaving me with the wig in my hand and him cursing in pain. When he turns to face me, my mouth drops open. Where the wig had still been attached to his head there are now bald patches and I look at the edge of the wig. All around, except where I had taken my time to separate it from his head, there are bits of hair.
“How bad is it?” He asks, seeing my face.
“Do not look in mirrors!” I tell him. “I take it you didn’t do the library?” He shakes his head, heading to the bathroom. “Michael, I mean it! Sit down and let the etiquette lessons begin!”
“But Lindsay, I want to see what damage you’ve caused!”
My jaw drops. “I caused?! You were the one who told me to do it and the one who wrenched forward before I got to three! And this is exactly what Brian means about where you and Justin differ! Justin will own and try to correct his own mistakes but you...!”
“Little Mr Perfect doesn’t make mistakes!” He snaps back.
“Little Mr...do you actually hear yourself when you speak? Gus sounds older than you do!”
“Why the fuck do people keep saying that?!” He whines and I slap my head in despair.
EMMY’S CATERING COMPANY - SAME TIME
FRANC
I look across at Emmy and he grins. “My dad is going to kill you if you don’t do these!” I sigh, licking off the last of the sauce from the sticky pork belly bao buns off of my chin.
“Oh, you can talk! Look at my tee, you and your Caribbean lobster with rum jerk butter! Oh we have to make that fruit salad and the ricotta, we had on the island, Brian and Justin have put in a request…I mean edict! I said that this would only happen if we actually get to taste it this time!” He chuckles at the memory. “Naturally, they had no idea what I was talking about.”
“Thank goodness this is just us on the island. It’s going to be so cosy and lovely.” I sigh and then see him frown. “What?”
“You are catering your own wedding!” He huffs, crossing his arms.
“And…”
“You’re the bride!” He throws up his arms in despair.
“Who loves to cook and knows what my soon-to-be-husband, family and friends like to eat! And no amount of Emmy-isms is going to change my mind. I want to do this so it’s being done! If you and Ben were to get married, are you telling me you wouldn’t be hovering?”
“That’s different.” He sniffs. “And once I find a reason why it is different, I shall tell you!”
“Oh Emmy! Right, come on. Let’s keep trucking through this wedding menu. What have we got next?”
“He asked me.” He whispers quietly, fiddling with the paper in front of him and starting to go red.
“And what did you say?” I look anywhere but at him so he can’t see my disappointment when he says what I think he’s going to say.
“That I cannot wait to get hold of the dining room and get it looking more acceptable for the calibre of the artwork of Justin Taylor, soon to be Taylor-Kinney or will they be Kinney-Taylor.”
I whip my head round and stare at him. “You’re coming with?” I feel my eyes start to fill.
“We’re partners and where he goes, I go and we’re…” He indicates between the pair of us. “...partners so where you go, I go.”
“Oh so h-happy!” I whimper and fling my arms round him.
“Now come-come pard’ner, this list! So we have the bao buns, the lobster, the tuna tartare...oh by the way, no you cannot fish before your wedding! No, your man has spoken! By your man, I mean Markus, your dad, your brother, your grandfather and your grandfather’s partner! So, oyster po’boy sliders, BBQ tomahawk steaks, Vietnamese summer rolls with duck and…”
“Fucking typical!” I gripe. “But we need a chicken dish. Obviously, there’s going to be various salads; Gus has asked for a rice one. As for desserts, no cakes as it will be too hot, so stick to sorbets, one has to be apricot as that’s Markus’s favourite, but we can sort them nearer the time. We need the main dishes locked down so we can get the taste just right.”
“True. Now thankfully, all the kiddos that are going to be there have refined palates. So we don’t need to worry about fussy eaters. I think a simple roast chicken with garlic and lemon, since the rest of the dishes are quite punchy.”
“Alright so let’s get started shall we!” I grin at him and we start to pull out the various pots and pans.
JUSTIN’S HOUSE - WEDNESDAY EVENING
KITCHEN
BRIAN
I blow a puff of air to get the hair from out of my eyes. “Let me help you with your unruly but sexy mop.” Justin comes up with a headband and puts it on. “Trust me, you look very macho.” He coos, kissing my nose.
“Okay, so what are we doing?”
“What do you mean what are we doing? This was your idea. You mean you haven’t thought of any recipes?” He asks me and I can feel myself blushing as I bite my lip. “You, darling dolt. Okay, so what kind of food for the family wedding breakfast do you want?”
“That egg thing that you and Gus like…”
“Scotch egg. And you don’t fool me mister. So what egg?”
“We just said…the Scotch one?” I reply.
“No. I mean what kind of egg. I think for Ruby definitely a quail egg in hers as she’s so little. Gus can have a hen’s egg and parents can have duck eggs. What do you think?” He adds hurriedly.
“Justin. This is our wedding breakfast that we are serving to our family before we fly out. So make suggestions.”
He grins and tugs me to the counter. “Champagne oranges, though sparkling soda for Gus and Ruby in theirs.”
“And the waffles with bacon inside that Gus likes. Definitely Black Velvets for the adults.” I start to write the list and soon we have thirty breakfast items on there.
We look at the list and then each other. “I think we need to speak to Emmy.” Justin chuckles.
“Yeah.” I lean over and tongue fuck my fiancé. When I open my eyes to stare into his, I keep licking and nipping at his lips, but I have only one thought. “Tomorrow. Bed now!” I order and he takes off running.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sticky-pork-belly-bao-buns
https://www.thespruce.com/caribbean-lobster-with-rum-jerk-butter-759960
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/seafood-recipes/tuna-tartare/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/oysterpoboys_80061
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3121678/vietnamese-summer-rolls