CHAPTER 2: MAKING PLANS
MEL & LINDSAY’S HOUSE – WEDNESDAY MORNING
KITCHEN
MEL
Lindsay has been moping a bit since she came back from Britin on Monday afternoon. I’ve not got time for this; I’ve got to get to get to court. After feeding JR, I call Lindsay yet again!
“Honey, you’ve got to come down now. I can’t leave JR by herself. Gus and I have to go!”
“Coming!” She calls down.
“Yeah right.” I mutter to myself as she takes another 5 minutes to come downstairs. “Lindsay come on I can’t be late!”
When she deigns to come down she has an armful of magazines. “What on earth is all that?”
“Home design magazines.” She replies airily.
“Oh okay, we’ll discuss that tonight. See ya!” I go to kiss her cheek but she swans passed me.
As I get in the driver’s seat, I try not to seethe. Because of Brian fucking Kinney, we are still here! We were all set to go to Canada. We could start again away from the bombing, the hatred, the loss of our friends, especially Dusty. But more importantly, away from him.
But when he asked how we were going to support ourselves over there, I was surprised. I had assumed that the agreement would be as normal. But apparently, he too got some fucking perspective and said that if we wanted to go then he wouldn’t stop us but he sure as hell wasn’t going to pay for us to do it! I was fucking furious.
Then when he said that he wanted a revised visitation agreement or the support payments would stop I hated him even more. Although they were ad-hoc payments, they were helpful and once again he has a hold on us. So in order to loosen that hold, here I am heading to a place I had hoped never to be working again!
MEL & LINDSAY’S HOUSE
LOUNGE
LINDSAY
I have finally gotten JR down. Oh God, she does whine like her father! I spread the magazines out and smile. Then I realise what I need to do. I need to take pictures of all the rooms in Britin. I grab my phone and call Debs.
“Debs, it’s Lindz. I’m fine, no JR is fine as is Gus. Can you come and baby…oh you’ve got a double shift. But I need to go into town and I can’t take her with me. Oh I see, okay then.”
I scowl at the phone in annoyance and try to think who else I can call. I’m startled when the phone rings and it’s Marie. Ten minutes later, I start to pack JR’s stuff and head to her house, relieved that I can get on with what needs to be done.
MICHAEL & BEN’S HOUSE
BEN
I love Michael, I really do. But this is actually getting ridiculous!
“Michael, they just cancelled the wedding because the timing wasn’t right. They’ve not stopped loving each other.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Until it gets too difficult again and we have to pick up the pieces.”
“What pieces are there to pick up?” I ask. “They came to a mutual decision and are still with each other as evidenced by what we walked in on at the weekend.”
He glares at me before stomping to the kitchen. I take the opportunity of his back being turned to smile in recollection of the expression on his face, when he walked into the loft, despite me saying we should knock…
Start of flashback
THE LOFT – SATURDAY AFTERNOON
BEN
We are in the elevator and once more I try to get Michael to see reason.
“Michael, I really don’t think you should be using your key as and when you want to. This isn’t…”
“What do you think the key is for, Ben?”
“Emergencies! Wanting to find out if Brian wants to go for a drink and shoot some pool is not an emergency. Besides, couldn’t you have called first?”
“I’ve been calling. He’s not answering.” He replies, heading determinedly to the door and opening it.
“Oh fuck! Oh-oh-oh! Yes Brian, Ah yes!” Justin calls out as he and Brian go at it on the sofa.
“Don’t come yet, don’t come yet! Oh so good!” Brian pants.
“Brian!” Justin gasps. “Oh please there, yes there!”
“There? You want me right there?” Brian teases.
“Please, please!”
They start kissing so I take that moment to pull Michael out and quietly close the door. Then taking the keys out of his slack fingers, I lock the door and pocket the key.
When we get back to the car, I nudge him. “He seems fine.” He doesn’t laugh as heartily as I do.
End of flashback
“Ben! Did you hear what I said?” Michael’s sharp tone brings me back to earth.
“No sorry. What did you say?” I ask.
“I was telling you about the size of that fucking house! They don’t need something that big!”
“Why…”
“Because it’s got about nine bedrooms and there’s…”
“No. I mean why is it a fucking house? And not just a house? And how do you know what they need with regards to their living arrangements?”
“There is only two of them! Whatever they are doing with those rooms they better keep people out of JR’s room! And clean up after whatever they’re done using the rooms for whenever they’re using it for before we stay in them.”
JR’s room?
“Why would JR need a room?” I ask.
He sighs and looks at me as if I’m being dense. “Where else is she going to stay when we visit?”
“She doesn’t need her own room in Britin and besides…”
“Gus is getting a room.” He argues.
“Why is Gus getting a room? He lives with his mothers and I doubt that Mel would be happy about that.”
“Lindsay said he was.” He mutters. “And I don’t see why JR should be treated any differently to him.”
“Brian wouldn’t do that. But that doesn’t mean he should give her a room in their house. And besides, how do you know Gus is getting a room? Just because Lindsay says he is doesn’t mean he is. It’s not her house. There’s also the little matter of Mel.”
“I still say she should get a room.” He mumbles and stomps upstairs.
I sigh and go back to grading papers, hoping that Michael just leaves them alone to do what they want to do.
JUSTIN’S STUDIO, BAKER’S PLACE
JUSTIN
I have a stack of house magazines in front of me and the plans from the architect. I still can’t believe he bought Britin for me and said that I can do all the rooms up! The only one he wants to do himself is his office and he wants us both to work on the master bedroom. The stables are going to be changed into a studio as I found out pretty quickly that I can’t do hay! I was so itchy when we got out of there. Calamine lotion is totally not sexy! Although, the way he applied it was…well, the second time, it stayed on!
Brian seems to be in a better mood since Monday. He hasn’t brought up New York or the review but has said that we’ve got a new car service to ferry us about, which to be honest I’m happy about! I like the name AngelCars and apparently, we have a designated driver called Ruth and I’m to always ask for her. He told me about their first meeting and how she almost left the entitled eejits there. Good on her I say.
“Justin, are you in there?” Lindsay’s voice calls out and I freeze, thankful that I locked the door.
I reach over for my phone and put it on silent and wait with baited breath. “Justin! It’s me Lindz!”
My phone starts to flash and I grind my teeth. Lindz indeed! Wonder what she wants this time?!
Finally after another five minutes, she seems to leave but I’m not taking my chances on opening the door immediately. And I was right not to because she clearly doesn’t know about the 3rd step that creaks when you walk down it but not when you walk up it…this building is odd and helpful that way!
I creep to the window and watch her exit the building and I have a feeling I know exactly where she’s going…and if she’s not well I need to get rid of this jittery feeling I have.
“Hey it’s me. What are you doing right this second? Okay see you in ten minutes.”
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER
“Fuck me!” Brian growls tugging at his pants. “Now!”
I don’t get to top him that often and I’m not missing this opportunity! Twenty sweaty minutes later I lay there stunned coming down from the intensity of my orgasm.
“So what was that about?” I ask as he gingerly turns over onto his back.
He shrugs. “Same thing your call was about I guess.”
We say nothing for a while then start to get dressed.
BLOOM GALLERY – 90 MINUTES LATER
LINDSAY
I have been trying Brian and Justin for the last hour or so and neither of them are picking up. I’m distracted trying to formulate the design for Gus’s room that I don’t hear Sidney talking to me.
“Lindsay, are you alright?”
“Oh sorry Sidney, things on my mind. What were you saying?”
“The Renaissance and the Post-Modernist shows, I’ve confirmed them with Emmett, so can I leave you to liaise with him with regards to the rest?”
“Of course, not a problem.” I smile at him and as soon as he leaves, I roll my eyes.
Actually, it is going to be a problem. I’m still mad at Emmett! After they cancelled the wedding, I casually mentioned to Justin that he was wasting his time here when his talents could be better appreciated in New York. Emmett pipes up that he could paint anywhere like Britin. I was fuming that Emmett, of all fucking people, knew about Britin before me. Not only that, but he’d also seen it before me; Justin took him.
It took a lot of badgering to get the address out of Emmett but eventually he caved. But he must have told Brian because he opened the door to us and although he didn’t look pissed he didn’t exactly look pleased to see us.
Michael and I think that since Emmett’s catering business took off, he’s gotten a little too big for his boots, interfering in matters where he shouldn’t.
MEL & LINDSAY’S HOUSE – EARLY EVENING
LOUNGE
MEL
I’ve had a tough day and all I want is a drink but when I got inside, it’s clear that Lindsay just got up and left to go where she wanted to without cleaning up. I sigh and start to put away stuff yet again. And yet again, blaming Brian for keeping us here.
“Hey!” Lindsay comes in smiling.
“Hi, uh more magazines?” I nod at the pile in her hand. “Why are we redecorating again and what rooms?”
“Gus’s room.” She replies and I know that tone. She’s placating.
“Why? We’ve only just done it. Okay, it was a year ago but it’s fine as it is and we can’t really afford it.”
“Oh, we won’t be paying for it…now, please listen before you blow up. This is for Gus’s room in Britin.” She smiles at me and I frown. “We went to see it on Monday. Oh Mel, it is gorgeous! The grounds, the stable and the pool, though I think we should get that covered for when Gus is there and…”
“Whoa! Who is we? And when is Gus going there?”
“Michael and I went to see Britin. And Gus will be staying with his dad sometimes, won’t he?”
I feel the headache start to pound harder and rub my temples. “He didn’t stay with him in the loft. Why should he stay with him in their new house?”
“The loft is too small. And besides would you have wanted Gus to stay there?”
“No I wouldn’t. But then again, they’ve only just finished getting it extended.”
“Extended? What do you mean extended?” She demands, getting that pinched look…ah she didn’t know about it.
“According to Ted, Brian took the loft directly below them and has joined the two. The work was finished about a month ago and Brian’s decorating it…”
“I see.” She pouts. “Well anyway, the room at Britin for Gus is going to be…”
“Have you asked if Gus can have a room?”
“I don’t need to ask Brian if Gus can have a room in his father’s house!” She snaps.
“You’re right, you don’t. But you do have to ask Justin as it’s his house, remember? Brian bought it for him, his prince. Not the wannabe princess.”