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CHAPTER 30 - LOGISTICS AND COPYRIGHT

 

JUSTIN

 

When Brian got up to get a drink, he stroked my hair. That calmed me down but I can’t be understanding him the way he means...can he?

 

“Baby. Baby, your phone is ringing!” Emmy shakes me and I look at the screen. Michael. “Yes, what is it now?”

 

“You need to tell the hostess that we’re outside. I need to speak to Brian and you’re the only way to get to him.”

 

“Oh, you need me to do that, do you?” I sneer and I can hear the air rattling through his lungs as he takes a breath of calmness. I have to bite back the laugh. “Well, I don’t want to so am going back to eat with my husband and our clients.”

 

I hang up and Mama G comes across and puts Gummy in my lap then takes my phone. “Eleven you said, as in that’s the restaurant?” I nod. “Leave it with me.”

 

Gummy stands up on the chair and I keep her steady. She pulls off the hat that Mel puts on her head. “Come on Gummy, keep it on for mommy.” She puts it back on and that gets the GGF...Grumpy Gummy Face...so I tickle her that distracts her and she bounces. So I do it again and pretty soon, her hat is forgotten.

 

Brian and Ted are talking about something but he keeps looking across and giving me that smile....I can’t wait for us to be alone!

 

“Good afternoon, Justin Taylor’s line. Yes, this is his number but I’m the hostess of the private room that he is in and asked me to take his calls. May I take a message? I’m sorry ma’am, I can’t give out that information.”

 

“Oh, this is ridiculous!” Ben snaps and he takes the phone off her and switches it off. “They can fill up the voicemail instead. Now, let’s enjoy the rest of our day.”

 

“Okay, this little one needs to get out of the sun.” Debs takes Gummy, who snuggles into her grandmother’s shoulder.

 

“You need to reapply. Need help?” He whispers in my ear and I nod then follow him to the cabana. “This is a safer place for us…” I just nod as his large hands sweep the lotion over my chest and arms and turns me around. “Just going to do your back and you can do the rest.” Again I just nod. It takes another 10 minutes for me to come out after he leaves!

 

OUTSIDE ELEVEN - SAME TIME

 

LINDSAY

 

We have decided to go home but keep trying Justin. Unfortunately, it keeps rolling to voicemail. “A nice cold beer is the first thing I need to have!” I gasp, fanning myself.

 

“We don’t have any....what about Woody’s?”

 

“Wonderful. Taxi!” I shout.

 

WOODY’S - 20 MINUTES LATER

 

“God, I needed that!” I sigh as I almost down half the glass. “What a day! Now what we have to do is get someone else to...oh, I know! Give me a minute!” Ten minutes later, we are toasting each other. “So we have a play date for next weekend and Mel will, of course, give Marie all the numbers we need, especially Brian’s new number!”

 

“And then he will be apologising to us as he should!” Michael crows.

 

RUTH’S CONDO - 30 MINUTES LATER

 

MEL

 

I sigh and look across at Ruth, who immediately heads over. When I show her the text from Marie, she just stares at me. “I am fucking furious!” I whisper and she frowns. “She will need all the contact numbers and…”

 

“As Justin said, chill your shrill.” She grins. “They want Brian to apologise and he’s not going to. What we need to give them is...again...what they want and like that little bombshell also said...but not the way they want it.”

 

“I still don’t get it.” I sigh.

 

“I’m going to blame impending heat stroke.” She takes the phone off me. “Ben! Mel, would like you to cool her off by throwing her in the pool!”

 

“What?! No I don’t...noooooo!” I scream as I fly through the air and land in the pool. When I surface spluttering, Frick is paddling determinedly towards me with his toy. “I will get you back for that!” I yell and take the toy and throw it for him.

 

Two hours later, we’re all in the lounge, drinking some coffee; cocoa for the kids. Gummy is already asleep and Gus is barely staying awake as he rests on Brian’s chest.

 

“Come on Gussie, sit up and just finish this and then you can go to sleep okay?”

 

“Okay, daddy Justin.” He mumbles and finally finishes his drink. Within 10 minutes, he’s asleep.

 

“Alright, let’s get these babies home…” I stand up. “Whenever you’re ready to bring him, Brian.”

 

“Thanks Mel.” He whispers and I get the million dollar smile from Justin.

 

As I head out to the car and start to load up, Ems comes to help. “Thank you Mel, not another word, just thank you.”

 

LOUNGE - LATE EVENING

 

JUSTIN

 

We’re having a brandy and my heart is racing. “Brian…” I turn to face him and take his hand. “Earlier what you said about the miles between you and Mel… Please tell me you are coming with me?”

 

“No I can’t tell you that.” He takes a while to look at me. “I am asking if I can go with you.”

 

I stand up quickly and he looks surprised. “Let me get this straight! The man that I have been in fucking love with since I was 17 is asking if he can share a significant moment in my life. Have I got that right?!” I yell.

 

“Yes, you have!” He stands up, yelling back.

 

We are both staring at each other, taking in lungfuls of air, and there’s that only-for-me-smile. He tugs me towards him. “So are you saying yes?”

 

All the tears I had been holding in since he whispered to me, flow down my face and when he strokes my hair. I have another memory and I’m surprised when he starts to talk. “Just before my birthday and I told you to forget about me, I was heartbroken because I knew, no I thought, it was the best thing for you. To be away from me. I could handle own my own misery but I couldn’t…”

 

“I would rather be miserable with you than without and you have to know that now.” I sniff.

 

“Yes I do. Now do me a fucking favour and stop wiping those baby blues and snotty nose on my shirt. It’s Dior!” He grumbles from above. “And you haven’t answered my question.” He mumbles and I smack him on his ass. “Ow...a painful yes, I’ll take it.”

 

I push him back onto the sofa and we start to kiss. If he thinks I’m only getting this sporadically for six months, he can forget it!

 

When the cool air hits my ass, my gasp is swallowed into his mouth. “Justin hurry!” He orders, tugging at my top. “You need to fuck me now!” I strip my quivering husband and myself quickly; sighing I sink into him and then reach for his cock. “Oh yes!” He growls and puts his hands behind his head then snaps his hips. “Now, fuck me till I pass out!” He orders.

 

An hour later, we seem to have moved outside and it’s raining! I open my eyes and find myself in the shower in Brian’s arms. “I believe I said fuck me till I pass out!” He laughs and brushes the hair out of my eyes. I squirm up and latch onto the only lips I will ever kiss for the rest of my life.

 

CARNEGIE MELLON - WEDNESDAY MORNING

 

STAFF ROOM

 

JUSTIN

 

Cassia and I are on our break and just talking in general when Lindsay comes in. “How’s your second week going, Justin?” She smiles sweetly...too sweetly.

 

“Great, really great. How about you?”

 

“Wonderful. Excuse me, I need to prepare for my afternoon classes.” She takes a seat away from us and starts to look busy. But I know Lindsay, and she’s trying to listen.

 

“Hey guys, glad I caught you.” Ben comes in. “Justin, is there a small chance that I can steal you on Friday?”

 

“What for? Why are you stealing my star assistant?!” Cassia teases him and he grins back.

 

“Rage. I asked my class to talk about their comic superheroes and almost half the class wanted Rage. Oh and one other thing, be prepared for writer’s cramp….”

 

“Because?” I ask and out of the corner of my eye, I watch Lindsay almost lean out of her seat as Ben, while smirking, comes closer.  

 

“Signing copies of the comic but there is one thing that is necessary…”

 

“Let me talk to him.” I grin.

 

“Ben! I didn’t see you there! How are you?” Lindsay comes over, beaming.

 

“Fine. How was your weekend?” He asks her and her face falls slightly.

 

“A little exhausting. Such a shame about Brian’s phone.”

 

“Yeah, wasn’t it? These things happen. Justin let me know, I gotta scoot.”

 

“Oh me too. Maybe I could…” Lindsay begins.

 

“To the bathroom.” Ben interrupts and heads out. After a couple of minutes, she follows.

 

“So Rage will be here on Friday, will he?” Cassia asks quietly and I nod. “Good…” She goes pink. “Do you think…?”

 

“I’ll get him to sign a copy tonight!”

 

“Thank you!” She grins.

 

CARNEGIE MELLON - FRIDAY AFTERNOON

 

POST BEN’S CLASS

 

BEN

 

I look at the queue stretching out the door and happily it is a mix of both boys and girls. But the tees they are holding, worry me. I spot James, one of my A plus students in the queue, so I head to him. “Where did you get those from?”

 

“There was this guy, who said he did the dialogue for it and he was selling them for…oh that’s not a good face.”

 

I look down the queue and can see that most have a tee...oh fuck! I know and he knows that he is going to go ballistic but not until afterwards. “James, I need you to do me a favour…”

 

I head to join Brian and Justin and after two hours later, we are heading to the car park and I see Michael and Lindsay getting into a taxi...Justin looks confused as Michael waves at him.

 

“Trust me, he will be calling you.” I grin.

 

RUTH’S CONDO - AN HOUR LATER

 

DECK AREA

 

JUSTIN

 

I sigh as my phone goes and before I can get to say hello, he is screaming at me. “You knew I had the tees! Why not take them when you bought the copyright?!”

 

“Because we naturally assumed that you understood when we said you could not profit from Rage anymore, you would not be stupid enough to try and do so. You were so we advised the purchasers to put in for a refund and we gave them the tees instead.”  Brian replies coldly.

 

“Bri…” But he cuts him off and then switches off my phone.

 

“I have a much better use for my mouth and your ears.” He picks me up and carries me to the cabana then lays me down on the daybed, settling between my legs. “So Rathman. You do know that they also do a residency in Europe?”

 

“Yes.” I reply frowning.

 

“Specifically in Italy.”

 

“You’d move to Italy for six months? What about Gus?”

 

“Wonderful things called planes for short weekends. And if we work it well, we could have him for the last month of your residency and come back home to Britin. I can’t bear them any more…”

 

“Yes! I say yes!” And twenty hot minutes later, we were screaming yes for completely different reasons!

 

 

Chapter End Notes:

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