CHAPTER 47 - LINDSAY GETS CAUGHT BULLSHITTING AND MICHAEL ADMITTING

RATHMAN AFTER PARTY

LADIES ROOM

CASSIA

As I rub my aching jaw, from holding my grin in place, I am reminded why I hate these things! Gladhandling and smarming up peoples’ asses is just not my thing. My mood darkens when I hear, rather than see, Lindsay talking to another patron.

“Yes, I know Sam very well. I’m sort of his muse. And as for Justin, although he blossomed under my tutelage, I could only take him so far.” She gives a little laugh that reminds me of a rat sliding down a blackboard. “But I’m much too modest to put myself in the limelight…”

There is a snort and it’s actually not coming from me. I look around and almost scream in delight as I spot Malia watching the modesty show from Lindsay. I go over to join her “When did you get here?! Is Ginny here too?!”

“Yes, at the bar with Justin and Brian.” She jerks her head in the direction of the back of Lindsay then pulls me nearer so we can hear her properly.

“...I’ve known Cassia for a while and, like her, I am in the renaissance field. Oh no, I haven’t the courage or…”

“Talent.” I mutter, making Malia snort again and then gasp. Oh crap here comes Ginny!

“Lindsay Peterson. What are you doing here? I’d have thought being at Cassia’s event would be the last place you would be, especially after your last contretemps with her over Justin.” We watch her turn to whomever Lindsay was speaking to and smile slowly, much like a shark that has just seen its first easy meal. “You see, Lindsay here wanted to bask in the limelight that is Justin Taylor-Kinney but he preferred someone with experience in the renaissance field; someone who has actually been asked to participate in a show, not someone who uses machination and borderline fraud to persuade their alleged protégé to bend to her artistic will and aspirations.”

“Fraud?” The person asks, starting to back away from Lindsay.

“It was all a misunderstanding!” Lindsay blathers, and judging by the smirk in Ginny’s eyes, she also looks mortified. “I thought that Justin had applied for…”

“Ah-ah-ah, I would go for honesty Lindsay. You’re trying to drag your meagre artistic reputation out of the muck and mire, not be hoisted by your own petard.”

“Well it was lovely to meet you. Uh yes... I have to dash.” The person says and scurries out before Lindsay could do any damage control. The explosion is not long in coming.

“You will pay for that!” She hisses.

“You will excuse me while I go and find the fuck I’m supposed to give. You forget Lindsay that you are nothing without Justin. But he is everything without you!”

We watch as Lindsay balls up her fists but knows she can’t make a spectacle of herself any more than Ginny has. With one final malevolent glare, she stalks out.

“Cassia!” Ginny squeals as if she hasn’t just spit roasted Lindsay over open flame. “You look absolutely exquisite! Sorry I couldn’t get here for the entire show, got caught up in meetings, so how was it? Before you answer any of that, first we must away to the bar. For some reason, I have a dry throat.”

“Yes bitch slapping can chafe a gal’s throat mightily!” I snicker and can’t wait to tell Mel what Ginny did.

LINDSAY

I had to find a quiet place so I could gather myself. I tried to find the woman that I was talking to but she gave me such a look and whispered to her companion before they turned their backs on me.

“Hey kid, what have you been saying now?” Sam sounds pissed off so I resort to my failsafe...tears, but pretty ones.

“I never said anything! Justin’s cohort just came in and attacked me while I was having a private conversation and…”

“Muse?”

“Pardon?” I sniff, dabbing my eyes.

“You said you were my muse and how Justin blossomed under your tutelage…”

“Is any of that not true?” I demand, not liking his tone at all!

“Did you actually teach Justin anything? As in an educational purpose? No you didn’t. He’s self-taught! And yes, you are my muse, but you are rapidly becoming un-a-musing! Now that I have done some damage control, I suggest we call it a night before you decide to talk some more.”

“But Sam…”

“Lindsay, at the risk of sounding like the gentleman you know I’m not, when we get to the hotel, can you keep your mouth shut and your legs open?! Unless of course, I find another immediate use for your tornado-like tongue, which tends to spin out of control. Gagging you sure sounds fun right about now. How that’s accomplished is entirely up to you. Now let’s go!”

Without another word I follow him out, feeling both insulted and turned on at the same time.

BRIAN

I look around for my wayward husband and find him over on the other side of the room talking to Ginny, Malia, Mel and Cassia. He’s now completely relaxed after earlier and I have placed a call to the hotel and hopefully they have been able to accommodate me...I mean us!

As I head in his direction, I hear something I really don’t want to and have to swallow down my bile as Lindsay and her fuckbuddy leave. She’s practically leaving a snail trail in her wake! I scurry to Justin and he immediately, he pulls me to one side.

“What on earth is the matter?!” I shake my head. “Do you want a Beam?” I nod and he goes to get it. He doesn’t leave me for long and I wrap one arm round him whilst taking the drink down in one. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I caught Lindsay’s reaction to Sam’s attempt at dirty talk and let’s just say…”

“No! No! No!” He hisses and buries his face in my chest. “Tell me and we are never ever having sex again anywhere, not even in the afterlife!”

“Zipping! I promise zipping!”

“The girls want to go dancing. Fancy shaking your thang?” He looks through his lashes at me.

I sigh. “Come on then. Where are we going?”

BAR MATTACHINE - AN HOUR LATER

JUSTIN

“This place is awesome!” I scream in Mel’s ear as we dance up a storm. Brian has just gone to the bar and is coming back with a determined look on his face. “Uh oh, looks like the Big Bad Wolf is on the prowl!” I tell her, pointing in his direction.

“Oh, what fresh fucking hell has he got in store for you this time?” She yells back.

“I have no idea, but I’m about to find out. Hey!” I squeal as he picks me up and carries me away. “What are you doing?! I was dancing! Brian!” I yell, slapping him on the butt to get him to stop going wherever it is he is taking me.

There’s applause as he carries me up the stairs to a private room and shuts the door.

“Now then! I have been denied this long enough... I will have it! I must have it! I simply must!”

“Brian!” I gasp as he dumps me on the bed. “Stop, calm down!!” I manage to scramble out of his reach but he’s now between me and the door and is licking his lips.

“Justin.” He growls, matching me step for step as I try to get around him. In fact, he ends up backing me into a corner of the room. “Had a busy night?” He nuzzles my nose.

“Just checking out the bars…” I bite my lip as he pushes his thigh between my legs.

“Really? Like where?” He whispers in my ear as he starts to rub his knee along my cock and pulls my head back so that we are staring at each other. “Like...rub press...where....rub press.”

“Uh Boi Toi, Meathook…”

“Oh so you’re into leather?”

I smirk up at him. “Sure, especially the leather thong I’m wearing right this very second…”

His eyes close briefly before he leers at me filled with lust. “Turn round face the wall. Hands shoulder width apart, ass out.” He orders in a voice I suddenly can’t resist.

I feel the slight tremble as he undoes my pants and lets them slide down my legs. “Oh my god, where did you get this?” He sighs.

“Emmy and I went shopping.” I murmur as he palms my cock through the leather. “He’s doing our trousseau for…” My breath stops as I feel his breath at the base of my spine. He licks and kisses me there whilst slowly peeling the thong off me.

“Back a bit, come back a bit. I need to taste this peach.”

“Y-you know you are still in t-trouble.” I gasp out as his tongue works its way into my pucker.

“Mmmm hmmm.”

“G-go-good just... oh god...checking!”

MEL

No this is not happening! As we all whooped and hollered as Brian manhandled Justin squealing off the dancefloor, I spot someone following them and he looks familiar. It’s fucking Michael!

“Malia, could you and…” I begin but then I spot another familiar figure following Michael...a very pissed off looking Ginny. She is almost bulldozing through the crowds to get to him. I am yelling at her to stop and consider her future!

“Oh honey, what you shrieking for?!” A six foot drag queen asks.

“I need to stop that woman from killing that man! Please I’m serious! I need to get to her!” I try to get passed him but he blocks me and regards me for one second.

“Gustav, code red on the private rooms...am on my way!” He snaps into a mike. “Be my eyes!” He yells and hoists me above his head!

“Left!” I scream and Ginny is almost at the stairs. “Quick, she’s taking off her shoes!” We must have looked a sight because people started to stare and slowly but surely the people stop dancing and part to let us through. “Oh fuck, she’s on the balcony! How far are they...holy shit!” I scream as my arms are grabbed and I’m hauled over the railing.

“Go! That way!” Some guy yells. “She’s running!”

I take off and manage to get to Ginny just before she manages to get a hand on Michael, who is drunkenly hammering on door after door. “No!” I yell pulling her off him. “Let them deal with it!”

“Who’s them?!” She yells belligerently and seems to be determined to get out of my grasp. She almost succeeded but luckily my drag heroine arrived and expertly tossed her over his shoulder and stalks away.

“Honey, unless you have six wrestling brothers you ain't getting out of my hold. Coming through people; nothing to see here!”

I almost slide to the floor in relief but I am jolted back into reality by the yelling of one Michael Novotny, shouting Brian’s name. He is being helped down the corridor by two muscled twinks. “Take him to the office!” Someone bellows.

“What the fuck are you yelling about, Mel?!” Brian snarks, sticking his head out. “Trying to work on his fourth here!”

“Get dressed! Both of you! Justin needs to come and save his dialogue writer before she kills the old one…”

“What do you mean?” Justin calls out from behind him. “What the hell is Michael doing here?!”

“Again, get dressed!” I shout.

MANAGER’S OFFICE

GUSTAV

In the red corner, we have a simmering volcano and in the blue corner, we have a drunken cold mess blubbering about someone called Bine. Connie is standing between the pair of them and jumps when the door knocks.

“Oh, hey girl.” He lets in the lady I hauled over the bannister. “Who are these people?”

“Where’s Ginny?” She demands and Connie points to the volcano.

“Bine!” The blubbering mess shrieks and attempts to stand but fails.

“Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?!” Bine demands.

“EVERYONE WHO ISN’T GUSTAV SHUT UP AND SIT THE FUCK DOWN!” I yell. “Oh come on Connie, not you!”

“But you said…”

“Baby please! I am getting a no-fuck-tonight headache!”

“I know the feeling!” The blonde in Bine’s lap grumbles.

“Hey! I believe you were cresting on your way to your fourth!” Bine protests.

“Fourth?” Connie gazes at him with something bordering on envy.

“Rimming, fingering, nipple play and the most heavenly of blowjobs, which you are going to finish, is not fucking. That’s foreplay!”

“Fore...as a matter of interest, how long did you book the room for?” Connie asks.

“An hour.” He replies smugly.

“Oh you need to bone up on your technique.” She looks at me then turns back to them. “Do you run classes, Bine?”

“Bine? Oh don’t listen to the mindless burblings of the drunken yuckamuck over there. This is Brian and that’s his husband, Justin. This is my girlfriend Cassia, you all know Ginny and this is Malia.” Mel explains.

“Not his husband, my husband!” Drunken Yuckamuck mutters and makes it onto his feet then lurches in the direction of Brian and Justin, which has Brian putting Justin behind him.

“Should’ve stayed gone!” He mumbles, swaying apparently dancing to his own tune...badly.

“Look here’s the thing…” Mel starts.

“All we had to do was not go but ma just had to send us f-for her wucking funshine! Had to play best friend and son...at least, Bine didn’t find out. He’ll never find out.” He hiccups and laughs. Nobody says a word. “Fat Ass took all the blame...alarm...so close to...to...gone! But st-still my life him living.”

He staggers to the door and after three attempts opens it and starts to leave. “G-get the fuck out of the way!” He yells belligerently and we rush outside to see him shouting at himself...as in his reflection! “Stop b-blocking me!”

Then it becomes a trainwreck as he decides to take a swing at himself and misses but does connect with the table outside my office rendering himself, mercifully, unconscious!

Forty minutes later, he’s on the way to the hospital and we’re all sitting in the office, nursing rather large brandies.

“He let me take the blame!” Justin fumes.

“And he will be punished for that!” Mel snaps, looking at Brian.

“Someone want to tell me what that means?” Ginny asks, putting her feet in Malia’s lap and sighing when Malia strokes her leg.

“Indeed he will in the best possible way.” Justin looks devilish. “I’m going to tell his momma!”

“And I’m going to tell Lindsay’s!” Mel decrees.

Connie and I exchange confused looks. “Give me your card. We’ll let you know how it goes.” Brian laughs. “Uh Connie, can I have a word with you for just a minute?”

BRIAN

“Somewhere private.” I ask and follow her to the ante-room. I can’t believe that I’m actually going to have this type of conversation with a drag queen. It’s not that I have anything against them; it’s just that outside of my friends or male clients, I’ve never had much use for words when it came to getting laid. Less talking, more fucking had been my motto for more years than I care to remember…until Justin came along.

“Well?”

“How long have you and Gustav been together?” I ask.

“Four months. Officially. Been friends for a while though.”

“Tells you everything?” I watch her reaction.

“Mostly, but we’re still ironing the friends to fuckbuddy kinks out.” She sighs.

“Well first, stopping the habit of thinking about him as your fuckbuddy would help. Look, it took a long time for me to get my head out of my ass to land that bombshell and then even more time to learn how to keep him. But I can tell you this… from one Top to another. Gustav is the boss here and you are his queen...but at home, he’s the bottom and you are his king, so treat him as your prince.”

“How did…” She stammers.

“Like I said head out of my ass.” I grin at her.

“Thanks.” she replies. “So uh, those tips of yours…”

“How big is Gustav…” I ask.

MICHAEL AND LINDSAY’S APARTMENT - TUESDAY MORNING

MICHAEL

Lindsay and Sam are fuck alone knows where and the bruise under my chin is still throbbing!

I open the door and my head rings to the slap that connects to my face.

“Ma?! What the fuck is…” She cuts me off by slapping the other side of my face. “Holy fuck, ow!”

“YOU LET HIM TAKE THE BLAME!” She thunders, pushing her way inside and shoving me so hard that I land on my ass. I scramble backwards as she approaches swinging a bag at me and when it connects, it feels like she’s got bricks in there! “You spiteful! Stupid! Pathetic! Disgraceful!”

“Ma! Will you stop fucking hitting me?!” I yell, trying to get under the table but she grabs my ankle and pulls me out, then starts to hammer my ass with the bag!

“I should’ve done this a long fucking time ago!”

“Ma stop!!!” I scream at the top of my lungs and that gets her attention and she stops.

Slowly, I turn over and glare at her. “What the hell is this about?!” I put my hand up when she raises her bag. “Sorry... don’t hit me again; you’re not Jack and I’m not Brian! Can you…”

“DO NOT COME TO THE CHRISTENING!” She screams with tears running down her face. “YOU ARE FUCKING BARRED YOU MISERABLE EXCUSE FOR AN ASSHOLE!”

PETERSON RESIDENCE - SAME TIME

LINDSAY

“So did you have a nice time in LA?” Daddy asks and I nod round the sip of wine I have just taken. “Want to tell me when you started to teach Justin, because I don’t remember that.”

I swallow hard. “Daddy…”

“Daddy…” He shakes his head. “That word and those eyes put together used to work but they don’t now. You were warned not to have people at our door again. But of course, you being you, just ignored that, chalking it up to us having some sort of temper tantrum. Well, since you’re such an action-oriented person, we’ve made a few of our own. As I’ve said, I have been told of your behaviour in LA and have decided that you are barred from the christening. However, I am not completely heartless. Gus should not be punished for your behaviour so I have put part of the inheritance you were going to receive in trust for him, until he reaches the age of 18. His true parents will have charge over it until then.”

“True parents? But I’m his biological mother!”

“That’s true. It’s an unfortunate occurrence that we aren’t able to change our genetic composition, don’t you think Lindsay. I know at this moment I would like nothing better than to snatch my DNA markers out of you so I could disassociate from you completely. No doubt, your mother is feeling the same way. So we’ve decided that this is the next best way to do so.”

“Daddy…” I whisper weakly.

“Oh, where was I? Oh yes… so that leaves a balance for you and that will be deposited in a bank account of your choosing. I am assuming it is the same one as the money from the sale of the Justin Taylor picture went to. Oh yes, my little princess, they have us told everything!”

I feel my world tilting on its axis and try to find a way around it.

“No, there isn’t a way so stop trying to find one. It will just tire you out. Now go home and work on your speech to Gus...remember they said that they will make you tell Gus why you’re not going to be there. Well your mother and I look forward to hearing it, because we fully intend to be there when you tell him!”

I stand up and wobble slightly. “I understand.”

“No Lindsay, I don’t think you do.” Mother’s ice like tone cuts me to the quick. “Because of your behaviour, we are being gossiped about and I don’t like it! Like your father said, go home, work on your speech and learn to manage your money or hope that Sam has enough to cater for your tastes…”

MICHAEL AND LINDSAY’S APARTMENT - AN HOUR LATER

LINDSAY

I am still in shock. No not shock... abject horror! As I let myself in, I notice that the vase is shattered on the floor.

“Michael?!” I call out warily.

“In here!” He calls from the lounge, his voice sounding thick.

LOUNGE

As I come inside, I find Michael shirtless and checking his body. He has so many bruises starting to form.

“Oh fuck my life, what happened to you?! Should we call the police or an ambulance?!”

“Ma happened to me! And no we don’t. Like Jennifer, she will most likely plead mitigating circumstances!”

“What are you talking about? Can you sit down and let me help?”

“No, I can’t fucking sit down! The bruises don’t stop at my back. She took it out on my ass too!”

“Talk sense!”

“That’s the thing... I don’t know what she was hitting me for!” He yells. “She just came in screamed you let him take the blame and started swinging! Then banned me from the christening!”

“You as well?!” I gasp. “My parents did the same.”

“We were fine before, so what the fuck happened?!” He snaps and sits down suddenly before leaping back up again.

“LA happened and they said something them coming to their door. Think about what…I may have upset Sam a bit but what did you do?!”

“Nothing! Well I can’t think of anything. Let me call her and find out why she wanted to almost beat me to fucking death!”

“What the fuck do you want you lying, backstabbing, jealous cockroach?!” Debs bellows.

“Ma, would you just calm down and tell me what it is that I’m supposed to have done for fuck sake?!” He bellows back.

“Oh let me see! You let Justin take the blame for it and then compared me to Jack and yourself to Brian to get me to stop hitting you!”

I glare at him. “Debs, it’s Lindsay. Can you call a family conference? We need to talk!”

“Not before Sunday. If he comes anywhere near me, and I mean anywhere, I will not be responsible for my actions!”

“Agreed.”

“And the kiddos need to not be there, because Gus is old enough to understand the shit that is going to go down!”

“I will sort out a playdate for them.”

“Good.” She snaps before disconnecting the call.

Michael, for once, looks genuinely bewildered about what the it Debs is talking about.

“Let me call Marie and sort out the playdate and you try and wrack your brain as to what the fuck happened in LA?!”