CHAPTER 50 - TIMES HAVE CHANGED AND SO HAVE THE PEOPLE
BRITIN - LATE EVENING
KITCHEN
JUSTIN
Still can’t quite believe what happened at Mel’s! I keep thinking that Nancy is playing a game, but judging by the expression on Lindsay’s face, maybe not.
“So you want to tell me what else is bothering you?” Brian leans over and takes both my hands out of my lap and pulls me up before turning me around and plonking me on the table.
“Not bothering as such…” He lifts an eyebrow and rubs his hands up my back under my shirt. I sigh. “I’m sorry.” He frowns. “I didn’t even think to ask what you wanted to do about Baby TK, I just…”
“Answered on behalf of both of us, which I was fine with. Couldn't you tell by the squeeze and lack of row afterwards? Please tell me you haven’t been dwelling about that all this time?”
I shake my head.
“Justin, I can’t help if you don’t tell.” He pulls me closer to him and I bury my head in his chest. “Okay, now once more and enunciate.”
I lift my head. “Don't get mad okay?”
“Just…”
“What if Baby TK is a girl?! It would be girlie parts! And we don't get to give her back for her mommy to change her! And then there’s periods, boys, bras, marriage and high school! What if Gummy gets jealous and they don't like each other?! And…and…why are you laughing?!” I demand.
He wipes his eyes and pulls me closer to him. “Because you are queening about something that is about as big as my finger, my little finger!” He kisses me deeply and I feel the queen out start to recede. “Better?”
“Mmmm. Do we want to know?” He shakes his head. “Good. But if Baby TK is a girl, you get the first nappy!”
“Deal. Now come on, let’s go and have a nice bath.”
PETERSON RESIDENCE
BEDROOM
RONALD
“The Kinney is strong in Gus.” I look across and am surprised to see her shaking. “Nancy? Are you laughing?! If you and Lindsay concocted some...”
“No.” She sniffs and turns over to face me; she is in floods of tears! “He just said, you’re new, hello I’m Gus. He looked so pleased that we are Lindsay's parents, whereas I have never been more ashamed in my life!”
I am utterly flummoxed, much like Mel was earlier. “And…”
“We have to get new outfits for the blessing. What’s the protocol? Do you have to wear the colours? Would they have a gift list? This is all so new and I don't want to commit a social misstep. And…”
“Nancy, why don't you speak to Jennifer?” I give her hand a squeeze and she nods.
“He was so unaffected by her not going to be there. And what’s this about her being away?”
I shrug. “She won't tell us even if we ask her.”
“Of course not. She’s too busy sulking and plotting! I know Lindsay all too well. Even though she was shocked and annoyed at Gus’s blasé attitude, there was something viperous in her eyes. I’m going to warn Jennifer. He’s her step-grandson after all. Oh is step-grandson a thing or…”
“A thing? Did you just say a thing?” I laugh. “Where on earth did you hear that?”
She giggles...actually giggles. “I overheard Ruth. I can understand her in a way…”
“Who?” I have never seen or heard Nancy go off on so many tangents!
“Lindsay.”
Seriously, what?!
“She’s never had to do anything to get the things she wants; they are handed to her. Or she just takes them. But everyone else, like Mel, Brian, Ruth and Justin, especially Justin, work to get what they want and are proud to do so. She has no pride, no sense of achievement. She has one-upmanship, which is not the same thing!”
I don’t know what to say at this point!
“What is that little madam up to?” She frowns before reaching for her iPad and jabbing me in the ribs. “Come along and get yours, Ronald darling. Let’s do some digging into her protagonists. See if we can find something she could use to upset the applecart from afar.”
I smile at the feeling of pride I have for my Nancy.
BRITIN
BATHROOM
BRIAN
The floor is getting soaked but I am not letting up. He’s mewling and thrashing in the water as I repeatedly jab against his hot spot and swallow his cries down my throat. After his histrionics earlier, I had to figure a way to calm him down. So I set the bath with his favourite oils and milks…
Start of flashback
BRIAN
“What are you doing?”
“Setting the bath.” Judging by that tone, he's still dwelling.
“No you're not. You're overthinking. Now sit down twat and let me do it.” He sits down with a thud. “Stop it. You’ll get wrinkles and I don't want that!”
I whistle while I pour, drizzle, drip, sprinkle and splash various things in the bath. I watch his expression and see the fear fade away as he watches what I am doing. It's when he takes a sniff and tries to see what I’m reaching for now that I know he’s starting to relax.
“Trainers.”
“Huh?” He says, coming to peer in the bath and tries to test the water.
“Not finished.” I chide slapping his hand away. “Take them off, socks too; I’ll do the rest.”
He quickly does as he’s told and tries to test again; this time I smack his butt. “Go and sit down.” He pouts. “Then stop trying to test...” He swats my arm before wrapping his arms around me from behind. “Can you close the door from there or do I have to walk backwards?”
I feel him smile against my back and hear the slam of the door being kicked shut. Turning around in his arms, I lift his chin and his eyes are clear, not sparkling clear but getting there.
I swoop down and engulf his soft pillowy lips. I love his mouth. So soft. So welcoming. And mine. As I suckle his tongue, he slides his hands under my shirt and sighs. With great reluctance, I lift my mouth and he frowns. “The bath.”
“Oh yeah, tend to lose train of thought when you kiss me like that.”
“Like what?” I ask, unbuttoning his shirt and planting kisses as skin appears.
“Soothing.” He murmurs. “That’s one of your soothing kisses.”
This gives me pause. “I have different kisses?” He nods and turns his wrist so I can kiss the pulse there before sliding the shirt off his body. “So tell me then.” I slide down, placing sucking kisses over his chest and belly, before turning him around and standing up again. “Justin. Tell me.” I breathe in his ear, before sucking his lobe, then that spot.
“Y-you have teasing, tender, fuck-me, love-me kisses, the never done again one, tongue-fucking, just-you-wait…” He goes quiet as I reach down and undo his pants.
“Will I be taking anything off after this?” He shakes his head against my shoulder. “I knew I married you for a good reason!”
As I pop the last of his buttons, I slide my hands in and his breath hitches. His bush feels like silk and his cock is throbbing. Slowly I start to push them down and smirk as he forces his hands to his sides. As they lower I slide down kissing all the way down his spine. As I come face to cheek with his ass, I give him a nip. He squeaks and tries to swat my head. I start to leave hickeys on his ass much to his indignation!
“Not t-t-too many, ha-have me-meeting at HQ tomorr-oh!”
I tap his ankle and he steps out of his pants. “Turn around.” I order. His cock is starting to drip, his responsiveness is such a turn on for me. I suckle on his tip, swirling my tongue in his ambrosial pre-cum. His hands rest on my shoulders before tangling in my hair as I lick, dip, suckle and swirl. I pause, look up and wink then slowly he feeds his cock down my throat. And then I hold him still.
“Brian!” He whimpers as I flex my throat around him. The thing with this throat job is that you are only using the muscles in your throat, it subtle and teasing, allows you to feel without actually getting you there...and he loves it!
“Wh-why’d you stop?” He pants, sweat shining on his body.
“Water should be about right.” I smile and pick him up. I hold him above the water. “Jeez now you test!” He looks sheepish and dips in a foot before nodding; I lower him into the water...
“Brian, you're getting soaked!” He giggles as he settles himself in the water. “Oh this is perfect. Do I smell Tonka bean?”
“You do.”
“Can't you at least tell me the brand?”
“No. You will buy all the stock and then not use it! I know you and you’ll be saving it for best.”
“Meanie.” He sighs, smiling. “Brian, what are you doing?! You still have your clothes on!” He laughs heartily as I get in the bath.
“I know. That way I have more of a grip.” I spread his legs and settle between them. “The never done again one?” He winces and goes pink. “Justin?”
“I didn't mean to say that.”
“Why?”
“It was...was after the bowling…”
“Ah. I see.” I can feel him start to tense up. “Sit up.” I order. Sighing he slowly does so. I jam my hands in his hair and jerk his head back, but not too hard, and smash my mouth against his as I remember doing that time and thrusting my tongue in his mouth. Then I remember flipping his arm back over my shoulder so I do and kiss him harder. Listen to me, feel what I am saying. Is what I am channelling into the kiss now as I did with the kiss then. Then it happens, the subtle shift that says I am listening I am feeling. His legs go round my waist and his fingers in my hair....
End of flashback
JUSTIN
Oh God! I can’t speak because he’s kissing me! I can’t move because I don’t want to! The feel of sodden denim against my cock while he fingers me is heavenly! The only thing I can do is kick my legs and try to transfer the pleasure elsewhere but it’s radiating round my body. He shifts slightly and now the buttons on his fly are rubbing against my cock as he snaps his hips. I need to....I need to!
“Justin!” He grinds against me. “Feel good?”
“Ypsoiudn” Is all I manage to get out from my kiss ravaged lips.
“Let me finish what I started then…” He mutters against my mouth but this time the kiss is gentle and the thrusting of his fingers move in tandem with his hips snaps. My breathing starts to slow as he replaces that horrible memory with this searingly blissful one. The snap-thrust motion combined with the water is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Our eyes are locked on each other and I start to push against his fingers.
“Tell me when you want me to...” He breathes. “Tell me.”
From the waist down I feel like there are a million bees stinging me in the best way. “Now, please now.” I whisper. “Oh! Ah! Sorry! I’m so sorry!” I scream and buck against him and then burst into tears. He pulls me upright and lets me shudder and sob against him until I calm down.
“So am I. I should have just said don’t leave me. But it was too hard. Because, I was just too scared you would go.”
“Never again.” I hiccup.
“Never again. I promise.”
JENNIFER’S CONDO - TUESDAY EARLY AFTERNOON
LOUNGE
JENNIFER
It was weird enough on Sunday but now to see this Nancy in my home is just body snatcher-esque! She is pacing, WASP notebook in hand and rattling off what she and Ronald managed to find out last night.
“I feel that is not them but it is! We’re close but not close enough. Yes, she was thrown by Gus’s acceptance of her not being here and sideswiped by the invite. But that avaricious bitch gleam was in her eyes. Much like when she came to tell us she was pregnant. She insisted that Lynette be there too. She…” Turning to me, she sighs crossly. “Of course! The bit player bait and switch!”
“The what?”
“Bit player bait and switch. You go after someone small to get the attention of someone big. Well that’s how Gilda described it. Not sure where you were when she was talking about Ruth, but she had me move the wedding because it was fun for her and it would get Ruth’s attention. So, supposing she’s doing the same thing but with a member of their group?”
This idea has merit. “Okay, but who?”
“The only people I can think of are Blake and Emmett.” Again surreal!
“Or Michael?” I suggest. “Outside of the family, it is people she needs to get what she wants and pissing them off won't work.”
“Like who?”
“Sam Auerbach, her ex-but-now-current fuck...”
“Sam is short for Samantha, correct?”
“Samuel.” Her head whips up so fast, I'm surprised her neck didn’t break. “Yep, Samuel.”
“I give up.” She sighs. “So who could she use like this?”
“Again, I call Michael.” But although, I can’t think of what she could use against Michael to get to any of them, the idea is not leaving me alone.
“Jennifer? Aren’t you going to call him? Although, I don’t understand why.”
I can’t help it... I burst out laughing. “No Nancy, when I said I call, I mean that I think it is Michael she’s using to get to one of...oh my God! Wait a second!” I leap up and rush to my phone. For once, she takes ages to bloody answer! “Debs, it’s me. What was the name of that guy that Michael dated before Ben?!” Nancy looks puzzled. “Dr David Cameron... thanks! Will explain later!” I start to think about things with a WASP mind. “Oh that button pushing fucking trolloping swampcunt!”
Nancy looks like a deer in headlights.
“Nancy, I am so sorry! But I think...WASP end game!”
“Of course!” She cries. “David Cameron, you say?!” She taps on her iPad for a minute. “Oh very, very clever Lindsay! Explain David Cameron to me!” She demands.
“Hang on, we need Emmett!” I declare and again, grab my phone.
DAVID’S HOME, PORTLAND - WEDNESDAY EVENING
DAVID
What a truly horrendous trip! I hated every minute of it! I sigh in relief as I get inside my home and pause. This is good! There is silence! Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the answer machine blinking, which is unusual as most people know my number. As I play the message, I am incredulous!
“Hey dad!” Hank calls out as he comes in. “Oh, what’s with the face?”
“I was just cherishing you not being here for a minute or two!”
“Yeah right!” He calls out as he deliberately stomps upstairs.
I snicker and close the door to the office and play the message again. Just as I am about to place a call, a head comes round the door. Ten minutes, I mouth and he nods. Shaking my head, I place the call.
“Kinney.”
“Shouldn’t that be Taylor-Kinney?” I laugh.
“Dr Cameron-Stewart, to what the fuck do I owe this pleasure?”
“Fuck you too!” I chuckle. I wait for him to wake Justin up...it takes a while!
“Okay, we’re here. What’s up?” Justin asks. “Is there a problem with the advertising?”
“No. This is nothing to do with our work. Lindsay called me.”
“Lindsay?” They say at the same time.
“Yes. She called me at work first and managed to finagle my home number then left me a message, bleating about how much Michael is missing me and shit like that. I was at Rathman and he didn’t notice me, so I call bullshit. So I thought I would give you guys a heads up.”
“Oh for fuck sake!” Justin snaps. “What is she hoping to achieve by doing this?!”
“Well whatever it is, she’s getting nowhere!”
“Hey...Brian!” Justin squeals and we both burst out laughing. “Stop that! Jeff, how are...BRIAN! I will take this phone and go in the next room!”
“You’ve been told Kinney!” I laugh.
“Will you behave?! No not that, not there. Brian…” We listen as his voice softens and then there is a thud as the phone hits the floor.
“We’ll call them tomorrow.” I grin and hang up and allow my husband, who Brian set me up with, to follow Kinney’s lead.