CHAPTER 8 – TAKING OFF THE BLINKERS, MAYBE…AND TAXI!

OUTSIDE THE DINER – THURSDAY AFTERNOON

DEBS

I look at my watch again.  Jen is running late and that’s not like her.  She’s taking me for a champagne high tea.

“Hi Ma!”  Michael comes up to me.  “What are you doing outside?”

“Waiting for Jen.  Why aren’t you at the store?”

He rolls his eyes.  “I’m allowed a break for lunch.  I’m just going to grab a take out and go to see Brian.”

“Why?  Brian’s…”

“Oh wow look at that!”  He cries and I turn to see a car pull up that gets the attention of everyone on the street.  Ruth gets out and holds the door open for me.  “What is this?!”  He demands.

“An Aston Martin Mirage Volante Convertible.”  She replies coolly and I frown.

Why is she speaking to him like that?

“Debs!  Aren’t you getting in?”  Jen calls out.

I step in and Ruth closes the door behind me and I wind the window down to say something to Michael.

“So why didn’t I get this car?”  He snaps at her.  “Or you?”

“Not sure I follow.”  Her tone remains cool.

She’s beginning to piss me off!

“I have called twice and twice I have had a Lexus and not you.  I want to know why?”

“You would need to speak to the dispatcher.”  She gets back in the car.

“I’m talking to you!”  He snarls and puts his hand on my car door.  “I want an answer!”

“Michael, you are causing an unnecessary scene and delay.”  Jen leans across me and taps his hand.  “Now please remove your hand so we can be on our way.”

It takes a couple of minutes but he does remove his hand and I’m surprised when the window shoots up and the door locks.  As we head away from Liberty Avenue, I wait until we are away from the centre of town before turning to Jen.

“Don’t you think…?”  I raise my voice a bit.  “That Ruth was a bit rude to Michael?”

“When?”  She looks puzzled at me.

“Just before we were leaving.  He asked her a question and her tone was…”

“A lot more polite than he deserved.”  She surprises me.

“What do you mean?”  I demand.

“Do you actually listen to how Michael talks?”  She adjusts her skirt.  “The one thing I have always marvelled at is how you let Michael get away with the way he talks to you sometimes.”

“Michael doesn’t speak badly to me. It’s just that he’s…”

“Rude Debs.  He’s rude and I have to say the times he’s spoken to Justin…”

“When?!  When does Michael speak to Justin rudely?!”

“Every time he thinks nobody can hear him, and especially when Brian isn’t there.  Justin used to tune him out.  But lately…”

“No he doesn’t!  He doesn’t treat Justin any differently than when he first met him.”

“Good God he’s always treated Justin like this?!  I’m surprised that Brian only hit him the once!”

“You know about that?”  I bridle.  “I still can’t believe Michael forgave him, I haven’t quite.”

“Michael forgave him?  Are you kidding me?  It’s for Brian to forgive him, and I don’t think he totally has or will.”

“Why not?  Michael was right!”

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!”  Jen yells and my ears rings.  “You claim to love my son but yet you’re fine with that?!”

“What are you yelling at me for?!  All Michael said was that Brian should cut the strings and let Justin fend for himself, stop pleading poverty and relying on guilt to get Brian to help him.  It did not warrant that punch.”

“That’s not what he said to Brian at the party!”  Jen roars at me with tears in her eyes.

“Jen!  What the hell is going on?  What did he say?!”

“That Brian should’ve left Justin to die!”  She screams.

Blink.  All I can do is blink.  “No.  Michael wouldn’t say that.”  I whisper.

“And Brian wouldn’t hit Michael, considering his past.  Didn’t you even ask Brian why?”

I just shake my head.

“Well I did and it took a lot of badgering but I eventually got him to tell me and no Justin doesn’t know!  Brian couldn’t tell him!”

“Michael would never…”

“I can’t believe you Debs!  You claim to love Brian like your own but when it comes to Michael you have your blinkers on! Your precious little boy can do no wrong!  Ruth, can you pull over please, I can’t…”

“I’m sorry Mrs Taylor, but you are the main passenger and I’m charged with getting you from your destination and back.  If anyone is leaving this car it’s not going to be you.”

“I see.  Deb, I can’t be in your company right now.  Ruth, please can you take us back to the diner and then take me home?”

“No.”  I snap.  “Drop me at Red Cape instead.”

“Instead what?”  Ruth demands and I can feel my face start to heat.

“Please.  Can you drop me there please, Ruth?”

She nods and the rest of the journey continues in silence.

RED CAPE COMICS

MICHAEL

What is it with the fucking Taylors and the way they speak to people?  Lindsay’s right. They talk like they’re being nice but they’re not!

“Hey Ma, how was whatever you went to with Jennifer?  You weren’t out long.”

“Tell me you didn’t say that to Brian?”

“Say what?”  I look quickly over my shoulder as I put away the comics.

“EVERYONE GET THE FUCK OUT!”  She yells and when the last person leaves she stands in front the door.

“Ma, what the fuck are you doing?!”

“Don’t!  Now let me try the question another way.  What did you say to Brian?”

“When?”  I try to get to the door to let my customers back that I can see milling outside, but she blocks me and pushes me back.

“At the anniversary party.  What did you say to get that punch?”

“That?  That’s what this is about?  It was years ago! I said he should stop Justin from mooching off him and he overreacted. You know what he’s like. On reflection, I’m glad Ben stopped me from going to speak to him on Friday. He might have punched me again.”

“So you didn’t say that Brian should’ve left Justin to die in the garage?”

“What?! Of course not! You know me Ma! I wouldn’t say anything like that! Is that what Justin said to you? And you believe him over me, your own son?!”

“No Michael…”

“I should hope not!”  I snap as my heart rate settles down.

“Justin can’t tell me something he doesn’t know.”

“Brian told you this bullshit?”  I rage.

“No, it wasn’t Brian. I’m sorry Michael. I knew you wouldn’t say anything like that. It’s just something I heard and I needed to be sure.”

“I can’t believe you even thought I would say something like that!”

“Look I’ll see you later.  Sorry again honey.”

“I should hope so too!  As for later, let me call you.  I’m really hurt right now!”

As she lets herself out, I turn back to my comics and heave a sigh of relief. “He still should’ve left him there!”  I mutter to myself.

DEBS

You’re right Michael I do know you.  And now I know you did say that to Brian!   I start to head into the diner but decide to go home instead.  As I walk along I recall the party and how we all rushed to Michael, and now I feel sick to my stomach.  Once I get indoors, I make myself some coffee and replay our last conversation and know what I need to do.  

“Jen.  It’s me Debs, please don’t hang up.  I’m sorry for what I said earlier, I really didn’t know.  I went to the store and confronted him but he repeated what he said to me and then blamed Justin for telling me lies and then blamed Brian.  When I left the store telling him I believed him I waited just a bit, and he actually muttered...still should’ve left him there....”

I start to sob and when I get my shit together there is silence on the other end.  “Jen?  Oh I thought you’d hung up.  What do I do?  How can I fix every fuck up I’ve made with Brian, Justin and Ben... and oh my God Carl, because I automatically believed my son?!  Jen how do I fix this, please can you help me?!”

Ten minutes later, she’s managed to calm me down and said she will be around on Sunday, as she wants to have a word with Michael too!

OUTSIDE THE LOFT – SATURDAY MORNING

JUSTIN

“What time’s your flight again?”  Brian’s hand in my hair is so soothing.

“Ten.  I wish I didn’t have to go.  But Sidney says I can’t decline and realistically, I know I can’t.”

“Justin stop, you’ve explained; it’s fine.  Where are you staying again?”

“Not sure.  Daphne booked it.  She’s meeting me at the airport and telling me then.”

“Just call me when you land and when you get to the hotel?  Ah, Ruth’s here.”

I turn around and it’s a Lincoln, an old style Lincoln.  “Jesus!”  I breathe.

“Get going, have a safe flight.”  He kisses me tenderly and my heart aches to not leave.

CAR TO AIRPORT

RUTH

I watch Justin look behind him until he can’t see Brian anymore and long to turn the car around.

“So what’s the purpose of the trip?”  I ask as he sinks into miserable silence.

“Got to go to a gallery to prepare a show that I don’t really want to go to.”

“I see.”  Okay, let’s try another approach.  “Oh how’s your friend doing?”

“Friend?”

“The one that was having problems with her fiancé?”

“Oh her... Well there’s another problem?”

“Want to talk about it?  It’s clearly bothering you.”

“Did I tell you she’s a writer?”  I shake my head.  “Well she’s won this competition and now has to go to have meetings for it but she knows her fiancé isn’t happy with him, I mean her, going.”

“Why wouldn’t he be happy?  Surely he’d be supportive of her career?”

“That’s what I said but she wants to handle her career her way and she can’t get out of the meetings.”

“What is it that he does?”

“He runs his own company.”

“So why can’t he go with her to the meetings?  If he’s the big boss, he can take the time off, right?”

“He wouldn’t want to go.  She’s very independent and has made it clear that this is her career to be run her way.”

“Has he told her that?  That he doesn’t want to go I mean.  Yes she can run her career her way.  But maybe it would be easier if he was with her doing the shitty stuff, like meetings in another city.  You know what it sounds like to me?  She wants to ask but is too afraid that he will say no and he wants to go but is too afraid to ask in case she says no.”

Silence.

I look back and he’s nibbling on his lip and fiddling with his phone.

For the love of God just call already!

“Can we pull over for a minute and can you get out please?  I ne-need to speak to my friend in private.”

I nod and try not to smirk when I pull up at the rest stop and get out.

JUSTIN

Please pick up, please pick up!

“Hey!  Everything OK?  I know you haven’t reached the airport.”

“No, everything is fine.  Well actually it’s not.  Brian…”

“Justin?”

“Will you come with me?  To New York I mean.  I don’t want to do these meetings but I have to and it would be easier…”

Silence.

“Brian?”

“Yeah, hang on.  Justin, next time you need to book a ticket anywhere get Cynthia to do it for you.  Okay, I’ve booked us on the flight at three.  Justin?”

“Yeah I’m still here. Do you want us to come back or do you want to meet me at the airport and we find a hotel for an hour or so?”

“Get the airport, book the room and wait for me.”

“Okay!”  I hang up grinning and my cock twitching.  “Ruth!  You can get back in now.”

“All sorted?”

“Yeah thanks.”

“Good I’m glad.”

BRIAN

I double check my case and I have everything I need.  I can’t help the smile on my face as I lock it and slip my passport in my pocket.  I head to the super’s office and let him know that nobody is going to be in the loft this weekend and he grins.  He’s enjoying keeping Michael and Lindsay out…and I have regained my popularity amongst my neighbours!

As I step outside the building, I almost jump out of my skin as Michael calls out and runs up to me just as a cab pulls up.

“Hey Brian!  What are you up to?”

“Pittsburgh Airport please.”  I say when I get in.

“What’s in Pittsburgh Airport?”  Michael demands.  “I wanted to hang out with you today.”

“Justin is.  We’re going to New York.”

Michael’s face is a picture of confusion and annoyance as he holds onto the cab door.

“Hey buddy, you want to get let go so I can get going?”  The cabbie orders.

“A hundred bucks if you can make it in half an hour.”

“Seriously dude, let the fuck go of the door!”  The cabbie barks and with squealing tires we’re on our way and Michael screaming my name fades into the background.

I switch my phone to silent after calling Justin to say I’m on my way and I’ll call him when I get there.