CHAPTER 24 - AFTERMATH
MEL AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - SUNDAY MORNING
KITCHEN
LINDSAY
“You can cry until you are blue in the face! I want this house cleaned from top to bottom! Now grab the cleaning products and let’s go!” I snap at a blubbering Jenny. “And trust me, this is only the beginning! Lord knows what your Mom is going to mete out!”
TAYLOR RESIDENCE
MASTER BEDROOM
JUSTIN
“Oh!” He clutches the sheets and looks over his shoulder at me. “Come on, Spitfire, fuck me dammit!”
“You want me to hammer you, Hotrod?” I growl, trembling with the effort of holding off from plundering him until he can feel me in his throat.
“Yes, fuck me! Please, just hammer me! Need it! Want it! Crave...oh fuck!” He yelps as I slam into him.
“That! You want that?!” I demand and slam into him again.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Brace yourself! You want it...so you get it!”
BRITIN
RoR
MEL
We are all here. The rest of the boys, except Brian and Justin, decided to stay with us once they saw them running to the car and after be subjected to their hollering before the cotillion. The FunGirl 3 have just woken up and aren’t quite with us yet, but the hot chocolate seems to be having the right effect.
“So Mel, how’s the temper this morning?” Jennifer asks with a slight grin.
“Oh fine, but it will be back to full vigour by the time I get home. Did anybody actually get…”
“Of course!” Wendy chirrups. “I thought you would like to see her in her full gory.”
“Gory?”
“Yes, before they plunged in, she let Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Michael both have it with venomous barrels!”
“Oh wait, don’t do that yet. Breakfast can be done in about 40 minutes, but will be quicker if I have help.” Emmy looks around and with little resistance, we follow him downstairs. Sooner rather than later, we are back upstairs with a platter of bacon sandwiches, fruit salads, juice and more hot chocolate.
“So let’s watch the good before we watch the ugly.” Jennifer orders, and when they are presented, I hand her a tissue. “He would’ve been so proud.” She whispers and Kendi nods.
“You looked good, Kemi. Told you there was nothing to worry about.” Sophia tells her with a grin. “But more importantly, are we allowed to say the J-word yet?”
“What’s this?” Ted asks, fixing her with a teasing stare. “This sounds like a boy word.”
“Sophia!” Kemi squirms.
“It is a boy word!” Blake exclaims, the video is paused and we all look at her.
“We just talked...compared teenage battle scars and discovered we both like skateboarding. He was at the BBQ apparently. And besides, there is a B-word for Gus to discuss too!”
“Thanks, Kemi!” He grumbles.
“What?! I’m sharing the love...I get it, so do you!”
“Blair’s nice…” He begins.
“Nice?! You don’t hold hands with a girl the evening you meet her if you merely think she’s nice.” Kendi snorts.
“Kendi.” Nya chides her with a smile. “But she does have a point, you especially do not li…”
“Aunt Nya!” Gus squeals, going puce. “It was just one quick kiss, nothing to comment on. How did you see us anyway?”
“I didn’t. I was going to say leave your dude hanging, although Wendy and Honour did their best to keep his attention.”
“I hate my life!” Gus buries his head in the cushions and Hunter rubs his back in sympathy.
“Not as much as Jenny does right now. Come on, let’s see her in her full gory.” I sigh and wince as my daughter behaves like a shrill harpy.
“What are you going to do, Mel? Luckily, there wasn’t anybody outside of the family there for the final indignity, but comments were made about her behaviour in the ballroom.” Jennifer tells me and I shake my head in despair.
“I really don’t know what to do, Jennifer.”
“Military school?” Blake suggests.
“Don’t tempt me!” I retort and then feel my phone vibrate. “It’s Lindsay.”
“Give me that. It’s time.” Jennifer demands and with a shake of her hair, puts Lindsay on speaker. “Hi Lindsay, it’s Jennifer. Mel is indisposed at the moment. How are you both feeling?”
“We’ve been better.” Lindsay sighs.
“I’ll bet. So where is she?”
“In front of me cleaning the bathroom in floods of tears. But as I understand it, this all started because she was picked on for merely trying to introduce herself and Gus did not…”
“No, that was not what happened! I am not sure where you were, but she barged her way in between Gus and Blair, who is the granddaughter of one of the secondary hosts. She demanded to be introduced, and then when Blair rightly pointed out her rudeness and left the group, she tore into Gus. She was so hurtful that both Gretchen and Nya had to come to his assistance.”
“That’s not what she told me…”
“Well of course, that’s not what she told you! She’s hardly likely to say that she was the antagonist, is she? Tell me, had she been drinking... again?”
“She may have had a glass of champagne just to…”
“On top of the champagne she had before she left and on an almost empty stomach? Why did you allow her to do that after the last time?”
“Excuse me Jennifer, but I don’t think I like…”
“And I don’t care what you don’t think you like! The apple has obviously not fallen far from the tree. This was her first and last Taylor Cotillion and the same goes for you! I knew that the behaviour would be bad, but this level of reprehensible is so unbecoming, especially in one so young. I can’t understand why you allowed her to speak to you in such a manner last night.”
“How-how do you know what…”
“Thanks to the joys of technology, we have seen her in her full gory and I believe you actually need to see what she’s like for yourself; to finally see what other people see when they are in contact with her! Now is there a message for Mel and when can we expect the apology from both of you?”
“Both of us? But I was on the receiving end of her temper, too!” She argues...unwisely.
“I don’t mean from then... I meant about Justin. When do I, well he and I, get our apology for your words about him when he was a teenager?”
“Teen...y-you mean that…”
“Oh yes, Lindsay. I have known exactly who you are from the moment I met you. And I am waiting for an answer to my question.”
“Does Mel know you know?”
“That is a discussion for you two to have. This is between you and me. You were so quick to leap upon Michael’s ill spoken words, but you plead the 5th when it comes to your own.”
“Can you get Mel to call me back when she is less indisposed? And also, I wish to speak to Nya about her threatening Jenny!” She retorts before cutting off the call.
“That’s it. I know exactly what I am going to do about the pair of them!” I announce. “Wish me luck.” I head to the bedroom to get changed.
TAYLOR RESIDENCE
MASTER BEDROOM
BRIAN
So after he fucked me into oblivion, we took a bit of a breather. Then I returned the favour and it happened. I stroke his hair as he draws circles on my chest. “Are you absolutely sure about this? If it happens, I mean.”
He looks up at me, his eyes clear and a smile on his face. “Absolutely sure. Though word of warning...keep away from the nipples!”
“Aww, but they are such pretty and tasty nipples.”
“Shut up and go to sleep!” He laughs.
“Okay, Spitfire....” I yawn and pull the duvet up higher. “Love you.”
“Love you too, Hotrod.” He murmurs and snuggles in tighter.
MICHAEL’S APARTMENT - LATE AFTERNOON
MICHAEL
I can’t believe that Jenny was so rude to me! She definitely channelled her mother’s tongue last night and on top of that, I bet I get a cold. Because of her, my suit and phone are ruined! But at least, I won’t hear from Reed! And as for Brian getting Mel diamond earrings, well an explanation about that is needed. If he can get those for her, he can give me some money! I am his best friend, after all!
And with that thought in mind, I lie back down on the sofa and wait for the Advil to kick in.
MEL AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - SAME TIME
KITCHEN
LINDSAY
“Do you have any idea how humiliating it was?!” I snap at Mel as she calmly makes herself a cup of coffee.
“No, I wasn’t there, remember? Now…”
“Mom, what happened to your lovely earrings?” Jenny interrupts. “I do hope you haven’t lost…”
“Go to your room Jenny!” I snap and she quickly leaves.
“Actually…” Mel begins.
“Before we come to whatever you’re about to say, why did Brian buy you earrings, specifically diamond earrings?”
“Why shouldn’t he?” She frowns at me.
“Well let’s face it, you two don’t really get on and if anyone should…”
“Oh for fuck sake! Get over your damn self! He bought me diamond earrings, he bought Gus a diamond earring and he bought Kemi diamond earrings because he fucking wanted to. And do you know why the Peterson women didn’t get anything...because they were undeserving!”
“Mel! I really don’t…”
“No you really don’t deserve them and no, I will not be letting you or her borrow them...they are mine!” She clears her throat and drinks some of her coffee. “So, how have you punished Jenny for her behaviour last night?”
“I made her clean the house from top to bottom. I think…”
“That’s enough of a punishment?”
“Well yes...yes, I think it is.”
“Well I don’t. Jenny, come down here!” She calls out and Jenny reluctantly comes in.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was just so…”
“You’re always sorry.” Mel retorts.
“If I could…”
“Nice attempted deflection with the earring question, but that is not going to work. In fact, it has only served to exacerbate the problem and add to your punishment. You are grounded for the rest of the summer. You will have no pocket money. No phone. No tablet. Nothing. And to make sure that you adhere to remaining in the house, Mommy is going to stay and make sure that you do!”
“What?!” I gasp. “Aren’t you forgetting that I have a job as well?!”
“That you can easily do from here! You created this monster, Lindsay. Now you can fucking babysit it!”
I turn to Jenny and think about how she was last night. “Go to your room and get your things.” She nods and is soon back down with them. “Give them to your Mom and then sit at the table and start your letters of apology.”
“Yes, Mommy.” She replies, but as she turns away I see it. The little smirk!
“One more thing, Jenny…” She turns to me again, nearly schooling her features back to contrition. “...I taught you all I know, but you still have much to learn. One more smirk from you and I will give you the spanking you deserved yesterday and then some more!”
“Are you threatening me, Mommy?” She looks stunned.
“It’s Momma from now on. You’re 12 not 2 and no not a threat, that is a promise!”
“Impressive start. But if you even think of backsliding on this punishment, I will never forgive you for it. So what are you going to do, Lindsay? Continue to stand up to your daughter or continue to let down your wife?” Mel asks me with cold and narrowed eyes.