CHAPTER 25 - ALL ABOUT THE LEGACY, THE REALITY AND SO IT BEGINS

PITTSBURGH AIRPORT - SATURDAY MORNING

MICHAEL

I shudder as the vision of her attempts at seduction replay in my brain. All he had to do was say I am too much of a man for him, but no. He had to be the gentleman and protect her ego! I shuffle forward for boarding and am actually looking forward to seeing Ma. She can give me some advice as to how to bring Brian and Uncle Vic back to heel. Ever since she moved, they’ve been behaving like they have a will of their own! By the time I come back, there will be major changes around here...major changes!

HEATHAN AND ERIC’S APARTMENT

ERIC’S BEDROOM

I open my eyes and smile down at the ringlets of blonde hair that are spread across my chest and curl one around my finger, marvelling at its softness… well that and the warm feel of Molly’s oh-so-wonderful body! I shift slightly and she mumbles a protest before settling back down to sleep. On hearing the beep, I scrabble for my phone and snicker as I read the texts from Stan and Heathan, then grin when I read the one about the spare toothbrush!

I slide out of bed and head to find said toothbrush in Heathan’s bathroom, when I hear a giggle...a familiar male giggle, coming from Heathan’s bedroom. I am so tempted to knock on the door - but then Molly sits up in bed, piles her hair on top of her head and winks at me...yeah they can wait!

Ten minutes later, we're sipping some French Roast in bed, and grinning at each other somewhat sheepishly. “Are you in a hurry to go?”

“No. But I think we…”

“Hey guys! Want breakfast?!” Stan yells through the door.

I look at her and raise an eyebrow and she nods. “Yeah, I can eat!” I call out.

“Oh that you can!” She giggles as she slides out of bed and into my robe.

NORMAN AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE

EFFY’S BEDROOM

GUS

“She didn’t call, then?” I ask her quietly and she shakes her head. “Unbelievable! Oh by the way, Dad knows what she said.”

“Who told him?!” She gasps and then frowns, worriedly.

“He got it out of me…” I admit sheepishly.

“So he’s coming over then? Well he’d have to anyway to get Moon.”

“Oh no, you get to have Moon for the weekend. Norm will drop him off at Kinnetic once he drops us off at school.”

“Gus...I don’t want to see her. Is that bad?” She asks quietly, playing with the quilt. Immediately, Moon puts his head in her lap.

“No, it’s not bad. I don’t think any of us want to see her right now. So let’s make the best of the absence and go kick Norm’s ass at Mario Go Kart!”

CATHERINE’S HOUSE - KITCHEN

CATHERINE

Hmmm, Lindsay doesn’t seem to be getting the “one night only” hint. “So Lindsay, I really think you should call Norman and sort this problem out. I have things to do today that require me to be out of the house…”

“Of course! Sorry, Catherine! Thank you for letting me stay. I will see you at the next meeting.”

I smile at her. “Oh I look forward to it…”

THE INN - AN HOUR LATER

LINDSAY

I am right back where I started on Thursday night! Effy doesn’t want me to come home! Oh, I knew I should’ve called, but then I got distracted…!

THE OLD CHURCH HOUSE

STUDY

JUSTIN

“Brian!” I squeak as he drops an ice cold kiss behind my ear. “What have you been eating?!”

“An ice cube…”

“Well stop that! I’m trying to read this.”

“When do you go?” He asks, reading over my shoulder. “Oh, that quick?”

“You going to miss me?” I tease and look up at him and am surprised to see that it looks like he really is going to miss me.

“I’m sure I’ll find some way of occupying my time…”

“Oh I see.” I reply quietly looking back at the screen, embarrassed by my mistake.

“Yeah, the W Trifecta…”

“The what?”

“Working. Walking. Wanking.” He whispers in my ear. “You get to me. And I like it. Now let me see this, shuffle forward.” I do as I’m told and he swings his leg over to sit behind me. “So you’d have to source travel and a place to stay for three weeks? Okay, that’s not a bad area for New York. You’d need a car, too. Do they mention Hero, as in can you take him with you? Three weeks in New York is not the time to go cold turkey.”

“Mmm.” I murmur nodding and then lean back against him, suddenly feeling very protected. I smile as he kisses the side of my neck. “Do you know New York well?”

“Not as well as Vic, hang on.” He reaches for his phone and it doesn’t take a genius to know who he’s calling.

“Morning Brian, how are you?” Vic sounds ebullient.

“Not as great as you sound. What’s happened?” He asks.

“Michael has gone to see Debs and little does he know she wants to chat about his plans for Liberty Avenue Domination! Now enough about inconsequential dunderheads, what can I do for you?”

“This course that Justin is going to be on, it’s in East SoHo. Where is a good place for him to stay that is good car wise or he can walk there?”

“Oh right. Text me the address and I’ll book somewhere. There are some great little houses over there. Single occupancy?”

“Definitely.” I reply and then giggle as he husks good answer in my ear.

“Now, I’m glad you called. We need to do something about Lindsay. She’s just unacceptable, totally unacceptable!”

“Shit! I had forgotten that. Let me call Norman and find out where that harridan is!”

“And let me know and I’ll spread the word...an intervention is called for!”

“Not the word I was looking for, but it will do for now!” He growls and I feel so proud of his protection of his princess. “Justin will text the address of the school in about five minutes, oh he’s taking Hero. Later Vic.”

“Later.”

He loops his arm round my waist and jostles his shoulder against me. I pick up my phone and ten minutes later, Vic has his text and we have the location of Lindsay.

NORMAN AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - EARLY AFTERNOON

LOUNGE

NORMAN

I stare at the books and then at Ted. “So what you’re saying is she overvalued her new stock, reported it damaged, then donated it to Goodwill for the additional tax deduction. Then she undervalued the used high-end stock, but marked it up on the floor. She is walking a fine line between fraud and tax evasion. The numbers don't add up, but proving the discrepancy can be tricky based on what one considers damaged with clothing. But valuation of the clothing is subjective when pricing consignment merchandise.”

“Yes.” He sighs and I just can’t believe the duplicitousness of her. “So what do you want to do? I mean we have to confront her on this?”

“Yes we do, but not the same time as the intervention. Maybe later on because it's not fraud until she files the actual tax documents. Right now, all we have is her intent to defraud.”

The door knocking heralds the arrival of the other Uncles. Ted had called soon after Brian and asked to see me alone....what a mess Lindsay is making!

“You guys ready to rock and roll?” Brian asks quietly and we nod. “But first, I need to see the other boy in my life...Moon!”

MOON

Daddy?! That sounds like Daddy! I wiggle off the sofa and run to the source of the voice. It is Daddy! I run as fast as my legs can carry me and jump into his arms.

“DADDY!” I yell and lick his face as he smiles that nice smile.

“Hey boy! Have you been looking after our Princess?”

“Oh yes daddy, she was very sad but I made sure to give her plenty of kisses and head nuzzles.” I tell him.

“I see you’ve forgotten all about me...I knew this day would come!”

I look down and see Hero, my best friend and wriggle really hard and Daddy gets the hint.

“Alright Moon, calm yourself! I’m putting you down. Stop wriggling... I don’t want to drop you!”

“Moon, pay attention to your father!” Hero orders and I go still.

“That’s better...seriously, I swear…” Daddy says as I sit quietly by Hero’s side, hoping he’s not too mad at me.

“We all do. It is so freaky sometimes!” Shitake’s Daddy laughs. “Ah, here comes Annalise. We can go now.”

LINDSAY’S ROOM, THE INN - AN HOUR LATER

LINDSAY

Stunned and humiliated! It was bad enough that she didn’t want me to come home, but for her to send the intervention enforcers, as Brian snidely referred to them all, was a bit much! I felt like a child being scolded and not once did Norman say anything to defend me, despite knowing I was het up at the time!

The upshot of that intervention is that I am allowed to come home on Monday evening now that I have apologised to Effy, which of course I had to do with all of them present! But at least, I get to go home. How long I will stay there is now up to me. It is obvious where their loyalties lie and the silence and expression on Gus’s face was telling. Very telling!

CARL AND DEBS’S HOUSE - MISSOURI

LOUNGE

MICHAEL

“But why don’t…”

“For the last fucking time, Michael Charles Novotny, I am done with the Avenue! I don’t have a legacy there and neither do you! My time and place is here with Carl, my new lost boys and Gilda, who is the great-matriarch of the family. She’s got a new lease of life with these boys. She went from on her deathbed to organising pep rallies and making mean gin-mimosas!”

“Oh God Debs, don’t mention those! I was as sick as a dog!” Carl chuckles and grabs his head for emphasis...I roll my eyes.

“They were lethal!” Ma snickers and turns back to me. “Now, Michael, you are to stop this idiocy immediately that has had you end up in the shit pond in the dog park, arrested for illegal dumping and sending your idiot friends to be food inspectors! I don’t want a legacy on the Avenue, but I do want to be remembered with pride and respect and you are fucking with that!” Ma snaps.

“How?!” I demand. This is not going at all like I hoped.

“Behaving like a fucking retarded numbnut for a start!” A gravelled voice calls from the kitchen and then the owner of said voice, comes out. “Oh yes Carl, I see what you mean. The eyes are the windows of the soul and his are dark as a dank swamp.”

“And you are?” I clip out, with narrowed eyes.

“His mother and this is my house that you are no longer welcome in. Debs, for such a strong woman, you let your boy run you over with his words.”

“I do?” Ma looks at Carl and this Gilda creature.

“Yes, and if you don’t take that look off your face…” Gilda glares at me. “...my walking stick and your nose are going to have a very close conversation!”

“How dare...ow!” I yelp as she smacks me hard across both shins.

“My house. Leave! NOW!” She orders.

And that is how I find myself back in Pittsburgh at 2.00am! Not only did Ma not do anything to avenge me, but she also laughed heartily as I got smacked again on the way out. It made for a very uncomfortable journey home! The ‘git’ and stinging smack of her walking stick across my ass, almost had me falling flat on my face! I have booked into a hotel near the airport as I am not due to be back until the afternoon. I just hope and pray that Ma has remembered that I am her true son and not told Uncle Vic about this!

LIBERTY DINER - MID-AFTERNOON

MICHAEL

I can’t believe it! I just can’t believe it! Heathan and Stanley are in the lair of my enemy! I check that Kiki and Niles aren’t about and head inside.

“Good afternoon, boys. Doing recon?” I ask as I sit down.

“Recon?” Stanley frowns and then rolls his eyes...actually rolls his eyes at me! “No we’re here for the smothered ribs with onion and garlic gravy and fries...and here it comes!”

I look at the dish and then realise how hungry I am. It looks great so I signal a busboy...there are no waiters in a diner no matter how fucking fancy the name...and ask for some cutlery and a plate.

“Michael…” Heathan begins, but then stops and frowns. I’m not sure what that look between them was about, but I am too hungry to care!

“Okay, I will admit that this looks great! Let’s see how it tastes!” I declare.

“Yes, let us see how the dish we ordered for two tastes.” Stanley retorts and pulls the dish between the pair of them.

“But…” I protest and then glare as the busboy puts the fries out of my reach as well.

“Oh fuck, we need to speak to Molly!” Stanley groans, actually groans, round a mouthful of food and sighing as he finishes chewing. “Seriously taste that...leave the fries alone, Heath!”

“Heath?!” I snicker. “When did you start calling him Heath? He’s a Heathan. Heath is way too cool for him.”

“Whereas you suit your Liberty Avenue Moniker perfectly…the one they call you, not the one you insisted; note use of past tense, we use.” He drawls and then watches Heathan eat a rib before he wipes some sauce off his chin.

“Oh my God!” I whisper hoarsely. “You two? You two aren’t seriously doing the deed?! It’s too disgusting a thought to contemplate!”

“At least we’re making love to each other, whereas nobody will touch you with a dead dick, will they? And for the record, I know how your mind works and I know Eric very well and have for a long time. He’s not gay. Come on Heath, a table has opened up over there. Let’s leave him to his own company and nice tasty glass of water!”

I watch slack jawed as they get up and move before looking around and it doesn’t look like anyone noticed that. “Excuse me. Are you going to order? If not we have people waiting for a table.”

“No, nothing for me.” I reply to the busboy and get up.

“Yeah, we know that!” Someone shouts out and I storm away with my both sets of my cheeks flaming.

KINNETIC - TWO WEEKS LATER, EARLY EVENING

BRIAN’S OFFICE

BRIAN

I twirl my pen and look across at a mournful and apologetic looking Moon. Earlier we had a VC with Justin and Hero and in his excitement, he knocked over the screen. It didn’t break, but it seems he got a thorough telling off from Hero.

“Okay Moon, let’s go home. Have to admit it feels a bit weird without Bucky there most nights but he’s happier than ever and…” I pause as a call comes through from Justin. “Hey you, how you doing?”

“Not good.” He sounds sad.

“What’s happened?” I sit down and pull up the airline website without a conscious thought.

“I-I just want you to know that your curious kitten made a mistake today…”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, I split the sauce…”

“Split the sauce?” I repeat.

“Yes, your curious kitten split the sauce. I shall let you know what else I do as the rest of the week progresses, but it’s not looking good for me...bye.” He sighs sadly as he hangs up.

It takes me a few seconds to get it and then I almost swallow my tongue!

https://iheartrecipes.com/smothered-ribs-soul-food-recipe/