CHAPTER 9 - PLANNING

JUSTIN

I have seen Captain ScatsHisPants, stomping round the Avenue. He keeps looking at me like I’ve taken away his favourite toy. Well if he thought he could do a better job, then why not buy it, oh I don’t know, when it came up for sale? It was on the market for months before Molly and I bought it. So he couldn’t have been that fucking devastated!

“Hey, Justin!” I hear someone call and turn around. I am still not used to people’s voices... well at least not all of the male ones!

“Hey Drew!” I wait for him to catch up. “How are you?”

“Fine. You on the way to the GLC?” I nod. “Mind if I walk with you?” I shake my head.

It’s been a week since he showed up. I haven’t asked Emmy what happened between the two of them, although I am dying to know. So I am surprised when he starts talking.

“I was with him for a while and engaged to be married to a woman. In fact, we almost did get married but I fucked up. Literally and figuratively. I picked up a guy, fucked him and he took pictures. He threatened to go to the media if I didn’t pay. I told Sierra, the ex. It turns out she was behind it, that she knew all along. She wanted hush money on top of what was in the pre-nup and she threatened to expose Emmett and ruin his business. I couldn’t allow that so I dumped her and came out. But then I had to admit to Emmett what I had done, as in fucking around, while with him. He rightly dumped me.”

“Wow.” I murmur. “Were you telling the truth? Do you love him? In the short time I have known him, he’s a very sweet guy and I like him a lot, not like-like...like you do. But if you are...”

“Yes Justin, I love him. Plain and simple. I thought I could just blow him dumping me off and be fine. But when I came out and it all calmed down, the fame hungry flamers came around and I took what I wanted, but….”

“Missed what you needed?” I ask and he nods. “Brian is not kidding when it comes to him. When I first met them, I thought it was Ted on the Avenue as his best friend, I mean. Bucky, who’s Ben, is his true best friend. But Emmy, on the Avenue is his equal but opposite. And even though he doesn’t think I know, Brian, put up the money for Emmy to come into partnership with us.”

“So…”

“Yes, I will help you get him back.” I grin at him. “Even though you are on his shitlist, it was small, but it was there...the spark he still has for you.”

“Thanks! Oh wait, where is Hero?”

I bite my lip. “I have to try and walk around without him and I didn’t think it was this far from home to the GLC. I have to admit that I am glad you’re here. I was on verge of turning back.”

“You help me, I help you...deal?” He puts out his hand and I shake it. “Good.”

NORM AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - SATURDAY MORNING

LINDSAY

I can’t believe Norman! All it would take is about $15,000 to refurbish my boutique and he’s refusing! This is the third time he has said no and I will not have it! I storm down the stairs to find him in the lounge, reading the paper.

“The answer is still no. I am not putting in all the money. If your boo-tique is making money, why not put in half? That’s what the profits are for, you know? For spending on things you like.”

“I have plans for the money! Putting some of that…”

“Oh now it’s some? It’s not all like it was two nights ago?”

“What?” I glower at him.

“When you first mooted this idea, you said you had only made $16000 profit this quarter.”

Fuck! While Norman may look like a corpulent imbecile, he is a savvy and smart business man. His garage has boomed since he started it. My boutique was a little slower to flourish. Some women of the county were not getting my vision!

“Norman…” I begin, but am interrupted by the knock on the door. “One minute! I’ll just get rid of them so we can talk properly.”

He just shrugs and goes back to his paper.

I open the door and find Brian outside with his dog and another dog. “Brian, what are you doing here?” I frown.

“Ready, Norman?!” He shouts, completely ignoring my question. Then I see Ted, Blake, Amy, Vic and Emmett by the gate and they all have dogs. What is going on?

“Hang on!” He shouts back and then I hear giggling and shuffling. “No peeking! Are you peeking?”

“No Norm, we are not peeking!” Gus laughs.

“Dad, come on! What is it?!”

“Excuse me, Lindsay.” He is guiding our blindfolded children out of the door and Brian is backing up towards the gate. “Not one word!” He growls over his shoulder at me.

“Wait, move Gus to the side a bit.” Brian orders and then nods.

“You can take the blindfolds off now.” Norman laughs.

They rip them off their heads and just look at Norman. “Eyes front, idiots!” He chuckles.

“Oh my GOD! What is it?!” She gasps, dropping to the ground to investigate the dog next to Brian’s.

“This is Blue and he is a Chow-Chow.” Brian explains.

“Effy, Effy...Effy, look at the gate!” Gus is jabbing her in the shoulder.

“In a minute! He is so beautiful. Not as beautiful as Moonshine but oh…” She trails off as Gus takes her head and lifts it so she is looking at the gate. “Wh...what? Where? How do you…?”

“You know how persuasive your Uncle can be?” Ted signs. “Let’s start with us, shall we? This is Oscar. Oh, what is it sweetheart...oh okay. Amy wants to introduce the rest. Then we’re going for a walk just to the park over there. Right, continue Amy.”

“This is Shiitake and this is Princess Daisy. You’ve got to meet Nigel, who belongs to Aunt Molly.” She signs and Blake speaks.

“Um Brian, who is the Chow for?” I ask warily.

“Blue is mine.” A voice calls out and towards the gate comes a woman...not just a woman, a very beautiful woman! “Hi. I’m Annalise Stroud. Who are the pretty girls?” She signs and speaks, both Effy...Edna-Fanny and Amy are just staring.

“Hi, Annalise.” Brian signs. “This is Effy and this is Amy. And the gangly teen, doing a guppy impression, is Gus.”

“Dad!”

“What? You were locked and loaded in seconds. But, she’s on our team.” Brian smirks and I cringe at his crassness.

“But thank you kindly for the interest.” She smiles at Gus. “So we going to the park? How far is it? These heels…” she points to her feet. “...might need to be changed.”

“Oh definitely!” Emmett laughs.

“Okay, be right back.”

The heels as she casually described them are Louis Vuitton from about three seasons back but look brand new. “Let me just get my jacket!” I call out and dash into the house. This is a lady I want to get to know! Despite my hinting, Edna-Fanny refuses to let me take Bloom and she is holding one of Annalise’s hands and Amy is holding the other.

“Blue.” Norman says in my ear.

“What?” I turn to him.

“His name is Blue, not Bloom and you’re about to...too late.” He snickers and I look down and want to throw up. “Well stepping in shit makes a change from you creating it.” He laughs and walks on to leave me to clean it up as best I can. These trainers are going in the bin!

An hour later, I am exhausted! I sink gratefully onto the bench. I thought it was going to be a gentle stroll, but no they were running about! Well Emmett and Princess Daisy weren’t as they mostly sat with Norman.

“Okay, I am officially too old for this!” Annalise flops down on the bench next to us.

“Oh, I don’t know you can’t be more…” Her phone ringing interrupts my compliment.

“Hey momma...oh boy, that’s your pissed voice. What’s he done?” She listens intently. “Oh for fuck sake! I’ll be there in an hour! Sometimes he can be the most dooftastic man!” She hangs up, shaking her head and smiling.

“Everything okay, sweetie?” Emmett asks and I cringe slightly. It is obvious that Annalise is not a woman to whom you say sweetie!

“Yeah, my delightful, but stupid, father asked my mom to renew their vows…”

“And that makes him dooftastic how?” Norman asks and inwardly I groan.

“He decided to recreate the way he asked her the first time and has wrenched his back...trust me you don’t want to know!” She laughs. “So I’ve got to go look after him until mom comes back from her conference.”

“What does your mother do?” I ask before Norman can ask that question.

“She runs her own medical practice out of Sewickley, with her business partner Dr George Cannon-Miles. Such a fucking pompous ass, you have never met! And he will bitch and moan if she’s looking after her husband not keeping her eyes on the ball of the practice. But her business, her choice. Look, I have got to go. Blue! Come!” She shouts and my heart hammers in my chest. She leans down and kisses both Emmett and Norman...but shakes my hand...before she says goodbye to everyone else.

“Wait up, sweetie! Princess needs her nap! I’ll go with you!”

“Come on then Ems and while we are walking, we can talk vow renewal catering!” She yells back.

NORMAN

“What’s that look for?” I ask a stunned looking Lindsay.

“I know her…”

“Annalise? Where from?”

“My childhood. I didn’t mix with her…”

“I’ll bet.” I comment dryly, but she ignores that.

“But if I am right, that is Annalise Stroud of the Hooper-Strouds…”

“And…” I say slowly.

“She’s someone that Effy and I definitely need to make friends with.” She tells me and then gets up calling Effy’s name.

“Ah now that she serves a purpose she’s Effy, is she?” I grumble as I start to follow her. “You are not using my daughter for your social climbing. You can fuck right off with that!”

CLUB ONE GYM, EAST END - TWO HOURS LATER

BEN

I can see why Kocky comes here. It’s fantastic and you don’t get hit on! The guys are here to work out and that’s it. I am trying to figure out if I want to do speed bag or wall climbing, but as there seems to be a bit of a queue for speed bag, wall climbing it is. I grab my stuff and head to the wall.

“Wanna race?” I am asked and then faced with Brandon; I swallow hard.

“Best out of?” I rally some chutzpah.

“Five. Loser buys the winner dinner.” He smiles and my head almost bobbles off I am nodding so hard. About as smooth as rubble! “I have very expensive taste.” He smirks.

“So do I. Hope you don’t have to smash too many piggy banks.” I counter.

An hour later, we have a table booked at Liberty Fine Dining for official opening night on Thursday and have exchanged numbers. As we head to our respective cars, I wait for him to drive away, then punch in a familiar number.

“Who do you need rescuing from?” Kocky laughs.

“Nobody. But we need to do your other favourite thing, which is go shopping. I won a bet with Brandon and don’t have I want to fuck you dinner clothes!” I am almost hyperventilating.

“Calm down, you lummox! When is said date?” He laughs.

“Thursday!” I squeak.

“Wow! You are actually squeaking! Okay, get here in one piece and I will take my vestal virgin shopping!”

“If I didn’t need you for this, I would tell you fuck off!”

“But you do, so you won’t!” He snickers and cuts the call.