THE TIDE IS TURNING...HIDE YOU WORM!
MICHAEL
She goes paler before she jerks her head in acceptance of her new position. “There is a good little, well not so little, Mother of Liberty Avenue. Here’s $30…” I hand it to her. “...I spotted a McDonalds down the road as we came in, you are to get me an extra large Big Mac Meal and a salad for you. You need to lose some weight. As well as a fat mouth, you have a fat stomach, ass and, well, basically everything.” I sit down, click on the TV and smirk as she goes to do my bidding, now all I have to do is get Brian back to doing the same, then my perfect world will be almost complete!
McDONALDS - 20 MINUTES LATER
DEBS
I had to walk here! Walk, I fucking tell you! I get to the front of the queue and order his lordship’s food and my salad. While he’s right that I could lose a couple of pounds, he didn’t have to put it like that! Once I am back in the hotel, I head straight to the dining room and get his food warmed up a bit. As I go upstairs, I start to think like Deborah Jane Grassi and not like the whipped Ma he thinks I am. Yes, it was a shock to have him turn on me, but I am resilient, I haven’t been able to keep that asshole in line without have some nous about me!
GROCERY STORE NEAR BRIAN AND VIC’S HOUSE - 10 MINUTES LATER
JUSTIN
As I put another pack of lamb cutlets in the trolley, I hum a little tune to myself. I tick off the asparagus from my list and make my way to the cash desk, then freeze when I see Brian entering the store. He was supposed to wait in the car! I look around and spot a guy. Smiling, I wheel quickly over to him. “You see that guy, the good looking one…” I discreetly point to Brian and he nods. “...can you pretend that this is your cart and I pay for your shopping to say thank you?!” I plead.
“Two things are wrong with that. One, that’s Brian Kinney…” I gape at him. “...and two, he knows that one of the only meats I have had in years was his.”
“Tigger.” He begins as he loops an arm over my shoulders. “Oh, hi, Malcolm, how’s the hubby?”
“Fine. He’s trying to sneak a box of sour cherries in the cart...you know I can see them, right?!” He calls out. “Get me some cola bottles, please!” The hubby grins and heads back to the candy aisle.
“Which leads me back to my about to be asked question. Tigger, why do we have 32 lamb cutlets, when the recipe calls for 8?”
“Malcom, how do you know each other?” I try to deflect.
“We fucked. Now answer my question.” Brian smirks.
“”Well…some are for the freezer.”
“How many?”
“12, I mean 20. 20 are for the free…”
“May I venture my opinion so you can rest the gerbil?” Malcolm is watching with a smile and I nod. “You are going to put 16, not 20, in the freezer and cook the rest. 8 are for dinner, 4 are test cutlets and the other 4 are for your lunch on Tuesday.”
“You are so wrong!” I object.
“So, how many are you going to cook then?” He pulls me closer to him smiling.
“18.” I mutter going as red as the tomatoes in our cart.
“Twat.” He laughs. “Let’s get another pack. See you, Malcolm.”
“See you, Kinney!” He replies, chuckling.
As we walk to the butcher’s counter, I can’t help but play the meat conversation in my head and snort. “What’s wrong? Did meeting Malcolm bother you?”
“No, I just didn’t realise how legendary you are, that’s all.” I reply with an odd sense of pride.
“Explain.”
“Well, when I was trying to get Malcolm to pretend that this was his cart, he said that yours was the one of the only meats he’s eaten in years.”
“And?”
“That’s it.”
“My status, legendary or otherwise, is no longer an issue, because my only want is you.”
“How do you do that?” I lean against him for a minute. “How do you make me a puddle of sentimental mush?”
“That wasn’t sentimental, I was aiming for romantic.” He pouts.
“And it was...ridiculously so.”
“Come on, let’s get these paid for.” As we walk to the cash desk he stops. “Just go and get it.”
“What?”
“Tigger.” He raises an eyebrow and with a quick nip to his chin, I run to get the ice cream.
FITZGERALD RESIDENCE - MONDAY AFTERNOON
STUDY
ARTHUR
I have never kept a secret from Claire in all the time I have known her, but this...I can’t show her this! Surely I can’t?! There are 10 books here, and I have read each and every word that fucker wrote. He sounds so pleased with himself, as if he’s gotten one over on Brian. And I suppose in a way he did. Now, onto her book, and as I read I am shaken to my core at how repugnant she is...about Brian. She wrote down his injuries in meticulous detail. She even says she told his mother about going to child services but she...I don’t believe it! She paid her not to do it!
I look up as the door knocks and Claire comes in with a brandy. “Figured you would need this.” She says quietly as she puts it down, then hovers for a few minutes. “Am I ever going to get to read them?”
“I would advise you not to, but I won’t stop you. We have a very strong case for child abuse against them and Mrs Kinney.”
“Mrs Kinney?” She gasps and sits down quickly. “Why?”
“How much of her book did you read?”
“Not much, only the first few pages…” She sighs. “...just give it to me.”
Twenty minutes elapse and she is still silent - pale and silent. “She paid her. She paid her to say nothing!” She stands up and then sits back down again. “We have to tell the boys and Brian.”
“We do. But you have to tell Brian alone. He has to be prepared for everything.”
“What about Lindsay?” She asks.
“What about her?” I frown. “If Miss Grassi wants to go after her for blackmail, that’s down to her. But…”
“No. I mean can we charge her as well? We don’t know when she found the book, and from what Brian has told me it has to be years.”
“What are you getting at, Claire? I am not following.”
“Harbouring a criminal? Surely she could be done for that?”
“No. She can’t be done for anything from a book point of view, for us. Like I said, Miss Grassi has to be the one to press charges, and the fact that she no longer has the book negates that.”
“Fuck. Shit, fuck and dammit!” She exclaims. “I want her for this, I want her so bad!”
“Mom, is everything okay?” Peter asks, poking his head around the door. “You don’t normally swear.”
“Where’s your brother?” She asks, when Peter calls for him he’s in the room in seconds. “I want you to just listen to what your father and I have to say about Mrs Kinney.”
BRIAN AND VIC’S HOUSE - SAME TIME
KITCHEN
JUSTIN
I turn the cutlets in the marinade and moan. “Can you please stop doing that? I am trying to concentrate.”
“What?” Brian murmurs as he lifts my hair and goes back to kissing the back of my neck. “I am seeing if you can multitask, and you are doing a bang on sterling job. Now carry on, I have a patch of skin to test the sensitivity of.”
“Ribbit.” I sigh as he untucks my shirt then starts to undo the buttons. “An hour...I can leave them for an hour.”
“Ribbit.” He growls hotly in my ear and tugs on the back of my pants to get me to follow him to the bedroom, not that I need much encouragement! “Such delectable skin.” He murmurs as he removes my shirt and flings it to the floor. I am trying to tackle his shirt and pants, but he bats my hands away. “Condom and lube.” He orders, and I scurry to the bedside to get them before rejoining him by the door. “Turn around.”
I stare as he rips the condom packet open and then holds it between his teeth. He raises an eyebrow and I quickly turn around. He takes my wrists and pins them above my head. “Aaaah.” I groan as he starts to work me open. I writhe and push back against his questing fingers. “Hurry!” I demand and almost cum in relief when I hear the snap of the cap as he flicks it open. “Yes!” I cry out as he starts to sink into me, but then pauses. “Don’t, please don’t edge me!” I plead.
“Wasn’t going to.” He sucks my lobe and resumes thrusting. “Watching my dick right now...oh yeah, oh yeah...we...oh so fucking hot...to set a date for when we start to stop...”
“Oh God!” I cry out as the thought of doing it raw assails my mind. “Harder do me harder!”
“Yeah!” He roars and four sharp thrusts later, we are leaning panting against the door before we slide to the floor, he laughs into my shoulder. “We still have half an hour. Ready to go again?”
“Yes, but in the shower.” I reply kissing the back of his hand.
“Okay.” He starts to move away but I hold onto his hand. “What?”
“Friday, this Friday.” I murmur.
“Done.” He mutters back.
Two hours later, I am writhing on the kitchen floor as he finishes slathering my cock in lamb juice and slowly swallows me down. When I stop shuddering, I slowly prop myself up on my elbows and look down at him. “This cream sauce complimented the lamb perfectly.” He murmurs as he nuzzles my balls.
“I don’t think I can move from this spot.” I sigh as I lay back down again.
“Are you sure? Was hoping for a good fucking in the bath. We haven’t christened that yet, and Vic’s not back…”
“Move it, Bear!” I order and I wobble after him.
LINDSAY’S HOTEL
DINING ROOM
NANCY
Lindsay and I exchange surreptitious looks as Ronald sips his drink. I don't like this shift in power that is happening and, post-nup or not, he has to realise who got him where he is. Without my finessing and contacts, he would still only have a couple of tinpot shops and those few houses.
“So how closed to packed are you?”
“I still have a few more days.” She replies and he raises an eyebrow. “But I am almost done.”
“What about the house?” He asks.
“What house?” I frown.
“The one in Canada, what happened to it? Is it still yours?”
“No.” She grumbles. “The house was never ours. It was in Gus’s name. But it has been sold now.”
“Oh, whose idea was that? And why has it been sold?” He regards her coldly. “I would think your answer through carefully, I can always check.”
“The idea was cooked up between Ted and Cynthia, and it was sold to Ben, he’s Michael’s ex.”
“So you were bested by...now what did you call them again? Ah yes, an ex-crystal crackhead and a jumped up lowly assistant. How embarrassing.”
“Ronald, what happens if we aren’t able to see the grandchildren…”
“Then we accept that decision. It wouldn’t be too difficult for you as you only gave them fleeting thoughts, but I shall miss them terribly.”
“How can you say such a thing?!” I exclaim as quietly as I can.
“Where do you think she learns her indifference from?” He retorts, and I wince, not at his words, but his volume. “Oh, and Mel has dropped the attempted assault charges.”
“What attempted assault charges?” She looks stunned.
“When you went to Kinnetic and she served you with the papers, you went for her and got zapped. That was attempted assault, but she’s dropped them like I said. Very decent of her.”
“I suppose so. Though…”
“Now listen to me very carefully!” I snap at her and she looks surprised. “Your father and I have…”
“Nancy dear, do shut up. You are a lousy at disciplining them, especially her. So...”
“Ronald! What on…”
“So the crux of this meeting is this: next Friday you will go to Texas. You will stay there until the baby is born, and then you will return here where you will work in the headquarters of the family firm as a jumped up, lowly assistant. You will be paid, of course, commensurate with your experience.”
“Where will I live?” She sighs, and we try not to smile as he has done what we wanted him to do again!
“In a place of my choosing. And the baby will reside with us...”
“Uh, Ronald, don’t you think you should’ve discussed this with me first?” I bristle at this unexpected development.
“No. You forget that it is my house, in my name, and I decide who stays...or who goes.”
“But Ronald…”
“If you are happy with the terms, then sign here.” He produces a piece of paper and Lindsay looks at me in confusion. “If you’re not happy, then walk away now…” He smirks at her. “...and I shall arrange for your inheritance to be put in trust for Gus and Jenny. You won’t see a dime of it.”
“Now Ronald…” I glare at him. “...you will not put it in trust, it is her inheritance! She earned that fair and…”
“She didn’t earn it, she was born into it, completely different! And if you are so outraged at this, then you give her your part of her inheritance. I mean, you are going to be leaving her some money, or is that all for Lynette?”
“Lyn…” Lindsay begins her eyes flashing with anger.
“Oh, didn’t your mentor, I mean Mother, tell you? So remiss of her. She’s not leaving you a penny in her will. The jewellery, yes, but the actual money, not a dime. Saw the will when I was getting this drawn up…”
“You had no right to go through my papers! Let alone tell her of my bequests!” I fume.
“She gets the money, and I get your trinkets!” Lindsay hisses.
“You will be getting the money from your father, stop being hysterical! Lynette doesn’t have the benefits that you do!” I snap. “She has to have some collateral to make up for her shortcomings!”
“She’s right, Lindsay, you will be getting the money from me, depending on whether you sign this or not.” He taps the paper in front of her again. “So…”
“If I change my mind?” I gape at her. “After I sign it, is there a cooling off period?”
“No cooling off period. Sign it and that’s that.”
“Fine, Daddy, I will sign it.” She grabs the pen and quickly signs. “Now about this house.”
“Who said it was a house?”
“You said a place of my choosing…”
“Yes, as in me not you, if I meant you I would’ve said your. Now, that is our business concluded. I will be back next Friday to settle the bill and take you to the airport. Bye, Lindsay.”
LINDSAY
“Just keep your head down and do as you are told at your Aunt’s place and it will be fine.” Mother whispers as she kisses my cheek to say goodbye. “We’ve got months to restore the natural order of things...months.”
“Nancy!” Daddy calls out, and she strides after him.
I smirk to myself as they leave. Oh yes, I am my Mother’s daughter alright. I had always had a suspicion that she was going to monetarily favour Lynnette, so I wasn’t that outraged. But I will make sure she pays for that...and big time.
RONALD
I check the document again and then tear it up. I put the remains in my briefcase and smile at Nancy as she comes out of the powder room.
“Do you want me to come to the airport with you next week?” She asks as we head to the car.
“Why not? Don’t you want to see your darling daughter off?”
“Of course, I was just checking.”
“I haven’t seen her in a while, it will be nice to catch up with her.”
“Hmm.” She mumbles as she rummages in her bag.
“Roberta, it will be nice to catch up with her.”
“What do you mean catch up with her?”
“Oh, didn’t I say? We’re going to be taking Lindsay all the way to Paris and then staying with her for a month.”
“What? Why?” She gasps, her face draining of colour.
“Roberta may have no idea about bringing up a child, but I am sure she can show you a thing or two…”
“What thing or two?” She demands.
“Well for one, how she reacts to her brother being messed with for a start. You know how protective she is of me. She told you to be nice to me always when we got married, remember? Like I said, it will be good to catch her up...I mean catch up with her.”
DEB AND MICHAEL’S HOUSE - TUESDAY EARLY AFTERNOON
LOUNGE
MICHAEL
Now that I am finally the head of the household, I look expectantly at her as the door knocks, she waddles to answer it. “Can I help you?”
“Miss Grassi?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
“Gerard Tuckman, from Tuckman Estates, you are leasing this property from us. May I come in?” She looks at me and I shrug before I turn back to the TV to let her deal with that. “We have a certain standard we expect our tenants to live up to, and you aren’t doing that. So we are giving you two months’ notice to quit this property.”
“What? Why?!” She declares, while I smile because I hate this place and the neighbours!
“As I said, you are not the type of tenants Tuckman Estates wants to be associated with. This is your notice. I expect the house to be returned to us in the state it was leased to you, or we will retain your deposit.”
I switch off the TV and turn to face them. “Wait, what do you mean retain our deposit? You have to give that back!”
“We do not. It says so in the lease agreement that you signed. Now, excuse me, I have respectable people to deal with.” He sees himself out and she looks at me.
“So now what do we do?”
“We? Why is there a we here. What makes you think that you are moving with me?” I smirk and head to the kitchen.
“Michael, are you saying you are abandoning me?” She gasps.
“I might and then again I might not. Depends on how annoying you are.”
“But Michael, can we…”
“No. I am going to town. You need to clean up this place!” I declare.
“What’s wrong with it?” She frowns as she looks around the pristine kitchen.
I pull out a stack of her favourite plates and drop them on the floor. “Sweep that shit up for a start!” I snicker and, leaving her gaping in my wake, head to my room to get ready.
DEBS - TWO HOURS LATER
Soon after his lordship fucked off and I cleaned up the mess he made, I took some time to check my bank account. It is looking healthy but not healthy enough. I need more money to get away from him. I head up to his room and look around the tip he has left it in. No doubt, he will order me to clean it up, so might as well get it done.
I have to say it was a relief to finally be able to sleep in my own bed, albeit with one eye open. We got home late last night, as Mel took her time getting a message to us, so he was pissed about that, but even more pissed when he saw the bill! As usual, he has selective hearing, I said that the adult channel would cost more no matter what time you watch it, but he didn’t believe me...even better he fell asleep and missed all three of them, if he had stayed awake he could’ve switched it off.
I settle down to watch my soaps, now that I can! All morning we’ve been watching what he wants on the big TV, despite him having a TV in his room, and he refused to let me watch the soaps in there, saying it is his private sanctuary and his TV, if I want a TV so badly then I can buy myself one! He’s not gone to the dealership either!
I rest my head against the sofa and feel myself drifting off and think just five minutes. I am jolted out of my doze by the laughing voice of that nasty Pearl and creep to the window. My jaw almost hits the floor when I see her crossing the road to greet Vic of all people!
“Oh you are fucking…” I begin to grouse just as my phone beeps, it’s from his lordship saying he is 10 minutes away. “Oh, are you now? Shame I wasn’t in.” I smirk as grabbing my coat and bag, I make my way out of the back door and put in a call…he thinks that he has got this all figured out, he’s so very wrong! As I slip into the cab I see Michael striding up the street towards the house and hear the sounds of sirens.
FITZGERALD RESIDENCE - EARLY EVENING
STUDY
PETER
“What did they say?” I ask Dad as he puts down the phone.
“It was as I thought. We’ve got a case against them.” We all heave a sigh of relief. “But now’s the hard part. You need to show Brian, and the sooner the better. I will take a copy of them so he can read them.” Claire nods and reaches for the phone. When it connects, her face falls further as I can hear Brian is laughing at something, I shake my head and put the call on speaker. “Brian, it’s Arthur.”
“Oh, hey, Arthur how are…” He stops and takes a breath. “...there’s no case is there?”
“Brian, it’s Claire. Can I come to the house or the loft tomorrow? We need to talk.”
“Claire? Arthur? It’s Justin. What’s happened?”
“There’s a case for all three of them to answer, but before we set the wheels in motion, Claire needs to talk to Brian about the notebooks. He needs to read them...all of them.”
“Okay. We understand. Can you come to the loft, for say 1030 tomorrow? I can give you the address.”
“Yes, that’s fine. Will see you then.”
4TH FLOOR LOFT - NEXT MORNING
BRIAN
I am trying not to flick fingers and pace, Justin is sitting quietly, and we’re both thinking the same thing….how come it is three of them? What could Lindsay be charged with?
“I’ll get it.” He says as the buzzer goes and he nods at me. “Send her up, Graham. Thanks.”
It feels like time slows down as it takes her so long to get to the top floor. “Must get that elevator changed.” I mutter, again he squeezes my fingers. At her gentle knock, I almost rip the door off its hinges.
“Hi.” She says quietly and embraces us both. “I know it’s early but…”
“Beams all around?” Justin asks, and we both nod, I catch the small tremble of his hand as he pours and hate them even more. “So, is it just one copy of them?” He indicates the thick envelope in her hand and she shakes her head. “A copy for each of us?”
“Yes. Arthur thought it best. This way we can read at our own speed.”
Three hours later we are quietly digesting the full majesty of what they have done and that she, my birth womb, paid that mithering motherfucker to not go to child services! I look across at Justin who is just staring into space. “So what happens next?” He asks.
“Arthur says, we file the papers, then go from there.”
“How are you going to do that?” Justin asks and starts to flick his fingers, I take his hand and he almost tries to crawl inside my shirt. “I know I’m supposed to be comforting you…” He starts to cry. “...but I hurt so much for you, so much.”
“Justin, stop, it’s over. I’m here with you now. Please stop crying, okay?” He nods and starts to calm down. “How long will it take to file?”
“He went to do it first thing this morning.” She swallows down her Beam. “He said he would call when it is done. If they see it the way he thinks they will, the papers will be served before Monday.”
“Thanks. You know something?” I lean my head back against the sofa. “For one minute I was him…”
“Brian, please there were exceptional…”
“No not then. Just before I went to college…”
Start of flashback
KINNEY HOUSEHOLD - 18 YEARS AGO
GARAGE
BRIAN
“You are not fucking going to college!” Dad gets right in my face before I have even put down my bag and my mind races...how the fuck did he find out?!
“What do you mean? It’s not going…” I duck as his fist flies to my face and he hits the wall, he shakes out his hand cursing.
“Not going!” He roars, flexing his fingers...sadly none seem broken. “You are going to come and work in the factory with me to support the family! It’s bad enough that you are here, you are going to earn your fucking keep!”
“It’s a scholarship, it costs nothing!” I yell back surprising the pair of us.
“Did you just raise your voice to me boy? Did you?!” He shoves me in the shoulder sending me banging into the wall, winding me a little.
“No sir.” I mutter.
“Thought not! A pussy boy like you wouldn't dare yell at a man like me!” He sneers.
I swallow hard and look at his swagger as he moves a box and I know what is coming. “What kind of man beats up a child? It takes a special man to break the bones of a little boy doesn’t it?”
“What did you say?” He demands.
“I said it takes a special kind of man, also known as a cowardly shit, to break the bones of a little boy.”
“Oh, so you think you are Mr Big Man going to college now, do you?” He starts to roll up his sleeves. “Well, I’m going to teach you the lesson of your fucking life!”
He charges at me and I wind my arm back, ball my fist and slam it into his face sending him sprawling backwards. I then kick him as hard as I can in his hardly used balls. “Jethus!” He yelps one hand clutching his face the other clutching his balls. I pick up the barbell that I have been using and stand over him. “No! Don’t!” He yells as I let it fall, it just misses his head...like I knew it would.
“How many times did you hear me scream that? How many?” He looks at me fearfully. “You won’t hear me scream that anymore, because if you touch me again, old man, I will end you! I want you to say you understand!”
“I understand.” He groans.
I pick up my bags and head to my room to pack for the start of the new stage of my life.
End of flashback
We are silent for a minute before Claire starts to laugh. Justin and I look confused. “He said he walked into a door in the pub.” She chuckles and then we jump when her phone rings. “Hi Arthur. Oh, okay. Yeah, I’ll tell him.” She hangs up and gives a small smile. “It’s done, and there are just two more things” Justin looks worried. “Nothing bad, Justin, Arthur wants to be able to represent you.”
“Why?” I ask.
“You’re family.” She smiles. “And secondly, we’re not moving until this is over. No way.”