CHAPTER 35 - DELIVERANCE

MASTER BEDROOM - AN HOUR LATER

JUSTIN

I am trying not to scream as he is on an enter Justin go slow, I look over my shoulder at him and glare.

“I...I amadmiringtheview.” He babbles then tightens his grip on my hips as I try to push back

“Brian, you...oh-oh-oh tw...tw...Twerp!” I growl, then sigh as he is now fully seated. I sink onto my wrists and groan. “Wait, don’t move please!” I call back and he goes still. “Oh, you wonderful thing!”

“Me as a whole, or just my cock?” He husks in my ear as he drapes himself over me.

“Right now, your cock is leading.” I murmur and moan as he seems to get bigger. “Umm, nice growth spurt.”

“Uh huh. Can I move now?” He laps at the top of my spine and I push back. “Th...tha...that’s the swee...sweetest yes ever!” I close my eyes and unlike me he is slow and deep. The room is quiet apart from our breathing and his groaning. I am too aroused to do anything but feel and breathe! “Best?” He gasps.

“Uh…” Is all I can manage and take in another lungful of air.

“You should see you.” He declares, speeding up a bit. “I will never tire of...oh fuck, cumming!”

“Jeez!” I wail as his spunk coats my insides, and then mine coats my stomach and the bed.

“Roll!” He orders hoarsely. “I don’t want to crush you.” He tugs on my hip and I allow myself to be pulled over and then back against him. “Jeez indeed!” He growls into my ear, and I smile as I clasp his hand to my chest.

“So, worth the wait?” I ask, and then snicker quietly as I hear the wheeze that says he’s gone to sleep. “Thank goodness you don’t fuck as quick as you go to sleep when you’re done.” I mumble.

“Don’t fuck...make love.” He mumbles back.

CHYNA’S APARTMENT - TWO HOURS LATER

LOUNGE

CHYNA

Isla hands me a tissue and I wipe my eyes. “So, do you know where she is at all? Marilyn, I mean, did she stay...a...after his funeral?” I ask Ted, he shakes his head and holds up his hand, which stops my next question.

“She had to move as she couldn’t abide the memories, but I know where she is. We keep in touch. Dylan, he’s their son, he will be eight. He looks so much like Jerry. Thankfully, he does remember his dad.”

“How did she explain his death” Isla asks, taking my hand as she sits down.

“Just that he got sick and is in heaven. They are going to tell him the truth when he is older.”

“They?” I query.

“Yes. She lives in near Jerry’s cousins. They are helping her bring up Dylan.”

“So what’s the next move? I mean, he gets served and then it goes to court, is that about it?”

“Yes. Blake said that I should leave it to the authorities now, bu…”

“And you should.” I state firmly. “You’ve done what you needed to do as an auditor. Leave it there. Do as you told me. But instead of kicking him out at him just leave him alone. You go barnstorming in to wave that in his face and he will most likely whine about harassment or something. He got one semi-shyster attorney, he will get another one.”

“True enough.” He sighs, and then rubs his calf as he catches it against his case.

“But this, what you are going to do now... do that.” I smile as he waves a plane ticket. “Telling her face to face is what you should do. Is Blake going with you?” I ask, and he nods. “Good. Where are they?” He frowns. “His cousins, you said that she lives near them.”

“Oh, I see. Texas.”

MICHAEL’S HOUSE, JUST OFF LIBERTY AVENUE - MONDAY AFTERNOON

KITCHEN

MICHAEL

Well, you’d think after a month or so they would calm down, but no. Uncle Vic and Ma are still disappointed in me and won’t come around or let me come to the house to collect the things I need, namely my comics! I had to move out of the hotel in the end, as it was costing me as much as it would to rent a whole house!

But there is a one light gleaming in this monetary darkness: Ethan. Ethan has moved into my spare room, and is paying me rent, which covers my half of my rent nicely. I hear him getting up so click on the coffee machine. I also hear the post being delivered, I head to pick that up, it’s not much, just a leaflet and Pittsburgh Out. I am about to walk back to the kitchen when the doorbell goes. Sighing, I close my robe and open the door. “Yes?” I ask the man in a dark suit.

“Michael Charles Novotny?”

“Yes. And you are?”

“A representative from Alleghany Court, consider yourself served…”

“Oh hell no! What is this for?! Is this for that nutjob Agnes, who says that I as a gay man gave her…”

“I don’t know. I am just here to serve. You have been served.” He hands me the envelope and I am too shocked to do anything but take it. “Sign, please.” He hands me a pen and I scribble where he indicates. “Wow, most people don’t sign their own name. Have a nice day.”

I don’t know how long I was standing there. It isn’t until I feel a tugging on my arm that I turn to see Ethan frowning at me. “I said are you alright? Michael, are you alright?!” He says a bit louder, and I nod before closing the door. “What’s that?” He indicates the envelope.

“That nutjob woman from the club. She’s officially taking me to court.”

“I thought you already had the papers for that though? I remember you tore them up in the cab and put them in your pocket.”

I come somewhat out of my trance. “Yes, and I remember you stuck me with the cab fare for that ride.” I grouse, and then frown because he’s right. When I got back to the hotel that night, I put the pieces back together again and those were the papers, but they weren’t from Alleghany. They were from another court, so who the hell is this from?! Sighing, I put down the newspaper and open the envelope. “Are they kidding?! They have got to be fucking kidding?!” I shout, and stare at the papers and start to sit down.

“What?” Ethan asks standing next to me. “Oh fuck off with that! There is no way, no fucking way!”

“Exactly! It was fucking years ago!”

“It’s next month! What do you mean years ago?!” Ethan growls and then looks at the papers in my hand. “The Big Q?! They are taking you to court?!”

“Yes! They say the auditor has investigated my claim and think it is fraud!” I yell. “That boring ass fucker! He did this! He needs to get a life instead of trying to fucking ruin mine!” I seethe and burn my mouth as I swallow down some coffee. “Hang on, what were you talking about?”

“This!” He spits almost jabbing his finger through the table. “Look at what they are doing!”

I am about to scoff at his idea of a problem when I see the spread. “What on earth…” Putting my papers down I snatch up the newspaper and read it properly. “They are going to hold this in the Byham Theatre with a full orchestra?! No wonder she kicked us out, I bet her little teacher’s pet got her to her move it!”

“Of course he did! I am not being denied my moment to shine!” He snarls as he reads some more. “Oh, you have to be messing around now?! Naomi is in charge of the publicity!”

“Who is Naomi and why is that a big deal?” I ask, casting the Big Q papers to one side for a minute, I can deal with them and Ted later!

“She used to be the PR for Brent, who was my agent before we parted ways. There is no way I can use the press to have my say!” He huffs.

“Who says you need the press to say what you want to say. Why not just turn up on the night and play?” He pauses in his reading and looks at me. “Right in the middle of their set and…”

“You know the moves, right?” He looks at me keenly and I nod, starting to smile at the idea that we both seem to be having. “I play and…”

“I dance.” He grins, and all thoughts of the Big Q dumbass court thing is forgotten as we decide to hatch our scene stealing to humiliate the tick of the moment plan so he will scurry away like the roach he is!

MARILYN AND DYLAN’S HOUSE, TEXAS - SAME TIME

KITCHEN

MARILYN

I look out of the window at Dylan as he runs around the garden with his cousins. He misses his father terribly, but understands that he couldn’t stay with us. I place the cup in front of Ted and pat his hand. “I’m sorry I couldn't see you yesterday, had a party. Sorry, Blake, was it black with two sugars or one?”

“One please, Marilyn. It’s a beautiful house.”

“Yes, it is.” I place his cup in front of him and sit down. “So, what is it you wanted to tell me?”

“Okay, it’s about Jerry’s death. You should sue this guy for mitigating circumstances.” Ted slides a piece of paper across to me and I read it before getting up and making sure the back door is closed. “Would you like me to explain it to you?”

“Please. I don’t understand why them investigating his claim is relevant to what Jerry did.”

“Because, if Michael hadn’t committed fraud, which we are pretty sure that’s what he…”

“We? Who is we? And why has it taken them so long to get to this point?”

“Because he would never allow the case to be investigated, by him I mean Bob Barbarosa, as far as he was concerned there was enough reputational damage done when they had to pay out, he just wanted to leave it be. He already had a scapegoat in Jerry, but he was sure that it wasn’t right. He, I mean Jerry,  asked me to look into it....”

“You? Why you?”

“I run a very successful auditors business. It wasn’t until Bob retired and the new people took over that they started to look at everything.”

“But what good will it do to take Michael Novotny to court, he…”

“His actions caused Jerry to lose his job. He also badmouthed him around town after he was fired, but that can’t be proved completely.”

“Are you saying that in essence…” I begin as I remember Michael Novotny. He was always making snarky comments about breeders or scoffing at fairies, depending on who he was with. He and Jerry never got on, Jerry always found him sneaky. I mean it was obvious that he was gay but would never say for definite. “...are you saying that Michael Novotny’s actions contributed to Jerry’s death?”

“Yes. If he hadn’t done what he did, then Jerry wouldn’t have done what he did.” Ted’s eyes fill with tears.

“He always regretted that one thing.” I tell him holding his hand and I start to tear up.

“What?” Blake asks taking Ted’s other hand.

“That Ted found him and got him to hospital. Ultimately, he was only with us for a few more days, but that he found him he always regretted.”

“Oh, Teddy.” Blake weeps and pulls him sobbing into his arms. “Don’t you realise the good you did?”

“What good?! He’s still not here is he?!”

“But you let us, especially Dylan, say goodbye. Without you going to the house we wouldn’t have had that...and I for one am grateful that you and your inherent bumbling nosiness and concern got you over there. You did good, Ted, so stop feeling guilty, please! You did good!”

“So, what do you want to do about Michael?” Blake asks while he runs his fingers through Ted’s hair.

“If you really think I have a chance, I say let’s sue this Motherfucker! Let’s sue him to hell and back!”