CHAPTER 10 - MEET THE TEACHER...AND BEING SCHOOLED IN THE ART OF MANNERS AND HONESTY

BRIAN

I start to walk backwards and after a tiny bit of resistance, he allows himself to be led to the bed. Not once did I take my mouth off his. I lie down and spread my legs and he settles between them, but breaks the kiss. We just stare at each other. “You okay?” He nods but doesn’t move. “Are we stopping here?”

He sighs. “I think we should. You are a fantastic kisser, by the way.”

“Thanks. As are you, though a little bossy.” I tease him and then I see it a little flicker.

“I am not bossy. I just know what I want and try to get it.”

“You’re right, you’re not bossy.” I smile at him and am relieved when he smiles back. With a swat to his ass, he gets up and looks up again at the sky. I sit up on my elbows and watch him carefully. He has absolutely no idea that he’s not a bully...he’s something much more interesting!

MICHAEL’S HOUSE - TWO HOURS LATER

BEDROOM

MICHAEL

The music is down to a low roar and I look across at the clock. It is 3.00am... well that’s too late for me! The fact I have been watching a Flash Gordon marathon means nothing; I am tired now! I reach across for my phone and dial the police. “Yes, I wonder if you can. I live on Greenfield Boulevard and there is a noisy block party that has been raging since 9.00pm and I want someone to come here and shut it down.” I look out the window and then frown. My end of the street has been cleared. There is no sign of a party. “Um, could I call you back please? Thank you.”

I pull on my clothes and wince as my trainers rub my sore feet. I can’t wait for these fucking blisters to heal! I step outside and look up the street. Everything is down the other end. No wonder it was so quiet. I walk up the street to see what the hell is going on. I can see braziers flickering and people huddled around them. I don’t want them to think that I am spying, even if I am. So I keep to the shadows and then the smell hits me. Hot chocolate and brownies! I scan the area to try and locate Brian, but I can’t see him. So I take a chance and head to the nearest table where I can see a tray of goodies. Just as I am about to reach for it, there is the unmistakable sound of a siren. I shrink back against the house with a smirk. Party time is over people!

As the cars pull up the music shuts down and there’s mutterings of annoyance. Good... now they know how I felt!

“Good eve...oh morning officer, is there a problem?” Emmett asks.

“We’ve had a noise complaint and…” The officer begins, but Emmett holds up his hand and then gives him a piece of paper. He takes it, reads it and then nods. “Sorry to have disturbed you. Enjoy the rest of the party.”

“No problem, officer. Oh do you and your colleagues want to take some brownies with you and maybe have a mug of hot chocolate?” Emmett simpers as he always does!

“No that’s…”

“You speak for yourself!” One of his colleagues shouts and swiftly approaches. Soon they are all loaded up with brownies. “What was the piece of paper?”

That’s what I’d like to know!

“License for the party, up to 5.00am.”

“Oh so why was a call made to complain then?”

“A comp...was it a man and from around here?” Emmett asks, rolling his eyes and the cop checks his notes and nods. “No prizes, people! He was thrown out of the party early, so most probably had another brat-attack and…”

“Where did you get those cushions from?” The lead cop asks. “My wife is looking for something similar…”

“Oh take them. They were going to be given to the complainer, but you are much more worthy recipients.”

“Are you kidding? I can seriously take them?” He asks, reaching for them already and I want to scream that they are mine!

I decide to go home and keep in the shadows. I am almost there when I hear a massive shout of “Good morning, Mr Red Brick!” I stop briefly before storming back inside.

BEN AND JUSTIN’S HOUSE - SUNDAY LATE AFTERNOON

JUSTIN’S BEDROOM

DAPHNE

“So what’s the problem? You kissed with consent, right?”

“Yes but there was something different about it. There was…”

“No tongue, no noise?” I can’t believe that.

“Definitely tongue, definitely noise and we lay down…”

“And?”

“I stopped.”

“Stopped and how did he feel about that?” I frown

“He was fine. We both complimented each other on the kissing technique, but that was it.”

“What do you mean that was it? No numbers exchanged? Actually he knows where you live, so that’s moot but did you arrange to meet up afterwards?”

“No, we both went back to the party and he went home about 2.00am.” He sighs. “But it was the way he looked at me after I stopped the kiss... he called me Bossy Boots and then he looked at me as if he knew something that I didn’t.”

I shrug and say nothing further...he’s not the only one that knows something that you don’t Justin!

BLUE MOON HOUSE - SAME TIME

LOUNGE

DEBS

I look at Gus’s parents in disgust! “You two should be ashamed, completely ashamed of yourselves!” I lecture while trying not to smile. Cyn is lying on the sofa looking green and although Brian is not looking green, he is looking a tiny bit jaded!

“If you’re not really mad, could you stop?” He grumbles and then opens one eye. “And you’re not, so stop it and give me my son.”

“Here, daddy. Now, I am going to cook some breakfast and you will eat. Cyn same goes for you, too! So did we miss anything when we came back here with this little bundle?”

“I was back by 2.00am. Spent most of the time drinking and sky watching. For any gossip, you would have to ask Emmett.” He replies tiredly.

“Or Daph.” Cyn croaks. “Did she manage to get you the Beam? She was determined to find some for you.”

“Nope. Oh where’s the box, Cyn?”

“Box? Oh hang on, sitting up takes time.” She groans and like a frigate slowly turning, she sits up and then swings her legs down, wobbles to the hallway and then comes back in with a large box. “From Daph’s folks. I opened it but we only looked at one piece.” She hands it to me and sits gingerly back down.

I pull it open and almost burst into tears when I see the dungarees. “Where did she get this from and does it come in an adult size? Look, it has almost all of the Pride colours!”

“Still can’t believe that this little grub is going to grow into this.” Brian sighs happily. “So what else is in there?”

For the next hour, we laugh and argue over what he’s going to be wearing for the next week. Only Big Bad could have a week’s worth of clothes prepared for his little grub!

CARNEGIE MELLON - TUESDAY AFTERNOON

BUHL PLANETARIUM

JUSTIN

So it’s the first day of school and I am nervous as fuck! I look around as they file in and start to check my register. I smile because it’s a good mix of ages.

“Can we sit anywhere?” A voice asks and I nod.  

“Okay, class my name is…” I am about to say, when the door is opened again and Brian walks in! I quickly look at my list and can’t believe I missed that!  

“Sorry…” He looks as stunned as I feel. “...uh I had to sort out my baby son. He wasn’t well.”

I nod. “That’s okay. Take a seat anywhere.”

“Thanks.” He replies and makes his way to the back of the room. He sits down and looks at me with a mixture of expectation and amusement. I hold his gaze until it is me that has to look away.

“So first things first, why don’t we go around the class and you introduce yourself. Then tell us why you want to do night photography. Yes, I am aware of the irony of this class being held in the day!” I smile and people start to relax. An hour later, we have a better measure of each other.

“Excuse me, Mr Taylor Sir, but why is the class during the day?” Brian asks and I swallow hard.

“Because we will be going on field trips mostly, where we take pictures of the subject of your night photography during the day and compare the two…”

“Why do we need to compare? Surely, it’s obvious that one is taken at night and one is taken during the day.” Catherine sighs. “Clearly, you…”

“Do not interrupt me, Catherine. I will not tolerate rudeness in my class. You may be older, but I am the teacher, and you will treat me with the good manners that position entitles me to. Do we understand each other?” I demand heatedly and she nods. “The comparison will be of the light and shadow. Once you have completed your first assignment you will see what I mean. Now can everyone gather their things; we need to get going.”

BRIAN

Oh yes, you are what I think you are, but you don’t have a clue!

COUNTRY CLUB, WARRENDALE - THURSDAY AFTERNOON

DINING ROOM

LINDSAY

Much to my irritation, I had to dip into my savings to furnish the cottage. I finally managed to get hold of Brian. When I asked for his help he laughed and hung up, but not before he told me that I had as much chance of getting money from him as Michael did. He also said if I wanted to know what that meant to speak to Michael. I have much better things to do with my time...like now, I am going to have lunch with my ladies.

“Lindsay, darling!” Annabella calls out and I make my way over to the table. Putting my bag under the seat, I smile at her, Diana, Grace and Elizabeth. “So how’s it been?”

“Well I have had some traumatic times. Unfortunately, I had to split with Mel. We were no longer compatible.”

“Oh my dear, I am so sorry! When did this happen?” Annabella coos.

“A couple of weeks back and…”

“Ah Lindsay, there you are.” I turn to face Melissa Chanders and I stand up but then find myself sprawled on the floor, clutching my cheek. The room is completely silent. “You can explain, can’t you?!” She snarls, towering over me.

“Ex-explain what?!” I gibber.

“How you, you unscrupulous, miserable excuse for a human being, sat there and described my daughter as an incubator and expected to get away with it?!”

“Your daughter?! What about Daphne?! I never said anything about her!” I yell, backing away around the table and then cringing as I spot both Emmett and Mel, smirking behind her.

“Yes, you did and you are very fucking lucky that I have inhaled my dose of Gus sweetness. Because if I hadn’t, I would have knocked your flat, saggy ass through the goddamn fucking window!”

“Gus? What does Daphne have to do with Gus?!” I demand and then my jaw drops as Cynthia steps out from behind Melissa and she’s holding Gus! Instinctively, I reach out to him but immediately, Melissa stands between us.

“Don’t you dare! Just try to even look at him, let alone touch him. You are not worth the piss in his diapers! Now I want everyone to hear this and hear it loud and correctly! Lindsay Peterson is not, nor will she ever be, the mother to our Bumpy Grandson, Gus. She did not dump Mel; Mel dumped her and finally Daph has asked me to invite some of you all to her housewarming party next weekend. So Cyn, Emmett do you accept?”

“Absolutely.” They chorus.

“Oh, there is one other thing...this is Mel, Lindsay’s ex-partner. And as you can tell, she’s all woman and not the man she been alluded to that she was!”

“I never…” I begin to object.

“Came clean about being gay to your societal set. Well, I’ve taken care of that for you. No need to thank me. Now, Lindsay, this invite is not extended to you, of course. We certainly don't want this event to be sullied by your very presence nor do we want it contaminated with your germs of selfishness and utter stupidity! Now, I am done here. Let us go, after all, I have a rather gorgeous new father to meet. Brian Kinney, I do believe you said, Cyn. That would be the millionaire Brian Kinney, who is single. Form an orderly queue...gentlemen!”

There are astonished gasps and I can feel eyes piercing into me.

“Hang on a minute, Melissa. Are you saying that Lindsay is gay?”

“Yes, I am Annabella. Now as I said, we must go. My work here is done!” She stares at me coldly. “That’s what you get for being an uppity incubator-calling baiting bitch!”

I am frantically trying to think of what to say when Annabelle clears her throat. With dread, I turn to face her.

“So...care to tell us who this Mel is, oh sorry, was, who apparently dumped you? Clearly, it’s nobody named MELVIN as you made us believe for all those years. At least, now we know why he was always away on business trips whenever you were invited with a plus one. Anymore lies you want to clear up? Maybe why Brian Kinney is...how did you say it...oh yes, I remember. He’s delighted to share parenthood with you, but without putting you through the unpleasantries of pregnancy because both him and MEL love you too much to ever want you to go through pain and weight gain?!” Annabelle asks, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Oh fuck! How the hell do I fix this and make it someone else’s fault other than mine?! Think Peterson, THINK!