CHAPTER 23 - TAG TEAMING...REVEALING AND IDIOT SCHEMING
OUTSIDE DEB’S HOUSE - EARLY MORNING
MICHAEL
For fuck sake, just leave already! That’s the third time she’s gone back in the house! Lindsay and I roll our eyes at each other. Although I was initially annoyed that she has tagged along, it is good because while one deals with the intergroper, the other can go and see Brian and tell him, once and for all, that we are his friends and should be reinstated, in Lindsay’s case, as such.
“Finally!” I grouse as she gets into her car. I smirk as mine starts with a lot less noise and more finesse than hers. I set the journey planner and let the car do the work. Lindsay looks around the interior with a raised eyebrow. “Problem?”
“You have this fantastic car but you keep it like a pigsty.”
“I will get it valeted.” I smirk at her as we follow Ma down the road. “In fact, I might get a new one altogether.”
“Why?”
“Because…” I roll my eyes. “...it’s my birthday next week and I’m sure after our little chat later that a suitable present will be forthcoming from Brian. Of course, Ma will get me a present.”
“Of course it is! Sorry, what with everything going on. And then of course there’s the country club dinner the week after.”
I frown at her. “Are you still going to go to that? Alone, I mean?”
“I don’t see why not.” She shrugs. “It would be nice to go with someone though.”
“I could come with you. I’ve always wanted to go to one of those la-di-dah things.” She looks cautiously at me. “I’m serious!”
“Okay, it will be black tie. Do you have a dinner jacket and smart...” She looks down at my feet and sighs. “Shoes. Not trainers. Shoes?”
“Yes.” I bluster and silently fume as I remember those weapons of torture from Prada. “Oh wow!” I gasp as Ma pulls up outside a beautiful blue house. “Why couldn’t he buy this one for me?!” I whinge as I take in the garden.
“Because you are a single man. Look at the gardens, look at the neighbourhood. That is a family home. Gus is going to grow up here. I can just see him in the garden. Or biking up to the park we just passed.” She looks wistful and then seems to shake herself out of it. “Right, so now what do we do? Do you know when he is discharged?”
“Nope. But he has to come home sooner rather than later. He’s got to get Gus after all. I say we go back to the hospital and…”
“I strongly doubt that he will have Gus with him. He’ll most like be with either the carrier-one or the barren-one.” She revels in her bitchiness. “Yeah, let’s go back to the hospital.”
ALLEGHANY HOSPITAL - TWO HOURS LATER
VISITOR’S ROOM
LINDSAY
I smile as sweetly as I can at the receptionist, but she just shakes her head and looks at me blankly. “As I said, Ms Peterson, it is family only at the moment. And no...I cannot and will not give out his room number. Now if you wish to have access to Mr Kinney, I suggest you contact his POA. Now could you please step aside so I can help this next person?”
I nod and head, frustrated and seething, back to Michael, whose hopeful expression falls of his face. “I suppose we could go and speak to Emmett, but I hate being beholden to that prick! You should’ve heard the way he spoke to me! Ordering me around like I was some kind of dog!”
“What I don’t understand is when, let alone how, he got his POA.” I say as we start to head back to the car. “He must have been high or drunk or both.”
“Or maybe Emmett tricked him into signing it over to him. Wait a second!” He exclaims. “That has to be it!”
“What has to be it? Oh no, Michael, don’t even think of going down that route. Emmett is many things but he is not a fraudster.”
“But I want to be his POA like he is mine!” He declares, stopping for some water, he drains the cup and then throws it at the bin and misses. “Come on, let’s go…”
“Excuse me, sir! You need to pick that up!” A man shouts out to us.
“No I don’t!” He calls over his shoulder and starts to walk quicker, I turn back to look at the guy who shouted, he is just glaring at us, so I smirk at him and follow Michael out.
BRIAN’S ROOM
CARL
Brian has just gone back to sleep. I look at the window and sigh as I see the retreating figures of Michael and Lindsay making their way across the car park.
“Is he still asleep?” Debs asks, coming back in with good coffee.
“No, I am not.” He grumps. “I am too bored to sleep! When am I getting out of here again?”
She rolls her eyes at his pouting. “For the last time, at six! Justin is coming to get you and Cynthia will drop Little Grub back at yours. Have you met his mother, Jennifer?”
“No.”
“Oh, there is a bit of steel and spirit in that woman. I mean, I thought I had the die-and-die-now look down pat but I have nothing on her. You know who she reminds me of?” We shake our heads. “Ems when he is in full pelt annoyance.”
For some reason that makes Brian smile. “Care to share?” I inquire.
“Yeah. Ted was telling me…”
“How has Ted been able to tell you anything?” I watch him squirm. “Where is it?” I put out my hand and like a naughty child he slowly hands over his phone. “How did you get it?”
“Emmy.” He grins, having briefly got one over me.
“Ah.” I shake my head and then chuckle. “You knew I wouldn’t search him.”
“Exactly.” He smirks. “Well, anyway, Ted was telling me that Michael was screaming a la banshee in reception, waving his copy of the POA about. He was most displeased to find out it was no longer valid and Emmy’s is.”
“Do you still have his?” Debs asks as she blows on his coffee before handing it to him. “Oh, sorry sweetheart.” She blushes in the face of his incredulity.
“Oh fuck, I do still have it!” He slumps back against the pillows. “I really have to do something about that.”
“Yeah, the sooner the better. You know how dumb he can be!” I advise sagely, and hand him back his phone. “And by sooner, I mean now, right now.”
Ten minutes later he is looking more relaxed, it seems that Ted has once again come to his rescue!
HOUSE OF MAHATMA AND MILQUETOAST - EARLY EVENING
DINING ROOM
EMMETT
I smile at my hosts as I take my seat. “I apologise for the delay, but it was unavoidable. Mast…” He waves my words away. “No formality this evening I guess?”
“No, not tonight. We are family here, not Doms and Subs. Although, if you keep blowing in my ear like that, I may have to take you over my knee!”
“Sorry.” Leroi replies, not looking remotely sorry at all.
“Pest.” Todd chides him gently before kissing his fingers tenderly. “So how is he?”
“Brian?” I query and he nods. “Bored out of his mind! But he was discharged about 2 hours ago, and early because…”
“They couldn’t stand his moaning another minute longer?” Todd laughs knowingly.
“He was not moaning according to him. He was exercising his rights to be released from his medical bondage.” I can’t help the smile quirking at my lips. “I am quoting him verbatim.”
“Only Kinney.” Jeremiah chortles as he helps himself to a stuffed mushroom. “So what about the zounderkite? Is he still being his delightful self?”
“Zounder what?” Peterkin asks, swiping the last of the crab puffs much to my chagrin...I love eating them as much as I love making them.
“Zounderkite, it is an archaic term for an idiot.” He explains, looking mournfully at the empty platter. “From what I have been hearing, he is just a mooching mithering miscreant, who has been barred from Woody’s.”
“Thank fuck for that! Now, if only we can have him banned for Pittsburgh!” Todd sighs before looking at me. “I don’t suppose you have any in your…”
“Of course I do. I shall be back shortly.” I beam with pride when his face lights up.
“And you know if…”
“If I may make a suggestion? We move this meeting to my house, I am stacked to the gills with some delicacies. Like the stuffed wings.” I venture forth as I stand up to put my coat back on.
“Stuffed with what?” Leroi demands and Todd smiles affectionately, Leroi loves wings. I think the only thing he loves more than wings is Todd!
“Pork and water chestnuts.” I reply, and am almost run over as everyone rushes to their cars.
“Are you alright, Ems?” Leroi asks worriedly. “Hey! You guys show some respect! Remember who he is!” He yells at their retreating backs.
“Leroi, sweetie, I am fine. You know what they are like with food.”
“Yeah, but still…” He grumps.
“Leroi, can you make sure that they are still waiting and have not taken off already?”
“Okay, baby.” He smiles and then trots out to the car park.
I look at Todd, the backroom boy, and smile. If only the Avenue knew how many beefy tops, bears and wolves he has reduced to a pile of gibbering mush. With one look he can have a man cowed and silent. He has taught me well, especially the art of shiatsu, which I will be using on Brandon over the weekend, as he’s on nights this week.
“She’s something, isn’t she?” He laughs as he locks up.
“She...oh Lindsay you mean?”
“Hmmm. TTC as my Le-le calls her. Oh! Don’t tell him you know his nickname, he will be upset with me.” He blushes furiously.
“I won’t I promise, but what is TTC?”
“Trolloping thunder cunt.”
“Describes her perfectly.” I laugh and we link arms as we leave to join the others. “He tried to get into see him with his old POA and I suspect that Lindsay still has Mel’s…”
“Ah, now Mel, there is a conundrum for you isn’t it?” I nod in embarrassment having judged her book by someone else’s cover. “You like her and you didn’t think you would. I loved the shoes by the way! Whose idea were those?”
“Treyvon’s.” I smirk as I see some very contrite looking people in the car park and a very smug looking Le..Leroi!
“Have you been asserting your authority?”
“Yes. This is Emmy, nobody runs over Emmy, no matter how hungry they are!” He glares at them again.
I laugh quietly to myself and then realise I must send some flowers to Diana from Mel. There is a benefit to having a dominatrix in a lawyer’s office, I need Mel to be less busy when Diana calls to thank her for them. And Treyvon and I will just so happen to be about when they are dress shopping!
MICHAEL’S HOUSE - SAME TIME
STUDY
MICHAEL
I am still hurt about that bastard having his POA now. I can’t understand why he has such a hold on him. He must know something about Brian that Brian doesn’t want the world to know and is blackmailing him or something.
I look through my paperwork and finally find it, the file with my POA and then I frown. Has it always been like that? I look through the previous ones again and huff in annoyance. They all have an expiry date and it expired in the middle of our trip! Well that’s another thing we are definitely discussing when we go around to his, I add that to my list of topics; my birthday present, my key to his house, the reinstatement of me as his POA and of course the most important one, me being made the legal guardian of...oh what the hell is the kid’s name, oh yeah Gus. Not the name I would’ve chosen myself.
This is not taking, his mother doesn’t know Brian, this is sharing. He would want to ensure that his son is being looked after, should anything happen like he gets bored for example! Guy...I mean Gus, will need a stabilising male influence in his life and who better than me to be that person.
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