CHAPTER 24 - MOTHERS IN ARMS
BEN AND JUSTIN’S HOUSE - NEXT MORNING
JUSTIN’S ROOM
JUSTIN
I stare at my open case and nibble my thumb. I look up when I hear a throat clearing. “Hey Benson, how you doing?”
“Fine, Guvnor, fine.” He replies, and I have to say that accent is wonderful. “How long are you going to be gone for?”
“Not sure.”
“My mother always said, better to over than under pack.” He sits cross legged on the bed. “I want to ask you something...about Ben.”
“Go ahead.”
“He ever speak about me? To you I mean. Even once?”
“No.” I reply, and regret making a joke out of it when his looks so disappointed.
“Ben talks about you every day, every minute. He really likes you, Benson.” His face lights up and the grin gets wider and wider. “Why did you ask?”
“Because I like him. And I like you. But I need to know there is never going to be a him and you.” He looks so embarrassed.
“The only thing we share lust wise, is ice cream and my Mom’s cookies.”
“Oh God, they are so good! I have at least six stashed in my socks.” I just look at him. “They are clean!”
“You are so strange!” I tease him.
“And you are rubbish at packing, Guvnor, dump that lot out!” He orders and I do as I am told and then watch him shake his head at my crumpled clothing. “Get the ironing board out. Where are you guys going to stay?” He asks as I come back in the board and iron.
“His house. He wants to see Little Grub.” He nods and quick as lightning the board is up, iron plugged in and he is ironing. “Benson? Why are you ironing stuff that is going in the case?”
“Because it won’t look like roadkill when you take it out and hang it on the hanger in the cabin.”
“Hanger? Cabin? What cabin?” I am confused.
“Ben has been telling me about the asswipe down the road. Do you know he knows where he lives?”
“What?! How?!” I exclaim in horror then pause. “How do you know that?”
“Debs…”
“Debs would never tell him that…”
“Calm down Guvnor, calm down. Debs lives five doors up from me. I was going jogging and I saw him as I passed, him and a blonde lady sitting in a car near her house…”
“Blonde? Sort of snooty and…”
“Yeah. Sat there like her shit don’t stink! Anyway, at first I thought he was picking her up but it was when she went back in for the 3rd time I thought something was not right…”
“What do you mean?”
“If he was picking her up, he would’ve beeped or something. I know what I’m like with my old lady, she right winds me up with her dithering and…” He grins. “...sorry old lady is slang for Mom in England.” I nod and gesture for him to continue. “But he wasn’t doing that. He was waiting. And when she got in her car I knew…”
“He followed her.” I sit down completely shocked.
“Mate, you okay? You look banjaxed.”
“Ban…” I start.
“Again, sorry, banjaxed means either pissed up on booze or completely stunned.”
“Stunned. Brian hasn’t told him where he lives. He went to Britin, which is his house before this one, to try and get him alone and…”
“So like I said, cabin. Now put this, this and this...actually just open your wardrobe.” He starts to put things back and take things out. “I was going to take Ben there, but you guys need the peace and quiet more than I need to have my ass reamed in the most delicious way!”
“Benson where are you talking about?”
“Got repellent? The midges are fuckers.”
“Yes. But…”
“Hang on let me show you. There you go…” He hands me his phone. “...looks like nowt but has a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and is way up in the back. It’s on my stepdad’s estate, it’s gated nobody is getting in. There’s nobody there this week.”
“Benson. That is...that is gorgeous. We can’t…”
“Can and will.” He states firmly.
“Stay the week. You’re signed off still right?”
“Signed off?”
“I mean your doctor has ordered rest?”
“Yes.”
“Then rest. Call your man and tell him what’s happening.”
“He’s not my man.” I point out but take my phone out to call my man.
“Yeah and I ain’t as black as the ace of spades!” He cackles and resumes my packing.
CYNTHIA’S HOUSE - AN HOUR LATER
LOUNGE
CYN
Oh you are the most beautiful little boy! I am so happy I could do this for him. And speaking of him, he has not stopped FaceTiming since he got discharged. Gus is now sleeping, having been blowing bubbles at Daddy. I frown as the door knocks as I am not expecting anyone, and when I open it I am pleased to see Daph and Mel.
“What are you gals doing here?”
“Brian and Emmett did it!” Daph squeals as she comes in.
“What?”
“He tossed and popped him!” Mel says over her shoulder.
“Uh…”
“And...we think that Emmett is a Dominant on the sly. Where are your glasses?” Daph calls out from the lounge.
I scurry to join them and grin as Mel gently rocks a going back to sleep Gus. “Glasses in there and explanation please!” I point to a cupboard as I sit down.
Thirty minutes later I understand the looks now. Well I’ll be fucked!
MICHAEL’S HOUSE - WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
LOUNGE
MICHAEL
Four times, four fucking times we have gone to Brian’s house and he’s not been there, and I am getting sick and tired of it! We have things to discuss! “Lindsay, are you ready now?!”
“Yes! I am waiting by the door! It is you that is dawdling!”
I scowl in annoyance as I had gotten distracted by the comings and goings of the neighbourhood. Living in an apartment afforded me a bit of anonymity, but here it is fascinating to watch. I grab my keys and, ignoring the roll of her eyes, head to the car.
BLUE MOON HOUSE - AN HOUR LATER
LINDSAY
“So you know what we are going to say?” I ask as I unbuckle my seatbelt.
“Yes.” He replies getting out of the car and slamming the door hard.
Good he’s annoyed. When he’s annoyed he says stupid things, which will make me look like a better proposition.
We walk up, well I walk while he marches, to the front door and happily he leans on the doorbell.
“Michael, bear in mind his injuries and…” I don’t get to finish as the door is wrenched open and an unimpressed blonde glares at us. “...what?” I begin.
“Do you not understand the concept of ignoring you?”
“Pardon?”
“My son and his boyfriend have been in a coach accident and need to recover. They are recovering in peace and quiet at a location known only to us. You have been here four times, and we have not opened the door. How are you not taking the hint here?”
“Mrs…”
“For fuck sake!” Debs has joined Mrs Taylor in the glaring. “Michael, the first time you came here, I was set to punch you back down the path, the only thing that stopped me was Carl. Go home! He is not your friend anymore!”
“And as for you, Ms Peterson, whatever plan you are concocting, end it now.”
The door is firmly slammed in our astonished faces.
“What the fuck just…” He begins only to be stopped when the door opens again and Debs comes out. “Ma!” He cries as she rushes past us.
“I am going home, as in my home, so don’t follow me.”
“Ma! You will stop and you will talk to me! I order you!” He bellows and the world stops.
Now there are several things you don’t do in life, and one of them is you do not order your mother - in fact any mother - but especially this mother about. Debs stops, puts her bag down on the bonnet of the car, and very slowly, as if giving us ample time to run, turns around.
“You order me? Did you just say that, you little shit?!”
“Yes I did! You don’t seem to know your place. They have it right in Chinese culture. The women have to listen to the men. Did you know Mother that the girls have to listen to the following people: the father, the husband, the brother, and the son? I am your son. You should do what I say. I shall let you off not giving….ow!” He screams and crumples to the floor.
I don’t know when or how, but it seems during his little speech Debs had picked up a rock and with the precision of a surgeon thrown it with all her weight behind it straight at his balls!
I back up as she stalks up to his whimpering form. “Now listen and listen real good, you little punk! I am not Chinese, therefore, I do not subscribe to their bullshit mantra. I am, and there are days I am ashamed to say it, your mother. You will fucking treat me with the respect that the position of being a mother affords me. You ever, and I mean ever, even think to say that shit to me again, I will pull those oh so very small balls through your nostrils and wrap them around your neck. Do we understand each other?”
He just garbles something and then she looks at me. “Find his keys. Take him home. Make sure he stays there. I mean it, Lindsay, he comes here again I will hurt you.”
“Me? Why me?” I croak.
“Because you indulge his stupidity, admittedly to get what you want, but indulge him you do. I suggest you harness your selfishness for good and keep him contained.” Jennifer Taylor’s crisp tones slice through me. “Because if Debs, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, doesn’t follow through, I will.”
She watches Debs leave and then turns to me. “Get it off his property.” Michael is now sitting up but is still pale and sweaty. “Now.”
It takes us a good few minutes to get him into the car and as I reverse I notice she has bent down and as she straightens she is staring at a piece of paper. Most probably something Debs dropped as she left.
JENNIFER
As I read his list of demands my blood boils...time for me to step in big time!