CHAPTER 56: PARADISE and A WARZONE

JUSTIN:

Brian has once again left me deliciously sore and sated. What’s amazing is that I was expecting to get pounded into the mattress after his uncustomary tenderness, which is always a welcome surprise for me, and usually a supreme discomfort for him. But that’s not what happened. He took his time with me, saying all the things I needed to hear with his body, heart, and mind. And it’s just now that I’m realizing that what used to be an occasional occurrence is happening more and more frequently these days. When we commune the way we just have, it leaves me feeling languid, instead of wrung out; in a near-twilight state, instead of passed out and insensate from the exertion of the gritty hard fuckings we’ve always enjoyed. It’s my version of paradise: just me, Brian, and no one to interrupt us. But I know at this moment, we have to take a brief detour into the land of painful conversation before we can resume our post-coital solitude.

“What happened with he who shall not be mentioned in our bed?” I ask.

He snickers at the long description of the man I refuse to even think about by name at this moment. “Shouldn’t we just come up with nicknames for each of them since there is more than that one who we need to speak of?”

“Alright,” I smirk. “We’ll name him Dumbo.”

“Why?”

“Not for his actions, per se, although they were really, REALLY, DUMB. But I was mainly thinking of those rather large satellite dishes on the side of his head, which have always selectively worked.”

Brian laughs outright then. “Fair enough, and an honest assessment of his hearing. So, the others?” When I look at him quizzically, he reminds me, “The honor of naming things in this family is all yours, Sunshine.”

“And what is your job function then?”

“To keep your creative juices flowing so that you can.”

I snicker. “Nice save.”

“Well I do aim to please…”

“And you have, and shall again, as soon as we’re finished dealing with the necessarily evil debriefing.”

“But wait!” He lifts the covers, eyes traveling lazily down my body. “You’ve already been debriefed. In fact, I’m pretty sure it happened over by the stairs.”

We both laugh at his antics. We do that even more now than we did before, and it makes me feel good… better than good really. I think the term euphoric might be more accurate. Sobering for the moment, I say, “Let’s get this done so that we can resume our fun, okay?”

He sighs but agrees. “So what did you find out?”

“You first, Brian. There is a reason that I’m asking what Dumbo told you.”

“Does it involve his selective hearing again?”

“More likely selective amnesia this time, but I need all the facts as he’s told them to you. Talking to the Puckerface put a few more things into perspective for me.”

“Puckerface?”

“Yeah well, shriveled up asshole just takes too long to say. You ever notice how, when he’s about to spew shit, his mouth makes the tightest little moue? I suppose his time in prison will loosen it up, hopefully with a guy who has a dick like a firehose.”

“That’s kinda vicious, isn’t it, Sunshine?”

“No more than the cuntiness he’s displayed to me down through the years.” I sigh. “But we’re getting off track. Tell me what Dumbo said, as much as you can remember, and I’ll fill you in on the Puckerface ‘Lifetime Movie’ of a half century.”

For next half hour, Brian relays his entire visit with Dumbo. And, as we both thought going in, he was all too happy to give Brian the truth of matters as he saw it, thoroughly announcing his culpability, from both before and after I arrived in Brian’s life. “The thing that bothers me the most is that he sounded so fucking proud of betraying me. It was as if he was getting off on all of it, saying See Brian, look how smart I am and how much I’m willing to do because I love you! I managed to keep my face impassive, but all the while I had to remind myself that we were being taped and recorded. Had the Warden not asked, I’m not sure what I would have done to him.” He sighs. “I’m not normally a violent man, but I could have killed him and happily done the time if it meant he couldn’t... talk again.”

“But you don’t think he’s done, do you?” I ask, picking up on the inflection in his voice when he swallowed hard.

“No. Even though he’s locked up and basically can’t do anything physically to hurt us anymore, I don’t think he is. There’s a reason he spilled his guts, and not all of it had to do with his anger at the situation. I’m missing something; I just can’t put my finger on it.”

“There’s no one more dangerous than someone left with nothing to lose,” I muse aloud, while Brian nods. Michael is oft times predictable, but he has still managed to surprise us in this situation. I can’t help but try to figure out what his next round of bullshit will bring to the forefront.

“So how did your meeting with Puckerface go?” Brian interrupts my thoughts as I try to wrack my brain of if there is anything I haven’t told him. Something tells me that it’s the key to what Michael may plan next.

“It went fine… better than fine actually. Thank goodness Mom was there.”

“So what happened?”

“We managed to pull together the series of events and a timeline of how and when Puckerface, Loose Lips, and Pissy Face got together…”

“Okay, I think I have an idea of who’s who, but just to clarify…”

“The blonde is Loose Lips, and the brunette is Pissy Face since that permanent scowl she wears makes her look like she drunk from a toilet bowl after its been used,” I say wryly.

Brian laughs. “You have such a vivid imagination, Sunshine.”

“Well, I do aim to please, Mr. Kinney.” I kiss him sensually before continuing. “As for the wanna-be Chi Chi LaRue, he’s still a wild card. I mean, was it just voyeurism, or was there much more in the works on his part? I know that he and Loose Lips were pretty close at one time… well as close as people tend to be within the social set I’m from.”

“Dumbo alluded to that, but I’m curious how you know it.”

“Just as with the ‘help’, people tend to be less observant about the younger set. They would often consider us far beneath their notice. Prior to officially coming out in my senior year, I used to see them speaking in hushed tones with their heads together quite frequently.”

Brian got real quiet, and I could see him toiling with something. It’s like he has something important to tell me about the situation, but doesn’t know how. The heavy sigh he releases lets me know that he realizes he can’t keep it from me. “Sunshine, Dumbo mentioned that Ron Peterson was involved in this… Do you think that could be the connection between Chi Chi and Loose Lips?”

“No. But why do you ask?”

“Because I know that it was his recommendation that got Chi Chi an interview with Ryder Agency.”

“That may be because of his involvement with Loosy, but I think he did it as a favor to her, not the other way around. She knew you were working there for sure.”

“Yeah. It was big news within our graduating class because I was Valedictorian. The president of the university announced it just as I retook my seat.”

“You never told me that!” I say in amazement. Not because I don’t know Brian isn’t a brilliant man, but because he never brags about his achievements. Graduating at the top of his class from Penn State is just such an accomplishment!

“I’m telling you now.” He leans down to kiss me. “It kinda makes perfect since that two geniuses would hook up, huh?”

“Yeah. It’s why we’re magic together.” I say as I look into his eyes.

“That we are,” he answers, solemnly. “So according to Dumbo, Ron paid 15K to Chris Hobbs for what he did to you…”

“WOW! Puckerface was that fucking desperate to be rid of me?!” I exclaim, feeling like I’m being bashed all over again. “Better a dead son than a gay one, right?”

“Wait! First of all, stop it, Justin! Don’t you dare speak about yourself that way!” Brian climbs out of bed before turning to face me. “Now explain what Puckerface has to do with this, and don’t leave anything out.”

I swallow hard in the face of his anger. Thankfully it’s not directed towards me… well, not fully anyway. I never would have imagined that my sperm donor would pay, no doubt using MY MONEY, to have me basically executed by the jock I gave a handjob to. Although I felt nothing for him before leaving him in that interrogation room, I feel even less than that now. I take a deep breath and begin to explain to my lover- my best friend- the entire situation of the matter. Watching his eyes change from green to storm gray as I detail every single machination done to us, before and after we met, has me desperate to hold him. But I know with the type of mood Brian is in right now, I need to keep some distance between us to give him time to process the anger and disappointment.

I conclude with, “So you see, Brian? It wasn’t Ron who was responsible, the way Dumbo believes. They were first going to implicate you, but couldn’t. Puckerface and Loose Lips, with the blessings of Dumbo and Pissy, were trying to kill two birds with one stone… or should I say bat.”

“But Dumbo was going to Portland…”

“As an alibi, and to officially break it off with Dr. Dick. He was going to do exactly what he did, which was cause so much friction between the two of them that David would still send him home, which was his plan all along. Then he would have followed you to New York, since at the time, he still believed you’d gotten the job with Kennedy and Collins. Loose Lips initial plan was to keep you here, accessible to her, by any means necessary. Even if you had ended up in jail, which in essence was their plan, your money still would have been in her care because she still had custody of Gus. You would have taken care of all of that before entering the criminal justice system. You’re just that type of man, Brian,” I say, willing him to believe me.

“So all of this was some elaborate scheme on her part for my money?”

“Partially, but by me being… killed, she was also ensuring that if she couldn’t have you, no one else would either. It’s not that she loves you, or more to the point isn’t in love with you, but that like Dumbo, she’s possessive of you. Look at all that he’s done to keep you as his most valuable collectible. Whereas his idiocy could possibly be blamed on ‘only child syndrome’, hers is just plain greed. But it’s only part of what gives a person status within the upper echelons of society; Loosy never understood that.”

“I’m not sure I understand it.”

“Good! Because if you ever become like them, I’ll have to paddle your ass.”

He laughs at my attempt at levity. This conversation is just way too heavy, even with the subject matter. Brian and I need to get back to the intimacy we shared while dancing to “Here and Now”. We have to get back to just being us- not the CEOs of Kinnetik; not the newly-crowned power couple; not the people who brought down Stockwell and his power base; not Gus’ dads, or the victims of the idiots sitting in prison awaiting trial. We need to just get back to being Brian and Justin.

Apparently he has the same thought because he asks, “What do you say to us getting out of here sooner than we planned? We can work remotely, and by the time we get back…”

“We’ll be ready to fight again. I won’t lie and say that I’m not tired, Brian.”

“I know; me too. Mel and Gus can come along at the scheduled time, but right now, I just feel that if we don’t go, we’ll…”

“No, we won’t implode again. I promise you that, Brian. We’re in this, together, for the long haul. But yeah, we might explode onto others, especially those idiots who are gunning for us and are still free. Gardner, Troy… and I’m not sure that Ethan isn’t still lurking, waiting for me somewhere. I’m not afraid of him per se, but more of what I’ll do to him if he accosts me again before I have a chance to regroup and reconnect with you away from here.”

“So lets call Mel; then Cynthia and Daphne to rearrange any meetings. Or if they’re super important, let’s have them meet us out on the West Coast. Think you can run the Art Department effectively from there?”

“With my eyes closed and your dick in my ass,” I answer, smiling widely at the imagery.

“I’ll hold you to that. In fact, why don’t I hold you to that right now…”

And yeah! Him holding me down to that idea is exactly what we need!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

MELANIE

I would feel sorry for my ex-wife, but my feelings for and about her just aren’t set up that way. But sitting here with Cynthia and Amanda, I have to wonder just why she would fuck with Samuel Auerbach. I mean, he’s not even a standard by which any man is judged. In fact, he reminds me of a thinner version of Ron Jeremy, whose career in hetero porn still baffles the mind. That man was and is the epitome of SLEAZE, with nothing more than a big cock to recommend him. But we’re talking about hetero porn, after all, right? I shiver at the thought, which catches Cynthia’s attention.

“You cold? Or is it something else?” she asks me.

It takes me a minute to think what the something else she’s talking about might be, when I realize just who is listening avidly to our budding conversation. I decide to join in the fun. “I was just thinking of how Sam reminds me of Ron Jeremy. I find it funny that while women are paid to fuck him, Lindsay did his skinnier twin for free. Kind of makes you wonder how she could be so desperate. No offense, Amanda.”

She just laughs. “None taken. I didn’t notice the resemblance until you just pointed it out. The sad thing is that his dick and tongue game isn’t even on point the way Ron Jeremy’s is. Guess love really is blind… but then again, I didn’t screw him before we married either, otherwise I might have reconsidered.”

“You were a virgin before you married him?” Cynthia gasps.

“No. But I’m not a slut either. I was married before. My first husband and I married just before he went into the hospital for a routine surgery. He never came out.”

“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you, but don’t be. I was just happy to make his final days a joy, even if we were short-lived. Anthony Talberti was one of the best men I knew. We dated in high school and only found out about his heart condition after he played pro-football with the Ironmen for six years.

“Isn’t he the brother of Ralph Talberti?”

“Yeah. Ralph and I still keep in touch. He still considers me his sister-in-law. Ralphie almost quit the team after Anthony’s death, but I talked him out of it. Tony would’ve wanted him to stick to their original plan.”

“Which was?” I ask. I remember Anthony Talberti and his twin brother, Ralph. The Ironmen lauded being one of only three teams in the NFL who had brothers on their teams. The fact that they were twins was often remarked upon, since they played interchangeable positions on the field.

“To win two Super Bowl rings, each. Ralphie has two so far. He wants two more before he retires so that he can bury them with Anthony.”

“So this isn’t about money,” I stated.

She smiles back, while Miss Ears listens in. Something tells me that she’s going to wish she’d minded her own business. Or better yet, that she’d never met Sam the sleazebag. “Not at all. I only want the thirty grand he paid her over the course of their affair. She may have earned it on her back, and knees, but it was never really Sam’s money. It was from the allowance that I give him to live on when he travels, since all of his money from the sale of his art goes to support his twelve children by four different women. I wonder if she was trying to give him his thirteenth. The galleries he shows in pay for a single night’s stay in a hotel when he’s scheduled to appear, but after that, he’s on his own. His popularity isn’t what it used to be, and since he’s an arrogant ass more often than not, his fanbase isn’t willing to subject themselves to him in person, even if they do still support his career. I’m almost certain that she’s never seen the inside of one of the fancier hotels the galleries have accounts with, since in truth, Sam always take his whores to the no-tell motels. They are the easiest way to avoid the press when he’s with his microwaveable bitches.” We all hear the gasps, and then the whimper leave her.

“Sounds like all her plotting and scheming all went for naught… again,” Cynthia says, just a tad too gleefully for it to be misconstrued as pity. “But then again… wait! Mel, isn’t that the Donna Karan suit from the first meeting at Kinnetik?”

I laugh, but answer her. “Your horns are showing, Cyn, but yes it is.”

“You know, Brian would be so proud of you. The mousy house frau, or bitchy bull dyke look never did suit you. Is that suit from the new Carolina Herrera collection?”

I look down at the cafe au lait color suit that I’m wearing, just now realizing that it’s different than the suit I originally picked out. “I’m going to kill your boss, Cyn. Do pass that information along before I get home, will you?”

Both she and Amanda laugh before Amanda adds, “Honey, if he bought you that suit, gay or not, he’s a keeper. Every woman in the world could do worse than to have Brian Kinney, or Emmett Honeycutt, as their personal shoppers. The color certainly looks just a hair’s shade richer than the Armani. Of course, both would have suited your complexion marvelously, but this suit was designed for the stand-out woman, whereas the other would make the woman stand out. Makes sense?”

Looking over at Lindsay, I understand exactly what she’s trying to convey. “Basically, this suit was made with me in mind; I just haven’t met the designer.”

Cyn chuckles. “Exactly, but keep hanging around Brian. Eventually, you will. He and Justin are kicking ass and taking names already with their genius. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are able to take Kinnetik international within a year, especially with the backing of Jared Thorne, Josiah Arvon, and Brett Keller. The sooner they can get rid of all this particular dead weight, and the other hangers-on, the better.”

Before either of us, or Lindsay, can reply to her obvious insult, the judge comes in and the bailiff calls out, “All rise, the Honorable Judith Wapner is presiding.”

I can’t help but be surprised that they would give us this particular judge. Judith Wapner has been divorced twice- once for her former husband’s infidelity; the other time for her own. She has since remarried to the man she should have married to in the first place, which was her law school sweetheart. Kind of makes me wonder if she’ll sympathize with a serial cheater like Lindsay.

“This the case of Amanda Talberti-Auerbach against Lindsay Anne Peterson, in an Alienation of Affection lawsuit. The plaintiff is asking for the return of the thirty thousand dollars Miss Peterson was wrongly paid during her affair with the plaintiff’s former husband,” Judge Judy states succinctly. “Mr. Sanders, are you ready to present your case?”

“Yes, your honor,” he says but is interrupted by Lindsay’s legal aid attorney, Martin Fisher.

“Your honor, I’d like to ask for a continuance on behalf of myself and my client. Originally, my client was under the misapprehension that the proceedings would be similar to small claims court. I’ve since explained to her that due to the amount being requested by the plaintiff and the high-profile nature of the case, small claims court is not an option. However, for my part, I just picked up this case about an hour and a half ago and have not had time to review the evidence in the plaintiff’s claim, nor confer with my client.”

“And just why were you only given this case an hour ago, Mr. Fisher?” she asks.

“Apparently, there was some sort of conflict of interest with the former attorney who was scheduled to represent this case.”

“Conflict of interest?”

“Yes. Jeremiah Jones is the personal attorney of Miss Peterson’s… friend.” And not one of us within this courtroom has to wonder just what type of friend he’s alluding to. It’s quite telling that I can sit here and hear that without a lick of hurt feelings. If anything, I expected it. Throughout all of this, Lindsay has proven herself to have the morals of an alleycat.

“So what you are saying is that there is more truth to Mrs. Auerbach’s claim than what meets the eye in terms of evidence?”

“Not necessarily, your honor. Only that I need at least a half an hour to confer with my client after reviewing all of the evidence.”

“Mark… Mr. Sullivan, do you have any objection to his request?”

“No, your honor. In fact, one of my key witnesses is running a little late. She had an impromptu meeting that ran over, and is on her way.”

“Very well. I will grant the half hour, but not a minute more.” She banged her gavel and exited the bench.

As soon as the judge was out of earshot, Lindsay started. “Why didn’t you ask for a continuance to another day?! This is NOT what you were instructed to do!”

“Look, lady. I have a boss, and you are NOT it. You were informed weeks ago about this court date, whereas I was not. I would suggest you stop carping at me, and tell me what I need to know in order to defend you.” They exited the courtroom with her corrections officer in tow, and all I could think was that I didn’t know who to feel sorrier for. If Lindsay thinks for a moment that she will be able to put one over on Martin Fisher, she has another think coming. How much and hard he defends her will be solely up to the way she treats him. And if Lindsay remains true to form, she very well may not have an attorney.

Half hour later they are back, and neither of them look any too happy, while the corrections officer looks like she’s barely holding herself together. Her eyes are glassy, as her chest rises and falls rapidly with silent chuckles. I’m tempted to go over there and ask her what happened, but the judge is once again taking the bench.

“Are we all ready to proceed?”

“Yes, your honor,” both counsels chorus, while Lindsay looks like she smelled something bad. I suppose it’s because she’s not getting her way again. GOOD!

“Mr. Sullivan, call your first witness please.”

“Yes, your honor. I call the former Mrs. Jennifer Taylor to the stand.”

All of us register surprise as Justin’s regal mother takes the stand. I think we were all expecting for Amanda to be called first, including her. But she looks as poised as she ever has. I haven’t had a chance to reach out to Brian and Justin all day, so I had no idea she would be here. And from the looks of it, Lindsay and Amanda didn’t either. I take another look at my ex-wife and dare I say it, but she looks… nervous?

After being sworn in, and confirming her name as Jennifer Alwin Taylor for the court, Mark begins his questioning.

“When was the first time you heard the name Lindsay Peterson?”

“There were many times over the years, but I guess the first would be when Lindsay had entered society. All young ladies are allowed into polite society after completing finishing school at thirteen years old.”

“And what was your first impression of her, Ms. Alwin-Taylor?”

“Please call me Jennifer. Now as to your as to your question; at first, I didn’t have an impression of her one way or another. Her family was what was termed new money so we didn’t really run in the same circles.”

“Why not?”

“For those born into society, our connections go back as far as when our families first settled onto American soil. However, whereas most of us do not have a problem with the new money crowd, they seem to have and live in their preconceived notions of what having money means.”

“And are those preconceived notions what kept you from associating with the Petersons?”

Jennifer thought a moment, before answering. “It’s not that I didn’t socialize with the Petersons, per se. Ronald Peterson was always a delight to be around. He didn’t have a pretentious bone in his body and seemed more grateful than not for what he’s been able to do with his life. His wife, Nancy, could go either way most of the time. But then again, she was always a fickle-minded person. However, I don’t believe that she had any other ambitions than to be Ronald’s wife, and have a few friends within her new set of circumstances.”

“Why would that be a problem for her?”

“It isn’t really, but there is a difference in how she may have been treated at times. Although I have friends- or I used to have friends- who were not from the country club, I acquired them later on in my life, unlike Nancy who had them prior to Ronald becoming the success he has. I would imagine there was an awkwardness to be found in maintaining such alliances.”

Mark nodded his head in understanding. And I can’t deny that I am quite fascinated by Jennifer’s testimony as well. I think I am beginning to understand Lindsay’s frustration and determination in not becoming her mother a bit more. But looking at my past with Lindsay with fresh eyes, and hearing the unvarnished truth of things from a third-party not intimately acquainted with the inner-workings of the Peterson household, I’m realizing that the friction caused within the family was not necessarily because of Nancy’s supposed social climbing ambitions. It was because of Lindsay’s.

“So Ronald and Nancy Peterson weren’t the social climbing types?”

“Of course they were, but not to the point where they would try to force their way in. However, their eldest daughter tried repeatedly to do it for them…”

“Objection! Relevance?” Martin jumped up from his seat at Lindsay’s behest. But something tells me that he didn’t really want to stop the testimony of Jennifer Taylor from going forth. Mark’s countering argument and the subsequent smirk on Martin’s face confirmed it for me.

“You honor, this portion of the testimony is to establish a pattern to Lindsay Peterson’s behavior, even prior to meeting my client’s ex-husband. Believe it or not, it all ties into her recent past actions.”

“Overruled, but get there quickly, Counselor,” Judith says, and I release the breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding. I take a quick look over at Lindsay, and can’t help but recognize the frustration yet again at being thwarted.

“Thank you, your honor. So Jennifer, when was the first time you heard the name Lindsay Peterson?”

“My brother, Charles, and I have always been close. The only major disagreement we’ve ever had was in my marrying Craig Taylor, although he understood that there really wasn’t a choice for me since the alternative candidate was an even worse decision on my father’s part…”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, originally my father wanted to betroth me to Jim Stockwell. Both then, and especially now, I found the man beyond repulsive. He was like what one would imagine Satan was like talking to Eve in the Garden of Eden, should you be acquainted with the first book of the Bible. Fascinating but deadly in more ways than anyone could ever bargain for… well until later when my son was his victim. But that’s another story for another trial. Suffice it to say, that Craig seemed the more harmless of the two.”

“Thank you for that explanation, Jennifer. But why was your brother concerned at all with a young debutante?”

“Because she was making inappropriate advances towards him. My family has owned and operated the Belle Aire Country Club for many generations dating back to the 1800s. Lindsay Peterson knew this as do many others with an affinity for history and heritage. So in her quest to be included in the upper tier, she let my brother know that if he didn’t clear the way for her parents to reach the upper echelons of society, then she would make it so that he would be ousted.”

“And how did she plan to do this?”

“First, she and her first lover, whom I later found out was my husband, banded together with their common goal. You see, although I was fully accepted and respected for my initial standing within the social set, the fact that I had married down still didn’t make Craig’s ambitions a reality. Basically, he was in the same boat as the Petersons, but like Lindsay, he was supremely discontent to be so. So the two of them came up with a plan to force Charles’ hand.”

“And that plan?”

“Cry rape to cover up the fact that she was pregnant with my husband’s illegitimate child.”

I gasp hearing that; I can’t help it. What the fuck! Lindsay and Craig Taylor?! First, that is all kinds of what the YUCK! But she must have been… OH MY GOD! She must have been underage at the time.

“Do you know how old she was?”

“Yes, she was fifteen at the time, which we all know is NOT the legal age of consent. However, in Craig’s minimum defense, what man do you know that would turn down fast women? Not many, and certainly not young, fast cooch if they felt they could get away with it, and believe me Craig certainly did.”

“Objection! Your honor, can you please remind the witness that her testimony is bordering on slander and defamation of character?”

“Your honor, that would possibly be the truth, except that we have obtained permission from the district attorney, in which Miss Peterson is involved on another unrelated case, to use the evidence collected earlier this afternoon, where both Jennifer and Justin Taylor met with Craig Taylor. In his own words, he will give credence to Jennifer Taylor’s testimony.”

“Overruled, Mr. Fisher,” the judge says, and again I can see the slight smirk on the attorney’s face. Yep! Lindsay has well and truly pissed him off. “Is the recording available?”

“Yes, your honor. With the District Attorney’s permission, we had an excerpt of the meeting copied so as not to tamper with other testimonial evidence in the upcoming trials Ms. Peterson will be a part of.”

“Very well, Mr. Sullivan. I will accept the evidence. Bailiff, please play the recording.”

We all listen with bated breath as Craig admits to the affair with Lindsay, beginning back when she was fifteen years old, and the goal of such an alliance. What further shocked us was that she was prepared to try the same tricks on Brian years later, but he thwarted her at every turn. When Justin arrived on the scene, she and Craig conspired to come up with a new plan to separate them, and entrap Brian… of course each had a different definition of the word, and for entirely different reasons. However, when neither of their plots either known or unknown had panned out, they regrouped and ultimately decided to implicate her father in their foolishness, because Brian had gone to Justin’s prom.

As all of their carefully laid plans were being outed, Lindsay’s face became a mask of rage. There was no hiding from her involvement in any of this, and with Jennifer’s testimony, a pattern of immoral behavior was more than established. I look over at Jennifer, and for the first time I really see where Justin gets his strategic, mind-fucking skills, all the while wielding an iron fist encased in a velvet glove. Jennifer might have even let this pass since it didn’t involve her, but Lindsay had fucked with her baby. And an angry mother is one of the most dangerous people on the planet, which is something that Lindsay just found out in spades. DAMN!!!!

“No further questions,” Mark says, with just a hint of smugness. Honestly, I can’t blame him for it, since it’s not everyday that a defendant just digs their own grave through long past actions which have played out for a number of years into the present. “Your witness, Mr. Fisher.”

“No questions,” Martin says a touch too cheerfully, and I’m hard-pressed not to laugh. Lindsay’s nose is flaring so much and so wide, she’s resembling a fire-breathing dragon right now.

“The witness may step down,” Judith calls out. “Mr. Sullivan, please call your next witness.”

“I call Samuel Auerbach to the stand…”

I nearly choke on my saliva as I realize the implication of Amanda’s ex-husband testifying against Lindsay. I suddenly wish like hell that this was playing on a big screen in a movie theater and I had an extra large vat of hot buttered popcorn and a two-liter Pepsi. The words ‘Let’s get Ready to RUMBLE!’ is playing on autotune in my head as the scruffy fucker approaches the witness stand. After he’s sworn in and has stated his name, Mark asks for his relationship to Lindsay Peterson.

“Even though she’s used to being called my personal trampy trampoline, cum receptacle, cock hoover, or penis massager, I suppose those names are inappropriate in this setting. So I guess I’ll just call her my paid companion for when I’m in town and bored with no one else to see or do.”

Oh shit! Things are seriously about to get interesting!!