MERCY

I sigh and look at my hands for a few seconds. “You don’t have to answer that.” Caleb strokes my arm. “And I truly loved it.”

“I couldn’t. It was bad enough finishing it without him, but to have to hear his voice, on…”

“I get it. Too raw.” His smile is gentle.

“Speaking of raw.” His snickering is filthy sounding...we like filthy sounding! “Clean thoughts, young man!” I chide him. “I don’t suppose you have a copy of what he wanted to do with Brian? Michael, I mean?”

“I can get it for you, but I would need an email address.”

“Okay, after the date. Which we have to…”

“Are you two making out in there?!” Debs hollers and I haul him laughing off the sofa. “Or something else?!”

“Nothing other than talking!” I return, opening the door and setting her upright as she slightly stumbles. “As you could hear…are you bored without us?”

“No, but things have just gotten interesting…” She points to where we were. I see Leda glowering at Michael. “...seems that someone has done his usual horning thing!”

“Hello, Michael! How lovely to see you...” We arrive back in time to the annoying voice of Lindsay Peterson-Dixon! “...I hope I am not late.”

“Late?!” Leda and I demand at the same time.

“Ah, Merc…” Lindsay begins, but I shake my finger at her and she takes the hint!

“Fill me in!” I seethe at Michael.

“I invited her.” Michael snaps at me then smiles at Lindsay, I feel my hackles start to rise. “I apologise for her rudeness, Lindsay. Now this is Justin Taylor, I told you that…”

“Mr Taylor, it is an absolute honour to meet someone of your calibre and talent!” She gushes and holds out her hand, but Brian stops him from taking it. “I understand your reluctance, but my husband’s actions - well soon to be estranged husband’s actions - should not in any way reflect on me.

“Except they do.” Justin retorts, and then fixes Michael a hard stare. “What is she doing here?”

“She wants to talk to you about doing the music for her movie as well as the one for us. However, her’s is an action movie and slightly ahead in production, whilst ours is still at ideas stage. Are we still doing animation? I think we are, so you could do hers first.”

Lindsay puts her hand on Michael’s arm and he nods at her to continue. “Although that was the intention of this little tete-a-tete, I have another request. I would like Mr Kinney to direct it in some capac…”

“What?!” “No!” Michael and Brian say at the same time.

“Please, could you reconsider? You’ve not even read the script yet.”

“I don’t need to read it! I am not having anything to do with anyone who’s husband stalks my boyfriend or is friends with him!” He jerks his finger in Michael’s chest. “Now go away, you three, we who…”

“Wait! What have I done?!” Barney exclaims

“Apart from screwing him behind Ben’s back?” Justin is looking at Barney’s work. “But your styles really do compliment each other, Brian.” Now the table gets quieter as I join him in checking it out. “Can you take that out of the equation, because it would be excellent...”

“What that?” I frown, and then realise what he is talking about. “That doable? Yeah, he did him, but he’s not the one that was in a relationship.”

“Uh, what is going on?” A man approaches, looking scathingly at Lindsay. Both Brian and Ben’s faces darken as they stand, and Chris starts to make his way from the patio. “Lindsay, what are you doing here?!”

“Conducting my own business, Mr Dixon, now kindly leave us!” She declares heatedly.

“You heard your soon-to-be ex, you are definitely not sticking around!” Brian snaps, and stands in front of Justin, who looks temporarily peeved but then pleased. “What part of that are you not hearing?!”

“And you are?!” He snaps haughtily.

“Brian Kinney, the boyfriend, the extremely protective boyfriend of Justin Taylor. And you are James Dixon, his former teacher! You were told by his family, now I am warning you...stay.away.from.him!”

“Everyone shut up and sit down, except for you two over by the bar!” Leda declares,  glaring at Lindsay and her husband before turning to Mel. “You two okay?”

“Absolutely fine, it’s quite entertaining actually!”

“Excuse me, Laura, but you don’t tell me where and when to conduct my business!”

Leda ignores her jibe regarding her name with a smile. “We three own this business, but don’t want to give you the pleasure of carping about mistreatment.”

“And that should be three of them over there.” George declares, and everyone looks at him. “Including Michael. You aren't part of this group remember? No NDA and not wanted either!”

“What about Barney?!” He exclaims, remaining in his seat.

“Barney, if you could please join them.” George asks politely. Barney nods curtly and stands, leaving them no other choice but to follow.

I uncurl my fists and shake my head. “As dates go it has been…”

“As Mel said, quite entertaining!” Caleb chuckles, and again rubs my arm. “But next time, how about I choose the place and it is just the two of us?”

“Deal!” I grin back at him and then look across at the four interlopers. “Wonder what that is about?”

“He horned in on your date, let's return the favor and stoke the fire of the row between bed buddies.” Ben snipes, and starts to walk across.

“Go, we will order!” Leda waves us away, so Brian and I follow Ben.

We catch the end of Barney’s fuming. “So what on earth did you show them?!”

“That!” Michael gestures behind us. “Like I said, he is flaky at the best of times and has, yet again, reneged on a promise. Something I doubt Lindsay will do.”

“What does she have to with anything?” Barney demands.

“Since, as George said, we are unwanted, then you won't have a problem with us working with Lindsay on her film with a side comic instead, will you? It is easily adaptable, isn't it? We will keep this a friendly rivalry, won’t we, Mercy?”

All eyes turn to me, the gleam in Michael’s rankle. Her husband is trying not to drool over Justin, so she drags him away, and Barney is astounded.

MICHAEL

I watch Mercy carefully. I know the work that Barney did is very good and I am this close to being let in, and then I will play my coup de gras. “The dialogue, co-written by me, can be changed and…”

“Hang on...” Barney interrupts sharply. “...can I see it?”

I glare at him. “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I took tips, you know, from the great and late Nathanial Sykes.” She flinches and Barney’s eyes widen. The things I…”

“Oh my god, you’re Meredith Sykes! Do you have it on you, Michael? You know, your great love story, your precious?” I glare again as I have never known him to be this rude or this sarcastic, something in his tone is very off!

“Barnabus, I understand that you are upset at Brian’s behaviour and continual disappointment, but kindly take it out on him and not me. I am trying to salvage the situation as best I can. Now stop making, as you said before, a scene! As I was..”

“Do you have it, Brian?” Barney turns to look at him who frowns. “I want to see what you said no to, judging by the reaction when you saw that…” He points to the folio on the table. “...well, let’s just say I am curious.”

Brian starts to flick through his phone, then gives it to him with a snide look at me while Mercy looks over his shoulder. She then bursts out laughing. “You aren’t serious about that still?!” She guffaws, and I glare at her. Much to my surprise and annoyance, she seems to relish the look and gives it back tenfold. “You’re the one that wants to suck up to me, to join our merry band of talent, but to try and get a man of Brian’s calibre to even touch that! For crying out loud, you were eleven! Couldn’t you have finessed them a bit?!”

“Mercedes!” I gasp, embarrassed, and I daren’t look at Barney. First I need to explain this away!

“Give me that!” I try to snatch the phone, but Ben gets it first. He pockets it and blows Brian a kiss, which he returns.

“Eleven?” Ben smirks. “Well that explains a lot. Childish and childhood scribblings is a perfect description of them!”

“Mercedes! Obviously that was…”

“What? I am nothing but honest. You drew that when you were eleven! And let me guess the plot: it’s about a man that lusts about a young naive man who he is too scared to approach, and…”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.” Brian frowns before scowling at me. “If you were about to say that this wasn't the...ahem...comic that you wanted me to do with you, then why did you show it to me every time you banged on about it?!”

“Yes, do explain that, Michael!” Barney storms before turning to Ben. “Looks like he screwed me too, at least he was better at fucking me over than he is at fucking. Reaped what I sowed there, I guess.” He turns back to me. “We’re never going to meet again and that is copywritten in my name only…” I gasp and flinch at his cold smile. “...I said I might have you added, not that I would!”

“So only you own that?” Mercy points back at the comic and he nods. “So is it doable? George, got a second?!” He comes over quickly. “Have you been reading?”

“The artwork is almost on a par with Brian.” He smiles at Barney.

“George Schickel!” Lindsay declares, having finished her heated discussion with her husband in a booth, I watch him stalk out as she rejoins us. “How…”

“I don't have the qualms of Leda…” Mercy takes a step closer to Lindsay, but steps back again when George taps her arm. “...and since this is now all about business, and you are, allegedly, my competition, you need to leave, Mrs Peterson-Dixon. Shame you won’t leave the film industry with the same speed that Jambo is going to help you leave here!”

“I will repeat my earlier order, keep your husband away from Justin!” Brian snarls, and points at the door. Lindsay pauses briefly before nodding and starting to leave. “And the answer is still no!”

“As you wish. For now!” She calls back over her shoulder. “I am very persuasive, as you will find out!”

“Brian, can we go?” Justin comes up to us sounding like a bored two year old

“Go? What for?” He looks annoyed. “Justin, I have told you before when it comes to talking bus…” He stops and stares at the page Justin is showing him. “...sign him! I promise to  bring it back...clean! Hustle-hustle!” I watch in disbelief as they sprint out of the bar taking the comic with them!

“So you want in?” Mercy asks Barney, and my stomach flips. We are in! “George has an NDA that he can send you now…”

“Are you kidding?!” Barney cries, fumbling in his pocket. “It would be a honour! My card!” He almost throws it at the old fossil. I smile smugly at him and clear my throat.

“Barney, you need to send that to me when you get it, you agreed that we would…”

“And you agreed to show Brian my work. Look how that worked out!”

“Barney, this was a ruse so that…”

“Bullcrap!” Mercy laughs. “Oh, that has backfired badly, Spielberg!” Ben joins her in her laughter. “So what is going to be the collateral? It has to be something tangible, something you wouldn't want to lose.”

He thinks for a few seconds before looking me dead in the eye. “This watch. I would hate to lose it, because of who I thought was my friend, but that time is past. It is worth $8K…”

“But that still leaves you over $90K short.” Ben points out coolly.

“I have a house. It is worth over double that.” He smiles in the face of my incredulity as I remember what she called him earlier and what she said. “Yeah, like you I’ve my own secrets. Cederic Craven earned me more than being a cop did.” His phone beeps and he smiles at George. “Okay, signed. Shall we go celebrate our collaboration?”

“But...but Barney, what about the com…”

“The only comic you have is that...now what did you call it, Ben?”

“Excrement.”

“Yes, that. Now, as you don’t have an NDA, and it is you that is unwanted, leave or I will call some of my former colleagues to remove you!”

MICHAEL’S HOUSE - 40 MINUTES LATER

KITCHEN

MICHAEL

I throw the glass across the room in fury! How could they?! How could they do that to me, especially Barney and Mercy?! Brian and, it seems, Ben have always been traitorous, but this is a new level of cruelty! As I pick up the pieces and put them in the trash can, I try to think of a way to get in with Lindsay instead, Mercy forgets that I paid attention when her father was filming, I could tell Lindsay a lot.

As I take another glass out of the cupboard, I smile as it was Ben’s favorite one that I have just broken, then frown. What was the look between George and Mercy when Barney said he was a cop?