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CHAPTER 31 - RECREATING, A RECOLLECTION AND RECOGNITION PART 2

 

THERMAL SPA AND RESORT, BATH - EVENING, A DAY LATER

 

BRIAN AND JUSTIN'S BEDROOM

 

BRIAN

 

I sigh, get onto my elbows, and clear my throat; he pauses mid suck and stroke and looks both puzzled and insulted.

 

“Am I boring you?!” He huffs, sitting between my legs.

 

“No, Justin, I just want to know what you are doing?”

 

“What am I doing?!” He stands at the side of the bed hands on hips, our cocks are now doing the same thing, deflating. “I know we haven't fucked in a long time, but surely you recognise a blowjob when you are being given one?!”

 

“I wasn't aware that we hadn't fucked in a long time, thought we hadn't made love in a few days.” I get up and pull on my briefs. “And let me try the question differently; why were you doing the blowjob that way?”

 

“I thought it would be something you would like, clearly I was wrong!”

 

“It is something I like…” I grind out, feeling my temper starting to rise. “...but to watch, not to have done to me!” His mouth drops open and he blinks rapidly. “It can't be coincidence that we have just watched Faintaway and now you’re gumming and pawing at me like a dog with its favourite chew toy!”

 

“Gumming at you?!” He snarls before looking wildly around. “Where are my clothes?!”

 

“Lounge!” I snap back. “Maybe sleep in there so you can calm the fuck down and think about what I said!”

 

“How about I choose another room?!” He glowers.

 

“That is another room!”

 

He turns heel and stomps to get dressed. I can hear him muttering about ungrateful boyfriends who don't appreciate romance.

 

“That wasn't romantic!” I storm as I follow him.

 

“Oh, I am so sorry I didn't measure up to your many boyfriends, I would’ve tried harder but I wasn't aware I was being compared!”

 

“Compare...you aren't being compared! Well I am not doing that, seems you are!”

 

“WHAT?!”

 

“When you watched porn before with your previous boyfriends, is this what you did straight after?!”

 

He freezes and gapes at me. “What was wrong with it, who doesn't like porn sex?!”

 

“Again to watch not recreate!” Now my hands are on my hips to stop myself from shaking him. “I want quickies, hot fumbles, deep love making, hard sex, not something that was created by the worryingly overactive imagination of a fourteen year old girl and her boyfriend!” Inhaling slowly for the count of five, I let it out for the count of ten. “So what did you do with boyfriends?” He doesn't say anything, just sighs. “Justin?”

 

“Never had a boyfriend.” He replies quietly and I am stunned.

 

“But all the things you said you've done, you said that…”

 

“Like I said, we were drunk, curious, and, in my case, horny. And it was a long weekend. We never did it again; I couldn't just go out and...”

 

Now I am gaping and blinking. “You've only been with Chris?!” I slowly join him by the sofa then point at the seat. I am relieved when he plops down.  I tilt his head up, slowly he raises his eyes to my face. “Does Daphne know everything?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well, that explains the contortionist side of you.” I give him a small smile, which again to my relief he returns. “Okay, so why did you feel you had to do that? First time we had sex, it was great, exhausting but great, and I love having sex with you, but I want to have it with you, not some guy on screen.” He goes to speak but I shake my head. “Maroush, the guy in the film, who did he do that blowjob with?” He frowns. “Some random guy he just met. And yeah, that was a hot scene, but the even hotter scene was between Maroush and…”

 

“Barek, the guy he truly loves.” His eyes drop and his cheeks pinken. “I am an idiotic neophyte.”

 

“Yes you are, but a very sexy, idiotic neophyte. Want to come back to bed and cuddle?”

 

“Can we have a shower first? I know that I am quoting the film, but I just want to wash it away...”

 

“Wash away what…” I begin warily, remembering those words perfectly.

 

“The row.” He sighs.

 

I pull him flush against me. “And who said that to who?” I whisper against his lips, again he goes pink. “Who?”

 

“Maroush to Barek.” He mumbles planting a soft kiss. “Just before he said he loves him and only him…”

 

“Exactly!”

 

MICHAEL’S HOUSE - SAME TIME

 

LOUNGE

 

MICHAEL

 

My hands are shaking as I pour myself a very large vodka. Arson! I can’t believe they accused me of arson! Swallowing half the glass quickly, I almost bring it straight back up but force it down, then I reach for my phone but my hands are trembling so much that I drop it and the screen cracks after it hits the side of the table.

 

“Shitting hell!” I bellow. I finish the glass and then try to settle my racing heart. “I don’t care how mad, or where they are, they need to speak to me now, and the first person that needs to speak to me and offer me comfort is Ben!” Twenty minutes later, I have tried all three of them; Ben, Ma and Uncle Vic, and not one of them has picked up. I am about to try Mercy when her number flashes on screen. “Mercy! Oh thank God!” I blubber, and she sighs. “Wait, let me put you on speaker, you will not believe what has happened?!”

 

“You got arrested for arson on Lindsay Peterson’s studio.” She answers wearily. “What in hell’s name were you thinking?! Why is it that you do punk-ass nasty things like this when you don’t get your own way or someone punishes you for your behaviour?!”

 

“But I didn't do it!” I yell, tears of frustration pouring down my face. “I was released…”

 

“Without charge?” She demands.

 

“Well no, but…”

 

“Then they think you might have done it!”

 

“But I didn’t! I promise you!”

 

“Just like you said you didn’t make that call after the Oscars!” She bites back.

 

“I apologised for that!”

 

“No you didn’t. You said what do I need to do...not the same. Now, you made this mess so clean it!”

 

“But Mercy, I really need to speak to someone who cares. I am really…”

 

“Not me. Not interested. Have to catch a flight to London. Might I suggest you speak to your accomplices? After all, you aren’t the type to get his hands dirty!”

 

“I didn’t do this!”

 

But she’s already hung up. I pour myself another vodka and think about all that has befallen me and come to one conclusion. I need to make a couple more calls. The first one is to my lawyer, who didn’t turn up and I was saddled with a court one who was next to useless; and then to those shitheads who deserve them!

 

THERMAE SPA AND RESORT, BATH - FIVE MINUTES LATER

 

MERCY'S ROOM

 

DEBS

 

“Ems, what is Marilyn saying?! Ems?!” I demand, but he waves at me to be quiet as he paces, his phone clamped to his ear. Ten minutes ago we were sipping whisky and making lists of the whiskies we are going to buy tomorrow, then Marilyn called Ems. At first I was annoyed that she didn't call us the minute he was arrested, but then Carl explained that she did the right thing by finding out as much as possible and then calling Ems.

 

“Okay, Marilyn, we will see you on Friday. Shush, there are times when only the full name will do, and this is one of those times.” He hangs up and then accepts the whisky that George has poured with a small smile. “Thanks.” He finishes it in two gulps then splutters a bit. “Ooh, that was a bit of a mouthful!” He coughs a couple of times and I am fighting not to pour water down his neck to speed this along! “So, it seems that the studio was set on fire whilst they were still inside, total gut, but the Ethan guy got them out with minor injuries. Michael could not account for his whereabouts at the time and petrol was found in his store, also his fingerprints were found on the door handle of the back door where the fire started.”

 

“Jesus!” Mercy snarls before scrubbing her face. “So, we…” She pauses as her phone rings. “Hey, Mel...let me speaker this!” She puts it on the table and hits the button. “Go.”

 

“Have you heard about Lindsay's studio?”

 

“Yep. How'd you find out?” Mercy rolls her glass between her hands.

 

“She called me. Everything is gone. It's like he went through and poured petrol everywhere.”

 

“Again, Jesus! What the hell was he thinking?!”

 

“Who? Sorry, it's Leda now, Mel had to go to the bathroom.”

 

“Bath…” Mercy looks worried.

 

“Peeing like a racehorse, not puking. Stand down, Godmom, all is fine.”

 

“Good. So the who is Michael, the best friend…”

 

“As a matter of interest, why does he think you are his best friend, Mercy?” Ems asks, picking up Brian's pad and smiling at the drawing he did of Justin dozing on the sofa with his head in Daphne’s lap last night. “Like I said, the aura is completely wrong.”

 

“I’m his best friend when it suits him.” She scoffs. “Until someone better comes along. Case in point, his first boyfriend…”

 

“Derek?” I frown and think some more. “Yes, Derek was his name. What about him? Hadn’t you moved by then?”

 

“His first boyfriend was called Adam.” She takes a sip. “And he was his Eve.”

 

“No, his first boyfriend was Derek, I met him. We both did, didn’t we Vic? He was 15, and…”

 

“Not his first boyfriend, that was the first boyfriend you met. His very first boyfriend was a guy in another school. I knew him before Michael and he begged me to introduce them, so I did, and within a few days they were dating, and I became Michael’s best friend for bestowing this great gift on him - the gift of secrecy. I found out afterwards that whenever he was with Adam he told you he was with me! Oh, I was so pissed, because I ceased to exist, I had served my purpose and he spent all of his time with Adam, whether Adam wanted to or not!”

 

“Oh dear.” Ems sighs, pausing in his flicking through the pad. “Let me guess, they had sex and then Adam dumped him.”

 

“Faster than a red hot poker.” She only smirks a little. “And then of course, I met Billy, and you know the rest.”

 

“Holy fuck!” Ems suddenly exclaims, staring at the picture.

 

“What? What’s wrong?!” Leda calls out, startling us all as we had forgotten she was there.

 

“Barney, is this the guy that Justin recognised as Ethan?!” He turns the pad and Barney nods. “I know him too! It was only briefly, but it was epic!”

 

“What was? What are you…”

 

“Brian turned him down with utmost bitchiness!” There is an astonished silence as Ems scrutinises the picture again. “Yep, definitely him! He was very drunk when he approached him. I had just come in to check on him…”

 

“On Ethan? Why?” George looks horrified.

 

“Not Ethan. Brian was very drunk. I was making sure he didn’t fall over and hurt himself. When I got there he had just finished turning this Ethan guy down and puked on his shoes for good measure!”

 

“Emmett, are you absolutely sure about this?” Barney demands, and Ems nods furiously.

 

“And I also remember the look on his face when I was helping Brian to stand up and told him to apologise. He refused, and Ethan looked, well he looked murderous.” He turns to George. “There is no way you are meeting him alone!”

 

ETHAN’S APARTMENT - TWO HOURS LATER

 

BATHROOM

 

ETHAN

 

I love baths. Nothing better than to soak away the day, especially the day I have had. I grimace at the slight burn on my arm from where I had a bit of a blow back when I started the fire, and putting the can in his store was a bit of a hassle, but in the end it worked out fine.

 

“Well, James, you got what you wanted, shame you aren’t here to toast the destruction of her film empire. She is such a ridiculously pompous and untalented person, it was a service to the industry that her works are now ash!”

 

I dip under the water, and as I surface I think back to our few phone calls together. He had just walked out and was at her studio, or her haven from your monstrousness as she called it, oh how he bitched. He ranted about wanting to turn her heaven into hell, I thought it was just angry talking when he said he wanted me to burn her place down and how much he would pay me. But when he called later, sounding drunk and demanding I do it, I pointed out that I knew something about him that he didn’t think I knew, and if he didn’t stop bothering me, I would let the authorities know. He said I knew shit so I told him. I told him that I saw him stab Kinney. And that’s when he wrapped his car around a tree.

 


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