CHAPTER 4 - HAPPENSTANCE AND CIRCUMSTANCE LEAD TO A HELLO

BEN

“Hey, Ben.” Michael’s voice is almost drowned by the TV he has on very loud. “Wait, let me turn this down.” As it goes down to a manageable roar he rolls his eyes. “You are not going to believe what happened?! You will never guess, so I will tell you! Do you remember me telling you about my oldest school friend, Meredith Mercedes, well she’s in town!”

“Not Ben, and not interested!” Brian clips out, and the TV is switched off.

“Brian? What are you doing with Ben’s phone?”

“He’s in the changing room, and…”

“Room where?”

“Gucci, checking out stuff for the Awards Dinner.”

“Oh! I didn’t realise that this was tonight, I would’ve…”

“Kept your mouth shut in the hopes that I would still get you a ticket. Sorry, not sorry, but only Ben is coming with me as my guest. However, if you want to come…” I start to wave at him and shake my head. “...you can, it only costs $200 a ticket, but there is no guarantee that you would be on the same table as us.”

“Is Ben there?” He growls.

“He's but he’s changing and you know how much you hate for him to be wearing almost nothing when he’s around me. This is also why you are looking healthier these days, you don’t let him go to the gym on his own. He is as pert as ever I see. Hang on, let me give him his phone back…” I smile-scowl at him and take it, listening to the annoyed breathing on the other end. “It’s Michael.”

“Michael, I told you not to call me.”

“You...well Brian called me!” He exclaims. “So where is he? Still in the changing room with you?”

“In the...no, the fittings for the suit are on Tuesday, we are just in the store checking stuff out. So what did he call you about?”

“The Awards Dinner. I have decided that I am coming, I will buy a couple of tickets, well at least one, unless I can persuade Mercy to come.” He waits for me to ask so I don't.

“Was that all, Michael? Good because you have gotta go.”

“Be…”

We hold our chuckling for a second and then clink glasses after we get ourselves together. “I know you have explained it to me, but I must have been buzzed, just why?! Is he that good at...at something? I mean other than the comic book store, though if he says I promised to do the artwork one more time…”

“He’s asked you to do that again?!” I seethe. “When?”

“Last week.”

“And you said no, and now he’s all about caring!” I check the oven and start to put them in to get sizzly and sticky. “Seriously, where did Debs say she got the recipe from again?”

“Just a family friend.”

“Can’t be that much family, there’s a rule…”

“Huh?” He looks up from pouring.

“Whoever it was that gave her the recipe, made Debs promise that she doesn’t give any to Michael.”

“What? You mean he has never tasted them?” He starts to smile and then saunters to my side and takes out three. “Oven roast and eat in front of him.”

“With my fingers...you know how much of a stickler he is for manners!”

“Shame he’s such a mouth breather when it comes to everything else! Now enough about him, where’s the other B?” I grin and take out the game of Boggle and go and set it up.

JUSTIN AND CHRIS’S HOUSE - EARLY AFTERNOON

KITCHEN

MOLLY

“That is everything set up, you just need to unpack your stuff…” I look at the sum total of their possessions. “...which will take about five minutes!”

“We’re men, we’re don’t do clutter.” Chris jibes back.

“Uh huh. So when is the rest of your stuff coming from your folks?” I query with a smirk. “Or should that be Daph’s?”

“Don’t you have a brother to tease?” He grouses and starts to unpack the groceries.

“I do, but he’s on the phone, so you will have to do. And stand down, Conan, it’s not Dixon, he's been blocked and besides he’s smiling way too much.” He joins me at the window to watch his best friend use his feet to swing himself. “Did you even see Brian?”

“For all of two minutes, if that. He started to sing, Jay dropped his case...yep, he dropped it...went into his arms, said what they said and left.” He looks across at me. “So, Dixon?”

“Will be going to have a word with him…Mom and I, which is why I need you to find a way to occupy Daph.”

“Oh, I was hoping we could come with you…”

“No, you’ve just got out of one jail, you are not going to a real one!” I laugh and slowly he nods in agreement. “Do you know where they are going for dinner?”

“Nope, he said that he’s surprising him.” We both stare at my phone as Mom’s ringtone blares out. “I mean it, Chris, stay away. We will handle it.”

“Fine. Does he know?”

“Yep. Gotta go.” I check my purse and I have everything I need to get him to understand implicitly, then I tap the window, when Jay looks up I blow him a kiss, and after a kiss on both cheeks for Chris and Daph, I head to meet Mom...I am looking forward to this!

CHRIS

I pull a couple of beers from the pack and head to join Jay. He is looking a little disappointed. “What’s up? He’s not cancelled has he?”

“No, the place he wanted to take me is fully booked and he’s trying to find somewhere else.”

“But you are still going?”

“Yep. And as soon as I know where that is, I shall book another table for you and Daph to nonchalantly turn up at alright?”

“Thanks!” I grin and hand him the beer, we drink in silence and finally I can’t bear it. “So are you going to…”

“I hope so. But not tonight.” He regards me over the top of his bottle. “So you and Daph?”

“What about us?”

“There is something there you can’t deny that.”

“I wasn't going to…” I grin and then it falters slightly as I look him in the eye. “...speaking of something. Do you regret it?”

“The helping hand?” He lifts an eyebrow.

“Yeah. Do you?”

“Nope. You?” I shake my head. “You are going to make her very happy. She’s a bit of a size faghag.”

“If...if something happens between us, I will tell her about it.”

“Good, because if you don’t I will.”

PETERSON/DIXON RESIDENCE

SUNROOM

LINDSAY

“But why haven’t you asked him? This I do not understand, you and I both know that he is a great maestro and he would be perfect for...”

“Lindsay, for the last time, stop harping on about it. You want Justin Taylor to compose the musical score for your great opus and I said I would get him to do it, but he had to graduate first! He is an adult now, and can make his own decisions, he doesn’t need the authority of his parents to sign on the dotted line to do this.”

“Harping?” I repeat sharply. “James, it seems I need to remind you who is who in this marital arrangement and…”

“I am the one with the educational clout and contacts, which you wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near the film school without. And let’s not pretend that this is the greatest film ever to be made! You got some good reviews on a couple of short films that you produced, and you think you are Stephanie Spielberg. I would be more inclined to believe their praise if you weren’t fucking them at the time. Speaking of fucking, how is Shelby?”

“She’s fine, thank you.” I reply stiffly, not ready to admit that she has not been returning my calls since I decided to take another friend to the Awards Dinner instead of her.

“Aww, in the middle of a lover’s tiff are we?” He is gallingly smug. “What have you done this time?”

“At least I have a lover to have a tiff with. She wanted to go to the Awards Dinner, but I am taking someone else.”

“Bit mean, isn’t it? After all, she helped with a lot of the research on your masterpiece didn’t she?”

“Under my guidance she…” I frown as Bethany comes in. “...yes, what is it?”

“Mrs Jennifer Taylor and Miss Molly Taylor are here to see Master Dixon.”

“And who are they?” I demand, and, as she turns to go and enquire, the door is pushed open wider.

“The mother and sister of Justin Taylor!” An angry blonde replies, striding in followed by an equally fiery looking young lady, Bethany swiftly closes the door in the face of my glare. “And we are here to tell you, Master Dicky Dixon, to stay away from Justin!”

JAMES

Oh this is just perfect! “Mrs Taylor, Miss Taylor allow me to…”

“Carnegie fired you, Justin has moved, you are blocked on his old phone and he’s had his number changed.” Miss Taylor steps up so close that I have to move backwards just for some personal space. “We don’t want to have to repeat ourselves without words, now do we?” She reaches in her handbag and there is a small click of something that gives me pause.

“There has been a miscalculation, which I took full responsibility for, on his records, so we agreed to part company, I have another opportunity coming up…” I explain to a furious and humiliated Lindsay, she absolutely hates presenting anything less than perfection to the world! But I love having her humiliated like this!

“You trying to get into my son’s pants all the damn time and then punishing him when he rejected your loathsome advances is not a miscalculation!” She turns to Lindsay. “Put a muzzle and a leash on your husband or we will do it for you! We will find our own way out!”

Two minutes later there is still silence and I am trying very hard not to smile at her fury.

“Fix this, James, or that next opportunity of yours had better come with a house for you to live in!”

“Oh, stop threatening me with money or the house. You will never divorce me. You need a beard and I fit the bill perfectly.” She presses her lips into a thin line. “Now I am going to play golf and work out how to find Justin Taylor without his family knowing.”

“James, his family runs a security firm, he will be watched. Please, from now on let me handle this. You are being led by your very small dick, and it’s causing you to make huge mistakes! I will get Justin Taylor, you stay away!”

“Oh, now-now, Lindsay, you sound positively territorial. Are you sure it’s just his musical talents you are interested in?”

“This joke of yours, like your hair, is wearing thin. You go do your thing, and I will get Justin Taylor onside. They always say never send a boy to do a man's job! Oh, wait...you’re not a fully functioning man though, are you?!”

“It not that I don’t like pussy, I just don’t happen to like yours. My equipment works fine, as you well know having refused to let Melanie have the baby because you wanted to carry. You had a nice little set up there, but of course, you had to be the be-all-and-end-all of everything but the only thing that ended was your relationship with her. How is she doing by the way?”

“We will not speak of that!” She snaps and flounces out of the room, slamming the door hard behind her.

“We will not speak of that!” I mimic chuckling. As I head to the garage I can’t help the frisson of joy I feel at her distress. Oh yes, the great Lindsay Peterson made a colossal mistake, and it cost her the love of a good woman. She wanted a baby and I was happy to provide the necessary sperm, but they both wanted to carry. Lindsay gave her an ultimatum: she carries or they split up. Mel left the next day. That was five years ago, and is still a sore subject, but oh how I enjoy pouring salt into the wound of it!

But I know that look and how craven and determined she is when she gets like that...if she thinks she is getting him before me, she can think again!

MICHAEL’S STORE - AN HOUR LATER

BEN

“So how was your time with Brian?” He asks as he stacks the comics.

“Fine. Are you serious, about the Awards Dinner, I mean?”

“Don’t you two want me to come?” He’s got that spoiling for a fight attitude, and is working my nerves today!

“Not if you are going to be in this mood, no!”

“I am in a mood because, once more, you two cliqued up and left me out of something!”

“We didn’t clique up, you fucked up! Badly!”

“I said I was sorry! I…” He pauses as the door chimes and Emmett comes in. “I have got you on my list of people to call today Emmett.”

“Why?” He leans against the counter and starts to go through his bag.

“I will let you focus on that first, shall I?”

“I listen with my ears, and they are attuned to the pissed off tone you are directing at me. You need to check that at the door.” He says over his shoulder while still hunting through his bag.

“It is polite to face the person who is talking to you.” He sniffs, much like the Dowager in Downton Abbey.

“And I show my back to the person talking at me.” Emmett dumps his bag out and frowns.

“Mercy!” Michael suddenly yells, startling us both.

“Not that you deserve it, but why are you asking for redemption?” Emmett finally looks at him only for Michael to ignore him completely and run out of the store, he looks at me. “Well…”

“No idea.” I sigh, and then I frown at the raised voices of Michael and someone else.

“One minute, it will take one minute!”

“Fine, but let the hell go of my hand, we are not a couple!”

“Ben!” Michael comes in breathlessly. “This is...oh, will you come on!”

“Fuck off!” A terse voice snaps, then there is silence. “Want me to call Aunt Debs so she can tell you where you fucked up...again?!”

“Mercy, will you please come and meet my boyfriend and…”

“Is this a living and breathing human and not something made of Lucite with moveable parts?”

Although I should feel somewhat insulted, I can’t help the smile and neither can Emmett, but that smile turns to astonishment as in comes one of the most extraordinary looking women I have ever seen. Emmett is staring too, but at her feet.

“Eyes.” “Boots.” We say at the same time.

“Pardon?” She frowns those eyes twinkling with amusement.

“You have green eyes.” I can’t help but stare.

“Yep, so what’s bugging you about the boots?” She asks a still gawping Emmett.

“Mercy, this…”

“Not released to general public yet, only one person I know of has a pair and he hasn't worn them yet. Says he can’t get the right...” Slowly he starts to raise his head. “Autumn/Winter three years back Zenga pants. How the hell that Betty Boop buckle works with them I don’t know, but it does! Oh the tee, love that! And the jack...eyes!” He gasps. “They’re real, not contacts…”

“Emmett!” Michael exclaims. “Mer…”

“They’re real, normally I wear contacts as people tend to do what you are both doing…”

“Doing? Oh sorry but...” I begin, but Emmett has taken out his phone and is snapping away.

“Emmett, what the hell are you doing?!” Michael demands, standing in front of her.

“Move out of the way please, Michael, he needs to see this outfit!” Emmett orders, but he holds his ground.

“You have my permission to continue, Emmett, now move, Michael.”

“Thank you, uh, Mercy he called you, correct?” Emmett queries as he waves a steaming Michael out of the way.

“Her full name is Meredith Mercedes, but only her best friend gets to call her Mercy.” Michael boasts.

Another flash of amusement in her eyes. “Call me Mercy, Emmett, and as you are the only other person here, you have to be Ben. You can call me Mercy too. I have to ask...seriously dating? You two? Want me to turn around, Emmett? Need to see the drape of the tee?”

“Drape. You said drape!” Emmett says nodding. “Where do you work that you dress like that and know those words?”

“Thanks!” Michael snorts. “What’s wrong with the idea of us dating?!”

“With me.” A voice calls from the door and we all turn to see an elderly man smiling gently. “And I pay her handsomely enough to dress like that, though it took a special call for the boots.”

“Who?” Emmett has now torn his gaze from Mercy and is looking awestruck at the man...who is looking at him with equal, if not more, admiration.

“George, for goodness sake! There was no need for you to come!”

“I had two kisses blown, you only do that when you are very upset.” He steps in completely, carrying a box. “So I bought you these and wanted to see you do it up close.” He hands her the box and she leans over and kisses him on the cheek.

“You didn’t have to, but I am glad that you did. Now then, let me do the introductions…”

“I am Michael, her best friend.” He states, standing in front of her like some bodyguard. “And you are?”

“George, as you heard me call him. Now…”

“This is Ben, my boyfriend of five years, and this gawping statue is Emmett. So George, how do you know Mercy?”

George is looking at Michael in disbelief. “Well aren’t you rude?! Mercy, I will see you later, perhaps we can do dinner and you can tell me about your plans...at Jernigan’s, and you can have one of these while you are there. Ben and Emmett, it was a pleasure to meet you both. The same…” He looks at Michael. “...cannot be said for you.”

“Hold up, George. Emmett, do you need more pictures, or can I get out of here?”

“Two more, they won’t take long, and George, can I have her first tonight?” He bats his eyes at him. “She needs to meet someone, he won’t believe it unless he sees it. We will be quick, I promise.”

“Who are you talking about?” George again has that look.

“My friend and Ben’s best friend, Brian. He is a complete clothes whore, and she is him in girl form.”

“Brian?” Michael rolls his eyes. “Didn't you see enough of him last night in the store with Ben?”

“I didn’t…”

“So you weren’t at Gucci last night then?! Well where were you two?!” His tone is accusatory as usual. Yeah, he’s right, we did fudge a bit, but this tone and his bitchiness is all I seem to hear these days!

“I don’t...if you had let me finish...work at Gucci, so I wouldn’t have seen them if they were there.”

“You don't believe they were there either?”

“Excuse us! Emmett, here is my card, call me about tonight. Ben, lovely to meet you. George, let’s go, and Michael...you won’t have him for another five minutes if you don't calm down! He is your boyfriend, not chattel.”

“He's not a bull, I know that! I don’t like being lied to, and…” The rest of his sentence dies on his lips as she and George walk out, shutting the door firmly behind them.

“Oh my god!” Emmett squeals and clutches her card to his throat before quickly stuffing everything back in his bag. “I've got to go. Got to see Mari!” He barely pauses to do it up before he is rushing out the door.

“What was that about?” Michael stares at the closed door for a few seconds before turning back to me with his inquisitor expression. “So…”

“Before you begin, remember what Mercy said.” I snap as I feel anger boil in my spine...or maybe it is me forming a backbone. “I am not your chattel, not cattle like you thought she said. I was with my best friend, and no we hadn’t been at Gucci…”

“So you lied?”

“I didn’t lie, I went along. Brian called you, remember, and…”

“Went along is still lying, and you didn't call him out yesterday when he called me a dipshit.”

“You were a dipshit to him, hence the not calling out and going along. And you are being a dipshit still. I shall see you...”

“This evening? It is date night, and I have booked us…”

“Take a mirror for company.” I grab my things and walk out.

MARILYN’S HOUSE OF LOVE AND MAGIC - HALF AN HOUR LATER

MARILYN

I nod slowly and stroke the card. “Green eyes?”

“Yes! Green like an emerald, and when she gave me the card, I felt it, I felt the danger. You said this person was good!”

“And they are. She is not the danger.” He almost faints in relief. “Something that is to do with green is. And green does not necessarily mean colour. But I have to agree with you on the outfit, it would look perfect on him. Now you just need to figure a way to get him to Jernigan’s…”

“Hello!” The answer to our prayers calls out.

“In here, Daphne!” I call back, and she pokes her head through the curtain. “Just on the chaise, my dear, which one gave it to you?”

She nods as she picks up the scarf and puts it in her bag. “They both did.” She smiles. “Thanks for keeping it safe.”

“No problem, any progression on the date front?”

“They are trying to find somewhere after their table fell through.” She sighs crossly and I watch Emmett slowly start to smile. “You guys know anywhere?”

“Yes, a lovely place called Jernigan’s. It is a bar slash…”

“Cigar place! I would love to go there! We’re shadowing them, with Jay’s approval.” She adds quickly.

“Let me see what I can do.” Emmett is already dialling, and ten minutes later two tables have been secured plus a seat by the window.

“Oh, you are just annoying and wonderful! I have to change my outfit now! Bye!”

“So why are we sitting by the window too?” He asks as I lead him to the door.

“Because we have to.” I tell him feeling my heart soar. “Because we have to.”

As I watch my dear soothsayer sashay down the street, all I can feel is happiness amongst the darkness. He has finally found his King.