CHAPTER 31 - MOTHERS AND A FATHER
MICHAEL
I want to vomit! I can’t tell him what we’ve actually done! Thank goodness we were only kissing! I look across at George, willing him not to say anything, to let me handle it.
“Okay, there was the odd kiss on the lips, just a peck but nothing else. For once, we were both of the same mind: we wanted to wait, and not rush into things!” I almost collapse against the table in relief. “He said he had strong feelings for me, now we know what they are!”
As dad thinks about this, I glance at Lindsay. Why don’t I like that look on her face?!
WOODY’S - NEXT DAY
CELLAR
JEWEL
I check the wines once more, then smile at the humming. Ems is trotting down the stairs and he’s glowing. “What’s happened?” I halt his progress so I can watch him answer. Blushing, he is blushing! “More accurately, when did whatever happen with Drew?” He fiddles with his bag strap, he does not fiddle without a reason! “Oh wow, I thought you would wait a bit longer for….”
“A kiss, that’s all! I am not ready for that yet. What kind of lady do you think I’m not!” He glares at me, but I know Ems. “I concede, there was a lot of lovely kissing! And he likes me to read him recipes whilst he cooks them. I forgot how nice it is to kiss.” He opines whilst taking out a bottle of Zinfandel. “Preprandials!” He declares before quickly opening it. “So are we all set for tasting tonight?”
“Yep, although we might need to do some bolstering of a nervous Debs…”
“Piffle. Like it was said at that infamous dinner, once they know who’s behind the wheel, then it will be fine. Besides, Blake will be with her, so it’s all good in the hood.”
“You know them best. But the trout has been very quiet.” I sigh. “Mel and I have been talking…” He stops pouring. “...just talking. She’s told me what her normal modus operandi is, says this is too quiet. Leda…
“Also not on the cheerleading team…” He smirks.
“Definitely not!” I giggle then sip. “Well she agrees, so I think something bad is coming.”
“And what does Pearl have to say?” He grins, then checks his watch. “And she is where exactly?”
“She doesn't have a viewpoint.” He stops drinking. “She’s concentrating on all things Ben, Leda and Hunter. And when she is here in ten minutes, she can tell you!”
BRITIN - SAME TIME
STUDY
BRIAN
“So how do you feel about it?” I ask Brandon, who is shellshocked. “Bran, how do you feel?”
“How would you feel? I mean you’ve never…”
“I have…” His jaw drops. “...and it felt great! You just need to have the right person and be in the right frame of mind.”
“When?!”
“Yesterday.” I smile as I remember how Justin made me feel. How tenderly after we woke up, and showered, he checked and applied some balm before we fell asleep in his room. “Why haven't you, as a matter of interest?”
“Like you, always topped from the get-go, but…” He swallows hard. “...he’s wide, long is fine, but wide, he’s wide!”
“I can’t believe I am repeating this, but Michael…” I wave my glass at him, he pours in another shot from the bottle of rum he brought with him. “...would sometimes try to embarrass Ben by describing their couplings in great detail. He seems to be a tender and thoughtful lover.” I catch a shift in his eyes. “What? Me and Ben?” He shrugs. “He’s a great friend, that’s all. I don’t, and never will shit where you eat.” We snicker, then sit in silence for a few seconds. “Just tell him how you feel. He’s got a lot of admiration for you, so he won’t do anything you don’t want to do.”
“I think I may have fucked that up a bit.” He looks sheepish. “Before he said anything, we were fooling around, he asked, I got dressed, left and came straight here.”
“Bran!” I glare at him. “Call him now and say you want to explain why you reacted that way! Get him to come here and bring Mel and Lynette! Being eight minutes older has not made you wiser!”
“Why Mel and Lynette?!” He frowns.
“Seems if you take a jealous old bint out of the way, a beautiful friendship can be struck up!”
WOODY’S - FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER
KITCHEN
PEARL
I know I am irking my dad, but this needs to be said carefully. “So, a couple of days back, I was walking Holmes and Watson with Aunt Leda...oh, that smells so nice! What is it?! I can't believe we haven’t seen the menu yet!”
“After you’ve told us, not before!” Blake orders as he tests a pie. “Perfectly cooked, Debs. And I know how much you love pie…”
“Okay, speed talking it is!” I declare. “Spotted Uncle Ben and called out to him…”
Start of flashback
DOG WALKER’S PATH - TWO DAYS PRIOR
PEARL
“Hey, Uncle Ben!” I holler as he runs past. At first I don’t think he’s going to stop, but then he jogs on the spot. “All by your lonesome?!” I smile.
“Nope! I am trying to build up the stamina of that boy of mine, but he’s on the phone to Gus at the moment. Said he shouldn’t take...what are you doing here?!”
“I live with you, remember?!” Hunter replies as he passes me.
“Not you, her!”
“Pearl, lives with her mom. She moved here recently...mom!”
“Mom?!” I gasp as I turn to a smiling Aunt Leda. “How is she Mom?!”
“Your Mom hasn’t explained this to you yet?” Aunt Leda grins wider. “Well, come give me some loving you two!” I gape as they rush towards her, virtually fighting to hug her first. “Stop babble-blasting me so I can explain!” She laughs. “I told you about my friend that I had to rep when she took the blame for something her daughter did?”
They nod, then slowly turn to look at me. “No frigging way!” Hunter splutters. “Do Gus and Jenny know?! No, they can’t, Gus would’ve told me!”
“Aunt Leda!” I grumble.
“Oops, sorry. And then there’s the other friend, her name is Mel. Seems she needs some help with her soon-to-be-ex wraith of a wife…”
End of flashback
Apart from the bubbling of the pans, ticking of the clock, and maybe their blinking, the room is quiet.
“Wraith of a wife?” Dad repeats. “So when I next see her, I can say Lindsay, WOW! Loving that!”
“What did you do?” Uncle Blake asks.
“Destruction of property. A car and a violin. He hurt my friend, so I hurt what he loves just a shade more than himself!”
“She did a wonderful job.” Mom kisses my head. “So proud. But back to the trout, Leda is staying with Hunter until she plays...” Mom glares a tittering Uncle Blake into silence.
I look at Dad who is trying not to smile. “I thought you were being too nice! Explain trout to me!”
“Oh man!” She sighs. “Nobody repeats this outside of this room!”
BRITIN - HALF AN HOUR LATER
LOUNGE
LYNETTE
“I don’t actually understand your ‘wide’ issue.” I sip my G&T, then realise. “You’ve never had anything or anyone touch you there, have you?” We wait for a blushing Brandon to confirm my suspicions, he does by nodding.
“Nobody?!” Brian gasps. “And nothing?! But you said long was fine earlier!”
“Wow.” Ben breathes. “I did wonder why you would shift. Never thought that was the reason.”
“So yeah...found the problem, what about a solution?” Mel rallies.
“Hmm.” I look at Ben's hands, specifically his fingers. “Could you show him what it feels like to do that? For me...it was vaginismus, so a physical thing, but I think that this is in your head, Brandon. You think it is going to hurt, so you don’t do it. And I bet that everyone you’ve had sex with has been surprised at your gentleness? As with Brian, they bought into the image you sold them but instead of wham-bam-and-done, you are the opposite?” Now the room is silent with everyone just gaping at me. “Sorry…” I stutter. “...that was…”
“Accurate, and beautifully put.” Brandon gets up to refill his glass. “So, um...what do I do about that?”
“We. What do we do about it?” Ben corrects him with a smile. “Well, I suggest that we all go and get ready for the tasting at Woody’s. But you and I will discuss this tomorrow.”
“And when you’re done discussing, we three are going shopping.” Brian declares.
“Shop...oh yeah, we three are doing that!” Ben guffaws whilst Brandon finishes his drink. “It will be fun!”
“My boyfriend and brother helping me buy my first sex toy, yeah fun!” He grumps but he is smiling.
“Oh, by the by, where’s Justin?” I ask.
“Said he had errands to run, will be back in time for the tasting.” Brian replies.
OUTSIDE JACK KINNEY’S HOUSE - SAME TIME
JUSTIN
I watch him get out of the car, lock it, then stride to the door. “Jack!” A woman’s voice calls out, he turns in surprise. “You are looking well.” She smiles.
“What the hell are you doing here?!” He snarls.
“I wanted…”
“Get away from me!” He spits.
“Please, Jack, I just want to know one thing!” She cries.
“Get on with it.”
She seems to be glaring at him. “Have you seen him lately?”
“Seen who?” He retorts.
“Brandon. We’ve had a falling out, I thought he might have come home. Home to you where he felt safest.” She starts to weep. “I just want to see my son, to explain!”
“Your son?” He regards her coldly before smirking. “Ah, I see, he found out, didn't he? And what about Brian, you know the other son? Why aren’t you asking about him?!”
She stiffens. “I have heard that he’s thriving, but Brandon is the…”
“The one that looks most like Carl, you know the real love of your life after booze?!” He snaps. She flinches. “And I smell that you’ve not given that up!”
“And what are you?! Sober now?!”
“Five years clear!” Hers is not the only jaw that drops. “I have debated reaching out to Brian to apologise and to tell him it wasn’t just me. It wasn’t just me that beat him. And now that you are back, I will. I will tell him that the worst beating he ever got was at the hands of you, the night before you left.”
JUSTIN’S CAR - AN HOUR LATER
I have just been sitting here disbelieving what I have seen, heard, but, thankfully, recorded.
I reach for my phone and dial a friend. “Hi, Daph, can you clear your diary for the weekend, please? I have just found out something, and this really needs you. Why? Because their worlds are going to be rocked to their foundations. Thanks, Daph.”