CHAPTER 32 - MORE ABOUT JEWEL AND LET’S GO SHOPPING

JEWEL AND PEARL’S HOUSE - NEXT MORNING

KITCHEN

PEARL

I have to play this perfectly, so I keep concentrating on breakfast. I think back to last night when I saw a text from Aunt Jen on mom’s phone, summoning her to lunch, and I knew what to do.

“Pearl?” Mom calls down. I harness everything I have. “Why were there pie crusts on the stairs?”

“Because Holmes and Watson most likely got in the basket. Think they shared with Dempsey and Makepiece though!”

“Oh, I see…” She comes in smiling with said crusts. “...that would explain the semi food coma they are all in on your bed.”

“Yeah, I know.” I laugh over my shoulder. “So, thought I would do breakfast for you!”

“What are you up to?” She leans against the dining room door. I hold up her phone, she rubs her forehead. “Okay, how many more are coming?”

“Five. Me, Jenny, Aunt Mel, Lynette, and Aunt Leda.” I hide my crossed fingers behind my back.

“Fine. Now give me that so I can call her, and it’s Aunt Lynette, you hear me? By the way, what eggs are those?” Sne points at the four large ones I am yet to cook.

“Duck.” I reply as I hand it over with a grin. “And yes, I will scramble them!”

She smirks, whilst pulling two more from the ‘coop' we keep them in. “You know how Holmes and Demps like them.” 

“Yes ma’am!” I declare, and start cracking...less than ten seconds later I have a pitbull and a cat glued to my ankles.

BRITIN - SAME TIME

STUDY

DAPH

“Brian, can you please stop pacing?” I ask quietly, nodding at Marc who starts pouring.

“You went to see my father?!” He rails at Justin.

“Just to see if he still lived there, which he does, and…”

“Not an errand, a suicide mission!” He snaps.

“He’s been sober for 5 years.” Justin states, which stops the pacing. “I never talked to him, I didn't get a chance…”

“Sober?” Brian sits down. “For five years?” 

“That’s what he said.” Justin replies; I am pleased when he sits next to him that Brian doesn’t move away. “But can we leave this to the weekend? Let’s just have a nice day and opening night. Please?”

“Sober? Well I’ll be damned.” Brian takes the glass and drains it. “Alright, the weekend it is.”

“Thank you.” Justin squeezes his hand. 

“A hand squeeze, really? I think a snogging session is called for by way of appropriate apology!” Brian gives a slow grin and eyebrow waggle.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Justin breathes, then gets in Brian’s lap.

As I close the door behind us, he is not the only relieved one. In order to prepare them for what they are going to see, I had to watch the video. After I did, I went into research mode, and this is not going to rock their foundations. It could explode their world!

GRACE’S HOUSE - EARLY AFTERNOON

SUNROOM

REVA

“So what’s with the round up?” Pearl asks, helping herself to a glass of wine, I stare at Jewel.

“Oenophile.” She smiles as Pearl sips. “Is good?”

“Wouldn’t have served it with this, but yeah, is good.” Pearl replies, putting her glass down.

“What does her being a lover of cats have to do with her having a glass of wine at her young age?” I bridle.

“No, sweetie, that is an ailurophile. An oenophile, is a lover of wine. And both her father and I have taught her how to appreciate rather than get smashed on it.”

“Of course, sorry.” I mutter, embarrassed, Aunt Jen had told me about Jewel.

“So what’s with the round up?” Debs shifts us along nicely.

“Well, you know that George and his warty paranot met with the testicle a couple of days back…” I get nodding. “...well, apparently, I was supposed to be there. His determination to get us to rebond is annoying, so I lit into him. However, curiosity got the better of me, and I went anyway and I got this. Not sure who the blonde is though, but...” They gather around my phone to watch the video of the dinner. Unbeknownst to the testicle, I was on the next table table, from the moment he and the blonde sat down to the stomach churning end. They watch in silence, but the most interesting expression is the one that Lynette is sporting. “...what, Lynette? What’s that face for? And does anyone have an idea who’s the blonde?”

She starts to laugh heartily. “That’s my sister, and she’s got him by the balls, Michael, I mean, and whatever is coming his way, judging by those smouldering looks, involves his father!” 

Pearl’s phone beeps, then the doorbell rings. “Speaking of them!” She chirrups, and goes to answer it.

“She’s very forward, isn’t she?” Mom sniggers.

“She’s learnt from me and her dad to...” Jewel gasps as Pearl returns. “...uh, why?!” 

“Seems to me, we need help from someone they would never suspect.” Pearl smiles. “Let me introduce the rest of you to my granddad…”

MEL

“But, but, he’s white.” I blather, then blush.

“And my name is Zach, Zach Richards. As for the colouration, Jewel is dark enough for everyone to believe that her mother and stepfather were the parents. He forgave her the straying off of the rightful path.” Jewel scowls. “The scowling is because he was a preacher, who punished her mother by fucking every member of his choir that had a pulse for years afterwards. Jewel came to me when she found out she was pregnant, so I got her away.”

I stare at this statuesque man. So he is where she got her height from. He looks like a White version of Denzel Washington!

“I can never understand why women do that!” He declares, before striding behind Lynette and loosening her chignon.

“What are you doing?!” She tries to bat him away, but he easily stops her. 

“Pulled too tight.” He fluffs her hair out, then combs his fingers through it. She is still and crimson. He comes around the front to contemplate her. “Much better, let that hair flow. You have great bone structure.”

“Well. Um. Thank you.” Lynette mutters.

“So, reason for presence?” Jewel laughs as she hauls him away from her. 

“Oh, that is perfect!” Jenny suddenly exclaims. “You are perfect, I mean.”

“Can we all please speak in English, not cryptic or teen? Thank you.” Grace orders. “And, by the way, what is wrong with the wine being served with the steak?” She gestures at the remains of the sandwiches, which were delicious!

“Needs to be a bit more spicy.” Pearl asserts as she sits next to her granddad then links arms with him. “Why is he perfect, Jenny?”

“The trout is…”

“Pearl!” Jewel sighs.

“She’s my friend. And besides, it’s better than calling her a harlot, right?”

“Got you there, Jewel.” I laugh, whilst gesturing for Jenny to continue.

“Very competitive. So when she sees you with him, Aunt Lynette...” She smiles at Zach. “...and with Pearl’s granddad, playing very hard for her to get, it will..”.

“...ramp up her need to always have the upper hand.” Leda grins. “I bet we will find out what’s up in no time, but, of course, let her play whatever game it is with Michael in the meantime. She is one for a back up plan!”

“Oh!” Pearl claps her hands. “Woody’s opening night! Let’s start there! Mom and Aunt Mel are going to be on a ‘beard if they need to be’ date’. She’s got dad’s nerves to calm down. He has his first public one with Drew.”

“Ahem.” Zach prods her.

“Uncle Drew, I mean.” Pearl blushes before looking devilish. “And you’ve given me the kernels of a wonderful idea, Jenny. Come, we have calls to make.”

Jewel just shakes her head as our daughters walk out arm in arm.

“So, Mel, your plans for my daughter are what?” Zach asks as he pours me some wine.

“I...uh. What is it that you do?” I stammer.

“I’m a self made man. Unfortunately for Jewel’s rather greedy mother, it was made after our dalliance. I only found out about Jewel by chance in a coffee shop conversation when she was about eight months old.” I must have looked appalled as Jewel shrugs. “It was what it was. Jewel, when she was old enough, tracked me down. She couldn’t understand the resentment her stepfather had for her, then she knew.”

“I didn't want anything from him. Like him, I heard about it on the grapevine, so set about finding out about him.” Jewel explains. “But when the shit went down, he sent me the money for the ticket immediately, then set us up in an apartment.”

“She gets her stubbornness from me. Soon after Pearl was born, she went out to work, and paid every cent back.” He looks so pleased, then I see the sadness in both the faces of Debs and Grace, as does he. “Don’t be like that, ladies. Look to who you have to make you proud! Grace, you have Reva, Debs, you now have Brian and Brandon. What the rest of your offspring do is on them, not you. Don’t take on your child’s foolishness. It is their responsibility when they hit 18 to own their own shit.”

“Too true!” I declare before starting to giggle.

“What?” Zach frowns.

“I have just remembered what Ben, Brandon and Brian are doing this afternoon.”

“Which is?” He tops everyone’s glasses up, then Lynette starts to snicker.

“Get the feeling we have missed something?” Debs looks across at Jennifer, who nods.

“Shopping. Brian, Brandon, and Ben, who is Brandon’s boyfiend and ex of Michael, are going sex toy shopping.” I hoot. “Brandon’s first one.” 

“Not without us they’re not!” Debs declares, before reaching for her phone.

LOVEHONEY SHOP - TWO HOURS LATER

BRANDON

“Put it down!” I hiss at a ball gag waving Brian. “Let's just get the basics, and...Mom!” I gasp as she and her ‘gang’ bear down on us. “You called her!” I snarl at Brian.

“She called me. I am not gonna lie when asked a direct question.” He smirks, then shakes his head. “Get two” I turn around and Justin is waving a stainless steel dildo at him. “And the beaded glass one!”

“Two of them too?!” He calls back eagerly.

“Get three!” Mom orders. “Then he can practice when Ben is otherwise engaged!” Mom giggles as she kisses us both. “Everyone, the inflamed one is Brandon, the smirking one is Brian. Lynette caught us up! Have to admit, I am surprised!” 

“And this chatterer is where?!” I grit out, then my eyebrows go up when Ben comes back with many bottles of lube. “Um…”

“Allergies.” He states. “These are my faves, but there’s no point me getting them if you have allergies, so could you check, please?” Why is it when you want the ground to swallow you up it never does?!  I read them in silence, before putting them back in the basket. “Excellent!” 

“Oh, and this is Ben. Ben, this is everyone!” Mom chirrups. I can feel Brian chuckling!

“Anal beads, not even done them? Hi, my name is Grace, this is my daughter Reva.” Even my hand is red as I silently shake theirs. “Now then, a novice such as yourself might find the vibrating ones better for a solo trip as it were.” 

“Okay, because? Obviously, I know, but how do you?” Brian grins. Oh how I hate him!

“Can we please just shop and go?!” I beg.

“Well…” Grace is looking through the ball gags. “...into kink?” She bats her lashes at me. I am mortified!

“That’s a no.” Brian sighs; why is he sighing?!  “Which is a shame really. I was going to show you some…”

“That's it!” I snap before grabbing Ben’s basket and stalking off.

LOFT - EARLY EVENING

KITCHEN

BEN

“Brandon…” I put down his favourite spaghetti dish, I hope he doesn't push it away. “...again sorry, we went far too far.”

“Yes you did.” He picks up his fork...a good start. “I knew what to expect from Brian, but then for Mom to show up…” He twirls then takes a bite. “...with friends. Well, you see, the thing is, I don’t want it to get around the Avenue that…”

“It hasn’t gotten around the Avenue though, has it? All they think is you are a top, because that's what you do. Why would they think anything else? Just like Brian. He topped all the time before Justin, but he also bottoms. The only person that could tell the Avenue that you bottomed is the person that topped you.” He slowly nods. “And I like to keep my love life between myself and my boyfriend.” Slowly he starts to smile.  “What?”

“First time you’ve called me that.” He holds up some spaghetti. “I like it.” I try to chew quickly. “Slow down, we have all night. Right now, I want to share this with you and then maybe, you could…” He takes a deep breath, my eyes widen as he upturns a Lovehoney bag onto the table. “...show me how to use these?”

Two things happen: the food goes down and my cock wakes up!