DIAMOND FOOD EMPORIUM - MONDAY MID-MORNING, A WEEK LATER

EMMETT

I love this store, I mean stores! She has them all over the East Coast, and with his help she will have them in the West. I weigh up my choices of Barolo or Nino Negri and decide on both. She has a fine palette and it is a special occasion after all.

“Let me see here, what to get for…”

CRAAAASSSHHH!!!

“Shit! Fucking shit!”

I dash to the next aisle and the sight before me flips my heart, he is as gorgeous as she described him! Setting my basket down, I go to aid my prince in peril!

“Justin! Justin, let me help you!’ I call out as I rush towards him. Confusion suffuses his face. “I know your Mom, the pictures do not do you justice.”

“My…”

“Jennifer Taylor, your Mom who owns this diamond store. I am Emmett.” I grin at him then take the basket and set it on the floor. “No cuts or splash back from the…” I peer at the spreading mess on the floor. “...ooh confit. Beautiful taste too.” He is starting to smile. “So what you cooking, good looking?’

His chuckle sounds like raindrops on leaves. “Ginger chicken congee for a sick, but maintains he is not sick, friend!”

“Oh snap, I think we all have one of those. Am doing the same, but citrus jerk chicken and waffles.”

“Oh that sounds great! He’s got a heavy cold, and after all he’s done, the least I can do is this. My best friend always makes it for me when I am ill.”

“My studly one is denying his illness vehemently! Then again, this is the same guy who described pneumonia as a sniffle!”

“So how do you know my Mom?”

“Work for her on the magazine, I am editor in chief and food critic…”

“The Sabatier!” He gasp whispers then looks around. “Seriously?!”

“It’s pronounced…” I pause and grin again. “...exactly as you have just said it. The amount of times I have gone to correct someone who keeps saying sab-teer...sa-ba-tee-ay...like the knife.” I look up the aisle and see Charles, one of the assistants, making his way down with a mop and a bucket. “But since one is supposed to be anonymous one doesn’t. Now honey, do you mind me calling you honey?” Justin shakes his head with a smile. “Good. Now honey, we are going to go to the poultry counter. I have always said that breasts are so over...over exposed by some, but definitely over used and over priced. You need thighs...bone in thighs. And for congee, you have the wrong rice.”

Twenty minutes later we have the correct, well in my opinion, ingredients and are making our way to the parking lot. “Emmett?” Justin looks up at me, his face creased with worry and something else. “Do you know what happened to me?”

“No. She just said you had come home. And if you wish to tell me, then fine; and if you don’t, also fine.” I pat his hand. “So what led to the crash of the confit?”

“Crash of the...oh, I got a response from someone I didn't think I would hear from again.”

“Did you drive?”

“No, am going to take a cab.”

“Piffle.” I retort, and take his shopping. “I shall drop you off and you can explain the crash of the confit on the way. Now where are you....”

“Dad!” I turn in disbelief as belting towards me, as only she can, is my darling daughter Pearl!

“Pearl!” Justin and I say at the same time then look at each other.

“How do you know her?” I ask as she comes to an astonished halt.

“Jay!” She gasps. “What are you doing with my dad?!”

“Jay?!” I gawk at him. “You are Jay?!”

“Um, yes to her and my best friend….” He trails off as I hold up a finger and pull out my phone, I press my most cherished speed dial. “Hey, Jewel, where are you? I think you have to catch me up some. Why? Because I have both Pearl and Jay in the same spot. Yes, I said Jay, now where are you?!” I usher them into the car. “Say that address again? Um…” I stop and look at Jay...Justin and smile. “Oh my days, I think we have solved a beautiful mystery. We will be an hour!”

“Dad, what’s going on? Jay, you alright?” Pearl nudges him.

“You’re her father? You’re Emmett Honeycutt?” Justin is now gawking and then his face twists in anger. “How could they do that?!”

My heart twists in pain at the memory of their cruelty. “I could say that it was of the time but plain and simply…”

“They were cunts. And those, who are breathing the same air as decent folks, still are.” Pearl finishes as only she can.

GUS

I turn to Hunter and he looks as shocked as me. “She did say Dad, right, and he didn’t correct her, did he?!”

“No. I mean yes she did, and no he didn’t.” Hunter watches Uncle Emmett’s car disappear from view. “Well I’ll be damned, him and dad have more in common than we thought.” He starts to go to his car when I cough loudly and he comes back. “What? We were only coming here to drop her off, we’ve dropped her off so what’s the…”

“She said dad, and, um, so did you.” He blinks at me for a few long seconds, his mouth opens and closes. “Had my suspicions.” I hope this helps, and judging by the relief flooding his face, it does. “We don’t have to…”

“He always wanted to be a dad. Was prepared to be married, do the closet thing, but then his friend offered and here I am.”

“Wow. Do you see your Mom?”

“Every six months. And she kept her promise, left the raising to him. Think he’s done a pretty good job!”

“Pretty good job? I’ll say! I don’t have douchebags friends!” I laugh and nudge him towards the car. “But am curious, why tell Uncle Michael that you two are cousins?”

“Ah, well when they first got together, one of the first things he said was that he didn’t want a kid...again, I mean...dad liked him enough and I wanted him happy, so we agreed to say that I am his cousin. Think Dad hoped he would…”

“Warm to the idea?” I scoff and roll my eyes, he mirrors my action. “For a man who was stalker like in the lead up to Jenny’s birth, the moment she stopped staying in one spot he lost interest!” I snarl, hurting for my, admittedly pain-in-the-ass, little sister...but I would die for her, it’s a shame he wouldn’t.

“As a matter of interest, why did we drop her off here?”

“She needed a lift…” I can feel the blush forming in my toes.

“Uh huh. So you called me to come and pick the pair of you up to drop her all the way over here, which took me over an hour to get to you and then another 30 minutes to get here, from a bus stop, which if she had taken the bus from would’ve got her here in ten minutes?”

“Yes.”

“She is cute though.” I gape at him. “Worry not, I am strictly dickly...not yours I might add!”

“I don’t know whether to be relieved or insulted!”

“Relieved. I top and am still finessing my technique.”

“Just drive!” I order, and we howl with laughter as we head back to his.

COTTAGE AT BRITIN - FOUR HOURS LATER

BACK PORCH

JEWEL

I smile at the rasping orders and the adamant refusal to obey said orders emanating from the bundle of blankets currently occupied on the sofa by Jay and Brian.

“Stop stroking my hair, it’s making me sleepy!” Brian grumbles, but doesn’t actually stop him or lift his head from his lap.

“I still can’t believe it.” Pearl sighs dreamily. “And all the time, it was you two. You just could not make that up.”

“Jewel, can you taste this for me, please?!” I sigh at the officious tone and head to the kitchen.

“Ah now, is not quite perfection is it?” Ems dips his finger in the marinade before holding it against my lips, I taste and again sigh at his perfectionism but he is right, as usual, it is missing something. “What does it need?”

I think for a bit then nod. “Vodka. Just a scooch, then leave it alone. Now come and…”

“Jewel!” Brian’s flu filled tones bark. “Tell him to cook the congee! The stuff that you and Ems are making is for tomorrow! Are you sure you want to come for dinner?!”

“Jay! And yes we’re sure!”

“Alright, I’m coming!”

Two minutes later, a beaming Jay comes in with eyes shining. “Right, where…” His voice wobbles and I know he’s going to cry, but this time, tears of joy. “...you were right, Jewel.”

“And this was in doubt because?” I tease him, happier than I have ever been for him in my life.

“I just can’t believe that Dark Storm and Brian are the same person.” Jay sighs.

“Or that Ben got him that handle.” Ems chuckles as he expertly cuts his chickens up.

“Ben? Who’s Ben?” Jay frowns.

“He is the boyfriend of his best friend, but in the shit friend box for now, Michael. You will meet him tomorrow. So, I am a romantic at heart, tell me again how it started. But before that, is it Jay or Justin that we are sticking with?”

“Am good with Justin.” I smile and wave Justin away from the thighs he is blenching over, his relief is all consuming. “Get on with it, Rudyard.”

His immature raspberry is returned before Ems clears his throat. “Right, sorry, Ems. But there’s no romance, just a great friendship.”

“Uh huh!” Ems and I say at the same time, causing Justin to frown, but I just gesture for him to continue.

“So when I first moved to Cali, and before I met…”

“It.” I bite out causing Ems to frown but say nothing.

“Yes. It. I had no friends, I hadn’t met Jewel or Pearl and was in another cafe. Anyway, I applied for a waiter’s job in the restaurant Jewel worked in and got it. We became very close and it was her who suggested, the website justfriendsnobenefits.com I was reluctant at first and my nerves weren’t settled when I started getting dick pics within minutes of my profile picture being posted…”

“Which is why they said not to post them!” I growl over my shoulder, still annoyed at the rookie mistake of not reading the rules he made.

“Anyway, Jewel tweaked my profile to make me sound like the dullest man on the planet, or so I thought, then an email popped in from Dark Storm to say that there was no way I was this vanilla. I had to be hiding some light under a bushel.”

I snicker and get elbowed by Ems. “What?”

“I, um had to look up bushel.” Justin mutters then waits for Ems to stop chortling.

“You had to look up bushel?! How did you not know what a bushel is?!” Brian chuckles from the doorway, causing Justin to go redder. “I am appalled...and hungry. Is there anything I can eat now, and…”

“Gus! What are you doing here?!”

“I am going to be living here! Well, not here exactly, but what are you doing here?!”

BRIAN

I look over my shoulder at a stunned looking Gus and Jewel joins me at the door. “He's your son?!” She gasps. “But his surname is Marcus-Peterson!”

“Hi, Ms Johnson, Mark said you were down. Here, Dad, Momma sent this.” He gestures at the hamper. “Jewish penicillin. Uncle Emmett! Can you get some bowls out?!”

“How’d you know I was here?” Ems calls back, and I relish the clunk of bowls being put on the counter because I am actually hungry!

“Come on inside and let’s all talk!” I croak, and then I catch Jewel’s small smile...why is she smiling?

“Who’s Mark?” Pearl asks as she helps him with the hamper.

“Butler.” I reply, then my mouth waters. Justin has to go a long way to impress me soup wise. Mel makes the best in the world, not that I would tell her anything like that! “We will join you in a minute. Jewel, what was that smile for?” I lead her further away from the porch, her smile gets bigger.

“What’s the smile for?” I repeat.

“He’s her buddy at school…”

“Yeah…”

“Methinks they both want to be more than that.” She closes my jaw. “And we’re going to let them handle it their way until they ask for help, okay?”

“Okay.” I chuff a laugh. My son has his first crush, okay it’s a girl, but it’s a start. As we head inside to join the others, I look skywards.

Please don’t let her ruin this for him again!