CHAPTER 8 - HOW THE VIRULENT VIRAGO GOT VICIOUS...

DINING ROOM - FIVE MINUTES LATER

LINDSAY

“And what do you think you are doing?” Emmett demands.

“Refreshing my drink, obviously!” I state as I reach the cart.

“Then it should be obvious that you should ask Justin Taylor, soon to be Kinney, if you can help yourself to his things, V3?”

“Don’t call me that!” I fume.

“Okay, Superslut, where are your manners? Did they fall at the wayside like your morals and your knickers? Or did you go commando every day on the off chance some random cock would hear the squelching siren call of your stinkhole?” 

“Emmett!” Brian exclaims. “That was disgusting!”

“Thank…” I begin.

“True, but disgusting!” He snorts. “Squelching siren call…” He dissolves into giggles on the conniving chameleon’s shoulders, who looks so sneeringly at me, I wish I had a bat right now.

“Brian, get yourself together!” Michael orders. “And as for you, Emmett, apologise immediately for that repulsive comment!” The room goes silent. Slowly, Emmett rises and comes over to where I am standing. I put my glass down with a small smile. 

“Lindsay, I am sorry. I am sorry for the day Brian fucked you, I am sorry that they were taken in by you, and I am sorry that I ever met you.” He turns to Michael. “How was that?” I grab my glass. “And you will be beyond sorry and broken if you throw that at me!” He is in my face so fast that I drop it. 

“Now look what you made me do!” I snap, wiping the stain on my dress and trying not to tread on the shards around my feet.

“Gus…” Emmett calls out as he comes in. “...can you go and get her something to clean that up please, sweetie?”. 

“Do not order my son around like a slave, Emmett! Besides, I know my way around…”

“That, just like you, is too easy.” He retorts, as he retakes his seat, causing more laughter. 

“What son is that?” Justin, being by my side, startles me, I am incensed when he wheels the cart to the other side of the room. “Taking it out of temptation. I would advise you to sit down, Novotny! Remember, I have so much to say to you!” 

Michael remains standing for a few seconds, until Justin starts to move. “I won’t let you attack him.” Brian stops him cold. “Sunshine, that’s my bubblebutt, remember?” 

“As if I could forget, but after all these years, you can understand.”

“Mmm. Take it out on me later.” He pats his lap. “In the meantime, place butt here.” 

“There you go.” Gus hands me a dustpan, brush and a dirty rag. “Brush and pan for the glass, rag for your rags...which, like your love for me is fake.”

“Touch my dude, and I throw you out of the fucking window!” Cynthia bellows. Stalking up to me, she pulls a shocked looking Gus away and into Hunter’s arms. “You…” She grips my wrist tightly, digging her nails in. “...will sit next to me whilst your involvement is explained.” I try to pull away, but she is joined by Daphne and they drag me back to the other end of the table, scattering the glass along the way. “Go sit back with Justin, Daph, she won’t dare move!” I am shaking with rage as I inspect my wrist. “Take me to court, I dare you!” She hisses. 

“What happened?” Mel comes up short as she returns.

“She was going to slap Gus.” Brian answers calmly; too calmly. “Cynthia stopped her.”

“Going to…” Mel pinches her nose. “...and in front of witnesses that hate you too. Seriously, how stupid…”

“Do not speak for me, Mel!” Michael spits. “I don’t hate Lindsay, never have! I admire her fortitude in the face of…”

“Being admired by a murderer. Your stock is high, V3.” Mel taunts us. “The rest are coming in a second, they are ordering take out. It is going to be a long night.”

“Gus, are you okay?” Brian calls down.

“Yeah, Pops, am fine. For reals, am fine.”

“Good. Up, Sunshine...” Brian orders, once he steps aside Brian approaches. “...I hate you! With every fibre of my being, I hate you! I hated you when you took Gus to Canada, I hated you more when you got inside my head over New York, but for what you just tried to do, you need to see the whites of my eyes. You even think of hurting him again, I will disembowel you, understand?” 

“Stud, go wash your hands, then come back here. My butt is getting cold!” 

“She needs to answer. Do you understand?” He holds my chin, I daren’t turn my head. “Yes or no, Lindsay?”

“Yes, I understand.” I whisper. “You are rightly furious, I am ashamed of ...”

“Shut the fuck up, V3!” He snarls. “I now know which buttons to push!.” He lets go of my chin, before wiping his fingers on my shoulder. “You can have your stink back.” He sneers then strides out. 

“Gus, can you make sure he’s okay?”

“Sure, Papa!” He replies, and runs after him.

Less than five minutes later, they are both back. I have taken that time to recalibrate myself. I know exactly what to do.

“He was ready, willing, and able to you wasn’t he?” Blake glares. “I think I have it figured out now…”

“Wait!” Jenny...I refuse to call her Jay-ray, shouts. “Guys, Uncle Blake has his head on, come quick!”

“Debs, Mother Taylor, come this end please!” Brian orders, with a nasty look at me from both of them they rejoin him.

“Okay, honey, you can tell them our theory!” Ted beams.

“Fuck your theory!” Michael blasts before turning to Brian. “You hate her?! How could you? She did what was best for Gus and Justin!” 

“Lindsay did, and always will do what’s best for Lindsay.” Justin retorts. “Now shush...Blake, continue.”

“Canada worked out perfectly for you too, Novotny, because that took away the other distraction. Oh don’t don't peacock, V3, the distraction wasn't you, it was Gus. And you were both jealous of that! The ultimate top and playboy fell in love with two people, but they weren't you.” 

“Using your Mickey Mouse degree in psychology again!” I snap as my temper rises. “Why the hell would I be jealous of Gus?!”

“Because Brian would do what was ‘best’ for Gus, which is how you sold it to him, but he wouldn’t do anything for you.”

“What rot!” I exclaim. “He gave up his rights so as to stop me from marrying Gui.”

“And you used Mel’s then hatred of him to ensure that he did.” Blake spouts, people are frowning, while I am squirming on the inside. “With you in jail, because she would’ve made sure of that, Mel would’ve ensured that he would never see him. So, giving up his rights to save you was the only course of action.”

“And, of course, there was and still is, despite her fellow mangy minge’s efforts, the matter of Justin.” Daphne waits for the laughter to die down. “Like you said, Blake, she did what was best for her. Oh, he was good to have around when it benefited her; babysitting and stuff like that, but she was his best friend and she saw it. She saw Brian falling in love. He wanted what you had, well thought you had. You stayed with Mel because you enjoyed them fighting over you, but then along came Justin, and his eyes were not on you anymore. He was interested in another hot blonde. For years, he took the time and patience to put Justin back together again. He was his sole and only focus. I remember the time Justin was in the Country Club after the bashing, do you?”

Do I remember it?! Of course I do, it is like a non-cauterized wound...

Start of flashback

COUNTRY CLUB - TEN YEARS PRIOR

LINDSAY

I adjust Gus in my lap and resume my fiddling with my napkin, wishing this lunch would be over quickly. I just want to go home and bitch to Brian; Mel is having too much fun!

“Isn’t that Justin Taylor?” Mother whispers, and I look across the room. “Such an awful thing to have happened to him.”

“Yes it was.” Mel sighs. “Still, nobody has been found, but…”

“It was years ago, and he’s…”

“How long ago it was is irrelevant.” Daddy’s tone surprises me. “Being almost killed is horrific! Where is your compassion? We brought you up better than…”

“Jussin!” Gus exclaims, and starts to twist in my lap. “Mommy, want to see Jussin!”

“Gus, stay still, he’s with his Mommy now. You wouldn't want anybody to disturb your mommy time, would you?”

“Lindsay, I am sure that…” Mel takes Gus off my lap.

“Daddy!” Gus gasps, and the table goes quiet.

I gape as Brian strides towards us. “Hey, Sonny Boy!” He grins, then grins wider when Mel hands Gus to him. “Oh thanks Mel! Hello, Mr and Mrs Peterson, hey, Lindsay. Have you been good for your Mommies and Grandbeams, Sonny Boy?”

“Grandbeams?” Mel echoes.

“That’s what I calls them because that’s what Jussin calls his olds parents, Grandbeams sounds nice!” Gus looks down at us smiling. “Is that alright?”

“Oh, that’s lovely!” Mother cries in delight. "Grandbeams, I like that!" Mel and I exchange looks. “You didn’t tell us Brian was coming, Lindsay. Won’t you join us?” She signals for another chair.

“It was a surprise to me too, Mother.” I am so happy; having texted him earlier to  beg him to rescue me from cunt-ree club hell, but he said he had other plans. Looks like the plans changed! “So glad you are here, how did you get here anyway?”

“Cab. And...”

“Then you can have a Beam.” I signal the waiter and ignore Mel’s pointed look.

“No I can't, and I am not here in your sense, I am here for Justin. Mother Taylor needs a buffer, and me plus him are the perfect combo. That’s okay, right, Mel? Be about twenty minutes to half an hour.”

Mel?! He is asking Mel this?! I am Gus’s mother!

“That long? We need to…”

“Take as long as you need.” Mel interrupts. “We will send his food over.”

“Thanks, Mel.” Brian kisses her cheek, then puts Gus on the floor. “Well go on, then.” He taps Gus’s butt and he runs to Justin, calling his name. 

When Justin turns around, he looks both surprised and delighted. He gets up to meet Gus part way, then he sees Brian. “You!” 

“Yeah, me! Room for two more?”

“Always.” He simpers, I seethe at both of them as they head back to his table.

LINDSAY AND MEL’S HOUSE - FOUR HOURS LATER

“Lindz, I don't understand why you are upset.” Mel declares as she puts the wine down. “We have a free night, since JR is with Debs, so explain to me how this is a problem?”

“I am upset because I was railroaded into letting Brian have Gus by you and Mother! And at Jennifer Taylor’s house! When did that alliance spring up?!”

“Alliance?! Do you hear yourself? Is this because yet another cry for Brian’s attention was ignored?!”

“Brian’s attention? What are you bringing Brian into this for? For once, he has nothing to do with it!”

“Yes he does! He has everything to do with it, specifically everything to do with blondes; because, let’s face it, my flaxen haired beauty, the only blonde he cares about right now has a cock and not a clit!” She snatches up her glass. “Now I am going to take advantage of this free time and have a nice long soak!”

End of flashback

“I remember the next morning so well.” Gus’ voice sounds strange. “We were playing, Papa and me, in the lounge. I was messing up his hair, and I felt it. I felt his scar…

Start of flashback

JENNIFER’S HOME -  MORNING AFTER COUNTRY CLUB DINNER

GUS

“Jussin…” I frown and run my finger over the bumps on his head. “...why does your head feel bumpy?” I run my fingers over mine. “I don’t have bumps, and I don’t think Daddy is bumpy, so why are you? Do you get them when you’re older?”

“No, Sonny Boy, you don't get that kind of bumpy when you’re older.” Daddy sounds sad, I get off Jussin and clamber into his lap. 

“Why not?”

“Because those are not good bumps. You know when you fell over in the garden and you got a bump on your knee?”

“Yes, Daddy, that hurted a lot.”

“I know, but you were really brave. So when Jussin got his bump on the head, it was like he fell over…”

“But he didn’t fall over, did he?” I look at Jussin. He shakes his head, then takes my hand. “What happened?”

“Someone hurt me when I was younger, but older than you…”

“Did you tell a teacher?” 

“Not a teacher, no, but we did tell someone, and…”

“We? Daddy, were you there when he got hurted?” Daddy nods. “So why didn't you stop the meanie?”

“I thought I did, but Jussin was really hurt, and I needed to be with him.”

“Oh.” I think for a while. “When I am biggerest I am going to help. I am going to help get the meanie that hurted my Jussin!”

End of flashback

GUS

“So how did you get him to leave?” I glower at her. “No, actually not you, Pops, you said she got inside your head. What do you mean?” 

“About five years ago, V3 insisted on hosting an exhibition at Bloom Gallery to showcase up and coming artists’ talents. And, in hindsight, she must have been screwing him too…he had to be getting something from you to lay it on so thick and keep laying it on.”

“Screwing who?” I frown.

“Robert Crasswell.” Papa replies. “He is one of the foremost art critics of the modern era, at least according to her and him, I remember seeing him at many exhibitions, especially the ones I was showing at. He is also so deep in the closet still it is laughable!” He giggles. “And they were screwing. Mel, did she always make that noise?”

“Noise? Oh! Like a cawing crow; that noise?”

“That’s the one! I heard them...Oh, Robert! Oh, Robert! Oh Robert! Oh, yes, please! Oh, yes, bliss, blissful! My king! Oh, God, my king, take your queen!” I look down at V3, and I can see the veins pulsing in her face. “Thank god, I didn’t get to see it too, but did have to studio bleached deep cleaned!”

“Studio?” Pops looks confused, then horrified. “She fucked him in your studio?! What was she hoping for? The miniscule chance that some of your talent would sink in through her…”

“Pops!” I squeal.

“Pores! I was going to say pores, Gus! Jesus, having seen that once was enough?!”

LINDSAY

I feel like I am being flayed alive! Each disparaging word cuts me to the bone, but I must remain calm! It is only by remaining calm that I don’t speak my truth.

“And he was really small!” Justin laughs. “I saw him when he stood up, so you were so desperate to part us, you must have pretended that Peewee Herman was the Incredible Hulk?”

“That Peewee Herman gave you the fucking world! Without him or me you would not have what you have now!” I explode.

“I had my world then and now!” Justin bellows. “It is, was, and always will be called Brian!”

“Sunsh…”

“No, Stud, you need to know the reason, the reason year after fucking year I said no!” There is silence, I have always had my suspicions because of his stubbornness but now he is finally telling me. “I couldn’t lumber you with this broken useless thing! Thank god he knows how to draw, albeit with electronic help. You realise that Brian puts up with the cripple through guilt?” All my blood pools in my feet. When did he hear that?! “And he plays on that! Bet there is nothing wrong with him, he just didn’t want to try.”

“What?” Brian gasps. “Who said that?! When?!”

“They did when I first came back from New York after my hand played up. When I had to go back to using the computer, I was devastated. On top of that, I couldn’t paint, but you never judged me, just kept trying to make me feel better. Then you did the one thing that I never thought you would do, Stud.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You walked out on me.” He grins at him. “Remember, about six months before my triumphant return, you got so angry with me that you walked out, saying if I wanted to keep being a fucking brat then I could do that alone?” Brian nods. “My head was a mess, my arm was killing me, and I was hurt that of all people to say that it was Lindsay, my supposed friend and champion.”

“Not quite following, how did him walking out did that help your hand?” Hunter asks.

“I had deep vein thrombophlebitis, but hadn’t realised. Which means I had clots that were detaching. When he left, I heard him on the phone to Michael, saying he would meet with them as I was being a bratty twat. I was so hurt and angry that I punched the wall, breaking two of my fingers, luckily on my left hand. I screamed the place down, he came rushing back, but still on the phone to Novotny. He was so furious that Brian was no longer coming that he spent all night blowing up his phone, but for once he was right, I did do it deliberately but not in the way he meant. Anyway, Brian took me to the hospital, which is where they discovered the clots.”

“But I still don’t see why that would stop you from saying yes to Pops.” Gus frowns.

“I wanted to be his equal, both in and out of bed and, now finally, I am. I have conquered the art world, I am the enfant not so terrible.” He giggles as he strokes Brian’s cheek. “And now he’s stepping back from Kinnetic, the bashing nightmare is soon to be over, and with this year being my last show for a while, we finally have time for each other and, um, one other person, who she has agreed to give us...”

“What’s...seriously for real, you mean it?” Gus gasps.

“Yeah, we mean it, Sonny Boy. She has said yes, it was…”

“Who said yes, to what?” I demand.

“Cynders is going to have their baby!” Gus exclaims, the room explodes with screams of delight and everyone is rushing to hug them.

Cynthia is pulled down the other end of the table by a blubbing Ted. “When did you agree to this?!” He sniffs. “So what…”

“No! No she can’t fucking do that!” I scream. “I am the only one to bear your child! The only one!”