CHAPTER SEVEN: FAR FROM SWEET DREAMS

MICHAEL:

I can’t believe that I’m in fucking jail… and all because of fucking Mysterious Marilyn’s kooky ass! All I was trying to do was get into the building to see my best friend, and here she- he- WHATEVER!- comes to tell me that my presence is not wanted there. Doesn’t she know that I’m Brian’s best friend? Doesn’t she realize what he will do to her when he finds out that she had me- HIS BEST FRIEND- locked up on the bogus charges of disturbing the peace and loitering… whatever the fuck that means?! When Brian hears of this, that bitch better run for cover because I intend to tell him of every single thing she’s caused, including the fact that I now have an arrest record!

 I mean, okay, sure, I was asked to leave, but the fact that Brian isn’t answering my calls constitutes an emergency in my book. He doesn’t even know that David and I broke up for fuck’s sake! It’s his duty to make David pay for hurting my feelings! And then once we take care of David, he and I can figure out what to do about that fucking tattle-telling little blond that caused my cozy little life to turn upside down. Oh, how I wish he’d never met that bubble-butt bastard! 

My life was going just fine until Brian decided to take Boy Wonder home the first time. But then the fucker just kept showing up. And Brian kept fucking HIM! What made him so special, huh? What made Brian keep going back for more despite the fact that I wholeheartedly disapproved?! 

I’ve tried everything to get rid of him, right down to going through his things every couple of days while he was staying at Ma’s. Sometimes he would even be there while I did. He knew, just like I did, that if he complained Ma would have treated the invasion like it was my God given right, so inevitably he kept his fucking trap shut. I wanted to make him so uncomfortable that he would finally fuck off. But nothing worked! 

Not even his own mother was able to get Justin to leave Brian alone! That should have worked, even if nothing else I tried did. I mean, wasn’t there some law she could have screamed about against their fuck-ship or something that would have made it criminal for Brian to keep fucking Justin regardless of what I said? But no, just like her idiot son, Jennifer Taylor is such a weak-willed bitch that she just let Justin keep invading our lives instead of controlling her son as she should have. And now, Lindsay and I can’t even be sure whether he took the scholarship and job across country or not since neither he nor Brian is answering their fucking phones. 

Oh God, I HAVE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE! It’s the only way I can be sure that Brian won’t stop Justin from getting the fuck out of our lives, where he’s never belonged in the first place. I’m so totally at my wit’s end with trying to keep my best friend where he should be. Brian’s reputation should be the most important thing to him, as it has always been. And I should be right there beside him, making sure that it stays intact. 

It’s been waning of late because of that stupid little asshole, who insists on being up Brian’s ass. But I thought I worked all of that out. I mean, if I couldn’t be with Brian, no way should Justin have been able to, right? And then Lindsay would have kept Brian so busy with her brat that Brian wouldn’t even have had a chance to miss the little bastard. But as usual, she’s self-serving and useless, so once again I have to do everything myself.

My first thought was to have the little asshole kidnapped. I mean, he’s just a airheaded twink, and there are enough pervs hanging around the Avenue that wouldn’t have minded using him as a sex slave, right? Between them and the men who continue to want their night with the Stud of Liberty Avenue, surely they would have been inclined to do anything to remove the obstacle of Justin fucking Taylor, in order to see their goals met. But then I realized that having the little idiot physically, and possibly violently removed wouldn’t do anything but drive Ma and Brian into a frenzy, while they constantly looked for him. I certainly didn’t need his sudden disappearance to make him any more the center of attention than he already is.

So instead, I went to talk to Lindsay about what we could do to see that Justin went away permanently, while returning Brian to the Stud we all know and want to be. At the time, I didn’t know that the New York job fell through; all I could see was the end result being the permanent separation of my best friend and his pet project, Boy Wonder. It was during that meeting with Lindsay I realized that although she came off as sympathetic to the supposed plight Justin would face when Brian went off to New York, she was also anxious to get rid of him too. I guess it was because of the inevitable visits that Brian would have to make back to the Pitts to see Gus… Or at least, that’s what I hope her reasoning was for her sake. 

Yes, I know all about her unresolved feelings for Brian, but Brian is a big ol’ queer, just like me. No way would he want to play in her twat again, even though the fact that he did that one time in college still pisses me off. No, Lindsay and I were never the best of friends, but we always had a common goal in mind where Brian was concerned, and that was to remain the most important people in his life. With the arrival of Boy Wonder, it was becoming obvious that if we didn’t do something fast, he was going to take our places. Of course, Lindsay had to make sure that she had a blood tie to him. In her warped mind, she probably thought that in having Brian’s kid, she could make his decisions for him as some wife would try to if Brian was into pussy.

She’s stupid, but that’s beside the point. Brian and I have a shared history, which is something she also has, but on a much smaller scale. I was there for all of Brian’s important moments, including those where he needed to get away from Jack and Joan. Hell, I was even there when he needed to get away from her clingy ass! So there was no way in hell that I was going to be silently pushed aside in favor of some dumb kid. 

She must have had the same thought though, since she came up with the idea to call a few of her contacts in California to see if there were a job and scholarship opportunity that Justin could have. Personally, I would have just tried to find a way to have him dropped off someplace with only the money he’d kept in my old desk drawer so that he couldn’t afford to come back here. But again, my way of handling the problem of Justin Taylor would have had everyone going ape-shit to find the little fucker and I didn’t want that. So I left it up to Lindsay to make all of the arrangements while I went off with David in the hopes that Brian would realize how much he missed me, and then ask me to join him in New York. It could have been the ‘Brian and Mikey Show- Big Apple Edition’ if he had just stuck to our plans for him. 

But NO! He had to go off somewhere on a supposed vacation with that fucking blond! When I finally catch up with Brian, he has a lot of explaining to do. But first, he owes me an apology and whatever fine I’m going to end up paying to get out of this fucking rathole. After all, if he’d just done what he was supposed to by answering his phone, I wouldn’t be in this mess.

And once again, I KNOW that it’s all the fault of that fucking blond!

NILES GLEESON

Oh, so now my wayward tenant thinks that she can just sneak through the doors, does she? I think not! 

I have been anxiously waiting for the return of the elusive Mrs. Kinney- like I really believed that was her last name despite the ID saying as much- for the last three weeks, since she is late on the rent, yet again. Prior to her most recent disappearing act, she always had a ready excuse as to why she was late. The last was that her sister needed it for an emergency operation. Which I might have continued to believe, except that I heard another of our upscale tenants commenting that she had just had lunch with someone named Lynette Neals, and she seemed fine. Mrs. Kinney managed to escape back out of the door before I could ask another question, and until this moment I hadn’t seen her again.  

I will admit that I had my reservations about renting to her in the first place, since this is a building of young and old professionals NOT in the family way. At the time, she explained that the young tyke with her was the child of a family friend, who was away on a business trip and due back momentarily. We concluded our business with her paying the first month’s rent of fifteen hundred dollars plus the security deposit, but once again I felt compelled to stress the no-child policy, something that she seemed to have no trouble accepting. The fact that there are no kids allowed is a major draw for most of the tenants of this building, and one of only a few that by law can legally deny occupancy based on that. The loft apartments on Tremont used to be like that, until they went under new management. 

Ah, well… their loss of sense has been to my gain, even if the building’s layout is still better with its upgraded amenities. Although, I heard that they specifically switched their policy in the hopes that the Stud of Liberty Avenue wouldn’t change his address unduly. I can’t say that I blame them, since Brian Kinney is a major draw for any establishment. The fine young man is not only successful, but charismatic in a way very few are. It’s no wonder people flock to him with nothing more than a wink, a smile, and a small bite to his lower lip.

Anyway, now I must deal with the woman, who is skulking into the main lobby of the building as if someone is chasing her. It’s time for her to either cover the cost of her apartment, or arrange to have her things moved out within the next month. I am no longer in the mood to listen to excuses or extend any more grace periods. She’s bordering on being a full ninety-days behind, and per her personal banking statements, there really isn’t a reason that she should be since her steady deposits read that she receives five grand a month. It was the only other way to verify that she would be able to afford the rent since her credit was shot to hell due to a vindictive ex. 

I could sympathize since my brother went through something similar with his ex-wife after she caught him cheating on her. Not only had she gotten credit cards in his name, but she also obtained property in his name for her new young lover as well. It was definitely a mess for him to get his identity back, and all of the business straightened out. She ended up accepting a lesser divorce settlement so that he could pay the debt, since they were technically still married when she was doing all of that bullshit to him in retaliation. So I didn’t hold the seemingly bad judgement against her at the time. 

But now I’m wondering if I should have. Mrs. Kinney seems to always have a reason why something really isn’t the way it looks, such as the nonpayment of her rent this last almost-three months. It also doesn’t help that she makes you feel unreasonable for asking about what’s owed. Well, I’m past the stage where I can feel any guilt at all where she is concerned. This is a business, and if she can’t keep up her end of the bargain, ie: paying the damn rent, then it’s time for her to find someplace else to go.

I can tell the moment her eyes land on me. She went shock-still for only a few moments, eyes darting left to right. No doubt she was looking for, either a way out, or at the very least a distraction to divert my attention to, so that she could make her escape again. Well, no such luck this time, Dear. I stand directly in front of the elevators before she even thinks to make a beeline to them.

“Good evening, Mrs. Kinney. I’d like a word with you in private.”

Once again, her eyes dart around. Even from the short way across the lobby where she stands, I can see their glassiness. But although she looks rather wary and disheveled, as opposed to the composed way she usually presents herself, I’m determined to have this out tonight. She must have noticed the determination, because her shoulders slump in a way that has nothing to do with the large duffle back she's carrying, even as she comes towards me. “Mr. Gleeson, this really isn’t a good time…”

I cut her off, not willing to let her get on a roll. “It’s never a good time to discuss the delinquency of a bill, Mrs. Kinney. However, this one is about to result in an eviction notice, so I would imagine that it would take precedence over anything else you have going on.”

The widening of her eyes tells me that she registered every single word that I’ve uttered. “That’s not fair. I’m only…”

“About to be three months behind. We won’t even talk about the late fees involved, which is ten percent of the monthly payment. The leasing office has already been notified that if you don’t have payment in my office by the close of business tomorrow, they are to go ahead with eviction proceedings.”

“Mr. Gleeson…”

“No, Mrs. Kinney. I’m really not interested in hearing anything other than that you understand what’s at stake and either remit payment immediately, either in cash or a cashier’s check from the bank. Or feel free to give notice to quit your lodgings here at Grovesend Luxury Apartments and Condos.” Her eyes fill up with tears during my pronouncement, but I am unmoved by them this time. Call it desensitization, since she’s tried this particular stall tactic one too many times. 

“But I can’t!” She wails, as she stands there letting her hair fall forward in an attempt to appear vulnerable. Yeah, she’s exhausted this trick, too.

“Look, the best that I can advise is that you seek lodgings at one of the lower income-eligible properties. Let’s face it, Mrs. Kinney, living in Sewickley and Belle Aire Estates isn’t for everyone. Only a select corner of the population can manage it without having to decide between having a place to sleep and eating. But since it’s obvious that your financial situation has changed within the last few months, it may be time for you to downsize to live within your means, instead of floundering above them.”

“How dare you? I didn’t ask for your opinion!”

“Well, you’re getting it anyway since in a few days you will owe not only the $4950.00 in back rent plus the current month’s rent should you decide to stay. That means you will owe a total of $6,450.00 and that’s ONLY if you pay the entire amount up front. Now, I doubt that you have nearly seven grand just lying around, since I suspect a good portion of it is going up your nose.”

“I resent your accusation!”

“You also resemble it, considering the remnants of whatever you snorted is still powdering your nose. Unless you’ve taken to inhaling Shower-to-Shower or any other Johnson and Johnson brand of powder, I think it’s safe for me to say that you need rehab.”

Instead of answering, she reaches past me to press the ‘up’ elevator button on the wall. She sniffs the air mightily, and I have to say that it sounds like a choked air conditioner when she does. I know that sound well, since I’ve known addicts in one form or another all my life. The elevator dings and she steps onto it, but before the door closes, I tell her, “I will notify the office in the morning of your impending eviction. My final two pieces of advice is that if you want to avoid embarrassment, you’ll lease a storage facility immediately and begin moving your things there…”

“And the second?” She asks, haughtily.

“Is that you get that nose checked out as soon as you can. The cartilage is either rail-thin by now or gone completely. It happens with heavy and continued use of the snortable drugs.”

“And you know this how? Last time I checked, you’re not a fucking doctor.”

“No, I’m not. Just someone whose mother died from what was thought to be an ordinary nose bleed, but in reality was a seizure caused by prolonged use. In other words, get some help before you become just another statistic, MISS PETERSON.”

And with that last warning, I allowed the doors to close. I was no longer interested in having any dealings with the delusional Mrs. Lindsay Kinney.

LINDSAY

I wanted to scream my head off at the arrogant man, but the headache I have while coming down from my last dose advised me that it wouldn’t be a good idea. I have to admit that it’s taking more copious amounts of coke to achieve the same high I had when Gui reintroduced me to it, back when he and I were talking about getting married for his green card. Sure I had secretly dabbled with it back when I was in college, but it was nothing like the pure stuff Gui had. I remember feeling like I was flying one minute, and then like I was the most brilliant strategist the next as we sat there detailing how to get Gui to stay in the country and how I was going to enact my revenge on Mel in the process. My parents certainly would have welcomed Gui the way they had never done to her, which of course would have hurt her. Sure she always said that she didn’t care about their approval, but that was a lie; I just know it! 

After all, they could have opened up the affluent community client base to her. But they didn’t consider Melanie worth the effort, and after fucking her for the last ten years, I can understand why. I used to think she was a real shark in that she was driven, and smart without… a real go-getter, who didn’t care how she had to achieve success in order to have it. I thought she was like Brian, only in female form. But it’s more than evident now that I was wrong, considering that she let me beat on her while protecting my new little nemesis, Gus. 

Having him was possibly the worst decision I’ve ever made since he couldn’t do his fucking job and keep his father tied to me in all facets. But now I have another problem; one even bigger than I ever thought possible when I’d began setting myself up to have it all. How the fuck am I supposed to get almost seven grand by the close of business tomorrow, short of robbing a bank? I certainly can’t go to Brian for it, or ask for the increase in child support as I had been until he involved Ted. It’s the only way I’d been able to afford the first month’s rent and security. 

It used to be so easy for me to get the extra cash. I’d just tell Brian that we needed it for Gus, and voila, instant cash on top of the two grand he’d been giving us since the week after Gus was born. It was great when he trusted me, never questioning what it was for or going behind my back to ask Melanie what I was doing. That is, until about six months ago. Somehow, Melanie and Brian had gotten into an argument which resulted in Brian bringing up the money he’d given me to take care of the babysitting expenses for Gus while Melanie and I were split up. 

When I tried to deny it, that fucking blond confirmed all that Brian had practically yelled at Melanie. Justin told her that I’d come to Brian to drop Gus off, while explaining that even with my newly-acquired teaching position, I’d been unable to pay the sitter. Melanie turned to me to watch my face as he detailed all that was going on at the time, right down to the fact that Brian was on an enforced leave of absence from Ryder because of Kip Thomas’ lie. Yet another thing that I should have taken care of myself instead of sending that amateur with his own hidden agenda. I only wanted Brian readily available to come over and spend time with me- erm Gus- instead of working all those long hours and then going home to Justin. 

But Kip had other plans, including blackmailing Brian for a promotion he was in no way qualified for. I really need to find him to recoup the money I paid him to seduce Brian. The plan was to fix it so Brian would literally be caught with his pants down within his office when Ryder walked in. But that isn’t what happened, courtesy of those fucking blonds, Cynthia- who covered for Brian by telling Ryder that Brian was out of the office for lunch, and Justin, who had called to confirm that Brian would pick him up that afternoon from a prominent home in Belle Aire Estates. I never did find out what he was doing out there. 

But the bottom line is that if Kip had done his job correctly, Brian would have confided in me about the whole incident instead of Michael and Justin. I was supposed to have been able to provide Brian with a believable alibi for the times he was supposed to be fucking Kip into oblivion within his office and his loft. Then Brian would have been so grateful to me, he would have done anything I’d demanded. Instead, Michael couldn’t wait to tell me the news that Brian had been suspended from work, while Justin had stayed silent on the matter. It wasn’t until later that I was told the reason had something to do with Justin engaging in a little blackmail of his own, in order to protect Brian. 

That was MY job!

Anyway, Justin went on to say that even though Brian was still doing okay at the time, without his actual paycheck coming in, they were getting a bit concerned about the monthly expenses. And just why was it his fucking business at all?! I mean, if Brian wasn’t sharing those concerns with me- and maybe Michael- what the fuck was he doing sharing such personal information with Justin? I’m the closest thing to a wife Brian has ever had and will EVER have; Justin had no business knowing a single thing about OUR money! But I’m getting sidetracked again from my thoughts, and the itch to snort is starting again. 

So Justin told Melanie that I had asked for an additional five grand on top of the two grand that Brian had already paid at the beginning of the month. I couldn’t tell any of them that the extra money was actually to get this place, so I told Melanie that the water heater was having trouble. She let it go at the time, but I knew she didn’t believe me. Instead of confronting me then and there though, she and Brian devised a plan to keep me from asking for extra cash without a receipt. I’m sure that was Justin’s idea, since the notion itself spoke loudly of distrust. 

But then again, Melanie’s loud declaration that she made sure to pay all of the household bills the minute she settled in at Rita’s for an indefinite time could have also been the cause of Brian entrusting Ted to handle Gus’ expense account instead of me. It became tedious having to forge receipts every time I needed the extra cash. Ted was like a fucking watchdog, guarding and questioning how every single cent was spent. And then when he would finally issue the check, he’d put the detailed reason it was needed in the memo section as well as notating it in the accounting ledger. Thankfully, I was at home when the computerized invoice addressed to Melanie arrived so that I could redo it, and then present it to her as if it came directly from Ted’s office.

And now with this new brand of trouble, Brian is sure to want to murder me. Oh, how could I have been so stupid! And careless! Gus was supposed to be my ticket to complete and unfettered access to Brian. Gus and I were supposed to become the most important people in Brian’s life! 

Instead, my son replaced me like a traitor while my status as Brian’s confidante has quickly been downgraded to simply the walking uterus which coughed out Gus! Perhaps Brian will now understand how desperate I was to reach out to him and he’ll forgive me. Perhaps he’ll see how much his defection from my life has caused me to snap. After all, his enormous ego should be dancing with joy in the knowledge that I, Lindsay Peterson- debutante extraordinaire- would do just about anything to keep his attention. Perhaps he will… perhaps he will finally honor how much he means to me and offer me marriage, as he should have when Gus was born.

That is something that should have happened long since. And it would have, if Justin Taylor, that fucking younger clone of me in every way, would have accepted that he was ONLY a trick. He was never meant to become more than a temporary distraction. I would have allowed Brian to keep Justin on the side as one would a mistress. All the wealthy men have them, but HE was never supposed to be seen as someone who was qualified to take my rightful place by Brian's side!

I have to find a way to make Justin understand that… well, as soon as the little fucker calls me back. God help him if I have to go looking for him, because what I have done to Gus and Melanie tonight will seem like a cake walk compared to what I will do to him. And honestly, it’s no more than he deserves for thinking that he could EVER be me! But first, I need some sleep while coming down from this high. By morning, I should have come up with a good way to play victim again. I’m supposed to meet Michael at the Diner during the lull in service between the breakfast crowd and lunch. He and Debbie- better known as The Excuse Brigade- should be able to come up with a viable reason for me to have been acting out of character the way I did.