REALITY CHECK
At his office, Brian had just got back from a long meeting with a client across town. As he sat down at his desk, Cynthia popped her head around the door, "Hey...have you had your cell switched off?"
Brian looked up warily, "I've been otherwise engaged, I've just had to suffer a long lunch with a guy who thinks I've been in ten bouts with Mike Tyson"
Cynthia glanced at her pad, "well a Greg Channing has been trying to get hold of you"
Brian reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, and retrieved his cell, "Okay...thanks"
He turned around in his chair and pressed call to Greg, "Hey Greg, how's it hanging?"
Cynthia could almost see immediately that it was news Brian was interested in.
"Was it now? Now who would have believed it, somebody must have wanted me dead, huh? I mean I know I can be annoying to some people, but that is just way over the top don't you think?...Who done it you ask? I KNOW who done it..."
Xxxx
At the garage, Nathan washed the engine oil off his hands and looked across to the mechanic that was currently working on a car on the front forecourt. Patrick came over with the accounts folders,
"Jake seems to know his stuff?", Nathan told.
Patrick nodded, "He better do...he's costing us enough"
Nathan could see his father was always going through the accounts now, "he's expensive, huh?"
Patrick could see his son was airing some concern so he tried to sound optimistic, "We'll be okay"
Nathan followed his father inside the small garage office, "But for how long, we've already had to let Grace go...we can't keep this up Dad"
Patrick shook his head. "Don't worry about it...Grace was only here to take bookings and Rhona can always do that...", he then looked across his son's shoulder to see a jeep pull up outside, "...hey, is that that Brian guy?"
Nathan turned and saw Brian jump out the vehicle. Nathan came out of the office and greeted him with a kind smile, "Hey Brian..."
Brian looked at him, but he wasn't looking best pleased, "Nathan...where's your father, he is in charge around here, right?"
Patrick was already coming to his son's side, "That's me...what can I do you for?"
Brian was sarcastic, "I think you've 'do'ed' me quite enough, don't you?"
Patrick frowned, "Huh?"
Brian stepped forward and pointed to the marks on his face with his finger, "take a long look at my face"
Nathan could now see the marks and scratches on the older guys face. One looked like it had needed stitches, "Brian...what happened?", he asked.
Brian looked at him with a snide grin, "the car you fixed up...I lost control because the fucking brakes failed"
This was shocking news for him to learn of, "WHAT?!"
Patrick was clearly rocked by this news too, "I...I don't understand..."
Brian sniffed back, "Well...you will do, because I've just had some-other guy take a look and do you know what he found? The brake cable was cut!"
This news rocked Patrick even further, he had to be sure of this, "cut? This was the VW beetle, yes?"
Brian nodded.
"But that was only booked in for a windshield replacement and tail gate repair..."
Brian jumped in, "yeah and all for 500 bucks! I should sue your fucking ass's off!"
Patrick was too perplexed to comment, Nathan stepped in, "Brian...I never touched the brakes, I swear!"
Brian looked at him, "Well somebody sure has...", he looked back to Patrick, "...you'll be hearing from my legal team"
Both Nathan and Patrick watched as Brian jumped back into his jeep and it screeched off. Patrick was shaking in anger, "Jesus H christ! This is ALL I need!"
Nathan tried to calm him as they went inside the office, "Dad...don't worry..."
Patrick glared at him. Nathan didn't know the half of it, but he was going to now, because he had no choice, "Don't worry you say? If he sues us, then this business is FINISHED!"
Nathan backed out the office, "I'll sort this out...I promise..."
Xxxxx
At the diner, Justin finished his coffee and went to stand, when Danny came in and clocked him, "Hey Justin"
Justin managed a smile and nodded his head, "Hey Danny"
Danny came forward, "Are you coming along to Babylon later? Stu's entering the best dressed drag queen competition...even though he's like won it for 3 years in a row"
Justin could detect the smugness in Danny's tone, "Yeah...I know he has...I'm sure it's nothing to do with one of the judging panel...oh but wait a second, wasn't one of them fucking Stu?"
Danny ignored the jibe, but wanted to know the reason behind it, "Hey, what's with the attitude? And you've been ignoring my calls"
Justin shrugged, "I've been busy"
Danny knew some of what was going on through the grapevine, "I heard you were saddled with Brian's kid?"
Justin went to the counter, "Well little you know, he went to live with his grandparents three weeks ago"
Danny was pleased to hear that, "Great! Meaning YOU can come out"
Justin gave him the brush off, "I'll think about it"
Danny shook his head at him, "Suit yourself...but people down the scene are thinking YOU have lost it...that you are a nobody now...it's a battle out there to remain relevant...boy, you are losing it"
Danny walked off, Justin sighed and leaned on the counter just as Debbie was putting money into the cash register. She watched Danny leave and looked at Justin.
"Hey...you two were always thick as thieves...what happened?"
Justin looked depressed, "I think I NEED new friends"
"Oh?"
"Yeah...somebody told me they set me up over something...sometimes I don't know who to and not to believe...", he looked at her, "...why is life like a mind-field?"
Debbie laughed as she went to serve another customer, "Well, if I knew the answer to that, I for SURE couldn't be working here!"
Xxxxx
Outside the Junior high school, Brian pulled in behind the yellow school bus. He then squinted in the sunshine and saw Gus walking with a few other boys. The boy clocked him.
"Hey", Brian called out with a chuckle.
Gus ran to the side of the jeep, "Dad?"
Brian laughed, "Don't look so worried, I spoke to your grandparents, they said it was okay for me to take you out for pizza"
Gus looked at him all suspicious, "No they didn't...they HATE pizza"
Brian waved a hand flippantly, "Okay, so I lied about that bit, but they were okay for me to pick you up from school"
Gus threw his bag in the back and jumped into the passenger seat, once buckled up he looked at his father, "But we still CAN go for pizza, huh?"
Brian looked at him like he was mulling it over for a second, he broke into a winning smile, "Hey, why not? What they don't know won't kill them"
Gus punched the air, "yes!
Xxxx
At the loft, Justin was on his cell to Brian, "Okay...well you and Gus have a good time...give him my love...speak to you later"
Justin ended the call and went over to his latest piece on the easel to finish off when there was a knock at the door. With a sigh of being disturbed again, he went over and opened the door to see Nathan standing there.
"Hey Nathan..."
Nathan pushed his way inside the apartment, "Is Brian around? I've tried calling him..."
Justin shook his head, "No he's out with his son..."
Nathan looked at Justin like he was about to explode with all the stress, "He's gonna sue!"
Justin frowned at him, what on earth was Nathan on about, "Huh?...You've lost me"
Nathan was speaking quickly, like he wanted it all to come out, "The brakes on YOUR car were cut!"
Justin frowned again, "Brian never said..."
Nathan didn't have time for all of this, "he stopped by this morning...he said he got another mechanic to take a look at the car, and he said that the brakes had been cut"
Justin realized the serious of this now, "who would have done that?"
Nathan swallowed, he was almost too embarrassed to admit to it, "I think it might have been my Uncle Brad"
"What?"
"He's crazy enough to of done it...and he's got a history with Brian...he's always jittery when Brian is around"
Justin bit his lip thinking fast, "maybe you should tell Brian about this"
Nathan agreed, "I would...when is he coming back?"
"Look, I think he's meeting some old friends down at Woodies later on...he's going there soon as he drops his son off..."
Nathan went to leave but then turned around in realization, "Just think...it could just as easily been you who got hurt..."
Justin screwed his face up.
Nathan carried on, "if it was YOU who picked that car up and not Brian"
Nathan was then gone. Justin's blood ran cold. He was right, it could have easily been him...
Xxxxx
Brian parked the jeep outside the Peterson house. Brian killed the engine and looked across to the big house with it's grand front porches and sighed, "Here we go, home sweet home"
Gus was looking to, "yeah"
Brian turned to his son and smiled at him, "Look, Gus...it's really important for me for you to understand that by sending you to live with your grandparents isn't because I don't love or care"
Gus shook his head, "I know all that Dad...I understand...I do"
Brian met his eyes, "I just NEED you to know, that's all"
"I know"
Their moment was broken when Mrs Peterson came up the walk. Brian forced on a big grin in greeting, "Mrs Peterson, Hi"
"Brian...in future, to save on all this short notice, can you at least give prior warning to pick up Gus from school"
Brian shrugged at her as he rested his arm across the passenger seat head rest, "Well, to be honest it was all spur of the moment thinking...have you a problem with that?"
Mrs Peterson shook her head, fully aware Gus was sitting there, "No...of course not"
Brian turned to his son, "Good, okay, sonny boy don't let me keep you from doing your homework"
Gus reached and grabbed his school bag from the back seat and said, "See you soon, Dad"
Brian watched him go with a keen smile, "catch up with you real soon, boy"
Mrs Peterson watched him go and turned back to Brian, "He does NEED a routine, you understand?"
Brian shook his head, "I understand more than most...look, I'm gonna be honest, and it's not like that you don't know how I feel about you anyway, but...I don't like what you stand for...with all that religious bullshit you are trying to shovel down his throat, and your straight living conservative life...you should be grateful that I have allowed him to live with you"
Mrs Peterson was almost pleading, "I am grateful...he is all I have left of my daughter"
"Then don't treat HIM like you did your daughter...you'll find your life so much more easier...and he told me about Mr Peterson not allowing him to play with his games console...I agree, too much is a bad thing, but for a couple of hours on a Friday or Saturday night...I don't think it will do him any harm, do YOU", his manner was more you WILL let him play on it.
Mrs Peterson nodded, but said, "So what happened about your house your rules?"
Brian shrugged, "I've changed my mind...I do that...", he fired up the engine, "...I'll see him next Saturday", it was more of fixed decision rather than a request, he gave her a parting smirk and sped off.
Xxxxxx