CHAPTER 27 - GRASSING AND BOTH GO UP IN SMOKE

CHAO ASADO BARILLA - THURSDAY EVENING

MICHAEL

Lindsay looks utterly ravishing. She’s on the other side of the table, held prisoner between her parents. I’m in no better a position, next to Ma and her boyfriend, Elliott, can’t believe they’re officially a couple now. Emmett and Drew are on my other side. Nobody is speaking to me. 

“Dad, please excuse me, I need the bathroom.” She tells him; she quickly looks my way as she stands. 

I wait till she’s out of sight. “Ma, can you move? I've got to make a call.” 

“Oh sure.” She returns over her shoulder but remains seated. 

“I need you to move, Ma.”

“Go the other way.” Elliott snipes. “You getting past me is not going to happen.”

As I turn, thankfully, Emmett is already moving, but at a snail’s pace. “Emmett, I really have to make this call.”

“If you’re so desperate, crawl on your belly under the table to get out that way!” Drew spits. 

What’s his problem?!

“Now, Drew, let’s not squabble with the inferior one. Just move a bit forward so him and his bulk can move past.”

I’m too desperate to get to Lindsay to bother with his witchiness.

DISABLED TOILETS - TEN MINUTES LATER

LINDSAY

Given the last place we were together, this is not ideal, but I’m at a breaking point in my need to have a bit of bitch about today and tell him what I’ve found out. These last few days have been both physically and emotionally painful. I peek out, but still no Michael. Just as I’m about to chance a text, the door is tapped on. Smiling in relief, I open it and pull him inside. 

“Oh my God, I’ve missed you!” 

“Me too!” He holds me tight. “We need to get away, just the two of us. Can you do that, do you think?”

“I will do my utmost, but the most important thing is that we need to get to the Taylors!” I whisper urgently, and he looks confused. When I give him a quick kiss, he seems to want to take this further. “No, Michael, let’s save it. Reason for the Taylor visit, Justin has a farm in Colorado.” I love his jealous look, as I know that he would give me what Justin won’t. “Oh, don’t pout, this is not the kind of farm you want, nor one that makes him look like parent of the year. It's a weed farm. How do you think child services will react to that, especially when we tell the Taylors that he’s taken my son there without my permission?”

“But Mel knew about it.” He grins. “Her knowledge weakens her position too!”

“Why would her position need to be weakened?” I frown.

“Excuse me!” We freeze when we hear the pissed off tones of Daddy. “Could you alert the facilities manager? There’s something wrong with this toilet.” 

RONALD

“Of course, sir. Is there anyone inside, do you know?” 

“Nobody. I think it would be best if this was locked. I take it there’s another disabled facility?”

“Yes sir. Anybody in your party needing to be directed to it?”

“No, will you be long?”

“No Sir, I won’t be.” 

I lean against the wall opposite to watch and wait 

MICHAEL

I press my ear to the door. “I can’t hear anything.” I whisper. “We can leave now, I’m sure he’s gone.”

“And if he’s not, how do we explain us both being in here?” She retorts. Leaning against the sink, I glare at her tone. “Well, how do we?!”

“Lindz, I’m your best friend, not Mel, stop talking to me like that.”

“I know who you’re not, Michael.” She sighs crossly. “Move out of the way, please, let me listen.” Slowly, the tension starts to leave her body. “I will go out first.” I nod and wait for her to go. “Oh shit!” She turns to me. “It’s locked.”

“It can’t be locked!” I hiss, but when I try it is. “Now what do we do?”

RONALD

I smirk as the handle goes down for the second time, now I know he has to be in there. If not, she would be screeching for her freedom. I didn't need to be told by Drew, I’d always thought they’re closeness was just too close, I was livid when I saw her coquettish slut look at her fuckbuddy. I waited for Debs to come back before heading outside, thinking they would be hiding in plain sight. Oh, how I would’ve loved to have dragged them back in by their ears. 

After checking with the receptionist who said they hadn’t passed by, I was heading back to the table when the smell hit me. Not just of her betrayal of Mel and Gus, but that expensive but oh so pungent scent she wears. He gave it to her of course, it would’ve been cheaper and smelt the same if he got her racoon spray! As I was thinking about how to catch them out; I noticed the lock, and with a smile pulled out a coin.

I’m basking in my ingenuity when Nancy comes around the corner. “What are you doing, darling?” She asks, heading to the ladies. 

“Waiting for the waiter to come back.” I raise my voice. The one thing I don’t want is for them to try the handle again.

“Is there a problem?” She asks, matching my voice level before winking and leaning closer. “I take it the rancid rancorous fruit of our loins is in there?”

“Yes.” I return, keeping my tone as neutral as I can as I don’t want to alert her to his presence. 

“And her bedmate is with her?” I sigh and nod. “When did you find out? I had my suspicions for a while, ever since Cabot. Do you think it’s been going on since then?” 

“No, I think it’s a recent thing. What about Debs, is she aware?”

“Yes, I am.” Debs whispers, surprising us both. “Where are they?” I point and they look at each other and smile. “Let me sort this out. You go back, Ronald.”

LINDSAY

“I have an idea!” He whispers. “Can you make yourself sick?” 

“Of course I can! But why would I?”

“Because that would explain me being in here, helping you!” I smile at him and pull my hair back. Turning on the tap, I begin to smudge my eye make up; he checks my face. “You even look beautiful when nauseated! Okay, make some noise, I’ll send Mel a text so she can come and let us out.”

“Smart man.”

“Your smart man.” He smiles, lifts the lid, then sends the text. “Now us cuddling, you know me giving you comfort wouldn’t be out of the ordinary would it!”

“Nope.” I giggle.

DEBS

The one thing that Michael never, ever does is appreciate me and my talents. One of which is the ability to hear through doors. You have to when you run a diner where people are apt to do stupid things in the john. “She’s pretending to be sick so that Mel can come rescue them.”

“Pitiful!” Nancy spits. “Now what do we do?”

“First, let’s not tell anyone what we three know, punish those devils ourselves.” She nods then frowns. “What?”

“Where did you go before?”

“Oh, to the kitchen. Wanted to change his order. Trying to separate those two by getting him sent home feeling ill, but they didn’t have any liver. Seems Brian’s not a fan and refuses to have it anywhere near the place!”

“Mel’s coming!” She sighs.

“Just because she’s coming doesn’t mean she’s staying.” I assert and step out. “You don’t look happy.”

“Lindsay’s not feeling well. Michael’s just texted to say he’s with her. Not sure which toilet though, just said disabled.”

“It must be the one down the other end, I’ve just used this one. Think there’s one on this floor and the other in the basement.”

“Oh, okay, thanks.” She heads off.

“Why not tell Mel what’s happening and get it over with?” Nancy sighs.

“Because we’ve no proof. Just, if we’re realistic, our feelings.”

“Ladies, what are you doing out here?” Maya frowns. 

“Just chatting.” I smile.

“Oh, okay, see you back at the table then.” She steps into the ladies, still frowning.

MAYA

I’ve got to give it to Brian, this place is incredible; the food, the atmosphere, even the bathrooms are glamorous! I’m just about to head back when I hear it: that irritating giggle. I freeze and creep towards the vent behind the standing mirror. There it is again, this time followed by his voice, wondering where the fuck Mel is as it’s getting cold in there! 

“Oh, I’ve had enough of this!” I mutter. Just as I’m about to confront them, an angry Nancy storms in. “You okay?”

“Yes, just need to occupy my hands!” She grits out. She’s followed by Debs, who also looks furious, but is also smiling. 

“The facilities manager has locked it and put up a do not use sign.” Her voice is low, which is very unusual for her. “Nobody is getting in or out of there until the morning.” She looks delighted.

I’m about to say something when Mel comes in. “I don’t understand it. I’ve been to both johns and I can’t find them. They must be in that one; though you said they weren’t, Debs. Oh, man, let me pee first!” She gasps before diving into a cubicle. 

None of us speak, but the looks we’re giving each other say enough. Well, enough for me to test a theory, but first I need us away from the vent. 

“Oh, that’s better!” Mel rinses her hands with a grin. “That wine is so nice, highly drinkable.” 

I get between them and the door and point to the other end. I look at Nancy and Debs, both of whom are looking guilty. “What do you know?” I demand. “Before you answer, know that Mel knows more than you think she knows.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Mel fumes. “In broad fucking daylight?! They’re canoodling?!”

“Oh, Mel, we’re sorry! We’ve only just had our suspicions confirmed, Ronald thinks it might have started in Cabot.”

“No, it started ten years ago.” She retorts, before steadying Nancy. “Okay, let’s go home.”

“Yes.” Debs sighs, her eyes flashing with hurt and anger. “Let’s do unto them what they’re doing to you, starting with getting his car towed!”

BRITIN - THREE HOURS LATER

LOUNGE

JUSTIN

We all look at Brian as he returns. “Restaurant is locked tight. They’re stuck there.”

“So is there anything else that they can go to your producers for?” George asks. I had called him and Brandon on the way, and we’ve been going over every piece of paper that the slut has ever signed. Gus and Hunter have gone to bed; Nancy, Ronald and Debs are staying in the cottage whilst Mel is going to go home with Maya. “What about Zeus, she has no ownership claim of him does she?”

“No.” Mel scoffs. “He’s the only thing she had no interest in, but if she knew his pedigree, she would’ve been super keen.”

“Guys!” Debs shouts as she rushes in. “Sorry, I forgot to say, she mentioned Colorado, couldn’t quite hear what, but he also said something about weakening Mel’s position.”

“That’s where my marijuana farm is.” I sigh, for this could really cause a problem. 

“Medical or recreational?” Brandon asks, putting more papers on the not-to-worry pile. 

“Both.” I smile my thanks for the soju at Emmett. “But when it was first planted, the bill hadn’t been passed.”

“Has now. No way for them there.” 

“Right, tomorrow, we will go see the producers.” George declares. “Can we bunk up for the night, Justin?” I nod and lean against Brian, who starts to massage my hip, he knows my body so well. “In the meantime, I want every single bill you’ve paid for, everything, for I’ve just found a last gift from your grandfather. Said she reminded him of your mother.”

“But he met her once, literally for a second if that. We hadn’t even talked about Gus then had we?” I look at Mel who nods. “However, he’s always done right by me, what’s the gift?”

“All monies are payable upon demand in the event of the dissolution of a dependent relationship.”

“What does that mean?” Emmett frowns. I have to smile at the little cocoon that he and Winston have formed between Drew and Ben. “Justin and Mel aren’t married.”

“But in the eyes of the law, Mel and Lindsay are, and Mel is dependent on Justin.” Ted smirks. “So, if i understand this right, if she ends the relationship, she has to pay the money back - um for the support?”

“Every penny, from the moment the relationship was deemed to have ended.”

“Well that’s only from now, and besides she won’t end it, she loves this life.” Blake points out.

“She’s not going to. Michael will, we’ll ensure that. Let’s see how much he loves her without my money! And his arrogance means that when he does end it, he will say when theirs started!”