CHAPTER 9 - WARMING OF THE HOUSE, HEARTS AND IRES

LINDSAY’S SUITE - NEXT MORNING

LINDSAY

For the fourth time this morning, I try to reach Brian and fail. As well as being annoyed, I’m also worried. It's not like him to not reply. Even at his most pissed, which is getting more and more in these few days, he always replies after the third call! 

And that's one of the main reasons I want to speak to him; to tell him we’re going back home. Due to modern technology, I can fight for what's rightfully mine from New York; at least there, he has no distractions. He most definitely needs to be isolated from those who are turning his head and behaviour away from me. 

Tossing my phone into the blankets in fury, I head to the bathroom, hoping that a shower will calm me down. I examine my body in the mirror, it looks perfect, as usual. I just don’t understand why he doesn’t just accept the inevitable and come to me. We’re destined to be together. Bracing myself, I turn the water to cold and step in. I let fly my frustration as the jets blast me from head to toe, but I need to do this to focus my mind, get myself back into the game. Ten minutes later, I feel invigorated. Just as I wrap my hair, I hear it, my phone!

I scrabble naked amongst the covers, regretting my previous fit of pique. My heart sinks as I not only miss the call, but when I check it’s Michael. I’m about to toss it back under a pillow when his text comes through. Justin has moved already!

“Michael, what do you mean he’s moved already?! When did you go round? Late last night; the neighbour told you about the moving van? Did he get the name of the company? He did? Excellent. Is he answering your calls? No, neither is Brian; this is unacceptable. Let me get dressed and meet you at your store, in say an hour? Why? Because I think I know where both of them are, and they owe us, as their best friends, explanations!”

BRITIN - SAME TIME

BRIAN’S ROOM

BRIAN

I look out the open window, it’s so peaceful here. Outside of the room, there’s no signs of life. The only sounds to be heard are his breathing and my thumping heart. We slept together! I say that sentence slightly louder - just above a whisper. I slept with Justin, only in the same bed - but I never share a sleeping space with anybody, not even a nap on the sofa. It didn’t even feel weird or wrong. 

Snickering quietly as he tries to cover his foot with the quilt, I do it for him and return to the window. 

I think back to last night. We’d just finished signing over Babylon to me and planning our first venture, all of us. He and I decided to start the boys as we mean them to go on, so took them for a walk. Whilst doing so, he told me more about his Mom. She sounded so kind and supportive, a far cry from mine. His stepfather and my Mother would’ve been ideally matched, both cold hearted, and based their love on a bartering system - you do as I say I might give you an atom of love or compassion. I feared censure when I told him I didn't cry at her funeral. I cried more for my Dad. She was furious and accused me, alongside Lindsay, of betraying her and being the same cold hearted bastard like him.

That was the only time that I lost it with her when she was alive. She had claimed that he made her life a misery, but it was her, who caused the pain. She deliberately got pregnant so that he couldn’t be with his true love, then refused to divorce him when the marriage broke down; citing religious reasons, when in reality she was just a miserable mephitic Medusa. 

We ended up talking about our childhood, their operations, his hopes, dreams and aspirations. I’ve never felt more comfortable with anybody. It was me stifling the fourth yawn that he said we should go to bed; after just one more being roped into shopping with Lindsay story.

START OF FLASHBACK

THREE HOURS BEFORE

BRIAN

“How did you not fathom that you’re going to be going to the lingerie department?!” I lift my head from deep inside the pillow. “Well?!” He smacks my butt, I turn on my side. “Looking rueful does not answer my question!” He lies alongside before leaning back to grab our whiskies. “Chin-chin and talk-talk!”

“I seriously didn’t see it coming!” He sips and savours. “It's good, isn't it?”

“Stalling.” He eyes me over his glass. 

“Menswear was across the way, she said she had seen a tie that she thought I'd like. Next thing, she swerves us in before I could even blink!” I redden at the memory of her loudly asking for help. “When she walked towards the assistant, I thought I could escape, but before I’d even taken a step, she had a monstrosity held against her and screamed for my opinion, and I mean screamed. Think when she heard about you renting the house - but twice as loud!”

“Can you remember what it looked like?” He teases, before gaping when I nod.

“Wanna know?”

“No! First she’s a, well looks like, a woman, also I don’t like lingerie. And secondly, she’s her!”

“So yes then?” He snorts and nods. “They were bits of gossamer, like spider’s webs, orange spider’s webs.”

“You mean peach, nobody buys orange skimpies!” He hoots, he stops when I shake my head.

“Those are peach.” I point at the top of his boxers. “Trust me, these were orange. Bright orange, with lime green detailing.”

“Are you checking out my underwear?” He cocks an eyebrow.

“Peach happens to be a favourite colour of mine, it’s a nice shade.”

“Sure it is. Sure it is.” He chuckles, before yawning. “Before I head off, did she buy them?”

“No.” I mutter, going crimson. 

“Brian? You didn’t?! You didn’t get them for her?!”

“I just wanted to leave!” I protest. He yawns again, then sits up with his back to me. “It was so hellish. She came back to Kinnetic with me, swinging the bag, smiling at people, whilst holding my arm, my hand, in fact any part of me that could say that I am with her and this is what we’re going to do tonight!”

“You poor fucker!” He chuckles, lying back against my stomach. “Surprised she didn’t stay with you to make sure you got home again.” I go quiet, he looks across. “She didn’t? Tell me she didn’t?!” 

“I can’t. But it was the last shopping trip ever.” I smile at that. “The receptionist at the time was easily swayed by her charm, so would let her come and go as she pleased. Then Daph arrived and that was the end of her reign as Quasi Queen.”

“Yeah, she was saying that she found your haven.” He yawns again before shifting so we’re spooning. “This okay?” I cover us with the quilt in response. He sighs. “Seriously, what are we going to do about them? Like you said, it won’t hold them for long.”

“Hmm; oh, and not only did she find my haven, she also got my money back for the underwear; still don’t know how.” This time I yawn. “Let’s talk later, we’ve got a day at least.”

“Hmm. You give off some serious warmth for such a cold hearted bastard!” He mumbles.

“You have a bald spot.” I mutter. “Where I pulled. Sorry about that, it’s real small though.”

“We’ll be discussing that later too.”

END OF FLASHBACK

JUSTIN

I’ve been awake for the last hour, it was the chilliness that woke me. He got up and used the bathroom, and has been by the window ever since. It felt so good to get to know him. However, although he said he was okay with spooning, why hasn’t he gotten back in bed? It took everything not to say thank you when he recovered my foot. 

I don’t think he’s freaked out, one way to make sure. I turn to face him and lift the quilt. Twenty long seconds later, he gets back in bed.

MICHAEL’S STORE - AFTERNOON

LINDSAY

We’re triumphant, we’ve found it! He had to use a bit of subterfuge to get the address, now I’m impatiently waiting for Michael to lock up his shop so we can go and confront them. “So let me understand this; Justin put the capital towards this for you?”

“Yep.” He beams. “I offered him a partnership, but he said it's all mine. Well, not technically, she insisted on being the partner instead, she being his late mother. So am figuring that it’s all mine now!”

I nod but burn with jealousy. Not one dime has Brian spent on me! Okay, yes, there was the Saint Laurent underwear set, which I still can’t find, I must look for them when we get home on Saturday. 

“And she got me another thing!” He beckons me to follow; we head around the back and there’s a rather smart looking van. “He doesn’t know about it yet. I got it last week.”

“Why haven’t you told him?” I ask, sighing, as I have to open the door myself, I take my time getting myself settled in. “Did you get it like this?” I look around at the untidiness.

“Yeah, will tidy it up before I see him. Reason for not saying; his Mom gave the company, she insisted on a partnership agreement, a cash injection to use for the store, but I used it for this instead.” 

“Wouldn’t she have told him that though?” I frown. From what he’s said about her she was one to tattle as well as spread herself about!

“It was just before she got sick for the last time, so guess not. If he has an issue with it, will say she asked me to get it for him. It’s his favourite car.”

“What an excellent idea!” I buckle up and am almost giddy with anticipation. “Right, let’s go and pull our besties back in line!”

SITE OF BRITIN - AN HOUR LATER

LINDSAY

Wasteland! There’s nothing but wasteland here! “This is the address you gave me!” Michael bellows at the removal company. “Why didn't you say that when I called instead of making me go on this wild goose chase!” He gapes at the screen for a few seconds before hanging up.

“What was their excuse?” I demand as I get back in the van.

“You lied to us so we lied to you!” 

“What is wrong with the people in the service industry around here?!” I sit back in my seat for a few seconds to give myself time to think. Before I even can, a call from Uncle George comes through. “Hi, Uncle George, how are you?” I suppress my giggle at Michael’s gagging face, then start to frown. “Of course, Uncle George, yes I understand. We will be there. Thank you, see you then.”

“Where am I dropping you off? Shall we meet later to see if we can find them somehow?”

“We are both going to the office. We need to apologise to Daphne and present her with the bracelet.

“Oh for crying out loud! We bought her the damn thing, isn't that enough?!”

“My thoughts exactly, but that cloud does have a silver lining.” 

“Which is?” He sighs, pulling into traffic.

“Brian and Justin will most likely be there, and if they’re not I’m more than capable of getting from her where they are!”

BRITIN - AN HOUR LATER

LOUNGE

DAPHNE

Whilst it’s great that they’ve got to present the bracelet to me, could do without it happening today. But George is going away for the next couple of days, so he keelhauled their asses to the office for the great presentation.

“So how’d you do it?” Justin asks as he comes in with Brian.

“Do what? And where have you two been all this time?” I take them in, both are looking very relaxed, especially Brian. “Walking the boys?”

“Nope, we’ve been talking about the pesky pillocks and how to muzzle their antics.” Brian returns. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Debs is in the kitchen doing brunch, all else are earning their living.” I nod at the wine waving Justin; as, to my surprise, does Brian. “Do what?”

“Get my money back for those bits of webbing.” Brian shifts so that Justin is on his side, interesting.

“Webbing!” Justin snorts.

“Oh that, I returned them.” Two pairs of eyes swivel my way. “Remember when she deigned to let me visit, just so that I could see what I could aspire to if only I worked as hard as she did?” Justin looks furious. “Yeah, Manning made that face too. Just before I left to return to my back breaking graft.” Now Brian looks pissed. “She asked if I could do her a little favour as it was on my way. To drop something off at a jewellers. Whilst she was getting it, I stuck the bag under my coat and took a chance.”

“But when did you get my card?” He frowns.

“I didn’t. The assistant remembered you both very well; especially you muttering that you could never come back there again, so she and the manager refunded it without you being present.” I sip happily. “So what are you going to treat me to for my ingenuity?”

“Whatever you want.” He laughs. “But what if they didn’t refund it? How would you have gotten them back to her?”

“She’d never have gotten them back.” I retort.

“Whatever, you’re thinking about, I want to reward you too!” Justin declares.

As we clink in agreement, I vow to take my time coming up with an idea!