CHAPTER 9 - BLAKE’S SIDE OF THE STORY AND TED’S VERSION

EARLY EVENING 

BLAKE

“He's home, is he?” I smile as Teddy zooms to the door. I pull out the mugs and put the kettle on. 

“Hey, darlings!” He calls before spluttering as Teddy cleans his face. “How was your day, were you a good boy for Daddy?”

“Who are you asking?” I laugh, as they come in. “I shall answer for both of us, most interesting. Yours?”

“Same. How far into dinner had you gotten when I texted you?”

“Not very, they’ll keep. So what did you bring, and why the halt to the habanero chicken with halloumi fries?”

“Indonesian. Now, kisses from my partner, please.” I pull him close, still disbelieving how things have turned out. “Want to plate up whilst I do the tea?” 

“Yes.” I regard him, whatever it is he’s nervous to say it. “Okay go, teasmaid man, spit it out.”

He pauses for a second. “I went to Popperz.” I frown, he smoothes it away. “Scouting mission, as I heard something. Besides, they only know me as clean Leon, not that Leon.”

“True.” I relax a little. “So what did you find out?”

“Not much. It’s more who I saw.” He gauges my reaction. I nod and take dinner to the table. Emptying the bag whilst he gets the plates and Teddy’s bowl for his salmon satay with steamed vegetables. I get that he likes salmon and peanut butter, most dogs do, but the veggie loving is baffling. 

“Michael was there with a few very young looking boys, as was a very unhappy looking Jerome.”

“Oh, for crying out loud!” I shudder.

“I know. I know. But, and it’s a very qualified but, he doesn’t coerce them.”

“He leaves them with a sense of owing him!”

“Remember your breathing exercises!” He orders, gripping my shoulders. “On three, two, one, breathe.” I focus on his count and start to calm down. “Yes, that’s true, but we can’t prove that he’s done or is doing anything wrong. To the outside world, he looks like he’s being altruistic by helping the homeless. Besides, he doesn’t abandon them, does he? Look at Jerome.”

“Piffle!” I declare. He snickers at my manners in front of Teddy. “Yes, let’s look at Jerome, shall we? Who does he use as bait?”

“Willingly.” He asserts.

“The fact remains that when he first met Jerome, he was his charity case, and now he’s nothing more than a courtesan with a manager of the club title!”

LEON

As I can’t deny the truth of that, I nod. “And if he wasn’t feeling any guilt for what he’s doing, why did he pay when your late father hinted that he knew something about him?” Again, indisputable. “How much do you reckon he’s paid him over the years?”

“No clue.” I sigh, as my sense of shame begins to overwhelm me.

“Leon.” His tone is gentle. “That was all you knew. You were a runner for your Dad, and got sucked into the darker side of being a paparazzi pariah. He exposed you to so much at such a young age.” He takes my hand and Teddy, picking up on my mood change, starts to whimper. I ruffle his ears and he relaxes. “No wonder you were in the maelstrom of drink and drugs”

“I know, but I still shudder that I was the kind of guy that helped cause the misery.“

“But we’re fixing it, that’s the important thing. By giving them what they want, then telling the world who wanted it, we fix things, because all those prestigious clients will tear them to pieces.”

“The vultures become prey.” I smile at that.

As he plates up our dinner, I think of when we first met. I was waiting for my mark to come in. He was across the bar, talking to Tony, we sometimes light up together. It looked like an intense conversation, which only one of them seemed to be enjoying. I made my way over to see if he needed help. Due to the noise, I couldn’t hear anything, but when I tapped his shoulder and Blake turned, it gave Tony time to be on his toes. I remember the smugness I felt when I pointed behind him, but he just sighed, mouthed he’d be back, and headed out. 

I thought nothing of it for a few days. Besides, I had a lot to do helping my Dad. It was around when I was 16 that I first met Michael Novotny, not that he’d remember me now anyway, I was dropping off another package to Wertschafer, and he took it off me. He told me to come around the back next time, he doesn’t want this place to look like it lets in the dregs of society, which even then I thought was ironic, considering what they did. 

It was after my first, and most noxious ever, on my own job, that I met Blake again. I needed to rid myself of the stench, and crystal and cognac were my bedfellows of choice. Once more, he was with Tony, but this time he wasn’t looking pissed or like he wanted to be elsewhere, he looked relieved. I remember calling out to him as he got in the car to come with me. I could show him a better time than the prissy boy. When Blake asked if I wanted to come too, I was high enough to go. And that was the first of the best night’s sleep I had and I continue to have. Dad was disgusted, of course, that I was trying to be a better person. He didn’t bat an eye when he found the first piece of crystal, just pointed me in the direction of a better supplier. But for every relapse, Blake was there to pick me up, dust me down so I, which then became we, could start all over again. It took a year, but I finally got clean just as Dad’s health luck ran out. Also, by that time, Rage PR was our only source of income. When Novotny called for something, I was all set to tell him to fuck off as I was going to close down the business when Blake, who by then I was in love with, had the idea to make this one of my amendments in AA. And that’s what we’ve been doing ever since: building the blocks to give the lives back to those we, as in Dad and I, helped harm. 

“Hey, you alright? Do you need to call your sponsor?” I nod. “Go and do that, the food, Teddy and I will be waiting for you when you’re done.”

BRITIN - AN HOUR LATER

LOUNGE

BRIAN

It’s been very quiet on the Drew front, just not from a Michael perspective, like we knew it would be. I had to reign in Drew’s enthusiasm to go to all media outlets, cautioning him that he doesn’t know who Michael knows, like Jerome for example! To keep him out of mischief, Ems has taken him to New York. I told him to make sure the bedding is changed before he left. He, of course, pish-poshed me, but I saw those bath and massage oils.

The door knocking heralds the arrival of Justin. When I open it, he’s grinning from ear to ear.

“I’ve got three things, guess what they are?” He trills walking past.

“Dinner and a date with Jerome.”

He huffs. “Okay the first two were a bit obvious! But you won’t guess the third!”

“A strap?” He slowly turns. “You might have.”

“If I have a strap, then so do you.” His gaze drops to my crotch. “My question is, are you wearing it now?”

“Guess we’ll never know.” 

“I guess.” He heads to the lounge. “But what I do have is along the same lines!”

“How so? Want a drink?” He nods. “Let’s plate up and then you can tell me.”

TEN MINUTES LATER

JUSTIN

I had brought dinner from Poulet Bleu, he said to order big because Gus, Daph and Mel could have leftovers. As I finish decanting, he shakes his head. “Thank goodness nobody is a vegetarian!” I laugh and feel a little proud of my choices. 

“Steak tartare, roast duck, corn risotto and, um, why do we have duck confit and roast duck?”

“That’s for Pheebs, as are the fries.” I explain, ignoring his smirk as I take one. I pfftt at him when he moves both away from me. 

“Any pudding? By which I mean, you had best have ordered double profiteroles, as I actually want to have some. We’re a family of chocoholics.” 

“Where do you put it?!” I tease. “I just have to look at chocolate and it goes straight to my ass!”

“Same area, just my cock.” He replies, chortling as I snort into the wine. “2-1 to me.”

“I have nothing to add!” I concede, whilst plating the tartare. We eat in silence in almost silence, me having to suppress my groans. “Getting that again, it is gorgeous!”

“Definitely” He pulls the platter towards him and starts to carve the roast. I'm slightly distracted by the way he handles the knife. “Can we do legs? Gus and Daph prefer breast.”

“Oh, good! Breast is just so dry, no matter how much you baste it, urgh, just not for me.” We make short work of both the roast and risotto, as one we look at the box for Pheebs. “We must not. Let’s take a break from food and discuss the third. Justin? The third?”

“Hmmm.” I mutter, before being startled by him taking my chin and turning my head. We stare at each other for a few long seconds. “Third?” I repeat.

“You said, you’ve got three, what’s the third and let’s go back to the lounge.”

“Yes, distance from that, a plan.” I follow, grabbing my messenger bag on the way. “So the third is.” I pause and get comfortable. “The book. Ted actually ran off his own copies.” He doesn’t look as impressed as I was. Sighing, I show it to him, he looks less impressed! “Of his version of the book, which he said was better than Michael’s effort.”

“Oh I see!” He grabs it looking mischievous. “Shall we skip to the original saucy bits?”

“Yep!” I laugh, and we settle end to end on the sofa to read.

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER

BRIAN

Justin and I try not to look at each other. I can feel the sweat trickling down my back as I read. “Oh my goodness.” He whispers, biting his lip. This is not helping. “I can see why this wasn’t in there.”

“Which page are you on?” I sound hoarse, but resist clearing my throat.

“Thirty two.” He returns. “You?”

“Twenty nine.” 

“Where on page twenty nine?” He frowns, flicking back. I hear him swallow. “Oh there.”

“Yea, who’d have thought under all of that somberness beats that beast.” I quip, hoping to ease the simmering sexual tension. I glance up at the silence. Not only has he continued to read, he’s got a shiny nose. “You a little warm there, buddy?” 

“Asks the man that’s been squirming.” He smirks.

“This.” I bridle. “Did not make me squirm. It takes a lot more than that.” 

“Like?” He challenges.

“How bad do you wanna know?” I’ve barely moved the book aside when he’s a hair’s breadth away. “That bad?”

“That good. Now let me kiss you.” 

The book hits the floor, just as our lips touch. He tastes of wine and cognac. Briefly, our noses and teeth bump, but after a slight adjustment, I slide an arm around his waist, his tongue goes deeper. I’m not sure who moaned first, but now that’s the only sound in the room.

JUSTIN

Oh man, I knew he would be good when I first saw him, but he has a surprisingly gentle mouth. I squirm up a little more and snicker. We part, licking our lips. “Definitely not a strap.” I murmur.

“Ditto.” He whispers.

“If you’re going to talk straps, go to your room!” Mel drawls. She folds her arms when neither of us move. “Well, are you going?”

We look at each other, he shakes his head. I smile, but take my time getting off him. “I’ll call you tomorrow, we can talk Jerome date strategy and about the mural.”

“Great, let me walk you out.” 

TWO MINUTES LATER

MEL

He looks thoughtful as he returns, saying nothing as he picks up the book and starts to put things away. “Good night, Mel.”

“Night, Brian.” He closes the door behind him, I’m stunned but pleased. He’s fallen,  and, like Ben, fallen hard.