CHAPTER 19 - RELATIVELY SPEAKING
LOUNGE - LATE AFTERNOON
BRIAN
I stretch my legs, smiling at the slight burn; the reason has gone to get groceries. My heart flutters again. I knew I was falling, but this hard and this quickly is a good shock to my system. And speaking of a shock, I’m surprised that I’m not as antsy as I would be given that I’ve not checked my messages since we got here. I almost drop my coffee when I see the one from Mel.
“Tell me you’re kidding?!” I declare as she picks up.
“Good afternoon. I’m not. I couldn't believe it when he told me! And you’re an Uncle.”
“What blind fool fucked her?! Who do I have to save?”
“You’re saving no one. Claire has two boys, John and Peter. I think...”
“Hey!” Justin smiles from the doorway. “Gonna put these away. Wanna jump into the shower with me then…”
“Mom and sister found Gus!” I reply, the bags hit the floor. “How did they find him?! I am going to ring their fucking necks…”
He snatches my phone and pushes me back down. “Brian, take a couple of breaths.” Scowling, I reach again, he steps back. “Breathe please!”
“Fine.” I take three deep ones, he sits down rubbing my thigh. “So where’s Gus now?”
“Am here, waiting for Daph and Pheebs to - ah perfect timing, they’re here.”
LOUNGE, BRITIN
GUS
I point at Aunty Emsy. Pheebs toddles over grinning, he picks her up and blows a raspberry on her neck. “Can I say now?”
“Yep.” Dad sighs, I look worriedly at Mom, but she’s smiling a little.
“I was heading to the store after getting treats from Insomnia Cookies…”
Start of flashback
OUTSIDE THE GROCERY STORE, TWO HOURS PRIOR
GUS
“No!” I mutter as the aroma punches me in the nostrils. “Is the nibble worth it?” I take two seconds to think, stop and rearrange my holdall so that the cookies are at the bottom, but not being crushed. “You get cookies and laid, don’t be stoopid!“
A couple of women with two surly boys, head up the street, one of the boys looks back. “Isn’t that him?!”
“Isn’t who him?!” The younger woman grouses.
“The boy from the web…” I tune him out and head inside, humming as I make my way to the bread aisle. “...it is, right?!” I frown at him. “This is you!”
I freeze at the picture of us that Kip took. “What they wrote…”
“I am so sorry for the trauma he’s caused you.” I back up from both the stench of booze and the closeness of the gnarly old bat who birthed my dad. “He's never…”
Flashback interruptus
“Gnarly old bat!” Mom hoots.
“How did you know it was her?!” Daph demands.
“Grandpa Ace showed me pictures. Are you sure you weren’t adopted? You don’t look like either of them; it would explain a lot.”
“Positive, I am all theirs.” Dad returns.
“Laying privileges revoked!” Daphne snaps.
“Sorry, dad!” I blush. “Am a thoughtless lunkhead.”
“And no cookies!” Justin chimes in, my heart sinks at her evil smile. “Continue!”
Back to flashback
I drop the holdall; all set to blast them when I see someone who mouths ‘calm’. I breathe deep then have an idea. “He never what?”
“Never showed anybody any consideration, always thinking of himself!” She seethes, then looks around. “You look like such a good boy, how did you get ensnared by him?”
“Has he fucked you?” The boy sneers.
“John!” He glares at the other woman. “Much to our eternal shame, I’m his sister, Claire; she's our mother, Joan; and they’re his nephews.”
“He mentioned you two, but not them. John and…” I smile at the other boy, who smiles back until John elbows him.
“Peter. What did he say about them then?”
“Um…”
“Please, tell us. Nothing would surprise…”
“Ugly sacks of spunk.” I mutter, ducking to hide the smirk at their gasps of shock.
“If his father, Jack, was alive, he’d skin his hide for those words then cut out his tongue!” Joan hisses and wobbles. “The love and shelter we provided for that abomination and that is how he describes us!”
“That’s not what he..” I begin.
“Whatever you heard are lies!” Clare foams. “We should go to those website people and tell the truth about him!”
“He wouldn't like that…” She and Joan exchange sly smiles. “...but if you must, don't tell him what I said. If it got back to him, he’d dump me; I love my life with him!”
“So you have done it with him!” John gapes.
“No! We're not like that, we love each other. But having all that money does help…”
“He’s rich?” Joan gasps. “He should be helping us in our hours of need!”
“He’s a millionaire many times over, houses all over the world…” My phone beeps. “..oh shit, I'm late for him; I don't want him to be mad. If you go to those people, remember don’t mention me!” I grab my bag and run out.
COFFEE SHOP, AN HOUR LATER
“Hey!” I frown at Blake as he sits down “Where’s Leon? Up, Teddy!” He leaps into my lap and washes my face.
“Leon is speaking to his sponsor, her stench was a bit triggering.” He signals the waitress and orders a couple mugs of coffee and a bowl for Teddy. “As for how; very well indeed. I’ll let him explain, he won’t be long.”
“I felt like I needed a hose down; she is really vile. It took everything not to knock her across the store, the hatred coming off her! Ah here he comes.”
“Drink first, sweetheart.” Blake orders gently.
“Thank you.” He smiles. We wait for him to have a few sips. “I’m glad you didn't react the way you wanted, it would’ve exposed both of you to them. This way, it gets contained and gleefully seemingly orchestrated by Michael Novotny.” He laughs at my jaw drop. “He sent a car for them after I called him!”
“So what do you think he’s going to do?” I frown.
“I know exactly what he will do. He’ll call Brian, all sweetness and light, to warn him, then represent them in the background. He’ll try and recoup the losses he’s made. I heard Peter say they can twist him for a house to keep their mouths shut and Claire said that’s just the start!”
End of flashback
MEL
“So what do you want us to do?!” A red-faced Ben demands, as he enters having been listening in, I chuckle as Ted is frantically yelling at him to be calm. “No, they fucked him up and over so many times, this time we destroy them!”
“Anger is turning you into Novotny.” I state, he sits down in shock. “Michael will be in their focus, once this goes tits up.”
“How?” Justin asks.
“Although their bad porn night didn’t get picked up by the main media. Other outlets, thanks to Ted, have seen it.”
“You? How? When? And why didn’t you tell me?” Ben glowers.
“I’ve been trying to tell you but you kept changing the subject!” Ted explains with a knowing smirk, Ben buries his head in his shoulder at our chuckling. “So I can finish now?” He kisses his cheek in permission. “Remember the guys from Pittsburgh Out who he had to pay off?”
“Yes.” I frown.
“I was in the library last week…”
“Last week? How much sex did you two have?!” Gus guffaws.
“Anymore sass and you’ll have blue balls for two weeks!” Brian snaps, he goes pale at Daph’s nodding. “Continue Ted.”
“Thanks. Well it turns out I knew one of them from another launch event, we got talking and he happened to allude to his payoff. I mentioned the tryst and he did the rest, Michael will find out that having an underpaid ex playmate and partner has its disadvantages!”
“Ex playmate?” Emmett echoes. “I thought you said…”
“Kip! I mean Kip!” He quickly soothes a startled Pheebs. “He is a very minor partner in Rage PR. Then there’s Blake holding The Dome closed, and he's been closing the rest of his empire through inspections. By this time next week, Babylon will be the only club in town!”