CHAPTER 50 – A VISIT TO THE GREAT WHITE NORTH MAKES ZEE CRY…

PETERSON RESIDENCE

RONALD

Nancy hasn’t moved and inch or said anything in the last 30 or so minutes.  I’m not sure what to do or to say.

                “This is your fault!”  She spits at me

Okay now I know what to do.

                “How the fuck is this my fault?  You’re the one that brought the children up, I was the one that provided you the means to do so as you were happy to remind me when it suited you!  You bred this into them especially Lindsay!  We’re reaping what you sowed Nancy.”

                “I didn’t breed her to be a lesbian, there are no lesbians on our side of the family so she must have got it from your side!”

                “This is nothing to do with her being a lesbian!  This is about her being a prima donna of a little madam and that she got from you!  I should’ve said no to your many demands a long time ago, until such time that this shit is settled we are not adding to our portfolio.”

                “Ronald!”

                “No Nancy no.  Now I’m going to the golfing range you need to think about what they’ve said from an ‘it’s because I created a monster and not a lesbian’ point of view!

COURTYARD HOTEL SUITE

MICHAEL

                “A gallery they bought him a fucking gallery!”  I shout. 

She nods mutely as she’s as shocked as I am.  I plonk down on the sofa and huff out a breath. 

                “Right, the first thing we do is get hold of our fucking lawyer and get him to do his job!  I have no inclination to look through these papers for whatever the fuck she’s talking about.”

She snatches up her phone and presumably calls Mitcham.

                “Fuck he’s in court.  Well that’s not going to stop me.  But I think a visit to Mel is called for.”

BROWNSTONE – FRIDAY MID-MORNING

MASTER BEDROOM

MATT

He’s asleep, after Wednesday and then reading the statements yesterday he’d been a bit subdued and emotional but early this morning I woke to the blow job of my life before he made love to me.

I slide out from under him and after a few seconds of grumbling he goes back to sleep.  I pad downstairs to put the coffee on and smile at the amount of food we’ve got to get through, I love my Ouma.  And speaking of them, it’s going to be sad when they go on Monday and we won’t see them until September when we go to visit.

                “Hey.” 

                “Hey sleepyhead, go back to bed I’ll be back up with coffee, or do you want tea, and some water.”

                “Tea please, the super green one, can’t believe I like that shit.”

Ten minutes later I’m back upstairs with warmed muffins, which get me a beaming smile.  We sit in contented silence before my phone beeps and when I look, my mouth drops open.

                “What?”  He asks breaking the muffins apart

                “Mom said that Uncle Drew seemed a little quiet at brunch, we need to add this video.”

                “Okay, do I want to see it since I can see him in it?” 

                “Apparently so, she said you would be so proud.”

                “Okay maybe later then.  Where are we on Sunday?”  He asks chewing contentedly.

                “Home.  They fly Monday morning.”

                “What is it about the Ugerstacht/Stark family that makes you instantly love them?” 

I grin at him and swipe a crumb off his lip before sliding my hand under the sheets.

                “Matt hot tea in hand!”  He groans

                “Then put the cup down.”  I whisper in his ear before sucking on his lobe.

CHASE, DONALDSON & DRAPER

LINDSAY

                “I would like to see Melanie Marcus please.”

                “Your names please?”

I’m taken aback by this, clearly she’s new here.

                “Lyndsay Peterson and Michael Novotny.”

The receptionist looks us for a minute before picking up the phone.

                “Please take a seat over there someone will be with you shortly.”

                “This matter is urgent, it concerns our daughter.”  Michael explains

                “Of course, I understand.  A seat over there Ms Peterson, Mr Novotny please.  Good morning madam how may I help you today?”

After about 10 minutes, a woman strides towards us but then veers off to speak to someone else.  I sigh heavily and get up.

                “We’re still waiting.”  I say to her.

                “And someone is coming ma’am, please take a seat.  I can chase them if you want?”

                “Yes, I’ll wait here whilst you do.” 

                “Hi, yes the parties for Melanie Marcus are still waiting.  Oh okay, thank you.”

Just as she’s about to answer the phone rings, I look across at her colleague expecting her to pick it up but she doesn’t.  I can feel the rage building up in me.

                “Chase, Harold and Draper how may I help you…?  Sorry about that Ms Novotny.  Someone will be here in two minutes…”

                “It’s Ms Peterson.”  I hiss at her and return to my seat.

Another 5 minutes pass before someone is heading in our direction.

                “Party for Melanie Marcus?”  A gentleman asks.

                “Yes that’s us.”  I reply tightly.

                “Could you follow me please?” 

Michael and I roll our eyes at each other and follow him to a small office and we take our seats.

                “My name is Ephraim Williams, how may I help you?”

                “How can…we want to see Melanie Marcus.  Why are we seeing you?”

                “Are you a friend or a client?”  He asks smoothly

                “What does that have to do with you?”  Michael bridles.

                “So neither then.  In that case you have to leave.”

He stands and holds open the door for us and waits for us to rise, just as I go through the door he clears his throat.

                “A friend or a client would know she no longer works here.  Good day to you Mrs Novotny, Mr Peterson”

We both stop and stare at each other before turning to him but he’s already striding to the bank of lifts.

LIFTS

EPHRAIM

                “Hey Mel, it’s Ephie, how you doing girl?  You mean apart from missing my friend I’m good.  Look your ex and her troll were just here, so be prepared for her to come calling, oh no sweet Rachelle had them waiting for 20 minutes before I came down…yeah, look we have got to catch up properly and you can tell me why you ain’t…yeah we’re talking about that.  Bye sweet one.”

I straighten my tie and click my spine and mentally, albeit reluctantly, thank those bitches for calling by.  They’ve put me in the right frame of mind to nail a particularly annoying fucker on the stand.

SQUIRREL HILL

MEL

                “Leda!” 

I’m still chuckling at the thought of their indignant about to pitch a bitch fit faces when she comes in.

                “What’s put that there?”  She asks waving a mug at me.

                “Oh Ephie just called, the gruesome twosome were there so chances are they’re going to come here blowing hellfire and damnation.”

She shrugs and takes a sip of coffee.

                “So, we’ve got this.  But simply to piss them off, want to go dirt biking.”

                “I don’t know, maybe we should hear them out see what they want to say.”

The mug pauses midway to her mouth and she just stares at me.

                “Mel one…Leda zero!”

                “Oh you!  Don’t do a Ted on me!  Jeez!”

                “Do a Ted?” 

She throws back her head and laughs.

                “Oh of course, you weren’t there!  Justin was telling us that Brian had the replay face on and…”

                “Replay face?”

                “You know remembering a particular hot thing he’d done with Justin, shudder, anyway, he was so engrossed in this memory that he hadn’t heard Ted calling him and when he did had boned up so Ted, I’d put that down if I were you, Ted calmly comes out with ‘Lindsay and Michael are fucking with a double headed dildo’ and instant corpse dick.”

I just stare at her and the grin spreads across my face and the giggling starts and five minutes later I’m wiping tears off my cheeks.

                “Ted…our accountant Ted said this?”  I hiccup

                “Uh huh.  So we going to get dirty…”

                “Eh?”  I squeak

                “Biking, remember we’re escaping from the gruesome twosome.”

                “Oh yes of course.  Yeah let’s go.”

                “Mel one…Leda one.”  She smirks

WHITE & SULLIVAN

ADAM

                “Where the hell did you get this?”  Solomon asks, grinning at me.

                “Can’t reveal my sources but can you use it?”  I smirk

                “Let me double check but yeah I think it can.”  He beams back at me

                “Okay man that’s me done, you in court some more?”  I stretch my back

                “Yeah, nothing big should be done in no time.  You still good to spot me on this?”

                “You spot me on the Matterson vs Anderson and we’re good.  Solomon, thanks for taking the lead on these, I’m too close to them.”

                “Hey bro ain’t no thang.  But our great-grandfathers did good didn’t they?”

I nod, in those days for a White man to have a Black man as his partner in a law firm was unheard of and borderline illegal, so they had to use a bit of subterfuge but it worked and we are still here over a hundred years later, making sure that every gets a fair shot regardless of who they are.  I can’t wait for Mel to start, she’s going to be awesome.

SQUIRREL HILL

MICHAEL

We told the cab to wait, we shouldn’t be long.

                “Mel open up right now!” 

I’m banging on the front door and Lindsay is looking in the windows.  We can’t even hear the dogs barking.

                “Are the bikes here?”  I ask.

We head to the garage and that’s locked.

                “Fuck!”  Lindsay screams in frustration.

We go back to the front door and I was about to resume banging when I hear the rev of an engine and we turn to see them coming back, laughing and smiling.

                “Butch, Sundance no!  Jesus Leda they really do need to go to obedience school.”

                “I know babe but no matter how hard I try to stop them they have this mindset of have stick must run through door with it.  The amount of times I’ve watched them sproing back when the stick’s been too wide has been hilarious, especially when they were really little, I think I’ve got some film of them somewhere…”

Lindsay and I exchange furious glances.

                “Okay you lock up and…oh for the love of God Butch put the stick down!”  Mel shouts and is ignored.

We watch Leda lock the garage up and then open the front porch and sit on the front step.

                “Sundance, come.”

                “Excuse us but we would like to talk to you Mel!”  Lindsay steps in front of her.   “And not in the presence of your leather queen here!”

                “Well I don’t want to talk to you, now let me by.”

Lindsay curls her lip at her and steps closer.

                “Or what, you don’t have Super Zee to help you right now so what are you going to do to make me?”

                “Yeah Mel what are you…”  I start to crow

                “Nothing, she’s going to do nothing at all, but me, I will rain all kinds of hell on your asses!  That’s of course, if there is anything left after they’ve gone through you.”

She double clicks her tongue and says Mel…and suddenly the dogs on either side of her and focused on us.

                “You back off and she’ll call them off.”  Leda advises.  “And it will have to be her to call them off, once they’re in protect mode…”

We exchange looks and slowly start to walk backwards to the cab and get in.  He frowns at us in the mirror as he reverses.

                “Can you believe she almost set those dogs on us?!”  Lyndsay exclaims

                “No I can’t she’s really changed…we have to let our so called lawyer know about that too!”

The chuckling from the driver gets our attention.

                “And what are you finding so funny, those dogs could’ve…”

                “They’re malamutes, they’d have just licked you to death.  Where we going now people?”

SQUIRREL HILL

MEL

I don’t think I have laughed so much in my entire life, my stomach aches…the way they were creeping back like I had a loaded gun pointed out them was so comical it reminded me of the Harry and Marv in Home Alone!

                “Okay my leather queen, can you get up?” 

Leda is lying in the front porch drumming her feet and howling with laughter shaking her head.

                “Is everything okay here?” 

I haul her onto her feet and we go back outside and there’s Baz looking concerned.

                “What are you doing here?”  Leda manages to get out between giggles.

                “The back window in the garage, Zee sent me up to do the work you wanted done on it, it’s all done now.  Who were those two?  Butch drop!”

He says firmly and amazingly Butch drops the stick but looks mournful.

                “So those two?”

                “Pains in our asses that we hope to never have to deal with again.  Thanks for coming up.  Wow how did you do that with Butch?”

                “It’s the bluntness of the word like sit, it has a hard stop sound if you say it firmly enough.  See what I mean.”

We turn to look at Butch and he’s sitting.  Whistling, she calls Sundance who sure enough has a stick in his mouth that will be too big.

                “Drop!”  She tells him and after about 10 seconds he puts it down.

                “Sit!”  I tell him and he does.

                “So not only are you a master builder, Zee’s go to guy for homebuilding, but you are a dog whisperer too?  The people that woman knows!”

He grins and ruffles the boys’ ears and we make our way inside with them.

                “I’ll be on my way.  Oh wait if you need anything else done, don’t bother Zee just call me directly and I’ll let her know what I’m doing, it’s generally quicker that way.  Got admit it was pretty funny to watch them two...”

                “Yeah they make idiots of themselves.”  Leda starts to guffaw again

                “How did you get here anyway?”  I ask clearing my throat of laughter.

                “Walked, car’s down the bottom, need to keep up with my 10000 steps.”

                “Ah I see; enjoy the rest of the day and thanks again.”

                “No problem.  You too.  Oh do you want me to forward the video to you?”  He asks

                “What video?”  We both ask.

COURTYARD HOTEL SUITE – LATE AFTERNOON

LINDZ

                “Mitcham, do you have time to see us today?  What about tomorrow, we’ll pay double time, but we need to speak to you about certain developments.  Monday then, what time?  We’ll see you then.”

Michael is looking crestfallen that we can’t see Mitcham today but it’s the best we can do.

                “Come on we’re going to Shadyside.”  He announces abruptly.

                “What for?”  I ask grabbing my coat.

                “To tell Cunty Cameron and Charles to keep his son away from our daughter, they might as well stop being friends now because once she’s with us, there’s no fucking way she’s seeing him again.”

                “Now wait a minute Michael, I know you are cross right now, but…”

                “No Lindsay we might as well lay down the ground rules, now are you coming or not?”

                “Michael!  We want Jenny on our side, we go there now and they will poison her mind against us even more in the interim.  Let’s just go and get something to eat instead have a nice early dinner.   And maybe we can go to one of those convention things you like over the weekend, be nice and relaxed, we’ve got to think calmly.”

                “Calmly, how can you be so fucking calm?”

                “You don’t think I’m fucking furious too?  I am but we need to step back and take a breath, now come on.”

Huffing out a breath he nods and we head for dinner downtown and pretty soon I’m regretting the planting of the idea of a convention in his head.

ALTIUS – FRIDAY EVENING

ZEE

God I hate these dinners, well not the food but some of the people.  They’re as dull as fuck and I’m alone as Faal managed to get out of it, he so fucking owes me for this.  We’re here to celebrate the great and good of the whateverthefuck and if the canapés are anything to go by the food is going to be fucking terrible.

I’m going to do one more circuit and claim a headache.

                “Zaden, Zaden Ugerstacht?”

I turn to an unfamiliar voice and see an elderly man bearing down on me with remarkable enthusiasm.

                “Hello it is you!”  The elderly man smiles and grabs my hand.  “Smile and walk dear, smile and walk, I’m here to rescue you.”

I do as I’m told and I’m ushered to the bar and am guided into a stool.

                “Now what would you like to drink?  I understand you prefer whisky?” 

He’s beaming like he’s found the lost treasure.  Okay this man wants to buy me a drink then fine, but after that I’m gone, so I nod.

                “Ah here she is!  Darling over here, I found her.”

I keep an eye on the barman sorting out my drink but nothing is pinging to say that these are criminal masterminds and besides I know my darling over protective husband has someone in here, he always does when he can’t come with me somewhere and thinks I don’t know.

I look up and an elegant looking woman comes towards us with a very statuesque and oh my God that’s Kiki! 

                “Kiki!”  I gasp.  “Holy shitballs you look amazing!” 

She blushes and twirls round beaming.

                “Zee, this is Bernie and this is Arnold…Bernie helped with my make-up, I’m not used to having so little on I feel a little naked.”

I am just staring at her, gone are the heavy eyebrows, pan stick and cartoon lips, here is an elegant lady in a beautiful dress and a pair of I-want-them pumps.

                “Sometimes doll you need to hint not advertise.”  I nudge her.  “You look great now what the hell are you doing here?  Oh sorry, hi Bernie and Arnold nice to meet you both.  How do you know each other?”

They fill me in about what their plan is about a young boy in their circle and I think it’s a great idea but I’m a reader of people and I know there’s something else.

                “So you’re trying to tell me that you two, admittedly fun looking people, thought ooh let’s go down to Liberty Avenue and bumped into this lady and voila here she is…why were you there really?  Mr and Mrs Williamson?”

                “How did you know our surnames?”  Bernie gasps. 

“I can speed read and I read the guest list.  Luckily there wasn’t too many guests between the U and the W.” 

“Oh she’s good.” 

Arnold chuckles and with a nod from Bernie he tells me all about their conversation with the Petersons and how Millicent was involved in the dismissal of Lindsay.  I sit in awe and then suddenly I sense tension in Arnold.

I move to his side and put my hand in the small of his back.

                “What’s up?”

                “Speak of the devil the Petersons are here.”  He mumbles

                “Oh jeez is that all.  I thought I was going to have to whip out my .45!”  I grouch.

Bernie splutters into her drink.

                “You don’t really have a gun on you do you?”  She gasps.

I take her hand and start to slide it under my jacket to the small of my back, her eyes get really big.

                “Can you scratch my back?”  I giggle at her

                “Oh!  I really thought!” 

                “Nah I don’t need one.  Husband has put a shadow on me and he’s most likely carrying.”

                “They’re coming over what do I do?”  Kiki starts to fluster, but one hand on her arm by Arnold and she’s calm.  “So the hand on the arm means I can’t bitch-slap her for inflicting her child on the world?”

                “No sadly not.  But there are other ways and means to…Nancy and Ronald how lovely to see you!”

                “Bernadine, Arnold likewise, and who are you two…uhh friends?”  Nancy smirks.

I raise an eyebrow and look at Ronald, whose jaw twitches.

                “Come now Nancy, it hasn’t been that long since The Twisted Frenchman, Zaden how lovely to see you again and this is?” 

                “This is Kiki Delmar, Kiki Delmar this is Ronald Peterson and his wife Nancy.”  I reply

And oh bitch it is on!

                “Of course Zaden, I didn’t recognise you out of your business attire, no Faal tonight?”

                “No but he’s here in spirit.”  I smile at her.

                “Spirit?”  She looks confused.

                “Yeah, see that guy over there?”  I point to a chap in a tuxedo.  “He’s here to protect me; Faal is protective of the ones he loves and that would be me and only me.   And he is ready to have removed anybody that I perceive as a threat.”

I let that hang in the air.   We make small talk for a while and when they announce dinner as luck would have it we’re all on the same table, though the sudden absence of Bernie would suggest that luck has nothing to do with it.

When we get to our table we introduce ourselves to our fellow diners and it’s the usual blather about children and holidays, apparently these people like to ski.

                “So do you ski, Zaden?”  Ronald asks.

                “No, I can’t abide the cold, Faal loves it though.  He does the black runs I do the bar.”  I smile

                “Where do you go?  To do the bars I mean?”  Nancy tilts her head like she’s trying to drain her ear.

                “Wherever he wants, France, Italy, Aspen, Australia but the one place he’s not been is Canada.”

                “Oh could you excuse me a moment, I must just talk to Elizabeth.” 

She smiles smugly at me and leaves the table, again Ronald twitches, I watch Arnold put his hand on Kiki’s arm again.

                “So Ronald, have you ever been to Lindsay’s place in Canada?”

                “The one she shared with her partner no sadly, they came back before we had the privilege.”

                “No the one in the city, Rexdale Avenue one, she offered it to us for the…”

                “Rexdale Avenue that’s a nice area.  Quite close to the art district.  So Zaden what is it that you do?”

Out of the corner of my eye I see the anger flash across Ronald’s face…seems daddy’s little princess didn’t tell them about that.  Oh well let the chips fall where they may.

                “Worldwide, I’m the president and CEO of Stark Securities but here I’m a partner in Em and Zee’s House of…”

                “Delights!  Oh my God, you are kidding me?  Ken can I have my phone?”

The shriek silences our table and the table where the shriek came from.

                “Sorry, but my name is Cassandra Zahid-Park, pleased to meet you!  May I sit here for a moment?”

Cassandra starts flicking through her phone, a man has come to join her crouching at her knee and they are chattering excitedly between the two of them.  Nancy clears her throat to get their attention so she can sit back down but they are too distracted to notice.

                “Sorry I’m Kenneth Cassandra’s husband.  We’re going to be at the Melody Reichmann Party and you’re doing the catering and we would like, wait if you move that then maybe they can do it, to cater our party in Maine in August, we’ll block out the whole month for whichever weekend you can do it!”

                “Fine, I will have to speak to Emmy Lou but give me your details and we can see what we can do.”

                “Thank you, thank you!  Oh sorry were you sitting here?”  Cassandra gets up and backs into Nancy.

                “Yes I was and I would like to be again.”  She grits out.

                “Oh sure.  Here you go.”

Two minutes after returning to their table, one of my fellow diners hands me four business cards with dates written on the back.  At this rate we’re going to need staff!

                “So Kiki what is it that you do?”  A fellow diner asks

                “I’m…”

                “She’s a counsellor for troubled teens…”  I reply and hopes she picks this up and runs with it.

                “Oh how are they troubled, I mean what area of psychology is it, eating disorders, self-harming or…”

                “Gays and transsexuals.”  She replies.  “I’m transsexual and I help them chose the correct path for them by…”

                “Really, male to female or female to male, I can’t really tell?  I’m not sure if you heard my name over the hubbub but I’m Jessica.  So can I take a guess?”

Kiki grins, nods and leans back.

                “Male to female?” 

                “Yes…”

                “I really don’t think this is suitable conversation for the table.”  Nancy interrupts.

                “I disagree. There’s a high suicide rate in gender and sexually confused teens and anything that can be done to ease their fears is great.”  Jessica corrects her.

And for once one of these dinners turns out to be one of the most life affirming one’s ever, not every WASP stings.

PETERSON RESIDENCE – SUNDAY MORNING

RONALD

I have never been so angry in my life in the space of so little days.  First after the visit of Millicent and Bernadine and the row afterwards and then Nancy’s rude and insulting behaviour at the dinner.   And now I find out that Lindsay has a property in Canada that she never told us about!  Well things are going to change for that little madam and if Nancy has a problem with that then she can get on board or get out…I have had enough.

TREEHOUSE – TUESDAY MORNING

ZEE

                “This is Zee.”  I pick up the phone without looking.

                “Hey little one.  Guess who’s gone to Canada?”

I sink to the floor in relief, finally thank fuck for that!

COURTYARD HOTEL SUITE – THURSDAY AFTERNOON

LINDSAY

I replay the events of yesterday in my mind and I think Michael is doing the same thing.

Flashback conversation

                “Lindsay come on, it’s done now.  Now here’s what’s going to happen next.  The money both of you now have go towards the out of court settlements and court fees, they have to be paid by tomorrow, any balance due I will cover.  I shall of course get that figure from Mitcham.”

                “But daddy…”

“Shut up Lindsay and stop glowering at me Michael!  As I was about to say once I have confirmation that you have settled, then we will discuss the other three cases.”

End of flashback conversation

We look at each other.

                “If it wasn’t for Justin and Zee this would not be happening, I can’t wait until we win!  Especially with his past!”

                “And win we will Michael, I have an idea, what do you think about living in Canada?”

BRITIN – VINCE’S APARTMENT – FRIDAY MORNING

VINCE

                “Hey babe, how are you?  Okay the squeeing has to stop, what’s happened?  What, seriously what?”

SHADYSIDE – CHARLES & DAVID’S

DAVID

                “Charles!  Hank!  Get over here right now!” 

I keep refreshing the screen to make sure I’m not imaging it.

                “What’s up dad?”

                “For heaven sake David, calm down you’re going to give yourself an aneurysm!”

                “Look!”

They both look at the screen and then at me.

                “Fuck!”  Charles breathes

PETERSON RESIDENCE

RONALD

Nancy is still sulking about my decision but it is too late it is done and dusted and I feel good about it, she wanted this over well something has to give and give it did.  The dinner on Friday bought it home for me especially when we were leaving, even though Faal hadn’t been at the dinner, he came to pick her up.  And when she grumbled about having to wear heels all night he let her stand on his feet barefooted whilst they waited for the car.  Arnold and Bernadine went with Kiki arm in arm, Arnold was a little tipsy so Bernadine could do with the help and Nancy and I, well we were standing side by side but we were miles apart.

TREEHOUSE – SUNDAY LUNCHTIME

KITCHEN

FAAL

She’s tired and looks like she wants to have a good cry about something but she won’t tell me what.  She says that it’s because she’s missing my folks but I can tell it’s more and everyone else has noticed.  Maybe she’s worrying about the cases next week but she seemed so confident last week.  Storm and Claude have been extra attentive.  I caved and spoke to Brian and he said that he’s getting her fellow hellcat over to see if she can pull her out of this funk but not to tell her.

                “Everyone will be here soon, what are we having for lunch?” 

                “Messy feast and...”

                “Stop this, stop this and tell me, please just tell me.”  I beg

                “I’m fine, just tired and worried about next week that’s all.”

                “It’s more, please.”

She smiles tiredly and goes to the door when it rings, people pile in and she beams at Daphne but it’s not her full one.  We have bubbles in the lounge and she shakes her head to pull herself out of it.  Even the kids keep giving her small glances.

                “Aunt Zee, what’s wrong?”  Jenny asks.

                “Just wondering how next week is going to go that’s all.”  She replies quietly.

                “Look even if they do win, we’ll keep fighting until they lose because there’s no way we’re going with them right Gus?”

                “Absolutely!  This is our family and we’re staying right here!”  Gus declares.

                “Ooh, speaking of that!  Guess what?  I got my settlement yesterday!”  Daphne grins

                “Oh you too!  Hank has already earmarked a…”  David begins

                “What!”  Zee bellows standing up so quickly she knocks over her glass.

                “I got my settle…”

                “And you didn’t think to fucking tell me that!”  She shouts tearfully.  “Jesus fucking Christ that’s what phones are for!”

We all look at each other in horror at her reaction and watch as she storms out.

                “Oh hell no!  I’m not…”

                “Wait!”  Ted exclaims.  “Let me talk to her.”

Ten minutes later he comes back in with tears shimmering in his eyes.

                “Give her a few minutes she needs to calm down but its happy anger if there’s such a thing.  No really Faal leave her alone, it’s what she wants.”

Another ten minutes drift by and slowly the door opens and she wheels in the good stuff and comes to me.

                “May I sit down?”

                “Mom?”

                “May I sit down?”

She knows I’m cross with her and she’s asking for forgiveness.

                “You sit and you tell.”

                “Yes.”

I pull her into my lap and sigh.

                “Get on with it.” I grumble, but it feels so good to have her pliant in my arms.

                “I needed her…”

                “Holy fuck how the hell did you manage that!”  Jennifer suddenly demands.  “And why the fuck didn’t you tell me what you were doing?  I could’ve helped, or at least given you a sounding board.”

                “What?  What did she do?” 

Tucker asks looking round at similarly blank faces except Carl who starts to smile at me, I turn her face up to me when I catch on

                “You clever little ant!  Papa bear want to explain.”

                “Well I don’t know about the societal rules and the like but I think…that you got her to sell something to settle her bill and it’s a big something and since Jen has reacted like that I think it has a WASP connection right?”

She nods entwining our hands.

                “Wait can we work it out?”  Gus asks.  “Because it’s clearly a good thing, because she looks happier than she has in days.”

                “Sure, I’ll open the…”

                “You will sit, Carl, Jennifer and Ted since you seem to be clued in can you open?”  I smile

The rest of them huddle up, whilst Jennifer, Carl and Ted pass the champagne around.

                “Jammer liefling, maar ek het Om te weet vir seker”

[Trans: Sorry darling I had to know for sure]

“Ek weet maar volgende keer as jy wil die wêreld te red, probeer om dit nie te doen op jou eie”

[Trans: I know but next time you want to save the world, try not to do it on your own]

After half an hour, they nod at Jenny who appears to be the designated speaker, which is appropriate in a sweet way, she’s much bolder than Gus, who is like his dad speaks when he needs to.

                “Okay it’s yes or no until we get it okay?  And we all can ask questions?”

                “Yes.  But…”

                “Aunt Zee!”

                “Wait we are allowed to confer when you ask and you are allowed to confer when we answer.”

                “Okay.  So can we start?”

                “Yes.”

                “So she sold something big, is it something she got from her parents?”  Blake asks

                “No.”

                “Is it something in America?”  Tucker tries

                “No.”

                “Is it the house in Canada?”  Brian asks looking hopeful

                “Yes.”

                “How the fuck did she manage that it’s in both our names are you trying to tell me you got her to commit fraud?!”

                “No!”  Zee splutters into her drink.

                “Uh Mel, think, maybe it’s the other house?”  Leda suggests rubbing her arm.

Mel goes bright red and stuffs her face in a cushion.

                “But the house is in negative equity, well that’s what that Grace woman said was that still the case?”

                “Oh yes.”

Debs beams at her answer and then frowns before huddling everyone together again, Brian comes to sit with us and after conferring with me I nod, much to Justin’s chagrin.

                “You’re a WASP Sunshine come on you can work this out.”  He teases him.

                “You didn’t?  Zee that’s a masterstroke.  Did you tell her parents about the place in Canada and they made her sell it to cover the bills?”

                “Yes.”

Justin almost skips over to Brian’s lap and kisses him.

                “I’ve got it!”  He crows.

                “Not all of it get back over there honey.”  Jennifer tries to shoo him back but Brian holds fast.

                “Okay we give up just tell us already!”  Emmy Lou demands.  “Messy feast waiting people!”

                “I told her parents about the place in Canada, which they didn’t know about and according to Bernadine, she…”

                “Bernadine as in Williamson how did she know and I didn’t!”  Jennifer pouts.

                “Wait, don’t tell us just in case.  When the hell did you and Ted get talking?”  Brian asks.

                “After the full disclosure weekend.”  She smiles at him as he buries his face in Justin’s hair.

                “So, how close are we to…?”  Mel’s voice is tremulous but like Brian’s hopeful.

                “If all goes according to plan and I see no reason why it shouldn’t…your kids are going nowhere, but here with you two…sorry I mean four.”