CHAPTER 6- MAKING MOVES

“I want a divorce,” Mel said suddenly.

Mel, Cynthia, Ted, Em, and Brian were all sitting around one of tables in the seating areas at the back of the plane. Justin and his business associates occupied the other, and were heavily engrossed in discussing strategies to deal with the latest ignorance from Craig Taylor. Brian would have loved to be over there as well, especially since it was looking more and more like Kinnetik was going to become the official public relations firm to handle all of Justin Taylor’s businesses. But he had to stay over on the other side of the plane to deal with the fallout from his personal life.

“Why would you want that, Mel?” Emmett asked.

“Are you sure?” Cynthia asked at the same time.

Mel looked to them first, and then to Brian. “I know that you said that you wanted Gus raised around people who loved him and each other, but I really can’t deal with her anymore, Brian.”

He looked into Mel’s eyes, silently acknowledging all that she wouldn’t say aloud. Hurt and anger were accompanied by sadness, and pleas to be free. He recognized all of the emotions from years ago, living inside the hellhole of the Kinney residence for seventeen years before he received his scholarships to college. He recognized those same looks as he thought about Michael and Lindsay, when he had stepped out of the shower this morning. It was the look of weariness.

“I know what I said, Mel, but that didn’t mean I wanted the kids raised in a battleground. From personal experience, I would never allow a child of mine to be raised like that. So if you want to leave, go. All I ask is that you remain safe, and accessible to me so that I can see Gus and this new little one. I never thought that I would want to be a father, but now that I am, I take that very seriously, as you know.”

She nodded. “I know, Brian, and if there was any other way…”

“No… you shouldn’t have to apologize for meeting the needs of your mental health. In fact, no one should stay in a farce of a marriage just to make someone else happy, including the kids. I would much rather have been raised in a single-parent home with one happy parent than raised in a combat zone I was, with two people who couldn’t stand each other. The only casualties in such a situation are the kids; I don’t want that for mine.”

“So what do we do first?” Cynthia asked.

“We?” Mel looked genuinely puzzled by Cynthia’s question.

“Yes we, Melanie. I don’t think any of us at this table is about to let you face this battle totally alone. While you have to deal with Lindsay face-to-face, the rest of us will be working behind the scenes. To that end, Brian, I think we need to have Donovan take Mel on as a client.”

“But that’s a conflict of interest since he’s Brian’s Family Law attorney, isn’t it?” Ted asked.

“Not necessarily,” Mel confirmed. “Since this isn’t about Gus’ custody, and Brian and I don’t have any issues right now about the bun still baking, this isn’t a conflict of interest, even though Lindsay might see it that way.”

"Who gives a fuck what Lindsay sees?” Brian growled. “The bottom line is that she is wrong on so many levels. And after that message she left on my answering machine this morning…”

“What message?” Cynthia asked. “Nevermind, I’ll just play it myself.”

“What are you talking about Cyn? It’s not on my voicemail at the office, but on the answering machine at the loft.”

“I know that Brian since there weren’t any calls that came into Kinnetik this morning. But if there had been, Lindsay would have also known that she is blocked from getting through, even to be hung up on if she calls from another number. So is Michael. Fortunately, they both have very distinct voices, and inflections that make trying to fool me or your secretary, impossible.”

“So how do you propose…”

“You know, Brian, someday you’ll learn not to doubt me or my resourcefulness,” Cynthia said, as she pushed the talk button on her phone, then pressed the button for the speaker function.

Adjusting the volume so that although they could hear it clearly but Gus couldn’t, they all listened to the vocalized threats of Lindsay against Mel and Brian. Mel gasped, and began to tear up as Lindsay stated that she should call the police, even as Brian inwardly cringed as Lindsay’s voice became more and more shrill. He nearly jumped when he felt a pair of arms slip around his shoulders; the mop of blond hair caressing the side of his face as they continued to listen. Only when they finished listening, did Justin speak.

“So Mel, have you decided what you want?”

“To be free of her,” came the strangled reply.

“Then you shall be. What is it that she wants?”

“Outside of Brian? Money- first, last, and always.”

“So let’s give her what she wants,” Justin said matter-of-factly.

“No. She’ll only want more. And besides I can’t let you do this,” Melanie argued.

“First, you aren’t letting me do anything. And secondly, I didn’t say I was going to make it easy on her. She wants money; I’m going to point her in the right direction of how to get it and in the meantime, fix it so that you are free and clear.”

“What are you thinking?” Brian asked.

“You’ll see when we get to New York. I think I have just the person to make Lindsay wish that she’d never crossed paths with you and Mel. But first, we have business to discuss. Also there is also the matter of your best friend. I don’t know how he found out who I was, but he did, and is about to drive my sister crazy. He showed up at my office yesterday, screaming down the halls looking for you. If he didn’t leave on his own, my mom and sister would have happily thrown him out... bodily. They may look delicate, but they are more than capable of handling that mouse of a man. And if Daphne gets ahold of him...”

“Daphne? I thought she…”

“She works for the fabric side of the company. She was away, but she should be back on her way to the States. If he knew like I know, he would not pull that shit with her. What’s his deal anyway?”

“You want the short version or the long story?” Emmett asked.

“How about the short version for now, and we save the long one for nights when we have nothing to do.” Justin smiled at the tall queen. He could easily see himself becoming friends with the guy, even outside of their business dealings.

“Well that’s easy. It’s the same problem that Lindsay has.”

“Money?”

“If only that was all, then we would have saved his store, if for no other reason than to keep him locked in it,” Ted answered, rolling his eyes.

Justin thought about it for a moment, before smiling. “Oh… so not only is he broke and looking for Brian to fix his problem, he’s also got an eternal boner for him. Well sorry for Michael whatever-the-fuck-his-name-is, that particular seat is already being occupied.”

“Oh yeah?” Brian asked, with a sly grin.

“Yeah… and you have to admit, nobody does it better.”

“Or tighter.”

“Hotter.”

“Wetter.”

“Boys! Can we PLEASE concentrate on the bitches and business? I think you can both settle that particular argument later,” Cynthia scolded them, while chuckling at how easily they got distracted. She never thought in a million years that Brian would meet his match, but apparently he did. She couldn’t wait for Lindsay and Michael’s heads to start spinning around, and the green shit come flying out of their mouths. They will both undoubtedly let their inner-Linda Blair loose, knowing that Brian Kinney is firmly out of their orbit and now circling around a hot blond fuck machine. “So now that we have a secret plan in place for Lindsay- really can’t wait to find out what that is, by the way- what do we do about Michael? We can’t just throw money at him because that’s what has gotten His Assholeness in this mess in the first place.”

“We could always give him something new to focus on. Didn’t you say he was into comics?” Justin asked.

“He is, but his comic store just went kaput because he chose to buy toys, or as he calls them ‘collectibles,’ rather than pay his store’s mortgage.” Ted stated.

Justin’s little ‘hmm’ of thought instantly had Brian on alert. It still amazed him how in tune he was with the man he’d only just met days ago. But he could see the wheels turning and before Justin could let the thought pass his full lips Brian said, “No. Absolutely NOT, Justin. You will not turn yourself into the stalked just to save me the trouble.”

“What are you talking about?” Justin asked, annoyed at having at least part of his thought discerned.

“No, Justin. If you give Michael a centimeter of the way in, he will increase that to a worldwide hole, where you’ll never get rid of the invasive fucker- trust me I know. So no… no comic books, no video game franchise…. No introducing him to people who would help him develop his crackpot ideas. You did Rage; Michael will lead you into a rage and you’ll end up in jail for killing his ass. I have developed a liking to said ass in the last few days; I don’t want to visit it behind bars.”

Everyone laughed at Brian’s impassioned plea, but they all couldn’t disagree with Brian’s assessment at all. Michael was a leech, much like Lindsay. He wanted it all- felt entitled to it- but didn’t want to expound any energy for the reward. Plus he would take Justin’s handout, while happily stabbing the man in the back if it cleared his way to Brian. So the answer was no.

“Well what do you suppose then?”

“I think I have an idea, but I need to find out if that door is still open to him first.”

“You mean…” Emmett started.

Brian nodded. “If I would wish the plague Michael has become on anyone, it would be David Cameron. So let’s see what happens when I call him.”

“Isn’t he still living in Portland?”

“No. I’ve heard that he moved to New York, but I’m not sure where. I only know that it isn’t in the city, and that the nearest airport is about three hours away. It allows David to make it in and out of the City to treat his patients so my guess is that he’s living on Long Island somewhere….probably out by the twin forks.”

“Let me do some digging when we get there, and I’ll find the answers to both your problems. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the rest of the flight and talk about your ideas for my campaigns.” Justin suggested.

And after planting a luscious toe-curling kiss on Brian to gain his agreement, that’s exactly what the occupants on board did while Mel went to rest, as promised, with Gus.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lindsay was at her wits end. No one was returning her calls. Despite being told to stay away from Kinnetik, she went there anyway. It was strange on a Saturday to see the parking lot devoid of cars. Although Michael had told her that Brian would be away for the weekend, he’d not mentioned Ted.

Usually if Brian wasn’t at the office on the weekend, Ted definitely was. Thinking that she might find out where Brian was and whom he was with, she headed to the Diner, knowing that if Brian had mentioned where he was going to be to anyone outside of herself, or lately Melanie, it would be Deb. She heard her before she saw her, as usual, hustling and bustling around the Diner, waiting tables amid the cacophony of raised voices. It had been awhile since she had stepped foot into the bastion of all things in Gay Pittsburgh. She was surprised to find a  little twinge in her heart of nostalgia for the place and its matriarch.

But that feeling was short-lived when she found herself being scowled at by the foul-mouthed, red wig-wearing waitress, hands settled on her ample hips and gum popping loudly in an eatery which went suddenly silent.

“What do you want?” Deb asked, already belligerent in her question.

Lindsay decided to take the passive-aggressive route, while answering Debbie. “Aw Debbie, don’t be like that. I just wanted to see you that’s all.”

“Uh-huh,” Deb returned noncommittally. “Well now you have seen me. I am alive, well, dating, and kicking. So now you can just march your flat little behind back out the same way you came in. There is nothing for you here.”

Instead of following Deb’s edict, Lindsay sashayed over to the counter, firmly planting herself on one of her stools and turning the cup in front of her over in silent demand of coffee. In response, Deb decided that she would continue with business as usual, and urged the patrons of the greasy spoon to do the same. Lindsay seeing this, figured she could wait Deb out as long as she needed to in order to get the information she wanted. After several hours though, Lindsay decided that perhaps she needed to rethink her strategy, as Deb kept serving everyone but her, and she was still there in the same spot both coffeeless and conversation-less. She had finally had enough!

Speaking loudly she said, “I could have been out of here hours ago, if you had just talked to me.”

“You should have figured out hours ago that I have nothing to say to you. I don’t believe in wasting my words. When I speak it’s important...unlike you. So if there’s nothing else, you can follow the orders I gave four hours ago, and get your ass out of here.”

“Of course, there is something else. I want to know where Brian is and I want to know it NOW!” She stamped her foot, and folded her arms over her chest to show Deb and everyone else that she meant business.

Instead of the response Lindsay expected, Deb gave her a round of applause, the other patrons following suit. “You do a remarkable imitation of my idiot son. You two should go on the road. I heard Hollywood is looking for new actors to do a remake of Dumb and Dumber. You and Michael could certainly fit the bill. As for your question, I will give you the same information that I gave him. Brian is visiting the land of Nunya this weekend.”

“What? Where is that? Do you have the name of the hotel? I’d like to leave a message for him. It concerns Gus.”

Lindsay fired off her questions and excuse in rapid succession, but had Deb not known the entire story as told by Dumb the First, also know Michael Charles Novotny, she might have believed Dumb the Sequel, who was certainly Lindsay Peterson.” “I know that you are lying Lindsay, but then that is what you are truly good at. I know that Gus is safe and sound with Melanie, both of whom you have yet to ask about. For the record, and before you pull another idiotic untruth out of the crack of your nonexistent ass, be advised that I am well aware of why you and Michael are looking for Brian. You both heard that he is interested and spending time with someone who is his equal in every way, and it certainly isn’t you two fuck-ups. My advice, get a life, or better yet, remember the life you have because you’re about to lose the two best things that ever happened to you. Brian is living his, and is about to discover what he has been missing all this time, much like I’m finding with Carl.”

Lindsay blinked as Deb finished speaking. It was obvious that she heard nothing beyond Brian and finding someone else. That can’t be happening. It fucking won’t happen, not if I have anything to say about it! “Deb… the hotel?” Lindsay demanded, through gritted teeth. “Where the fuck is Nunya?”

“It’s located on the island of NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!! Christ, how can you be so fucking obtuse?! You’re about to lose everything because you want a man- A GAY MAN- that will NEVER be yours. And the way you’re going, Melanie and Gus won’t be either. But please do go on and keep fucking up. I’m going to sit back with a bucket of popcorn, watching your fucked up version of “This is Your Life” and laugh while you’re left behind to pick up the pieces. Now get the fuck out, and don’t come back until you have your head on your shoulders instead of in Brian’s ass. Bye now.”

Deb turned her back on Lindsay, while the younger woman stood there in shock. She knew in that moment she needed to find the only person who wanted Brian more than she did, and make him her ally. She needed to find Michael, but where to look?? Between the two of them, they would come up with a plan to rid themselves of their biggest competition as they had done with every trick before. It was the only time they were ever united in a common goal. When they were finished with this usurper, then the two of them could resume their antagonistic brawl for the top spot in Brian’s life. There was no room for a third person… she would make sure it stayed that way.