CHAPTER 32: REPERCUSSIONS

GROUNDS OF BRITIN – SUNDAY AFTERNOON

BRIAN

Justin is still dwelling on what happened last night.  Even though I defended him, he needs closure with his father himself.

“I’ll come with you if you want.  I’ll just sit outside and wait.”

“Thank you. “  He whispers taking my hand.  “But not before the show, I want to concentrate on that first.”

“Whenever you are ready.”

He stops and wraps himself around me.  “Jesus fuck Justin!  Will you please wear gloves?!”

I yelp and yank his hands out from under my clothes and rub my back.

Giggling he takes off running and I take off after him with B&B yipping excitedly, it doesn’t take long to catch up with him.

“No!  Brian stop it!”  He begs as I sit on him and hold both hands over his head and start to undo his jacket very slowly.

“No!  Brian please!  I’ll wear gloves from now on, even in the house!  Baloo, Bagheera help!”

They decide that he’s not in imminent danger and gambol off.  “Traitors!  No treats for you!”

“Well done boys, I’ll treat you later!”  I call after them.  “Now where was I?  Oh yes making a little boy realise the errors of his ways.”

“Brian please.  Baby blues, I’m batting baby blues!”  He tries to wiggle his hands free.

“Hmm.  No I don’t think that is going to be as effective a deterrent as this will be.”

I lean down and kiss him deeply.  “I’ve learned my lesson.”  He murmurs.  “But if that’s punishment I may do it again and again.”

“No that was the prelude.”  I whisper in his ear and sit back up reach behind me and start on his fly and then he realises what I’m going to do.

“Brian!  No!  Please!  Oh fuck so cold!”  I can hear his feet drumming on the ground.  “It will heat up.”  I coo and continue to stroke his cock.

Slowly the drumming stops and he starts to writhe and pant.  “Mmmm.  Oh, please don’t stop, please!”

He looks imploringly up at me and I shake my head and let go of his hands and slide down his body taking his jeans with me and I deep throat him.

“Gnnnh!”  He undulates under my mouth and it’s slightly throwing off my rhythm so I hold him gently but firmly and watch him come apart as his orgasm floods his body. “Brian!”

“Justin!”

I groan into his hip and wonder how the hell he makes me come in my pants like that.  Once I get my breath back, I stand up and pull him to his feet and pull his jeans up.  He’s leaning against my chest shivering slightly and panting.

I brush the leaves out of his hair and do up his jacket.  “Can you walk?”

“Mmm.  Remind me never to wear gloves out here again.”

“Twat.”  I hand him mine again and whistle for B&B.  “Come on let’s get inside.  You set the bath; I’ll feed the boys.”

MICHAEL’S APARTMENT – TUESDAY MID-MORNING

LINDSAY

Well the lawyer my parents referred me to doesn’t sounds too optimistic about my chances of retaining full physical custody of Gus.  Despite me telling him about Brian’s lifestyle, he said that without a job or a room for Gus in this place, my chances are slim to none.

“Maybe I should move in with my parents or try and get back with Mel?”  I suggest to Michael.

He scoffs and finishes off his cereal.  “Why would you want to do either of those things? Your place is with Gus and that’s at Britin.”  He places the dish in the sink.  “From what I hear, it was quite a spectacle on Saturday.”

We smile at each other.  “And nobody can trace it back to us!”

“Right so what shall we do today?”  He asks me.

“Aren’t you going to open up?”  I ask and he shakes his head.  “Then why don’t we go uptown? I fancy a change of scenery from round here.”

He nods and grabs his coat and we head out.

TAYLOR ELECTRONICS – TUESDAY AFTERNOON

SLICK

“I would like to speak to Craig Taylor.  My name is Meredith Harriman, I represent Pittsburgh Out, Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor.”

“Do you have an appointment?  I don’t see your name here.”

“Trust me he will want to see me.”  I tell her firmly.

“Well I’ll see if he’s available.”  She replies stiffly.

Ten minutes later I’m facing a most repellent man.  “What can I do for you?”

“I’m here to advise you that you will be sued for defamation after your antics over the weekend.”

“What?!”  I flinch and hope that none of that spit lands on me.

“Yes, while you were raving about your son you mentioned our paper and called the party at the table, specifically, Mr Kinney and Mr Taylor, deviants, which we are not, therefore defamation.”

“I didn’t!”  He rages.

“Mr Taylor.  From what I’ve been told you were asked to leave, so I’m guessing that people in there will be less inclined to be sympathetic.”

“Now just a…”

“How did you know where to find Mr Taylor?”

“What?”

“How did you know where to find Mr Taylor on Saturday?  You haven’t had contact with your son in years and suddenly you knew where he was.  How was that?”

“I don’t…”

“Well the reason I ask is that whoever told you of his whereabouts will also be sued for defamation by proxy.  So I suggest you get in touch with them to advise them of the impending lawsuit…”

“Wait!  I don’t have a name or anything, I just have a number.”  He scrambles for his phone.  “I can’t believe this fucking shit is happening!”

“Well perhaps you should’ve thought about what would happen before you sounded off.  May I have the number please?  I will deal with them directly.”

He scrolls through his phone and writes it down.  “Expect the papers in the next few weeks.  Good day to you.”

I stalk out trying to control the revulsion coursing through my body.   Once in the car I take calming breaths and hope to never have to use that name again.

PHOENIX RISING COMICS

MICHAEL

Look at this place!  I can’t believe it!  It is my idea of heaven!  Lindsay has gone to the boutique shops and I’m going through the comics.

“Excuse me, where’s the manager?”  I demand of the clerk behind the till.

“Out at the moment.  Will be back later this afternoon.  Can I leave a message?”

“No thank you.  Just this please.  Oh my God! Is that a 1944 Marvel Comic?!”

“Yes, mint condition.”

“How much?”

“Not for sale.”

“Can you get the manager to call me on this number?  Please?!”  I beg scribbling it down. I call Lindsay and find her in a coffee shop two blocks down.  “What did you get?”

“Oh a couple of pieces.  And I have seen this darling little suit I need to come back for, what about you?”

“A comic and…”

“Michael you own a comic book store.”  Lindsay interrupts.

“Yes but wherever they are sourcing theirs from is far superior to mine.”

“I see I think.”  She frowns.  “Right so, what are we doing for the rest of the day?”

“You heard from Brian?”

“No, not yet.”  She sighs.

“Well.  Let’s call Mel. After them cancelling on Sunday, let’s take the kids out for pizza or something.”

“Yes, my lawyer said that I have to prove that I’m in Gus’s life and this will go some way to showing that.  Unlike Brian who, I doubt has seen him at all.”  She snipes.

BRITIN – TUESDAY EARLY EVENING

KITCHEN

GUS

I’m watching momma ladle out two bowls of chicken soup.  Dad and Justin both have colds and are blaming each other for it.  Justin is a better patient than dad, who is bitching and moaning because Cynthia sent him home after she had enough of him spreading his germs and evil round the building.

“Make sure they eat it.”  She orders, I nod and carefully carry the soup to the lounge.

LOUNGE

“What the hell is that?”  Dad demands from the sofa as I approach.

“Chicken soup.  Momma said you both have to eat it.  Wait; where’s Justin?”

Dad pulls the blanket down a bit and I see the top of Justin’s head.  “Can you take his back? He’s just gone to sleep.”

“No wake him up.”  Momma orders bringing in some bread.  “This is Jewish penicillin, he needs to eat it now.”

He shakes him gently then starts to dig into his side.  “Justin, come on I know you’re not totally asleep. Let’s just get this over with.”

“This is totally your fault!”  Justin grumbles.

Jenny looks up from the TV.  “How did you get the colds in the first place Uncle Brian?  You were fine on Saturday.”

“We got cold walking the dogs.”  He replies earning a look from Justin.

“And it took a while for the water to heat up because we had to relight the boiler.  I really have to get that replaced. It’s the second time it’s packed up.”

“Mmm this is really good.”  Justin sighs stealing a matzo ball from dad’s bowl.

“It’s not bad I suppose.”  Dad concedes taking the matzo ball back.  “You can have my bread.”

“Oh I heard from your dad and mom today.”  Momma sighs.  “They wanted to take you out for dinner tonight.”

We all look at her with disbelief.

“Yeah it seems she went to see a lawyer and one of the things they advise in a custody case is to spend as much time with the child as possible.  Don’t be surprised if she, I mean they, suddenly want to be with you two a lot.”

“But we don’t want to be with them.”  I protest.  “I want to stay with dad and Justin and Jenny wants to stay with you.”

“Could she win this?”  Dad asks, and for the first time I see worry in his face.

“God no!”  Momma laughs.  “But it will be fun to watch her try.  Actually them, because I don’t doubt for one minute that she will persuade Michael to seek custody of you Jenny and…”

“Try to go back to the original arrangement of me supporting them both but this time court mandated?”  Dad sighs and then sneezes into Justin’s hair.

“Brian!  Yuck!”

“No boogers!  I promise.”  Justin wipes his head on dad’s chest and he chuckles.  “Twat.”

“So what now?”  Justin asks.  “Do we just wait?”

“Yeah it’s her, I mean their, move now.”

“Okay you guys need to go because I, I mean we, need a shower and then bed.”  Dad orders.

“Okay dad, Justin.”  I go to kiss them but then think better of it.  “See you Sunday.  Momma’s left lots of soup and has called Cynthia just in case you decide to come into work tomorrow.”

MASTER BATHROOM – 20 MINUTES LATER

BRIAN

We’ve finally got upstairs after Justin had to have another bowl of soup.  Every part of me aches and even though I don’t want to bend down as it feels like there is quicksand in my head, I have ceded to my PSA and am setting a bath.

Emmy Lou had been round earlier and brought some oils that Justin had asked for.

“Okay.  We need to let the vapour fill the room so close the door for 10 minutes, which will give the bath time to cool too.”  Justin sniffles from inside my robe.

Soon we are in the bath and I’m giving him a head massage.  “Oh for fuck sake, what is that smell?”  I gripe wiping my nose.  “Wait.  I can smell that!”

“See.  Told you the vapour bath would work.”  Justin smirks.  “Back to massaging.”

As I pad to the bathroom having washed out the bath, I watch Justin reach under the mattress and fiddle with something.

“What you doing?”

“Switching off the electric blanket.  Come on it’s just one night.”  He cajoles patting my side of the bed.

Sighing I get in.  “Christ it’s like a furnace in here.”

“Do you have the energy to make love tonight?”  He asks curling into my side.

“No.  I would rather not make love to you than do a half assed job.  This Stud does not do half assed.”

“Then this is another way of sweating it out.  Oh hot toddy.”

“I’m not getting up again.”  He lifts his hand and points to the floor on my side.  “No there’s a thermos, Emmy left it.”

“Okay sit up.  We’ll share.”  I pour us a cup and blow on it first.  “This is really good.  Get the recipe from Emmy Lou when you next see him.”

“Mmm.  When’s Slick back?”

“Thursday.”

“Did she say where she was going?”

“Nope.  Come on let’s finish this, I can barely keep my eyes open.”

RYKER’S ISLAND PRISON – WEDNESDAY MORNING

SLICK

I listen to the bell that announces the prisoners are coming.  And here he is.  My mother’s killer.  I refuse to say that word about him as he lost that privilege years ago.

He’s been in 15 years and it’s the first time I’ve visited him.  “My goodness.  Well it’s about time, Meredith, how…”

“Well you look like the shitstain you are.”  I interject.  “No you don’t get to touch; this won’t take long.”

He crosses his arms. He has prison tattoos and clearly thinks he’s cock of some walk.  “You watch…”

“Shut the fuck up and listen.”  I hiss.  “You will die here.”

I wave to the guard and hand him a piece of paper.  “Tell him what it is.”

“She’s legally changed her name to Slick Phoenix.”  He tells him.

He shrugs.  “So?”

“Meredith Harriman has been expunged from any and every legal documentation.  So any references to that name including for medical reasons will go nowhere.  Like I said you will die here, because nobody will save you.”

“I can get it changed to Slick Phoenix.”  He shouts.  “You will…”

“Nope you really can’t.  Not without my permission, which I will never give.  Say hi to the devil when you get there, which I hope is a long and painful journey.”

I head out with a smile on my face.

BRITIN – FRIDAY EVENING

DINING ROOM

BRIAN

After two more nights of vapour baths and electric blankets and me being sent home twice by Cynthia, we’re finally feeling back to our best.

“I’ve got my strength back. Four days long enough.”

We’ve been eye fucking each other over dinner and now it’s just the wine left.  “I agree.”

Quickly, I get up and shut the door. By the time I turn round he’s naked and pinning me against the door.

“Time for dessert”.  He growls and rips open my shirt.

SLICK’S APARTMENT

EMMY LOU

“Well honey, I’m so proud of you!”  I pour her another glass of champagne.

“I’m finally free.”  Slick grins toasting and slopping.

“Honey never waste champagne!”  I admonish though can’t begrudge her.  “So can I ask a question, since it’s just us girls?”  I look round the room and smile.

Jennifer and Debs are painting each other’s toes, Mel is checking her for smudges, Lucy is opening another bottle of champagne and Daph is coming back from the kitchen with take-out.

“Uh huh.”

“Lindon?  You and him?”  I raise an eyebrow.

“Nope.”

Silence complete and utter silence as we wait for the punchline, the joke…anything.

“You’re serious?”  Daphne gasps.

“Yep, nope we’ve not done it.”

“But you’re so hot together and you clearly want to. So what’s the problem?”  Lucy asks.

She shrugs.  “Just not got round to it what with…”

“Slick.”  Jennifer interrupts.  “Have you ever…”

“Nope.  I just…”  She sighs.  “I really want to but…”

“But.  I don’t understand.  You…”  I am truly stunned.

“Talk a good game but never been on the field.”

“Because of your dad?  Did he hurt your mom like that?”  Daphne takes her hand when she shrugs.  “I don’t see Lindon hurting you ever.  And do what you said to Justin about Brian- yeah he shares too- speak to him and let him know.”

“Well for the love of Liza! Brian was a shock but you…”  I sit down and drain my glass.

“Can we move on from this?  We have more important things to discuss.”  We all nod.  “Okay, I went to see Justin’s whatever on Tuesday.”

“What for?”  Jennifer demands.

“To threaten him with a defamation lawsuit and to find out where he got Justin’s location from.”

“Defamation how?”  Mel looks puzzled.

“He called you lot deviants, which you’re not, so I said to expect the papers in the next few weeks.”

“Smart girl.  You’re right it is defamation. I can definitely handle that.”  Mel asserts firmly.

“So where’d he get the information from then?”  Lucy demands.

“No name but he gave me a number.  Let’s ring it.”  She tells us.

She’s just about to ring when Lucy stops her.  “Star 82 it so your number doesn’t come up.”

“Good plan.”  She dials the number and we wait for it to pick up but it rolls to voicemail, she’s just about to hang up when the message kicks in.

“This is Michael Novotny, please leave a message.”  We sit there in stunned silence after she hung up.

“I’m going to kill him. I’m going to tear him limb from fucking limb!”  Daph growls.

“How could he?  How could he do that to Justin and to Brian?”  Debs groans.

“What are we going to do?”  Lucy is pacing angrily.

Slick is on her phone again and suddenly grabs the piece of paper and stares at it intensely.

“What?  What is it?”  Daph asks at her incredulous expression.

“Debs, my mom and your son have one thing in common.  And this works to our advantage…”

“What?  What could your late mom and my idiotic fucktard of a son have in common?”

“Comics.  She loved them and had boxes and boxes of them.  I couldn’t bear to part with them so that’s why I opened Phoenix Rising Comic Store.  Phoenix was her maiden name.  I have someone else manage it though…”

“Phoenix Rising? That’s you?!  If I had known I wouldn’t have paid for the comics for Molly!  But what does this has to do with the fucktard?”  I demand.

“I have a mint condition 1944 Marvel Comic that he’s expressed an interest in.  We’re talking frothing at the mouth interested.  He’s called the store five times wanting the manager to call back.”

“Still not understanding.”  Debs grouses helping herself to more champagne.

“It’s worth $30K. How much do you think his store is worth?”

“Oh Slick you wouldn’t?”  I giggle.

“He hurt my best friend and his partner for the last time.  So yeah, you bet your fucking ass I would!”