CHAPTER 5: FOUNDATIONS

OUTSIDE THE DINER

BRIAN

I’m looking up the road for signs of Emmy Lou. According to Justin, he was in raptures when he told them what happened.   I’m happy, as with a bit of persuading, he’s agreed to accept the clothes I bought and the phone as well, Now if I can just get him to agree to the other thing.  I need Emmy Lou to give my keys back so I can finally finish listening to Michael. I can feel his eyes boring into the back of my skull as I continue to pretend to be on the phone.  I had to tell him it was an urgent business call.

“Are you almost done? He’s driving me fucking insane in there!”  Debs’ voice makes me jump.

I nod and reluctantly head back inside.  “Sorry about that Michael but work waits for no man. Now I’m all yours but I do have to get back to Slick’s to see about my car.”  I smile at him and he stops pouting.

“So tell me about this guy who was sick on you.  You never said what you did to him?”

“Not much I could do.  After I left my car at Slick’s, she dealt with him.  Though I have to feed him for six months.  A deal’s a deal.”  I bite into my turkey sandwich and wait for the whinge.

“Well if it was me, I wouldn’t honour it at all,” he decrees.  “You don’t…”

“I do have to Michael. How would it look if the sponsor welched on a deal?”  I point out.  “Besides just because he’s homeless…”

“Homeless? Oh come on Brian. You don’t even know he was in the competition, he could be…”

“Michael.”  Debs sits next him.  “I was there and that kid was in the competition. Now this has nothing to do with you.  Besides if he reneges he will have me to deal with me, won’t you kiddo?”

“Yes ma.”  I grin at her and sip my coffee.  “Or even worse have Slick lock away my cars.”

“I don’t see why you go to her. There must be other places you can have your cars detailed,” he grumbles.  “So how is this homeless person going to pay for your car and shoes to be sorted out?”

“Because I’m the best in the burgh and he’d be a fool to go anywhere else again.”  She smirks at me and then winks.  “Here’s your keys back.”  Again she winks.  “And as for the car, he’s going to work on it. I’m going to pay him and the money he earns he’s going to pay for the dry cleaning and the shoes.”

“What are you doing here?  Where’s Emmy Lou?”  I’m hoping she’s not left Justin alone.

“He’s at the office.  But he suggested I go to Torso and look at the black shirt in the window and I think I’ve got it, the perfect black.  What do you think?”

She holds up a shirt that has a slight iridescent sheen to it.  It would look fantastic on the Phantom.

“Do you think you could mix it the paints to get it just like that?”  I stroke the shirt. Although it’s not my style I think it would look great on a certain someone, when we go out for dinner.

“Hmm maybe, but I really need to wait for Idaho to come back and that won’t be until Wednesday.  So we’re looking realistically at next Friday for the return.”  She folds the shirt up and raises an eyebrow.  “I might return this I just needed the colour unless you want to see how it looks up close against the car.”

“Shut up and take the shirt with you.”  I grouch quietly.

The bell goes above the diner and Debs hollers greetings at Ben, he comes to join us and is followed by Ted and Blake.  Michael’s face drops more and more.

“Did I hear you say Idaho is coming back?”  Debs leans against the booth.

Slick nods and smiles.  “Yep sadly his dad passed but he’s coming back.  None of you have met him right?  I mean apart from Brian, he’s a dish and a doll.  Right that’s me done, want to come and see this up close or…”

“Actually, I might as well come now.  I’ve got to get ready. Have an early morning meeting.  See you guys later.”

“But Brian, we’ve hardly had any chance to talk,” Michael protests.  “You haven’t even finished your sandwich.”

“Sorry Michael but I’ve got to get to Slick’s, then back to the loft and then to Britin. The clients are coming there. Theodore I will see you at seven sharp tomorrow morning.  No tiring him out Blake.”  I nudge Slick.  “Did you bring the car on the trailer or do you need a ride back?”

She links arms with me and smiles prettily batting her eyelashes.  “Oh I need a ride.”   Michael snorts behind us.  “Bye all.”

MICHAEL

I stab at my rapidly cooling food and wave at mother.  “Can you warm this up again for me?”  She waits for a bit before taking my plate.  “Please mother?”  I smile tightly at her.

“What’s the matter Michael? You don’t look happy.”  Blake asks politely.

Kiki brings back my food and plonks it down in front of me.  I hate it when she serves me; I’m never sure if she’s done something to my food.

“Brian’s gone with Slick to her emporium and Michael’s upset about that.”  She smiles.  “Now what will you boys have?”

They place their order but Blake continues to look confused. “So?  He’s got to get his car sorted out. Why is this an issue?”

“Slick’s Car Emporium is the one place that Michael is banned from,” Kiki tells him smugly.  “And banned for life.”

“You got banned from…how?”  Blake looks incredulous.   “What did you do scrape a car?”

“No, he was waiting for her to finish one of the cars and was just moaning and moaning about how long it was taking before it escalated into a full-on bitch fest.  He’s banned from her place and she’s banned from the comic book store. Only one of them is upset about that.”  Kiki chuckles as she brings their coffees.  “And it’s not her.”

SLICK’S CAR EMPORIUM

BRIAN

When I get to the bedroom, he’s sleeping so I head back downstairs and Slick’s just grinning at me as is Emmy Lou.  He’s rustled up a chicken stew and left it to cook slowly, until Justin wakes up.

“How long has he been asleep?”

“About an hour or so.  Should be waking up soon.”  He stares at me thoughtfully.  “So what are you going to do about this?”  He indicates the bags.  “And that little morsel?”  He nods in the direction of the bedroom.

“Well I was thinking of trying to persuade him to move into the loft with me.”  I look to see their reactions. Emmy Lou grins but Slick frowns.  “It would give us time to get to know each other and…”  I turn round as I feel Justin’s arms round my waist.  

“You can’t be serious?”  Justin rubs his eyes and stares at me.   “Oh something smells good.”

“Yeah, I’m serious.  You need somewhere to live and put those clothes and I wouldn’t mind having you keep my bed warm; you give off some serious heat,” I tease him, kissing him lightly.

“It would never work.  Michael would stake out the loft and you’d never get a moment’s peace.”  She frowns again.  “No, I have a better idea.”

“Didn’t you say that he’s got a boyfriend?  How does he put up with this?”  Justin asks curling up on the couch with me.  “If my boyfriend was running after another guy like that he would be gone.”

Emmy Lou sighs.  “Ah Justin, now that is a mystery. Ben, for all his intellect, likes to see the good in people and thinks that eventually Michael will get over this infatuation with Brian.  He and Michael met at Babylon of all places, and despite their rocky start…not my story to tell…they’ve been together ever since.  Michael was not initially happy with Hunter and sometimes I think he’s still not, but they come as a pair.”  He takes a sip of his drink.  “Yeah and of course Brian and Hunter hit it off straight away. It also helps that Gus and Hunter are pretty good mates, despite the distance.”

“Who’s Gus?”  Justin asks looking at me.

Emmy Lou winces.  “Sorry Brian, I didn’t…”  I wave off his apologies and he looks relieved.

“That comes under the getting to know me part. He’s my son, with my lesbian best friend and her wife.”  He raises his eyebrows but doesn’t seem to be fazed by it.  “He’s 15 to Hunter’s 18.”

“So back to the living arrangements, you and he in the loft won’t work.”  She grins.  “How about you stay here as my um night watchman?”

“Night watchman?”  We all echo.  “How does that work with…aha!”  Emmy Lou grins.  “You really are very good.”

“What?  I don’t get it.”  Justin frowns.

“Michael is banned from this place.”  Emmy Lou smiles.  “He can’t get at Brian here.”