CHAPTER 59: THE CON, THE WARDEN AND A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

CLAIRE’S APARTMENT – TUESDAY MORNING

CLAIRE

I have to giggle outside the door and control myself.  Come on Claire you can do this, just don’t look into their eyes and all will be well!

I hammer on the door and then open it, naturally the chain is on so I start shouting.  “Michael!  Lindsay!  Open the door!”

There is muttering before Michael finally gets to the door.  “What’s going on?  It’s seven thirty!”

I rush in and look round.  “Get dressed!  Lindsay!”  I yell.

“Claire?  What’s wrong?”  She asks, sleepily.

“Slick is coming!”  I snap and sigh.  “You need to get rid of everything that says you live here Michael!”

“What? Why me?  Why not Lindsay?”  We both look at him in astonishment.

“Because she’s a girl.”

“And?”  He still looks confused.

“I’m a girl, she’s a girl, so it makes sense that there would be girl stuff.  Your stuff wouldn’t make sense.”

“When is she getting here?”  Lindsay asks, gathering his stuff and piling it onto the sofa.

“At nine.  Hustle Michael hustle!  Obviously Lindsay you need to leave too.”

“Of course.”

“Wait.  Why is she coming?”  Michael asks, just as I hand him his DVDs.

“She’s coming to inspect so she can start the redecorating and refurbishing.”

“Hello this is Claire.  Oh hi Slick.  Uh, no that shouldn’t be a problem to come at eight thirty, I’m just on the other side of town but I can get back for then.  Sure see you soon.”

“Michael, move for fuck sake!”  Lindsay snaps.

“Where are we going to go?!”  He shouts from his room.  “Do I have time for a shower?”

“No to the shower!  Your priority is removing every trace of you from this apartment.  Lindsay come on help me!  Grab some bags on the way in!”  I shout.

We push him back into his room and start piling his stuff in bags.  “Wait!”  He shrieks.  “Can’t you at least put them in some semblance of order?!”

“NO!”  I shout.  “Go sort out the lounge. Make sure there’s nothing of you in there!”

He stomps but then comes back.  “Can’t you tell her that you like collectibles too?”  He protests.

“First, do I look like I like collectibles and secondly she’s been here before Michael. She will question why I have the same collectibles as you.  Get going!”

We pile some stuff in the storage cupboard and lock it.  “Hopefully she won’t look in there!”  I pant.

I dash back to his bedroom and fling open his wardrobe.  “Thank goodness he doesn’t have taste!”  I snicker at Lindsay, who starts pulling his clothes out with remarkable zeal.

“No he doesn’t.”  She laughs.  “This is his clubbing outfit.”

I snort with laughter.  “Why does he have a smock?”

“Channelling Johnny Depp.”

“What are you doing with my clothes?!”  He shrieks.

“You’re a, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, a man!  I live here alone remember?!”

Finally after 50 minutes his clothes, some of his collectibles, and he and Lindsay are out the door.  I watch them scurry down the alleyway as quickly as they can.

PARKING LOT BEHIND THE APARTMENTS

MICHAEL

I am so relieved I decided to hold onto the truck!  We pile my stuff inside and sit down to gather our breath.

“Why didn’t she tell us about this visit yesterday?”  I demand and Lindsay shrugs.  “Don’t you think it’s a little suspicious that…”

“Michael!  You are seeing suspicion everywhere!  First, you accuse me of nefarious actions with your comic.  Then, it’s Ben and Daphne fucking and now what?  What exactly are you suggesting that Claire is doing?”

“Nothing but I just think she could’ve told us yesterday.”  I pout and cross my arms.

“Oh you mean, tell you something of import when she was still fucked off with you for calling her a fucking stupid bitch?”

“Which she slapped me for…”

“And you still need to apologise for, by the way.”

“Why? She slapped me; I could have her arrested for assault!”  I snap and then smile.  “You know I could have her arrested for assault.”

“And where would we live?”  Lindsay pinches the bridge of her nose.

“In the apartment of course.”

“So you think that after you’ve had her arrested for assault that she’s not going to tell Slick that we still live there, hmmm?”

“Okay maybe not.”  I mutter and then smile again.  “It’s great though that we live there still and she has no idea.”

“Come on, let’s go to the diner at least get something to eat.  Claire said she’d call when Slick was gone.”

CLAIRE’S APARTMENT

CLAIRE

Now that I have composed myself, I disconnect the webcams I put in the lounge and in his bedroom and download them.

The knock at the door heralds Slick’s arrival.  “So what the hell is it that is so urgent that I had to stop by now?”  She gripes.

“These!”  I hand her the three ports.  “Oh and you’re redecorating and refurbishing, starting with Michael’s room.”

“I am?”  She shakes her head to clear it.  “And why would I do that...and what’s on these?”

“Because that gets him on the couch.”  I explain.  “And as for those, this is part of the wedding present to Brian and Justin.  Nobody is to watch them so that’s why I’m giving them to you.”

“Okay you want to slow it down and tell me what the hell is going on?”

“We need to go to the diner!”  I grab my coat and hustle her out and grab my bag.  “When we get there hand me this and we hit the back booth okay?”

“Fine.”  She smiles tiredly at me.  “Is this going to be fun?”

“Oh yes.”

“Good because if it’s not I’m going to be pissed!”

DINER

BRANDON

Michael and Lindsay are at, what has become their table, I try not to smirk at the way they are dressed.  Emmy Lou arrives and sweeps past them without acknowledgement. Michael of course glowers at us from his table.

“Okay.  Why are they dressed like they needed to be out in a hurry?”  He frowns.  “Lindsay is not looking her usual earth mother self and Michael really needs to check a mirror!”

“No idea at all.”  I smirk.

The door opens and Claire and Slick come in.  The expressions on the gruesome twosome are priceless and Michael leans forward to whisper frantically.

“Hey Slick!  Come sit here, bring your friend.”

“Uh…”  Emmy Lou winces when I kick him under the table.  “Of course join us.  I’m Emmett Honeycutt, owner of this fine establishment and you are?”

“Claire Griffin, I’m Slick’s new tenant.”

“Nice to meet you.  I’m Brandon.”  I shake her hand and look at a clearly still hungover Slick. I feel a bit sorry for her but it’s going to get better.

By the time we’ve had breakfast, Slick has an amused smirk on her face and Emmy had to leave so he could cackle in the confines of his office.  We finish off and head to our respective places of employment.

MICHAEL

“See? What did I tell you?”  I hiss at Lindsay.

“Now what?  She’s having breakfast with her landlord and they are discussing the redecorating of the apartment. What is the ‘what’ you are babbling about?”

“Why not discuss that at the apartment?”  I demand.

“Because they are having breakfast and there’s not food in the apartment!”

“Oh.”  I pause and think a bit.  “But why go to the back booth?”

“Michael, I am getting tired of your conspiracy theory behaviour.  Claire did right by me whilst I was in the correctional facility.  Now behave and…”  Her phone chirps.  “And see Claire says we can go back to the apartment.  Come on.”

KINNETIC – WEDNESDAY MORNING

BRIAN’S OFFICE

BRIAN

“But why not Ted?”  I know I’m whining but it’s the opera and Ted likes the opera.

“Because Ted is not the President and CEO of Kinnetic you are.”  Cynthia reasons.

“But it’s a lot of singing, by that I mean fucking caterwauling, for four fucking hours.”  I try.

“You’re going!  Think of the millions that Kinnetic will earn for one night of torture for you.”

Justin snickers from the doorway.  “And so are you!”  Cynthia wipes the smiles off his face.  “You need to make sure he behaves and doesn’t bunk off!”

“Hey!”  He objects.

“Hah!”  I smirk.

“Fuck off!” He stomps out of the building.

CLAIRE’S APARTMENT – WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

CLAIRE

I know that Michael is suspicious of me so I’ve been keeping out of his way to ramp that up and being evasive on the phone, when he or Lindsay call but now is the time to put into play the plan that Brandon and I have concocted.

“Finally, where were you?”  I cry, grinning at them.

“Out and about.  Where were you?”  Michael demands.

“Visiting a sick friend like I said.  Anyway, so after having breakfast with Slick and that guy Emmett and Brydon...”

“Brandon.”  Lindsay corrects.  “So what did she say?”

“She’s going to start on Michael’s room from next Thursday.  But that’s not the reason I’m excited…”

“And that would be?”  Michael drawls, sarcastically.

“The End of an Era Stag Do is on at Babylon on Saturday.”  I tell them.

Slowly a smile spreads across Michael’s face.  “Tell us more.”

 “Well for a start Slick, Melody and her new girlfriend are going and it’s bikini for girls and thongs for boys themed, once inside of course.  I can’t wait!”

“Do you mean Melanie?”  Lindsay asks quickly.

“Yeah her!” 

They exchange looks and I know what they are going to be doing on Saturday night!

PITTSBURGH OPERA – THURSDAY NIGHT

BRIAN

I am bored out of my mind but this client likes the opera, but my blonde bombshell is working the room like a pro.  Finally, we’re heading to the private box but about half an hour in the client is sound asleep despite having said how much this opera fills him with rhapsodies.

I look across at Justin who is sitting next to me and take his hand and jerk my head to the door.

“No.”  His hisses.  “We can’t leave the guy here on his own.”

“The music and singing is nice.”  I roll my eyes.  “Quite rhapsodic.”

“And loud.”  He snickers then leans over and kisses me softly. “How is he sleeping through this?”

“Want to see what else he can sleep through?”  I waggle my eyebrows.

He looks at me wide eyed.  “You’re not serious?”

“I wasn’t but the idea is beginning to grow on me like something else I can mention.”

The confliction on his face is priceless and I lean across and kiss him sucking his tongue into my mouth firmly but gently.

“Um Brian, we…we can’t.”  He tilts his head so I can get to his neck and suck on his pulse point.

I palm his cock.  “It will be hard and fast and you must be quiet.”  I whisper hotly.

“Oh God, quick hurry!”

He pulls me to the back of the box and starts on my pants and I tackle his.

“Shirt!  Tuck up my shirt!”  He hisses.  “Folding, you’re folding right now!”  He glares at me.

“It’s bad enough it’s going to smell of sex in here, seeing us rumpled too…”

“Good point, fold faster!”

I turn him to the wall and pull off my wife beater.  “Hold that and brace yourself!”

I suck on my fingers and slide them into him and gently scissor him apart.  “Oh!  Oh!”

“Quiet remember!”

“Enough please now!”  He whispers and then groans as I slide into him.

I wait for him to adjust and then with the jerk of his head I start to move.  He stuffs the wife beater in his mouth and starts to push back his small grunts and moans making me pump faster and harder.

“Te...tell me when!”  I whisper and then feel him start to tremble as his orgasm builds.

Pulling the beater out of his mouth, he groans and then tilts his head back for a kiss.  I grab the top and start to jack his cock, he groans into my mouth and I feel his seed soak through and he sags against me.  Mine floods my body and it takes everything for me to remain standing.  I clean us up as best I can and we shakily get dressed.

By the time the opera is finished we are clearing our throats to wake up the client.

“Oh sorry about that, it’s so emotional towards the end I had to close my eyes to feel it fully.  What about yourself Justin, did you enjoy it?”

“Yes, it’s been one of the best nights at the opera I’ve ever been to!”

“I’m glad.  Do you think you would come again?”  He asks as we walk down the stairs.

“Oh definitely!”  Justin grins at him.