CHAPTER 38: READING, DIGGING, SHARING AND SHUTTING UP!

TALON’S CONDO – TUESDAY EVENING

LOUNGE

LINDSAY

Grady has been at his place since Sunday. He said he had to look at the paperwork and then see his lawyer.  He’s now back and is looking absolutely furious!

“What I need you two to do is gather all the paperwork you’ve got from Talon and bring it down here quickly!” Michael and I exchange confused looks.  “What part of quickly are you not understanding?!”

We find the paperwork and rejoin him. “What’s going on Grady?  I have things to do…”

“What Michael?  What movie that you have seen about a thousand times before could you possibly want to watch this time?”  He snarls at him.

“I really don’t like the way you are speaking to me!”

“And I really don’t give a fuck!  You two need to sit down and read the documentation that she gave you properly and right now.”

I sit down and read the tenancy agreement and can see nothing untoward but then I get to the email about the $50K.

“Uh Michael.  You did have this checked by a lawyer right, I mean, before you signed it?”

“No, it seemed pretty straightforward to me. She gave us the money for the misrepresentation trial and until such time as they are settled, we don’t have to pay it back.  Okay, it is cancelled now but we simply reinstate it.  Problem is solved.  Although I could have her arrested for theft since she’s taken half my collection and…”

“MICHAEL!  You complete imbecile!  Have you forgotten the other document we signed?  You know the one with his aunt?  Promising not to do what you just suggested?!”

He opens his mouth and then closes it again.  “Actually you signed it, I didn’t!”

“Can I see it?”  Grady asks and after a bit of a search, I finally find it.

“Uh Michael, you were named, it is notarized by an attorney; it’s binding.  So no the problem is not solved, for you anyways…”

“What is that supposed to mean?”  He glares at him and then at me, but I don’t know either.

“How much money is in the shared account right now?  Lindsay, would you mind checking?”

After a while, I’m relieved to see that there is the same amount in there that was initially deposited.

“The $40K.”  I reply.

“So where are you going to get it Michael, when your plan fails.” Grady demands.

“Get what? And my plan won’t fail.”

“$10,000 and judging by the way they kicked us to the curb, I don’t think they will be paying us money any time soon!”

“Well, you can lend it to Lindsay to…”

“No.  There will be no lending to Lindsay to give to you pay Talon, as I believe you were going to suggest.  Because you jointly took that money and since Lindsay was sensible enough not to spend her part she’s covered. You, not so much.”

“What’s brought this on?”  He pouts.

“My lawyer read the finer points of the agreement to me.  And the position of power, when it comes to Matt, is with the Starks and the Ugerstachts.  And it turns out that even if my rights are reinstated, I would then need to go back to court to reverse both the emancipation and legal adoption of Matt by Faal as well as pay back the money they mentioned…”

Michael laughs.  “So you’re not as smart as you make out…”

“But I’m not going to get my rights reinstated, so the money won’t be owed.  Whereas you need to find money for Talon, for Brian and Justin, and, of course for Lindsay’s parents or had you forgotten that?”

“Lindsay’s parents? What do you mean her parents? They’ve cast us out so…”

“But you still owe your side of the attorney fees.”

Silence.

“And, let’s face it, they haven’t really cast Lindsay out.  They’ve just taken a timeout to teach her a lesson.  But you… you signed an agreement saying you would pay the money back. Remember when you took the job in McCandless?”

I look at him in surprise.  “How did you know about McCandless?”

He laughs.  “Luther Stark is, well was, a millionaire. You don’t think he had you guys looked into before he met you?”

“Good point.”  I turn to Michael.  “I have to admit that I had forgotten about that money.  And you will pay it back.”

“And then there is the matter about your collection...”

“What about my collection?” Michael bristles.

“The reason that Talon took half your collection and locked the rest away was not as insurance against you using squatters’ rights here but so she can easily collect it when you can’t pay her back.”

His mouth drops open in shock.  “But she…she can’t do that!”

“She can, you agreed to that, and trust me, she will!”  Grady laughs bitterly.  “That’s the thing with the Starks, as you have found out to your previous cost.  They always follow through and they keep fighting until they win.”

BROHOUSE – WEDNESDAY EVENING

AQUACAVE

CYNTHIA

This is incredible.  I mean seriously incredible.  I’m not a fish lover as such but it has got to be the most relaxing place I’ve ever been in.

“Spit and Spot.”  Zeus tells me, pointing at the octopi.

“Seriously?”  I raise an eyebrow and he taps the glass gently and immediately Spit spits and Spot flashes.  “Oh okay point made.  Now do you want to know the figures for the first week?”

“Yes indeed.”  He settles down on the purple Barcalounger.  “So how’d…what?”

“What’s with the different colour loungers?”

“My brothers and I don’t share well. So we got exactly the same chairs but covered differently so that there wasn’t arguing over whose chair is whose.”

“Again.  Seriously?”  I chuckle.  “I’m so glad I’m an only child.”

“So how’d we do?  Oh wait, do you want a drink? Got the Togouchi one we had in Speakeasy.”

“Oh yes please.”  I settle on the sofa and it just moulds to my body.  “Oh that’s just like a hug.”

“Here.”  He hands me a glass and then drops to his knees and before I could stop him has whipped off my shoes.  “Now will you just relax?”

I snort and put my feet up on the sofa and settle the cushion behind my head.  “Been a pig of a week.”

“It massages…”  He presses a button and after a few minutes, I sigh.  “Good, isn’t it?  I want one for upstairs but she won’t tell anyone where she got it.”

“I’ll get it out of her and let you know.”  I groan, as it does my calves.

“Cynthia, the figures...”

“One sec.”  I plant my feet and practically purr.  “Oh this is the best I’ve felt below the waist in years!”

“Well…uh I’ve got nothing.”  He looks away before composing himself.  “Ready with the figures then?”

“You know what I’ll just email them to you!”  I squeak and try and find my shoes. I’m so glad of the subdued lighting because my face is most likely as red as my Louboutin soles!

I drain my glass and stiffen my spine.  “Good night Zeus.”

“At least let me walk you to the car or call a cab for you?”  He gets up.

“No, I’m fine.  Nobody would dare try anything with the mood I’m in right now.”  I assert. He mutters something but I don’t quite catch it.  “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”  He answers, pouring himself another drink.

“Look I’ve had a pissy week and I’ve just humiliated myself. The least you can…”

“I said I would.”  He looks over the rim of his glass at me and raises an eyebrow.

“Oh.”

“So can I?”

“Yes.”

He clears the space between us quickly and the kiss is surprisingly gentle and chaste.

“Well that’s a start.”

“No that’s the warm up.”  He growls, before kissing me deeply.

TREEHOUSE – FRIDAY AFTERNOON

KITCHEN

FAAL

Never have I seen Zee so miserable over food.  She’s cooked a duck pithivier with ale and juniper and it’s great but it’s the atmosphere between the grooms that’s killing her. Darius, Tobias, Hunter and Matt are arguing over who has what at their respective receptions.  She doesn’t want to play favourites but neither is willing to compromise.

Time she lets me take over because we’ve been here for 2 hours now.

“Okay, everyone to the office.  Zee get Daph, Emily and Francine online.”  I order.

Once everyone is on, I quickly get the ladies up to speed and immediately the boys start in each saying they want this and they want that until I whistle loudly.

“Your mom is catering all of these but you can’t expect her do that and have a good time too. It’s too much and unfair.  So how about this?  Daph, Emily and Francine, you have the baby shower on the Dec 21st and the food is agreed on already, yes?  Great.”

I turn to the boys.  “Now you four listen very carefully. You will have your wedding and blessing on the 22nd…no you will shut up and you will listen!”  I growl.

“Tobias and Darius you have it in the morning like you were going to and boys your blessing will follow after a brief interlude in the afternoon.  The interlude will be a light lunch.  Seriously shut up!  Then in the evening you go out for dinner. Not together, before you get hysterical, just go out and celebrate privately that evening.  And then on the 23rd you hold a joint reception in the afternoon with every food you both want.”

Zee looks at me and then them.  “That’s the perfect compromise.  Please guys?”

They look at each other and nod; she sighs in relief.  We head back to the kitchen with me massaging the back of her neck gently.

She gathers their coats and smiles somewhat tiredly.

Tobias looks rightfully sheepish.  “Sorry about that. We were just being bitchy queens there.”  She just blinks at him.  “So now that it’s all sorted.  Does…um… so does this mean we can take the duck thing home with…”

“Get out!”  She yells.

TREEHOUSE – SUNDAY AFTERNOON

JUSTIN

“Would you be quiet? The whole point is to sneak in without making a noise!”

Brian being sneaky and horny is a bad combination. He gets too giggly.  I’m determined to restore our lead in the 100 fucks first bet.

“So where we going to do it?”  He asks, excitedly.

“You know the rules... any room but their room, the kitchen, the office, the lounge…”

“So we can…”

“Or the dining room!”  I assert.  “Oh wait, what about the workshop?!  Not been in there for a while.”

His eyes light up and he nods already undoing his belt and unsnapping his jeans.  My eyes zero in on his bush and his bulge.

“Hurry!”  I grab his hand and we dash across to the workshop. As we get to the door, he starts on my neck.  “Hang on the whole point is that we fuck inside!”

“Actually the whole point is that you’re not supposed to make enough noise to wake half the street.”  Zee drawls from inside and opens the door.

“Fuck!”  Brian blasts.  “You’re kidding me?!”

“To your room boys, go work off that angst.”  We troop back to the house with them snickering behind us.

“And the scores are still tied.”  Faal crows as we head upstairs.  “And remember the sound machine!”