CHAPTER 35: REALITY BITES

BRITIN – LATE MONDAY MORNING

MASTER BEDROOM

BRIAN

My little bombshell has returned to his original position of two hours ago, which is sprawled on top of me.  I made us have a shower before we went to sleep but once again the boiler packed up so it wasn’t the warmest of them.  We put the electric blanket back on once we got the boiler relit and judging by the warmth in the room it stayed on.

I got up early, walked B&B and did a bit of work. The primary concerns were getting security for here and getting the boiler replaced.  Cynthia has already sent me a list of companies but in the meantime the company that looks after Kinnetic are sending a couple of men around just in case.

I still can’t believe what they did... well what it seems like they did.  Despite their denials, I know the guilty faces of those two and if it wasn’t for Gus, I would have absolutely nothing to do with Lindsay.  But hopefully when I get full physical custody of him that will be the end of our association. If she wants to see him, she has to arrange it through Mel.  And as for Michael, he’s dead to me.

It breaks my heart but he has put the man I love- yes I love him- in danger and I can’t have that.

“What time is it?”  Justin mumbles from my chest, giving my nipple a quick kiss.

“1130.” I smile and wait.

“Yeah right, what time is it really?”

“Seriously, 1130.”

He lifts his head, fumbles for his phone and gasps.  “Brian!  Why didn’t you wake me?  Slick is going to have my nuts!”

“No she’s not.  I’ve already called her. As long as you get there by two and stay till seven and then work on Saturday morning, you can make up the time.  Now up!”

I swat his bubble butt and he squeals in mock protest.

“Hey if anybody is going to get spanked it’s you for letting me sleep so late.  Now I’m going to have a shower alone as I don’t want to be any later.  I have no intention of working Saturday afternoon, I have plans for us!”

“What plans?”  He pokes his head out having finished brushing his teeth and smiles coquettishly.

“Wait and see Stud, wait and see.  Now stay there, I need to get to work!”

PHOENIX RISING COMICS, UPTOWN

KYLE

Slick said that I should expect an irate Michael Novotny to come to the store so I was prepared. But what I wasn’t prepared for was the pitch of his voice.  The angrier he gets, the sharper the whine.

“I demand to speak to her!”  He says again.

Thank goodness we don’t open until one on Mondays as he has refused to move from the main floor to take this into the office.

“As I said she’s currently at her emporium and…”

“I can’t go there!  I want the keys to my shop as the comic book that I bought in this farce of a deal is in the safe in there!”

“Mr Novotny, the deal is done. You waived the rights to a cooling off period so unless you wish to stark work today, you can’t go into the shop until we take the stock out as per the penalty clause.”  I raise my hand.  “Apart from the comic, that was part of the original deal.”

“But you tricked me!”  He yells and his companion nods in agreement before speaking to Squeakers, as I’ve now dubbed him in my head.

“Come on Michael. Let’s go to our lawyers and get this straightened out.  Tell Slick that she won’t get away with this!”

They start to storm out and I have to bite my lip when they realise that the door is locked and they have to wait for me to open it.  I take my time.  Petty I know, but fun to do.

Once they’re out I call Slick and let her know what’s happened.  She just laughs and said to send the truck around for his stock.  Whatever he’s done to piss her off, I bet he’s regretting it now.

SLICK’S CAR EMPORIUM – EARLY LUNCH

CUJO

“Can I help you?”  I ask a smartly dressed but agitated man who stalks into reception.

“Yes I’m looking for Justin Taylor. I understand he works here.”

“And your name?”

“I just want to know if he works here or not.  My name is not important!”

“No name, no information.”  I reply coolly and watch his face redden with frustration.

“Fine, Taylor, Craig Taylor, I’m that…I’m his f-father.  I was told that this is where he works. I want to…”

“Sorry, it’s against company policy to give out staff information.”  I interrupt balling my fists behind my back so I don’t punch the fucker.

“So he does work here then?”  He growls.

“Never said that.  Now excuse me I have a car to fix.  You will have to leave.”  I order him

Instead he sits down and sneers at me.  “I want to see the manager then, a Slick Phoenix.  I feel that there’s something that he needs to know.”

“And what would that be?”  Slick’s cool tone interrupts what I was about to say.

“You!”  He gasps.

“Yep me.  What could you possibly have to say to me?  You do realise that by coming here, you are now harassing your son. You must like going to court.”

“But-but you said your name was Merry something…!”

“It was at the time; it’s not now.  Now you are leaving.”

“No actually I’m not!”  He approaches Slick, who holds her ground much to his surprise.

“Yeah you really are.”  She growls back at him.  “Or I shall call the police and have you…”

“The police are already here.”  Carl’s voice surprises all of us.  “Remember me Detective Horvath from the weekend?  Now, you’ve been asked to leave, you’ve refused and have become threatening.”  He takes out his cuffs.  “I’m arresting you Craig Taylor for trespass and threatening behaviour…”

“You can’t fucking do this to me!  I’m an upstanding member of the community and you... you people are hiring faggots and illegal immigrants!”  He yells, waving his arms about in fury and evasion.

“Mr Taylor, stop this!”  But he continues to wave his arms.  “Mr Taylor you will also be charged with resisting arrest. Now stop!”

Carl manages to get one hand on his wrist and gets him on the floor.  Within seconds he’s cuffed and put in a seat; Slick looks impressed!

“Do not try to move from there.”  He snarls at him.  “May I use your phone?  Need to call for a squad car. So much for my fucking day off.”

Slick just nods, although she looked like she was dying to comment about the cuffing move but thought better of it.  Five minutes later a squad car comes and Carl hauls him out of the seat and starts to drag him out before turning and grinning.

“The answer is no, but I may do in future.  Don’t tell her okay?”

“I promise.”  Slick cackles.

“Once he’s processed, you two need to come down and make a statement okay?” He pushes him towards an advancing officer who just about catches him before he hits the pavement.

“Don’t feel the need to rush. He’ll be held overnight.”  Carl follows him out with a smirk.

SLICK

I chuckle as I make my way to my office.  Thank God we have audio on all our surveillance videos.

First, I call Mel and let her know what’s happened.  He could only have known of Justin working here from either of the dumbass duo.  Liberty Avenue has become very protective of Brian and Justin.  She’s so furious that she can’t speak for a few minutes before she tells me to leave it with her.  I see a beat down in their future.

Then I call Brian and Justin; they were both relieved that Justin decided to book today as holiday and let them know that Mel is on the case.  I felt it might be best if he stayed at Britin and I send Oliver to him. Brian only agreed as long as I sent enough tarpaulin to protect their drive…seriously that man is such a queen sometimes!

FORBES AND MUSTER ATTORNEYS – MID-AFTERNOON

LINDSAY

We looking expectantly at Magnus Forbes, hoping for a better answer than I got in my custody case.

“So Magnus, what do you think? Can this contract be terminated?”  I ask.

“Yes of course it can.”  He looks up puzzled.  “Why would you think it couldn’t?”

“I knew it!  I knew she was shafting me…”

“She’s not shafted you.  Unless you are saying you didn’t sign this contract?”

“No I signed it but I want out of it because I didn’t know I was going to be working for her. I thought I was going to be working for this Kyle guy.  He’s the manager at the comic book store…”

“Wait, didn’t you research into the company you were negotiating with?”  He looks incredulous.

“I had no reason to think it would be her!”  Michael protests.  “Now I know I want to cancel the contract.”

“Like I said you can cancel the contract as per the agreement…”

“But that means I lose my collectibles, my inventory and everything!”

“Apart from the comic which was the original part of the deal.  Simply put Mr Novotny, because you waived the rights to a cooling off period the contract was binding the moment it was signed by both parties.  By refusing to work for Phoenix Rising Comics, you are reneging on the deal and the penalties are therefore in effect, unless…”

“Unless?”  Michael says eagerly.

Magnus sighs.  “Unless you go and work for them obviously.  Whoever persuaded you to sign this deal should be disbarred.  Who was your lawyer? Maybe I can get it rejected because of misrepresentation.” We look guiltily at each other but say nothing.  Then he asks the question a different way.  “You did have this looked at by a lawyer, didn’t you?”

“I used to live with a lawyer and understand basic law…” I begin.

“No, you don’t.  Well the choices are simple: go work for them or pay penalties.  Now you said there was something…oh excuse me a moment.  Magnus Forbes, can I help you?  Could you hold please?”

He smiles apologetically at us.  “Could you wait outside for a minute? I need to take this call, sorry.”

We wait outside his office for about 20 minutes before he calls us back in again.

“So the other issue was?”

“My ex, I suppose, wife is issuing lawsuits for defamation of character to a person who we both know and has said that because we gave him the information on his son’s whereabouts that we are his co-defendants in a cause of perception of threat.”

“Perception of threat?”  Magnus looks confused and that gives us hope.

“Well she said that because of his behaviour at the restaurant, we endangered his son’s safety and…”

“Behaviour?  How was his behaviour?”

Michael and I exchange smiles.  “He was loud and belligerent towards his son and apparently made him cry and he called them deviants, so the entire table is suing him.  We wondered if the perception of…”

“Wouldn’t be Craig Taylor, would it?”  He asks

“Yes that’s him and his son’s Justin Taylor.”  Michael nods.  “Why?”

“Did you tell him anything else?”  He leans back in his chair and narrows his eyes at us.

“We told him where he works but that’s all.  We don’t know where he lives full time or we would’ve given him that address too.”

“How did he get in touch with you though? This I don’t understand.”

“We called him.”  I answer slowly, feeling sure I had already said this.

“Did you have any idea of the relationship between father and son?”

“No.  Well yes, we knew it wasn’t good from what we read in the newspaper and what his bitch of a mother told us…”

“I can assure you what you have done is not perception of threat…”

“Yes, I knew there wasn’t such a thing!”  I crow.

“It’s called aiding and abetting.”

“Aiding…”

“Yes. You knew that the reunion between father and son would not be a happy one and by giving out details you had no right to give, you placed him in danger of either emotional or physical distress. Mr Taylor wouldn’t have gotten the details without your intervention and…”

“Yes but what he chose to do with…”  I start.

“Means nothing.  According to him, he had no intention of contacting his son but after you two called and the things you said to him, he felt compelled to act.  And by not warning Justin Taylor of what you did, you failed in your duty to protect and for you to give out his work address, you also placed the staff there in danger.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”  Michael demands angrily, earning a glare from Magnus.

“Because of what you’ve told me, I have no choice but to report this to the police and you will be arrested and charged with aiding and abetting, failure to protect and endangerment.  You will also need to find another lawyer.  I can no longer represent you Lindsay.”