Midnight Whispers
QAF Brian and Justin Fanfiction

CHAPTER 68: FAWNING AND DIVINING

 

LINDSAY

 

“Michael, could you stop looking like you want to kill people?”  I hiss at him.

 

“It’s so fucking unfair!”  He hisses back.  “Look at him! He’s this thing that everyone suddenly loves and…”

 

“Michael shut up!”  I hiss as Sandrine looks across at me and smiles tightly.  “Look, I know you are upset, but right now we have to put on our party faces and get through this.”

 

“Fine.  I’m going to speak to Jenny.”  He goes to stand up and before I could stop him, he walks across the space to go and talk to her.

 

MICHAEL

 

“Hello Jenny, how are you?  Excuse me, I would like to sit next to my daughter.”  I tell the guy on the other side of her.

 

“Oh sorry didn’t realise she’s your daughter…”  He starts to move along.

 

“Don’t worry, he doesn’t either unless he wants something.”  Jenny interrupts and turns back to Justin.  “Uncle Justin, can I work the projector now?”

 

“Sure come with me.”  He stands up and leads her downstairs.  I start to move closer to Brian, only to have my route blocked by Terez.

 

“Now Brian, my hombres, let me see it.”  She coos.

 

“Uh what?”

 

“Your engagement ring.”  He shows her and she gasps.  “Oh quarter cut diamonds, lovely and is it platinum?”

 

“Platinum and white gold.”  He replies and I feel the heat of anger flood my body.  “Hey, all sorted?”  He asks and moves along while Terez remains where she is so that Justin can sit down and immediately she grabs his hand.

 

“So what is this I hear about a collateration with France?”

 

“Uh, I think you mean collaboration Terez.”  I’m startled by Hunter’s voice.  “When two people join up to work on something?”

 

“Yes that’s it.  Hunter, isn’t it?”  She beams at him.

 

“Excuse me, how do you know the people here?”  The man to my left asks.

 

I smirk at him.  “I’m the best friend of…”

 

“Nobody.  Unless you count her over there.”  Daphne interrupts and points at Lindsay.

 

“What the hell…”  I look past her and see that Ben, Slick, her boyfriend, Wobin, Jennifer and, incredibly, Casper and France are between Brian and I.  I look across at Lindsay, who is talking to Sandrine and it looks serious.  Sandrine moves back to where she was and the look Lindsay gives me suggests that I may have done something wrong, but I can’t think what.

 

For the next two hours, I listen to everyone heap bullshit praise on Vomit Boy.  What I want to hear about is this collaboration, but nobody is fucking talking about that!  Well fuck that, I’m going to sit next to Lindsay.

 

“For the love of Dios!  Michael stop being a burro and walk around, not across!  Your manners are appalling!”  Terez snaps.

 

I’m about to say something but the look on Lindsay’s face tells me not to.  “Sorry.”  I mutter and walk around to join her.  When I reach her, I can feel her vibrating with anger.

 

“We will speak when we get home.”  She grinds out.

 

Oh great, another lesson from Ms. Fucking Manners.

 

LINDSAY

 

For crying out fucking loud, the groaning and muttering the first time he did it wasn’t a clue?  And now we have his conversion slut pointing out that he’s being an ass.

 

“Lindsay, what do you think?”  I’m startled by Claire arriving on my other side.

 

“About what?”  I snark.

 

“Whoa.  What’s your problem?”  She leans in so that only I can hear her.   “Is it Michael?”

 

“No.”  I reply tartly.  “It’s you.  And before you go little Miss Innocent, I think that some things are just too coincidental.”  She gapes at me and goes to say something.  “No, don’t speak.  I have had enough disappointment over the last…”

 

“Fine.  You can both move out and I shall tell Catherine you don’t want to help with the art classes.”  She snarls and gets up.

 

Fuck!

 

“What did Claire want?”  Michael asks.

 

I plaster a smile on my face.  “Oh just girl stuff.”  I look across at her and she’s helping Emmett. As long as I can get to her before she gets to Catherine, then all will be okay.  I can’t believe I pulled a Michael just then.

 

SLICK

 

Oh, now that’s interesting; what has just happened?  I ping Claire a text and wait.  I hide my snicker and ping the squad, time for us to run interference.  For the next hour, we stop Lindsay being able to get to either Claire or Catherine in a way that is purely innocent of course, which means that Sandrine keeps her busy.

 

Arnold has pinged me and I head downstairs and I link arms with my secret weapon and bring her gently up the stairs.

 

MICHAEL

 

I haven’t been able to speak to Casper yet but I am fucking determined to do so before the end of the evening.  There is no fucking way that Vomit Boy’s sister is going to get to work with him and I don’t.

 

I look up and see Slick has been corralled by Mrs Meyers and smirk.  She’s going to be stuck with her for a while! But now I can finally speak to mother now that Sandrine is with Lindsay.  She’s not going to embarrass me with her loud ways.

 

“Mother.”

 

“Michael.”  She takes a sip of her drink and I take my opportunity.

 

“Why are you talking to Sandrine?  What have you been talking about?”  I demand.

 

“Because Slick introduced us and none of your fucking business!”  She hisses.  “Now I’m going to speak to people I want to speak to.”

 

“Ladies and gentlemen!  Ladies and gentlemen!  May I have your attention please!  I would like to introduce you to one of the doyennes of the art world, I still can’t believe she’s here!  Slick you…”

 

Oh for fuck sake, I roll my eyes. What is he whimpering about now?!

 

“It is my immense pleasure to introduce Matilda Meyers.”

 

I roll my eyes again at the applause and head to get some more food.

 

“Michael.  You must have absorbed so much from her!  Debs tells me that she’s lived on your street for years.”  France beams at me.  “Molly, Casper and I are so nervous!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Matilda Meyers, one of the first and best graphic artists in the world.  She’s agreed to help Molly and us with the comic and even better to help with the teach-in at Phoenix Rising Comics.”

 

“Wha…”  I don’t fucking believe it!

 

“Now you young man stop flattering this old lady.  Now who is Emmett?  Apparently, he has a treat for me.”

 

I clear my throat.  “I can take you.  He’s one of…”

 

“Matty, come with me sweetheart.”  Slick interrupts.  “I’ll take care of you.”

 

I watch in frustration as she sweeps her away from my grasp.

 

LINDSAY

 

As much as I like Sandrine, I need to make sure everything is fine with Claire.  “Sorry Sandrine, I just need to speak to Claire for a minute.”

 

“Claire?”  She frowns at me.  “She’s gone, left about an hour ago.  She had a headache so Catherine took her home.”

 

My stomach plummets to the floor and I smile tightly.  “Oh that’s a shame, can you excuse me? I need to go to ladies room.”

 

As I head towards the fire escape, Michael catches up with me.  “Can you believe that?”  He hisses as he follows me downstairs.

 

“What?”  I call back.

 

“That she’s Matilda Meyers.  She was a graphic artist and is going to help France, Casper and his sister with the comic!”

 

“Ah Lindsay, Michael there you are.”  Catherine greets us and I feel sick.  “We’re going to go in about an hour, do you want a lift?”

 

“Yes please.  I understand that Claire was ill and had to go home.”

 

“Yes, poor thing, she’s got a migraine.  She’ll be out of commission for at least a day.  When they hit, they hit hard.”

 

“Ouch.  Can you give me her address so I can send her some flowers? I know exactly how she feels.”  I smile sympathetically.  “And do you know where a bathroom is?”

 

“Sure, come with me.”  I follow her and use the facilities and I almost scream with frustration as she stops to talk to Kyle before finally giving me the address. It’s not that far so I send Michael a text to tell him not leave without me and head to Claire’s.

 

CLAIRE’S APARTMENT

 

TEREZ

 

Oh God how sycophantic is this bitch!  The only thing she’s not doing is sitting on my carino’s face!  Poor Claire did have a headache and Lindsay interrupted the head massage that makes her feel better.  Finally, she’s forgiven her and won’t say anything to Catherine, it was all a misunderstanding.

 

I watch her head to the door looking relieved, I can now go back to what I was doing…

 

Wait what?  What did she just say?  Oh she thinks I’m a Spanish tart that he needs to be untangled from, does she?  Time to bring out the big guns.

 

PHOENIX RISING COMICS…DOWNTOWN – MONDAY LATE MORNING

 

SLICK

 

Thank goodness we don’t open until this afternoon like Uptown.  As I walk in, I’m staring at five boxes.

 

“Uh Kyle?”  I call out.

 

“I-I just opened the first box.”  He stammers as Brandon runs back downstairs with a paper bag and puts it over his nose and face.

 

“Look at me and breathe!  In and out, in and out!”

 

I wait for him to calm down and can’t help but laugh.  “So what is this?”

 

“M-m-marvel Comics from 1925 to 1979 in this box alone, the only one missing was the one from 1944 and oh…”

 

“In and out, in and out!”  Brandon soothes.

 

I check the box and my heart hammers in my chest.  “Where is this from?”  I gasp.

 

“This came with them.”  Brandon hands it to me and goes back to helping Kyle breathe.

 

I tear open the envelope.  Dear Slick, you are more deserving.  He left them in my care, I now leave them in yours.  Divina.

 

 

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