Bad as New
Chapter 10
"Debbie, are you sure you want to do
this? Why can't we just go over to his office and ask him?"
"My dear sweet Emmett, do you really
think that Brian Kinney would tell us the truth?"
"Deb, he's always told the truth.
He's brutally honest sometimes."
"Not about this, he won't. We have to
confront him and soon before something happens! We
have to save him."
"Save who, Ma?" Michael had
walked through Debbie's door with Jennifer close behind.
"Oh, hi Michael, I didn't hear you
come in, and Jennifer! What are you doing here?"
"I was showing a building near
"Yeah, I was picking up some lemon
bars for dessert when we got to talking. So we decided to come over. What are
you guys up to?"
"Your mother wants to try some sort
of intervention."
"Inter-what?"
"An
intervention."
"Who are we going to intervent?" Michael asked with a dumb expression on
his face.
"Brian," Emmett replied.
"Why are we going to intervent him?" Emmett sighed loudly; he never
understood how Brian put up with Michael for all those years.
"Oh for crying out
loud!" Debbie
shrieked. "Michael, baby, we just want to talk to Brian and Sunshine to
find out if we can help them. It's obvious that something's going on and it's
our job to make sure they're all right."
"Why, Ma? Brian can take care of
himself. If they're having problems then he should just kick Justin out."
"Michael! How dare you think that
it's all my son's fault that they're having
problems." Jennifer knew better than to come to the Novotny home for
sympathy.
"He's done it before with the fiddler
and Brian got hurt," Michael said nonchalantly as he pulled out a lemon
bar from his bag and began to eat.
"Mikey,
that's ancient history," Emmett said gently. "Something more serious
is going on and I think it involves more than Brian and Justin."
"What do you mean, Emmett?"
Jennifer's eyes grew wide. She wondered just how much worse things could get.
"I don't think it's an occasional
trick we're talking here."
"I knew he couldn't do it,"
Michael mumbled as he took another bite of the sticky confection.
"So, don't keep us in suspense. What
do you know?!" Debbie shouted.
"I think Brian and Justin are
sleeping with John and Bobby," Emmett sadly stated.
"Ewww,
that's incest!"
"Michael! He means John and Justin
and Brian and Bobby!"
"Oh. Are you sure?"
"Well, think about it. They spend a
lot of time together. And they did go away on that trip together. And John
looks so much like Brian. And he's a bottom. We all know that Justin's really a
top, he only bottoms for Brian."
"He is?" Michael didn't have a
clue. "Brian would never let Justin top him." Emmett wondered if
Michael knew just how stupid he was sounding. Before anyone could comment, Carl
walked in.
"Hey, baby, I didn't know we were
expecting company." Carl looked around and wondered what the convention
was all about.
"This just sort of happened,"
Debbie shrugged.
"So what's this all about?"
"We're discussing the Brian and
Justin situation," Emmett tried to explain.
"What situation is that?" Carl
hadn't gotten the okay from Brian yet to discuss the clinic.
"Carl, honey, we were thinking of
having an intervention. We have to let them know we love them and we'll be
there for them. And then I'll smack the shit out of them."
"Deb..." Carl was trying to
figure out a way to stop it when the phone rang.
"Hello. Sunshine! How are you? Okay. This Saturday afternoon? Uh, I think that should be fine. Emmett?
He's here. He's invited? And your mother is here too and Michael. Everyone? Sure. Can I bring anything? You're sure. Okay,
honey. See you then. Bye, Sunshine." A very perplexed Debbie hung up the
phone.
"Who was that, Ma?" Apparently
Michael was too interested in a second lemon bar to pay attention.
"Sunshine."
"What'd he want?" Michael asked,
now paying attention.
"He issued a summons."
"A what?" Jennifer asked.
"He said that if we wanted to
continue to be his family, we'd all show up on Saturday afternoon. If we
didn't, he'd never speak to us again."
"That little shit! Who does he think
he is?" Michael started to fume.
"I can't stand around here and listen
to you all insult my son. Maybe you shouldn't go on Saturday. At least he'll
know then who his real friends are," Jennifer shouted and stalked out of
the house. Debbie jumped as Jennifer slammed the door.
"I guess that takes care of the
intervention. See ya'll on Saturday. Tootles!"
Emmett left the house.
"Are you going?" Michael was
still not sure if he should go.
"Of course, we're going. And if you
know what's good for you, Michael Charles Novotny, you'll be there too!"
*****
"Mom?"
"Gus, I'm taking a shower!" Gus
snuck into the bathroom after he heard Lindsay get into the shower. He had to
tell his mother that his father wasn't doing what Melanie said he was. He
didn't know of any other way of getting his mother alone.
"I know, but I need to tell you
something in private."
"But in the shower?" Lindsay hid
behind the shower curtain and stuck her head out.
"This is the only way."
"Okay, lambskin, just make it fast." Gus made a face at the nickname Lindsay
still used for him. He was almost a teenager for cripes sake. With a sigh Gus
quickly related his conversation of several weeks ago with his dad and Ted.
Lindsay listened intently. This was so like Brian. She was proud of Brian and a
little pissed at Gus that he cut school.
"Mooommm!
What are we going to do? I love momma but I don't want her to stop me from
seeing dad and Justin. And what about Bree?
I love her too."
"I know, sweetie. We'll think of
something. I promise. Don't worry. Your dad has gotten himself out of bigger
messes than this one. He'll figure it out. I love you, lambskin."
"Love you too, Mom." Gus gave Lindsay
a quick peck on the cheek then snuck back out of the bathroom and just in the
nick of time. Melanie came in a few minutes later.
"Lindz?"
"Yeah, Mel."
"I got the strangest phone call from
Justin a few minutes ago."
"Oh?"
"He said that if we don't go up there
this Saturday then we shouldn't bother ever speaking to him again. Do you think
he's going to finally wise up and throw the fucker out?"
"I don't know. I guess we should go
and find out."
"Okay. Oh, and Lindz?"
"Yes?"
"We're out of milk." Melanie
left the bathroom as Lindsay shook her head under the spray.
*****
"Ted, are we doing anything this
Saturday?"
"I don't think so. Why?"
"Justin left a message on the
machine. Sounded rather cryptic but important. He wants us to go up there this
Saturday. Is that okay with you?"
"Sure."
"Do you have any idea what it's
about?"
"Maybe, but I'm not at liberty to
say."
"You don't think they're breaking up,
do you?"
"No, Allen. I can't speak for them
but let me assure you, Brian and Justin have never been closer."
"Okay then." Allen and Ted
kissed and then went about making dinner.
*****
"Debbie, what are you doing?"
Carl asked.
"Figuring out what I'm going to say
to that asshole."
"What asshole?"
"Brian fucking Kinney."
"Debbie, he's not such a bad
guy," Carl said trying to smooth things over.
"You have to say that because you
work for him. You know, maybe you should think about quitting and getting
another job, or just retiring completely."
"I like my job at
"Yeah? You turning gay on me?
Hanging around all those horny young gay guys can't be good for you."
"I've grown kind of fond of
them," Carl grinned. "Besides, I didn't think you had any complaints
about our sex life."
Debbie grinned back. "No, definitely
no complaints."
"Why don't we go prove that point
beyond a shadow of a doubt?" Carl asked waggling his eyebrows
suggestively.
Debbie giggled. "That sounds like an
excellent idea," she agreed as Carl took her hand and led her upstairs.
Carl hoped this would take Debbie's mind off reaming Brian a new one until the
man had a chance to make his announcement.
*****
"Justin? I got your message on my
answering machine. What's going on, honey?" Jennifer asked as she finally
got to speak to her son. Their line had been busy ever since she got home from
Debbie's.
"You'll find out on Saturday,
Mom."
"I'm worried. There are all these
rumors flying around about Brian, and you, and Bobby and John."
"Bobby and
John?"
"Yes, didn't you know?"
"Apparently the gossip grapevine has
been at full tilt," Justin said with a shake of his head. This was worse
than he had suspected.
"Are you all right, sweetheart?"
Jennifer asked concern evident in her voice.
"I'm fine and I'm strong and I'll
explain everything on Saturday," Justin said curtly.
"Okay, I'll be there," Jennifer
said before hanging up. Justin didn't sound like he was hurting. He seemed to
have come to terms with whatever was going on. She prayed that Saturday
wouldn't bring the dissolution of Brian and Justin's marriage.
"Why didn't you just tell her the
truth?" Brian asked as Justin set the phone down.
"Because now I'm
really pissed."
"Why?"
"My mother just told me that the
rumor is that you and I are sleeping with John and Bobby."
"What the fuck? Who the hell ever
came up with that one?"
"I don't know and I don't care, but I
refuse to have them thinking like that about you, and about me, and about John
and Bobby. This is beyond contemptible."
"Easy, Sunshine," Brian said
putting his arms around Justin's chest.
"I'm not taking it easy on this one.
They are going to regret ever buying into these fucking rumors."
"My little
Rage."
"Yeah, that's exactly what I feel
like, full of rage. These are supposed to be our fucking friends."
"I understand that, Justin, but we
did precipitate this by not telling them the truth from the outset."
"You mean we're not allowed to have
anything private without them jumping to the wrong conclusions."
"I didn't say they were
blameless," Brian backed off.
"Well, I've had enough."
"What are you planning?"
"You'll see on Saturday."
"Now you're starting to scare
me."
"Good, because I
want them all to be scared too."
"Justin…" Brian said wrapping
his arms around his husband from behind.
"Yes, dear," Justin grinned as
he turned around in Brian's arms to look into his eyes. "All the redness
has gone out of your cheek," he observed as his fingers lightly brushed
over the bruised area.
"Must be the
healing powers of JT."
Justin's smile was radiant at Brian's
words. "I like to think so," he whispered.
Brian pulled his husband into a long and
sizzling kiss. "I want you inside me," Brian whispered.
Justin smiled and nodded. "Anytime, big guy."
"I think I could use some more of
JT's restorative powers before I face the angry contingent on Saturday,"
Brian stated.
"You can have as much of me as you
can take," Justin chuckled.
"There's no such thing as too much of
you."
Justin smiled. That was exactly what he
wanted to hear. He couldn't believe that their family and friends couldn't see
the love between the two of them. How could they doubt their commitment to each
other? "Of course not," Justin said with a sweep of his hand.
"Cocky little bottom, aren't
you?"
"Cocky little top, if you meant what
you just said."
"Oh, I meant it."
"Then let's get started before you
change your mind."
"I wouldn't do that."
"I know and that's why I love you.
You always mean what you say," Justin said leading Brian to their bedroom.
Everybody else was going to find out the same thing on Saturday if everything
went the way he hoped it would.
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As New