Little Cabin on the Lane

Chapter 7


 

“Hey.”

“Hey. Where are you?”

“In a cab heading for the airport,” Brian replied.

“Which way you going?” Justin asked with a small sigh.

“London’s calling, Sunshine.”

“I was afraid of that.”

“You knew it was a possibility.”

“What I know and what I hope are two separate things.”

“Justin, say the word and I’ll come home.”

“No. Ignore me.”

“Never,” Brian emphatically stated.

Justin smiled. “We haven’t been apart for more than a day in a very long time. I’ve forgotten what that’s like. Brian Kinney is Kinnetik; you should be out there. Your loyal clients deserve the man himself.”

“How’s the good friar doing?” Brian asked after a short pause.

“I’m not sure but whatever he’s doing, he’s not doing it alone.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Our Tom has a gentleman caller tonight.”

“I’m not sure if I like the idea of strangers on the lane.”

“Well then you’ll be thrilled to know that the caller is not a stranger.”

“Spill.”

“It’s Todd and if you say excuse me one more time, I’m hanging up then substituting toothpaste for all your anti-aging shit,” Justin said, trying to come up with something threatening.

“I’m quaking in my Pradas,” Brian snarked. “Should I speak to him?”

“Which him?”

“Todd, Tom, take your pick.”

“No, John seems to think we should just stay out of it.”

“Good advice. We’re approaching the terminal. I’ll call you before I board. Maybe I’ll duck into the men’s room so we can have a little phone sex.” Brian heard Justin giggle. “I miss you,” Brian softly crooned.

“I miss you too. Hurry back,” Justin said knowing how needy that sounded.

“As soon as I can, Sunshine. Kiss the Squirt for me and I’ll call you back when I’ve checked in. Later.”

“Later.”

 

*****
 

“What’s up with you?” Gordon asked John. It was early the next morning; John was studying the final, final plans for the cabin.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you’ve been distracted lately. You like building projects like these but this time, I’m not so sure,” Gordon said as he swept his hand toward the cleared space for the cabin. “Come on, tell Uncle Gordon all about it.”

“Not much to tell other than I really wish my family would stay out of the construction business.”

“I thought so. More visits with helpful hints?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t called, emailed and texted me.”

“Ah the joys of having a large family.” Gordon chuckled at John’s scowl. “I remember when the only one I had to answer to was your mother.”

“Yes, the good old days,” John said then quickly snapped out of it. “Ignore me; I must be going through a mid-life crisis or something. I love what I have. I wouldn’t give any of it up or them.”

“I know. But this cabin isn’t the only thing that’s got your knickers in a twist.” Just then a familiar pick-up truck maneuvered past the construction vehicles toward the gate. The driver ignored the stares he was getting.

“Was that Todd?” Gordon asked.

“Yes,” John said looking up to the sky for guidance.

“Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t he here yesterday?”

“You’re not wrong. He came back and spent the night.”

“Oh. OH!” Gordon repeated when the light dawned. “Um…”

“Don’t go there. I’m trying not to and I’m pretending there’s a simple explanation.”

“Okaaay. I can live with that. So let’s talk cabin.”

“Good idea.”

“Let me ask you something. Since when does John Anderson get all namby pamby about one of his creations?” Gordon said with a stern look. “Hasn’t this gone on long enough? You and Brian own this land, you have a right to make sure the buildings fit into your overall scheme. Uh uh, don’t interrupt,” Gordon admonished when John opened his mouth to object. “Yes, I know the client’s wishes must be taken into consideration but I know you. And I’ve gotten to know Brian. He meant a small neat looking cottage. So, okay, it started out as a small neat looking log cabin. And now, it’s turning into a lodge. Let’s take it down a notch.”

Before John could respond, the snack truck pulled up. The men began to mill around it for their morning coffees and breakfast. John and Gordon each got a cup and a Danish then went back to the plans which were tacked to a small table.

“Take a few sips then talk to me about the cabin you envisioned,” Gordon commanded.

John took a long careful sip of the hot brew then a few bites out of the sticky sweet Danish. He let the caffeine and sugar begin to wake up his brain before telling Gordon his thoughts about the cabin.

“Jacko, my man, it sounds perfect. The loft bedrooms will accommodate Michael’s kids and from the outside the structure will still look like one level. The foundation stones are the same type that we used for the gate pillars and it’ll carry the same theme with the perimeter fence. It’ll all fit in,” Gordon reassured his friend and business partner. “I knew you didn’t get those three little letters attached to your name for nothing,” Gordon said with a big smile and a slap on the back for John.

John laughed. “So bottom line I should just get over myself and follow my instincts?”

“There’s the bossman I know and love,” Gordon said with a big smile and a nod. “Now let’s get back to work.”

*****
 

Michael watched his daughter and husband as they finished up their breakfast. There had been a lot of silence during the meal in spite of Michael’s attempts to get a conversation going. He got brief answers from Ben to any questions he asked, and he was lucky to get a grunt from JR. Neither Ben nor JR made any try at talking to each other. Michael hated this tension, and he vowed to do something about it.

“I’m thinking of a new story for the next Rage edition. Can I run it by you two?” Michael asked. He had given a lot of thought to what his customer had told him a couple of days ago. It was worth a try.

Ben nodded and JR grunted. Michael decided to throw out an idea and see what happened.

“I had this idea that maybe Zephyr and Dr. Ken Kirschner could build a cabin out in the country so that they can get away from the stress of being a superhero,” Michael explained.

“Art imitating life?” Ben asked with a smile for his husband.

Michael was pleased that Ben had seen the connection immediately. Maybe that would make his husband see the other connection that he was hoping to make as he explained his thoughts about this project. JR had said nothing. Michael turned to her.

“What do you think, JR?” Michael asked his daughter.

JR shrugged. “You didn’t call me honeybun,” she muttered.

Michael ignored the honeybun reference. He didn’t want to get into that right now, although it sounded surprisingly like JR was disappointed that he hadn’t used the affectionate term for his daughter that she usually took such exception to whenever he used it. Michael knew that he would never give up that name for his daughter.

“I’d really like your opinion, honeybun,” Michael said, using the contentious name and hoping to draw her into the conversation.

A little smile played at the corners of JR’s mouth when Michael called her honeybun. “I guess you could do something like that, but who will the bad guys be?” she asked. “You need a villain of some kind, don’t you?”

“Always a villain,” Michael agreed. “Any ideas?”

“Since when do you ask us for ideas?” Ben asked. He was slightly suspicious of this new turn of affairs.

“Since I haven’t really written a Rage story for quite a while,” Michael retorted. “I’ve left the whole project to Lacy for so long that I’m kind of rusty.”

Ben frowned. That did make sense. Maybe Michael was just out of practice and actually did need some help. “Why are you getting back into the story part of Rage all of a sudden?” he asked.

“I have more time now that JR is at the store, and I wanted a creative outlet,” Michael explained. There was some truth to that. He hoped it sounded genuine.

Ben smiled. Wanting a creative outlet was something he could certainly identify with. “Are you planning to take more time off?” he asked his husband.

“Could be,” Michael agreed. “The store is in good hands.” JR smiled at her father while Ben frowned at Michael’s comment. The frown was not lost on the girl.

“I have an idea for a villain,” JR said deciding she could contribute something to the comic.

“What?” Michael asked.

“What if one of the workmen building the log cabin is a homophobe and he tries to sabotage the building when he sees Zephyr and Ken kissing?”

“Ooh,” Michael reacted. “I like that.”

JR grinned. “You’ll need a good catchy name for him like your other villains.”

“True,” Michael said thoughtfully.

“And how will Rage fit into this?” Ben asked.

“I haven’t figured that out yet,” Michael admitted. He was kind of winging this whole thing.

“What if the homophobic builder is really someone who wants to run his own company, but doesn’t have the money to start one,” JR suggested. “He hates working for his boss, and he hates gays.”

“Maybe he’s undereducated and hasn’t reached a level of maturity that would allow him to get ahead in life,” Ben added. He couldn’t stop himself from looking at JR as he made this point.

JR scrunched up her face at Ben’s comment. It sounded very much like he was referring to her.

“I guess that could be part of it,” Michael said. He knew he was treading on thin ice with this whole discussion. “Anyway, JR and I should get to the store. Maybe you both can think about this idea and see what else you can come up with.”

JR grunted and Ben nodded. They all got ready to go to work.

 

*****
 

Later that morning the bell above the door at the comic shop jingled. Michael looked up from the pad where he had been writing some dialogue for his possible new Rage comic.

“Maw!” he said, surprised to see Debbie standing in front of him. “What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I visit my son and granddaughter?” Debbie demanded.

“Um, sure Maw, I was just surprised.”

“Actually, I came to take my granddaughter out to lunch,” Debbie declared. “Where is that girl?”

“Back here,” JR said coming out of the office. She had been ordering some inventory on the internet.

“Come and give your grandma a kiss,” Debbie ordered.

JR came around the counter and walked into a big hug from her grandmother. Debbie kissed her on the cheek leaving a big red lip print that she tried to rub off.

“Want to go to the diner for some lunch?” Debbie asked.

JR looked at her father who nodded. “Sure.”

“What about me?” Michael asked sounding like a little boy.

“I’ll bring you a burger,” JR said as she followed her grandmother out the door of the shop.

 

*****
 

“So what’s going on, kiddo?” Debbie asked after they had given Lacy their orders at the diner.

“I … I,” JR stammered. She had called her grandmother hoping for some help with Ben’s attitude, but now that suddenly seemed like a really bad idea.

“Spit it out.”

“It … it’s Ben.”

“Ben? Fucking Ben?”

JR nodded. “I don’t know what to do,” JR admitted.

“Tell me what the problem is.”

“You know what it is. He thinks I’m pathetic for not going to college. Every time he looks at me I see the disappointment in his eyes. I don’t know how much longer I can stand it. Can I come live with you, Grandma?”

“Jesus! Is it that bad?” Debbie reacted.

“I hate being around Ben when he feels that I’m so bad.”

“Sweetheart, I know Ben loves you. He may be disappointed, but he’ll get over it.” Debbie wished her words would make it so, but she knew about Ben’s feelings that JR was wasting her life at the comic book store.

“It’s been months, Grandma, and it’s not getting any better.”

“Have you talked to him about this?”

“He barely looks at me let alone talks to me,” JR contended. Her face showed the sadness that Ben’s attitude was causing her.

“JR, not discussing this with Ben is only going to make it worse.”

“I … I can’t,” JR whined. “Grandma, could you talk to him?”

Debbie heaved a sigh and studied her granddaughter. If JR wasn’t so obviously upset by what was going on with Ben, Debbie would never interfere. But it seemed like something had to be done. “I’ll see what I can do,” Debbie said.

Lacy brought their orders and they dug into the food.

 

*****
 

JR rushed through the door of the comic shop. She had been gone longer than she had intended.

“Hey, honeybun,” Michael greeted her. “Where’s that burger? I’m starved.”

“Right here, Daddy,” JR replied holding up a bag from the diner. “I brought you an order of fries too.”

“That’s my girl.”

JR handed her father the food and joined him behind the counter. “Do you want to eat that in the office? I can look after the store,” JR offered.

“Thanks, honeybun.”

“Daaaaad!”

Michael grinned. “Did you and Maw get some stuff worked out?” he asked as he opened the bag and looked inside.

“I thought you were starving. Go eat your food,” JR ordered.

Michael decided that it might be best if he did just that and left JR to her thoughts. He hoped his mother had been able to help his daughter. Sometimes a woman’s influence was needed. He headed for the office.

 

*****
 

“Everything okay out here?” Michael asked a while later. He had finished his burger and fries in the relative peace of his office.

“Yep,” JR replied as she rang up a customer.

“Good.”

The customer took his purchase and left the store.

“Daddy, I have an idea for Rage.”

“Oh? What?”

“You know the builder guy who’s homophobic,” JR began, referring to their conversation about Rage at breakfast.

“Yeah, what about him?”

“I was thinking that instead of being ignorant and uneducated he could be overeducated and arrogant. That has been holding him back from being the architect he wanted to be. Maybe nobody liked his designs so he was forced into becoming a construction worker. That’s where his resentment comes from. He thinks he’s better than everybody else because he has all this education, but it doesn’t get him anywhere. As a result, he’s become bitter and hateful.”

“Hm,” Michael said thinking seriously about what JR was saying. He could almost see that the homophobic builder was based on JR’s feelings about Ben at the moment – especially the over-educated and bitter part. He knew things were getting really bad between the members of his family. He had to find a solution.

“You don’t like it,” JR said after a minute, and Michael’s lack of response.

“No, I actually do like it. I was just thinking about how to incorporate that into the story”

That brought a smile to JR’s face. “I’m glad you like it,” she said happily as she went to straighten some comics that the last customer had moved around.

Michael watched her, knowing how hurt she was by Ben’s attitude. He took out his phone and went into the office closing the door behind him.

 

*****
 

“Maw,” Michael said into his phone.

“Yes, Michael, what can I do for you?” Debbie asked, although she thought she probably knew.

“What did you and JR talk about at lunch?”

Not one to mince words, Debbie replied, “Ben.”

Michael sighed. “I thought so. Was she really upset?”

“Yes, Michael, she was fucking upset. What has Ben been saying to her?”

“It’s not so much what he says,” Michael tried to explain. “It’s the way he looks at her and the obvious disappointment that he exudes when he’s around her. I’m really worried about what’s happening to my family.”

“You should be.”

“Wha…What did she say?” Michael asked, a shiver of fear running down his back.

“She asked if she could fucking move in with me,” Debbie informed her son in no uncertain terms.

“What did you tell her?” Michael was afraid of the answer his mother was about to give.

“I didn’t really answer her. I tried to smooth things over, but that hasn’t worked so well in the past, and I doubt it’s going to work any better now.”

“I know,” Michael said sadly.

“You need to get those two to talk to each other, and make sure Ben doesn’t come down too hard on that girl. If he does, I’m going to have another boarder whether I want one or not.”

“Yes, Maw,” Michael said before he cut the connection.

 

*****
 

“Ben,” Michael said when his husband picked up.

“Is something wrong?” Ben immediately asked. Michael didn’t usually call during the day when Ben was at work.

“Yes, something’s really wrong. Can you get home early tonight, before JR gets there? We need to talk.”

“Okay.”

Michael hung up. He had some important thinking to do about how he was going to handle this situation.
 

Return to Little Cabin on the Lane