Across The Pond
Chapter 3
When JR and Jacq deplaned in England, they were exhausted, headachy, grumpy, and in desperate need of a shower. Not only was their flight delayed due to mechanical issues, they also experienced turbulence on the approach to Heathrow. If it wasn’t for the excellent care the Liberty Air staff at the airport gave them and the friendly efficiency of the flight crew, it would have been a total disaster. By the time they were able to retrieve their luggage, which of course came out last, and made it through customs, fortunately that went smoothly, they were both a little frazzled. However, to Jacq, an inexperienced flyer, the whole episode grated on her last nerve. The straw that broke Jacq’s back was when Nathan, dressed in very professional garb and holding up a placard with their names, reached for their large suitcases.
“I have them,” growled Jacq. JR rolled her eyes, glared at Jacq as she took her bag from Jacq to give to Nathan.
“Thank you,” said JR.
“It’s all right, miss. Please follow me; the car’s right this way,” said Nathan.
“You’re Nathan, I recognize you,” JR said with a huge smile. “You were so nice to me and my mother.”
“I’m surprised you remember me. That was a long time ago,” Nathan remarked as he popped open the boot lid then carefully placed JR’s bag into the trunk. The car Nathan and Stuart chose to pick up the girls was the vintage Rolls Royce that came with the house. Gus and Ray usually used the smaller car which was easier to traverse the narrower streets closer to Kinnetik Isles. Gingerly, Nathan reached for Jacq’s bag. Feeling like an idiot for her earlier outburst, Jacq smiled apologetically as she rolled her bag toward him. Nathan gallantly took the bag and swiftly placed it next to JR’s. Within minutes, they were on the road to the Cranston house.
About an hour later, they pulled up to the gate. While Stuart got out to open the car door for the girls, Nathan saw to the bags. Within moments Gus and Ray opened the front door and came down the stairs. There were many hugs and kisses; Hudson stood by the door beaming. Almost silently, the huge gate opened and the car disappeared through the drive.
“Hudson!” JR cried out with a bright smile, seeing the friendly face.
“Welcome back to London and to the Cranston house, young miss,” Hudson greeted JR formally as she stepped aside to let the ladies through the door.
“Hudson, may I introduce my wife, Jacqueline Archer,” JR carefully stated.
“Welcome to London, Ms. Archer and our sincerest congratulations. I hope your stay will be most enjoyable. We were informed that your journey was not as smooth as one would wish, Cook has prepared some light refreshments. If the boys would show you to your rooms; I will bring up a tray shortly,” said Hudson as she escorted them as far as the main floor.
Gus and Ray took the girls up to their suite while Hudson disappeared down the hall and into the kitchen.
“We made it,” JR exclaimed then gasped when Gus threw open their sitting room door. “Is this for us?” JR asked as she walked around the spacious room to explore. The décor was the perfect mixture of vintage that reflected the history of the house and the modern aesthetic.
“Uh, where’s the bed,” Jacq mumbled.
Gus then slid open the pocket doors that led to their bedroom. The doors were incorporated into a wall and not obvious unless you knew where to look. As for the bedroom, it was opulent but not overly so, stressing comfort over pretense. JR approved and giggled when she saw the beautiful ensuite bathroom. Jacq was a little shell-shocked.
A knock at the first door brought them all back into the sitting room. Hudson entered with a trolley holding a large tray which she set down on a small table that was near the balcony doors. She rearranged the chairs before dramatically throwing open the doors. The day was cool but sunny. “Ladies, please enjoy your meal and ring if you require anything,” said Hudson indicating the bell pull. “Dinner is served promptly at seven in the family dining room. However, we will make allowances for lateness today. I’m sure young master Gus will answer any questions regarding house etiquette,” said Hudson with just a hint of a smirk and a nod as she left.
“What was that?” asked Jacq.
“Just Hudson,” replied the boys and JR. Jacq had no comeback.
“This is a light meal?” Jacq exclaimed as she lifted the silver domes that covered delicate sandwiches, fruit, and cheeses.
“Wait, I know this coffee,” said JR as she deeply inhaled the familiar aroma. “Is this Uncle Brian’s coffee?”
“Yup, and Justin’s favorite tea. But we can get whatever you like. This is your honeymoon after all,” said Gus with a grin.
“I feel like I’m at the Plaza but without the noise and that hotel smell,” said JR with a wide smile. She and Gus laughed. “It’s so good to be here and to see you and Ray. It almost feels like home.”
“That’s why Pop bought this place,” said Gus. “He wants the family to have a home away from home.”
“Must have cost him millions,” Jacq murmured.
“Jacq!” JR was mortified.
“No worries, Sis. It did, but Uncle John, Bobby, Ray, and I all have a piece of it. It’ll pay for itself in hotel fees. We’ve been spending a lot of time over here lately. Not just me and Ray; both my moms work over here sometimes. We all got tired of hotels and hotel food,” Gus explained. Jacq nodded with understanding. She too, had small flats close to her stores outside of Pittsburgh.
“Come on, Gus,” Ray whispered as he bumped shoulders. “They look like they need to rest,” Ray said. “Ladies, we’ll see you later. And we dress for dinner,” he said with a wink.
“Just ring for Hudson when you want someone to pick up the tray,” said Gus.
“Isn’t this stuff heavy?” asked Jacq.
“It’s not a problem; we have an elevator,” Gus said with a grin.
The boys left the suite and the girls to their own devices.
JR sat at the table and began to fill up a plate with goodies. Deciding that a small cup of coffee wasn’t going to bother her, she made herself comfortable then dug in. It took a few moments for her to realize that Jacq hadn’t moved. “You’re not having anything?”
“I think I need a shower first,” Jacq said flatly.
“What’s wrong with you? I know the flight sucked and you’re tired but you look angry. You’re not supposed to be angry on your honeymoon,” JR said with a coy smile trying to lighten Jacq’s dark mood.
“What the hell am I doing here?” Jacq nearly shouted.
“Excuse me,” asked JR in disbelief.
“I feel like I’m in the middle of a bad remake of Pride and Prejudice. How did this happen? I don’t belong here!”
“What the fuck is wrong with you? You approved of the plans. You were there when Gus and Ray gave us the plane tickets, weren’t you? You were also present when Uncle Bri and Justin invited us to stay in their new house, and to use it as home base if we decided to do a little traveling. Or did you forget about that conversation too,” JR spat out.
“No, I didn’t forget,” Jacq quietly began. “I just didn’t know it would be like this,” she said as swept her arm about.
“I suppose you’re going to deny our wedding too,” JR said as she abruptly got up from the table and walked out onto the balcony.
Jacqueline had no answers. “I’m going to take a shower,” she murmured hoping JR had heard as she turned to go into the bedroom. Noting that their suitcases had conveniently arrived and were placed on the vintage trunk at the foot of the bed, Jacq opened hers to rummage for comfy clothes. Stripping off her travel clothes, Jacq walked into the bathroom. It was beautiful as well as perfectly serviceable with both a large shower stall and claw foot tub big enough for two. As she showered off, Jacq was hoping that the hard spray of the water would wash away her dark mood. It almost worked…almost. Jacq found she was losing the battle against her past demons and there was no one here that could possibly understand.
“Hello?”
“How did you do it?”
“Jacq?”
“Yes, how did you do it? How long have you been with Justin?”
It took Brian less than 10 seconds to realize that Jacq was in panic mode.
“Almost thirty years. Why?”
“I’ve been married less than a week.”
“And you’re having second thoughts.”
“No, yes, I just don’t know what I’m doing. I’m sitting in this beautiful bedroom all alone.”
“Where’s JR?”
“She’s in the, um, the room outside the bedroom?”
“It’s called a sitting room,” said Brian as he got it. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine but I doubt if she’ll ever speak to me again.”
“What did you do?” Jacq gave a precise accounting of the last twenty-four hours. “So, you’re in
the doghouse, not sure how you got there and definitely don’t know how to get out.”
“Yes.”
“So instead of doing icky lesbian things on your honeymoon, you’re talking to me.”
“You’re the only one who understands. How did I go from living on my own and fucking whomever I pleased to getting married and honeymooning in Pemberly?”
Brian resisted the urge to laugh. “Answer me this, do you love her?”
“Yes!”
“Do you respect her?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”
“Why do I love her or why do I respect her?”
“Both.”
“She’s beautiful, she’s smart, she loves me for me and not my money, and she doesn’t hesitate to call me out on my shit.”
“Ditto.”
“How did Justin tame the stud of Liberty Ave.?”
“It wasn’t easy, I fought him all the way. Put aside the fact that I couldn’t get him out of my head and how much I wanted him in my bed, it took a lot of love, patience, and faith on his part.”
“Faith?”
“His faith in me that I’d eventually realize that we belonged together. And his patience. He gave me the time I needed to pull my head out of my ass. I fell in lust with him the minute I saw him. The love just grew. For a long time, I didn’t feel worthy of his love or of any love; didn’t feel worthy to be a partner and a father. Those are my demons.”
“When do you stop fighting them?”
“You don’t; you never stop but it gets easier. Every day I wake up next to him, smell his hair, touch his skin, listen to him speak, watch him sleep, fuck him into the mattress, my demons lose their hold over me. You have to work at it every day. The minute you stop working, the demons will come back.”
“That sounds terrifying.”
“A little, but the rewards are worth it. I have a family. I’m loved for me. And whatever challenges that I face, I face them with my strongest and most passionate ally I could ever have. If you truly love her then it’s worth it.”
“I do love her. It’s like I’m a whole person with her. I never realized what I was missing until I met her. She’s so stubborn and exasperating sometimes but I can’t live without her.”
Brian broke out into a fit of giggles at Jacq’s admission. “I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you. You sound like me. You also have to make allowances for JR’s parentage. Ow!”
“What happened?”
“Justin pinched me.”
“Did I interrupt something?”
“No, we were taking a break. Ow, quit it,” said Brian. Jacq snickered when she heard Justin giggling in the background. “Keep in mind that JR, in a way, is a self-made woman. At fifteen she took over her father’s business and with very little help, she made it grow ten times larger than Michael could ever imagine. And with her closest friends, she keeps Rage alive. She is stubborn but for all the right reasons. Stop fighting her, give yourself permission to go with the flow. Then it won’t be such a revelation when you realize that you’re happy. Now get off the phone, get off your ass, find that woman of yours, apologize and do some icky lesbian shit.”
“Brian?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome and welcome to the family. I love her you know.”
“I know, and I promise to be worthy of her love.”
When Brian finally got off the phone, he put the ringer on vibrate then stuffed the phone in his sock drawer.
“Jacq having a newlywed crisis,” Justin surmised. The lovers had been cuddling between rounds when Jacq called.
“Big time. She took one look at their suite and wigged out. What the fuck does JR see in that woman? She’s a stubborn asshole.”
“Like someone else I know.”
“I knew you were going to say that.”
“Give her time.”
“Like you gave me time?”
“Yes, but women are smarter than men. It won’t take her twenty years to figure it out.”
“Thems fighting words,” Brian threatened as he pounced on his mate.
“I can take ya,” Justin said with confidence.
“Yeah,” Brian said softly as he gently kissed Justin’s full lips. “I know you can,” he whispered into Justin’s golden mane.
“I love you,” Justin whispered back as he wrapped his arms and legs around his man.
“Love you,” Brian affirmed as the lovers did what they always did best together.
*****
When Jacq walked back into the sitting room, she had no idea what to expect or what to say. She was certain that she’d find JR planning to go back home. Instead, JR was sitting at the table sipping a cup of coffee.
“Are you human again?” JR asked with just a touch of sarcasm.
“I think so.”
“You want to talk about it?”
“Not really. What I want to do is to apologize. I guess I panicked.”
“Do you want to stay married to me?”
“Fuck yeah! I love you.”
“Then we’ll work it out,” JR softly said as the adrenalin that was keeping her awake began to dissipate. “There’s plenty if you’re hungry. I think I want to lay down for a while but set an alarm for five. I really want to have dinner with Gus and Ray.”
“Okay,” Jacq murmured, still unsure where she stood with JR.
As JR walked past Jacq to go into the bedroom, she gave Jacq a kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” said Jacq with relief as she took JR into her arms.
“What about the food?”
“The food can wait,” Jacq replied as she swept JR off her feet making her giggle with delight as they went to bed.
The honeymoon was back on track.
*****
It was a week after the wedding when the Kinney brothers had something to celebrate. The Babylon project was officially completed. The Kinney building, as Brian enjoyed calling it, already had several occupants. It included a small office on the first floor for Jennifer and Seth who came out of semi-retirement to help manage the two apartment buildings until permanent arrangements could be made. Anderson Construction and Kinney Bros. had a connected office on the top floor; no pun intended. Gordon was very pleased to be able to tell his Betsie that he had to go to the office.
The boys had planned a quiet celebration with just their partners. So, they got into John’s beast, and were just about ready to drive off when Carl knocked on John’s window.
“Are you going to the city?” Carl asked with concern all over his face.
“Yes,” John replied. “Do you want us to pick up something for you?”
“No. Michael’s been arrested,” said Carl as Bobby and Justin shifted seats to allow Carl into the car.
“What happened?” asked Brian as John started down the lane towards the gate.
“Apparently someone saw him roaming around JR and Jacq’s backyard,” Carl began to explain.
“Wait a minute, I didn’t get any notification about an alarm going off,” said John.
“He didn’t trip the alarm, just the motion sensor floodlights at the back of the house. Thinking he was a burglar, someone became suspicious and called it in. A car was sent around and found Michael in the gazebo looking a little rough. They arrested him. I still have a few contacts down there and considering the family I belong to, I got called. I haven’t said anything to Debbie or to Ben, by the way. And we’ll keep it that way until we know the facts. The arresting officer recognized Michael after he got cleaned up. The officer is a comic book fan,” said Carl with a waning smile. “He thought Michael could be ill, so they had him checked out by emergency services.”
“And?” Brian questioned.
“They took him to Allegheny General. Brian, they’re still running tests but they think he’s had a relapse of his chronic fatigue.”
As they reached the highway, John stepped on the gas, still trying to stay within the speed limits.
Brian pulled out his phone. “Alex, are you alone? Good. Michael’s been arrested but they brought him to Allegheny. Who can I call? I want him in a private room. Okay, thanks. Please don’t say anything to Ben or Debbie until we have more details. Carl’s with us. I’ll keep you posted. Thanks,” Brian said as he closed his phone. “Alex will make some calls and let us know,” Brian said somewhat relieved.
The ride to the city felt unusually long and very quiet.
“Carl, where do you want us to drop you off,” John asked as they just reached the city limits.
“At the station. I’ll get the details then go to the hospital,” said Carl.
“I’ll go with you,” Bobby chimed in. “I’ve represented Michael in the past.” The boys nodded in agreement. “I’ll also call Melanie.”
“Brian, do you want me to take you to the hospital,” asked John. Brian was very quiet, staring out of the car window at nothing. “Bri?”
“When some homophobe planted a bomb in Babylon and it went off, I thought I lost Justin. It felt like the bashing all over again,” Brian said softly. “Justin looked like an angel walking out of the smoke covered in dust and debris but he was in one piece. It was Michael who got hurt and rushed to the hospital. They wouldn’t tell us anything and none of us were allowed to donate blood,” Brian added. The hitch in his voice was audible.
Justin reached over the seat to squeeze the back of Brian’s neck.
After a few moments, Brian pulled out his phone again. “Alex, I want private nurses around the clock, you hear me,” Brian demanded. Then he snapped his phone shut and sat back.
“John, let’s go to the Kinney building first then we’ll meet up at the hospital,” said Brian, closing his eyes in an effort to regain some control. “Could he have been sick all this time and no one knew?” Brian questioned not expecting any answers.
The walk through the Kinney Building was quiet and subdued. Their footsteps echoed through the empty halls. Brian was pleased with the building even though not a word was said. Brian was proud of the whole project. The small grocery store was doing well. The garden was beautiful as well as earning money from small party rentals. The proceeds went back into the garden to pay staff and the cost of the upkeep. The apartment buildings were almost full. The parking garage was always busy and the office building was about halfway rented. The street itself was busy and added to the overall economy of the neighborhood. City Hall was happy and so the brothers were happy. However, their celebration would have to wait.
“I’ve seen enough,” said John. “Are you ready to go to the hospital?” he asked his brother.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” replied Brian as he reached out for Justin’s hand and the strength it held.
The boys got back into John’s SUV then headed for the hospital and the unknown.
*****
“He’s in a secured cubicle,” Carl explained as Brian stomped into the emergency department. He was a man on a mission and may the gods help anyone who dared to get in his way. “I’ve gotten permission for brief visits as a favor from the assigned detective. But if you make trouble, you’re out,” Carl sternly said to Brian, knowing his temper.
“Were you able to speak to the doctor?” Justin asked. Carl shook his head.
“Only next of kin, health care proxy, or power of attorney,” Bobby explained.
“I can take care of that,” Brian loudly growled as he went toward the main desk. The boys ran after him. “Novotny, Michael, who’s in charge of his case,” Brian demanded to know. “I want an update.”
“No one but next of kin, proxy, or POA,” replied a very substantial person behind the desk.
“Email address.”
“Excuse me?”
“Give me your email address and I’ll send you the paperwork. You are hooked up to that printer, aren’t you?” Brian asked with the look of murder in his eyes. The admin nodded as he rattled off the email address. Within moments Allegheny ED had a copy of Michael’s health care proxy and his POA. They were then kindly asked to wait a few minutes while the doctor was summoned.
“How?” asked Carl.
“It was after the bombing,” Brian began to explain. “Ben is also named on the paperwork. I also have a copy of Ben’s proxy just as a precaution.” The guys fully understood.
“Just out of curiosity, who has yours?” Carl asked.
“Justin, of course, then John, then Ted,” Brian answered with a smirk.
“Mr. Kinney? The doctor will see you now,” said a hospital official as he approached the men patiently waiting for news.