Almost Perfect

Chapter 2

“Hey.”

“Hey. You look beat. Long day?”

“Busy day,” Ray replied. “But highly productive and I aced my exam!” Ray exclaimed with a big smile.

“Way to go, Ray!” Gus cheered then gave Ray a sloppy kiss. “Food first then tell me all about it,” Gus said as he pushed his weary boyfriend toward the couch. They had a few folding tables they used for a dining table. Gus got one, set it up then put a large bowl of macaroni in front of Ray. Handing Ray a fork, Gus pretended to jump out of the way as Ray dug in hungrily.

“You’re not eating?” Ray asked after a few minutes.

“I had mine a while ago,” Gus replied. Gus scooped the rest of the macaroni stuff into Ray’s bowl. The boys rarely had leftovers.

“You sure?” Raymond asked before he polished it off.

“I’m sure,” Gus said with a smile as Ray dug in.

After a while, Ray let out a satisfying belch then sat back on the couch. Ray marveled at Gus’ ingenuity at creating a meal out of practically nothing. Gus chuckled as he quietly left their apartment, returning about twenty minutes later with a laundry basket. Ray hadn’t moved.

“Shit.”

“What?” Gus asked.

“That was my job,” Ray stated with a frown.

“I know but I recently got some good advice, so after I was done working I took care of this,” Gus explained. He went into their bedroom to put everything away.

“Thanks. You don’t know how much I was dreading this.”

“Yeah, I do know, but I wasn’t going to risk ruining our relationship or at the very least perpetuating an argument over a stupid thing like laundry. I have better things to do,” Gus explained as socks went into their respective drawers.

“You’re so smart,” Ray said as he wrapped his arms around Gus’ waist and laid his head on Gus’ back. “What advice?” Ray asked when Gus’ words sunk in.

“My Mom was in the city today on business. She advised me to be a little more flexible. We did lunch at the museum.”

“Nice. How is she?”

“She’s good. Happy, and seeing Mel.”

“Wait a minute, I thought she was with that English guy.”

“She is but apparently she and Mel have a lot more in common and they like to talk.”

“I guess that makes sense, sort of. At least their conversations are in the same time zones.”

The boys exchanged a look that just said, ‘women’ and left it at that.

“As long as they’re both happy then it’s worth the confusion,” Gus said turning in Ray’s arms to face him. The boys exchanged some tender kisses then Gus turned to finish putting away their clean clothes. “I am worried about JR.”

“Her dad still giving her shit about her girlfriend,” Ray sighed. He didn’t know what he’d do if his parents gave him crap about Gus. Ray tightened his hold around the trim body in his arms then set him free. Ray went into the bathroom to shower off the day.

Gus heard the shower turn on and decided that a nice shower was just what he needed. He stripped off his clothes to join his boyfriend.

 

*****
 

“Hello, you two,” Emmett gushed. “Is this a secret rendezvous?” Emmett beamed at the ladies who took over his special booth in the bistro.

“Not much of a secret since we’re here in broad daylight for all the world to see,” Melanie replied in her ‘cut the shit’ voice.

Lindsay smiled. “We still share children.”

“Yes you do and there’s no reason for you not to be friends,” Emmett agreed. “Just know that I love you both and whatever form your friendship takes, you have my full support,” Emmett stated sincerely.

Mel was dumbstruck so Lindsay thanked him. “That’s so sweet of you, Emm, thank you.”

“You’re most welcome. Now what can I get you?” The girls gave Emmett their order then continued their small talk until Emmett returned with their food.

“How’s Gus doing?” Emmett asked, directing his question toward Lindsay.

“I saw him a couple of days ago and he’s doing just fine,” Lindsay beamed as any proud parent would.

“And Ray?” Emmett inquired.

“Good. Studying hard, interning wherever he can.”

“He’s a good boy; he and Gus will do well together,” Emmett stated.

“They’re so young,” Mel mumbled. She didn’t disapprove but like any mother, Mel worried. “They’re all so young.”

Lindsay sighed as she nodded in agreement. “But we can’t live their lives for them,” she said wisely.

“Doesn’t stop me from wondering about their choices,” Mel retorted.

Lindsay knew Melanie was worried about JR. And Michael’s attitude wasn’t helping. At least Debbie seemed to be controlling herself.

“What do you know about this Jacqueline person?” Emmett asked the ladies.

“She’s smart,” Mel stated. “And has money, but she doesn’t throw it around.”

“How do you know all this?” Emmett asked, intrigued.

“Brian...”

“He had her investigated?” Emmett asked with a gasp.

“He didn’t have to,” Mel said. “He already knew all about her. So do Ted and Cynthia.”

“Really?” Emmett and Lindsay stated together, although Lindsay wasn’t too surprised.

“Do tell,” Emmett pushed.

“Her name is Jacqueline Archer. She’s the founder and inventor of Archer Bikes. Apparently Kinnetik pursued her account but lost it to Vangard,” Mel further explained. “Brian and Ted have been trying to win her back. It looks like they’re about to succeed.”

“I heard of Archer Bikes,” Emmett stated, appearing to review the whys and the hows. “I remember, The Ironmen were thinking about buying a bunch and then donating them to charity. Something happened to put them off the idea.”

“We think that something was Gardner Vance. Whatever he said or did or didn’t do angered Jacqueline. She can’t wait until their contract runs out. Kinnetik’s been working on several different campaign strategies in preparation. Brian won’t make any moves until Vance’s contract is officially done but he has all his major artists working on it.”

“Wow. I hate to ask but what if it doesn’t work out between JR and Jacqueline. Does that mean Kinnetik won’t get the contract?” Emmett asked.

Melanie shrugged. “Considering Jacqueline’s business reputation, I doubt it. She knows how to separate business from her personal life,” Melanie said. It’s her other reputation I’m concerned about.”

“What other reputation?” both Emmett and Lindsay asked. Melanie made a face. A face that said she really didn’t want to elaborate. Unfortunately, Emmett had no compunction about continuing. He put two and two together and came up with...

“She’s a female Brian Kinney!” Emmett exclaimed, very proud of himself.

“Emmett!” Lindsay hissed while Melanie bit off a curse.

“Oh come on,” Emmett drawled. “Look, we’re the only ones in the place. Brian has never denied his reputation and he’d be the first to say so. Besides, he did a 180 years ago when he committed to Justin. You both know that. Practically half of Pittsburgh knows that!”

“Only the gay half,” the girls recited and then giggled like naughty school girls.

Emmett joined in then became serious. “Does JR know her rep?” he asked Mel.

“I’m sure she does. Michael doesn’t hesitate to bring it up as often as he can. That’s part of the problem; he doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone. It pains me to say but sometimes I think the only real solid father figures JR has had in her life are Ben and...”

“Brian,” all three said.

Mel nodded. “I never realized how much support Brian gave her when Michael was ill. She was just a child but she kept the store running,” Mel said sadly, knowing that she wasn’t any help to JR when she needed it most. “Brian had JR keep a ledger, more of a diary than anything else. I found it by accident while we were shifting things around at Kinnetik. He was showing her some tricks on how to manage the shop’s finances and helping her to plan out some of her marketing ideas. He treats her with such respect and I...”

Mel became silent, turning away from Emmett and Lindsay.

“Melanie, sweetie, Brian doesn’t hold a grudge,” Emmett said gently. “He never has.”

“I know. In many ways he’s so different from that man I knew who lived in that pretentious loft. He’s still so sharp when it comes to business, but I’ve witnessed the other facets of him that he thinks nobody else sees. He’s so patient with little Taylor. That child runs around Kinnetik like he owns the place.” Melanie laughed as she wiped her tear moistened eyes.

“He did grow up there,” Lindsay added.

“I guess he did,” Mel agreed. “But he is a rambunctious child. Brian seems to know just how to calm him.”

“Probably has something to do with the fact that Taylor is a Taylor! And we all know the effects Brian has on blond Taylors. The whole family of them. Jennifer wants to mother him, Molly worships him and Justin, well, we all know that Justin just adores the big dork,” Emmett said with a laugh.

“Stop, Brian has never been a dork,” Lindsay felt compelled to defend him.

“Dufus?” Emmett supplied.

“Not ever,” Lindsay stated. “Although there was this one time in college,” Lindsay began with an evil smile spreading across her face. Mel and Emmett leaned in closer. “No, he’d kill me. Besides it wasn’t one of my finer moments either.”

“Really?” Emmett and Mel sang. They all laughed then switched the conversation back to JR.

“What should I do?” Mel asked after they got themselves under control.

“I’ll have a talk with Ben. Maybe he can make Michael see reason,” Emmett volunteered. Melanie and Lindsay nodded in agreement. “If that doesn’t work maybe Debbie can give it another try,” Emmett said reasonably.

Melanie and Lindsay finished their meal then went their separate ways.

 

*****
 

Emmett rang the doorbell at Deb’s. While he waited, he mulled over his conversation with Ben. It appeared that no one including Ben was having any luck changing Michael’s mind regarding Jacqueline Archer. Emmett let out a sigh just as the door opened.

“Emm!” Deb exclaimed. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Can’t I come for a visit and to check out my old abode?” Emmett asked with a big grin.

“Of course you can, honey, come on in,” Debbie said stepping back to let Emmett enter.

Debbie bustled about for a few minutes making coffee and setting out some pastries she had bought for herself and Carl.

“You don’t have to make a fuss over me, Deb,” Emmett said as she finally sat down at the table across from him.

“I most certainly do!” Debbie declared. “Now drink your coffee and choose your pastry.”

Emmett smiled as he took the smallest pastry and had a sip of his coffee.

“So … why don’t you tell me why you’re really here,” Debbie said with a sly grin.

“How…?”

“A woman knows these things.”

Emmett chuckled then his face sobered. He searched his brain for some clever or correct or …easy way to broach the subject.

“JR’s been staying here for the last couple of nights,” Debbie said, her words taking Emmett aback.

“She has? Did she and Jacqueline break up?”

Debbie snorted. “Michael would be crowing all over Liberty Avenue if they had. But no, they’re still together. If those two did break up it would solve a lot of problems, but it would make JR very unhappy, and I don’t want my granddaughter to be unhappy. Any more than she already is,” Debbie added after a brief pause.

“Then why is JR staying here?” Emmett asked.

“Jacqueline is in Philadelphia. She had a break-in at her store there, and it’s taking a while to clean up the mess.”

“I can’t imagine Jacqueline Archer swinging a broom and dustpan,” Emmett observed with a chuckle.

“Neither can I, but that’s not the kind of clean-up I’m talking about,” Debbie laughed. “She’s dealing with all the aftermath of a break-in. You know - insurance, replacing broken windows, upgrading her security system,” Debbie explained.

“Hmm,” Emmett said. “That still doesn’t explain why JR is staying with you.”

“She didn’t feel comfortable in Jacqueline’s apartment without her there.”

“Oh,” Emmett said with a frown. “Are you sure they’re all right?”

“Yes I am.”

“And how is Michael taking this turn of events?”

“I’m not sure he knows that JR is here, and I don’t want you telling him,” Debbie cautioned.

“Michael is barely speaking to me since I let JR and Jacqueline meet at the bistro.”

“That son of mine is in the process of alienating every bloody person he knows.” Debbie shook her head in disgust.

“Is there any way to get through to him?” Emmett asked.

“If there was, I would have used it already.”

“Maybe I could get a couple of beefy guys to pound some sense into him,” Emmett suggested.

“I’ll chip in for that,” Debbie said with a straight face.

“Isn’t there anything we can do? According to her mothers, JR is miserable with the way Michael is treating her.”

“I know. I’m doing my best to cheer her up, but she’s taking her father’s rejection pretty hard.”

“Maybe I’ll just go shoot Michael myself,” Emmett suggested wryly.

“It may come to that,” Debbie stated.

“What the fuck are we going to do?” They both shook their heads in bewilderment.

 

*****
 

“Hey, Babe,” JR heard as she answered her phone. She glanced around to be sure her father wasn’t close by as she answered. “Hi,” she said.

“What’s wrong?” Jacqueline asked, immediately sensing from JR’s quiet reply that all was not well.

“Same old, same old,” JR said with a sigh.

Jacqueline wanted to scream. There had to be something she could do about JR’s father. “Is it bad? I could come home right now.”

“I’m okay,” JR said but not with much conviction.

“You sure don’t sound okay.”

“Are you almost done in Philadelphia?” JR asked hoping Jacqueline wouldn’t keep posing questions about how she was. She’d be much better if Jacqueline would just come home.

“A couple more days. Sorry this is taking so long.”

“You have to make sure everything’s okay there,” JR said trying to sound positive and not to sigh out loud.

“I want to make sure things are okay where you are,” Jacqueline declared.

“I’m fine,” JR replied trying to be brave. “I’m staying at grandma’s … and she’s been great.”

“Well that’s good anyway.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m tying things up as fast as I can. You do believe me, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. I just … miss you.”

“Me too.”

“I better go. Dad’s coming out of his office.”

“Fuck! Heaven forbid we should talk to each other.”

“Jacqueline…”

“I know, I know,” she replied. “I’ll call you tomorrow, hopefully with good news about when I’ll be coming home.”

“Bye,” JR said, quickly turning off her phone and shoving it in her pocket before Michael could see. She studied her father as he went behind the counter of the comic book store. He looked tired. She hoped he wasn’t beginning a new bout of his illness. As much as she was angry with him for the way he was treating her, she didn’t want him to be sick.

They both went about their jobs without exchanging any words. This lasted for almost an hour as customers came and went.

“Dad,” JR said when the shop was empty, “have you finished the new order.”

“Almost.”

“We should double the Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman orders. We’re almost out of each of them.”

“Since when is there a run on superheroes?” Michael asked with an edge to his voice.

JR took his tone as an insult and implied criticism that she didn’t know what she was talking about. “Go check them for yourself if you don’t trust my assessment.”

“I guess I better,” Michael said snidely.

JR bit her tongue. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she could stand. “I’m going out for an hour or so,” she said suddenly. She grabbed her coat and headed for the door.

“Don’t let work stop you,” Michael called after her.

JR slammed the door behind her. She felt tears well up in her eyes. How much of this was she expected to endure? She began walking toward the diner. As she entered the diner, she waved at Lacy and indicated she wanted coffee. She slid into a booth just as Lacy placed a cup of coffee in front of her.

“Can I get you anything else?” Lacy asked.

JR shook her head. Then a thought struck her. “Have you got any local papers lying around?” Lacy pointed to a stack of papers on the counter. “Thanks,” JR said before sliding out of the booth to retrieve three of the papers from the counter. She flipped the first one open searching for the classified section of the paper. It was time to look for a new job. 

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