"Medium Security" V - Ch. 37
We're down to the final few chapters of "Medium Security."
I hope you've enjoyed it. Thanks to all who have sent and
posted feedback on this series.
Happy news.
By Gaedhal
Chapter 37
"I'm not looking forward to this," said Brian.
He balked as they approached the door of Jennifer Taylor's
condominium. Sunday dinner with the folks had never been
one of his favorite things. Dinners with his own parents
had often ended in shouting matches or even blows delivered.
Once his old man had picked up an entire plate of spaghetti
and meatballs and thrown it against the nearest wall.
Not that Justin's mother would ever do such a thing in a
million years. She was too WASPy, too well-bred, and too
tasteful ever to behave in such a common manner. But it
was the idea of the thing that made Brian's stomach ache.
And Ron.
There was no escaping him. Not when he was living with
Jennifer at her place.
"We'll only stay as long as we have to, Brian," Justin
reassured him. He slipped his hand inside Brian's.
"How about we say 'hello' -- and then escape?" said Brian,
not at all joking.
"Stop!" Justin ordered. "You give my mom the flowers
and I'll give her the wine, okay?"
"Why do we have to bring this stuff?" Brian asked. "Does
your mother really need a bottle of wine?"
"It's a hostess gift, Brian," Justin instructed. "You bring
a gift when you're invited to dinner."
"But it's your own mother!" Brian replied.
"All the more reason to put her in a good mood," said Justin,
pressing the doorbell. "A nice bouquet of flowers is always
appreciated by a lady. Remember that when you go to visit
your mom the next time."
"Yeah -- when hell freezes over," Brian mumbled.
"Hi, darling!" cried Jennifer as she opened the door of her
condo. She was wearing a fluffy dark pink sweater and slim
black pants.
"That's new," said Justin, giving her a kiss.
"Oh?" said Jennifer, happily. "Do you like it? Ronnie loves
me in pink!"
"Here's a bottle of wine, Mom. I wasn't sure what you'd be
serving, but the man at the wine store said that this is good
with almost anything. It's from California."
"Thank you honey!" said Jennifer, taking the bottle. "Rosé.
We're having roast beef, so this should be fine! I'll ask
Ronnie to open it." Then Jennifer turned to Brian. "You've
never been to my condo before, Brian. I hope it meets your
expectations."
"It's... very nice, Mrs. Taylor," said Brian, self-consciously.
"Here are some flowers. I hope you like daisies." He pushed
the bouquet at her. "Justin was holding them, but he started
sneezing."
"Justin, you should be taking your allergy pills!" Jennifer
scolded. "The flowers are quite lovely, Brian. Thank you
so much! I'll go get a vase while you boys get comfortable."
Justin took off his coat and hung it in the closet, then put
Brian's next to it.
"Your mother fucking hates me," Brian whispered.
"She does not! Don't be paranoid, Brian." Justin glanced
around. "I wonder where Ron is?"
"Probably back there sticking pins in a voodoo doll," said
Brian. "That's why my stomach feels the way it does!"
"You are such a drama queen!" Justin laughed.
"What the fuck does that mean?" Brian retorted.
"Just what is sounds like," Justin replied. "Deb calls me
a drama queen, but you have me beat."
Ron came out of the bedroom. He stopped when he saw
Brian standing in the foyer with Justin. He felt that twist
somewhere deep inside his gut, that sinking feeling of
regret and lust, but he shoved it aside.
"There you are, boys," said Ron, jovially. "Would you like
a drink?" He walked over to the bar in the corner of the
living room and pulled out a bottle of vodka. "Vodka
martinis are my specialty."
"Could I have a Coke instead?" Brian asked. Justin pulled
him over to the sofa and they both sat down.
"A soda? Certainly," said Ron, pouring some vodka into
the shaker for himself and Jennifer. He reached for a Coke
bottle and opened it. "And one for you, too, Justin?"
"Okay," said Justin. "With plenty of ice, please."
Ron brought the drinks over and handed them to the boys.
Then he sat in the easy chair and sipped his martini.
"Isn't this... cozy?"
There was a long awkward silence.
"We went shopping yesterday," said Justin, finally. "We
went to the mall. To Kaufmann's and Horne's, mainly.
Brian got some new underwear and dress pants and some
shirts."
"You'll need a suit, too, Brian," said Ron. "For court. But
I'll take you to my own tailor for that. I don't want you
buying some crummy suit off the rack."
Brian shrugged. "Does that really matter? I mean, a suit
is a suit. Isn't it?"
"I want you to look good for public appearances, Brian,"
said Ron, his blue eyes penetrating. "In fact, I want you
to look perfect. And that means being well-dressed."
Brian squirmed in his seat. "Is that really so important?"
"You know it is, Brian," said Ron, coolly. "Ask your
boyfriend." Ron's voice took on a slight edge. "Justin
knows the importance of making a good impression --
and so do you. To a parole board. To a judge. To reporters.
And to the world, Brian. It's all about image. Like the
black leather jacket you were wearing the other day at
the PLD office. That's perfect for cruising Liberty
Avenue, but not so good for showing up in court."
"I'd never wear a leather jacket to court, Ron," Brian
returned. "I'm not an idiot! And I don't 'cruise' Liberty
Avenue. I don't 'cruise' -- period!"
Ron snorted. "You cruise, Brian. You cruise walking
down the street. Or standing completely still. Or simply
sitting and staring into space like a fucking zombie!
You may not be aware of it, but other guys are. They
can't help but be aware of you. Ask your boyfriend
and see if he doesn't agree. You're a fuck-magnet, Baby."
"I'm not your 'Baby,' Ron," Brian flared. "So why don't
you fuck off about that shit?"
"Whatever you say, Brian," Ron said blandly. "Your wish
is my command!"
Jennifer walked into the living carrying a tray with chips,
dips, and crudités. She set the tray on the coffee table.
"Dinner should be ready in about 20 minutes, so I thought
you fellows would like something to nibble on."
"Thank you, my dear. That looks great." Ron stood up and
hugged Jennifer. Then he turned to Brian and Justin on the
sofa. "The boys don't seem to have noticed, Jen."
Justin had been reaching for a chip, but he paused. "Noticed
what?"
"Show them, Jen," said Ron.
Jennifer blushed and held out her hand. On the third finger
of her left hand was a very large square-cut diamond ring.
It looked like an ice cube.
"Holy shit!" Justin exclaimed. "Mom! When did you get that?"
"Ronnie gave it to me last night," she giggled. "We went to
Papagano's and he gave it to me over dessert. So we have
something else to celebrate besides Brian's release, honey!"
"Mom, I don't know what to say." Justin was stunned. He
kept staring at the garish ring.
"Aren't you going to congratulate me, Brian?" Ron asked.
"On my good fortune?"
"Oh, sure," said Brian, doubtfully. "Congratulations. I'm
sure you'll both be very happy."
"I know we will!" Jennifer gushed.
"So, you're really getting married?" Justin shook his
head in disbelief. His mother -- and Ron! Ron -- his
stepfather! Justin squeezed Brian's hand tightly. "Does
Molly know?"
"I thought I'd tell her tonight when she comes back from
Craig's." Jennifer was grinning. "She'll be so excited! She
can be my bridesmaid!"
"A... a bridesmaid?" said Justin.
"Yes, we're only planning a small ceremony," said Jennifer.
"But I want it to be perfect! Molly will look so cute in her
dress!"
"When are you planning to... to do this?" asked Justin,
feeling queasy.
"In May," said Ron. "Brian's trial should be over by then
and we'll have time to take off for a nice, long honeymoon.
Right, Jen?"
"We're going to Hawaii! Won't that be wonderful, honey?"
Jennifer said to her son. "They say it's so beautiful there!"
"Wonderful, Mom. Really wonderful." Justin picked up
his Coke and took a nervous sip. He noticed that Brian
wasn't saying much of anything. What must he be thinking?
And what was Ron thinking? Really? Was he actually
going to go through with this farce? Or was it a ploy
to get at Brian somehow?
"Of course," said Ron. "I want Brian to be my best man."
Brian blinked. "I don't think so," he said slowly.
"Yes," said Ron. "You will be, Brian. There's no one else."
Brian stared at the coffee table, unable to look at Ron.
What the hell? Brian thought. No one else. Shit!
"I better get back to the kitchen," said Jennifer. "I don't
want my roast to get too well done. Ronnie likes it rare."
After Jennifer had left the room, Ron settled back into
his chair. He smiled at Brian and Justin smugly. "One
big happy family!" he commented.
"Ron...." Brian began. "Why?"
"Why not?" Ron snapped. "This is my life. You worry
about your own!" Ron took a carrot stick and bit it,
crunching the raw vegetable between his teeth. "By the
way, Brian, I want you to call Julie first thing tomorrow
morning. She needs to schedule something for you."
"Schedule what?" asked Brian, suspiciously.
"Kirk Bradley wants to see you," said Ron. Then he
waited, taking note of Brian's stricken face.
"Kirk... Bradley?" Brian swallowed. "Wants to see me?"
"Yes," Ron replied. "Glenn wants to talk to you, Brian.
Finally. Privately. I wonder what it is he wants to say?"
I hope you've enjoyed it. Thanks to all who have sent and
posted feedback on this series.
Happy news.
By Gaedhal
Chapter 37
"I'm not looking forward to this," said Brian.
He balked as they approached the door of Jennifer Taylor's
condominium. Sunday dinner with the folks had never been
one of his favorite things. Dinners with his own parents
had often ended in shouting matches or even blows delivered.
Once his old man had picked up an entire plate of spaghetti
and meatballs and thrown it against the nearest wall.
Not that Justin's mother would ever do such a thing in a
million years. She was too WASPy, too well-bred, and too
tasteful ever to behave in such a common manner. But it
was the idea of the thing that made Brian's stomach ache.
And Ron.
There was no escaping him. Not when he was living with
Jennifer at her place.
"We'll only stay as long as we have to, Brian," Justin
reassured him. He slipped his hand inside Brian's.
"How about we say 'hello' -- and then escape?" said Brian,
not at all joking.
"Stop!" Justin ordered. "You give my mom the flowers
and I'll give her the wine, okay?"
"Why do we have to bring this stuff?" Brian asked. "Does
your mother really need a bottle of wine?"
"It's a hostess gift, Brian," Justin instructed. "You bring
a gift when you're invited to dinner."
"But it's your own mother!" Brian replied.
"All the more reason to put her in a good mood," said Justin,
pressing the doorbell. "A nice bouquet of flowers is always
appreciated by a lady. Remember that when you go to visit
your mom the next time."
"Yeah -- when hell freezes over," Brian mumbled.
"Hi, darling!" cried Jennifer as she opened the door of her
condo. She was wearing a fluffy dark pink sweater and slim
black pants.
"That's new," said Justin, giving her a kiss.
"Oh?" said Jennifer, happily. "Do you like it? Ronnie loves
me in pink!"
"Here's a bottle of wine, Mom. I wasn't sure what you'd be
serving, but the man at the wine store said that this is good
with almost anything. It's from California."
"Thank you honey!" said Jennifer, taking the bottle. "Rosé.
We're having roast beef, so this should be fine! I'll ask
Ronnie to open it." Then Jennifer turned to Brian. "You've
never been to my condo before, Brian. I hope it meets your
expectations."
"It's... very nice, Mrs. Taylor," said Brian, self-consciously.
"Here are some flowers. I hope you like daisies." He pushed
the bouquet at her. "Justin was holding them, but he started
sneezing."
"Justin, you should be taking your allergy pills!" Jennifer
scolded. "The flowers are quite lovely, Brian. Thank you
so much! I'll go get a vase while you boys get comfortable."
Justin took off his coat and hung it in the closet, then put
Brian's next to it.
"Your mother fucking hates me," Brian whispered.
"She does not! Don't be paranoid, Brian." Justin glanced
around. "I wonder where Ron is?"
"Probably back there sticking pins in a voodoo doll," said
Brian. "That's why my stomach feels the way it does!"
"You are such a drama queen!" Justin laughed.
"What the fuck does that mean?" Brian retorted.
"Just what is sounds like," Justin replied. "Deb calls me
a drama queen, but you have me beat."
Ron came out of the bedroom. He stopped when he saw
Brian standing in the foyer with Justin. He felt that twist
somewhere deep inside his gut, that sinking feeling of
regret and lust, but he shoved it aside.
"There you are, boys," said Ron, jovially. "Would you like
a drink?" He walked over to the bar in the corner of the
living room and pulled out a bottle of vodka. "Vodka
martinis are my specialty."
"Could I have a Coke instead?" Brian asked. Justin pulled
him over to the sofa and they both sat down.
"A soda? Certainly," said Ron, pouring some vodka into
the shaker for himself and Jennifer. He reached for a Coke
bottle and opened it. "And one for you, too, Justin?"
"Okay," said Justin. "With plenty of ice, please."
Ron brought the drinks over and handed them to the boys.
Then he sat in the easy chair and sipped his martini.
"Isn't this... cozy?"
There was a long awkward silence.
"We went shopping yesterday," said Justin, finally. "We
went to the mall. To Kaufmann's and Horne's, mainly.
Brian got some new underwear and dress pants and some
shirts."
"You'll need a suit, too, Brian," said Ron. "For court. But
I'll take you to my own tailor for that. I don't want you
buying some crummy suit off the rack."
Brian shrugged. "Does that really matter? I mean, a suit
is a suit. Isn't it?"
"I want you to look good for public appearances, Brian,"
said Ron, his blue eyes penetrating. "In fact, I want you
to look perfect. And that means being well-dressed."
Brian squirmed in his seat. "Is that really so important?"
"You know it is, Brian," said Ron, coolly. "Ask your
boyfriend." Ron's voice took on a slight edge. "Justin
knows the importance of making a good impression --
and so do you. To a parole board. To a judge. To reporters.
And to the world, Brian. It's all about image. Like the
black leather jacket you were wearing the other day at
the PLD office. That's perfect for cruising Liberty
Avenue, but not so good for showing up in court."
"I'd never wear a leather jacket to court, Ron," Brian
returned. "I'm not an idiot! And I don't 'cruise' Liberty
Avenue. I don't 'cruise' -- period!"
Ron snorted. "You cruise, Brian. You cruise walking
down the street. Or standing completely still. Or simply
sitting and staring into space like a fucking zombie!
You may not be aware of it, but other guys are. They
can't help but be aware of you. Ask your boyfriend
and see if he doesn't agree. You're a fuck-magnet, Baby."
"I'm not your 'Baby,' Ron," Brian flared. "So why don't
you fuck off about that shit?"
"Whatever you say, Brian," Ron said blandly. "Your wish
is my command!"
Jennifer walked into the living carrying a tray with chips,
dips, and crudités. She set the tray on the coffee table.
"Dinner should be ready in about 20 minutes, so I thought
you fellows would like something to nibble on."
"Thank you, my dear. That looks great." Ron stood up and
hugged Jennifer. Then he turned to Brian and Justin on the
sofa. "The boys don't seem to have noticed, Jen."
Justin had been reaching for a chip, but he paused. "Noticed
what?"
"Show them, Jen," said Ron.
Jennifer blushed and held out her hand. On the third finger
of her left hand was a very large square-cut diamond ring.
It looked like an ice cube.
"Holy shit!" Justin exclaimed. "Mom! When did you get that?"
"Ronnie gave it to me last night," she giggled. "We went to
Papagano's and he gave it to me over dessert. So we have
something else to celebrate besides Brian's release, honey!"
"Mom, I don't know what to say." Justin was stunned. He
kept staring at the garish ring.
"Aren't you going to congratulate me, Brian?" Ron asked.
"On my good fortune?"
"Oh, sure," said Brian, doubtfully. "Congratulations. I'm
sure you'll both be very happy."
"I know we will!" Jennifer gushed.
"So, you're really getting married?" Justin shook his
head in disbelief. His mother -- and Ron! Ron -- his
stepfather! Justin squeezed Brian's hand tightly. "Does
Molly know?"
"I thought I'd tell her tonight when she comes back from
Craig's." Jennifer was grinning. "She'll be so excited! She
can be my bridesmaid!"
"A... a bridesmaid?" said Justin.
"Yes, we're only planning a small ceremony," said Jennifer.
"But I want it to be perfect! Molly will look so cute in her
dress!"
"When are you planning to... to do this?" asked Justin,
feeling queasy.
"In May," said Ron. "Brian's trial should be over by then
and we'll have time to take off for a nice, long honeymoon.
Right, Jen?"
"We're going to Hawaii! Won't that be wonderful, honey?"
Jennifer said to her son. "They say it's so beautiful there!"
"Wonderful, Mom. Really wonderful." Justin picked up
his Coke and took a nervous sip. He noticed that Brian
wasn't saying much of anything. What must he be thinking?
And what was Ron thinking? Really? Was he actually
going to go through with this farce? Or was it a ploy
to get at Brian somehow?
"Of course," said Ron. "I want Brian to be my best man."
Brian blinked. "I don't think so," he said slowly.
"Yes," said Ron. "You will be, Brian. There's no one else."
Brian stared at the coffee table, unable to look at Ron.
What the hell? Brian thought. No one else. Shit!
"I better get back to the kitchen," said Jennifer. "I don't
want my roast to get too well done. Ronnie likes it rare."
After Jennifer had left the room, Ron settled back into
his chair. He smiled at Brian and Justin smugly. "One
big happy family!" he commented.
"Ron...." Brian began. "Why?"
"Why not?" Ron snapped. "This is my life. You worry
about your own!" Ron took a carrot stick and bit it,
crunching the raw vegetable between his teeth. "By the
way, Brian, I want you to call Julie first thing tomorrow
morning. She needs to schedule something for you."
"Schedule what?" asked Brian, suspiciously.
"Kirk Bradley wants to see you," said Ron. Then he
waited, taking note of Brian's stricken face.
"Kirk... Bradley?" Brian swallowed. "Wants to see me?"
"Yes," Ron replied. "Glenn wants to talk to you, Brian.
Finally. Privately. I wonder what it is he wants to say?"