Love & Loyalty (21 page)
“Hello?” she said coolly through the phone, startling him into attention.
172
Tere Michaels
“Daisy? Thank God. I—Claus hasn't sent the papers yet.” There was a long pause. “He said he would. It's out of my hands now.”
“What? Jesus, Daisy—Ed Kelly died last night, okay? He's dead. I need to know that the papers are signed and legal and everything is taken care of. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”
“He's dead?” Her voice was small. “Oh, Griffin, I'm sorry. How's Jim?”
“Devastated. A state that will not be helped if he finds out what Claus wanted to do with this movie.” Griffin raked a hand through his hair, pulling hard.
“He doesn't know?”
“No, he doesn't. I didn't feel it would go over too well mentioning me in the same room with Tripp Fucking Ingersoll.”
“Griffin, calm down. I'll find out if Claus sent the papers and call you back, okay?”
“Please, Daisy. Please,” was all he could manage before hanging up, the shakes moving to small earthquakes.
He sat there for a few minutes more and thought about all the ways this could get ugly. All the ways he could disappoint Jim and make everything he'd said about this project a giant lie.
People were talking outside the door; he heard Jim's voice and stood up quickly, turned on the shower to give himself some time. He stripped down and got into the cold sputtering spray, praying like he hadn't prayed since childhood that Daisy would call back soon.
She didn't call.
He dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist; phone in hand, he darted out of the bathroom and into the guest room for some clean clothes.
Jim walked in as he was buttoning up his jeans.
“Hey,” he said wearily. Jim was shaved and dressed in a suit, his face pinched and exhausted.
Love & Loyalty
173
“Hi. How are you doing?” Griffin's heart was banging in his chest, but he couldn't stop himself from going over and wrapping his arms around Jim, pulling him into a tight embrace.
“Shitty but okay. You get some sleep?”
“Conked out on the kitchen table. Carla made me breakfast.”
“She's a nice lady.” Jim hugged him back, tight and strong, and Griffin didn't want to let go. “She and ladies from her church are making food for the wake. Ed didn't want anything with an open casket or a graveside burial, but we're doing a little thing here.”
“I called Terry. He was going to let everyone else know.”
“Thanks.” Jim pressed a kiss to Griffin's cheek. He pulled away before Griffin was ready to let him go. “I'll see you out there—I have mingling to do.” He looked distinctly displeased at the prospect, but for Ed, Griffin knew he'd do anything.
He disappeared out the door again, and Griffin checked his BlackBerry.
Nothing.
* * * * *
Jim brought Griffin around and introduced him; he didn't say “boyfriend” or anything, but the way he held on to his arms raised enough eyebrows—
literally—for Griffin to know the point was made. Apparently “Ed's gay friends” were a well-gossiped point. No one was rude, however, and they shook his hand, expressed their condolences. Numb by now, Griffin wandered around, ate some cake, drank too much coffee, and touched his pocket every ten seconds to see if it was vibrating.
The afternoon wound on. The ladies, under Carla's supervision, served a luncheon. Griffin excused himself to hyperventilate in the bedroom, then called 174
Tere Michaels
Daisy's cell. Voice mail. Same with the phone in her office. He tried Jules and got all her voice mails as well.
This didn't bode well.
Balls in hand, he called Claus next, but his assistant refused to put him through, insisting that Claus couldn't be disturbed. She sounded far more stressed than usual.
Griffin hung up and rejoined the mourners.
* * * * *
“She's like…a professional,” Jim said as he walked up the stairs. Griffin opened the door for him.
“Church ladies are professionals, Jim. This is what they train for. Illness and birth and death and potluck suppers.” Griffin's voice was affectionate.
Carla reminded him of home and his dad.
“Well, thank God she's around, because there were a lot of people here.” He pulled at his tie and jacket and headed for the living room. “I haven't talked that much in years.”
“You're actually pretty good at chitchat.” Griffin followed Jim like his shadow, practically ending up in his lap on the sofa.
“Eh. I guess I picked it up from Ed.”
“He was a great guy.”
“The best.”
“You're a great guy too.”
“You all right?” Jim turned his head to look at Griffin. “I mean, I know this is a shitty day and all, but you seem jumpy.” Love & Loyalty
175
“I don't like funerals and stuff,” Griffin bluffed, laying his head on Jim's shoulder to avoid his gaze. “Plus I'm worried about you.”
“I'll be okay. Promise. I think I prepared myself for it…”
“Listen, I have to tell you something.” The words erupted from Griffin's mouth before he could stop them.
“What?” Concern settled into the worried creases on Jim's face. He looked like he'd aged ten years in forty-eight hours. He was exhausted. He was sad.
He'd just spent hours entertaining a house full of people who knew Ed, to honor his memory.
Griffin loved him so much it hurt.
“I know this is like the worst possible time, but I really need to tell you that I love you. Okay? Because I do. And you don't have to say it back or anything, but that's how it is.”
“Oh.” Jim looked gobsmacked, and Griffin threw himself backward on the couch with a moan.
“Sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for? I'm just surprised, that's it.” Jim tugged at Griffin in an attempt to get him to sit up. “C'mere.”
“No.” Griffin's hand went to his pocket again, but nothing. No vibration.
“Fine.”
He sat up and let Jim manhandle him into an awkward embrace.
“So…no one's really ever said that to me, so, you know…I'm surprised.” Jim cleared his throat. “And, ah—not really ever said it back.”
“You don't have to.”
“I know. But you gotta know—it's there.”
Griffin's eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Jim actually blushed. Griffin fell another ten leagues in love.
“Wow. Shit.”
176
Tere Michaels
“Romantic dialogue really hits the spot.”
“Dialogue? What, are you dating a screenwriter or something?”
“Apparently.” Jim kissed him, then, and Griffin forgot to check his phone for the rest of the night.
Love & Loyalty
177
Chapter Twenty-four
Mimi didn't make it—doctor's orders—but Terry, Heather, and Nick drove up from Seattle. Ben and Liddy were in court, but they sent a basket of flowers and a card along with the Power Cabal representatives.
“Happy Monday?” Jim said as Terry walked up and shook his hand.
“Suckass Monday.” Terry gave him a one-armed hug. “How you holding up, partner?”
“Eh.” Heather came up and gave Jim a big hug, then a second.
“One was from Mimi. She's mad she couldn't come.”
“She's incubating—she shouldn't be getting upset or sitting in a car that long.”
“Incubating?”
“Sorry, I hung out with a lot of farmers yesterday.” They went into the house and found Carla in the kitchen feeding Griffin a second plate of pancakes. He mouthed,
Save me
, then got up to say hello to everyone.
Jim liked the way his friends and Griffin chatted over breakfast. He watched them over his coffee cup, thought about Griffin's words last night.
He had known it was coming because he felt it himself. He thought he would be more freaked out, but maybe the dull ache of loss evened out all emotions.
He would miss Ed, very much. But if there was one lesson he'd learned from the man, it was dwelling on the negative wasted time. Wasted your life.
Jim was forty-five years old and done with wasting precious time. He could go 178
Tere Michaels
back to work and catch the wrong end of a bullet or stroke out in the gym. He could fall or get sick or a million other things, and there would be nothing to show for his life except a nice personnel folder and some money stuck in a bank.
And a pending lawsuit from an asshole.
What the hell kind of life was that?
“Jim? Yo, Jim,” Nick said, snapping his fingers in front of Jim's face. “Your phone is ringing.”
“What? Sorry.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and said, “Jim Shea.”
“Jim? Hi, it's Liddy.”
“Hi, Liddy. Hey, thanks for the flowers. That was real nice.”
“No problem. Listen, I'm on recess at the moment, but my secretary called to say there were legal papers dropped off at our office regarding the movie from Bright Side Studios…”
“Really? I wonder what for?” Jim looked over at Griffin and signaled for his attention.
“Not sure. I wasn't expecting anything, but they look like changes to the original contract. I'm going to have her read them over, then call me back. Just wanted to give you a heads-up.”
“Thanks, Liddy.” Griffin excused himself and joined Jim on the far side of the table. “Call me when you know something.”
“What's up?” Griffin asked as Jim hung up.
“Liddy said the studio sent over some papers about the movie—changes to the contract? Any idea what they're about?” Griffin's face went pure white, and Jim got to his feet in a split second, worried his boyfriend was going to hit the floor.
“Uh, no…no, let me make some calls and I'll see,” he said hurriedly, then jetted out of the room like he was on fire.
Love & Loyalty
179
“Be right back,” Jim said absently, following Griffin outside to the driveway, where he found the other man frantically dialing a number on his phone.
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing; go back inside. I'll take care of it.” Griffin paced farther down the driveway. “Daisy? Pick up now; I mean it.”
There was a pause; then Griffin cursed, redialing. “Seriously, Jim, it's nothing. Go inside.”
“It's clearly not nothing…” Jim took a few steps toward Griffin.
“Dawn? Put Claus on the phone right now. I mean it. Right this second. I don't care about meetings… Where is he? Home—are you sure?” He hung up again and dialed, not even looking up at Jim this time.
“Freida? It's Griffin. I need to talk to Claus or Daisy right this second.” He paused and walked farther away from Jim. “This can't wait; it's an emergency.”
“Claus? There was a deal in place. Daisy told me there was a deal in place—I will get you your money, but we had a deal! Does that mean nothing to you?” Griffin kept going down the driveway and Jim followed; his stomach dropped to his knees. “I gave you every concession…” He paced in a circle.
“You know what? Fuck you. Fuck you. I want my contract canceled. I want nothing from you—no money, nothing. Zero. Just give me my project and leave me alone.”
Jim stopped dead in his tracks.
“You can't do this, Claus. You can't do this to the Kellys…” Griffin's face turned red.
“'They're all dead so it doesn't matter'? That's your answer? Apparently that was the last answer, because Griffin hurled his BlackBerry across the yard. It bounced off a tree and went into a dozen pieces.
He sat down hard in the middle of the driveway, head in his hands.
180
Tere Michaels
Jim's feet unfroze as he walked to Griffin, the one-sided conversation replaying over and over in his head.
“What's going on?” he murmured as he knelt down next to Griffin on the driveway.
“I fucked up. I swear I didn't know.” Griffin moaned, pulling at his hair.
“Daisy signed everything over to him. He wants to make a movie… He wants Tripp's point of view… Oh God, I sat in an office with that murderer, and Claus wants me to work with him…”
“What?” Jim pushed down the urge to grab Griffin and shake him.
“I know, I know. I tried to buy it back. I offered him everything I had, and he told Daisy yes, but now…” Griffin was almost crying now, but Jim couldn't get over his own red-eyed anger over his boyfriend in a room with Tripp Ingersoll—without telling him.
“We'll sue him.”
“We can't.”
“Then I'll break his legs.”
Griffin laughed/cried into his knees. “Break mine first. This is my fault.”
“Jim?” Heather was calling him from the house. “There's a call for Griffin on the landline…”
“Come on,” Jim said, his hand under Griffin's armpit as he lifted him up.
“It's someone named Daisy Mae,” Heather said helpfully.
* * * * *
Mourners and friends were arriving, so he distracted himself with another round of small talk, helping Carla and her church ladies carry the boxes of food and drink into the kitchen.
He tried not to obsess over all this, but it wasn't easy. He wanted to scream and kick down the bedroom door, find out what the hell was going on.
Love & Loyalty