I am ignoring the claim that series 2 starts in June 1991, because to try and match up the other dates and timelines, this is taking place in early March, 1991.
Brittas Empire is not mine and I get no money from this.
"Is he gone yet?" Laura's exhausted voice asked on the other side of the phone.
"He's just left." Replied Gavin, standing by Carole at the reception watching Brittas leave for the fourth time. "I'd give it at least another 10 minutes though."
The poor woman was planning to head up to the cafeteria and take a nap on one of the long bench seats. It was better than the benches in the staff restroom and she deserved a rest. It sounded as though Brittas had been phoning her all night with different thoughts on what she could do while he was away, or what would need to be looked at before he got back.
"I'll be able to get Ben out of his drawer." Smiled Carole happily.
"It'll be good for him to get some light." Gavin mused, looking thoughtfully down at the drawer. "I'm sure it's not right that you keep him locked in there."
"It's not locked!" she snapped, her expression horrified. "I would never lock by baby in such a small place… I'll admit that the drawer occasionally gets jammed, but I don't lock it."
Julie jogged down the steps.
"He's gone."
"Oh good." Gavin smiled. "Will you let Laura know?"
"Where is she?" asked Julie, her tone as disinterested as it often was.
"Steam room."
"Thought that was your spot." She said slyly, winking at him. Gavin felt his skin blush. It was true, he and Tim did tend to disappear off into the steam room for reasons Brittas would probably object to. He didn't generally like anyone using the facilities for anything other than their intended purpose.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." He mumbled, trying to look innocent. It wasn't easy when straight after the morning meeting, he had taken Tim in there.
"Mmm hmm…" she smirked at him before turning her attention to Carole. "Did you get that appointment made with the doctor?"
"Oh yes. So, if you wouldn't mind looking after the desk for me."
"Yeah, all right. I don't do anything up there anyway."
Gavin grinned at them awkwardly, and headed off to the sports hall. He had to set up the exercise equipment for his keep-fit class.
He hurried along, only to find Tim sat on the vault horse, the equipment already out. His lover was grinning happily at him.
"What happened to your badminton class?" he queried, heading straight over to the young man and leaning in to press a kiss to his lips.
"No one turned up." Tim answered, hopping down and pulling Gavin against him. The bite below his neck line was just visible when Gavin pressed his mouth into Tim's collar.
"Lucky us."
"Brittas made his way off to the airport then?" checked Tim, pulling back slightly.
"Should be flying off to Bulgaria in the next few hours." He grinned. "We'll have a Brittas-free week."
Of course, their Brittas-free week didn't go the way they had expected. Despite all their bookings and the sudden flurry of people turning up, they were all called into the staffroom by Laura, who looked troubled on the Monday afternoon after he had left.
It had been nice to do something, Gavin decided as he took a seat next to Tim, something more than just playing board games or doing crosswords. At least when Laura was in charge, she wasn't constantly popping her head in to see what everyone was doing.
"Hello, everyone." Laura said as she came in, weaving her way to the front. Colin and Julie followed her to the front to take their seats. "I'm afraid there is some rather serious news."
"Tragic news." Colin said, an odd expression on his face.
"Yes… I'm afraid Mr Brittas is dead. There was an… accident, in Bulgaria."
"He's not coming back?" asked Danny, raising his hand.
"No. He's dead. Anyway, that's the situation and I just wanted you all to know that county have put me in charge." She gave a pleased little smile at this as she looked around. "With Colin as my deputy until a new manager can be appointed."
As she finished this, a cry permeated the air. A few people looked up, but the noise was so familiar to them now that there was no need to wonder who it was.
"Carole, is that Ben I can hear?" asked Laura.
"I'm sorry, Laura, sorry…" she curled in on herself in a defensive position as she began to grovel.
"Why don't you bring him in?"
"Well, Mr Brittas…"
"Oh, I don't think anyone will object." Laura smiled around at everyone. As Carole hurried out to get her baby, thanking people as she went, Gavin wondered if anyone did object. He knew Carole had terrible luck in what seemed like every aspect of her life, but surely it wasn't right that children were brought into work and kept in drawers… He didn't speak up know, taking his cue from Timmy who was always happy to help Carole. Gavin knew that commenting on the way Carole raised Ben would just get Tim worked up and he'd have to listen about how not everyone had had fully functioning families and nannies to boot.
It was a sore point for Tim; that he had spent a good deal of time in his younger life between his mother's workplace and his school, at least until he gained a step-father.
"Now, I know it's been a long day and you all want to get home, but there is just… Yes, Gavin?" Laura glanced over at him.
"I-I was just wondering if it was possible to- err… see the body." Gavin asked, lowering his hand. He was focussing on Laura, needing to know the answer, but he saw Tim nod his head.
"I shouldn't have thought so." She said, giving them a slightly puzzled look.
"But, he is definitely dead?" asked Tim, leaning forwards. The young man had clearly caught onto his point.
"I mean… someone's tested him, have they?" Gavin said, trying not to sound too eager. "With a mirror, for breathing and things?"
"I don't know." She said softly.
"Well, have any vital organs been donated; heart, lungs…?"
"There weren't any vital organs left to donate, Tim. He was crushed in a steel press." Julie was wonderfully blunt.
"All of him?" Tim definitely looked too eager asking this.
"Except for one hand, yes." Replied Laura.
"Oh." Gavin felt relief flooding through him.
"Anything else?"
"No, no. That sounds fine." Tim sat back, a satisfied grin spreading over his handsome face. Gavin couldn't help grinning at Laura too. It had been a wonderfully stress free week, he could now look forward to many more.
"I think Colin just wants to say something about the funeral." Laura added, sitting down. Her voice was harsh though, reproachful, as though she disapproved of their questioning.
"Yes… Mrs Brittas has gone for the Wednesday, if that's alright? Because of the children's piano lessons. It's at 2.30… and a party straight afterwards in the pub opposite the crematorium."
"Thank you, Colin. Well, unless there is anything else?"
"One thing." Tim said, raising his hand slightly, "Would it be alright if I swapped hall duty with Linda on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons?"
"Does Linda mind?"
"No. That's fine."
"Okay." She glanced over at Julie, "If you could make a note. Anybody got any other changes they would like to make?"
Gavin wasn't surprised when nearly everyone raised their hand. He had one or two suggestions of his own, beginning with a cut down in the forms they had to fill out every time they used something.
By the time they arrived back at their flat, Gavin felt almost giddy. This whole week had felt like having his guardian away, no one watching over his should to check his didn't run over the flower beds, or didn't use the phone for more than an hour. The idea of this continuing was fantastic.
As he dropped down onto the sofa, he couldn't stop grinning. No more Brittas… Maybe later he would feel guilty for feeling so happy about this, but right now Gavin was thrilled. He would be able to touch Tim in the restroom again without the worry that Brittas was hiding in a locker with a Polaroid.
He relaxed into the cushions as he watched Tim potter about in the kitchen, humming quietly away to himself.
"What do you want for supper? Bangers and mash?"
"Do we have that steak out still, or did you freeze it?"
"Steak and salad then?" Tim headed over to the fridge, out of sight of Gavin's languid position.
"Want a hand?"
"No thanks. You stay spread out there. I like the view." Tim grinned at him as he put the meat onto the grill.
Moments later, the young man was in his lap, pushing him back and kissing him.
"What to do while our steaks cook…" he muttered, pressing close and tugging Gavin's bottom lip gently between his teeth.
"Making the salad?" joked Gavin, chuckling when Tim grabbed a cushion and pressed it into his face.
"He only wants me for my cooking!" Tim wailed, though the tone was ruined by the laughter that kept breaking through.
"Not just for your cooking." He said, heatedly, his hands sliding down to grope at Tim's buttocks.
His lover smiled contentedly, flopping against his chest and sighing. Apparently, he wasn't actually all that keen to continue making out on the sofa. Tim liked to pretend he was more grown up than his 18 years, occasionally.
"Do you suppose they will let Laura stay on as manager?" asked Tim, quietly.
"I hope so." Gavin really did. He was in no way ashamed of his relationship with Tim, but they didn't exactly go telling people about it. He'd had problems doing that kind of thing before and now he was happy in the leisure centre, for all the problems that came with the job; the reason for this being that he liked the staff. Not one of them objected to their relationship (and though they had told no one, only Brittas was clueless to how deep their 'friendship' went).
"I hope they take a while to decide." His lover whispered softly, wriggling slightly as though trying to get closer. Gavin tightened his grip on the young man; he figure Tim was probably struggling with the same fears that he was. "I don't like management on principle, but I think I could cope with Laura."
"Yes." Gavin said simply, not sharing his lover's dislike of management, but not wanting to start an argument.
The remainder of the week was very busy. On Wednesday, the funeral went well. It started late because Mrs Brittas had been unable to decide which hat to wear (from what he understood of her babbling).
In fact, everything went very well up until Saturday. Gavin was walking through to reception with Linda to check if Carole had gotten the results from the array of blood tests the doctor had sent her for when they saw him.
Mr Brittas.
He saw there and no mistaking him; same curly brown hair, same smart appearance (grey suit today), and same frustrated/annoyed look on the surrounding people's faces.
He took a step back, eyes wide as horror flooded his veins. Brittas was dead… He had been crushed. Laura had promised him! He had to be dead. Things were going so well without him. Work was a more cheerful place… Home was a more cheerful place, Tim was finally able to come to the social club with him and hang out with Jack, Bill and various other friends again…
It had to be a hallucination.
"Come on." He whispered to Linda, tugging on her shoulder before hurrying away.
"Phone Laura!" Linda said, her eyes wild with fear.
Gavin headed straight over to the phone and dialled the extension for the manager's office.
"Laura?"
"Yes, Gavin?"
"Look, umm…. Could you come down to reception?"
"What's wrong? Never mind… Give me a second."
"Thanks."
He hung up and grasped Linda's hands, wondering not for the first time why he hadn't agreed to go work for his uncle's business.
They headed over to the stairs as Laura came down; she, too, was staring at Brittas in confusion as he argued with a customer about the squash courts.
"Laura! Thank goodness!" Brittas called out when he spotted her.
"Mr Brittas?" She said, disbelief colouring her tone.
"I was beginning to think all the staff around here had died!" He exclaimed. Gavin felt a chuckle at the irony lodge in his throat. He felt frozen, as though he had finally stayed out in the cold too long and his expression had stuck, as his mother had often threatened it would.
"No, no. We're fine, Mr Brittas." Laura continued to stare in confusion at the man, walking slowly behind the reception desk to prod him. He was solid, so not an apparition then… but they had burnt him! This was impossible. "How are you?"
"First things first, Laura. I was wondering if you could do something about this. I presume it's Carole's."
"Y-Yes." Laura looked down, and Gavin finally registered Ben's little cries. "Where is Carole?"
"She'd had one of her turns, I'm afraid. I sent her off to lie down. Honestly Laura, it's been absolute bedlam since I got back. No receptionist, unbelievable queues and a screaming baby. Plus, I've asked Colin three times to take over, but he's never turned up… Why's Gavin staring at me like that?"
Gavin realised he had been seen and straightened up, but he couldn't seem to wipe the expression of his face.
"Sorry, Mr Brittas." He apologised, stepping back.
"Linda, would you take Ben up to my office, please?" Asked Laura, clearly keen to start clearing people out of the way.
"Now, this man wants to borrow a squash racquet and there is no sign of a loan book." Brittas continued to give Gavin a puzzled look, before tearing his gaze away to look at his deputy. "What's going on around here, Laura?"
Of course, this followed with Gavin having to go and tell people they were spending too long on the squash courts. However, he was relieved to get away from Brittas. The man was supposed to be dead after all.
Tim would not be pleased.
He headed over to the squash courts… then he dithered. It really was unfair to pull them off now. They had paid for more than the 20 minutes Mr Brittas allowed. He turned and headed back downstairs. He would ask Laura what to do. She could set Brittas straight when he needed it.
"Come on, Gavin." Linda was just starting to head up the stairs by reception. "Laura is going to talk to Brittas."
"Oh, wait for me." He hurried after her, eager to hear what would be said.
Once in the office, Laura shut the door and turned to face Brittas with her hands on her hips. Gavin and Linda went to stand by the man's desk, so they could see both of their faces.
"Things are being done differently, Mr Brittas. The Bulgarians told us you were dead." Her hands dropped to her side as she said this, as though she was unsure of how to handle this situation; fists clenching for just a moment.
"Dead?" Brittas cried, turning around by his desk to face them.
"They were very definite."
"You thought I was dead?" He asked, sitting heavily down in his chair.
"We had a funeral and everything." Linda informed him.
Laura added "On Wednesday."
"Linda did the flowers." Gavin said, hands pushed deep into his jacket pocket, hoping his boss wouldn't overreact.
"Dead?" Mr Brittas asked again, looking shocked.
"Look, we even had this made." Gavin grabbed the (admittedly rather cheap) plaque and put it in front of the man.
"Gordon Brittas. Crushed to death, Bulgaria. March, 1991. Erected in gratitude by his staff." Read Brittas. Timmy had chosen the words. Laura had agreed to them.
"If you're not dead, Mr Brittas…" Laura sat down, arms crossed over her chest and frowned at him. "What happened?"
"If you must know, Laura… I've spent the last 8 days locked in a chicken hutch." Brittas didn't look terribly impressed with his lot. Gavin took a moment to count the days back; they must have locked him up not too long after he had arrived… It wasn't the first time someone had taken a deep offense to him, the young man supposed. Shame they had gotten their revenge in a way that had gotten everyone's hopes up though.
"Why?" Laura asked.
"I haven't the faintest idea, Laura. It was my first day in the hotel, I was just going down to the manager to complain about the size of the towels… Not the first thing I had to complain about, I might add… when this bag was dropped over my head." It really was worrying, if somewhat amusing, that the man looked so confused over the idea. "Next thing I knew, I was sitting in me underwear, up to me neck in feathers."
"Good Lord." Sighed the woman.
"8 days! They took me clothes, me wallet, even the ring I bought for me 21st birthday."
"The ring." She grumbled, her eyes catching Gavin's as Brittas continued to ramble on.
"I'm not a man given to moaning Laura, but it wasn't easy. Nothing to eat but raw eggs and corn. Sharing a water dropped with 38 Bulgarian bantams. If I ever find the man who did it, I'll flatten him."
"I rather think somebody already has."
"What?" Their boss gave her another puzzled look as Gavin suddenly cottoned on.
"Of course. They squashed the wrong man." He realised.
"What are you talking about?" Brittas scowled over at Gavin, unhappy at not having all the facts.
"It must have been the man who took your clothes." Laura said.
"What?"
"They said you'd been crushed in a steel press, Mr Brittas. Well, that's what they told your wife."
"Helen thinks I'm dead?" yelped Brittas, jumping up to pace the room.
"Well, yes." Laura cried, exasperated.
"That's why she organised the funeral." Gavin helpfully chimed in.
"My God, poor Helen! She must have been through Hell." Gavin frowned at this, wondering if someone should tell their boss his wife was pretty well over his death. "Look, I'd better get back and give her the good news."
"Would you like me to ring her?" Laura quickly asked, the look on her face a desperate one.
"No thanks, Laura. I'd rather do it myself. This sort of thing can be a bit of a shock if it's not done properly." He headed out the room hastily.
"Phone Helen." Laura commanded, and Linda happily picked the receiver up.
"Was there any mail for me?" Brittas popped back in, causing Linda to hide the phone behind her back and Gavin to jump up from where he'd been sitting in Brittas' chair.
"Well, no. Everyone thought you were dead!" The exasperation perfectly clear now in Laura's voice.
"Right." He said, and left again.
"He doesn't know, does he?" Gavin said softly, dropping back into the chair as Linda began to dial.
There was no reply from either of the women, both of them simply giving him a tired look.
"There's no reply." Said Linda.
"It'll take him at least 25 minutes to get home. As long as we get her before then, it'll be fine." Laura reassured her.
"I'm going to go check on everyone else. I haven't seen Carole in a while." Gavin said, turning and heading out the office.
"I'll go see if anyone is in the staff restroom." Sighed Laura, standing up and heading out the office before him.
"I think I'll try ringing one more time. She might have been on the loo or something." Said Linda, looking worried.
He passed Carole as he headed down the corridor towards the stairs, but as she was wielding what looked like a baseball bat, he decided to pass her without comment.
Tim was stood in reception, hands in his pockets and a mild expression of bemusement on his face.
"What's the matter with Carole?" He asked his lover, wondering already if he actually wanted to know the answer.
"She's seen a ghost of Brittas." Tim replied. "He's taken Ben."
"Ben? Brittas hasn't got Ben. We were just speaking with him."
"To Brittas or the baby?"
"Brittas, of course."
"But he's dead." Tim wrinkled his nose for a moment. "Were you using the intercom too?"
"What? He's not dead. He annoyed rather a lot of people in Bulgaria so someone robbed him off all his clothes, his money and the ring that was used to identify him, before locking him up with a bunch of chickens."
"Not dead?" said Tim, his face cracking into a sad expression.
"Afraid not Timmy, no."
Colin came hurrying out the staff room, a grin on his face. "He's alive, Tim." He yelled out happily, before continuing out to the car park.
Laura followed him out at a more sedate pace. "Things are never simple, are they?"
"No." Gavin replied, watching Carole tear down the stairs and head off to the swimming pool, wearing a manic expression. "Shall we stop by Sainsbury's on the way home? I'll make a curry."
"Sounds like a plan." Tim grinned at him. He took a step closer, but there was a loud noise outside.
They took a step towards to door and watched in amazement as a JCB digger crushed Brittas' car.
"Is he still in there?" asked Gavin, torn between a strange curiosity and mild horror.
"Colin's making a fuss, so I would assume so. It's probably Carole in there."
"I thought she went to the swimming pool." Gavin mused as they began to wander over.
"She must have gotten out one of the fire escapes. Don't ask me how she can hotwire a JCB though. My knowledge in that area is limited, so I'm afraid I'm quite impressed."
Gavin chuckled as Laura sighed and hurried past them. Linda must have spotted them through the doors of reception because she came along too.
They examined the damage as Colin hurried off for wire cutters. While Laura spoke to Brittas, Gavin tried not to grin too much. If he worked anywhere else, this would be considered utterly insane as opposed to just another day in the office.
Carole came hurrying over, crying rather hysterically. Gavin had no objections when his lover wrapped an arm around the woman and walked her back off to the centre. Tim seemed to get along well with Carole, and he didn't get as frustrated with her as Gavin did… It wasn't as though Gavin viewed Tim as a hero or anything, but to Gavin, his young man kind of was.
Settling down in bed, Tim sighed. "I'm so glad we aren't open on Sundays."
"Me too. Want a last bit of exercise before sleep?" Gavin asked, rolling on top of his lover.
"I suppose so." Tim grinned and him, wrapping his legs around the other's waist.