November, 2003

"Do you have your check for your share of the party?" Michael asked his brother Gob, whom he'd met at Balboa Island, hoping to discuss his father's boat party. George Sr. was going to celebrate his retirement and hopefully announce that Michael would finally take over for him as CEO of the Bluth Company.

"You know, I sort of thought my contribution could be a magic show," Gob said, looking down at him from his segway.

"Oh, that's perfect, Gob!" Michael said sarcastically.

"Thank you," Gob said, apparently not picking up on the sarcasm.

"Or wait a minute. I just remembered something. Dad's retiring, not turning six."

"Hey, come on, I just bought this new illusion called the Aztec Tomb—"

"Come on, Gob, I don't care—"

"—it cost like, eighteen grand, I'm gonna do it on the boat! Look, what do you care, can't you just charge the party to the company?"

"No, it's not a business expense," Michael said exasperatedly.

"So what, Lindsay's been staying at the Four Seas for like a month, she's probably charging the company."

Michael blinked. "Lindsay's been in town for a month?" he said, taken aback.

Gob hesitated. "I don't think so," he said, and quickly rode away on his segway.

Michael stood there for a moment, a little stunned, as well as somewhat hurt. Jesus, had she asked the whole the family not to tell him she was here? Why would she do that? He thought back to the last time he'd seen her, when she'd visited a year ago. He had been pretty cold and distant, but he felt like it was justified since he'd been upset about her not calling him after his wife died. He was still upset about it, really, she had yet to apologize or even give him an explanation. And now she was enlisting the whole family in keeping the fact that she was here a secret from him? He decided to go confront his mother about it and find out what was going on.