I know what you're thinking. FINALLY!! Actually I would have no idea what you're thinking. I mean, 267 hits and I get five reviews? NOw that just makes me feel bad. However I decided to continue with this story because I like it and I like where I see it going. I hope you will too. Attention: I have edited Chapter 2 slightly. It's not much, but it makes a bit of difference. You should reread it before you read this, anyone who's already read the first two chapters. That said, on we go.
Disclzaimer: I don't own the Bohemians or Eddie Green.
"I've known you for five years! How could I not know you have a brother, who, by the way, looks exactly like you!"
"He's uglier," was Collins response to Maureen's sputtered question. He bit into a vegetarian egg roll and used the other half to indicate the drama queen's head.
"Careful there. You know what happens when you get like this." They all knew. When Maureen got indignant, her hair got indignant too. She scowled at him and tried furiously to pat the curly mane down.
"Forget Maureen," Mark said. "I want to know how I have known you for seven years and I didn't know you had a brother." The rest of them nodded their heads in agreement and turned to look at Collins expectantly.
After they left the café the group had interrogated him the whole way to the Chinese place, with the exception of Angel who just shot her lover sympathetic looks. They sat now at one of the long tables, Collins doing his best to try and dodge their questions, resorting to commenting on the weather and trying to distract Maureen with questions about Antonio. He chose to try and play that card now.
"People, a man was just shot," he began earnestly, gesturing with a pair of chopsticks. "And not just any man, but one of us. Have some respect and recognize that my half-brother is not the big deal right now."
"But it is a big deal," Maureen protested impatiently, abandoning her hair and poking Collins accusing on the chest. "You have an estranged, half-brother who lives in the same city and noneof us knew about it."
"No true," Angel spoke up quietly, "I knew about Eddie."
"You knew?!" Now it was Mimi's turn to be indignant. "You knew and you didn't tell me? I even told you about Roger's bear!"
"You told Angel about Bugsy?" Roger exclaimed. Everyone stopped eating and look at him.
"But never mind that," he stammered. Turning to Angel: "Why would Collins tell you and not us?"
She frowned in annoyance. "Mimi, this isn't the same thing. It isn't like I found Collin's brother stuffed under his bed. He told me about him in confidence." She turned to Roger. "And honey there are quite a few things Collins lets me, er, in on, that he doesn't share with you."
Collins beamed at her as the rest of them grimaced. God, he loved his Angel.
Bu the rest of them weren't ready to let it go by any means. They turned back to Collins, who sighed and shoveled in some rice. Maureen opened her mouth, but Joanne beat her to it.
"Collins, you got to see this from our point of view, or at the very least see it from theirs," She indicated Mark, Roger and Maureen – the three who had known Collins the longest. "We want to know you. I don't think I know anything about your family. Do you guys?"
"All we know is that he lived with his mom until he was 18 and left for college, and that she died in a car accident about four years ago," Mark said.
Collins eyes misted briefly and Mark, Roger and Maureen remembered how devastated he had been when he heard the news. None of them had known Mrs. Collins, she had lived in New Jersey, but they knew that she and her son had been close.
"Collins we just want to know about your brother," Mimi said gently, looking into his eyes. "This is a pretty big bombshell."
Collins met her eyes and then dropped his. "Guys, I just can't right now. Besides Angel and I have to get to our meeting." He started to stand up, abandoning the rest of his meal.
Maureen had had enough and she was done being diplomatic. "No. You aren't going until you tell us about your brother." She stood up and planted herself in front of him, arms crossed.
Collins smirked. "Maureen, you weigh half as much as I do and you run from bees."
She didn't miss a beat. "Fine. Go. But I'm coming with you and I'll be naked."
Collins blanched.
"She'll do it," Joanne told him. "That's why I don't stay late at the office anymore."
Collins looked at her. He let his eyes travel across the rest of the group. Mark and Mimi looked hurt, Roger seemed a little miffed and Maureen was just plain mad.
He turned to Angel. She gave him a look that clearly said, "You knew this would come out sooner or later."
Collins sighed. The group knew they had won. Maureen triumphantly sat down and motioned for him to do the same.
He sat. "Where to begin? Eddie and I share the same father. He was about four years old when I was born. His dad, our dad, had an affair with my mom, well not really an affair, more like a drunken one-night stand, and she got pregnant. She was only about 19 at the time. To make a long story short Ed's mom found out and left him. However she couldn't take care of Ed on her own and they both got part-time custody of him. Dad remarried about a year later."
"To your mom?" Roger asked.
"No, to someone else."
"He wouldn't marry your mom after he got her pregnant?" Mimi asked indignantly.
"Men!" Maureen added disgustedly.
Collins chuckled. "No, as a matter of fact. She wouldn't marry him. He hadn't told her he was married and she didn't want to marry a cheater. But regardless, she wanted me to have some kind of a relationship with him. Wanted me to have a father figure." He smiled sadly. "She was only 20 when I was born, but she made a great mom. Money was never really much of an issue; she was a good teacher and dear old Dad sent the obligatory check every month."
"So what about your brother?" Mark asked. Their half-eaten Chinese lay forgotten on the table and they were wrapped up in Collins' story. Every now and then the owner of the restaurant would direct a glare in their direction for taking up the table, but they hadn't been there long enough to kick them out yet.
"We were always more like cousins than brothers, even when we were young," Collins continued. "He went to private school, I went to public. Also, Dad did something with the military and the three of them would be stationed in Africa for months at a time. Still we were pretty close considering the circumstances."
"But you haven't seen him in 12 years?" Joanne asked.
"Yeah. He applied to the police academy when he was 18 and I was 14 and after that we just kind of lost touch. Obviously our lives don't cross paths much." He smiled, a little ruefully.
"And your dad?" This time it was Mark who asked the question.
Collins hesitated just a second before answering. "He still lives in Jersey. Our lives don't really cross paths much either."
There was a brief silence as the group tried to take in the flood of information they had just received about their long time friend. Meanwhile Angel shot Collins a discreet, but meaningful glance. He looked into her eyes; his carried a silent plea. She gave small nod and squeezed his hand under the table.
Only Joanne and Mark caught the silent exchange and decided for now not to comment. However they both noticed that the other had seen it and resolved to talk later, away from the others.
The manager finally decided enough was enough and asked them to leave. They piled the left-over food into take-out boxes and paid. Once outside Roger and Mimi started back to the loft, Mark, Maureen and Joanne were off to the performance space to start setting up for Maureen's show and Collins and Angel headed off to the Life Support meeting.
Angel waited until the others were out of earshot before turning to her lover.
"They're going to find out you lied to them, they found out about your brother," she said quietly. Her tone was sympathetic, not accusing.
"I didn't lie," Collins said, "I just didn't tell them the whole truth. I know they'll probably figure it out and I'll deal with it then. I just can't handle it right now, not before I talk to him."
"So you are going to meet him?" Angel asked, but she didn't sound surprised.
"He's my brother."
"I know. I can't wait to meet him." Collins beamed at his lover.
"I can't wait for him to meet you."
They stopped at a crosswalk and shared a small, sweet kiss. Then as they waited, Collins produced two fortune cookies from one of his large coat pockets. Unwrapping his, he bit into it and then pulled out the small strip of paper.
"Your future is not determined by the events of your past, but by how you deal with them." He read.
Collins rolled the paper into small ball and squinted ruefully up at the sky. "Okay God, I get it."
Next chapter will focus more on Eddie and the murder investigation. I really hope you are liking this as much as I am. You know what to do from here.