Hey Guys it's Monday night in Australia so that can only mean one thing. Update time! Anyway I know you're all waiting to hear the fall-out between Andy and Lauren, so here it is…. Enjoy!
Cold in the Rain.
CHAPTER FOUR- We need to talk.
Andy continued to glare at Lauren for quite some time and Lauren was becoming quite uncomfortable.
"Andy I-…" she started, but he cut her off.
"Zip"
"But, I" Lauren hesitated.
"Stop!" Andy yelled pushing his hand in front of her face.
"I can't think of one thing you could say to me right now…"
"And yet for you, plenty of words come out," Lauren tried to humor.
"Let's start with… How Dare You!" Andy yelled.
Rein, who was watching this like a tennis fan whose player was about to lose took that moment to exit. She slipped past Andy, figuring she would get room service to clean Jay's room.
He'll probably be gone for a while. She thought to herself.
Just then she spotted Oliver, one of the new cleaners at the hotel. She walked up to him.
"Hey Oliver," she said calmly.
"Hey Rein!" Oliver chirped, before lowering his voice.
"What's all the commotion?" he asked, clearly having noticed Lauren and Andy's feud.
As a matter of fact, it was hard not to notice the feud. By now it has escalated so much that people in the dining room were craning their necks to try and get a glimpse of the action.
"Can you close the dining doors?" Rein asked, opting not to answer his question.
"This isn't a dinner show."
"Certainly," Oliver said, moving straight away to close the doors that sometimes divided the foyer and the dining room.
Rein decided to busy herself by cleaning some of the tables.
While she cleaned she couldn't help but wonder what had happened. Aside from Andy having to hide under the desk, everything seemed fine. Yes Jay had practically told the whole hotel that Andy liked him, but Andy did, so none of this made sense.
"And I hadn't had my coffee!" Lauren could be heard screaming.
Oh boy! Rein thought. Welcome home Rein. What a great day lies in wait for you.
An hour had passed and yet the arguing could still be heard at the back of the foyer.
"And then, Ms Van Upitty walked past and…" started Lauren who by now was so flustered she knew she would have to cool down soon.
"Ms Van Upitty?" Andy questioned.
Sensing the change of tone in his voice, Lauren jumped in right away.
"Yeah, this rich old bag came in," she started, lowering her voice in case anyone happened to be listening in.
"Very van up herself, actually I met her right as I was calling you last night."
"But then you must have told Jay this morning!" Andy said, his tone going back to a yell.
Lauren. She thought to herself. You're never going to win this. Give up now.
"Andy," she said softly, puppy-dog eyes rearing.
"I never intended to tell him that you like him. Actually…" Lauren stopped to think. "I never mentioned you at all! I said the word 'him'"
There. She thought. That'll fix it.
No such luck. Andy's face was now becoming a bright shad of scarlet.
"And yet, not once did you deny it, when he said it just now!"
"By the way where is he?!" Andy demanded as he felt his phone vibrate.
Where could he possibly be? Lauren wondered. It's not like he seems to know anyone else around here. She thought.
"Of course!" Andy spat, his eyes narrowing to slits.
"What?!" Lauren asked, now noticing that Andy was looking at his cell.
Andy handed the cell over to Lauren so that she could read the text displayed there.
Where are you?
I'm at your house and
you're not here ~ Jay.
"Andy!" Lauren started noticing he was finally moving out from behind the counter. She went to place a comforting arm around his shoulder but he yanked it away.
"Phone please." He stated simply.
Lauren obliged, handing it over and Andy stormed off.
Staring out after him Lauren yelled out:
"Andy! Don't do anything… stupid."
But by then, he was gone.
"That sounded like it went well," Rein said appearing from around the corner.
"Oh babe, I totally stuffed everything up," her mother cried.
Jay was beginning to grow impatient. He was still at Andy's house and yet no one was answering, Jay knocked again.
"Andy!" he yelled out.
"Andy! Where are you?"
Well this is just perfect! Jay thought to himself. First he lies to me about B liking me and now that I find out he likes me he's not even letting me in.
Jay turned back around, figuring he would just go back to the hotel, when he realized he had sent the cab away in his determination to stay. Suddenly and without warning, Jay felt light headed. So much had happened in the past 72 hours and it was as though it was finally taking its toll on him. He sat down on the step and put his head in his lap.
What a freaking nightmare. He couldn't help but think. Andy, Andy, Andy, why didn't you just tell me?
But then he recalled all the chances Andy would have had and realized they amounted to none.
Whether he was with B, or pining after B or with Edward, Andy never once had the chance to tell him how he really had felt. What a mess! And now here I am in a place where I don't know anyone! My god I feel so alone.
But just as Jay was really starting to feel sorry for himself a limousine pulled up the drive way.
Whoa! Jay thought to himself. Either Andy just hit the jackpot or something's not right here.
As he stood up he noticed a Latino woman in a gorgeous black dress, step out of the car flashy boots shining in the hint of sun.
Oh my god are they this seasons Jimmy Choo's? He wondered.
The woman smiled and Jay was memorized. He may have been gay, but he knew style when he saw it and this woman had style and glamour and it seemed, a smile to match!
"Hola!" the woman said brandishing a smile that looked as bright as an eclipse.
"I am Carmita! Is Andy home?"
Jay could barely move, let alone talk. And so as stupid as he knew he must have looked he just stood there.
Say something! The voice inside his head screamed.
But nothing came out.
Carmita looked this kid up and down.
Oh crap! She thought this kid doesn't speak English! He's not Spanish either so I'm screwed.
Carmita tried again.
"I'm sorry," she said, before elaborately pointing to herself.
"I…am….Carmita!" she enunciated slowly. She then positioned her hand as if to indicate Andy's height before pointing towards the house.
"Is…Andy…home?" she again enunciated slowly.
"I-I….I speak English," the boy finally responded.
"Oh thank god!" Carmita exhaled before smiling in relief. "That'll make this a whole lot easier."
Jay still hadn't moved, but at least his once aghast mouth had now closed.
Carmita smiled warmly. This guy was cute. Not cute in an 'I wanna date him' sort of way, but cute in an awwww he's so shy, sort of way!
"I'm so sorry; I must have completely taken you by surprise. Let's start again shall we? I'm Carmita, Andy's friend. I came down yesterday from Beverly Hills to perform here and you are?"
"I-I'm Jay" He stammered, still in awe of this fabulous woman.
"Ok Jay, you are cute as a button, but what are you staring at? You're definitely a Harvey Fierstein and not a Clint Eastwood, so I know it's not my breasts!"
"Y-Your shoes are the J-J."
Then it clicked for her. Ah! The fag is checking out the outfit!
"Ah yes Jimmy, d'you like? I only got them yesterday… for the show."
Jay nodded.
"So Jay, now that we sort of know each other, Andy, is he home?"
Meanwhile Andy was pulling up in a cab behind them.
"Oh crap!" he said out loud once he saw Carmita with Jay. "Just what I need right now."
He paid the cab driver and walked over to the pair.
"Hola Andy!" Carmita positively beamed. "Como estas?"
Carmita could tell by the look on Andy's face that he was in fact not in a good mood at all and wondered if it had anything to do with Jay. He seemed nice, but as her mamacita always said: Sus chicos que parecen inocentes que son los menos.
Or in English, It's the boys who look innocent who aren't.
As she had predicted Andy's response was not in his usual upbeat tone. But rather reminiscent of the days when she first met him drowning himself in tequila in her local Spanish club.
"English Carmita please!" Andy barked.
Though he was speaking directly to her Carmita noticed Andy wasn't exactly looking at her. Indeed as she followed his gaze, she found him looking at Jay. Though rather than looking, it was more like he was glaring.
Yikes! Carmita thought and she quickly whipped out a piece of paper.
"Ok, so I just came to give you the address for tonight…" she offered it up to Andy but for some reason he simply didn't move, he just kept glaring at Jay. Carmita quickly flung the paper into Jay's hands, who like a frozen man brought to life, jumped forgetting whole-heartedly that she was even there.
"Ok, so, ah… I'm going… to… go," Carmita said feeling quite awkward and slowly backing away towards the limo.
"Oh and Andy? You better come with a better attitude tonight, because this one stinks!"
Moments later the limo was out of sight. The two boys continued to look at each other, neither one quite knowing what to say to the other. Just as the situation looked like it couldn't get any more awkward Andy piped up.
"Jay, we need to talk." He said.
"Yes we do Andy," Jay replied. "We really do."
Andy looked at Jay and suddenly for the first time since coming back to New Haven remembered the reason he went to Pittsburg in the first place.
This man.
This man standing right in front of him was that reason. He was always that reason. Whether he said he went there to visit his cousin, his Aunt Deb or even for some of the best coffee this side of America, truth be known he was always going to see Jay. Matter of fact one time when he went it turned out Jay had gone away for the week and Andy had actually changed his flight for 24 hours later lying to everyone saying that a friend had become deathly ill. Not to mention every time he saw Jay with B his heart shrank more and more.
But now, here Jay was, not in Pittsburg but in New Haven, Andy's home and all Andy had thought about since his arrival was how much he had hated that Jay had come down. But there in that moment it was as though the gods had placed a bubble around the two and he could see nothing more than the man he always loved.
Suddenly and without warning Andy did something he never thought he'd be bold enough to do. All at once he stepped forward grabbing Jay and pulling him in for a deepened kiss. Surprisingly Jay didn't stop him and the pair stood there embracing for the whole world to see.
"What…are…we…d-doing?" Jay stammered in-between kisses. Not that he minded and he actually regretted asking the question the moment it came out. But he knew that if this was to go anywhere that they really had to talk first.
Andy pulled back immediately apologizing.
"Oh my god Jay, I'm so sorry."
"Don't be," the sandy-haired boy smiled.
Andy couldn't help but smile back. It was almost as though he had died and gone to heaven or where ever gay people went anyway. He was just about to go back in for another kiss when a voice inside his head stopped him.
No Andy! It screamed.
Remember what you're here for. Wait, be patient, wait!
Knowing the voice was right Andy stopped himself and compromised by ever so lightly taking Jay's hand.
"Come on," Andy smiled nudging his head towards the house. "Let's talk."
As Andy felt Jay's hand loosely give his a squeeze he found himself feeling more calm then he had since his trip to Pittsburg. Sure he and Jay may have said some things to each other that would need to be sorted out, but for the first time since that moment outside the diner where Andy told Jay the truth about Edward he felt like he was floating on beautifully warm air.
Moments later the pair could be found in the kitchen, Andy preparing some coffees for them and Jay nervously tapping his fingers on his kitchen table. Andy had forgotten how he did that when he was nervous and couldn't help but find it adorable.
Just then the phone rang.
Not now! Andy thought to himself, now is the worst possible time for someone to call.
"Aren't you going to get that?" Jay asked, looking up.
"Nah, machine'll get it," Andy smiled.
As the kettle finished boiling Andy proceeded to pour the steaming liquid into two mugs.
"Hi you've reached Andy, I'm sorry to say but I'm actually away at the moment interstate and won't be back for a few weeks…"
Andy couldn't help but smile at the answering machine message that he had not yet changed since returning from Pittsburg.
"A few weeks?" Jay enquired.
It certainly seemed odd, considering Andy hadn't even lasted longer than a few days, let alone one week.
"Wonder what happened there," Andy simply said, referring naturally to the incident that had occurred between the pair.
"…love and light to you all ta-tah!... BEEP!"
"You are such an idiot," Jay laughed at the conclusion of Andy's machine message. Andy simply smiled, and then suddenly looked quite anxious as a man's worried tone rang clear through the phone.
"ANDY?! Oh my god! Andy! Where are you?!" came the sound of Andy's cousin-in-law, Micah's husband Ben.
"I don't know what to do, I mean-…"
But that was all Andy needed to hear as despite his earlier thoughts he jumped to the phone and picked it up.
"Ben?! Ben, calm down I'm here, I'm here. I was just screening."
"Oh thank god." Ben replied. "Andy…look I don't know how to say this…and it's not going to be easy any way that I try so I'm just going to say it…"
"What Ben?!" Andy asked painfully worried. "Just tell me, whatever it is!"
"It's Micah sweetie. He's been in an accident and he…"
But Andy cut him off right there.
"Is he OK?"
Meanwhile Jay looked on not having the faintest what was happening on the other end.
He knew Ben and Micah though not as well as Andy of course. But as B was actually Micah's best friend they were inevitably running into each other. Oddly enough Micah never actually seemed to like Jay that much. They formed a mutual understanding for B's sake, but deep down Jay knew that Micah's issue was really because he wanted B to himself and felt that Jay had ripped that away from him. Of course once Micah had met Ben things seemed to settle down a touch, but it was hard for them to just get passed their initial thoughts of one another. And since meeting Ben Micah and B hardly seemed to catch up in Jay's presence anymore and so it no longer seem to matter.
But if things were going to work out with Andy, and he secretly hoped that they would, he would have to learn to get on with Micah for his sake and at this moment he was more than happy to do that.
"No of course sweetie. Right away! I'll pack now. Yep, thanks Ben. I'll see you soon. And Ben… I'm so sorry. Bye."
Andy hung up the phone and looked at Jay.
"We're going to have to post-pone our chat. Micah's in hospital and it's serious!"
Oh no! What's happened to Micah? And right when Andy and Jay were finally going to have 'the talk'! The timing couldn't be worse I know, but family is family!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, to be honest up until now I was getting used to the story and had no idea where it was going, but my gods and goddesses found the light of inspiration I needed in this very chapter and things have soared since then.
Please leave a review and let me know what you thought.
What will have happened to Micah? What about Andy and Jay? And what about Carmita's show?
Well, as with last week there's no need to wait as the next chapter is being updated right now, so click on over!