Apologies for the delay in posting today - internet problems. But, better late than never...
Valentine's Weekend 2016: Part VII.
Across on the other side of town, completely oblivious to all the drama that was taking place, Isabelle Wright was making her final preparations for her date at Rao's. She had used her place as online editor to enter the famous Vogue closet, and had found the perfect ensemble for a chilly Valentine's Day; a designer dress in a modest style, part of the KEH Collection naturally, topped off with a warm coat and matching accessories. Shoes with a kitten heel also made sense. As she fastened her earrings, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, and had to admit that she liked what she saw there - a youthful, vibrant, successful woman. She still felt a lot of guilt about the fact that she was going out on a date with a total stranger when she had a man that loved her so very much on the other side of the country; but he had agreed to her doing this… Of course, if she had been meeting Julian, she reminded herself, then she would have worn a dress with a slightly lower cut, and maybe shoes with a higher heel. She considered calling him up, to let him know that she was about to leave, and if he had changed his mind and no longer wanted her to go, she wouldn't. In the end, she decided against it. She went to fetch her coat, checked that Elvis and Presley had adequate food and water for the time she would be out, and gave them a final stroke as they slept peacefully. Then with a light enough heart, she headed out for the car that she had ordered.
It did not take long in the lighter traffic of a Sunday evening for the car to make its way up to the northern end of Manhattan, to the tiny street on which the most exclusive restaurant in town could be found. It made her laugh that such an establishment was not to be found on the top of one of the city's highest buildings, nor was it located in one of the grand five star hotels, but here, in a nondescript street, in Harlem. She stepped out of the car, and made her way over to the door. She explained there that she was there for a date, but other than the printed invite that she now presented at the desk, she had no further information. Thankfully the staff were well aware that she was coming, and in no time she found her coat being taken, and she had been seated at a little table towards the back of the tiny establishment. The waiter informed her that her date had been slightly delayed; he had requested that they seat her and treat her like royalty until the moment that he arrived.
As she sat and perused that evening's simple menu, a glass of mineral water in front of her, she was unaware that she was being watched; that in fact her date was already there, and was watching her through the doors to the kitchens. Seeing that she was engrossed in the menu, he slipped quietly out through the door, and made his way towards her, approaching her from the back without her even noticing.
"May I just say that you are looking particularly lovely tonight," he said as he stood right behind her.
Isabelle froze, dropping the menu. She recognised the voice at once. She could only spin round in shock and surprise… "You! But how? And more to the point, why all the subterfuge? Why not just ask me?"
"If I had told you that I was going to take your for dinner at Rao's on Valentine's, you would not have believed me for one minute - after all, getting in here is harder than getting into Fort Knox. Either that, or you would have been looking for the airline ticket for your flight to me in Vegas."
Julian took his seat opposite Isabelle and smiled - and she could not help but respond in kind. "That's true - and I would have told you that there was no way that I could get away from the office; couldn't leave my two adorable kittens with someone else so soon. Now, I do have a few questions to ask you…"
"Ok, so first one will be - why am I not in Nevada? Simply put, I no longer live there. I haven't been there for the last week." Isabelle opened her mouth to respond, but he shook his head, and continued. "It was actually quite easy to do the Skype thing; I just draped the same white sheet behind me in whatever motel room I was staying in. I never liked the white walls in my place in Vegas, but I was finally grateful for them this week. You see, I had to drive here from Nevada, and I had to do it slowly - my car isn't exactly capable of very high speeds these days; plus, having spent most of her life in the warmth of the desert, she didn't particularly take to the colder climes too well."
"I take it that your new job…"
"I start officially in the New Jersey office a week tomorrow. They were pretty desperate for me to transfer, and so I accepted all the generous incentives that they were throwing at me. Your contacts in the real estate business turned out to be very good at keeping secrets, as well as being helpful in the extreme. They have managed to find me a charming place in Maplewood, close to my office and with a reasonable train service to the city. It needs a bit of work, and I will need to get the furniture sorted out, but I will be more than happy to show you around it."
"So that's it? You are here, for good?" Julian nodded, and Isabelle barely stopped herself from clapping her hands together in glee. Maplewood was an excellent area, and her contact had done him proud by the sound of it; as for not telling her… "So, does Sebastian know? Or is this going to be as much of a surprise to him as it was to me?"
"Oh, he knows, and it is actually thanks to him that you and I are sitting here tonight. I can tell by the expression on your face that you are wondering how on earth my brother could get us a table here? Well, apparently, it all started on the night that you launched the KEH Collection onto an unsuspecting world. Sebastian was being harassed by some obnoxious woman whose name escapes me…"
"June Dolloway. She is an old…"
"Anyway, after he had got rid of her, in what he claims to have been the most spectacular fashion, he headed to the restroom to freshen up, and then, as he was coming back out…"
Sebastian was glad that he had managed to wash his hands, but the stench of that woman still assaulted his nostrils as he made his way back towards the corridor. 'Who the hell does she think she is! Suggesting that I should ditch Dave and play it straight to succeed! If she comes within 50 yards of me again tonight, I swear that I will…' Sebastian's train of thought was cut off, as, paying no attention as he walked out of the restroom door to where he was going, he managed to collide with a lady that had just exited the powder room. He was about to speak when he looked at her properly. He froze, as he realised what he had just done. He had just walked straight into Bette Midler, and had done so hard enough to knock her purse out of her hand, its contents now lying strewn across the floor…
"Ohmigod, I am so, so sorry, ma'am. It was totally my fault, 100%, no doubt whatsoever. Please, let me get that for you! Are you ok? Did I hurt you? I am so, so, sorry - and now you are rabbitting away nineteen to the dozen like the worst kind of fan girl, so just shut up, Sebastian!"
At that, Bette began to laugh; laughter which grew as Sebastian began to stumble about, picking things up, then dropping them again, getting more and more flustered by the second; trying to stay the cool, aloof, prep school boy, whilst inside his head a voice was screaming 'It's Bette Midler!' Once he had managed to retrieve everything, and place it back inside the purse, he handed it back to her, with a bow.
"Why, thank you, Sebastian. Just to allay your fears, no, I am not hurt, but it was kind of you to ask. I can also excuse you for being distracted. I saw what that awful old Dolloway creature was saying and doing to you, and I applaud your little outburst of rage. I said as much to Meryl; we both know her as of old. She has been pulling that stunt since before I was born."
Sebastian laughed, and then said "So for about thirty years then?"
"Oooh, I like you! All the prep school charm, with just a little edge. Nice. If you were straight, and I was in the market for a toyboy… but, hey, ho!" Sebastian instantly felt his cheeks burning, and seeing him blush hard made Bette laugh all over again. "Right young man, in way of an apology, I think that you should escort me back in, and get me a drink - and then you can tell me all about your husband." In a state of shock, and disbelief, Sebastian found himself taking her arm, and then walking with her back into the room…
"So, anyway, my little brother turned out to be a big hit with the divine Ms Midler. She laughed at his jokes, grinned at his sass, and proceeded to cry her eyes out when he told her all about what had happened with Hunter at Dalton - then howled with laughter again when he told her all about his exploits in Paris," said Julian.
"I did hear her laughing a lot that night, but I was so busy taking orders for the collection…"
"Well, Bazzy ended up having quite the night of it! He went on to formally introduce her to Nick and Jeff; Trent and Rory; Burt and Carole; Mike and Tina; Thad, David and Mercedes - basically everyone that was there. She was polite and showed an interest in them all, but it was my little brother that she fell totally in love with. Eventually, she had to go, of course, but before she did, she invited him and Dave to a small soiree at her place a couple of weeks later; they ended up going, although Dave had initially thought Sebastian was joking with him, until she opened the door to him, and then he spent the rest of the night in awe of the fact that he was actually at a celebrity party. It was that night that she gave my brother what she termed a late wedding gift from his Aunt Bette - the use of this table, here, tonight. Sebastian did not have the words to express his thanks, but she told him to enjoy it."
"Then why are we here, and not him?"
"Ah, my love, as time got closer, two things happened. Firstly, changes were made to Dave's schedule of matches, and although they could still have made it here for the right time, it would have been darn tight. Secondly, my brother might not show it often, but he is a romantic at heart. He could see that I was hopelessly in love with you from the moment we met on Christmas Day, my darling. Then of course, there was all that stuff with my mom at New Years, and he just felt that he owed me a lot of presents for all those years that we were kept apart, and he also wanted to give me a housewarming gift - and it suddenly struck him, what he could do, if he was able. So he called up Bette - yes, he does have her cell number, which was a shock to my system too - and told her what he wanted to do, and why. She replied that it was more than ok, as long as he promised her that he would celebrate today properly with his husband. I believe he then proceeded to tell her, in detail, what he intended to do with Dave instead, and she told him he was naughty - but she loved it…." Julian stopped, colour having flooded into his cheeks.
"So we are here tonight thanks to the fact that your kid brother is a friend of Bette Midler; now that is not something that I could ever have anticipated. Still, I am very grateful to him, and indirectly, to her."
"Me too, my darling. Now, enough talk. Let's order, and then ensure that we get plenty of pictures as proof that we have actually eaten here. Of course, if they are good enough, maybe we could post them on the internet somewhere."
"I think there might be a spot in my work blog for a picture of myself and my handsome Valentine's date," replied Isabelle. Julian grinned and then they both began to study the menu for their choice.
Of course, Sebastian's plans for the evening had gone a little awry since he had last spoken to his brother. When he had come across Grace in the street, and had heard her say that Beats was badly hurt, he knew that he had to go with her. Nick and Jeff had other plans; Trent was far away in Washington; Thad and David even further away in L.A. Someone had to go and help Ethan look after a devastated Flint. He had taken the groceries he had bought for the meal he was going to prepare, stuck them away quickly, and hurried back out to Grace.
Once Flint had vanished with Josh, he had chatted away to Scott, who had started to tear up the moment that he knew Josh was no longer in the room. Josh blamed himself for the situation that they now found themselves in; but so did Scott. After all, if his dad had not walked in on the two of them that Christmas Eve; if he locked his bedroom door… Sebastian had told him straight that it was not his fault. That even if they had done everything in their power, Mr Gilbert would have found out eventually. That if you were going to go and start attributing blame on that kind of shaky evidence, then you needed to go back to Beats himself. After all, he was the one that had reunited the Gilbert brothers… When Scott had told him that he was stupid to even suggest that Beats had brought it all on himself, Sebastian had replied "That's my point exactly. We can't interfere with fate. What is going to happen, will. Even if you changed every detail one at a time, this would still have come to pass. Trust me, I know all about that."
Eventually, Scott's parents rushed in, and Sebastian found himself being introduced to the De Marko's, and trying to summarise what they knew. Basically, Elliott was injured, but awake. Beats wasn't awake, and no-one knew how badly he was hurt. Now that they were here, he was able to excuse himself, and make his way into the corridor to take a look through the window at Beats. The sight of his friend lying there in the bed made him feel sick at heart, but there was nothing he could do, and Ethan was more than capable of looking after Flint with Izzy's help. He made his way along to Elliott's room, and popped his head round the door. If anything, the sight of the battered Elliott made his heart ache worse. He took his leave of them all then, anxious to get out of the hospital.
He jumped in a cab, and headed home. His plans for a delicious, romantic, three course French meal were out of the window now, given the time. Instead the moment he arrived home he called a good restaurant that he knew and ordered takeout, then concentrated on decorating the table and on his own appearance. The food managed to arrive before Dave got home, and for a moment he considered telling him that he had made it himself - then he dismissed it. Their marriage was built on honesty and trust. As he heard the sound of a key in the lock, he checked his appearance in the mirror, and then went to greet his man. He knew that he would have to tell him all of the days events - but then they could enjoy all the pleasure that romance brings…
Artie had spent most of the day thinking about what he was intending to do that evening, and wondering if in fact, he was actually doing the right thing. He was certain that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Kitty at his side, but he wasn't quite so sure that she felt the same way about him. Yes, she told him all the time that she loved him, but there was a big difference between that and actually marrying someone. He tried his best not to dwell on it, but he struggled, and in the end he was relieved when Tina turned up at his place at lunchtime. She and Mike both knew that he could over think things from experience, so whilst Mike headed to Julliard to get in some practice on a quiet day, she had decided that she would distract Artie by insisting that the two of them had a proper catch up. It was nice for the two of the to just sit together and discuss the old days, back at McKinley, when live had seemed so carefree; a time before death had claimed three of their former team-mates within the space of six months. They talked about their experiences at school too, and Tina made a point of asking Artie how his script was coming along for his film based on Sebastian and Dave in Vegas. He told her that he had managed to cast both parts from amongst his classmates at film school. He had considered at first casting from amongst his close friends, but as they tended to be friends of the two young men too, he had decided against it as it could get too weird.
Then, in a rare moment of candour, Artie handed Tina his notes for the documentary project he was intending to embark on next semester. She read the first page, and then looked up. "You've spoken to all of them? To Jeff, Burt, Carole, Cooper? I hope so, because you will need their permission to proceed with this. It is such a personal subject for all of them - heck, for all of us…"
"I have spoken to the main players, and they are all ok with it. They feel the story needs to be told. I am intending on telling everyone soon enough, because the stuff in it will impact on all of you. I began to consider doing this just after Hunter's trial, and I spoke to Burt about it; he advised me to wait a bit, let the dust settle. I only mentioned it to one other person at the time - Wes. He agreed that the story did need to be documented, and even offered to let me interview him as practice, which I did that summer whilst he was in the loft alone…"
"So you have Wes speaking about it all from beyond the grave. I also think that the story has to be told, but you do need to be careful. Even now, the whole affair with Hunter is a sensitive subject, not least amongst the Warblers who were there and lived through all the torment."
The chat ended abruptly there as suddenly they realised the time, and they had to hasten to the diner, after getting changed. On their arrival, they were greeted by the ashen faces of Sam and Dani. They sat and listened in horror as they were told what had been going on whilst they had been chatting aimlessly. Artie's first instinct was to call everything off and postpone his proposal to another more appropriate time.
When he came out and said as much though, Dani immediately spoke up. "Don't you dare! If we don't go ahead with this now, then it is another victory for their thug of a father. If Elliott was here, he would be telling you to go for it, and not to cancel everything just because of him. I don't know him as well, but I am sure that Beats would tell you the same. What you and Kitty have is love, pure and simple. That is an emotion that Mr Gilbert just does not get, if we are all being honest. The best way to fight hatred is with love. If you cancel this now, Artie, then you will have me to deal with for a start - and trust me, Santana told me exactly how to conceal razor blades in my hair. I am not afraid to use them if the need arises either!"
Sam had stood quietly by her side, deep in thought, but now he spoke up. "I have to say that I agree with her guys. We carry on. Nick and Jeff are on their way, ready to go. Everyone is up for this, so for the sake of those two guys lying in a hospital bed, we have to do this, Artie. I want to see you and Kitty happily engaged!" As Tina nodded in agreement, Artie found himself going along with it. It didn't mean that he felt any less uneasy about going ahead on what had become such a sad day for so many other people. However, as Rachel would have told him, the show had to go on…
The others then began to arrive in quick succession. Nick and Jeff walked in with grim faces, but a steely determination that love had to win out that day. Santana and Brittany arrived all smiles, fresh from a trip to look at wedding supplies - once they discovered the news, those smiles faded, and Santana was left muttering threats, but they agreed they had to look forward. Marley was next to arrive, fresh from doing something she had always dreamed off; singing on a radio show. Mike was right behind her, straight from school. The news was again relayed, and both felt as uneasy as Artie until something unexpected happened. Dani's phone began to ring, and to her surprise, and that of everyone else, it was Elliott. He was speaking surreptitiously on his brother's phone from his hospital bed, whilst a reluctant Grace was busy outside distracting the nurses. He wanted firstly to thank Dani, and then to ensure that they were pressing ahead with the plans for the day. She had put him on speakerphone so that they could all hear him, and his words made her smile, as it vindicated the position that she had taken. Artie was also relieved, and was quick to assure him that they were going ahead as planned, and that if it was possible, he and the potential future Mrs Abrams would come and see him the following day. Elliott laughed, then hissed as the pain in his ribs struck, making them all wince. Then they all heard Grace's voice being raised in the background, indicating the nurse was coming, so after hastily wishing them good luck, Elliott rang off.
