A day later, Javier awoke with a start. He was disoriented by waking up to find himself back in his room at the Bordello and he tried to remember what happened through his terrible headache, or if he had just walked back. Then he felt a sense of dread deep in the pit of his stomach with the thought that he had been brought back and was in deep trouble.
As he sat up, the room seemed to spin. His head was pounding, his mouth was dry and he also felt very hungry. Looking to his right, he was relieved to see his phone and personal effects. He also saw on his bed table a large bottle of sparkling water, a box of strong painkillers and stomach meds. Attached to the bottle was a post-it note with Spangna's curly handwriting that read 'When you wake up...call me! X Mercy'.
He quickly took the painkillers and gulped down a large amount of water before grabbing his phone and dialling Spangna.
"Oh my God, Hav! You're up! Are you okay?" She asked.
"Hmm, yeah. Let me guess...I'm gonna face Marcel to get my ass kicked before he fires me for being a fuck up." Javier said as he rubbed his eye.
"What?! No! There's good news and bad news. The good news is that you have today, and tomorrow off sweetie. I spoke to Marce, and you're okay."
"Seriously?! Marcel isn't gonna tear me apart?" Javier asked.
"No! Of course not! Marce even checked you over himself to make sure you were okay." Spangna said.
"What?! Really?! You're not just saying that?" Javier asked.
"No! I think because I banged on about you morning and night, he decided to spare your life." Spangna said before she giggled.
"Okay then, what's the bad news? I'm fired, right?"
"No! But you're not being paid for today and tomorrow, and you're doing three thirteen-hour shifts in LGBT."
"Great, I get the sausage fest." Javier said.
"Look, sweetie. Marce couldn't just not punish you in some way!" Spangna said.
"Well, you've both had some rather public fights, and he doesn't punish you!" Javier said.
"Oh! Yeah, he does!" Spangna said.
"Ohh, I don't think I want to know." Javier said.
"And, I get the cold shoulder and the silent treatment until we make up." Spangna said.
"I'm sure I can guess how that goes." Javier said.
"Of course! He can't go too long without me! So, we sort it out in bed and have makeup sex." Spangna said.
"Wow, it must be so nice to be wanted." Javier said.
"It is! Anyway, I'm on my way up to yours, okay?" Spangna said.
"What? Why?" Javier asked.
"I'll tell you when I'm there!"
"But I look terrible..." Javier said as he ran his fingers through his messy hair that was covered in dried gel.
"Seriously? You've seen me after filming group scenes! Just open the door when I buzz you!"
"Alright."
After a short while, his door buzzer went. He opened the door to see Spangna holding a tray, and all dolled up in her cybergoth workwear.
Smiling somewhat embarrassed as she walked through the door.
"Sit on the bed silly!" Spangna said as she held the tray.
"Did the boss make that?" He asked.
"No chance!" Spangna giggled as she opened the food cover to reveal a full English breakfast with sausages, bacon, baked beans, fried eggs, black pudding, mushrooms and toast.
"Oh my God! I can't eat all this...for breakfast?!" He said stunned.
"You need, what we British call, a greasy fry up after a night out on the piss! But, Ignacio asked me to bring you these too. I don't know why." She said as she held up two small French bread subs and a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.
"Oh! God bless Ignacio!" Javier said as he got up and went to the small counter to grab a small bowl.
"What's that for?" She asked.
"A special kind of Extra virgin olive oil." He answered as he poured some in the bowl, tore up the small bread sub and dipped it in the oil before eating it.
"You Spaniards are weird! What makes it special?"
"You don't cook with it. You just have it pure. Drizzle it on things or drink a little bit. It has so many health benefits." Javier said.
Spangna picked up the bottle and looked through it. "It's all misty and dirty! And it's green."
"Yes! That sediment is the good stuff. The best oils are green and...sludgy. I'm sure Marcel knows all about olive oils." Javier said.
"No, he doesn't. It doesn't feature strongly in French cuisine. But he is obsessed with bread and drinks out of a bowl at home. So maybe... you could educate him on olive oils as you're an expert." Spangna suggested.
Javier looked back at her shocked. Even through his banging headache, he knew that would never happen. "Me? Educate him? I don't know if you've noticed Mercy, but he's dismissed me as a fuckup."
"What makes you think that? Maybe he has not seen a level of expertise in you yet, in a topic."
Javier shot her a funny look before he finished off the bread and oil, then started to wolf down the eggs and bacon, washing it down with lots of water.
"Have, why did you leave?" Spangna asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
He shrugged. "I'd just...had enough. I'm telling you now, just before Lennon gets back, I want out of security. If I'm not moved then I'm walking. I'll pack my stuff and leave. My life is going nowhere and I have a bad feeling that things are about to get far worse...and I don't wanna be here to see it."
"Nothings going to get worse! Marce has everything and everyone under control! Where are you going to run away to, Hav?" She asked.
"I don't care where I go or what I do. I'll go...work in an office. I don't care." He said as he poured ketchup on the sausages.
"What..? Work for minimum wage in an office? After all this? That's like me getting a job on the till at Tesco!" Spangna said comically.
"What does that mean?" He asked.
"It's ridiculous! just like your idea, Hav. None of us, can ever be normal again...none of us!" Spangna said.
"Thanks for that." Javier sighed.
"Look! You're just down because you're lonely. What if I set you up with a blind date?" Spangna suggested.
Javier shook his head. "Err, no thanks."
"Don't be shy! I can set you up with a nice girl! I can just ask if she'd object to dating a staff member. But, just who would object to having a meal with a young, good looking Latin guy?" Spangna said.
"No offence, but I don't want to date a girl in the business." He said shyly.
"Why?"
"I think I've seen too much. Also, I think that they'd want a lifestyle far beyond my means or want an unrealistic relationship, or just be...weird." Javier replied as he ate.
"Am I weird?"
"Yes! But, you're real. That's why the boss loves you." Javier said.
"I think he and I always had a little thing. Even from my first interview with him. But, he needed a lot of pushing." Spangna stopped to giggle a moment. "One of the first things he asked me to do when we started dating, was to wash all the makeup off my face so that he could see me without my drawn eyebrows or heavy eye makeup. I thought he was disappointed when he looked a little tearful, but he told me it was because I was pretty."
"I've never seen you without all the makeup and the piercings around your mouth." Javier said as he stared at her trying to imagine it.
"I think I look quite frightful, and a bit shit."
Javier shook his head. "Don't be silly. Even I can tell that you're pretty. I'm not surprised the boss fell in love with you. But if he knew that I knew so much about you both...he'd kill me."
Spangna pat him on the back. "Leave Marcel to me. Now! Get better, you've got your interview and a wedding."
"Oh, yeah. I do." He replied.
☆
Lennon stepped out of the shower, he looked in the cupboard for fresh bath towels but found that Chéri had taken them all for his bath and shower before. He wrapped the large towel around his wet waist and walked downstairs with his hair dripping water down his shoulders.
"Momma!" Lennon called as he went down the stairs. "Where are the bath towels? I think Martyn's had them all!"
"Hey bro, You ain't got much blank place left on that canvas of yours." Logan said as he looked Lennon up and down. "What the heck have you covered yourself in?" He added as he looked.
"Ohh, if I see somethin' I like, I just get it."
Monique walked in to see her eldest son with the towel wrapped around his thin waist. "My lord! You'll catch your death, sweetheart!" She said as she rushed off to get towels.
Logan stared at Lennon a moment and the large 'Chéri' ark above his stomach. "Dud, why on earth have you got one of them sissy pink cherry flowers on ya."
"Oh, that? Yeah, it's...the official symbol of her family. So, I got one too." Lennon stammered.
"Is that why Martyn is covered in them, Hmm?" Logan asked as Nathan walked in. "Nate, check out Lenn's pink flowers."
"Whoa, dude that's...really somethin'." Nathan said as he looked over.
"Don't cha think it's a bit weird on him? I mean, it looks straight-up faggy on Martyn, but he's covered in the fuckin' things." Logan said.
"Yeah but, he's a Euro guy. They are a bit weird. I like Martyn, he's very artistic." Nathan said.
Logan shook his head slowly. "Nah, I don't think I do. There's somethin' about him that I just don't like."
Monique came back in with thick towels. "Where's your house robe darling?"
Before Lennon could answer, Nathan turned around. "I saw Martyn wearing your purple house robe."
"See!" Logan said. "Yet another weird lie. He said it was his. I also saw him wearing one of your T-shirts. It ain't normal to go around wearin' another dudes clothes! I'm tellin' ya... Martyn's bent."
Lennon sighed. "Lo! He didn't pack a lot of clothes so I said he could wear mine. No big fuckin' deal."
"Does he wear your underpants too? Bet he goes straight for them." Logan said, making Nathan laugh.
Their mother turned around and looked at them. "Now, now boys." She said before she looked Lennon up and down. "Please, no more tattoos sweetheart! All that drawing is hiding my little boy!" She said before she left, taking more towels up to the large bathroom.
"I totally bet he sniffs underwear. He looks the sort." Logan joked.
"What, like you do?" Nathan said. "You totally swiped Jenelle's panties."
"No, I didn't! They got mixed in the wash and ended up in my room. Lenn's the biggest pervert here! He was always a bit pervy. No wonder he hangs out with a dude covered in pink flowers who wears other dudes clothes." Logan protested.
"Well, they don't fit as he's got no body fat. It's why he's cold all the time." Nathan said.
"I bet he'll ask one of us to warm up his bed next." Logan joked before doing an impersonation of Chéri's accent as he rubbed his chest. "Could you pleeease...warm my bed? And, and give me a fag and a hand job? And let me stick this pole up your arse."
Lennon looked like he was about to respond for a moment. "Ahh, fuck you two." He said before he turned around to dash back up the stairs.
"Aww, come on dude! Have a sense of humour!" Logan called after him.
"Hey bro, come back!" Nathan called.
Lennon reached the top of the stairs to see Chéri step out of his bedroom.
"Ohh, walkin' around in just a towel huh?" Chéri asked, smiling.
Lennon stopped and leant against the door frame. "Yeah. Shame I can't benefit from it just now. Cher, I think we need to get outta here."
"We could head out to the hotel. Have some fun and some much-needed relief." Chéri said as he eyed Lennon up and down, before noticing some healing Marks on Lennon's forearm. "What's that...?" He said as he looked closely.
"Oh, that's just some self-harming, out of frustration." Lennon muttered.
Chéri tried to read it, "Speak, something, something, queen? What does this mean?!"
Lennon shook his head. "I was frustrated, and cuttings the only thing that helps." He said, pulling his arm away.
"No, no! This is a message for someone. Who? What's going on?" Chéri demanded quietly.
"Nothing." Lennon shrugged.
"Bullshit, Lenny! Who's the queen then? Have you taken a picture of this to send someone? Show me your phone gallery, now."
Lennon opened the door of the room Chéri was staying in, and pushed him into the room. "Look, Chéri, come on." Lennon said.
"No! You accuse me of having secrets but you're becoming just as bad! Now I want to look at your phone pictures and messages." Chéri said, trying to stay quiet.
"No! Cause every time I want to see your phone you tell me to go fuck myself." Lennon said.
"But you know how I get myself into trouble! You're supposed to be the mature one!"
"Okay, look, Cher, I've got myself into trouble, but I can handle it and I'll take care of it."
"Show me your phone." Chéri said with folded arms.
"Cher, please, I can't. I've, I've done some dumb stuff."
"Show me your phone."
"Cher, I'm trying to protect us, and our business at the Bordello! I love you! God knows I love you!"
"Show me your phone."
"You'll just flip because you'll see things out of context! Please trust and believe me! Everything I do, I do for us!"