Chapter III "Living Conditions"

Life for Roger was just about perfect; things were really turning up for him just the way he had expected. He had finally got a promotion at work, Mrs. Belle had called for a meeting with all the newspaper staff to announce Roger’s promotion due to his perfect writing skills and with it a big rise that he had used for the first payment on a brand new car; Roger didn’t knew much about cars but this one was shiny, fast and mean.
Work wasn’t the only thing turning out perfectly for Roger, now with his income he had moved in a very fancy penthouse in a new building downtown, even Alex’s bachelor apartment didn’t even compare to Roger’s new home.
Regarding with his health Roger was no longer allergic to strawberries which he was really enjoying now and he felt like a 20 year old, instead of the 25 he had now. He suddenly felt younger, healthier and more attractive. His teeth looked brighter and his hair wasn’t falling anymore; he didn’t have a balding problem, but losing hair is a problem that haunts every guy.
And now the most important part of his new perfect life he had just heard from Lucy whom had dumped Vince and was now begging for Roger’s forgiveness. He knew he eventually forgive her, but she was going to have to work for it.
Life was good, bright, full, and joyful and it smelled like chocolate chips pancakes.
Pancakes?
Roger knew that smell, that specific type of chocolate chip pancakes, half burned and made with dark chocolate and a side of guilt. He was home.
“Honey! Come down to have some breakfast, and don’t say you can’t or won’t when I was your age we had to choose between something to eat or something to wear.” Guilt; and not at all true Emily Summers, Roger’s mom, came from a very wealthy family.
“Mom?” Fantasy land had vanished and the cruel reality had hit Roger’s mind making him want to go back to sleep.
“Come on honey breakfast is on the table and your brother is already downstairs and he woke up hungry, just like every day for the past eighteen years.” Emily was the kind of mom to appreciate every one of her kids for all their qualities and capacities in a very distinctive way.
“Mom you really have to be in my room?” Moving back home and waking up to his new reality, dumped and homeless, made Roger felt grumpy and uncomfortable.
“Your room/my new art supply room.” Every time one of their kids left home Logan and Emily Summers quickly rushed to turn their rooms into something for themselves. Now with three out of four out of the house, and the last one leaving for college in the fall, they had now enough rooms for themselves; but they hadn’t considered one of them moving back home.
“Can’t you put those in Emma’s room? She just left for Europe and won’t be coming back home until next year.” Having his boxes and his mom’s boxes in the same room wasn’t the best arrangement he could have asked for.
“No can’t do hon, you now that Emma’s room is now your father’s aquarium room.” These were no ordinary parents.
“Fine, but could you please not open your Woodstock-arts in here until I’m out and maybe a window is open?”
“The smell will drag you out of here and downstairs, I hope Max left you some breakfast.” And now Emily was setting her materials and her purple carpet where she sat on until inspiration hit her.
Roger passed right in front of his sister’s room and saw his dad feeding and talking to his fish. Even if he had said good morning his dad would just keep on telling his pets the visionary changes he had for their tanks.
Roger knew two sides of his dad; the renowned history teacher that worked for the University and was part of the board from the Burke museum of natural history and culture and the overweight, jolly warm dad that had always been like a fifth child to his wife and that nowadays talked with his fish.
“Hey bro, want some burned chocolate chip pancakes?” Max was Roger’s younger brother. He had just graduated from high school despite all the odds and was heading now to college, also despite all the odds.
“Are you sure you don’t need any more in your plate?” Max was good at two things, sports and eating anything no matter how burned, over cooked or expired with no repercussions to his health.
“Nope already had dinner left over’s from dad’s Chinese-with-a side-of-Indian-food-night.”
“That was four days ago.”
“It was still fresh.”
“I think it was in the trash.”
“Nope just the egg rolls.”
“Is that one of them half eaten in your plate?”
“Yeah, want some?” No need to say Max also didn’t have a problem with chewing and eating at the same time.
“I’m ok with just burned pancakes, wasn’t Risa supposed to make breakfast this week?” Risa had been the maid of the Summer’s family long enough to gamble the house chores with family members.
“Nope she won the last rummy marathon so she is out from cooking this week and from arriving early, but suit yourself bro; don’t say I didn’t offer…Rog?”
“Max?”
“I didn’t really like her you know.” This time Max didn’t had food in his mouth.
“You don’t have to do that; you where kind off close.”
“But you and I, we are closer.”
“Thanks man.”
“Now this isn’t the situation where you say something and I say something and there is an awkward moment and a lame hug, so let’s just say bro’s before hoes.”
“Here you can have my pancakes I have to go to work.” In these house family bonds where based mostly on food.
“Thanks, are you sure you are ready for that? You know she will be there.” Now Max’s mouth was full of half masticated food.
“Got to go sometime, better late than ever. Who knows? Maybe she is not there.”
“Here is hoping.” Max smiled with a mouth full of pancakes and eggrolls. He was a very nice guy and a great younger brother.
He was young but he was right, Lucy might be there, she worked there actually they met there. But Roger wouldn’t let Lucy take his job away from him, heart and home was just about enough.
He took a shower and got dressed; he tried wearing something Lucy hadn’t seen before and that made him look he was better than ever when it was evident he really wasn’t, but he had to start moving on, she obviously had.
Alex had a great job, and he was great at it. He basically looked for new bands and singers that he could sign-in and make their dreams come true while the music studio he worked in made more money and making him a more valuable asset to have.
He also was a very good with making music; he played five instruments and had real talent in making mixes and arrangements so well that it didn’t matter he wasn’t very good at writing lyrics, the writer of the group was Roger, no question asked.
Alex loved his job, and everyone there loved him too. His boss would tell him almost three times a week that Alex reminded him when he was younger. His colleagues knew he was the most talented of them there and would go to him very often for advice and help. And of course the female population had a crush on him, but Alex was smart enough to know not to get involved with someone at work, that’s why he had told every girl he had been with at work not to tell anyone and act like nothing had happen, he would do it anyway.
Alex also had the perfect assistant sharp, quick, reliable, smart, responsible and male. If Alex was ever going to keep a good assistant he needed not to be attracted to it, so hiring Brian was the best thing he had done in there.
“Hey boss someone here says he knows and want to see you.” Brian liked wearing bluetooth headset made him feel more professional and kind off a rock star.
“Everyone knows me and if they play their cards right they would get to see me.”
“A Frank Summers and his band Out of the crisis, he doesn’t have an appointment should I send them back to the euro tour he says they just where on?”
“Frankie Summers is back? Brian anyone from the Summer’s family is an instant pass ok, you should have started saying he was the one wanting to see me.”
“Got it boss, I get you two go way back.”
“Way back he is Roger’s older brother, he was the one that sponsored our first hang over, teach us how to pick up girls even do I was the only one that really learned you know brotherly stuff, the kind of stuff Rose could never done for me and I never got to do for a brother of mine.”
“I’ll send him right trough and push your other appointments to later.”
“Thanks I hope you never decide to leave this office, things wouldn’t get done in here.”
“Can’t promise you anything in the future but for the meantime I’ll get you something to eat.”
“Frank doesn’t eat green.”
“No he doesn’t! And if you ask him he would say it is not too early for a brewski and that he is enjoying talking in third person.” Frank would be most likely Alex’s brother than Roger’s. He was charming, tall, handsome and a rock star he was one of the cool guys.
“So is he going to stop talking like that?”
“Any minute now.”
“Come on, come on tell me what can I do for you? Or are you here to rub me in your euro tour?”
“Yes I will but that will have to wait I’m here to discuss business first.” Frank sometimes had an English accent he had picked up from all the time spent in England.
“Business? Who do you think I am?” For Alex hanging out with Frank had always been play never have they discussed work or anything else.
“All play no work eh.”
“You taught me well.”
“Well at least one out of three.” Greg and Roger hadn’t taken much advantage of what Frank had tried to teach them over the years.
“So what you got for me? You finally decided to sign in with us?”
“Actually yeah that is correct, Out of the crisis is looking for a new home.”
“Wow, first time I have ever guessed that right.”
“Don’t flatter yourself; you and your company are good, that’s why we are choosing you, and inviting you, the gang, and your tight assistant whom really looks in need of a chill to a small gathering tonight.”
“Small gathering? You don’t strike me as the kind of guy that would go to small gatherings. But I’m right there with ya, Brian does need a chill.”
“It’s a party/concert we are giving to commemorate our come back to the states it’s very exclusive but since I’m the band leader and master I decide who can come in.”
“Great, nothing better than Monday night shots, your brother will be up to it.”
“Yeah I heard, got axed and neutered all at the same time it will be nice to see him.”
“Especially since he had to move back home.”
“I don’t think there is enough space for him at home our mom has a very special way of making her kids out of the nest by remodeling their rooms as soon as they leave.”
“He has a bedroom/art supply room now.”
“Think that is worst from the pottery room my dad installed in mine? Ha-ha… anyway, so party tonight and more business tomorrow?”
“Yes, well we can arrange for an audition and a presentation from your new record and then we can discuss the details, contract and all that.”
“But party tonight.”
“Party tonight.”
“I’ll give Brian the details and I’ll see you guys there.”
“Great we’ll be there I’m sure by know Brian has your beer because that is how we call it here.”
“I’ll get to it see you later man.”
“Bye Frankie.”
This couldn’t be a better moment for him, signing in a new band will make Alex look perfect to his boss specially since this was no ordinary, unknown band.
Alex had the perfect job because he was good at it but most of the times he didn’t had to be good because things usually came to him as easy as this had.
For Greg this would be a very productive day, ever since his grandmother had passed he had been very busy with remodeling his house to think about going back to work but this morning he had to go back because he was almost done with the whole extreme make over.
Greg tough it would be hard to go back to work, but he felt ready to go back and he was ready to move on with his life.
He had considered different scenarios when he went back to work, maybe Dr Weathers would try to sign him as a new patient, maybe there was a new employee hired to help during his grief or maybe he would be sent home to mourn his grandmother a little longer; anything had crossed his mind but the thing he actually found.
Usually the practice had a lot of light, there were a lot open windows and living plants but if Greg didn’t knew better he would have guessed that there was no one there. The place was dark, the curtains where closed, windows shut and most likely there were no longer green plants there and there was no Dr Weathers to be found.
“Dr?” Greg liked sci-fi shows, and in this particular case he tough that if he was in one of them then Dr. Weathers would be sired by now and that he was in great danger, but no vamps allowed in this story.
“Dr Weathers are you in here? Are you ok?” Still for Greg the idea of being alone and in a dark room made him felt not alone at all and not safe.
“Boy? Is that you?” Like if the whole situation wasn’t creepy enough for Greg it seemed like Dr Weathers had a sore through which made him sound thirst for blood or brains or something else just as ridiculous.
“It’s me Dr are you ok…. Please don’t say you need some help.” This last part he whispered.
“I’m here, please boy I need some help.”
“Ok, hang on I’m going to open this window first, you know let some fresh air in, some sunlight also, sunlight is good, no one has ever got enough sunlight… well just melanoma patients.”
Greg went and rapidly opened the curtains, but nothing would have prepared him for what was lying in the floor.
Hiding from the sunlight Greg found Dr Weathers, his face looked like he hadn’t slept, shower or shaved and his wrinkled clothes suggested he hadn’t changed them in a while also there was a subtle smell of scotch in the room.
“Oh the light.”
“Dr Weathers are you ok? What happened? I have only been gone for a week how could you get this out of shape this fat?” Greg was a little embarrassed for being afraid, even do if Dr Weathers were now a night creature he could easily have take him down.
“My life, all I ever wanted and now just gone; and I never built up the courage to do something about it.” He was making no sense and Greg was getting sick from Dr Weathers smell.
“I’m trying to help you Dr, but in order to do that I need to know what you are saying because you are making no sense and honestly you smell.”
“She.”
“Who?”
“She is gone, just like that?”
“A patient did this to you? Was it Mrs. Higgins? She brought again her special brownies? Did you have four of them again? You know that was medically prescribed for her no matter how pushy she can be.” Apparently Greg wasn’t the sharpest person there was, but how could he know that his boss had a crush on his grandmother, even do she must have been at least twenty years older than him.
“Lauren Huber, beautiful woman, caring nurse, quick, sharp and taken away from us too soon.”
“OK!” Greg was up, freaked and creped out was not enough to explain how he was felling right now.
“Dr, first of all ew she was my grandmother and all in all she was old and with arthritis, you could have been her son.”
“I don’t see your point boy, I would have made an honest woman out of her if at least I had the chance and the courage” poor Dr Weathers and his eyes full of tears.
“No I forbid you to say that, or think that, vomit smell is not what this office needs right now.”
“Vomit? Have I throw up on myself?”
“No but I will throw up on you. Ok Dr you have to go home, clean up, shave, eat something and come back when you are sober.”
“I don’t know where my car is.”
“You don’t need a car you need a cab…which is a car, but not your car…so you need someone else’s car no go I’ll take care of things here.” Grandma Lauren would be very proud to see Greg handling things in the practice for himself.
“How can I…”
“Dr Weathers that’s what she would have wanted from you, to go home and take a shower.”
“Well I’m gone boy; I apologize for the condition you found me in.”
“Don’t worry now please go.”
Even right now after Dr Weathers was gone Greg could still smell the scotch inside, he didn’t knew that his boss had given his fichus something to drink.
After removing the plant from the office and done a quick sweep of the office, which helped distract Greg was again, a patient came in.
“Excuse me is Dr Weathers here?” This was Gary Spears’s second visit to the office he was recently divorced and a judge had order him to therapy after running over his ex-wife’s bike. Gary had said charges against him should be pressed since Nancy wasn’t ridding the bike when he ran over it, even do it had been his intention to hit both of them.
“He had to go, but I’m taking over the practice for now.” Greg felt good saying that.
“Aren’t you a little too young?” Gary didn’t trust young guys anymore, he hadn’t proved Nancy had cheated on him, but he had his suspicions.
“Thanks for noticing, but age is not something relevant… well in some cases it is I mean a 60 year old can’t have thoughts about an 80 year old.” Gary was lost, he wasn’t used to Greg’s rambling.“Sorry, don’t worry I’m very well trained and capable to take on patients, if you are comfortable with it.”
“I’m Gary, Gary Spears recently divorced.”
“Welcome Mr. Spears you can call me Greg.”
“Is your name Gregory?”
“No, just Greg.”
“Ok, I don’t trust guys with long names.” Gary had very several issues.
“Perfect, this way then.”
That day Greg took over the whole practice and patients, he saw people and heard about their several problems some of them funny, some ridiculous and some just playing weird.
Even do the highlight of his day was when Sarah came in to see the fish tank and to show Greg the flyers she had made for the garage sale they were having.
Greg and Sarah had lunch and laughed about the crush Dr Weather had, not to be cruel but it was just something you don’t hear or see every day his grandmother had given him a free pass to his own patients, in a way of course, she would have been very proud of her grandson.
For Roger going back to work wasn’t been as hard as he had thought it would be. Most likely because he hadn’t entered the building yet, he wasn’t ready yet.
“I’m the only one allowed to be late Mr. Summers, and if I do no one can or should say I’m late or that would be the end of their silly attempt of becoming something remotely related with writing.” Roger wouldn’t be late until Mrs. Belle entered the building, finish her coffee and gather everyone for feedback on their works and give away new assignments.
“I’m not Mrs. Belle not yet, I’m just waiting for Lucy” In a way he was.
“Well in that case you will be late and without a job, Ms. Aldrin doesn’t work here anymore.”
“What? Why? Since when?”
“Seriously Mr. Summers, do you think I’m here to deliver you the news and updates of my staff?”
Roger was still staring at Mrs. Belle confused and his face demanded answers.
“If you must know Ms. Aldrin gave me her two minutes notice last week, she moved to Europe to work or wed there I didn’t asked everyone is replaceable specially her, and specially you if you don’t go in there.”
Roger was still speechless and knowing Lucy wouldn’t be there at all didn’t make it easier to him to go back. His brain was out but his legs were moving, apparently they didn’t want to be unemployed.
He walked inside and everything was the same it had been since the last time he had been there, just no Lucy.
Not a lot of people knew or cared about Roger and Lucy’s relationship, since Roger was just a guy that covered little stories that always ended on the hamster cage he wasn’t someone people pay attention to.
Having to see the person that broke your heart everyday and knowing that person changed you for their ex is not something anyone would like to experience. But emotions for definition are not reasonable and even do the bridge has burned people still like to take a look at what is in the other side, knowing they can’t get there anyway.
But for Roger knowing that he would never see Lucy again was just the last kick in the nuts reality had for him; in a pathetic way he had agreed to just see Lucy everyday and not being with her again, but now he would have to do the healthy moving on process that he so desperately wanted to postpone the further he could have.
Mrs. Belle was coming out if her office and was about to gather everyone around but this time she made a quick stop at Roger’s desk first. He didn’t notice her until she was talking about the promotion.
“Congratulations Mr. Summers despite everything I thought of you it appears like you are in fact a good writer.” It was a good thing Roger wasn’t really hearing this now.
“It doesn’t mean I was wrong, it means I helped you became a good writer. I liked the angle you gave to your stories, I don’t know what happen to you last week and I don’t care, but whatever it was it helped you get better, keep it up.” Still not listening.
“So, from now on you are entitled a column in the news paper, something new we are trying let’s call it your two cents, people will ask your opinion and you will give it if it represents the opinion of this newspaper, congratulations.”
“What?” Now he was paying attention.
“It’s a promotion Mr. Summers, show me your gratitude by not disappointing me and go see the guy that always wears ridiculous ties.”
“Ted?”
“I think that’s how he is called, I don’t know, he will tell you the details of your new assignments.”
And just like that she was gone to terrorize all the others that where in the position that Roger was now free off. Now apparently he was in and people suddenly knew his name, after all going back to work had been a good thing for him.
“Dr. Doyle there is a new patient in the waiting room and the other doctors are busy do you want me to send it here with you?”
“Yes I got the time, thanks Sheila. What kind of patient is it?”
“A cute one.”
“Are you talking about the patient or the owner?” Rose didn’t know sometimes with Sheila whom was she talking about.
“I’ll send them right away.” Shelia sounded excited which wasn’t a good sign.
Not long after Shelia was out of the door Rose saw them entering her office. Dan followed by James. They both where handsome and English but just one of them was old and a little bit smelly thankfully it was the dog. Rose thought both of them where cute, but one of them was a bulldog and those are cute.
“Good evening Dr. Doyle, may I introduce myself?; my name is James Spencer and this old fella is Dan, very pleased to met you.” He had a great smile also, plus with the English accent it wasn’t hard to figure out why Shelia was still on the other side of the door.
“Lovely.” She wasn’t thinking straight right now
“I beg your pardon.” Again with the smile.
“Dan the dog, your dog, I mean what a lovely dog you have.” Busted.
“Don’t be modest this days Dan hasn’t been feeling so well and he has kind off starting to develop an unpleasant smell.” Even when James was talking about Dan’s digestive problems he still was charming enough to make Rose imagine herself with him.
“Matt!” Suddenly she remembered she already had a boyfriend.
“Not Matt James, looks like you are not so good with memorizing names Dr.” Rose needed James to stop being so attractive and charming, she couldn’t think straight and now all she needed to remember was Matt.
“Sure you are someone has to be you, and you make a good job at being you, but I just remember another person, a Matt person.”
“Oh sorry I didn’t knew you were expecting someone else, want me to come back later?” Actually Rose didn’t want him to go at all.
“No no no no, I’m sorry, I’m here for you…for Dan, you can go to the waiting room I’ll get him to you in a hurry.” She realized she would have to not be with him in order to do her job.
“Take your time doctor, I’ll be waiting.”
“Thanks, there are some magazines you can read or not whatever you chose.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He left, and Rose just whispered “Oh my dog” which catch the attention of Dan whom was looking at Rose with a stare of disapprove and judgment, after all he was English”
“I know that was so unprofessional, I’m just glad you can’t talk.”
The welcome back party for Frank’s band was the place to be in that Monday night. The club was named Limbo and apparently and according to Alex the best club Seattle had ever seen for the last four months, which most likely meant it will be done in a few weeks.
The idea was to gather all type of people the VIPs, the IPs and just the Ps but not mixing them at all. It was a very complicated event to plan but Ethel, Frank’s manager and fiancé liked the challenge and the stress these kinds of things required.
Roger and the gang would qualify as just Ps at this party, luckily one of the advantages of your brother being a stud rock star means you don’t have to waste your time in line with all the other Ps, because if you are a VIP of the host you are a VIP in the party.
Everyone who was going to the party where on their way to Limbo, everyone that is except for Roger. This night the designated driver job was on Rose’s hands, she Sarah and Greg where on their way to pick up Roger but they hadn’t considered that since he was back home he would have to ask for permission to go out, and obviously there was a curfew he had to stick to.
“Mom seriously I have to go change Rose will be here any minute now.” There is nothing like arguing with your mother, no matter how old you are this won’t get old and she will always try to get her way.
“Not until you finish your dinner, and don’t think I haven’t noticed you just spread your peas over the plate.” This was not your regular mom.
“Would it be ok if Max ate it?”
“Yes please.” Roger’s little brother didn’t have a problem with eating an extra portion any time.
“Here son you can have my peas.” Roger’s dad wasn’t a fan of vegetables either and having a son that’s eats about anything helped him dispose of them and get faster to dessert.
“Thanks dad.”
“DAD!”
“That’s fine just give your brother your peas and go change.”
“Thanks Rog.” Also speaking with his mouth full wasn’t a problem to Max.
“Doesn’t anyone care I spend a lot of time and effort in preparing this dinner? Time and effort I could have used to finish my last painting for the opening of the new gallery.”
“Well best luck next time you play poker with Risa, no one forced you to raise the bet.”
“She did! I had already lost the ironing bet.”
“And I lost the vacuuming one and after that I realized it was better for me to leave the table.”
“That’s why I don’t play against her, I have never seen her loose.” Roger’s dad was halfway done with his piece of cake.
“You are a wise man dad.” Now Max had started to dig into the cake as well, in the same plate he had already eaten his dad’s, his brother’s and his own dinner.
“Ok mom we can make a plan another day on how to beat Risa at poker, rummy, domino and any other gambling activity, but right now I have to go. Frankie is expecting us.” Roger wasn’t ashamed to guilt his mother into letting him go after all he had learned from her.
“Ok fine, first of all curfew.”
“Seriously?”
“While you live under our roof.”
“Temporarily, temporarily.”
“Well temporarily curfew.”
“Dad?”
“You are 25 and you still think I have a say when your mom has made up her mind.” He was right, Emily trumped Logan.
“Fine what’s the dead line?”
“2:30 am.” Mean woman.
“4 am.” Roger was very confident when he said it.
“2 am.”
“3:30 am?” Not so confident now.
“Fine I want you both here at 3:30 am.”
“Great…. Wait, what? Want us both back? Who are both of us?” He already knew the answer, but somewhere inside him there was hope that he was wrong.
Max smiled whit chocolate cake all over his teeth not so white now.
“He is going? I mean no offense bro but you are 18.”
“Well its date night.” Logan Summers gave his wife a very disturbing look.
“Ok ew, but seriously his is my little brother, I love him and I’ll do anything to keep him away from emotional scars due to your date night but he is 18 they won’t let him inside.”
“Of course he will, it’s Frankie’s party he will help him get in.”
“Mom Frank is not the owner of the club.”
“I don’t follow.” She would have her date night no matter what.
This was useless Max was going and that was it, worst case scenario he would have to stay outside and loose the party but he would be ok.
“Fine he can come, go change Max Rose will be here any minute now.”
“I’ll be right back bro thanks.” Max ran to his room with a plate of leftovers and a mouth full of cake while his father served himself another piece.
“You know mom, you never let me go out with Frankie when he went out.”
“Of course not, god knows what the two of you would have done, I trust you will bring back your little brother in one piece and hang over free.”
“I can’t promise you anything.” He was confident again.
“3 am.”
“Fine, fine he will be back in one piece.”
Roger got a text from Rose she was getting closer, he shower and changed in a record time and he was coming down the stairs when the doorbell rang. Rose was here.
“Hey Rog you ready?”
“We are”
“We?”She was as surprised as Roger had been a while ago.
“Hey Red!” Rose was a red hair, in case you didn’t know. Max ran to the car with Greg and Sarah ruining a potential moment between them, or at least for Greg.
“So he is going.”
“My mom said.” Roger said it trying to apologize in a way, actually it wasn’t so much a problem they all liked Max.
“Ok no problem, any chance he could be a designated driver?” Rose was eager to get a drink tonight, anything that would keep James out of her mind.
“I don’t think that is such a good idea.”
They headed to the car where Sarah was already sharing her flask with Max.
Luckily all of them where on the VIP list, even Max and they got into Limbo where the music, the lights and the people made them forget about all of their recent problems and disillusions. The stage was in the end of the club and it could be seen from any part of it. The VIP section was upstairs and filled with the right people.
In the VIP section there was a table waiting for them, with a couple of bottles and Brian Alex’s assistant whom none of them have ever met before. From where they were they could see the stage and the dance floor.
They all sat down and started to pour down the vodka to help break the ice with Brian whom was evidently not very comfortable partying on a Monday night, all of the except for Alex.
“Brian is it right?” Rose was always the first to include new people to the group, she felt a little responsible for him since he was her brother’s assistant.
“Yes Ms. Doyle.”
“Is Dr Doyle actually, but you can call me Rose.”
“Ok sorry, what’s up?”
“You know anything about my brother? I thought we would see him here at the table”
“Mr. Doyle is backstage with the band he will be right back for the concert.”
“Ok thanks.” Rose felt like she had called Alex’s office instead of talking to a guy in a club.
Max was the first one to go downstairs to the dance floor; he had too much vodka inside him and was very excited to be in a club not only for the first time but in a Monday night, all this also made hi really hungry.
Roger, Greg and Sarah all started to play drinking games, one of the general rules was that anytime Brian yawned they all had to do a shot; luckily for them Brian was bored and sleepy.
The only one left out of the games and that was actually regretting it was Rose; she was having a good time and she knew the show would be good, but for unknown reasons to her she couldn’t stop thinking about James.
“Missing Matt Rosie?” Sarah was the only one that noticed her friend’s worrying face.
“What? ..... Yeah, Matt, him; we haven’t talked in a while.” Caught completely out of ward.
“Don’t worry honey he will be back soon and….oh! He did it again! Shot everyone.”
“Yes he will.” Rose told to herself.
Backstage the band was getting ready, Ethel, whom was wearing a huge engagement rock in her hand, was checking up on the last details and sound checks and Alex was acting like a little kid in an unsupervised toy/candy store. The only one missing was Frank; he was in a dressing room preparing for the show.
“Sound check checked, make up check, instruments check, players check, and people hype for us outside check; Now, could anyone go get Frankie?” Ethel was always on top of things, she already had everything checked but still she liked to re do the checking.
“I can go get him.” Alex almost started to jump around screaming “me, me pick me!” but thankfully he didn’t.
“Ok fine go get him, tell him we are ready.”
Alex was in cloud nine by now, this was the part of his job that he enjoyed the most, because no matter how VI the people in the VIP section where they were not allowed backstage; having a twin makes you want to have something no one else does, and tonight both Doyle twins did.
“Frankie? Are you ready?” Alex knocked on Frank’s door; he was very excited, like a kid whose dream is to become a pilot and is taken to the captain’s cabin on his holiday flight.
“In a minute, just gotta end the preparation ritual” Frank’s ritual was unknown to everyone except for Ethel and she had never pay attention to it.
“That’s alright dude I can wait out here”
“Don’t be shy; come in you’ll want to see this”
Alex took a breath and made a poker face, he didn’t want to look like a crazy fan that had won the local radio contest on met-your-favorite-rock-star.
No one is their right mind would ever want to leave that room, fancy food, drinks, lounge furniture and even a pin ball machine made that the classic rock star live style shine.
“Hey Frankie ready for the show?”
“Almost just gotta finish this up.” Frank had a bottle of water and some pills.
“Don’t tell me you are too old now and have to take some vitamins.”
“Sure, you can call them vitamins if you want; I mean they help me just like vitamins help people so I think they qualify.” Frank smiled and swallowed two of those pills.
“Aspiring?”
“Aspiring?”
“Big pill, Bill letter A on it.”
“No A on these pills.”
“Oh yeah, noticed.”
“Why would I be taking aspirin?”
“I don’t know, some rock stars do, I assume.”
“I think I know a few that do”
“Anyway, what do you mean they help you? Are you taking drugs man?”
“Not drugs, just drug this one; don’t get all fuzzed it’s just part of the ritual.” He took a zip from another glass that did not look like it contained just water.
“So you do this often.”
“Relax man all rock stars do it, it’s just part of the ritual, I got it under control.”
“Well if you say so.” Alex wasn’t a hundred percent convinced but Frank had been like an older brother to him but he wasn’t his actual brother so he believed him.
“Yeah don’t sweat it; here have one, the first is on me.”
“Ok sure just one, what is it? If I may ask.”
“Does it really matter?”
“I guess not.” Anyone could see that Alex was neither sure nor comfortable but he had never said no to any of Frank’s lessons and he was a cool guy role model Alex had always tried to copy, but this was getting way too far.
Alex went to meet his friends, and the show started. Frankie seemed fine; maybe those pills were just vitamins plus Alex didn’t feel different or weird, still he didn’t drink anything else that night.
The band made a great job; they performed for more than an hour and presented a couple of new songs that actually impressed Alex’s bosses that were also at the party.
After that Alex wasn’t worried about the pills anymore, obviously it hadn’t been such a big deal, the concert had been a success and he had again impressed his bosses, it was all good.
After the concert Frank, Ethel and the band joined the gang in the VIP section; they all shared drinks and made a toast on Out of the crisis and their new contract.
It was a great party Max was the one that had the most fun and ended up throwing up in the VIP bathroom which was why Frank’s brothers had to leave earlier.
Rose, Sarah and Greg left together around 4 am. Rose made sure Greg was inside his house and Sarah in her room before she went to bed. Too bad for her she couldn’t sleep, she had mixed thoughts of Matt, James and guilt. It was ridiculous she loved Matt and she had only seen James for a few minutes, then why couldn’t she stop thinking about him?
Alex stayed with Frank and the band until they were heading to an after party which Alex declined.
“Sure you can’t come?”
“No man, thanks I have to get up in a few hours to go to work, I’ll see you there.”
“Great, tell your bosses there are a couple of new songs they didn’t hear tonight, I think they will be very impressed.”
“Ok, we’ll see you there then.” Alex didn’t know how to act before their pill sharing; apparently it hadn’t been such a big deal to Frank.
Next morning meant hang over for almost everyone. Max did the never-again ritual thankfully Risa hadn’t won the breakfast bet yet so she made her classic hang over food, chilaquiles with a side of scrambled eggs and a lot of orange juice. This special recipe of her had been tested and mastered with every Summers kid.
Rose had prepared her own hang over protein shake for Sarah and Greg. That protein shake really kicked in and after drinking it Sarah and Greg went to his house and started to prepare the garage sale.
“How do you want to do this?” Even thou it was Greg’s garage sale, Sarah had been the one coordinating everything else.
“Well we already selected what’s on sale, so let’s just arrange everything in the back yard, we can open up our gate and put some stuff on our backyard so it can be like a double sale you know?”
“Great, so I’ll just start to take everything out then.”
“Come we are doing this together people will come by soon, also I asked Eli to bring some muffins and coffee later.” She had everything planned for the sale.
The post-it system had backfired since some of the post-its had fallen from the stuff Greg had decided to sell and keep which meant some other stuff that had been passed before ended in the backyard. It didn’t matter much, for Greg those where still stuff, stuff he didn’t own or want in his house.
Working side by side with Sarah this past few days had been great for Greg, he was enjoying every minute of it and each day he felt a lot closer to her.
This past few days had been also very good for Sarah as well, she had stopped being angry and had not had a single thought about Joe, she really was moving on.
By noon Greg and Sarah were done arranging the backyards with everything that they were selling and people started to come. Things were actually moving; Grandma Lauren had very good stuff, some old who sold at very high prices and some where just prices Lauren had won in raffles and cereal boxes.
And by three o’ clock the backyard was full of people and almost empty.
“Wow I didn’t expected such a turn out, this is really impressive; how did you manage to get so many people?” Greg was very excited from all the money he was making, even more than he would have earned if he had gone to work.
“Sorry but I can’t reveal all my secrets, if I did I would have to kill you and I can’t explain another hit and run.”
“Another hit and run?”
“Kidding!” Old Sarah was back.
“I think I will look for other stuff in the house, I’m still not sure about the old plate collection.”
“Sure go for it, antiques are really moving here I’ll go check on the food apparently Eli didn’t bring enough muffins.” Sarah sounded a bit to happy about this, she had been expecting for Eli to miss or forget something in order to show her not everyone its perfect.
“Sure she did, she left them in your house so we wouldn’t lose all of them in the first hours.”
“Crap.”
Sarah went for the muffins and Greg went to his house to see what else he could sell. His house was significantly different, not empty because Grandma Lauren had a lot of stuff, but this house didn’t looked like the house Greg had grew up on.
Greg was coming out of the house when he saw Sarah across the yard smiling. He thought she looked beautiful whit the sunlight in her face and he blonde hair shining. He felt so lucky.
“Hey, what are you smiling about?”
“Hum, nothing, well nothing important.” She couldn’t hide it, there was something she wasn’t telling.
“Come on you can tell me, did someone try to shoplift or something?”
“No nothing like that, it’s just that, you see that guy over there?”
“The one that bought over 250 dollars on unnecessary stuff?”
“Yes him.”
“What about him.”
“Well, he just asked me out.”
“What?” Poor Greg, once again reality had come to wake him while he was day dreaming.
“I know! So weird, probably the reason he spent all that money.”
“Go figure, so you are smiling because he spent a lot of money and went home without a date?” If only he were that lucky.
“Well…actually.”
“Seriously?” He was a little mad about it.
“Well what else was I supposed to say?”
“I love you.” Talk about desperate measures.
“Ha! That would have scared him away way to soon, don’t you think telling the L word not in the first date but in the first-ask-you-out-date is kind off a deal breaker?”
“Right, yeah well good for you then.”
Greg wasn’t the only one having another disappointment in his day, while he was selling his grandmother stuff Alex was trying to buy Frank some time because he had to perform for his bosses but he was nowhere to be found.
Frank’s cell was off and Alex didn’t have Ethel’s so there was no way to reach him. Alex was on the line here, he had proven his bosses that Frank and his band where going to be great for their firm last night but if they didn’t performed today that wouldn’t have mattered.
While Alex had a problem with someone not showing up his sister Rose had a problem with someone that decided to show up at her clinic again. James had came back to see Rose but now with another pet.
“You must have done a good impression on Mr. Spencer because he is back and asking for you.” Shelia liked delivering news in a way she enjoyed telling them.
“What is he doing here? Did he bring his dog with him?”
“No dog, parrot this time. But if you ask me.”
“No one is asking.”
“I think he just bought it.”
“You really are enjoying this aren’t you?”
“Well I don’t see why you are not.”
“I can’t right now, tell him I’m not here. In fact I’m going home so that won’t be a lie. Just send him to Adam.”
“Fine, I don’t get it but I’ll do it”
“Thanks Shelia, bye now.”
Rose went out from the back door, into the parking lot, hiding behind the cars in case he turned over, she got into her car and drove home as quickly but safely as she could.
When she got home she went right back to her room took the phone and started to dial all the numbers she had on Matt until she reached him. She was happy to hear his voice, and she was feeling guilty about thinking about another guy but she would tell him that just now.
After the sale ended whit everything from the backyard in another person’s house and after the charity truck had taken all the stuff he was donating Sarah went home to get ready for her date and Greg went inside his house. And when he did he noticed something he was avoiding, his grandmother wasn’t there anymore and she wouldn’t be again. He sat down in the dinner and cried what he hadn’t the last couple of weeks.
After he was done he decided he was right to rearrange his house, and now he had a new rearrange to do, he needed a roommate and Roger needed another place to live soon.
After Max’s night out he and Roger had earned themselves the chores their mom had lost in a bet against Risa.
Roger and Max where washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen while their parents were out on another date night.
“I’m sorry bro; I really shouldn’t have all those drinks.”
“It’s not all your fault you know, Brian kept an yawning, you’ll get the hang of it.”
The door bell rang.
“Could you go open the door, I got soap on my hands.”
“You got it Rog.” Max did felt a little guilty that it was his fault they were doing the dishes.
“Hey Rog.”
“Hey Greg! Came here to help us clean up?”
“Not exactly, no, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Sure what’s up?”
“You want to be my roommate?”
“I can pack in five minutes.” Roger tossed the apron to his brother and ran upstairs to pack.
“Come on! Do you expect me to clean all this by myself?” Max wasn’t going anywhere until the kitchen was clean again.
“Sorry dude but you where the one throwing up last night.” Roger told his brother while packing everything he could find.
“Ready?”
“Yeah, whatever is left we’ll come back tomorrow. Preferably in the morning because Max is in breakfast duty.”
“Hey no fair, if you don’t live here anymore you don’t get breakfast.”
“Hang in there Max you will be going to college soon, I’ll call mom and dad when I get there.”
“Bye Rog.”
The two friends walked out of the house and in their way to what was now their home they both couldn’t realize why haven’t this occurred to them before.
“Well I have to go now Matt or my phone bill will be more expensive than what my car actually costs.”
“Whoa! I didn’t realize the time had passed so quickly.”
“That happens when you are having fun right.” Rose was nervous thinking he should tell Matt about James.
“I guess, you know we could have more fun.”
“Over the phone? I don’t think I’m into that Matt.”
“I wasn’t talking about that Rosie.”
“Oh, ok well I’m officially embarrassed now so I’m hanging up.”
“Just wait, let me run something by you.”
“What’s up?”
“Well I was thinking that you could come here with me for the last three months of my expedition.”
Rose didn’t answer, she didn’t think, she just hanged up.

Coming soon Chapter IV "Domino"