Summerabbacat

I was laughing at your spoilers disclaimer @Davide, specifically the comment you don’t remember what you thought when you first read this chapter. I have read some stories for a second time and don’t remember entire scenes, so it amuses me when others have a memory lapse too. I was also amused by the length you went to, to explain you did not want to ruin the story for others by commenting on our speculations.

A revenge fantasy of mine @SilentandBroken. Jack is still at Harrison West when Spermie and the Incubator are involved in an horrific car accident. Jack is charged with making a decision of maintaining them on life support. His response “don’t waste their estate; pull the plug”.

I have to confess I have never read any novels about either the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, the only thing I know about either is that in the 1970's TV shows were made, which I have never seen, starring Shaun Cassidy and Pamela Sue Martin. Favourite Christie novel is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, favourite adaptation is Murder On The Orient Express, although I rather like some of the TV adaptations starring David Suchet as Poirot too. As for Miss Marple, it simply must be Joan Hickson.

His boss is an ungrateful arsehole guilty of wage theft and intimidation, and his father is a violent bully guilty of spousal and child abuse. Life ain't exactly grand for Dean. Death by carbon monoxide poisoning and acute alcohol poisoning would seem a fitting resolution to these two “problems” in Dean's life. And why did his mother leave him behind, knowing what a c u next Tuesday his father was? Could she not have taken him with her?

I'll happily be one of the Hardy Boys @Josh Aterovis but not Nancy Drew. When all is said and done though, I probably have more in common with Miss Marple, old and dottery at times (the result of a head injury 15 years ago).

@Rafy continues to challenge, amuse, and ultimately entertain we readers with his often quirky and always sparklicious stories. The wit of Cole Porter, the irreverence of John Waters, the sense of fun of The B-52's, and the glamour, heart and soul of Auntie Mame, are what continues to draw me to his works. This latest treat, a story of romantic yearning set against the backdrop of a Halloween party, held little appeal for me, until I read it. Frothy and fabulous.

Or a very conservative religious leader who does not want it known that he is very much like those whom he accuses of destroying the fabric of society with their evil sodomite behaviour. I am almost certain his killing was not random @drsawzall.

As noted by @Seraph28, the verbal stoush between River and Veronica was glorious to observe, with River emerging as the clear winner. His reference to Veronica's cosmetic enhancements, especially her BBL (an acronym I was not familiar with until now), a comparison to one of those hideous K or J creatures who pollute print and electronic media with their frequent appearances, was the ultimate put down. As much as I enjoyed the verbal stoush between River and Veronica, the dismissal of the latter's complaint by Leonardo and Elena, and their statements she likely got what she deserved, was even more exhilarating. I found it very intriguing, and not at all surprising, that whilst Elena acknowledged Veronica has done a lot for the family, she also reminded her she has done a lot to the family. I had suspected Veronica and Harry were working together on a plot formulated by the former. I have pondered what it might be, and now believe it may be to wrest control of the family company from Leonardo. I am not sure of the mechanics of how she will achieve this, but assume Veronica believes it will be possible to do so if Harry marries Zayn. This is where I believe River's law expertise may come to the fore; I think it will quickly become apparent Zayn has been duped by Harry for purely financial gain, and that Veronica is the architect of a coup d'état. Will she somehow frame Leonardo for embezzlement perhaps. I don't believe there is any low to which she would not stoop. The tender scene in the church in which Leonardo admitted his failures as a father and Zayn admitted his reactionary behaviour, were I believe only made possible by Leonardo's recent discussions with River. Perhaps the revelation of this, more than anything, will make Zayn realise what a fool he has been. River becoming Zayn's husband will be a joy to witness if it eventuates, but River being responsible for wiping the smug grin off the bitch's face once and for all, well that will be the pièce de résistance. Veronica in a drab prisoner's outfit, her Brazilian butt lift resembling two saggy, deflated, empty wallets, her botox, fillers and lip injections desperately in need of replenishment. A hag in a shapeless beige jumpsuit with unkempt hair and no make up. 😂🤣😂🤣

“Hey, Mr. Nash…” I waltzed my way to the front of the class and maintained a sheepish, cocky, grin. He may have been temporarily in command but we both knew who the luckier one was to have had our little affair." and "I nodded my head slowly, understanding. “Right…and I’m doing this for…what exactly? What’s in this for me…” Just when Jason seemed to be toning down his arrogance he uttered the above statements. How can he be such a douche bag so often, and yet be very pleasant on occasion. Perhaps he has learned from the best, Daddy douchebag. His comments in his discussion with Jason did not impress me much: “Good on you for getting another extracurricular on your resume. Make sure the college knows about it.” “Dad, Iowa already signed me, I don’t need to impress them anymore…” “Son, you never know if you’ll fuck something up the rest of this year. Knowing you, anything’s possible. Keep ‘em impressed with what you bring to the table."

The opening scene was quite funny. I could not help but think of a scene from The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Janet! Dr Scott! Janet! Brad! LOL. It seems Jason is not a complete arsehole after all, although he has a complete arsehole. I suspect Mr Nash will be making a frequent deposit in said arsehole henceforth, particularly if Jason does the right thing and tells Bradley the (w)hole truth, and nothing but the truth. Raunchy @Golden Ghost Pen, with a surprising amount of humour in this chapter.

"I heard a dramatic gasp… “JASON WHAT THE FUCK!” Oh no." His father? His coach? Jason certainly likes to indulge in very risky behaviour, which I guess in his case is part of the enjoyment. Putting aside the health risks, advertising himself as a cumdump, blindfolding himself and leaving himself wide open, in more ways than one, to abuse as a football playing star in Texas, appears to be the actions of someone with a death wish.

Perhaps it is a by-product of his profession or his attitude regardless, but it appears many interactions in life, perhaps even all, are a financial transaction for Razi@Seraph28.

Grant is reserved, does not like talking about himself and has never discussed girls or any sexual experience(s) he has had with them. Maybe there is a reason for the latter, one which Oliver has not entertained. Maybe Grant is not as straight as Oliver assumes he is. I thought for a moment or two Grant might have been going to ask Oliver to give him a blowjob, but that was not the case. Grant was apparently only concerned for Oliver's emotional welfare given Declan is straight and was not likely to ever reciprocate, the same Declan who disclosed to Grant that Oliver had given him a blowjob without getting his expressed permission to do so. The same Declan I am finding increasingly annoying and unlikeable.

Whilst Razi was kind to rescue Tad from his precarious life on the streets, his "kindness" has not come without a price. Tad has essentially been forced into servitude, living his life as a "wife" in the traditional sense of the word; cooking, cleaning and being available for sex whenever "her" man needs some lovin'. He is 15 years old with apparently little to look forward to in life, although he does not appear to have completely given up yet. Perhaps there is some hope for an improved situation in life for him, particularly if Killian takes an interest in his welfare beyond the solving of the murder. I hope Tad does not become another murder victim because of his living arrangements with Razi. Given Razi is loud and intense and likes to be the centre of attention, the murderer may visit his apartment with the intention of finding out if he knows anything about the murder of Paul, only to discover Tad also lives there. Whatever else happens in this story, I hope Tad is not a casualty @Josh Aterovis. I am surprised Micah has not shown Killian a photograph of Paul. I can only assume he does not have one as I would think seeing a photograph of Paul would be one of the first things Killian would want to see. Unless the photograph of the older and the younger man Killian found in Jake's bedroom was a red herring, I think, as I have stated before, the younger man in the photograph is Paul. If so, I hope Jake has not been involved in his murder in any way. I wondered after the last chapter if Chris might be a lesbian, and that this was one of the reasons her father was keen for her to accompany Killian in his investigation of Paul's murder. She believes her father’s motivation for this was to dissuade her from becoming a cop and/or "curing" her of her lesbianism. but what if the latter is not the case. What if it is her father's way of demonstrating that although he does not understand her lesbianism he accepts it, and wants Paul's murder solved because Paul's sexuality, like his daughter's sexuality, should not make any difference in how he was treated in life or in death. A very sad chapter @Josh Aterovis; Tad's bravado cracking and revealing his desperation for a better life, and disclosing that Paul was even more likeable and honourable than Micah intimated.

As long as it did not kerb your enthusiasm @CincyKris. It appears Connor finally removed the chip off his shoulder when Russ gently reminded him he and Lisa had accepted help from Lisa's builder cousin, so it should not be unreasonable to accept some help from his brother, a brother who is a successful businessman and who "started one from scratch" and who "wield a mean spreadsheet.” I did not comment above, but it appeared to me Connor was quite upset by Russ' assault, although like Russ he saw little point in reporting it to the police or going to the hospital. He was seemingly more than a little jealous of Russ' lean physique, having acquired a 'Dad bod" since moving to Ireland.

A very good point @drsawzall. Con would likely have been labelled a Paki too and the boys possibly, at least initially, although as locals now they may be “forgiven” their colour. If Connor had been seen out and about with Lisa’s cousin this may have also led to his acceptance by the local yobbos. I wonder what charming description they would have for Lisa if they observed her holding hands with Connor in public, although he may not be the type to show any PDA. Thankfully Stinky and his fellow yobbos don’t have any gaydar as I shudder to think what treatment they might have subjected Russ to as a poofter Paki. Under such circumstances, a visit from Brian, Gordon and some of the other lads from Ares, all dressed in camo print jockstraps courtesy of Morrie, would have made for an interesting skirmish.

My reason for revenge with murderous intent @drsawzall.

That was a new revelation wasn't it @Paladin? Initially I thought I must have missed it before, but it would seem not.

Very amusing @Rafy, with sassy and witty one-liners delivered by Owen and Jasper at break neck speed. But underneath all that sassiness. Owen is a wallflower, rendered socially impotent by doubt, anxiety and low self-esteem, as demonstrated by “I’m a seasoned professional at holding up this wall,” I assured him. “It’s the most stable relationship I’ve got.” I pay no attention to Halloween other than to regard it with disdain, another opportunity for retailers to make money and humans to add further to landfill with junk, very little of which I suspect is recycled. It was only the prospect of reading another @Rafy gem which encouraged me to read this story, and as usual I am glad I did (although I still think Halloween is a con).

They spell it as curb, a word with two completely different meanings and the same spelling.

Russ revealed more about himself in this chapter than he ever has before. He is undoubtedly a very successful businessman, smart and savvy, but underneath that veneer of success he has insecurities and self-doubt like the average Joe. The assault on him by Stinky O'Connell, Paddy O'Leary, Stuart O'Brien and Donal O'Dwyer really rattled Russ, leaving him a little overwhelmed and vulnerable, behaviour I don't recall him ever displaying before, such that he sought solace in the comforting support of Brian and Gordon. Connor proved to be a most welcome surprise in this chapter. I don't believe he is homophobic given the questions he asked and the suggestions he made, regarding Russ "formalising" his relationship not only with Brian and Gordon, but with young Toby too. I seem to recall Brian and Gordon had a similar discussion subsequent to their marriage (or maybe it was before), thus a discussion between the three initially, perhaps involving Toby at a later point in time, appears to be on the cards. "The man moved it so that the car was tight to the kerb but didn’t move off." Thank you @Robert Hugill for using the British spelling of this word. I have seen the word in quiet a few stories of late, and not all by American authors, and not one has used the British spelling, which is the Australian spelling, although I suspect many Aussies, especially those younger than this old fossil, would use the American spelling. Outstanding chapter Robert. Expressed vulnerability has only made Russ even more attractive.

Something you, @drsawzall and I, or is it me or myself, or should I just have an each-way bet and say, something you, @drsawzall and me, myself and I agree on @Paladin, medication alone will not resolve Nick's issues.

Incarceration amongst the general populace, without any form of protection, has great appeal too @Hagge2025, however, their suffering may be short lived given their crimes against their son. "Prison justice" without causing their death is a very attractive option.

You have articulated well what may be one of the reasons I don't like Declan @SilentandBroken.

I share your emotional reaction to the distress suffered by the characters @Hagge2025, even though it is fiction. As can be seen from my comments, I have a strong sense of justice, and when justice is not served, I want revenge against the perpetrators of injury, whether the injury be emotional and/or physical. Justice is not served far too often "in real life" for non-human animals, children and the "underdog", hence my almost murderous, at times, appetite for revenge in fiction. In this story I want Jack's sperm donor and incubator to suffer in the manner which would hurt them most, the hip pocket and their reputations. They are heinous characters both, even @Lee Wilson who has created some hideous parental characters in his various stories published on GA, may have trouble creating parental units as vile as Raymond and Margaret Thompson. Long may they suffer and decay.