Persona Non Grata

by D. C. Grahame

  ‘Indy, I think we should talk a little longer.’

  ‘I can’t Doctor, sorry. I’ve got socialising to do. You did prescribe it remember.’ He replied with a smile and a quick exit. Alone in her office, Wilton gave her door an irritated stare before returning to her computer. She began an email with the subject line: RARE UPDATE.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The weekend quickly appeared. And as per the invitation, Indy and Eva arrived outside Grace’s small terraced house. Cosy and inviting in its appearance. Each of the front windows had a warm glow that contrasted nicely with the frost building outside.

  Eva was excited while Indy was less than enthusiastic. Hoping for as little conversation as possible about his recent injuries. Up to the brass-knuckle event, Grace had been hesitant to spend time with Indy for reasons unknown. Considering it something to do with his eldest sibling and their history. But what left him mystified was the looks she had given him. They were more of guilt than disgust. It was this change in pattern that caused him to make an effort and dress up for the dinner party ahead. That and Eva’s determined character, ever persistent.

  Reaching the front porch, they knocked on the thick wooden door and awaited Grace’s warm welcome. The door swung open, and to Eva’s distress, Frank stood topless and sweaty within its frame.

  ‘What the hell?’ Eva howled. Indy frowned before entering the warm home, passing and dismissing his brother.

  ‘Relax, he’s winding you up. Probably splashed water on his chest.’ He advised. ‘Put a shirt on would you.’ Indy asked his twin.

  ‘Was just having some fun. I’m going to enjoy the awkwardness of tonight you know, it’s going to be brilliant.’ Frank replied, stepping aside for an unimpressed Eva.

  The interior of Grace’s house was every bit as warm and homey as the exterior depicted. A thousand cushions, mellow lighting and the best of M83 playing in the background. Even the fireplace which had not been on in years was flickering. Eva wasted no time in greeting the host who was slaving away in the kitchen. Indy instead took a moment to admire the lounge and inspect the pictures hanging on the wall. John was noticeably absent from the vast collage of memories. Frank stumbled in behind, whipping on a shirt as he looked at the wall as well.

  ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’ he stated, checking neither females were in the vicinity as he preached.

  ‘Try and behave tonight.’ Indy pleaded.

  ‘Ditto. Wow, he’s really in none of these, crazy when you consider it.’

  ‘Yeah, crazy.’ Indy replied, relating to both Frank’s point and Grace’s reasoning.

  John had left on rather heart-breaking terms. He was the one single memory that Grace chose to, or at least attempted to suppress. She distracted herself with her career, her family, and her home life. ‘That smells good.’ Indy said, breathing in heavy. Leading Frank into the dining area that shared space with the kitchen.

  ‘Guys.’ Grace said with a smile, her hands in oven mitts placing a Shepards Pie on the counter. ‘Take a seat.’

  ‘Wow, that smells great Grace, considering.’ Frank baited, knowing her to be the biting sort.

  ‘Considering what?’ She asked. Indy meanwhile, had already lost faith in his brother’s conduct for the evening.

  ‘Considering you and John always ate out in fancy restaurants.’ he announced, ‘Didn’t have you down for the cooking sort’.

  Indy shook his head to both himself and then his brother. Wanting nothing more than to cut that conversation short, he interjected, telling Grace how lovely the house had become. They took their sits with Eva appearing as antagonised by Frank’s comments as Indy.

  There was a truth to it, however mischievous it came out. Grace and John were a couple who spent their money on experiences, especially fine dining. Though John’s income over the years was never actually discussed, Grace knew him to be a man with a thousand faces. Multiple sides of the same soul she trusted deep down. His sudden and dramatic exile caused her to slip into a deep depression only her new busy life could remedy.

  ‘It does look great in here Grace, you’ve done an excellent job.’ Eva praised.

  ‘Yeah, I haven’t been here since she locked John out naked and he got stuck climbing back in through the window.’ Frank chuckled. Indy instead of shaking his head, was now nodding it. Accepting that Frank had no intention of heeding his earlier request. Grace saw Indy’s growing irritation, intervening as all good hosts would.

  ‘It’s okay. You can talk about John.’ She said knowing her capacity to take the moral high ground would only upset Frank. Indy saw the play and smiled as Eva leaned into his ear.

  ‘Did that happen? I don’t remember that.’ Referring to John’s window predicament. Indy kept his eyes on Frank as he responded.

  ‘Frank took pictures.’ he confirmed as Frank gave a pompous smirking nod.

  Grace’s vintage clock hit the tenth hour of the evening. Her guests were now well fed and at the tipsy phase of drunkenness. With upbeat house music playing, they laughed amongst themselves. Frank, the natural storyteller, had them all in the palm of his hand. His dry humour complemented by his exquisite timing and delivery. Described story after story of the comical antics of his prior years as a promoter. Indy smiled as he leant back in his chair, noticing the time. To his grievance, it wouldn’t be long until the gang proposed closing the night out in the city centre. He wasn’t exactly keen to show his bruised face to a bunch of intoxicated millennials.

  On the flip-side of the coin. Frank was looking forward to taking the family to his recently acquired palace. And impress them with his new-found enterprise and hospitality.

  Grace meanwhile, a singleton, had reached an intoxication level that demanded a flirtatious engagement. She and Eva were plotting the rest of the night out as they danced between the kitchen and the dinner table. Indy considered that while he was tired, the night was only in its preliminary phase. He picked up his shot glass, recently refilled by an enthusiastic relative and swallowed the vodka.

  Grace tripped haphazardly, knocking her wine glass. Frank with quick reflexes, threw his trouser leg in the spillage’s path. Diverting most of the red wine away from her cream carpet and onto his now stained trousers. The pair shared a strange, receptive glance. Indy clocked it and began to over-analyse, worrying about Frank’s intentions at this time of evening. Frank picked the wine glass up and handed it to Grace, his hand lingering as it touched hers.

  Extracting the glass and her hand swift from his feel. She proceeded to the sink, noticing Indy’s studying eye.

  Frank sensed both a rejection and a challenge. Wanting to save face, he went for the vodka bottle with the aim of pouring everyone another shot. Indy halted the eager dealer. Taking the bottle away as elegant as the situation allowed. Frank frowned and then nodded as if to recognise Indy’s uninvited concerns. With Frank now demilitarised, Indy jumped up out of his seat and headed to the bathroom. Rolling his aggravated eyes back as his beloved girlfriend proposed the group head out for drinks.

  Indy washed his hands in the basin of the tiny bathroom situated under the house’s staircase. His mind skipped to John and the memories he had of the latter living in this very house. He was in a way, a father figure to the twins, though Frank would never admit it. The man was always the one to take the brunt of most conflicts. The guardian of the trio, whose actions always seemed unclear to his younger siblings. Their father held him the most accountable, and in response, John idolised the old man.

  Indy splashed water on his face, reminding himself to appear peppy and upbeat upon his re-entry. He mused on Frank’s ongoing behaviour and the devious moves he was making on Grace. He sacked the thought, knowing Frank too smart to tread on such dangerous terrain.

  Heading back into the dining area, he halted, darting a glance at the back door, stuttering in his steps. His frozen stance catching Grace’s attention.

  ‘Indy, you okay?’ She asked, as he reviewed the back door anxiously.

&
nbsp; Indy looked passed the reflective glass of the French door and into the darkness behind it. A dark figure, the dark figure looked back at the party. Indy knew it all too well, though this time it appeared even more solid. Disguised in the blackness of night, its movement differed from previous occasions. The variation, was enough to give Indy a cold-shudder, causing him to venture forth to be sure.

  ‘Indy?’ Eva called out. He kept his eyes on the door, only for the shadow to suddenly move back and depart from view. Knowing his humanoid night terrors often depicted itself as stationary, he jogged past the table and yanked the door open.

  ‘What’s he doing?’ Frank asked the girls, puzzled.

  The back garden was empty, minus a slightly nervous cat. Indy scanned the proximity, hearing a few rumbles beyond the fence at the far-end but little else. Grace joined him under the door frame.

  ‘What is it?’ She asked.

  ‘Thought I saw something, never mind.’

  ‘The boy’s gone full schizo.’ Frank whinged, unimpressed by the drama. He tipped an empty bottle of Vodka upside down to illustrate the plight they were currently in.

  ‘Houston we have a...’

  ‘Oh no, we’ve run out of alcohol.’ Indy tired, interrupted. ‘Wherever will we go and take refuge?’ He asked. Frank praised the rhetorical wit but kept to his mission.

  ‘One-nil Vinyar, but where else are we going to get free drinks all night.’

  ‘Oh that sounds good, George is with the sitter, I’m game.’ Grace said drunk and libertine.

  ‘Twenty minutes and we’re out?’ Eva added causing Frank to clap his hands together. Psyching himself for the handover of hosting duties.

  Eva ordered a taxi as Indy found himself downing shots of Grace’s four-year-old Pernod. Prepping himself for what would no doubt be an eventful evening. Unbeknownst to both him and Eva, Frank summoning his ninjutsu skills, had already snuck away from the ground floor and up the stairs. Dodging each one of the creaky steps.

  In the upstairs bathroom, Grace put her hair up into a presentable formation.

  ‘Can I trust you tonight Frank?’ she asked, watching him make his way towards her.

  ‘Trust is for nice guys, never been too keen on where they finish.’ he declared, placing his hand on her hip.

  ‘I’ve told you, I’m not doing this.’

  ‘Doing what?’ Frank quizzed, moving in toward her neck. She made herself clear theatrically, ejecting herself from his invading presence.

  ‘That, and it’s the last time I’m saying it. What happened, shouldn’t have happened. Let’s move on before people find out.’

  ‘You serious?’ He said, offended by her capacity to resist him, ‘Because of John?’

  ‘No, because of Eva, because of Indy and because I’m not interested in you like that.’ She explained.

  ‘You were.’

  ‘Not anymore, now step away, or you’ll prove all your feminist opponents right.’ She ordered. Frank retreated an inch and then returned an inch.

  ‘Damn I do loathe the feminists.’ He said in an attempt to humour.

  ‘Listen, I know you were maybe invested in this’ She tried to sympathise, only to be cut off.

  ‘Don’t flatter yourself, love. It was fun but if you want to call it off. No harm done. I just thought you would appreciate a younger, more agile model compared to the old run-around.’

  ‘Awful brave, Frank. The run-around was sufficient thank you, besides I’m not complaining about what happened. I just think we need to forget it happened.’ She advised. Frank played it cool, nodding with an agreed facade. Insulted and seething underneath.

  ‘Fair enough, goodbye kiss?’ he leant in. She rolled her head back, pushing him away.

  ‘Unbelievable.’ She moaned, moving him aside to head downstairs.

  Reaching the first step, she looked down to see Indy observing from the middle of the staircase.

  ‘Indy?’ She asked irritated by the eavesdropping.

  ‘Er, Eva says the taxi will be here in five minutes.’

  ‘Sweet, I’ll lock up.’ She acknowledged, walking past him with a diverting smile. Indy smiled back before switching to Frank, his kind face transitioning into a cold, disapproving look.

  ‘No chance. No fucking chance did I see what I think I saw. Tell me I’m an idiot.’ He asked Frank as he began to make his way up the steps.

  ‘You’re an idiot.’ Frank replied nonchalant.

  ‘You know, usually, I would rely on hyperbole here. But I’m struggling to consider a single concept more ridiculous than the one you’re trying to graft.’ Indy announced, reaching the last step of the stairs.

  ‘Not trying to. Graft-ing. Ongoing. Nice preach though.’ Frank dismissed.

  ‘I hope you know what you’re doing? Cause one thing is for certain. I’m never getting a buzz cut.’ Indy noted.

  ‘You think the bogeyman will get me?’

  ‘You’ll certainly make his list.’

  ‘Will I. Tell me Indy, where’s big brother now? The demi-god, the infamous and oh-so-beloved son-of-Vinyar. You’re his treasured sidekick and yet not a text, not an email. He’s probably dead in a ditch or getting blown by someone better looking than her right now.’ Frank iterated.

  ‘Ah, well that’s sweet.’ Indy sarcastically replied. Frank was too drunk and too irritated to consider or care about Indy’s moral code. Especially when it felt somewhat frail of late.

  ‘I don’t want to remind you of the hypocrisy here brother. Eva and that. Let’s move on and have a good time tonight. At least try to in your case.’ Frank put forth, silencing Indy long enough to leave and head for the stairs.

  ‘Are you going to behave tonight?’ Indy checked.

  ‘You asked me that earlier. I don’t know how many times I have to disprove this thesis for you to be convinced. I’m going to have a good time, and if that comes at your expense, or even John’s somehow, fair enough. I’ve done nothing wrong, I’ve even stepped back for both you over the years. Where has it got me? Not respect that’s for sure.’ He moaned, revealing a resentment he had tried to bury. ‘I own the most booming business in the city now, and yet where was the toast to me tonight? Where was my acclaim? You’re worried about John’s concerns, he’s not your boy, Indy.’ Frank argued as he walked away. Indy stood rigid, conceding a point or two, accepting some fault.

  ‘Frank, I’m sorry, we all respect you. It’s just you’re the joker of the pack, and you always have this grand plan. Sometimes we forget you’re like the rest of us. We’re not laughing. We’re in awe bud.’ Indy confessed. Frank was grateful, but forever in character, continued to walk away with trademark disregard.

  The taxi pulled up amongst many outside the main entrance of Que Pasa. Frank had already made preparations for their arrival, which included a clear path to the main doors. He relished the lights and the looks, buttoning his blazer as he stood up from the taxi. It was as rock-star as it could get in Kingsland. Indy was the last to exit, bashful as he closed the car door behind him.

  Frank turned back to his guests to check the reception. Eva and Grace were keen to get in while Indy looked un-enthused and unimpressed. Frank realised none were there to follow his lead but rather to exploit his spoils. As they brushed by the queue and towards the front door where one of the bouncers was ready and waiting to greet him. He fist-bumped the employee, whose hands were almost twice his size.

  He double-taked the queue for a brief moment, recognising a face before it quickly removed itself out of view. Blaming the drink for his slight hallucination, he headed into the club.

  Inside the main arena, a giant crowd vibrated against the dance floor. The heavy bass of a hypnotic deep house track propelled the dancer’s arms up in the air.

  One of Frank’s staff, a hostess with the majority of her body on show, guided them up to the balcony area. Frank followed the woman’s shifting derrière with every step. Eva and Grace estimated the sheer volume of praise Frank would expect from his peers. They
mulled over cruel games they could play to bring him down a level or five. The exuberant bar tab they could ring up. Conspiring as they ascended the stairs with Indy bringing up the rear. Hearing the sisters plan to run up Frank’s costs to extravagant new heights.

  The girls planted themselves down into the second of three cushioned VIP booths. The boys segregated themselves and shifted a few metres further to lean over the balcony.

  Frank ever the hobbyist once again admired the dancers that flocked beneath them. He enjoyed the moment while Indy stood absent-minded, almost oblivious.

  ‘Seriously, what?’ Frank said with a firm, tired tone.

  ‘Nothing.’ Indy said calm, sipping his beer. Frank didn’t want to discuss the girls or his business affairs anymore. He was tired of being scrutinised. Opting to remind Indy of his own recent turbulence.

  ‘Surprised you agreed to come out with that giant hickey on your face.’ Referring to Indy’s ostentatious bruising.

  ‘Nice. I wouldn’t worry, you’ll probably get one soon.’ Indy replied.

  ‘No chance. I’m well-ard-innit.’ Frank said, paraphrasing the lads on-the-pull downstairs. ‘But I’ll tell you this. If I saw the geezer that did that to you. He would be in a lot of trouble.’

  ‘Uh-huh.’ Indy said bored of the delusions.

  ‘I’m serious. No one touches my beautiful face like that.’

  ‘My face, sadly.’ Indy replied.

  ‘Your face, my face, our face. It’s inexcusable.’

  ‘I appreciate that.’ Indy remarked offhandedly. All too aware of Frank’s track record of letting anyone else handle his fights for him.

  To contribute to Indy’s already discerning opinion of the night, Mads Kane sat all smiles on the ground floor VIP booth. A wall of security in front with females either side of him. ‘What’s the heir apparent doing here?’ Indy asked.