Uninvited Guest by Iomax61

[Timothy M.]

Nope. When my mom died (my only living parent), I went straight to my business. Someone asked how she was and I told them, "She didn't make it." I never stopped walking until I was in my office. I locked the door, and laid down on the couch. I had no desire to talk to anyone.

 

   

I hope somebody comforted you at some point.

Or perhaps I should say was there for you....

Edited April 17, 2015 by Timothy M.

[Puppilull]

You wouldn't contact your SO and ask him/het for help ?   or someone else you loved and trusted ?

They've had two dates. I don't know if they can be classified as SO's. His family might take precedence. I'm not saying it's the only possible reaction, but an understandable one.

[drpaladin]

Even if he died, there is no excuse. Stephen could spend 60 seconds to call or text Anton and say "My dad's in hospital xx. Please meet me there if you can. Love S."

 

What if Anton gets pneumonia from standing in the freezing cold for 90 minutes? Not good enough, doctor duck !

I can think of reasons, like trapped in a dead zone or his phone was dead. Give the guy a break. After all, it is his first hiccup in this new relationship. 

[Timothy M.]

I can think of reasons, like trapped in a dead zone or his phone was dead. Give the guy a break. After all, it is his first hiccup in this new relationship. 

 

Well, no, not the first one, since he has been withdrawing from Anton after the meal with Martin etc. Plus he didn't respond to Anton's revealing his fear of flying. Nor did he tell the conclusion to the death of Sebastian, and he should have done so even before he suspected why Max recognized him (but he may not have realized).

 

I'm all for giving Stephen a chance, lots of chances in fact, and I have no doubt he has a good excuse. But right now I'm angry on behalf of Anton, because he's the injured party here. Let Stephen stew a bit and turn up at Anton's doorstep all contrite and nurse him back to health (mentally and physically). That's all I ask.

Edited April 17, 2015 by Timothy M.

[Timothy M.]

They've had two dates. I don't know if they can be classified as SO's. His family might take precedence. I'm not saying it's the only possible reaction, but an understandable one.

 

True - agreeing to be boyfriends isn't the same - but I noted Stephen's sister greeted Anton with "Welcome to the Family" at the dinner. I bet she would have asked Stephen about Anton, particularly since she surely knew of their date for the Medical Charity Ball.

But let's hope there is another explanation (a good one).

[Timothy M.]

But what was that business with him seeming to remember him?

 

And I bet the whole business with him pretending to know Stephen was in order to make Anton believe Stephen is a player.

 

Could be..  Somehow I just don't read Max as being terribly smart though. Everything he has done so far has been so heavy handed and thuggish.

 

As you said, he doesn't come across as the sharpest tool in the shed - just as a tool. Perhaps it hasn't registered on him where he saw Stephen.

 

Kitt was probably closest to the truth and I was way off. But that's OK, I liked the Doctor Death solution - typical Max to read trashy newspapers.

[drpaladin]

   

I hope somebody comforted you at some point.

Or perhaps I should say was there for you....

It was pretty traumatic. My mom was the only parent I ever knew. My dad died when I was one. There are small mercies. It was quick. I was there when it happened. She hadn't been sick. The only reason someone asked about her was because they had called needing me for something and I had told them that something was wrong with my mom.

  I never ever heard the f, h, or q words from anyone in regards to me and I attribute that to the fact that my mom was powerful and could be both terrifying and utterly ruthless when it came to protecting me. She loved me absolutely unconditionally. The stories I could tell...

 

This has made me cry and I rarely do that. 

[Timothy M.]

This has made me cry and I rarely do that. 

 

Sorry about making you cry. But I'm glad to hear you have awesome memories of your mom. She sounds wonderful.

[drpaladin]

Well, no, not the first one, since he has been withdrawing from Anton after the meal with Martin etc. Plus he didn't respond to Anton's revealing his fear of flying. Nor did he tell the conclusion to the death of Sebastian, and he should have done so even before he suspected why Max recognized him (but he may not have realized).

 

I'm all for giving Stephen a chance, lots of chances in fact, and I have no doubt he has a good excuse. But right now I'm angry on behalf of Anton, because he's the injured party here. Let Stephen stew a bit and turn up at Anton's doorstep all contrite and nurse him back to health (mentally and physically). That's all I ask.

Perhaps Martin made Stephen feel guilty and think he was selfish or there are other reasons for the tapering off. They have only been together twice. Is that a good point to announce, 'Oh, and I was accused of killing my bf.'  lol

  Perhaps he could have worked it into the Sebastian conversation, but it is still a deep wound there. If that wouldn't be a potential relationship killer, I don't know what would. 

[Timothy M.]

Perhaps Martin made Stephen feel guilty and think he was selfish or there are other reasons for the tapering off. They have only been together twice. Is that a good point to announce, 'Oh, and I was accused of killing my bf.'  lol

  Perhaps he could have worked it into the Sebastian conversation, but it is still a deep wound there. If that wouldn't be a potential relationship killer, I don't know what would. 

 

I was thinking along the lines of Stephen saying: "I was devastated when Sebastian died, but also relieved for him, he was in so much pain. And then everything got ten times worse, because I was accused of killing him. The media went crazy and even though I was quickly cleared of all suspicion, the taint will never go away. It's one of the reasons I decided to go to Africa."

 

But yeah, it would take a brave guy to say this on a first date - and even on the second date too. But remember one of Anton's Five Things: I want honesty and I hate surprises, particlularly bad ones. I think Dr Death Revealed by Ex falls into this category.

[Kitt]

But yeah, it would take a brave guy to say this on a first date - and even on the second date too. But remember one of Anton's Five Things: I want honesty and I hate surprises, particlularly bad ones. I think Dr Death Revealed by Ex falls into this category.

 

Second date was when Anton gave him the list of five things. Somehow after that was said I can't see anyone being brave enough to reopen a barely healed wound of their own to say "Guess what - they accused me of killing my lover".

 

In fact that is going to fall into the category of unpleasant surprises no matter how or when Stephen tells him the truth.

[drpaladin]

Second date was when Anton gave him the list of five things. Somehow after that was said I can't see anyone being brave enough to reopen a barely healed wound of their own to say "Guess what - they accused me of killing my lover".

 

In fact that is going to fall into the category of unpleasant surprises no matter how or when Stephen tells him the truth.

 

 

I was thinking along the lines of Stephen saying: "I was devastated when Sebastian died, but also relieved for him, he was in so much pain. And then everything got ten times worse, because I was accused of killing him. The media went crazy and even though I was quickly cleared of all suspicion, the taint will never go away. It's one of the reasons I decided to go to Africa."

 

But yeah, it would take a brave guy to say this on a first date - and even on the second date too. But remember one of Anton's Five Things: I want honesty and I hate surprises, particlularly bad ones. I think Dr Death Revealed by Ex falls into this category.

I remember a close friend. After the fifth date with this girl, he felt compelled to tell her that he had killed 33 people and was disappointed by her negative reaction.

'It wasn't like they were good people. There weren't any women or children.'    lmfao

 

He did get married later to another woman. To make a long story short, he died and I went to the funeral. About a week later she stopped by my office so I could say goodbye to his urn, which I thought was thoughtful but bizarre. She asked me if he had ever told me about him killing people. I told her that he had. She said that she had thought he was making it up, but a man approached her after the funeral and said he worked with him. The problem there is that he never really worked anywhere. The guy says, "He said he told you."

 

The kicker to this story is that she ended up marrying the guy.

[Kitt]

There is no explaining crazy!

[Headstall]

Good job on 'Forgotten', Brian. I look forward to the next chapter... cheers

[impunity]

I remember a close friend. After the fifth date with this girl, he felt compelled to tell her that he had killed 33 people and was disappointed by her negative reaction.

'It wasn't like they were good people. There weren't any women or children.' lmfao

 

He did get married later to another woman. To make a long story short, he died and I went to the funeral. About a week later she stopped by my office so I could say goodbye to his urn, which I thought was thoughtful but bizarre. She asked me if he had ever told me about him killing people. I told her that he had. She said that she had thought he was making it up, but a man approached her after the funeral and said he worked with him. The problem there is that he never really worked anywhere. The guy says, "He said he told you."

 

The kicker to this story is that she ended up marrying the guy.

That was a very strange story. I'm not sure I entirely understood all of it.

 

Getting back to the discussion of the story at hand: I'm sure Stephen has an excellent excuse for standing Anton up, but not calling or texting was really shitty especially as it was his event at which Anton was stranded. Anton's refusal to take Stephen's eventual call was perfectly understandable (at least from the readers' perspective) given the events of the night, but I hope it doesn't derail their fledgling relationship.

Edited April 18, 2015 by impunity

[drpaladin]

That was a very strange story. I'm not sure I entirely understood all of it.

 

Getting back to the discussion of the story at hand: I'm sure Stephen has an excellent excuse for standing Anton up, but not calling or texting was really shitty especially as it was his event at which Anton was stranded. Anton's refusal to take Stephen's eventual call was perfectly understandable (at least from the readers' perspective) given the events of the night, but I hope it doesn't derail their fledgling relationship.

Strange, but true. I'm afraid I tend to have a somewhat dark sense of humor from too many years around people of a similar mindset. I should clarify that what he did was quasi-legal and leave it at that. My point was that a highly intelligent man had difficulty understanding why someone was creeped out by what he did and it can be surprising what some will accept and why. There was just a total disconnect there. However he wanted to be honest.  lol

 

Now to the fictional story. Personally, I would never leave someone hanging like that. I've had it happen to me and for no good reason. It's no fun. 'John' is a close friend, but if he absolutely promises he'll be somewhere, he might or might not. If you complain about it in our circle of friends, they'll laugh at you for believing him. It's his worst character flaw, but he would literally give you anything he has to help you.

 

  I want to see how Brian works this out. Anton's had a double whammy. He has been stood up by 'Doctor Death.'

[impunity]

Strange, but true. I'm afraid I tend to have a somewhat dark sense of humor from too many years around people of a similar mindset. I should clarify that what he did was quasi-legal and leave it at that. My point was that a highly intelligent man had difficulty understanding why someone was creeped out by what he did and it can be surprising what some will accept and why. There was just a total disconnect there. However he wanted to be honest.  lol

 

There are few things I enjoy more than a dark sense of humor. I'm sure that the parts you left out of this story are even more interesting than the bits you left in.

[lomax61]

Just posted chapter 13 - this is now going to be 15 chapters so a few things will unravel here.

 

My apologies for not being as active on this forum as I feel I should have been but there’s not a huge amount I could have added. The insights I have gained from the threads of comments and replies have been invaluable. I don’t want to give anything away here, but I’ve now edited this story down into three more chapters (15 in total) so all will shortly be revealed.

 

This site with the reviews and the forum has given me the perfect opportunity and motivation to finally finish this story - something I needed badly. After that I’d love to hear what you think, whether there are any elements of the story that don’t work, or you feel should have been explained better, or any things that simply don’t make sense. 

 

 I’m also going to catch up with all the other great stories on this site that I’ve begun to read and pick up on some others that I’ve yet to start. 

 

Thanks so much, everyone,

 

Brian

Edited April 19, 2015 by lomax61

[Timothy M.]

Well, the explanation for Stephen standing Anton up was as good (or bad) as we feared, and I guess he can't be blamed for the initial lack of communication.

But I still blame him for not sending Anton a text or leaving a message with an explanation once he was able to do so. 'A couple of terse messages asking him to call him back' are not really convincing.

Anton may say he has fucked up, but I think he can share the blame with Stephen and Martin. I would have withdrawn too, if I were him.

[drpaladin]

Well, the explanation for Stephen standing Anton up was as good (or bad) as we feared, and I guess he can't be blamed for the initial lack of communication.

But I still blame him for not sending Anton a text or leaving a message with an explanation once he was able to do so. 'A couple of terse messages asking him to call him back' are not really convincing.

Anton may say he has fucked up, but I think he can share the blame with Stephen and Martin. I would have withdrawn too, if I were him.

 I can say that when a parent dies you often don't respond normally. My mom was the next to youngest in her family. I vividly remember calling her oldest sister on the phone and rather bluntly telling her she was dead. She was only a five minute drive away. I unintentionally snubbed my only living uncle at the funeral by not letting him have a viewing (it was closed casket at her request), and my mother adored him. So saying this should have been done or that should have been done is all well and good, but bluntly put...shit happens.  If I had been Stephen, I would have actually wanted to talk to Anton, not leave a message. And Anton was childish for not returning any calls. He nearly missed out on a good job by doing that. Both Anton and Stephen were caught up in a confluence of worst case scenarios.

[drpaladin]

Well done Brian. I'm actually sad this story is close to winding down. I've grown to love the characters, not Max (lol), and your writing style has been a pleasure to read.

[Timothy M.]

 If I had been Stephen, I would have actually wanted to talk to Anton, not leave a message. And Anton was childish for not returning any calls. He nearly missed out on a good job by doing that. Both Anton and Stephen were caught up in a confluence of worst case scenarios.

 

I'm out of official likes, so

 

You have a good point about Anton being very stupid about not taking any calls, not even the one from Gal. His sister would have reamed him a new one, when she found out.

 

And yeah, I can see Stephen wanting to talk rather than leave a message at first. But if I was him, I'd have wanted to defend myself, by finally sending a text with a few choice words. But perhaps Stephen is too proud, hurt, upset and maybe even too kind to do this to Anton? The first talk he had with Martin might have an impact here too, making Stephen think it's better to leave Anton feeling angry and ignoring him, since he has to leave anyway.

 

But it was interesting to learn of Martin blaming himself - because if he hadn't interferred Anton may not have lost faith so quickly.

 

Oh well, as you say it was such a mixture of all the bad luck in the world - why does this happen to nice guys like Anton and Stephen.

[drpaladin]

We must like too much. Borrow a cup of likes from Kitt.  lmao

 

I didn't see where Martin tried to contact him at all and Martin promised to find out what happened.

[Timothy M.]

We must like too much. Borrow a cup of likes from Kitt.  lmao

 

I didn't see where Martin tried to contact him at all and Martin promised to find out what happened.

 

Hmm good point, but maybe Stephen got to Martin first and told him to keep out of it?

[drpaladin]

Hmm good point, but maybe Stephen got to Martin first and told him to keep out of it?

You can't excuse someone out of a promise to someone else. JMO