Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2021 09:56:27 +0000 From: Wes Leigh Subject: Misunderstood, Chapter 21 (Gay Adult/Youth) MISUNDERSTOOD By Wes Leigh This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of my readers; any resemblance to any real people or places is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation by visiting https://donate.nifty.org/. Chapter Twenty-One "Your mail's on the kitchen table," Blue shouted from the sofa when Gray arrived home from work. "Anything good?" Gray asked as he slid out of his coat and opened the entry way closet. "Don't know. Mostly junk mail, and one big envelope from some lawyer." Gray paused as he hung up the jacket. He had been expecting mail from the lawyer, and he hoped it would be good news. Hurrying into the kitchen, he found a large manila envelope from Finnigan Law Office in Tulsa. Ripping it open, he dumped the contents out onto the table. A birth certificate for Andrew Gabriel Wright, baby boy, born in Amarillo, Texas. Mother Dayna Wright. Father Alan Wright. A photocopy of a social security card for Andrew Gabriel Wright. A handwritten letter from Dayna appointing legal guardianship of Andrew Gabriel Wright to the undersigned person. The legal firm had typed in Grayson Langston with a place for his signature just below Dayna's signature. A sticky note attached to the page instructed Gray to sign in the provided location, make several copies, and return the original to Finnigan Law Office. And lastly, a short letter, also handwritten, inserted in an unsealed, unaddressed envelope. Gray slid the letter out. It was a letter to Blue from his mother. Gray didn't read it. He thought about doing so, but decided it was better not to. He slid the letter back into the envelope and sealed it shut. Blue wandered into the kitchen. "What's for supper?" Gray turned and shrugged. "I don't know. What did you make us?" "Luigi's pizza. It can be here in half an hour. If you call in the next 5 minutes." Gray laughed and pulled out his cell phone. "Three meat with extra cheese?" "As always," Blue replied with a grin. Gray showed Blue the legal guardianship page. Blue took it and read it. "What's this mean?" "It means we have a lot less to worry about. I am now your legal guardian, and I can enroll you in a home school so neither one of us will get in trouble with the authorities. It also means no one can make you leave, and I won't get in trouble for allowing you to live here." "Hot damn!" Blue exclaimed. "Is that really my mom's signature?" "Sure is." "How'd'ya get her to sign that?" "I talked to her, and we decided that it would be best for you if I was your legal guardian for the time being." Blue nodded, picking up the birth certificate and reading it. He put it down, frowning, then softly asked, "How is my mom?" "She misses you. A lot. It's been very hard on her, but she recognizes that she and your father really hurt you." Blue wiped one eye. "It ain't been nearly as hard on them as it has on me." "Yeah. I think she knows that." Gray pulled out the envelope with the letter to Blue and handed it over. "This is for you. You might want to read it in private." "What is it?" "A letter from your mother." Blue's eyes flew open in surprise. Then he frowned and gingerly took the letter, as if it might suddenly turn over and bite his hand. Turning, he left the kitchen and walked into his bedroom, where he sat on the bed and stared at the envelope, willing himself to open it. Might as well get it over with, he decided, tearing open the flap and pulling out a handwritten letter. He unfolded the page and began reading. `My precious Son, `I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for all we've put you through. Would it make a difference if I told you my heart has been shattered for the last three years? Would it help if I told you I have cried every night you've been gone, worrying myself sick over you? Dearest Andrew, I had no idea what they were doing to you at that horrible place, and you must believe me when I tell you that I would have torn that place apart with my bare hands if had known. `I can't change the past. I can't undo the damage that was done. But I can assure you that I never agreed to any of that. I would never, ever agree. `As for the things that happened with Father Downing, I don't know what to think. I'm very confused still. I don't understand, but I want to understand. I'm talking to the new parish priest, and he's helping me to sort through my feelings on all this. Perhaps in time, I'll be someone you can trust. Someone you can talk to. Someone you can be yourself with. `I'm not doing a very good job of explaining myself. I know that. But I hope I am doing a good job of apologizing to you for how I failed to be there as your mother when you needed me the most, and I also want you to know that I promise to change, to be a mother you can rely on in the future. `Until then, I'm praying that God will surround you with his angels, that you will be safe and protected from all harm, and that you find a place where you can heal. Someday, hopefully soon, I will see you again and show you just how much you mean to me. `Until we see each other again, I send you all my love, Mom.' The last line began to blur. Blue hugged the letter to his chest and began sobbing, then fell back on the bed and turned to the wall and cried. *** Gray gently shook Blue's shoulder. "Pizza's here, champ." Blue rolled over and looked up at Gray. His eyes were red and puffy, but he was smiling and happier than he'd been in a long, long time. And he knew that he owed Gray more than he could ever repay for bringing him this joy. He looked at Gray with love in his eyes and said, "Thanks, Gray. For everything." Gray smiled and nodded. "You're welcome. I assume the letter was good?" "Yep. Just what I needed, I guess. You wanna read it?" "Only if you want me to." "I do." Blue sat up and patted the bed next to him. After Gray sat down, Blue handed over the letter and leaned his head against Gray's shoulder as Gray read it. To Blue's surprise, Gray began crying as he finished the letter. Gray folded it back up and handed it to Blue, then leaned over and kissed Blue gently on the cheek. Blue put the letter in the envelope and whispered, "I ain't sure how you managed to do all this, but I want you to know I sure do appreciate you. And I'm gonna show ya' tonight how grateful I am!" Gray smiled. "You don't have to anything for me, Blue." Blue threw his arms around Gray and pulled him into a tight hug, then smashed his lips against Gray's and kissed him slow and deep for a full minute before pulling off. "Gray, you've been workin' mighty hard to do everything you can for me, and tonight, I want to give you everything I have." "You mean--" Blue put a finger across Gray's lips and hushed him. "Yes. Everything. But first, pizza! You're gonna need your strength, my dude!" *** "Okay, Gray, I'm gonna teach you the same way I learned. We'll start with a shower." Blue led Gray into the bathroom and urged him to strip. Then the two climbed into the shower together and Blue soaped up Gray's ass, cleaning him thoroughly before working his middle finger inside Gray's hole as far inside as Blue could reach. Blue pulled the shower wand down to rinse Gray off, then turned the water pressure down to a heavy trickle before pushing the shower wand partway inside Gray's ass. "Let it build up inside ya' as long as you can handle it, then sit on the toilet and let `er rip." Gray rolled his eyes at Blue's instructions, but did as he was told, slightly embarrassed by the whole ordeal. Three more times, Blue repeated the process of filling Gray's bowels with warm water, then having him void the murky water out into the toilet. Then Blue washed Gray again with soap and repeated the soapy probing of a finger, inserting a second finger at one point, slowly stretching Gray's sphincter as he thrust his fingers carefully in and out. "Some guys think this part is nasty, but it can be fun if you ignore the shitty parts and enjoy the rest." Blue kept working away at Gray's hole with one hand, reaching around to gently fondle Gray's balls and hard cock with the other hand. "See what I mean, my dude?" Gray groaned and whispered, "Just be careful or something might explode down there." Blue grinned and squeezed Gray's cock hard while sliding a third finger in Gray's tight hole, stretching it even more. Gray sucked in his breath and held it, closing his eyes and willing his body to relax. Blue released Gray's cock and pulled his fingers out of Gray's ass. "Ok, my dude. You're ready. Now clean me." Blue handed the soap to Gray and smiled. "Just do all the stuff I did to you." Fifteen minutes later, Blue was clean inside and out, his cock was throbbing and pointing at the ceiling, and his pucker was loose and ready for more. Blue turned off the shower and stepped out, picking up a towel for himself and one for Gray. They dried each other gently, sneaking in a kiss or two in the process, then headed for the bedroom. Blue placed a pillow on the edge of the bed, draped a towel over the pillow, and pulled Gray around to lay on his back with his ass propped up by the pillow. "Everything I'm about to do to you, you're gonna do to me next, so pay close attention, my dude." Blue lifted Gray's legs and positioned them on his shoulders, knelt down and gently licked Gray's pucker. All around the pink hole, Blue kissed and licked and slurped, thrusting his tongue inside Gray's ass from time to time, helping Gray to relax in between quivering spasms of pleasure. Blue then smeared a dollop of lube on Gray's hole and pushed a finger inside, working it slowly inside to the second knuckle. He gently pushed his finger in and out until Gray's pucker began to loosen up. Then a second finger joined the first. More gentle probing. Then three fingers, gradually opening Gray up. As he worked on Gray's ass, Blue explained, "The end of my cock is kinda small, but the rest is pretty thick, so we gotta get you nice and relaxed. I'll go real slow at first, just pushin' in nice and easy and givin' you plenty of time to get used to it. I'll probably wait when I get it all inside so you have a chance to get used to how fuckin' massive I am." Blue chuckled. "You might feel some crampin' up inside your ass--that's okay and all--just let me know if it happens and I'll stop for a minute and give you a chance to get used to it. When it ain't hurtin' anymore, hold onto your balls tight, my dude. `Cause then we're gonna start goin' faster and you're gonna really like it when my cock starts rubbin' up against your prostate. I ain't gonna try to pound you or anythin' crazy like that. Don't need to do that. Just rubbin' back and forth nice and gentle like with the end of my cock. It's gonna make you scream and cream, my dude!" Blue pulled his fingers out of Gray's ass. "I think you're plenty loose enough, so here we go." Then Blue did exactly as he had promised, gently massaging Gray's love button for 20 minutes with his long, thick cock. Toward the end, Gray's stomach was coated with a large pool of precum and his dick was lurching in time with Blue's easy, long strokes. Gray groaned and arched his back, finally releasing squirt after squirt of cum onto his belly, never touching his cock once. As Gray's body squeezed down, Blue moaned and thrust his cock deep inside Gray, releasing his own pent-up juices. Then Blue pulled out slowly, carefully wiping them both off with a towel, before urging Gray to turn and stretch out on the bed. Blue slid his body on top of Gray's and caressed Gray's lips with his own. "Now we rest, my dude. And when you're ready, you show me what you learned." *** The morning dawned bright and clear. The storms had finally cleared out of their area, and the forecast called for sunny skies for the rest of the week. Every day, before heading off to work, the two young men strapped the harnesses on the dogs and leashed them up for a long morning walk. Blue had become expert at handling Crash, and the pup was becoming especially close to his new human, so close in fact that Crash insisted on sleeping across Blue's legs every night (once the boys had finished making love and opened the bedroom door to allow the dogs inside). The bed was a king size, so it was easily big enough for two young men, Amber, and Crash. Fortunately, Caleb and Junior preferred sleeping on the floor next to the bed. Otherwise, Gray would have had to look for a bigger bed! "There's only one thing I don't understand," Blue said as they set off on the morning walk. "Why do they have to lay on top of us all the time?" Gray chuckled. "It's a Pitbull thing, champ. I don't know why, but Pitties think there's only one way to show love: lay on top of the one you love!" Blue grimaced. "Don't they know they're too big for that?" "They're a very physical breed of dogs. They love to snuggle, and if they lay on top of you, it means you're their human and they love you!" Blue grinned. "Good thing I ain't claustrophobic!" Water sprayed across the sidewalk, soaking Blue, Gray and the dogs. They all jumped back to avoid the water, then turned to see where it was coming from. Edna McClary stood at the top of her lawn, watering her flowers with a hateful glare twisting her face into a malicious mask. It was clear she'd deliberately sprayed them down with the hose, and it was equally certain she wasn't going to apologize. Blue shouted at her, "What the fuck is your problem? Gray pulled Blue back by the shoulder. "No, Blue. Let it go, bro." Edna McClary snarled, "Stay off my sidewalk, or I'll call the police." "It's a fuckin' public sidewalk!" Blue shouted, ignoring Gray's frantic attempts to calm him down. Edna flicked the hose at them again, making the water strike just a few feet in front of them. "I'm warning you for the last time. Keep away from me. You and those monsters of yours." Blue had had enough. "The only monster here is you, you ugly old bitch!" Joseph McClary came out of the front door then, holding a phone in his hand. He pointed at Gray and Blue, screaming, "Get away from my house and my wife! I've called the police and they're on the way!" "Call `em," Blue yelled. "We'll tell `em about your bitch of a wife spraying us with water!" Gray finally got Blue to turn around and face him. Urgently, he whispered, "Blue, get a grip, man. They're trying to start a fight, and you're falling for it." Blue started to argue, but then swallowed and said, "Sorry, Gray." "Let it go, champ. They're not worth fighting with. Okay?" Blue nodded. "Okay. Sorry, my dude." "No worries, champ. Come on. Let's go back home." But the boys didn't get far before a police car came roaring down the street, lights flashing. The car slid to a stop and two police officers rushed out, shouting at Gray and Blue to stop where they were. Gray complied, whispering to Blue, "Keep calm, and let me do the talking." One of the police officers walked back to talk to Joseph and Edna McClary. The other one approached Gray and Blue. "I'm Officer Daniels. You boys want to tell me what's going on this morning?" he gruffly asked. "Trying to walk our dogs," Gray replied. "But Mrs. McClary sprayed us with water as we walked by." Gray pointed at his wet shirt and jeans. "We were minding our own business, just exercising the dogs." "Where did this happen?" "Right over there on the sidewalk in front of her house." Daniels glanced where Gray was pointing. "You sure it wasn't an accident?" Gray shook his head. "She made it clear it wasn't accidental. She threatened to spray us more if we tried to walk on the sidewalk in front of her house again." "Uh huh," Daniels grunted, making it clear he didn't believe Gray. "Anything else?" "Nope." Daniels pulled out a notepad and pen. "Show me some ID," he commanded. Gray reached into his rear pocket and pulled out his wallet. Taking out his license, he passed it to the officer. Daniels wrote down the information, then turned to Blue. "Let me see your ID." "Ain't got one," Blue replied. "He's fifteen," Gray explained. "He doesn't have an ID yet. We're getting him one when he starts Driver's Ed." Daniels squinted. "Where do you go to school?" Blue replied, "Langston High." "Langston High? Where's that?" Blue smirked. "Two houses back that way." Gray shook his head. "He's making a joke, officer. I home school him, and he calls it Langston High." "Yeah, I get it," Daniels said, "because your name is Langston." Turning to Blue, Daniels stated, "Let me give you some advice, smart boy. Cut out the jokes and just answer my questions. When an officer of the law asks you questions, you respond. You got that? " Blue glared at Daniels, refusing to answer. Gray interrupted the staring contest. "Officer Daniels, Mrs. McClary deliberately sprayed us with water when we were walking on the public sidewalk. I want to press charges against her for assault." Daniels slowly turned to stare at Gray. "You kidding me?" "No, sir. I realize it isn't on the same level as physically assaulting someone, but it is assault. She did it intentionally and maliciously. I want to press charges." Daniels snapped his notebook shut and slid it in his pocket. "Get moving. Wherever you were headed, get there and stay away from the McClary's. You got me?" Gray nodded to the cop. "I got you. Come on, Blue." *** "Sorry, Gray." Gray blew out an exasperated breath. "It's okay, Blue. But damn it, man, you can't let people get to you like that." Blue looked like he was about to cry, so Gray pulled him into a tight hug. "It's okay, little man." Blue could seem so mature one minute and then the next minute remind you that he was only 15. "It's over and done, champ. I love you." "Still?" "Yep, and forever." Gray tapped Blue's nose and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. They were interrupted by Gray's phone ringing. Gray glanced at the number and sighed. Blue squinted, silently asking what was up. Gray shook his head slightly and answered the phone. "What do you want, Cameron?" "What do I want? Nothing you have to offer, I can tell you that." "Then why are you calling me?" "Just to let you know that your buddies at Anne's Desert Shoppe are gonna be in the morning paper. The Tribune is running an article, and it's gonna be the start of something big. I guarantee it." The call disconnected. Blue was watching Gray closely. "What's goin' on, Gray?" Gray frowned. "Not sure. Come on." Gray walked into his bedroom and powered up his desktop computer. Shortly, he'd opened a web browser and brought up the Tribune's daily news page. A quick search of current articles led to a story about Anne's Desert Shoppe, just as Cameron had said. Blue leaned over Gray's shoulder, hugging Gray around the chest as they both read the on-line article. *** DISCRIMINATING TASTE AT DESERT SHOPPE by Chester Anders, staff reporter Anne's Desert Shoppe has been serving up local favorites for 20 years, from specialty cookies to freshly braked bread to custom wedding cakes. But now the local bakery is serving up a new entree: blatant discrimination, something local resident Cameron Schaeffer experienced first-hand. Schaeffer began planning his wedding this week. It was to be a celebration among friends, but now the festivities will be more muted, because Anne's Desert Shoppe refused to provide Schaeffer with a wedding cake. The reason: Schaeffer is gay. `I was up-front with them about my sexuality,' Schaeffer said. `I asked for a wedding cake that would commemorate my union to my partner while honoring our sexuality. But they refused.' Schaeffer talked with Anne Wilson, owner of Anne's Desert Shoppe, who seemed willing to provide a wedding cake at first. Wilson changed her mind when Schaeffer described what he wanted in detail. Schaeffer explained, `When I told her I wanted the cake to emphasize that my partner and I are gay, she turned me down. She said it went against what she believed as a Christian.' Schaeffer continued, `I don't understand why her religious beliefs make it acceptable for her to judge me and refuse me service. I told her that, but she kept refusing and then things got nasty.' At one point in their discussion, co-owner and husband Ray Wilson approached Schaeffer and told him the bakery would not be making his cake. They exchanged heated words before Wilson ordered Schaeffer to leave the bakery. Schaeffer said he does not plan to sue the bakery, but he said he would be contacting state officials who oversee discrimination by businesses. `You can't let people get away with this kind of thing,' Schaeffer said. `It's just wrong. And it shouldn't be allowed to happen.' Schaeffer said a video of the interaction with the bakers would be posted on the Gay Action Alliance website. The organization posted an official statement about this incident: `Such blatant and hateful discrimination is unacceptable. It is remarkable to see this in today's world. Businesses such as Anne's Desert Shoppe cannot be allowed to continue operating if they insist on forcing their religious views on others. Gay Action Alliance is calling for a boycott of Anne's Desert Shoppe until the owners, Ray and Anne Wilson, issue a public apology and pay reparations to everyone they have harmed.' City council members were contacted for comment. Council Chairperson Trudy Clements issued this statement: `Our city cannot operate with hate or bias. Neither will be tolerated. Licensing officials will be looking into this case to determine if any action is required.' The Wilsons were contacted for a comment, but both declined to speak with the Tribune staff. *** "Wow," Blue stated. "That ain't even close to what happened!" "Yeah. But it's just about what you'd expect from the Tribune." "Why's that?" Gray frowned. "They always have a hidden agenda. They don't even bother reporting the news anymore. Now they're out to create news wherever they can as long as it fits with their agenda." "And now those poor bakers are gettin' the short end of things, ain't they?" Blue asked. "Looks that way. Hey, the newspaper provided a link to the Gay Action Alliance." Gray clicked the link and brought up a page on the GAA's website. In bold letters, it proclaimed: LOCAL BAKERS REFUSE TO SERVE GAY MAN. Underneath was a video. Gray clicked it. It was obviously taken from the camera that Cameron wore on his ear as he walked into the bakery. The camera bobbed about at first as Cameron walked up to the counter where Anne Wilson stood. "Good morning," Anne says. "How can help you?" "I'd like to talk to someone about a wedding cake," Cameron's voice replies. "I can help you with that," Anne responds, opening a book on the counter. "What type of cake did you have in mind?" "It should be a two-piece cake, one part for me, the other for my partner," Cameron explains. In the video, Anne shows Cameron several pictures of two smaller cakes decorated to form a single wedding setting. The camera moves up and down, as Cameron apparently nods his head. "Yeah, something like that. I want my cake to be vanilla with white frosting. My partner's cake will be chocolate with chocolate frosting, because he's black, so we'll be showing our commitment to a gay marriage and interracial harmony at the same time." The video skips and then shows Anne Wilson frowning. "I'm afraid we can't do that," she states. Cameron is next heard asking, "Why not? Because we're gay?" The video jumps and breaks up a bit. Then Anne is back, nodding her head slowly as she says, "I'm sure you can find someone else who will help you out." The next scene shows an angry Ray Wilson ordering Cameron to leave the bakery. Cameron's voice asks, "Why are you doing this? You can't treat me this way just because I'm gay." Ray moves right up into the camera's pickup and shouts, "Get out or I call the police!" The clip ends. Gray turned to look at Blue. Blue shook his head in amazement. Gray closed the web browser and turned off his computer, thoroughly disgusted by what he'd just read and seen. Cameron had obviously edited the much longer video into a very biased, very incriminating clip. And there wasn't a damned thing anyone could do about it. Blue pulled away from Gray, dropping his head and staring at his feet. Gray was baffled by Blue's behavior. "What's wrong, Blue?" "You're gonna be mad at me again," Blue mumbled. Gray shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about, Blue? None of this is your fault. You didn't do a damned thing?" Blue glanced up at Gray and grimaced, "You're still gonna be mad at me. `Cause of what I did." "What? What are talking about, bro? Talk to me Blue. What did you do?" Blue slid his hand inside Gray's pant pocket and pulled out Gray's cell phone. Touching the screen, Blue pulled up the recorded videos. "Remember how you let me use your phone to watch anime that day we met Cameron at the bakery? Well, when we followed Cameron inside, I ... well ... just watch." Blue pressed play on one of the videos and handed the phone to Gray. Gray watched in amazement as the video showed everything that happened that day in the bakery, including all the parts Cameron had edited out of his version. Blue mumbled, "I don't know why I did it, Gray. I wasn't thinkin'. I just--" Gray grabbed Blue in a huge bear hug and lifted the teen off his feet, spinning around in a circle and whooping, "You recorded the whole thing on my phone! You clever, clever boy!!" Blue laughed as Gray set him down. "You ain't mad?" "Mad? Hell no, I'm not mad." Gray shook his head in amazement. "Andrew Gabriel Wright, you are my hero! Now, give me a minute. I have some calls to make." *** Anne's Desert Shoppe was normally open every day except Sunday, from 6:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. But the doors were locked and the sign on the door read CLOSED. Outside the business, protesters walked back and forth carrying signs that read GAYS HATED HERE and BOYCOTT BIGOTS and GOD LOVES HATE. Inside, Anne and Ray Wilson sat at a table, holding hands and praying silently. An open Bible rested on the table between them. They weren't sure how the situation had become so volatile so quickly, and they didn't know what to do at this point other than wait and pray. City licensing authorities had called and questioned them about the incident. They'd answered all their questions. Then one of the investigators called back and asked more questions, clearly not believing what the Wilsons had said either time. The press was calling constantly, asking for an interview. They had heard from three different newspapers and two television stations. But the Wilsons didn't trust anyone from the press, so they'd granted no interviews. Friends and customers alike were calling to offer their support, but no one had been brave enough to pass the protesters outside. Having no other option, Ray decided to lock the doors and close shop for the time being. Ray squeezed Anne's hands gently. "Maybe it's God's will for us to close down and enjoy our golden years." Anne began crying softly. "Oh, Ray. THIS STORE is what I wanted for my golden years." She sighed. "But you may be right." The phone began ringing. Ray released Anne's hand. "I'll get it this time, my sweet." He stood up and walked to the counter, taking the phone off the hook. "Anne's Desert Shoppe. Can I help you?" He listened for a moment, his eyes opening wider and wider. Then he said, "Do you mind if I put the phone on speaker and let my wife hear what you just said?" He motioned Anne to come join him, then punched a button on the phone. "Okay, Anne's here now. Would you repeat all that?" "Yes, sir," the caller said. It was a man's voice, deep and professional. "My name is Charles Batton. I am an attorney with Finnegan Law Office out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. We understand you are currently experiencing some problems due to accusations of discrimination by a young man named Cameron Schaeffer. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, our law firm has been retained by an anonymous sponsor to represent you in responding to all claims made by Mr. Schaeffer as well as any interactions with government agencies." Anne was stunned. So was Ray, but he managed to ask, "What do you mean? An anonymous sponsor?" Mr. Batton explained, "A third party has offered to pay all your legal expenses. You will pay nothing for our help, but you will still be in charge. We will work for you when it comes to deciding how to respond to these accusations. I want to make this all clear, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. You will be in charge, but you won't pay a dime for our services." Anne and Ray stared at each other shocked. Batton continued, "However, I should inform you that you may be in an excellent position to counter-sue Mr. Schaeffer, his organization, the Gay Action Alliance, the Tribune newspaper, and any government agency that attempts to revoke your business license or harass you in any way. If you do choose to sue anyone, we will want to discuss handling that on a contingency basis, which means you receive a portion of any damages awarded--typically 65 percent--and we receive the rest to cover our cost of representing you." Ray was astonished at this sudden turn of events. "Mr. Batton, do you really think we have a chance of suing for damages?" "Oh, indeed I do," Batton replied. "You see, Mr. Wilson, we are in possession of a video recording that shows quite a bit more than what the public has seen so far." The end of MISUNDERSTOOD, Chapter Twenty-One