A Storm's Gonna Come - Chapter 17
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None.
Summary: Five years post-513. This story is anti-angst medication. Nothing bad ever happens here (that’s not completely true, but it’s definitely kept to a minimum).
Beta: silvaofhope. You’re the best!
Disclaimer: I’ve read somewhere that, since disclaimers have no legal footing, they’re merely an expression of the author’s guilt. Still don’t feel guilty.
Feedback: ♥ Is loved and craved. ♥
Previous chapters:
[Ch 01] [Ch 02] [Ch 03] [Ch 04] [Ch 05] [Ch 06] [Ch 07] [Ch 08] [Ch 09] [Ch 10] [Ch 11] [Ch 12] [Ch 13] [Ch 14] [Ch 15] [Ch 16]
Present, November 2010
Brian had some work to do that morning, but most of it could be done from his home office. He would only need to go in to check on things in Babylon later that afternoon. He decided to have a lazy day and went to pull Emma free from the high chair, seeing as she was long done with her breakfast and was now playing with her food, using the mashed cereal to re-paint the table in front of her. “Artist’s kids,” Brian rolled his eyes.
“Cookie?” She asked when she saw Brian approach. Funny enough, cookie had been one of the first words the twins learned.
“It’s the last one.” Brian called in Justin’s direction when he picked the box from the cabinet.
“I’ll put it down on the list.” Justin replied. They always bought the same kind - sugar free, oat cookies. When it came to his daughters, Justin didn’t mind Brian being a health freak.
“When’s Arianna coming?” Brian asked while cleaning Emma’s hands and face with a wet towel.
“She should be here in an hour or so.” Justin’s accident had put the planned meeting on hold. However, it also gave him time to think more about what direction to take with his agent problem and he was almost sure he’d be letting Peyton go soon. Today’s meeting was merely to confirm what he felt was already a made decision.
Brian was happy. Apart from Justin’s new hairstyle, nothing reminded of the accident more than one month ago and the blond finally seemed calmer, less frustrated whenever he had to call Peyton. Brian only hoped Peyton would not make it difficult for Justin. His contract was not due for re-negotiation for another six months.
“I’ll be in my office getting some work done. If you need help with the kids let me know, alright? I’m not doing anything too important so feel free to interrupt me whenever you want.” Brian said exiting the kitchen.
Justin nodded absentmindedly. He loved those days when Brian would stay home, when there were no pressing matters to attend to, when he could just enjoy the time with his family.
About ninety minutes later Arianna arrived and was introduced to Alex who hovered behind Justin’s leg, clutching his pants for support, as Justin opened the front door.
“Wow, Justin. I didn’t expect you to live in a mansion.” Arianna said, impressed with her surroundings. “If I had thought about it before, I’d probably have pictured you in…” she thought for a moment, “…a loft of sorts.” She finally decided.
Justin had to laugh at that. “A loft is exactly where we used to live.” He explained when Arianna raised her eyebrows in question. “Well, it was Brian’s. I moved in and out a lot, until he bought us this place. Would you like a tour?”
Arianna said yes to that. So Justin first showed her the pool, garden, and stable areas before moving on to the indoors.
“Where’s your other daughter?” Arianna finally asked.
“In Brian’s office, I suppose. Ever since she started walking by herself she never seems to sit still. These days she gets a kick out of trailing Brian’s steps.” And sure enough, as they entered Brian’s office they saw Emma mimicking his every step as he moved from the desk to the bookshelf and back, laughing on every turn. Brian humored her by changing directions suddenly and watching as she laughed some more.
After Justin introduced Arianna to Emma and she and Brian exchanged some small talk, they went off to see Justin’s studio, leaving the girls with Brian.
“They look so much like you.” Arianna remarked as they walked the hallway towards Justin’s studio.
“Yeah, I probably would have had to return them if they hadn’t come out blond. What a relief that they are.” He laughed.
“I don’t understand.”
“How could you. Brian sort of insisted on them being blond. It was one of his conditions when I came up with the idea that I wanted a kid.” Justin laughed, indicating not to take this too earnestly.
“Yeah, right. After what I’ve just seen, Brian adores them. And the feelings seem to be mutual.”
“You’re not wrong. They both soak up Brian’s love and no matter how much of it Brian bestows upon them, it never seems enough. It’s been like this from the very beginning. That’s why Emma will hold still for him, and Alex will put down her beloved books for him. They crave his attention. Like father, like daughters, Brian often jokes.” Justin gave a laugh and she smiled in return. Then Justin turned to lead her into his studio.
Justin showed her his most recent works first; a series of darker abstracts but each one of them with a contrasting highlight that caught the observer’s eye.
He then moved into his walk-in storage room where he kept his finished and already dry paintings. He pulled the smaller pieces out first and held his breath, awaiting Arianna’s judgment. Those were the pieces he was fighting with Peyton about because Justin wanted them shown. They were all sorts of styles, ranging from abstract color studies in oil to some shadow and light pieces done in acrylic.
“They’re breathtaking, Justin. Why haven’t you shown them yet?” Arianna asked, noticing the date on some of the paintings.
Justin chose not to answer that directly, so he said, “I want to, now.” And deciding to be as open with her as he dared, he added “I’ll sign with you if you can get them shown anywhere.”
Arianna was taken aback by the defeated tone in his voice. He sounded almost desperate. She gawked at Justin in surprise for a few moments before nodding enthusiastically. “Absolutely. Consider it done.” Then she couldn’t restrain herself and flung her body at Justin, hugging the stuffing out of him.
Justin laughed and hugged her back. In a very short span of time she had become more a friend than a business associate so he didn’t have any second thoughts about it.
The next few hours were spent talking and planning and when Arianna finally left, Justin had a very satisfied smile on his face. Then he remembered that he would have to call Peyton soon and his happy mood was dampened a little. But he decided not to dwell on it since he had to get ready for dinner with the Cuylens.
The Cuylens were an old-fashioned family with old-fashioned beliefs. Not in the sense of being judgmental towards people who deviated from the norm but in the way of their thinking. They valued virtues like honesty, modesty, a sense of responsibility, and family bonds, and tried to teach their only child, a daughter of nineteen years of age, exactly this.
Brian had met the head of the company, CEO Albert Cuylen, several times during their initial meetings while trying to get a feel for the creative aspect of the work process and to gauge the compatibility of ideas. Albert Cuylen had inherited the family business from his grandfather who founded the company in the early forties. It was an indication of Albert Cuylen’s business sense and intelligence that he was able to navigate the family business through all the political and economical changes in the last couple of decades, while at the same time expanding it into an international market. Brian assessed him to be disciplined and hard-working. A man with a clear direction and little tolerance for mistakes or procrastination. He was a simple man by anyone’s standards but didn’t appreciate false modesty and flattery. Brian wasn’t sure if his sexuality was what had kept the Cuylen representatives from seeking out Kinnetik’s advertising services for so long.
For that reason, Brian was very appreciative about tonight’s dinner invitation. He wouldn’t however hide who he was or change anything in his demeanor towards Justin just for the sake of the Cuylen family. Even though the contracts were yet to be signed on Wednesday.
Brian and Justin arrived on time in the restaurant and let the waiter escort them to the Cuylen table. Brian shook hands with Albert and waited for the man to introduce his wife, Laura, and their daughter, Geneviève, before shaking their hands too. He then looked at Justin and introduced him as his partner, all the while keeping his left hand on the small of Justin’s back. Justin was always nervous when he met Brian’s clients because he was apprehensive of the reaction when it came to their age difference.
They all took their seats finally and Brian engaged in some small talk concerning the restaurant, the hotel the Cuylens were staying in, and the traffic when getting here - nothing of big importance; which left him enough time and opportunity for a close examination of the Cuylen women. Laura had an honest and pretty face that she bequeathed upon her daughter. Geneviève, though very pretty, didn’t fit the model figures advertised everywhere. She was of a slightly larger built and very shy, as far as Brian could tell. She kept her eyes mostly on the table-cloth, getting very pink in the cheeks when she was addressed directly and required to answer a question. She wouldn’t hold eye contact for more than a second. But she had a beautiful melodic voice, Brian noted, and guessed she’d make a wonderful singer. He also noticed that from time to time, when she felt herself unwatched, she would fix Justin with an intense stare that Brian couldn’t read completely. Justin noticed it too, and sent her a warm and contagious smile, making her blush even more.
The table talk turned to the Cuylen family business and its very beginnings. Albert recounted the story that led to the founding of Cuylen Automobiles. Brian and Justin laughed in all the appropriate places and found themselves actually enjoying Mr. Cuylen’s storytelling skills. Laura admitted to not possessing any business sense of her own, but she was a very devoted wife who obviously adored her husband and was happy with her role in the small family. She possessed a natural curiosity and a general interest in people which made her a good listener and advisor. Brian guessed when it came to assessing people’s characters, Mr. Cuylen relied heavily on his wife, and wondered if this was the reason Albert wanted Brian to meet his family.
Justin let Brian do most of the talking since the topic stayed on their business relations. He had liked the Cuylens almost instantly but was a little bit uneasy because Geneviève kept glancing in his direction with a curious look on her face Justin wasn’t too sure what to make of. He also noticed the surprise in the Cuylen’s expressions when Brian and he neared their table. He knew they wondered about the age difference. It was a look Justin was only too familiar with, one that he had encountered several times when escorting Brian to company functions or client meetings. One thing he had to give the Cuylens credit for, however, was that they didn’t seem to think less of him because of his youth. He often experienced people treating him like a stupid child, imposing the role of an extended piece of Brian’s attire on him. Honestly, what pissed him off most about those people was the fact that they weren’t offending him by their behavior, but that they were insulting Brian’s judgment. The curiosity he sensed from the Cuylens was purely benevolent though and Justin tried to relax a little. He was however a little intimidated by how important this client would be for Kinnetik.
When the talk turned to more personal issues, Laura finally seized her chance and addressed Justin. “Justin, what is it that you do for a living?”
Brian leaned back in his chair a little; ready to let Justin do most of the talking for now.
“I’m an artist.” Justin replied simply and waited for the questions that usually followed after this statement.
“What medium?” Laura asked back.
“A little bit of everything actually. I used to prefer to draw but now I mostly paint. Acrylic, and more recently oil. I also experiment with computer graphics and dabble in comic illustrations.”
Geneviève raised her head at that and looked at Justin before directing her gaze back to her plate quickly.
“That sounds exciting. I guess with this range of talents you won’t get bored. I’m afraid I don’t know much about art other than liking to look at it.”
Justin smiled warmly. “I didn’t know much about art either before I went to college. I just had the urge to draw. And paint. Everything that I saw I needed to put on paper.”
“You studied art in college then?” Albert asked politely.
“Yes. Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts. But to be honest, I didn’t get a degree.”
“Why not? If you don’t mind me asking?”
“He went to Hollywood to work on a movie based on his comic book.” All eyes turned to Geneviève whose face grew even redder. She looked up quickly, muttered “I’m sorry” and went back to stare at her fork.
“Why should you be?” Justin replied, smiling at her. “It’s true. Not many people know though. You read Rage?” Justin asked her, hoping to engage her in the conversation and interested in where she might have gotten this bit of information.
“Yes. My… my friend introduced me to it. She’s…,” Geneviève cleared her throat. “She’s a huge fan. She knows everything when it comes to Rage. That they tried to make a movie of it, and… other stuff.” She broke off.
Her parents seemed just as surprised as Justin at this explanation, though for different reasons.
“You made it sound like you were just dabbling in the comic graphics business. Now it turns out you’re famous.” Albert and Laura laughed appreciatively. “What is it about?”
Now it was Justin’s turn to blush. While he was searching for the right words, Brian jumped in and explained.
“I’m afraid it’s not family friendly entertainment. It’s based on a gay superhero.” Brian explained.
Justin smiled conciliatory. Laura’s cheeks took on some color as well but she smiled brightly nevertheless. “Well, we’re all adults here, right?” She said and Justin smiled gratefully.
He turned to Geneviève again because something she said caught his attention. “What other stuff?” He asked.
She looked up at him and for once, didn’t immediately look away. Though she squirmed in her seat a little. “About the… ehm… the accident.”
Justin’s eyes widened slightly when he realized what Geneviève was talking about. He smiled again at her to signal it was alright and she smiled back for the first time that evening.
“Oh, my husband told me all about it. You were in a car accident only a month ago, weren’t you? He said that was why you had to cancel the meeting, Mr. Kinney.” Then, directing the question at Justin, she asked, “Are you alright now? Were you hurt badly?”
Brian answered before Justin had a chance to. “Yes, Mrs. Cuylen, Justin was in a car accident last month. He needed brain surgery but he’s fine now. This wasn’t the accident your daughter was referring to however.”
“Oh?” Laura was obviously confused now.
Brian looked to Justin at that and Justin gave a small, sad smile. Laura picked up on the sudden change in atmosphere and added, “I’m sorry to have brought it up. It’s of course none of our business.”
“It’s fine. Really. The truth is, I was bashed at my prom. Someone hit me in the head with a baseball bat because I dared to dance with the man I was in love with. My business partner and I retold what happened to me in our comic book. That’s what your daughter was referring to.”
“Oh, my God. That’s terrible.” Laura exclaimed in honest outrage. “I don’t understand why someone would do something like that.”
“Have they caught the one who did it?” Albert inquired.
“Yes. But he got away with community service.”
“That’s sad.” Laura voiced. “Were there no witnesses?”
“None that mattered. And by that I mean none that weren’t gay.” Brian replied with a bitter undertone. Justin heard the pain in his voice and extended his left arm to stroke his thigh and squeezed it lightly. Brian leaned over and pressed warm lips against Justin’s temple in exchange for the offered comfort.
“You?” Laura asked in surprise.
Brian nodded.
“How long have you known each other?” Laura asked, doing the math in her head.
“Something over ten years.” Justin answered for Brian. “Though it does seem like only yesterday.”
“It always will.” Albert agreed sending a loving look towards his wife who blushed beautifully. “Time fucking flies. Forgive me the expression.” Everyone at the table laughed at the slip-up. “Wait till your children start making decisions for themselves. That’s when you’ll start to wonder ‘when the heck did that happen?’” He laughed and asked. “Do you two have children?”
“I have a son who lives with his mothers in Canada. He turned ten this year. And Justin and I are raising his two beautiful twin daughters. They’re only fifteen months old.”
“They weren’t in the car with you, were they, when you had your accident?” Laura asked concerned.
“No. Thankfully, not. I was alone in the car. I honestly don’t want to think about the alternative.”
The rest of the evening was spent talking about child seat security, a car’s safety features, Justin’s need for a new car, and Britin, which led Brian to explain how they came to move to West Virginia. Laura seemed to love the story which appealed to the romantic in her. And Albert felt much safer entrusting his business to Brian, knowing that the man had his priorities right when it came to business and families. Though he hadn’t known what to make of Justin’s youth at first, he came to realize that, at least in this relationship, age was not an issue. And seeing that they were still together after ten years made him even more secure in his decision. You didn’t stay with a person for ten years and not know how to work out problems. After meeting Justin, and watching Brian and Justin together, Albert thought how lucky he was to have come knocking on Kinnetik’s door, despite his counselors advising otherwise. Nobody seemed better fit to represent their family business than Brian Kinney.
Before they said their goodbyes, Geneviève finally worked up the courage to ask Justin for an autograph for her and her friend. Justin complied happily and kissed her cheek, making the young woman blush furiously, before taking Brian’s offered hand and leaving the restaurant.
Read Chapter 18
Warnings: None.
Summary: Five years post-513. This story is anti-angst medication. Nothing bad ever happens here (that’s not completely true, but it’s definitely kept to a minimum).
Beta: silvaofhope. You’re the best!
Disclaimer: I’ve read somewhere that, since disclaimers have no legal footing, they’re merely an expression of the author’s guilt. Still don’t feel guilty.
Feedback: ♥ Is loved and craved. ♥
Previous chapters:
[Ch 01] [Ch 02] [Ch 03] [Ch 04] [Ch 05] [Ch 06] [Ch 07] [Ch 08] [Ch 09] [Ch 10] [Ch 11] [Ch 12] [Ch 13] [Ch 14] [Ch 15] [Ch 16]
Present, November 2010
Brian had some work to do that morning, but most of it could be done from his home office. He would only need to go in to check on things in Babylon later that afternoon. He decided to have a lazy day and went to pull Emma free from the high chair, seeing as she was long done with her breakfast and was now playing with her food, using the mashed cereal to re-paint the table in front of her. “Artist’s kids,” Brian rolled his eyes.
“Cookie?” She asked when she saw Brian approach. Funny enough, cookie had been one of the first words the twins learned.
“It’s the last one.” Brian called in Justin’s direction when he picked the box from the cabinet.
“I’ll put it down on the list.” Justin replied. They always bought the same kind - sugar free, oat cookies. When it came to his daughters, Justin didn’t mind Brian being a health freak.
“When’s Arianna coming?” Brian asked while cleaning Emma’s hands and face with a wet towel.
“She should be here in an hour or so.” Justin’s accident had put the planned meeting on hold. However, it also gave him time to think more about what direction to take with his agent problem and he was almost sure he’d be letting Peyton go soon. Today’s meeting was merely to confirm what he felt was already a made decision.
Brian was happy. Apart from Justin’s new hairstyle, nothing reminded of the accident more than one month ago and the blond finally seemed calmer, less frustrated whenever he had to call Peyton. Brian only hoped Peyton would not make it difficult for Justin. His contract was not due for re-negotiation for another six months.
“I’ll be in my office getting some work done. If you need help with the kids let me know, alright? I’m not doing anything too important so feel free to interrupt me whenever you want.” Brian said exiting the kitchen.
Justin nodded absentmindedly. He loved those days when Brian would stay home, when there were no pressing matters to attend to, when he could just enjoy the time with his family.
About ninety minutes later Arianna arrived and was introduced to Alex who hovered behind Justin’s leg, clutching his pants for support, as Justin opened the front door.
“Wow, Justin. I didn’t expect you to live in a mansion.” Arianna said, impressed with her surroundings. “If I had thought about it before, I’d probably have pictured you in…” she thought for a moment, “…a loft of sorts.” She finally decided.
Justin had to laugh at that. “A loft is exactly where we used to live.” He explained when Arianna raised her eyebrows in question. “Well, it was Brian’s. I moved in and out a lot, until he bought us this place. Would you like a tour?”
Arianna said yes to that. So Justin first showed her the pool, garden, and stable areas before moving on to the indoors.
“Where’s your other daughter?” Arianna finally asked.
“In Brian’s office, I suppose. Ever since she started walking by herself she never seems to sit still. These days she gets a kick out of trailing Brian’s steps.” And sure enough, as they entered Brian’s office they saw Emma mimicking his every step as he moved from the desk to the bookshelf and back, laughing on every turn. Brian humored her by changing directions suddenly and watching as she laughed some more.
After Justin introduced Arianna to Emma and she and Brian exchanged some small talk, they went off to see Justin’s studio, leaving the girls with Brian.
“They look so much like you.” Arianna remarked as they walked the hallway towards Justin’s studio.
“Yeah, I probably would have had to return them if they hadn’t come out blond. What a relief that they are.” He laughed.
“I don’t understand.”
“How could you. Brian sort of insisted on them being blond. It was one of his conditions when I came up with the idea that I wanted a kid.” Justin laughed, indicating not to take this too earnestly.
“Yeah, right. After what I’ve just seen, Brian adores them. And the feelings seem to be mutual.”
“You’re not wrong. They both soak up Brian’s love and no matter how much of it Brian bestows upon them, it never seems enough. It’s been like this from the very beginning. That’s why Emma will hold still for him, and Alex will put down her beloved books for him. They crave his attention. Like father, like daughters, Brian often jokes.” Justin gave a laugh and she smiled in return. Then Justin turned to lead her into his studio.
Justin showed her his most recent works first; a series of darker abstracts but each one of them with a contrasting highlight that caught the observer’s eye.
He then moved into his walk-in storage room where he kept his finished and already dry paintings. He pulled the smaller pieces out first and held his breath, awaiting Arianna’s judgment. Those were the pieces he was fighting with Peyton about because Justin wanted them shown. They were all sorts of styles, ranging from abstract color studies in oil to some shadow and light pieces done in acrylic.
“They’re breathtaking, Justin. Why haven’t you shown them yet?” Arianna asked, noticing the date on some of the paintings.
Justin chose not to answer that directly, so he said, “I want to, now.” And deciding to be as open with her as he dared, he added “I’ll sign with you if you can get them shown anywhere.”
Arianna was taken aback by the defeated tone in his voice. He sounded almost desperate. She gawked at Justin in surprise for a few moments before nodding enthusiastically. “Absolutely. Consider it done.” Then she couldn’t restrain herself and flung her body at Justin, hugging the stuffing out of him.
Justin laughed and hugged her back. In a very short span of time she had become more a friend than a business associate so he didn’t have any second thoughts about it.
The next few hours were spent talking and planning and when Arianna finally left, Justin had a very satisfied smile on his face. Then he remembered that he would have to call Peyton soon and his happy mood was dampened a little. But he decided not to dwell on it since he had to get ready for dinner with the Cuylens.
The Cuylens were an old-fashioned family with old-fashioned beliefs. Not in the sense of being judgmental towards people who deviated from the norm but in the way of their thinking. They valued virtues like honesty, modesty, a sense of responsibility, and family bonds, and tried to teach their only child, a daughter of nineteen years of age, exactly this.
Brian had met the head of the company, CEO Albert Cuylen, several times during their initial meetings while trying to get a feel for the creative aspect of the work process and to gauge the compatibility of ideas. Albert Cuylen had inherited the family business from his grandfather who founded the company in the early forties. It was an indication of Albert Cuylen’s business sense and intelligence that he was able to navigate the family business through all the political and economical changes in the last couple of decades, while at the same time expanding it into an international market. Brian assessed him to be disciplined and hard-working. A man with a clear direction and little tolerance for mistakes or procrastination. He was a simple man by anyone’s standards but didn’t appreciate false modesty and flattery. Brian wasn’t sure if his sexuality was what had kept the Cuylen representatives from seeking out Kinnetik’s advertising services for so long.
For that reason, Brian was very appreciative about tonight’s dinner invitation. He wouldn’t however hide who he was or change anything in his demeanor towards Justin just for the sake of the Cuylen family. Even though the contracts were yet to be signed on Wednesday.
Brian and Justin arrived on time in the restaurant and let the waiter escort them to the Cuylen table. Brian shook hands with Albert and waited for the man to introduce his wife, Laura, and their daughter, Geneviève, before shaking their hands too. He then looked at Justin and introduced him as his partner, all the while keeping his left hand on the small of Justin’s back. Justin was always nervous when he met Brian’s clients because he was apprehensive of the reaction when it came to their age difference.
They all took their seats finally and Brian engaged in some small talk concerning the restaurant, the hotel the Cuylens were staying in, and the traffic when getting here - nothing of big importance; which left him enough time and opportunity for a close examination of the Cuylen women. Laura had an honest and pretty face that she bequeathed upon her daughter. Geneviève, though very pretty, didn’t fit the model figures advertised everywhere. She was of a slightly larger built and very shy, as far as Brian could tell. She kept her eyes mostly on the table-cloth, getting very pink in the cheeks when she was addressed directly and required to answer a question. She wouldn’t hold eye contact for more than a second. But she had a beautiful melodic voice, Brian noted, and guessed she’d make a wonderful singer. He also noticed that from time to time, when she felt herself unwatched, she would fix Justin with an intense stare that Brian couldn’t read completely. Justin noticed it too, and sent her a warm and contagious smile, making her blush even more.
The table talk turned to the Cuylen family business and its very beginnings. Albert recounted the story that led to the founding of Cuylen Automobiles. Brian and Justin laughed in all the appropriate places and found themselves actually enjoying Mr. Cuylen’s storytelling skills. Laura admitted to not possessing any business sense of her own, but she was a very devoted wife who obviously adored her husband and was happy with her role in the small family. She possessed a natural curiosity and a general interest in people which made her a good listener and advisor. Brian guessed when it came to assessing people’s characters, Mr. Cuylen relied heavily on his wife, and wondered if this was the reason Albert wanted Brian to meet his family.
Justin let Brian do most of the talking since the topic stayed on their business relations. He had liked the Cuylens almost instantly but was a little bit uneasy because Geneviève kept glancing in his direction with a curious look on her face Justin wasn’t too sure what to make of. He also noticed the surprise in the Cuylen’s expressions when Brian and he neared their table. He knew they wondered about the age difference. It was a look Justin was only too familiar with, one that he had encountered several times when escorting Brian to company functions or client meetings. One thing he had to give the Cuylens credit for, however, was that they didn’t seem to think less of him because of his youth. He often experienced people treating him like a stupid child, imposing the role of an extended piece of Brian’s attire on him. Honestly, what pissed him off most about those people was the fact that they weren’t offending him by their behavior, but that they were insulting Brian’s judgment. The curiosity he sensed from the Cuylens was purely benevolent though and Justin tried to relax a little. He was however a little intimidated by how important this client would be for Kinnetik.
When the talk turned to more personal issues, Laura finally seized her chance and addressed Justin. “Justin, what is it that you do for a living?”
Brian leaned back in his chair a little; ready to let Justin do most of the talking for now.
“I’m an artist.” Justin replied simply and waited for the questions that usually followed after this statement.
“What medium?” Laura asked back.
“A little bit of everything actually. I used to prefer to draw but now I mostly paint. Acrylic, and more recently oil. I also experiment with computer graphics and dabble in comic illustrations.”
Geneviève raised her head at that and looked at Justin before directing her gaze back to her plate quickly.
“That sounds exciting. I guess with this range of talents you won’t get bored. I’m afraid I don’t know much about art other than liking to look at it.”
Justin smiled warmly. “I didn’t know much about art either before I went to college. I just had the urge to draw. And paint. Everything that I saw I needed to put on paper.”
“You studied art in college then?” Albert asked politely.
“Yes. Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts. But to be honest, I didn’t get a degree.”
“Why not? If you don’t mind me asking?”
“He went to Hollywood to work on a movie based on his comic book.” All eyes turned to Geneviève whose face grew even redder. She looked up quickly, muttered “I’m sorry” and went back to stare at her fork.
“Why should you be?” Justin replied, smiling at her. “It’s true. Not many people know though. You read Rage?” Justin asked her, hoping to engage her in the conversation and interested in where she might have gotten this bit of information.
“Yes. My… my friend introduced me to it. She’s…,” Geneviève cleared her throat. “She’s a huge fan. She knows everything when it comes to Rage. That they tried to make a movie of it, and… other stuff.” She broke off.
Her parents seemed just as surprised as Justin at this explanation, though for different reasons.
“You made it sound like you were just dabbling in the comic graphics business. Now it turns out you’re famous.” Albert and Laura laughed appreciatively. “What is it about?”
Now it was Justin’s turn to blush. While he was searching for the right words, Brian jumped in and explained.
“I’m afraid it’s not family friendly entertainment. It’s based on a gay superhero.” Brian explained.
Justin smiled conciliatory. Laura’s cheeks took on some color as well but she smiled brightly nevertheless. “Well, we’re all adults here, right?” She said and Justin smiled gratefully.
He turned to Geneviève again because something she said caught his attention. “What other stuff?” He asked.
She looked up at him and for once, didn’t immediately look away. Though she squirmed in her seat a little. “About the… ehm… the accident.”
Justin’s eyes widened slightly when he realized what Geneviève was talking about. He smiled again at her to signal it was alright and she smiled back for the first time that evening.
“Oh, my husband told me all about it. You were in a car accident only a month ago, weren’t you? He said that was why you had to cancel the meeting, Mr. Kinney.” Then, directing the question at Justin, she asked, “Are you alright now? Were you hurt badly?”
Brian answered before Justin had a chance to. “Yes, Mrs. Cuylen, Justin was in a car accident last month. He needed brain surgery but he’s fine now. This wasn’t the accident your daughter was referring to however.”
“Oh?” Laura was obviously confused now.
Brian looked to Justin at that and Justin gave a small, sad smile. Laura picked up on the sudden change in atmosphere and added, “I’m sorry to have brought it up. It’s of course none of our business.”
“It’s fine. Really. The truth is, I was bashed at my prom. Someone hit me in the head with a baseball bat because I dared to dance with the man I was in love with. My business partner and I retold what happened to me in our comic book. That’s what your daughter was referring to.”
“Oh, my God. That’s terrible.” Laura exclaimed in honest outrage. “I don’t understand why someone would do something like that.”
“Have they caught the one who did it?” Albert inquired.
“Yes. But he got away with community service.”
“That’s sad.” Laura voiced. “Were there no witnesses?”
“None that mattered. And by that I mean none that weren’t gay.” Brian replied with a bitter undertone. Justin heard the pain in his voice and extended his left arm to stroke his thigh and squeezed it lightly. Brian leaned over and pressed warm lips against Justin’s temple in exchange for the offered comfort.
“You?” Laura asked in surprise.
Brian nodded.
“How long have you known each other?” Laura asked, doing the math in her head.
“Something over ten years.” Justin answered for Brian. “Though it does seem like only yesterday.”
“It always will.” Albert agreed sending a loving look towards his wife who blushed beautifully. “Time fucking flies. Forgive me the expression.” Everyone at the table laughed at the slip-up. “Wait till your children start making decisions for themselves. That’s when you’ll start to wonder ‘when the heck did that happen?’” He laughed and asked. “Do you two have children?”
“I have a son who lives with his mothers in Canada. He turned ten this year. And Justin and I are raising his two beautiful twin daughters. They’re only fifteen months old.”
“They weren’t in the car with you, were they, when you had your accident?” Laura asked concerned.
“No. Thankfully, not. I was alone in the car. I honestly don’t want to think about the alternative.”
The rest of the evening was spent talking about child seat security, a car’s safety features, Justin’s need for a new car, and Britin, which led Brian to explain how they came to move to West Virginia. Laura seemed to love the story which appealed to the romantic in her. And Albert felt much safer entrusting his business to Brian, knowing that the man had his priorities right when it came to business and families. Though he hadn’t known what to make of Justin’s youth at first, he came to realize that, at least in this relationship, age was not an issue. And seeing that they were still together after ten years made him even more secure in his decision. You didn’t stay with a person for ten years and not know how to work out problems. After meeting Justin, and watching Brian and Justin together, Albert thought how lucky he was to have come knocking on Kinnetik’s door, despite his counselors advising otherwise. Nobody seemed better fit to represent their family business than Brian Kinney.
Before they said their goodbyes, Geneviève finally worked up the courage to ask Justin for an autograph for her and her friend. Justin complied happily and kissed her cheek, making the young woman blush furiously, before taking Brian’s offered hand and leaving the restaurant.
Read Chapter 18