Making it Through the Summer: Prologue
Making it Through the Summer & Making it Through Another Summer
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Prologue
Late April
Gardner Vance's Office
Vangard
It was a rainy afternoon in Pittsburgh as Gardner Vance sat at his desk intently reading a file. Ever since he had received the file from Mr. Gray, one of Pittsburgh's most thorough private investigators, Vance had not left his office.
Vance was a smart man. He knew even before he bought the agency from Ryder that Brian Kinney was a potential threat. The young ad exec had everything on his side: talent, looks, arrogance, and youth. Going into the agency, Vance knew he would have to tread carefully around such a talented individual. He had to ensure that the talent remained a valuable asset, without the man becoming a dangerous liability. Vance never had any intention of getting rid of the younger man; the initial threat he had made had been merely a bluff. He had anticipated that Kinney would land a big account in order to prove his value to the agency, and he had done just that by bringing in Brown Athletics. Initially, Vance had not been thrilled that Kinney had forced him to make him a partner; however, he was quick to see that having him as a partner had its benefits. He could hand Kinney the difficult clients, make him clean up the messes, and just about force him to do whatever he didn't feel like doing. Most importantly, Vance was a man who believed in keeping his friends close, and his enemies even closer. Now that the bastard was a partner, he was always sure to keep a close eye on him.
For a few months, the plan had actually worked. Kinney had been forced to take care of all the "shit" jobs, allowing Vance time to relax a little and enjoy life. However, things began to change near the end of January.
For about a week, Brian came into the office looking like death warmed over; acting as if he were in a daze most of the time. Vance knew the man was gay, and after hearing office gossip, was fairly certain he led quite the lifestyle. Vance thought perhaps the younger man was developing a drug or alcohol problem. He had already suspected that Brian was more than a casual user, and wondered if the habit had begun to spiral out of control. He had hoped this was the case, since it would have provided him with a valid reason to eliminate Kinney's career and ruin his reputation all at the same time. He could have then fired Kinney and have thus prevented any of his clients from leaving the firm.
But things didn't seem to evolve in quite the way Vance had anticipated. Approximately a week later, Kinney began looking and acting normal again; however, he did seem more intense. As time passed, it became more and more apparent that the man was hiding from something as he seemed more ambitious, more driven, worked harder, and was at the office sometimes seventy-five plus hours a week. Whatever was bothering Brian, it had not affected his work. In fact, his work was better than ever. The ideas were pouring out of him, and he had even managed to bring the firm several new accounts.
While Vance was happy with the increased revenue Brian was generating, he was not happy with how successful his partner had become. Vance now viewed Kinney as a serious threat; there was no longer any doubt as to his potential. He knew for certain that the younger man could out perform him any day of the week. Vance feared that if the ad exec continued at his fierce pace, he would soon overshadow him. He also believed that Kinney might try to go out on his own, or usurp his authority. Not wanting to lose his power, prestige, and clients to anyone, Vance knew he had to do something to stop Brian, even if it meant destroying him.
The first step in accomplishing his agenda had been to hire Nick Stanton as a senior account manager. He had worked at a competing firm, and had a reputation for being a "yes man" who was easily swayed by greed. Vance had made him an offer he couldn't refuse, and he was soon at Vangard. Kinney had been furious because he felt that Nick lacked talent, and had only made it as far as he had by kissing ass. Of course, Vance could have cared less what Kinney had thought, since Stanton was all about setting his plan in motion.
Vance knew Stanton hated Kinney (he had lost numerous accounts to him) and would be more than happy to follow orders, especially if he was offered a partnership once Brian was eliminated.
The second step came with hiring a private investigator named Gray. Kinney always had been very guarded about his personal life. Most of what Vance knew came from the office grapevine. He believed that Gray would discover something that could be used in furthering his agenda.
Vance had heard, again through the office grapevine, that Kinney was known for being extremely active sexually. He appeared to never have had a partner, or at least, had never mentioned or been seen with one previously. Vance thought this might be a tad bit suspect.
Cynthia, Kinney's administrative assistant, was fiercely loyal to him, and rarely talked about the man's personal life to anyone she considered a potential enemy or threat. Vance could tell that she was hiding something, though. He had asked her about a month ago if Kinney would be bringing a partner to an awards dinner in New York City, and Cynthia had said "no." Vance had then asked if Kinney had a partner, and she had seemed quite taken aback. It seemed, at first, as if she was not sure how to answer, before eventually saying that he didn't.
He had even tried snooping in Kinney's office while the man was out of town on business. The only items of interest he had noticed were a framed photo of Brian holding a baby, condoms, lube, and a promotional card for Rage. One thing Vance had heard from the grapevine was that Kinney did have a son. It was the one thing Cynthia felt comfortable gossiping about. He was also not surprised to find the condoms and lube, especially after reading about the Kip Thomas incident in Kinney's file. He wasn't sure what the significance of the Rage card was, so he decided to make a copy to give to Gray.
Vance had been thrilled that Gray had been able to conduct his investigation quickly, and had been able to provide him with a very detailed dossier. As he sat at his desk reading the file for a third time, he couldn't help but smile. Kinney had definitely been hiding something, and his name was Justin Taylor.
According to Gray's file, Taylor was a student at Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts (PIFA), and the young executive had paid his tuition for the past three quarters. Taylor was also the artistic part of Rage, which was apparently a gay comic book. Rage was written by Michael Novotny, a close friend of Brian's since high school. Gray thought that the title character, "Rage," was in fact Kinney, and that J.T. was Taylor. He had also included a copy of the comic for Vance to peruse. Vance couldn't help but wonder if his partner had used the firm's resources to promote Rage. Gray had also discovered that according to PIFA's records, Taylor had the same mailing address as Kinney for his first two quarters at PIFA. His address changed, however, to a less desirable part of Pittsburgh for the third quarter. In addition to living with him, it appeared that Taylor had access to a credit card in Kinney's name, and a joint checking account. The card had been recently cancelled and the checking account closed. Gray believed the card and account were used for Taylor to pay for things like groceries, dry cleaning, take out, supplies, etc.
Vance was surprised to learn that Taylor had been a victim of a gay bashing. He had been hit on the head with a baseball bat at his senior prom after sharing a "provocative" dance with an older man. The man of course had been Kinney. Most of the media attention had been focused on the victim and the culprit, and because the assailant, a Mr. Chris Hobbs, had agreed to plead guilty, a trial had been avoided. This had allowed Kinney to remain relatively unscathed by the media, and was why Vance had not heard about the incident previously.
What Vance found most intriguing was what Gray had uncovered about Brian's relationship with Taylor. Apparently, Justin had "wised up" to Kinney's antics, and felt that the grass was greener on the other side. Gray had learned this from interviewing some of Kinney's disgruntled tricks about the breakup. It appeared that Taylor publicly dumped him at a party he had hosted to promote Rage. Taylor had secretly been having an affair with an impoverished fiddler for about a month leading up to the party, and Kinney had apparently found out about it. Vance couldn't help but smile, to think that the ad exec had been dumped for a starving artist.
Because the Rage party coincided with Kinney's meltdown during the last week of January, Vance was absolutely certain the breakup with Taylor was the force that had been driving him during the past few months. He knew that it had to have killed Kinney's ego to be publicly dumped for an "impoverished fiddler." The fact that Kinney had not let up on his frantic pace also indicated that he was still quite angry.
According to Gray, the fiddler had actually left for Europe a month after the party [he had apparently won a prestigious violin contest], and Taylor had not accompanied him. The young blond was working at a gallery part time and living in an apartment off campus with a friend named Daphne Chandlers. Since the night of the Rage party, he had literally disappeared from all the gay bars and clubs he used to be seen at frequently with Kinney. Gray believed that Justin had no interest in reestablishing his relationship with Brian.
"Now, if I could just figure out a way to use Taylor to my advantage..." Vance mused to himself as he stared at a picture Gray had taken of the younger man. He had to admit, the kid was beautiful, but that didn't surprise him; Brian wouldn't settle for anything less. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to incorporate Justin into his plan to ruin his "partner."
"Mr. Vance?" came the voice of Victoria, his executive assistant, over the intercom.
"Yes."
"A Mr. McDaniel from Career Services at PIFA is on the line. He wants to discuss potential candidates for placement in our summer intern program. Should I put him through?" she asked.
"Yes. I completely forgot that it was that time of the year again. In fact, I think Mr. McDaniel may have some very suitable candidates this year," Vance said with a knowing smile. Perhaps he wouldn't be in need of a plan after all...
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Prologue
Late April
Gardner Vance's Office
Vangard
It was a rainy afternoon in Pittsburgh as Gardner Vance sat at his desk intently reading a file. Ever since he had received the file from Mr. Gray, one of Pittsburgh's most thorough private investigators, Vance had not left his office.
Vance was a smart man. He knew even before he bought the agency from Ryder that Brian Kinney was a potential threat. The young ad exec had everything on his side: talent, looks, arrogance, and youth. Going into the agency, Vance knew he would have to tread carefully around such a talented individual. He had to ensure that the talent remained a valuable asset, without the man becoming a dangerous liability. Vance never had any intention of getting rid of the younger man; the initial threat he had made had been merely a bluff. He had anticipated that Kinney would land a big account in order to prove his value to the agency, and he had done just that by bringing in Brown Athletics. Initially, Vance had not been thrilled that Kinney had forced him to make him a partner; however, he was quick to see that having him as a partner had its benefits. He could hand Kinney the difficult clients, make him clean up the messes, and just about force him to do whatever he didn't feel like doing. Most importantly, Vance was a man who believed in keeping his friends close, and his enemies even closer. Now that the bastard was a partner, he was always sure to keep a close eye on him.
For a few months, the plan had actually worked. Kinney had been forced to take care of all the "shit" jobs, allowing Vance time to relax a little and enjoy life. However, things began to change near the end of January.
For about a week, Brian came into the office looking like death warmed over; acting as if he were in a daze most of the time. Vance knew the man was gay, and after hearing office gossip, was fairly certain he led quite the lifestyle. Vance thought perhaps the younger man was developing a drug or alcohol problem. He had already suspected that Brian was more than a casual user, and wondered if the habit had begun to spiral out of control. He had hoped this was the case, since it would have provided him with a valid reason to eliminate Kinney's career and ruin his reputation all at the same time. He could have then fired Kinney and have thus prevented any of his clients from leaving the firm.
But things didn't seem to evolve in quite the way Vance had anticipated. Approximately a week later, Kinney began looking and acting normal again; however, he did seem more intense. As time passed, it became more and more apparent that the man was hiding from something as he seemed more ambitious, more driven, worked harder, and was at the office sometimes seventy-five plus hours a week. Whatever was bothering Brian, it had not affected his work. In fact, his work was better than ever. The ideas were pouring out of him, and he had even managed to bring the firm several new accounts.
While Vance was happy with the increased revenue Brian was generating, he was not happy with how successful his partner had become. Vance now viewed Kinney as a serious threat; there was no longer any doubt as to his potential. He knew for certain that the younger man could out perform him any day of the week. Vance feared that if the ad exec continued at his fierce pace, he would soon overshadow him. He also believed that Kinney might try to go out on his own, or usurp his authority. Not wanting to lose his power, prestige, and clients to anyone, Vance knew he had to do something to stop Brian, even if it meant destroying him.
The first step in accomplishing his agenda had been to hire Nick Stanton as a senior account manager. He had worked at a competing firm, and had a reputation for being a "yes man" who was easily swayed by greed. Vance had made him an offer he couldn't refuse, and he was soon at Vangard. Kinney had been furious because he felt that Nick lacked talent, and had only made it as far as he had by kissing ass. Of course, Vance could have cared less what Kinney had thought, since Stanton was all about setting his plan in motion.
Vance knew Stanton hated Kinney (he had lost numerous accounts to him) and would be more than happy to follow orders, especially if he was offered a partnership once Brian was eliminated.
The second step came with hiring a private investigator named Gray. Kinney always had been very guarded about his personal life. Most of what Vance knew came from the office grapevine. He believed that Gray would discover something that could be used in furthering his agenda.
Vance had heard, again through the office grapevine, that Kinney was known for being extremely active sexually. He appeared to never have had a partner, or at least, had never mentioned or been seen with one previously. Vance thought this might be a tad bit suspect.
Cynthia, Kinney's administrative assistant, was fiercely loyal to him, and rarely talked about the man's personal life to anyone she considered a potential enemy or threat. Vance could tell that she was hiding something, though. He had asked her about a month ago if Kinney would be bringing a partner to an awards dinner in New York City, and Cynthia had said "no." Vance had then asked if Kinney had a partner, and she had seemed quite taken aback. It seemed, at first, as if she was not sure how to answer, before eventually saying that he didn't.
He had even tried snooping in Kinney's office while the man was out of town on business. The only items of interest he had noticed were a framed photo of Brian holding a baby, condoms, lube, and a promotional card for Rage. One thing Vance had heard from the grapevine was that Kinney did have a son. It was the one thing Cynthia felt comfortable gossiping about. He was also not surprised to find the condoms and lube, especially after reading about the Kip Thomas incident in Kinney's file. He wasn't sure what the significance of the Rage card was, so he decided to make a copy to give to Gray.
Vance had been thrilled that Gray had been able to conduct his investigation quickly, and had been able to provide him with a very detailed dossier. As he sat at his desk reading the file for a third time, he couldn't help but smile. Kinney had definitely been hiding something, and his name was Justin Taylor.
According to Gray's file, Taylor was a student at Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts (PIFA), and the young executive had paid his tuition for the past three quarters. Taylor was also the artistic part of Rage, which was apparently a gay comic book. Rage was written by Michael Novotny, a close friend of Brian's since high school. Gray thought that the title character, "Rage," was in fact Kinney, and that J.T. was Taylor. He had also included a copy of the comic for Vance to peruse. Vance couldn't help but wonder if his partner had used the firm's resources to promote Rage. Gray had also discovered that according to PIFA's records, Taylor had the same mailing address as Kinney for his first two quarters at PIFA. His address changed, however, to a less desirable part of Pittsburgh for the third quarter. In addition to living with him, it appeared that Taylor had access to a credit card in Kinney's name, and a joint checking account. The card had been recently cancelled and the checking account closed. Gray believed the card and account were used for Taylor to pay for things like groceries, dry cleaning, take out, supplies, etc.
Vance was surprised to learn that Taylor had been a victim of a gay bashing. He had been hit on the head with a baseball bat at his senior prom after sharing a "provocative" dance with an older man. The man of course had been Kinney. Most of the media attention had been focused on the victim and the culprit, and because the assailant, a Mr. Chris Hobbs, had agreed to plead guilty, a trial had been avoided. This had allowed Kinney to remain relatively unscathed by the media, and was why Vance had not heard about the incident previously.
What Vance found most intriguing was what Gray had uncovered about Brian's relationship with Taylor. Apparently, Justin had "wised up" to Kinney's antics, and felt that the grass was greener on the other side. Gray had learned this from interviewing some of Kinney's disgruntled tricks about the breakup. It appeared that Taylor publicly dumped him at a party he had hosted to promote Rage. Taylor had secretly been having an affair with an impoverished fiddler for about a month leading up to the party, and Kinney had apparently found out about it. Vance couldn't help but smile, to think that the ad exec had been dumped for a starving artist.
Because the Rage party coincided with Kinney's meltdown during the last week of January, Vance was absolutely certain the breakup with Taylor was the force that had been driving him during the past few months. He knew that it had to have killed Kinney's ego to be publicly dumped for an "impoverished fiddler." The fact that Kinney had not let up on his frantic pace also indicated that he was still quite angry.
According to Gray, the fiddler had actually left for Europe a month after the party [he had apparently won a prestigious violin contest], and Taylor had not accompanied him. The young blond was working at a gallery part time and living in an apartment off campus with a friend named Daphne Chandlers. Since the night of the Rage party, he had literally disappeared from all the gay bars and clubs he used to be seen at frequently with Kinney. Gray believed that Justin had no interest in reestablishing his relationship with Brian.
"Now, if I could just figure out a way to use Taylor to my advantage..." Vance mused to himself as he stared at a picture Gray had taken of the younger man. He had to admit, the kid was beautiful, but that didn't surprise him; Brian wouldn't settle for anything less. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to incorporate Justin into his plan to ruin his "partner."
"Mr. Vance?" came the voice of Victoria, his executive assistant, over the intercom.
"Yes."
"A Mr. McDaniel from Career Services at PIFA is on the line. He wants to discuss potential candidates for placement in our summer intern program. Should I put him through?" she asked.
"Yes. I completely forgot that it was that time of the year again. In fact, I think Mr. McDaniel may have some very suitable candidates this year," Vance said with a knowing smile. Perhaps he wouldn't be in need of a plan after all...