Making it Through the Summer: Chapter 1 [Pt 1/2]
Making it Through the Summer & Making it Through Another Summer
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Chapter 1
[Pt 1/2]
Wednesday, May 1st
Career Services Office at PIFA
Justin was very excited as he sat in PIFA's Career Services Office. Last month Daphne had encouraged him to sign up for the summer internship program. At first he had felt that the school would not accept him since he had only completed his first year's coursework. He had, however, spoken to Mr. McDaniel to see if it would be feasible to apply for the program. McDaniel had felt that with Justin's excellent grades, his computer drawing skills, and the fact that his artwork had already been published in a comic book, some of the firms PIFA worked with might be interested in hiring him as an intern, and he encouraged Justin to apply for the program.
Justin had applied, but had yet to be contacted for an interview. He knew that he was competing against juniors and seniors, and that many of the firms felt he was too young and inexperienced. He had been quite surprised when he had received a call from Mr. McDaniel's office requesting an appointment. McDaniel's secretary had indicated that there was a position in the art department of an ad agency available, and that Justin was a potential candidate for the internship.
At the mere mention of an ad agency, Justin immediately thought of Vangard. He quickly dismissed the idea; a firm like Vangard would never hire someone of his caliber. Justin thought of Vangard as Brian's firm, and believed it would only want an extremely talented upperclassman. Besides, Justin felt that if Brian were doing the hiring he would never consider him, especially since the last time they had spoken had been at the infamous Rage party. Any communication regarding Justin's tuition now came via Melanie. The only reason Justin had used Brian's money for the third quarter was because according to Melanie, Brian had insisted on honoring their agreement. Justin had not wanted to take it, but with no other options, he really had no choice. At least next year he would finally be able to apply for student loans, and he would no longer need to depend on Brian. Rage had made a fair amount of money, but the money had been used to cover the comic's startup costs. Justin was currently using his portion that remained to cover his rent, and saved what was left for next year's tuition. If he was able to obtain an internship, Justin felt he would be able to save additional money for tuition, and would not be forced to take as many loans out the following year. Maybe if he were lucky, he might even be able to pay Brian at least some of the interest that had accrued on his particular loan.
"Justin." Mr. McDaniel walked out of his office. "It's good to see you again."
"Same here." Justin shook his hand and then followed Mr. McDaniel into his office.
"Take a seat," McDaniel indicated to one of the empty chairs in front of his desk. "I think I have found just the internship for you."
"That's wonderful," Justin smiled his sunshine smile as he sat down.
"For the past five years we have been working with a local ad agency placing interns in its art department. The agency changed ownership this year, but the new owner has remained more than willing to continue the summer intern program. The program itself has continually proven to be an outstanding experience for those selected. You would spend most of your time helping to design layouts and artwork for ad campaigns and proposals. A large portion of the work is performed on computers similar to the one you own. I think you would also obtain a feel for the day-to-day workings of the busy and challenging environment within an art department. Given your grades and your work on the comic book, I think you would definitely excel in this type of creative environment," McDaniel explained as Justin began to pray that the word Vangard would not come up.
"I think it sounds like an amazing opportunity. A uh... um... former friend of mine worked as an account exec for an ad agency, so I do know a little about the business," Justin admitted, still waiting and praying that this had nothing to do with Vangard.
"That will work even more to your advantage," McDaniel enthused. "I must tell you that Mr. Vance, the owner of the..."
"I'm sorry, did you say Mr. Vance?" Justin interrupted as he lost all color in his face. He knew this couldn't be just a coincidence.
"Yes, is there a problem, Justin?" McDaniel asked, concerned by how pale Justin had become.
"Uh... no... uh... please continue," Justin said as he frantically tried to maintain his composure.
"Getting back to Mr. Vance, he was most impressed by your grades and portfolio. I have to admit, this is quite the compliment from a man of his reputation," McDaniel stated. "He feels you would make an excellent addition to Vangard's intern program, and has requested that we arrange for you to interview as soon as possible."
"That's great," Justin tried to muster some enthusiasm. "Would I be interviewing with just Mr. Vance, or also with his partners?" There was no way he could even consider the interview if Brian were to be one of the interviewers.
"Mr. Vance, a senior account manager, and the art department director would be conducting the interviews. I'm under the impression that Mr. Vance's partner, Mr. Kinney, I believe, does not participate in the intern program," McDaniel replied. "Are there any other questions you might have regarding the internship?"
"Uh... no, I don't think so."
"Good. Shall I set up the interview for you?" McDaniel asked.
"Yeah, uh... I uh... am really interested in the opportunity, but uh... before I uh... have you set up the interview, I need to think about it just for a little bit," Justin hesitated.
"I hate to hurry things along, Justin, but Mr. Vance seems very anxious to interview you. Would it be possible to let me know by tomorrow morning?" McDaniel inquired, wondering about the boy's hesitation.
"That's uh... fine. I just need to discuss it with a close friend. He's a professor at Carnegie Mellon and he has sort of become a mentor to me in the past few months," Justin explained, as he could see McDaniel was confused by his hesitation to schedule the interview.
"Oh, I understand. I'm sure your friend will agree that it's a great opportunity. Like I said, I don't want to hurry you, I just want to make sure you take advantage of the opportunity," he explained.
"I'll definitely get back to you tomorrow," Justin assured him as they both stood up.
"Good. Then we are all set. I hope you choose to interview with Mr. Vance, Justin. I think you'll find interning at Vangard to be a life-changing experience," McDaniel predicted as he shook Justin's hand and walked him to the door.
Later that afternoon
A Starbucks near PIFA
As Justin sat in Starbucks waiting for Ben to arrive, he had to admit, as dysfunctional as his life had been over the past several months, he was glad to have built a stronger friendship with the professor.
Justin had been surprised when Ben had approached him outside PIFA a week after the breakup. Ben had wanted to tell him that he understood why he had left with Ethan. Although he felt the situation could have been handled differently, he understood Justin's involvement with Ethan. He also told Justin that he wished Michael was not as angry as he currently was, and that he hoped the two could continue the comic book. However, Ben advised Justin that if Michael could not get past his anger, then maybe he should hold off on making any decisions regarding the book until Michael's temper cooled. Ben had also said that if Justin ever needed someone to talk with, he should give him a call because he enjoyed being around young people, and admired Justin's courage.
Justin appreciated Ben's honesty and concern, and found him to be an inspiring person. In spite of his problems, Ben embraced life and lived it to its fullest.
As the first anniversary of the prom approached, Justin had begun having nightmares again. His first thought had been to turn to Brian, but that was no longer an option. Justin had asked Ben if he could talk to him about the bashing, and he had been more than willing to listen. In some ways Justin's bashing resembled Ben's contracting HIV. Both never expected it would happen but felt their lives had forever changed because of it. Ben shared with Justin some of his personal coping strategies and helped the teen open up about his feelings.
Ben and Justin decided to keep their friendship private. While they had no interest in one another romantically, they knew that Michael would feel threatened by their friendship. In a way, Justin could understand Michael's feelings. When Justin had been with Brian, he often wished that Brian would open up with him the way he did with Michael. He also did not want to cause any additional problems with Michael since he was still quite angry.
A few minutes later, Ben arrived, and he immediately noticed that something was wrong.
"Hey kid, what's going on?" Ben asked, taking a seat.
"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Justin asked. He wasn't quite ready to share the latest dark cloud on his horizon.
"If you call the chance to get away from reading a stack of boring blue books an interruption," Ben smiled.
"I can assure you my latest brush with bad luck is far from boring," Justin said smiling.
"Don't tell me more bad luck?" Ben groaned. He wondered when the poor kid would finally get a break.
"Unfortunately, I think this would fall under the bad luck category. Do you remember when I told you about the summer internship program I applied for?"
"Of course I remember. Have you gotten any leads from it yet?"
"Well, until today, I hadn't heard from any firms. I wasn't surprised considering my age and inexperience," Justin indicated.
"So, what exactly happened today?" Ben asked, concerned that perhaps the day's events tied to Justin's latest round of bad luck.
"I had an interview with Mr. McDaniel today. He's with PIFA's Career Services Office. Anyway, there is a firm that is interested in offering me an internship in its art department," Justin began to explain.
"That's great. I told you someone would be interested in hiring you."
"Yeah, well, the firm is... The firm is... Vangard," Justin revealed, hoping Ben would be able to make the connection to Brian.
"Fuck, isn't Vangard the firm that Bri..."
"Exactly," Justin confirmed, cutting his friend off. "Do you see what I mean by bad luck?"
"Definitely," Ben shook his head. "This is some serious bad luck. You, uh... don't think Brian is behind this do you?" the professor questioned, knowing full well what the ad executive was capable of.
"Brian? You've got to be kidding me."
"You have to admit that anything is possible with him," Ben shrugged, still wondering if this was somehow Brian's doing.
"I'm positive he is not involved. It's Vance that has expressed the interest in me. According to McDaniel, Vance's "partner" does not participate in the internship program," Justin explained.
"Well, if it's Vance that is interested, Brian must not be involved. He hates Vance with a passion, and he would never ask him to participate in one of his schemes," Ben mused as he tried to determine how Justin should handle the opportunity.
"Apparently Vance wants to interview me as soon as possible. I asked Mr. McDaniel whom I would interview with, and Brian was never mentioned. It's an incredible opportunity, and it would help me save for tuition, but I just don't know if I should even bother," Justin murmured.
"I can see what you mean. On one hand, it would be the perfect chance for you to gain valuable experience and earn some extra money. On the other hand, you would be forced to see Brian on a daily basis. God only knows what his reaction would be. We both know he is not the nicest person in the world. I would imagine he's not easy to work with as well," Ben surmised.
"I suspect he won't let Vance hire me once he finds out that his partner is interested in me," the blond added.
"Considering how much they dislike one another, I highly doubt Vance will listen to Brian if he really wants you on board," Ben pointed out.
"You do make a valid point. I just don't know, though. Do you think I should interview with Vance?"
"You really don't have anything to lose, and if you're lucky, you may not even see Brian. I would at least meet Vance and see what he has to say," Ben advised.
"What's the worst that could happen? Even if I saw Brian it's not like it would cause him to hate me any more than he already does," Justin remarked, not wanting to think about how he had ended things with his ex.
"I don't think he hates you, Justin," Ben protested, he doubted Brian even cared. He certainly never acted as if he had before.
"Trust me, he does. I betrayed his trust, and I'm the one who broke the rules, not him," Justin stated.
"That's in the past now. Like I said before, I really don't think you have anything to lose. I think you should go," Ben encouraged, hoping that if Justin actually went on the interview, he would not run into his infamous ex.
"I think you're right Ben, I might as well go. If nothing else, it would at least give me a little interviewing experience. Maybe I'll be lucky for once and not actually see Brian," Justin decided, although he highly doubted that his current streak of bad luck would change any time soon.
Friday, May 3rd
Justin & Daphne's Apartment
"Are you sure I look alright, Daph?" Justin asked as he looked in the mirror for the eighth time.
"Quit being such a drama princess. You look great, Justin, and you know it. That new suit Emmett helped us select looks amazing on you," Daphne complimented. "I still can't believe he actually picked something on the conservative side."
"I think being with Ted must be rubbing off on him," Justin laughed. "At least we were vague with Emmett about what the suit was for. I swear if we hadn't been, all of Liberty Avenue would have known by now."
"Yeah, we sure don't want to spoil a potential surprise for Brian," Daphne murmured. She still wasn't sure how she felt about him these days. She had always liked him, but he had been a real jerk toward the end of his relationship with Justin. At least Justin was no longer with Ethan. Who would have ever believed what a phony he would turn out to be?
"I hope to God I don't see him. What the hell am I going to do if I actually run into him?" Justin mused, more nervous about the possibility of running into Brian than actually interviewing with Vance.
"You are going to do what we agreed upon. You are not going to freak out. You're going to play it cool, and act like you deserve to be there. Most importantly, if by some chance he gives you his "infamous" look, you are not to fuck him," Daphne ordered.
"I highly doubt that would happen," Justin laughed, rolling his eyes at Daphne.
"Knowing the two of you, it could. Now promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"I promise, Daph," Justin smiled his sunshine smile.
"Now you are going to go into Vangard and impress the shit out of Vance," Daphne instructed. "Then when you're finished you are going to call me, right?"
"Yes, dear. You know, Brian was right when he said you would make some guy a great wife," Justin remarked as he walked over to Daphne and gave her a hug.
"I know," Daphne laughed as Justin went to gather his portfolio before walking out the door. She only hoped that he didn't run into Brian because she definitely wanted her best friend's life to improve. The last thing he needed was to be sucked back into Brian's dysfunctional world.
An Hour Later
Vangard Reception Area
Justin sat in the waiting area taking in his surroundings. In all his time with Brian, he had never actually been inside of the agency before. Brian hadn't wanted his colleagues to know about his personal life. After all, he had his reputation as a cold-hearted ad exec to maintain. Now that Justin was inside of Vangard, he had to admit he was impressed. Maybe now he would finally understand what Brian's career entailed. Not that it would make any difference. It was over between them.
"Justin?" Gardner Vance approached.
"Yes."
"I'm Gardner Vance. It's a pleasure to meet you." Vance held out his hand.
"It's good to meet you Mr. Vance," Justin greeted him, shaking his hand. He noted Vance's appearance: bald, expensive European cut suit, yet not as well tailored as one of Brian's, and very British. Brian had always stressed the importance of evaluating one's appearance.
"It's a pleasure, Justin," Vance smiled. He knew he had to be on his best behavior if his plan was going to work. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to my office."
***
Inside Vance's Office
"Please take a seat, Justin. Would you like my assistant to bring you anything to drink?" Vance offered.
"No thank you," Justin politely replied. He was relieved that he had made it into Vance's office without running into his ex. Now came dealing with Vance. Justin had to admit he was surprised by how cordial he seemed thus far since Brian had always made his business partner out to be quite the asshole.
"Tell me about yourself," Vance began the interview.
"Well, I've been interested in art..."
Before Justin knew it, almost forty-five minutes had passed. He was quite impressed with Vance. It was probably because he was European. Justin had always been fascinated with Europeans. Vance was quite knowledgeable about art, and it turned out they shared some of their favorite artists in common. He was also very complimentary about Justin's art portfolio, and his accomplishments at PIFA. In addition, Vance told Justin about his career, how he had come to purchase the firm, and how pleased he had been with the success Vangard had recently achieved. He also explained to Justin what he would be doing at Vangard, and how he would be working hands on with other artists and ad executives to create the artwork necessary for successful campaigns and proposals. Justin had to admit that he was very impressed with Vance, and could sense that he was an intelligent man. Perhaps this is why he did not get along with Brian; both were obviously too intelligent, too talented, and too controlling for one another.
"Do you have any questions regarding the internship, Justin?" Vance inquired toward the end of the interview. So far he felt that Justin was quite impressed with the company and the opportunity. He could see that his plan was off to a brilliant start.
"Would I be working on a particular account or on a wide variety of accounts?" Justin asked, hoping that Vance would perhaps expand on just whom in the agency he would be working with.
"Actually, you would be interning for Nick Stanton. Nick is a senior account manager, and he would be your mentor. Basically, you would work for him on his accounts by helping to create the artwork he requires for his clients. Nick will also help you by guiding your future here at Vangard, by being there to give you advice and guidance when you are in need. He will also be evaluating your performance for PIFA. I think you will find Nick to be an outstanding person to work with. Within the art department you would work with Nick's artists. They are an extremely talented group of individuals, and I think you would get along quite well with them. A few of them have even graduated from PIFA," Vance responded.
"It seems that although Vangard is a large firm, I would be working with a small group of individuals," Justin remarked, hoping this was in fact the case.
"Absolutely. For example, I have six senior account managers that report to me. They each work on their own accounts and have their own team of ad executives and artists. This is how we keep our work very focused to our clients' needs," Vance explained. He knew it was now time to reveal what he could tell Justin was dying to know. "My partner Brian, for example, has four senior account managers who directly report to him. They each have their own staffs just like my managers do. Brian's managers work on the accounts he oversees and my managers work on the accounts I oversee." Vance could see a look of relief come across Justin's face. It was obvious the boy did not want to work for his ex lover.
"So, if I understand this correctly, I would only be working on the accounts you oversee and assign to Mr. Stanton," Justin asked, in need of assurance that he would not be working for Brian in any capacity.
"Precisely, Justin," Vance confirmed.
"It sounds like a wonderful opportunity," Justin said as he felt the relief pour over him.
"It truly is. I think you would be quite happy here. If you don't have any additional questions, I would like to take you to meet Nick Stanton now. He would like to briefly meet with you and tell you more about the internship and what it entails. After you speak with Nick, he'll take you on a tour of our office, and introduce you to Matt Devlin, the head of our art department. After speaking with Matt, Nick and I would like to take you to lunch at our club," Vance said, laying out the remainder of Justin's office visit.
"That sounds great," Justin smiled. He hadn't seen Brian yet, and he wouldn't be working for him. Perhaps his luck was beginning to change. He didn't hold his breath, though. When it came to Brian, Justin had learned never to assume anything.
3:00 p.m.
Outside the Vangard Building
Justin picked up his cell phone and dialed Daphne's number. His office visit to Vangard had been quite surreal to say the least. He hadn't a clue as to how to proceed if Vance actually made him an offer.
"Hello?" Daphne answered.
"Hey Daph."
"Justin! How did it go? You didn't see Brian did you?" Daphne rushed out. She had been worried all day that Justin would run into the man.
"It was unreal Daph, absolutely un-fucking-real," Justin answered.
"Unreal? Unreal as in you saw Brian?"
"Actually, I never saw him. Can you believe that, Daph. I actually spent almost the entire day at Vangard, and I did not even see him," Justin responded in amazement.
"That's fantastic! So, what's it like? Is Vance a total ass?" She immediately asked, dying to know all about his day.
"Vance is quite impressive. Actually, he's very cool, very European, and I can see why he doesn't get along with Brian. They are much too alike for one another, although Brian is much hotter than Vance could ever dream of being. I actually enjoyed speaking with him. He has such an appreciation for art, and he really seems to understand how an artist thinks. Vance also took me to his club for lunch. It had a lunch buffet that was utterly amazing. I had the best tiramisu for dessert." Leave it to Justin to comment on the food.
"Are you serious, Justin? Wow! It sounds like Mr. Vance is quite charming. You don't actually want to work for him do you?" she inquired as she began to start worrying again. The last thing Justin needed was to be subjected to Brian on a daily basis.
"The thing is, Daph, I would love to work at Vangard. It's such an amazing place. The art department is out of this world, and everyone is so incredibly talented. I would really benefit from such a creative environment."
"But what about Brian?" Daphne interjected.
"That's the problem. If Brian didn't work there, I would go there in a second. I don't know, Daph, it's just so damn tempting," Justin admitted. He was more confused than ever.
"I know, Justin, but seriously, how can you deal with seeing Brian on a daily basis? Every single day you would be reminded of how much you loved him, knowing that it would never work in the end," Daphne pointed out.
"Just like every day I would remember how he pissed on my art, or sent me that disgusting hustler. Every day I would remember throwing it all away for Ethan, and we all know what a big fucking joke that was. You're right, Daph, I couldn't do it. Why do you think I haven't been to Woody's, Babylon, or the diner? It's because I don't want to see him. I don't want to remember how silly I was to think that love truly existed. I guess I'll just consider today as a good way of gaining interview experience," Justin said in a sad voice.
"I'm sorry, Justin. I really am. I know you'll find something, though. Something that's just as good, but without the Brian factor," Daphne promised.
"I hope you're right, Daph. It's just too damn bad I had to find the perfect job at Brian's firm," Justin sighed, resigned to the fact that he would have to find something else.
Monday, May 6th
8:15 a.m.
Vangard Agency
Cynthia sat at her desk perusing Brian's mail, wondering her how boss' trip to Boston had gone. The previous week, Vance had informed Brian that one of his clients had a serious emergency, and that he needed to fly to Boston as soon as possible. Brian had been far from pleased, but had known that if he sent one of the senior managers in his place, they would more than likely fuck things up. Needless to say, he didn't have much faith in his employees.
"How was your trip?" Cynthia inquired, glancing up to see Brian heading towards her.
"Fucking fantastic," he muttered.
"That bad?" Cynthia could tell just by his mood that she was in for a long day. Not to say that Brian's moods had been all that great over the past few months.
"How about a complete waste of time," Brian answered.
"But I thought there was an emergency?"
"Yeah. I suppose you could call a minor public relations issue an emergency," he replied with his usual sarcasm. "Fuck, I wouldn't have even sent one of our no talent morons to handle the situation. As you can see, it was a complete waste of time." Brian scowled before stalking into his office and slamming the door behind him.
Entering his office, Brian sat at his desk and listened to his voice mail. He decided it was time to determine how he should proceed with Vance. It hadn't taken him long to realize that the "supposed" emergency was merely a smokescreen. Even Vance wouldn't have wasted the firm's money to send a junior executive to handle such a small problem, let alone his partner. There had to be a reason why Vance had wanted him out of the office, and Brian was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Brian decided that his first step was to find out what Vance had been up to at the office on Friday. He couldn't come right out and ask him, as it would look suspicious. For one thing, Brian did not make small talk with Vance. For another, he didn't want to tip him off that he was suspicious. Perhaps he should just have Cynthia fish around. She was good at uncovering gossip and important information, but at the same time, he made sure that she didn't gossip about him. It was important to Brian that his personal life remained outside of the office, especially after the Kip Thomas disaster. Once he had an idea of what Vance had done on that day, Brian felt he would have a better idea of how to proceed with his business partner in the future.
10:00 am
Justin and Daphne's Apartment
Justin was lying on his futon when he heard his cell phone ring. He hadn't been sleeping, just debating whether or not he should bother getting up yet. He quickly reached over and grabbed his cell phone off the end table.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Mr. Taylor?"
"Yes?"
"Hi, I'm Alison Murphy of the human resources department here at Vangard. On behalf of Mr. Vance and everyone at Vangard, we would like to extend to you an offer for an internship in our art department," Alison stated enthusiastically as Justin began to feel as if the room had begun spinning.
"An offer? Oh, that's uh... gr-great n-news," Justin managed to get out.
"Mr. Vance was very impressed with you, and he would be thrilled to have you join the firm. Would you like me to tell you more about what the offer entails?"
"Sure," Justin said. He was certain things couldn't get any more surreal at this point.
"You would begin work here on Monday, June 10th. Hopefully that will give you enough time to finish your quarter at PIFA. The internship will last until September 6th; however, Mr. Vance did mention that if you do an outstanding job, he might like to keep you on part time while you continue at PIFA. You will receive a salary of $3000 per month. For any hours you work in excess of 40 hours per week you will receive time and a half for. Additionally, there may be opportunities for bonuses," Alison explained the details of the offer as Justin's jaw dropped open on the other end of the phone.
"Wow, uh, that is quite an impressive offer," Justin observed in shock.
"Well, Justin, at Vangard, we like to invest in our future talent. Congratulations. I'll be sending a formal copy of the offer to you today by way of Fed Ex. You should have it by tomorrow. If you could just get it back to us by next Monday with your decision, we would greatly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns."
"Certainly."
"I hope we'll see you on board, Justin. Have a great day."
"Thanks." Justin hung up his cell in shock. "Holy Shit! I can't fucking believe this!" he shouted as he immediately dialed Daphne's cell phone.
Three Hours Later
Brian's Office
"That was sure fast," Brian drawled sarcastically as Cynthia strolled into his office and closed the door.
"Did you not ask for a full report?" she shot back at him.
"So, what was our boy Vance up to?" Brian asked, hoping his assistant had obtained some relevant information.
"Let's see," she began. "He came in about 9:30, and was in a surprisingly good mood. He had an interview at 10:00 with a candidate for the summer internship program."
"Christ, is it that time of year again?" Brian muttered. "Thank God I realized that having some no talent, immature, idiotic brat following you around and fucking up all of your accounts for three months is counter productive."
"Oh, be nice for once," Cynthia chided him. "I'm sure there are some interns out there that might have talent, and don't need hand holding. Weren't you an intern once?" she inquired with a knowing smile.
"I was the exception; I had talent," he replied with his usual arrogance.
"Of course," she agreed, having quickly learned that it was often necessary to pander to Brian's ego when he was in one of his moods. "Anyway, he interviewed the kid for about an hour. He then had a conference call with Pittsburgh Electric. Afterward, he had a 12:30 lunch reservation for three at his club. I would assume he took the kid there and his potential mentor. I believe it's standard practice."
"Ah yes, take the brat to the club, so he'll believe that working in advertising is all about eating a fancy lunch. Of course the poor twat will never eat at the club while he slaves away at Vangard as Vance's latest toady," Brian couldn't help but comment.
"At least he had one fancy meal. In fact, Mr. Kinney, I don't remember the last time you took me to a fancy lunch at the club," she remarked.
"Don't hold your breath," he smirked. "Now that we know the brat was properly fed, let's get back to Vance's day, shall we?"
"After lunch he met with Nick Stanton and Matt Devlin in his office. I suspect it was about a new campaign. Nothing unusual there. He then spoke with Alison Murphy in human resources. That probably had something to do with the internship program. He has interviewed several candidates in the past week," Cynthia noted.
"Anything else?" Brian inquired, still trying to determine if there was anything suspicious about Vance's day.
"That's about it. He left early at 4:30. Honestly, Brian, it doesn't sound as if anything out of the ordinary occurred. Maybe you are just being paranoid."
"Paranoid? I don't do paranoid. Vance is a snake. It's as simple as that. I know he's up to something, and I intend to get to the bottom of it," Brian vowed. He wasn't about to let his partner get the best of him.
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Chapter 1
[Pt 1/2]
Wednesday, May 1st
Career Services Office at PIFA
Justin was very excited as he sat in PIFA's Career Services Office. Last month Daphne had encouraged him to sign up for the summer internship program. At first he had felt that the school would not accept him since he had only completed his first year's coursework. He had, however, spoken to Mr. McDaniel to see if it would be feasible to apply for the program. McDaniel had felt that with Justin's excellent grades, his computer drawing skills, and the fact that his artwork had already been published in a comic book, some of the firms PIFA worked with might be interested in hiring him as an intern, and he encouraged Justin to apply for the program.
Justin had applied, but had yet to be contacted for an interview. He knew that he was competing against juniors and seniors, and that many of the firms felt he was too young and inexperienced. He had been quite surprised when he had received a call from Mr. McDaniel's office requesting an appointment. McDaniel's secretary had indicated that there was a position in the art department of an ad agency available, and that Justin was a potential candidate for the internship.
At the mere mention of an ad agency, Justin immediately thought of Vangard. He quickly dismissed the idea; a firm like Vangard would never hire someone of his caliber. Justin thought of Vangard as Brian's firm, and believed it would only want an extremely talented upperclassman. Besides, Justin felt that if Brian were doing the hiring he would never consider him, especially since the last time they had spoken had been at the infamous Rage party. Any communication regarding Justin's tuition now came via Melanie. The only reason Justin had used Brian's money for the third quarter was because according to Melanie, Brian had insisted on honoring their agreement. Justin had not wanted to take it, but with no other options, he really had no choice. At least next year he would finally be able to apply for student loans, and he would no longer need to depend on Brian. Rage had made a fair amount of money, but the money had been used to cover the comic's startup costs. Justin was currently using his portion that remained to cover his rent, and saved what was left for next year's tuition. If he was able to obtain an internship, Justin felt he would be able to save additional money for tuition, and would not be forced to take as many loans out the following year. Maybe if he were lucky, he might even be able to pay Brian at least some of the interest that had accrued on his particular loan.
"Justin." Mr. McDaniel walked out of his office. "It's good to see you again."
"Same here." Justin shook his hand and then followed Mr. McDaniel into his office.
"Take a seat," McDaniel indicated to one of the empty chairs in front of his desk. "I think I have found just the internship for you."
"That's wonderful," Justin smiled his sunshine smile as he sat down.
"For the past five years we have been working with a local ad agency placing interns in its art department. The agency changed ownership this year, but the new owner has remained more than willing to continue the summer intern program. The program itself has continually proven to be an outstanding experience for those selected. You would spend most of your time helping to design layouts and artwork for ad campaigns and proposals. A large portion of the work is performed on computers similar to the one you own. I think you would also obtain a feel for the day-to-day workings of the busy and challenging environment within an art department. Given your grades and your work on the comic book, I think you would definitely excel in this type of creative environment," McDaniel explained as Justin began to pray that the word Vangard would not come up.
"I think it sounds like an amazing opportunity. A uh... um... former friend of mine worked as an account exec for an ad agency, so I do know a little about the business," Justin admitted, still waiting and praying that this had nothing to do with Vangard.
"That will work even more to your advantage," McDaniel enthused. "I must tell you that Mr. Vance, the owner of the..."
"I'm sorry, did you say Mr. Vance?" Justin interrupted as he lost all color in his face. He knew this couldn't be just a coincidence.
"Yes, is there a problem, Justin?" McDaniel asked, concerned by how pale Justin had become.
"Uh... no... uh... please continue," Justin said as he frantically tried to maintain his composure.
"Getting back to Mr. Vance, he was most impressed by your grades and portfolio. I have to admit, this is quite the compliment from a man of his reputation," McDaniel stated. "He feels you would make an excellent addition to Vangard's intern program, and has requested that we arrange for you to interview as soon as possible."
"That's great," Justin tried to muster some enthusiasm. "Would I be interviewing with just Mr. Vance, or also with his partners?" There was no way he could even consider the interview if Brian were to be one of the interviewers.
"Mr. Vance, a senior account manager, and the art department director would be conducting the interviews. I'm under the impression that Mr. Vance's partner, Mr. Kinney, I believe, does not participate in the intern program," McDaniel replied. "Are there any other questions you might have regarding the internship?"
"Uh... no, I don't think so."
"Good. Shall I set up the interview for you?" McDaniel asked.
"Yeah, uh... I uh... am really interested in the opportunity, but uh... before I uh... have you set up the interview, I need to think about it just for a little bit," Justin hesitated.
"I hate to hurry things along, Justin, but Mr. Vance seems very anxious to interview you. Would it be possible to let me know by tomorrow morning?" McDaniel inquired, wondering about the boy's hesitation.
"That's uh... fine. I just need to discuss it with a close friend. He's a professor at Carnegie Mellon and he has sort of become a mentor to me in the past few months," Justin explained, as he could see McDaniel was confused by his hesitation to schedule the interview.
"Oh, I understand. I'm sure your friend will agree that it's a great opportunity. Like I said, I don't want to hurry you, I just want to make sure you take advantage of the opportunity," he explained.
"I'll definitely get back to you tomorrow," Justin assured him as they both stood up.
"Good. Then we are all set. I hope you choose to interview with Mr. Vance, Justin. I think you'll find interning at Vangard to be a life-changing experience," McDaniel predicted as he shook Justin's hand and walked him to the door.
Later that afternoon
A Starbucks near PIFA
As Justin sat in Starbucks waiting for Ben to arrive, he had to admit, as dysfunctional as his life had been over the past several months, he was glad to have built a stronger friendship with the professor.
Justin had been surprised when Ben had approached him outside PIFA a week after the breakup. Ben had wanted to tell him that he understood why he had left with Ethan. Although he felt the situation could have been handled differently, he understood Justin's involvement with Ethan. He also told Justin that he wished Michael was not as angry as he currently was, and that he hoped the two could continue the comic book. However, Ben advised Justin that if Michael could not get past his anger, then maybe he should hold off on making any decisions regarding the book until Michael's temper cooled. Ben had also said that if Justin ever needed someone to talk with, he should give him a call because he enjoyed being around young people, and admired Justin's courage.
Justin appreciated Ben's honesty and concern, and found him to be an inspiring person. In spite of his problems, Ben embraced life and lived it to its fullest.
As the first anniversary of the prom approached, Justin had begun having nightmares again. His first thought had been to turn to Brian, but that was no longer an option. Justin had asked Ben if he could talk to him about the bashing, and he had been more than willing to listen. In some ways Justin's bashing resembled Ben's contracting HIV. Both never expected it would happen but felt their lives had forever changed because of it. Ben shared with Justin some of his personal coping strategies and helped the teen open up about his feelings.
Ben and Justin decided to keep their friendship private. While they had no interest in one another romantically, they knew that Michael would feel threatened by their friendship. In a way, Justin could understand Michael's feelings. When Justin had been with Brian, he often wished that Brian would open up with him the way he did with Michael. He also did not want to cause any additional problems with Michael since he was still quite angry.
A few minutes later, Ben arrived, and he immediately noticed that something was wrong.
"Hey kid, what's going on?" Ben asked, taking a seat.
"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Justin asked. He wasn't quite ready to share the latest dark cloud on his horizon.
"If you call the chance to get away from reading a stack of boring blue books an interruption," Ben smiled.
"I can assure you my latest brush with bad luck is far from boring," Justin said smiling.
"Don't tell me more bad luck?" Ben groaned. He wondered when the poor kid would finally get a break.
"Unfortunately, I think this would fall under the bad luck category. Do you remember when I told you about the summer internship program I applied for?"
"Of course I remember. Have you gotten any leads from it yet?"
"Well, until today, I hadn't heard from any firms. I wasn't surprised considering my age and inexperience," Justin indicated.
"So, what exactly happened today?" Ben asked, concerned that perhaps the day's events tied to Justin's latest round of bad luck.
"I had an interview with Mr. McDaniel today. He's with PIFA's Career Services Office. Anyway, there is a firm that is interested in offering me an internship in its art department," Justin began to explain.
"That's great. I told you someone would be interested in hiring you."
"Yeah, well, the firm is... The firm is... Vangard," Justin revealed, hoping Ben would be able to make the connection to Brian.
"Fuck, isn't Vangard the firm that Bri..."
"Exactly," Justin confirmed, cutting his friend off. "Do you see what I mean by bad luck?"
"Definitely," Ben shook his head. "This is some serious bad luck. You, uh... don't think Brian is behind this do you?" the professor questioned, knowing full well what the ad executive was capable of.
"Brian? You've got to be kidding me."
"You have to admit that anything is possible with him," Ben shrugged, still wondering if this was somehow Brian's doing.
"I'm positive he is not involved. It's Vance that has expressed the interest in me. According to McDaniel, Vance's "partner" does not participate in the internship program," Justin explained.
"Well, if it's Vance that is interested, Brian must not be involved. He hates Vance with a passion, and he would never ask him to participate in one of his schemes," Ben mused as he tried to determine how Justin should handle the opportunity.
"Apparently Vance wants to interview me as soon as possible. I asked Mr. McDaniel whom I would interview with, and Brian was never mentioned. It's an incredible opportunity, and it would help me save for tuition, but I just don't know if I should even bother," Justin murmured.
"I can see what you mean. On one hand, it would be the perfect chance for you to gain valuable experience and earn some extra money. On the other hand, you would be forced to see Brian on a daily basis. God only knows what his reaction would be. We both know he is not the nicest person in the world. I would imagine he's not easy to work with as well," Ben surmised.
"I suspect he won't let Vance hire me once he finds out that his partner is interested in me," the blond added.
"Considering how much they dislike one another, I highly doubt Vance will listen to Brian if he really wants you on board," Ben pointed out.
"You do make a valid point. I just don't know, though. Do you think I should interview with Vance?"
"You really don't have anything to lose, and if you're lucky, you may not even see Brian. I would at least meet Vance and see what he has to say," Ben advised.
"What's the worst that could happen? Even if I saw Brian it's not like it would cause him to hate me any more than he already does," Justin remarked, not wanting to think about how he had ended things with his ex.
"I don't think he hates you, Justin," Ben protested, he doubted Brian even cared. He certainly never acted as if he had before.
"Trust me, he does. I betrayed his trust, and I'm the one who broke the rules, not him," Justin stated.
"That's in the past now. Like I said before, I really don't think you have anything to lose. I think you should go," Ben encouraged, hoping that if Justin actually went on the interview, he would not run into his infamous ex.
"I think you're right Ben, I might as well go. If nothing else, it would at least give me a little interviewing experience. Maybe I'll be lucky for once and not actually see Brian," Justin decided, although he highly doubted that his current streak of bad luck would change any time soon.
Friday, May 3rd
Justin & Daphne's Apartment
"Are you sure I look alright, Daph?" Justin asked as he looked in the mirror for the eighth time.
"Quit being such a drama princess. You look great, Justin, and you know it. That new suit Emmett helped us select looks amazing on you," Daphne complimented. "I still can't believe he actually picked something on the conservative side."
"I think being with Ted must be rubbing off on him," Justin laughed. "At least we were vague with Emmett about what the suit was for. I swear if we hadn't been, all of Liberty Avenue would have known by now."
"Yeah, we sure don't want to spoil a potential surprise for Brian," Daphne murmured. She still wasn't sure how she felt about him these days. She had always liked him, but he had been a real jerk toward the end of his relationship with Justin. At least Justin was no longer with Ethan. Who would have ever believed what a phony he would turn out to be?
"I hope to God I don't see him. What the hell am I going to do if I actually run into him?" Justin mused, more nervous about the possibility of running into Brian than actually interviewing with Vance.
"You are going to do what we agreed upon. You are not going to freak out. You're going to play it cool, and act like you deserve to be there. Most importantly, if by some chance he gives you his "infamous" look, you are not to fuck him," Daphne ordered.
"I highly doubt that would happen," Justin laughed, rolling his eyes at Daphne.
"Knowing the two of you, it could. Now promise me you won't do anything stupid."
"I promise, Daph," Justin smiled his sunshine smile.
"Now you are going to go into Vangard and impress the shit out of Vance," Daphne instructed. "Then when you're finished you are going to call me, right?"
"Yes, dear. You know, Brian was right when he said you would make some guy a great wife," Justin remarked as he walked over to Daphne and gave her a hug.
"I know," Daphne laughed as Justin went to gather his portfolio before walking out the door. She only hoped that he didn't run into Brian because she definitely wanted her best friend's life to improve. The last thing he needed was to be sucked back into Brian's dysfunctional world.
An Hour Later
Vangard Reception Area
Justin sat in the waiting area taking in his surroundings. In all his time with Brian, he had never actually been inside of the agency before. Brian hadn't wanted his colleagues to know about his personal life. After all, he had his reputation as a cold-hearted ad exec to maintain. Now that Justin was inside of Vangard, he had to admit he was impressed. Maybe now he would finally understand what Brian's career entailed. Not that it would make any difference. It was over between them.
"Justin?" Gardner Vance approached.
"Yes."
"I'm Gardner Vance. It's a pleasure to meet you." Vance held out his hand.
"It's good to meet you Mr. Vance," Justin greeted him, shaking his hand. He noted Vance's appearance: bald, expensive European cut suit, yet not as well tailored as one of Brian's, and very British. Brian had always stressed the importance of evaluating one's appearance.
"It's a pleasure, Justin," Vance smiled. He knew he had to be on his best behavior if his plan was going to work. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to my office."
***
Inside Vance's Office
"Please take a seat, Justin. Would you like my assistant to bring you anything to drink?" Vance offered.
"No thank you," Justin politely replied. He was relieved that he had made it into Vance's office without running into his ex. Now came dealing with Vance. Justin had to admit he was surprised by how cordial he seemed thus far since Brian had always made his business partner out to be quite the asshole.
"Tell me about yourself," Vance began the interview.
"Well, I've been interested in art..."
Before Justin knew it, almost forty-five minutes had passed. He was quite impressed with Vance. It was probably because he was European. Justin had always been fascinated with Europeans. Vance was quite knowledgeable about art, and it turned out they shared some of their favorite artists in common. He was also very complimentary about Justin's art portfolio, and his accomplishments at PIFA. In addition, Vance told Justin about his career, how he had come to purchase the firm, and how pleased he had been with the success Vangard had recently achieved. He also explained to Justin what he would be doing at Vangard, and how he would be working hands on with other artists and ad executives to create the artwork necessary for successful campaigns and proposals. Justin had to admit that he was very impressed with Vance, and could sense that he was an intelligent man. Perhaps this is why he did not get along with Brian; both were obviously too intelligent, too talented, and too controlling for one another.
"Do you have any questions regarding the internship, Justin?" Vance inquired toward the end of the interview. So far he felt that Justin was quite impressed with the company and the opportunity. He could see that his plan was off to a brilliant start.
"Would I be working on a particular account or on a wide variety of accounts?" Justin asked, hoping that Vance would perhaps expand on just whom in the agency he would be working with.
"Actually, you would be interning for Nick Stanton. Nick is a senior account manager, and he would be your mentor. Basically, you would work for him on his accounts by helping to create the artwork he requires for his clients. Nick will also help you by guiding your future here at Vangard, by being there to give you advice and guidance when you are in need. He will also be evaluating your performance for PIFA. I think you will find Nick to be an outstanding person to work with. Within the art department you would work with Nick's artists. They are an extremely talented group of individuals, and I think you would get along quite well with them. A few of them have even graduated from PIFA," Vance responded.
"It seems that although Vangard is a large firm, I would be working with a small group of individuals," Justin remarked, hoping this was in fact the case.
"Absolutely. For example, I have six senior account managers that report to me. They each work on their own accounts and have their own team of ad executives and artists. This is how we keep our work very focused to our clients' needs," Vance explained. He knew it was now time to reveal what he could tell Justin was dying to know. "My partner Brian, for example, has four senior account managers who directly report to him. They each have their own staffs just like my managers do. Brian's managers work on the accounts he oversees and my managers work on the accounts I oversee." Vance could see a look of relief come across Justin's face. It was obvious the boy did not want to work for his ex lover.
"So, if I understand this correctly, I would only be working on the accounts you oversee and assign to Mr. Stanton," Justin asked, in need of assurance that he would not be working for Brian in any capacity.
"Precisely, Justin," Vance confirmed.
"It sounds like a wonderful opportunity," Justin said as he felt the relief pour over him.
"It truly is. I think you would be quite happy here. If you don't have any additional questions, I would like to take you to meet Nick Stanton now. He would like to briefly meet with you and tell you more about the internship and what it entails. After you speak with Nick, he'll take you on a tour of our office, and introduce you to Matt Devlin, the head of our art department. After speaking with Matt, Nick and I would like to take you to lunch at our club," Vance said, laying out the remainder of Justin's office visit.
"That sounds great," Justin smiled. He hadn't seen Brian yet, and he wouldn't be working for him. Perhaps his luck was beginning to change. He didn't hold his breath, though. When it came to Brian, Justin had learned never to assume anything.
3:00 p.m.
Outside the Vangard Building
Justin picked up his cell phone and dialed Daphne's number. His office visit to Vangard had been quite surreal to say the least. He hadn't a clue as to how to proceed if Vance actually made him an offer.
"Hello?" Daphne answered.
"Hey Daph."
"Justin! How did it go? You didn't see Brian did you?" Daphne rushed out. She had been worried all day that Justin would run into the man.
"It was unreal Daph, absolutely un-fucking-real," Justin answered.
"Unreal? Unreal as in you saw Brian?"
"Actually, I never saw him. Can you believe that, Daph. I actually spent almost the entire day at Vangard, and I did not even see him," Justin responded in amazement.
"That's fantastic! So, what's it like? Is Vance a total ass?" She immediately asked, dying to know all about his day.
"Vance is quite impressive. Actually, he's very cool, very European, and I can see why he doesn't get along with Brian. They are much too alike for one another, although Brian is much hotter than Vance could ever dream of being. I actually enjoyed speaking with him. He has such an appreciation for art, and he really seems to understand how an artist thinks. Vance also took me to his club for lunch. It had a lunch buffet that was utterly amazing. I had the best tiramisu for dessert." Leave it to Justin to comment on the food.
"Are you serious, Justin? Wow! It sounds like Mr. Vance is quite charming. You don't actually want to work for him do you?" she inquired as she began to start worrying again. The last thing Justin needed was to be subjected to Brian on a daily basis.
"The thing is, Daph, I would love to work at Vangard. It's such an amazing place. The art department is out of this world, and everyone is so incredibly talented. I would really benefit from such a creative environment."
"But what about Brian?" Daphne interjected.
"That's the problem. If Brian didn't work there, I would go there in a second. I don't know, Daph, it's just so damn tempting," Justin admitted. He was more confused than ever.
"I know, Justin, but seriously, how can you deal with seeing Brian on a daily basis? Every single day you would be reminded of how much you loved him, knowing that it would never work in the end," Daphne pointed out.
"Just like every day I would remember how he pissed on my art, or sent me that disgusting hustler. Every day I would remember throwing it all away for Ethan, and we all know what a big fucking joke that was. You're right, Daph, I couldn't do it. Why do you think I haven't been to Woody's, Babylon, or the diner? It's because I don't want to see him. I don't want to remember how silly I was to think that love truly existed. I guess I'll just consider today as a good way of gaining interview experience," Justin said in a sad voice.
"I'm sorry, Justin. I really am. I know you'll find something, though. Something that's just as good, but without the Brian factor," Daphne promised.
"I hope you're right, Daph. It's just too damn bad I had to find the perfect job at Brian's firm," Justin sighed, resigned to the fact that he would have to find something else.
Monday, May 6th
8:15 a.m.
Vangard Agency
Cynthia sat at her desk perusing Brian's mail, wondering her how boss' trip to Boston had gone. The previous week, Vance had informed Brian that one of his clients had a serious emergency, and that he needed to fly to Boston as soon as possible. Brian had been far from pleased, but had known that if he sent one of the senior managers in his place, they would more than likely fuck things up. Needless to say, he didn't have much faith in his employees.
"How was your trip?" Cynthia inquired, glancing up to see Brian heading towards her.
"Fucking fantastic," he muttered.
"That bad?" Cynthia could tell just by his mood that she was in for a long day. Not to say that Brian's moods had been all that great over the past few months.
"How about a complete waste of time," Brian answered.
"But I thought there was an emergency?"
"Yeah. I suppose you could call a minor public relations issue an emergency," he replied with his usual sarcasm. "Fuck, I wouldn't have even sent one of our no talent morons to handle the situation. As you can see, it was a complete waste of time." Brian scowled before stalking into his office and slamming the door behind him.
Entering his office, Brian sat at his desk and listened to his voice mail. He decided it was time to determine how he should proceed with Vance. It hadn't taken him long to realize that the "supposed" emergency was merely a smokescreen. Even Vance wouldn't have wasted the firm's money to send a junior executive to handle such a small problem, let alone his partner. There had to be a reason why Vance had wanted him out of the office, and Brian was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Brian decided that his first step was to find out what Vance had been up to at the office on Friday. He couldn't come right out and ask him, as it would look suspicious. For one thing, Brian did not make small talk with Vance. For another, he didn't want to tip him off that he was suspicious. Perhaps he should just have Cynthia fish around. She was good at uncovering gossip and important information, but at the same time, he made sure that she didn't gossip about him. It was important to Brian that his personal life remained outside of the office, especially after the Kip Thomas disaster. Once he had an idea of what Vance had done on that day, Brian felt he would have a better idea of how to proceed with his business partner in the future.
10:00 am
Justin and Daphne's Apartment
Justin was lying on his futon when he heard his cell phone ring. He hadn't been sleeping, just debating whether or not he should bother getting up yet. He quickly reached over and grabbed his cell phone off the end table.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Mr. Taylor?"
"Yes?"
"Hi, I'm Alison Murphy of the human resources department here at Vangard. On behalf of Mr. Vance and everyone at Vangard, we would like to extend to you an offer for an internship in our art department," Alison stated enthusiastically as Justin began to feel as if the room had begun spinning.
"An offer? Oh, that's uh... gr-great n-news," Justin managed to get out.
"Mr. Vance was very impressed with you, and he would be thrilled to have you join the firm. Would you like me to tell you more about what the offer entails?"
"Sure," Justin said. He was certain things couldn't get any more surreal at this point.
"You would begin work here on Monday, June 10th. Hopefully that will give you enough time to finish your quarter at PIFA. The internship will last until September 6th; however, Mr. Vance did mention that if you do an outstanding job, he might like to keep you on part time while you continue at PIFA. You will receive a salary of $3000 per month. For any hours you work in excess of 40 hours per week you will receive time and a half for. Additionally, there may be opportunities for bonuses," Alison explained the details of the offer as Justin's jaw dropped open on the other end of the phone.
"Wow, uh, that is quite an impressive offer," Justin observed in shock.
"Well, Justin, at Vangard, we like to invest in our future talent. Congratulations. I'll be sending a formal copy of the offer to you today by way of Fed Ex. You should have it by tomorrow. If you could just get it back to us by next Monday with your decision, we would greatly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns."
"Certainly."
"I hope we'll see you on board, Justin. Have a great day."
"Thanks." Justin hung up his cell in shock. "Holy Shit! I can't fucking believe this!" he shouted as he immediately dialed Daphne's cell phone.
Three Hours Later
Brian's Office
"That was sure fast," Brian drawled sarcastically as Cynthia strolled into his office and closed the door.
"Did you not ask for a full report?" she shot back at him.
"So, what was our boy Vance up to?" Brian asked, hoping his assistant had obtained some relevant information.
"Let's see," she began. "He came in about 9:30, and was in a surprisingly good mood. He had an interview at 10:00 with a candidate for the summer internship program."
"Christ, is it that time of year again?" Brian muttered. "Thank God I realized that having some no talent, immature, idiotic brat following you around and fucking up all of your accounts for three months is counter productive."
"Oh, be nice for once," Cynthia chided him. "I'm sure there are some interns out there that might have talent, and don't need hand holding. Weren't you an intern once?" she inquired with a knowing smile.
"I was the exception; I had talent," he replied with his usual arrogance.
"Of course," she agreed, having quickly learned that it was often necessary to pander to Brian's ego when he was in one of his moods. "Anyway, he interviewed the kid for about an hour. He then had a conference call with Pittsburgh Electric. Afterward, he had a 12:30 lunch reservation for three at his club. I would assume he took the kid there and his potential mentor. I believe it's standard practice."
"Ah yes, take the brat to the club, so he'll believe that working in advertising is all about eating a fancy lunch. Of course the poor twat will never eat at the club while he slaves away at Vangard as Vance's latest toady," Brian couldn't help but comment.
"At least he had one fancy meal. In fact, Mr. Kinney, I don't remember the last time you took me to a fancy lunch at the club," she remarked.
"Don't hold your breath," he smirked. "Now that we know the brat was properly fed, let's get back to Vance's day, shall we?"
"After lunch he met with Nick Stanton and Matt Devlin in his office. I suspect it was about a new campaign. Nothing unusual there. He then spoke with Alison Murphy in human resources. That probably had something to do with the internship program. He has interviewed several candidates in the past week," Cynthia noted.
"Anything else?" Brian inquired, still trying to determine if there was anything suspicious about Vance's day.
"That's about it. He left early at 4:30. Honestly, Brian, it doesn't sound as if anything out of the ordinary occurred. Maybe you are just being paranoid."
"Paranoid? I don't do paranoid. Vance is a snake. It's as simple as that. I know he's up to something, and I intend to get to the bottom of it," Brian vowed. He wasn't about to let his partner get the best of him.