Making it Through the Summer: Chapter 3 [Pt 2/2]
Making it Through the Summer & Making it Through Another Summer
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Chapter 3
[Pt 2/2]
Monday, July 22nd
11:00 a.m.
Brian's Office
Brian had spent the morning in his office debating whether or not he should call Sean Connolly. He knew that in order to win Justin back, he needed a plan. The question was, just how fair was he prepared to play when it came to the hotelier? After some debate, he had come to the conclusion that fairness be damned, he wanted his twink back. If that meant obtaining information from the "competition" in order to further his goals, he was more than willing to sacrifice the client relationship. It was time he made a phone call to Connolly.
"Sean, it's Brian Kinney."
"Hey Brian. How's it going?"
"Great," Brian lied smoothly. "Look, I'm calling to make sure you had received the new contract from our legal department this morning."
"Actually, I'm looking at it right now," Sean answered. "Everything appears to be in order."
"Good to hear." Brian hoped Connolly would soon reveal some information pertaining to his "date" with the blond twink.
"Oh, Brian, while I have you, I want to tell you what a wonderful time I had with Justin on Friday," Sean remarked as Brian smiled in satisfaction. "We actually ended up staying the night at the hotel due to storms that had developed on our return flight path. Luckily, since the family owns the hotel I was able to obtain rooms for us without a problem," Sean laughed as the ad executive made a mental note of the word "rooms." Perhaps Sunshine had refused Connolly's charms after all. "I have to tell you though, I think the kid is going to be quite a challenge."
"Really?" Brian raised an eyebrow. Now this he had to hear.
"He told me some nonsense about not believing in love and how love is something straight people tell themselves so they can get laid, and that he pretty much feels love is a lie. It looks like I'm going to have my work cut out for me," Sean summed up as Brian's mouth dropped open on the other end.
"He said that?" Brian asked, trying not to give away the shock he was feeling.
"Oh, he said it alright," Sean confirmed. "I assumed that some guy must have burned him quite bad for him to have developed such an outlook at only nineteen."
"One would assume so," Brian agreed. "Did you ask him about it?" He was curious to hear Connolly's response.
"Actually I did, and with a little encouraging I was able to get him to open up somewhat. Apparently his ex was a real piece of work."
"I think I recall hearing from some of the gossipy women here that he had been with some fiddler kid," Brian remarked, thinking that Sean was referring to Ethan.
"Oh, him? Justin hardly mentioned him at all. It was the other guy," Sean clarified.
"Other guy?" Brian repeated, hardly believing what he was hearing.
"Yeah, he was with some asshole for about two years. From what Justin told me, it appeared that the guy never loved him, and merely kept him around as a convenient fuck. The bastard sounded like a complete prick, and the poor kid finally just got tired and gave up on trying to make the guy love him," Sean elaborated as Brian took in what his client had just revealed.
"It sure sounds like the, uh, guy in question was a real ass," Brian remarked, trying his best to sound normal. "Do you think he's still in love with him?"
"Justin claims that he still has feelings for the jerk, but indicated that he doesn't love him anymore. He told me he keeps a list of all the guy's bad qualities in his desk at work. From what he said, he reads it every single day as a way to remind himself that he's better off without him," Sean added, not realizing the significance of the information he had just shared.
"Huh... that's kind of a unique way to get over someone," Brian commented, deciding to take a peek in the twink's desk later that evening. Perhaps he could use the list as a blueprint for his plan to win Justin back.
"I know," Sean laughed, "but I'm all in favor of whatever works to help him get over this loser," he declared.
"Listen, I'm afraid I have to run, Sean. Anyway, let me know when you're ready to proceed with the contract," Brian instructed.
"Will do. Talk to you soon."
"Thanks." Brian said before hanging up the phone.
He sat there for a moment, trying to absorb everything Sean had unknowingly revealed. He had been stunned to learn that Justin no longer "believed" in love. This definitely posed a problem. How was he supposed to win the kid back when he had adopted the legendary Kinney philosophy regarding love? Brian was also shocked to discover that Justin had given up on him during the relationship. He had no clue that Justin had been feeling this way. No wonder he had been so easily swayed by the fiddler's lies. Brian knew that if he wanted Justin back, he had some important decisions to make and some crucial planning to do. However, before he did anything, he first needed to take a look at the "infamous" list...
12:30 p.m.
Nathan's Deli
"So, how did your date with Sean go?" Ben asked curiously, as he sat across from Justin at the deli. The two had decided to meet for lunch to catch up with one another.
"I had a good time," Justin smiled before taking another bite out of his turkey sandwich.
"That's it?" Ben raised an eyebrow.
"Well, it was just a date."
"Yeah, but it was your first."
"Sean's really great, but he wants to get to know me," Justin began. "I told him how I feel about love, and about not wanting a relationship, but it didn't seem to put him off."
"That could be a good thing," the professor offered.
"You're probably right," Justin conceded. "I guess I'm leery because he's so different from anyone else I've ever met."
"I hate to break this to you Justin, but Sean Connolly is not the same as a trick you would meet at Babylon, and he's no Brian Kinney," Ben pointed out. So far he was impressed with the hotelier.
"I know. He even went as far as to say that he doesn't want to fuck me, he wants to wait until he can make love to me. Can you believe that?" Justin asked in amazement. Brian had never been one to use such sentiments.
"Like I said, he's a different type of man from what you're used to. It wouldn't hurt to get to know the guy. He seems genuine enough, and you did tell him where you stand on the whole relationship issue," Ben offered.
"It just seems so awkward with him being one of Brian's clients," Justin murmured, still unclear as to how he felt about the issue.
"Has Brian said anything about him to you?" the professor inquired.
"Brian say anything to me? You've got to be kidding. Hell, when he introduced me to Sean last week, he pretended not to even know that I went to PIFA."
"Wait a minute, did you just say that Brian introduced you to Sean?" This couldn't possibly be true. Ben could not, for one minute, see Brian introducing Justin to potential competition.
"Yeah, he was giving him a tour of Vangard. When they came into the art department he introduced me to him, and actually asked if I went to PIFA. Talk about fucking bizarre behavior," Justin shook his head, still puzzled by Brian's actions a week later.
"Have you spoken to him since?" This was unusual even for one of Brian's manipulations.
"No, not at all," the blond answered.
"Well, with Brian, one can only imagine what his motives were," Ben murmured suspiciously. He sensed there was more to Brian's little "introduction" than Justin realized.
10:00 p.m.
The Art Department
Vangard
Absolutely certain that he was alone in the office, unlike another evening a few weeks ago, Brian made his way to the art department. Being a partner, his key card gave him access to the area. If he was going to do a little breaking and entering, doing it correctly meant having the right tools necessary to complete the his task.
"Well, Sunshine, let's see what you've been up to," Brian murmured as he let himself into the art department, and headed toward Justin's desk.
"It's nice to see you're as tidy as ever," Brian noted. Justin's desk was in complete disarray, which was standard for the kid. It had forever irritated Brian to see his loft cluttered with sketchpads, wrappers, art supplies, books, etc. He had to admit that he missed Justin's messes, though. The loft had just seemed sterile ever since the twink had left.
Brian reached into his pocket and pulled out the key that would open Justin's desk. Luckily, many of the desks at Vangard used the same keys. For that reason, obtaining the correct one had been relatively painless. He turned the key in the lock and opened the first drawer. It was filled with pens, pencils, supplies, etc., but Brian did notice two folded sheets of paper near the back of the drawer. He quickly reached for them, hoping one was what he was looking for.
Turning on the desk lamp, having retrieved the folded sheets, Brian began to read the written notes.
"Hmm... It appears that I'm an arrogant, narcissistic asshole. What else is new?" Brian read the first unfolded sheet of paper. "This is definitely not your handwriting, Sunshine. I wonder which member of our "dear" and "loving" family wrote this for you? Could it be the "good" professor? Perhaps that pathetic loser of an entrepreneur? It couldn't possibly be Emmett's, it's not nearly feminine enough. I think we'll worry about this later, though," Brian decided. He had other matters to attend to.
Although the list he had just read had been about him, it didn't list his bad qualities like Sean had indicated. The other piece of paper must contain the other list. Unfolding the second sheet of paper, he saw that his guess had been correct indeed. Brian had discovered what he was searching for.
"Now this is your handwriting, Sunshine," Brian smiled after briefly glancing at it. "Let's see what's so special about this."
"Well, I have to admit, you did mention some of my finer qualities," Brian noted, after having read the list in its entirety. "Perhaps I should make a copy of this for future reference." He would definitely need it, if he had any hope of winning Justin back.
***
Ten minutes later Brian was heading out of the art department with a satisfied smile on his face. He had made copies of both lists before returning the originals to their rightful places. Little did Connolly know, he just had provided Brian with a valuable resource to use as a weapon against him. When it came to Justin, Brian wasn't about to play fair. He would do what was necessary to eliminate the threat of Connolly and get Justin back where he belonged; in his bed.
Brian decided that the next stage in his plan was to consult with Lindsay about the lists. She seemed to know Justin better than he did at the moment. She might also be able to determine which member of the family had created the other list. This information would also be important because Brian wanted to know which members of the family would specifically be working against his efforts. He wasn't about to let the any of them interfere in their relationship this time. If they did, it would be under his direction, and only to his advantage.
Tuesday, July 23rd
9:30 a.m.
Justin's Desk
Vangard
Justin was sitting at his desk reading his Brian list when the phone rang.
"Justin Taylor."
"Hey Justin, it's Sean. What are you up to?"
"Actually, I'm reading that list I was telling you about," Justin answered brightly.
"Ah, the infamous list, which point are you on?" Sean inquired.
"Always too busy with work."
"Really... Well, I'm never too busy with work. How about we go out tomorrow night?" Sean suggested, hoping Justin that would agree.
"Well..." Justin hesitated, not sure if he wanted to go.
"I guarantee we'll have a good time. I figured since I hadn't been to Liberty Avenue in over two years you could show me how it's changed."
"Liberty?" Justin repeated.
"Yeah, I'm sure a gay boy like yourself is familiar with Liberty Avenue," Sean laughed.
"Of course I am, it's just that I haven't been there in a while." He wasn't about to tell Sean why, though.
"That's perfect then. We can catch up with the latest on Liberty together."
"I guess we could," Justin conceded. As long as they avoided Woody's, Babylon, and the diner, they probably wouldn't run into the family.
"Great. Why don't I pick you up at your place at eight?"
"Sure." Justin agreed. He was about to have another date with Sean Connolly. Two dates in less than a week was definitely a record.
8:00 p.m.
Lindsay's & Melanie's House
Brian had stopped by an hour earlier knowing Mel was out of town obtaining depositions. After having spent some time with Gus, he was now ready to confide in Lindsay. As much as he hated the fact that this was becoming a habit, he needed an ally in order to accomplish his goal. He knew that deep down, Lindsay wanted him to make things right with Justin.
"So, do I even dare ask how things are with Justin?" Lindsay inquired as she sat down on the living room sofa next to Brian.
"Well, if you're wondering if I've managed to fuck things up again, the answer is no."
"Good. That's at least a start. I heard from Emmett that he had quite the date, though," Lindsay remarked, hoping Brian would comment on it.
"I don't know if I would call it that. After all the work that hotel prick put into it, he didn't even get a fuck," Brian stated with a satisfied smile.
"And for someone who doesn't "do" dates, that's how you would rate the success of one?"
"Why not? What guy wouldn't fuck him?"
"Maybe one who believes there is more to life than fucking?" Lindsay offered.
"Yeah, well, he doesn't know what he's missing."
"Speaking of that, just how did you discover that they didn't actually "fuck"?" Lindsay asked, sensing Brian was up to more of his manipulations.
"Well, I called my "dear" client on the pretext of verifying whether he received some documents from our legal department. I assumed that since he never seemed to shut up about Justin in our previous conversations, the dumb fuck would inadvertently provide his competition with some relevant information," Brian smugly explained.
"I see. Well, I must say, the poor man doesn't realize that he's just become part of a famous Kinney manipulation. Just what do you intend to do when he discovers that you're the infamous ex?"
"Honestly, I couldn't care less what the prick thinks. If he has a problem with it, then he can deal. There are other accounts out there. However, if he's fool enough to leave, he'll be destined to a life of shitty ad execs that don't have a clue about his hotels. I guess he'll just have to make that decision for himself. I'm not about to compromise when it comes to Justin."
"I'm glad to hear it. It's about time you started acting rationally when it comes to the boy," Lindsay smiled. "So what's your plan?"
"Plan?" Brian raised an eyebrow. He was still working on that, but there was no need to reveal anything quite yet. Instead, he was interested in hearing what Lindsay had to offer.
"Well, one would think that you're going to need one if you have any intention of winning him back," Lindsay indicated.
"Now that you mention it, there was one thing that I thought might be of some use." Brian reached into his pocket and took out the "list" he had retrieved the previous evening.
"What is that?" Lindsay asked, slightly intrigued.
"Some might like to refer to it as a character assassination; I however like to think of it as a blueprint," Brian said as he handed the list to her.
"Now, I am intrigued," Lindsay said, unfolding the list. "Wait a minute, this is Justin's handwriting," she remarked after glancing at the list.
"It's certainly not mine." Brian came back.
"Huh, character assassination? How about Brian Kinney's credo?" Lindsay laughed as she began reading the list.
"Really Linds, I'm honestly not that bad...."
"You pissed on his artwork, and you're not really that bad?" Lindsay interrupted, appalled.
"It was a misunderstanding," Brian offered sheepishly.
"Uh-huh. I'm surprised I hadn't heard about this before. He was probably too mortified to tell us," Lindsay decided, before continuing to read. Little did she know that Michael and Debbie had kept it quiet to spare Brian from the embarrassment. "Didn't attend any of his student art shows? Christ, Brian, are you a complete idiot? Don't you realize how important those are? How is he supposed to succeed as an artist without the support of his "partner"? You should have been proud to attend, especially since you are paying for his education."
"Look, can we stop with the lecture? I know I fucked up. I'm not denying it," Brian said, becoming annoyed. He didn't like being reminded of his less than stellar performance with Justin.
"Good. We agree on something. I suppose with a "blueprint" like this, simply being polite to the poor kid could help with your current situation. However, Justin deserves more than that. You better have one hell of a plan, that's all I can say," Lindsay warned.
"I'm working on it," Brian stated, although he hadn't quite ironed out some of the major details just yet.
"Working on it?" Lindsay suspected he was far from sure as to his course of action.
"Yeah."
"May I make a suggestion?" She offered, knowing he might need a little help when it came to matters of the heart.
"You're going to anyway."
"Just remember how he snuck his way past your barricades," Lindsay offered.
"And just how did he "do" that?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
"You know."
"No I don't."
"Drop the act, Brian. You know." Lindsay didn't buy his bullshit for a single moment.
"Are you suggesting I act like some pathetic little twat and stalk him?" Brian questioned, appalled by what Lindsay had alluded to.
"It's been proven to be highly effective." Lindsay gave him a knowing smile.
"I see. Well, want him back or not, I'm not about to stalk him like some lovesick fool," Brian declared.
"I didn't say you had to act like a lovesick fool. I'm sure in your own devious fashion, you can come up with some type of stalking scheme that does not offend your sensibilities," Lindsay argued.
"We'll see about that." Brian wasn't too keen on the idea, but if there was a way he could be covert about it, a way he didn't have to appear like he was stalking Justin, maybe her idea might have just an ounce of potential. "Since I'm here, you might as well take a look at this also." Brian handed Lindsay the other list he had discovered in Justin's desk.
"Another list?" Lindsay inquired.
"You could say that. In addition, I thought you might know who composed this fine piece of literature," Brian responded.
"Well," Lindsay unfolded the sheet and took a close look at it. "It would appear that it's actually Mel's handwriting."
"Mel's?"
"Yeah. How the hell did she know about this?" Lindsay wondered, surprised her wife had kept a secret from her.
"I guess the same way that Ted, Emmett, and Ben knew. All of them are my biggest fans after all."
"Huh, maybe Justin thought I might warn you." Lindsay tried to make sense out of the situation.
"That's probably it. Mel can be pretty protective of Sunshine," Brian offered. "However, she should know better than to keep secrets from her wife. You should remind her of this."
"Don't worry, I will." Lindsay had every intention of discussing this with Mel. Perhaps she could use Mel's keeping a secret from her as leverage to obtain her cooperation in reuniting Brian and Justin.
Wednesday, July 24th
12:00 p.m.
Vance's Office
Vance was sitting at his desk reviewing his plan to destroy Brian. He had to admit that he was pleased with the results thus far. He knew Kinney had been on edge lately, especially after he had come into the office looking like he had just been in a barroom brawl a few weeks earlier. The folks at Liberty Air had not been impressed to say the least. All he needed to do was make sure his plan continued smoothly along its course. He intended to take Justin to lunch to discreetly pump the boy for details about Brian. In addition, Vance also hoped to pick the intern's brain for ideas to use on his new campaign for an electronics store. He knew that Justin might be able to provide him with some valuable ideas that could be incorporated into his campaign. Vance's train of thought was interrupted when his phone rang.
***
Grabbing his suit coat, Vance rushed out of his office. His wife had called from the emergency room to inform him that his son had broken his arm while playing soccer. In his hurry to leave, he completely forgot about the incriminating file lying open on his desk.
12:15
Outside of Vance's Office
Noticing that Gardner's secretary was out to lunch, Brian breezed past her desk into Vance's office in search of a file. He was surprised to see that the office was empty and noticed the disarray of his partner's desk. Being an impeccable neat freak like himself, it seemed unusual for Vance. While looking for the file, Brian decided to take the opportunity to check up on his partner.
"Vance, old boy, let's see what you've been working on these days." Brian made his way over to the man's desk.
"Huh, I wonder what's in this file? Probably another boring breeder steakhouse you've got your eye on." He then proceeded to pick up the file that contained the detective's dossier and notes Vance had made about his plan.
"Perhaps, not?" Brian raised an eyebrow as he immediately zeroed in on a picture of Justin that was resting in the front of the file. "Why the fuck do you have a picture of Sunshine?" Brian moved the picture aside as his eyes caught sight of the information contained in the dossier. He immediately began flipping through it.
***
"So, that's what you've been up to," Brian surmised minutes after having read the file. "You're a sneaky fuck, aren't you? However, you're also a careless asshole, which is just too damn bad now, isn't it. Well, I can be sneaky too," he muttered to himself as he returned the file, and stalked out of Vance's office.
Brian strode toward his office, and told Cynthia to hold all of his calls before slamming the door. He was not at all pleased with what had just been discovered, and he had some serious thinking to do. How he handled this situation could greatly impact his future with Justin, and Brian didn't want to jeopardize it by making any rash decisions that he would later regret.
7:00 p.m.
Brian's Office
Several hours later, he still was unclear as to how he would proceed with Justin. All of his principles were screaming at him to tell Justin the truth. He deserved to know, however, the last thing Brian wanted to do was hurt his ex-lover. The kid had been through enough in the past two years. The last thing he needed to know was that his perfect job was really a sham. Brian also knew that if he told Justin the truth, he could no longer predict how the blond would react. He had become an enigma to him. Would he be upset? Would he just up and quit? Would he even care? It was too difficult for Brian to predict at this stage in the game.
The easy way out would be to not tell Justin the truth. Brian knew that Vance would never reveal his plan to the blond, and that Nick Stanton was probably unaware of it also. Brian now suspected that the man had been hired to replace him, once Vance's plan had finally succeeded. One thing he knew for certain was that somehow he had to put a stop to Vance. There was no way in hell Brian was going to allow that asshole to use Justin as a pawn. What enraged Brian even more than the fact that Vance wanted to ruin him, was the fact that his so-called partner had involved his twink in his scheme. He couldn't care less that Vance was after him; it wasn't surprising. Brian knew he had become a threat to Vance over the past six months. However, now that the prick had gone after Justin, he had crossed the line. Brian was no longer going to stand aside and let anyone fuck with his baby. Justin was his, and if anyone fucked with him, they would have him to deal with as a consequence.
Brian knew that in the end he would have to tell Justin the truth. While the truth was often difficult, if he wanted any type of future with Justin, he knew he had to be honest with him. In the meantime, he needed to devise his own little manipulation to deal with the issue of Vance. It was about time he shut the asshole down. There were a few options to choose from, but he would leave them for the following morning. He was too tired to think of anything tonight, and he felt a little pain management was in order to ease his worries about Justin.
11:00 p.m.
The Liberty Diner
"The night's still young, is there anything else you're up for on Liberty?" Sean inquired as they sat in a booth. Since it was Deb's night off and the gang appeared to be absent from the diner, he had agreed to go to there with Sean. The two shared a sandwich and fries since Justin was always hungry.
"I don't know," Justin shook his head in an indecisive fashion.
"Do you like to dance?"
"Yeah," he replied, hoping Sean would suggest someplace other than Babylon.
"How about Babylon? It's been ages since I've been there, and I can assure you that I'm one hell of a dancer," Sean offered with a grin.
"Babylon?"
"Yeah, it's the best place to dance on Liberty. The pulsating music, the gorgeous hot and sweaty men..."
"Well, I..." Justin began, unsure how to respond.
"Come on, it will be fun," Sean assured, standing up and grabbing Justin's arm.
"Oh, what the hell," the blond agreed. It had been months and Sean claimed he was a good dancer. He probably wouldn't even run into the gang anyway.
11:30 p.m.
Babylon
Not believing he had agreed to go to Babylon with Sean, Justin hoped to God he would not run into Brian. Being away from the club for six months, it felt strange being there with someone other than his ex. He could only imagine what the man would say to him, especially if he was on something.
"Hey Justin, good to see you," came the voice of a Babylon regular as he walked into the club with Sean.
"Oh, hi," Justin smiled sheepishly as another regular approached him.
"Justin, long time, no see."
"Yeah, it's been a little while. How's it going, Dom?" Maybe coming to Babylon wasn't such a good idea after all.
"Fantastic. It's nice to have you back, especially with such a gorgeous partner," Dom indicated to Sean.
"He is pretty hot, isn't he?" Justin grinned at his date.
"Well, it's good to see you away from that asshole. As you can only guess, he's currently in the backroom getting fucked or sucked or whatever the hell it is that he does back there," Dom remarked.
"I'm not surprised," Justin shook his head. Hopefully Brian would be indisposed for the duration.
"Some things never change around here, sweetie," Dom gave a knowing smile before heading toward the bar.
"I take it he was speaking of your ex?" Sean inquired.
"You could say that. However, he's in the backroom, and you're here," Justin answered. He wasn't about to let the knowledge of Brian's activities ruin his evening.
"Well, it's his loss," Sean stated, glad that the blond wasn't going to let his ex get to him.
"Justin, it's been months, how's it going?" Yet another Babylon regular approached them.
"Uh, great..." He hoped this would not be the pattern for the entire evening.
"It's good to have our king back," the guy patted him on the back.
"Thanks," Justin smiled.
"King?" Sean inquired curiously.
"Yeah, I uh, won the King of Babylon contest about a year and a half ago," Justin admitted, slightly embarrassed. He could only imagine what Sean must be thinking. First finding out about his ex in the backroom, and now hearing that he had won the infamous stripping contest.
"You mean to tell me that I'm here with a former King of Babylon? Wow, you must be some dancer," Sean remarked, quite impressed.
"I guess," Justin agreed modestly.
"Well, why don't you show me just how good you really are," the other man suggested, leading Justin toward the dance floor.
The two were soon sharing a steamy dance as they ground up against one another. Justin had to admit that Sean was quite the dancer. Maybe coming to Babylon with him hadn't been such a bad idea after all.
***
Unbeknownst to Justin, Ted and Emmett were watching him from the bar.
"I can't believe he's here after so long!" Emmett exclaimed. They had both been shocked to spot Justin on the dance floor with a gorgeous older man.
"Of course Brian would have to be in the backroom," Ted disappointedly remarked.
"Well, too bad for him. Now this beautiful man could only be Justin's new prince," Emmett gushed.
"He has to be," Ted agreed. "Who else would he bring to Babylon after his six-month self-imposed exile?"
"If it's Justin's prince, with that amazing body of his, he is absolutely to die for," raved Emmett. "Do you think we should go introduce ourselves?"
"Maybe a little later, Em," Ted advised. He had a feeling they should hold off for the duration with Brian being in the backroom. As if instinctively, Ted then turned toward the backroom and saw Brian walking out of it with his trademark "I've just fucked" expression on his face. "Don't look now, but his highness has decided to honor us with his presence."
"Oh, dear, Teddy. This is not good," Emmett nervously concluded as he saw Brian make his way over to them.
***
"So, boys, see anything interesting?" Brian drawled as he approached Ted and Emmett.
"N-No... Not really," Emmett attempted to answer brightly.
"How was the backroom? Was it up to your usual standards?" Ted inquired, hoping to distract Brian from the action on the dance floor.
"Well, of course Theodore," Brian responded, noticing that Ted and Emmett kept nervously glancing toward the dance floor. Perhaps he should check out what all the fuss was about. "However, I think I'm in the mood for dancing."
"Why don't we have a drink instead," Ted offered quickly.
"No," Brian gave an evil grin. "I think I'll pass." He now knew for certain that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were clearly trying to keep him away from something. It was time he discovered what it was they were hiding this time.
***
Once on the dance floor, Brian grabbed two tricks and began dancing to beats of "Heaven's Earth" by Delerium. He then scanned the area to see just what Ted and Emmett had wanted him to avoid witnessing. It didn't take him long to zero in on Justin and Sean.
I know you want me
But caution inspires
Your tamed indifference
Won't challenge me
At first he thought he was hallucinating; Justin hadn't been to Babylon in months. He couldn't possibly be here now, just a few feet away from him. However, Brian suddenly knew he wasn't imagining, when he felt a pair of familiar blue eyes meet his.
Could it be, could it be
Love's what you deny me?
He also couldn't help but notice the disdain in them as those same blue eyes saw him with the two tricks. His ex-lover knew he had just come out of the backroom, and to make matters worse, Brian couldn't help but notice the way Sean was holding onto Justin's ass. He wanted to rip the man's hands off, but knew he couldn't. He had to keep his cool, and bide his time. Now was not the right time to show his hand.
This spoiled seduction
Intoxicates thee,
So balanced on my halo
You long secretly
***
"Isn't that Brian over there?" Sean spoke leaning towards Justin's ear so he could be heard.
"Brian?" Justin tried to pretend like he hadn't noticed.
"Yeah, Brian Kinney."
"Uh, I guess that's him," Justin attempted weakly as he tried to avoid Brian's hazel eyes.
Could it be, could it be
Love's what you deny me?
Don't deny yourself
Cause I know what you want
"Looks like he's got his hands full," Sean couldn't help but remark at the sight of Brian dancing with the two tricks.
"It would appear that way." The last thing Justin wanted to do was discuss his ex. It was bad enough they were even near him. He also didn't want to think about the fact that the hard on he was experiencing had little to do with Sean and everything to do with Brian.
You can't deny me
So try to run, love
But you won't get away
"Damn, he sure gets around," Sean commented in amazement. "I can't complain, though. He's the best damn ad exec there is, and he also doesn't have a problem with my seeing you."
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Justin demanded, stunned by Sean's remark.
"Hey relax, Justin. I didn't want my seeing you to cause any problems for you at Vangard, so I made sure it was cool with Brian before I asked you out," Sean explained.
"Oh." Justin murmured. It was now blatantly obvious that Brian no longer had any feelings for him whatsoever. Hell, the man was sanctioning his dates now. While this should have been good news for Justin, it wasn't. It forced him to realize that any hope he had fostered was truly a waste. Just like with Ethan, Brian didn't care. Maybe it was time to move on. After all, one of the most eligible gay men in all of Pittsburgh was interested in him. Why not give it a try?
Could it be, could it be
Love's what you deny me?
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Chapter 3
[Pt 2/2]
Monday, July 22nd
11:00 a.m.
Brian's Office
Brian had spent the morning in his office debating whether or not he should call Sean Connolly. He knew that in order to win Justin back, he needed a plan. The question was, just how fair was he prepared to play when it came to the hotelier? After some debate, he had come to the conclusion that fairness be damned, he wanted his twink back. If that meant obtaining information from the "competition" in order to further his goals, he was more than willing to sacrifice the client relationship. It was time he made a phone call to Connolly.
"Sean, it's Brian Kinney."
"Hey Brian. How's it going?"
"Great," Brian lied smoothly. "Look, I'm calling to make sure you had received the new contract from our legal department this morning."
"Actually, I'm looking at it right now," Sean answered. "Everything appears to be in order."
"Good to hear." Brian hoped Connolly would soon reveal some information pertaining to his "date" with the blond twink.
"Oh, Brian, while I have you, I want to tell you what a wonderful time I had with Justin on Friday," Sean remarked as Brian smiled in satisfaction. "We actually ended up staying the night at the hotel due to storms that had developed on our return flight path. Luckily, since the family owns the hotel I was able to obtain rooms for us without a problem," Sean laughed as the ad executive made a mental note of the word "rooms." Perhaps Sunshine had refused Connolly's charms after all. "I have to tell you though, I think the kid is going to be quite a challenge."
"Really?" Brian raised an eyebrow. Now this he had to hear.
"He told me some nonsense about not believing in love and how love is something straight people tell themselves so they can get laid, and that he pretty much feels love is a lie. It looks like I'm going to have my work cut out for me," Sean summed up as Brian's mouth dropped open on the other end.
"He said that?" Brian asked, trying not to give away the shock he was feeling.
"Oh, he said it alright," Sean confirmed. "I assumed that some guy must have burned him quite bad for him to have developed such an outlook at only nineteen."
"One would assume so," Brian agreed. "Did you ask him about it?" He was curious to hear Connolly's response.
"Actually I did, and with a little encouraging I was able to get him to open up somewhat. Apparently his ex was a real piece of work."
"I think I recall hearing from some of the gossipy women here that he had been with some fiddler kid," Brian remarked, thinking that Sean was referring to Ethan.
"Oh, him? Justin hardly mentioned him at all. It was the other guy," Sean clarified.
"Other guy?" Brian repeated, hardly believing what he was hearing.
"Yeah, he was with some asshole for about two years. From what Justin told me, it appeared that the guy never loved him, and merely kept him around as a convenient fuck. The bastard sounded like a complete prick, and the poor kid finally just got tired and gave up on trying to make the guy love him," Sean elaborated as Brian took in what his client had just revealed.
"It sure sounds like the, uh, guy in question was a real ass," Brian remarked, trying his best to sound normal. "Do you think he's still in love with him?"
"Justin claims that he still has feelings for the jerk, but indicated that he doesn't love him anymore. He told me he keeps a list of all the guy's bad qualities in his desk at work. From what he said, he reads it every single day as a way to remind himself that he's better off without him," Sean added, not realizing the significance of the information he had just shared.
"Huh... that's kind of a unique way to get over someone," Brian commented, deciding to take a peek in the twink's desk later that evening. Perhaps he could use the list as a blueprint for his plan to win Justin back.
"I know," Sean laughed, "but I'm all in favor of whatever works to help him get over this loser," he declared.
"Listen, I'm afraid I have to run, Sean. Anyway, let me know when you're ready to proceed with the contract," Brian instructed.
"Will do. Talk to you soon."
"Thanks." Brian said before hanging up the phone.
He sat there for a moment, trying to absorb everything Sean had unknowingly revealed. He had been stunned to learn that Justin no longer "believed" in love. This definitely posed a problem. How was he supposed to win the kid back when he had adopted the legendary Kinney philosophy regarding love? Brian was also shocked to discover that Justin had given up on him during the relationship. He had no clue that Justin had been feeling this way. No wonder he had been so easily swayed by the fiddler's lies. Brian knew that if he wanted Justin back, he had some important decisions to make and some crucial planning to do. However, before he did anything, he first needed to take a look at the "infamous" list...
12:30 p.m.
Nathan's Deli
"So, how did your date with Sean go?" Ben asked curiously, as he sat across from Justin at the deli. The two had decided to meet for lunch to catch up with one another.
"I had a good time," Justin smiled before taking another bite out of his turkey sandwich.
"That's it?" Ben raised an eyebrow.
"Well, it was just a date."
"Yeah, but it was your first."
"Sean's really great, but he wants to get to know me," Justin began. "I told him how I feel about love, and about not wanting a relationship, but it didn't seem to put him off."
"That could be a good thing," the professor offered.
"You're probably right," Justin conceded. "I guess I'm leery because he's so different from anyone else I've ever met."
"I hate to break this to you Justin, but Sean Connolly is not the same as a trick you would meet at Babylon, and he's no Brian Kinney," Ben pointed out. So far he was impressed with the hotelier.
"I know. He even went as far as to say that he doesn't want to fuck me, he wants to wait until he can make love to me. Can you believe that?" Justin asked in amazement. Brian had never been one to use such sentiments.
"Like I said, he's a different type of man from what you're used to. It wouldn't hurt to get to know the guy. He seems genuine enough, and you did tell him where you stand on the whole relationship issue," Ben offered.
"It just seems so awkward with him being one of Brian's clients," Justin murmured, still unclear as to how he felt about the issue.
"Has Brian said anything about him to you?" the professor inquired.
"Brian say anything to me? You've got to be kidding. Hell, when he introduced me to Sean last week, he pretended not to even know that I went to PIFA."
"Wait a minute, did you just say that Brian introduced you to Sean?" This couldn't possibly be true. Ben could not, for one minute, see Brian introducing Justin to potential competition.
"Yeah, he was giving him a tour of Vangard. When they came into the art department he introduced me to him, and actually asked if I went to PIFA. Talk about fucking bizarre behavior," Justin shook his head, still puzzled by Brian's actions a week later.
"Have you spoken to him since?" This was unusual even for one of Brian's manipulations.
"No, not at all," the blond answered.
"Well, with Brian, one can only imagine what his motives were," Ben murmured suspiciously. He sensed there was more to Brian's little "introduction" than Justin realized.
10:00 p.m.
The Art Department
Vangard
Absolutely certain that he was alone in the office, unlike another evening a few weeks ago, Brian made his way to the art department. Being a partner, his key card gave him access to the area. If he was going to do a little breaking and entering, doing it correctly meant having the right tools necessary to complete the his task.
"Well, Sunshine, let's see what you've been up to," Brian murmured as he let himself into the art department, and headed toward Justin's desk.
"It's nice to see you're as tidy as ever," Brian noted. Justin's desk was in complete disarray, which was standard for the kid. It had forever irritated Brian to see his loft cluttered with sketchpads, wrappers, art supplies, books, etc. He had to admit that he missed Justin's messes, though. The loft had just seemed sterile ever since the twink had left.
Brian reached into his pocket and pulled out the key that would open Justin's desk. Luckily, many of the desks at Vangard used the same keys. For that reason, obtaining the correct one had been relatively painless. He turned the key in the lock and opened the first drawer. It was filled with pens, pencils, supplies, etc., but Brian did notice two folded sheets of paper near the back of the drawer. He quickly reached for them, hoping one was what he was looking for.
Turning on the desk lamp, having retrieved the folded sheets, Brian began to read the written notes.
"Hmm... It appears that I'm an arrogant, narcissistic asshole. What else is new?" Brian read the first unfolded sheet of paper. "This is definitely not your handwriting, Sunshine. I wonder which member of our "dear" and "loving" family wrote this for you? Could it be the "good" professor? Perhaps that pathetic loser of an entrepreneur? It couldn't possibly be Emmett's, it's not nearly feminine enough. I think we'll worry about this later, though," Brian decided. He had other matters to attend to.
Although the list he had just read had been about him, it didn't list his bad qualities like Sean had indicated. The other piece of paper must contain the other list. Unfolding the second sheet of paper, he saw that his guess had been correct indeed. Brian had discovered what he was searching for.
"Now this is your handwriting, Sunshine," Brian smiled after briefly glancing at it. "Let's see what's so special about this."
"Well, I have to admit, you did mention some of my finer qualities," Brian noted, after having read the list in its entirety. "Perhaps I should make a copy of this for future reference." He would definitely need it, if he had any hope of winning Justin back.
***
Ten minutes later Brian was heading out of the art department with a satisfied smile on his face. He had made copies of both lists before returning the originals to their rightful places. Little did Connolly know, he just had provided Brian with a valuable resource to use as a weapon against him. When it came to Justin, Brian wasn't about to play fair. He would do what was necessary to eliminate the threat of Connolly and get Justin back where he belonged; in his bed.
Brian decided that the next stage in his plan was to consult with Lindsay about the lists. She seemed to know Justin better than he did at the moment. She might also be able to determine which member of the family had created the other list. This information would also be important because Brian wanted to know which members of the family would specifically be working against his efforts. He wasn't about to let the any of them interfere in their relationship this time. If they did, it would be under his direction, and only to his advantage.
Tuesday, July 23rd
9:30 a.m.
Justin's Desk
Vangard
Justin was sitting at his desk reading his Brian list when the phone rang.
"Justin Taylor."
"Hey Justin, it's Sean. What are you up to?"
"Actually, I'm reading that list I was telling you about," Justin answered brightly.
"Ah, the infamous list, which point are you on?" Sean inquired.
"Always too busy with work."
"Really... Well, I'm never too busy with work. How about we go out tomorrow night?" Sean suggested, hoping Justin that would agree.
"Well..." Justin hesitated, not sure if he wanted to go.
"I guarantee we'll have a good time. I figured since I hadn't been to Liberty Avenue in over two years you could show me how it's changed."
"Liberty?" Justin repeated.
"Yeah, I'm sure a gay boy like yourself is familiar with Liberty Avenue," Sean laughed.
"Of course I am, it's just that I haven't been there in a while." He wasn't about to tell Sean why, though.
"That's perfect then. We can catch up with the latest on Liberty together."
"I guess we could," Justin conceded. As long as they avoided Woody's, Babylon, and the diner, they probably wouldn't run into the family.
"Great. Why don't I pick you up at your place at eight?"
"Sure." Justin agreed. He was about to have another date with Sean Connolly. Two dates in less than a week was definitely a record.
8:00 p.m.
Lindsay's & Melanie's House
Brian had stopped by an hour earlier knowing Mel was out of town obtaining depositions. After having spent some time with Gus, he was now ready to confide in Lindsay. As much as he hated the fact that this was becoming a habit, he needed an ally in order to accomplish his goal. He knew that deep down, Lindsay wanted him to make things right with Justin.
"So, do I even dare ask how things are with Justin?" Lindsay inquired as she sat down on the living room sofa next to Brian.
"Well, if you're wondering if I've managed to fuck things up again, the answer is no."
"Good. That's at least a start. I heard from Emmett that he had quite the date, though," Lindsay remarked, hoping Brian would comment on it.
"I don't know if I would call it that. After all the work that hotel prick put into it, he didn't even get a fuck," Brian stated with a satisfied smile.
"And for someone who doesn't "do" dates, that's how you would rate the success of one?"
"Why not? What guy wouldn't fuck him?"
"Maybe one who believes there is more to life than fucking?" Lindsay offered.
"Yeah, well, he doesn't know what he's missing."
"Speaking of that, just how did you discover that they didn't actually "fuck"?" Lindsay asked, sensing Brian was up to more of his manipulations.
"Well, I called my "dear" client on the pretext of verifying whether he received some documents from our legal department. I assumed that since he never seemed to shut up about Justin in our previous conversations, the dumb fuck would inadvertently provide his competition with some relevant information," Brian smugly explained.
"I see. Well, I must say, the poor man doesn't realize that he's just become part of a famous Kinney manipulation. Just what do you intend to do when he discovers that you're the infamous ex?"
"Honestly, I couldn't care less what the prick thinks. If he has a problem with it, then he can deal. There are other accounts out there. However, if he's fool enough to leave, he'll be destined to a life of shitty ad execs that don't have a clue about his hotels. I guess he'll just have to make that decision for himself. I'm not about to compromise when it comes to Justin."
"I'm glad to hear it. It's about time you started acting rationally when it comes to the boy," Lindsay smiled. "So what's your plan?"
"Plan?" Brian raised an eyebrow. He was still working on that, but there was no need to reveal anything quite yet. Instead, he was interested in hearing what Lindsay had to offer.
"Well, one would think that you're going to need one if you have any intention of winning him back," Lindsay indicated.
"Now that you mention it, there was one thing that I thought might be of some use." Brian reached into his pocket and took out the "list" he had retrieved the previous evening.
"What is that?" Lindsay asked, slightly intrigued.
"Some might like to refer to it as a character assassination; I however like to think of it as a blueprint," Brian said as he handed the list to her.
"Now, I am intrigued," Lindsay said, unfolding the list. "Wait a minute, this is Justin's handwriting," she remarked after glancing at the list.
"It's certainly not mine." Brian came back.
"Huh, character assassination? How about Brian Kinney's credo?" Lindsay laughed as she began reading the list.
"Really Linds, I'm honestly not that bad...."
"You pissed on his artwork, and you're not really that bad?" Lindsay interrupted, appalled.
"It was a misunderstanding," Brian offered sheepishly.
"Uh-huh. I'm surprised I hadn't heard about this before. He was probably too mortified to tell us," Lindsay decided, before continuing to read. Little did she know that Michael and Debbie had kept it quiet to spare Brian from the embarrassment. "Didn't attend any of his student art shows? Christ, Brian, are you a complete idiot? Don't you realize how important those are? How is he supposed to succeed as an artist without the support of his "partner"? You should have been proud to attend, especially since you are paying for his education."
"Look, can we stop with the lecture? I know I fucked up. I'm not denying it," Brian said, becoming annoyed. He didn't like being reminded of his less than stellar performance with Justin.
"Good. We agree on something. I suppose with a "blueprint" like this, simply being polite to the poor kid could help with your current situation. However, Justin deserves more than that. You better have one hell of a plan, that's all I can say," Lindsay warned.
"I'm working on it," Brian stated, although he hadn't quite ironed out some of the major details just yet.
"Working on it?" Lindsay suspected he was far from sure as to his course of action.
"Yeah."
"May I make a suggestion?" She offered, knowing he might need a little help when it came to matters of the heart.
"You're going to anyway."
"Just remember how he snuck his way past your barricades," Lindsay offered.
"And just how did he "do" that?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
"You know."
"No I don't."
"Drop the act, Brian. You know." Lindsay didn't buy his bullshit for a single moment.
"Are you suggesting I act like some pathetic little twat and stalk him?" Brian questioned, appalled by what Lindsay had alluded to.
"It's been proven to be highly effective." Lindsay gave him a knowing smile.
"I see. Well, want him back or not, I'm not about to stalk him like some lovesick fool," Brian declared.
"I didn't say you had to act like a lovesick fool. I'm sure in your own devious fashion, you can come up with some type of stalking scheme that does not offend your sensibilities," Lindsay argued.
"We'll see about that." Brian wasn't too keen on the idea, but if there was a way he could be covert about it, a way he didn't have to appear like he was stalking Justin, maybe her idea might have just an ounce of potential. "Since I'm here, you might as well take a look at this also." Brian handed Lindsay the other list he had discovered in Justin's desk.
"Another list?" Lindsay inquired.
"You could say that. In addition, I thought you might know who composed this fine piece of literature," Brian responded.
"Well," Lindsay unfolded the sheet and took a close look at it. "It would appear that it's actually Mel's handwriting."
"Mel's?"
"Yeah. How the hell did she know about this?" Lindsay wondered, surprised her wife had kept a secret from her.
"I guess the same way that Ted, Emmett, and Ben knew. All of them are my biggest fans after all."
"Huh, maybe Justin thought I might warn you." Lindsay tried to make sense out of the situation.
"That's probably it. Mel can be pretty protective of Sunshine," Brian offered. "However, she should know better than to keep secrets from her wife. You should remind her of this."
"Don't worry, I will." Lindsay had every intention of discussing this with Mel. Perhaps she could use Mel's keeping a secret from her as leverage to obtain her cooperation in reuniting Brian and Justin.
Wednesday, July 24th
12:00 p.m.
Vance's Office
Vance was sitting at his desk reviewing his plan to destroy Brian. He had to admit that he was pleased with the results thus far. He knew Kinney had been on edge lately, especially after he had come into the office looking like he had just been in a barroom brawl a few weeks earlier. The folks at Liberty Air had not been impressed to say the least. All he needed to do was make sure his plan continued smoothly along its course. He intended to take Justin to lunch to discreetly pump the boy for details about Brian. In addition, Vance also hoped to pick the intern's brain for ideas to use on his new campaign for an electronics store. He knew that Justin might be able to provide him with some valuable ideas that could be incorporated into his campaign. Vance's train of thought was interrupted when his phone rang.
***
Grabbing his suit coat, Vance rushed out of his office. His wife had called from the emergency room to inform him that his son had broken his arm while playing soccer. In his hurry to leave, he completely forgot about the incriminating file lying open on his desk.
12:15
Outside of Vance's Office
Noticing that Gardner's secretary was out to lunch, Brian breezed past her desk into Vance's office in search of a file. He was surprised to see that the office was empty and noticed the disarray of his partner's desk. Being an impeccable neat freak like himself, it seemed unusual for Vance. While looking for the file, Brian decided to take the opportunity to check up on his partner.
"Vance, old boy, let's see what you've been working on these days." Brian made his way over to the man's desk.
"Huh, I wonder what's in this file? Probably another boring breeder steakhouse you've got your eye on." He then proceeded to pick up the file that contained the detective's dossier and notes Vance had made about his plan.
"Perhaps, not?" Brian raised an eyebrow as he immediately zeroed in on a picture of Justin that was resting in the front of the file. "Why the fuck do you have a picture of Sunshine?" Brian moved the picture aside as his eyes caught sight of the information contained in the dossier. He immediately began flipping through it.
***
"So, that's what you've been up to," Brian surmised minutes after having read the file. "You're a sneaky fuck, aren't you? However, you're also a careless asshole, which is just too damn bad now, isn't it. Well, I can be sneaky too," he muttered to himself as he returned the file, and stalked out of Vance's office.
Brian strode toward his office, and told Cynthia to hold all of his calls before slamming the door. He was not at all pleased with what had just been discovered, and he had some serious thinking to do. How he handled this situation could greatly impact his future with Justin, and Brian didn't want to jeopardize it by making any rash decisions that he would later regret.
7:00 p.m.
Brian's Office
Several hours later, he still was unclear as to how he would proceed with Justin. All of his principles were screaming at him to tell Justin the truth. He deserved to know, however, the last thing Brian wanted to do was hurt his ex-lover. The kid had been through enough in the past two years. The last thing he needed to know was that his perfect job was really a sham. Brian also knew that if he told Justin the truth, he could no longer predict how the blond would react. He had become an enigma to him. Would he be upset? Would he just up and quit? Would he even care? It was too difficult for Brian to predict at this stage in the game.
The easy way out would be to not tell Justin the truth. Brian knew that Vance would never reveal his plan to the blond, and that Nick Stanton was probably unaware of it also. Brian now suspected that the man had been hired to replace him, once Vance's plan had finally succeeded. One thing he knew for certain was that somehow he had to put a stop to Vance. There was no way in hell Brian was going to allow that asshole to use Justin as a pawn. What enraged Brian even more than the fact that Vance wanted to ruin him, was the fact that his so-called partner had involved his twink in his scheme. He couldn't care less that Vance was after him; it wasn't surprising. Brian knew he had become a threat to Vance over the past six months. However, now that the prick had gone after Justin, he had crossed the line. Brian was no longer going to stand aside and let anyone fuck with his baby. Justin was his, and if anyone fucked with him, they would have him to deal with as a consequence.
Brian knew that in the end he would have to tell Justin the truth. While the truth was often difficult, if he wanted any type of future with Justin, he knew he had to be honest with him. In the meantime, he needed to devise his own little manipulation to deal with the issue of Vance. It was about time he shut the asshole down. There were a few options to choose from, but he would leave them for the following morning. He was too tired to think of anything tonight, and he felt a little pain management was in order to ease his worries about Justin.
11:00 p.m.
The Liberty Diner
"The night's still young, is there anything else you're up for on Liberty?" Sean inquired as they sat in a booth. Since it was Deb's night off and the gang appeared to be absent from the diner, he had agreed to go to there with Sean. The two shared a sandwich and fries since Justin was always hungry.
"I don't know," Justin shook his head in an indecisive fashion.
"Do you like to dance?"
"Yeah," he replied, hoping Sean would suggest someplace other than Babylon.
"How about Babylon? It's been ages since I've been there, and I can assure you that I'm one hell of a dancer," Sean offered with a grin.
"Babylon?"
"Yeah, it's the best place to dance on Liberty. The pulsating music, the gorgeous hot and sweaty men..."
"Well, I..." Justin began, unsure how to respond.
"Come on, it will be fun," Sean assured, standing up and grabbing Justin's arm.
"Oh, what the hell," the blond agreed. It had been months and Sean claimed he was a good dancer. He probably wouldn't even run into the gang anyway.
11:30 p.m.
Babylon
Not believing he had agreed to go to Babylon with Sean, Justin hoped to God he would not run into Brian. Being away from the club for six months, it felt strange being there with someone other than his ex. He could only imagine what the man would say to him, especially if he was on something.
"Hey Justin, good to see you," came the voice of a Babylon regular as he walked into the club with Sean.
"Oh, hi," Justin smiled sheepishly as another regular approached him.
"Justin, long time, no see."
"Yeah, it's been a little while. How's it going, Dom?" Maybe coming to Babylon wasn't such a good idea after all.
"Fantastic. It's nice to have you back, especially with such a gorgeous partner," Dom indicated to Sean.
"He is pretty hot, isn't he?" Justin grinned at his date.
"Well, it's good to see you away from that asshole. As you can only guess, he's currently in the backroom getting fucked or sucked or whatever the hell it is that he does back there," Dom remarked.
"I'm not surprised," Justin shook his head. Hopefully Brian would be indisposed for the duration.
"Some things never change around here, sweetie," Dom gave a knowing smile before heading toward the bar.
"I take it he was speaking of your ex?" Sean inquired.
"You could say that. However, he's in the backroom, and you're here," Justin answered. He wasn't about to let the knowledge of Brian's activities ruin his evening.
"Well, it's his loss," Sean stated, glad that the blond wasn't going to let his ex get to him.
"Justin, it's been months, how's it going?" Yet another Babylon regular approached them.
"Uh, great..." He hoped this would not be the pattern for the entire evening.
"It's good to have our king back," the guy patted him on the back.
"Thanks," Justin smiled.
"King?" Sean inquired curiously.
"Yeah, I uh, won the King of Babylon contest about a year and a half ago," Justin admitted, slightly embarrassed. He could only imagine what Sean must be thinking. First finding out about his ex in the backroom, and now hearing that he had won the infamous stripping contest.
"You mean to tell me that I'm here with a former King of Babylon? Wow, you must be some dancer," Sean remarked, quite impressed.
"I guess," Justin agreed modestly.
"Well, why don't you show me just how good you really are," the other man suggested, leading Justin toward the dance floor.
The two were soon sharing a steamy dance as they ground up against one another. Justin had to admit that Sean was quite the dancer. Maybe coming to Babylon with him hadn't been such a bad idea after all.
***
Unbeknownst to Justin, Ted and Emmett were watching him from the bar.
"I can't believe he's here after so long!" Emmett exclaimed. They had both been shocked to spot Justin on the dance floor with a gorgeous older man.
"Of course Brian would have to be in the backroom," Ted disappointedly remarked.
"Well, too bad for him. Now this beautiful man could only be Justin's new prince," Emmett gushed.
"He has to be," Ted agreed. "Who else would he bring to Babylon after his six-month self-imposed exile?"
"If it's Justin's prince, with that amazing body of his, he is absolutely to die for," raved Emmett. "Do you think we should go introduce ourselves?"
"Maybe a little later, Em," Ted advised. He had a feeling they should hold off for the duration with Brian being in the backroom. As if instinctively, Ted then turned toward the backroom and saw Brian walking out of it with his trademark "I've just fucked" expression on his face. "Don't look now, but his highness has decided to honor us with his presence."
"Oh, dear, Teddy. This is not good," Emmett nervously concluded as he saw Brian make his way over to them.
***
"So, boys, see anything interesting?" Brian drawled as he approached Ted and Emmett.
"N-No... Not really," Emmett attempted to answer brightly.
"How was the backroom? Was it up to your usual standards?" Ted inquired, hoping to distract Brian from the action on the dance floor.
"Well, of course Theodore," Brian responded, noticing that Ted and Emmett kept nervously glancing toward the dance floor. Perhaps he should check out what all the fuss was about. "However, I think I'm in the mood for dancing."
"Why don't we have a drink instead," Ted offered quickly.
"No," Brian gave an evil grin. "I think I'll pass." He now knew for certain that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were clearly trying to keep him away from something. It was time he discovered what it was they were hiding this time.
***
Once on the dance floor, Brian grabbed two tricks and began dancing to beats of "Heaven's Earth" by Delerium. He then scanned the area to see just what Ted and Emmett had wanted him to avoid witnessing. It didn't take him long to zero in on Justin and Sean.
I know you want me
But caution inspires
Your tamed indifference
Won't challenge me
At first he thought he was hallucinating; Justin hadn't been to Babylon in months. He couldn't possibly be here now, just a few feet away from him. However, Brian suddenly knew he wasn't imagining, when he felt a pair of familiar blue eyes meet his.
Could it be, could it be
Love's what you deny me?
He also couldn't help but notice the disdain in them as those same blue eyes saw him with the two tricks. His ex-lover knew he had just come out of the backroom, and to make matters worse, Brian couldn't help but notice the way Sean was holding onto Justin's ass. He wanted to rip the man's hands off, but knew he couldn't. He had to keep his cool, and bide his time. Now was not the right time to show his hand.
This spoiled seduction
Intoxicates thee,
So balanced on my halo
You long secretly
***
"Isn't that Brian over there?" Sean spoke leaning towards Justin's ear so he could be heard.
"Brian?" Justin tried to pretend like he hadn't noticed.
"Yeah, Brian Kinney."
"Uh, I guess that's him," Justin attempted weakly as he tried to avoid Brian's hazel eyes.
Could it be, could it be
Love's what you deny me?
Don't deny yourself
Cause I know what you want
"Looks like he's got his hands full," Sean couldn't help but remark at the sight of Brian dancing with the two tricks.
"It would appear that way." The last thing Justin wanted to do was discuss his ex. It was bad enough they were even near him. He also didn't want to think about the fact that the hard on he was experiencing had little to do with Sean and everything to do with Brian.
You can't deny me
So try to run, love
But you won't get away
"Damn, he sure gets around," Sean commented in amazement. "I can't complain, though. He's the best damn ad exec there is, and he also doesn't have a problem with my seeing you."
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Justin demanded, stunned by Sean's remark.
"Hey relax, Justin. I didn't want my seeing you to cause any problems for you at Vangard, so I made sure it was cool with Brian before I asked you out," Sean explained.
"Oh." Justin murmured. It was now blatantly obvious that Brian no longer had any feelings for him whatsoever. Hell, the man was sanctioning his dates now. While this should have been good news for Justin, it wasn't. It forced him to realize that any hope he had fostered was truly a waste. Just like with Ethan, Brian didn't care. Maybe it was time to move on. After all, one of the most eligible gay men in all of Pittsburgh was interested in him. Why not give it a try?
Could it be, could it be
Love's what you deny me?