Making it Through the Summer: Chapter 4
Making it Through the Summer & Making it Through Another Summer
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Chapter 4
Thursday, July 25th
11:00 a.m.
Brian's Office
Vangard
"What's up, Brian?" Cynthia inquired, entering her boss' office per his request.
"Shut the door," Brian ordered. He didn't want the prying ears of the agency to hear what he was about to share.
"This must be serious," Cynthia mused, shutting the door behind her and taking a seat.
"I suppose you could call it that," Brian drawled. "It appears we have a bit of a problem."
"Problem?" Cynthia didn't like the sound of this.
"I think it's time we dealt with the issue of Vance," Brian began, shifting uneasily in his chair.
"Why now?" Cynthia questioned. Vance had been a pain in the ass for quite some time, but Brian had never felt the need to pursue the issue before.
"It would appear that my "dear" and "trusted" partner wants me gone."
"Oh, wow," his assistant breathed. "I know you two do not, how shall we say, get along, but what makes you think that he wants you gone? Hell, Brian, without you there wouldn't even be a Vangard."
"I'm aware of that, however, Vance thinks he can work around it," Brian indicated as he loosened his tie.
"And just how might he accomplish this?" Cynthia was more than intrigued. Vance was a fool if he thought he could take down Brian.
"He believes he has a secret weapon."
"Secret weapon?"
"However, Vance is too careless for his own good," Brian remarked smugly. "You see, he thought that by hiring a someone in particular, he could cause problems for me."
"This isn't why he hired that kiss ass Nick Stanton is it?" Cynthia wondered.
"I think he's actually my replacement, but he's not Vance's secret weapon. I can be fairly certain that Stanton has no clue to when it comes to Vance's real agenda," Brian explained.
"Then just who is his secret weapon?"
"Think, Cynthia. Who would Vance hire to drive me absolutely insane? Who could he hire that would distract me and make me lose my edge?"
"Oh, no! He didn't! Don't tell me this is why he hired Justin?" Cynthia questioned in disbelief.
"It's precisely why he hired Justin."
"How did you figure this out?" Cynthia was stunned by her boss' revelation.
"Vance is a careless man. He shouldn't have left a file open on his desk that contained a private detective's dossier about my relationship with Justin. It's too much of a coincidence that he just happened to have me investigated, and then a few weeks later, he hired Justin as an intern," Brian commented. "I also found notes in the file about the "progress" of his plan."
"What a complete and total bastard!"
"He is, isn't he?"
"You don't think Justin knows about this do you?" Cynthia suddenly asked, worried about the young blond.
"No, he couldn't possibly know."
"If Justin doesn't know, and Vance really is using him as his pawn, what the hell are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to put a stop to Vance's bullshit; that's what I'm going to do." Brian vowed, having already decided what his plan of action was going to be earlier that morning.
"How do you plan on going about it?" Cynthia questioned, knowing that Brian must have some type of plan in mind.
"First, I tell Justin why he's really here," Brian began.
"Are you sure you want to do that?"
"I have no other choice. He deserves to know why Vance hired him. However, I will assure him that Vance would never have considered bringing him on board if he didn't feel he was talented."
"Then what?"
"I ask him for his help in destroying Vance," Brian replied.
"And just how do you plan to go about destroying Vance?"
"I land an account with Justin's help that Vance could only dream of landing," Brian elaborated. "I've been thinking about going after Grazzini's," he nonchalantly revealed.
"The jeweler?"
"I don't recall Grazzini's being famous for anything else."
"You, doing a campaign for one of the most cutting-edge jewelers in the market? Just how do you plan on marketing it when you hate everything jewelry represents?"
"The same way I've marketed every other product that I've found repulsive. Besides, with Justin as my secret weapon, it won't be that difficult."
"I can see it now. Mr. "I hate love and romance," markets jewelry," Cynthia laughed. "So, since I know you're not about to pass up an opportunity like this, what's your game plan?"
"I plan on giving them a "ridiculously romantic" proposal," Brian drawled with a smile. "Besides, they also won't be able to resist my ideas and my artist who just happens to love everything Italian, and who also used to love everything romantic. I'm sure it won't be too much of a problem to revert him back to his old beliefs, and to use them on this campaign. At the same time I can prove to him that I too can be ridiculously romantic in my own way, and I can assure you that this time he won't forget it."
"You can be his knight in shining Armani," Cynthia grinned. Brian's plan did sound intriguing. If it actually worked, he would be bringing more revenue to the firm than Vance could ever imagine, and also prove to Justin that maybe, just maybe, he was worth a second chance.
"Armani, huh?" Brian smirked. "That's not bad, Cynthia. I suppose I'll just have to get a new Armani for when I meet with Grazzini's. You know there used to be a time when Justin couldn't resist me in Armani."
"Well, I suppose you'll just have to use that to your advantage. Can you imagine the reaction that Vance is going to have if you end up landing this account with Justin's help? It will be fucking priceless."
"It will also give me the power I need to take care of Vance. If I bring this type of account to the firm, I will have dominant control over our revenue."
"So, where do we start?" Cynthia asked, eager to assist Brian with his plans.
"We start by having you find out everything you can about Grazzini's, in secret of course. Meanwhile, I'll work on getting Justin on board," Brian instructed.
"And what if he doesn't agree?"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he agrees," Brian vowed. He had no other alternative.
Friday, July 26th
10:00 a.m.
The Art Department
Vangard
Justin was working on the artwork for one of Nick's clients when his cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Justin, it's Lindsay."
"Oh, hi Linds. How's it going?"
"Good. Listen, Mel and I are having Ted and Emmett over for brunch on Sunday, and we thought you might like to bring that handsome hotel owner that we've heard so much about."
"Uh, I'm not sure that it would..."
"Justin, I insist," Lindsay interrupted. "I promise it will just be the six of us, in case you're worried about running into Brian or Michael. Also, Gus has been dying to see you." She hoped this would sweeten him up a little.
"Well, it's just that we aren't that serious," Justin attempted to explain. He didn't feel it was time to introduce Sean to the family quite yet.
"That's alright. I promise we'll be on our best behavior, and we won't even mention the "B" word," Lindsay assured. Little did Justin know, the proposed brunch was actually Brian's idea. He had felt it would be a good way for Lindsay to assess the threat of Sean. "Besides, if you're unsure about him, we can offer you some advice."
"I guess, it wouldn't be that bad of an idea," Justin conceded. He always enjoyed having brunch at Lindsay and Melanie's house.
"Good, why don't you bring Sean over around 11:00."
"Sure. I'll let you know if he can't make it. Tell Gus I said hi."
"Will do. Talk to you soon, Justin."
"Yeah, bye." Justin hung up his cell and wondered what he had just gotten himself into. He supposed that he had better call Sean.
11:00 a.m.
Brian's Office
Vangard
Brian sat in his office going over the notes he and Cynthia had compiled on Grazzini's. Rumor had it that the jeweler had not been satisfied with its current ad campaign. Although Grazzini's wasn't currently looking for a new firm to handle its account, Brian felt the jeweler would be open to hearing from a competing firm. The advertising firm Grazzini's currently used was very traditional, and that had been reflected in the recent ad campaigns they had created. The Italian jeweler wasn't the least bit conservative, and its message was getting lost. It was not De Beers, Cartier, or even Tiffany's, and because of that, Brian felt it shouldn't be marketed as such. The company needed something cutting edge, something modern, and he was just the man to provide that type of campaign. Now all he needed was to get Justin on board. His thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang.
"Brian Kinney."
"Brian, it's Sean. I just wanted to see how the ad for Travel and Leisure is coming."
"Everything is right on schedule. It should be ready by Monday as promised," Brian said, thinking that Sean was the last person he felt like speaking to at the moment.
"Good. Listen, while I have you, I just wanted to say that I've been having a great time with Justin. That kid is a riot. We were at Babylon the other night; damn can that kid dance. I had no idea he was a former King of Babylon," Sean remarked.
"He was?" Brian decided to play it dumb.
"Yeah. I'm surprised you didn't know. I would have figured you would have fucked all the former kings."
"Yeah, well, he's a little young for my tastes," Brian snapped. He wasn't about to reveal to Sean that he had done a little more than fuck Justin.
"Fortunately, he's not too young for me," Sean laughed. "Anyway, I just got off the phone with him a few minutes ago. He invited me over to his friends' house for brunch on Sunday."
"Oh," Brian smiled, glad to hear the brunch was going according to plan.
"Yeah, I think it's a good sign. I'm sure that after his infamous ex, I won't have a problem impressing the shit out of them."
"You never know," Brian aloofly remarked.
"I'm not worried. Anyway, thanks for the update, Brian. I'll be in touch on Monday," Sean indicated.
"No problem." Brian couldn't help but break out into a sly grin before he hung up the phone. Soon, very soon, he would no longer have to worry about threat of the handsome hotelier.
1:00 p.m.
Pappagano's Restaurant
"So, Justin, how do you enjoy working for the agency?" Gardner Vance inquired. He was proceeding with the next phase of his plan - taking the boy to lunch in order to discreetly pump him for information about Kinney.
"It's been wonderful. I really enjoy working with Nick," Justin enthused, before taking a bite out of his Greek salad.
"Nick's a great all around guy. I'm glad things are working out so well between you two. He really enjoys working with the interns. I wish I could say the same for my partner," Vance remarked, as Justin almost choked on a piece of feta cheese.
"Uh...I think you had previously mentioned that he uh, doesn't participate in the program," Justin stated, not sure as to how to respond to Vance's remark.
"Brian's not exactly the most patient person. Has Nick had the opportunity to introduce you to him yet?"
"I...I uh, ran into him a few weeks ago," Justin murmured, not exactly prepared to answer this type of question from Vance.
"Oh, really? Did you have a chance to talk to him?" Vance asked, knowing full well the answer.
"Uh...yeah...we talked just briefly. He appeared to be in a hurry," Justin lied, hoping he sounded somewhat believable.
"Sounds like Kinney. That man is always in a hurry. Does he come into the art department often?"
"Uh, not really," Justin answered, wondering about Vance's sudden interest in Brian.
"I didn't think so. He doesn't have much time for the artists, but enough about my partner," Vance said, realizing that he was obtaining very little information from the blond. "Why don't I tell you about the upcoming campaign I've been working on?" he suggested.
"Sure," Justin agreed, glad to be discussing something other than his ex.
3:00 p.m.
Outside Brian's Office
Justin had been surprised when he returned from lunch to find a voicemail from Cynthia. Apparently, for whatever reason, Brian requested that he meet him in his office at 3:00 p.m. Justin wanted to refuse, but knew that it would probably be best to go and get it over with.
"Hi Cynthia," Justin tried to muster a smile as he approached her desk.
"Justin, I'm glad you came," Cynthia smiled. "Brian is waiting for you inside," she said, rising from her desk.
"Great," Justin murmured. He wasn't entirely thrilled at the prospect of seeing the man.
***
Brian was sitting in his office reading a file when Cynthia entered with a clearly reluctant Justin following behind her. The ad executive knew that the task ahead of him was not going to be easy. How he played this would greatly impact both of their futures.
"Hey," he greeted Justin.
"Hey," came an unenthusiastic, monosyllabic response. It was obvious that Justin was hardly receptive to meeting.
"Take a seat," Brian offered as Justin cautiously sat down on the couch, as far away from Brian's desk as possible.
"Can I get you anything, Justin? Coffee, tea, water?" Cynthia offered, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"No thanks."
"Well, then, I guess I'll be going. Let me know if you need anything," Brian's assistant said before nervously leaving the office.
"How was your lunch with Vance?" Brian asked, trying to ease his way into the conversation.
"Fine."
"Fine?" Brian raised an eyebrow. He needed more than one-word responses if he was going to have any success with this conversation.
"Yeah, fine," Justin replied, not in the mood to play Brian's game. "Can we drop the bullshit?"
"I didn't realize asking how your lunch was could be referred to as bullshit?"
"Well, for you it is. You don't "do" small talk. Why don't you tell me why I'm really here?"
"My, my, Sunshine. Since when have you dispensed with your country club manners?" Brian couldn't help but chide. It still surprised him to see his ex act so rudely toward him.
"Since I decided to stop playing your games," the blond smiled back coldly.
"Well, I'm not playing any games right now," Brian declared.
"Really?"
"Really. What I'm about to tell you isn't bullshit. It's got nothing to do with our past association, and it isn't some manipulation," Brian indicated.
"Then by all means, go ahead," Justin sarcastically conceded. The sooner Brian finished, the sooner he could get the hell out of his office.
"Look, I know that I may have been less than thrilled to discover that you were interning here, but it hasn't been a pain in my ass so to speak," Brian began.
"I think less than thrilled might be an understatement."
"If that's what you would like to believe," Brian looked intently into Justin's ice-cold blue eyes. "However, I want to make it clear to you that I didn't ask you in here to fuck with you."
"Alright," Justin suddenly became uneasy. He tried to look away, but found himself held captive by Brian's hazel eyes.
"I didn't bring you here to bullshit you. I invited you here to be honest. You deserve the truth about why you're really working here," Brian stated, shifting uneasily in his chair. He wished he didn't have to tell Justin this, but he felt he didn't have any other alternative. It didn't help matters any that he just sat there on the couch emotionless. Deciding it would be better, Brian got up from his desk and walked over to the couch.
"When I went to Chicago instead of going to Vermont with you," Brian began, unable to look directly at Justin, but not really focusing on anything else in his office. "I had no choice at the time. I had been under the impression that Ryder was about to make me partner. The last thing I expected to discover was that he had sold the agency to Vance."
"Why bring this up now?" Justin asked in a baffled voice. Brian wasn't one to willingly bring up the past. He was also becoming increasingly uncomfortable being in such a close proximity to his ex.
"Because I have no other alternative," Brian replied. "From the first, Vance has viewed me as a threat. He lied to me when I first met him. I should have seen right through the bullshit, but I think it was the shock of learning the agency was under new ownership that caused me to slip. He told me that he had talked to all of my clients, and that they would all remain at the firm, with or without me. He gave me two weeks to "prove" myself. If I didn't, he indicated that I would be collecting unemployment like all the other no-talent morons at the agency who couldn't land an account if it fucked them in the ass. I knew that in order to stay, I had to prove my worth. I went to Chicago because the only client Vance had ever lost was located there. The client was Brown Athletics. Clearly the only way to "prove" myself to Vance was to hand him his only failure on a silver platter. After I did, I had Mr. Brown put a clause in our contract that stated I must be a partner in Vangard in order for him to give the firm his business."
"I see..." Justin was very surprised by Brian's explanation, but he wasn't about to reveal it. "What does this have to do with me?"
"At the moment, nothing, but it will all become obvious in a moment," Brian answered. "Since then, Vance and I have tolerated one another. He didn't have any other option but to make me his partner. However, that's not to say I haven't continued to be a threat to him. I am one of the best fucking ad men out there. It has become more and more apparent to him that I am a very dangerous threat. I bring in almost equal the revenue he does, and in a few months, or with a high profile client, I will easily surpass his revenues. This will put him in quite a vulnerable position, and the fucking prick will no longer be able to hide behind his former accomplishments."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Think about it Justin. Wouldn't you be plotting my "supposed" demise if you were Vance?"
"I guess," Justin answered, shrugging his shoulders. How any of this related to him was beyond his comprehension.
"You would," Brian stated. "Now think, Justin, if you wanted to get rid of your partner, what would you do?"
"I don't know, force him to take a buyout?" the blond suggested.
"If you bought him out, you would risk losing all of his clients," Brian responded.
"True," Justin agreed. "I suppose you would have to find a way to get rid of him that allowed you to retain all of his clients at the same time."
"I think you're on to something," Brian remarked. "Now how would you go about doing this?" he questioned.
"Find some way to discredit him?"
"Exactly. See, I knew you didn't get a 1500 on your SATs just for the hell of it," Brian grinned.
"I'm surprised you even remember," Justin remarked offhandedly.
"You'd be surprised at what I remember."
"So let me get this straight. You believe that Vance views you as a threat and is trying to ruin your career?" Justin surmised, not wanting to think about Brian's previous remark.
"Go to the head of the class," Brian remarked in confirmation, as Justin shook his head.
"Where do I fit into this?" the blond asked, still puzzled as to why he was being told all of this information.
"You, are the final missing piece."
"Me?"
"You." All it took was that one word, and suddenly everything fell into place for Justin. It all made sense now. He wasn't at Vangard because he had been chosen for his skills. He was there for one specific purpose - to be used as Vance's pawn.
Pale and silent, Justin sat there not knowing what to say. For once in his life he was speechless. He refused to look at the man next to him, not wanting to see the guilt or the pity in those hazel eyes. He'd lived with it for almost a year, and look where it had gotten him. Two failed relationships, and all of his dreams shattered. Now he had just discovered that his perfect job was really just a sham. What next? He didn't think he wanted to know. All he knew was that it all came back to Brian. No matter how hard he tried to escape his ex, it somehow always came back to him, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it from happening again.
"Look at me," Brian commanded, putting his hand on Justin's shoulder. Feeling helpless just sitting there, seeing him so visibly shaken, Brian needed Justin to look at him. The blond's eyes couldn't lie. Brian needed to see the look in his eyes; he needed to know what Justin was feeling.
"Why?"
"Because...."
"So you fuck me over again? Shove me off another fucking cliff?" Justin angrily interrupted, turning his head toward his ex-lover.
"Cliff?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, cliff. You know what I'm fucking referring to. I knew what you were doing when you fucked Rage. Only instead of being pushed off one of your cliffs, I jumped," the blond declared.
"How was the landing?" Brian sardonically inquired, although he had been surprised by Justin's revelation. However, he wasn't about to show it. He chose, instead, to hide behind his usual sarcasm.
"I'm still here."
"You are, aren't you?"
"Yeah, and once again you've fucked me over," Justin bitterly stated.
"It's Vance that's fucked you over."
"No he hasn't! It's you, not him! Why do you fucking have to ruin everything?"
"Hiring you as a pawn, insulting your talent is not an issue for you?"
"Yeah well, like I said, who gives a fuck about Vance? I should have known better than to accept his offer. Well, I was obviously delusional, wasn't I? I suppose I should be grateful that at least now I know that yet again, you're the one that is always right. You were right about my dad, you were right about Chris Hobbes, you were right about my tuition, you were right about love and relationships, and now you're right about Vance. Why do I even bother? You're always going to be right."
"Not always." He hadn't been right when he'd pushed Justin off the cliff. "So what do you plan on doing about Vance?"
"Doing?"
"You're not going to just stand by and let him use you are you?" Brian demanded.
"I don't really know," Justin admitted. He still hadn't had time to digest everything quite yet. "What would you do?"
"I would get revenge. I would turn his worst nightmare into reality."
"I'm not surprised. So, what's your plan?" Justin knew Brian well enough to know that the man was clearly up to something. This was probably one of the main reasons he had chosen to enlighten him about Vance.
"Well, I suppose you're still on to me in some ways," Brian observed. "I think it's time I put my "dear" and "trusted" partner out of business."
"And how do you plan on going about it?"
"By landing an account he could only dream of. An account that will provide me with enough revenue to send him packing his bags and enjoying the benefits of unemployment," Brian smugly replied.
"I see. So, where do I fit in?" Justin questioned.
"You're going to help me," Brian announced.
"Help, you?"
"Yes, help me," Brian repeated. "You're going to be my artist. I think it would be a fitting end to Vance's plan if his pawn just happened to help his rival land the account that's going to put him out of business," Brian stated, becoming confident that Justin was on the same wavelength as he was.
"Interesting."
"You have to admit, Vance has it coming to him," Brian remarked. "I'm sure I could arrange a nice bonus for you once we are successful in meeting our objective," Brian replied - and he wasn't only referring to monetary compensation.
"Huh." Justin had caught the innuendo. It was typical Brian. "I have to admit, it does sound appealing," Justin grinned slyly, not revealing what he was really thinking.
"So, I take it you're in?"
"Did I say I was in?" Justin raised an eyebrow as he got up from the couch and walked toward the other side of Brian's office.
"No, but one would assume you'd like to shove our little plan up Vance's ass."
"It might have its advantages," Justin agreed. "However, I do have one small question. Why should I agree to help you?" he asked, suddenly turning the tables on Brian.
"It's obvious. You can't just stand back and let Vance use you as his pawn," Brian came back, suddenly feeling less confident in Justin's acquiescence.
"That still doesn't answer my question. Why should I help YOU?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you."
"Do you want revenge or not?" Brian wasn't prepared to answer Justin's question.
"Fuck revenge. I could give a shit about Vance. All bets were off after you attempted to push me off your fucking cliff. I don't owe you a damn thing," Justin answered, stunning Brian.
"So, you're just going to sit back and let him continue to use you?" Brian demanded.
"Why not? Pawn or no pawn, Vance has allowed me to gain valuable experience and make a decent living. Why should I jeopardize that? Besides, I'm only going to be here another month. What difference does it make? It's not like you're going to let his plan be a success."
"No, I'm not. However, the kid I used to know would not have let some prick like Vance use him to his own advantage."
"Well, I'm not that person anymore. Besides, like you always say, there's nothing noble in being poor."
"Really?"
"Really. However, you wouldn't know, now would you?" Justin scoffed.
"I haven't..."
"You know, if it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't even have a fucking job, a fucking loft, or even a single fucking Armani suit left to your name right now."
"What the fuck are you getting at?" Brian demanded, caught off guard by Justin's remark.
"You heard me," the blond's icy response.
"And just how did you "save" me from a life of poverty?" Brian sarcastically inquired.
"Didn't you ever wonder why Kip dropped those harassment charges?" Justin questioned. "Or do you still think it's a mystery?"
"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Brian became more alarmed by what Justin was revealing. He couldn't be connected to that no-talent fucker dropping the charges, or could he be?
"I'll tell you why you still have a job," Justin declared. "The only reason you still have a fucking job is because I saved your pathetic ass."
"And just how did you save my "pathetic" ass?" Brian demanded as he stalked his way over to Justin so that they were standing face to face.
"How do you think I did?"
"Did you fuck him?" Brian interrogated in a frigid tone. The thought of that bastard so much as touching Justin made his blood begin to boil.
"God no. It was bad enough letting that piece of trash suck my dick."
"Was he any good?" Brian was seething at this point.
"You tell me, you're the one who fucked him," Justin mocked. "Luckily I didn't let him get very far before I informed him that my father had sent my last boyfriend to prison. He wasn't too keen to continue after that. Naturally, I assured him that as long as he did me one particular favor, my father would never need to know about our "little" encounter."
"I see. I didn't realize blackmail was part of your repertoire, Sunshine."
"Blackmail or not, you should be thanking your lucky stars right now."
"Really?" Brian raised an eyebrow. He couldn't believe that Justin would have done something like that for him.
"Really."
"Tell me, why keep it a secret for so long? Why not tell me two years ago when it happened?"
"I knew it wouldn't change a damn thing, that's why. Nothing I've ever done for you has ever made you care, so why bother?" Justin challenged.
"So I could have shown a certain little blackmailing twink what happens when his victim decides to turn the tables on him," Brian stated menacingly to Justin's face. He was furious at the thought of what could have happened to Justin had his plan not gone as anticipated.
"Yeah, well he didn't, so I don't think it's an issue now, is it?"
"The hell it isn't," Brian growled, before grabbing Justin by the shirt.
"Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Justin demanded indignantly.
"Showing you what happens to blackmailing twinks with tight little asses," Brian whispered into his ear before forcefully pushing Justin back onto his desk, sending papers flying in every direction.
"Hey! What the fuck are you..." Justin yelped, but was cut off as Brian's lips crashed against his in a storm of rage.
"You like that?" Brian asked in a heated voice before reaching into Justin's pants and grabbing his hard shaft.
"Bri..." the red-faced blond attempted to protest, but was interrupted as Brian ground his lips against his.
"Open your mouth," Brian ordered. He wanted to plunder his tongue into the boy's warm mouth.
"No," Justin groaned in defeat as he felt Brian's tongue clashing against his own. He was hot all over, and he knew that if Brian kept stroking his cock in the maddening way he currently was, he would shoot at any minute. He had to do something to stop him before he lost total control of the situation. It didn't matter that after six months he suddenly felt like he was coming home. It didn't matter that he wanted Brian's cock inside of him. Finally, it didn't matter that he wanted to come. If he let any of this happen, he would lose his self-respect; he wasn't going to be one of Brian's tricks. He had come too far to be sucked back into his ex's vortex of sexual pleasure.
Justin suddenly felt Brian's left knee between his legs, keeping him pinned to the desk as he swiftly unbuckled his Gucci belt. As he felt Brian reach for the button on his pants, Justin knew that if he had any hope of escaping the situation, he had to act now. Unfortunately, he also knew that there was only one way out of his predicament. Using his right knee, Justin quickly thrust it forward, directly into Brian's groin.
"FUCK!" Brian yelled in pain, as he felt Justin's knee smash into his balls. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor holding his groin, and Justin was scrambling off the desk. He had to stop him before he ran out of the office, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get up in time.
"That's how blackmailing twinks handle scum like Kip. As you can see, I can take care of myself," Justin firmly stated, standing by the door.
"And did Kip make you hard like I did?" Brian mocked in an agitated voice, before dragging himself up off the floor, trying to appear as if he weren't in excruciating pain.
"Fuck you."
"You know, Sunshine, before you storm out of here, I would leave your options open. You never know, one day you may actually see that being noble sometimes means getting revenge," Brian declared before Justin stormed out of his office, slamming the door behind him.
"Ooohhh fuck," Brian then groaned before falling back on his couch in pain, clutching his groin. "I guess I'll have to rethink going to the baths tonight...."
***
Minutes after Justin had bolted out of Brian's office, Cynthia decided to check on her boss. She had heard his loud yelp just before Justin flew out of the office, and had a suspicion as to the cause of his cry.
She knocked on the office door, and when no answer came, she decided to walk in. She wasn't surprised to find Brian lying on his couch in the fetal position with both hands rubbing his crotch. The look on his face was not of pleasure, but of agony.
"He didn't?" Cynthia looked at Brian, somewhat surprised. Although she had thought Justin might have kicked him in the groin, she couldn't quite believe he had actually done it.
"Why the fuck do you think I'm lying here like this?" Brian demanded in an irritated voice.
"I take it your talk wasn't much of a success?"
"Well, it didn't exactly go as planned," Brian muttered, dragging himself up into a sitting position.
"You, uh, didn't by any chance come onto him?" Cynthia noticed the empty desktop and the various papers scattered across the floor.
"I was trying to teach that little twat a valuable lesson."
"And just what might that be?" She looked at him skeptically.
"That blackmail is never a good idea for a twink like him," Brian responded.
"Blackmail?" Cynthia raised an eyebrow.
"Apparently he blackmailed that prick, Kip Thomas, into dropping the charges."
"Well, I could have told you that two years ago," Cynthia shook her head, surprised that Brian had never put two and two together.
"How the fuck did you know?" Brian demanded, surprised by the revelation.
"I didn't necessarily know how Justin was involved with Kip dropping the charges, but I knew he had to be behind it. The kid was madly in love with you, and trust me, he would have done anything for you."
"If he was as madly in love with me as you claim, why not tell me? Didn't he think it would have "impressed" me?" Brian posed.
"Impress you? I hardly think you would have been impressed, especially considering your current reaction. I'm sure he knew that it wouldn't make any difference to you. That it wouldn't change the way you felt about him."
"That's exactly what he said when I asked him," Brian remarked. "It's funny how everyone seems to have that impression of me. Had he told me, I would have beat his little blond boy ass for pulling such a stupid stunt. He's lucky Kip didn't hurt him."
"I agree," Cynthia said. "However, his little scheme did save both of our asses. Perhaps you should show him a little gratitude instead of going for a cheap thrill on the desk," she suggested.
"Yeah, well, I don't think we need to worry about that at the moment," Brian stated. "He was hard for me, and that's all I need to know. No matter how much he tries to avoid me, or tries to deter me, he can't deny that he still wants me," he smiled in satisfaction.
"So, what's the next step? He obviously doesn't want to help you with Vance."
"The next step is brunch," Brian announced.
"Brunch?"
"Brunch. You'll see. He may have refused to help, but he won't be able to resist my latest plan," Brian assured. It was time he placed Plan "B" into motion.
Sunday, July 28th
11:00 a.m.
Mel & Lind's Place
"Alright boys, before Justin arrives, I think we need to establish a few ground rules," Melanie said to Ted and Emmett, who were seated on the living room sofa.
"Ground rules?" Ted repeated.
"I think what Mel is trying to say is that we want this to go as smoothly as possible," Lindsay clarified.
"Well of course honey, we want Justin and his prince to feel completely at ease," Emmett agreed.
"Let me guess, that means no mentioning a certain someone," Ted proposed.
"Exactly," Melanie nodded. "I think we should avoid mentioning HIM at all. Especially since Sean is one of HIS clients."
"I absolutely agree," Emmett said, and then turned to his partner. "Don't you, Teddy?"
"Sure, Em. After all, God only knows what would happen if Sean knew Brian was the ex."
"Good, then we're all in agreement," Lindsay smiled. Little did they know that Brian was the one who had suggested having the brunch.
***
Ten minutes later, as they were turning down Melanie and Lindsay's street, Justin was giving Sean a little background about his friends. He hoped that brunch would go smoothly, and that bringing Sean would not turn into a huge mistake.
"I just have to warn you," Justin said. "Mel and Lindsay are great, but Ted and Emmett can be quite a handful at times. They've been best friends for quite some time, and we were all shocked when they became lovers six months ago. Surprisingly, it's actually working quite well for them."
"Really? It's often risky for friends to become lovers. I'm glad it's working for them," Sean commented.
"I know," Justin agreed. "There's Mel and Lind's house up there on your left."
***
"Oh goody, I think they're here!" Emmett exclaimed as he heard Sean's Porsche pull into the driveway.
"I think you're right, Em," Ted said, getting up and walking toward the window. "Wow, he's even got a Porsche. Not bad."
"No shit," Melanie agreed, impressed by Sean's ride.
"Well I like something more classic." Lindsay interjected, not nearly as impressed as the others.
"Like a certain someone's new car?" Ted gave her a knowing look.
"Maybe," Lindsay grinned, as the four of them headed over to the front door.
"Justin, I'm so glad you could make it," Melanie said, greeting the two men at the door.
"Thank you for inviting us," Justin smiled.
"Hi, honey!" Emmett greeted. "Why don't you come in and introduce us to your handsome prince."
"Hi, Em." Justin grinned, a little embarrassed. "Everyone, this is my friend Sean Connolly. Sean, this is Ted, Emmett, Melanie, and Lindsay," he introduced, as the group exchanged pleasantries.
"Gus, look who's here," Lindsay said, as she carried her son over to Justin.
"Jus!" Brian's son exclaimed as Lindsay handed him to Justin.
"Hey, Gus. How's it going?"
"Where's Dadda?" Gus still expected to see Justin with Brian, even though the two had been apart for so long.
"Uh..." Justin attempted, becoming uncomfortable, as Sean looked at him curiously.
"Dadda always brings Jus to see Gus," the child stated.
"Daddy's not here, Gus, but if you're good he might stop by tonight," Lindsay tried to pacify her son.
"Okay. Dadda bring Jus?"
"Justin's here now honey," Melanie responded, hoping the answer would be sufficient enough for her son.
"Jus here now," Gus repeated and smiled. He noticed Sean and began to frown. "Who's Man?"
"This is my friend Sean," Justin answered. "Can you say hello to Sean?"
"No. Want Dadda," Gus answered petulantly. He didn't like seeing Justin with someone other than his father.
"Sorry," Lindsay apologized. "He misses his Dadda."
"Well, he certainly is Brian's son, isn't he?" Ted whispered to Emmett.
"I know," Emmett whispered back in agreement.
"It's not a problem," Sean said to Lindsay, trying to come across as charming as ever.
"Why don't we all go into the dining room," Melanie suggested, hoping to defuse the situation.
"That's a good idea," Lindsay agreed. "I'll put Gus in his playpen."
***
"So, Sean, how did you and Justin meet?" Ted inquired, once the group had begun eating.
"Teddy!" Emmett protested, kicking Ted under the table.
"What? I'm just curious, that's all," Ted protested.
"Not a problem." Sean grinned. He had to admit, Justin's friends, Ted and Emmett, made quite the entertaining couple. "Actually, I was introduced to Justin by my ad executive, Brian Kinney, who happens to be one of the partners at the firm Justin is interning at," Sean explained as Melanie began choking on her orange juice.
Worried, Lindsay asked, "Mel are you alright?"
"Uh, sure," she answered, once her coughing had subsided. "I just swallowed wrong, that's all."
"So, uh, this uh, Bri-Brian introduced you?" Emmett cautiously questioned.
"Yeah. He's a great guy. One of the best ad men around," Sean commented.
"Justin said that you've spent the past two years traveling," Lindsay attempted to change the subject.
"I have. I wanted to see the world before I settled down and took over the family business. Also, living out of a suitcase for two years has given me some great ideas for our hotels."
"I'm sure it has. I almost went around the world once, but unfortunately it didn't work out," Emmett sadly remarked. "But now I have Teddy in my life." He turned and gave Ted a kiss.
"Em's the greatest," Ted smiled.
"You know, I swear I've seen you before," Sean said, looking at Emmett.
"You have?" Emmett was intrigued.
"Yeah. You remind me of..." Sean thought for a moment. "That's it. I know where I've seen you before. You're Fetch Dixon."
"The one and only," Emmett smiled. "Although I retired several months ago."
"That guy who came up with the idea for Jerk at Work is an absolute genius. He's made his site into quite a success," Sean stated as Justin burst out laughing. "What?" Sean turned to Justin.
"The owner just happens to be seated across from you." Justin grinned, finding the irony of the situation quite hilarious.
"Really?" Sean looked across the table at Ted in surprise. "It's an honor to meet a real entrepreneur."
"Thanks. I'm flattered to know someone of your business acumen has visited my site." Ted smiled proudly.
"Justin, I must say, you have quite the group of friends. How did you meet them?" Sean curiously asked, as everyone at the table exchanged uneasy glances.
"Well...." Melanie began.
"We uh, all sort of adopted Justin when he, uh, started hanging out on Liberty Avenue," Lindsay finished for her wife.
"Yeah, I met them through a mutual acquaintance," Justin added.
"Actually, we met Justin the night Gus was born," Melanie said.
"Oh, wow, that must have been interesting," Sean commented in surprise.
"Wasn't he the one who helped name Gus?" Emmett asked.
"Yeah. They couldn't decide between Gus or Abraham," Justin replied.
"He's lucky that Bri...uh, I mean that Linds and Mel asked you for your advice," Ted said, having nearly just slipped.
"Well, now we have someone else to blame if Gus grows up hating his name," Melanie laughed.
***
Half an hour later, Justin excused himself to use the bathroom. Sean felt it would be a good opportunity to ask his friends about the infamous ex. Maybe if he had more information about the guy, he would have an easier time succeeding with Justin.
"You know, I think Justin is a great person. I like and respect him quite a bit, however I think his ex did a number on him. I was wondering if you might be able to tell me a little more about the guy."
"His ex?" Melanie repeated with a frown.
"Yeah, I want to make sure I don't make the same mistakes that he made with Justin."
"Trust me, that's the last thing you need to worry about. That guy's got more baggage than a luggage store," Ted murmured.
"Ted," Lindsay scolded, not at all pleased with his description of Brian. "I really don't think we are the best ones to be telling you about their relationship. It's not easy to explain."
"That's an understatement," Melanie muttered.
"I think what everyone is trying to say is that it's complicated. I don't think any of us really understood what went on in their relationship," Emmett explained, trying to smooth the situation over.
"I guess I just don't understand why Justin would choose to be with someone like he has described to me," Sean indicated.
"It's messy. If you really want to know, Justin would be the best person to ask," Lindsay advised before the blond in question returned to the dining room.
"Hey guys," he smiled. "Did I miss anything exciting?"
"No, not at all, sweetie," Emmett assured.
"Good. You know, I'm still hungry. I think I'll have another plate."
"I swear you've got a cast iron stomach," Lindsay laughed.
"I must," Justin smiled back. Aside from a few awkward moments, the brunch was going very well.
6:00 p.m.
Brian had just arrived at Melanie and Lindsay's for a full report regarding the brunch. Lindsay was more than willing to fill Brian in on the details, while Melanie was more reluctant. She had mixed feelings about the Brian/Justin/Sean situation, and wasn't sure what she honestly felt was best for Justin.
"Hey Sonny Boy," Brian greeted Gus, who had immediately run up to him as he entered the living room.
"Dadda!" he said excitedly.
"I heard you saw Justin this afternoon," Brian said to his son.
"Jus!!" Gus exclaimed happily. He reached for a picture on the coffee table. "See," he pointed to the picture. "Me and Jus draw."
"You and Justin drew this together?" Brian asked.
"Yes," the two year old nodded.
"It's really good, Sonny Boy," Brian complimented. It was a picture of Justin and Gus playing in Gus's sandbox.
"You keep," Gus handed him the picture.
"Thanks, Sonny Boy." Brian took the picture from him. "You must have had fun with Justin today," he remarked.
"Yes. But he bring bad man," his son responded.
"Bad man?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Ick. Me not like man," Gus stated.
"What's this all about?" Brian curiously asked Lindsay and Melanie.
"Gus wasn't too thrilled to see Sean with Justin. He still associates Justin with you," Lindsay explained.
"He's obviously "your" son," Melanie observed.
"Well, you're right, Sonny Boy. Man is bad," Brian grinned. "I've obviously got you well trained. So, ladies, what did you think of our hotelier?"
"Honestly?" Lindsay asked.
"Did I ask you to lie?" Brian drawled.
"Brian," Lindsay groaned. "If you want my honest opinion, I felt he was too good to be true."
"What about you?" Brian turned to Melanie.
"You want my opinion?"
"I asked, didn't I?"
"Well, I guess I would have to agree with Lindsay. Although I'm sure he's much better for Justin than you would ever be, I felt he was a little too perfect."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm glad you still have the same glowing opinion of me," Brian sardonically remarked.
"Not a problem."
"I also didn't like the fact that he recognized Emmett as Fetch Dixon, and praised Ted for his site," Lindsay added.
"Ah, so he's a jerker," Brian surmised.
"That appeared to be the case," Lindsay indicated with a frown.
"Well I don't need Ted's pathetic site to give Justin what he needs," Brian declared.
"Please spare us," Melanie muttered. "We all know you don't have any trouble in that area."
"How did your talk with Justin go the other day?" Lindsay asked, changing the subject. Brian had previously confided in her about discovering Vance's real agenda.
"Let's not go there," came his response.
"Brian..." Lindsay chided.
"It didn't go according to plan," he answered.
"How did Justin react?" Melanie questioned. Lindsay had filled her in on Vance a few days previously.
"He was angry," Brian responded. "Not so much at Vance, but more at me. He blames me for a lot of things. I never realized how bitter he was about our relationship. He pretty much believes that somehow everything that happens to him always comes back to me."
"He does have a point," Melanie concurred.
"Yeah, well, it doesn't help the current situation."
"Did you ask him to help you in going after Vance?" Lindsay inquired.
"He refused to help," Brian answered.
"He did?"
"He believes that I tried to push him off a cliff at the Rage party."
"Well, didn't you?" Melanie interrupted.
"If that's what you want to believe," Brian murmured, not about to provide her with an honest response. "He said that he saw the cliff, and chose to jump off willingly. As far as he's concerned, once he jumped he no longer owed me a thing. Justin also said that Vance has allowed him to make a decent living, and gain experience. He believed there was no need to go after him because of this. I told him that he shouldn't let Vance use him as a pawn, but he feels that there is nothing noble in being poor."
"Isn't that what you always say?" Lindsay pointed out.
"True. However, the Justin I once knew wouldn't let Vance take advantage of him like this."
"Well," Lindsay shrugged. "You have to admit that he has changed."
"Believe me, I know," Brian agreed, thinking back to their earlier confrontation.
"There's something else, isn't there?" Lindsay asked. She knew Brian too well.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"What did you do this time?" Melanie inquired, rolling her eyes.
"Actually nothing," Brian came back.
"Then what is it?" Lindsay attempted again.
"It's nothing. Look, it's honestly none of your business."
"Brian, drop the bullshit, and just tell us," Lindsay urged.
"It was something he said," Brian began. "Justin said that I owed him my job. That if it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't even have a job."
"What did he mean by that?" Melanie wondered in a confused voice.
"Think back to the Kip Thomas incident."
"Fuck!" Melanie swore, suddenly making the connection.
"I don't understand, what did Justin have to do with that?" Lindsay questioned.
"He made Kip drop the charges," Brian revealed.
"Oh my God," Lindsay's jaw dropped. "He didn't...."
"No," Brian finished her thought.
"That's a relief," Melanie remarked. "However, he never should have gotten involved. God only knows what could have happened.
"You think I haven't fucking thought of that?" Brian stated in an irritated voice.
"He obviously loved you a great deal, especially to keep it a secret from you," Lindsay pointed out.
"He said that he knew if he told me, that it wouldn't change how I felt about him," Brian added.
"Would it have?" Melanie inquired.
"If I had known, I would have beat his ass for pulling a stunt like that," Brian answered, not really responding to Melanie's question.
"What did you say to him after he told you this?" Lindsay asked.
"I was angry. I didn't like the fact that he had pulled a dangerous stunt like that. I told him that he should never have done it. We ended the conversation soon after, and the last thing I said to him was to keep his options open when it comes to Vance." Brian felt it best to leave a few "small" details out of the conversation.
"So, if what Lindsay told me is true, and you do want him back, where do you go from here?" Melanie questioned.
"I'll just have to use my backup plan. I think a little stalking might be in order," Brian gave Lindsay a knowing smile.
"Well, just be sure to let us know how we can help," Lindsay offered.
"Don't worry," Brian assured. "I will be in touch. However, first I have to deal with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern," he indicated, referring to Ted and Emmett.
Monday, July 29th
8:00 a.m.
The Diner
Brian sat in the gang's usual booth across from Ted and Emmett. His eyes kept veering back and forth as he looked on in amazement at the two lovers feeding one another. He couldn't believe that six months later, Ted and Emmett were still as sickeningly sweet as ever.
"Have another bite Lamb Chop," Ted offered, feeding his partner another forkful of his danish.
"Thank you Teddy Bear," Emmett cooed, as Brian began to feel nauseated.
"I'm going to heave my hash browns," Brian muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't care what unspeakable acts of perversion you two freaks commit in private, but do you have to flaunt them in front of decent, God fearing citizens?" He didn't know how much more of the two he could take.
"You're just jealous because we have what you don't," Emmett answered in a knowing voice.
"Anal warts?" Brian aloofly raised an eyebrow, pretending not to know what Emmett was referring to.
"A loving, "mature" relationship," Ted responded smugly. "Speaking of mature relationships," he remarked, "We met Justin's new boyfriend yesterday."
"Boyfriend?" Brian repeated, as if he didn't know what Ted meant.
"You know, his handsome new prince."
"The one you fixed him up with," Ted added.
"Are you referring to the handsome hotelier?" Brian asked with a twinge of sarcasm.
"The one and only," Emmett replied. "He's quite the prince."
"A rich prince," Ted affirmed. "You should see his car."
"Can you believe he let Justin drive it?" Emmett turned to Ted as Brian continued to remain silent during the exchange.
"I know," Ted agreed. "I wouldn't let some twink drive "my" Porsche Boxster."
"He must have a smaller dick than I had originally thought," Brian sarcastically interjected. "As I've always said, the Boxster is only sexy if you have a little dick."
"Oh, and what about the 'vette then?" Ted inquired, referring to the 1969 Corvette Stingray Brian had purchased several months ago as part of his boyfriend replacement therapy.
"The 'vette, Theodore, like my cock, is a classic," Brian stated with pride.
"Well, then..." Emmett unsuccessfully attempted to turn the conversation in a different direction.
"I have to wonder, though; I almost got the impression that this hotelier is a bit too good to be true," Ted remarked. "With his amazing body, wealth, intelligence, sophistication, and charm, I couldn't help but look for a crack in the mold."
"Well, not all men are created like myself," Brian commented, secretly intrigued by Ted's remark. Perhaps Ted and Emmett would become valuable assets after all.
"Please," Emmett shook his head at Brian's usual arrogance. "I do have to agree that Teddy might be on to something, though. He did seem a tad too perfect. I hope for Justin's sake he isn't. The last thing he needs is another creep like the fiddler."
"You can say that again," Ted agreed as Brian took note of this latest development.
"You know, Teddy, I also noticed that there wasn't that spark between them. You know when Justin was with Bri...." Emmett suddenly looked across at Brian and realized he had forgotten the man was there.
"Do continue," Brian gave an evil grin.
"Well, uh, what I uh, meant to uh...." Emmett attempted weakly.
"I think what uh, Em, meant to uh, say was that...." Emmett's better half tried to continue, but failed.
"I believe what you two morons are trying to say is that the only person Justin has ever had a spark with is me," Brian declared, before standing up and leaving a $20 bill on the table.
"Exactly!" Emmett and Ted agreed simultaneously.
"Glad to see we're on the same page," Brian drawled. "Later, boys." He turned and headed out of the diner, having obtained the information he had required. Now he would use it to his advantage to get Temmett, as he often thought of them, on board.
9:45 a.m.
Brian's Office
Vangard
Brian was sitting at his desk, waiting for his ten o'clock appointment to arrive. He couldn't help but think back to his breakfast conversation with Ted and Emmett. Although the sight of their incessant displays of affection had made him turn green, discovering that they weren't completely in favor of Connolly made it all worth while. Now if he could just convince them to help his cause along, he would be all set. However, Brian wasn't about to "convince" them of anything. He wasn't some pathetic loser. He was Brian Kinney for fuck's sake. What he needed to do was find a way to make them indebted to him, a way to make them willing to aid in his plan, but without having to answer questions that were frankly none of their damn business. His phone rang, interrupting his train of thought.
"Brian Kinney."
"Brian, it's Nigel Stevenson of Schickel Hall. I had some extra season tickets available, and wondered if you or anyone at the firm might be interested in having them since you did such terrific advertising for the new opera season."
"Actually, Nigel, I just might take you up on the offer," Brian smiled. He couldn't ask for a better bribe. Season tickets to the opera would be the perfect ace. He would have Temmett literally eating out of his hand. Ted because he was utterly and pathetically addicted to opera, and Emmett because he would see it as a sickeningly sentimental tribute to George's memory.
***
Ten minutes later, a very satisfied Brian was calling Ted. The sooner he met Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and presented them with his little "bribe," the sooner he could get the next phase of his plan rolling.
"Ted Schmidt."
"Theodore," Brian drawled.
"Brian?" came Ted's surprised voice. It wasn't often that Brian called him. He wondered what he wanted this time.
"Who else would it be? Look, bring your "better half" or whatever the fuck he is to Woody's tonight. I'll be there around eight," Brian instructed in his no-bullshit tone.
"But..." Ted protested, puzzled by his friend's request.
"I've got to run, my ten o'clock is here," Brian interrupted, not giving Ted the chance to finish his sentence. "Got it?"
"Uh, yeah," Ted shrugged.
"Good. I'll see you tonight." Brian hung up and gathered a file off his desk, before heading out to greet his client. Things were definitely looking up.
8:00 p.m.
Woody's
Ted and Emmett were sitting at a table, drinking cosmopolitans, and rather anxiously awaiting Brian's arrival. After the last time he had summoned them about Justin's internship, they had every reason to feel uneasy.
"Teddy, what do you think he wants with us?" Emmett anxiously scanned the bar, looking to see if Brian had arrived yet.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Em. Although, it's not like we're hiding anything from him this time. We also know that he hasn't had a fight with Michael, so that rules out the possibility of his needing an audience for the "Brian Kinney" show," Ted responded.
"Well, what did he seem like on the phone this morning?"
"I already told you, Em. He barely let me get a word in. In typical Kinney fashion, he ordered us to meet him here with no explanations. Sometimes I wonder why we even agree to his commands."
"Because I'm the most exciting entertainment you have in your dismal lives," came a familiar voice from behind.
"Oh, uh, hey Brian," Ted greeted the man in a flustered voice.
"Brian," Emmett nervously acknowledged.
"Gentlemen," Brian pulled up a chair and sat down in it. "Tonight's your lucky night," he announced.
"It is?" Emmett asked apprehensively.
"Great, I can't wait to see what this involves," Ted sarcastically murmured. Somehow he knew he just couldn't trust Brian.
"Now boys, why are we automatically assuming that this involves something bad?" Brian questioned. "When I said it was your lucky night, I meant it," he declared, reaching into his jacket pocket, and taking out an envelope. "Here," he placed the envelope on the table in front of Ted and Emmett.
"What is it?" Emmett cautiously inquired.
"Well, I suppose you'll just have to open it and find out," Brian casually replied. He had to admit, he was getting a secret thrill out of watching these two nervous nellies squirm.
"Should I open it?" Emmett turned to Ted.
"You might as well get it over with," Ted sighed, believing that only bad things could be associated with the envelope.
"Here, I'll do it, since you two losers obviously are too pussy to open it yourselves." Brian grabbed the envelope off the table and proceeded to open it. "Oh, look, it just happens to be season tickets for Mr. Theodore Schmidt and Mr. Emmett Honeycutt to Schickel Hall for the upcoming opera season," Brian announced as if they had just won a prize on a game show.
"You're joking, aren't you?" Ted nervously laughed in disbelief.
"Now, Theodore, when would I ever lie to you?" Brian rhetorically asked.
"Y-you can't be serious?" Emmett looked at Brian with stunned eyes.
"Do I look like I'm bullshitting you?"
"Well, no, but why would you do something like this?" Emmett questioned.
"Gee, I just happen to be a partner of a large advertising firm that just so happens to do the advertising for a certain opera house," Brian sarcastically replied.
"Brian, I'm astounded. You didn't have to do this," Ted protested, overwhelmed by Brian's generosity.
"Well, it's done, and I'm not about to go to the opera myself. So, why don't you two pathetic losers take these and enjoy the season." Brian handed Emmett the envelope.
"Thank you Brian," Emmett began to tear up. "You don't know how much it means to me to be able to celebrate George's memory like this with Teddy."
"Same here, Brian. If there's anything at all that we can do to thank you, just let us know," Ted offered in a choked up voice. Having season tickets was a dream come true, especially now that he had someone in his life to share them with.
"Actually boys, there is one small favor you could do for me." Brian immediately took the bait that he had anticipated.
"Sure, anything," Emmett agreed.
"I need you to bring Justin to Babylon tomorrow night."
"Bring Justin to Babylon?" Ted repeated in shock.
"You did say "anything"," Brian smirked.
"He does have a point, Teddy," Emmett shrugged sheepishly, not knowing what to make of Brian's request.
"Well, alright. Just how you expect us to get him there is an entirely different matter," Ted conceded.
"I'm sure you'll find a way."
"You're, uh, not planning anything are you?" Emmett guardedly asked.
"Now why would you think that?" Brian responded, playing it cool. "Even if I were "planning" something as you might like to think, I'm not about to spoil the fun," he replied, proceeding to get up. "So, I'll see you boys at Babylon tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, sure," Ted agreed, still shocked by both Brian's gift and his request.
"Good. Just make sure you keep this little discussion to yourselves. I can count on you, can't I?"
"Of course," Emmett quickly agreed.
"I thought so," Brian said as he left the table and headed over to the pool tables feeling very satisfied with the day's events. If Justin thought he was an expert stalker, he was badly mistaken. He had yet to see the Kinney stalking technique. By the time he was finished, Justin would have little doubt as to whom the accomplished stalker really was.
by Kim
Making it Through the Summer
Chapter 4
Thursday, July 25th
11:00 a.m.
Brian's Office
Vangard
"What's up, Brian?" Cynthia inquired, entering her boss' office per his request.
"Shut the door," Brian ordered. He didn't want the prying ears of the agency to hear what he was about to share.
"This must be serious," Cynthia mused, shutting the door behind her and taking a seat.
"I suppose you could call it that," Brian drawled. "It appears we have a bit of a problem."
"Problem?" Cynthia didn't like the sound of this.
"I think it's time we dealt with the issue of Vance," Brian began, shifting uneasily in his chair.
"Why now?" Cynthia questioned. Vance had been a pain in the ass for quite some time, but Brian had never felt the need to pursue the issue before.
"It would appear that my "dear" and "trusted" partner wants me gone."
"Oh, wow," his assistant breathed. "I know you two do not, how shall we say, get along, but what makes you think that he wants you gone? Hell, Brian, without you there wouldn't even be a Vangard."
"I'm aware of that, however, Vance thinks he can work around it," Brian indicated as he loosened his tie.
"And just how might he accomplish this?" Cynthia was more than intrigued. Vance was a fool if he thought he could take down Brian.
"He believes he has a secret weapon."
"Secret weapon?"
"However, Vance is too careless for his own good," Brian remarked smugly. "You see, he thought that by hiring a someone in particular, he could cause problems for me."
"This isn't why he hired that kiss ass Nick Stanton is it?" Cynthia wondered.
"I think he's actually my replacement, but he's not Vance's secret weapon. I can be fairly certain that Stanton has no clue to when it comes to Vance's real agenda," Brian explained.
"Then just who is his secret weapon?"
"Think, Cynthia. Who would Vance hire to drive me absolutely insane? Who could he hire that would distract me and make me lose my edge?"
"Oh, no! He didn't! Don't tell me this is why he hired Justin?" Cynthia questioned in disbelief.
"It's precisely why he hired Justin."
"How did you figure this out?" Cynthia was stunned by her boss' revelation.
"Vance is a careless man. He shouldn't have left a file open on his desk that contained a private detective's dossier about my relationship with Justin. It's too much of a coincidence that he just happened to have me investigated, and then a few weeks later, he hired Justin as an intern," Brian commented. "I also found notes in the file about the "progress" of his plan."
"What a complete and total bastard!"
"He is, isn't he?"
"You don't think Justin knows about this do you?" Cynthia suddenly asked, worried about the young blond.
"No, he couldn't possibly know."
"If Justin doesn't know, and Vance really is using him as his pawn, what the hell are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to put a stop to Vance's bullshit; that's what I'm going to do." Brian vowed, having already decided what his plan of action was going to be earlier that morning.
"How do you plan on going about it?" Cynthia questioned, knowing that Brian must have some type of plan in mind.
"First, I tell Justin why he's really here," Brian began.
"Are you sure you want to do that?"
"I have no other choice. He deserves to know why Vance hired him. However, I will assure him that Vance would never have considered bringing him on board if he didn't feel he was talented."
"Then what?"
"I ask him for his help in destroying Vance," Brian replied.
"And just how do you plan to go about destroying Vance?"
"I land an account with Justin's help that Vance could only dream of landing," Brian elaborated. "I've been thinking about going after Grazzini's," he nonchalantly revealed.
"The jeweler?"
"I don't recall Grazzini's being famous for anything else."
"You, doing a campaign for one of the most cutting-edge jewelers in the market? Just how do you plan on marketing it when you hate everything jewelry represents?"
"The same way I've marketed every other product that I've found repulsive. Besides, with Justin as my secret weapon, it won't be that difficult."
"I can see it now. Mr. "I hate love and romance," markets jewelry," Cynthia laughed. "So, since I know you're not about to pass up an opportunity like this, what's your game plan?"
"I plan on giving them a "ridiculously romantic" proposal," Brian drawled with a smile. "Besides, they also won't be able to resist my ideas and my artist who just happens to love everything Italian, and who also used to love everything romantic. I'm sure it won't be too much of a problem to revert him back to his old beliefs, and to use them on this campaign. At the same time I can prove to him that I too can be ridiculously romantic in my own way, and I can assure you that this time he won't forget it."
"You can be his knight in shining Armani," Cynthia grinned. Brian's plan did sound intriguing. If it actually worked, he would be bringing more revenue to the firm than Vance could ever imagine, and also prove to Justin that maybe, just maybe, he was worth a second chance.
"Armani, huh?" Brian smirked. "That's not bad, Cynthia. I suppose I'll just have to get a new Armani for when I meet with Grazzini's. You know there used to be a time when Justin couldn't resist me in Armani."
"Well, I suppose you'll just have to use that to your advantage. Can you imagine the reaction that Vance is going to have if you end up landing this account with Justin's help? It will be fucking priceless."
"It will also give me the power I need to take care of Vance. If I bring this type of account to the firm, I will have dominant control over our revenue."
"So, where do we start?" Cynthia asked, eager to assist Brian with his plans.
"We start by having you find out everything you can about Grazzini's, in secret of course. Meanwhile, I'll work on getting Justin on board," Brian instructed.
"And what if he doesn't agree?"
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he agrees," Brian vowed. He had no other alternative.
Friday, July 26th
10:00 a.m.
The Art Department
Vangard
Justin was working on the artwork for one of Nick's clients when his cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Justin, it's Lindsay."
"Oh, hi Linds. How's it going?"
"Good. Listen, Mel and I are having Ted and Emmett over for brunch on Sunday, and we thought you might like to bring that handsome hotel owner that we've heard so much about."
"Uh, I'm not sure that it would..."
"Justin, I insist," Lindsay interrupted. "I promise it will just be the six of us, in case you're worried about running into Brian or Michael. Also, Gus has been dying to see you." She hoped this would sweeten him up a little.
"Well, it's just that we aren't that serious," Justin attempted to explain. He didn't feel it was time to introduce Sean to the family quite yet.
"That's alright. I promise we'll be on our best behavior, and we won't even mention the "B" word," Lindsay assured. Little did Justin know, the proposed brunch was actually Brian's idea. He had felt it would be a good way for Lindsay to assess the threat of Sean. "Besides, if you're unsure about him, we can offer you some advice."
"I guess, it wouldn't be that bad of an idea," Justin conceded. He always enjoyed having brunch at Lindsay and Melanie's house.
"Good, why don't you bring Sean over around 11:00."
"Sure. I'll let you know if he can't make it. Tell Gus I said hi."
"Will do. Talk to you soon, Justin."
"Yeah, bye." Justin hung up his cell and wondered what he had just gotten himself into. He supposed that he had better call Sean.
11:00 a.m.
Brian's Office
Vangard
Brian sat in his office going over the notes he and Cynthia had compiled on Grazzini's. Rumor had it that the jeweler had not been satisfied with its current ad campaign. Although Grazzini's wasn't currently looking for a new firm to handle its account, Brian felt the jeweler would be open to hearing from a competing firm. The advertising firm Grazzini's currently used was very traditional, and that had been reflected in the recent ad campaigns they had created. The Italian jeweler wasn't the least bit conservative, and its message was getting lost. It was not De Beers, Cartier, or even Tiffany's, and because of that, Brian felt it shouldn't be marketed as such. The company needed something cutting edge, something modern, and he was just the man to provide that type of campaign. Now all he needed was to get Justin on board. His thoughts were interrupted when the phone rang.
"Brian Kinney."
"Brian, it's Sean. I just wanted to see how the ad for Travel and Leisure is coming."
"Everything is right on schedule. It should be ready by Monday as promised," Brian said, thinking that Sean was the last person he felt like speaking to at the moment.
"Good. Listen, while I have you, I just wanted to say that I've been having a great time with Justin. That kid is a riot. We were at Babylon the other night; damn can that kid dance. I had no idea he was a former King of Babylon," Sean remarked.
"He was?" Brian decided to play it dumb.
"Yeah. I'm surprised you didn't know. I would have figured you would have fucked all the former kings."
"Yeah, well, he's a little young for my tastes," Brian snapped. He wasn't about to reveal to Sean that he had done a little more than fuck Justin.
"Fortunately, he's not too young for me," Sean laughed. "Anyway, I just got off the phone with him a few minutes ago. He invited me over to his friends' house for brunch on Sunday."
"Oh," Brian smiled, glad to hear the brunch was going according to plan.
"Yeah, I think it's a good sign. I'm sure that after his infamous ex, I won't have a problem impressing the shit out of them."
"You never know," Brian aloofly remarked.
"I'm not worried. Anyway, thanks for the update, Brian. I'll be in touch on Monday," Sean indicated.
"No problem." Brian couldn't help but break out into a sly grin before he hung up the phone. Soon, very soon, he would no longer have to worry about threat of the handsome hotelier.
1:00 p.m.
Pappagano's Restaurant
"So, Justin, how do you enjoy working for the agency?" Gardner Vance inquired. He was proceeding with the next phase of his plan - taking the boy to lunch in order to discreetly pump him for information about Kinney.
"It's been wonderful. I really enjoy working with Nick," Justin enthused, before taking a bite out of his Greek salad.
"Nick's a great all around guy. I'm glad things are working out so well between you two. He really enjoys working with the interns. I wish I could say the same for my partner," Vance remarked, as Justin almost choked on a piece of feta cheese.
"Uh...I think you had previously mentioned that he uh, doesn't participate in the program," Justin stated, not sure as to how to respond to Vance's remark.
"Brian's not exactly the most patient person. Has Nick had the opportunity to introduce you to him yet?"
"I...I uh, ran into him a few weeks ago," Justin murmured, not exactly prepared to answer this type of question from Vance.
"Oh, really? Did you have a chance to talk to him?" Vance asked, knowing full well the answer.
"Uh...yeah...we talked just briefly. He appeared to be in a hurry," Justin lied, hoping he sounded somewhat believable.
"Sounds like Kinney. That man is always in a hurry. Does he come into the art department often?"
"Uh, not really," Justin answered, wondering about Vance's sudden interest in Brian.
"I didn't think so. He doesn't have much time for the artists, but enough about my partner," Vance said, realizing that he was obtaining very little information from the blond. "Why don't I tell you about the upcoming campaign I've been working on?" he suggested.
"Sure," Justin agreed, glad to be discussing something other than his ex.
3:00 p.m.
Outside Brian's Office
Justin had been surprised when he returned from lunch to find a voicemail from Cynthia. Apparently, for whatever reason, Brian requested that he meet him in his office at 3:00 p.m. Justin wanted to refuse, but knew that it would probably be best to go and get it over with.
"Hi Cynthia," Justin tried to muster a smile as he approached her desk.
"Justin, I'm glad you came," Cynthia smiled. "Brian is waiting for you inside," she said, rising from her desk.
"Great," Justin murmured. He wasn't entirely thrilled at the prospect of seeing the man.
***
Brian was sitting in his office reading a file when Cynthia entered with a clearly reluctant Justin following behind her. The ad executive knew that the task ahead of him was not going to be easy. How he played this would greatly impact both of their futures.
"Hey," he greeted Justin.
"Hey," came an unenthusiastic, monosyllabic response. It was obvious that Justin was hardly receptive to meeting.
"Take a seat," Brian offered as Justin cautiously sat down on the couch, as far away from Brian's desk as possible.
"Can I get you anything, Justin? Coffee, tea, water?" Cynthia offered, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"No thanks."
"Well, then, I guess I'll be going. Let me know if you need anything," Brian's assistant said before nervously leaving the office.
"How was your lunch with Vance?" Brian asked, trying to ease his way into the conversation.
"Fine."
"Fine?" Brian raised an eyebrow. He needed more than one-word responses if he was going to have any success with this conversation.
"Yeah, fine," Justin replied, not in the mood to play Brian's game. "Can we drop the bullshit?"
"I didn't realize asking how your lunch was could be referred to as bullshit?"
"Well, for you it is. You don't "do" small talk. Why don't you tell me why I'm really here?"
"My, my, Sunshine. Since when have you dispensed with your country club manners?" Brian couldn't help but chide. It still surprised him to see his ex act so rudely toward him.
"Since I decided to stop playing your games," the blond smiled back coldly.
"Well, I'm not playing any games right now," Brian declared.
"Really?"
"Really. What I'm about to tell you isn't bullshit. It's got nothing to do with our past association, and it isn't some manipulation," Brian indicated.
"Then by all means, go ahead," Justin sarcastically conceded. The sooner Brian finished, the sooner he could get the hell out of his office.
"Look, I know that I may have been less than thrilled to discover that you were interning here, but it hasn't been a pain in my ass so to speak," Brian began.
"I think less than thrilled might be an understatement."
"If that's what you would like to believe," Brian looked intently into Justin's ice-cold blue eyes. "However, I want to make it clear to you that I didn't ask you in here to fuck with you."
"Alright," Justin suddenly became uneasy. He tried to look away, but found himself held captive by Brian's hazel eyes.
"I didn't bring you here to bullshit you. I invited you here to be honest. You deserve the truth about why you're really working here," Brian stated, shifting uneasily in his chair. He wished he didn't have to tell Justin this, but he felt he didn't have any other alternative. It didn't help matters any that he just sat there on the couch emotionless. Deciding it would be better, Brian got up from his desk and walked over to the couch.
"When I went to Chicago instead of going to Vermont with you," Brian began, unable to look directly at Justin, but not really focusing on anything else in his office. "I had no choice at the time. I had been under the impression that Ryder was about to make me partner. The last thing I expected to discover was that he had sold the agency to Vance."
"Why bring this up now?" Justin asked in a baffled voice. Brian wasn't one to willingly bring up the past. He was also becoming increasingly uncomfortable being in such a close proximity to his ex.
"Because I have no other alternative," Brian replied. "From the first, Vance has viewed me as a threat. He lied to me when I first met him. I should have seen right through the bullshit, but I think it was the shock of learning the agency was under new ownership that caused me to slip. He told me that he had talked to all of my clients, and that they would all remain at the firm, with or without me. He gave me two weeks to "prove" myself. If I didn't, he indicated that I would be collecting unemployment like all the other no-talent morons at the agency who couldn't land an account if it fucked them in the ass. I knew that in order to stay, I had to prove my worth. I went to Chicago because the only client Vance had ever lost was located there. The client was Brown Athletics. Clearly the only way to "prove" myself to Vance was to hand him his only failure on a silver platter. After I did, I had Mr. Brown put a clause in our contract that stated I must be a partner in Vangard in order for him to give the firm his business."
"I see..." Justin was very surprised by Brian's explanation, but he wasn't about to reveal it. "What does this have to do with me?"
"At the moment, nothing, but it will all become obvious in a moment," Brian answered. "Since then, Vance and I have tolerated one another. He didn't have any other option but to make me his partner. However, that's not to say I haven't continued to be a threat to him. I am one of the best fucking ad men out there. It has become more and more apparent to him that I am a very dangerous threat. I bring in almost equal the revenue he does, and in a few months, or with a high profile client, I will easily surpass his revenues. This will put him in quite a vulnerable position, and the fucking prick will no longer be able to hide behind his former accomplishments."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Think about it Justin. Wouldn't you be plotting my "supposed" demise if you were Vance?"
"I guess," Justin answered, shrugging his shoulders. How any of this related to him was beyond his comprehension.
"You would," Brian stated. "Now think, Justin, if you wanted to get rid of your partner, what would you do?"
"I don't know, force him to take a buyout?" the blond suggested.
"If you bought him out, you would risk losing all of his clients," Brian responded.
"True," Justin agreed. "I suppose you would have to find a way to get rid of him that allowed you to retain all of his clients at the same time."
"I think you're on to something," Brian remarked. "Now how would you go about doing this?" he questioned.
"Find some way to discredit him?"
"Exactly. See, I knew you didn't get a 1500 on your SATs just for the hell of it," Brian grinned.
"I'm surprised you even remember," Justin remarked offhandedly.
"You'd be surprised at what I remember."
"So let me get this straight. You believe that Vance views you as a threat and is trying to ruin your career?" Justin surmised, not wanting to think about Brian's previous remark.
"Go to the head of the class," Brian remarked in confirmation, as Justin shook his head.
"Where do I fit into this?" the blond asked, still puzzled as to why he was being told all of this information.
"You, are the final missing piece."
"Me?"
"You." All it took was that one word, and suddenly everything fell into place for Justin. It all made sense now. He wasn't at Vangard because he had been chosen for his skills. He was there for one specific purpose - to be used as Vance's pawn.
Pale and silent, Justin sat there not knowing what to say. For once in his life he was speechless. He refused to look at the man next to him, not wanting to see the guilt or the pity in those hazel eyes. He'd lived with it for almost a year, and look where it had gotten him. Two failed relationships, and all of his dreams shattered. Now he had just discovered that his perfect job was really just a sham. What next? He didn't think he wanted to know. All he knew was that it all came back to Brian. No matter how hard he tried to escape his ex, it somehow always came back to him, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it from happening again.
"Look at me," Brian commanded, putting his hand on Justin's shoulder. Feeling helpless just sitting there, seeing him so visibly shaken, Brian needed Justin to look at him. The blond's eyes couldn't lie. Brian needed to see the look in his eyes; he needed to know what Justin was feeling.
"Why?"
"Because...."
"So you fuck me over again? Shove me off another fucking cliff?" Justin angrily interrupted, turning his head toward his ex-lover.
"Cliff?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, cliff. You know what I'm fucking referring to. I knew what you were doing when you fucked Rage. Only instead of being pushed off one of your cliffs, I jumped," the blond declared.
"How was the landing?" Brian sardonically inquired, although he had been surprised by Justin's revelation. However, he wasn't about to show it. He chose, instead, to hide behind his usual sarcasm.
"I'm still here."
"You are, aren't you?"
"Yeah, and once again you've fucked me over," Justin bitterly stated.
"It's Vance that's fucked you over."
"No he hasn't! It's you, not him! Why do you fucking have to ruin everything?"
"Hiring you as a pawn, insulting your talent is not an issue for you?"
"Yeah well, like I said, who gives a fuck about Vance? I should have known better than to accept his offer. Well, I was obviously delusional, wasn't I? I suppose I should be grateful that at least now I know that yet again, you're the one that is always right. You were right about my dad, you were right about Chris Hobbes, you were right about my tuition, you were right about love and relationships, and now you're right about Vance. Why do I even bother? You're always going to be right."
"Not always." He hadn't been right when he'd pushed Justin off the cliff. "So what do you plan on doing about Vance?"
"Doing?"
"You're not going to just stand by and let him use you are you?" Brian demanded.
"I don't really know," Justin admitted. He still hadn't had time to digest everything quite yet. "What would you do?"
"I would get revenge. I would turn his worst nightmare into reality."
"I'm not surprised. So, what's your plan?" Justin knew Brian well enough to know that the man was clearly up to something. This was probably one of the main reasons he had chosen to enlighten him about Vance.
"Well, I suppose you're still on to me in some ways," Brian observed. "I think it's time I put my "dear" and "trusted" partner out of business."
"And how do you plan on going about it?"
"By landing an account he could only dream of. An account that will provide me with enough revenue to send him packing his bags and enjoying the benefits of unemployment," Brian smugly replied.
"I see. So, where do I fit in?" Justin questioned.
"You're going to help me," Brian announced.
"Help, you?"
"Yes, help me," Brian repeated. "You're going to be my artist. I think it would be a fitting end to Vance's plan if his pawn just happened to help his rival land the account that's going to put him out of business," Brian stated, becoming confident that Justin was on the same wavelength as he was.
"Interesting."
"You have to admit, Vance has it coming to him," Brian remarked. "I'm sure I could arrange a nice bonus for you once we are successful in meeting our objective," Brian replied - and he wasn't only referring to monetary compensation.
"Huh." Justin had caught the innuendo. It was typical Brian. "I have to admit, it does sound appealing," Justin grinned slyly, not revealing what he was really thinking.
"So, I take it you're in?"
"Did I say I was in?" Justin raised an eyebrow as he got up from the couch and walked toward the other side of Brian's office.
"No, but one would assume you'd like to shove our little plan up Vance's ass."
"It might have its advantages," Justin agreed. "However, I do have one small question. Why should I agree to help you?" he asked, suddenly turning the tables on Brian.
"It's obvious. You can't just stand back and let Vance use you as his pawn," Brian came back, suddenly feeling less confident in Justin's acquiescence.
"That still doesn't answer my question. Why should I help YOU?"
"Me?"
"Yeah, you."
"Do you want revenge or not?" Brian wasn't prepared to answer Justin's question.
"Fuck revenge. I could give a shit about Vance. All bets were off after you attempted to push me off your fucking cliff. I don't owe you a damn thing," Justin answered, stunning Brian.
"So, you're just going to sit back and let him continue to use you?" Brian demanded.
"Why not? Pawn or no pawn, Vance has allowed me to gain valuable experience and make a decent living. Why should I jeopardize that? Besides, I'm only going to be here another month. What difference does it make? It's not like you're going to let his plan be a success."
"No, I'm not. However, the kid I used to know would not have let some prick like Vance use him to his own advantage."
"Well, I'm not that person anymore. Besides, like you always say, there's nothing noble in being poor."
"Really?"
"Really. However, you wouldn't know, now would you?" Justin scoffed.
"I haven't..."
"You know, if it hadn't been for me, you wouldn't even have a fucking job, a fucking loft, or even a single fucking Armani suit left to your name right now."
"What the fuck are you getting at?" Brian demanded, caught off guard by Justin's remark.
"You heard me," the blond's icy response.
"And just how did you "save" me from a life of poverty?" Brian sarcastically inquired.
"Didn't you ever wonder why Kip dropped those harassment charges?" Justin questioned. "Or do you still think it's a mystery?"
"What the fuck do you mean by that?" Brian became more alarmed by what Justin was revealing. He couldn't be connected to that no-talent fucker dropping the charges, or could he be?
"I'll tell you why you still have a job," Justin declared. "The only reason you still have a fucking job is because I saved your pathetic ass."
"And just how did you save my "pathetic" ass?" Brian demanded as he stalked his way over to Justin so that they were standing face to face.
"How do you think I did?"
"Did you fuck him?" Brian interrogated in a frigid tone. The thought of that bastard so much as touching Justin made his blood begin to boil.
"God no. It was bad enough letting that piece of trash suck my dick."
"Was he any good?" Brian was seething at this point.
"You tell me, you're the one who fucked him," Justin mocked. "Luckily I didn't let him get very far before I informed him that my father had sent my last boyfriend to prison. He wasn't too keen to continue after that. Naturally, I assured him that as long as he did me one particular favor, my father would never need to know about our "little" encounter."
"I see. I didn't realize blackmail was part of your repertoire, Sunshine."
"Blackmail or not, you should be thanking your lucky stars right now."
"Really?" Brian raised an eyebrow. He couldn't believe that Justin would have done something like that for him.
"Really."
"Tell me, why keep it a secret for so long? Why not tell me two years ago when it happened?"
"I knew it wouldn't change a damn thing, that's why. Nothing I've ever done for you has ever made you care, so why bother?" Justin challenged.
"So I could have shown a certain little blackmailing twink what happens when his victim decides to turn the tables on him," Brian stated menacingly to Justin's face. He was furious at the thought of what could have happened to Justin had his plan not gone as anticipated.
"Yeah, well he didn't, so I don't think it's an issue now, is it?"
"The hell it isn't," Brian growled, before grabbing Justin by the shirt.
"Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Justin demanded indignantly.
"Showing you what happens to blackmailing twinks with tight little asses," Brian whispered into his ear before forcefully pushing Justin back onto his desk, sending papers flying in every direction.
"Hey! What the fuck are you..." Justin yelped, but was cut off as Brian's lips crashed against his in a storm of rage.
"You like that?" Brian asked in a heated voice before reaching into Justin's pants and grabbing his hard shaft.
"Bri..." the red-faced blond attempted to protest, but was interrupted as Brian ground his lips against his.
"Open your mouth," Brian ordered. He wanted to plunder his tongue into the boy's warm mouth.
"No," Justin groaned in defeat as he felt Brian's tongue clashing against his own. He was hot all over, and he knew that if Brian kept stroking his cock in the maddening way he currently was, he would shoot at any minute. He had to do something to stop him before he lost total control of the situation. It didn't matter that after six months he suddenly felt like he was coming home. It didn't matter that he wanted Brian's cock inside of him. Finally, it didn't matter that he wanted to come. If he let any of this happen, he would lose his self-respect; he wasn't going to be one of Brian's tricks. He had come too far to be sucked back into his ex's vortex of sexual pleasure.
Justin suddenly felt Brian's left knee between his legs, keeping him pinned to the desk as he swiftly unbuckled his Gucci belt. As he felt Brian reach for the button on his pants, Justin knew that if he had any hope of escaping the situation, he had to act now. Unfortunately, he also knew that there was only one way out of his predicament. Using his right knee, Justin quickly thrust it forward, directly into Brian's groin.
"FUCK!" Brian yelled in pain, as he felt Justin's knee smash into his balls. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor holding his groin, and Justin was scrambling off the desk. He had to stop him before he ran out of the office, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get up in time.
"That's how blackmailing twinks handle scum like Kip. As you can see, I can take care of myself," Justin firmly stated, standing by the door.
"And did Kip make you hard like I did?" Brian mocked in an agitated voice, before dragging himself up off the floor, trying to appear as if he weren't in excruciating pain.
"Fuck you."
"You know, Sunshine, before you storm out of here, I would leave your options open. You never know, one day you may actually see that being noble sometimes means getting revenge," Brian declared before Justin stormed out of his office, slamming the door behind him.
"Ooohhh fuck," Brian then groaned before falling back on his couch in pain, clutching his groin. "I guess I'll have to rethink going to the baths tonight...."
***
Minutes after Justin had bolted out of Brian's office, Cynthia decided to check on her boss. She had heard his loud yelp just before Justin flew out of the office, and had a suspicion as to the cause of his cry.
She knocked on the office door, and when no answer came, she decided to walk in. She wasn't surprised to find Brian lying on his couch in the fetal position with both hands rubbing his crotch. The look on his face was not of pleasure, but of agony.
"He didn't?" Cynthia looked at Brian, somewhat surprised. Although she had thought Justin might have kicked him in the groin, she couldn't quite believe he had actually done it.
"Why the fuck do you think I'm lying here like this?" Brian demanded in an irritated voice.
"I take it your talk wasn't much of a success?"
"Well, it didn't exactly go as planned," Brian muttered, dragging himself up into a sitting position.
"You, uh, didn't by any chance come onto him?" Cynthia noticed the empty desktop and the various papers scattered across the floor.
"I was trying to teach that little twat a valuable lesson."
"And just what might that be?" She looked at him skeptically.
"That blackmail is never a good idea for a twink like him," Brian responded.
"Blackmail?" Cynthia raised an eyebrow.
"Apparently he blackmailed that prick, Kip Thomas, into dropping the charges."
"Well, I could have told you that two years ago," Cynthia shook her head, surprised that Brian had never put two and two together.
"How the fuck did you know?" Brian demanded, surprised by the revelation.
"I didn't necessarily know how Justin was involved with Kip dropping the charges, but I knew he had to be behind it. The kid was madly in love with you, and trust me, he would have done anything for you."
"If he was as madly in love with me as you claim, why not tell me? Didn't he think it would have "impressed" me?" Brian posed.
"Impress you? I hardly think you would have been impressed, especially considering your current reaction. I'm sure he knew that it wouldn't make any difference to you. That it wouldn't change the way you felt about him."
"That's exactly what he said when I asked him," Brian remarked. "It's funny how everyone seems to have that impression of me. Had he told me, I would have beat his little blond boy ass for pulling such a stupid stunt. He's lucky Kip didn't hurt him."
"I agree," Cynthia said. "However, his little scheme did save both of our asses. Perhaps you should show him a little gratitude instead of going for a cheap thrill on the desk," she suggested.
"Yeah, well, I don't think we need to worry about that at the moment," Brian stated. "He was hard for me, and that's all I need to know. No matter how much he tries to avoid me, or tries to deter me, he can't deny that he still wants me," he smiled in satisfaction.
"So, what's the next step? He obviously doesn't want to help you with Vance."
"The next step is brunch," Brian announced.
"Brunch?"
"Brunch. You'll see. He may have refused to help, but he won't be able to resist my latest plan," Brian assured. It was time he placed Plan "B" into motion.
Sunday, July 28th
11:00 a.m.
Mel & Lind's Place
"Alright boys, before Justin arrives, I think we need to establish a few ground rules," Melanie said to Ted and Emmett, who were seated on the living room sofa.
"Ground rules?" Ted repeated.
"I think what Mel is trying to say is that we want this to go as smoothly as possible," Lindsay clarified.
"Well of course honey, we want Justin and his prince to feel completely at ease," Emmett agreed.
"Let me guess, that means no mentioning a certain someone," Ted proposed.
"Exactly," Melanie nodded. "I think we should avoid mentioning HIM at all. Especially since Sean is one of HIS clients."
"I absolutely agree," Emmett said, and then turned to his partner. "Don't you, Teddy?"
"Sure, Em. After all, God only knows what would happen if Sean knew Brian was the ex."
"Good, then we're all in agreement," Lindsay smiled. Little did they know that Brian was the one who had suggested having the brunch.
***
Ten minutes later, as they were turning down Melanie and Lindsay's street, Justin was giving Sean a little background about his friends. He hoped that brunch would go smoothly, and that bringing Sean would not turn into a huge mistake.
"I just have to warn you," Justin said. "Mel and Lindsay are great, but Ted and Emmett can be quite a handful at times. They've been best friends for quite some time, and we were all shocked when they became lovers six months ago. Surprisingly, it's actually working quite well for them."
"Really? It's often risky for friends to become lovers. I'm glad it's working for them," Sean commented.
"I know," Justin agreed. "There's Mel and Lind's house up there on your left."
***
"Oh goody, I think they're here!" Emmett exclaimed as he heard Sean's Porsche pull into the driveway.
"I think you're right, Em," Ted said, getting up and walking toward the window. "Wow, he's even got a Porsche. Not bad."
"No shit," Melanie agreed, impressed by Sean's ride.
"Well I like something more classic." Lindsay interjected, not nearly as impressed as the others.
"Like a certain someone's new car?" Ted gave her a knowing look.
"Maybe," Lindsay grinned, as the four of them headed over to the front door.
"Justin, I'm so glad you could make it," Melanie said, greeting the two men at the door.
"Thank you for inviting us," Justin smiled.
"Hi, honey!" Emmett greeted. "Why don't you come in and introduce us to your handsome prince."
"Hi, Em." Justin grinned, a little embarrassed. "Everyone, this is my friend Sean Connolly. Sean, this is Ted, Emmett, Melanie, and Lindsay," he introduced, as the group exchanged pleasantries.
"Gus, look who's here," Lindsay said, as she carried her son over to Justin.
"Jus!" Brian's son exclaimed as Lindsay handed him to Justin.
"Hey, Gus. How's it going?"
"Where's Dadda?" Gus still expected to see Justin with Brian, even though the two had been apart for so long.
"Uh..." Justin attempted, becoming uncomfortable, as Sean looked at him curiously.
"Dadda always brings Jus to see Gus," the child stated.
"Daddy's not here, Gus, but if you're good he might stop by tonight," Lindsay tried to pacify her son.
"Okay. Dadda bring Jus?"
"Justin's here now honey," Melanie responded, hoping the answer would be sufficient enough for her son.
"Jus here now," Gus repeated and smiled. He noticed Sean and began to frown. "Who's Man?"
"This is my friend Sean," Justin answered. "Can you say hello to Sean?"
"No. Want Dadda," Gus answered petulantly. He didn't like seeing Justin with someone other than his father.
"Sorry," Lindsay apologized. "He misses his Dadda."
"Well, he certainly is Brian's son, isn't he?" Ted whispered to Emmett.
"I know," Emmett whispered back in agreement.
"It's not a problem," Sean said to Lindsay, trying to come across as charming as ever.
"Why don't we all go into the dining room," Melanie suggested, hoping to defuse the situation.
"That's a good idea," Lindsay agreed. "I'll put Gus in his playpen."
***
"So, Sean, how did you and Justin meet?" Ted inquired, once the group had begun eating.
"Teddy!" Emmett protested, kicking Ted under the table.
"What? I'm just curious, that's all," Ted protested.
"Not a problem." Sean grinned. He had to admit, Justin's friends, Ted and Emmett, made quite the entertaining couple. "Actually, I was introduced to Justin by my ad executive, Brian Kinney, who happens to be one of the partners at the firm Justin is interning at," Sean explained as Melanie began choking on her orange juice.
Worried, Lindsay asked, "Mel are you alright?"
"Uh, sure," she answered, once her coughing had subsided. "I just swallowed wrong, that's all."
"So, uh, this uh, Bri-Brian introduced you?" Emmett cautiously questioned.
"Yeah. He's a great guy. One of the best ad men around," Sean commented.
"Justin said that you've spent the past two years traveling," Lindsay attempted to change the subject.
"I have. I wanted to see the world before I settled down and took over the family business. Also, living out of a suitcase for two years has given me some great ideas for our hotels."
"I'm sure it has. I almost went around the world once, but unfortunately it didn't work out," Emmett sadly remarked. "But now I have Teddy in my life." He turned and gave Ted a kiss.
"Em's the greatest," Ted smiled.
"You know, I swear I've seen you before," Sean said, looking at Emmett.
"You have?" Emmett was intrigued.
"Yeah. You remind me of..." Sean thought for a moment. "That's it. I know where I've seen you before. You're Fetch Dixon."
"The one and only," Emmett smiled. "Although I retired several months ago."
"That guy who came up with the idea for Jerk at Work is an absolute genius. He's made his site into quite a success," Sean stated as Justin burst out laughing. "What?" Sean turned to Justin.
"The owner just happens to be seated across from you." Justin grinned, finding the irony of the situation quite hilarious.
"Really?" Sean looked across the table at Ted in surprise. "It's an honor to meet a real entrepreneur."
"Thanks. I'm flattered to know someone of your business acumen has visited my site." Ted smiled proudly.
"Justin, I must say, you have quite the group of friends. How did you meet them?" Sean curiously asked, as everyone at the table exchanged uneasy glances.
"Well...." Melanie began.
"We uh, all sort of adopted Justin when he, uh, started hanging out on Liberty Avenue," Lindsay finished for her wife.
"Yeah, I met them through a mutual acquaintance," Justin added.
"Actually, we met Justin the night Gus was born," Melanie said.
"Oh, wow, that must have been interesting," Sean commented in surprise.
"Wasn't he the one who helped name Gus?" Emmett asked.
"Yeah. They couldn't decide between Gus or Abraham," Justin replied.
"He's lucky that Bri...uh, I mean that Linds and Mel asked you for your advice," Ted said, having nearly just slipped.
"Well, now we have someone else to blame if Gus grows up hating his name," Melanie laughed.
***
Half an hour later, Justin excused himself to use the bathroom. Sean felt it would be a good opportunity to ask his friends about the infamous ex. Maybe if he had more information about the guy, he would have an easier time succeeding with Justin.
"You know, I think Justin is a great person. I like and respect him quite a bit, however I think his ex did a number on him. I was wondering if you might be able to tell me a little more about the guy."
"His ex?" Melanie repeated with a frown.
"Yeah, I want to make sure I don't make the same mistakes that he made with Justin."
"Trust me, that's the last thing you need to worry about. That guy's got more baggage than a luggage store," Ted murmured.
"Ted," Lindsay scolded, not at all pleased with his description of Brian. "I really don't think we are the best ones to be telling you about their relationship. It's not easy to explain."
"That's an understatement," Melanie muttered.
"I think what everyone is trying to say is that it's complicated. I don't think any of us really understood what went on in their relationship," Emmett explained, trying to smooth the situation over.
"I guess I just don't understand why Justin would choose to be with someone like he has described to me," Sean indicated.
"It's messy. If you really want to know, Justin would be the best person to ask," Lindsay advised before the blond in question returned to the dining room.
"Hey guys," he smiled. "Did I miss anything exciting?"
"No, not at all, sweetie," Emmett assured.
"Good. You know, I'm still hungry. I think I'll have another plate."
"I swear you've got a cast iron stomach," Lindsay laughed.
"I must," Justin smiled back. Aside from a few awkward moments, the brunch was going very well.
6:00 p.m.
Brian had just arrived at Melanie and Lindsay's for a full report regarding the brunch. Lindsay was more than willing to fill Brian in on the details, while Melanie was more reluctant. She had mixed feelings about the Brian/Justin/Sean situation, and wasn't sure what she honestly felt was best for Justin.
"Hey Sonny Boy," Brian greeted Gus, who had immediately run up to him as he entered the living room.
"Dadda!" he said excitedly.
"I heard you saw Justin this afternoon," Brian said to his son.
"Jus!!" Gus exclaimed happily. He reached for a picture on the coffee table. "See," he pointed to the picture. "Me and Jus draw."
"You and Justin drew this together?" Brian asked.
"Yes," the two year old nodded.
"It's really good, Sonny Boy," Brian complimented. It was a picture of Justin and Gus playing in Gus's sandbox.
"You keep," Gus handed him the picture.
"Thanks, Sonny Boy." Brian took the picture from him. "You must have had fun with Justin today," he remarked.
"Yes. But he bring bad man," his son responded.
"Bad man?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Ick. Me not like man," Gus stated.
"What's this all about?" Brian curiously asked Lindsay and Melanie.
"Gus wasn't too thrilled to see Sean with Justin. He still associates Justin with you," Lindsay explained.
"He's obviously "your" son," Melanie observed.
"Well, you're right, Sonny Boy. Man is bad," Brian grinned. "I've obviously got you well trained. So, ladies, what did you think of our hotelier?"
"Honestly?" Lindsay asked.
"Did I ask you to lie?" Brian drawled.
"Brian," Lindsay groaned. "If you want my honest opinion, I felt he was too good to be true."
"What about you?" Brian turned to Melanie.
"You want my opinion?"
"I asked, didn't I?"
"Well, I guess I would have to agree with Lindsay. Although I'm sure he's much better for Justin than you would ever be, I felt he was a little too perfect."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'm glad you still have the same glowing opinion of me," Brian sardonically remarked.
"Not a problem."
"I also didn't like the fact that he recognized Emmett as Fetch Dixon, and praised Ted for his site," Lindsay added.
"Ah, so he's a jerker," Brian surmised.
"That appeared to be the case," Lindsay indicated with a frown.
"Well I don't need Ted's pathetic site to give Justin what he needs," Brian declared.
"Please spare us," Melanie muttered. "We all know you don't have any trouble in that area."
"How did your talk with Justin go the other day?" Lindsay asked, changing the subject. Brian had previously confided in her about discovering Vance's real agenda.
"Let's not go there," came his response.
"Brian..." Lindsay chided.
"It didn't go according to plan," he answered.
"How did Justin react?" Melanie questioned. Lindsay had filled her in on Vance a few days previously.
"He was angry," Brian responded. "Not so much at Vance, but more at me. He blames me for a lot of things. I never realized how bitter he was about our relationship. He pretty much believes that somehow everything that happens to him always comes back to me."
"He does have a point," Melanie concurred.
"Yeah, well, it doesn't help the current situation."
"Did you ask him to help you in going after Vance?" Lindsay inquired.
"He refused to help," Brian answered.
"He did?"
"He believes that I tried to push him off a cliff at the Rage party."
"Well, didn't you?" Melanie interrupted.
"If that's what you want to believe," Brian murmured, not about to provide her with an honest response. "He said that he saw the cliff, and chose to jump off willingly. As far as he's concerned, once he jumped he no longer owed me a thing. Justin also said that Vance has allowed him to make a decent living, and gain experience. He believed there was no need to go after him because of this. I told him that he shouldn't let Vance use him as a pawn, but he feels that there is nothing noble in being poor."
"Isn't that what you always say?" Lindsay pointed out.
"True. However, the Justin I once knew wouldn't let Vance take advantage of him like this."
"Well," Lindsay shrugged. "You have to admit that he has changed."
"Believe me, I know," Brian agreed, thinking back to their earlier confrontation.
"There's something else, isn't there?" Lindsay asked. She knew Brian too well.
"Yeah," he nodded.
"What did you do this time?" Melanie inquired, rolling her eyes.
"Actually nothing," Brian came back.
"Then what is it?" Lindsay attempted again.
"It's nothing. Look, it's honestly none of your business."
"Brian, drop the bullshit, and just tell us," Lindsay urged.
"It was something he said," Brian began. "Justin said that I owed him my job. That if it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't even have a job."
"What did he mean by that?" Melanie wondered in a confused voice.
"Think back to the Kip Thomas incident."
"Fuck!" Melanie swore, suddenly making the connection.
"I don't understand, what did Justin have to do with that?" Lindsay questioned.
"He made Kip drop the charges," Brian revealed.
"Oh my God," Lindsay's jaw dropped. "He didn't...."
"No," Brian finished her thought.
"That's a relief," Melanie remarked. "However, he never should have gotten involved. God only knows what could have happened.
"You think I haven't fucking thought of that?" Brian stated in an irritated voice.
"He obviously loved you a great deal, especially to keep it a secret from you," Lindsay pointed out.
"He said that he knew if he told me, that it wouldn't change how I felt about him," Brian added.
"Would it have?" Melanie inquired.
"If I had known, I would have beat his ass for pulling a stunt like that," Brian answered, not really responding to Melanie's question.
"What did you say to him after he told you this?" Lindsay asked.
"I was angry. I didn't like the fact that he had pulled a dangerous stunt like that. I told him that he should never have done it. We ended the conversation soon after, and the last thing I said to him was to keep his options open when it comes to Vance." Brian felt it best to leave a few "small" details out of the conversation.
"So, if what Lindsay told me is true, and you do want him back, where do you go from here?" Melanie questioned.
"I'll just have to use my backup plan. I think a little stalking might be in order," Brian gave Lindsay a knowing smile.
"Well, just be sure to let us know how we can help," Lindsay offered.
"Don't worry," Brian assured. "I will be in touch. However, first I have to deal with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern," he indicated, referring to Ted and Emmett.
Monday, July 29th
8:00 a.m.
The Diner
Brian sat in the gang's usual booth across from Ted and Emmett. His eyes kept veering back and forth as he looked on in amazement at the two lovers feeding one another. He couldn't believe that six months later, Ted and Emmett were still as sickeningly sweet as ever.
"Have another bite Lamb Chop," Ted offered, feeding his partner another forkful of his danish.
"Thank you Teddy Bear," Emmett cooed, as Brian began to feel nauseated.
"I'm going to heave my hash browns," Brian muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I don't care what unspeakable acts of perversion you two freaks commit in private, but do you have to flaunt them in front of decent, God fearing citizens?" He didn't know how much more of the two he could take.
"You're just jealous because we have what you don't," Emmett answered in a knowing voice.
"Anal warts?" Brian aloofly raised an eyebrow, pretending not to know what Emmett was referring to.
"A loving, "mature" relationship," Ted responded smugly. "Speaking of mature relationships," he remarked, "We met Justin's new boyfriend yesterday."
"Boyfriend?" Brian repeated, as if he didn't know what Ted meant.
"You know, his handsome new prince."
"The one you fixed him up with," Ted added.
"Are you referring to the handsome hotelier?" Brian asked with a twinge of sarcasm.
"The one and only," Emmett replied. "He's quite the prince."
"A rich prince," Ted affirmed. "You should see his car."
"Can you believe he let Justin drive it?" Emmett turned to Ted as Brian continued to remain silent during the exchange.
"I know," Ted agreed. "I wouldn't let some twink drive "my" Porsche Boxster."
"He must have a smaller dick than I had originally thought," Brian sarcastically interjected. "As I've always said, the Boxster is only sexy if you have a little dick."
"Oh, and what about the 'vette then?" Ted inquired, referring to the 1969 Corvette Stingray Brian had purchased several months ago as part of his boyfriend replacement therapy.
"The 'vette, Theodore, like my cock, is a classic," Brian stated with pride.
"Well, then..." Emmett unsuccessfully attempted to turn the conversation in a different direction.
"I have to wonder, though; I almost got the impression that this hotelier is a bit too good to be true," Ted remarked. "With his amazing body, wealth, intelligence, sophistication, and charm, I couldn't help but look for a crack in the mold."
"Well, not all men are created like myself," Brian commented, secretly intrigued by Ted's remark. Perhaps Ted and Emmett would become valuable assets after all.
"Please," Emmett shook his head at Brian's usual arrogance. "I do have to agree that Teddy might be on to something, though. He did seem a tad too perfect. I hope for Justin's sake he isn't. The last thing he needs is another creep like the fiddler."
"You can say that again," Ted agreed as Brian took note of this latest development.
"You know, Teddy, I also noticed that there wasn't that spark between them. You know when Justin was with Bri...." Emmett suddenly looked across at Brian and realized he had forgotten the man was there.
"Do continue," Brian gave an evil grin.
"Well, uh, what I uh, meant to uh...." Emmett attempted weakly.
"I think what uh, Em, meant to uh, say was that...." Emmett's better half tried to continue, but failed.
"I believe what you two morons are trying to say is that the only person Justin has ever had a spark with is me," Brian declared, before standing up and leaving a $20 bill on the table.
"Exactly!" Emmett and Ted agreed simultaneously.
"Glad to see we're on the same page," Brian drawled. "Later, boys." He turned and headed out of the diner, having obtained the information he had required. Now he would use it to his advantage to get Temmett, as he often thought of them, on board.
9:45 a.m.
Brian's Office
Vangard
Brian was sitting at his desk, waiting for his ten o'clock appointment to arrive. He couldn't help but think back to his breakfast conversation with Ted and Emmett. Although the sight of their incessant displays of affection had made him turn green, discovering that they weren't completely in favor of Connolly made it all worth while. Now if he could just convince them to help his cause along, he would be all set. However, Brian wasn't about to "convince" them of anything. He wasn't some pathetic loser. He was Brian Kinney for fuck's sake. What he needed to do was find a way to make them indebted to him, a way to make them willing to aid in his plan, but without having to answer questions that were frankly none of their damn business. His phone rang, interrupting his train of thought.
"Brian Kinney."
"Brian, it's Nigel Stevenson of Schickel Hall. I had some extra season tickets available, and wondered if you or anyone at the firm might be interested in having them since you did such terrific advertising for the new opera season."
"Actually, Nigel, I just might take you up on the offer," Brian smiled. He couldn't ask for a better bribe. Season tickets to the opera would be the perfect ace. He would have Temmett literally eating out of his hand. Ted because he was utterly and pathetically addicted to opera, and Emmett because he would see it as a sickeningly sentimental tribute to George's memory.
***
Ten minutes later, a very satisfied Brian was calling Ted. The sooner he met Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and presented them with his little "bribe," the sooner he could get the next phase of his plan rolling.
"Ted Schmidt."
"Theodore," Brian drawled.
"Brian?" came Ted's surprised voice. It wasn't often that Brian called him. He wondered what he wanted this time.
"Who else would it be? Look, bring your "better half" or whatever the fuck he is to Woody's tonight. I'll be there around eight," Brian instructed in his no-bullshit tone.
"But..." Ted protested, puzzled by his friend's request.
"I've got to run, my ten o'clock is here," Brian interrupted, not giving Ted the chance to finish his sentence. "Got it?"
"Uh, yeah," Ted shrugged.
"Good. I'll see you tonight." Brian hung up and gathered a file off his desk, before heading out to greet his client. Things were definitely looking up.
8:00 p.m.
Woody's
Ted and Emmett were sitting at a table, drinking cosmopolitans, and rather anxiously awaiting Brian's arrival. After the last time he had summoned them about Justin's internship, they had every reason to feel uneasy.
"Teddy, what do you think he wants with us?" Emmett anxiously scanned the bar, looking to see if Brian had arrived yet.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Em. Although, it's not like we're hiding anything from him this time. We also know that he hasn't had a fight with Michael, so that rules out the possibility of his needing an audience for the "Brian Kinney" show," Ted responded.
"Well, what did he seem like on the phone this morning?"
"I already told you, Em. He barely let me get a word in. In typical Kinney fashion, he ordered us to meet him here with no explanations. Sometimes I wonder why we even agree to his commands."
"Because I'm the most exciting entertainment you have in your dismal lives," came a familiar voice from behind.
"Oh, uh, hey Brian," Ted greeted the man in a flustered voice.
"Brian," Emmett nervously acknowledged.
"Gentlemen," Brian pulled up a chair and sat down in it. "Tonight's your lucky night," he announced.
"It is?" Emmett asked apprehensively.
"Great, I can't wait to see what this involves," Ted sarcastically murmured. Somehow he knew he just couldn't trust Brian.
"Now boys, why are we automatically assuming that this involves something bad?" Brian questioned. "When I said it was your lucky night, I meant it," he declared, reaching into his jacket pocket, and taking out an envelope. "Here," he placed the envelope on the table in front of Ted and Emmett.
"What is it?" Emmett cautiously inquired.
"Well, I suppose you'll just have to open it and find out," Brian casually replied. He had to admit, he was getting a secret thrill out of watching these two nervous nellies squirm.
"Should I open it?" Emmett turned to Ted.
"You might as well get it over with," Ted sighed, believing that only bad things could be associated with the envelope.
"Here, I'll do it, since you two losers obviously are too pussy to open it yourselves." Brian grabbed the envelope off the table and proceeded to open it. "Oh, look, it just happens to be season tickets for Mr. Theodore Schmidt and Mr. Emmett Honeycutt to Schickel Hall for the upcoming opera season," Brian announced as if they had just won a prize on a game show.
"You're joking, aren't you?" Ted nervously laughed in disbelief.
"Now, Theodore, when would I ever lie to you?" Brian rhetorically asked.
"Y-you can't be serious?" Emmett looked at Brian with stunned eyes.
"Do I look like I'm bullshitting you?"
"Well, no, but why would you do something like this?" Emmett questioned.
"Gee, I just happen to be a partner of a large advertising firm that just so happens to do the advertising for a certain opera house," Brian sarcastically replied.
"Brian, I'm astounded. You didn't have to do this," Ted protested, overwhelmed by Brian's generosity.
"Well, it's done, and I'm not about to go to the opera myself. So, why don't you two pathetic losers take these and enjoy the season." Brian handed Emmett the envelope.
"Thank you Brian," Emmett began to tear up. "You don't know how much it means to me to be able to celebrate George's memory like this with Teddy."
"Same here, Brian. If there's anything at all that we can do to thank you, just let us know," Ted offered in a choked up voice. Having season tickets was a dream come true, especially now that he had someone in his life to share them with.
"Actually boys, there is one small favor you could do for me." Brian immediately took the bait that he had anticipated.
"Sure, anything," Emmett agreed.
"I need you to bring Justin to Babylon tomorrow night."
"Bring Justin to Babylon?" Ted repeated in shock.
"You did say "anything"," Brian smirked.
"He does have a point, Teddy," Emmett shrugged sheepishly, not knowing what to make of Brian's request.
"Well, alright. Just how you expect us to get him there is an entirely different matter," Ted conceded.
"I'm sure you'll find a way."
"You're, uh, not planning anything are you?" Emmett guardedly asked.
"Now why would you think that?" Brian responded, playing it cool. "Even if I were "planning" something as you might like to think, I'm not about to spoil the fun," he replied, proceeding to get up. "So, I'll see you boys at Babylon tomorrow night?"
"Yeah, sure," Ted agreed, still shocked by both Brian's gift and his request.
"Good. Just make sure you keep this little discussion to yourselves. I can count on you, can't I?"
"Of course," Emmett quickly agreed.
"I thought so," Brian said as he left the table and headed over to the pool tables feeling very satisfied with the day's events. If Justin thought he was an expert stalker, he was badly mistaken. He had yet to see the Kinney stalking technique. By the time he was finished, Justin would have little doubt as to whom the accomplished stalker really was.