It's almost a typical day at the Liberty Diner. Deb is buzzing around delivering pink plate specials and harassing the customers with her usual aplomb. Today, though, she's keeping an eye on her new waiter/busboy, Justin. The 23 year old finished art school a few months before and hasn't had enough luck selling paintings to afford an apartment. He saw the help wanted poster at the Diner a couple of days before. He'd waited tables a little in college. Deb hired 'Sunshine', as she calls him, on the spot. "With a face and ass like that, baby, they'll be coming in here just to look at you."
Justin had been going through some changes in his life. After school he really wanted to get his own place. His mom, Jennifer, knew he was gay and had learned to accept it, but his dad hadn't found out yet. He wanted to be able to date guys without his dad questioning him.
In college, Justin dated a few guys and had exclusive relationships with two of them. They were the only two guys he'd had sex with. He wouldn't sleep with anyone without the assurance of monogamy. He'd seen too many relationships break up with infidelity. He swore it wouldn't happen to him. The college boyfriends were great, but Justin didn't see either of them anymore. They'd parted as friends.
Justin told Deb all about himself the day he applied for a job. Her mother instinct took over and she listened to every word. She told him that she had a room to rent. It was perfect for him; he could come and go as he pleased, live close to his new Diner job, and even entertain a date in a home that was OK with gay relationships. He enthusiastically agreed and moved in the next day. His mother and Deb chatted and Jennifer was OK with the arrangement.
Deb and her son, Michael, told Justin about the regular customers that he'd be meeting at the Diner. Emmett, the more flaming of Michael's friends, was a real caring guy. Ted, the accountant, had an acerbic wit, and was a loyal guy with a big heart. Then, of course, they warned him about Brian. He was the stud of Liberty Avenue, hitting on and getting every guy he wanted. They told him that Brian would probably hit on him, but, if he knew what was good for him, he'd turn him down. Justin agreed that Brian was not his type anyway, reviewing his monogamy policy.
"Yeah, definitely not the guy for you, then." Michael said with a smile. He still had a little crush on Brian and was just as glad that another man would not be drawing Brian's attention.
So, that morning at the Diner, Justin had been working a couple of hours and he was just starting to get the swing of things. Deb was pleased with her new 'boy'.
That's when he came along. Brian swept in and plopped down next to Michael. "Hey."
"Hey." Michael said. "How're you doing?"
"Fan-fucking-tastic. Mel called and Lindsay feels like she's ready to pop. Keep your phone on and with you. I can't believe I'm going to be a fucking father."
"Just not a father that fucked Lindsay." Michael grinned.
"Well, there was that one time in college when…." He stopped talking when he saw Justin. "Who in the hell is that?"
Deb strolled over. "That's our new waiter, Justin. You keep your fucking hands off!"
"What me? I haven't even …."
"I don't care. He's off limits."
Justin saw that Deb was working one of his tables, so he walked over to her. "I'll take their order, Deb. This is my table right?" Deb moved to one side and Justin saw the man that he realized instantly must be Brian. "Oh, hi. You must be Brian, right? What'll you have?"
"That depends, what do you have to offer?" Brian had that sparkle in his eye that Michael and Deb knew too well.
Justin smiled sweetly and with a bit of sarcasm said, "All I have for you is what's on the menu. No side orders."
"That's too bad. I'd like to eat you up." Brian said as he ducked Deb's chuck to the back of the head.
"Brian!" Michael protested.
"I told you, asshole. Sunshine is off limits." She said while waggling a red fingernail at him.
"Sunshine?"
"Yeah, that's what I call him, because of his sunshine smile." Deb said as she pinched Justin's cheeks. She turned back to Brian and said, just to be sure he got it, "You got a fucking problem, with that?"
Brain knew when to keep his mouth shut around Deb.
Justin tolerated the face squeezing, then recovered to ask Brian "So, are you ordering or not?"
"Egg white omelet. Dry toast. Coffee. And talk to me later when these two aren't around."
"Three of out four. You got it." Justin turned and walked away with Brian's gaze on his ass.
"Love what you've done with the place, Deb." He grinned.
"Watch it buster!" Deb said as she walked away.
"Brian, Justin isn't into guys like you. He insists on monogamous relationships with his boyfriends. That ain't you, and we both know it."
"How come you know so much about him?"
"He's renting out my old room from Ma. He's an art college grad and he needed a job and wanted to move out of his parent's house, so, there you are."
"I am so there."
Michael tried to change the conversation. "So, you think Lindsay is going to have your kid soon?"
"Any day."
"What names are they considering? Did they tell you?"
"Either Abraham or Gus, if it's a boy…."
Justin had just walked up to pour coffee. "Sorry, did you say Abraham? He wouldn't last a day at school with a name like that. Just sayin'. Gus sounds OK, though."
Brian looked up at him. "Yeah, it's a good butch name." He looked at Michael. "I think I'll tell her I favor Gus."
"Because of what he said?" Michael inquired as Justin was walking away.
"He's been in school more recently than either of us. Besides, he's right. I like Gus."
After breakfast was done, Michael left and Brian got up to pay the bill. Justin rang him up, acting as cool as he could. The younger man found the older man to be very attractive, but he wouldn't let on.
"Can we talk a minute?" Brian inquired.
"I'm really busy…. I …."
"Just a minute?"
Justin looked around. Things were going OK. He replied, "OK. One minute."
Brian nodded toward the door and Justin stepped outside with him. Brian lit a cigarette and silently offered one to Justin, which he accepted. Brian lit Justin's cigarette, touching his hand briefly. Brian felt a little flip inside his chest. What soft hands he has. After they took their first drag on their cigarettes, Brian said, "I don't know what kind of trash they've been talking about me, but I'm not that bad a guy."
Justin grinned. "I don't think you are. It's just that you're not my kind of guy. That's all."
"I heard. Only monogamy, blah, blah… I think all of that is overrated."
"But I don't, so there's the difference. But, that's OK. We don't have to agree, we just met."
There was a pause as Brian thought of his next approach with this cute twink, no not twink, young man he wanted to get his hands on.
"Well, that doesn't mean you can't hang out with Michael and me at Woody's sometime. Maybe you'll meet the man of your monogamous dreams there. In the meantime, we can shoot some pool."
"I'll think about it."
"I work for Vanguard, the advertising firm. They're always looking at art students for interns. You should apply there. Or do you like waiting tables?"
"Deb's great. I like the atmosphere of the Diner. And the hours are flexible so I can still paint. That works for me right now. Of course, it's just my first day."
"Well, think about the internship thing. It might be a good move."
"OK. Thanks. And thanks for the cigarette. I'm sure I'll see you around the Diner again sometime."
"You bet."
Justin nodded a goodbye and went back in to the Diner. Brian, of course, watched the back side of Justin's jeans. He licked his lips and adjusted himself to suppress the hard on in his dress pants.
That night Lindsay had their son. Brian told them that he liked their choice of the name Gus and Lindsay agreed, so the baby was named Gus. Brian went through highs and lows that night, but he had Michael by his side.
Over the next few days Brian would go to the Diner, per his usual. His new activity, though, was flirting with the unattainable Justin, devouring the blond with his eyes. Only his gaze, though, was exploring that body. Justin was sticking to his guns and avoiding much contact at all with Brian. Justin was tempted, for sure. He found Brian to be very sexy and he was sure any affair with him would be pretty incredible. But, no, he had his beliefs and he wasn't changing them for this simple attraction.
