Brian fumed as he stood in the crowded aisles of the Steel City Party Supply store. Why did he ever let Lindsay talk him into this? Oh, yeah…..Sonny Boy. Gus' birthday was coming up in two days, and he had promised Lindsay he would attend his son's fourth birthday party, as much as it greatly pained him. Not because he didn't want to celebrate the boy's birthday – in fact, Brian was proud of the fact that he had spent so much time with him over the past year, he actually had a good idea what to get him for his birthday. But he dreaded it because he knew he would be spending the day with a bunch of Lindsay and Mel's friends chatting about the latest trend in house design, the best brand of baby clothing, and which type of makeup was best for hiding wrinkles. Not only that, Lindsay had already warned him that she had invited 20 children to the festivities. Twenty lesbian mothers (or more) and at least twenty screaming, out-of-control children did not make Brian a happy man.
But for the sake of his son, who he did want to make happy, he would suck it up and attend, at least long enough to see his son open up his gift to him. Gus was at the stage where he was absolutely fixated on anything having to do with dinosaurs – he had dinosaur bedding, dinosaur curtains, dinosaur puzzles, a dinosaur lamp, even dinosaur drawer handles (actually, they were just the claws). He also had numerous toy models of all types of dinosaurs, from an impressive Tyrannosaurus rex all the way down to a smaller, flying Microraptor (by now, Brian had memorized dozens of dinosaur names after he and Gus had read about them over and over and over again in the same books at bedtime when his son had spent the night with him at the loft). But Gus' most favorite dinosaur of all was the Dimetrodon because of its fearsome, razor-sharp teeth and its spiny, spiked, sail-shaped flap on top. That was all he talked about lately, so Brian was determined to find him a toy model of it for his birthday.
Having no idea where one would find such a fairly uncommon gift (the toy chains only carried the more popular models), he sought out his friend Michael's advice. Mikey was getting ready to open up a comic and collectible shop in town soon, and was well-versed in not only the most widely-read comics but also where you could pick up dozens of types of collectibles, including dinosaurs. Hence, Brian found himself on a busy Saturday afternoon in the hectic, bustling aisles of the party supply store seeking a Dimetrodon for his son; he was determined to find one if it was the last thing he did, and this was his final resort. He had already been to four other stores that Mikey had recommended, and to his consternation there was not a Dimetrodon in sight.
Nursing a tremendous tension headache, he pinched his nose to try and alleviate the pressure between his eyes as he slowly walked studiously down the collectible/activity aisle anxiously looking for his goal. He was finally beginning to feel optimistic regarding his search after he noticed a wide variety of dinosaur collectibles, from do-it-yourself assembly models (too complicated for Gus) to stuffed animal versions of various types (too cutesy and juvenile for someone as intelligent as his son). He eventually spied actual toy versions of several dinosaur types next to the stuffed animals, and came to a stop as he anxiously peered from top to bottom, hoping to find just the right kind of model for his son.
Yes! He exalted silently, as he spied a solitary toy model of the ever-elusive Dimetrodon. Finally – I can get OUT of this godforsaken place, he sighed. Smiling to himself in relief, he reached over to pluck the last remaining model of Gus' favorite dinosaur from the shelf, just as a slender, pale hand reached over to grab it at the same time as Brian did. As both of their hands wrapped themselves around the toy, Brian felt a momentary, unexpected jolt at the contact before his irritation rose to the surface and his face flushed in annoyance at the unknown perpetrator. What the fuck?!
Brian snarled at the unknown assailant testily, "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Turning around to see who had the gall to snatch the last-remaining Dimetrodon off the shelf, he finally got a good look at his would-be thief. He was shorter than he was, slender, with the brightest eyes and longest lashes Brian had ever seen. And his shiny, slightly tousled hair, worn to the nape, was a golden, light blond color. Being the observant ad executive that he was, also, Brian took a quick second to observe the man's adorable ass that fit snugly inside the tight blue jeans that appeared to be stained with some sort of white substance, and a quite impressive cock (for someone of his stature) as the other man glared over at him, one pale hand on his hip.
"I might ask you the same question," he retorted in a melodic, semi-patronizing tone. "I got it first."
"Au contraire, Blondie, I had it before you did," Brian bit back, trying not to be detracted by the other man's intense blue eyes glaring back at him; any other time Brian might have found those eyes captivating. Presently, however, as the two men continued to hold onto the toy at the same time, he was more concerned with preserving the one item that his son had his heart set on.
As neither man appeared to be willing to back down, Brian thought that perhaps he could simply do what he had done on so many other occasions before to get what he wanted: he would just pour on a little of the Kinney charm. He deliberately relaxed his face and donned his most mesmerizing, sexy smile as he practically purred to the other man, whose expression appeared to be changing from one of vexation to one of puzzlement, "I'm sure you're a reasonable, intelligent man. This toy is the only thing my little boy wants for his birthday. Certainly you can understand how important this is," he said smoothly. "I'm sure you can find some other dinosaur here that will suit your needs." Whatever the fuck this man needed with a dinosaur in the first place – he didn't exactly look like the paleontologist type. Brian continued to smile charmingly at the blond, who kept staring intently at him as if he were sizing him up and seriously considering what Brian had said. Works every time, Brian thought smugly as he inadvertently relaxed his hold slightly on the treasured toy.
Brian was correct about one thing; while Justin loved kids, and he could be as sympathetic as the next guy, he was also an intelligent man. And as an intelligent man, he took the opportunity Brian had suddenly provided him to wrap his hand firmly around the dinosaur's tail and snatch it completely away from the other startled man's grasp; Brian's mouth hung open in shock at not the only man's audacity, but also his own failure to win him over with his charms. After all, it had never failed him before; how could this man be immune to them?
For a couple of seconds, he was too shocked to respond; this, fortunately, provided the blond with just enough leeway to quickly escape the other man's reach as he rushed from the scene of the crime, shouting, "Sorry, but I need this, too!" before he quickly was able to disappear into the crowd to prevent the other man from following him. He ran down three aisles, looking over his shoulder and fully expecting a human version of Tyrannosaurus Rex to come bellowing down the aisle any minute, before he finally located a fairly private alcove near the restrooms. Breathing heavily from his exertion, he furtively peeked around the corner in search of his competitor. Eventually satisfied after twenty minutes that the man had finally given up, he cautiously strode toward the nearest cashier, frequently looking behind his back to make sure he was safe. As he completed his precious purchase and dropped it into his canvas tote, he breathed a huge sigh of relief as he walked purposefully toward his beat-up, used Beetle to rush back to the relatively safe confines of his workplace.
Brian sat in his Jeep, fuming at the nerve of the other man who had literally snatched Gus' prized dinosaur from the jaws of victory. The utter arrogance of that twat! Brian must have looked around that store for fifteen minutes in a futile attempt to find the other man and demand he return the dinosaur to him. Now what was he going to do? Gus' birthday was only two days away! There was no way he would be able to find one of those fucking toy dinosaurs before then – he was convinced there wasn't a single Dimetrodon in the entire state! Why did his son have to be so intellectual? Why couldn't he just like Hot Wheels or toy trains, for fuck's sake? He would have to ask Lindsay for advice now – he had to take something Gus would like to his birthday party. The damn nerve of that other man! Huffing in great frustration and finally admitting defeat, he rubbed his hands over his auburn hair and started the Jeep up to head back to Kinnetik.
Sugar Plum Cake Design and Party Planning Shop
"Hey, Baby!" Em greeted the other man in relief as Justin rushed into the store. "I was getting worried about you. You're cutting it kind of close, aren't you? Did you run into some trouble?"
"Em, you have NO idea," Justin laughed. "You would never believe it," he assured him, as he brushed some errant hair back from his bangs and grabbed a nearby, well-worn apron to hurriedly put it on. "But I got what I went for – ta dah!" He made an elaborate show of pulling the prized Dimetrodon out of the green tote bag to show it to his friend. "Here is it," he said, smiling.
Emmett stared at it with concern. "That's a Dimetrodon?" he asked his friend. As Justin nodded at him, smiling, Em frowned. "Uh…Baby, are you sure you can do that? That looks…impossible."
Justin chuckled. "Well, I admit…..it will be a challenge. But you know how much I enjoy challenges. I can do this – or I'll die trying," he vowed, grinning. Rubbing his slender hands briskly in anticipation, he advised his friend, "Speaking of which – I'd better get cracking. I've got to get this done in TWO days. Wish me luck!" he asked, as he scurried back to the rear of the shop to get started.
"You can do it, Baby!" Emmett clapped, encouraging him, as he turned back to the counter to make some calls for his next party assignment; he and Justin were coordinating the cake and activities for the same party, as they often did. In the six months they had set up shop together, they had found their own, particular talents in artistic design and party planning, respectively, to be a perfect combination, and their business had been growing steadily. Justin's unique talent at being able to transform any object into an edible work of art had caught the eyes of several well-heeled patrons in town, and as a result, they had more business right now than they could handle. But it was allowing Emmett to pursue his goal of being a top-tier party planner and Justin to continue studying art at PIFA, so they were both willing to keep putting in the long, hard hours demanded of them to keep succeeding.
Later that Afternoon - Mel and Lindsay's House
"Brian, will you quit pouting?" Lindsay clucked at him in amusement. "Gus will just be happy that you're attending his birthday. He won't care about the dinosaur."
"But I do!" Brian snarled. "I had it in my hands, Lindsay! And this…this little blond chipmunk fucking stole it from me!" As Lindsay laughed, he sternly told her, "It's not funny, Lindsay! Now I don't have it to give to Gus!"
Lindsay continued to giggle. "Do you feel bad because you don't have it to give to Gus, or because the old Kinney magic didn't have an effect on this other man?" As Brian glared at her, Lindsay added perceptively, "Sounds like you met your match, Mr. Kinney."
Brian narrowed his eyebrows in irritation. "I don't think so," he said haughtily. Lindsay, however, thought he looked a little embarrassed as he admitted, "He just caught me in a weak moment, that's all."
"Uh, huh," she replied knowingly with a smile. "Well, at any rate…..I will expect you to be there, Dimetrodon or not." Brian twisted his mouth in resignation; he knew he would have to show up regardless or he would never hear the end of it, from Lindsay or, worse, Mel – he definitely wasn't going to provide any more fodder to Lindsay's mate about his deficiencies as a father.
"I'll tell you what," Lindsay said, as she walked over to place her hands on Brian's shoulders to comfort him in his time of "loss." You come with me to pick up Gus' cake tomorrow and I'll help you find another gift for his birthday."
Before Brian could protest – actually, the protest quickly died on his lips, because he currently had NO idea what else he could get his son – Lindsay thought of another reason for Brian to come with her. "By the way, you really need to come with me anyway because of Michael. Weren't you trying to come up with something spectacular for his grand opening party at Babylon? Well, I have an idea."
Brian couldn't imagine what Gus' birthday cake had to do with the party he had promised to throw for Michael to advertise his comic and collectible shop's upcoming grand opening. "That's a scary thought," Brian answered sarcastically, as Lindsay lightly smacked him on the arm. "What the fuck does Gus' cake have to do with MY party?"
"Well, you said you wanted something different to make the party stand out. Then you have to see Gus' cake. One of our best customers at the gallery recommended this designer. I met him last week and saw some of his creations – they're unbelievable, Brian – he can design a cake out of anything! He's incredibly talented," Lindsay raved. "Not to mention cute, too," she added teasingly.
"Really," Brian said dubiously. "Sorry to disappoint you, Wendy, but I prefer to pick up my tarts at one of the clubs."
Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Well, suit yourself. But you don't get what I'm saying….You wanted to use – who was it – as your theme?" She racked her brain, trying to come up with the answer. "Captain Astro?" she finally remembered.
As Brian nodded, she continued. "Well, I'm telling you, Brian, this man is phenomenal! How would Michael feel if you presented him with a Captain Astro superhero cake at his grand opening party?" She raised her eyebrows at him in a silent question.
Brian had to admit; Lindsay had a point. If this man was half as talented as she was gushing about, maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea. It would certainly be a one-of-a-kind attraction, and would certainly create a lot of buzz – just the right type of attention his friend could use to get his business off on the right track. Mikey had always been there for him as a friend when he needed him; the least he could do was make sure his grand opening party at Babylon was unforgettable.
"You know…That might not be half bad," Brian conceded, as Lindsay grinned smugly. "When do you go to pick up Gus' cake?"
"I have to be there at 4:00 so they'll be there to help me load it into the car," she advised him; she figured between the combination of wanting to help both his son and his best friend, Brian wouldn't be able to say no.
"Okay….You've got yourself a helper," Brian decided. "But I expect some fantastic gift ideas as a tradeoff. I'm not about to go to my Sonny Boy's birthday party without something that will knock his toddler socks off."
"Don't worry, Dad…..I'll have you looking like the Father of the Year before I get through," she assured him, as she placed a friendly arm around her friend's shoulders.
Sugar Plum Cake Design and Party Planning Shop – We Stir up Excitement!
Oh, Brother, Brian thought, as he read the shop's name and motto written in candy-like script above the front of the small but neatly designed storefront. The maroon awning was constructed of canvas but was designed to look like it was actually made out of licorice, and the wide, spacious windows facing out onto the street were full of several, unbelievably-intricate cakes that apparently this culinary artiste Lindsay kept raving about had designed. Brian had to agree that they were unbelievable in their creativity and complexity; it was hard to believe they were actually edible due to their incredible realism. Every little detail had been meticulously etched into each cake, and even the smallest of details were not overlooked. Some of the cakes even had moving parts. Brian had to admit he had never seen cakes like these before; they made most of the party cakes he had seen look like they had come out of an Easy Bake Oven instead. After looking over the man's creations, he was actually beginning to believe he could make one of Captain Astro.
Noticing Lindsay's look of I TOLD you so, he smirked as they entered the store; a bell hanging over the door jingled as they opened it and walked in. After a few seconds, a taller, dark-haired man came rushing up from the back; Brian noticed to his amusement that the man was wearing a tight, shiny tangerine orange long-sleeved t-shirt and purple pants. He found himself wondering how in the world someone who dressed like that could have good enough taste to create some of the incredible works currently displayed in the store's windows until Lindsay provided the explanation for him.
"Lindsay!" the man gushed to his friend, rushing over to give her a kiss on both cheeks as Brian merely stared at the flashily-dressed man; he fleetingly thought of hastily putting his sunglasses on to tone down some of the glare coming off the man's questionable fashion attire before Lindsay introduced the two of them.
"Hi, Emmett," she greeted him with a smile, graciously accepting the man's affectionate greeting. "I'd like you to meet Gus' father. Brian, this is Emmett Honeycutt – he's the party planner for the shop and co-owner. Em – this is Brian Kinney."
"It's SO nice to meet Gussie's dad," Em enthused. "He is such a cute little boy!" he exclaimed, his smile wide and eyes twinkling as he rapidly unleashed a torrent of words. "I met him at another birthday party a few months ago. He was just the most adorable thing…..Of course, Lindsay didn't bring him in here," he assured Brian. "She didn't want to spoil the surprise…..He is just going to absolutely adore his birthday cake!" He turned to Lindsay as he clapped enthusiastically and bounced on the balls of his feet. "Just wait 'til you see it! I was afraid our little Picasso wouldn't have enough time to get it done, but I should have known he would. And I must say – he has outdone himself this time! It is to DIE for – at least if you're a certain little boy!"
Brian stared agape at the other man – he had somehow managed to say all that without coming up for a breath. He had never quite seen or heard anyone like this person. But he was relieved to figure out that this apparently was NOT the cake designer – if he was, he would have had serious doubts about assigning him to make a cake for Michael's party, impressive designs in the window or not. Now a party planner? Brian could totally see this man doing that – he looked like he was made to party, he smirked to himself.
"Well, so nice to meet Gus' dad," the man repeated, before he finally came up for air briefly. That gave Brian just enough of an opening to make the polite, obligatory acknowledgment of Nice to Meet You before they moved on to the more critical part of their visit – getting Gus' cake and getting the hell out of there before this man went on about something else totally inconsequential.
"Uh….Lindsay?" Brian asked, his patience quickly wearing out. "The cake?" he reminded her.
"Oh! Yeah," Lindsay acknowledged sheepishly. "Is it done, Em?"
Emmett smiled broadly. "It sure is – right on time. He actually just finished it a few minutes ago. Wait until you see it!" he advised her, his eyes sparkling. "I think it's the best one he's done yet!"
Brian stood there, trying hard not to show his impatience with this man. But he was tired after working all day, and he wanted nothing more than to pick up the fucking cake and get out of there. "The cake?" he repeated. "Can we get it now? We have to get going," he informed the other man somewhat curtly, stealing a quick glance at his Rolex in a not-so-subtle hint that he was ready to leave - now.
"Of course," Emmett answered professionally. "I'll go get it for you." Brian heard the man call out a name just then. "Justin?"
From the back of the room, he heard a response that somehow sounded familiar, but he had no idea why.
"Yeah, Em?"
"Mrs. Peterson's here for Gus' cake."
"It's ready," Brian heard the man confirm. "Can you come back and help me carry it out?" Again, Brian had the inexplicable feeling of déjà vu that he had heard that voice somewhere before; he scratched his head a little in confusion.
"I'll be right there, Baby," Emmett answered, as he excused himself and quickly rushed back to a separate compartment at the rear of the store.
A couple of minutes later, Brian watched as Emmett and another man came slowly shuffling out of the backroom with a giant, four-foot statue of an unbelievably real likeness of the infamous Dimetrodon toy that Brian had tried to desperately hold onto earlier today. He was stunned – it was absolutely the most incredible cake he had ever seen. The top fins of the dinosaur were etched in painstaking detail, and the sharp claws of the beast were clearly defined and accurate down to the smallest toenail. The dinosaur was majestically sitting atop a mountainous landscape with a small lake stationed next to it. It was fucking incredible; Brian's mouth fell open in amazement and admiration. Lindsay was right – there was no doubt in his mind that if the man could design and carry out such a fantastic, edible of work, he was the man for the job to make a Captain Astro cake.
Lindsay gasped in delight as she got her first glimpse of Gus' cake. Smiling in wonder, she cried in awe, "Justin….This is wonderful! I can't believe how real it looks – Gus is going to be blown away by this! He'll be afraid to eat it! I'll have to get a picture of this before anyone touches it – I'm going to hate to have anyone eat it. How can I ever thank you?" she asked him.
Brian still couldn't see the actual artist's face, because he was trying to maneuver the cake with Emmett's help onto a nearby table and was still hidden by the towering confection. But apparently finally satisfied that the cake was securely ensconced on the buffet table, Brian heard the man sigh in relief as he gently helped place it down and release his hold on it.
Brian could see only part of the cake designer as he remained briefly behind the cake; he noticed the man quickly brushing his flour-laded hands onto his apron and wiping them off before he walked out from behind his creation. A few seconds later, however, his eyes narrowed and his mouth hung open in speechless, stunned shock and annoyance as he was able to finally get a good look at the cake designer, who was so busy greeting Lindsay and blushing at her effusive praise that he hadn't turned to look at the brunet yet. It was HIM – the dinosaur thief.