"You turned Brian Kinney down!" Agnes all but shouted drawing the attention from the lunch crowd that occupied the Liberty diner.
Justin looked around nervously.
"Jesus Aggy, why not take an ad out in the Pittsburgh Gazette while you're at it!" He said.
Just then Deb showed up at their booth.
"Hey Agnes, who's your cute friend?" She asked snapping her gum.
"Deb, my lunch? Soon? Like in this millenium please? Some of us have to get back to work you know." Another patron called out from the far end of the diner.
"Keep your garter belt on Leo. I'll pack it to go. It's not like you're not going to throw it up later anyway." Deb threw back at him over her shoulders as she placed her hands on her hips in a defying gesture, daring him to deny her accusation.
Justin laughed.
"Do you treat all your customers that way?" He asked cheekily.
"Only those I like. Now, who the fuck are you?" She asked turning her attention back to him.
Justin graced the waitress with one of his well-practiced winning smiles, causing Deb to put her hand to her throat.
"God you're fucking gorgeous, that's what you are! Oh I can see you'll be causing all sorts of trouble around here young man." She said.
"Well as long as it's the 'good' kind of trouble, I won't mind." Justin replied.
"Deb, this is Justin Taylor, my cousin from New York. Brian offered him a job at the agency but he turned him down." Agnes said in an accusing voice.
Deb laughed.
"Of course he did sweetie. Look at him. I don't think much work would get done in that office with those two working together," she winked at him, "Smart boy."
Justin turned his attention back to his cousin.
"See Aggy, I told you. It just wouldn't work. There's too much…well let's just say complications for me to be working there." Justin said.
"Ha! Complications are Brian's specialty. Still, you made the right choice. The term sexual harassment isn't in the Brian Kinney manual. And believe me gorgeous he'd be harassing you. You're too fucking adorable for your own good." Deb said.
Justin managed to blush this time. He was usually not so easily flattered, or embarrassed, but this charming woman had him under her spell. She was bold, brash and in your face. Justin instantly liked her.
"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Mr. Kinney?" Justin asked.
Deb sighed a little sadly before answering.
"I've been surrogate mother to that boy since he's fourteen. That's when he moved into our neighborhood. He and my boy Michael are best friends. Brian's parents weren't particularly attentive, if you know what I mean. And when they were, it wasn't the kind of attention any kid should receive. He spent a lot of time at my house. I unofficially adopted him." Deb said with much pride in her voice.
"His dad past away some time ago, his mom lives alone and his sister lives on the other side of town with her two rotten kids, and her dead beat husband. Brian doesn't have much contact with any of them. We're the only family he acknowledges." Deb explained.
"Geesh Deb, why not give him Brian's whole medical history while you're at it too. Ever hear of respecting someone's privacy?" Shane said as she walked up to the small group startling Deb.
"Fuck Shane do you have to sneak up on a person like that!" Deb said placing her hand on her heart.
"It comes natural for me. Job requires stealth." Shane said.
"We didn't get a chance to meet before. I'm Shane, I work for Private Dicks and I'm here to ask you why the fuck you turned down the job?" Shane directed her question to Justin.
Deb started to open her mouth when Shane interrupted her.
"Deb, your customers are starting to walk out…with your tips no less." She pointed out.
"Holy shit, be right back." Deb said scurrying off.
Agnes and Shane exchanged amused looks.
"So are you going to answer my question?" Shane said looking back at Justin as she pushed Agnes aside to join them in the booth.
"What the hell is in the water here? Is everyone so forward? Not that it's any of your business, but I didn't take the job because I don't think Mr. Kinney and I would work well together." Justin said.
'Oh we'd work well together alright, only in bed…not in the office.' He thought.
The shocked look on Brian's face when he turned down the job offer was still fresh in Justin's mind. He told him that as good as working for him sounded, fucking him sounded even better and he didn't think they could accomplish both. Surprisingly, Brian agreed. He didn't 'fuck' the help. Well, tried not to anyway. On those rare occasions when it did happen, he wound up firing the guy, he had explained to Justin. They both had a good laugh over that one. Brian then tried to leverage him with the fact that the job, and not the sex, was still the only offer on the table. Unfortunately Justin still had to refuse. Even though it was the first time Justin believed the man actually meant it. Which was disheartening to him to say the least. Underneath all the sexual tension, and obvious differences between them, there was an effortless fluidity in their interplay. They were well matched Justin realized. Each shared a sharp wit, sarcastic outlook on life, and keen intellect. But more surprising was the fact that they laughed easily together. Justin couldn't remember the last time he laughed so easily with someone. True, he smiled a lot, and flirted, and demonstrated all social etiquette expected, but it was always more for effect, then genuinely felt. With Brian, it was genuine. He would miss that. So with a sad heart, Justin left, thanking him for his consideration, both for the job, and the sex. By the time he left Brian's office it was noon so he decided to take his cousin out for lunch and tell her the bad news. She wasn't taking it well, and apparently neither was one of his employees.
"Bullshit. You don't want to work for Brian because you want to fuck him." Shane blurted out bluntly.
"Sorry Aggy." She added. This was her cousin she was talking to.
Agnes frowned and shook her head.
"Wait a minute, with all due respect, who, why or what I want to fuck is none of your business. Why does it matter to you anyway whether I take the job or not?" Justin asked in a perturbed voice. He appreciated blunt honesty, but these people bordered on being rude.
"It matters because one teen is already dead, and another one will be soon. Unless that is, you decide that saving a kids life is more important to you then wanting to fuck the Boss." Shane returned, maintaining her rapid-fire line of brutal honesty.
Justin's face paled. Unbeknownst to Shane, she hit a sore spot in him.
"What are you talking about?" He asked in all seriousness.
Shane saw she hit a nerve. When she first saw the blonde leave Brian's office she knew he was perfect for the job. He was the exact type 'dumpster boys' assailant went for. If he took the case on, she was sure they'd flush him out, stopping him from killing again. She wasn't about to let the blonde walk out on them over a fuck that he'll probably get from Brian at some point anyway.
"I have this case…" she started to explain.
Several minutes later she had laid out the details of the case and her progress, or more importantly, lack of it and how Justin fitted into helping them solve it.
Justin listened intently the whole time Shane talked. 'Fuck!' He thought. He couldn't walk away from this. Not from some kid, or possibly kids, being in danger. Even with everything that happened on his last assignment, he was grateful he did it. He saved those teens in that school, even though he almost gave his own life in the process. And he'd do it again, well a little differently perhaps this time, but he'd do it.
Deb came back to the table to take their order.
"Sorry about that. Rush's over, what can I get you," she asked.
Justin looked over at her and with a resigned sigh said…"I'll have a burger and fries to go, and whatever Brian Kinney usually has for lunch to go too." He said.
Agnes gave a gleeful yelp while Shane smiled triumphantly.
# # # #
"Horavith! Hospital called. Got a John Doe over there. Mugged. Beaten up pretty bad. Unconscious, no ID. They took his wallet, watch and any other jewelry he might have been wearing." Detective Nichell informed Carl as he walked by his office.
"So why are you telling me? Send Lenny. I'm busy." Carl said.
"You might want to take this one yourself." Nichell said.
Carl grunted in annoyance and got up from behind his desk and approached the detective.
"What's up." He asked.
"Hospital security found a piece of paper in the man's coat pocket with Private Dicks address written on it." Nichell said.
Carl rubbed the back of his neck.
"Want to call Kinney?" Nichell asked.
"No. Let's do some legwork on this one ourselves first. Get a photo of the victim, and run it through our database for missing persons. Do it through our back channels, I want to keep this quiet for the time being. He could have had that address in his pocket for any number of reasons. At this point we don't know what Kinney's connection is, that's assuming there is one at all. But the fact that a man was found mugged and beaten with Kinney's address on his persons on my doorstep is too much of a coincidence for me to ignore." Carl said.
"Jesus Carl you don't think Kinney had anything to do with the mugging do you?" Nichell asked incredulously.
Private Dicks was a well-respected agency and they often helped out with department cases. Everyone at the prescient personally knew the owner and the employees there. Nichell couldn't believe their chief would suspect Kinney of any involvement in this crime.
"What I think is irrelevant Nichell. I didn't become Chief by not being careful. One thing this line of work has taught me is to expect the unexpected. Anything is possible. Do I believe Kinney's involved? Hell no. Do I know it for fact? No. So lets just take a breath on this one and do some investigating on our own first. And be VERY discreet. We don't want to piss Kinney off. He's not a suspect. Just a person of interest. With any luck the photo will match someone in our database. Then, if we need to, we can call Kinney in." Carl said.
Nichell shook his head. The chief was right. Though he'd never believe in a million years that Kinney would in anyway be involved in such a low rate crime, it was better to be safe then sorry.
"I see your point. I'll get right on it." Nichell said.
"Nichell! Remember. Not a word to anyone on this. I don't want anyone else in the department to know. Kinney's got a lot of friends here." Carl directed.
Nichell nodded his head in understanding. Though he knew in his gut that Kinney had nothing to do with the crime, he had a suspicious feeling that he may very well have everything to do with the victim.
# ## #
Lucas Beauregard Manchester the third sat in the lounge of Private Dicks detective agency with a sly smirk on his face. He was early, a habit he acquired over the years. He liked to catch people off guard. A lovely woman with unruly strawberry blonde curls who introduced herself as Cynthia greeted him. She asked him to wait in the lounge until Mr. Kinney was ready for him then proceeded to busy herself behind the reception desk without bothering to inform Mr. Kinney that his one o'clock was there. Her actions told Lucas two things;
1. His services were not that much in demand, else he'd have been buzzed right in. Which meant his salary negotiations would be more difficult and
2. Mr. Kinney's receptionist was hot when she was pretending to be busy.
Lucas was a man of many talents, reading people was one of them and the sexy woman was doing everything in her power, and very convincingly he had to admit, at least to the layman's eye, to appear to be uninterested in him. However that little twitch in the corner of her eye, triggered by the muscle trying to refrain her eyes from drifting in his direction, was a dead give away. She was interested in him. And Lucas couldn't say he wasn't nonplussed by the revelation.
Reading people was just one of Lucas' many talents, along with his equal amount of vices, or some would say. Though he didn't consider them vices, just means to an end. Lucas liked puzzles. He liked solving them. He liked winning. And short of murder, or doing actual harm to anyone, Lucas considered all and any other means to achieve his goals within limits. Unfortunately the law didn't always agree with Lucas's interpretation of what was with in limits, and what wasn't. Some of his past actions (done in the spirit of winning) had got him disbarred and suspended from active duty. The later didn't bother him much. He didn't much like police work. He was good at it, but didn't like it. He did however enjoy being a lawyer. It appealed to the anarchist in him, in an obscene way. Being a lawyer meant operating within a certain set of rules. Which was always a challenge for Lucas. He was at heart a malcontent, who loved disorder and favored a society without rules. Incorporating his personal beliefs with his professional responsibilities was challenging to Lucas, and he thrived on it. Unfortunately he pushed his insurgent views too far in one case and ended up breaking the very rules his profession demanded he adhere to. It was an inner paradox for sure and illogical since he seemed to be constantly working at odds with himself, but that was Lucas. An anomaly. He just never seemed to fit in anywhere.
The prospect of working at Private Dicks appealed to him. He had done some research on the Agency and the owner. The agency itself would provide Lucas with the freedom he craved to work on his own terms, and the owner seemed to be a man who appreciated a certain amount of chaos himself. If his past was any indication. Like himself, Kinney seemed to never be satisfied. He went from one venture to another, conquering each before moving on. There was a hunger for…something. He knew that feeling, he just didn't know the source of his hunger, or what it would take to satisfy it. Much like he suspected Kinney felt. In any case, he felt he could be satisfied working for Private Dicks. At least for a while.
The curly haired beauty lost the battle with her eye muscle and stole a look at him. Lucas was ready and disarmed her with a smile. She gave him her best, indignant look, then turned her attention back to her imaginary work. Lucas chuckled which gained him another, this time more scorching look. The heat in it made Lucas suddenly very uncomfortable in an odd sexual way.
"Cyn did you set up a meeting with Boyd yet?" Brian asked as he exited his office. His tone was brusque.
He was in a sour mood ever since Justin left his office. He was surprised at how disappointed he was at being turned down by the blonde, and he was kicking himself now for not at least taking him up on his counter offer. Though he knew in his head it was for the best. One slip, that's all it would take and he'd be trapped in that blonde haired blue eyed trap. They got along too well and that would NOT due. Brian had a feeling if he fucked the blonde, it would only wet his appetite for more, and he already broke too many rules where it came to Justin Taylor; he wasn't about to break his no repeat fuck rule. He was actually interested in the blonde and not just in a sexual way. Justin had a keen wit, and sarcasm, funny, intelligent, self assured….fuck! He had to get a hold of himself. Thoughts like that were not only non-productive they were down right dangerous. If he'd learned nothing from his past it was that thoughts like that led you down a road of pain and destruction.
"Um, no. Emmett is taking care of it remember? What's your problem? Did someone steal the prize from your box of Cracker Jacks?" Cynthia replied with a raised eyebrow. A habit she picked up from her boss.
"No, but I just found out your name is missing from this week's payroll." Brian snapped back sending Cynthia a childish 'nah nah' face as he did so.
Cynthia laughed. As much as they snipped at each other, there was true affection between them. She was loyal to a fault to Brian and with good reason. She never met a more honorable man in her life, though some people would scoff at her description of his character. However those same people wouldn't recognized true honor if it slapped them in the face.
"Oh, then I guess you'll be paying me from your personal account again this week. Then again, with what you pay me, why don't you just give me what's left in your Cracker Jack box and we'll call it even." She retorted.
Lucas watched the exchange between boss and employee and smiled. Oh yeah, he was going to like working here. Now all he had to do was convince Kinney to give him the job. He stood up to approach the agency's owner.
"Mr. Kinney?" He asked extending his hand.
Brian looked at the offered hand then back up at the man in front of him.
"Depends. Who are you?" He asked.
"Lucas. Lucas Manchester." He responded with his hand still held out.
Brian laughed.
"What is it with guys with two identical first names." He said, only the joke was lost on everyone.
Justin. Justin Taylor. Brian laughed inwardly remembering his first encounter with his blonde….'his blonde?'… FUCK!
Lucas cleared his throat.
"Actually, it's Lucas Beauregard Manchester the third. But if Lucas Lucas is easier for you to remember, then be my guest." Lucas said.
Brian took his hand and shook it. He held on to it a little longer than necessary while he examined, what he assumed was his one o'clock appointment.
"You're straight." He stated rather than asked.
"Is that a problem?" Lucas countered, maintaining their grip.
"It's a blessing." Cynthia called over from her spot behind the reception desk where she was covering for Agnes then immediately blushed when she realized the implications of her words. Mr. Manchester did not know the dynamics of the office or their Boss's penchant for seducing gay male employee's, he would surely think her remark was aimed at her interest in him.
Lucas turned his head towards her and winked. Brian caught the action and groaned.
"I can tell this is going to be interesting," he said releasing the mans' hand.
"Let's continue this in my office. I've got your file inside, along with some questions." Brian said.
Lucas shot one last appreciative look at Cynthia then followed Brian in his office.
"I'm sure you do," he muttered under his breath.
# # # #
"Thanks for covering for me Cyn." Agnes said as she hung up her coat.
"Not a problem. I see you brought something back from lunch with you." She inquired eyeing Justin as he hung his coat up along side Agnes. It looked like he intended to stay awhile she thought.
"I brought him back." Shane said not one to be outdone.
"Why am I not surprised. I'm glad you did though." Cynthia said smiling at Justin.
She only met him briefly when Agnes introduced them before they took off to lunch, but she liked what she saw. He was one person Cynthia felt who wouldn't be intimidated by Brian. And she read his file the minute they left the building. He was a great cop. A hero actually. He'd be an asset to their agency. She didn't know how Shane got him to change his mind, but she was glad she did.
"Thanks Cyn. Where is the Boss?" Justin asked.
"In with his one o'clock." She answered.
Justin nodded his head then proceeded towards the office carrying the take out lunch from the diner.
"Wait, you can't go in there!" Cynthia tried to stop him. Brian hated interruptions. Of any kind. When that door was closed it meant he did NOT want to be disturbed. He was either on a case, deep in negotiations, with a client, or fucking someone. And in NONE of those situations did Brian want to be interrupted.
Justin however, wasn't aware of company policy, nor did he care and barged into the office over Cynthia's objections.
"Hey." Justin said announcing his presence.
Brian looked up at him from his desk with surprised and annoyed eyes.
"I'm sorry but…mind telling me just how the fuck did you get in here?" He asked trying to sound as irked as possible, even though part of him was secretly pleased to see the blonde again.
"I opened the door and walked in. Not really a hard concept to grab. I often find the simplest approach is the best. Don't you?" Justin said then walked over to man who was sitting opposite Brian's desk.
"Hi. I'm Justin Taylor. One of the PI's here." He said extending his hand.
Lucas, being an expert on reading people, observed two things. One, there was some serious electricity going on between these two, and two, Brian had no idea this guy worked from him. His eyes widened a bit in shock at Mr. Taylor's introduction.
Interesting….he thought.
"Lucas Manchester. Who, hopefully, will be working here as well." Lucas said shaking Justin's hand.
"Brian, hire him." Justin said turning his attention to him.
Brian actually gaped at him before catching himself. He then folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair.
"Oh? Is that your recommendation Sunshine?" He drawled in an amused voice.
'Sunshine'…Justin's insides did a little flip at the nick. He normally hated such silly sentimentalities like calling your lover 'babe' or 'sweetheart' but he knew he could live the rest of his life hearing 'Sunshine' roll off his beautiful Greek God's lips.
'Lover…? His…?'Fuck fuck fuck!
Justin fought to keep his emotions in check.
'..Emotions nearly got you killed once stupid. You don't make mistakes like that twice...' his inner voice said.
Armed with his signature smile, he addressed Brian.
"Why yes, it is. Oh, and I bought you lunch. Bosss…" Justin drawled out the title mockingly.
Brian made a face.
"I smell burgers and fries. I don't eat that shit." He said.
"Burger's for me. I got you turkey on whole wheat, no mayo. But if you're nice, I'll share my fries with you." Justin teased.
Brian's eyes actually lighted up at the idea of stealing some fries. He was a stickler with his diet, but every now and then he relished eating fatty high carb foods. Usually those times were limited to evenings with Mikey at his loft while they were both trying to solve one of life's tragic problems with pizza and pot. But those times were few and far in-between.
Both Lucas and Justin caught the gleam in Brian's eyes at the mention of fries and each secretly smiled at that bit of personal insight into the man.
"I'm sorry Boss. He got passed me." Cynthia said from the doorway.
"I have a feeling Mr. Taylor is good at getting pass people's objections." Brian said tongue in cheek.
Justin actually blushed. He was being uncharacteristically 'pushy'. But there was just something about the man that made Justin want to push him. Though he instinctively knew that was a dangerous game to play, he still wanted to play it.
"It's ok Cyn. You can leave us be now." Brian added noticing the discomfort of everyone in the room.
"So Mr. Taylor, why don't you tell me why I should hire Mr. Manchester here?" Brian asked once Cynthia left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Because you're going to need the help, and I'm going to be busy on the Kempt case." Justin said his tone turning serious.
Brian sat up in his chair and put his hands on his desk.
"You talked to Shane?" He asked, all business now.
"Yes." Justin answered.
Brian eyed him for a few seconds.
"You up for it?" He asked.
"Oh yeah. If it's ok with you, I want to go out with Shane tonight." Justin said.
Brian held his gaze while he pondered his decision.
"Ok. But we'll meet before you go out. I want to brief you myself, and make sure you pass muster. This guys no fool. You'll have to look the part to perfection. And, I'll be there too. In the background." Brian stated.
"Do you think that's a good idea? You're not exactly inconspicuous." Justin said.
"Don't worry I'll blend in." Brian said.
Justin laughed and boldly eyed him from head to toe.
"Oh yeah, you blend." He said in a sarcastic tone.
"Insulting the boss won't keep you your job you know." Brian threw back.
"It's not an insult, it's a fact. You're too good looking to be hanging out in a dump like that. You'll stick out like a sore thumb. You won't blend." Justin said.
Brian didn't know if he should be flattered or affronted.
"Listen rookie, this is not my first time at the rodeo. I know how to blend!" Brian said frustrated that he was actually having this argument with the blonde. He NEVER explained or defended himself to anyone.
Lucas was getting much satisfaction watching the exchange. He wondered if either man realized he was still in the room.
"I'm just saying…" Justin let his words trail off as he placed the bag he was carrying on Brian's desk hoping the smell of the food would distract any further outburst from him.
Brian took one whiff and groaned. It worked. He was hungry, and craving some fries.
"Lucas. You're hired. Go tell Agnes to bring you to Ted's office. He's our accountant. He'll get all the paper work done. When he's done with you have him send you to Cynthia's office. She'll fill you in on what cases you'll be taking over." Brian said dismissing the man.
"Excuse me, but who is Agnes?" Lucas asked rising from his chair.
"Our receptionist." Brian said opening up the bag in front of him.
"I thought Cynthia was your receptionist?" Lucas asked a bit confused.
Brian sighed exasperated at the mans infuriating questions. They were keeping him from the fries that were calling to him; heedless of the fact they would cost him an extra twenty minutes on the treadmill.
"No, Cynthia was just covering for Agnes. Agnes is my receptionist and personal assistant. Cynthia is second in command here. I'll leave it to her to explain the specifics of her duties to you, right now, I've other more pressing business." Brian said ending any other inquires from the man.
Lucas knew he reached the mans limits so he just thanked him and left the office delighted at both his new job, and his new association with the curly haired vixen who caught his attention. Second in command meant they'd be spending a lot of time together going over cases, working long hours into the night…oh yeah, he was going to like this job….
Justin propped his hip on the side of Brian's desk and dug into the lunch bag, pulling out his burger.
"He seems ok." Justin said in between bites. Brian was busy eating his sandwich and sneaking fries here and there.
"Oh, are we having small talk now?" Brian asked throwing Justin a knowing glance.
Justin finished chewing and swallowed the food in his mouth before answering.
"Small talk is highly underrated. Besides, it's safe. If we keep our conversations to business and small talk, I think this just might work out." Justin said then took another bite of his burger.
Brian huffed out a laugh.
"Yeah, lets go with that. So does this mean you don't want to fuck anymore?" He asked.
So much for small talk.
Justin nearly choked on his burger.
"Don't be silly, of course I want to fuck you! I just don't think it'd be prudent at this point." Justin answered.
"Prudent? Who the fuck uses words like prudent? Besides, I'd be the one fucking." Brian added as he snuck another fry.
Justin gave him a funny look. "Not that I'm opposed to bottoming, but what makes you think I wouldn't be a great fuck? I'm an excellent top. You might actually enjoy it; that is if you can get that stick out of our ass!"
Brian shot him a warning glance.
"What? Bottoming beneath you? No pun intended. With your rep I'd never believe that you'd be so rigid in your sexual positions. In case anyone hasn't told you, gay men, tops included, like a stiff cock in their ass now and then. It's one of the greatest pleasures a gay man can experience. You should try it sometime. Oh and prudent was an appropriate word to use. I got 1500 on my SAT's. Very high on verbal." Justin added licking his finger of grease.
Brian laughed. He loved how Justin rationalized things. He had a razor sharp wit, and tongue. Brian wondered how that tongue would feel around his cock.
"Well Einstein, I'll give you the 'prudent' argument, but I still top. And it's not that I've never bottomed, I have. I just know what I like. You'd have to earn the privilege of topping me. But since we won't be having sex, it's a moot point." Brian said.
"Hmmm….what do you say we table this conversation for another time. I'm curious about something." Justin said snatching the last fry from Brian's grasp.
Brian narrowed his eyes dangerously at Justin.
"Trust me, you'll thank me later." Justin said then relented and snapped the fry in half handing one half to Brian.
Brian took it and smiled.
"You're just full of curiosity aren't you?" Brian asked.
"Comes from reading the Enquirer. Inquiring minds and all…" Justin teased.
"That would be funny if I didn't believe you actually read that trash." Brian said.
Justin laughed a full, hearty guffaw. Brian loved the sound of it. It was genuine. Unaffected. He was starting to notice that there were two sides to Justin. One he presented to the world, one that was well practiced and polished. He had the perfect smile, the perfect laugh and the perfect line for most any situation. Then there was the side Brian was sure very few ever got to see. Brian, for some reason, was privileged to glimpse that side of him a few times now…like right at this moment. Justin was unguarded, relaxed. That laugh wasn't his normal charming laugh. It was real and deep and for some reason he felt safe in sharing it with Brian. Brian was humbled at that realization. Humbled, and scare shitless.
"Ok, you got me. I do read it. It's my guilty pleasure. I'm sure you have one or two guilty pleasures of your own." Justin ventured.
He couldn't believe how comfortable he felt just talking to Brian. He barely knew the man yet here he was, having a 'real' conversation with him and enjoying it. He knew it wasn't just the sexual attraction between them. If anything that would only force Justin to bring his guard up even more. No, this was something else. This was a 'real' connection with another human being, and Justin didn't know how he felt about that. Part of him was happy to realize he was actually capable of having a real connection with another man again after the incident. But another part of him was remembering the last time he allowed himself to get close to someone… And what it cost him. He didn't trust that wouldn't happen again, yet there was no denying there was 'something' between he and Brian. He only hoped he would be able to control it, before it took control over him.
"Fries." Brian said breaking into Justin's thoughts.
Justin gave him a quizzical look.
"My guilty pleasure? What's wrong? Problem with short term memory?" Brian quipped.
"No thank God my memory wasn't affected, just my motor skills." Justin said before he realized what he was saying.
'Shit! Shit! Shit!' He thought. Why did he let that slip? He was way too comfortable in this man's presence.
Brian caught the slip and a chill ran down his spine at its' implications. "What happened?" He asked.
Justin sighed and started cleaning up the remnants from their lunch.
"Nothing really, hazards of the job." He replied flippantly.
Brian reached over and grabbed his wrist stopping him from cleaning up, and forcing him to look at him.
"What happened?" He asked again, only this time his eyes showed real interest, and….something Justin didn't want to identify.
Justin held his gaze for what seemed like forever. Brian held his wrist the whole time.
"I got marked." He whispered so low, he wasn't sure he actually spoke the words out loud.
But Brian heard him. His eyes grew stormy with anger and….again an emotion Justin didn't want to identify.
"Tell me." Brian said in a tone that brooked no argument.
Justin responded to that tone.
"I went undercover to bust up a drug ring at a high school. As a student. I fucked up. Let my cover slip and I got marked. Couple of the ring leaders ambushed me in the gym and took a bat to my head." Justin said then shrugged as if to break himself from the memory.
"I got lucky actually. One week in a coma, some rehab time and I'm almost as good as new now. I hear the bat didn't fare so well though." Justin said reverting back to his well practiced 'devil may care' attitude.
Brian pulled on his wrist bringing him closer to him.
"Don't do that with me, ok? It doesn't work, and it's really not necessary. I get it. Believe me I get it. Be what you have to be out there, but here…when it's just us. Don't. Ok?" Brian said.
Justin stared into his eyes. Their faces were just inches apart and Justin had the overwhelming urge to lean in and kiss him. But he didn't. He understood what Brian was asking him. He was asking him to trust him to be himself around him. It was a big request, and Justin believed Brian understood this. Could he do it? Did he dare?
"Ok, I won't." He answered before he allowed his head, or heart to dwell upon it.
Brian held his gaze for another few seconds before nodding his head in approval.
"Good. Now tell me what you mean by 'almost' good as new?" He asked.
'Fuck he don't ask for much, does he?' Justin thought.
"Minor brain damage. Nothing that kept me off the force, I went back to work. Just sometimes my left hand don't work so good." Justin said then smiled.
"It's a good thing I shoot with my right." He added trying to lighten the mood a bit and still be ingenuous. He was dangerously close to Brian. Brian hadn't let go of his wrist yet.
"The more important question is, which hand do you jerk off with?" Brian asked then winked at him before releasing him.
Justin smiled and pulled back. He was a little disturbed at how empty he suddenly felt when Brian released him. He missed the feel of Brian's hand on his skin, and the warmth of his breath against his face….they were that close.
"Actually I'm ambidextrous. I can jerk off with either hand." He said then proceeded to pick up where he left off cleaning up the evidence of their lunch.
Brian smiled and leaned back in his chair.
"Madonna, old western movies and lollipops. The kind with the gum inside. And if you tell anyone, I'll have your balls. And not in a positive life affirming way." Brian confessed his guilty pleasures to Justin deciding that one good turn deserved another.
Justin blinked a few times trying to follow Brian's words when it hit him. He threw back his head and laughed one hell of a genuine laugh. Brian felt something melt inside of him.
"Bubble gum lollipops! Why am I not surprised?" Justin said between peels of laughter.
"Um because I'm a sucker?" Brian answered snidely.
Justin stopped laughing and leaned over the desk, bringing his face close to Brian's.
"Only for smart ass hot blondes who are way too pushy for your liking." He said winking at him before pulling back.
It took all of Brian's will not to grab him and throw him over his desk and fuck him. This was going to be one hell of a relationship …wait…did he actually use the word 'relationship?…, he thought. Hell being the operative word for it was surely going to be Hell working with Justin, and not fuck him. Though it was a Hell, oddly, he was looking forward too.
"Brat." Brian finally said then rose from his chair.
"Well since 'you've'decided to work here, I think we better get you set up. Have you met Ted yet?" Brian asked as he walked around his desk and towards his door.
Justin followed him.
"No, is he as fun as you?" Justin asked.
"Oh Ted's a barrel of laughs. Isn't he Aggy?" Brian asked as they entered the office lobby.
Agnes looked up at the two men coming out of her Boss's office and sighed in relief. They both had happy expressions on their faces.
"Funny as an audit." Agnes replied cheerily.
"Audit? What Audit?" Ted came around the corner with Lucas in tow echoing Agnes words.
Brian walked over to Ted and put his arm around his shoulder.
"Calm down Theodore, Agnes was joking. You know, as in to make fun of? To jest? No? Nothing?" Brian teased his accountant.
Ted huffed and shrugged Brian's arm off his shoulder.
"Audits are NOTHING to joke about." He said in a dead serious voice.
Everyone laughed.
"No, but that tie is. Theodore, you've been taking fashion tips from Honeycutt again?" Brian asked.
"I bought him that tie. And don't call me Honeycutt." Emmett said coming up to join the small gathering of employees
"Figures. You'd have better luck getting fashion tips from that homeless guy down the street Teddy. Speaking of homes and lost souls….we've two unfortunate souls who've decided to make Private Dicks their homes. Emmett, Ted, meet Justin Taylor. Ted I need you to add Justin to our payroll. He starts today. Lucas this is Emmett Honeycutt. Best flaming queen detective this side of Xanadu." Brian made the introductions.
"My my but aren't you just delicious!" Emmett said addressing Justin with a leering glare.
"Down boy." Brian warned.
Emmett shot him a curious look. There was a tone in his Boss's voice that he never heard before. It was almost….territorial.
"I thought you said he wasn't gay?" Emmett shot back.
"Lucas is straight. One out of two isn't bad." Brian said with a smirk.
"Uh huh…" Emmett drawled then turned his attention to Lucas.
"Please forgive my manners tall dark and handsome. Welcome aboard. You couldn't have come at a better time. Things are about to get lively around here." Emmett said extending his hand to Lucas.
"Thank you. I've heard it gets busy around this time of year." Lucas responded taking Emmett's offered hand.
"Hmph…sure does sweetie. The heat will be on….:" Emmett paused to look at Brian and Justin who were standing next to each other, striking a very handsome picture…."from more sources then one apparently." He added.
Brian shot him a warning look.
"Jesus Em, I think Brian was right. Someone must be putting Viagra in your cereal. Wipe the drool off your face and get your ass over here. Mr. Boyd is on the phone asking for you." Shane called over from her desk.
"Why is Drewsie calling your personal line?" Emmett asked wondering how Drew got Shane's number, and more importantly why.
"I called him from my personal line and asked him to call me back. I didn't want to use the agency's line. He doesn't know you've been investigating him, remember?" Shane explained.
"Drewsie?" Brian repeated the endearment with way too much mirth in his voice.
Emmett shot him a look.
"Well why the fuck did you call him?" Emmett asked. He was going to call him later and set up a time for him to come into the office.
"Because Romeo, I think you need a buffer when you tell the quarterback you've been boffing that you're actually working for his wife. You can't bring him in cold to meet Brian. He'll freak. So I called him telling him I was a friend of yours and that we wanted to meet him for dinner. We can break the news to him tonight, in public, where he's less likely to cause a scene, or kill us. Then, if all goes well, we'll explain that we're on his side in this case and convince him to come in and talk to Brian so we can work something out. Now if that meets with your approval I suggest you come talk to the man and confirm our date for tonight." Shane said.
"Good call Shane. You going to be done with dinner early enough to meet Justin at the Red Brick tonight?" Brian asked.
"Shouldn't be a problem. Action doesn't start down there till after ten. Plenty of time to square things away with Boyd, go home and change, then meet up with Justin." Shane said.
"Sounds like a plan. Justin and I will be at the diner going over some details. Give me a call when you're ready to head out." Brian said.
"Will do. With any luck, this should be over tonight. Got a good feeling about this Boss." Shane said.
"Yeah, me too. Well now that's settled. Em, you go talk to lover boy. Lucas, have you met with Cyn yet?" Brian asked.
Emmett rushed over to take the call leaving Ted and Lucas with Brian and Justin.
"I was just about to take him to her office. I was taking him on a tour first." Ted said.
"Well tours over. It's going to take some time to bring Lucas up to speed we'll have to skip the honeymoon period. Lucas, welcome to your first day at Private Dicks. Looks like you and Cyn will be pulling an all nighter. I want you ready to take on some cases by morning." Brian said.
"Not a problem. I'm eager to get started." Lucas said.
'An all nighter with that wild haired vixen...was the man reading his mind?'Lucas thought to himself with a smile.
"Great. Let's move people." Brian said.
Ted led Lucas away towards Cynthia's office.
Brian turned to Justin.
"Looks like we'll be pulling an all nighter too. You sure you're up to this?" Brian asked.
It was a lot to ask of Justin for his first day on the job. It could get rough tonight. Even though Shane and he would be there covering his back, they were still dealing with a murderer.
"Stop worrying. I told you I was ready. I want to do this. The sooner we get that creep off the streets, the better." Justin said.
Brian nodded his head in agreement.
"Listen, I'm going to give Lucas Brad's old desk." Brian said.
"Chad." Agnes corrected from her receptionists desk.
Brian rolled his eyes.
"Whatever." He said.
Justin laughed.
"Let me guess. You fucked him." Justin said.
"And you deduced that how?" Brian asked.
"Well first, his desk is empty, so either he quit or you fired him. And you told me that on the rare occasion you did fuck an employee, you ended up firing him. But that's not really the give away. The fact that you can't remember his name makes me suspect you fucked him." Justin said then leaned in to whisper for Brian's ears only.
"I sometimes have that problem too with tricks." He said in a conspiratorial tone.
Brian threw back his head and laughed.
"You really are a brat." He said good-naturedly.
"In any case, there's only one desk to assign at this point. Until I order another one, you can work out of my office." Brian said.
"Do you think that's wise?" Justin asked.
"Nothing about this is wise. But we'll just have to make it work." Brian said.
Justin smiled a sexy smile at him.
"None of this would be a problem you know if you'd just stop playing hard to get." Justin teased.
Agnes had to hold her laugh in.
Brian pulled his bottom lip in as he studied the blonde in front of him.
"Correction Sunshine. The problems start when I stop playing hard to get." Brian said in a voice that was half joking, and half serious.
The half serious tone caught Justin's attention. He had no doubt Brian was right. It would be like opening Pandora's box the moment they fucked. He wondered, not for the first time since meeting the enigmatic Brian Kinney, how the hell was he going to walk away when all was said and done. Or more worrisome was the niggling question that was flitting at the corners his brain…would he even want to walk away?
Pushing all thoughts of 'what ifs' out of his head Justin automatically donned his detached persona and turned bright eyes to his new Boss.
"Hmmmm…Let's see how long you'll be able to play that game." He said in a flirtatious voice then walked over to retrieve his coat.
Brian watched the young man once again pull his mask into place with a skill that was astonishing, and admirable. He wondered what had happened to him to make him so guarded with his emotions. Of course the attack had to have an effect on him, but Brian doubted it was the main cause for Justin's emotional detachment. Some one had hurt him bad in a way Brian was all too familiar with. He wondered what it would take to pierce the blondes' armor. What would he find behind those steel walls? And if he did manage to penetrate those walls, would he be able to turn away from he discovered?
As disturbing as those thoughts were, what was even more disturbing was the fact that while he was trying to figure out how to bring Justin's walls down, he conveniently forgot that his own walls were impenetrable.
Justin turned back to him, coat in hand.
"I have to pick up a few things for tonight. What time do you want to meet up at that diner?" He asked as if there wasn't this big fucking sexual elephant standing between them.
Brian laughed inwardly. The little shit was tough as nails, he thought.
"Nine. And save your receipts. I'll have Ted set you up an expense account." Brian said.
"Expense account? Wow…I'm in the big times now." Justin said with a laugh in is voice then turned to leave.
Brian sighed and turned to Agnes.
"What is it with him Aggy." He asked knowing it was a violation of privacy to be asking his receptionist and friend, about her cousin.
Agnes sighed and shook her head.
"That's a question only you can answer Boss." Agnes cryptically answered.
Brian raised a confused brow at her.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" He asked.
"Because you know exactly where Justin is coming from and why. You've been there yourself." Agnes said.
The phone rang then stopping Brian from questioning her more. Which was a good thing too, he already overstepped his bounds. He turned and walked into his office, closing the door behind him.
With a will forged from years of experience, Brian pushed all thoughts of the mystery that surrounded his unnatural attraction and interest in the blonde and concentrated on their mission tonight. There'd be time enough later for inquires of a personal nature. Tonight, they had a killer to catch.