Brian?" He asked a little breathlessly, even though he knew that voice instantly; he was merely trying to stall for time as he tried to regain his speaking ability. He thought for sure that Brian surely could hear his heart that was threatening to burst right out of his chest as it continued to beat rapidly.
"That's right," Brian answered bemused, knowing full well the little fucker knew exactly who he was. "Did you just come from running a marathon or did I interrupt something else?" Brian was trying hard to sound nonchalant, but he was silently hoping he was wrong about the something else part; the thought of Justin being with that other man he had seen him with at the restaurant made his boil blood with a feeling that suspiciously resembled jealousy.
"Huh?"
"You sound out of breath."
"Oh," Justin answered, glad that Brian couldn't see him in person at the moment. "I was running to answer the phone, that's all," he quickly supplied as an excuse; it wouldn't do to divulge the real reason for why he was feeling breathless at the moment.
"Uh, huh….." The brunet responded skeptically. Brian knew he shouldn't ask but he couldn't resist. "Your little friend still visiting?"
Justin frowned; this was becoming a rather strange conversation. Surely Brian wasn't calling him just to chit chat. "Nico? No, he had to go back to Chicago," he told him, wondering why Brian would care. Mention of his friend made him reflect regretfully on what exactly had transpired between him and his best friend, and worse what he would have to do this coming weekend when Nico came back to visit. He was definitely not looking forward to what he would have to do, but he knew it had to be done. And the man presently on the phone, making his pulse go into erratic overdrive, was mainly to blame for it.
"Why do you ask?"
Brian silently berated himself, afraid he was about to give too much away. It just wouldn't do to let this man know what sort of power he had over him. "Uh, no reason. I just needed your services and didn't want to interrupt any tender reunion."
"My services?" Justin knew Brian didn't mean what he hoped he meant, but all the same, just the thought of what sort of services he would like to provide for this sexy man made his skin flush.
"You can string more than a few words together at a time, can't you?" the other man queried in amusement.
Justin huffed. "Brian….you called ME," he reminded the brunet. "Just what do you want exactly?"
Brian smiled. Touché, Mr. Taylor. "I told you - I need your services - your artistic services."
Justin shook his head in frustration. "Okay….can you elaborate a little more? That doesn't give me much to go on." And he thought I was obtuse…..
"I'm having a major issue with my for-shit graphics department here at Kinnetik and I wanted to get your opinion on something. I'd like to bring it by your shop and have you take a look at it. How about 12:30?" Brian knew that he had promised to meet Robert there at 2:00 to go over plans for their sham of a wedding, but he wanted, no, he needed time to see Justin. He knew it was premature to feel optimistic, but he was hoping that if Justin was as artistically brilliant as he thought, maybe he and Chagall wouldn't need to make any more wedding plans…..And maybe, just maybe, there would be some other benefits that resulted as well; at least, that was his fervent hope.
Justin's eyes widened; he had expected Brian to ask about how the wedding plans were coming, not make a request to help him with an advertising pitch. Besides, he was a wedding planner, albeit an artistic one, but what did he know about ad campaigns for an advertising agency? "Uh, I guess I could," he finally managed to say, wondering if it was a good idea to be alone with Brian again but craving it too much to resist. "But I don't really know anything about advertising."
"I don't care about that," Brian reassured him. "I just need your artistic opinion. If you DO manage to pull my ass out of the fire on this one, though, I'll personally provide you with some free advertising for your own business to help get it off the ground. Fair enough?"
Justin considered that proposal; he could certainly use some more advertising for his fledgling business. Dare he risk being alone with this dangerous man again, though? More importantly, could he really resist? If he was honest with himself, he truthfully had to answer no - this man fascinated him in ways no other man ever had. He had to find out just where it might take both of them.
He reflected on his conversation earlier with Daphne; she certainly seemed sure that Brian was more interested in their relationship than a typically engaged-man should be; was it possible he felt the same way, too - that he really did see him as more than a one-night fling to experience and then discard? There was only one way to find out. "Okay," he finally answered to Brian's great relief. "I'll see you at 12:30." For better or for worse, he thought ironically, echoing the time-honored wedding vows.
Brian smiled in triumph. "I'll see you then." As he flipped his cell phone shut, for the first time in a long time he actually thought he might be seeing a glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel. If Justin was as talented in art as he was at making his body hum with excitement just with his mere presence, then he had a damned good chance of getting out from under his smug fiancé's grasp. And hopefully very soon, the man would no longer have any hold on him whatsoever.
Justin hung the phone up slowly, wondering just what he had agreed to; he had no doubt that there would be physical fireworks between him and Brian if they were alone again; his last experience with the man on board Chagall's yacht was evidence enough of that. How he managed to leave that room when his body was screaming for something entirely different was a miracle to him; or was it more like a lost opportunity? He knew he wanted Brian - had wanted the sexy, dangerous brunet from the moment he had locked eyes with him. And he knew Brian wanted him - but for what? Again, he wondered just what Brian's motives were. Was he merely looking for his latest conquest? Or was there something more there? Well, he had a feeling he was about to find out.
He jumped once more as the landline rang again. Cursing his nerves, he sat down at his desk and this time took a few seconds to note the caller's identity. His heart stopped in his chest as he recognized the name of one of Chagall's restaurants. What the fuck? Taking a deep breath first, he reached over and picked up the receiver as he tried hard to keep his voice level. "Justin Taylor, may I help you?"
"Justin," Chagall acknowledged him politely. "Robert Chagall. Brian and I would like to stop by later to see how you're coming on the plans for our wedding and the reception. Are you free this afternoon? The wedding's only a month away now, you know, and we were just getting a little concerned that everything was on track with the preparations."
Justin shook his head in puzzlement; just what was going on? Wasn't Chagall coming with Brian? He certainly hadn't mentioned that earlier when he called. He couldn't help the disappointment from creeping into his voice as he said as professionally as he could, "Yes, of course." Curious now, he asked just to make sure, "What time?"
"About 2:00?"
Now Justin was really dumbfounded. Just what was going on? That was a full ninety minutes after Brian said he wanted to meet with him. "Uh…..that should be fine," he finally answered, mystified. "But your fiancé is coming with you?"
"Brian? No, he's meeting us there," Chagall supplied. "I'll be looking forward to your update, then," he added before he said goodbye and hung up, leaving Justin even more perplexed and oddly, just a little excited. Brian had called and wanted to meet with him before Chagall arrived; why? Was it simply what he had said - business? Or was there something else involved? He sighed in confusion; this situation just kept getting weirder and weirder.
Well, until he could figure out exactly what was going on between the two men, and more importantly, between Brian and himself, he'd better be prepared for his meeting as their wedding planner just in case. Shaking his head in puzzlement once more but realizing it was out of his hands at the moment, he turned his laptop on to begin preparing for his meeting with both men this afternoon, trying hard to keep a certain brunet out of his mind.
Brian sat in his office chair, holding his cell phone in his hand and replaying the conversation he had just had with Justin. He was relieved that Justin was willing to see him before his meeting with Chagall, but he realized that once Robert called him as well to set up the other meeting time, Justin would realize that he wanted to meet with him privately beforehand. What would Justin think about that? Would he just mark it down as a business meeting with him like Brian had indicated, or would he realize there was more to it than that? He thought he had been quite clear on Robert's ship that he was attracted to him, but did he think it was just for a one-time fuck? Or did he somehow know that he held something greater in his hands? His heart, perhaps? Was it possible that Brian Kinney actually had a heart after all? Right now, all he knew what that this fiery, passionate, and creative man made him feel things he had never felt before; hell, things that he never ever knew he was capable of feeling. Yes, he was definitely physically attracted to the man – more than any of the countless men he had encountered over the years. He didn't quite know why that was; the only thing he did know was that he had to find out more about this intriguing, petite blond dynamo.
He silently hoped that Justin wouldn't reveal to his "fiancé" that he had requested they meet before Robert got there; if he did¸ no doubt the man would be raising a stink shortly and in a quite vocal manner. Chagall already suspected that there was more to Brian's interest in Justin than he was admitting; if he knew the two of them were going to be together prior to the 2:00 meeting time, he would be mad as hell. Well, Robert, get over it. Your ass is about to be kicked out of my life permanently….at least I hope so….
His phone intercom buzzed, intruding on his thoughts. "Yeah, Cynthia?" He could hear a distinctive tone of disgust in his normally unflappable assistant's voice as she said, "Your fiancé is on Line 1."
Brian sighed; had Justin told him after all? Why didn't he think to wait until later, after Robert would have set up the meeting? "Got it," he told her, taking a short breath to steady his nerves before he answered the call he was dreading. "Yes, Robert," he wearily responded after punching the button. "What is it? I told you I had a lot of meetings this morning."
"Well, it's great to hear your voice, too, Brian," was the icy response. "Don't worry, I won't keep you from your crucial life's work. I just wanted to make sure you weren't backing out of our meeting today with Taylor at two o'clock. I've already called and confirmed the time with him. You WILL be there, won't you?" His tone of voice left no room for discussion as Brian seethed at the man's condescending tone.
He huffed quietly before answering coolly, "Yes, Robert. I told you I would be there." Long before you are, you asshole. "Now you'll have to excuse me – I have to go; I'll see you later," he added, disconnecting the line before the man could even reply; at that moment, he didn't care if it ruffled the other man's feathers or not. His thoughts were as far away from this smug, arrogant man as possible; instead, they were focused on a slender, blond artist located several blocks away.
He reached over to pick up the folder on Swanson Electronics, the one that now held several, less-than-stellar advertising ideas – ideas that the so-called best of his department heads had showed him earlier. His face darkened in irritation as he thought about the meeting he had conducted about an hour ago with his art department. His graphics supervisor and creativity manager had come rushing in with several storyboards, promising Brian that this time, they knew exactly what sort of focus he was looking for and that this would be the one – the campaign that would impress Swanson so much that he couldn't help throwing his entire advertising budget their way. Brian had taken one look at what his department heads in graphics and art had come up with and, as the two supervisors looked on in shock, had promptly thrown their work down on the wooden floor and in a fit of frustrated rage, stomped on them.
Now, as he sat quietly in his chair seething over the memory, he was still furious as hell with them. He had already followed through on his promise and had fired both their asses; now he had time to contemplate what it would mean for him if somehow he could succeed with his ad pitch to Swanson. It was more than just a question of pride here; this account meant financial freedom for him, and more vitally, a chance to get out from under the tyrannical thumb of his "fiancé." Most importantly of all, he would have the opportunity to at last freely pursue the man that had been uppermost in his mind ever since he had first laid eyes on him – a beautiful blond with soft, blue eyes and a passionate, creative, and independent nature. He knew it was foolish to get his hopes up prematurely, but as he sat there, idly brushing his fingers over the manila folder, he couldn't help hoping that this would be the day he could finally do what he wanted to do – command his own business again and pursue what his heart really wanted without the choking influence of Robert Chagall breathing down his back.
The "It's Not the Same Shop" – 12:15 p.m.
Justin sat at the small, dinette table upstairs in his apartment, his ham sandwich virtually untouched. The closer he got to his meeting time with Brian, the more his stomach tied itself into more intricate knots. His hands felt clammy as he thought about seeing Brian again; the man was just too damned handsome for his own good. A chiseled, but not overly muscular body, soft, gently tousled auburn hair, long, lean limbs, full lips, and….no, he wasn't even going to think about that particular part of the man's anatomy or he ran the risk of puking up what little part of his sandwich he had managed to eat as his stomach started churning with nervousness again. He wiped his hands on his jeans just before he jumped at the sound of his cell phone ringing this time. He cursed his reaction; it seemed that someone today was determined to give him a heart attack as he reached for his phone lying on the table and eyed the I.D. information.
His heart sank as he realized who it was; Nico. He gently placed the phone back down as it rang a couple more times before going to his voicemail. As bad as he felt not answering the phone to talk to his friend, he just didn't have the courage to speak to him right now. He knew if he did, his voice would immediately betray that something was wrong. He certainly wouldn't sound like a happy, recently-engaged man. He would sound like just what he was – a man who had realized that he had made a terrible mistake when he had agreed to marry his best friend in a spurt of impetuousness. And Nico knew him so well that he would realize in an instant that something was amiss. He just didn't have the heart to tell him over the phone. As painful as it would be to do so, he would have to face Nico in person this weekend, no matter what happened with Brian. Regardless of his conflicting feelings for the other man, whether anything ever resulted from them, he still could never be dishonest with his best friend. It wouldn't be fair to him and it certainly wouldn't be fair to his friend. He only hoped that somehow Nico would understand and not sever their relationship permanently as a result.
He sighed as he glanced up at the kitchen clock over the sink – 12:25 p.m. It was almost time; how he wished he could stop thinking about what was about to happen; he wasn't even sure exactly why Brian wanted to see him and here he was acting like some scared little boy. Get a hold of yourself, Taylor; maybe it IS strictly business…But somehow, some way….he knew that it wasn't and it never would be with this particular man.
Same Time – Street Outside
Brian brought his 'Vette to a stop in front of the Victorian house that held Justin's business. He felt himself breaking out into a sweat as fine beads of perspiration broke out on his forehead. It certainly wasn't warm out today – it was still spring; so why was he sweating so much? He refused to admit it had something to do with his imminent meeting with a certain blond. Brian Kinney was never nervous when it came to relating to men – any men. But somehow he knew that somehow, some way – this particular blond had affected him profoundly; or maybe infected him. The only question was – how bad was the infection? Well, he was about to find out; whether Justin could help him out of his painful financial dilemma or not, this was one meeting he couldn't pass up.
Picking up his black, leather briefcase, he opened the heavy door and swung his legs out to disembark. He was relieved to not see Robert's car anywhere around; he wouldn't have put it past the man to somehow find out what he was up to and be sitting there waiting for him. But as luck would have it, no one else seemed intent on visiting their friendly, neighborhood wedding planner at the moment; even at mid-day, the surrounding area was surprisingly empty of cars or pedestrians. Closing the door to the car with a decided force, he walked around and stood on the sidewalk in front of the shop's display windows. The first – and only other time – he had been here, he hadn't thought to study what Justin had arranged in his showcase displays, but now he took a few moments to peruse them. He had to admit – Justin definitely had a flair for arranging textures and colors to their greatest advantage, and he had made optimum but effective use of his somewhat limited space to display several wedding cake examples, invitations, decorations and toppers to their most attractive advantage. Brian decided that if Justin was half as creative with his campaign for Swanson Electronics as he was with his ability to advertise his own business, perhaps he did stand a chance of prying himself free from Chagall's clutches. In either case, he was most certainly going to find it pleasurable discovering whether he could succeed or not, as long as it included a certain blond along the way. Well, it's high time we find out, Mr. Taylor.
Striding purposefully over to the nearby door, he firmly gasped the old-fashioned, crystal door knob and swung it open, immediately seeking out the object of his desire. He was a little disappointed when he didn't observe Justin sitting at his work desk or at the small, nearby client area. "Justin?" he called out, trying to keep both the nervousness as well as his anxious anticipation out of his voice.
Upstairs, Justin's heart sped up faster as he heard the bell ringing overhead downstairs and Brian's rich, sensual baritone voice calling his name soon afterward. He had never really paid much heed to his given name, but when Brian said it, it almost sounded like a prayer. He let out a hard breath as he licked his lips nervously and quickly studied himself once more in the small, rectangular mirror he kept attached to the back of the closet door. He had spent close to an hour earlier in front of this same mirror trying to decide what to wear when he would see Brian later this afternoon.
He had almost felt like a gay version of Goldilocks as he tried on outfit after outfit, telling himself over and over again that this one was too tight, that one was too loose, the other one was the wrong color, until he finally settled on the outfit he was presently wearing: a sky-blue, long-sleeved, v-neck tee shirt that draped over his chest snugly and a pair of dark blue denim jeans. The jeans, especially, had set him back a pretty penny last month – he had impetuously purchased them on a shopping excursion with Daphne at her insistence and had immediately chided himself afterward for the outrageous cost of them, at least in relation to his rather Spartan budget. But now, as he looked at the way they practically molded themselves perfectly to his lower body, he was glad he had decided to keep them – if Brian's reaction was a favorable one, it would make all the ravioli and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he had had to eat since then totally worth it.
Quickly smoothing some rebellious hair down on the top of his head, he took one last look, pulling his shirt down snugly over his hips, before he let out one more deep breath and headed toward the steps.
Brian was about to call out Justin's name again, worried that maybe, for some reason, Justin had decided not to meet with him, when he spied the blond slowly walking down the nearby steps and his eyes almost popped out of his head. He had no idea where or how Justin had obtained the outfit he was wearing, but it couldn't have been more perfect for him.
The blond was wearing a light-blue, long-sleeved tee-shirt that complimented his eyes and skin complexion perfectly, but it was the jeans that immediately caught his attention. Despite his best intentions not to overtly convey more than just a casual interest, his eyes couldn't help sweeping down the length of Justin's body before coming to a stop on the cock that was tightly encased beneath the denim. His gaze lingered there longer than necessary before he slowly, reluctantly raised his eyes to peer into the flushed, knowing face of the blond's.
Justin's face warmed at the intense stare Brian was giving him; there was no disguising the lust and desire that practically poured out of the other man in waves of heat as they locked gazes once more on each other. He didn't know if his own face mirrored the same look of desire, but he suspected if he could see himself at that moment, he would realize that it did. Of course, it didn't help that even though he was wearing professional business attire, Brian was still dressed to the nines and sexy as hell; he was wearing a dark gray, almost black tailored suit – something expensive no doubt judging from the way it clung perfectly to his body – with a dark, maroon silky-looking shirt and a matching charcoal tie with just the hint of a maroon pinstripe running through it. The total effect of that suit on that perfect body made Justin's temperature and pulse increase exponentially, and he struggled to maintain his outward calm demeanor while his true feelings warred with him inside. He never had been very good at disguising his feelings for this man when he was anywhere near him, but knowing that he had the same sort of power over someone such as Brian Kinney, though, made his heart sing with the knowledge as he shyly smiled back at the older man.
The two stood near each other for several seconds silently, each seemingly trying to memorize every enticing feature of each other's bodies before Brian finally was able to regain at least some of his dignity and say, "We'd better get started. Robert will be here by two." Brian silently congratulated himself on sounding so calm when inside his libido was racing into overdrive – how did the little blond Picasso think he could possibly think about business when he was wearing that outfit? But if he wanted to pursue any type of relationship with Justin – a lasting one – he would have to attend to actual business first.
Justin nodded, but hearing Brian mention his fiancé's name made him pause. He quickly recalled his confusion earlier over why Brian and his fiancé weren't coming here together. "Uh, Brian, before we do, I'm a little confused here. Your fiancé called me right after you did and said you and he wanted to meet me here at 2:00. Why are we meeting ahead of time, then?"
Brian huffed. "Maybe because this particular meeting is none of Robert's business; that's what this is, Justin – Kinnetik business. What I do with my business is none of his concern." How he wished that was really the case, though – Robert may not have creative control over Kinnetik presently, but as much as Brian hated, he definitely had financial control over it; at least until he could hopefully do something about it. Which brought him back to where he was now…
Justin digested that part of information thoughtfully; from Brian's tone of voice, there certainly didn't seem to be any love lost between him and his fiancé. They certainly didn't sound like two men that were in love and made for each other. In fact, if he didn't know better, from the sound of disdain in Brian's voice, he might even venture to guess that Brian didn't even like the man. So why would he be agreeing to marry him?
"Uh…..Justin?"
The blond started a little at the somewhat amused but impatient tone of Brian's voice as he gazed up into the mesmerizing hazel eyes. "I really need to show you something before Robert gets here. Can we go sit down?" Justin looked over toward the rather small, antique settee where he and Brian had sat a few days ago; the same piece of furniture that would seem way too small no matter how big it actually was, because Brian was sitting on it. But apart from standing around and looking absurd in the process, there was no other choice. He certainly wasn't going to take him upstairs and invite even more risk in the process. He wasn't sure which of them he trusted less in that situation – him or Brian. "Uh, sure," he finally managed to sputter out a little hesitantly, as he indicated with his hand for Brian to lead.
Brian nodded as he walked over with his briefcase and sat down on the end of the settee; he placed his briefcase down on the older glass and wood coffee table directly in front of him and proceeded to take out the Swanson Electronics file. He had not only brought the prototype ad copy with him that he actually liked, but also copies of the disgusting attempts the art and graphics department had had the unfortunate nerve to present to him on the pretense that they were a decent representation of the client's goals.
Justin hesitated for a few seconds at the archway separating the upper and lower floors, wondering just what he was about to get into; deciding he couldn't reasonably wait any longer, he let out a soft, deep breath and then proceeded over to the settee toward Brian, feeling remarkably like a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse, a fly being ensnared into the spider's lair, a bull being released to the matador…..any of the above. They all fit his emotions at the moment, except for all those events led to unpleasant circumstances. Something told him that if he just let go – if he gave in to what both of them knew was probably going to be inevitable anyway – the feelings he would experience with this man would be anything but unpleasant.
"You are planning on joining me sometime today, Mr. Taylor?" Brian gently chided him in amusement, noticing Justin's deer-in-the-headlights look. He noted smugly that at least he had the desired effect on this man, at least as far as he could determine by the part ogling, part scared look on Justin's face. If he was truthful with himself, too, though, he would have to admit that he was feeling the same things – he just apparently did a much better job of hiding it. He patted the seat that was far too close to his body in Justin's opinion in an attempt to hurry the blond along – every minute he could spend with this man between now and 2:00 was not only critical to his hopeful financial independence, but also crucial to convincing Justin that his intentions toward him were geared toward anything but a one-time fuck.
Justin smiled shyly and walked over to finally sit down next to Brian; he elected not to sit way over on the other end, since he figured that would be a little too obvious, but he didn't sit right next to Brian, either. He finally settled on something in the middle – literally – and sat down in between. He observed Brian holding a rather thick, manila pocket folder and indicated it with a nod of his head. "Is that what you wanted to show me?" he asked.
Brian nodded, now reverting back to his business demeanor, at least for the time being. "Yeah," he verified, opening the folder up. "This is an ad workup for a potential new client of mine, Swanson Electronics. I have the ad copy here along with some graphics and art that my former department heads conjured up in a delusionary attempt to actually pass them off as an effective supplement to the text." He pulled out the glossy photos of the artwork and handed them over to Justin. "These are a piece of shit," he growled flatly. "And I need to fix them before I meet with Swanson's president tomorrow morning."
Justin took the proffered information, being careful not to brush his fingers against Brian's because he knew if he did, the fireworks would start all over his body as a result.
As Justin studied the sheets in his lap, Brian took the opportunity to study HIM from his place on the couch just like he had the other day. He found that his opinion of Justin had actually changed somewhat; he wasn't just an attractive blond with nicely-proportioned features (except one particular feature, which to his delight he noted once more was definitely out of proportion to the rest of his slender body) and nice blue eyes; he was downright beautiful. His pale skin and golden hair complimented his more diminutive features well, and his eyelashes, which were the same color as his somewhat tousled mop of blond hair, were some of the longest and most lush he had ever seen on another man. At the moment, though, they were hiding one of Justin's other best features – those soft, baby-blue eyes that he thought he could quite possibly drown in, if only Justin would let him. As Justin continued to silently study the ad mockup, unaware of the other man's heated gazed on him, Brian clenched his fists in pent-up desire – if he didn't have this man, if he didn't kiss those plump, full lips soon and possess every inch of that body in short order, he truly thought he would go insane with desire. What a difference between how Justin made him feel and how he felt toward his so-called fiancé. He silently prayed that he was about to get both of his most-desired wishes fulfilled at the same time. It was all currently resting on the shoulders of this slender, incredible man sitting way too far away from him at the moment.
Justin studied the mockups carefully; he had to admit, even though he wasn't an expert in advertising, he still knew a good piece of art when he saw it and Brian was right – these particular sheets of artwork were a bunch of drivel. The colors did not mesh well at all and rather than catching your eye so the client's products were highlighted, they served instead to leave the observer with the impression that whatever Swanson Electronics was selling, they had to be dull and unimaginative. It might not have been a fair assessment of the company's products, but that was still the impression the potential buyer received. And even without any training in advertising, Justin knew that was obviously not what Brian was seeking.
From his advantage point to the side, Brian could see enough of Justin's expression to know that he was frowning; not surprising, he thought, considering what he was looking at. Apparently, Justin's impression of the mockup artwork was similar to his own. "Well?" he asked softly to get his attention. "What is your opinion of them?"
Justin raised his eyes after a few seconds, providing Brian fortunately with just enough of a time window to quickly plaster his game face back on before Justin realized how just much his proximity was affecting him. He gazed once more into the pools of blue for a few seconds before Justin smiled a little regretfully and stated, "Honestly?" As Brian nodded, he stated without preamble, "You're right – they are a piece of shit. No one who looked at these graphics and artwork would want to buy anything that this client wants to sell them. With the unimaginative color theme that was chosen, along with the sans serif fonts used, it doesn't draw your eye toward the company's name or the products at all – it detracts from them."
Brian nodded as he sighed; just as he feared. And to think he had actually been paying these two dimwits big bucks to produce this type of nonsense. Even if he didn't have so much on the line with this particular client, he couldn't afford to keep employees around who did not possess the same drive and vision that he did for his company. "That's exactly what I thought," Brian concurred. "That's why I'm here."
"But Brian, I don't have any background in advertising," Justin pointed out, placing the sheets down on the coffee table in front of him. "Wouldn't you be better off to enlist some of your other employees to help with this?"
Brian snorted. "The two employees who made those up were my department heads – they should have been the best at what they were being paid so outrageously to do. Obviously, they weren't. And I can't afford with this particular company to blow this opportunity. You have no idea what's on the line here if I can pick this company up as my newest client." No idea at all..…
Justin shook his head. "But if it's that important, why not….?
"No," Brian interrupted him, guessing what he was going to say. "I don't trust any other employee at Kinnetik to get this right. I DO trust your judgement though, and I really could use your help with it."
"But why me?" Justin asked, still unsure why he was being asked to assist him with such an important task. As much as he felt a strong attraction and pull for this man, it still didn't negate the fact that he had no background at all in advertising strategies. What if he led Brian astray and this potential new client hated his ideas as well? Something told him Brian wouldn't get a second chance to woo this potentially lucrative client again.
"Because you're an artist, and I've seen what you can do…..You're passionate about art and confident in your abilities. You have to have a keen eye for color and effective themes because of what you do." His voice softened somewhat as he said simply, "You're perfect for what I need." Perfect in every way, he couldn't help thinking as he stared unabashedly at the captivating image in front of him. He noticed Justin's face flush in response as his pale skin darkened somewhat in embarrassment at his soft words of conviction.
Justin cursed inwardly at his body's involuntary reaction to Brian's voice and intense stare, but he couldn't help it; this magnificent specimen of a man was just too hard to ignore. And that voice – that voice made his entire body tingle with a thrilling sense of almost forbidden desire. He swallowed hard and took a soft breath through his parted lips before daring to speak. "So what do you want from me?" he said softly, not able to miss the double meaning of that statement as he noticed Brian's eyes widen a bit at his impassioned refrain.
God, Justin, if you only knew…He realized he had to focus at the moment, though, on the more critical matter at hand as he said, "I need your advice on how I can change this campaign to effectively win this new account. If you were in charge of the graphics and artwork for it, what would YOU do?"
Justin was actually somewhat relieved that he could concentrate for the next several minutes on Brian's question rather than Brian himself; at least Brian's question gave him a way to do that as he picked up the artwork copies again and scanned them. "Well, for one thing, I would use more vibrant colors – something much more edgy and contemporary. Since the company is in the business of electronics, I would use the color theme to focus on all the constant changes in that technology. Everything from computers to Mp3 players are constantly changing on an almost weekly basis, and you need to gear your artwork toward that. Something like a 'Power is in Your Fingertips' message."
Brian watched as Justin's eyes lit up and his voice rose animatedly as he picked up speed and enthusiasm for his ideas; Brian was absolutely mesmerized but Justin didn't really notice – he was too busy at the moment with all of the ideas for his advertising swirling through his head. Brian was captivated by the blond's hands rapidly moving as he spoke and the blue eyes which were aglow with excitement as idea after idea tumbled out.
Justin picked up a nearby sketchpad and began to rapidly draw with a charcoal pencil as he tried to quickly put his ideas down on paper. "Maybe have a sort of Andy-Warhol style globe of the earth with two hands holding it up by the fingertips with the slogan underneath it." He quickly sketched a rudimentary globe with two hands below it holding up the planet similar to how someone would grasp a basketball before throwing it toward the goal. "And maybe you could somehow place at least some of his inventories' logos around the globe to indicate what he sells to help bring in customers."
He placed the sketchpad down on the coffee table at last and pushed it toward Brian's side of the settee: Brian picked the sketchpad up immediately and took a look at what Justin had produced in just a few minutes' time. He had not only drawn a preliminary drawing of the potential art campaign and supplied an effective, catchy slogan, he had also written down the colors and fonts he would use to coordinate with it. Brian wasn't quite sure what the particular font names he wrote down looked like, but he liked the more lively, contemporary colors that Justin had chosen and had no doubt that this would be a major improvement over what Dumb and Dumber had come up with earlier today.
He looked up as he heard Justin add almost as an afterthought, "Whatever you decide to do, I would definitely gear it toward a younger demographic, since I would imagine they're the ones who drive that market when it comes to spending."
Justin finally raised his eyes to look over expectantly at Brian and blushed; Brian was staring at him with a look of what appeared to be both amusement and surprise, as well as admiration. "I'm sorry," Justin said a little sheepishly. "I got a little carried away, I guess." He looked down at his hands now in his lap and said, "I'm sure you know what would work best for your own company." He had gotten just a little overly enthused with Brian's request for assistance; once he saw what Brian was working with, and how wrong it innately felt to his artistic eye, he couldn't help the ideas that tumbled out of his head and onto the paper. It was just in his nature as an artist to be more visual than most.
His eyes widened as Brian smiled at him; it was a grateful sort of smile in a magnitude he hadn't quite seen before and it made the brunet even more sexy in his eyes, if that was even possible. He couldn't help smiling back a little in return as his heart began to do some crazy sort of flip flops in response.
"No," Brian told him softly. "Don't apologize." He shook his head in amazement. "You just accomplished what two of my so-called best employees couldn't do in a week." He glanced down at the preliminary sketch Justin had done and somehow he just knew – this just might work; it might not only save his financial ass but get him out from under Chagall's grip as well. And best of all, it just might allow him to catch an even bigger and better prize. "You're something else, you know that, Justin?" he responded softly.
Justin blushed at the unexpected compliment and the intense look in Brian's eyes; somehow having the other man's respect for his abilities meant much more to him than he realized. "Thanks," he said simply. "I'm just glad I could help, that's all." He stood up, unable to stand being quite so close to the delicious temptation sitting much too close to him. He walked over to the window to gaze out at the street outside as he pointed out, "That still doesn't mean it will win them over, but I hope it's a start." He sincerely meant that, too – for some reason it was important to him as well as to Brian. Of course, he figured that if Brian continued to flourish in his business, that would mean he shouldn't have any problems at all with compensating him handsomely for his work on his and Chagall's wedding, but that wasn't why he had done it.
In fact, the very thought of that just made him sad. The truth was, he didn't want Brian to get married – he wanted him for himself. And he thought that perhaps Brian wanted him, too – for much more than just a one-time thing. But like he had told Daphne, how he could be sure of that? He just couldn't come out and ask him – could he? No, he decided after a few seconds, as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't risk wearing his heart on his sleeve that way. But he also knew he was quickly running out of time to find out and as far as he could tell, Brian's wedding to that arrogant man that he disliked intensely was still very much on schedule.
He jumped a little as he felt a hand on his shoulder; he had been so lost in thought, he hadn't even heard Brian approaching him from behind. But just the sensation of Brian's warm hand on his skin, even through his tee shirt, made him flush with excitement. "Justin," he heard the other man whisper near his ear. He shivered as he felt the warm breath near his face; he didn't dare turn around or he knew he would be lost and any last fragment of common sense would go with it, along with his heart.
"Justin," Brian repeated urgently. It was time to come clean to this incredible man – he couldn't stand being this close to this intriguing man and not fulfilling all the fantasies that haunted his every dream and vision constantly. To hell with his deal with the devil…No matter what happened with the Swanson account tomorrow, he had to tell him….
Justin closed his eyes in an explosion of sensation; he had found it almost impossible to simply sit near the other man; now that Brian's hand was cupping his shoulder, his breath was washing over him like a warm, silky blanket, and he could smell his intoxicating scent, his imagination was kicking into high gear over the thought of just what the two of them could be doing instead of talking about art and advertising campaigns and Brian's marriage to another man….
He pulled himself up short at that sobering thought; what was he doing? He managed somehow to pull himself away from the brunet enough to release himself from Brian's grip. "Uh…..your fiancé should be here soon," he said stiffly with his back to him as he tried desperately to throw some sort of ice water on the feelings rapidly coursing through his body. "I'd better go get the information for your wedding so I'll be ready when he gets here." Without looking at Brian, he reluctantly turned away from him and began to walk back over to his desk.
He didn't get far, however; as soon as he passed close to the other man, Brian promptly stuck his hand out and gripped his upper arm tightly, leaving no opportunity for him to escape. "Justin," he heard him say again. "We need to talk."
Nevertheless, despite Brian's strong grasp of him, Justin tried halfheartedly to get away before it was too late. "Brian…..please…..let me go," he feebly protested, but his voice didn't sound very convincing even to him.
Rather than letting him go, in fact, Brian spun him around to face him and promptly wrapped both of his arms behind Justin's back, encasing his body firmly in his. Justin instinctively placed his hands against Brian's chest, surprised to feel the brunet's heart beating rapidly in time with his own. In shock, he finally risked raising his eyes to meet the hazel ones staring back at him intently, finding the light-green orbs with flashes of gold hypnotizing. His lips parted involuntarily as he let out soft pants of nervous anticipation. He knew this would happen eventually….somehow, he always knew… He averted his eyes for fear he was giving away much too much to this powerful man….
Brian's body tingled at the feel of this body held prisoner against his own; he had had a taste of how it would feel that day on Robert's ship, but this was so much better than he could imagine. They fit together perfectly like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle – his leaner, taller frame molded itself bone to bone, skin to skin, with Justin's smaller, petite one. It was as if his body had been born to mate with this man, and he had finally discovered his destiny.
"Look at me, Justin," he commanded softly but firmly. "There's something you need to know." He couldn't stand this subterfuge any longer; why it was so important he be honest with this one particular man he really didn't know – he just knew that it was…..
Like some sort of invisible, magnetic pull that couldn't be ignored or resisted any longer, Justin slowly raised his eyes again to meet Brian's. The darkened, hazel orbs bored into his as he whispered back throatily, "Brian….."
He wasn't sure what else he would have said at that moment, because his breath stopped in his throat as he saw Brian's gaze drift down to his lips and his head slowly descend toward his….It was so cliché, but as Brian's lips finally touched his and his eyes drifted shut in response, Justin couldn't help thinking that time had just stopped. He could feel Brian's hands slowly rubbing lazy, sensuous circles on his back as he growled and pressed his soft lips firmly against his. The touch of Brian's long-fingered hands and his sensually-moving lips grinding against his was almost too much as he felt his knees threatening to buckle where he stood. If not for Brian's body being firmly pressed against his and his arms holding him tight, he was convinced he would have fallen right then and there to the ground in an aroused, spineless heap.
At that moment, he knew he could never have this type of reaction to Nico; this was like comparing a hand-held sparkler to a supernova. Brian angled his head and released Justin's lips just enough to allow the blond to free his hands and wrap them around Brian's neck before the brunet plunged back in, a moan escaping his throat as his tongue took a tentative swipe over Justin's soft lips in a request – no, a demand – for entrance. There was only a heartbeat of a pause before Justin's mouth opened up and Brian's tongue pushed in.
Justin's fingers splayed themselves against Brian's neck; one hand lightly feathered the surprisingly soft hair there while the other stroked the warm, firm flesh at his disposal. around his neck. His only rational thought at that moment was how wonderful this felt – Brian's lips ravaging his, his tongue swirling possessively around the inside of his mouth, his strong hands caressing his back. He shivered at the pleasurable sensations rushing through his body as he almost tried to crawl inside the other man in ecstasy. Another growl escaped someone's mouth but neither was sure where it originated from as they continued to plunder, to explore, and to invade….
Brian didn't miss a beat as he continued to kiss Justin while he slowly began to walk them toward the couch; it wasn't his ideal choice for the location of their first time together, but he couldn't wait – he had to have this man NOW and he wasn't about to waste precious time with logistics. There would be plenty of time later to repeat what he was sure would be a mind blowing experience in much more opulent surroundings…
As they neared the settee, Justin's startled eyes opened as he felt the back of his legs hitting some sort of immovable object; he had been so lost in the sensation of Brian's lips bruising his and the man's arms roaming all over his back like some sexy octopus, he hadn't even noticed how or when they had arrived near the client sitting area. Now, however, as he opened his eyes and risked gazing back into the now almost-black eyes filled with lust and desire for him, his pulse raced to an even higher level as Brian huskily murmured, "I want you so badly…..I'm going to fuck you right now..."
"Oh, God," Justin cried out in anxious anticipation. Something told him the reality of what was about to happen would be so much better than any dream he had had before of just this moment. As Brian lay him down lengthwise on the couch with surprising gentleness, Justin's eyes widened at the lust-filled look Brian gave him as he lowered his body onto his and began to grind their crotches together. Thoughts of his pending meeting with Brian's fiancé slowly disappeared as he lost himself in the sensations he was feeling – at that moment, he didn't care that Brian was engaged to someone else. All he could think about was Brian's lips crushed against his, his hands possessively gripping his head as he kissed him once more, his desire for him clearly evident by the steel-like hardness pressing against him…..
The slamming of a nearby car door and the short bark of a car horn's alarm system brought him crashing back to reality. He stiffened in Brian's arms as the brunet cursed out loud in angry frustration. "Fuck!" he snarled as with great reluctance he released Justin after a few seconds and somehow managed to rise to his feet. His breathing, erratic and heavy with lust, threatened to give him away as he quickly pulled Justin up to join him.
Brian berated himself as he looked at Justin's swollen, bruised lips and flushed face; he had let his passion get the best of him and now he had waited too long to explain to Justin what was going on. "Justin….." he began, desperate to explain.
Justin shook his head as tears sprang to his eyes; he was angry at himself for letting things get this far and also embarrassed over his lack of control. Somehow, when it came to Brian Kinney, though, he had no control. He glanced over in a panic as he saw Chagall walking toward the entrance for his 2:00 meeting with him and Brian, his fiancé.
Brian reached out to touch him, to reassure him that he really did care for him, and that there was a logical explanation for what was going on. If only he had had just a little more time to explain, to assure Justin that hopefully thanks to his efforts, he would soon be out from under Robert's grasp, he would understand how much he meant to him. But it was too late for that now…..He took one more, regretful look at the incredible vision standing nervously before him and said, "Go upstairs for a few minutes; I'll take care of Robert." He hurriedly straightened up his suit jacket and shirt, stuffing it inside his dress pants in an attempt to disguise his obvious ardor for this incredible man in front of him; he knew he'd better go sit down and drape something over his aching hard-on or Chagall would immediately ascertain exactly what sort of activity had just been about to take place.
"Go!" he urged Justin. The blond stared at him uncertainly for a few seconds before nodding curtly and rushing toward the steps toward his apartment. Brian had just enough time to hurry over, take his suit jacket off and sit down in the sitting area before the door knob jiggled and the overhead bell rang, signaling his pompous fiancé's arrival. He took a deep breath to calm himself as best he could and place his jacket in his lap just before Chagall came rushing in.
For all of Chagall's business acumen, he was fortunately severely lacking when it came to detective skills, because to Brian's relief, he didn't notice the flushed look on his face or his still-swollen lips from his stolen kisses with Justin. Nor did he seem to take note of Brian's somewhat wrinkled appearance or his slightly-tousled hair, all of which should have been dead giveaways that something unusual had happened just now with his fiancé and a certain beautiful blond. But Chagall, instead, was merely smugly pleased that his candy-eye fiancé had managed to show up on time. "Well, miracles do happen after all," he pronounced sarcastically as he walked over to greet Brian. "You actually showed up like you said you would."
"I told you earlier I would be here," Brian told him defensively with astonishing calm; inside, however, his heart was still beating furiously over what had just taken place. He knew that no matter how much he tried, there was no way he was ever going to forget what had just happened, or the unbelievable feelings that just holding and kissing Justin had produced. It just made his resolve to be inside that man's tight little ass that much stronger and to know what it would feel like to have those soft, kissable and talented lips worshipping his cock. He only prayed that after tomorrow, those hopes would become reality. First, though, he had to muddle through the awful pretense of actually giving a damn what Chagall wanted for their wedding and reception. The worst part of it, though, was what Justin would have to do. He knew Justin would have to come down here shortly and pretend that nothing had happened between them. And if their encounter had had this much of an effect on him, he could only imagine how Justin must be feeling….
Upstairs, Justin splashed water on his face in a desperate attempt to quell the churning emotions inside him and to somehow restore his tinged complexion to his more normal pale one. His heart was still racing with pent-up desire as his breaths were struggling to return to normal from what had just happened. Not only had he and Brian almost wound up fucking their brains out – and he had no doubt he would have let him – they had almost been caught in the act by Brian's fiancé. Now, even worse, he would have to march back down there and pretend nothing had happened. He would have to go down there and pull out a folder detailing his plans for the "happy" couple's wedding and reception as if he were just a disinterested bystander. How was he going to be able to do that? He stared at his reflection in the mirror; his face was still darkened with lust and his hair was a mess from where Brian had run his fingers through it. He could almost still feel the man's hands all over his body and his lips ravaging his as he closed his eyes in anguish.
He was so confused; he didn't understand what was going on. Could Brian actually do what he just did and still want to marry this other man? If not, why was he doing it? Was he just using him for his own temporary pleasure or was it some sort of "thank you" fuck for helping him with his ad campaign?
"God," he groaned. "What is going on?" he cried out softly to himself in torment. "What do you want from me, Brian?" he lamented mournfully.
He agonized over those questions, along with what to do now. He knew Chagall must be downstairs now with Brian; he couldn't just stay up here and pretend he didn't know. And he just couldn't hide until Chagall gave up on him, although for a brief second he was tempted to do just that. Despite what had just happened, he had an agreement with the two men to plan their wedding and reception for them. If he backed out of the agrement now, he knew that somehow Chagall would spread that news all over the city and before too long, he wouldn't even have a business. Of course, if he somehow found out what had just happened between him and Brian, he would probably do it anyway.
He huffed out a frustrated breath as he placed his head in his hands and hung his head in misery. He had no choice; he was going to have to march down there and pretend that nothing had happened, that the man's fiancé hadn't just made his body rise to euphoric heights and create in him a craving that only he could satiate. Whether that would ever happen, though – whether it even should happen – was almost impossible to determine.
Taking one more deep breath and brushing a comb quickly through his hair, he took one more look at his now more normal appearance and with a heavy heart, turned to walk back down the stairs to face the inevitable.