Next Morning – 8:10 a.m. – Children's Hospital
Dr. Martin McKenzie sighed as he listened to voicemail message No. 15 on his phone; all together there had been 22 such messages since he had chosen to issue the suspension to Justin Taylor and that didn't even take into account the multitude of nasty email messages he had received through the hospital's website. All of them contained the same basic message: somehow word had gotten out, despite their privacy policy, that he had disciplined the young intern for his dalliance with another man and they were all outraged over the severity of his punishment.
Most of the voicemail messages were from angry parents of either current or former patients of the hospital, upset that he had suspended a man who they feel had been instrumental in keeping their children's spirits up during what was the worst time of their – and their parents' – lives. They left no doubt as to their dislike and vehement disagreement over his decision. How they knew this had happened in the first place was unknown; but knowing how fast the gossip pool grew around the hospital, he had a feeling someone had leaked the information deliberately. In fact, by the speed at which the messages had begun to appear so soon after Taylor's suspension had begun, it threatened to set a new distribution record.
The emails were even more eye-opening, however. Not only were there ones from employees who worked directly with Justin, describing in meticulous detail how Taylor was unique in his ability to put both patients and parents at ease over their child's condition and perhaps even speed up their recovery in some cases, but there were several emails from actual parents as well. Some of those emails were both heartwarming as well as gut-wrenching. They told of how Justin had spent untold, unpaid, off-shift hours staying by the bedsides of critically-ill children, boosting the spirits of both the child as well as the parents themselves, and of his gentleness and compassion with them. They reiterated how he had gone out of his way to deliver special treats to them or little stuffed animals to help comfort them and lessen their pain. It even described how he had drawn candid portraits of each child who had passed away and had presented them as gifts to the grieving parents, always showing the child as vibrant, happy, and full of life, just the way their parents wanted to remember them.
Several of the parents had told him how that portrait had made their loss much easier to bear and how much it had meant to them to be able to gaze at their child's image in the bloom of life, rather than picturing them emaciated and pain-stricken. Some had even sent photos of the portraits to prove their point, and McKenzie was astounded at the realism and energy portrayed in the drawings. He had had no idea that Taylor was so artistically gifted; to him he had merely been one of dozens of orderlies who came and went from the hospital after growing tired of what most of them viewed as an unglamorous, unheralded, and unappreciated job. It seemed that one particular orderly, however, had changed the scope of that image forever in the hearts and minds of several parents and their vulnerable patients.
One particular email he had received was of special concern to him; it was from a name he immediately recognized: Daniel Barton, the owner of Barton's Fine Foods. Barton owned several groceries throughout the State of Pennsylvania and the Upper Midwest, and had a child, Maria, who had been born with a heart defect that was now 10 years old. Fortunately, due to a radical new heart procedure that had been performed recently, his child now appeared to be well on her way to a full recovery. He had been so grateful for the care Maria had received at the hospital that just last week he had pledged a four-million-dollar donation for a new cardiac wing the hospital desperately wanted to add to the southern end of the building to help bring in more lucrative business.
Apparently, Justin Taylor had been his daughter's orderly, and Barton had discovered the suspension that had been handed out to him; to say the man was not happy was an understatement. He had lashed out at the hospital in his email, advising McKenzie that if something wasn't done to rectify Taylor's predicament, he was actually going to pull his sponsorship of the cardiac wing! The doctor's mouth had fallen open in shock at the man's adamant threat; he couldn't believe the man was so struck by the care that one orderly had provided to his daughter that he would actually withdraw his pledge to help fund the new wing. If he followed through on his promise, though, that would totally decimate their fundraising efforts; the ability to promote their new development and gain further backing was totally dependent upon Barton's endorsement and ongoing support, and if it was yanked out from under them they would have to start all over again.
As he jotted down the latest name and other information from the most recent voicemail message, he placed the receiver back down worriedly. This was not good, Swanson the Miracle Worker or not. Was it worth all the bad publicity that was being generated merely to stroke the ego of their chief surgeon? More importantly, was it worth the possible cost of having their multi-million funding pulled? He brushed some hair back from his forehead, feeling an imminent headache quickly encroaching as he noticed Kelly, his assistant, approaching his office. He looked up and sighed, wishing he had decided to work from home today. "Yes, Kelly? What is it?"
He noticed his assistant fidgeting uncomfortably as she replied, "There's a couple of employees here that want to speak with you, Doctor."
"About….?"
Kelly hesitated. "They wouldn't say," she admitted. "And they don't have an appointment."
"Then tell them to make one and come back when it's scheduled," he told her brusquely; he didn't mean to be rude with his assistant, but he was getting tired of these constant intrusions into his normal workday. He had always prided himself on his organizational skills – in fact, his ability to multi-task as well as maintain his duties in a well-organized and structured manner had been one of the reasons why he had been hired in the first place – but the past few days since he had temporarily suspended Taylor had completely thrown his normal efficiency out the window. He didn't like being either pushed off schedule or blindsided by impromptu visits from hospital staff, and something told him this was about to be yet another one of them…...
He stared pointedly at his assistant as she nodded silently and turned to leave. He let out a heavy whoosh of relief as he heard his assistant speaking softly to whoever his visitors were and he flipped open his laptop to review his appointment calendar for the day. A few seconds later, though, he sighed in irritated defeat as he heard voices just outside his door, increasing in volume and coming closer. "I said you can't just go in there," Kelly was saying. "I'll be happy to make an appointment for you…."
He could hear an unidentified female voice retorting, "I don't want a fucking appointment!" as he turned his gaze toward the doorway just in time to see a feisty-looking, petite, brunette woman and a older companion wearing nurse's scrubs entering his office with his assistant close on their heels.
"I told them they couldn't see you without an appointment," she told her boss, flustered that this had happened twice in a week now.
Feeling like he was participating in a Twilight Zone and experiencing a distinct feeling of déjà vu, McKenzie shook his head. "Never mind," he wearily told Kelly. "I'll handle this." His assistant murmured a regretful apology for her inability to carry through with his orders before she nodded and quietly left the room, pausing just long enough to turn and glare at their unwelcome, impromptu visitors before she softly closed the door behind her.
"Have a seat, ladies," he told them, sweeping his hand out to indicate the two chairs in front of him. "Apparently whatever you have to say can't wait to go through proper channels." He studied the two women closely from over the wire rim of his glasses; he thought both looked familiar, but frankly to his own embarrassment, there were several hundred employees of the hospital working three different shifts and he just didn't have the proper time to get to know each one closely. He actually regretted that, feeling to properly run the hospital he should know more about the employees that comprise his staff, but having only been in his position for a relatively short time he had yet to make that wish a reality. If he had, perhaps he would have known more about the young man who he suspected was about to be the subject of their present conversation. "So what do you so adamantly need to discuss with me, uh, Ms…?"
"Chanders…..Daphne Chanders," the brunette told him as he noticed her name badge indicating she was a resident. "And this is one of the nurses from ICU, Cathy McDonald."
McKenzie nodded, noticing for the first time that the young resident had a clipboard in her hand. "Dr. Chanders," he acknowledged her politely as he looked at her much older companion. "Ms. McDonald." He pushed his glasses back up onto his nose before advising them, "I have a very busy schedule today, ladies, so if you could please get to the point." Not for the first time, he wondered why he even tried to adhere to a strict schedule; recently, it didn't seem to be doing him much good. He watched as Dr. Chanders turned the clipboard she was holding around and held it out toward him. As he accepted it and began to review it, he discovered his previous suspicion was correct – he was about to have yet another conversation regarding Justin Taylor. The clipboard was full of names. "What's this?"
"It's a petition registering our disapproval of your disciplinary action regarding Justin Taylor," Daphne told him, her eyes flashing in righteous indignation. She had stewed for four days now, trying hard to abide by Justin's wishes not to do anything that might negatively reflect upon her residency, before she just couldn't stand it any longer. She still had no idea how everyone in the hospital found out about Justin's punishment – despite what McKenzie no doubt thought was her doing, she hadn't been the one to spread the news internally – but she wasn't surprised that everyone she spoke to about it was quite angry over the severity of his punishment. They all agreed that perhaps Justin had exercised poor judgment in engaging in such conduct out in the open, however unintentionally, but they also thought the decision that had been made had been far too heavy handed. The details had spread more rapidly than a wildfire, and had eventually been overheard by some of the parents standing vigil over their chronically ill children, the ones who had benefited from Justin's compassionate, loving treatment of them, and they, too, had felt a strong need to participate in the petition drive by affixing their names as well.
Cathy McDonald had been one of the most vocal critics of Justin's treatment and had taken it upon herself to begin circulating a petition to have Justin reinstated immediately. She knew, just like the other employees, that they could possibly risk some sort of sanction themselves due to their participation, but they all figured two things: there was safety in numbers (after all, the hospital couldn't afford to lose ALL of them), and they had to stand up for what they believed in, no matter what the cost. Daphne had found their response both heartwarming as well as encouraging, choosing to accompany Cathy up to the Chief of Staff's office to plead their case and hopefully push to get Justin back on the job that he loved so much and excelled at – and have him return to where the children so desperately needed him. She had chosen not to tell Justin yet about what was going on – if they weren't successful, he would be none the wiser, but if he knew they had gone to so much trouble on his account, she also knew he would be worried about their welfare and be embarrassed that they had possibly risked their own jobs for him.
Dr. McKenzie slowly studied the names on the petition; there were not only names of employees listed by floor and occupation (noting there were several doctors listed in addition to various other personnel), but also pages and pages of parents of current as well as former patients, just like with the numerous messages he had received over the past few days. The disapproval over his handling of Justin Taylor's case had apparently snowballed furiously since the discipline had been handed out, and he was savvy enough to know that this was bad – extremely bad. The hospital's reputation had been built on goodwill, high-quality care and positive media exposure – if word got out about what had happened and the hospital's reputation was sullied, all the good he had worked so feverishly to build since he had started here would be for naught. In light of the economic environment in which they currently lived, they could not afford to have that happen. "There're a lot of names on here," he commented at last, although that was self-apparent without him having to voice it aloud.
"Yes, there are," Cathy told him as Daphne nodded. "A lot of people aren't happy with what happened to Justin, not only his co-workers but a lot of the parents, too." As McKenzie looked at her, she added astutely, "I've worked here a long time, Doctor. I've seen a lot of Chiefs of Staff come and go. But one thing has always remained the same – our focus on providing quality, compassionate care for our patients. To me, depriving the children of Justin's talents over some minor infraction of the 'rules' is a major hindrance to maintaining that goal."
McKenzie scoffed softly. "He's just one orderly, Ms. McDonald. How much impact can one man – especially in that capacity – have?"
Cathy's eyes flashed with anger; she held up her hand in front of Daphne in an unspoken request for her to be silent as she continued, "You don't have a good comprehension of what that 'orderly' does, Doctor," the disdain obvious in her voice. "He's not just an 'orderly.' He is an extremely talented artist who uses his gifts to help make the children feel better, if only for a short time. I've seen him work his magic on them, Doctor. He doesn't just give them sponge baths, bring their meals, and change the bedding. He sits with them, holds their hand when they have diseases that others would run away from. He brings them ice cream to not only sooth their throats but their souls. He takes a bag full of small stuffed animals with him wherever he goes to leave them with a small toy that will provide them comfort when they're scared, lonely, or missing their pet at home. He sits with them and draws pictures for them, silly ones that make them smile, or he turns them into some colorful, wild animal by painting their faces for them in the rec room. He doesn't treat any of the children differently, no matter how hideously they may be burned or disfigured; trust me, I've seen many other orderlies that have done just that. I'm not quite sure what it is about him, but he's special – very special, and we can't afford to lose him."
Daphne's eyes filled with tears; Cathy was right – Justin was all of those things – and more. "She's right," she said in a firm voice, unable to keep quiet any longer. "I've watched him, Doctor. He's an amazing artist and uses that skill, along with his compassion, to create miracles. He gives the children as well as their parents hope. He never complains about what's asked of him and goes out of his way to take care of them. He even helped one of the parents find a spare room so they could get cleaned up and get some rest while his child was battling for his life." She didn't mention that the 'parent' happened to be the 'other' participant in Justin's two trysts, not wanting to muddy the waters, but really it didn't matter; it was the truth. "I think when you consider everything he has to offer the hospital, Doctor, his contributions and qualities far outweigh the minor infraction he committed. And he's already been suspended for four days without pay. Justin's a student at PIFA and works here to help pay his way through school. I can tell you from personal knowledge that he is going to struggle dearly for what he did from a financial perspective, but knowing how Justin is, what's really hurting him the most, no doubt, is being away from the children; and the children are being hurt most of all. Just what is most important here, then, Doctor? Keeping the children as happy and pain free as possible, or proving a point?"
McKenzie sighed, feeling like he was being bombarded by two female howitzers. Their passionate onslaught, combined with the pages and pages of signatures accumulated on the petition that he was holding in his hand, was hard to combat. The emails and voicemail messages he had received for the past several days didn't help, either, especially the one from Barton. He wasn't surprised to hear the two women waxing poetic regarding Taylor's attributes; what they were telling him was just reinforcing what he had already heard. But he was surprised to hear that the suspended orderly was a student at PIFA. He knew that school was a very prestigious one and extremely competitive when it came to acceptance; Taylor must indeed be highly gifted to be enrolled there. "You realize this was an internal matter, and was supposed to be subject to confidentiality rules," he said, making one last attempt to stick to his principles but finding it ringing hollow now, too…..there came a point when one had to admit defeat in the face of so much opposition, and he had an idea he was fast approaching that point now.
"It's sort of too late to put the genie back into the bottle, don't you think?" Cathy stated; having been at the hospital for almost 25 years now, she had long ago lost any fear of having to skirt around issues she passionately believed in, and she was strongly adamant in her conviction that the severity of Justin's decision was way out of line. "I personally don't know how the information got out, Doctor, but it's out. I'm merely presenting you with proof that the majority of people aware of it are strongly opposed to your decision. We all realize we don't have the actual power to reinstate him; that's up to you. But we CAN tell you how we feel about it, and we don't think it was fair."
McKenzie nodded as he smiled slightly. "I think I get that," he stated wryly as he gazed at the two determined-looking women, one just starting out on her medical path and one about to wrap hers up. Two ends of the spectrum, but apparently when it came to this particular young man they were in complete agreement. He placed the clipboard down on his desk. "Very well," he told them as he watched their faces light up in anticipation. "I'll reconsider my decision," he told them, noticing just a tinge of disappointment on their faces as they realized no change would be immediately forthcoming. "That's all I can promise, though. That's the best I can do."
The two women locked gazes before they nodded slightly to each other and stood up, their 'mission' at least partly successful. "I guess that's all we can ask for now," Daphne told him. "I thank you at least for listening to our concerns."
McKenzie stood up and, after a couple of seconds, held his hand out to shake each woman's in turn. He had to admit – they had courage to even come in here and speak to him, and he had to respect that. "It's been enlightening, Ladies," he told them with a slight smile as he shook their hands. "I trust you'll come back when any other issues of concern arise?"
Daphne and Cathy smiled back at him as they said in unison, almost as if they had rehearsed it, "You can count on it."
As the two women turned to leave and opened the door to exit, the doctor stood there and let out a heavy breath. He shook his head, wondering how such a relatively small personnel issue had captured the attention of so many; clearly, this 'orderly' must be very special to a lot of people. He sat back down thoughtfully, deciding he would have to settle this issue once and for all if he was to resume any semblance of normalcy to his schedule for the rest of the week. Mulling over his options for several minutes, he finally picked up the phone to call his assistant as a sudden inspiration hit him. "Kelly…..Get me Daniel Barton on the phone."
Same Time – Brian's Loft
Justin stretched his hands over his head, imagining the feel of the outrageously-expensive sheets lying beneath his bare skin. He kept his eyes closed, wanting to relish in the sensation of being in such a comfortable bed with his head lying on what had to be a sateen-adorned, feather down pillow. He sighed in contentment, knowing in reality that it had to be some delicious dream. He certainly knew his bed at the apartment never felt this good before, so that had to be the only logical explanation. If it was, he didn't want to wake up just yet….
His eyes flew wide open, however, as he felt a hot, wet mouth latch itself onto his cock and begin to suckle it like a newborn baby nursing on a bottle's nipple. "What….?" He managed to sputter out as his pulse shot up dramatically at the wondrous, sensual feel and he felt a rumble of laughter buzzing through the lips encasing his cock. It both tickled and aroused him enormously as he raised his head just enough to find a pair of twinkling hazel orbs staring back at him from below.
His face flushed as he realized then exactly where he was – and who he was with. He had spent the night with Brian Kinney after they had had their long-anticipated, heart-to-heart talk. Their cat-and-mouse, back-and-forth maneuvering last night had culminated in the most mind-blowing round of sex he ever had with anyone. It had started with several passionate kisses on the couch and had quickly proceeded to here in Brian's bed where the man had proceeded to voraciously fuck, suck, rim, and ram him for several hours. He figured at best he had had about three hours' sleep, but at the moment he wasn't complaining – his pulse was racing so fast at the moment, he wasn't even sure he could speak intelligently anyway…..
His heart skipped a beat as he watched Brian smile through his sensual attack on his cock; he gasped as his lover placed his warm hand firmly around the base of his shaft as he began to attack his cock now in earnest. Brian's expert attention to his now fully-aroused cock made his body want to arch off the bed in response, but the brunet's hand firmly pressing his left leg down onto the mattress prevented him from lifting his body up too far. As his breath hitched and his lungs threatened to burst out of his chest, Brian began to speed up his ministrations, alternatively licking his slit, scraping his teeth across the underside, and suctioning his lips so tightly around his shaft he thought he would go crazy with desire. He almost blindly reached out helplessly to fist some of Brian's auburn hair in his hands as he felt his body quickly tightening with near excruciating torment. Finally, unable to hold out any longer against the expert touch of his lover, he let out a loud cry and shot his load into Brian's eagerly-awaiting mouth.
His chest heaving from exertion as his pulse continued to beat furiously, Brian slowly slithered up his sweaty body, his own impressive cock brushing against his belly as he pulled himself up to be face to face with him. Bracing his own body on his hands to keep his heavier weight off his lover, Brian smiled down tenderly at Justin as he whispered, "Did you enjoy your wakeup call? I know I did."
Justin blushed at the intense look in Brian's eyes. Even after several hours of lovemaking, all Brian had to do was look at him in that particular, sexy way of his and he would just melt with happiness. He smiled back at him almost bashfully as he answered, "Yeah….I could get used to that. Sure beats an alarm clock."
Brian chuckled. "What a compliment," he joked, but his smile took any sting out of his comment. He leaned down to kiss the soft lips; it was tentative at first but soon developed into a much more passionate one as their mouths opened and tongues snaked out to taste each other. Several seconds later, Brian pulled back to gaze into the expressive blue eyes. He placed an almost chaste kiss on Justin's nose as the blond crinkled his face adorably in response. Curling his lips under, he asked, "Would you like to wake me up now?"
Justin grinned. "I think that's only fair, don't you?" He squeaked in surprise as Brian promptly flipped them over so Justin was draped across his chest. He gently brushed some hair away from the brunet's face, his heart threatening to burst from happiness as he slowly pushed his way down Brian's taut, smooth body, taking his time to kiss and lick every inch of delicious, salty/sweet flesh. His hands slowly followed along above him, softly trailing down Brian's biceps, forearms and hands until he felt their fingers linked together silently. Justin continued his trek with his mouth to Brian's belly button, taking his time swirling his tongue around the puckered 'innie' as Brian moaned softly in encouragement. Justin smiled at his positive response, feeling proud that he could make this magnificent man react to his ministrations in such an appreciative way. He could feel Brian's hands tighten in his as he slowly approached his glorious cock, now fully aroused and hard as steel. He squeezed Brian's right hand before releasing his long fingers as his hand followed his lips down toward Brian's shaft, feeling the brunet shiver as his hand lightly touched the curly pubic hair nearby. "What you do to me," Justin murmured as his breath made Brian shiver in reaction. "God, you're so beautiful," he couldn't help adding as he heard Brian laugh softly.
He looked up to meet Brian's eyes, wondering if he was making fun of him, but all he saw was the same type of wondrous expression of desire reflected back at him. He smiled at Brian in relief, licking his lips slightly in anticipation, before he turned his eyes back to the task at hand. He grasped Brian's cock lightly at first as his lover hissed at the initial contact before he curled his hand more firmly around the thickness, hearing Brian let out an even louder moan of pleasure at his more possessive touch. Encouraged to continue, Justin stole one more glance up at his lover before he lowered his gaze to firmly attach his full lips to his 'wake-up treat.' He hollowed out his cheeks and pumped his lips up and down the engorged, silky skin in earnest; he didn't need to hear Brian's even louder moan of approval to know he was hitting the mark, because his lover's body promptly lifted off the bed in response, threatening to push Justin off. To his credit, however, he managed to keep his hand firmly latched onto Brian's cock and he rode out the motion until Brian settled back down onto the bed with a grunt. He could feel Brian's heart beating rapidly like some caged bird as he lightly scraped his teeth against the underside of his cock. He barely had time to attach his lips back onto Brian's cock before the man cried out his name raggedly and promptly exploded into climax, the milky, sticky liquid shooting down Justin's mouth as he struggled to swallow the copious amount.
Several seconds later, he finally lifted his lips from the now sated body and slowly pulled himself back up the slick, hot skin as Brian broke off their handhold to slide one of his arms around Justin's sweaty back to hold him close. As Justin settled down onto Brian's body, both hearts now beating in staccato synchrony, Justin nestled his head against Brian's chest and sighed, wondering why he had resisted this for so long. This feeling – this perfect harmony – was almost indescribable in its intensity. At that moment, he couldn't think of anywhere else he would rather be, and at last, he truly believed Brian felt the same way.
Brian cradled the blond head against him with his hand against Justin's cheek, savoring the feelings coursing through him – pleasure, definitely; Justin had wound up being the best lover he had ever had. It was as if he could anticipate what he wanted and what he needed in order to derive the most intense pleasure from him. Since they had started making love last night, this man had succeeded in taking him to heights of ecstasy he never knew he could ever achieve. He didn't know if it had something to do with the intense emotions that accompanied it, but he suspected it did. He had never wanted to actually get to know another man before – not like this, not in an emotional way. He simply derived whatever heights of pleasure he could get and promptly went on his way, never caring whether he ever saw the guy again or not.
But this was so much different; it scared him shitless in a way but it also excited and thrilled him. He didn't know what the future would hold, but he couldn't wait to find out. And he had every intention of making sure this man was by his side every step of the way.
He softly kissed the top of his head as, sated for now, he slowly closed his eyes. The last thing he heard before he drifted off back to sleep was Justin's soft sigh of contentment above him.
Same Day – Mid-Afternoon
"Well, I'm glad you came to your senses, McKenzie," Barton told the doctor as he stood up to shake hands. "I think it's a fabulous idea, and you've got my full endorsement and support."
McKenzie nodded, enormously relieved that their benefactor had not only agreed to maintain his funding for the cardiac wing but had also agreed to help finance his newest staffing idea. "I'm extremely grateful for your assistance," he told the tall, distinguished man. At 6'3", Daniel Barton stood out in any crowd with his tall, lean stature. Even at 43, the man was exceptionally fit and quite athletic, often beating out several men less than half his age in charity marathons he liked to participate in throughout the year.
"And I'm so glad to hear that Maria is still doing well," McKenzie told the man sincerely. "I have every hope that she will continue to make a complete recovery."
Barton nodded as he turned to go. "I'm cautiously optimistic as well. At least I know the next time she has to come in for a checkup, her favorite ex-orderly will still be here to greet her. Don't mess this up, McKenzie," he warned softly, his eyes boring into the other man's. "Or I'll still follow through on my promise." Just before he opened the door to leave, he added, "I really like that young man. I'm glad you finally realized what a treasure you have there."
McKenzie nodded as the man exited his office, letting out a whoosh of relief that Barton had agreed to go along with his plan. Now there was only one more step – actually getting Justin to agree to it. Quickly picking up Taylor's folder he had secured from his desk drawer, he quickly scanned the employment sheet to locate the orderly's phone number. Placing the folder back down, he gazed at it thoughtfully for a few seconds before flipping his cell phone open to begin dialing the number.
Same Time – Brian's Loft
Brian and Justin had finally left the king-sized bed, partly because they decided a shower was definitely needed after their several hours of lovemaking, but more because Justin's stomach wouldn't quit growling. Brian had attempted to fuck him one more time, but his stomach loudly protested so vehemently he finally had to give up; of course, Justin's laughter over his pained expression sort of killed the moment, anyway. As they emerged from the shower partly dressed in jeans, the two sauntered over to the kitchen to try and scour up something to eat; Brian was consoled at least by the belief that Justin would remain a part of his life for some time to come, a long time if he had his wish. He definitely thought they had hashed out what they needed to last night and he was confident that he had properly explained his feelings to his lover adequately enough that Justin realized the depth of his feelings for him. Oddly enough, it exhilarated him more than it terrified him as he met Justin's gaze and smiled tenderly at him, receiving the same sort of contented response in return.
"I could heat up our dinner from last night," Brian told him as he walked up behind the blond and wrapped his arms around Justin's back to pin him up against the stove. "I love watching the way you eat shrimp," he huskily added as he leaned down to kiss the soft, pale neck.
Justin blushed as he turned around in Brian's arms, remembering exactly how his lover had fed him the shrimp; it had been both extremely arousing as well as tasty as he had sucked on Brian's fingers along with the seafood. The combination of butter, garlic, and Brian had been irresistible, but the oven had long ago been turned off and their food was cold as ice at the moment. "Maybe later," he whispered with a smile as Brian feigned an adorable little-boy pout. "I know where that will lead to, and I'd like to reserve 'dessert' until I actually have some food inside me, not your cock – as delectable as it is," he hastened to add as Brian smirked in return. "Do you have any real food in this place besides our dinner?"
Brian grinned. "I take it that doesn't include poppers or beer."
Justin snorted. "Hardly. I can run down to the corner," he offered. "I saw a grocery there on the way over last night."
Brian shook his head. "Don't bother," he told him, secretly not wanting to waste one minute being out of the blond's sight. "I'll call a delivery in," he suggested. "What would you like?"
Justin smiled, secretly happy that he wouldn't have to leave, either, even for a short time. "You pick," he told his lover. "I can eat anything."
"Yeah, I think you can," Brian told him meaningfully as Justin blushed again, leaving no doubt that he was recalling how expertly the blond had eaten his ass last night. By the time Justin had rimmed and sucked on him with his talented tongue and had squeezed and kneaded every part of his cheeks and lower back, he had reduced him to a blithering, almost embarrassing mess of goo, but he couldn't complain; it had felt incredible, and to his slight mortification, Justin had made him come just from his effort. He couldn't recall any other man ever doing that before, but then again, he had never quite met anyone like Justin before, either….
He nodded as he reached over to retrieve his cell phone from the kitchen bar counter. Like perfect timing, a cell phone could be heard ringing as his flipped the top open, but it was immediately obvious it wasn't his phone ringing because it was a distinctly different ring tone. Justin laughed at the coincidence as he walked over to his jacket to dig his own cell phone out of his pocket. "Hello?" he said.
"Is this Justin Taylor?"
Justin frowned; he recognized the voice from somewhere, but wasn't immediately able to place it. "Yes," he answered hesitantly as Brian looked over at him curiously.
"Justin, this is Dr. McKenzie from the hospital. Can you come to my office right away? I have something to talk to you about."
Justin's heart sped up as the man identified himself. What would the Chief of Staff want with him now? Was he going to renege on his disciplinary punishment and fire him altogether? Had something else been reported to him? He couldn't imagine what it was – it had only been the two times with Brian – but it still made his mouth go dry. He was feeling lost enough as it was with having to be separated from his job for a week; if McKenzie let him go – which was his prerogative – he would miss all the children terribly and he would definitely be completely broke, unable to pay any of his bills….. "Okay," he finally managed to whisper. "What time do you want to see me?"
"Whenever you get here," he told Justin. "I'll have my assistant, Kelly, buzz you in, okay? But I need you here as soon as you can get here."
"Am I in more trouble?" Justin couldn't help asking as Brian frowned in response this time to his question.
"I'd rather not discuss it over the phone, Mr. Taylor," the doctor mysteriously supplied in a cool, polite tone. "Just get here as soon as you're able to, all right? I'll be waiting for you."
As the man disconnected the phone, Justin slowly flipped his own phone closed and stared over at Brian, worry and puzzlement etched on his beautiful face.
"Was that McKenzie?" Brian asked him, reading between the lines of Justin's conversation. As Justin nodded in reply, he asked, "Any idea what he wants with you? He's caused enough problems already." He knew the man had a job to do, but he still bristled internally at what the man had done to Justin. And to think Justin was still being loyal to the hospital; his lover was definitely being a lot more generous than HE would be. He walked over to the blond and placed his hands on his shoulder to link them behind his head. "You can still take me up on my offer, you know," he said hopefully as he gazed into the troubled blue eyes.
Justin huffed softly. "Keep it open," he murmured worriedly. "I may need it." He reached up to kiss Brian's lips gently before whispering, "I think I'll have to take a rain check on takeout, okay? My stomach will be tied up in knots until I find out what he wants."
Brian nodded. "Let me drive you to the hospital, then," he offered. "We can stop and pick up something to eat on the way."
"You don't have to do that," Justin told him a little self-consciously, not wanting Brian to feel like he had to make amends anymore; he felt they had settled any issues between them last night and he didn't want Brian to feel responsible for him. "I can take the bus – I'm very familiar with the schedule, trust me," he joked. The bus was his normal, regular mode of transportation and he almost had the entire route map memorized by now. It wasn't nearly as convenient as having his own vehicle, but it was definitely cheaper.
Brian played with the soft hair behind Justin's head as he replied, "Don't be ridiculous, Justin – I'll drive you, okay? Besides, I admit; I'm dying of curiosity to know what he's up to, also. If he tries anything else, I swear, I'll fucking…"
"Brian," Justin responded, gently placing his hand over the other man's lips. "I can take care of it, okay? I'll deal with it, whatever it is….." He was quiet for a couple of seconds before he added, "I WILL take you up on your offer to drive me, though; I guess I'm as anxious to get there and find out what he wants as you are."
Brian nodded as he kissed Justin's lips quickly before releasing him. "Let's go, then," he said as he snatched his keys up from the counter. He extended his hand out to Justin, who hesitated just for a second before he firmly placed his hand in his. He had no idea what McKenzie wanted, but as he felt the warmth of Brian's hand clasped in his, he knew Brian would be there to help weather it with him and that made his load just a little lighter.