Brian watched as Justin picked at his food, mainly moving it around on his plate instead of eating it. "Justin," he gently scolded his partner. "Greg said to EAT your food, not set it up artistically to draw a still life of it."
"Huh?" Justin answered, as he raised his eyes from his plate to peer at his partner. He hadn't really been paying attention to Brian, unable to keep his thoughts from straying toward what was about to happen. His stomach was tied up in knots and he felt like he was going to be ill.
Brian sighed softly in exasperation. "I said, you need to EAT something, Sunshine. You don't look so good."
The sarcastic retort he was about to say died on his lips as he looked at the concerned face of his partner. Instead, he took a deep breath and let it out, answering truthfully, "I really don't think I can eat anything. My stomach is churning and I feel nauseous. My fucking nerves are totally on edge."
Brian smiled sympathetically as he reached over to tenderly grasp the blond's hand. "I know. I wish there was something I could do. But we both know how important it is that you testify. The whole case hinges on it, Justin." He continued to hold his partner's hand as he caressed it with his thumb.
Justin looked at him lovingly. "You ARE doing something, Brian, just by being here. I couldn't do any of this without you, you know," he admitted. "If you weren't in that courtroom, I would be totally paralyzed in there." He shivered suddenly as he thought about going back into the room. "Just the thought of being that close to him again, and having him staring at me as I testify, makes me nervous as hell and totally sick to my stomach."
"I know, Sunshine," Brian answered softly. "That's why when you're testifying, you look at ME, NOT that bastard. Don't give him that power over you. Don't fall for his game. You've come out of a lot of tough situations before, and you're going to do it again," he reminded him.
Biting his lip, Justin said, "I know, but I also know how tough Sinclair can be on cross-examination. I mean, look what he tried to do to you. And you're a tough son of a bitch," he told his partner, drawing a mock look of outrage from Brian before noticing the other man's lips curl under into a slight smirk.
"Yeah, well, I may be a pit bull, but underneath that blond twinkie exterior is the hide of a fucking grizzly bear when he needs to be," he replied, half-kidding, as his expression turned serious. "You have an inner strength a lot of people aren't aware of. You just need to draw upon that, and it will get you through this, okay?" Hazel eyes stared deeply into sapphire-blue ones as his eyebrows raised, waiting for a response from his partner.
Justin sighed as he took a breath; looking at the cafeteria clock, he noticed the lunch recess was about over. As he stood up and twisted his neck back and forth to try and relieve some of the tension in his shoulders, he looked at the man he loved and answered, "Okay." As Brian stood up from his chair to join him, Justin added, "But that's not the only strength I'll be drawing on," as he reached up and gave the older man a quick, tender kiss on the lips. Brian briefly massaged Justin's shoulders before they both walked arm in arm toward the cafeteria door.
Greg was waiting anxiously for them as they came into the courtroom; spying them, he motioned for the two men to take a seat at the back of the room away from the rest of the spectators.
"Justin, you will be called to testify as soon as the trial reconvenes," he confirmed, causing the blond's nerves once again to do flip flops in his stomach. Justin nodded his understanding as he took another deep breath to try and release some of his tension. He was absolutely dreading this moment, but he knew there was no other way. He looked briefly at Brian, who smiled at him slightly in support, before Greg spoke again.
"I just want to remind you, also, NOT to volunteer any extra information. Just answer whatever questions I give you as succinctly and briefly as possible. If I feel you need to supply additional information, I will prompt you for it. We don't want to give Sinclair any possible extra ammunition that he thinks can be used either against you or FOR his client. Understood?" he asked, looking at both men for an affirmative answer.
"Yeah, Greg, I understand," Justin agreed. "You're the one with the ball." Suddenly realizing the irony of what he said, Justin couldn't help looking over at Brian, who also noticed the absurdity of what he just said. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Brian replied, "Do you mind if you don't quite phrase it that way, Sunshine?" he asked, smirking. Brian was heartened to see that at least he could get a small laugh from his partner with that statement.
"Just a little inside humor," Justin explained as he noticed the attorney's puzzled expression.
Greg nodded, still a little befuddled, but glad that at least the two of them could joke even in the midst of such a tense situation. "Well, I'll see you shortly, then," he told Justin, as he left them to take his place at the defense attorney's table.
Justin turned to Brian as soon as Greg had left. "Brian, will you sit closer to the front while I testify?" he implored. "I want you nearby while I'm up there."
"Of course," he answered immediately, although Justin should have known by now that Brian could never say no to those beautiful blue eyes, anyway. "I'll be sitting on the opposite side from HIM, though, behind the defense table," he advised. "I don't want you to be looking anywhere NEAR that son of a bitch," he growled. Brian just could not manage to even say that asshole's name; he didn't deserve the respect.
Justin once again took Brian's hand and grasped it firmly; he hated to feel so needy, but he just didn't think he could do this without his partner.
"Come on, Sunshine," Brian said affectionately, giving his partner's hand a returning squeeze as he stood up and gently pulled the other man to join him. "Let's go find a closer seat before everyone else comes in."
Both men received smiles and sympathetic glances from Jennifer and the rest of their "family" as they passed them in their seats; they were fortunate to find a location behind Greg only three rows behind him. They noticed most of the crowd was now filtering back into the courtroom; soon after, Justin chewed on a fingernail and watched warily as Lane once again re-entered the side door, followed by Sinclair and the jury. Brian reached over and placed his arm around the blond's shoulder in a show of support as Prescott walked in front of Justin; he felt his partner's sharp intake of breath as he noticed Prescott turn to look directly at Justin as he passed. Brian's blood boiled and his face flushed in anger as he saw the man looking at Justin with an odd expression on his face; what kind of exact expression he wasn't quite sure – a smile of recognition with a hint of smugness, perhaps? He didn't know precisely, but he DID know he didn't LIKE it at all. He tried unsuccessfully to glare directly at the son of a bitch, but the man only seemed to have eyes for Justin before he sat back down in the defendant's chair. That fucker.
Brian squeezed Justin's shoulder to try and calm him, as the blond flashed him a look of gratitude. They stood up briefly as they heard the bailiff announcing the return of Judge Mason. As they returned to their seats, Justin felt his breath quicken as he realized what was about to happen next.
"Counselor, will you please call your next witness?" the judge instructed Matthews.
"Yes, Your Honor," Greg politely answered as he stood to address the courtroom. "The defense calls Justin Taylor to the witness stand."
"Justin Taylor, will you please approach the bench," the bailiff called out.
Justin felt everyone's eyes bore into him and the collective whispers as he squeezed Brian's hand hard before standing up. As much as he wished Brian could be up there with him, he knew it wasn't possible. He nodded to his partner as an unspoken, but clearly shared communication passed between them, before Justin reluctantly released his hold on Brian's hand and, taking another deep breath, stood up to walk toward the witness stand. As he turned around, he concentrated on staring at Brian and no one else; he didn't dare risk taking a glance to his left where Lane sat, even though he could swear he could feel the man's eyes staring intently at him as he stood near the witness chair to be sworn in. He continued to look directly at Brian as he sat down; it was only when Greg began to speak that he finally broke his concentration on his partner and looked instead at the defense attorney.
"Mr. Taylor, can you tell me what you do for a living?" Greg began.
Well, at least that's an easy question. "I'm an artist. I own an art studio in Lawrenceville."
"I see. And how long have you been an artist?"
"Do you mean as far as making a living at it?"
"Uh, yes, that would be correct," the attorney verified.
"Well, I've owned my own studio for about a year now," he explained. "But I began to make some money with my art shortly after I got out of high school. It wasn't enough to actually make a living with it, though," he offered in explanation.
"I see. And in your position as an artist, did you have an occasion to contribute to a benefit with the Gay and Lesbian Center at the Belpre Hotel downtown?"
"Yes, I did. A friend of mine who's actively involved with the center was familiar with my work and asked if I would contribute a painting for the auction part of the benefit."
"Okay. And did you actually attend the benefit?" Greg asked.
"Yes."
"And was this where you first met the defendant?"
Justin nervously felt his heartbeat speeding up at the mention of Lane. "No, not really."
"What do you mean, not really?" Greg pressed.
"Well, Lane was the one who wound up being the winning bidder for my painting, but I didn't actually find out his identity until the following day," Justin explained.
"And that's because, as Mr. Kinney explained during his testimony, the defendant successfully bid on it anonymously?"
"That's correct."
"Okay. Then when was the first time you actually met the defendant?"
"It was the next day when we had dinner together." Justin silently recalled how nervous he was that night not knowing who he would be meeting; of course, that was nothing compared to how nervous he felt right now. As the butterflies continued to flutter in his stomach, he risked a quick glance at Brian, who smiled and nodded at him supportively.
His attention was drawn back to Matthews as he continued, "I see. And that was where?"
"At a restaurant called Le Masionette."
"And as I recall, that's a very exclusive restaurant, is it not?"
"Yes, that's my understanding."
Greg continued, "Did you know where you were going that night?"
Justin looked a little sheepish as he explained, "No, I didn't. He had his driver pick me up in a limo and bring me there to meet him."
"So how did you know the arrangements for the limo?" Greg asked him pointedly.
"Well, at the auction, he had someone pass along instructions to me as to when and where to meet his driver."
"So you didn't have any kind of communication with the defendant until you met him for dinner the night after the auction, correct?"
Justin frowned. "Well, no, not exactly."
"What do you mean, Mr. Taylor?"
"Someone I didn't know passed along a note that I later found out was from Lane right after the auction ended," the blond explained.
"What kind of note?"
"Well, it was just a polite kind of note, telling me he was looking forward to our dinner the next night," Justin advised the attorney, somewhat embarrassed. He deliberately didn't look at Brian this time – he knew his partner was still very touchy about Prescott's previous attempts to take him away from him.
"Was the note signed?"
"Well, not really. He just signed it with his first initial – L. At the time, I didn't know anything about the bidder, so I had no idea if it was even a man or a woman," he explained.
"Okay. So you were taken to this restaurant the next night. Were there any other patrons eating there at the time?"
Justin stammered a little and looked somewhat embarrassed as he answered, "Uh, actually, no. He had apparently arranged to buy out the restaurant for the night, because we wound up being the only ones there, except for the wait staff."
There was a slow, murmuring response as the courtroom spectators digested that information. It was a pretty well-known fact that the Le Masionette was an expensive, five-star establishment in the city; to completely buy it out for the night would have taken considerable wealth. Brian's face tightened as he revisited the old, familiar pangs of jealousy he had first experienced that night when he discovered that Justin's benefactor had arranged to have dinner with him alone.
"So you and the defendant met for the first time at the restaurant when you had dinner?"
"That's right," Justin confirmed.
"What was your impression of Mr. Prescott that night, Mr. Taylor?"
For some reason, Justin felt awkward answering this question in front of his partner, but he knew he had to be truthful whether it was painful for the two of them or not. He took a calming breath before replying. "I thought he was charming," he answered truthfully. "Very polished and elegant. Polite and refined," he stated. As he finished, Justin looked once again at his partner, who seemed to stiffen somewhat as he digested what Justin had said about the man that Brian now thoroughly despised.
"I see. And how would you characterize the way he treated you?" Greg urged him.
"He was very kind to me and took an interest in getting to know me better. He went out of his way to make me feel comfortable," he admitted reluctantly, remembering how Lane had initially treated him almost reverently. How did everything get so fucked up after that? he wondered. Justin again felt Lane's eyes boring into him, but he refused to turn his head even slightly toward the left to verify that fact; he was tense enough at the moment. Instead, he glanced again over at Brian, who this time seemed to be perturbed at this revelation from his partner. Justin silently pleaded with Brian to understand he was under oath and had to tell the truth, no matter how it might hurt; Justin thought he saw Brian's expression soften somewhat as he continued to stare at him, before Greg drew his attention back with another question.
"Okay. So did you go out with the defendant again after that?" he inquired.
"Yes," Justin said a little haltingly, not sure just why he was hesitant to admit he had agreed to another date with Lane. It's not like he knew the man was a psychopath at the time; in fact, he imagined the whole point Greg was trying to get across is that the man has been completely sane the entire time he knew Justin up to the point where his obsession took an extreme turn.
"And where did you go on your second date?"
Justin inexplicably winced a little at the word "date," even though that was exactly what it was in reality. Somehow it seemed hard to call it that after the man had eventually wound up kidnapping him and drugging him. Out loud, he informed the attorney, "We went back out to dinner and to a museum."
"In Pittsburgh?" Greg prodded, although he already knew the answer. He simply wanted Justin to verbalize it so the jury could comprehend just how cunning and calculating this supposedly temporarily insane man was.
"No," Justin answered softly.
"Then where?" Greg pushed.
Justin looked down, again a little sheepish. "It was in New York City," he finally aanswered, again drawing some curious murmuring from the crowd.
"New York City? That's a pretty far distance from Pittsburgh, Mr. Taylor. How did you and the defendant get there?"
Justin stammered a little, realizing how outlandish his response was going to sound to the average member of the jury; he even found it hard to belief himself. "We flew there in his private jet," he answered briefly.
Again, the crowd responded incredulously as Justin heard the voices becoming louder, earning an admonishment from the Judge this time for order.
"I see," Greg responded calmly, as if this was normal for most second dates. "And did the two of you go out again after that?"
"No," Justin answered firmly, as he thought back upon the conversation he had had with Daphne when he realized he was still in love with Brian, despite their sometimes rocky relationship. And I almost fucked that up – thank God it wasn't too late.
"So was that the last time you saw or communicated with the defendant until the incident he is accused of today?"
"Actually, no. I spoke to him on the phone a couple of times after we came back from New York City and I saw him just before he went back to his corporate offices there," he advised the attorney.
"And what was your conversation about?" Greg inquired.
"He was getting ready to return to New York, so he asked me to meet him for dinner at the airport before he left."
"And did you agree to meet with him there?" the attorney pressed.
"Yes."
"And what happened when you did?"
Justin was awash with emotion as he recalled his and Lane's conversation inside the jet when the older man had desperately tried to convince Justin to go back to New York with him, despite Justin's vow that he still loved Brian. The man hadn't taken Justin's rejection very well at all.
"He tried to convince me to go with him back to New York."
"And what was your response to that?" Greg asked.
"I told him I couldn't."
"Did you tell him why?"
"Yes."
"And what was the reason?" Greg pushed.
Justin looked directly at Brian as he answered, "I told him I was in love with someone else." He was encouraged to see Brian smile back at him in response to his answer.
"And what was his reaction to that?"
Justin shivered a little as he recalled Lane's response. "He wasn't happy about it."
"How do you know?" the attorney inquired.
"He tried to talk me out of staying in Pittsburgh. He said I was making a mistake and that he could give me the world," he said softly, not able to keep a small, ironic laugh from escaping his lips.
"Did he try to prevent you from leaving?" Greg pressed. He already knew the answer, but he felt it was important Justin verbalize it for the jury.
Justin's heart beat faster as he recalled Lane's actions from that night. He glanced over at Brian again, trying somehow to draw from his strength. He saw the older man nod, encouraging him to answer.
"Yes," he answered softly, as the crowd murmured again.
"What did he do, Mr. Taylor?" Greg pursued.
"He grabbed a hold of my sleeve, and tried to stop me from leaving."
"What happened then?"
"I told him to let me go, that I had nothing else to say to him." Justin closed his eyes briefly as he relived the fear he felt at that moment, before Lane finally gave up – or so he thought. "He finally released my arm, so I could leave."
"And he didn't follow you?"
"No. He let me leave and I saw his jet take off a few minutes later."
"And that was the last time you heard from hin or spoke to him until a few months ago?" Greg asked.
"Yes, that's correct." Justin breathed a small sigh of relief; at least that part was over. But he was afraid the hardest part was now coming up. He was correct when he heard Greg's next question.
"Okay," Greg said, now wanting to move the timeline ahead to the present. "Let's talk about what happened to you approximately six months ago. You started receiving gifts from an unidentified person?"
"Yes."
"And were these gifts and their methods of delivery accurate as Mr. Kinney indicated in his testimony yesterday?"
"Yes, that's correct," Justin verified.
"Okay," Greg acknowledged. "At the time, you had no idea who was sending you these gifts?"
"No," Justin replied.
"There were no hints as to whom they were from?"
"No. They were all delivered by an unknown messenger, and the notes were all typed."
"And how were the notes signed, Mr. Taylor?"
Justin felt his face flush before he replied, "From a secret admirer." He didn't dare glance at either Brian OR Lane, but merely looked down at his hands, for some reason embarrassed.
"And how did these gifts make you feel?" Greg wanted Lane to know in no uncertain terms that the gifts were NOT welcome.
Justin felt his face redden even more as he recalled his reactions to the gifts, especially the VERY personal messages that accompanied them. "Well, when the chocolates were sent, I guess I was a little flattered, I suppose. I thought someone just had a crush on me or something. But the rest of the gifts were pretty personal. I felt embarrassed then," he finally admitted. He hoped Greg would just drop this line of questioning, but the attorney had already warned him a few months ago that he wouldn't be able to do that.
"Why did you feel that way, Mr. Taylor?"
Justin looked over again at Brian for support before formulating an answer; he saw Brian nod his head, as if he were telling him to continue. That was enough to help him respond to the question. "Well, I guess it was more the notes that came with the gifts, rather than the gifts themselves," he finally answered.
Thank God Greg wasn't going to apparently have him read the notes aloud, as he had asked Brian to yesterday, because his next question to him was, "And the messages that Mr. Kinney read aloud yesterday to the jury. Were those the exact messages that the secret admirer wrote to you that accompanied each of the gifts?"
Justin signed internally in relief at Greg's decision not to have him repeat the intimate messages to the jury. "Yes," he answered simply, his heart beating rapidly now and his breath quickening. He clenched his fists under the witness stand, fingernails biting into each palm as he tried unsuccessfully to calm his nerves.
"And the gifts themselves. What did you do with them, as well as the notes, Mr. Taylor?"
"Well I threw out the gifts, but I kept the notes in case they could somehow lead us to the identity of the sender." Justin thought he heard a small huff come from Lane's direction, as if he were upset by the revelation that the recipient of his obsession had discarded the gifts he had so meticulously chosen and prepared for him.
Greg overlooked the reaction as he continued, "You had already indicated the notes and gifts had embarrassed you. Why would you want to know who sent them, then?"
Justin hesitated a little before admitting, "Well, I was starting to get a little afraid of who was behind them."
"And why was that, if you thought they were just from someone with a crush?" Greg pressed, hoping Justin would answer the way he expected. He wasn't disappointed.
"Well, when I got the CD, especially, I realized we might be dealing with more than just someone who had a crush on me."
"And what was it about the CD that made you think that?"
"It had a photo of me on the cover that I knew had to be taken at an art show I had attended a week before. You could tell by the background and what I was wearing," he elaborated.
"And how did that make you feel, Mr. Taylor?"
Justin confessed, "It made me scared. Like someone was stalking me or something."
"And why was that?"
"Because I knew then that this person, or at least someone who was working with this person, had gone to the trouble to find out where I was and take my picture, unbeknownst to me. That made me think maybe it was more than just a casual admirer. And also the cost of the items made me concerned."
"The cost?" Greg asked.
"Yes. A friend of mine recognized the brand of chocolates and how expensive they were. And the bracelet was made out of platinum and came from Tiffany's, so I knew it had to cost a lot."
"Okay. So by the time you received these gifts, were you and your partner, Brian Kinney, in a committed relationship?"
At that moment, Justin looked over at Brian as their eyes met, both men reflecting the same emotion. "Yes," Justin said firmly, now smiling affectionately as his smile was returned by the other man.
"And did you tell Mr. Kinney about these gifts you were receiving?"
"Yes, I did."
"And what was his reaction?" Greg inquired.
"He wasn't happy about it."
"Can you be more specific with your answer, Mr. Taylor?"
"Well, he was upset. Upset by the personal messages and just by the fact that some other man was sending me expensive and personal gifts."
"And did he do anything to try and discover the identity of this person as a result?"
"Yes."
Greg advised his client, "Mr. Kinney has already explained he hired a security detail to watch over you. Did he do anything else?"
"He tried to get the local police involved."
"And was he successful?"
"No," Justin admitted. "Brian told me they couldn't get involved unless there were specific conditions, such as my being under severe emotional distress, I think is the way he put it. The police didn't think that applied in this situation."
"I see. So was that when your partner decided to hire the security detail for you?"
"Yes, although I wasn't aware of that until later."
"Why do you suppose he didn't tell you about it at the time?"
Justin smiled a little before answering truthfully, "Because he knew I would be mad."
"Why?"
"Because at the time I mistakenly thought he was overreacting," he explained. "He knew I didn't want him hovering over me, but he didn't want me to go out of the loft we shared unprotected."
"Because he was concerned about your safety when you weren't worried about it?" he asked pointedly.
A little stubbornly, Justin defended himself. "I guess maybe you could say that; I was still nervous, but I wasn't going to stay cooped up inside my loft permanently as a prisoner."
"Okay. So you had been the recipient of several gifts from an unknown party, and your partner had hired a security detail as a result, unbeknownst to you," Greg reviewed. "Did you receive any other gifts after that?"
"No."
"Did you think that was strange, that they just stopped like that?"
"Yes, I suppose. But mainly I was just relieved that they had stopped."
"Okay. So did something occur shortly thereafter that resulted in your partner having to leave town?"
"Yes."
"And was this when Mr. Kinney was offered a chance to meet with Jack Belden of Belden Industries in Chicago, as he had attested to yesterday?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Okay. So your partner was out of town. Did something else happen around that same time that also took you out of town while your partner was gone?"
"Yes."
"And what was that, Mr. Taylor?"
"I received a commission from Vince Comisar to paint several landscapes for him, and the first one I was assigned to do was finished. He called and asked me to accompany him to his restaurant in Lancaster to help him decide where to place the painting," Justin explained.
"And at the time, had you met Mr. Comisar before?"
"No."
"Did he reveal to you how he happened to pick you for this project?"
Justin thought for a moment; that was a good question, actually. He had never really tried to determine just HOW he had gotten chosen for this project; he was just thrilled at the time for the opportunity. "No, he didn't."
"Didn't you think it was strange that he seemingly just picked your name out of the blue?" Greg inquired.
"Well, to be honest, at the time I was so happy to get such a large project, I didn't give it much thought. It just slipped my mind, I guess," he admitted truthfully.
"Okay. So after you completed your painting, you left with Mr. Comisar for Lancaster on his private jet?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Okay. We have already established that your partner was out of town at the same time. Did you speak with him while he was gone?"
"Yes, we talked on the phone a couple of times while he was there," Justin confirmed. "Before I left for Lancaster," he clarified.
"And when you received this request to accompany Mr. Comisar to Lancaster to hang your painting – did you inform your partner about it?"
Justin averted his eyes from Brian; he still deeply regretted not telling Brian where he was going; his misguided actions had almost resulted in him perhaps not coming back at ALL. He finally simply answered, "No."
"Why?" Greg pressed.
He took a breath before answering. "Because I still thought he was blowing things out of proportion, and this was a tremendous opportunity for me. Besides, Mr. Comisar had assured me we would be back within 24 hours, which was supposed to be well before Brian was due to return. I didn't want to unduly concern him when he was trying to obtain an important client," he explained in his own defense, although in light of everything that had happened, his rationale sounded even a little weak to his own ears as he said it out loud.
"I see. But you had the ability to communicate through your cell phones once you left with Mr. Comisar, correct?"
Embarrassed, Justin admitted, "No. I inadvertently forgot it when I left the loft in a hurry to get to the airport."
"Okay. So unknown to your partner at the time, you arrived at the restaurant in Lancaster with Mr. Comisar, correct?"
"That's correct."
"And were there other people at this restaurant? What was the name?" Greg asked.
"The Chez Laurent," Justin supplied. And, yes, there were other people there when we arrived."
"Patrons?" Greg inquired, seeking clarification.
"No," Justin explained. "They were workers. Vince told me the restaurant was due to open in a day or two, but they were still putting the finishing touches on it."
"Okay. So did you do as Mr. Comisar asked, and suggest the best placement for your painting?"
"Yes."
"And then what happened, Mr. Taylor?"
"He asked me if I could stay for lunch before we returned to Pittsburgh."
"And did you agree?"
"Yes," Justin responded, but qualified it with an explanation. "I wanted to return to Pittsburgh right away, but he told me it wouldn't take long and I would be doing him a favor."
"How was that?" Greg asked.
Justin replied, "He said he needed the new chef to try out some of his dishes before the restaurant opened to the public."
Brian listened intently to this part of his partner's testimony; they had talked at length about Justin's ordeal, but the older man had been so emotionally caught up in the man he loved almost dying at the hands of that fucking stalker, he hadn't really stopped to listen carefully to the whole story. Now, he wasn't quite sure he WANTED to hear what was about to be discussed next, but he knew he had to. Not just for himself, but for Justin.
"Okay. So what happened then? Did you eat in the main dining room with him?"
Justin's heart began to beat rapidly again, because he knew where this part of the questioning was headed, and he was dreading it.
"No. He said he couldn't join me for lunch, because he needed to talk to some of the workers to handle some issues that had come up related to his remodeling. And I couldn't eat in the main dining room, because he said that area wasn't finished yet."
"So WHERE did you wind up eating?"
Justin bit his lip as he nervously fiddled with his hands under the witness stand. "He had the concierge escort me to a private dining room in the back of the restaurant."
Brian thought to himself, VERY convenient, you asshole. Temporarily insane, my ass.
"And when you arrived at this dining room, was it open? Could you see inside?"
"No, I couldn't. The doors were closed and there were shades over them."
Brian couldn't take his eyes away from his partner as he noticed his breathing becoming rapid. Breathe, Justin, breathe, he silently pleaded.
"Okay. So when the doors to the private dining room were opened, what did you see, Mr. Taylor?"
Justin closed his eyes, awash in emotion, as he thought about that day months ago when he first saw Lane again at that restaurant. The fear and shock he felt then were just as raw now.
"Mr. Taylor? Do you need the question repeated?" Greg asked. He knew this was definitely going to be the most difficult part of his client's testimony, but also the most critical part. He silently encouraged Justin to keep going.
Justin opened his eyes abruptly as the attorney spoke, looking desperately at Brian for support. Brian nodded and tried to smile encouragingly at his partner, although the smile died somewhat on his lips as he looked at how extremely uncomfortable Justin was.
Justin took a deep breath before he began. "No," he answered the attorney. "I heard the question." He took another deep breath and let it out noticeably. "When the concierge opened the door, I saw Lane sitting at a table for two in the room." Justin bit his lip again, trying to keep it from quivering. His stomach was churning once again as he felt his pulse racing. He couldn't look anywhere in Lane's direction for fear he would lose his composure completely.
"And were there any other people in this room with him?"
"No. He was alone," Justin verified.
"What about the concierge? Did he stay?" Greg asked.
"No. He left as soon as he opened the doors for me." Justin curiously hadn't really given that much thought until now. Lane must have arranged even that little detail, because the employee certainly didn't stick around after he opened the doors.
"So you were left alone with the defendant?"
Justin's eyes again honed in on his partner for support before he answered simply, "Yes."
"What did you do then, Mr. Taylor?"
"I just stood there for several seconds – in shock, I guess."
"Okay. What happened next?"
"He said hello to me." The exact words were Hello, Angel, but Justin was going to divulge that little endearment in front of Brian, if he didn't have to. This was going to be difficult enough for them as it was.
"And then what happened? Did you say anything to him?"
"Yes. The pieces came together somehow for me then. I asked him if he was behind all the gifts I had been receiving."
"And what was his reply to that? Did he admit he was the sender?"
"Yes, he did," Justin verified softly.
"Okay. So did you turn around and leave after you found that out?"
Justin hesitated briefly before answering. "No."
"Why? You had mentioned before you were fearful of this secret admirer who had been bestowing gifts on you. Why didn't you leave once you found out it was the defendant?"
Good question, Justin thought. That question had played itself over and over again in his mind more times than he could remember now. Why wasn't I smart enough to just turn around and leave? I could have prevented all this.
He thought for several seconds before admitting truthfully, "I'm not sure. I think I was still in shock over Lane being there and I was a little afraid."
"Afraid, Mr. Taylor? Why?" Greg pressed him.
Justin struggled to explain properly. "He was different somehow. More intense. It's hard to explain. He was looking at me so intently, like he could see through me or something. It made me very uneasy," he finally said, still at a loss for words to fully explain the depth of the feelings that poured through him as he remembered the changes in a man who had previously treated him so kindly and with so much reverence.
"So what did you do then, Mr. Taylor?"
The words tumbled out in a sort of rush. "He asked me to sit down and have lunch with him. He said he just wanted to talk to me. I wasn't sure of what his reaction would be if I refused. And then he took my hand, trying to persuade me into staying." Justin pursed his lips and looked worriedly at Brian then, trying to gauge his partner's reaction. He hadn't told Brian about Lane taking a hold of his wrist, and he noticed Brian's face was clearly contorted in anger. He only hoped the anger was directed at Lane and not at him.
"So you agreed to stay?"
"Yes – for the time being. Until I could figure out what to do," Justin explained.
"Okay, so what did the two of you discuss?"
"He verified for me that he and Vince were childhood friends and that he had set it up with Vince for me to come to Lancaster so he could see me again. He admitted that he had even arranged for me to receive the commission. When he mentioned that he had done all that to see me again, I repeated to him what I had told him the last time I saw him – that I was in love with Brian and that nothing had changed. Although that's not really accurate," he quickly added, "I actually told him my love for Brian was stronger than ever," he clarified firmly, as he turned to smile softly at Brian to verify he meant it. He noticed to his relief that Brian's anger had quickly dissipated at that statement and his face had softened. "And I asked him if he didn't think he deserved to find someone who loved him the way that I loved Brian," he concluded.
"And what was the defendant's reaction to that statement?"
"He told me he understood." Justin laughed at himself softly. "And I actually believed him." What a naïve fool I was, Brian.
"So what happened then? Did you get up and leave?" Greg asked. It was so quiet by now in the courtroom you could have heard the proverbial pin drop as the spectators and jury hung on every word the blond said, riveted.
"No. He asked me to stay for a toast before I left." Justin snorted softly as he continued. "He said he wanted to make a toast to my happiness. That my being happy was what was most important. And I believed him," he repeated, again not quite able to believe how stupid he had been.
"So what happened after the toast, Mr. Taylor?"
Brian continued to watch his partner closely as he noticed Justin close his eyes, apparently reliving the horror of what came next. Come on, Sunshine. You can DO this. You HAVE to do this, he silently beseeched him.
Justin took another deep breath to calm himself before answering softly, "I took a few sips of the champagne and I got up to leave. I walked a few feet away before I felt dizzy, lightheaded. I felt my legs give out from under me and I tried to walk back to the table to hang on to it before I fell to the floor." His eyes abruptly welled up as he relived that horrible moment. "I didn't make it," he stated flatly.
At that revelation, Justin finally had to risk glancing over at Lane, now openly glaring at the man who had changed from an ardent, but polite and considerate admirer to an obsessive, evil stalker intent at possessing him, willingly or not. He continued to stare at Lane with hate in his eyes until the other man finally looked away, leaving Justin unsure as to the actual reason why.
Greg was impressed with Justin's stamina and strength, but he noticed now how emotionally drained the young man was. He turned to the judge as he asked, "Your Honor, in light of the lateness of the time, I would like to request we dismiss for the day with the understanding I can resume my testimony of Mr. Taylor tomorrow."
"Counselor?" The judge turned toward Sinclair for mutual approval.
"I have no objections, Your Honor," the defense attorney responded. Sinclair had remained quiet during today's testimony, but he knew he would have several questions to ask of this young man tomorrow during the cross examination.
"Very well, then." Slamming down the gavel, the judge announced, "This trial is in recess until tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m."
As the judge rose from his perch on the bench, Justin slumped in exhaustive relief, choosing not to think at the moment about tomorrow. Fortunately, the bailiff allowed him to leave the witness stand before Prescott and Sinclair left their seats; this time, Justin couldn't bear to look at Prescott again.
But as he walked past the man, his whole body stiffened in alarm as he distinctly heard the dark-haired man say, "I'll never stop loving you, Angel," before Sinclair hissed at his client to be quiet. Justin somehow managed to stumble to the swinging doors separating him from the spectators before he pushed them open and was almost violently enveloped in a firm embrace by Brian, who caught him just before he was about to fall.