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Brian arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes late - or as he usually put it, "fashionably late". He entered the restaurant and was immediately assaulted by the aroma of garlic, which caused him to wrinkle his nose in disgust. Despite his close relationship with the Novotnys, he had never been fond of the food of their ancestors.
Nevertheless, he resumed his composure as he approached the host. "Kinney, I'm here to meet an Adam Lyons," he informed the aging man, who nodded and instructed Brian to follow him as he turned and walked through the dimly lit restaurant. Lyons was seated at a secluded table towards the back of the restaurant, though due to the early hour and lack of patrons, almost any table could be considered secluded. The man looked up from his menu as he heard approaching footsteps.
"Brian, I'm glad you could make it," he greeted the brunette as the waiter pulled back the seat across from him and Brian slid into it.
"Adam," Brian replied congenially as he rested his clasped hands on the table, his facial expression blank. "I said I would be here, didn't I?"
Adam coughed a bit uncomfortably before nodding in answer to Brian's question. In truth, before Brian's arrival, he had been questioning whether or not the man would even show up, considering that he was fifteen minutes late. He decided, though, that mentioning this would be a bad way to start their informal meeting. "Yes, of course," he replied, thankful that the waiter chose his moment of discomfort to arrive for their drink orders. The two men agreed to share a bottle of white wine.
When the waiter returned with the wine, he poured them each a glass before setting the bottle in a bucket of ice. Then he took a step back and pulled out a small, white notepad along with a pen. "Are you ready to order?" he asked in a polite tone.
Both men nodded, and Adam ordered a carb-loaded pasta dish, which caused Brian, who ordered only a salad, to wrinkle his nose in disgust. "Only a salad, Brian?" the other man asked as the waiter walked away. "It's no surprise that you have no meat on your bones."
"Exactly," Brian replied simply as he curled his long fingers around the stem of his glass and lifted it to his lips to take a small sip of the wine. A soft chuckle of understanding escaped Adam's lips, and he gave a short nod of his head.
The two men chatted idly for a few moments, mostly about recent advertising campaigns they had both viewed. "So," Brian began after their conversation had begun to dwindle, a serious expression donning his face, "Don't tell me that you invited me to lunch just to become reacquainted." Both men knew this was not the case, and he stared at Adam expectantly as he waited to hear the real reason.
Adam sighed; he should have known that Kinney would be one to get straight down to business. "No," he admitted as he brought his clasped hands up and rested them on the table. "Actually,I wished to speak with you about a job."
Brian's brows lifted in surprise. "What, has New York become too much for you?" he asked, confused as to why someone with a high-profile career in the city would be speaking to him about a job.
"No, actually -" Adam began but was cut off as the waiter returned with their meals. They each took a moment to place their napkins in their laps and take the first tentative bites of their food. "Good?" Adam asked as he glanced over at Brian, who was slowly nibbling his lettuce.
Brian nodded. "Excellent."
Adam could not stop the expression of pity that flashed on his face; why did a man with the natural beauty of Brian feel the need to try so hard? However, when Brian noticed the look on his face and glared at him, he quickly regained his composure. "Well...where were we?" he inquired as he watched Brian lift his glass of wine to his lips then set it back on the table after taking a sip.
"I believe we were discussing a job, though not one for you. So perhaps, a friend? Maybe even your supposed new lover?" Brian responded in question, studying Adam's face to detect if he was on the track. Apparently not, because the other man shook his head to both options, though he did appear to crack a smile when Brian mentioned his lover.
"No, Brian," he answered aloud, much to the other's disappointment. He paused a moment before finally saying, "Actually, the job I have in mind is for you.
For the first time at this lunch, Brian's cool expression disappeared. It was replaced with one of obvious confusion. "Me?" he asked, as if he had heard Adam wrong. When the other man nodded, Brian frowned. "Why would I need a job? Haven't you heard - I own Pittsburgh's top advertising agency?"
"Exactly," Adam said in the same tone of voice Brian had earlier said the word, a smirk appearing on his lips. As Brian rolled his eyes, he chuckled once more before continuing,"Why simply own the top advertising agency in Pittsburgh - a mediocre city at best, no offense - when you could be a partner in a New York City ad agency, the top city in America?"
Brian's confusion did not fade. Why would Kennedy & Collins suddenly want him now? And why would they want him at all? He couldn't deny to himself the fact that he was aging, and last time they had chosen someone younger over him. "Why?" he asked in a sharp voice.
Adam did not appear surprised that Brian asked. If he was in the other man's shoes, he would never give up his own company to work elsewhere. But selling was how he made his living, and if he wanted to keep that living, he had to sell this job to Brian. "Frankly, Kennedy & Collins has had a rough patch," he admitted. Seeing that he had Brian's interest, he continued, "But thankfully, we are now under new control, and the newest owners wish to reshape the company, starting by hiring the top men in advertising. You, Brian, are whom we consider one of the top men in advertising."
Brian responded to the news in a series of reactions. First, he seemed pleased by Lyons compliment to his skill, and then he appeared smug that the company that had rejected him was suffering. Lastly, he felt anger. Did Lyons seriously think he was so pathetic that he would simply jump at this opportunity because of some simple flattering, and did he even consider that Brian might have a life here in Pittsburgh?
With a scowl on his face, Brian firmly answered, "No."
Surprised that he had not even tempted Brian, Adam's lips curled down into a frown. He would have to take another approach, though he had hoped he would not have to sell the idea this way.
"But, Brian, think about it," he said in earnest. "Not only would your name be paired with one of the top advertising agencies in the country, but you would be living in what I, and many others, consider the greatest city in America - New York City. Think of all the city can offer you."
The wheels in Brian's brain now appeared to be turning; he could certainly think of one thing New York had to offer that Pittsburgh did not - not anymore, at least. Sunshine. However, despite his hidden urge to simply agree in order to constantly be surrounded by his blonde, Brian simply glanced at Adam in feigned curiosity. "Like what?" he asked nonchalantly.
Despite the man's attempt to appear nonchalant, Adam knew he had caught Brian's interest. He had done his homework, and after some excruciating research and asking around, he had learned of Justin Taylor, the artist who had apparently managed to catch Brian Kinney. The man who also just happened to live in New York.
Adam shrugged his broad shoulders. "Oh, y'know...more places to go, more people to see. More men to do." As he said the last part, he gave Brian a meaningful look. "Any type of man you want Brian...what is your type? Tall? Short? Brunette? Ginger? Blonde, maybe?"
Brian lifted his hand to tug his tie and loosen it, suddenly feeling uneasy. Despite Adam's attempt to appear casual and clueless, Brian could tell that the man knew of Justin. Being practiced in sales also, he had researched many clients and played this game before. Still, he did not want Adam to know that he had succeeded in cornering him, so he shrugged his shoulders disinterestedly. "Pittsburgh has plenty of fine men."
Brian's stubbornness surprised Adam, but he knew how to respond. "And you've had them all, and once you've had them, you don't want them anymore - not any of the ones in Pittsburgh, at least," he insinuated, once again giving Brian that meaningful look. He could tell from the anxious expression on Brian's face that he had captured the man, and so in a much more friendly and gentle tone, he said, "Just think about it, Brian. Please."
Brian simply nodded, never feeling at such a loss for words in his life. From there, the rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. He remembered Adam insisting that he pay for the lunch, and Brian was too distracted to even protest properly. Then he headed to the gym, knowing that he could relieve himself from his thoughts as he focused only on toning and shaping his body.