Two Hours Later – at the "It's Not the Same" Shop
Justin studied the information he had pulled up on the web regarding Robert Chagall – he always made it a point to research his clients if he could in hopes of obtaining as much insight into them as possible; he felt it made him an even better wedding planner and he found it always made a difference in providing the best experience possible. While he always solicited suggestions on likes and dislikes from the parties involved, he found he could normally find out even more candid, unbiased information online, especially if the clients were well-known as they appeared to be in this case.
"Hmmm," he thought to himself as he peered at a biography of his newest potential client, Robert Chagall. As the man had stated, he was indeed a successful entrepreneur in the restaurant industry, and owned six well-known, high-end establishments around the State, with three of them in the greater Pittsburgh area. Two of them were rated as four-star restaurants, an almost unheard of feat in the same city.
The man had worked his way up among the employee ranks, beginning as a waiter and gradually elevating himself within ten years to a manager, and then the eventual owner when the initial, elderly proprietor had retired. As he read over a business report detailing the man's current net worth, he decided that while the man may be somewhat cocky and over-the-top when it came to confidence, he at least was being truthful about his finances – he was definitely quite affluent and more than capable of paying for the most lavish wedding Justin could ever think of planning. If he did manage to secure the man's business, he had no doubt his budget would be practically limitless. He hoped he would be given the chance to prove to Chagall that he could do it – not only would it be an exciting and challenging opportunity, it would also help cement his reputation for his new location here in Pittsburgh.
Jotting down several notes regarding Chagall, he turned his attention toward the man's fiancé – a man by the name of Brian Kinney. He was thankful he had thought to ask the man about his fiancé, because he actually preferred to meet with both parties initially. Typically, despite their insistence that they knew their groom-to-be intimately, often times he would find to his amusement that they didn't know each other as well as they thought; frequently, when they were both present to discuss their ideas for the wedding and reception, Justin discovered their ideas didn't always agree on what they wanted. Only by having both parties present, then, could he truly make sure he was following their dreams and wishes.
He didn't have that luxury this time, but at least he was able to do some research regarding the man's fiancé over the web. He couldn't find a very clear photo of the man, but he did determine from his biographical data on the website of "Who's Who in Pittsburgh Businesses" that he was a very intelligent man and owned his own advertising agency named Kinnetik. He had earned several advertising awards over the past ten years, and had opened up his own business after a successful run as a top advertising executive with Ryder and Vanguard Advertising. His agency employed a total of 85 employees, which indicated to Justin that he was very ambitous as well as effective at what he did.
There were several other mentions of Kinney in various newspapers and trade magazines online, all indicating that he was extremely good at his job. Curiously enough, though, except for a large group photo taken at a yearly advertising convention that took place last year at the expo center downtown, there really weren't any other clear shots of the man. About the only thing Justin could determine from the group shot was that the man was taller and had brunet hair.
Unfortunately, none of the information really provided much more insight into either man, leading Justin to feel that if he were to be given the green light to plan their wedding, he would want to meet with both parties to crystallize their preferences. For now, however, he would hold off on venturing any further with his plans until he heard back from Chagall.
Kinnetik – Same time
"Hello, Beautiful," Robert greeted Cynthia as he rushed into the agency. Cynthia glanced up at the man, trying hard to cover her disdain. She would never be able to figure out just what Brian saw in this smug, overbearing man; she had been shocked when her boss had informed her he was engaged to be married, and even more amazed when she found out who it was; this man in front of her was NOT the type of person she figured Brian would EVER consider marrying - he was good-looking enough, she supposed, but his conceit, cockiness, and high degree of self-worth greatly tainted his outward appearance. Brian would have been absolutely the last man she would have figured would want to follow the conventional rules of married life, anyway, but he had been insistent that he fully intended to go through with it and get married in the next sixty days.
"Robert," she said coolly, nodding in greeting.
"Is my baby in?" he asked her.
She snorted softly out of his hearing distance; if Brian heard him calling him that, he would be royally pissed by the prissy endearment. She didn't feel it was her place, however, to let this man know that; she figured he could dig his own hole where Brian was concerned. "Yeah, he's in," she told him, as the man continued past her unheeded. She shook her head, wondering again just what her normally savvy, perceptive boss saw in this pompous, conceited man before she returned to her work at her desk.
Brian looked up from his phone conversation as he heard a knocking on the door; his brows narrowed in aggravation as he noticed who was entering his office. He should have known it was Robert – his fiancé was the only one who had the balls to enter unannounced and unsolicited. He pasted on an indifferent expression as he motioned with his free hand for the other man to sit down facing him in one of the black leather office chairs while he continued his conversation.
Robert, however, didn't sit down until he had walked around the desk and kissed Brian on the cheek. "More later," he whispered huskily in Brian's ear as he returned to the other side of the desk and sat down to observe his fiancé. Even after knowing the man for almost a year now, he still found him breathtaking and extremely captivating; he counted his lucky stars that he and Brian had come to an agreement regarding being wed. Everywhere they went together, heads turned and he observed the wistful looks that men as well as women gave him as they walked in together. The sort of attention they garnered couldn't be bought anywhere, and he absolutely savored those moments of recognition and envy. He was by no means an ugly male specimen himself; he received his own shares of admiration, also. But having such a deliciously sexy man on his arm was priceless and worth every penny it would cost him.
Brian turned in his chair to face the side glass of his office, deliberating moving his gaze away from the other man and temporarily ignoring him. How he despised having to be put in this situation, but he felt he had no choice. To Brian, it was a business decision, pure and simple. While working for another agency, Brian had let his carnal nature take over and had made the poor decision to fuck a fellow employee, who wound up promptly suing him for sexual harassment when a promotion he felt he deserved didn't materialize. Rather than fighting the charges, the owner had promptly fired him to avoid any suspicion of impropriety. Brian had wanted to sue his ass for discharging him unfairly, but his attorney had told him it would be extremely difficult to emerge victorious and would involve thousands of dollars in legal fees, so with angry resignation he decided to reluctantly drop it.
Forced, then, to accept unemployment for several months while his savings quickly drained away, he was left with a choice: either find a similar position working for another advertising agency at less than half his salary, or find enough funding somehow to afford to open up his own company, which had been his long-time dream for several years. He couldn't help noticing ironically that now that he had the time and inclination to pursue his dream, he also knew he lacked the funds to do so. And no matter how many times he tried to apply for financing at various banks, he was persistently rejected due to a lack of sufficient collateral.
One night at Woody's Brian had run into Robert, who had been a long-time client of his former employer and who had long ago developed a fascination, if not an absolute obsession, with him. The two of them had fucked once before but, in keeping with Brian's one-time-only policy, had never hooked back up again, except in cases of working together in cojunction with advertising campaigns for Chagall's restaurant dynasty. After several rounds of Beam that night, Brian had eventually divulged his current economic status and his unfulfilled dreams of opening up his own agency.
Robert jumped at the chance to help Brian, provided he helped him in return. Brian needed the money, and Robert needed the status symbol that seemed to be so critical in the social circles his restaurant business catered to. If Brian would agree to assume the role of Robert's fiancé, and would actually go through with the ceremony to become his legal husband, Robert, in turn, would completely bankroll his new franchise.
Brian pondered the deal for several days, trying to decide if he could stomach such an arrangement, before reluctantly agreeing to do so with the stipulation that once he was able to pay the man back, they would agree to part ways. He estimated that even in the most optimistic of circumstances, though, with the amount of money Robert would be advancing him, it would likely take him up to a year to replace the money the other man was giving him.
Before he accepted the rather unorthodox arrangement, Brian also made sure the other man knew that he would agree for the two of them to live together, at least under the same roof, and even maybe occasionally fuck each other, but only if the two of them mutually decided to; Brian didn't exactly mind having a fuck buddy readily available, but at the same time, he didn't want to be bound to the man's every whim, either, or have him cramp his style. Because to Brian, having a new trick to fuck on a regular basis was like his life's elixir.
Robert, on the other hand, was extremely disappointed at the conditions Brian placed upon their agreement, but he, too, grudgingly accepted the conditions, provided that Brian not make a public display of his "indiscretions." If Brian needed to fuck someone else, he was to do it in private at the other man's residence, or in the back room of an exclusive gentleman's club. There was to be no blowjobs or fucking in a public place, a backroom of any club, or in any of the baths where someone who knew Robert or Brian would somehow find out about it and blow his cover. Because to Robert, reputation and image was everything in his business, and he had no intention of losing the stature and affluence to which he had become accustomed.
So here they were, one man hopelessly infatuated with another, who was merely going along with their arrangement as a means to an end. As he concluded his call, Brian sighed softly before he turned around in his chair to face the brown-haired restaurateur. "Robert….What are you doing here? I thought you had an appointment this afternoon with your fairy grandmother."
Robert smirked. "Fairy godfather, in this case, Baby," he quipped.
Brian cringed at the cutesy endearment. "I told you not to call me Baby," he reminded him disdainfully.
Robert shrugged as he grinned. "Sorry – just can't help trying it on for size. We have to look the part, you know," he reminded him.
"Look the part, not sound like we're two lesbians cooing over each other," he growled. "We're pretending, remember?" How he wished he could another way, ANY way, to refinance his company and get out from under the other man's clutches, but presently he was shit out of luck - AND out of capital.
"Okay, okay," Robert conceded. "I DID meet with him," he verified. "He seems pretty talented and capable enough, although he's awfully young. I took a sheet of references from him so I could check them out before I commit to his services." He pulled out a canary-yellow sheet of paper and held it out to Brian for his scrutiny.
Brian shook his head. "This is YOUR project, remember? I agreed to go along with this charade, but I don't want any part of the arrangements. I already told you what kind of wedding and reception I wanted, even though if it was up to ME I'd just get married at a fucking justice of the peace. Just take care of it and I'll show up." Extremely reluctantly, he thought. But he knew he had to go through with it.
Robert's face showed his disappointment with Brian's decision as he twisted his mouth in annoyance. He knew he had agreed that their marriage would be in name only, but he had still hoped the man would eventually decide that perhaps a real one would be preferable; after all, he was attractive and rich enough. Brian, though, apparently still was determined to proceed with as little involvement with their ceremony as possible. He was somewhat encouraged, though, to realize that he still had at least a year to persuade his sexy fiancé and soon-to-be husband to change his mind and decide to make their marriage a real one.
"I was hoping you would at least come back there with me to help pick out the place for the ceremony and the decorating theme for the reception."
Brian grimaced. "You have got to be kidding! What more do I have to say, Robert? I fucking don't CARE – just decide when and where and I'll be there! I never agreed to participate any more than that."
Robert rolled his eyes in defeat. "Okay, okay, have it your way. I'll go ahead and check out his references. If they turn out okay, I'll call him and set up a follow-up appointment to start making the arrangements."
Brian nodded disinterestedly, only half-listening to the other man's prattling. "If you'll excuse me now, Robert, I have to get back to work. If I don't keep bringing in more business, I'll never be able to pay you back."
That would be just fine with me, Robert thought silently, earnestly hoping the man would forever remain indebted, as well as married, to him. Nodding at Brian with a curt, "I'll talk to you later, then," he turned to leave.
As Brian watched him go, he wondered what had ever possessed him to make this deal, fervently hoping that somehow he wouldn't have to go through with it. Sighing when no answer readily surfaced to his dilemma, he twirled his office chair around and once again picked up his cell phone to make the next business call.
Three Days Later – the "It's Not the Same" Shop
Justin glanced up from his laptop as he heard the chime sound near the door, signaling that someone was coming into the shop. He immediately recognized the visitor as the well-dressed, rather arrogant man who had visited his shop a few days ago requesting some information regarding wedding planning.
"Mr. Chagall," he greeted the other man, as he rose from his chair and walked over to shake the older man's hand. "Good to see you again." Actually, Justin found the man distasteful, but he had long ago realized that if he were to increase his business and continue to have it flourish, he had to put his personal impressions aside and concentrate on the project at hand. While he instinctively disliked this relative stranger for some reason, at the same time he was smart enough to realize the man could bring him a great deal of business. Being in the restaurant industry, also, meant that if he was pleased with his services and told his friends, that could bode very well for him, also.
"Mr. Taylor," Chagall acknowledged him with a polite nod as their hands met. He noticed oddly for the first time how blue the other man's eyes were; if he weren't so much younger then he, he might have been tempted to get to know this man more intimately. He didn't much care for younger men, however talented they were in their field, though, and besides, he had the cream of the crop presently anyway.
"I see you're back," Justin said, motioning with his hand toward the sitting alcove. "I take it you had time to check out my references?" he asked as the two of them took a seat near each other.
Robert nodded. "Yes, I did," he confirmed. "And I must say – everyone I spoke to was highly complimentary of your abilities. They were extremely happy with the results of your work, you might say even effusive. I'm satisfied after speaking with them that you would be perfect for the job."
Justin smiled broadly, pleased that the man had decided to utilize him. He knew there were several wedding planners around greater Pittsburgh, and the man could readily afford any of them. He made himself a mental note to find out who had suggested his name so he could thank the man later before saying, "I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Chagall. I can have the paperwork drawn up while you wait and have it ready for you and your fiancé's signature tomorrow. I would be glad to drop it by for the two of you to sign, or you can come back here to do it, whichever you prefer."
Robert frowned. "Is that necessary? I mean, for both of us to sign? Brian is a very busy man, and frankly, he's not very interested in participating in the plans. He left all of that up to me."
Justin thought that sounded odd. He had occasionally run into situations where one of the grooms was more involved than the other, but he didn't think he had ever had an occurrence where one of them simply refused to be involved at all.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Chagall," he told the other man. "But it's a strict state regulation in this business. Any time I'm legally contracted to assist with the wedding and reception plans, I have to have both parties involved sign all the paperwork. If he can't get away during normal business hours, I'd be glad to take it over to your fiancé's place of business personally for his signature if that would help." If there was one thing Justin had learned over the years in his type of business, you had to be flexible when it came to procedure; if it meant the difference between getting this rather wealthy man's business or not, he was prepared to go the extra mile for it.
Robert pondered the best solution to his quandary; he really thought after speaking to this man's references that he would be the best planner for them – he had already taken the liberty of checking other planners out and he just didn't have the same confidence in their abilities as he did with THIS one. But he knew Brian would resent having to drop whatever he was doing and come out to the far side of town just to sign an agreement for a marriage he wasn't too enthusiastic about in the first place. Unfortunately, though, he had to leave shortly to go out of town for business all day tomorrow and he knew time was of the essence, having waited until practically the last minute to get the ball rolling.
He sighed, finally coming to a decision. "I'll wait while you make up the paperwork so I can sign it," he told Justin. "And if you could run the forms over to Brian's agency tomorrow, that would be great. I have to be out of town, but I'll let him know you'll be stopping by for his signature."
Justin nodded. "Of course. Just give me a few minutes to get it brought up on my computer and revised so I can print out a copy for you."
"Good," Robert said, smiling; he was relieved that things would finally be getting started on his and Brian's wedding. Now all he had to do was convince Brian to stay married to him. "Oh," he said. "If you'll give me a piece of paper, I'll write down Brian's agency address for you."
Justin nodded, reaching over to pick up his faithful, yellow legal pad. "Thanks," he said, handing him the pad. "I'll be right back," he told the other man as he walked back over to his laptop to search for the agreement template. It wasn't that unusual for Justin to hand carry over a new agreement for one of the parties to sign; this time, however, he had no idea this was going to be anything but a "normal" situation…..