The Next Morning – Kinnetik – 9:50 a.m.
As he got out of his car, Justin glanced up at the brick building to make sure he had the correct address; he was surprised that such a successful advertising agency was holed up in a rather shabby, nondescript-looking building such as the one he was examining. From the research he had gathered, Brian Kinney's company was a well-respected, innovative player in the advertising arena, but this building looked almost dilapidated, at least from the outside. Enormously curious, though, to see just what the inside looked like, he gathered his folder of paperwork and walked toward the entrance door.
As he entered, Justin was shocked to see the difference between the interior and the exterior; whereas the outside looked just like any other industrial-style, brick facade, the inside was sleek and modern; contemporary artwork, dramatic glass, and furniture incorporating clean, curved lines were prevalent everywhere and the open design areas were abuzz with activity. There were several employees hard at work at their stations on computer graphic programs, cell phones, or paperwork of all types as he slowly walked toward a front lobby desk to announce his arrival.
He stood there a little awkwardly for a few seconds until the dark-blonde woman sitting in front of the curved desk looked up and smiled politely. "Yes? May I help you?"
Justin nodded. "My name is Justin Taylor. I believe Mr. Kinney is expecting me."
The receptionist, Lauren, studied her laptop screen for a moment to confirm the information. "Yes, I see you have an appointment with him at ten." She advised him, "I'll let Mr. Kinney's assistant know you're here. If you'll have a seat over there?" she asked, directing his attention to a calf-skin leather couch nearby. As Justin nodded in understanding, the young woman had a quick chance to observe the rather slender, blond visitor a little more closely. He had the most startling blue eyes and a very nice smile, not to mention an attractive backside, she thought, as she admired his retreating form. She couldn't help thinking, just like probably everyone else at Kinnetik, that it was a shame her boss hadn't found someone like this young man more desirable than that pompous entrepreneur he had oddly decided to marry.
Just like every office, the employees at Kinnetik couldn't help participating in some healthy gossip around the lunchroom or coffeemaker while at work, and the more they were exposed to their boss' choice of fiancé, the more perplexed they became. Oh, they all thought the man was attractive enough in a certain roguish sort of way, but what he had in looks he certainly lacked in charisma and charm; the man was wildly successful financially and had somehow snared possibly the hottest gay man in Pittsburgh, a fact he made no secret of verbalizing every opportunity he got, but he was definitely deficient when it came to finesse or class.
And the way he persisted in dropping that little fact in everyone's face on a frequent basis, and the disgusting habit he had of calling their boss little cutesy pen names when he came into the agency, made them realize the man really didn't know Brian at all; the Brian Kinney they knew would cringe at the endearments his fiancé was using in front of them, and he certainly would NOT care for the almost possessive way the man made it known that Brian belonged to HIM. Despite their astonishment, then, over the fact that Robert Chagall WAS their boss' fiancé, and the man he had inexplicably chosen to marry, they kept their opinions to themselves. After all, while they questioned Brian's judgement of fiancé behind his back, and wondered what in the world he saw in this rather pompous man, they also valued their jobs at the most influential, up-and-coming advertising agency in the city, and they were all perceptive enough to know what it took to keep them.
The assistant sighed, then, as she realized her boss was going to probably be making the biggest mistake of his life as she picked up her phone to dial her boss' office.
"Yes, Lauren?"
"Hi, Cynthia – There's a Justin Taylor here to see Mr. Kinney for his 10:00 appointment."
Cynthia nodded into her phone. "I'll let Brian know he's here," she told the receptionist. She pressed the intercom button briefly and waited for Brian to pick up before advising him that his and Robert Chagall's wedding planner had arrived. Just before she ended her call, she could have sworn as Brian replied that she heard him making a a distinctive sigh of, what? Disgust? Boredom? Resignation? She wasn't sure, but one thing she WAS sure of was that, just like Lauren and all the other employees of Kinnetik, she didn't have a clue what Brian was thinking when he decided to accept Robert Chagall's marriage proposal a few months ago. She suspected there had to be much more to their pending nuptials then he was letting on, but any reason for it would only be a guess on her part.
Normally, Brian would confide in her regarding most matters; however, in this case he had been uncharacteristically tight-lipped, leading her even more to conclude that there was much more to this arrangement than met the eye. The whole scenario simply didn't make sense to her; here was a handsome, sexy man who could have anyone he wanted – and usually did , and on a frequent basis – and not only was he about to seemingly commit to only one man, but to a person who outwardly at least appeared shallow, materialistic, and totally the opposite of Brian's forceful, dynamic character. She shook her head, perplexed, before rising from her desk to go greet his visitor.
As he disconnected the intercom, Brian cringed; Robert had told him last night that "their" wedding planner would be stopping by this morning to obtain his signature on some of the paperwork, but he had already told Robert that he really didn't want any part in the farce known as their wedding and reception; having to deal with this Taylor person simply served to remind him that he was being corralled into an arrangement he despised. Nevertheless, until which time he could come up with some other way of keeping his business afloat, he saw no other alternative except to play along. "Send him in, Cynthia," he had finally instructed his assistant tersely, fervently hoping he would be able to just sign the damn paperwork and get the man shuffled out of there immediately thereafter.
Cynthia walked out into the lobby and called out to Brian's visitor. "Mr. Taylor? My name's Cynthia – I'm Mr. Kinney's executive assistant. If you'll come with me, Brian can see you now," she told the young man, who smiled politely as he stood up and shook her hand. Cynthia automatically had to smile back at this unexpectedly adorable blond, noticing right away the distinctive blue eyes and quite attractive smile he had.
Justin had a better opportunity to see more of the inner workings of Kinnetik as the tall, elegant blonde assistant led him down the hallway toward Mr. Kinney's office; as they passed various rooms, he could see well-equipped, partially-open offices with paperwork and ad materials strewn about the desks. He noticed a sort of creative energy seemingly flowing from each nook and cranny of the operation, which didn't surprise him after reading about some of Kinnetik's recent successes in the advertising world. He was innately curious to meet the man who was the driving force behind this vibrant company as the two of them approached an impressive entrance to what was apparently the man's private office.
They slowed down and came to a stop in front of a pair of double doors. He watched the woman rap a couple of times on the door before Justin heard a muffled greeting of "door's open" in response. "You can go on in," Cynthia told him, as she opened the door and held it out for him. Before Justin had a chance to thank her, she nodded and turned to rush back toward her own desk, no doubt to work on her own pile of urgent matters just like all the others.
Justin tentatively walked into the spacious, ceramic-tiled office as he observed a large, open entryway that led to an even larger work area. The first thing he noticed were the tasteful, contemporary furnishings: there was an expensive-looking, butter-colored couch and two sleek floor lamps flanking it on either side, along with a bar set along the far wall with a glass decanter partially filled with some type of amber-colored liquid and a mirrored, round tray with four stout, crystal glasses surrounding it on top.
The second thing he noticed was the matching, wood and glass desk set on the opposite wall and a brunet man sitting in a chair behind it. From his viewpoint, Justin could only see the man's dark hair and part of his head from the rear, since he had his back facing him as he spoke into his cell phone. He stood there somewhat hesitantly until he heard the man's rich-sounding voice say somewhat curtly to him, "Sit down – I'll be right with you." Justin wondered if he was bothering this man from the somewhat bored tone to his voice; Kinney's fiancé had warned Justin yesterday how busy he would be. He chose to do as Kinney asked, though, and turned to go sit down on the couch opposite the man's desk while he waited for the man's telephone conversation to conclude. The man continued to talk to the party on the other end, however, totally ignoring him to his consternation, as he sat quietly waiting for the man to finish.
"Yeah, I know, I know," he heard the other man saying to his caller. "I'll have it ready for you by Friday, Clay, quit worrying already! You know I'm the best at what I do," he heard the man drawl. He couldn't help thinking the man possibly had the sexiest voice he had ever heard, even though he was simply discussing business with someone. Get a grip, Taylor – this is a client you're talking about, he told himself in disgust.
He impatiently jiggled the folder of papers he had on his knees as he waited for the man to finish his conversation. Although he was entranced at the tone of this man's voice, he still couldn't help being just a little perturbed that he was still practically ignoring him.
Several minutes and a few more assurances later, Brian finally ended his call. He hadn't turned around yet to greet his 10:00 appointment; in a way, he supposed it was because if he didn't acknowledge the man's presence, perhaps he wouldn't also have to acknowledge the fact that he was being forced to participate in a sham of a wedding to a man he could barely tolerate. He sighed, realizing he had put this rather unwelcome meeting off long enough. "Sorry, Mr. Taylor," he began coolly, his voice somewhat betraying his less-than-genuine apology; he started to turn his chair around to address the wedding planner that Robert had decided to hire, "I understand you have some pa….." The rest of his words promptly died in his throat as he caught sight of the man fidgeting somewhat impatiently on his couch nearby.
His golden hair, which was a little shaggy and fell just belong the nape of his slender neck, was reflecting off the light shining from the two nearby lamps and practically glowed. The sapphire-blue eyes that were focused on his curiously were the clearest blue he had ever seen – they seemed to practically change hues from light to medium-dark in an instant as Brian continued to stare intently back at them. His lips were full and perfectly rounded – an ideal shape for a perfect blow job, Brian decided. His body, while not overly muscled, was slender and flawlessly proportioned to his frame. Taylor's clothes, while not very contemporary or up to the minute in a fashionable sense, seemed to fit his body perfectly.
Even from his vantage point several feet away, Brian's eyes instantly were drawn to where the man's thighs were pressed to the seat cushion as he made out the shape of a rather-impressive looking cock pushing against the man's snug pants. As his eyes slowly drifted upward, he observed how the slate-gray, long-sleeved tee shirt flattered his slim chest. Brian found himself positively taken aback at the unexpected, entrancing sight he was feasting upon as he continued to stare at this tasty treat.
"Uh….paperwork," he managed to finally finish saying somehow, trying hard to plaster on a professional face but feeling like he was probably failing miserably. He couldn't help continuing to stare at this man who was abruptly causing his body to tingle with desire and his heart to start accelerating at the thought of just what sort of activities the two of THEM could plan together without his sham of a fiancé.
Now that Justin had a chance to see the face that went with the voice, his mouth went dry and he had trouble even acknowledging the other man's statement, even though he couldn't dare look away; this man was simply the most gorgeous-looking male he had ever seen. He cleared his throat, stalling slightly for time as he tried to regain his voice. He finally managed to rasp out, "Uh….yes, Mr. Kinney." He pulled out a couple of sheets of legal paper from inside the folder and said, "I have the contract right here."
Brian sat there with his mouth hanging partially open; now that he had a chance to hear the voice that went with the incredibly petite, perfectly proportioned body, he was even more entranced. He somehow managed to mentally chastise himself for his almost giddy reaction – after all, he was a man who never had to beg for anything or anybody – and he plastered on a controlled expression as he replied quite evenly, "Yes, Robert told me you would be coming over today for my signature." Brian continued to scrutinize the other man for several seconds until he added, "Bring it over here so I can see it better." And YOU, he couldn't help adding silently as he waited eagerly to get a closer inspection of this captivating man.
Justin stared unabashedly at the brunet for several seconds before he scolded himself for being so unprofessional. Get a hold of yourself, Taylor…..this man's engaged to be MARRIED, for fuck's sake! He took a deep breath and slowly rose from his place on the couch, stating as calmly as could manage, "Of course." He began to walk over toward this incredibly good-looking man who was eyeing him intently, praying that his quickly-heating face wouldn't betray his undeniable attraction to this gorgeous male specimen. He held out the paperwork to Kinney, who appeared to be actually enjoying his discomfiture as his lips turned up into a knowing smirk as he recognized Justin's reaction.
Brian's eyes darkened slightly at his close-up vantage point of the other man; he was utterly captivated, but he wasn't about to tell the other man that. "Have a seat, Mr. Taylor," he told the blond coolly, motioning to a couple of chairs directly across from his desk, "while I take a closer look at this." He tore him eyes away from the other man purposefully to feign interest in the legalese imprinted on the contract, but in reality he couldn't care less; he was simply trying hard to find a reason to make this fascinating man stay as close to him as possible. "Oh, and you can call me Brian," he told Justin nonchalantly as he looked down at the document, although inside his body's pulse rate was anything but "nonchalant." He was astounded by the way this man had quickly caused his body to thrum just at the thought of what the two of them could soon be doing together. He was glad, at least, that Robert hadn't prohibited him from fucking the daylights out of other men, because his mind was whirling with ideas on how to do just that with this stranger sitting across from him.
As he pretended to read through the paperwork, Brian could hear the other man's soft, ragged breathing as he waited for him to finish; his lips turned into a slight, knowing smile at the affect he knew he was having on this other man. Of course, it was to be expected, though – he had that effect on MOST men. After he felt a sufficient amount of time had passed, he finally gazed up under long, dark lashes to peer back at the blond whose eyes widened at the knowledge he had just been caught staring openly at him. Brian was almost disappointed to realize snaring Justin Taylor into a quick, no doubt highly pleasurable fuck was going to be easier than he had hoped; he had almost wished the man would have at least tried to pretend he was going to resist – it always made the capture so much more enjoyable.
Justin's eyes got even wider as he saw Brian stand up, finally revealing his entire, magnificent body to him, and walk around the desk to take a sitting place on the corner of the piece of furniture, right near his chair. As Justin gazed up at him, his heart began to pound suddenly as he frantically tried to appear composed while he swallowed a lump in his throat. No man had ever affected him quite this way before. The man's cologne and some other essence that Justin somehow knew was uniquely Brian Kinney wafted through his nose and threatened to intoxicate him where he sat as Brian's mouth twisted upward in a confident, self-assured smirk.
"Everything seems to be in order, Mr. Taylor," the man drawled down at him. Yes….everything seems to be in PERFECT order, he thought as his eyes once again raked over the slender body sitting tensely in the chair right below him. Picking up a pen sitting on the desk, he hurriedly scrawled his name to the left of Chagall's as he placed the pen back down and reached over to hand the paperwork back to Justin.
Justin rather hesitantly reached out to accept the document from the brunet; as he did so, their fingers brushed against each other and he instantly pulled his hand back, flinching as if he had just been scalded after touching a scorching fire. As his eyes once more glanced up to meet a pair of hazel ones eyeing him almost hungrily, Justin reflected that perhaps he had – this man's simple, mere, undoubtedly accidental touch of his hand had made his whole body instantly go on alert. He knew if he didn't get out of there – and fast – he was about to commit the cardinal act of what you didn't do while conducting business – you never get personally involved with your own clients.
Like a scared little puppy, he abruptly stood up, roughly pushing his chair back as he placed the folder containing a copy of the contract Brian had just signed and some other information about his services on Brian's desk. "Uh…..thank you. I'd best be going now – Mr. Chagall told me how busy you were, so I won't keep you any longer. If you have any ideas about the plans for your wedding or reception, though, my card's attached to the information there." He realized to his horror that he was almost babbling at this other man, but something told him he had to get out of there – NOW.
Brian quickly slid off the corner of the desk, determined not to let this man get away. Robert had been adamant about not bringing tricks home to the loft or fucking one in a public place where someone might witness his act of "indiscretion" and report it back to him, or worse, be noticed by the customers he did business with. He didn't, however, say anything about conducting his own style of "business" at Kinnetik. "Wait!" he almost shouted at Justin in a commanding tone of voice as he rushed toward the rapidly-retreating blond. He really had no idea what he was going to say – he just knew he wasn't going to let this man get away – he had to have a taste, a good, long taste of this pale, delightful, and creamy-fleshed delicacy.
Justin stopped dead in his tracks at the authoritative sound in Kinney's voice; his back was to the other man and he was just short of the closed private office door that separated him from the devil's lair or sanctuary. He knew he should get out of there, needed to get out of there, but while his head was telling him that, his feet apparently were incapacitated because they were betraying him. He almost felt glued to the hardwood floor as he tensed, waiting for the office's occupant to slowly approach him from behind. "Yes?" he asked softly, afraid to turn around. He knew one look at that man – that undeniably sexy man – and his eyes would reveal how attracted he was to him. How did such a seemingly simple task of signing up a new client result in sweaty palms and a rapidly-beating heart? He had always prided himself before on being professionally detached and politely cordial, nothing more, nothing less. Of course, until today, Justin had never quite seen a man like this one before, either...
Brian's pace slowed as he noticed to his relief that the other man had stopped his attempt to leave. He still didn't know quite what he was going to say – somehow "let's fuck" didn't quite seem just right, although he certainly was clearly thinking of nothing else at the moment, but he had to think of some plausible reason to keep this man here until he could carry out what he was intending to do. "No need to run off, Justin," the brunet said, deliberately drawing out the other man's name an inordinately long amount of time. "I was just to have some lunch. Why don't you join me?" You can definitely be my dessert, he thought as he tentatively reached out with the intent of grasping the man's upper arm and spinning him around to face him. The sexual tension was almost palpable between them as he waited for his first touch of this exquisite creature. They could start with a deep, exploratory kiss and move on downward from there...
Just before he could touch him, however, Justin moved forward enough that Brian almost fell down, staggering somewhat as he shockingly came up with nothing but air. "Uh, no, thanks anyway," Justin said, afraid to turn around. "Maybe some other time." He finally got his legs to obey as he practically ran toward the door now and, turning the knob, flung it wide open. He braved one last look at the stunningly handsome man staring back at him in disbelief before he hurried down the hallway, not even bothering to look over at the young receptionist giving him one last unrequited, admiring glance before he ran straight out the front door. It wasn't until he was safely ensconced in his vehicle and had driven a block down the street before he dared to let out the breath he had been holding and release the white-knuckled death grip he had been grasping the steering wheel with. It would be several minutes longer, however, before his breathing and pulse rate eventually returned to a more normal cadence, but somehow he knew that thoughts of the man he had just encountered would be lingering with him for much longer than that.
Back at Kinnetik, Brian's look of astonishment was still apparent on his face as he stood there, trying to digest what had just happened. As he slowly turned back to his desk and sat down, he picked up the folder and peered down at the business card attached to the front. Resigned to defeat for now, he nonethless smiled slightly as he became fully aware of two things: one, he had never felt such strong, intense feelings as the ones he was presently experiencing for the man who had just left, and two, he would possess this man, body and soul, if it was the last thing he did.