Later That Evening – Brian's Loft
Brian didn't bother to look up from the couch as the heavy, metal loft door slowly swung open; he knew without even glancing away from his glass of Beam who it was. As it turned out, he didn't have long to wait before he heard the voice he was not eagerly anticipating speaking to him.
"Just what were you doing on board my ship earlier tonight?" Robert stalked into the living room area and stood in front of Brian, his hands on his hips as he waited for a reply.
"Just how IS old Larry?" Brian asked casually, not bothering to look up.
"You already know the answer to that, don't you?" Robert growled. "Why did you go there tonight with the wedding planner without telling me? I thought you weren't even interested in the details." He sighed in exasperation, though, as an epiphany suddenly hit him. "It's not the details you were interested in at all, though, is it, Brian?"
He waited several seconds for Brian to answer, but the brunet remained predictably silent. Lately, it seemed like stony silence was their typical mode of communication. "I want an answer, Brian. How many bedrooms did you fuck Taylor in?" He wasn't blind; he knew how attractive the other man was, and he knew his and Brian's agreement. He had hoped, however, that the man would maintain at least a little decorum, though, when it came to when and where he decided to flaunt their agreement in his face.
Brian shook his head; he was so fucking tired of the constant battles with this man. Not for the first time, he considered just telling the man to go to hell and trying to live with the subsequent consequences. But he knew deep down that he just couldn't do it; there were too many other people depending on him, including his son, and truthfully, he just couldn't start all over again. It would mean having to answer to someone higher up that didn;t have even half the experience and expertise he had, and having to develop an entirely new client base. It would take him years to get back to where he was now. He just wasn't willing to start from scratch once again. That didn't mean he wasn't still intent on planning to capture the elusive Mr. Taylor; if nothing else, the blond's success at evading him so far was just making him even more determined….
He finally peered up at the angry man staring down at him to advise, "I hate to disappoint you, Robert, but I didn't fuck the man. I was merely showing him the ship in case he wanted to use it for the wedding and reception. Plus it would save us money on having to find hotel rooms for all your food groupies coming in from out of town." Of course, that wasn't really the entire truth – he didn't fuck Justin, but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying or desire.
Robert harrumphed. "Right…..it was purely altruistic on your part. You were so worried about us not finding the proper venue for our wedding and just HAD to try and help. I know how much you're looking forwards to our upcoming nuptials." The man's eyes flashed in disbelief. "Come ON, Brian! You expect me to believe you were alone with this man for who knows HOW long on my ship with just Fitzgerald on board and you didn't fuck the man? I'm not blind, Brian – I know Taylor's hot and has a great ass. Your dick was probably twitching the second you saw him."
"Maybe it was," Brian readily admitted as he peered up at his fiancé. "So?"
Robert shook his head angrily as he stood there defiantly. "Listen, Brian…..we had an agreement! You could go on fucking whoever who wanted once as long as it was out of the spotlight and done discretely. That did NOT include fucking on my own yacht and flaunting it in my face! Let me make this clear – one more "indiscretion on your part and our deal is OFF!"
Brian's face was set in disgust. Why had he ever agreed to this? And now the man was making demands on HIM? "No, Robert, YOU listen! I'm telling you – nothing happened on board your precious little ship! And I'm getting a little tired of this whole arrangement! Maybe we should just call this whole thing off!"
Brian noticed with a small degree of satisfaction that Robert's righteous façade of indignation crumbled just a little at the thought of him backing out of their agreement. He knew the other man was more interested in following through on their agreement than even HE was, although fuck knew he needed the additional capital that Robert was injecting into Kinnetik to keep him afloat at the moment.
Robert abruptly began to backpedal, alarmed that Brian might actually be thinking seriously of calling the whole scam off; he needed someone like Brian Kinney on his arm. He needed the image it would project as the successful entrepreneur who had snagged the most seemingly unattainable, but most eligible gay bachelor in Pittsburgh. And truthfully, Brian was without question the best advertising man in town, not to mention a mind blowing fucker in bed. The man would undoubtedly be invaluable to him from both a financial as well as a appearance standpoint.
"No, Brian," Robert said, immediately sitting down next to the brunet; his voice was decidedly calmer and quieter as he added, "That's not necessary. I'm just asking you to be aware of what sort of image you're projecting when you take chances like that. It's just for a couple more months," he reasoned, trying to reach over to take Brian's hand in his.
Brian, however, deftly pulled it away just in time, placing both hands in his lap; the last thing he wanted right now was to touch this man, not after he had already been given the opportunity to touch paradise earlier tonight. Brian knew he couldn't back out of their agreement, as much as it fucking pained him, but that didn't mean he had to make it any easier on the other man, either. "I don't know, Robert," he said, shaking his head. "I'm really getting tired of having to play the doting, dutiful fiancé. And I'm getting tired of constantly having to re-read your rules manual to make sure I'm in compliance according to your standards."
Robert sighed. "I'm just asking you not to be so public about it, that's all. And NOT to fuck on my own ship! Surely that isn't too much to ask."
Now it was Brian's turn to sigh; he was so tired of this arrangement, but he would have to deal it with for now. He only fervently hoped that he would be able to pay this man's money back in full with interest sooner rather than later….
"Okay, Robert, okay then….no fucking on your damned ship! But just to reiterate – I didn't fuck anyone on it in the first place! Fitzgerald needs to mind his own fucking business."
"He's just being loyal to me, Brian, that's all," his fiancé replied in the other man's defense. The two men sat together somewhat tensely for several seconds before Robert decided to push forward. "Speaking of the ship – when you weren't trying to stick your dick up his ass, what did Taylor think about using it for the wedding and reception? I take it he was having problems finding some other place large enough to accommodate the size we would need?"
Brian sighed in exasperation before he nodded; could this man be any more obnoxious? "I told him the ship would be the best solution. He's apparently tried everywhere else he can think of, but they're all booked by now. He said it would be a perfect spot for it." A perfect spot for me to make the biggest damn mistake of my life...
Robert pursed his lips in thought; he wasn't too thrilled with Justin Taylor continuing to be their wedding planner – fucking or no fucking on Brian's part – but it was too late to find anyone else and the man WAS highly recommended. He had to grudgingly admit – the man did seem to know his stuff. And perhaps the ship wouldn't be such a bad idea – they could still do the festivities up in high style while saving a little money on a banquet rental in the process, as well as the accommodation costs for their out-of-town guests.
"Okay…..whatever," Robert reluctantly agreed. "We'll use the ship. But NO MORE plans for the wedding without my being involved with it, you understand? I don't want any more surprises. And try to keep your dick out of the man's ass, will you? There're hundreds of men in Pittsburgh who no doubt would be more than willing to have you stick your cock in their ass – leave our wedding planner's alone."
Brian glared back at his fiancé; this deal was getting worse all the time. Agreeing not to fuck Taylor and following through on it was not necessarily the same thing, though. At the moment, he didn't care whether he was lying or not – he HAD to possess the other man and he wasn't worried about what it would take to carry out his wishes.
"I'll try to keep it out of harm's way," he answered dryly.
Robert smiled, satisfied that he had finally gotten through to his fiance as he began to reach his hand toward Brian's crotch in hopes of lassoing what their wedding planner was strictly forbidden to enjoy. "Good….because I'VE got dibs on it tonight," he said huskily.
Brian considered simply standing up from the couch and dismissing the idea outright; he certainly wanted a piece of someone's ass tonight – after his encounter with Justin earlier he was frustrated and horny as hell - but it wasn't this man's ass he was desiring. But he also knew what he really wanted wasn't going to be his tonight, and he did not care to go back out to Babylon or Woody's and take his chances on finding someone new that he could fuck privately while he adhered to the other man's stupid rules. So as Robert's hand closed around his cock and the other man began to knead the rough fabric teasingly, Brian leaned his head back against the sofa cushion and closed his eyes, dreaming that a certain hot blond was fondling him instead. Soon, Taylor…..Soon…
Next Morning – The It's Not the Same Shop
Pink tongue hanging out slightly, Justin tried to concentrate on the drawing he was making of the tentative wedding plans for the Kinney-Chagall nuptials; after all, it was now less than two months away and time was rapidly running out. At least he finally had the actual venue for the festivities – the enormous, incredible floating palace that Brian had shown him last night – so the plans should be easily flowing through him now, just like they always did after he had the burden lifted of where the event would be taking place. But this time, they were not. And it was all because of a certain devastatingly sexy man that had caused him to endure a sleepless night last night.
After managing to escape from the man's pursuit of him, Justin had lain in bed for at least a couple of hours as his mind raced with thoughts of Brian Kinney; the man's melodious, husky voice, his lean, toned, bronzed body, his eyes – fuck, those eyes that held varying shades of brown, gold and green. Those same eyes that could practically bore into his very soul and seemingly expose every little desire he held inside. He had finally managed to shut his eyes for a little while, but it would prove to be an elusive, restless sleep, full of longing, unfulfilled dreams, and pent-up desires. Desires that he knew only one man's touch, one man's kiss, could quench.
He sighed. He HAD to forget Brian – he had a job to do – possibly the most important wedding he would ever plan. If he could just focus on what he needed to do as a professional, and succeed in staging a wedding extravaganza to end all wedding events, his business reputation – and his business, period – would certainly be guaranteed. Surely that was worth forgoing what might possibly be the best thing that ever happened to him. He just had to keep telling himself – Brian Kinney wasn't really interested in HIM – he was only interested in getting into his pants for one night...no doubt, one glorious night, though.
His heart raced a little at the thought as he heard the overhead bell ringing, signifying that someone was entering the shop. Wiping his hands on a nearby rag, he took a deep breath before walking toward the beaded curtain separating the back work area from the front showcase room before parting the funky-looking drapes and walking out. His face broke into a wide smile at the unexpected sight of his dark-haired, blue-eyed best friend. "Nico! What are YOU doing here?"
Nico smiled radiantly at his friend; his heart doing the customary flip-flop at the sight of the blond, blue-eyed man who always had been by his side over the past several years. The two of them had both met in Chicago at a Mexican take-out restaurant; they found themselves running into each so many times while they waited for their orders that they eventually struck up a conversation and slowly became friends. Nico felt so comfortable around Justin; they had a lot in common – both were into art – he was a sculptor while Justin was more of an acrylic and oils painter. Both had a passion for late night food frenzies and movie marathons with Ben Affleck and Brad Pitt.
The two of them had gotten along so well in Chicago that they had become roommates after a couple of weeks when his former roommate had been forced to move back to his home state of Ohio. The two of them had shared countless laughs, disappointments, as well as some all-out grand, good times as roommates until Justin had decided to move back to his home town of Pittsburgh. Justin had felt terrible having to leave his best friend, but Nico had understood, telling him he would be down to visit him before he knew it. It appeared now that he had been telling the truth as he rushed over to Justin and gave him a bear hug, squeezing him tightly before placing a small kiss on his cheek. "Hey! I had to come and see how Pittsburgh was treating my favorite wedding planner! How ARE you?"
Justin smiled as he pulled Nico over toward the sitting area and the two men sat down on the couch. "I'm good," Justin told him. "The business is going pretty well so far; in fact, I was just picked to plan a big wedding for this hoity-toity restaurant mogul and his fiancé." He tried to clear the instant picture of Brian that immediately sprang to his mind at the mention of his new assignment, but it wasn't easy. The man was uppermost in him mind, ever since the first moment he had first laid eyes on him.
"Well, for someone whose business is going well, you don't sound too chipper, my friend," Nico observed as he noticed a strange look on his friend's face. "Something's not quite right here….I know that look; what is it? Spill." He reached over to grasp Justin's upper arm as Justin slowly turned his gaze to latch onto his friend's.
He sighed. "It's kind of complicated," he said soberly. He gave Nico a slight smile, trying to dismiss his friend's look of concern. "But it's really nothing important." Of course, Justin knew that was a lie, but he didn't see a need to burden his friend with his troubles. "What IS important is that my best friend is in town for – how long can you stay?" he asked, smiling.
Nico squeezed Justin's upper arm. "Just for a couple of days," he told him regretfully. At least it would be for only a few days this time; if things worked out the way he was hoping, the two of them would be together again soon. Nico was fairly sure that Justin – his sweet, compassionate, adorable friend – had no idea that he was actually in love with him, had been in love with him since practically the first day they had met and bonded over Mexican food. He was trying to work up enough courage before he left to let Justin know just how he felt, but he was also afraid of affecting their friendship, which he was priceless to him.
"Well, then, we'll just have to make the best of it, then," Justin told his friend, smiling. He was grateful that Nico had shown up – hopefully he would help him to forget a certain gorgeous brunet for a while that was frequently invading his every waking thought as well as his dreams. If anyone could, it was his off-the-wall, funny-as-hell friend.
"I couldn't agree more," Nico told him. "So where does somebody go in this town to get some decent Mexican food?"
Justin grinned as he stood up and extended his hand to his friend, who readily grasped it and allowed himself to be pulled up on his feet. "Why don't I show you? I'm starving."
"I was hoping you'd say that," Nico replied, smiling as he held onto Justin's hand just a little longer than necessary before reluctantly releasing it. "Lead the way, then."
Miguel's Casa – Noon
"Tell me again why I'm here." Brian looked around the rather small, mundane restaurant fashioned with various hues of sombreros and tissue garlands strung along a far wall and shook his head. "This is a dive," he decided. "You have got to be kidding me."
"It may look like a dive, as you put it," Ted told his boss. "But it's one of the top-grossing Mexican restaurants on the east side of the Pitts. In fact, they're about to branch out to two more on the west and south side next year."
"What – Tacos Are Us?"
Ted grinned. "Go ahead and make fun, Bri, but I'm telling you – the food is fantastic. Believe me, it would have to be to bring in what they do."
"Mexican drug lords shipping heroin inside little clapping monkeys?"
"Just reserve judgement until you taste the fajitas," Ted told him as they took their place at one of the Formica-topped tables.
Brian scrunched up his nose in distaste as he noticed what appeared to be remnants of taco sauce on a corner of the table; he quickly pulled several napkins out of a green, ceramic, cactus-shaped napkin holder at the far end of the table and wiped it up before gingerly placing it on a corner of the still-wet surface. "Well, they definitely didn't use all their profit last year to clean up the joint," he observed. He had to admit, though, that there was apparently something about the place; despite the tacky, over-the-top decorations and rather questionable housekeeping, nearly every table was occupied at present.
He had somewhat grudgingly agreed to accompany Ted to the restaurant today on a fact-finding mission; the owners of the establishment were pitting Kinnetik against another high-profile advertising agency in town for their business, and like the expert investigator he was, Brian had decided it would be best to scout out their new potential client on his own prior to meeting with them early next week. He couldn't believe he was this desperate for business, though, to resort to wooing a relatively small-time player, but if he hoped to pay back his fake fiancé as soon as possible, it needed every bit of new business he could get. And besides, he had to eat, anyway, so he decided he might as well take care of both concerns at once.
As a dark-haired, petite waitress walked over shortly to pass out a menu to each man and place a glass of water with lemon in front of them, Brian's attention was drawn over to a nearby table by the sound of a man's melodic laughter. The sound was somehow instantly familiar to him, as his gaze drifted over to a pair of men seated in a corner of the restaurant. A dark-haired man who appeared to be in his early twenties was smiling broadly at something the other man had said. From his viewpoint, Brian could only see the back of the other man's blond head, but it didn't matter; he still knew who it was. He gazed in avid interest over at the other table, trying hard to ascertain what the two men were discussing. He was somewhat surprised to discover that he didn't like the way the dark-haired stranger was nearly hanging on every word Justin was saying. Why should he care what a potential, one-time fuck was doing with some other man?
"Brian?" he turned abruptly as he realized Ted was speaking to him.
"Yes, Theodore?" he tried to answer in a nonchalant tone of voice.
"Something wrong?"
"Just checking for bedbugs," he responded cryptically, swishing the lemon around idly in his water glass with his straw as he turned his gaze back to his friend. Yeah…..bedbugs and OTHER vermin. He tried hard to ignore what was going on nearby, but he found that somehow he couldn't.
"I have to use the men's room," he suddenly decided, standing up.
"But what about your order?" Ted asked, perplexed.
Brian rolled his eyes. "Just order me something that's not still moving when it gets here," he proclaimed as he turned and walked toward the restroom, which just happened to also be near something – or more accurately, someone – else. As he slowly walked closer to the corner table, he could hear the dark-haired man actually giggling over something Justin had said. From the man's rapt expression, he seemed so enamored with Justin at the moment that Brian wondered how he managed to stop himself from drooling all over his eating companion.
As he approached their table, he could see the stranger with his hand placed on top of Justin's wrist; he felt an unexpected rush of hatred toward this other man, a feeling that was both unforeseen and just a little unnerving in its intensity. Why did this bother him so much? Was it because some other man had captured this intriguing blond's attention and would maybe wind up in his bed? Was it because he had beat him to it? Or was it something MORE than that?
Just as he reached their side, the sapphire-blue eyes glanced sideways and widened at the familiar sight of the brunet. "Brian?" he said, his heart beginning to pound just at the sight – and memory – of last night's encounter with this dangerously sexy male.
The brunet quickly plastered his ever-present, cocky smirk on his face as he quipped, "You remember."
Nico watched with suspicious interest as Justin and this other man locked eyes with each other; they obviously knew each other, but how well? The looks they were giving each other didn't appear to be a type of friendly, we're-just-acquaintances sort of looks. They were more like a spider and fly looks. He quickly decided there was something about this other man he didn't care for.
"What are you doing here?" Justin asked him. This small, hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant would have been the last place he would have expected to run into this elegant, tasteful man. Was some God of Fate somehow conspiring to put them together? If he was, he had one hell of a sense of humor...
"I DO eat from time to time, Mr. Taylor," Brian replied, his lips curled under in amusement at the other man's seeming discomfiture.
"No kidding," Justin bantered. "And here I thought you just feasted on the innards of the cutthroat competition instead." He realized that he had been carrying on a conversation with this somewhat larger-than-life man without even acknowledging his best friend. "Uh….Nico, this is Brian Kinney – he's one of the grooms I'm planning a wedding for. Brian, this is a friend of mine, Nico Alvarez."
"Mr. Kinney," Nico coolly greeted him. Justin somehow didn't seem to notice that this man was almost fucking him with his eyes at the moment, but HE didn't have a problem realizing it. This man may be engaged to someone else, but his interest in his friend was all too obvious to him. "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding," he said, trying fervently to remind the other man that he WAS engaged.
Brian started at the other man intently as he noticed him still covering Justin's wrist almost possessively with his hand. Fucker. He didn't know if he was angrier because the man was apparently interested in Justin as more than just a friend, or because he had had the nerve to point out to him that he was about to marry someone he absolutely detested and couldn't tell anyone, especially Justin, the truth. "Mr. Alvarez...Have any recommendations for this flea-bag joint? I'd really like to get out of here alive if possible."
Nico shook his head as he finally removed his hand from Justin's wrist. "I hate to disappoint you, Mr. Kinney, but if you're inferring that I can help you because of how I look or by my name, I was actually born in Topeka. Sorry – you'll have to figure out how to survive the food here on your own."
Brian glared at the other man's audacity to knock him down a peg. "Well, I think I'll survive just fine," Brian curtly told the younger man. This man definitely rubbed him the wrong way, but his eyes weren't focused on this smart-ass pest at the moment; he found that he couldn't quit looking at Justin as he spoke to his companion – the man was just too damned hot and somehow continued to completely captivate him. He wasn't sure if it was because of how he had looked and had felt in his arms last night, or if it was the thrill of the hunt over an elusive prey, but he knew one thing - he had to HAVE this man...
As Justin watched this tense interaction between his best friend and his largest client, he thought it was time he play referee; after all, Brian represented a substantial part of his present business, and he couldn't afford to lose it. Of course, he had to keep reminding himself that that was all it would be from now on when it came to interactions between him and Brian Kinney – it was business – strictly business. That was what it HAD to be – for his financial stability as well as his own sanity, because this man made him feel things he had never felt before. He knew that one foot down that slippery, sensual road with this man and he would be lost – decorum, business intentions, or not.
"Uh, Brian, don't let us keep you from your business lunch," Justin reminded nim, swallowing the nervous lump that had appeared in his throat.
Brian stood there, unsure what to do. He didn't want to leave Justin's sight – especially with his dining companion practically hanging on his every word – but on the other hand, he really didn't have a good reason for continuing to stand there like some lovesick schoolboy, either. He reluctantly, then, turned to go, but he just couldn't leave it at that, however. "Justin."
The blond glanced up at him curiously. "Yeah?" The one-word question came out as more of a breathy sort of whisper rather than a confident, self-assured response.
"Don't forget – we still have a lot of plans to go over before the wedding."
Justin licked his lips nervously, trying hard to ignore the butterflies in his stomach as he somehow replied, "Okay. Uh, yeah, I agree. I'll need to meet with you and your fiancé frequently over the next few weeks to make sure the plans are what you both want."
What I want? YOU'RE what I want, Brian couldn't help thinking. Why did they have to meet with Robert, too? He knew why, but it still left a distinctly sour and bitter taste in his mouth. He cleared his throat. "I'll have it arranged," he said curtly, stealing one more glance at Justin before, flashing a brief scathing look at Nico, he turned and left their table, headed toward the back of the restaurant.
Nico silently breathed a sigh of relief. "Well…..he's really utterly charming, isn't he?" he said dryly. Despite the man's obvious good looks and apparent success, the man was far too arrogant and condescending for his taste. The fact that the engaged man also had an obvious attraction to Justin didn't help his opinion of him, either. He silently decided he would need to push up his plans with Justin sooner or risk possibly losing him to this other man, whether he was supposed to get married or not. Justin may not have noticed the man's intense interest in him, but HE had – there was no mistaking that hungry, predatory look the man was giving his friend and it made him feel distinctly uneasy.
Justin winced at his friend's caustic assessment of Brian. He knew the other man could be abrasive at times, but he still found himself intrigued by him. He knew somehow that there was more to this man than met the eye, even if he WAS devastatingly gorgeous as hell on the outside and arrogantly knew it. Was it his place to defend him, though? It wasn't as if they were personally or emotionally involved – Brian was simply his client…..wasn't he?
"I'm sure he has a lot on his mind," Justin finally told his friend, not quite sure why he was trying to explain Brian's less-than-cordial attitude toward Nico.
"He's an arrogant, smug, condescending ass," Nico stated firmly. "Why are you defending him?"
"I'm not defending him," Justin maintained, huffing a little in indignation. "I don't really even KNOW him; he's just a client of mine, remember?" He sighed, tired of trying to sort out his feelings for the other man. "Look…..you're only in town for a couple of days; let's not dwell on my business problems, okay? I've been stressed out all week." If you only knew HOW stressed….. "Let's forget all about weddings for a few days and just have some fun, okay?" he pleaded, a small smile of entreaty on his face.
Nico's heart leapt at his friend's smile – the smile that always made him do flip-flops inside. How he wished to tell Justin what he really wanted, what he was really thinking. He didn't want to forget all about weddings – at least not ALL of them. If it was the last thing he did, he would find a way to somehow make sure ONE particular wedding happened eventually. He just had to convince Justin that HE wanted it, too…..
As Nico nodded in agreement, Justin smiled back at him in return, trying hard to concentrate on his long-time friend. But inside, he couldn't stop thinking about a particular forbidden fruit that was re-emerging from the restroom. Brian fixed one more intense look at him before, with a sigh, Justin turned back to his friend, determined somehow to get the other man out of his mind.
As he returned to his own table, Brian shook his head imperceptibly, disturbed by how vulnerable this other man was making him feel. How did he ever let this happen? And why did this particular man continue to affect him so much? And why now? Why, just when he was being forced to go through with this damned wedding charade to a man he could barely stand? Hell, he couldn't even tolerate the occasional fuck with Robert anymore – he had succumbed earlier to a mindless blow job by the other man at the loft to release his sexual frustration over what he couldn't have - yet - but after having just a slight taste of Justin Taylor last night, he somehow knew nothing else would ever compare with this other man's talents.
"Bri? Everything okay?" Ted asked as Brian came back to his seat.
"Just fabulous, Theodore," Brian promptly replied as he sat down, his confident façade firmly plastered back on his face. He peered down at the brown and yellow glop splattered abundantly on top of a bed of white rice and frowned. "What the fuck is it?" he growled. "This doesn't look like any fajitas I ever ate."
Ted smiled a little apologetically. "Yeah, well, I told you how popular the fajitas were. They ran out of them about thirty minutes ago, so I ordered you a Grande Burrito instead."
"Joy," Brian commented disdainfully, looking down in disgust at the high-carb, fat and calorie-laden meal unceremoniously dropped on his plate. "Do they have ambulances standing by out back? How about the fire department for the fucking heartburn I'm about to ingest?" No amount of money could get him to take THIS particular client....
He abruptly stood up, suddenly too tired to endure this façade of a Mexican meal – even it if WAS for a potential new client – and too tired to think about the façade of a marriage he was about to enter into, also. "I have to go," he announced as Ted peered up at him in surprise. "You check this charming little hacienda out and report back to me. I have some other matters to take care of, Theodore."
"But, Brian…"
"Handle it, Ted! You hear me?" Brian growled. At his subordinate's look of surprise, Brian lowered his voice to add, "You can do it, Theodore, I trust you…..The check's on me, so knock yourself out – have some fried ice cream and take a cab back to the office. Now if you'll excuse me?" He knew his dour mood wasn't Ted's fault, but he couldn't help the feeling of helplesslness suddenly piercing his gut at the moment.
Not waiting for Ted's reply and before he risked staring back over at Justin again like some smitten little puppy dog , he turned on his heels and promptly walked toward the exit, his eyes straight ahead. It wasn't until he had opened the door and stepped outside that he allowed himself to take a deep breath before he slowly walked toward his car, deep in thought. He didn't know yet how he was going to do it, but he knew one thing as certainly as he knew he would never eat a meat at Miguel's Casa - he wouldn't give up until Justin Taylor was in his bed and his cock was firmly entrenched in his ass...