Text me the address. I’ve got an idea how to get there, but I might get lost.

Pick me up in an hour…

Justin sent Brian a thumbs up emoji before hopping in the shower.

Once he had arrived home, he packed a spare t-shirt and a pair of underwear, lube and condoms, in case Brian couldn’t get some, along with his laptop. Justin planned on doing something productive about the new project.

He had some ideas, but he wanted to see if they looked as good if he worked on some sketches.

After his shower, he loitered around, until Daphne had had enough of his behavior.

“Stop moping! Do something useful and help me finish this salad.”

Justin hopped up on the counter, but was immediately whacked with a spatula on the thigh.

“Get down! I cook here! Who knows where your ass has been!”

“Ouch!” Justin rubbed the tender spot. “If you must know, I just showered. And last I checked, my ass has been around Brian's dick.”

Daphne threw her head back, glaring at the ceiling.

“What are you doing?” Justin asked, confused by her behavior.

“I’m gathering willpower so I won’t smack you again.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic.” He stood by her side. “What salad are you making?”

“Garbage.”

“Sorry?”

“It’s made of everything I have left in my fridge. That’s what I call it.”

“Okay…I’m so glad I’m not eating here this weekend.”

“You plan on spending the weekend with Brian?” she cried out, turning to face him.

“Don’t be absurd. I have brunch with Mom tomorrow, then in the evening the customary dinner at Debbie’s. Or maybe at Michael’s? Brian said Michael took over hosting the Saturday dinner.” Justin shrugged. “Stop worrying. We’re careful.”

#

Justin parked in front of Brian's building. He opted to wait for him, instead of calling.

A knock on the passenger side window startled Justin from thumbing through his Facebook wall. He pressed the button to unlock the doors, allowing Brian to get inside.

Brian threw a bag in the backseat, then joined Justin in the front.

“Long time, no see.”

“What’s in the bag? You already have clothes at Britin.”

“My laptop and something to eat.”

“I have food, too. Daphne made a salad and I couldn’t leave without some.”

“What did you tell her you were doing?” Brian asked, programming the route in his phone and placing it in the holder.

Justin chewed on his bottom lip. “She figured out we were seeing each other.”

“Of course she did,” Brian tsked.

They drove in silence for a while. Justin tapped his fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm with the music on the radio.

“I haven’t heard this song in ages,” he commented when Justify My Love by Madonna came on.

Justin tried not to think of the memories every city in the song brought to him, but he focused on the emotions it made him feel. They were still raw.

“Did you love him?” Brian asked, out of nowhere.

Justin glanced at him, pondering the answer. The truth was that he had no idea if he had ever loved Eric. “I don’t know.”

“How can you not know?”

“Being in love…loving someone...That’s something you don’t feel every day. I had feelings for him, strong feelings…but I don’t think I ever loved him,” Justin replied.

“You know how I operate, so I can’t understand how you can’t know. You either fucked the way I fuck my tricks, or you did it the way we love each other.”

“Are you serious? You’re the only one I’ve ever been in love with, ever loved with my whole heart.” Justin turned to face Brian at a red light. “Eric was convenient. I guess that’s a good word, just like I was for you when we were forced to live together, but on a different level.”

“The same way Evan is convenient for me,” Brian said.

“I guess.” Justin didn’t want to discuss Brian's relationship with Evan.

“After our conversation in Chicago, I thought of what I was doing, and you were right. I don’t want you to be the guy I get off with, because we both know you’re more than that for me.” Brian touched Justin's shoulder. “I decided to put a stop to the way we consummated the fake marriage.”

“So you stopped letting him fuck you?”

“Taking everything in consideration, I’d be a hypocrite to tell him no, but we’ve only done it twice in the past two weeks.”

“What? You’ve abstained for that long?”

“I had my favorite call boy on speed dial,” Brian joked.

“Should I be offended?”

“I was talking about you!”

“I know! That’s why I said it.” Justin laughed. “Shit! I missed the turn.”

“Take the next street on the right. The app will reroute, and I’m here to guide you.”

Justin smiled, keeping his eyes on the road, while enjoying the way Brian played with his hair. It reminded him of the times they used to sit on the sofa at the loft and simply enjoy each other.

“I don’t think I’ve ever said this, but you’re a good driver,” Brian commented.

“Why, thank you!”

When they hit the interstate, Justin rolled the windows down a little and upped the volume of the music. He ignored Brian's scandalized look when he started singing along with what was playing, but he felt happy and carefree.

Justin was in the middle of singing It’s My Life when his phone rang loudly from its place on the dashboard.

Brian turned down the volume, grateful for the interruption.

“Watch this,” Justin said proudly. “Answer,” he stated loudly.

His mother’s voice filled the car the next second. “Hi, honey! We can’t do brunch tomorrow.”

“Oh. Why?” Justin was filled with joy at knowing his time with Brian wasn’t limited anymore.

“Unless you want a cold, of course,” she added, amused.

“Did Molly bring some bug from school?”

“It was Tuck this time. They’re both down with fever and sore throats.”

“Ouch. Are you okay?” he checked, knowing she had to take care of both of them.

“You know I’m tough.”

“Be careful, though. And thanks for canceling. I can’t afford to get sick now.”

“I know. New job and all that.” Jennifer paused for a few moments. “How’s Brian?”

Justin shot Brian a panicked look. It wasn’t like his mom knew what he was doing, but it was odd of her to ask such a thing.

“He’s okay. Why?”

“Just curious how it is to work for him. If you’re okay with working for him.”

“Mom, really. We’re both adults.”

“I know, honey. But…”

“Look, I bet you’re busy with Molly and Tuck. I’ve got something I have to do for work. We’ll talk on Monday.”

Once they hung up, Brian tsked. “That was so rude!”

“She started asking about you.”

“How many people know about this? I thought you promised.”

“She doesn’t know, calm down.” Justin shot him a scandalized look. “Mom thinks I’m going to slip if we find each other alone in the copy room.”

Brian laughed loudly, relaxing in his seat. “Did you tell her there’s no copy room at Kinnetik? Or that I’d never be caught dead in a copy room?”

“And you’re the boss,” Justin added.

“Do you think I’d be that kind of boss? That kind of person, actually.”

“It’s true. You get involved in all the accounts. Sorry,” Justin mumbled. “Anyway, I’ve run out of ideas for how to placate my mom when she starts talking about you. It’s funny really, because I’ve got this feeling she still cares for you.”

“We’ve stayed friends when you first went to New York, even after you left for Japan. But I guess we distanced ourselves eventually.”

“You distanced yourself, you mean. The way she worries about you sometimes, it reminds me of Debbie.”

“Second exit at the roundabout,” Brian interject before the GPS app lady’s voice could say it. “Now ignore what she might say. You stay on this road until the next intersection, then go right.”

“I think I remember this part better than the rest of the journey.” Justin glanced at Brian. “When you first brought me here, I thought you were taking me to the woods.”

“To kill you?”

“I was aiming for fucking in nature.” Justin laughed.

“But I surprised you,” Brian said quietly.

“Surprise is too small a word for how I felt. You bought us a huge ass house and you proposed.”

Brian rolled his lips inward, and Justin knew him well enough to know that Brian was keeping himself from saying something. It was for the best, because what could Brian say? Justin broke his heart by leaving and declining their happiness.

Justin parked in front of the manor, taking off his seatbelt. He got out of the car and took his overnight bag out of the backseat.

“You brought your laptop, too?” Brian inquired.

“Yeah. I want to see how my ideas look when I draw them.”

Justin fished out the key for the front door, grinning at Brian. He skipped ahead to unlock it, making Brian laugh.

It was good to hear Brian laugh and see him happy. Justin knew how seldom Brian allowed himself to be happy. Especially as of late, what with everything that had happened in his life.

When they stepped inside, Brian's phone rang, making him scowl.

Justin gave him a peck on the lips, taking his bag to put the food away.

#

Brian was ready to reject the call that was disturbing his precious time with Justin, but the name on the screen made him think twice.

“Hello, Joe.”

“Brian! I’m sorry to disturb you.” His lawyer sounded agitated, which wasn’t a good sign.

“You know you can call anytime,” he said, following Justin into the kitchen. “Did something happen?”

“I got a horrifying email from Jeffrey McDonald.”

“Who the hell is that?” Brian slumped in a chair, watching Justin puttering around. It felt like they were home, and the thought of what it could have been nearly choked him.

“The city’s attorney. You must remember him.”

“How could I forget him?” Brian shuddered. “What does he have to say?”

“He asked me about my client’s whereabouts and if he’s keeping the promise—”

“Like he doesn’t know,” Brian interjected. “He has me followed, Joe! That shit is not legal.”

“I can see he has you followed. The photos he sent me are professional.”

“What? He took pictures? The fuck?”

Joe cleared his throat. “You haven’t done much with your husband, have you? Aside from a handful of pictures where you are together – and in just a couple of them you’re kissing and holding hands – the others are of you two separately.”

“Joe, I have a fucking life. Even if this shit was real, I won’t take my partner every-fucking-where with me! I own a business, I’m supposed to be places… ALONE!”

“You’re partners in that business, Brian,” Joe reminded him.

As if Brian needed the knife twisted deeper in the wound. He would never be able to share Kinnetik with Justin, like he had planned for years.

“Look, whatever is in these pictures, I bet it’s not compromising.”

Justin shot him a worried look, but Brian turned around. There was no need to get him more involved in his mess than he already was.

“You were caught with your friends, your employees, and there is a picture in which you’re not doing anything compromising. But if I can see it, Jeffrey can clearly see it too. The way you’re looking at one of your friends…and Evan is right next to you in that one.”

“Can I see these pictures? You better find a way to solve this. I’m sick of some fucking pictures dictating my life. And like I said, it’s not legal to take pictures of people when they’re not aware of it.”

“I hate to break it to you, but it is legal. The photos were taken by a private investigator. He does it all at the limit of the law, so I can’t charge him with anything.”

“Joe, I might have gotten myself in this mess with that campaign, but you have to save me. I can’t stay married to Evan and look over my shoulder for the rest of my life!”

“The man you’re looking at in the picture looks familiar. Is your old boyfriend back in town?”

“Joe, I’m not paying you to be nosy,” Brian snapped. “Send me the pictures and get your team ready to win when I decide it’s time to make an appeal.”

He ended the call, placing the phone on the island.

“Have we been seen?” Justin asked in a shaky voice.

“No. That asshole is playing with fire.”

“Be careful how far you want to go.” Justin cupped Brian's cheek. “I’m not worth it to risk—”

Brian caught Justin's chin in his hand. “I dare you to say that again!” When he noticed the alarmed look in Justin’s eyes, Brian dropped his hand. “Shit. Fuck,” he spat. “I’m sorry, Sunshine.”

Justin wrapped his arms around Brian, swaying side to side. “If we have to stop seeing each other until you find a way out of this, I’m willing to do it.”

“Absolutely not. I need you close to me. I feel like I’m losing my mind,” Brian admitted into Justin's neck.