LEARNING TO SLEEP IN THE BED YOU MADE INSTALLMENT 3: LEAVING NEVERLAND

CHAPTER 1: BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT

BRIAN:

Can I just say how fucking good it feels to FINALLY be out of Pittsburgh? It does… It REALLY does! Justin and I decided to leave right after stumbling onto the wedding of none other than Michael Novotny. To say that the two of us were surprised would be an understatement, especially because he married a woman! 

Well, I always did say that Michael was a hetero-woman trapped within a gay man’s body. It’s going to be interesting to see how long that marriage lasts. There’s a rumor going around that Michael married her for her money. Knowing my ex-best friend, I can believe it. I mean, after all the Bank of Brian is closed; I wouldn’t be surprised if Debbie finally closed her purse, too.

Anyway, what can I say about my own marriage except to say it’s damn fucking good. It could be because Justin and I work together, play together, and then spend the rest of the night still focusing on each other. There are times when I wonder why I waited so long to have a relationship. But then there are other times that I realize that my contentment at the moment is specific to a certain young man, who came into my life and turned it upside down. I don’t think I could have this with anyone else but Justin.

And speaking of work, Justin and I have hit the ground running. We weren’t even here officially before Zack O’Toole- yes, THE Zack O’Toole of the twelve-inch cock fame- reached out to me and Justin to find out if we’d take his account. Apparently he and two other business partners, who are also big name porn stars, have decided to leave their former production company and strike out on their own. Justin began working on the artwork for the campaign right after he ousted Craig from Taylor-Kinney Electronics. In addition to taking advantage of their celebrity, they have also acquired a well-known adult store chain, which is only part of our contract with them; public relations and magazine publications for each section of their studio are the others.

At first, Dee and DeMarcus were leery of taking on that particular industry. Ironically, it wasn’t because of the industry itself, but because of the way the public perceives it to be. Unfortunately, that reasoning also extends to the higher ups in Hollywood as well. Hell, I’ve never met two more sexually-free people than the Prince siblings, so it definitely wasn’t some form of prejudice on their parts. But truthfully, I could see their concern, even as I drew upon my knowledge of human nature from years of studying people, and what really drives them.

The bottom line is that most of the time, people will scream loudly of immoral behavior publicly, even while screaming for an entirely different reason altogether behind closed doors. And that’s thanks in large part to porn. HYPOCRITES! So Justin and I decided to begin a subsidiary called Kinnetik under the DPAA umbrella. It offers not only public relations and marketing, but talent scouting as well. 

Needless to say, we have already used our name to make it successful, all while I’m still a full partner in DPAA and Justin’s still my art director. I think the thing that’s so surprising about that is not one of the conservative clients Justin and I brought with us, when they found out I’d left RVA, have balked at us working on the outskirts of the porn industry. Leo Brown, specifically, said that if they had to seek representation within that salacious industry then they couldn’t have chosen better people to see to their interests. Justin just smiled, while I shook his hand after nearly keeling over in shock. So now RVA- known as Ryder Vanguard- is touting that they are a ‘Highly moral company with standards within an industry that seems to have lost theirs’ as their tagline. 

Considering the rate at which they are still hemorrhaging clients since I left, I believe they are discovering just what people think of that bullshit, especially since most are well aware of the reason I’m no longer a part of that team. That’s personally not my fault, even though when asked why I left, I don’t lie about it. No. In fact, we can thank Justin’s grandparents and Jennifer for sending their many contacts our way. As a result, our branch of DPAA already has a waiting list a mile long of people who are willing to wait for our services.

So in short, Lindsay and Michael, along with Ryder and Vance, can suck down a bunch of buckets of rancid cum behind their dire predictions of me missing them, and wanting to return to them by any means necessary. I’m thirty years old, a partner in a multi-billion dollar firm, with the HOTTEST teenage sensation in my bed every night. Who the fuck would trade that?! I may be a great many things, but stupid is NOT one of them.

“Brian, the representative from Juicy Peach Entertainment is here.” Cynthia comes into the office to tell me.

“That’s fine. Is Justin ready?”

“That’s a negative. He’s on a conference call with New York.”

“New York?”

“Yes. The owner of Thrive called him directly,” She shook her head. “We’re not even fully staffed yet, and they are still calling for you guys.”

“Well the team we have already is phenomenal. When is the next round of interviews scheduled?”

“All day tomorrow… Well, unless you or Justin have to fly out. Then whichever one of you is left will have to hold the interviews for both departments.”

And this is the downside of having business ventures still in their baby stages in the Pitts. Now don’t get me wrong. So far we’ve been handling things pretty well between us. But we still need to staff the rest of DPAA and Kinnetik. We’ve officially been here a month and have been holding interviews twice a week, but still we’re understaffed. 

Part of me just wants to hire everyone, and then fire at will later on. But that would be counterproductive to Justin and me building our teams the exact way we want to. The one thing we can both agree on wholeheartedly is that if anyone is to get the A.D. spot over in Kinnetik, it’s going to be Murph. That man is worth every penny we’re paying him and more. Hmm… maybe we can find a way for him to be the Assistant to both companies without overtaxing him.

“I know what you’re thinking, Brian, and I would advise against it,” Cynthia warns me.

“Why?”

“Other than the fact that Stephanie will find a way to kill you in your sleep, he’s already overextending himself fulfilling the needs of both companies as it is. You need to have both DPAA and Kinnetik work as separate entities, with the exception of you and Justin. Therefore, you WILL hold those interviews tomorrow with an eye towards hiring your executive staff for Kinnetik, and filling the rest of the mid and junior level positions here. That’s non negotiable.”

“Why did I bring you with me again?”

“To keep your head on straight for starters. As for the other reason, I’m the only other person in this building besides your husband that could tell you where to go, how fast to get there, and what you can ride on the way there. In short, I’m invaluable,” she says, laughing. “Now come on. You can at least begin the meeting with Zack’s representative. I think he’s coming but is running a bit behind schedule at the studio.”

I snicker a bit. “I’ll just bet he is.” It still tickles me that he and his business partners decided on the name of the studio based on seeing Sunshine’s ass months before they decided to strike out on their own. Granted, all asses have a peach shape- some more than others- but to have both men and women think of Justin’s ass as a juicy peach? Well that’s just special, and yeah it gives me incredible satisfaction to know it’s all MINE.

Well, enough daydreaming about the ass I’m going to spank later on for missing this meeting. It’s time to do what I do, and that’s talk about sex. Upon entering the room, I almost have to laugh as I see Jodi Coxx looking behind me for my partner. She thought that Justin was just the cutest thing… Until she decided to enter the orgy room at an upscale place Justin and I had received guest passes to. 

So imagine her surprise when she saw Sunshine manhandling Zack’s six-foot-six frame with the ease of a man who’s been fucking forever, instead of just a little over a year. What could I say, except that Justin likes them BIG in all facets. What was funny was that Zack had made a bet with Justin, promising him the first fuck between them, before he would bend Justin over to teach my young buck a few tricks. I tried to tell him that Justin would never bend for anyone but me, but Justin shot me a smirk that silenced me. It was so much fun watching Justin fuck the porn star down to a quivering mess of a man, which is exactly how Jodi found the two of them.

I chuckle at her disappointment. “Your favorite will be along as soon as he’s able. He’s on a conference call to New York.”

She smiles back at me, before saying, “Well then, I suppose you’ll have to do it for my fix of forbidden eye candy, Brian.”

“You just want to gawk at his ass again,” I joke.

“Doesn’t everybody?”

“Yeah, but as long as it stays that way, I’m alright with it.”

She nods. I can’t deny that she’s an attractive woman. Five-ten, legs for years, and shaped in all the right places that will make a hetero male and homo girl spontaneouly combust, Jodi Coxx is beautifully and wonderfully made. “So what can I do for you today?”

“I need you to change my image on the site for starters.” At my puzzled look, she smiles and continues. “I’m getting married, and won’t be doing hetero porn for awhile.”

“Does that mean Evan…”

“Yep. He asked, and I’ve accepted. But one of the terms was that I stop doing hetero porn for at least a year.”

“But he has no problem with girl-on-girl?”

“What man would?” I raise my hand quickly, to which she laughs and shakes her head. “Ass! I’m talking about hetero men.”

“Definitely, but I’m curious as to the sudden stipulation. I mean, it’s not like you’re telling him he has to do gay porn now.” Evan Everhard is also a porn star, whose films with Jodi always rank number one when they’re released. “And does this stipulation also include him?”

She sighs. “For all his worldliness, Evan really is kind of old fashioned sometimes. Since he refuses to screw me on camera while we are yet newlyweds, he doesn’t want anyone else to either. I know it doesn’t make sense…”

“It does, but it doesn’t,” I assure her. “I get that he wants it to be just the two of you for at least the first year of your marriage. But then again, that brings up the whole goose-gander debate.”

“You think I’m making a mistake?”

“I would NEVER presume to tell you what to do regarding your marriage. I’ve already had people trying to butt into mine with Justin, and we didn’t like it at all. But the best that I can suggest is that you both really have a conversation about all of this before we change the website to reflect that you’re solely doing lesbian porn now. The bottom line is that while you’re going to be Evan’s wife, you’re also part-owner of Juicy Peach Entertainment. So you also have to decide what’s going to be best for your business, as well as your marriage. But if you both outline the stipulations, there shouldn’t be a need to reevaluate either partnership in the process.”

“Would you do the same if it was you and Justin?” she asks me, and I can see that she really wants to know the answer.

“It’s what we’ve already done. Believe it or not, Justin can be a stubborn ass when he wants to be, and is more apt to dig in his heels rather than automatically agree to anything…”

“I can’t see that when I look at him.”

“Very few do. They just see the mismatch in our ages, and assume that I’m the boss. And that’s where they’re wrong, when in fact the worst thing you can possibly do is underestimate Justin Taylor-Kinney. Many people back in Pittsburgh are learning that lesson as we speak. It helps- or hinders, depending on how you look at it- that he’s not afraid to self-advocate, and has definitive ideas about what he wants. He doesn’t compromise at all unless it’s in his favor, and it’s why…”

“You love him,” she finishes for me, quietly.

I nod. “There are so many reasons to, but yes. And that especially goes for when he’s being a pissy little bitch. He makes me work for every moment of peace I get, all the while seeming like he’s some fucking benevolent Pasha.” I laugh.

“I know that he sure surprised Zack. He had to cancel his bottoming shoot the next day because little Justin tore his ass up.”

“Yeah, he did. It was one of the most fun times I’d ever had watching Justin fuck without being a participant myself.”

“How do you guys do it?”

“What exactly?”

“Have an open relationship without all the jealousy issues? I think that’s part of the reason why Evan requested this of me.”

“Justin allows me to be myself, in whatever capacity that takes. Do I think that monogamy will become a bone of contention someday? Quite possibly, since Justin is a man built for longevity. But right now, he allows me to play without the added pressure of societal norms. And in return, I’ll never have to wonder later on just why he’s still with me. He will have sampled the Smorgasbord of Smut in all its wonders, so that when he’s ready to stop, he won’t feel as if he’s missed out on something in his youth.”

“So you have no fear of him cheating on you?”

“Not physically, since I know he’s fucking other people. It helps that I’m there when he is. But what most people don’t realize is that cheating is mostly emotional. Now, if he should find someone to share himself with in a way he’s only ever done with me, then yes, we would have a problem. But that’s the way the Taylor-Kinney's define infidelity; you and Evan have to do the same by figuring out your dealbreakers.”

We changed the subject after that, since Zack and Sunshine finally arrived for the meeting. I can tell she’s still thinking about it though, just as I am. I told her the truth of the way Justin and I continue to prove the naysayers wrong. Once again, I’m so happy that we are as far as we could possibly be away from Deb, Michael, and Lindsay, who would have probably passed out from hearing me speak about my relationship with Justin that way. But I could give three fucks and Gus’ rubber duck what they think; Jodi needed my honesty, so that’s what I gave her.

The bottom line is that I love Justin Cole Taylor-Kinney, and I don’t give a fuck who knows it. They are just simply going to have to find someone else to fulfill their Peter Pan fantasies. I’ve left Neverland, and as long as I have my blond- my lover and best friend- beside me, I’m not going back. They can stay stuck in their collective delusions if they want to, but I’ll be too busy designing my life with my very own Tinkerbell. So in the words of Queen Emmett- that Southern Belle of the Hazelhurst Honeycutts- FUCK’EM ALL! 

CHAPTER 2: IT’S ALL ABOUT ACQUISITION AND CONTROL

JUSTIN:

It’s been a bitch of a month, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. For one thing, Michael and Lindsay have been effectively neutralized. At least for the moment, they are both stuck in matrimonial hell, for essentially the same reason - Money. Looking at Brian and me, most people would probably think the same thing, but they would be dead wrong.

For us, it’s the knowledge that our freedom to be together begins with building our empire, in all facets. We still get to choose each other everyday, but we are also  committed to cultivating our shared vision in the way we mean to go on. Both individually and collectively, we realized early on that if we wanted to be able to write our own tickets in this world, the power lay in the ability to make solid decisions, and then make moves under the radar. The element of surprise- when it’s available- is the most effective weapon you have so that no one will ever see you coming, but in the end they know you’ve been there. So, branching our portion of DPAA into a separate subsidiary called Kinnetik is the first step in achieving that goal.

It’s also the reason that Brian and I decided to stick with Lindsay’s original plan that I attend the Gnormon. Fortunately, the school still opted to take all of my former training into consideration, and I’m still a year ahead. However, there are still some classes I want to take to better prep for the remainder of my studies. So for the next six weeks, I signed up to take those classes online so I can get them out of the way while still setting up my Department when I’m in town, and tending to the businesses in the Pitts as required. Later this evening, I’m supposed to meet with my advisor to discuss where I want to take my career as an artist. 

In all honesty, I have a lot of plans, but I don’t want to give voice to them with anyone else just yet, except for maybe Brian. I only say maybe because he and I have a rule about reevaluating shit before it just comes flying out of our mouths haphazardly. We’ve learned that it keeps the arguments down to a minimum, even if we’re on the same page most of the time. But more than that, we resolved to be nothing like Michael and Lindsay in any respect. It helps that we married for the right reasons- ultimately because we wanted to- and have opted to treat this as an interminable dating period, as opposed to an iron-clad contract between two balls and the chains that a simple word like matrimony can imply. 

So whereas chronic foot-in-mouth disease runs rampant between Michael and Lindsay, Brian and I understand that we don’t have time for bullshit misunderstandings. There’s too much to do to see our collective desires met. To that end, I know I need to tell my partner what I’m thinking in terms of my career goals. I know, if nothing else, he’ll be brutally honest with me about their achievability. 

So really, why the hell am I procrastinating about this?

I’m interrupted out of my sudden musing by a knock on my office door. “Hey, Justin. You got a minute?” Murph peeks his head in, before stepping completely inside at my nod. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking about the meeting with my class advisor later this evening. What’s up?”

“The account for Thrive. Is it just for the recreation portion of their business, or the whole kit and kaboodle?”

Fuck, I had forgotten to call in the staff we have to discuss the account. With me already running late for the meeting with Juicy Peach’s executives, I hadn’t had a moment to collect myself from this morning’s phone conference. 

“Thanks for the reminder, Murph. I’m zoning, and really can’t afford to right now. Let me share the news with Brian first. Then we’ll call you guys into a brief staff meeting. I know tomorrow has been laid aside for more interviews.” I can’t help but roll my eyes at the thought, even if I know it’s a necessary evil.

“And at that thought alone, I feel like banging my head on the desk in your stead,” Murph says, laughing. 

So far, the interviews for the art department have been the most trying. At times, it seems that we’re looking for needles in proverbial haystacks, but the bottom line is that I have three different sections of an Art department to fill. And that doesn’t even include the clerical or other admin staff. Julian has been a godsend where legal is concerned, but everything else falls to me, Brian, Murph, and Cynthia. In the meantime, Steph is busy getting the rest of our H.R. and temp staff up and running. 

Thankfully, Dee has been willing to lend some of her people to us if we find ourselves in a pinch. It’s another reason I know this partnership is going to go far. According to her, she’s already a die hard fan of the way we work and think as a team. So it’s going to bode well for the company as a whole. It also helps that she seems just as invested in proving to Lindsay- albeit from afar- that she didn’t know shit.

“Right. So let me get in there and see what the next phase of the campaign for Juicy is going to entail, get Brian up to speed about Thrive, and then get back to looking at the resumes. Any ideas in that quarter?”

“Just that you need experienced videographers for both DPAA and Kinnetik. Mack Anderson is already squawking about the amount of work we’re generating.”

“I’m not following,” I say, looking to Murph for clarification. “Granted, he’s one of Dee’s employees, but he’s being paid to actually work. So what exactly is his deal?”

Murph shook his head. “I suppose that he feels somewhat slighted that he was given to the new guys to work with until your departments are fully staffed. Apparently, he feels his talents would be better served with established accounts within the company.”

“I see. Well, hopefully it’s a situation he won’t have to worry about much longer. Truth be told, I’m a bit surprised that for as long as he’s been here, he hasn’t gotten more experience under his belt.”

“That could be because of his attitude about working with any employees brought in after he was signed. He has this superior demeanor that doesn’t seem warranted. Kinda reminds me of…”

“Gardner Vance,” I say, and Murph nods. “Well, we see just how Brian and I dealt with Vance. Perhaps it’s time he receives the same treatment.”

“I wouldn’t object to that,” Murph muttered, before clearing his throat. 

I raise an eyebrow. “That bad, huh?”

“I’ll be honest and say that it isn’t in the least pleasant. But right now, he's who we have to work with."

By the resigned air Murphy is giving off, I'm guessing there is more to this story than what he’s letting on. I eye him until he begins fidgeting under my gaze. “Murph, we’ve always enjoyed an honest relationship, right?”

“Sure. Although sometimes talking to you is like hearing Brian.”

Instead of taking offense, I chuckle. “I would imagine that could be a good or a bad thing, depending on the situation?”

He smiles back briefly. “Mostly good, since you two have a chemistry while working together I haven’t seen in a very long time. It reminds me of the two former partners at Ryder before Marty bought them out.”

I’d heard rumors over the years that William Ernst and Joseph Young were really the advertising geniuses that kept Ryder Advertising on the map, while Marty was just the public figure. I’d also heard other things about their relationship beyond the boardroom, but none of it could be verified at the time. Although now I can't help but wonder if there was some truth to the speculation. 

Reining my wayward thoughts in, I ask, "Murph, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want an honest answer." He swallowed hard, but nodded his head in agreement. Good. "Is most of the problem regarding Anderson because of who I am within this company?"

By the slight hitch in Murphy's breathing, I know I'm right. So it wasn't a surprise when he said, "Yeah. Or at least that's part of it."

"And the other?" I could tell he was trying to choose his words carefully, but I wasn't having any of it. "Spill it, Murphy."

"Okay…" he huffed, before saying it again. Clearing his throat, he said, "It's also been about just how you got the position, Brian’s borderline tendencies towards being a pedo, and the seeming unfairness that employees who have been here for years were not even being considered for the partnership; although none of it was voiced in that particular order."

"It shouldn’t have been uttered at all." I wish I could say I was surprised, but I wasn't. I suppose after dealing with Michael and Lindsay for so long, I've come to expect any and all sly innuendo aimed at me and Brian. Strangely, it doesn't even hurt anymore, the way those insults and accusations used to. Instead, they just piss me off and make me want to really show my ass. So that's exactly what I'm going to do after I bring Brian up to speed. I will leave it up to him to decide if he wants Dee in the briefing or not. But addressing Anderson needs to come from me. 

"Murph, please inform everyone that I expect them in the conference room in half an hour."

"Justin… I know that look."

"Good. And no doubt by the time this workday is over, everyone else will, too." I nod for Murphy to leave the office, even while dialing Brian.

CHAPTER 3: REMEMBER WHEN YOU MARRY FOR MONEY, YOU’RE GOING TO EARN IT

MICHAEL

“Michael, you need to take care of the end caps on aisle nine before the next rush of customers come in,” Andrew tells me as I’m restocking shelves… or was pretending to anyway. 

God, I really need some fucking uninterrupted sleep. Tracy’s demands, both here at work and at night in bed have been exhausting me. You would think the fact that I’m married to her would buy me a little ease. But no! Instead, I’m still answering to the jackass behind me, while catering to her every sexual whim at home. 

“Look, I’m going, okay. Just let me finish up what I’m doing here.”

“Considering you’ve been in the same spot for the last ten minutes, I would have thought you’d have finished by now,” Andrew says, and I just want to punch him. He’s been a complete ass since I got back. But give a douche nozzle a little power… “You have five minutes to get this done, Michael, and then I want you over on aisle nine. Or would you like me to report you to James, who will then tell Marley, who will be all too happy to inform your wife you’re using her position as owner to slack on the job?”

I was just about to tell him where he could take his threats when I saw my wife’s spy standing behind Andrew, pretending not to listen to the threats being aimed at me. It seems like ever since I got back, all the people I used to consider friends, of a sort, have turned their backs on me. Part of the reason I took Tracy up on her offer was to have a little break from the constant headaches Brian’s defection has been causing me. Between the arguments with Ma, then Ted, Emmett, and Uncle Vic acting as if I don’t exist, it all got to be too much. I mean, sure, I get that they were mad at what Lindsay and I did to that blond boy ass, but shouldn’t they all be over it by now? 

Instead, they have gone about their lives, while I’ve basically sold my soul to a devil in angel’s clothing when I married Tracy. I swear, if I’d known I would be going through this much bullshit, I would have asked for a lot more money at the end of all this. As it is, making $12.75 an hour just isn’t cutting it. She and I are going to have to have a talk when I get home, before we do anything else. I deserve a raise for having to put up with this shit.

He’s still standing there, so I utter, “Fine, Andrew. I’ll get to it in a few minutes.”

“See that you do,” he huffs, and then moves on to go micromanage someone else.

Fucking prick!

I stop moving again to stretch my back and shoulders in an effort to loosen the knots beginning to tighten unbearably. The old injury that was the cause of me meeting David has been coming back more and more due to the stress I’m under. Not for the first time, I blame Brian for this situation I’m in, all the while still begging him to come back and fix it for me. He still hasn’t been answering his phone or returning my calls, and I know deep down that it’s Boy Wonder’s doing. Brian has been mad at me in the past, but it’s never taken this long for him to come around. 

“Trouble in paradise, Mike?” Fat Marley- although she’s lost quite a bit of weight- asks me.

“No,” I answer. There’s no way I’m going to tell her what’s really going on between me and Tracy, even if I suspect she knows more about our arrangement than she’s ever let on. One thing about Pittsburgh is that there are almost zero degrees of separation. Everyone knows someone, who ultimately knows your business. So, unlike when I had Ma and my friends to confide in, I’ve learned to be tight-lipped about the things bothering me. “Everything is fine. The long week is just catching up with me.”

She nods. “I understand what you mean. It seems that there’s just one sale after another these days.”

“Yeah, but it’s good for business, right?”

“That’s true, which is ultimately good for you, too.”

“I suppose, but I didn’t marry Tracy for her money,” The lie rolls easily off my tongue, and I’m trying my hardest to look convincing, but I don’t think she’s buying it. 

“Hm-mm. Well whether that’s true or not, it can’t hurt though.”

Now I could agree to disagree with that, since right now my junk feels like it’s been in a meat grinder from taking so much Viagara, while my taint feels like someone put me on a sex swing and punched it like a heavy bag at the gym. Just standing still is painful as fuck, let alone the effort it’s taking me to walk and bend over. This is just one more thing Tracy and I need to talk about. She has to take it easy when she’s on top. I’m built for slow and easy, not rough riding.

David understood that, so why can’t she?

Instead of giving voice to all my thoughts, I ask, “Was there something you needed?”

“No, just noticed that you’re moving a little slowly today and wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Yeah, right. More so that you wanted to rub it in that you heard Andrew being a jackass, is what I want to say, but I just paste on a slight smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just looking forward to tomorrow when I can rest.”

Which isn’t a complete lie. I really do want to rest, but I have to find someplace else to do it. Unfortunately, for the moment, any place I frequented on Liberty Avenue is off limits to me. Because of Daphne and her fucking goon squad, The Diner and Babylon already were, but there was still Woody’s. I considered it a neutral zone after checking that Boy Wonder and his fag hag hadn’t bought into it too. So I went down there after work for happy hour. I didn’t see the harm in it. I didn’t pick anyone up, and honestly, no one had anything to say to me besides asking me for my order. 

So, no harm, right? Well I was wrong, because I don’t know how Tracy knew about the last time I went down there, but she wasn’t pleased. She threatened that every time I visit my old haunts she’s going to take money off my fee. Part of me wanted to tell her just what she could do with her warning. I mean, I’m a grown man, and the way she treats me is as if I’m a child being grounded. But then I remembered what my plans were. Fifty grand would go a long way to putting me on equal footing with that blond boy ass, so that I could really fight for Brian.

Yeah, I haven’t given up hope that someday Brian would see Justin for the conniving little whore he is, and dump him for good. I still don’t understand why he hasn’t yet, although according to Tracy it’s because of Justin’s breeding and money. I didn’t totally buy that bullshit, but she had a point about Justin’s upbringing. I suppose that’s why Lindsay was so valuable to Brian for a time, too. Like it or not, her connections, and now Justin’s, were exactly what Brian needed. 

So my plan has been to reinvent myself and make Brian regret leaving me behind. He probably already does since he’s stuck in the Romper Room his life has become with two kids- one his son and the other his noose. But like it or not, I’m stuck in the same environment that the two people I can’t stand have grown up in. So the least I can do is take advantage of all the opportunities it affords me, beginning with seeing how they act. Although I want Brian to return to being the Stud of Liberty Avenue at some point, I also want his loyalty to me to be reestablished more. So, while I’m being treated as Tracy’s prized bull for the moment, I’m going to gain all the knowledge I can about how these people think and act. That way, when Brian’s ready for a real relationship with me, he won’t have a reason to ever think of Justin fucking Taylor again.

My thoughts are interrupted by a text on my phone.

Tracy: Michael, Marley tells me that you’re preoccupied today and not getting your work done. Please adhere to our agreement so I can stop getting these kinds of reports. Thanks, and I’ll see you when you get home after work.

Fucking Andrew! Fucking Marley! Fucking Brian, but most of all, Fucking Boy Wonder! This is all his fault!

CHAPTER 4: LAYING DOWN THE LAW

BRIAN

Okay, so here’s the thing. My husband is a nuisance to peace of mind everywhere, but no more than when someone chooses to dull his shine through thoughtless actions and careless words. Vance, Ryder, and Peterson are probably still smarting from the verbal assault Justin inflicted before we made our escape from the Ryder-Vanguard Agency. Rumor has it that Nancy Peterson made it possible for Ronald to settle his part of the bill immediately. I have to wonder just how much she is involved in this, but I don’t have too much time to think about it. Right now, I have to work on calming down the walking storm pacing in front of my desk.

“Sunshine, you know you have to walk a fine line regarding this, right?”

“Why, Brian? I know you don’t agree with the bullshit that no-talent hack is spouting. So why shouldn’t I let him have it?” Justin asked, just shy of growling at me. 

“The long and short of it is that he’s not our staff.” At his protesting look, I held up my hand. “I know that right now he’s working for us, but ultimately, he’s on loan. Now the only way we can rectify that is to fill your department as soon as possible.”

Justin sighed, before flouncing himself into the chair in front of my desk. It’s then I know what’s really bothering him about not being able to go off on the jackass spouting nonsense. “Brian, he’s basically slandering you.”

“I know, Sunshine, but since when do we really give a fuck what other insignificant people think about us?”

“We usually don’t, but…”

“No buts, Justin. The bottom line is that we’re married, and whomever has a problem with that, it’s their problem, not ours.” I got out of my seat and went to stand in front of him. Kneeling down, I asked, “Are you having second thoughts about any of this?”

“No.”

“Any doubts about us?”

“Brian, you know that’s not it.”

“Then what is it?”

“I just feel like I have something to prove here, whereas your reputation in this business is well known.”

I nodded in understanding of what Justin’s real issue was. “You don’t. Your work speaks for and has spoken for itself for more years than we have even known each other. So why the nerves now?”

A gentle throat clearing from the open doorway interrupted what would have been Justin’s answer. At first, I wanted to be annoyed, until I saw who it was. Dee came into my office and made herself at home in the seat next to Justin, before speaking. “So, I just heard the most salacious rumor…”

“What was it?”

She grinned, lowering her voice. “I heard that our little Sunshine is about to let loose a hurricane.”

“No, he isn’t, Dee. In fact…” I began to fill her in on what we were discussing, but she held up her hand to stay the explanation I was about to give.

“Yes, he is, Brian. The only way Justin is going to squash this type of situation from happening in the future is to address it head on.”

“But he’s your employee,” Justin said.

“That’s true. But he’s on loan to your department… for the moment.”

I looked at her for a moment before asking, “What exactly are you saying, Dee?”

The small smirk on her lips should have told me something was up with this particular employee, but her words confirmed my immediate thoughts. “Mack Anderson is Lindsay Peterson in male form. And as such, he’s been smarting since he’s been here. He thinks that the fact he’s the son of one of the higher-ups in a premiere studio here means he should be given preferential treatment when it comes to handing out assignments. But as stated many times, and noticed by Marc and myself, his work is mediocre at best. We’ve even held cross-training workshops to help him improve, but he has refused to participate. I suppose he thinks that since he’s sleeping with one of the art professors over at Gnormon, that whatever art skills the man has, rubbed off on him through osmosis.”

Justin snickered, as I laughed outright. “If that was the case, then I should be fucking Picasso in my own right, since Justin rubs off on me all the time.”

“Brian!” Sunshine exclaimed, followed by one of the most adorable blushes I’ve ever seen.

“It’s the truth, Sunshine,” I said, and kissed him quickly. “But seriously, I think what Dee just gave you was permission to go off on her employee.”

She nodded, before saying, “And don’t you dare feel bad about it, either. This isn’t a situation like with your sperm donor, yet you had no qualms about giving that man your ass to kiss. I think Mack should have a taste of the flavor, too.”

Cynthia stuck her head into the office then. “Everyone’s gathered. Do you guys need another few minutes?”

Both Dee and I looked over at Justin, whose eyes hardened right before our eyes. I kissed him quickly, before getting to my feet and answering her for all of us. “No. I think Sunshine here is more than battle-ready. But do me a favor and have security standing by just in case.”

“You think Mack is going to take it that far?” Dee asked me, still looking at my silent partner.

“No. But it’s always better to air on the side of caution when there’s a stormy Sunshine involved. When his stinger gets an itch, there’s no telling how those razor sharp words are going to affect its target.”

“I’ll be right there, Brian. I just need to make a call first.” I looked at him questioningly, but Justin shook his head. “Don’t worry, Stud. I’m okay and I’ll just be a few more minutes.”

“Okay,” I said, not knowing why I had the sudden feeling of anxiousness settle into the pit of my stomach. If there is one thing I know about Justin Taylor-Kinney, it's that whenever he takes a few moments to plan anything in advance, you may need to start worrying.

Dee looked over to the young blond before addressing me. “Security, huh?”

I looked back at Justin, talking tersely into the receiver of my desk phone. “Yeah. The little wasp is about to sting, and sting hard.” 

Minutes later, we all, including Justin, entered the conference room to a confrontation about to happen between Murph, Stephanie, and none other than Mack Anderson. The remainder of the occupants were also yelling, but surprisingly, it wasn’t at the three supposed newcomers. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones tired of the little fuckwad, trying his best to become someone within the halls of DPAA. Justin walked over, stepping in front of Stephanie, who was about three seconds from laying Anderson out. I suspect she was about to take all her continued frustration with Ryder and Vance out on the unsuspecting idiot. 

Cynthia said that both men had been harassing the two of them, into either coming back at a higher salary, or in an effort to make their lives a living hell for continuing to refuse them. I almost laughed when she said she would rather date Michael than be subjected to the tender mercies of either asshole again. It didn’t help that RVA just lost another five high-profile clients, who were more than willing to take a chance that Justin and I had room on our list for them. When Cynthia advised both that we were still in the middle of staffing to accommodate their accounts, the companies were more than willing to wait until we could handle their accounts personally. In any event, I made Cyn promise to pass either of us the phone when she and Steph felt close to hopping on a plane to commit a felony against the ignorant assholes. The last thing Justin and I needed was to have our number twos donning orange jumpsuits.

Quietly, but no less potent in his tone, Justin asked, “What happened this time?”

As Murph was about to explain, Anderson interrupted, “Look, Kid, this is between the adults in the room. Why don’t you go play tycoon somewhere else?” 

Whatever reaction he was expecting after issuing the insult in reference to Justin’s age, it was obvious that laughter without humor wasn’t it. Instead, poised as ever, Justin said, “Everyone, with the exception of Mr. Anderson, please take your seats so we can get this meeting underway. We have a lot of ground to cover.”

Anderson decided he was going to take a seat anyway, but was stopped by security upon their arrival. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“I should think that would be obvious.”

“Well, it isn’t, Kid.”

Justin smiled, but it didn’t sparkle his eyes the way it usually would have. “First, I will take a few moments to do what should probably have been done a long time ago.”

“And what’s that?” Once again, Anderson just felt the need to open his mouth. 

One would think the fact that Justin is barely even looking his way, and instead watching the door, would have been a clue that it would be a good time to fly under the radar. But as both Justin and I have discovered in the past, some people were just masochists and longed to be taught hard lessons. 

“Look, little boy…” Anderson said, as he thought to rush up to Justin, getting in his face. It was obvious he thought he could intimidate Justin into backing down, but again he wasn’t prepared for the sight my husband made as he just stood his ground, calmly. The look Sunshine threw at him could have frozen large bodies of water should they have even tried to get close to him just then.

Dee sidled up to me, asking, “Aren’t you going to step between them?”

I didn’t take my eyes from Justin’s belligerent stance, and said, “No need. Above all, Justin is a professional. It’s something Anderson apparently hasn’t learned to be, no matter how much he wants to pretend otherwise.”

The asshole had the nerve to address me then. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be hurling insults at me. I mean, someone may report you, after all.”

“For?”

“Oh come on, Kinney. Even being from whatever hick town you’re from, you have to know that what you were doing with Taylor even before he turned eighteen was wrong.”

I laughed, as did Justin. “First, the last name is Taylor-Kinney. You should probably remember that. Secondly, I believe Justin had you pegged from the first moment he saw you, but thought there was no way you could be that ignorant as to bring our personal lives into an office setting…”

“Brian,” Justin said, softly. 

Dee, Cyntha, and Stephanie looked between all of us, while Murph just smiled, catching the innuendo right away. Justin continued to stand still, although his eyes kept watching the asshole’s expression. It wasn’t hard to see the looks of lust, anger, and continued disappointment, as he replayed the scene from the White Party some time ago. The fact was that he didn’t rate then or now, but Justin was trying to give the douchebag a chance. But if Kip Thomas and Michael Novotny ever had a baby, this asshole would be it.

And it was never more evident than right now.

Just as I was about to address the fool again, Justin did. “So, that said, and now that our collective attorney has arrived, we can get this portion of the meeting done.”

Julian came into the room like he owned it, stopping right next to Justin. Looking around, his eyes widened, stopping on me and Dee specifically. Looking at Justin again, he asked, “You sure you want to do this here?”

Justin smiled the first real smile since we entered the large conference room. “More than certain.” Looking again at Mack Anderson, he said, “Since this particular employee decided to keep spreading vicious lies and innuendos publicly, I feel it’s only fair to fire him the same way. Besides, it’s not mine nor Brian’s way to hide from anyone, especially not the insignificant.”

“What? You can’t fire me! You don’t have that kind of clout within the company!” Anderson yelled, even as Justin stood there chuckling. “Besides, I will sue you personally for wrongful termination.”

“By all means, do it,” Justin said, once again too calm in the face of the man’s bluster.

“Do it?”

“Absolutely,” Justin said. “But be prepared to explain the real reason you decided to target me, which has nothing to do with the job, but the fact that my husband refused to fuck your nonexistent ass. Your companion that night was lackluster, which is something I can attest to. But you didn’t even rate.”

“You’re… You’re lying!”

I could see the idiot was waiting for me to correct Justin, but I wouldn’t because he was right. I almost laughed aloud, remembering Justin telling Daphne and Emmett about the braying jackass who needed a ball gag while we fucked him. Apparently, that was Anderson’s partner. I can’t say that if I was this guy, I wouldn’t be as jealous as he is displaying right now, with his nostrils flaring and blotchy complexion. But Justin was once again in professional mode, so my wayward thoughts about the situation would have to wait a bit longer.

“So, all that said, once again, you’re fired. You can have your attorney, or in your case your daddy, contact us for verification of everything within that packet, Mack. Any one of the senior staff, including me, would be happy to give him any play-by-plays needed to make sure there was no mistake on our part for terminating your employment. Hopefully, you can get a job teaching finger painting to preschoolers, since that’s about all you’re qualified to do. I would say it was with sadness that we’re letting you go, but I don’t like to lie, to or with assholes, for any reason.”

Dee chuckled next to me. “Is he always so cold and matter-of-fact?”

“Only when he’s gleefully taking down someone’s high opinion of themselves. The funny thing is that Justin would never have had this conversation publicly if it weren’t for Anderson’s actions. Like I said, he’s a professional. But he’s also one of those rare people who believe that if you’re bold enough to cause problems in public, you should be adult enough to take your consequences the same way. It’s how and why he handled Craig Taylor and this asshole the same way.”

“Same with Lindsay and Michael,” Cynthia whispered.

I nodded my head, adding, “No doubt they won’t forget Justin’s last words to them any time soon, especially Lindsay.”

“What happened?” Dee asked.

“Remind me to tell you later,” Cynthia answered, smiling.

“You’ll be so fucking sorry for this!” Anderson yelled, first at Justin and then looking at the rest of us, his eyes landing on Dee.

“I highly doubt that, since you’ll be gone, and the rest of us can get to work peacefully,” Dee said, already moving to flank the other side of Justin from where Julian still stood silently. 

I have a feeling that his phone was recording the entire scene. It’s something Gabriel would do, and I’m finding more and more that the chips didn’t fall too far from the tree where his son was concerned. As security ushered Anderson from the room, I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought for sure there would be more of a tantrum. I suspect being handed his ass by a kid, as he so wrongly called Justin, still hasn’t quite set in yet. If I know Justin- and I do- the packet he had Julian put together, along with what Dee’s HR department would have already had in place, would be more than adequate to leave no legal recourse for the termination of the jackass. 

Justin turned to see the stunned, silent staff waiting for us to address them. “Now that that bit of business is taken care of, are there any other questions about me and Brian?” Justin asked, and I have to say he’s fucking sexy as hell at this moment. 

Not only is he poised, but the ramrod posture in his spine is announcing to all in attendance just who Justin Taylor-Kinney is within the company, and why. The way he handled Anderson spoke for itself, but more importantly, it sent a warning that the young man wasn’t to be trifled with. I have a feeling that the staff, both old and new, just received a first rate education on what keeps me with him. It’s so much more than sex, as those back home often thought. It’s his intelligence, his innate courage and the fact he won’t take shit from anyone without finding a way to get his own back.

The world would do well to remember that!