BRIAN

Everything I knew about Sam said he was persistent when he wanted something. When I talked to Leo’s lawyer, Paul, he told me it was always best to know the barbarians at your gate. I let him hire someone to keep us informed to protect the people in my life. I only asked to be informed if something changed in Lindsay’s life that would make it possible for her to fight the agreement we signed. Paul mentioned that she was seen with Sam at hotels and restaurants. I wanted to know who Sam was, other than an artist. All the information on Sam was that he tends to flit from one woman to the next. The ones he stayed with the longest were usually in relationships with other people, and Sam liked the secrecy of it all. Once he broke up the marriages or relationships, he was no longer interested.

Lindsay was still holding his interest, but I had to wonder why, when she didn’t make a secret of what they were doing together. She brought him instead of Mel to the events her parents attended, and rubbed it in the country club women’s faces that she was seeing the artist. It was petty, but it amused me that Mel had to put up with another man. Lindsay was probably seeing him to make sure Mel played her role as the jealous wife. Mel deserved every moment of unhappiness Lindsay provided her.

I didn’t want Justin to lose opportunities like the one Sam was offering because I saw it as Lindsay still being capable of screwing with the best parts of my life. Justin ignored all the phones calls from Wes and Sam, saying he didn’t have time to do it. I believed it until I heard Wes saying that the paintings Sam wanted were already hanging in the gallery. I waited until Justin was bathing Lily and got Sam’s number. If Sam wanted Justin, then he would have to make it so Justin didn’t see any way Gus or I would have Lindsay to deal with.

Sam came to Kinnetik alone as asked, and I led him to my office. He looked at the paintings in the lobby, before following me.

“It’s hard to want his work but hate that it makes me feel like I’m finger painting,” He tells me.

“You know it’s his work just by looking?” I ask.

“I made a point of seeing his progress. Justin’s work was noteworthy when he was starting out, now it’s genius,” He tells me. “But that’s not why you wanted to see me was it, so I could humble myself?” He asks me.

“I don’t like that Justin plans to let the opportunity go,” I tell him.

“You’re his agent, or…” He leaves off for me to answer.

“I’m the guy who plans to spend his life with Justin,” I tell him.

“The boyfriend, then. Tell me why he went from willing to unwilling?” He ask.

“Because he doesn’t want your muse anywhere near our children,” I tell him.

“Why would he think Lindsay would care about your children?” He asks.

“If Lindsay could get Gus from me she would, just to bleed me dry,” I tell him.

“He’s protecting you and your son? I was led to believe Lindsay wasn’t allowed to see Gus. So it shouldn't have any bearing on Justin doing my show,” He tells me.

“Lindsay would go to any lengths to get Gus back. Not because she's the mother she portrays herself as, but because it would put me back under her control. She likes the life the money I provided for Gus gave her, not that she used any of it on Gus,” I tell him.

“I’m going to assume then, that in order to get Justin, Lindsay needs to go home. I'll make the arrangements for her to go. It's only money anyway,” He tells me.

“If you see that about her, why continue to see her?” I ask.

“Believe it or not, I like that she doesn't hide that she's only after what she can get. She isn’t expecting grand declarations. Most of the women I see expect more than I want to give them, the ones that don't, fake that it's me they want and not the lifestyle they get by being with me. I kept Lindsay around because she inspired the show I'm doing, it's called Pandora’s Box, starring Lindsay, who embodies everything Pandora let out. Justin paints the hope that stayed trapped when Pandora closed the box. It's why I wanted him to show with me, he still sees a reason to keep hope alive,” He tells me.

“Only you can do what it would take to get Justin to do it,” I tell him.

“I want everything he has, which is a change for me,” He tells me.

“His talent?” I ask.

“Of course. But also someone who loves me the way you love him. It would give me a way to paint the beautiful parts of life,” He tells me.

“He showed me that love wasn’t a myth,” I tell him.

“Does he know about this conversation?” He asks.

“No. I wanted to do something for him. I’d rather he not know, because it's something done for all the happiness he's brought me,” I tell him.

“Then never give him a reason to doubt you. It was my mistake when I let the woman who holds my heart go,” He tells me, leaving.

It was easy to like Sam when he threw off the egotistical cape he wears. I could see the ways our lives were alike, listening to him. I just wasn't willing to lose the man who gave me hope.

TED

Diana and I were at the park again. I found that music feeds me, even if it wasn’t the opera that I loved. It was watching the people in the park giving in to their love of the sounds they brought out of their instruments. I saw Ethan playing, with his case open for money. I told Diana that Justin would probably laugh that the great musician had to play in the park to survive.

“People always get what’s coming to them, even when it seems like they don’t,” She tells me.

“It makes me wonder sometimes, what I did to deserve what I got,” I tell her, sitting down in front of a group playing classical music.

“I couldn’t tell you. But in the end, you found people who loved you, look at it that way,” She tells me.

“They always did, even when I didn’t make it easy for them to,” I tell her.

“What made you want Michael?” She asks.

“When I met him, he was always the person you could talk to, lean on, and depend on. I never connected when he expected us to praise him as what he really did those things for. If I had paid more attention to the difference when Brian or Emmett did the same things, not expecting anyone to even thank them, I might have seen Michael for who he was. Edward told me the same thing, being praised should never be why you do something for anyone.” I tell her.

“Emmett mentioned you hadn’t been listening to music lately. Is that something you gave up for Michael?” She asks.

“He didn’t like the music I listened to, but Alex was right, I’ve been hiding from everything I once loved,” I tell her.

“You can’t hide from love, it won’t let you,” She tells me.

“So you and CJ weren’t love at first sight?” I ask, because it’s hard to imagine there would be a time they didn’t love each other.

“When I met CJ, all I saw was a guy full of himself. Women were throwing themselves at him and I didn’t want to be one in the crowd, so I said no when he asked me on a date. I couldn’t figure out why he was interested, when he could have women all the guys fell for, which wasn't me,” She tells me.

“What made you go out with him?” I ask.

“I realized CJ didn’t even understand why women threw themselves at him. He placed more value on the person inside you, than the package wrapped around you,” She tells me.

“He got both with you,” I tell her.

“Mind if I borrow part of the bench to stretch?” A guy asks.

Since I swallowed my tongue, Diana let him know he could stretch all he wanted. Did he really have to bend over?

“Thanks.” He tells us, getting ready to run.

“No problem, you can borrow our bench any time,” Diana jokes.

“Hopefully you'll be sitting here the next time I need it. I'm Blake by the way,” He tells me, before jogging off.

“Ted, in case you missed it, that’s called flirting,” Diana tells me, pulling me up to go.

“He was kidding,” I tell her.

“Was he? Then why did he tell you his name?” She asks me.

I snuck a peek at him and he smiled, waving back. I felt like an idiot, but waved because he caught me. “He could have anyone,” I said, to remind myself.

“He probably could, but you're the one he’s paying attention to, not the other guys watching him,” She tells me.

JUSTIN

Carl came over to spend time with his grandkids, at least that’s what he told Emmett and I when he showed up. The rest of the group went with the boys to see a movie they wanted to see. Instead of going, Carl showed up here.

“I’m sure Joan didn’t want me interrupting time with her grandsons,” Carl tells us, playing on the floor with Lily.

“Aren’t someone of the boys your grandsons too?” Emmett asks the obvious.

“Yes smart ass, they are,” He tells Emmett.

“What's the real problem?” Emmett asks, as Brian comes in.

“I’m still in love with her, and it's not easy being around her when she treats me like it meant nothing to her,” He tells us.

“She doesn’t feel like she has anything to offer you Dad,” Brian tells him.

Carl sat for a few seconds, not being able to say anything. It was the first time Brian called him anything but Carl, not sounding sarcastic. “She gave me you, and more people to love. It's the best offer I could get, Son,” Carl tells him.

“Then don’t let her keep believing no one could want her. She and I tend to deal with things by thinking we deserved the bullshit we were dealt,” Brian tells him.

“No one deserved Jack Kinney. He’s a sorry piece of crap who blamed everyone but himself because he wouldn’t get off his butt and do anything,” Carl tells him.

“I know now, but it took being away from him and others like him to figure it out. Mom just recently filed for divorce, which goes against her beliefs. She's only beginning to see that he was wrong, she could take care of herself. Unfortunately it doesn't stop the voices that make her doubt herself for not leaving when she should have,” Brian tells him.

“It would also make it harder for her to trust another man,” Carl tells him.

“Show her she can. When we were talking about the opera, Joan did something she has a hard time doing, she included herself when the invitation to go was offered to all of us,” Emmett tells him.

“Normally she wouldn't, unless the offer was made directly to her,” Brian tells him.

“Nothing against Ted, but my idea of a date isn't sleeping through it,” Carl jokes.

“Which reminds me, what do you think of you and Mom babysitting the kids while I take Justin out?” Brian asks.

“Where are you planning to take me?” I ask.

“I heard, that part of relationships are this thing where you go out to eat, dance, and then you get to the fun stuff,” Brian tells me.

“Fun stuff?” I ask.

“Showing the man you love that being together is what really matters,” Brian tells me.

“I need fun stuff,” Emmett pouts.