CHAPTER 2: THE MEET AND GREET

Brett and Connor walked into the Alwin building along with a very special guest. The other contestants were already milling about, talking to each other while Justin, Brian, and their team were off in one of the corners already planning their strategy. According to the rules, each contestant was allowed to pick from the hired models assembled, where they would be assigned for the duration of the six weeks. Justin thought this process was a bit like choosing livestock, but it was a necessary evil in this world, where art was everything and the right model made the work come alive. It was paramount that he choose wisely. In such a cutthroat competition among professionals, some directly from Hollywood and looking to make an even bigger name for themselves, it wasn’t unheard of that models could be bribed to sabotage the frontrunner.

“Justin Taylor? I thought that was you!”

Justin inwardly cringed at the nasally voice he dreaded hearing. He knew that Stacy Peete was invited to participate, but had not given an answer in the affirmative. Looks like she decided to, after all. Fuck! “Stacy, a pleasure to see you again,” Justin answered in his full-on WASP manners.

She eyed him as if he was a bug to be crushed, knowing that he was lying through his teeth. To say that she didn’t like him would be an understatement. She found that working with him on the failed Rage project grated on her nerves, in ways no one else would dare to do so. She found Justin high-handed, condescending, and an overall pain in the ass. Part of that had to do with the fact that as the creator of the comic, he retained his creative control despite the fact that she was technically his boss. Brett had allowed that job title to be in name only. As a result, she was sure that Justin had fucked Brett into compliance. She used her considerable influence within the Hollywood community to undermine him at every turn, but it hadn’t worked. She was still pissed that Brett and Connor had told her that if she couldn’t respect the young blond’s talent and opinion as the person who knew both the subject matter and how he was to be drawn, then she would find herself out of a job rather quickly. It was time to put this upstart in his place once and for all.

“I find myself wondering why you are here. I thought the competition was for celebrity artists only. I don’t remember hearing about you working on other projects in L.A. after Rage was cancelled.”

Justin smiled, knowing exactly what the bitch was trying to imply. “You wouldn’t have unless you’ve made a name for yourself in Fine Art circles. Since leaving L.A., I’ve had six shows, two of which were solos and quite a few commissions. My present work is currently selling in the six-figure range and I’ve only been stationed in New York for the last year. I just recently moved back to Pittsburgh to remain with my partner when I received this illustrious invitation. Win or lose, it’s where I’m staying.”

At the mention of Justin’s partner, she turned to look at the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. He looked vaguely familiar to her, although she couldn’t figure out why. She simpered, extending her hand to the man she wouldn’t mind becoming better acquainted with. She’d always believed that men were gay because they hadn’t found the right woman. It would give her great pleasure to steal this morsel from atop Justin Taylor. “Stacy Peete. Would you mind modeling for me?”

Brian laughed in response. He had seen the conniving gleam in her eye when Justin settled in a little closer into his side. He knew all about the contentious battle of wills between Justin and this woman while he was on the Rage set. Whatever she thought, it was time to disabuse her of her preconceived notions right now. “Nice to meet you. I guess you could call me the original Rage, but Justin here, calls me Brian Kinney.”

“Brian Kinney, as in the CEO of Kinnetik? Well now I understand why Justin has been allowed to enter the competition since your company is sponsoring it.”

“Our company.”

“Pardon?”

“I said ‘our’ company. Surely, in all your knowledge, you’re aware that Justin’s name is not simply Taylor anymore. It’s Justin Taylor-Kinney and has been for over a year. We may have cancelled our ceremony, but before he left for New York, we decided to make quite a few things legal. Congratulations, you’re among one of the first people to know that.  

“Besides, our company isn’t the only company sponsoring the competition. I understand that Highland Motion Pictures is sponsoring you, Stacy. Congrats on that fete since they are notoriously tight-fisted with their money, preferring to employ mediocre talent instead of paying the astronomical fees for the best in the business. I suppose they must have decided to update their business practices since you’re here,” Justin said. Even though his voice was innocent-sounding, it was clear that the implication was not.

A deep-throated chuckle interrupted the contretemps before the incensed woman could respond. “So the angel’s horns show once again, do they Justin?” Brett said as he and Connor came to stand next to him.

“I was merely making a well-known observation, and congratulating Stacy on something that no one would ever think was possible. Since I’ve been out of Hollywood, working steadily on other projects including our successful businesses, I couldn’t have known any different, now could I?” Justin smiled, but the three men could see the deviousness in the gesture.

“Put away your claws for now, Justin. And Stacy, we both know just why you are at Highland right now, so I would advise that whatever antagonism you’re trying for, should be stopped immediately. You’re already here as a last minute replacement for George Covington, so try to make the most of the opportunity. You may not get another like it.”

“Duly noted,” the seething woman said through gritted teeth. She stormed away towards the bar, determined to continue this at a later time when there wasn’t anyone to overhear just what she wanted to say to the arrogant little punk.  

“Good riddance, but now while I have your attention, Justin, I’d like to introduce you to…”

“RuPaul! Oh my… It’s wonderful to meet you. Needless to say I am a huge fan,” Justin said, extending his hand. “And this is my life partner, Brian Kinney.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. I have to admit that I had a bit of a fangirl moment myself when Brett and Connor told me you were willing to do this competition. And I know I’m not supposed to have favorites... I mean, you all are elite artists, so it most certainly will be difficult to choose just one, but I have to admit that I am thoroughly in love with your work. I remember telling Brett some time ago when he’d let me see the original panels for the movie and the comic, that you would go far in a short time, and here you are.”

“That’s right. Justin, one thing to know about Ru is that he’s a fortune teller in that he can tell when someone carries that elusive ‘it’ factor. He said the same when he met me for the first time,” Connor tells him. “By the way, how have you been?”

Justin shrugged coolly. “I’ve been doing alright for myself, Connor, as you can see. Brian and I… well, once I had been back awhile, we decided to make things official. So whereas I still use Taylor for my artistic career, my official last name is Taylor-Kinney as is Brian’s.” Justin finishes, barely keeping the triumph out of his voice. Their last parting wasn’t exactly under the best circumstances. Justin wouldn’t pretend otherwise, but that really no longer mattered.

“Well, I’m happy to see that I was completely wrong in my assumptions that you and he would be over within the year after your return. I was basing that on all of my former relationships with men outside of the business.”

“You know what they say about people who assume…” Brian interjected. During their hiatus, and before they found out about this competition, Justin had finally told Brian of his time in Hollywood. It wasn’t difficult to understand why Justin was obstinate about not going to New York at first. As trusting as Justin was before the bashing, was as distrustful as he’d become afterward. Hollywood reinforced that.

Connor turned to Brian then. “So you’re the man I would have gotten to play… well in a role on-screen anyway.”

Brian laughed then before retorting. “Do not even begin to insinuate that you played me off-screen either. The fact that Justin is standing here with me speaks volumes about what your true role was in the grand scheme of things. Everyone should use a dildo once in awhile- even if it’s a human one.”

“Boys, play nice…” Justin choked back a laugh.

“What? I was being nice.” Brian smiled down into his lover’s eyes. “Besides, there’s really no need to rehash the past, right Con...nor?”

“Well, Mr. Kinney, you are indeed a mischief maker. I look forward to getting to know you better,” RuPaul, who was witnessing the entire contretemps, laughed. “If Justin is half as plucky as you are, this competition is sure to have fireworks!”

“He’s much worse than I am, I assure you,” Brian drawled, causing the others to snicker and effectively quelling the tension for the moment.

“So have you decided on your models yet, Justin?” Brett asked.

“Yes and no. I think- well if it’s allowed- that I want to use most of my own people with the odd model or two. Has Cheryl Hargrave been contracted yet?” Justin knew that as the show’s host, RuPaul would know.

“Not that I know of, but she is scheduled to appear. As you know, she’s been on set as one of the make-up artists for that new Glenn Dunston movie. How do you want to use her?”

Justin thought about it a moment. Without doubt, Cheryl was an incredible makeup artist. Having worked with her during Rage, they had become fast friends. She was also the prototype when he came up with Melanie’s Ragian counterpart, DynoDyke while he was on location in L.A. She was an excellent model and could often anticipate his request for a new pose before he even asked for one. Decision made he said, “Well since I have access to the original DynoDyke, I think I’ll contract Cheryl as lead assistant on my team. This way if Mel is unable to participate, I still have the backup. But in the meantime, I know she can use the steady work.”

“And more importantly, she can’t be bought,” Brett interjected. “She’ll always feel a major loyalty towards you Justin, and I have to say, it’s a smart move on your part to do it this way. What brought this on?”

With a look into Justin’s eyes, Brian nodded before answering Brett’s question. “We are encountering some… problems with a few of my friends.”

“You mean Michael and Lindsay?” Connor put in.

“Ah, Sunshine. Have you been talking about them behind their backs? For shame!” Brian mock scolded.

“Well I had to tell someone before I hopped back on a plane to Pittsburgh and ended up in jail. Do you know how many phone calls from the two of them I received in a half an hour, let alone a whole day?” Justin scowled.

“Well that explains the full voicemail several times when I tried to reach you while you were on break from set. Why didn’t you say anything then?”

“And what exactly would you have done, Brian? You would have blown up at them, leaving you open to attack from Deb. And there was the surety of Gus being withheld in some vendetta until you apologized, per Lindsay’s instructions. I couldn’t let that happen to you.”

Brian acknowledged the truth of Justin’s words by pulling him closer into his side and placing a kiss on his temple. Clearing his throat, he continued. “So, as you can see, all is not well in that quarter. But this time it’s them trying to interfere in some major decisions that Justin and I have made recently. We know that they are bound to get desperate, because we won’t budge.”

“So you think that they’re not above bribing the competition to sabotage Justin’s chances?” RuPaul asked, thoroughly intrigued by the conversation. Prior to meeting Justin face-to-face, he’d developed a fascination with the blond and his work. That also led to him researching Justin’s origins. Along with what Brett had told him about how the first issue came to be, he couldn’t help but admire Justin’s inner-strength which was obviously magnified by his larger-than-life companion.

“No, we don’t think so. We know so! You remember the old adage that desperation breeds strange bedfellows? Well you can’t get any stranger than Michael and Lindsay. Both want the same thing, which is me gone. But they also want Brian to themselves and for different, but at base, the same reason as well.”

“What do you mean?” Connor asked. He didn’t get the undertones of what Justin wasn’t saying aloud.

“Michael is married to Ben, who is HIV positive. In Michael’s mind, Brian is always supposed to take care of him. In the meantime, it’s okay if Brian fucks whomever he wants, including me, as long as when, at the end of Ben’s life, he’s emotionally available to live happily ever after with Michael. As for Lindsay, well that’s a bit more difficult to explain.

“Up until tonight, little Ms. Plans was in a long-term relationship with our attorney, Melanie, who is consequently a second mom to our son, Gus. In Lindsay’s mind, having me gone will not only give her a chance to live vicariously through my career, but will free Brian up to spend all of his time with her, under the guise of being a good father to Gus, while also keeping his money accessible to her and her alone. It’s going to kill her to know that although Brian and I did not go through with the planned commitment ceremony, on paper we are more married than any couple who is legally wed by the laws of the land. Even if, God forbid, something were to happen to Brian, she still wouldn’t see a penny. We also made sure that Mel moved all of Gus’ money that Brian pays in child support out of the account with her name on it. So yeah, she’s coming, but she’ll do it deviously. She’s already tried to impersonate my agent tonight to withdraw me from the competition. The problem with that was the receptionist knew my agent on sight and put Miranda on the phone to deal with Lindsay personally.”

“Good God, Taylor...oh sorry, Taylor-Kinney, you sure still come with a lot of drama. This competition will certainly not be boring with you all around!” Brett laughed. He remembered Justin’s frustration with Michael and Lindsay well, and it only seemed to have gotten worse over the years.

“Well what can I say? Brian can attest that life with me has never been boring!” Justin returned the laughter.

“No Sunshine, it never has.” Brian placed his hand at the small of Justin’s back and led him off back to their group, who had just assembled again for the opening ceremony.

Connor shook his head. “There goes my chance to…”

“Yeah, Connor. I doubt either of them will be willing to play now that they are finally back together in the same state. Besides, this is sort of our own honeymoon now that both of us have decided to be together in a la Taylor-Kinney fashion. Let’s just work on that for awhile and trick only if the mood suits us, okay?” Brett looked at his life-partner and best friend, hoping that he’d agree. Because of the nature of their business, they had agreed to an open relationship, acknowledging that they both will have needs that the other won’t always be local to fulfill. But while they were occupying the same place and space, Brett would really like the time to spend with Connor alone.

“Okay, darling. I could do that. Besides, you know as soon as the trick is gone, you’re the only one I have eyes and a memory for. Let’s enjoy finally coming to our senses and having time together. Goodness knows there will be plenty of nights ahead that we’ll wish for each other that will go unanswered.”

“True! So boys, stop having these lesbianic moments and be thankful for what you have right now,” RuPaul commanded them, leading them in the opposite directions that the Taylor-Kinneys had gone. “It’s time to get this competition underway!”

BEN and MICHAEL’S HOUSE

BEN

I’m sitting here listening to him rant again about not being able to reach Brian and Justin. One would think that after millions of unreturned phone calls, he would get the message that they don’t want to be bothered. I mean, seriously! I think if I was Brian and Justin, I would have changed my phone number, closed out my email address and moved to an undisclosed location by now. In Brian’s case, I also probably would have packed up the offices of Kinnetik and filed several restraining orders, just to ensure that he wouldn’t find me. I find it incredibly funny that Michael always refers to Justin as Brian’s stalker when in fact, all of his actions point out that it’s him who fits that description.

“Michael, do you know what the definition of a stalker actually is?”

“Yeah, I do!” I wait for him to answer. “It’s Justin fucking Taylor!”

“No! It’s Michael fucking Novotny-Bruckner...or should we just call you by Novotny, because you are about to be minus Ben Bruckner!”

I don’t wait for him to process what I’ve just told him, and grabbing my jacket, leave the house before I give into the temptation to throttle him. As I head to my car, I roll my eyes. Lindsay is walking dejectedly up the street and I can already tell it’s going to be a long fucking night. Anytime those two get together with their litanies of grievances, it always is. I’m so tempted right now to re-enter the house, heading straight for the fuse box to cut off all the electricity, then hop in my car to leave again, but it’s too late. It’s fucking too late!!

Tapping on my window and ringing her hands, she says, “Hello Ben. Is Michael at home?”

I sigh, wanting nothing more than to lie to her. But if I know my idiot life-partner, she’s here because in the midst of calling Brian, he’s also dialed her number for her to appear here. “Yeah, he’s in there, but do me a favor. Don’t buy into his ignorance. Brian and Justin are together, and they will remain TOGETHER. Don’t let him talk you into something that you can’t get out of. You won’t like the consequences if you do.” She frowns and I think that I may have gotten through to her. I was wrong!

“You know, that’s the second time today I received that specific warning. First, it was Ted, trying to fill Brian’s boots and now you. I don’t appreciate being threatened.”

“If you would stop acting like an entitled termagant in the guise of a caring friend, perhaps none of us would feel the need to threaten you. Well, you can’t say you weren’t warned. Have a good time with Michael, losing everything,” I tell her, as I start the engine to my car and drive away. I take a look into the rearview mirror, noticing the pinched look of fury on her face. I decide to call Mel to find out what’s been going on. I agree to meet her over at the Alwin Building, determined to find out exactly what I’m in for when I finally decide to return home. Based on her tone when we hung up, it’s as I thought. It’s going to be a long fucking night!

MICHAEL

I look at the door Ben just stormed out of. Did he just call me a fucking stalker and threaten to leave me? I shake my head vehemently. That can’t be true; my ears must be playing tricks on me! Besides, where the fuck would Ben go? No one is going to want him in his condition and furthermore, he’s supposed to take care of me. Hell, I take care of him, so we’re even.

I smile as I hear the knock on the door, thinking that this ruins Ben’s big exit. I knew he wasn’t going anywhere and now I get to gloat as he’s apparently locked himself out of the house. Now I have the upperhand and will make him agree to my terms before letting him back in!

“Michael, open this door. It’s Lindsay!”

Lindsay? What the hell is she doing here?! Oh that’s right. I accidentally dialed her while trying to reach Brian, yet again. She was fuming at Ted’s treatment and constantly being ignored by her protege. I open the door and she pushes past me, huffing and flinging herself on my couch. I recognize these signs.

I roll my eyes as I close the door and head to the kitchen to grab two beers. “Trouble in Muncherville again, Lindz? What did Mel do this time?”

“What did Mel do? I’ll tell you what the bitch did! After Ted scathingly embarrassed me, instead of defending me, she told me that our marriage is over. And then she had the temerity to tell me that she would be keeping Gus with her until I could get myself established with a job and an apartment.”

“The absolute nerve! Well, what does Brian have to say about that? I can’t imagine he’ll be too happy.”

“That’s the thing, Michael. He still hasn’t called me back. He’s at some fucking Meet and Greet with Justin for that ridiculous tv show. Meanwhile, I tried to get the obstinate little fuck to do my friend’s show at his new gallery in New York. I called, pretending to be his agent, to tell the administration of Skin Wars that Justin would not be competing and that he had a prior engagement in New York that he was doing, and do you know what happened?!”

“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“I’ll tell you what happened! His bitch of an agent Miranda got on the phone and threatened to have her new attorney file charges against me for impersonating her. She called me an untalented hack!” I nearly spit my beer in laughter, since for once, I agree with Miranda. “But it was the mention of who her new attorney is that’s really chapping my ass.”

“Well who is it?”

“MELANIE!!! That’s who it is! My fucking wife!”

“Soon-to-be-ex wife actually,” I interject. See, Lindz and I have this sort of love-hate relationship. Outside of our common goal to get rid of Justin permanently, she and I don’t really get along. So it’s actually a pleasure to pour salt in her wounds when I can.

“Thanks, I really needed that reminder. So what the fuck are we going to do? The fact that the competition is being held here in Pittsburgh means that Brian and Justin will be cohabitating all the time. If we don’t find a way to separate them now, after the competition it will be even more difficult!”

“First, calm down. Your voice is giving me a headache! Now let me think… Brian isn’t calling either of us back and I can’t even catch up to him at the loft.”

“Well, why don’t you use your key to wait him out? He has to come back some time.”

I narrow my eyes at her. The whole key issue is still a very sore point with me. “I can’t, remember? Boy Wonder cheated during that whole Tawdry Tournament and had the locks changed while we were at Woody's. I still don’t know how he did that!”

“Oh, Michael you’re such an idiot. Of course, he had his mother do it. She’s their real estate agent, after all. It’s amazing to me that you’re able to walk and chew gum at the same time, as dumb as you are. But as for comments that Justin cheated during the tournament, I highly doubt that. From all accounts that Melanie received from Ted and Emmett, he showed all the reasons why Brian finds his ass so interesting. I hear that you tried to emulate him. How’s your back, by the way?”

What a bitch she is to bring that up! “My back is FINE, fuck you very much. But back to the matter at hand… call Brian and tell him that Gus needs him. That should get him to call you back right away since as far as he knows, there could be a problem.”

She shakes her head. “That ship has sailed too, sadly, courtesy of Mel. I tried to call your mother to complain about what was going on and received an earful about my shenanigans and another warning about trying to use Gus in my headgames, as she calls them. She told me that since Mel arranged for the kids to stay the night with her, Mel is going to be the one she calls if there’s an emergency.”

“Fuck! Well what do you suppose we do now?” I couldn’t keep the desperation out of my voice, with Ben’s possible parting words still ringing in my ears. I’m still not sure that he actually said them, but I don’t want to take the chance that he didn’t.

“Wait! I think I have the perfect solution. We make Justin leave the competition… or at the very least fix it so that he doesn’t win.”

“How the fuck is that going to be possible? We don’t even know what the rules are and it’s not like we know anybody there.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Michael. I understand that Brett Keller and Connor James are in town for this competition. Surely, you still have their phone numbers. Couldn’t you call them and fish for a little information... about the contest, I mean. As for finding some accomplices to help us sabotage Justin, you leave that to me.”

“You? How come you?” She isn’t any more well-connected than I am.

“Oh little fool, are you an artist? No. Your only talent is in writing mediocre, imagination-less storylines for a comic that I know Justin isn’t willing to draw for anymore. Yes, I know all about that since Mel is his attorney. It wasn’t hard to overhear conversations between them and draw my own conclusions from that. Anyway, since it’s being held here in Pittsburgh of all places, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out where most of the visiting artists will be staying. I’m sure it’s going to be at one of the nicer hotels since they are all celebrities in their own right.”

“Then why is a little nobody like Justin being included?”

Lindsay sneers at me. “Because idiot, Justin had made quite a name for himself, even before I made sure he went to New York. He’s the darling of the art world, and I intend to see that he remains so. Staking out the hotels, I’m certain that there has to be at least one other artist who isn’t as enamored of the little blond as the rest of the world is. If I can find that particular needle in the haystack, or preferably a few of them, then our success at separating Brian and Justin will be assured. He’ll have no reason to stay here and will return to New York, where he belongs.”

“What about Rage? I need him, too! No one else can draw Brian with as much passion and as many nuisances as Justin does.”

“Oh, Michael, you are such a small thinker. Which really shouldn’t be so surprising to me, considering how uneducated you are. But to answer your question, if the plan works out the way I’m hoping, he’ll be much too busy to draw your little comic. But on the bright side, he’ll also be much too busy to keep gracing Brian’s bed and that means…”

I smile. “I’ll have my fucking best friend back for good this time!”

“And Gus will have his father back as well.” She nods. “So let’s get to planning. You call Connor or Brett and I’ll begin my search for the elite hotels within the city.”

ALWIN BUILDING RECEPTION ROOM

MELANIE

Ben arrived a little while ago, only to be hustled off by Emmett and Drew. Thankfully, he and Drew are the same size, and once I told them that Ben was meeting me here, Brian suggested that Drew lend him a suit. It’s funny how my relationship with Brian has evolved over the past two years without Lindsay’s direct involvement with him. I have to admit to being surprised to find myself actually liking the man, and not the myth that’s been fed to me repeatedly down through the years.

It was hard at first to reconcile just how much Brian had changed. Oh, he still had that Devil May Care but You’ll Never Find the Fuck I Give persona, but it was more about the things he does behind the scenes that no one knows about. It’s in the quiet way he takes care of everyone while finally letting Justin take care of him. I know that was always a sore point between the two men. Justin wanted to do it; Brian didn’t think he deserved it. I think once he let himself not only believe Justin, but believe in him, the changes happening with Brian really began to manifest themselves in how he dealt with people, namely me.

It broke my heart to have to appeal to Brian for money. I won’t lie, and to say otherwise would have anyone looking at me sideways. To me, it was an admission of failure; a hard truth that I couldn’t take care of my family alone. It wreaks havoc on the psyche when you have the personality and iron-will that stereotyping assholes believe belongs only to men. In their eyes, you become anything other than a human, and it gives them the right to throw ‘I told you so’ into your face. And that’s exactly what I had expected to receive from Brian. I’m happy to admit that I was the asshole for buying into every stereotype heaped on him by his supposed best friends. It also brought home how little any of us really knew about him… well, all of us except for Justin. I think Em found that out firsthand when he went to Brian on Ted’s behalf because of the trouble at Jerk@Work. Then Ted came around when Brian gave him his dream job, basically fresh out of rehab. But it wasn’t until I needed my own version of a modern day Robin Hood, that I understood exactly how Brian does things.

Lindsay was working- or should I say, fucking around- at the Museum, barely bringing home enough money, which I later found out was because she was spending most of her pay on her affair. The lawyer I was working for died suddenly and the firm had to close. Even though I was only working as a paralegal and almost ready to take the Canadian Bar Exam, my check was still larger than Lindsay’s by half. So to say that I was in dire straits would be the understatement of the Century. It had come down to having the roof over our heads or feeding the kids. Lindsay would do nothing but complain constantly; she certainly wasn’t contributing. The money from Gus’ support covered the mortgage and basic utilities for the month, but nothing more. And Michael… well let’s not even talk about that selfish ass, who wants the title, and demands that Jenny call him ‘Dad,’ but takes none of the responsibilities. I still feel like a fucking schmuck for choosing him!

Anyway with all of this going on, I had no choice but to call Brian. And you know what he said?? No problem... that was it. Just, no problem. No ifs, ands, buts, muss or fuss, no scoldings or sarcastic comments, just came through for Gus, Jenny, and me in a clinch. I still marvel at that, especially since I never failed to throw the times he needed me in his face. In hindsight, I can truly say that I’m ashamed of how I acted towards him. My only excuse is that I was unreasonably jealous: because my wife always compared us; because he was a man who was succeeding, while I was a smart woman who was struggling to break the glass ceiling in my career; because if I’d had my choice to do it all over again, I would have been the female version of Brian Kinney.

“Having a good time?” Leda asks, coming to sit on the stool at the bar next to me.

“I have to admit that I am. I’ve never been in the same room with an eclectic mix of Hollywood A-listers, artists, and experts. Miranda took me around and introduced me to everyone. It was surreal that because I represent Justin, they asked if I was going to think of expanding my practice.”

“Well are you? I mean as an entertainment attorney, you could not only set your own hours, but attract an entirely new clientele, while still handling civil rights cases. It’s not a bad option to have,” Leda tells me, making me think about it from a different perspective. “Just look at what you’ve done for Justin and Brian. Kinnetik Enterprises is making a killing off of this deal, whether Justin wins the competition or not. Furthermore, they’ve fixed it so, even now, you will never have to worry about money again.”

“How did you…”

“Know? Well that’s easy. The buster and bitch Lindsay was screwing just happen to be my brother and sister-in-law. Imagine my surprise when I attended a party for last year’s winner of this show and she was there.”

“She saw you and said nothing?!” I ask her, getting pissed. I remember that night since the kids had to stay at the sitter’s house for two more hours than they should have. Lindsay had called to tell me that there was an impromptu party that she just had to attend. I should have known that it was the party in her thong that she was talking about!

“She didn’t see me, but I saw them fucking in the third floor bathroom. How did you think you found out?”

“The wife contacted me and sent me the photos.”

“Yeah, that was my idea. They have this rule about the spouses of their lovers being in agreement with their extracurricular activities. I told her that there was no way you knew or would approve of Lindsay gapping her flat ass open for them while you were home with the kids. You are still a career dyke, aren't you? Besides, I knew if I had told you, you wouldn’t have believed me.”

“No, that’s where you’re wrong. If you had told me, I would have left with the kids before we moved back to Pittsburgh. You were many things to me, Leda, but never a liar,” I tell her. And I mean that… When Leda and I split up, it wasn’t because she was trying to cover her tracks or make excuses about why she had done the things she did. Much like Brian and Justin when they separated before the bombing, I just figured out what I couldn’t and wouldn’t tolerate, and we parted ways amicably. After all these years, I still trust her to tell me the truth, even if it hurts me.

Ben came upon us then, looking as dapper as I’d ever seen him. Drew’s suit fit him as if it was made just for him. Michael is a lucky little bastard, and he doesn’t even acknowledge it! “Ladies, how are you?” He leans over and busses each of us on our cheeks.

“Fine, and damn Ben, so are you!” Leda tells him, making him blush and grin. “If ever I was to switch teams, Sugar Lips, I know who’d I be trying to get.”

“Not Brian?” Ben asks. I can tell he wouldn’t be bothered by the answers she’ll give.

“Oh, him too and Drew. Yes, Darling, nothing like a fine man-meat sandwich with me as the mayo.”

We all laugh. “Fortunately, Brian doesn’t like mayo, so I guess you’ll just have to do with me and Drew.”

“Tried it once, but it was just too moist and clingy. Never will I do it again!” Brian says as he signals the bartender.

“Are we talking about mayo or Lindsay?” I just had to know.

“Both!” We were all snickering when Justin joined our circle, along with Ted, Emmett, and Miranda. “So what are we all drinking?” He takes the drink orders and then ushers us all to a table in the far right corner. I have to admit, the view is amazing from up here above the City.

Once the bartender arrives, we settle in for a chat. “So what brought you here tonight, Ben?” Justin asks him.

“Oh nothing much, except the Coffee Clutch of Cunt-ery going on at my house. The misguided Mr. Novotny is on his usual self-absorbed tirade and has been joined by the poor, the lonely, and thoroughly confused Ms. Peterson. I gave Michael an ultimatum that I’m sure hasn’t even registered within his malnourished brain.”

“Malnourished? But then again, I’ve seen him eat,” Justin says, earning a chuckle all the way around.

“No, he’s still eating more food than the Diner has, while not contributing anything. I’m talking about his Brian-starved brain. I swear, for someone whom he’d never fucked, Michael is completely obsessed.”

“That’s part of the problem. For Lindsay, it’s the reverse,” I interject. “Brian, why the hell did you fuck her?”

“Had to see if I liked mayonnaise. I didn’t.” He shudders and we laugh again. “Besides, that’s not exactly what’s driving them now. It’s more that I won’t listen to the garbage they spew anymore or let them play games with mine and Justin’s life again. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt, wrote the check, and still don’t like mayonnaise or hot dogs, either.”

“More like half of a vienna sausage” Emmett comments, and we all look at him. “What? I lived with him for three years. You didn’t think I’d have been caught off guard by that second belly button. No prizes for guessing just why he’s a complete bottom.”

Justin jumped right in. “Ben, you have my sympathies. You must be tired. I mean having to listen to that whine while you’re doing all the work… Must have been enough to drive an insane man back to good sense!”

“Put your claws away, Sunshine,” Brian scolds him, laughing. I have to admit to doing the same. Justin still looks so innocent after all these years, but he couldn’t have been from the onset, if Brian still kept him around. Unlike Michael and Lindsay, I know it had to be for something other than sex. I might have wanted to believe otherwise, but I never could make myself live in that particular optical illusion, no matter what I might have said publicly.

“So how do we control the situation? Lindsay has already tried the Craswell track. I doubt she’s going to stop at that,” Miranda asks.

“No, she won’t. And now that she has Michael agreeing with her, she’ll be fucking impossible! Well, even more impossible, I should say.

“Well Smelly Melly, you were married to her for fourteen years. Surely you can think like Lindsay, no matter how much it hurts your head, and tell us what she’ll do,” Brian drawls to me, pulling Justin closer to him. I swear, glue couldn’t get between them, let alone people…

“Let’s not forget Michael in all of this. And if I know him, he’ll try the same game he always has. Finding someone to break the two of you up,” Ben says.

“What do you mean?” Justin’s ears perk up.

“I don’t know if you know, but a certain violinist is back in town and has been asking around town about you,” Emmett tells us.

Ben’s eyes narrow, along with the rest of ours. “So, that’s what the fucking secret smiles have been about when he thought I wasn’t looking, huh? Well I think it’s time to fix that, too.” He pulls out his phone. I have an idea about who he’s going to call, but I stop him.

“Hold on, Ben. Let’s figure out their complete angle first, and then we’ll start planning. What’s the one thing they both want out of this, more than anything?”

“That’s easy,” Justin answers. “They want me gone, both for different reasons, but at the same time, for the same reason. They want Brian to themselves.” When we look at him intently, he tells us to hear him out. “Lindsay, of course, is hellbent on playing my stage mother. She pushed all of Brian’s buttons to get him to agree with her that it was in my best interests to leave Pittsburgh and go where she's always wanted to be. Brian, how many times within the first week I was gone did she call you?”

“I can answer that since we argued every fucking time she did. The answer is every fucking hour between the hours of seven in the morning and eleven at night , once we arrived in Toronto,” I tell them. They all, except for Brian and Justin, murmur in surprise.

Justin nods. “And how many times did Michael either call or show up during that week and afterwards, until I returned? And when you were on business trips or visiting me, how many times then?”

Ben snickers. “You can’t possibly want an actual number.”

“Nope, I’ll let you all draw your own conclusions on that front. But the point is, that during my time in New York, Michael was absolutely determined that I still draw Rage. So whereas he wants me out of BRIAN’s life on a permanent basis, he knows that Red Cape Comics will suffer completely without me. As for his Wonder Twit, Lindz, my career gives her a way to see the art world close up… or so she thinks. I can’t begin to tell you how many calls and emails I have received, practically demanding that I fire Miranda and hire her. Then when she doesn’t make any leeway with me, she calls Miranda’s office to give her opinion of how we are running my career. So yes, their motive is two-fold in their purpose, and they will do anything to get it.”

Brian nodded. “Ted, you said that Lindsay knows about the Skin Wars competition?”

“Yeah, she was practically frothing at the mouth when I told her about it, and I warned her to leave Justin alone. Why?” he asks.

“Because what do you want to bet that she’s trying to find allies within this competition? If Justin fails, she can crow about how she was right and that he would have been so much further along in his career if he’d only listened to her. Michael will think that Justin’s been thoroughly cowed, and would realize that he could never want to be or do anything more than draw the fucking comic. So ladies and gentlemen, that’s their plan,” Brian finishes.

“Makes sense… a whole lot of sense actually, since Justin and I have been running his career as he wants it done despite her trying to bully her way into his businesses. She’s just that arrogant to automatically assume that if Justin doesn’t win, he will fire me. Which, winning this really makes us no nevermind in the grand scheme of things, since it’s all about exposure on a much grander scale. So she’s going to look just as dumb when this is all over and her plans go for naught,” Miranda finishes, chuckling.

“Ben, make your call. It’s time to teach these two a lesson in subterfuge they will never forget,” Justin says, wagging his eyebrows.

Ben smiles back before dialing. “Hello, Deb…”