Bewitched and Bewildered

= 5 =

Brian stood outside the diner. It was Sunday afternoon and Daphne had told him that Justin was working from eleven to three. It was almost three. He was going to try to get Justin to come with him for their long overdue talk.

He pushed open the door and groaned. Debbie was behind the counter. The last thing he needed was to have this play out in front of her. He would have to adjust his plan.

He sat at the counter and Debbie poured him a coffee.

"So what brings you here all by yourself this afternoon?" she asked with her usual nosy cheerfulness.

"No reason," Brian lied looking around for Justin. Maybe he had already missed him. That might be for the best.

No such luck, as Justin came out from the back putting on his jacket as he did. He gave Brian a glance and immediately turned his eyes away.

"See ya', Deb," he called as he quickly left the building.

Brian dropped five dollars on the counter and stood up.

"You better hurry if you want to catch him," Debbie said knowingly. Brian groaned. "The bus will be coming by any minute now."

Brian knew there was no sense in pretending anymore. He ran out the door looking down the street towards the bus stop. He saw Justin almost there and the bus was making its way along. It would pick him up in a minute.

"Justin!" Brian called.

He saw the blond hesitate and look back. The bus went past Justin and stopped at the corner. Justin took another look at Brian, raised his middle finger and ran for the bus. He must have caught it because when it pulled away it took all traces of Justin with it.

"Fuck!" Brian growled. He had spent all morning getting ready for what he was going to say to Justin. Now he would never even get a chance. It seemed like everything was conspiring against him.

He made a quick decision and got into the Corvette. He gunned the engine spinning around and facing the same direction as the bus. He was going to talk to Justin one way or another.

He trailed the bus for block after block slowing whenever the bus stopped to let someone off. He thought Justin was probably going back to Daphne's but he didn't want to take a chance on Justin getting off somewhere else. Finally the bus reached the corner of Daphne's street. Brian saw Justin get off and start walking down the sidewalk. He waited for the bus to slide back into traffic. He turned the corner and pulled up alongside the blond who continued to stride ahead without a sideways glance at Brian.

Brian pulled a little ahead, stopped and rolled down the window. As Justin approached he said, "Justin, get in, please. I need to talk to you."

To his surprise Justin stopped walking and turned to look into the car. He opened the door and climbed in. "Since you asked so nicely," he said with a smirk. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Can we go get coffee or something?" Brian asked stalling the inevitable.

"I've had all the coffee I want for today. Tell me what this is about. Why were you following me?"

"I told you that I want to talk to you, but you keep ignoring me."

"True," Justin said without any remorse whatsoever.

"What's gotten into you?" Brian asked truly bewildered by Justin's attitude.

"I decided that I've been little Sunshine for far too long. Now I'm doing what I want to do."

"And that means getting drunk and flunking out of school?" Brian asked hoping his sarcasm would break through Justin's shell of indifference.

"You forgot fucking every good looking guy that I see," Justin said with a grin.

"I don't know who you are anymore."

"Good, because that person that you used to know was a fucking wimp. He's no longer part of the equation."

"So what is this new and improved Justin planning on doing with his life?"

"He's going to have the best time he can find. He's going to screw and drink and drug and not have a worry in the world," Justin said confidently.

Brian snorted. "And what will you do when you're too old to keep this up or you're dead?"

"Why I think I'll become an ad exec just like someone else I know."

"Fuck you, Justin! You're making a mess out of your life. You need to straighten up."

"You sound just like my fucking father. Don't you know that I'll never be straight?"

"Stop playing word games with me and look at what you're doing with your life."

"What the fuck difference does it make to you what I do with my life? It's mine, not yours." Justin snorted. "Like you've led such an exemplary existence."

"Compared to what you're doing I have. At least I finished school and made something of myself."

"Yeah, a lonely, selfish fuck machine! You have a colossal nerve trying to tell me how to live my life."

"Justin," Brian began. He refused to take offense at Justin's words and decided to try a different tack. This one seemed to be getting him nowhere. "I didn't follow you to pick a fight. I'm trying to help you."

"I don't want your fucking help. I'm doing just fine and I want you to screw off and stay out of my fucking life!"

With that Justin threw open the door to the 'Vette and ran into Daphne's apartment building before Brian could say anything more.

"That went really well," Brian huffed as he peeled away from the curb.

========================================================================================================

Brian had been sitting at home wondering what he should do about Justin. The afternoon was gone and he still had no answers.

He had intended to tell Justin that he missed him, but he never got the chance. He realized that he had started out in the same old way, telling the boy what he should do with his life. That was exactly what Justin didn't want to hear. He was sure of that, and Justin's reaction had certainly proved it. And yet he just couldn't start by telling him what he was feeling. He just couldn't.

Maybe this was an omen. Maybe they really were finished. Maybe he should let it go. Maybe, maybe, maybe…

The door buzzer brought him out of his reverie. Who the hell was coming to crap all over him now? He ignored it. Whoever was down there buzzed a couple more times and then it stopped. Brian breathed a sigh of relief. The only one he wanted to talk to was Justin, and the boy had made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to talk to him. So whoever was at his door could go screw himself.

Suddenly he heard the loft door slide back. Fuck, he had forgotten to lock it once again.

"Brian?" Debbie's voice said softly.

Brian felt himself scrunch lower on the sofa. He didn't want to talk to her, didn't want to hear her tell him about how he had screwed up Justin's life, and mostly he didn't want to be told to go fix it when that was totally beyond his ability.

"Brian," Debbie said more forcefully. He knew she was standing right behind him now and he couldn't escape.

"I don't want to hear it, Debbie," he said without looking at her. "There's nothing I can do."

"That answers my question then," she replied. "I came to see if you made any headway with Sunshine. I see you didn't."

Brian stared at the floor not wanting to face the failure that Debbie was talking about. He heard the loft door slide and turned to see Debbie in the doorway about to leave.

"You're going without telling me what a shit I am?" he asked before he could stop himself.

"Apparently you have already correctly assessed your role in this. I need say no more. I'm not going to kick you when you're down."

Brian snorted. "Since when?"

"Brian…"

"Sorry," Brian said softly. He didn't want to fight with her.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

He didn't really … or maybe he did? He didn't know what he wanted anymore. "I don't know," he said honestly.

"I'm a good listener." Brian snorted. "Well, I try."

He knew she did. "Sit down," he said. "Want a drink?"

"I'd like a scotch but I'll settle for something fizzy."

Brian got up and went to the fridge. He brought her a glass of Perrier. Brian had a beer. He took a drink and slid into the armchair. "He wouldn't listen to me," Brian said sadly.

"I was afraid of that," Debbie said. "He won't listen to me either."

"Have you been trying to talk some sense into him?"

"Of course, I have. He looks like shit and he's missing school. He drags himself to work at the diner only because he needs the money to party."

"So what can we do about it?"

"It all comes down to what you're willing to do about it."

"What does that mean? I tried and he won't listen. I told you."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him how I saw what he was doing. I tried to make him see that he was ruining his life."

"And how did he react to that revelation?"

Brian raised his eyebrow at the sarcastic tone to Debbie's voice. "He told me it was none of my business."

"And he's right."

"Then what the fuck are you doing here and why are we talking about this?"

"Because it is your business if you would talk to him about the two of you and your … relationship."

"We don't have a relationship … especially now."

"Isn't that the crux of the problem? If you had a relationship, Sunshine wouldn't be in the mess he's in."

"So it all comes back to being my fault? As usual!" Brian was getting angry.

"I didn't say it was all your fault, but at least half of it is. We all saw how you treated him after he came back to you. He tried to believe it was all right. I'm sure he told you it was. But it wasn't. And I think you knew that … know that … even now. That's what you need to talk to him about."

"When did you get the fucking degree in psychoanalysis?"

"It came with my mother papers."

Brian snorted but he knew she was right. "I tried to talk to him … several times. He won't listen."

"Then think of a new way to get his attention. Make him want to listen."

That was more or less what Daphne had told him. He had worked out a plan to do just that, but then he had chickened out. Nobody was going to call him romantic. He refused to be labeled with that word, but maybe he was going to have to … for Justin.

"Brian," Debbie whispered interrupting his thoughts. "I'm scared for him. He isn't used to the kind of life he's living. It could destroy him. Don't let that happen."

Brian sighed, but he knew now what he had to do. "I'm going to try," he said. "I'm going to really try."

========================================================================================================

Justin donned his clubbing duds. He loved his sparkly shirt. It always attracted attention. He'd get lots of drinks and have lots of trips to the backroom. He studied his face in the bathroom mirror. He wished he could do something about the black rings under his eyes. They weren't exactly attractive. Maybe he'd get somebody to give him some E when he got to Babylon. It wouldn't get rid of the rings but it would make him feel sexy as hell.

With a last look at his appearance he headed for the door to Daphne's apartment. Before he could grasp the knob the buzzer sounded. He opened the door. A delivery man stood there holding a basket all tied up with glittery clear paper and a gold bow.

"Yes?" he said thinking this must be something for Daphne.

"I have a delivery for Justin Taylor," the man said.

"Um … that's me," Justin replied surprised. The man handed him a pad to sign. He did so and brought the basket into the apartment. "Who would be sending me something like this?" he asked the empty room. He looked into the basket which contained a can of hot chocolate mix and a bunch of different chocolate candies and a bottle of gourmet chocolate sauce. Somebody knew he liked chocolate.

He rummaged in the paper looking for a card. Finally he found it. He held his breath as he opened it. It read: Thanks for the memories, R.A. (An Old Flame).

"Brian," was his first thought, but Brian would never do anything this sentimental, this romantic, especially after the way he had treated him this afternoon. It couldn't be Ethan. Ethan hated him. Besides he wasn't sure Ethan was even in town. He read the card again noting the R.A. that he had skimmed over before. That must be someone's initials. Maybe it was that trick from the other night, the one who really liked him, who kept begging him to go home with him. He couldn't remember his name but he had been cute and he had lots of money. It had to be him. Maybe he'd see him at Babylon tonight. If he did he'd have to thank him in a very special way. Justin couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he headed out to the bus stop. Babylon was going to be more fun than ever tonight.

========================================================================================================

Justin danced across the floor of Babylon. He was looking for the cute guy who had sent him the basket of chocolate. So far he hadn't seen him, but he was sure he'd be there tonight. He would want to be properly thanked for his gift and Justin was very ready to show his appreciation. His eyes scanned the room looking for the right face. He looked up at the catwalk and his eyes latched onto another pair of eyes.

"Shit!" he said aloud. "Brian."

He quickly glanced away and to his surprise he noticed the cute guy he was looking for. He was dancing with some loser on the edge of the crowd. He quickly forgot about Brian and began dancing towards his quarry.

"Hey," he said with his best smile as he came up to the guy.

"Hey," the guy responded smiling back. He seemed to be very ready to forget about the poor schmo he had been dancing with.

Justin moved in. He placed his arms around the guy's neck and gave him a lingering kiss. Justin could feel the results against his thigh.

"What brought that on?" the guy asked breathlessly.

"I wanted to thank you for the other night and … for everything else," Justin said with a grin.

"What else can I do to earn some more of your appreciation?" the guy asked with a goofy grin.

"You could tell me your name," Justin grinned. He wanted to know and he had no idea what it was if the guy had ever told him.

"That's easy. I'm Ray."

Justin's smile grew even brighter. R.A. had to be Ray. "We could go to the backroom and I could continue to demonstrate my appreciation."

"Anything for you," Ray said breathlessly. Ray seemed to be awestruck with his unexpected good fortune.

Justin took Ray's hand and started to lead him to the backroom. He couldn't help but glance triumphantly up at the catwalk where Brian had been. The fucker was gone. Justin was sorry that Brian didn't see the little show he had just put on on the dance floor or the show he was going to give in the backroom.

Justin found a likely spot and pushed Ray against the wall. He leaned in and kissed the guy with everything he had. He ground his cock against Ray's until the man whimpered and gasped for air. Justin reached down and slowly slid the zipper on Ray's pants down. He hooked his thumbs inside the waistband and into Ray's underwear. He pulled bringing both down Ray's legs. The man's cock leaped out hard and stiff. Justin went with the pants dropping to his knees in front of Ray. His mouth engulfed the throbbing cock and sucked. Ray almost came with that simple action.

"Easy," Justin whispered releasing Ray's dick. You're going to love this."

Ray giggled uncontrollably. Justin shook his head for a minute, but then took the cock back into his mouth and began one of his best blowjobs. It turned out that Ray was extremely vocal. He called out Justin's name again and again. He moaned and groaned and gasped and cried out. Justin knew he was good at blowjobs but it seemed like this guy had never experienced anything like what Justin was doing to him. Finally Justin swallowed around the head and Ray came with a shriek. Justin milked him with his hand until he was finished shooting. He stood and pulled Ray's pants back up as the man lolled against the wall apparently unable to move or speak.

Justin glanced around noting all the eyes that were focused on him. Ray had certainly caught their attention with the noise he had made. And there was Brian staring at him with a disapproving look. Well, fuck Brian! It was none of his business.

"Are you ready to dance, lover?" Justin asked with his most husky voice.

Ray nodded still unable to get out a coherent thought. Justin took his hand and led him out of the backroom. At the door he looked back once more at Brian. Brian already had his dick stuck in someone's mouth.

"So what?" Justin thought. That was a typical Brian reaction. He hoped the man enjoyed the blowjob because he was pretty sure it wouldn't be anywhere near as good as the one he could give him. But those days were gone. He swung Ray around and kissed him again. He wasn't through thanking him for the basket of chocolate, not by a long shot.