Brian pulled the Corvette into the parking lot of the church. They got out and started walking towards the main doors.

"Justin," a voice called.

Justin turned and spotted his Uncle Bill. "Hi," he said with a smile.

"It's good to see you, Justin. Who's this?"

"This is my ... boyfriend, Brian Novotny. Brian, my Uncle Bill."

"Ah, nice to meet you, Brian." Brian shook the extended hand. "Well, I guess we better get inside before all the seats are filled." Uncle Bill bustled off.

"He's my Dad's brother. Has to know everything that's going on. I won't have to introduce you again. By the time we step through the doors of the church he will have spread the word. Everyone will know your name and that we're together."

"How convenient," Brian said placing his hand in the small of Justin's back and directing him towards the open doors.

Inside the door an usher walked them to the front row. Brian sat down uncomfortably beside Justin. He could feel everyone's eyes on him and he didn't particularly like it. However, he sat up straight and placed his hand on Justin's shoulder. Justin felt that little jolt again and smiled up at Brian.

'That fucking smile is going to be the death of me,' Brian thought. 'I will have Justin Taylor in bed before the night is over, or up against a post or in the fucking restrooms.' Brian shifted and tried to ease the pressure in his trousers. Something had just sprung to life and he had to sit here for at least another hour. He took his hand off Justin's shoulder hoping that would make his dick behave. No physical contact might do the trick. Brian almost laughed out loud, but he turned it into a cough as he thought about Justin as a trick and the possibility of doing him in any and all ways.

Justin was looking around and waving to various people. Brian wondered if they all knew Justin was gay. He supposed they all did now, especially since he could see dear old Uncle Bill whispering in people's ears as he moved around the church.

Finally the usher escorted Jennifer Taylor down the aisle and she took her seat beside Justin. She gave Justin a kiss and a big hug, and then she noticed Brian. Justin whispered in his mother's ear as the Wedding March began. Jennifer smiled over at Brian before standing and turning to see her daughter walk down the aisle on her father's arm.

Once Craig Taylor had said that he gave his daughter in matrimony, he sat down beside Jennifer and noticed Brian sitting beside his son. Craig gave Brian a withering look. Brian knew instantly that the man did not approve of Justin's homosexuality. This day just kept getting better and better.

Once the "I do's" and the "I love you's" were over and the bride and groom had taken off somewhere to have all their staged pictures taken, everyone was ready to head to the hotel for drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Brian knew he was definitely ready for a drink. He held the door to the Corvette open for Justin and received one of Justin's best smiles in return. Craig Taylor took that moment to come over and tell Justin how disappointed he was that Justin had decided to flaunt his homosexuality in front of the whole family.

"I'm not flaunting anything, Dad," Justin said out the window of the 'Vette. "Everybody knows I'm gay."

"And who is this guy? You bring a stranger to your sister's wedding?"

"This is Brian. He's my boyfriend, and he has just about as much right to be here as you do," Justin stated with finality.

"But..." Craig began.

Before he could say anything more, Jennifer grabbed her husband's sleeve and pulled him away. She did not want a public scene.

Brian climbed into the driver's seat. "Your father is an ass."

Justin burst out laughing. "There have been so many times I've wanted to tell him that."

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't know. I guess I was hoping that someday he would come around."

"But he never has?"

"Today was actually pretty good. He talked to me without his face getting red and looking like he was going to have a stroke."

"True, but that doesn't make him any less of an ass."

Justin laughed again. "I like you. You sure don't mind giving people shit."

"Only the ones who deserve it."

"Like my father."

"Like your father."

"You know, when I first told him I was gay, he slapped my face and told me never to say that again."

"Bastard!"

"I thought he was going to kick me out, but to his credit, he didn't. He paid for me to go to PIFA."

"You went to the institute?"

"You know what PIFA is? Most people look at me like they don't know what I'm talking about when I say PIFA. And the majority of them really don't know."

"I've had some experience..." Brian had been about to say that he had experience hiring people from there. But then he had remembered he was a high price escort, not the owner of an ad agency. "I've had some experience with people who have gone there," Brian corrected himself.

"Anybody I'd know. There are some famous alumni."

"I doubt it. It would have been before your time."

"Looks like most of the cars have cleared out," Justin said glancing around the parking lot. He had seen his mother and father drive out. "I guess we should go to the hotel."

"Or we could blow this pop stand and go for dinner somewhere," Brian suggested before he could stop himself. What the hell was he thinking?

Justin chuckled. "As tempting as that offer is, I really want to be there for my sister. Besides I'm supposed to speak at the dinner." Brian groaned audibly. "Hey, you don't know my speech is going to be that bad," Justin laughed.

"That groan was for the whole concept of those fucking speeches, not specifically for yours."

"You don't like weddings much, do you?"

"What makes you say that?" Brian smirked.

"One or two things you've said."

Brian started the Corvette. He joined the procession to the hotel downtown. They found a spot to park the Corvette and went inside. People were milling around in one of the ballrooms. There was no sign of the bride and groom yet.

"Let's get drunk," Brian said. Justin raised his eyebrows but followed Brian to the bar where Brian ordered a double. He downed it in one go and ordered another.

"Hey, don't literally get drunk on me. You have to drive home."

"That's hours away," Brian said and then he groaned thinking of speeches and hours of making nice with people.

"I'm sorry if being here with me is such a fucking hardship." Justin grabbed his drink off the bar and walked away.

Brian realized what he had done had probably hurt Justin's feelings. He hadn't meant to do that. He was just making a statement about fucking weddings in general. He grabbed his new drink and followed Justin.

"Hey," he said coming up beside Justin. "Hey," he repeated when Justin refused to turn around. "Do you want them all to think you're fighting with your boyfriend?"

"Well, I am," Justin said annoyed.

"Hey, I'm not really your boyfriend and I don't want to fight with you," Brian hissed through clenched teeth. This was getting too weird.

"Okay, okay, I sort of forgot that this was all pretend. What you said, it ... hurt me."

"I wasn't talking about you. I was just thinking about the hours that I'll be spending here, and I do hate fucking weddings."

"But you'll be spending that time with me. Won't that make it better?" Justin asked looking up at Brian and batting his baby blues.

"Why, you little..."

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Justin grinned.

That smile went right to the part of Brian's anatomy that had a mind of its own. "I have been a bit of a shit," Brian admitted. He was starting to really like this guy. "Can I buy you a drink to make it up to you?"

"Ooh, big spender," Justin cooed. "It's an open bar."

"Are your parents rich?"

"Rich enough."

"But what about that place you live..." Brian stopped before he said any more.

"Oh, you mean the dump? I have a job I hate and my father wouldn't help me even if I begged him, which I most assuredly won't. So that's where I can afford to live at the moment."

They walked back to the bar and Brian ordered them another set of drinks. Brian sipped at his deciding he better keep his wits about him.

"So where do you work?" Brian asked.

"I'm working at a graphics firm at the moment."

"That sounds like a start in the art world."

"Yeah, some start! I'm basically a glorified gofer. They won't let me do any real art. I mostly get to bring the artists coffee, and I color in some of their work."

"Ah, a colorist."

Justin blew out a bit of his drink as he laughed. "You sound like you know something about graphics," Justin observed.

"I've ... um ... always been interested in advertising."

"Why didn't you pursue it then?"

"I ... I guess I didn't want to start as a gofer like you. I could make more money as an escort," Brian lied.

"Couldn't you do both?"

"Probably, but this was easier."

"Oh."

"Why do you stay with this company if you hate it so much?"

"I've been looking around, but I didn't really cultivate a network of friends in this area of art. Most of the good jobs are gone before they ever get advertised."

Brian knew that was true. He had seen how people who worked at Kinnetik often recommended their friends when a position became available. These arrangements usually worked out, but Brian had never thought about the people he might be overlooking who never even got to apply for the job. He wondered just how good an artist Justin Taylor might be. "Why didn't you work on that network of contacts?"

"I ... you'll think it's stupid, but I really want to paint. I thought for a while that I could just paint and somebody would realize how brilliant I am and start paying me for my work. It didn't take long to realize that was a foolish idea. To be successful as an artist you need an agent and contacts and lots of luck."

Brian nodded. "So you settled for this job you have now."

"Yeah, I liked to eat too much to be a starving artist."

Brian chuckled. "Speaking of dinner, I think your sister just arrived."

Justin looked up and saw his sister looking radiant enter the ballroom. Jennifer and Craig rushed over to her and her new husband.

"What's the groom's name again?"

"Weren't you listening during the ceremony?"

"No."

Justin snorted. He liked Brian's bluntness. "Why do you want to know?"

"Well seeing as this seems to be a very traditional wedding, I assume we're having a reception line. I want to be able to say, 'Congratulations, Algernon, old bean. Way to go,' when I shake his hand."

Justin laughed out loud. "That is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. I dare you to say that to him," Justin giggled.

"Do I have to call him Algernon or will you tell me his real name?"

"It's Kyle, Kyle Maloney the third."

"I'm impressed," Brian said with a yawn. He tapped his lips with his fingers as he faked the yawn.

"I dare you to say that to him," Justin repeated.

"You think I won't?"

"I want to see it."

"You're on, but what do I win if I do it?"

"I don't know, but not money. I can barely afford to pay you as it is."

Brian liked the lack of pretense in this young man. "How about a kiss?" Brian wasn't sure where that had come from, but the more he saw of Justin Taylor's lips, the more he wanted to kiss them.

Justin smiled. "Okay, that I can afford."

"Don't be too sure," Brian mumbled feeling his dick twitching and knowing that he wanted that kiss to go a lot farther.

"Let's go. I'll introduce you to my sister."

Brian followed Justin into the long line of people who had already queued up to congratulate the couple. "We could have waited until everyone else had gone through," Brian griped.

"You're not getting off that easy. If you want to win this bet, it has to be in front of witnesses."

Brian groaned inwardly. How did he get himself into these things? Deb would say it was because he was an arrogant asshole, and she was probably right. They were approaching the parents. Brian shook hands with the mother and father of the groom. Next was Craig Taylor. Craig looked like he was going to refuse to shake Brian's hand, but at the last moment he didn't have the balls to do it. Grudgingly he shook Brian's hand. Brian smirked at him antagonizing him even more.

Justin elbowed Brian in the ribs. "Behave," he muttered.

Jennifer pulled her son into a long hug. Brian waited patiently. Finally Jennifer released Justin and Brian took Jennifer's hand. He planted a kiss on the back of her hand as he lifted it gently to his lips.

"My, how gallant," Jennifer said fanning herself. "Where did you find this one, Justin? I want to know more."

"Later, mother," Justin promised as he moved on to Kyle. "Kyle, congratulations. You be good to my little sister, okay?"

"I intend to be," Kyle said with a smile and a look at Molly for approval.

'Pussy whipped,' Brian thought to himself.

"Kyle, this is my boyfriend, Brian."

"Hello, Brian," Kyle replied extending his hand to shake with Brian.

"Congratulations, Kyle, old bean. You've got a lovely girl here. Way to go," Brian said being overly effusive and using some kind of weird English accent.

"Um ... thanks," Kyle said not at all sure what to make of this man Justin had brought with him.

Justin's mouth was hanging open. Brian had done it. He had made a fool of himself but he had won the bet. He liked Brian's balls, and there were several other parts of Brian that weren't too bad either.

"Mollusk," Justin said softly pulling his sister into a hug. "I'm so happy for you."

"And I'm happy for you too," Molly replied looking directly at Brian. "How long has he been around and why didn't I know?"

"Molly, this is Brian. Brian, my sister, Molly."

"You look absolutely beautiful, young lady," Brian said using his own voice. The fake English accent was gone.

"Why thank you, kind sir."

"My very best wishes to you and your new husband."

"That's very nice of you to say, Brian. I hope I get a chance to talk to you later in the evening."

"Me too, Molly, me too," Brian said as Justin yanked him away.

"What? I was making nice."

"Laying it on a little thick, don't you think?"

"I'm sure that was the exact proper wording of what you're supposed to say in a reception line," Brian smirked.

"According to Emily Post?"

Brian merely shrugged. He had taken some courses in university that prepared students for big dinner parties and other social functions that they might be invited to as part of the corporate business world. That was the first time he had had the opportunity to actually use those words. The only other hetero wedding he had attended was his sister's and he had said something like, "Knocked her up, eh?" Gay weddings hardly counted, in more ways than one.

"Let's go find out table," Justin was saying slightly annoyed with Brian but also impressed in some weird way. Maybe over dinner he could find out more about this enigmatic man.