Sunday at the Museum

Brian wasn't quite ready for sleep when Justin left; so, he picked up the "Big Book", opening it to one of the personal stories.  He chose "The Missing Link".  He read how the writer had experienced a difficult childhood as a result of Depression and found alcohol to eventually dull the pain and feel good about himself.  

As Brian read the short story, he mentally substituted Depression for the words "abusive parents".  He didn't tell any teachers about his parents or his home life. While he played sports and was considered an outstanding athlete, he didn't participate in any team activities outside of the mandatory practices and games. 

When he stood up to the bullies that were taunting Michael at school, Michael had brought him home to meet Debbie and she had informally made him a part of their family.  Even though Deb witnessed the abuse Brian suffered at the hands of his father, she did nothing to protect him. She opened her home as a haven, but that only addressed the aftereffects of the abuse, rather than preventing it. 

He blamed his horrific childhood for his inability to recognize his feelings and emotions.  It was easier to hide the truth; that he was an unwanted child whose parents wished he'd never entered the world than to admit the continual emotional pain he experienced when he was reminded daily that his only worth was as a punching bag for his father's anger.  He'd learned from an early age that it wasn't smart to discuss his home life.  He'd learned to hide in a bottle of "Jim' rather than tell anyone that he didn't know what caring and love were, much less demonstrate those feelings. 

He found he liked Lindsay well enough, but love wasn't something he really understood.  He was certain that love didn't exist if his parent's union was any indication of what a typical marriage looked like.  Even Lindsay and Mel who supposedly loved one another were constantly arguing over money or other trivial things like whose turn it was to pick up Gus.  

He'd started drinking when he was 18, way before he was legally allowed to do so.  Seemingly, that should have given him sufficient time to learn about his emotions and how to interact with people.  However, he found that he lacked skills in those areas. When he got to college, he watched people, learning the necessary skills to be successful in business.  In his mind, success was measured by how far away he could remove himself from his parent's sphere, and how much money he had in the bank.  It hadn't occurred to him until he started attending AA that his problems were intertwined with alcohol.  When he was a child, both parents drank, using alcohol to hide and escape from the lives that were not fulfilling their dreams.  He learned that alcohol was the way to cope with life.  As an adult, he lacked a proper role model who could show him that feelings and emotions were a key component of happiness.  Now, with the encouragement of Justin, he was beginning to recognize and accept his feelings.  

He'd been sober for about 10 weeks and during that short time, he'd discovered that he had no idea who he really was or what he wanted out of life.  He was almost 40 years old but had no idea what he liked to do in his spare time, nor did he really know what constituted true friendship.  It wasn't until he'd been sober and attending meetings that he'd come to realize that he wanted more out of life than thinking about where he could get his next drink or blow job.  He'd always enjoyed his time with Gus, but if he were honest, he always subconsciously counted down the hours until he could return him to his mothers so he could "get on with his evening."  

As he told Justin, attending a meeting always got the hamsters running amok in his head and while tonight's meeting was untraditional, it still had the same result.  Without the alcohol and the perpetual thoughts about where he was going to get his next drink, he had to really think about what he wanted to do.  He was beginning to form a small picture of things he enjoyed, but 20+ years of drinking and hiding his feelings as well as a failure to develop any personal goals beyond financial success had taken their toll.  

He placed the "Big Book" back on the coffee table where Justin had left it.  Thinking about the questions Gus had about his drinking; he wondered if Gus would gain insight after reading some of the stories.  He realized that he really didn't want to push Gus in that direction.  It was enough to answer his questions.  As Gus had so eloquently put it this evening, "I didn't spend that much time with you, so I didn't know that alcohol was an issue."  Gus had been the reason for his sobriety, and he would be forever grateful for his relationship with his son.  He looked forward to forging a deeper bond with him.  Now that he had begun to recognize his feelings and stopped hiding them in his glass of Jim, he hoped they would help each other grow.  

For now, he'd had enough contemplation for the evening.  He thought about the visit to the art museum and realized that he'd never been there.  Of course, he'd not been to many of Pittsburgh's museums.  However, his friendship with Lindsay and her passion for art made him wonder why she had never tried to drag him to some art exhibit.  She would be shocked to know that he was voluntarily going to the Carnegie Museum.  If he was honest with himself, and he was trying to do that more and more, he was looking forward to seeing the museum through Justin's eyes. Justin was quickly becoming a friend and he liked that idea.  He decided to move the "Big Book'' to the bookshelf instead of leaving it out for Gus to see. If Gus sought it out on his own, that would be fine, but he did not want to leave it out in an unspoken invitation that he should pick it up and read it.

He checked the door alarm, shut off the lights, and readied himself for bed.  As he closed his eyes, he saw Justin smiling at him as he entered the lift.  Gus smiled at him and occasionally Lindsay smiled at him, especially when he gave her a large sum of money for something Gus needed, but the smile of a friend was new, and he found it made him happy.  

In the morning, Gus and Brian dressed and decided they would head to the diner for breakfast.  While Brian found he could follow a recipe, he really did not have a fully stocked kitchen to cook more than a specific meal that they had planned.  It was after 9:30 when they arrived and seeing Debbie working reminded Brian he needed to talk to her about Gus' exchange.  

Debbie came over to their table. "What'll be boys?" She said as she got out her tablet and pen. 

"I'll have pancakes and a glass of chocolate milk," Gus said.

"I'll have an egg-white omelet with cheese and mushrooms, coffee, and wheat toast without any butter," Brian said.

Gus and Brian waited for their food and discussed their upcoming visit to the museum. 

"Do you think I'll like the museum?  It's just a bunch of pictures," Gus said, the hesitancy in his voice asking for reassurance from his father.

"I honestly don't know, but I trust Justin.  Sure, he's an artist, but if he thought you would be bored, he probably wouldn't have suggested it.  I can't see him offering to go with us if he didn't think you'd like it."

"He's not like other adults.  You know, he asks me questions and shows me stuff.  Mom's friends only talk to me about school."

"I guess we both got lucky when he volunteered to be my sponsor.  I've learned so much from him," Brian said. He thought about last night, sitting in his living room as he contemplated the huge changes in his life.  Not only was he sober, but Justin had been instrumental in helping him explore himself and his feelings.   

They continued talking once Deb brought their food. Gus asked, "Do you think it's hard to make pancakes?  I bet we could make some great ones?"

"I don't see how it would be hard.  They bring them out to the table quickly, so there must not be a lot to cooking them.  Maybe, next weekend we can try making those."

Gus said, "That would be fun.  I wonder what other things we can practice making."  

When Deb brought the check, she laid it on the table, starting to walk away.

Brian called to her, "Deb, come sit for a minute."

Deb was anxious to talk to Brian about his sobriety but was surprised that he was choosing the diner to do so.  While the diner was empty at this time on a Sunday morning, the gay grapevine was always listening for tidbits about its residents.  

Deb sat down next to Gus.  

"I won't be coming to dinner tonight, but I'll drop off Gus a little early," Brian said, hoping she wouldn't question why he wasn't coming to dinner, but knew that was highly unlikely. They were sitting in the back of the diner, and Brian kept his voice low, hoping to avoid the gay grapevine sharing this private information. 

"What's so important that you can't come to Sunday dinner?  It's only a few hours. Surely, whatever you have planned can wait while you spend time with your family," Debbie said, appearing very irritated at Brian.  She was as transparent as glass when it came to her opinions. 

"You have Gus' mothers to thank for my absence. They served me with a restraining order," Brian said.  He picked up his cup of coffee, taking a sip.  His voice was neutral as if he were speaking about the weather.

"What the hell!!," Deb said.  "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.  What caused them to do that?"  Her mouth opened wide to continue her diatribe, but then looked over, seeing Gus, and didn't continue.  

He hoped no one was really paying attention to Debbie, despite her loud voice. Brian didn't want to listen to a litany of Deb's opinions, therefore he continued speaking before she could rally any more questions.   

"Seems that Mel and Linds aren't very fond of the fact that I'm sober.  They've decided that I'm not safe to be with my son, so this was their solution," Brian said, choosing not to go into all the details of the discussion between him and Lindsay.

Deb listened to Brian, calming down immediately when she heard his reasons for skipping the meal. She immediately decided she would be giving her opinion to the women when they came to her home later that day.  "I'm proud of you, Brian.  Getting sober is a big decision.  How long has it been since you had a drink?"  

"10 weeks."

"10 weeks!! That is an accomplishment.  So why did they suddenly decide you weren't safe to be with Gus?"  Debbie asked, realizing there had to be more to the story than Brian was sharing.

"Deb, not now.  We are going to the Carnegie Art Museum.  I promise I'll stop by and talk to you."

"Why don't you come by after everyone leaves.  They're usually gone by 9:00 and I don't work on Mondays."

"I can be there by 10:00," Brian offered, realizing that it would be that late any day since he attended meetings every night.  

"But why so late?"

"I have a meeting.  Now, Deb, I promise to talk to you later, but Gus and I need to get going.  It will take us at least 45 minutes to get there." Brian didn't want to go into details about his meeting, hoping that Debbie would accept he had something important to do.  He often had work-related meetings in the evening; therefore, he hoped she would just assume it was work-related.  He was ready to tell his immediate family about his sobriety, but he wasn't eager to have the gay grapevine know his business.  If he'd given any thought to the matter, he'd know that the grapevine had noticed his extended absence from his former favorite playground, and the rumors had been flying speculating about the reason.

"Don't get your balls in a twist.  You better stop by tonight, Mr. Kinney.  You owe me a big explanation," Deb said, getting up to take care of her other customers. Before leaving, she leaned down giving Brian and Gus a kiss on their cheeks, leaving the residual lipstick mark.  Brian picked up his napkin to rid himself of the lipstick and Gus did the same.  

Brian left a tip and then they walked to the cash register to pay for their breakfast.  

"Okay, Sonny Boy, it's off to the art museum."

They took Brian's car since he hated not having his own transportation, and they were on a strict timetable making buses and schedules cumbersome.  In addition, he found the time he and Gus spent driving was a great time to talk. They arrived at the Museum, parked the car, and walked to the entrance where Justin was waiting.

"Hope you weren't waiting long?  I had to talk to Deb about dropping Gus off and not attending dinner tonight. She wanted an explanation, but Deb doesn't do short answers.  I had to promise to drop by her place after the meeting tonight," Brian said, feeling Justin needed an explanation.  Brian didn't really think about why he gave Justin the specific details until he finished talking.  Prior to his sobriety, he would never have felt the need to explain himself.  He found that explaining his tardiness to Justin was important.  He wanted to ensure that he knew the reason for their delay.  

"No worries.  I haven't been here long.  Besides, as I said to you guys, I love to ‘people watch'.  I've already taken a dozen or so pictures," Justin said.

Justin turned toward Gus, "Gus, there is so much to see before we even go into the museum, but I'll leave it up to you if you want to explore the grounds first or the museum," Justin asked.

Gus looked around at the people and the grounds, not really seeing anything different than he was used to.  "I guess we'll go inside," he said tentatively.  

"Okay.  Inside it is," Brian said. They walked inside the building and paid the admission price.  "Where to?  You're the tour guide."

Justin loved the museum and as he told Brian and Gus, he could spend days here, and probably had done so.  He'd seen the new exhibit by An- My Le: On Contested Terrain, and thought that would be a good place to start since it was a photography exhibit.  "This way, we'll hit a photography exhibit."  Justin turned toward the wing where the exhibit was located and waved his hand, indicating they should join him.  

Gus followed Justin, practically bouncing with excitement.  As they entered the exhibit Gus looked around, not sure what to expect.  There were photos lining the walls, some were abstracts but many looked like everyday objects.

"This is art?" Gus asked.

"What do you think?" Justin asked.

"I don't know. I always thought art was different.  I don't know, "he said again, unsure of what he was really seeing.  

"Art can be anything.  Let's go look at one of the pictures." They walked toward a picture. 

"What do you see?"

"A little boy," said Gus.

"Tell me about the scene."

"I see a little boy carrying two small buckets on a trail."

"Tell me more.  Look at his clothes."

"He's wearing a heavy jacket," Gus said as he looked at the picture.

"Look at his feet," Justin said.

Gus looked and said, "He's wearing sandals."  

"Now tell me what else you see."

"It looks like he was on some type of trail, but he's by himself. I see an electric pole with wires."

"What else do you see?"

"The trees are bare. If it's winter, why is he wearing sandals?"

"Let's take all the information and put it together.  A little boy walking by himself carrying something in two buckets.  It's winter and he's wearing a bulky jacket but has on sandals and no socks.  He's not too far from a city since there is an electric pole nearby. The picture tells you a lot, doesn't it?"

"He looks sad," Gus said.  "He seems really little to be out on a trail by himself.  I bet he's cold too."

"See how the photographer took the picture in black and white instead of color.  Why do you think he did that?"

"Color makes me happy.  I guess the black and white makes people sad."

"Taking pictures of people and their surroundings can give the viewer a lot of information and can make them feel too.  Remember, we talked about composing the scene is just as important as the picture itself."

"Wow.  Photography can really tell a story even if the person isn't' there," Gus said.   "That is so cool.  Can we see another picture and try this again?  This is fun!"

"Sure," Justin said.

Brian was enjoying seeing the photographs through an artist's eye.  He was beginning to see that Gus' interest in photography could be an interesting hobby for both of them. He looked forward to seeing how he might develop his skills in this arena.  He'd always thought of success in terms of achievement on the playing field or in the business world but was starting to realize there were many forms of success.

The three of them viewed a few more photographs in the exhibit and each time Justin helped Gus ‘see' the picture from the photographer's viewpoint.  They had been there for several hours and Gus informed Brian that he was hungry.  

Brian said, "I guess I didn't realize what time it is.  I'm sure we can find something to eat."  Turning toward Justin, he asked, "What are our options for food?"

"We can get something quick at the cafe or there is a full-service restaurant here too."

"Let's do quick.  I don't think any of us want to spend a lot of time eating," Brian said.  "That okay with you, Gus or do you want to sit down to a nice meal?"

"Quick is good.  I'm hungry but I really want Justin to help me take a few photos," Gus said.  

They ate a quick lunch at the cafe and returned to the galleries.  Justin guided them to several additional places in the museum that housed photographs and Gus appeared to be delighted with each new viewing. 

"Can I try and take some of my own photos?  Would you help, Justin?"

"Sure.  It's a nice day outside. Why don't we leave and see what might be interesting?"

The three of them left and Gus found several options for photographs.  He shot pictures of the fountains in front of the building, took some pictures in shadow and chose to take some pictures of the landscape.  

"Dad, this was so cool.  Can we come again and look at something different?  I think it would be fun to see some of the other exhibits," Gus said as he finished taking pictures.

"I think that can be arranged.  I always thought of art museums as something your mother went to, but they were never something I'd be interested in. I enjoyed our visit, but I'm sure that has a lot to do with our personal guide," Brian said, realizing that without Justin he would have probably thought the place very boring.  He remembered going to an art museum while in college.  It was for some class assignment and he found it extremely boring.  While Lindsay talked frequently about attending the different exhibits in the area and had encouraged him to attend on a few occasions, he had never taken her up on the offer.  He doubted Lindsay would have been as interactive as Justin was.  There was something about Justin that was just easy.  Their interactions were different.  If he had to put a label on it, he would probably say that they were friendly. That didn't seem to convey his feelings, but he was beginning to realize that he enjoyed his company and looked forward to their interactions.  Doing things with Justin was different than doing things with any of his other friends.

Justin said, "I'm glad that you enjoyed it, but I just showed you the exhibits."  

"Gus, I hate to break up the party, but I need to get you to Deb's, and then I have to go to a meeting.  While Justin has been extremely generous with his time this weekend by offering to have a two-person meeting, it's time I returned to a traditional one." Brian smiled at Justin, acknowledging his generosity throughout the weekend.

"Justin, can you come with us next weekend?  Maybe we could take pictures of another place," Gus asked, not checking with Brian before he asked.

While Brian was pleased with the idea of Justin joining them, he didn't want to put him in a difficult place.  "Gus, it's great that Justin has volunteered to teach you about photography, but he has a life.  We can't take up all his free time on the weekends."

"I'd be happy to join you, Gus.  I love teaching people about art.  Besides, I offered to help your dad learn about the city.  We can all do it together," Justin said as he smiled at Brian. He was really enjoying the time he was spending with Brian and helping Gus with his photography was a bonus. 

Brian smiled back, happy that Justin was interested in helping both of them.  "Well, I guess Justin is willing to give up part of his weekends for us.  But right now, we must leave. Gus and I will talk during the week and figure out where we want to go next weekend," Brian said.   

"Great!!  See you next weekend, Justin," Gus said.

"Will you be at the meeting tonight?" Brian said, hoping that Justin was willing to return to their routine.

"Sure.  I'll leave you two for now.  I have a few errands to run and then I'm headed to the meeting.  Later," Justin said as he walked toward the parking lot.

"Later, "Brian said as he watched him walk away. 

"Okay, Gus.  Let's go."

Brian dropped Gus off at Debbie's.  As Gus was getting out of the car, Debbie came out to the curb, knocking on Brian's window, signaling that he should lower it.  

Leaning into the car, she said, "You better be here tonight.  I expect to see you.  You hear me, Brian."

"I said I'd be here, and I will.  Now, let me go.  I have places to be."

She leaned into the car a little further, gave him a kiss, wiped his cheek, attempting to rid him of the lipstick residue, and walked away.  

Brian shook his head, rolled up the window, and drove away.  He had a few hours to kill before he needed to leave for his meeting; therefore, he went home and worked.  When it was time to leave, he saved his work on the computer and drove to the meeting.  

As he drove, he thought about all that had occurred in the last few days.  He experienced so much drama in his life since Thursday.  He'd told both Michael and Lindsay that he was an alcoholic.  While Lindsay chose to believe him, she used the knowledge to retaliate for his decision to discontinue bankrolling her lifestyle.  Michael, on the other hand, did not believe him and continued to harass him, trying to convince him that he was mistaken.  He'd spoken with Emmett and Ted regarding his situation, receiving support for his journey.

And then there was Justin.  Justin had been such a big presence in his life, offering to help without being offered anything in return.  He'd been there when Brian wanted to listen to his messages after telling Michael and Lindsay about his drinking and then he continued to offer his support by coming to his home to have a meeting both Friday and Saturday.  On top of all those things, he'd agreed to accompany him and Gus to the Carnegie Art Museum, providing personal instruction in viewing the art and helping Gus take some preliminary pictures.  Justin had been with him every day for the last 10 weeks.  He'd not consciously thought about his presence in his life but was now realizing how much he appreciated him.  

When Brian arrived at the meeting, he immediately sought out the familiar blonde head, locating him by the coffee table.  Walking up to the table, he watched as Justin fixed himself a cup of the sludge the AA group called coffee.

"You're really drinking that stuff?  I thought you were the coffee connoisseur," Brian said, tongue in cheek.  

Justin smiled and grinned at Brian's statement.  "I am.  I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.  I think I drink it to make me really appreciate the good stuff." 

Brian shook his head in amazement.  "I'll just wait to drink the good stuff.  No telling how many times those grinds have been cooked."

The moderator called the meeting to order.  As always, Brian listened attentively and tried to apply the information to his journey.  Tonight's topic was staying away from the first drink. 

After the meeting was over, they went to the diner around the corner.

After ordering their dinner, Brian said, "Tonight was very interesting.  As I listened to the participants talk about staying away from the first drink, I thought about these last few days.  Actually, I thought about them on the drive over.  It is still amazing to me how whatever topic comes up in meetings, it always seems relevant.  Almost like they have a crystal ball into my life," he grinned at the statement, knowing that it was silly.

"Tell me about it," Justin said, knowing he no longer needed to probe Brian to share his insights as he did in the beginning.

"A lot of shit has gone down in the last few days.  Telling Michael. Telling Lindsay. The restraining order.  Having Gus all weekend.  Moving meetings to my home instead of attending a more traditional one.  Even though I had a lot happening and I thought about having a drink, it was never seriously an option.  A few months ago, I would have reached for a drink if even one of those things happened.  Well, I wouldn't be going to AA if I were drinking, but you know what I mean," Brian said.

"Yeah, I get it.  Prior to your sobriety journey, anything that was different or difficult would result in you having a drink.  You've made a lot of difficult decisions in the last few days, but while you thought briefly about drinking, you never seriously considered that as an option."

"Right.  Does that mean I've got that part down?" Brian asked, hopeful that Justin would agree with his assessment.  

"Sorry to disappoint you, Brian, but it's not that easy.  Unfortunately, you will probably always have to make the conscious decision to not drink.  It will get easier, especially once you have honed your coping mechanisms.  Having alternative ways to handle your feelings will go a long way in teaching you other ways to react."

"Oh well.  I didn't really think your answer would be yes.  I know, the syllabus analogy comes into play here.  I don't get to check a box off and then move on to the next assignment."

The waitress brought their food, meatloaf for Brian and a cheeseburger for Justin.  Brian poured a little ketchup on the plate, although he rarely needed it at this diner.  Justin poured ketchup on his plate so he could dip his French fries in.  The waitress brought more coffee and both men spent a few minutes preparing it to their liking.  Brian was hungry and took a few bites before he continued talking.

"Thanks for all your help this weekend.  I really appreciate your willingness to come to my home for the meetings, and I enjoyed the Carnegie way more than I thought I would.  But really, if you don't want to join us next weekend, it's fine.  Gus shouldn't have asked you."

"Brian, I don't do things I don't want to do.  I was happy to help you have your meetings.  As for the museum and Gus's photography, that is all a bonus for me."

Justin took several large bites of his cheeseburger.  "I know I order cheeseburgers a lot, but I do believe this is one of the best in town."  He drank some coffee and savored its taste as well. Pointing to the mug of coffee, he said, "This is way better than the sludge at the AA meeting." 

After taking another bite of his burger, he said, "I love sharing my art, and to shape the minds of young people is a real treat.  The schools have cut back on so much funding for the arts.  Any time I can help spark an artistic interest just makes my day.  Besides, I promised you I would help you explore our fair city."  

"I would love to sit and talk to you about the meeting, but I promised Deb I would head over there.  While she doesn't work tomorrow, I don't want to show up too late," Brian said as he signaled the waitress for the check.

"No worries.  I'm feeling inspired tonight.  I might go to my studio and do a little painting."

"Where's your studio?"  

"I rent a space in Bloomfield.  It's great.  It's an old brewery and they turned it into artists residences and studios.  So, I live there, but if I get a creative spark at 2:00 in the morning, I go to my studio and work.  All the studios are on a different floor, so it doesn't disturb the other residents." Justin's face lit up as he described his living and working space.  He had been so excited when he'd been called about an opening for an apartment in the building.  He found that being with other artists provided him with a unique situation.  

"Prior to moving there, if I had an inspiration at 2:00 in the morning, I'd either have to drive 20 minutes to my studio or choose to wait until the morning.  The 20-minute drive was a pain because when the muse hit, I needed to paint immediately.  When I would get to the studio, I found that some of the inspiration had dissipated.  It was still there, but not as intense," Justin said, explaining why he loved his living and workspace.

The waitress brought their check, laying it on the table.  Both men were finished with their meal and stood up to walk to the front of the diner to pay.  As they walked, they continued talking.

"I hadn't really thought about inspiration at 2:00 in the morning.  I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me because some of my best campaigns have been made at that time of night.  Creativity doesn't fit into normal business hours," Brian said.  He got out his wallet, took out his credit card, and paid his bill.

Justin handed his bill to the cashier and presented his credit card to pay his bill.  "I've been pretty successful with my art and while I could rent space on my own, this works for me.  Being with other creative people oftentimes pushes my muse."

"Thank you.  Have a good night," the cashier said to the two men.  They walked out to the parking lot toward their cars.

"Aren't you worried about other artists stealing your ideas?  In my field, all the information is so proprietary, and everyone signs non-disclosures when they come to work," Brian asked, curious how living with other artists would work. 

"Not really.  As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Every artist is different.  Having said that, I am close to investigating buying my own place and having space for a studio in my home.  Artists can be really weird," Justin said, admitting that there were some drawbacks to his current arrangement.  Justin stopped in front of Brian's car.  

"I'm looking forward to seeing your work.  I'm sure there will be something that will look great in my very stark home," Brian said.  He realized he was excited to see Justin's work.

Justin reached out to give Brian a hug.  Brian returned the hug, finding the hug a natural thing to do.  

"I'm proud of you.  You've had a lot to deal with these last few days and you did great.  Good luck with Debbie.  Feel free to call me afterward if you need to talk."  Justin wanted to reassure Brian that he was available in case he needed him.

"Thanks.  Hopefully, I won't need to talk, but I appreciate the offer.  Besides, if you are anything like me when the muse hits, you'll be so engrossed, you might not even hear the phone."

Justin laughed.  "I guess you do understand the creative process.  Have a good night, Brian.  You've got this.  I'll see you tomorrow and you can tell me all about your meeting if you want to," Justin said.  "Later." 

Brian opened the car door and got inside.  He watched Justin walk to his car.  He realized he was relieved when Justin explained that his studio was in the same building as his apartment.  While Justin was a grown man and could take care of himself, his mention of going to a studio at 10:00 at night brought up red flags.  He knew the art district was not in the best part of town, and he had been concerned for his safety.  He was somewhat surprised at his apprehension but accepted that Justin was important to him. 

He smiled at his realization but let out a big sigh when he remembered that he was headed to Debbie's to talk.  He wondered how the discussion would go if she'd heard about the ultimatum, he'd given Michael. He decided that speculation about the conversation was useless; therefore, he let his mind wander about the type of painting he thought he'd want for his loft.  Sooner than he realized, he was turning onto Debbie's street.  He pulled up in front of the house, parked his car, and went up to the house.  

He knocked and Debbie yelled for him to come in.  She was watching tv.  She turned it off and motioned for him to come sit with her on the couch.

He joined her, sitting on the opposite end of the old couch.

"Tell me about this restraining order?"

TBC