Brian got out of the car, parking it close to the building.  He had reviewed the conversation with Michael at least three times on his drive to his AA meeting, but could not see any changes he would have made.  Entering into the building, he spotted the familiar blond head of Justin at the coffee table.  

He walked over to the table, grabbed a styrofoam cup from the small stack in the left-hand corner, and twirled it in his hand.  He moved it from hand to hand several times and Justin caught the movement in his peripheral vision.  Justin finished the conversation he was having with another participant and then walked over to the side of the table where Brian was starting to break off little pieces of the styrofoam cup.

"I'm glad the cups are so easily destroyed.  I'd hate to see you break off pieces of something important,"  Justin said, trying to make light of Brian's obvious discomfort.  "Did something happen when you dropped off Gus today?"

Brian smiled at Justin's attempt to deflect his bad mood.  He didn't relish talking in front of the members of the group.  "You could say that.  I talked to Michael."

From Brian's obvious agitation, Justin deduced that the conversation did not go well.  "We could skip the meeting and go to the diner if you want,"  Justin said, suggesting some privacy for Brian's conversation might be desired.

"I don't know if that is a good idea.  I'm not tempted to drink if that is what you're worried about, but I think listening to some wisdom about coping might be useful,"  Brian said, stating out loud what he was currently struggling with.

"Let's stay.  We can go to dinner after the meeting and I don't have anything pressing in the morning, so I'm yours as long as you need me,"  Justin said and walked toward the circle where the members were gathering.  Brian nodded in agreement and followed him to the circle of metal chairs.

"Good evening, everyone.  My name is Silas and welcome to the 513 club meeting.  For those of you who are new, there is a first-time meeting down the hall, but everyone is welcome to stay here and join us."

"Hi Silas," said a chorus of the members at the meeting.

"Tonight we are going to talk about honesty.  I want to talk about honesty by discussing the opposite of honesty, dishonesty.  When we are in recovery, we learn that being honest about ourselves, our faults and our triumphs is critical to success.  Everyone here would agree that honesty is the key to being sober.  But honesty is not just admitting that we have a problem with drinking that we could not control.  Honesty is also admitting that we didn't assert our boundaries.  We didn't speak up for the person we saw being injured.  We didn't always speak the truth because we didn't want to rock the boat.  We didn't break off an unhealthy relationship because it suited us.  All of these things are areas where we were dishonest with ourselves."  

"I'm Alexis."

A chorus of "hi, Alexis " was heard in the room.  "So, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that not taking control of our lives is being dishonest?"

"Yes," Silas said.  "The sobriety journey is one where you have to take responsibility for your life and your actions.  Without responsibility, you are being dishonest with yourself."

"I'm Tiffany,"  said the petite woman sitting next to Brian.  She was dressed in a blue T-shirt and ripped jeans.  

A chorus of "Hi, Tiffany"  was heard in the small circle.  "I used to tell myself that I was fine, even though that was far from the truth.  I would drink to soothe my soul.  My parents and I didn't get along because they didn't like the people I hung around.  Ironic- because they were right.  I hung around people who were drinking, just like me.  I thought they were my friends, but it turned out they were hurting just like me."  She looked around the room, seeing at least a handful of people nodding their heads in agreement.  "When I talk in group, I know that the people sitting around me, truly do care and are being honest."

"Admitting when we are hurting and that things aren't wonderful is a key component of recovery.  We have to acknowledge our feelings and address them, not hide them in a bottle,"  Silas responded.

"I think it all goes back to accepting who we are and realizing that we are human, having faults as well as merits," Brian said.  He'd had a hard time contributing to the meetings earlier, but found as he gained more confidence in his abilities and learned more about himself, he found he wanted to share his thoughts.

"Right," Tiffany said.  "One day, I passed out in a liquor store.  The ambulance was called and I was taken to the hospital.  When the docs looked me over, they basically told me it was due to my drinking.  That little incident cost me some bucks but probably saved my life.  I wasn't fine and if I wanted to be fine, I needed to change."

There was a round of light clapping when Tiffany finished her story.  She smiled at the members in the meeting and said, "Today, I am fine." 

"I wanted to blame my drinking on my father because he kicked me out, but really I was the one who started drinking.  I had to be honest with myself and not blame others for my problems," Justin said, sharing a little of his personal story with the group.

"Right.  You felt ashamed that he kicked you out and in response, turned toward the bottle for solace," Silas said.

Justin nodded his head in agreement.  Even though he'd been sober almost 18 months at this point in time, he still gained a lot from attending meetings.  He was not lying when he told Brian that it was not a sacrifice to attend daily meetings with him.  He often came away with new insights and appreciation for his life.  "I did feel ashamed of his rejection.  And then I felt ashamed for drinking to hide from my problems.  Eventually, I accepted that I can't be ashamed of his behavior and I needed to take responsibility for my actions.  Stopping drinking has helped me reach my dreams and goals.  I had to learn to be honest about myself and my relationships."

"Thank you for sharing, everyone.  Our time is up.  As usual coffee is in the back and donations are always appreciated.  Stay safe and stay sober," Silas said, as he pointed to the back coffee station.

Several members got up and walked to the back, but Brian and Justin waited to stand, knowing they were not going to drink any coffee.

"I bought a few items to cook a quick dinner.  If you're interested we could head to my place and cook dinner while we talk about the meeting,"  Justin said.  He'd taken his offer of teaching Brian to cook to heart and purchased ingredients for 3-4 meals.  

"Oh," Brian said.  " I guess that would be okay.  I know we talked about it, but I didn't think you'd have gone shopping so soon."  Brian thought that learning to cook with Justin might be interesting.  If anyone else had offered that opportunity, he thought he would have turned them down, without a thought.  He was pleased that Justin had followed through on his earlier offer.  It was a welcome surprise.  

Justin got out his phone and texted his address to Brian. "My place is about 15 minutes from here.  I don't have a fancy buzzer system like you, but remember it is an artist residence and you never know what my neighbors will be up to," he grinned as he thought of the woman who just moved in and frequently blared opera music.  Luckily, she listened in her home rather than her studio. Justin found that headphones mostly drowned out the noise.  He thought it would be very distracting if she did it in her studio.  He was glad that the owners had taken extra care to provide excellent soundproofing to the units as well as the studios.     

Brian took his phone out of his pocket and googled the address.  "I'll meet you there."  

They walked out of the meeting and went to their cars.  As Brian drove to Justin's home he thought about the meeting and his meeting with Michael.  As frequently happened, he was amazed how the topic of the day mirrored the things he was experiencing in his life.  His thoughts turned to Justin and his invitation for them to cook together.  He'd stopped going to Debbie's when he started having Gus for the whole weekend and after his discussion with Michael this afternoon, he wasn't sure when or if he would ever resume his visits.  He only went to Mel and Lind's to pick up Gus or if they had a gathering that involved him.  He couldn't remember going to anyone's home.  It was a strange event, but one he was oddly comfortable with.  

As Brian pulled up to the building, he parked his car in the visitor section of the adjacent lot.  The building was nondescript and if he didn't know that it was basically an artist commune, he would never have guessed its true purpose.  He felt oddly calm about entering Justin's home and didn't question his feelings, going with his gut.

Brian walked into the lobby, admiring the mural on the wall and the ornate lighting fixture hanging from the ceiling.  He decided it was a chandelier, but it was made of metal or some other lightweight material, rather than glass.  Even the elevator was painted, providing a unique canvas for the artist's abstract work.  He wondered if the art changed, like in a gallery, and thought he would ask Justin.  Looking at the artwork, he didn't recognize Justin's signature on any of it.  Taking the elevator to the 3rd floor, he walked down the hallway until he located Justin's apartment.  He knocked on the door and it was opened immediately.

"I see you found the place,"  Justin said as he waved his arm welcoming Brian into his home.  "It's small, but it serves me well."

Brian glanced at the apartment, noticing the paintings on the wall with the now-familiar JT signature line.  Justin's kitchen was similar in size to his own, but he saw the counter was filled with several bowls, measuring spoons and cups, and a few spice jars.  He knew Emmett had purchased many items for his kitchen and when the four of them cleaned up after Saturday night dinner, he had seen many of these items.  However, they were put away after dinner and he did not take them out during the week, preferring to eat dinner with Justin at the various diners they frequented after their meetings.  

"Were you planning this little dinner cooking lesson all day?  I know you couldn't have gotten here more than a few minutes before me,"  Brian said, as he motioned his hand toward the kitchen.  

"Guilty as charged.  After Gus mentioned the dinner party and we talked about me teaching you to cook, I thought it would be a fun thing for us to do.  Unlike you, I already had all the cooking utensils in my kitchen.  I put them all out before I left for the meeting, hoping you would agree to dinner."  Justin walked toward the kitchen, taking out the chicken from the fridge, and placed it on a dinner plate that he had left on the counter.

He turned on the kitchen sink and washed his hands. " When you are cooking chicken, you have to be careful not to touch any other surface until you have washed it and your hands.  Chicken can cause some nasty gastro problems if not handled correctly."  He finished washing his hands and then dried them with a paper towel.

Brian didn't comment, just turned on the water and washed his hands as well.  He found Justin's PSA's endearing.  Sometimes they were annoying, but he realized that this was one way that Justin showed he cared.  He was frequently quoting some facts regarding health and exercise.  Since Brian considered himself an avid fan of both exercise and eating right, he did not mind Justin's habit.  

"I have all my favorite recipes in plastic sleeves. That way, if something drips on them when I'm cooking, I can just wipe it down and the recipe stays intact.  I took out my recipe for honey mustard chicken.  It takes only an hour from start to finish and it needs only one pan.

‘Sounds good.  We could make it and talk as it cooks.  I always think of cooking a meal as taking a long time, much longer than I want to spend.  But doing something else while it cooks works for me,"  Brian said as he watched Justin get out the skillet.

"First we whisk the honey and mustard sauce,"  Justin said pointing to the honey and the Dijon mustard.  "It's really important to use fresh ingredients, but honey is honey.  The Dijon mustard is key as it has a particular taste."  Justin looked at the recipe and saw it needed ½ cup each of Dijon and honey.  He measured each out and poured them into the bowl.  "We add salt, apple cider vinegar, and paprika.  Now you take this whisk and mix them together,"  he said, handing Brian the whisk.  

Brian did as he was told, mixing the ingredients together until they were well mixed.  

"Next we season the chicken with salt and pepper and then braise the chicken."

"What the hell is braising?"  Brian asked, not sure that this was so super easy as Justin claimed.

"Oh.  That means just putting the meat or chicken into a pan and searing it for like 3 minutes.  It seals the spices into the item and starts the cooking process,"  Justin explained as he seared the chicken in the pan.  "Now we take the chicken out and put it on this plate.  "Next we take the potatoes and put them in the pan with the rosemary and olive oil and put them in the oven.  They'll cook for 30 minutes so we can have time to talk."

"Isn't it bad to leave the chicken out?"

"Not really, but we can put it in the fridge if you would feel better,"  Justin said, not bothered by the chicken being on the counter, but understanding Brian's question, especially after his little PSA in the beginning.

"Whatever,  You are the cook,"  Brian said.

Justin placed the chicken in the fridge. "Now we set the time for 30 minutes and let the potatoes cook."  He grabbed a water and gave one to Brian as well.  "I forgot to start the coffee.  I can make some to go with our dinner,"  he said, offering to start the pot that was already ready to brew in the coffee maker  

"Coffee would be good," Brian said, accepting the bottled water from Justin.  

"Let's go sit on the couch.  I'm interested to hear how your talk with Michael went.  From your reaction this evening, I think it was not good."  Justin said as he moved to the living room, pointing to the couch for Brian to have a seat.

Brian untwisted his bottle cap, taking a long drink of water.  "Thanks for the cooking lesson.  My interpretation of easy is a little different than yours and Emmett's.  Not only do you have to follow the recipe, but you need to know all the terms."

"Cooking really isn't hard and can be fun.  I love to experiment with spices and flavors.  I have every confidence that you can master this if you want to," Justin said as he inhaled the aroma that was already emanating from the kitchen.

"When I dropped off Gus tonight, Michael was getting out of his car and walked toward my car.  I wasn't planning on talking to him, but fate has its own ideas.  Anyway, I invited him for a walk, not wanting to stand outside Debbie's house, giving everyone a front seat to our discussion."  Brian took a drink from his water bottle and twirled the bottle in his hand.  "I told him I was sorry that I used him to enable me to drink.  His response was that he would do it anytime.  When I explained that I wouldn't need him to do it ever again, he didn't accept that answer and I turned and walked away."  Brian stopped and sat very quietly, reliving the conversation in his head.  

"Tonight's discussion about honesty was so appropriate.  I've told myself so many times that it was perfectly fine when I allowed Michael to take responsibility to get me home when I was drunk.  It was perfectly fine that no one in my family had a relationship with me except when they needed something from me.  I told myself I was in control of my drinking, even though it is obvious to me now that my drinking was just an escape to not feel the rejection and isolation that I felt.  I was living the life that everyone thought I should live, not the life I wanted."

"I find that oftentimes the meetings resonate with me based on what is going on in my life.  No matter what the topic, I can connect it to my journey.  I'm pleased that you are experiencing the same thing,"  Justin said.  He was proud of Brian.  "I can see how much you are thinking and changing.  Two months ago, you were recognizing that you wanted to figure out your life and what it will look like.  Now, you have Gus every weekend and have started on your self-reflection journey.  You are recognizing the untruths that you have allowed yourself to perpetuate in order to survive."

Brian laughed at the statement.  "You sound like a guru.  You recognize the untruths..." he said in a bold voice.  "But really, yeah....  I'm beginning to accept the lies I told myself were ones that I made up to survive all my pain.  I can't quite check that off my personal syllabus, but I would mark my report card as emerging skills."  Brian said, using the classroom analogy that they frequently joked about.  "Basically I fucked up my life by hiding in a bottle and allowing others to be responsible for my drinking.  Now, I know that my life is my life and I'm responsible for my happiness or my failure."

The timer dinged before Justin could respond.  "Come help me in the kitchen."  Brian got up and joined Justin in the kitchen.  Justin took the pan out of the oven and took the chicken out of the fridge.  Placing each piece in the pan and adding the green beans. "Now we let it cook for about 15 minutes, take it out and spoon the juices over the whole thing and let it cook another 15 minutes or so.  Easy, peasy."  Justin placed the chicken back in the oven and set the timer for another 15 minutes.

  "It does smell good. I didn't know potatoes came in such a small size,"  Brian commented.

"They're called fingerlings because they are the size of a finger," Justin said, explaining the origin of their name.  "You actually have a bunch of types of potatoes. Baby potatoes, fingerlings, Russet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, Red potatoes are just a few varieties."

"And you expect that I'm going to pick out the right kind of potato?  Jeez, you have a lot of faith in my cooking ability," Brian said, tongue in cheek.  "Maybe, I'll just let you do the shopping."

"Or we could do it together. It would be fun to teach you about the different kinds of foods and spices,"  Justin said thinking about taking Brian to a farmer's market to shop.  

The timer went off again and Justin walked to the kitchen, Brian just behind him.  Justin pulled out the pan and placed it on the stovetop. He took a spoon and said, "See all these juices," pointing to the liquid in the pan. "I'm going to take several scoops of the juices and pour it over the chicken and vegetables. This gives them some additional moisture and allows the final cooking to occur with more flavor."  He spooned liquid over each chicken breast until it was wet and then repeated the action over the green beans.  "Now, we'll pop it back in the oven for 15 minutes, use the meat thermometer to make sure it's cooked, and then dinner will be ready.

"Sounds good.  I can't believe how fast we cooked the meal.  I guess you and Emmett are right; cooking doesn't have to take a long time,"  Brian said as he heard the faint growl of his stomach.  

Justin got out the plates and told Brian where the silverware and glasses were located.  Together they set the table and sat down in the kitchen to wait for the timer to go off.  "This is the perfect meal as it has everything in one pot, protein, starch, and veggies. No need to add a salad or dirty another pot to make some veggies," Justin said, extolling the virtues of the dish.

"You've planned well. Everything can't be this easy; otherwise, restaurants would be out of business,' Brian remarked.  He doubted that there were any cooking skills needed to work in the Liberty Diner and while the food at some of the diners they frequented was good, it probably didn't have the extra spices or steps to make.  

"Easy is in the eyes of the beholder.  A tailor thinks that alterations are easy, but someone who doesn't sew would not agree," Justin said, giving Brian an example of other skilled trades.  "Painting comes naturally to me, but some would say that it is a skill that can't be taught."

"Okay.  You got me there.  I was admiring the artwork in the lobby.  Just curious, do the artists who live here get to showcase their work on a rotating basis, like a gallery?"  Brian asked, Justin's comment reminding him that he wanted to ask Justin about the displays.  

"Sort of.  There is a lottery held every 6 months and the winner gets to display something in the lobby.  Luckily, most of the artist's work is something I enjoy viewing.  It's not like a juried show where the artist's work has to be pre-approved before displaying,"  Justin explained, assuming Brian was knowledgeable enough about art to know about juried shows.

"Have you had any of your art displayed?" Brian asked, hoping that Justin had some of his work showcased.  Brian thought he was very talented and was somewhat surprised by his thoughts that he wanted that recognition for his friend.

The timer dinged again and Justin walked to the kitchen.  "Let's check the chicken."  He pulled out his thermometer from the drawer and placed it on the counter.  He took the chicken out of the oven and placed it on the stove.  "I need to place the thermometer in the meaty part of the chicken breast so I can be sure that it is thoroughly cooked.  Believe me, you do not want food poisoning from undercooked chicken.  It is not pretty."  Justin demonstrated putting the thermometer into the chicken breast and took it out, reading the temperature.  "Yep, it is 170 degrees.  It has to be at least 165."

Brian watched and placed a mental note in his brain to check and see if Emmett had bought a thermometer for his kitchen.  Justin seemed to believe that it was imperative that you check the chicken or meat to verify its readiness to eat.  He couldn't believe that Emmett would not have purchased this key component for his kitchen.  

Justin left the chicken on the stove and returned to the table, picking up his plate.  Brian followed suit.  

"It smells delicious.  Hopefully, when Gus and I cook next weekend, it will come out this good."  Brian placed a chicken breast, some green beans, and a few fingerlings potatoes on his plate, carrying it back to his seat in the dining area.

Justin did the same.  He made sure that the oven was off and then joined Brian at the table.  He cut a small piece of chicken and placed it in his mouth.

After Justin had taken the first bite, Brian did the same.

"Well?  How do you like it?"  Justin asked, curious and anxious about Brian's opinion.  

"It's not diner food for sure.  I like it."  He cut another piece of chicken and ate it as well.  "Now, for the green beans and potatoes.  I'm sure they will be just as good."  He stabbed a few green beans and took a small portion of potatoes, eating them together.  "Very good as well.  I think I will like coming here for dinner.  It is a little more private and the food is definitely better than diner food,"  Brian said as he prepared another bite of his chicken breast.   

"I'm glad that you like it.  I bought enough chicken breasts for at least 2 meals.  I typically cook a few things and then alternate them during the week.  This way I don't have to cook every day."

"Tomorrow, we'll have dinner ready-made."  Brian lifted up in his seat and took out his wallet.  Let me give you some money for the food.  If we are going to be cooking instead of going to the diner, I need to pay too."

"Okay,"  Justin said, as he realized that cooking for two would cost more; however, since he'd been eating out once a day with Brian, cooking would be much cheaper.  "Cooking is cheaper than eating out and I'll be saving money."

"I'm sure it is cheaper, but you do not need to treat me to dinner every day.  I always pay my share," Brian said as he drank a little water.  "It's such a change to have someone offer to do something for me without wanting anything in exchange.  I like our friendship."  Brian smiled and realized that this was the first time he actually told Justin that he thought of him as more than a sponsor.  

"I like doing things for you, Brian.  I consider you a friend, not just a person I sponsor."

"We were talking about honesty tonight.  Maintaining my friendship with Michael was being dishonest to me.  I knew that I was using him for my own needs and that our friendship was more to my advantage than his.  When I look at our friendship, I realize it is different.  You've offered to help me learn about the city and now you are teaching me how to cook.  I don't want to take advantage of another person and I feel that I'm doing all the taking and none of the giving,"  Brian said as he expressed his concerns and thoughts to Justin.   He didn't want to jump into a new friendship where he was the one getting all the good and the other person was being used.  

"You're concerned that you are using me for your own needs and you don't want to do that?"  Justin asked, making sure he understood Brian's statements.

"Yes.  Talking to Michael was difficult for a lot of reasons.  My attempt at making amends was met with denial that I did anything wrong.  That was hard to accept after all the work I've done to think about my sobriety.  Michael just threw my apology and attempts at amends away, as if they were a piece of trash.  He denied my words held any merit."

"It was hard for you to have Michael reject your work," Justin summarized.

"It was hard, but it was also somewhat expected.  Michael has always thought of himself and how everything revolves around him.  My attempt at making amends didn't fit into his world as I needed taking care of, so he rejected it."  Brian had stopped eating, deciding to concentrate on the conversation.  He hadn't realized that Michael's rejection was still on his mind.  

"And now you are worried about you taking advantage of my friendship.  You don't want it to be another situation like Michael?"  Justin said, trying to make sure he understood Brian's concerns.  He was pleased that Brian decided to bring Michael's conversation up as he didn't think Brian had really worked through the event.

Brian listened to Justin's words and thoughts and mulled them over for a few moments before answering.  "Yes.  You are the first friend that I've had in a long time that just offers me things without wanting anything in return.  I keep thinking there is some ulterior motive and I don't want to be blindsided.  I have to think that I've learned something in the last 5 months and at least understand what it means to have a true friendship."  Brian knew he had spoken similar thoughts to Justin in the past.  He had expressed his surprise that Justin didn't want anything from him but just wanted to help him on his sobriety journey.  As their friendship deepened, he just wanted to make sure that he wasn't slipping into a familiar practice of expecting his friends to do things for him in return for a favor down the road.

Justin wanted to reassure Brian, but was struggling with his thoughts.  Justin realized that he liked Brian and he was becoming more interested in moving his friendship into something more.  But he also knew that he couldn't and shouldn't say those words to Brian at this time.  He was still too vulnerable.  He wanted to be honest about his feelings, but he also knew there was a time and place for that discussion, and this was not either.  He needed to be very careful with his words and actions.  He could not afford to spook Brian.  Brian trusted him and he had come so far.  It had been 5 months since Brian had a drink and he was so proud of him.  He didn't want to stop being his sponsor either.  He knew he was a hypocrite but for now, he could hold his feelings in check and just be Brian's friend.  Hopefully, in another month or two, he could share his true thoughts and feelings with Brian without causing harm.  He knew he was on a slippery slope, but felt he could handle it.  He was sure that this was not the first time a sponsor and sponsee started a relationship, but he knew he didn't want to jeopardize either relationship; his sponsorship or a future relationship, by pushing Brian too fast.  

"We've talked about this a few times, Brian.  Friends do things for each other.  This is not a business relationship with a quid pro quo.  Look at Emmett, he is coming over every week to watch Gus and teach him how to cook so you can attend a meeting.  He doesn't expect anything from you.  I have spent the last few months with you and Gus, learning about the city.  My reward is that I get to help you grow as a person, learn what you like to do, and as an added benefit, I get to have companionship as I visit some of the cool things in our city.  You once told me that you don't do anything you don't want to do.  Let me decide what I want to do.  I want to spend time with you and with Gus.  It makes me happy.  Time is my own reward,"  Justin said, hoping that Brian would accept his explanation and he would not push on his concerns about abusing Justin's friendship.  Justin wasn't going to tell him that each time they spent exploring the city, he cherished the memory and took it out to savor several times during the following weeks.  He had now convinced Brian to share his job of cooking and he hoped to make many new memories from those experiences.  

"I guess you are different from Michael.  You have your own life with your own goals and dreams.  You aren't trying to live vicariously through me.  I will just have to get used to the idea that you enjoy my company," Brian said, a little tongue in cheek.  He opened his wallet and took out two 20 dollar bills. "That should cover meals for a few weeks.  Maybe I'll take the money I'm saving on eating at the diner and buy another family membership for us to enjoy another museum in the city.  I'm sure Gus would love the idea of being able to return a second or third time to another place on our list."

Justin picked up the money and said, "Thanks. That sounds like fun.  Hanging out with you guys has become a highlight of my week."  Justin pulled out his wallet and placed the money inside.  "I need to put the chicken in a container.  It should be cool enough now.  Justin excused himself and put away the leftovers.  

Brian was finished with his meal and Justin's plate was empty as well.  He picked up the dirty plates and brought them into the kitchen.  

"There's only one pot so it won't take but a minute to wash.  Open the dishwasher and just put the dirty plates in there."

Justin turned on the warm water and washed the brassiere.  He took a clean cloth and washed the counters and then washed the table as well.  "It's important to wash down all areas that food touches.  It keeps down the possibility for disease,"  Justin said, sharing another PSA.  

Brian smiled and chuckled a little.  "Of course, we don't want our cooking lessons derailed by disease."

After Justin was finished cleaning the kitchen he returned to the living room area of his apartment.  

Brian did not sit down, but said, "Thanks for dinner, but I have an early morning meeting and should really get going.  As always thank you for the conversation and your insight into our meeting tonight.  As I watched you clean the kitchen, I thought about Emmett and Ted and our friendship.  Both of them have really stepped up and helped me with no mention of any favors needed or wanted in return.  I guess I underestimated their friendship.  I need to think about friends and how important they truly are.  See you tomorrow night?"

"Of course," Justin said as he got up to walk Brian to the door.  "That's a great thought to end our night.  Just remember, you have a lot to offer, and don't sell yourself short."  Justin leaned over to give Brian a hug and Brian returned the gesture, without thinking.  

"You're a good friend,"  Brian said.  "Later."  He left Justin's apartment, his belly full, his mind relieved and ready to tackle whatever came his way.

TBC

For those interested-  here is the chicken recipe

https://themodernproper.com/one-pan-honey-mustard-chicken-and-vegetables