The next few days followed a familiar pattern; Brian went to work, attended a meeting in the evening, and met Justin for coffee afterward.  Michael had not called, nor had Debbie, and Lindsay was laying low.  Today was Justin's show, and he had informed Brian last night that he would be unavailable during the day due to last minute tasks that he had to complete. 

Since the show started at 7:30, Brian decided he would have time to attend a 5:00 meeting.  Meetings typically lasted an hour, but since Justin and Brian always enjoyed a late dinner and coffee afterward discussing the topic, they took up the majority of Brian's evening. Both men chose to attend meetings that started no later than 7:30; even though there were meetings practically any time of day or night to accommodate people's lives.   By the time they arrived at whatever diner they chose and ordered their food, it was close to 9:00 PM.  They usually spent about an hour eating and discussing their journey, and then Brian would arrive home by 10:30 PM.  Since he was only attending the meeting and not eating a late dinner with Justin, Brian felt confident he could attend the meeting and arrive at the opening with sufficient time to enjoy the artwork.

Driving to the meeting he felt odd knowing he and Justin would not be discussing the information afterward.  While he would be seeing Justin later, he respected Justin's work and didn't want to intrude on his professional obligations.  This made him think of Mikey and Lindsay who never thought twice about interrupting him at work to discuss some issue that could have easily waited until after work hours.  Obviously, they did not respect his work boundaries.  He hoped that when the initial shock of his revelations and decisions involving his addiction died down, maybe both of them would treat him differently, respecting his right to live his life in a way that made him happy rather than the way they thought his life should be led.  He doubted this would happen as they had lived their entire adult lives with him being their rescuer.  Mikey saw him as Batman as a superhero, fighting his battles and providing a safety net for him, while Lindsay saw him in the role as her personal banker, funding her lifestyle, using their son as her excuse for Brian to pay for things she could not afford.  Each of them used Brian to meet their own needs rather than building their friendships based on common interests, shared memories and mutual future goals. 

Justin and he initially started their acquaintance through their mutual desire to find and maintain sobriety.  Brian remembered the first day he walked into the AA meeting and almost turned around and walked back out.  He was forever grateful that he chose to give it a try.  He'd spent more time with Justin in the last few months than he had with anyone except his staff; and it always amazed him that Justin didn't want anything from him. There were no ulterior motives when Justin shared his time and experiences.  He was still thankful that Justin had offered to come to his home and conduct not just one, but two meetings last weekend. Justin volunteered to support him at every turn, from going with him to Babylon so he could dance, to showing him the city and helping him discover what he wanted out of life.  Now, it was his turn to support Justin by attending his opening at a local gallery.  Prior to his sobriety journey, he would have never thought to attend an event like this one.  Lindsay had planned many events for the gallery she worked at, but he never attended.  She would mention one occasionally and offhandedly invite him to attend, but it never occurred to him that he would do so. However, tonight, he was going to Justin's event and was looking forward to it.  He was curious about the type of art he created and hoped that seeing some of his work would give him a little more insight into the man.  Justin never appeared to hold back any information about himself.  It was more that art was an expression of the artist and he wanted to see that side of Justin.  He'd been thinking about the show and hoped there might be a piece that he could buy for his home.  Even if he didn't like the art, he felt it was important to support Justin in his work.  

When he arrived at the AA meeting, he unconsciously looked at the coffee table, trying to pick out the familiar blonde head, but shook his head at his Pavlovian response.  He nodded his head in acknowledgement of a few hellos from members that were regulars.  While he'd chosen to socialize with Justin, he'd recognized quite a few people that attended the meeting.  Since each member always said their name before they spoke in the group, he realized that he had begun to recognize the many faces and names from each meeting he attended. It struck him that there were now a number of people that he was casually connected to that probably knew more about him than his "family".  It was an odd feeling, but one that he didn't dwell on as the leader called the meeting to order. 

During the meeting he paid close attention to the speakers, listening and trying to incorporate their message into his journey.  He was surrounded by other people who were on the same journey as he was.  They were all trying to let go of the hold alcohol had on their lives and figure out who they were and what they wanted out of life. He was part of a special group who shared a huge commonality, their drinking.  Other than hanging out in bars with other gay men, he realized that he didn't have a group of people that had this much in common with himself.  He wondered why he never thought of his meetings in that way.  He didn't want to spend too much mental energy on that thought right now, as he was trying to pay attention to the discussion.  He told the hamsters to stop for the moment and he would think about it later. 

Tonight's discussion was about finding freedom through sobriety.  The speaker talked about moving toward people instead of isolating and hiding in a bottle of booze. He said that the alcoholic frequently isolated himself, trying to protect himself from his emotions.  Once he was sober, he was able to view himself in the world and start interacting with people as well as experiencing life. 

As Brian listened, he thought about attending Justin's opening.  When he had been drinking, his only social life revolved around the bars, Woody's, and picking up tricks.  He hadn't done any of those things since the first week of his sobriety when he picked up a few tricks.  While he missed the conquest, he found that attending meetings, working on his sobriety, and evaluating his personal growth were more fulfilling.  Without alcohol pulling him into the bars, he was free to make a new life and discover what he wanted. He thought about his future, a time when he might only attend a meeting a few times a week, realizing that he could easily incorporate time with Gus on the nights he didn't attend AA.  This was the first time that he could actually visualize a future unencumbered by his desire to drink, and free to expand his relationship with his son. 

After his meeting, he quickly drove home and changed into appropriate attire.  He chose a black blazer with a blue shirt and no tie.  The opening started at 7:30 and went until 10:00. He arrived about 8:00, having stopped for a quick bite to eat since he didn't want his stomach rumbling as he looked at the artwork. He hoped he would be able to talk to Justin to get his take on some of the pieces and how they would look in his home. 

There were about 50 people milling around the gallery.  The gallery had several rooms beyond the main space; therefore, there seemed to be plenty of room to move around and view the pieces.  He saw a table in the back where the drinks were, but no wait staff.  He was glad he and Justin had discussed his options prior to the event.  While they had discussed Brian asking for Sparkling water, it appeared that he would not need to do so.  If he stayed away from the drink area, he would be fine.  He picked up a price sheet from the receptionist and walked toward the main gallery. 

There were several large pieces, some with brilliant colors while others held muted colors.  The paintings were interesting to Brian, even though they were abstract.  He could feel that Justin was telling a story with the painting, despite the shapes being muted. There was a larger painting hanging on the back wall; it was a swirl of colors, blues, beiges and greys which gave him the feeling of being in outer space.  He spent some time viewing it and then moved on to the next room.  He found several smaller pieces that were to his liking as well, but he kept being drawn to the large swirl painting and found himself returning to it.  After the third time returning to the painting, he found a young woman admiring the painting.  He had no desire to experience a repeat of his grocery store incident and started to turn away, but then glanced at her, feeling that he might know her.

Studying her face for a few minutes, he said, "Do you work at the Beroes law firm?  You look very familiar."

"Yes.  I'm Molly.  My brother is the artist," she said, reaching out to shake his hand.  Confidentiality was such a gray area at times.  She thought she had recognized the tall man from his visit to the law firm, but she could not go up and introduce herself.  She remembered him admiring one of Justin's paintings when he was there.

Brian thought back to his visit to the law offices, remembering a particular striking piece of artwork.  He didn't believe in fate, but he found the notion of six degrees of separation easily applied to the situation.  He went to a lawyer to discuss Gus.  Justin's sister worked at the law firm and his artwork hung in their lobby. He admired the artwork.  Justin had a show and now he meets his sister again.

Brian said, "If I remember correctly, there was a piece of art that I admired in your lobby.  Justin painted that as well?"

"Yes, he did.  He's so talented.  I'm proud of how far he's come."  She looked back at the painting that they had both been admiring and said, "It is really exquisite."

Before Brian could answer, Justin spotted Brian talking to Molly and he walked over to greet both of them.

"Molly, so glad you could make it.  I guess those lawyers have to leave their offices some time."  Justin grinned as he gently teased his sister.  Turning toward Brian, he said, "I see you've met my sister.  Have you found anything you like for your place?"

"Actually, Molly works for the law firm that I visited to talk about Gus.  I remember admiring a painting there and asking about the artist.  Molly had said her brother was the artist, but it wasn't until I recognized her that I connected the dots. You didn't say your sister worked at Beroes.  You're holding out on me. What do you think about this piece for the wall by the old bar?" Brian said as he gestured toward the large piece that had drawn him back several times.

Molly's ears perked up as she listened. As the Executive Assistant for Kara, she knew the nature of all her cases and if her memory served her right, this man wanted to protect his access to his son because he thought the boy's mother might try to stop it when she discovered he was attending AA.  She'd seen those kinds of cases frequently.  But what made her more curious was Justin's question about finding artwork for his place. That meant that Justin had been to this man's home.  Justin didn't go to his patron's homes, therefore, why did they talk about Brian's home and its layout.  Justin was gay, but this man had a son. The only reason she could think that Justin would go to another man's home was if they were seeing each other and Justin hadn't mentioned dating anyone. 

Justin looked at his sister, her face scrunched slightly as she tried to make sense of their conversation.  Brian noticed it too.  He remembered Justin telling him that his family knew about his drinking and sobriety, and the comment Molly had made about Justin coming a long way made more sense.  He could see Molly wanted to question both of them about the situation. 

"Justin, can I talk to you for just a minute? I'll be quick." Brian asked.

"Sure"

"We'll be right back," Justin said, wondering what Brian wanted to ask him in private.

"Anonymity and confidentiality are a bitch. She does know about your drinking?"   Brian looked at Justin for confirmation of his question.

"Yeah.  She's been a big support," Justin said.

"I'm fine with telling her how I know you. I guess don't ask, don't tell applies even when I'm not in the military," Brian grinned.

Justin nodded and said, "Your call.  It's not like she doesn't know about your drinking."

They walked back to the painting and Justin said, "Molly. Thanks for coming out.  I have to go mingle.  I'll see you guys later."  Justin leaned over and gave Molly a kiss on the cheek and shook Brian's hand. 

"Would you like to join me in looking at the other artwork?  I was hoping Justin might have a moment to tell me about some of the pieces, but he is rather busy," Brian said.

"Brian, it might not be a good idea since you are a client of the firm.  Propriety is very important to Beroes.  Thank you for the offer," Molly said as she wished that sometimes their rules weren't so strict.

Brian laughed when he realized how his invitation must look.  "Molly, I promise there wouldn't be any concern from Beroes about propriety.  I'm a leading gay businessman in the area.  I promise I'm not seeking a hookup."

"Oh," Molly said, blushing. "Are you dating Justin?  He hadn't mentioned seeing anyone."

Brian laughed again.  "No. He's my sponsor. Confidentiality can be a bitch." Turning toward Molly again, he asked, "Not that I've put your concerns to rest, would you like to join me as we admire your brother's work?"

Molly smiled and Brian saw that it was definitely a familial trait as he had seen that look on Justin's face.  "I'd be honored.  Yes, I agree.  Confidentiality can be a bitch.  It's great that you're here to support Justin."

They walked to the next picture, a medium size painting with streaks of reds, yellows and oranges. 

"I like it, but the colors are a little too bright for my taste.  It looks like a sunset or maybe it is the beginnings of a fire," Brian said.

"Justin never stops reminding me that interpretation is in the eyes of the viewer.  I don't think you'd get him to ever tell you what he sees in any of his paintings," Molly said.

"Ah yes, Justin tells me that artists can be finicky," Brian said as he tilted his head to look at the picture from several angles.  "Still, I think the large painting that we were both admiring would go well in my home.  Maybe he'd be willing to at least tell me that much."

Molly and Brian continued viewing each of the paintings and chatting.  Brian was impressed that he felt such at ease when he was talking to her.  The only women he spoke to on a regular basis were Deb, Lindsay and Cynthia.  Deb always had an agenda and an opinion to share, and Lindsay usually talked about money in relation to what Gus needed.  Of course, Cynthia's conversations were about work-related topics.  Unlike the grocery store incident, this woman was not trying to flirt with him and was just enjoying the exhibit, admiring her brother's success. 

The lights flickered signaling the opening was about to end.  "Thank you for joining me.  While I love to support Justin and his art, sometimes these events can be a little pretentious.  I bet you can't imagine how many people come to these events giving the illusion of supporting the arts but are there only for a quick pick up.  It was refreshing to have someone to speak to who isn't here to score," Molly said.

"Thank you," Brian said.  "I guess I'll go hunt down Justin to thank him for the invite and to pay for the piece.  I decided it would go well in my home and spoke to the receptionist."

"I do love that piece.  I have a few of his smaller pieces, but his success is quickly pricing me out of purchasing his work.  Thank you for coming and I enjoyed your company.  Perhaps, we will meet again."  Molly stuck her hand out and shook Brian's hand.

"My pleasure."  Brian shook Molly's hand and then walked to the reception desk to pay for his painting.

As Brian was finishing his purchase, Justin came up to the desk. "Ah, I see you found something.  Let me guess....  It was the painting Serenity in Space," Justin said, a twinkle in his smile.

Brian looked at the paperwork the receptionist handed him, and it did list the piece as "Serenity in Space".  "Yes.  How'd you know I would choose that one?"

"I saw you go back to it at least five times during the show.  I told you I'm a people watcher."

"You were watching me?  I thought you were busy schmoozing the patrons."

"Watching is a little strong, more like checking on how you were doing.  This was your first solo event," Justin said as he cocked his head to the back area where the liquor was served. 

Brian smiled when he understood Justin's message.  "Thanks.  Molly and I enjoyed looking at the pieces and it actually did not even enter my mind that refreshments were available."

"So, you went to Beroes?  I didn't think to ask you who your lawyer was.  They are very good.  You choose well.  Gus is in good hands with them," Justin said. 

"Yes, I was impressed with Kera's knowledge.  Do you know their lawyers?"

"Not really.  Molly works for Kera, so I've heard a few office tales, but nothing specific.  Their need for confidentiality is pretty high.  People would not want their legal issues public knowledge."

"True.  In general people don't like their dirty laundry hung out to dry.  I understand why AA is anonymous.  But now, you aren't anonymous anymore, at least to me.  Does that get you into some type of trouble?"  Brian asked, a slight fear coursing through his body as he thought about losing Justin's support.

"No.  There are no AA police.  The anonymity was put into place to protect the members.  People would be very leery of sharing if they thought that the information would get back to others.  There are doctors, lawyers, policemen, just about every profession represented in AA.  Would you want to know that your doctor has a history of alcohol addiction?"

"No, I don't think I'd want to know that the doctor performing surgery on me had a problem with alcohol.  I guess I knew that everyone probably had a job, but it just wasn't something I consciously contemplated."  Brian thought for a few moments then said, "Are you regretting asking me to the opening?  I know your full name.  You're not anonymous anymore."

"I'm not sorry.  You knew I was an artist, and I don't have anything to hide from you.  Remember that AA does encourage people to make friends and develop new social connections with people who do not drink.  Many close friendships started from attending AA."  Justin said as he turned toward someone calling his name.

"Go.  You're busy.  Thank you for inviting me.  I enjoyed it." Brian folded the receipt for his painting, placing it in his inside blazer pocket and turned back to the receptionist. 

"The show runs for a month.  After it's over, the gallery will contact you to discuss delivery of the painting," she said.

"Thank you," Brian said as he looked for Justin, hoping to say goodbye, but he appeared deep in thought with another man, so he left to go home.

Brian drove home thinking about the events of the evening.  He'd seen Justin's work, met his sister in a casual setting, and had bought a painting for his home.  He thought about how his life had changed in just a few short months.  He would have never envisioned him spending an evening with a woman at an art gallery and actually enjoying the experience.  He knew part of the enjoyment was the knowledge that she wasn't trying to hit on him, but he thought part of it was that it was Justin's sister.  Since either option could have been at play, he was not going to analyze the situation. 

His biggest first was that he was not tempted by the liquor table in the back.  He knew it was there, but he didn't feel the need to retreat from the event. He was proud of himself and he knew Justin had been watching from a distance, ready to assist him if he found himself by the liquor table.  When he got home, he needed to unwind a little, choosing to read another chapter in the big book before going to bed.

The following day Brian returned to his normal routine of work and attended an AA meeting.  He was happy to see Justin by the proverbial coffee table chatting away as he made a cup of the sludge they called coffee.

"I guess you are really a glutton for punishment if you're willingly drinking that sludge," Brian said as he stepped up to the table.

"Hi.  It has caffeine and I needed the jolt," Justin said as he poured three packets of sugar into his Styrofoam cup.

Brian raised his eyebrows slightly, "Not get much sleep?"

"I was up until 1:00 talking with the gallery owner about the show and then I woke at 6:00 when inspiration hit me.  I attempted to ignore it, but my mind just had to go throw paint on a canvas.  Luckily, I have my phone alarm set to alert me to stop so I can get to my meeting.  Otherwise, you would have been flying solo again tonight," Justin said.  He took a sip of the coffee, grimacing at the stale taste.  "By the way, I didn't get to ask you last night.... How was the meeting?"

Before Brian could answer, the speaker announced that they would be starting in a minute.  Justin and Brian walked to the small group of chairs, choosing two next to each other and sat down.  They paid attention to the meeting, listening to the participants, and Brian added a few comments to the discussion.  When it was over, they drove to the diner and were seated at their regular table.

After ordering their food, Justin took a sip of his coffee and smiled.  "This is way better.  I don't even know if you can call the other stuff coffee.  It's more like coffee flavored sludge."

"I told you I don't know why you drink it.  I would rather be tired than drink that crap," Brian said.

"Enough about coffee.  I'm so glad you met Molly.  Well, actually, I guess you had already met, but you know what I mean.  It seemed like you two spent the whole show together."

Brian laughed.  "I'm not trying to date her.  You make it sound like it was a hook-up. She originally turned me down when I offered to view the artwork with her.  She was afraid that I was trying to hit on her. Evidently, that happens a lot when she goes to your shows."

Justin laughed when he realized how his question sounded.  "I know.  That didn't come out right at all.  Let's try this again.  I wasn't sure if you'd enjoy the opening.  Viewing art hasn't been in your normal repertoire.  I was happy to see you hanging out with Molly and the two of you looking at the artwork.  You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"You still sound like a matchmaker," Brian said, tongue in cheek.  "But, yes, I did enjoy the show and I enjoyed Molly's company.  She was also worried about how it would look to her employer if she were seen with a client.  I assured her that I was a prominent gay businessman, and no one would question my intentions in that area."

Brian took a sip of his coffee and said, "Unlike you, my palette doesn't have to tolerate drinking sludge.  I always go for the good stuff." 

"Fine. Fine.  We will both agree that I do not have the same discriminating taste that some of us enjoy.  Having been a starving artist I didn't always have the luxury of choosing, "Justin said, enjoying the friendly banter.  "Inquiring minds want to know how you liked the show?"

"I was impressed.  I wasn't really sure what to expect.  Molly told me that you never try to interpret your work for people, leaving everyone to see your pieces from their perspective."  Justin nodded, happy to hear that Brian understood his philosophy.

"In my world, we do things the opposite way.  I have to explain to the prospective client what the audience is seeing with my ads.  I don't leave interpretation to chance.  We use focus groups sometimes to fine tune our message, but usually it is left up to the creative team to develop a concept that will convince the public they need this product."

The waitress brought their food, and each man spent several minutes eating before continuing the conversation.

"I think the piece I bought will add some much-needed color to the Loft.  Molly seemed to like that piece as well.  She said she kept being drawn to it."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Thank you for coming," Justin said.

"I would have never thought I'd be attending a gallery opening, much less purchasing a piece, but I'm glad I did.  On the drive back to my place after the show, I thought about the liquor table.   I saw it when I did a quick visual of the space, but I was never really tempted to check it out.  I didn't even have to tell myself to stay away.  I was busy looking at the art and enjoying Molly's company instead of thinking about the liquor on the table."

"I was really pleased to see that you stayed away from the area, but it is great to know that it didn't have any pull over you," Justin said.  He took another bite of his burger.  "You know that food even tastes better now.  I think the alcohol dulled my taste buds."

"I wasn't running to the liquor table trying to escape an unpleasant task.  Even though I wasn't sure I would enjoy the event, I didn't feel the need to fortify myself with liquor."

"I'm proud of you.  That shows a lot of insight on your part.  You are recognizing that you used liquor to avoid events that you were unfamiliar with, but yesterday you accepted your feelings of discomfort and worked through them.  That is huge."

Brian smiled at the compliment, realizing how good it made him feel that Justin was proud of him. He was always proud of himself in his professional life but being proud of his actions in his personal life was still a novelty. 

"How ironic is it that before I became sober, I would celebrate my victories with alcohol and now I'm celebrating that I didn't use alcohol," Brian said.

"It is.  You know that you will need to come up with new ways to celebrate victories as well as disappointments.  Just because you stopped celebrating with alcohol, life doesn't stop providing you with reasons to celebrate or throwing you curveballs that make you want to drown your disappointments."

Brian listened to Justin as he always did, taking in the man's wisdom and experience.  "And here I thought I'd get to check off my first box on the syllabus," Brian said, a laughing smile on his face.  "I know.  There is no syllabus, but don't I get a gold star or something?" he said, half in jest.

"How about a hug?" Justin offered and he stood up, walked around the table and leaned down to give Brian a hug. 

Brian hugged him back.  "You know that before I started my sobriety journey, I never hugged anyone but Gus on a regular basis.  Lindsay usually received an air kiss on her cheek, but hugs were just not my thing.  Now, I'm actually very comfortable when you give me one.  I don't cringe and I kind of like it."

"Good to know that you don't mind my hugs, since I am a hugger.  Human touch is important.  When you are drinking, you are alone, even if you are in a room full of people.  It's always really just you and the drink in front of you for company.  You are so busy trying to drown out the world and your thoughts and feelings that you are oblivious to your surroundings," Justin said as he picked up his coffee cup.  He finished the last of his coffee and waived to the waitress for a refill. 

"Here you are.  A fresh cup. It just finished brewing.  Can I get you anything else tonight?" the waitress said as she poured Justin's coffee.

"Just the check,' he said.  Turning to Brian, he asked, "You want anything else?"

"No, I'm good.  You can bring my check as well."

When the waitress left Brian said, "You felt it too?  I mean I wondered if I...  You drowned your thoughts...."

Brian was struggling with his words and Justin said, "Sure.  Every alcoholic will tell you why they drank was.... Fill in the blank.  They had a bad day at work.  They had an argument with their boss, their child, their friend, their spouse, etc.  They received bad news. They received good news.  The spoken reason was never really the truth.  Every alcoholic drinks to hide. They don't want to face the ups and downs of life, so they drink, making excuses to themselves and everyone else."

"And now that I've been sober for a year, I face my fears and my triumphs, enjoying the highs and lows of life. This past week was a big deal.  You've faced several highs and lows and did not turn to the bottle," Justin said.

"I didn't and I am really happy that while the thought crossed my mind a few times, I quickly dismissed it.  Does it still pop into your head?  I mean, do you still have to make a conscious effort not to drink?"

"I think about it sometimes, but that is always tempered by how good my life is now.  I'm making a living from my art." Justin touched his forefinger of one hand to the opposite hand, lightly touching his other forefinger.  "Two, I have money in the bank." He touched his forefinger to his second finger on the opposite hand. "Three, my thoughts are not constantly filled with trying to figure out where I'm going to get my next drink," he said touching his ring finger.  "Four, my relationship with my mom and sister are better than ever," he said as he touched his pinkie.  "And five, I am helping you be the best person you can be.  I'm working the 12th step."

"I don't think I'm up to five, but I can say that my relationship with my son has grown and I'm looking forward to spending more time with him.  Of course, on the negative side are the relationships with Mikey and Lindsay.  But I think the good outweighs the bad."

Brian picked up his bill, and then laid it back on the table, and pulled out his wallet, extracting money for a tip.  Justin mirrored his actions and the two men walked to the counter to pay for their food.  After paying they walked out to the parking lot and Justin stopped after about five car lengths.

"Here I am.  I'll see you tomorrow.  You have Gus tomorrow night so I assume you'll be attending the noon meeting?"

"Yes.  I have Gus unless his mothers find some way to circumvent that.  I plan on picking him up from school again.  I haven't heard from Keara if there are other options."

Justin pulled out his phone as they were talking and opened his calendar app.  "I don't have plans this weekend.  I could plan on coming over for a meeting Saturday and Sunday evening.  We could make it an extension of our outing with Gus on Saturday.  Did you guys figure out where you want to go?"

Brian had been so busy with work that he'd forgotten that having Gus meant he couldn't attend meetings.  "Shit!   I guess I'm not very adept at juggling this fatherhood thing with my sobriety.  I hate for you to give up your weekend so that I can have a meeting."

"I'm not giving up anything.  I'll have you know that after we spent the weekend together, I had so many ideas for future work that I could paint for a month without struggling.   You and Gus are helping my creativity while I help you guys explore the city.  It's a win/win for everyone."

"I'd like that.  It was a great help to have your expertise at the museum and of course, the meeting would not have happened without you.  Thank you,' said Brian.  It was Brian's turn to reach out to Justin and give him a hug.

"See you tomorrow at noon," Justin said as he opened his car door.

"Tomorrow,' Brian said as he watched Justin drive off in his car.  Brian smiled and walked to his car.  It had been a good week and he was enjoying his budding friendship with Justin.

TBC