Justin has been working for Ryder for two weeks.  He knew that he wouldn't have much influence over the work this time around and he was okay with it.  Brian was being very gentlemanly about his being there and Justin didn't know if that was good or bad. 

There was a great deal of water cooler gossip about Brian and some of it was not good.  Everyone seemed to agree that he was a top ad exec, but his people skills left a lot to be desired.  Justin didn't agree, he felt it was those skills that made him the best.

Little by little, he did his best to help translate Brian's image of what the campaigns should be like so that the art department got it. 

Another thing that Justin changed was he didn't call his mother and ask about his dad.  He was aware that there was nothing that could be done for a lost cause.

He also asked Brian if he could join him at the gym.  Surprisingly Brian was agreeable, and Justin learned more about the dynamics of the crazy family he had joined then he had known previously.  He stayed in the background and followed the instructions that Brian gave him on how to use the equipment.

That was how he heard Brian talking about Gus to the gang. 

"Not even six months old, and my kid's already a drama queen."  Justin wasn't sure if Brian was proud or complaining.

"Well at least you know he's yours," Ted quipped as he half-heartedly worked his leg muscles.

"The good news is he's alright," Michael said sitting on a piece of equipment and not doing anything.

"Yeah, because I had to go to the hospital by myself because someone left their cell phone off." Brian got off the abdominal bench where he'd been working his abs.

Justin huffed.  He would have been happy to support Brian, but Brian's reliance on Mikey always got to him at times like that.  But that was Brian and he vowed to overlook it.  That didn't mean he would let Michael hurt Brian.  He did agree that it wasn't right that Melanie had not been allowed to go with Gus to be checked out by a doctor.

"I had to deal with my own crisis.  David's throwing a dinner party, us and two other couples, one of them straight."

"He eats with straight people?"  Brian asked as he did arm curls.

"Ick, you never know where their hands have been!"  Ted played it up.

Emmett, on the other hand, got right to the point, "So, what's the problem?"

"The problem is what do I talk about?"

Justin rolled his eye.  He couldn't help but wonder how Michael stayed friends with Brian, Emmett, and Ted when he had absolutely no social skills.

"What do we talk about?  What we've done," Ted suggested.

Emmett joined in.  "Who we've done, who we want to do."

Laughter rang out, including Justin, and Michael glared at him before asking Brian.  "What's your one-night stand doing here?"

"Working on his physique.  And he's not my one-night stand," Brian tossed back, getting a dazzling smile from Justin.

Michael, of course, shook his head and turned the subject back to the dinner party.  "These people aren't like us.  They're professors and doctors and things."

Insulted Ted reminded Michael.  "We're things.  Ad execs, accountants."

"Couturiers to disco trash," Emmett contributed.   "And students."  Earning him another Sunshine smile.

"The thing is, after two minutes it'll be painfully obvious that I don't fit in, and David'll dump me on the spot."

Justin turned away, though he felt that would have been a better scenario, he knew it wouldn't happen.

"Then we better get busy.  Right, Professor Higgins?"  Ted offered.

"Right, Pickering," Emmett's English accent was spot on. "We'll turn you from a simple flower girl into a lady.

And where was this going to take place?  Brian's loft, of course.  In fact, if memory served him, it didn't help Michael at all.

They introduced Michael to proper table settings and tried to explain the rules of etiquette to him.  Once again Justin had to explain where everything was to Michael because he was having difficulty knowing his salad fork and bread plate from the other dishes.  Justin took pity on him and showed him the correct way to hold his utensils.  He even drew a chart with the place settings clearly labeled.

Once he had that down Ted decided topics of conversation should be next.  Boy, did Michael need help with that? 

"Stay clear of religion because you never know where anybody stands.  Avoid politics like the plague, and, uh you should probably steer clear of the economy as well."  Ted advised.

"Well, so far he should have no trouble.  Mikey's never talked about religion, politics, or the market in his life."  Brian said.

"Well, what do I talk about?"

"Movies are always a safe bet if you want to appear current without sounding controversial," Justin suggested.

"I saw X-Men six times," Michael offered.  Not impressive.

Even Ted wasn't impressed, and he thought Michael could do no wrong.  "Somehow I suspect that won't 'wow' the art crowd."

"Look, you're making too big a deal out of this," Brian countered.  "You show up, you talk, you eat."

It sounds simple.  Right?

"But these are David's best friends, you know.  I want to make a good impression."  Michael whined.

Justin wanted to be a fly on the wall for this party.

"And you will, you just have to remember a few simple rules.  Utensils, outside in.  Don't talk about anything that matters," offered Emmett.

"Matters?"  Michael repeated.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."  Brian held his hand over Michael's mouth.

"Oh, what if I burp?"  Eliza Doolittle wasn't taking this seriously.

"Just cover your mouth with your napkin and say, 'excuse me' to no one in particular."  Justin contributed.

"Just be yourself, you won't have anything to worry about."  Boy, was Brian wrong? 

"I just know somehow, someway, I'm going to fuck up."  Truer words were never spoken. 

While Michael was at his dinner party, Brian and Justin had been invited to the Munchers for tea and cookies.  Justin well remembered what the girls wanted, and he wasn't going to let them get away with it.  They tried their best.  And it looked like they might get their way.  But when push came to shove, he hadn't signed last time and Justin was going to make sure he didn't this time either.  But he was going to have to be a little more devious than last time.

The next day Brian stayed out all night.  Justin had never learned why.  This time when Michael complained about the fool he'd made of himself he decided to complain that Brian had shown up at his door drunk as a skunk after he'd seen his father.  Justin guessed it made Michael feel better about himself.

The next night Brian went over to the girls’ house to sign away his rights to Gus.  Justin did his best to try to talk him into taking him.  He was never so happy when Brian got back to the loft and admitted that he couldn't go through with it.  Brian still had his rights to Gus.