Brian slept soundly and when he opened his eyes in the morning, he was surprised to see and feel another person in his bed. His first thought was anger at the trick that managed to finagle his way into Brian's bed and it took a few moments for the events of last night to permeate his sleep-fogged brain. When he turned his head on the pillow, he saw the familiar blond head and inhaled the now familiar scent of Justin as he lay sleeping next to him. He scooted next to Justin, spooning their bodies together as his arms wrapped around the sleeping man. He relaxed, remembering how Justin came to be in his bed.
Brian's cock quickly hardened as it felt the smooth familiar planes of another man in its vicinity and quickly found its way nestled conveniently into Justin's crack. In the past, Brian would have grabbed the lube that he kept by the bedside table, slipped on a condom, and had his way with the man. Well, truth be told, he wasn't really sure what he would have done in the past as he never voluntarily let anyone spend the night. Sex was all good and wonderful, but he never wanted to deal with someone the morning after. He didn't want to deal with a clingy trick who thought Brian's willingness to have the person spend the night meant that he was interested in a repeat performance.
But this wasn't some clingy trick, it was Justin, and he had asked Justin to spend the night. He hadn't hesitated to ask him as it had seemed the most natural thing in the world. He liked waking up and finding Justin in his bed, something that surprised him. Like Justin had teasingly assured him last night, they weren't teenagers since most parents of teenagers wouldn't allow overnight guests of the opposite sex. Maybe Cleo was right and nothing was wrong with his frequent thoughts of Justin.
Looking at the clock, he realized that his alarm would go off in about 5 minutes. Normally, he would have reached over, turned it off, and started his day. But today he closed his eyes, inhaled Justin's now familiar scent, and wrapped his arms around his waist enjoying the sensory smorgasbord. Justin subconsciously scooted toward Brian, trying to get as close as possible, and made an "mmm" sound acknowledging his pleasure.
When the alarm went off, Brian reluctantly shut it off but returned to his previous position holding Justin for a few more moments. While he knew he could be late to the office, he didn't want to be. Cynthia and the rest of the staff had gotten used to him being there early and he didn't want to change that habit.
Then Brian's brain jumped and thoughts of last night flooded his brain. He had almost succumbed to an old habit, hitting Woodys, grabbing a few drinks, and picking up a few tricks last night. His body quickly tightened as he thought of the ramifications of his actions. Mikey... Mikey had seen him. While he hadn't gone in, Mikey had still seen him, and if Mikey was anything, he was predictable. It would be all over Liberty Avenue that he'd shown up at Woody's last night. He wondered how long it would take for Ted and Emmett to hear about it. He braced himself for the inevitable phone calls. He hoped that maybe he'd get lucky and Mikey would be embarrassed that he'd not come inside and blown him off, but he doubted it. Mikey was so self-centered that he'd have to boast that he was right all along and that Brian had not really given up drinking as he'd seen him in the parking lot of Woody's last night.
Justin had woken with the sound of the alarm and inwardly groaned wondering where he was and why there was an alarm interrupting his sleep. He quickly felt Brian's arms around him and the memories of last night came flooding back to him. He had missed Brian a lot and ended up at his loft. Brian had contacted Cleo when his restlessness had gotten the best of him and he'd headed to the diner where they often met. He was relieved that Brian had used one of his strategies to help him with his stress but he was also saddened that he was the cause of the stress. He quickly corrected himself and reminded him of the things he learned in AA. No one was responsible for how someone else felt. Each of us is responsible for how we interpret our actions and other people's actions. We have to teach our brains to ignore negative messages. He felt Brian's body stiffen as it held him and wondered what was going through his mind.
"Brian," he said gently, hoping his soft voice was non-threatening and might calm Brian down.
It worked as he quickly felt Brian's hold on his body lighten up.
"Morning," he said as he turned around to give Brian a kiss.
Brian kissed Justin back. "Morning, but my breath sucks. I must say though, a morning kiss from you is a great way to start the day." Brian caressed Justin's cheek before saying "I'd love to stay and play but I have to get ready for work," and then reluctantly got out of bed. He stood at the side of the bed looking down at Justin and matter of factly said, "I have a feeling Michael will tell anyone who listens about our encounter last night and my phone will be ringing off the hook." He frowned at the thought of the multiple interruptions to his already busy day. He popped up one finger and said, "Now, the question of the day is whether they will chastise me for drinking." He popped up a second finger. "Be supportive thinking that I slipped up." He popped up a third finger. " Or door number three, thinking that nothing happened and that Mikey was exaggerating." He twisted his three fingers back and forth a few times and added, "Of course, door number three is unlikely as Mikey would probably leave out the part about me never coming in and drinking the beer he ordered. Mikey bends the truth to fit his reality." Brian shook his head as he thought for the umpteenth time in the last 10 months how he could ever have felt that Michael was his best friend.
Justin shook his head a few times to get the sleep cobwebs out before saying, "You really feel that your friends will think you fell off the wagon?" Justin was incredulous thinking that Brian's friends would have so little faith in his progress.
"Not everyone," Brian answered quickly and then backpedaled. "Well, I would hope not." He stood by the bedside looking at Justin lying with the blanket over his bottom half and he wished that he could jump back in bed and enjoy a quickie, but he knew he couldn't so he just answered Justin's question.
He touched the pointer finger of his left hand with the pointer finger of his right and said.
"Melanie will be the first one to believe that I fell off the wagon. It would prove to her that I was just going through the motions. She wouldn't call though; she'd have Lindsey call and use that as an excuse that Gus shouldn't continue seeing me if I was going to be drinking. Blah Blah Blah."
He touched the middle finger and continued. "Debbie, will call and ask what happened. At first, she will believe Mikey, but when I explain what actually happened, she'll tell me she's proud of me. She tends to want to believe Mikey, but realizes that I am more likely to give her the true story."
He touched his ring finger and said, "Emmett will call and fish around for the truth. He'll be relieved and supportive."
Then he popped his pinky, touched it, and said, "Ted will come in and ask if I want to talk. He won't assume anything. He's been great throughout my entire journey. Even if I did slip up, he would still be supportive and tell me that it is a journey and he believes in me. Ted has become a great friend."
Brian closed his hand and looked at Justin. "And I can't forget you and Cleo. Both of you were very supportive, never judgemental, and tried to remind me that I did exactly what I was supposed to do. Use my strategies and here I am, another day of sobriety under my belt. But I have to get ready for work or I really will be late. Feel free to go back to sleep and stay as long as you want. I know you're not a morning person and I don't mind if you stay. I'll leave the code for the alarm on the coffee table. Just set it before you leave."
Brian walked into the bathroom and closed the door, trying not to disturb Justin. He brushed his teeth and turned the water on for the shower. When the temperature was right, he got in and started bathing. A few moments later he heard the door open and a shot of cold air hit him as Justin walked in. Justin smiled at the sight of Brian, water cascading down his toned body and he licked his lips. After quickly using the toilet, he opened the door and joined Brian.
"I thought I'd join you and remind you that we're not teenagers,' Justin said tongue in cheek referring to their conversation last night. Besides, I couldn't sleep knowing you were in here showering. I wasn't going to miss that opportunity. I've got another busy day and I don't think I'll make it to AA tonight," Justin said, regretting that he would miss out on spending time with Brian.
"I'll miss you and I promise I won't have a repeat performance of yesterday. No Woody's for me. Seeing you last night and this morning should hopefully hold me until tomorrow at your show and I can't wait to see your latest work." Brian smiled as Justin grabbed the soap and started twirling it between his hands to make a lather.
Justin started at the top of Brian's shoulders lathering up his skin. He was fascinated with the way the soap glided over the smooth surface and the enjoyment he was getting from bathing Brian. While he had laid next to him in bed and they had enjoyed mutual blow jobs, this somehow seemed more intimate. During sex, his body was focused on the prize, an orgasm. Sure he wanted Brian to enjoy himself and he wanted to provide pleasure to him, but ultimately, it was about reaching the finish line, an orgasm. When he stepped in the shower with Brian, he saw his entire body, and his mind wasn't racing toward that finish line. He'd never really thought about it, but it seemed different. As he soaped Brian's back, he leaned in to give his back small kisses.
Brian's body however was responding to the slippery soap and Justin' hands gliding over his back. He quickly found his cock sporting an erection and his breathing increasing to match his arousal. Brian wasn't in the habit of allowing his tricks to spend the night nor was he likely to shower with them either; therefore, he did not have any supplies in the shower. He wasn't going to let that deter him. Turning around to face Justin, he pulled Justin toward him, crushing his mouth over Justin's while pushing his erection against Justin's body.
Justin pushed back against Brian, wrapping his arms around his waist and their erections slid against each other in delicious friction. Both men quickly found their rhythm, enjoying the unique feel of each other as they reached orgasm in a quick few minutes.
Brian grinned at Justin and said, "Are you sure that we didn't get transported back to our teens? I'm pretty certain that I haven't come that fast since I discovered my first boner."
"Yes, I'm sure." Justin looked over Brian's body and took a cursory glance at his own and said, "Pretty certain that if I were still in high school I would not be standing in the shower with another naked man. Yep, definitely not high school." Justin grinned back and bent down to pick up the soap that he'd dropped when Brian turned around. "Besides, when I was in high school, I lived with my parents, had a curfew, and was trying to figure out how to survive each day. I'm glad I don't have to deal with homophobia from the teachers and students anymore. I would chalk our speed to liking each other and the slippery soap. It does make for a great lube." Justin grinned and returned to lathering Brian's body.
"And just so we're clear, just because you reached orgasm with lightning speed, you're definitely not a teenager with raging hormones and a brain that is still maturing. I'm not into chicken," Justin said, referring to the slang term that many gay men used when describing a young male. "I prefer you." Justin leaned in and gave Brian a quick kiss. As he pulled away, he saw that Brian was nodding his head in acceptance of Justin's proclamation.
Justin washed Brian's chest and then moved to his arms. "Today will be crazy. If I wasn't an alcoholic, I think I would start drinking from all the bullshit that I will have to deal with since it is the day before a show. It would cause anyone to drink,"
"About that...." Brian hesitated but then continued. "Thanks for sharing last night. Knowing that you still struggle with wanting a drink makes me feel better." Brian raised his arms to his sides, allowing Justin to wash them as well. "Wait, that didn't come out right. I mean... Shit! I don't want you to think that it makes me feel good because you're struggling. I mean..."
Justin stopped soaping Brian's chest and leaned in for a quick kiss, then put his finger on Brian's lips. "Shh. I get it. But there is no need to thank me for being in recovery and wanting a drink. I should have told you a long time ago that I think about drinking too. I'm not some AA paragon that stopped drinking and never had another thought of reaching for the sauce. Remember, I may not be your sponsor anymore, but that doesn't mean that I'm not there to support you." Justin handed Brian the soap and Brian started washing Justin's body.
"Got it. Thanks. As much as I love spending time with you and enjoyed our morning activities, I have to get to work, " Brian said as he gave Justin a quick peck on the cheek. " You done?" He eyed the faucets and moved to turn them off when Justin nodded yes.
Brian grabbed a towel from the rack and wrapped it around his body as he opened the closet and grabbed a towel for Justin. Handing it to him, asked, "While I have to get to work, I know you have a far busier day planned. What's on your agenda?" Brian hung up his wet towel on the towel bar and walked back into the bedroom heading toward his dresser where he grabbed underwear and socks. Justin followed him a few minutes later after he was dried off and had hung his towel beside Brian's in the bathroom.
"I've got to hightail it to my apartment and dress for some interviews. My agent has set up a few interviews with some local art critics and then I'm off to do a quick segment for a noon-time TV spot. Normally, artists don't garner that type of media coverage but since some of the proceeds of the show are going to charity, everyone wants to know about the art." Justin hunted for his underwear and socks, finding one sock by the bed and the other by the door. He had to hunt for a few more moments for his underwear, which had been discarded quickly in their desire to connect last night. Locating it by the foot of the bed as well, he put on his clothes and was dressed before Brian had finished tying his tie. He sat on the bed and watched Brian, enjoying the transformation from the man he just enjoyed a quickie in the shower with to the man in the power suit who was a CEO of a boutique ad agency.
"I have to impress the masses on a daily basis. I've always said that clothes help make a man. If you look like you rolled out of bed minutes prior to your appointment, it sends a message that you aren't that vested in the outcome of the meeting. Since I never know who I might meet in the course of a day, I always look my best. You never know if the person waiting for a table at the new restaurant in town will be wanting to change advertising companies," Brian said, explaining his philosophy of dressing to Justin.
"I'm glad that I don't have to dress to impress on most days. I can't see myself in a suit and tie very often. If it was left up to me, I would dress in old jeans and an old t-shirt all the time. It isn't very practical to wear nice clothes if you are just going to get paint on them." Justin said as he waved his hand up and down his torso. "I'm ready whenever you are." Justin could have left after he finished dressing but he wanted to spend as much time with Brian as possible since he didn't think he'd be able to see him until his show, tomorrow.
Brian walked to the bed and leaned down to give him a kiss. "Thanks for last night. I'm glad you came over."
"Me too. While I know texting isn't the same as being there, it's the best I can do until after the show. Just know that every time I text you, I'll be thinking of our sleepover and early morning shower," Justin said as he grinned at Brian.
The two men walked to the door, Brian set the alarm and they rode the elevator to the first floor where they went their separate ways.
Brian walked to his car and started it as he looked at the clock on the dash. It was much later than he'd been getting to work, but he was not upset with the reason for his tardiness. He drove to the diner, parked his car, and went to the counter to order an egg white muffin with cheese and sausage to go. He hoped it wouldn't be long as he wanted time to review the notes for his late morning meeting.
As he was waiting for his food, Emmett came in and spotted him by the counter. He immediately went over and asked, "I heard you were at Woody's last night. What happened?" Emmet did not waste any time questioning Brian.
Brian ran his hand over his face and shook his head. He had hoped that his misadventures would not become public knowledge, but he really hadn't expected that to be the case. He looked at Emmett and firmly said, "I don't have to guess who told you that I was at Woody's since Mikey saw me in the parking lot. What he probably didn't bother to tell you was that I never went into the building. After he saw me, I hightailed it out of there and met with my sponsor." Brian was somewhat disappointed that Emmett felt the need to ask, but on the other hand, he was glad that he had asked so he could find out the truth from the horses' mouth rather than the rumor mill.
Emmett waved his hand over his mouth and hit his chest a few times and said, "Whew. He had my heart in a whole lot of flutter when I thought you'd changed your mind and started to drink again. I would have hated to see that happen. So glad that you are alright honey." Emmett leaned over and engulfed Brian in a hug. "Leave it to Michael to not mention that you didn't go into the place. He made it sound like you were in there shooting pool, drinking, and picking up tricks. I'm so glad that isn't the case. I was just rehearsing my speech to you to tell you to march yourself down to the nearest meeting and fix this, but I'm so glad that I didn't have to do that."
Emmett turned toward the waiter behind the counter and placed his order for a cup of coffee to go. "Now that this little understanding is cleared up, what were you doing at Woody's?"
As Brian had predicted, Emmett would want an explanation and while he did not feel that he should have to explain to anyone but himself, Justin, and Cleo, he accepted that Emmett wanted to know so he could help Brian. Emmett's Saturday night gig with Gus had been extremely helpful and allowed Brian to attend meetings every day. While he didn't like the idea that Emmett was asking him, he felt that Emmett was not out of place in asking, especially since Emmett had gone out of his way to support Brian in his journey.
Brian looked around and saw that the other occupants of the diner were busy with their meals and no one was paying any attention to them. He really didn't like his business talked about and saying anything on Liberty Avenue was like playing telephone when he was in elementary school. "In a nutshell, I was feeling restless. I hadn't seen Justin in a few days and missed him."
Emmett listened and nodded at Brian's statement, but looked confused, his eyebrows raised. "So help me out here. How is going to Woody's helping you out when you are missing your boyfriend?"
"Got it in one. That is why I was sitting in the parking lot when Mikey came up. I was debating with myself if I should go in and if anyone would know I was there if I did. It wouldn't have helped and as you can see, even though I didn't go in, the fact that I was seen in the parking lot has led people to think that I was going in." Brian's name was called out by the guy behind the counter and he turned toward the young man and took his food.
"That'll be $8.00," the young man said as Brian was getting out his wallet to pay for his food. Brian walked to the cash register to pay and gave him his credit card.
"I'm proud of you, Brian. I know what it's like to find yourself missing someone and wanting to fill that hole. Thankfully, you didn't go inside. How are you this morning?" Emmett said solicitously, wanting to be sure that his friend was okay.
"I'm good. Justin was feeling the same way and called me late last night. He wanted to see me too. He came over." Brian got a toothy grin on his face as he thought of falling asleep holding Justin as well as having their quickie in the shower this morning.
Emmett could easily read between the lines regarding what Brian didn't say and what he admitted to. He was genuinely happy for his friend. "I'm glad that everything is okay. You've come so far, Brian and I'm really proud of you. Now, that that is all clear, I must be on my way. I have a few appointments this morning." He grabbed his to-go cup, paid the counterman, and was on his way before Brian could say goodbye.
Brian grabbed his breakfast sandwich and left the diner, heading towards his car and to the office. He was barely at the office door when Ted stuck his head out of his office and greeted Brian.
"Hi, Brian. You're a little late this morning, not that I'm watching the clock or anything. Everything okay?" Ted asked as he followed Brian into his office.
Brian sat at his desk and unwrapped his breakfast sandwich. "Fine. Let me take a guess that you talked to Michael this morning," Brian said, the irritation in his voice obvious.
Ted wasn't sure if he should sit on the couch in case Brian wanted to really talk or if he should stand. He decided that standing would be more appropriate unless Brian signaled he wanted to talk. Ted nodded but didn't say anything. He waited while Brian took a bite of his sandwich.
Brian waved his hand indicating that Ted should take a seat and Ted cocked his head toward the door questioning if Brian wanted him to close it. Brian nodded and Ted closed the door before sitting on the couch.
After swallowing, Brian looked at Ted who was sitting back on the couch as if they were having a casual conversation. He appreciated the relaxed posture. "I have no idea what gossip Michael is spreading around, but I will tell you I went to Woody's last night. That much of his story is true. But what he probably didn't tell you is that I never went into the building. As soon as he left to go inside, I rolled up my window and called Cleo. I doubt he told you that part." Brian took a sip of his coffee and wished that he was holding the cup of coffee from Sweet Pea and that he was still back in his apartment where a certain blond had joined him in a quickie this morning rather than talking to Ted and who knew who else this morning. He was already tired of defending his actions and the two people who had talked to him were on his side. He could just imagine the conversations that would occur later if Michael chose to contact Mel and Linds or Debbie.
"Brian, I'm not jumping down your throat. I just came in to be sure you were okay. I know how hard it is to want that first drink. I know you've been missing Justin. I actually came in to offer my support," Ted said.
Brian ate another bite of his breakfast before saying, "Sorry. I know you support me and my sobriety. I had a rough day yesterday and well, you know... where I ended up. I don't relish having to rehash my bad decisions for the rest of today - ad infinitum."
Ted nodded and said, "You know I'm here for you. If you want to talk or rant and rave, I'm here for you. Been there, done that .... Got the T-shirt. You don't owe me anything." Ted debated whether he should get up and return to his office or wait for Brian's dismissal and decided to wait.
"Yeah. I guess you would know what it's like to want that first drink. Justin told me yesterday that he thinks about drinking often. I had no idea that he still struggled with the alcohol demon." Brian said, sharing some information about their conversation.
Ted nodded and said, "Yeah. I don't think there is an alcoholic who can say that they haven't struggled with the alcohol demon. But I think that anyone who is addicted would be hard-pressed to tell you otherwise. There are people who are addicted to food and I think that addiction would be even more difficult to address as everyone has to eat. I can't imagine having to face my addiction 3 times a day for the rest of my life."
Brian nodded and said, "I hadn't thought about that one, but I agree. At least I can control my access to alcohol. I can choose not to go into a bar and can choose to not keep liquor in my house, but if I'd been addicted to food, I couldn't choose to never eat again. Thanks for the analogy."
"You know that if Mikey told you and Emmett, I'm sure he has told Mel, Linds, and Deb as well. I'm not looking forward to those conversations. At least, you and Emmett were on my side and offered your support. I don't exactly think that will happen with the rest of them. I'm sure that Mel and Linds will try to use it as a reason to keep me away from Gus."
"I'm sorry Brian. I know that I haven't done anything to be sorry for, I just know that it's hard when the people who should be supporting you don't," Ted said, thinking of his own journey to sobriety. "When you offered me this job, it was probably the biggest boost to my sobriety and helped me get my life back on track."
Brian nodded but said, "I needed your skills."
Ted didn't push back on Brian's statement having learned that Brian was not one for accepting compliments easily. "Just remember that you did nothing wrong and since you didn't go in, you did the right thing. Even if the demon came knocking for your soul, you kicked him to the curb."
Brian finished his sandwich and wadded up the paper wrapper, throwing it in the trash can. He looked at the clock on the wall, realizing that he had only about 30 minutes to review the files for his meeting. "Time to put the alcohol discussion to rest. I've got a business to run. Thank you."
"Any time, Brian. Any time. My door is always open and my phone is always on,' Ted said as he got up to leave. He walked over to Brian and gave him a supportive hug, walked to the door, and returned to his office.
Cynthia walked in with his messages, handing him a small stack of notes. He saw that he had several calls from Lindsay, two calls from Debbie, and a call from Leo Brown. He looked at his clock again, even though his talk with Ted had only taken 10 minutes, and decided he should have time to call Leo. After calming Leo about the upcoming changes in the print ad, it was time for his meeting.
The meeting went well with the prospective client and he left the client with legal to iron out the contracts. He returned to his office to find Lindsay sitting on his couch. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head before closing the door and sitting at his desk.
"I should have believed Mel. She said you would start drinking again and it was only a matter of time. I just came to tell you that I can't in good conscience let you be with Gus if you are drinking." Lindsay announced, thinking about all the money that she would have access to again, now that Brian was not going to be seeing Gus. She had missed the money and now was the perfect opportunity to make Brian pay again.
"I can see from the smile on your face that you think coming in here and announcing that I can't see my son is a done deal," Brian said in a steely, hard tone. "I don't have to ask where you got the idea that I was drinking again, but you see, you and Mel have fallen for the Novotny game of half-truths." Brian took several deep breaths and while he could feel his heart pounding in his chest, he remained calm. He didn't have anything to hide and had done nothing wrong.
"Mikey only told you half the story. Sue, he saw me sitting in the parking lot of Woodys, but what I'm sure he didn't tell you was that I never went inside." Brian stopped talking to see if his statement would penetrate Lindsay's mind or if she would be so convinced of her plan that she wasn't willing to listen to Brian's explanation. Lindsay's smile lessened, and Brian was pleased to see that she was at least somewhat open to hearing his side of the story.
"After he saw me, I realized that I didn't really want to go inside so I left, called my sponsor, and met him at a local diner. You can ask the waitress that served us, the bartender at Woody's, look at the camera feed from Woody's, or use whatever method you prefer, but the answer will be the same. I did not go into Woody's last night or the night before or any night that they can remember for quite a while. I don't actually expect that they would remember that I haven't been there in 10 months, but I'm sure my absence has been noted." Brian watched the smug smile totally disappear from Lindsay's face when she realized the truth.
"Oh," She said, not apologizing for her statement.
"Now, I have a business to run. I will pick up Gus tomorrow after school. And just in case you have forgotten, Debbie will be watching Gus when I go to the opening of Justin's show. I'm not pawning off my son to hit the bars or pick up tricks. I'm asking a friend to watch my son for a few hours so that I can support Justin. I suggest you learn to check your facts before you accuse people of things they didn't do. That's called libel and I won't hesitate to use your words against you if you attempt to keep Gus from me." Brian stood up and walked to the door, opened it, and waved his hand at Lindsay to leave.
"Cynthia," he said as Lindsay walked toward the glass doors of the suite of offices. "Make a note that in the future if Lindsay or Melanie come to the office, they will need an appointment."
"Will do. I want to remind you that you have that conference call in about 5 minutes."
"Is the conference room set up?" Brian asked.
"All ready and the boards are on the easels," Cynthia said, not paying any attention to Lindsay's open-mouthed gape at Brian's directive.
"I'll grab a quick coffee and I'll meet the team there. Thank you," Brian said.
Lindsay walked out of the office, angry and disappointed, but she wasn't sure who she wanted to blame for her feelings. She thought about blaming Mel since she sent her to Brian's office, eager to get back at him and to prove that he hadn't changed. She thought about blaming Michael since he only told her part of the story and made her appear foolish. It did not occur to her to blame herself for not believing in Brian. She was also very aware of how angry Brian was at her thinly veiled threat to keep Gus away. This new Brian, even though he'd been sober for quite a while, was very formidable and appeared to be willing to fight for his right to see his son. She would have to figure out a new way to get what she wanted. She was rehashing Brian's words and remembered he said something about Justin's show. She knew he had a show coming up as Gus had been talking about it for several weeks. Maybe she could get back in Brian's good graces through Justin. After all, she had a lot of contacts in the art world and any artist would be thrilled to have an introduction to some movers and shakers in the industry. She was already formulating a plan as she walked to her car.
TBC