Chapter 2

"Not much here for dinner but I have some crackers, peanut butter,  cheese, and tuna." Justin came in with a plate in one hand and the bottle of whiskey and glasses in the other. He set them on the table. "I need to get the lantern." 

When Justin came back from the kitchen, Brian had moved to the table. Brian watched him walk across the small loft. Damn, he had grown up beautiful. In high school, even at 14 he had been cute, but now... 

"I keep some snacks for lunch." He set the food and drink on the table. "I didn't realize this was still in the cabinet. It is rot gut but it was what I could afford when I lived up here."

"Thanks. Do you mind?" Brian nodded toward the bottle.

"Help yourself." 

Brian poured them each a glass and recapped the bottle. They ate in silence for a couple minutes before he said, "I saw your reaction when I mentioned Caleb, Coach Franklin. You knew him well?"

Justin drained the glass in front of him and refilled it. "He was my swimming coach." He took another big swallow of the amber liquid.

"Was he a good one?"

"I haven't thought of him in years." He changed the subject. "I have a feeling we will be here all night. We should probably both try to text once more and let them let whoever know we are fine for the night. We won't starve and, although it is getting a little cool, we won't freeze. There are blankets around here."

"Ya, is that bed comfortable?"

"It isn't bad. Who's sleeping on the floor?"

"Come on, we can share a bed without fucking, although if you are up for that, I'm always game."

"I am sure you are." Justin looked down at the plate of food which was now nearly empty. He pushed the plate toward Brian. "I've had enough." He stood with his glass and walked over to the window. He stared out at the rescue operation. "I wonder how many died?" He emptied the glass again.

"I didn't expect you to be a heavy drinker."

"Oh, shit, now that will be in the final interview."

"No, Justin. Tonight is off the record. I promise. When we actually have the interview, I will clear everything before it is broadcasted." 

Justin nodded, "I usually don't drink this much, although I am an artist and we all have our moments."

"What's causing this one?"

"So tell me about this family that isn't family."

"Shit, they aren't worth the breath but here is the short version. Dad was a bully and a homophobe. Died of cancer last year and don't say sorry. The only grieving I did was for a father I never had. Mom, also a homophobe, knows I am bound for hell because I screw men. She was a bitch even before she knew I was gay."

"No siblings?"

"I have a sister but she ‘belonged'. I never did."

"And that's where Mikey's mom came into play?"

"Ya, Deb is way out there but she knows how to love."

"She still is at the diner, isn't she? It's been a while since I was there but if I am around there I'll stop for a meal." He held out his glass and Brian emptied the bottle into it. "There's plenty more in the kitchen." Justin dropped into the broken chair Brian had been in earlier. "So, why wouldn't you join the diversity club when we were in school?" 

"I am not and never have been a joiner. They are always trying to get me to become part of the LGBTQ center."

"I have helped them out a few times. I've never seen you there." Justin wanted a fight but Brian didn't seem to be taking the bait.

"I am a man that happens to be gay. I'm a man first. I have a normal life. So many of those people are gay first." Brian stopped for a second. "I have drunk more than I realized.  I'm not sure that makes sense to me."

Justin took a breath looking for a rude comeback but instead said, "I do get that. I support the group but don't feel a real part of it. They do good for the community, gay and straight."

"Ya, I support them heavily through a business front. Damn, here I go telling you shit again. Have you ever thought about becoming a TV journalist?" Brian got up, and taking the lantern with him, walked into the kitchen. Justin heard him open a few doors before he heard the clinking of glass and then heard Brian coming back. "I know we haven't set up sleeping arrangements yet but it's getting cold in here." Brian slid under the top blanket and pulled it up to his armpits. He opened the new bottle and filled his glass. "You may as well join me. It will be a lot easier to share this." He raised the bottle. Justin hesitated. "I'm not going to jump your ass unless you want me to."

Justin walked to the other side of the bed and slipped in next to him. Brian pulled the blanket up on Justin's chest. He filled Justin's glass again and for the next thirty minutes they talked about people they both remembered from high school and then it moved to teachers.  

"Did you know Caleb Franklin well?" Justin was really drunk by now and was losing his inhibitions.

"Well, he was the first blowjob I gave."

"When you were a jr. high student?"

"Actually I was a freshman. I guess he was in the building because he was the swim coach."

"There has to be a story. What happened?" Justin moved so his shoulder bumped Brian's.

"I had forgotten my gym shoes in my locker. I went in after school and Caleb was standing in the shower room. That man was built like a lean fireman. All upper body strength and a perfect ass. I just went into the shower, clothes and all, and dropped to my knees."

"And he didn't stop you?"

"Fuck no. He actually told me what to do, not that I needed much help of course," Brian added with a cockiness to his voice.

"Now that's the Kinney I remember. You weren't afraid of anything. Was it a one time thing?

"It occurred a few times. I was afraid we would get caught but I wasn't afraid of him."

"Did you have feelings for him?"

"Not really. I rarely allowed myself to have emotional feelings. I would have to deal with them on my own. I didn't have mommy to run home to."

"Do you really think I ran home when he did it to me?" As the words came out of his mouth he jumped out of the bed and walked back to the window. "There are less trucks out there. I hope that means they have found everyone. At least the main building..."

Brian had walked up behind Justin and put his hands on Justin's shoulders. In a voice more gentle than he had ever heard Brian Kinney use, either on camera or off he said, "What did Caleb do to you?"

"See, there is a lot less activity." He was kicking himself for bringing Coach Franklin up.

Brian turned him around, "Justin, I don't know you well but, from what I do know, you are a very strong man. I remember your attack a little bit, and for this interview I read the news articles. You fought your way back and when Hobbs was found not guilty you pursued a civil suit."

He looked into Brian's eyes, "That was actually my father's doing. I wanted to let it go. Money is his god and the most important thing in his life. He wanted millions. We got enough to pay off the hospital bills and for me to go to college. Luckily the courts directed the money specifically. I doubt I would have seen it if they hadn't."

Brian led them both back to the bed and refilled both their glasses, hoping it would give Justin the courage to continue. "Justin, what happened with Franklin?" He took Justin's hand in his own and squeezed it gently.

"The only person that knows this story is Daphne." Justin downed the glass and began. "It was my freshman year, the only year I swam. One day after practice it was my turn to collect the towels in the pool. He asked me to do a couple extra things he usually didn't have my teammates do. I didn't think anything about it until I walked into the locker room and the last of the guys was walking out the door to the hallway." Brian refilled his glass, knowing he needed the liquid courage. As he was listening, he was writing the exclusive in his mind. "I entered the shower and the next thing I knew he was in there, naked."

Brian was a bit stunned.  As a freshman he was ready for sex and it was his choice. He could tell it wasn't the same for Justin. "What happened?"

"He gave me a blowjob as I rested against the wall. I didn't want it. I was scared." He took another swallow and felt his thoughts drift. 

"Did he..."

"I cried. I cried like a five year old as his hand moved between my legs and he started massaging my asshole. I started to beg..."

Brian quickly set the glass down and pulled Justin into his arms and let him cry until he passed out. When Brian was sure he wasn't going to wake up, he moved out of bed and, taking the lantern, went down to the studio. It was cold down there without Justin's warm body. He located a notebook and jotted down what he had just heard. He knew he had drunk a lot and was afraid by morning he may not remember the details but he knew he remembered it all now.

It was about 6:00 when Brian heard the shower running. The horizon was pink and orange as the sun crept upward in the sky. He burrowed deeper in the blankets. He would kill for a cup of coffee. He heard the water stop and a couple minutes later Justin stepped out with a large towel, covered with paint stains, wrapped around his waist. 

"Hey, you're awake. I just heard the furnace kick in, which means we should have power. I'm going to get dressed and then I'll make some coffee. I know my pants would be too short for you but if you want to look in the dresser over there you should be able to find a T-shirt or sweatshirt. It may be old but it is all clean."

Justin grabbed some clothes that he had laid on a chair and as he walked back to the bathroom the towel slipped off his ass. "Oh, oops," Justin said looking over his shoulder. "I didn't mean to do that. I'll be out in two and get the coffee made."

"Damn," Brian whispered. He realized he was one of the most beautiful men he had ever seen. He could now feel the place warming up a bit and he walked over to the dresser. He was glad he had slipped his pants off when he had gotten in bed last night. He found a long sleeve t-shirt and pulled out a pair of briefs and some socks. He was sure the sleeves would be a little short but he could push them up and then put on his jacket.

When Justin came out of the bathroom he found Brian, standing naked in the bedroom, just pulling on a pair of Justin's briefs. He glanced over his shoulder. "Sorry, I'm not bashful."

"I...I'll start the coffee." He knew Brian Kinney was built well but seeing the whole back view he was sure the front was just as good if not better. He moved into the kitchen and ground some coffee while the water heated. Once it was hot he warmed the French press and emptied it before adding the grounds and the freshly boiled water. As the coffee steeped he started looking around the kitchen. He had bread in the freezer he pulled out and there was a jar of peanut butter and strawberry jam in the refrigerator. He took out the powdered creamer. Then he took one more look in the freezer and found some sausage and hashbrowns. The sausages were pre cooked so he focussed on the hash browns and threw the sausage in the microwave and he was pouring the first cup of coffee when Brian strode in.

He took the cup out of Justin's hands and took a sip. "Sure, take the first cup. I will pour one for myself, too."

"Oh, sorry.  Do you want it?"

"No, take it. It was all made at the same time. Do you want to be in charge of toast? I found sausage and hashbrowns too."

"Wow, it is rare for me to eat this much. Did you happen to have any text make it through?"

"I plugged it before my shower. The battery had died. I need to take a look as soon as I flip the hashbrowns. Once he had, he went back into the bedroom. He looked at his phone and walked back to the kitchen. "Looks like we should be out of here later this morning.  The repairman is supposed to be here by 10:00." He checked the sausage and it was hot. "How's the toast?"

They ate breakfast and were finishing just as they heard the workman downstairs. "Would you mind seeing if he needs anything from us?"

"Sure." Brian headed to the door.

"Brian, you might want this." He tossed Brian his jacket and a piece of paper fluttered to the ground as Brian caught it. Justin picked it up and said, "What's this?" He saw his name on the page. 

"Justin, that isn't what you think. I..."

"You fucker! After all that, ‘everything's off the record' shit you took notes last night. Get the hell out of here. Take your equipment and be the first one out that door. I never want to see you again."

Brian tried to say something but realized Justin was too angry right now to listen. "Justin, I'll call you and thanks for everything." As Justin hurled a vase at the door, Brian pulled it shut behind him.

A week later Justin's agent called him, "Justin, I know you don't want anything to do with Brian Kinney but the producer says you have a contract and too much has already been shot with Kinney to switch it out now."

"What will they charge us if I refuse?" Justin asked.

"Justin, if you don't complete the interview, they can use anything they have dug up on you. If you break the contract they can break their end of it. I know there were quite a few things you had blocked."

"Shit. When do they want to finish this?"

"They said they could do it tomorrow."

"I don't want him at my studio again. I will go into the studio."

"Ok, they said they didn't care because they got all the shots they needed at the studio. Can you be there at 1:00?"

"Yes, I'll be there and then I will never speak to that man again."

"Did you two screw that night? Why are you so pissed at him?"

"God, no, we didn't have sex. Just the thought of him touching me..." He shivered. "Let's just say this goes a lot further back and time hasn't changed anything."

"Whatever. Just play nice with him so this interview creates the right stir."

"I'm a professional. My personal feelings will not show, on camera anyway."

Brian was nervous. The interview was really scheduled for 2:00 but he wanted to talk to him beforehand.  He hoped he could explain why he had written down the notes Justin had seen. How could he convince him the notes were for his lawyer friend, Mel? He was sure she would help prosecute Caleb Franklin. With testimony from both of them, he would be charged as a pedophile. And once it came out, he wondered how many other boys and men would join in.

Prompt and reliable as always, Justin arrived at the studio and was sent to a dressing room. He walked in expecting to see a makeup artist but instead he found Brian. "No fucking..." before Justin could finish his sentense, Brian had stepped between Justin and the door."

"Please sit down. I need to explain."

"There is nothing for you to explain. I got drunk. That's on me, but you made sure you had notes, even though you said you wouldn't use anything I said."

"That wasn't my plan. I had never thought about the fact that Caleb may have done the same thing to someone else. Or that someone could have really been hurt by him. I had put it in the past until you talked about it."

"And I am supposed to believe that after all this time, you are now thinking about doing something? You never really said what else happened with him. Did you actually have sex with him?"

"In the end, no pun intended, we did have full blown sex. It happened over about three months."

"Why didn't you do this years ago?" Justin asked.

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I didn't want my mom to find out about it. You didn't answer the question."

"It wasn't worth the bother. At the time I enjoyed it and didn't realize it was probably wrong. I started it." 

"Are you sure you started it or did he set it up some way? Maybe he had just preyed on someone else." They were both quiet for a moment and then Justin said, "Can we just get this interview over? Nothing personal but I don't trust you so just want this done. And don't forget I get to review the interview before it is shown." Justin was professional and had no emotion in it.

Brian started to make a comment but thought better of it. "I'll send the makeup artist in and check if they are ready for us on set." As he left him in front of the mirror, Brian knew this wasn't over. Maybe he could find some other students that had been used by Franklin. He had realized that since the night with Justin, the events had been bothering him. Could an old trauma be triggered by a new one? Could that be why he had been having trouble sleeping?

The interview went smoothly and once they said cut, Brian said, "Thanks for coming in. I will send you the interview as soon as editing is through. You said your friend, Daphne, was an investigative reporter. Could I have her number? I plan to pursue Caleb Franklin and would like your friend to collaborate with me."

"I will run it past her, but I think she will be game. Once I get her approval I will send you her number. Just remember I want nothing to do with this."

"I understand. I just want him to pay for the hurt he has caused. If you and I found each other, how many others are there?" 

As promised, Justin received a copy of the interview two days later and he was very impressed with the way it had been put together. He was very impressed with the cameraman's video of his work. He had really gotten the lighting and angles right. Now that he has seen the final version, he called Daphne to see if she was interested in working with Brian.

"Hey, Justin, have you recovered from your captivity? We need to have dinner, are you free tonight?"

"Sounds good. How about going to the Liberty Diner. I know it's a dump but I am hungry for real diner food."

"Sure, it's been a while since I have had a heart clogging meal. I deserve it. Is 6:30 too early?"

"I can pick you up."

"No, but I will take a ride home. I will come straight from work. This will make my day go faster. I will..."

"Wait, Daph, I was calling to ask you something. Brian Kinney wants your help with a project. I wanted to talk to you before giving him your number."

Justin could hear the excitement in her voice. "What's the project? Do you know what this could do for my career?"

"Remember, it's Kinney. I still don't trust him."

"Have you seen the interview? Did he put something in he shouldn't?"

"No, it is really good. I'll show you tonight."

"Just give me his number. I'll give him a call and, yes, I will remember it's Brian Kinney. You know I wasn't impressed with him in high school either but he has a respected name in the business and I would love to have an in at his station."

"See you tonight. I'll text his number to you and yours to him."

Daphne didn't waste time. She immediately called Brian. Not only did she want to work with the station but she wanted to find out what the project was. She was sure she heard a little reluctance in Justin's voice. She hit send and heard a connection on the other end. Of course she got his voice mail and it was full. She ended the call as she said, out loud, "You'd think a reporter would keep his voicemail up to date." She lived and worked through her phone so she was always listening and moving her messages around. 

Before she could even set her phone down it rang. She answered, "Daphne Chanders"

"Daphne, sorry I missed your call. This is Brian Kinney. My shit phone isn't working right and won't let me delete my messages. I have a new one that should be here today."

"I figured as a reporter you usually had it empty."

"I do. Part of the business, right?" Brian cleared his throat and continued. "Thanks for calling.  Do you have time to meet today? I think it would be easier if I could show you what I am looking into. I have seen your work and you are good. I am sure you have methods I don't know about since it isn't my specialty."

"What is your schedule like today?"

"Most of my time is scheduled in the office today. Do you think you could stop by here around 2:00 or 3:00?"

"I can be there at around 3:00. I might be a few minutes late but I think I will make it."

"I will be here until at least 5:00. I have a show to prepare for tomorrow so I will be here."

Daphne looked at her watch. It was almost noon. She wanted to do a little research on Brian Kinney. Not the public persona, but his private life. By 3:00, when she walked into the station, she had a much better idea of what made this man tick. She waited for a couple minutes before a man, barely out of high school appeared.

"Ms. Chanders, I'm Brian's intern. I'll take you to his office."

Daphne followed the intern through a maze of hallways and then into an office. She instantly could feel Brian's influence here. She was surprised to see a workman hanging a new painting in the small waiting room. She recognized it as one of Justin's right away. As she watched the painting being placed on the wall, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned to find Brian Kinney standing in the doorway to the inner office.

"He is really talented, but you already knew that," Brian said as he gestured to the painting now being straightened on the wall.

"Yes, Justin has always been talented and has only gotten better over time." 

"Thanks, George. It looks great." Brian said to the guy hanging the picture. "Let's go to my office and talk."

Daphne followed close behind, "I am curious what this is about." Brian led the way and she followed. Justin didn't tell me what you are investigating."

"When I tell you, I am sure you will know he doesn't want any part of this but he is fine with us looking into it."

"Brian, does this have anything to do with his swim coach?"

Brian looked surprised. "How did you know that?"

"I know how much that upset him, but I also know he never thought Jennifer, his mom, could handle it." 

"Do you think she could have handled it?"

"At the time, it might have been really hard on her but it might have brought Justin to admit he was gay a little earlier."

"Does he think she'll freak out?"

"She probably would have when it happened, but now... maybe he is a little embarrassed he didn't tell her and I don't think he wants others to know it happened. How did you find out about it? I can't imagine he just told you."

"Coach Franklin came up in the conversation and I saw him react. It wasn't until much later in the evening that he told me about the encounter."

"How drunk was he?"

"Very, and I told none of this would end up in the interview and it didn't. I just want to find the guy and make him pay for his crimes."

"Brian, are you one of the victims?"

"I never thought of myself as a victim. I won't bore you with the details, but I was a lot more brash than most 14 year olds, but when I think about it now, what was he doing with a 14 year old?"

"So what do you want from me?"

"I am sure I can track Franklin down, but I need help with finding other students. I already have the years he taught here but, you and I both know, if it happened here, it happened in other places he taught, too."

Daphne had been scribbling notes as he talked. "I'm in. I will help with this no matter what you say next, but I want you to know I would be interested in working here. My current job has no place for me to go. I'm a good reporter. Will you give me a recommendation if something opens up?"

"If you are as good as I expect you to be, I will make them hire you. That might mean you start as my assistant, but that would just be the starting point."

"I'm good with that."

Brian spent the next half hour filling Daphne in with the details he knew so far. They agreed to get together later that week with anything they found. As Daph started putting her notepad back in her bag, Brian asked, "Justin said he didn't have a boyfriend right now."

"Right now? He has only had a boyfriend a couple times but he is probably too choosy. The longest he was with someone was about six months. I know you are out there all the time. It is public knowledge. That's not how Justin works. I'm not saying he doesn't find sex from time to time, but he wants a long term relationship eventually. His thought is quality not quantity." She looked at him. "That doesn't mean your way of life is wrong. I am just telling you what Justin's thought process is."

"I'll be in touch. Will sometime Friday work for you?"

"Yes, any time after lunch."

"Daphne, he intrigues me." Brian was very serious when he said it.

"I think you have his best interest at heart, but if you ever hurt him, I will blow you out of the water."

Brian opened his mouth and shut it again. He couldn't imagine hurting Justin. He was like a ray of light in an uncertain world. Shit, where did that thought come from? Brian Kinney doesn't have those kinds of thoughts. Brian Kinney was never going to want to settle down, was he?