Perfection

Chapter 3

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Kinnetik was in Kinney alert mode. The Boss was on a rampage. He had been in a foul mood from the instant he walked through the door. He had yelled at Cynthia for coffee. He had shredded the latest designs for the Eyeconics ads, and had then proceeded to shred the people who worked on them.

"Cynthia, where the fuck are the Liberty Air contracts?"

"On your desk," Brian's assistant said coldly as she walked into Brian's office. This was the third time in half an hour that Brian had shouted at her.

"Then why the fuck can't I find them?"

"If you opened your eyes, you'd see they were right here," Cynthia said trying not to get angry herself. She reached into the stack of folders, extracted the one Brian wanted and handed it to him with a steely glare.

"Thanks," he replied, but there was no equanimity in his voice. He'd be yelling at her again in a few minutes.

Sure enough, five minutes later, Brian bellowed, "Cynthia!"

"What is it now?"

"Where's that paper I was looking at this morning?"

"What paper?"

"The one I was looking at this morning," Brian said through gritted teeth.

"Any other little clue would be helpful," Cynthia spat out trying not to sound too sarcastic.

"The one with the projected costs of ads in Vanity Fair."

"This one?" she asked picking up a sheet of paper lying on the top of the pile of folders.

"Yeah," Brian snapped grabbing it ungraciously out of her hand.

"Boss, I know you don't like to talk about personal things, but you're getting on my nerves," Cynthia said taking matters into her own hands.

Brian snorted. "I am the boss."

"And that does not give you the right to screech at me every five minutes," Cynthia said firmly.

"I do not screech."

"Bellow, then."

"I … I'll try not to … bellow," Brian said grudgingly, but knowing that she was right. He had been in a foul mood ever since Justin Taylor had failed to show up at the bar last night. He knew he was being even more foul than he usually was, or Cynthia wouldn't have bothered to say anything. Kinnetik had learned to work around his caustic demeanor … most of the time.

"That would be appreciated," Cynthia said with a sigh. "Is there anything I can do to make things easier for you?"

Brian studied her. He didn't know how he had been so fortunate to find her, and have her stick by him through everything that had happened. He really should be more appreciative … and nicer. "There's nothing you can do," he said simply. "Thanks for the offer but … nothing."

The bellowing and yelling toned down for an hour or two. However at noon, Brian was heard on the intercom. "Theodore, get in here … NOW!"

Ted hustled into Brian's office carrying a single sheet of paper.

"It's noon," Brian stated. "Where is it?"

"Um … I … um."

"Theodore!"

"I found three things that you might be interested in," Ted said uncertainly.

"And what the fuck might they be?"

"Well … um, there's a store on Liberty looking for a silent partner. It could be a good investment," Ted put forward haltingly.

"And what does this emporium sell?"

"Health foods."

"Fuck health foods!" Brian exploded. "I don't want any part of that."

"But…"

"What part of I don't like it, didn't you understand?" Brian looked daggers at his hapless friend and employee.

"Okay, then, right … there's a small business looking for investors," Ted began. "They make customized mouse pads for computers." Ted held his breath.

"Aren't they about twenty years behind the curve? I don't even use a fucking mouse pad anymore. Is this the best you could come up with?"

"Well … there's one more thing, but I know you don't go there much anymore," Ted said. He hoped Brian didn't rip his balls off for suggesting this. Brian raised a brow and Ted continued. "It's Babylon."

"Babylon?" Brian asked with true surprise.

"Sapperstein has been cooking the books. He owes all kinds of back taxes and sales tax. The club will be up for sale at any moment."

"And how do you know this?"

"I have connections," Ted said simply.

Brian frowned. At one time he would have enjoyed owning Babylon, and all the perks that entailed. And tail was definitely one of them. He smiled to himself.

"So, are you interested?" Ted asked hopefully, thinking that the smile meant his suggestion had found favor with Brian.

Brian snorted. "What do I want with a rundown club? I don't care if they burn the fucking thing down."

"But…"

"Find something else, Theodore. Take more time and make it good."

"Okay," Ted said slowly. "I'll keep looking." He turned to leave thinking that he had got off easily.

"And the next time I ask you, you better have something exemplary to tell me about."

"Yes, Boss," Ted muttered as he made his escape.

"I see you didn't get skinned alive," Cynthia said as Ted scampered out of Brian's office.

"Close."

"He didn't like any of your suggestions?" she asked.

Ted shook his head. "I thought Babylon might interest him, but no such luck."

"I thought you said he never went to Babylon anymore," Cynthia remarked.

"He doesn't, not since 'you know who' left. But I thought it might interest him anyway."

"Well, happy hunting," she wished him as she went back to her desk.

Ted knew he was going to need more than happy hunting; he was going to need a fucking miracle.

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Brian walked into Flanagan's a little after nine. He had stayed at Kinnetik fixing the boards for the Eyeconics presentation the following day. He was royally pissed that his art department had taken his excellent ideas and turned them into crap on paper. He had made them all stay until they were the way he wanted them. Now they would be perfect for his meeting with the queen bitch from Eyeconics in the morning.

Looking around, Brian felt his heart sink as there was no blond head visible anywhere. He sat down at the bar and ordered a boilermaker. Casey promptly placed the drinks in front of Brian.

"Slow night?" Brian asked not that he cared, but he wondered if Casey might indicate if Justin had been in.

"Not too bad," Casey smiled. "Especially when you come in."

Brian snorted. It was nice to be wanted somewhere even if it was only at this fucking bar … and only for his money. It couldn't be for his golden personality. "Have … have you seen anything of the guy I was talking to a couple of nights ago?" Brian dared to ask. He felt foolish doing so, but he really wanted to talk to Justin again.

"Oh, the blond. No, he hasn't been in."

"I guess he's getting ready for the first week of classes at PIFA," Brian added.

"Probably. I haven't had too many people in from there yet. It'll pick up later in September."

'Shit,' Brian thought. Did he have to wait the better part of a month to see Justin again? He threw back his shot and started to sip his beer. This was getting old fast. He might as well go home.

Just as he stood up, he sensed a change in the room and turned to see Justin Taylor standing hesitantly by the door.

"Hey," Brian called to him.

"Hey," Justin smiled as he walked across the room towards Brian. "It looks like you were about to leave."

"Not at all," Brian said sitting back down. Justin smiled that radiant smile and sat down on the stool next to him. "The usual?" Brian asked. Justin nodded and Brian signaled to Casey. "So, what have you been up to?" Brian asked in a feeble attempt to make small talk. He never made small talk, but then he never hung around a bar waiting for a certain guy to appear either.

"I got moved into my place and I think I'm ready to start the first of my classes on Monday."

"What will that class be?"

Justin studied Brian for a moment. "A life class."

"Oh, is that the one with all the nice dicks to draw?"

Justin laughed. "Or boobs. There's no guarantee the model will be male."

"Oh fuck! Kill me now," Brian said in mock terror of being confronted by the aforementioned pair.

"It's kind of strange," Justin said reflectively. "I'm older than almost all the other students. I … I kind of feel out of place." Justin took that moment to sneeze three times at the mention of his age.

"Gesundheit," Brian chuckled.

"Thanks," Justin replied rubbing at his nose and then taking a sip of his beer.

"I bet the other students don't realize that you're older. You look young."

"Yeah, but I know. I feel … ridiculous. I probably will never make it as an artist. Few people do."

"I think you're … brave to try this. If it's what you want to do, then go for it."

"Thanks, I guess I needed a little pep talk."

"My friends say I give ones that can't be ignored," Brian smirked thinking of some of the rather harsh but truthful things he had said to some of them.

"I guess you're a good friend."

Brian snorted. "There are some that would disagree with you." 'More than some,' he thought to himself.

"Um … I was wondering," Justin began hesitantly.

"You were?" Brian asked tongue in cheek.

"Do you know any gay clubs around here?"

"There's really only one worth going to," Brian said. "Babylon."

"Sounds decadent."

"It is, but it's an okay club … for Pittsburgh. I bet you have a lot better in New York."

"I used to really love the clubs for a while. But it gets kind of old." Justin proceeded to sneeze three more times.

"Yeah … old," Brian repeated fighting back some unpleasant memories. He said, "Gesundheit" once again, and managed to sound sincere.

"Thanks. Um, tomorrow's Saturday. Would you like to go to Babylon with me?" Justin asked.

"Like a date?" Brian asked with a frown.

"Well, more like a friend showing a new friend his old haunts."

"Yeah, I suppose we could do that," Brian said thoughtfully.

"That would be great," Justin smiled that smile.

"Actually, it'll give me a chance to look over the place. I'm thinking about buying it."

"Wow! You are? That sounds like a major investment."

"It could prove to be very profitable if it's handled properly," Brian smirked. He waggled his eyebrows at Justin and they both laughed.

'And I bet you're just the man to handle it.'

Brian smiled. He could be that man. Maybe Ted's idea wasn't so far fetched. And besides, a little trip to Babylon with a gorgeous blond might be just what the fucking doctor ordered.