Perfection

Chapter 7

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The next couple of weeks went by in a blur. With the purchase of Babylon happening so fast, Brian had to start thinking about what he wanted to do with the club. It needed something to bring it back up to date and increase the number of customers. When Brian wasn't thinking about Babylon, he had a couple of new accounts that took most of his time and thought. He barely had time to think about Justin Taylor. Barely … but somehow he still found his mind wandering to the delectable blond.

He and Ted closed the deal on Babylon quickly and Brian moved to initiate some improvements at the club. He wanted to paint some of the grubbier areas and update the restrooms. He also wanted to add some more seating to the catwalk level. Ted rounded up bids on the painting and refurbishing jobs and they went ahead quickly. Because the club was closed during the day, the workmen could get a lot accomplished before the club opened in the evening. They could rope off areas where paint was still wet or where something wasn't quite finished.

According to Ted the changes were progressing well, as per Brian's instructions. Brian had not been in the club since the night he had run out on Justin. He couldn't bring himself to go in. He relied on Ted to carry out his wishes once the club was his.

Now that the renovations were almost finished, Ted told Brian that he should come to the club for the official opening under the new management. Despite Brian's protests Ted elicited a promise from Brian that he would be there on the following Saturday night. All of Brian's "family" would be there too.

In the meantime, Brian had some serious problems with a new men's hair care line that they had landed as an account. The CEO was a hands-on kind of guy and in spite of liking the direction that Brian had proposed for their new advertising campaign, he didn't like any of the models that Brian had suggested as the face of High Life Hair Care. He was driving Brian insane with his demands and rejections of models.

Brian spent days going through portfolios of potential "faces" for these products. They had finally agreed that rather than one spokesman they would have three, a blond, a brunet and a red head. Now all they had to do was agree on the three men.

After many failed attempts to come to agreement, the first person signed was the red head. There were fewer models with natural red hair, and that meant they had fewer men to select from. Brian had heaved a sigh of relief when that one was finally in the bag.

The debate over the brunet was a lot more drawn out. They narrowed it down to three candidates, but couldn't seem to agree on which one. The same thing had happened with the blond men. This time they had two to choose from but neither of them was very satisfactory. Finally Brian came up with the idea of hiring his favorite photographer and assembling all the candidates for a trial shoot. They would look at how the men interacted and what image they projected. Maybe photographing them would give Brian and the CEO a better idea of which ones would work together best and which would portray different images of the male gender. They wanted to appeal to the widest range of men possible.

Having finally agreed on this plan of action, Brian booked them a shoot for the first date that they could all get together. It was somewhat of a logistical nightmare, but with Cynthia's help they finally found a day that suited everyone involved.

Brian leaned back in his chair at Kinnetik. He squeezed the ridge of his nose with his fingers. He was fighting a headache. High Life Hair Care was becoming a major pain in his ass, and they weren't even that big a company. He needed to spend some time on his other clients, and maybe he could do that now that they had a few days before the shoot.

"Brian," Ted said coming into the office. "I need to finalize a couple of things with you for the opening of the new and improved Babylon."

"What is it now?" Brian asked closing his eyes and trying to not let the headache get the better of him.

"Here are the specs on a free round of drinks for Babylon. Are you sure you want to do that?"

Brian took the sheet and looked at the projected cost of a free drink for every person who came to Babylon on the evening of the reopening. It was pricey, but Brian was sure it would be worth it. "Nothin' says a great time like a free drink."

"Then you want to go ahead?"

"I think that's what I just said."

"This is going to cost a small fortune," Ted warned.

"It takes money to make money," Brian said philosophically. "What we spend on a round of drinks will come back threefold if everything goes as it should."

"Okay."

"Ted, thanks for looking after all this for me," Brian said doing his best imitation of sincere.

"Are you making fun of me?" Ted asked with his eyes very wide.

"You told me to be nicer. I'm trying to follow your advice."

"Really?"

"Why does that surprise you?"

"You never fucking listen to me … or anyone else for that matter."

"Well, if you're right, you're right," Brian shrugged.

Ted could hardly believe his ears. Brian was actually saying that Ted was right about something. He felt the grin sneak across his face.

"That's all, Theodore," Brian said rubbing the bridge of his nose again.

"Right, Boss." Ted started to head for the door.

"Theodore, don't expect to ever hear those words again."

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The night of the grand opening of the new Babylon came all too quickly. Brian met Ted just after nine o'clock and was ushered into the club. The tour showed Brian all the improvements and redecorating that had been done. Brian was rather impressed that it had all come about seemingly without a hitch.

"I have to hand it to you, Theodore. It's not bad."

"Thanks, Boss," Ted beamed. "In about ten minutes the doors will open and we'll see what the gay public of Pittsburgh thinks of it."

"They better fucking love it."

"Undoubtedly they will."

"I need a drink," Brian said walking over to the bar.

"Vodka straight," he said to the bartender.

"Certainly, Brian," the guy smirked.

Brian supposed that he had done the guy somewhere along the line, but he would be hard pressed to say that he remembered him. "That's Mr. Kinney to you. I sign your paychecks."

The bartender looked crestfallen and sputtered, "Of course, sir, Mr. Kinney. Sorry."

Ted picked up his beer and clinked it against Brian's glass. They drank to the success of this new venture.

"Let's open the doors and see what kind of a crowd we get for our first night," Brian said.

"I bet they're lined up around the block," Ted grinned.

"They fucking better be."

Once the doors to Babylon opened, the steady stream of hot young men was quite awesome. They picked up their drink voucher as they entered and most went directly to the bar to redeem it. That seemed to get the night off to a great start.

A little after ten o'clock the family started arriving. Michael came with Ben, kissed Brian and said the place looked incredible. Emmett arrived and congratulated both Ted and Brian. He then whisked Ted onto the dance floor. Debbie and Carl swept in and proceeded to dance, much to the chagrin of all present. Debbie beamed with pride at Brian. She was also very proud of her current beau who proceeded to shake his booty with the best of them. Lindsay and Melanie arrived last, having had trouble getting Gus to sleep before they could leave. Gus was adamant that he wanted to go see his Daddy's new place, and nothing they said seemed to placate him. They said they would get Brian to come visit him the next day and finally he cried himself to sleep. Only then could they leave him with the babysitter.

The club was packed and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Michael even managed to get Brian out onto the dance floor. Brian had been wandering the club keeping an eye on his investment, but he finally gave in to Michael and danced with him.

As they walked back to the bar, Brian noticed a familiar face smiling at him.

"Justin, what are you doing here?" Brian asked.

"I hear this is the hottest club with the hottest guys, so how could I pass it up?"

"You definitely shouldn't," Brian smirked.

Michael watched the two men and wondered what was going on. He'd never seen this blond before. "Brian?" he said.

"Order me a drink, Mikey. I'll be along in a minute."

Reluctantly Michael walked away, but he couldn't help a backward look at the blond. Who the fuck was this guy? Brian seemed more than interested and very civil. This wasn't at all the way Brian acted around a trick.

"Your friend seems to have a problem with me," Justin chuckled.

"My friend has a problem with everybody that…" Brian stopped there not sure how to finish that sentence. He had been going to say that Michael had a problem with everybody that he was interested in, but he thought better of it. He wasn't sure he wanted Justin to know that he was interested, although how he could not know was incomprehensible. It was just that Brian couldn't act on it.

"Care to finish that statement?" Justin asked.

Brian shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"Then come dance with me."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Remember we danced the night you invited me here."

"I … I also left you here alone."

"I'm a big boy. I can look after myself, and I can also select my dancing partners. I select you." Justin beamed his best smile.

"You do, huh?" Brian stuck his tongue in his cheek.

"Come on. I want to dance." Justin grabbed Brian's hand and it didn't take much to get him back onto the dance floor. They swayed and moved together, Brian trying to make sure that he kept some distance, no matter how minute, between them.

When the song was over, Brian said, "Michael has a drink waiting for me."

Justin's face fell before he could stop it. "Sure, you go ahead. I didn't mean to take you away from your friend."

"You didn't. Join me for a drink," Brian said not wanting to let Justin go yet.

Justin's smile immediately reappeared. "I'd love to."

They walked over to the bar where Brian introduced Justin to his friends. They were very interested in this person that they had never seen before. They watched Brian and how he treated the man. It was a mystery waiting to be solved.

Brian quickly polished off his drink and grabbed Justin's hand. "How about another dance?"

"Sure," Justin smiled leaving his beer on the bar. He'd rather dance with Brian.

This time Justin pulled Brian close and they ground against each other. Justin could feel Brian grow hard just like he already was.

"I want you," Justin whispered in Brian's ear.

Brian was almost ready to take Justin up on that offer when a familiar but totally unexpected voice said, "Look what I've found, Keith. If it isn't the once and always Brian fucking Kinney."

"Garnet," Brian said trying to keep his face impassive. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Brian could hear the slight tremor in his voice and it irritated the hell out of him.

"Same thing you are, I'm sure, testing out the new and improved Babylon. Babylon is where Keith and I met."

"How sweet!" Brian replied, the bitterness clear in his voice.

"Keith just moved in with me. He's perfect," Garnet gloated implying that somehow Brian wasn't.

"Congratulations," Brian said flatly hoping that Justin didn't see him flinch.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your little friend?" Garnet grinned.

"No," Brian said and turned away.

"You should know," Garnet said in a voice loud enough to be heard even over the music, "he's not all he's cracked up to be." And then Garnet and Keith laughed loud and long before walking away without a backward glance.

Brian stood like he was bolted to the dance floor. Justin raised his hand and touched Brian's arm.

"I'm sorry, Brian," he said gently.

"What the fuck are you sorry for? I'm the idiot that was in a fucking relationship with him."

"Brian…"

"I have to go." Brian picked up one of his uncooperative feet and placed it ahead of the other. Once he got moving it was all he could do not to run from Babylon, but he managed to walk swiftly and decisively to the exit. By the time he reached his car the tears were running down his face. He just couldn't stop them. Garnet had managed to ruin his big night … and Justin … and everything.

He climbed into the car and gunned it out of his spot. An oncoming car managed to slam on its brakes in time, but Brian wished it had hit him, wished it had fucking killed him.