Opposites Attract

Chapter 3





“Schmidt! Get your ass into my office,” Brian bellowed as he made his way down the hall to his inner sanctum the next morning.

Ted hustled in right behind Brian. “Boss, I’m sorry, I was just trying to help…”

“You’re fired.”

“Fired? But…”

“You heard me. Get your shit and get the fuck out of here!” Brian ordered, his eyes shooting daggers at his hapless friend.

“But, I was just trying to help you and Justin…” Ted attempted to explain.

“You should understand once and for all that there is no Justin and me, and secondly that I do not tolerate having my business discussed with anyone outside this office. Get out!”

“Okay, okay,” Ted said hanging his head. “I’m sorry that…”

“Sorry is bullshit! And I don’t want to hear any bullshit from you or anyone else. Do you fucking understand me?”

Ted bit his lip and merely nodded before leaving Brian’s office to go to his own to pack up his belongings. He had no idea what he was going to do beyond that. Justin had called to warn him that he had let slip what Ted had told him about Brian’s conversation with Lindsay. Justin had hoped that being forewarned Ted could do something to avoid exactly what had happened. Justin’s warnings aside, Ted hadn’t been able to get a word in.

“Cynthia!” Brian yelled. “Get in here.”

“Yes, Brian, what can I do for you?” Cynthia asked, her face drawn and worried. She had never seen Brian this furious. He had just fired his friend and confidant, fired him in a manner that the whole of Kinnetik had been sure to hear.

“Get me some fucking résumés for accountants or CFO’s or whatever the fuck the job was that Schmidt supposedly did.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he wanted résumés for potential friends too, but she thought better of saying it. In the mood that Brian was in, she might be joining Ted on the unemployment line. “I’ll see what I can come up with.”

“Make it good!” Brian said with a glare that would make an ordinary mortal quake in her shoes.

With her head held high, Cynthia managed to keep her knees from buckling long enough to get out of Brian’s office and back to her desk. She had just slumped into her chair when Ted came down the hall carrying a cardboard box with his meager belongings packed inside.

“Ted…” Cynthia began, but she didn’t know what to say to him.

Ted gave her a wan smile. “I deserve this. I should have kept my fucking mouth shut.”

“Maybe he’ll change his mind when he has a chance to cool off.”

Ted shook his head. He knew that was extremely unlikely. What he had done was betray Brian’s confidence, and that was one thing Brian Kinney wouldn’t stand for. Even if he had been trying to help Brian by helping Justin, he should have known better than to say anything. He had no one to blame but himself.

“Bye, Cynthia,” Ted said sadly. “I enjoyed working with you.”

“Me too, Ted,” Cynthia replied as Ted headed down the hall to the main door of Kinnetik. She pressed a button on her computer, preparing to look at all the résumés she had scanned in there since Kinnetik had opened its doors.



*****



Brian sat at his desk rubbing his fingers against his temples. He had a colossal headache, one which had grown exponentially since his conversation on the phone with Justin. Now he had just fired his friend and business associate. His fucking life was a piece of shit.

He had seen Ted pass by his office door carrying his cardboard box. A part of him had wanted to call out for Ted to wait – that he had changed his mind. But he knew he couldn’t do that, not after Ted’s betrayal. Justin Taylor was out of his life, and it was time that they all accepted that, Ted and Justin included.

Brian really wanted a drink or a snort, but being at the office, the next best thing was copious quantities of coffee. He pushed the button on the intercom and ordered coffee. Cynthia appeared a minute later carrying a mug of his special brew. She set it on his desk and turned to walk away.

“Wait,” Brian commanded. Cynthia stopped and turned to face her boss. “I know you’re pissed that I fired Ted, but it had to be done.”

Cynthia snorted. “Right,” she said, and Brian could hear the sarcasm in her voice.

“I don’t need any comments from you.”

“Then don’t try to justify what you’ve done.”

“I’m not.”

“Good.” Cynthia turned to leave once again, hoping that she had made her point.

“Um…”

“Yes?” Cynthia asked glancing back.

“Was there a package or an envelope on the doorstep this morning?”

“No, just the one from yesterday.”

“Oh,” Brian replied. He had been half expecting another gift from Justin. Maybe his unfortunate slip on the phone had caused Justin to reevaluate his plan of attack … or maybe, with any luck at all, Justin had canceled all his insidious plans.

“Were you expecting something?”

“No,” Brian said.

“Then I’ll get back to work, searching for a new CFO to replace the one who is irreplaceable,” Cynthia flung over her shoulder as she marched towards the door. She quickly left the office before Brian could say anything more.

Brian went about the work he had lined up for that day. His mind continued to wander to Justin, to the meaning of the gifts, to that fucking acronym, to what he had done to Ted. It turned out to be a mostly wasted day. He got little or nothing accomplished.



*****



A little after five p.m. Cynthia came into his office. She laid several sheets of paper in front of him. “These are the most likely candidates to replace Ted. Look them over and let me know which ones I should schedule interviews with.”

“Cynthia…”

“I don’t want to discuss it. Make your selections.”

“Okay.”

“Good, then I’ll be leaving for the day. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, go ahead.”

With a curt nod Cynthia made her exit.

Brian sat at his desk staring at the stack of papers. He had no idea how he was going to replace Ted. There were probably more qualified people in the pile of résumés, but none of them would be able to assist him the way Ted had … especially during his cancer. Ted had really stepped up to the plate when Brian had been so sick. Without Ted’s help Kinnetik might never have got started at all. It could have failed that night when Ted was finally able to crack Wertschafter’s code and transfer the money to save the Remsen account.

Why couldn’t bloody Justin Taylor have stayed in New York where he was supposed to be? Why did he have to come back and stir everything up? Things had been going along … all right. Now his life and his business were both in a fucking shambles. Brian felt like breaking something, smashing everything in his office before it could all be taken away from him.

“I need a drink,” Brian mumbled standing up and stuffing the pile of resumes into his briefcase. Maybe he’d look at them when he got home.

“Where are you, you fucking son of a bitch?”

“What the…?” Brian said with a frown, hearing someone yell those words outside his office.

He headed for the door of his office to see who was creating such a ruckus in the mostly empty building. He came to an abrupt halt as he exited his office. Justin Taylor was standing in the foyer of Kinnetik, hands on his hips, his face an angry mask and his chest heaving with emotion.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Brian demanded.

“I want an explanation, you asshole,” Justin stated emphatically. He was no longer shouting, but the edge in his voice was something Brian had never heard before. New York had really changed the young man.

“An explanation about what?”

“Why the fuck you fired Ted? He was just trying to help me, help both of us.”

“You don’t seem to be able to grasp that neither Ted nor anybody else can help us, because there is no fucking us!”

“How could you fire him like that? Without even a chance for him to explain.”

“What good are explanations?”

“No good … to you, because you’re a colossal asshole.”

“Now that you’ve made that abundantly clear, why don’t you leave?”

“Oh, I’m not nearly finished,” Justin said with a menacing look on his face.

“Yes you are!” Brian growled as he turned and walked back into his office. As he tried to close the door, he felt it shoved back at him.

“Don’t you walk away from me, you son of a bitch!” Justin yelled. “You’re going to listen to me.”

“Am I now?” Brian asked crossing his arms and moving to sit on the edge of his desk. He hoped he looked a lot more nonchalant and uncaring than he really felt.

“I don’t care what you say or do about me. I can take it,” Justin began. “But to do this to Ted who is your right hand man and your friend is … is … inexcusable!”

“Who died and made you chief judge and jury?” Brian asked snidely.

“Nobody died, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like to kill you.”

Brian smirked. He could hear some of the anger fading from Justin’s voice. It took a lot of energy to sustain that level of anger. He knew that from experience. “Well, I suggest you either kill me or leave.”

“Neither of the above. That would let you off too easy.”

Brian snorted. “What the fuck do you want to say?” Brian finally asked with a sigh, since it didn’t seem that he was going to get Justin to leave any other way.

“I want to say that I came back from New York to tell you that I’m done there. I don’t want to be in New York anymore. I hate it there. I love you, you fucking asshole, and this is where I want to be.”

Brian felt the words sweep over him. This is what he’d been waiting for. As much as he would deny it, he had hoped ever since Justin left that he would return. He had hoped that it would be a triumphant return for Justin, but he would take any kind of return. And now apparently Justin was back … for good. But it wasn’t supposed to be like this. Brian wanted Justin to have every success that was open to him. He couldn’t let Justin give up before he achieved that success.

Deciding that he would try one more time to get Justin to go back to New York, he adopted his most scathing tone of voice. “Is that supposed to be a proposal, because it’s the most fucked up one I’ve ever heard?” Brian scoffed. He could still push Justin away before it was too late.

“I wouldn’t presume to propose to the high and mighty Brian Kinney. I’m just a poor, lowly, starving artist. But I want you to know that I still love you and Pittsburgh is where I want to be.”

“You always were a quitter – me, Ian, PIFA…”

Justin felt like Brian had slapped him in the face. “You … you think I quit?” he managed to get out, his voice trembling. How could Brian say this to him … even if there was a grain of truth in his words?

“Justin, I don’t want to have this conversation. It’s over, has been ever since you left…”

“Then why did you come to New York that time? Why did you take me to a fancy hotel and fuck me senseless?”

“Let’s just say it was for old times sake. But now it’s over and done.”

“Brian…?”

“I know it’s hard to hear, but…”

“You really want me gone, don’t you?” Justin asked his voice cracking as the realization of what Brian was telling him finally sunk in.

Brian nodded. “I think that’s best … for both of us,” he said in measured tones. That wasn’t how he felt at all, but he couldn’t let Justin know how his heart had soared when Justin said he was back for good and still wanted him.

Justin’s face showed all the hurt Brian’s words had caused. Tears welled in his eyes, his cheeks burned with embarrassment and his breathing came quick and sharp. He stared at Brian with horror written all over his face.

Brian wanted to reach out and grab Justin, pull him into his arms and tell him that his words were all a lie, a lie that was supposed to be helping Justin with his fucking career. Brian’s hand came up from the edge of the desk which he had been gripping with all the force he could muster. As he started to reach for his former lover, he made a colossal act of will. He pointed to the door.

“Go, Justin,” he said, hoping the kid would leave before they both totally fell apart.

Justin took a step back like Brian had struck him. Then he hesitated and drew in a deep breath. He marched over to the desk and grabbed Brian behind the head. His fingers dug into the soft brown hair, deep and deeper until he pressed against Brian’s skull. With a not so gentle push he forced Brian’s lips towards him. He captured those lips in a kiss that was deep and demanding and … hot. He poured all his longing for Brian into that kiss. He tried to make Brian feel his loneliness at being so far away from him when the man was all he really wanted or needed. The kiss went on and on, and to Justin’s surprise Brian didn’t push him away. He didn’t exactly participate in the kiss, at least not at first, but he didn’t try to stop it either. Justin felt a glimmer of hope erupt in his heart. Maybe he could get through to Brian after all. He continued the kiss seeking to tell Brian everything he wanted him to know, just from the pressure of his lips.

Brian felt himself drowning in Justin’s kiss. He had missed this for so many weeks. Nothing, no one, could do to his body what Justin Taylor did. Brian held back as much as he could manage, letting Justin pour all his need and longing into him through their locked lips. He wanted to respond but he fought it as long as he could. Then Justin’s tongue sought entrance to his mouth and Brian gave in.

Justin felt like he was climbing inside Brian as the kiss progressed. His tongue sought all the familiar places inside Brian’s mouth, all the places that Justin knew so well. He released the back of Brian’s head and wrapped his arms around Brian’s neck.

That was his mistake. He felt Brian draw back and then push him away. “We can’t do this,” Brian gasped.

“Sure we can.”

“No, you need to go.”

Justin leaned back to stare into Brian’s eyes, his arms still linked around the back of Brian’s neck. He saw that Brian really meant that Justin should leave.

“I’ll go, if you’ll promise me something,” Justin said continuing to stare into Brian’s eyes.

“I…”

“Take Ted back. This isn’t his fault,” Justin said softly.

“I don’t think…”

“Don’t think, Brian,” Justin ordered. “Give him his job back. Please!”

“I…”

“Think about it. I won’t make you promise now, just think about it,” Justin said releasing Brian from the death grip he had held on the man. “I’m going.”

“Good,” Brian replied trying to sound callous, but all it sounded was sad.

“And expect some more messages from me. I won’t quit until you figure out what that acronym means.”

“Justin…” Brian began shaking his head and staring at the floor while he tried to recover his equilibrium. When he looked up, Justin Taylor had left the building.