Brian shrugged off the hand Michael laid on his shoulder. He didn’t want to hurt his best friend’s feelings, but he was getting a little irritated at the way Mikey was always hovering over him whenever they were together. This was only the third time, since leaving the hospital that Brian wanted to visit his favorite old haunt, Babylon. The first couple of times he tried to visit the dance club, it had disturbed him when he unexpectedly felt freaked out by the large crowds and noise. It was so out of character for him. Normally he basked in all the attention he received at Babylon, but this time was different. Many of the men crowded around him, asking all sorts of invasive questions about the bashing, making him feel like a freak on display. Tonight, he called on his favorite companions to join him at Babylon, because Brian had no intention of letting that miserable verdict at Hobbs’ trial keep him from getting back to his old life.
Brian literally could not remember the last time he had fucked a trick. He was determined to find a good candidate for a hot session tonight, but it didn’t help having Michael hanging on to him, as if to protect him from harm. He sure as Hell didn’t need a cock-blocker or bodyguard either.
“Damn it, Mikey, I’m not a fucking invalid. Why don’t you go and find yourself a trick all your own and leave me to my own devices? Or are you still being faithful to the good Doc, even though you show no signs of being in a hurry to return to Oregon?”
“David understands that I’m needed more right here for now. Hell, Ma has been a basket case ever since that terrible night. I need to be here for her. And I know you’re not an invalid. I just don’t want to see you rush into things before you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Auntie Mikey, but I think I know better than anyone if I’m ready or not. Maybe I’m not quite ready to hear about all the things I’ve forgotten during this last year, but I am ready to get back to normal. Now, I’m going into the backroom and see what I can scare up. I’ll see you later.”
With that, Brian stepped away from Michael and made his way through the dancing throng, heading for the back-room. After Brian’s reaction from his first couple of visits, the Babylon regulars got the hint and let him pass without disturbing his progress. Michael was smart enough to hang back, waiting for Emmett and Ted to come off the dance floor. Ted was still trying to get over his break-up with Blake, by dancing with anyone who would ask him, and Emmett was simply being Emmett. Meanwhile, Brian stepped through the door to the backroom and moved past the bodies lining the walls, or stretched out on couches. Everyone was either already engaged in one sex act or another, or they were obviously on the lookout for the best hook-up. It felt familiar, yet strangely discomforting for Brian. There was no way, however, that he was going to let this foreign feeling distract him from his goal.
Brian finally found an empty spot along the wall and rested his back against it. It only took a few seconds for a tall well-built young man in his mid to late twenties to approach him. The stranger had dark curly hair and was clean-shaven except for a neatly trimmed moustache. He was approximately the same height as Brian with an olive complexion. The trick stepped up to Brian and leaned forward, both hands on either side of Brian’s head. He started to move forward, aiming for Brian’s mouth. Instinctively Brian twisted his head, avoiding connection. He didn’t stop right then to wonder why he had done that. He had never had a problem with kissing before. His trick got the message and pulled back. This time he reached down for Brian’s belt and loosened it. He then went to work unzipping Brian’s pants. Brian’s head fell back against the wall and he closed his eyes tightly.
For the next six or seven minutes, Brian let himself enjoy all the sexual feelings he had been missing for so long. The guy was moving rather quickly, so Brian found himself peaking in no time. Just as he felt his release tipping on the edge, Brian opened his eyes and looked down at the head bobbing below him. The image startled Brian so badly that he found himself jerking away from the hungry mouth engulfing him. That, in turn, startled his trick.
“What the fuck?” he asked with swollen lips. “Did I do something wrong?”
Brian hurriedly tucked himself back into his pants and zipped up.
“Look, forget it.” He paused. “Just try covering your teeth a little better next time,” he growled.
Brian quickly moved off to the exit from the backroom, never looking back to see the confusion, along with a great deal of irritation, on the poor man’s face. It was only when he was safely back in the cavernous dance club, did Brian stop to analyze what had just happened. It had to be a trick of the eye, he told himself… probably just the lighting, or lack thereof, in the room. Yet he still couldn’t banish the image of a fair-haired, light-skinned, totally clean-shaven young man from his brain. Brian’s head began to ache again. That kept on happening lately, and he was getting mighty tired of it. This headache was enough for him to call it a day. He’d find his friends and see if they were ready to leave. If not, he’d leave on his own. He wanted to get back to his loft. Somehow he always felt more grounded there than anywhere else.
***********************************
Jennifer Taylor felt such enormous relief. She wasn’t certain how Justin would react, when she told him about the letter she received in the mail only days after the trial for Chris Hobbs had ended. Justin had already returned to Maine, but she prayed the letter would bring him back. Jennifer hoped so with all her heart. She really didn’t believe that her beloved son would ever heal from his broken heart and feelings of guilt, by staying away. The letter was from PIFA, an acclaimed college for the Fine Arts. With everything that transpired since the night of the Prom, Justin had obviously forgotten how they had put in an application for a scholarship to the Institute before his graduation. It had slipped her mind too. Yet here it was; the welcome letter informing Justin that he was being accepted, starting with the new Semester.
The letter had been addressed to Justin, but Jennifer took it upon herself to open it. If it was a rejection, she had no intention of bringing it up, unless Justin asked about it. However, an acceptance was a different matter entirely. Once she caught her breath and felt she was calm enough, she placed a call to her sister’s house. When she first gave Justin the good news, there was a lot of dead air on the phone. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head. He had wanted to attend the school for as long as she could remember. They had never mentioned it to Craig, Justin’s dad, because they both knew he wouldn’t approve. They also knew that a scholarship would be the only way he could attend, because Craig would never shell out the money for it, especially after she filed for divorce. Craig went out of his way to blame Justin for the failure of his marriage, failing to take any personal responsibility for its demise at all. She was certain, when Justin hesitated to be excited about winning the scholarship, it had everything to do with Brian. Finally, after an agonizing minute passed, Justin responded to her news.
“When do they need an answer, Mom?” he asked.
“Right away, Justin, but surely there is no question about your accepting it! This is what you have been dreaming of. You are going to be a great artist someday; you already have natural talent. All you need is professional training and there will be no stopping you.”
“I know, Mom, but….”
“There are no buts, Justin. Do you really think that Brian, if he still remembered you, would be happy at you passing up this life changing offer? And what if all his memories of you do return? How do you think he would react, after finding out that you didn’t have the courage to come back home and take on this challenge, despite your fears? Damn it, Justin, Pittsburgh isn’t a tiny little hamlet where you would have no choice but to run into people you know.”
“I know, but…”
“No buts about it. You come back home and live your life the way that Brian would want you to. And if you’re lucky, he’ll capture all the memories that were stolen from him. Then you two can work out your feelings of guilt, which I’ve said before and will say again, are bullshit! Pardon my French!”
Jennifer heard a terse laugh at the other end of the phone.
“All right, all right, Mom. I get your point. You don’t have to drive it home with a sledgehammer. And you are right. I’d be a fool to pass up this chance, and Brian Kinney doesn’t do fools. I’ll get a flight out tomorrow and see you then. I miss you and Molly anyway.”
“And Debbie, and the others?”
“Of course I miss them too, but this doesn’t change anything where they are all concerned. We’ll talk about it more when I get home. And Mom, I love you. Thanks for being there for me.”
“I love you too, Justin.”
Jennifer hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this would be the first step towards getting her old Justin back.
*******************************************
Brian reached out for the body lying on the bed beside him. He pulled the man closer to him, buried his face in hair that smelled so sweet, and yet was totally masculine at the same time. He felt his manhood expanding like a new flower bud, just awakening with the first Spring rain. He could feel the taut youthful skin of his companion, as his fingers began exploring the delicious body in his arms. He reached down and felt how excited his partner was clearly feeling at his touch. Brian’s hunger for his companion grew with each passing second… with kisses that deepened more with each new kiss. The young man turned over onto his stomach, raising his ass high in the air. “Fuck me, fuck me now,” Brian heard his companion tell him. He needed no further encouragement. Brian pushed himself deep inside the stranger. He had no idea who the man was, because his face was deep in shadow throughout their foreplay. Now his face was half buried in the pillow. Just as Brian was about to reach his climax, the stranger twisted his head and stared straight up into Brian’s eyes. Brian gasped, shot his load, and pulled away abruptly. He had seen those light blue eyes before, somewhere. The young man smiled at him in a way that made Brian’s heart skip a beat. He closed his eyes tightly, his heart racing so fast he thought he would faint. And then blackness overcame him.
It was at that moment that Brian awakened. He was lying alone in his big bed. There was a damp spot on the sheet around his groin area. He was perplexed. He hadn’t had a wet dream since his teens. But what puzzled him the most was a lingering feeling that he wanted… no, needed… to remember the details of a dream he knew he had just had. But he couldn’t do it. Whatever had startled him enough to wake him from a deep sleep, it was gone like morning fog on a sizzling hot Summer day. Brian grabbed some tissues from his side table. He wiped himself and his sheet clean, tossed the soiled tissues in the trash, and then settled back into his bed. He hoped the dream would return, and he would remember it this time when he woke up. All he could do, was hope.
To be continued……