CHAPTER EIGHT

 THE EX-FACTOR

(May 12th 2005)

Fool's Gold

"DAMMIT! I can't believe I didn't see this shit coming!" Ethan Gold paced the floor of his top floor condominium. Or what used to be his at any rate. The thirty-day eviction notice he held in his hand care of Kinnetik Corporation was just another nail in the proverbial coffin of unpaid bills and financial ruin thanks to Mr. Brian Kinney. "Fucker," he growled as he slammed the notice on top of the steadily growing pile.

He thought back over the cause of his current misery...Jonas Monroe. He should never have entered into domestic partnership with him. He'd had his doubts from the beginning. His career was going great at the time, things were looking up. There wasn't a reason to keep sneaking around because Jonas had finally left that idiot Brian behind. They had enough in their individual savings and Jonas even got to keep his condo. Or so Ethan thought. Brian Kinney- that ever present thorn in Ethan Gold's flesh- had withdrawn his hand from everything that touched Jonas. His business. His insurances. Hell Ethan had to even pay funeral costs so that Jonas could be buried in an actual plot instead of a community burial ground. It had wiped out all of what Jonas had left him and half of his own savings...money which could have been better spent right now finding him a decent place to live instead of the shit hole Jonas had moved him in from. But he owed Jonas that much. When he called to tell Brian of his ex-lover's death and to ask for his financial help back in January, the man on the phone just laughed and told him it wasn't his problem. Now this. Well it was time Mr. Kinney and he have a chat about responsibility and accountability. It was time he did something for Jonas other than what he'd done prior which was just use him as a convenient cum receptacle.

A half hour later, Ethan stood outside of the enormous steel and glass building known as Kinnetik's headquarters. It was located in the center of Midtown Manhattan and a veritable hub of activity. As he stood there mentally preparing his speech and the ultimatums he was prepared to give, the constant flow of foot traffic to and from the building made him question if he was doing the right thing. It was no secret that he felt Brian should pay- he'd told that to anyone who would listen- but the place reminded him of stories he'd heard about getting into the United Nations building. It was the same situation at the building where the illustrious Mr. Kinney lived. Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself into the heavy glass doors in the hopes that he could finally get the monetary payback due him.

The lobby of the building was as magnificent and imposing as the outside of it. Steel beams ran from one side to the other providing a solid structure while the the rails and walls of every floor was all glass. The ceiling ushered in the natural light from the outside. The only warmth in the austere building was provided by the restaurants teeming with people which could be seen in the back of the lobby, plants and familiar paintings which lined the walls.

Curious, Ethan walked over to them to view the names of the artist. He was surprised they were all from a fellow graduate of the same Art Institute he'd graduated from. Justin Taylor. He remembered him as the shy blond who always had people following him around on campus. No one could get close to him although he himself had tried. Any hot blooded gay male would have since Justin was beautiful as well as talented. Thinking of the luscious blond gave him a hard-on even as he stood there viewing his artwork. There were several rumors as to why the men guarding him were dogged in their jobs but his story still remained a mystery. Ethan wondered what he was doing now and where he was; if he still had those men following him. Perhaps when Brian reimbursed him for what he'd paid in Jonas' expenses, Ethan would seek the elusive Justin Taylor out.

"May I help you, Sir?" the security guard who had been watching Ethan closely asked. He was not the typical type of person to float around the lobby of the multi-million dollar company.

Ethan rolled his eyes at being interrupted from his fanciful daydream of the most desirable blond. "Yes. I'm here to see Brian Kinney," he said without preamble, barely concealing the disdain from his voice.

It didn't go unnoticed by the guard who looked the man before him up and down. "While you hand me your identification, I will call up and see if he is available. I just need your name and the nature of your business."

"Ethan Gold and it's personal," he responded hotly. What the fuck does he think this is? The White House? Ethan yanked his wallet out of his back pocket, annoyance evident in his posture as the security guard got on the phone.

"Hello, Marcy, it's Phillip. Yeah everything is going okay. And the kids are fine, how are yours?" Phillip knew he was pissing the little impatient imp in front of him off but he didn't care. He knew Brian wasn't in the office but Ted had already given him the warning about Ethan Gold possibly coming into the building. If it was up to Phillip, he would have tossed the twerp back out onto the sidewalk and had done with it. But that was Ted's call as acting CEO to make. "Okay, I'll send him up."

"It's about time," Ethan whined. His patience was already short and his time was being wasted in the lobby there with Robocop.

Phillip chose to move even slower on purpose while logging Ethan's information into the computer. He could've done it in all of fifteen seconds but the young man's sense of entitlement was pissing him off. Plus Ted was on the phone with the Pittsburgh office to advise about Ethan's visit. He handed back the ID to the unkempt man, resisting the urge to immediately pump out some of the antibacterial gel next to the computer. "Take the last elevator on your left to the twentieth floor, Mr. Gold. It will take you to the Executive offices."

Without so much as a ‘thank you,' Ethan moved passed the guard in a hurry. Phillip sent a quick instant message to Marcy and Ted warning them to have a guard on standby since it was evident Mr. Gold's visit could get ugly. Watching the young man get into the elevator, Phillip began to clean and sanitize both his hands and his desk wishing he could be at the outcome of that meeting.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sins of the Father

James Harrison Stockwell- or Jim to his intimates- sat reading over the original contract between Taylor Electronics and James Financial and he could only wonder what the hell went through Craig Taylor's head when he agreed to it. No, he wasn't the most honest of businessmen- to get where he was, he couldn't exactly afford to be- but he drew the line at using his family for personal gain. The contract, though vaguely written in some areas, basically showed the lengths Craig had been willing to go to keep his family's company which included basically selling his own son into slavery. James was well aware of Connor James and that the man didn't have any scruples when it came to getting what he wanted. Based on the amount used to bail Craig out of debt, he must have wanted Justin Taylor a lot but what he couldn't figure out was why. The man seated before him knew the answer but he wasn't talking.

"Well Craig, it looks like the offer I made to your ex-wife for Taylor Electronics may be accepted. She said she needed a few days to think about it which she would do while on her trip," Jim said evenly while still perusing the contents of the contract.

"That's good. And you will resell it to me once you get it back, right?" Craig smiled widely when he thought of thwarting Jennifer. He had waited all these years to have his company back in his possession. He was so close, he could taste it.

"It's what we discussed. But I'm still curious about how Justin fit into all of this."

"Justin was my insurance policy, nothing more," Craig answered vaguely. He was concerned about what would happen once the contract was up. During his last conversation with Connor a year ago, he said that he planned to keep Justin permanently. That solved a major problem for Craig, especially financially since it would keep Justin from being able to influence Jennifer from his maneuvers. The one thing his faggot son excelled at was business. He would be able to see Craig's hand all through the carefully worded contract James had given to Jennifer before her departure. He brought his attention back to his current meeting with his longtime friend and business adviser.

"Insurance for what exactly, Craig? According to this, Justin was an extra bonus to the repayment. It was almost like you threw them a bone."

"Can I be honest, Jim?" Craig asked even though he had every intention but to be so. "At the time, that was the only way we would be able to pay for Justin's education at the Art Institute. He'd received several scholarships from schools like Dartmouth, Penn State and Brown but it would have been a waste to accept them. He's a fucking genius when it comes to business marketing and finance. The business plan he came up with before I entered into the agreement with the James Brothers was just beginning to turn a nice profit but we were still heavy in debt. He's a very talented artist who deserved the chance to really study and hone his craft. This was the only way we could give him that."

Jim looked at Craig trying to figure out if he was really buying his story. On one hand, it made sense since James Stockwell was a fan of Justin's work. He really had a knack for making the viewer feel the mood he was in when he painted a piece. However, certain other things weren't adding up. If the business plan was working as Craig said- and it was based on the reports that Taylor still used Justin's ideas which was keeping the company lucrative- then why not have Justin put off school for a year? Why basically sell him to the highest bidder? There was more to the story but Jim decided to let him keep his secrets...for now. Closing his copy of the contract, Jim said, "Well Craig, now all we have to do is wait on Jennifer and by this time next month, you could be back in your old office."

"I hope so. Madison has not taken well to living on a budget. We always seem to be running out of things with three small children under foot."

Jim nodded. "I remember those days well. Junior especially seemed to grow out of everything the week after he wore it. The wife's monthly allowance definitely wasn't enough to keep up."

"But now look at you, big CEO of your own conglomerate and living your dream all the way back from college. I remember our late night conversations even if we were drunk half the time."

Jim laughed. "Yeah. Good years at Dartmouth."

They both grew silent for a time lost in memories. Craig had met Jennifer and married her upon graduation since he was taking over the family business. At their wedding, Jim had met his future bride and married six months later. Who knew that Craig and Jennifer who had known each other since their second year of college would be divorced while Jim and his wife would still be going strong and still in love all these years later. Life was weird that way though. Even though Jim had his occasional affairs, he still loved his wife. She was one of those rare women who understood that love and lust had little or nothing to do with each other. He was just lucky she opted not to seek out an affair of her own.

"Jim, once I get the company back, can you help me start my own conglomerate?"

"Why now? When I offered some years ago, you had no interests in expanding your empire so why the change of heart?"

"Because I never want to be in this type of position again."

"Treat your family right, especially Madison and don't get divorced again then you won't have to," Jim answered seriously.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ignorance Isn't Bliss

Ethan was even more blown away by the inner sanctum of the Executive offices of Kinnetik. More of Justin Taylor's artwork was displayed and again he thought what a pity he wouldn't get to meet the young artist or afford his work. Ethan was a sucker for beautiful things and had always enjoyed the finer things in life. Having Justin in his bed and his artwork to supplement Ethan's income would have been a nice payoff. There was no doubt in Ethan's mind that his artwork, even as a relative newcomer to the art world, that Justin Taylor was raking in a lot of dough...much more than his appearances as the prinicpal chair in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra where he played. He wondered what his connection was to Kinney the reason so many of his works were displayed.

"May I help you?" said a feminine voice from behind him while he once again found himself drawn into one of Justin's paintings.

The lady was probably in her mid-to-upper thirties with the most striking combination of black hair and blue eyes he'd ever seen. Although Ethan was gay, his agent and record company deflected all allusions to such which of course helped his record sales and appearances. Admittedly, he expected Kinney would have had someone older minding his front office not this attractive youngish lady. Turning on the charm Ethan responded, "Yes, I'm here to see Brian Kinney. My name is Ethan Gold."

"Mr. Kinney doesn't see anyone without an appointment," she said. For her part, Marcy Seabrook wasn't a fool. A Brooklyn-born native, she was used to all sorts of people and vermin. Looking at Ethan Gold over the rim of her glasses, she instantly labeled him as a two-legged sewer rat- the kind of man one would never think was scary until up close and personal with him. She didn't like the looks of him at all.

"That's beside the point, Miss," Ethan said, his patience instantly blown by her resistance. "I demand to see Kinney. Now. Right Now. This second. We have important matters to discuss and I haven't got all day."

Marcy remained unruffled by his display of temper. In fact she wanted to break out laughing at his attempt to be stern with her. Working for Brian Kinney, one got used to it. She was saved from further comment when the door to the CEO suite opened.

"Marcy, is there a problem?" Ted peeked his head out.

"No problem unless you count this...person." She pointed toward Ethan in a nonchalant way. She could tell he wanted to say something but refrained when Ted turned his gaze on him.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"This is Ethan Gold," she said barely keeping the contempt from her voice. She knew all about Brian's former relationship with Jonas and Ethan's part in breaking it up. To her, the loss of Jonas Monroe wasn't a great; she was thankful it wasn't to her boss either. He was a pompous, arrogant prick much like the asshole in front of her. 

"I know who he is." Ted extended his hand. "I caught some of your earlier work, especially your renditions when you were strictly playing Paganini. Very good job."

Ethan looked smugly at Marcy. "Thank you. As for the problem, I have business to discuss with Brian. May I see him now?"

Ted invited him into the office. As Ethan passed him, he winked at Marcy who in turn smiled back. She would call security the minute the door closed. Already apprised of the situation and what Brian wanted done regarding the condo where Ethan Gold was residing, Ted was advised to oversee the matter in full. "Have a seat, Mr. Gold."

Ethan was once again losing patience but was reluctant to say anything when Ted took the seat behind the massive mahogany desk. "Where's Brian? My business with him is of a personal nature."

Ted cleared his throat and took a sip of his coffee. "Mr. Gold, it's obvious that Mr. Kinney isn't here. However, I'd like to introduce you to the gentleman sitting next to you. This is Donovan Davis, Mr. Kinney's personal and one of Kinnetik's attorneys. I take it you received your eviction notice today?"

Ethan jumped out of his seat, leaning over the desk. Saying through gritted teeth, "I don't know what kind of game you people are playing here but again this is a personal matter between Brian and I. I will not be put out of my home based on some vendetta about me stealing Jonas from him."

Ted laughed lightly. "First, let's be clear, you didn't steal Jonas away from Brian. You don't have that kind of power; Brian simply let him go. There is a big difference. Secondly, you will move out within the next thirty days, Mr. Gold. The condo- in fact the entire building- belongs to Mr. Brian Kinney. You have been living there for the last five months without paying both mortgage and maintenance. He was very gracious in letting you stay since the original terms were to evict you after sixty days of nonpayment and the mortgage was not in your name. Therefore, Mr. Kinney has now exercised his right as the building's owner to evict you. It was all there in black and white. Didn't you read the notice?"

"You can tell your boss that he can go to hell. I'm NOT leaving."

"Well if that's the way you feel about it, Mr. Gold, I can't stop you. However, I would advise you to get a really good attorney who specializes in housing law. Mr. Kinney is well within his rights and he's even giving you an extra thirty days to find a place to live. If you choose to take him to court, you will lose."

Ted watched as the words finally began to sink into Ethan's brain. Originally when Brian told him to have Donovan draw up the eviction notice, Ted thought that perhaps Brian should have sent warning letters beforehand to the young man since Jonas had died. Brian then explained the phone call he'd received on the night of Jonas' demise, a story Brian hadn't shared with anyone since his return trip from Pittsburgh back in January, and Ted then began to see the opportunistic young man for what he was. Looking at him standing in the office, Ted could understand why Brian wasn't prepared to show the pretentious musician any goodwill. He was arrogant, churlish and quite frankly a brat with a sense of entitlement. Brian wanted all ties cut to the life he had with Jonas; this was the last one.

"Fine," Ethan said, flouncing back into the seat. But Brian owes me money."

"Whatever for?" Ted asked, genuinely confused. There weren't any outstanding expenses Brian was responsible for in reference to Jonas.

"What for? I'll tell you what for, Ted," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "All of Jonas' final expenses have been on me including his funeral, past bills and other expenses. I've had to use my savings to cover them."

It was Donovan's turn to laugh. He'd been sitting silent and expecting this subject to be brought up. Brian had called him and expressly told him to be on the alert for Ethan's arrival. Before Brian had broken it off with Jonas, Donovan was the one to make sure that Brian's name was completely free and clear of all of Jonas' accounts in reference to his business and personal life. Brian had bought the building even before he and Jonas broke up in order to break into the real estate market. Since Brian Kinney was a man all about acquisition, he wouldn't have taken on a project or given free will to a cause without a return which would benefit him in the long term. "Ethan, you and I both know that Brian doesn't owe you anything. He doesn't even owe you the month he is giving you to find yourself someplace else to live. As I'm sure he explained to you before when Jonas first died, since you are his legal and domestic partner, it was your responsibility to take care of matters...NOT his. If you try to pursue this avenue further, I will file several papers on his behalf including a restraining order in regards to his businesses, person and home."

 "You can't do this to me," Ethan threatened.

 "Can, will and am doing, Mr. Gold," Donovan said in a wry manner. He really wanted to smack some sense into the young man and was struggling to maintain his professional demeanor. Ethan was a gold digger of the first order but he would be damned if he would let his employer and sometimes friend suffer for this young man's greed. "I think it's time to call an end to this meeting, Ted. We have another meeting in less than one half hour."

Ted nodded in response. He also needed to call Brian back with an update. "Mr. Gold, please be advised that there will not be an extension given on the time frame in which you have to vacate the premises. Six months is a long time and quite honestly, you should have been looking for a place of your own long since. It was not Mr. Monroe's place to leave you property that wasn't his to begin with. I wish you well in your future endeavors but right now it is time for you to leave."

Ethan watched helplessly as Ted dialed the phone and the office door opened. Phillip, the original security guard which had signed him in, awaited him in the open door frame. Ethan looked back again, feeling dejected but they had him by the short hairs and he knew it. But he couldn't resist one last parting shot. "This isn't the last you've seen of me."

Donovan said spoke for him and Ted. "I'm sure we'll see you on a stage somewhere eventually, Mr. Gold but inside this building or the one you currently reside in, we won't. Phillip, please note in the system that Mr. Gold is not allowed into any of the Kinnetik offices or facilities again per Mr. Kinney's orders."

Phillip winked. "Yes, sir. Will that be all?"

"For the moment but see me after your break. I have additional work for you," Donovan said.

Once the door closed, Ted went to refill his coffee in the corner. "That went rather well, don't you think?"

Donovan nodded but instantly frowned. "What other trouble do you think he could cause? With the press release in all the major newspapers of the new branch in Pittsburgh launching next week, I don't expect that he won't try something else."

"That's why you asked Phillip to return, isn't it?"

"I have a bad feeling about Ethan Gold. No matter how much of a brat he is, Ted, he's also in a desperate place in his career and you know what that means."

"Desperate men do dumb ass things."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Truth, Dare and Consequences

Craig arrived home at the modest house he'd been living in for the past four years- a far cry from the Brownstone he once shared with Madison. After Jennifer got through with him during the divorce, not only had she gained Taylor Electronics but all the other property Craig had accumulated with and without her knowledge throughout their almost twenty year marriage. To be fair, he deserved it. She had taken a lot of his shit over the years in reference to his affairs. But it wasn't like Jennifer to be so cold to another woman and children regardless of the fact she was the wronged party. It was like their son, Justin though and it wasn't possible for him to be reached in order to guide her decisions. If Craig had his way, it would stay just like that.

Sometimes he wondered how Justin was faring under Connor and Brandon James' rule. He'd heard rumors that he'd been seen around town occasionally in their company. All Craig cared to know beyond that was that the boy was no longer his responsibility. He had a new family and his old one was of no importance, especially his homosexual son. Justin was Craig's greatest disappointment even in his incarceration. It was the pictures and copies of business documents which helped Jennifer during the divorce settlement and he would never forgive Justin the part he played in it. When he asked Jennifer where she'd gotten her information, she stated that she and Daphne found it in Justin's room after he'd told her what he'd done with her son. Bitches. Part of him wished Justin would die- that would surely hurt Jennifer and pay her back for what she'd reduced him to. But Craig was also forced to acknowledge that without his despicable and disgusting seed, there wouldn't be a company for him to fight to regain. He just hoped Jennifer would accept Jim's offer. She'd be a fool not to since he was offering a quart of a million dollars for the company- his company. He and Jim were taking a big gamble relying on Jennifer's wish to be rid of the company. He could only hope she remained in the dark about why Jim was offering for it in the first place.

 It unnerved him that Jim was asking all of those questions about the contract between the James brothers and himself. Craig didn't like having to lie to his friend. In his mind he didn't lie exactly; just omitted very key portions of the truth. James Stockwell knew the truth about Justin's sexuality, everyone did, but he didn't know how that affected Craig. To the outside world, he was a liberal man...except when it came to his family, especially his son. Jim was very family-orientated and Craig was fairly certain that if the real reason he basically sold and disowned Justin came out, Craig could definitely cross him off his list of supporters to regain his business. It didn't matter about Jim's own business dealings both legal and illegal. What mattered was that Craig could get back to the life he was accustomed to living. He was tired of having just enough to keep the roof over their heads, the electricity on so the kids could watch the idiot tube called the television and shop for groceries according to his paycheck. Tired of living hand-to-mouth on a fifty thousand dollar a year salary. 

At first, he and Madison looked at it like an adventure but then reality set in. She had suggested several times that maybe it was time to move out of the city but he wouldn't hear of it. What the hell would he do in the suburbs? Manhattan was close to everything he needed to be close to: his business despite the fact that Jennifer owned it for now, his contacts like Jim and the Hobbs family, his mistress, Angel, who no one knew about. No, he couldn't leave Manhattan at all. And if everything went according to Jim's plan, he wouldn't have to. As far as Justin went, he was on his own. Hopefully Connor would find a way to keep him long after the contract was up. It would be one less thing to come back to bite Craig in the ass.