Part Six



“Where are we going tonight?” Justin asked one Friday evening. He and Brian had gotten into the habit of making Friday nights an unofficial date night. Most weeks they would go to dinner and then to the Redwood Tavern.



“Your mother wants us to have dinner with her and Molly,” Brian said.



Justin frowned when he heard that. “Since when do you and my mother plan dinners without me in the middle of it? And since when do you agree with me having to badger you or bribe you with promises of sexual favors?”



Brian chuckled. “Since Mother Taylor and I came to an understanding.” When Justin simply stared at Brian, waiting for further explanation, Brian sighed. “We had lunch a couple weeks ago and we talked about everything that’s been going on with Michael, Debbie and the lawsuit. Somehow I found myself spilling my guts about how everyone sort of either decided I was to blame for everything or chose to stay out of it. She was pretty sympathetic.



“Anyway, the result of that conversation is that she sees now that you are my top priority,” Brian continued. “And I think that makes her like me a little more than she already did. And I… I guess I like having her on my side, our side. She’s a smart woman and a lot like you in some ways. So I guess I can tolerate the occasional family dinner.”



“I see,” Justin said as he attempted to process what he had just learned. “I’m glad you two are getting along, but could you give me some warning if we’re going to see her in the future?”



Brian chuckled. “Sure, Sunshine. I’ll make sure you have plenty of time to prepare for any future meetings with Mother Taylor.”



They arrived at Jennifer’s condo and found that there were a number of cars parked by the townhouse. “Are you sure it’s just dinner for the four of us?” Justin asked.



“Not anymore,” Brian said with a look of consternation on his face.



Justin chuckled but let them into the house. There had to be at least ten other people there, besides Molly and Jennifer. Jennifer, broke away from a conversation with a man Justin vaguely recognized to come and greet them. “Brian, Justin. I’m so glad you could come.”



“What’s going on, Mom?” Justin asked after giving his obligatory hug and kiss.



Brian kissed Jennifer’s cheek in greeting before giving her his famous smirk. “Yes, Mother Taylor. Do explain. I understood that we were coming to dinner with you and Molly.”



Jennifer actually had the grace to blush. “Well, that was my original intention, but then I found out that Charlie and Dan were going to be in town and I really wanted you two to meet them. And of course, I didn’t want it to look too contrived, so I thought inviting a few other people along would make things little less pressured.”



“Who are Charlie and Dan?” Justin asked.



“Charlie and Dan are a wonderful couple that I met through Dan’s sister, who was a client of mine last year,” Jennifer explained. “Come on and I’ll introduce you.”



Brian and Justin meekly followed a determined Jennifer over to where two very handsome men were standing near the fireplace in the living room. One was tall with raven black hair and looked like he had to at least be a quarter Native American by his build and coloring. The other man was a bit shorter with light brown hair that he allowed to grow out into soft curls. Both men were fit and Brian would have fucked either of them back in the days when he was still haunting Babylon’s backroom. They both looked to be somewhere around Brian’s age.



“Charlie, Dan, I’d like for you to meet my son Justin and his partner Brian Kinney,” Jennifer said. She oversaw the introductions and then left them to get acquainted on the pretense of seeing to dinner.



Charlie, the taller of the two men, chuckled. “I was sure that Jennifer had ulterior motives when she invited us over. Now I understand what they were.”



“You could enlighten the rest of us,” Dan said with a smile at his partner.



“Dan, this is Brian Kinney,” Charlie said as though his partner should recognize the name. Dan still looked blank and Charlie shook his head in fond exasperation. “Brian Kinney who was once the top exec for Vanguard and took Stockwell to the top of the polls before being ousted and then turning around and toppling him. The Brian Kinney who recently opened Kinnetik with a partner.  Wait, Justin, you’re Brian’s partner in Kinnetik? I assumed that Jennifer meant you were together.”



“We are,” Brian said. “We’re both business partners and life partners.” He ignored the way Justin beamed his description.



Dan, who seemed to finally understand what was happening, smiled. “So you are the infamous Brian Kinney. And Justin that must mean that you were the talent behind those amazing political posters.”



“That’s me, I guess,” Justin said still confused. “Should we know who you are?”



“Jennifer never gave you our full names,” Charlie said. “I’m Charlie Lightfeather and this is my partner Dan O’Brien.” Brian smirked as he recognized the names. “Justin, these two are the force behind Prism Political Marketing.”



“The agency that has basically gotten every major gay candidate that they’ve worked with elected?” Justin asked as he turned from Brian to the two men. “That’s pretty impressive work the two of you do.”



“We do what we can to make sure that the GLBT community is represented,” Dan said. “That’s the only way we’ll ever changes the discriminatory laws that still exist around the country.”



The four men spent time discussing politics and the recent arrest of Jim Stockwell before Jennifer called everyone to the dinner table. Dinner was an interesting event. Justin and Brian discovered that many of the guests were either directly or indirectly involved with gay rights politics. Where Jennifer had met so many influential people, neither Brian nor Justin knew. It did make for some lively debates over the wonderful meal, however.



Once the dinner was over and the guests began to leave, Brian and Justin went back to their earlier talk with Dan and Charlie. This time, the discussion turned toward lighter topics. Charlie and Dan, despite their frequent visits to Dan’s sister, were still unfamiliar with Pittsburgh and its nightlife.



“Brian, we should take them out,” Justin said.



“I have heard much about Liberty Avenue,” Charlie said. “I understand there are some great clubs there.”



Justin and Brian exchanged a look before Justin said, “There are, though we don’t go down there very often any more. We tend to prefer some of the smaller venues away from Liberty Ave these days.”



“But we could make an exception for you,” Brian said. “Just be forewarned that we may run into some of our former friends who are not very happy with us these days.”



“Oh?” Charlie asked.



“It has to do with a lawsuit I filed against Brian’s former childhood friend,” Justin said. “We created a comic book together, but Michael attempted to cheat me out of the profits. It’s a very messy situation, so we removed ourselves from the old hangouts.”



“If you won’t be comfortable, we could go somewhere else,” Dan said.



“No, that’s alright,” Justin said. “Babylon is the best nightclub around. You should experience it at least once.”



With that decided, they all said their goodbyes to Jennifer. Justin promised to call her over the weekend. And then they were on their way toward Liberty Ave. Brian and Justin had driven the roadster, so they rode with Dan and Charlie. The foursome arrived just as Babylon was really starting to gear up. Brian led them past the line waiting at the entrance and with a smile to the bouncer, they were inside.



“I see it pays to know the bouncers,” Dan mused.



“Brian knows pretty much everyone on Liberty Ave,” Justin said dryly. “Or rather, they know him. He was a bit of a legend around here before I came along to destroy his reputation.”



Brian laughed at that and agreed, “I used to be known as the Stud of Liberty Ave and had some rather unique ideas regarding relationships and commitment. Justin changed all that for me without my consent or cooperation. Somehow I ended up in a committed relationship without ever agreeing to anything.”



Dan and Charlie both laughed as Justin led them over to the main bar. Since the gang usually went to the back bar, he thought they might be better off there. He ordered a round for everyone and then distributed the drinks. They watched the crowd and it became obvious that the men around them were surreptitiously watching Brian and Justin. As the foursome talked, there was interest in all of them simply because they were all good looking well-dressed men, but there was special interest in Brian and Justin.



“They’re all watching you,” Charlie commented when there was a break in the conversation.



Brian smirked. “They always do. But it’s worse now because we haven’t been here for a few months. Justin, let’s dance… remind them all what they can’t have anymore.”



Justin grinned and let Brian lead him to the dance floor. Once there, their bodies began to move in sync and the passion between the two men was almost palpable.



“I can see why everyone watches them,” Dan commented as he finished his drink.



“Yes,” Charlie said. “They are quite the sight.”



“Let’s join them,” Dan said and then pulled his partner to the floor.



The night seemed to pass quickly as the four men enjoyed both the music and the company. Justin spotted Emmett once, but the southern man just waved and went about his evening. Ted and his date, Matt, stopped over to say hello at one point and Brian made the introductions. He would never say it to Ted, but Brian was happy that he seemed to be moving on after his melt down last year.



And then Brian spotted Michael. The man had seen them and was headed straight for them. “Brace yourselves for Hurricane Michael.”



Justin grimaced and Dan and Charlie looked intrigued by the warning.



“Brian!” Michael slurred. He was obviously drunk and higher than a kite. Even as he said Brian’s name he latched onto Brian like a clinging vine. Justin had never seen Michael quite this messed up. He was crying even as he began to hump against Brian’s leg. “You love me right? You said we’d always be together. Retire to Florida.”



“I think the boat has sailed on that one, Mikey,” Brian said as he tried to peel Michael off of him. “You need to go home and sober the fuck up.”



“No,” Michael said stubbornly. Justin couldn’t be sure if he was saying he didn’t want to go home or he wouldn’t let go of Brian. Both seemed to be true. “Can’t go there. It’s empty. But you could come with me. You could fuck me.”



“Shit,” Brian muttered before forcefully removing Michael from his personal space and holding him at arm’s length. “That’s never going to happen Mikey. You need to go away now.”



“You need to make him go away,” Michael said nodding towards Justin. “It’s all his fault. Make him go away, Bri.”



“Justin isn’t going anywhere,” Brian said. “You need to get your shit together, Mikey. Go home, sober up.”



There were numerous men around them watching the interplay, ready to relate this latest chapter of the saga to the rest of Liberty Ave.



“It’s all his fault,” Michael repeated belligerently. He turned to Justin, pulling roughly out of Brian’s grasp and nearly toppling over. When he righted himself, he approached Justin. “That fucking basher should have killed you.”



When he took a swing at Justin, nobody was surprised. Brian had, in fact, been waiting for that. So, apparently, had the bouncers. Two of them stepped in front of Justin before Michael could do more than pull back his arm. Brian caught his arm before he could swing. In the end, Michael was escorted from the club with much shouting and crying.



“Sorry about that, Brian,” another of the club employees said. “I’ll talk to Sap and see if we can ban him for a while.”



“Don’t bother on my account,” Brian sighed. “I don’t come here often enough to make it worth the effort.”



“He’s been causing problems for a while now,” the guy said. “Drinks too much and spends all night ranting. He’s gotten into scuffles with a few of the regulars in the last few weeks. He may just get banned anyway. Gary told me he’s already been banned from Woody’s. Anyway, don’t let him keep you and Justin from coming around.”



“We’ll keep it in mind,” Brian told him before turning back to Justin and their guests.



“Sorry about that,” Justin said to Dan and Charlie. “Michael is the guy I’m suing. He used to be Brian’s best friend, but… well, he hates me and has never made that a secret.”



“Why don’t we get out of here,” Brian suggested. “We can go for coffee at the waffle place you like so much, Sunshine. Unless you two want to call it a night?”



Dan smiled. “I love waffles.”



Charlie groaned. “You had to mention food.”



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At the restaurant, Brian and Charlie watched with horror as Justin and Dan scarfed down plates of waffles, eggs, a variety of breakfast meats and a milkshake a piece.



“I love this place,” Dan said as he wiped his face and pushed his empty plate aside.



“I know,” Justin said. “You should try their disco fries sometime.”



“Disco fries?” Charlie asked.



“They melt mozzarella cheese over steak fries and then pour brown gravy over the top,” Justin said.



Brian and Charlie both groaned at the thought of all that cholesterol on one plate, but Dan looked intrigued. “Maybe we should get an order. Just so I could try them.”



“Absolutely not,” Charlie said. “If I have to watch you eat that, I might just have a heart attack out of sympathy for your arteries.”



Brian laughed but had to agree with Charlie. “I hate watching Justin eat that shit.”



“That’s why you always steal some when I order them,” Justin said.



“Well, I can’t let you eat them all,” Brian said. “I like having you around.”



Justin grinned and gave Brian a kiss as a reward. He turned back to Charlie and Dan. “So, you never said why the two of you are in town.”



“We’ve actually been considering moving up here,” Charlie confessed. “Most of our contacts are based in DC, but we actually travel extensively for our work and can really be based anywhere. DC has become rather oppressive lately. It’s almost impossible to have a life away from work when we’re there.”



“So, since Diane lives here, and we’ve really liked the city the few times we’ve visited, we thought we might just move up here,” Dan said. “It will give us a place away from the insanity that is politics.”



“We have a few politicians around here,” Brian said with tongue in cheek. “But they usually stay well hidden from us mere mortals.”



“Pittsburgh is actually a pretty great city,” Justin said. “The GLBT community is pretty active and you saw Liberty Ave.”



“Of course, those businesses aren’t the only gay places in a city this size,” Brian said. “Many of the smaller city districts have a section with gay friendly shops or bars.”



“For instance, lately we like to go to the Redwood Tavern in Squirrel Hill,” Justin said. “There are some areas I would steer clear of, but those tend to be the die-hard blue-collar neighborhoods.”



“Mother Taylor knows all the best areas,” Brian said. “She’ll be invaluable if you do decide to settle here.”



“Where do the two of you live?” Dan asked.



“We live not far from Liberty Ave,” Justin said. “Our loft is actually within walking distance of Babylon. And Kinnetik is on the edge of the district, so it’s pretty close as well.”



“Is that a good neighborhood?” Charlie asked.



“It depends on what you’re looking for,” Brian said. “If you want a converted loft, like where we live, it’s great. But it isn’t a traditionally residential area. There are a lot of mixed use buildings but the houses in the area are pretty rundown.”



“We were considering a place we could fix up,” Charlie said. “I like to dabble with renovations. It relaxes me.”



“It makes me crazy,” Dan said. “I can’t stand the chaos. But the work he does is really amazing, so I don’t complain too much. He’s renovated our last three houses and they were all great. I just wish he’d let me stay in them for more than six months after they are completed.”



“We should think about a house,” Brian said to Justin.



Justin’s eyes widened with shock. “A house?”



Brian shrugged. “It would be good for you to have space to paint. And I wouldn’t mind having a separate office to work at home. Gus could have his own room.”



“Gus?” Charlie asked.



“My son,” Brian said. “He’s three and he lives with his mothers, but he does stay over sometimes. It’s a little rough in a one room loft.”



“We’ll talk,” Justin said, shelving the idea for the time being. He wasn’t sure how he felt about moving out of the loft. Sure, he agreed with Brian’s reasons but the loft was special.