Almost But Not Quite

Chapter 22





“Fuck! Justin…”

“Oh yeah! Fucking shit! I don’t know how you do that to me,” Justin gasped.

“Can’t tell you all my secrets,” Brian smirked, as he rolled away and tried to get his breath. That last orgasm had nearly blown off the top of his head.

They were in Brian’s bed having taken a major step towards satisfying their need for each other. Justin rolled onto his side and looked at Brian. He studied the man with keen eyes taking in every aspect of the well satiated face.

“What are you doing?” Brian asked after a minute, as his brain started to function again, and he realized Justin was staring at him.

“Composing a sketch.”

“What?”

“I’m studying you so I can draw you if I ever get another minute to sketch,” Justin explained.

“Am I taking up too much of your time?” Brian smirked. Like Justin cared!

“When you are, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Do you have a shift at the diner tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“What time do you have to be there?”

“I don’t work until eleven. I thought I could do some searching for a job early in the morning.”

“You mean the diner isn’t the goldmine you thought it was going to be?” Brian asked sarcastically.

Justin swatted him. “I have other objectives in my life besides working in the diner.”

“What are you looking for?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t really know,” Justin sighed. “I’d like something in art, but those kinds of jobs don’t come along very often.”

“You could work for me,” Brian suggested quickly. He hadn’t really thought about that until Justin mentioned art. After seeing what Justin could do with the Liberty Air campaign, Brian wouldn’t mind having his blond work at Kinnetik and there might be other fringe benefits as well.

“I told you I’m not a whore, and I resent you calling this work,” Justin said with a straight face.

Brian laughed out loud. “Twat!”

“Thanks a bunch,” Justin grinned with his best innocent face on. “Besides this…” He gestured to the bed and the cum on his chest. “What other form of employment are you offering?”

“Graphic artist,” Brian responded quickly.

“What? Do you mean that?” Justin asked sitting up in bed and staring at Brian.

“I mean it,” Brian said simply.

“But you don’t know anything about me. I don’t even have a resume.”

“You told me you took art courses at fucking Dartmouth,” Brian replied.

“And you laughed yourself silly when I told you that,” Justin reminded him.

“Well, maybe just a little.”

“More than a little,” Justin griped.

“Okay, so I thought it was a ridiculous place to study art, but you blew me away with your suggestion about the Liberty Air boards. I’m not sure I would have got the account without your input.”

“Really?” Justin asked screwing up his face in disbelief, but Brian’s praise made him feel all warm inside.

“Really! And I want you to take that check. Your suggestions were worth that … and more.”

“Thanks,” Justin said with a beguiling smile. “I will, since you put it so nicely.”

Brian nodded. “And I meant what I said about the job.”

“You’re just doing that so you can keep on fucking me.”

“Despite what you may think, I do not screw with my business. I think you would be an asset to the company.”

Justin frowned. He didn’t know whether to believe Brian or not. “You want me around the office so you can fuck me when you have a coffee break, that’s all,” he said, waiting to hear what Brian would say about that.

Brian snorted. “That’s a noteworthy side benefit.”

“See. You don’t really need me as an artist.”

“Don’t tell me what I need, Taylor. I know what I need and what I want. And what I want is you, here and at the office.” Brian gulped when it donned on him what he had just said. But it was the truth, he realized, as he thought about it.

“Brian, are you really serious about this?” Justin asked, as the concept that he might be able to work as an artist started to sink in. “You think I would be an asset to your company?” Brian nodded again, truly meaning it. “And you’re not doing this just because I’m your boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend? Who said you were my boyfriend?” Brian asked. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that appellation. In the past he would have vehemently denied that Justin was any such thing. Now, he wasn’t so sure he minded the title.

“Well, if I’m not your boyfriend, what the fuck am I?” Justin demanded. “And if you say I’m a trick, I’ll punch your lights out.”

“You think you can take me?” Brian laughed.

“Answer me and then we’ll find out … if necessary.”

Brian’s face grew serious. He frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind. He didn’t know how to answer that question. His silence spoke volumes to Justin.

“So you think I’m a trick?” Justin asked, eyes full of hurt.

“No, I don’t … but I don’t think you’re my boyfriend either,” Brian added quickly.

“Then what am I?”

Brian thought about that. “I really don’t know. You’re not like any trick I’ve ever had.” He saw Justin wince and wanted to take back those words. “Could you be my lover … on the road to being my boyfriend?”

Justin tried to keep a straight face, but he couldn’t help but laugh at the bewildered and boyish look on Brian’s face. “You really don’t know what this is all about, do you?”

Brian shook his head. “Want to explain it to me?”

“I think I fell in love with you a little bit, or maybe a lot, that night I first met you on Liberty Avenue.”

“You mean you fell in lust with me. Everybody lusts after me,” Brian declared and he wasn’t bragging.

“Yeah, there was definitely lust, but there was something more too,” Justin said thoughtfully.

“What?”

“I don’t think I can explain it. I just knew that we were supposed to connect and then the birth of … your son interrupted that.”

“You believe in fate?”

“Yes, I do. I know that we’re fated to be together.”

“If that’s true, you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into,” Brian warned, and he was very serious.

“I have some idea. Your friends have told me a few things, and I’m very observant,” Justin laughed.

“And what conclusion have you come to?”

“That you’re worth the effort of getting to know.”

“And in the meantime there’s great sex.”

“Yep,” Justin agreed with a wide grin.

“Until you figure out that I’m the fucking asshole they’ve all been telling you I am, and then you’ll go running frantically into the night.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in regrets.”

“For me. Others are welcome to them.”

“I won’t regret anything. I’ve enjoyed every minute that we’ve spent together,” Justin said sincerely. “If you kicked me out right now, I’d say thank you.”

“You only say that because you know I’m not about to kick you out,” Brian snorted.

“Something told me you wouldn’t want to do that,” Justin giggled as his hand reached for Brian’s hardening cock. “You are insatiable.”

“My finest quality,” Brian said as he once again rolled on top of the young man, and proved how true that statement was.



*****



Brian dropped Justin off at Debbie’s early the next morning. He had to go to work or he would have liked to have stayed in bed longer with the quirky blond that had invaded his life. Or maybe he should call Justin the blond that he kept coaxing into his life. Although, he certainly didn’t have to coax much to get Justin into his bed. Justin came willingly and enthusiastically and whole-heartedly.

As Brian drove away, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He had done his best to convince Justin to come work for him at Kinnetik, but the man was reluctant to say yes. Brian knew Justin wanted the job, but for some reason Justin seemed to think that Brian was only offering it because he wanted to fuck Justin. That was what was fucked! Brian knew he could fuck Justin without offering a job or anything, except himself. That had been proven every time they had been together. But Justin didn’t seem to think he was good enough to be hired as a graphic artist. From his end, Brian respected the suggestions that Justin had given him about Craig Taylor’s flyers and most definitely about the Liberty Air campaign. Brian frowned, wondering how he could convince Justin to come work for him.

He pulled into the alley and parked in front of Kinnetik. He mad ehis way into the building. He was still wondering how to convince Justin to join Kinnetik when he met Cynthia in the hall.

“Morning, Boss. I have a list of the dissatisfied clients that I can remember from Ryder. Oh, and I’m sure there are more, but I can’t remember them offhand. I should have brought some of my records with me, but I was in such a hurry to get out of there…”

“It’s okay, Cynthia. I don’t want to pilfer any of Ryder’s clients. I want them to come willingly as the ship continues to sink over there.”

“The best revenge…”

“Is to live well and be a success when all about are failing,” Brian chuckled.

“Perfect philosophy,” Cynthia laughed. “I’ve been checking out the facilities here. If we’re going to get all the business you’re expecting, we’re going to need at least one more ad exec, maybe a fulltime CFO and probably two more artists.”

“Hm, I’ve been thinking along those lines,” Brian said. “I know an artist that may fill the bill.”

“You do?”

“His name is Justin Taylor. I want you to call him and arrange an interview. You will conduct it, and I want your honest evaluation at the end. I don’t want any part in the interview process. Understood?”

Cynthia frowned. “I guess so. Do you have his number?”

“I’ll get it and send it down to your office,” Brian said. He didn’t want her to know that he had Justin’s phone number programmed into his cell. He wanted her honest evaluation of Justin Taylor and whether or not he might fit in at Kinnetik. That way he could tell Justin that he was the best choice for the job, and it would be the absolute truth.

Cynthia nodded and headed off to do whatever she did. Brian wasn’t exactly sure of all the things Cynthia took care of when she worked for him before, or that she had taken over since she jumped ship at Ryder and came to Kinnetik. He just knew that things ran smoother when she was around.

Brian headed into his office. He wanted to call some of the clients on the list Cynthia had given him. He didn’t intend to say too much, just put out some feelers and see who might bite. Things were definitely looking up for his company.



*****



Justin arrived on time for his shift. Debbie was already working and she gave him the once over. He avoided talking to her as he headed to the back to get his apron.

“Where the fuck were you last night?” Debbie demanded when he reappeared.

“Come on, Deb. I think you can figure it out.”

“Justin, be careful. Brian … I’ve known him for a long time, and he doesn’t do relationships,” she said gently, hoping a calm, reasonable tone might get through to Justin. “He doesn’t want a boyfriend. Hell, he wouldn’t know what a fucking boyfriend was.”

“Funny, we had that conversation this morning.”

Debbie frowned. “What conversation?”

“About me being his boyfriend,” Justin said. “I have to get that table. They look like they’re ready to yell.” Justin headed toward his impatient diners.

It took Debbie a minute before she realized that her mouth was hanging open. She closed it with a snap, gave herself a shake and started clearing a table. Before she left the diner later in the day, she’d find out what the fuck Justin Taylor had just told her.



*****



“Come in, Theodore.”

“Thanks, Bri. Is something wrong? Did I make a mistake with some of your tax forms or something?” Ted asked nervously. He was still in his twelve step program for crystal meth, and Brian had given him a job as the bookkeeper for Kinnetik. It had probably saved his life. Without that job he was going to lose his condo and probably everything else he had. He had been working for Brian for over a year, and had picked up several other clients as a result. He wasn’t exactly prospering, but he was doing okay. He didn’t want to fuck that up.

“Sit the fuck down, and no, you haven’t fucked up. You know I told you not to or I’d have to kill you.”

“Yes, Bri. I remember,” Ted said contritely as he sat down. “What can I do for you?”

“How would you like to be the CFO of Kinnetik?” Brian said bluntly, deciding there was no point in torturing Ted further.

“What?”

“Get with the program, Theodore. CFO of Kinnetik. Chief Financial Officer,” Brian said tongue in cheek.

“I know what the fuck those three letters mean,” Ted said with a glare. “And I don’t appreciate you taunting me.”

“I don’t taunt,” Brian said with a smirk.

“The fuck you don’t, but…” The light began to dawn. “Are you actually offering me that position?”

“I can’t think of any other position I would want you in.” Brian continued to smirk, having completely flustered Ted.

“But I’m a crystal freak,” Ted said wondering if Brian could possibly serious.

“You fucking better not be … anymore.”

“I’m still in my program. I haven’t touched crystal in almost two years.”

“Keep it that way if you intend to work for me.”

“I will, but... Brian, are you seriously offering me the CFO job?”

“I am.”

“Fuck, I accept.”

“Good, now go see Cynthia and she’ll show you your office.”

“I … I have an office?”

Brian nodded as Ted hustled to the door of Brian’s office. “Thank you,” he said sincerely before he pulled the door open. “Thank you so much.”

“Theodore, don’t fuck this up or I will have you murdered.”

“Of course, Bri. Goes without saying … Boss!” Ted grinned before he disappeared down the hall.



*****



“Who you talking to?” Debbie asked as Justin flipped his cell phone closed. She expected Justin would be talking to Brian fucking Kinney.

“Someone named Cynthia Morgan at Kinnetik Advertising. I have a job interview over there tomorrow morning,” Justin explained, still not quite comprehending that Brian was serious about hiring him as a graphic artist.

“That’s Brian’s company,” she said as she poured them each a coffee and indicated they should sit down in the back booth. It was between mealtimes, and the diner was almost empty.

“Yeah.”

“He’s giving you a job?”

Justin frowned. “I won’t take it if he’s giving it to me. I’m going for an interview and if I turn out to be the best person for the job then I’ll take it.”

Debbie snorted. “You know you’re going to get it because Brian’s fucking you.”

“Debbie…”

“Don’t let him suck you into his black hole, Justin. Brian Kinney will discard you as soon as the novelty wears off,” she warned.

“Have you ever known him to be with anyone this long before?” Justin asked pointedly.

“It’s only been a few days.”

“My point exactly. Has he ever been with anyone for a few days?” Justin had learned all about Brian’s reputation. People were only too happy to tell him.

“Maybe not, but he has a very short attention span,” Debbie replied trying to warn Justin off Brian Kinney.

“I don’t find that to be true, Debbie. I’m going for the interview and I’m going to keep seeing Brian.” He slid out of the booth and dumped his untouched coffee. ‘Fuck all Brian’s so-called friends,’ he thought to himself as he went to wait on another customer.