Part 7



Debbie walked up and grabbed Brian in a fierce hug and then pinched his cheeks.  “What are you doing here?  I thought you would be in New York.”



“Let’s go to the restaurant and I’ll explain everything,” Brian told her.



So Justin climbed into the back seat and Brian settled Debbie into the passenger seat before going to the driver’s side and getting them on the road.  They headed to one of the nicer places downtown and were soon seated at a quiet table.



“So?” Debbie prompted once the server had brought their drinks and a plate of cheese and olives.  “What’s the deal?”



Brian looked at Justin but the blond just shrugged.  This was Brian’s tale to tell.  Brian cleared his throat and said, “I’m back… for good.  For reasons too complicated to really get into, the business will do better in a smaller market and this isn’t the worst regional market around.  Besides, Gus and Justin are both here.”



Debbie ignored the rules of decorum and squealed with delight as she hugged Brian over the top of the table.  “When?” She asked once she was sitting again.  “How soon before you can close up shop?”



“Well, actually, I’m here for good now,” Brian said.  “I set all this in motion about a month an a half ago.  The New York office will be moving here in stages over the next month or so.  Cynthia is staying to shut things down there.  I sold my condo last week, and most of my things are on a moving truck somewhere between here and New York right about now.”



“Jesus,” Debbie said.  “You move fast.  So where are you staying?  With Sunshine?”



“He’s staying with me,” Justin said, “But we don’t know if it’s going to be a permanent arrangement yet.”



“Why wouldn’t it be?” Debbie asked.  “You two are… well you should just be together.”



“We’re working shit out,” Brian told her.  They paused the conversation while the server brought out their entrees.  Once he was gone again, Brian said, “There was something I wanted to ask you.  Can you not tell Michael or the others that I’m back for the time being?”



Debbie frowned and looked back and forth between Brian and Justin.  “Why?”



“Because I’m not sure how angry I am with them yet,” Brian said.



“Why would you be angry?” Debbie asked.



“Because of the way they treated Justin,” Brian said.  He had thought she would know about that, but her blank look was clear indication that Justin hadn’t told her anything.  “Justin?  Why didn’t you tell her?”



“Tell me what?” Knowing there was only one reason Justin would keep something like this from her, she asked, “What the fuck did Michael do?”



Justin shrugged.  “It wasn’t just Michael, and it isn’t important.  I’m sure they all had a good reason.  And I don’t think that Brian has any reason to be angry on my behalf.”



“Are you saying you aren’t still hurt and angry?” Brian asked.  “Because I can call Mikey up right now and I’m sure he’ll drop everything if I tell him where we are.”



Justin scowled.  “You know I have no desire to see him.  Yes.  I am still hurt and angry, but you shouldn’t be.  They didn’t do anything to you.”



“Just what the fuck did they do?” Debbie demanded, finally regaining Brian and Justin’s attention.



“When I left, they all stop answering Justin’s calls,” Brian said.  “They deliberately shunned him.”



“Is that why you decided we should have our private dinners?” Debbie asked.  “You just didn’t want to see the others?”



Justin shrugged and played with his food.  “After the first couple dinners when you and Vic were the only ones talking to me, I kind of got the hint.”



“This has Michael’s fingerprints all over it,” Debbie seethed.



“See this is why I didn’t tell you,” Justin said with exasperation.  “Now you’re angry too.”



“I’m angry because Michael and his friends treated you badly,” Debbie said.  “If I had realized what was going on, if you had told me six years ago, I would have knocked a little sense into all of them back then and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”



Justin took the reprimand in silence and they all concentrated on their dinners for a few minutes.



“Have you asked why they did it?” Debbie eventually asked Brian.



“Not yet, but I intend to,” Brian said.  “And I can’t keep the move a secret forever.  I want to be able to see Gus, which means the dykes will know.  And since Melanie can’t keep a secret, the rest will know soon after.  But I’d like a chance to get to the bottom of this first.”



“I’m right with you,” Debbie said determinedly.  “They won’t hear it from me.  But I expect you to tell me what you find out.”



“I promise,” Brian vowed.  Justin simply tried to pretend that they weren’t plotting on his behalf as he ate the rest of his dinner.



BJBJBJBJBJ



“Daphne can sleep on a pull out bed when she comes,” Justin argued with Brian three days later as they sorted through Brian’s furniture and other items in storage.  They had to decide what would stay in storage and what would go to the loft before the movers returned the next day but they had hit a bit of a snag.  “Seriously.  You need a place to work.  So we turn that room into the study and put in a pull-out sofa so that we have a place for guests… though if we ever have any besides Daphne I’ll be shocked.”



Brian frowned.  On the one hand, he didn’t want Justin to sacrifice anything for him.  On the other, it would really be helpful to have a place to work, especially until the renovations to Kinnetik were finished.  “Okay.  We’ll bring the desk and the file drawers.”



“And the shelves,” Justin said.  “There’s plenty of room for them since there’s only one window taking up wall space.  It’s a good thing your furniture will go well with the red brick and the cream painted walls in that room.”



Brian smirked.  Justin was always looking for the positive angle.  “What about kitchen items?”



“I think I have everything we’ll need,” Justin teased.  “As I recall, I did more cooking in a week than you did in the ten months that we were together.”



“I’m just glad the closet is bigger,” Brian said as he set the last of six wardrobe boxes aside to be moved to the loft.



“Just make sure you leave me with a quarter of the space,” Justin said as he eyed the boxes warily.



“Not all of these will be out at once,” Brian said.  “Some of these will be rotated in and out seasonally.  The rest of the time, I’ll keep them in the storage room at the loft.”



Justin looked at several boxes marked office.  “Are these to go to Kinnetik or are they for your home office?”



Brian didn’t even look.  “All of the Kinnetik boxes are being sent by Cynthia once we can move into the first floor.  These are for home.”



“See this is why you need the study,” Justin said as he started moving the file boxes to the side.  “Do you really work this much at home?”



“In New York I worked pretty much all the time,” Brian said carelessly as he continued to sort the boxes and containers.  “I went out to the clubs a lot at first, but it wasn’t the same and I had so much work to do to keep up with the sharks that I had to cut back drastically.  And after I opened Kinnetik, it was even worse.  I mean, I still love to dance and I pick up tricks when I can, but I usually have to stick to weekends.”



“I didn’t go out as much after you left either,” Justin admitted.  “I still go to Babylon once or twice a week, but usually only when I’m looking to get laid.”



“I can’t believe you aren’t out dancing all the time,” Brian said.  “The way you move it’s a sin to keep that to yourself.  That settles it; we’re going to Babylon tonight.”



Justin laughed.  “You think we’ll be up to dancing the night away after moving boxes all day?  And what happened to keeping a low profile?”



“A hot shower, some dinner and we’ll both get our second wind,” Brian said with a smirk.  “As for keeping a low profile, do you really think that any of the old gang will be out on a school night?”



Justin admitted defeat.  “No. In fact I usually go during the week because I’m not likely to see any of them.”



“Alright then,” Brian said.  “Let’s get a move on.”



BJBJBJBJBJ



Babylon was alive.  The throbbing heartbeat pumped energy through the mass of hot bodies writhing on the dance floor.  It wasn’t as crowded as it could get on the weekends, but it was still like walking into a sauna.  The sounds, the vibrations, the lights and the smell of sweaty men all fit Brian like a second skin.  He had never felt this at home in the New York clubs.  Sure he could still pull any trick he wanted, but it had felt empty and anonymous.  Here, everyone knew who he was and what to expect from him.  And those who were too young to remember him from six years ago would soon learn from the others.



Justin took Brian out on the floor, and Brian noticed that now the looks tossed Justin’s way held some of the same hero-worship that he used to receive.  The twat may not have come as often, but he certainly was making an impression when he did come out.  Brian tuned the others out and allowed the music and the feel of Justin’s body moving with and against his own to take him away to the nirvana he had only ever found here with this man.



After an indeterminate time, they were both hot, sweaty and in dire need of hydration so they made their way to the bar.  Justin had learned to ignore the whispers that followed him around the club, but he was suddenly attuned to the fact that everyone seemed to be talking about Brian.  “Did you see that?” “What’s Kinney doing back here?” “I thought he was gone for good.” “Do you think he’s still as hot as he used to be?” “Do you think he’ll fuck me?”  Justin grinned.  Brian was once again the stud of Liberty Ave and the unofficial king of Babylon.  Justin gladly returned the throne to the rightful ruler.



“Wanna bring one home?” Justin asked Brian once they had each finished a bottle of water and were waiting for doubles of bourbon.  “Or would you like to bring two to the back room?”



Brian eyed Justin.  “I didn’t bring you out so we could trick.”



“Does that mean you aren’t interested in fucking that cute little twink in the blue shirt you’ve been eying for the last five minutes?” Justin asked provocatively.  “Because I think maybe he’d beg for the chance to blow you.”



“What about that blond Adonis who was all over your ass on the dance floor?” Brian returned.  He studied Justin’s face to try and discern what he really wanted.  Was it the same thing Brian wanted?  Brian didn’t think fucking some trick in the back room was worth ruining his chances for a real relationship with Justin.  On the other hand, Justin really seemed to want to play around.  “I’ll leave it up to you.  If you get the Adonis, then I’ll get the twink and we’ll go to the back room.  You get the twink and we’ll take him home.  Or you get me and we can fuck wherever you want.”



Justin knew what Brian was doing.  He was trying to gauge how Justin really felt about tricking even though they were trying to build a relationship.  With Brian, actions were always more effective than words, so Justin reached up and pulled Brian into a heated kiss.  Just when Brian was really getting into it, Justin pulled away and gave him an impish grin before heading onto the dance floor.  Brian’s gaze never left him as he went for the twink.  But instead of bringing the twink back, Justin dragged the kid over to the Adonis and within minutes, they were all headed back to Brian.



“I got the entertainment,” Justin said.  “Ready to go?”



Brian just laughed and kissed Justin hard.  Leave it to Justin to come up with an option he hadn’t thought of.