Chapter1
DeAnna Zankich
Sequel to | Sweet Redemption
Summary: The days leading up to the big `I do'.
Warnings: None
Author Notes: A thousand thanks to my sweet friend Kristina Grönberg for the title.
Dedication: This story (and all its parts) is dedicated with a huge amount of love to each and every one of you who have supported me through its creation—whether you've written to me or not. I appreciate ALL of you who took the time to read it. I want to make special mention in no specific order to Xof, Corleone, Sue Walsh, Neil Green, Emily Sewell, Jen, Rachel and Lisa (you know who you are ;)), Hannah Tolley, Pathos, Margo, Dr. E., Anne L., Calysta Rose, Ariel, Jennifer Palmer and Kristina Grönberg. Bless you all for your kindness, patience and help and thank you for looking after me here.
Spoilers: None
I don't have much to say about this that isn't included in the Notes section of the story itself. This is the last series of stories in the big story and, at present, I believe the wedding will occur on time. But I'm sad that this is the beginning of the end. Oh, well.
Please note: for future parts of this story, the very long title will be abbreviated on the subject line as "Years, Days". Same story, shorter way to read the title.
I hope you enjoy this. I'll save the more emotional preamble messages for when we get closer to the end. For now, please see the dedication in this first section.
Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend.
luv,
DeAnna Z.
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Brian:
Lounging on the roof top garden of Kate's townhouse in Manhattan, Brian sipped a margarita and sighed. He stopped over in NYC on his way back from the Lloyds meeting in London. Ryder said he'd earned a long weekend after satisfying the demands of that very demanding client and Brian's first thought was to spend it with Kate.
It was unseasonably warm for mid May in New York and they were reclined in lawn chairs near the little fountain Richard had installed when they did the first remodel. The soothing trickle of the water combined with the hot sunshine and the tequila were enough to make Brian relax for the first time since he'd left Manchester. He'd been unable to sleep very well all week in the UK and the stress of the intense work schedule had killed his appetite. Since he'd been at Kate's, he'd already eaten two sandwiches and half a bag of Doritos, not to mention sucking down an entire pitcher of margies all by himself.
Kate sat up to reapply her sunscreen and he looked over at her. She wore small white shorts and a flowered bikini top. Her red hair was braided down her back and the round lenses of her blue tinted Versace shades made her look like a disciple of the Beatles. She smiled at him.
"Your color is improving," she said. "I was worried about you when you first showed up this morning. Almost took you to the ER."
"Just jet lag," he said, turning his face back to the sunshine. "And I worked my ass off in London."
"Want something else to eat?" she asked.
"In a little while, yeah. Food's awful in the UK."
"I know. If stuff isn't boiled beyond an inch of its life, it's fried to a mushy pulp in lard. The only thing I ever found edible over there was the Italian food and the Thai."
"You hate Indian, right?"
"Ick," she shivered. "Just the smell of curry makes me gag."
"It's not my favorite, either." He lifted his head to sip his drink. "Anyway, I didn't feel much like eating. I was working all the time. Those bastards at Lloyds just couldn't make up their minds. And they're such tight asses. Kept trying to get me to drink tea."
Kate chuckled as she rubbed lotion on her long legs. Her huge diamond ring glinted in the spring sunlight.
"Are you really bringing Richard to the wedding?" Brian asked her.
"He said he would go. He likes England and he hasn't been over in a while. We're going to make a trip out of it and go up to Scotland for a few days. Stay at the Balmoral." Kate grinned at him playfully.
"La tee dah," he said rolling his eyes. "You rich fuckers make me sick."
"Oh, yeah. Like you're such a pauper, Brian." Kate reached for her drink that was keeping cool under her chair and sipped it. "So are you going to tell me what happened over there or do I have to use my extremely perverted imagination?"
"I told you," he said. "It was the Threesome of the Century, Part Two. The sequel. Son of Threesome of the Century. The Threesome of the Century vs. Godzilla. The Threesome of the Century that Ate Pittsburgh!"
She laughed, almost spitting a mouthful of margarita all over him. "Don't do that when I'm drinking," she complained, wiping her chin with the back of her hand. "Okay, but was this sequel better than the original or was it a box office bomb like `Speed II'?"
"It was excellent, Katey. They're both great lovers. Gets better every time. I really enjoy having sex with them."
"You mean him," she said gently.
"I mean what I said," Brian told her, his tone a bit sharper than it needed to be. He was still feeling raw from the whole thing and didn't really think he was ready to talk about it.
Kate sighed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, he misses you, too."
Brian hated the way his heart thudded when she said that. He hated that he cared. Looking at her over the rim of his sunglasses he said, "he told you that?"
"Yes, he did." Kate set her drink back under her chair then reached under his for the half-eaten bag of Doritos. She opened it and offered it to him, but he shook his head. Settling back in her chair, she stretched her fully greased legs out and munched the chips. "He's bummed because he can't talk to you."
"Vince never said we couldn't talk to each other."
"Well, it wouldn't help matters much if you did, would it?" she said, but her tone implied that might not be what she thought.
Brian closed his eyes and groaned inwardly, trying not to think about Stuart or Vince or any of it. He just wanted to forget the whole experience--or at least save it somewhere in the corner of his mind to use solely for masturbation purposes.
"Anyway," Kate went on. "Just so you know. Stuart misses you. He keeps asking me about you all week. When were you leaving London--how long were the Lloyds meetings going to take. I think he almost went down there to see you. You know, just turned up at the Savoy like he did at your hotel in Manchester."
"Does he know I'm here this weekend?"
"Of course." She crunched a chip loudly. "You can call him if you want. Or email him from my laptop."
Brian didn't respond. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do yet.
After a while Kate said, "did you ever do Vince?"
"No. He did me while I did Stuart."
"WHILE?" she said, her eyebrows lifting. "Tricky!"
He smirked. "It's called a daisy chain. There are a few variations of it, actually. We did two of them this weekend. One where Stuart was on Vince's lap getting it up the ass while I sucked him off. And then the other one I just told you--me doin' Stuey, Vince doin' me."
Kate shook her head and let out a little whistle. "Damn. Sounds like you guys made a huge fuckin' mess."
"It was pretty messy," Brian reported. "Especially when the food got in it."
"Food, even? Do tell!" She laughed and sat forward again, resting her elbows on her slightly sunburned knees.
"Wedding cake samples," he said. "And champagne. Cake, frosting, filling and bubbly." He grinned and lifted his eyebrows lasciviously. "Everywhere. It was fucking great."
"God!" she squealed. "Stop, I'm so jealous. I get more jealous with every detail! It's so decadent. Makes me green with envy." She flopped back down in her chair and chomped another chip. "Wait--so, you and Vince both had Stuart and Vince had you, but you and Stuart didn't have Vince?"
"Not this time. Stuart's been bottoming a lot recently, or so he said. Vince is into this leather thing which lends itself to him topping. Stuart's just . . . exploring. Stretching out. He's probably never trusted anyone enough to let them fuck him so he's enjoying having cock up his ass on a regular basis." He drained his drink and crunched some ice cubes in his teeth.
"You haven't trusted anyone that much, either," Kate said. "I mean, not that you've said. You always tell me about how you do THEM, but you never GET done. This is new."
"They both fucked me last time," he said. "Tag-teamed me, in fact. Stuart started, then he got off, and Vince finished me."
Kate stared at him with her jaw open. Her eyelashes glistened over the edge of her blue lenses. "That was last time?"
"Yeah." Brian sat up and reached into the bag for a chip.
"And then you did Stuart in the Jeep," she said, counting on her fingers as though she were trying to solve a math equation.
"As well as blew him in the club." That memory always made Brian hard and he laughed to himself. "We shouldn't talk about that."
"Easy, tiger," she teased. "I'll have to put ice down your shorts again. So, that still leaves an opening. You've never done Vince."
"So?"
"So?!" Kate slapped her forehead and sighed with exasperation. "See, if you had ever taken me up on my offer and come to yoga with me, you would KNOW why this is a problem."
This was the sort of thing he loved about Katherine Stephani. Her mind worked in the most unusual, crazy ways and Brian never tired of listening to her think outloud. "Yoga? What the fuck are you talking about, woman?"
"In yoga you do all these positions, right? You start on the ground on your back and you do all this stuff on each side, then you move to the next level on your knees and then to the standing poses and then back down to the floor for the meditation. It's a cycle, Brian. Each position prepares you for the next one and you're not DONE until you've completed them all. I've been in yoga classes where the instructor left out one of the sequences movement and all of a sudden, the students are all standing around doing the missing position--like they're subconsciously aware that the sequence was unfinished. These same people swear they can't remember the full sequence to do it on their own at home, but their bodies knew it when one of the positions was missing. That's what I mean." Kate reached for her margarita again, apparently needing a drink after that explanation. "You haven't completed all the positions with them, Brian. You guys are out of balance."
"That's completely fucking nuts, Kate."
"Is it?" she said.
"This is sex, honey. Not some grand, spiritual pilgrimage."
Kate frowned, lowering her chin. "Brian, this wasn't just sex to you. I've known you since before you lost your virginity and I've never EVER seen you like this about a guy. The whole `I'll never fuck anyone twice' thing aside, you're like . . . mesmerized by Stuart. He makes you act stupid."
Brian laughed bitterly. "Yeah. He does, doesn't he?"
"That's what I'm saying," Kate went on. "You guys have to complete the cycle before you can move on and until you have Vince, you're not done with them."
"Well, that's all moot, anyway," he said. "I'm not allowed to see them anymore."
Kate was quiet for a moment, thoughtfully munching chips. "No . . . I don't think you guys are finished yet. You're still out of balance. It's why you keep coming together."
He rolled his eyes. "We keep coming together because we keep coming when we ARE together. We're guys, Kate. All we think about is getting off and we happen to really like getting each other off." Brian chewed the last ice cube in his drink and stood up. "I'm going downstairs for a refill. Want one?"
Kate handed him her glass. "Brian?"
Standing over her chair he just looked at her, not wanting to hear whatever she was going to say. He wished she would let it go.
"Do you want me to talk to Stuart about the wedding?"
"What about it?"
"I can convince him to let me bring you."
"It's not him, it's Vince. And I'm not sure I want to go anyway."
"You have to finish this or you'll never get out from under it."
He sighed. "Well, I don't want to finish it by showing up at their wedding. Vince doesn't want me to go so I'm not going."
"How are you going to see them again, then?" she said, her brow knitting. "I want you to get passed this. Don't you? You need to have a charmed third time together."
He put a kiss on her forehead then turned toward the stairs that lead down into the house. "Let's just leave it to the fates, why don't we? If you're right about this whole whacked-out `balance' thing, then something will happen that brings us together again. But I'm NOT going to the wedding. Okay?"
"Okay," she said. "And I actually agree with you. Leave it to fate and watch it unfold." She grinned as he turned to go back downstairs.
Brian could feel her eyes on his back the whole time.
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Kate:
I wait until I hear the door close so I know Brian's inside the house and can't hear me--then I grab the phone and call Greg Burton. It's almost seven there but I know he'll still be at the office. The man's a workaholic.
"Mr. Burton's office," that cold fish, Cynthia says. She's probably completely pissed off that she's still at work so late.
I heap on the sweetness and light to make sure I get through. "Hi, Cynthia. It's Kate Stephani. How are you?"
"Oh, hello Mrs. Stephani. I'm well, thank you. And how are you?"
"Fine, fine. I'm sorry to bother you all so late, but is Mr. Burton still there?"
"Yes, he is. He's got some people in his office, but I will let him know you're on the line. Will you hold a moment?"
"Of course. Thank you." I crane my ear toward the roof access stairs, praying I can get Burton on the line before Brian comes back up. I'm not really surprised that the fates are on my side and Greg picks up right away.
"Is that my Kate all the way in New York?" he chirps, happily. Greg is so fabulous.
"Good evening, Mr. Burton," I say teasing him with the formality. "Are you in a meeting?"
"Yes, but it's almost finished. What can I do for you, luv?"
"I need to ask you a favor, Greg. I understand you might not be able to do it, but if you could . . . it would mean a lot to me."
"If it's within my power, I'll certainly try," he says.
"You're such a doll," I say and I just KNOW that what I want is within his power. "Well, when I was at an industry lunch last week I heard some rumblings that Lloyds is giving a huge launch party on the 30th . . ."
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Stuart:
Sandra rang him on the intercom that Friday morning. He put her on the speaker and continued typing an email to a client in Brussels.
"Yeah?"
"Burton's on his way down to see you."
"Right. Thanks." He hung up just in time to see his boss step into his office.
"Goodmorning, Stuart."
"Goodmorning." He leaned his elbows on the desk as Gregory Burton sat down, noting his boss's handsome, dark gray suit. It had clearly been tailored for his body and it was gorgeous, fine wool. "That's lovely," Stuart complimented.
"Oh, thank you. Had it made in Hong Kong over Christmas. Ever been?"
"Not yet," Stuart said. His boss loved to talk about his extensive travels, but Stuart was busy that morning and didn't have time for a detailed explanation of some exotic Asian location. Diplomatically, he redirected the conversation. "But Vince and I are really looking forward to Greece."
Burton smiled. "I'm glad. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. The ceremony is the 2nd of June, right?"
Stuart nodded. "I hope you and your wife are still able to join us."
"Of course we are," Burton said amiably. "We wouldn't miss it. I was asking because I've requested four executive tickets to a party Lloyds is giving to launch their new promotion." He handed over a large cream-colored parchment envelope and Stuart opened it while his boss continued to explain. "They've revamped everything, apparently, in an attempt to shake off that stodgy old gray flannel broker image they have. I hear a young bloke from the States handled the account. One of Kate's friends, actually. A lad called . . . Kinney. He's a star on the rise in our industry from what I'm told. I hear his name often."
"Brian," Stuart said, his heart fluttering slightly. "Brian Kinney. He's a friend of mine, as well."
"Brilliant!" Burton said. "You've heard about the party, then?"
"No . . ." He slid out the gold embossed card and opened it, reading while Burton went on.
"Lloyds is having a do at Claridge's on Wednesday the 30th and I thought it would be good for Thrive to have some representatives present at the event. I would like to send you and Kate if you wouldn't mind going."
"Not at all," Stuart said. "That sounds lovely. You don't want to go?"
He shook his head. "This is the sort of perk I like to reserve for my star executives. I've certainly been to enough of these posh parties myself."
"It's a few days before the wedding," Stuart said. "Katey will be here anyway."
"Right. She told me she and her husband were coming out the weekend of the 26th and travelling in the UK for a week after your ceremony. I threatened to maker her come in and work while she's here." He snickered playfully. "Have you met her husband?"
"Not yet," Stuart said. "He was away when I went to see her in New York."
"A trip you didn't tell me about, by the way," Burton said. "But I understand. I would have had you go into the New York office and work if I'd known."
Stuart laughed, knowing it was true.
"Right, well the tickets are for the executive and a guest, so I hope Vince will join you. Should be a lovely party. Lloyds has a few bob."
"Yeah, I've heard that. I'll ask him if he's available. That close to the wedding, he might be obligated by his family for something that week."
"Of course," Burton said. "Well, if he can make it, I'll arrange for you two to have a few days in London on the company. A little breather before the ceremony and all--might be nice to run off on your own just then."
"Yeah," Stuart said, trying not to let his imagination run wild with possibilities. "It would be. Thanks."
"My pleasure. Either way, I'd like you and Kate to attend. I'll probably send Bradshaw from the London office and Kurtz from Paris. Oh--wait. You don't get on with Kurtz, do you?"
"Not particularly," Stuart said. He recalled an incident at a company Christmas party two years before when Kurtz got pissed and called Stuart a `shit stabbin' poof' in front of a group of clients. Stuart had been compelled to tell him to fuck off with the flat of his fist against Kurtz's jaw. Although no lawsuit had been filed, the two men hadn't had a civil word for each other since. "I reckon I can behave for one night, though. I'll just avoid the little bastard."
Burton chuckled, standing up again. "Well, I won't ask as much as that. Do as you please, I'm sure he deserves your anger. Good then, it's settled. Why don't you and Vince stay in the hotel? Claridge's is quite nice, actually."
"That's not necessary, Greg. It's so much money."
"Of course it isn't necessary, but who bloody cares? I'll have Cynthia make the arrangements." Burton gave a nod and then he walked out of Stuart's office before he could offer any further argument.
Stuart read the invitation over and over again, almost not believing the whole thing was happening. The possibilities were endless. A formal, catered affaire at one of London's finest hotels full of rich people and executives. Brian and Kate both in attendance and him and Vince . . .
Turning to the computer, he pulled up the email program. Kate wouldn't be in for another few hours, but Stuart was so busy that day that he didn't want to forget his thought. He clicked on her address and started typing.
To: KatherineStephani@Thrive.nyc.com
From: StuartAJones@Thrive.uk.com
So . . . the Lloyds launch party, eh?
Are those your fingerprints all over this invitation in my hand?
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He laughed to himself as he sent the message, then he picked up the invitation again.
`Lloyds of London is turning over a new leaf. We invite you and a guest to a gala celebration in honor of our bright future. Please join us on the evening of Wednesday, the 30th of May, 2001 at Claridge's for a reception and dinner. Cocktail's served at 7:00 in The Ballroom Reception, dinner begins at 9:00 in The Drawing Room. RSVP to the office of Keith Burgess at the Lloyds of London main office or to Claridge's Banqueting Manager, Sarah Porteous, at 44 (020) 7409 6303. We sincerely hope you can join us. Black tie optional.'
Stuart carried the invitation out to Sandra and handed it her. "Would you RSVP for me and Vince?"
She read the card and lifted her eyebrows. "Oooooh, posh! Can I go?"
"No, Slave," he teased. "You have to stay here and answer my phone. Vince and I will be gone that whole week. I think Cynthia is making hotel reservations for us in London, but I'll be reachable on my mobile."
"Stuart," she said. "You're getting married, for Christ's sake. I'm not going to bother you with work that week."
He leaned against her desk and took the invitation back, reading it again. "Actually . . . I'd rather you made our arrangements at the hotel. I'll go tell Cynthia you'll be doing it, all right?"
"Of course," Sandra said. "Would you like anything in particular?"
"Claridge's has a website, I'm sure." He set the invitation down on her desk and smiled at her. "You know what I like, Sandra. I'll leave it up to you. We'll be there two nights--Tuesday and Wednesday. And remember, this is three days before our wedding."
"Right," she said, smiling back. "I'll take care of everything."
He patted her shoulder affectionately and started off toward Burton's office to speak to Cynthia.
"Oh, Stuart." Sandra called him back. "Don't forget your appointment this morning with your solicitor. It's at 11:00."
He frowned at his watch, realizing he was already late for that meeting. "Shit," he said. "Would you ring him and tell him I'm running a bit behind? I'll leave in five minutes." He went down the hall to Burton's office and stuck his head around the corner.
Cynthia sat primly at her desk, her small fingers tapping away on the keyboard. She glanced at him over the rim of her eyeglasses. "Can I help you, Mr. Jones?"
"Yeah," he said, reveling in how much his mere presence irritated her. "Mr. Burton was going to ask you to make some arrangements for me and my fianc at Claridge's for the Lloyds party."
"Mm hm," she said, the thin strip of her pursed lips getting even thinner.
"Well, I'd really rather have Sandra do it. She knows all the numbers for the bath houses and where to find the best rent boys in London. She's better suited to look after my needs."
Cynthia blinked coldly, attempting to ignore his comment. "As you wish, Mr. Jones. I'll give your secretary the relevent information."
"Cheers," Stuart said, once again knowing his lack of formality was curling her toes. Trying to supress his giggle, Stuart went back down the hall to get his things for the meeting with his solicitor.
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Vince:
Hazel sat out on the back steps smoking a cigarette when he came in. Bernie was chattering on the phone at the kitchen table and he gave Vince a jovial wave as he made his way out to the back garden. His mother smiled at him as he sat beside her on the steps.
"Hiya, luv. Good day?" she asked.
"Fair," he said, kissing her cheek. "How are you?"
"Can't complain." Hazel blew smoke up into the cool evening air. "How's your Irish bastard?"
Vince breathed a laugh. "Mum, I don't understand why you're so angry with Stuart. He hasn't done anything wrong."
"We'll see about that," she said tersely. "I'm still waiting for the fallout from that American bloke spending the weekend with you. Too bloody kinky for engaged people if you ask me, Vince!"
"Well, we didn't ask you," he reminded her. "What Stuart and I do in our bedroom is no one else's concern." He wasn't being cross, just stating the facts.
She lowered her chin and stared at him. "Vincent, you and Stuart have had that bloke several times."
"Yeah." Vince tried to keep his tone mild but she was treading on thin ice.
"What do you mean, `yeah?' Even I could see the connection between YOUR boyfriend and that bloody Brian! Stuart has feelings for him, Vince. Don't you see that?"
"Yes, Mum. I see that. We've talked about it extensively." He looked down and sighed, realizing how frail his explanation sounded when all the details weren't present. But Hazel wasn't going to get all the details. Not about this one.
"And what does he say?" she pressed. "Does he love Brian?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Mum, this is really none of your business. I don't want to discuss it, all right?" Vince was in no mood for this sort of thing. Frustrated, he stood up to leave but Hazel grabbed his hand.
Looking up at him with her big brown eyes, she gave his hand a little squeeze. "Luv, don't you see? You've opened him up. Stuart Jones was trapped in his own protective shell for his entire life and you opened him up by loving him. Now that he's open, you have to be very careful who you let near him. He's extremely vulnerable. This Brian is an opportunist. He saw a window with Stuart and he took advantage of it."
Vince sighed, feeling his throat tighten. "Mum, Stuart and I are handling it. Just . . . don't concern yourself with it. Now, I came `round tonight to ask if you wanted to go out for dinner tomorrow night. It'll be us and you and Romey. And Alfred, of course. You've both been doing so much to help us with the wedding plans and everything. We wanted to take the two of you out and do something nice for you." He squeezed her hand back and tried a little smile, even though he was still feeling quite angry. "Will you come?"
"Of course I will, luv. But you don't have to thank me. Every mother in the world just waits for the opportunity to plan her child's wedding. It's like you're doing me a favor letting me get involved."
He shook his head and leaned down to kiss her. "I've gotta go. Stuart and I haven't seen much of each other this week so we're staying in tonight. We'll come pick you up around seven tomorrow, yeah?"
"Fine. See you then." Hazel smiled wearily and kissed the back of his hand. "But think about what I said, will you?"
"I always think about what you say, Mum. Most of the time it keeps me awake at night." Vince walked back through the kitchen where Bernie was still nattering away on the phone. He waved as he went down the hall and out the front door, glad to be out in the fresh air again.
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Stuart:
Sitting in the car outside his solicitor's office, Stuart let out a long breath and laid his head back on the seat. It was real now. He'd just spent most of the day adding Vince to all his personal paperwork--the deed to the flat, his life insurance, endowment policies, bank accounts--the lot. For all intents and purposes, he'd just made Vincent Tyler his husband. Of course, Vince still had to sign some of the documents and Stuart had them in his briefcase sitting on the passenger seat, all marked with little tabs and ready to be executed.
Stuart put his hand on the briefcase and smiled. For the first time in his life, he was part of a unit--a pair. A year ago when he first entertained this plan, the whole thing scared the life out of him. But that moment . . . knowing it was done and a fact . . . he felt somehow more solid, more complete. It was a good feeling.
Starting the engine, he decided he was going to stop on the way home for some roses and a nice bottle of wine. Stuart felt like celebrating. * * *
Brian:
Sleeping soundly in Kate's guestroom, Brian didn't even hear the phone ring. Kate came to the door and knocked lightly, then she stuck her head in.
"Bri? You up?"
He groaned incoherently but it was response enough to encourage her to come into the room.
"Martin Ryder's on the phone for you," she said softly. "Come on, sit up. It's your boss."
Brian rolled over heavily and took the phone from his friend. Clearing his throat, he brought the receiver to his ear and tried to focus. "Hello? Marty?"
"Hi," Ryder said apologetically. "Sorry to wake you, Brian."
"It's all right. What's up?"
"I just wanted to make you aware that Lloyds is throwing a launch party on May 30th at Claridge's in London and they practically insist you be there. You'd be an honored guest, I believe. I'd like you to go, even though I know you just came back from the UK. I'll even work it out so you can bring a friend, if you like. On the company, of course. We'll just have Lloyds pay for it." Ryder favored him with a rare laugh.
Brian sat up and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "That's fine," he said. "I mean, it's nice, right? That they want me there."
"Yes," Ryder said. "And it's very good publicity for us to have you there."
"Then I guess I'm going," Brian said. "I'll have my assistant put it together."
"Great. Well, that was the only pressing business. I'll see you when you come in Monday morning. Have a nice weekend."
"Thanks. You, too. See you Monday, Marty." He hung up and looked at Kate who was leaning in the doorway.
"Everything okay?" she said.
"Yeah. Apparently Lloyds is giving a big industry shindig on the 30th to celebrate their new promotion."
"I've heard about that party," Kate said with mock wonder. "Big do in our business. Everyone's going to be there."
"Are you going?"
"I was invited. Gregory Burton wants to send four of us from the international offices. Me from NYC, Kurtz from Paris--God, that guy's a dick. I think he's sending Bradshaw from London and some guy named Jones from the Manchester office." Kate batted her eyes and grinned. "I think you know him. Stuart?"
Brian gave her a sarcastic smirk.
She giggled. "Funny how things work out, isn't it?"
Sighing, Brian said, "hilarious."
Kate blew him a kiss and walked off down the hall.
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