Before There Was You, There Was You

Chapter 12

We do not change as we grow older; we just become more clearly ourselves. ~ Lynn Hall

*****

“Ahhh…Smell the Prada,” Brian exclaimed as he and Justin walked out of LaGuardia Airport.

Justin laughed. Brian woke up in a good mood this morning, which was a pleasant surprise. They didn’t talk about his nightmare. Brian had sat up for a while drinking while Justin went back to bed and waited for him. After an hour, Brian came back to bed and went to sleep. Justin wasn’t about to bring the topic up.

Brian dropped Justin off at school this morning then went to see Lindsey and Gus to tell them he was going to be out of town for a few days. He picked Justin up around noon; they had a three o’clock flight to New York.

The flight was uneventful. They talked about Rena a little. Justin wanted to know everything about her.

“Her aunt was married how many times?” Justin asked. The more he learned about Rena’s life, the more fascinated he was with her.

Brian indulged his curiosity.

“Last count was nine, but that was six years ago.”

“Beats Elizabeth Taylor’s record,” Justin commented.

Brian sighed. “You’ve been hanging around Emmett too much.”

Justin could feel the tension radiating off of Brian’s body. Though he would never admit it, Brian was nervous about this reunion. Sex this morning was tense. Brian rode him hard and fast. His mind was clearly elsewhere. His body though always knew when to take over. Justin smiled to himself. Brian’s body truly did have a mind of its own.

Justin, however, was more nervous than Brian and Brian knew it. After all, Brian and Rena knew about him, way before he came into Brian’s life. It felt very weird, like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone. He wondered, not for the first time since Brian told him about Andy’s premonition, if Rena would recognize him.

“Do I call her Doctor Cardie?” he asked. Brian told him she had her doctorate in Behavioral Genetics.

“Actually, according to how she signed the letter, it’s Cardie-Kinney, now,” Brian informed him.

“She got her named changed?” Justin asked, really not surprised.

“I assume so. I really won’t know till I talk to her. There’s a lot we don’t know about each other. We haven’t communicated in six years,” Brian said as he looked out the small window of the plane.

“Doctor Cardie-Kinney. Cool. You have a doctor in the family, Bri, you should be proud!” Justin shoved his shoulder against his playfully.

Brian smiled at him. “Just call her Rena.”

 

*****

They landed and got their luggage. Brian had his expensive suitcase, and of course all Justin took was an overnight bag. Justin didn’t need much. Brian on the other hand needed a take one bag just for his personal items. Could the man be any more vain? Justin shook his head.

“You’re here to see your sister for the first time in seventeen years, and your first thought is shopping. Why am I not surprised?” Justin teased.

Brian looked at him as if he were addled. “Man’s got to have his priorities,” he said with all mock sincerity.

“Ever the label queen.” Justin sighed.

Brian stepped off the curb and hailed them a cab. They got in and gave the address to the Hilton NY on 53rd and 6th Avenue.

Justin was looking out the window at the hustle and bustle of the city remembering the last time he and Brian were here.

He felt Brian fidget beside him. “I wonder if they’ll have white robes at the Hilton,” reminding Brian of the time they spent in the hotel room Justin had paid for with Brian’s credit card when he ran away.

Brian looked over at him and graced him with a very sexy smile. “You still owe me for that little excursion, Sunshine.” He leaned over and licked Justin’s ear.

Justin laughed. “Hey! I paid you back every dime! I worked it off at the diner and in blow jobs!”

“Not enough blowjobs, Sonny Boy, not nearly enough,” Brian said seductively into Justin’s ear.

The cab pulled up in front of the Hilton. “Why don’t you two lovebirds take that inside?” the cab driver huffed. “That will be fifteen-fifty.”

Brian looked up at the rearview mirror of the cab to see the driver watching them. He smiled at him then leaned over and gave Justin a hot, open mouth kiss just for his benefit. When he pulled away, Justin was breathless. Brian looked back into the rearview mirror to see the cabby’s flushed face.

He handed him a twenty, plus a ten-dollar tip. “One good tip deserves another,” he said as he exited the cab. The cab driver had enough grace to look embarrassed.

The bellboy was already at their side taking their luggage. Brian stood outside the tall building looking up. Justin waited for him to go in.

A good five minutes went by before Justin spoke. “Does she know we’re here?”

Brian blinked at him, as if he just remembered where he was. “No. After we check in I’ll call her.”

Brian needed to talk to Rena alone before Justin met her. He didn’t know if Rena remembered the drawing. If she did, he didn’t want to spring Justin on her without warning. Besides, he didn’t know how he would react to seeing her after all this time. He wanted to have that first contact alone. So many emotions were running through him, he didn’t want Justin to witness should he break down.

He planned on getting them settled in their room first, then call Rena and arrange to meet her alone.

He took Justin’s hand and walked into the hotel lobby.

The lobby was busy with guests. Some were lounging in lush couches, reading or holding conversations, most likely killing time. It was just after five, a little early for dinner.

He led Justin to the hotel lobby desk. A very cute red haired girl was working behind it. Standing to the side was, Brian noticed, a very beautiful black haired boy who seemed to be picking up on the girl behind the desk. Brian smiled. He hoped the boy was still around later in the week. He would be fun to share with Justin.

Brian let go of Justin’s hand and reached into his breast pocket to pull out his credit card.

“Reservation for Kinney,” he said to the red head.

The black haired beauty’s head shot around as if he just heard Brian say, “No one move, I have a bomb in my pocket.” Justin noticed the boy’s reaction as well.

“Holy Fuck!” the boy said.

Brian turned to look at him, his eyes searching the boy’s face to see if he recognized him. Brian never forgot a face. And then he saw it; this wasn’t a boy at all. It was a girl. Well that was a first he thought. His gaydar was never off.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” he asked the girl.

The girl’s eye’s moved back and forth from Justin to Brian’s.

“You didn’t call,” she said.

Understanding dawned on Brian. This was Shane, the girl who answered the phone when he called yesterday morning.

Brian’s whole body stiffened. Justin didn’t understand what was going on. Who was this girl? Justin had noticed it was a girl the same time Brian did. She was amazing looking and Justin couldn’t stop staring.

“Where is she?” Brian asked.

Shane tilted her head, studying him. “I was right,” was all she said.

Brian asked again, a little more exasperated at this point. “Where is she?”

“Arrogant too, seems to be a family trait,” Shane remarked.

Brian was just about the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. And Shane had seen a lot in her time. She knew from his picture, he would be hot, but she never expected him to be this hot. But it was the boy standing next to him that unnerved Shane. It was the boy in the drawing Rena showed her last night. Rena never really explained who the boy was. This was definitely an interesting development.

“I’ll need your credit card, Mr. Kinney,” the red haired clerk interrupted.

Brian handed her the card, his eyes never leaving Shane’s face.

Shane was having a bit of fun with him. She could tell he was losing patience fast. “Ok, I’ll play. Where is who?” Shane asked. An impudent smile played on her lips.

Justin couldn’t help but smile himself. This little imp was teasing the tiger. He liked her spirit. He had a feeling she could hold her own against Brian.

Brian was not amused. His eyes narrowed and he leaned in close to her, locking her eyes with his, but when he spoke, his words were directed at Justin.

“I want you to meet Shane, Justin. Rena’s insolent assistant.” His warm breath caressed her face. Shit, he was trouble she thought. But trouble was Shane’s forte.

She pulled her face back a bit to look at Justin.

“Nice to meet you, Justin. Tell me, does he bite?” she asked referring to Brian.

Justin laughed. “Only if you ask him nicely.”

Brian shot Justin a warning look. Clearly he was NOT amused. Justin pulled his lips in, trying to hide his smile.

The three of them were so engrossed that they didn’t notice the woman walk up behind Shane.

“Here are your room cards, Mr. Kinney.” The red haired girl brought Brian’s attention back to her. He turned to look at her. He listened as she told him what floor they were on, the hotel amenities, and other details he couldn’t be bothered with. He waited for her to finish the paper work and hand him his credit card and his room cards.

Justin smiled at Shane and winked in camaraderie. His eyes caught a movement behind her and that’s when he saw her; he knew immediately that it was Brian’s sister.

She was tall, though not as tall as Brian, with striking features. Her long hair was dark brown, almost black but not as black as Shane’s. She had green eyes that were currently fixated on him. She was exquisitely dressed in a white pantsuit outfit. Jewelry adorned her ears, fingers and wrists. The word glamorous came to mind.

She looked pale and Justin became suddenly very nervous. He reached over and tugged on Brian’s jacket, his eyes fixed on Rena.

Shane saw Justin’s reaction and looked behind her. “Shit,” she muttered under her breath.

Brian turned to see what Justin wanted. “What!” he snapped. He saw Justin gazing behind Shane and followed his line of sight. That’s when he saw his sister.

His breath caught. Gone was the skinny thirteen-year-old runt he remembered. In her place was a stunning and very pale looking woman. Brian smiled widely. Whatever he thought he would feel it wasn’t this. He was enjoying the look of shock on Rena’s face as she stared at Justin.

Some things never changed he thought. The “boy” in him couldn’t help but tease his sister.

He cleared his throat to get her attention. Her eyes shifted to his, and if it were possible, grew wider with renewed shock.

“Sorry, Re, but we forgot his armor at home.” Brian winked at her, knowing she would understand these words.
 

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