Breaking Internal Barriers

Chapter 1

Brian was sitting in the reception area of Backus Turner International, wondering if he had made the right decision. One month ago, he was sitting in his office at Vanguard, thinking about how he had finally succeeded in making partner in Pittsburgh’s top advertising agency. He had a son he adored, a loft right out of Architectural Digest, and he could fuck anyone he wanted…and did. The only cloud hanging over his head was his severe distaste for his business partner…and for Pittsburgh. There were too many bad memories floating around the town, things he would rather forget. So when he was approached by a representative from BTI, offering him a better deal than he would have ever received from Vanguard, he realized that he couldn’t let it slip away. Now, four weeks later, here he was, sitting in his new company waiting for his get acquainted tour. As of Monday, he would be the newest member of the staff, junior partner, with the option of full partner within six months, provided he was able to bring in three new million dollar accounts in that time.

He wasn’t worried about producing the new clients. He already knew that Brown Athletics was in the process of dissolving their contracts with Vanguard so they could sign on with BTI, and he heard about a couple more of his clients preparing to do the same. It made him feel good to know that his clients’ loyalty was so strong, that some of them were willing to follow him to a new agency. The doubts came from the knowledge that he left his friends and family behind to start over in another state. He had only been gone for two weeks and he already missed his son more than he ever thought he would. His thoughts, however, were interrupted when he noticed someone watching him.

"Mr. Kinney? My name is Steve,” the young man said.  “I’m Ms. Turner’s assistant. She’s ready to see you now. Follow me.”  Steve shook Brian’s hand then turned and headed towards the elevator.

Brian followed Steve, his thoughts back where they belonged. They rode the elevator to the top floor, while Steve gave him the basic run down of the company. As they reached their destination, Brian took a deep breath and prepared himself for the first step in his new life.

“Brian. I’m so glad to see you. Welcome to Backus Turner!” Alexandra Turner exclaimed, shaking hands with her newest partner.

“Thank you, Ms. Turner. I’m happy to be here,” Brian replied, returning the handshake.

“Oh please, Brian. Call me Alexandra. How was your move? Are you all settled in yet?” Alex asked, putting away the file she was working on.

“Just about settled, and thanks for giving me the name of your real estate agent. She was a God send,” he said. Brian was still amazed that he was able to find such a great place on such short notice.

“Yeah, Jennifer’s really good at what she does. She searched forever until she found something my husband and I could agree on,” Alex said.

Brian smiled.

“So, what do you say we get started on your tour? I am anxious to get you familiar with the set up, so on Monday; you’ll be all ready to go. Cynthia arrived on Tuesday, and seems to be settling in just fine. I’m glad you convinced me to allow you to bring in your own assistant,” Alex said, once again believing that she made the right decision when she brought Brian aboard.

“I couldn’t imagine doing my job without her. She’s the only one I know that can put up with my…personality.” Brian chuckled, knowing that no matter what kind of mood he was in, Cynthia knew how to deal with it. He realized years ago that he wouldn’t scare her away.

“Well, I’m looking forward to seeing the work you two can produce here. Now… on with the tour,” she replied, as they headed out the door.

Three hours later, Brian and Alex were finishing the tour. As they approached the only office they hadn’t been to, Brian began to feel as if he would enjoy his place in the company. Everyone had welcomed him and seemed anxious to begin working with him.  He was looking forward to Monday.

“And finally, this is Justin Taylor‘s office. He is the director of our Art Department and a brilliant artist. He is pretty young to be in his position, but he has proven himself over and over again, always giving everything he has. You will be working very close with him, but I think you two will really get along well,” Alex explained, knocking lightly on the door and entering.

“Justin, I’d like you to meet our new partner, Brian Kinney. Brian, this is Justin Taylor.” She made the introductions, and then stood back to see the men’s reactions.

Justin stood up to shake the other man’s hand and was startled by the face before him. Shaking off his thoughts, he spoke with an even tone. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Kinney. Welcome to BTI.”

“Nice to meet you too, and please, call me Brian. I’ve heard good things about you and your work.” Brian offered, taking in the other man’s blond hair and deep blue eyes.

“Don’t believe everything Alexandra says about me. She’s a little biased,” Justin said with a chuckle. It still amazed him when he thought about how much faith Alex had in him.

“Justin, how is the layout for Discovery coming along?” Alex asked, keeping the conversation on business.

“Pretty good. I should have them finished as promised by the end of the day,” Justin assured her.

“I’m sure you will. Brian and I will let you get back to work now. If you have any trouble, let me know. Otherwise, I will be in my office working on a new account I’m thinking about trying to acquire,” she explained.

“Really? Anything I should know about?” Justin asked, hating to be kept in the dark about anything.

“Now Justin, you know I like to have a few secrets around here. It’s just something I have been thinking about for awhile. I will let you know something when I get the details worked out,” she said with a smile.

“Woman, you can be so frustrating sometimes,” Justin laughed.

“I know, but that’s why you love working here. I’ll see you later,” Alex said as she turned to walk out the door.

“It was nice meeting you, Brian. I guess I’ll see you Monday,” Justin offered.

“You too, Justin. See you Monday,” Brian replied as he followed Alexandra out of the office.

Alexandra walked Brian down to the main reception area, answering the last minute questions Brian had. Once they reached the door, Brian turned and offered his hand to Alex.

“Thank you for taking the time to show me around today. I’m anxious to get started on Monday.”

“You’re welcome, Brian. I’m looking forward to all the wonderful things I know you are going to do for BTI. Now, go enjoy your last weekend of freedom, and I’ll see you on Monday.” Alex said with a smile.

“You got it… Boss,” Brian replied with a chuckle. He walked out of the agency with a smile, looking forward to his new future.

*************************

Justin was sitting at his desk working on the layout for Discovery when someone knocked on his door.

“Come in,” Justin shouted out.

Daphne Chanders, his personal assistant, walked in and came over to Justin’s desk.

“Hey boss,” Daphne said.  “Are you busy?”

“Aren’t I always?” Justin asked.  He and Daphne had been best friends since elementary school and when Justin had gotten hired by Backus Turner International five years ago, he had asked Ms. Turner, who he had come to call Alex, if he could choose his own assistant.  Having taken a personal liking to Justin, she immediately agreed and Daphne was more than willing to take the job at the highly prestigious company.

“Well, I don’t want to disturb you for too long…I just want to know what you thought of that gorgeous man that just walked through your door five minutes ago,” Daphne said.

“Who?” Justin said, not even bothering to look up from his board.

“WHO?” Daphne questioned, slightly raising her voice.  “Justin Taylor…do NOT tell me you did not see the beautiful new partner of BTI that Mrs. Turner just came in and introduced you to no more than five minutes ago.”

“Oh, you mean Mr. Kinney,” Justin said disinterestedly.  Laying down his black pen, he grabbed a red one.

“Of course I mean Mr. Kinney,” Daphne said.  “That man has a great ass.”

“I’m glad you think so Daph,” Justin said.

“Didn’t you think so?” Daphne asked, surprised that her best friend wouldn’t look at the fresh new meat at the agency.

“To tell you the truth Daph, I didn’t really get a good look,” Justin said.  “Alex interrupted me right as I was in the middle of working on these boards for Discovery Cruise Lines, which are due by 3:00 and are still for shit.”     

“Justin, you need to take a breather sometimes,” Daphne said.  “You always get things done on time…stop worrying so much.”

“Yes mother,” Justin said.

“Hey!” Daphne said, picking up the newspaper that was sitting on one of Justin’s chairs and swatted his head with it.  “Enough with the mother jokes…I’m just trying to watch out for you.  I mean, you’re 27 years old and still haven’t found someone to settle down with yet.”

“I don’t need anyone Daph,” Justin said.  “I’m content with things staying the way they are.”

“Yeah right,” Daphne said.  “I know you better Justin.  Remember, I grew up with you.  You can’t hide your true feelings from me.”

Justin looked up from his work and put his pen down.  Folding his hands underneath his chin, he asked, “Are you finished yet?”

“No actually, I’m not,” Daphne said, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Justin’s desk.  “I snuck a peak at his file earlier.”

“Really?” Justin said.  “And how did you manage that?”

“Being your assistant has its perks,” Daphne said.  “I asked Brian’s new assistant…I believe her name is Cynthia… for his file, saying that you needed it for some reason and when she found out who I was, she immediately gave it to me.  I think her and I are going to be fast friends.”

Justin cracked a laugh.  “You’re such a character Daph.”

“That’s why you love me,” Daphne said.  “But anyway, I found out that he is single…no strings attached.”

“And why would that make any difference?” Justin asked, going back to his work.

“Because he’s 29 years old,” Daphne said.

“And your point is?” Justin asked, getting a little annoyed with his nosy assistant.

“Justin, can you not read between the lines?” Daphne asked.  “The man is 29 years old and not married.  What does that usually mean?”

“That he’s decided to be smart and stay single?” Justin teased.

“No…he’s probably gay,” Daphne stated.

“You don’t know that,” Justin said.  “He could be engaged, or simply dating someone.”

“C’mon Justin…a guy who looks like that would not still be single if he was straight,” Daphne said.  “The women would be crawling all over him.”

“And maybe they do,” Justin said.  “But who cares?  I don’t.”

“You are no fun anymore,” Daphne said, getting up from the chair.  “I don’t get you.  A gorgeous guy walks into your office and you don’t even bother to look.  Even if he is straight, it wouldn’t have hurt to take a look at him.”

“You know how I feel about work Daph,” Justin said.  “While I am here, I am strictly professional.  I don’t fuck around on the job.”

“No, you just fuck around at night,” Daphne said, heading towards the door. 

“Yes, but I believe that is my business,” Justin said.  “And I certainly don’t need my assistant trying to get me fuck dates.  I can get plenty on my own.”

“I know you can,” Daphne said.  “You always do.”

Justin looked up and flashed Daphne a brief smile before returning to his work.

“So, what are you doing this weekend?” Daphne asked.

Justin thought for a minute.  “Well, I will probably work until late tonight and then head over to the Coliseum, where I will engage in drugs, booze, and boys for the rest of the evening.  Saturday will probably be a repeat of today’s fun.”

“So basically, you’re going to do what you do every weekend,” Daphne said.

“Consistency is a virtue,” Justin said.

“Well, don’t party too hard,” Daphne said, opening the door.  “You wouldn’t want to show up at the weekly conference meeting early Monday morning looking like shit.”

“You know me Daph,” Justin said.  “I always gain my sobriety back by Sunday evening.”

Daphne nodded.  “If you need anything, just buzz me.”

“Bye Daphne,” Justin said.  As soon as the door closed, Justin tried to concentrate on working again, but his mind started to drift to the new partner…Brian Kinney.  He had lied to his best friend…he had taken a good look at Mr. Kinney when he had walked in the door.  Before Alex had even introduced him to Brian, Justin immediately took in the man's nice features.  From what he could see, Brian had a well toned body, a big cock and a nice ass…everything Justin wanted in a man.  On top of all that, his other features were handsome…an even bigger plus.  Brian Kinney was definitely fuckable, but Justin knew he couldn’t do anything about it.  Despite his assistant’s assumptions, Justin knew that there was a good chance that Brian was straight, even if he wasn’t married.  He certainly didn’t want to venture into asking a straight man for a fuck date…he was Justin Taylor, king of the Coliseum.  He didn’t need any help getting guys to fuck around with.  Men from all over came to be with him, not the other way around.  Justin looked back at the presentation boards and made up his mind.

“Daphne,” Justin said, buzzing his assistant.

“Yes?” Daphne asked sweetly.

“Could you round up my team and tell them to be ready for me in the art department in ten minutes?  I can’t seem to get these layouts to work…the colors are all wrong.  I need them to completely redo these boards by 2:00 because I have to give them to Alex by 3:00,” Justin said.

“No problem,” Daphne said.

“Thanks,” Justin said.  Getting up, he immediately banished all thoughts of Brian Kinney from his mind.  After all, he had a job to do.

*************************

Justin walked through the front door to his loft and immediately headed upstairs to his bedroom.  Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was close to 7:00.  Taking off his suit, he decided to change into some sweats and a t-shirt before starting on dinner.  Walking back to the kitchen, he began to yawn and he started to feel just how tired he was.  This week at work had been long and grueling…he had stayed from 7 AM to 6 PM most nights.  His official hours were 8-5, but he always had stuff to do and he got more done when he was at the office.

Moving around in the kitchen, he began getting the ingredients to make himself a sandwich when the phone rang.  Wiping his hands quickly with a towel, he moved over to the counter to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Justin, hey, it’s me.” 

“Alex, hey…what’s going on?”

“Nothing much, I came by to see you on my way out but you were already gone.”

“Yeah, I left about thirty minutes ago.  Are you still at the office?”

“No, I just made it home.  I’m just about to order some take out for Peter and I.”

“Ah, that’s what I should have done.  I’m exhausted.”

“Have I been working you too hard Justin?  I’m sorry.”

“No Alex, its fine.  I’m used to it.”

“Those boards you handed in for Discovery Cruise were excellent.  You and the department did a good job.”

“Well, that’s why you pay me the big bucks,” Justin said, sitting down on his sofa.

Alex chuckled.  “Yes, I guess so.  But I knew you had great talent right from the start.”

Justin smiled.  He had gotten so lucky to have found Alex’s company when he did.  Right after he graduated from Briarcliffe College in New York, he had went out looking for jobs and had come across the offer from BTI, saying that they were looking for people to fill in some positions in their art department.  Knowing that he had wanted to go into advertising, Justin had majored in marketing and art in Briarcliffe’s special double majoring program.  When he met with Alex, she hired him right on the spot, saying he was perfect for the job.  The two workers became good friends and Alex took him under her wing and showed him the ropes personally.  Eventually, he had become so comfortable with her that she had allowed him to call her Alex. No one else at the agency had ever called her by her personal nickname, except for Justin.     

Three years ago when the art director had retired, Alex knew immediately that she wanted Justin to fill the position.  When she had asked Justin into her office and asked if he was interested in the job, Justin was thrilled and scared at the same time.  His dream had come true, but he didn’t know if he was ready to take on such a responsibility.  After all, he had only been out of school for two years.  But Alex had reassured him and told him he would be perfect for the job, if he didn’t mind the long hours and the added responsibility.  Justin didn’t mind…he loved his career and wanted to advance himself as much as possible.  After he became the art director, he and Alex became even closer, considering they worked with each other more now in their professional relationship.  They began to talk and see each other outside the office as well.  Justin had even told Alex that he was gay, which is something he didn’t do that often with the people at work.  Besides Daphne, Alex was the only one at work who knew that he was a homosexual.  Sure, people had their suspicions since he wasn’t married, but he never gave out that information to people.  He just felt it wasn’t anybody’s business.

“I think you took a great chance,” Justin said.  “Not many people would hire a twenty four year old man fresh out of college to be their company’s art director.”

“Let’s just say I had intuition,” Alex said.  “You have ambition Justin…plus you’re young, smart, and have an incredible talent.  I didn’t risk anything…I knew from the start you were going to be great.  Helping me land Discovery Cruise lines with that incredible talent of yours showed me that I didn’t hire the wrong man for the job.”

“Thanks,” Justin said, blushing slightly.

“But that wasn’t the reason why I called,” Alex said.  “I wanted to know what you thought of Mr. Kinney.”

Brian Kinney…there was the name of that man again.  Everyone seemed to be talking about him today.  Justin had tried to forget about the fuckable man who had walked into his office, but no one seemed to let him.  Everyone, men and woman alike, were talking about the newest member of the BTI team. 

Justin cleared his throat.  “Well, from what I gathered in the minute that you introduced us, he seemed like a very accomplished man.”

“Oh he is,” Alex said.  “You should see his résumé.  He has won dozens of Cleo awards.  It’s just a shame he was wasting his talent in Pittsburgh all these years.”

“Pittsburgh?” Justin questioned, taking a cigarette out and lighting it.  “What the hell is in Pittsburgh?”

“Obviously his life,” Alex said, “until I got a hold of him at least.”

Justin laughed.  “You do know how to get what you want.”

“Let’s just say I’m very persuasive.  I guess I’ve learned that from being a woman all these years.”

“You certainly have,” Justin agreed.

“So tell me…besides professionally, what did you think of him?”

Justin had to smile.  “I believe I already had this conversation with Daphne.”

“Oh c’mon Justin!” Alex said.  “You’re 27 years old and you still haven’t found anyone.”

“And like I told my assistant earlier, I don’t need anyone.  I like my life just the way it is.  I don’t get any heartache or bullshit.”

Alex sighed.  “Yes, but at the same time Justin, you don’t get any love either.  We all need someone to love us.”

“I have people who love me.  You, Daphne…

“As friends Justin, yes.  But I’m talking about a real relationship here, finding that one person that’s right for you.  That one person who fits you in every way…who makes your heart pound, your hands tingle.  The one person who you can’t imagine living without.”

Justin exhaled the smoke from his cigarette.  “Alex…what are you smoking?  That shit doesn’t happen.  It’s all a lie we tell ourselves.  There is no “one person”.  Sure we have attractions, but that doesn’t mean I should settle down and pretend to be a happy hetero couple with someone because of it.  Romance is all bullshit.  We can all live without anyone.  All we need is ourselves.”

“Whatever you say,” Alex said.  “However, I happen to find Mr. Kinney very attractive.”

“Well, that seems to be the consensus with the females in the office, so I’m not surprised.”

“Didn’t you think he was cute though?” Alex asked, “Even a little?”

Justin sighed, knowing he was never going to get out of this conversation if he didn’t give in a little.  “I suppose he was moderately attractive, although I didn’t get a good look from where I was sitting.”

“Well, don’t worry…I’m sure you and he are going to be working a lot together.  You’ll get to know each other very well.”

“Oh joy,” Justin said unenthusiastically.

Deciding to drop the subject for now, she said, “So…what are you doing this weekend?”

“I plan on fixing dinner, resting, and then eventually make my way over to the Coliseum.”

“Have fun,” Alex said.  “I guess I’ll see you early Monday morning.”

“Yes, 9 AM sharp, I know,” Justin said.  “Bye Alex.”

“Bye Justin,” Alex said.

Justin hung up the phone and went to finish making his sandwich.  Turning on the news, he began to eat.  After he was finished, he noticed it was close to 8:30.  The Coliseum didn’t really get started until 10:30, so he decided to take a nap before getting ready.  Laying down in his king size bed, Justin tried his best to forget about everything and go to sleep, but images of Brian kept popping into his head.  He didn’t know why everyone was trying to push this man on him…it wasn’t as if he was gay anyway.  Brian probably just had a girlfriend and was afraid to commit, like so many other straight men.  However, even if Brian was gay, Justin would not be interested.  Of course Brian was gorgeous, but that was beside the point.  He remembered what happened the last time he had allowed himself to love another man…he had almost died.  Justin surely didn’t want to take that chance again.  Chris Hobbs had ruined his idealized version of love and some things could never be altered.

Deciding he needed to get Brian out of his head once and for all, he knew he needed to get out and go to the Coliseum right away.  Drinking and tricking the night away would help him forget about BTI’s newest partner…he was sure of it.  Throwing on some tight black pants and a new blue shirt, Justin grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

*************************

Brian entered his loft after the tour of BTI feeling a mixture of emotions. He was very impressed with what he observed while he was there. The staff seemed very competent, and he could see how talented everybody was as he spent a little time watching them in action. The only problem was Gus. For some reason, he had managed to look at the whole move as a temporary situation. He figured that it was just another move towards the career he had always wanted, but now, he was beginning to see that this was where he was supposed to be. He was anxious to begin his new position, and could see his future at BTI being everything he had ever wanted. The problem was the distance. He had missed his son more than he ever thought possible, and now it appeared as if the current living situation was going to be permanent. He was going to be living in Ft. Lauderdale, while his son grew up in Pittsburgh. He may have been against jerking off in that cup in the beginning, but now he couldn’t imagine his life without Gus, and being so far away wasn’t exactly the best situation for him. He reached for the phone, needing to hear the laughter that was always present in his son’s voice.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Linds. How are things back in the Pitts?” Brian asked, realizing he had missed his friend too. If he didn’t watch it, he was going to end up a lesbian with all the emotions he was experiencing.

“Brian! How are things down there in sunny Florida? Did you find all the hot guys yet?” Lindsay teased, happy to hear her friend’s voice.

“Not yet, but it won’t take long. How’s my son?” Brian asked, getting right to the point. He didn’t call for idle chitchat.

“He’s alright, although I suspect that he misses his Daddy. You want to talk to him?” she asked. Lindsay knew that Gus was missing his father, but at four years old, it was easy to distract him and keep him happy. By the sound of Brian’s voice, she figured it wasn’t that easy for a man of thirty.

“Yeah, thanks Linds.” Brian replied.

A few moments later, Brian heard the sound of the phone being dropped and couldn’t help but smile. Gus always seemed to have a hard time holding the phone.

“Dada, is that you? When you come over? I miss you!” Gus exclaimed into the phone.

“Hey Gus. I miss you, too. Are you being good for your mommies?” Brian asked, bypassing the comment about when he was coming over. Gus had no concept of Brian living far away and not being able to visit at the drop of a hat.

“I’m bein good, Dada. I even ate all my peas!” Gus pointed out.

“You did? That’s great, Sonny Boy. If you eat all your vegetables, you are going to grow up to be big and strong,” Brian assured him.

“Yep! Just like you, Dada,” Gus said enthusiastically.

“Yeah, Gus. Just like me. So how is school going?” Brian asked, trying to get any information he could from his son.

“It’s okay, I have a new friend named Tommy. He likes to play with trucks, and he has lots of them. He said I could play at his house sometime. Do you think I can, Dada?” Gus explained.

“That’s great, Sonny Boy, and I‘m sure Mommy will let you play with him. How’s your class hamster doing?” Brian asked, remembering the excitement Gus had shown when he had found out the class had a pet they could share.

“He’s cool, Dada. Sometimes Mrs. Baxter lets him run around in his ball thingy and he bumps into walls. It’s funny. I want a hampstir. Do you think I can have one?” Gus asked, hoping that his Dada would get him one since his mommy had said no.

“It’s hamster, Gus, and you know Mommy said not until your older. As soon as she says yes, I will buy you one myself, okay?” Brian knew that Mel didn’t like rodents of any kind, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to give his son what he wanted. He just wanted to wait until Gus was a little older and was better able to take care of it.

“Okay Dada. I have to go now. Bob the Builder is coming on. Love you, Dada,” Gus said, his mind already on his favorite TV show.

“I love you, too, Gus. Put Mommy back on the phone.” Brian tried to push away the sadness he felt about taking second place to a cartoon builder.

“Brian, I know what you’re thinking. He’s only four. To him, his whole life revolves around his toys and his shows. Don’t take it personally,” Lindsay reassured him, knowing that he would take Gus’s departure to heart. He tried to keep his big bad Kinney persona alive, but when it came to his son, he was a softy.

“Stop trying to read my thoughts, Peterson. Save that ability to use on your wife. I’m fine, and now I have to go. I’ll call you in a couple days,” Brian said, unwilling to admit his weakness.

“Whatever you say, Brian. Take care of yourself. I’ll talk to you soon,” Lindsay replied, noticing Brian’s walls going back up.

“Later.” Brian hung up the phone and thought about what Lindsay had said. Maybe Gus really didn’t think beyond the four year old mind right now, but what was going to happen if he grew up without having his father around? Brian shook those thoughts off. This was his life now, and he was going to have to get used to it.

For the next five hours, Brian worked on the loft, unpacking the rest of his boxes and putting things in their place. He started work on Monday, and wanted to be all settled in before then. It was 8:00 pm by the time he finally finished unpacking and was satisfied with the finished product. He took a shower, and then sat down to eat the left over take out from the night before.

His thoughts kept replaying the tour, specifically the part of meeting the Art Director. Justin Taylor was hot. He had piercing blue eyes, and what appeared to be soft blond hair, which gave Brian the urge to run his fingers through it. “What the fuck is wrong with me?“ Brian said to the empty room. He wasn’t sure where those thoughts came from. He wondered if he had spent too much time with the munchers, because he was beginning to think like a lesbian. Besides, Justin was a co-worker, and Brian found out the hard way that fucking a co-worker could only lead to trouble. He tried to push thoughts of Justin out of his mind, but was unsuccessful.

After about an hour, Brian decided the best way to forget about the blond was to find a trick or two. He had heard about a place called the Coliseum and figured he would check it out. There were plenty of other men in Ft. Lauderdale that fit into his lifestyle, and he was going to go out and find them.

*************************

Justin was standing against the wall of the back room, lost in the pleasure that his latest trick was giving him. All thoughts of the new executive were gone from his mind, just as he knew they would be. As always, a night of clubbing was enough to make him forget his troubles. Once the trick was finished, Justin adjusted his clothes and walked back to the bar for one more drink before heading home.

"Hey, Justin. I didn't see you come in." Kevin said as he saw Justin approached the bar.

"Hey Kevin. I got here a little while ago, but I found my mark early and headed in the back. Can I have another beam? I need to head home soon. It has been a long week." Justin told him. He always liked Kevin. He was the one trick Justin had that he developed a friendship with. He still followed the one fuck only policy with him, but they always spent time talking and even danced a few times together on the nights Kevin was off.

"I know what you mean. There are some weeks that seem to last for twelve days. How's work these days? Still taking the advertising world by storm?" Kevin asked. He always admired Justin's intelligence, and still wished he had been able to win the man's heart, but he learned early on about Justin's policy. He didn't believe in love, he believed in fucking, and never the same trick twice.

"I'm trying like hell. We have a new partner now. He just moved here from Pittsburgh. We'll see how things go from here. I hate having to break in the new help." Justin said with a laugh.

"If anyone can break him in, you can, Justin. Of that, I have no doubt. So, what's this new partner like? Young, old, hot? Is he a breeder?" Kevin asked, intrigued by the thought of new meet around town.

"I'm thinking he's a breeder, but as for what he looks like, I have no idea. I hardly even noticed." Justin lied, trying to keep his thoughts away from the man in question.

"Yeah, sure you didn't." Kevin teased, not believing Justin for a second.

Justin tossed back his drink, wanting to get away from the present conversation. "I'm out of here. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"I'm off tomorrow, so maybe you and I can turn up the heat on the dance floor a bit." Kevin suggested, always trying to get Justin to break his rules.

"Sounds good. You can fill me in on the latest gossip. Later." Justin replied, before turning and walking away.

As Justin turned to walk out of the club, he bumped into the trick from the back room.

"Hey, you ready to finish what we started?" The trick asked, looking at Justin with lustful eyes.

"Sure, why not? Let's go." Justin replied, leading the man out of the club. He wanted to get home fairly early, but that didn't mean he couldn't have some company for awhile.

As they walked out the door, Justin thought he saw someone resembling Brian Kinney in line at the door, but dismissed that thought immediately. He still had Brian pegged for a breeder, and he usually wasn't wrong about those things. He couldn't figure out why the man kept popping into his thoughts, but after glancing at the trick along side of him, he knew that all thoughts of the executive were going to be gone for the night. The only thing on his mind would be giving the trick the ride of his life. He would worry about work on Monday.

*************************

Brian parked his jeep in the back and made his way around to the front of the club.  He couldn’t believe how similar to Babylon the Coliseum really was, except that this place was better.  Bright, flashing lights glowed all around the exterior and there were hot, hunky men everywhere.  He couldn’t believe he had been wasting his time in Pittsburgh all these years when clearly he had been missing out.  There were more than enough men here to keep him busy for quite a long time.

Brian walked his way up to the bouncer when he noticed two men walk out, one with soft looking blonde hair.  Brian couldn’t get a good look at the men’s faces, but one of them clearly looked like the hot art director he had the pleasure of meeting this afternoon.  “Kinney, what the hell are you thinking?” Brian said out loud to nobody.  That couldn’t possibly be Justin who walked out…it was impossible.  Deciding he needed that drink now more than ever, he walked over to the bouncer to show him his ID.

“Hey good looking,” the bouncer said, looking Brian up and down carefully.  “Haven’t seen you around here before.”

“Yeah…I’m new,” Brian said, looking at the troll in front of him.

“You want to come to my place later?” the guy asked, placing his hand on Brian’s shoulder.  “I get off in an hour.”

“No,” Brian said bluntly, walking past the troll.  Some men had a real nerve.

Going inside, Brian smiled at the sight before him.  The lights were brighter, the go-go boys were hotter, and the music had more pounding rhythm than anything he had ever heard.  He was going to get lost inside this gay man’s paradise quickly…he just knew it.

Walking over to the central bar, men from all over stopped and gazed at the new piece of meat.  Brian just smirked, knowing he was going to be able to get all the flesh he wanted tonight, no questions asked.  Going over to the bar, the bartender eyed him as well.

“Double Jim Beam,” Brian said to the man.

“Coming right up,” the bartender said.  Coming back quickly with Brian’s drink, he couldn’t take his eyes off the man as he handed it to him.

“Thanks,” Brian said, gulping the shot down.  Deciding he was ready for some action, he went out on the dance floor to make his move.

Brian made his way to the center of the dance floor, looking around at all the potential men.  Grabbing a somewhat tall dirty blond, he began to dance to the pulsating beat. 

As the two were dancing, men of all types gathered around the pair, hoping for a dance from the new stud.  Brian, who at the moment was no longer interested in dancing, whispered to his dance partner, “Take me to the backroom.  I want to fuck you.”

The trick smiled.  “Right this way,” he said.

The blond man led Brian to a place over in the corner.  Brian then took the lead and led the man to a vacant place at the wall.  Brian gazed around at his surroundings and noticed that the backroom here was even busier than at Babylon.  Chuckling, he took the trick by the shoulder and pushed him down to his knees.  Unzipping his jeans, the man soon figured out what to do.

Brian tilted his head back, loving the feeling of getting his dick sucked.  Any doubts about Ft. Lauderdale not living up to what he was used to were quickly pushed out of his head.  This place was better than he could have ever imagined, and he knew he would be adjusted in no time.  Best of all though, any thoughts of Justin Taylor were gone for the moment.  Brian Kinney had finally arrived.  

End of Part 1

12/01/03  

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