Fate Wins Out

Part 3

When Brian woke up he was disoriented. He didn’t recognize his surroundings and it took a few minutes to get his bearings. Eventually, everything came flooding back to him. Finding Stacy and flying back to the states to see her plus meeting her husband and being drawn to him was a lot to take in. Oh shit! What am I going to do? He thought as he dragged himself out of bed. He made his way to the bathroom and took a shower, hoping to shake off the remaining symptoms of jet lag and his feelings for Justin which he was finding impossible to dismiss. After he was dressed, he made his way down the stairs and stopped short when he heard his name being spoken from the kitchen. Even though he hated eavesdropping, he couldn’t help but stand there quietly and listen to the conversation.

“Don’t you think you should tell him Stacy? If he’s going to be staying here, I think he needs to be told. What if he picks up on something?” Justin asked her, trying to make her see his point of view.

“No, I don’t think he needs to be told. Look, Justin. I haven’t seen Brian in ten years. The last thing I want to do is throw my problems in his face. Besides, he’s not going to pick up on anything. In the last six months since the truth came out, nothing has changed between us. Our marriage is the same as it’s always been…unless there is something you’re not telling me?” Stacy asked, holding her breath while she waited for his answer.

“Of course not! I promised you I would tell you if anything happened. I just don’t like keeping secrets,” Justin explained.

“Honey, every marriage has their share of secrets and what goes on in our marriage is no one’s business but ours. The only thing that matters is that we are happy. I’m happy, are you?” She asked, knowing what his answer would be.

"Yes. I’m very happy with you, Stace. You know that.” Justin replied as he took her in his arms.

“Then that’s all that matters. Now let’s just enjoy our time with Brian. I think you two will get along great.” Stacy said as she kissed her husband and went back to the sink to finish the dishes.

Brian was confused by what he had overheard. It was obvious that they had some problems, yet they both admitted to being happy. Deciding that it was none of his business, he walked through the door and was greeted to the sight of Justin sitting at the counter, drinking a beer. It took everything in his power to keep his face expressionless. He jumped at the sound of Stacy’s voice.

“Well, hello there, sleepyhead. How was your nap?” She asked as she crossed the room and kissed his cheek.

“I think I could have slept for days. I didn’t realize how tired I was until my head hit the pillow and I was out,” Brian remarked, as he took a seat next to Justin, the scent of his cologne causing him to shiver.

“Are you hungry? We ate dinner a little while ago, but I made you a plate. Would you like me to heat it up for you?” She asked, as she made her way to the refrigerator.

“No, that’s okay. I think I’m going to take a ride around town and see what’s new since I was gone. You don’t mind, sweetie, do you?” Brian asked, wanting to put some space between him and Justin. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen.

“That’s fine, Brian. Why don’t you take Justin with you? I really want you to get to know each other better. I have some last minute details I have to take care of before the fundraiser anyway. It’s perfect.” Stacy suggested, wanting her two favorite men to become friends.

“Honey? Is this one of those situations where we have no choice but to go along with your suggestion?” Justin asked with a smirk. He knew his wife too well to know that when she has an idea, it’s just easier to go along with it.

“Of course, it is! Now why don’t you go get changed so you two can hit the town.” She called over her shoulder as she finished putting away the dishes.

Justin looked over at Brian and couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on his face. “Sorry, man. Once she makes up her mind, there is no stopping her. I’ve just learned to go along with whatever she wants. It’s easier that way. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Justin said as he walked out of the kitchen.

An hour later, Brian found himself driving through the city with Justin by his side. He wanted to be able to get away from the object of his new found desires for awhile and maybe pick up a trick or two, but that wasn’t going to be happening anytime soon. He knew he should have just been honest with Stacy up front and told her he was gay, but he wasn’t sure how she would feel about it and didn’t want his visit to end before it began. The last time he opened up to a relative about his lifestyle, he had been banished from the family. He didn’t want to risk losing Stacy again.

“So Brian, what do you do for a living?” Justin asked, trying to start a conversation to end the silence.

“I own an advertising agency in Europe. In fact, I just stepped down from my position as CEO and semi-retired. I was lucky with my professional life and made a lot of money in the last ten years, but I worked my ass off with little time for my private life. I figured that now was the time to let loose and have fun. What about you? What do you do?” Brian asked, curious to find out more about the man beside him. The conversation he overheard was still running through his head and he wanted to find out what he could about the couple and their marriage. If he was forced to spend his evening with Justin, at least he could make it an informative evening.

“My family owns Taylor Inc. If you’re in advertising than I’m sure you’ve heard of us. It’s the biggest advertising agency on the whole east coast. I am their Art Director and a member of the board. I had to follow in my father’s footsteps. What’s the name of your company? I’m sure I’ve heard of it.” Justin laughed at the coincidence of them being in the same line of work.

“No Regrets Advertising. I picked the name after my parents disowned me and I figured that it held a lot of meaning. It’s the way I live my life. With no regrets.” Brian replied without noticing the strange look on Justin’s face.

“Oh, I’ve heard of you. In fact, I remember the article that was written about you in Fortune 500. It said that you were an advertising genius and made your first million by the time you were twenty five. My father has always been very jealous of you. Thank you for that. Anyone who can get my father’s shorts in a knot is a good man in my book.” Justin joked, trying to push away the sadness at what Brian had said. Justin lived his life with regrets everyday. As much as he loved his wife and baby on the way, he regretted keeping his sexuality to himself. If he was honest in the beginning, he could have been free to love whoever he wanted and Stacy wouldn’t be stuck having a baby with someone who could never love her the way she deserved to be loved.

“I take it that you and your father aren’t very close?” Brian asked, intrigued by what Justin had said. He knew how hard it was to be at odds with your parents, although, he had to wonder what caused the problems Justin seemed to have with his father. It seemed that Justin led a normal life. Maybe it had something to do with whatever he and Stacy were talking about.

“You know how it is. Father wants son to follow in footsteps, son wants to branch off…father wins. I wanted to be an artist. That was my dream, but my father had other plans for me. I went to Dartmouth and got my degree in business. My heading the art department was something he offered me to keep me from running out on my first day.” Justin explained.

“Do you always do what you father tells you to do?” Brian asked. He couldn’t imagine doing anything Jack Kinney told him to do.

“Will it make me less of a man if I said yes?” Justin asked, embarrassed by the way he let his father control him.

“It won’t make you less of a man, but it will make you very unhappy in life. Justin, I don’t know you very well, but I can assure you that doing what is expected of you will never make you happy. You need to do what’s best for you, what will make you happy. Otherwise, what’s the point of living?” Brian asked, wondering if it was wise to give him advice, especially since there was some sort of problem between him and Stacy.

Justin sat there in silence, trying to make some sense of what Brian was saying. Could he be right? Could he ever be really happy if he always did what was expected of him? He was beginning to think the answer was no.

After the intense conversation between the two men, they decided to stop at a bar for a beer. Brian walked into the straight bar, trying to hide his disgust at what he saw. Wall to wall breeders, bumping and grinding to music from the 70’s just wasn’t his thing, but he didn’t think it would be wise to seek out a gay bar with Justin in tow. They made their way to the bar and ordered a couple of beers. Finding a table in the back where they could talk uninterrupted for the next couple of hours, they spent their time getting to know each other. The topics of conversation stayed light, neither one wanting to get into any more soul searching discussions. Once they started talking, they realized that they had a lot in common aside from their professional lives.

“So Brian. I take it you aren’t married?” Justin asked, even though, he knew from Stacy that he had yet to settle down.

“Nope. I guess I still haven’t found the right person.” Brian replied, leaving out the part about not believing in love. He hated having to put on an act around other people. Ever since he went to Europe he had been out and proud of whom he was. Now here he was, pretending to be a straight man who hasn’t found the right woman yet. Maybe coming to the states wasn’t such a good idea.

“I’m sure there is someone out there just waiting for you to sweep them off their feet.” Justin replied, wishing he could be the one waiting. Ever since walking into the kitchen after work that fateful day and seeing Brian sitting there, Justin hadn’t been able to get the man off his mind. Even though he had always been attracted to men, Justin had never felt an attraction to anyone like he felt toward Brian. He needed to find a way to stop the thoughts that were racing through his mind and getting away from him sounded like a good place to start. “You must be exhausted. Maybe we better head home. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Stacy drives anyone in a hundred mile radius crazy on the day of her fundraisers. I am assuming she conned you into going with us?”

“Yeah. She said it would be great for you because you hate these things and would love to have someone there to hang with.” Brian said as he threw some money on the table and headed for the door.

“She’s right! I do hate these things, but I am always so proud of all the work she does that I go for her. The only good thing about them is the open bar. We have a deal. I play the adoring husband for the first hour and then I can get rip roaring drunk and she makes sure I get home and into bed before the sun comes up. It’s a strange arrangement, but it works for us.” Justin laughed.

“Rip roaring drunk? It’s been a long time, but I think I’m up to it. I guess you got yourself a drinking buddy.” Brian chuckled, looking forward to spending the evening with Justin. As wrong as it was, he had a good time getting to know Justin and he felt like they were going to be fast friends. Now all he had to do was stop imagining the man naked in his bed and he’d be doing great.

The next day was hectic. Justin was right. Stacy was making everyone crazy. He couldn’t believe all the energy a pregnant woman could have. She was making him tired just watching her run around making phone calls and trips to the hall where the fundraiser was being held. Justin finally made her rest around four, telling her that neither one of them would go if she didn’t take a nap. She conceded and took a nap, but not before making them promise her they would be ready by six. That gave them an hour to get to the hall and double check to make sure everyone had followed her orders.

By 8:00, Justin had fulfilled his obligation to his wife and made his way to the bar, dragging Brian with him. They were exhausted from the way Stacy had put them on display, showing off her husband and cousin like they were some kind of trophy. Brian ordered a double Jim Beam and Justin decided to have one too. Maybe, just maybe, it would take the edge off of the evening. Ever since he and Brian talked in the car the night before, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what the man had said. He wanted to be happy, and his life wasn’t that bad considering the circumstances, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever find true happiness. He was beginning to have his doubts and spending all his time with Brian wasn’t helping anything.

Brian had spent the last couple of hours watching Justin and Stacy and came to the conclusion that they seemed very happy together. Whatever it was that they were talking about, they obviously loved each other. He just wished he could figure out what their story was. Once he and Justin were able to make their way to the bar the evening seemed to get much better. Aside from the countless women who continued to hit on him, he had a pretty good time. The two men continued to order double beams and by the end of the evening neither one of them could walk a straight line.

Stacy did as promised and drove them home, making sure they got in the house in one piece, but once inside she was too tired to do anymore. Justin sent her to bed with a kiss and a promise to be up soon. As soon as she was out of the picture Justin started to laugh.

“What are you laughing at?” Brian slurred. He couldn’t believe how drunk he was. He should have known better then to drink shot for shot. Now he was going to have a major hangover in the morning and he wasn’t looking forward to it.

“I think I’m drunk. I never get this drunk. I think you’re a bad influence on me.” Justin explained before heading into the kitchen.

“Where are you going? Your bedroom is upstairs.” Brian pointed out, ignoring the statement Justin had made. If he really wanted to be a bad influence all he had to do was take the blond in his arms and show him what it felt like to kiss a man. ‘What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never had these thoughts about a straight man before.’ Brian asked himself, unable to take his eyes off Justin.

“I want a beer. Care to join me?” Justin asked, feeling the need to keep Brian close for a little while longer.

“Do you really think we need another drink?” Brian asked.

“No, but it will make me happy. Otherwise, what’s the point, right?” Justin said, throwing Brian’s words back in his face with a chuckle.

“Oh, alright, if you insist.” Brian replied, taking the beer that was being offered.

They took their bottles outside and sat on the back steps listening to the silence that filled the air. Each man could feel the electricity bouncing between the two of them but was unaware that the feelings were mutual. Justin broke the silence first.

“Brian. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, Justin.”

“Have you ever done what was expected of you?”

"Yeah. Until I turned twenty and realized that I was miserable. I knew that if I wanted to be happy in life, I had to do what was right for me. Fuck everyone else.”

“And you don’t have any regrets?”

“Justin, we all have regrets in life. I just don’t regret any of the decisions I have made.”

“So, if there was something out there that you really wanted, you would go for it, no matter what?”

“Yes. Life is too short, Justin. You have to take each day as it comes and do what you think is best. Everything will fall into place eventually.”

“But what if you’re not sure it’s the best thing for you? Can you say that you always do what you want, not matter what others will think?”

Brian didn’t know how to answer that. He usually went with whatever felt right, but now that he was sitting here with Justin, he had to wonder. He wanted to kiss the man more than anything yet he didn’t make a move. ‘This situation is different’ he told himself. He couldn’t throw himself at straight men just because he found them attractive. Then again, what he was feeling for Justin was stronger than just attraction. He was so lost in thought that he forgot Justin was sitting next to him until he started talking again.

“I knew it! You’re full of shit! You can’t say that you always do what you want. Nobody does whatever they want without thinking about the consequences. It’s just not done!” Justin exclaimed. He couldn’t help tormenting Brian in his drunken state.

With his brain in a drunken fog, Brian took the tormenting seriously and did the only thing he could do to make it stop. He grabbed Justin by the back of the neck and pulled him in for a soft kiss, but once their lips met, their passion took over. Brian deepened the kiss, running his tongue along Justin’s lips, seeking entrance. He was surprised when he was given access and plunged his tongue inside, lost in the warmth of the other man’s mouth. His mind shut down and he let instinct take over. He took Justin in his arms and moaned at the feel of the other man’s body pressed against his. For the first time in his life he felt like he was right where he belonged.

Justin was lost in confusion. His mind was screaming that what he was doing was wrong. He was kissing his wife’s cousin. Unfortunately, his body was what was controlling his actions at the moment and he opened his mouth to let Brian in. He groaned at the feelings that the kiss was creating and never wanted it to end. He reached out and pulled Brian closer, needing to feel the other man’s body against his. If there was ever any doubt about Justin being gay, it was all gone now. The heat and passion he was experiencing was more than he ever felt with any woman. He was startled when he felt Brian’s hand reaching for his cock and pulled back out of shock more than anything. He looked into Brian’s eyes but couldn’t read the emotions that he saw there.

Brian looked into Justin’s eyes, trying to get a grip on what had just happened. He knew he needed to get away. He was just hoping he wouldn’t be thrown out by morning.

“I’m sorry, Justin. I think all the alcohol got to me. I better get to bed.” Brian said over his shoulder as he rushed back into the house and disappeared, leaving Justin sitting on the steps by himself.

Justin sat on the steps, trying to understand what had just taken place. It was bad enough that he had destroyed Stacy’s life by pretending to be someone he wasn’t, but now he went and threw himself at her cousin. Or did he? Didn’t Brian kiss him first? Justin wasn’t sure. His brain was too clouded by all the alcohol he consumed that he wasn’t really sure who initiated the kiss. All he knew was that while he was in Brian’s embrace, he felt like he was finally home.

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