Eye of the Beholder

Part 2


 

Brian was awakened by something cold and wet touching his cheek. When he was fully awake he realized that Topper was licking his face. He laughed, reaching up to scratch the dog behind the ears. When Topper finally stopped, Brian reached over and hit the button on his clock, the mechanical voice announcing that it was eight in the morning.

"Why did you wake me up at eight on a Saturday?" Brian groaned. Topper practically ran out of the room. Brian rolled over and tried to go to sleep, but was once again awakened, this time by something dropping into the bed with him. When he found the object he discovered that it was Topper's favorite ball. Brian sighed.

"You're not gonna let me go back to sleep, are you?" He asked and Topper barked. Brian laughed. "Well, you're going to have to wait until I get showered and dressed. Think you can handle that?" Topper barked again. Brian leaned down and kissed his forehead before going to take a shower. Once he was dressed, Brian grabbed the ball off the bed and started downstairs.

"Come on, boy." Brian stopped in the kitchen long enough to grab a glass of juice before heading out into the backyard. He made his way over to the table and chairs that were set up outside and took a seat before throwing the ball. Topper barked cheerfully before going to get it. Brian knew that the house was on his right side so he did his best to throw to the left so that he wouldn't break a window. Before long, the ball was dropped in his lap. Brian laughed and threw it again.

"You know why I love playing fetch with you so much, boy?" He asked Topper after about the sixth throw. The dog simply barked, wanting him to throw the ball again. "Playing fetch with you is helping me perfect my aim. Pretty soon when I throw something at Cynthia, I'll actually be able to hit her." He laughed and threw the ball; Topper went running after it, bringing it back in no time.

Joan had woken up and made her way into the kitchen to make some coffee. She smiled when she looked out the patio doors and saw Brian and Topper playing fetch. She was glad that Brian had the dog to help him when he left the house, but also because he was a good friend. There had been more than once that she had gone in to wake Brian and he was lying there snuggled up to the dog. She sometimes worried about Brian's loneliness, but at least with Topper he wasn't too lonely. After a few minutes, Brian and Topper came back into the house.

"Hey mom."

"Morning." She said. Once her location had been establish, Brian made his way over and kissed her cheek.

"Sleep well?" This was their usual morning routine on the weekends.

"Yes. You?" She poured him a cup of coffee as he took a seat at the table.

"I was sleeping great until somebody decided I needed to be up at eight in the morning." Topper barked and Brian and Joan both laughed.

"Do you have any plans for today?" She asked as she set the cup of coffee down in front of him, making sure that sugar was on the table instead of salt.

"Well......I was going to go to Liberty Avenue. I haven't talked to Debbie for a while."

"I've never understood why you still talk to her." Joan shook her head.

"Just because her son's a total prick doesn't mean I can't talk to her. She's still nice." He smirked. "And she gives me free food." He laughed.

"You know you pay for it anyway."

"Yeah, I know. But it's nice of her to offer. Was there any particular reason you asked if I had plans?"

"No. I was just curious. If you're going to be out I might go see a movie or something."

"That would be good. It's been a while since you actually got out of the house without me in tow."

"Exactly. So......how long do you think you'll be gone?" She asked. Brian shrugged.

"Depends on how much food she tries to shove down my throat." He smiled.

"Well, call me before you come home, okay? I'll have the cell with me."

"Okay." Brian finished his coffee and got up to go change. "Can you harness Topper while I change clothes?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." He once again kissed her cheek before making his way upstairs. He went digging through his closet looking for something to wear, deciding on a pair of black jeans and a black sweater. Once he was ready to go, he went back downstairs. He grabbed his keys and phone off the table in the hall and stuffed them into various pockets.

"Topper, come on." He called. In no time Topper was at his side. Brian took hold of the harness and they headed out the door. Though they were considered in the suburbs, they weren't very far from Liberty Avenue. It only took about a half an hour to get there walking at a leisurely pace. They were walking down the street when Topper suddenly started to pull away from Brian.

"Topper, calm down." Brian said. He was starting to worry because Topper usually obeyed when he was in the harness. The next thing Brian knew, Topper took off running. Brian managed to catch his balance, having almost fallen over when Topper took off.

"Topper! What are you doing? Get back here!" He called as he tried to make his way down the street. The next thing Brian knew there was the sound of screeching tires and then a yelp. He was still trying to make his way toward the street. As he got a little closer he could hear the sound of a small child crying over the voices of various people. One of the voices said something about the dog saving a child's life. Brian froze where he stood.

What Brian hadn't seen was a little three-year-old boy wonder away from his mothers and start to walk out into the street. Topper had seen the child, and the impending danger, and had run out into the street, pushing the child back out of the way. He was, however, unable to get out of the way himself. The two women that were his mothers were holding him and trying to comfort him, looking around for the dog's owner.

Brian stood on the opposite corner of the street. He reached out and touched someone's arm. The person turned to look at him.

"Yes?" A male voice asked.

"Are......are they any cars coming?" Brian asked. The man was about to make a snide comment when something hit him.

"That your dog?" The man asked. Brian nodded. The man looked both ways, then shook his head before realizing he'd have to voice his answer. "No, there aren't any cars."

"Thanks." Brian said. He found the edge of the curb and got down on his hands and knees as he made his way out to the street. His hand soon touched fur and he sighed. When he found the harness, he froze again. He sat cross-legged in the middle of the street, pulling Topper into his lap. He gently stroked the dog's fur, rocking back and forth slightly.

"It's okay, boy. It's gonna be okay." He kept whispering over and over again. His hand soon came in contact with something wet and he knew that it was Topper's blood. That didn't stop him from trying to encourage the dog.

The two women stood on the corner and watched as the man slowly made his way out to the dog. One of them was still trying to get their son to calm down as the other walked out to the man sitting in the middle of the street.

"Sir?" She asked as she moved forward. He looked up in her general direction and she saw tears rolling down his cheeks from under his sunglasses.

"Yes?" His voice shaking as he said the simple word.

"We need to get your dog to the hospital." She said softly. Brian nodded, though he hugged Topper to him. After a few minutes, she helped him stand, then she gently picked up the dog and they headed to her car. They rushed to the emergency animal hospital and the dog was taken back immediately. They all sat in the waiting room.

"I'm Melanie, and this is my partner Lindsay, and our son Abraham." One of them said finally. Brian just nodded, bowing his head.

"I'm really sorry this happened." Lindsay said. Brian just shrugged. When it was obvious that Brian wasn't going to say anything, they decided to just sit quietly. Abraham walked over and hugged Brian's knee. Brian smiled slightly, reaching down and rubbing the boy's back. A couple of minutes later, the veterinarian came out.

"Mr. Kinney?" Brian lifted his head in the general direction of the voice.

"Yes." The Vet came over and sat down beside Brian.

"I'm sorry. We weren't able to save him." The doctor said. Lindsay and Melanie both sighed, Lindsay putting a hand over her mouth.

"So you're telling me my dog is dead?" Brian was managing to stay completely calm.

"I'm afraid so, yes." The Vet said. Brian just nodded. The Vet put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry." He stood. Once again Brian just nodded and the man walked off. They sat there in silence for several minutes.

"I'm so sorry." Lindsay said finally. Brian looked in her general direction.

"That doesn't bring my dog back, now does it?" He asked through clenched teeth. The anger was building and he wasn't going to hold back. "How can you be so fucking irresponsible?"

"What?" Melanie asked.

"You should really keep a better eye on your son. He shouldn't be allowed to just run out into the street like that."

"You have no right......" Lindsay started.

"I have every right! Think about this. If I hadn't been where I was, when I was it would be your son that's dead now instead of my dog!" Brian stood and made his way out of the office, leaning against the building by the door. He pulled out his cell phone and turned it on.

"Call home." He said with a shaking voice. Tears were starting to fall down his cheeks again.

"Hello?" Joan asked as she answered.

"Mom...." Brian couldn't keep his voice from cracking.

"Brian.....what is it?"

"Can you come get me?"

"Where are you?"

"Daniel Street Animal Hospital." He replied and that cut off her next question, which would have been where Topper was.

"Okay, I'll be right there." She hung up, grabbed her keys and left. When she got there, Brian was sitting outside on the ground, hugging his knees and crying. She made her way over and sat beside him.

"What happened?" She asked.

"This kid walked out into the street. There was a car coming. Topper took off and pushed the kid out of the way....." He trailed off as the tears started flowing even harder. He didn't need to continue; Joan could put two and two together. Topper was dead. Joan put her arms around Brian and kissed his temple.

"He's a hero, Brian." She said softly. Brian simply nodded. After a few minutes she managed to coax him to his feet and into the car. Once they got home, Brian went straight to his room, stripped to his underwear and curled up in a little ball under the covers. Joan sighed heavily, then went to call about getting Brian another dog.
 

*****

Monday morning, Justin headed to Brian's office to go over the layouts for the latest campaign. He noticed that the office was dark. He also noticed that Cynthia was nowhere to be found. He decided to wait for a few minutes. Before long, Cynthia and Tommy came walking up.

"Hello, Justin." Tommy said.

"Hey. Um.......is Brian here?"

"No, he called out sick." Cynthia said. Justin automatically began to worry. It had been a couple of months since the bout of pneumonia, but it was still a possibility.

"Oh......okay. Um.......thanks." Justin said. He went to his office, grabbed his jacket and his keys, then headed to Brian's. He knew immediately that something was wrong when Joan answered the door.

"Can I help you?"

"I'm Justin. We talked on the phone a while back. Is Brian okay?"

"He's just a little distraught."

"Oh....um......what happened?"

"Topper was hit by a car Saturday."

"Oh no...." Justin said. Joan nodded. "I......can I see him?"

"Yes, of course. Maybe you could cheer him up." She smiled and let Justin in. "He's in his room right now. Upstairs turn right, second door on the left." Justin nodded and headed up. He lightly knocked on the door.

"I said I'm not hungry." Brian's voice came through the door. Justin opened it and poked his head in.

"That's good because I didn't bring any food." Brian sat up in bed.

"Justin......what are you doing here?" It was obvious that Brian had been crying.

"I came to see how you're doing. I thought you were sick, but this is worse." He said as he made his way into the room and took a seat on the edge of Brian's bed. He thought at first that Brian might protest, but he didn't. Justin heard something coming from the other side of the room and turned to see what it was. The TV was on and The Fox and The Hound was playing. Justin smiled, then looked back at Brian.

"That's a cute movie." He said. Brian just nodded, sniffling.

"It's my favorite." He wouldn't usually have admitted that, but he felt no need to hide it since Justin knew he was "watching" the movie.

"Trying to cheer up?" Justin asked and Brian shook his head. Justin was more than a little confused.

"You ever seen the movie?" Brian asked.

"Yes." Justin replied.

"Then you know that the two main characters are Todd and Copper, right?"

"Right."

"Well.......when I was having to pick a name for my dog, I wanted to name him something from the movie. It is my favorite movie after all. But I couldn't decide whether to name him Todd or Copper. So I just combined the two names and came up with Topper. It was either that or Codd and Topper sounds much better." Brian smiled slightly and Justin laughed.

"Topper was definitely the better choice." He agreed, then Brian sighed.

"Now I have to get a new dog." He sniffled again. Justin reached over and took his hand.

"How long have you had Topper?"

"This particular dog I've had for about four years. He was actually Topper III."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Dogs can only be effective Seeing Eye dogs for about a six-year span. After that, they're just too old. My first dog was retired early because he started to get senile, but I had him for about four years. The next one lasted five years. Then came Topper III. And now I get Topper IV."

"I'm sure this dog will be just as good as Topper III." Justin said with a smile.

"Topper III was the best." Brian sniffled. Justin grabbed a tissue and wiped Brian's eyes for him. They sat in silence through the rest of the movie, tears rolling down Brian's cheeks by the end. Justin once again grabbed a tissue and dried Brian's cheeks for him.

"Maybe you should get some sleep." Justin suggested. Brian was emotionally drained and completely exhausted. He simply nodded and lay down. Justin pulled the blankets up to his chin, then went over and turned the TV off before heading back downstairs. "He's asleep." Justin answered Joan's unasked question. He sighed heavily.

"This is really hard on him." Joan said.

"I can only imagine. I know how I felt when my dog died back when I was thirteen, and he was just a pet. Topper was much more important to Brian. I can tell he's totally heartbroken."

"And all because two women couldn't keep their child under control." Joan sighed. Justin simply nodded.

"Well......I better get going. Sorry I couldn't cheer him up."

"As close as he was to that dog, I don't think anything could have, but I appreciate the effort." Joan said with a smile. Justin nodded, then left.
 

*****

Brian had woken up and showered and was getting ready to shave when Joan came in to make sure he was awake. Joan came into the room and made her way into the bathroom when she did not see him in bed. She saw that he was about to shave and started to reach for the electric razor in his hand.

"Here, let me do that for you." She said.

"I can do it, mom." Brian said with a smile.

"You can?" She asked incredulously. Brian simply nodded, then started to shave. He would feel along the various parts of his face before and after running the razor over it. Joan stood back and watched in amazement as he shaved himself. She just shook her head and sighed. "I'll be downstairs." She then left.

Before long, Brian was dressed and downstairs, tie draped over his neck. She smirked as she came over and tied his tie for him, then kissed his cheek before going back into the kitchen. Brian made his way over to the kitchen table and took a seat.

"Brian, are you sure you want to go in to work by yourself today?" She asked a little concerned.

"I will eventually have to get back out there on my own, mom. I mean......that's why we've got the new Topper."

"But.......she's so young."

"Mom......they wouldn't have given her to me if she wasn't trustworthy. I'll be fine, okay? Stop worrying." Joan simply sighed and gave Brian his cup of coffee. After two cups of coffee and a piece of toast, Brian went to work. He arrived right on time, then made his way up to his office, walking past Cynthia without a word. Cynthia followed him into his office.

"I see you got a new dog."

"Yup." Was all Brian said as he took a seat and removed his sunglasses, sticking them in his jacket pocket.

"This one Topper also?"

"Yup."

"He's a cutie."

"She."

"They gave you a female dog?"

"Yup."

"You're rather monosyllabic today."

"Yup." They both laughed. "There is one thing that you and my dog have in common, though, Cynthia."

"Oh? What's that?"

"You're both bitches." Brian replied with a smirk and Cynthia stuck her tongue out at him. "Real mature Cyn."

"Wait a minute...” Brian laughed.

"I'm really blind, I just figured you were either sticking out your tongue or flipping me off." They both laughed again.

"Well, Justin said something about a meeting this afternoon. And Tommy should be here in about fifteen minutes, then we can start going over the Hendrick campaign."

"Hendrick?" Brian asked. It had been more than a week since they worked on the campaign.

"Yeah, you know. Hendrick Motor Sports? NASCAR? More specifically Jeff Gordon?"

"Oh yeah.......that." Brian sighed. "I will never understand the appeal of watching cars go around a track." Cynthia laughed.

"It doesn't matter; you just have to make them want it even more. The meeting is tomorrow."

"Thanks ever so much." Brian smirked.

"I'll let you get to work." Cynthia then closed the office door on her way out.

It was around twelve thirty when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Brian said as he put the tape recorder away.

"You eaten yet?" Justin asked as he poked his head in the door.

"Not yet."

"Wanna go get something to eat?"

"Actually, I was going to go take a walk. Tops here needs some fresh air. She's still kind of young and not used to being cooped up inside all day long."

"That's cool. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." Brian smiled as he stood. He slipped his sunglasses back on before making his way over to Topper and grabbing the harness. Justin took Brian's other arm and they headed out of the building and down to a park nearby. Justin bought them a couple of hot dogs while Brian found a bench and took a seat. He took the harness off Topper and let her run around while he and Justin ate.

"I think it's so interesting that they can go from being a regular dog to being all business just because of that harness." Justin said.

"It's all in the training. She's doing well so far. I had a friend that had a dog that was very unreliable. Ended up almost getting her killed. Luckily Tops is a well trained dog."

"I'm glad." Justin was silent for a minute. "But......if they're trained to be good Seeing Eye dogs in the harness, why did Topper take off?"

"Let me ask you this, Justin. If you were leading me down the street and you saw a little kid about to get hit by a car, would you continue to lead me down the street and let the kid get hit?"

"No." Justin answered.

"While Topper's primary job was to be my eyes, he was also trained in protection. That’s why he ran off."

"Oh." Justin answered. They sat there talking for several minutes while Brian let Topper run around the park. Justin noticed a blind woman coming up the way but decided to pay no attention to her. When she got along side them, she stopped and seemed to be listening for a moment. Brian kept talking, though Justin looked at her.

"Brian?" The woman asked. Brian stopped talking and looked in her general direction.

"Jenni?" Brian asked.

"Oh my gosh, it is you, isn't it?" Brian smiled.

"Yup, it's me. How are you?"

"I'm fine. My goodness it's been years."

"Yes, it has. I think......almost eleven to be exact, wasn't it?"

"That's about right."

"So.......what have you been up to?"

"I'm getting married." Jenni said with a huge grin. Justin remained quiet, letting the friends catch up.

"That's great. He a nice guy?"

"Oh, he's wonderful. Rich too, and handsome, or so I've been told." Brian and Jenni shared a laugh.

"He better be treating you right."

"He is. He adores me." She said. Brian laughed.

"That's fantastic. I'm happy for you."

"So, what about you?" Jenni asked. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No." Brian sighed.

"Really? I always thought that you and Mikey would get together. It was obvious that you loved him, what happened?"

"It was never like that. He was more like a brother than anything. But......he turned out to be an asshole anyway."

"Really?" Jenni asked, a concerned tone to her voice.

"Yeah......he didn't like the fact that I'm blind so he started working his way out of my life. I haven't talked to him in about 12 years and I honestly don't think I ever will again." Once again Brian sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, Brian. I know how much he meant to you." Jenni said. Justin watched as Brian's shoulders seemed to straighten.

"Doesn't matter. He obviously wasn't a real friend." That seemed to help Brian remember something. "Speaking of real friends, Jenni, this is my friend Justin Taylor. He's been kind of quiet over there, just eaves dropping I guess." They both laughed and Justin blushed.

"Sorry."

"That's okay; it's easy to eaves drop on blind people." Jenni said, holding out her hand. Justin took the offered hand and shook it.

"Justin, this is Jenni Carson. She taught me how to be blind." Brian smirked and Jenni laughed.

"I wouldn't say that much."

"What do you mean?" Justin asked.

"I was Brian's tutor at the Pittsburgh School for the Blind. Teaches blind people how to be independent. Things like that."

"Yeah, when you get there you have these regular classes with ten or fifteen students, but then they pair you up with mentors for the extra help that one on one provides."

"Yeah, Brian and I spent a great deal of time alone together."

"It was a lot of fun."

"Especially when you got me into bed." Jenni quipped. Justin smirked as Brian blushed.

"You fucked her?" Justin asked.

"He said he'd never been with a woman before and I asked him how he knew he didn't like it and he said he didn't know. So the next thing I know, I'm waking up with him still in bed beside me after the most amazing sex I had ever had in my entire life."

"You say that every time but I know you don't mean it." Brian commented.

"I do too. It was wonderful; unfortunately for me there would be no repeat performance." She smirked.

"You didn't like it?" Justin asked Brian.

"Well......it wasn't that I didn't like it.......it's just that........when you're fucking a woman and imagining she's a man, you know that you're not straight."

"You imagined I was a man?" She asked amused.

"Well, I had to imagine something since I don't know what you look like." By this time Justin was positively rolling.

"I'm sorry, this is too funny."

"You know, Brian, you're lucky I know the difference between love and sex, otherwise you never would have been able to lose contact with me."

"I honestly wish I hadn't." Brian replied.

"Here." She said as she pulled something out of her pocket. She handed Brian and Justin her business card. It was printed as well as in Braille. Brian "read" the card and smiled.

"A lawyer, huh?"

"Yup. You know.......I think I've cornered the market in blind clients. They seem to want a lawyer that knows what they're going through."

"That's understandable. Got room for one more client? Just in case, of course."

"Of course, Brian. For you, anything. Just give me a call if you ever need anything."

"I will. Thanks."

"A blind ad exec and now a blind lawyer? What's next?" Justin asked.

"Blind ad exec?" Jenni asked.

"Yeah, I got a degree in marketing with that scholarship I got. I have a special team that helps me with the visual stuff. I come up with the ideas and they do everything else."

"I'm glad that you have such an accommodating boss."

"He knows a good idea man when he sees one." Brian smiled.

"I'm the art director at the agency where Brian works." Justin said and Jenni nodded.

"That's great. I bet you work with Brian a lot, huh?"

"Almost every day. That's how we became friends."

"No, how we became friends was when you came to visit me when my dog died." Brian reached over and found Justin's hand, squeezing it gently.

"Your dog died?" Jenni asked.

"Kid ran out into the street, Topper ran to go save him and got hit by a car."

"Oh Brian, I'm so sorry." Jenni said softly.

"The worst part about it was the fact that I felt so helpless. I mean......there I was stranded. I had to practically crawl to the curb, then once I got told that there were no cars coming, I actually did crawl out to where Topper was." Justin had never thought about that when Brian told him the story. Once Topper ran off, Brian had been completely alone with no one to guide him. Anything could have happened.

"Did you get a new dog?" Jenni asked.

"Yeah, I'm letting her have some time to run around."

"That's good. Well, Bri. I gotta get going. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay." Brian replied. "Now that I've got your number I’ll be annoying." They both laughed.

"I'm looking forward to it." She said before walking off. Brian pushed a button on his watch, the little voice announcing that it was almost two.

"I think we better get going back to the office." Brian commented.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Tops! Come on girl, time to go!" Brian called. Obediently the dog made her way over to where Brian was. He deftly strapped the harness back on, then stood, taking a hold of the handle. Justin took Brian's other arm and they walked back to the office together.
 

*****

Justin sat on the couch that evening thinking about what Brian had said. He was contemplating ordering a pizza when there was a knock on his door. He answered it to find Daphne standing on the other side, take out bag in hand.

"You read my mind." He said with a smile and Daphne laughed. Justin moved aside and Daphne entered, taking the food into the kitchen and setting the table before dishing what looked like Italian onto the plates. Justin took a seat and started eating, hungrier than he thought. They ate in silence for several minutes before Daphne said anything.

"So?"

"So what?"

"So.....have you made your move yet?" She asked excitedly, then frowned when Justin shook his head.

"I can't."

"Why not? And don't give me that he's my boss bullshit."

"He introduced me as his friend today."

"And? What's the problem?"

"The problem is that he said this guy Mikey that he used to be friends with in high school obviously wasn't his real friend. Then he said 'Speaking of real friends, this is Justin Taylor.' Do you know what that means?" Justin sighed, as did Daphne.

"It means that you're close friends and that means you can't fuck him."

"I was thinking more along the lines of him not being interested in anything more than friendship." They both sighed again.

"Do you think he's in a relationship?" She asked finally.

"No. Cynthia says that he's never had a real relationship. He's had a couple of fuck buddies, but that's it. Nothing more serious."

"Then maybe you should make your move anyway."

"And risk ruining a good friendship?"

"Justin.........if he's as good a friend as you seem to think he is, he won't let it bother things."

"Maybe you're right." Justin sighed and rested his head on the table. "But if things get fucked up, it's your fault.
 

*****

Justin decided to flirt first. He'd let Brian know he was attracted, but in a subtle way and see if Brian picked up on it. His only problem was that most of the flirty things he could come up with to do required that the other person be able to see him. He had been trying for weeks to come up with something. He'd even attempted some of the ones that Brian would have to see him for them to really be effective. He was in Brian's office working on one of the newest campaigns when he had finally had enough. He threw down his pencil and made a frustrated noise.

"What?" Brian said as he looked in Justin's direction.

"Do you have any idea how seriously infuriating it is trying to flirt with a blind man?" He asked. Brian smirked.

"You've been trying to flirt with me?"

"Yes, I have. It obviously hasn't worked since you can't see me." Justin was almost pouting.

"Would you like lessons on how to flirt with a blind man?" Brian was trying to keep from laughing out loud. Justin sat there for a moment.

"Um.......sure." He said finally.

"First, bring me a pencil." Brian said. Justin was seriously confused but he did as asked. He placed the pencil in Brian's hand. "Now, ask for the pencil."

"May I have the pencil?" Justin asked.

"Now, when you take the pencil, let your fingers linger just a bit longer than they should touching mine." Brian said as he held out the pencil. When Justin's fingers brushed his he felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. It was the first real skin on skin contact the two of them had had. Since Brian couldn't see his face Justin let a smile touch his lips.

"Like that?" He asked. Brian nodded.

"Another hint is when you're talking to me, lean in really close so I can smell your cologne." He smiled. Justin rested his hands on the desk and leaned forward so that his face was just inches from Brian's. Brian took a deep breath and instantly felt the crotch of his pants get a little tighter.

"Like this?" Justin questioned.

"Yeah." Brian cleared his throat. "You can also use your tone of voice. When you ask for something, say it low and seductive." Brian lowered his voice and threw sensuality into his tone. "Would you like something to drink?" He asked. Justin closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh as Brian's voice washed over him. His cock hardening in seconds.

"You mean......like this." Justin put on his most seductive tone. He smiled when Brian almost visibly shivered.

"Yeah, like that." He cleared his throat once again. He reached up and found Justin's cheeks with his hands. He moved his hands until his thumbs were caressing Justin's full lips. Justin closed his eyes and reveled in the sensation. "Then you can lean in for a kiss. Though it'd be easier for you since you can actually see my lips." With that Brian leaned forward, touching his lips to Justin's. It was a brief kiss, lasting only a second, but it was enough to send a jolt through both men, hardening their already stiff dicks. Brian pulled back first and smiled; letting his hands drop from Justin's cheeks. He tried to act as if he hadn't been affected, wishing for the first time that Justin were the one that couldn't see.

"So.......how's the layout coming?" He asked as casually as possible.

"Huh?" Justin asked. He was still caught in the moment when Brian's lips touched his.

"The layout?" Brian asked. Justin shook his head to clear it, then sighed. He'd read more into everything than was there. He felt stupid.

"It's coming great. I better get back to it." Justin moved to his safe spot on the couch all the way on the other side of the office from Brian. Brian tried to keep the smirk off his face. Justin had played right into his hand. Now he only hoped that he hadn't given up completely. Brian still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted Justin at first, but once his lips touched Justin's he knew he had to have him and that was all there was to it.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Joan asked as Brian made his way into the kitchen after work. He was smiling from ear to ear, a slight spring in his step.

"Nothing." He almost sang and Joan stopped what she was doing.

"Nothing my ass. Who is he?" She asked.

"Who is who?" Brian tried to play innocent.

"The guy that's got you all happy. I've seen that look before, Brian. Not on you, necessarily, but I've seen it. So who is he?" Brian sighed, defeated. His mother knew him too well.

"You remember Justin?" He asked, the name causing his smile to broaden a little.

"That blonde boy you work with?"

"Yeah, that's him. But he's not a boy. He's only four years younger than me, mom."

"Okay, okay. So he's the one that's got you practically walking on air?" She asked. Brian simply nodded. "You do realize that this could cause problems at work, right?"

"Like how?" He asked. He honestly hadn't thought about it.

"What happens if you break up? You still have to work together. Can you do that? Can you put a break up behind you to continue a working relationship?"

"Jesus, mom. We haven't even started dating yet and you've already got us broken up." He sighed

"I'm just thinking ahead, Brian. You have no idea whether or not this will work out."

"Mom.....I have always been able to leave my personal life at the office door. I think I can handle it."

"But can he?"

"You know what? I'm starting to regret telling you." He stood and started to leave the kitchen.

"I just don't want to see you get hurt, Brian."

"You just don't want anyone else in my life but you!" Brian almost shouted before storming up to his room and slamming the door. Joan stood there in stunned silence.

It had been a week since Brian's lesson in flirting with a blind man and there had been no mention of it between the two of them. Justin was afraid that he was reading too much into things while Brian was afraid that he had scared Justin away. They were in the middle of a meeting with Cynthia and Tommy at the moment, both looking a little uncomfortable. It was obvious to both Cynthia and Tommy that neither was paying attention to what was going on. Cynthia made this fact especially clear.

"And aliens are attacking the building as we speak; we're going to be made into slaves for their master race." Tommy smirked when neither Brian, nor Justin reacted in any way. Cynthia was finally fed up. "Oh will you two just fuck and get it over with?" She practically yelled. Both men faced her immediately.

"What?" Justin asked.

"Look, it's obvious you're at least physically attracted to each other, though I'm sure Brian's attraction is a little deeper than that. I know what happened with the little flirting lesson, by the way, Brian. That was not fair at all. You need to just find a secluded spot and fuck and either get it out of your system or get together afterward but I know for a fact that it's been at least a year since the last time Brian got laid."

"Cynthia!" Brian protested, though he blushed furiously. Justin's only response was to burst into laughter; soon they were all laughing with him. When the laughter died down, Justin was looking at Brian.

"And this is when we make our exit." Tommy said as he grabbed Cynthia's arm and practically dragged her out of the room. They both smirked when they heard the familiar click of the door being locked.

Justin made his way over to Brian's desk, moving slowly, untying his tie. He was suddenly thankful that he had left his jacket in his office. He was also thankful of the fact that Brian's office had only one window. The blinds stayed closed most of the time, since Brian didn't need to see out the window.

"You know, she could be right." He said in a low, seductive tone that Brian's twitching cock did not miss.

"Yeah. She usually is." He swallowed hard. Soon Justin was straddling his lap, his hands automatically going to the younger man's waist. Justin smiled as he felt the slight bulge in Brian's pants. He wiggled his hips and almost laughed when the bulge grew. Justin leaned forward, his lips almost touching Brian's ear.

"Has it really been a year?" Justin whispered before taking Brian's earlobe into his mouth. Brian moaned softly.

"One year......three months......two weeks and......five days." His voice was husky with passion as he answered.

"That is far too long." Justin said as he slid Brian's jacket off. The older man leaned forward so Justin could remove it. He didn't say a word when he heard the Armani jacket hit the floor. Justin undid his tie, then slipped it off. He also let that fall to the floor. As he slowly unbuttoned Brian's shirt, he kissed each exposed piece of flesh. Brian leaned his head back and moaned loudly, unable to control it. Justin stopped to pay careful attention to each nipple before kissing his way further down. When he undid the button and zipper on Brian's pants, the older man lifted his hips, allowing Justin to slip them off. Brian sat there in his chair, totally naked, his already sweaty skin sticking to the leather chair.

"God, you're gorgeous." Justin breathed as he started to slowly undress himself. Brian smiled sadly.

"I'm sure you are too." He said with a slight sigh. Justin took a seat on Brian's lap, now totally naked. They're twin stiffies rubbing against each other. Justin leaned in and kissed Brian passionately, tongues fighting for space in each other's mouths. As they kissed, Brian reached down and found the control on the chair that helped it recline almost all the way back. Justin broke the kiss and smirked.

"I knew I liked this chair." He said before kissing Brian again. They continued to kiss for several minutes, the kisses growing in intensity before Justin pulled back and whispered. "Fuck me!" Brian wrapped his arms around Justin, lifting him up and onto the desk. He paused for a minute. "What?" Justin asked.

"Where are my pants?" Justin was a little confused, but he got up long enough to locate Brian's pants, handing them to him. Brian fished around in his pockets before coming up with a condom and a small packet of lube. Justin smirked as he got back into position.

"You never know when you're gonna need it." Brian said with a smirk as he spread the lube onto his fingers. He slowly worked first one, then two fingers into Justin's hole, the younger man leaning his head off the edge of the desk and moaning. After only a few minutes of working his fingers in and out, he couldn't take it any longer. Brian removed his fingers and, with a little help, guided his dick to Justin's waiting hole.

"Oh Brian." Justin moaned. Brian then thrust into Justin, going up to the hilt in one stroke. Both men gasped in pleasure at the sensation. After a few moments to allow adjustment, Brian began to thrust. His thrusts became hurried way too soon and before he knew it, he threw his head back.

"God JUSTIN!" He yelled as he came. Justin had been jerking off while Brian fucked him and he too came soon afterwards. Brian collapsed onto Justin, panting heavily. When they were finally able to catch their breath, Brian moved his face in the direction of the door.

"Cynthia, Tommy, get back to work! Show's over!" He yelled. He knew his friends well enough by now. Both of them, having been standing outside the door listening in the entire time, blushed furiously before taking off. Brian used his thumbs to once again locate Justin's lips before leaning down and kissing him again. They moved and began to get dressed.

"So......what now?" Justin asked as he was pulling on his socks.

"We can either forget this happened, or we can make an attempt at a relationship." Brian replied as he zipped up his pants.

"I'd like to make an attempt at a relationship." Justin said softly. Brian smiled.

"So would I." They came together in a quick kiss before going back to getting dressed. Justin was positively beaming when he went back to his office. Brian couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

*****

Justin went to meet Daphne at Woody's as they did every Wednesday night. He went straight from work, deciding to go home and change later. What Justin didn't realize is that he still had an ear-to-ear grin plastered on his face. Daphne chuckled when he sat down with her.

"Somebody got laid."

"Huh?" Justin asked.

"You're grinning like the cat that ate the canary."

"So?"

"So, the last time you had a smile like that was the last time you got laid. And Jesus, it had to be during business ours."

"In Brian's office." He admitted as he turned bright red.

"You fucked Brian?"

"He fucked me." Justin took a sip of his drink.

"So....."

"So what?"

"So how was he?"

"God, Daph......he's huge! Felt like I was being ripped in two. But it was so good." Justin sighed dreamily. Daphne laughed.

"Was it just a one time, get it out of your system kind of fuck?"

"Nope, he wants to have a relationship."

"Well, that's good. Guess a first date is in order, huh?"

"Yeah." Justin's smile suddenly faded.

"What?"

"I don't know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, all my first date ideas require sight. Going to the movies, going to a museum."

"Brian would definitely not enjoy that." Daphne sighed. They thought for a minute. "You're going to take him to dinner, right?"

"Yeah. But what do we do after that?"

"Um.......maybe you just plan dinner and then ask him what he wants to do afterwards. I mean.......technically he's taking you out."

"Not really. I'm the one that said I wanted a relationship first. Then he said he agreed. So.......technically I'm the one that's asking him out. And it wouldn't be good for me to ask him what he wants to do."

"I say ask him to dinner. That covers it."

"So I just ask him to dinner? That's it?"

"Yeah, then if he wants to do anything else, it's up to him." Justin thought about it for a minute.

"That's not a bad idea." He smiled and they finished their drinks.

When Friday night rolled around, Justin went to pick Brian up. He’d decided to take Brian to this little known Vietnamese restaurant just off Liberty Avenue. Brian looked especially hot in a loose fitting burgundy shirt and matching, almost skin tight pants. Justin helped him into his car and then headed to the restaurant.

"So where are we going?" Brian asked.

"Ever had Vietnamese?"

"No."

"Well, you will tonight." Justin smiled.

"Sounds interesting." They approached the restaurant from the other side, rather than the Liberty Avenue side. When they got out of the car, there was loud music coming from the street. "What's all that racket?" Brian asked. Justin went to check it out.

"Looks like there's some kind of carnival going on." He said when he came back.

"Wanna check it out when we're done eating?" Brian questioned with a smirk.

"Sure." Justin smiled and took Brian's arm, leading him into the restaurant.

"Topper's going to think I'm abandoning her."

"What do you mean?"

"This is the second time in as many days that I've gone somewhere without her."

"You went somewhere else without her?"

"I had to go to the doctor yesterday and I don't take her with me when I go."

"Everything okay?" Justin was obviously concerned.

"Yeah, just my usual check up." Brian smiled and Justin nodded. They were seated almost immediately.

"You want me to order for you? I come here all the time so I know what's pretty good."

"That'll work." Brian started feeling around the table. "Um.......where's the fork?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that. They don't have forks. Only chopsticks."

"Justin......I don't know how to use chopsticks."

"I'll teach you." He said with a smile. Just then the waiter came up. "We'll have two number fifteens, hold the fish sauce, and two cokes." The waiter nodded and left. Justin looked at Brian who was fiddling with the chopsticks. He couldn't help but smirk. "Here, give them to me." Brian held them out. Justin took them and looked at Brian. "You're right handed, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, so give me your right hand." Brian did and Justin positioned the chopsticks in Brian's hand. "Now you use your index finger to manipulate them. I'd show you but......well......" Brian smiled.

"You mean like this?" He started moving the chopsticks. Scissoring them in the air. Justin smiled proudly.

"Yeah, just like that." Though Brian seemed able to use the chopsticks in the air, when it came to actually eating, it was a different story. No matter how hard Brian tried he just couldn't get the food to his mouth before he dropped it. Justin could tell that he was about to start throwing things. He moved over so that he was sitting next to Brian, then took the chopsticks out of his hand. "Here." Justin got some of the food and brought it to Brian's lips, touching them so Brian would know what was happening.

"Thanks." Brian said after swallowing the mouthful. Justin spent the rest of the dinner rather happily feeding Brian. After one bite Justin noticed a bit of sauce on Brian's lip. Before Brian could make a move to wipe it away, Justin leaned in and licked it off his lip, this action initiating a rather passionate kiss. When they broke apart, both were panting slightly.

"I think we need to eat here again." Brian said with a smirk. Justin couldn't help but laugh. Once the check was paid, Justin took Brian's hand and started to lead him out of the restaurant. Brian used his other hand to hold onto Justin's arm for added support. They decided to leave the car parked at the restaurant since Liberty Avenue wasn't that far away.

The carnival was still in full swing when they got there. There was a Ferris wheel and various other rides as well as several games. Apparently it was some kind of fundraiser. Justin bought some tickets so that they could ride the Ferris wheel, even though Brian couldn't enjoy the view of Pittsburgh from the top. As they walked, Brian kept asking Justin to describe what they had passed.

"What's that?" He asked for about the hundredth time.

"Looks like one of those games where you toss the ball into a cup."

"What do you win?"

"Well.......there's this adorable teddy bear that's about as big as I am." Justin raised an eyebrow at the smile on Brian's face.

"I wanna try it."

"Brian......."

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun." Brian urged. Justin smiled and nodded.

"Okay, come on." Justin led him over to the booth and paid for the three balls. He snickered at the look the booth attendant gave him when he handed one of the balls to Brian.

"How far back am I?"

"I'd say about two feet." Brian nodded, then tossed the ball. Amazingly it went into a cup on the first try. Both Justin and the attendant stared at Brian in shock.

"How'd you do that?" The attendant asked.

"It's easy. I wasn't really trying." Brian said with a smirk.

"Well, you can have any of the prizes you want."

"Justin, you pick." Brian smiled. Justin picked the teddy bear and had an interesting time leading Brian along while carrying the bear.

"How am I going to explain that my blind boyfriend won this for me?" Justin asked and Brian laughed.

"I think you might want to go put it in the car, Justin."

"Think you'll be okay while I do that?" Justin sounded a little worried.

"Just find me a place out of the way and I'll be good." Justin nodded and moved him over to stand next to one of the booths. Brian put a hand on the wall of the booth and Justin went back to the car. He moved as quickly as he could, returning to Brian in a matter of minutes. "That was fast." Brian smiled.

"Didn't want to leave you out here too long. I mean......you might run away on me." They both laughed. Justin looked around and smiled. "Brian, look. It's a fortune teller." Brian sighed.

"Please don’t tell me you believe in that shit."

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun." Justin said. Brian just rolled his eyes, though Justin couldn't see it behind the sunglasses.

"Okay." He said finally and Justin smiled. They went over and Justin took a seat first. The sign above the booth said Mysterious Marilyn.

"So, what'll it be boys? Palms, Tarot, Ouiji?"

"How about palms?" Justin said and she nodded. She took his right hand and spread it out, reading the lines very carefully.

"Oh, I see here your love line is very long. And.......it looks as if you've already met your one true love." She glanced up at Brian. Justin was too busy studying the lines of his hand to notice. Marilyn looked at the lines again. "I have a bit of advice for you, sweetie."

"What's that?"

"Those who mean well can often cause problems if you let them. I suggest you follow your heart and disregard their wishes." Justin looked confused for a minute, then nodded.

"Okay, Bri. Your turn." Justin got up.

"No."

"I see you're not a believer." Marilyn said.

"Gee, how could you tell?" Brian's voice was thick with sarcasm.

"Come on, Brian. Please?" Justin was practically begging. Brian sighed and let Justin maneuver him into the seat. Marilyn took his hand and started looking at it. Her head shot up and she looked at Brian a minute, then she looked down again.

"Well, I can see you haven't had the most pleasant life. Your father was a drunk. Often mistreated you told you that you weren't wanted. And it seems that he......" Before she could continue, Brian pulled his hand away.

"I thought you were going to read my future, I already know my past." Marilyn looked at Brian and realized that she had crossed the line.

"You're right, I'm sorry." She said. Justin looked at Brian a minute, curiosity almost getting the best of him, but he kept his mouth shut. Marilyn looked at Brian's hand again. "It seems you too have found love. But......it appears that discord is in your future."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently........there's going to be a fight with your mother over this love of yours." Brian scoffed.

"I haven't fought with my mother in ten years."

"Well, believe what you will, sweetie, but I see problems in your future." Brian once again pulled his hand away. Justin paid Marilyn, then helped Brian stand up. They started to walk through the carnival again, making their way to the Ferris wheel. Brian held onto Justin as he felt the car starting to go up.

"What's it look like?" He asked.

"It's beautiful. There are lights as far as you can see. It's like a black blanket with little twinkling lights all over it." Justin answered. Brian smiled, but sighed.

"Wish I could see it." He said sadly, resting his head on Justin's shoulder.

"Me too." Justin said, kissing the top of Brian's head. Once they were back on the ground, Justin led Brian to the car and drove him home. He walked Brian up to the door and kissed his cheek. "I had a great time tonight."

"Me too." Brian said with a smile. They stood there in silence for a minute before Justin leaned in and kissed Brian on the lips. Brian's arms went around Justin and they kissed for several minutes, until the door opened and Joan cleared her throat. Brian and Justin both blushed.

"I'll see you later, Brian. And.....thanks for the teddy bear."

"Anytime, Justin. Later." Brian then went into the house. Joan smirked as she followed him.

"So, you seem to be hitting it off with him." She said.

"Yeah, he's great." Brian smiled.

"Plan to see him again?"

"Yeah."

"You should have him over for dinner sometime. I'd really like to get to know him."

"I don't want to scare him away." Brian said with a laugh.

"Very funny." There was no humor in her voice.

"Oh, come on, mom. You know I'm joking." He kissed her cheek.

"I know, sweetie." She sighed. "Brian......does he make you happy?"

"Mom, it was the first date."

"Okay, okay. I'll back off. I just don't want to see you get hurt." Brian once again kissed her cheek.

"I won't mom. Don't worry." He smiled, then tried to cover a yawn.

"You should get some sleep, Brian. You have that early meeting tomorrow." Brian nodded and headed upstairs.

"Night mom." He said before going into his room.

"Night Brian." She said with a sigh. Joan went into the kitchen and started cleaning; all the while hoping that Brian was right.

On to Part 3