Opposites Attract

Chapter 4

As Brian approached the front door of Kinnetik to begin his work day, he couldn’t stop himself from looking around the front steps to see if Justin had left him some kind of message. He had done the same at the loft when he first got up, checking outside the door to see if an envelope from Justin might be taped to the door or leaning against it. He had been disappointed then as he was now.

Fucking Justin Taylor! He said he’d leave some more of his clues, but it appeared Brian would have to wait god knew how long to figure out this mystery. Brian just wanted it to be over. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep turning Justin down … and away … and pretending that he wasn’t interested. He knew Justin wasn’t buying it. He’d have to try harder, be more persuasive.

Brian steeled himself for his day of work and opened the door of Kinnetik. Cynthia was behind her desk. She didn’t wish him a good morning as she usually would. Brian glared at her.

“Coffee,” he ordered. She merely nodded and Brian continued into his office.

In a couple of minutes she appeared with his mug of coffee. She set it on his desk and then held out an envelope to him. It was white, an envelope like most letters came in. Brian looked at it not taking it from her.

“It was on the doorstep this morning,” she finally said.

Brian took it from her then and she turned to leave without a further word.

“Wait,” he said. “I wasn’t sure you’d be back today.”

“Neither was I.”

“So why are you?”

“I’m hoping you’ll come to your senses.”

“Do you think that’s likely?” Brian asked snidely.

“Probably not, but I live in hope.”

“And you’ll die in despair,” Brian added, using an expression his mother had sometimes used. It had been very appropriate in their fucked up family.

“Fine,” Cynthia said tersely and started towards the door.

Brian stared at the envelope. Justin wanted him to take Ted back too. Fuck! The envelope had his name printed on the outside like the other one had. He ran his finger under the flap to open it. He pulled out another small magnet covered with paper clips that adhered to it through the power of the magnet. He looked at the magnet and realized that the magnet itself was in the shape of a sun, a magnet like you would use on a fridge, like one the Munchers used to hold Gus’ drawings to the door of their fridge.

The sun made him smile. Sunshine! That had been Justin’s nickname. He even used it on occasion; it did suit the young man. But why the paper clips? To show that things stick to a magnet, to remind him of all the tricks who had got in their way over the years, to prove once again that magnets attract. Brian already knew all that.

“Come on, Sunshine,” Brian murmured. “What are you trying to tell me?”

Picking up the envelope, Brian realized that there was a piece of paper inside. He pulled it out and unfolded it. The message made him frown.

Brian,

I hope you get the message I intended from this. Magnets attract anything – paper clips, iron filings, coins. We had that kind of attraction to begin with, still do to some extent, although you’re fighting it like hell. It’s easy to pull the paper clips off the magnet, but they keep going back when you release them. It’s not so easy to get rid of me either, because there’s a lot more to our attraction than meets the eye.

I love you, Brian, never doubt that. We may be opposites in many ways, but we’re the perfect complement to each other.

TBHICB

PS: Don’t forget about Ted.

 

Brian read the message several times. He had to agree with everything that Justin said. Even though they were opposites, they had been so good together, and it wasn’t just the sex. That had been phenomenal, but there was a lot more to it than that.

Brian pulled one of the paperclips off the magnet, then another and another. He looked at them in his hand. He set the paperclips back on his desk near the magnet. He watched them slither towards the magnet and latch on.

‘Why was he trying to get rid of Justin Taylor?’ Brian wondered as he stared at Justin’s little symbol. His brain grappled with that for a minute. Oh yeah, because Lindsay said they’d never make it together. Because he and Justin were too different, fucking opposites according to Lindsay. Because Justin needed to pursue his career in New York. And, of course, because it could never work with the two of them. They had already proven that enough times.

But why couldn’t it work? If they both wanted it... He wondered if they had grown and changed enough to really commit to each other. Deep down he thought he might be ready for that, had been for a while. Hell, he’d asked Justin to marry him.

Get a grip, Kinney, he told himself. It’s not going to work and you know it. How many times were you expected to try something before you declared it a failure and cut your losses? He and Justin had been through the relationship shit and failed too many times.

“So it’s over,” Brian said softly trying to convince himself of that fact.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. His fingers played with the magnet and paper clips that he held again in his palm. It was so much easier to pull the paper clips off the magnet than it was to get rid of Justin Taylor. Brian opened his hand and looked at the clips which had all once again adhered to the magnet.

“They just keeping coming back,” Brian whispered. He sat up and hit the intercom switch. “Cynthia, get Ted Schmidt over here,” he ordered.

 

*****
 

"Brian ... Mr. Kinney?"

"Get your ass in here, Schmidt."

"Yes, sir."

"Sit."

"Um...Will I be here long enough to make that necessary?"

Brian glared at his former employee and one time friend. "I give the orders around here and I decide what is necessary. Sit the fuck down."

Ted immediately plunked his ass in the chair across the desk from Brian. "Sorry, Boss, I just thought that you had called me in to give me my severance package and you could take care of that with a simple check in an envelope."

"You aren't getting a severance package," Brian stated with a smug half smile.

"But..." Ted began without knowing how to complete that statement. "You can't do that," Ted finally blurted out."

"I certainly can," Brian replied.

“But … I have a contract.”

“When does that run out?”

“Two more years.”

“So, I guess I’m stuck with you till then,” Brian said with a smirk.

“Huh?”

“You heard me. Get back to work.”

“You mean…?”

“That’s what I mean.”

“Yes, sir, Brian, Boss, immediately,” Ted said with a grin on his face.

“And never meddle again … or I will have you murdered.”

“Never,” Ted said. “And thanks,” he added before beating a hasty retreat out of the office.

Brian leaned back in his chair. Taking Ted back was the right thing to do, even if it had taken Justin’s insistence to make him do it. Sometimes Justin knew the right thing, when Brian didn’t. That was one of the ways Justin Taylor complemented Brian Kinney. Maybe Justin had made a good point with his paperclips.

 

*****
 

“Brian, are you planning to stay here all night?” Cynthia asked as she entered his office.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Whatever you’re doing can wait till tomorrow.”

“I didn’t get much done today.”

“It’s almost nine,” Cynthia said gently. “You must be tired. Leave it till tomorrow. You can look at it with fresh eyes.”

“I’m always fresh.”

Cynthia laughed. “You got that right,” she said. “I’m leaving now. You should too.”

“Is all this sudden concern the result of me taking Schmidt back into the fold?” Brian asked sarcastically.

“That has something to so with it,” Cynthia admitted. “But I care about you. You know that, don’t you?”

“I thought I was just your meal ticket.”

“Well, there is that too,” Cynthia joked.

“No shit!”

“And … I know you don’t want to hear this, but…”

“I’m sure you’re going to tell me anyway,” Brian said with a sigh.

Cynthia nodded. “You should give Justin a chance.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I’ve figured out a little of what’s going on. Take him back, Brian. He’s the best thing that ever happened to you.”

Brian closed his eyes and shook his head. Why did the whole fucking world think they knew what was best for him?

 

*****
 

Wearily Brian trudged up the stairs to the loft. He could have taken the elevator, but this was a form of exercise to help work off the leftover donut he’d found in the staff room and had eaten for dinner instead of going to get real food. Exercise was supposed to make you feel better. He snorted at the thought, as he rounded the last landing and headed up the final flight of stairs to the loft door. He felt his heart flutter in his chest as he saw an envelope leaning against the door.

“Justin,” he whispered.

He quickened his step, grabbed the envelope and unlocked the door. He felt suddenly lighter, happier, less tired. He dropped his briefcase by the computer and loosened his tie. He wanted a shower and sleep, but more than that he wanted to see what Justin was telling him this time. He sat down on the sofa and opened the large craft envelope. He pulled out the piece of paper that was inside.

His breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t draw his eyes away from the sketch that Justin had sent him. He blinked hard, his eyes suddenly full of water, making it difficult to focus on the picture in front of him. Brian swiped at his eyes so he could see more clearly.

He gazed at the piece of paper as the memories flooded back. In the sketch he and Justin were seated on a sofa, the one he used to have in the loft before he got the one he was currently sitting on. Brian remembered that night well. He had woken up worrying about losing his son to that fucking Frenchman, Gui something-or-other. He was getting a scotch at the counter and looking at a picture of his Sonnyboy. Justin had awoken and followed him out, wearing the sheet from the bed like a toga. The sketch he held in his hand showed them seated on the sofa, Justin in his toga and Brian in a long-gone, blue silk robe. Justin was nibbling at Brian’s ear in the sketch. The memory made Brian smile.

Bits of that night flooded Brian’s brain – shitty father, killing you with kindness, give up his parental rights. Brian drew in a slow breath as he remembered the decision he had made that night. And where had it gotten him? He’d had a few years with Gus and then they had all gone to Canada, so far away. That had been another shitty decision on his part. He was really good at those. “Shitty Decisions R US,” Brian whispered.

And many of those shitty decisions involved Justin Taylor. Brian shook his head. That was when he noticed the paperclip on the top of the page, a paperclip just like the ones Justin had sent him earlier in the day. Brian looked at the back of the paper and saw a small sheet of paper attached to the back of the sketch.

Carefully Brian pulled the paper off. He read the brief message wondering what Justin would point out to him this time.

 

Brian,

Did you enjoy playing with the paper clips? I did. Magnets are fun. We were fun … at times. We can be fun again.

I hope you like the sketch. I think that night was one of the times we really bonded. I loved you so much when you did the right thing, the thing that Gus needed. Now I need you to do the right thing for me.

Meet me at Babylon at eleven o’clock sharp tonight. Maybe that will help you figure out the acronym.

TBHICB

 

Eleven tonight? That was only a little over an hour away.

Brian mulled over his options. If he went to Babylon, maybe he could put an end to this little farce and get Justin to go back to New York where he belonged. If he didn’t go, he wouldn’t have to face Justin. That was a good thing considering how close to breaking his resolve he had come the last time they were together. If he went, maybe he could figure out this stupid acronym and that would be that. If he didn’t go, he might be missing… What would he be missing? The most important moment in his fucking life?

Brian heaved himself up from the sofa. He suddenly felt weary again. He wondered if a shower would refresh him. He would put on some sexy club clothes that would make Justin Taylor drool, and every other man in Babylon along with him. Brian knew the sexual power he still wielded.

And when he was done, Justin would go back to New York … and Brian would still be the over-the-hill-club-boy that he had continued to be for the last few months since Justin had gone away.

Brian headed up the steps to the bathroom, leaving the sketch lying on the coffee table.

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