Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket As always much love goes to Eka for the lovely banner and Lois for beta'ing for me Justin’s POV I pace inside Kinnetik’s walls for the second time in as many days and I want to rip this Kinney guy apart when he gets here. I understand the need to be with his son, shit, I’d do the same if it were my daughter but he needs to learn not to treat people like he does. I did my research on Brian Kinney before I even considered merging my company with his, so I knew that he was arrogant, but he needs to learn you’re not that way to people who are as good as you are. Or at least he doesn’t get to act that way to me because I won’t stand for it. I hear the door to the outside open and I straighten myself up because for some reason I know it’s him, I can feel it. I turn in the direction that I know he’s coming from and same as yesterday, I catch sight of the most beautiful man I have ever seen but this time he’s even more beautiful. His face is a mask of anger but he is carrying the most beautiful little boy I have ever seen in the most tender way. I flinch outwardly when I seen the casts on the boy and I know he must be in some real pain. Brian sees me but doesn’t acknowledge me right away, instead he goes to his assistant and speaks quietly with her for a moment before reluctantly handing over his son to her. As soon as he has given her the little boy, who looks about the same age as my daughter and talks to him for a second, he turns to me and focuses all of his attention on me and all of a sudden I feel small. Not because of the look he is giving me, which I’m sure cuts most people down within seconds but because I just realized I made this man take his very injured child out and I know how much pain he must be in. Brian silently motions for me to follow him into his office and I do, although I feel like I’m walking down death row. As soon as we’re in his office, Brian turns around and shuts the door and I know I’m in for it. “I don’t know who you think you are but let me tell you no one, and I do mean no one, orders me around. I told you yesterday that I would talk to you next week about this because I had to deal with my son but that wasn’t good enough for you, was it. Listen to me you stupid fucker, I don’t care about this merger enough to make my son suffer for it. Do you get that? Maybe if you had a child of your own you would know that they come first always.” At first I’m taking the verbal blows because I know that I would be pissed if someone made me bring my daughter out like I had done to him right after she was hurt but after that last statement, I have had enough of this man’s shit. “Listen to me you prick, maybe if you had explained to me what was going on, you wouldn’t be here right now, now would you? But no, Brian Kinney thinks he owns the world. Well let me tell you something, you don’t. You might be good but you’re not that good. Hell, isn’t that what this merger was all about? Taking two of the best companies and merging them to make ‘the’ best company. And as for not understanding because I don’t have a child. Well if you had done your homework, you would know I do have a child, a daughter about your son’s age so if you had told me what was going on, I wouldn’t have pushed. Fuck, you know what, this shit isn’t worth it. I don’t need you and you don’t need me and it’s obvious we are not going to get along, so we shouldn’t even bother trying. Goodbye Kinney, I hope your son gets better soon and I hope you go to hell.” I slam out of his office and cringe once again when I see his son’s scared eyes. I smile gently at the little boy as I leave the building, swearing under my breath that I let this man get to me. After I leave I’m still agitated because although I know that I don’t need to merge with Kinnetik, the merger would have made us the best. I think about going back to work but I had pulled it together so that I would have the whole day off so we could sort this deal out and I’m too irritated to go back. So I find myself walking down the street to Liberty Ave. Once there I see a diner and my stomach takes that moment to speak its mind, so I head in the feed it. When I enter the diner, I look around of an empty spot and the only one I find is at the counter, so go sit there. “Hey Sweetie. What’s your name?” The caring in the voice, as well as the question, surprises me. What waitress asks your name and seems to actually care about the answer. With this impression of her, there is nothing I can do but act accordingly. “Hi Ma’am, I’m Justin.” I say with my biggest smile and then ask for her’s. “Oh, polite little fucker, aren’t you? Name’s Deb. What can I get for you honey?” She booms back in a joyful voice. “May I have a bacon double cheese burger, a large side of fries, and a strawberry shake please?” “Wow, you are fucking polite. My kid could learn a thing or two from you, hell all my kids could. Let me send in your order, Sweetie.” I look around as she goes to deliver my order and I decide I’ll have to come in here again. Not only because of Deb, although she is a big part, but also I just love the laid back atmosphere. You can just tell that people love to be here and they feel comfortable here. There are queers of every shape and size here and they are look like they belong, as if this place was built just for them. After I finish lunch, with a little more talk with Debbie, I pay and leave a more than generous tip just because. As I am walking out, I run right into another man. He is significantly taller than me and when I stumble, he catches me in strong comforting arms. My face is plastered against his chest so I haven’t even caught a glimpse of him but I really know that I’m safe in his arms. When I finally do look up, the first thing I see is the most colorful shirt I have even seen and I thought only moments before no one could out do Debbie in the colorful department but I was wrong, this man has just done that. I raise my eyes and see his face and I’m looking at the kindest face I have ever seen. This man may not be considered hot but you can tell just by looking at him you would be lucky to have him. Plus I’m up close and person with his body so I can feel a couple of other reasons anyone would be glad you have him. I flush when I realize what I’m thinking and quickly pull away, stammering out my apologies. “I’m sorry…I didn’t…oh shit…sorry.” “No problem Princess. No problem at all.” The man says with an obviously put on evil smile and I instantly like him. “The name’s Taylor. Justin Taylor.” “Oh, like Bond?” I am completely blank for a second until the reference dawns on me and I flush once again. He laughs gently at me and I know he meant no harm with his teasing. “Well then I’m Honeycutt. Emmett Honeycutt.” he says with a laugh. We both laugh comfortably at ourselves and I know, for some reason I just know, I’ve found a friend. “So what is the Princess doing?” “Well I don’t really know. I have the entire day off, something that never happens and I don’t need to pick my daughter up from school until three.” “Oh, you have a daughter? How old is she? What‘s her name?” Emmett squeals excitedly. “Yes. Her name is Kyla and she’s six.” I say, although I’m not sure what I’m talking this stranger about my child for but for some reason I just know I can. “Oh Kyla, that’s a unique name. What’s it mean?” Emmett asks as he steers me out of the diner and onto Liberty Avenue. “It’s Irish and it means lovely.” “Oh, that’s so sweet.” “What) don’t you know anyone who has kids?” I tease as we continue to walk down Liberty, window shopping without much real interest. “Well, I have one friend who has a kid. He got a son the same age as your daughter but I just love kids, they’re so cute.” We once again laugh and we continue hanging out for a while, just talking and getting to know each other until he announces he has to leave. “Well, I have got to go unfortunately, but maybe you could go to Woody’s and Babylon with me and my friends tonight?” Emmett asks eagerly, “Maybe we can find you a stud, at least one for the night.” “I’m sorry, but I don’t really go out much because of my daughter.” “Well, how are you going to find her another daddy if you don’t go out to look for him?” I pause for a moment at his words because although I don’t really think she needs another father or that I need a man, I remember what she asked me a couple of weeks ago. “Daddy?” “Yes Jelly Bean?” “Will you ever get married?” “Honey, I thought you understood that I don’t like girls like that, I like boys.” “I know that daddy. I meant, marry a boy of course. So I can have two daddies. I want daddies like Heidi. So will you, daddy? Will you get married?” “See, you so need to come out with us.” Emmett crows after my pause. “Maybe I’ll go to Woody’s if I can get my sister to baby-sit, but not Babylon.” “Ok, fine.” Emmett pouts. We spend a little more time together and then we go our separate ways after exchanging phone numbers and me promising once again to try to get my sister Molly to baby-sit. After we split up, I head back to my car to go get Kyla at school. Once I’m in the car driving towards my daughter, I decide to call my sister right then and see if I’ll be going out tonight because if I am, I want to be able to prepare my daughter for it. I don’t leave my daughter much so I like her to know in advance that I’m going so she can get used to the idea before I go. I dial my sister’s number and it rings five times; as I’m about to hang up, I hear the breathless sound of my sisters voice. “Hello?” “Hey Mollusk. I was about to hang up. Did I catch you at a bad time?” “No Justy, I was just coming in when I heard the phone ring. How’s my big brother and my gorgeous niece doing?” “I’m about to pick Kyla up from school but I was wondering if you could do me a favor and baby-sit tonight?” “No problem. What are you doing, going out and getting a life or more likely, do you have to work?” “Haha, very funny. If you must know, I was invited out to a bar tonight and I’m going.” “Oh my God, I think I’m having a heart attack.” “Haha, fucker.” My sister harasses me a little more before I get to Kyla’s school but when we hang up, I have her promise to be over right before eight so Kyla can see her before she goes to bed. A while later Kyla and I return home with the pizza she just had to have if her daddy was going out, not that I’m complaining. When we get into the house, we sit in the living room with our pizza and milk and Kyla tells me all about her day. “So we drawed pictures…” “Drew, honey. You drew pictures.” “Yeah, we drew pictures today and the one I drew, the teacher said was the best and she hung it up.” “That’s great honey.” Kyla continued to talk a mile a minute and I just listened and smiled, so happy just to be here with the most important person in the world to me. I miss her mom like crazy but I wouldn’t trade my daughter for anything. I think about Daphne a lot and I miss her so much. Her death left a gaping hole in my heart and I know it won’t ever be completely gone. Her absence also makes me wonder if I’ll be able to do the right thing by Kyla. Without Daphne, I wonder about how Kyla will do when she is older and starts going through all the female things I don’t know about. I don’t know what I will do and every once in a while I freak out about it. I’m pulled out of my consuming thoughts by Kyla. “Daddy…Daddy…Daddy, are you listening to me?” “I’m sorry Jelly Bean, what were you saying?” “I wanted to know where you were going tonight?” “I’m going out with a friend.” “Are you going out to find me another daddy?” “Honey, it’s not that easy. You just don’t go out and get one. You have to find the right person.” “Do you think he’ll be where you’re going?” “I don’t know honey.” “But you’ll look for him, right?” “Jelly Bean, I promise I will look to see if he’s there but I can’t promise I’ll find him anytime soon. Ok?” “Sure daddy, as long as you look.” We finish our father daughter time and before I know it, it’s time to give her a bath and then Molly’s here. After both me and Molly tuck Kyla in, Molly’s pushing me off to my bedroom to get dressed. I quickly shower and dress in tight black jeans that show off my best asset, my ass, and a light blue silk button down that lays just right on my body. I look in the mirror after getting dressed and I know I look hott, so I walk back to Kyla’s room to say goodbye even though I figure she’s asleep. When I’m looking down at my daughter, I feel the urge to stay in with her. I feel Molly come up behind me before she speaks. “Go Justin.” “I just don’t…” “Go Justin. You need to. You’re not going to be any good to Kyla if you burn out. So go have some fun and get laid.” “I’m not going out to get laid.” “You had better get laid, you need it.” I walk into Woody’s about a half an hour later, scanning the crowd for Emmett. It doesn’t take me long to find him and as I walk towards him, he’s bouncing over to me in a way that on anyone else his size would look ridiculous but he pulls off with a flair. Once Emmett reaches me, he drags me over to the table he and his friends are occupying and introduces me to everyone. “Hey Justin, this is Teddy, Michael, and Ben. Guys, this is Justin. Now that we’re all here…” “Well, Brian’s not here yet.” The guy named Michael pops up. “Oh well, his highness has to make an entrance you know that.” Emmett snarks and as he’s saying that, I feel a chill roll down my spine and I turn to the door to see who’s causing it. And there he is.