Lois and Carolyn, thanks for the beta...you're the greatest!
Chapter 36 – Friendships Renewed Late Afternoon on Wednesday (Day 45) “Hello,” Adam said, answering his phone. “Adam, it’s Spyder. I’m just finishing up with my client. I just wanted to see if we were still on for drinks. After the day I’ve had, I could sure use one.” “How about if I meet you at Sullivan’s? That way, if we get hungry while we’re talking, we can grab a quick bite to eat. How does that sound?” Adam suggested. “That sounds like a winner. I’ll meet you there,” Spyder quickly agreed. “Bye Spyder…see you soon.” Spyder had spent the day with the Belluss Occhiali and Eyeconics teams. Work was proceeding nicely. Spyder knew that Brian would be pleased. As a concession to Spyder, Brian had let him have the limo today. Needless to say he was thrilled. The knowledge that the limo was waiting for him had spurred Spyder to work all day with the Collezione Fiero team…instead of just the morning as he had originally planned. Now Spyder was preparing to meet with Adam Lyons. He was looking forward to this meeting, but before he left, he decided to make one more call. “Brian, it’s Spyder,” he began, “I’m leaving Belluss Occhiali now. We made great progress today. I was wondering if I could stop by later tonight and show you what we’ve done.” “Sure, when did you have in mind?” Brian asked hesitantly. “Is Justin locked away in his studio?” Spyder immediately asked with a laugh. “I think he went there to get away from both you and me. I’m going to drop by the studio later and make sure he eats. Otherwise, I think it’s good news that neither of us has heard from him,” Brian said with a laugh. “I have to agree. Look I’m meeting a friend for drinks. Why don’t I call you later?” “I’ll be here. I’m doing my homework on Barrister, Wilkins & Evans.” “I heard that you have a meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning. You work fast.” “I didn’t expect Mitchell Evans to fit me into his calendar until next week, but he asked to see me tomorrow. What on earth did you tell him?” “Only the truth, Brian. It’s all up to you from here on. Good luck.” “Thanks. I’ll wait to hear from you. Are you enjoying the limo?” Brian had to ask. “It’s been wonderful. How can I ever thank you?” “Just by doing a good job. I’ll talk to you later.” *** Spyder walked into Sullivan’s and found Adam already waiting in a quiet area in the lounge. “Spyder,” Adam said softly in greeting as he watched his friend approach. “Adam,” Spyder said, quickly extending his hand. The two friends shared a momentary hug. “What are you drinking?” “How about a Beam? What are you having?” “I think I’ll join you.” When the drinks arrived, Adam decided it was time for a toast. “To friendship renewed,” Adam said. “I’ll drink to that,” Spyder agreed. They clinked glasses. “So what’s been going on with you since we last saw each other?” Spyder asked, being the first to break the ice. “Well I’m still at Kennedy & Collins, but I’m sure you figured that out.” “I did.” “I’m still living in Soho. Things are going well.” “Are you seeing anyone?” “Not seriously. I guess you know that Lars accepted that position with the European office so I’m just trying to get used to being solo again. I miss him. Since he left, I’ve just been hanging out. Unfortunately people have been slow to put me back on their guest lists so I’m doing a little of the party scene and occasionally visiting the clubs. You know the same old, same old.” “What about you?” “Like I said, I’m still in demand for websites. You met my partner. What more is there to tell.” “Yes, I met your partner. He’s really something special.” “That he is.” “When I first met him I thought that he was a kid. But the name was very familiar so I Googled him. Please pray tell, how did you hook up with him?” “What do you mean?” “Surely you know that your partner is the darling of the art critics. The entire city is buzzing about his participation in the upcoming show at the Thornton. How on earth did you meet him?” “I was working on an assignment, and I needed an artist. Trying to avoid being a starving artist, he applied for the job. When Taylor walked in he was easy to work with. When the assignment ended, we decided to continue working together.” “Well it must be working for you. You’ve never looked happier. You two are nominated for a Bronze Quill. That’s no easy feat in this town. The competition is fierce.” “We haven’t won the Bronze Quill yet, but it is an honor to be nominated. I will admit that I have designed websites in this town for years. It wasn’t until I was paired with him that the nomination happened. We work well together. He’s really smart.” “So you’re telling me he’s more than just a pretty face.” “That’s what I’m telling you. So much more.” “So are you ready to rejoin civilization? You’ve been avoiding the social scene for long enough. I think it’s time for you to rejoin us.” “I don’t know. Maybe I’ve outgrown all that.” “Spyder, you’re always on the list for the best parties. I would hang out with you just to be able to tag along. But for some reason, you prefer to hide in the shadows. Why is that?” “I’m not hiding,” Spyder protested. “I never see you out or at the clubs anymore. You’re still a legend in this town. Your kingdom is calling. Your subjects await,” Adam said, sounding very much like his own ad copy. “Like I said…I’ve really been busy. But now that you’ve told me I’ve been missed, maybe I should think about rejoining the world,” Spyder said with a laugh. “So what’s the deal with you and Kip.” “Kip Thomas recently joined the firm. For some reason the senior partners thought that he should sit in on my meetings. So I’m sort of taking him under my wing.” “He’s quite a looker. I don’t blame you,” Spyder commented. “Kip is very creative. He’s always coming up with really good ideas. I think that he has a good future in advertising. But he seems to be in some sort of hurry to get to the top,” Adam said with some reservations. “Aren’t we all? Haven’t we all been there?” “Yes, we all try that route until we learn the importance of a balanced life.” “That’s a really hard lesson to learn.” “So you think he’s cute? Do I detect some interest? After all he is gay,” Adam suggested with a sly smile. “Not in the least,” Spyder said quickly, wanting to set the record straight. Adam looked around the room. “You know this place isn’t too crowded tonight,” Adam observed, “Why don’t we grab a bite to eat? My treat…” “I guess we could do that...I do have another meeting later, but I think we have time.” During dinner they chatted easily for a while and caught up on people that they knew in common. Then Adam once again steered the topic of conversation back to Justin Taylor. “Spyder, while I Googled Justin Taylor, I also had a chance to go to his website. He has quite a body of work for one so young, and he is constantly experimenting with new techniques.” “I know…he’s an amazing artist.” “According to the catalogue on his website, I see that Brian Kinney is a major collector of his work.” “That is also true.” “I also see that Brian Kinney is one of his favorite subjects too.” “Yes he is.” “Spyder you can cut the charade. I know. Justin Taylor was Brian Kinney’s partner. Why did you lead me to believe that you and Justin Taylor were a couple?” “Taylor is my business partner. And, I’m very protective where he’s concerned. Taylor is here. Brian is still in Pittsburgh. What did you expect?” “I guess that makes sense. Are they still together? Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor?” “Why do you ask?” “Brian Kinney is legendary, and he’s a first class fuck. The only problem is that he would fuck anything that moved. I heard that he supposedly had this stupid one fuck rule…so I was just wondering.” “Are we speaking from experience?” Spyder had to ask with a laugh. “I heard rumors that he’s been seen around town. I kept waiting for a phone call. I was hoping that he and I could hook up again. After all, it’s been a long time. But I guess with Justin Taylor as a partner…that’s a thing of the past. Still I sort of expected a courtesy call if he was in town.” “With Taylor living here, Brian is in and out of the city all the time. Why is your interest piqued about him now?” “Now he’s landed the Belluss Occhiali and Eyeconics joint venture account. I also heard rumors that he landed The Pentland Group. He’s tops in his field, and he’s been winning awards for years. I guess I just wanted to touch base.” “I’ll be sure to tell him that you think so highly of him,” Spyder said with a laugh. “Your business partner was able to tame the legend. You’re right…Justin Taylor’s not just a pretty face.” “I think I said that.” “And if Justin Taylor is here, then Brian Kinney will probably be around too,” Adam mindlessly repeated to himself. “I would say that’s a good assumption. You know now that you mention it, I think that I might be ready to resume my visibility on the party scene. I should probably make sure that Brian and Taylor meet all the right people, shouldn’t I? After all, Taylor is my business partner. So Adam, does this mean that you and I should start hanging out together again?” “Like I said, hanging with you gets one invited to the best parties. I will admit without you, I seemed to have dropped off the A list.” “Well, I guess we’ll have to see what I can do about that when I get back.” “Are you going somewhere?” “I have business on the west coast, but I’ll only be gone a couple of days.” “I’ll be here waiting when you get back,” Adam promised. “You’ll be sure to call me won’t you?” he almost pleaded. “I think that can be arranged,” Spyder said with a smile. For some reason, Adam Lyons seemed relieved. Spyder made careful note of events. “Adam, answer something for me?” Spyder started to ask. “Sure, what’s on your mind?” “You’ve been working at Kennedy & Collins almost from the beginning of your career, haven’t you?” “Yes, I have.” “How come you never went out on your own? Why not start your own agency?” “I like the idea of being part of big organization. I have a lot of support behind me. It’s hard when everything rests on you and what you’re able to do. I like the big bonuses for a job well done. I’m able to make the right investments. I have no complaints about my life.” “Do you think that you’ll ever want your own agency someday?” Spyder wondered. “No, I think I’ll stay at Kennedy & Collins. I’m perfectly content to rise through the ranks. Why do you ask?” “I noticed that Brian Kinney went out on his own, and he seems to have done it when he was so young. I was just curious, why you didn’t?” “Brian was in Pittsburgh. I’m here in New York. Those two things are really not comparable.” “Oh, I see,” Spyder whispered although he didn’t really get the point. What he gathered from that exchange was that Brian Kinney was a risk taker…while Adam Lyons liked to play it safe. He filed this information away. After they had finished dinner, Adam and Spyder exited Sullivan’s. Spyder headed for his waiting limo. The driver opened the door for him. “Spyder, I see that we’re moving up in the world,” Adam commented with a degree of envy. “Can I drop you somewhere?” Spyder offered. “Like I said, I’m on my way to another meeting. The client just wanted to be sure that I arrived…hence the limo. I assure you by tomorrow I’ll be back on the subway.” Spyder and Adam shared a laugh. “No, I think I’m going back to the office and work a bit before I finally head home. You’ll be sure to call me when you get back?” “I will call you,” Spyder said, as he finally entered the limo, and the driver closed the door behind him. Adam gave one more wave goodbye. As the limo pulled off, Spyder reached for his cell phone to call Brian. Adam, on the other hand, replayed his reunion with Spyder over again in his mind.