Together As One
Chapter 7 
The silence of the night was shattered by the deafening echo of an explosion as an orange ball of flame lit up the black sky. The sheer force rattled the windows and Justin was instantly awake, and out of the house, running toward the cloud of black smoke; his mother and sister close behind. As the last two arrived, Justin was headed towards Todd, who, along with his staff, were manning extinguishers and heavily engaged putting out the fire in the ski lift control box.

“Todd what the fuck happened?” Justin all but shouted at the man.

“I don’t know,” said an exasperated Todd. “When I did my last check for the evening everything was fine; the ski lift was shut down and locked. I was sound asleep when this happened,” Todd pointed to the small remains of the lift control system; a blackened and charred control box.

Running his hands through his hair, Justin swore in frustration, “Fuck, I can’t believe something like this could have happened on its own.”

“Justin, I swear everything was okay when I went to be…” Todd didn’t get a chance to finish what he was going to say before he was interrupted.

“Look Todd, I don’t mean to take it out on you. I know it’s not your fault; I trust you when you say everything was fine. It’s just that we don’t need this kind of incident to happen. What if someone had gotten hurt?”

“Yeah, I understand. There is no way this could have happened… unless the box was tampered with.”

“What!” Justin shouted.

“Justin, what’s going on?” his mother asked. He had completely forgotten that she and his sister had followed him.

“Mom,” Justin turned to face his mother. “Todd thinks that this was not an accident.”

“What do you mean, Justin?” she said turning between the two men.

“He thinks there might have been some tampering,” Justin continued. We’ll have to talk and look more to really find out. Why don’t you and Molly go back to the house, and Todd and I will sort things out. No need for all of us to loose sleep,” he sighed wearily. With that Jennifer gathered Molly and headed back toward the house.

As she left, Justin turned back to face Todd, “What do you mean tampered with?”

“When I first came up I noticed that the lock had been cut; that’s it lying there on the ground,” he turned and indicated a small silver object lying on the ground. “I didn’t think I should touch it in case…”Todd let the words die. 

“In case you thought someone tampered with it,” Justin ended.

“Right.”

“Well, I guess we should get the police out here, and find out. Call 911; we need a record of this incident,” Justin stated. 

A few days passed since the explosion occurred and as the police investigated, Justin turned to work with a passion. This had been a particularly hectic day, but then all his days seemed to be that way lately and as usual he was running behind schedule. Justin knew his mother had arranged a meeting with Kinnetik, and he was expecting their representative to show up about three o’clock.

With his arms full with papers and books tucked under his chin, Justin stumbled into the office; the papers and files he was carrying flew everywhere.

“Shit!” he exclaimed as he bent over to retrieve the fallen items. Justin hadn’t noticed the Armani clad man who sat impatiently waiting for his potential client.

Hearing the expletive and seeing the errant papers and files scattering, Brian turned around and an amused look flashed across his face as he noticed the top of a blond head hurriedly trying to gather the papers and books. Deciding it might be prudent to help, he rose from his seat and crouched down.

Long, slender fingers brushed against a fair skinned hand as the both reached for the same book. Slowly Justin looked up; his stunned blue eyes looked directly into amused hazel ones. His motions stilled as his mouth fell open, his apology dying on his lips.

“Brian,” Justin stated as if the wind was knocked out of his sails.

“Funny, you don’t look like a Jennifer to me,” Brian said with a smirk.

“Huh?”

“My, aren’t we articulate,” Brian teased.

As he gathered up his things, Justin stood up and looked questioningly at the older man; it hadn’t registered in his mind exactly what his statement meant. All he could think about at the moment was the man who had been invading his thoughts so often of late was standing before him looking as gorgeous as ever.

Waving his hand in front of Justin’s face to draw his attention Brian asked “Are you okay?”

Blinking several times and shaking his head to clear his mind, Justin realized that Brian was speaking to him. He couldn’t believe that after all this time the man could still get him tongued tied. 

“Oh…yeah, I’m fine. I’m just surprised to see you. I thought my Mother mentioned speaking with a person named Cynthia, so I assumed that would be who I had the meeting with.”

“Well that makes two of us. I thought I had a meeting with a Jennifer Taylor. Cynthia is my assistant, she was the one who made the arrangements.”

“Jennifer is my Mother.”

Chuckling out loud in an effort to ease the tension Brian said, “I didn’t think Jennifer was your wife. If I recall…you were pretty much…well, gay,” he grinned.

Justin blushed as he recalled their last meeting. “Yeah, I still am,” he laughed

“Shall we get down to business?” Brian reminded Justin of the purpose of his visit. 

“Sure, have a seat,” Justin offered.

Seeing Brian after all this time left Justin feeling unsettled. He was caught off guard and couldn’t put two coherent thoughts together if he tried, so he tried to remain focused on the conversation as Brian asked him questions. But Justin’s eyes kept straying to the perfectly shaped raspberry lips; so much so that he didn’t realize that Brian had stopped talking and was waiting for an answer. 

“Justin?” Brian queried.

Justin could feel the heat creep up his neck and he felt his face turn slightly warm as he realized he had been caught daydreaming. “Sorry, Brian, what was it you were saying?”

“I was asking if you could show me around.” Brian smiled to himself, realizing that he could still unnerve the man sitting before him.

“Oh sure, that would be a good idea.” 

As they walked around the various areas, Justin kept up a running chatter, but his voice took on a dreamy, faraway tone when he talked about what he loved best. The sense of pride Justin felt for the mountain; its unspoiled beauty and the serenity it offered was easily heard in the otherwise boring chatter. He relayed some of the history of the Inn, how it had come to be, and his hope for its future. He also expressed his concern about the big hotel chain that built on the other side of the mountain and what they had to offer. 

“My grandfather is always reminding us to never sell any of part of our land. We have some of the best ski slopes around here and there have been more than a few offers to buy parts of it. They want to use it to provide exclusive use to their hotel guests only whereas we believe it should be open to. Grandpa always felt, and so do I, that everyone should be able to share in the beauty of this area. Additionally, I feel it is our responsibility to leave it in as much of its natural state as possible. There are some developers who want to come in, alter the landscape, build condos, and turn the hills into high tech skill challenging slopes, which could be very damaging to the environment,” he explained. 

After Justin finished showing Brian around, they made arrangements to have dinner later that evening; agreeing to meet around seven o’clock. Parting ways, Justin left to attend to business and Brian continued to stroll through the magnificent scenery.

Deciding it was a good idea to do some investigating on his own, Brian paid close attention to the highlights and different activities the Inn offered. As he stood on the veranda and looked up toward the mountain, he began to slowly understand why Justin felt the way he did. The clean, crisp air, the unblemished, majestic beauty the family tried to maintain, and the sense of wide open spaces made him feel a sense of exhilaration and pride. After a while, he thought it might be a good idea to drive down the road and check out the competition. 

Stopping in an entrance that had been designed like a porte cochere, he pulled his long legs out of his rental car, threw his keys to the valet, and strolled into the lobby of the Bennington Imperial. On the surface, it read pure elegance; from the rich, travertine-marble floors, to the Waterford Crystal chandeliers that were suspended from an embossed-tile ceiling, to the richly-stained, mahogany furniture covered in thick tapestry fabric. But something was missing! Even though it was a beautiful hotel, there was no warmth emanating from within the hand-plastered walls. Normally this would be the kind of hotel Brian appreciated, and would stay in, but for some reason it felt foreign to him. Taking a careful look around, he noticed the hotel was built in a circular fashion and that the central focus was an indoor rock garden with a three-story, cascading waterfall which ended in a pond filled with vibrant colored carp and landscaped with delicate Japanese Maple trees scattered throughout. Colorful azalea plants, and various other greenery had been added and gave the lobby a park like setting in the midst of concrete and steel. 

There were several different restaurants; one for casual dining, another for fine dining, and a lounge which stocked the finest brands of alcoholic beverages. The hotel also offered an array of amenities such as a spa, an indoor heated pool, and a small gym, but there were a few important things lacking in his opinion. These would be the things that he would make the focus of his campaign to sell the Maple Mountain Inn. Nothing like hitting the competition as hard as you can below the belt, he thought. This was definitely going to be a challenge for him…and fun. 

Justin sat behind what he still considered his father’s big, oak desk, surrounded by papers and the files that lay in disarray about him, and tried to focus on the work he had to do. He was having difficulty concentrating as his mind kept drifting back to his meeting with Brian. He had been invading his dreams, as well of some of his waking moments, for a long time and now that he was here, how was he going to get through an evening alone with him? 

Jennifer stood in the doorway observing her son for a minute; his eyes casting a pensive; far away look. She wondered what had gotten him into such a mood. There were times she felt that he shouldered too much responsibility; that he had no time for a personal life, and she regretted calling him back home. She wanted him to find someone to love, and knew the prospects would be slim on the mountain. He never discussed much of his life back in Pittsburgh, but from what little he did mention, she knew that there had been someone that he had cared about. 

Jennifer cleared her throat to get his attention, and as she gently knocked, Justin looked up to see her standing in the doorway watching him.

“Justin, everything okay? You look like you were a million miles away.” She smiled, noticing a faint blush of color her son’s cheeks. Ahh, she thought, I caught him daydreaming. I wonder about who?

Slightly embarrassed he replied, “Everything is fine. Did you need something?”

“No, I just stopped by to see how your meeting went with Kinnetik.”

“It went well. I showed Brian…”

“Brian?” she interrupted. “I thought I made arrangements with a Cynthia?”

“You did. She is Brian’s assistant, and although she does meet with clients he usually handles all of the accounts.”

“Okay…you were saying?”

“I showed him around and we talked a bit; then he decided to go off and explore on his own. We agreed to meet for dinner later tonight.”

“Great, that’s give me an idea. I know you planned to eat in the Inn’s dining room, but I think it will be a nice idea if you brought him to the house. That way I would get a chance to meet him too,” she suggested.

“Ah…well…okay Mom, that would be nice. I told him that I would meet him around seven o’clock. I’ll pick him up and bring him over.” Justin hid his disappointment carefully. He had hoped to spend the evening with Brian but his Mother was right; she should meet him too. Maybe they could find some time later, he thought.

Running a few minutes late and arriving a little frazzled, Justin stood scanning the lounge for Brian. His eyes landed on the sleek profile, sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs, gazing into the fireplace. Justin wished at that moment he had his sketchpad so he could capture the fine features and look the wistfulness etched on his handsome features.

Clad in a black cashmere sweater and wool slacks, he was a vision of casual elegance. As Brian waited in the lounge for Justin, he looked around and appreciated the atmosphere the Inn held; it was a rustic charm but with a touch of elegant beauty. The high open-beamed, hand-hewn ceilings, the rich, burgundy Aubusson rugs, and large cathedral-shaped windows that let the outdoors in, made him feel like he was in someone’s home, rather than an impersonal place to hang your hat while on the road. A huge, wood-burning fireplace was surrounded by comfortable overstuffed furniture, that together created a cozy ambiance for the guests to enjoy after a long day of being outdoors. A quiet, relaxing place to sip brandy and share their days with someone special. 

Seeing the blond again had renewed feelings that Brian thought he had buried after their first encounter so many years ago. He knew Justin was someone special and the thought scared the shit out of him. Those thoughts were the precise reason he had pushed him away and had tried to think of him as just another trick. He wasn’t ready for someone, like Justin; someone who only wanted to be with him. Hell, he lived by what he considered to be a sacred creed: I don’t believe in love, I believe in fucking… But over the past years it had begun to feel like something, or possibly someone was missing from his life. Christ, he thought, where were all these lesbianic thoughts coming from; must be the Inn’s atmosphere. But am I really being honest with myself; I have been feeling at odds with things lately. 

“Brian,” Justin said softly, gently touching the older man’s shoulder.

Startled by the touch, Brian turned quickly and a warm smile lit his face as appreciative eyes slowly trailed the length of the blond. “Justin, I didn’t realize you were here.”

“You looked deep in thought.”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

“Sorry I’m late, there’s been a change in plans.”

“I hope you’re not canceling out on me.”

“No…but instead eating in the Inn’s dining room, my mother wanted to invite you to the house for dinner so she’d have a chance to meet with you.” 

“Not a problem, should be an interesting evening,” Brian smirked, as he pulled his lanky frame up lazily from the chair.

Several minutes later, Justin pushed open the front door and ushered Brian inside. “Mom,” he called out, “We’re home.” A variety of aromas indicating a special dinner was almost ready assailed their senses. Turning toward Brian, he said, “Why don’t you have a seat on the sofa and I’ll go get her.”

As he sat down, Brian looked around and admired the hominess and warmth the room offered. He noticed picture frames and sketches on the mantle and stood and walked over to the fireplace taking in the photos of the family; something he had never seen in his own home, when he grew up. He admired the sketches and how they captured the beauty of the landscape, and a close inspection showed that they were signed by ‘JT’ and wondered if Justin was the artist. He came upon a picture that was framed in antique silver that showed of a naked baby posed on a fur rug, he smiled appreciatively, even back then Justin had that cute bubble butt.

Hearing footsteps, Brian set the photo back in place and turned around to see Justin blushing furiously.

Embarrassed that he had caught Brian looking at his baby picture Justin said, “ I can’t believe my mother still puts that picture there for everyone to see.” 

“Well, even back then you had some cute ass…ets,” Brian said with a tongue in cheek expression, which made Justin blush even more. “By the way, I noticed these sketches. Are you the artist?”

“Yes, he admitted.

“They’re really very good… you’re very good.”

“Thank you,” Justin acknowledged shyly. 

The two men stood silently assessing one another until they were interrupted by girlish giggling and a comment of “Wow, he’s hot!” The noise made Justin want to blend into the woodwork. 

“Molly!” came her brother’s shocked voice. “I’m sorry Brian,” Justin sheepishly apologized.

“I’m not,” Brian laughed at the brazen remark that had come from what appeared to be female version of Justin. “Thanks for the compliment, Molly,” Brian replied laughing at the outspoken youngster.

“See Jus, he doesn’t mind, after all it was a compliment,” she stated before sticking her tongue out at her brother.

Jennifer walked in just as she saw Molly’s display. “Molly, behave yourself. What has she done now?” she asked.

“All I said was that Justin’s friend was hot,” Molly stated defiantly. “Besides, he didn’t mind. Ask him!”

“Molly, we’ll discuss this later,” her mother stated, letting her daughter know that the matter wasn’t over. Realizing they were ignoring their guest, Jennifer looked up to see an amused grin on Brian’s face as he watched the interaction between mother and daughter. Extending her hand in welcome she said, “I’m Jennifer Taylor, and I gather you have already met Molly.”

“Brian Kinney, Mrs. Taylor,” he said ad he shook her hand. “I guess you could say that,” he flashed one of his rare smiles.

“Please call me Jennifer. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable,” she invited. “Justin why don’t you pour us some wine and Molly,” she suggested, “go get the cheese and crackers from the kitchen.” Her voice was a command and the two scrambled to do her bidding. “So Mr. Kinney…”

“Brian, please. Mr. Kinney was my father.”

“Brian, I understand you own Kinnetik, and that you’re very successful.”

He gave the woman an appraising look, before replying. There was more to her than what was shown by her quiet demeanor. “Yes, I do own Kinnetik and we have had some very successful campaigns,” he stated with pride in his voice.

“You’re awfully young to have achieved so much.”

“Well, I like to think my long hours and hard work have paid off. I understand the responsibility that goes along with the trust and faith my clients place in me… not to mention the money they invest, and I like to think they get more than what they pay for.”

Just then Justin walked in carrying a tray with glasses and a bottle of wine. Pouring some into each glass, he handed one to his mother and then to Brian; their fingertips touching ever so slightly as Brian reached for his glass. Justin’s hand stopped in mid-flight as he felt a warm sensation spread over him. Their eyes met and for the briefest of moments everyone else was forgotten as the two locked gazes. The interaction was interrupted as Molly came in and placed the platter of cheese and crackers down heavily on the coffee table.

Nothing escaped Jennifer as she caught the look that passed between her son and the ad exec. She wondered what was going on between the two… as it appeared as if this wasn’t the first time they’ve met. 

Dinner was served and the conversation turned to the ad campaign. Brian laid out his preliminary strategy, based on a theme of “Home Away from Home.” He explained how the friendly, open environment the Inn projected, as well as it having one of the best skiing facilities in the area made for a family friendly atmosphere. He also wanted to emphasize the scenery. Both Jennifer and Justin were pleased with Brian’s initial approach to the campaign and were looking forward to seeing the ads that he came up with.

All through the meal, Jennifer took note of the subtle glances and gentle undercurrent that passed between the two men. It reinforced her feelings that there was more here than met the eye. She made a mental not to ask her son about it later.

Deciding to forego coffee and dessert, Brian instead invited Justin back to the Inn for a nightcap, hoping to spend some time alone with him.

Holding their brandy snifters, the two men quietly gazed into the fireplace. Wanting to bridge the silence, Brian filled Justin in on the gang back home. He said Debbie missed seeing his sunshine smile around the diner and the rest of the gang was still searching for their eternal niche in life.

“So, what’s to do around here for fun?” Brian inquired hoping to find out what the blond had been doing and if he had anyone in his life.

Justin started to laugh and Brian looking at him quizzically. “Fun,” the blond snorted. “Since I’ve been back here, I’ve had my head either stuck into our accounting records or working my ass off trying to get the Inn back up to speed. There hasn’t been any time for fun,” he stated. “Usually by the time I get home, I’m too tired to go anywhere. I have made it to a club in town a couple of times, but’s that’s about it, and the club is no Babylon that’s for sure,” he added, thinking back to the time he had met Brian and had gone back to the loft with him. Inwardly sighing, he thought about what he wouldn’t give to feel Brian inside him, but he always went back to not ever wanting to just be another trick. He wanted more and felt he deserved it.

“Oh?” Brian raised an eyebrow, hoping Justin would elaborate. “Find anything interesting?” He would have enjoyed taking Justin up to his room and spending the night fucking him. Just thinking about it made his cock twitch as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He could still remember pounding into that perfectly tight, round little ass. The sheer pleasure of feeling Justin’s muscles clench around his erection as they rode the first wave of their mutual orgasm was vivid in his memory.

Justin smiled to himself as he noticed Brian shift in his seat, and in a quick flash he saw hazel eyes lustfully glaze over. “Why do you ask?” he smiled coyly.

“Ah, no reason. Just making conversation,” Brian tried to cover up. Not wanting Justin to know what he was really thinking. 

Finally, Justin looked at this watch. “It’s getting late, and I have to be up early to meet with the staff to discuss some maintenance that needs to be done.”

They both stood at the same time, just a few inches separating them. Justin closed his eyes and inhaled Brian’s now familiar scent; one that caused him to recall their night together. “Ah… well…, I’d better be going.” Justin’s voice came out in a haltingly husky whisper.

“Yeah, I have an early day too. With security at the airport being the hassle it is, I have to check in two hours ahead of my scheduled flight.” Gazing deeply into glittering, blue eyes, Brian’s eyes trailed slowly to Justin’s pale, pink, and full lips, his breathing became shallow and when he could no longer resist the urge, he leaned over and gently brushed a soft kiss against his lips. 

Justin brought his fingertips to his lips, savoring the feel of Brian’s warm, silky lips against his, but flustered by the older man’s actions, he stepped back slightly, stumbling when the back of his knees hit the chair. Brian reached out to grab him to prevent him from falling and the heat of their touch made Justin tremble. Not understanding what was going on, the blond was at a lost for words, and decided it was best to leave before he did something he might later regret. Quickly he said goodnight and all but ran out of the Inn, leaving Brian in a quandary. 

Frustrated, Brian sighed, feeling the swell of his erection. What he wouldn’t give at this moment to feel Justin’s soft lips taking care of his needs. He could almost feel his warmth passing over his erection, and he shuddered.

Stepping outdoors Justin felt the cool night air brush against his flushed skin. Pausing he brought his fingers to his lips still feeling Brian’s gentle kiss, and he savored the taste of brandy mixed with cigarettes.

on to # 8