Chapter 47:  The House That Brian Built

                  “Reginald?” Ted called out to the janitor as the CEO’s right-hand man was leaving Brian’s office and about to lock it up.  “Do you need to get in there and clean?”

“Yes.”

“Well, but be sure to lock it up after you’ll finish, Reggie.”

“Will do, mister, Schmidt.”

“Thanks.”

Ted then headed home.

*

Earlier that day, after Michael had returned to work after getting his haircut he called Brian’s office and his assistance Cynthia answered and informed Michael that Brian had left for the day. 

An hour after close of business, surprisingly Michael was still at his workstation.  His supervisor was just leaving around about that time.  Michael and he were the only two employees left in that office at that time of night.

“Mr. Novotny, you’re still here?”  He was stunned to see Michael, of all employees, still there.  He’s so used to him hurrying out of there even before quitting time (a considerably amount of time before).  And, he couldn’t help but notice the nice haircut though.

“Hey!  Don’t look so stunned, mister supervisor,” Michael treated him with the same disdain and disrespect he does with the V.P.   “I’m a hardworking and dedicated employee.”

“Since when… since the CEO’s come back to work?”  He accused.  “This is the first time you ever stayed late before.  It fact, this is the first full day you’ve put in since you worked here.  Why are you here so late?”

“There’s a lot of work to do; that’s why.”

“I WOULD think it would be, since all that you’ve done so far is let it all pile up.”

“Can I help you with anything specific, mister supervisor?”

“Good night, mister subordinate,” The supervisor thought he’d give Michael a dose of his own bad medicine.  “And be sure you lock the door after you leave.”

“Sure, bye.”

And, no sooner had Michael’s supervisor left, he got on the phone and called upstairs to the executives’ floor.  But instead of getting Cynthia’s voice on the phone, he got a recorder notifying him that the office was closed for the evening and to call back at regular business hours. 

Michael was aware that Brian wasn’t there but he wanted to be sure that Ted wasn’t lurching about anywhere either.  So, he called his direct line and when he got his answer machine, he felt secure enough that Ted wasn’t there.   So, he rushed out of the office, got on the elevator and headed upstairs to the executives’ offices.  But, in his haste he didn’t lock the door behind him like his supervisor had told him.  

When Michael got the to executives’ floor, he first peeped around to see if anyone was in visual sight and when the coast looked clear, he crept across the floor to Brian’s office. 

“Fuck!”  He cursed when he tried the knob but discovered the door lock.  He then hurried downstairs to the B-level (basement) where all housekeeping and the general maintainer staff work.  He kept roaming around there until he saw someone he knew. 

“Hey there, Reg.”

“Ummm… who’s you?”  Reginald Pierson didn’t recognize Michael right away.

“Michael Novotny.  You remember right?  I used to be inside the CEO’s office all the time…”

“Oh yeah.  I remember you now.  You’re really in tight with Mr. Kinney.  But what are you doing down here?”

“I work for the company now.”

“Oh… you need a light bulb changed, or something fix in your office?”  Reggie then asked.

“No,” Michael tried to appear casual.  “I’m just working OT and thought I'll take a little break and just find someone to chitchat with.  The entire building is just about deserted now.  You don’t mind if I hang out here with you for a while?”

“Oh, no problem.  I work the entire nightshift and it do get terribly lonely at times.”

And, Michael spend time with Reggie until the golden opportunity arise when the general maintainer left Michael all alone, and then Michael fished around the maintenance office looking for the spare keys to Brian’s office.   He got the keys and hurried back upstairs to CEO’s office and got the door open.  

By then Justin’s painting of his dream house had been returned to the wall and hiding the safe.

“Hey!”  Michael fell agitated when he saw that his picture of the horse that he had given Brian was gone and that one of a house was put in its place.  However, when he got up closer and saw whom the artist was, he absolutely flipped. 

“Fucking Justin Taylor!  You bitch!”  He cursed.  And, his eyes then scanned all around the room and he didn’t see his picture of the horse anywhere and not only that he also realized that every painting in there bared Justin’s epithet.  “Bitchhhh,” Michael frustratingly cried out once more.

He then got Justin’s portrait down off the wall and uncovered the safe.  He then started looking around the office looking for the combination.  And, he’s been in that office with Brian enough times back when he was his boyfriend and he trusted him more.  So, it took him awhile but he knew enough about Brian’s habits that he eventually found the combination, and got the safe open.

*

It was about 10:00 p.m. that same Monday night and Brian was home at his computer station. 

After Justin and Brian had finished making love at Brian’s old place, they had finished doing the packing and moved Brian’s stuff into Justin’s place.  And, Brian’s plans hadn’t change any.  As originally intended, he got Justin kind of stoned at dinner, and they fucked again and Brian left Justin in the bed sleeping like a log while he caught up on some office work.

However, Brian hadn’t had any real sleep in over two days on account of staying up all night fucking during the honeymoon and then would get up early the next morning and do what he had to do.  He was virtually running on empty and was about to dip into his mix to keep him awake but the land phone rang right then and deterred him.  Brian checked the id caller and the moment he saw it was Harold, he got excited and rushed to answer it. 

“Harry, hi,” He answered anxiously,  “Sorry, you had to hunt this number down.  But I misplaced my cell this morning.  How’s everything?”  Brian asked and concernedly listened.  “Umm, wow!  Yeah… sure.  I can leave right this instant.  No, don’t worry about it,” Brian shook his head, “My spouse’s asleep and I’m sure he’s out for the night.  I’ll be right there.”

Brian, feeling so sure Justin was out for the complete night’s count, scurried out of there without even leaving a note.   However, shortly after Brian left Justin did stir.

“Brian,” Justin wiped the sleep from his eyes as he walked [naked] out of the bedroom and walked around the house trying to locate his other half.  “Hmm,” Justin murmured when he was sure Brian wasn’t home. 

Justin then called his husband on his cell and got that ‘out-of-service’ message that Brian had gotten earlier.  And, Justin had to wondered where did his husband go and why did he turn off his phone.  It reminded him too much of what happened the last day of their honeymoon.

Suddenly that was on Justin’s mind again and he asked himself, ‘Wait a minute.’ It began to dawn on him.  ‘If Cary isn’t Harry… and Cary is the ex-boyfriend… THEN WHO THE FUCK IS HARRY!’

*

“Hey, Harry.”  Brian approached him from behind and when Harold turned around and looked at him, Brian saw the sorrowful expression on Harold’s exceedingly handsome face, it made him moan. 

“Oh Shit, Harry,” Brian murmured as he gathered him up in his arms and they embraced each other pretty tightly. 

Harold, being nearly the same height as Brian, rested his chin on Brian’s right shoulder while Brian dropped his chin down on Harold’s left.  And, Brian place one hand in the center of Harold's back while the other rest to the back of the other brunet’s head; and both strikingly handsome men stayed entangled like that for a very long spell.

*

                  “What could it possibly be, Michael, that is so urgent this late in the evening?”  Ethan walked up to Michael’s car window, poked his head inside and asked. 

“Get out of my face like that, Ethan,” Michael jerked away from him,  “And, walk around to the passenger’s side and just get in the car; will you,” he impatiently demanded.

“Where are we going?”  Ethan asked as he sat comfortably next to Michael and securing his seatbelt; and Michael then pulled away from the curb and started the drive.  “Let me guess.  Wherever we are going, I can bet it has something to do with Brian and Justin.  But why don’t you just give it up, Michael; and face it.  Trying to separate those two is a fruitless venture.  It’s just never going to happen.”

“Hey, they’ve been separated before, Ethan.”

“No they haven’t, Michael – not really.  They’ve been divorced before… yeah… certainly.  But never actually separated though.  Justin and Brian both remained in the Pitts after the divorce as well as stayed inside each other’s panties… bed… however the hell you care to put it.  And, now they are married again…”

“And soon they will be divorced again,” Michael tact that ending onto Ethan’s sentence. 

“Maybe… but so what?  Still that won’t necessarily mean that Brian and Justin won’t be together, Michael.  You know, Michael, just last week I thought up a plot to separate the two but I changed my mind.”

“What plot?”

“I don’t know.  I was trying to lure Justin back to work and try to work my magic on him that way.  But I give up, Michael.”

“Everybody got their breaking point, Ethan.  And, Brian is about to hit his.”

“Really?  I don’t think there is a breaking point when it comes to Brian and Justin.  I think either man could deliberately burn the other’s house down with him in it; and still he’ll find it in his heart to forgive the other and take him back.”

“Quite ironic that you should say that. Ethan.  Because that very theory is about to be put to a test; and you can see for yourself whose right or wrong ... you or me."

“Huh?”

“Never mind for now.  I’ll fill you in when we get there.”

“Well, fine, Michael.  But where exactly is there?”

“West Virginia,” Michael boisterously announced.

“Why?  What could there possibly be in West Virginia that is of any interest to me… or should I say us?”

“Be patient, Ethan.  You’ll see when we get there.”

*

“Brian, Brian, Brian,” Harold shook him,  “Wake up?  Get out of that bed.  And, you can go home now.”                 

“Huh?”  Brian sat up in a bed, stretched and yawned, wiped the sleep from his eyes and looked bewilderedly at Harold.  “What time is it?”

“Umm,” Harold wasn’t sure himself but then he spotted a clock on the wall and pointed to it.

“Oh, that fucking late, huh, Harry?” Brian chuckled, “But what do you mean I can go home now?  I don’t want to go if…”

Harold cut Brian off mid-sentence.  “Hey, do you need to piss or tidy up or something?” Harold asked Brian.  “Go use the toilet, Brian, and you can definitely go home when you come back out.”  Harold smiled heartily at him. “I’ll have a surprise waiting for you.”

“What?” Brian smiled back at Harold and really big then.  He’s really learned to read him quite well over just two days.  “Sure, Harry.  I’ll take that leak and I’m be right back out.”

And Brian pissed, washed his hands and face; and when he came out of the restroom he smiled bigger than ever then.

“Hey, here’s your surprise, Brian,” Harold greeted him.

“Wow!  You weren’t kidding, huh?”  Brian delightfully chortled.  “Well, hi, there again, sweetheart.”

“Hi, I love you, Brian.”

“I know you do… and I love you too, sweetheart.  Now hurry up over here and give me that hug and kiss,” Brian demanded as his smile grew increasing brighter, and his knees slightly bent as he affectionately stretched his arms pretty damn wide.

“You know something, Harry?”

“What?”

“My husband Justin really is out like a light.  So, I don’t have any real reason to rush home.  So, I think I’ll hang around a little bit longer.”

“Fine, Brian,” Harold nodded in approbation.  “That would be just perfect.”

*

                  “Wow!  What is this place?”  Ethan asked once Michael’s car came to a complete stop and they both got out of the vehicle.  “It looks so magnificent under this moonlight glow,” Ethan commented as he looked all around him.  “Is this paradise or what?  Don’t tell me you fucking own this, Michael?  I would have never guessed you had impeccable taste such as this.  Looks more like, Brian or Justin’s taste.  Fuck, you didn’t get this place granted to you in that palimony suit…”

“Will you shut the hell up, Ethan!”

“Well, damn it.  Who lives here?  Whose house is this?”

Michael didn’t answer until he used the keys he removed from Brian’s safe and used them to get the door to Britin open.  And, then he led Ethan inside.

“Wow!  Fucking damn!  This place in a palace inside and out,” Ethan said.

And Michael looked quite amazed too.  “Yes it is,” he couldn’t deny that.  “That almost makes it a fucking pity that something has to happen to it.”

“Huh?  What are you talking about?”  Ethan looked bedazzled.

“Ethan,” Michael stood in the center of the room and put on a dramatic display as his head turned this way and that; and his hands were palm up and stretched out to his sides.  “What you see before you is the house that Brian built, but unfortunately for poor, sweet, charming Brian, it’s also the house that Justin is going to burn down.”

*

It was wee hours in the night when Brian finally left Harry and returned home to his husband Justin.  And, careful not to disturb his supposedly sleeping husband, he stayed as quiet as he could muster, while he got undressed and then he gently got inside the bed and cuddled up against his husband’s back and pulled him into a cozy embrace.  

“Love you, my sweet husband,” Brian softly whispered, followed by a kiss to Justin’s temple, and then he rested his chin on Justin’s shoulder and closed his eyes and in seconds he was soundly sleeping.

Justin’s eyes popped open that instant; and he sniffed his husband.  And, he smelt several scents on him (that were slightly foreign to his nostrils) but nothing in the way of a funky scent or anything that would indicate that Brian had just had sex or taken a bathe as an attempt to wash away or cover up any incriminating odors.

“I love you back,” Justin simply responded, closed his eyes back and soon he was sleeping too.  

*

                  “What!  Have you completely lost it, Michael?   You dragged me all the way here to West Virginia to burn a house down with you!”

“Relax.  We aren’t going to burn it down tonight.  These things take time and delicate planning.”

“What things take time and delicate planning?”

“We can’t just take a torch to the place just like that, Ethan.  We gotta make it look like Justin did it… more specifically that he did it while he was here cheating on Brian with his lover…”

“Lover?  Justin has a lover?”

“Yeah, yours truly… you Ethan.”

Ethan laughed.  “I got to hear this?”

“Good.  I’m glad you’re all ears.  Now listen up.”