Midnight Whispers
QAF Brian and Justin Fanfiction
Author's Chapter Notes:

chapter added Wed., 8/15/12

 

Chapter 69:  Just Let Him Be!

 

                  “Okay, Ted, that wraps that up… and if you see Ben lurking out there anywhere, tell him I’ll see him now.”

 

“Sure, Bri,” Ted said as he gathered up his stuff, scurried over to the door and got it opened to walk out.  “Oh, and there he is… man of the hour,” Ted gregariously announced Ben to his boss.

 

“Come in, Ben.  Have a seat,” Brian invited him inside.

 

“Thanks, Brian.  See you around, Ted.” 

 

“You too.  Take care, Ben.”

 

Ben rushed inside and sat down in front of Brian’s desk, while Ted exited and closed the door behind him.

 

“So, what’s up, Ben?”  Brian then asked his V.P. of publishing business.

 

Ben sighed heavily before he answered.

 

“Uh-oh, I don’t like the sound of that,” Brian taunted.  “Whatever it is… give to me straight though.”

 

“Oh, sure… that’s a relief to me actually.  I want to put in a transfer.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Where to?”

 

“The Kinnetic offices in California.”

 

“San Francisco, Ben?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Huh-huh, you have family out there… correct?”

 

“Born and raised from there, Brian.”

 

“I’d hate to see you leave this office. But if San Francisco is where you’d rather be… and I still get to maintain a much value employee, then no reason for me to deny you.  Ben, you got your transfer.  However, I hope you aren’t packing your bags and running off right this instant.  Is this a sudden decision?  Or a well-thought out one that you pondered on a bit?  And, mind if I ask the reason why you want to make the move?” 

 

Ben looked emotionally stressed all a sudden, which is rare occurrence in him.   “Umm, I hope to move back there in three months… and the reason being health related, Brian.”

 

“What?  Health related?”  Brian shockingly smiled.  “I thought you were the epitome of tip top fitness… healthiest man alive, actually.  Developing allergies or something, Ben?  Need to go somewhere where the air’s a lot fresher, traffic’s a lot less congested and the work norm is a lot more laid back?”

 

“Brian.  I’ve just been diagnosed as HIV positive.”

 

“My God, Ben.”  Brian felt instantaneously broken-hearted for his devoted employee as well as he regards Ben as a friend now.  “How well are you holding up?  And, whatever you need… I’m there for you.”

 

“I know that already, Brian.  That’s why I had no qualms about telling you this.”

 

“Good,” Brian nodded his head.  “Ben, I’ll accommodate you in any way you need.  You can take as many trips to San Francisco as you like – just put it on your expense account.  The company will pick up the tab.  Go back and forth as often as you need to, until you are ready to make that final move.  As well, you can have any position out there that you want.  And, how well are you holding up so far?  That couldn’t be an easy diagnosis to ingest.”

 

“It initially hit me rock hard… especially considering I’ve been celibate for the last two years.  My physician told me I’ve been carrying it around with me for about that long.   But what else can I choose to do… but make the best of it.  And, besides HIV isn’t necessarily the death sentence that it used to be.”

 

“It’s certainly not.”  Brian was glad that Ben was taking that positive attitude about it.  If it had happened to him, he couldn’t say for certain that he would be so calm.

 

Brian and Ben then conversed so more, and conducted some business as well.  Ben eventually got up to leave for a meeting he had scheduled out in the field.  Several hours later, Brian got up from his desk, put on his suit jacket and decided to break for lunch.

 

*

 

                  “Cynthia, I’m headed out to lunch now,” Brian said to her as he passed her on the way to the elevators. 

 

“Enjoy, Brian.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

The elevator came, Brian got on it, and it took him quickly down to the lobby.

 

“Fuck!”  Brian bitched the moment the elevator opened, and whose goofy smiling face did he see?  “Not now, Mike.  Not ever, in fact.  Forever leave me alone!”  Brian scurried passed him and tried to fast step it out of there.

 

“Briannn,” Michael whined as he scurried behind him.

 

“Go, Michael.  I mean it.  Go away!  Give me a break; and stay out of my fucking life.”

 

“But, Briannn.”

 

“Brian?  Are you all right?”  Someone entering the building through the revolving door rushed up inside the lobby and intervened.

 

“This is none of your damn business, Mr. V.P.-man!”  Michael scolded Ben Bruckner. 

 

“Michael!”  Ben jumped between Brian and Michael and demand beyond adamant, “Back off of my boss.  Brian, you go ahead.  I can handle this.”

 

“What?  Who THE HELL you think you are now?  Kevin Costner or someone… you’re not Brian’s bodyguard; and he doesn’t need one anyway.”

 

“Boss, go ahead.  I got this,” Ben echoed once more.

 

“Thanks, Ben,” Brian said as he angrily eyeballed Michael for an instance, and then looked away from him and strutted out of there without looking back even once.

 

Michael looked so broken hearted then as he attempted to aggressively get around Ben so he could follow behind Brian, but Ben arrestingly immobilized him.

 

“Michael!” Ben pressed his entire body up against his, and placed a strong grip to both Michael’s biceps rendering him defenseless.  “Let him be, Michael.  You’re making a spectacle of yourself – everyone’s watching.”

 

“Let go of me!”  Michael protested as he struggled to get free of Ben’s crippling grip but the handsome brawny man was much too strong for him.

 

“I’ll let you go only when Brian’s completely out of our view, Michael.”  Ben held Michael captive and overpowered until Brian was out of sight.

 

“Fuck!  What did you do that for?  You caused him to get away from me!”

 

“Hey! Michael, face it… theoretically speaking, you let Brian get away from you a long time ago… probably pushed him away actually.”

 

“Why does everybody else always acting like they know so much about it than me?”

 

“Maybe people do know more about it than you, Michael, because you put on such pathetic public displays as this.  Don’t you have any dignity and pride when it comes to Brian?  It’s really sad how you hound and follow him around all the time.  And, I heard you been doing that for almost twenty odd years.  That’s really sad, Michael.  You have a serious obsession.  Ever thought about seeking professional counseling to resolve your problem?  And, maybe I can help.”

 

“I don’t need your help,” Michael finally jerked out of Ben’s clutch, shove him away from him, and he rushed out of there.

 

Ben quickly exited onto the sidewalk and called out to him.  “Michael!”

 

“What damn it!”

 

“Brian really meant it when he said to FOREVER leave him alone.  Why don’t you just accept that it’s over between you and him?”

 

“Mind you damn business, Mr. V.P.”  Michael scoffed him and then he hurried off down the street.

 

Ben sighed heavily, stood there on the sidewalk shaking his head as he watched behind Michael in a flux of disarray. 

 

“Ehhhh,” he heavily sighed; and then he went back inside the Kinnetic Building.

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