“Do you have any experience with customer service?”

“I spent the last ten years working as an advertising executive.  One of my primary duties was to make sure my client got the best service possible.”

“How about any experience in the food industry?”

“I eat out a lot.”

That earned Brian a smile.  “Heh, if only it was that simple.”  The manager leaned back in the booth and looked at Brian evenly.  “There’s a lot more to being a waiter than carrying food.”

Brian felt this take a turn for the worse and knew he had to begin closing the deal or else he’d lose out.  He never thought that one of the most important pitches of his life would be for himself.  “Look, you need a waiter, I’m available for work.  I can work whatever shifts you want.”

“That’s not the only issue.  How can I be sure you can handle the rush?  You’ll have to be doing multiple tasks at the same time.  I never hire anyone without any serving experience.”  The manager asked with a raised eyebrow.

Brian paused for a moment before leaning back comfortably to exert confidence.  “…Justin vouched for me.”

“You mean your boyfriend?”  The manager clarified, subtly pointing out that obviously Justin would vouch for him.

“Partner.”  Brian corrected firmly.  After realizing how much that word meant to Justin, he thought everyone deserved to know.

“Even still.”

“You trust him, don’t you?”  Brian asked as he laced his fingers together and placed them before him.  “He’s one of your top performing waiters.  Has a lot of regulars, his add-ons are the best in the restaurant.”  Brian pointed out and then smirked a little bit.  “Who do you think taught him to sell like that?  I was an ad-man, Roger.  I can bring in plenty of sales for you.”  Brian promised and watched Roger shift.

He’d spent years reading people, and he knew that shift was a good sign.  “Well, I do have openings that need filling.  But you have to perform, Kinney.  There’s no room for leeway here.  Normally any server I hire would have years of experience; I won’t give you special treatment while you catch up.”  He spoke firmly, but Brian didn’t care about the threat.  He was in.

“Thank you.”  He said with a smile as he stood and shook the man’s hand.  “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

Brian was given an employee handbook, as well as the menu to memorize.  As he drove home to tell Justin the good news he felt as if he should be happy, but he had mixed feelings.  He knew getting the job was going to be important for their finances, but he was definitely taking a step back.  ‘Think about Justin.’  He reminded himself and immediately an image of Justin’s thin, haggard body came to mind.  ‘You can’t let him work himself to death for you.’

Brian gripped the steering wheel and looked down at the menu, sitting atop the pile of papers.  He’d just have to swallow his pride in order to make sure they stay in one piece.  He pulled the pile of papers from the car after coming to a stop and then took a deep breath.  Walking inside the apartment he was surprised to find Justin was awake – he usually napped between shifts as he never got enough sleep at night.

The blond was at the couch, sketching.  The image immediately reminded Brian of the countless nights he’d walk into the loft and find Justin in the same exact position.  Head cocked to the side, tongue poking out of the corner of his lips, brow furrowed in concentration, hand gliding gracefully over the blank page – poised to make a masterpiece.

His heart gave a deep pang at the nostalgic image and he swiftly shook it from his mind.  At least Justin was still drawing.  Brian walked up and ran his hands over Justin’s shoulders as a greeting, making the blond jump.  Brian smirked, always amused when he got so into his work that he couldn’t keep track of what was happening around him.  It was one of the reasons Brian was determined to make sure Justin pursued his art.

“Shit, you scared me.”  Justin said, but then tilted his head back to look up at Brian.  Brian bent and captured his lips in a swift kiss.

“You were off in your own world, Picasso.”  He answered as he stood back up. He flashed the pile of documents and Justin immediately set his things aside.

“You got the job?”  He asked and Brian nodded, moving around the couch to come and plop next to his young lover.

“You’re manager couldn’t resist my sales pitch.”  Brian informed and looked down in his lap.  “I’ll be working the same shifts as you.  He did it so we could come in together, share a ride.”

“That was nice of him.”  Justin commented as he flipped his sketchbook shut and twisted so he was facing Brian.  “I already told Deb I’d be cutting back on hours at the diner.”

“I bet she was fucking ecstatic.”  Brian said honestly.  Debbie had been one of the most concerned about Justin’s health.  She’d been hounding him for weeks to do something about it.

Justin chuckled and nodded.  “I think I might still have lipstick on me.”  He said and brushed his cheek for effect.  Brian made a show of inspect him, giving him a fat kiss of his own on his cheek when he saw nothing.  Justin just laughed and Brian felt himself smile in response.

When they died down naturally Brian’s smile faded and he gave Justin a serious look.  “Hey.”  He said and the blond sensed the change in tone and matched his demeanor.  “This waiting tables thing…it isn’t easy for me.”  Brian said, looking away from Justin’s too intense eyes.  “It is a big step back and I…It’s just hard, ok?”  Brian ran a hand through his hair as divulging more started to get harder and harder.

“It’s different for you because you’re young.  You’re still in school – well, kinda.  But me…I’ve had a career and have had to resort to this.”  Brian let his hands flop uselessly onto his lap.  “What my point is, is that, I don’t want anyone to know about this.  I don’t know what you told Debbie – and if you did that’s fine – I just…want as few of our friends as possible knowing.  Especially Emmett.  If he finds out, all of Liberty Ave. will know and my reputation will be shot to hell.”  Brian finished with a pathetic chuckle.

Justin remained silent for a moment, but then scooted over on the couch so he and Brian were touching.  Brian was still looking down, but Justin placed his hand on the rough cheek and moved it gently so they were looking into each other’s eyes.  He said nothing; he simply placed a kiss on Brian’s lips as a promise.  Relieved, Brian smiled and squeezed Justin’s knee.

They remained there for a moment, looking at each other, before Brian pressed back on Justin’s shoulder and laid him out on the couch with a feral grin.  Justin squirmed playfully beneath him, and Brian made quick work of his clothes.

The Next Night.

Justin took in a deep breath as he skillfully tied his apron around his waist and then turned and looked as Brian struggled with his arms behind his back.  He smiled a little and adjusted his sleek, black clothes before stepping behind the man.  “Here, let me.”  Justin said, tying the strings securely on Brian’s hips.  He patted Brian’s ass once when he was finished   “There.”  He said and turned the man around.  “Ready?”  He asked, leaning up and capturing Brian’s lips.  They were secluded, having changed in the locker room in the back of the restaurant.

“I guess.”  Brian sounded less than enthused, but Justin was determined to make this as painless for his lover as possible. 

“Don’t worry.  It’s a slow night.  You’ll just be following me and I’ll be showing you where everything is, stuff like that.”  Justin promised as he patted Brian’s shoulder.  He pulled out a spare server pad he had grabbed before they came back there.  “In case you want to take notes.  And I want you to copy the orders that I take, to give you practice.”  Justin explained and ignored the scowl on Brian’s face.  He knew this was going to be hard for his older lover.  Brian was a leader, not a follower.  He didn’t like taking orders, especially from his much, much, younger lover.

Brian grabbed it swiftly and stuck it into a pocket of the apron.  He then dramatically waved his hand, motioning for Justin to lead the way.  Justin bit the inside of his lip, hoping they could both survive the night in one piece.

He walked outside to the kitchen line and pointed to the three different windows.  Food was being put on them and the other servers were scooping up the plates and carrying them out.  “The cooks will put food up here.  This one is for appetizers.  The next one is for salads and cold sandwiches. The last one is for grilled meat and sides.”  Justin explained swiftly and then turned.  “Get your drinks here.  The bar has two sides.  Customers are out there, but the bartenders will put our drinks in this window here.”  Justin explained before moving on.

He knew Brian was smart and didn’t need to be explained every little thing, but he figured he’d rather be safe than sorry.  “And this…”  He paused in front of the computer.  “Is the POS.”  Justin explained and then typed in his code to bring up the screen.

Brian chuckled a bit and folded his arms.  “It does look like a piece of shit.”  He commented.

Justin laughed a bit but shook his head.  “No, no.  Point of Sale.  We ring in all the orders here and the computer will automatically send them to the right window.  No spin wheel like at the diner.  It’s much more effective.”  He explained and then motioned for them to move on.  “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to use it later.”  Justin promised and ignored Brian’s sarcastic smile.

“Oh goodie.”  The brunet muttered.

Justin paused for a moment and then looked back at the line.  “Why don’t we just start with balancing plates?  I don’t have tables to greet yet, and probably won’t for a while.”  Justin grabbed some empty plates and balanced four of them up one arm and held one more in the other.  Brian’s eyebrows rose up, legitimately impressed, before reaching out and grabbing a few plates.  He managed to get two on his arm, but before he could put a third one arm, his arm quivered and they started to topple.

Justin swiftly put his plates back on the rack and reached out to grab them.  “Not bad.”  Justin said placating.  He adjusted Brian’s hold a little before holding out another plate.  “Try that.”  He said and Brian grabbed the third plate to balance on his arm.

They toppled immediately and Justin cringed as one of them shattered.  “Ummm…Why don’t you just carry two for now.”  He suggested as he put the two intact plates in the bus tub beneath the line.  He then swiftly grabbed a broom and cleaned up Brian’s mess – which he did often enough anyways that he didn’t care.

“Whatever.”  Brian murmured and wiped his hands clean and then put them on his hips.  Justin rolled his lips into his mouth, trying to withhold his frustration.   He swiftly ran a hand through his hair and then forced a smile.  He grabbed Brian’s arm and began tugging him along.

“Come on.”

By the end of the shift Justin thought he might literally strangle Brian.  The man had been purposefully argumentative and unhelpful.  He hadn’t lifted a finger all night and made no effort to take any of Justin’s advice seriously.  Instead, he made jokes about the names of things, and seemed to purposefully refuse to help Justin with his customers.  He didn’t copy a single order all night long and when Justin called him out on it Brian’s only answer was that when it was real he’d do it.

Not only was he belligerent, but he wasn’t all that good at the things he did do.  For example, when Justin asked him to help with their sidework for the night, Brian left spots unwiped, dispensers un-sanitized, and the entire station disorganized.  It was a nightmare.

The only thing Brian managed to do well was sell alcohol.  He upped Justin’s sales by four percent which, in turn, upped his tips.  For that, the blond was thankful, but he couldn’t overlook everything else.

When they walked back into their apartment for the night Justin slammed the door behind him and scowled at Brian.  “What the hell was all that?!”  He demanded as he threw his apron and book on the couch.  “You went out of your way to make tonight miserable.”  He accused as he pointed a finger at Brian who just stood there crossing his arms over his chest nonchalantly.

When Brian said nothing Justin scoffed and rolled his eyes.  “I can’t believe you.  I know this is hard for you Brian.  I heard the speech, I get it.  But you’re making it even harder by refusing to go along with it.  This is just temporary.  Live with it.  You think I like fucking waiting tables for the past three years?  No!  I hate it.  But if I let them know that no one’s going to leave me a dime.  So unless you want us to be out on the street then suck it up.”

With that, Justin stalked back to their room and slammed that door shut as well.  He locked it behind him and collapsed on the bed.  He didn’t care what Brian did, but he sure as hell couldn’t see the man again that night without hurting him in some way.

After all the fuss Brian made about wanting to help out to make it easier on him, he had a shitty way of showing it.

Outside, Brian let his arms fall to his side as he eyed the door to the bedroom.  He heard the click of the lock and scowled a little bit.  ‘So this is what it means to be in the dog house.’  He thought to himself bitterly.  He never thought he’d have anything in common with a straight man, but he knew he’d be sleeping on the couch tonight.

He unbuttoned his shirt and slid out of the pants so he was just in his boxers and a white tank top.  He took Justin’s apron off the couch and set it on the side table before laying back on it with a sigh.  He shifted several times and shivered.  He reached over the back of the couch to the throw blanket laying there and spread it over him as best as he could, but it wasn’t great.

Bitter, angry, and now uncomfortable, Brian wondered if his life could get any worse.

The next morning Brian was laying on the couch staring up at the ceiling after a shitty night of sleep when he heard the bedroom door creak open.  “Brian?”  Justin’s voice spoke tentatively.

“What?”  He answered, trying to sound angry, but it only came out tired.

That seemed to work even better though because he heard a sad sigh come from down the hallway leading to the bedroom and then Justin’s footsteps quietly padding out.  He looked back to see Justin hovering over him and was surprised to find it didn’t look like Justin slept much better than he did.  “I’m sorry.”  Justin murmured and wrung his hands nervously in front of him.  “I shouldn’t have reacted so badly last night.  I should’ve…been more patient.”  Justin was fervently looking down at the floor and avoiding Brian altogether.

The brunet sat up on the couch and looked up at him, surprised Justin was apologizing.  After thinking about it most of the night, he felt he’d acted poorly.  He’d treated Justin badly all night at work and had at some points gone out of his way to make it more difficult than it had to be.  All because he was upset about having to wait tables – which wasn’t Justin’s fault.

However, Brian Kinney never apologizes.  At least, not outright.

He scooted over on the couch a little bit and patted the spot next to him.  Justin sat softly and leaned against Brian’s shoulder.  Brian moved the blanket so it was covering the both of them and then managed to lay them down so they were both comfortable.  Distantly, he knew they could just go lay on the bed, but it wasn’t so bad squeezed together on the couch.  It felt a lot better having to share it with Justin than it did having it to himself all night long.

That night, when they went in for Brian’s second day of training, Justin discovered a new problem.  Brian just wasn’t good at it.  Even though he was no long purposefully trying to screw things up, he still wasn’t doing things right.  He couldn’t write the orders down fast enough, regardless of the fact the Justin has told him not to write every word and simply make a note system so he could understand it.

“See?”  Justin said pointing to his own pad.  “Instead of water, I just put ‘W’.  And instead of a medium rare steak, I put ‘MR ST’.  It’s much faster that way.”

“I get it, Justin.  But at the computer I’m sitting there trying to fucking break your encryption code and you said it took to long.”  Was how Brian defended himself.

“That’s why you write your own.”  Justin insisted but knew it was a dead end, so decided they should move on.

Justin also realized that while Brian had an excellent grasp of selling alcohol, he didn’t do so well carrying them.  “If it’s just three or four drinks you can just do it with your hands.”  Justin said and showed Brian how to balance the glasses a variety of ways using wine glasses, tumblers, and margarita glasses.  “But, say you have a ten top and they all order drinks.  You can’t just go back and forth.  So we have a drink tray.”  Justin pulled out a circular tray that he loaded up with drinks and balanced on the palm of his hand.  “You try.”

Brian had seen plenty of people carry trays like this.  Justin and Debbie both did it at the diner with big orders.  They both made it look so easy.  Once Justin replaced the glasses with empty ones so Brian didn’t spill any drinks, he tried loading up the tray.  However, no matter how many times he rearranged the glasses, they never seemed to balance and the tray tipped precariously.

All Justin could do was sigh with resignation.

“Ok!”  Justin took him over to POS with a stack of fake orders.  “This will get you practiced at putting in orders.  It will familiarize you with the system and make you quicker.  Put in all these orders, print out the ticket, and I’ll check back with you soon.”  Justin then walked off to take care of his tables while Brian slowly worked away inputting orders.

When Justin returned he checked Brian’s work and sighed.  Every order had mistakes in it.  He ran a hand through his hair and wondered how someone as brilliant as Brian could be so bad at such a simple job.

When they finished the second night, Justin was even more discouraged than the first.  Only, he couldn’t be angry because he knew Brian had genuinely tried to get things right this time.  After they had sex and Brian fell asleep, Justin stayed awake wondering how he was going to get Brian good enough for the manager’s test.  No server is allowed to work the floor until they’re cleared by him.  But Justin had been filling out false reports, saying Brian was doing an excellent job, hoping that by the time the test happened he would be.  Only, it didn’t seem like it was possible.

He turned over and looked at Brian.  He bit his bottom lip as he had an idea, but knew it meant breaking a promise.

The two had the next night off, but Justin intended to work Brian all night long to get him ready.  In the morning, he rearranged their living room and set up their table to look like the restaurant.  He had already called in the reinforcements so Michael and Daphne were on the way.  To finish getting ready, he took out food to prepare for their guests.

When he finished setting everything up, Brian walked out of the bedroom.  “Justin?  You don’t have to work at the diner this morning, do you?”  He asked slowly, clearly trying to remember Justin’s schedule.  Then, he cleared the hallway and looked at everything Justin had done and stopped suddenly.  “What the fuck?”   He asked, confused.  He turned and eyed Justin suspiciously.

The blond was quick to act and wrapped Brian’s apron around his waist.  “You need practice.  Here, eat this.”  He said, holding out a piece of dry toast for him.

“-The fuck?”  Brian repeated, this time his mouth slightly full of bread.

“Seriously.  You need to practice.  You only have one more day of training and Roger will have a test for you.  If you fail, you won’t work and this was all for nothing.”  Justin revealed and Brian frowned accusingly.

“What the hell, Justin?  You couldn’t have told me this sooner?”  He asked, going to unwrap the apron.  Justin grabbed his hands to stop him.

“I didn’t want you to freak out.  I didn’t think it would be an issue because you’re usually so good at things but for some reason you just…kind of…suck.”  Justin tried to soften the truth with a slight cringe.  “And not in the positive life affirming way.”  He added as he softly patted Brian’s shoulder.  “That’s why, I invited over some help.”  He admitted and Brian instantly frowned at him.

“You what?”  He asked in a low and icy tone.

“I’m going to be coaching you while you serve Daphne and Michael.”  Justin revealed and tried to smile away Brian’s glare.  He hated when Brian looked at him that way.  His jaw was stuck out, his shoulders tense, his eyes hard, and his lips in a thin line.  It made him feel small and insignificant.  It reminded him too much of when Brian kicked him out after accidentally forgetting to set the alarm.

“I thought we talked about this…”  Brian spoke lowly as he hovered intimidatingly over Justin.

“I made an executive decision.”  Justin answered in a soft voice.  “They won’t tell anyone.”  He promised even as there was a knock on the door.  The two turned and Brian shook his head.

“I can’t believe this, Justin.  I asked you for one thing.  Just one.  And you can’t even do that.”  He muttered in frustration as he tore off his apron.

“Brian.”  Justin drew himself up and looked at him firmly.  “They promised not to tell anyone you have to wait tables.  You need this practice.”  He repeated and they had a stare off for a few moments until Brian slumped and sighed.

“Fine.”  He snapped and let Justin walk by him to the door.  Daphne and Michael walked in and they shared a few quick greetings before they both sat at the table and grinned at each other.

Justin walked back to the kitchen and looked up at Brian expectantly.  “Please, Brian.”  He murmured softly and held out a server pad for him.  The brunet offered him one final glare before snatching the pad out of his hands and walking over to the table.

For a moment, Justin thought he wasn’t going to take this seriously.  However, as he walked over to their small kitchen table and approached their best friends, Brian smiled cheerfully and put on what Justin called a ‘server façade’.  He nodded in approval and stood off to the side to let Brian take charge.

Three broken plates, a broken glass and five reorders later, Justin was genuinely pleased with Brian’s progress.  He could now balance plates and glasses in his hand, write down orders swiftly and accurately.  He was conversing with Michael and Daphne as if they were strangers so Justin knew he wouldn’t have trouble with the customers.

After Daphne and Michael left, Justin walked up to Brian and wrapped his arms around his neck.  He kissed Brian’s cheek and then licked his lips a bit.  “I now pronounce you graduated from Justin’s School of Table Waiting.”  He murmured and Brian chuckled a little bit and kissed him back.

“You think I’m ready for the test?”  He asked and Justin nodded against him as began sucking his neck.

“Let’s celebrate.”

Brian laughed, hooked his arms beneath Justin’s waist and picked the blond up and carried him to the bed.  He laid him down gently and slowly took off Justin’s dirty clothes as he’d been acting as a cook all day long.  He tossed them over to the closet before running his tongue down Justin’s chest.  Justin arched up beneath him and his eyes glassed over in a lustful haze, driving Brian on.

The next night, after Justin and Brian finished their regular shift, Roger pulled Brian aside to have him wait on him.  He tested Brian on their wine selection, the ingredients and methods of preparing their food, and serving etiquette.  Brian passed brilliantly.

From then on things began to turn around for the two lovers.  Justin, no longer having to work three shifts a day, put back on some weight so he looked like his formal self.  They had some cash to spare now, as opposed to pinching pennies like they were before.  It allowed them more time to relax out with their friends.

Brian also found being a waiter wasn’t so bad.  He found it interesting being able to fuck the customers.  All the times before he’d always been the customer, but he found he enjoyed being the waiter.  He still had just as much variety and could be just as picky.  Also, it always gave him a better tip.

Not only did he get to enjoy his fucks with customers, but he and Justin would take ten minute fuck breaks in the changing room which always put him in a better mood.  By the smile on Justin’s face whenever he was spirited away to the back closet, Brian assumed it put him in a better mood as well.

So, overall, they were far better off than they were before.  Sure, Brian had to give up on his dream of owning his own company, but it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be.  He felt important again, he felt needed.

Then, one night, after saving up a good amount of money, the two decided they had earned a break and wanted to go out to Babylon.  Brian’s good mood continued as he felt pleasure from paying the door fee.  He walked Justin into the club with his hand on the small of his back.  They were both smiling and laughing as they walked directly over to the bar.  Brian ordered for them both and handed Justin his glass.  As they leaned back against the bar and chatted they were joined by their friends wo had noticed their arrival.

“Good to see you two out and about again.  Come to reclaim your old stomping grounds?”  Ted asked Brian as he took a sip out of his margarita.

“Nothing to reclaim.  It’s always been mine.”  Brian said proudly even as he was eyed by two men walking by.  All he did was wave his hand as if proving his point.

“We’ve been making a lot of tips lately.  Thought we’d come out to celebrate.”  Justin explained as he lifted his glass.

Brian suddenly stood up straight and looked over into the dance floor.  He set his drink on the bar and glanced to Justin.  “Watch that for me.”  He said before moving in for the trick.

Justin just rolled his eyes affectionately and continued sipping at his drink.  He leaned back comfortably and looked back to the others who were with him.

“Oh good he left.  We have a problem.”  Emmett said, closing the distance between him and Justin and placing his hands on his shoulders dramatically.

Justin’s eyes widened as he looked at his friend.  “What?”  He asked, slightly panicked.

“There’s been a slight…buzz…around Babylon.”  Emmett explained, turning to look back to the others for help.  Justin let his gaze drift over all of them, as if asking if Emmett was making sense to them.

“About what?”  Justin asked carefully as he stepped back a little ways.

“Him…and you.”  Michael said nervously and glanced back to Emmett.

“You see, people have noticed that he spent a lot of time away and then one person spotted him at Peppino’s and…Well word got around that the Great God Kinney might have fallen a little bit.  And you know how much Brian thinks about his reputation.”  Emmett murmured lowly, having to lean into Justin’s ear so he would hear over the music.

Justin frowned a little bit and looked out to the dance floor where Brian was dancing with his next trick.  Everything looked normal.  The trick seemed happy enough to let Brian lead him to the backroom.  Justin waited until they were gone from sight before turning back to the others and shrugging.  “Seems normal to me.”  He pointed out, but Ben shook his head.

“No, really.  Just wait.”

As Brian walked to the backroom Justin didn’t focus so much on his trick of choice as he did the other men in the club watching them go.  He watched a few bend in to whisper conspiratorially to their companions.  Now, this wouldn’t be the first time people whispered about Brian Kinney, but he could tell that something was really different.  The looks that passed between people, the subtle pointing.

Worried, he looked to the backroom.

“You’re so hot.”  The trick murmured in Brian’s ear as he kissed down his neck.

“I’ve been told.”  Brian murmured with a smirk on his lips.  He leaned back against the cum covered wall and ran his hands down the slim form of the trick in front of him.  He hooked his fingers into the man’s jeans and tugged him forward so their bodies were flush against each other.  He felt the hard cock of the trick press up against his own and they rutted against each other for a moment.

Brian then grabbed his shoulder and spun him around and pressed him up against the wall.  He then reached around and undid the man’s pants, pressing into him as he did so.  It earned him a moan from the man and he smirked a bit wider.  He pushed his pants down just enough to get access to his ass before reaching into his own back pocket to pull out a miniature tube of lube and a condom.

He pushed down his own pants and sheathed his dick in the condom.  He spread the lube over the trick’s hole just enough before sliding himself in.  Immediately he moaned in pleasure.  As much as he enjoyed plowing Justin’s ass, there was something great about getting something new.  He closed his eyes and he pushed all the way in until he was flush against the tricks back.

He grabbed the hips of the man in front of him and began thrusting quickly. He found the man’s sweet spot almost instantly and pounded into it again and again.  The trick was moaning and panting, thrusting his hips back against Brian again and again.

It was fast, efficient, and pleasurable.  Everything Brian wanted from anonymous sex.  When they both came Brian let himself ride the euphoric wave before pulling out.  He grunted a bit, already missing the tightness of the trick before tying off the condom.

“Wow…”  The man said, pulling up his pants and turning around to face Brian.  “After everything I’d heard I wasn’t expecting that.”

As Brian was zipping up his pants he paused and eyed the man.  “What do you mean?”  He asked as his brow furrowed.

“Well…”  The trick hesitated a little.  “You know what people say.  That you’re not hot shit anymore since you got the boot from your job.  You have no money, lost your fancy loft.”  The trick shrugged and Brian just looked at him evenly.

He didn’t know that people had been talking about him behind his back.  Of course, he should have expected it.  People had always talked about him while he was on top – people loved watching people fall from grace.

Oddly enough, he didn’t care.  He knew he should – but he didn’t.  He looked at the trick for a moment and then shrugged.  “None of that has to do with fucking.”  Was all he said before turning around and walking out of the backroom.  He found the guys still leaning up against the bar and knew they had been talking about him when he walked up.

He reclaimed his drink and took a long gulp from it before sidling up next to Justin.  Justin looked up at him as if expecting some kind of reaction, no doubt having heard the same things he had already.  To reassure Justin before his little mind ran into over-drive, he wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gazed over the dance floor.  “Pick one out.”

Several Weeks Later – Beginning of September.

The string of good luck the two lovers were having continued on for a good month before it all came to a screeching halt.  Not only were they pulling in enough tips to cover expenses as well as put some away in savings, but they could also spare a few nights out a week which worked wonders for both of their moods.

Brian found that, even though he despised being a waiter, he could do it well.  His time spent as an ad-man made him comfortable with customers and able to read them easily.  He started making more money than Justin did.  And though such a thing would have made him bitter if he had been in Justin’s shoes, the blond didn’t even seem to bat an eye.  Brian had promised himself he’d behave more like Justin in the future.

However, he was always waiting for something to happen to ruin what they had spent the last month building.  Some family emergency, Justin’s brain injury acting up as it had in the past – anything to offset the positive events in their life.  He didn’t expect it to happen at work.

Brian was adjusting his sleek, black, dress shirt and apron as he walked out of the kitchen and towards his section.  He could see he was getting sat with a new table and froze immediately when he saw who it was. “Shit…”

Sitting down with what was sure to be a client, Gardner Vance sat in his corner booth.

Brian’s heart began pounding and his mind began racing.  What was he supposed to do?  How could he serve his former boss – the man responsible for where he was now?  Why was this happening when everything was going so right?  He rolled his lips into his mouth and looked down at the ground, refusing to go a step further out onto the floor.  He couldn’t do this.  It was too low – too humiliating.  Suddenly Justin walked by him, preparing to go to his own tables, and Brian swiftly reached out and grabbed his arm, dragging him back to the changing room.  Justin protested indignantly.

“Not now Brian.  We’re slammed!”  He said, already moving to get past Brian but the brunet grabbed his shoulders and held him in place.

“Gardner is out there.”  He informed seriously and Justin stilled.

“No shit.”

“In my section.”

Justin’s mouth dropped a little bit and then looked up at Brian sympathetically.  “I’m sorry.”  He said sincerely.

“You have to take that table for me.”  Brian ordered, holding Justin’s shoulders tightly.

“Fuck no!  He knows who I am too.  And he thinks I’m just the intern sleeping my way to the top.”  Justin’s brow furrowed and he put his hands on his hips.

“I’m not serving him.”  Brian looked firmly down into Justin’s eyes, but found no leeway in the blue depths.

“Well then I don’t know what to tell you, Brian.  Because I’m not either.”  Justin then pushed past him and returned to his tables, leaving Brian alone.

The brunet sighed a little and rubbed his hand over his face in exasperation.  He remained in there for a few minutes more before realizing he didn’t have a choice.  He’d have to swallow whatever was left of his pride and serve the man who ruined his life.

Walking up to the table Brian could tell that Gardner noticed him right away.  The man’s eyebrows rose up high on his bald head and a triumphant smirk played across his pale lips.  It made Brian feel sick.  He pulled out his pad, approached the table with his head held high, and put on a smile.  He tried to pretend that he didn’t know him – however, Gardner made that difficult as he greeted Brian as soon as he got there.

“Brian Kinney.  Waiting tables now?”  Gardner cut right to the quick.

Brian just flashed him a smile and a nod.  “It pays the bills.”  He murmured tightly, trying to maintain his façade as best as he could.

“I thought your company was going to be a roaring success.  Stealing clients from me left and right.  How many people do you represent?”  Gardner asked, making his guest glance between the two of them awkwardly.  Gardner didn’t seem to care as he was getting too much pleasure from tormenting Brian.

“I’m taking a break.  Focusing on other things.”  Brian murmured before heaving a sigh.  “Now, what would you like to drink?”  He asked, forgoing the typical opening he gave explaining the house specials.

Gardner didn’t seem to care and continued on.  “If you were such an important part of the company, someone you told me I couldn’t function without, why is it you’re here?”  Gardner asked, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side.

Brian just remained silently, counting up to ten in his head, trying not to lose his calm demeanor.

“But you’re right.  We’re here to eat.  Why don’t you fetch us a bottle of the Revana Cabernet.”  Gardener waved him off and Brian spun to leave as quickly as possible, not wanting to spend a moment longer than necessary in front of him.

He went back to the POS and rang in the bottle of wine, already gripping the corkscrew and imagining what it would be like to plunge it into Gardner’s bald skull.  As he leaned against the bar waiting to pick up the bottle and glasses, Justin brushed by him.

“How is it going?”  He asked, placing a hand on Brian’s arm.

“How the fuck do you think its going?  This is fucking humiliating.”  Brian muttered and snatched away the bottle and glasses, wanting to get away from Justin as well.  It was all just too much.  He walked back to the table and set the glasses down before preparing to open the wine.

As he was doing so, he noticed Gardner look at something intently across the room.  He turned and frowned when he saw it was Justin.  “Isn’t that the intern you slept with?”  Gardner asked, making his guests eyes widen dramatically.

“He’s my partner.”  Brian said as he jerked off the cork of the bottle and poured a small taster for Gardner to try before pouring the glass.  With a nod of approval he began pouring more.

“Partner?  Here I just thought he was a slut sleeping his way to the top.”  Gardner chuckled a little and didn’t notice Brian stiffen and stop moving.

The brunet looked at the man angrily.  “Take that back.”  He demanded and Gardner raised an eyebrow at him.

“Oh?  I hardly think you’re in any position to make demands, Brian.  After all, how do you know that isn’t what he was doing but after you both got fired he felt obligated to stick around.  Partners, you said?  Please.”  Gardner rolled his eyes as he took a sip of the wine.  “I’m sure he’d do just about anything to get ahead.  You gays are known for being promiscuous.”

Brian didn’t really think about what he was doing.  But the next thing he knew was the bottle was upended over Gardner’s head and the wine was pouring all over him.  As the man stood, spluttering and wiping furiously at the dark red cascading down his suit, all Brian could do was laugh.

He was laughing when he was fired, and he was laughing he drove home.

Later that night Brian heard Justin’s keys in the door to their apartment and was surprised.  ‘He must have gotten a ride from someone.’  He reasoned.

When Justin walked in he immediately gave Brian a hard look, demanding an explanation.  “What the fuck was that all about?  I thought you were handling it.”

Brian just shrugged.  He didn’t regret what he did – and would do it again in a heartbeat – so he felt no need to explain himself.  He was reclining on the couch with his feet kicked up against the coffee table.  He laced his fingers together and rested them on the back of his head.

“I just don’t get it, Brian.  We were doing fine – things were starting to actually look up for a change – and you had to go pull a stunt like that.  Roger is pissed.  He’s never going to take you back and he’s thinking about firing me too.  Did you think about that?!”  Justin threw down his things on the counter and ran a hand through his hair.

“If he tries to fire you we can sue him for wrongful termination.”  Brian pointed out, trying to ease the tension, but it didn’t help as Justin simply flashed him a look of distain.

“Why, Brian?  Why?”  Justin implored, looking at him for a long moment.  Brian still didn’t answer, so the blond gave up and walked to the bedroom to change.

Brian remained sitting on the couch and looking up at the ceiling.  He wondered if he was going to have to sleep on the couch again, but when Justin called to him asking him if he was coming to bed he realized Justin wasn’t as mad as he thought.  Confused and hurt, probably, but Brian could always handle that.

He made sure their sex that night was nice and slow, the way Justin liked it best.

The next morning, after Justin went to the diner to ask for more shifts, Brian started asking around at other agencies who had offered him jobs right after he was fired.  Sure, the salary was lower, but at least he’d be making money and Justin wouldn’t have to worry about working three shifts a day again.

However, each one of them turned him down.  Apparently, Gardner had gotten word out about what he’d done at the restaurant and he’d been blacklisted.

Feeling badly that he’d been the reason their good streak was ruined, Brian wondered what he could possible due to make it up to Justin.