Good Business - The Plan

Author's Note: This fic features Brian Kinney and Zeke Tyler.  There are minor references to one of my other fics, "Illumination".

"Kinney," Brian snapped into the phone as he juggled three screens of information. It was his personal line and he didn't have time for one of Justin's distractions right now.

"Tyler," the voice snapped back sounding amused. Brian let go of the mouse and sat back.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Tyler?" Who would have guessed the two stray teenagers Justin brought home from the diner one night eight years ago would become Kinnetik's biggest clients. Zeke Tyler was a billionaire at 27 and, along with his partner, Casey Connor, owned the newly renamed Tyler Connor Incorporated. Casey was an up and coming photographer and the publisher of "Transitory Steel" an independent art zine. It was Casey's photos that had caused him and Justin to strike up a conversation in the diner all those years ago.

"You can thank me for that little toy I sent to your house last week." Zeke's smoke-roughened voice interrupted Brian's musing.

"Kick your ass, you mean? I've barely seen Justin since the thing was delivered. I had to force feed him pizza last night before he collapsed from starvation." Zeke laughed.

"Just wanted to share my pain with my favorite ad man. I'm thinking of putting sedatives in Casey's beer just to make him sleep." There was a pause and a muffled conversation before he continued. "Sorry, it's crazy here today."

"Wouldn't have anything to do with your plans to market that little toy, would it?" Brian tapped out a quick email to Cynthia and Ted before opening up his file on Tyler Connor Inc.

"Casey's obsession, you mean. This is his baby."

"More like monster. You know this is going to be huge." Zeke laughed again. He was still the smart-ass Justin dragged to the loft eight years ago but now he was savvy enough to know how to temper it. "You'll need the right marketing."

"Why do you think I'm calling." Zeke paused, then added. "Well, one of the reasons I'm calling. Why don't you invite me out there for a presentation, say next Wednesday? Casey and I can stretch it into a long weekend and the two artistes can give the toy a real workout."

"Not much for advance warning, are you? You want to stay at the house as usual?"

"If you don't mind. It'll make things easier."

"I'll put you in the other guest room way down the hall this time. You kept Justin and me up half the night with your wild activities last time."

Zeke snorted. "You're getting old, man. I'm going to start calling you geezer."

"Then you're going to spend the next week searching for a new ad man. You want the works for this, right? Global push?"

"The works. No shortcuts on this one. It's important to Casey."

"Only the best then. Want me to bring Justin in on consult?"

"If you can pry him away from the toy." Zeke hesitated, then added, "I sent him the wall model. Casey and I will bring along the sketchpad and doodle prototypes next week. I don't want to phase this in. I want the three units out at the same time. We're looking at late fall so it will be tight."

"But manageable." Brian leaned back, confident. If Justin's reaction was any indication, this thing was going to sell itself. "You have a name for this yet?"

"Don't even ask," Zeke groaned. "Casey's calling it 'George'. I'm thinking we need something a bit more descriptive."

"We'll work on it." Brian was already scribbling ideas on a notepad, crossing out those he disliked. What did you call a thin, flexible white screen that you could "paint" electronically and could manipulate using the built in controller or by interfacing with a computer to create almost any kind of art?

"Justin really likes it?" Zeke asked with just the slightest hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"He was channeling Warhol all night. Who wants soup cans on their walls?" Brian kept it light. He knew Zeke didn't have many people he could talk to with complete honesty. He'd fought hard and had been lucky to get so far so fast, but he was still young.

"Casey's doing Jackson Pollock. The spatter algorithm needed some fine-tuning. One really nice thing about this - no paint spills."

"Justin tells me the aroma of turpentine is sexy. I think his sense of smell is going." Brian liked having someone he could commiserate with. Living with an artist wasn't always easy.

"Speaking of going, I just got my ten minute warning. R & D needs some butt-kicking."

"Wednesday at ten good, or does Casey still need his beauty sleep?"

"Nah, it's six a.m. for the both of us these days. He's convinced it's some kind of evil plot. You might want to make sure there's coffee though."

"And food. Justin will be there." Brian scribbled a note to himself as a reminder. "Tell him I'll get the sun room at Anna's for lunch. He and Justin can hit the galleries from there and you and I can finish the contracts. I might even be persuaded to take you to the diner to celebrate."

"You are an evil man, Kinney." Zeke clicked off

Brian pressed speed dial for the house, mind already working on this new challenge. He had less than a week to pull together a brilliant marketing campaign. He thought of Justin, laid out on the thick carpet lit by the glow of his Warhol-esque soup can painting and smiled. He had a plan... he'd let Justin come up with the name.

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