The Other Foot

Chapter Four

“So, Brian, I was wondering if you want to join me after we’re done here? Unless you have plans, I mean.”

“No, I’m not doing anything, that would be great. We’ll get dinner.”

“Good. Come by my office when you’re done.”

Brian nodded and turned back to the work piled on his desk. He’d been here in New York for two months now and he and Justin had decided on the townhouse as a place to live. A few necessary changes and renovations were underway and would be finished in a couple of weeks. In the meantime he had been staying at the Plaza and he and Steve were establishing a working relationship that moved smoothly and with a minimum of problems. They worked well together and got along easily.

Brian still suspected that Steve was attracted to him—OK, he knew damn well that he was— but the man knew that he was in a solid relationship and that his lover visited almost every weekend. The two had never met and Brian rarely mentioned him, but Steve realized that he was there and never overstepped the line in any way.

They were becoming that rarity for Brian—friends. He really had so few people he felt comfortable enough with to relax and talk and drink and socialize and let most of his walls down with.

The two of them had fallen into the habit of leaving the agency together and stopping for dinner on the way home at one of the thousands of restaurants in New York City. They had sampled everything from holes in the wall in Chinatown for the best stir-fry Brian had ever had to the Mom and Pop places in little Italy. They’d done the occasional four or five star restaurant and they’d eaten sandwiches in bars. They took in an occasional movie together and had spent a few evenings wandering through the galleries of some of the great museums, the Met, the MOMA and the Guggenheim. They had similar tastes and seemed to naturally gravitate together.

Two or three times a week they went to Steve’s club and served as each other’s workout buddy. They were of a similar build, though Steve wasn’t quite as slender as Brian. The used the same machines and would either trade off or spot one another or work side by side.

So far there had been nothing overtly sexual between them and while part of Brian was relived, part of him was slightly disappointed.

It was there, though, just under the surface and they both knew it.

A couple of hours later Brian was leaning against the doorframe while Steve finished up one last call. He was a pro dealing with the company president on the other end of the line. This was one of the accounts he wanted to keep under his own watch—a small but outstanding vineyard in California that happened to produce the best rose Brian had ever tasted.

They were designing a label to promote a new line of Chablis that would hit the market in about six months and there were some questions about colors that they wanted to settle this week.

While he was waiting for him to finish the call, Brian took a seat in one of the easy chairs, picked up a layout and pretended to look it over while he actually looked over Steve.

Dark hair, at forty-three older than Brian had thought, almost as tall as Brian was. He was strong and intelligent, sophisticated and funny. On top of that, he was just plain—nice. They were both good at their jobs, both established in their field, both loving their work and understanding the demands and the hypocrisy of the business. They both enjoyed living well. They were both gay. The liked each other. They were friends.

Shit.

“Brian? You ready?”

“He started slightly. “Yup, let’s go. What are you in the mood for?”

Steve laughed. “Too easy. Let’s just get some dinner, OK?”

Cynthia caught them just as they were about to head out. “Brian? Justin just called. He said that he’s sorry, but he can’t make it this weekend, he has some project to finish. He said that he’ll call you tonight.” Nodding, he thanked her.

The two men walked down the street, headed to a small Japanese place they both liked. It was a pleasant evening and the walk felt good after being in the office all day.

They were seated immediately and knew what they wanted. The tempura, teriyaki and Kiren beer were ordered quickly.

“So, Justin is the boyfriend you spend your weekends with?”

“Weekends for now. He’ll be moving here in another month or six weeks.”

“Do you mind my asking about him? I’ll change the subject if you want.”

Their beers arrived.

“No, it’s alright, what would you like to know?”

Steve laughed. “Everything. I’m curious about the man who’s managed to win your heart.”

Brian smiled. He liked that phrase—won his heart. “Justin and I have been together, on and off, for about three years now. We’ve had some rough patches, but the last year or so things have been good. He’s as smart as I am and brave and he loves me.”

“And you love him too, right?” Brian gave his half smile. “So what does he do? Is he another ad man?”

“He’s a college student, studying art and illustration. This fall he’s transferring to Parsons; he just got his letter of acceptance a couple of weeks ago. In fact, one of the modifications I had made to the townhouse was a studio for him to work in.”

“Did he go back to school late or is he young?”

“He’s twenty now—I know, but he’s not a typical twenty year old. He’s been through some things that have made him grow up fast and he’s tough when he has to be.”

“What sort of things?”

“He was bashed a couple of years ago. It was bad, he was almost killed. No—he’s better now, but it took along time and then about a year or so ago we had some problems, there was a lot going on and we broke up for a while. He found someone who he thought would give him what I wasn’t.”

“You’re back together now, though, right?”

“Yeah, we are now. In a way being apart ended up being good for us. It was a bitch at the time, but it, I don’t know—made us look at each other and think about what we had.”

Their food arrived, they settled in to eat before continuing the conversation.

“You’re solid now, though? I wouldn’t think that he’d be transferring on a whim.”

“Well, I’m not buying rings, if that’s what you mean, but yeah, I guess we’re solid.” They ate in silence for a minute.

“I just broke up with the man I’d been living with for the last eight years.” He looked across the table. “I figured you’d have heard. Peter had been after me to get married for a couple of years. Finally he decided that if we didn’t get married within six months, he would be moving on. It was an ultimatum. He took a job in San Francisco five months ago.”

“Are you sorry that you didn’t marry him?”

“…Yes and no. I think that we had pretty much run our course. I’d be lying of I told you that I’m not lonely, though. I miss having someone to say goodnight to.”

“That’s how I felt when Justin left—and I knew that I wanted him back. I was pretty sure it wouldn’t work out with the other guy, but I wasn’t sure that he’d want me after the other thing fell through.”

“So you called him?”

Brian smiled. “He got himself an internship at Vanguard through his school. I walked into the art department one day and there he was.”

“So your eyes met across a crowded room?”

“Well, I fired him first after he screwed up a presentation, then he came to my office asking for his job back.”

“Ah, and you interviewed him all over?”

They were quietly laughing. “Something like that.”

“I take it he got the job.”

“Yeah, he got that, too.”

The waiter came by with the check, after paying the two men left the restaurant and started strolling, talking.

They told each other about their families, Brian mentioning his nightmare childhood and his hopes that Gus would be happier than he had been, Steve told him of his parent’s divorce and remarriages and the shuffling between homes. The told each other about some of their hopes for their futures, their jobs, their dreams and the things they both still had to accomplish. They talked about where they would like to be in twenty or thirty years.

An hour and a half later they finally found themselves on Fifth Avenue close to the Plaza.

They stood in front of the main entrance awkwardly. The night had brought them closer, breaking down some reserves about themselves that they both had and they both knew that this was a deciding point for them. After a pause Brian was the one to break the logjam.

“It’s not late, would you like to come up?” His intent was clear.

“Brian, look, we don’t have to do this. I know you’re with someone.”

He looked down at the sidewalk, gathering his thoughts; his eyes met Steve’s. “You know I have Justin and I don’t want to lose him, he’ll be here next week. I’m not going to lie to you about that.” He took a breath and thought how odd this was. A year ago he wouldn’t have thought twice about this. “I don’t want to sleep alone tonight any more than you do. We both know what this is and we both know that it probably won’t be repeated, but we can give each other this.”

“If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with?”

“If you’re not comfortable with it, there are plenty of cabs over there. You can go home if you want. No hard feelings.”

“No problems at work?”

Brian shook his head. “We’re friends. We’re adults.”

“Yes, we are.” Taking Brian’s arm gently Steve leaned into the foot separating them and kissed Brian full on the mouth, gently, carefully—a first kiss. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

By answer, Brian took his hand and led him across the street to the main entrance. They went in, walked over to the elevators and were in the room in minutes. Brian picked up the phone, ordering champagne. It arrived quickly but when Brian started to peel the foil off the top, Steve put his hand on his fingers.

“Later.”

The single work raised the hairs on the back of Brian’s neck, but he ignored the feeling. He turned so they faced one another, his hands starting on Steve’s shirt buttons while they kissed, Steve’s hands returning the favor.

Naked, they moved over to the bed and Brian couldn’t help but automatically note the differences between Justin and the man beneath him. He was larger, taller and stronger than Justin. Their own legs and arms and torsos the same size, the same length. There was hair on his chest and some gray around his temples. His skin was more weathered, less soft and a darker shade, his hands larger. He seemed, despite his age, to be less experienced than Justin was, or perhaps he was just less aggressive. There was more kissing, more caressing, more feelings of fingers and even palms gliding over his skin than he was used to with his lover. There was more a feeling of romance, of being seduced and valued for more than just his abilities in sex.

The moment that thought entered his mind he began to mentally apologize to Justin. That wasn’t fair, Justin loved him, he was just young and his needs were more immediate, it was understandable that he had less control. Besides, they had much more than just sex, they made love and they had an entire relationship outside of the bedroom.

Steve’s voice cut through his thoughts, his moaning as Brian rubbed his cock against his own while he suckled his nipples. He could feel legs coming up around his waist, pulling him closer, opening himself, asking. Reaching for the condom and lube he had thought would be used with Justin, he made the preparations, entering Steve in one careful movement.

Rocking together, carefully, almost gently, they prolonged it for longer than he would have though they would be able, finally coming with sighs instead of groans.

The afterglow was one of kisses and the feeling of Steve’s hands lightly rubbing his back, holding them together. Raising himself up onto his elbows, taking his weight off Steve’s body, Brian was pulled down to more gentle kisses.

Usually when a trick would attempt to turn a fuck into romance he would have none of it, getting up, throwing them out.

But he didn’t because—Steve wasn’t a trick.

He was a friend and what they had done was to share their bodies, they had made love.

Pulling just slightly away with another kiss, using the champagne as an excuse, Brian knew.

He was fucked.

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