When Brian returned to his office at City Hall it proved to be rather uneventful.  Gone were the chanting protesters and their signs.  Gone was the welcoming committee of councilors.  He walked into the building and people merely said good morning or nodded to him.  That suited him just fine.  He was happy to have a normal day at the office.

Cynthia razzed him about his godlike appearance.  The bruises had just about disappeared and he was his old handsome self.  She asked if he had a portrait in a closet somewhere that took the brunt of his bumps and bruises.  Brian told her he wished he did.

She brought him a coffee and they sat down to go over the agenda for the day.  She had managed to keep things pretty simple and put off some people who wanted to see him.  She thought it was best that he slide back into his job slowly.  As it turned out, he was very glad she had done that by the end of the day.

Geoffrey Cheeks stopped by to update Brian on a few things.  He said there was nothing that needed Brian's immediate attention.  He would handle things until the mayor was ready to assume all of his responsibilities.  Brian found himself resenting that statement, but he realized that Geoffrey was merely doing his job and trying to make life easier for him.

Frank Jankowski stopped by in the afternoon.  He wanted to check that Brian was really all right and not coming back to work too soon.

"You look good after all you've been through," Frank told Brian. "Thanks, Frank.  I'm glad you think so."

"How are you doing … really?"

"I'll survive."

"That goes without saying.  I'm more interested in how this has affected you.  Any more thoughts about resigning?"

"Trying to get rid of me?" Brian asked with a grin.

"Of course not.  You know I never wanted you to quit, but this has been awfully dangerous for you."

Brian shook his head.  "They caught the guy and they have enough proof to put him away for a long time."

"Glad to hear it.  So does that mean that things are going to calm down a bit around here?"

"I certainly hope so," Brian said.

"Are you going to be ready for the council meeting on Monday?"

Brian nodded.  "I've been trying to keep up while I was at home.  I think I'll be ready."

"I'm putting forward a proposal about converting an old hotel into rooms for homeless people."

"I don't think I've seen that one," Brian said with a frown.

"I was afraid of that," Frank said.

"Why?"

"There's a consortium that would like to get their hands on the property.  At the moment the building is derelict and will take considerable fixing up to bring it up to code.  Some councilors don't want the city putting money into something that won't result in tax revenue.  They want to agree to the sale to the consortium.  I think the homeless crisis is more important than tax money."

"I see," Brian said thoughtfully.  

"Does that mean that I have your support?" Frank asked.

"I need to know more about this."

"I hope you don't think money is more important than human lives."

"Frank, I understand what you're saying but we also need tax revenue to fund projects like you're describing."

Frank looked a little disappointed in Brian's reaction.  "All I ask is that you judge it fairly and keep in mind that the people who would benefit from this are some of the weakest and most put upon members of society."

"I'll consider it carefully," Brian said and he really meant that.  However, he wasn't prepared to go along with Frank's plan without knowing more about it.

After Frank left, Brian called Cynthia in and asked her about Frank's proposal.  She said she had never seen it.  That meant that there was only one other person who would have sidetracked the proposal.

                                                                -----

Geoffrey Cheeks knocked on Brian's door.  He didn't know why he had been called back to the mayor's office.  Usually one visit a day was all that was required of him, but he had just been summoned for a second time.

"Come in," Brian said.

"You wanted to see me?" Geoffrey asked as he closed the door behind him.

"What do you know about a proposal to renovate an old hotel downtown?" Brian asked getting right to the point.

"Sponsored by Councilman Jankowski?"

"That's the one."

"I read the proposal and discarded it as too expensive.  There would be no revenue produced and it would also require monies to be laid
out each year to keep it going."

"So you decided that I shouldn't even see the proposal?" Brian asked frowning.

"Yes."

Jesus, this guy never explained himself.  He was an arrogant son of a bitch.  "I want to see that report immediately," Brian said his displeasure clearly evident.

"Certainly," Geoffrey responded, no reaction visible on his face.  "Will that be all?"

"No, Geoffrey, that isn't all," Brian said sarcastically.  They were going to settle this right now.  "When you receive a report having to do with the welfare of citizens of this city, be they rich or be they poor, I want to see that fucking report.  Do I make myself clear?"

He saw Geoffrey blanch at his choice of language.  "There is no need to speak to me in those terms," Geoffrey responded.

"Apparently there is!  I told you when you were screening material for me that I had certain priorities.  All along I have been assuming that you have been following those guidelines."

"I have."

"Then why did I not receive that report?  It comes from one of the councilmen who has an excellent reputation and has been at City Hall for many years.  What made you think it wasn't worthwhile for me to read his proposal?"

"I told you that it wasn't fiscally responsible."

"Whatever the fuck that means!" Brian said his temper getting the best of him.

"It means…"

"I know what it fucking means."

"Then I don't see what the problem is here."

Brian sighed.  "It seems to me that what we have here, Geoffrey, is a failure to communicate."

"If you say so."

"I do say so.  In future any proposal from a councilman or woman is to come across my desk whether you like said proposal or not."

"Yes, sir," Geoffrey replied with the merest hint of sarcasm in the title he used for Brian.

Brian frowned.  "You know, Geoffrey, I appreciate all that you have done for me, helping me, and getting me settled in here.  I appreciate that you scan and weed material.  I appreciate that you know every protocol going and advise me accordingly.  But I do not appreciate you second guessing what is important to me and this administration.  I do not appreciate when you make arbitrary decisions that contradict things that I have told you.  If you insist on doing that, then you are no longer of any value to me.  Do I make myself clear now?"

"Eminently," Geoffrey said.

"Good.  Now get that report up to me within the hour."

"Yes, sir," Geoffrey replied, and this time Brian didn't hear any sarcasm in those words.

"Thank you, Geoffrey.  You may go now."

Geoffrey rose from his chair and made his way to the door.  He took a look at Brian and seemed about to say something else.  Then he thought better of it and went out the door, closing it behind him.

"Son of a bitch," Brian said to himself.  He wanted to fire the arrogant sack of shit, but the man knew too much.  Brian bet Geoffrey knew where all the bodies were buried too.  He leaned back in his chair.  He hoped he had warned Geoffrey forcefully enough.  He knew he couldn't fire the man, so the best he could hope was that he had been heard and Geoffrey would decide to follow his instructions.

                                                               -----

Brian was loading his briefcase, getting ready to leave for the night.  The first day had been long and tiring, especially the encounter with Geoffrey.  Cynthia tapped on his door.

"Come in," he said.

"Geoffrey just sent this up," she said holding out a card.

Brian took it from her and began reading.  "Fuck!" he responded.

"I wonder why he finally decided to give this to you," Cynthia said.

"Probably because I just read him the riot act about second guessing me and making arbitrary decisions."

"That might explain it," Cynthia said with a laugh.

"Did you notice the RSVP date?" Brian asked.

"Yes, you should have responded two weeks ago."

"That fucker must have decided at some point that we shouldn't go.  I wonder if he thought that we'd contaminate the event."

"I don't think it would be anything that sophisticated.  He probably thought after all the trouble and protests you've been through that you just wouldn't want to attend."

"I fucking hate it when somebody makes decisions for me."

"Don't I know?" Cynthia said with a chuckle.

Brian made a face at her.  "Call and see if we can still attend, but don't say for sure that we will."

"You need to talk to Justin first?"

"Yeah, I don't want to get in somebody else's bad books," Brian said with a smirk.

Cynthia left the office and Brian finished packing up.  As he walked by Cynthia's desk on his way out, she stopped him.

"I talked to a Mrs. Chatsworth who is in charge of the function. She would be thrilled to have the mayor and his partner attend."

"What did she say about us calling so late?"

"I told her the invitation had been misplaced for awhile.  She said it was no problem and she hoped to have a positive response tomorrow."

Brian made a funny little grimace.  "I'll talk to Justin tonight."

"You're not sure you want to go, are you?" Cynthia asked studying his demeanor.

"Not … exactly."

"Why?"

"The few times Justin and I have been at functions together we have ended up in the newspapers.  That always causes some kind of turmoil as a result.  It was nice to come to work today and not find protesters outside.  I'd kind of like to keep it that way."

"If I may…?" she asked permission to tell him her opinion.

"Okay, give me your two cents worth," he told her.

"The more times people see you and Justin together either in person or in the papers, the more they'll get used to it.  At some point it will become commonplace and that will be a good thing.  I think you will be a lot better off down the road if you bite the bullet now and attend all of these functions."

Brian thought about what she said.  He had to admit that she had a point.  "When did you get so smart?" he asked her with a grin.

"I've always been smart," she replied.  "You just don't always notice it."

Brian looked duly chastised.  "If I give you the impression I don't think you're smart, I'm truly sorry, because I know you are smart.  You've saved my ass more than once.  I'll take your words of wisdom under advisement."

"Good night, Boss," she said with a big smile, pleased that he recognized her true worth and for once stated it.

"See you in the morning, Cynthia," he said as he made his way to the elevator.

                                                               -----

Brian arrived home to dinner cooked by Justin.  Sometimes he wondered how the young man juggled all the things he did.  He managed school, the diner, studying, drawing and looking after him, which these days seemed to be a full time job.

"Hey," he greeted Justin and went into the kitchen to give the young man a kiss.

"What was that for?" Justin asked.

"Just felt like it," Brian replied studying Justin's mood gauging when would be a good time to broach the subject of the invitation.

"Dinner's ready.  If you want to change first, go do it."

Brian went up to the bedroom.  He wasn't sure why he was nervous about asking Justin to accompany him, but he was.  He went back down to one of Justin's pasta creations.  There was no time like the present, he decided.

"Justin," Brian began.

The young man looked up and smiled that smile that said so much.  "What do you want to tell me?" he asked.

"What makes you think I have something to tell you?"

"Hm…let's see.  You get quiet, you kiss me when you come home and you start with 'Justin', so solemn and formal."

"Solemn?"

"Yep," Justin said with a grin between bites of pasta.

"Am I so predictable?" Brian asked.

"About some things," Justin said.  "But that's not a bad thing.  I can prepare myself and think about how I'll react."

"You have to think about that?"

"It helps to avoid a fight if I can react in the right way."

Brian didn't like the sound of that.  "Is there a wrong way to react?  Don't you just react?"

"I've tried that and we usually fight when I do."

"You mean I get mad," Brian admitted.

Justin nodded.  He hadn't quite meant for this to get so deep.  "But it's all right.  I just think of a good and a bad scenario and prepare for both.  Usually it works out okay."

"I don't like that you think you have to do that.  I shouldn't allow myself to react so badly…to your…reaction."  That sounded pretty stupid if he did say so himself.  He saw Justin stifle a giggle. "Brian, it's all right … really."

"No, it's not all right.  I want your genuine reaction, not some preconceived idea of what you think you have to say to placate me.  Jesus, I hate people second guessing me," Brian declared with more than a little anger in his voice.

"Where did that come from?" Justin asked studying his partner.  He wanted to direct the conversation into a new area.  He could feel Brian's anger growing and that had been what he was trying to avoid.

"I found out today that dear old Geoffrey has taken it upon himself to make sure that I don't see reports, and other things, that don't coincide with his agenda."  Brian stressed the word 'his'.  "He really pissed me off," Brian added.

"He should know better," Justin said seriously.

"So we had a little talk, and I think he has a new understanding of his role in all this."

"Really?" Justin said with a little smile.  He wondered how many strips Brian had torn off dear old Geoffrey's hide.

"One of the 'other things' he neglected to show me was an invitation."

"To what?" Justin asked wondering if this was the source of Brian's concern.

"To the Black and White Ball to raise money for Roswell Hospital."

"Oh?" Justin responded thinking about whether he should be in favor of going or against.

"You're doing it, aren't you?" Brian asked watching him.

"What?" Justin asked trying to appear innocent.

"You're trying to decide if I want to go or if I want not to go, and you'll tailor your response accordingly."

Justin looked a little sheepish.  Usually he loved the fact that Brian was so smart and on top of things, but he hated getting caught in his own machinations.  "I was…just weighing the pros and cons," Justin responded and in a sense that was what he had been doing.

Brian was about to call him on what he was really doing, but he didn't want to fight.  "So is it a pro or a con?" he asked instead.

"I'm not sure … and I'm not hedging," he added quickly.  "Every time we appear in public we end up in the papers and then there are protests and other shit.  I don't want to stir that all up again."

"And the pros?" Brian asked.

"I get to go out with my favorite man," Justin grinned and Brian felt himself blush and his cock stir.  God, that little shit could get to him.  Justin saw that he had embarrassed Brian, so he hurried on quickly.  "We get to dress up.  We can do 'black and white' with our tuxes, no problem."

"There is one more pro," Brian said.  "Cynthia pointed this out to me before I left today."

"What's that?"

"She said the more times the public sees us together like any other couple, the more they'll get used to it and gradually there'll be less and less fuss."

"She has a point," Justin conceded.  "So let's go."

"Are you sure?  In the short term we may have some repercussions."

"I understand, but I want to dance with you again.  You will dance with me, won't you?"

Brian was sure he had just seen his partner bat his baby blues at him.  He groaned.  He was so fucked.  "Of course I will."

"So when is this shindig?"

"Day after tomorrow."

"Shit!  Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I just found out this afternoon."

"How come?"

"That was the invitation that Geoffrey decided I didn't need to see."

"So … let's do it.  We'll blow their socks off."

"Come here you," Brian said.  Justin moved around and sat on his partner's knee.  "Have I told you lately … how special you are?"  Justin beamed at him, kissed him and he was lost to everything else.

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