Blue Moon
Chapter One
Rating: Adults Only
Category: Fanfiction
Pairing: Brian Kinney, Justin Taylor
Genres: Angst, AU, Drama, Romance.
Warnings: OOC
Summary:Remember the eighties series Moonlighting. The idea was posted by Joanna (netlagd) on the fanfics flist as perfect for a BJ fic. I see the roles differently to her so we can look forward to her version when she has time. Thanks for throwing the idea out there, it's a good one. For anyone too young to have seen it, please have a look. Bruce Willis is wonderful as the wisecracking, fast talking David Addison. I didn't want to just regurgitate the series so this is my story, my way. Brian has made his money modelling and his business manager invested in a detective agency as a tax loss. Justin is a detective who has been happily losing money for Brian for over two years. Circumstances force Brian to try and make the agency profitable but in doing so, he has to deal with Justin who has very different ideas to him.
Disclaimer: All characters and situations from Queer as Folk are properties of Russell T. Davies, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, Showtime, and others. No copyright infringement is intended. This story is rated by the author and not by any independent body.
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Justin was sitting in his office, his feet on his desk and arms behind his head, relaxing. This was the best gig he’d ever had. He was paid every week, he was his own boss, came and went as he pleased and someone else was picking up the tab. What a great life. He’d been skeptical when his accountant first told him about this tax scheme but it had worked out surprisingly well. It had been two years and life was easy.
Occasionally, they worked a case but they didn’t need to. The money kept coming in anyway whether they worked or not. The odd case here and there was pocket money and kept his hand in. He loved a good mystery but they were few and far between. Mostly it was surveillance for divorce and community property cases, very boring and highly dangerous work. Many an angry husband or crazy wife had attacked him over the years. He’d been a detective for five years now. It was the only thing he really wanted to do. It paid well, work was varied and was never boring, or so he thought until he started his own agency. When he did freelance for other people, there was no problem. Then he made the colossal error of wanting his own agency. Then came the bills, the staff problems and not to mention he had to find his own clients. Even when he was juggling everything well, the money never came in fast enough. Justin was working twenty hours a day, constantly dodging his creditors and about to lose his apartment and his shirt when his accountant suggested the tax shelter he currently enjoyed.
Some rich airhead, you know the type, more money than sense, needed a tax loss and Justin’s agency, Blue Moon was perfect, it lost money all the time. Now with funding, they could lose even more. Justin found swankier offices, hired more staff and life was one continuous party after another. He sold his apartment and managed to buy the building they were in with the rent money the airhead was paying for the agency so he moved onto the top floor. There were two apartments up there and he rented out the other. He had an agency, he owned the building and all his personal costs he put on his expense account. Justin smiled, it was a great life.
********
Brian liked being retired. He was pleased that at thirty two that he had the freedom he now enjoyed. He’d worked hard, there was no denying that. Standing under hot lights all day was no walk in the park but thankfully those days were over. He’d paid his dues and now it was his turn to sit back and enjoy life. He was meeting his agent at one for lunch. Ted was still trying to pressure him to keep working. Mostly Ted’s motivation was commissions. Ted loved money so much.
When he was young, Brian always thought modeling was frivolous and a job for bubble brains. He was studying business at college when he was first approached. Brian was in his last year, money was tight and his schedule was grueling. He found it hard working for minimum; there weren’t enough hours in the day. When someone from CK offered him a job to pose in his jocks, Brian had laughed but when he heard how much it paid, all he could do was grin. Fucking hell, one day of modeling paid better that a month of slinging hash in a diner. He finished out his year and graduated with honors. It was nice not doing shifts between his classes anymore. Brian made so much money, posing that he didn’t need to get a job using his business degree. Why fight his way up the corporate ladder when he was already sitting on top with his modeling? He started with Calvin Klein as their underwear model and quickly became highly sought after by other companies. With his hazel eyes and chiseled features, his smile ensured he had his pick of lucrative contracts. That was eleven long years ago and now it was his time to rest. The builders had just finished the remodeling on his apartment and Brian was pleased. The tickets for his trip arrived this morning. Three months traveling was just what he needed to start off his new life.
Brian dressed in an Armani suit for his meeting with Ted. He liked having nice clothes which was a far cry from his humble discount store beginnings. His father was an angry drunk who used to take his frustrations of failure out on his family, more in particular, Brian. It was important to his father for him to be a man, well his idea of what a man was anyway. Brian chuckled when he thought about it. He’d never told his parents he was gay, his father would have had a fit and beat him senseless. Brian liked who he was and never felt less of a man because of his lifestyle, in fact, he felt more masculine than all the tricks he fucked. His troubled home life hadn’t given him much faith that ‘the family’ was the best system. Brian usually shunned involvement of any kind. It suited him to only be responsible to himself.
He left a message for Manny as he walked out the door. Manny was his business manager but now he was retiring, Brian intended to manage his affairs himself. He’d never had time before and was looking forward to knowing what he owned. At least with Manny managing everything, his time was free to work. Brian climbed into his Porsche and drove to the restaurant. Ted was already there, sipping Campari.
Brian smiled. “Ted, I want to have a leisurely lunch, no I’m not postponing my trip again. I leave on Friday. I haven’t had a real holiday in years.”
“Hello to you too,” Ted frowned. “You may have to rethink your plans.”
“Why?”
“Have you talked to Manny lately?” Ted scowled.
“Not for a month, why? I left a message for him to call me, this morning. I want to start handling my own stuff. I’ll have time,” Brian smiled.
Ted shook his head. “I told you not to give him Power of Attorney.”
“Not this again, Ted. How can he manage my affairs if he has to ring me every five minutes to check on everything?” Brian sighed.
“Brian, Manny was arrested yesterday. He’s in jail for running bottom of the harbor scams.”
“What?” Brian gasped.
Ted threw the newspaper at Brian for him to read it.
Brian’s eyes were wide as he read what Manny had been up to. He looked up at Ted. “It says here the IRS is investigating his clients,” Brian gasped.
Ted nodded but didn’t say anything.
Brian knew what he was thinking. Ted had told him not to give Manny complete control of his money. Why hadn’t he listened to him? “I can’t have lunch, I have to go to his office and get my records.”
Ted shook his head. “Read down further. The IRS has already impounded all his records.”
“Fuck,” Brian gasped. He couldn’t go away until this mess was sorted out. They had all gone to college together. Manny was a whiz with money. Brian watched his portfolio like a hawk for the first six years but then he was busy; Manny had a good track record. His client list read like a who’s who column in the rags. “Ted, what am I gonna do?”
“There isn’t anything you can do. Just hope he didn’t fuck up your income tax. I suppose he organized that as well,” Ted sighed.
Brian nodded. “He did everything.”
Ted sighed again. “Starving won’t help, let’s eat.”
Brian wasn’t hungry now. Fuck.
********
Three days later, Brian was sitting with Ian Jacobs from the IRS, looking at his records.
Ian looked over the top of his glasses and frowned. “Very creative.”
Brian pinched the bridge of his nose as his head continued to throb. He knew that….’I didn’t know’…. was no defense under the law. “What happens now?” Brian said solemnly.
Ian felt sorry for Brian. He felt sorry for most of Manny Gilbert’s clients but Brian was the only one he’d encountered who wasn’t pleading ignorance as an excuse. “Off the record, your situation is better than most. In your case it was only three years ago when he started to illegally minimize. With the money that he got back from the taxes you paid he reinvested in more non deductibles. I’m afraid you will have a considerable amount to pay back for those years.
“Manny had my records,” Brian sighed. “I don’t even know what I own.”
Ian flicked through the papers and pulled out a file. He handed it to Brian to peruse.
Brian looked at the list and gasped. He owned a Rub' n' Tug on Liberty.
Ian watched Brian’s face and shook his head. He really didn’t know at all. Models, he shook his head again. “I’ll give you a final figure by noon tomorrow. You can take these records with you. We’ve finished with them now. We’ve decided that providing Mr. Gilbert’s clients make restitution, there will be no fines incurred but restitution will need to be made in thirty days.”
Brian nodded. He needed to liquidate this junk and liquidate fast before the IRS did it for him at ten cents in dollar.
********
Ted and Brian sat on the floor of Brian’s living room, papers spread out everywhere. The properties were easily liquidated. To meet the deadline, Brian would incur some losses but that couldn’t be helped. As they moved through the list, Brian could see that his retirement was over. He had redone the returns for the last three years and knew how much he would have to come up with. Brian knew he would lose most of what he had in the windup. This morning he was thinking about touring Europe for three months and a few hours later, he was trying to avoid losing his apartment.
Ted handed him a folder labeled Blue Moon. “What the fuck is this?”
“It appears I own half of a detective agency,” Brian frowned. “But I seem to be paying all the bills.”
Ted scowled. Fucking Manny, he hoped someone made his little top ass a bottom in prison. Screwing over his clients was one thing but Brian was like his brother. This was low even for Manny.
“Sell it,” Ted suggested.
“I can’t,” Brian frowned. “If it doesn’t make a profit this year, it will be deemed as a shelter and I’ll have to pay back everything I deducted for the last two years. I’m going over there tomorrow to have a look. I can’t see where they show any income at all,” Brian frowned again. “Look at the expenses?”
“What do you mean no income?” Ted grabbed the file from Brian’s hand. He stared as he flicked through the pages. “Fuck, Brian,” he gasped.
“I know, this can’t be right,” Brian shook his head. “It costs almost ten grand a week to run. Ted, I can’t afford this place but if I don’t fix it and I’m forced to pay the money back, I’ll lose my fucking apartment.”
“Who is this Justin Taylor anyway?”
“His license is current and he’s been a detective for five years, aside from that, I have no idea,” Brian sighed.
Ted pulled out his cell and dialed. “Tom, it’s me. Can you get me some information on a Justin Taylor? A detective. Yeah, by tomorrow? Oh don’t be like that, you know I’ll make it worth your while, thanks, call me tomorrow.” He looked at Brian. “You have no idea what I’m gonna have to do for this,” Ted shook his head.
“Tom Caulfield?”
Ted nodded.
“I know exactly,” Brian laughed. “You’re a good friend, Ted.”
“You ever let anyone sign your checks again and I’ll fucking kill you,” Ted growled.
“Don’t worry Ted, I’ve learned my lesson,” Brian sighed. “I guess you better get me some work.”
Ted frowned. “I wanted you to go back to work but not like this, I’m sorry Brian.”
Brian shrugged. It was a far cry from where he was this morning when he was about to retire. He was thirty two years old and starting all over again. Well not really all over again because he had to turn a profit in a business that had never shown a profit before and he only had eight months to do it. “I need to get high while I can still afford to and then I need to get laid. Today has sucked and not in a positive life affirming way,” Brian sighed.
Ted pulled Brian up off the floor. “Let’s hit the clubs. By the time I pay out to Tom tomorrow night, I won’t be back in action for a week,” Ted shook his head.
“Thanks Teddy,” Brian smiled. “Let’s hope Tom finds out something that can help me so your poor ass won't suffer in vain.”
They went out, got wasted and got laid, both hoping that Manny’s dance card was full tonight as well, particularly if it involved someone big and hairy.
********
Brian cashed in his holiday and cancelled his reservations. When Ian Jacobs faxed him the outstanding amount, Brian was expecting it. The properties were all on the market, he’d sold the horses this morning and the bonds were converted to cash easily. That just left Blue Moon and a Rub and Tug down on Liberty. He had no idea he owned that bathhouse, well it least it made a profit. He advised the bathhouse management that he would be taking over handling the business accounts and all expenses must be approved from now on. Their overall profit was small so there had to be more money to be made there, but first things first. At the moment, his biggest problem was Blue Moon. It was an IRS time bomb, ticking away and about to explode in his face.
Ted arrived at one with Tom’s report. He knew Brian would have a seizure when he read it.
Brian looked at the report and then at Ted. “He owns the building and I pay the rent, then he uses the rent money to pay for his building. So he lives in one of the apartments, who lives in the other?”
“That’s in there.” Ted pointed to the report. “He rents it out to some guy Emmett for fifty bucks a month. He works for you as well.”
“Of course he does,” Brian scowled. “I’ve been reading over the original contract. At least Manny geared it in my direction.”
“Yeah, it looks like it’s in your favor,” Ted laughed. “How do you figure that? You can’t pay out much more than everything.”
“There’s that but there are also some safety clauses. He draws a salary at the moment which he isn’t supposed to be doing. He’s a partner and there are no working partner clauses. So everything he’s drawn for the last two years has to come back. Also, when he sold his apartment to buy that building, look,” Brian pointed to the file. “It was mortgaged to the hilt. He paid out that mortgage with company funds and then he bought the new building using that money as the deposit.” Brian thought. “Ted, I should be able to argue that the building is held by him in trust for the company so if we sell the building, that will be income and that will reduce the loss this year.”
“Will it be enough?”
“I need to see the expenditure records for this year and we don’t have those. I need to go over there,” Brian sighed.
“I’ll come with you,” Ted smiled.
********
They took the elevator to the second floor. Brian wondered what was happening with the rent money from the Deli and the Laundromat downstairs. When the elevator doors opened, the music was loud and it was coming from inside the agency. The frosted glass doors had Blue moon written on them in blue script with a palm tree and a moon as the logo. How original, Brian thought. He opened the door and gasped. Everyone was dressed in Hawaiian shirts with flowers strung around their necks, like in the commercials. The music was blasting.
Every limbo boy and girl
All around the limbo world
Gonna do the limbo rock
All around the limbo clock
Jack be limbo, Jack be quick
Jack go unda limbo stick
All around the limbo clock
Hey, let's do the limbo rock
Limbo lower now
Limbo lower now
How low can you go
Brian and Ted couldn’t believe what they were seeing. There was a blond guy standing on the reception desk, barefooted, gyrating and mouthing the words to the music. His pants were rolled up, to just under his knees and he was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. He had on a straw hat, dark glasses and was singing with the music, karaoke style. The participants were chanting….. How low can you go, how low can you go, as a woman was almost bent backwards trying to go under the bar.
First you spread your limbo feet
Then you move to limbo beat
Limbo ankolimboneee,
Bend back like a limbo tree
Jack be limbo, Jack be quick
Jack go unda limbo stick
All around the limbo clock
Hey, let's do the limbo rock
The guy was dancing around in circles on top of the desk as he sang.
la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la
Get yourself a limbo girl
Give that chic a limbo whirl
There's a limbo moon above
You will fall in limbo love
Jack be limbo, Jack be quick
Jack go unda limbo stick
All around the limbo clock
Hey, let's do the limbo rock
Don't move that limbo bar
You'll be a limbo star
How low can you go
Brian pulled out the plug to the sound system and the music groaned to a stop.
Justin swung around. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing?”
“I wanted to see someone,” Brian frowned.
Justin smiled. “We aren’t taking cases at the moment.” He picked up a business card from the front desk, bent down, handed it to Brian then plugged back in the sound system and continued singing. The party continued as if they had never come in.
Brian looked at Ted in amazement. He handed Ted the card so he could see it was a competitors.
Every limbo boy and girl
All around the limbo world
Gonna do the limbo rock
All around the limbo clock
Jack be limbo, Jack be quick
Jack go unda limbo stick
All around the limbo clock
Hey, let's do the limbo rock
Limbo lower now
Limbo lower now
How low can you go
Brian pulled the plug again and Justin swung around, surprised they were still there.
“What is your problem?” he growled at the two strangers.
“Are you Justin Taylor?” Brian roared.
“Yes,” Justin said defiantly. “Who are you?”
“I’m Brian Kinney, I own this place and you are obviously my problem.” He glanced around the room. “The rest of you, get back to work,” Brian roared again.
Ted looked at the surprised faces of the people who were limboing. They didn’t have a clue what to do. They scurried back to their desks. A very tall man sat behind the reception desk and smiled. “Welcome to Blue Moon.”
Justin jumped down from the top of the counter, stormed into his office and slammed the door.
The tall man smiled again. “I’m sorry, Justin can’t see you today but if you would like to make an appointment.”
Brian frowned. He stormed after Justin into the office.
“How dare you embarrass me that way,” Justin yelled. “If you want to come down here, make an appointment.”
“You don’t seem to understand, I own this place,” Brian growled.
“That wasn’t the deal,” Justin stuck his face in the air, defiantly.
“Then you better read your contract again. What do you mean we aren’t taking cases at the moment?”
“We aren’t,” Justin shrugged.
“Well what do all these people do?” Brian roared.
“You needed deductions, I gave you deductions,” Justin smiled.
“You can’t have deductions with no income,” Brian gasped.
“That wasn’t the deal,” Justin repeated as he walked over to where Brian was standing and put his arm around him, slowly walking Brian to the door as he spoke. “Why don’t you go and do what you do best. Have a facial, you need to chill. It won’t look good on camera the way you are squinting at the moment. Don’t you know that will give you wrinkles,” Justin smiled as he closed he door.
Brian found himself on the other side of Justin’s office door. He couldn’t believe it; the guy had walked him out, patronized him the entire way and closed the door in his face. Brian glanced over his shoulder at Ted who was laughing. The smile on the tall character’s face was the final straw. He opened the door again with such force that it banged against the wall. He saw Justin on the phone.
“I need to speak to him, now,” Justin yelled.
“He isn’t there,” Brian grinned. “And he isn’t allowed to take calls in jail.”
Justin went white and hung up the phone. “Why are you here anyway?” Justin snapped.
“Manny Gilbert was my business manager. He made some questionable decisions when handling my finances, you being one of them and now I have an IRS problem. Now one of my solutions is to sell this building.”
“You can’t sell this building it belongs to me,” Justin objected.
“Read your contract. You weren’t supposed to be taking a salary for the last two years. You paid out the debt on your apartment from company funds and then used said money to buy this building which the rent that I’ve been paying, by the way, has been repaying the loan. That makes it my building. Where is the income for the shops downstairs and the apartments upstairs?”
Justin gulped. He used that money for hustlers and E.
“This agency must show a profit this year and I’m here to make sure it does. Now, I’ll ask you again, what do the people who work here do?”
“Nothing,” Justin shrugged.
Brian resisted exploding. He knew nothing about the detective business and as angry as he was, he knew Justin did. “Are they even qualified?”
“Sure, I wouldn’t hire unqualified staff,” Justin grumbled.
“Good, so we will give them work to do,” Brian nodded.
“But that’s not how this agency works,” Justin complained.
Brian glared at Justin. “Well it does now and the first thing is to get our competitors cards off the front desk,” Brian roared. “I want to see the accounts.”
“It’s four o’clock. I’ll get them for you tomorrow,” Justin sighed.
“What does that mean, its four o’clock?”
“Time to go home,” Justin shrugged.
“What time does everyone start here?” Brian asked slowly.
“Ten thirty.”
Brian opened the office door to see a mass exodus through the doors of the agency. “Excuse me, before you go, people and for anyone who has already left, someone better contact them because anyone who is not here at eight tomorrow morning is dismissed and by the way quitting time is six,” Brian growled at the crowd. He looked back at Justin and glared at him. “And that means you too.” Brian stormed out of Justin’s office and people parted to let him past. Ted followed him out the doors. He hadn’t seen Brian so angry in years,
They made the trip back to Brian’s apartment in silence. Ted was too afraid to speak, Brian was seething. When they arrived home, Brian poured them both a drink. He gulped his down and immediately poured another.
Ted decided to speak. “Do you plan on going there tomorrow?”
“And every day after that. I will make that agency profitable, sell it and get some of my money back,” Brian said confidently.
“And Mr. Taylor?”
“What about him?”
“What do you intend to do with him?”
“Keep him on a very short leash. Do you know they don’t do any work there? I mean none, Ted, none at all. It must be a one party after another. For god’s sake, what the fuck was Manny thinking and what the hell were they doing when we walked in?”
“I believe that is a party game that people play. There are dozens of them,” Ted smiled.
“Why?” Brian asked confused.
Ted laughed. “It’s called the limbo rock, Chubby Checker brought the song out in fifties or was the sixties, I can’t remember. It was like a dance craze,” Ted shrugged.
“Looked pretty infantile to me,” Brian growled. “These people just come to work, party, pick up their checks and go home. Go home at four, I might add. Fuck they don’t start until ten thirty and I’m guessing they manage to fit lunch into their schedules. He told me they weren’t supposed to work, they were just supposed to lose me money.”
“Well,” Ted chuckled. “They are obviously doing that. Did you see the accounts?”
“He told me to come back tomorrow for them, he finishes at four,” Brian said sarcastically and rolled his eyes. “Keep up, Ted. They aren’t supposed to work.”
Ted knew Brian had his work cut out for him. Justin looked like he’d be a handful. He found the limbo song whirling around in his head while Brian continued stewing. When Ted started humming it, Brian just glared at him.
********
Justin sat reading the contract in its entirety, for the first time. He hadn’t read the fine print when it all came up. He’d just seen that all expenses would be paid by the bubble brain model and started celebrating. What was the pretty boy talking about? It was his building; he could do what he wanted, couldn’t he? Justin made a few calls and found out he couldn’t, fuck. He’d never been one for little details like what he could and couldn’t do. Justin was more interested in making sure what he wanted to happen, happened. After storming around his apartment for an hour or so, he came to the conclusion that he better find out what the bubble brain wanted. Perhaps if Justin placated him for a while, things could go back to normal. Oh well, he’d had two pretty cruizy years. A few days of old fashioned work wouldn’t kill him. The pretty boy knew nothing about business, if he did, he wouldn’t have had a crook running his affairs. Justin decided, he would just turn on the charm and the pretty boy would be eating out of his hand. A bit of fluff, like his new business partner might add a new dimension to his day. Justin had always fucked out of hours, in hours might be good too. Pretty boy was certainly pretty enough. Justin wondered if the guy was gay. Well, no matter, he would be by the time Justin finished with him.
He made a few more calls and discovered the ball of fluff was indeed gay. One problem solved. It could have been worse. The guy could have been butt ugly and totally unfuckable. Well the guy was certainly easy on the eyes; that part would be a pleasure. Making a profit at Blue Moon was another issue entirely. They were so expense laden, a profit was out of the question. Mmmmm, he thought, this may prove to be harder than he’d thought. If the well was dry now, there would be no more money and to avoid the agency being closed he’d have to make some changes. He liked all the people who worked for him but some of them would have to go for a while. The face said he was going to make sure the agency showed a profit, so, Justin was sure that meant he intended to hang around. If he was hanging around the agency then he wouldn’t be working and if he wasn’t working, there would be no more money. As soon as the pretty boy went back to being pretty they could all party again. He was told this guy earned a fortune posing. Justin had to find a way to get him out of Blue Moon and back in front of the camera again.
********
Precisely at five minutes to eight, the next morning, Brian walked through the doors of the agency. He looked around and there were only a token few of the hoards from yesterday on deck and on time. Brian scowled.
“Good morning, Mr. Kinney,” Emmett smiled. “Welcome to Blue Moon.”
“Good morning,” Brian said abruptly. “Is he in?”
“This way, sir,” Emmett smiled and showed Brian into Justin’s office. “Justin, Mr. Kinney is here to see you,” Emmett smiled again.
Justin looked up from his work and smiled too. “Thank you, Emmett.”
Emmett closed the door behind him as he left.
Justin jumped to his feet. “Brian, I wanted to apologize for yesterday,” Justin slipped his arm around Brian’s waist and walked him over to a chair near his desk. “We weren’t expecting you and didn’t realize that anything had changed. Have a seat.”
Brian sat down, justifiably wary of Justin’s change of attitude.
“I’ve seen pictures of you but you are even more beautiful in person,” Justin smiled.
“Where are the rest of them?” Brian scowled. If this little fuck thought he could flatter his way out of this, he was sadly mistaken.
“I made some calls and dismissed the unnecessary staff. If this company needs to show a profit, now, then we don’t need all the extra bodies,” Justin smiled.
Brian sighed, finally some common sense. He could feel Justin’s eyes giving his the once over, twice. A little like a hungry man would contemplate his first meal after a fast. Brian wanted Justin on a business basis only. “What about their contracts?”
“They didn’t have contracts,” Justin smiled as he stood up and walked to Brian’s side of the desk. “I kept Emmett on reception and two other investigators, Ben and Daphne. That’s all we’ll need to start off,” Justin smiled. “Now here are the books you asked for. I’ll explain them to you.” Justin leaned over and put his arm around Brian again.
“Just give them to me, I can work it out.” Brian stood up and shook him off. “I’ll need an office.”
“We have one ready for you,” Justin smiled and moved to touch Brian again.
Brian stepped away.
Pretty boy would be a challenge, Justin decided, but he loved a good challenge. He wanted Brian and he wanted him under control. Justin grinned; he always got what he wanted.