Justin walked toward his hustling spot, his hands in his pants pockets and his eyes on the ground. Why did he have to see Ben in the diner? He had accepted a long time ago that his older brother wasn't ever going to enter his life again.
He had accepted the fact that Ben had left. But seeing him at the diner had thrown him for a loop. He had wanted to run to the booth and take his brother into a furious hug, but he had turned and ran out of the diner instead.
He sighed. Why did his parents have to die? Why did he have to be sent to his Aunt and Uncle? Why did Ben leave and never contact him again? He had been asking himself those questions for years. And, just like always, he had no answers.
Hunter seemed to think the world of Ben. Seemed to think that he would never just forget about his own brother. Should he take Hunter's suggestion and talk to Ben? Justin snorted. 'Yeah, right,' he thought. He wasn't going to open himself up for rejection. He had found out long ago that the only person he could count on was himself. And, that suited him just fine.
He had almost reached the spot that he used for his husteling when a black car with tinted windows pulled up beside him. The passanger window rolled down and a voice called out, "Hey!"
Justin turned his head to look and saw a man that had to be in his thirties. He was okay looking if you ignored his balding head and his overweight stomach. He walked over to the window and leaned in.
"How much?" the man asked, getting right down to buisness.
"Depends. What are you wanting?"
"A fuck," the man answered.
"I don't bottom," Justin said.
The man shrugged. "I meant for you to do me."
"One hundred dollars and a condom are a must."
The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a foil package, showing it to Justin. "C'mon."
The man wasn't the best looking and he was kind of gruff. Justin mentally shrugged. Money was money.
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LATER THAT NIGHT--THE BRUCKNER/NVOTONY RESIDENCE
Hunter saw that it was ten. Ben and Michael would be going to bed soon, and Hunter wanted to talk to them before they did. "Now or never," he mumbled.
"You say something?" Michael asked.
Hunter nodded and took a deep breath. "Actually, yeah. I need to talk to you guys. It's important." Michael and Ben glanced at each other than sat down on the loveseat.
Hunter looked at them and sighed. "You guys remember at the diner earlier? When my firend ran out?" When Michael and Ben nodded, Hunter continued. "Well, I followed him, wanting to know why he ran out."
Slightly pausing, Hunter looked at Ben and said, "He told me that he's your younger brother, Ben. He evem had a picture of you and him when he was a little kid. Right before your parents died."
Ben sucked in a breath. His brother?! Michael looked shocked as well. Ben had told him that he had a brother, but that they hadn't seen each other in years. It was just a shock that the kid was so close by. For reasons he didn't understand, he didn't like Ben's brother. And, he hadn't even met him yet.
"What's his name?" asked Ben in a whisper.
"He goes by Taylor," Hunter replied.
"That's our Aunt and Uncle's last name. Hold on." Ben left the living room. Five minutes later, he returned holding a worn photograph. "This is old, but does it look at all like him?"
Hunter looked at the picture and nodded. "Actually, yeah. It's the same one he had."
Ben flopped back down on the loveseat. "Oh my God! My brother! Here!" Then a thought occured to him. "Wait a minute, is he a--?"
"A hustler," Hunter interrupted. "Yeah," he sadly replied.
Ben closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the blonde toddler that used to always follow him around. Opening them, he asked, "Why? How?"
Hunter shrugged. You'll have to ask him that."
Ben nodded. Where would he be tonight?"
"I'll take ya," Hunter volunteered.
Ben agreed. He had to see his brother. It had been too damn long! And, he had to find out what was going on? And, no matter what, his brother was quitting the husteling buisness.