The conference room was nearly full when Kurt arrived. Grant Brown, head of A&R for Vine Records, was debuting a new artist he'd signed. Vine had a large conference room on the first floor of the building that had a small stage and doubled as a space for showcases. Every few months the entire label staff would be invited to see the latest signing.

“Kurtsie! Yoo-hoo!” Kurt heard her signature screech before he made it through the doorway. Beverly Sugar, known simply as Sugar to the Nashville music community, was manager to the stars and, for Kurt, a massive pain in the ass. And he hated it when she called him Kurtsie.

Kurt made his way across the room, plastering a smile on his face and readying himself for the visual and verbal assault that was Beverly Sugar.

“Hello, Sugar, you're looking well,” Kurt said, ignoring the bright lipstick and too-large, false eyelashes. 

“Kurtsie,” she cooed, grabbing Kurt by the arm, “you will not believe this dreamboat I've signed. You will not BELIEVE it! His voice is like honey and he, oh! Here he is!”

Sugar pulled on Kurt's arm, shooing away two assistants and suddenly he was face to face with him, the source of his every fantasy for the last three weeks. Unbelievably, fantastically, terrifyingly, the stunning man from Ms. Kelli's was standing two feet away. This time he was wearing a worn, black v-neck and had leather ties and rubber bands and beaded bracelets covering both of his wrists. And maybe some eyeliner.

Kurt couldn't help the gasp that shot out of him.

“I know, right? Isn't he gorgeous! Doesn't he just drip sex appeal? We're going to make a fortune,” Sugar exclaimed, shaking them both by the shoulder. “Blaine Anderson, meet Kurt Hummel, Vice President of Marketing for Vine. Kurt, this is Blaine Anderson, my delicious new artist.”

The color had slowly drained from Blaine's face, neither of them saying a word.

“Hey Kurt,” said Grant, putting an arm around Kurt's shoulders, “Did you meet my new star?” 

“Grant, I'm afraid we've bewitched your head of marketing. I've never seen Kurt speechless,” she laughed. Kurt opened his mouth to speak but Sugar and Grant whisked Blaine away before he could say anything.

Kurt stood there, stunned. He had convinced himself he'd never see the mysterious man again, even though he'd gone back to Ms. Kelli's a few times in hopes of running into him. He'd even spent an entire day telling himself their encounter had never happened in the first place, that it was all a dream. And now here he was, the sexiest man Kurt had ever seen in real life, in the label conference room.

“Hey everybody,” Grant said, tapping the microphone. The noise in the room faded as people found their seats. Kurt stood, immobile, by the back door. “While you're finding your seats I wanted to tell you a little bit about our newest signing to Vine Records, Blaine Anderson.

I first saw Blaine at a tiny dive bar in Columbus, Ohio. I was actually there to see another artist, but it was Blaine who caught my attention with his soulful voice and captivating storytelling. But, I don't want to say too much, I'd rather you see for yourself. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a great Vine Records welcome to Blaine Anderson.”

Polite claps scattered throughout the room as Blaine walked up to the mic and plugged in his acoustic guitar.

“Thanks, Grant. I'm Blaine Anderson and I'm really excited to be here.”

Kurt leaned against the back wall and closed his eyes, his mind reeling. Maybe he was wrong and this guy wasn't The Guy. It had been dark in the bar, even darker in the alley. It couldn't possibly be the same guy.

Kurt opened his eyes and gulped. There was no mistaking those eyes. Those lips. Those hands.

“Isn't he stunning? Girls are going to lose their minds over him.” Sugar had come to the back of the room to stand next to Kurt.

“Guys, too,” Kurt said, watching the veins in Blaine's forearms as he strummed his guitar. 

“Keep it in your pants, Kurtsie, he's straight,” Sugar smirked, inspecting her pointy manicure.

“Straight,” Kurt said, as if saying it out loud would make it any more believable. “You sure he's not a little…gray?”

“Nuh-uh, Honey, straight as an arrow. With a different girl, or a group of girls, every night. The man is walking sex. But that doesn't mean we can't market to your boys, too. I'm nothing if not an equal opportunist!” 

Kurt replayed the fateful night in his mind for the millionth time. 

Blaine had approached him. Blaine had made the first move. Blaine was all over him.

Straight my ass, Kurt said, under his breath.

—————

There was a meeting planned for after the showcase. Sugar was going to bring Blaine to Kurt's office so Kurt could wow him with his vast marketing knowledge. It was standard procedure when a new artist was signed, but today Kurt was completely off his game.

He'd left the showcase early and was pacing his office floor. Professionally speaking, Blaine was everything he could hope for: incredible voice, incredible songs, incredible face. Personally speaking, Kurt wasn't sure how he was going to forge a professional relationship with the man he'd groped in an alley.

“Knock, knock,” Sugar said, walking into Kurt's office with Blaine trailing behind her. “Blaine, you remember Kurt?”

Blaine held out his hand, “Hi, Kurt. I'm Blaine.” His eyes were on Kurt, a subtle pleading in his expression.

Kurt paused a fraction too long before taking Blaine's hand. “Wonderful to meet you. I really enjoyed the showcase.” Kurt could feel Blaine trembling. He was scared.

“Thanks,” Blaine said.

Sugar's phone trilled and she fished around her giant bag, finally pulling it out and half-shouting, “You're go for Sugar!” Kurt and Blaine looked at her, handshake forgotten but their hands still linked. She held up one finger and stepped out into the hall.

Kurt realized their hands were still joined and let go, clearing his throat and looking at Blaine.

“So. I'm finally able to put a name with the face.”

Blaine sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don't know what to say.”

“Sugar thinks you're straight.”

Blaine's head jerked up, a fire in his eyes. “I am.”

Kurt laughed, one single huff of disbelief and crossed his arms. “I hate to be the one to break this to you but, I am a man. And what you did to me in that alley was anything but straight.”

“That was…I'm…that was a mistake.” Blaine's expression was hard, the sparkle vanished from his eyes.

“So you're in-“

“You can't tell anyone, Kurt.”

Kurt paused, a cold shiver running through him. “I'm not in the habit of outing people, that's not my style. But that night, you came onto me. I don't understand.”

“I'm not gay,” Blaine said, his voice shaking.

Sugar barged back into Kurt's office. “That was Tony from publishing. He says Fox has a major pilot that wants to use “This Way” in all their ads leading up to launch. There's also an option for it to be the theme song for the show.”

Blaine and Kurt were both silent, Blaine looking at the floor with his hands shoved down the front pockets of his dark skinny jeans.

“Did you hear me, Blaine? If this deal goes through it will line your pockets, and mine, so full you won't be able to zip up those insanely tight pants you insist on wearing.”

“Yeah, no, it's great,” Blaine said, eyes remaining on the floor. “Thanks, Sugar.”

“Don't thank me, Love, it's your brilliant song that got the placement.” Sugar looked at Blaine and then at Kurt. “Did I miss something here? What's with you two?”

“Nothing's with us. That's really great news. It will definitely give us a great talking point to launch the single.” Kurt said, schooling his face and uncrossing his arms. He'd made a decision. He wasn't going to let this go so easily.

“Listen, I've got some ideas for your record,” Kurt said, turning to Blaine, “and I'd love to go over them with you. I'd also love get to know you, the man behind the guitar, that sort of thing. Are you free for dinner? You could come to my place, I'll cook, and we can discuss the launch.”

Blaine looked at Kurt, his eyes wide and skeptical. “I don't…is that…I don't know if I should.”

Sugar sighed and shoved Blaine's shoulder. “Of course you should. He'd love to, Kurt. I've got something else tonight so you two will have to fend for yourselves. I'll see to it that Blaine is delivered to your doorstep at…seven? You still in the Viridian?”

“Yes. I'll see you at seven, Blaine,” Kurt said, sitting down at his desk and opening his laptop.

“Yeah, I guess you will,” Blaine said. Kurt looked up from his screen but Blaine was already gone.

—————-

“Libby, I think I've done something really stupid.”

“As if you, Captain Perfection, could ever do anything remotely stupid.”

Kurt and Libby were at Frothy Monkey on 12th. Kurt had called her for an emergency meeting, which he never did. Libby was usually the one in crisis and Kurt's request to meet her for coffee made her nervous.

“What's up? You seem…prickly.”

“Do you remember the guy I told you about? The one from Ms. Kelli's?”

“You mean the guy no one else saw but you swear was real and had a giant cock and practically boned you in the alley?” Libby swirled her coffee cup and chugged what was left. “That guy?”

“First of all, I never said anything about the size of his…anatomy. Secondly, we didn't bone, we made out.”

“…like wild animals, I believe you mentioned?”

“Okay, okay, I've talked about him a lot and how insanely hot he was, whatever. Imagine my surprise when he waltzed into the conference today as Vine's newest fresh face.”

“SHUT THE HELL UP,” Libby shouted, slamming her coffee mug onto the table.

Kurt laid his head down and groaned.

“Kurt, you have to be shitting me, seriously. Your guy, THE guy, is a new artist at the label? Holy shit.”

Kurt didn't say anything, just nodded his head against the polished wood of the cafe table.

“Oh. My. God. Holy shit. Holy shit. What are you going to do?”

Kurt lifted his head and rested his chin in his hands. “I haven't told you the best part.”

Libby mimicked Kurt's position, chin in hands, and waited.

“He thinks, or rather said, he's….he said he's straight.”

“Holy SHIT, KURT. WHAT THE HELL.” Libby smacked her hands on the table, eliciting a shush from a hipster in headphones two tables away.

“And he's coming to my place tonight. So I can cook dinner for him and discuss my ideas for his record.”

Libby shook her head back and forth, smiling. “Oh you're in deep shit this time, aren't you. Shit.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Well what the hell else am I supposed to say, Kurt? You've been obsessing about this guy for weeks. I wasn't even sure he was real and now you're telling me he's your new artist? And he's coming over tonight? And he's straight?  Holy Shit.”

“Yeah. Holy shit.”