A Prize Valentine
“I guess it was just a case of lack of communication, Brian,” Justin presumed -
with an air of petulance - as he arranged the breakfast dishes in the
dishwasher. “But it could have been embarrassing all right.”
“Well, I’ll admit that I sometimes think we do have a lack of communication
around here, JT,” Brian replied, “but not this time. I didn’t know it was a
contest either so there was no way I could have told you it was a contest. I
didn’t know anything about any contest – till I heard you won. But you don’t
really have any complaint, Sweetheart. You won, didn’t you?”
“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin explained. “What you told me was that the Gay and
Lesbian Center was collecting valentine designs – cause there aren’t many
valentines available especially for gays – and they were gonna print them up and
sell them as a fund-raiser. You said I should contribute a design since I’m into
art and all. I didn’t much like the idea but ….”
“I hope you’re not about to tell me you only did it because I wanted you to,”
Brian laughed at him. “The only times you ever do anything I want you to do, Mr.
Taylor, is when you want to do it too….”
“Oh no,” Justin disagreed. “That’s not true – not at all. I do always make my
own valentine for you every year – but I don’t do valentines in general. Not my
kind of stuff - and you know it. When I first heard about the Center collecting
designs, I just ignored it till you….”
“So you did hear about it before I told you, Taylor,” Brian told him. “Then you
should have known that it was a competition.”
“When I ignore stuff, Kinney,” Justin told him back, “I ignore it. I’m not
interested in all the details of stuff I’m ignoring.”
“Well now – that surprises me – but anyhow, you won, Baby,” Brian reasoned.
“It’s not like you lost to some amateur or anything …..”
“But I shouldn’t have even entered any competition with amateurs, BK,” Justin
pointed out. “I’m like - a professional artist – and it’s like – not fair. I
thought I was just contributing a design. But what if I did lose? It coulda
happened. The judges were probably just amateurs too - so what would they know?”
“Well, Linz was one of the judges, Sunshine,” Brian said, “and she picked the
other two judges - so they probably knew something – and like – you did win …..”
“Gee whiz, Bri,” Justin complained. “Why didn’t she pick me for a judge? She
should have. Maybe she doesn’t think I know enough – or that I’m all that good –
or …?”
“You know better than that, Baby,” Brian smiled at him. “Actually she told me
yesterday – when she told me that the winner they had picked anonymously was
your entry - that she had been planning to pick you as a judge – till I told her
I thought you should design a valentine for the Center – since you always make a
special one for me – and they are always so really special too…..”
“You think the valentines I make for you are really special?” Justin echoed –
with a smile breaking out on his face. “You like – never told me that before ….”
“Well they are special – just because you make them for me,” Brian informed him.
“But not just because of that - they are special kinds of valentines too – so I
thought you should do one for the Center – and your entry was really great – and
the judges must have thought so too - so I was right – as usual ….”
“Well then,” Justin seemed to be satisfied. “When you like – put it that way - I
guess it’ll be OK. No permanent damage. I guess I’m not mad or anything. We can
just forget all about it.”
“Well, maybe we can’t exactly forget all about it completely, Sweetheart,” Brian
allowed. “Not quite yet. anyway. We are having lunch with Mikey and Ben
later…..”
“So what?” Justin wanted to know. “What difference does that make? We won’t even
need to bring up the subject with Mike and Ben…..”
“You’re right about that, Babe,” Brian was grinning. “Absolutely right. We won’t
have to bring up the subject at all – I’m pretty sure of that - but it might
just come up anyhow. I guess I have to tell you - in the spirit of improved
communication. Mikey decided to enter the contest too – and for some reason or
another he didn’t know you had an entry - and he wasn’t expecting to win or
anything either – but he came out like - second….”
“You have to be kidding, Kinney” Justin groaned. “Mikey came in second? I
shouldn’t have even been in the stupid contest at all - and then Mikey came in
second?”
“Yep,” Brian reassured him. “Believe it or not - that’s just what happened.”
“Gee whiz, Brian,” Justin laughed. “How come there’s no lack of communication
around here when it comes to disasters?”
“Guess we’re just better with disasters, Honey,” Brian concluded – wrapping his
arm around the twink. “More experience.”
Then they both laughed.
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