Quite a Following

The fake fireplace was alight in the loft.  Justin displayed a half-smile on his face as the denizens thereof lowered themselves onto the floor facing the flashing flames.

"OK, Brian," Justin opened the conversation.  "I know you've been just waiting till now to yell at me so here we are.  Go ahead and yell.  It could be that this time, just maybe mind you, I might deserve it."

"If you know that you deserve it, Twink," Brian replied, "My point is already made.  Why would I bother to yell at you?  The only reason I ever speak to you about stuff, not yell by the way, is when I need to convince you that you're wrong.  So why would I yell now if you already admit you're wrong?"

"Because it would make you feel better maybe?" Justin proposed.  "I think you derive some malicious pleasure from yelling at me.  And maybe also because you want to know just what was going on.  You usually like to know what's going on."

"You are right, I guess," Brian spoke - but was careful not to yell.  "What the hell were you doing following me around in a big black SUV this afternoon?  And where the hell did you get a big black SUV?  And please tell me that you didn't get into an accident with it after you quit tailing me.  Geez, Baby, hedges and trees aren't safe now with you driving that red pipsqueak of yours.  With that monster, a giant sequoia wouldn’t have a chance."

"Sequoias are safe if they stay 3000 miles away from me and they're smart trees, Bri.  They do," Justin replied.  "Not that I accept that your remarks about my driving are warranted at all.  That was not what you were supposed to yell at me about.  Anyhow, the SUV is Malcolm's.  He just got it yesterday and he wanted me to drive it to see how it handled."

"Well, the one thing good about that is that you drive just a little bit better than Malcolm does," Brian reasoned.  "What does he want with an SUV anyhow?"

"He has to move scenery around sometimes," Justin explained.  "It didn't always fit in his other car so he traded it in.  The Shellcoffs have a lot of money, Bri, so they can afford it."

"So could we afford it," Brian smiled, "But you are absolutely not to even think of getting an SUV. Got it.  I'll think about it a bit before I decide if it's OK for you to drive Malcolm's."

"What do you mean, 'You'll think about it?'" Justin seemed taken aback.  "Don't I make my own decisions?"

"Sometimes," Brian grinned.  "But I promised your dad, I'd make sure you didn't do any crazy stuff, so I'm acting 'in loco parentis.'"

"Well you're 'loco' enough," Justin laughed back at him.  "But I'm over twenty-one and I can make my own decisions without any loco parentis at all."

"Yeah, you can," Brian told him,  "As long as you decide what I tell you to decide."

"Did anybody ever inform you that you are pretty bossy, Brian Kinney?" Justin asked him.

"Just one pesty kid – and he complained about everything so it didn't matter," Brian responded.  "Now will you just shut up for a while – if that's not too bossy – or even if it is."

"I will if you make it worth my while," The kid came back.

Brian must have been able to do that because a fairly long period of silence ensued – and it was Brian who eventually resumed the discussion.

"OK, Kiddo, you told me about the SUV but you did not explain why you were following me around," Brian said.  "I was just driving from the office to Del's to have lunch with some clients.  You could have figured that out.  And even if you didn't, there was no need to be following me."

"It was on a dare, Bri," Justin responded.  "Somebody said maybe you were on your way to pick up some gorgeous hunk.  They said I was afraid to follow you."

"Now that does not sound like Malcolm," Brian expressed disbelief.  "He knows better than that – and you know he knows better than that.  And since he was the only other person in the SUV with you….  I might really yell at you if you tell me you were on a cell phone while you were driving that truck.  I didn't see any cell phone."

"Malcolm was the only other person in the front sear where you could see him," Justin corrected Brian's assumption.  "There was another person in the back seat.  It was him who dared me.  I'd rather not tell you who, but I'm going to have to so I will.  It was Hix."

"Hix," Brian recoiled.  "Hix.  I didn't like him very much before but now I like him even less.  Smart aleck SOB – arguing with me about George Washington.  You know what, Baby, I want you to match him up with Rodney.  They deserve each other."

"Didn't you say though that Hix was OK looking?" Justin commented.

"What I said, Baby," Brian recalled. "Was that on a very bad night in the olden days, I might have given him a tumble despite his looks.  But once I found out about his awful personality…. He actually argued with me about George Washington."

"And I thought you didn't approve of my match-making either?" Justin was laughing.

"Mostly I don't," Brian admitted, "But it's OK when I decide who gets matched up."

"Double standard," Justin grouched.  "Tell you what I'll do though.  I'll match Hix up with Rodney if you promise not ever to tease me again about Rodney chasing me."

"Well he does chase you around," Brian stood his ground.  "He likes you a lot, Baby."

"What you're saying then, Bri," Justin concluded, "Is that if somebody follows somebody else around, then the first someone who's following must be in love with the second someone that he's following around?"

"It is?"  Brian wondered.

"It certainly is," Justin told Brian.  "So what you're also doing is yelling at me for being in love with you.  That is exactly what you're doing.  Just think about it for a minute."

Brian did think about it - for a lot longer than a minute - in the quiet period that followed this exchange.  He was also able to pull Justin closer to him at the same time.  But again it was Brian who broke the silence.

"I guess it will be all right if you follow me around every once in a while, Baby," He decided.  "Now that you've explained your motivation."

"OK, Sweetheart," Justin nuzzled Brian's face with his nose.  "Whatever you say."

"But not in any SUV," Brian told him.  "I don't want you driving that SUV, OK?  No SUVs?"

"OK, Sweetheart," Justin put his head on Brian's shoulder.  "Whatever you say."

"I'm not getting too bossy then, am I?" Brian asked.

"Shut up, Brian," Justin did a little bossing himself.

"I will if you make it worth my while," Brian challenged.

"You know something, Bri," Justin complained just slightly.  "I don't think you're following me at all.  That is exactly what I've been trying to do."

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