Field Trip
The guys had just taken their places on the floor of the loft in front of their fake fireplace. Brian was smiling as he accused the kid, “How come you told me during dinner? Why didn’t you wait for help from the fireplace?”
“What are you talking about, Brian,” Justin replied. “What did I tell you at dinner?”
“The field trip,” Brian reminded him. “You told me that you were going as a chaperone on Gus’ class field trip to Carnegie Institute. I wasn’t hearing things, was I?”
“Well you weren’t hearing things I didn’t say,” Justin told him. “I did say that, but I didn’t think I needed the fireplace as back-up. I’m just going with Gus’ class. It’ll be from ten in the morning till three in the afternoon. You’ll be at work. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.”
“I guess I don’t,” Brian said, “But I’d be interested in knowing just how it all came about.”
“OK, Boss. You knew Linz and I were going to visit Gus’ school this morning,” Justin started. “We were supposed to talk a little bit about art since the kids are going on the field trip. They’ll spend part of their time in the art museum and part in the natural history museum, and we were supposed to tell them what they’ll be seeing.”
“I knew that,” Brian conceded.
“Well, Miss Otis said it would be great if one of us could come along on the tour,” Justin continued. “She said it would be nice if I could come because they don’t get many men as chaperones and she thought that would help. Last year one of the kids got his head stuck in a 2500-year-old skull.”
“Oh and you’d be just the one to keep a kid from getting his head stuck in an old skull,” Brian mused. “I bet that’s your specialty. Keeping kids from having any real fun.”
“Brian, Honey,” Justin said. “You’ve got me all mixed up. Something’s bothering you and I can’t figure it out. I’m going to help out on Gus’ field trip. I don’t see what the problem is. You surely don’t want to go.”
“How would you know I didn’t want to go?” Brian asked. “Nobody asked me. If they’re looking for men, I’m a man too.”
“Brian, you’ll be at work,” Justin laughed at him, “Trying to sell stuff they don’t need to people who can’t afford it – like expensive strawberry flavored water and extra-strong multi-colored toe-nail polish. My schedule is a lot more flexible so I can get away.”
“Some people think my profession calls people’s attention to products that can enhance their lives,” Brian rephrased, “Which they wouldn’t even know about without me. And I repeat, Baby, nobody asked me if I wanted to go on this field trip. Gus is my kid too.”
“Of course he is. I’m sure Miss Otis would be thrilled to have you if you could tear yourself away from work,” Justin grinned, “So, on behalf of Tiny Tots Transitions, I hereby ask you if you want to come along. If you do, I’ll call Miss Otis in the morning. Now you’ve been asked. Just say ‘No’ and we can get on with the evening, Sir.”
“Well I don’t want to,” Brian decided, “But it might just be my duty to come along, so maybe I will come. You know what though, Baby, if I did go, it might be better if nobody knew I went.”
“Brian,” Justin pointed out. “There are gonna be twenty kids on the tour and some other parents too. Gus is going to be so excited that I can’t believe he’ll be able to keep it a secret. Why would you need it to be a secret anyhow? It’s OK for big bad Brian Kinney to go on a field trip with the kids.”
“Well maybe we could tell them that you made me do it,” Brian proposed, ignoring Justin’s advice. “I guess somebody is bound to find out.”
“Brian,” Justin insisted. “You cannot tell anybody I made you do anything. I never made you do anything and I never will. I couldn’t make you do anything even if I wanted to, which I don’t. You know that and I know that.”
“Maybe we do, Kiddo,” Brian came back, “But we’re the only ones who know it. Everybody else in the whole world thinks you can get me to do anything you want me to. It just goes to show that you really can fool all of the people all of the time. Of course, Abe Lincoln only said what he said because he didn’t know us.”
“Yeah,” Justin agreed. “I was born too late to know Abe Lincoln, if he’s the one who said all that. Someday you must tell me all about him.”
There was a lull in the conversation at this point. Justin wondered if the subject would be revived.
Brian eventually broke the silence. “You really do know that advertisers enhance people’s lives, don’t you?” Brian stated.
“Well there’s this one advertising guy who really enhances my life,” Justin admitted. “And I try to enhance his life too.”
“Yeah you do, Twink,” Brian admitted. “You do enhance my life – and I love you - even if you are a big pain in the ass a lot of the time. I like things the way they are.”
“Brian Kinney,” Justin laughed. “You are so romantic. You think of so many different ways to say ‘I love you’ – just so many different ways – but all of them so heart-felt and romantic.”
“OK,” Brian returned to the subject. “Enough of this ‘love’ crap. Do you want me to come on that field trip or not?”
“It would be great to have you if you really want to come,” Justin told him, “But you’re going to have to behave yourself on the trip, Brian. You’re supposed to be an example for the kids to model their behavior after. I’ll be watching you.”
“And while you’re watching me, some kid will get his head stuck in some skull, I bet,” Brian teased.
“My job will be to see that Mr. Brian Kinney, noted businessman and field trip chaperone, does not get his own head stuck in an old skull.” Justin teased back. “You are to stay away from all skulls. That’s an order.”
“From the guy who would never try to make me do anything?” Brian wanted to know.
“Cut it out, Kinney,” Justin told him.
“Sounds like another order,” Brian concluded, “I guess I do have to go on the field trip because you want me to go.”
“I do want you to go, Bri,” Justin said, “But I want you to go because I can see how much you really want to go. I don’t think you have any idea at all why you want to go, but you do want to go. I guess it’s not easy turning into a real human being.”
“Yeah, it is,” Brian disagreed, “It can be easy if you have somebody special to help you.”
“To enhance you life while being a big pain in the ass a lot of the time?” Justin wondered.
“Yep,” Brian told him. “That’s about it.”
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