Double Take

The fake fire blazed in the fireplace. The flickering flames sent dancing shadows over the holiday decorations giving the loft a surreal look. But the guys were in their same old places doing the same old thing.

"We have a bunch of places we're supposed to be on New Year's Eve this year, Brian," Justin brought up the subject Brian was expecting but nor eager to discuss. "Where do you want to be when 2007 arrives?"

"Right here," Brian told him. "Just the two of us. Right here - like we were last year."

"Well if we get two feet of snow again this year, that's probably just where we'll be," Justin remembered. "But we really can't disappoint our friends who are looking forward to spending part of their New Year's Eve with the great Brian Kinney. I think that brings them good luck or something. We don't want to ruin their good luck."

"I guess we do have to go out, Baby," Brian acquiesced. "You like crowds and we don't want to seem anti-social, I suppose. But you asked me where I'd like to be and I told you."

"That is a romantic thing to say, Kinney," Justin told him. "It's really neat how romantic you are sometimes. I think maybe I can take 'Get more romantic' off your list of New Year's resolutions for this year."

"If you're planning to make a set of New Year's resolutions for me again, Twink," Brian mused. "Maybe I'd like to change where I want to be when 2007 gets here. I think I'd like to be in Ibiza - by myself maybe."

"That's funny, Bri," Justin came back. "You are getting really funny too. If I had 'Get funny' on your resolutions list, I could probably also take that off - but I didn't have that on the list."

"OK, Twink," Brian conceded. "Go ahead and make me a list of New Year's resolutions. But there's gonna be something added this year. I'm going to make a set of New Year's resolutions for you too - and we can both make a promise to keep them. I think I have some for you that you'll really love - and my life will be a lot easier too."

"Cut it out, Brian," Justin demanded. "You're scaring me. You know I was only kidding and you sound serious. You know I'm not good with New Year's resolutions."

"Oh I think you're pretty good at making them all right - especially for somebody else," Brian grinned. "And at keeping your own too - for a week or so."

"Well anyhow," Justin successfully changed the subject, "We have to go to Mikey's in the afternoon because that's when he's having open house. And Linz is having some stuff in the early evening so Gus can be involved so that's when we have to be there. And the big party is at Deb's and we have to be there part of the time at least. Ted is helping with the party at the Gay and Lesbian Center so we ought to stop by there, and Bri, we have to stop at Cynthia's. She's having a party for Kinnetics staff and you just have to show up."

" Geez," Brian exclaimed. "Your damn list of social engagements is worse than your list of New Year's resolutions. I think I just might head out for Ibiza."

"No you won't either, Brian. You know I can't help it if everybody loves you and wants to see you on the big night," Justin responded. "That's not my fault. I kind of like it though - as long as nobody loves you too much. I don't want anybody trying to take over my job."

"I got an idea," Brian spoke up with some enthusiasm. "We can tell everybody we were somewhere else and got held up so we missed their party - and we can just stay home."

"That is an absolutely reprehensible idea, Brian Kinney," Justin reacted. "Appealing maybe - but reprehensible nevertheless. And as attractive as it might sound, I think I'd feel guilty."

"You pick all the wrong things to feel guilty about, Twink" Brian laughed. "OK, you win. You determine the itinerary and I'll just tag along with you wherever and whenever. I'll pretend I'm happy because I want you to be happy - but I'm glad New Year's Eve only comes once a year."

Justin didn't answer so Brian eventually went on: "You look like you're thinking, Baby," he suggested. "I don't think I like it all that much when you're thinking."

"Hey, Brian," the kid acted as if he hadn't heard Brian at all. "I've just been thinking. You know how we always have two Thanksgivings - one for the world and one just for us. What about two New Year's Eves?"

"So 2007 is going to arrive twice?" Brian wondered.

"Nope," Justin told him. "But one of our Thanksgivings isn't on Thanksgiving either - so just pick a date, maybe the day before New Year's Eve or the day after - or whenever you want - and we can have our own New Year's Eve party for just the two of us."

"With no resolutions," Brian postulated.

"Not a resolution anywhere," Justin assured him.

"You've got a deal," Brian committed. "Will we have noisemakers and balloons too?"

"Whatever you want, Sweetheart," Justin responded with a slight snicker. "JT aims to keep BK happy. You can even play those old Guy Lombardi records if you want to. I especially like Boo Hoo. And maybe we can go over to the park for a while and do a couple of runs on our sled."

"Yeah," Brian had to smile. "Us two big guys on one sled."

"Works for me," Justin told him. "I hope you're not complaining."

"No. I'm not," Brian told him. "It's crowded on that sled but I can make do."

"And you can pull me home on the sled afterwards if you want to," Justin proposed, "Like you did last year."

"Not unless I got a steel helmet for Christmas - which I don't remember getting," Brian came back. "I was nice enough to do that last year and you hit me in the back of the head with a snowball. For no reason either."

"Love, Brian," Justin corrected him. "Love made me do it. I love you so much that I couldn't control myself. That's why I did it. It was love."

"And here I thought it was the devil who made you do it," Brian laughed. "But, you know, Baby J, I love you every bit as much as you love me, so maybe…."

"But you also have better self-control, Sweetheart," Justin cooed. "You are always in complete control of yourself."

"Then maybe I should make a resolution," Brian came back at him with a semi-leer.

"I don't think you need any resolution like that," Justin semi-leered back at him. "I really don't. It's not a good idea to make unnecessary resolutions."

"Maybe not," Brian decided. "But you know something else, Baby, that 'getting names wrong' business is my little trick so just get some of your own. It's Guy Lombardo and you know it. And I think I'm going to get those records out and play some right now - if you don't mind - or maybe even if you do."

"And what'll you be playing, Bri?" Justin grinned at him. "Boo Hoo?"

"Nah," Brian told him. "Boo Hoo is more your type of song. My favorite Lombardo record is Enjoy Yourself, It's Later Than You Think."

And that's what he played. And they both listened too. It might have been later than they thought - but they were still able to prove it was not too late to enjoy themselves - and that Brian certainly did not need that last resolution he had been considering..

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