The Fat Lady Has Sung

It was almost midnight when the fireplace in the loft finally got lit and the guys settled themselves in front of it. Brian had a grin on his face as he circled the kid with his arm. He was anticipating – and anticipating quite correctly and with some amusement too – so he was not surprised when and how Justin opened the discussion.

“OK, Kinney,” Justin told him. “I’ve been nice all night but now I am seriously mad at you.”

“I figured you might be,” Brian replied with a sly grin. “I marveled at your restraint all through the evening though. Nobody had the slightest idea that you were mad at me. You seemed to be having such a wonderful time all night. Actually I didn’t think you could carry it off so neatly.”

“Well maybe I did enjoy myself just a little bit, Brian – but that was a really sneaky trick you pulled on me,” Justin reasoned. “You were supposed to be taking me out for an intimate dinner at the Opera Lounge before Boheme – just the two of us – and then you had this whole crowd there – and you weren’t even….”

”Supposed to know that Brandon and Jason were going to be seated right in front of us for the performance,” Brian finished the thought. “Or even there at all, I guess. But wasn’t that a sneaky trick on your part?”

“No, it was not a sneaky trick, Bri,” Justin explained. “It was a cute little surprise – that’s what it was – and you weren’t supposed to know - so how did you find out anyhow? Jason wasn’t supposed to tell you.”

”And he didn’t, Baby,” Brian explained back. “But he did have to eventually tell Brandon about going to the opera. Turns out, Brandon had never seen an opera and he got a little panicky- so he thought about the most cultured person he could think of for advice – and phoned me with some questions.”

“Guess the most cultured person he knew was unavailable,” Justin had to grin in spite of himself. “Otherwise you might never have found out. Darn the bad luck.”

“Well, I did find out though,” Brian taunted. “And me and Brandon figured it all out - and we decided to pull a cute surprise for you two - so we planned our little pre-opera shindig. We found out that Ted and Blake were also going Thursday and Malcolm and Hunter too. I heard that Hunter’s school is applying for the rights to stage Rent so Hunter thought seeing Boheme would help….”

“Well, you’re lucky you didn’t invite Emmett, Mr. Kinney,” Justin pointed out. “Just lucky, that’s all. Did you see that old lady at the next table in the ugly lilac gown and the fake pearls? That was Mrs. Schickle – poor old George’s ex. You could have had a disaster if Emmett had been there. Would have served you right too – trying to plan a party without my expertise. Gee whiz, Kinney.”

“It was not a party at all, Sweetheart,” Brian insisted. “It was just a cute surprise for you and Jason – in response to your cute surprise for me and Brandon.”

“Yours was not a cute surprise at all, Brian,” Justin told him. “It was a kind of sneaky trick. That’s what it was.”

“And just how can you tell a cute surprise from a sneaky trick, Baby?” Brian wondered. “I guess I need to find out the difference. Wouldn’t want to make the same mistake again.”

“Intention, Brian,” Justin said. “Our intention was to enhance your enjoyment of the opera by providing friends for you to share the experience with. Your intention was to make me and Jason look silly. There’s the difference.”

“You know what, Babe,” Brian laughed. “It never occurs to me that I need to make you look silly - never. There are some things you do so much better than I ever could…. Fortunately your embarrassment did not affect your appetite….”

"Now you just cut it out right now, Brian Kinney,” Justin smiled at him. “I might be willing to forgive you just this once….”

And the discussion abruptly ceased at this point - for a pretty long time too - as Justin seemingly wanted to express his singular forgiveness and Brian seemingly wanted to express his gratitude – both of which they seemingly accomplished admirably. But the conversation did eventually resume….

“Were you surprised at how much Brandon and Jason liked the opera, Bri?” Justin asked in reopening the chat. “I think I was.”

“Yeah, me too,” Brian agreed. “And I think they were surprised themselves. They were really gung-ho though. Even wanting to subscribe for next year yet – and wanting us to subscribe too….”

"Well, we don’t need to subscribe if you don’t want to, Bri,” Justin told him. “I wouldn’t mind but I don’t want you to feel that we need to. Whatever you want to do…. But you did promise them that we’d go again with them later this season to Marriage of Figaro so….”

“Figured that was one way to avoid another cute surprise,” Brian squeezed the kid. “At least I’ll know what’s going on for a change….”

“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin laughed at him. “You sure do like to play the ‘victim’ card. You had a good time tonight and we both know it. You enjoyed the dinner - and the opera - and the dessert afterwards at Gino’s too. I’ll bet you’ll want to subscribe for next year for sure – but you’ll want to be the sacrificial lamb too. You are something else, Brian.”

“Is that good-looking substitute tenor coming back again next year?” Brian wanted to know.

“Yeah, he is,” Justin affirmed. “But so is the fat ugly tenor who cancelled this time. He only had the one appendix so he’ll probably be able to show up next season. So if….”

“Does the opera sell partial season subscriptions?” Brian interrupted.

“Oh cut it out, Brian,” Justin responded. “I’ll bet you didn’t even notice that really good-looking tenor up there on stage – you wouldn’t have needed to - since you had me sitting there right next to you….”

“Well, you seem to have noticed him and you were sitting right next to me,” Brian accused the twink, “And you - always claiming that I’m the one and only guy for you in the whole wide world.”

“Well you are, Brian,” Justin assured him. “You are the one and only guy in the whole world for me – but maybe I wouldn’t want to hear you sing Rodolfo all that much….”

“OK, Baby,” Brian accepted that limitation, “As long as there are other things I can do that you do appreciate - maybe even more than me singing opera….”

“Like …?” Justin began to tease - but did not finish – as the discussion paused for yet another considerable period – while they thought about those other things that Brian could do - in the absence of an operatic type voice – that Justin might appreciate.

“You know what, Brian,” Justin eventually resumed - some time later. “The lady who sang Mimi was kind of hefty for somebody who was dying from starvation and TB and all. Looked pretty healthy to me….”

“I didn’t even notice her size, Baby,” Brian allowed. “I was just listening to her sing. She has a great voice. The important thing about opera is the singing after all – not looks.”

“For the women, that is,” Justin laughed. “The guys have to have more than just a voice for you though, I guess. Or maybe they don’t even need to have much of a voice if….”

“Maybe,” Brian mused thoughtfully in response. “That could be, I guess. Maybe I am a little shallow where opera's concerned. I know what a purist you are – and voices come first and foremost with you But I’ll admit maybe the guys’ looks do make a difference to me. I hope that doesn’t bother you too much, Baby.”

"Not at all, Sweetheart” Justin told him as he dropped his head onto Brian’s shoulder and nestled in a little closer. “I love you just the way you are. Wanna sing me something from Boheme?”

 

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