Wanted Poster

 

The fireplace was lit – a little earlier than usual too. One of the guys was seated on the floor of the loft, looking at the flashing flames. The other wasn’t.

“Hey, Taylor,” Brian called with feigned urgency. “Here I am – in front of our neat fireplace – all alone. Isn’t there something the matter with that scenario?”

“Brian Kinney,” Justin called back in kind. “You knew I had about fifteen minutes work left on this poster and you deliberately lit that fireplace early – just so you could complain – which is exactly what you’re doing now – so you should be satisfied. You got what you wanted.”

“I lit this fireplace early because I just couldn’t wait to get my arms around you, JT,” Brian protested. “That’s what I wanted. But a lot you care about what I want….”

At that point Justin sidled into position next to Brian on the floor and nestled himself under Brian’s arm.

“OK, Kinney,” he told Brian, “You win – as usual. Here I am. The poster still isn’t quite finished though. I know you were just joking but here I am anyway. I guess I’ll just wait till you go to bed and then I’ll finish up with the poster.”

“Now who’s joking?” Brian grinned as he squeezed the kid a little tighter. “That poster won’t be getting any more work from you until tomorrow and you know it. Don’t know why you brought work home either. I never do.”

“Yeah, you do, Brian,” Justin reminded him. “Every time you want advice from me that you don’t want everybody at Kinnetics to know about. Not that they don’t know anyway. Well, I brought that poster home because I wanted just a little advice. The damn thing’s advertising, you know, and I thought I knew this advertising guy who would be glad to help – and he did – and I want to thank him …..”

“You will, Baby,” Brian leered. “And since that poster was a damn Ethan poster, that might take some extra trying. And - you’ll have to thank me again if you think you’re gonna drag me to….”

“The Pittsburgh Ladies’ Tuesday Afternoon Musical Society Benefit Concert,” Justin laughingly finished for him. “A violin recital by Pittsburgh Symphony violinist Ethan Gold for their scholarship fund.”

“That’s the event I was referring to,” Brian affirmed with a grin. “When is it anyhow? Which Tuesday afternoon?”

“It’s the first Thursday of next month, Honey,” Justin, still laughing, informed him. “8:00 PM - in the main auditorium at the Institute. Tickets $50 per person with additional donations graciously accepted.”

“You know what, Baby,” Brian chimed in. “I did advise that they change their name to something a little shorter – and that was before I knew the Tuesday Afternoon Society was having this major event on Thursday night – but my advice on that score was totally ignored.”

“I don’t think they ever do anything on Tuesday afternoons any more, Bri, but your advice was solicited only on the specific subject of the poster,” Justin reminded him. “And every single suggestion you made about that was incorporated – or will be incorporated when I get back to finish that poster – if ever - and The Pittsburgh Ladies’ Tuesday Afternoon Musical Society is not likely to be changing it’s name either. It’s been around like maybe a thousand years. Mr. Simon’s great-grandmother was one of the founders.”
“Do I know Mr. Simon?” Brian wondered. “And how does he fit in? I think you did mention Mr. Simon before.”

“Yep - I already told you, Brian,” Justin replied. “I guess you weren’t listening. Mr. Simon and his wife are co-presidents of TPLTAMS. They’re the ones who asked me to do the poster – but I think they got my name from Ethan.”

“Co-presidents?” Brian decided. “That won’t ever work, I don’t think. A really bad idea. One boss at a time, I say. And this Mr. Simon shouldn’t be president of any ladies’ group either. The president should be a woman. Bet he’s only co-president because his wife got elected. I take it that he is a member of TPTLMAS?”

“You are really something, Brian Kinney, my troglodyte love,” Justin was laughing again. “And remarkably consistent too. You even managed to get the name of the Society wrong. And yeah, the Society has male members. You are so last-century, Mr. Kinney. Things are a-changin’, ya know – or do you?”

“Yeah, I do know, Sweetheart,” Brian told him. “And some things should change and some thing should not change….”

”And Brian Kinney should decide which things change and which things don’t?” Justin presumed. “Right?”

“Exactly, Baby,” Brian nodded in complete agreement. “So I guess Pittsburgh Symphony violinist Ethan Gold will be playing the xylophone at this big benefit concert. Heaven forbid a violinist should play a violin at the Tuesday Society’s Thursday night concert.”

“Nope,” Justin informed him. “He’ll be playing the violin all right. Tom will accompany him on the piano. But, you know what, I’m not going to try to get you to go. You probably wouldn’t enjoy it. I would like your permission for me to go though. I should go – and Malcolm is going – and Ted….”

“You’re not going to try to get me to go?” Brian seemed surprised. “Baby – that makes me just a little suspicious. You trying some slightly different ploy to get me to go, I guess? Can’t fool Brian Kinney.”

“Gee whiz, Brian,” Justin protested. “I just thought maybe you wouldn’t want to go. That’s all. Why would I not want you to go?”

“I don’t know, Baby,” Brian replied, “but I think maybe I’ll go anyhow. I’ll get to be with you – and I’ll be helping out some impoverished music student – like Ethan was – so he won’t have to go out and try to steal somebody else’s boy-friend….”

“Cut it out, Brian,” Justin said as he cuddled closer and brought the whole discussion to a significant pause. “Nobody’s ever gonna steal your boy-friend and you know it too …”

And Brian did seem to know that – not that he was resisting any further evidence however.

It was considerably later when Justin took up the discussion again. “Brian,” he announced. “Ethan will be playing the Meditation from Thais at the concert. He didn’t want to - but the Simon’s really wanted him to play it. It has some kind of special meaning for them.”

“Just like it had some kind of special meaning for you and Ethan?” Brian was grinning as he spoke. “Wasn’t that your special song – you and Ethan’s?”

“Please cut it out, Brian,” Justin pleaded. “You know I know what a big mistake that whole thing was…. But it was partly your fault too, Kinney….”

“OK, Baby,” Brian backed off. “If I have to take part of the blame, I’ll cut it out. It wouldn’t take you all that long till I had all of the blame. But, you know what, Honey, I won’t go to the concert if you don’t want me to…..”

“Gee whiz, Brian,” Justin countered. “Now that you know what Ethan is playing, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t come. Of course I want you to come. You know I’d love to have you come.”

”And you know what, Baby,” Brian remonstrated. “You sure do change your mind a lot.”

”Do not either,” Justin protested mildly. “I hardly ever change my mind – and you know it too. Justin Taylor is not a mind changer at all.”

“OK, Baby,” Brian seemed to accede. “Whatever you say. If you say that Justin Taylor does not change his mind, then Justin Taylor does not change his mind. But you know what else. I think I’m ready to go to bed now, so I’ll just do that and let you get back to your computer and that concert poster.”

“Yeah, BK,” it was Justin’s turn to leer, as he brushed his hair against Brian’s cheek. “Like that’s gonna happen.”

 

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