Fame and Fortune

Both of the guys wore enigmatic smiles as they positioned themselves in front of their blazing fake fireplace. And it was already into the wee small hours of the morning too – way too late for them to be doing what they were doing – but there wasn’t any choice – and they both knew it.

“That was the absolutely wildest night of my life, JT,” Brian immediately opened the discussion. “And I’ve had some pretty wild nights in my life too – in the old days I mean.”

“Wait a minute, Kinney,” Justin seemed to take moderate umbrage. “What do you mean ‘in the old days'? Like just when do you mean? What old days? Like maybe the new days are too tame for you?”

“Oh I guess I mean right up to last night, Sweetheart,” Brian explained. “Yep. That’s what I meant all right. The old days are like - right up to last night.”

“Well I thought that’s what you meant, Brian,” Justin grinned knowingly. “Just making sure though. Can’t let a potential insult go by unnoticed.”

“Good idea, Babe,” Brian breathed a sigh of relief. “But tonight was something else entirely. Did you know what was coming?”

“Well Rick and Shawn had kind of warned me on the internet but …” Justin admitted.

“So how did that crowd of screaming lunatics know they were staying at the William Penn, Taylor?” Brian wondered. “I just thought we could pick them up and take them – like just the five of us – Rick, Shawn, Robert and us two - up to Gino’s for an early dinner before the event so they could see the city from Mount Washington - but that bunch of crazy fans seemed to know we were picking them up at the hotel to take them out to dinner. Are they mind readers or something? I thought we might even walk for a while along Grandview Avenue and show them the sights but we would have needed storm troopers to try that.”

"I don’t think those fans knew as much as you think they did, Bri,” Justin told him. “Jim Thomas from the Post-Gazette told me the crowd looking for them at the Hilton was even larger than at the William Penn. Of course, once they were actually sighted, the word spread fast …”

"Well I think it has to be the first time ever that Gino’s was filled up for dinner by 4 o’clock – with like a couple of hundred others in line and trying to sneak in.” Brian laughed. “Those poor guys must have signed a million autographs and posed for at least that many pictures. Geez, Baby… I thought they were going to run out of food too – like they do when you show up for ‘all you can eat’ night.”

“OK, Kinney,” Justin grinned at him. “I am not responding to that last comment right now – but like I mentioned before – it did not pass unnoticed - and I’ll bring it up sometime when it can be useful to me. Count on it… But those guys are really famous, Brian – and they’re learning how to deal with fans. They were really nice to them. Even Gino wanted them to sign the menu …”

”For his daughter, I guess,” Brian supposed.

“Nope,” Justin corrected him. “It was for his wife – or so he said… Anyhow, you and Kinnetics got some valuable publicity. You and me are on the picture with the guys that the Post-Gazette is gonna publish tomorrow – and Ricky thanked us publicly at the Center later – and mentioned Kinnetics there too – and he also said what a great guy you are – and how much you had helped them in their careers …”

“And you with that knowing grin on your face all the time, Mr. Justin Taylor,” Brian remembered. “But you didn’t say anything – which was just as well - just like I didn’t say anything when Rick told the crowd what a great artist you are – probably you’ll be a sell-out at the gallery tomorrow – but then he also said they had a painting of yours on their living room wall which I was wondering about…”

“Well that wasn’t an actual lie, Kinney,” Justin pointed out. “It was rather what I like to call a ‘future statement’ because in a month or so it will be the actual truth. What they have on their wall now is the two ticket stubs from the seats I gave them the day I met them. They framed those stubs because they figure they marked the beginning of all their good luck. They’re gonna send me that and I’m going to do them a larger painting of the stubs. It will look better on the wall when they become millionaire actors.”

“Was that your idea or theirs, Baby?” Brian wanted to know.

“Actually it was theirs, Bri,” Justin replied. “But what difference does that make?”

"Like maybe I wanted to say it was a dumb idea and …” Brian told him. “But you are also gonna send them something else of yours too, JT. Something they can really be proud to have. That’s an official order. I’ll pick it out if you want me to… Since they think it’s like - my wise guidance that got them where they are...”

“That could be a ‘future statement’ too, sir,” Justin laughed. “They might really take some of your advice one day and they’ll have that picture to remember you by - when they get to the poorhouse… But actually, I have one picked out that I think I’d like to send Rick and Robert. You can have final approval on it though. And you can pick the one out to send to Shawn… He has to get one too. By the way, Kinney, Shawn said that if I ever decided to ditch you, he might be interested in …”

"Shawn is interested in you, Taylor,” Brian laughed. “You’d be like - robbing the cradle. That is funny, Kiddo. It would serve you right – getting stuck with a twink.”

“Nope,” Justin disagreed. “It wasn’t me he expressed interest in at all, Sweetheart. It was you. Guess he figured you’d be the more likely cradle robber – more experienced and all … So if I ever decide to ditch you, you can look to Shawn for comfort…”

Brian squeezed Justin affectionately. “You’re trying to provoke me into strangling you, Honey,” he told the kid. “Better watch out. You’re very persuasive. It just might work…”

“Not very likely, Brian,” Justin exuded confidence. “You are like – madly in love with me – and maybe a little dependent on me too - so you have no real thoughts about strangling me - but maybe you’re thinking…”

“OK, Baby,” Brian told him, “Cancel the strangling threat. It was probably more like a ‘future statement’ I guess. So do we see the fabulous Rickshaw and Robert – and their cast of thousands of camp followers - tomorrow - before they leave?”

“Well, Bri, I think these guys are gonna be our friends forever – Shawn too – so we’ll have to get used to the fuss and bother every once in a while. They do want us to have breakfast with them at the hotel – in a private unmarked room,” Justin told him. “But they’re gonna be smuggled out to the airport – Rick and Shawn that is - and they’re flying back to New York on a private jet – but we can drive Robert to Pittsburgh International for his Toronto flight since he isn’t famous yet - and then our life will return to normal …”

“No fame or fortune for us then, Baby,” Brian mused. “And I was just getting used to it. Maybe even liking the reflected glory a little bit too…”

“Hey, Bri,” Justin alerted him. “Next time they come, Robert will be a big star too – and we’ll have the crowds chasing him as well as the other two – so if you liked it this time, next time should be even more …”

"Next time they should come unannounced and in disguise too,” Brian decreed. “We’ll entertain them in the private room at Gino’s and we will really be able to amble up and down Grandview Avenue and show them the high spots of the town.”

“Well they came this time to make sure the charity event was successful,” Justin recalled, drowsily. “And they surely did that. We don’t have the total receipts figure yet but we already know the take is more than anybody expected – even with Rickshaw coming – so the public had to know they were coming this time – no choice there.”

“No, I guess the circus was inevitable, Baby,” Brian agreed. “And it was a really wild visit all right. But soon we can return to our drab uneventful existence.”

“Drab and uneventful … hell,” Justin retorted as his head plopped onto Brian’s shoulder and his eyes closed. “I’ll show you drab and uneventful…”

Brian looked down at his sleeping twink and decided that they should stay that way - right there - till morning – which was not more than just a few hours away. Yeah, he thought, he’d like that just fine. It would make for a wild night for Brian - a lot wilder than in those old days – but he knew he was up to it. Drab and uneventful … hell.
 

Return to Fireside Chats