Strumming Along

It was late when the residents of the loft arrived home – but they lit their fake fireplace anyway – and plopped themselves onto the floor to watch the flames – and to relive an interesting evening.

“That concert was really great, Baby,” Brian gushed uncharacteristically. “I can hardly believe it. Our Roger is the best guitarist I ever heard. I’ve never seen anything like it. He’s a regular Pepe le Moko.”

“I think you mean Pepe Romero, Bri,” Justin grinned. “He’s about the best-known classical guitarist in the world - Pepe Romero is. I think Pepe le Moko was some French crook who hid out in the Casbah.”

“Yeah he was – and there’s a great old movie about him too – really old and really good, Sweetheart,” Brian remembered. “Pepe le Moko that is – not Pepe Romero - But you’d have to watch sub-titles. It’s in French and Arabic.”

“Like you think I don’t know French and Arabic, Kinney,” Justin feigned umbrage. “Like I’m dumb or something.”

“Sorry about that, Honey,” Brian apologized unapologetically. “You have so many talents that I sometimes forget some of them … But I hope it would be all right if I watched the sub-titles. My French and Arabic are a bit rusty.”

“We’re supposed to be talking about the concert, Bri,” Justin reminded him, returning to the proper subject. “So which numbers did you like the best?”

“Well the new stuff - like what the latest rockers do these days - was really impressive – and that got the best response from the audience – mostly youngsters, you know – but I think those Spanish classics – the Sarasate and the Rodrigo – were the best …The melodies just stick in your mind … Those Renaissance guys knew how to write …”

“I guess I must be getting old too, Bri,” Justin pointed out. “I liked them best too – but those particular guys weren’t from that far back. Sarasate is from about 100 years ago, but Rodrigo only died about 10 years ago – and he was blind – and …”

“Hey, Taylor,” Brian interrupted. “Let me first say that you’re not getting old – and never will - and that you’re as young as ever – and always will be – that ought to avoid any later accusation that I agreed with you – but I do also want to say that you do surprise me sometimes with what you know and how much you know about different stuff – and for such a young person…”

“Cut it out, Kinney,” Justin re-interrupted. “You know damn well I went over the program with Ethan yesterday and he knows all about Spanish music – or else you guessed it and you wanted me to take the credit for knowing all that stuff and then you were gonna….”

“Was not either, Baby,” Brian laughed his denial. “But it seems to me we’re straying from the subject again. My fault I’m sure - but I’m also sure you can bring us back…”

“Well. I was surprised about how good Roger is, Bri,” Justin decided. “I had heard he was fantastic but I was still surprised.”

“Me too, Sweetheart,” Brian agreed. “I was like – mesmerized. I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from Roger Dowdell – career-wise that is – career-wise was what I meant when I said that…”

“So I guess the subject now switches to the reception, BK,” Justin smiled archly. “That intimate reception for – like 250 people. So what did you think of the reception? The guitar isn’t Roger’s only talent, I guess.”

“I guess you’d have to say that Roger is charming – in his own way, that is,” Brian suggested. “About 150 of the attendees were – like eligible male personages – and Roger made them all feel like they were the only guest there.”

“Did Roger make you feel like you were the only guest there, Sweetheart?” Justin wanted to know. “I think maybe he tried to do that – pretty hard too.”

“Nah,” Brian replied, grinning slyly. “There was no way I was likely to forget that you were in the room too, Taylor. So the best Roger could have hoped for was to make me feel like there were three of us in the room.”

“So you think I was busy watching you, eh?” Justin laughed. “Like maybe I wasn’t having a chance at a little action myself?’

“Not at all, JT,” Brian told him. “I was watching you as closely as you were watching me. Roger was not the only predator in that hall – but I was hoping you’d save the last dance for me…”

”And did you always think you’d want me to save the last dance for you, Bri?” Justin asked him. “In the face of all that temptation - were you always sure?”

“Yep,” Brian admitted. “It was always you I wanted to bring home with me. How would I know how well those other guys could cook and clean and…”

“You are absolutely impossible to talk to, Brian Kinney,” Justin laughed as he cuddled himself closer to the guy next to him. “Absolutely impossible…”

”Wanna try something else then, Sweetheart?” Brian offered. “There’s more to life than talking.”

Justin did not respond verbally but Brian got an affirmative message and the next fairly long period was devoted to non-verbal activities – which effectively answered – better than any extended conversation could have - any remaining questions the guys might have had pertaining to the reception.

Assuming that the conversation was over at this point would however have been premature. All the bases had not yet been touched.

“What did you think of Eric, Brian?” Justin eventually broke the silence. “Eric is not a live wire by any means – and he’s supposed to be Roger’s boy-friend, you know – and that can’t be an easy job.”

“Well he’s not a bad looking kid, Honey,” Brian told him. “And he seems very nice too. But he also seemed a little bit lost at the party. He’s not as vibrant as Roger – that’s for sure.”

“Yeah, that’s Eric all right,” Justin agreed. “He’s a one-guy-guy and his guy is Roger. I think Roger actually loves Eric too – as much as Roger can love anybody but…”

“Do you think Eric will catch Roger in the end?” Brian asked pointedly. “You blond twinks stick together, Baby – and since Roger is the blond twink in this case…”

“I think Roger doesn’t know what he wants right now, Brian,” Justin said. “But I’m kind of hoping that when he finds out it will be Eric that he wants So in the end, I am rooting for the blond twink – I guess … Brian, you know I was watching you the whole night so you know that I saw you talking to Eric for several minutes. You don’t have to tell me what you told him – unless you want to…”

“Well I guess that means I have to tell you what I told him,” Brian interpreted. “Well you asked for it, Baby – so here goes ... I told him that there are some guys in the world – nice guys too – who think they have to try out every guy who comes along for size. These guys – and remember - most of them are good guys too – think that makes them happy – so they keep doing it. Till - if they’re lucky – some one guy comes along and shows them that they’re wrong – and makes them happier than they ever thought they could be – ever. I told him that it might be hard for him right now – but that I thought Roger was the kind of guy who would figure it all out – and that Eric was probably the guy who could best help him do it – that Roger needed Eric more than either of them could know...”

“What’d Eric say to that, Bri?” Justin asked with maybe a trace of a tear in the corner of his eye.

“He asked me how I knew all that stuff,” Brian replied simply and without elaboration.

“And what did you tell him then, Brian?” Justin asked impatiently.

“I told him that you told me,” Brian grinned as he tightened his grip around his own particular blond twink.

“Damn you, Kinney,” Justin told him while lacing his fingers through Brian’s hair. “You are a terrible person.”

But Brian didn’t think he was a terrible person – and he didn’t think Justin thought so either.
 

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