Black Cats and Mummies

“Halloween is coming,” Brian announced almost as soon as the guys had settled in before their blazing fake fireplace. “It’s October and Halloween is coming.”

“Yep,” Justin agreed. “Halloween in certainly on its way all right. Nothing that important is likely to escape the keen mind of Justin Taylor.”

“But isn’t that same Justin Taylor a bit late in bringing up the subject this year, Baby,” Brian reasoned, “And since his mind is so keen, it makes me wonder if there isn’t something that the aforesaid keen-minded Taylor is reluctant to tell me.”

“I don’t think so, Bri,” Justin considered. “Just your own naturally keen but always suspicious and sometimes paranoid mind at work, I guess. But now that you’ve brought up the subject… Gus is really into black cats this year. That’s what his costume will be so I was just thinking – if it’s all right with you of course – that we might decorate the loft with a black cat motif this time around. What do you think?”

“I think we’ll do whatever you want whatever I think,” Brian laughed. “But that idea sounds pretty good to me – and since you’ll be doing all the work, I would defer to your wishes in any case. So black cats it will be – preferably with no real live black cats though. Don’t like cats and I have enough bad luck already.”

“Your wish is my command, Sire.” Justin gave a small bow. “And I’ll refrain from telling you about all the good luck you’ve had too – like maybe your present company. But it won’t be just me doing the decorating either. Me and Malcolm have already been doing some planning and Jason and Hunter will be helping too. It’s gonna be kind of elaborate. Really special.”

“Have Brandon come over too then,” Brian suggested. “We can supervise while you guys do the work.”

“Well, Bri,” Justin pointed out, “we were really planning to do the decorating while you were at the office. Not that we don’t value your supervisory talents – but because we don’t want to inconvenience you in any way.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Brian leered at him. “I bet you’re worried about inconveniencing me. I suspect there are just some other things you’d rather do when I’m here. I bet that’s the real reason, Baby.”

”Isn’t that what I just said, Kinney?” Justin leered back. “I don’t want to inconvenience you in any way. I think that’s what I said.”

“And what if I’m feeling inconvenienced right now, Sweetheart,” Brian suggested. “And maybe I am too. What then?”

“Didn’t I just say I didn’t want you to be inconvenienced in any…?” Justin muttered as the conversation died out rather abruptly – due most likely to the fact that it was inconveniencing Brian – who might have had other things besides decorating the loft on his mind.

But the discussion did resume after a considerable delay, which seemed no inconvenience to either of the conversants.

“And how many cats have you invited to the scary movie event this year, Baby,” Brian continued with the rehearsal of the Halloween festivities.

“Just the same guys as last year, Honey,” Justin reported. “You know I wouldn’t ever invite anybody else without getting your permission. And the loft is only so big after all.”

“The size of the loft never worried you before, JT,” Brian laughed. “But actually we are pretty near at capacity. Still it worked out pretty well last year so….”

“You and Mikey will have to pick out the movies, Bri,” Justin told him. “That’s your job and you guys do it very well – so get together with Michael….”

“No need, Baby,” Brian assured him. “That detail has been already taken care of. Me and Mike are efficient too. We’re gonna have a mummy festival this year. The old, old mummy pictures from like around 1940. They’re each about an hour long. We’ve ordered four of them but we might only watch three. We’ll see how it goes: The Mummy, The Mummy’s Ghost, The Mummy’s Tomb and The Mummy’s Curse. They’re all pretty scary – I can tell you that much. You’ll be wanting to sit on my lap again – with both my arms around you – just like all the scary movie nights”

“Gee whiz, Brian,” Justin told him. “Those titles are enough to scare me all by themselves. And I know there really aren’t any vampires or wolfmen or monsters like Frankenstein – but there really are mummies. I even saw one at the museum once. You know what, Brian - maybe I should sit on your lap right now.”

“Maybe you should, Baby,” Brian grinned at him. “Most mummies are dead but I guess you can’t be all that sure all of them are. It only takes one…. You know what though? You might have to share my lap with Johnny and Peter that night when the mummy starts slowly creeping up behind us and ….”

”Cut it out, Brian Kinney,” Justin demanded, crawling up onto Brian’s lap and pulling both of Brian’s arms tightly around him. “Just cut it out right now. And Johnny and Peter are going to have to find somebody else’s lap to sit on too. I’ll be enough for you to take care of on scary movie night.”

“Or any other time too,” Brian laughed. “But I’m not complaining at all, Sweetheart. Johnny and Pete will just have to be brave. But they’re probably safe enough. No sensible mummy would want to grab Johnny or Peter when he could grab you.”

“Well, BK,” Justin said moving his head onto Brian’s shoulder, “I hope you’re at least as sensible as that sensible mummy….”

There was yet another break in the conversation at this point. Brian didn’t say he was as sensible as that sensible mummy - not in so many words – but Justin did nevertheless get that message before they resumed their chat.

“So what kind of costume have you decided on for me this year?” Brian re-instituted the discussion some time later. “I guess you already have it hidden in the closet.”

“OK, Brian,” Justin told him patiently. “You know you always pick out your own costume. You’ll have to figure out what you want to wear. Like I’d ever try to pick out your costume for you. Whatever you decide….”

“Well, I think I’ve got it then,” Brian decided. “I think I’ll dress like a mummy. What about that?”

“You will not either,” Justin objected. “Not if you want to be coming around and putting your arms around me, you’re not. What if some real mummy came up and grabbed me and I thought it was you …?”

“Yeah, Baby,” Brian admitted with a grin. “You’re right. I never thought of that. We’d be giving the real mummy a good shot at grabbing you. We wouldn’t want that at all. What have I got against that mummy? He never did anything to me.”

“OK, Kinney,” Justin grinned back at him. “How about you dress like Matt Damon – or maybe Brad Pitt. What about one of them?”

“Now that seems like an odd suggestion to me, Baby,” Brian replied. “What ever made you think of those guys anyhow?”

“Well if one of them came up and grabbed me and it turned out that it wasn’t you…” Justin supposed.

“What?” Brian interrupted him with mock irritation. “Just what if one of them came up and grabbed you – and it wasn’t me, Twink? Just what?”

“Well, it’s like,” Justin smiled at Brian coyly, “I’m not afraid of Matt Damon or Brad Pitt, Bri. That’s all I was saying, Honey…. I think I could deal with Matt or Brad – if they – like- grabbed me.”

“Well, you know what, Sweetheart?” Brian reminded him pointedly. “Mummies can rent Matt Damon costumes too – or Brad Pitt costumes – if they want to – just like anybody else. But from personal experience I’m thinking you could deal with a mummy too. Maybe you should just keep Gus, the black cat, with you all during Halloween season. If some old mummy gets near you, Gus can cross his path and warn that poor unsuspecting mummy about what really bad luck is coming his way. Then if he grabs you anyway ….”

“And you know what, Mr. Kinney, Sir,” Justin pulled Brian’s arms more tightly around him. “You are really getting silly now. I think maybe this discussion is beginning to- like maybe - inconvenience you. That’s what I think. What do you think?”

”Yeah, Baby, Brian told him. “I think maybe it is. I think you’re right. Sometimes you do get things right, I guess.”

And the Halloween discussion was thus concluded – so as not to further inconvenience Brian – or Justin either for that matter
 

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