WHOSE A-HEAD
 

The fire was lit in the loft on a late May evening. The guys were in proper position on the floor gazing toward the leaping flames. Brian had a grin – and a question.

“OK, Kiddo,” Brian opened the discussion. “You left me a message with Cynthia that Gus wanted us to take him to the Pirate game this Friday night. So just how come you want to go to the ball game? It’s not a bobble-head giveaway night – or any other kind of giveaway either according to Ted – not even fireworks night – so….”

“The message I left was that Gus wanted to go – not me, Bri,” Justin pointed out. “So don’t you think you should be asking Gus instead of me?”

“Nope,” Brian persevered. “Seems to me Gus only wants us to take him to the ball game when – for some reason or another – and there’s always some reason - you want to go to the ball game – and since you have a hard time telling a home run from a touchdown….”

“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin protested. “Gus wants to go to a baseball game and you make that an occasion to pick on me. You’re always just looking for reasons to make fun of me….”

“I don’t have to look very hard, Baby,” Brian squeezed the kid slightly. “And I think Cynthia called and told you we reserved the tickets – so we’re going - just like you wanted – but it’s still not bobble-head night so….”

“Well you’re not such a big Pirate fan either, Mr. Kinney,” Justin tried to turn the tables. “So how come you know so much - like that it’s not bobble-head night? Maybe it is….”

“No it’s not either, Sweetheart,” Brian came back. “You know damn well I already have all the tickets for all the bobble-head nights this season – and I’m planning to surprise you with them when the exact right time comes along….”

“So don’t you think you’re ruining the surprise now, Brian?” Justin had to laugh. “Unless this happens to be just the right time?”

“I guess I’m only ruining the surprise, Baby,” Brian admitted with a grin. “If you didn’t already know I had those tickets – and knowing you - didn’t you already know that?”

“Well maybe I did suspect,” Justin equivocated. “Maybe just a little….”

“And like – maybe you never told Cynthia just where you wanted to sit over at PNC Park for those bobble-head games?” Brian wondered.

“Well Cynthia knows where I always like to sit over there, Bri,” Justin told him, “It wouldn’t help at all for you to know. Like – you would never remember. For example, Bri, you said you have the tickets for all the bobble-head nights. So just how many of them are there?”

“I think – four,” Brian conjectured. “And I’m pretty sure I’m right too.”

“Yeah,” Justin had to admit. “There’s four. But I bet you don’t know who the bobble-head dolls are gonna be. I’ll give you a hint – they’re all guys who are playing for the Pirates right now.”

“Now I admit that is something I don’t know, Twink,” Brian laughed. “I guess you – and maybe crazy old Ted – would be the only ones in the whole town to have that information – if anybody does….”

“Well that’s just the point, Brian,” Justin told him. “That’s exactly the point. Nobody does – not yet. The first three dolls are obvious choices and they’ve been announced so everybody knows who they are – but the fourth doll – the one in September – nobody knows yet….”

“And they’re gonna announce that information at Friday’s game,” Brian presumed. “And that’s why poor Gus had to want to go to the game – because you had to be there for the announcement?”

“Now that’s really crazy, Kinney,” Justin complained. “Even for you. If that’s what it was I could just watch on TV or something….”

“So you and Gus want to go to this game just because you want to see a game?” Brian concluded. “I don’t think so, Baby….”

“And I never said that either,” Justin pointed out. “I never did….”

”All right, Kiddo,” Brian interrupted. “But there’s some reason and I’ll eventually find out….”

”Yeah you will, Kinney,” Justin laughed. “So I guess I’ll tell you. The fans are getting to vote on who will be the last bobble-head of the season. Just this week-end though – Friday, Saturday – and Sunday – and you gotta be at the game to vote….”

“And you have a favorite player that you want to win - so you gotta be there to vote him in,” Brian thought he got the message, “thus forcing your will on the whole city of Pittsburgh….”

“No I don’t have a favorite.” Justin informed him, “Not yet. But I’ll look over the team carefully during the pre-game Friday night and pick somebody….”

“And do I have to vote for the guy you pick, Taylor?” Brian wanted to know. “Maybe I’ll see somebody I like better than the guy you pick….”

”Brian Kinney,” Justin remonstrated. “You hate bobble-head dolls. You won’t even allow me to display my magnificent collection here in the loft – and I have to keep them over at Mikey’s comic book store – where I only get to see them once in a while. So why should you want to make a choice on your own? You should want to vote for the guy I pick….”

“And help you stuff the ballot box,” Brian laughed. “So will Gus get to choose his own guy - or will he get brow-beaten too – like me?”

“Well I think I can convince Gus to vote for my man, Kinney,” Justin replied. “Of his own free will too. Gus is smart and he’ll see things my way, I bet.”

“Well, I’ll admit that it’s sometimes smart to see things your way, Baby,” Brian laughed. “A lot less bother. But maybe Gus doesn’t know that – yet….”

And the conversation paused at this point – for whatever reason - as if by independent agreement between the guys sitting in front of the fake fireplace – with no undue influence exerted on either side. At least there didn’t seem to be any protest from either quarter.

“Maybe I better tell you this too, Baby,” Brian – perhaps with some reluctance – returned to the discussion. “I though maybe Mel and Linz would want to come along to the game with us – so we called – and they did – and then Cynthia thought it would be nice if she and her nephew, Billy, came along – she’s been wanting to take him someplace special - and then Ted thought he and Blake should come too. Anyhow, we ended up ordering 15 tickets all together. I didn’t think you’d mind – so maybe you can drum up 15 votes for your pick. Whattaya think?”

“I think it’ll be fun,” Justin told him. “And after I get those 15 votes, I can work the whole section – probably won’t be able to get to the whole 30,000 people though – to make it unanimous. Not enough time. But if I spend most of my time there lobbying – I won’t get to see very much of the game….”

“And will that bother you, Sweetheart?” Brian laughed, “I bet you’d be disappointed – missing even one play - knowing how you love watching baseball….”

“Yeah, it’ll bother me to miss even a single play, Brian Kinney,” Justin allowed – as he cuddled himself up to the big guy next to him. “But you know - what has to be done has to be done - regardless. If I miss too much of the game though, we can go back Saturday or Sunday – and we’d get to vote again too….”

Brian grinned - but decided to allow the conversation to die out at this point. What had to be done – had to be done - regardless. And that was more than OK with Brian.
 

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