Milestones
 

It was much later than usual when the fake fireplace got lit in the loft. The residents had been out for the evening and had just recently happily returned - with the time approaching midnight. Most times, that would have been too late to position themselves in front of the flickering flames - but this time the younger denizen had an agenda – and so did the older one.

“Did you enjoy yourself, Brian?” the kid asked. “I know you did. I just want to see if you’ll admit it.”

“I never understood, Baby,” Brian replied, “why getting old is a reason for celebration – but if that’s what people want to do, I guess that’s their right – and Brandon seemed to be having a good time so….”

“Of course he had a good time, Kinney. It was his birthday party,” Justin reasoned. “And we were all there to help him celebrate his special day.”

“Well if there has to be a celebration of somebody getting older, Kiddo,” Brian smiled at him. “I guess I’m glad enough that it’s somebody else who’s getting older. So yeah, I had a pretty good time at the party. But there were like – about 40 people celebrating. If Brandon and Jason have all that many friends, how come…?”

“Cut it out, Brian Kinney,” Justin stopped him. “Let me enjoy you saying you enjoyed yourself without you ruining it with your sarcasm.”

“OK, Twink,” Brian conceded. “Enjoy to your heart’s content. But let me ask you a question or two. This was supposed to be a surprise for Brandon. Put on by Jason – although I think I saw more than a trace of Justin Taylor in some of the arrangements. But my question is actually – how did Jason, a full-time student – with no visible income - scrape up the money for this elaborate shindig? It must have cost a pretty penny.”

“Well, Jason was not gonna put on a half-ass party for the guy he loves, Kinney,” Justin laughed. “So the hell with the cost. He wanted it to be special – and it was too.”

“Which does not answer my question at all, Sweetheart,” Brian laughed back at him. “And somehow I don’t think I’m ever gonna get an answer either – but I guess I’m used to that too.”

“He put it on his credit card, Kinney,” Justin was still grinning. “If you have to know. That’s what credit cards are for….”

“So Jason has a credit card he doesn’t have to pay off, Baby?” Brian conjectured. “Nice arrangement. Maybe we ought to get one like that.”

“OK, Kinney,” Justin gave up. “Jason has a card on Brandon’s account. That’s the way Brandon wants it and if it’s all right with them....”

“So Jason didn’t have to like - steal Brandon’s card then,” Brian presumed, squeezing the guy next to him in the process. “And so Brandon won’t have to trail him all the way to New York to get his card back….”

“Cut it out Kinney,” Justin demanded. “We’re talking about Brandon’s birthday party. That was a different thing entirely. You – like threw me out of the loft – for like - hardly any reason at all – and I didn’t have anywhere to go. And like – no money. What was I supposed to do?”

At this point, Justin decided to take some action to attempt to bring a halt to this unexpected trend in the conversation.

“Same thing you tried in New York that time, Taylor,” Brian grinned at him in response – an assertion which may very well have been true - but the ploy that had worked for Justin in New York that long time ago seemed to work again anyway – Justin being very accomplished with such ploys.

And so it was a while before the conversation resumed – but it eventually did.

“Just how much did you have to do with the planning of tonight’s party for Brandon, Twink?” Brian reopened the conversation. “I don’t think Jason could do something that well by himself and he sure wouldn’t have to – not with you around.”

“Well, so what if I did help a little bit with the planning,” Justin defended himself. “Jason’s my friend – and like – I guess I’ll never get the chance to plan one myself because you….”

“Sweetheart,” Brian told him. “I had a couple of birthday parties when I was a kid – not real successful parties though. And the only birthday celebration I ever had as an adult was that crazy thing on my 30th birthday – and I’d like to forget that. I’m sure you remember it. You were there but I don’t think you had much to do with the planning. I didn’t like that fiasco either. I don’t think birthday parties are my cup of tea, Baby.”

“And you think I couldn’t improve on your old unsuccessful birthday parties, Mr. Kinney?” Justin smiled at him. “Sounds like a challenge to me….”

“Nah, Baby,” Brian admitted. “I know you could put on a great birthday party all right. I think maybe you proved that tonight – even if Jason gets all the credit – but you couldn’t change the fact that we’d be celebrating me getting older.”

“And you won’t be getting any older if we don’t have a birthday party, Bri?” Justin wanted to know. “Not that I’m saying that you really are getting older I don’t think that at all.”

“Geez, Taylor,” Brian complained. “You know what I think. I think you convinced Jason to have this party for Brandon just so you could get some practice and then badger me into letting you have a birthday party for me.”

“That’s mean of you to say, BK,” Justin objected. “Like I’d use my friends just to get something I want for myself. Anyhow, what we’re talking about here is purely theoretical. I didn’t ever say I wanted to throw any old birthday party for you – and I know you’d never let me anyhow. So - would you - maybe?”

“Well I’ve had a couple of like – small birthday parties for you, JT,” Brian recalled, “But that’s cause you like birthday parties. I never had anything for you as fancy as this thing tonight though – but if that’s what you want, you know I’d….”

“Wait a minute, Kinney,” Justin quickly pointed out. “Don’t be changing the subject. We were talking about a birthday party for you – not a birthday party for me.”

“Yeah, Sweetheart,” Brian countered. “But since the discussion was just theoretical, I guess I should be able to do some theorizing too….”

“Brian Kinney,” Justin told him, “you are just plain impossible….”

All of which led to another pause in the discussion – this one instigated by the older of the two conversationalists – during which pause, Brian decided to make a confession.

“OK, JT,” Brian broke the silence. “I gotta tell you this. Like – Brandon asked me to help him plan a big birthday party for Jason’s birthday – bigger even than the one tonight. It’s still a couple of months away but do you want to do it – or shall I get Cynthia…?”

“If you want me to do it, Brian,” Justin came back at him. “You know I’ll do it – but if there’s gonna be a whole lot of birthday parties going on, I’m gonna have a big surprise birthday party for you – whether you like it or not - and that’s that, Mr. Kinney Just so you know….”

“OK, Baby,” Brian smiled with resignation. “You win – and I promise to be really surprised too. I bet I’ll be a lot more surprised than Brandon.”

Justin did not respond immediately so Brian asked him hopefully, “Is this birthday party discussion finally over, Baby? Like – finally over? Now that you got just what you wanted.”

“I have just one more little question, Brian,” Justin nestled himself closer to the guy on his left. “Where do you keep your credit card these days?”

“You want I should have to chase you to New York again, Sweetheart?” Brian grinned.

“I don’t think so, Kinney” Justin purred. “Pittsburgh is just as good as New York….”

”And now is as good as later, Taylor” Brian purred back.
 

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