I Can See It Now

The fireplace was lit and the guys were assembled on the floor in front of it.

“Ben and Mikey are at Yellowstone Park,” Brian began the evening’s discussion, reminding Justin of what he already knew.

“And Grand Teton National Park too,’ Justin added.

“I hope they’re not both places at the same time,” Brian laughed. “Black magic.”

“OK, Wise Guy,” Justin laughed back. “They’ll be at both places on this trip. Those parks are like next-door to each other. That’s what I meant and that’s what you knew I meant too. They’ll have a really good time. It’s like a really romantic place.”

”Probably fall off a Teton,” Brian suggested. “Mikey’s a little bit clumsy, you know.”

“Falling off a Teton is not what gay guys do, Kinney,” Justin laughed. “Anyhow, I don’t think they had planned any mountain climbing. We’ll hear all about it when they get back though.”

“Which is one of the reasons I brought up the subject, Baby,” Brian told him. “There is no way I am going to any slide show of that trip – so don’t try to cajole me into going either. You’d be doomed to failure.”

“Gee whiz, Brian Kinney,” Justin replied. “Now that sounds like a real challenge to me. But it actually sounds to me like you want me to try talking you into going. That’s what it sounds like to me.”

“Well that is not what it sounds like to me,” Brian insisted. “I’m not going. No slide shows. Don’t you remember that awful slide show when Mikey and Dr. Dave went to Paris? Awful.”

“And all this time I thought we had a good time at that slide show, Bri,” Justin gibed. “I know I enjoyed myself.”

“Cut it out, Twink,” Brian warned the kid. “I did not say I didn’t have a good time while the show was going on. I said the slide show was awful. The good time was unrelated to the damn slide show – and anyhow, who needs a slide show to …?”

That sounded like a suggestion to Justin and that is exactly what it turned out to be. There was a pause in the discussion while the suggestion was considered and acted upon. But the subject of Yellowstone would recur after the hiatus.

“So it’s your job to get us out of the slide show, JT,” Brian decided. “OK? You’re a lot better with excuses than I am. More experience.”

“Thanks for your confidence, Brian,” Justin grinned at him. “But maybe I just might want to go to that slide show. I’ve never been to Yellowstone – so I can be there vicariously at the slide show. I’ll just tell them you’re sick – or something like that.”

“I’d rather take you out to Yellowstone than go to that slide show - but if you really want to see it by yourself, it’s OK….” Brian made an offer that perhaps he didn’t know he was making.

“You know what, Bri,” Justin quickly interrupted. “Maybe we should go in the winter. We could track the moose in our snowmobiles. That would be fun….”

”Twenty-five degrees below zero, Baby,” Brian retorted. “And those bulky insulated body suits. You wouldn’t even know if I had my arm around you or not if you’re all bundled up like that.”

“And summer’s great in Yellowstone too,” Justin continued unabated but maybe with second thoughts. “Yeah, summer might be better. What do you think, Bri”

“I think I’ve been conned into a trip to Yellowstone,” Brian seemed bewildered. “I’m not sure how – but I think I have….”

”Hey, Brian,” Justin pointed out. “You’re the one who brought up Mikey and Ben being at Yellowstone – and you’re the one who suggested us going there. Not me.”

“That’s why I’m not sure how you connived it,” Brian told him, “But somehow I think when you sat down here tonight you had decided that we were going to Yellowstone. OK. I guess you win. Stop by the office tomorrow – I’ll be in all day – and we’ll sit down with Cynthia and make the plans. I’ll have to check my schedule but I’m sure I can get away for ten days or so. Summer’s our slow season. You better check your schedule too.”

“I’m available, Kinney,” Justin laughed. “Artists keep a flexible schedule, Bri. You ought to know that.”

”Yeah, Sweetheart,” Brian told him. “I know how flexible you can be – when it suits you. So I guess you conned me again – at least I won’t have to sit through any boring old slide show – but you can go to their dumb slide show if you really want….”

”What slide show, Brian?” Justin wondered. “Slide shows are pretty old-fashioned these days – it’s the twenty-first century, you know. I don’t think there will be any slide show. Malcolm and Hunter are gonna put all the digital pictures that Mikey takes on a DVD and then Mikey’s gonna do a voice over so we’ll know just what we’re watching – or at least what Mikey thinks we’re watching. We’ll all be getting our very own copies. It’ll be a couple of hours long and we can watch it as often as we want. There might be some movies on there too. It’ll be better than that Paris slide show, Kinney. Don’t you think?”

“Maybe,” Brian conjectured. “Cause you can watch the slide show – or DVD or whatever - if that’s what you want to do - and I can do other things….”

”Like what, Kinney?” Justin challenged him. “Like what?”

“Like the kind of stuff I do whenever I don’t like slide shows, Baby,” Brian leered at him. “Like when I didn’t like Mikey and Dave’s slide show – or don’t you remember.”

“Oh, yeah,” Justin thought for a while. “I think I remember. Well I guess if slide shows really bore you, maybe you could do that….”

“Hey, Sweetheart,” Brian slightly altered the course of discussion. “If you wanted to go to Yellowstone, why didn’t you get us to go with Mike and Ben – since they were going. We could have all gone together.”

“Sometimes you just don’t get it, Kinney,” Justin told him patiently. “I did not want to go to Yellowstone. I wanted to go to Yellowstone with you. Like - with you. Not with a crowd - with you. Get it now?”

“Well now that you explain it that way, Baby,” Brian responded. “I guess I can see what you mean – and maybe you’re right this time too. You’re not always right but maybe this time….”

And there was still another pause in the discussion at this point – maybe to celebrate the fact that Justin was right – this one time at least.

“You know what, Brian,” Justin finally resumed the conversation. “Maybe I did subconsciously - like pressure you to take me to Yellowstone. I didn’t think I was doing that but maybe I was – so if you don’t really want to go, we don’t have to ….”

“Nope,” Brian answered him. “I think maybe you’ve convinced me that I do want to go. You’re pretty persuasive. You make it sound like maybe I will have a good time – so that will be your job now, Taylor – to see that I have a good time. I bet you can do it too.”

“Well I will try my best, Brian,” Justin promised. “My very best. But what if ….”

“If I’m not having a good time, Honey,” Brian semi-threatened the kid, “Maybe I’ll just shove you off a Teton – Mt. Moran maybe – or maybe even Grand Teton itself.”

“No you won’t either, Kinney,” Justin nuzzled Brian’s cheek. “No you won’t. Falling off a Teton is not what gay guys do.”
 

Return to Fireside Chats