What's In a Name?

Brian was sure, as the guys settled themselves onto the loft floor facing their fake fireplace, that the twink had something he wanted to talk about. Brian was right.

“You know what we were talking about over at the Institute today, Bri? Justin asked – and answering his own question, continued, “Names.”

“You were talking about names at the Institute?” Brian wondered. “Maybe that place ought to be named the Institution instead of the Institute. There’s my contribution on the subject of names. But the subject does make me think of your old pal Seymour. Bet he was involved somehow …..”

“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin sounded surprised. “You’re right – like you usually are – but I’m surprised that you even remember Seymour ….”

“Cut it out, Blond Twink,” Brian grinned at him. “You know damn well I remember Seymour – the great thinker of great thoughts – all trivial. You know how I remember any people who irritate me- and Seymour is on the short list ….”

“I think there’s actually a pretty long list, Bri,” Justin grinned back, “But if you want to call it a ‘short’ list, it’s OK with me. But this is not Seymour’s fault at all. They asked him ….”

“Somebody had to ask Seymour to think?” Brian laughed. “Seems to me Seymour is always thinking – that’s the problem ….”

“Well this couple from over there are gonna get married in New Hampshire – that’s where they’re both from,” Justin explained, “And they want to like – hyphenate their names afterward – and they asked Seymour ….”

“They had to ask Seymour how to hyphenate their names, Baby?” Brian interjected. “They don’t sound very smart to me. Like they don’t know what their names are? Seems to me they shouldn’t need Seymour for that – geez – he should be thinking about more important things ….”

“Are you going to let me finish, Mr. Kinney?” Justin wondered. “That might be better.”

“Is this couple male or female, Taylor?” Brian must have decided not to let Justin finish – or at least not right then.

“One of each, Bri,” Justin got a chance to answer. “Everybody isn’t gay.”

“But these two are like – artists, Taylor,” Brian reasoned. “Or they wouldn’t be over at the Institution – so….”

“All artists aren’t gay either, Mr. Know-It-All,” Justin persisted – grinning slightly. “There are lots of straight artists….”

“Probably not as good as gay artists though?” Brian laughed. “The gay gene is very artistic, you know ….”

“Well you just might have a point there,” Justin considered. “But these two are pretty good artists – even if they are straight.”

“So just what was the big problem then, Babe?” Brian returned to the original subject, “And did the magnificent Seymour solve if for them?”

“I don’t think so, Bri,” Justin was grinning, “So here’s your chance to outdo the magnificent Seymour. Whattaya think?”

“I think I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Blondie,” Brian told him, “Which is not all that unusual either – and I also think things are gonna go from bad to worse ….”

“Well the soon-to-be newlyweds are Danny Snow and Mildred White so …..” Justin continued his recital.

“So they’re gonna either be the Snow-Whites or the White-Snows,” Brian interrupted. “That might present some problems ….”

“Well if you want to think about it for a while, Brian,” Justin suggested, “Maybe you can find a better solution for them ….”

”Yeah but what would you be doing while I’m busy thinking, Taylor?” Brian wondered. “I don’t want you to be bored.”

“Don’t worry, Kinney,” Justin assured him, “I’ll think of something to do ….”

And Justin was as good as his word. He did think of something to do. What he thought of, however, might just have distracted Brian from his thinking – but Brian – as per usual – raised no complaints. It was a while before the conversation resumed.

“I don’t think they should hyphenate at all, Baby,” Brian voiced his conclusion in due time. “Either they should like – pick one of the names – or maybe they should each keep the name they have now ….”

“That was exactly what Seymour told them, Bri,” Justin informed him. “See – you and Seymour are more alike than you want to admit.”

”Like – maybe he should change his name to ‘Seyless’, Kiddo – that’d be more accurate,” Brian grumbled - and the conversation paused once again for another fairly long period.

“Hey, Taylor,” Brian broke the prolonged silence eventually, “While we’re talking about names and hyphens and all that, I was talking to Gus a few weeks ago. I didn’t say anything to you then but he told me that ….”

“That he wanted to change his name from Marcus-Petersen to Kinney,” Justin finished the sentence. “You know how things are these days with hyphenated names, Bri. One of his little girl friends is Gordon-Ponsonby and one of his guy friends is Hathaway-Walters. So if he’s gay or straight he could end up either Marcus-Petersen-Gordon-Ponsonby or maybe Marcus-Petersen-Hathaway-Walters and then the next generation would ….”

“Cut it out Twink,” Brian stopped him. “Gus told me he wanted to be Kinney because he wanted my name because - he actually said he wanted to be Kinney-Taylor but you told him Kinney would be enough – and – you told him to wait till he’s twenty-one – and if he still wants to change his name then, you’ll fix it up for him with Mel and Linz. I know you’re good at fixing stuff but I don’t know how you’re gonna do that one ….”

“I guess I don’t know either but we got lots of years to think about it, Bri,” Justin pointed out.. “We’ll think of something ….”

“We?” Brian echoed. “Not ‘we’ at all, Mr.’Promise-Em-Anything’ Taylor. ‘You’ got lots of years to think about it. I didn’t make any such crazy promises ….”

“Well if you won’t help, I’ll just have to do it myself, Kinney,” Justin cuddled a little closer to the guy next to him. “All by myself …..”

“No you won’t, Baby,” Brian comforted him in his usual manner. “You know you won’t. You’ll have help when the time comes. Just keep in touch with Seymour. He’ll be glad to help you …..”

“Thanks a lot, Brian,” Justin grumbled. “Always the big help ….”

“Hey, Baby,” Brian ran his fingers through the blond locks. “You know Gus never had a middle name – so now he’s decided that he wants Taylor for a middle name – and Mel and Linz said they don’t have any problem with that so …..”

“He didn’t mention anything like that to me, Kinney,” Justin said. “I wonder if maybe somebody suggested it to him …..”

“I don’t know that, Sweetheart,” Brian smiled at him, “But maybe it’ll be Gus Taylor Kinney someday. No hyphen though ….”

”Who needs a hyphen, Bri?” Justin told him. “What good is a hyphen anyhow?”

And Brian agreed completely with that sentiment. He didn’t need any hyphens either. Brian already had everything he needed – and maybe more.
 

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