A-Courting We Will Go

The guys had just settled themselves down in front of their fake fireplace – as was their custom. And everything seemed to be as usual too - but Justin sensed that Brian might have something special to discuss. And he was right.

After a short period of silence during which the guys just sat staring at the flickering flames, Brian opened the evening’s conversation with a comment Justin was not expecting.

“So,” he began, “I guess you’re planning to tell me why you called Melanie at lunch time today – about some legal matter, I presume – which I don’t know anything about – because nobody told me – not yet anyway.”

“And what makes you think I called Melanie today, Bri?” Justin fidgeted just slightly. “She didn’t tell you that, did she? So how would you know if I called her? Are you getting to be a mind-reader or something?”

“Nope,” Brian told him. “I don’t read minds and Mel didn’t tell me either, Sweetheart. But I do have a mind of my own that can put two and two together. I was having lunch with her and Linz today. Linz called me this morning. There was some stuff that Gus will be doing at school that she wanted to tell me about. You know how they always like to keep me informed. She was coming downtown anyhow so I said I’d meet her for lunch. By the way, I guess I won’t need to tell you about the neat stuff Gus is doing at school because you already know all about it – according to the mommies. Of course you never told me - but I figure it was you who convinced them they ought to let me in on the secret, wasn’t it?”

“Well, I just happened to be over there when the subject came up, Brian,” Justin admitted. “So maybe I did hear about it - and maybe I did suggest that they should be sure tell you – but I’m certain they meant to do that anyhow.”

“I thought so,” Brian smiled at the kid. “Yeah, I’m sure they meant to tell me all right. Nothing goes on that Brian isn’t told…. Not a thing. Yeah…. Well, to make a long story short, Mel invited herself to join us so we were at the table when your call came through – and she said it was a business matter and excused herself to take the call in the lobby.”

“And from that you decided it was me calling?” Justin feigned umbrage. “Why would you think it was me? There aren’t any other people in the world that could be calling Melanie? Gee whiz, Bri. Why me?”

“Like maybe she said ‘Hi Jus’ when she answered the phone – before she knew it was a business call,” Brian informed him. “Now it could have been Justice Ginsburg or Justice Scalia calling lawyer Marcus - I’ll admit that possibility - but I’m still guessing it was you – little old Jus Taylor. Since she always calls you ‘Jus” – ugh - probably because she thinks I don’t like it. She didn’t say anything when she came back to the table and I didn’t ask her. I knew she wouldn’t provide any information – but I also figured there was something going on that one or both of you didn’t want me to know. So let me repeat my opening question: ‘Are you planning to tell me why you called Melanie at lunch time today?’”

“Because I couldn’t get Brandon,” Justin confessed truthfully but without divulging what Brian really wanted to know. “I tried Brandon first but he was out of the office all day – so I called Melanie.”

“OK, Kiddo,” Brian demanded. “No more ‘nice guy’ for Brian Kinney. What the hell kind of trouble are you in – and why didn’t you come to me with it? I ought to be really mad at you. I hope you have some very good reason for calling Melanie instead of me if you were in trouble.”

“Gee whiz, Brian Kinney,” Justin grinned at him. “I so wish I’d have noticed that nice guy Kinney when he was around. Sorry I missed it. Probably never get another chance. But I’m not in any trouble at all, Bri – none - and I bet you know that already. You’re just looking for something to pick on me about. But you have to know I’m way too smart to be getting into any trouble. So there.”

“Yeah – way too smart - well then,” Brian grinned back at him. “Let me change my question and try again. Are you planning to tell me why you called Melanie Marcus at lunch time today?”

“Well, Honey,” Justin replied with candor. “Sounds like pretty much the same question as before to me. And the absolute truth is that I was not planning to tell you why I called Mel today – but I was not planning to not tell you either.”

“You know what though, Baby,” Brian smiled at him decisively. “You damn well better be planning to tell me now – cause you are going to tell me - right now – with no more stalling around. And I am waiting – with only a meager supply of patience. So let me suggest….”

“There’s this kid, Harold, at the Institute.” Justin took the uncompleted suggestion. “He’s a pretty nice kid – straight though – from out of town. Well he was having a few drinks with a couple of friends in one of those fancy straight bars down by the river. And some kind of a riot broke out down there – late - like about 2 AM. Harold was not involved at all but he kind of got run in by the police with the real rioters. He was a perfectly innocent bystander but he still had to appear downtown in court this afternoon at 2:00 and he was really scared. I thought Brandon might be able to help him out but, when I couldn’t get Brandon, I called Mel and she was gonna be at the courthouse all day so she said she’d meet Harold and go to the hearing with him. She expected there wouldn’t be much to the whole thing – and there wasn’t - but it made Harold feel a lot better to have somebody with him. And that’s all there is to it, Bri. So see – I didn’t even think it was worth mentioning it to you – but I wasn’t keeping it any secret from you either.”

“Nah,” Brian laughed. “Nobody ever keeps any secrets from me, Baby. Least of all, little old Jus. But can I ask just one more tiny question? Did you happen to go to the courthouse with Howard yourself? The Justin Fixer-Upper that I know – he doesn’t operate by remote control. So I kinda suspect you were there too for the hearing?”

“Darn it, Brian,” Justin defended himself. “Who was supposed to introduce Harold to Melanie? They didn’t know each other. I like - had to go. And his name is Harold, not Howard, so cut that business out. If your name was Harold, you wouldn’t want to be called Howard.”

“So there was my poor little innocent Justin,” Brian imagined out loud, “in that courtroom - with all those nasty rioters. What if somebody who knows us would have seen you there and thought you were one of the defendants? It could have damaged my reputation. They might have thought I couldn’t keep you under control and out of trouble.”

“Gee whiz, Sweetheart,” Justin cajoled impishly, “your reputation would have been safe. Anybody who knows us knows exactly how well you keep me under control.”

“Yeah they do, Baby,” Brian laughed. “For sure they all know that – exactly how well I keep you under control - so then if they knew how late the riot happened, they’d know you weren’t there because it was long past your curfew.”

“Hey, Brian,” Justin cozied in on Brian. “I don’t have any curfew and you know it.”

“I seem to remember a while back when we both had a curfew though - and it was your idea too - not mine,” Brian reminded him, squeezing the kid ever so slightly.

“Those were the really bad old days, Kinney,” Justin remembered. “I’d like to forget them – at least some of them. But it wasn’t me who needed the curfew then either. It was you. And you know I don’t need any curfew now. I always come home as early as I can - because I want to – not because I have to.”

“And you think that statement is gonna make me mad?” Brian squeezed the kid. “Well it doesn’t.”

“I wasn’t trying to make you mad, Brian. Why do you always suspect that I’m trying to make you mad?” Justin wanted to know.

“Because you are, Baby,” Brian pointed out. “Like all this beating around the bush about Howard when you could have told me right out…. And, you know what, I think I know why too. I figure you think it makes me more romantic when you try to make me mad. I think that’s why you do it.”

“Oh yeah - so that’s what you think, eh – so then, are you always picking on me cause you think it makes me more romantic, Mr. Kinney?” Justin retaliated. “I bet that’s why.”

“I don’t think so, Baby” Brian disagreed, pulling the kid as close as he could get him, “but maybe I am feeling just a little bit romantic right this minute – for whatever reason.”

“You know what, Bri,” Justin allowed. “I think I’m feeling a little extra romantic myself right now too – but I don’t think it’s cause you’re picking on me.”

“So do you think we should do something about those romantic feelings, Jus,” Brian wondered. “Any ideas?”

“Hey, Brian,” Justin told him. “You know I don’t much like to be called ‘Jus,’ You’re picking on me again.”

“Maybe,” Brian admitted, running his fingers through the kid’s hair. “Yeah, I am. I guess I shouldn’t be picking on you so much, Baby. Sorry.”

But Justin did not seem to be complaining at all.
 

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