In Two Places at One Time

 

The Christmas season was always a busy time for Brian and Justin but they still tried to spend some time in front of their blazing fake fireplace – even if they did get a late start some evenings. And that was the case one evening shortly after Christmas - as they settled themselves down on the loft floor.

“I think you really wanted to go to New York for New Year’s Eve, Kiddo,” Brian was saying as they got into their accustomed positions.

“Well, maybe I did. I admit the offer was tempting,” the kid admitted. “David is having this small extravaganza for like maybe just 100 people – Robert and Rickshaw and some really big names - and he’s hired a bunch of top musicians to play big band music and they’re gonna use all Guy Lombardo arrangements...”

“Yeah,” Brian laughed. “The cream of Gotham society. And hardly anybody can dance to Guy Lombardo live any more – and we were invited – and we’re not going ….”

“Well, we will just have to settle for some Guy Lombardo CDs, Bri,” Justin told him. “I’d have loved to be in New York but you can’t be in two places at one time. Emmett and Ted are the chairpersons for the gala at the Gay and Lesbian Center this year so we have to go there and support them – and there are a couple of other places we have to stop too – folks we always see on New Year’s Eve. I guess you want me to arrange our schedule like usual - since you don’t like to plan any social stuff yourself …..”

“You know what, Sweetheart,” Brian replied. “Maybe I will get involved with the planning this year. I think we should be at the Center between 10 and 1AM this year so that’ll be my contribution to the planning. You can fit the other stuff in around that ….”

“You wanna spend three hours at the Center, Bri?” Justin seemed surprised. “Is that what you mean? You don’t usually want to spend even one hour at the Center – and now you want to spend three hours there? Is there something that I don’t know about?”

“I think Emmett and Ted are talking about a big surprise at the New Year’s celebration this year,” Brian reminded him. “That’s what they’re telling people. So maybe for once – just this once though - there is something you don’t know about ….”

“Well we both already know what that surprise is, Brian,” Justin pointed out. “They have this – like 30 foot TV screen and they’re gonna show the activities from Times Square on it – and like – count down the time till the ball comes down at midnight. That’ll be nice but I don’t think it’s such a great big thing – but I’ll try to get us there for as much of your three hours as I can – if that’s what you want ….”

“All three hours, Baby,” Brian reminded him. “I wanna be there all three hours ….”

“Then I don’t see how we can fit all the other stuff in, Brian,” Justin protested. “There’s a couple of places we have to go – and we can’t be two places at one time. We have to see Gus – and Debbie – and your mother – and my mother – and we’re supposed to have dinner early with Brandon and Jason – or we won’t see them at all. They have some other places to go later and they won’t be at the Center ….”

“Yeah, they will,” Brian seemed certain in his rebuttal. “They’ll be there.’

“That’s not what Jason told me,” Justin told him, “and Jason does all the planning over there – just like I do all the planning over here – or used to at least – when things all worked out ….”

“But I think Brandon is gonna want to go to the Center after all, Baby,” Brian persisted. “Yeah he is. So I think he will get involved in the planning this year too – like I am. I guess we decided we were putting too much of the work onto you guys so we decided to help out ….”

“So you’ve decided to make life even harder for us, BK,” Justin grinned at him. “I hope that’s not your New Year’s resolution for 2010. You’re enough of a pain already without even trying ….”

“Tell you what, JT,” Brian suggested. “Here’s my solution. I think we should like – reserve maybe three tables for ten at the Center and have everybody meet over there – like we do at Gino’s on St. Patrick’s Day. It’ll make Ted and Emmett look good – and we could see everybody you think we have to see ….”

“Like – you’re saying – my mother and your mother at the Center, Kinney?” Justin pointed out with surprise. “You look sane enough and your speech isn’t slurred or anything but ….”

“That’s what I’m saying, Twink – just what I’m saying - and Gus and Johnny and Peter too. This event is gonna be a class operation from the word ‘go’ No weird stuff – even if it is at the Center.” Brian laughed, “Hey, Babe - you’re always complaining about how you have to do all the planning and now when I have a few ideas ….”

“But I never said it would be better if you helped with the planning, Brian Kinney,” Justin came back at him. “I never said that at all ….”

“So what do I have to do to convince you that I am a really great planner, Honey?” Brian asked – as he squeezed the kid and pulled his blond head down onto his shoulder.

Brian did not get a verbal answer to that question – and he didn’t seem to expect one either. He didn’t need one. It looked like he knew how to convince Justin of just about anything. And it did take a while before the conversation resumed too.

“Brian,” Justin said – when he finally came up for air. “You know what I think? I think you wanted to go to New York and you’re mad because we’re not going – and you’re taking it out on me and it’s not my fault ….”

“Well I wouldn’t be taking anything out on you at all, Mr. Know-It-All,” Brian grinned at him, “if you just knew how we could be in two places at the same time ….”

“So like – I don’t know how to be in two places at one time, Kinney,” Justin grinned back at him. “And maybe you do ….?”

“Well, Sweetheart,” Brian replied, “maybe that’s what I am saying – sort of – I guess ….”

“OK, Kinney,” Justin was still smiling. “Whatever the hell you’ve got cooked up, I want to know what it is – like – all of it – and like – right now ….”

“Geez, you’re tough, Sweetheart,” Brian smiled back at him. “OK. You know that - like – thirty foot TV screen they’re setting up at the Center. Well it’s not just for Times Square. There’s one just like it being set up in the ballroom Dave’s using for his New Year’s Eve party – and there’s gonna be a direct interactive feed between them so we’ll be able to see and talk to Dave and Wendell - and Shawn and Ricky and Robert – and dance live to Guy Lombardo music – and they’ll be able to dance to our jazz trio – and talk to us - and Dave’s having a couple of New York Yankees at his party and you know what Yankee fans Gus and Johnny are ….”

“Well they should be Pirate fans, Bri,” Justin interrupted. “Not Yankee fans. They’re Pittsburghers after all.”

“Hey, Taylor,” Brian laughed. “Didn’t the Pirates just finish their seventeenth consecutive losing season? Geez, Kiddo, Johnny is only seventeen years old - and Gus must think George Washington was president the last time the Pirates were winners. Anyhow, those Yankees can talk to the kids and they’ve sent some autographed stuff for Johnny and Pete and Gus too. It’ll be the best New Year’s Eve ever for those kids. And you know that Broadway director that Malcolm is always talking about. He’s gonna be there too …..”

“That’s like a miracle, Brian,” Justin was in rare awe. “How did all this stuff get rigged up? The TV feeds and all that?”

“I guess you know who owns the biggest TV network around, Baby?” Brian pointed out. “Well – I like – know him personally and ….”

“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin picked up some enthusiasm – or more exactly – a lot of enthusiasm. “If all those guys are gonna be there in New York then we need to make sure Roger is here with his guitar and Ethan with his violin and ….”

“I guess I can arrange all that, Baby,” Brian assured him. “Since I’ve had some practice now ….”

“You know what, Bri?” Justin thought the situation through. “I think maybe this project is getting just too big to be entrusted to an amateur – even a very very talented amateur. Don’t you think maybe I should take over from here? Don’t you?”

“You might have a point there, Baby. I bow to your superior experience. So be my guest,” Brian agreed quickly. “I thought you’d never ask.”

But Brian knew Justin all too well – so he did know that Justin would ask – and take over the project too – just as he wanted him to. So things worked out exactly as Brian had planned – amateur though he night be. That was child’s play for a guy who could figure out how to be in two places at the same time.
 

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