The Whole Truth

Justin breathlessly rushed into the little restaurant just off-campus where he occasionally met Brian for lunch. Brian was already there, sitting in one of the rear booths.

"I got your message on my voice mail, Bri. What's up?" Justin blurted out, "Is this some kind of an emergency?"

"Not really," Brian responded with a wry smile, "I just wanted to have lunch with you and then, if you have time, I want to look around the campus."

Justin looked at him quizzically. "Something is up, Honey," Justin told Brian, "I get the feeling that you think I've done something. You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Not at all, Sunshine," Brian answered, "It's just that I was talking to Daphne. She wanted you when she called but you weren't in so we got to talking and …"

"And she told you about the posters," Justin finished the sentence.

"She told me about the posters," Brian confirmed, "But you didn't. You know I want to see all your work and you promised me I would. So now I'm going to see the posters."

"Brian," Justin defended himself, "I told you that sometimes I just did some experimenting and I didn't want you to see the ones I threw away. You said that was OK with you."

"But these posters are up all over the campus according to Daphne. She said they were great," Brian reminded him, "Were they experiments you meant to throw away and posted all over the campus instead?"

"They were posters I didn't want to do. They're not what I like doing. They are advertising the school's production of Hamlet. I guess you know that too," Justin protested, "I got conned into doing them."

"So advertising is beneath your artistic aspirations, eh?" Brian wanted to know.

"Shit, Brian," Justin gave in, "I'm losing this one. I'm sorry. I should have let you see the posters. Don't be mad at me. Let's eat and then I'll show them all to you. There are three different ones."

While they were eating Brian asked Justin about the production. "Isn't the star of this Hamlet the Roderick who is your little friend Malcolm's latest love?" Brian asked, "Are we going to see it together or were you planning to see it without me, maybe with Malcolm?"

"Please cut it out Brian. I should have told you about the damn posters." Justin pleaded, 'I don't want to see the show at all, but if I went, I would certainly want you to come along. You know that."

They finished eating with no more said about the posters and Justin took Brian on a tour where Brian got to see the three posters that Justin did not want to do. Brian was impressed.

"You are an artistic genius, Baby," Brian told Justin admiringly, "You could make a fortune in advertising if you didn't just go for that pure art shit. Think it over."

Justin just smiled as they walked back to the street where Brian was parked. On the way, they noticed a couple across the street in a passionate embrace. "Those guys will give gays a bad name." Brian told him jokingly, "All that crap in public. They should be ashamed."

"Yeah," Justin agreed with a broad smile, "We would never do anything like that, would we?" Then he added, "Brian, Honey, the one on the left is Malcolm."

"Wow," Brian acknowledged, "He's just like I pictured him, and now I actually get to see the famous Malcolm in person. But I must say you flattered Roderick on those posters. You made him look a lot better than what I'm seeing across the street."

"Isn't that what art in advertising is all about?" Justin jibed, "Advertising art is not the truth."

Justin breathed a sigh of relief as Brian pulled out to head back to the office. The storm had been successfully weathered. And their little sidewalk scene was so much more dignified than Malcolm's. Justin vowed to himself that from then on, he would always tell Brian the whole truth. But he had an enigmatic smile on his face.

Brian and Justin had dinner with Mel and Lindsay at Woody's that evening. Brian told them about the posters. Justin was pleased about how much Brian liked his drawings, but he also wanted the subject out of way once and for all.

When they got back to the loft, Brian lit the fireplace, and sat himself down on the floor facing it. Justin soon joined him there. It was a favorite activity for both of them. They just sat there for a while and Justin began to feel a bit uneasy. He could read Brian's moods and he was uncertain what was coming next.

Finally Brian spoke. "What is truth?" he said.

"Are you quoting the Bible or just voicing a philosophic question?" Justin wanted to know.

"Both, I guess," Brian said, "I was just wondering if you had anything to tell me?"

"Brian, I told you I was sorry about the posters. Is that what this is all about?" Justin protested, "I promise I will always tell you the whole truth from now on. And I will."

"I did some thinking this afternoon about our little campus tour," Brian went on, "And I think there might have been one place where you didn't tell me the whole truth. Anything you have to tell me?"

"Yeah," Justin admitted, "You are tough, Brian, and smart. That was not Roderick that Malcolm was making out with on the street today. It was Alvin. I was just trying to avoid another lecture from you on fickle young people."

"And who the hell is Alvin?" Brian laughed, much to Justin's relief.

"Alvin plays Polonius in Hamlet. When Malcolm went to dress rehearsal, he saw Alvin and went right after him." Justin related, "Malcolm says he likes older guys."

"But I'll bet Alvin isn't any older than Roderick," Brian replied.'

"No," Justin said, "But Polonius is older than Hamlet and Alvin looks older in costume. Brian, I want to keep you away from Malcolm. He's sure to fall for you and make a pest of himself."

"Because I'm so old?" Brian pondered.

"Because you're so hot and a bit older than we are," Justin corrected him

"The whole truth is that I am old," Brian complained.

"Well, the whole truth may hurt sometimes, Sweetheart, " Justin smiled at him, "But that's what you want. It is also the whole truth that I love you and I always will but I guess that's no consolation."

Brian squeezed Justin closer and acted as if it actually was a lot of consolation. They just sat there for a while but the last word on the subject had not yet been spoken.

"Baby," Brian finally said to Justin, "You know what. I think maybe we should get out of town for all of January and February next year."

"Now just what brought that up?" Justin wondered.

"I was thinking, Honey," Brian told him, "That with the way Malcolm is going through the guys at the Institute, he should be back to you sometime in late January, or February at the latest."

"Brian," Justin wailed.

"Sometimes the whole truth hurts," Brian told him.

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