I Love a Parade

“You’re asking me to like – do a commercial for a plumbing company, Brian,” Justin was complaining as the guys settled themselves onto the floor of the loft facing their blazing fake fireplace.

“I am not either, Twink,” Brian disagreed as he wound his arm around the kid’s shoulders. “I’m asking you to design a float for the St. Patrick’s Day parade – and that’s all I’m asking – an artistic float.”

“It’s gonna have a sign on it, Kinney,” Justin maintained his position. “And that sign is gonna say ‘Maginnity Plumbing and Heating’ and that sounds a lot like a commercial to me….”

“It doesn’t say ‘Buy at Maginnity’ does it? So it’s not a commercial,” Brian objected, “and I know a commercial when I see one. That’s my business, you know.”

“A technicality, Kinney,” Justin insisted. “Just a technicality. So what is it if it isn’t an advertisement? Tell me that.”

“Public relations, Baby,” Brian explained. “Not advertising. Name recognition. Anyhow it’s no more a commercial than the float you talked Brandon into having in the parade last year – for his ‘Harp and Shillelagh” restaurant – and that wasn’t supposed to be a commercial – according to you.”

“That was like – a favor for a friend, BK,” Justin pointed out. “It was not my idea either and you know it. Brandon heard from some lawyer that they did that kind of stuff like - in Cleveland - and he thought it was a good idea and so he ….”

“But you helped them design their float, JT,” Brian remembered, “with just the name of the restaurant on the side. And it was a neat float too. That’s why I thought of you when Maginnity suggested pretty much the same thing for his plumbing firm – and the customer is usually right in my business too – when you can do what he wants – if his ideas are not all that bad. You don’t have to do it though, Sweetheart. Not if you don’t want to. Kinnetics’ art department could do it if you don’t want to – not as well as you could of course – but well enough to suit Maginnity ….”

“I think Bob and Ralph would be best, Bri,” Justin volunteered. “They’d be the best ones….”

“OK, Baby,” Brian gave in. “Bob and Ralph it is. You’re off the hook and your artistic integrity can be maintained - if that’s what you want – no crass commercialism for Justin Taylor….”

“I think that would be better,” Justin decided - and a pause in the exchange ensued – a pause which both the guys thought was a lot better than the preceding conversation – and which lasted a lot longer than that conversation too.

“Thanks for not pressuring me to do that float, Bri,” Justin reopened the discussion a while later. “It’s just not the kind of stuff I like to do….”

“Not a problem, Baby,” Brian told him. “Just thought I better ask you first….”

“Thanks anyway,” Justin reiterated. “If Bob and Ralph need any like - ideas, maybe I could ….”

“Nah,” Brian said. “I don’t want your artistry compromised. I got some ideas myself that I think we’ll try….”

”Like what, Bri?” Justin inquired quickly. “Wanna run some of them past me?”

“Well,” Brian told him – somewhat less reluctantly than he wanted to appear. “I liked Brandon’s float last year – but it was kind of static – even with the electrical leprechauns moving and all. I thought maybe we could put some live performers on the Maginnity float – like maybe Gus playing some Irish reels on his violin. The crowd will love it and I think Gus would like to do it too. He’s kind of a showman….”

“You’re like - gonna put Gus on that float, Bri?” Justin stammered in surprise.

“Yeah, Baby,” Brian said. “You know how they have live performers on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day floats – and in the Rose Bowl parade too. Well I thought maybe we should do something like that. I checked it out with the parade committee and they really want me to try it. They think it will jazz up the whole thing….”

“Maybe you should get Roger and his guitar on there too, Brian,” Justin finally seemed to get into the spirit of the occasion, “Roger could play like – ‘My Wild Irish Rose’ – and some pop Irish songs like that. And maybe Johnny and Peter could like – learn a simple Irish dance – and we could get Malcolm to think about….”

“Wait a minute, Honey,” Brian threw some cold water on the enthusiastic speculation. “Those are all great ideas – but you have to be careful about your artistic integrity. Remember - no commercialization allowed…..”

“Well I guess when you come right down to it,” Justin seemed to be taking a longer view than he had earlier, “if the sign just says 'Maginnity Plumbing and Heating' – that’s not like – all that commercial. I can see your point about public relations and name recognition….”

“OK, Babe,” Brian conceded. “I’ll run those ideas past Bob and Ralph and see what they think – since they’ll be the ones designing the whole thing….”

“You know what, Bri?” Justin proposed thoughtfully. “Maybe we shouldn’t even bother Bob and Ralph about the float at all. Brandon’s gonna have his ‘Harp and Shillelagh’ float in the parade again and maybe we could coordinate the floats – like Gus on the one and Roger on the other. We could do that better ourselves than Bob and Ralph could…..”

“So who’s gonna design Brandon’s float this year?” Brian wanted to know. “Or was he just gonna use the same one as last year?”

“Actually, Jason was gonna make some slight changes this year,” Justin revealed. “And I was like – maybe - gonna give him a few suggestions….”

“Without compromising the purity of your art in any way, of course,” Brian laughed.

“Exactly,” Justin agreed as he cuddled himself up closer to the big guy next to him – cutting off the discussion for another while – probably so they could contemplate the St. Patrick’s Day parade plans in more detail.

“You know what, Kinney?” Justin re-opened the conversation. “I think you tricked me into designing that damn Maginnity float – and you’re always accusing me of being a manipulator too – and you’re the big manipulator around here, I think.”

“Yeah,” Brian laughed. “I tricked you into doing something you wanted to do all along, Sweetheart. And now that you’re doing my float for me, you can take over for Jason and do Brandon’s float too….”

“Actually maybe two floats for Brandon, Bri,” Justin laughed back. “Not that I’d take over for Jason but I would be willing to help. The big guys at Brandon’s law firm saw his ‘Harp and Shillelagh” float last year and they wanted to do one with the firm’s name on it this year. They were gonna have a commercial firm do their float because they didn’t trust Jason – but now that I’m maybe – involved – a little, I’ll probably do that one too. We’ll coordinate all three of the floats and they’ll be the best part of the parade – the absolute best. What do you think, Brian?”

“I think the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee better look over it’s collective shoulder if they want to keep their jobs,” Brian was still laughing. “ Justin Taylor is gaining on the outside – and him not even 100% Irish like myself either.”

“Well I’m Irish enough, Kinney,” Justin was still laughing too. “But then there’s the Columbus Day parade in October. My great-grandmother was part Italian. Maybe we should….”

“OK, Twink,” Brian grabbed the kid menacingly. “You asked for it – you’ve been asking for it all night - and now you’re gonna get it. So do you have like - any last words you want to say?”

“I love a parade,” the kid replied as he buried his head on Brian’s chest..

And that did it for the evening – parade wise that is.
 

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