Somebody's Missing

Brian and Justin were cuddled up in front of their fake fireplace – and sharing information about an important upcoming event.

“I guess it’ll be the first Gay and Lesbian Day at Kennywood for Dave and Wendell, JT,” Brian was conjecturing.

“Well technically it is the first Gay-Lesbian Day at Kennywood for ‘Dave and Wendell,’ and the first time for Dave too – but Wendell has been there. You just didn’t know him then….”

“Ah yes,” Brian grinned at him. “I remember those halcyon days well. Those were the good old days. Days of fun and freedom. Where ever did they go?”

“Cut it out, BK,” Justin grinned back. “You’re happier than you’ve ever been. And you like Dave and Wendell – and you’re glad they’re coming too – not that you’d ever admit it. That wouldn’t be Brian Kinney….”

“Well you just might have a point there, Baby,” Brian had to agree in principle. “Cause if they’re coming, my guess is that Mother Martha is not able to get here or they….”

“Dave’s mother can’t come, Brian,” Justin told him. “One of her big charities in the Hamptons is having a party to honor their ‘person of the year’ on the same day and she has to be there….”

“And Martha wants to be there to honor this ‘person of the year’,” I guess,” Brian surmised. “Well that’s good luck for us all right….”

“Debbie doesn’t think so, Bri,” Justin informed him. “In fact she’s not going to Kennywood either. She’s flying up to New York for Martha’s dinner instead.”

“Well she’ll get to meet the ‘person of the year’ anyhow,” Brian pointed out. “And she’ll like that – she can do a little social climbing - and our day at Kennywood will be a little less hectic too.”

“In the interests of full disclosure, Honey,” Justin laughed, “I guess I better inform you that Debbie already knows the ‘person of the year.’ Martha herself is the awardee….”

”Martha is the ‘person of the year,’ – I should have guessed that - and her own son is not going, Baby,” Brian laughed back. “You need to call Dave and Wendell and tell them they have to go to Martha’s party. Use your powerful persuasion techniques, Sweetheart. Nag them. If my mother was getting some kind of award, I’d have to go – or you’d….”

“Well it so happens that I did kind of mention to them that maybe they ought to go there, Brian;” Justin disclosed. “They should go. And they said they’d go if you and me and Brandon and Jason would come up and go too.”

“And you declined that call of duty because you knew I wouldn’t go” Brian guessed. “At least you were thinking of me when you did that.”

“Well not exactly, Kinney,” Justin grinned at him. “Brandon and Jason were willing to skip Kennywood and go to the Hamptons – but I like – mentioned it to Gus – and he was so disappointed that we might not be at Kennywood….”

“So you actually figured you could nag me into going up there for Martha’s award, Taylor? Now that is real self-confidence,” Brian expressed mild surprise – smiling all the while.

“Well you know how much I like a challenge, Bri,” Justin told him.

At this point in the discussion, Brian issued - non-verbally - what seemingly would qualify as a challenge – which in turn brought about a long pause in the discussion - only proving Justin’s point conclusively. Justin did like a challenge – just as he had pointed out.

“Any other good news about Gay and Lesbian Day, Babe?” Brian grinned in resuming the interrupted conversation. “We’re like – on a roll….”

“Yeah, Mr. Kinney,” Justin replied. “There is maybe – one other thing going your way. Penelope Shellcoff is coming this year – but she’s not bringing Henrietta the Eighth….”

“She’s leaving that yipping dog in Cincinnati, JT,” Brian was genuinely surprised. “That’s hard to believe. They always seemed to like to yip together – Henny and Penny. I hope you’re not kidding…..”

“Well Henrietta the Eighth is having some kind of a problem, Bri,” Justin explained. “Malcolm says she’s nipping at everybody these days – even Penny – and that’s not like Henrietta at all….”

“So nobody cared when the only one she nipped at was me, Taylor,” Brian accused. “I could see this coming years ago - but nobody would listen to me – not even you – not that you ever listen to me….”

“They took her to the dog psychologist, Bri,” Justin went on uninterrupted. “She says Henrietta is having like – a mid-life crisis….”

“Yeah,” Brian smiled ironically. “That dog’s mid-life crisis began when she was a couple of weeks old and she opened her eyes and saw a great big world just waiting to be yipped at and nipped at – and her mid-life crisis won’t end till she yips and nips at the guy running the guillotine…..”

“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin told him. “You can be really mean when you put your mind to it. Picking on a poor defenseless little dog. I’m glad you like me….”

“Do I remember ever saying I liked you?” Brian laughed – but Justin concurrently made a move which sent the discussion into “pause” mode once again. An observer would have had to agree with Justin again. It did look like Brian liked Justin.

“So the rest of the day at Kennywood will be pretty much as usual?” Brian again resumed the discourse afterwards.

“Yep,” Justin affirmed. “We’ll take Gus to Kiddyland in the afternoon and then we’ll….You know what, Bri? I haven’t heard from Wilson and Alan yet. Maybe they’re getting tired of people getting me and Wil mixed up, because we look so much alike. It might be better if they stayed in Atlanta….”

“Oops,” Brian interjected. “I guess I know something that you don’t. They are coming. I was talking to Alan last week and maybe he told me to tell you….”

“Which you didn’t – of course,” Justin complained non-seriously. “Like – you never tell me anything – and I always let you know whatever’s going on….”

“So maybe there won’t be so much mistaken identity this time around, JT,” Brian opined. “I don’t think you and Wil look so much alike – now that you’re getting older…..”

“Oh,” Justin recoiled deliberately. “Now I’m getting old. I tell you good news – and you don’t tell me what you’re supposed to tell me – and now you’re accusing me of getting old….”

“Sorry, Sweetheart,” Brian apologized. “But the truth is that you are getting older – not old now – but older nevertheless – and I can prove it too…..”

“That’s not what I want you to prove at all, Brian Kinney,” Justin told him.

“Geez, Sunshine,” Brian laughed. “I can maybe see why you’re so sympathetic with Henrietta the Eighth. Seems like you might be having a mid-life crisis too. Like an early mid-life crisis though – but…..”

“Shut up, Kinney,” Justin told him – and Brian decided it would be best to take that advice – and subsequent events proved to Brian that he had made the correct decision.
 

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