Just Who Is That?

“Bad idea, Kiddo,” Brian told Justin as they were getting themselves settled on the floor of the loft – in front of their fake fireplace. “That painting over there is what I mean – not us sitting down here together - so don’t try to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about ….”

“Gee whiz, Kinney,” the kiddo responded. “It’s a commission I got from some big executive in California who saw some of my stuff in Dave’s LA office. He wanted a 4x7 oil – exactly 4x7 – including a relevant frame - so it would fit the space he had for it - of Balboa discovering the Pacific Ocean – with a couple of other guys in the picture too - and he wanted a red coat on Balboa – and a lot of reds and greens in the painting too - so it would match his office decor. I do wonder about the office décor - but he really knew exactly what he wanted. I didn’t have much leeway at all – if I took the commission that is….”

“All of a sudden somebody wants a painting of Balboa and the Pacific Ocean?” Brian questioned. “That happened like maybe 200 years ago. How come he’s so interested in Balboa now? Sounds weird to me….”

“Actually, Mr. Kinney,” Justin informed him. “The 500th anniversary of Balboa’s discovery of the Pacific Ocean will be coming up in 2013. This foresighted gentleman is beating the rush for Balboa stuff that is sure to come as the anniversary gets closer….”

“And I guess he also specified that he wanted Balboa to look just like Jason?” Brian wondered. “So you were just following orders there too …..”

“Well he doesn’t like – even know Jason, Bri,” Justin reasoned. “But if he did, it’s possible that he might have wanted Balboa to look just like Jason – not that we can be sure - he was that picky about what he wanted all right. It was almost like painting by the numbers - but the fee he offered was pretty good – and Dave wanted me to do it for him – he’s a good friend of Dave - and you’d have been mad if I had turned it down and you found out about it – and Dave would have told you -– and so would Dave have been mad – and like – it isn’t like I knew what Balboa looked like anyhow so …..”

“So you got back at your generous but somewhat picky client by doing him a picture of Jason discovering the Pacific Ocean - instead of Balboa,” Brian stifled the laugh which he thought might have weakened his argument.

“So you don’t know that Jason wouldn’t have discovered the Pacific Ocean - if he had just got there ahead of Balboa, BK,” Justin defended himself. “Balboa just got there first – and you don’t know that he didn’t look a lot like Jason either…..”

“You’re 100% right, Baby,” Brian couldn’t suppress a laugh this time, “I don’t know what Balboa looked like – even if chances are that he didn’t look exactly like Jason - and I also have to admit that Jason would probably have noticed the Pacific Ocean if he stumbled on it by mistake – but he would also probably have figured they had just had a big rainstorm out there and you know - puddles happen ….”

“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin complained, “you don’t have to pick on Jason too just because you feel like picking on me….”

“So maybe I feel like picking on you both, Sweetheart,” Brian premised, “and I’m like – killing two birds with one stone….”

“Well maybe I could convince you that you’d rather do something else, BK,” Justin suggested, “if I try hard enough….”

“I doubt it, Taylor,” Brian started to reply – but he didn’t finish the remark – and he would have been wrong if he had continued in what he was obviously planning to say. At any rate a pause in the discussion ensued – probably not including any thoughts about Balboa by either of them….

But good old Balboa was back on the front burner when the chat resumed.

“If you’re expecting a rush of Balboa commissions between now and 2013, JT,” Brian broke the silence, “are they all gonna look like Jason?”

“Well – not necessarily, BK,” Justin allowed. “Since I don’t know for sure exactly what Balboa looked like, there’s a certain freedom….”

“There better not be any Balboas that look like Brian Kinney, Honey,” Brian told him. “I’m pretty sure there are no Balboas in my like – 100% Irish ancestry….”

“You never heard of the O’Balboas, Kinney?” Justin asked him. “I think they were kings of some part of Ireland. I forget which part…..”

“Well if they were Irish, Sunshine,” Brian grinned at him. “They were surely kings somewhere. And I know I’m descended from some kings. That’s well known in the family. So can I ask if Jason knows he discovered the Pacific Ocean – or is that a deep dark secret?”

“Well, ‘no’ and ‘no,’ Brian,” Justin clarified. “Jason does not know – but it’s not some deep dark secret either. Brandon knows. Hunter and Malcolm saw the painting over at the Institute and they knew – and they both have pretty big mouths….”

“And Brandon has seen the painting and he didn’t tell Jason?” Brian was puzzled. “I didn’t know they kept any secrets from one another….”

“They don’t, Bri,” Justin assured him. “They’re just like us. They don’t. But Brandon has a surprise planned for Jason. He took this really big photograph of the painting and he’s gonna crop it so it’s just Jason with no other guys or no Pacific Ocean or anything – and then he’s gonna frame it and hang it on the wall over at their place….”

“Just Jason,” Brian echoed in awe, “dressed like Balboa – in a red jacket – discovering nothing? Like – on the wall? Sounds pretty ‘off the wall’ to me….”

“Yep,” Justin assured him. “That’s about it….”

“I think it’s unethical, Taylor,” Brian accused. “The guy in California came up with a pretty penny for an original painting – and Brandon has part of it hanging on his wall – free and clear….”

“Gee whiz, Brian,” Justin pointed out, “there are maybe millions of Mona Lisa copies on various walls all over the world - and nobody paid any commission to Da Vinci or to whoever commissioned it either. It’s the same thing here. And by the way, all those big old painters from the middle ages put the faces of real people into their paintings – so I’m just following in a tradition both noble and common. Lots of them put their own faces in too….”

“So when you do some angels, Baby,” Brian laughed. “I’ll know who to look for, I guess….”

“You get some good ideas when you put your mind to it, Brian Kinney,” Justin grinned. “I think you’ve got something there….”

“Well I guess every time I see a new painting of yours, Baby,” Brian concluded. “I’ll be looking at the faces – if there are any. I just never noticed it till now – and I caught Jason’s face and hardly even looked at the rest of the picture…..”

“Well why don’t you now, Brian?” Justin suggested. “Just fasten your 20-20s on the painting – like – the whole thing….”

Brian took that advice. “Geez, Justin Taylor,” he exclaimed shortly thereafter. “The guy standing next to Jason – with the great big helmet. Damn. That’s Mikey….”

“Nope,” Justin maintained, “that’s a Spanish grenadier who just happens to look like Mikey….”

“I’m not going through that all again, Taylor,” Brian insisted. “Does Mikey know he helped discover the Pacific Ocean?”

“I don’t think so, Bri,” Justin replied. “Malcolm and Hunter were scared to tell him. They thought maybe you could….”

“I can,” Brian laughed, “and I will too…. But not right away. There’s this certain – like – angel - I need to talk to….”

“Talk away, Kinney,” Justin told him – with a grin.

But Brian didn’t say anything at all. Nor had he planned to. But the guy who did what Brian had actually planned to do looked a lot like Brian – so it probably was.
 

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