Fill 'Em Up

Brian had a determined but bemused look on his face as the boys plopped themselves onto the floor of the loft facing their fake fireplace.

“Brandon and me are not going, Taylor,” he told the kid, “And that is our final answer – not going….”

“Well you guys are like – already supporting the event, Kinney,” Justin pointed out, “You’re each pledging $250 so you’re supporting the event. I don’t see why you won’t come and at least watch…..”

“We are supporting the event because it’s for a worth-while charity,” Brian reasoned, “Not because you and Jason are crazy. Still - it’s a charity that we – meaning you and Jason - not me and Brandon – might well make use of its services sometime soon - Pittsburgh Mental Health…..”

“I am not the crazy one around here, Brian,” Justin laughed. “I’m maybe the flexible one - or the adventurous one - but I am not the crazy one….”

“You let Jason talk you into this thing, Sweetheart,” Brian laughed too, “And anybody who lets Jason talk him into anything would certainly be under suspicion of ….”

“Wrong, Honey,” Justin told him. “Jason did not talk me into anything. He just told me about it – and the only reason he knew about it before me is that his mother is like – on the committee – and he knew about it before it was publicly announced. I liked the idea and wanted to participate as soon as I heard about it. Jason even thought maybe you and Brandon might want to participate too ….”

“Well then Jason will certainly profit from his association with the mental health folks,” Brian was still laughing, “But those folks should be examining themselves for sponsoring such a crazy contest.”

“There are already over 200 entrants, Bri,” Justin informed him, “And registration is still open. They’re expecting a couple of hundred more. And we’re gonna have fun too….”

“And make yourselves sick, Kiddo,” Brian decided, “And then you’ll expect me to take care of you and sympathize and….”

“If I expect you to sympathize,” Justin grinned, “I will be needing mental health services, But I’ll be completely OK, Brian - and we’ll come home afterwards and sit here by the fireplace – just like we always do and….”

“I wonder if I’ll be able to get my arm around you, Babe,” Brian grinned back. “I probably won’t be able to – so maybe - while I can - I should ….”

Brian finished his sentence without words - and a pause occurred at this point which proved their disagreement was just one of principle and not of personality.

“You know what, Baby,” Brian thought out loud as the discussion resumed where it had left off – some time later, “Kinnetics should have been consulted. We could have figured out something way better than an ice-cream eating contest….”

“Hey BK,” Justin informed him, “You know that Billy White guy - who you always say is the best advertising guy in Chicago. Well he’s the one who conjured this thing up. We’re copying him – and Mental Health may adopt this contest nationwide. There’s gonna be one in Denver the week after ours….”

“Well, Justin Taylor,” Brian informed the kid, “I absolutely forbid you to enter the Denver contest – and that’s my final word on that subject.”.

“OK, Boss,” Justin meekly acquiesced. “As always, your word is my command. I will reluctantly forego Denver.”

“Go over the contest rules one more time, JT,” Brian requested. “I feel like laughing…..”

“It’s easy, Brian,” Justin decided to comply. “There’s like – 30 different flavors of ice cream and they come in three ounce servings. The contestants pick any five flavors and eat a serving of each of those for warm-up. Then they’re supposed to eat twenty-five more – but they’re not allowed to repeat a flavor – so we have to try them all. We get sponsors who pledge a certain amount for every dish eaten after the warm –up. Like you and Brandon each pledged $10.00 for each dish me and Jason eat – so it’ll cost you $250 if I finish all thirty flavors – and Brandon the same amount if Jason does. Debbie and Vic pledged $2.00 a dish for me and Ted pledged $2.00 too and some of the folks at the Institute pledged….”

“And who pays the doctor bill later on when you can’t move….?” Brian wondered. “I guess I could just roll you where you need to go….”

“Oh cut it out, Brian,” Justin laughed. “Eating 30 servings of ice cream will be a piece of cake for me and Jason. We’re like - already in training….”

“Geez, Sunshine,” Brian exclaimed, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you guys had some cake with your ice cream. And I’ve noticed how loyal you are to your very strict practice regimen. You’ll weigh a ton before the contest even starts. And by the way, you and Jason will be getting all that free ice cream – and me and Brandon will be paying out $250 and getting nothing. That doesn’t sound fair to me ….”

“Me and Jason will try to see that you and Brandon get your money’s worth, Bri. You’ll see. And it’s not exactly free ice cream for us either, Bri,” Justin explained. “There’s a $50.00 entrance fee. And like – you know – I don’t like all the flavors either. Like – watermelon parfait and passion fruit ripple aren’t exactly favorites of mine. It’s not all fun for the contestants - but we’re willing to sacrifice for a good cause….”

“That’s what I love most about you, Justin Taylor,” Brian leered at him, “Your willingness to sacrifice for a good cause.

There was another pause in the discussion at this very point – on this very point - as the guys seemed to have stumbled upon an area of agreement. The whole discussion might have been over then – but it wasn’t.

“Are you sure you won’t come to the contest, Bri?” Justin asked in resuming the conversation. “Brandon will come if you do….”

“You think we’d enjoy watching the guys we love make fools of themselves and make themselves sick all in one fell swoop?” Brian laughed.

“Well there’ll probably be 500 or so of us, Bri,” Justin defended himself, “So we won’t be the only ones.”

“You’d be the only ones me and Brandon would know, Baby,” Brian smiled. “Most of the people we know are sane….”

“Well – like – Mr. Kinney,” Justin told him. “Emmett is entered – and like – Mikey….”

“Mikey?” Brian reacted with disbelief. “Mikey? In an ice cream eating contest. I can’t believe it. This I gotta see. I’ll go – and so will Brandon.”

”Wait a darn minute, Brian Kinney,” Justin objected. “You wouldn’t come to see me – but you’ll come to see Mikey. My feelings might just be pretty badly hurt….”

“You know what, Sweetheart,” Brian proposed. “Maybe I should get into the contest too. I bet I could eat thirty servings of ice cream….”

“You will not either get into the contest, Bri,” Justin ordered. “I don’t want any big old fat boy-friend….”

“Thank goodness I don’t get hurt feelings as quick as you do, Baby,” Brian laughed. “But all this talk about ice cream. I know you’ve got three half-gallons in the freezer. Maybe I could have like – a small dish of one of them?”

“Absolutely,” Justin replied, “I’ll have some too. peppermint delight, pomegranate-mango, or coconut surprise?”

“On second thought,” Brian second-thought, “Maybe I should wait and get some vanilla at the diner tomorrow. But you go ahead and have some of each if you want to.”

“Yeah, I will,” Justin said, cuddling a little closer to the guy on his ledt, “I guess it’s important to keep up my training schedule for the big event – unless – of course - maybe - you had something else in mind, that is.”

And thus did Justin’s contest training schedule for the evening get seriously disrupted – but he didn’t seem to mind at all. Wasn’t he flexible and adventurous? And weren’t there some things better than thirty dishes of ice cream?
 

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