New Years Eve-nts

"New Year's Eve is coming up, Sunshine," Brian said, "Do you have any plans?"

"Oh yes," Justin replied, "I have a date with this great guy. He's my dream guy actually. I'm in love with him. We made this date last year and we have one for next year too."

"And where will you be when the clock strikes twelve?" Brian wanted to know.

"In the most romantic spot in the world, that's where," Justin told him, "The one place I'd rather be than any place else in the world. The absolutely perfect place to spend New Year's Eve."

"Does this place have an address or any other descriptive information?" Brian asked.

"Sure," came the reply, "Anywhere he is. He hasn't told me where yet."

"You must have been sniffing something, Honey," Brian concluded, "And I thought you quit that stuff. But now it's time to smell the coffee. You know damn well we're going to go where you want to go and I probably won't be allowed any opinion at all."

"Boy, Brian," Justin complained, "You sure know how to throw cold water on a person's castle in the air."

"Yeah," Brian agreed, "It's an ugly job but somebody's got to do it. So where are we going?"

"I thought maybe to the party at Linz and Mel's," Justin suggested, "The whole gang will be there, I think, and you can kiss your son 'Happy New Year,' right after you kiss me."

"Can I kiss Mikey 'Happy New Year' too?" Brian teased.

"Sure, what's wrong with a kiss between two old friends," Justin answered, "As long as I'm watching and you both know I'm watching. But I don't think you should kiss Ben. He's hot."

"So much for Mikey," Brian laughed, "What about Hunter?"

"Don't try it, Brian," Justin threatened him, "You have already succeeded in sinking my dreamboat. Don't rub it in."

"I think maybe you're mixing metaphors, Sweetheart," Brian said.

"Brian," Justin pouted, "I've been accused unjustly of a lot of things in my life but I've never been so hurt as I am now, being accused of mixing metaphors. And just what, may I ask, is a metaphor anyhow?"

"How the hell should I know?" Brian responded.

"Then don't go around tossing out accusations willy-nilly." Justin warned him

"Sweetheart," Brian informed him, "This friend of mine has a private jet and he's taking a small group up to New York, flying up on New Year's Eve and coming back late on New Year's Day. He's saving two seats for us in case you'd like to go. That way it would be just the two of us together in Times Square when 2004 comes in."

"Just the two of us," Justin pointed out, "And a million or so of our most intimate strangers."

"You wouldn't have to worry about who I kiss," Brian told him.

"Ha," Justin replied, "You'd probably sneak Hunter into the crowd somehow."

"OK, so it's Linz and Mel's for New Year's Eve with the same boring crowd as always," Brian complained.

"If that's what you want," Justin answered, "It's all right with me."

"That's what I want," Brian gave up, "Who wouldn't want to be in the most romantic spot in the world, the absolutely perfect place to spend New Year's Eve - that would be any place with you."

"I really love it, Honey," Justin replied, "When you get romantic and talk mushy. You certainly can think up the most wonderful things to say. I wish I had your talent for always coming up with just the right words."

It should be pointed out that Brian and Justin did not always act like lunatics. Separately they were always sane, and even together when there were others present. However, it was still just the two of them a few hours later when they sat down in front of the fake fireplace.

Justin started the conversation. "Brian," he said, "I'm glad you decided that you wanted to spend New Year's Eve at Linz and Mel's with our friends."

"And I'm glad," Brian replied, "That you were willing to give up the trip to New York City so that I could do that. The important thing, Baby, is that we will be together, not where we are or who we're with."

"That is such a sweet way to put it," Justin purred and the subject of where to spend New Year's Eve was irrevocably determined.

There was peace and quiet in the loft for a good while before Justin pulled a sheet of paper from his shirt pocket. "Brian," he said, "I have a list of New Year's resolutions here. Want to know what they are?"

Maybe not," Brian answered, "You know, Honey, it might be better if I didn't know. Your record time for keeping your resolutions is no later than January 5 as I remember, and last year you blamed me for tempting you into breaking all of your resolutions. If I don't know what they are, I can't tempt you into breaking them. But I'll find out what they are when I notice all the new improvements in your behavior."

"We really do think alike," Justin told him, "I had already decided not to tell you my New Year's resolutions, and for the same reasons that you just mentioned."

"Well what's this list then?" Brian wanted to know.

"I guess I didn't make myself clear, Sweetheart. These resolutions are for you, " Justin told him, "You said you were too busy to make any resolutions so I made some up for you."

"For me?" Brian asked.

"Yeah," Justin said, "It's fun to have New Year's resolutions and I didn't want you not to have any just because you were so busy. Wanna look them over?"

"OK Baby," Brian suggested, "But let me offer you an alternative. We can go over my resolutions or instead of that, I could pull you up on my lap and we could hug and kiss and whatever for the rest of the evening.

Justin got up from the floor, walked over to the waste basket, and to Brian's apparent great relief, threw the now crumpled paper away. Then he bounced back and plopped himself into Brian's lap. "Let's try it your way," he told Brian.

"Well it's about time we did something my way, " Brian gloated, "Maybe 2004 will be the year when I really do get to be boss around here. This is a good beginning with you doing what I want for a change."

"Hey Brian," Justin whispered, "You know that paper I just threw away."

"Yeah," Brian answered guardedly.

"It was blank." Justin told him.

"That's what I thought," Brian responded, "You are repeating your tricks, Honey, and I'm finally catching on. I'm 'onto' you now, although I still wonder why you think you have to trick me into doing what I want to do in the first place."

Justin did not answer immediately but his brain went into high gear, so while they were actually doing other things, Justin was subconsciously reviewing the situation.

"Brian Kinney," he said after some of this subconscious thought, "You never wanted to go to New York for New Year's Eve, did you? You always wanted to go spend New Year's Eve here with the gang. I'll bet there never was a jet to New York at all. You were just trying to beat me at my own game, weren't you?"

"You'll never know," Brian smiled at him.

"We'll just see about that," Justin warned him, "I'm going to make a New Year's resolution to find out."

"Well, I'll admit that's something for me to worry about," Brian told him, "At least until January 5."

Return to Fireside Chats