Traveling Plans

"Any cavities?" Brian asked Justin as the younger man came into the loft, returning from his semi-annual dental check-up.

"Not a cavity in my head, the dentist told me," Justin responded.

"He doesn't live with you," Brian reminded him.

"Brian," Justin turned serious, "I had to wait about forty-five minutes for Dr. O'Hare and I was reading some magazines while I waited."

"Am I going to get a headache from your dental appointment?" Brian wondered.

"There was this travel magazine there," Justin told him, "And I'd like to go to Paris."

"Oh," Brian interjected.

"They had this wonderful tour advertised and it seemed so neat. I could learn so much there. I've never been to Paris, and I figure we should think about going. We're not getting any younger," Justin continued.

"And I for one," Brian declared, "have no intention of getting any older either. I guess you tore that article out and have it ready to throw at me, right? Complete with phone numbers and itineraries."

"Wrong, Smart Guy," Justin laughed, "The magazine was a year old and that tour was over six months ago. You better be getting to the dentist too, Brian. But Paris is still there, Sweetheart. Will you think about going? It's the city of romance, you know."

"From the way you're pitching this trip, I guess my answer may surprise you," Brian told him, "I don't think it's a bad idea at all. When were you thinking of going?"

"You know I have a week off school next month," Justin told him, "If you could get that week away from the office, maybe we could go then."

"Do you have a valid passport, Sweetheart?" Brian asked. "It takes a while to get a passport."

"Of course I have a valid passport," Justin said, "You know I went to London with my school class the year before I met you. Do I look like somebody who would walk around without a valid passport?"

"No you don't, Baby. Not at all," Brian laughed. "When I see a group of people, I often ask myself 'Which of these people would walk around without a valid passport?' so I am very experienced. And you don't look at all like somebody who would walk around without a valid passport. But I didn't know you went to London the year before you met me because I didn't know you the year before you met me, and you never told me."

"Well you never asked," Justin defended himself.

"An omission on my part," Brian admitted, "By the way, Sunshine, have you ever been to Timbuktu, Samarkand, or Mozambique?"

"Brian," Justin complained, "Sometimes I think you get a perverse pleasure out of making fun of me."

"I don't see anything perverse about it at all," Brian smiled at him, "But I will confess to just a little bit of pleasure. You don't really mind, do you?"

"Brian," Justin replied, "I learned the hard way that your actions speak louder than your words. You're better at talking now than you were then, but your actions still speak louder than your words. I'm glad you know my weak points so you can protect me. I don't need any protection from you. Of course I don't mind. Someday when I'm not so scared of you, I may even pick on you every once in a while." Brian smiled at that. Then Justin stopped short.

"Wait a minute, Brian," Justin shouted, "It's just sinking in. You said you'd go. You are the greatest guy in the world. I love you." And Justin ran toward him and threw himself into Brian's arms so that Brian had to catch him. "I haven't done that in a long time," Justin said to Brian.

"No, and you've gained five pounds since the last time too," Brian replied.

"I don't think so Brian. The scale doesn't say that," Justin came back, "Too bad there's no scale to measure the ravages of age. Maybe you ain't what you used to be?"

"I suppose you take no perverse pleasure in saying that?" Brian asked.

"None whatsoever," Justin declared, "I'm getting old too."

For some reason or another, there was no more talk right then about the potential trip to Paris. It was a few hours later, with the fireplace lit and the guys sitting together peacefully on the floor watching the flames, that the subject came up again.

"Honey," Brian began, "I can try to get that week off next month to go to Paris, but there are arrangements for the trip that have to be made. And something could come up at the office too, with that short notice. If we try to go then and something happens that I can't go, I hope you wouldn't go without me."

"Brian, I am so sorry that I went to Vermont without you. I've told you that a hundred times." Justin responded, "I was just a kid then and I did dumb things. I don't ever want to go to Paris without you. I don't ever want to go anywhere without you."

"And we have business connections in Paris too," Brian continued, "I might have to visit them while I'm there. It wouldn't take much time but I don't want you to feel neglected. Actually, I might have had to go over there anyhow, but if I had gone, I would have taken you with me. I might be able to kill two birds with one stone."

"I'm a big boy now, Brian," Justin protested, "Whatever needs to be done will be OK with me. Don't you know that?"

"I think I do know that, Baby," Brian told him, "I just don't want any surprises."

"Well I'm not promising that there won't be a surprise or two," Justin countered.

"I think that will be quite all right." Brian assured him.

"Do you want to make the plane and hotel arrangements yourself, Sunshine?" Brian asked. "I'm sure Cynthia would be glad to do that and she has had a lot of experience."

"I think Cynthia should do it," Justin answered, "Then if anything goes wrong, I won't have to listen to your complaints."

"Yes you will, Baby," Brian responded, "Unless we take Cynthia along."

"Then I'll take my chances," Justin allowed, "We don't want you and Cynthia gone from the office at the same time."

"That's what I like about you, Sunshine, " Brian laughed, "Always thinking about the business."

They talked of some other things before they came back to the potential Paris adventure.

"You know, Honey," Brian warned Justin, "Mikey went to Paris with David and then they came back and broke up."

"That could never happen to us. And they didn't break up because they went to Paris, Bri," Justin opined, "They broke up because they went to Portland. But we will have to take pictures in Paris and have a slide show like they did. That was so enjoyable."

"Well it was kind of enjoyable as I remember it," Brian agreed, "But I don't remember the slides having anything to do with it."

"Of course the slides had something to do with it, Brian," Justin laughed. "That's why the lights were out."

"Point well taken," Brian admitted, "But I still figure Mikey thinks that the river flowing through the middle of Paris is the Susquehanna."

"Well his mother thinks the Susquehanna flows through the middle of Pittsburgh," Justin laughed, "And she's lived here all her life. Think of all the stuff they could learn from our slide show."

"Take all the pictures you want, Baby," Brian said, "But no slide show. Next you'd want violin accompaniment for the slide show. Absolutely no slide show."

"OK, Brian," Justin told him. "Since we always do exactly what you want, I have gotten used to it. I never get my way. I lose again. I guess there will be no slide show."

Brian smiled. But he wasn't all that sure that there would be no slide show - and he didn't really care.

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