Diversionary Tactics

The fireplace was lit. The guys were seated in their usual position. Justin was bursting with information and maybe a little more in the way of agenda. . The quiet period was dispensed with this evening.

"Malcolm and Hunter are crazy about Chuck," Justin began the conversation.

"Are they going to fight over him or divide him in two or will it be a threesome?" Brian wanted to know.

"Brian," Justin complained, "Sometimes I wonder why I tell you anything at all, but if I didn't, I guess you'd be claiming that I keep secrets from you. I can't win."

"Poor Baby," Brian attempted half-heartedly to console him.

"Thanks a lot, Bri," Justin responded, "But as usual you misunderstand me. Malcolm and Hunter are putting on a play and …."

"No," Brian interrupted.

"What are you talking about, Brian?" Justin asked.

"I'm not available for any acting jobs. Not now. Not ever," Brian told him, "And I'd really rather you weren't in it either. But that's up to you. It's just that I'd rather have you performing here in the loft than up on some stage."

"You just may see a performance right here in the loft if you don't let me finish," Justin insisted, "Nobody wants you in the play. Everything does not have to be about you, you know. And they don't need me either, so can I finish telling you what I started to tell you?"

"What do you mean nobody wants me in the play?" Brian seemed taken aback.

Justin had to laugh, "Geez, Kinney," he told Brian, "You are so funny I don't think I could really ever get mad at you. At least without trying very hard."

Brian laughed back. "We both know you are a real hard trier, don't we?" he responded, "OK Twink, get on with it."

"It seems Chuck has a background in dramatics from college. They're doing this new play by a local author and Chuck has agreed to take the leading role," Justin continued.

"OK," Brian decided, "We'll go to see it. Once. We'll go to see it once. Do they have dates for it yet?"

"Sometime next month," Justin answered, "But I wish you'd quit answering questions I haven't asked. Why do you always do that?"

"I think maybe I do that to keep you from asking the questions you're going to ask," Brian told him, "I wouldn't be surprised if there was going to be a question coming up that I don't want to hear."

"I told you, Honey," Justin complained, "Everything is not about you."

"That's true, Baby," Brian smiled knowingly, "But some things are about me. Will you promise that nothing in this long story is going to be about me?"

"Well, not exactly," Justin admitted, "But I've got to give you the background. Please let me finish."

"I wish everybody didn't know that you can get me to do whatever you want me to do," Brian groused. "Go ahead."

"There's a part in the play for a strong silent type," Justin said, "Just two scenes and four or five lines of dialog but a lot of stage business. It's a tricky part."

"Perfect for me, Kiddo," Brian responded, "But like I said before, my acting career is over."

"You may be the strong type, Bri," Justin was smiling, "But if you were the silent type, I could get this story finished."

"So you don't think I'm the strong and silent type?" Brian wondered.

"You're my type, Sweetheart," Justin told him, "Exactly my type. But it doesn't matter if I think you're the strong and silent type. Actually, what matters is that Mikey thinks you're the strong and silent type."

"You're losing me, Baby," Brian admitted, "That's not unusual but I am trying to figure out where you're going with this."

"Gosh, you mean you don't get it yet," Justin seemed surprised, "They want Mikey to play that character and he said he would, but only if you would agree to coach him some. He says he's not the strong and silent type but that you are."

"Mikey thinks I'm the strong and silent type?" Brian mused.

"Actually I think Mikey thinks you're the best stage director in the world," Justin opined, "And having you coach him gives him a lot of confidence. He is good on stage, Bri, but he doesn't have a lot of confidence. I wanted Malcolm and Hunter to talk to you about this themselves but they're scared of you."

"And brave little Justin is not afraid of the mean old fire-breathing dragon?" Brian concluded.

"Yeah," Justin told him, "I'm scared of you too, but I'm used to you by now and they're not. I know the mean old dragon has a heart of gold. And I'm in love with the mean old fire-breathing dragon too."

"Cut it out, Twink," Brian laughed. "Enough is enough. OK, I'll do it. I'll be the stage coach for Mikey. I guess you knew that all along. But not even you will be able to get me up on the stage again myself. Got it?"

"I hear you, Bri," Justin told him.

"That's not the same as getting it, Baby," Brian protested.

"No it isn't," Justin admitted as he circled Brian's neck with his arms in a diversionary maneuver. It worked.

With that decided, Brian and Justin did get their quiet time watching the flames flickering in the fireplace. Justin was contemplating his superior powers of persuasion, and Brian was wondering why it always made him feel so good to do what the kid wanted him to do. Neither one wanted to bring those subjects into the conversation so they didn't.'

Brian cuddled the kid as he resumed the conversation. "You weren't completely honest with me tonight," he accused Justin.

"I know," Justin answered, nestling in a little closer.

"Why didn't you just come out and tell me Mikey wanted me to coach him?" Brian asked. "Wouldn't that have been easier?"

"I just wanted you to know all the background before you made your decision," Justin defended himself. "I thought that was the best way to do it from your standpoint."

"Well why then did you just agree with me that you weren't completely honest?" Brian wanted to know.

"Geez, Bri," Justin responded, "That was not when I was not being completely honest with you."

"It wasn't?" Brian looked quizzical."

"No," Justin told him. "I wasn't being completely honest with you when I said everything wasn't about you. Everything is about you, you know."

It wasn't that Brian did not recognize a diversionary tactic when he saw one. It was just that he didn't care. Brian had had enough discussion for one night.

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