Bull of the Woods

Part 2

Justin peeked his head out of his bedroom before stepping out into the living room. "What about this?" He asked, then turned around to give Daphne a good look at his latest outfit.

"It looks fine, just like the last three." Daphne said wearily from her reclined position on the sofa. Justin's impromptu fashion show was now headed into its second hour. "What time is Brandon picking you up? You're not going to be ready." she warned him.

"I'll be ready." Justin assured her. "I've decided to wear this."

"Are you sure this time?" Daphne wanted to make certain..

"Yes I'm sure." Justin turned around to check out his rear in the mirror. "Does this make my ass look fat? What about my hair, how does my hair look?"

"You look fine Justin. Sit down, and relax before your date gets here." Daphne ordered her stressed-out friend. "This is so exciting. I can't believe you're going on a real date." she said.

Justin ran his fingers through his silky tresses, and rearranged his hair around his face. "What are you talking about, I've been on dates before." he said.

"Following Brian to fuck parties is not a real date." Daphne disputed his claim. "I'm talking about dinner, and dancing, or maybe going to a movie. Now that's a real date."

"Like I said, I've been on lots of dates. Tony use to take me out all the time." Justin reminded her. "Remember the first time he took me horseback riding, and I fell off of the horse? I was so sore, I had to soak in Tony's hot tub for hours before I could even move. Then there was the time we flew to New York to see the premier of the new Star Wars movie. That was fun, and don't forget the evening we flew to New Orleans just to have a bowl of authentic gumbo in the French Quarter."

"And let's not forget about the night Tony took you dancing on his friend's boat." Daphne added.

"Yeah, I remember." Justin smiled.

"You miss him don't you?"

"Of course not!" Justin frowned, and resumed fumbling with his hair.

"What about Brian?" Daphne continued to pry.

"What about Brian?" Justin snapped. "What is with you tonight Daph? How many times do I have to tell you that Tony and Brian are both out of my life now? You're starting to piss me off. Can we drop this conversation please?"

"Sure." Daphne wisely changed the subject. "So where is Brandon taking you tonight?" she asked.

"We're going to dinner, then we're going dancing at Babylon."

"BABYLON?" Daphne sat upright.

Justin immediately went on the defense. "I know what you're thinking, but I assure you that I'm not going there to see Brian! Brandon said that he wanted to take me to the hottest nightspot in Pittsburgh, and that just happens to be Babylon. I'm not going to limit where I can, and can't go because I'm afraid of running into Brian."

"Uh huh." Daphne smirked.

"Go to hell Daph." Justin turned back to the mirror. "I told you I couldn't care less about Brian, and come to think of it I really don't give a shit if you believe me or not."

Daphne stared at her friend for a moment. "Why don't you go change into your black silk tee, the one with the scooped neckline." she suggested. "The black silk shows off the fairness of your skin, and makes your hair look even shinier. And while you're at it, put on those black dress pants, the ones with the tiny gold pinstripes that fit you real tight at the waist. Brian always commented on how hott you looked in that outfit."

"Bitch." Justin growled.

"Whatever." Daphne smiled. "Now run along before Brandon gets here. I hope he's as cute as you say he is. Brian is going to be so fucking jealous."

The blue lights in the third floor loft apartment on Tremont street had been working overtime, thanks in great part to the extensive stockpile of male model portfolios that flooded Kinnetics on a daily basis. Brian had been burning up the casting couch in search of a prize that would meet his criteria, and answer Brandon's challenge. Each candidate was judged first on initial shock value. He had to be drop dead gorgeous, able to turn every head in the room with his entrance. Then there was sustained hotness. Not only did he have to initially turn heads, he had to keep them turned. Finally there was fuck-ability. Dicks had to swell as he walked by. There couldn't be a dry crouch in the house. By Wednesday Brian had narrowed his search down to two. By Friday he had made his decision.

Word of the catfight had spread to the surrounding clubs by way of the Liberty Diner. Who was this stranger who dared to challenge the royal couple of Babylon? Brian arrived early, and claimed his spot at the bar amidst his supporters, most of whom were still unaware of his, and Justin's breakup. They gathered in waiting for their former young king to make his entrance, and take his place by Brian's side.

The rules of the challenge were simple. The club would decide which man brought the hottest date to Babylon. Either Brian, or Brandon's name would be written onto a notepad, and the vote would then be placed into a large snifter behind the bar. At the end of the night Dex would tally up the votes. The winner would earn bragging rights as Babylon's Bull Of The Woods, while the looser would be banished from the club in shame.

"I can't believe you're going through with this." Michael said over the music.

"I can't believe you're even here. I thought this was all too juvenile for you now." Brian said sarcastically.

"I came to save what was left of your dignity." Michael said.

Brian blatantly adjusted himself, and signaled Dex for his first drink of the night. "My dignity is fine, thank you very much." he said.

Michael ignored the crude gesture. "So who did you select, anyone I know?" he asked.

"It's a surprise, you'll have to wait and find out along with everyone else." Brian gulped down his shot, and placed his empty glass on the bar. "Keep them coming Dex. I'll be right back. I'm going outside for a smoke." he said.

The seasoned bartender poured another drink, and placed it in Brian spot just as he had done so many times before. Dex then pretended to polish the surrounding counters as he discretely listened in on Brian Kinney's friends:

"I can't believe he's really going to do this." Michael turned to Ben.

"I'm afraid Brian may be going thru an early male menopause." Ben said.

"Menopause?" Emmett looked at Ben.

"Male menopause is the signal that the adult male is moving into his second stage of adulthood. The initial signs are changes in his sexuality." Ben said.

"You think Brian's turning straight?" Emmett frowned.

"Hardly." Ben attempted to explain himself. "Andropause is to men what menopause is to women. It's a decline in male hormone levels, but unlike women the male hormone decline is very gradual. Men will notice a decline in energy, some muscle shrinkage, and some loss of virility. Most will simply write it off as office stress, or "burn-out" when what's really happening is that he's naturally moving into his second stage of manhood. Sexual prowess holds less merit, and the need to acquire, and sustain more meaningful relationships becomes more important. Right now Brian is fighting those instincts by trying to hang onto the same young adult male conduct that once gave him his identity."

"That's an excellent analogy professor, but you try telling Brian that he's going through male menopause." Ted said.

"First try telling him that he's middle aged." Michael added.

"What if this guy Brian brings in doesn't win. Do you think Brian would really blow Brandon in the middle of the dance floor?" Emmett asked the question that everyone wanted to know.

"I can't see it." Ted said.

"I can." Michael disagreed. "Brian is a man of his word. He would never back out of a deal, even if it meant giving up his pride."

"Just think, if Brian looses tonight we could very well be witnessing the end of an era." Emmett suddenly realized. "Somehow I can't imagine Babylon without our Brian."

"I know what you mean." Ted seconded. "Lotharios may come and go, but they'll never be another Brian Kinney. The man is master of the seduction without even trying. All he has to do is walk into a room, and he automatically owns it. His sexual conquests is the stuff that legends are made of. I've seen him pull men from another men's arms with just whisper in their ear."

"I've always wondered what he says to them." Emmett said.

"We'll never know, but he says it for all of us." Michael said.

Brian stood on the sidewalk in front of Babylon, and lit his cigarette. He inhaled a long drag, then blew the thick white smoke upward into the muggy night sky. It had showered earlier that day, and was now threatening to downpour again. Drag queens in six inch stiletto heels jumped over water filled potholes while bears, leather daddies, fairy godmothers, and twinks all scurried along their way to find their respective haunts before the rain began again. Not so far in the distance Brian could see the streetlight where he first spotted Justin. The Liberty Avenue nightlife was moving around, and under it unaware of the miracle that had taken place there on another rainy night, not so long ago."

"It looks like rain tonight." Michael walked over to say.

Brian took another drag of his cigarette. "Thanks for the weather report Mikey." he said.

"What time is your guy suppose to be here? It's getting late." Michael looked at his watch.

"He's not coming." Brian said.

"What?"

"There is no guy." Brian confessed.

"You're kidding right? I know you're kidding!" Michael was about to explode. "Brian this has got to be the dumbest thing you've ever done! Why would you make such an idiotic bet, then show up alone? How the hell are you going to get our of this one Brian, or are you looking forward to blowing Brandon in the middle of the dance floor? How are you ever going to show your face at Babylon again after that?"

Brian calmly inhaled another drag from his cigarette. "See that lamppost down the street?" he pointed. "The first time I saw Justin he was walking underneath that lamppost. He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Remember?"

"Vaguely." Michael said.

"I asked him if he'd had a busy night, and where he was headed. He told me that he wasn't going anyplace special, and I told him I could change that." Brian continued to recall.

"And the rest is history. So what are you going to do about tonight?" Michael wanted to know.

Brian finished his cigarette, and flicked the butt to the ground. "When I came back from Atlanta everyone assumed that my nightly visits to Babylon were to revert back to my old Brian Kinney ways, but you're all wrong. I don't come here for Babylon. I make this nightly pilgrimage to Liberty Avenue every night just to watch that lamppost. I was hoping that maybe one of these nights its light would act as a beacon, and guide Justin back to me."

Michael was suddenly at a loss for words. He wrapped his arms around Brian's neck, and hugged his friend close. "Brian you don't have to prove anything to anyone. To hell with all of them. The stupid bet is off. I'm taking you home." he said.

Brian gently pulled away from Michael's embrace. "You go on back inside Mikey. I'll be there in a few minutes." he said. "Right now I need a little time to say goodbye to Liberty Avenue."

*************************************

NEXT WEEK: Bull Of The Woods, pt 3

Return to Fantasy Season 6