All About Justin
 

Chapter 3

 

“Ashley, do you think I should invite Winona to my birthday sleepover?”

“No,” Ashley replied immediately.

Bree laughed. “You didn’t even think about it.”

The two girls were outside the school for recess. They were sitting on the edge of the sandbox which was kind of soggy and still had a little bit of snow in the corners. It would soon be spring and they could actually play outside without all the snowsuits and boots that they had to wear in cold weather.

“Winona isn’t very nice to me,” Ashley clarified.

“Did she say something bad?” Bree asked with a frown.

“No, she didn’t say anything, but she never talks to me. It’s like I’m … invisible. She only sees you, not me.”

Bree frowned even more. Patrick didn’t want her to invite Winona. Now Ashley felt the same way. Maybe she shouldn’t invite the older girl. Nobody seemed to like Winona very much. But that was part of the reason Bree intended to invite her. She didn’t like to see anyone excluded from things. She hadn’t liked it when the other kids were being mean to Ashley. Maybe if she invited Winona and Ashley to her sleepover they would get to know each other better. Maybe Winona would like Ashley as much as Bree liked her.

“Are you going to invite her?” Ashley asked in a tentative voice.

“Will you come to my sleepover if I do?”

“Sure, you’re my best friend. I won’t miss your party.”

“Thanks,” Bree said with a big smile.

The two girls hugged.

“Are you going to invite her?” Ashley repeated when they let go of each other.

“I don’t know,” Bree admitted. She was having major misgivings about inviting Winona.

“When will you know?”

“I don’t know.”

“Your birthday’s way long from now, isn’t it?” Ashley asked.

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Then you don’t need to worry about it.”

“No, I don’t,” Bree said with a gentle smile. “As long as you’re there.”

“I’ll be there,” Ashley promised.

Just then the bell rang and the two girls headed back into the school.

 

*****
 

“Brian?”

“No, it’s Justin,” Justin replied into the phone.

“It’s Hunter. Is Brian around?”

“No, he’s gone to pick up the kids from school.”

“Oh, I wanted to speak to him.”

“I’ll be happy to pass on a message,” Justin said. It wasn’t like Hunter to be reticent about telling Justin something that he wanted Brian to know.

“Um, okay, I had a call from Dennis Hawk today.”

“Shit! He’s not coming after Brian again?” Justin asked, his worry barometer shooting way up.

“No, no,” Hunter said quickly. “It’s nothing like that.”

Justin let out a sigh of relief. “What does he want then?”

“Hawk had a call from Farringer Flooring.”

“Who the hell is Farringer Flooring?” Justin asked.

“Mr. Farringer is the owner of the flooring company. He read Hawk’s article about the Center and wanted to make a donation.”

“That’s good, but what does this have to do with Brian?”

“Apparently Farringer had once tried to hire Brian for an ad campaign, but they had some sort of disagreement.”

“Disagreement? That doesn’t sound like Brian. He rarely lost an account in those days, or these days either, for that matter.”

“I don’t know what the story is, but apparently a condition of this donation, which is quite substantial, is a meeting with Brian.”

“Christ, not another old trick?” Justin said with a sigh.

“That occurred to me too. That’s kind of why I didn’t want to mention it to you.”

“Thanks for considering my feelings, but I know what Brian is and was. It doesn’t surprise me that some of his old tricks are coming out of the woodwork,” Justin said.

“So, you’ll pass the message on.”

“Yeah, I will.”

“Thanks, Blondie.”

“You’re welcome, Hustler Hunter,” Justin said with a laugh. Trust Hunter to make him feel better.

“Tell Brian to give me a call with his decision,” Hunter added.

“I will,” Justin said before hanging up on his old rival. He smiled at that thought. And then he recalled this Farringer guy. The blasts from the past just kept on coming.

 

*****
 

“Justin?” Lindsay said into the phone when she heard Justin say hello.

“Hi, Lindsay. What can I do for you?”

“I called to let you know that the first of your commissions has been shipped and received.”

“Did they like it?”

“I think like is an understatement. They loved it, so much that they added a bonus to the agreed upon price. Justin, Sidney and I have gotten so many requests that I think you’ll have to clone yourself to keep up with them all.”

“Wow!”

“Justin, we don’t want you to burn yourself out, so please pace yourself. Take your time and by all means don’t stop working on your other pieces. Sidney told me about your project, chronicling yourself and your artistic career. It’s intriguing.”

“Not to sound too clichéd but it’s like a walk down memory lane. I’ve been looking through all of my old sketchbooks and they still amaze me.”

“Because of the quality?”

“No,” Justin chuckled. “The naïveté of them. I was so naive back then, I thought I could take on the world all by myself. Little did I know.”

“Justin, you have taken on the world and very successfully at that.”

“But I’m not sure if I’m doing what I had set out to do.”

“What did you set out to do?”

“To be the best that I can be," Justin said automatically.

“Then you have succeeded. Think of it this way, the commissions pay the rent and for your supplies and give you the freedom to do your other projects,” Lindsay said wisely.

“Yeah! Thanks, Lindsay.”

“My pleasure. Please say hi to Brian for me.”

“I will. Bye, Lindsay.”

“Goodbye, Justin.”

 

*****
 

“Justin, what are we doing here?” Brian asked with just a touch of annoyance. He, Justin, Bobby and John were standing just inside the vestibule of the Bridgeton Public Library. Justin rolled his eyes before he answered his impatient spouse.

“You know something, Brian, I think you came home from London with a touch of snobbery. I think you should look toward your roots and then ask your question again,” Justin stated.

Properly chastised, Brian re-asked his question. “What is your plan, Sunshine?” Brian asked in a much sweeter and more sincere tone.

Justin smiled his approval. “The plan is to see the ledger, and if we can verify that it was Kinney who wrote it, then we’ll ask if we can take it with us,” Justin said as he held up a special case that Sidney gave him to transport the ledger safely back to Pittsburgh.

“You and John are here because you’re both the rightful Kinney heirs. Bobby’s here because he has the papers we’ll need to legally take the book if the librarian gives us trouble.”

“And you, Sunshine?” Brian asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

“I...” Justin had prepared an explanation of why he wanted to be a part of this, but at the moment he couldn’t find the words.

“You want another happy ending,” Brian stated as he kissed the top of Justin’s head. Justin nodded below Brian’s chin. “Then shall we check out this book?” Brian smirked at his double entendre. John and Bobby groaned as Justin again rolled his eyes.

“Handle it gently,” the head librarian, Mrs. Gerald, cautioned as she opened the book vault then carefully set the ledger down on a table.

Justin donned special cotton gloves that Sidney had given him. Then using a special page turner, Justin gently opened the ledger.

“Look,” Justin said with a gasp as he turned to the cover page. Standing behind Justin the Kinney brothers and Bobby were able to read the still legible and recognizable script of JAB Kinney.

 

This ledger is the personal property of John Aidan Brian Kinney.  I shall endeavor to faithfully record my dealings and business transactions with my friends and neighbors in an effort to secure our community during this terrible time of drought and misfortune.

 JAB Kinney

Bridgeton 1824

“May we take this with us?” Justin pleaded with the librarian. “I promise we’ll take very good care of it. Sidney Bloom of the Bloom Gallery is going to have it conserved,” Justin quickly added in an effort to persuade the woman. “We have the paperwork,” Justin said as he poked Bobby with his elbow. Bobby reached into his briefcase to take out the necessary documents proving ownership.

“I’ll take your documents as a matter of proper business and for our records, but I immediately recognized both of you," she said indicating Brian and John. “The ledger belongs with the Kinney family. It’s my honor to reunite it with you,” Mrs. Gerald said sincerely.

“Thank you,” Justin countered with his sunniest smile.

Gingerly, Justin turned page after page as Bobby took pictures before Justin placed the ledger in a protective sleeve and then in the specially padded case. An hour later the boys were on their way to Pittsburgh with their precious cargo.

Having made arrangements for Bree and Patrick to be picked up by Rachel and to spend the evening with her and George, the boys decided to visit with some of the Pittsburgh family and to have dinner at the diner.

 

*****
 

Brian, Justin, Bobby and John were ensconced in the back booth of the Liberty Diner. They were thoroughly enjoying their burgers and fries, all having decided that they had eaten healthy enough for the last while to indulge in some of their favorite foods.

“Freshen your coffee?” Lacy asked.

Everyone held up their cup to be refilled, except for Justin.

“Justin?” Lacy asked waving the coffeepot under his nose.

“I’d like a chocolate milkshake,” Justin said decisively.

“Justin?” Brian asked raising an eyebrow.

“What?” Justin said as Lacy beat a hasty retreat. She knew that tone in Brian Kinney’s voice.

“How high are you trying to get your cholesterol to go?”

John and Bobby almost choked on their burgers.

“Brian!” Justin admonished. “This is a celebration. We got the ledger, and Sidney is going to have it preserved. I want a chocolate milkshake to celebrate. Cholesterol be damned.”

“Okay,” Brian said shaking his head. “If you can’t get that ass of yours into your pants for your next show…”

“You’ll be thrilled,” Justin interrupted. “My bare ass is one of your favorite fetishes.”

Brian looked like he was about to argue, but then thought better of it. He picked up a French fry and bit off a piece. He decided silence might be his best option in this particular case.

“What’s going on?” Michael asked as he and Ben entered the diner and made their way to the back booth.

“Perfect timing, Mikey,” Brian said. Justin glared at his husband.

Michael looked at Brian and then the others, waiting for an explanation. None was forthcoming.

Finally John interjected, “Join us for dinner?”

“We already ate,” Ben replied. “We thought we’d come for coffee and dessert.”

“Have a seat,” Bobby said scooting over closer to John.

Michael and Ben sat down and ordered apple pie and coffee when Lacy arrived with a tall frothy milkshake for Justin. Everyone watched Justin sip the thick foamy liquid through a straw. Justin’s eyes closed in pure bliss as he continued to drink. When he opened his eyes everybody was staring at him.

“This is so good!” he exclaimed. “It’s worth every calorie.”

Everyone continued to stare at Justin not saying anything.

“You just want some too,” Justin chuckled. “You know you do.”

John was the first to laugh, then everyone else joined in.

“You are such a glutton,” Brian said kissing Justin’s cheek.

“You’re all jealous, cuz I’m not afraid to ask for what I want.”

“Hey, Lacy,” Bobby called. “Bring a couple more chocolate shakes. We’ll share.”

Soon everyone was sharing milkshakes, laughing and enjoying themselves. Even Brian had a few sips of Justin’s.

They were just finishing up their shakes, when Hunter and Nick walked in. After the usual round of pleasantries, they sat down in the next booth and decided to order milkshakes too. Michael and Ben moved into that booth with them. That way everyone had more room.

Brian asked Michael about his success at the comic convention. Michael was in his glory telling them all about the interviews and speaking to the assembled masses. He had really enjoyed himself. Lacy chimed in every once in a while with some of her own stories about the trip. She was happy to have represented Rage at the convention. She had some tales about the Twins of Triumph to tell.

When those gathered together had pretty much finished their food and the milkshakes, Hunter turned around in the booth to speak to Brian. Justin realized that Hunter was probably going to bring up the matter of Farringer’s donation to the Center. Justin shook his head and looked pleadingly at Hunter.

Hunter frowned, realizing that Justin didn’t want him to say anything about the Farringer donation. Instead he said something about what a great idea it was to have chocolate milkshakes. “It’s been years since I had one,” Hunter said.

“Nobody should be having those things. Instant heart attack in a glass,” Brian told him.

“One milkshake every few years isn’t so bad for your heart,” Nick said in his professional doctor voice.

“See!” Justin said.

“Bullshit!” was Brian’s reaction.

“It’s true,” Nick replied. “A little bit of anything isn’t too bad for you.”

Brian snorted. “A little bit of arsenic goes a long way.”

“Actually, arsenic in tiny amounts…” Nick began.

“Gotta pee,” Justin said sliding out of the booth. He gave Hunter a look before heading for the restrooms.

Justin had relieved himself when Hunter walked into the room.

“Be sure to wash your hands,” Hunter said with a smirk.

“I always do, and I don’t need hygiene lessons from you,” Justin replied as he lathered the soap on his hands.

“But you do need lessons in passing on messages apparently.”

“I…”

“Did you even mention that I had called?”

Justin rinsed his hands and shook his head. “I didn’t want to upset Brian.”

“It’s twenty thousand dollars we’re talking about,” Hunter said sharply.

“Twenty…?”

“Yes, twenty thousand.”

“Isn’t that an awful lot of money for a donation?”

“I guess, but the Center can always use it.”

“I don’t doubt that, but what does this guy want with Brian?” Justin asked with a frown.

“I don’t know. All I know is that he wants a meeting with Brian.”

“Hunter … I don’t think Brian needs another Hawk incident right now.”

“The Hawk thing turned out all right.”

“I know,” Justin said with a sigh. “But you don’t see how it upsets Brian. The not knowing what’s coming is the worst part of it. This sounds like something very similar.”

Hunter stared into Justin’s eyes. “So what do you want to do?”

“I … I was wondering if I could meet with Farringer … you know, find out what he wants.”

“I doubt he’ll go for that.”

“Look, if he won’t, I’ll give you the fucking twenty thousand myself.”

“Justin, I don’t want your money. The Center doesn’t want your money,” Hunter protested.

“Then arrange the damn meeting for me,” Justin said as he strode out of the restroom.

When Justin got back to the table, Brian could see that he wasn’t happy. And an unhappy Justin made for an unhappy Brian. Brian glanced at Hunter who plopped himself back next to his Dr. Nick. Brian was about to question Justin when a fuchsia and paisley tornado flew into the diner.

“Teddy, it’s true!” Emmett called out as he sashayed through the diner door and over to the booths where the members of his family were ensconced. Emmett and Ted had heard through the gay grapevine that the Kinney-Taylor clan was making a visit at one of their old haunts. Emmett and Ted couldn’t resist joining the party, so to speak.

Emmett and Ted squeezed themselves into Brian’s booth.

“I thought you and Drew were spending the winter hibernating in your cottage?” Brian asked Emmett.

“We are but we have to make an appearance in the Pitts once in a while,” Emmett explained. Brian understood. As much as Brian would love to never leave Edna’s Treasures, he did have a business to run. Emmett was in a similar situation.

“And what’s your excuse, Schmidt? I don’t pay you for wasting time hanging around the diner all day,” Brian growled.

“True but you do pay me to keep an eye on your investments,” Ted stated. “And since Lacy and the diner are one of your investments, it behooves me to drop in and keep an eye on it.”

“Uh huh,” Brian said with an arch of his brow. “Which means that Allen is away on tour and you didn’t feel like eating dinner alone,” Brian said smugly. Ted smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

“So what are we all talking about?” Emmett asked cheerfully as he looked around the table at his friends. When no one spoke up, Brian decided to offer a topic.

“Our little Mary Sunshine has found a new Kinney mystery to unravel,” Brian drawled.

“Oooo, tell me more!” Emmett exclaimed as he leaned in closer. Brian smirked as Justin perked up, and he began to tell Emmett all about their latest find.
 

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