All About Brian

Chapter 7

“Hello?”

“Hi, JR.”

“Curtis, hi,” JR said with a tinge of color coming to her face.

“I hope you don’t mind me calling.”

“Of course not.”

“I … I was wondering if you’d like to meet me at the diner for a sundae … or something.”

“The diner?”

“That’s the only place I could think of that we both know.”

JR laughed. “It’s also the source of every rumor on Liberty Avenue. You realize it has major connections with my family. I can just hear the phone lines burning up if you and I go there together … alone.”

“Oh, I never thought of that,” Curtis admitted. His cheeks were burning even though the blush would not be visible.

“Is this like … a date?”

“Well…”

“Or do you need some more help with your paper?”

“I…

“It’s okay if it’s just the paper,” JR said quickly, letting her friend off the hook. She knew that was probably all Curtis wanted, but she had hoped…

“I do want to talk about my paper, but…”

“But what?” JR asked perking up again.

“I kind of like spending time with you.”

“You do?” JR asked, a grin spreading across her face.

“Is that all right?”

“I like spending time with you too,” JR replied, and then kicked herself mentally. Girls were supposed to play coy, she had been told. But she had learned to speak her mind, mostly from her mother who always spoke up whether it was wise or not. Her mother would probably not be pleased if she realized JR was helping Curtis write about her least favorite person.

Curtis smiled to himself. He had been hoping that JR liked being with him. “Where could we go?” he asked.

“For some privacy?” JR asked with a nervous giggle.

“Exactly.”

“There’s a little coffee shop a couple of blocks from my house. I could meet you there.”

“That sounds great,” Curtis said enthusiastically. “I’ll get one of my dads to drop me off there, if you don’t mind walking from your place.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Good, I’ll see you there in about a half hour,” Curtis said thinking that this could work out really well.

“Bring what you’ve written. I’d like to see it.”

“It’s kind of rough, but I’ll print it off.”

 

*****
 

“Ready to go, sweetheart?” Susanna asked her daughter.

Ashley and Bree were drawing at Bree’s little table in the sun porch.

“Do I have to, mommy?” Ashley asked.

“You’ve been here for a long time, Ashley. You don’t want to wear out your welcome.”

“Okay, mommy.”

“I love having Ashley here, Mrs. St. John,” Bree stated. “She can stay forever.”

Susanna chuckled. “That’s very generous of you, Bree, but I’d miss having Ashley at home.”

“Oh.”

“I think we better get going.”

“Okay,” Ashley said standing up. “Mommy, can Bree come to our place for a sleepover soon?”

“I … I don’t know. Would that be all right with your fathers?” she asked Bree.

“It would be just fine with Bree’s fathers,” Justin said as he carried Ashley’s bag into the sun porch. He had gathered up Ashley’s things from Bree’s bedroom. “Wouldn’t it, Brian?”

“Just fine,” Brian replied as he followed Justin in. “It was a pleasure having Ashley here for a couple of days. She was a perfect young miss.”

“You sound just like Hudson,” Justin laughed.

“Hudson was your housekeeper in England?” Susanna asked remembering some of Bobby’s stories during brunch.

“That’s right,” Brian replied. “She was very big on manners. I would have loved to have stolen her away and brought her home with us.”

“She made the best porridge,” Bree added.

“Porridge?” Ashley asked wrinkling her nose.

“Yep, I could show you what she put in it, if I come to your place.”

“Can she, mommy?”

“How about in a couple of weeks?”

“Yay!” the two girls yelled holding hands and bouncing up and down.

The adults smiled fondly at the two girls who had such a close bond.

 

*****
 

“The person who had the biggest affect on my life was the man I mugged.”

“Wow!” JR said as she read the first line. “Are you really going to start your paper like that?”

“It caught your attention, didn’t it?”

“I … I didn’t know that you actually mugged Uncle Brian.”

“You didn’t?” Curtis asked frowning. He had just assumed that Brian Kinney had told everybody.

“No, I knew you tried to rob Uncle Brian, but he never said…”

“Then maybe you better not read anymore,” Curtis said reaching for the paper.

JR pulled it away. “No, I really want to read this.”

“Okay, but there may be a few more surprises for you.”

I had an old rusty knife that I used to threaten my victims back then. I had to survive on the streets and this seemed like the only way, robbing people. I know this makes me a pretty horrible person, but I used to rob only people that I thought could spare the cash. This victim looked very prosperous, with his cashmere coat and his vintage Corvette car. Somebody was looking after me that day. I guess you could say that I chose the right person.

When I tried to get Mr. Kinney’s wallet, he refused. He wouldn’t give me the wallet, but he said he would give me the cash in it. I thought he was trying to trick me so I tried to cut him with my knife. I know I shouldn’t have done that, but I did. We struggled and he kept the wallet, but he threw his money at me. I grabbed it and ran.

“Oh my God! You cut Uncle Brian?” JR gasped.

“Not exactly,” Curtis mumbled unable to look JR in the eye. “I kind of scratched him. The blade wasn’t very sharp.”

“But still…”

“I know. I was very wrong, but I was … desperate.”

“I can see that,” JR replied. This was mostly all new and scary. Uncle Brian had never said anything about most of this. She continued reading:

I was very scared after this happened. I’d never hurt anyone before. I didn’t like thinking about what I’d done. However, the money came in very handy.

Then things started to change for me. I met someone at the Liberty Diner who gave me some food. She wanted to help me, I think, but I wouldn’t let her. And then this guy named Hunter found me. He brought me to the Jason Kemp Center where I was warm and I started to feel safe.

That’s when Mr. Kinney appeared again. I thought I was going to jail. He would have had every right to have me arrested, but he didn’t. I think that was the best thing that ever happened to me. Mr. Kinney started a whole bunch of stuff in motion. He had sent Hunter looking for me. Everything I have today I owe to Mr. Kinney not having me arrested. And more than that, he welcomed me into his family. He actually helped me find a family of my own, something I hadn’t had for several years.

“This is an amazing story, Curtis,” JR said as she reached the end of what he had written.

“You like it?” Curtis asked with a shy smile.

“I think riveting is too tame a word for it.”

Curtis chuckled. “I have to add some more.”

“Are you going to tell about Edna’s Treasures?”

Curtis shook his head. “I think Mr. Kinney wouldn’t like that.”

“You should add something about what happened to you that caused you to start mugging people,” JR suggested.

“Yeah, I guess I should.”

“And then at the end, more about how your life has changed.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m really proud of how you’ve turned your life around, Curtis.”

“Thanks.” And at that moment Curtis was very proud too.

 

*****
 

“Kinney.”

“Hey, Pop!”

“Hey, Sonny Boy. How’s it hanging?”

“A little low and to the right.”

“A chip off the old block. And before this conversation goes any further, this does not count as my weekly call since you called me.”

“Oh, Dad. You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

“Nope. Now what can I do for you?”

“Am I still interning at Kinnetik this summer?”

“Gus, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s still February. Summer is several months away.”

“I know, Pop, but I also know that the intern spots get filled pretty quick.”

“And you want to reserve your spot.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I think Cynthia already has Kinnetik filled. We’re working on Harrisburg right now and N’rgy.”

“Dad, I really...”

“You know, Sonny Boy, every time you address me as Dad, I expect some sort of plea.”

“Dad...”

“Begging is nice too. Keeps one humble.”

“Bet you never had to beg for anything.”

“Maybe one thing,” Brian said with a smirk.

“TMI, Pop. Seriously, Dad, I was hoping to intern at N’rgy.”

“I figured as much.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Partially.” Brian heard his son groan over the phone.

“I’m not going to like this, am I?”

“Gus, not everything is handed to you on a silver platter and I don’t play favorites. Your past performance as an intern at Kinnetik has allowed you to work there on a continual basis, but that doesn’t mean if you fuck up Cynthia won’t fire you,” Brian said sternly. “And you as my son must be doubly diligent.”

“Yes, Dad, I know but this is very important to me.”

“So then be straight with me. What do you want more, to work as an intern or to spend the summer fucking your boyfriend?”

“Honestly?”

“Yep.”

“I want to find a way to do both.”

“That’s the first genuine statement you’ve made since I answered the phone. This is what I propose. You spend at least the first two weeks after the end of this semester with your moms and JR. Then for July you’ll intern at Part Deux. If your moms agree, you can stay here and drive in with me or Bobby. If neither one of us are going to Harrisburg and you prove to me you can be responsible, I’ll let you take Justin’s Cherokee provided he gives his permission. You do a good job there, you can spend the remaining month at N’rgy. I’ll ask Simon and Ken if you can rent out a room in their apartment for the month. If not, I’ll set you up with some temporary housing somewhere in the neighborhood.”

“Pop, I swear, I will be the best intern Kinnetik has ever seen!”

“All I want is honest work from you.”

“I will, Dad. I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t. Goodbye, Sonny Boy.”

“Goodbye? You trying to get rid of me?”

“Never, Gus. But I can almost sense that itchy dialing finger from here. The faster we hang up, the faster you can call Ray.”

“Oh, Pop.”

“Later, Sonny Boy.”

“Later, Pop. Oh...and Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Love you too, Sonny Boy.” Brian smiled as he shook his head then went to call Cynthia and to speak with Justin.

 

*****
 

“Hi, Lacy,” Hunter said as he entered the diner.

“Hey, Hunter, have a seat. I’ll be right with you.”

Hunter sat down in one of the booths and waited.

“Coffee or soda?” Lacy asked as she came over to the table.

“Got a minute to talk to me?” Hunter asked.

“Um, yeah. Let me refill the coffee cups at that table, and I’ll be right with you.”

Hunter nodded. “Coffee,” he added. It was a quiet period between meals in the diner. That’s why Hunter had chosen it.

After a couple of minutes, Lacy arrived with two cups of coffee and a piece of apple pie. “Thought we could share,” Lacy laughed.

“Looks good.”

“It is. So, what can I do for you?”

“There’s a reporter sniffing around,” Hunter began. He cut off a piece of the pie with his fork and stuffed it in his mouth. He could use a sugar fix.

“A reporter?”

“Yeah, name’s Dennis Hawk from the Tribune. I don’t trust him. I get the distinct impression he’s out to do a hatchet job on Brian.”

“Really? What does this have to do with you? Brian can take care of himself.”

“Most of the time he can, but I’m kind of responsible for letting Hawk in. He said he wanted to do a story on the Center, and I thought we could get some good publicity out of it.”

“But he doesn’t really want to write about the Center?”

“He’s been asking questions about Brian, hinting that Brian started the Center to get some chicken.”

“Fuck!” Lacy reacted. “Maybe Sateeena needs to rip his balls off.”

Hunter let out a loud laugh. “I may take you up on that.” Lacy blushed. “What I do need you to do, if you’re willing, is to talk to Hawk and tell him how Brian and the Center have helped you. And with no ulterior motives. It would be good that someone of the female persuasion was helped by the Center. Hawk thinks Brian was after the boys.”

“I’d be happy to tell that asshole what the Center has done for me. And Brian … he’s done more for me than I ever thought possible.”

Hunter squeezed Lacy’s hand. “Thanks, Lacy. Your help means a lot to me … and to Brian.”

“Just tell me where and when,” Lacy said. “I need to get back to work.”

Hunter decided to finish his pie. As Hunter savored the sweet dessert, he thought about how the Center had helped a lot of kids. When he saw what Lacy, and some of the others had made of their lives, he couldn’t help but be proud. And a lot of it was due to Brian Kinney.
 

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