All About Brian

Chapter 8

“Patrick?”

“Hm.”

“Are you mad at me?”

“No.”

“Then why don’t you talk to me?” Bree asked. The children were strapped in the back of Justin’s SUV, while Brian drove them home from school.

Brian looked into the rearview mirror waiting for Patrick’s reply. He had noticed that the children had been unusually quiet, and hadn’t spent much time together when they were at Edna’s Treasures.

“I’m not mad,” Patrick repeated.

Bree looked over at her cousin and friend. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. You’re a girl and I’m a boy. You like to do princess stuff with Ashley. I like to look at buildings with my dad and throw a ball around with Beau. That’s all.”

“But I like to play with you.”

“I don’t like … tea parties so much anymore,” Patrick explained.

Brian snorted. “I think someone’s growing up.” Patrick grinned at his uncle.

“But I like to play with you,” Bree said. “I’ll throw a ball around.”

Patrick let out a sigh. “I’ll still play with you, Bree. You know that. It’s just that sometimes, I want to do other stuff, guy stuff.”

“Oh.”

“Bree,” Brian said jumping in. “Girls and boys often aren’t interested in the same things.”

“Why not?”

‘Shit!’ Brian thought. Why couldn’t he just keep his fucking mouth shut? “That’s just the way it is,” Brian replied hoping that would suffice.

“But I don’t like that.”

“You may not like it, Squirt, but it’s a fact of life.”

Bree frowned. “No.”

“What do you mean no?” Brian asked looking at her in the mirror.

“I don’t want it to be like that.”

“It just is. There’s nothing you can do about it,” Brian said as he drove through the gate leading to Edna’s Treasures.

“Maybe I can,” Bree replied. Brian could see the wheels turning.

“Here we are,” Brian said as he stopped the car in front of the conjoined cottages.

“Thanks, Uncle Bri,” Patrick said as he got out of the SUV and ran into the house.

Brian smiled as he took Bree’s extended hand. He walked with his daughter to the house. He might have made Patrick happy, but his daughter certainly wasn’t.

 

*****
 

“How’s it going, sweetie?” Lindsay asked as she walked into the dining room of the house.

“Like shit,” Melanie replied. She was ensconced at the dining room table with her laptop and pads of paper surrounding her.

“That good, huh?”

“I don’t know why I’m trying to write about that asshole. I should have known better.”

“Well, Brian is the asshole who fills the bill of what you’re supposed to write about.”

“That’s the fucking problem,” Melanie sounded off.

“What do you mean?”

“He fills the bill perfectly. I can’t do anyone else, but…”

“But what?”

“I can’t describe him the way I want to,” Melanie sighed.

“Oh, you mean with a string of curse words,” Lindsay said with a laugh. “Your creative writing teacher might not like that.”

“Of course, he wouldn’t like it. And neither would I. I want to do this properly, but it’s so frustrating.”

“What have you written so far?”

“One line.”

“One line? Haven’t you been working on this for…?”

“Weeks? Yes.”

“Read me the line.”

“It sucks.”

“Read it!” Lindsay ordered.

“There is only one person who can be described as the one I dislike most, but who has had a major impact on my life over and over and over and over again,” Melanie read from her pad.

“Do you think you have enough over and over’s?” Lindsay laughed.

“See, I told you it sucked.”

“It doesn’t suck.”

“I know it does.”

“Okay, it sucks,” Lindsay agreed.

“Thanks,” Melanie said sarcastically.

Lindsay heaved a sigh. This was one of those lose/lose situations no matter what she said. Then a thought occurred to her. “Why do you need to repeat the premise of your paper in the first sentence? Why don’t you just start describing Brian?”

“Just start…?”

“Yes, let it all roll out, curse words and all, all the feelings you have about Brian, random thoughts, things he’s done. Justin told me to do that with my drawing – to draw little pieces of things, not worry about the whole picture. He told me to draw snippets that I found interesting, and it worked.”

“So, you think I should start writing snippets of things that Brian has done – things that have affected my life.”

“Exactly, and your feelings about them. Just start and then edit later.”

“Hm,” Melanie said as Lindsay beat a hasty retreat, hoping her suggestion might work.

 

*****
 

“Brian Kinney” by Melanie Marcus

A- Is for asshole. I probably shouldn’t use such a crude word but it fits and he’d be the first to admit it. Brian Kinney is an ‘A’ number one asshole of epic proportions. ‘A’ could be for arrogant too and he wouldn’t disagree.

B- Bastard but not in the literal sense. He had legally married parents at the time of his birth. But I guess the bastard goes with the arrogant part.

C- Cocky, given Brian’s proclivities in his youth, this adjective fits him to a tee, in all its connotations.

D- Damnable for the bad things he’s done, and the good.

E- Effective in whatever he sets his sights on to achieve, especially in business. He is the most effective person I have ever known.

F- Frustrating! No further elaboration necessary.

G- Guts, he has the guts to do what most people couldn’t even dream of. I have always been envious of that fact.

H- Heart, he has one. It took me years to discover that he does have a heart. Its depth is boundless. He cares deeply about his family, all his family, which includes me.

I- Irritating, he can be the most irritating man. Sometimes I want to throttle him. And unfortunately, one time I came too close to doing it and for the wrong reason. I jumped to the wrong conclusion about Brian and I almost ruined one of his most worthy charities. I hope he’s forgiven me.

J- Jerk!

K- Kickass wardrobe. I’ve known Brian for a very long time. The man knows how to dress. Even when he’s barbecuing chicken or making an omelet or covered in dirt from gardening, he’s always impeccably dressed.

L- Loyal, so loyal that he sets himself up to be hurt, but he won’t admit that. He’s always there, brutally honest (another ‘H’) but there whenever any of his immediate or extended family needs him. He would move heaven and earth to help any one of us. And I’m pretty sure he has.

M- Married! Ha! The man who swore he’d never do anything as conventional as marriage, did just that. Of course it’s not legal and technically a commitment ceremony, but to him and his partner, they are married. I hate to admit this; his commitment is the strongest I have ever seen.

N- Nefarious...not, don’t ever cross him or his family but he is a fair man, in looks (for a man) and in the way he treats his business associates and employees. As much as I would like to use nefarious to describe Brian Kinney, he’s not. But his past enemies might.

O- Opinionated almost to ad nauseam, and the bastard is usually right.

P- Possessive, maybe a little too much. But only when it comes to his privacy, his family, especially the children and to the love of his life. I think in a few ways he and I are alike. We’re too possessive because we believe we’re not worthy of what we have.

Q- Queer.

R- Relentless, at least in business. He’s not afraid to work hard to get what he wants and yet maintains the highest of quality. It’s what makes him a leader in his field. He’s also Rage.

S- Self made man. He’s worked hard for everything he has. Maybe from the outside it looks like Brian did it all on his own and where it matters the most, he did. But he also has the wisdom to hire the best and it shows in his product. Soccer, he’s very good at it and got through college on a soccer scholarship.

T- Temper, he has one. Forewarned is forearmed.

U- Unending love of his children, his partner and his family. I really should follow his example, he puts his family first.

V- Vain, he is vain. There’s no sugar coating it. He will fight the aging process for as long as he can. Vengeance, do not hurt his family, Brian will find a way to punish the guilty.

W- Wealthy, he’s earned every penny. He’s wise with his money and generous too. I can’t go into detail with that so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

X- There isn’t an ‘X’ word that applies to Brian other than maybe x-ray. He had an illness once that could have turned out to have been tragic but he did the right things and he’s fine.

Y- Brian has a youthful looking partner and is himself aging well. I guess all that expensive anti-aging crap he buys is working.

Z- Zeus, at least according to his partner, Brian is a god. I don’t see him that way, I see him as a man. A very complex man but a man nonetheless.

I realize that this paper is very unconventional, but Brian Kinney is an unconventional man. I am not one of his favorite people, but that didn’t stop him from helping me and my life partner to get married. When our marriage was on the verge of breaking up, Brian was there to help us find the reasons to fight to make it work.

Brian Kinney is a good father. I wish I could say otherwise but take one look at his kids and you’d know it’s the truth.

He stays at the cutting edge in his field and is not afraid to take certain risks. He knows when to rely on his own instincts and when to ask for help from his trusted friends, family and associates. I wish I could learn how to do that. Then again if Brian Kinney can learn to do that, maybe I can too. I hate to admit it but there are times when I ask myself, what would Brian Kinney do in a situation like this?

He still irritates me and I find him exasperating, but he’s an integral part of my life and my family. Without him, I don’t think there would be a family. And that’s what makes him so irritating.

The End.

 

*****
 

“Mr. Hawk?”

“I’ve told you to call me Dennis.”

“I prefer Mr. Hawk,” Hunter replied.

“Suit yourself,” Hawk said with a feral grin. This kid thought he was onto Dennis Hawk, but he had no idea. “What can I do for you?”

“You said you’d like to talk to some of the kids who’ve gone through the Center.”

“That’s right.”

“I’ve got a list.”

“Hand selected no doubt.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hunter asked even though he knew exactly what Hawk meant.

“You want me to talk to this select group who will give me only the most glowing of reports about the Center … and about one Brian Kinney.”

“They will tell you the truth of what their lives were like before they found the Center,” Hunter corrected him. “And what’s happened since.”

“Maybe it will be the truth for them, but what about some of your less successful clients?” Hawk asked pointedly.

“I…”

“Don’t bother explaining. I’ve been through this kind of thing before. Arrange your meeting and I’ll listen.”

“You’re so magnanimous,” Hunter said sarcastically.

“It’s the least I can do,” Hawk replied with a chuckle that held no humor at all. “You’ve been so cooperative. Let me know when you’ve got it all arranged.”

There was a click as Hawk cut the connection. Hunter pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the receiver. This was not going to be easy. He set the receiver back on its base, hoping that the family’s plan would work.

 

*****
 

“Hello?”

“Mr. Kinney?”

“Yes, who is this?”

“Curtis … Curtis Samuels.”

“Ah, Curtis my boy, what can I do for you?”

“I have something to ask you. I hope it’ll be all right,” Curtis said carefully.

Brian felt his brow furrow at Curtis’ words. Did the kid want money? That’s usually what people wanted from him. “Ask away,” Brian said with a sigh.

“I have an assignment to do for school,” Curtis began.

“A school assignment?” Brian asked. This was not what he had been expecting.

“Yes, Mr. Kinney.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“I have to write a paper about the person who has had the greatest impact on my life.”

“Oh, so you want some information about Raph or Hector? I’m sorry but I don’t know much about them; I’m sure you already know…”

“No, Mr. Kinney, it’s not Raph or Hector, although, I did consider writing about them.”

“Hunter then? I can probably help you with that. I know a lot about the Center and Hunter’s background…”

“No, not Hunter. I want to write about you,” Curtis blurted out.

“Me? I’m just some guy you mugged,” Brian tried to joke.

“No, no, you’re not,” Curtis stated. “You’re much more.”

“You really want to write this paper about me?”

“I do.”

“So, why are you calling me about this? Why not just write it?”

“I already have … most of it anyway,” Curtis admitted.

“I still don’t see why you need to call me, Curtis,” Brian said getting a little testy with the lad.

“Because I have to hand in the paper I write, and I could be asked to read it in front of the class.”

“Oh?”

“It occurred to me that you might not be too happy if I reveal some of the stuff that happened between us. JR was really surprised about the knife and…”

“You told JR about our … encounter?” Brian asked as his eyebrow shot up.

“Yeah, she wanted to read what I had written so far.”

“I … I don’t know about this, Curtis,” Brian said slowly.

“I was afraid you’d say that,” Curtis sighed. “I almost have the paper done, but I’ll start over if you don’t want me writing about you.”

Brian thought for a moment. He wasn’t sure he wanted everyone knowing about the knife, and Curtis trying to cut him.

“Mr. Kinney?” Curtis said as the silence on the line lasted for quite a while.

“Yeah, I’m still here.”

“So, do you want me to write about Raph and Hector instead … or Hunter? I’ll do that if you want.”

“Curtis, I … first let me say that I’m really impressed that you thought to ask me about writing this paper. Most kids would have just done whatever they wanted and not thought about the consequences.”

“I … I really appreciate all that you’ve done for me, Mr. Kinney. I don’t want to do something that would upset you.”

“Do you think I could see a copy of your paper before you hand it in?” Brian asked.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“If there’s anything I really object to, would you take it out of the paper?”

“Yeah, I could do that,” Curtis agreed beginning to feel like Mr. Kinney might let him do this paper.

“Okay, then finish it and email it to me. I’ll let you know what I think.”

“That’s great, Mr. Kinney. Thanks, thanks for everything. I’ll email you a copy in a couple of days,” Curtis promised.

Brian smiled. “Don’t make me too much of a martyr or too much of a villain. I did what I wanted to do.”

Curtis smiled. “Thanks,” he said as he set the phone down. Now he needed some way to sum up what Brian Kinney had done for him and then he could send the email the paper to the man himself.

 

*****
 

“It’s done,” John announced to no one in particular. He didn’t notice Bobby rounding the stairs.

“Your paper is done already?”

“Not my paper, my dedication to Brian.”

“Oh. May I hear it?”

“If you’d like. I took your suggestion and kept it simple. Shall I read it to you?”

“Please,” Bobby said with a smile as he made himself comfortable on the pull-out sofa in the office. John cleared his throat then began to read.

“I devote this architectural research into my fascination with cottages to my brother Brian Kinney.

For most of my life I led a quiet and calm existence. I got up in the morning, went to work in my construction company and when I wasn’t raising roofs with my friend and business partner, I was wrangling cows and harvesting wheat on my mother’s farm. Life was pretty simple. Until the Summer of 2005 when a unique man came barreling into my life, turning it upside down when he announced that he was my brother.

Life has never been the same.

Thanks to him, I’ve gained knowledge regarding my ancestry, learned the truth about myself, found a life partner, have a son and one of the largest extended families in the state of Pennsylvania. If not for him, I’d still be on that farm.

I live in awe of him, and am forever grateful to him.”

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s lovely.”

“Lovely? Do real men say lovely?”

“This real man does. John, your devotion is simple, to the point and is sincerely written from your heart. It is lovely and I think Brian will be pleased.”

“And you’re not insulted that I devoted the paper to Brian.”

“No, babe, I bless the day you two met just as much as you do, because he led you to me.”
 

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