The Naked Truth

Chapter 5

“Daddy?”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“Is school soon?”

“You know it is.”

“How soon?”

“Look at the calendar.”

Bree heaved a weary sigh and walked over to the calendar hanging in the kitchen of Edna’s Treasures. It wouldn’t be long until school resumed.

“Did you figure it out?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“You could have done that all by yourself,” Justin chastised mildly. “You know how to read the calendar.”

“I know, Daddy, but it’s easier to ask you.” Bree turned and batted her violet blue eyes at her father.

Justin shook his head and stifled a chuckle. He cleared his throat. “Was it easier after I told you to look at the calendar yourself?”

Bree frowned and thought about that. “Nope,” she said after a moment.

“So next time you can figure out days by yourself?”

“I guess so,” Bree said with a sigh.

Justin smiled slightly. “And you know that Dada and I are always here to help you if you need us.”

“I know.”

“You don’t sound very happy about it.”

“Cause you make me figure it out by myself anyway,” Bree complained.

“But that’s how you learn things, Bree,” Justin explained.

“I didn’t learn anything, Daddy. I already knew how to do it.”

“So you were just being lazy?”

Bree’s mouth dropped open. “Oh no, Daddy,” Bree protested. “I’m not lazy. I just like you to take care of me.”

Justin shook his head once again. His daughter always possessed the ability to surprise him. “I’ll always take care of you, sweetheart, but you need to be independent too.”

“I am independent,” Bree stated indignantly. “But…”

“But what?”

“Sometimes it’s not fun to be independent.”

“I guess I can understand that,” Justin replied thoughtfully. Sometimes it was nice to be taken care of.

“Can Ashley come over tomorrow so we can plan what to do for the first day of school?”

Justin looked at his daughter. Apparently the topic of this conversation had changed. He needed to keep up. “If Ashley’s mom doesn’t have any other plans, Ashley is welcome to come over.”

“Yay!”

“Just what are you going to plan for the first day of school?” Justin asked as the thought struck him.

“We have to know what to wear,” Bree informed her father. “We want to match.”

“Oh, right, of course,” Justin said. “And that’s important.”

“Very important, Daddy.”

“Of course.”

Bree ran over to the phone to call Ashley. Justin watched her for a minute as she punched in the familiar number. She was growing up, and they would have to start making some changes in the way they handled her. Brian Kinney was not going to like that.

 

*****
 

“So what did you and Bree do today?” Brian asked. He had returned from a trip to Kinnetik where he had checked out how everything was running. He was now enjoying a cup of coffee with his husband. They were sitting at the kitchen table.

“Nothing much,” Justin replied. “She wanted to know how long until school begins.”

“Is she keen to go to school, or was that an I hope it’s weeks away kind of comment?”

“You know she loves school,” Justin reminded his husband.

“Good, and it better stay that way.”

“Why are you so negative today?”

“I’m not negative.”

“I take that back. Why are you so argumentative today?”

“I’m…” Brian was about to deny that too, but he realized he was being argumentative. “Kinnetik is doing very well without me,” Brian said slowly.

“Ah,” Justin replied. He understood immediately. “And you don’t like that.”

“They don’t really need me,” Brian griped.

“Until there’s an emergency of some kind.”

Brian raised an eyebrow. “I guess.”

“Brian,” Justin said gently, “you’ll always be needed at Kinnetik. It’s your company.”

“I know, but it’s not the same.” Justin waited for the next statement suspecting what was coming. “Is this what happens when you get older? You become less and less important?”

Justin smiled gently. “You are the most important person in the whole world to me … and Bree … and John and Bobby … and…”

“Stop!” Brian ordered. “I’m talking about the business world.”

“But it’s the same in all worlds. I had the same kind of realization about Bree today.” Justin had decided this might be a good place to bring up what had happened with Bree earlier.

“I thought you said nothing happened today.”

“Well, something did, and I know you’re not going to like it.”

“Fuck! What?”

“It’s nothing serious,” Justin said quickly. “Bree wanted to know about school starting, and I told her to look at the calendar.” Brian shook his head and looked questioningly at his husband. They both knew that Bree could read a calendar with no problem. “She proceeded to tell me that she didn’t need to learn how to use the calendar, she already knew.”

“So?”

“She wanted me to do it for her because it was no fun being independent.”

“Is this going somewhere or are you tormenting me to take my mind off Kinnetik?” Bree’s comment would have been cute if Brian wasn’t so irritated.

Justin chuckled. “She really is independent, Brian, in so many ways. But sometimes she’s our little girl too.”

“Just the way I like her,” Brian stated.

“I know, but she needs to develop more … outside of this place.”

“This place?”

“Edna’s Treasures.”

“How so?” Brian frowned. He didn’t like where this was going.

“She got me thinking about expanding her horizons.”

“To where?”

“We know she loves music. Maybe we should get tickets to the symphony … before she decides that rap is the music she likes.”

“Did you like the symphony?” Brian asked pointedly.

“Not particularly, but I’m glad my mom took me.”

“So that you could appreciate violin concerts?” Brian asked bitterly.

“No, so that I knew there was more to life than just what was popular in music.”

“Are you saying we have been depriving our daughter of culture?”

“I guess I am … a bit. But it’s mostly that she’s of the age to start appreciating some of those things. We could take her to the ballet too.”

“And we could watch the men’s crotches in those very tight … tights.”

Justin laughed. “If that’s what gets you through it.”

“Do we have to do opera as well?” Brian asked snarkily.

Justin smiled knowing that Brian was unconsciously agreeing to his suggestions. “We could go at least once,” Justin conceded.

“And if Bree likes it?”

“We can stand it once or twice a year.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“I am. I can go without you … if necessary.”

“Now who’s being independent?”

“You know I’ve always been independent,” Justin reminded him.

“Yeah, more than I care to admit.”

“So, are we agreed that we should start expanding Bree’s cultural horizons?”

“If you say so,” Brian admitted grudgingly.

“Bree’s going to hate it all, if you act like this. You know that, Brian. If you let on that you can barely tolerate it, Bree will pick that up. Try to enjoy it with us.”

“Okay, okay, I will.”

“And you know that you’re needed here, and at Kinnetik, and by Bree. We all need you.”

“Yeah, to buy the fucking tickets for all these cultural extravaganzas.”

“You are so full of shit, Brian Kinney,” Justin stated. He stood up from the table and walked around to slide onto Brian’s lap. He kissed the lips he loved so much. “We’ll have fun going to concerts.”

“If you say so, Sunshine. It must be the truth.”

 

*****
 

“Schmidt!”

“Yes, boss,” Ted said into his phone.

“How difficult is it to get tickets to the symphony?”

“Symphony?”

“Yes, need I repeat myself? The symphony.”

“It shouldn’t be too difficult at all, Boss,” Ted hastily stated. “But it also depends on whether you pick a popular program to see. They sometimes sell out.”

“The symphony has popular programs?” Brian asked in wonder.

“Yes, Boss.”

“And they actually sell out?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“What would constitute a popular program?”

“Mozart is pretty popular.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” Ted asked with a frown. This was the most peculiar conversation he had had with Brian Kinney in a very long time.

“Why is Mozart popular?” Brian repeated, the edge in his voice making it clear to Ted that he better have a good answer quickly.

“Oh, I guess because his music is quite lyrical. It’s easy to listen to while being very beautiful.”

“Is there a Mozart program like that this season?” Brian asked.

“I don’t know. I’d have to check.”

“Find out and let me know,” Brian ordered.

“May I ask why?”

“We want to expose Bree to some of the classical traditions, like symphony, ballet…”

“Opera?” Ted said hopefully.

“Possibly,” Brian conceded. He didn’t want to jump totally into this culture thing without knowing more about what he was getting into.

Ted grinned. Brian Kinney was asking for his expertise in an area other than accounting. Ted basked in that feeling for a moment.

“Schmidt!”

“Yes, boss. Sorry, boss.”

“Find out what would be a good program to take Bree to, and get me three tickets if you can.”

“I’m on it, boss.”

“Make it happen,” Brian said before he cut the connection.

 

*****
 

“So, what did Ted say?” Justin asked as Brian came down the stairs from his office.

“He’s looking into it,” Brian replied.

“I thought he’d be all over it,” Justin said as he stepped back to get a better look at what he was painting. It was another flower painting since they seemed to be very popular. It was a slightly skewed version of an anthurium, a bright red flower they had seen many of in Hawaii.

“I like that,” Brian said as he came up behind Justin.

Justin smiled at Brian over his shoulder. “I like it too. That was a good trip.”

“Even with all the injuries?”

“Even with…”

“You’re nuts, you know.”

“I know,” Justin replied with a little chuckle. “Whenever we have alone time together is good to me.”

“Even if it’s in a hospital waiting room?”

“That was only a small percentage of our trip.”

“It seemed like we were there every day.”

Justin turned around and stood on his tiptoes to kiss Brian on the lips.

“What’s that for?”

“It’s because I wanted to.”

“Okaaay,” Brian said with a grin. “Ted says there are popular classical composers,” Brian explained changing the subject back to what Justin had originally asked. Brian’s look of disbelief about what Ted had told him made Justin chuckle. “Mozart is supposed to be the most popular.”

“Ted thinks Bree will like Mozart?” Justin questioned.

Brian nodded. “Seems like that is the most likely one. He’s checking if they have a Mozart program this coming season.”

“I really want her to like the symphony,” Justin stated.

“I know, Sunshine.”

“Do you think she will?”

“If she gets to wear her pink dress and her froggie jewelry, she’ll like it.”

“You know how to reduce the most beautiful things to their basest components,” Justin averred with a shake of his head.

“It’s a talent not too many of us possess,” Brian replied smugly.

“Thank God!”

Brian snorted as he went to get a coffee in the kitchen.

 

*****
 

“So what’s the scoop?” Brian asked as he spoke into the phone to Ted some time later.

“The symphony is doing a Mozart program at the beginning of October.”

“Ah, a month’s reprieve,” Brian said.

“You know, Bri, if you don’t want to go, I’d be happy to take Bree. Allen will be playing that night. I could take her backstage after the concert.”

Brian seriously thought about that offer. “Thanks anyway, Ted, but Justin really wants us to go as a family.”

“I could make sure I’m there, and then you could get the backstage treatment anyway. In fact, it might be better to do it before the concert, since it will be quite late when it’s over.”

“Don’t get your tits in an uproar,” Brian advised snidely. “Bree may not like the symphony at all.”

“I think she’ll love it,” Ted averred.

“Remains to be seen.”

“If she hears that tone of voice from you, she’ll be sure to hate it,” Ted informed his boss. He felt that needed to be said even if it caused the wrath of Kinney to come down on him.

Brian snorted loudly. There was a long pause, and then Brian grudgingly admitted, “Justin told me the same thing.”

“Justin’s right.”

“Okay, Schmidt, enough of the lecture. Are there tickets available for this Mozart performance?”

“You do realize that Mozart will not be personally performing?” Ted asked.

“Yes, I fucking do! Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“No, boss, no, never! There are plenty of tickets. It’s still early.”

“Get us three, and one for yourself … if you must,” Brian said rather ungraciously.

“How could I refuse such a charming offer,” Ted said with his own sarcasm.

“Just get one for yourself,” Brian repeated without the snark. “We’ll see if Bree would like a tour before the concert begins.”

“Yes, Boss,” Ted said with a smile. Brian Kinney was going to enjoy this concert too, if Ted had anything to say about it.

Brian cut the connection and went looking for Justin.

“Sunshine,” Brian said, “we are about to purchase tickets for the symphony. Do you want to change your mind before it’s too late?” Brian knew he wouldn’t.

“Absolutely not!”

“Ted’s coughing up the money as we speak.”

“Should we see if Patrick would like to go?” Justin asked.

“I already know the answer to that,” Brian said tongue in cheek.

“John and Bobby might like him to come with us. A little culture never hurt anyone.”

“Except when you get a stiff neck from sleeping in those awful seats.”

“How do you know they’re awful? Have you been to the symphony?”

Brian shook his head. His family never had the money or the inclination to attend a symphony. And when he grew up, the symphony wasn’t cool. Clubs and drugs and drinking were cool. He wanted something better than that for Bree.

“Perhaps we should talk to both children about this plan,” Brian finally said.
 

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