"Coup de Foudre" 146 - Comes to an End!
By Gaedhal
Part 146 - Epilogue
Brian and Justin have a Christmas party at their new house.
Pittsburgh, Christmas 2017
“Holy shit, Sunshine!” Deb exclaimed. “For someone who doesn’t believe in Christmas that’s the biggest, craziest fucking tree I’ve ever seen!”
“I know!” Justin laughed. “It’s plastic and aluminum with LED lights. Brian had it made in California and hired a team of guys to install the thing. Now the question is how we’re going to take it down when the holidays are over.”
Debbie frowned and considered the blue behemoth. “I don’t know, it looks pretty permanent to me.”
“You should see the tree inside,” said Justin.
“What? There’s more?”
“You’ll see!”
That’s when Brian appeared, looming in the doorway. “Are you two coming in, or would you rather freeze your fucking asses off staring at my investment?”
“Investment?” Debbie sniffed.
“It’s a commissioned art installation,” Brian stated. “Ask Justin. He’s familiar with the permutations of the art world. And art is a good investment - hence… that!”
“It’s a fucking Christmas tree!” Debbie retorted. “A big, weird-looking Christmas tree to boot, so don’t give me any of your Brian Kinney double-talk!”
“So that means you don’t like it?”
“Well…” Debbie hesitated. “It’s… different.”
Brian smirked. “Justin designed it. The guys out in L.A. carried out the concept… and here it is.”
“Sunshine designed that?” She looked at Justin who nodded. “Then… it’s genius! A fucking masterpiece! Now get me inside! I need some fucking eggnog with plenty of rum! Pronto!” And Deb marched purposefully into the house.
Brian shook his head. “No one appreciates my attempts to uplift the intellectual tenor of this motley assortment of friends, relatives, and slaves. And by slaves I mean Theodore.”
Justin poked Brian in the ribs. “You are so full of shit! I love that about you.”
“You better,” Brian replied. He considered the tree. “It’s not bad, you know. And it’s definitely a conversation piece.”
“I didn’t intend for it to be quite that large. But seriously, how are we going to get it down after the holidays?”
“No matter,” Brian sighed. “We’ll cross that fucking bridge when we come to it.”
Brian had never had a Christmas party in the Pitts before because he had never really celebrated Christmas. But Ron had understood the concept and often had holiday shindigs. It was something you did in the movie business. A way of paying back at the end of the year. A way to impress your peers and peons. And a way to demonstrate that you knew how to throw a party. A “G-Rated” party, it was true, but Brian knew he had to make some concessions to convention.
It was also a way to show off the new house.
“It really looks beautiful!” Cynthia cooed over the kitchen. “I adore the concept! I can’t believe this was an old garage!”
“Warehouse,” Justin corrected. “You know how Brian likes to think outside of the box. But it’s amazing how it turned out.”
“I admit that I was also dubious about turning that old bathhouse into Kinnetik, but you can’t argue with success. Right, Artie?” She turned to her husband, who was filling his plate with some of Fabulous Catering’s famous pear tartlettes.
“Sure, babe.” Artie Roberts’ mouth was working overtime. “Are there any more of those little meatballs?”
Justin raised his eyebrows. Straight guys! All they did was stuff their faces. But Justin had to admit that Cynthia’s husband was really hot. “I’ll ask Darren. He made them.”
“Cool.” And he popped the last little meatball into his mouth.
Darren and Emmett were catering the party, but they were also guests, so Justin had to hunt them down. He found them in the gallery with John and Stuart, admiring some of Justin’s larger canvases.
“And here’s the artist himself!” said Emmett. “You always wanted a big gallery exhibition and now you’ve got one in your own house!”
“I know,” Justin conceded. “But it will be better in March. The Sidney Bloom Gallery is taking that one.” He pointed to a large blue abstract. “And that one.” He pointed to a smaller portrait. “It’s his Spring Show for local artists.”
“A nude portrait,” Emmett commented. “I wonder who it could be of? Of course, you can’t see the face… but…”
“I can’t imagine,” said John’s partner Stuart. Then he looked at John and they both laughed. They could also readily recognize their boss even without the benefit of clothing. But a lot of people could make that claim.
“I’m thinking of doing an entire series of nudes,” said Justin. “With a seasonal theme. You know, “Spring,” “Summer,” “Fall”, and “Winter.” Now that we’re in the country I can do all sorts of outdoor scenes I never could before. By the way - Cynthia’s husband was looking for more of those spicy meatballs.”
Darren and Emmett exchanged glances. “The dishy Mr. Cynthia! I think we can scare up some more meatballs for him.” And they headed for the kitchen to check on the food situation.
Justin made the rounds, well aware of his role as host. Or hostess. Or whatever the fuck. But the house looked beautiful. He’d never thought it would be finished in time for the Holidays, but Brian had reassured him that it would be. “Or I’ll have all their balls!” And Justin didn’t doubt that the architect and contractor were as intimidated by Brian as everyone else. And so it was.
Michael and Ben were in the living room, sitting with Deb and Carl, staring at the other Christmas tree. Brian had that one made, too.
“What do you think, Deb? Do you like that one as much as the outdoor tree?”
Debbie grimaced. “That the fuck is wrong with a good old plain green tree? I mean, if you want a gay fucking tree, why not pink aluminum? It’s traditional!”
Ben coughed. “I think it makes quite a statement. An individual tree to match a pair of… of…”
“Nutcases,” Debbie breathed.
“A distinctive couple,” Ben finished. “Who certainly march to their own drummer.”
“And fuck to a different drummer, too,” Michael added.
“The same company that made the big tree made this one, too. But this one is all Brian’s idea,” Justin explained. “It’s a copy of the tree in one of our favorite movies, ‘Bell, Book and Candle.’”
“Never heard of it,” said Carl.
“Oh, you know, hon!” said Debbie. “With Natalie Wood! And Gary Cooper! And that witchy cat!”
“Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart,” Justin corrected. “There’s a great Christmas tree at the beginning of the film. Brian said that if we’re going to go for the ultimate Faux Mid-Century Modern house, then we had to have the tree, too!”
“Well, it’s very original,” said Ben.
“I’m glad you like it,” said Justin. “I’m sorry Hunter couldn’t come.”
“He’s spending Christmas with Melissa and her family.” Michael’s face was dark. “Fucking Trumpers!”
“Sorry,” said Justin. Hunter wasn’t his favorite person in the world, but he hated to think that he might turn his back on his fathers.
“Hopefully, Hunter will see how they really are and that will be the end of it,” Michael growled. “But he’s so hypnotized by Melissa’s gigantic tits that he can’t see that her whole family are a bunch of goddamn homophobes!”
“He has to make his own choices,” said Ben. “We talked about this.”
Michael slumped in his seat. “I know… but… but I hate that he seems to be growing away from us.”
“He’ll wake up, baby,” said Debbie. “Look how Carl came around! Right, honey?”
But Carl just rolled his eyes and took another slug of eggnog.
“Justin!” He turned when he heard his name called. It was Dr. Helene Deutsch, Brian’s neuropsychologist. She was standing by the fireplace with Dr. Alex Wilder, Brian’s silver fox therapist, and Dr. William Sun, Brian’s neurologist.
“What do you think of the house?”
“Amazing!” said Dr. Deutsch.
“I know Brian did a lot of the planning, but you surely had a hand in all this,” said Dr. Wilder. “The gallery wing is wonderful.”
“We worked on it together,” said Justin. “Sometimes it was hard for Brian to concentrate on the house and work and everything else, but… he did it. We both did it.”
“Brian has come a very long way,” said Dr. Sun. “He was a very damaged man.”
“I know,” said Justin. “I admit that at one point I never thought Brian would be… be back to normal ever again. But… when I realized that a year had gone by since the accident and I hadn’t thought about it in weeks… that’s when I knew that Brian would be okay. That we’d both be okay.”
Dr. Deutsch put her arms around Justin and hugged him. That surprised him. Dr. Deutsch was not an overly emotional woman. He felt his allergies starting to kick up and he stepped back. “We couldn’t have done it without all of you. Without all the doctors and nurses and therapists and… and everyone! Thanks! I mean…” Justin swallowed. And then he had to leave the room.
Justin next went into the rec room. This was the one part of the house that Gus had insisted on - a place were they all could relax, kick back, and watch movies or listen to music or play video games. A place where Gus didn’t have to worry about bumping into anything valuable. A place where he could put his feet up on the not-white sofa. A place where he could eat whatever he wanted and leave crumbs and not get yelled at. In other words, his favorite room in the house.
“Hi, Mom. Molly. Zach. And you too, brat!” said Justin, ruffling Gus’s hair. It figured that his mother and sister and her fiancé would find their way into the most comfortable room in the house.
“Quit it!” Gus slapped his hand away. “We’re watching some Christmas flicks.”
“Haven’t you seen ‘A Christmas Story’ enough times?”
Gus shrugged. “There’s no such thing as enough!”
“Oh, you’re Brian’s son, all right!” Justin laughed. “Where’s Brad?” He knew his sort-of stepfather was there somewhere.
“He went to get another beer. And to bring me an eggnog,” said Jennifer. “Oh, Justin, I love the house! I was just saying to Molly that it was hard to imagine from the plans, but… but it’s… well, I love it.”
Molly looked at her mother. “Zach and I like something more traditional. Like a colonial. There are some houses in Point Breeze that are really beautiful.”
Point Breeze. That’s where Brian and Gus had that rental when they first came to town. It was one of the most expensive areas in Pittsburgh.
“Yeah, and after we win the lottery we might be able to afford one,” said Zach. Luckily, he was the levelheaded one of the couple. Molly - not so much, thought Justin. If it was a choice between eating for a week and buying a pair of amazing shoes, Molly would always pick the shoes. She would have made a good gay man. It must be something in the Taylor genes!
“Hey, Justin!” said Brad, sauntering in with his beer and the eggnog for Jennifer. “Great party! I was talking to some guys who work for Brian. I didn’t know he had foreigners working at that PR place.”
“It’s an advertising agency,” said Justin. “You must have been talking to John and Stuart. They’re from England. Although I think Stuart was born in Ireland.”
“I was also talking to this other guy in the kitchen. Larry something. He said he was a client of Brian’s and he makes…” Brad paused, glancing at Molly, Zach, and Gus. “A certain product. It sounds interesting.”
“What is it, dear?” Jennifer asked.
“I’ll tell you later,” said Brad.
Justin stifled a laugh. It figured that Brad and Larry Ramson would cross paths at the party, especially since Brad was definitely in Bonevil’s key demographic!
“I worked on that campaign,” said Justin slyly. He didn’t get to tweak Brad very often, but when he did, he enjoyed it. “It’s a ‘monumental’ product, if you know what I mean!”
“Huh?” said Jennifer. “I don’t understand.
“We can talk about it later, Jen,” said Brad. And he gave Justin a WTF look.
“I’ve got to check on the rest of our guests,” said Justin. “And there’s plenty of food, so eat up!”
“Thank you, darling!” said Jennifer. “Merry Christmas!”
That’s when Justin began wondering where Brian was. Ted and Blake were in the living room, but they hadn’t seen Brian in a while. Neither had Michael and Ben. Emmett and Darren were putting out another round of spicy meatballs, along with more Christmas cookies.
“He didn’t come this way,” said Em. “Ask Deb. He was talking to her by the tree.”
But he wasn’t there. “I think he went to the front door,” said Deb. “Someone came in.”
Justin went over the guest list in his head, trying to think of who wasn’t already there. Doug DeCarlo from Dandy Lube and his boyfriend had come and gone because they had another Christmas party to go to. And Buzz Brown from Brown Athletics was out of town, at his estate in West Palm Beach, so he couldn’t come. And Kellie McQuaid of Eye-conic Optics had sent her regrets, as had Fred Frawley of Open Fire Steakhouses. So who had come late?
“Have you seen Brian?” Justin asked. But no one had. He checked the bedrooms, the bathrooms, even the garage. Which left… the gym.
The gym was in an annex attached to the garage. And the light was on there. But what the fuck would Brian be doing in there?
And who’d he be doing it with?
Justin opened the door.
Brian was sitting on the weight bench. And sitting next to him, his face forlorn, was Danny Mitchell.
“Brian?”
“Come on in,” said Brian softly.
“Hi, Justin,” Danny said. His eyes were red.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were out in California! I thought you and Jimmy… weren’t you two supposed to be getting married? On New Year’s Eve?”
“It’s off.” Danny was on the verge of tears. “He… he… dumped me! Kicked me out of the house! He took away my car! And he gave me a one-way ticket back to Pittsburgh!” And then the tears began to fall in earnest. He buried his face in Brian’s chest.
“Justin, do you have any Kleenex?” Brian asked.
“No, but we have some paper towels for wiping down the equipment.”
“That’ll do. Otherwise Danny is going to be leaking all over my new Versace shirt.”
Justin got the paper towels from the gym cupboard and Brian handed them to Danny. He drew the line at wiping the guy’s nose. “Jimmy is an asshole! You should have known you could never trust him!”
“But… but he said he loved me!” Danny hiccupped. “The wedding was all planned. Maui! The beach! I even invited my mother!”
“Jimmy Hardy loves one person and that person is Jimmy Hardy,” Brian said flatly. “Lesson learned the hard way.”
“We tried to warn you,” said Justin. “We really did.”
“But… but…” Danny couldn’t find the words. He crumpled up a wad of paper towels and dabbed at his eyes.
“What did he say? What the fuck was his rationale this time for being the jerk of the century?” Brian asked.
“He said that… that this wasn’t the time for two guys to get married. That he had to think of his career. That people might have accepted us two years ago, but that now… everything’s changed! His image was too important to fuck around with it.”
“What a dick!” Justin exclaimed. “That’s such bullshit! Jimmy is a pussy if he thinks that!”
“And… there’s someone else,” Danny sniffed.
“Who the fuck?” Brian wondered.
“Tess! He told that he’s going back to his wife! He called off their divorce! It was supposed to be finalized last week!” And Danny began to wail.
“Jesus, I thought Tess had more sense,” said Justin.
“Apparently not.” Brian made a disgusted face. “But nothing Jimmy does ever makes sense. Believe me, this is a public relations move. He must have gotten bad feedback from the powers-that-be who believe all good faggots should go back into the closet or get gay converted before we’re all rounded up and put into fucking camps! Listen, Danny - are you listening?”
Danny nodded. “I’m listening.”
“You’re better off here. Even the fucking Pitts is better than living a lie with Jimmy fucking Hardy! You’re a queer and we always land on our feet. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you.” Danny sat up straight and took a deep breath. “I didn’t know you’d be having a party. I didn’t mean to ruin your evening. But Jimmy had your new address. I looked at his desk and saw it and I wrote it down. Just in case I ever got back to Pittsburgh. I never thought it would be so… soon!”
“Come on!” said Brian. “Back to the party. Have some food and a drink and you’ll feel much better. And I happen to know two guys who would love to hire a personal trainer.” Brian looked at Justin and grinned wickedly. “They’re English and they need to keep trim from eating all that fish and chips and sausages and fried bread and crap. You’ll be just the ticket!”
“I will?”
“Definitely.”
Brian and Justin guided Danny in the direction of the festivities in the main part of the house.
“Unbelievable!” said Justin.
“I know,” said Brian. “Some guys just can’t get their shit together, can they?”
“Apparently not,” Justin agreed.
“By the way, I talked to Diane this afternoon. She’s going to have a party for New Year’s Eve when we’re out there next week. Nothing too fancy. Just her and Carmel and Mia, of course. And Dorian and Peter. Maybe a few more friends. And afterwards…”
“You can show me some of the evil pleasures of Hollywood?” said Justin.
“Maybe. Or maybe not,” said Brian, thinking about what Danny had said about it not being the right time for queers. “Whatever strikes us. That’s what we’ll do. And maybe… Las Vegas? Ever wanted to go to one of those chapels where you get married by an Elvis impersonator?”
“Never,” said Justin. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t consider it.”
“Stranger things have happened,” said Brian, putting his arms around Justin. “Lightning may strike us. Again.”
Justin smiled. “As long as it strikes both of us at the same time.”
“I think at this point in our lives,” said Brian. “It’s guaranteed.”
*FIN*
Part 146 - Epilogue
Brian and Justin have a Christmas party at their new house.
Pittsburgh, Christmas 2017
“Holy shit, Sunshine!” Deb exclaimed. “For someone who doesn’t believe in Christmas that’s the biggest, craziest fucking tree I’ve ever seen!”
“I know!” Justin laughed. “It’s plastic and aluminum with LED lights. Brian had it made in California and hired a team of guys to install the thing. Now the question is how we’re going to take it down when the holidays are over.”
Debbie frowned and considered the blue behemoth. “I don’t know, it looks pretty permanent to me.”
“You should see the tree inside,” said Justin.
“What? There’s more?”
“You’ll see!”
That’s when Brian appeared, looming in the doorway. “Are you two coming in, or would you rather freeze your fucking asses off staring at my investment?”
“Investment?” Debbie sniffed.
“It’s a commissioned art installation,” Brian stated. “Ask Justin. He’s familiar with the permutations of the art world. And art is a good investment - hence… that!”
“It’s a fucking Christmas tree!” Debbie retorted. “A big, weird-looking Christmas tree to boot, so don’t give me any of your Brian Kinney double-talk!”
“So that means you don’t like it?”
“Well…” Debbie hesitated. “It’s… different.”
Brian smirked. “Justin designed it. The guys out in L.A. carried out the concept… and here it is.”
“Sunshine designed that?” She looked at Justin who nodded. “Then… it’s genius! A fucking masterpiece! Now get me inside! I need some fucking eggnog with plenty of rum! Pronto!” And Deb marched purposefully into the house.
Brian shook his head. “No one appreciates my attempts to uplift the intellectual tenor of this motley assortment of friends, relatives, and slaves. And by slaves I mean Theodore.”
Justin poked Brian in the ribs. “You are so full of shit! I love that about you.”
“You better,” Brian replied. He considered the tree. “It’s not bad, you know. And it’s definitely a conversation piece.”
“I didn’t intend for it to be quite that large. But seriously, how are we going to get it down after the holidays?”
“No matter,” Brian sighed. “We’ll cross that fucking bridge when we come to it.”
Brian had never had a Christmas party in the Pitts before because he had never really celebrated Christmas. But Ron had understood the concept and often had holiday shindigs. It was something you did in the movie business. A way of paying back at the end of the year. A way to impress your peers and peons. And a way to demonstrate that you knew how to throw a party. A “G-Rated” party, it was true, but Brian knew he had to make some concessions to convention.
It was also a way to show off the new house.
“It really looks beautiful!” Cynthia cooed over the kitchen. “I adore the concept! I can’t believe this was an old garage!”
“Warehouse,” Justin corrected. “You know how Brian likes to think outside of the box. But it’s amazing how it turned out.”
“I admit that I was also dubious about turning that old bathhouse into Kinnetik, but you can’t argue with success. Right, Artie?” She turned to her husband, who was filling his plate with some of Fabulous Catering’s famous pear tartlettes.
“Sure, babe.” Artie Roberts’ mouth was working overtime. “Are there any more of those little meatballs?”
Justin raised his eyebrows. Straight guys! All they did was stuff their faces. But Justin had to admit that Cynthia’s husband was really hot. “I’ll ask Darren. He made them.”
“Cool.” And he popped the last little meatball into his mouth.
Darren and Emmett were catering the party, but they were also guests, so Justin had to hunt them down. He found them in the gallery with John and Stuart, admiring some of Justin’s larger canvases.
“And here’s the artist himself!” said Emmett. “You always wanted a big gallery exhibition and now you’ve got one in your own house!”
“I know,” Justin conceded. “But it will be better in March. The Sidney Bloom Gallery is taking that one.” He pointed to a large blue abstract. “And that one.” He pointed to a smaller portrait. “It’s his Spring Show for local artists.”
“A nude portrait,” Emmett commented. “I wonder who it could be of? Of course, you can’t see the face… but…”
“I can’t imagine,” said John’s partner Stuart. Then he looked at John and they both laughed. They could also readily recognize their boss even without the benefit of clothing. But a lot of people could make that claim.
“I’m thinking of doing an entire series of nudes,” said Justin. “With a seasonal theme. You know, “Spring,” “Summer,” “Fall”, and “Winter.” Now that we’re in the country I can do all sorts of outdoor scenes I never could before. By the way - Cynthia’s husband was looking for more of those spicy meatballs.”
Darren and Emmett exchanged glances. “The dishy Mr. Cynthia! I think we can scare up some more meatballs for him.” And they headed for the kitchen to check on the food situation.
Justin made the rounds, well aware of his role as host. Or hostess. Or whatever the fuck. But the house looked beautiful. He’d never thought it would be finished in time for the Holidays, but Brian had reassured him that it would be. “Or I’ll have all their balls!” And Justin didn’t doubt that the architect and contractor were as intimidated by Brian as everyone else. And so it was.
Michael and Ben were in the living room, sitting with Deb and Carl, staring at the other Christmas tree. Brian had that one made, too.
“What do you think, Deb? Do you like that one as much as the outdoor tree?”
Debbie grimaced. “That the fuck is wrong with a good old plain green tree? I mean, if you want a gay fucking tree, why not pink aluminum? It’s traditional!”
Ben coughed. “I think it makes quite a statement. An individual tree to match a pair of… of…”
“Nutcases,” Debbie breathed.
“A distinctive couple,” Ben finished. “Who certainly march to their own drummer.”
“And fuck to a different drummer, too,” Michael added.
“The same company that made the big tree made this one, too. But this one is all Brian’s idea,” Justin explained. “It’s a copy of the tree in one of our favorite movies, ‘Bell, Book and Candle.’”
“Never heard of it,” said Carl.
“Oh, you know, hon!” said Debbie. “With Natalie Wood! And Gary Cooper! And that witchy cat!”
“Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart,” Justin corrected. “There’s a great Christmas tree at the beginning of the film. Brian said that if we’re going to go for the ultimate Faux Mid-Century Modern house, then we had to have the tree, too!”
“Well, it’s very original,” said Ben.
“I’m glad you like it,” said Justin. “I’m sorry Hunter couldn’t come.”
“He’s spending Christmas with Melissa and her family.” Michael’s face was dark. “Fucking Trumpers!”
“Sorry,” said Justin. Hunter wasn’t his favorite person in the world, but he hated to think that he might turn his back on his fathers.
“Hopefully, Hunter will see how they really are and that will be the end of it,” Michael growled. “But he’s so hypnotized by Melissa’s gigantic tits that he can’t see that her whole family are a bunch of goddamn homophobes!”
“He has to make his own choices,” said Ben. “We talked about this.”
Michael slumped in his seat. “I know… but… but I hate that he seems to be growing away from us.”
“He’ll wake up, baby,” said Debbie. “Look how Carl came around! Right, honey?”
But Carl just rolled his eyes and took another slug of eggnog.
“Justin!” He turned when he heard his name called. It was Dr. Helene Deutsch, Brian’s neuropsychologist. She was standing by the fireplace with Dr. Alex Wilder, Brian’s silver fox therapist, and Dr. William Sun, Brian’s neurologist.
“What do you think of the house?”
“Amazing!” said Dr. Deutsch.
“I know Brian did a lot of the planning, but you surely had a hand in all this,” said Dr. Wilder. “The gallery wing is wonderful.”
“We worked on it together,” said Justin. “Sometimes it was hard for Brian to concentrate on the house and work and everything else, but… he did it. We both did it.”
“Brian has come a very long way,” said Dr. Sun. “He was a very damaged man.”
“I know,” said Justin. “I admit that at one point I never thought Brian would be… be back to normal ever again. But… when I realized that a year had gone by since the accident and I hadn’t thought about it in weeks… that’s when I knew that Brian would be okay. That we’d both be okay.”
Dr. Deutsch put her arms around Justin and hugged him. That surprised him. Dr. Deutsch was not an overly emotional woman. He felt his allergies starting to kick up and he stepped back. “We couldn’t have done it without all of you. Without all the doctors and nurses and therapists and… and everyone! Thanks! I mean…” Justin swallowed. And then he had to leave the room.
Justin next went into the rec room. This was the one part of the house that Gus had insisted on - a place were they all could relax, kick back, and watch movies or listen to music or play video games. A place where Gus didn’t have to worry about bumping into anything valuable. A place where he could put his feet up on the not-white sofa. A place where he could eat whatever he wanted and leave crumbs and not get yelled at. In other words, his favorite room in the house.
“Hi, Mom. Molly. Zach. And you too, brat!” said Justin, ruffling Gus’s hair. It figured that his mother and sister and her fiancé would find their way into the most comfortable room in the house.
“Quit it!” Gus slapped his hand away. “We’re watching some Christmas flicks.”
“Haven’t you seen ‘A Christmas Story’ enough times?”
Gus shrugged. “There’s no such thing as enough!”
“Oh, you’re Brian’s son, all right!” Justin laughed. “Where’s Brad?” He knew his sort-of stepfather was there somewhere.
“He went to get another beer. And to bring me an eggnog,” said Jennifer. “Oh, Justin, I love the house! I was just saying to Molly that it was hard to imagine from the plans, but… but it’s… well, I love it.”
Molly looked at her mother. “Zach and I like something more traditional. Like a colonial. There are some houses in Point Breeze that are really beautiful.”
Point Breeze. That’s where Brian and Gus had that rental when they first came to town. It was one of the most expensive areas in Pittsburgh.
“Yeah, and after we win the lottery we might be able to afford one,” said Zach. Luckily, he was the levelheaded one of the couple. Molly - not so much, thought Justin. If it was a choice between eating for a week and buying a pair of amazing shoes, Molly would always pick the shoes. She would have made a good gay man. It must be something in the Taylor genes!
“Hey, Justin!” said Brad, sauntering in with his beer and the eggnog for Jennifer. “Great party! I was talking to some guys who work for Brian. I didn’t know he had foreigners working at that PR place.”
“It’s an advertising agency,” said Justin. “You must have been talking to John and Stuart. They’re from England. Although I think Stuart was born in Ireland.”
“I was also talking to this other guy in the kitchen. Larry something. He said he was a client of Brian’s and he makes…” Brad paused, glancing at Molly, Zach, and Gus. “A certain product. It sounds interesting.”
“What is it, dear?” Jennifer asked.
“I’ll tell you later,” said Brad.
Justin stifled a laugh. It figured that Brad and Larry Ramson would cross paths at the party, especially since Brad was definitely in Bonevil’s key demographic!
“I worked on that campaign,” said Justin slyly. He didn’t get to tweak Brad very often, but when he did, he enjoyed it. “It’s a ‘monumental’ product, if you know what I mean!”
“Huh?” said Jennifer. “I don’t understand.
“We can talk about it later, Jen,” said Brad. And he gave Justin a WTF look.
“I’ve got to check on the rest of our guests,” said Justin. “And there’s plenty of food, so eat up!”
“Thank you, darling!” said Jennifer. “Merry Christmas!”
That’s when Justin began wondering where Brian was. Ted and Blake were in the living room, but they hadn’t seen Brian in a while. Neither had Michael and Ben. Emmett and Darren were putting out another round of spicy meatballs, along with more Christmas cookies.
“He didn’t come this way,” said Em. “Ask Deb. He was talking to her by the tree.”
But he wasn’t there. “I think he went to the front door,” said Deb. “Someone came in.”
Justin went over the guest list in his head, trying to think of who wasn’t already there. Doug DeCarlo from Dandy Lube and his boyfriend had come and gone because they had another Christmas party to go to. And Buzz Brown from Brown Athletics was out of town, at his estate in West Palm Beach, so he couldn’t come. And Kellie McQuaid of Eye-conic Optics had sent her regrets, as had Fred Frawley of Open Fire Steakhouses. So who had come late?
“Have you seen Brian?” Justin asked. But no one had. He checked the bedrooms, the bathrooms, even the garage. Which left… the gym.
The gym was in an annex attached to the garage. And the light was on there. But what the fuck would Brian be doing in there?
And who’d he be doing it with?
Justin opened the door.
Brian was sitting on the weight bench. And sitting next to him, his face forlorn, was Danny Mitchell.
“Brian?”
“Come on in,” said Brian softly.
“Hi, Justin,” Danny said. His eyes were red.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were out in California! I thought you and Jimmy… weren’t you two supposed to be getting married? On New Year’s Eve?”
“It’s off.” Danny was on the verge of tears. “He… he… dumped me! Kicked me out of the house! He took away my car! And he gave me a one-way ticket back to Pittsburgh!” And then the tears began to fall in earnest. He buried his face in Brian’s chest.
“Justin, do you have any Kleenex?” Brian asked.
“No, but we have some paper towels for wiping down the equipment.”
“That’ll do. Otherwise Danny is going to be leaking all over my new Versace shirt.”
Justin got the paper towels from the gym cupboard and Brian handed them to Danny. He drew the line at wiping the guy’s nose. “Jimmy is an asshole! You should have known you could never trust him!”
“But… but he said he loved me!” Danny hiccupped. “The wedding was all planned. Maui! The beach! I even invited my mother!”
“Jimmy Hardy loves one person and that person is Jimmy Hardy,” Brian said flatly. “Lesson learned the hard way.”
“We tried to warn you,” said Justin. “We really did.”
“But… but…” Danny couldn’t find the words. He crumpled up a wad of paper towels and dabbed at his eyes.
“What did he say? What the fuck was his rationale this time for being the jerk of the century?” Brian asked.
“He said that… that this wasn’t the time for two guys to get married. That he had to think of his career. That people might have accepted us two years ago, but that now… everything’s changed! His image was too important to fuck around with it.”
“What a dick!” Justin exclaimed. “That’s such bullshit! Jimmy is a pussy if he thinks that!”
“And… there’s someone else,” Danny sniffed.
“Who the fuck?” Brian wondered.
“Tess! He told that he’s going back to his wife! He called off their divorce! It was supposed to be finalized last week!” And Danny began to wail.
“Jesus, I thought Tess had more sense,” said Justin.
“Apparently not.” Brian made a disgusted face. “But nothing Jimmy does ever makes sense. Believe me, this is a public relations move. He must have gotten bad feedback from the powers-that-be who believe all good faggots should go back into the closet or get gay converted before we’re all rounded up and put into fucking camps! Listen, Danny - are you listening?”
Danny nodded. “I’m listening.”
“You’re better off here. Even the fucking Pitts is better than living a lie with Jimmy fucking Hardy! You’re a queer and we always land on our feet. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you.” Danny sat up straight and took a deep breath. “I didn’t know you’d be having a party. I didn’t mean to ruin your evening. But Jimmy had your new address. I looked at his desk and saw it and I wrote it down. Just in case I ever got back to Pittsburgh. I never thought it would be so… soon!”
“Come on!” said Brian. “Back to the party. Have some food and a drink and you’ll feel much better. And I happen to know two guys who would love to hire a personal trainer.” Brian looked at Justin and grinned wickedly. “They’re English and they need to keep trim from eating all that fish and chips and sausages and fried bread and crap. You’ll be just the ticket!”
“I will?”
“Definitely.”
Brian and Justin guided Danny in the direction of the festivities in the main part of the house.
“Unbelievable!” said Justin.
“I know,” said Brian. “Some guys just can’t get their shit together, can they?”
“Apparently not,” Justin agreed.
“By the way, I talked to Diane this afternoon. She’s going to have a party for New Year’s Eve when we’re out there next week. Nothing too fancy. Just her and Carmel and Mia, of course. And Dorian and Peter. Maybe a few more friends. And afterwards…”
“You can show me some of the evil pleasures of Hollywood?” said Justin.
“Maybe. Or maybe not,” said Brian, thinking about what Danny had said about it not being the right time for queers. “Whatever strikes us. That’s what we’ll do. And maybe… Las Vegas? Ever wanted to go to one of those chapels where you get married by an Elvis impersonator?”
“Never,” said Justin. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t consider it.”
“Stranger things have happened,” said Brian, putting his arms around Justin. “Lightning may strike us. Again.”
Justin smiled. “As long as it strikes both of us at the same time.”
“I think at this point in our lives,” said Brian. “It’s guaranteed.”
*FIN*