Loyalty is the proverbial syringe I use to literally inject myself into your veins.
Loyalty
“Ah, so nice of you to meet me Blaine”. I smiled, a little too widely as I walked towards him. He hadn’t changed much since I had last seen him, not that I had seen much of him in the past in the first place. Oh well, time to turn on the Merteuil charm.
He looked at me and smiled back meekly as I sat down across him. A waitress rushed forward, desperate to take my order.” I waved her away with a flick. Blaine watched me and furrowed his brow. “Glad to see you haven’t changed one bit” he muttered. “And the food here is crappy” he added. I ignored him.
“Nice to see that you are well, Blaine”
“Nice to see you’re still a brunette”
“Now, come on Blaine. You’re talking to me as if I have wronged you”. His rigidity didn’t sit well with me. Anyway, I did need his loyalty to accomplish what I wanted. Only then would I spit in his face.
“Wronged me?”, he laughs “Incase you aren’t aware of what happened in the last year, Kathryn, le-“
I cut him off “Would you stop behaving like Sebastian’s death is my fault? I didn’t make him fall in front of that moving car. I didn’t get him into a fight with Ronald”. Actually, I did, but no one knew that. I opened my eyes wider and softly said “You of all people should know that I never meant for him to die”.
The last sentence I had said begun to take the desired effect. His eyes hardened, and he looked away. “ I know, I know. I guess... I dunno, I’m just a little surprised that you called so suddenly. I mean you and I, even when he was alive, I mean, we barely spoke-“. When his eyes met mine again I smiled again, the fake beam plastered on my face not reaching my eyes. He understood immediately. He threw his head back and laughed.
“I should have known...Jesus!” and then he leaned forward and said in a dangerous whisper”You really haven’t changed. Not. One .Bit”. Settling back into his seat, he seemed so much more at ease, smirking in a very camp manner.
I kept smiling “ Well, its good to know that we’re now on the same page”. I didn’t need to say anything. I barely knew Blaine, but he, like myself, was a part of the machine that existed here. The machine of lies and deception, where best friends lie to one another every waking moment, children to parents, adult to child. Growing up having absolutely everything drives you to it. Moral fibre is something we think is inside a box of Cheerio’s. The most astounding part of all has to be how diligently we pretend to actually give a shit about one another. Is a lie still a lie if everyone knows it’s a lie even before it has been said?
“Of course you want something, you’re you, after all. What is it?” Though what he said might have seemed accusing, he had infact settled into an air of familiarity. I knew immediately we would be friends. Hypothetically, of course.
“In that case, I’ll just can all the formalities and we can get on with it” I dropped the Brady Bunch act and lit a cigarette. “I need a favour”
“What’s new?”. Blaine should learn that faggots and excessive sarcasm don’t mix well. Just as oil plays havoc with a latex condom.
“The New York Benefit & Aid Committee for Kids is having their annual Operation Fairy Dust. I’m the appointed Events Manager. Unfortunately, we’re a little bit short of funds...”
“You want money?” he said incredulously. Me? Wanting money? Were all gay people blithering idiots?
I shook my head. “We’re very, very close to fulfilling the required capital in order to embark on this annual event. The final cheques are being cashed in even as we speak”. I inhaled deeply from my smoke. “ But that’s not what I want. Next week I’ll be hosting the fund raisers dinner for the representatives of all the corporations and bodies that contributed to our cause. By then, I want to add on an even more phenomenal sum to our current capital in order to expand Operation Fairy Dust further than the previous years.”
“Hence sealing your name in the charities wall of fame and allowing you to rise again to your once fantastical stature among young socialites of New York City” he finished for me dryly.
“Precisely”
“And you need me for?...”
I smirked. Ahh, simple minded Blaine.
“I need Steddman and Porter to contribute that amount.”
“Steddman and Porter? The legal firm?”
“Yes, that’s the one. They are hugely successful and have very thick wallets”
“I don’t see how this all factors in. What the hell do I have to do with any of this?”
“I’ve been informed that your mother, dear Mrs.Tuttle, is the financial advisor to the firm. She needs to convince them to haul a chunk of their fortune over to us, what she tells them I don’t care, tax exemptions, great publicity or just a warm fuzzy feeling inside, they have to hand over that cheque, and soon.”
“I’m supposing you think I’m capable of influencing how my mother does her job?”
“Yes, because your mother is a sucker for charities, and she is a personal friend of Mallory and Bill Steddman. Operation Fairy Dust is a well known event, Steddman and Porter are informed of it, I’m sure. Ever since that child pornography scandal, they’ve been itching to put themselves on the good side of the public. You are to have a heart to heart with your mother and tell her about how you feel strongly about this charity that you support, just like how you probably did when you came out to her. All the information you need is here” I handed him over a stack of print outs.
“That’s all? I just have to talk to her about this crap? How can you be sure this will work?”
“You’re not the only one working for this...cause. I’ve taken some pre-emptive measures, you are to be absolutely sure”. I thought about the calls I had placed earlier in the day. What, had Blaine expected me to run my whole operation based on how well he could stick it to his mother? Hah!
“It is a matter of natural progression. It will work, as long as you do what you are supposed to do.”
“This won’t require me blowing any hot air up people’s asses, will it?”
“No, it won’t”
“Will it require any ‘blowing’ at all?” he tries.
“No”
“...Damn”
“So we’re set then?” I say with an air of finality.
“Wait, what’s there in this for me?”. Of course, I expected it. No one here does anything pro bono. Even for charity.
“Well, what do you want?”
“You’re joking right, what do I want? What do I want? Sheesh....” he leans back again and looks at me. Through his eyes I understand the inner workings of his mind, how he is coaxing himself into asking me whatever it is that he currently desires, reminding himself that I am very, very well connected. After momentary silence, he speaks.
“I want to go to uni”
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right. What did you say?”
“I want to go to university. I spent my last year of high school high on everything except life and partying myself stupid. I flunked the SAT’s. But I want to go to uni.”
I am sincerely shocked. Really. “Oh my, Blaine, you aren’t tweaked out on some badly cut spank or something are you?”
“No, I’m serious. I’m aimless right now. I want to go to school, study and learn something. Be someone. I can’t live off my mothers money forever”
“Oh no!” I say in mock horror “It’s worse than I thought! You haven’t been eating pussy, have you Blaine?”
He sighs. “No Kathryn. Listen, can you get me in somewhere good or not, if not, we’re done here”
I straighten out. “Alright, alright. Where do you want to go?”
“Uhh.....NYU?”
“Done.”
“What? Seriously? You can get me in?”
“Yes, have you applied? Apply again. You’re in, I guarantee it”
“Wow, um, ok. Are you sure? Because I-“
I get up and look him straight in the eye. “Listen. I will get it done. You know how I am. So hold up your end of the bargain too. Talk to your mother, and then give me a call just so I know. I’ll be expecting your call within the next few days”
He sighs “Here we go again. Geez, it’s a never ending cycle with you, isn’t it?”. He nonchalantly flips through the print outs. Then he grins.
“I’m glad we spoke Kathryn. Its nice reconnecting with Sebastian’s family after all that’s happened. I’m sure we will all benefit from this relationship”.
Ahh, of course. Marcia Brady : Activated. I brighten up considerably.
“Most definitely Blaine. We should meet up later on again, maybe go shopping?” I turned to leave, but turn back and say “And just for the record, you must try the Crepe Napoleon here, its divine”.
“Oh, yeah, yeah sure. And just for the record...” he pauses with a little lilt, “...my outing to my mother involved her assistant and a copy of “C(ock)ollege Boys : Thrusted”. You know, just for future reference”. I didn’t respond. My mind was elsewhere.
I am a Jill Sander pant-suit wearing disease.