Making it Through Another Summer: Chapter 6
Making it Through the Summer & Making it Through Another Summer
by Kim
Making it Through Another Summer
Chapter 6
Tuesday, March 23rd
8:30 a.m.
Kinnetik
As he entered the office, Brian stifled a yawn. Thoughts of Ted's revelation and his rash decision to accompany Justin to L.A. had kept him awake the night before. Unfortunately, he knew under the present circumstances that accompanying his blond was the only solution if he wanted to prevent any further tricking. Yet it had been enough to keep him awake half the night tossing and turning, unable to let go of the fact that he had found himself in this predicament.
"What's this I hear about you leaving for California tomorrow?" Cynthia quipped, as Brian approached her desk.
"I thought I would take advantage of an opportunity to improve my tan."
"Or perhaps you secretly want to meet Bob Barker," his assistant grinned, referring to The Price is Right's eighty-year-old host.
"Was that supposed to be humorous, Cyn?"
"I have to try to get a rise out of you sometimes, don't I? I take it you'll want me to clear your calendar for the remainder of the week?"
"Yep," Brian confirmed. "While you're at it, see if Summers has Justin's itinerary. I have a feeling my partner made some inadequate travel arrangements."
"I'll see what I can do," Cynthia assured. "I'm assuming you'd like an upgrade to first class and a suite at The Regent Beverly Wilshire?"
"That's right," Brian nodded.
"What about a rental car? You'll need one, won't you?"
"More than likely. See if you can find something with enough leg room."
"I'll arrange a Jaguar through Hertz."
"Perfect. Now, if you'll excuse me, Cyn, I've got a lot of shit to do today if I want to leave by tomorrow."
"I'll make sure to keep your interruptions to a minimum," Cynthia promised, as Brian walked toward his office. She had a feeling he was about to get more than he bargained for when it came to his trip.
11:00 a.m.
"Hi Sunshine," August smiled as Justin approached his desk after a breakfast meeting with Councilman Deekins.
"Hey August," Justin returned the smile.
"Are you excited about your trip, honey?"
"Totally. I can't believe Brian actually agreed to go in Daphne's place. She almost fell over when I told her."
"Well, I'm sure the two of you are going to have an amazing time," August predicted. "Now are you ready for your daily Price is Right question?"
"Sure," Justin grinned. For the past two weeks he had been having August ask him the prices of products frequently used on the show.
"Alright, sweetie. What's the price of Greased Lightning?" the artist's assistant inquired, referring to a multi-purpose cleaning spray.
"$3.99," Justin recited with ease.
"You got it! I just know you're going to shine on contestants' row."
"Let's just hope I get picked," Justin laughed before turning toward his office.
"Oh, Justin?"
"Yes, August?"
"I forgot to tell you earlier that Cynthia stopped by for your travel itinerary."
"She did? I wonder what she... Shit!" the blond suddenly swore, having a fairly decent idea why Brian's assistant had requested his itinerary.
***
Meanwhile
Brian's Office
Brian was in the midst of consulting his Liberty Air team when Justin flew into his office.
"Excuse me," the blond apologized to the assembled group of ad executives. "I'm afraid I need to speak to Brian for a moment."
"Why don't we reconvene in fifteen minutes," Brian suggested, as he secretly wondered what had caused the blond to burst into his office.
***
"Care to tell me what the hell is going on?" Brian asked once his team had left.
"How dare you!" Justin shouted.
"How dare I what?"
"Change the fucking travel plans I made. August told me that Cynthia requested my itinerary, which can only mean one thing. My plans weren't good enough for you."
"Of course they weren't." Brian wasn't about to lie. "You honestly don't think I'm going to sit on an airplane for five hours cramped in coach do you? In case you hadn't noticed, I do possess a rather long pair of legs," he pointed out.
"What about the hotel?"
"Cynthia thought we would be more comfortable at The Beverly Wilshire," Brian explained.
"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I didn't want to stay in Beverly Hills?" Justin argued.
"Where did you have in mind then?"
"Hollywood. The hotel I booked is near the Walk of Fame and is located conveniently close to CBS Studios."
"Justin, take it from me, you don't want to stay in Hollywood. There are too many tourists there. We'll be much better off..."
"I don't care if there are too many tourists there," Justin cut his lover off. "Look Brian, I appreciate what you're trying to do, and I also appreciate the fact that you're coming along, but this is my fucking trip, not yours. Would it kill you to do what I want for two fucking days?"
"I suppose it wouldn't. However, I'm going to have to insist on the upgrade to first class. I need the additional leg room."
"Alright," Justin conceded. "But for the remainder of the trip, we stick to the plans I've already made. I don't want you to ruin this for me."
"I won't," Brian promised.
"Good," Justin sighed in relief, glad that he had been able to resolve the situation without too much grief. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate what Brian was trying to do, it was the fact that when he and Daphne had made the plans for their trip, they had made them as two college kids looking to have a good time on their spring break. With Kinnetik, Brian, and the majority of the gang being a good ten years older than he was, it wasn't often that he was able to sit back and enjoy being a college student.
2:00 p.m.
Flavio's
Later that afternoon, Brendan invited Justin to take a coffee break. After hearing Nathan's Atlanta story, Brendan had been concerned for his friend. While Justin was technically his boss, the two had developed a close friendship ever since Justin had come to Vangard that fateful summer for his internship. Theirs was a friendship that transcended the employer/employee relationship. A friendship in which they both knew they could come to the other with anything, and not have to worry about it affecting their working relationship.
"So, Brian's going to L.A. with you?" Brendan asked once they had seated themselves.
"Amazingly enough. But, I'm beginning to wonder if it's such a good idea."
"How come?"
"This morning I caught Cynthia rearranging the travel plans I had made."
"And you're surprised by that?" Brendan laughed. "We both know how particular Brian is about things."
"True, but he could have at least consulted with me first," Justin pointed out. "Anyway, we were able to come to a compromise."
"That's good," Brendan nodded. "Speaking of Brian, how are things going between the two of you?"
"Fine, I guess," Justin shrugged.
"Are you sure? I've noticed that you haven't talked about him lately and I know you haven't been working with him recently."
"Just because we're both doing our own thing in terms of Kinnetik doesn't mean we're having problems," Justin protested. "Why the sudden interest in our relationship?"
"It's just that..."
"Wait a minute," Justin realized. "Nathan told you about what happened in Atlanta, didn't he?"
"Unfortunately, he did," Brendan grimly confirmed. "However, I didn't tell him anything about you and Brian. It's not my place."
"Fuck," the blond let out a loud sigh.
"I told him not to tell anyone else since your personal life is really no one else's business at the agency," Brendan attempted to assure his friend.
"Thanks, I appreciate it. I guess I never realized he would stop by my room like he did."
"I'm sure you didn't. I have to admit, though, Jus, I was a bit surprised by his story. It didn't sound like you at all. Are you sure everything's alright between you and Brian? You know I may be just a dumb straight guy, who probably doesn't have a clue when it comes to gay relationships, but I'm here if you ever want to talk."
"I know Brendan, and it means a great deal to me. Are things perfect between Brian and me right now? Probably not, but what Nathan saw really wasn't that big of a deal. I think you know by now that Brian and I have a relationship that is by no means conventional in the straight world, but that doesn't mean that we don't respect and care for one another. What Nathan saw has nothing to do with our relationship," the blond assured.
"As long as you're certain things are well, I guess there's not much else I can say. Although maybe in the future you could try to be a little more discreet," Brendan advised.
"It looks like I'm going to have to be," the blond murmured.
10:00 p.m.
The Loft
Brian stood in front of his closet debating on what he should take to L.A. He had a feeling he would need to tone down his appearance a bit when it came to The Price is Right taping. Somehow he didn't think showing up in a pair of Armani slacks or Prada calfskin boots would go over too well among the breeder crowd.
"Alright," Justin grinned, as he eyed Brian staring intently at his wardrobe. "What's your latest crisis?"
"I'm trying to determine what one wears to an aging breeder game show," Brian responded as he reached for a pair of Armani jeans.
"Just worry about the jeans," Justin instructed. "I've got the shirt taken care of."
"What do you mean, you have the shirt taken care of?" Brian turned to look at the blond.
"Well, Daphne and I ordered official logo T-shirts to wear to the taping. She said I could borrow hers," Justin held up a white T-shirt with The Price is Right logo boldly displayed across its front. "I thought you could just borrow mine, since it was a little big on me to begin with," he said, as he threw a red logo T-shirt in Brian's direction.
"You've got to be kidding me?" Brian started at the T-shirt in revulsion. "There's no fucking way I would be caught dead in this," he declared.
"Come on, Bri. Where's your sense of adventure? It will be fun," Justin tried to cajole his lover. "Besides if I want to get picked to be a contestant, we need to stand out."
"Justin, you and I stand out enough on our own. We certainly don't need these ugly ass T-shirts to help us," Brian argued.
"But..."
"Look, if you want to wear this revolting thing, then by all means do so," Brian threw the shirt back to Justin. "However, there is no way in hell I'm going to be seen in public wearing such a hideous thing."
"Brian," Justin protested, but was cut off as Brian walked over to him and put his finger up to his lips in an effort to quiet his complaints.
"Forget about the fucking shirt, Jus. Just be grateful I'm tagging along," Brian murmured before silencing him with a searing kiss, wanting to distract the blond's attention away from the shirts and on to more important things, such as his hungry cock....
Wednesday
9:45 a.m.
En route to Los Angeles
Forty minutes after take off, the airplane began to level off its climb to Los Angeles. Brian was hard at work on his laptop while Justin dozed in the seat next to him. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he glanced over at Justin. He looked like a kid, with the light blond fuzz atop his head and his flip-flop adorned feet sticking out of the blanket he had wrapped himself in. Brian knew the blond was taking this California trip a little too seriously when he had dressed that morning in fatigue colored cargo shorts, a black T-shirt, and flip flops. While he tried to explain that the weather would only be in the upper 60s, the blond insisted on wearing his stunning Californian ensemble. Brian as always had dressed with care. He had chosen a black long sleeve Hugo Boss shirt with shadowed gray stripes, and had teamed it with a comfortable pair of black Prada trousers. As always they made an unusually dressed pair.
Brian's thoughts were interrupted when the flight attendant came by to offer them a beverage and a snack. After ordering a Bloody Mary for himself, Brian decided he had better wake Justin in order to avoid listening to the blond complain later on that he was hungry.
"What Bri?" the blond yawned as he turned with sleepy eyes to stare at his lover, who had tapped him on the shoulder.
"What do you want to drink?"
"Orange juice," the blond murmured, as he sat up in his seat.
"Would you like a snack, Sir?" the attendant offered Justin a basket full of snacks.
"Thanks," the blond smiled, as he took a small packet of Biscoff graham cracker cookies.
"And you, Sir?" the attendant placed the basket in front of Brian.
"Here," Brian said, as he took about eight packets of the cookies and set them in Justin's lap. "I can't have him complaining about his stomach. You know how growing boys are," he winked at the attendant, as Justin blushed in embarrassment.
"Of course, Sir. We'll do our best to ensure that your friend is properly fed," she smiled before setting their drinks on the console between their seats.
***
"Did you have to say that?" Justin groaned once the flight attendant had moved on to the next row.
"Say what?" Brian questioned innocently.
"You know what," Justin glared at his partner.
"Well, we probably won't be getting lunch for at least another hour and a half, and you and I both know you'll be hungry long before then."
"True," the blond conceded as he opened his third package of cookies.
Three Hours later
"Brian, don't you think you should take a break?" Justin asked as they were about an hour from their destination. "You've been working almost the entire flight and you hardly took a break for lunch."
"Well not all of us have the luxury of taking a spring break," Brian drawled.
"True, but you're making me feel guilty."
"Why?"
"Because here I am sitting back and playing computer games and you've done nothing but work. If your work is so important, at least let me help you," Justin offered.
"Don't worry about it, Jus. I'm almost done anyway," Brian assured. While he had agreed to go on the trip, it had not been the most convenient of times due to an upcoming ad campaign for Brown Athletics. However, this was Justin's trip, one that he had been planning for quite some time, and he wanted to see him have the chance to relax. Between school, Kinnetik, and the comic he knew Justin worked harder than he should.
"Promise?" the blond wasn't sure that he believed Brian.
"Promise; now why don't you get back to whatever game it is that you're playing..."
"Battleship," Justin grinned at Brian.
"Battleship," Brian repeated as he shook his head in amusement. "And let me finish this stuff up so that I'll be all yours by the time we land. Deal?"
"Deal," the artist gave his lover his trademark Sunshine smile, as he eagerly looked forward to their California adventure.
Los Angeles International Airport
12:30 p.m.
"You know," Brian remarked as they stood in line at the Hertz rental car counter. "I belong to Hertz's Gold Club," he said, referring to the rental car company's elite customer program.
"So."
"Well, I was just going to point out that if you hadn't insisted on sticking to your original arrangements, we wouldn't be waiting in this ridiculous line, and we would already be in our rental car."
"Brian, we've only been in line for five minutes," Justin objected.
"You know I don't have much patience for inefficiency."
"I know, and if you'll stop complaining you'll see that it's already our turn. Why don't you just stay by our luggage while I take care of the car," the blond suggested, deciding it best to keep Brian out of the transaction.
"Fine," he begrudgingly agreed.
***
"So, what type of godforsaken economy car am I going to be forced to drive through the hills of Hollywood," Brian drawled as he followed Justin through the Hertz lot in search of their vehicle.
"First off, it's not an economy car," Justin corrected. "Second, who said anything about you driving?"
"You honestly don't think I'm going to let you drive, do you?" Brian stated in disbelief. "For fuck's sake Justin, we're in L.A. The traffic here is utterly ridiculous, in addition to the fact that I often fear for my life when you're behind the wheel."
"Will you quit being such a drama queen," Justin groaned as he stopped beside a fire engine red Mustang and used the keyless entry to open its trunk.
"What the fuck is this?" Brian stared at the car in sheer horror.
"A car?"
"I know it's a car," Brian sighed in frustration. "Now why don't you cut the fucking bullshit and tell me why we've stopped here.
"Well, Brian," Justin began in a tone one would use with a small child, "One would assume we've stopped here because this is our rental car."
"You've got to be kidding me," Brian muttered incredulously.
"I'm not," Justin said as he took Brian's bags and threw them into the trunk. "Why don't you get in," he suggested as he closed the trunk and came around to the driver's side.
"Give me the keys, Justin," Brian commanded. There was no way in hell he was allowing the blond to drive now that he had seen what type of car he'd had in mind.
"No."
"Give me the fucking keys," Brian repeated.
"I said no."
"Listen to me Justin, I realize that you and Daphne probably thought it would be fun to drive around in this flashy piece of shit. However, there's no way I'm going to stand by and let you drive this thing."
"Oh yeah?" Justin challenged. "What makes you think you can "let" me do anything? You're not my keeper, Brian. I thought you realized a long time ago that I can take care of myself. Now I would suggest you get into the passenger seat. This is my trip, not yours, and I'm not about to let you ruin it for me," Justin declared in a voice that meant business. Realizing that if he had any hope of leaving the parking lot in one piece with Justin as pissed as he was, Brian quietly walked over to the passenger side and got into the vehicle.
***
2:00 p.m.
Renaissance Hollywood Hotel
"What do you think?" Justin asked as they entered their hotel room after a relatively smooth trip to Hollywood from the airport. The blond had to give his partner some credit; after all of the griping about the Mustang, he had refrained from making his usual insulting remarks during the drive, and had been a big help when it came to navigating.
"Aside from the fact the room's a bit cramped, the furniture a poor imitation, and the shower too small for words, I suppose it will do."
"Well, we all have to slum at some point in our lives," Justin grinned.
"I don't slum, Sunshine. In fact, we could be fucking in a luxury suite at The Beverly Wilshire as we speak, all you have to do is say the word and I'll get us out of this cheesy dump and...."
"Brian, I thought we compromised. Besides, we're in Hollywood, and we can have a wonderful time in our "cheesy" hotel. All you have to do is give it a chance," Justin encouraged.
"Oh, I'll give it a chance," Brian purred as he reached for Justin and pulled him into his embrace, eager to start their trip off on the right note.
10:00 p.m.
Brian & Justin's Hotel Room
After spending a few hours at the Beverly Center, in which Brian had perused the latest fashions at D&G, while Justin made a few purchases at French Connection and Williams-Sonoma, the two had ended up at Hard Rock Café at Justin's insistence. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, the pair found themselves back in Hollywood. While Brian wanted to rest among other things before checking out a club or two in WeHo (West Hollywood), Justin had wanted to stroll down the Walk of Fame and take pictures of Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Knowing he didn't have much choice in the matter, Brian ended up exploring Hollywood with Justin. He made sure to keep a close eye on his lover, as the eyes leering at his blond's ass did not go unnoticed. Hollywood was crawling with queers, and he could only imagine what WeHo would be like. Trying to be a good sport, Brian had begrudgingly agreed to pose for a picture next to James Dean's star on the Walk of Fame and had even helped Justin pick out some chintzy Hollywood memorabilia for both Emmett and Debbie.
Returning to their hotel room, Brian was eager to get in a good fuck before they hit the clubs for the evening.
"Brian, I know you want to take in a few clubs tonight, but maybe we should reconsider," Justin mused as they headed for the shower.
"And why is that, Sunshine? I would have thought you would love the opportunity to shake your ass in some of the hottest spots in WeHo," Brian commented.
"Normally, I would, but it's just that we have to get up really early tomorrow."
"Well, I guess we'll be tired as I'm not about to miss out on the clubs," Brian declared as he turned on the water, and pulled Justin into the shower with him.
The Following Morning
4:00 a.m.
Brian & Justin's Hotel Room
"Fuck!" Justin groaned as the alarm clock went off. He never should have agreed to go clubbing the night before. They hadn't made it back until one-thirty, and now only two and a half hours later, it was already time to wake up.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Justin reached over, turned the alarm off, and switched on a lamp.
"Ugh," he squinted as bright light filled the darkened hotel room. He looked over to see that Brian was still asleep. "God help me," Justin grimaced before reaching over and shaking his lover.
***
"What the fuck?" Brian sleepily murmured.
"Brian! Wake up! We've got to get moving."
"Christ, Justin. What time is it?" Brian groaned as he painfully opened his eyes to the blinding light.
"A little after four. Now, come on."
"What did you say?"
"I said that it's a little after four."
"In the afternoon?" Brian couldn't understand why he felt so tired.
"No, in the morning," Justin corrected.
"The morning?" Brian repeated in disbelief. "Wait a minute, didn't we just get to sleep a few hours ago..."
"I told you we had to get up early," Justin reminded, having little patience for his partner at this point. All he cared about was getting to CBS studios.
"Justin, really, don't you think you're being a bit ridiculous," Brian complained, as he flipped onto his stomach and buried his head in the pillow.
"No, I'm not being ridiculous," the blond objected. "Now, if you don't get out of bed, we're going to be late."
"Late? Christ, Justin, what time is this fucking taping?"
"Not until later this afternoon."
"Then what the fuck are we doing up this early?" Brian demanded incredulously.
"We're up this early because we have to get our seats for the taping," Justin explained impatiently.
"But I thought you already had tickets."
"I do, but those don't guarantee us seats. Please Brian, for the love of God, will you get your ass out of bed," Justin groaned, knowing that the more his partner procrastinated, the less chance they had of actually obtaining seats.
5:15 a.m.
Gates Outside CBS Studios
"You've got to be kidding me," Brian stared in disbelief at the large mass of people already lined up along Fairfax Drive.
"See why we needed to get here so early?" Justin commented, as they walked toward the end of the line.
"This is unfucking believable. I suppose there's no accounting for the bad taste of breeders," Brian frowned as he took in the lawn chairs, coolers, and array of fashion disasters laid out before him.
"Just think," the blond laughed. "We could have camped out with some of these people last night instead of hitting the clubs in WeHo."
"I'd rather superglue my tongue to a lesbian's twat," Brian murmured in repulsion.
"I brought you something," Justin said as he reached into the messenger bag he had brought with him. "I thought you could use something to keep yourself occupied," he explained as he handed Brian copies of The Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal.
"Thanks," Brian said, as he took the newspapers. At least it would give him something to take his mind off the indignity of the situation. "What I could also really use is a latte," he yawned.
"It looks like there is a bagel shop across the street," Justin offered. "Although it doesn't appear to be open just yet."
"Of course not," Brian scowled. "It's too fucking early in the morning." He couldn't believe what he had gotten himself into.
6:00 a.m.
At six, the gates to the studio were opened, and they slowly followed the others in line to receive their order of arrival numbers. Brian was horrified to discover that these numbers merely guaranteed their place in line. Priority numbers, which would determine their odds of obtaining seats for the taping, would be handed out at 8:30 a.m.
"So, Sunshine," Brian drawled as he took in the crowds surrounding them. "What the fuck are we supposed to do now?"
"It looks like that bagel shop is open. Maybe we could get something to eat," the blond shrugged.
"I suppose that's better than standing around with these godforsaken breeders. Christ, have you noticed some of the repulsive homemade T-shirts they're wearing?"
"Brian, they're hardly repulsive; it's just part of being in the audience. People make all kinds of different shirts so they can be noticed," Justin explained.
"Well, thank God I don't have to worry about being noticed. I'm definitely not breeder game show material," Brian proclaimed.
7:30 a.m.
After purchasing bagels and lattes, they sat outside and checked in at the office. Luckily both Cynthia and August assured them that everything was under control. Brian proceeded to flip through the Wall Street Journal while Justin pulled out his sketchbook and started sketching the various people he saw.
Once they finished their bagels, Justin suggested they head back to the studio. They were stunned to see hundreds of people already in line.
"Holy shit!" Justin exclaimed. "I knew that a lot of people showed up for the tapings, but I had no idea there would be this many."
"No kidding," Brian murmured. He didn't think he'd ever seen so many middle-aged breeders or fraternity kids in his life.
"I guess we should figure out where we need to be," the blond mused.
"Right," Brian laughed bitterly as one of the CBS Pages came over the intercom system.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please...," the page gave a dramatic pause before repeating sarcastically, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please..."
"What the fuck is this guy's problem?"
"Maybe he thinks we're morons?" Justin shrugged.
"Obviously."
"Shhhh...," the page continued, making it clear he expected everyone's undivided attention before he continued his announcement. "Please DO NOT ask me if you're going to get in. I DON'T KNOW. No one knows. The only way you'll know is when you see Bob Barker come out from behind the "big doors" from your seat inside the studio," he announced as he gave instructions to line up.
***
At nine, they received their priority numbers 269 & 270; Brian insisted on going across the street to buy another latte as the effects of the previous night still remained. They returned to the studio premises at nine-thirty where they were instructed to sit in the order of their priority numbers on a group of benches located underneath a pavilion area. The crowd had thinned somewhat as already two hundred of the fans had been turned away, and another four hundred had left as they weren't scheduled to return until the afternoon for the four-thirty taping. The four hundred that remained were all eligible to be in the audience for the one-thirty taping. However, there was still more cutting ahead as the studio only seated 330 people.
Around ten, the pages gathered to make their next announcement regarding audience eligibility and contestant cards.
"May I have your attention please," the patronizing voice of the page resonated through the air. "May I have your attention please... In a few moments we will be passing out contestant eligibility cards. When you receive your card, please print your name legibly so that a SECOND GRADER can read it. If you do not write your name legibly, you will not get in."
***
"Here," Brian said, taking Justin's card from him. "I should probably fill this out for you."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, being that the page was so adamant that the card be filled out legibly, I thought you might like my assistance since we both know how pitiful your handwriting is," Brian drawled.
"Pitiful? You may not recall, but I am an artist," Justin objected.
"An artist with appalling handwriting," Brian smirked. "One would think that if you would like to be chosen as a contestant, that you would like them to be able to read your name."
"True," Justin sighed as he handed Brian his card. His partner had the most anal retentive handwriting he had ever seen.
***
Once they had completed their cards, Brian resumed reading an article in the L.A. Times that he found interesting. It was regarding Remson Pharmaceuticals, an L.A. based firm that was in the process of obtaining approval for an HIV wonder drug. Brian was intrigued to learn that the owner was originally from Pittsburgh, and made a mental note to look into the company further.
11:00 a.m.
An hour later, Brian and Justin were still sitting on the benches as they waited for the pages to come around and fill out their nametags. Brian had kept himself occupied making a few phone calls, while Justin was busy writing postcards he had purchased at the CBS gift shop.
"Are you seriously going to send those back home?" Brian glanced at the cards in disgust as he rubbed the side of his neck. After all the sitting and standing, in addition to having to suffer their hotel's inferior pillows from the night before, Brian's neck was beginning to ache.
"Sure, why not?"
"Well, perhaps it might be a wise idea to keep this trip on the down low," Brian advised. There was no way in hell he wanted anyone back home to know he had subjected himself to this ridiculous farce.
"If you're worried that I'm going to tell everyone you went along, you can put your fears to rest," Justin assured. "I know damn well you wouldn't want anyone to know that you lowered yourself in such an undignified manner."
"You know me too well, Sunshine," Brian grinned.
"Too well," Justin agreed as Brian went to massage his neck again. "Is something wrong with your neck?" he inquired in a concerned voice.
"Yes, there's something wrong with my neck," Brian scowled. "If you hadn't noticed, the pillows at that fucking cheesy hotel of ours are beyond pathetic. They're absolutely inadequate and gave me utterly no neck support at all for the measly two hours I slept last night."
"I didn't have a problem with the pillows. In fact, I thought they were fine," Justin commented.
"Fine?" Brian stared at the blond in disbelief. "You call having to sleep with two pillows that fucking sink as soon as you lay on them fine? Christ, even after trying three pillows I still could not get comfortable. Had we stayed at The Beverly Wilshire like I had suggested, we could have slept on the finest goose down pillows," Brian argued.
"Well, next time, pack your own fucking pillows instead of sitting here complaining."
"Next time I won't be staying in such substandard accommodations," Brian declared.
12:15 p.m.
Finally receiving their nametags, they now waited to be interviewed by the show's producers. They had managed to split a turkey sandwich while they had waited. Brian could sense Justin was containing his excitement, as usually the blond would have been complaining about his stomach hours ago.
A few minutes later, the pair was led to the side of the studio with eight other hopeful contestants to meet two members of the show's production staff. Two girls from Miami flirted shamelessly with one producer, while Brian eyed him with interest. Even among breeders, his gaydar was still dead on.
"Hi Justin," the producer smiled at the blond, as his assistant sat next to him taking notes on a legal pad.
"Hi," Justin greeted with his best Sunshine smile, causing Brian to roll his eyes.
"Where are you from?" the producer inquired.
"Pittsburgh."
"Ah, Pittsburgh," the producer nodded. "What do you do in Pittsburgh?"
"I'm an artist, and I'm currently enrolled at the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts," Justin replied, deciding it best to play the student angle. The show was extremely popular among college students, and the producers always selected at least one or two students as contestants.
"So you're the creative type then?"
"You could say that," Justin nodded, as the producer turned his attention towards Brian.
"Hello, Brian. Where are you from?"
"Pittsburgh," Brian murmured, knowing full well the producer already knew he was with Justin.
"Oh, so you two are here together."
"I suppose in a non-defined manner of speaking you could say that," Brian shrugged. It was obvious that the producer was cruising him.
"So, what do you do in Pittsburgh?"
"Do?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Well you must do something," the producer commented.
"Let's just say I'm a man of many talents, and that I've been known to do a number of things," Brian drawled in a seductive voice. "I also own the hottest advertising agency in Pittsburgh."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Well, good to have you here," the producer gave Brian a sexy grin. If he had his way, he would be seeing more of the enigmatic advertiser later.
***
"I can't believe the way he was cruising you," Justin looked at Brian in amazement as they walked to the next waiting area, located behind the studio.
"Who would have ever thought we'd find another queer in breederville," Brian sardonically remarked.
"Well, it appears we have. It's too bad for him though, you're taken," Justin declared.
"Taken? I don't know anything about that," Brian smirked. "Although he's definitely not my type."
"Definitely," Justin agreed, before leaning in and giving Brian a kiss on the cheek.
1:00 p.m.
"I can't believe how small it is!" Justin exclaimed as they finally entered The Price is Right's taping studio, after having waited eight hours for the big event.
"It's a dump," Brian commented as he took in the cramped area and ancient equipment.
"It's hardly a dump," Justin objected. "The fans love how the show has stayed true to itself by not modernizing. They love the original charm and flair."
"Obviously," Brian rolled his eyes as they were seated on the left side of the stage. Unfortunately the only seats remaining in their row were the aisle seat and the one beside it. Brian found himself seated in the aisle seat while Justin looked in awe at his surroundings.
***
Minutes later, the audience went wild as "Come on Down," Crystal Waters' dance mix of The Price is Right theme, began blaring over the speakers.
Don't you want to party?
Body to body
We all need some healing
Baby, touch the ceiling
When the beat is thumping
Keep your body jumping
DJ's got the rhythm
Come on get with him
"Holy shit!" Justin exclaimed in excitement. "This is so cool!"
"If you're an aging breeder in need of a prostate massage," Brian grumbled, appalled by the sheer tackiness of the song.
It's just a feeling, just a feeling
What is this feeling that I feel,
That is real when you're near?
Love that you're near
And when I close my eyes,
It's all that I hear
"Dance with us Justin," the two girls from Miami, who were seated next to him, invited.
"Sure," Justin smiled as he stood up and started dancing to the beat, along with several other audience members who did the same.
Come on down, come on down
Hey don't you want to party, party with me?
Come on down...
"Justin, sit the fuck down," Brian muttered, appalled at the spectacle the blond was making of himself as he bumped and grinded with his annoying college admirers.
"No," the blond gave a cheeky grin. "Why don't you stop being such a spoilsport and dance with me?"
"Are you fucking out of your mind?" Brian stared at his partner in disbelief. He couldn't believe how he had ended up in this godforsaken place.
***
At the conclusion of the song, the show's announcer, Rich Fields, entered the stage to warm up the audience and explain the protocol for the taping.
Shaking his head in disbelief as the announcer rambled on, Brian felt he was trapped in the midst of an awful nightmare. This could be the only explanation for him ending up in the audience of this convoluted show. He swore that he would never let Justin near another man again, if it meant preventing a situation like this in the future. He also vowed that when they returned to Pittsburgh they would have a long talk about tricking, and that Brian would outlaw Justin from ever tricking in the future. As far as Brian was concerned, this was the last and final straw.
1:30 p.m.
Finally, at 1:30 p.m. sharp, the show was underway. The theme music pulsated in the background as the audience went wild with excitement.
***
"Here it comes from the Bob Barker studio at CBS in Hollywood!" Rich announced. "Television's most exciting hour of fantastic prizes! The fabulous sixty minute PRICE IS RIGHT!"
***
"Brian," Justin hit his partner on the shoulder as the theme music continued. "Stand up."
"No," Brian scowled.
"Dammit, Brian, will you stop being an asshole and stand up."
"I said no, Justin," Brian repeated, as he continued to remain seated, not about to make an ass of himself as the rest of the audience stood on their feet applauding and cheering.
***
"Carol Fitzgerald, come on down!" Rich began announcing the first four contestants while the crowd continued to show its enthusiasm. "Earl Bennett, come on down!"
"Jean Peterson, come on down!" he continued only seconds later as the first two contestants made their way to the bidding podiums. "And Christopher Smith, come on down! You are the first four contestants on The Price is Right!"
"And now, here's the star of The Price is Right, Bob Barker!!!"
***
"YEAH!" Justin shouted as Bob Barker, the show's eighty year old host, appeared from behind the game show's trademark "big doors."
"Christ, Justin, do you think you could tone it down a bit?" Brian glared at blond.
"Fuck no," the blond muttered, irritated with the way his lover was behaving, and not about to let Brian spoil his fun.
***
"Welcome to The Price is Right!" Bob greeted as one the show's models, commonly referred to as Barker's Beauties, handed him his microphone "Here is the first item up for bids today."
***
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Brian rolled his eyes as two of Barker's Beauties rolled out a bright yellow gumball machine.
***
"Here's a cool gumball machine," Rich began. "The Wizard from Global Gumball holds 3,000 gumballs and lights up faster and faster as the gumball descends. This spiral gumball machine will make you the talk of the neighborhood from Global Gumball."
***
"Perhaps you should get one of those to entertain your tricks," Justin sarcastically suggested to Brian.
"I can assure you that I provide all the entertainment my tricks require," Brian shot back.
***
"Now what do you bid, Carol?" Bob asked, as the four contestants eyed the gumball machine in fascination.
"$599."
"Earl?"
$500."
"Jean?"
"$325."
"And what is your bid, Christopher?"
"$499."
"The actual retail price is $999. The winner is Carol."
***
"Hello, Carol," Bob welcomed the contestant as she ran up on stage and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. Now what do we have for Carol?"
"A folding camping trailer." Rich announced as the big doors opened to reveal the prize. One of Bob's Beauties opened the trailer door from the inside and waved to the audience. "Chalet's Alpine folding camping trailer," Rich began to describe the prize. "Pop up the spring-loaded roof and lift the A-shaped walls for an all season camping chalet of your own. Features a dinette, double bed, and water pump. It's a great prize worth $8,313."
***
"I can think of a hell of a lot of other things to waste eight grand on," Brian muttered in distaste.
"Perhaps that Eames furniture you've been eyeing?" Justin offered.
"At least that doesn't come with a water pump."
***
"Eight thousand and some dollars," Bob walked over to Cliff Hangers, the game the contestant would play for the trailer. The game consisted of a miniature climber attached to a yardstick-like device that was used to move the climber up a miniature mountain. The stick was marked in increments of $1 while the game's background was painted with alpine scenery.
"If he doesn't fall off the top of that mountain you win that great prize," Bob explained to the contestant. Unfortunately for the contestant, that was exactly what happened as she lacked the skill to correctly play the game.
***
Ten minutes later, they were on to another game called "Coming or Going." Brian couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the game appear on the stage.
"This should be your speed," Justin snickered as the contestant joined Bob on stage.
***
"Here we are, Earl," Bob began. "Right up here. Now, Earl, I have something nice for you right over there," he motioned to the big doors.
"A wonderful trip to Hawaii," Rich announced as the big doors opened to reveal a painted Hawaii sign while two of Bob's Beauties, wearing grass skirts, performed a hula dance in front of it.
"You and a guest will fly round trip coach from Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii courtesy of Northwest Airlines World Vacations," Rich began to describe the package in detail. "And you'll enjoy a six night stay in a deluxe ocean view room including daily continental breakfast at the Waikiki Marriott Resort."
"Now Earl, all you have to know to win that trip to Hawaii is whether you're coming or going. If you're coming the price of the trip is $6,784. If you're going the price of the trip is $4,876. Okay, now just step over here and proceed accordingly. Are you coming or are you going?"
***
Following Coming or Going, the show stopped for a two-minute commercial break. Bob fielded a few questions from the audience, before it was time to resume taping, and time to announce another contestant.
"And now we're going to meet?" Bob turned towards Rich.
"Brian Kinney!" Rich announced. "Come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price is Right!"
"Fuck...." Brian murmured in disbelief as he felt Justin shove him into the aisle.
"Brian, move it," Justin ordered as the man stood taken aback in the aisle, a look of sheer horror displayed across his face.
With little enthusiasm, which the audience and producers attributed to shock, Brian slowly sauntered down the steps to contestants' row, not quite believing what had just occurred.
***
"What is the next item up for bids today, fellers?" Bob inquired, once Brian had taken his spot.
"It's a set of his and her luggage from Ciao Lifestyle International," Rich revealed as Brian openly cringed at its hideous design. "Featuring its exclusively patented tri-glide wheel system and contemporary styling, this will be sure to come in handy on your next vacation."
"And we will get the first bid from Brian."
"One dollar, Bob." As far as Brian was concerned that was all the repugnant luggage was worth, if that.
"He bids $1," Bob declared. "$1?" he repeated in surprise, finally registering the amount of Brian's bid. "Now that shows you how little confidence Brian has in the bids of these other contestants," Bob laughed, finding the bid humorous.
"What do you bid, Doug?"
"$2,000."
"And you, Sharon?"
"2,500," she replied as Brian looked on in disbelief. He had Tumi luggage for that price. There was no way in hell the Ciao shit could be worth that much.
"What is your bid, Jean?"
$2,501."
"The actual retail price is $1,900. Brian is our winner! Right up here, Brian," Bob instructed as Brian turned to give Justin a scathing look.
***
"Brian," Bob began once the ad executive climbed the steps onto the stage. "Rich tells me you're here all the way from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."
"Yeah, Bob," Brian frowned, irritated that Bob had drawn attention to the fact that he was from Pittsburgh.
"We'd like to give you something special today, don't we Rich?"
"Indeed. Brian, it's a chance to win up to ten thousand dollars in cash!" Rich announced, as Brian merely nodded, not showing any other emotion.
"Brian, you can have $10,000 playing the Grand Game today, but you have to start with just $1," Bob explained as he walked over to the game.
The Grand Game consisted of six displayed products and a target price that was displayed in the center above the products. Four of the products would have prices falling below the target price, while the remaining two products would have prices above the target price. The game began at $1 and each time a contestant chose a product falling below the target price, a zero would be added to the dollar up to a maximum of $10,000. If a contestant chose a product above the target price, he would automatically lose the game and walk away with nothing.
"The target price today is $5.00," Bob revealed to the audience, before Rich went on to describe the displayed items. The products included: Dole pineapple slices, Poppycock - "Just the Nuts" Deluxe Nut Mix, Birdola, Blue Star Ointment, Barbasol Shaving Gel, and Ecotrin Aspirin.
"Are you much of a grocery shopper, Brian?" Bob inquired.
"No," Brian gave a terse response.
"Who's here with you today?" Bob asked, attempting to help Brian with the game.
"Justin."
"Alright. Where's Justin?" Bob turned to the audience to search for the blond. "Ah, there he is," he said once he had spotted him. "Justin, are you much of a grocery shopper?"
"Sure am, Bob."
"Good. Audience, let's help Justin pick the products Brian should choose," Bob instructed before turning to Brian. "Now which product do you want to start with? You want one that is less than $5.00."
"The pineapple!" Justin screamed, as Brian turned to look back at him for guidance. While he certainly wasn't interested in the majority of the show's prizes, he had no real objection to cold hard cash.
"The pineapple," Brian decided to take the blond's advice.
"The pineapple," Bob repeated, walking over to the displayed product. "It's $1.79. Move him up to $10," he instructed. "And what do you want now, Brian?"
"The Barbasol," Justin shouted.
"The Barbasol," Brian indicated to Bob.
"That's $1.99," Bob revealed. "Move him up to $100. What's next Brian?"
"Birdola!" Justin called.
"I guess the Birdola, Bob."
"Alright," Bob said, walking over to the bird feed. "It's 3.99. Move him up to $1,000," Bob ordered before walking back over to Brian. "Now Brian, let me have a little chat with you. You can quit now and take a thousand dollars, or if you correctly choose the one of the three remaining products that is under $5.00 you win ten thousand dollars. If you go on," Bob warned, "and you don't get it, you will lose $1,000. I suppose the question is, how much do you trust Justin?"
"I don't have to trust him, Bob," Brian remarked in a smug voice, "the kid's a genius."
"Well, let's prove it," Bob declared, as Brian turned towards his partner.
"The NUTS! Brian, pick the NUTS!" Justin shouted, eager for Brian to win the game.
"I'm going to have to go with Just the Nuts, Bob."
"The nuts? Are you sure about this?"
"I'm sure, Bob. We're going for the nuts."
"Is he a winner?" Bob asked before revealing the price of the Poppycock. "Yes! They're $4.99. Brian, you're right, Justin is a genius, you've just won $10,000!"
***
Twenty minutes later, it was time for The Price is Right's Showcase Showdown. While six contestants had made it on stage, only two contestants were eligible for the final showdown. The contestants were determined by spinning the show's big money wheel.
Brian ended up with a total of ninety-five cents in his two spins and qualified for the Showcase Showdown much to his distaste. He was joined on stage with Shelly, an obnoxious college student who had also won.
***
"Our top showcase winner is Brian, and our runner up Shelly," Bob announced as Brian stood at one of Showcase Showdown podiums next to the other contestant. "Rich, what do we have for Brian today?"
"Brian," Rich began. "Your showcase is designed to bring out the kid in you," he said before describing the prizes that made up the first showcase. The prizes consisted of a supply of Oreo Cookies, art supplies, a trip to Tahiti and Bora Bora, and finally a Mustang Convertible.
Since Brian was the top winner, he would have the option of bidding on the showcase or passing it to Shelly.
"Brian, are you going to bid on this showcase or pass it to Shelly?" Bob inquired.
***
"Bid!!!" Justin screamed at the top of his lungs as Brian looked over at him. He was surprised at how desirable the prizes in Brian's showcase were. Typically The Price is Right was known for some pretty off the wall and often ghastly prizes. However, that was all part of the show's charm, and Justin was grateful that Brian had ended up being so fortunate.
***
"I'm going to pass, Bob," Brian decided, ignoring Justin's screams. While he knew the showcase contained items Justin would definitely want, he resented the fact he ended up in this convoluted situation due to his partner's tricking, and wasn't about to reward the blond for it.
***
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Justin shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe Brian had made such a foolish decision, and dreaded seeing what the second showcase contained.
***
"Shelly, this is your showcase," Bob announced. "What do you bid?"
"$44,000, Bob."
"Alright, Shelly bids $44,000," Bob reiterated. "Brian, Showcase Two is yours, and here it is."
"Brian, your showcase is designed with the outdoors in mind," Rich began as Brian rolled his eyes in response.
***
"I don't fucking believe this," Justin groaned as Rich proceeded to describe the storage shed, greenhouse, Adirondack chairs, barrel sauna, and catamaran that completed Brian's showcase. In his opinion, these were some of the all time worst prizes the show had to offer. He was going to kill Brian for being such a stubborn idiot.
***
"This showcase can be yours if The Price is Right!" Rich concluded, as Brian studied the prizes displayed before him in complete disdain.
"Brian, what do you bid on this showcase?" Bob requested.
"$1, Bob." Anything more would be an insult to Brian's self-respect as far as he was concerned.
"Brian bids $1," Bob announced. "Brian clearly thinks Shelly is over, and we'll see if Shelly is in fact over after this commercial break," he said before the taping cut for a commercial.
***
"Shelly," Bob began once the show resumed taping. "You will recall you bid $44,000. The actual retail price of your showcase is... $36,789. You're over!" Bob announced, as the contestant sighed in disappointment. "Now over to Brian. Brian, let's see if that dollar holds up. The actual retail price of your showcase is $33,456. You win, Brian!" Bob exclaimed, as Justin looked on in shock while Brian merely shrugged in response.
"Congratulations, Brian," Bob smiled as Justin made his way on stage. Bob then turned to the camera for his final announcement. "Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered. Goodbye, everybody!"
***
"You mother fucking son of a bitch," Justin glared at Brian, walking over to his prizes as the show's theme music played in the background. "What the fuck are we supposed to do with this shit?"
"Well, we're certainly not taking it back to the loft," Brian muttered in disgust.
"You can say that again. Did you have to be such a fucking asshole and refuse the first showcase?" Justin demanded in irritation. "Didn't you hear me screaming at you to bid on it?"
"Perhaps the idea of spending a week in Tahiti with every breeder imaginable didn't sound appealing."
"Spare me. I know damn well why you refused the showcase. You wanted to get back at me, didn't you Brian? You wanted to punish me for dragging you here and subjecting you to the indignity of being a contestant. Well, I have news for you, Mr. Kinney, it's your own fucking fault. Not mine... You were the one who agreed to come here. No one..."
"Excuse me, gentlemen," the show's producer came to greet the pair. "We have a few forms for you to sign, Mr. Kinney."
"If it's another tax form, you can forget about it. I'm not taking any of this repulsive shit," Brian declared.
"But, Sir..."
"Just give me the paperwork I need for the $10,000 I won, and get me the fuck out of here...." Brian ordered as Justin rolled his eyes at his partner's sheer arrogance.
4:30 p.m.
"For Christ's sake Justin, will you stop acting like a goddamn three-year-old and quit sulking for a fucking minute?" Brian demanded as they entered their hotel room. Justin hadn't spoken a word after the bitter words they exchanged after the taping. It was obvious he was pissed beyond belief.
"Sulking?" Justin turned to stare at his partner in anger. "You've done nothing but sulk this entire trip. Since the moment we landed in L.A. all you've done is complain."
"That's not true."
"Bullshit. Nothing is fucking good enough for you, Brian. Nothing. Aside from the fact you were a total asshole during the taping, I think you've made it pretty obvious you don't even fucking want to be here."
"Listen to me Justin. Are you listening?"
"Fuck you, Brian," Justin wasn't in the mood to hear one of his lover's speeches. "Just admit the fact you don't want to be here. Admit the fact that you never wanted to come in the first place... Admit that you no longer give a fuck about..."
"You're right Justin," Brian let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't want to be here," he declared before walking out of their hotel room, unable to stand the situation for a minute longer.
Midnight
Justin had finished packing when he heard the door to their room open. He couldn't help but give a sigh of relief, but his partner's return had little impact when it came to his anger or hurt.
"Hey," Brian tentatively acknowledged as he noticed the packed duffel bag lying on the floor. At least the blond hadn't left without him.
"Hey."
"I uh..." the ad executive hesitated, unsure of what to say, even though he had thought of nothing else for hours as he had aimlessly wandered the streets of Hollywood.
"Don't," Justin cut him off. "You've already ruined my fucking spring break, don't ruin anything else. I don't want to know where you've been," the blond stated as he pulled back the covers to the bed.
"Jus," Brian breathed, as he turned the artist away from the bed and framed the blond's face with his hands."
"What?" Justin sighed, as he felt his heart begin to pound. He couldn't keep subjecting himself to this. It was too painful, too degrading, too much.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Justin whispered as his eyes welled up with tears.
"Justin, don't," Brian hated seeing what he had done to his lover. He didn't think he could bear it if the blond cried.
"Why did you come, Bri?" Justin quietly questioned, as Brian sat down next to him on the bed.
"I...," Brian was at a loss for words. Every part of him was screaming at him to tell Justin the truth. To confront him about the tricking... To stop being a damn coward... To deal with the situation once and for all...
"Why?" Justin asked in an anguished voice, as Brian felt his stomach clench at the pain in Justin's deep blue eyes.
"I missed you," Brian whispered, as his stomach clenched in protest.
"You what?"
"I missed you," Brian repeated. "We no longer get to spend much time together and I thought..."
"You wanted to spend time with me?" Justin interrupted as a look of disbelief crossed his face. "I had no idea, Bri..."
"Look, I know I was an asshole."
"You're always an asshole," Justin smiled weakly. He still couldn't quite believe what his partner was saying. This was so unlike Brian to make an admission like this.
"I know things didn't go the way you would have liked for them to have gone, but I just wanted to be with you, to spend time with you like we used to, to see you give me that sunshine smile..."
"Bri," the blond said, placing his finger on Brian's lips. "I know that I've been tied up with the Deekins campaign, school, the comic, and our family's problems, and I'm sorry," he apologized. "Maybe what we need to do is take a vacation as soon as my exams are finished."
"I think that could be arranged," Brian nodded, not quite believing that he sat here, in this hotel room, on this bed, with the perfect opportunity to challenge Justin about his tricking, and was choosing to lie instead. Lie with a flowery excuse about missing his blond, lie with an excuse that he knew full well would take away the pained expression from his lover's face. While there was some truth to the lie - Brian did miss Justin - it didn't erase the fact that missing blond had nothing to do with his decision to come to L.A. It had nothing to do with the fact he had degraded himself on that silly game show, nor did it have anything to do with the fact he no longer trusted the blond an inch when it came to other men. Yet instead of facing the truth, calling Justin on his bullshit, Brian had chosen the easy way out. A path that he would never in the past have considered. However, this wasn't the past. This was the present, a present with a set of circumstances he could never have imagined.
"We'll go to Ibiza," Brian continued, numbing himself to his lies. "We'll take the $10,000, which will probably be more like $6,000 and spend it on a lavish suite at the Hotel Hacienda Na Xamena. Just imagine fucking in our very own balcony jaccuzi, tanning our asses on the white sandy beaches, and dancing in some of the hottest clubs in the world. I guarantee you'll love it Sunshine," he promised as the blond gave his trademark smile, pleased with Brian's choice.
"Do you promise me, we'll make it there?" While he was thrilled by the idea of a vacation in Spain, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Brian seemed too eager to want to take this trip.
"I promise," Brian vowed, before pulling himself into Justin's arms and holding him tight. Glad the blond couldn't see the pained expression on his face as he wondered how the hell they had gotten themselves into this mess and how the hell he was going to get them out of it.
by Kim
Making it Through Another Summer
Chapter 6
Tuesday, March 23rd
8:30 a.m.
Kinnetik
As he entered the office, Brian stifled a yawn. Thoughts of Ted's revelation and his rash decision to accompany Justin to L.A. had kept him awake the night before. Unfortunately, he knew under the present circumstances that accompanying his blond was the only solution if he wanted to prevent any further tricking. Yet it had been enough to keep him awake half the night tossing and turning, unable to let go of the fact that he had found himself in this predicament.
"What's this I hear about you leaving for California tomorrow?" Cynthia quipped, as Brian approached her desk.
"I thought I would take advantage of an opportunity to improve my tan."
"Or perhaps you secretly want to meet Bob Barker," his assistant grinned, referring to The Price is Right's eighty-year-old host.
"Was that supposed to be humorous, Cyn?"
"I have to try to get a rise out of you sometimes, don't I? I take it you'll want me to clear your calendar for the remainder of the week?"
"Yep," Brian confirmed. "While you're at it, see if Summers has Justin's itinerary. I have a feeling my partner made some inadequate travel arrangements."
"I'll see what I can do," Cynthia assured. "I'm assuming you'd like an upgrade to first class and a suite at The Regent Beverly Wilshire?"
"That's right," Brian nodded.
"What about a rental car? You'll need one, won't you?"
"More than likely. See if you can find something with enough leg room."
"I'll arrange a Jaguar through Hertz."
"Perfect. Now, if you'll excuse me, Cyn, I've got a lot of shit to do today if I want to leave by tomorrow."
"I'll make sure to keep your interruptions to a minimum," Cynthia promised, as Brian walked toward his office. She had a feeling he was about to get more than he bargained for when it came to his trip.
11:00 a.m.
"Hi Sunshine," August smiled as Justin approached his desk after a breakfast meeting with Councilman Deekins.
"Hey August," Justin returned the smile.
"Are you excited about your trip, honey?"
"Totally. I can't believe Brian actually agreed to go in Daphne's place. She almost fell over when I told her."
"Well, I'm sure the two of you are going to have an amazing time," August predicted. "Now are you ready for your daily Price is Right question?"
"Sure," Justin grinned. For the past two weeks he had been having August ask him the prices of products frequently used on the show.
"Alright, sweetie. What's the price of Greased Lightning?" the artist's assistant inquired, referring to a multi-purpose cleaning spray.
"$3.99," Justin recited with ease.
"You got it! I just know you're going to shine on contestants' row."
"Let's just hope I get picked," Justin laughed before turning toward his office.
"Oh, Justin?"
"Yes, August?"
"I forgot to tell you earlier that Cynthia stopped by for your travel itinerary."
"She did? I wonder what she... Shit!" the blond suddenly swore, having a fairly decent idea why Brian's assistant had requested his itinerary.
***
Meanwhile
Brian's Office
Brian was in the midst of consulting his Liberty Air team when Justin flew into his office.
"Excuse me," the blond apologized to the assembled group of ad executives. "I'm afraid I need to speak to Brian for a moment."
"Why don't we reconvene in fifteen minutes," Brian suggested, as he secretly wondered what had caused the blond to burst into his office.
***
"Care to tell me what the hell is going on?" Brian asked once his team had left.
"How dare you!" Justin shouted.
"How dare I what?"
"Change the fucking travel plans I made. August told me that Cynthia requested my itinerary, which can only mean one thing. My plans weren't good enough for you."
"Of course they weren't." Brian wasn't about to lie. "You honestly don't think I'm going to sit on an airplane for five hours cramped in coach do you? In case you hadn't noticed, I do possess a rather long pair of legs," he pointed out.
"What about the hotel?"
"Cynthia thought we would be more comfortable at The Beverly Wilshire," Brian explained.
"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I didn't want to stay in Beverly Hills?" Justin argued.
"Where did you have in mind then?"
"Hollywood. The hotel I booked is near the Walk of Fame and is located conveniently close to CBS Studios."
"Justin, take it from me, you don't want to stay in Hollywood. There are too many tourists there. We'll be much better off..."
"I don't care if there are too many tourists there," Justin cut his lover off. "Look Brian, I appreciate what you're trying to do, and I also appreciate the fact that you're coming along, but this is my fucking trip, not yours. Would it kill you to do what I want for two fucking days?"
"I suppose it wouldn't. However, I'm going to have to insist on the upgrade to first class. I need the additional leg room."
"Alright," Justin conceded. "But for the remainder of the trip, we stick to the plans I've already made. I don't want you to ruin this for me."
"I won't," Brian promised.
"Good," Justin sighed in relief, glad that he had been able to resolve the situation without too much grief. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate what Brian was trying to do, it was the fact that when he and Daphne had made the plans for their trip, they had made them as two college kids looking to have a good time on their spring break. With Kinnetik, Brian, and the majority of the gang being a good ten years older than he was, it wasn't often that he was able to sit back and enjoy being a college student.
2:00 p.m.
Flavio's
Later that afternoon, Brendan invited Justin to take a coffee break. After hearing Nathan's Atlanta story, Brendan had been concerned for his friend. While Justin was technically his boss, the two had developed a close friendship ever since Justin had come to Vangard that fateful summer for his internship. Theirs was a friendship that transcended the employer/employee relationship. A friendship in which they both knew they could come to the other with anything, and not have to worry about it affecting their working relationship.
"So, Brian's going to L.A. with you?" Brendan asked once they had seated themselves.
"Amazingly enough. But, I'm beginning to wonder if it's such a good idea."
"How come?"
"This morning I caught Cynthia rearranging the travel plans I had made."
"And you're surprised by that?" Brendan laughed. "We both know how particular Brian is about things."
"True, but he could have at least consulted with me first," Justin pointed out. "Anyway, we were able to come to a compromise."
"That's good," Brendan nodded. "Speaking of Brian, how are things going between the two of you?"
"Fine, I guess," Justin shrugged.
"Are you sure? I've noticed that you haven't talked about him lately and I know you haven't been working with him recently."
"Just because we're both doing our own thing in terms of Kinnetik doesn't mean we're having problems," Justin protested. "Why the sudden interest in our relationship?"
"It's just that..."
"Wait a minute," Justin realized. "Nathan told you about what happened in Atlanta, didn't he?"
"Unfortunately, he did," Brendan grimly confirmed. "However, I didn't tell him anything about you and Brian. It's not my place."
"Fuck," the blond let out a loud sigh.
"I told him not to tell anyone else since your personal life is really no one else's business at the agency," Brendan attempted to assure his friend.
"Thanks, I appreciate it. I guess I never realized he would stop by my room like he did."
"I'm sure you didn't. I have to admit, though, Jus, I was a bit surprised by his story. It didn't sound like you at all. Are you sure everything's alright between you and Brian? You know I may be just a dumb straight guy, who probably doesn't have a clue when it comes to gay relationships, but I'm here if you ever want to talk."
"I know Brendan, and it means a great deal to me. Are things perfect between Brian and me right now? Probably not, but what Nathan saw really wasn't that big of a deal. I think you know by now that Brian and I have a relationship that is by no means conventional in the straight world, but that doesn't mean that we don't respect and care for one another. What Nathan saw has nothing to do with our relationship," the blond assured.
"As long as you're certain things are well, I guess there's not much else I can say. Although maybe in the future you could try to be a little more discreet," Brendan advised.
"It looks like I'm going to have to be," the blond murmured.
10:00 p.m.
The Loft
Brian stood in front of his closet debating on what he should take to L.A. He had a feeling he would need to tone down his appearance a bit when it came to The Price is Right taping. Somehow he didn't think showing up in a pair of Armani slacks or Prada calfskin boots would go over too well among the breeder crowd.
"Alright," Justin grinned, as he eyed Brian staring intently at his wardrobe. "What's your latest crisis?"
"I'm trying to determine what one wears to an aging breeder game show," Brian responded as he reached for a pair of Armani jeans.
"Just worry about the jeans," Justin instructed. "I've got the shirt taken care of."
"What do you mean, you have the shirt taken care of?" Brian turned to look at the blond.
"Well, Daphne and I ordered official logo T-shirts to wear to the taping. She said I could borrow hers," Justin held up a white T-shirt with The Price is Right logo boldly displayed across its front. "I thought you could just borrow mine, since it was a little big on me to begin with," he said, as he threw a red logo T-shirt in Brian's direction.
"You've got to be kidding me?" Brian started at the T-shirt in revulsion. "There's no fucking way I would be caught dead in this," he declared.
"Come on, Bri. Where's your sense of adventure? It will be fun," Justin tried to cajole his lover. "Besides if I want to get picked to be a contestant, we need to stand out."
"Justin, you and I stand out enough on our own. We certainly don't need these ugly ass T-shirts to help us," Brian argued.
"But..."
"Look, if you want to wear this revolting thing, then by all means do so," Brian threw the shirt back to Justin. "However, there is no way in hell I'm going to be seen in public wearing such a hideous thing."
"Brian," Justin protested, but was cut off as Brian walked over to him and put his finger up to his lips in an effort to quiet his complaints.
"Forget about the fucking shirt, Jus. Just be grateful I'm tagging along," Brian murmured before silencing him with a searing kiss, wanting to distract the blond's attention away from the shirts and on to more important things, such as his hungry cock....
Wednesday
9:45 a.m.
En route to Los Angeles
Forty minutes after take off, the airplane began to level off its climb to Los Angeles. Brian was hard at work on his laptop while Justin dozed in the seat next to him. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he glanced over at Justin. He looked like a kid, with the light blond fuzz atop his head and his flip-flop adorned feet sticking out of the blanket he had wrapped himself in. Brian knew the blond was taking this California trip a little too seriously when he had dressed that morning in fatigue colored cargo shorts, a black T-shirt, and flip flops. While he tried to explain that the weather would only be in the upper 60s, the blond insisted on wearing his stunning Californian ensemble. Brian as always had dressed with care. He had chosen a black long sleeve Hugo Boss shirt with shadowed gray stripes, and had teamed it with a comfortable pair of black Prada trousers. As always they made an unusually dressed pair.
Brian's thoughts were interrupted when the flight attendant came by to offer them a beverage and a snack. After ordering a Bloody Mary for himself, Brian decided he had better wake Justin in order to avoid listening to the blond complain later on that he was hungry.
"What Bri?" the blond yawned as he turned with sleepy eyes to stare at his lover, who had tapped him on the shoulder.
"What do you want to drink?"
"Orange juice," the blond murmured, as he sat up in his seat.
"Would you like a snack, Sir?" the attendant offered Justin a basket full of snacks.
"Thanks," the blond smiled, as he took a small packet of Biscoff graham cracker cookies.
"And you, Sir?" the attendant placed the basket in front of Brian.
"Here," Brian said, as he took about eight packets of the cookies and set them in Justin's lap. "I can't have him complaining about his stomach. You know how growing boys are," he winked at the attendant, as Justin blushed in embarrassment.
"Of course, Sir. We'll do our best to ensure that your friend is properly fed," she smiled before setting their drinks on the console between their seats.
***
"Did you have to say that?" Justin groaned once the flight attendant had moved on to the next row.
"Say what?" Brian questioned innocently.
"You know what," Justin glared at his partner.
"Well, we probably won't be getting lunch for at least another hour and a half, and you and I both know you'll be hungry long before then."
"True," the blond conceded as he opened his third package of cookies.
Three Hours later
"Brian, don't you think you should take a break?" Justin asked as they were about an hour from their destination. "You've been working almost the entire flight and you hardly took a break for lunch."
"Well not all of us have the luxury of taking a spring break," Brian drawled.
"True, but you're making me feel guilty."
"Why?"
"Because here I am sitting back and playing computer games and you've done nothing but work. If your work is so important, at least let me help you," Justin offered.
"Don't worry about it, Jus. I'm almost done anyway," Brian assured. While he had agreed to go on the trip, it had not been the most convenient of times due to an upcoming ad campaign for Brown Athletics. However, this was Justin's trip, one that he had been planning for quite some time, and he wanted to see him have the chance to relax. Between school, Kinnetik, and the comic he knew Justin worked harder than he should.
"Promise?" the blond wasn't sure that he believed Brian.
"Promise; now why don't you get back to whatever game it is that you're playing..."
"Battleship," Justin grinned at Brian.
"Battleship," Brian repeated as he shook his head in amusement. "And let me finish this stuff up so that I'll be all yours by the time we land. Deal?"
"Deal," the artist gave his lover his trademark Sunshine smile, as he eagerly looked forward to their California adventure.
Los Angeles International Airport
12:30 p.m.
"You know," Brian remarked as they stood in line at the Hertz rental car counter. "I belong to Hertz's Gold Club," he said, referring to the rental car company's elite customer program.
"So."
"Well, I was just going to point out that if you hadn't insisted on sticking to your original arrangements, we wouldn't be waiting in this ridiculous line, and we would already be in our rental car."
"Brian, we've only been in line for five minutes," Justin objected.
"You know I don't have much patience for inefficiency."
"I know, and if you'll stop complaining you'll see that it's already our turn. Why don't you just stay by our luggage while I take care of the car," the blond suggested, deciding it best to keep Brian out of the transaction.
"Fine," he begrudgingly agreed.
***
"So, what type of godforsaken economy car am I going to be forced to drive through the hills of Hollywood," Brian drawled as he followed Justin through the Hertz lot in search of their vehicle.
"First off, it's not an economy car," Justin corrected. "Second, who said anything about you driving?"
"You honestly don't think I'm going to let you drive, do you?" Brian stated in disbelief. "For fuck's sake Justin, we're in L.A. The traffic here is utterly ridiculous, in addition to the fact that I often fear for my life when you're behind the wheel."
"Will you quit being such a drama queen," Justin groaned as he stopped beside a fire engine red Mustang and used the keyless entry to open its trunk.
"What the fuck is this?" Brian stared at the car in sheer horror.
"A car?"
"I know it's a car," Brian sighed in frustration. "Now why don't you cut the fucking bullshit and tell me why we've stopped here.
"Well, Brian," Justin began in a tone one would use with a small child, "One would assume we've stopped here because this is our rental car."
"You've got to be kidding me," Brian muttered incredulously.
"I'm not," Justin said as he took Brian's bags and threw them into the trunk. "Why don't you get in," he suggested as he closed the trunk and came around to the driver's side.
"Give me the keys, Justin," Brian commanded. There was no way in hell he was allowing the blond to drive now that he had seen what type of car he'd had in mind.
"No."
"Give me the fucking keys," Brian repeated.
"I said no."
"Listen to me Justin, I realize that you and Daphne probably thought it would be fun to drive around in this flashy piece of shit. However, there's no way I'm going to stand by and let you drive this thing."
"Oh yeah?" Justin challenged. "What makes you think you can "let" me do anything? You're not my keeper, Brian. I thought you realized a long time ago that I can take care of myself. Now I would suggest you get into the passenger seat. This is my trip, not yours, and I'm not about to let you ruin it for me," Justin declared in a voice that meant business. Realizing that if he had any hope of leaving the parking lot in one piece with Justin as pissed as he was, Brian quietly walked over to the passenger side and got into the vehicle.
***
2:00 p.m.
Renaissance Hollywood Hotel
"What do you think?" Justin asked as they entered their hotel room after a relatively smooth trip to Hollywood from the airport. The blond had to give his partner some credit; after all of the griping about the Mustang, he had refrained from making his usual insulting remarks during the drive, and had been a big help when it came to navigating.
"Aside from the fact the room's a bit cramped, the furniture a poor imitation, and the shower too small for words, I suppose it will do."
"Well, we all have to slum at some point in our lives," Justin grinned.
"I don't slum, Sunshine. In fact, we could be fucking in a luxury suite at The Beverly Wilshire as we speak, all you have to do is say the word and I'll get us out of this cheesy dump and...."
"Brian, I thought we compromised. Besides, we're in Hollywood, and we can have a wonderful time in our "cheesy" hotel. All you have to do is give it a chance," Justin encouraged.
"Oh, I'll give it a chance," Brian purred as he reached for Justin and pulled him into his embrace, eager to start their trip off on the right note.
10:00 p.m.
Brian & Justin's Hotel Room
After spending a few hours at the Beverly Center, in which Brian had perused the latest fashions at D&G, while Justin made a few purchases at French Connection and Williams-Sonoma, the two had ended up at Hard Rock Café at Justin's insistence. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, the pair found themselves back in Hollywood. While Brian wanted to rest among other things before checking out a club or two in WeHo (West Hollywood), Justin had wanted to stroll down the Walk of Fame and take pictures of Grauman's Chinese Theater.
Knowing he didn't have much choice in the matter, Brian ended up exploring Hollywood with Justin. He made sure to keep a close eye on his lover, as the eyes leering at his blond's ass did not go unnoticed. Hollywood was crawling with queers, and he could only imagine what WeHo would be like. Trying to be a good sport, Brian had begrudgingly agreed to pose for a picture next to James Dean's star on the Walk of Fame and had even helped Justin pick out some chintzy Hollywood memorabilia for both Emmett and Debbie.
Returning to their hotel room, Brian was eager to get in a good fuck before they hit the clubs for the evening.
"Brian, I know you want to take in a few clubs tonight, but maybe we should reconsider," Justin mused as they headed for the shower.
"And why is that, Sunshine? I would have thought you would love the opportunity to shake your ass in some of the hottest spots in WeHo," Brian commented.
"Normally, I would, but it's just that we have to get up really early tomorrow."
"Well, I guess we'll be tired as I'm not about to miss out on the clubs," Brian declared as he turned on the water, and pulled Justin into the shower with him.
The Following Morning
4:00 a.m.
Brian & Justin's Hotel Room
"Fuck!" Justin groaned as the alarm clock went off. He never should have agreed to go clubbing the night before. They hadn't made it back until one-thirty, and now only two and a half hours later, it was already time to wake up.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Justin reached over, turned the alarm off, and switched on a lamp.
"Ugh," he squinted as bright light filled the darkened hotel room. He looked over to see that Brian was still asleep. "God help me," Justin grimaced before reaching over and shaking his lover.
***
"What the fuck?" Brian sleepily murmured.
"Brian! Wake up! We've got to get moving."
"Christ, Justin. What time is it?" Brian groaned as he painfully opened his eyes to the blinding light.
"A little after four. Now, come on."
"What did you say?"
"I said that it's a little after four."
"In the afternoon?" Brian couldn't understand why he felt so tired.
"No, in the morning," Justin corrected.
"The morning?" Brian repeated in disbelief. "Wait a minute, didn't we just get to sleep a few hours ago..."
"I told you we had to get up early," Justin reminded, having little patience for his partner at this point. All he cared about was getting to CBS studios.
"Justin, really, don't you think you're being a bit ridiculous," Brian complained, as he flipped onto his stomach and buried his head in the pillow.
"No, I'm not being ridiculous," the blond objected. "Now, if you don't get out of bed, we're going to be late."
"Late? Christ, Justin, what time is this fucking taping?"
"Not until later this afternoon."
"Then what the fuck are we doing up this early?" Brian demanded incredulously.
"We're up this early because we have to get our seats for the taping," Justin explained impatiently.
"But I thought you already had tickets."
"I do, but those don't guarantee us seats. Please Brian, for the love of God, will you get your ass out of bed," Justin groaned, knowing that the more his partner procrastinated, the less chance they had of actually obtaining seats.
5:15 a.m.
Gates Outside CBS Studios
"You've got to be kidding me," Brian stared in disbelief at the large mass of people already lined up along Fairfax Drive.
"See why we needed to get here so early?" Justin commented, as they walked toward the end of the line.
"This is unfucking believable. I suppose there's no accounting for the bad taste of breeders," Brian frowned as he took in the lawn chairs, coolers, and array of fashion disasters laid out before him.
"Just think," the blond laughed. "We could have camped out with some of these people last night instead of hitting the clubs in WeHo."
"I'd rather superglue my tongue to a lesbian's twat," Brian murmured in repulsion.
"I brought you something," Justin said as he reached into the messenger bag he had brought with him. "I thought you could use something to keep yourself occupied," he explained as he handed Brian copies of The Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal.
"Thanks," Brian said, as he took the newspapers. At least it would give him something to take his mind off the indignity of the situation. "What I could also really use is a latte," he yawned.
"It looks like there is a bagel shop across the street," Justin offered. "Although it doesn't appear to be open just yet."
"Of course not," Brian scowled. "It's too fucking early in the morning." He couldn't believe what he had gotten himself into.
6:00 a.m.
At six, the gates to the studio were opened, and they slowly followed the others in line to receive their order of arrival numbers. Brian was horrified to discover that these numbers merely guaranteed their place in line. Priority numbers, which would determine their odds of obtaining seats for the taping, would be handed out at 8:30 a.m.
"So, Sunshine," Brian drawled as he took in the crowds surrounding them. "What the fuck are we supposed to do now?"
"It looks like that bagel shop is open. Maybe we could get something to eat," the blond shrugged.
"I suppose that's better than standing around with these godforsaken breeders. Christ, have you noticed some of the repulsive homemade T-shirts they're wearing?"
"Brian, they're hardly repulsive; it's just part of being in the audience. People make all kinds of different shirts so they can be noticed," Justin explained.
"Well, thank God I don't have to worry about being noticed. I'm definitely not breeder game show material," Brian proclaimed.
7:30 a.m.
After purchasing bagels and lattes, they sat outside and checked in at the office. Luckily both Cynthia and August assured them that everything was under control. Brian proceeded to flip through the Wall Street Journal while Justin pulled out his sketchbook and started sketching the various people he saw.
Once they finished their bagels, Justin suggested they head back to the studio. They were stunned to see hundreds of people already in line.
"Holy shit!" Justin exclaimed. "I knew that a lot of people showed up for the tapings, but I had no idea there would be this many."
"No kidding," Brian murmured. He didn't think he'd ever seen so many middle-aged breeders or fraternity kids in his life.
"I guess we should figure out where we need to be," the blond mused.
"Right," Brian laughed bitterly as one of the CBS Pages came over the intercom system.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please...," the page gave a dramatic pause before repeating sarcastically, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please..."
"What the fuck is this guy's problem?"
"Maybe he thinks we're morons?" Justin shrugged.
"Obviously."
"Shhhh...," the page continued, making it clear he expected everyone's undivided attention before he continued his announcement. "Please DO NOT ask me if you're going to get in. I DON'T KNOW. No one knows. The only way you'll know is when you see Bob Barker come out from behind the "big doors" from your seat inside the studio," he announced as he gave instructions to line up.
***
At nine, they received their priority numbers 269 & 270; Brian insisted on going across the street to buy another latte as the effects of the previous night still remained. They returned to the studio premises at nine-thirty where they were instructed to sit in the order of their priority numbers on a group of benches located underneath a pavilion area. The crowd had thinned somewhat as already two hundred of the fans had been turned away, and another four hundred had left as they weren't scheduled to return until the afternoon for the four-thirty taping. The four hundred that remained were all eligible to be in the audience for the one-thirty taping. However, there was still more cutting ahead as the studio only seated 330 people.
Around ten, the pages gathered to make their next announcement regarding audience eligibility and contestant cards.
"May I have your attention please," the patronizing voice of the page resonated through the air. "May I have your attention please... In a few moments we will be passing out contestant eligibility cards. When you receive your card, please print your name legibly so that a SECOND GRADER can read it. If you do not write your name legibly, you will not get in."
***
"Here," Brian said, taking Justin's card from him. "I should probably fill this out for you."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, being that the page was so adamant that the card be filled out legibly, I thought you might like my assistance since we both know how pitiful your handwriting is," Brian drawled.
"Pitiful? You may not recall, but I am an artist," Justin objected.
"An artist with appalling handwriting," Brian smirked. "One would think that if you would like to be chosen as a contestant, that you would like them to be able to read your name."
"True," Justin sighed as he handed Brian his card. His partner had the most anal retentive handwriting he had ever seen.
***
Once they had completed their cards, Brian resumed reading an article in the L.A. Times that he found interesting. It was regarding Remson Pharmaceuticals, an L.A. based firm that was in the process of obtaining approval for an HIV wonder drug. Brian was intrigued to learn that the owner was originally from Pittsburgh, and made a mental note to look into the company further.
11:00 a.m.
An hour later, Brian and Justin were still sitting on the benches as they waited for the pages to come around and fill out their nametags. Brian had kept himself occupied making a few phone calls, while Justin was busy writing postcards he had purchased at the CBS gift shop.
"Are you seriously going to send those back home?" Brian glanced at the cards in disgust as he rubbed the side of his neck. After all the sitting and standing, in addition to having to suffer their hotel's inferior pillows from the night before, Brian's neck was beginning to ache.
"Sure, why not?"
"Well, perhaps it might be a wise idea to keep this trip on the down low," Brian advised. There was no way in hell he wanted anyone back home to know he had subjected himself to this ridiculous farce.
"If you're worried that I'm going to tell everyone you went along, you can put your fears to rest," Justin assured. "I know damn well you wouldn't want anyone to know that you lowered yourself in such an undignified manner."
"You know me too well, Sunshine," Brian grinned.
"Too well," Justin agreed as Brian went to massage his neck again. "Is something wrong with your neck?" he inquired in a concerned voice.
"Yes, there's something wrong with my neck," Brian scowled. "If you hadn't noticed, the pillows at that fucking cheesy hotel of ours are beyond pathetic. They're absolutely inadequate and gave me utterly no neck support at all for the measly two hours I slept last night."
"I didn't have a problem with the pillows. In fact, I thought they were fine," Justin commented.
"Fine?" Brian stared at the blond in disbelief. "You call having to sleep with two pillows that fucking sink as soon as you lay on them fine? Christ, even after trying three pillows I still could not get comfortable. Had we stayed at The Beverly Wilshire like I had suggested, we could have slept on the finest goose down pillows," Brian argued.
"Well, next time, pack your own fucking pillows instead of sitting here complaining."
"Next time I won't be staying in such substandard accommodations," Brian declared.
12:15 p.m.
Finally receiving their nametags, they now waited to be interviewed by the show's producers. They had managed to split a turkey sandwich while they had waited. Brian could sense Justin was containing his excitement, as usually the blond would have been complaining about his stomach hours ago.
A few minutes later, the pair was led to the side of the studio with eight other hopeful contestants to meet two members of the show's production staff. Two girls from Miami flirted shamelessly with one producer, while Brian eyed him with interest. Even among breeders, his gaydar was still dead on.
"Hi Justin," the producer smiled at the blond, as his assistant sat next to him taking notes on a legal pad.
"Hi," Justin greeted with his best Sunshine smile, causing Brian to roll his eyes.
"Where are you from?" the producer inquired.
"Pittsburgh."
"Ah, Pittsburgh," the producer nodded. "What do you do in Pittsburgh?"
"I'm an artist, and I'm currently enrolled at the Pittsburgh Institute of Fine Arts," Justin replied, deciding it best to play the student angle. The show was extremely popular among college students, and the producers always selected at least one or two students as contestants.
"So you're the creative type then?"
"You could say that," Justin nodded, as the producer turned his attention towards Brian.
"Hello, Brian. Where are you from?"
"Pittsburgh," Brian murmured, knowing full well the producer already knew he was with Justin.
"Oh, so you two are here together."
"I suppose in a non-defined manner of speaking you could say that," Brian shrugged. It was obvious that the producer was cruising him.
"So, what do you do in Pittsburgh?"
"Do?" Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Well you must do something," the producer commented.
"Let's just say I'm a man of many talents, and that I've been known to do a number of things," Brian drawled in a seductive voice. "I also own the hottest advertising agency in Pittsburgh."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Well, good to have you here," the producer gave Brian a sexy grin. If he had his way, he would be seeing more of the enigmatic advertiser later.
***
"I can't believe the way he was cruising you," Justin looked at Brian in amazement as they walked to the next waiting area, located behind the studio.
"Who would have ever thought we'd find another queer in breederville," Brian sardonically remarked.
"Well, it appears we have. It's too bad for him though, you're taken," Justin declared.
"Taken? I don't know anything about that," Brian smirked. "Although he's definitely not my type."
"Definitely," Justin agreed, before leaning in and giving Brian a kiss on the cheek.
1:00 p.m.
"I can't believe how small it is!" Justin exclaimed as they finally entered The Price is Right's taping studio, after having waited eight hours for the big event.
"It's a dump," Brian commented as he took in the cramped area and ancient equipment.
"It's hardly a dump," Justin objected. "The fans love how the show has stayed true to itself by not modernizing. They love the original charm and flair."
"Obviously," Brian rolled his eyes as they were seated on the left side of the stage. Unfortunately the only seats remaining in their row were the aisle seat and the one beside it. Brian found himself seated in the aisle seat while Justin looked in awe at his surroundings.
***
Minutes later, the audience went wild as "Come on Down," Crystal Waters' dance mix of The Price is Right theme, began blaring over the speakers.
Don't you want to party?
Body to body
We all need some healing
Baby, touch the ceiling
When the beat is thumping
Keep your body jumping
DJ's got the rhythm
Come on get with him
"Holy shit!" Justin exclaimed in excitement. "This is so cool!"
"If you're an aging breeder in need of a prostate massage," Brian grumbled, appalled by the sheer tackiness of the song.
It's just a feeling, just a feeling
What is this feeling that I feel,
That is real when you're near?
Love that you're near
And when I close my eyes,
It's all that I hear
"Dance with us Justin," the two girls from Miami, who were seated next to him, invited.
"Sure," Justin smiled as he stood up and started dancing to the beat, along with several other audience members who did the same.
Come on down, come on down
Hey don't you want to party, party with me?
Come on down...
"Justin, sit the fuck down," Brian muttered, appalled at the spectacle the blond was making of himself as he bumped and grinded with his annoying college admirers.
"No," the blond gave a cheeky grin. "Why don't you stop being such a spoilsport and dance with me?"
"Are you fucking out of your mind?" Brian stared at his partner in disbelief. He couldn't believe how he had ended up in this godforsaken place.
***
At the conclusion of the song, the show's announcer, Rich Fields, entered the stage to warm up the audience and explain the protocol for the taping.
Shaking his head in disbelief as the announcer rambled on, Brian felt he was trapped in the midst of an awful nightmare. This could be the only explanation for him ending up in the audience of this convoluted show. He swore that he would never let Justin near another man again, if it meant preventing a situation like this in the future. He also vowed that when they returned to Pittsburgh they would have a long talk about tricking, and that Brian would outlaw Justin from ever tricking in the future. As far as Brian was concerned, this was the last and final straw.
1:30 p.m.
Finally, at 1:30 p.m. sharp, the show was underway. The theme music pulsated in the background as the audience went wild with excitement.
***
"Here it comes from the Bob Barker studio at CBS in Hollywood!" Rich announced. "Television's most exciting hour of fantastic prizes! The fabulous sixty minute PRICE IS RIGHT!"
***
"Brian," Justin hit his partner on the shoulder as the theme music continued. "Stand up."
"No," Brian scowled.
"Dammit, Brian, will you stop being an asshole and stand up."
"I said no, Justin," Brian repeated, as he continued to remain seated, not about to make an ass of himself as the rest of the audience stood on their feet applauding and cheering.
***
"Carol Fitzgerald, come on down!" Rich began announcing the first four contestants while the crowd continued to show its enthusiasm. "Earl Bennett, come on down!"
"Jean Peterson, come on down!" he continued only seconds later as the first two contestants made their way to the bidding podiums. "And Christopher Smith, come on down! You are the first four contestants on The Price is Right!"
"And now, here's the star of The Price is Right, Bob Barker!!!"
***
"YEAH!" Justin shouted as Bob Barker, the show's eighty year old host, appeared from behind the game show's trademark "big doors."
"Christ, Justin, do you think you could tone it down a bit?" Brian glared at blond.
"Fuck no," the blond muttered, irritated with the way his lover was behaving, and not about to let Brian spoil his fun.
***
"Welcome to The Price is Right!" Bob greeted as one the show's models, commonly referred to as Barker's Beauties, handed him his microphone "Here is the first item up for bids today."
***
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Brian rolled his eyes as two of Barker's Beauties rolled out a bright yellow gumball machine.
***
"Here's a cool gumball machine," Rich began. "The Wizard from Global Gumball holds 3,000 gumballs and lights up faster and faster as the gumball descends. This spiral gumball machine will make you the talk of the neighborhood from Global Gumball."
***
"Perhaps you should get one of those to entertain your tricks," Justin sarcastically suggested to Brian.
"I can assure you that I provide all the entertainment my tricks require," Brian shot back.
***
"Now what do you bid, Carol?" Bob asked, as the four contestants eyed the gumball machine in fascination.
"$599."
"Earl?"
$500."
"Jean?"
"$325."
"And what is your bid, Christopher?"
"$499."
"The actual retail price is $999. The winner is Carol."
***
"Hello, Carol," Bob welcomed the contestant as she ran up on stage and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. Now what do we have for Carol?"
"A folding camping trailer." Rich announced as the big doors opened to reveal the prize. One of Bob's Beauties opened the trailer door from the inside and waved to the audience. "Chalet's Alpine folding camping trailer," Rich began to describe the prize. "Pop up the spring-loaded roof and lift the A-shaped walls for an all season camping chalet of your own. Features a dinette, double bed, and water pump. It's a great prize worth $8,313."
***
"I can think of a hell of a lot of other things to waste eight grand on," Brian muttered in distaste.
"Perhaps that Eames furniture you've been eyeing?" Justin offered.
"At least that doesn't come with a water pump."
***
"Eight thousand and some dollars," Bob walked over to Cliff Hangers, the game the contestant would play for the trailer. The game consisted of a miniature climber attached to a yardstick-like device that was used to move the climber up a miniature mountain. The stick was marked in increments of $1 while the game's background was painted with alpine scenery.
"If he doesn't fall off the top of that mountain you win that great prize," Bob explained to the contestant. Unfortunately for the contestant, that was exactly what happened as she lacked the skill to correctly play the game.
***
Ten minutes later, they were on to another game called "Coming or Going." Brian couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the game appear on the stage.
"This should be your speed," Justin snickered as the contestant joined Bob on stage.
***
"Here we are, Earl," Bob began. "Right up here. Now, Earl, I have something nice for you right over there," he motioned to the big doors.
"A wonderful trip to Hawaii," Rich announced as the big doors opened to reveal a painted Hawaii sign while two of Bob's Beauties, wearing grass skirts, performed a hula dance in front of it.
"You and a guest will fly round trip coach from Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii courtesy of Northwest Airlines World Vacations," Rich began to describe the package in detail. "And you'll enjoy a six night stay in a deluxe ocean view room including daily continental breakfast at the Waikiki Marriott Resort."
"Now Earl, all you have to know to win that trip to Hawaii is whether you're coming or going. If you're coming the price of the trip is $6,784. If you're going the price of the trip is $4,876. Okay, now just step over here and proceed accordingly. Are you coming or are you going?"
***
Following Coming or Going, the show stopped for a two-minute commercial break. Bob fielded a few questions from the audience, before it was time to resume taping, and time to announce another contestant.
"And now we're going to meet?" Bob turned towards Rich.
"Brian Kinney!" Rich announced. "Come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price is Right!"
"Fuck...." Brian murmured in disbelief as he felt Justin shove him into the aisle.
"Brian, move it," Justin ordered as the man stood taken aback in the aisle, a look of sheer horror displayed across his face.
With little enthusiasm, which the audience and producers attributed to shock, Brian slowly sauntered down the steps to contestants' row, not quite believing what had just occurred.
***
"What is the next item up for bids today, fellers?" Bob inquired, once Brian had taken his spot.
"It's a set of his and her luggage from Ciao Lifestyle International," Rich revealed as Brian openly cringed at its hideous design. "Featuring its exclusively patented tri-glide wheel system and contemporary styling, this will be sure to come in handy on your next vacation."
"And we will get the first bid from Brian."
"One dollar, Bob." As far as Brian was concerned that was all the repugnant luggage was worth, if that.
"He bids $1," Bob declared. "$1?" he repeated in surprise, finally registering the amount of Brian's bid. "Now that shows you how little confidence Brian has in the bids of these other contestants," Bob laughed, finding the bid humorous.
"What do you bid, Doug?"
"$2,000."
"And you, Sharon?"
"2,500," she replied as Brian looked on in disbelief. He had Tumi luggage for that price. There was no way in hell the Ciao shit could be worth that much.
"What is your bid, Jean?"
$2,501."
"The actual retail price is $1,900. Brian is our winner! Right up here, Brian," Bob instructed as Brian turned to give Justin a scathing look.
***
"Brian," Bob began once the ad executive climbed the steps onto the stage. "Rich tells me you're here all the way from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."
"Yeah, Bob," Brian frowned, irritated that Bob had drawn attention to the fact that he was from Pittsburgh.
"We'd like to give you something special today, don't we Rich?"
"Indeed. Brian, it's a chance to win up to ten thousand dollars in cash!" Rich announced, as Brian merely nodded, not showing any other emotion.
"Brian, you can have $10,000 playing the Grand Game today, but you have to start with just $1," Bob explained as he walked over to the game.
The Grand Game consisted of six displayed products and a target price that was displayed in the center above the products. Four of the products would have prices falling below the target price, while the remaining two products would have prices above the target price. The game began at $1 and each time a contestant chose a product falling below the target price, a zero would be added to the dollar up to a maximum of $10,000. If a contestant chose a product above the target price, he would automatically lose the game and walk away with nothing.
"The target price today is $5.00," Bob revealed to the audience, before Rich went on to describe the displayed items. The products included: Dole pineapple slices, Poppycock - "Just the Nuts" Deluxe Nut Mix, Birdola, Blue Star Ointment, Barbasol Shaving Gel, and Ecotrin Aspirin.
"Are you much of a grocery shopper, Brian?" Bob inquired.
"No," Brian gave a terse response.
"Who's here with you today?" Bob asked, attempting to help Brian with the game.
"Justin."
"Alright. Where's Justin?" Bob turned to the audience to search for the blond. "Ah, there he is," he said once he had spotted him. "Justin, are you much of a grocery shopper?"
"Sure am, Bob."
"Good. Audience, let's help Justin pick the products Brian should choose," Bob instructed before turning to Brian. "Now which product do you want to start with? You want one that is less than $5.00."
"The pineapple!" Justin screamed, as Brian turned to look back at him for guidance. While he certainly wasn't interested in the majority of the show's prizes, he had no real objection to cold hard cash.
"The pineapple," Brian decided to take the blond's advice.
"The pineapple," Bob repeated, walking over to the displayed product. "It's $1.79. Move him up to $10," he instructed. "And what do you want now, Brian?"
"The Barbasol," Justin shouted.
"The Barbasol," Brian indicated to Bob.
"That's $1.99," Bob revealed. "Move him up to $100. What's next Brian?"
"Birdola!" Justin called.
"I guess the Birdola, Bob."
"Alright," Bob said, walking over to the bird feed. "It's 3.99. Move him up to $1,000," Bob ordered before walking back over to Brian. "Now Brian, let me have a little chat with you. You can quit now and take a thousand dollars, or if you correctly choose the one of the three remaining products that is under $5.00 you win ten thousand dollars. If you go on," Bob warned, "and you don't get it, you will lose $1,000. I suppose the question is, how much do you trust Justin?"
"I don't have to trust him, Bob," Brian remarked in a smug voice, "the kid's a genius."
"Well, let's prove it," Bob declared, as Brian turned towards his partner.
"The NUTS! Brian, pick the NUTS!" Justin shouted, eager for Brian to win the game.
"I'm going to have to go with Just the Nuts, Bob."
"The nuts? Are you sure about this?"
"I'm sure, Bob. We're going for the nuts."
"Is he a winner?" Bob asked before revealing the price of the Poppycock. "Yes! They're $4.99. Brian, you're right, Justin is a genius, you've just won $10,000!"
***
Twenty minutes later, it was time for The Price is Right's Showcase Showdown. While six contestants had made it on stage, only two contestants were eligible for the final showdown. The contestants were determined by spinning the show's big money wheel.
Brian ended up with a total of ninety-five cents in his two spins and qualified for the Showcase Showdown much to his distaste. He was joined on stage with Shelly, an obnoxious college student who had also won.
***
"Our top showcase winner is Brian, and our runner up Shelly," Bob announced as Brian stood at one of Showcase Showdown podiums next to the other contestant. "Rich, what do we have for Brian today?"
"Brian," Rich began. "Your showcase is designed to bring out the kid in you," he said before describing the prizes that made up the first showcase. The prizes consisted of a supply of Oreo Cookies, art supplies, a trip to Tahiti and Bora Bora, and finally a Mustang Convertible.
Since Brian was the top winner, he would have the option of bidding on the showcase or passing it to Shelly.
"Brian, are you going to bid on this showcase or pass it to Shelly?" Bob inquired.
***
"Bid!!!" Justin screamed at the top of his lungs as Brian looked over at him. He was surprised at how desirable the prizes in Brian's showcase were. Typically The Price is Right was known for some pretty off the wall and often ghastly prizes. However, that was all part of the show's charm, and Justin was grateful that Brian had ended up being so fortunate.
***
"I'm going to pass, Bob," Brian decided, ignoring Justin's screams. While he knew the showcase contained items Justin would definitely want, he resented the fact he ended up in this convoluted situation due to his partner's tricking, and wasn't about to reward the blond for it.
***
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Justin shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe Brian had made such a foolish decision, and dreaded seeing what the second showcase contained.
***
"Shelly, this is your showcase," Bob announced. "What do you bid?"
"$44,000, Bob."
"Alright, Shelly bids $44,000," Bob reiterated. "Brian, Showcase Two is yours, and here it is."
"Brian, your showcase is designed with the outdoors in mind," Rich began as Brian rolled his eyes in response.
***
"I don't fucking believe this," Justin groaned as Rich proceeded to describe the storage shed, greenhouse, Adirondack chairs, barrel sauna, and catamaran that completed Brian's showcase. In his opinion, these were some of the all time worst prizes the show had to offer. He was going to kill Brian for being such a stubborn idiot.
***
"This showcase can be yours if The Price is Right!" Rich concluded, as Brian studied the prizes displayed before him in complete disdain.
"Brian, what do you bid on this showcase?" Bob requested.
"$1, Bob." Anything more would be an insult to Brian's self-respect as far as he was concerned.
"Brian bids $1," Bob announced. "Brian clearly thinks Shelly is over, and we'll see if Shelly is in fact over after this commercial break," he said before the taping cut for a commercial.
***
"Shelly," Bob began once the show resumed taping. "You will recall you bid $44,000. The actual retail price of your showcase is... $36,789. You're over!" Bob announced, as the contestant sighed in disappointment. "Now over to Brian. Brian, let's see if that dollar holds up. The actual retail price of your showcase is $33,456. You win, Brian!" Bob exclaimed, as Justin looked on in shock while Brian merely shrugged in response.
"Congratulations, Brian," Bob smiled as Justin made his way on stage. Bob then turned to the camera for his final announcement. "Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered. Goodbye, everybody!"
***
"You mother fucking son of a bitch," Justin glared at Brian, walking over to his prizes as the show's theme music played in the background. "What the fuck are we supposed to do with this shit?"
"Well, we're certainly not taking it back to the loft," Brian muttered in disgust.
"You can say that again. Did you have to be such a fucking asshole and refuse the first showcase?" Justin demanded in irritation. "Didn't you hear me screaming at you to bid on it?"
"Perhaps the idea of spending a week in Tahiti with every breeder imaginable didn't sound appealing."
"Spare me. I know damn well why you refused the showcase. You wanted to get back at me, didn't you Brian? You wanted to punish me for dragging you here and subjecting you to the indignity of being a contestant. Well, I have news for you, Mr. Kinney, it's your own fucking fault. Not mine... You were the one who agreed to come here. No one..."
"Excuse me, gentlemen," the show's producer came to greet the pair. "We have a few forms for you to sign, Mr. Kinney."
"If it's another tax form, you can forget about it. I'm not taking any of this repulsive shit," Brian declared.
"But, Sir..."
"Just give me the paperwork I need for the $10,000 I won, and get me the fuck out of here...." Brian ordered as Justin rolled his eyes at his partner's sheer arrogance.
4:30 p.m.
"For Christ's sake Justin, will you stop acting like a goddamn three-year-old and quit sulking for a fucking minute?" Brian demanded as they entered their hotel room. Justin hadn't spoken a word after the bitter words they exchanged after the taping. It was obvious he was pissed beyond belief.
"Sulking?" Justin turned to stare at his partner in anger. "You've done nothing but sulk this entire trip. Since the moment we landed in L.A. all you've done is complain."
"That's not true."
"Bullshit. Nothing is fucking good enough for you, Brian. Nothing. Aside from the fact you were a total asshole during the taping, I think you've made it pretty obvious you don't even fucking want to be here."
"Listen to me Justin. Are you listening?"
"Fuck you, Brian," Justin wasn't in the mood to hear one of his lover's speeches. "Just admit the fact you don't want to be here. Admit the fact that you never wanted to come in the first place... Admit that you no longer give a fuck about..."
"You're right Justin," Brian let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't want to be here," he declared before walking out of their hotel room, unable to stand the situation for a minute longer.
Midnight
Justin had finished packing when he heard the door to their room open. He couldn't help but give a sigh of relief, but his partner's return had little impact when it came to his anger or hurt.
"Hey," Brian tentatively acknowledged as he noticed the packed duffel bag lying on the floor. At least the blond hadn't left without him.
"Hey."
"I uh..." the ad executive hesitated, unsure of what to say, even though he had thought of nothing else for hours as he had aimlessly wandered the streets of Hollywood.
"Don't," Justin cut him off. "You've already ruined my fucking spring break, don't ruin anything else. I don't want to know where you've been," the blond stated as he pulled back the covers to the bed.
"Jus," Brian breathed, as he turned the artist away from the bed and framed the blond's face with his hands."
"What?" Justin sighed, as he felt his heart begin to pound. He couldn't keep subjecting himself to this. It was too painful, too degrading, too much.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Justin whispered as his eyes welled up with tears.
"Justin, don't," Brian hated seeing what he had done to his lover. He didn't think he could bear it if the blond cried.
"Why did you come, Bri?" Justin quietly questioned, as Brian sat down next to him on the bed.
"I...," Brian was at a loss for words. Every part of him was screaming at him to tell Justin the truth. To confront him about the tricking... To stop being a damn coward... To deal with the situation once and for all...
"Why?" Justin asked in an anguished voice, as Brian felt his stomach clench at the pain in Justin's deep blue eyes.
"I missed you," Brian whispered, as his stomach clenched in protest.
"You what?"
"I missed you," Brian repeated. "We no longer get to spend much time together and I thought..."
"You wanted to spend time with me?" Justin interrupted as a look of disbelief crossed his face. "I had no idea, Bri..."
"Look, I know I was an asshole."
"You're always an asshole," Justin smiled weakly. He still couldn't quite believe what his partner was saying. This was so unlike Brian to make an admission like this.
"I know things didn't go the way you would have liked for them to have gone, but I just wanted to be with you, to spend time with you like we used to, to see you give me that sunshine smile..."
"Bri," the blond said, placing his finger on Brian's lips. "I know that I've been tied up with the Deekins campaign, school, the comic, and our family's problems, and I'm sorry," he apologized. "Maybe what we need to do is take a vacation as soon as my exams are finished."
"I think that could be arranged," Brian nodded, not quite believing that he sat here, in this hotel room, on this bed, with the perfect opportunity to challenge Justin about his tricking, and was choosing to lie instead. Lie with a flowery excuse about missing his blond, lie with an excuse that he knew full well would take away the pained expression from his lover's face. While there was some truth to the lie - Brian did miss Justin - it didn't erase the fact that missing blond had nothing to do with his decision to come to L.A. It had nothing to do with the fact he had degraded himself on that silly game show, nor did it have anything to do with the fact he no longer trusted the blond an inch when it came to other men. Yet instead of facing the truth, calling Justin on his bullshit, Brian had chosen the easy way out. A path that he would never in the past have considered. However, this wasn't the past. This was the present, a present with a set of circumstances he could never have imagined.
"We'll go to Ibiza," Brian continued, numbing himself to his lies. "We'll take the $10,000, which will probably be more like $6,000 and spend it on a lavish suite at the Hotel Hacienda Na Xamena. Just imagine fucking in our very own balcony jaccuzi, tanning our asses on the white sandy beaches, and dancing in some of the hottest clubs in the world. I guarantee you'll love it Sunshine," he promised as the blond gave his trademark smile, pleased with Brian's choice.
"Do you promise me, we'll make it there?" While he was thrilled by the idea of a vacation in Spain, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Brian seemed too eager to want to take this trip.
"I promise," Brian vowed, before pulling himself into Justin's arms and holding him tight. Glad the blond couldn't see the pained expression on his face as he wondered how the hell they had gotten themselves into this mess and how the hell he was going to get them out of it.