SOLID GOLD

“Gee whiz, Brian,” Justin was telling the big guy over lunch at the diner. “Mikey is really mad at you.”

“I thought so, JT,” Brian agreed. “I figured that out when he told me yesterday that I was a stupid jerk and he was sorry he ever met me.”

“Yep, that’d be a clue all right,” Justin affirmed. “What are you gonna do about it?”

“I don’t think I need to do anything at all about it,” Brian replied. “It’s not my fault that I’m more thoughtful than he is. I guess I showed him up by being more thoughtful to his own mother than he was – but that’s not my fault.”

“Well maybe,” Justin supposed, “It could be just like – more what you did than just the fact that you were more thoughtful….”

“Nope,” Brian seemed sure. “He’s just jealous that I thought of it first.”

"But you represent Couturier Fashions, Bri,” Justin continued. “So naturally you’d think of ….”

“Hey, Baby,” Brian interrupted. “You were there and so was Michael when Debbie said how much she liked Aretha’s hat at the inauguration. But neither of you gave it a second thought – and both of you guys think you’re so sensitive and I’m some old clod….”

“Now that is just not true, Brian Kinney,” Justin disagreed. “And if you keep it up, Mikey might not be the only one who is mad at you. I’ll bet you didn’t think of it right then either. Now tell the truth….”

“OK, Kiddo,” Brian gave up. “You win. Maybe I didn’t think of it till the next day when I was talking to Mabel over at Fashions and she told me they were gonna make a fortune on knock-offs of that hat. She asked me if I wanted one – she was just being funny – but then I thought about Debbie…”

“But didn’t…?” Justin attempted to ask a question - but Brian was not about to be interrupted.

“So I called Deb’s friend, Loretta, and got Deb’s hat size,” Brian recounted his coup. “And then I called Mabel back and asked her to make me one – just like Aretha’s. And then she asked me what color and I remembered that Debbie has this gold coat she always wears on dressy occasions so I had Mabel make it in like – gold – and the red accents were all my idea. I thought they would show up the hat and do a little more for the whole outfit ….”

“So you thought that hat needed to have a little something to make it more noticeable, did you – and jazz up the outfit?” Justin partially restrained a giggle.

“Well how the hell was I supposed to know that Ben and Mikey were taking Deb to some fancy affair at Carnegie-Mellon and that she would want to get specially dressed up for the occasion?” Brian defended himself. “She would have worn that gold coat anyhow and it wouldn’t have looked good at all with some old black hat. And the damn party was at Carnegie-Mellon with Ben’s bunch and Ben isn’t mad at me. It’s just Mikey, the big social climber who’s mad….”

“But Mikey’s just not as sure of himself as Ben is, Brian,” Justin protested. “He’s still a little bit uncomfortable in high society – like – nervous about stuff.”

“Too bad,” Brian didn’t seem sympathetic at all. “Not my fault.”

“Brian Kinney,” Justin laid down the law. “I am going to try to smooth things over for you with Michael – but you need to help too. Mikey is your best friend and you need a best friend – besides me of course – and you are gonna do something yourself to get back into Mikey’s good graces. That’s an order, Kinney. A genuine direct order. You have till tomorrow to think about it but you better come up with something good.”

But Brian Kinney was nothing if not a quick thinker and it was only a few silent minutes before a smile broke onto his face.

“You figured something out already, Bri?” Justin correctly deduced.

“Yep,” Brian confirmed without elaboration.

“OK, you gotta tell me what it is, Kinney,” Justin wisely demanded. “Whatever you do has to have my approval. Not that I don’t trust your good judgment or anything like that.”

“Well,” Brian hesitated slightly, “I’m gonna have Mabel make Mikey a hat too. What color do you think it should be?”

Brian had to wait for Justin to quit laughing to get an answer.

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