Brian Kinney was waiting at the airport – had been waiting for two hours - trying not to look too suspicious to the ever-present suspicious-looking security force. His plane from Florida had deposited him in Pittsburgh International that long ago and Justin’s flight from New York was supposedly on schedule – due in just a very few minutes now. Brian was eager to see the kid. It had been almost two weeks….
Finally the familiar blond tresses loomed into sight. Brian felt a feeling of elation – until he got a good view of the face directly under that blond hair.
“Hello, Brian,” Justin greeted him as he hurried past the surprised Brian toward the carousel to retrieve his luggage. “I am not talking to you.”
“So what could I have done now?” Brian wanted to know, following him to the carousel. “You were talking to me when you left. What could I have done while you were in Big Town and I was in the Sunshine State?”
“Enjoying yourself,” Justin told him. “You were enjoying yourself in Florida. That’s what you were doing. While I was in that God-forsaken hotel in New York – being lonely. That’s what you were doing and that’s what I was doing - and that’s why I’m not speaking to you now.”
“But you will be speaking to me again sometime?” Brian seemed hopeful. “Maybe even soon?”
“Maybe,” Justin admitted. “After I get sufficient assurance that there won’t be any more of that ‘separate vacations’ shit you came up with – and practically forced on me – against my protests and better judgment too – I might also add.”
“But you actually said you were OK with the idea,” Brian protested. “I’m sure you did. Didn’t you…?”
“So maybe I did say that, Kinney,” Justin conceded. “But you’re supposed to love me – and if you really loved me you’d have known I didn’t mean what I was saying. And you didn’t know – or you did know and you were sadistic enough to make me go through with it anyway ….”
“Geez, Baby,” Brian concluded. “I am really lucky you’re around to tell me this stuff. Me being such a monster and all – and not even knowing it …..”
“Cut it out, Brian,” Justin commanded. “I don’t know if that’s flattery – or sarcasm or what – but it won’t work whatever it is. But I’m willing to share a taxi with you back to the loft – as long as I don’t have to talk to you on the ride home – and you pay….”
Having reached the taxi stand, they hopped into a waiting hack, Brian gave the proper address - and they began their silent 18-mile excursion down the Parkway West.
“So we even missed our twentieth anniversary, Kinney,” Justin broke his avowed silence. “You in Florida and me in New York on our twentieth anniversary. Just made it all the worse.”
“Sorry, Baby,” Brian apologized even though he wasn’t sure why. “I guess I didn’t remember the anniversary. It wasn’t the twentieth anniversary of the day we met or when we ….”
“Forget it, Brian,” Justin cut him off. “It’s bad
enough without you reminding me that you forgot our anniversary – even though I
know you don’t remember half of our anniversaries….”
”You know though, Sweetheart,” Brian defended himself, “I’d venture to say there
isn’t another couple in the world with quite as many anniversaries as we have….”
“Gee whiz, Brian Kinney,” Justin objected. “You seem determined to continue this argument. I guess you’re actually enjoying it. That’s what it seems like to me.”
“Would it help if I told you that I didn’t have a good
time in Florida at all?” Brian pointed out. “It was nice to visit with those
old college buddies – but nothing is very much fun for me without you. I was –
like counting the days till….”
”You had my phone number in New York, Bri,” Justin reasoned. “Why didn’t you
just call…?”
“Well that relationship guru on Educational Television
who was talking about couples getting ‘stale’ and telling how separate vacations
would fan the romantic flames,” Brian remembered, “She said not to do that kind
of stuff. She said separate vacations meant separate vacations. And I believed
her….”
”And now you think she was wrong?” Justin asked.
“Yeah, I guess so. I didn’t enjoy my two weeks in Florida,” Brian said. “And now you won’t even speak to me.”
“Your two weeks in Florida didn’t fan any romantic flames?” Justin wanted to know. “None at all?”
“I’m not sure what your driving at, Baby,” Brian wondered. “I think I’m confused just a little bit.”
“Gee whiz, Kinney,” Justin moved a little closer to Brian. “That’s just like you. You’re supposed to love me – and if you really loved me, I bet you’d know what I mean regardless of what I say …..”
“Well you know what, JT,” Brian cuddled the kid even closer to him. “I think I do love you …. Yep, I’m sure I love you…. Hey, Cabbie, could you shake a leg? We’ve been away a couple of weeks and we’d like to get home as soon as possible.”
Brian still wasn’t sure about separate vacations – but he was pretty sure about reunions. Justin thought he had made his point – whatever it was – and he was pretty sure about reunions too.
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