Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have.
Brian shoved his chair back from his desk and snorted. He loved that line. Too bad he couldn’t use it.
“What are you snorting about?” Justin asked from the sofa where he was sketching.
“I do not snort.”
“Excuuuse me, but I distinctly heard a snort.”
Brian decided to ignore Justin’s rather unnecessary comment. “I just wrote something fabuloso for an ad campaign, but I fucking can’t use it!”
“Can’t use it? Why not? What is it?” Brian had really got his attention.
“Support bacteria. They’re the only culture most people have,” Brian said with a chuckle.
“That is funny, but what are you advertising – bacteria?” Justin asked.
Brian shook his head. “No, it’s the culture part of it that I’m advertising.”
“But it doesn’t sound like that,” Justin replied with a puzzled look on his face.
“That’s exactly why I can’t fucking use it.”
“Who is it for?” Justin asked getting up and moving over to the computer desk. He stood behind Brian looking at the screen.
“The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.”
“Oh, like the Warhol and the Carnegie Museum of Art,” Justin noted.
“And the Carnegie Museum of Natural History,” Brian added. “There are four Carnegie museums.”
“What’s the fourth one?”
“The Science Center,” Brian said smugly.
“And you’re advertising them all?”
“Yeah, they want to increase membership and attendance at all their venues.”
Justin frowned. “So how does ‘Support bacteria’ fit into this?”
Brian heaved a sigh. “I just told you that I can’t use it.”
“But … it’s pretty clever,” Justin said.
“It’s fucking brilliant, but it doesn’t send the right message. It sounds like I’m putting down the people I want to appeal to.”
“So make it so it’s not a put down,” Justin suggested.
“And just how the fuck am I supposed to do that?” Brian asked with a frown, but Justin could see the wheels starting to turn already.
His work done, Justin went back to his sketchbook. He flipped to a new page and started sketching Brian with that look of intense concentration on his face. Justin knew Brian would figure out a way to use his clever statement. Justin’s hand flew over the page, quickly capturing another of Brian’s many faces.
‘By Jove, I think I’ve got it,” Brian declared some time later.
“What have you got?” Justin asked. “Crabs?” He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped.
“You better hope not,” Brian said with a death glare.
“Yes, master.”
“Do you want to fucking see what this genius has created?” Brian asked snarkily.
“Of course I do,” Justin said setting his sketchbook down on the sofa and getting up. He walked over to the computer desk. He studied the screen and then laughed out loud. “That is brilliant!”
“Thank you,” Brian replied without even a trace of being humble about his accomplishments.
The computer screen was filled with a drawing of a stick family, standing outside The Carnegie Museum of Art, as the sign above the crude drawing of a building said. A bubble over the head of the stick father said, “What is this place?” Below was Brian’s statement: Support bacteria. They're the only culture most people have. And under that was the admonishment: Don’t let this be you and your family. Explore the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.
“I love it,” Justin chuckled. “But the artwork leaves a little to be desired.”
“The artwork is perfect for what the ad is saying,” Brian declared.
“Stick people?”
“Exactly. What kind of culture could stick people have? It’s not real people, so it won’t offend anyone.”
“Oh,” Justin said. “You are a genius.”
“You sound surprised.”
“Never,” Justin said with a grin. He slid onto Brian’s lap. “Are you done for tonight?”
“Could be,” Brian said before Justin’s lips found his.
“That’s good,” Justin said when he broke the kiss. He could feel Brian’s growing hard on pressing against his thigh.
“What about the crabs?” Brian asked with a smirk.
Justin laughed. “Just bacteria. I know you can take care of it.”
Brian laughed too as he started pulling off Justin’s clothes.
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