Friends in High Places
Brian and Justin were driving home after lunch with an old friend of Brian’s –
and a new friend of Justin’s.
“So how come I never knew about Bill Lawson till now, Kinney?” the blond twink
asked pointedly. “I guess you didn’t want me to know you had a friend in the
military….”
“Nope,” Brian replied. “The subject just never came up. Bill’s been traveling
the world with the Air Force since we got out of college. If he had been wearing
his uniform instead of civvies, you’d have seen all the medals and ribbons. He’s
been in a lot of combat and he’s been a test pilot – he had the Air Force record
for flying at the highest altitude for a while. I don’t know if he still does….”
“Most of which I learned from him at lunch today, Brian,” Justin laughed. “I
wonder why I was even included though – him being such a secret from me and all
that…?”
“Well the truth is that this is the first time I’ve seen him since you’ve been
on the scene, Taylor,” Brian informed him. “The last time I saw him I was still
hanging out at Babylon – living La Dolce Vita…. He wasn’t real impressed with
Babylon though. He told me I should find somebody nice and settle down….”
“So you brought me along today just to show him that you took his advice?”
Justin smilingly concluded. “Good idea, Brian….”
“Well it might be a little more accurate to say that I brought you along so he
could decide for himself if I took his advice or not, JT,” Brian grinned. “I
don’t want to make other people’s decisions for them.”
“Well whatever, Kinney,” Justin grinned back at him. “Bill had to decide that
you had a lot better luck than you deserved. He’s smart and he can see stuff –
and it’s pretty obvious….”
“So he’s gonna be stationed at the Pentagon for the next couple of years, Babe,”
Brian pointed out. “And we might get to see more of him since he’s that close –
and he expects to become a general in the next few months. I guess you’d be
pretty impressed – knowing a general….”
“Colonels are high enough for me, BK,” Justin responded. “You know I’m not
prestige conscious at all. But anyhow, Bill was some surprise though….”
“So I had a surprise too, Mr. Taylor,” Brian told him. “You told Bill that my
nephew, Johnny, was thinking about applying to the Air Force Academy. Nobody
told me – talking about secrets and all. No need to tell Brian any important
stuff….”
“He was gonna tell you, Brian. He wanted to. I think he was scared. I guess he
thought you’d be against it too,” Justin explained. “His mother doesn’t like the
idea and neither does your mother….”
“Aren’t you gonna tell me what advice you gave him, Sweetheart?” Brian
challenged. “Since I know you must have been dispensing some sage advice…..”
“I told him that he had to think the situation through, Brian,” Justin said. “No
matter what we think about today’s ‘wars’, the country is going to always need
people who know about that kind of stuff – even if we can get ourselves out of
where we are now - all over the world….”
“I guess that’s true, Sunshine,” Brian conceded. “But our Johnny doesn’t need to
be one of those folks. Like Bill was saying – you can’t tell the enemy from
friends where we’re fighting now. In the old war movies Mikey gets us to watch
every once in a while, John Wayne always knows who to shoot at. These days you
have to take a minute to decide whether to shoot or not – they all look alike –
friends and enemies - and that’s even more dangerous than some of John W’s tough
situations….”
“The military is not an easy life, Brian,” Justin told him. “I pointed that out
to Johnny – and military people used to be more respected than they are now –
and honored. Now they even get blamed. It’s like - a thankless job - so you have
to be really dedicated….”
“Do you think Johnny will follow through, Baby?” Brian asked. “He’s just a kid
and ….”
“I bet Bill was just a kid when he decided on the military, Bri,” Justin
guessed. “It’s a decision kids have to make early on….”
“Well I was Bill’s roommate my freshman and sophomore years, Kiddo,” Brian
recalled. “Really good guy. Bill was in ROTC back then but he wasn’t all that
gung-ho. I was kinda surprised when he made a career out of the military….”
“Is Bill gay, Bri?” Justin asked. “He didn’t mention a wife or kids….”
“Bill’s in the military, JT,” Brian laughed. “Don’t ask – don’t tell. That’s the
way they do it in the military these days – they oughta change that though….”
“Well the ‘don’t ask’ part is for everybody, Brian,” Justin laughed back at him.
“But the ‘don’t tell’ part is just for us. Straight folks can ‘tell’ all they
want to. They should drop that policy though, BK. Some of us gays are pretty
damn good fighters….”
“Yep, we are, Sunshine,” Brian laughed. “I know some. But – you know – Bill told
us that we should bring Johnny down to DC to visit him at the Pentagon – and I
know you’re gonna make sure we do just that – so I gotta let Johnny know that I
know. So like – what am I gonna tell him?”
“Well I don’t like to make other people’s decisions for them either, BK,” Justin
opined. “But I’d just tell him I’m proud of him – whatever he decides…..”
“Geez, Baby,” Brian told him. “We do think alike. That was just what I was
thinking I’d do – and that’s what I will do. I’m glad you agree with me….”
There was silence in the car for the next few minutes. As they were pulling into
their parking area at the loft, Brian resumed the conversation with a
confession.
“I guess I shouldn’t be telling you this, Justin Taylor,” he said, “but as we
were leaving Gino’s, Bill congratulated me on finding you. He said like – that
you were a real prize…..”
“I know, Brian,” Justin returned the confession. “I heard him. I think he
actually said you were luckier than you deserved to be. These ears were made for
eavesdropping – and that’s just what they’ll do.”
Brian was glad he was back at the loft – with his Prize – and with nothing
special on the schedule for the afternoon – though he had some ideas. So what if
he was luckier than he deserved to be – and he wasn’t trying to make anybody
else’s decision for him either – or so what if he was…. Wasn’t he finally really
living La Dolce Vita.