For Sale

Chapter 4 - JUSTIN

I fucking couldn’t believe it. I just fucking couldn’t believe it. Thirty-six hours before my biggest show, and I open the newspaper to the shock of my life. Not only is my ad in the paper, but so is an ad advertising a beautiful estate available in West Virginia... and it’s MY beautiful estate!

I couldn’t stop pacing and running my hand through my hair. At one point I stopped and laughed -- another habit learned from Brian. How many of his habits had I actually added to my own repertoire over the years? How many of my idiosyncrasies had he acquired? We’d grown so close without even trying. I knew we were two parts of a whole and I thought he did as well.

Why the fuck had he put our beautiful home, the home that kept me alive and focused, on the market? Oh shit! Could he be having financial trouble at Kinnetik? No, just the other day he told me that they had to hire new account execs because they had so many clients, and were always signing new ones.

Then, why would he sell our home... and without even telling me? He couldn’t know that I would be looking in the newspaper. I’m sure he had no idea what my surprise was after the show. Well, once again, Brian Kinney tops the surprise meter. This was one for the record books.

I picked up my cell phone and immediately hit speed dial but there was no answer. That’s right, he was probably on a plane heading for New York City at that very moment, with his cell phone turned off and a coffee in his hand. Even Brian Kinney didn’t start drinking before lunchtime.

Well, he’d be here in less than two hours so I’d just have to wait and see. Then, I had a thought. Unless my mother and he had a falling out, which I know I would have heard about, I’m sure she’s the realtor for the sale.

I just kept staring at the picture and then I finally started reading the small print. Yes, there it was, Mom’s real estate agency was handling the showings.

Now I popped my cell open with greater expectations of making contact -- and getting answers.

“Hi honey.”

Caller ID takes all the surprise out of an ambush. “Hi Mom.”

“To what do I owe this nice surprise? You know I’ll be there tomorrow night for your big opening. Daphne and I are taking the three o’clock flight.”

I wanted to scream at her to stop playing innocent and sweet. “Have you seen Brian lately?”

Her breath seemed to hitch a bit, but it’s so fucking hard to tell on the phone. “Why, yes. You know that Brian and I have lunch regularly. He’s a second son to me, whether he likes it or not.” She chuckled, trying to remain lighthearted but I knew. Just the timbre of her voice was giving her away.

“Mom, what aren’t you telling me?” Now I meant business.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, honey. I just told you that Brian and I have lunch regularly. What else do you want to know?”

“What did you two talk about at your last luncheon?”

She laughed again, seemingly more naturally. “We talked about what we always talk about -- you.”

“Is that all you talked about?”

“Probably not, Justin. We may have talked about the upcoming election, we may have talked about Debbie’s new wig. What are you cross-examining me about?” Mom had a great way of making me feel guilty. It was as if I was doing something to her when I have a feeling I was the person getting it in the ass, and not in a good way.

“Let me see if I can jog your memory and we’ll be on the same wavelength, because Debbie’s wigs do NOT interest me in the least.”

“Well, thank heaven for that. At least I know you’re not trying to be a drag queen in your spare time.” That made us both laugh and it did help me calm down a bit.

“Today, as you probably know, is the day that the New York Times comes out with their weekly Real Estate Section. It’s huge. In fact, it includes major properties in other states, that New Yorkers might be interested in, as well as major and minor New York properties for sale or rent.”

“Justin, I’m a real estate agent, of course I know about it.” She was playing it cool.

“Good. Well, then you may want to fill me in on why your real estate agency is handling a certain property in West Virginia. One that I happen to know and love very much.”

“We, we are, are we?” Now she knew for sure that I’d seen the ad.

“Yes Mom, you are. And unless you and Brian had a major falling out, I’m convinced that you were the first in the agency to know about it.”

“That’s an interesting theory. Justin, why were you looking in the real estate section anyway?”

Oh fuck! Now what. It was time to confess, even though I really wanted Brian to be the first to know. “I was checking an ad that I placed in there -- ironically, and probably unfortunately for you, they were on opposite sides of the same page.”

“What ad would you put in the real estate section?”

“After confirming and getting approvals with everyone of importance handling the business end of my art career, I’ve decided that it’s time for Brian and me to live together all the time. This weekend shit gets old and I want to get fucking married to him. So I placed the ad to put my fucking apartment/studio up for someone to assume the remainder of my current lease, which has six more months on it.”

“Oh honey, that’s so wonderful. I’m so happy for you. I’m sure Brian will be thrilled.”

“Mom, you’re not focusing here. If I come home, and go to the home I treasure because my boyfriend bought it for me, it will have a fucking ‘For Sale’ sign on the front lawn.”

“You don’t put a ‘For Sale’ sign on an estate. It’s all handled through the office in a discreet manner.”

“Obviously not discreetly enough, since I just read about it in the fucking paper.” I was losing my cool again and getting fucking impatient with my mother.

“Okay Justin, I see that Brian’s surprise isn’t going to be as welcome as he had hoped.”

“Welcome! I’m freaking out.”

“Justin, don’t freak out. Talk to Brian. The two of you can drive a person crazy.”

“Me!”

“Yes, both of you. It’s like the Gift of the Magi gone berserk.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Both of you are spending so much time thinking of what’s important for the other person, that neither one of you are making decisions as a couple. It’s about time you did.”

“But I wanted this to be a surprise.”

“There’s a lot of that going around lately but neither of you are giving the other person the surprise that they truly want and you won’t know what that is if you don’t ask. I lived in a marriage where my husband surprised me all the time. But when it came right down to it, he never really gave me what I wanted.”

“Shit!” I didn’t know how else to respond to that. She was right. Neither of us were communicating. While our physical connections were always amazing and felt new and exciting every weekend, we weren’t really talking about our dreams and desires for our future together. It was probably the fear that it would never really happen, but now that it was near, it was obvious that neither one of us knew what the other really wanted.

“Justin, honey, are you there?”

“Yeah, sorry Mom, I was just thinking.”

“I’m sure you were. When is Brian due to arrive?”

“He’ll be here in less than two hours.”

“Well, since you have plenty of time together today, I suggest you use it for more than one reason, for a change.”

“I hear you -- loud and clear.”

“Good. Because I fully intend to be a wonderful and supportive mother to both of you and if that means knocking your heads together I fucking will.”

I laughed, “Channeling Debbie again?”

“If that’s what I need to do to be heard, so be it.”

I couldn’t help smiling. She really was amazing. At least one of my parents turned out to be a real winner. “Thank you Mom. I’ll fill you in tomorrow on how it goes.”

“You’d better.” There was a slight pause. “I love you sweetheart, and I love Brian too.”

“I love you too, Mom. Bye.” We both disconnected.

I just sat there numb, staring at the ads in the paper for I don’t know how long, not understanding what the fuck was going on and then it happened. The proverbial light bulb went on and I couldn’t stop laughing.

At that very moment of enlightenment I heard a key unlocking my door

 

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