CHAPTER 83 - THE PREMIERE
FBI BUILDING, CARSON STREET - MORNING, TWO DAYS BEFORE PREMIERE
AGENT TAN
I have been thinking about what Justin told me a couple of days ago about Ruth. On paper she looks like nothing, but there was something in the way that Justin said and looked and the fact that Brian didn’t contradict him, that worries me. Time for us to meet methinks!
RUTH AND ARNO’S CONDO - TWO HOURS LATER
RUTH
I had worried because we had been away so long that Frick and Frack would be jealous about Carlo, but they have been fantastic! They sit under his crib and if anyone comes near it that they don’t know, there is a litany of growls of yips. And they have never growled at anyone before.
“Ruth, it’s a Mr Tan to see you!” Januck calls up. Arno is out today and although Januck’s writing is terrible, his protection skills are not.
“Can you take him to the lounge? I’ll be right down!” I call back and once again, Carlo protests about being put back in his crib. “Okay, young fellah time for you to meet the FBI, I guess.”
I pad downstairs with Frick and Frack closely following and the moment they see him, they growl low and stay close.
“So Agent Tan, what can I do for you?” I ask as I take a seat and he gives a small nod of acknowledgement.
“Oh well, don’t that beat all. I don’t know which is cuter, him or them.” He chuckles.
“Go with him. I have to take off his nappy in order to throw it at you...them, not so much!”
“Duly noted. So cutting to the chase. I have given them and now I am giving you my word that nothing is going to happen to your children. Even if...they manage to take them, they will only take them to their house. How she intends to lay all of this at his door, I don’t know but there are so many eyes on the house, she can’t even fart and we don’t know about it.”
I say nothing.
“But the problem, I have... Hey...and this is?” I stroke the head of a snuffling dog.
“Frack.”
“Such a cutie. Oh wait...actually, have they met the Carummies?”
“Of course.”
“Good, can you have them with them whenever they are out?”
“Yeah. I could. But this would mean all three of them are in one place at one time.”
“I know. But, hear me out. They need to get Gus first; they can’t take all of them at once. So I think as well as what we have, two very protective muzzles of teeth would be good! Let me guess...Frick?”
For the first time since I sat down, I smile and hand him Carlo. He takes him, but looks puzzled.
“So you know what you’re protecting and…”
“Let me stop you there.” He puts Carlo over his shoulder and does something that quells all thoughts of objecting to the change in people. Reaching for his phone, he puts it on speaker. I can’t see who he is ringing. “Connor, it’s me Tan. Put me through to Justin Taylor-Kinney on a clean line.”
“Justin Taylor-Kinney speaking.”
“Hi Justin, its James Tan. I’m with Ruth at the moment.”
“Oh god what’s…”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. I want to speak to the pair of you about something. I know that you two need some form of closure with the pair of them. Let me tell you about the layout of the Carson Street building…”
An hour later, Tan is gone and I am back on the phone to Justin and he’s coming round. While he’s got brawling skills, he wants to know what I can do.
MICHAEL AND LINDSAY’S HOUSE - DAY BEFORE PREMIERE
LOUNGE
MICHAEL
“Lindz!” I call loudly. “I know where they are having the premiere!”
“Where?!” She calls back from the kitchen.
“Castro Theatre in San Francisco.” I sneer.
“Why there?” She comes in frowning.
“According to Boy Wonder...where else would you hold a premiere about a gay superhero if not in the gay capital of USA? How fucking stupid is that?!”
“Does it say who’s attending from their side? And you need to let Hobbs know...have him ruin it for him. Do you have enough money to book him a ticket?”
“I do, but I seem to be paying out a lot…”
“Michael, as I said to you, someone cloned my card and I’m waiting for a replacement!” She snaps, shaking her head. “You do remember that, right?”
“Yes, yes. Let me call him.”
RESIDENCE OF COLTRANE AND BROWN
BROWN
“Jesus, I would feel sorry for the guy if he wasn’t such a malicious and stupid prick!”
“Huh? Oh yeah.” Brown replies, going back to reading.
“Where you up to?”
“They’re making balls.” He answers.
“Come on man…”
“Oh alright. Where’s my bookmark? And don’t move it this time!”
“Here and fine!” He comes to sit next to me and carefully puts in the bookmark before putting the book back in the box and locking it. “So, it seems like they’re ramping it up a gear. Let Ward know and...what?”
“What’s it like?” He looks embarrassed.
“Sex with a guy?” He nods. “Same as it is having sex with a woman, except it’s tighter and more intense.”
“How so? I mean doesn’t it hurt?”
“Of course it hurts, but in a good way. Okay, have you ever had someone do something to you past the point of pain?” He thinks for a while and then nods. “Well that’s what the first time feels like, then the more you do it, the less it hurts and when they nail you right...oh man!”
“I see.” And I wait. “So this top and bottom thing, what’s that about?”
“Topping means you fuck and bottoming means you get fucked. Take the Taylor-Kinneys…”
“Brian is a top and Justin is a bottom.” He declares with surety.
“They interchange.” I correct him.
“He lets him fuck him?!” He looks incredulous. “But Justin is...well he looks…!”
“And that’s why Novotny hates him! He gets all of Kinney. He blew all of his rules for Justin. As far as Novotny was concerned, nothing was supposed to change in Kinney. Brian was to stay as was, alone and unattached in any way, especially his heart until he was ready to live out the rest of his life with him.”
“And you?” He smiles at me and I just nod. “So where are we with these two idiots?”
“Preparing for their downfall…”
CASTRO THEATRE, SAN FRANCISCO - PREMIERE EVENING
BRIAN
I look around at my family and take Justin’s hand. “Ready twat?”
“Yes, Stud.”
As the cameras flash and the press call out our names, we turn like we do at his showings.
“Mr Taylor-Kinney! Mr Taylor-Kinney!”
“Which one?” I call back, garnering laughs.
“Justin!” A reporter calls back. “This is quite a departure from your normal art work. Why move into movies?”
“As most of you know, this is based on an event in our lives in a comic I illustrated previously. But we wanted to tell it a different way while keeping it our story. I hope everyone likes it.”
“So the people behind you, who are they?” The reporter calls back.
“They are the people the Guardians of Gayopolis are based on. The Guardians are the good guys of the anime.”
“Why aren’t the bad guys here?”
“Ice-Tina and Her Denizens of Darkness are otherwise engaged.” He looks up at me with such love and mischief that my cock twitches. “And now if you can excuse us, we have to check inside.”
“Yeah, inside your hot tight ass.” I whisper in his ear and he giggles. I see the flash and I know they have just got the money shot…
“Thank you, gentlemen!” He calls back. “Now let me see. You have got to be Faye and you’re Brains, aren’t you?” We hear him call out as we head inside.
“Yes, we are.” Ben replies and that’s the last thing I hear for a while as Justin pins me against the inside of the door then starts ravaging my mouth and we’re wrestling with each other’s pants!
MEANWHILE AT A CINEMA IN PITTSBURGH
MICHAEL
How Fred is not losing it right now is beyond me! They are a couple! She should not be pawing all over him like that! I would never interfere in a relationship like she does. As we settle down to watch the movie, I shake my head at what is surely going to be a travesty of immense proportions!
PRIVATE BALCONY OF THE CASTRO THEATRE
JUSTIN
He is keeping completely focused on the screen and is quietly crying. The place is in darkness and the only person that can see this is me.
“It’s perfect. Completely and utterly perfect!” He hiccups and pulls me into his lap. “So proud of you.”
“And I am of you.” I reply before our tongues begin to dance.
The next thing he does is to pull out a blanket I never noticed and spread it out. He lowers me onto it and proceeds to make very slow and very gentle love to me. Our cries of pleasure are lost in the rapturous applause from the audience.
As we come back down to earth, Brian whispers in my ear. “I love you, Justin Taylor-Kinney. You are the best thing- the best person- to ever happen to me.”
“I love you too, Brian, and I promise to remain that person.” And it’s true, I do. I know that as long as we have this, they and whatever else comes to seek, devour and destroy us down through the years, will not win!