~Chapter 3~
"Brian, there's a call for you on line two." Cynthia's voice came over the speaker.
"Who is it?" Brian snapped, annoyed at being interrupted.
"It's Michael."
"Okay, I'll take it." he heard the call being transferred. "Hey Mikey."
"Hi Brian. What are you doing?"
"I'm working. Some of us do that you know, instead of reading comics all day." Brian teased.
"Fuck you!" Michael said as he laughed. "I work too, sort of."
"Mikey, I have a shit load of work to do, so why don't you just tell me what you want."
"Let's go to the diner and then to Babylon tonight. I've barely seen you all week."
"I can't." said Brian quickly.
"Look, you can't avoid Justin forever."
"I'm not avoiding him."
"That's bullshit. You hardly go to the diner anymore."
"I've been busy, and it's not like I've stopped going at all."
"Yeah, but you usually go when you know Justin won't be working."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm sure." said Michael dryly.
"For your information," said Brian "the reason I can't go is business related. One of our new clients in California is nuts, and this morning Ryder, in his infinite wisdom, decided that I should haul my ass to LA tomorrow and fix everything. I really appreciate all the advance notice. Do you know how long it's going to take me to get ready?"
"I still have nightmares about the last time I helped you pack. How long will you be gone?"
"A week and a half."
"Brian," Michael whined "I never get to see you anymore."
"Don't start with me. Lindz is going to be pissed. I was supposed to go over to see her house for a barbeque on Memorial Day."
"Brian Kinney at a family barbeque? If you're not careful you might turn out to be a halfway decent person."
"Thanks for all the encouragement. I was only going to do it for Gus. He needs a strong masculine influence. if I'm not careful, the Munchers will turn him into a lesbian."
"That would be a first."
"I wouldn't put it past Melanie."
"Look Bri, at least come to Woody's after you finish packing."
"Fine. I'll see you at nine." Brian severed the connection without waiting to say goodbye.
He left work early that day, and went home to get ready for his trip. When he arrived at Woody's, Michael, Emmett, and Ted were already at the bar. He went over and ordered a drink. As they were talking they heard a voice from behind them.
"Hey boys, want to know your fortunes?" It was Mystic Marilyn. Brian snorted into his drink. "What's so amusing?"
"All your fate crap. Why would anyone waste their money on that shit?"
"Tell you what, for you I'll do it for free. You don't believe in it anyway, so what have you got to lose?" Brian couldn't resist a challenge.
"All right. Let's see what you've got."
"Well first of all, I hope you have a good trip to California." Emmett and Ted gasped. Brian just rolled his eyes.
"That's nothing. You probably overheard us talking."
"You keep telling yourself that dear." she spread the tarot cards out on the bar. "Let's see what the fates have in store for you." Then there was a long pause. "Oh, oh dear. That's so sad."
"Let me guess, I get struck by lightning, or better yet, I get run over by a bus." Brian jibbed.
"You'll wish it was something like that. Finally a situation you can't control no matter how hard you try." Marilyn's voice had become quiet and steely, but Brian refused to take her seriously.
"So what is this awful fate that will befall me?"
"I. . . I can't say. It's just too terrible for words."
"You're such a fraud." Brian laughed.
"Am I? Tell me, had any interesting dreams lately?" Brian stopped laughing.
"Dreams don't mean anything." he was saying the words more to himself than to her. "Anyway, look at how your other 'predictions' turned out."
"I said that cute blonde boy would be in New York and he was. Wasn't he?"
"Yeah, but you said that he was going to become a go-go boy in Chelsea."
"Which he would have of you hadn't gone to find him. And what about that couple's wedding?"
"It happened, and from what I hear it was very nice."
"Because you stepped in when everything was going wrong."
"What's your point?" asked Brian.
"Let me share a secret with you. Destiny is a tricky thing. It can change. There is always more than one path. My predictions are one possibility, but you can decide to change your fate."
"I'm all a quiver with excitement." Brian drained the rest of his drink.
"Okay, listen up asshole." Marilyn gave Brian a penetrating stare. "I'm not going to tell you everything, but I'll tell you this much, pretty soon you're going to be faced with something big. There are only two paths you can take. With one, you can choose to ignore what you see. It will seem like the easier one at the time, but in the end will bring you great sorrow. The other one won't be so easy, but in the end it will be worth what you receive in return. Those are the two paths. The only question is, when the time comes, which one will you choose?"
"Brian, there's a call for you on line two." Cynthia's voice came over the speaker.
"Who is it?" Brian snapped, annoyed at being interrupted.
"It's Michael."
"Okay, I'll take it." he heard the call being transferred. "Hey Mikey."
"Hi Brian. What are you doing?"
"I'm working. Some of us do that you know, instead of reading comics all day." Brian teased.
"Fuck you!" Michael said as he laughed. "I work too, sort of."
"Mikey, I have a shit load of work to do, so why don't you just tell me what you want."
"Let's go to the diner and then to Babylon tonight. I've barely seen you all week."
"I can't." said Brian quickly.
"Look, you can't avoid Justin forever."
"I'm not avoiding him."
"That's bullshit. You hardly go to the diner anymore."
"I've been busy, and it's not like I've stopped going at all."
"Yeah, but you usually go when you know Justin won't be working."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm sure." said Michael dryly.
"For your information," said Brian "the reason I can't go is business related. One of our new clients in California is nuts, and this morning Ryder, in his infinite wisdom, decided that I should haul my ass to LA tomorrow and fix everything. I really appreciate all the advance notice. Do you know how long it's going to take me to get ready?"
"I still have nightmares about the last time I helped you pack. How long will you be gone?"
"A week and a half."
"Brian," Michael whined "I never get to see you anymore."
"Don't start with me. Lindz is going to be pissed. I was supposed to go over to see her house for a barbeque on Memorial Day."
"Brian Kinney at a family barbeque? If you're not careful you might turn out to be a halfway decent person."
"Thanks for all the encouragement. I was only going to do it for Gus. He needs a strong masculine influence. if I'm not careful, the Munchers will turn him into a lesbian."
"That would be a first."
"I wouldn't put it past Melanie."
"Look Bri, at least come to Woody's after you finish packing."
"Fine. I'll see you at nine." Brian severed the connection without waiting to say goodbye.
He left work early that day, and went home to get ready for his trip. When he arrived at Woody's, Michael, Emmett, and Ted were already at the bar. He went over and ordered a drink. As they were talking they heard a voice from behind them.
"Hey boys, want to know your fortunes?" It was Mystic Marilyn. Brian snorted into his drink. "What's so amusing?"
"All your fate crap. Why would anyone waste their money on that shit?"
"Tell you what, for you I'll do it for free. You don't believe in it anyway, so what have you got to lose?" Brian couldn't resist a challenge.
"All right. Let's see what you've got."
"Well first of all, I hope you have a good trip to California." Emmett and Ted gasped. Brian just rolled his eyes.
"That's nothing. You probably overheard us talking."
"You keep telling yourself that dear." she spread the tarot cards out on the bar. "Let's see what the fates have in store for you." Then there was a long pause. "Oh, oh dear. That's so sad."
"Let me guess, I get struck by lightning, or better yet, I get run over by a bus." Brian jibbed.
"You'll wish it was something like that. Finally a situation you can't control no matter how hard you try." Marilyn's voice had become quiet and steely, but Brian refused to take her seriously.
"So what is this awful fate that will befall me?"
"I. . . I can't say. It's just too terrible for words."
"You're such a fraud." Brian laughed.
"Am I? Tell me, had any interesting dreams lately?" Brian stopped laughing.
"Dreams don't mean anything." he was saying the words more to himself than to her. "Anyway, look at how your other 'predictions' turned out."
"I said that cute blonde boy would be in New York and he was. Wasn't he?"
"Yeah, but you said that he was going to become a go-go boy in Chelsea."
"Which he would have of you hadn't gone to find him. And what about that couple's wedding?"
"It happened, and from what I hear it was very nice."
"Because you stepped in when everything was going wrong."
"What's your point?" asked Brian.
"Let me share a secret with you. Destiny is a tricky thing. It can change. There is always more than one path. My predictions are one possibility, but you can decide to change your fate."
"I'm all a quiver with excitement." Brian drained the rest of his drink.
"Okay, listen up asshole." Marilyn gave Brian a penetrating stare. "I'm not going to tell you everything, but I'll tell you this much, pretty soon you're going to be faced with something big. There are only two paths you can take. With one, you can choose to ignore what you see. It will seem like the easier one at the time, but in the end will bring you great sorrow. The other one won't be so easy, but in the end it will be worth what you receive in return. Those are the two paths. The only question is, when the time comes, which one will you choose?"
