Lois, thank you for the beta...you are the greatest!
Author's Comments: Of course, you know what happens in this chapter, right? I hope you like the painting.
Chapter 8 – Long Awaited Unveiling
A few moments later…(Day 16)
Leaving Justin to setup his studio, Brian continued his trek to his painting.
Finally reaching the living room at Bri-tin, Brian paused to take in the room with its temporary furnishings. The additional furniture that Justin had selected and the placement of everything in the room had created a space that now felt warm and inviting.
Brian chuckled as he remembered the last time he was here…for Justin’s carefully constructed campsite for Gus.
Brian laughed as remembered being forced to eat toasted marshmallows.
But more than anything Brian remembered the laughter he heard from Gus all evening, and the laughter he heard from Justin. Brian also remembered his own laughter, and the joy he felt just being with the two most important people in his life. Justin sure knew how to make a memory.
“Justin,” Brian whispered lovingly.
Brian turned on the fireplace, and for a few moments, he sat in one of the oversized chairs and enjoyed the solitude of a room that he had waited so long to occupy.
Remembering the sketches he had seen, Brian could clearly feel Justin’s presence in every touch in the room, from the arrangement of furniture to the chosen plants. Even though Brian knew everything was rented, Justin had managed to make sure the little extra touches were there, so it felt like home.
Brian especially liked the oversized ottoman, which he himself had purchased over a year ago. The ottoman was equipped with wheels and just seemed to move effortlessly about the room. Brian slid the ottoman over in front of his chair to support his long legs, while he gazed for a moment into the fire.
Brian eventually moved the oversized ottoman to a spot just in front of the fireplace as he once again enjoyed the oasis that Justin had created. Brian took it all in and sighed contentedly.
***
It had been three days since Brian had learned of the existence of HIS painting. Just a random search of Justin’s website, and there it was for him to see. He had fallen in love with the painting at first glance, just as he did with everything Justin created.
Justin had said the title of the painting was ‘Talisman of Time’, and as Justin was falling asleep, he had also confirmed that there would also be a letter… a note attached to the frame…just like when Melanie and Michael had received their paintings.
It had been two days…two days of not sneaking out of the loft to THIS house in the middle of the night to see his painting… two days of suspense…two days of waiting for the right moment.
Now Brian would finally see what had been waiting for him. The private unveiling of a Justin Taylor Original, but even more special was the unveiling of a Justin Taylor Original that was intended as a gift for him.
Walking to the corner of the living room, Brian was more than ready to begin. He quickly unwrapped the small packet of tools that Justin had given him for opening the package.
Then it was time…the moment he had been waiting for. Brian could feel the anticipation building. Now, he was about to see HIS painting.
Brian carefully cut away the outer packaging and carefully removed the painting.
Brian leaned the painting against one of the chairs, while he checked to make sure that the note was still attached to the frame…the note that Justin had promised would be there.
With all the moving around of the unopened package, Brian was afraid that the note might have become dislodged or entangled or lost in the interior packaging. But no, the expected note was still attached to the frame, just as Justin had promised.
Brian made one more check of the packaging to be sure nothing else was inside. After all this was Justin, and one could never tell what else his devious mind would consider placing in the package.
Once assured that all contents of the package had been removed, Brian called to Thomas and asked him to assist in removing and disposing of the excess clutter.
Brian rewrapped the tools and placed them back in the corner of the living room.
Brian was now ready to deal with his painting.
“Talisman of Time,” Brian said to himself, repeating the title he remembered so well.
Brian was now ready to experience his painting.
The scene of the painting was the living room of this house… the exact room in which he now stood. He could see the window, the fireplace, and the mantel.
Brian took in the whole scene, as he took in the overall beauty of the picture. The colors and textures that Justin had chosen to convey the scene did not disappoint. As Brian expected, this was a beautiful painting.
He now understood why Justin had sent it here to the Bri-tin. Justin wanted this painting experienced in this room. Brian had to wonder if there was some other reason…some other message that Justin wanted to convey.
“A Justin Taylor Original painting will hold the viewer spellbound by its simple beauty,” Brian said aloud, repeating a well-practiced mantra. Then his voice became almost a whisper, “Justin, you never fail to deliver a beautiful painting. Never!”
Brian felt compelled to touch the picture, as if he could feel the love of its painter through the canvas and frame. Brian sighed at the touch.
His eyes were drawn to the oversized ottoman in the forefront of the painting. The ottoman, which Justin had painted from memory, was casually placed in front of the fireplace in the painting, much as Brian had just done in the room itself.
“You knew didn’t you? You knew I would move it in front of the fire. It didn’t matter where you had placed it in this room. You knew I would move the ottoman in front of the fire. You know me so well, don’t you?” Brian questioned aloud. Once again Brian felt compelled to reach out and gently touch the painting.
Brian took a step back to once again take in whole painting. Now he noticed the objects resting on the ottoman in the painting. Brian sat on the ottoman in the room and scooted forward again for closer look at its counterpart in the painting.
Two suit jackets looked as if they were hurriedly cast aside. One was charcoal gray and seemed to be lying casually on the ottoman. The second jacket appeared to be more navy blue in color, and it lay crumpled on the floor beside the ottoman, as if it had a will of its own and had slid from its designated spot. The place on the ottoman lay vacant, where the jacket had probably been originally placed. Brian felt that he could feel the second jacket slide away, leaving a vacancy that could never be filled.
Brian felt the symbolism. He didn’t know why but he started to feel the burn of unshed tears behind his eyes. It was too much. Brian had to walk away from the painting as he could feel his emotions racing.
“Fuck, Justin why do you do this?”
And Brian could hear the answer in a whispered echo…
Beginning of Flashback
“Brian, it’s just a painting,” Justin would say in complete innocence.
“You never do ‘it’s just a painting’ paintings,” Brian would always respond, using his fingers to make the necessary quotes.
“I just paint Brian, you know that.”
“Justin, they say when you paint, a soul can feel the emotions in your painting.”
“Don’t make such a big deal, Brian…after all, it’s just paint.”
End of Flashback
“No Sunshine, it’s not just paint. Don’t you see?” Brian whispered aloud. “It’s so much more.”
Brian crossed over to the window and looked at the evening sky in a veiled attempt to quiet himself. While standing there, Brian felt the impact of his year of separation from Justin hit him squarely in the heart, and he collapsed under the sheer weight of it all.
There had been brief visits to New York, and of course, they had helped. But now he felt the full the extent of his own loneliness. True, he had continued with his life and gone through the motions of living while Justin was in New York. But at this moment he understood the difference between the motions of living and truly living.
‘Enough! Enough! It’s over! This just doesn’t make any sense! I need you with me! We just can’t do this anymore!’ Brian thought to himself, letting his emotions explode.
It took a while for Brian to recompose himself.
When he was finally able to stand again, he slowly walked back to the kitchen. He wanted a glass of Beam, which he quickly poured. He took a sip and quickly returned to his painting bringing his glass of Beam with him for comfort and support.
Taking another sip of his Beam, Brian repositioned himself to take in the details of the painting.
There were several more items on the ottoman, and this time Brian noticed them all. The very expensive watch carelessly tossed on the ottoman, bearing the time five minutes to twelve, was the next object he noticed. He reached out to touch the watch and swore he could feel the expensive metal, cold beneath his touch.
He noted too the time on the face of the watch, five minutes to twelve. And he could hear his words echo back, ‘It’s only time.’ The watch may say: ‘It’s only time,’ but the carefully chosen time on the watch face implied that ‘it was almost time’. Something was about to happen.
Brian took a minute to let this sink in.
There were also rings, which appeared, at first, to be carelessly tossed aside. At first they looked like just ordinary rings, but on careful inspection Brian realized they were far from ordinary. No, Justin had captured on canvas the rings that they had intended to exchange a year ago.
Brian reached out to touch his ring, for one ring was painted slightly larger than the other. There they were…the promise of another time…the rings that Brian couldn’t bring himself to return.
Beginning of Flashback
“You didn’t return them,” Justin stated, with some surprise as he gently handled each ring.
“I didn’t return them,” Brian answered, quietly from across the room.
Justin took one more look at the rings and closed the box, placing it ever so gently on the table. Justin then walked over to Brian and held him in an embrace.
“We don’t need rings or vows to prove we love each other,” Justin had stated emphatically and sealed his declaration with a passionate kiss.
End of Flashback
His ring, lying next to the one intended for Justin, Brian had to touch them both. The rings in the picture were carefully painted to form the symbol for infinity.
There it was…the promise of hope and the dream fulfilled.
The rings were no longer hidden away in the velvet-lined box, stored silently in his drawer. There they were, released in all their regal splendor, side-by-side for all to see. And Brian had to reach out and touch them once again to feel their life force emanating from the painting. For here, captured on canvas, was the promise of eternity. He and Justin were together.
As Brian’s hand moved over the painting, he noticed the final objects on the ottoman, a white tuxedo scarf and a CD case. Brian didn’t need to see any writing to know what the title of the CD was.
The tuxedo scarf and the song were the remnants of the momentary joy that was Justin’s high school prom. Brian remembered the evening. He remembered the dance. He remembered the feelings of love and feelings of hope, so quickly silenced by the swing of bat. That should have been the night the universe shifted off its axis, but instead the scarf and the song remained as tangible proof of the Transcendent.
“What do we do with the time that is given to us?” Brian asked aloud. “What’s the good of second chances if you let them slip away? It’s time for me to seize this moment and take back what is rightfully mine. There has to be something else for us beside sacrifice, Sunshine. There has to be. And, we have to find it!” Brian insisted.
Taking another step back, Brian looked as his watch and realized that dinner should be arriving soon.
Brian sighed deeply for he really wasn’t ready to leave his painting. He considered loading the painting in the car and taking it back to the office, so he could spend more time with it. But Brian now understood Justin’s reasons for sending the painting to the house, and Brian would continue to honor those reasons.
It was time to move his painting back to the corner of the living room for safekeeping, but in the process of moving the painting, something else caught Brian’s eye.
There it was… a shadow…ever so faint above the fireplace in the painting. There… he saw it… two lovers in a kneeling embrace...cast in shadow. Brian knew it was them… he and Justin locked in a lovers’ embrace. He could feel the love and passion of the lovers.
“God Justin, did you have to push me off the fucking cliff?” Brian said aloud with a smile. “I’m definitely going to have to punish you severely for this.”
Brian touched the painting one more time. “Talisman of Time, indeed,” Brian whispered, tracing the outline of the lovers.
Brian removed the note attached to the frame. He would save the note for another time. Then he would sip another glass of Beam and savor what else Justin had to tell him. But for now, he had seen enough.
Brian located his office at the house and placed the note in his the desk drawer. He then returned to the studio to check on Justin’s progress. Reaching the studio, Brian swept Justin into his arms and kissed him passionately until their tender moment was interrupted by the sound of the door chimes.
***
“I ordered dinner,” Brian announced with a smile. “They have take out and delivery even way out here.”
“Really?”
“Someone stocked a special drawer, just like at the loft. The menus were so easy to find.”
“Emmett thought of everything. I’ll be sure to tell him that you were pleased.”
“You do that.”
They grabbed plates and silverware from the kitchen and had dinner in the living room by the fire.
“Well Sunshine, again here it is that floor picnic that you always seem to want to have. I hope you’re happy.”
“Very. How about you?”
“Surprisingly so.”
They kissed each other gently.
“Oh if we only had time to christen a few rooms,” Brian said, with a smirk and matching eyebrow movements.
“Ever the romantic,” Justin quipped, hitting Brian on the arm with the back of his hand.
“Another time.”
“Perhaps.”
“Perhaps…bullshit. When you get back from Cincinnati we have a lot of rooms to christen.”
“I’m sure we’ll manage…somehow.”
Brian looked at his watch and noted the time. “Did you get your studio set up the way you wanted it?” Brian asked.
“Pretty much.”
“Then, we’d better get ready to go back to town.”
So they cleaned up the living room and tossed the trash. Brian finally turned off the fireplace. They turned off interior lights and set the alarm. They got back into the car for their return trip to Pittsburgh.
Once they were on the highway, Brian reach over and took Justin’s hand.
“Thank you for the painting. It is exquisite. I love it.”
And, Justin just beamed. “I had hoped that you would like it.”
“I love the new techniques you were experimenting with. I see what you mean…they are so different than your usual work. And, I’m glad you decided not to sell the painting. I’m also glad you made me wait to experience it at the house…it seems so right somehow.”
“Ah huh.” Justin said with a smile.
“You know after experiencing my painting, I began to understand why Mikey spent so much time just looking at Superheroes. There is so much to see in one of your paintings. Usually you only capture the emotions…this time your use of symbolism is so powerful. I was almost overwhelmed. You have to give me some time to take it all in.”
“The painting belongs to you. Take all the time you want.”
Brian reached over and touched Justin hand, allowing their fingers to interlock. Then Brian lifted their joined hands to his lips and gently kissed Justin’s wrist.
“I love you, Sunshine,” Brian whispered.
“I love you, too,” Justin responded, leaning his head onto Brian’s shoulder as they made the remaining drive back to the loft.
Here is the painting that Brian unveiled...
