Beyond the end

Chapter 3. The road to west.

London

Brenda nervously ticking with her fingers as JT read her work. He scrolled leaf by sheet and occasionally laughed. Good sign.

"If you keep staring at me I won't go any longer," he said without even looking at her.

"Yes I know, I'm nervous"

"Did you send it to Raynolds?"

"For two weeks, but still no answer"

JT kept reading without replying.

When he finished he looked her straight in the eye

"So?" She asked waiting

"It's brilliant. If Raynolds doesn't take it, he's crazy"

Brenda opened up to a wonderful smile. JT was his neighbor. His friend. His confidant. He was as homosexual as almost all handsome guys in London well. He was a cooking critic. He took her to any new restaurant. When he came in, the owners quivered and in the meantime they became servile. They almost always had a personal waiter. A truncation of JT could have been the end.

"Are you coming with me tonight?"

"Of course, where do you take me?"

"To H2O"

"Never heard"

"That's why I'll take you there, at 8 pm?"

"Of course"

"And tell me, how's your brother?"

Brenda laughed "he always has other tastes"

" Yes I know.. but if he change his mind, let me know"

"Certainly."

"Ah, what a waste!"

Brenda laughed again.

"Tomorrow I have the last show of the season, are you coming?"

"Of course," he said.

Brenda put the papers of her work back inside the folder. The hope was that Raynolds would call shortly. A musical that could become a hit: "Beverly Hills" a West Side Story story.

JT approached the door stopping at the door.

"Bren?"

"Yes?"

"How much of yours is there in that story?"

She stopped.

"Nothing, pure invention," he said. Everything, She though.

Los Angels
The flight from Washington landed on time. Steve looked nervous. Brandon peered at him at the bottom of the arrivals. He watched it for a few seconds. He was always the same. Mighty physicist. Face amused.

"Hello friend!" He told him.

Steve opened up in a disarming smile "hello friend" they hugged tightly patting each other on the back.

They took his luggage and arrived at the parking lot.

Brandon took the airport parking for a long time. The screeching of the tires, a gun barrel coming out of a window, one, two, three shots... Kelly injured on the ground. He who kept her to himself.

It was a moment. A painful flash back that had crept in with impetuosity.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked him.

"Yes, everything is fine"

They got in the car. It was a wonderful evening.

"Then where are you staying?"

" Hilton"

"How long do you stay?"

"Three months. There is a vacancy at the Los Angeles office. What about you? The Beat?"

Steve laughed loudly "You can see that we haven't heard from each other in a long time. The Beat closed its doors a couple of years ago. Janet and I got by a bit but ended up making a magazine of sexy ads and cigarette ads."

"I'm sorry Steve"

"Me too"

"What are you doing now?"

"I have a small publishing house. I learned something too. Technical books. Fitness. Gardening. The I4ever."

"It's not bad"

"Yes"

"And Janet? What About Maddy?"

Steve got more serious "we're on a pause for reflection"

"Pause for reflection?" Brandon asked..

"After the closing of the Beat things didn't go well even at home. I left everything to her. I took my four junk and now I sleep inside the publishing house which is then the old headquarters of the Beat"

"Seriously? Why don't you get an apartment?"

"Eh I don't know dude.. it seems to me that if I took an apartment it would mean not going home anymore, for now I leave things like this"

"I understand"

"What about you?"

"I what?"

"How are you?"

"Well. Work, work, work"

"Aren't you in item?"

"I don't have the time, I don't have the patience. Maybe I have too high standards. Maybe.. I don't know "

"Eh, who do you tell.." they laughed in unison.

"Are you in touch with anyone?"

"Apart from Brenda, sometimes I hear Andrea," Brandon replied, "but Brenda is my sister and Andrea is Andrea. Instead, we felt less and less with you."

"How is she?"

"Brenda? She gets away with it"

"Always in London?"

"Yes"

Steve nodded approval.

"And you?" Brandon asked "hear someone?"

"I went out with Dylan a few times. The few times you've seen around here"

"Uh and how is he?"

"What should I tell you?" Steve grimaced "chasing the perfect wave, not even Body in Point Break; only he has no idea how it's made and which beach it's on...and so he remains a aimless devil"

"Already"

"Have you not heard it again?"

"Sometimes. On the phone. During his travels"

"Clear," Steve replied, "and Kelly?"

Brandon turned his face towards the window "I saw her five years ago. A quick greeting. She had come to Washington for a couple of days. A congress of school leaders or I don't know, a coffee, nothing more"

"You see," he replied, "did you warn her that you're here?"

"Ah no.. I only warned you."

"She will be happy to see you"

Brandon didn't answer.

"So, shall we go to Nat?"

"Oh yeah.. I can't wait"

"I missed you man," Steve said.

"Me too" replied B.

The car slipped fast on the highway and disappeared.