Omorphi (16 page)

“Guidance system in the Lexus.”

“I forget how you never have to look at a real map.”

“Not true. The thing is wrong more often than not. When I ask it to locate my dad’s private airstrip, I often find myself at a strip club. Of course, when I ask it to find a strip club, it miraculously locates my dad’s airstrip.”

Michael humphed, knowing Jake had never been to a strip club in his life.

“So, what brought on this asthma attack?”

Michael carefully squashed a fry and handed it to Christy. That earned him a small smile. “We made him laugh too hard at lunch. It messed with his throat.”

“Seriously? Man, Christy, you gotta get that thing fixed. Aren’t you still under warranty?”

“Careful. You’ll make him laugh again. What are you really doing here, bro?”

Jake sat on the edge of the recliner, elbows on knees, and laced his fingers together. “I got fed up and left the party. Rebecca’s enough to make a guy swing the other way. She’s a witch in prom queen’s clothing.”

“That bad?”

“Horrid girl. Not going to work out.”

“What happened?”

“Ah, man, skip it. It’s too heinous to go into. You must take pity on me, and find me someone else to date before my heartless father forces me to apologize and go back to her.”

Michael eyed him evenly. Something had gone seriously wrong tonight, and it was obvious that Jake didn’t want to talk about it in front of Christy. “Are there any candidates at school?”

“No, that’s part of the problem. I’m out of resources. You know how my dad is. He wants me to date a woman of substance.” Jake made air quotes with his fingers.

Christy touched Michael’s arm and quickly scribbled
My cousin. Perfect for Jake
.

At last, the first intel on Christy’s family. “Are you serious?”

Christy nodded and scribbled
Model.

“Okay, Jake, how would you like to hook up with Christy’s cousin? Christy’s cousin is a model.”

“Don’t take this wrong, Christy, but your cousin’s a girl, right?”

Christy smiled and nodded.

“Do you have a picture of her?”

Christy pointed to his backpack, and Jake handed it to him. He dug in the bag until he found his wallet and withdrew it. A folded clump of vellum came out with it and landed in the sea of white linen as he showed Michael a picture of a stunning, blonde beauty.

Michael’s jaw dropped. “Jeez, she could be your twin, Christy.”

Christy beamed.

“She’s a hottie, Jake. Check her out.”

Jake looked at the picture and whistled softly. “Now, that’s a girl I could get into. Hey, wait a minute. I’ve seen her before.”

Christy scribbled
Magazines in Europe
.

“No, I’ve seen her in a magazine here.”

Christy scribbled
Elle magazine?

“Yeah, my mom reads
Elle
. Wow. When can I meet her?”

Christy shrugged and scribbled
I’ll e-mail
.

“Great. Tell me about her.”

Christy scribbled for a few moments and handed the pad to Jake.

“She lives in Manhattan?”

Christy nodded and scribbled
Need picture of Jake & you for cousin
.

“Jake, do you have a picture of us on your iPhone?”

“The one of us at the lake last summer. Why?”

“Christy wants it for his cousin.”

“What’s your e-mail address?”

Christy wrote
[email protected]

Michael laughed softly. “You’re the king of Christophoros Tryphon Alexis Castle Incorporated, are you?” Michael teased.

Christy just looked at Michael and, for once, Michael couldn’t read his expression.

“Okay, I just sent it to you.”

Christy motioned for the phone, and Jake handed it to him. He typed for a few minutes, handed it back to him, then jotted on his pad
Attach pix and send
.

“Done.”

Within seconds, the phone blipped with a new message, and Jake handed the phone back to Christy.

Christy read it, typed furiously, and sent another message. When he received a reply, he read it, then handed the phone to Michael and pointed at it.

“You want me to write back?”

Christy nodded.

Michael read it and laughed. “You sure you trust me?”

Christy nodded again.

“Trust you with what?” Jake asked.

“She wants Christy to describe you.”

“What for? She has a picture.”

“Don’t be a tool, bro. She means what you’re like.”

“Oh hey, Christy, take that electronic device away from him. He’s liable to tell her I have a diaper fetish and carry a rattle with me wherever I go.”

Christy started to laugh and coughed.

Michael wanted to put an arm around him but refrained. Christy had allowed him to hold him all afternoon, and he didn’t want to push it. “You all right?”

Christy nodded and pointed at the phone again.

“Okay. How about handsome, sophisticated, great sense of humor, insensitive as hell, just kidding, going to Columbia next year, and his best friend is my boyfriend. My boyfriend on the right. Double date?”

Christy’s eyes went wide.

“Why not?”

Christy turned to Jake.

“Hey, whatever works. I’m down with it.”

“Yeah? A double date with two gay boys?”

“Let them eat cake, I always say. Who said that, anyway? Shakespeare?”

“It’s wrongly attributed to Marie Antoinette. It was in Rousseau’s
Confessions
. You ought to know that if you’re going to Columbia.”

“I hate lit. Hey, hey, hey, wait, Christy, will she be okay with it?”

Christy mouthed, “Duh.”

“Okay, fine. Let her rip.”

Michael handed the phone back to Christy. “I sent it.”

It was answered in seconds.

“What is she, a speed typist?” Jake teased.

Christy nodded as he typed and sent another message. Again, it was answered in seconds, and he handed the phone to Michael.

“All right, Jake! Our Saturday night’s booked! She’s coming to spend the weekend with Christy.”

“You are way cool, Christy. What’s her name?”

Michael looked at the phone. “Sophie.”

Christy shook a finger at Michael and scribbled
Sophi
A
.

“Oh, sorry, Sophia.”

“What’s her last name?”

Christy scribbled
Antoniou
.

“Sophia Antoniou.” Jake savored the name on his tongue. “Where do you want to go?”

Christy scribbled furiously, and Michael read over his hand. “Jake, you’re going to love her! She plays video games and pinball!”

“Be still my heart. How old is she?”

Christy’s hand moved to the top of the pad and then returned to what he was writing.

“Nineteen.” Michael read more and started to laugh. “Christy says he told her to leave the stilettos at home, and she said to prepare you for jeans, a T-shirt, and flats. This girl sounds perfect for you, Jake.” He read more. “Oh wait, maybe not. She wears fifteen-hundred-dollar jeans and Ferragamo flats. Seriously, Christy?”

He nodded.

“If I’m going to spend it, I like to know I’m spending it on someone who appreciates it,” Jake said with portended arrogance.

Christy scribbled
PERFECT
and showed the pad to Jake.

“All right. Anything else I should know?”

Christy shrugged and scribbled
Protective of me?

“Sounds like a warning for Michael.”

“What?”

Christy showed him the pad.

Interesting.
“Good. Glad to know you’re loved. Is Rob going to have anything to say about us going out?”

“Who’s Rob?” Jake asked.

“He runs Wellington.”

Christy scribbled, and Michael cracked up.

“You and Rob will get along great, Jake. Christy says his advice will be to use condoms.”

Jake laughed. Then his face abruptly fell. “I forgot, man, we have the meet on Saturday.”

“It ends at four.”

“There will be a party afterward.”

Michael turned to Christy. “Would Sophia want to go?”

Christy’s face clouded over as he nodded and looked away.

Michael dared to cup Christy’s cheek and turn his face back to him. “Talk to me.”

Christy reluctantly wrote
Who is your date for party?

Michael thought for a long moment. Could he go with Christy? Would it be awkward? Jake would be there with his cousin. He took the pen from Christy’s hand and wrote
MY BOYFRIEND
.

Christy’s eyes went wide.

“Why not? We can keep it low-key.”

“What are you two talking about?” Jake reached for the pad. “As long as you guys aren’t caught
in flagrante delicto
, it should be fine.”

Christy raised a brow at him.

“Serious,” Jake assured.

Christy quickly scribbled, and Michael read over his hand. “There’s a barbecue at three every Sunday at Wellington. Do you want to go on Sunday with Sophia?”

“Assuming she wants to see my ugly mug after Saturday night, sure.”

“Christy says he’ll bring her to the meet on Saturday. Really? You’re going to go?” Michael was suddenly bashful. Shyness felt so freakin’ odd to him.

Christy scribbled
Always go
.

Now Michael was truly embarrassed. “You do?”

Christy nodded.

“Wow, I gotta seriously work on that awareness thing.”

Jake laughed. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea, Christy. Once Sophia takes a gander at my scrawny legs and knobby knees, she might bail.”

“Yeah, right. His legs are fine. The only thing wrong with him is that he has a chronic addiction to facts, and he’s failed miserably in his twelve steps to recovery. Especially step four. You know the one where you take a fearless moral inventory of yourself? Jake inventoried his medals, trophies, and ribbons.”

Jake cracked up. “Hey, they more than represent who I am.”

Suddenly, Christy yawned.

“Time to sleep.” Michael climbed off the bed and cleaned up their burger mess.

Jake stood. “Thanks for the hookup, Christy. I can’t wait until Saturday night. I’ll be downstairs, Michael.”

“Okay.”

M
ICHAEL
tucked Christy in as he lay back, then put his wallet back into a side pocket of his backpack. He noticed the folded vellum and reached for it, but Christy beat him to it and brought it protectively to his chest. “What’s that?”

Christy shook his head.

“Do you want to put it back in your bag?”

Christy shook his head again.

“You want to sleep with it?”

Christy nodded.

Strange stuffed animal
. “Okay.” He leaned in and placed a chaste kiss on Christy’s lips.

Christy wreathed his arms around Michael’s neck, pulled him down until he was nearly prone, and kissed him. Really kissed him. The folded vellum crushed between them, and Michael tried to raise his chest to keep from damaging the thick paper. Christy’s arms tightened, and their kiss became passionate, urgent, almost desperate. Michael’s head swam with visions that were anything but G-rated, and he wanted to continue kissing Christy for all eternity, but his traitorous body wasn’t being the least bit diplomatic. “Keep it up, and I won’t be able to walk out of here with a straight face,” he whispered against Christy’s lips.

Christy shook with a silent giggle as Michael pulled away. The folded vellum popped up, and Christy tried to catch it and missed. Michael picked it up and went to hand it to him, and it fell open. He frowned as he tried to make sense of the charcoal drawing, then recognition set in. He unfolded it completely, and Christy tried to take it from him. He held it away and studied the drawing. It was a rendering of him. A rendering of him
nude
.

He studied the drawing closely. As with Christy’s painting of clear water, he’d captured every subtle curve, every muscle,
every
fine distinction… all the way down to… well, yeah, that too. How Christy had captured so much detail after only seeing him nude for a few moments in a shower fascinated Michael. He moved to the second page of vellum. Another drawing of him skimming a hurdle. As with the first one, Christy had captured every one of Michael’s physical traits. Where Michael’s head had been leaned back under the shower in the first drawing, this one showed the determined expression on his face. He moved to the third page of vellum. It was another drawing of him. Bare-chested from the waist up, and the angle was odd. It was as if Christy looked up at him. Then Michael remembered sitting above Christy on the couch in his den. He studied the picture. Christy had even captured the two tiny moles on his left shoulder. He met Christy’s gaze and saw fear in his eyes. “Don’t be afraid. These are incredible.”

The fear slowly bled from Christy’s eyes, and his gaze turned to one of pensive uncertainty.

“Do you have a photographic memory?”

One of Christy’s brows dipped, creating an odd, quirky frown, and he shrugged. It was cute.

Michael folded the vellum and set it on Christy’s chest as he leaned down and pecked his lips. “You going to be okay for the night?”

Christy nodded.

“You know you can text me any time, right?”

Christy looked at him for a long moment before mouthing, “Okay.”

“I’ll come by before school.”

Christy shook his head and made a telephone gesture with thumb and pinky finger extended.

“You want me to call first? You think you’ll be out by then?”

Christy nodded.

“Text me when they release you?”

Christy mouthed, “Okay.”

“Thanks for the date for Jake.”

Christy smiled.

“See you tomorrow.”

J
AKE
and Michael trotted down the front steps of the old mansion. “This place looks kind of creepy at night.”

Michael craned his neck and looked up at the ancient building. “It does, doesn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t want to stay here. Your little dude’s hair is wild.”

“I like it. He hooked you up for Saturday night with a freakin’ model so you better like it too.”