when you did Big River , or were you Huckleberry Finn?”
Austin’s eyes narrowed. “The Kid can frigging hardly be compared with Huckleberry Finn,” he shouted.
Guy stepped close. “Austin, I thought of you in the part because The Kid is stunning. Beautiful. In my mind he has to be shockingly beautiful.”
Austin’s mouth dropped open. Wait. What did he say? Wha…?
“Close your mouth, Austin.”
“Beautiful?” Austin finally managed.
Guy let out a long breath. Gave a single nod. “Yes,” he said, his voice almost a whisper.
“You-you think I’m—”
“Beautiful,” Guy finished.
Austin felt a tremor run down through him, then a jolt. He turned to the dishes, the first sink now nearly overflowing, the bubbles foaming over into the second. Beautiful?
Guy took another step. He was close. Almost kissing distance. “Beautiful,” he said again. “You’re one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen in my life. Like one of those tropical butterflies.”
“Me?” Austin said, his voice cracking.
Another step. Guy’s body was touching his, and Austin trembled again. He could feel the heat of the man against him. Then Guy’s hand was resting at the middle of his back. Austin closed his eyes. God. A man was touching him. He opened his eyes, turned to the man he’d been shouting at, finding now he couldn’t even speak.
Guy reached up with his other hand, cupped Austin’s cheek, let a finger slip over the rim of his ear. A tiny moan escaped Austin.
“Yes,” Guy said. “You.”
Austin closed his eyes once more. Leaned toward Guy an inch, two. Kiss me , he thought. Do it. Kiss me. Please. Kiss me. Take the choice away. Do it .
Then Guy was stepping away and Austin looked up, saw a different flash in Guy’s eyes. Almost dangerous. And it was all he could do not to moan again.
“I’m sorry if I upset you, Austin. I didn’t want to. Sorry we weren’t on the same page.”
Austin opened his mouth to reply and found he still couldn’t talk. The words wouldn’t come. He didn’t know what to say. There were so many things he wanted to say. “I…. Sorry I messed up. I messed up.”
“No you didn’t. I did.”
Austin stepped toward Guy, but he was already turning away. “I gotta go, Austin. I’ll see you. Soon.” Before Austin could say another word, Guy left.
Crap. Crap, crap, crap!
“S HERRY ?”
Austin was sitting on the balcony, watching traffic, when his uncle stepped out to join him. “What the hell,” he said. “Why not?” What he wanted was one of those beers of Guy’s, but he certainly wasn’t going up to the man’s apartment to ask for one. That and he had no idea where to get some on his own. Boy. Life turned on a dime. A dime . He laughed. Lack of money was one more reason he didn’t need to be out getting beer.
Uncle Bodie was back a moment later with tray and glasses and decanter once again, Lucille swishing around his legs like a cat.
“You know, you’re going to drop all that stuff one of these days. You could just bring out a couple plastic cups with the sherry already in—”
“Good heavens, boy.” He began to pour. “It is the finer things in life, traditions, cut crystal decanters, that separate us from the animals.”
“I thought it was our ability to accessorize,” Austin responded, taking an offered glass.
“What?” Uncle Bodie thought about it a moment and then started to laugh. “Oh! Guy’s play.”
“Yeah,” Austin sighed. “Guy.”
“Hmm,” his uncle said and sat down.
Austin shot him a look. “Don’t ‘hmm’ me.”
Uncle Bodie looked out into the street. A bus had stopped, and an old lady was struggling to get off while a young man waited to get on.
“Look at that,” his uncle said. “Young people. My mother would have slapped me if I had just stood there, mouth hanging open like an idiot, with that poor old woman needing help. Help her.” Uncle Bodie stood and leaned over the balcony. “Help her! You!
Austin’s eyes narrowed. “The Kid can frigging hardly be compared with Huckleberry Finn,” he shouted.
Guy stepped close. “Austin, I thought of you in the part because The Kid is stunning. Beautiful. In my mind he has to be shockingly beautiful.”
Austin’s mouth dropped open. Wait. What did he say? Wha…?
“Close your mouth, Austin.”
“Beautiful?” Austin finally managed.
Guy let out a long breath. Gave a single nod. “Yes,” he said, his voice almost a whisper.
“You-you think I’m—”
“Beautiful,” Guy finished.
Austin felt a tremor run down through him, then a jolt. He turned to the dishes, the first sink now nearly overflowing, the bubbles foaming over into the second. Beautiful?
Guy took another step. He was close. Almost kissing distance. “Beautiful,” he said again. “You’re one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen in my life. Like one of those tropical butterflies.”
“Me?” Austin said, his voice cracking.
Another step. Guy’s body was touching his, and Austin trembled again. He could feel the heat of the man against him. Then Guy’s hand was resting at the middle of his back. Austin closed his eyes. God. A man was touching him. He opened his eyes, turned to the man he’d been shouting at, finding now he couldn’t even speak.
Guy reached up with his other hand, cupped Austin’s cheek, let a finger slip over the rim of his ear. A tiny moan escaped Austin.
“Yes,” Guy said. “You.”
Austin closed his eyes once more. Leaned toward Guy an inch, two. Kiss me , he thought. Do it. Kiss me. Please. Kiss me. Take the choice away. Do it .
Then Guy was stepping away and Austin looked up, saw a different flash in Guy’s eyes. Almost dangerous. And it was all he could do not to moan again.
“I’m sorry if I upset you, Austin. I didn’t want to. Sorry we weren’t on the same page.”
Austin opened his mouth to reply and found he still couldn’t talk. The words wouldn’t come. He didn’t know what to say. There were so many things he wanted to say. “I…. Sorry I messed up. I messed up.”
“No you didn’t. I did.”
Austin stepped toward Guy, but he was already turning away. “I gotta go, Austin. I’ll see you. Soon.” Before Austin could say another word, Guy left.
Crap. Crap, crap, crap!
“S HERRY ?”
Austin was sitting on the balcony, watching traffic, when his uncle stepped out to join him. “What the hell,” he said. “Why not?” What he wanted was one of those beers of Guy’s, but he certainly wasn’t going up to the man’s apartment to ask for one. That and he had no idea where to get some on his own. Boy. Life turned on a dime. A dime . He laughed. Lack of money was one more reason he didn’t need to be out getting beer.
Uncle Bodie was back a moment later with tray and glasses and decanter once again, Lucille swishing around his legs like a cat.
“You know, you’re going to drop all that stuff one of these days. You could just bring out a couple plastic cups with the sherry already in—”
“Good heavens, boy.” He began to pour. “It is the finer things in life, traditions, cut crystal decanters, that separate us from the animals.”
“I thought it was our ability to accessorize,” Austin responded, taking an offered glass.
“What?” Uncle Bodie thought about it a moment and then started to laugh. “Oh! Guy’s play.”
“Yeah,” Austin sighed. “Guy.”
“Hmm,” his uncle said and sat down.
Austin shot him a look. “Don’t ‘hmm’ me.”
Uncle Bodie looked out into the street. A bus had stopped, and an old lady was struggling to get off while a young man waited to get on.
“Look at that,” his uncle said. “Young people. My mother would have slapped me if I had just stood there, mouth hanging open like an idiot, with that poor old woman needing help. Help her.” Uncle Bodie stood and leaned over the balcony. “Help her! You!
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