close. Ron nuzzled his neck for a moment then looked back at me, an apology in his eyes.
“Time to go,” Jean-Claude said gently.
Ron hugged me. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Micah.”
“Okay,” I said, hugging him back.
Jean-Claude kissed me on both cheeks. “ Un plaisir ,” he whispered. “ Bon soir .”
“Goodnight, Jean-Claude. I hope we can get together real soon.”
He nodded. “Of course. Goodnight.”
I watched them leave, their arms around one another’s waists. Boy, they sure seemed in love, I thought wistfully.
Roger came bouncing onto the balcony, followed more slowly by Tony.
“Micah, what do you say we take in a movie next week? Just you and me—we’d bore the pants off the rest of ‘em.”
“Well, Joseph’s in Europe next week, so that’d be good. What about you, Tony?”
“No can do. Andy and I go back to Spain at the end of the week.”
“Gosh, you all live so far away,” I said.
“Yeah, but we have frequent flyer miles,” Tony replied, chuckling at some joke only he and Roger seemed to get.
“Well, I’ll leave you two horror aficionados to set the date. See you back inside.”
“He’s a nice guy,” I said, watching him disappear through the French doors.
“The best,” Roger said, his eyes glistening. “So what night’s good for you? ‘ The Hidden Door ’ opens at the multi-plex on Brea.”
DUET IN BLOOD
J.P. Bowie
69
We set the date and time just before Joseph came out to tell me it was time to leave.
Roger whined his disappointment.
“Sorry, but I have a very full day tomorrow,” Joseph explained. “And I’m afraid I have to leave for Europe earlier than planned. Tomorrow night, actually.”
Now it was my turn to whine. “Oh no. I was going to make you dinner, remember?”
“Maybe you could take a later flight,” Roger said, nudging Joseph’s arm.
“Could you?” I pleaded.
Joseph smiled at me. “I’ll check the later flights. Now, we must go. Goodnight, Roger.”
He kissed him on the cheek. “You look wonderful.”
“Thanks.” Roger hugged us both at the same time. “If you get lonesome, Micah, call me.
Joseph will give you our numbers.”
We said our goodbyes, and Marcus walked us to the door. No matter how many times I had stared at his flawless face during the course of the evening, I still couldn’t get over just how incredible he looked. When he took my hand and gently kissed my cheek, I swear I felt that surge of energy again. Or was it just his physical presence that caused my heart to beat the faster? Whatever it was, one thing I was sure of—I would never forget meeting this man.
Joseph was quiet as we sped down from the hills in the hired cab.
“You all right?” I asked.
“A little sad to leave you,” he said.
I moved closer to his side. “Me too,” I whispered, taking his hand.
“Did you enjoy yourself tonight?”
“Very much. That Roger is a character, but everyone is very nice. Andorra is so
beautiful, and Marcus…”
“Marcus is very beautiful also, I know.” He put his arm around my shoulders. “I will miss you, Micah.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
“Will you? Will you come with me then?”
I stared at him with wide eyes. “You mean it? God, I’d love too, but…” I groaned. “I’d have to give notice at the bookstore, and…”
“I know. It’s unreasonable of me to ask at such short notice.” His smile was sad. “Next time, I will warn you in advance, so you can get the time off.”
DUET IN BLOOD
J.P. Bowie
70
“That would be terrific.” I wanted to leap on him and pleasure him right there on the cab’s back seat. He sensed my excitement and rubbed the inside of my thigh, bring me to full alert. Break all the speed records, cabbie , I thought, and get us back to his hotel, tout suite .
Joseph
I had experienced a slight apprehension during our dinner with Marcus. Had it been too soon to introduce Micah to my old friends? I had worried that he might
“Time to go,” Jean-Claude said gently.
Ron hugged me. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Micah.”
“Okay,” I said, hugging him back.
Jean-Claude kissed me on both cheeks. “ Un plaisir ,” he whispered. “ Bon soir .”
“Goodnight, Jean-Claude. I hope we can get together real soon.”
He nodded. “Of course. Goodnight.”
I watched them leave, their arms around one another’s waists. Boy, they sure seemed in love, I thought wistfully.
Roger came bouncing onto the balcony, followed more slowly by Tony.
“Micah, what do you say we take in a movie next week? Just you and me—we’d bore the pants off the rest of ‘em.”
“Well, Joseph’s in Europe next week, so that’d be good. What about you, Tony?”
“No can do. Andy and I go back to Spain at the end of the week.”
“Gosh, you all live so far away,” I said.
“Yeah, but we have frequent flyer miles,” Tony replied, chuckling at some joke only he and Roger seemed to get.
“Well, I’ll leave you two horror aficionados to set the date. See you back inside.”
“He’s a nice guy,” I said, watching him disappear through the French doors.
“The best,” Roger said, his eyes glistening. “So what night’s good for you? ‘ The Hidden Door ’ opens at the multi-plex on Brea.”
DUET IN BLOOD
J.P. Bowie
69
We set the date and time just before Joseph came out to tell me it was time to leave.
Roger whined his disappointment.
“Sorry, but I have a very full day tomorrow,” Joseph explained. “And I’m afraid I have to leave for Europe earlier than planned. Tomorrow night, actually.”
Now it was my turn to whine. “Oh no. I was going to make you dinner, remember?”
“Maybe you could take a later flight,” Roger said, nudging Joseph’s arm.
“Could you?” I pleaded.
Joseph smiled at me. “I’ll check the later flights. Now, we must go. Goodnight, Roger.”
He kissed him on the cheek. “You look wonderful.”
“Thanks.” Roger hugged us both at the same time. “If you get lonesome, Micah, call me.
Joseph will give you our numbers.”
We said our goodbyes, and Marcus walked us to the door. No matter how many times I had stared at his flawless face during the course of the evening, I still couldn’t get over just how incredible he looked. When he took my hand and gently kissed my cheek, I swear I felt that surge of energy again. Or was it just his physical presence that caused my heart to beat the faster? Whatever it was, one thing I was sure of—I would never forget meeting this man.
Joseph was quiet as we sped down from the hills in the hired cab.
“You all right?” I asked.
“A little sad to leave you,” he said.
I moved closer to his side. “Me too,” I whispered, taking his hand.
“Did you enjoy yourself tonight?”
“Very much. That Roger is a character, but everyone is very nice. Andorra is so
beautiful, and Marcus…”
“Marcus is very beautiful also, I know.” He put his arm around my shoulders. “I will miss you, Micah.”
“I’ll miss you, too.”
“Will you? Will you come with me then?”
I stared at him with wide eyes. “You mean it? God, I’d love too, but…” I groaned. “I’d have to give notice at the bookstore, and…”
“I know. It’s unreasonable of me to ask at such short notice.” His smile was sad. “Next time, I will warn you in advance, so you can get the time off.”
DUET IN BLOOD
J.P. Bowie
70
“That would be terrific.” I wanted to leap on him and pleasure him right there on the cab’s back seat. He sensed my excitement and rubbed the inside of my thigh, bring me to full alert. Break all the speed records, cabbie , I thought, and get us back to his hotel, tout suite .
Joseph
I had experienced a slight apprehension during our dinner with Marcus. Had it been too soon to introduce Micah to my old friends? I had worried that he might
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