by Sam Elswit
“Yeah.”
“He’s still around? I thought he went to some fancy art school or something.”
“He did, but he recently got a job down at the Fine Arts Museum as a conservator. Says he really loves it. Wanted me to drop by so he could show me around the place.”
“Don’t get carried away. You already have Phil…”
“I’m not into George.”
“That’s not what your diary used to say…” She hid her grin behind her croissant, the corner of her eyes crinkling with mischief.
“You brat! Don’t you know what privacy means?”
“Nope!”
“You’re the worst.”
“You love me.”
“Yeah,” I grumbled just as the doorbell rang.
When I opened the door, Phil was standing there with a happy smile on his face. “Morning. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
“Not at all.” I stepped back so he could come inside. As he did, I couldn’t help but sneak a peek at his sexy little butt. God, this man got better every time I saw him. “But, what are you doing here? I thought we were supposed to hang out this afternoon.”
In the kitchen, he dared to grab the other half of Emily’s croissant. I expected her to bite his head off, but to my surprise, she only pouted a little before grabbing another. If Andy had attempted the same stunt, he would have left the house with a black eye. In an ambulance…
Phil nibbled on his pastry. “I don’t have a lot of work today, so I thought I could spend some more time with you. Maybe we can head down to the park or something.”
I rubbed my neck, trying to figure out what to tell him. Should I be honest and tell him I’m catching up with an old friend that also used to be my high school crush or did I lie and just come up with an excuse as to why I’m very busy?
“He’s going to the museum.” Emily chimed in.
I was actually quite surprised by her response. Most of the time, she would jump at the opportunity to make things as awkward as possible for me.
“Oh, that’s nice.” Phil smiled. “I hope you have fun.”
“You could come with me if you’d like. I’m going to be catching up with an old friend who works there now. He’s giving me a tour, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you tagged along.”
“Sure! I haven’t been to a museum in a long time.”
“Great, let me just get dressed.”
As I climbed the stairs, I could hear Phil’s footsteps behind me. I grinned, glancing back at him before I bounded up the steps.
Phil gave chase, coming after me until he tackled me onto the bed, pinning my hands above my head.
We laughed until our lips collided together in a sweet, mind-numbing kiss. It seemed that no matter how many times I kissed this man, it always felt like the very first time. Lips burning. Heart racing and fireworks exploding inside my chest. It was a feeling I never wanted to go away. I wanted to bottle it up and keep it stored inside my heart forever.
The kiss intensified as his tongue slipped into my mouth, tangling with mine. His hand was just about to slip into my pants when I slapped it away.
“You’re going to make me late,” I said, shoving him off me.
With him watching my every move, I stripped down to my underwear before I picked out a clean outfit. I took my time pulling on my clothes, giving my new boyfriend a bit of a show.
He licked his lips, looking like he was about to take a bite out of me.
“You make it very hard to just sit here, trying to behave…” He breathed, crossing his legs, attempting to hide his erection… and failing.
“Oh yeah?” I smirked, sauntering up to him slowly before I wrapped my arms around his neck and tangled my fingers into his hair, easing myself onto his lap. “If you had your way, what would you do to me…?” I lowered my tone to a seductive pitch, nibbling on his earlobe, tugging on it gently.
“I would tell you, but if I did, we’d end up under the covers for quite a while.” Taking control of the situation, he held me by the hips, hoisting me to my feet.
Even though I was a little disappointed, I knew he was right. If I wanted to catch up with George, I would need to keep my hormones in check.
***
The Museum was huge and hard to navigate. Even finding a parking space was a nightmare. “How can there be this many people at a museum? I thought no one did this anymore.”
“Well, it’s summer. A lot of parents bring their kids here.”
“Hmm, really? My parents used to take me fishing.”
“And bowling?” Phil asked.
“And bowling.” I laughed. “We really need to do that again sometime. It was a lot of fun.”
“Defin – Ooo! There’s a parking space!” He exclaimed, pointing to the next lane.
I quickly sped up, rounding the corner just as another car came up the lane, eyeing the same space.
“Come on, pull in, pull in, pull in!” Phil chanted as he gave the opposing driver the stink eye.
“That’s what he said.” I joked as I eased the car into the tight space. “Are we even going to be able to get out?” I opened my door and there was just barely enough space for me to shimmy through. “Maybe I should try parking somewhere else…?”
“Are you kidding me? We aren’t going on that wild goose chase again. You’re staying here.”
He had a point. If I kept searching for a better place to park, the day would fly by and I’d never get to see George.
Inside, however, things just got worse. The check-in area was crowded and full of small children that kept accidentally bumping into my legs. Having a slight phobia of being smothered by crowds, I edged closer to Phil, who wrapped his arm around me in a protective manner.
A few older couples gave us a sideways glance, their lips pressed together in disapproval. I frowned slightly, feeling like my sexuality always put a target on my back.
Phil, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered by the judgmental stares. He just seemed happy to be spending time with me.
“Do you know where we need to go?”
“Um, something about the Rococo Period. It’s George’s area of expertise.”
“Hmm, okay. It says French artwork is this way.” Grabbing my hand, he guided me toward a marble staircase that wound around and around, all the way to the third floor.
“How do you know your way around? Have you been here before?”
“I’m just good with directions and I know how to read the signs.”
“Well, I’m glad at least one of us knows where he’s going.”
Phil chuckled before he squeezed my hand, locking our fingers together.
Soon, we were in a large, cavernous room filled floor to ceiling with extravagant paintings. Most of the subject matter were women, clad in large and boisterous gowns that filled the canvas with color and character.
“Ah! There you are!” George seemed to appear out of thin air, quickly approaching us.
He slowed his pace once his eyes settled on Phil. “Oh, I didn’t know you were bringing a friend.” He struck out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Phil shook his hand, returning his smile. “Likewise, name’s Phil.”
“George.” Without skipping a beat, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a deep hug. George was one of those really good huggers that made you melt against his body. My shoulders sagged in pure bliss as his hands ran up and down my back, holding me for a little longer than was appropriate.
By the time he finally let go, my face had turned red. I dared to look at Phil who was occupying himself with a portrait of a naked woman surrounded by a few cherubs.
“Oh, that’s a wonderful piece. The Toilette of Venus by François Boucher.” He explained in a sophisticated manner. George seemed oblivious to the awkwardness he had created. But then again, he had always been a bit socially awkward. He was a good friend, he just didn’t always pick up social cues.
Just as soon as he finishe
d explaining the painting, he moved onto the next, which was encased in a special glass box.
“Now, this one is very light sensitive. That’s why we have to keep it in this protective casing.” He pointed to a woman’s extravagant hairdo. “When we got this piece, most of the color had faded. It was quite a process to determine what pigments the artist originally used so we could reconstruct it properly.”
“Wow, that’s fascinating,” I said, following him to the back of the room. Here, a few art conservators were hard at work. They had their heads bent low, examining the portraits with large, clown-like glasses that made their eyes look a hundred times bigger. “So, this is what you do all day?”
“Most of the time. Sometimes, I get to oversee the artwork and decide which ones go on display.”
I thought that it was a shame that such a handsome guy like George had to be hidden away all day, where no one could see his charming smile.
“So, shall we explore some of the other exhibits? We have a brand new one about fashion and that has some really interesting pieces.” Before we could agree, he was already heading for the door.
Chapter 16
Phil
George was a strange fellow. He always had a smile on his face and his expressions varied only by the angle of his lips. When he spoke about an artwork’s tragic history, they pointed downwards ever so slightly. On the other hand, if he particularly liked a piece, his whole faced beamed, his pearly whites looking like they could light up the whole room.
Not that smiling is a bad thing.
He was just rubbing me the wrong way.
Maybe I was just being defensive because he had hugged Ben for just a little too long, looked at him one too many times, or touched him for no apparent reason. A spark of jealousy emerged inside my belly, making it tighten into a knot.
I tried to convince myself that I was overreacting, but I just couldn’t shake the feeling. So, I moved a little closer to Ben and held his hand a little tighter, almost like I was claiming my territory.
Once the tour was over, George smiled fondly at us. “Do you guys want to grab something to eat in the cafeteria? The food is surprisingly good and certainly affordable.”
“Um, I think we’ll pass. Emily is planning to make dinner. Wouldn’t want her to eat everything and put herself in a food coma.”
George laughed. “How is Emily, by the way? I haven’t seen her in ages. You should tell her to stop by sometime. One of my colleagues won a local, hot dog eating contest. I’m sure they would get along.”
“Oh, no doubt about it.”
“Well, I hope to see you around.” George placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder, squeezing it slightly. He was standing so close that I thought he would lean down and kiss him.
I tensed up, squeezing Ben’s hand harder than ever.
“See you.” Before things could get any more awkward, Ben pulled away, heading for the exit.
We walked back to the car in silence, neither one of us wanting to comment on what had just happened.
***
Ben dropped me off at home, waving at me. He didn’t even bother to give me a goodbye kiss. Now, I was really starting to worry. What if Ben was more interested in George than he was in me? The flare of jealousy quickly grew, giving me a headache.
A part of me wanted to rush back to his car and demand answers, but when I turned around, he was already gone, almost as if he had wanted to get away from me as fast as possible. At the thought, a sinking feeling developed in my stomach, making me queasy.
No. Ben and I had something special. I was sure of it.
George was just a friend.
But, as I replayed the museum trip in my mind, all I saw were secret glances passed between them. The soft caress of George’s fingertips on the back of Ben’s hand. That long, overdrawn hug.
Maybe, they had some history together. A relationship that was broken apart because of college, which now had the possibility to rekindle itself.
The taste of bile built up in my mouth.
Before I could fret about it any further, however, my phone started to ring. Quickly, I fished it out of my pocket, thinking maybe it was Ben.
To my surprise, my cousin’s name flashed across the screen. I furrowed my brows in confusion, trying to figure out why he would be calling me. Suddenly, it hit me.
He was visiting today!
I had forgotten all about it!
“Hello?”
“Hey, where are you? I’ve been waiting at the airport for, like, an hour.” Ryan’s voice was cracked and distorted through the line. “I tried calling you, but you didn’t answer.”
“I never got a call from you until now,” I said, holding the phone to my ear as I searched the house for my car keys but without any luck. “I’ll be there in a minute…” I trailed off, knowing that the airport was at least thirty minutes away. I glanced at the time. Shoot, on top of that, it was nearing rush hour.
“Okay, catch you later.” Ryan quickly hung up. He had never been one for calls. He preferred to text or IM. Half the time, he was glued behind a computer monitor anyway, so it made sense.
Eventually, I found my keys in Patches’ bed, along with all his other toys. Typical.
***
I arrived at the airport an hour later, feeling incredibly guilty. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten all about Ryan. I had anticipated his visit for weeks, but I guess my relationship with Ben was making me a little scatterbrained.
“Phil!” Ryan called out, waving his hand in my direction.
I looked up at him, seeing him standing against the wall, his phone plugged in, along with all his other gadgets.
“It’s so good to see you again,” I said as I hugged him. The second I did, I was bombarded with the scent of his leather jacket. “When did you start wearing leather?”
He grinned, pulling up the lapel, like a greaser from a 50s movie. “Do you like it? I’m trying out this new look. I think it really suits me.”
“I think you should go back to polo shirts.”
He frowned. “Oh, come on, I look cool, don’t I?”
“You look like the kid everyone wants to beat up.” I teased, punching his arm for effect.
He narrowed his eyes at me, looking slightly offended. Ryan had always been a tad sensitive.
“Anyway, are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, just give me a minute to gather my stuff.”
I waited patiently as Ryan stuffed all his things inside his laptop bag, which was already full to the brim anyway.
“How did you make it through airport security with all that stuff?”
“I’m just that cool.” He flashed a dorky smirk, running a hand through his soft, brown hair like he was slicking it back. I half-expected him to pull a comb out of his back pocket.
“Okay, okay. I believe you.” I knew if I didn’t rub his ego, he would never let me hear the end of it.
“Anyway, what took you so long? You knew I’d be landing around two. You didn’t forget about me, did you?” As Ryan spoke, his suitcase wheel got stuck in the small gap between the elevator and the main floor. “Crap…” He panicked, his childhood fear of elevators coming to the forefront.
I reached across him and pulled the bags handle, saving him from the rapidly closing doors. “You know, you could’ve just picked it up and carried it into the elevator.”
“Yeah… that would’ve been the smart thing to do, wouldn’t it?”
I shook my head. Ryan was practically a genius. Graduated as the valedictorian of his school, and had gotten into MIT with a full ride. Now, he was working for Google as one of their lead developers, living like a king in Silicon Valley. And yet, sometimes, the littlest things alluded him.
As we made the trek back to the car, we didn’t say much, which was fine with me, because I really didn’t want to explain to him why I had stood him up at the airport.
“You’re quiet.” Ryan finally said as we reached the parking garage. “Something wrong?”
I bit my lip. “I just… have a lot on my mind, that’s all.” And by a lot, I meant Ben. I just couldn’t stop thinking about his interaction with George. Was there something between them that he just wasn’t telling me? Was he going to let me go in a few weeks when he got bored of me so he could hook up with the hot art conservator? These questions buzzed around my mind like angry gnats.
“Earth to Phil.” He waved his hand in front of my face. “You keep zoning out on me. Could you pop the trunk?”