Page 111 of Dear Mr. Brody
“Thanks…”
I didn’t know what else to say. Since the beginning of September, Parker and I had been hidden away inside my house except for a few occasions we chanced going out together, or when we had class. Our relationship felt surreal sometimes, like we were trapped inside the top of an hourglass, and the time we had together was the sand sifting away into another reality, one that might not belong to us outside the bubble we’d locked ourselves in. Having everyone here, kissing Parker in front of my friends, we’d started to intertwine our lives. We hadn’t shattered the glass, but we were getting there.
“Sorry I’m late, Mr. B. Traffic was ridiculous.” Marcos smiled as everyone stared at him.
His hair was a tangle of curls and spilled over his forehead. He had on a crop top gray sweater and high-waisted jeans. The boots he wore added a few inches to his height, and instead of the usual dark eye make-up I was used to seeing him wear to class, his face was clean except for the pink gloss on his lips.
“This is Anders and Ethan, and you know Van. Everyone, this is my friend Marcos. He likes to be fashionably late because he’s a giant attention whore.”
“Like that’s a bad thing?” Marcos pulled out a chair and sat down. “Besides, it takes time to look this good.”
“Shit…” Ethan choked on a laugh. “He’s worse than Wild.”
“I noticed,” Anders said, but his smile was amiable. “We have a friend who—”
“Wilder Welles,” Parker interrupted as he sat down. “He’s one of my favorite authors.”
“Wait… are they talking about that twink author Mr. B invited to class at the beginning of the semester.”
“Please, call me Van.”
Marcos smirked. “I like Mr. B better. It makes you blush.”
“Marcos, don’t be a dick.”
“Like I could be anything else,mijo.” He blew Parker a kiss, and Ethan cracked up.
“Holy shit, I think I love you.” Ethan wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I can’t wait to tell Wild you called him a twink.”
“Please don’t,” Anders said. “It’s been quiet around the office. It’s… tranquil.”
“Nice word,” Ethan said, and they both shared a private smile.
“One day I want to pick Wilder’s brain, and if my best friend insults him, I’ll never get the chance.” Parker’s gaze landed on Anders. “I still can’t believe you want to represent me when you have clients like him.”
“Parker…” Anders’s brows dipped into his familiar, stern agent face. “Your talent is your own. And what I’ve seen so far rivals Wilder Welles’s best work, you just have to learn your craft.”
I rested my hand above Parker’s knee and gave it a soft squeeze. “He’s right. I can already see how much you’ve worked on your craft every time you send me something new to read. I mean…you wrote an entire play.”
And like we weren’t sitting at a table with several sets of eyes watching us, I brushed my lips over his. It wasn’t chaste like earlier, or quick. Parker reached up, grabbing the back of my neck with his big hand, and opened for me. It might’ve only lasted a few seconds, or maybe it was longer, but when I pulled away, all I saw was him.
Someone cleared their throat, but it wasn’t until Marcos spoke that the spell was fully broken. “Damn, Mr. B… that was hot.”
“Jesus Christ,” Parker whispered, but he was all smiles as everyone laughed. He shoved his friend in the shoulder. “Just call him, Van. Okay, asshole?”
Marcos held up his hands. “Whatever you want.” He pushed the bottle of wine toward Parker. “Here, drink this and stop being a bitch.”
“And how do you two know each other?” Anders asked.
“We served in the Air Force together,” Marcos said. “I know… I don’t look like the type, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do, speaking of which, who do I have to blow around here to get some curry?”
“It’s not that kind of dinner party,” Parker said, resting his hand on my shoulder as he stood. “Come on, I’ll make you a plate if you behave.”
As they both headed into the kitchen, I thought Anders was going to choke to death. He coughed, or laughed, I couldn’t tell. Either way, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.
“Wow,” Ethan said. “Can we keep him, Daddy?”
“Ha-ha.” Anders shook his head. “I already have one drama queen in my life. We’ll let Van keep this one.”