Serpentine Walls (27 page)

Everyone raised their glasses, several saying, “Hear! Hear!”

“Thanks,” Pete said as John poked him in the ribs.

“Don’t look so thrilled,” Cleo whispered.

Matthew continued, “Also, this room—excuse me, this
house
, is currently full of creative people, and so let’s also toast the creatives of this world!” He raised his glass again, and then Parker pulled the mic from him.

“Darlings, if we let Matthew get on a roll, he’ll be toasting for hours. But does anyone else have something to toast before we go back to singing?”

“I do!” Pete called, giving his champagne glass to a surprised Angie while the rest of his friends gaped.

He made his way up to the front, hearing Angie say “Go, Pete!” behind him.

Matthew clapped his hands together when Pete reached him, his eyes dancing. “Speech, speech!”

“You’re going to get tickled for this in the near future, just so you know,” Pete told him before accepting the mic from Parker.

“Yeah. Um, so this is Pete here. I want to thank Mr. Layton for his kind words. I also want to thank the cast and crew of my film. You all rock for helping me out. I had a blast working with you. Last but not least, back to Matthew here….”

Pete turned to Matthew and looked directly at him. “Dude, I never would have made this film if it hadn’t been for you. You’ve been here since the beginning, and…” He got distracted by the softness in Matthew’s expression. “… um, and you’re still here.”

As he paused to gather his thoughts, Matthew leaned over to say into the mic, “Don’t sound so surprised,” while people laughed.

Pete wrested the mic back. “Do you mind? I’m trying to thank you.” He looked out into the room.

“Matthew is one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. Talk about talented. But he’s also generous, always helping people like me out. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m lucky to have someone like Matthew—”

He cut off the “in my life” he was about to say, feeling himself blush.

“Um… someone like Matthew to help with this film. So let’s hear it for my homie, Matthew Layton!”

Matthew bowed right and left to the crowd and then to Pete, who resumed his scowl.

“I’m still going to get you for this,” Pete told him, handing the mic over to Parker, who started chattering about signing up for karaoke.

“I can’t wait.” Matthew ruffled Pete’s hair before letting his hand drop. “Aw, stop frowning. A first film is an achievement worth toasting.”

“It certainly is,” said a silken voice in Pete’s ear, and Aidan stepped up from behind him, saying to Matthew, “Mr. Morgan here has a hard time accepting compliments, I’ve noticed.”

“Doesn’t he?”

Pete sighed. It felt like déjà vu to be standing between Matthew and Aidan at one of Matthew’s parties while they teased him.

“We’ll have to keep working on him.” Aidan slid his hand around the back of Pete’s neck and kept it there as he said, “But look at you, Layton. Quite the sexy bad boy. Hot.”

Matthew cocked one eyebrow, even as a flush rose in his cheeks. “You talkin’ to me? Yo.”

Pete cracked up. “James Dean didn’t say that, Travis Bickle did.”

“All part of the same archetype, son.” Matthew’s gaze strayed to where Aidan’s hand was clamped on Pete’s neck. “Well. I’ll let y’all go. You going to sing some karaoke?”

“That’s what I came up here to snag Pete for,” Aidan replied. “How about you? You up for ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’?”

“Maybe. I need to go see how the drinks are holding up. Have fun, kiddos.” Matthew walked away.

Pete watched him go, Aidan’s hand heavy on his neck, a welter of conflicting emotions catching him off-guard. He was still vibrating from the intimacy of the look Matthew had given him when Pete had toasted him, and he didn’t know what to do with it. Matthew made him think of a lighthouse beaming a steady beacon—all he had to do was follow its light and he’d make it back to shore. He didn’t want to consider that, not only because it was another weird metaphor, but because what he felt about Matthew threatened to overwhelm him.

Instead, he concentrated on the altogether different vibration he was getting from Aidan standing so close with his hand on him, like he was claiming him. If Matthew was a lighthouse beacon, then Aidan was a snake charmer, hypnotizing Pete with his spicy smell, the warmth of his big body, the memory of his hands stroking down his chest, and—

“I’m going to sign us up.” Aidan removed his hand and sauntered over to Parker, who stood with his clipboard by the karaoke machine.

“Nice toast. On both your parts.” Cleo had come up behind him, and when he turned she gave him a knowing smile.

“Don’t start.”

“Why not?” Cleo narrowed her eyes and cut a glance to Aidan, who was laughing at something Parker was saying.

“Because.” Pete clamped his mouth shut.

“Because what?” When Pete didn’t answer, Cleo leaned closer to say in a low voice, “You and Matthew have something special. The way you look at each other and talk about each other—it’s enough to get
me
mushy, and I’m a cynical bitch.”

“Not with John, you’re not.”

Cleo’s face softened. “Yes. But don’t distract me. What I’m saying—”

Pete saw Aidan approaching and interrupted. “I know what you’re saying, and I told you—Matthew’s celibate. So would you stop talking about it? I’m frustrated enough.”

He braced himself for her comeback, because Cleo could be stinging in an argument, but she simply gazed at him, and then Aidan was there.

“Hey, doll,” Aidan said to her, “feel like singing some karaoke with us?”

“No, thanks.” She surprised Pete with a short, fierce hug. “Have fun. I’ll see you all later.”

Pete watched her walk away, wishing he still had his whiskey. His eyes lit on a tray that had a few remaining glasses of champagne, and he grabbed two and downed them in quick succession as Aidan watched.

“Thirsty?” he asked.

“Parched.” Pete picked up a third cup and drank.

“Don’t get too sloshed, now, baby. I need you as the lead on ‘Papa.’”

“Okay,” Pete said, although he could already feel the buzz from the champagne.

“All right, lovelies,” Parker said through the microphone. “Get ready for our first karaoke number. Halie and her Haliettes with ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On.’ Take it away, girls!”

“Come on.” Aidan took Pete’s hand. “Let’s go get you something to eat, soak up all that booze.”

Pete stumbled after him through the beaded curtain, Aidan with a firm grasp on his hand. He didn’t know what the fuck was going on anymore. Aidan had kissed him earlier today, now they were holding hands, and what the hell had happened to his rules? A part of him didn’t care, that part that gravitated to Aidan like metal filings to a magnet.

As they walked to the snacks table, where plates of veggies, bowls of chips and dip, and a pile of homemade brownies sat, Pete caught sight of Matthew talking to someone and making them laugh. Matthew turned, his smile dimming as his eyes dropped to Pete and Aidan’s joined hands. Pete averted his eyes.
This is all your fault
, he told Matthew silently.
You and your stupid vow of celibacy.

Aidan plunged a potato chip into a bowl of dip and held it out to Pete, clearly intending to feed it to him. “Open up, baby.”

Pete grabbed the chip with his free hand, smearing dip messily on his fingers, and stuffed the chip in his mouth. “Thanks,” he mumbled with his mouth full and let go of Aidan’s hand to pluck a napkin off the stack on the table. He wiped off his fingers, feeling ridiculous and on display, but when he snuck a peek in Matthew’s direction, Matthew wasn’t there anymore.

Humming under his breath, Aidan loaded a plate with snacks, and Pete did the same. The Haliettes wound down their song. Parker announced that Lee would be performing a Bruno Mars tune.

Aidan brightened. “Let’s go watch Lee.”

They went back into the den and sat on a sofa on the side of the room. Aidan pressed his leg against Pete’s as they ate their munchies and listened to Lee. Pete filled his stomach, his head starting to de-fuzz. He snuck a glance at Aidan, sitting next to him with his glamorous black hair, his body elegantly slouched, legs open, and that damn spicy scent.

Pete knew Aidan was bad news, dimly knew it, although he was having a hard time remembering why. He reminded himself that nothing Aidan did meant anything.
Just a hookup. Right?
But Aidan kept foregoing his rules for Pete. Why? Why did he keep coming around?
Maybe I’m different
, whispered a stupidly hopeful voice.
Maybe he’s moved on from Professor R.

“Do I have something on my face?”

Pete snapped out of his reverie to find Aidan regarding him with a small smirk.

“Huh?”

“You’re staring at me, so I thought I had dip on my face.”

“No.” Feeling drunk again, Pete put his fingers on Aidan’s mouth. “Just these… lips. On your face.”

Pete felt Aidan smile under his fingers, and then Aidan pulled them away and kissed him. Before Pete had time to savor the sweep of Aidan’s tongue along his lower lip, Parker’s voice intruded.

“Thank you, Lee. And now, the mighty combo of Aidan, Pete, Lee, and Jay will give us a reprise of their hit karaoke number, ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone.’ Stop making out in the corner, boys, and get on up here!”

They broke apart and scrambled to their feet. When Angie caught Pete’s attention from across the room, she mouthed, “Making out?” He frowned at her, and she laughed.

They got into position for the song, Pete and Aidan sharing one mic and Lee and Jay sharing the other. This time they grinned at each other as the endless introduction unspooled, and Pete hit his first line without a hitch. They got into the groove and harmonized flawlessly, the result of months of singing together in the octet.

Pete and Aidan struck poses and gave each other the stank face, but Pete was able to hold in his laughter until Lee tried to introduce some choreography they hadn’t rehearsed. They got their feet tangled up, and the song ended on a discordant note. They bowed to applause, hoots, and catcalls.

“Lee!” Aidan glared. “What the hell was that?”

Pete and the others laughed. “Calm down,” Pete said, “it’s just karaoke.”

“You’re too much of a perfectionist, boyo,” said Jay.

“Whatever. We were doing great until Fred Astaire here got ideas.” This set the other three off again, and Aidan’s dark expression morphed into a reluctant grin.

“Thank you, gentlemen,” Parker said into the mic. “Very entertaining, as always. Such fancy footwork! Next up is Angie and Brian with ‘You’re All I Need To Get By.’”

That got Pete’s attention, and he couldn’t help glaring at Angie as she ran up to whisper something to Parker.

“Okay, an addendum: Angie and Brian want Matthew and Pete up here with them on this number. So everyone come on up.”

“See you later, baby.” Aidan put his arm around Pete and kissed the side of his head. “Come find me after your number, okay?”

“Sure.” Pete joined Angie and Brian at the front. “Hey, song hijacker,” he said to Angie. “And what’s with making me and Matthew sing it too?”

“I know, I know, it’s really your song, but I love it.” Angie widened her eyes in apology.

“Don’t blame me.” Brian raised his hands in surrender. “But we need you guys up here because I can’t carry a tune.”

“Where’s Matthew?” Angie asked, while at the same time Parker’s voice blared out “Matthew Layton, please report to the den. I repeat, Matthew Layton, report to the den for karaoke duty.”

“I haven’t seen him.” Pete scanned the den. “Was he in the living room?”

“No,” Brian said. “He hasn’t been around for a while.”

Finn came up to the karaoke machine and said something to Parker, who then lifted the mic.

“Okay, lovelies, mystery solved. Mr. Layton has left the premises to do an all-important snack-food run because you gluttons have eaten all the food. We shall proceed without him. Angie, Brian, and Pete—take it away.”

The music started before they could discuss who would sing which part, and when Angie and Brian began to sing both parts, rather than duet, Pete followed suit. It was odd without Matthew being the Tammi to his Marvin, though, and Pete felt like a third wheel as he watched Brian and Angie make goo-goo eyes at each other over their shared mic. Brian’s voice also had an unfortunate tendency to go flat.

Pete was staring at the machine as he slogged through the song when he felt a presence at his side. Matthew took hold of the mic and batted his eyelashes at him.

“Tammi! Thank God,” Pete breathed, and Angie waved as she and Brian continued to warble.

When Matthew joined in, he and Pete slipped into harmony with each other effortlessly. They locked eyes, and Pete found himself meaning the lyrics as he sang them to Matthew. Everything disappeared except for Matthew’s eyes, his face, and his lovely voice as they sang together, “
Cause we, we got the right vibration, and with love and determination….
“

Pete was so engrossed that he almost missed that the song had ended. Then Angie hugged him, and Matthew and Brian gave each other a high five, and whatever world he had fallen into with Matthew was lost. John and Cleo approached, and while John was ribbing Brian on his tone deafness, Cleo raised an eyebrow at Pete as if to say, “You see?”

Matthew said, “That was fun! Now y’all better come eat all these snacks that I had to go get.”

“Thanks for saving me,” Pete said to Matthew as they went through the beaded curtain.

“Any time.” Matthew squeezed his arm.

Brooke called Pete’s name, and he went over to talk to her, Halie, and Kyle about the movie and how the editing was going. It wasn’t until Brooke mentioned Aidan’s scene that Pete recalled Aidan’s request to find him after the song.

“Have you guys seen Aidan?” Pete asked.

“No,” Brooke said, while Halie shook her head.

Kyle spoke up. “Last time I saw him, he was on the screen porch. He may be there for a while.” There was some hinted meaning in Kyle’s glance at him, but Pete couldn’t decipher it.

“Okay. Hey, I’ll talk to you guys later.”