Something Like Summer (43 page)

“
Uh, I’m really glad you
all decided to be here,” Tim began. “I’m not really good at
speeches, so bear with me.”

The audience laughed. Ben
began working around to the side of the crowd, hunting for a way
through to the front.

“
The art you see here is
about twenty years in the making. I’m sure most of you have seen my
crowing achievement, ‘Frog Goes Sailing on Boat’?”

The audience laughed
again.

“
That’s from when I was
eight and is the first painting I ever did.”

Ben had finally broken
through to the front, but was so far to the side that he was beyond
Tim’s peripheral vision. At least he could see him now, nervously
shifting from foot to foot while mumbling into the
microphone.

“
I owe this art to a lot
of people. The subjects in each piece, of course. My dog
Chinchilla, or Eric, who was a father, a hero, and much more to me.
Even strangers, like the old woman I saw lying in the grass at the
park, staring up at the clouds and giggling like a little girl at
what she saw there.” Tim paused, searching the crowd again. “So
many people have inspired me, but only one gave me the courage to
show what I had painted to other people. I hope he’s here somewhere
tonight, and as I finish this clumsy speech, I’d like you all to
clap for him, not for me. Thank you, most of all, to Benjamin
Bentley.”

The audience burst into
applause. Ben blushed, even though he was effectively incognito.
Tim turned off the mic and gave a little bow, and people slowly
began to disperse. Some remained behind to talk to the artist. Ben
watched them with envy. How easily they could walk up to Tim
without being overwhelmed with a decade’s worth of
feelings.

Tim chatted politely, shook
hands, listened, nodded, and all the other gestures a gracious host
was supposed to make. Occasionally he would risk looking away from
them to search the room again, looking slightly more disappointed
with each failure. Nerves buzzing, Ben walked to the center of the
room where he could easily be seen.

Tim nodded and said goodbye
to an elderly gentleman, and tried again. This time he found Ben,
and without the slightest reservation, ran to him and scooped him
up into his arms.

“
I’m so glad you’re here!”
Tim said, spinning Ben around a few times before setting him down
again. “And even more glad that you’re late! I just gave the most
embarrassing speech!”

“
I thought it was really
good,” Ben said, grinning when Tim turned bright red.

“
I thought for a second
that Allison had changed her mind.”

“
Where is she anyway?” Ben
asked.

“
Running an errand for
me,” Tim said enigmatically. “Hey, have you seen much of the
paintings?”

“
A little,” Ben replied,
“but a tour from the artist himself would be very
informative.”

Tim guided him around the
gallery, usually zigzagging from room to room and moving in a
counterintuitive fashion. One painting would remind him of another,
causing him to drag Ben off in a completely different
direction.

Seeing Tim so enthusiastic
about his work was amazing. He wasn’t shy at all in front of the
large number of people examining his art and listening in on his
explanations. Occasionally a bystander would ask a question, which
Tim would answer with gusto. This was a stark contrast to the
self-depreciative artist who had once kept his paintings locked
away in a garage.

“
There’s one more piece
I’d like to show you,” Tim said. “Something really special to
me.”

Ben was led through the
gallery to a room not intended for the public, and out a door to
the parking lot. Spotting Tim’s car was easy enough. It was the
newest, shiniest car there.

“
Have any idea what sort
of car this is?” Tim asked as he opened a door for Ben.

“
Nope.”

“
Care to know?”

“
Not really.”

Tim chuckled. “It’s a
Bentley. I figured it was the next best thing to the real
deal.”

Ben tried to roll his eyes
but ended up smiling instead.

As they began to drive, Ben
started to feel concerned. As happy as he was to see Tim again and
as irrefutable as his feelings for him were, Ben was still married,
even if only to a ghost in his heart. Going home with Tim tonight
didn’t feel right. It was all too soon, if there would ever be a
right time at all. He was about to ask to be taken back to the
gallery when the car turned into Ben’s subdivision. Could Tim
really know where he lived? He kept silent, not giving any
indication, but still Tim managed to pull into the right
driveway.

“
What are we doing here?”
Ben asked.

“
I wanted to show you a
special painting of mine,” Tim said.

“
You mean the one you gave
me for my birthday,” Ben said, catching on. He couldn’t help but
swoon a little at the romantic notion. “You can’t have it back you
know,” he said in mock seriousness.

Tim merely smiled and
stepped out of the car. “Lead the way,” he said.

Well, at least Tim didn’t
have a key to his house already! Ben led them to the living room
and turned on the light. Samson woke up from his favorite place on
the couch and blinked at them. He was getting on in years and was a
bit raggedy, but he still had a lot of spunk. Ben felt a momentary
surge of guilt and looked over at Jace in his frame. Perhaps this
was a bad idea after all.

“
Jace--” Ben
began.

“
--was a good man,” Tim
continued for him. “The best, in fact. I would never dishonor his
memory and I will never, ever be able to replace him. No one
could.”

Samson meowed, jumped off
the couch, and went straight to Tim. He rubbed up against him
affectionately before doing the same to Ben. He looked at the pair
of them, purred, and hopped back on the couch to continue his
nap.

Maybe it would be
okay.

Ben turned to point out the
painting, but it wasn’t there. Something new hung in its place. In
a way, it was the very same piece of art that Tim had given him all
those years ago, but realized in his new style. Instead of two
hearts, there were now two hands clutching at each other. One was
strong with thick fingers, the digits of the other thin and fair.
Ben raised his own hand in amazement, recognizing the second as his
own. Tim had captured its likeness perfectly.

The hands were bathed in
radiant light, incorporating the exact colors of the old painting.
This was a message perfected, an expression of what Tim felt for
Ben, but this time unhindered by fear and free of uncertainty. Ben
stared at it, feeling as though he had finally heard the words from
Tim that he had so longed for.

Tim reached over and took
Ben’s hand, positioning it in his own so that they matched the
painting. “I love you, Benjamin Bentley,” he said. “I should have
told you that twelve years ago. I’ve always loved you.”

All his doubts, every fear,
even the smallest insecurity inside Ben gave way to the
unstoppable, immutable, uncompromising force that is
love.

“
What now?” Ben
asked.

“
Now we start
over.”

Tim leaned forward for a
kiss, eyes dancing with hope and affection. Ben regarded him for a
moment, seeing only the cocky teenager he had once dared to love,
even though it had always been against the odds. Then Ben closed
his eyes and leaned forward.

And so they began
again.

__________

Also by Jay Bell,
The Cat in the Cradle

Dueling with mad
magicians, battling possessed beasts, and surviving endless hostile
landscapes? Easy. Loving someone you weren't supposed
to?
 
That was
hard.
 

A faceless killer
terrorizes the Five Lands, one set on killing the ten Oligarchs,
masters of elemental magic. It is from this murderer that Dylan,
son of the Blue Oligarch, is forced to flee. Only Tyjinn, a brash
and unpredictable bodyguard, stands between Dylan and certain
death. Rather than play it safe, Tyjinn makes an unusual proposal;
to hunt the hunter. This isn't the only unorthodox idea he puts
forth as an attraction blooms between the two young men. In the
midst of uncountable obstacles and unforgiving odds, can Dylan
really afford to recognize his own feelings?

The Cat in the
Cradle
 is Jay Bell's debut fantasy
novel. The novel takes the reader on an exploration of the Five
Lands and the different realms of the strange and fantastic
Oligarchs. Each Oligarch possesses a different colored loka that
enables them to wield a unique style of magic. Dylan, aided by his
talking cat Kio, must prevent the lokas from falling into the hands
of a power hungry killer before the Five Lands is brought to its
knees. The print version of The Cat in the
Cradle features 25 original illustrations, one for each
chapter.

For more information, please
see:

www.jaybellbooks.com