![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogs_of_warI read the numbered novels by Janet Evanovich a while back. They were funny and I could still follow along when I skipped some, although sometimes people changed personalities between books and a security system installed in book 5 never existed by book 8 (this might have been explained, but I didn’t listen to the ones in the middle), but it’s comedy and therefore universally laws are a bit more flexible.
So after finishing off the books the library had I listened to the between the number books which are holidays. I started with Valentine’s Day, then St. Patrick’s, then Christmas. The first two were ok, the male lead was a jerk, but not so offensive that I didn’t finish the story. But in the Christmas one, which was the first chronologically, the jerky male lead (who doesn’t appear in any of the number books I read) was so bad that I don’t even have words to express his jerkitude.
The most egregious thing was even him. It was the running joke that Little People were the butt of. At one point the Jerk picks up a Little Person by the scruff of his neck and threatens him. For laughs. This might have worked if he had been picking on someone his own size, but his target only went up to his waist. That is not funny. At all. No matter what the Little Person did first, the Jerk had no right to throw his weight around.
That scene soured me not just to the story, but to the whole series. Do I really want to read a book by an author who thinks that’s funny?
Title: Keeper of the Keys
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter one hundred forty-one of 145?
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: excitement, friends, love, introductions, tours, joy, someone, all of the above, a production, arm candy, running hot, cold, gallantry, coffee, together
Length: about 2,900 words
Summary: Emil looks pretty. Kurt plays knight. And Peregrine has the time of his life.
Master list
Emil lifted his glass when Peregrine turned his direction. Peregrine grinned as he clapped Mike on the back. Mike jumped, rolled his eyes, and pushed Peregrine away. Peregrine bounced in a circle then ran to the gallery’s front door and opened it for the next group of visitors.
Kurt kissed Emil’s ear. “He’s having fun.”
“Peregrine always does.”
“Mike doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself.”
But Kurt was wrong about that. Freaking out about how successful a showing would be was Mike’s idea of a good time. “He’ll relax after the first hour.”
Kurt touched Emil’s hand. Emil passed over the glass of sparkling white grape juice. When the glass came back into view, it was empty. “I’ll refill it.”
Hannah, Mike’s niece, hurried past with her arms full of bottles. “White or purple?”
Kurt eased her burden and carried them to the buffet table. Hannah moved a few bottles beneath it and opened another. Emil brought up his glass. He wasn’t thirsty, but walking around with a full glass was better than having an empty one.
Hannah was explaining to Kurt what a showing night was like and how often Mike had them and how much fun Mike was having despite currently pulling out his hair. She laughed. “Good thing his hair is so thick.”
Zan bounced up to the table and stuffed a cheese square into her mouth. Hannah threw out her arms and hugged Autumn. “I’m so glad you made it.”
“We wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” Zan picked up another cheese square. “Mike pulling out hair yet?”
Hannah grinned. “Of course.”
“I’m going to go tease him.” Zan ate the cheese and picked up a wine glass.
“Stand in line.” Peregrine trailed his fingers down Emil’s arm as he passed by.
Autumn asked after a boy. Hannah blushed. Emil stepped away from the table. He didn’t want to add to her embarrassment.
Kurt wrapped his arms around Emil. “So we just stand here for the next five hours?”
“And look pretty.”
“Come on.” Zan patted Kurt’s arm. “We’re going to see how many times we appear.”
Autumn spotted Zan right away, in a painting of Willow and Liam. Emil showed up the most, followed by Kurt, which was to be expected. Zan had a good showing as well, seven times to Autumn six, but Autumn was best at spotting people. “That’s you. I’m sure it is.”
Zan frowned. “Me, a soldier boy?”
“We can ask the source?” Kurt rested his chin on Emil’s shoulder. This was the painting of Emil as a WWI soldier being checked out by businessman Kurt.
“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have run of seeking adventure had you lived back then.” Autumn took Zan’s hand. “You would have had a girl in every port.”
“Only if I looked like this.” Zan patted her flat chest.
“But you always looked like that. In here.” Autumn touched her head. Zan bounced into her arms.
Emil backed away to give them privacy. “Where’s Peregrine?”
“Right here.” Peregrine took Emil’s free hand. “I’ve been ignoring you too long. Let me introduce you to some people.”
Peregrine had given him more attention at this showing that at any before, plus Emil had Kurt for company, but he wasn’t going to argue against attentiveness. “Lead the way.”
“Hello again, all.” Peregrine lifted his hand holding Emil’s. “This is my boyfriend Emil and his fiancé Kurt. In other words, my harem.”
The mixed group of people laughed, but they might have laughed at anything he said; he seemed to have all their attention. “As you can see, my men play a prominent role in my paintings.” Peregrine gestured to the paintings behind him, which were mostly the three of them. “But even in paintings where they don’t appear, they are my muses.”
Peregrine lifted Emil’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “Emil is my lover and my friend and the keeper of the keys to our bedroom and I think he’s got those locked up pretty tight now that we’ve added Kurt, so the answers going to be no.”
“Although it never hurts to ask,” said an older woman in the crowd. People laughed at that too.
Peregrine tucked Emil’s arm under his and walked though the gallery talking about each painting with the occasional nod or kiss for Kurt. When they came to the thin hallway, only lined with painting today because when Mike needed one more last minute painting Peregrine sent him seven, Peregrine left Emil with Kurt to make enough room for the paying customers. At the end of the tour, he gave his spiel and then everyone took his card. Three stayed behind to ask Hannah about paintings in the gallery and two more ordered portraits, one for the family dog.
A good haul. Many people stayed to look around, most with phones out. That was good too.
By this time, a whole new group was wandering the gallery. Peregrine did another tour, not forgetting to introduce Emil and Kurt. As Peregrine said something different every time he passed a painting, some people took the tour more than once. Sold signs went up over the title cards. Peregrine grinned and glittered. He was enjoying himself and that joy was infectious. Emil was having a good time just watching him.
--
Kurt leaned against a pillar and held Emil against him. “Is it always like this?”
Emil took a sip from his glass. “This is more people than I expected, but Peregrine will do a tour for a single person who has no intention of buying anything.”
“Do they succeed in not buying something after all that attention?”
“That part doesn’t matter.”
Expending energy for a worthless cause should matter. Unless the cause was fun or good for the person. Maybe practice makes these tours easier. Or Peregrine might simply enjoy doing them. He looked like he was having fun.
Peregrine bounced up. “I’ve got people for you to meet.”
He took Emil’s arm and Kurt’s hand. He stopped by the refreshment table and filled Emil’s glass and then joined the biggest group yet. Weren’t some of these people here earlier?
Peregrine introduced them and then let them go with kisses as the group was so big to start with. Emil walked too fast to the refreshment table. Kurt put a hand on his back. “Ok?”
Emil took a deep breath. “Someone I didn’t want to see.”
“Hello. Kurt?” A well dressed man put out his hand. “Matt McCormick. Peregrine’s done some work for me in the past.”
Kurt shook his hand and made small talk, but Emil was not acting like himself. Maybe he needed some fresh air. How rude would it be to excuse himself and Emil? Kurt didn’t want Peregrine to lose out on work because of him. “Have you been on Peregrine tour of the gallery?”
“I’ll go on the next one.” Matt McCormick nodded toward the group. He turned back and sighed then eyed Kurt up and down. “I see why he ignored my advances.”
He lifted his glass to Emil. “Keeper of the keys? Maybe I should have been nicer to you.”
“Sorry, you aren’t my type.” Emil’s voice was flat. Time to leave even if it was rude.
Matt McCormick opened his mouth. Kurt held up a hand between them. “He’s that kind of keeper. Excuse us.”
He kept his hand against Emil’s back as they went out through the back of the gallery, grabbed their coats, and walked into the cold night air. Emil stepped away and threw his arms around as if he were having a silent argument. Kurt wrapped his arms around him and pulled his close. “He wasn’t very nice.”
“Nice? The jerk. He’s the one that offered Peregrine a nicer studio and a warmer bed right in front of me. The gall.”
Kurt rubbed his lips against Emil’s neck. “No bed is warmer than ours.”
Emil turned and buried his face against Kurt’s shoulder. “I love you.”
This was paradise in the middle of a storm. “I love you too. So does Peregrine. No jerk, or even a nice guy, is going to turn his head.”
“But you are a nice guy.”
Kurt had no excuse for seducing Peregrine while he had a boyfriend and he was more grateful than words could express that Emil was so forgiving. “I don’t deserve you.”
Emil tilted up his head. “Maybe you don’t, but you have me anyway.”
Kurt gave him the kiss he deserved.
A car pulled up nearby and people piled out. The voices sounded familiar, but Emil was much more important.
“Styles!”
Kurt pulled back reluctantly. Emil grinned and turned to the group. “Ezra, Noah, I didn’t know you were coming.”
After hugs all around, Kurt followed Ezra, Zawadzki, and their parents into the gallery. Zawadzki hung back. “Is my uncle here yet?”
“He wasn’t five minutes ago.”
“He’s waiting for a big crowd.”
“Well, now is the time. I’m not sure we’ll all fit.” But they did although getting anywhere specific would be a trial.
Zawadzki’s dad looked around. “What do you think the maximum occupancy of this building is?”
“Over fifty, I hope.” Ezra made a beeline for the refreshments. Fifty was a low estimate. The room was even warmer than before. Kurt removed his coat and stowed it with Emil’s behind Mike’s desk.
“That nice Mr. Jones said our boys are hanging somewhere.” The mothers snaked their way into the crowd.
Ezra’s dad sighed. “Anything interesting going on?”
“Peregrine’s tours are quite entertaining.” Kurt nodded toward where Peregrine stood in a small group. Ezra’s dad was not tall enough to see where Kurt was looking. Kurt wove his way through to Peregrine. “Darling, Zawadzki and family have arrived.”
“Darling?” asked someone in the crowd. “I thought you were dating that Hispanic kid.”
“I am.” Peregrine grinned. “This is Emil fiancé, Kurt, my other boyfriend.”
“Fiancé?”
“I like to keep them together.” Peregrine turned to Kurt. “Where’s Emil? I should introduce him.”
Kurt found Emil and brought him to Peregrine. Peregrine introduced them to everyone, but instead of starting a tour, he took Kurt’s hand. “Lead on.”
The mothers squeezed Peregrine tight and ask after their paintings. Peregrine did his own private tour for the two of them, only stopping at images of their sons. The fathers joined them. A few minutes later Mr. Zawadzki arrived. Peregrine cut off his tour to welcome him.
“Where are my paintings?”
Peregrine shrugged. “You haven’t picked one yet.”
They had to owe Mr. Zawadzki at least two by now.
“I’ll remedy that tonight.” Mr. Zawadzki strode to the desk and confiscated Hannah. “I need a pretty person on my arm.”
She laughed and played along. He would ask after a painting. She would say it was sold or the sale was pending. Not all of them could be sold. The showing wasn’t over until eleven. They meandered though the gallery, talking about every painting they past until they got to the ones of Kurt, Emil, and Peregrine in various shades of undress.
They were gathering a crowd, which gave Peregrine tour more room. He ended his tour beside Mr. Zawadzki. “See anything you like?”
Mr. Zawadzki looked Peregrine up and down. “The paintings are safer, I believe.”
Peregrine burst into laughter. “You are probably right.”
They made a big production about Mr. Zawadzki picking his painting. Several people filmed it. The phone rang. Mike had to leave the group he was talking to in order to answer it as Hannah was busy with Mr. Zawadzki, leaving two of Mike’s nephews to deal with customer’s questions from their station at the refreshment table. Kurt felt for the two wide eyed boys.
He glanced at Hannah, who was presently being arm candy and back at the teenagers. He kissed Emil’s hand and then headed for the counter. He excused the boys and dragged them to Mr. Zawadzki, where he traded them with Hannah. Mr. Zawadzki grinned. “Thanks.”
Hannah took over the counter, with Mike’s help between calls. The boys looked much more comfortable as arm candy.
Emil kissed Kurt’s cheek. ”What did you tell them?”
He nodded to the boys.
“To treat him like a celebrity they got a chance to be photographed next to.”
One of the boys was playing his part as arm candy better than the other, but then the older one might have noticed all those phones out. Then again the younger probably noticed them too. Was he the one Mike said wanted to be in theater?
Mike sighed. “Peregrine needs to move to a different wall. I’ve had seven phone queries for the same painting. We should rehearse this next time.”
It did look like a play. Peregrine was having a blast. Mr. Zawadzki probably was too. Mike gestured his older nephew over and two whispered conversations later, the younger nephew was drawing Mr. Zawadzki’s, and the cameras’, attention to other paintings.
Mike nodded. “I’m going have to hire him.”
Mr. Zawadzki or his nephew? Maybe both.
Hannah pulled out a small pile of clear cards. “Time to mark the sold ones.”
“How are we doing?”
“Considering the state of the economy and that it’s just after Christmas, we are doing great.”
Mike frowned. “Not considering them?”
Hannah shrugged. “Peregrine won’t have done great if he has more than ten percent left over. But he’s running hot tonight, so we might just see that.”
Mike nodded. “Hot, but not volatile. Kurt, man, you wouldn’t believe him some nights. It’s like he’s about to explode.”
Emil leaned against Kurt. “I’ve never seen him that way.”
Mike frowned. “That’s right. You were out of town. Hannah.” He sighed. “She can’t hear me. I’ve got to remember to have her remind me not to let Peregrine come by without Emil. A couple months ago I really thought someone was going to die. I was sure it would be me.”
“Die?” Kurt took a sip of Emil newly filled drink.
“Boom.” Mike mimed a small explosion. “He was walking TNT.”
Dynamite. Hopefully he would be more stable now that the three of them were together.
Zawadzki waved from near the door. Kurt and Emil grabbed their coats and followed him and Ezra out. Ezra shivered. “Too many people.”
“Yeah.” Emil snuggled against Kurt. Kurt wrapped his coat around both of them.
Zawadzki sighed. “Always the noble knight. Some of us have to work hard to keep up.”
He took off his coat and handed it to Ezra. Ezra bit his lip. “You don’t have to.”
“Your jacket is perfect for the gallery and car, but if I let you get cold, I never hear the end of it from either of our mothers.”
Ezra put the coat over his jacket. “Maybe we should just elope.”
“And listen to that,” Zawadzki gestured to the gallery, “for the rest of our lives.”
“I’ll take your mother.” Kurt pointed up the block. “Coffee?”
Mike had some, but Kurt needed some time outside the busy gallery.
“Yes!” Zawadzki took Ezra’s hand. “You can’t possibly want my mother.”
“Does yours show up unannounced and proceed to tell your boyfriend that your relationship will be fleeting, that it’s not natural and that you’re only dating him because you knows she won’t like it?” Emil shoved his hands into his pockets.
“No!” Ezra stopped at the corner. “She didn’t.”
“She did.”
The coffee shop had one empty table. Emil snagged it while Kurt ordered for him. When they all got back to the table, Zawadzki set down his cup. “Spill.”
Emil did. Kurt hadn’t realized his mother was that bad. “And yet you were polite to her the entire evening.”
“Being as rude as she was would have been letting her win.”
“But refilling her coffee…” Ezra shook his head.
“Peregrine was just being polite to a rude degree.”
Zawadzki rested his head on Ezra’s shoulder. “Please don’t fall in love with a Peregrine as well.”
“Me?” Ezra glared at him, but he couldn’t have seen it. “I’m in no danger of falling for anyone else.”
“Well I certain not looking anywhere else. You are everything I ever wanted. More than I knew I needed.”
Ezra smiled and patted Zawadzki’s cheek. “So adorable.”
“I am, aren’t I?”
Emil laughed. “Ezra, I’m afraid you may have already fallen for a Peregrine.”
Zawadzki was as cocky as Peregrine, but he wasn’t as successful. Except maybe when it came to love. Peregrine was so Peregrine that he needed two men to balance him out. “We better get back.”
Kurt stopped at the counter to get Peregrine a cup of black coffee. Emil carried it back to the gallery to keep his hands warm. When they stepped through the gallery door, Peregrine looked their way. “I was just going to text you.”
“Lonely?” Kurt’s hug lifted Peregrine off the floor.
Peregrine kiss was delicious. “Always without you.” He turned to the crowd. “This is Kurt, my boyfriend. And this is Emil, my friend, lover, and the keeper of the keys to my bed and heart. Maybe they keep the keys together.”
Maybe they did.
So after finishing off the books the library had I listened to the between the number books which are holidays. I started with Valentine’s Day, then St. Patrick’s, then Christmas. The first two were ok, the male lead was a jerk, but not so offensive that I didn’t finish the story. But in the Christmas one, which was the first chronologically, the jerky male lead (who doesn’t appear in any of the number books I read) was so bad that I don’t even have words to express his jerkitude.
The most egregious thing was even him. It was the running joke that Little People were the butt of. At one point the Jerk picks up a Little Person by the scruff of his neck and threatens him. For laughs. This might have worked if he had been picking on someone his own size, but his target only went up to his waist. That is not funny. At all. No matter what the Little Person did first, the Jerk had no right to throw his weight around.
That scene soured me not just to the story, but to the whole series. Do I really want to read a book by an author who thinks that’s funny?
Title: Keeper of the Keys
Series: A Balance of Harmonies (Three)
Status: Chapter one hundred forty-one of 145?
Genre: m/m romance, drama, city life, businessmen
Rating: R
Content: excitement, friends, love, introductions, tours, joy, someone, all of the above, a production, arm candy, running hot, cold, gallantry, coffee, together
Length: about 2,900 words
Summary: Emil looks pretty. Kurt plays knight. And Peregrine has the time of his life.
Master list
Emil lifted his glass when Peregrine turned his direction. Peregrine grinned as he clapped Mike on the back. Mike jumped, rolled his eyes, and pushed Peregrine away. Peregrine bounced in a circle then ran to the gallery’s front door and opened it for the next group of visitors.
Kurt kissed Emil’s ear. “He’s having fun.”
“Peregrine always does.”
“Mike doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself.”
But Kurt was wrong about that. Freaking out about how successful a showing would be was Mike’s idea of a good time. “He’ll relax after the first hour.”
Kurt touched Emil’s hand. Emil passed over the glass of sparkling white grape juice. When the glass came back into view, it was empty. “I’ll refill it.”
Hannah, Mike’s niece, hurried past with her arms full of bottles. “White or purple?”
Kurt eased her burden and carried them to the buffet table. Hannah moved a few bottles beneath it and opened another. Emil brought up his glass. He wasn’t thirsty, but walking around with a full glass was better than having an empty one.
Hannah was explaining to Kurt what a showing night was like and how often Mike had them and how much fun Mike was having despite currently pulling out his hair. She laughed. “Good thing his hair is so thick.”
Zan bounced up to the table and stuffed a cheese square into her mouth. Hannah threw out her arms and hugged Autumn. “I’m so glad you made it.”
“We wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” Zan picked up another cheese square. “Mike pulling out hair yet?”
Hannah grinned. “Of course.”
“I’m going to go tease him.” Zan ate the cheese and picked up a wine glass.
“Stand in line.” Peregrine trailed his fingers down Emil’s arm as he passed by.
Autumn asked after a boy. Hannah blushed. Emil stepped away from the table. He didn’t want to add to her embarrassment.
Kurt wrapped his arms around Emil. “So we just stand here for the next five hours?”
“And look pretty.”
“Come on.” Zan patted Kurt’s arm. “We’re going to see how many times we appear.”
Autumn spotted Zan right away, in a painting of Willow and Liam. Emil showed up the most, followed by Kurt, which was to be expected. Zan had a good showing as well, seven times to Autumn six, but Autumn was best at spotting people. “That’s you. I’m sure it is.”
Zan frowned. “Me, a soldier boy?”
“We can ask the source?” Kurt rested his chin on Emil’s shoulder. This was the painting of Emil as a WWI soldier being checked out by businessman Kurt.
“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have run of seeking adventure had you lived back then.” Autumn took Zan’s hand. “You would have had a girl in every port.”
“Only if I looked like this.” Zan patted her flat chest.
“But you always looked like that. In here.” Autumn touched her head. Zan bounced into her arms.
Emil backed away to give them privacy. “Where’s Peregrine?”
“Right here.” Peregrine took Emil’s free hand. “I’ve been ignoring you too long. Let me introduce you to some people.”
Peregrine had given him more attention at this showing that at any before, plus Emil had Kurt for company, but he wasn’t going to argue against attentiveness. “Lead the way.”
“Hello again, all.” Peregrine lifted his hand holding Emil’s. “This is my boyfriend Emil and his fiancé Kurt. In other words, my harem.”
The mixed group of people laughed, but they might have laughed at anything he said; he seemed to have all their attention. “As you can see, my men play a prominent role in my paintings.” Peregrine gestured to the paintings behind him, which were mostly the three of them. “But even in paintings where they don’t appear, they are my muses.”
Peregrine lifted Emil’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “Emil is my lover and my friend and the keeper of the keys to our bedroom and I think he’s got those locked up pretty tight now that we’ve added Kurt, so the answers going to be no.”
“Although it never hurts to ask,” said an older woman in the crowd. People laughed at that too.
Peregrine tucked Emil’s arm under his and walked though the gallery talking about each painting with the occasional nod or kiss for Kurt. When they came to the thin hallway, only lined with painting today because when Mike needed one more last minute painting Peregrine sent him seven, Peregrine left Emil with Kurt to make enough room for the paying customers. At the end of the tour, he gave his spiel and then everyone took his card. Three stayed behind to ask Hannah about paintings in the gallery and two more ordered portraits, one for the family dog.
A good haul. Many people stayed to look around, most with phones out. That was good too.
By this time, a whole new group was wandering the gallery. Peregrine did another tour, not forgetting to introduce Emil and Kurt. As Peregrine said something different every time he passed a painting, some people took the tour more than once. Sold signs went up over the title cards. Peregrine grinned and glittered. He was enjoying himself and that joy was infectious. Emil was having a good time just watching him.
--
Kurt leaned against a pillar and held Emil against him. “Is it always like this?”
Emil took a sip from his glass. “This is more people than I expected, but Peregrine will do a tour for a single person who has no intention of buying anything.”
“Do they succeed in not buying something after all that attention?”
“That part doesn’t matter.”
Expending energy for a worthless cause should matter. Unless the cause was fun or good for the person. Maybe practice makes these tours easier. Or Peregrine might simply enjoy doing them. He looked like he was having fun.
Peregrine bounced up. “I’ve got people for you to meet.”
He took Emil’s arm and Kurt’s hand. He stopped by the refreshment table and filled Emil’s glass and then joined the biggest group yet. Weren’t some of these people here earlier?
Peregrine introduced them and then let them go with kisses as the group was so big to start with. Emil walked too fast to the refreshment table. Kurt put a hand on his back. “Ok?”
Emil took a deep breath. “Someone I didn’t want to see.”
“Hello. Kurt?” A well dressed man put out his hand. “Matt McCormick. Peregrine’s done some work for me in the past.”
Kurt shook his hand and made small talk, but Emil was not acting like himself. Maybe he needed some fresh air. How rude would it be to excuse himself and Emil? Kurt didn’t want Peregrine to lose out on work because of him. “Have you been on Peregrine tour of the gallery?”
“I’ll go on the next one.” Matt McCormick nodded toward the group. He turned back and sighed then eyed Kurt up and down. “I see why he ignored my advances.”
He lifted his glass to Emil. “Keeper of the keys? Maybe I should have been nicer to you.”
“Sorry, you aren’t my type.” Emil’s voice was flat. Time to leave even if it was rude.
Matt McCormick opened his mouth. Kurt held up a hand between them. “He’s that kind of keeper. Excuse us.”
He kept his hand against Emil’s back as they went out through the back of the gallery, grabbed their coats, and walked into the cold night air. Emil stepped away and threw his arms around as if he were having a silent argument. Kurt wrapped his arms around him and pulled his close. “He wasn’t very nice.”
“Nice? The jerk. He’s the one that offered Peregrine a nicer studio and a warmer bed right in front of me. The gall.”
Kurt rubbed his lips against Emil’s neck. “No bed is warmer than ours.”
Emil turned and buried his face against Kurt’s shoulder. “I love you.”
This was paradise in the middle of a storm. “I love you too. So does Peregrine. No jerk, or even a nice guy, is going to turn his head.”
“But you are a nice guy.”
Kurt had no excuse for seducing Peregrine while he had a boyfriend and he was more grateful than words could express that Emil was so forgiving. “I don’t deserve you.”
Emil tilted up his head. “Maybe you don’t, but you have me anyway.”
Kurt gave him the kiss he deserved.
A car pulled up nearby and people piled out. The voices sounded familiar, but Emil was much more important.
“Styles!”
Kurt pulled back reluctantly. Emil grinned and turned to the group. “Ezra, Noah, I didn’t know you were coming.”
After hugs all around, Kurt followed Ezra, Zawadzki, and their parents into the gallery. Zawadzki hung back. “Is my uncle here yet?”
“He wasn’t five minutes ago.”
“He’s waiting for a big crowd.”
“Well, now is the time. I’m not sure we’ll all fit.” But they did although getting anywhere specific would be a trial.
Zawadzki’s dad looked around. “What do you think the maximum occupancy of this building is?”
“Over fifty, I hope.” Ezra made a beeline for the refreshments. Fifty was a low estimate. The room was even warmer than before. Kurt removed his coat and stowed it with Emil’s behind Mike’s desk.
“That nice Mr. Jones said our boys are hanging somewhere.” The mothers snaked their way into the crowd.
Ezra’s dad sighed. “Anything interesting going on?”
“Peregrine’s tours are quite entertaining.” Kurt nodded toward where Peregrine stood in a small group. Ezra’s dad was not tall enough to see where Kurt was looking. Kurt wove his way through to Peregrine. “Darling, Zawadzki and family have arrived.”
“Darling?” asked someone in the crowd. “I thought you were dating that Hispanic kid.”
“I am.” Peregrine grinned. “This is Emil fiancé, Kurt, my other boyfriend.”
“Fiancé?”
“I like to keep them together.” Peregrine turned to Kurt. “Where’s Emil? I should introduce him.”
Kurt found Emil and brought him to Peregrine. Peregrine introduced them to everyone, but instead of starting a tour, he took Kurt’s hand. “Lead on.”
The mothers squeezed Peregrine tight and ask after their paintings. Peregrine did his own private tour for the two of them, only stopping at images of their sons. The fathers joined them. A few minutes later Mr. Zawadzki arrived. Peregrine cut off his tour to welcome him.
“Where are my paintings?”
Peregrine shrugged. “You haven’t picked one yet.”
They had to owe Mr. Zawadzki at least two by now.
“I’ll remedy that tonight.” Mr. Zawadzki strode to the desk and confiscated Hannah. “I need a pretty person on my arm.”
She laughed and played along. He would ask after a painting. She would say it was sold or the sale was pending. Not all of them could be sold. The showing wasn’t over until eleven. They meandered though the gallery, talking about every painting they past until they got to the ones of Kurt, Emil, and Peregrine in various shades of undress.
They were gathering a crowd, which gave Peregrine tour more room. He ended his tour beside Mr. Zawadzki. “See anything you like?”
Mr. Zawadzki looked Peregrine up and down. “The paintings are safer, I believe.”
Peregrine burst into laughter. “You are probably right.”
They made a big production about Mr. Zawadzki picking his painting. Several people filmed it. The phone rang. Mike had to leave the group he was talking to in order to answer it as Hannah was busy with Mr. Zawadzki, leaving two of Mike’s nephews to deal with customer’s questions from their station at the refreshment table. Kurt felt for the two wide eyed boys.
He glanced at Hannah, who was presently being arm candy and back at the teenagers. He kissed Emil’s hand and then headed for the counter. He excused the boys and dragged them to Mr. Zawadzki, where he traded them with Hannah. Mr. Zawadzki grinned. “Thanks.”
Hannah took over the counter, with Mike’s help between calls. The boys looked much more comfortable as arm candy.
Emil kissed Kurt’s cheek. ”What did you tell them?”
He nodded to the boys.
“To treat him like a celebrity they got a chance to be photographed next to.”
One of the boys was playing his part as arm candy better than the other, but then the older one might have noticed all those phones out. Then again the younger probably noticed them too. Was he the one Mike said wanted to be in theater?
Mike sighed. “Peregrine needs to move to a different wall. I’ve had seven phone queries for the same painting. We should rehearse this next time.”
It did look like a play. Peregrine was having a blast. Mr. Zawadzki probably was too. Mike gestured his older nephew over and two whispered conversations later, the younger nephew was drawing Mr. Zawadzki’s, and the cameras’, attention to other paintings.
Mike nodded. “I’m going have to hire him.”
Mr. Zawadzki or his nephew? Maybe both.
Hannah pulled out a small pile of clear cards. “Time to mark the sold ones.”
“How are we doing?”
“Considering the state of the economy and that it’s just after Christmas, we are doing great.”
Mike frowned. “Not considering them?”
Hannah shrugged. “Peregrine won’t have done great if he has more than ten percent left over. But he’s running hot tonight, so we might just see that.”
Mike nodded. “Hot, but not volatile. Kurt, man, you wouldn’t believe him some nights. It’s like he’s about to explode.”
Emil leaned against Kurt. “I’ve never seen him that way.”
Mike frowned. “That’s right. You were out of town. Hannah.” He sighed. “She can’t hear me. I’ve got to remember to have her remind me not to let Peregrine come by without Emil. A couple months ago I really thought someone was going to die. I was sure it would be me.”
“Die?” Kurt took a sip of Emil newly filled drink.
“Boom.” Mike mimed a small explosion. “He was walking TNT.”
Dynamite. Hopefully he would be more stable now that the three of them were together.
Zawadzki waved from near the door. Kurt and Emil grabbed their coats and followed him and Ezra out. Ezra shivered. “Too many people.”
“Yeah.” Emil snuggled against Kurt. Kurt wrapped his coat around both of them.
Zawadzki sighed. “Always the noble knight. Some of us have to work hard to keep up.”
He took off his coat and handed it to Ezra. Ezra bit his lip. “You don’t have to.”
“Your jacket is perfect for the gallery and car, but if I let you get cold, I never hear the end of it from either of our mothers.”
Ezra put the coat over his jacket. “Maybe we should just elope.”
“And listen to that,” Zawadzki gestured to the gallery, “for the rest of our lives.”
“I’ll take your mother.” Kurt pointed up the block. “Coffee?”
Mike had some, but Kurt needed some time outside the busy gallery.
“Yes!” Zawadzki took Ezra’s hand. “You can’t possibly want my mother.”
“Does yours show up unannounced and proceed to tell your boyfriend that your relationship will be fleeting, that it’s not natural and that you’re only dating him because you knows she won’t like it?” Emil shoved his hands into his pockets.
“No!” Ezra stopped at the corner. “She didn’t.”
“She did.”
The coffee shop had one empty table. Emil snagged it while Kurt ordered for him. When they all got back to the table, Zawadzki set down his cup. “Spill.”
Emil did. Kurt hadn’t realized his mother was that bad. “And yet you were polite to her the entire evening.”
“Being as rude as she was would have been letting her win.”
“But refilling her coffee…” Ezra shook his head.
“Peregrine was just being polite to a rude degree.”
Zawadzki rested his head on Ezra’s shoulder. “Please don’t fall in love with a Peregrine as well.”
“Me?” Ezra glared at him, but he couldn’t have seen it. “I’m in no danger of falling for anyone else.”
“Well I certain not looking anywhere else. You are everything I ever wanted. More than I knew I needed.”
Ezra smiled and patted Zawadzki’s cheek. “So adorable.”
“I am, aren’t I?”
Emil laughed. “Ezra, I’m afraid you may have already fallen for a Peregrine.”
Zawadzki was as cocky as Peregrine, but he wasn’t as successful. Except maybe when it came to love. Peregrine was so Peregrine that he needed two men to balance him out. “We better get back.”
Kurt stopped at the counter to get Peregrine a cup of black coffee. Emil carried it back to the gallery to keep his hands warm. When they stepped through the gallery door, Peregrine looked their way. “I was just going to text you.”
“Lonely?” Kurt’s hug lifted Peregrine off the floor.
Peregrine kiss was delicious. “Always without you.” He turned to the crowd. “This is Kurt, my boyfriend. And this is Emil, my friend, lover, and the keeper of the keys to my bed and heart. Maybe they keep the keys together.”
Maybe they did.
