Loris flattens his palm onto his chest with a look that paints Clare’s cheeks red.
‘I’ll bake it more often if you’re a regular guest.’
‘I wasn’t. I am now.’
She giggles and disappears into a hallway.
Charles rolls his eyes. ‘Don’t you get enough free food already? Do you have to seduce the whole of London?’
‘It’s a life goal, yeah. My god, this place.’
‘I could give you a tour while it’s empty, but my plan wasn’t to share you with pieces of art for more than half an hour.’
‘Valid plan. Take me toSofia. Clare can show me around next time.’
Charles grabs the end of Loris’ scarf and tugs him along towards the staircase.
His excitement and body temperature climb as they do but, soon, Loris slows down in front of the family photos. The display has been rearranged since Charles took down the shot of Fred and Heloise. He hasn’t been questioned about it, which is another proof that Alice is keeping his discoveries and behaviour to herself.
‘This is my brother Fred. Fred, this is Loris. I’m about to kiss him very inappropriately.’
Loris caresses his chin, just as Charles locks eyes with his grandfather’s sullen glare in a photo. This is a new level of exhilaration, so as soon as they reach the landing, he pushes Loris against the wall.
It is an inappropriate kiss given where they’re standing, but it’s gentle compared to what their reunion kisses have been so far – either drunk, anxious or aroused for longer than Charles could bear. Loris is making sure not to rush this one, and Charles completely melts into it. It reminds him of their first kiss in the flat, before it deepened and tilted the axis his world rotated around.
Fortunately, he’s used to Loris’ law of gravity now. He won’t lose his footing.
Charles draws back and pulls down the zip of Loris’ jacket. ‘Take this off.’
‘We’re not going to seeSofiafirst?’
‘We are, but I want you to be as comfortable as possible. Give me your stuff.’
‘Amazing VIP treatment.’ Loris wiggles out of his jacket and runs his fingers through his hair, messing it up more than it was. ‘Do I look good enough for Her?’
‘Good enough for me. This way! Just one thing, don’t touch Her. The alarm is sensitive.’
Loris nods vigorously, his eyes shining with an emotion Charles wishes he could bottle and take a sip of every morning.
He opens the door and toggles the switches. One is connected to the brass chandeliers, the other to the lighting systems around the pieces of art. He makes sure the one aboveSofiahasn’t decided to join the conspiracy against him by malfunctioning today of all days, and he takes a few seconds to enjoy the sight, because She’s never looked this special and precious. He tosses the red jacket onto a velvet bench near the door and removes his own coat without taking his eyes off Loris.
When they talked aboutSofia, Charles conceded that he will never experience again the wonderment of someone seeing Her for the first time. But witnessing Loris’ discovery is just as magical. If Charles weren’t afraid to be intrusive, he would go lean next toSofiain order to face him.
Instead, he stops when Loris does, ten feet away from the painting, his father’s armchair between them.
‘I’m gonna need a moment,’ Loris whispers, blinking hard.
‘Take your time.’
Charles can’t totally comprehend Loris’ reaction. They don’t have the same relationship with theLands,and it would be assumptive to interpret the emotions dancing on his face. Charles is still learning to read him, like a book in a foreign language. He’s yet to decipher his nuances and their true meaning. But the little he can grasp resonates in his soul, and whenever Loris wipes his cheek, Charles is the one blinking hard.
After five minutes of religious silence, Loris outstretches his hand to the side. Charles joins him, entwines their fingers and rests his chin on his shoulder.
‘She’s something, isn’t She?’
‘She’s everything. She’s a flawless mess. I don’t get how Pavel did that. Take the perspective of the old town. It’s wrong, but it’s right. Nothing should work, but everything does. It’s beyond genius.’
‘You’re too technical for me. I just lose myself in the peaceful chaos.’
