Athena: Well I’m at Gabriel and Joel’s so come here for lunch, loser.
Donny: I’m covered in cat hair.
Donny hadn’t forgotten that Athena’s best friend was ridiculously allergic to cats.
Athena: It’s fine. Gabriel got him some Benadryl. Just lint roll. He’ll survive.
Donny: Fine. Send me the address.
Donny remembered that Gabriel lived in Beverly Hills so he headed that way, and keyed Gabriel’s address in once Athena sent it. After he parked, he obediently lint-rolled himself with the roller Athena kept in his car, then rode the elevator up to Gabriel’s penthouse.
Joel opened the door, his hair tousled but his smile large.
“Donny, hey. Good to see you.”
“You too, man.”
Joel led Donny inside the penthouse. “How did that date with Davis go?”
Donny barked out a laugh, “You dodged a bullet, dude. That guy is a shitbag, for sure.”
“Who’s a shitbag?” Gabriel’s voice chimed in from the kitchen as Joel and Donny rounded the corner.
“Davis,” Joel supplied, walking up to Gabriel and sliding his arms around his boyfriend’s waist and giving him a visible squeeze. Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, and he hummed a noise that sounded equal parts contemplative and predatory.
“Hey, Gabriel,” Donny said. “Good to see you again.”
“You too, Donny. Did you figure out whatever you needed?” Gabriel appraised him, and Donny squinted his eyes in return.
Donny hadn’t been polite the last time he’d been here for dinner, and he felt his trepidation had been well served at the time. From what Athena told him, things with Gabriel and Joel were tentative, and while he didn’t know Joelthatwell, he was his sister’s best friend and that had weight.
Donny nodded. “Yeah, I think I’m good.”
Gabriel’s lip quirked up into a smile, and he offered Donny a perfunctory nod in return.
Athena was in the kitchen with four plates in front of her, assembling sandwiches.
“Look at my big sister, all domestic,” Donny laughed, grabbing a slice of tomato from the cutting board. Athena swatted at his hand and glared at him.
“I’ll domesticate you,” she said to him.
“What does that even mean? That sounds a little too kinky, Athena. Youaremy sister.” Donny grabbed another tomato and turned toward Gabriel and Joel. “Can I use your bathroom?”
“It’s down the hall on the left,” Joel supplied, pointing over his shoulder.
“Thanks.”
Donny headed that way and was stopped in his tracks before he could reach the bathroom. The main area of Gabriel’s penthouse was modern and clean; there wasn’t much decoration to be seen, but he had about half a dozen pieces of art in the hallway and they were unbelievable.
Donny pressed his back against the wall so he could get a full view of the first canvas framed in a simple black metal frame that hung right before the door to the bathroom. It was beautiful. Obviously, it was beautiful. That was an understatement. It had stopped Donny in his tracks. It was meant to be a sunset— the canvas decorated with vibrant purples and pinks and oranges from corner to corner. It was abstract, but Donny could immediately tell what it was, and it took his breath away.
He turned to look at two on the other wall. They were obviously by the same artist with vibrant colors spread from corner to corner. There wasn’t a hint of white to be seen. All sunsets, but Donny knew this was a winter sunset. It had blues and purples with a flash of green through the middle.
Donny leaned closer, trying to find an artist signature so he could go home and google the guy.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Gabriel’s voice in his ear ripped him out of his trance-like fascination with the art. “Are you an artist?” he added on.
“I mean, I like to think I could be. But nothing like this. They’re breathtaking.” Donny reached a hand toward the canvas.
