Garland brightened. “In that case, Bradley, I hate to put you on the spot, but may I ask a favor?”
“Of course!”
“Matt’s boyfriend, Adam, is a client of mine. In a couple of weeks, probablyat the end of this month, I’m going to need Adam to come to town for a long weekend. I have a feeling we’ll be wrapping up his case. I’ll need him to read and sign the agreement, be available for consult about any last-minute issues.”
“Yay!” said Bradley. “What’s the favor?”
“Can Adam stay with you and Nicholas? Maybe entertain an overnight guest?” Garland winked. “I can’t afford having these boys being spotted at a hotel—or worse, in a public setting—doing filthy, abominable things to each other.”
Bradley broke into a wide smile. “I can do better than that! I’ve been pestering Nicholas to take me to Eureka Springs for a while now, and this will give us the perfect excuse! The boys can housesit while we’re gone.”
The pillowy, L-shaped sofa was as deep as a twin bed and twice as long. Matt and the rest of the GM snuggled there, jumbled like puppies. Given the hour, the alcohol quantities already consumed, and the fact that this was a group of intimately acquainted guys who planned to crash there anyway, most had stripped down to their undies.
They were in the basement den at Nicholas’s and Bradley’s house, watching Jay Leno’s opening monologue on a big-screen TV. The “adults” (Nicholas, Bradley, and Garland) sat behind them in recliners.
“Matthew, dahling,” William drawled, “when was the last time you trimmed your toenails? They’re like paring knives!”
“Sssshhh!” said Todd. “I’m trying to listen!”
Matt teased his big toe near William’s scrotum.
William whined. “Matthew! Stop! You might geld me with that talon!”
“Will you two get a room already?” said Evan, who was combing his fingers through Luke’s fine hair.
“No fair! Handshake Rule!”
“Did someone fart?”
“Is it just me, or is Leno’s chin in a separate time zone than the rest of his head?”
“Have another drink, Sue Ellen!”
Robert grabbed the TV remote and cranked up the volume.
“And now, ladies and gentlemen,” said Leno, “our first guest is new to television. She comes to us all the way from Texas by way of the Oklahoma County jail.”
Polite,confused applause.
“That poor state has had more than its share of bad news lately and I’m not talking about the bombing or tornadoes. There’s a small college there. You might have heard of it: Midwest Christian University? Apparently, this place decided that since they can’t compete with Sooner football, they’ll go for the title of ‘Meanest Place on the Planet.’”
“No kidding,” Leno continued. “Remember that whole ‘Team Debbie’ thing where that lady got fired—right before Christmas—just for being divorced?”
Boos from the audience.
“Now that school is in the news again! Have you seen this?” Molly’s photo of Colton and Bella outside Oklahoma City police headquarters flashed on the screen.
Matt remembered. He’d been at Molly’s side while she snapped away, capturing the infamous scene for posterity.
The focal point of the photo was Colton’s Colgate smile juxtaposed against Bella’s outrage.
Then, as the eye took in more detail, the contrast became more jarring. Colton was naked, although the photo stopped at his midriff. He was handcuffed. A blurry cop was behind him, guiding him.
The screaming lady was a man. Her wig was askew. Her dress was torn. She, too, was handcuffed. Her cop was not kind.
And you knew—just knew instinctively—that the angry lady was the victim and the privileged frat boy with perfect teeth and a lantern jaw, the guy being coddled by the cops, was the perpetrator.
“Get this,” Leno said, “the naked guy was the president of the college’s student government!”
