“Don’t know,” Benji admitted. “Guess we just… walk around until we find it.”
They turned a corner into a hall filled with paintings with vines creeping out of the frames. Any other time, Benji would’ve taken a second to admire them. But all he could think of was his own painting hanging somewhere in this maze, gettinglookedat. Just like howhewas getting looked at, all of his classmates were glancing at him and Noah as they edged past.
Noah pulled him closer. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, fuck off,” Benji said automatically. Then he winced. “Sorry. Don’t fuck off. You’re kind of the only thing keeping me from running out.”
Noah rubbed his hip soothingly. “We can leave whenever you want. After I’ve seen what you’ve been hiding from me for weeks.”
“Cool,” Benji squeaked.
They turned another corner. This one led into a room that showed mostly sculptures and a single painting with a mirror inside, reflecting Mr. Jervais scrolling through his phone.
“Turtleneck,” Noah muttered. “Is that him?”
Mr. Jervais looked up right as Benji nodded.
“Benji,” he said. “Glad you came. I’m especially glad you handed in the painting on time. I was starting to worry.”
“All worked out in the end,” Benji tried, hoping his sweat patches weren’t showing through his shirt. “So, what do you think? Do I pass?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.” Mr. Jervais held out a hand toward Noah. “Edmund Jervais. Good to meet you. Your boyfriend is very talented.”
“I know,” Noah said easily.
A shriek distracted Benji from the butterflies that erupted in his stomach at the pride in Noah’s voice. He turned to find Daphne dragging Tia, their arms linked, both of them almost spilling glasses of red wine as they jogged over.
“Hey, you,” Daphne cried, dropping Tia’s arm to grab Benji in a tight hug. “Oh my god, I saw it! It’s so intense! Never seen you do anything like this before, I love it. And Mr. Billionaire,hello, I haven’t seen you since we talked at my birthday for five seconds!"
“Good to see you again,” Noah said, shaking her hand. “You look lovely.”
Benji tore his gaze from the second handshake of the night. Watching Noah shake people’s hands made him all too aware that Noah’s hands were bigger than most people’s, which made him think of Noah’s hands on him, and that distracted him from whatever was going on around him.
“I saw your butterfly papier-mâché,” Benji said. “You really decked it out since I last saw it. It hits a great note between beauty and decay.”
“Oh,I’mdibsing that one.” Tia snaked her arm back through Daphne’s, beaming. “We just saw your work, Benji. I bet Noah will snap that one right up.”
Benji laughed nervously, eyeing the drinks in their hands. “Where did you guys get that wine? We can’t find drinks in this maze.”
Tia turned and pointed. “Three lefts! If you hit the nightmare hall made of old coats, you’ve gone too far. Oh!” She grabbed Noah’s sleeve. “We were just talking to Mrs. Presley. She’s back there, admiring your boy’s painting.”
Noah asked, “And where would we find her?”
Both girls pointed behind them.
“Right around the corner,” they chorused. Then Daphne gasped and started pulling Tia toward a girl Benji vaguely recognized from pottery class who was waving across the room with a feather boa.
Noah turned to Benji, smiling. “Let’s go.”
He pulled Benji toward the hall they pointed at.
Benji resisted, untangling Noah’s arm from his waist. “I’m going to get us drinks, actually. What do you want?”
Noah raised his eyebrows. “Any reason why this is a solo trip?”
“No,” Benji said, too fast. “You can go. Look at the painting. Without me.”
Noah’s eyes narrowed. “Are you worried how I’ll react?”
