The pool water was cool.Sasha had discovered that, if he cameout here straight after Laurie had left for work, half an hour'sshade would still be resting on the courtyard.Diving in then wouldknock a pleasant breath out of his lungs.Sasha had established akind of routine over this last week.He'd swim until he wasphysically exhausted, then go inside and work on his essays andresearch until his vision blurred with fatigue.Once he'd tried tofix some dinner in the kitchen, the slow-cooked Romanianghiveci Laurie loved, buthad so upset Mrs Alvarez with the implied insult to her powers thathe'd had to back out, apologising.She was a nice woman but she hadno time to talk, and Sasha had only succeeded in embarrassing herwith his efforts at conversational Spanish.That was okay.He hadenough to fill his days, if he paced himself carefully.Soon hewould overcome his street-dweller's horror at the thought ofblowing nearly eighty dollars on cab fare—Laurie had left fivetimes that amount in his wallet, warning him jokingly that DevlinSteele's other half had better not be seen on the bus—and givehimself a day in Los Angeles.Normally he couldn't wait to unpackthe treasures of a new city, would drag Laurie round from museum tocultural attraction until he begged for mercy.It ought to beeasier, more fun, if he was on his own.
Itwouldn't.It would be flat, meaningless, boring.Sasha completedhis quota of lengths and scrambled out of the pool.He towelledhimself down vigorously, trying to blot the unwanted thoughts awaytoo.He had no right to them.Laurie had come home exactly onschedule every night since that first one, stone-cold sober andsweetly attentive.He blamed himself for Libby Palermo's sackingand was having a tough time of it on set, between boredom and hishostile co-stars.When Sasha suggested he pack it all in, herecoiled nervily: no, he wouldn't leave.This was it, hislifetime's chance, and he had to ride it as far as it wouldgo.
Sasha'sflesh was still reverberant with their collisions of the nightbefore.Whatever fervour was possessing him, Laurie was taking itinto to the bedroom with him.Last night he had driven himself andSasha to exhaustion's brink before he'd been able to come anddeliver them both: once more, Sasha had no complaints, but it wasstrange to him.Laurie was a courteous lover, an increasinglycontrolled one with the passage of time.Still, he seldom held offa second longer than manners demanded, his buoyant natural energiesthrowing him hard and fast to the peak...
The jacaranda rustled.Just for a second, Sasha didn't lookup.He knew that when he did, Mateo would be standing there, inalmost exactly the same spot where Sasha had first seen him.Atleast this time Sasha was wearing his trunks—although these werethe ones Laurie had bought him, and reflecting that he might bebetter off frankly naked, he gathered up his towel and tucked itround his waist.“Buenos dias.”
“Buenos dias.”
“You took a chance in coming back here.Why?”
“Because I never was wrong before, about a man and hisface.”
NowSasha did look.Mateo was only a few feet away from him, so much apart of the sunlight and shadows that he might have been there allthe time.That was part of his talent, Sasha supposed, the reasonhe'd stayed under the radar as long as he had.Today he was wearinga khaki T-shirt as well as his cut-off jeans.In all his time withLaurie, not only had Sasha never glanced at another boy, he hadnever permitted one to glance at him.Not in that way, anyway.Hewas off the market.“Thank you.But you ought to take morecare.”
“It wasn't just your face, if I speak truly.I laid low.Fourdays passed, and no-one came from immigration to drag me home.”Hebeamed, cracking the moment's solemnity.“So, you see.I ampractical.How is your head?You have a bruise.”
Did he?It must be right in the hairline, or Laurie would have noticed.Probing with his fingers, Sasha found the tender place.“It's fine.So, have you come back to pick leaves out of the pool,or...”
“No.To let you finish what you were saying, about where youwork and what you do.And...to ask you something too.”
Sasha swallowed nervously.The boy was taking him in withwarm-eyed appreciation.“You'd better do the asking first, ifthat's okay.”Then I can say no and get itout of the way.“It's justthat...”
“Are you all right here?You're not being held against yourwill?”
Sashalost a breath.Then he burst out laughing—at himself, his ego, atthe Hollywood atmosphere that could possibly have induced such afear.“What?Of course I'm not.My boyfriend's working in LA,that's all, and I don't have a job yet, so I'm at home.”
“All right.Good.”
“What on earth made you think that?”
Mateohesitated.“I will show you.Are you good at climbing?”
Sashawas very good.He'd climbed over detainment-centre walls, up thesides of container ships, into and out of rubbish skips.He didn'twant to think about any of that.Nevertheless the skills werethere, and when Mateo held back the foliage from a low branch ofthe jacaranda, he took hold of it.
“That will catch.”
“What will?”
“Your towel.Better leave it behind.”Before Sasha could react,Mateo had reached out and tugged the knot undone.“There.Now,apart from the colour of your Speedos, you can blend in too.Yourskin is like mine, only...as if someone threw a handful of dustover your brown.Look.”
He heldout an arm.Reluctantly Sasha extended his own.Yes, it was likehoney beside sandstone, a New World sunshine tan beside the shadeof old Europe.They were both well-camouflaged animals.Sashawithdrew.He had no business comparing skin tones with the poolboy, let alone climbing up trees in his own yard.“You know, I dolive here.We can go around the front for you to show me whateverthis is.”
“This way is easier.Go on.”
The barkwas smooth and slightly damp from the overnight dew.Sasha slipped,and caught himself with a catlike movement that made Mateo laugh.Swathes of blossom swung into Sasha's face.Their perfume washeady, and by the time he reached the top he was laughing too, achildish chuckle of pleasure at the game.He stopped himselfsternly.“Well?What am I meant to be looking at?”
“Can you see over the wall now?”
“Yes.”
“Wait.I will come up and join you.”
Sashawasn't sure the branches would hold both of them, but Mateoscrambled up quickly as a lynx, for all his solid muscle.He took acautious look around, then leaned his shoulder close to Sasha's.“How does it feel to be up here?”
“I feel like an idiot.God help me ifthe gardener turns up early.”
“But look at the view.”
