When he strolled into the living room he turnedaround and walked right back out.
“Phillip is going to have a fit when he seesRyan's apartment. He's somewhat of a clean freak,” Mark wassaying.
“It's a pig sty,” Brendon agreed.
“Doesn't look that bad to me,” Patrickoffered.
“That's because you both have the samedecorator.” Mark rolled his eyes.
“Hell.” Kenneth sighed.
Ryan heard the sound of shit being thrown outonto his patio; Mark grumbling that he’d just made an observation;and Patrick telling Mark to get his ass in gear. They had fifteenminutes before Phillip got there.
Ryan sighed for the millionth time and walkedback into the room. “Alright, knock it off. If he doesn't want tosee me because of my lack of housekeeping skills, then sowhat?”
“Dude, you have spent the last five years piningafter the guy,” Brendon argued.
“Yeah, and asking me to ask Mark how he wasdoing,” Patrick reminded him.
“You always sigh when his name is mentioned,”Kenneth added.
“I never asked you to ask Mark how he wasdoing,” Ryan rebutted, glaring at Patrick.
“Not in so many words. But, dude when you ask'So how is Grabowski doing?' I figure you want to know, so I’d askMark,” Patrick said, grinning. “And you were bitchy when you foundout Phillip came to visit Mark while we were at Lewis.”
“Yup, I remember that,” Mark agreed. All fourmen smirked at Ryan.
“I really hate you all,” Ryan bitched. There wasa hard knock on his door and he looked at it like it was a snake.He was fucking nervous as a sixteen-year-old chick waiting for herprom date. He wouldn't have been except he had three daddies whohad to make sure he was perfect.
“Wait. No cologne!” Brendon exclaimed and joggedback into the bathroom. He came back out and spritzed Ryan, whocoughed.
“You got it in my mouth, dude!”
“Shut up.”
There was another loud knock and Mark made adisgusted sound. He went to the door and opened it.
“Sorry, Phillip. The girls weren't ready,” hesaid, grinning.
The tall man walked into the room. Ryan blinkedand felt his world tilt. Phillip was wearing a pair of tight grayslacks. He had on a soft-pink button-up shirt. Only Phillip couldwear pink and make it look manly. He had also had a haircut. God helooked like sex on a popsicle - the sort that you would want to putin your mouth and suck on it until it was drained dry.
Kenneth, Brendon and Patrick stood backsmiling.
Ryan looked at Phillip through his girlisheyelashes. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself,” Phillip replied. His voice washuskier than normal and Ryan was suddenly thankful for the extrememakeover his friends put him through. “So we ready?”
“Now wait a second--” Kenneth butted in.
“Yeah, we haven't asked you the questions yet,”Brendon finished for Kenneth.
“Yeah, like what are your intentions toward ourlittle Ryan,” Patrick added, smirking.
“What do you do for a living?” Brendonadded.
“Can you support Ryan's shoe fetish?” Kenneththrew his question in the ring too.
“I don't know them.” Ryan said. “They arecomplete strangers.”
