I leaned forward and took hold of his hand. “You won’t, Arden. That’s just what Matteo wants you to believe. So that you think you need him. He’s put that poison in your head.”
“I’m an imposter,” he said, ignoring me. “And I’m sick of pretending. I’m not the person you think I am, and I never was. You deserve someone you can bring home to your parents, someone with prospects. A college graduate, at the very least.”
“You really think I’m that shallow?” He didn’t answer, so I continued, “I love you, Arden. Only you. You are the standard in every way. I’ve told you over and over that I would do anything for you, and I mean it. Move in with me. Work your modeling jobs. Whatever money you owe, we’ll figure it out together. You don’t need this bullshit, and you don’t need him.”
“And that’s why I’m ending it,” he said, his face an impenetrable mask.
“No, Arden—”
“I had to make a choice.” He bit his lower lip, still struggling to remain as emotionless as possible. “I chose the money. Ialwayschoose the money. That’s the difference between you and me, and that’s why we willneverwork.” He rose, staring down at me with his eyes shining. Was he holding back tears or was it only a trick of the light? “Goodbye, Michael.”
“Arden.” I stood, tempted to leave without paying. I took a few steps in his direction, but he took off in a sprint. “Fuck,” I shouted and banged the table with both hands.
I stuffed some bills under my empty glass and stalked over to Matteo’s mansion. I pushed the buzzer aggressively, until the people passing by started giving me looks.
“Michael,” Matteo said tiredly.
“I thought we had an agreement,” I said. “Agentlemen’sagreement.”
“And what was that?”
“That you weren’t going to make him choose.”
“I didn’t give him any ultimatums if that’s what you’re insinuating.”
“You’re a fucking liar.”
“As I’ve told you before, Arden does what Arden wants. I’m sorry that whatever you had to offer no longer appeals to him. Arden is fickle that way, but I can assure you that he’ll move on quickly. I’d suggest you do the same.”
“Fuck you,” I yelled into the speaker, earning a withering glare from a rich-looking woman in heels.
“Charming,” was Matteo’s clipped response, and then he clicked off. I’d let him have the last word.
I made a full circle on the sidewalk, light-headed from the heat and my own fury. I needed a place to cool down and someone to vent to. Franco was at work, so I headed to Liam’s apartment.
Liam pouredme a glass of Lambrusco, my old standby, and brought the bottle with him to his balcony. He lived not far from Matteo, just across Central Park in the Upper West Side. His apartment building, one of those classic New York Brownstones, had been in the family for generations, and it had a beautiful view of the Hudson and Riverside Park.
Perhaps I should have held back, but I was distraught and fairly tipsy already. I told Liam about that first john in that seedy hotel room off Route 30, one of Arden’s initial attempts to warn me off him. I told him about our tenuous arrangement, how I’d always wanted more, wantedeverything. I blabbered on about how much I loved him, then onto what had happened last night.
I was on my second glass of wine and nearing the events that had transpired that same morning when Travis appeared in the open doorway, naked save for his tighty-whities. How this grizzled (well-hung) lumberjack had landed in the middle of New York City, I had no idea. He assessed me and the bottle of wine, and then said to Liam, “this looks like it’s going to take a while.”
Liam nodded and placed a comforting hand on my arm.
“I’ll be back for dinner,” he said, then stood there, waiting for something.
He and Liam engaged in a tense stand-off with Liam finally exclaiming, “Oh for fuck’s sake.”
Liam picked his way delicately around the table and chairs and stood on tiptoe to kiss his Goliath goodbye. The man squeezed Liam’s ass with propriety, and I was shocked that Liam allowed it. Travis gave me a deuces hand sign and then left.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company,” I said.
“He’ll be back,” Liam said wryly. “He always comes back.”
“How nice.” Franco was now monogamous, and Liam had a man who couldn’t be spurned by his sharp tongue. I should be happy for them, but I was, pardon the cliché, in the depths of my despair.
“So, Arden met with Matteo this morning,” Liam said, prompting me where I’d left off in the story.
“And he came outside and broke up with me. Right there on the street.”
