“No, sweetness, it’s in the Caribbean, that chain of islands in the Atlantic Ocean,” he says. “It shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.”
“Ah, I thought it was by Costa Rica.”
He pats my leg. “Don’t worry, darling. You’ll learn about these places when we travel there to visit. Let’s just work on navigating SoCal for now.”
Cassius asks Lucia about work, and they chat about a contract Lucia just landed for a new development on South Broadway. Dealing with all that paperwork sounds hella boring, but some people like that sort of thing. Lucia says to me, “They’re going to be very affordable units. Subsidized housing for struggling artists and actors, awarded by a lottery system. I could put your name down.”
I hadn’t really considered leaving Cassius’s home. I like living with him and being his cock attendant and cumslut. I can use his home gym whenever I want, which means I’m getting much closer to my target weight. My social media accounts are blowing up, and I still have a lot to learn about the ways of the rich and famous. Besides, I just like being with him. He’s fun and exciting, unlike anyone I’ve ever known before. Before I can answer, Cassius lays his hand over mine and says to Lucia, “Why are you trying to break up this happy home?”
Lucia smiles like she got what she came for, and I feel better too hearing Cassius say it out loud. He doesn’t just tolerate me because he’s bored, hewantsme. She gestures with her vape pen at our hands now interlocking. “I didn’t realize this was a thing.”
“Of course, it’s a thing,” Cassius says, then turns to me. “Tell her it’s a thing.”
“It’s a thing,” I say with a silly, lovesick smile.
“Well, what kind of thing?” she asks with one eyebrow raised. Vapor seeps out of her mouth like a sexy dragon.
“It’s definitely a gay thing,” I tell her.
“Yes, very homosexual,” Cassius agrees. Does Lucia know about Cassius’s kinks? She must. They share everything.
“So, are you boyfriends?”
“Ugh, Luciana, you know how I detest that term. It’s so juvenile,” Cassius says. “Yes, we’re boyfriends in the sense that we are adult male lovers. What more do you need to know?”
She shrugs. “I was just asking because there are a few people who’ve seen the pictures of Adam and me from Elliot’s house, and they’re interested.”
“Interested in what?” Cassius demands hotly.
“They want to know if Adam’s available.” She stares pointedly at Cassius rather than me, like she knows he’s the one who calls the shots. “So, is he?” she persists.
“Absolutely not.” Cassius glares at me like I was the one who suggested it, then turns back to Lucia. “Tell your thirsty, cock-starved friends to fuck off and find their own helpless himbos. This one’s taken.”
He squeezes my hand, and I can’t help but smile throughout the rest of our brunch. My boyfriend is so sweet.
* * *
Only Elliot is unconvinced.I’ve been dodging his calls for weeks, giving him brief text updates. Elliot hates Cassius—I still don’t know the full story of what went down between them—but whatever his reasons, I really don’t want to invite that sort of negative energy into my life. See, I’m even learning to speak Californian!
But he won’t leave me alone, so I agree to meet up with him for coffee in downtown L.A. Cassius has some errands to run and says he’ll pick me up later. When I first enter the café, Elliot embraces me and checks me all over as if to make sure Cassius hasn’t broken any of my bones.
“I’m fine, Elliot. I told you.”
“Are you fucking him then?” Elliot asks when I return to the table with my coffee. His concern for me has morphed into scorn.
I collapse into the chair across from him. “I don’t want to talk about Cassius with you. I know you don’t like him, and that’s fine, but yeah, we’re a thing.”
“A thing?”
“Yes, a thing. Forget about him. Tell me what’s new with you. Did you sell any pieces from your show?”
“Only that one of you. Anonymous buyer. I was able to pay rent this month, thank God. By the way, I was wondering if you’d like to pose for me again.”
I wouldn’t mind doing it, but I should probably check with Cassius first. He could tell me whether it’s a smart move, career-wise. “I’ll have to get back to you,” I tell Elliot.
“Why?”
“I have to check my schedule.”
