Page 68 of Something Like Forever

“Why didn’t you just textme the link?”

“Because you need to seeit on a real monitor, not your tiny little phone.”

“Give me a second,” Bensaid with a yawn. “It’s still early.”

“Oh right. Have you evenshowered yet?”

“Nope. I’mstinky.”

This didn’t deter Tim inthe slightest. It never did. “Are you in your bathrobe?”

“No.”

Tim gasped theatrically. “Are younaked?”

“Nope.”

“Then what are youwearing?”

Ben glanced down at blackcotton that was tailored a size too large for him. “Abathrobe.”

“But yousaid— Awww! You’re inmybathrobe?”

“Shut up,” Ben said with alaugh. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Timsaid. “You have no idea. Or I guess you do. This sucks for usboth.”

True, but Ben suspected hehad it worse. Tim was in a new country surrounded by all sorts ofdistractions, and from all accounts, constantly busy. Ben was stillin his regular routine. He had traded theater work for school, butit wasn’t his first time on that particular campus. After a fewweeks of being on edge, college felt routine again. That meant hehad plenty of opportunities to mope around and feel sorry forhimself, even though he had resisted doing so. Mostly.

“Got it!” he said, openingthe email and clicking the link.

A YouTube video loaded andshowed a peppy Japanese girl standing outside some kind ofbusiness. Ben didn’t notice which at first, since he was distractedby her grasshopper getup. At least he thought that’s what she wasgoing for. Only when she went inside did he examine hersurroundings.

“That’s the selfiestudio!” he said.

“Pretty cool,huh?”

Getting to see the studiowas fun, but Tim had oversold the importance of this email, urgingBen to abandon his breakfast and go upstairs to the office so hecould use the full-size computer. Unless there was more to thevideo. As he continued watching, the girl noticed the gift shop andsquealed excitedly. Ben could relate, since he often had the samereaction. Just not quite as openly. The shop offered cameraequipment, which she seemed really into. Then she reached some sortof display. A monitor was playing a video, and when she focused inon it…

“Hey! That’s you! You’refamous!”

“Not quite,” Timchuckled.

Ben watched as the girlput her face next to the monitor and made kissing noises, like shewas smooching Tim. Another reaction they had in common.

“That’s really funny,” Bensaid. “Why is that even there?”

“To promote the newgallery,” Tim said. “For the record, I’m totally embarrassed byit.”

The Japanese girl wanderedaway to check out the studio. Ben let the video play, turning thevolume down so they could still talk. “How’s that going? Have youmade much progress?”

“Found a place,” Tim said.“A gnarly old restaurant, but I think I can make it work. I’ve beenin my hotel room all day drafting the proposal. I’m lonely as hell,but I work better this way, so I gave Corey the day off.Unofficially. His agency thinks he’s still on the clock. Hey, didyou get that funny photo I sent? You didn’t reply.”

“Suredid,” Ben said, minimizing the window and double-clicking a file.The image in question opened up. Tim was dressed as the guyfromPokémon, his arm cocked back and ready to throw a ball. Next to himwas Corey, whose fists were clenched in excitement, like hecouldn’t wait to be caught. That’s how the photo had arrived. Benhad copied and pasted his own face over Corey’s last night. “I madea few adjustments. I’ll send it back when we’re off thephone.”

“Oh. Hey, how far along isthe video?”

Ben opened that windowagain. “Looks like a montage of that girl doing selfies. Who isshe, anyway?”