Page 135 of String Boys

And for three nights in those weeks, he made it back in time to put on a tuxedo and sit in Seth’s little-used box seat and listen to his man make the music of the gods.

Seth wasn’t “on tour” or “on a graduate program” in Italy—whatever they’d said to him to get him to come, he’d either misunderstood or blatantly lied.

Seth was aheadlinerin Italy. He was their star attraction. His name was on the motherfucking marquee.

Apparently his conductor had bought him three tuxedos and had them dry cleaned—for all Kelly knew it had been part of his contract once the poor man realized Seth could barely dress himself.

But no wonder Seth had the money to send for the entire family.

And seriously, leave it to Seth to eat PB&J for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and save up enough money to fly Kelly’s whole damned family in and out.

Kelly had already started on a letter to thank the conductor. Seth said that was probably a good idea since he’d had to convince the guy he couldn’t sleep with him because he had a boyfriend.

“I thought he was married! With a family!”

“Yeah, but he’s bi, and apparently his wife and lovers are fine with it,” Seth said, shrugging. “I’m not sure if it’s Italy that’s weird or just music people in Italy or maybe these particular music people in Italy. Whatever. He was disappointed, but then I told him about you guys, and he asked if I wanted to invite you over. I offered to rent the place, but he said just to pay the maid, since she was doing groceries and laundry and stuff. So, you know, if you could help remind me to give Rosa a fuckton of money, that would begreat, because she’s a really nice lady, and I don’t want to screw her over.”

Kelly had gaped at him when he’d explained the sitch—as Seth was showing him around, after the last of his performances. The place itself was a marvel of cherry wood and giant wraparound windows, and for a moment, Kelly was sort of depressed.

“It’s pretty and all,” he said, looking out over the ocean. “But, you know, how’re we gonna…?” He didn’t make the time-honored finger-in-the-hole gesture, but he might as well have.

Seth had come up behind him, draping his warm body along Kelly’s back. “Nobody can see us,” he murmured. “See that path down to the ocean?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s private. The only people who should be on that beach are attached to this villa. So, yeah. When your family gets here, we need to be done, but until then….”

Kelly had turned in his arms. “We can fuck like… like….”

“Like Seth and Kelly on holiday, I hope!”

And so they had.

It was Mendocino all over again, with swimming, even though it wasn’t summer yet. They sat on the beach and rubbed lotion all over and ran up to the villa to have sex. Sex actuallyonthe beach sounded great, but they’d learned their lesson in Mendocino. Sand. Everywhere.

They would walk into town and shop and hold hands and then go back for lunch.

And hey—more sex.

Voracious and naked and free.

And talking. No moment was too small. No irritation, no joy. The whole story of Kelly’s birthday came out, and Seth just held him and listened. Seth showed him pictures that he’d held back—a group of friends, male and female.

Another Guthrie stared at him with limpid green eyes and a sort of frustrated sadness.

Kelly looked at Seth’s phone over the dinner table as they sat side by side wearing nothing but robes, and tapped the face, making it bigger. “Do I need to walk away?” he asked, completely serious.

Seth understood what he was asking. “No. He’s kind, but I’ve kept my distance.” The pain he’d worn when talking about Guthrie—who had come out, and written Seth immediately because his father had stopped talking to him—crossed his face. “I… can’t do that again. It hurts.”

Kelly stroked his hand, the bronze-toned skin supple and smooth, because he might forget to eat but he always remembered his cocoa butter. “The stupid thing about living our lives like this is that… that it becomes Kelly’s life and Seth’s life—and it’s onlyourlives for a little while.” Seth turned his palm up, and Kelly laced their fingers together. “Mommy said it would be just until the girls graduate. She said….” He swallowed and smiled hopefully, because he loved his niece too. “She said we could take Chloe with us if we wanted. If you want.”

Seth’s slow smile was all he could ask for. “There’s schools,” he said unexpectedly. “I… you know. Talk about Chloe a lot. Amara said there’s schools back in the Bay Area. So, you and me, we could move there and get her enrolled and….” He bit his lip. “Live together. Do you think we could live together? I mean, it wouldn’t be all sex and vacation like now.”

Kelly smiled through blurry vision. “I would love to be boring on a Friday night with you,” he said. “I would love to work a job, any job, and come home and get Chloe from her special school and take her to see you perform. I would… every way I think of us together, it makes me happy.”

“You’d have to nag me,” Seth said seriously. “I keep ending up living in places where people take care of me. Remember my apartment in Vacaville? I used to forget to take out the garbage and clean the toilet.”

Kelly laughed softly. “Seth, how much money do you make?”