Winter Oranges (22 page)

For a moment, Jason could only stand there, stunned to find Dylan on his front porch.

“Who is it?” Ben asked from behind him.

“Dylan.”

“Yes?” Dylan said in confusion.

Not a great start to what he was sure would be a comedy of errors, speaking to Ben even though Dylan couldn’t see or hear him. “What are you doing here?” Jason asked, too discombobulated to come up with anything subtler.

“I came to see you, dummy. Are you going to open the door, or do you intend to make me stand outside on the porch all afternoon?”

“No. No, of course not.” Jason opened the door the rest of the way, stepping back to allow Dylan inside. “You surprised me. I wasn’t expecting company.

“I kind of figured that out.” Dylan closed the door and glanced pointedly at the tent in Jason’s pants and smiled. “Looks like I came at a good time though.”

“What? Oh God. No.” Jason pulled his shirt down again, trying to hide his waning erection. “I was just— I was—” He had no idea how to finish the sentence. He couldn’t mention Ben, who stood at the end of the hall, glowering glumly at them both. Jason’s only real option as far as explaining away his embarrassing predicament was to say he’d been watching porn or masturbating. He opted instead to change the subject. “What are you doing here?” he asked again.

“Didn’t I already answer that?”

“Uh—”

“I was on my way home from Thanksgiving with my folks back in Michigan, but I don’t have to be back in LA until Wednesday morning, so I thought I’d stop in and see how you’re doing.” He smiled broadly at Jason. “So? How are you doing?”

“I’m good.”

“No more scenes at Best Buy?”

Jason sighed. “I’m telling you, I never—”

Dylan laughed and stepped forward to plant a quick kiss on Jason’s lips, silencing him. At the other end of the hall, Ben popped out of sight. “I know,” Dylan said. “I never believed it in the first place.” He stepped back and glanced down at Jason’s hand. “What’s this?” He indicated the snow globe, which Jason had forgotten he was holding.

“Just something I found in the house.” It was mostly true, and yet he was glad Ben hadn’t been there to hear him say it. It felt like a betrayal. It would have been even worse with Ben there. He set the snow globe on the table in the hallway. “I’d offer you a beer, but I don’t have any.”

“Figures.”

“You want a cup of coffee?”

“If that’s the best you can do.”

Jason led the way into the kitchen, keenly aware of the fact that he was leaving Ben behind. Granted, Ben hadn’t reappeared yet, but Jason was used to taking the globe with him anytime he wandered around the house. How could he possibly explain that to Dylan though?

“Have you talked to Natalie?” Dylan asked.

“About
Summer Camp Nightmare 4
, you mean?”

“Yeah. Are you in?”

Jason thought about it as he slid a mug into place and turned on the coffee maker. “I don’t know.”

“Did you read the script like you promised?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“That was only yesterday.”

Dylan shrugged. “I think you should do it.”

Jason sighed and focused on brewing the second cup. “Is that why you stopped by? To talk me into taking the part?”

“No.” But he sounded confused. “I just wanted to see you. Is that all right?”

“Of course.” But he didn’t meet Dylan’s eyes as he held a mug toward him. “Here you go.”

Dylan took it, and Jason shrank a bit under the scrutiny of his gaze. Dylan’s usually cocky, flirtatious smile turned into an uncertain frown. It was an expression that seemed utterly foreign on his face. “I guess I should have called, but—well fuck, Jase. I sound like an arrogant prick saying it, but I assumed you’d be happy to see me.”

Jason winced. After all, it wasn’t Dylan’s fault. For ten years now, they’d played this game, Jason waiting quietly and Dylan showing up whenever the urge struck. Never once had he not been thrilled to find Dylan at his door. It wasn’t Dylan’s fault everything had changed. And it wasn’t Jason’s fault that he had no logical way to explain it.

“I
am
glad to see you,” he said. And it wasn’t totally a lie. “You surprised me, that’s all.”

Dylan set his coffee aside and held out his hand, and Jason went to him, letting Dylan pull him into his arms. It felt good. Maybe not in the way it once had, but Dylan was still the best friend he had. He gladly returned the embrace.

“I
am
glad to see you,” he said again, meaning it even more this time. He kissed Dylan on the cheek and pulled away. “I guess I’ve gotten used to being alone.”

“You’ve always been used to that. I don’t know how you keep from going crazy.”

Jason took his own mug of coffee and led Dylan into the dining room. Ben had reappeared. With the globe in the hallway, he couldn’t get past the doorway, but he stood just outside it, clutching his arms across his chest. He wasn’t angry anymore. Now he looked nothing less than heartbroken. It was like a punch in the gut seeing the anguished expression on his face.

“Please don’t worry,” Jason said to him.

“About what?” Dylan asked.

“Ummm . . .” What had he and Dylan been talking about? “About me going crazy,” Jason said, trying to make it sound like a joke. But he made sure he met Ben’s eyes, so Ben knew he was talking to him. “I love it here. Really.”

It was all in vain. Ben wasn’t appeased, and when Jason set his coffee aside and turned to face Dylan, he could tell his oldest friend wasn’t convinced. And worst of all, Jason still saw no graceful way out of his awkward predicament.

“What did you do for Thanksgiving?” Dylan asked him.

“I stayed here.”

“Alone?”

Jason debated. He wanted to say he’d spent the day with a friend, but that would lead to questions he wasn’t able to answer.

“Jason?” Dylan asked, narrowing his eyes when no answer was forthcoming. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Why?”

“Honestly? You look like shit.”

“Awesome. I’m glad you could stop in to tell me that.”

“I’m serious.” Dylan stepped closer and put the back of his fingers against Jason’s forehead, then his cheek. “No fever, but you’re white as a ghost. Your eyes are red.” He touched Jason’s damp hair. “Just showered, by the looks of it. Haven’t shaved in a couple of days at least.” He shook his head, his brow wrinkling in concern. “This isn’t like you. Are you feeling okay?”

“No,” Jason said, latching on to the easy excuse. “I think I’m coming down with a cold or something.” Given how shitty he’d felt upon waking, it might even have been the truth. “I slept most of the morning. Woke up with a killer headache. I’m not exactly fit for company, at the moment. I’m sorry.”

Dylan frowned at him, his fingertips lingering on Jason’s cheek. “When was the last time you ate anything?”

“I had some toast about an hour ago.”

“Besides that?”

Jason thought about it. It was surprising to realize how long it had been. “Sometime yesterday afternoon, I guess.”

Dylan nodded, as if that explained everything. “Okay. I want you to go upstairs and get dressed.”

“Why?”

“Because you need food and I can’t cook worth a damn. You probably don’t have anything worth eating in your kitchen anyway. And frankly, I think a bit of sunshine will do you good.”

“You want to go out?”

“Yes, Captain Obvious. That’s my plan.”

“What if somebody recognizes us?”

“You know, most people who become actors
like
the idea of being recognized when they go out in public.”

“Most people don’t end up on the cover of
StarWatch
every time they turn around.”

“Has it ever occurred to you that you only make things worse by hiding yourself away like some kind of crazy hermit?”

“So, what? My private life should be everybody’s business now?”

“I’m not saying you need to make a damn spectacle of yourself every time you go out. But being this afraid of a bit of press?” He shook his head. “It isn’t healthy, Jase. And it only invites speculation.”

“Fine,” Jason grumbled. “I’ll go. As long as you promise not to lecture me all night.”

“I promise.” Dylan took a pill bottle out of his coat pocket. He always had one with him, filled with a combination of God only knew what. He shook a few pills into his hand, then selected two, which he handed to Jason. “Take those. They’ll help. And don’t roll your eyes at me like that. They’re only Valium. They’ll take the edge off your anxiety, that’s all.”

Jason stared down at the two tiny pills. “If we end up on the cover of
StarWatch
again, I’ll never forgive you.”

“Fine. Now, go change your clothes. Be back down here in five minutes, or there’ll be hell to pay. Got it?”

Jason sighed, knowing he was beat. “Got it.”

He wanted more than anything to take the globe upstairs with him, but he couldn’t do it with Dylan watching. Instead, he went past the sullen image of Ben and up the stairs. He put the pills on his nightstand and changed clothes, as ordered, wondering the entire time if there was a way to take Ben to dinner with them. But no, Dylan would definitely think Jason had lost his mind if he tried to take a tarnished old snow globe into the restaurant. Like it or not, he was stuck.

He went down the stairs like a traitor to the gallows. Both his lovers were waiting for him, Ben at the bottom of the stairs, Dylan at the other end of the hallway by the door. Jason stepped into the bathroom, ostensibly to check his hair. In reality, he’d stopped to talk to Ben, who’d gone from sullen to crestfallen. He seemed as forlorn as he had in those early days in the guesthouse, when Jason had tried to deny his existence.

“I’m sorry,” Jason said, keeping his voice as low as possible.

Ben shrugged halfheartedly.
It’s not your fault.

“I won’t leave you stuck in the hallway. Trust me.”

“Who are you talking to?” Dylan asked.

“Myself. I was just saying I need a haircut.”

“I noticed. You look like a hippie. You ready, or what?”

“Yes.” Jason pulled on his coat and followed Dylan outside. He waited until they were in the car with the engine running and Dylan was about to put the car in reverse before saying, “Wait! I forgot my cell phone.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Give me two minutes!”

He ran back in, leaving an exasperated Dylan in the car.

“I’m sorry,” he said to Ben as he grabbed the snow globe and took it into the living room. “I know you’re upset, and I don’t blame you, but I had no idea he was coming.” He set the globe on the coffee table and flicked on the TV. “We’re only going out to dinner.” He turned to face Ben, wishing like crazy he could pull him into his arms and kiss him good-bye. “Please don’t be mad.”

Ben shrugged but looked as miserable as before.
Just go.
He winked out of sight.

“I’m sorry!” Jason called to the empty room.

No answer.

Still, Jason left the TV on in case Ben decided to come back.