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Paul made one last entry on his computer, then saved it and logged off. Glancing at the clock on his desk, he saw that it was almost 9.30pm. He should probably get some of the invoices and receipts filed away; it was still early and he didn’t normally go to bed till after 10.30pm.
But his mind began to wander and without conscious prompting, it went upstairs to his brat, where Paul could imagine him curled up in bed, probably warm and cuddly. Damn! Paul was sure he could catch the scent of his lover. A sudden twitch in his groin made Paul stand up, switch off the office lights, and head upstairs. “Honey,” he called softly, not wanting to wake Zay in case the young scamp was indeed asleep. “Honey?” Paul’s voice held surprise when he saw the empty bed.
He strode across to the darkened bathroom. Nope. He went into the spare guest-room. No sign of him there as well. His mouth settled into a stern line as he headed to the back, where Zay’s practice room was.
Zay was unaware of the Hand of Doom heading his way. His main concern was Suzy. "The problem is gonna be how to bring this up, because it's a trust issue. I mean, you had him spied on, and he's gonna be hurt and angry about it. But if you don't talk to him about this, you're gonna carry around this whole suspicion and it'll just fester and get gangrenous and everything."
Zay was going to continue but he heard the door open behind and to the right of him, and saw Suzy's eyes get large. He wanted to turn his head and look, but he was frozen. He wanted to speak, but he was suddenly mute. But then the dead didn't move or speak much did they and he was definitely dead.
Paul closed the door with a definite snap. “What is going on in here?” he demanded.
Zay closed his eyes, took a deep breath and turned to face Paul. He managed to find his voice as well. "A conversation?"
“I can see that,” Paul said grimly. “And I repeat – what is going on in here?” he asked again, this time definitely more impatient.
Zay shrugged and looked over at Suzy, who was still holding the photos in plain view. Amateur. "Just a conversation, Paul."
“Suzy, what’s that in your hands?” Paul asked, nodding at the stack oh photos she was holding. “Whose photos are those?”
Zay fought his urge to bang his head on the table. Fool girl.
Suzy thrust them back into the envelope, but apparently not fast enough, because Paul was clicking his fingers and holding his hand out for them. Suzy hesitated a moment, then sighed and handed them over.
“Just some photos of Steve,” she said, retaining some hope that Paul would just give a cursory glance and give them back. “I am putting together a photo album and was going over them with Zay. It’s a ... surprise for Steve.”
*That was certainly the understatement of the year, perhaps even the decade*
Zay fought the urge to have a nervous giggle.
“Really?” Paul said, as he flicked through them. His brows began to draw together and he turned to Zay. “Tell me this has nothing to do with you.”
"Ok. This has nothing to do with me." He watched as Paul's eyebrows rose all the way to his hairline, and then returned once more to their serious frowning mode. "I didn't take the photos."
*That was at least the truth*
"Jinx, Izzie and Syd took them. They kinda followed Steve around for a few days and documented his life. Just fun and games. I was just giving the photos to Suzy, so she could show them to Steve."
*Again, kind of the truth, if not the whole truth*
Paul gave Zay a long and measured look, as if he was about to say something but then thought better of it. After a terribly long minute, Paul pulled open the door and jerked his head towards the house. “You go on up to bed, Zay. I will be along soon.”
Zay got up, and keeping out of arm's reach, made his way to the door as fast as he could without seeming to hurry. At the door, he turned and looked back at his smouldering partner. "You didn't say I had to STAY in bed, you know." Then he dashed out.
When Zay had left, Paul turned back to Suzy. There was a strange look in his eyes, one which Suzy could not figure out. She hated to think it might be pity. Swallowing hard, Suzy started to gather her handbag together. Her voice was rather hoarse when she spoke. “I guess I better get going ... Steve will be wondering where I have got to. Oh, and it’s really not Zay’s fault, he was just trying to help, you know ... about the ph...photos ...” and that was about when her voice broke and Paul pulled her into his comforting arms.
But his mind began to wander and without conscious prompting, it went upstairs to his brat, where Paul could imagine him curled up in bed, probably warm and cuddly. Damn! Paul was sure he could catch the scent of his lover. A sudden twitch in his groin made Paul stand up, switch off the office lights, and head upstairs. “Honey,” he called softly, not wanting to wake Zay in case the young scamp was indeed asleep. “Honey?” Paul’s voice held surprise when he saw the empty bed.
He strode across to the darkened bathroom. Nope. He went into the spare guest-room. No sign of him there as well. His mouth settled into a stern line as he headed to the back, where Zay’s practice room was.
Zay was unaware of the Hand of Doom heading his way. His main concern was Suzy. "The problem is gonna be how to bring this up, because it's a trust issue. I mean, you had him spied on, and he's gonna be hurt and angry about it. But if you don't talk to him about this, you're gonna carry around this whole suspicion and it'll just fester and get gangrenous and everything."
Zay was going to continue but he heard the door open behind and to the right of him, and saw Suzy's eyes get large. He wanted to turn his head and look, but he was frozen. He wanted to speak, but he was suddenly mute. But then the dead didn't move or speak much did they and he was definitely dead.
Paul closed the door with a definite snap. “What is going on in here?” he demanded.
Zay closed his eyes, took a deep breath and turned to face Paul. He managed to find his voice as well. "A conversation?"
“I can see that,” Paul said grimly. “And I repeat – what is going on in here?” he asked again, this time definitely more impatient.
Zay shrugged and looked over at Suzy, who was still holding the photos in plain view. Amateur. "Just a conversation, Paul."
“Suzy, what’s that in your hands?” Paul asked, nodding at the stack oh photos she was holding. “Whose photos are those?”
Zay fought his urge to bang his head on the table. Fool girl.
Suzy thrust them back into the envelope, but apparently not fast enough, because Paul was clicking his fingers and holding his hand out for them. Suzy hesitated a moment, then sighed and handed them over.
“Just some photos of Steve,” she said, retaining some hope that Paul would just give a cursory glance and give them back. “I am putting together a photo album and was going over them with Zay. It’s a ... surprise for Steve.”
*That was certainly the understatement of the year, perhaps even the decade*
Zay fought the urge to have a nervous giggle.
“Really?” Paul said, as he flicked through them. His brows began to draw together and he turned to Zay. “Tell me this has nothing to do with you.”
"Ok. This has nothing to do with me." He watched as Paul's eyebrows rose all the way to his hairline, and then returned once more to their serious frowning mode. "I didn't take the photos."
*That was at least the truth*
"Jinx, Izzie and Syd took them. They kinda followed Steve around for a few days and documented his life. Just fun and games. I was just giving the photos to Suzy, so she could show them to Steve."
*Again, kind of the truth, if not the whole truth*
Paul gave Zay a long and measured look, as if he was about to say something but then thought better of it. After a terribly long minute, Paul pulled open the door and jerked his head towards the house. “You go on up to bed, Zay. I will be along soon.”
Zay got up, and keeping out of arm's reach, made his way to the door as fast as he could without seeming to hurry. At the door, he turned and looked back at his smouldering partner. "You didn't say I had to STAY in bed, you know." Then he dashed out.
When Zay had left, Paul turned back to Suzy. There was a strange look in his eyes, one which Suzy could not figure out. She hated to think it might be pity. Swallowing hard, Suzy started to gather her handbag together. Her voice was rather hoarse when she spoke. “I guess I better get going ... Steve will be wondering where I have got to. Oh, and it’s really not Zay’s fault, he was just trying to help, you know ... about the ph...photos ...” and that was about when her voice broke and Paul pulled her into his comforting arms.