Read Online Something Like Summer by Jay Bell - Free Book Online Page B

head dramatically. “So what’s going on that you’re so excited
about? Is Tim less straight than we initially
suspected?”
    “ No, he’s straight all
right, but--” Ben grasped for words but failed to find any that
suited him. “I don’t know. I just like him, and taking care of him
is sort of like playing house. It feels real, even if it
isn’t.”
    “ So in other words, you
are deluding yourself.”
    “ Maybe, but better an
imaginary romance than none at all.”
    “ I guess,” Allison
conceded. “I’m just worried that you are headed for a broken
heart.”
    “ Mm,” Ben replied
noncommittally. “What’s up with your heart lately?”
    “ You mean with Ronnie?” A
sly smile crossed her face. “Things are going good. Very good. He
has my class schedule memorized and keeps escorting me to each one.
We still haven’t been on a proper date, though. Speaking of which,
you and I are going to the movies on Saturday.”
    “ We are?” Ben hadn’t
considered it, but this weekend he would finally be free to spend
the entire day and night with Tim. He didn’t want to brush Allison
off for any reason, even his latest infatuation, but it might be
the only opportunity to spend an extended amount of time with
him.
    “ We are,” Allison
confirmed. “At least that’s what I’m telling my dad. I need you to
cover for me so Ronnie and I can go out. You’ll do that, won’t
you?”
    “ Yes!” Ben breathed a sigh
of relief. “That’s perfect, actually. I’ll be over at Tim’s until
late, so my parents will think I’m out with you. If your dad calls
then my parents will back up the story.”
    Allison took a final bite
of her sandwich and chewed thoughtfully before tossing the
remaining crusts into the brown paper bag. “Who knows,” she said
with a wicked grin, “maybe we’ll both be getting laid this
weekend.”
     
    __________
     

Chapter 6
     
    The week finally came to an
end after a series of breakneck starts and whiplash stops. The
mornings and afternoons spent with Tim went by in the blink of an
eye, while the truncated school hours felt twice as long as they
had before. Saturday came and Father Time, choosing perhaps to show
mercy, steadied to a meandering pace that promised a long and
satisfying weekend.
    Oppressive humidity forced
them to crank up the air conditioning in Tim’s house. Even the dark
and shadowy den was affected by the thick heat outdoors as a storm
of massive proportions gathered. Ben spent the morning cleaning up
around the house and wrestling with the controls of the laundry
machine. As fun as it was being domestic, he was glad to be done
with the chores and to spend some time with the person in his care.
Unfortunately, the pain killers had once again put Tim to
sleep.
    Ben wandered the house,
absorbing the details and decorations that hinted at Tim’s life. On
the nightstand in the master bedroom, he found a photo of a
grey-haired, stern-faced man with an impressive physique. Next to
him smiled a slight and beautiful Hispanic woman, the source of
Tim’s dark hair and tan skin. After considering them for a number
of minutes, Ben set the photo back down next to the rosary beads
that lay there.
    As Ben continued to explore
he found a number of crucifixes hanging on the wall, as well as a
small collection of Bibles in the living room. Possibly the
religious items were no more than decorations to Tim’s mother. Ben
could remember one client of his own mother who had a thing for
rustic crosses despite not being religious, but it was much more
likely that Tim’s parents were Catholic. Ben couldn’t help
wondering what they would think of him when they met, if they ever
did.
    There were two types of
religious people in the world, in Ben’s experience. The first were
those who let their heart lead them, who chose what fit with their
world view while disregarding what didn’t. Ben’s parents were like
this. They rarely went to church and held a rather idealistic and
loving