“This is just what I want.”
“I’m glad,” Peter chuckled as he sat down on the couch next to him with his own meal.
Donny realized what he had said, paled, and tried to backtrack. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean love…. as in love…”
“Shut up and eat, Donny,” Peter admonished, looking amused. “You think too much.”
They ate in silence, except for the clink of silverware and plates, and then Parker said around a mouthful of food, “I tried contacting your father.”
Donny froze, his body clenching so tightly in shock and trepidation that he wondered if projectile vomiting was in his near future. He looked up from his soup and asked carefully, “And?”
He wanted Peter’s answer to be: Your father says he’s sorry and that all is forgiven. He reinstated your credit card and your bank account . Instead, Peter swallowed his food and then replied sadly, “He said that you were in South American with relatives and that the person claiming to be his son was an imposter. He suggested that I arrest you.”
“Why did you call him?” Donny asked bitterly.
“I thought there was a chance for you to work it out with your father,” Peter admitted. “I’m sorry that I interfered, but I couldn’t understand why you didn’t even want to make the attempt.”
Donny leaned forward and put his tray on the coffee table with deliberate motions. He felt dizzy as he stood up. He said, not looking at Peter, “I’m a freeloader. I’m not going to blame you for wanting to get rid of me as quickly as possible. I’m glad that I didn’t have to call my father and hear those lies for myself. I don’t even have relatives in South America, for fuck’s sake!”
Donny scrubbed hands over his face and then took a deep breath. Ignoring Peter’s steadying hand on his elbow; he pulled away and headed for the bedroom.
“You haven’t finished eating!” Peter called after him in concern.
“I’ve overstayed my welcome,” Donny replied loudly as he entered the bedroom. “Just let me get dressed and I’ll be out of here in a few minutes.”
Donny looked blearily around for his clothes and then remembered that Peter had taken them away to clean. All he had was the robe he was wearing. He felt Peter’s warmth at his back and he said quietly to him, without turning, “Did your brother leave anymore clothes behind that I can borrow?”
“Donny, please stop it,” Peter insisted. “I didn’t call to try and get rid of you. I called because I thought that I might be able to get you two to talk to each other. I spent years not speaking to my father. I didn’t want to see that happen to you.”
Donny rounded on him. He was unreasonably angry, his physical misery adding to his temper, as he shouted, “Why do you care? You could have just let the police put me in a cell and saved yourself a lot of trouble. That’s where I belonged. Now, you know that I don’t have anything, that my father isn’t going to change his attitude and come to take me home. Unless you dump me out on the street, you’re stuck with me.”
Peter didn’t hesitate to reply, “Dan helps people just like you. He’ll find you a job, a doctor, and even a place to stay, eventually.”
“Eventually?” Donny looked up into Peter’s blue eyes. His expression was concerned. Why couldn’t they have met under better circumstances? “He should find a place for me now. Why don’t you call him?”
Peter lifted a hand as if to place it comfortingly on Donny’s shoulder. Donny ached to feel his touch, those strong fingers bringing comfort, but Peter thought better of it and let his hand fall.
Peter explained, “Those kinds of places are okay until a person gets somewhere better, but they’re not places where you can sleep well, and get better, from the kind of flu that you seem to have. In fact, they might not even let you stay there if they think you’re contagious.”
Donny didn’t have any experience with places like that, but he
“I’m glad,” Peter chuckled as he sat down on the couch next to him with his own meal.
Donny realized what he had said, paled, and tried to backtrack. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean love…. as in love…”
“Shut up and eat, Donny,” Peter admonished, looking amused. “You think too much.”
They ate in silence, except for the clink of silverware and plates, and then Parker said around a mouthful of food, “I tried contacting your father.”
Donny froze, his body clenching so tightly in shock and trepidation that he wondered if projectile vomiting was in his near future. He looked up from his soup and asked carefully, “And?”
He wanted Peter’s answer to be: Your father says he’s sorry and that all is forgiven. He reinstated your credit card and your bank account . Instead, Peter swallowed his food and then replied sadly, “He said that you were in South American with relatives and that the person claiming to be his son was an imposter. He suggested that I arrest you.”
“Why did you call him?” Donny asked bitterly.
“I thought there was a chance for you to work it out with your father,” Peter admitted. “I’m sorry that I interfered, but I couldn’t understand why you didn’t even want to make the attempt.”
Donny leaned forward and put his tray on the coffee table with deliberate motions. He felt dizzy as he stood up. He said, not looking at Peter, “I’m a freeloader. I’m not going to blame you for wanting to get rid of me as quickly as possible. I’m glad that I didn’t have to call my father and hear those lies for myself. I don’t even have relatives in South America, for fuck’s sake!”
Donny scrubbed hands over his face and then took a deep breath. Ignoring Peter’s steadying hand on his elbow; he pulled away and headed for the bedroom.
“You haven’t finished eating!” Peter called after him in concern.
“I’ve overstayed my welcome,” Donny replied loudly as he entered the bedroom. “Just let me get dressed and I’ll be out of here in a few minutes.”
Donny looked blearily around for his clothes and then remembered that Peter had taken them away to clean. All he had was the robe he was wearing. He felt Peter’s warmth at his back and he said quietly to him, without turning, “Did your brother leave anymore clothes behind that I can borrow?”
“Donny, please stop it,” Peter insisted. “I didn’t call to try and get rid of you. I called because I thought that I might be able to get you two to talk to each other. I spent years not speaking to my father. I didn’t want to see that happen to you.”
Donny rounded on him. He was unreasonably angry, his physical misery adding to his temper, as he shouted, “Why do you care? You could have just let the police put me in a cell and saved yourself a lot of trouble. That’s where I belonged. Now, you know that I don’t have anything, that my father isn’t going to change his attitude and come to take me home. Unless you dump me out on the street, you’re stuck with me.”
Peter didn’t hesitate to reply, “Dan helps people just like you. He’ll find you a job, a doctor, and even a place to stay, eventually.”
“Eventually?” Donny looked up into Peter’s blue eyes. His expression was concerned. Why couldn’t they have met under better circumstances? “He should find a place for me now. Why don’t you call him?”
Peter lifted a hand as if to place it comfortingly on Donny’s shoulder. Donny ached to feel his touch, those strong fingers bringing comfort, but Peter thought better of it and let his hand fall.
Peter explained, “Those kinds of places are okay until a person gets somewhere better, but they’re not places where you can sleep well, and get better, from the kind of flu that you seem to have. In fact, they might not even let you stay there if they think you’re contagious.”
Donny didn’t have any experience with places like that, but he
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