Page 4 of Unicorn Unashamed

“Screw you, man.” Curtis chuckled. “Though… if you don’t mind my inviting him, that might not be a bad idea. You’re about as down-to-Earth as they come, and I think he needs that right now.”

“We could go to Tracey’s,” Raymond suggested. Tracey’s was a mom-and-pop Italian place that Raymond and Curtis had practically grown up at. “You know they’d treat him like a person, even if they recognized him.”

“Yeah... Yeah. Okay, cool. I’ll ask.”

“Say around seven? That gives me time to finish up here, shower and change, and head over. We could meet there?”

“Perfect. And I’ll let you know in advance if Simon’ll be coming.”

“Okay, cool.” The bell to Raymond’s studio rang out, and Raymond turned to find Josh closing his umbrella to store by the door. He glanced up to give Raymond a smile and wave. “My four o’clock just got here, so I’ve gotta go. Text me? And I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Sounds good. Thanks! See you in a bit.”

“Bye.” Raymond hung up. “Hey,” he said to Josh. “Good to see you.”

“Likewise.” Josh grinned and nodded at the phone in Raymond’s hand. “Hot date?”

Raymond blushed, fumbling as he shoved his phone in his pocket. “No, just a friend. He’s in town, so we’re meeting up.”

“Hey, cool. I hope you have a good time.”

“Thanks. I’ve known Curtis for forever, so whenever we get together, it’s usually just hours of catching up.”

Another smile, almost hidden as Josh bent down to take off his shoes and put on the sneakers he wore for studio time. Raymond had a no outdoor shoes rule to keep things cleaner. “Sounds nice.”

“How’re you?” Raymond asked. “How was the weekend?” He was unable to keep himself from subtly sniffing. Josh’s scent was somehow even more muted today, but he also wasn’t wearing anyone else’s.

Raymond wished that fact didn’t make him so happy.

Josh chuckled. “Very not exciting. Mostly I just got work done.”

“Oh hey, yeah, how are the book illustrations coming?”

“Finished as of this afternoon!”

“Good for you,” Raymond enthused as he and Josh headed over to the open floor area of the space.

“Yeah, it’s nice to be done. Big sense of accomplishment and all that. I feel like I should go out and celebrate.

“You should join us for dinner tonight,” Raymond blurted before he could think better of it. But then it was too late, and he didn’t want to take the offer back. “If, uh, if you wanted to. Curtis wouldn’t mind. Though maybe going out with us isn’t your idea of a celebration, which I’d get—”

“No,” Josh said quickly. “I mean, that’d be cool. If you don’t think I’d be a third wheel.”

“I could ask Curtis, if that’d make you feel better,” Raymond said. “But I don’t think he’d care.” As he said it, it occurred to him that Simon might care, but he’d talk to Curtis first. “I can text him now?”

“Um, yeah.” Josh tugged on the hem of his shirt. “That’d be nice. Yeah.”

“I’ll do it now. Start with fifty jumping jacks.”

Josh rolled his eyes. “Sir, yes sir.”

Raymond was glad, then, of the distraction of putting on the music and going to text Curtis, because it helped hide his flush.

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