Page 71 of Seth
When a dolly was kicked from under the crate and hauled away, Gustavo jogged downstairs. On his way, he shrugged off his jacket, wrenched a crowbar from the hands of one worker, and leveled with the crate. With one powerful move, he pried the top plank loose, then did the same again and again until the gap was so large that the sunset colored the marble inside.
CLANG.The crowbar hit the parquet; Gustavo leaned into the crate. Stretching out both hands, he closed his palms around the cold, smooth stone.
“Finally…” He whispered, and his lips curled up in a triumphant smile. He willed himself to step away then ordered, “Remove the crate. Put it on the pedestal. Now.”
Every sound diedas the last person shuffled out of his mansion. In the ringing silence, Gustavo could hear the rapid thrumming of his excited heart, his quiet breathing, and the ticking of the antique grandfather clock. Finally, he was alone in his hall.
He didn’t rush to his new acquisition. Pieces like this should be first admired from afar before he could enjoy tracing his fingertips over the smooth lines and fine details. Keeping his distance, he moved around the room as if by approaching this masterpiece, he could ruin the magic.
Standing on the pedestal, the sculpture was three feet tall and five feet three long. It represented a graceful young man lying on a rock. Head bowed, he admired his reflection as his hand caressed the water.
Lost in observation, Gustavo didn’t notice when the first star graced the sky. The night birds screamed in the wood, but apart from that, not a sound disturbed the silence. Taking his time, he made another round, shortening the distance with every step. His gaze roamed over the marble, devouring every line of the perfect body. The slender ankles, round buttocks, long arms with beautiful, gentle fingers could have belonged to the god of art and creation. A few flowers were tucked in the marble curls of the man’s hair.
Gustavo’s hand landed on the polished surface of the base. His fingertips inched and touched the marble nails. Heart skipping a beat, he fondled the digits, learning their shape and texture. His thumb brushed over the knuckles before his palm slid up the forearm.
Never before had he touched Narcissus, and the thought that, in a way, it resembled lovemaking washed Gustavo in heat.
Same eyes, same nose, same lips, Narcissus shared Seth’s face. Gustavo swallowed as his mouth watered. Driven by an impulse, he dragged the back of his finger up the marble neck, toward the jaw, before pressing his thumb to the closed lips. They remained unresponsive.
“Mine…” He crooned. One palm against the pedestal, he twisted to look into the unseeing, white eyes. The pull of attraction inched him closer, and before he knew it, he pressed his lips against Narcissus’ mouth. Cold and hard, they tasted just like Seth’s.
A bright flash brought his heels to the parquet; he twirled. “If you can grant all things, you gods, I wish as a bride to have one like my ivory girl.” Diego quoted The Metamorphoses by Ovid1. “What are you, Pygmalion in the flesh? And I assume Seth is Galatea2. Where does it leave Hans?”
Holding his phone in front of him, Diego stared at Gustavo with wide eyes and an incredulous grin. A grin like this could only be seen on the faces of kids who broke piñata and won all the candies.
“Your face is priceless.” Diego thumbed the screen, and another flash blinded Gustavo. Coming to his senses, Gustavo scowled. A warning roared out of his chest; he took a step toward his friend. “Erase now, or I’ll kill you.”
“I don’t think so. Next time I’m concerned about my kinks getting out of control, I’ll remember that you have an agalmatophilia3and feel better.” Diego grunted, retreating a step. His fingers flew over the screen. “Anyway, it’s too late. It’s on my cloud now. If you kill me, there will be people searching my PC. Imagine what they think when they find such provocative photographs? It will go viral. Gustavo DeSilva, top dog of the S-Syndicate, is in love with a statue.”
“I should have killed you long ago, you half-baked paparazzi. Give me your phone, now!” Gustavo flexed his shoulders, taking a step forward. Diego recoiled and grabbed the statue with both hands, taking the opposite side to Gustavo.
“Stay away or I’ll break it!” His chin flew up. He rounded his eyes in an exaggerated, cartoonish expression of a madman. His gaze slid over the marble, returned to Gustavo, then back to the sculpture. False expression lost, Diego whispered, “My fucking god.” Playfulness abated; he ran his palm over the stone. “This is the original, isn’t it? But… How? Did you steal it?”
“No.” Gustavo snorted, giving the marble a loving look. His palm caressed the smooth hip of Narcissus before he faced his friend again. “How do you know it’s the original?”
“You can repeat the form, but you can’t change the marble’s pattern. Thanks to you, I’ve seen this sculpture so many times I know every inch of this stone better than I know the bodies of my lovers.”
Gustavo snorted, pride worming its way into his voice. “The copy isn’t much different. It’s the same marble, and the forger managed to etch the streaks. Only a professional could tell the difference.”
“But how? I thought the head of the museum asked for insane money for it. What was it, seventy million?”
Gustavo shrugged.
“Oh my god, you paid it.” Diego tore his hand away from the sculpture and gave it another look. His eyes shimmered with curiosity and amusement when he circled the piece of art. “You know, if I were a good friend, I would have said you lost your marbles and suggested you see a therapist. This obsession isn’t healthy. But I’m not, so I won’t. How much? Seventy million?”
“No, he agreed to fifty.”
“Fifty million?” Diego yelled, eyes blazing with righteous rage. “I changed my mind. Gustavo, you are sick. You need professional help. By the way, if I can self-recommend, I have a degree in psychology. I don’t charge much, and you can tell me everything. Your secrets are safe with me. I can even offer a special discount for an old friend.”
“Diego, having an online certificate in canine psychology doesn’t make you a psychologist.”
“Of course, it does. No one reads the fine print anymore.”
Gustavo shook his head, unable to hold back laughter. “Anyway, what the fuck are you doing here? I didn’t call you.”
“Nothing. I came to ask if you care to join me for the distribution, but I see you are too busy with fucking your new marble friend. So sorry I disturbed you. Please, proceed.”
Gustavo glanced at his watch, opting to ignore his friend. “Distribution? Isn’t it too early? I thought the new batch arrives tomorrow?”
