Page 48 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
Joe breathed out sharply in exasperation, trying to keep up with Percy’s fast descent. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”
Percy glanced up at him, nothing but fondness written inhis expression. “You don’t need to worry about Cleo. She’s great.”
“She was all over you.”
Percy pulled up, leaning back on the railing of the stairs. “She didn’t know my boyfriend was watching, or perhaps she would have behaved differently.”
Annoyingly reasonable response. “Did you have to agree to go to her apartment tonight?”
“Didn’t you want me to get rid of her?”
Very annoyingly reasonable. “Yes, but?—”
“So I’ll stand her up. It wouldn’t be the first time.” He waited for Joe to reach his level, and when he did, Percy was perfectly relaxed, watching for Joe’s reaction. Joe said nothing, only paused there next to him, so Percy said, “How about that kiss?”
Joe smiled. “I already kissed?—”
Percy stepped forward and quieted Joe gently with his lips. A long, sweet, soft kiss, finished with the words, “I miss you.”
All was forgiven in a heartbeat.
“I miss you too,” Joe whispered, touching his forehead to Percy’s.
“Let’s kill them in five minutes. Sit down.” Percy and Joe sunk down onto the stairs. Percy lit two cigarettes and passed one to Joe. “Do we have much further to the tunnel?”
Joe blew out a long puff of smoke. “Not too far. There’s a series of bolted doors coming up.” He aimed his torch into the distance, weakly illuminating a wall. “Around that corner there.”
Percy tilted his head to breathe out the smoke in just that way Joe liked, which was just about any way, but that particular way, and Joe said, “Why did you tell her you’re a doctor?”
Percy smiled back at Joe, bemused. “I am a doctor.”
Joe laughed at what he assumed was an odd joke, thenfrowned in perplexity at Percy’s unchanged seriousness. “You’re not… Are you?”
“Of course I am. Didn’t that ever come up?”
“Not once.”
“Oh… well…” Percy shrugged. “There it is.”
“There it is,” Joe repeated abstractedly, watching the smoke swirl in the torchlight. “And how does Cleo know that?”
“I don’t know,” Percy said. “I’ve known her for a long time. Lots of appraisals, sales, galleries, openings, deals, all that sort of thing. We’re always running into one another.”
Joe’s foot began to tap as he tried and failed to push down this new jealousy. “And have you always called her ‘Princess’?”
“I know it’s a little familiar, but she is a princess, after all.”
Another short laugh from Joe, then another double take. “What… Sheisa princess? From where?”
“I don’t know. Some oil country. I can’t keep track of them all.”
Despite himself, the thought amused Joe. “You can’t keep track of all your Middle Eastern princesses?”
Percy’s head tilted to the side with a sly smile, as though he were about to say one thing, then he quickly changed tack, buying time with a drag on his cigarette, and settling on, “I’ll introduce you next time. When we’re in a safer country. Which we will be, this time tomorrow. I’ll skip out on her tonight. I know you don’t want to come over either, but?—”
“I do want to come over,” Joe replied.
Percy looked across at him. “I know. And I know you can’t.”
