Page 101 of Pretty ’n Peak

He did look stunning. Tragic and ethereal, the laughter mingling with the pain. He knew this was going to inspire his next painting.

They didn’t log off the video call until late at night. Sebastian and Neil came back at some point, and it was surprisingly easy to let them see him.

Maybe it was all the wine, or maybe it was just that he trusted him.

He wasn’t at all surprised when Sebastian exclaimed, “¡Que linda eres!” in the feminine form, and Neil told him, with his deep, sincere voice, that he was gorgeous.

But still, it felt good. He was bubbling over with happiness.

Even when he went to work tired, and a little dehydrated, the next day, he wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

Each evening after that, he painted. Either the growing collection of frames that were filling up the room he’d made into his studio, or his own face, grinning at himself in the mirror as he attempted techniques from YouTube.

His family teased him incessantly, but they had no idea what was bringing such joy to his days.

It was strange leading such a double life. He’d kept things from his family before, but his gayness used to be something covert, put aside except for a clandestine meeting every few months.

This was something much bigger.

Jamie texted him all the time now, with anecdotes and links to more makeup tips, and cute things he might want to buy. It was still terrifying, but equally thrilling.

The result was that his phone was dinging constantly, often making him blush when he answered it.

His family had capitalized on his reactions, but he almost laughed now when they teased him about a non-existent girlfriend, because it was so far from reality.

God, if only they knew.

He was his own non-existent girlfriend.

He didn’t think about Austin as much now… maybe late at night, or when he was taking an extra long shower. When he unwrapped those decadent packages to touch the silky fabric with his rough hands, and even one time to daringly wear the innocent peach slip of a nightdress when he and Jamie had another “girls night.”

Austin was a beautiful memory. A Daddy he’d been lucky enough to meet at just the right time.

But oh, how those memories flowed into his paintings, the feelings sweeping onto the canvas in ways they never had before.

And he dove for his phone every time it buzzed.

He hadn’t bought anything from the links Jamie sent him, but it was tempting. He was starting to get a sense of clothing that might fit his frame, both for the bedroom and on the street.

He even started looking into dates to go back up to Mount Hood and visit his friend. Jamie had offered, and said he wouldn’t even charge him for a room—the “friends and family discount of free” was what he called it.

The only trick was that it would have to be in the middle of the week, since the lodge was fully booked on weekends, and that didn’t mesh well with his schedule.

The opening night for the art exhibit was in a few days, and the following week was his sister’s actual birthday. Not to mention that he worked nine to five all week.

But in so many ways, he’d never been happier.

17

Austin

Austin had homework.

But not, he thought, lips twitching, the kind he’d been assigned in school.

He wove his way through the darkened lounge, the taps of his cane on the floor lost to the low throb of music, cries of agony, and deep moans of pleasure.

His job tonight was to go back to the club, the place where he’d found himself for so many years, and tell himself that he was a capable, talented Dom.