He’d wanted that connection, not the current one, yet hadn’t even considered that he might actually get it.
Kai adjusted himself at the memory of Breck’s heated reaction. He’d wanted that senior more than he’d ever wanted anything in his life. To feel his lips, his heat, the weight of his body. God knew, Kai didn’t mind aggression. More often than not, he found it hot. But it’d been wrong. The timing, the anger, the hostility. Not to mention the fact that Breck had been totally trashed.
Sighing, Kai peered over his shoulder, backed out of his garage, then exited his building’s back parking lot and turned onto Brenswick. It’d been a month since their falling-out. True to his word, he never went to another game. Which was for the best. Staying away from Breck was wise. The chemistry they created together was just too combustible. Too strong.
Still, sometimes he couldn’t help wondering if things could’ve ended up differently between them.
Kai arrived at the gallery and found a parking spot around back, then climbed from his car and made his way to the entrance. The building’s front was made entirely of glass, the grand foyer’s lights emanating onto the sidewalk and busy street. He stepped inside and glanced around. Lofty ceilings. Wide-open center. He lifted a brow. The place was nice… and seriously packed.
A waiter swooped over with a champagne tray and handed him a flute.
“Thank you.”
The young man grinned, “Enjoy the show,” then hurried off.
Kai smiled and brought the glass to his lips. Looked like it was time to check out some college kids’ art. If Scott was there, he’d bump into him eventually.
He sauntered straight ahead into the gallery’s main hall. Smack-dab in the center was a huge marble structure. All around it, carved platforms draped with satin displayed twelve-inch sculptures. And there were tons of them, made of dark, glossy bronze. All portraying the same man in the exact same pose. Except for one, situated in the center, he noticed. That sculpture was unique unto all the rest. The same young man, yet in a different position. A man who, incidentally, looked extremely familiar.
Kai moved in for a closer look, then smiled in recognition. These were sculptures of Sean. Wow. Max’s students were talented, their attention to detail off the charts. And yet, only one captured Sean’s likeness to pure perfection. That statue in the middle. Without question, it was the centerpiece. Its handiwork unlike anything he’d ever seen.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” A gentle voice said to his right.
Kai turned to the lady who’d come to a stop by his side. She was staring at the very same statue. “Yes,” he answered honestly. “The likeness is remarkable.”
Her brows raised a little, her eyes still glued on the piece. “You know the model?”
“Somewhat, yes.”
“And he looks like this?”
“Exactly like this.”
Her expression turned wistful. “He seems like such a lovely boy.”
“He is.” Kai suddenly wondered how Sean was doing. If he and Max had ever managed to work things out.
The woman smiled and turned to face him. “I’m Mika. Max Kelley’s mother. Maybe you know him? The art professor who set this whole thing up?”
Kai’s brows hiked. This was Max’s mom? He took her in for a second time. Long dark hair, chestnut eyes, tan skin accentuated by that ankle-length turquoise dress. She was pretty, he had to admit. And yeah, now that he looked at her, he could definitely see—and sense—the similarities. Max had her eyes, though his were green. And the very same coloring, though his hair had hints of red. But Max also held the same strong air; the grit of a warrior.
“I do.” Kai returned her smile. “I’m friends with his roommate.”
And just like that, she lit up. “Oh! You know Scott.” She beamed. “Such a handsome boy.”
“Yes.” He chuckled. “I’m Kai. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” She smiled and canted her head. “Kai. That’s a wonderful name. In Navajo, it means willow tree.”
He quirked a brow. “You don’t say.”
“Oh, but I do.” Her eyes glinted playfully. “Now, back to Scott. How did you two meet?”
“We both used to work at George Mason’s fitness facility.”
“Ah.” She nodded, glancing around. “He’s here, you know. With his boyfriend. I assume you’ve met Tad?”
“I have. He seems very nice.”
“He makes Scott happy. I can tell.” She smiled. But then her expression turned pensive. She turned back to the sculptures. “Have you ever….” she quietly asked, “seen my Max with this model?”
Ah. So, she knew about them. At least on some level.
“Yes. On a couple of occasions.”
She peered up at him with hopeful eyes. “Can you tell if… Sean makes him happy?”
Kai thought about that, the answer seemingly simple and yet, from what he’d observed, also multi-faceted. “I think so,” he answered truthfully. Why else would Max have struggled so hard to let Sean go? “At least, when Max allows him to,” he added on.