Butterflies (boyxboy)

Chapter 9 Only words

"I'll say you struck a hell of a deal...and you've seen him naked!" 

☆

Tamesh looks up, feeling a little embarrassed at being heard and also foolish for even thinking about it, let alone saying it out loud! He instinctively clears his throat. "Mhm, yeah, sorry." He walks towards the doorway with Blake disappearing ahead, back through the beaded curtain and into the shop area. Tamesh fumbles for the keys in his pocket before heading to the shop door, unlocking it and opening it up, stepping back to let Blake leave.

Blake stops just shy of the opened door before turning to face the artist one last time. "So, 49 hours to go." He says with a quick flick of one of his eyebrows. 

This little action doesn't go unnoticed by Tamesh though he chooses to ignore it. "Yeah that's right." He replies.

"Shall I come back tomorrow? Say ..8 PM?" Blake asks, checking when Tamesh's shop usually closes, which is around 5.30.

"Sure, and...maybe bring a bath robe next time." He suggests earning a salute from the model. 

"Sure thing ..See ya!" Blake slowly backs away from Tamesh as he heads down the street before turning and walking away, hands in his jacket pockets.

Tamesh watches him go, feeling like the past hour was not even real. It felt surreal and for some reason he felt a little uneasy. 

As he watches Blake walk down the street, Tamesh tries to place the new feeling he was experiencing. Questioning whether Blake was the right person to paint. Technically, yes he was, on every level. He knew that once completed, that his image would sell. A handsome figure like that would catch many an eye, but it would be fruitless if Tamesh was struggling to even look at him for more than a few seconds. 

His train of thought is interrupted by the sound of boots on the cobbles. He looks to see Alfie approaching, looking very concerned. "Hey! Wasn't that the suspicious guy? Are you ok? Do I need to call the police?" 

Tamesh's eyes widen as he sees Alfie pull out his phone, ready to call the emergency services. "God no, put your phone away will you!" He pushes Alfie's arm down which is holding the phone.

Alfie now has more questions. "So why was he in your shop?" His arms now folded.

"He was a customer. He wanted to buy a seascape." Tamesh replies innocently, but this doesn't seem to satisfy Alfie's curiosity. 

"Don't give me that crap. You're hiding something." Tamesh doesn't reply as he watches the cogs in Alfie's brain go around as his face lights up. He points to Tamesh, then the tiny figure now in the distance. "You've got yourself a life model haven't you... He's your life model!" 

"NoooYes." Tamesh begins. It was no use lying to Alfie. He could spot a lie a mile off. "Yes, he's my new study." Tamesh confesses. 

"And how the hell did you persuade him to do that?" Alfie says, his voice surprised but impressed at the same time. 

"Like I said, he was a customer, he wanted the seascape behind the counter, but he couldn't afford it, so we struck a deal." Tamesh shrugs. This was really no big thing. Why was Alfie being so theatrical?

"I'll say you struck a hell of a deal!...and you've seen him naked?" Alfie says, almost hungry for some kind of Intel. 

"Yes, but it was all professional." Tamesh insists...as long as Blake didn't read Tamesh's mind and he hoped Alfie couldn't either.

"God I wish I could draw." Alfie sighs, looking in the direction at where Blake had once been. This earned a snigger from his friend.

"You just want to feast your eyes." 

"There's nothing wrong with looking." Alfie insists, "But I sense he would think something is up when he sees just a stickman on my paper." He adds with a chuckle..."but seriously...what's he like?"
Tamesh just glares at Alfie before heading back into the shop. "Hey.. hey, answer me...."

***

Blake enters his very quiet apartment. He kicks off his shoes and flops on the couch. His mind begins to catch up with the day so far. "A life model!" He chuckles to himself under his breath. He could never have foreseen this when he got up this morning. 

His thoughts go to the painting. The reason why he was even bearing his body in the first place! He longed for home. He longed for what he'd had to leave behind, but knew he couldn't or wouldn't let himself have either. It was too bittersweet to comprehend....

..."Is this really how you feel?" Hannah asks, rather apprehensive, a nervousness present in her voice. 

Blake looks at the words, then up at his friend. He knew by the look on her face he shouldn't have said, or in this case, written anything. He should have kept his feelings to himself. Had he just made it all worse? "Look they're just words in the sand. They'll wash away!" Blake tries to laugh it off. "I've not actually said it out loud." 

Hannah's expression is hard to read. A mixture of a smile and sheer confusion. "It's just I..." she tries to respond to the sudden revelation but Blake is quick to cut her off.

"Just forget it ok...let's just go back, it's getting late." He pats his friend's shoulder before smoothing out the words with the soles of his shoes. The sea would eventually take them and they wouldn't need to be spoken about again.