Is He Or Isn't He? (19 page)

A
nthony met Paige at the corner of Max's apartment building the following Wednesday afternoon. At lunch, he'd found out from Max that his mother would be at her beauty salon all afternoon, getting ready for a party that his parents were throwing that night. His father was going to be at the studio taping an episode of his show and Max had a debate club meeting. Except for the hired help and caterers getting ready for the party, the apartment was going to be empty. It was the perfect time to strike!

Anthony checked the time on his watch. Where was Paige? Looking down the street, he was relieved to see her heading in his direction.

“You're late!” he scolded.

“Sorry. I had to meet with my guidance counselor this afternoon. She was telling me about more open houses this
weekend. There's going to be one at NYU and one at Columbia. Can you come with me?”

Anthony made a face. “I'm sick of college open houses. Why do you keep dragging me along with you?”

“Because I'm hoping you'll change your mind and not want to go to UCLA. Why can't you go to film school in New York? NYU has got a great program at Tisch. Besides, you need to have some backup choices in case you don't get into UCLA.”

“Bite your tongue!”

“Do you really want to go out to California and leave me behind?”

“Of course not! But you know that's where I've always wanted to go. Why don't you come out to UCLA with me?”

Now Paige made a face. “And be that much closer to Camille? I don't think so.” Paige inspected Anthony from head to toe. “
What
are you wearing?”

“Do you like it?” Anthony asked, twirling around in his black leather trench coat, cap and wraparound sunglasses.

“You look like you stepped out of a sci-fi movie.”

“I call it my spywear. It sets the mood for our mission. I was tempted to dye my hair like Sydney Bristow from
Alias
, but I think that would have been a bit too much, don't you think?”

“Yes, especially since yearbook pictures are next week. Your mother would have killed you if you'd had your picture taken with neon pink hair.”

“This is going to be so much fun! It's even given me an idea for a new screenplay.”

“It has?”

“A gay James Bond! I'm calling it
The Gay Spy Who Loved Me.
Everyone in the movie would be gay. Our hero, the villain, and of course, the love interest, who gets his heart broken in the end because our spy commits to no one man! And there'll be plenty of eye candy. The male kind!”

Paige laughed. “That sounds like a hoot!”

“So, are you ready?” Anthony asked as they neared Max's building.

“What's the plan again?”

“We tell the doorman we're here to see Felix. When we get up to Felix's place, we tell him we came to personally invite him to a party we're having. His ego will love it and it won't make him suspicious.”

“We're having a party?”

“We are now.”

“And then? How are we going to get into Max's apartment? We don't have a key, remember?”

“His parents are having a party tonight. I'm sure tons of hired help are coming and going from their apartment. All we have to do is bide our time and we'll be able to slip in and slip out, sight unseen.”

“The only thing I'm seeing is trouble.”

Anthony sighed. “Paige, must you always worry? This is going to work. Trust me.”

When they got to the building they told the uniformed doorman that they were there to see Felix. He rang up and five seconds later they were allowed to take the elevator to the tenth floor.

“So far, so good,” Anthony said, taking off his sunglasses.

“If I had a nickel for every time I'd heard you say that,”
Paige muttered under her breath.

“Very funny! Just leave everything to me, okay?”

Felix was waiting for them when they reached his apartment. He had a totally surprised look on his face.

“It is you,” Felix said, his voice filled with disbelief.

Anthony threw out his arms. “Who else?”

“When the doorman told me you were here to see me, I wasn't sure if he'd gotten the name right. When was the last time you stopped by, Tony? Five? Ten years ago?”

“You're such a kidder,” Anthony said as he and Paige followed Felix into a book-lined living room. Felix sat in a brown leather armchair while Anthony and Paige sat on the couch.

“To what do I owe this visit?” Felix asked, a suspicious look on his face. “What do you want?”

Anthony knew it was time for the next phase of his plan. Good thing he'd thought ahead.

“Mind if I take this off?” Anthony asked, unbelting his trench coat. “It's a little hot in here.”

Felix shrugged. “Sure.”

Anthony noticed Paige's mouth drop open as he took off his trenchcoat. He couldn't blame her. Instead of wearing a bulky sweater suitable to the blustery October weather outside and his usual loose fitting jeans, he was wearing a tight muscle shirt that showed off his arms and chest and jeans that were one size too small. (He'd had to lay down on his bed and take a deep breath to get them zipped up. Girls weren't the only ones who suffered to look good!) He'd purposely chosen the tight-fitting clothes because he knew they showed him off and he needed to use his body to distract
Felix. Kind of like what his gay James Bond would do when facing off against his nemesis.

From the glazed look in Felix's eyes, he could see he was focused on one thing: him.

Success!

“So, Felix, Paige and I are having a party later this month and we'd love it if you could come. You don't have to cover it for your column, but you can if you want.”

“Do you have a date for this party?” Felix asked.

“It'll probably be on a Saturday night,” Anthony said.

“Not that kind of date,” Felix said. “Have you asked someone to be your date?”

Felix's question threw him and Anthony answered without thinking. “A date? No. Why?”

“Because I'd love to be your date that night.”

“You would?” Anthony almost choked on the words.

“I hate going to parties alone and at the moment I'm between boyfriends. We had such a great time at my birthday party, but you left too early and then you never came to the Clubhouse.” Felix pouted. “Don't you like me, Anthony?”

Awk! Awkward silence. Awkward silence!
Anthony scrambled for an answer.
What do I say to this egomaniac to keep him happy?

“Of course I like you, Felix. You're one of my oldest friends.”

Did that sound as lame as I thought it did?
Anthony wondered.

Felix got a miffed look on his face.

Uh-oh. It did. Wrong answer.
Anthony gave a Paige a desperate look.
Help!

“If you don't want me to come as your date, just say so,” Felix said, a pissy tone creeping into his voice.

Save me from drama queens!
Anthony silently cried.

“Of course Anthony wants you to come as his date!” Paige exclaimed in a rush. “After all these years of being friends, you caught him by surprise asking to be his date. Isn't that right, Anthony?”

Anthony didn't reply. Felix? His date? Ick! He'd probably be touchy-feely the entire night. He'd outfoxed himself with this outfit. Argh! Who knew it would produce such great results? On the wrong guy! What had he been thinking? And then there was Max! Yikes! Max was probably going to be at the party and if he saw Felix hanging all over him, he'd think they were boyfriends. And if he were gay, he'd think Anthony was off limits!

“Anthony!”

Paige's voice cut into his thoughts and Anthony felt her give him a not so gentle kick in the ankle.

“Felix, I really want you to come to our party.” Anthony had to force out his next words. “And since I don't have a date, your idea sounds great.”

“You can be co-hosts,” Paige said.

“When I'm invited to a party, I don't do any hosting,” Felix sniffed. “I'm there to be entertained.”

I'd like to entertain you with a good swift kick in the butt!
Anthony thought.

“So, ask me,” Felix said.

Anthony was confused. “Ask you what?”

“To be your date.”

“I just did.”

Felix shook his head. “No, you didn't. You said my idea sounded great. But you didn't ask me.”

Anthony could feel his Italian temper start to rise. They'd gotten into the building; they'd spent more than enough time with Felix so they could leave without it looking suspicious. Did he really need to put up with his demands?

He felt Paige's hand on his, giving a warning squeeze. Anthony smiled, trying not to grind his teeth.

“Felix, will you be my date the night of my party?”

“I'll think about it and let you know.”

“What?!” Anthony almost jumped up off the couch, ready to wring Felix's neck.

“Anthony, you know how busy my social schedule is. I'm always being invited to parties. And you don't even know when your party is going to be. I'm sure my answer will be yes, but touch base with me in the next couple of days.”

Anthony got to his feet. He'd had enough of Felix for one afternoon. “Come on, Paige.” He grabbed her by the hand, yanking her off the couch. “Let's go.”

“We really hope you can make it,” Paige called out as Anthony dragged her out of the apartment.

“Can you believe that guy?” Anthony fumed once they were out in the hallway.

“Could you please let go of my arm before you tear it out of its socket?”

“Oops. Sorry,” Anthony said as he pressed the up button for the elevator.

Paige rubbed her shoulder. “Why didn't you tell me what was under that trench coat?”

Anthony gave Paige a smug smile. “Didn't think I had a
body that buff, did you?”

“Have you been secretly working out?”

“I've been using my gym membership more than I have in the past,” Anthony admitted.

“And that's because?”

“Because I need to look good, Paige! You know. For Max. Just in case he plays for my team.”

The elevator arrived and they stepped into it, pressing the button for the twentieth floor.

“Well, it got results.”

Anthony rolled his eyes. “More than what I was expecting.”

“Felix likes Anthony! Felix likes Anthony!” Paige teased in a sing-song voice.

Anthony covered his ears. “Stop! Please! You're torturing me.”

“I told you he likes you!” Paige said, a smug smile on her face. “But you wouldn't listen to me.”

“He doesn't like me.”

“He doesn't?”

“No. The only thing Felix likes is playing games with people. He likes calling the shots and pulling the strings. The fact that I
don't
want to date him makes him
want
to date me. I've known Felix a lot longer than you have. Trust me, that's all it is. Oh, and he wants to stop me from getting Max!”

The elevator bell dinged and the doors opened to the twentieth floor.

“Well, here we are,” Paige said, stepping out of the elevator. “What's our next move?”

“Now we wait.”

“For how long?”

“As long as it takes.”

“In case you didn't notice when we came in, the building has video monitors. I'm sure the doorman will get suspicious if he sees us lurking in the hallway.”

“We're not going to get caught lurking!” Anthony said as they approached apartment 20G. “Look, the front door is open! Come on!”

Anthony grabbed the door before it closed, listening for movement on the other side. After a minute, he slowly opened the door and peeked inside. “The coast is clear!”

“Wow! This place is huge!”

Max's apartment was a three-level duplex decorated very simply. There were shiny hardwood floors, Mission Oak–style furniture and lots of artwork on the walls.

“I feel like I'm in a museum,” Paige whispered as she admired the paintings. “Look at this one! It's a Monet!”

“Paige, we don't have time for a tour,” Anthony said, heading for the stairs. “We've got to find Max's room. It must be upstairs.”

When they reached the third floor, they started opening doors. They found Max's bedroom when they opened the second door. Like the rest of the apartment, the décor of the room was very simple. There was a bed, a desk with a computer, a bookcase and a dresser. The walls were bare except for some framed landscapes.

“What are we looking for?” Paige asked.

“I don't know,” Max said. “We'll know it when we find it.”

“This room is as neat as a pin,” Paige said.

“Maybe his father is a neat freak. You know, like Joan
Crawford in
Mommie Dearest
. Remember that line with the maid? ‘I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at the dirt!' Or when she bopped Christina on the head with a can of cleanser?”

“Anthony, we don't have time to be discussing good-bad movies.”

“Right. You start in the closet and I'll look in the dresser drawers.”

“I feel so guilty doing this,” Paige said. “It's an invasion of privacy.”

“It's not like we're looking for something we can blackmail him with!” Anthony said. “We're just trying to figure him out.”

“Maybe he doesn't want to be figured out,” Paige said, as she began sorting through the hangers in Max's closet. “Maybe we should respect that.”

“Too late now. We're here. Find anything?”

“Nope.”

Anthony headed over to the bookcase. There were novels by Tom Clancy, Dean Koontz, Stephen King and Robert Ludlum. “Guy” books. Where were the novels by Edmund White? William J. Mann? Bart Yates? Alan Hollinghurst? He'd even settle for a Danielle Steel novel!