Read Lazy Valentines (Lazy Days) for Free Online Page B

of a goldfish, his lips flapping and sucking air but no words forming on his tongue let alone spewing out into the phone. He should have known better after so many years. His mother claimed her victory with the disappointed clicking of her tongue.
    "I thought as much," she said, her voice as emotionless and cold as ever. "Lying about imaginary boyfriends at your age? Really. Has your desperation finally sunk that low, Scott? When was the last time you saw your therapist anyhow? Maybe you need your medication changed again. You know how you get when you're not dosed right."
    "At the summer house," Scott blurted.
    "Pardon me?" his mother said so damn politely Scott wanted to poke her in the eye through the phone. "What about the summer house?"
    "I think Dev… I think my boyfriend might like the beach, so I'll… I'll bring him to the summer house when you and father are there." He had no idea if Devon liked the beach or not. It would be a good idea to ask him soon.
    His mother clucked again. "But that's months away, Scott. Do you think he'll even still be around then? What did you say he did again?"
    "He will be around and I didn't say."
    "I'm thinking your birthday in April would be the perfect time to introduce him to us if he's still—"
    "Don't say it again, Mother. Fine." His resolve crumbled as it usually did when she confronted him. "I'll bring him in April as long as he's free."
    "Would you prefer dinner at home or at the club?"
    "Are you cooking?" He tried to get a dig in but she didn't bite.
    "Don't be ridiculous. Selena will be preparing the meal."
    "That's fine then."
    "I'll have your room and the guest room made up since I'm assuming you'll stay the weekend."
    "No promises and we don't need two rooms."
    "Well you're certainly not staying in the same room under my roof."
    "I'm thirty-two years old… one room or we don't come at all."
    The conversation had ended much the way it began, abruptly. His mother made some often-used, backhanded comment about the failure that was Scott's life, hung up and as usual, Scott shuffled around the room, chanting and pacing to get himself out of the panic attack he'd known was coming.
    He didn't understand why he still let his mother draw him into her crap after so long but what was done, was done. For some unfathomable reason, he still cared about what she thought. Or maybe he just wanted to finally throw all her taunting and bullying back in her smug face.
    Now all was left was for him to prove to her that he was happy with his life, that he could experience new things and that he did have a boyfriend who would stick around long enough to come to dinner and to the cottage. And oh yeah, he also had to figure out how to tell Devon that they had a very uncomfortable date in April… if Devon was still around in April.
    No !
    He refused to think that way. Devon would be around. Devon loved him and he loved Devon and nothing his mother could do or say would change that…geez Louise what the fuck had he done?
    "Scott? You okay? You're kind of blocking the doorway, babe. Do you need me to grab your Ativan from your pocket? Scott?"
    Devon's words surfaced slowly into Scott's reeling subconscious. Devon … motorcycle … Valentine's Day … diner… friends . Oh shit. "Sorry. Yeah, I mean no. I don't need it. Just a blip in my head from all the vibrating I guess." He tried to laugh it off but Devon's eyes told him he was wasting his time.
    "If you need to go home, we can do that. Or I can call a cab instead of taking the bike." Devon loosely wrapped his fingers around Scott's wrist, his thumb lightly pressing over the pulse point that Scott knew he was not-so-sneaklly trying to feel.
    "I'm fine, Dev."
    "You're paler than a goddamn ghost and it was like you weren't even hearing me. We can walk right back out…. Just say the word. Honesty, remember?"
    Scott exhaled a calming breath then worried at his bottom lip. "No. I'm good. Just some family stuff stuck in my head—my mother as