The Passionate Attention of an Interesting Man Read Online Free PDF Page B

create a lovely video greeting card,” said Clark, as Lloyd escorted him with extreme prejudice down the length of the pool to the coat room, “only to discover that his art is unappreciated. What are you,” he added to Lloyd as they traveled, “a hall monitor? I hear they have them in public schools.”
    “Out!”
    The other three were on their feet, cheering. “It was bound to happen,” Junior told the girls.
    “Daddy always warns me about equipment in the house,” Portia was saying. “That’s how he puts it, but you know Daddy. Equipment . He just will not have it, my dears.” To Lloyd, now returning from the coat room and the confiscation of the camera, she added, “Daddy will be so pleased with you, Lloyd.”
    Checking his watch, Lloyd said, “I have to go.”
    “Not now!”
    Lloyd pulled out his second copyrighted smile, the rueful boyish one. In the movie, it prompts someone to tousle your hair.
    “Why so early, dude?” asked Junior while Lloyd kissed the girls goodbye.
    “It’s not early, and on my bike it’s fifteen minutes door to door.”
    “If you wait for the chauffeur run,” said Annamarie, “we’ll drop you first.”
    “Charles can get the car out on two minutes’ warning,” Portia added.
    They always say that. But then it turns out that Charles may not be on duty that night, or the car is in the shop, and suddenly the world is made of too many incongruent agendas at war with one other.
    “I’ve got a brother,” said Lloyd, who could fable his way into or out of virtually anything. “He runs the house and he’s strict with me. It’s a midnight curfew.”
    “Yeah, Cinderello!” cried Clark, from across the pool. He hadn’t rejoined the gang after his defeat with the video camera. Sulking. “Better get on your wheels and pedal away, huh?”
    If I were to vanish tomorrow, would they even notice? Remember that guy from the paper? Whatever happened to him, anyone?
     
     
    Tom had a habit of looking in on Lloyd before turning in. Lloyd figured that Tom was checking to see if Lloyd had respected the house rules. In fact, Tom was making sure that Lloyd was safe at home; or Tom would worry. Lloyd doesn’t know this yet.
    Most usually, Lloyd would be working at his computer or reading in the armchair when Tom showed up, toweling off after the extra shower he would take just before lights out. He said he loved the feel of a scrubbed-clean body against the sheets. Lloyd wasn’t used to men so blunt about showing skin, and he was amused when Tom would cross the room and stand next to him, looking over Lloyd’s shoulder at the Word screen as if teasing Lloyd with his manhood. Was Tom testing Lloyd in some way? Just joking around on the cutting edge? Or was he simply a natural, innocent of social cautions?
    One night, Tom came by after Lloyd had gone to bed, as always leaving the door ajar and the hall light on. Seeing Tom hulking in the doorway, Lloyd sat up and startled him with “Tom, have you ever thought of building a model railroad yourself?”
    “That’s a sizable order,” said Tom, coming over to Lloyd. “It’s years of work and a hell of money to spend. All that for a big toy?”
    “Okay, Tom.”
    “No, wait,” as Tom moved closer. “It’d be the works, sure. Lovely stuff. Nice for Lucy’s kids to see, off at summer camp now just, but you’ll meet them in September. Ella Kate and Evan, sharp little guys. But the time for trains is past. I’m too big.”
    “I’m not too old for trains, Tom. And I’m older than you are.”
    “Yeah?” said Tom, sitting on the edge of the bed. “How old?”
    “I thought we could…well, lay in some lumber and build a table. And then, bit by bit…and you’ve got that beautiful workspace in the garage.”
    Tom nodded in the semi-darkness, a suddenly faraway Tom. The hall light loved his skin and he glistened.
    Then Tom said, “Plywood sheets, I guess. Four by eights are best. That what your layout was mounted on? At the