Kept Man: Firsts and Forever Stories

Ash told them he was in, and I said my goodbyes and took off. As I crossed the porch with the phone in my hand, Micah asked, “Didn’t you want to stay? It sounded like the party was just getting started.”

“I didn’t want to wear out my welcome.”

“I don’t think there was much chance of that happening.”

“You never know.” When I reached the sidewalk, I said, “I’m going to say goodbye for now to conserve my battery life, but I’ll call back in about half an hour with your surprise, if that’s okay.”

“Sure, baby. Thank you for including me today. I had a great time.” I smiled and blew him a kiss before ending the call.

When I called him back, I said, “I hope you like this. I’m going to turn the camera around and take you on a little tour.”

As soon as I flipped the camera, he murmured, “Oh wow! Where are we?”

“The Asian Art Museum. They’re hosting a special exhibition called ‘Treasures of South and Southeast Asia’ which is ending this week. I thought you might enjoy spending the afternoon here with me.”

“That’s so thoughtful,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “Thank you, Jasper.”

We took our time, starting with the permanent collection, which filled three floors. One of the things we both loved was the way contemporary art was scattered throughout the galleries, juxtaposed with historic artifacts.

Finally, we ended up at the temporary exhibit, which spanned two thousand years of history. In addition to the paintings, sculptures, and historical photos, there was also a performing arts section. That ended up being our favorite. It included musical instruments dating back hundreds of years, elaborate puppets, and figures used in Southeast Asian shadow plays.

I paused us in front of a screen playing a clip of a shadow play. The story was acted out by moveable figures behind a white sheet, which was lit from behind. They were cleverly designed with transparent sections, joints, cutouts, and other features, and once they were animated the result was absolutely magical.

We watched for a few minutes, until he said, “You’d better get going if you’re going to make that class. You’re still going, aren’t you?”

“Definitely. I’m actually feeling inspired,” I told him, as I held up the phone and panned it around the exhibit one last time.

As I started to head to the exit, I turned the camera to face me and Micah said, “Thank you again for doing this. It was a perfect date.”

I grinned and told him, “I guess it was my first, although the special dinners you prepare for us feel like dates.”

“You’d mentioned you never dated. Did you mean that literally?” When I nodded, he asked, “How is that possible?”

“I wasn’t out in high school, so I didn’t date. After I graduated and was on my own, I was much more concerned with figuring out how to survive, instead of thinking about my social life. And then it would have been complicated to try to date while working as a prostitute, so I never tried.” I reached the street and looked around as I said, “I need to figure out how to get myself across town, so I’d better go.”

“Are you nervous about the class?”

“Terrified, but I’m doing it anyway.”

Micah smiled at me and said, “I’m proud of you, baby.”

After we ended the call, I hailed a cab to save time. Skye had asked me to come early so he could show me what I’d missed the week before, and I didn’t want to keep him waiting.

When I arrived at my destination, I was surprised to find him waiting for me out front. Skye looked up from his phone and smiled as I climbed out of the taxi, and then he stuck it in the pocket of his overalls and said, “Hey, Jasper! I’m glad you could make it.”

“I’m sorry about last week.”

“No worries. Things come up.”

I decided to be totally honest with him. “Actually, I showed up for the class, but I was too intimidated to go inside. This is such a fancy gallery, and I’m really not an artist.”

“Dude, yes you are! I’m literally some dumb-ass with blue hair who finds crap in junk yards and welds it together. If I get to call myself an artist, so do you, and I’m super stoked you came back to try again. You ready to do this thing?”

When I nodded, he held the gallery door open for me. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

I couldn’t wait to see Micah when the class was over. I took a cab again and messaged him during the drive to let him know I was on my way home.

When I reached the house and opened the front gate, I was surprised to see him sitting on the top step, waiting for me. He was dressed all in black in a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled back, dress pants, and loafers, and he looked so handsome.