Change Partners (The L.A. Stories) by Alexandra Caluen

Author:Alexandra Caluen [Caluen, Alexandra]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-08-20T16:00:00+00:00

Patrick’s friend Paul was going out of town soon. He mentioned it at dinner, having invited Patrick and Dmitri to see a thing he was working on, a 1:12 scale miniature room. It was a hobby he’d abandoned for a while, for reasons nobody needed to mention. “I’m going to a show,” he said. “For this project, I want a nice picture to hang on the wall. There’s a fine-art miniatures show in Stockton, in June.”

“Wine country in June,” Patrick said. “Sounds fabulous. Need any company?”

Paul laughed. He laughed more now - in spite of everything - and especially when he was with Patrick. They’d been spending more time as friends: a drink after work, the occasional dinner like this, more often only the two of them because of Dmitri’s schedule. “Of course you’re welcome,” Paul said, and mentioned the dates. “Where will Dmitri be?”

Dmitri had to consult the calendar on his phone. “We go to Chicago.” He glanced sideways at Patrick. “You will like Stockton better.”

Patrick laughed under his breath. He’d gone along to the last competition, and he really would like Stockton better than Chicago. “It’ll be good when you and Michelle win again,” he said. Dmitri had already told Patrick that if he and Michelle did win the World Professional Smooth championship a second time, he would retire from competition. Patrick wanted them to win because he thought they should, but also because he wanted Dmitri to be at home again. He didn’t say ‘because I miss you’ right now, because he at least still had Dmitri and Paul didn’t still have Bob. “What kind of wine should I bring home?”

Dmitri looked gloomy. “All of it,” he said. Patrick and Paul both laughed.

So in June, Paul swung by to pick up Patrick for the drive to Lodi. They had rooms reserved at a small hotel called Wine & Roses, and Patrick arranged for a chauffeur-driven wine tour so he didn’t have to bother getting himself around. They had dinner together the first night, and on Saturday Paul went to the show in Stockton by himself.

Patrick hadn’t been on a trip like this without Dmitri for a long time. It was strange, in both good ways and bad. On the one hand, it beat hanging out in yet another hotel listening to yet more hours of loud music, watching countless rounds of dancing yet again. He was out in the open air most of the day, in a beautiful landscape, with nothing to do but chat with people and taste (drink) a lot of wine. On the other hand, at the end of the day he’d be sleeping alone, and he kind of hated that. And he knew that Dmitri, even after all these years, really appreciated having Patrick with him. He would send a text later, so Dmitri would know Patrick was thinking of him. As it happened, that text was a news flash: Hi honey, amazeballs news, Paul met someone at this show and invited him to dinner!! Seems nice, artist, yoga teacher, lives in LA and sounds like George Takei.

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