The Somebody People by Bob Proehl

Author:Bob Proehl [Proehl, Bob]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2020-09-02T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

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Mona went to bed early, giving Kevin barely enough time to catch up. “I get tired lately,” she said, looking mournfully at Laura before ascending the stairs. The rest stayed up drinking and philosophizing, their numbers dwindling as people left in pairs, threes, and fours. Somewhere around midnight, the effort expended working with Kimani caught up with Kevin, and he excused himself, hoping Raymond would follow. Raymond responded with a curt good night and a kiss on the cheek and told Kevin he could take the third room on the second floor.

The room was furnished with a banker’s lamp and a mattress on the floor that probably had been host to a dozen couplings or whatever one called the permutations beyond couplings. Thankfully, there were clean sheets folded at the foot. Kevin made up the bed and climbed in, clicking off the lamp. He replayed the last conversation he’d had with Raymond in his head. Had Raymond invited him? Was this intended to be more of a house call than a visit? Not telling Kevin about the baby was such a huge mystery that it shocked Kevin every time his mind came back to it, wounding him anew. His body was spent, but his mind reeled with anxiety, the psychic clamor of young people in enthusiastic lust creeping into the edges of his mind. Kevin lay awake for hours before he heard the creak of the doorknob turning, saw the hall light falling across the bare floor of the room.

“Are you up?” Raymond asked quietly.

Kevin sat with his back against the wall, and clicked on the lamp. “What are you sneaking around for? Can’t you sleep with who you want?”

Raymond smirked and climbed in under the covers next to Kevin. “Are you jealous?”

“Of which one?”

“Of me for having my pick.”

“What makes you think I haven’t been out in the world having my pick?”

“I know you,” said Raymond.

Kevin rested his head on Raymond’s shoulder. “What are you doing here?” he said. “These children. An actual child!”

“I was worried you’d be upset,” Raymond said.

“I am upset.”

“It was an experiment that failed,” Raymond said. “Last year Mona was ready to leave. I should have let her. But I wanted to keep her happy. It’s not as if there wasn’t an easier way. But I’d been trying to keep her leash slack.”

“Her leash?”

“I thought a baby would be good for her,” Raymond continued. “She was nearly too old to have one. She’d have someone to care for. I’ve never been that for her. Never needed her, really. I needed a person to fill a role, but it didn’t have to be her. I think she forgot we were playing roles.”

“She can’t be happy here,” Kevin said. “All this. It isn’t like her. It isn’t like you.”

“It isn’t like her,” Raymond said. “I’m not certain it works for me either. It feels like a half measure.”

“I’d hate to see the full measure,” Kevin said. “Where did you go? They keep talking about you being away.

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