“Jeremy! Get naked with us!”
Jeremy and Conrad appeared on the veranda in the late afternoon and watched Dylan splash about in the pool with Dante and Andy. Alistair was sitting under the giant umbrella on the patio with Teddy and Jonathan, both of whom had switched from iced tea and lemonade to Scotch. Jeremy waved and then, as he and Conrad walked toward the three men under the umbrella, asked, “Where’s Rafael?”
“He’s upstairs showering and changing,” Alistair replied. “I just came down. We spent a fantastic afternoon working on Gazelle. He’s exhausted me.”
Jeremy smiled and said, “Rafael is the best dancer.”
“Did you have fun at the beach?” Alistair asked, not looking at Conrad.
Jeremy nodded and asked, “Was that the beach in that picture on Teddy’s desk?”
Alistair looked at Teddy and asked, “You have that picture on your desk?”
Teddy nodded and smiled as he replied, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the two of you as happy as you were that afternoon.”
Alistair smiled and nodded.
“Yes, that’s where we went. Rafael was twelve and he’d been in New York for only a few weeks. He’d been a terrible mess when he came, but we worked with him and by that day in August, he had stabilized and become a quite pleasant boy to be around. It was really a breakthrough day. That beach means a great deal to me.”
“We had a wonderful time,” Jeremy said. “It’s a beautiful place.”
“Yes, it is.”
Conrad met Alistair’s eyes and then turned to Jeremy. “Go get naked and play with the boys.”
Jeremy giggled and turned. He didn’t run, Conrad noticed, as the man would have expected him to. At the pool, as Dante and Andy eagerly watched, Jeremy slipped out of his Topsiders and shed his Izod and his swimsuit before sitting on the edge of the pool and slipping into the water, rather than jumping in as he had the day before. He was also not erect, which seemed unusual for the boy with the perpetual boner.
Conrad turned to Alistair and said, “I explained to Jeremy why it was impossible for us to have sex. I thought you would be relieved.”
Alistair raised an eyebrow and asked, “And, why would I be relieved? I have no intention of pursuing a relationship with the boy beyond being a friend and mentor and being in charge of his training.”
Conrad sighed and sat down. Alistair sighed, as well, and muttered, “This event has not turned out to be the pleasant and fun gathering for which I was hoping.”
Conrad looked out at the water and said, “He’s such a special boy, though he really doesn’t see himself that way. I tried to explain to him that he’s at the top and that he’s exceptional, but I don’t think he fully grasps just how good he is.”
Alistair frowned and said, “He seems subdued.”
“Yes. He became so after the conversation. I wanted him to understand that, despite all the sex that seems to be happening around him in this moral cesspool, that would not be an option for the two of us because it would get in the way of the very important work we need to do to make him an extraordinary dancer. He understood, though he’s not happy about it. He’s a very…he’s…naive and…”
He looked back at Alistair and Teddy and said, “I get the impression that this boy could be extremely sexual under certain circumstances and I’m afraid for him because of that. It wouldn’t take much to push him in the wrong direction.”
Teddy sighed and said, “And, I suppose you blame Rafael for that?”
“Oh, no!” Conrad quickly replied. “Not at all. I think it’s that he doesn’t fully understand the sudden rush of feelings he’s having. I think puberty is hitting him all at once and it just happened to occur at the moment that he’s being thrown into this new world of temptation, stress, and competition. I explained to him that he’s going to be facing the most intense competition of his life and that some kids avoid nervous breakdowns by turning to drugs, as Andy Daugherty does, or to sex, as Rafael has. I don’t condemn Rafael. I understand. After being mentored”—he held up fingers to signify quotation marks around the word “mentored”—“by Alistair’s father, I understand completely the attraction of that option. I reacted to the stress by completely shutting down. The point I want to make about Jeremy is that I think he’s in a fragile place right now and it wouldn’t take much to ruin all the potential he has to be the greatest dancer ever to come out of Ballet Academy.”
Alistair looked down and asked, “Do you think the trainees here are under too much pressure? I’m serious about this question. I’ve tried to change things here at the academy and in the company after my father died. He ruled by intimidation and cruelty. I’ve tried to motivate and encourage and nurture my dancers and trainees, but do you think the kids are under too much pressure?”
“Yes,” Conrad replied, “but I don’t know what to do about it. The competition at this level from other schools and other companies is just too great. I mean we aren’t like the Soviet ballet schools. They’re like the army, but we have to maintain standards and I just don’t know what to do to relieve the stress except to be more careful about who we admit to the school. Andy Daugherty has no business here and he knows it, but nevertheless, here he is. Why? I think if he had his way, he wouldn’t go through all this. I can’t imagine Bobby Daugherty wants a ballet dancer son in his presidential campaign. I actually feel sorry for the kid. He’s an ass, but there are reasons for it.”
Alistair sighed and looked away. Conrad frowned and added, “Of course, a lot of the pressure is put on them by each other and by themselves. They know that they’re competing against each other. How can you be best friends with a kid who could knock you out of the competition at the next culling?
“My God, Conrad,” Jonathan exclaimed. “I’ve seen you in interviews, on television, on stage, and I’ve heard about the Ice Prince, but you’re actually nothing like your image. You really are a human being.”
Alistair smiled as Conrad shrugged. “Conrad feels things very deeply. He just learned under my father how to bury his emotions. It was the only way to survive back then.”
Conrad sighed and looked out at the pool where Jeremy was standing in the middle of the shallow end as Dante and Andy spoke with him and Dylan floated nearby. Alistair reached out and took Conrad’s hand.
“I want your help, Conrad. I need your help with Jeremy. We need to make sure he doesn’t implode from all the pressure and all the new experiences here.”
“I’ll do what I can, but you know once school starts and the company returns, I won’t have much time. It’s impossible for me to see him during the week. He can’t stay awake as late he would need to see me. He’ll have class Saturday mornings and I’ll have practice. The closer we get to performance, the less time I’ll have on weekends. I may see him two or three times a month. It’s really not until summer that I’ll get to spend any serious time with him and even then, if I get an invitation to dance somewhere…”
“I know, but the little free time you have may make all the difference. I know what you mean. I won’t have that much time, either. It’s really going to be up to Rafael and Teddy.”
“You know you can trust me and I want you to know that you can trust Rafael. He worships Jeremy.”
Rafael appeared on the veranda at that moment and all eyes at the table turned to him as he approached.
“Why do I feel like you were all talking about me?” he asked suspiciously.
“Because we were,” Alistair replied with a smile. “We’re actually talking about Jeremy and how Conrad and I are worried about the pressure he may feel and how neither he nor I are going to have enough time to devote to the boy and how a lot of the responsibility for helping and protecting him may fall on your shoulders, Rafael.”
The teenager sat down at the table and nodded as he replied, “You’re right. No one seems to get how bad the stress can be and Jeremy’s going to be under a lot because I think you people expect more from him than he might be able to give. He expects so much from himself, too, and never seems satisfied, no matter how well he does. Everyone keeps talking like he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread and he’s going to feel this extra pressure to meet everyone’s expectations. But, there’s something else to remember. He’s been having terrible nightmares at night. He wakes up crying and screaming and jumps out of the bed like he doesn’t know where he is. It’s his parents. I think he’s dreaming about his parents telling him how disappointed they are in him. He’s got this thing about them and so you take all the pressure he’s going to be under just from being a trainee at Ballet Academy, plus the pressure because you all think he sits at the right hand of God, and then the pressure from his dead parents…”
He looked down and said, “You know, I haven’t really thought this before, but…I mean I wondered this weekend if it might be a mistake to bring Jeremy here and I talked about it with Teddy, and now…after that nightmare last night…”
Alistair looked at Rafael and Teddy with anger as he demanded, “Why haven’t you told me about these nightmares?”
Rafael and Teddy looked at each other in confusion, but said nothing. Alistair glared at Conrad and asked, “Do you know about the nightmares?”
Conrad nodded and said, “I thought you knew.”
“Well, he and I are going to have a talk tonight. I want Jeremy to know that he can come to the great Alistair Mountjoy and not feet intimidated and we’re going to talk this over.”
He looked over at the pool, where Jeremy was smiling and seemed more relaxed than he’d been earlier. The man added, “It’s so hard to deal with parents who aren’t thrilled their sons want to wear tights, but when the parents are dead…”
—o-0-o—
“So, did it feel good?”
Jeremy and Rafael were walking through the upstairs hallway after dinner toward their bedroom to change into shorts and tee-shirts, Alistair having relaxed his rules about tights for the evening.
“Did what feel good?” Jeremy asked innocently .
“Don’t play that game with me,” Rafael said with a grin. “When you were standing in the pool with Dante and Andy and Dylan was blocking our view. Don’t act like the three of you weren’t having a circle jerk.”
Jeremy blushed as they entered the bedroom and said, “Well, Andy started it. I wasn’t going to do anything, but we were standing there talking and I told him about my life in Greensburg and about Dad being a big lawyer and my grandfather being a judge and all and then we started talking about you and then it turned into talking about sex and…Well, I was already horny from being with Conrad at the beach and him not doing anything with me and when Andy started feeling me, well, I couldn’t stop. I just couldn’t stop, Rafael.”
“Yeah, I kind of figured that.”
Rafael closed the door to the room and asked, “What did you think of Dante?”
“Oh, man, he is sooo sexy!” Jeremy replied excitedly. “He says he thinks you’re the hottest guy he’s ever done it with!”
Rafael smiled and said, “I really like Dante. He’s sexy and he’s a great guy. Andy Daugherty’s as ass, but I really like Dante.”
“Man, his dick is big!”
Rafael laughed and said, “Yeah, lots of black guys have big dicks. At least that’s what people say.”
The boys were undressing and Jeremy giggled. However, after a moment, he became serious and said, “Rafael, I’m wondering about something. Conrad told me he knows I want to have sex with him, but he can’t do it with me because he’s afraid it will get in the way of all the work he wants to do with me.”
Rafael nodded as he dropped his shorts and underwear to stand naked and partially erect in front of the younger boy. Jeremy, despite having found relief in the pool before dinner, was erect again as he pulled his shorts off and stood naked with Rafael. As they pulled their dance belts on, Rafael said, “I know. I think that’s good. I know you want to do it with him, but if he’s going to be teaching you and working with you, he could be right about sex getting in the way.
“But, you and Alistair do it,” Jeremy said.
“Once and that’s kind of different,” Rafael replied. “It was three years ago and I was a lot crazier when I got there than you are—not that you’re crazy, but…”
Jeremy looked down at the floor as he finished adjusting his dance belt. He frowned and said, “Rafael, I’m wondering if there’s something wrong with me.”
Rafael took a deep breath and looked at the boy with concern. Alistair was going to talk with Jeremy later in the evening, after they had finished their practice, but Jeremy was forcing the issue. He had to be careful, not just because of Alistair’s conversation later, but for Jeremy’s emotional stability. The wrong comment, the wrong facial expression, anything could mess up Jeremy’s equilibrium, particularly his feelings of self-worth.
“So, what are you worried about?” he asked carefully.
Jeremy took a deep breath and replied, “I’m worried that it’s like all I can think about is sex. I mean, when I got here, I didn’t want to do it with anyone except you. I love you, Rafael. You saved my life. I owe you everything. I love you. But, I can’t stop thinking about sex and I’m hard all the time. It kind of started last week when I did it with Benji. I really talked him into it and then when I came over to your place, I was afraid to do it because I thought you’d think I was a pervert and then when we did do it, it was so fantastic and wonderful and then, here, I mean in New York, well and here at Alistair’s, when you and I do it now, I go crazy and I get just so wild and sexy. And, then I met Alistair and I want to do it with him and Conrad, oh, my God, Rafael, I want to do it with him so bad I can’t stand it and I did it with Dylan last night and I went crazy with him and then I jacked off Dante and Andy in the pool before dinner and…”
He looked at Rafael with true fear and shame as he said, “Rafael, I think something’s wrong with me. Why is it that I can’t stop thinking about sex? Why am I always hard? Why am I so crazy about sex? What’s wrong with me? Am I a pervert? Am I wicked?”
Rafael was on the verge of tears as he listened to the boy. He could hear the agony in Jeremy’s voice, the shame and revulsion. He stepped over to him and wrapped his arms around him. He held Jeremy tightly and the younger boy hugged him back as he started crying.
“My parents would be so disgusted with me,” he sobbed. “They’d hate me! I was always a good boy. I was always good and they never seemed to notice and now…they’re gone and…”
“There’s nothing wrong with you, sweetheart,” Rafael whispered into his ear. “There’s nothing wrong with liking sex, Jeremy. Besides, you’ve gone through some big changes and shocks, so you’re nervous and anxious and…well, sometimes people turn to sex when that happens. You’ll be okay. Once school starts, you’ll be okay.”
Jeremy suddenly pulled away and said, “You just say that because you’re so sexual because of what your stepfather did to you. Maybe you want me to be as sexy as you. Maybe you just want to have tons of crazy hot sex with me and you don’t care about how it’s tearing me apart. Maybe…”
He sat down on the bed and sobbed.
Rafael stepped in front of him and softly replied, “I just want you to be happy, Jeremy. I don’t want you to suffer and beat yourself up and whatever. I love you, Jeremy. I love you more than anything. I love you.”
Jeremy wailed and said, “I know. I know you love me. I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I…”
Rafael turned around. He wasn’t going to be able to handle this by himself. He pulled his shorts on and hurried out of the room.
Wearing shorts and a tee-shirt with his dance shoes, Alistair was just emerging from his bedroom and when he saw the distraught look on Rafael’s face, he asked with urgency, “What’s the matter?”
“We need you. You need to talk to him now. You can’t wait until later. You have to do it now. I don’t know what to do. He’s…I’m going to lose him, Alistair, and I can’t live if that happens.”
Alistair quickly hugged the boy and kissed his forehead. “I’ll take care of him, Rafael. Everything’s going to be all right. Don’t worry. I’ll fix this.”
“Help him, Alistair! Please!”
Rafael followed Alistair into the room and stood aside as the man approached the wailing boy, who was now lying in the fetal position on the bed.
“It’s okay, Jeremy. I’m here,” he said soothingly as he sat down and rested the boy’s head on his thigh. Jeremy continued to sob as Alistair patiently caressed the boy’s face and shoulder. “Let it out, Jeremy. Just let it out.”
Rafael sat down on the floor in the corner, cross-legged, and chewed on his knuckle, full of fear. Alistair looked up at him and nodded as he smiled. Rafael folded his hands and tried to relax as he watched the man stroke the crying boy’s arm. Jeremy was dressed in only his dance belt, but Alistair seemed not to notice. He reached over to the nightstand and pulled several tissues from the box before he helped Jeremy to sit up. The boy’s sobs had begun to subside and Alistair looked up and nodded his head toward the door. Rafael stood up.
“Why don’t you go start your warm up and Jeremy and I can talk for a while before we come down.”
“I don’t think I need a warm up,” Rafael replied. “I’ve been dancing all day.”
Alistair raised an eyebrow and Rafael said, “I think I’ll go warm up.”
“Thank you,” Alistair replied with a wink.
When Rafael left the room, Alistair kissed Jeremy on the cheek and softly said, “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
Jeremy looked down forlornly at his lap, realizing he was naked, except for his dance belt, in front of one of the greatest men in ballet. He sniffed hard and said, “I’m so ashamed. I’m so sorry. I’m just being a woosie.”
“No, you aren’t, Jeremy,” Alistair replied. “You’re not a woosie, at all. You’re a strong boy who has survived so much and I am more impressed with you than you can imagine. You’ve worked hard over the last four and a half years and you’ve made yourself one of the finest dancers in the country. You’re an inspiration to boys all over the United States, Jeremy. Strong, athletic boys can be graceful, beautiful, elegant dancers and I’m so proud you’re going to train in my school.”
“You wouldn’t be proud if you knew what a pervert and sicko I am.”
Alistair hugged him tightly and whispered, “I know, Jeremy. I know, because I turn to sex when I’m lost, when I’m scared.”
Jeremy looked at the man with surprise and said, “You get scared? How? You’re Alistair Mountjoy. You’re the greatest man in ballet!”
Alistair grinned and said, “Well, Mr. Balanchine might disagree with you on that, but, yes. I get scared. It’s tough being Alistair Mountjoy. It’s tough always being strong and in control and always being there for my dancers and always knowing how to solve every problem. And, sometimes it gets too much and I turn to other men—Geoffrey, dancers I know from the company or from other companies. You see, Jeremy, my father was a lot like Rafael’s stepfather and, well, I understand Rafael. I also understand you. You’re not a pervert, Jeremy.”
“But, all I can think about is sex right now,” Jeremy wailed. “I need to focus. Madame Pulchova always said, ‘Focus, focus, focus!’ And, I can’t! I’m just thinking about sex!”
“It’s just a case of nerves, Jeremy. Don’t worry about it. The more you worry about it, the more it will be a problem for you. Now, tell you what.”
He smiled at the boy and brushed his hair from his forehead as he said, “You don’t worry about it tonight. Tonight, you and I and Rafael are going to dance and work on your performance for tomorrow and we’re going to have fun and you’re not going to worry about anything, Jeremy, because we all love you and you’re a fantastic dancer and your life is going to be wonderful now. All right?”
Jeremy sniffed and nodded. Alistair grinned and added, “But, before you come down, you know what I would do if I were you?”
“What?”
Alistair winked and pointed to Jeremy’s dance belt and said, “I’d take that off for a bit and take care of your hard-on.”
Jeremy blushed deeply as Alistair chuckled and stood. He leaned down and kissed Jeremy’s forehead.
“Oh, where are Rafi’s dance shoes?” the man asked.
Jeremy pointed to the closet and Alistair gathered them up. As he walked toward the door, he chuckled and added, “Just don’t take too much time!”
Jeremy giggled and Alistair walked out the door.
—o-0-o—
“Amazing, amazing.”
Alistair stood beside Conrad as they watched Rafael and Jeremy dancing energetically across the studio and shook his head.
“Rafael dances as if he hasn’t already been dancing all day,” Conrad remarked.
“And, Jeremy dances as if he’s been doing this his entire life.”
The boys were coming up on the six Grand Jeté at the end and Conrad whispered, “Now, watch this.”
Alistair watched with a smile of joy as both boys spun and leapt with seeming ease, their legs and arms parallel to the floor, until they came together in the center, their inside arms thrown triumphantly into the air, looks of pride and joy on their faces as both fought not to seem to struggle for their breath.
“Bravo! Bravo!” Alistair shouted as he clapped and ran forward. “Beautifully done! Perfectly executed! Brilliant! Both of you! Brilliant!”
He hugged Rafael tightly and kissed his cheek as the fifteen-year-old smiled with love and happiness, and then turned to Jeremy. Holding the boy’s shoulders, he grinned into the boy’s face and said, “After that, do you have any doubts about your abilities, Jeremy?”
“No,” the boy replied, his face full of joy. “It was good, wasn’t it?”
“Good is an understatement,” Alistair replied as he stepped back.
Conrad smiled and winked at Jeremy, adding, “I think I’m a little superfluous tonight. I can’t think of anything to suggest that would improve your performance, boys.”
“I agree,” Alistair replied as he walked back to the wall. “I think one more time, just for good measure, and then you’ve earned an evening off.”
Conrad leaned over the turntable and reset the needle. He smiled as he watched Alistair laugh at Jeremy’s impish Sasha coming out on stage and teasing Rafael’s Prince Andrei. He watched Alistair’s eyes moving in different directions, keeping tabs on specific points that needed to be monitored, and nodding when the dancer or dancers performed them correctly. The delight on the man’s face grew as the dance progressed until, as the boys performed the climactic spinning leaps and ended in the center, he laughed with joy.
“I only wish I had a bigger audience for you tomorrow!” the man declared as he walked back out. “Perfect once again! Jeremy, it’s a treat watching you dance! Rafael, what can I say that I haven’t already said about you a hundred times?”
“Oh, I can think of a few things,” the fifteen-year-old replied with a grin.
Alistair winked at him and said, “Go drink water. You, too, Jeremy. You both have the rest of the night off.”
“Do you mind if I work a little longer?” Jeremy asked. “There are a couple of things I want to work on.”
“I think you should quit now. I don’t want you to make your blisters worse before tomorrow night” Alistair replied, seeing the disappointment in the boy’s face. “You’ll have two more practices tomorrow before the performance, so don’t worry. Take it easy tonight. You’re just fine. You’ve nothing to worry about.”
Jeremy clearly disagreed, but said nothing to the “greatest man in ballet.” Instead, he nodded politely and followed Rafael to the corner for a drink of water.
“I really want to dance all evening,” Jeremy said softly to Rafael. “I don’t want to have to think about anything. I just want to dance.”
“I know,” Rafael replied. “I know exactly how you feel. But, maybe we can all sit on the veranda and talk.”
He turned and called to Alistair, who stood by the door with Conrad speaking softly, “What do you have planned for us, tonight?”
“Oh, I thought we could just relax on the patio and veranda and talk and have fun,” the man replied. “Teddy can regale us with one of his wild yarns and Daugherty can brag about living in the White House when his father wins the election. That ought to be hilarious all by itself.”
“It’ll be okay, sweetheart,” Rafael replied as he hugged Jeremy. The younger boy leaned against him and lay his head against Rafael’s chest.
“I said terrible things to you, a while ago,” he whispered.
“It doesn’t matter, sweetheart,” Rafael replied. “You’re in pain and I love you and you can’t hurt me because I know you’re the sweetest guy in the world. Besides, I know where those words came from.”
Rafael caressed Jeremy’s hair and whispered, “We can leave the patio early and head upstairs, if you’d like.”
Jeremy nodded, but whispered, “I just wish I didn’t have to go to sleep. I can’t take another nightmare.”
“I know, sweetie. I know. Just remember, we all love you, Jeremy. Me, Teddy, Alistair, Conrad. Dylan. We all love you, sweetheart.”
Jeremy nodded and whispered, “I know.”
—o-0-o—
“…and, well, you know what they say about Milton Berle! He’s supposed to be hung like a mastodon!”
Everyone sitting on the patio laughed and even Jeremy smiled at Teddy’s stories of Hollywood gossip. The sun had set and twilight was descending over the gathering as the boys ate chocolate ice cream and the men drank from Alistair’s stockpile of Macallan. Alistair had begun a story about his father meeting Milton Berle once in New York, when some of his dancers had appeared on his pioneering variety show in 1949, when Dylan whispered to Rafael and Jeremy, “Hey, you two want to come over and join the fun tonight? Andy and Dante are staying in my room and we’re going to have wild and nasty sex!”
Rafael sighed and shook his head. “Ordinarily, I’d be the first one there, but Jeremy and I need to get to sleep early. We’re going to practice early in the morning.”
“Oh, come on, Rafael!” Andy objected. “When have you ever turned down sex?”
“Since I found the sweetest guy in the world and because we have practice in the morning and we want to get up early.”
Jeremy leaned over and whispered, “You can if you want to. I don’t mind.”
Rafael shook his head and said, “I want to be with you tonight.”
He wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulder as Dylan sighed and said, “Come on, Jeremy. You were fantastic last night.”
He turned to Andy and Dante, explaining, “Me and Jeremy had a sixty-nine last night and he is boss! He sucks better than Rafael!”
Jeremy blushed and looked down as Andy and Dante grinned. “Come on, Jeremy,” Andy urged. “Don’t make us wait until we’re in the showers after school starts!”
“Leave him alone,” Rafael warned with a smile on his lips that wasn’t reflected in his eyes. “Besides, you won’t be showering with him anyway. He’s a first year.”
“Well, that’s an even better reason why Jeremy needs to come up and suck us!” Andy replied.
His comment was loud enough to stop the conversation among the adults, who all turned and looked at the boys. Jeremy lowered his head in shame and embarrassment and Rafael hugged him tightly as he glared at Andy.
Alistair gave Andy a deadly look before turning back to the men and continuing his story. Dylan touched Rafael’s shoulder and whispered, “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean to embarrass Jeremy.”
“You didn’t,” Rafael replied. “It was all the asshole’s fault.”
Andy rolled his eyes as Rafael turned to Jeremy and whispered, “Why don’t we head upstairs. We can make an early evening of it. Okay?”
Jeremy nodded silently before they stood and said their good byes to the adults. Conrad kissed Jeremy on the cheek and Alistair kissed Rafael on the lips. Teddy squeezed the hands of both boys and Jonathan nodded to each before they turned and headed toward the French doors leading to the atrium.
“I can’t get over how maternal Rafael has become now that Jeremy is in his life,” Jonathan remarked. “He’s a different boy.”
“You might also note that Rafael has had no sex with anyone other than Jeremy for a week,” Alistair replied. “I think this is the real thing.”
“It is,” Teddy declared. “Rafael’s never loved anyone the way he loves Jeremy.”
“What is it about Jeremy that has captured his heart?” Jonathan asked.
“He’s good and decent,” Teddy replied. “Jeremy is incapable of guile or deceit. And, Rafael remembers that seven year-old boy who came up to him four and a half years ago and declared that he was going to be a ballet dancer just like Rafael.”
“What a wonderful love story,” Conrad said. “They’re both very special.”
Alistair simply nodded stared at the door through which they had disappeared.