"Do not ask the name of the person who seeks a bed for the night. He who is reluctant to give his name is the one who most needs shelter."

Victor Hugo, French Novelist

Entering my room, I do a visual inventory for any evidence I've been essentially playing house with Gabe's blood-brother over the past few weeks. I throw a pair of Zach's sneakers in the back of my closet, and stuff his boxers from the bench under a bunch of my clothes in the laundry hamper. The walkie-talkie is peeking out from its usual resting place between my bed and nightstand. I gently kick it further back so it's hidden completely under the bed. Nothing else seems amiss, so I grab my wallet and key out of last night's pants and get dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt with some flip flops. I jog downstairs where Gabe is watching TV.

"Ready?" he asks, turning down the volume on the SpongeBob episode that's playing on the screen.

"Yep," I confirm. "I'll call the cab."

"Cool cool." He turns off the set and we head outside. He heads in the direction of the where the surf boards are stashed and begins inspecting them. "So what have you been doing here all this time bro?" he asks, pulling one out that needs a bit of repair work at the end and setting it up on a couple of sawhorses we store for that specific reason.

"Writing. I got more done these past few weeks than the past year. The muse is back with a vengeance!" I explain.

"And going out, finally, right?" he interrogates, grabbing the repair kit from the small chest of surf supplies set up nearby and sanding down a ding in the board.

"And going out," I confirm. "Tony came by. That was fun," I inform him, happy to be able to truthfully explain one night out. Gabe nods but doesn't say anything for several seconds. I use the time to call the cab company and schedule a pick-up. I hang up and shove my phone in my pocket as his questions start back up.

"Meet anyone special?" he asks as he applies the resin, all wide-eyed and innocent. I'm impressed as his repair skills and can't decide if he's genuinely just curious (he thinks everyone should get laid as often as he does, so it's not impossible that he's just encouraging me to get out there and get some), or thinks something's up. I play along with his assumption that most gay men go out and party hard every night of the week and find lots of random, anonymous sex.

"Oh you know, I met a few people," I vaguely admit.

"That's good, Shauny. Anyone you wanna tell me about?" I shake my head after pretending to think about it for a second. He finishes up his repair job and it looks good. "This should be fine tomorrow or so," he says, patting the board, then looking at me. "Okay, well, I'm having a buncha my peeps over tonight, if you wanna invite anyone…" he fades off as my cell phone rings. I answer and the cabbie announces his arrival.

"Ride's here," I inform him.

"Awesome. I can't wait to see Zach! Wanna make sure he's okay," he confides, and I exhale because if he's worried about his best friend that means he hasn't realize something's going on. It must be my guilt that's got me a bit jumpy and thinking he's caught on and is stringing me along before confronting me for turning his best friend.

Getting into the car, I give the taxi driver the crossroads of the Sky Room without mentioning it specifically, hoping that I won't have to explain why it's at such a fancy restaurant. For once this morning, Gabe isn't paying attention to me; he's focused on his phone inviting his crowd over tonight, I imagine. I run scenarios through my head where I could get out of attending my brother's soiree although I'm sure Zach will be there. I know he usually would spend the night after partying with Gabe and company, and assume he still does. Could he sneak away when everyone's passed out? I consider a booking a hotel and the idea of getting busy with Zach in a rented room seems like a total turn on. This evening has possibilities all of the sudden and I smile.

The cab pulls up to the corner and I jump out and pay the man. Gabe's more slow to get out. "Oh yeah, Cherie's coming—in more ways than one!" he exclaims. I can only roll my eyes as his double entendre. He's shaking his pelvis around like a fool and I can't help but laugh. If he's busy with this Cherie, that leaves Zach to his own devices later tonight. I go up to the valet as he's still on his phone, and am able to get my car back without him even paying attention to where we're at. I give the valet a big tip and climb in. Gabe slides in and we drive in the general direction of Pacific Diner.

About halfway there, I realize I shouldn't be too familiar with the place and ask for cross-streets. Gabe distractedly gives me directions and I begin to fear that he's inviting his entire high school graduating class. Oh well, I decide. Let him have his fun. The more people there, the less my and Zach's absence will be noticed.

A few streets from the diner, I decide to swing by and see if Zach's mural has progressed. I slow down as we pass the liquor store and I almost hit the car in front of me. It's amazing. Where it was an explosion of roads or arms when I last saw it, there's now structures and movement and excitement coursing through it. The industrial buildings are there, and red. Red threading through the entire thing, including a huge heart with the word "Love." And that's all I can see before I have to pull forward and leave it. I can barely breathe. I calm down as we pull into the Pacific's parking lot.

"I, uh, gotta run an errand real quick," I tell Gabe as he grabs the door handle.

"In San Pedro?" he shoots back. I nod. "Okay weirdo," he replies looking at the sky. I sigh. I have to inspect the mural better and it's probably not a good idea to surprise Zach right now anyway.

"I'll be back in 15. Call me if you need me sooner or wanna stick around," I instruct my baby brother, just like old times.

"Yeah yeah," he flippantly replies with a grin before heading inside.

I drive back to the mural and park. Getting out to inspect it better, I grab my camera out of the back, grateful again I hadn't unloaded my car. I take a few shots from a distance, then approach it, stopping a few feet away to admire the intricate details and printed industrial scenes he'd adhered to the wall then painted over to bring the whole thing together into a cohesive amazing art work. I take more photos of various angles. I zoom in on specific parts and capture them, before plopping down in front of it and just absorbing the work. Several minutes later, I recognize the Pacific Diner in the piece and snap out of my viewing bliss remembering I need to go get Gabe. I take a few more photos and get in the car to head back, giddy that I had the opportunity to see Zach's work on a bigger scale than his small quick tags.

I pull up to Gabe on the corner. He jumps in and gives me a high five. "We're good to go, bro. Zach'll be by around 5 for the surf sesh, then we'll party hard," he grins.

"About that, I dunno if you'll want your ol' brother there…" I begin. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "But I'll be happy to go surfing, and how about we'll see about how tonight goes?" I offer. Gabe sighs.

"I said you could invite people," he begins.

"I know, and…I'm grateful. I just have been, anti-social while I've been staying here," I explain. "I haven't seen many people 'cause I've been working, you know?"

"Yeah. Zach too," he replies. My heart drops. What happened at the diner? "Everyone I've been texting says they haven't seen him all summer," he explains and I begin to breathe again. "He seemed a bit weird when I just saw him. Guess he's still not over Tori," he shrugs.

"Those things are tough," is really all I can come up with. I swallow, exhausted from the deception. How long can this go on? I wonder.

"Didja get what you needed to take care of done?" he replies, not seeming all that curious.

"Yeah." We head back to Long Beach. By the time we pull into the driveway, I'm tired. "I'm gonna go take a nap before we hit the beach," I explain, and start up the stairs.

"You do that old man," Gabe agrees as I reach the top step.

I head into my room and pull off my jeans before crawling into bed and fall instantly asleep. When I wake up, it's to the sound of Gabe rifling around in my bathroom. Within a minute he pops out and sees that I'm awake.

"Uh, didn't remember to bring any condoms," he explains with a grin. I roll my eyes. "Dude I sent you some. Figured you'd keep 'em in here," he says, pointing into the bathroom. I open the drawer and pull out a handful and toss them his way. "Thanks bro," he laughs, bending over to pick them up from the floor. "Now I know where to go when I burn through these," he smiles.

"Stay outta my stuff, Gabe," I warn, feeling like my teenage-self again. His phone rings, so he opens it to answer as he leaves my room.

"Yeah dude, we can meet you there," I hear him tell the person at the other end of the line. "Nah, just me and Shaun." He turns around and mouths 'Zach' to me. "Cool dude, yeah, your board I fixed won't be ready yet but there are other ones… oh, you have yours. Cool. See you soon." He hangs up and looks back at me. "We gotta roll out. Meeting Zach there," he explains. I get up and gather my surf stuff, anxious to see Zach and make sure he's okay.