Penthouse—Ginger Sky Apartments

Eddie pushed Peter away and looked him with shock. “What was that?”

Peter looked down at the ground for a moment before, looking back up at Eddie. “It was a kiss.”

“Yeah that part I get.” Eddie was on the verge of completely freaking out, “the part I don’t get.” His voice was growing louder, “Is why it just happened between you and me. We’re both guys.”

“So.” Was all Peter could say.

“You’re engaged to Abigail.”

“Yeah, I am.” Peter was feeling the need to keep lying. He sighed and clarity seemed to fill his head, “Damnit! I can’t do this anymore Eddie!”

“Do what?” Eddie looked at his friend, his frat brother, his roommate with confusion.

“This! The whole pretending thing, I’m so fucking sick of it!” Peter yelled.

Eddie stared at Peter, “What are you sick of Peter?”

“Not being myself.” He stepped closer to Eddie for a moment, before looking into his dark eyes, “I’m gay Eddie.”

Eddie blinked and his mouth was wide open in shock. He shook his head and realized that Peter was gone. The door was opening and Abigail walked in.

“Eddie, what the hell is wrong with you?” She cocked her head as she stared at him.

“Did you see Peter?”

“No, he isn’t home? We were suppose to go to dinner with Karen.” Abigail picked up an apple from the bowl on the kitchen counter.

Eddie shook his head, “I hate to break this to you Abigail, but Peter’s gay.”

She took a bite from the apple and looked at him, “Yeah and what’s your big news? I already knew that.”

“You did?”

Abigail nodded, “Yeah, I was the first one to know. It’s kind of obvious when you’re boyfriend in college has no desire to have sex with you. It’s why we broke up.” She paused, “Something else happened, didn’t it?”

Eddie just looked at her for a moment; he had to prove to himself that Peter kissing him was just Peter’s side of things. Right now he had to do something that part of him had been aching to do for months, years even. “Abigail.” His voice was hoarse as he pulled her to him, pressing her petite body against his before leaning down and kissing her.

Bradley walked into his office and saw a large envelope on his desk. He put his coffee cup down and opened the package. Out fell several items of particular interest. A letter of a detailed affair that matched that of the Pool House of Passion, then the mother load. A picture of a young man with the author, Virginia Covington, or as Bradley knew her Carmen Montgomery.

A smile crossed his face as he thought of a headline for this story. Suddenly everything was making sense, he would have to remember to send a fruit basket to this Eddie Waterside fellow to thank him for giving him the best headline Ginger Falls had seen in a very long while.

Michael paced around his living room as he waited for the fax to come through. He sat down on the couch and looked up at the mantle of his fireplace and saw several pictures of him and Karen. High School Graduation, the two of them holding their law degrees, and one of them when they were little kids playing on the beach, he stood back up and went and picked up the picture of them from high school. His fingers traced Karen and he released a deep sigh, “I hate hurting you Karen, but you have to know the truth.”

The phone rang several times and then a fax began printing out. Michael went and looked at the papers, a smile falling across his face with pride, “I’ve got you now Jonathan Claremont.”

Julian sat on the sand staring out at the ocean as the sun was setting. The wind was slow, and the palm trees still. “Hey” Called out a familiar voice of a jogger coming near him.

Julian turned to look up and saw Hope coming towards him. “Hey.” He replied as he stood up.

“How are you doing, with well you know?” she stopped and bent over stretching her legs.

“Better, I started thinking about things I wanted to ignore, like when I came back to town after a few months, she and Devon our stage manager were naked in her dressing room.” He looked back at the ocean, “The police haven’t closed the investigation on who pushed Kate Harris off the fly rail yet, and Paula had motivation. She had plenty of opportunity. I think she realized she was going to get caught and ran.”

Hope nodded, “It makes a lot of sense. Then disappearing in the middle of a performance makes it appear something else happened.”

“Exactly, I was just a fool, not paying attention to what really going on.” He looked Hope up and down; “Well I won’t keep you from your run. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah, probably.” She watched Julian walk away, and was beginning to wonder if this was really the right thing to do.

“Seriously, I think this was the wrong solution.” Hope said to Devon as they walked into Kate’s living room where she and Legolas were drinking brandy.

“You have no idea what this woman has done.” Devon slammed his fist down on the table.

“But Julian seems like a good man, I just think its wrong to take away the woman he loves. Even if she did cheat on him.”

“Hope, you obviously ran into young Julian.” Kate came between Devon and Hope. “However, Paula must pay for her crimes, this is the only way to make sure a full punishment is possible.”

Hope sighed, “Well then what’s next in our plot?”

Legolas smiled after taking another sip of his drink, “You get Julian to fall in love with you, and tomorrow the casket arrives.”

Panic crossed her face, “We’re not killing Paula are we?”

Kate laughed, “No, no, something much worse.” She took a vial from her pocket, “She’ll just have a nice long nap on her way to where she’s going.”

Peter knocked on Max’s door and was relieved when he answered. Max didn’t even get a chance to say hello when Peter kissed him.

“Whoa, Peter, what brought this on?” Max asked once the door was closed.

Peter cupped Max’s face, “I just realized I was sick of lying to myself. I want you Max.”

Max kissed Peter and the two went into the bedroom.