Jude…

"He's gay I tell you." Mason stated around a mouthful of some confection the Greeks were known for and, damn, was it good. I just looked at him with a 'yeah right' raise of my brow before reclining my feet across his lap and breaking off a piece of his pastry—pulling it away from him as he tried to take it back.

"He is not!" I exclaimed as I both laughed and scoffed at the idea. Damn, but the two of us had way way way too much time on our hands if we were now starting to dismember the chemical makeup of everyone we knew to decide who was what sexual orientation. But this particular person? Mason laughed.

"Matthew Romano is most definitely and irrevocably gay. He passes the gaydometer test with flying colors." Mason remarked with a shrug as I just looked over at him with a small laugh.

"Gaydometer? And when did we start getting tests that discern these types of things?" I asked Mason whimsically as he threw me a look that said 'gay people know other gay people.' Hmmmm…homosexual telephathy…now that's a thought. I nodded thoughtfully.

"So, if that were the case, things could go very well for you back in Montana…." I replied teasingly as Mason tickled the bottom of my feet until I yelped.

"Despite popular belief, I do not jump the bones of all men I discover are suddenly gay…" Mason began as I raised my brow in that 'oh come on, my friend' look. Mason laughed again.

"Okay, so he's attractive. Most guys that look like him are not gay. They're famous pin ups surrounded by a million women. Gay or not, I am most probably not his type. Besides, don't we have a famous Quincy plan to thwart?" Mason asked—changing the subject in that way that bespoke of 'it's time to change the subject' so I let him. Although, I still hold to my belief that Matthew could not possibly be gay. Okay, so he hadn't hit on any of the women at the Bar-B-Q…had a thing for ballads…hmmmmm...okay, now is not the time for that thought. Nope, thwart Tommy plan was a much better direction of deliberation.

"Speaking of which…" I began as I chewed slowly on the cake I had snitched from him. Wow, this stuff was fabulous. God, I hoped it wasn't some sort of goddess ambrosia! And then, I started turning the hotel room key placed in the restaurant earlier over and over in my hand as I squinted at the metal.

"I wonder if there is anyone that he has come in contact with that would be willing, with money of course, to tell me his next step?" I pondered aloud as Mason pursed his lips in wry amusement before looking up over at the water. There was a hotel in the distance—the luxury kind that sat on the edge of the beach with a view of the coastline. The more elegant rooms—with balconies and private living rooms—were located on the upper floors and Mason stared at it almost wistfully. This trip had tired him out. And then something caught his eye, and he shook his head.

"Have you ever wondered if he might be watching you?" Mason asked as I looked at him uncertainly. Watching me? I looked around the boat warily.

"Do you think he is?" I asked with a small smile as the thought suddenly struck me as funny. Mason shrugged. Hmmm….he might be watching me huh?

"Did you ever take drama in school, Mason?" I asked with a chuckle as Mason grinned.

"Dear God, the wonderfully voluptuous Jude Harrison has an idea." Mason replied with a clap as I turned around and leaned against him.

"I wouldn't call it an idea exactly…."