Jarrod stood in the puddle, his mouth hanging open, his chest tight, and the rest of him in tatters.

“What just happened?”

The elegant apartment answered with the echo of the slammed door.

He’d come home on a high, bearing flowers and other, more important gifts, eager to see his lover after three weeks of phone sex and missing him like crazy. He hadn’t expected this. Even from volatile Andre, this was extreme.

Sighing, he pulled out his cell and pressed speed dial. “Hey, Martin.”

A low chuckled greeted him. “Shouldn’t you be in bed blowing your boyfriend’s mind?”

“You would think so.”

“Uh-oh. Honey, what’s wrong?”

Jarrod stepped gingerly out of the water and reached for the mop cupboard. “To be honest, I’m not sure. Your beloved brother just had a major blow out. I thought I’d give you a head’s up. He’s probably going to be knocking on your door within the hour.”

“What happened?” Martin was already settling in for a long therapy session.

“I brought flowers. I started to tell him about the Tokyo deal, explain everything you and I talked about. You know, ask him, and he flipped out. I didn’t even get to the important bits.”

“You’re a dense little thing, aren’t you?” Unlike his twin, Martin had a cool head and a knack for seeing right through to the heart of things. “You’re gone three weeks, back three hours, and you start by telling him you’re going to have to leave again? Do you ever pay attention to anything, Jerry?”

Jarrod groaned. Only Martin, his friend from before time, and his business partner, could get away with calling him that. “I didn’t even get a chance to say more than we got the deal. I thought he’d be happy. It means we can move anywhere he wants. He’s never liked this place.”

“He doesn’t like it because it’s big, and airy, and empty. He hates it because you’re never in it.”

“What am I supposed to do? He wanted this lifestyle, too.”