Jay has Hugh's phone. It should be fine. Jay knows most everyone Hugh knows, and it's not like Hugh's granny can call to talk. Viv and Di might get a bit wierded out but nothing major would come of Jay taking a call if need be. It's really just so Jay has a phone on the boat. And Hugh's got a fix in the works. Called another cellular plan. He has to pick that phone up later.

He's also meeting Jay for lunch. Some Greek place on Vine Street. It's upscale but with a casual dress code. Hugh in his battered chinos, hiking boots, and waffle henley under his leather jacket should pass muster with his scruffy stubble even.

Jay is supposed to meet him. Of coarse with these things you never know who'll show up first. It's even more odd when you aren't exactly sure who you're looking for.

Jay has Hugh's phone. Jay has not been abusing this, nor has anyone called Jay on it, so that's fine. Well, just Hugh called Jay, to arrange lunch. They're going out to lunch, to a Greek restaurant. You know, like on a date. Like normal human beings. Which they most assuredly are not. They're special people, though only in the best ways.

Hugh gets there first. Not that it especially matters. It's not like Hugh would know one way or another if Jay were there. Because Jay is Jay is Jay. Jay looks like what Jay feels like looking like.

Hugh on the other hand looks like a hot mess and Jay spots him the minute Jay walks in the door. Hugh might be able to recognise Jay too actually, if only from the attitude. Because Jay is always Jay whatever Jay looks like. In this case it's a taller than Hugh, rake skinny and slouchy, pale skin and straight dark hair, long long straight hair. But more or less looking like it might be a dude. Jay's swung by Paula for complex explanations and clothes, skinny black jeans, high boots, a baggy leather jacket that hangs off its shoulders, over a black ribbed turtleneck. No cleavage there.

Spotting Hugh, Jay heads over to his table.

Oh yes, it's Jay. Hugh's not sure about the long hair on dude Jay but it's Greek food, it's not like they'll be making out in the back of a movie theatre. Hugh waves. There's already a drink in front of Hugh, coke with lime, look ma no booze.

Dude Jay really looks a lot like a girl except for not being a girl. It's complex. Jay's like that really. Poor Hugh. This could take some getting used to.

"Hey," Jay smiles. It's disconcerting, of course. Jay doesn't even sound like Jay, not old Jay, not original Jay, it's an entirely new voice. Same accent, mind, a vague, displaced Ontario accent that's a little bit off. It might be affected. He sits down opposite Hugh.

Hugh rather expected that. Still it's Jay and while this is awkward Hugh does love the stupid thing. Jay's promised not to dash Jay's brains out on a wall ever again. Thank gods. "You doing okay?" Jay mentioned going by Alec's. That might have been fraught with heavy emotional stuff.

Jay leans back in his chair, all elegant lines, and makes a so-so gesture with his hand. His hands look very much like they used to before he died, long, bony, brittle, and fine. "Alec is a very chill dude," he says. "It was okay. I'm okay. I mean... yeah, I'm okay. Don't... stab your boyfriend to death, commit suicide over it, and then come back to life okay? It's fraught. But I'll manage."

"No plans to do that." Hugh says. Really not ever. "Do you need anything?"

Really until just recently stabbing a boyfriend to death was just a problem Hugh McKnight was not ever going to have. And now look at him.

Jay smiles over at Hugh. No Hugh, Jay's got you, he'll be quite fine thanks. Jay's eyes are the same today as they were when Hugh left Jay as a girl on the boat the night before. Different face, same brown eyes, all sparkly for Hugh.

"I'll let you know if I do," he promises. "I'm just working things out."

Which has got to be pretty shitty in a lot of respects. Not everyone is going to be thrilled. Take for example, Muriel's reaction. Hugh reaches over and gives Jay's hand a squeeze. If he looks just a bit starry eyed too, well Jay did climb out of a grave for Hugh and everything.

This is priceless. If anyone Hugh knows sees him holding hands with a dude - a girly dude but a dude - well that shit will be all over town in no time.

Jay squeezes Hugh's hand back and smiles. Hugh is so worth clawing your way out of a grave for. Jay's nails are all better now though, thanks to Hugh. And all manicured too, thanks to the fact that Alec still likes to paint his nails. Jay jacked a bottle of high gloss black varnish.

"Thanks baby."

Hopefully no one's in earshot of that little gem.

This is Bayfield there is no hope. There's this short little preppy guy suddenly in Hugh's face. "Oh Dr. M. I wasn't sure that was you." Stephen England smirks at this hand holding with terms of endearment. "Well hello." Stephen says to Jay. Preppy Stephen and his Floridian accent.

Hugh groans. Anyone but fucking Stephen really. Hugh rolls his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Stephen, go away."

"Oh but Dr. M. introduce me." Stephen demands.

"Fine. Stephen, Jay. Jay is a very close friend. Jay, Stephen, Stephen is an utter fucking nusiance."

Jay turns his gaze on Stephen. Stephen is very short and very preppy. Jay does not approve. Also, Jay is trying to hold Hugh's hand and stare mushily into Hugh's eyes. He doesn't want to be bothered by utter fucking nuisances with silly pet names for Jay's boyfriend.

"Hi Stephen," Jay drawls, turning Hugh's hand over and inspecting it like he expects to find a road map to El Dorado inscribed in Hugh's palm. He lays Hugh's hand down on the table and smirks at Stephen. "We're practicing. Hugh's girlfriend's theatre troupe is putting on a play about Oscar Wilde. She's suckered poor Hugh here into understudying Oscar," he winks. "I'm Alfred Douglas."

"That's absurd." Stephen says. "Dr. M.'s a terrible poet." This is Stephen's idea of a joke.

"Stephen." Hugh warns. "You could go. AWAY."

"But I heard you're coming back to work and everything first of the month." Stephen says. "Ginger wouldn't make that up." Stephen looks at Jay. "You should get the baklava if you're into sweets. It's very good here."

"Stephen, sweetheart," Jay says, "Hugh here is an awful poet, frankly terrible, which is perhaps why he doesn't know any of his lines. Since we've got dress tonight and Frankie's got mono, Hugh sorta needs to know his lines. Otherwise I imagine the lovely Penelope will castrate him and slice out his tongue too, and he'll be an awful museum director and not much fun to fantatsise about either. So please, do everyone involved a favour and leave us in peace?"

"Oh Pene still." Stephen laughs. "You're crazy Dr. M." He shakes his head and looks at Jay. "This is an aweful place to learn your lines guys." But he does go. Hugh has that Stephen England I'm going to mail you to Uraguay face that he often gets.

Hugh groans. "That is my currator, sometimes stalker." He says when Stephen is clearly well and truly gone.

"Dear gods," Jay's giggling a bit. "What did you do wrong in your last life? He wants you Hugh." And sorry but he's just not as hot as Jay in any incarnation.

Hugh grumbles. "He hid under my desk once. It'll be fine. He's dating Demetri. And my last life I must have been like Ghengis Khan or something."

"Poor Demetri," Jay sympathises. What Jay does not realise is that Demetri is in fact playing Oscar Wilde in Penelope's play and does not have mono. Oops. That might come back and bite someone. "Under your desk? Oh man. For real?"

Hugh realizes this, and Stephen probably does too. However Hugh is still Stephen's boss leave of absence or not.

"No shit. Under my desk. And he knows you're full of bull. But now and again I threaten to mail him to Uraguay."

"I was dead you can't keep up on everyone else's sex lives when you're dead," Jay complains. "Uruguay seems kind. It's probably nice and warm there. Please tell me you were discerning enough to refuse?"

A waitress has come over to see about Jay's drink and whether they're ready to order. Like all waitresses in Bayfield she thinks they're adorable and gay.

"Gah, he's short, and boyish, and well too preppy even for me. I think every pair of pants he owns is by Eddie Bauer or Duckhead. No I did not do that."

"Oh thank goodness. I don't want to go where that's been," Jay tells Hugh with a cheerful smirk. He orders Jack and Coke. Never mind that Hugh's being good and not drinking. Jay is not a sober person. "You can order baby you know what's good."

"Jay, that's sort of mean coming from you. He came from Palm beach though. Probably fucks polo players." Hugh shakes his head. The waitress takes Hugh's order.

"What's that meant to mean?" Jay looks pouty. He's not quite as good as it as Pene. "I'm not criticizing anything but his shirt and his distinct lack of tact." Although Jay's pretty sure he has in fact fucked Stephen's boyfriend. But he wasn't very sober at the time so he's not very sure.

"You've been everywhere man.....like Cash sings it. Ahem. But no I didn't mess with him. Still you'd love me even if I had a drunken lapse in judgement and you know it's mean to imply otherwise." Oh crap Hugh can pout. Watch out Jay. He bats his eyelashes too.

Jay is a little bit impressed. Jay's heart is a little bit fluttery. That's kind of adorable.

"Everywhere? Nah. Just, y'know, around the block. Twice. And yes, yes, I probably would. I'd just want to wash your mouth out with soap before I went near it..." he teases. Hugh's right of course. And fuck knows where Jay's mouth has been.

Jay's mouth has been all over Diane McKnight's booze bottles. What of it?

"Things you were not worried about the other day when my mouth was all over you." Hugh points out.

"That was before I met Stephen. But as long as your mouth has never been all over him I'm sure it's perfectly all right," Jay says, now totally distracted by the idea of Hugh's mouth being all over him.

The waitress comes back with olives and Jay's drink. Cute gay boys. Aw.

"Well now that we're clear on that." Hugh laughs softly.

Jay smiles. His eyes go sparklier. Ooh, booze. He takes a sip. Death was sad, no Hugh McKnight and no Jack Daniels.

Hugh drinks his non alcoholic drink and smirks.

It's a smug sort of expression and it makes it very tempting for Jay to lean across the table and kiss Hugh, but Jay behaves his ass because he appreciates Hugh is traumatised and something of a closet case.

But apparently a closet case who's willing to play footsie. Hugh however is nowhere near as lewd about footsie as say certain members of the Beck family. It just makes known what's on his mind.

Jay smirks and sparkles and eats some olives and licks the olive off his fingers. His lips aren't great for pouting but they are very sensual.

Hugh eats his salad and mostly behaves.

Jay's being a total angel, if you don't count so disturbingly erotic food consumption.

They eat their food and skip the baklava. They have an alternative dessert menu.

That's right, Hugh McKnight and the pretty boy have an alternative dessert menu. Although Jay may slip into something a little more comfortable...

Hugh checks his watch as he gets the check. "We can pick up your phone." He says. Then dessert.

"Oooh, I get a phone?" Jay smirks. How this is dirty we don't know. Although Pene and Mickey have been finding... constructive... uses for Pene's camera phone.