by E. L. Todd
He clapped my shoulder and laughed. “Good one.”
***
“So, what did she say?” Rhett asked when I slid into the booth.
“It’s not hers.” It was a victory but an empty one. I wish I were wrong about Cameron. I knew when Ophelia knew the truth she would be heartbroken. I’d rather spare her from pain even if it ruined my chances of being with her.
“Seriously?” Cato asked.
“There’s absolutely no chance it’s hers,” I said. “She made it pretty clear.”
“Damn,” Rhett said. “So he is fooling around on her.”
“And we have to catch him doing it.”
***
I arrived at Max’s doorstep wearing a three-piece black suit.
He whistled. “You look spiffy.”
“Why, thank you.” I stepped inside and looked at him. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
“Whatever,” he said. “We both know I look great.”
And I wondered how great Ophelia would look.
“She’s getting ready in her room.” This guy could read my mind.
I couldn’t wait to see her in that dress. It’d be hard not to rip it off of her. “How does she look?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Like a troll.”
I went into the kitchen then got four wineglasses. Then I poured champagne into each one.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Making sure Cameron doesn’t last through the night.”
He cocked an eyebrow while he watched me.
I poured the laxative powder into his drink then stirred it until all the powder was gone.
“Please tell me that isn’t poison.”
“It’s a laxative—a powerful one.”
He chuckled. “Poor guy.”
“When I catch him in the act with his hussy you won’t pity him.”
“I hope for my sister’s sake you’re wrong.”
“I’m not, unfortunately.” I handed him a glass. “Hold onto this and don’t put it down.”
“Gotcha.”
I held mine so it wouldn’t be grabbed by mistake.
Ophelia came out of the room, looking like a godly queen. Her hair was pulled back, and a white gold necklace hung from her throat. The dress was tight on her curves, highlighting her hips and chest. I’d already seen her in the dress but I forgot how beautiful she looked in it.
She spotted me then kissed me on the cheek.
Goosebumps…
“You look handsome, Jett.” She pressed her hand against my chest and felt my tie.
“And you look gorgeous, sweetheart.” I wrapped one arm around her waist and rested my hand on her bare back. Her skin was smooth and warm. I wanted to touch it forever. Then I hugged her longer than what was socially acceptable.
She didn’t seem to mind. “Champagne?”
I grabbed the glass that wasn’t spiked. “Here you are.”
She grabbed it and took a sip. “Good, you poured Cameron’s for him. Now he won’t knock it over.” She chuckled at her own joke.
I released a fake laugh even though I didn’t find it funny at all.
Then a knock sounded on the door.
“That must be Cameron.” Ophelia left me then opened the door for him. “Hey.”
He leaned in and gave her quick kiss.
I wanted to vomit.
“You look nice,” he said.
That’s it? Nice? Fucking asshole.
“You too,” she said.
I hated this guy even more.
He came further into the room and shot me threatening looks.
This guy was the biggest pussy I knew so his looks meant nothing to me. I walked to Max then tapped my glass against his. “Let’s do a toast.” It was a stupid thing to do but I had to get Cameron to drink his glass, even just a sip.
“Good idea.” Ophelia handed Cameron’s glass to him.
This was too easy.
I held up my glass. “To a night full of fun, laughter, and joy.” It was cheesy but whatever.
We clanked our glasses together then took a drink.
To my immense joy, Cameron took a long drought like he was thirsty.
I hoped that tux wasn’t a rental.
“Let’s head out,” Max said.
***
I had a nice car so I insisted on driving it. Ophelia didn’t seem particularly interested in wealth or money but I knew it would intimidate Cameron. So we piled into my brand new black Mercedes.
“This is a sweet ride.” Max grabbed my hand and held it while I drove.
“Yeah, I like it.” I kept my comments short.
“How much was this thing?” Max asked. “If you don’t mind me asking?”
“One fifty.”
He whistled. “Wow…”
Max asked me other questions about the car and I answered them all. Max was helping me and he didn’t even realize it.
I glanced in the rearview mirror, not to check on traffic, but to check on Ophelia. To my misfortune, they were holding hands.
At least they wouldn’t be for long.
Once we arrived at the country club at the outskirts of the city, Cameron farted—loudly.
Everyone heard it but no one laughed. I tried not to smile. And soon, the smell filled the car.
This is priceless.
Cameron looked out the window, embarrassed. Then he touched his stomach when it made a loud rumble.
“You okay…?” Ophelia kept her voice low.
“Yeah,” he said. “I just…have an upset stomach.”
Max shot me a look that said, “You’re going to hell.”
Silently, I said, “I know. But I don’t care.”
The valet took our car then we walked inside. Max and I didn’t touch each other. I let him decide how he wanted to handle this. Ophelia hooked her arm through Cameron’s, but it was clear he was experiencing more stomach pain judging the cringe on his face.
“You better hope he’s cheating on her,” Max said when we were out of earshot.
“He is. There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”
“You’re going to feel like shit if you’re wrong.”
“I really doubt it,” I said honestly. I grabbed two glasses from a passing waiter then handed one to Max. “So, what’s the plan?”
“My parents are here and they don’t know I’m coming. We’ll feel them out and see how they react.”
“I seriously hope they get off their high horse and stop being annoying.”
“That makes two of us,” he said as he took a drink.
I looked past Max’s shoulder and watched Ophelia and Cameron talk quietly in the corner. His hand was on his stomach and they seemed to be having a deep conversation.
“I think Cameron is about to leave.”
Max watched them. “Looks like your plan worked.”
“Let’s go over there.”
We approached them and I pretended to be a caring guy. “Everything alright?”
“Cameron isn’t feeling well,” Ophelia said with concern.
“Oh no,” I said, faking empathy. “I can give you a ride back.”
“No, it’s fine.” He tried to act like there wasn’t a small explosion going on down below.
“It’s really not a big deal.” I knew he would never take my offer.
“How about we call a cab?” Max asked.
“Yeah,” Ophelia said. “Then we can head home.”
We? No, that wasn’t part of my plan.
“No, you stay here,” Cameron said. “I can manage on my own.”
“Are you sure?” Guilt was on her face.
“Really,” he said firmly.
Max did a few things on his phone. “The cab is coming.”
“I’ll wait outside for it,” Cameron said.
“I’ll come with you.”
“No, stay.” He snapped at her and was being extremely rude. She was just trying to help. When people were in pain, it didn’t bring ou
t the best in them. But Cameron was being a huge ass.
Which worked in my favor.
Cameron left Ophelia standing there and walked outside.
“I hope he feels better,” I lied.
Max rolled his eyes.
“Me too,” she said quietly.
I came to her side and swooped in. “Cheer up. He’ll be okay.” I nudged her in the side and tried to get her to smile.
“You think?”
“I know.” I put my arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go get a drink.”
“Yeah…okay.”
Max cleared his throat and gave me a pointed look.
Oh yeah, I was supposed to be his boyfriend. “All three of us.”
We walked to the bar and grabbed our glasses.
Ophelia’s mind seemed elsewhere.
My finger moved down her back. “This was an excellent choice.” I tried to put her in a better mood.
“Thanks,” she said. “You have a knack for this sort of thing.”
Max stood beside me and kept his silence.
She looked into the crowd, her eyes distant. Then they narrowed. “There’s Mom and Dad.”
They were mingling with a group of people, holding flutes and looking like royalty in their gowns.
“Should we go over there?” Ophelia’s question was directed at Max.
“We have to face the music sometime.” Max downed his glass then left it at the bar. “Let’s go.”
The three of us approached their group, and when they saw us, they didn’t seem happy. Actually, they seemed a little surprised.
“Hey Mom and Dad,” Ophelia said. Then she leaned and hugged them both.
“Hello,” Victoria said. She returned the embrace but it was cold.
Max stared at them. “Hey.” He hugged his mom but her affection was even colder.
His dad didn’t reciprocate at all.
And they acted like I didn’t exist.
The other couple they were talking to watched the interaction with interested eyes.
Man, this was awkward.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Max asked.
His mom regained her composure. “These are the Peterson’s. We golf with them on the weekends from time to time.”
“Pleasure to meet you.” Max shook their hands. “I’m their son, Max.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you,” they responded.
Then Max’s parents introduced Ophelia.
I was left out. But I wasn’t offended.
Max gave them a meaningful look. “And Jett?”
His mother pressed her lips tightly together before she spoke. “And this is Max’s friend, Jett.”
The shit was about to hit the fan.
“Actually, no,” Max said. “Jett is my boyfriend.”
His parents looked totally mortified and ashamed.
“Oh…” Mrs. Peterson nodded but her look was full of disdain. “How nice…” Her expression said it was anything but nice. Then they made an excuse to walk away.
It was clear how embarrassed his parents were.
Max glared at them venomously. “Parents are supposed to stand by their children no matter what, not be ashamed of them for who they are. You’ve both failed as parents.” He turned away and marched toward the door.
Ophelia and I went after him.
Of course, his parents stood by and watched him go.
Max walked outside then moved down the steps. When he reached the fountain and the roundabout, he stopped. His hands were in his pockets but there was emotion in his eyes. He was broken by his parents’ actions.
“Don’t let them hurt you, Max,” Ophelia said. “They’re terrible people. But they’ll come around.”
Max was trying not to cry. “Give me a moment.” He walked away then disappeared behind the trees.
For the first time I wasn’t happy to be alone with Ophelia. I didn’t care at all. All I could think about was Max, my friend, and how terrible he felt.
Ophelia crossed her arms over her chest. “He doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.”
“He doesn’t…”
She sighed then shook her head.
“I’ll be right back.” I turned toward the trees.
Ophelia didn’t try to stop me.
It was dark but I could make out a bench near the garden. A man sat alone—and he was crying.
I approached him slowly then took the seat next to him.
Max immediately withheld his tears and tried to act like he wasn’t having a breakdown.
“You can cry,” I said. “I don’t think less of you or judge you.”
He stared at the ground and kept his face averted.
I scooted closer to him then wrapped my arm around his shoulder. “I’m sorry about your parents. They shouldn’t treat you like that and you don’t deserve it.”
He sniffed then wiped his tears away.
“But you got me. And you got Ophelia.”
“You’re only my friend because I’m paying you.” His tone was dark.
“No, I genuinely care about you. I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear.”
He stared down at his hands.
“I know this is hard but when people treat you like this, you need to cut them out. They are the ones choosing to miss out on things. There’s nothing you can do. Maybe they’ll realize they’re wrong. Maybe they won’t. But you can’t let them tear you apart.”
He was quiet for a long time. “But they’re my parents…I love my parents.”
“And I know they love you—even if they aren’t showing it right now.”
“I just want to be accepted, you know?” His voice was full of tears. “I’m the exact same person. I’m not any different. I just love men instead of women.”
“I couldn’t agree more. They’ll realize that someday.”
“All they care about is their image. Having a gay son is too embarrassing for them.”
I rubbed his back. “One day, they’ll realize all those snooty people in that room don’t really care about them. It’s all just a social act to increase their status. And they’ll realize that their son does truly love them. They’ll feel terrible for the way they treated you and they’ll ask for your forgiveness. I promise.”
“How can you make a promise like that?” he asked.
“I just can. I saw the way they treated you before you told them the truth. They adore both you and your sister. The news is just shocking to them.”
He wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his jacket. “Crying is stupid…it’s a waste of time.”
“No. It’s an expression of emotion. It’s not stupid.”
He took a deep breath then regained control of his faculties. “Thanks for making me feel better.”
“No problem. It’s what friends are for, right?”
“Yeah, I guess.” He gave me a forced smile then looked at the ground.
Footsteps sounded behind us, and then Ophelia emerged from the shadows. She sat on the stone bench on the other side of Max. “Maybe you don’t have Mom and Dad. But you always have me.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed.
“I know, sis. I would never forget.”
The three of us sat on the bench together, listening to the sounds of the party inside. But we seemed lost in a different world. Max was just a client but he quickly became something more. Now he was my friend, someone I really cared about.
And his sister was everything to me.
***
After we returned to the apartment, Max walked into his bedroom without saying good night. Judging his quiet dismissal, he wanted to be alone. I knew nothing I said or did would make this situation better so I decided to give him space.
Ophelia was clearly upset about it. She grabbed a beer out of the fridge then sat at the kitchen table as she drank it. She clearly didn’t care how Cameron was doing anymore. She was miserable for her brother.
I sat across from her and slouched in the chair.
She dra
nk half her beer before she abandoned it on the table. “Thank you for being supportive of my brother.” Her voice barely came out as a whisper.
“You don’t need to thank me for that. I care about him a lot.”
“My parents are stupid…I’m starting to hate them.”
I already hated them.
She ran her fingers through her hair in that sexy way she did everything but I was immune to it. I was hurting over my friend too much to care. Then she stood up and approached my chair.
I looked up at her, unsure what was going to happen.
Then she sat on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.
Instinctively, I pulled her closer to my chest and rested my chin on her shoulder. I hugged her tightly then pressed my face into her hair, inhaling her scent to keep me calm.
She felt right in my arms, perfect. Fortunately, I was depressed so my dick didn’t come alive. Since she was sitting right on my lap she would feel it. She rested her head on mine while she remained quiet. We sat there together, feeling hopeless at the same time.
Caught up in the emotion, I pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. I loved the way her skin felt on my lips. She tasted like sweet honey. I did it again because I couldn’t control myself. I had a goddess in my arms and I wanted to worship her. Ophelia didn’t seem to mind.
I finally controlled myself and stopped kissing her succulent skin. Instead, I held her while she felt feather light on my lap. Eventually, she buried her face into my neck and her breaths became deep and even. Judging the quiet sighs escaping her mouth she fell asleep.
I wanted to hold her all night but I knew that was a bad idea. She would get a kink in her neck from lying on me like this. And I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from kissing the exposed skin in her dress.
I lifted her then carried her to her bedroom. After I lay her down, I pulled her heels off and tucked her into bed. When the sheets were pulled to her shoulder, she sighed happily like she was really comfortable.
I watched her sleep for a moment, wondering if I would ever sleep beside her until the morning came the following day. I wondered if she would ever hold me and tell me she loved me. I wondered if we would make love passionately and violently. I wondered a lot of things.
I leaned over her and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. I’d never done anything like that before, to any girl. It was a natural instinct. Then I tore my lips away so I wouldn’t stay there forever.
“Jett…”