Secretly Dating the Lionman

by Sue Brown

  Cris could see the startled looks being exchanged between Bennett, Hannah, and Adam. That obviously wasn’t what they expected from their father.

  “I like working at Cowboys and Angels too. It’s a good place to work.”

  Mr. Petrovski inclined his head. “Gideon is a fine man and a successful businessman. I don’t know his… new manager but I’ve heard good things about him.”

  “How long have you known Gideon?”

  “I knew Gideon and Sarah when they first moved into the bar. It was a tragedy what happened to her and their boy. What was his name?”

  “Simon,” Bennett supplied.

  Mr. Petrovski nodded. “Simon. He was far too young to be taken in such a dreadful manner.”

  Cris watched as he made the sign of the cross and the family, apart from Adam, joined in. It was the first time he’d seen an overtly religious sign from Bennett, and it unsettled him. Cris’s family weren’t religious, and Cris called himself a “lapsed anything” when pressed. He freely admitted he was uncomfortable around religion, but then, religion was uncomfortable around him. If he was going to spend time around the Petrovskis, he would have to suck it up and get on with it. Adam didn’t seem concerned. Be like Adam. He had a feeling he would be saying that a lot.

  “It’s a shame Mikey couldn’t join us,” Mrs. Petrovski said after a moment’s silence. “It’s been too long since we were all together as a family.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “It’s been two weeks, Mama. We were all here for your birthday, remember?”

  Mrs. Petrovski made a shushing noise. “When’s he going to set a date with Julianne? It’s time that boy was wed.”

  Cris felt Bennett stiffen beside him as tension flooded through his muscles. Taking a chance he placed one hand on Bennett’s thigh, intending just to give a quick squeeze. To his surprise, Bennett grabbed his hand and kept it there.

  “Maybe he’s having second thoughts,” Hannah said.

  “It’s time he got over that,” Mrs. Petrovski said brusquely. “He’s making Julianne unhappy with his delays and distractions.”

  “He shouldn’t get married unless he’s absolutely sure,” Bennett said.

  Mrs. Petrovski shook her head. “No one is sure until they’ve walked down the aisle. I wasn’t sure what I was doing until the moment I saw your father standing at the altar.” She patted her husband’s hand.

  He smiled at her. “You were a vision, my dear.”

  “Oh Mama, Mikey’s just trying to convince himself marriage is what he wants,” Hannah said. “If he gets married, he’ll be divorced within a year.”

  “Hannah!”

  Over Mrs. Petrovski’s horrified exclamation, Cris stared at Hannah, who caught his gaze and gave the briefest of nods. He realized she knew. She knew about Mikey, and she knew about Bennett. If she knew, Adam probably did too.

  Bennett shivered beside him, and Cris squeezed his hand again. Bennett squeezed back and tugged his hand free. Then he took a deep breath and said, “Mama, Tata, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  They both looked at him expectantly, and Bennett opened his mouth, but the words seemed to dry in his throat.

  “What is it, dear?” Mrs. Petrovski asked.

  The heavy food sat like a lead weight in Cris’s stomach as he braced himself for whatever was going to come next.

  “I should have told you a long time ago, but….” Bennett took a drink of water. “I’m gay. Cris isn’t my friend. Well, he is my friend, but—”

  “He’s your boyfriend,” Hannah butted in.

  Cris didn’t know whether to thank her or throttle her. Even in something as important as this, a Petrovski sibling had to muscle in.

  “He’s my boyfriend,” Bennett said quietly as though Hannah hadn’t spoken, and he took Cris’s hand and entwined their fingers for everyone to see.

  Aside from a gasp from Mrs. Petrovski, the silence around the table was deafening.

  Chapter 17

  IN THE silence Cris was acutely conscious of Bennett sitting next to him. Bennett hadn’t drawn a breath since his last word, and every muscle was rigid. Bennett was clearly waiting for disaster to fall upon his head. It didn’t take long to oblige.

  “Don’t say such ridiculous things, Benny. You’re not that way. You just haven’t found the right girl.” Mrs. Petrovski frowned as though Bennett had announced he was Santa Claus.

  Hannah snorted. “Mama, believe me, he’s never going to find the right girl. He only said that to keep you off his back.”

  Bennett stared at her, and Cris realized he’d thought his sister was unaware of his sexual orientation.

  The color drained from Mrs. Petrovski’s face. “Don’t you dare say that about your brother. Benny’s not a homosexual. He can’t be. It’s a mortal sin.”

  “Mama—” Bennett started, his face white. He had a death grip on Cris’s hand.

  She turned on him fiercely. “Be quiet. We’ll talk to Father Michael. He can find you help. There are programs that can make you right—”

  Bennett straightened up, his face resolute. “They don’t work, Mama. You can’t fix being gay. It doesn’t work like that.”

  “You don’t know that,” she insisted. “You’re broken. You need help.”

  “Mama, stop!” Mr. Petrovski shocked them all with his quiet order. She swung round, but he held up his hand. “There’s nothing wrong with Bennett.”

  Cris wanted to hold him, but Bennett’s grip was painfully tight, and there was nothing he could do except ride out the storm and hope they were both intact at the end.

  She stared at her husband, a betrayed look on her face. “Tata, you heard what he said.”

  “I heard, and it doesn’t change anything.”

  “God—”

  “Loves Bennett just as surely as he loves you. Mama, Bennett isn’t a broken watch. He doesn’t need to be taken apart and fixed. Those programs do more damage than they help.” A slight flush of color stained his weathered cheeks.

  Bennett stiffened, and Cris processed what he’d said. Why had Bennett’s father investigated reparative therapy programs? Did he know about Bennett? Did he know about Mikey?

  “You don’t know that,” she insisted.

  “I do.”

  “We can find something else, a counselor or a doctor,” she said desperately. “Father Michael will know someone who can help.”

  “Mama,” Bennett started, but she turned away from him, and Bennett made a noise like he was holding back a sob.

  Cris decided to intervene. “I think we should go.”

  She stared across at him as though seeing him for the first time, and her eyes went flat and bitter. “You made him like this. You turned my son away from the right path. You’re a whore. Get out of my house.”

  “Cris is no whore, and if he goes, I go,” Bennett warned. He was pale and pinched and two spots blazed on his cheeks.

  She nodded. “We don’t need your filth in our house. You go and don’t come back until you’re ready to repent.”

  “If Bennett leaves, so do we,” Hannah declared.

  Mrs. Petrovski looked genuinely shocked. “Hannah Zofia Petrovski—”

  Hannah shook her head. “Bellingham. My name is Hannah Bellingham, and Bennett is my brother.”

  Adam looked as though he wanted to be anywhere except at that table, but Hannah’s expression was fierce.

  “Quiet, all of you. No one is going anywhere,” Mr. Petrovski barked.

  Bennett collapsed into Cris, who put his arm around him, ignoring Mrs. Petrovski’s scowl. Hannah sat back after a quick touch on her arm from Adam.

  Mr. Petrovski looked at Bennett. “Your mother is upset. You’ve sprung this news on her, and you have to give her a chance to understand.”

  “There’s nothing to understand,” his wife said, but they all ignored her.

  “He’s not staying here to be abused,” Cris said fiercely.

  Mr. Petrovski glanced at him, and to Cris’s surp
rise, nodded approvingly. “You stand by my son.”

  “I won’t let you destroy him,” Cris warned. “He’s done what you wanted for all his life. You’re building a family empire. Did you ever think about what he wanted? That he might not want to carry on the family business?” Cris ignored Bennett’s gasp.

  “He’s never complained,” Mr. Petrovski said.

  “Of course he didn’t. He’s been so busy trying to be the good son, the big brother, the heir to the empire. Bennett’s wearing himself to the bone and concealing the fact that he’s gay in case you reject him. It turns out he was right to be worried.”

  It was a dramatic thing to say over the remains of a family dinner, but Cris meant every word.

  “Bennett is a good son,” Mr. Petrovski agreed.

  “And the best big brother.” Hannah cast a fond glance at Bennett.

  Mrs. Petrovski said nothing. She sat with her arms folded and glared at Cris, who scowled right back. The svelte New Yorker had been replaced by the matriarch. Cris didn’t care.

  Cris turned to Bennett. “I’m going to take you home now.”

  The muscle in Bennett’s jaw jumped, and Cris could see he was holding on to his control with effort. He gave a curt nod and got to his feet. Cris stood and was about to lead him from the table when Mr. Petrovski spoke.

  “Sit down, son. We need to talk.”

  Cris put his arm around Bennett. “You can talk another time.”

  “No, Cris, please.” Bennett smiled wanly at him. “Let’s get it over with.”

  They sat and waited for Bennett’s father to speak, and he took his time, but finally he said, “You have a fine young man here, Bennett.”

  “I know.”

  Mr. Petrovski sighed. “No parent likes to be faced with the fact they’ve failed their child.”

  “You haven’t failed me,” Bennett protested.

  “I haven’t considered you, have I? You—or Michaś.”

  Cris narrowed his eyes. The old man seemed to be talking about one thing, but Cris was sure he was talking about something else.

  “We both want to make you happy,” Bennett said.

  “But not at the expense of your happiness.” Mr. Petrovski fixed his gaze on Bennett. “You should have told me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “This is why Mikey is doing stupid things like picking fights?”

  Bennett nodded.

  “I’m going to talk to Mikey. It’s time he faced up to reality.”

  “What are you going to say to him?” Bennett asked. “He can’t take much more at the moment.”

  “Nonsense, Mikey’s a strong boy,” Mrs. Petrovski said.

  “No, Mama, he really isn’t,” Hannah snapped. “He needs a good spanking.”

  Mrs. Petrovski glowered at her daughter. “At least he knows what’s right. He’s found a good woman to spend the rest of his life with.”

  Hannah burst out laughing. “You have to be joking. You can’t be that blind.”

  “Hannah.” Mr. Petrovski fixed his daughter with a frown. “Apologize to your mother.”

  Hannah pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry, Mama.”

  Mrs. Petrovski looked visibly upset. “Why would you say that to me?”

  Hannah ran her hands through her hair. “Mama—”

  “Hannah, don’t,” Bennett said. “It’s not fair on Mikey. He’s not here.”

  “I will have this conversation with Michaś and with Mama,” Mr. Petrovski said firmly. “It’s not your concern.”

  “He’s my brother. Of course he’s my concern. Just like Benny’s my concern.”

  Cris’s admiration of Hannah was growing by the second. He’d been resentful that she seemed to escape the family pressure that had been put upon Bennett, but he could see she was a fierce defender of her brothers.

  “Thanks, sis,” Bennett murmured.

  Hannah leaned into Adam, who hugged her closely. She looked tired—much like Bennett at that moment.

  Mr. Petrovski turned to his wife. “Mama, let’s have coffee and we can all calm down.”

  Her face was pinched and pale, but she nodded, rose, and took some of the empty dishes with her. Cris stood and carried two of the larger bowls to the sink. She didn’t look pleased to receive his assistance, but she muttered her thanks. Mr. Petrovski nodded approvingly at Cris. At least someone appreciated him.

  Conversation over coffee turned to business as Hannah asked Bennett about the progress of the housing project. Bennett made an effort to pull his control around him and told her about his issues with local plumbers. And Mrs. Petrovski sat in stony silence scowling at all of them and ignoring any attempt to pull her into the conversation. Cris discovered both Adam and Hannah worked for Petrovski in different departments. He listened to the conversation with half an ear, his main focus on Bennett, ready to intervene if necessary.

  “Cris, your help please.”

  To his surprise—and everyone else’s, judging by the sudden silence—Mrs. Petrovski spoke directly to him.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Cris decided not to chance calling her Mama, and she didn’t correct him.

  He followed her into the kitchen and waited as she filled the sink with hot, soapy water.

  “I’ll load the dishwasher. You can wash the big dishes. They have to be washed by hand.”

  Because they worked in silence apart from occasional direction from Mrs. Petrovski, Cris could hear the low murmur of conversation around the table. He relaxed when he heard Bennett’s rumble of laughter.

  “How did you meet my son?” Mrs. Petrovski asked suddenly.

  “I took Mikey home when he… wasn’t very well. Bennett was waiting for him.”

  Her hands tightened around a dishcloth. “You mean Mikey had too much to drink?”

  “Yes.”

  “He drinks too much.”

  Cris stayed quiet, not wanting to pursue the reasons for Mikey’s liquor habit.

  Mrs. Petrovski sighed as she put down the cloth. “Come with me.”

  He followed her out of the kitchen and into a large living area, stylishly decorated in cream with turquoise accents. Mrs. Petrovski closed the door, and Cris looked at her in alarm. But when she pointed at a sofa, he sat obediently. She took a large wingback chair opposite him and sat bolt upright, her legs neatly crossed at the ankles.

  Cris waited. If she thought separating him from the herd was going to make him cower, she had another think coming.

  Finally she spoke. “I’m not blind. Nor am I stupid, whatever my daughter thinks.”

  “I’m sure she doesn’t—”

  He stopped when she held up a hand.

  “I’ve known something was wrong with both my sons for a long time.”

  Cris bristled. “There is nothing wrong with them.”

  Her lip curled. “From your perspective I imagine not. However, I’m their mother.”

  “And what has changed?” Cris asked heatedly. “You have two loving sons who work in the family business and love their parents enough to give up their hopes and dreams. What the hell—” He cut himself off with a snap. “You should count yourself lucky you have sons who care.”

  “I do. I did,” she said pointedly.

  “Until today?”

  She inclined her head.

  It was Cris’s turn to curl his lip. “Ma’am, if you reject your sons for who they love, then you’re a fool.”

  It suddenly occurred to him he’d just openly admitted Mikey was gay or bi.

  Her scowl deepened. “It’s a sin. It’s wrong.”

  Cris mentally thanked his parents for never dragging him down this road. He took a deep breath and tried again. “They’re your sons, and they love you. But Mikey’s on the point of doing something really stupid, and if you’re not careful, he’s going to end up in prison or… the morgue.”

  Color drained from Mrs. Petrovski’s face so suddenly Cris was certain she was going to pass out. “That’s not true.”

  “It is true,
and Bennett is tearing himself apart to keep him together. I love your son, and I’m going to look after him whether you like it or not. I don’t care if I never see you again, but you can’t chase me out of your son’s life.”

  She stared at him for a long while. “I will get Father Michael to pray for their immortal souls.”

  “Do what you like. I’ll be taking care of Bennett’s mind and body in this life.”

  There was a long pause, and then she said, “If you were a woman, you’d be everything I wanted in a daughter-in-law. You’re fierce and loyal.”

  “I’m a man who’s devoted to your son. Isn’t that enough?”

  “It’s enough for me,” Bennett said from the doorway. He looked pale but resolute. “Let’s go home, Cris.”

  Without a backward look at Mrs. Petrovski, Cris joined him at the door to discover Hannah and Adam already there, putting on their coats.

  “Do you need a ride?” Adam asked.

  “We’re fine,” Cris said before Bennett could speak. He’d had enough family for one day, and he needed as much space as he could get from the Petrovskis.

  Hannah gave him an understanding smile. “I’ll call you, Benny.” She wrapped her brother in a comforting hug, and Cris heard her whisper, “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

  “Me too,” Bennett managed.

  Cris shook hands with Adam and then turned to Bennett. Mr. Petrovski was nowhere to be seen. “Your father?”

  “We said goodbye to him already. He wants to talk to you before we go. He’s still in the kitchen.”

  Cris walked back into the kitchen to find Bennett’s father staring into space. He looked ten years older than when they arrived.

  “Sir?” Cris said gently.

  Mr. Petrovski turned to look at him. “You’ve given me a lot to think about, Cris.”

  “I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn.”

  “You did, but it needed to be said. My boys should have been honest a long time ago.”

  “They love you and just wanted to make you happy.”

  “At the expense of their own happiness.” Mr. Petrovski sighed.

  Cris inclined his head. “What happens now?”

  “Now, my wife and I need to have a long conversation.”

  Cris asked the one thing that had been puzzling him. “How did you know about the conversion programs?”