THE PHOENIX WEDDING: The Complete 6 Books Series

by CJ Bishop

  He had no issues with gay men—but neither was he one.

  Surely the other guy—Grid—wouldn’t remember. And when…if…they came face to face again, Nolan would play his part well and exhibit not a shred of recognition.

  He was an attorney; he was used to wearing a poker face…giving no indication of what churned inside his head.

  Even if Grid remembered last night, he would never know that Nolan recalled their encounter as well.

  Chapter 3

  “You’re looking particularly thoughtful.” Max took the stool beside Dane. “A penny for your thoughts?”

  Dane looked at him and smiled. “Not sure they’re worth a penny.” He slowly nursed a glass of beer and turned his eyes on Angel. It was early evening on a Saturday night and the club was already packed. Angel had pulled on a pair of ultra-tight, sleek black pants, shed his shirt, donned a black bowtie, and was serving drinks to the customers at the tables.

  “He is one beautiful boy,” Max observed quietly, following Dane’s stare. “You two are truly magical on stage.” He looked at Dane. “What’re the chances I could get the two of you to do a special show for me a couple times a month? The customers really miss your performances. You’ve always been one of my best dancers. And you and Angel together are amazing.”

  Nodding, Dane said, “I’d have to talk to Angel, but I’m sure we could swing it.”

  “Swing it, shake it, rock it,” Max grinned. “Just do your thing however you like.”

  Dane chuckled and scratched his temple. “You and Horatio did a pretty damn fine job of rocking the stage yourselves. Maybe you two should do a few special shows. Bet the customers would love to see that.”

  “I don’t think so,” Max laughed. “That was a one-time thing.”

  “You guys were really getting into it,” Dane grinned. “I know you loved it.”

  “It was fun,” Max admitted with a soft chuckle. “And Horatio did say he would do it again. But I don’t know.”

  “You have to,” Dane insisted. “And besides, we all want to see you two in those sexy G-strings again.”

  Max groaned and shook his head. “My body is too old for those skimpy things.”

  “Like hell,” Dane smiled and leaned closer, nudging him. His voice lowered. “You are one beautiful man who is still well within his prime. I know this firsthand, in case you forgot.”

  Max gazed at him, his eyes warm with deep affection. “No,” he murmured. “I haven’t forgotten. You were there for me when I needed you the most. I won’t ever forget that.”

  “Nor will I.” Dane kissed his cheek. “I don’t think I would have made it through without you.”

  Taking his hand, Max squeezed gently. “We are a truly blessed family.”

  Dane smiled and kissed the corner of Max’s mouth. “We are.” Mention of family brought Dane full circle to where his thoughts had been when Max first sat down beside him. He took a drink of beer then cleared his throat. “With the upcoming weddings,” he said quietly, his eyes following Angel. “It got me thinking about my family. My parents. There’s a part of me that wishes I could share this with them, that they would want to be a part of it.” He raised his glass to his lips again. “I haven’t spoken to them since I left home.” He smiled and shrugged. “We didn’t exactly part on good terms. I kind of left with a ‘fuck you and good riddance’ attitude.” He chuffed. “I may have actually said it.” He looked at Max. “I don’t even know why I’m thinking about them. It isn’t as if they could understand my relationship with Angel, or my life here at the club…with all of you. They wouldn’t even try.”

  “I think deep within us all,” Max said. “Is that need to be accepted and loved unconditionally by our parents. A natural part of our creation.” Max gripped his shoulder. “It’s been a long time since you’ve talked to them. Do they even know where you’re at? How to get in touch with you if they wanted to?”

  Dane shook his head. “No,” he whispered. “I just walked away. I didn’t even know where I was going at the time. I just wanted to be away from them, and be with people who accepted me as is.”

  “So you don’t know for sure if they may want to reconnect?”

  “No.” Dane emptied his glass. “I guess I just keep seeing them as the same people from when I was at home. It’s hard to wrap my mind around the idea that they might’ve changed over time.”

  Max squeezed his shoulder. “Only one way to know for sure.”

  Nothing was spoken between them as Dane hailed Riley and ordered another beer. When the chilled glass was set before him and Riley returned to his customers, Dane took long drink of the cold beer. “I don’t know if I can actually take that step,” he murmured. “Maybe after all this time, it’s better to just let it go. Let them go. It’s hard to imagine that their beliefs have changed. They were raised with one specific interpretation of the bible scriptures—gay equals hellfire and damnation. Period. No gray area.” He sighed and took another drink. “I’m not only gay, I’m a gay stripper about to marry another gay stripper, and living in a family of gay strippers.” He looked at Max, a small smile forming. “For enlightened people like us, that’s paradise. For those like my parents…it’s the den of iniquity destined to be burned up by the wrath of God.”

  Max sighed and shook his head. “We just can’t win, can we?” he cast Dane a sidelong glance and smiled. “Burned in hellfire or burned in God’s wrath, either way our asses are going to fry.”

  “Did you see the stage last night?” Dane asked with a smirk. “Our asses are already on fire.”

  ♦

  “Hey sexy.” Cole scooped Angel up on his way back to the bar and hoisted him over his shoulder, smacking his butt. “Tormenting the customers with your hot little ass, are ya?”

  Angel laughed. “Just serving drinks.”

  Cole packed him to the bar and set him down. “Yeah, sure that’s all you’re doing. You can’t show yourself in public without tormenting others.” He swatted his rear as Angel laughed again and walked behind the bar.

  “Watch those hands.” Dane eyed him from the end of the bar where he sat beside Max. “That sexy little ass belongs to me.”

  “It’s not branded yet.” Cole winked at Angel.

  Gabe nodded. “That’s right,” he grinned, walking in their direction. “That cute ass is still free range.”

  “Like fuck,” Dane snorted. “I brand it every day.”

  Cole and Gabe grabbed stools at the corner of the bar by the other two men. Angel served their drinks and lingered for a moment as Dane took his hands and kissed his fingers.

  “What were you two talking about?” Angel asked Dane. “You were looking kind of serious.”

  Cole noted a slight tension in Dane as the man replied, “Thinking about contacting my parents.”

  Silence swept through the small group. Angel stared at him, shocked. “Really?”

  Dane shrugged and raised his glass. “Maybe. I don’t know for sure.” He took a drink. “Probably forgot they even had a son.” He chuckled but it lacked humor. “Willfully forgot, no doubt. I didn’t exactly make them proud.”

  “You make me proud.” Angel squeezed his hands. “Everyday.”

  Dane smiled and tugged him closer. He kissed his mouth. “That’s because you’re a sweet angel with a heart of gold.”

  “Maybe they’ve changed,” Cole suggested and sipped his drink. “It’s possible.”

  “When was the last time you talk to them?” Gabe asked.

  “Shit,” Dane sighed. “Not since I left, around eighteen.”

  “What did your parents say when you came out to them?” Cole asked him.

  “I came out to the youth leader of my church first,” he admitted. “He was younger, seemed a little more progressive than my parents and the other older congregation. But as soon as I confessed, I saw the wall go up and he began urging me to get help. Suggested church sanctioned programs that would ‘fix’ me.” He shook his head. “I knew right then that I w
ould never be accepted in that town. It was right in the buckle of the bible belt.” He took another drink. “But that just pissed me off, and I went home and told my parents I was gay and to just deal with it.”

  Gabe smiled. “How did that go over?”

  Dane chuckled. “Like a lead balloon. I half expected them to douse me in gasoline and try to burn the demon of homosexuality out of me.” He cleared his throat. “At first, they tried reasoning with me, suggesting the same programs as the youth leader. When I refused, my dad got all hellfire and damnation on me. I walked out and within a week used my fake ID to get a job at a strip club a couple of towns over.” he smiled. “At the time, I was just rebelling. But then I realized how much I loved the stage.”

  Cole asked, “Did your parents find out you were stripping?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Dane grinned. “I told them. I think that’s when they finally disowned me. I didn’t give a fuck. I wasn’t going to resist my gay tendencies just to please them. I liked men and I had no problem with that. It didn’t feel like a bad thing to me. In fact, it felt pretty damn good.” He smiled at Angel. “Still does.”

  “Do you think it’s pointless to try and reconnect?” Cole looked at him.

  “Probably.”

  “Are you going to try anyway?” Angel asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well,” Cole said. “You don’t really have anything to lose. At worst, they’ll still be closed-minded. But at best…maybe the time apart will have made them realize they want to be a part of your life.” Cole felt Gabe’s stare settle heavily on him. Cole turned his head. “What?”

  Gabe shrugged. “Nothing.” He sipped his beer. “It’s just that…maybe you should take your own advice, reconnect with your parents.”

  My parents. Cole stiffened. “There’s nothing to reconnect to.”

  ♦

  Gabe knew very little of Cole’s family—or his past. Vague details were all he’d ever received and he knew it wouldn’t be healthy to their relationship to push Cole to give him more before he was ready. All Gabe knew was that Cole was an only child and his parents lived in some small obscure town in the Midwest—the name of which Cole had not provided—and they disapproved of Cole’s “lifestyle”. Though Cole hadn’t specified, Gabe had gotten the sense that they’d parted on harsh terms.

  Confirmation came in Cole’s answer now. And Gabe simply nodded and let it go.

  He didn’t bring up the subject again until later that evening when they returned to their apartment and were alone.

  “I’m sorry,” Gabe said as they entered the bedroom. “About mentioning your family.”

  Cole shrugged. “No need to apologize.” His tone was nonchalant but there was a tension in his body that betrayed his uncomfortableness with the subject. “We burned bridges that can’t be rebuilt. Case closed.”

  Gabe walked over and began loosening the buttons on Cole’s shirt. “If you ever want to talk about it,” he said quietly. “You know you can talk to me. Whatever you say, I’ll keep it between us.”

  “I know.” Cole rested his hands on Gabe’s waist and kissed him. “There’s just nothing to talk about. As far as we’re both concerned, we’re…” something flickered behind his eyes. “…dead to each other.”

  The faint glitch in his tone was hardly notable, but Gabe caught it. And recognized it.

  It was the same glitch that had been present in his own voice when he’d been forced to lie to Cole about Quinton Sanitini.

  Gabe stared at him as Cole stepped back and finished removing his shirt.

  What are you not telling me, baby?

  Chapter 4

  Max, Horatio, and Maddy entered the restaurant and was greeted by Chris. Sunday brunch at Dante’s had become a regular thing for Max, Horatio, and some of the boys. It was a non-obligational ‘drop in if you’re not busy’ casual get-together.

  “How are you, Christopher?” Max shook the young host’s hand.

  “Very well, sir,” Chris smiled. “Thank you.” He exchanged pleasant greetings with Horatio and Maddy, then led them to a reserved table in the back. The restaurant had belonged to Lex’s brother and sister-in-law before their deaths and had gone to his niece and nephew, Miranda and Chris, once they were old enough to manage it. Lex had set permanent reservations for his friends from the Phoenix, and there was never a time when any one of them couldn’t walk in and get a table.

  Abel and Devlin were already seated at their “brunch” table. “Savannah’s in the back with Miranda,” Abel said when Maddy looked around.

  “Come on,” Chris told him. “They’re back here.” The boys walked away together as Max and Horatio took a seat at the table.

  Chris and Maddy had become close friends very quickly as had Savannah and Miranda. Max was glad to see both of them expanding their social circle. Through Chris and Miranda, the kids were making new friends and getting the chance to just be typical teenagers, which neither had really been allowed to be until they’d become a part of the Phoenix family.

  Minutes after Max and Horatio’s arrival, Dane and Angel showed up, then Darius and Riley. Horatio had invited Seth, Jamie, and Grid, and the three boys made an appearance soon after the others. Chris brought the boys to the table and chuckled. “We may have to start pushing some tables together,” he teased. “If this family gets any bigger.” He winked at Max. “But that’s doable. The more the merrier.”

  “Where’s Cole and Gabe?” Dane asked. “They’re usually the first ones here.”

  Devlin shrugged. “We haven’t seen anything of them yet.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Samuel and Caleb arrived along with Nolan Emery. Since leaving Brock Coulson’s firm and working side by side with Samuel on Nick and Christian’s appeals, Nolan had grown close to both Samuel and Caleb. As far as Max knew, Nolan had no close relatives nearby, nor was he involved with anyone; his life seemed to revolve entirely around his work. It was good for him that Samuel and Caleb were drawing him into the circle of the family, bringing him to the club, expanding his social world a bit.

  Upon arrival, Nolan appeared relaxed as he greeted those seated at the table. Until he came to Seth’s friend, Grid. The shift was hardly noticeable, and with the flurry of conversation passing around, Max doubted anyone took note. Max barely caught it himself; the slight stiffness in Nolan’s body, the darting of his eyes as they averted away from Grid’s face and seemed unwilling to meet the young man’s stare, a faint nervousness in his voice.

  Max glanced back and forth between them. Grid seemed unusually focused on the man, though was clearly attempting not to be obvious about it. Their behavior suggested a previous encounter. It had to have been at the bachelor party. Max couldn’t think of anywhere else they could have met.

  Curiosity seeped through Max. He didn’t know Nolan’s sexual preferences, but his behavior in regards to Grid suggested a man possibly battling attractions he wasn’t accustomed to.

  Or maybe you’re seeing things that aren’t there. That was possible. He couldn’t help but warm to the idea, though; Nolan engaging in a personal romantic relationship. And if he were gay—all the better.

  ♦

  Grid hadn’t expected to see Nolan at the brunch and wasn’t prepared for the encounter. He didn’t have time to gauge Nolan’s reaction to seeing him before the man was seated and engaged in conversation with the others, oblivious to Grid. At least, that’s how it appeared. Was he just covering? Pretending not to recognize him? Or had he been drunk enough at the party to have actually forgotten everything? Maybe a private face-to-face with the man would tell him more, but he didn’t know how to orchestrate such an opportunity.

  “Oh my God,” Seth whispered, leaning his way. “That’s him, isn’t it?”

  Grid flinched and looked at Seth. “What? Who?”

  “The guy,” Seth raised his brow. “The guy from the party you were ogling all night.”

  “Why would you think it was him?” Grid discreetly indicated Nolan. />
  Seth grinned. “Because you’re doing it again.”

  Sighing, Grid nodded. “Okay, yeah. It’s him. But don’t say anything to anyone, you hear?” Grid stared at him, his voice hardly above a whisper. “I’m just…admiring from afar. Most likely, he isn’t even gay.”

  Seth smiled. “I can ask someone for you.”

  “No,” Grid hissed. “You’re not going to ask someone.”

  “Horatio might know.”

  “Seth…” Grid shot him a warning look. “Don’t make me take you down and spank your ass.”

  “Can Jamie help?” Seth grinned.

  “Help with what?” Jamie asked.

  “Spanking me.” Seth’s grin stretched. “You could each take a cheek.”

  Jamie laughed softly. “Why do you need to be spanked?” he glanced at Grid and back to Seth. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing,” Seth insisted. “Yet.”

  “Nothing period,” Grid said. “You just mind your own business.”

  Jamie stared at them curiously. “What’s going on?”

  Seth chuckled and leaned close to Jamie. “Grid’s in love.” He grunted when Grid nudged him hard.

  “Already?” Jamie smirked, looking at Grid, a teasing glint in his eyes. “That was fast. You just turned gay a few days ago.” He laughed lightly, thoroughly amused.

  Grid exhaled hard. “I am not in love,” he growled at Seth. “I can’t look at a guy without being in love with him?”

  “What guy?” Jamie’s eyes lit up, his curiosity rising.

  “No one,” Grid said low, his gaze helplessly jumping to Nolan. The man continued to converse with those seated closest to him, unaware of Grid and what had taken place between them in the restroom of the Phoenix Club.

  ♦

  “So, Dane…”

  Dane looked down the table at Max and raised his brow.

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do about your parents?”