His Stepson Wears Lace

by Kelex

  “Where’s my son, Anson?” she asked before he’d barely gotten in the door.

  “Safe,” Anson said. “With me.”

  Gloria smiled. “I knew it. Freaks like you are magnetically drawn to one another, it seems.”

  Anson took a seat beside a very confused looking Chaz. Bobby looked more uncomfortable than Chaz, which meant he might have some inkling about what was going on. “To make sure everyone in the room is updated, Gloria caught me and her son together. Her grown son, who I did not start a relationship with until after Gloria left me.”

  Chaz’s eyes widened, but he said nothing. Bobby kept his gaze averted.

  “She’s under the impression that we’re both perverts. Jereme is nineteen. An adult. And it was consensual. There was no adultery, as Gloria had already left me for Charles at that point,” Anson continued. He eyed both attorneys. “If you have any issues with it, keep it to yourselves. I’m in no mood to hear your personal objections.”

  “Your stepson?” Bobby asked. “It doesn’t paint you in the best light, Anson.”

  “What light you paint me in is your own problem. Nothing personal, but your opinions about two grown men spending time together doesn’t mean shit to me,” Anson replied. He turned to look at Gloria. “Are you going to sign the papers, or what?”

  “Things have changed,” Gloria said, smiling. “I want the house. The car. Your entire bank account. And your trust. Every fucking cent.”

  “No,” Anson said numbly. He’d die on that hill if he had to.

  “Then I won’t sign. Until you cave. And as long as we’re married, you can’t move on.”

  Anson glared at her.

  “Or… I’ll sign the papers right this minute if you agree to never see my son again,” she said coyly.

  Anson shook his head. “No deal.”

  Gloria smiled sharply. “I’ll leave you the house. And the savings. Everything. I just want the promise.”

  Anson eyed her. He had fallen for his stepson. He wasn’t letting go. “No.”

  “I will ruin you,” Gloria snarled. “I’ll tell everyone I know what a disgusting pervert you are. I will shout it from the rooftops. Call the Bar Association. You won’t be able to practice law in this state once I’m done with you.”

  “You can try,” Anson said. “You forget I’m a pretty good damned attorney. I could sue you for defamation of character.”

  Gloria scoffed. “If you can prove it.”

  “Luckily for you, I record all of my legal conversations,” Anson said, patting his front pocket. “So thanks for the threat. I appreciate it.”

  Gloria’s eyed him, glaring. “You can’t record me without my consent.”

  “Actually, in this state, he can,” Chaz spoke up. “And it would be admissible in court.”

  “He’s right,” Bobby corroborated.

  “You’re all vile. Sticking up for a pervert.”

  “I’m just telling you what the law states,” Bobby murmured.

  “Look, here’s the bottom line,” Anson interrupted. “You already said Atwood wants to marry you. If you want to be free of me and go off and get your hooks into your new rich boyfriend, you don’t need your husband in the way.”

  “Leave him out of this.”

  “So, tell me—were you fucking Charles while we were still married?”

  Gloria blanched. “At least he’s not your son.”

  “Okay,” Chaz interjected. “I think we’ve let this go on long enough.”

  Anson ignored Chaz. “Jereme is not my son. He was under my roof for less than six months while we were married, and we didn’t begin a relationship until he was an adult. And honestly, if you go out and tell the whole world about me… that means the whole world will know your business, too. What will all those society mavens circling around Atwood think of you then?” He didn’t care one lick what any of them said—but he sensed Gloria would. She wouldn’t want anything tarnishing her reputation.

  Who knew what Charles Atwood would have to say about it, either.

  “You think you can twist my arm into letting you continue on with this perversion,” Gloria said as she rose and headed for the door. “Well, you’re wrong.”

  “Aren’t you going to sign the papers?” Anson called.

  Gloria paused, her hand on the knob. “I gave you my terms. When you’re ready to meet them, call me.”

  Anson scowled. Bobby Blake rose and followed his client out silently, without a word to Anson. He turned and looked at Chaz.

  Chaz lifted his hands in surrender. “I don’t judge. Whatever makes you happy.” He glanced toward the door. “Any way to think she might cool down?”

  “Nope. She’s like a dog with a bone.”

  “Lovely,” Chaz said. “That’s not going to make this any easier.”

  “Nothing in my life has been easy since she showed up,” Anson said, rising. He headed for the door, wondering what kind of pretzels he’d have to twist himself into in order to get out of his mess.

  Chapter Eleven

  Light poured in from the windows of the lobby where Jereme sat. He focused on a series of dust motes lazily floating through the air. It was better than focusing on the confrontation to come. He was in the lobby of Anson’s firm, knowing his mother would eventually leave the meeting and he’d have his opportunity to speak with her. He’d watched her come in—hiding near the restrooms—but feared talking to her first could’ve negatively impacted Anson and the divorce proceedings. Soon, he’d be returning to school, and he’d have fewer chances to discuss the events with her. Before he went back, he had some things to get off his chest. And she was going to hear him, no matter what.

  When he saw her walking down the stairwell, he rose from his chair and moved directly into her path. It wasn’t hard to see the hardness come to her eyes and mouth. She didn’t want to speak with him.

  That’s too damned bad.

  The man she’d arrived with eyed him with curiosity.

  His mother looked like she might try to pass him, ignore him completely.

  “We need to talk.”

  “I have nothing to say to you as long as you’re with him,” she said dismissively.

  “Mom,” he said. “You’re going to listen to me.”

  She walked around him. So he turned and followed her out, refusing not to be heard.

  “I spent my entire life terrified of you. I lived my life walking on eggshells, fearing pissing you off and the wrath that would come down on me if I crossed the line. I know I was always in your way. I lived my life trying to stay small and not be a burden.”

  She lifted her chin, continuing to walk.

  “I’m done hiding. I’m done feeling small. I’m not afraid of you anymore. You can’t beat the man I am out of me. I love him, and he loves me.”

  His mother stopped in her tracks, spinning to face him. She glanced at the man with her. “You can leave me, Bobby. I’ll be fine.”

  As soon as the man had taken a couple of steps away, she cocked her head toward Jereme. “In love? What do you know of love?”

  “Well, I sure didn’t learn what it was from you.”

  Gloria’s eyes widened.

  “I am who I am. I’m a gay man, mother. A gay man who likes to wear lingerie. That doesn’t hurt anyone, least of all you—yet you used it against me, to hurt me. To shame me.” He paused, talking a shuddering breath. “A mother is supposed to love her son, no matter what. No matter what…”

  She opened her mouth, her face twisting into a mask… but she stopped. No words came out. The anger in her face transformed into numbness. “You think I don’t love you… yet I’ve spent my life trying to get us a better life. I’ve done nothing but strive for a better life.”

  “You will never be happy, no matter how much you get. You will always want more. No one has ever been good enough for you. Not even me.” He fought back his tears.

  “How could you say such a horrible thing? I loved you, Jereme. I loved you and only wante
d to make your life better. This is how I was repaid. You stole my husband from me, leaving me to be the punchline of a joke.”

  “We did nothing to you. It simply happened. I didn’t steal your husband. You walked away from him because he was just one more man in your life who wasn’t good enough…and I just happened to be there when he found that letter on the bed.”

  “You have to see that this is wrong,” she lamented.

  “I have someone who accepts me for who I am and has shown me it’s okay to be me. And it feels really fucking good to be me. Either you accept me for who I am. Or you walk away and leave me alone. You leave us both alone… Anson and I.”

  Gloria eyed him a moment. “Homosexuality is unnatural. Dressing in women’s things is deviant behavior. You’re mentally ill, Jereme. I did what I could to protect you, but it seems I failed.”

  Jereme tried to hide the pain her words caused. “Homosexuality has been a constant thread throughout time. It existed in ancient times. It exists in the animal kingdom outside of humans. It is quite natural.”

  Gloria put up a hand, demanding he stop. “You won’t convince me what you’re doing is right, Jereme. You need to leave him and get help.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with Jereme. Absolutely nothing.”

  Jereme turned to see Anson behind him.

  “And now you’re teaming up against me. This conversation is over,” Gloria said as she turned to leave.

  Jereme watched her leave. He wanted to chase after her, to scream and demand she change the way she thought, but there was no point. Somewhere along the way, she learned those things and was unwilling to change her mind.

  Anson placed a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think there’s any getting through to her.”

  “I had to try,” Jereme said, watching her slip behind the wheel of a Bentley.

  “I know,” Anson murmured before pressing a kiss to Jereme’s forehead. “Maybe somewhere down the road, she’ll open her eyes and see what she’s missing. Until then, you’ve got me.”

  Jereme smiled even though he wanted to cry.

  “Why don’t we go home and get you packed for school?”

  Jereme leaned into his daddy. “I don’t want to leave you.” Their month together had gone too fast. Playing wifey to Anson had been a dream come true. But real life had returned like a slap to the face.

  “I don’t want you to leave, either. But your education is too important. You need to go back,” Anson said. “Hopefully we can be together soon.”

  Jereme lifted his stare and smiled up at Anson. “Did she sign the papers?”

  Anson looked away and shook his head. “Gloria is refusing to sign the divorce papers… unless I promise to never see you again. I can’t do that. I won’t do that.”

  “Maybe it would be for the best if we did end it. For a while. Just until you could sort things out… once you’re divorced, there’s nothing she can do.”

  “I’m not going to lie or hide us just to get out of this marriage. It’s not the way I want to start our lives.” He cocked one brow. “And I refuse to let her think she’s won for even one single second.”

  Jereme sighed. “I don’t want to be the wrench in the machine.”

  “Do you really want to end things? Even if it’s temporary?”

  Jereme shook his head. “Of course not.”

  “Then stop talking like that. I’ll figure a way out, one way or another. It won’t be by letting you go. I like holding you too much.” He snuggled close, smiling his sexiest smile. “I like waking up next to you. I like watching you sleep in my arms. I even like the way you snore.”

  Jereme scoffed. “I don’t snore.”

  “Oh, yes you do. It’s light and almost more a squeak than a snore, and it’s adorable.”

  Jereme smiled, his face growing red.

  “I also like your out-of-tune singing in the shower. The way you wiggle your hips to the beat of the music we play while we’re cooking. The little wriggle of your nose when you argue your point when we debate where to go to dinner.” Anson sighed. “I simply like your presence. You make me feel calm. At peace. I want to be your big, strong man all while you make me absolutely weak in the knees.”

  “I make you weak in the knees?” Jereme asked as he moved into the circle of Anson’s arms.

  “When you look up at me like you are right now? Absolutely.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Jereme’s lips. “I think you could be my forever.”

  Jereme gasped. “I want to be your forever, Anson.”

  Anson smiled. “I need to figure a way out of my current predicament. I will. Trust me and don’t run away. Okay?”

  Jereme nodded before Anson lowered his head to steal a kiss.

  “Now let’s get out of the cold. I’m freezing,” Anson said, pulling Jereme closer and urging him toward the SUV.

  * * * *

  A couple of weeks later…

  “Mr. Parker? You have a new client waiting to see you in Conference Room C.”

  Anson eyed one of the firm’s secretaries and nodded. “Thanks.”

  He grabbed a notebook and his phone and headed toward the conference room. He peered through the glass and paused mid-step.

  Charles Atwood. What the fuck does he want?

  Anson entered the conference room, his hackles rising.

  “Anson, so nice to finally meet you,” Atwood said, rising and offering a hand.

  He didn’t shake it. He only glared at Gloria’s new beau. “What are you doing here?”

  “I come in hopes of making some peace between you and Gloria.”

  “You have no business being here,” Anson said. “Or in our business.”

  “Your wife is trouble with a capital T. I know it. You know it. But the hell if I can walk away from her. I think she just needs a man with a little more of a firm touch, if you catch my drift. I think I just might be that man.”

  Anson didn’t imagine the old geezer had much firm left in him, but if the guy thought he could corral that wild woman, so be it. “You’re more than welcome to see if your theory pans out.”

  “This whole thing about you and Jereme really has her wound up. How much will it cost me to make it all go away?”

  Anson frowned. “You’re offering to pay me to stop seeing Gloria’s son? Because that’s not going to happen.”

  “Oh heavens no. What two consenting adults want to do is their own business. I won’t get involved in that. But my home and businesses are based here. I’m too damned old to move. I’ve got enough money to make this issue forgotten, if you catch my drift. You, on the other hand, are young and have your whole future still ahead of you. I bet you could virtually start a practice just about anywhere in the state, I reckon. I don’t know… maybe three hours up north. Near a little college they’ve got up there, I believe.”

  Anson shook his head. “I don’t need your money.”

  “I’ve had you checked out. I’ve seen the debt Gloria racked up. That wasn’t you. And moving will take some doing. Walking away from everything you’ve built here—that won’t be easy.” He pulled out a checkbook. “I can make it easier.”

  Anson eyed the older man’s checkbook. “I can take care of my own. I don’t need to be bought.”

  “I never said I was buying anything. Well, maybe that’s not completely true. I’m buying Gloria some peace and her son a fresh start.” The man stroked a check and then handed it over. “That should cover Gloria’s debt to you.”

  Anson eyed the total and knew it would indeed cover things. Plus. Yet the urge to rip it up raged through him. “How about I hand this back to you and ask you to get her to sign the divorce papers, as previously agreed upon.”

  The man tossed an envelope onto the desk. “She’s made requests, and these are her words, not mine. She doesn’t want you parading her son around town. She doesn’t want people to know he’s a crossdresser or whatever it is he is. She doesn’t want people talking about her and the two of you, so she wants you gone. Fair
enough?”

  “We already had plans to leave,” Anson said, knowing she really had no rights over their lives but maybe it was easier to just let go and be able to walk away clear. A fresh start. “So when we go, it was on our own decision, not hers.”

  “And yet we still get the same end result. Both you and Jereme are gone, and she can relax.”

  “What about her relationship with her son?” Anson asked.

  “She says she doesn’t have a son anymore,” Charles replied. He shrugged. “That might change down the road, but for now… I assume he has you to watch over him.”

  “He does.”

  Charles smiled. “Good. You keep him happy, and I’ll do my best to keep Gloria happy.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  Charles grinned. “I have my ways. Don’t you worry.”

  The glitter in the old man’s eyes made him wonder if Gloria hadn’t met her match. He’d heard tales of the Atwoods, but didn’t know what was myth and what wasn’t. They were strong, bull-headed men who appeared ruthless. Maybe that’s exactly the type to handle a woman like that.

  Charles departed, leaving a shocked Anson in his wake.

  He looked at the signed divorce papers and smiled.

  Here’s to a fresh start.

  Picking up the check, the desire to rip it into shreds returned, but something Atwood had said kept running in his mind. I’m buying… her son a fresh start.

  Anson tucked the check into his notebook, realizing it wasn’t his. Not really.

  It belonged to someone else.

  * * * *

  Jereme dropped his bag in the foyer as soon as he reached Anson’s house. “Hello?”

  Anson peeked out from the kitchen, looking absolutely adorable in an apron and no shirt on. “Hey, baby.”

  But he could barely appreciate the view. Jereme shook his head, on the verge of tears. He crossed the foyer and was drawn into Anson’s open arms. He wanted to melt into his daddy’s welcome embrace.