“I have a hobby.”
“Gambling is not a hobby, dear.”
“Yes, it is. I almost always win.”
“Except when you lose.” Cheryl grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. “What if you had a nanny, Dad? Would you stay home then?”
Ralph thought about it for a moment. “Yes. If the working girl is paying for it, that’s the way to go, Colton. A nanny. Have your cake and eat it too. Just don’t bother taking up golf. What a waste of a day. Walking around with old farts? No. Gambling is much more exciting.”
“That’s enough. This has gotten out of hand.” Martha raised her glass. “To family.”
“To new additions,” Cheryl said. Martha’s lips tightened.
“New additions,” the others chorused.
They clinked glasses and started eating, each bite better than the last. Through the meal, Owen and Colton had a running dialogue on flavors—Colton clearly taking mental notes, and Owen showing surprise at a few of the things Colton had done.
Madison took it all in. They were a strange family, fraught with serious differences in outlook that created constant tension, but for all that, she could tell they all loved each other. They liked being in each other’s company.
Near the end of the meal, Cheryl looked at Madison with a sad face. “I’ve got bad news.”
“We have to do dishes, don’t we?” Madison frowned. Cheryl nodded solemnly.
“About time you girls lifted a finger.” Martha finished off her glass of wine.
“That was good, Colton.” Ralph leaned back and put his palms on his stomach.
“Very.” Madison wanted to adopt a similar pose, but didn’t think she quite had the status. Or the laissez-faire attitude.
“Where did you two say you met? A wedding, was it?” Martha asked.
“Yes,” Madison said as Colton said, “Work.”
They froze and looked at each other. Colton’s face was straight. Madison had a feeling hers was clearly showing oh shit.
“It was three days ago, and you aren’t sure?” Martha asked. Cheryl slowly sipped her wine, looking over the rim of her glass from one of them to the other.
“It was a wedding,” Colton said. “My photographer’s. I only went because I work with him. Technically it wasn’t work, but it sure felt like it.”
“I felt like work?” Madison said, her upper lip sweating. She hated lying. It made her uncomfortable.
Colton squeezed her thigh. “Every second.”
“Hear, hear,” Ralph said, and raised his glass.
“How did you come to be at the wedding?” Martha asked. “Dateless, I presume?”
“I knew the groom from high school.” At least that part was true. “I hadn’t seen him for a while, but I knew quite a few of the guests.”
“Was it a big wedding?” Martha asked.
“Not really,” Madison said, looking at Colton. “Eighty people?”
“And they invited someone they hadn’t seen in a while?” Martha was onto them.
Cheryl slowly put down her glass with a slight grimace. She knew something wasn’t right, too. At least she wasn’t jumping on the bandwagon.
“They invited me, and we aren’t friendly. They were probably trying to fill the tables.” Colton leaned back nonchalantly.
“It is a hundred dollars a plate, plus drinks.” Martha squinted. “People don’t just fill spots at a wedding.”
“This was a buffet, the bar wasn’t open, and it was held in a run-down hotel.” Colton poured Madison more wine. “The plates were certainly not a hundred dollars.”
“That food was so gross.” Madison laughed. “I would’ve paid a hundred dollars not to eat it.”
“Well, there you go. You’re lucky it made no sense.” Owen clinked glasses with Colton.
“I’ll toast to that.” Cheryl raised her glass, too.
“Mom, can we get down?” Annie asked. Joe looked at Cheryl solemnly.
After eyeing their plates, Cheryl nodded. The two were sprinting off the next moment.
“Who were they?” Martha asked. “Maybe I know them.”
“Why would you know them?” Colton said.
“The groom was James Badstubener,” Madison said, just to end the questions.
“A German name, that sounds like. Where have I heard that name?” Ralph looked upward, thinking.
“From the printout you brought,” Martha said softly, her face taking on the first obviously disapproving expression of the night.
“Oh, right. That smut. Get the printout, Martha.”
As Martha rose, stiff-backed, Ralph scowled. “Someone claiming my son is a prostitute, of all things.” Madison and Colton both froze. “Ridiculous. Has to be a joke. Sounds like a joke, if you know the guy. It’s not funny, Colton. Not funny at all. Had a spoof website and everything. Why he sent it to me, I don’t know.”
Twenty-Five
Fear ran through Colton as his mom walked back into the dining room carrying a piece of paper and his dad’s phone. She handed them to Ralph, refusing to look at Colton. That was a very bad sign.
“Don’t give it to me, give it to him!” Ralph waved her off.
Like a death march, his mom spanned the few steps between them before handing off a printout of the web page advertising his services. Everything was there—his picture, his nickname, prices, everything. The only saving grace was the code names Dick had used to semi-disguise those services.
His throat closed up. He couldn’t speak. This was his worst nightmare. That his mother might learn her son had fucked for money. That his dad would know how he’d managed to afford the house. That his sister and brother-in-law would think about Thunder every time Colton mentioned his mini-golf course.
“We went to the site,” his mother said with disgust. “The name of the company was unseemly. I couldn’t go any further.”
Madison was staring mutely at him with wide eyes. There he was on that printout, wearing small briefs and nothing else, posed in an obviously suggestive way.
No words would come.
A phone was shoved at him. “It came from Facebook. This James was claiming to be worried about you.”
Madison leaned in to look at her ex-boyfriend’s message. James was worried about Colton, he said. He feared that Colton might be engaged in unlawful activity, but Colton had blown him off when he’d offered to help. There was no mention of Madison.
“Why would he do that?” Madison blurted, her fists balling.
Colton took out his own phone and checked Facebook. He didn’t have any new messages. He checked the filtered messages, and there it was.
I know what you are. I doubt Maddie does, since she *thought* she was into you. Leave her alone, or I’ll tell all your family and friends. And you know I can, because your profile is public.
James hadn’t given Colton much time.
“Well?” his dad demanded. “What is this all about, Colton?”
“It’s disgusting, is what it is,” his mom said. “Utterly disgusting. This…this has to be a hoax,” she continued in a shaky voice. “But your friends are on it too, Colton. That nice Dave. Even that strange boy who comes around sometimes. What was his name?”
“Ethan,” Cheryl supplied.
“Yes, Ethan. He’s on it too. I thought it was a disgusting joke. Bad enough if it had been, but you know the man who sent that awful message?” Her voice broke. She covered her lips with her hands.
“No son of mine would ever do something like that.” Ralph beat his fist on the table. Cheryl and Owen jumped before casting their gazes down.
Colton felt himself shriveling before them. He should’ve been playing it up like it was a hoax. A dumb joke. But he couldn’t help the fear rushing through him. What could he possibly say? The proof was in his hand. In the message.
Madison started laughing. It sounded nervous. “James said he’d get you back, Colton.”
Cheryl looked up from under her lashes.
Madison took the pri
ntout and studied it. “It’s good, though. As far as Photoshop is concerned, I mean. I’ll give him that. Show me the website?” She looked over at him.
The room was silent as he passed the phone over. She tapped on the link, squinted at the phone, and tapped a few more times. Then she held the phone up next to the printout. “Oh yeah, he got you. This is good work.”
Colton’s heart sank. Of all the times to be her blunt, honest self…
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out, though.” She chuckled again and threw the page down, suddenly sobering when she looked at Ralph. “Sorry, you’re right. It’s not cool to involve the family. That’s not fair.”
Colton’s mom wiped a tear from her eye.
“Oh my God, you guys think this is real?” Madison gave everyone an incredulous stare. She nudged Colton. “Set them straight. They think this is real. That’s not right. James shouldn’t have included them.”
“Done what?” Owen asked quietly.
Madison turned her incredulous stare to Colton, desperation in her eyes. “Colton! Tell your father.”
“What’s going on?” his dad demanded. Colton had no idea.
“Madison, just tell us what’s happening, please,” Cheryl said somberly.
With a last look at Colton, she took the phone. “You guys, this is obviously Photoshop.” She tapped a few things, and Colton barely saw relief pass over her face. She gave him a smile that sank into the middle of him, warm and hot and comfortable. Only she could make him feel that way at a time like this. “A while back, Dave put on an elaborate joke to get back at Ethan for something. Do you remember what it was for, Colton? Dave is a horrible storyteller. I can’t remember what he said.”
He shook his head, still mute.
“Doesn’t matter. Anyway, as a joke, Dave had a friend of his mock up this ridiculous website to poke fun at Ethan. Only, his friend went whole hog and plastered Dave up there, too. I mean…” She tapped the phone and handed it over to Cheryl. “They didn’t do a very convincing job. The cheesy logo, the horrible layout, the weird placement—no company could ever run a business with a shoddy website like that.”
Cheryl’s brow lowered. She nodded slowly and passed it to Owen. “True. It does seem amateur.”
Colton felt his own brow lower. He’d thought it looked really good.
“James, being in graphic design, clearly decided to mimic it. It’s not hard. Colton takes pictures like that for a living. All James had to do was pull one up, design the page, park it on a landing page, and email a link. It sounds like a lot of work, but to a graphics guy, it really isn’t.”
“But Colton was on that website,” Martha said, looking at the page. “I followed the link and there he was.”
Owen tapped at the screen. Relief crossed his face. Followed by a smile. He held the phone up for Colton’s dad, shaking his head. “He’s not on there. They do have some skinny guy, and they priced him lower. Ha! That has to be ego crushing. What a ruse. I’m glad my friends can’t do this type of stuff.”
“I don’t want that thing.” Colton’s dad batted the air.
Owen passed it to Cheryl, who tapped the screen again. She nodded then shook her head. “Still wasn’t right to include family.” She handed the phone to their mother. “That’s not okay, Colton. What kind of a friend would do that?”
“He’s not?” Martha took the phone gingerly. “I don’t want to see this. How can I—”
Cheryl got up to help her.
Madison turned to him, her eyes deep and filled with emotion. They sparkled with unshed tears. “No, he’s not on there.”
Colton entwined his fingers with hers. It was all starting to make sense. Someone at that wedding must’ve recognized him. Somehow, it had gotten back to James, who wanted to get back at Colton, and he’d sent out the links to the website. It wasn’t until yesterday that Colton had given Dick his firm decision to quit. Dick had passed his waiting list on to the guys, and he’d eventually gotten around to taking his page down.
Just in time.
Madison had realized all of this in increments, and woven it into her somewhat weak story out of thin air. His parents, not good at tech, would believe her. His sister and her husband probably just wanted to believe her.
He’d need to do damage control with them personally when this was all over. He didn’t need them picking at the details that didn’t make sense.
“But why would someone message his parents?” Martha said.
“They all have different terms and prices and stuff,” Cheryl said, shaking her head as she returned to her seat. “Yeah, that site isn’t legit. That James guy should’ve just had Dave or Ethan add Colton.”
“I know James from work. Dave and Ethan don’t work with him,” Colton said quickly, tearing his eyes away from the gooey hazel goodness that was Madison’s gaze.
“What is James getting you back for, anyway?” Owen asked.
Colton squeezed Madison’s hands. “Getting the girl.”
Madison’s face flushed. She waved him away.
Colton had dodged a huge bullet a moment ago. Because of Madison. Without her, he would’ve caved, and their family dynamic would’ve never been the same. She’d acted so quickly, so assuredly, and he knew she didn’t like lying. She had done it only for him.
“Sorry, guys. He obviously thinks this is funny.” Colton pulled his and Madison’s entwined hands onto his lap, the desire to kiss her so extreme he had to ball his other fist to keep from acting on it. “James doesn’t know boundaries. Clearly, or why would he invite half-strangers to his wedding? I’d just block him if I were you. Who knows what else he’ll do if he thinks his jokes have landed.”
Cheryl took up her wine. “That website has ego at work, though. No one would pay those prices. Three grand for an escort to an event?” Madison’s face fell as Cheryl went on, “And the extra charges for driving home or whatever…who has that kind of money?”
“Why are we still talking about this?” Colton’s dad said. “What’s for dessert?”
Colton felt the squeeze of his mom’s fingers on his shoulder. A moment later, Madison got the same treatment. His mom moved off into the kitchen by herself.
Dessert came and went. The piece of paper went into the garbage, and Cheryl took the liberty of blocking James on everyone’s social media.
When the kids were stuck in their video games, the baby asleep in her Pack ’n Play, and Colton’s parents had gone home, Cheryl, Owen, Madison, and Colton gathered in Colton’s favorite room with large glasses of wine.
“You’re staying, right?” Colton asked as he filled the glasses up yet again.
“Can’t drive. The baby is asleep. Yeah. We’re staying.” Cheryl rubbed her eyes. “Can we please talk about the elephant in the room?”
Colton, sitting on the loveseat next to Madison with his arm draped over her, pulled her closer. “Three days is a lifetime when it’s love at first sight.”
Madison laughed. “Lust at first sight for me. It took at least five hours for the love to set in.”
Shock filled Colton. He looked at her, hard. He hadn’t thought about what he was saying. But the sound of that word on her lips sent a jolt through him. He’d meant it. She’d meant it. Holy shit.
“Not that.” Owen took a gulp of his wine. He’d be hurting tomorrow. “That, I get. I saw this girl right here.” Owen ran his finger along Cheryl’s jaw. She giggled and batted him away. “And I knew right then and there that I’d be pining after her for the rest of my life. Miracle of miracles, she accepted a date. And then another. Then braved her mother for me. Oh, Martha haaaaaated me. Hated me! I had”—he wiped his hand through the air—“no money. None. Just the confidence that I was good at what I did, and someday I would make it. Someday I would own my own restaurant. And she took that to the bank. Or, now that I’ve heard Maddie’s blasé attitude toward Colton’s playground, maybe Cher just didn’t care since she was making plenty of money on her own. Probably didn’t
care. Whatever. Martha cared. But now I’m doing well, and Martha is my friend. Hail Martha. She likes me best!”
“You need to slow down, brother,” Colton said, laughing.
“Right, so we’re not talking about the love elephant, which is crazy, but we’ve all been there.” Cheryl gave Colton a pointed stare. “We’re talking about the fact that Colton was a prostitute.”
For the second time that night, Colton went on point. Luckily, this time, he was half-drunk. The sting was a lot less. Tomorrow, however…
“We got the same message,” Owen said. “And we had a good look. Ethan, Noah, Dave. It’s legit. We know it is. Clearly you’ve quit…” Cheryl and Owen looked pointedly at Madison. “But you did it. Is that how you met? Be honest. We won’t judge.”
“We’ll judge,” Cheryl said.
“Yes, we will judge.” Owen nodded. “But we won’t tell your parents, and that’s the important thing, I think.”
“I bought him.” Madison hooked a finger Colton’s way.
“Wait. Stop. Wait!” Colton leaned forward. “Wait. She didn’t buy me.”
“Yes, I did.”
“You didn’t pay.”
“Okay, here’s the story.” Madison jabbed Colton with her elbow. “Colton doesn’t know James. I do.” She relayed her whole story, including parts Colton hadn’t heard, like the hilarious breakup between her and Frank and the stress she’d felt about finding a date for the wedding. She wrapped up the story by saying she hadn’t wanted to let him go at the end of the night—and he, thankfully, had felt the same way.
“She didn’t pay,” Colton said. “I wouldn’t let her. And that was it. She is the end.”
“So you got paid to screw rich, beautiful women?” Owen asked, aghast. “Really?”
“Yeah, really?” Cheryl added, crossing her arms.
Madison threw up her hands. “Look, I met him because of what he did. I don’t want to hear about the past, and he doesn’t want to hear about my ex-boyfriends—”
“He doesn’t have to hear about them, he has to deal with him.” Cheryl laughed.
“She doesn’t realize how pretty she is,” Owen said. “Like someone I know.”
Thunder (Big D Escort Service Book 1) Page 21