“You’d better do it before the grease sets,” Viv said, and Rhys nodded.
“Sure.” He hovered awkwardly near the bottom of the stairs. “What brings you by, Mama?” he asked dryly, fixing her with a sardonic look.
“I came to meet Thomas, as you well know,” she said with a little sniff. Apparently she had no shame about her curiosity regarding Rhys’s supposed boyfriend. “You never told me a thing about your relationship. I had to hear about it on the computer!”
“It’s new,” Rhys said. “We were hoping to keep it low-key until we knew if it was going to last.”
“Why wouldn’t it?” Viv gave Thomas a warm smile and squeezed his hand again. “Thomas is quite a catch. He’s handsome and talented, and I can tell he’s a lovely young man. You’d be a fool to let him get away.”
“I like your mom, Rhys.” Thomas grinned at Rhys, who glared at him. “If it doesn’t work out with you, maybe I’ll try my luck with her,” he said, earning a coquettish giggle from Viv.
“You can have her,” Rhys said sourly.
“Don’t think you’ll distract me so easily,” Viv said, seeming unfazed by Rhys’s grumpy demeanor. “Thomas told me about the truth or dare game.”
Rhys glanced at Thomas with a “really?” thought balloon clear to read over his head, and Thomas blinked innocently.
“You didn’t act foolish afterward, I hope,” Viv said, giving Rhys a quelling look over the top of her purple glasses.
Rhys cleared his throat, a hint of pink staining his cheeks. “No, I… uh. I enjoyed the kiss. More than enjoyed it.”
Thomas supposed he shouldn’t take such evil glee in watching Rhys squirm his way through the explanation, but this charade was Rhys’s idea, so he deserved to be squeamish.
“But you didn’t take advantage of Thomas,” Viv said, the stern note still in her voice. “He said he’d been drinking.”
“Of course not!” Rhys looked scandalized at the mere thought, which pleased Thomas and seemed to mollify Viv. “I waited until the next morning when he was sober to ask if we could talk about what happened. Turns out, we wanted the same thing, so… here we are.”
Thomas had to give Rhys credit for getting through the tall tale without any obvious signs that he was lying. Rhys was a far better actor than Thomas realized, so maybe this week wouldn’t turn into a complete shambles after all.
Then Viv turned her attention back on him. “Rhys hasn’t said much about you outside of the show,” she said. “Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?”
“Norfolk, Virginia.”
“I thought I heard a little Tidewater in your voice!” Viv said, her smile taking on a satisfied tilt. “Do you have any brothers or sisters? I’d love to meet your parents someday — assuming, of course, you and Rhys bow to fate and inevitability and stay together as you should,” she added with a pointed look at Rhys, who ignored her.
Thomas gently tugged his hand free from her grasp and clamped both hands on his knees until his knuckles were white. He didn’t like talking about his family, especially not to someone he just met, but since Viv was viewing him as a prospective long-term partner for her son, he knew he ought to be forthcoming.
“I have an older brother,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to him or my parents since I was eighteen.”
Viv’s eyes widened, but he saw concern rather than censure in their depths. “I’m so sorry,” she said softly.
“It’s okay. I’m over it.” Thomas gave her a one-sided smile. “Mostly. It’s a tale as old as time. They didn’t want a gay kid — until he became famous, of course. They’ve tried to reconnect sincePlague Zbecame such a big hit, but I can’t forget how they screamed about me being unnatural and how I was doomed to burn in Hell. They told me to pack my stuff and never come back, so I’ve done what they wanted. They’ve still got my brother, the golden child.”
Thomas was proud of himself for keeping most of the bitterness out of his voice.
“Oh, honey.”
Viv slid one arm around her shoulders and pulled him into a comforting embrace. The scent of lemon verbena permeated her clothes, making nostalgia twist up his stomach. His mother had smelled like lemon verbena too, but her arms had never been a haven. Releasing a shuddery sigh, Thomas allowed himself the luxury of leaning his head on her shoulder, and she stroked his hair in a slow, soothing rhythm.
“Well, now wehaveto keep him,” she said, glancing at Rhys.
Thomas peeked at Rhys, wondering how Rhys would react to his mother’s declaration, and he was surprised to see a pensive look on Rhys’s face.
“I suppose we do,” Rhys said softly.
“Of course we do.” Viv continued stroking Thomas’s hair, and Thomas let her, the attention proving to be more of a balm to his soul than years of therapy had been. “He needs a safe place where he’s loved and accepted for who he is. He needs us.”
I do. I need Rhys and you and a safe place — all of it. But Thomas knew better than to voice the words aloud. Rhys wasn’t ready to hear such a thing, and Thomas didn’t know if he ever would be. But in the meantime, Thomas could enjoy the illusion of having a safe and loving family while it lasted.
