“Beginning of the year,” Perrin answered in the same polite-nice tone.
“Well, I guess the timing made sense,” Malcolm said to Perrin. “Do your former colleagues know you found it safe to come back?”
Safe?What the hell did that mean? But the tone of Malcolm’s voice was meant to pry at Perrin, almost like a bully, so I refused to say or do anything that would give the impression I didn’t know each and every one of Perrin’s secrets.
I knew people like Malcolm, and I wouldn’t be the cause of anything he could use against Perrin. I knew the signs when someone was looking for dirt. But, what intrigued me most about the exchange is that while nothing Malcolm or Christopher had said to him had gotten Perrin’s attention,thecomment about colleagues certainly did.
Perrin’s look toward the powerful man was ice cold, as cold as the fingers that remained in mine. “My former colleagues are no concern of mine,” he said. “Or yours.”
“Of course not . . .” his mother started to say, speaking for literally the first time. But, she went quiet at the appearance of my own mother, who joined us with an arm snuck around Perrin’s waist and a kiss to his cheek, then reaching over to squeeze my shoulder. She hadn’t noticed anything that was happening, just greeting Perrin as she normally would. It was Rita, who had come from substantial wealth herself and was used to these functions and people like Malcolm Stephens.
“Hello there Malcolm, Catherine,” she greeted. Although I had never met Malcolm Stevens, it did not surprise me that my mom knew him on a first-name basis.
I caught a stunned look on Catherine’s face as she took in how Rita greeted Perrin, and also how her presence seemed to relax him, or at least, get a warm smile. Perrin had squeezed Rita’s arm with his genuine affection, and Catherine’s eyes locked on the gesture.
“Rita,” Malcolm stated. “We may have more in common than I thought. Perrin here is Catherine’s boy. And of course, you might remember Christopher.”
“Oh my, what a delight!” Rita enthused, not acting surprised at all, although I knew it was news to her. “We all adore Perrin and I can’t imagine how proud you must be ofhim,” she said, patting Perrin’s arm where she held it. “I had just introduced him to Justice Katz a moment ago, and as you know,” she said looking to Malcolm and Rita, “vice president Powell is here, and he would love for them to meet - they have both deep interests in the same charity, and he has heard great things about what Perrin is doing with it in Colorado.”
“What charity?” Catherine asked, relaxing under Rita’s easy social graces. Her eyes did not leave the easy affection between Perrin and Rita, however.
“Rainbow House. It’s a foundation to create shelters for LGBTQ youth, do you know it?” She asked. “Perrin has been working on the one they will be opening here in Colorado. His experience abroad in similar projects has been such a blessing.”
“Is that so?” Malcolm asked, his gaze flat.
“Are you still working with Blessed Hope?” Perrin asked him. Perrin was the master of using the tone of his voice to give the words he used a completely different meaning. I stilled my breath and ran a thumb over the back of his hand. Blessed Hope was a charity that actively tried to push a very non-LGBTQ-friendly agenda under a “pro-family” and “religious liberty” umbrella. They advertised frequently on a conservative podcast where Malcom was a regular.
I could tell Malcolm wanted to call him down for the question, but since it was said in such politeness, Malcolm really couldn’t say anything without losing the forced polite tone. But, that didn’t mean his face didn’t get red. He didn’t have half the composure that Perrin did. Perrin, of course, simply remained standing next to me with the sameimpassive look on his face. If I hadn’t known better, we could have been talking about the weather.
“Of course we are,” Malcolm said, looking at Perrin with a challenging gaze. And Perrin nodded.
“Of course,” Perrin said, and that was it. No tone, inflection, or anything else. If I hadn’t been holding onto him, I wouldn’t have known what was under that deceptive surface at all.Swallowing hard I pushed back those thoughts, knowing Perrin needed me not to lose my shit right now. He had trusted me to be with him on this, and that was what I was going to do.
“Well, the vice president has specifically asked for Perrin’s presence, and Jack, you too, of course. Sort of a package deal lately, as you know,” Rita said lightly to Catherine, too graceful to acknowledge in a more overt way that Catherine had no idea about Perrin’s life now. “Surely you don’t mind if I steal them from you for just a moment?” Rita asked, already slipping her hand through Perrin’s offered arm.
Perrin dropped a kiss on Rita’s forehead, and she patted his cheek as a matter of course, in such a familiar way, it was obvious they both did it without thinking. Perrin had escorted Rita and Ellen as much as any of my brothers or I had at these functions this year, and although it made everyone laugh again that Perrin was the favorite, it was now a habit. Perrin didn’t look back at his own mother, but I plainly saw the hurt play across her face at his obvious love for my mom. Jealousy, hurt, and regret were in her features before she could school them. Christopher simply looked sad, and maybe a bit angry. Malcolm was looking with a face I couldn’t entirely read.
I still had Perrin’s long fingers in mine, so I briefly said my goodbyes as I turned with Perrin and Rita. I was not about to let him go.
“Thank you,” Perrin said quietly to Rita, low, but I could still hear it.
“For what, my dear? You have an audience with the vice president, can’t be late for that,” she said, and from her tone I knew she was playing it light, but I also knew exactly what she had done in taking him away from that particular group of people. She knew it too.
Perrin
I didnot expectto be introduced to the sitting vice president, who apparently knew my name; or a sitting United States Supreme Court Justice, who apparently thought my boyfriend hung the moon. Or my mom and Malcolm, who apparently had not changed at all.
Jack had stayed at my side after seeing them, and as the event started to wrap up hours later, I knew there would be a conversation before the night was over. Truth was that between Jack’s proximity, the way he looked in that damn suit, and my own warring emotions I was hoping I could distract him first. Or he could distract me away from the migraine that wanted to threaten to bloom across my skull.
His thumb kept running over the back of my hand, driving me insane. Ever since I had reached out to the comfort of his touch, he had not failed to give it to me for the rest of the evening. I was so thankful, part of me wanted to weep. I had never met anyone like Jack. Certainly, no one who understood me like he did. I wasn’t the type of guy to normally ask for comfort, but I knew if Jack was there I would play it cool and not make a scene. I could not say all the things I wanted to say to my family.
Only Jack and I were left, Baylor, Quinn and his moms having slipped out already. I moved our hands behind my back, pulling him against me.
“Been hours sinceI got to feel you up, sweetheart,” I said, running my nose against his neck, until he shivered a laugh in response.
“You are trying to distract me, P,” he said, melting into me for a moment, just the same. He wasn’t wrong.
I ran a hand over his cheek, feeling the rasp of his stubble where it was turning soft due to the late hour, and pulling his lips to mine. He fell into it, kissing me back to the point I got lost into it, the ballroom and the conversation and everything else falling away. He finally pulled away.
