“Meaning Wolf’s probably not coming.” He waved his hand in the air. “I’m not wasting my time talking about him.” He slipped his arm over Win’s shoulders. “Tell us all about your cases, Win. I want to hear some hot cop stories.”
Win chuckled. “Not much to tell. We’ve been doing surveillance for the past few weeks. Forrest and I are part of a team, and I was happy to have the day off.”
Elliot pushed open the screen door, and they walked out onto the deck. A long wooden picnic table had been pushed to the side, lined with bottles of whiskey and wine. A bucket of ice with several bottles of champagne sat in the middle, but Spencer spied a pitcher, and his eyes lit up.
“Is that margaritas? If so, pour me a glass and hold the salt.” He took off his straw hat and fanned himself. “Whew. So is it dangerous? What kind of surveillance? Do you have to hide or dress up and pretend to be a construction worker to take pictures of the bad guys?” He accepted the tumbler with his drink and sat on one of the cushioned chairs. “I want all the juicy details.”
“I can’t really say, but it’s pretty involved. Lots of moving parts, and I’m not surejuicyis how I’d describe it.”
“From what you’re not saying, I’m thinking it’s more dangerous than you’re letting on, so I won’t push.” Spencer sipped his drink.
“That’s a first.” Win grinned, and Spencer joined him with a laugh.
“Contrary to popular belief, I do have some restraint. And I have to thank you both again for coming to the show and all your support. It meant everything to me.”
“It was incredible to see from up close. Thank you for inviting us.”
Elliot took the chair next to his, while Win, hearing the bell, left to answer the door. “I’m sure it was very emotional. After you told me the story about your mother, it meant even more to me to see you so happy.”
“Well, she’s the driving force behind everything I do.” While she was his mother, she had also been his best friend—hisonlyfriend—and the shoulder he’d cry on whenever they’d pick on him at school.
Never let them see you crumble, baby.
His mother would tell him that when he’d come home from school after getting teased or punched for being a “sissy.” She’d go see the principal to complain about the bullying, and then she’d return and hold him tight, telling him he was a shining star, and one day he’d see his name in the papers. Spencer knew nothing would change, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care that he was never invited to any parties or to sit with the other kids at lunch. He didn’t want to go to any of the football games or proms. Those nights were spent reading about the great designers of the world—Karl Lagerfeld, Versace, and Givenchy.
Ignore them, he’d tell himself.You don’t need friends like that. You’ll go to college and find friends who will love you for who you are.He’d held on to those words and her hugs, and kept his head up high, letting the hurtful words and sometimes physical pain roll off his shoulders.
It all changed when she died, almost one year to the day after she was diagnosed, and his world fell apart. Grief consumed him to the point where the mistakes he’d made could’ve killed him, but instead he’d discovered he was stronger than he’d thought and pulled through on his own. The only thing that held him together was working at Macy’s in the mall, where he learned all about the fashion industry at the hands of their buyers and stylists. Like a sponge, he soaked up every bit of information, and from there he planned out his life.
He might not have friends or family, but he would have a career.
It wasn’t until college that he found other people like him. And wholikedhim. Elliot, Chess, and Wolf became the family he never had, the brothers he’d longed for. He found people who accepted him, even said they loved him. But Spencer knew how fleeting it could all be, and he swore to be the fun one. Always smiling. Teller of jokes. Party boy. Sex was a way to feel loved again, even if it was only for one night.
Never let them see you crumble.…
“She must’ve been very special.”
“She was. The only person who loved me unconditionally.”
Elliot bit his lip. “You know we do too, right?”
“Sure. Of course I do. And I love you too.”
The back door opened, and Win appeared, with not only Chess and André, but Win’s partner, Forrest, and his gorgeous wife, Claudia, whom he’d met earlier in the year at the party celebrating Elliot’s moving in with Win.
“Elliot, there you are,” she said and held out her arms to him.
With a squeeze to his knee, Elliot left him and hugged her. “Hi, Claudia. I’m glad your parents could watch the kids.”
She smiled brightly. “Me too.”
“Me three,” Forrest boomed out and took a beer from Win. “And four, five, and six.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, parent of the year. Chill out. Spencer, hi.”
He rose to greet her. “Hello, beautiful. Love the white on you.”
She held out the skirt of her dress. “Why, thank you. I made sure to look perfect for you.”
