“Come inside Armand’s office, please, and close the door behind you.”
Dread dogged his steps as he followed her and did as she requested.
“Sit, please,” she directed him and took the seat opposite him. “Are you and my son lovers?”
He blinked, and this time his poker face failed him. Warmth crept up his neck. “What…why would you ask me that?”
She set her Hermes purse on the conference table. “Because Friday night, my dear friend Marion Pearl was having dinnerat Daniel’s, and she saw Armand.” She fixed him with a stare. “She said he was with an older couple and a very good-looking blond man. Marion told me you were very affectionate with each other.”
With every passing word, Hayden’s heart sank deeper and deeper until he was certain it rested in his churning stomach. Jesus, was everyone at dinner in that damn restaurant? Eight million fucking people in this city, and they were all watching him.
“Uh—”
“Please don’t lie to me. That’s not a good start to our friendship.”
And suddenly Hayden had reached a tipping point. Why the hell was he nervous and unsure? He and Armi weren’t teenagers sneaking off to do something illicit. They were grown men in love. He raised his chin.
“Yes. That was me. My parents came in for the weekend as a surprise, and Armi arranged to take them out to dinner.”
“I see,” she answered softly, and to his shock, her eyes filled with tears. She reached into her purse to grab a tissue. “I would’ve loved to meet them. And I just want to know if Armi has any intention of telling me about the two of you. All I want is for him to be happy.”
It was a fine line for him to tread—Hayden wasn’t sure if Armi was ready to speak to his mother about them—but he didn’t want to get on her bad side.
“Mrs. Winters, please don’t be upset. It was spur-of-the-moment. I wasn’t expecting my parents to visit. Next time they come, we can arrange something, if you’d like.”
She dabbed at her eyes. “What I’d like is to know more about this relationship. This is very fast, isn’t it?”
Squirming under her unflinching gaze, Hayden decided to be nothing less than truthful. “We’ve worked very closely together and learned a lot about each other. We might come from different backgrounds, but it doesn’t really matter.” He met her gaze directly. “I couldn’t help falling in love with him. Armi is wonderful—he’s kind, sweet, and smart as hell. I have to remind him not to let people take advantage of his good nature and to stand up for what he wants.” Hayden found himself smiling. “And I’m the lucky one because he fell in love with me too.”
She studied him. “I think you’re telling the truth—at least I hope so. Armand has been extremely lonely, and he needs people on his side.”
“I think he’d love a closer relationship with you,” Hayden found himself saying, wondering when he’d become so daring, but he wanted Armi to be happy, and if it made Eloise Winters annoyed with him, so be it. Maybe he’d learned that love means putting someone else’s happiness over your own. “I know you’re very busy, but he needs his mother. He’d love to have your support. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have my parents in my life.” His lips twitched. “They’re very involved and give me their opinions, whether I ask or not. I might complain about them, but I wouldn’t give any of it up.”
“You’re more than a pretty face.” Her blue eyes twinkled.
The knot in his chest eased, and he laughed. “Thank you. And Armi is more than who you think. And who his father thought.”
“I’ll admit I wasn’t the best mother when I was younger. I’m trying to rectify it.” Her lips tightened. “I regret the estrangement between Armand and his father, but there was little I could do to bring them together. Randolph was a hard man and had little patience for people who didn’t fit his world.”
“Which was athletic, extroverted, and one of the good-old-boys type,” Hayden mused. “And of course, not gay.”
Shaking her head, she sighed. “He had a warped sense of what made a man. Sensitivity and kindness were considered weaknesses.”
“I feel sorry for him. His team might’ve won the Super Bowl, but as a father, he was the loser, for not seeing what a great son he had.”
“I think I like you, Hayden Porter.”
“Hayden, are you—” The office door opened, and Armi walked in, his jaw dropping with surprise. “Whoa. Mom? What’s going on?” His uncertain gaze shot to Hayden, who reassured him with an easy smile.
“Your mother and I were having a chat. I’ll leave you both and get to work.” He held out his hand. “Very nice to get the chance to speak with you, Mrs. Winters.”
“Don’t be silly.” She held out her arms. “Call me Eloise.”
“Uh…can someone tell me what I missed?” Blue eyes comically wide with shock, Armi’s eyes ping-ponged between him and his mother.
Hayden passed by him and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “I’ll let your mother explain.”
He left them and closed the door behind him. At his desk, he went through the calendar and arranged Armi’s notes for each meeting, then checked his emails for anything that needed an immediate reply. Of course, he also kept an ear open, but all he heard was the low murmur of voices, until his attention was caught by the sight of an angry-faced Russell Anders.
