Andrew didn’t wait anyway. “You know, here’s what I don’t understand. Why all the bashings around here lately? Why now? It’s not even that kind of neighborhood anymore, at least not as much.”
Thatkind of neighborhood. Not the gay neighborhood. Not like it used to be. Marlon tried to play the conversation out, discern where Andrew was headed. He couldn’t; there were too many options, and Andrew had taken a path Marlon hadn’t expected. It made him wish he’d been the one to broach the subject, to have it on his terms.
Be stronger, better, tougher. Too late now, Chief.
He decided to give Andrew the benefit of the doubt, deserved or not, and just jump into the conversation like this was something they’d spoken about several times before. “There used to be bashings at Cheesman Park back in the day too. Nothing new.”
Andrew didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, but that was when the gays used the park to hook up. That’s not happening here, at least not like it used to at the park. And, like I said, 17th is a lot less gay than it used to be.”
Again, it struck Marlon that Andrew had to be a closet case. How did he know so much about what used to happen at Cheesman? He hadn’t even been on the force in those days. Marlon wasn’t going down that landmine-filled trail, though. Plus, Andrew had actually said gays, not homos or faggots. Maybe they could have a real conversation for once.
Marlon focused on keeping his voice calm, though his heart was making it hard to breathe normally. “I think it’s a backlash. Marriage equality was passed almost two years ago. Homophobes are still angry about it, and they want to make someone pay. They see someone coming out of one of the gay places that are left and follow them.”
“Gay places?” Andrew pointed out his side of the window as they drove past Mary’s. “Like that one?”
Marlon hesitated. He knew Vahin was there. He almost expected him to be at the window, staring out, waving at Andrew like a one-man gay pride parade.
“Yeah, like that one.”
“Huh.” Andrew leaned forward and craned his neck around staring through the rain at Mary’s in the distance. “I wonder what goes on in a place like that.”
Marlon didn’t respond and wiped a bead of sweat that rolled down the side of his face.
Andrew sat back in his seat and looked out the front window. “What does go on in a place like that, Marlon? Do they have bushes in the back for you all to do the same stuff that used to happen at Cheesman?”
And just like that, the quasi-neutral tone was gone, and the Andrew he knew was back.
Despite Chief Schmidt’s words ringing in his ears of being better, Marlon allowed his tone to match Andrew’s. “You tell me. You seem to have a pretty good idea of what happened in those bushes. Did you have a favorite one?”
Andrew laughed. A laugh that sounded real.
Actually, no, Marlon realized. It was a laugh of victory. He’d given Andrew exactly what he’d wanted.
Andrew ignored the jibe, but venom dripped from his voice. “Saw your boyfriend last night. Big guy. You like them pretty, huh?”
Marlon almost made a comment about Andrew thinking a guy was pretty, but the fact of him talking about Vahin gave Marlon the chills.
“He’s an interesting… color too. Wouldn’t you say?”
Marlon glared at Andrew, not attempting to keep the warning out of his voice. “Watch what you say next, Morris.”
Andrew grinned. “Hmmm. That sounds like a threat. I’m just merely saying that you’ve made a point of protecting illegals on multiple occasions when I’ve attempted to follow the law. It’s caused me to wonder about your loyalties. Our country is under attack, if you haven’t noticed. And your boyfriend kinda looks like—”
Marlon yanked the steering wheel to the right, jerking the car to the side of the road, then stomped on the brake. “Like what, Andrew? Vahin looks like what?”
Another grin, this one bigger. “Vahin? Unusual name. Guess that answers that question.”
Shit.God, he was an idiot. “You need to watch what you’re implying, Andrew.”
For a second, Marlon thought he saw a flash of fear in Andrew’s eyes. They both knew Marlon could put the man’s head through the window without straining a muscle. The expression faded as quickly as it came. They also both knew Marlon wouldn’t do such a thing, as much as Andrew might wish he’d try.
“I’m not implying anything, Officer Barton. I say what I mean. You’re the one living a double life, not me.”
Marlon slipped the car into park. “That was my business. And you were out of line spreading it all over the station.”
A fake confusion filled Andrew’s voice. “What? Was it a secret?”
Marlon clenched his fist in his lap.
