Oh, hell no. He was not going to do this. Not here, and especially not while Michael was on the clock and trying to do his job. I turned on my stool, wishing I could turn back time far enough to let Michael know what’d happened earlier.
“Mr. Whittaker, I’m sure you can appreciate the fact that Michael is currently trying to work.” I paused for effect and took a long look around the bar. “And thanks to tonight’s football game, it appears the entire town has come out to celebrate. Michael has tried to suggest a time when it wouldn’t be inappropriate for him to give you his undivided attention. I believe the civil thing for you to do would be to excuse yourself and tell him you’ll be waiting for his call.”
Thomas stood and leaned in toward me, chest forward and shoulders back. It might have worked as an intimidation tactic if not for him still being a good six inches shorter than me. “Listen here, Mr. Collins…” He was fuming. Even in the dim lights in the bar, I could see his face mottled red and his jaw clenched tightly. “I don’t know what game you’re playing at, but you need to learn your place. I’ve allowed this young man to make poor choices for his own life far longer than I should have. If it was only his future at stake, I’d gladly step back and watch him fall, but that’s not the case.”
“Sir, please,” Michael begged. His eyes darted around the room, trying to see if everyone was hearing this personal attack. “I told you I’d call you tomorrow. Dax is right, I really don’t have time to talk right now, and I know you don’t appreciate when people don’t give you their undivided attention. I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can offer right now.”
“Don’t you dare apologize to him,” I fumed. “I don’t give a shit who he thinks he is or what type of attention he typically demands. I’d be willing to bet he wouldn’t allow you to come into his place of business and create a scene, so he should afford you the same courtesy.”
Thomas reached for his glass and swirled the ice around as he took in every inch of me. Judging me. Condemning me. Yeah, I knew that look. It was the one pricks like him got when they thought they were better than everyone else, especially a piece of shit fag from the wrong side of the tracks. My blood boiled as I waited to see what he’d say next. Rather than exacerbate the problem, I took a long draw off my own beer.
“I don’t know you, but I know your type,” he hissed. “You think you can come strolling into town and everyone’s going to welcome you with open arms. Well, that’s not going to happen. I won’t stand by and allow you to corrupt my grandson in this manner.”
Something slammed down on the surface of the bar, startling both of us. We turned to see Michael wringing the bar rag in his hands tight enough that his knuckles were turning white. If he’d been hoping that the exchange would go unnoticed, his explosion kept that from happening. Everyone within twenty-five feet of us was now watching with rapt attention. The whispers were inaudible over the blaring music from the jukebox, but I could tell everyone was waiting for what was about to happen, including me.
“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Michael demanded. “I’m sorry you’re upset by whatever it is you think is going on, but it’s truly none of your business. Jagger is happy, healthy, and he knows he’s loved. And unlike some parents, it’s not because I buy him everything he asks for, it’s because I’m there for him. I show him that I care bynotgiving him everything he says he needs or want. And do you want to know why that is?”
Thomas blinked rapidly and scrubbed at his jaw. He seemed shocked that Michael had the balls to lash out at him, in public no less. So was I, but beyond being stunned, I was just damn proud of him. I knew it was only happening because Thomas had pushed him so far, but that didn’t matter. He was finally standing up for himself.
Michael pointed sharply in my direction. “It’s because of that man,” he informed his father-in-law. “He is the only person other than my parents who cared enough to refuse to give up on me. He didn’t let me get away with feeling sorry for myself and reminded me that Jagger deserved to have me fully present in his life. Now, if you’d like to be angry with me for making the best choices formyfamily, I can’t stop you. But I can, and definitely will, keep you from spewing this hatred in my bar or anywhere Jagger might hear you.”
Carefully maintaining his composure in spite of the signs he was appalled that Michael dare speak to him in such a manner, Thomas set his glass down on the counter and backed away. I’d like to have believed it was because he realized Michael was a smart man who was more than capable of caring for his son, but I doubted it. As he reached into his pocket and pulled out his money clip, I kept waiting for him to issue some sort of idle threat. It never came.
“Well, I won’t take any more of your time this evening,” he said, a bit too evenly for my comfort. “I won’t be available tomorrow, but it would serve you well to find time to come to the house Sunday afternoon.”
God, it’d been a long time since I’d wanted to knock someone on his ass, but listening to him had my fists clenching at my sides. I wanted to pound him into the ground because I knew Michael’s cool façade would crack once he got home.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Michael told him.
“You do that.” He turned to walk away, and the customers who’d been entertained by our little live-action soap opera parted to offer him a clear path.
Once Thomas was outside, more people than I’d expected rushed to the bar to offer words of support to my boyfriend. That was probably the best thing that could’ve happened because it hopefully proved that he wasn’t alone. What surprised me the most were those who came up to me, praising me for standing up to the old man. Apparently, he wasn’t as well-loved as he would’ve liked to believe.
“Hey, I think I’m going to head out,” I told Michael when the chaos died down a bit.
“I’m assuming you’re staying at your place tonight?” It was clear he wasn’t a fan of that idea but was trying to not come across as needy.
“Nah, I’m pretty sure Matt will understand,” I told him. “I’m going to see if he and Justin want to join me. If it’s okay with you, we’ll head over to your place.”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” he agreed quickly. “I’m going to see if Kerri will let me take off early, so I should be there in about an hour.”
“Sounds good.” I walked away from him before I foolishly leaned in to give him a kiss and told Justin and Matt I was taking off. In my absence, the two of them had started a round of darts with another couple, so they told me they’d be over shortly. It seemed their corner was oblivious to what had happened at the bar.
As I walked to Michael’s place, I was overcome by a feeling of rightness. I’d been reluctant to take the job in Marshall, but now, it was beginning to feel like home. I had a job that I loved, friends, and a guy I could see myself settling down with if everything kept going as well as it had been. The voice in the back of my mind that had been conspicuously absent tried speaking up to remind me that nothing good ever lasted, but I shot down that notion. For once, things were going to go my way.
