Josiah
When Josiah had fantasized about being with Denny one day, he’d thought about what it would mean to Denny’s life in general. Josiah was practical enough, prone to anxiety enough, that even his fantasies included the what-ifs of the world. There was no such thing as just fantasizing for him, when it went past something sexual.
No, as in his youth he’d had the dreams of living somewhere peaceful with someone who would never be mean to him, he’d also thought of how that person might be a boy and how that didn’t seem to be okay in the world.
When he’d thought of Denny returning his feelings, he’d known that it would mean Denny would have to face prejudice for maybe the first time in his life. As a straight, white, rich man, Denny had had a golden life. He’d been very cognizant of his privileges, how his life was so, so much easier than anyone he loved at the Hare.
But now, in this new situation, he was different. He slotted in differently to the world he’d built for himself. It wasn’t much, or rather, it shouldn’t have been much, loving someone his own gender. In the great scheme of things it shouldn’t have meant anything at all. But it still did.
Harrison was an asshole. He’d never liked working for Denny and everyone at the label knew that. In Harrison’s eyes, he should’ve run his own business. The problem with Harrison was that he was a chicken shit. He wanted everything with minimum risk and effort.
So of course Josiah’s stupid mouth had said what his brain and heart cooked up together in some dark, insecure, but loving recess of his being.
He’d seen what he’d done the moment the words left his mouth and he never wanted to hurt Denny like that again.
After they finished the draft together with Sammie, they sent it to Melody so she could email it to everyone.
“You might also want to prepare some sort of an official statement,” Sammie said, stretching as she got off the couch. “In case the industry papers want to interview you. And who knows, bisexuality isn’t exactly common and that’s the label you chose in the letter to everyone. So once that gets out, the mainstream media might pick it up, too. Just… be prepared?”
Denny fired off a text to someone, probably Melody or their publicist, and shrugged. “Look, I know this is big on many levels. I just… I’m going to take it in the way it comes. I don’t want to worry too much beforehand.”
That had been Denny’s view on life in general as long as they’d known him, so Sammie and Josiah made eye contact and smiled a little.
“Okay,” Josiah said. “But we’re both here for you.”
“Oh, I know that,” Denny replied, smiling at them both. “That’s part of why I’m ready to let the chips fall where they may.”
“Aww, we love you too!” Sammie leaned back to kiss Denny on the cheek. “That said, I’m off. I won’t be back tonight, so you boys do your thing!”
“Is Pip in town?” Josiah made an educated guess. Her guitarist Pip was a great guy, laid-back and someone Sammie really liked to hang out with any chance they got.
“Yeah, he arrived last night, he’s staying at his sister’s Airbnb.” She gathered her stuff and looked back at them. “It’ll be okay. If some idiots leave Number Three, that’s on them. Not on either of you. Trust me when I say that most of us are just going to be happy that you’re happy, Denny. That’s all that matters to us outside of the label being run as you have since you founded it. There’s a reason artists flock to you.”
“Thanks, honey.”
They watched as she left the house, and stayed cuddled on the couch.
“So, I was thinking that I want to throw you a birthday party here at the house,” Denny said suddenly.
“Oh?” Josiah glanced at Denny. “Why here?”
“Because your regulars will make a deal about it anyway and I don’t want to make anyone feel excluded if we held a smaller thing at the Hare.”
“Who do you want to invite?”
“The kids and the other staff, Sammie and Melody with whomever they want to bring. If Melody wants to come, who knows. She keeps on insisting not hanging out outside work and that’s her prerogative.” Denny shrugged. “You have full control of the list though. Invite anyone you want. I was just thinking that it’s going to be cooler by then because this kind of summer can’t last forever, and it would be great to hang out as a family. Maybe dust off my gas grill and stuff.”
Josiah smiled. “You just want to play the dad who gets to stand behind the grill.” He chuckled at Denny’s eyeroll and said, “Okay, I’m in. I want to invite Alfie too, and Gray if he wants to come.”
“Are you trying to play matchmaker or…?”
“Not sure. But there needs to be an intervention. I don’t know how much they communicate outside the Hare and in actual words instead of music and some flirting from Alfie, but you know….”
“Has Alfie been messaging you?”
“Yeah, he tends to ask me questions about relationships. He doesn’t seem very experienced. He has a lot of complexes about things.”
“Poor kid.”
