Benji snuffled and shifted, caught up in some sort of dream. So adorable.
Joshua kissed his cheek, and then carefully slid out of bed. He popped into the bathroom to do his morning business. Voices drifted from the kitchen as he eased down the hallway, intent on coffee and food.
“—make him think it’s his fault.”
He froze near the archway. That was Bobby’s voice.
“But it’s not his fault at all,” Danielle said. “People are just assholes.”
“So Eddie told you guys these cancellations are because of Benji?” Lincoln asked.
Anger burned in Joshua’s chest, and he put a hand against the wall to steady himself. And listened.
“Not in so many words,” Danielle replied. “I mean, Benji never hid that he was gay, and obviously his XYZ fans knew, but it wasn’t really out there in anyone’s face. There was no tangible evidence. But those pictures from a few weeks ago, at a gay club, plus the pics we posted of him and Joshua? It kind of forced the issue.”
“Latent homophobia coming to the surface,” Andy said. “I mean, we don’t have this entire week off because Eddie thought we needed the vacation. Which we do, but, you know.”
“But I don’t understand why your performances would be cancelled because the lead singer is gay.” Even Emmett was in on this damned conversation.
Someone grunted, and then Danielle said, “Club promoters know their market, and they want to keep a certain audience. With Benji gaining a larger gay fan base, those gay fans might come out to mostly-straight venues to see him perform.”
“So these promoters don’t want more gay people in their clubs? That’s awful.” Emmett, bless him, sounded genuinely insulted by the idea.
“Unfortunately, it’s part of the business. Not every club owner is as open-minded as Beatrice. And if we tell Benji about this, he’ll take it to heart and blame himself. Fading Daze means a lot to him, but what if he tried to quit for the sake of the band? The four of us work, damn it.”
“You can’t keep it from him forever, though. It’s not fair.”
“And,” Lincoln said, “he’s going to figure it out damned fast when your schedule continues to dwindle.”
“Eddie is looking for alternatives,” Bobby said. “Part of his struggle is booking us for several shows in a row in one city. It saves on travel expenses if we’re only moving once or twice a week, so he’s juggling a lot to try and get us back on the road in a way that won’t put us all in the hole financially. It’s a temporary hiccup, not a death knell, okay? Let’s keep this between us for now.”
Several of them murmured their agreements.
Joshua closed his eyes and counted to ten, giving himself time to pretend he hadn’t been eavesdropping, and to curb his temper a bit. He wanted to be furious at Benji’s so-called friends for keeping a secret this big from him, but he also understood. Benjiwouldtake it personally. He’d self-flagellate and end up angry and depressed. And Danielle was right. Benji was the guy who’d fall on his sword without being asked, especially if quitting meant saving the band as a unit.
Fuck that.
He strolled into the kitchen with a sleepy smile, waved hello to the group gathered around the island—Danielle, Bobby, Andy, Lincoln, and Emmett—then headed for the coffee pot. The conversation fell awkwardly silent. He debated telling them he thought they were all jerks for lying while he poured a mug of the steaming brew.
“Anybody made any plans for the day yet?” he asked casually, as he brought his coffee to the island where different sweeteners and dairy products were out and open.
Everyone managed to look justifiably guilty. Danielle ripped a corner off her bagel and said, “Beach for a while. It’s supposed to be sunny, and I haven’t been there in ages.”
“Beach, huh?” Joshua met her too-innocent gaze. “Not helping your manager fix your sudden scheduling problem?”
Emmett made a startled noise, and actually tried to disappear behind Lincoln. Bobby glared at him, while Andy and Danielle simply looked sad.
“You were eavesdropping?” Bobby asked.
“Kind of hard to resist when your topic of conversation is my boyfriend.”
“We don’t want to lie to him—” Danielle started.
“But you’re doing this to protect him, right? So he doesn’t feel responsible?” He wanted to be angry, but he was simply too mixed up himself. “I know Benji better than any of you, so trust me, I know how he’ll get.”
“So you agree with us?” Bobby asked. “It isn’t really lying. All we’re doing is not sharing certain bits of information, until things blow over.”
Joshua blew across the top of his coffee, mostly to buy time before his inevitable response. They could frame it any way they wanted, but in the end, it was still a form of lying, and he hated it. But what was the point of causing Benji unnecessary grief and stress if it was a temporary situation?
