She patted his knee. “Don’t pretend with me, Mike. You hang out with a certain type of man. Your age or maybe older. Muscled. All gay clones of each other.” She smiled. “Time to break the mold, son.”
He couldn’t help smiling. “You got someone in mind?”
Mom opened her mouth, but whatever she’d been about to say was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking at her front door. Mom’s eyes flew open, and her cheeks were flushed.
Something rolled over in his belly. “Oh God. What have you done?”
She rose to her feet and went into the hall, Mike following. “I… I invited a guest for lunch,” she whispered.
Suddenly everything became clear. Mike groaned. “Oh, Mom, tell me you didn’t.” He hung back, eyeing the shape beyond the frosted glass with distrust.
She laid a finger on her lips in warning and then opened the front door, a smile fixed on her face. “Darren, come on in.” She stepped aside to allow her guest to enter. Darren turned out to be in his early thirties, neatly groomed, dressed in slacks, shirt and tie, and a sports coat. He glanced at Mike briefly before kissing Mom on both cheeks. Mike was suddenly aware of his faded jeans and T-shirt.
Damn her for not mentioning this.
Mom introduced him. “Darren is a supervisor in the men’s department.”
Cool blue eyes appraised Mike, and his hand was taken in a firm shake. “And I’ve heard all about you. Penny talks about you all the time, not that I’m unfamiliar with some of your work, ‘Scott.’”
“I see.” Mike wasn’t ashamed of what he did, but there was something about Darren’s mouth that spoke of disapproval.
Well, fuck him.
Lunch was not off to a good start. Mike was not happy about his mom’s interference, and as the afternoon wore on, he grew unhappier still with Darren’s attitude. There was nothing blatant to point to, but that faint curl of his lip when he mentioned “your industry” was starting to piss Mike off. Mom was looking none too comfortable either. Now and again she sent an apologetic glance Mike’s way when Darren wasn’t looking.
“So do you have plans for New Year’s Eve, Darren?” she asked as they finished eating chicken salad.
Darren dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “I’ll be spending the evening with a few close friends who are throwing a low-key party. We’ll toast in the New Year, and that will probably be that.” He gazed across the table. “Mike, I’m sure your evening will be completely different.”
Mike chuckled. “Oh, there’s no doubt about that.”
“Mike will be working at the bar tonight,” his mom explained.
“Oh really? What bar?”
“Woofs, a gay sports bar on Piedmont.” Mike smiled politely. “In case you haven’t heard of it.” He thought it very unlikely that Darren had even seen it. He had “snob” written all over him.
Sure enough, Darren wrinkled his nose just the tiniest bit, but Mike caught it.
“How about you help me with the coffee in the kitchen?” Mom said, her hand on his.
Mike threw down his napkin, got up from the table, and followed her out of the room. Once in the kitchen, she quietly closed the door behind them and then turned to face him, her cheeks red.
“Oh baby, I’m so sorry. I had no idea he was such a snob.”
Mike hugged her and then pulled back to look her in the eye. “Now let this be a lesson to you. I know you meant well, Mom, but….”
“But nothing,” she said, mouth pulled down at the corners. “Why, the way he talks to you is downright rude. Well, I won’t be chatting with him anymore during our lunch breaks, that’s for sure.” Suddenly her eyes gleamed. “Makes me so mad, I just want to say something to…rufflethat smooth little bastard’s feathers.”
Mike gaped. Darren really had gotten on her nerves. “Remind me not to piss you off.”
She chuckled, and he helped her put together the tray. When they were back at the dining room table, she poured out coffee into the delicate porcelain cups that had been her grandma’s.
“Penny, what are your plans for tonight?” Darren asked before taking a mouthful of coffee.
She grinned at Mike, her eyes bright, and then smiled at Darren. “Oh, I’m gonna go hang out with the boys at Cockpit.”
Darren almost choked, and Mike had to swallow his coffee rapidly.
