Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

James and Billy ventured through multiple stores throughout the jewelry district, passing on almost every ring because of price. Billy’s limited budget didn’t match what he thought was suitable for Nadia.

When they neared a pawn shop, James suggested they peek inside. Though Billy was reluctant to buy his girlfriend a second-hand ring, he acquiesced, saying it was better to get something nice than something new and cheesy. James didn’t love the sketchiness of the place, but they did have engagement rings. One of the rings caught the eyes of both brothers.

“That’s beautiful,” Billy whispered to James. James had advised before entering the store to avoid letting on that he wanted something so they’d have greater bargaining ability.

“It is,” James concurred. “Based on what we’ve been seeing, this would be twice as much brand new.”

“How do we know it’s genuine?”

James shrugged, then walked to the counter to question the salesman. “The one my brother is looking at, is it a genuine diamond?”

“Yes, sir,” the older man responded with a charlatan smile. “Purchase it today, and I’ll knock off another hundred.”

“We’ll buy today, with cash, if you knock off another five hundred dollars, and you write us a money-back-guarantee that an expert appraiser will value the ring at the price we paid or better,” James offered.

“Why not just hold a gun to my head if you want to steal it?” the owner barked.

“Okay. Come on, Billy. Plenty of other pawn shops,” James suggested.

“Fine,” the owner agreed with an irritated tone. “Since you’re paying cash.”

James smiled. “I’m sure we’ll be paying more than you paid for it, or you wouldn’t be agreeing to my offer. And if the price we’re paying is a steal, then you shouldn’t mind my appraisal conditions.”

“I know a guy who can do the appraisal…” the older man suggested.

“So do I,” James cut in, not trusting a reference from the owner. “I’ll be sure to bring along his credentials and the name of his reputable jewelry store with the appraisal, should it be necessary.”

“It won’t be, unless the guy who sold it to me swindled me,” the shop owner replied.

Once they had the ring and note in hand, James exited with Billy, smiling at his brother’s exuberance.

“I would never have thought to ask for that big of a discount on something that seemed so reasonable already,” Billy admitted.

“Well, not to be a kill-joy, but we do need to get it appraised to make sure that we still didn’t overpay.”

“It looks pretty, though, doesn’t it?” Billy asked, popping open the box to take another look as they were walking.

“Close that,” James ordered. “You’re begging for trouble.”

Billy sighed and put the ring box in his front pants pocket. “I hope she says yes.”

“Of course, she will,” James assured him, trying to slow his pace a bit so his much shorter brother didn’t have to jog to keep up. “You two were made for each other.”

His brother grinned and nodded. “I know. I think you and Mike are, too. Did you enjoy your Sunday with him?”

James started glancing at store window-fronts, nodding an assent without eye contact. “Sure.”

Billy grabbed his arm, forcing James to look at him. “What happened?”

James jerked his head back and gave his brother a quizzical look. “Nothing. Why?”

Billy shook his head. “After all these years, you still think I can’t tell when you’re withholding something? Why aren’t you gushing? God, please tell me it isn’t because you two didn’t fuck. Maybe he’s just following my advice to get to know you first.”

“Jesus,” James chastised, resuming their walking. “Can you try to remember we’re on a public street?”

Billy grabbed James’ arm once more and before he could object, Billy started to drag him across the avenue to an empty bus-stop bench. “Come on. I’m not walking any farther until you tell me what happened.”

Once they sat, James frowned and stared off at the graffiti-covered metal doors that were closed over some of the defunct store-fronts. “You’re a pain.”

Billy shrugged. “Uh huh. So, what’s wrong? Is he moving too slow for your taste?”

James scowled at his sibling. “You know, I’m tiring of your man-whore implications.” He huffed, then looked back at the steel doors. “And what makes you think we didn’t fuck? Not that it’s any of your business, but we did.”

“Oh.” Billy paused and absorbed the information, obviously worrying James would repeat his pattern of being a hit-and-run lover. “So, you fucked. It wasn’t good?”

James rested his elbow on the arm of the bench, then rested his chin on his fist, looking away from his brother. “It was good.”

“So, why aren’t you happy? You still like him, don’t you? Please tell me you aren’t thinking of dumping him now that you two got together.”

James quirked his head and pursed his lips. “It can’t go anywhere.”

“Why not?”

James’ eyes burned into his brother. “You know damn well why.”

Billy huffed and ripped a hand through his hair. “James, stop letting Dad control you!”

The sudden anger James felt had the blood pressing against the vein in his forehead. He was tired of people criticizing his fear of his father. They hadn’t experienced his wrath as James had. He bolted from the bench and started his way back across the street with Billy scrambling behind him. James picked up the pace. He knew Billy would have to run to catch him, and he was thankful when his brother didn’t try. James wanted time away from everyone trying to pressure him into something he knew would lead to disaster.

* * * *

Remorse was setting in as night fell.—James was sitting on his sofa, thinking about nothing and thinking about everything. He knew he should call Billy to apologize, but he didn’t want to resume a conversation about Mike. And calling Mike was out of the question. He didn’t want to give the man false hope. James had heard Mike whisper that he was falling for him before they fell asleep the night before, and he had chosen to pretend he was already in dreamland, unable to respond. He didn’t do relationships—not even with Mike Cooper. James had started falling for Mike too, and he didn’t want him to experience the inevitable eventual hurt.

The cell phone ringing jarred James from his worrying. He thought it might be Billy or Mike, but when he glanced at the screen, the display showed the call was coming from Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital. James thought about ignoring it, thinking it might be a solicitation for money. Troubled it could be something urgent, though, James picked up.

“Hello?”

“Is this James Vicksburg?” the voice on the other end inquired.

Still unsure if it was a money-grab call, James replied with skepticism, “Yes.”

“Mr. Vicksburg, I’m calling from Mount Sinai. You’re listed as the emergency contact for William Vicksburg?”

James panicked, shooting upright on the sofa. “Yes. I’m his brother. Is he okay?”

“He will be. William is in the emergency room and he will be discharged shortly. He informed us he couldn’t call his girlfriend to take him home because she’s working. William has been medicated, and the hospital would rather he not leave without accompaniment. Would you be able to take him?”

“Oh my God,” James blurted. “Yes. What happened?”

“There was an incident. I’m not familiar with the details, Mr. Vicksburg. I work the desk and I wasn’t given notes from the physician who treated him. I’m sure your brother can fill you in. He’s a little banged up and, as I said, he’s been given medication to lessen the discomfort, but it’s made him a bit woozy. It’s the hospital’s policy not to let someone in his condition go unaccompanied, even by cab or Uber. We’d prefer a family member or friend take him. I should tell you that he fought us calling you, but he gave in when we refused to discharge him.”

James silently cursed himself, knowing Billy didn’t want James contacted because of their earlier argument. He felt sick. “He’s stubborn and might try to leave on his own anyway. Please keep him there. I’m coming over now. I won’t wait for a subway or a cab. I’ll run and be there in about fifteen or twenty minutes.”

Once the woman on the other end promised to help detain Billy, James grabbed his keys and jogged through the neighborhood for his destination. Tears welled up as he thought about how it was his fault that Billy was in the hospital. Whatever happened could have been prevented if he had stayed with him. The hospital employee had said Billy was a little banged up. James wondered what that meant, but hoped that it wasn’t too serious if Billy didn’t have to be admitted to the hospital for an overnight stay.

When James reached the emergency room, he scanned it quickly to find the admission counter and, in doing so, saw his brother sitting in the waiting room with his head bandaged.

“Billy!”

Billy looked over, revealing that he also had a small bandage over a swollen eye, his upper lip was cut and there was bruising pretty much everywhere. Billy’s arm was in a sling. He looked away from James, making James wonder if he did so because of embarrassment, sadness, lingering anger or all those emotions.

“You didn’t have to come,” Billy mumbled without making eye contact when his brother neared him. “I told them I would rest and leave on my own. I’m fine.”

James rushed to sit next to him, encircling him with his arm. “You call this fine? What happened?”

Billy huffed a pained breath. “I got mugged. They took the ring.”

“Oh, Billy,” James gasped, then side-hugged his brother, causing him to wince with pain. James let go like his hand was scalding Billy’s skin. “I’m sorry. What are your injuries?”

“Nothing permanent,” Billy replied. “Had to have stitches above my eye. My arm has a mild sprain from the way they grabbed it. Everything else is just a bunch of cuts and bruises.”

James kissed the side of Billy’s head. “It’s my fault. I never should have left you. God, I’m such a shit. I’m sorry, Billy.”

Billy shook his head. “What were you going to do, escort me to my apartment door? They attacked me near my place. I would have been alone by that point anyway.”

“And they got the rest of your money? Your credit and debit cards? I can help you get them canceled,” James offered, desperate to be helpful.

Billy shook his head once more. “It’s like I told the cop that came here, the strange part is, they only took the ring. I still have my wallet. There’s still over two hundred dollars in it, thanks to the good deal you got on the ring.” He looked down at his feet. “Not that the discount helps me now.”

“Wait, they only took the ring? How did they even know you had that on you? Do you think they followed you from the pawn shop?”

“I don’t know.” Billy sighed. “If they did, they got on the same subway near the pawn shop, then they followed me for several blocks from the subway stop I left from. It seems like a lot for a ring they don’t even know the value of.”

“People who are connected to the pawn shop owner, maybe?” James wondered. “Perhaps it’s worth more than we thought, and he wanted his ring back while pocketing your cash at the same time? I can go back there to see if it reappears in his showcase.”

Billy shrugged. “I didn’t think of that. I still don’t get why they wouldn’t take my wallet, too. And why did they have to beat me? I wasn’t resisting. I’m not stupid enough to fight two guys that are way bigger than me.”

“What did the cop say about that?”

Billy smirked. “He was a tool. I told him that it was two white guys, each six feet tall or more, and they both had husky builds. I told him that one of them sounded like he had an Italian accent. The cop told me there was a witness who said the assailants were black. I told him that the witness was wrong and he shrugged. He told me that because of the discrepancy, I shouldn’t get my hopes up that they’ll find these guys because they had no idea who they should be looking for.”

“That’s bullshit,” James spat. “You saw them and heard them up close. Why can’t they take your description of them and at least use that?”

“I asked him about security cameras in the area,” Billy continued. “He claimed he had already checked that and they weren’t operational at the time of the attack.”

James believed the cop was giving Billy the runaround, no doubt figuring that the theft of a ring with unknown value wasn’t worth their time investment. He couldn’t understand how the police could have already checked all the security cameras, questioned a witness and come to the hospital to interview Billy.

“Come on. Let’s get you home,” James suggested, taking hold of Billy’s elbow and helping him rise. “Why wouldn’t you call me?”

“I told you. I’m fine,” Billy muttered.

“No, you’re not,” James countered. “Billy, they said you’ve been given medication that could make you vulnerable if you left on your own. Jesus, do you want someone else to attack you and take the rest of your money?”

Billy let James shoulder him as they exited the building. “James, I saved for over a year for that ring,” Billy cried, once they were in the open air. Tears were flowing now, and he leaned into James’ larger body for comfort.

James knew there was nothing he could say to resolve that issue. Instead, he continued kissing the top of Billy’s head, noticing some of the locks of hair were stiff and discolored from dried blood. “Come stay at my apartment. I don’t want you to be alone tonight.”

“I’ll be all right,” Billy said with uncertainty, choking on some nasal drip and wiping his eyes.

“It wasn’t a request,” James answered. “I don’t want to be alone tonight either.”

Once James hailed a cab, he helped his wounded brother into the backseat and cradled him in his arm for the short duration home. Billy drifted into sleep on the ride as the effects of the sedatives kicked in. At the stoop of his apartment, James maneuvered Billy from the car the way he’d help an intoxicated friend, guiding him up the front steps, then up the inner staircase to the floor of his apartment. Inside James’ home, Billy emerged from his drug-induced fog a bit, asking if he could sleep on James’ bed. James stroked Billy’s hair and nodded, leading him into the bedroom. He took off Billy’s shoes then tucked him in, figuring one night of Billy sleeping dressed was better than James injuring him further by trying to remove clothes.

James was pulling an extra blanket and pillow from his linen closet to make up the sofa for himself when his phone buzzed. He looked to the screen and saw the incoming text had been from his father. It informed him that the patriarch wished to talk to him in the morning.

Wiping a hand over his face in frustration, James dropped to the couch and punched keys, typing that Billy had been attacked and he needed to stay with him.

His father responded that he was aware of what happened and that Billy would be fine, still demanding a meeting in the morning. Before James could protest, his father texted that a driver would be at his door at seven in the morning, and that he’d be sure to return him to the city on time for James’ theater rehearsal.

“How do you know he’ll be fine, you son of a bitch?” James yelled at the phone, as if his father could hear him. “You haven’t even talked to us!” James flung the cell to a nearby chair, vowing to ignore his father’s request. Seconds later, he knew he’d meet with his father. It had been a summons, and the driver was going to show up regardless of whether James protested. James imagined there might be added muscle to force James’ compliance.

James retrieved the phone and texted Nadia to explain that Billy had been mugged and beaten, and he asked her if she could be at his apartment before seven in the morning to stay with Billy. She called back right away, alarmed at what had transpired, but promised James she would be there. James hadn’t mentioned the engagement ring so as not to disclose Billy’s intent to propose.

He peeled off his shirt and pants, and grabbed a blanket for cover. The awful taste of the day still lingered in his mouth, but his usual nightly teeth brushing required energy he didn’t have. Instead, he stared at the darkened ceiling with tears rolling down his cheeks.

* * * *

James let Nadia into the apartment at six-forty-five a.m., whispering to her that Billy was still sleeping. She tip-toed into the bedroom and curled up beside her man, crying when she saw his bruised and broken body. James whispered a thanks for her help, gave her the doctors’ medication instructions then went to the front stoop to wait for his ride. He knew keeping his father waiting would make the meeting even more unpleasant.

James was surprised that the car had only a driver when it arrived. James figured that his father must have guessed he’d make the trek without a fuss. James wondered if his father respected his obedience or if James’ lack of pushback was just another weakness in his father’s eyes.

Once they arrived at the Hudson Valley mansion where his father resided, James was submitted to the usual body-search for weapons or concealed recording devices. James hated that his father treated him and Billy like every other visitor to the home, as people who couldn’t be trusted.

“The prodigal son arrives,” Charles commented as James was deposited by a security person at the entryway of Charles’ office. “Well, come in. Sit down. If you want to be back in time for your rehearsal, don’t dilly-dally.”

James didn’t bother greeting his father. He didn’t know why he had been summoned, but he was certain it wasn’t for father-son fun time. He took the seat on the other side of Charles’ desk, staring at the older man with what he hoped to be an unreadable expression. “Billy was still resting when I left the apartment, in case you were curious as to how your son is doing after being brutally attacked.”

His father sighed with impatience. “Stop being so dramatic, James. I texted you last night that I know he is fine.”

“How did you know that, Father? The hospital can’t disclose his medical information to you unless he authorizes them to do so,” James pointed out. “You’re no longer listed for either of us as an emergency contact.”

His father pursed his lips. “James, when will you learn that I have connections everywhere? In this case, the police officer who responded to the call notified me of how William is doing.”

James nodded with disdain. “Just how much of the NYPD is in your back pocket, Father?”

Charles grinned. “Enough. And you two may as well forget about someone solving the crime. It’s buried.”

“Why?”

“Because I want it to be,” Charles responded with a matter-of-fact tone. “James, if you’re upset that William was beaten, you have nobody to blame but yourself. I told you there would be consequences for you continuing to see that ballplayer.”

James gasped. He realized with a wave of nausea that his father had Billy beaten because of James’ relationship with Mike. “But Mike and I are just friends.”

Charles slammed his hand down on his desktop. “Don’t lie to me on top of defying me. I had people watching your apartment. Male friends don’t share their spoons of ice cream with each other. They don’t touch each other the way you two touched. And unless one is drunk beyond awareness, they don’t spend an entire night in the other’s one-bedroom apartment.”

“You had Billy beaten?” James asked, even though he had already figured that out. He just wanted to hear his father admit to his vile behavior.

“Don’t blame me,” Charles replied. “It wouldn’t have been necessary if you had listened to me.”

James tried not to tear up from the guilt. “It wasn’t necessary at all! If you wanted to take your rage out on someone, why didn’t you have them beat me? Billy didn’t do anything.”

“James, contrary to what you may think, I’m not a monster. If I had had you smacked around, you would have had to pull out of your show. Nobody wants to watch a lead actor wearing bandages and sporting a fat lip, now, do they? I’m not trying to keep my boys from making a living. A bruised face won’t affect your brother’s ability to perform his menial bartender job. More importantly, I’m guessing William taking your punishment will do more to keep you in line than anything I could have done to you.”

“How do you live with yourself?” James’ voice cracked. “He can’t even afford the medical bills.”

“Don’t start blubbering, James. I know it may be a lot to ask of someone who gives their body to another guy to then act like a man, but how about you give it a try? William will heal just fine. Instructions were clear that he wasn’t to suffer permanent or serious injuries. As for his bills, he’s still on my insurance until he’s twenty-six years old, remember? Since you’re no longer covered by me, I considered that as well. As I said, I ensure punishment is administered in a way that doesn’t cause too much hardship for either of you. You’d think you’d be grateful.”

“Grateful? Billy had to go to the emergency room. He’s your son!” James cried.

“And he’s your brother. If you care about him, stop putting him in harm’s way. I told you that the beating was because of you. But you’re right that he is my son, which is why I have a responsibility to steer him right. I had to stop that ridiculous notion he had of marrying that…girl. Taking the ring should stall that idea for a while. It will take him a long time to save the money to buy another. By then, I hope he’ll have come to his senses,” Charles explained. “The fact that you needed to be set straight—pardon the pun—provided an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Or, in this case, one stolen stone.” James’ father grinned at his play on words.

James was taking deep breaths, squeezing his knees so hard he thought his knuckles might pop through the skin that covered them. “How did you know about the ring?”

Charles laughed without glee. “Again, do you think you boys do anything without my knowledge? The better question is, why were you accompanying and helping him? What were you thinking? He’s too young to get married. William is incapable of taking care of himself, let alone a family.”

“And the fact that she’s biracial had nothing to do with your objections, huh?” James spat.

“That doesn’t help,” Charles stated without shame. “You’re running out of time to have children, James. If, God forbid, William is the only one of my sons to carry on my name, I’d like it to be with someone other than her. Her race isn’t the worst part. If she came from a strong, reputable family, I could tolerate the marriage.”

“Her parents are wonderful,” James shot back. “Far better than you were at raising kids.”

Charles sighed, signaling he was tired of trying to reason with a son he viewed as ignorant. “James, you’ve always confused a doting parent with a good parent. I know lots of people who indulged their kids then wondered why the ingrates turned into drug addicts or deadbeats. If it weren’t for your mother and other terrible influences in your life, you would be far more successful. I should have done more to guide you. That’s why I keep trying to help, even if it doesn’t seem like it to you. You don’t need to like me. My job is to make you a better man, not to be your friend.”

James rolled his eyes with disbelief, but his gesture was ignored by his father, who continued. “Unlike William, the literal runt of the litter, you had—and still have—promise. You’re handsome—very much so. Those may be the only good genes your mother passed to you. If I looked like you and had your ability to charm, I’d have made it to the Oval Office. If you turn your life around, it could still happen for you.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t want that!”

His father shook his head. “When are you going to get tired of being trod on, son? You want me to stop controlling you, then show me you’re capable of directing your own destiny in a way that makes me proud. This singing and acting garbage…if you persist with it, then at least use it to build a fan-base you can leverage later to run for a political office. That possibility has kept me from interfering with your current musical production because, despite its hateful commentary about people in my party, you have a chance to win the top award—a Tony, is it?” Charles waited for a response but received nothing other than a look of surprise. “If you win, James, then you have power in your field, right? Won’t it allow you to demand better parts, more money? Maybe then you’ll understand what I mean. Being the man with the power is everything, James. Without it, you’re groveling for scraps. With it, you decide who gets them and who doesn’t.”

“It’s not my place or anyone else’s to play God,” James chastised.

“Bullshit,” his father snapped back. “Men have played God since they learned how to fight. And you know what, James? The masses crave it. They want to follow someone they believe is divinely inspired, blessed with the strength and will to make the decisions that affect their lives. It’s a relief for them not to live with the consequences of making those decisions themselves. Most people are followers, and if they see you as the man to lead them, you can say or do anything and their support remains unwavering.”

“I have to go,” James said, starting to rise from the chair.

“Sit down!” his father bellowed. James dropped his butt back onto the seat. “If you fail to take what you want, someone with less ability will step over you to claim it. You’ll be in the muck with everyone else. I have lower expectations of William, which is why I haven’t pushed him as hard. But James, you’re wasting the gifts you were given. Now you have a chance to change the course of your life. Win that Tony and get the fame and accolades that come with it. Down the road, you can parlay that notoriety into a political career, like Reagan and Trump did. As a bonus, that will attract a different type of woman than the ones you’ve fraternized with. And for God’s sake, if you must indulge your sick attraction for men, wait until you’re married with a family and have a successful political career. Then, like half the politicians in this country, you can do as you please and threaten to destroy anyone who tries to spill your truth.”

“I can’t even believe you’re saying this. You hate my political views. Me being a politician would be your worst nightmare,” James snarled.

“You’re wrong,” Charles replied. “My greatest fear is our name being forgotten. We could be a dynasty, James. So, you’d be a politician with different views than mine. Who cares? If I thought I had to change my position on issues to stay in power, that’s what I’d do.”

James decided to scuttle the discussion of politics, knowing it would be a debate he couldn’t win. No matter how much he rejected the notion, his father wouldn’t relent. “Why did you bring me here?”

Charles sighed. “Let me spell it out for you more clearly. The first thing I want you to do is call it quits with that worthless underwear model. If nothing else, I would think you’d be smart enough to see he’s using you. If he’s just ‘come out’ as you people call it, then what makes you think he’ll want to settle for only having had one man in his life? You’re his experimental toy, and you’re letting him play with you. If this becomes public later in life, you won’t be able to deny the homosexual liaison you had with him. It’s bad enough I had to cover up your last tryst with a homo. To make things worse, you’ll be a joke when he leaves you for someone even younger. And mark my words, James—he will. If I know you, you think this is love. For him, you’re just a mouth, an asshole and a new set of parts that interest him.”

The comment wounded James, and he realized it showed on his face when his father removed his eyeglasses and pinched the bridge of his nose in apparent frustration at James’ sensitivity. The senator put the glasses back on and sighed. “As you know, I’m up for re-election this fall, and I don’t need my base questioning why I can’t control my own son’s deviant behavior. Allowing you to star in that woke musical is bad enough.”

“Of course, it’s about you,” James shot back. “You don’t care about whether I get hurt.”

“On the contrary. I do care. In fact, I wish very much he would hurt you right now and be done with the inevitable. Then, you could move on,” Charles argued. “But what I’d like a whole lot better is for you to beat him to it. You’d leave with your dignity intact, providing you don’t tell him that you’re breaking up with him because of me. That would just make you weak and pitiful in his eyes. Be the man who tells him you’re done playing with him. You think I’m mean, but you’re the one who forces me to use a stick. James, I’d much rather use a carrot. Once you’re done with this Mike Cooper mistake, I can help you. I could use my money and connections to influence votes in your favor for the Tony award. From there, we can accomplish so much together.”

James’ face heated with anger and angst. “Don’t interfere with the voting. I don’t want to win like that.”

“You still don’t get it, do you? It doesn’t matter how you win. Nobody will know what happened behind the scenes when you take the stage to accept your statue. If you don’t influence votes, then someone else will. James, you can’t win if they’re all playing the game and you’re sitting in the bleachers watching.”

James dropped his head to his hands. He didn’t want to believe everyone else was as jaded as his father. But one thing had rung true to him. James knew he was powerless, and it made him want to scream in anger. Collecting his emotions, he raised his head and whispered, “I will break up with Mike if you leave Billy alone.”

“Of course,” his father answered. “I’m not the one who’s trying to be unreasonable, James.”

“And please stay out of my business,” James added. “No influencing votes. I’d rather never win than win unfairly.”

Charles gritted his teeth. “Fine. Stay a loser, James. Just like your brother. No wonder you two are so close.”

James sucked in the air, then blinked hard to keep a tear from falling. “Are we done? Can I go now?”

“Go. If you don’t want additional punishment, break up with that degenerate no later than tomorrow,” his father warned. “I’ll expect to hear back from my men that it’s taken care of.”

As James was about to exit, his father said, “Give my regards to William.”