Chapter Four

~ Beck ~

"Are you seeing Scotty tonight?"

I shook my head. "No, he's going to see his father today and he's usually not fit for company afterwards."

We'd only been dating for a couple of months, but I had quickly figured that out when I had called him that first Sunday. He hadn't bitten my head off or anything, but I could tell from the rough tone of his voice and his short answers to my questions that he wanted to be alone. I had quickly let him go, telling him to call me when he felt better.

I'd received flowers the next day, along with a short apology letter from Scotty, both delivered to Chelsea's apartment. The flowers had been nice, the apology letter even more so.

The next time I'd seen Scotty he had explained that his stepmother had cut his visit with his father short because she was having people over for dinner and she wanted me gone before they arrived.

Considering he could only see his father once a week, I would have thought she could plan a dinner for a different night. Gave me real insight into how much of a bitch the woman was.

The next time Scotty went to visit his father, I'd arranged to have dinner sent to Scotty's apartment. It was sent from "Chelsea" of course, just in case anyone was watching.

I hadn't received flowers, but the next time Scotty saw me he had grabbed me and kissed the living daylights out of me before proceeding to make love to me until I saw stars.

It had been a great night.

The last two months had been a dream, one I hoped I never woke up from. Scotty was everything I had always dreamed of in a boyfriend and potential future partner. He was attentive, interesting, and sexy as hell, and totally understanding of my need to hide our relationship because he had to hide it, too.

One day, maybe, we wouldn't have to hide anymore.

"Maybe we could plan a weekend away, just the three of us."

I perked up as I glanced at Chelsea. "A weekend away?"

She nodded quickly. "If I went with you, each of you could tell everyone you were going away with your girlfriend." She grinned broadly. "And I get a free vacation with two handsome men. It's a win-win for me."

That was actually not a bad idea.

"Where would we go?"

"Galveston?"

I shook my head. "Too close."

"New Orleans?"

"Now, you're talking." We could get lost in New Orleans and the place was pretty gay friendly. We'd just be another couple in the crowd. "Since he spends every Sunday with his father, I'll have to take a Friday and Saturday off, but I'm sure that won't be a problem."

Granted, those were my busiest days at the bar. I got the most tips on the weekends. But I was positive I could find someone to take over a couple of shifts for me. It's not like I tended to take a lot of time off, hardly any really.

"I'm not sure Scotty can get those days off, though. I'll have to ask him."

Chelsea snorted. "Just text him. Your phone is keyed to my name anyway. If anyone is paying attention or looking over his shoulder, they'll think it's from me."

Yeah, we'd figured that out about a week into our relationship. Now, I carried two phones on me. My regular phone and the one under Chelsea's name.

I quickly texted Scotty and asked him if there was any chance that he could get any Friday and Saturday off in the coming weeks. If we could get something going, I'd need to know right away so I could ask my boss for the time off.

It took about two hours for Scotty to text me back, but when he did he told me that he would ask his supervisor for time off sometime in the next month. He'd let me know exactly what days if he got permission.

That worked for me.

I was smiling as I read over his text when my other phone rang. I picked it up and looked at the screen, and then groaned.

"Who is it?" Chelsea asked.

"My father."

Chelsea tucked in her lips, knowing she had to be quiet while I was on the phone with the man. My father knew I was "dating" Chelsea, but the less he actually knew about her the better.

I swiped my finger across the screen and then held the phone to my ear."Good afternoon, Father. How is your day going?"

See? I could be polite.

"We're having dinner with friends next Sunday. As my son, you are expected to attend. You need to be at the house in a tux by six o'clock. We'll all go together from there."

Gee, no greeting?

"I work next Sunday."

"I don't care, James," my father snapped. "You will be there if I have to drag you there myself. You will not shame this family."

Oh, I so wanted to tell my father to go fuck himself, but I couldn't, not yet. That day was coming, though. I just needed to save up a little more money and then I was done with the Beckerman family.

"It's a big night for your sister," my father continued. "You will be there to support her."

I didn't want to know.

"Fine." Whatever. It wasn't like I could get my father to understand that I did not like my sister. She was his little princess and could do no wrong in his eyes. "Sunday, six o'clock, wear a tux."

"Humph," my father huffed before hanging up.

I dropped my cell phone on the coffee table and then leaned back in the couch, closing my eyes. Sunday was going to be a nightmare.

"What is it?" Chelsea asked. "What did he want?"

I heaved a sigh before opening my eyes. "I've been ordered to be washed and pressed Sunday evening. Apparently my presence is required for a family dinner with some friends of my father's. It has something to do with my sister, but my father wasn't specific about that other than to tell me not the shame the family."

Chelsea's eyes rolled. "What an ass."

I didn't disagree with her.

I sat up and reached for my phone. "I have to call my boss and get the night off." Which meant I would need to postpone our weekend away. I couldn't very well ask for more days off so close together. I'd get fired for sure, and I needed that job.

To say my boss wasn't happy about me taking time off would be a lie. He was clearly upset, but I wasn't fired. I'd worked for the man for several years now and he was well aware of my issues with my family. He didn't like it, but he gave me Sunday evening off. I'd just have to work the early shift, swapping with someone else.

After hanging up with my boss, I sent Scotty a text letting him know that whatever weekend he asked his boss if he could have off needed to be at least a month away.

His response was almost immediate and questioning why. I quickly explained that I had something come up that I had to do and I would explain it when I saw him. I didn't want this going out over anything anyone else could see. There'd be no way to explain it.

Scotty texted back that he would call me after he saw his father. I knew those days were always hard, so I told him to call me during his lunch hour on Monday. I'd even be willing to meet him in the park—with Chelsea, of course—and we could discuss it then.

I hated putting off our talk until then, but he didn't need my shit depressing him anymore than he already was after each visit with his father.

Scotty agreed to meet for lunch, which I was thankful for. My only issue at this point was keeping my hands off the man while we were in public. I was a touchy feely type of guy and getting a hug from Scotty was one of my greatest joys in life.

Once I was done with my conversation with Scotty, I glanced at Chelsea. "Want to go grab an iced coffee?"

Chelsea wagged her eyebrows. "Now you're talking my language."

I chuckled as I got up, stuck both phones in my pocket, and then headed for the door. Chelsea was always good at getting my mood up.

I wasn't into women—at all—but I couldn't understand how she was still single. I was glad she was because I doubted a man would be comfortable with his girlfriend pretending to be the girlfriend of two gay guys. I was also sad that she was because she was being wasted on two gay men.

She deserved to have men fawning all over her, and they weren't. I just didn't get it. She wasn't a twig like I had seen some women, but she wasn't horribly overweight either.

Personally, I thought she had curves in all the right places, not to mention a very impressive chest. Even I—a gay man—could see that. Her body was proportionate for her five foot five inches. She had long flowing strawberry blonde hair and vivid sky blue eyes.

I thought she was beautiful, with a body to match her bubbly personality. She was a loyal friend who went out of her way to help me and Scotty spend time together. Now that she understood that this wasn't just about the sex and we actually liked each other, she was our biggest fan.

Who could ask for anything more?

"You got any prospects, Chelsea?" I asked as we reached street level and started walking down the sidewalk. "I mean, I never see you go out on any real dates, and I'm not talking about the ones where you make yourself scarce so Scotty and I can have time alone together."

"No, but I'm not really looking either."

"Why not?"

Chelsea shrugged. "I just haven't found anyone I'm interested in."

I wasn't sure that was an answer.

"Chelsea."

She huffed before shoving her hands in her pockets and very obviously avoiding my eyes. "Look, in the straight world, I'm not a catch. People don't see me like you and Scotty do, and I refuse to settle for less than what I deserve. Someday, someone worth my time will come along and he'll get my whole heart, but until that happens, I'm going to live vicariously through you two."

That was an answer and probably more than I wanted to know, but I was also glad I did. "Give me your dating requirements and I'll keep an eye out. If I meet anyone that fits that list, I'll toss him your way."

Chelsea laughed before launching into her list of wants and requirements for a man she'd date. Funny thing was, that list wasn't that much different from mine.

We both just wanted to find a good man that would love us for who we were, be loyal, and stick around for the long haul. Having someone reasonably attractive wouldn't hurt either.

I was pretty sure I'd found my man.

"James."

Oh, god.

I already knew who had called my name before I turned around. "Julia."

Her manicured eyebrow went up as she gave Chelsea the once over and then dismissed her as if she wasn't important. If I didn't know we needed to keep her identity a secret for now, I would have lit into my sister for being rude to my friend.

"Has Father called you?" Julia asked.

"He did."

"Did he explain to you that you need to keep your opinions to yourself while we're at dinner?"

"Uh, no, he missed that part." It took a stellar effort on my part to keep from rolling my eyes. "But don't worry, sister dear. I'll keep my opinions to myself and not bring shame to the family."

Like I had anything to say to anyone either her or my father wanted me to meet. I'd rather be dipped in pig shit and covered in chicken feathers.

"This dinner is very important to the family," Julia stated. "Mess it up for me and you'll feel my wrath."

Yeah, I should have been quaking in my boots because I'd felt my sister's wrath before, but I wasn't wearing boots, so no quaking.

I did enjoy Chelsea's snort however.

"Wow," she said after Julia marched away in her high heels. "You told me about her and you've shown me pictures, but I never guessed she was a much bigger bitch than you described. Feel her wrath? Seriously?"

"Oh, she was serious," I stated. "Julia always follows through on her threats."

"How can the two of you come from the same parents?"

"She takes after my father. I take after my mother." Unfortunately, my mother passed away when I was younger. She was the only good one in my family and missed her every day.

That was something else Scotty and I had in common.

"So, what does her wrath look like?"

I shrugged. "It varies depending on the situation and how much I might have pissed her off. Usually it's just her screaming at me. Sometimes she destroys my stuff. Only once has it gotten physical."

The smile fell from Chelsea's face. "Physical?"

"Yeah, the guy she was supposed to go to prom with? They'd been dating for about a month, not exclusively, at least not on her part. When he met me, he suddenly decided he was gay and dumped her right before the prom. I didn't go out with him, but Julia didn't care. She was so pissed that she got dumped by a guy because he was interested in me that she hired a couple of guys to beat me up. Put me in the hospital for a week."

It had been reported as a random mugging, of course. It wouldn't do for anyone to think that Julia Beckerman wasn't the perfect little darling she presented to the world.

"She sounds like a delight."

"Julia is the apple of my father's eye. His little princess. She can do no wrong in his eyes. Me, on the other hand, I am pretty sure he wishes I was a stain on the sheets."

There had been times when I was growing up that I had wished that, too. Being a Beckerman came with strings. We weren't exactly high society, but close enough, and it was all about image with my family.

To the general public, we had it all. Looks, money, and connections. In reality, we were a mess. My father was a raging alcoholic with delusions of grandeur and my sister was the perfect example of a spoiled rich kid, complete with psychotic tendencies.

"And now you know why I want to get away from them."

It really was a no-brainer.