Page 30 of Tied

A raucous round of laughter is directed at poor Tyler, at the expense of my uninvited arrival. I feel awful.

“You know, I’m just as happy to hail an Uber and head back to the hotel. I’m sure they have a brunch or something I can order up.” Starting to turn for the door, hoping to run out of here, a hand falls on my arm, lightly squeezing me.

Troy, the impromptu matchmaker from hell, glares up from behind the heavy wire frames with both dimples sucked tight. “Sweetie, you may not know our Julia very well, but she will cut a bitch if you so much as consider leaving this room without her express permission.” Pushing the chair back into the table, I take the offered seat. “Trust me on this. As her brother-in-law, I know how conniving that woman can be.”

“I object, Your Honor,” Julia interjects while sipping on a sweating fresh mimosa. “I resent that statement. And furthermore, I haven’t had enough of a chance to cut a bitch, as you so eloquently stated. Chris has only just tried to piss me off. He hasn’t been in the firing line…yet.” She sips the drink once more. “But he’s welcome to try, as I haven’t harmed a governor in a very long time.”

“You’re scary. You know that, right?” I say, settling in the offered chair. “For a little lady, you make me afraid for my life.”

She gives me a mock bow. “Thank you. That’s so sweet. Now select what you want to eat so we can stop starving these poor hungover souls.” With a wave of her hand, she indicates Troy and Jax, the two at the table hiding in oversized Gucci sunglasses. They look like death warmed over.

Picking up the menu to peruse its items, I find one of my all-time favorites, which is odd when you consider I’m in a posh New York restaurant. Setting it back on the table, I watch the interactions between these friends. I’m still unsettled about intruding on them.

“So what will you have, Chris?” Jim asks.

There’s no wait staff approaching us, but everyone else at the table is eyeballing me like I’m the last to tell my order.

“Sweetie, no one is coming to take your order. Just tell me what you’d like.”

“Um…a double of the eggs Benedict with avocado and shrimp.”

Nodding his head as he rises from the table, Jim saunters off to the kitchen.

Leaning in close, Troy speaks softly. “Sorry about the other night. I hate that you were put in that situation. What he did was unfair and unforgivable, and totally against the rules of the club.”

“I’m chalking it up to my own bad judgement. Really, something like that should have happened a long time ago.” Which is true. I’ve gotten away with my lifestyle for far too long. “I look at it as I’m out of the closet and the air is clearer now.”

“Oh, on that you’re wrong,” Jim says as he passes behind us. “Sorry for eavesdropping, but you didn’t come out of the closet.”

“As someone,” pointing to himself, “who came out of the closet with sparkles, unicorn farts and Betty Davis on my arm, you, my son, blew the fucking doors off the damn thing. Whatever skeletons you hid in there, those are about to be drag queened too.” Taking a seat while smiling at his partner, Jim has me listening intently. “Your coming out was televised and it’s hateful what he did. Now you just need to stand proud with your big ass shoulders back and your ass in the air to take it like a man.”

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