real name. Home was the last place I wanted to go. So they'd hand me over to Child Protection, who'd try to locate my parents, give up, and stick me in a foster home. I'd run away, sometimes take another name, and the cycle would start all over."
"When did Cory Smith become Cameron again?" Baron wanted to know.
"After I migrated north in my early twenties. Enrolled in junior college, did well, went on to get a four-year degree and from there to law school, met Ed, and—"
"And gave me the best fucking blowjob in the galaxy, so I decided he was a keeper," Ed interrupted. "End of story. You've said enough, babe—a lot more than enough. Let's talk about something else."
Ed's frank (and more than slightly exaggerated) revelation caused Jay to blush. Baron suppressed a smile and said, "I'm sorry; I never meant to pry. When I made that remark about your being allowed to practice law, I wasn't looking for a confession. But I must say I'm impressed. It's not everyone who's so comfortable in their skin that they can tell that sort of thing to somebody they just met."
"I think it's amazing he can talk about his experiences at all," Jay said.
"I can do it because I don't go into the details."
"That's true," Ed agreed. "You don't."
"And confessions aren't always hard, Baron. I don't know if it's some kind of defense mechanism or I actually was numb at the time, but when I think back on my days as a street kid, it's like I'm looking at someone else. I really don't feel all that much."
With his hands on the table on either side of his plate, Cameron leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. Ed reached for one of those hands and held on to it. "Why don't we drop the subject now, before it moves on to things that still hurt," he said.
The blood drained from Cameron's face. "I dread meeting her, Ed. I just know she's going to be like him."
"He means his father," Ed explained to the others, who nodded their understanding.
"I don't think I could go through with it without you there to back me up. No way could I do it alone."
"Not only him," Baron said. "We're all in this together."
"I'd still better prepare myself. What else can you tell me about my sister?"
"For one, she's utterly clueless. Would you believe she didn't figure out Jay and I were a couple until after Marker read the will and Jay let slip he was a safe-home graduate?"
"You mean that was the first time you'd met her?" Cameron asked, surprised.
"Second," Jay said. "We were at the funeral."
"But you lived next door to my mother… For how long?"
"About three years, give or take."
"And Livvie never came to visit? Not even once?"
Jay shook his head.
Cameron was fuming. "She neglected her like that and she has the nerve to… That bitch! That filthy, greedy, bigoted bitch!"
"I don't think greed has anything to do with it," Baron said. "If your mother had left three times as much to any other charity, she'd be fine with it."
"The way I feel now, Baron, I'm ready to move in next door just to spite her."
Baron shook his head. "We'd love to have you, but it's not worth the risk. You might lose it and do something that could compromise our advantage."
"Besides, you never know, babe," Ed mused. "Finding you might get her to reconsider her homophobia. It wouldn't be the first time finding out someone you know is gay brought about a change of heart."
Jay shook his head. "You haven't met her yet. In the back yard this afternoon, the way she looked at me, you'd think she blames gays for everything bad that's ever happened to her. So, in the long run, maybe, but she's not gonna run out and join PFLAG when Cameron tells her who he is."
"But I can see her simply caving in and giving the whole thing up," Baron said, picking up from where his partner had left off. "Wouldn't count on it, though. But whatever happens, it'll go well for us tomorrow."
"That doesn't mean it'll be easy," Ed reminded them. "Cameron isn't exactly looking forward to this."
"Baron doesn't
"When did Cory Smith become Cameron again?" Baron wanted to know.
"After I migrated north in my early twenties. Enrolled in junior college, did well, went on to get a four-year degree and from there to law school, met Ed, and—"
"And gave me the best fucking blowjob in the galaxy, so I decided he was a keeper," Ed interrupted. "End of story. You've said enough, babe—a lot more than enough. Let's talk about something else."
Ed's frank (and more than slightly exaggerated) revelation caused Jay to blush. Baron suppressed a smile and said, "I'm sorry; I never meant to pry. When I made that remark about your being allowed to practice law, I wasn't looking for a confession. But I must say I'm impressed. It's not everyone who's so comfortable in their skin that they can tell that sort of thing to somebody they just met."
"I think it's amazing he can talk about his experiences at all," Jay said.
"I can do it because I don't go into the details."
"That's true," Ed agreed. "You don't."
"And confessions aren't always hard, Baron. I don't know if it's some kind of defense mechanism or I actually was numb at the time, but when I think back on my days as a street kid, it's like I'm looking at someone else. I really don't feel all that much."
With his hands on the table on either side of his plate, Cameron leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. Ed reached for one of those hands and held on to it. "Why don't we drop the subject now, before it moves on to things that still hurt," he said.
The blood drained from Cameron's face. "I dread meeting her, Ed. I just know she's going to be like him."
"He means his father," Ed explained to the others, who nodded their understanding.
"I don't think I could go through with it without you there to back me up. No way could I do it alone."
"Not only him," Baron said. "We're all in this together."
"I'd still better prepare myself. What else can you tell me about my sister?"
"For one, she's utterly clueless. Would you believe she didn't figure out Jay and I were a couple until after Marker read the will and Jay let slip he was a safe-home graduate?"
"You mean that was the first time you'd met her?" Cameron asked, surprised.
"Second," Jay said. "We were at the funeral."
"But you lived next door to my mother… For how long?"
"About three years, give or take."
"And Livvie never came to visit? Not even once?"
Jay shook his head.
Cameron was fuming. "She neglected her like that and she has the nerve to… That bitch! That filthy, greedy, bigoted bitch!"
"I don't think greed has anything to do with it," Baron said. "If your mother had left three times as much to any other charity, she'd be fine with it."
"The way I feel now, Baron, I'm ready to move in next door just to spite her."
Baron shook his head. "We'd love to have you, but it's not worth the risk. You might lose it and do something that could compromise our advantage."
"Besides, you never know, babe," Ed mused. "Finding you might get her to reconsider her homophobia. It wouldn't be the first time finding out someone you know is gay brought about a change of heart."
Jay shook his head. "You haven't met her yet. In the back yard this afternoon, the way she looked at me, you'd think she blames gays for everything bad that's ever happened to her. So, in the long run, maybe, but she's not gonna run out and join PFLAG when Cameron tells her who he is."
"But I can see her simply caving in and giving the whole thing up," Baron said, picking up from where his partner had left off. "Wouldn't count on it, though. But whatever happens, it'll go well for us tomorrow."
"That doesn't mean it'll be easy," Ed reminded them. "Cameron isn't exactly looking forward to this."
"Baron doesn't
Similar Books
