Read Online Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar) by Jana Richards - Free Book Online
Authors: Jana Richards
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are very close. We go to hockey games together, and he coached my football team when I was a kid. It's very important to him that I'm a manly sort of son. It would kill him if he knew."
"Does anyone in your family know?"
"Just Todd and Fiona, and they only found out because they ran into me and my...my boyfriend at a concert. They saw me kissing him, so I couldn't cover by saying I was out with a friend." Jonathan paused, taking a deep breath. "My boyfriend--Kevin--says I need to come out to my family. I hurt him badly when I refused to bring him to my brother's wedding, and he says he's tired of being my dirty little secret. We'd just had a fight on the phone when I knocked you over. He's threatening to leave me if I don't tell my family. But if I tell my family, I'll lose them. What am I going to do?"
"Todd and Fiona obviously still love you. Are you sure the rest of your family wouldn't feel the same way?"
"You don't know my dad. He hates fags. He was upset when I went into nursing because it was a 'woman's profession'. It would kill him if he found out his son is a raging queen."
"Somehow you don't strike me as the raging queen type. You strike me as a regular guy, with a good heart, who's built like a linebacker and who just happens to like other guys." She took his hand. "You're still going to be his son, no matter what."
"He might not feel that way."
She couldn't argue with him there. She didn't know his father or his family dynamics. There was no telling how his coming out might go down.
He squeezed her hand. "Thanks for listening, Dani. You won't tell anyone, will you?"
"Of course not. Nothing you've said will leave this room."
"You're sure? You won't tell Zach?"
"No, I won't tell Zach." She paused, weighing her words. "Would it make you feel better if I told you my secret and swore you to secrecy? Then we'd be even."
He chuckled. "What secret could you possibly have that could compare to mine?"
"You know how Zach and I told everyone we're seeing each other? We made it all up." She told him about her encounter with Zach after his ill-fated wedding and then about the hasty arrangement they'd made when she arrived for the weekend.
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave," he said.
"I know. I feel like such a fraud." She sighed again. "Do you know what's worse? I wish it was all real. I wish Zach and I really were together."
"Oh sweetie." He pulled her against his chest and gathered her close, kissing the top of her head. She snuggled against him, taking comfort from his large presence.
"I know he'd never be attracted to someone like me."
"What do you mean, someone like you?"
She twisted the emerald ring on her right hand, a twenty-first birthday gift from her parents. "Someone who's not beautiful, or tall, or blonde, like Chantal. I could never compete with her."
He snorted. "And look how well falling for that type of woman has worked for him. She's done nothing but hurt and humiliate him."
"You heard him this morning. He practically went green when Camp suggested marriage to me."
"I also saw him kiss you. That wasn't exactly a friendly peck on the cheek."
She wondered about that as well. "I know but--"
"But nothing. Even if this whole thing with you two started out as a rouse, Zach would be a fool not to see what a gem you are. If I wasn't gay, I'd give him a run for his money."
She looked up into his face and laughed. "And if you weren't gay, I'd be thrilled to be your girlfriend." She sobered. "But that's not how things really are."
"No, it's not. In real life things are pretty messed up."
"They are." She laid her head against his chest once more.
"It's a relief to tell someone the truth, isn't it?"
"It is. Thank you."
"Same to you." She felt him stroke her hair. "Dani?"
"Yeah?"
"What are we going to do?"
"I have no idea."
* * * *
Zach made his way up to the third floor. Before he went off with the other men to whack a few golf balls and down a few shots of scotch at the indoor golf dome,
"Does anyone in your family know?"
"Just Todd and Fiona, and they only found out because they ran into me and my...my boyfriend at a concert. They saw me kissing him, so I couldn't cover by saying I was out with a friend." Jonathan paused, taking a deep breath. "My boyfriend--Kevin--says I need to come out to my family. I hurt him badly when I refused to bring him to my brother's wedding, and he says he's tired of being my dirty little secret. We'd just had a fight on the phone when I knocked you over. He's threatening to leave me if I don't tell my family. But if I tell my family, I'll lose them. What am I going to do?"
"Todd and Fiona obviously still love you. Are you sure the rest of your family wouldn't feel the same way?"
"You don't know my dad. He hates fags. He was upset when I went into nursing because it was a 'woman's profession'. It would kill him if he found out his son is a raging queen."
"Somehow you don't strike me as the raging queen type. You strike me as a regular guy, with a good heart, who's built like a linebacker and who just happens to like other guys." She took his hand. "You're still going to be his son, no matter what."
"He might not feel that way."
She couldn't argue with him there. She didn't know his father or his family dynamics. There was no telling how his coming out might go down.
He squeezed her hand. "Thanks for listening, Dani. You won't tell anyone, will you?"
"Of course not. Nothing you've said will leave this room."
"You're sure? You won't tell Zach?"
"No, I won't tell Zach." She paused, weighing her words. "Would it make you feel better if I told you my secret and swore you to secrecy? Then we'd be even."
He chuckled. "What secret could you possibly have that could compare to mine?"
"You know how Zach and I told everyone we're seeing each other? We made it all up." She told him about her encounter with Zach after his ill-fated wedding and then about the hasty arrangement they'd made when she arrived for the weekend.
"Oh, what a tangled web we weave," he said.
"I know. I feel like such a fraud." She sighed again. "Do you know what's worse? I wish it was all real. I wish Zach and I really were together."
"Oh sweetie." He pulled her against his chest and gathered her close, kissing the top of her head. She snuggled against him, taking comfort from his large presence.
"I know he'd never be attracted to someone like me."
"What do you mean, someone like you?"
She twisted the emerald ring on her right hand, a twenty-first birthday gift from her parents. "Someone who's not beautiful, or tall, or blonde, like Chantal. I could never compete with her."
He snorted. "And look how well falling for that type of woman has worked for him. She's done nothing but hurt and humiliate him."
"You heard him this morning. He practically went green when Camp suggested marriage to me."
"I also saw him kiss you. That wasn't exactly a friendly peck on the cheek."
She wondered about that as well. "I know but--"
"But nothing. Even if this whole thing with you two started out as a rouse, Zach would be a fool not to see what a gem you are. If I wasn't gay, I'd give him a run for his money."
She looked up into his face and laughed. "And if you weren't gay, I'd be thrilled to be your girlfriend." She sobered. "But that's not how things really are."
"No, it's not. In real life things are pretty messed up."
"They are." She laid her head against his chest once more.
"It's a relief to tell someone the truth, isn't it?"
"It is. Thank you."
"Same to you." She felt him stroke her hair. "Dani?"
"Yeah?"
"What are we going to do?"
"I have no idea."
* * * *
Zach made his way up to the third floor. Before he went off with the other men to whack a few golf balls and down a few shots of scotch at the indoor golf dome,
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