My parents worked two jobs to try to feed my brother and me so we could stay off welfare. They were proud of the fact that they never took assistance from anyone, and I guess I learned that lesson really well from them. My dad didn’t take it well when I told him I was gay, so I’ve been fending for myself for a long time.”
“How old were you when you left home?”
“I was eighteen. Lucky for me I had good friends, and the four of us sort of formed our own pack. We all knew we were gay, and that helped too. My brother is older. He’s in the Navy. But Darren has never understood my being gay, either. He never will because he doesn’t want to.”
“That’s a shame,” Harry said.
Tristan hoped he wasn’t hearing pity, but he wasn’t sure. “I know a lot of military people are understanding and accepting. My brother fell in with a crowd that isn’t, and he’s too much of a follower to go against them. At least that’s what I keep telling myself, and hoping that when he gets out, if he ever does, he’ll go back to the brother I knew growing up.” He tried to keep the near soul-deep disappointment from coloring his voice, but he doubted he was successful. “Do you have family?”
“Yes. I have my parents and a sister. She’s….” Harry sighed. “She’s in a special home. I go up to see her sometimes, but she doesn’t know me or anyone, really, other than her caregivers, and she only knows them because they’re constantly with her.”
“Was she in an accident?”
“Yeah, you could say that. She was driving when she was twenty-three. She ran off the road. Unfortunately, it was one of those high freeway bridges. She sailed into the water below. By some miracle they got her out alive, but between the lack of oxygen and the cocaine she’d been using, she’s permanently disabled. My mother had to place her in permanent care, and the whole thing was almost more than she could bear.” Harry sighed. “I was nineteen at the time and lost my sister to the drug-induced near coma she’ll be in permanently.”
“Do you blame your sister for what happened?” Tristan asked as Harry turned in to the parking lot of the Chinese restaurant and pulled to a stop.
Harry turned off the engine and sat still. “I guess I do. I also blame the drugs and the dealer who sold them to her. I blame the whole culture around that shit that glamorizes it and tries to make it cool. It’s not. That shit steals lives, and not just those of the users. It hurts their families and everyone around them.” The vehemence in Harry’s voice hit Tristan like a tall ocean wave.
“Is that why you’re so vehement around people like Eddie?” Tristan asked.
“I’d like to think I’d feel the same way no matter what, but yeah. I don’t want those bloodsuckers anywhere near me or near my business. Both Bull and I decided that when we bought the club. We cleaned it up first thing and have done our best to keep it clean.” Harry opened his door. “I’ll get dinner and be right back.” He climbed out, closed the door, and rushed across the parking lot.
The quiet gave Tristan a chance to think for a few minutes. Harry was attractive—heck, Tristan thought he was downright smoking hot—and he was obviously kind and thoughtful. He also knew more about him than he had just a little while before. But what he couldn’t get out of his mind was the multiple times he’d seen him with the guys at the club. Harry was a player, or at least he had been. Granted, Tristan wasn’t as pure as the driven snow. He’d been with guys—more than just Eddie—and he’d had his fun. So why was he being so standoffish? Granted, Harry hadn’t made a move, but the looks he kept getting and the way Harry was so intent on protecting him showed some sort of interest. And he knew he was interested in Harry. So what was the problem?
Harry hurried back, opened the door, and handed him the food before climbing inside. The rain had started again,
“How old were you when you left home?”
“I was eighteen. Lucky for me I had good friends, and the four of us sort of formed our own pack. We all knew we were gay, and that helped too. My brother is older. He’s in the Navy. But Darren has never understood my being gay, either. He never will because he doesn’t want to.”
“That’s a shame,” Harry said.
Tristan hoped he wasn’t hearing pity, but he wasn’t sure. “I know a lot of military people are understanding and accepting. My brother fell in with a crowd that isn’t, and he’s too much of a follower to go against them. At least that’s what I keep telling myself, and hoping that when he gets out, if he ever does, he’ll go back to the brother I knew growing up.” He tried to keep the near soul-deep disappointment from coloring his voice, but he doubted he was successful. “Do you have family?”
“Yes. I have my parents and a sister. She’s….” Harry sighed. “She’s in a special home. I go up to see her sometimes, but she doesn’t know me or anyone, really, other than her caregivers, and she only knows them because they’re constantly with her.”
“Was she in an accident?”
“Yeah, you could say that. She was driving when she was twenty-three. She ran off the road. Unfortunately, it was one of those high freeway bridges. She sailed into the water below. By some miracle they got her out alive, but between the lack of oxygen and the cocaine she’d been using, she’s permanently disabled. My mother had to place her in permanent care, and the whole thing was almost more than she could bear.” Harry sighed. “I was nineteen at the time and lost my sister to the drug-induced near coma she’ll be in permanently.”
“Do you blame your sister for what happened?” Tristan asked as Harry turned in to the parking lot of the Chinese restaurant and pulled to a stop.
Harry turned off the engine and sat still. “I guess I do. I also blame the drugs and the dealer who sold them to her. I blame the whole culture around that shit that glamorizes it and tries to make it cool. It’s not. That shit steals lives, and not just those of the users. It hurts their families and everyone around them.” The vehemence in Harry’s voice hit Tristan like a tall ocean wave.
“Is that why you’re so vehement around people like Eddie?” Tristan asked.
“I’d like to think I’d feel the same way no matter what, but yeah. I don’t want those bloodsuckers anywhere near me or near my business. Both Bull and I decided that when we bought the club. We cleaned it up first thing and have done our best to keep it clean.” Harry opened his door. “I’ll get dinner and be right back.” He climbed out, closed the door, and rushed across the parking lot.
The quiet gave Tristan a chance to think for a few minutes. Harry was attractive—heck, Tristan thought he was downright smoking hot—and he was obviously kind and thoughtful. He also knew more about him than he had just a little while before. But what he couldn’t get out of his mind was the multiple times he’d seen him with the guys at the club. Harry was a player, or at least he had been. Granted, Tristan wasn’t as pure as the driven snow. He’d been with guys—more than just Eddie—and he’d had his fun. So why was he being so standoffish? Granted, Harry hadn’t made a move, but the looks he kept getting and the way Harry was so intent on protecting him showed some sort of interest. And he knew he was interested in Harry. So what was the problem?
Harry hurried back, opened the door, and handed him the food before climbing inside. The rain had started again,
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