Love on the Rocks Box Set

Lesser of Two Evils-2

He has a plan. He doesn’t know if it’ll work, but it’s the only way he can think of to come out to his father without making that big a deal about his sexuality. The only thing he tells Larry when his boyfriend shows up on his doorstep is, “Let me do the talking.”

Larry nods and waits for Jared to start the conversation. He’s introduced to Mrs. Harrison, who gives him a limp handshake, and Mr. Harrison, who grunts in greeting. Jared sits Larry on the sofa across from his father’s recliner and drops down beside his boyfriend, close enough that his mother raises an eyebrow in surprise. He flashes her a tight grin and takes Larry’s hand in his.

Her eyes widen. Without his saying a word, she knows.

Now comes the hard part.

Jared clears his throat. “Father?”

It’s never been Dad—they simply don’t have that familiar a relationship. Mr. Harrison shakes the paper as if to show he’s busy and doesn’t bother lowering it yet.

Jared grips Larry’s hand tighter, and feels his boyfriend’s strength flow into his fingers. He looks at his mother, who gives him a slight nod of encouragement. “I have an announcement to make,” he begins. Larry’s fingers squeeze his. “Two, actually.”

After a moment of silence, Mr. Harrison grouses, “Well?”

Here it is. “Mom, Dad. Larry isn’t just a friend from school. We’re sort of dating. I’m gay.”

The newspaper drops, finally, but Jared doesn’t recognize the man on the other side of it. The clenched jaw, the hard eyes, the thin lips—suddenly his father’s face looks brittle, as if cracks might appear across his façade at any moment.

His mother starts, “Oh, Jared, I—”

His father holds up a hand and her words cut off in mid-sentence. Those unreadable eyes bore into Jared with all the venom of a prosecuting attorney on cross-examination. “And?”

“Matthew,” Mrs. Harrison tries again, “I think we need to—”

“Zzpt.” He punctuates the sound with a clamping motion of his hand, all four fingers closing down to the thumb to mime a mouth closing. “You said two announcements. What’s the second?”

Jared takes a deep breath. Larry doesn’t know about this because it isn’t true. “I’m thinking of dropping out of school. I’m not sure I’m cut out to be an attorney. I’ve been writing a lot of poetry lately, and thought I’d try to see if I could get any of it published.”

His father’s face goes rigid—Jared doesn’t even think the blood is flowing beneath the skin any longer. Mr. Harrison’s cheeks have drained of all color, and his eyes look almost pained. When he speaks, his voice breaks. “A poet? Christ…”

To be honest, Jared hasn’t written a poem in his entire life. He doesn’t like poetry, doesn’t even really like to read, and has avoided taking any major literature courses in college. But if it distracts his father from his sexuality the way Jared thinks it will, then what’s the harm of a little white lie?

Another long, silent moment drapes around them, cloying like wet fabric. Jared resists the urge to speak, to apologize, to confess. He resists looking at Larry, who stares at him with an odd expression on his face, wanting to know the truth. Finally, after an eternity has passed, Mr. Harrison turns his attention to Larry and, for the first time, really notices him beside Jared. He glances at the hands laced together in Larry’s lap, then asks, “I guess this is your influence? Turning him into a poet?”

He spits the word as if it were poison in his mouth. Larry shakes his head quickly. “No, sir. I think he’ll make one hell of a lawyer someday, and I plan on making him stay in class until he passes the bar.”

Mr. Harrison nods. His face relaxes, and for a second, he almost looks grudgingly impressed. Then he shakes the newspaper and raises it in front of himself, blocking out the world around him. “Listen to your boyfriend, kid. He’s a keeper.”

Jared sees his mother’s smile and grins. Then he wraps his arms around Larry’s shoulders and gives him a fierce hug, chasing it with a loving kiss. “Did I pass?” Larry murmurs against Jared’s cheek.

“I think he likes you better than me,” Jared admits. For once, that doesn’t bother him.

THE END