“Super Drag Queen. Maybe I’ll embroider it on my shirt so you can remember it. Now, sewing I can do, and I’m incredibly organized, as I’m sure you know. But pulling an officiant out of my ass, well, that takes a miracle.” Daniel opened his bag. “Nope, not one in there.”
James smiled. “I knew you’d come up with something.”
Daniel smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “You really are an ass sometimes.”
“Yup. It takes one to know one.” James flashed a wide grin. “Come on. Let’s go inside and figure out how to resurrect a wedding. Or at least keep this one from going down the tubes.”
“James, it isn’t that bad.”
That stopped him in his tracks. “Now you’re the master of understatement. I have to tell my father that the minister at his church is a fraud, and since he’s on the board, he’s going to have to be the one to break it to the congregation.” James’s hands went to his hips. “What do you think is going to happen? Dad will tell them, and everyone in the church will be so grateful they’ll give him a ribbon and throw a party in his honor?”
Daniel snickered. “I suppose not. Though frustrated smart-ass is a good look for you.”
“I’m trying to be serious.” James just glared.
“Then you’re failing. I know what’s going to happen. I’ve seen it before, on one of my first jobs. One-third of the people will think the reverend was so great that the church should just overlook this little transgression. His pastoral skills or directorial skills are just perfect.” Daniel rolled his gorgeously blue-shadowed eyes, filled with mischief and sass. “One-third will want him booted out of there and would pay for the pleasure of kicking his sorry ass all the way down the main street of the city...or town, as the case may be, making sure he never pastors or directs in this town again.”
“I see... You’ve got a few issues.”
“Issues... Issues... Mack Silverton,” Daniel spat, like he tasted something awful, “was the damned director of my first big break...or he was supposed to be. He told everyone that he had tons of experience and knew everyone who was everyone. We were going to be on TV, and our careers were going to take off. All the hyperbole in spades.” At first James thought the agitation was put on, but Daniel’s eyes darkened, and James realized it was very real. “Turned out his mother paid someone to get him the job, and the entire thing was a disaster of epic proportions. Which brings us to the last third: they’ll jump the sinking ship like rats racing to fill the last lifeboat on the Titanic.”
He took Daniel into his arms, holding him tightly.
“I’m sorry that happened to you. I’d have joined you in kicking that guy’s ass down Halstead if it would have helped.” He inhaled slowly, excitement rising in seconds just from the proximity and from Daniel’s scent. Standing at the edge of the neighbor’s front lawn was so not the place to be popping wood, but Daniel just did that to him.
“I know you would,” Daniel said, and James held him just a little tighter, arms encircling his waist. “I don’t want to go in there.”
“Me either, but I think we have to tell my father. I promised him.” This was going to be a shit show of epic proportions, and there was little James could do to stop it. “I hate that my parents are going to be really hurt by this.”
Daniel sighed. “There’s going to be a whole hell of a lot of hurt to go around. We have to tell your parents eventually, and we have to make sure Reverend Asshole, the cause of all of this, feels as much of that hurt as possible.”
Amen to that.
Chapter Fourteen
“Do you want me to be with you when you talk to your father?” Daniel asked James once they had escaped to their room and the door was closed. He used the makeup mirror to check his makeup and his wig, then did a few touch-ups. James sat on the side of the bed, his gaze intense enough that Daniel felt him watching.
“I never thought putting on makeup could be so sexy.” The bed creaked a little as James stood, and then he was closer, his heat reaching Daniel’s back.
Damn, he felt sinful. “Do you want a little? I could line your eyes, make them seem bigger.”
“No thanks. You look great like that, but it isn’t for me.”
Daniel set the lipstick on top of the dresser. “Is that part of the ‘men don’t wear makeup’ stuff? Does the thought make you seem less like a man?”
James stilled. “I don’t know. It’s something I’m not comfortable with.”
And just like that, honesty. Daniel’s heart sped up. He tried to remember the number of times he had been with someone and had a moment of unmasked, laid-bare honesty.
“Okay.” He stroked James’s rough cheek. “I can accept that.” He turned back to the mirror. “You didn’t answer my questions, though.”
“I think so. You’ve made me look at things differently, but makeup isn’t for me.” James sighed, pressed to Daniel’s back, as he returned his attention to the mirror. “We look good together.”
“With the makeup and all...?” Daniel whispered.
“With or without the makeup, you always look good.” James turned and kissed his cheek, then lightly touched Daniel’s chin, and when he turned in to the enticement of those fingers, James kissed him. “I don’t have any illusions about you. I see the person under all of it...and I like him...a lot.” Daniel felt his eyes widen. “See, that’s it right there. Your eyes are so expressive, and they always show the man, the real you, no matter what you’re wearing.”
Daniel was struck dumb, and he blinked rapidly. “I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“Then the people you’ve been seeing are fools.” James kissed him again as the door opened. Daniel stepped back and turned away.
“Sorry,” Margot said. “Are you going to tell Dad? Mom is dressing and she’s going to be a while. I’m trying to help her.”
“Thanks. Yes, we’ll do it in a minute,” James told her softly, and she closed the door once more. Daniel used the few seconds to get hold of himself again. He had gotten carried away on James’s words. Daniel had been so determined to keep the relationship between them professional, but his heart clearly had other ideas.
* * *
“Dad,” James said gently. “We need to talk.” Tension rolled off James like a tsunami.
“O-kay,” Phillip said defensively. “I’m supposed to get dressed for the rehearsal and dinner soon.”
“We know,” Daniel said gently, touching James’s shoulder just to let him know he was there.
“Then let’s go on out to the shop,” Phillip said and got up from his chair. He led the way out of the house and through the garage to a small extension off the back filled with woodworking tools and half-completed projects.
“This is nice,” Daniel said, picking up a piece of smooth, lathe-turned wood.