“Javier is a light of his own as well,” he told Angus. “He’s brilliant, and he runs a successful talent agency.”
Instead of propping Javier up, Desmond’s statement took even more light out of his lover’s eyes.
“I do what I can,” Javier said, nodding without much conviction.
Shit. Wrapped up in all his own problems as he’d been, Desmond hadn’t thought to ask Javier how things were going athis agency for an entire week. He’d thought he was respecting Javier’s privacy by not bringing the subject up, but now, with so many other pressures swirling around him, he wondered if that was a bad idea. Javier needed him and he’d failed.
“I didn’t realize the two of you were together seriously when I met you at the warehouse the other week,” Angus brutally continued the conversation instead of walking away. He raked Javier with an appreciative look and added, “Maybe we could all get together sometime. I bet Des here would like that.”
Desmond’s face blazed with shame. “Er, I don’t think so,” he said, then downed the rest of his champagne. There was no way it contained enough alcohol to obliterate the shame that was creeping up on him like the tide.
Javier glanced between Desmond and Angus as if putting a few pieces together. “I take it the two of you share more than just financial interests?”
Desmond wanted to run.
Angus laughed loudly, drawing a few glances that only made Desmond want to sink into the floor. “There was a time,” he said vaguely, winking at Javier. “Des here and I have had some interesting times. Matthew, too.” He winked again, this time at Desmond.
“Perhaps now is not the right time to?—”
Desmond was cut off as Angus said, “Matthew’s here tonight, somewhere.” He glanced around in search of him as every nerve in Desmond’s body flashed with alarm. “Maybe we can bring him over and the four of us can have a little chat about this and that and the other.”
Angus had clearly already had too much to drink, which was shocking in and of itself. But mostly because loose lips led to entire fleets going under.
“I think we should go,” Desmond murmured to Javier, whose eyes looked wider than usual, which had nothing to do with the light eyeliner and barest hint of shadow he wore.
“Save me a seat at your table.” Angus saluted Desmond with his champagne as Des tugged Javier’s sleeve to nudge him along. “I’m sure we have lots to talk about, business and pleasure.”
Desmond was mortified. He glanced around, trying to gauge whether anyone else in the mulling, chatting crowd had overheard. God only knew what they would think to see someone he was supposed to have a competitive relationship with acting so friendly with him.
They made it to the corner of the room before Javier dug his heels in and stopped, resting a hand on Desmond’s shoulder and pulling him closer with a, “Whoa, whoa, sweetie. You want to tell me what just happened?”
Desmond blew out a breath and rubbed his free hand over his face, partially because it separated him from Javier a bit. No, he did not want to tell Javier what had just happened. He didn’t want to tell him anything. He wanted the two of them to continue on in blissful fantasy, neither of them disappointing the other because they weren’t who they pretended to be.
“I—” He didn’t have the words. All Desmond could do was stare at Javier, at the kindness and concern in his eyes and how beautiful he was as a person. His lover had already guessed that Angus was an ex of sorts when they’d met the first time, but the real story felt like a ticking timebomb he couldn’t defuse.
Javier shifted his weight and put his half-empty champagne on a tray a few feet away. “There’s definitely a story there,” he said, moving back to stand in front of Desmond, like he would take him in his arms and make things better.
But there was no making this better. He wasn’t the perfect boyfriend that Javier thought he was. He was grubby andtarnished, and the truth was almost certainly about to blow up all over the place.
“This definitely has something to do with Matthew,” Javier said with a puzzled frown when Desmond failed to say a single damn thing. “I swear to God, if I ever see that man again, which is apparently a strong possibility tonight, I can’t be held responsible for?—”
“No, it’s not Matthew,” Desmond interrupted, pinching his face and stepping aside to put down his glass as well. And also to get some distance from his lover. “I mean, yes, it has a bit to do with Matthew, but not really.”
“Honey, honey, calm down,” Javier said, holding both of Desmond’s arms.
Never in the history of calming down had anyone ever calmed down by being told to calm down.
“Never mind,” Desmond said, trying to break out of Javier’s hold, maybe with the intention of running for the nearest door. “This whole thing is a mistake.”
Javier’s eyes went wide. “You’d better not be talking about us, Desmond White.”
A whole different sort of fear landed in Desmond’s gut at Javier’s use of his full name. He met Javier’s alarmed gaze and couldn’t break away.
“I don’t understand,” Javier said, shaking his head slightly. “I mean, I take it that you and Angus McDrunkface had a fling at some point. I’m pretty sure Matthew was involved.”
“It was a threesome,” Desmond hissed, turning his face down, unable to look Javier in the eyes as he confessed. “A sordid, kinky threesome. And I was not the one in control of it.”
Instead of looking disgusted, like Desmond would have expected, Javier looked furious. “Baby, was there consent involved?” he asked, voice shaking slightly.
