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“You’re finally in charge, Daddy. Why be so concerned about what others think at this point?” I asked, taking a step back before he grabbed my wrist and yanked me back to face him.
“Not the fucking point, young man,” he hissed. “I’m not damaging our family name with a flag-waving homosexual in my family tree. If you insist on conducting yourself with this . . .this . . .lifestyle, I’ll be forced to take measures.”
“I’m your son for Christ’s sake, Daddy. What are you going to do, disown me? Not to mention I’m your only child,” I threatened. “And let’s not forget I have a shitload of what you covet most.”
His white complexion turned red, his third skin tone in two minutes. “You can live your lifestyle in private, Hayes. But I will not bear witness to it in public. It’s disgusting.”
His words didn’t sit well with me so I leaned closer to his face. “Calling your son disgusting is really something coming from you, Daddy,” I seethed, glancing around quickly to see if our argument had been spotted. “What’s disgusting is the lifestyle you’re leading behind Momma’s back. I know all about your little dalliances. And here I’d thought you’d taken yourheterosexualvows seriously, Daddy. What about the vows and your relationship with God? Was that all BS too?” I asked, taking a breath and making sure we were still hidden in the corner. “If you push me away today and when Momma gets wind of your shit, you’ll be alone, Daddy, so be very careful with how you label my choices.”
“You little wise ass. Are you threatening your father?” he asked, spittle spraying out of his mouth. “Are you enjoying your comfortable corner office? I wouldn’t get too cozy if I were you because I can ruin you, son.”
“I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement, Daddy. Go ahead and take your best shot. And you can shove that corner office up your uptight asshole, old man!” I hissed. “I could buy the entire goddamned building if I wanted it.”
“Get the fuck out of here,” he raged. “You’ve been coddled your whole life by your momma. She’s probably the one who made you a homosexual.”
These weren’t the types of conversations that civilized southern gentlemen took part in in public. And especially a son speaking to his father in such a fashion. Established families hid their secrets and never shall they be exposed in a circle of influence like Daddy’s career pinnacle achievement soiree.
There were also certain things a southern son should never say to his daddy but I just couldn’t help myself. Besides, what did I have to lose now? “Fuck you, Daddy.”
* * *
I sat in the dark nursing my third scotch. My cell phone buzzed for the past three hours but I had nothing left to say about my life choices so why bother unwinding the argument with Momma? Momma was the queen of dissolving tension and sweeping the bad news directly under the imported rugs in her five-million dollar mansion.
I could avoid momma for a few days, and I could ignore daddy for the rest of my life, but a shit storm was opening my condo’s front door. There would be no avoiding Phillip Honeycutt. “Why are all the fucking lights off, Hayes?” I ignored him as I massaged the Waterford crystal glass that provided the only comfort I’d be getting for the night. Phillip wouldn’t take my side. If there was a threat to his financial future, he went to war and snuffed the fire out before there was smoke. “Hayes!” he yelled, walking down the hall and flicking on every light as he passed. He came around the corner to the living room and glared at me.
“What?” I asked.
“What the fuck was that performance about tonight? Can you fucking tell me what’s gotten into you?” He grabbed my drink out of my hand. “You obviously don’t need any more of this shit.”
“It only took you three hours to realize I was gone, Phillip?” I stood to get myself another drink but he grabbed my wrist. I stared at his hand before shifting my gaze to his face. “Let go.”
“You’ve had quite enough tonight,” he huffed. “Are you trying to shit on our future? Fuck, Hayes! What the hell were you thinking?”
I began to cry. “I was thinking aboutmyfuture for once,” I sobbed. “Our secrets are killing me, Phillip.” I fell into his arms and he held me gently while I wept. He recognized this was a different Hayes. This Hayes had acted out of character and had threatened his goals. He couldn’t have that and if comforting me was required, he could buckle down and perform his duty.
“Let’s get you to bed,” he began. “We can take the long weekend and relax and put a plan together to move past this. Your father was just upset and he’ll get over it. We can fix this, baby.”
He hadn’t called me baby in years. Was his fear that my outburst could cause him to fall from his upward trajectory the motivation to show me some softness?Fuck! Had I invested all of my energy into a man exactly like my father?
CHAPTER NINE: Bo
Itied my boat to the pier in Beaufort and walked the few blocks to Main Street where I kept a small Toyota pickup at my buddies tow lot behind the gas station he owned. He let me keep it there for free because I had no place to park it in town since I sold Memaw’s house, so I supplied him with fresh seafood when I had extra. Lucas wasn’t concerned about money like he used to be but he’d gladly take fresh lobster and crab.
Lucas Jensen and I went to school together our entire childhood. From kindergarten to our senior year. Like me and Jamie he was from the wrong side of the tracks and his family struggled like the rest of us to keep food on the table. Lucas had some weird shit happen to him a couple of years ago after the death of his momma when he found out his daddy wasn’t his real daddy. His real father had been a politically connected man in South Carolina due tohisfather living in the governor’s mansion. The scandalous news hit our small town hard. It was a messy time in Beaufort but folks loved all the gossip surrounding it.
The joke ended up being on Beaufort’s high and mighty when he met a loaded guy named Perry Jackson from New York City. Perry had been traveling through town and broke down in his fancy Mercedes Benz and as luck would have it, Lucas was on tow truck duty for Mr. Howard that weekend. In fact, it was Memorial Day weekend last year.
Mr. Howard, the owner of the gas station, had taken Lucas under his wing and helped him through it all, but ended up dying in a shooting in the flat above his gas station where Lucas used to live. Because Lucas was so good at running the place, he bought it from Mrs. Howard and then she went off and adopted him. I was happy as all get out for my buddy’s success and counted him and Perry as good friends. I don’t know how many times I’d turned them down for a little help. I didn’t want to use friendships for those types of things because I valued Lucas’s friendship more than money.
The gate to the tow lot was open because it was normal business hours at the full-service station, so no need to bother Lucas. I grabbed two small gas cans from the bed of my truck and walked around to the front to fill them with gas for the boat’s motor. Lucas was checking the oil in Mrs. Parson’s huge Cadillac but he came over after sending her on her way.
“Hey, Bo. It’s been a few days, man. How’s the fishing?” he asked, grabbing and sticking my newly acquired debit card into the pump. I usually paid cash so he was surprised to see me carrying one. “Stepping up are we?” he teased, gesturing to the debit card stuck in his pump.
“Bank gave it to me seeing as I have that money Memaw left me,” I answered. “Can’t really get used to having a little money.”
“Try being married to a multi-millionaire,” he said, chuckling at his good fortune.
“You and Perry’s new place on the beach completed yet?” I asked. “I drove past it in my boat last month and saw some construction being done. It looks awesome, buddy.”
