Page 37 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

“It might be purple by this point,” Tyler said.

Tyler had opted for a light blue jacket with a darker tie, and his hair carefully gelled to keep it from getting unruly.

He had spent far too much time worrying about Julien, who was still not clean-shaven. Still, he lookedelegantin the brown jacket, dress slacks, and red shirt underneath.

Getting him to wear a tie had been like putting a collar on a feral cat. So, Julien’s neck remained bare, and the shirt was unbuttoned at the collar. It wasdoingthings to Tyler.

Finding out he was gay had opened up a can of worms in Tyler’s mind. Maybe they could go out on an actual date after all this. Perhaps they could start something for real.

Julien wasn’t the sort of guy he would have ever considered, but not because he wasn’t attracted to that sort of guy—dirty, rough, and tumble, covered in tattoos and cigarette smoke. Tyler was starting to realize he really liked that if that guy was Julien in particular. But it didn’t fit in with his family’s perfect world.

Tyler didn’t feel like he fit in there sometimes, either,though.

He turned that morning over in his mind. It had been easy, and there was no one to perform for while alone in his room, and he could have sworn the vibes werethere.Maybe Jules had even been hitting on him? But then he had to be so stupid and insinuate he wanted Julien to have sex with him for money.

Whenever he thought about the joke, he cringed, and his stomach writhed like it held a pit of snakes.

If he ever thought he had a shot with Julien in a real sense, that was probably gone with one terrible comment.

Julien definitely thought he was a total creeper now. Maybe he even worried Tyler wanted to try to pay him for sex. Would it be that far of a leap?

The whole day, Julien had acted fine. However, Tyler’s ease with him was gone, and he didn’t know if there was a chance of getting it back. Even in the darkened backseat of the car, Tyler felt as if there was a wall between himself and Julien.

They met the rest of the family in front of the clubhouse. Walter gave his keys to the valet.

Cecilia had on a glittery gold gown with matching earrings, and Brad wore a standard black suit and bow tie. He looked ready to audition for James Bond or something.

His mother wore a similar shiny dress in emerald green, and his father looked more like Brad than Tyler wanted to consider.

“Big smiles,” his mother reminded them as they walked to the brilliantly illuminated clubhouse overlooking a well-manicured, sprawling golf course.

Tyler tentatively reached out and took Julien’s arm to walk in together. When Julien didn’t pull away, Tyler glanced up at him and smiled.

Julien smiled back, and Tyler wished he could tell if it was a real one or one for the benefit of his family.

The ballroom of the clubhouse was already bustling. A string quartet played serene music. Servers in starched white shirts passed around hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne. The crowd was dressed to the nines.

His mother spotted a friend and went to swoop in and give her a cheek kiss. People crowded around Haileyand Walter, and Hailey showed her ring off. Cece and Brad had already been cornered by a couple who they were working with to renovate and sell their house.

Tyler felt Julien shift uncomfortably next to him. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“I didn’t realize it would be this crowded,” Julien said. “Areyoualright?”

“Yeah. We do this every year, remember?” Tyler said. “Come on. Let’s go get a drink.” No one bothered with them anyway, and Tyler could tell he and Julien needed something to take the edge off. Hopefully, he could keep himself from saying something stupid for the rest of the night.

The open bar was against the back wall, and they weaved their way through the crowd and stood in the line.

Julien ordered a Jack and Coke, while Tyler ordered a martini.

“I didn’t really take you for a martini guy,” Julien said. One of his eyebrows lifted as he tilted his head.

Tyler flushed. He thought they were gross but didn’t know what else to order. The thoughts of James Bond must haveinfluenced his decision. He always panic-ordered at bars and restaurants, sure that whatever he picked would be wrong anyway.

“Not really. I never know what to order, so I just said the first thing that came to mind.”

Julien leaned forward and caught the bartender’s attention with a smile. “Instead of the martini, can you make him a gin and tonic?” he asked. “With a splash of orange juice. Thanks.”

The bartender nodded and started on the new drink.

---