Page 31 of Heal
"Sure." Beau stood. "You know, I didn't come over expecting you to feed me."
"I know, but I fell asleep after work and needed to eat anyway. It's better with company." Parson gestured to the table. "Need more water?"
"I can grab it." Beau paused by the refrigerator and used the ice and water dispenser to refill his glass.
"So, you don't date at all now?" Parson set plates on the table and sat down.
"I haven't in a few years. I've had a couple hook-ups, but nothing serious. The last person I was serious with finally had it with the media bothering us. Not to mention my father isn't too pleased when I date men and was against the relationship from the start. Dad wants me to find a nice woman and settle down."
"That's not what you want?"
Beau smiled. "I want what I want, not what Dad wants. If that's a man or a woman it should be my choice. If you're asking if I'm gay, I'm bisexual with a tendency to date men more than women."
Parson nodded. "That is what I was asking."
"Is that a problem? I know some people don't like dating bisexuals." Beau reached for a slice of pizza.
"Does it matter if it's a problem for me?" Parson asked, curious where this conversation might take them.
"In a general way, no, it doesn't matter, but in an 'I might want to ask you out Friday night if it's not an issue', then yeah, I guess it matters." Beau held Parson's gaze.
"Maybe you'll just have to ask me out to find out." Parson tried hard not to let on how thrilled he was that Beau might be interested. The more time the two of them spent together, the more he wanted to get to know the mysterious man.
"Fair enough." Beau took a bite of his pizza.
Parson tried not to be let down that Beau didn't follow it up by asking him out. He hoped he would, and was glad he'd given Beau the opening if he wanted to. Dating was the last thing that Parson thought might come of their meeting, but he wasn't the least bit turned off by the idea. In fact, it had been a while since anyone had stirred his curiosity, and his hormones the way Beau did.
"So, I was thinking. You know how you mentioned that the CPS Center was overcrowded and they didn't have the money for a new building?" Beau asked.
"Yeah. They could use another hundred beds easily." Parson wrapped his hand around his glass. "What's on your mind?"
"Fundraising."
Parson made a face.
"I know, it's never fun, but this is a good cause. I hate to support CPS because I really don't think they do a good job running things the way they do, but I also know that these kids need a place to sleep. I hate the idea of them in sleeping bags or on cots. That's not how it should be. I could fund the damn place myself, but the more I thought about it, the more I think we need to bring attention to this cause. It's one that I know I can get my family behind, and I was hoping you might ask yours and see if they would help too."
Parson narrowed his eyes, but made sure his tone was teasing when he said, "so you are using me for my money."
Beau laughed. "I guess I am, or at least I hope to. Not really your money, but your family name to raise the money. I know my dad can get other businessmen to help, and maybe your parents could get some of the dreaded Hollywood elite to work with us. We could come up with ways to raise the funds."
Parson liked the idea, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded. "Even if we raised the money, there's still the issue of location. This area isn't known for its open spaces. Finding a place to build isn't easy or cheap."
Beau licked sauce from his lips before wiping it with a napkin. "I'm confident I can find a location. I need to talk to a few people and make sure what I'm thinking will work, but if it does, then we'd just need to raise enough money to remodel or build whatever we need at the location."
Parson was impressed. He'd grown up going to fundraisers and watching his parents and their friends pick one cause or another, but he'd never thought about doing it himself. Granted, he would ask his parents to help, but he would actually take part in helping Beau make this all come together. "If you're serious, I'm in. I'll do whatever I can to see those kids have somewhere safe and comfortable to go to."
"You're sure? This will drag us both into the public eye again. Something we've obviously both tried to stay away from."
"This cause is worth a few interviews. I'm not going to have the interest you will. It will be my parents who they go after, and my Dad will milk that for all he can. I'm okay doing this. It gives us a chance to bring awareness to the need for good foster parents and hopefully we'll see more interest as a result of all this." Parson smiled. "Thank you."
"I haven't done anything yet, and we're going to do this together. It's not just me."
"But it's your idea."
"Maybe, but only you and I know that. From here on out, it's our idea, our venture. Together we'll get a place big enough for all the kids and hopefully while we do that, we can also continue to work to find the pedophile ring. This won't cause an issue for you at work, will it?" Beau looked concerned.
"No, I can't see how it would. I'd think they'd be happy that we were trying to find a way to help. If they have a problem with it, the job isn't as important as the cause. I'm willing to take the risk, though I seriously don't think there is one." He'd give up the job in a heartbeat to see a new building for the kids open. "What about you? You have more reason to hate the media than I do."
