Now, Ben submitted to her hug with a good grace. He was a lot fonder of her than of the next generation on, his parents – stolidly conventional, proper, loaded, over-achievers, they were. They'd wanted him to be a banker, so you could see. They also wanted him to be heterosexual. In fact Santa Claus failed them twice.
He would have protested when she dragged him backwards, back into the morning room she emerged from. Except that with Millie, you might as well give in. It saved time, saved breath. His cases were dumped in the doorway for any passing guttersnipe to nick, and he was trailing mud in on his biker boots. Since Millie didn't care, he shrugged. "Mrs Hornswick'll give you hell," he noted, looking back at the trail he was leaving. Mrs Hornswick was her housekeeper of decades' standing. Were they lesbian lovers, were they ever? He'd ceased speculating about it, since it wasn't like he'd ever managed to get a straight answer out of Auntie. He thought not. They were on too good terms for that, underneath the overt sniping, the affectionate sniper fire and hoary old disputes.
Old lovers can't be affectionate like that, can they, not really? He couldn't imagine it.
He would sooner have poured Michael a poisoned vodka grapefruit, cooked him a delightful dinner and slipped a stiletto in his back as he slipped out of consciousness, than bicker with him affectionately over years and years of peaceful co-existence. All exquisitely polite, of course. There wasn't the warmth left there, for bickering, any more. Although there was enough cold fire that he have fucked him, one last time. Maybe two.
He could hurt Ben too much, even now, for overt anger to be a safe option. It would leave him unguarded, flushed, in the heat of dispute. He'd have the chance to drive the knife home himself. Ben thought he meant metaphorically. Or perhaps there was some sexual symbolism there.
Anyway, anyway. He still spent much too much time – even now – thinking about Michael. And Ben didn't doubt that he never even crossed his mind.
YOU ARE READING
Erase You
RomanceMichael is a musician, Cambridge-educated but living in London. He's successful, attractive and has plenty to keep him busy and happy. So why can he still not get over his old college boyfriend, Ben? Fortunately his old Great-Aunt Millie, a notor...
