Good morning and Happy Hump Day ! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.
Vinny and Ethan head to the Hamilton Arms for their new assignment - guarding Ethan's Uncle Benny! See what's going on in this week's chapter of Rose and Thorne. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
As we entered the Hamilton Arms, I found myself
filled with conflicting emotions—a mixture of anger and apprehension. I
couldn’t help but remember the last time we’d had to take up residence at this
hotel, just last year, as well as the reason for our being there—namely, to
satisfy the self-serving whims of a very spoiled and entitled actress. Even
after all this time, simply hearing the name Caroline St. Clair was enough to
set me off. Not surprising considering all the shit she pulled or tried to pull
on us, including her misguided attempt to claim Ethan as her own. Despite all
that, we’d managed to come through everything relatively unscathed. Plus we had
a new friend to show for the experience in the form of Troy McGarrett, the
popular and very handsome actor, whom we’d introduced to his new significant
other, Brendan Muldoon. So it wasn’t entirely time wasted.
I decided to put past history aside and focus on
Ethan instead of dwelling on what couldn’t be changed. What was going through
his head right now? He was about to see the uncle who’d been kicked out of the
family for being gay, thanks to Ethan’s homophobic preacher father. And under
less than agreeable circumstances. I wasn’t sure how old Ethan had been at the
time, but something like that was bound to have an effect on someone as
sensitive as my Ethan. Just what was going on here? Who or what were we
protecting this man from? Would this be a joyous family reunion or something
far more sinister?
We’d read the file Anderson had given us before we
left the house, but the information it contained was sketchy at best. It was
hard to be completely objective when a member of Ethan’s family was involved.
Color me surprised that the two of us had been given the case to work, all
things considered. I would have thought that wouldn’t be allowed. But then
again, we didn’t exactly fly by the same rules as other organizations, so maybe
that made it okay? I didn’t know, and right now that didn’t really matter.
We entered the elevator in silence. Ethan had
insisted on carrying our bag and I didn’t argue. I figured it gave him
something to do with some of his nervous energy. He pressed the button then
reached for my hand and I squeezed it in what I hoped was a reassuring fashion.
“How long since you’ve seen him?” I asked.
“It’s been ten years,” Ethan replied, a slight frown
marring his perfect features. “I was about sixteen when my father found out. On
the same day he learned that Benny was gay and that it was his boyfriend that
got him sent to prison. I’ll never forget the way he yelled at Benny. Told him
to get out of his house and never come back. And he didn’t.”
Wow, double whammy. And look how well Joseph Thorne
handled that situation. In stereotypical ministerial style. He’d cast out his
wife’s brother for being someone he couldn’t or wouldn’t understand. Hadn’t he
tried to do the same to me? That hadn’t worked out as well for him this time.
“Did he know you were gay too? I mean your uncle,
not your father.” Obviously the minister did not, as I well knew. That coming
out had taken place just recently, when Ethan’s mother had a small stroke and
he and I had gone to Georgia to see her. That scene had not been fun, so I
could only imagine what Benny had had to go through at the hands of his tyrannical
brother-in-law.
“I never had the chance to tell him. I mean, I
barely understood how I felt about my sexuality myself, much less feel secure
enough to confide in anyone about it. And when I saw my father’s reaction to my
uncle, I was too terrified to say anything to anyone. So I just hid the truth
from my family.” Ethan’s voice seemed to choke on his last words.
This was not what I’d wanted when I started this
conversation. Was this elevator being extra slow or was that just my
imagination? We reached the floor at last and I heard the bell ding our
arrival. I stepped into the doorway to prevent the doors from closing as I
turned to Ethan.
“If you don’t want to tell him now, I’ll understand.
Especially under—“
“Hush,” Ethan said promptly. He drew a deep breath,
his voice its usual rich, confident timber. “I know what you’re offering and I
won’t do it. My uncle is going to know who you are and what you mean to me. I
will never hide you from my family ever again, Vinnie. This I swear to you.”
My heart swelled at his words. We exited the
elevator, consulting the numbers on the wall as to which way the room we sought
lay, then turned toward our right. Just a couple of doors down, Ethan set down
the case and knocked on the door in the pre-arranged signal. I could hear
movement inside the room. Moments later, the door opened and there stood the
man from the photo himself. He seemed both relieved and happy to see us. Well,
Ethan.
Before either one of us could say a word, he’d
enveloped Ethan in a great big bear hug, lifting him from his feet. I stood
back and watched the joyous family reunion with a little bit of envy, I have to
admit.
to be continued
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