“No. But she is expecting me to bring a date. I asked all of my single female friends. Stacey agreed to go with me because her wife, Phoebe, was going to be out of town. But she tripped over one of Phoebe’s dogs and broke her foot. Apparently she’s going to need surgery, so that leaves me out in the cold.” James finished the martini and was tempted to order another, but it was only four in the afternoon, and starting on a good drunk this early probably wasn’t a good idea.
“Just tell them. Rip off the duct tape from your closet door and be done with it.” He shrugged as though that were the answer to everything.
“How long have you known me? You met my parents, remember? Four years ago. You came with me to my grandmother’s funeral. How do you think they’ll deal with the fact that their son is gay? Do you expect us all to go skipping merrily down the Yellow Brick Road?” He knew he was being flip, but it was true. “Besides, it’s for six days. If I can find someone to go with me, Mom will stop worrying about me being alone forever, and I can come back to my life here. It’s that simple. Or it would be, if I could find someone to go.” James ate his olives, enjoying the alcohol mixed with the brine. “Maybe I could tell them that my date got sick or something. But—”
The smile slid off Randy’s face. “That will probably get you a pass at the wedding, but it won’t keep her off your back for long. She’ll want to meet your girl eventually, and if you don’t come through, she’ll start fixing you up.” Randy understood the situation better than James thought he would. “I can see her signing you up for ChristianMingle.com or something,” he added, finishing his martini. Then he leaned back and stared up toward the ceiling.
“What are you doing?”
“Thinking.” He waved his hands, which told James he wanted him to be quiet and just sit prettily. James drank his water and reached for one of the snack menus.
Randy pulled it out of his hand. “That stuff will sit on your hips and take root.” He leaned back once again, then scratched his head and grinned. Pulling out his phone, he sent a message, stood, and held up a finger to say he’d be right back.
James looked out the large front windows as Randy spoke with someone for a few minutes, before he returned and sat back down. “You owe me big-time for this. But I think I found someone.” Randy motioned for the check, and their server brought over the charge slip. He signed the bill, thanking her again.
“You need to go home and dress up a little. Wear something nice. I’ll be at your place by seven to pick you up.” Randy seemed so damned pleased with himself, and James started to sweat.
“Who is it?”
“Don’t ask questions, just do it. I’ll see you in a few hours.” Randy made shooing motions, and James left the bar. He had learned a long time ago that Randy thought outside the box and had a flair for the dramatic. That was the reason he’d called him in the first place. James was desperate, after all.
* * *
At seven, he was ready, dressed in a navy blue polo shirt and chinos. When Randy messaged him, James went down and got into Randy’s BMW sedan. “Where are we going?” James asked. “Did you find someone for me? Maybe your sister?”
“Just hold your horses.” Randy pulled out of the driveway and drove toward the freeway. “Do you want to do this or not? If so, then put yourself in my capable hands.”
James sat back. Randy would tell him sooner or later. And there was nothing James could do, short of a formal police interrogation, to get him to talk before he was ready. “I just wondered why I had to dress up.” Hopefully, if he got Randy talking, his friend might let something slip.
“It won’t kill you to wear something other than jeans and a T-shirt. You look nice, by the way.” Randy turned onto the freeway on-ramp heading toward the city. James loved Randy’s car. It rode as smooth as glass and the seats were plush. He squirmed a little to get comfortable and then watched the familiar scenery outside the windows.
Traffic slowed as they approached the bypass and then sped up again when they were past it. Most of the cars were heading out of the city, and Randy exited the freeway, taking side streets to avoid the inevitable tangle of traffic near the downtown exits. “Are we going to a club?”
“Just sit back and put your cop curiosity on hold for a little while. Trust me. We’re going to have a good time.” Randy glanced over at him and grinned, making James a bit nervous about what Randy had up his sleeve. “We’re going to meet someone who might agree to go to the wedding with you. Just be cool, and I’ll introduce you… I promise. Now chill out so we can have a little fun.”