A Chance at Love

by Silvia Violet

  Darren gave Chance a sympathetic look. He smiled in return, then said, “My parents are too busy for clubs, except of course the local cattlemen’s association. My mother is the current president.”

  “Your mother?” In Mrs. Smithfork’s world, women spent money or gave it away. That was all.

  “Yes.”

  Chance’s face had gone blanker than Darren had ever seen it. He couldn’t read him at all. That could not be good.

  “And what does your father do?”

  “They run the ranch together,” Chance said, his words flat, accent nearly nonexistent now.

  “So why are you in California instead of back there with the cattle?”

  “I’m working on my PhD in biological sciences at UC San Diego.”

  Mrs. Smithfork drew in her breath, obviously shocked that a cattle rancher had achieved such academic success.

  “Oh. Oh, well. That’s…nice.” Something over Chance’s shoulder arrested her attention. “Is that Jeannette Lawson?”

  “Yes, I believe it is,” Darren said.

  “Really? What is she doing here?”

  Stay calm. “She’s one of our largest donors.”

  “Is she just? Well, I suppose I must speak to her, then. Excuse me.”

  Before Chance could step out of the way, she pushed past him, moving faster than many ladies her age could. Darren just stared after her. If she didn’t give so much money…

  “That was…interesting,” Chance said.

  Darren laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

  Chance just shrugged, but Darren could tell the confidence he’d gained since they arrived had taken a hit.

  “More champagne?”

  Chance shook his head. “I think I need something stronger after that. You go on. I’ll find the bar and get myself something.”

  Darren didn’t want to leave him. “Are you sure? I don’t mind—”

  “You need to greet people. I’ll be fine.”

  “Chance, I’m really sorry about—”

  “It’s all right. You warned me.”

  It was not all right. But Darren didn’t know how to fix it. “They’re not all like that. I swear.”

  “You’d have a hell of a job if they were.”

  Darren grimaced. “I certainly would. I’ll find you in a few minutes, all right?”

  “Take your time.”

  Darren watched Chance disappear into the growing crowd. This was not how he’d wanted the evening to go. He prayed he could salvage it.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Chance found the bar and joined the queue of tuxedoed men and women in long glittering dresses. His tux fit perfectly, better than anything he’d ever owned. Angela had certainly not led him astray.

  “I haven’t seen you before at one of these parties.” He turned around to see a woman with long dark hair and even darker eyes; in fact, her coloring was much like Darren’s.

  “I’m here with Darren.”

  “The Darren? Darren Walsh?”

  Chance nodded. “That’s the one.”

  “Well, isn’t he lucky?”

  “Um…”

  “Sorry. Sometimes I have a lack-of-filter problem at this kind of thing.” She gestured around at the glittering and tuxedoed guests.

  “That’s okay,” Chance said. “And Darren’s a great guy, so I consider myself lucky.”

  She tilted her head to the side as if considering that. “I suppose so. He is one of the most sought-after men in the city.”

  Chance imagined that was true, but he never thought about Darren like that.

  The woman held out her hand. “I’m Caitlin.”

  As they shook, Chance said, “I’m Chance. It’s nice to meet you. So how did you end up here tonight?” Chance realized too late that might be a rude question. “If you don’t mind my asking, that is.”

  “I’m Darren’s niece.”

  Chance sputtered. “Oh, wow. I didn’t realize.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t worry about that, and it’s almost a technicality. My father is Darren’s brother, but he and my mother were only married for about forty-five seconds. My father has never been a big part of my life. But Mom and Darren stayed friends, and we became close after I came out.”

  Came out. And Chance had arrogantly assumed she was flirting with him. Shit. “That’s awesome. Were you at the LGBT center auction?”

  She shook her head. “I was out of town, or I would have been.” She paused to take a sip of the cocktail in her hand. “So how did you meet Darren?”

  “We met on a plane, actually, when I was on my way back to school. I sat next to him. We started talking and…” Chance doubted she wanted any more details.

  “That’s adorable. It’s like the start of a rom-com.”

  Chance’s cheeks felt hot, and he hoped he wasn’t blushing too fiercely. “What about you? Are you in school or…?”

  “No, much to my mother’s horror. I couldn’t find a direction I liked and felt like I was just wasting time, so I dropped out. I’m working for the foundation now.”

  “So you work with Darren?”

  “I do.”

  A woman came rushing up to them before either of them could say anything else.

  “Caitlin, we need your help. There’s an issue with one of the photographers.”

  “Sorry,” Caitlin said, turning to Chance. “Duty calls. It was nice meeting you.”

  “Nice meeting you too,” Chance said.

  After she left, he couldn’t stop wondering why Darren hadn’t told him about Caitlin. He had to have known there was the chance of them meeting at the party.

  He reached the front of the line shortly thereafter, ordered a Cape Cod, and sipped from it as he surveyed the room full of people he didn’t know. If he’d been at a party with other students or dancers or really anyone else he was used to interacting with, he wouldn’t have any trouble finding someone to talk to. He was extroverted and rarely shy, but he felt inadequate to start a conversation with anyone there.

  He glanced around, looking for someone who was at least close to his age, like Caitlin. Talking to them might be easier, but most people looked older than Darren. He made his way to the side of the room, where several people were leaning against the wall and using their phones. If he joined them, he risked looking like a bored kid, so he stepped onto the patio. No one else seemed to be out there, though, so he settled on a bench tucked into the corner of the building to finish his drink. He probably should’ve gotten two while he was there.

  As he contemplated going back inside, three women stepped onto the patio. He couldn’t see them well in the low light, but it looked like an older woman and two women close to Darren’s age, one wearing pink and the other in a dark color that might have been black.

  “That feels much better,” Pink Dress said. “It’s way too hot in there.”

  Black Dress spoke next. “Back to what I was saying before. Did you see his date? Is he even legal?”

  The older woman laughed. “He’s at least twenty-one, surely.”

  “Maybe,” Black Dress said. “Darren’s usually so stuffy. Maybe the boy will loosen him up.”

  Chance nearly dropped his glass. They were talking about him.

  “Where do you think Darren found him?” the older woman asked.

  Pink Dress moved toward Chance, and he stayed as still as he could, praying she wouldn’t come close enough to see him. “He looks all farm-bred.”

  “Maybe Darren hired him from the set of some Western.”

  They all laughed at this. Chance took slow, careful breaths, trying to quell his churning stomach. He’d known a lot of people wouldn’t understand his relationship with Darren. These women were just being catty, but God, it hurt.

  “His mother would be appalled.” This came from the older woman.

  “His brother too,” Black Dress said. “Not that Darren would care.”

  The older woman tsked. “He does do a lot of good with the
foundation, but it’s a shame he cares so little for the family reputation.”

  “He does, but he might do better if he made a strong connection to another family like his own.”

  They continued to talk, but Chance could no longer hear them, partly because they’d migrated to the far side of the patio, but mostly because his pulse was pounding in his ears.

  He considered sending Darren a text, telling him he was leaving, but he’d promised he’d try. Hopefully dinner would be starting soon. He’d have Darren next to him. Surely, he could make it through the meal and awards presentation.

  And then what? Darren wasn’t likely to be able to leave immediately afterward.

  Maybe he’d feel better by then. Or maybe a hole would open up and swallow him. At least then he wouldn’t have to run like a coward.

  He looked down at his empty glass. He was definitely getting another drink because he was nowhere near buzzed enough to deal with any more of this fucking snobbery.

  ***

  As if things weren’t going badly enough, Mrs. Smithfork was seated at Darren’s table. Thanks to the power of alcohol, Chance made it through the meal without strangling her, though he had to lay a hand on Darren’s arm more than once to hold him back. Fortunately, while it meant she did a lot of shushing of her tablemates, she took being quiet during the after-dinner speeches very seriously. People from various charities that received grants from the foundation talked about their work. Then Darren and his vice president, Hualing Chen, honored each of the five top donors to the foundation.

  Mrs. Smithfork was the final honoree. As she made her way back to the table, Darren took the podium once more to say, “Thank you all for coming. Feel free to linger over dessert if you’d like, and we hope to see you at all of our fundraisers this year.”

  After a round of applause, a steady murmur of conversation filled the room. By the time Darren returned to the table, Chance was dying to get out of there. How long would it be until they could? His face hurt from smiling so much, and he was a generally cheerful person, at least when he wasn’t being insulted. How did Darren do this all the time?

  Darren leaned against him, his breath warm along the outer edge of Chance’s ear. “You holding up okay?”

  Chance nodded, and the movement made the room spin a bit. How many drinks had he had?

  “I’m a little bit drunk,” he said, hoping he was talking as softly as he meant to.

  Darren chuckled. “I can tell.”

  “I’m sorry.” He hoped he’d been as controlled as he’d thought during dinner.

  “No, it’s fine.” Darren kissed his forehead. “You’re miserable, aren’t you?”

  He hadn’t wanted Darren to know. “Does it show that badly?”

  “To me, not to anyone else.”

  “I met your niece.” Shit. He’d meant to wait until they were home to bring that up.

  “Oh. I should have—”

  “What are you two whispering about?” Mrs. Smithfork asked. “Didn’t your mothers teach you not to do that?”

  “We were discussing a private matter,” Darren said, his tone firm. “I’m afraid Chance isn’t feeling very well. I’m going to walk him out and arrange for a car to take him home.”

  Chance hadn’t meant for Darren to do that. “You don’t have to—”

  “Yes, I do,” Darren insisted.

  Chance pushed back from the table. “It was lovely meeting all of you.”

  Mrs. Smithfork sniffed, but everyone else smiled, and several of them shook his hand. Betsy Lang, another of the honorees, even gave him a hug.

  “Don’t mind her,” Mrs. Lang said, tilting her head toward Mrs. Smithfork. “She’s always like that.”

  Chance smiled. “So I’ve heard.”

  “He’s a keeper.” Mrs. Lang patted Darren on the arm.

  “I agree.” Darren was smiling, but could he really mean that when it was so obvious Chance didn’t belong there?

  “I was willing to stay as long as you have to,” Chance said as they walked toward the door. Though as unsteady as he was, he wasn’t sure he’d be conscious much longer.

  “I don’t know how long I’ll have to linger. You’ve had a long evening already. Go home, relax, and when I get there, I’ll see what I can do to make things better.”

  By home Darren meant his house. Chance didn’t want to be there alone, not when he was feeling so uncertain. “I should go back to my own place. I have a lot of work—”

  “You’re not in any shape to work now. Please stay the night with me.”

  He had planned to, and he didn’t have a reason for changing his mind that wouldn’t hurt Darren’s feelings. “All right, but I can call my own car.”

  “The driver who brought us can take you home and come back for me. It’s not a problem.”

  Chance didn’t feel like arguing. His head was already starting to hurt. He was going to have one hell of a hangover.

  Darren waited with Chance until the driver pulled around. “Thank you for being here.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  When Darren opened the door for Chance and tried to help him into the car, Chance protested. “I’m not that drunk.”

  “Maybe not, but I’m that overprotective.” He kissed Chance lightly, pulling back before Chance was ready to let him go. Damn the man for being so charming.

  “I’ll see you as soon as I can.”

  Chance merely nodded, not trusting his voice to stay steady. Darren pushed the door closed, and the driver pulled away.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Chance barely remembered Darren coming in after he’d fallen asleep. But Darren was spooning him now, his body warm, his cock pressing into the seam of Chance’s ass. On another morning, he would’ve turned over and woken Darren or slid down under the covers and begun his day with a blowjob. They’d have fucked and pretended everything was fine despite the shitty night Chance had had. Maybe things actually would have been fine. But Chance’s mouth was full of fuzz, and something seemed to be banging on the inside of his skull. He barely managed to move out from under Darren’s arm without his stomach revolting.

  After using the bathroom, he somehow made it downstairs without his head exploding. He fed Roger, who seemed concerned by his pathetic state, then figured out how to work the coffee pot. The first careful sips from his mug didn’t result in disaster, so he downed the rest and poured himself another cup.

  When he’d gotten back the night before, he’d taken Roger on a long walk, which had sobered him up. But after they returned to the house, he’d begun to worry about what Darren would say when he returned, so he’d started drinking again. He watched a movie as he polished off one vodka lemonade after another. Darren still hadn’t come back when it ended. Drunk and depressed, he’d crawled into Darren’s bed and cried himself to sleep.

  He hoped to God today would be better. He was contemplating getting something to eat when the doorbell rang.

  Roger went crazy, barking and jumping. Finally, Chance managed to grab his collar and pull him away from the door.

  Should he answer it? If Darren were expecting someone, wouldn’t he have set his alarm so he’d be awake? He wondered why the noise hadn’t woken Darren, but then he realized the shower was running.

  The bell rang again.

  Still holding Roger’s collar, Chance checked the peephole. The man who stood there looked so much like Darren, Chance could hardly believe it. It had to be Darren’s brother, and clearly, he wasn’t going away.

  Chance managed to lure Roger to the den with a treat and his favorite chew toy. He closed Roger in, and then, after a deep breath, he opened the front door.

  Darren’s brother looked him up and down with a sneer that would’ve done Mrs. Smithfork proud. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Darren’s boyfriend.”

  His brother laughed. “Boyfriend? You hardly look old enough to be my daughter’s boyfriend, not that she’ll have anything to do with boys. Far too influenced by her u
ncle.”

  “Her uncle adores boys.” Shit. He shouldn’t have said that.

  “I’m all too aware of that.”

  Chance wanted to tell him to fuck off. Instead, he stepped back. “Would you like to come in?”

  “Where’s Darren?”

  “In the sh—”

  “Right here.”

  Chance turned to see Darren on the stairs, hair wet, wearing nothing but a pair of running shorts that left nothing to the imagination. If his brother hadn’t been there, Chance might have jumped him on the stairs.

  “Mitch. You’re early.”

  “You knew he was coming?” Once again, Chance wished he’d kept his mouth shut.

  “I knew he was coming later today.”

  Later as in after Chance would’ve been gone.

  “I had no idea I’d be interrupting something so significant.” Mitch’s tone said he thought it was anything but.

  “Chance is just—”

  “Your boyfriend, or so he says.”

  Darren froze. Chance waited for him to say something, but Darren just stared at his brother as if he had no idea how to respond.

  His silence hurt more than Chance would’ve guessed it could. Worse than anything Mrs. Smithfork or the catty women on the patio had said the night before. Worse than cutting remarks from any of the men he’d thought himself in love with before. Darren’s lack of response knocked the air from him like he’d fallen a long way and hit bottom. He tried to walk away, but his legs wouldn’t work.

  “You could’ve called,” Darren said as if Mitch had never mentioned Chance. “Then at least I would’ve been dressed.”

  “Would the boy have been dressed too?”

  “That’s enough. Go amuse yourself in the kitchen while I—”

  “I was just going.” Chance finally found his voice.

  Darren startled like he’d just remembered Chance was there. “Chance, you—”

  “I’d planned to leave after breakfast anyway.”

  “But you haven’t had—”

  “I’m fine.” Chance fled upstairs before he said something that would embarrass them both.

  ***

  As Darren watched Chance go, he realized he’d fucked up. Badly. “I smell coffee. Go pour yourself a cup.”