Thai- Troubled Read online

  He shook his head, “No.” He said firmly, “I’ve never agreed to marry anyone. There’s only one person who I’d ever consider marrying – and that’s you.”

  I blinked. What? Jesus, he sure as hell was full of surprises today, “Was that a proposal?” I asked, with a little smile.

  He grinned back at me, rolling his eyes at my ridiculousness, “No.” he said, “I’d like my proposal to be a massive, overblown gesture that makes everyone go ‘wow!’”

  I grinned at him, “Yeah,” I agreed, “I’d like it to be like that too.” Particularly since he’d never believed in it before…

  “Watch this space.” He said with a wink, “But right now – I have to confront the old bastard.”

  “I’ll come with you.” I said.

  He blinked, “You don’t have to do that.” He said.

  I nodded, “yes, I do.” I said firmly, “You’re my boyfriend and I will stand by your side through everything from now on.”

  He smiled, “Thank you.” He said, “Have I told you that I love you?”

  “Not today.” I said.

  He leaned in and kissed me, “Well, my bad.” He said, “I love you.”

  I smiled at him dreamily, “I love you right back.” I murmured.

  Chapter 20 – Meeting the folks…

  Thai

  I wasn’t sure it was such a good idea for Quentin to join me to visit my parents’ home but he was adamant that he came with me – and to be perfectly honest, I really didn’t want to face them alone.

  We were shown through to the drawing room by Roberts and were served with tea and scones.

  Quentin’s jaw had dropped when someone had come through with a silver tray. I felt horribly embarrassed. “I’m so sorry.” I whispered.

  He squeezed my hand but I shook him off as soon as my father came bursting through the doors. If I could get through this meeting without him having any idea about my relationship with Q, the better it would be for us both.

  I wasn’t quick enough however and my father’s keen eye saw us holding hands before I broke the contact. “And who is this?” he asked, sneering at us both.

  Fuck it. I was who I was, whether he liked it or not and granted, I hadn’t actually asked Q to be my husband yet, but it was what I wanted – and I was pretty sure it was what Q wanted too.

  “I’d like you to meet, Quentin.” I said, “My fiancé.” I was elated at the look of shocked horror on his face. I’d actually stood up to my father for the first time in my life…

  His jaw had gone slack and he looked utterly flabbergasted, “But, but… he’s a man.” He said, sounding as disgusted as he possibly could.

  “Oh, well spotted.” Quentin murmured sarcastically, making me want to laugh out loud.

  I nodded, “He is.” I said, “Best man I’ve ever met in my life.”

  Dad’s eyes almost popped out of his head, “But, but… you can’t do that.” He spluttered.

  I raised an eyebrow, “I beg your pardon?” I asked, “I can do exactly as I please. I’m twenty-six years old now, Father – and I make my own decisions.” At last, I’d met the person who made it possible to believe that…

  “Over my dead body.” He growled.

  Oh, this old chestnut again? I yawned and shrugged my shoulders, “This conversation is getting a bit old, Father.” I said, “I’ve put up with your ridiculous plans for years. I told you when I was eighteen that I couldn’t marry your business partner’s daughter. You never asked why – and I wondered then if you knew deep down why I couldn’t but you just couldn’t bear what the answer might be if you asked.” I was breathing hard. Dad was just staring at me, a tic going in his jaw. He was furious. I could see it in his face that he was only just holding it together. He didn’t care about me – he just cared about money and expanding his wealth. I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing… “Well, the reason, if you actually needed an explanation, although, I think it’s quite clear now,” I turned to Q and smiled, “Is because I’m gay, Father.”

  My father paled. Q stepped a little closer to me.

  “I will not tolerate this, Archibald.” My father snapped.

  I snorted. I’d been Thai for so long now that I’d almost forgotten that my given name was Archibald. I wondered what Quentin was making of the conversation. I chanced a glance his way. He was watching us both with a look of mildly interested curiosity. Bless him. He was amazing. “And that is the most ridiculous way you could possibly address me.” I said, “I had my name changed by deed poll when I was nineteen. My name is Thai.”

  My father let out a reasonably impressive snort of his own, “I will never call you that.”

  I shrugged, “And I will never conform to your ideals.” I said, “I think we’re done here.” I looked at Quentin and nodded towards the door, “We’re leaving.”

  Quentin nodded and took my hand in his.

  My father looked us up and down with utter revulsion in his face, “You are no longer a son of mine.” He spat.

  I shrugged and nodded, “That’s no great surprise,” I said, “and no great loss, either. I haven’t been for a while.” I said softly, “Goodbye Father.” I actually felt very little for him. He’d been no father to me over the years. I’d always been a commodity rather than a son.

  “I’ll cut you out of the will!” Father shouted after me.

  I turned and look at him. “Fill your boots.” I said with a shrug, “I don’t need your money, Dad. I’ve got plenty of my own, thanks to some really canny investments and a knack for spotting a fabulous deal when I see it. I’m more of a chip off the old block than I’m really comfortable admitting to.” I chuckled, “You might even be proud of me if you could see past the fact that I was gay but I know that’s never gonna happen – and I don’t expect you to – or for you to accept me.” Heading for the door as fast as my legs would carry me, I pretty much dragged Quentin outside to where my car was parked.

  “Archibald?” Quentin asked, “Really?”

  I grimaced. I might have known he’d want to poke fun at me for that one, “Yup.” I said, “So not cool – not like your fabulous name.”

  He wrinkled his nose, “I always hated my name – until you called me Q.”

  My heart melted. I wrapped him up in my arms and kissed him, right there, right outside my parents’ house. “I love you Q.” I said, “Will you marry me?”

  Quentin nodded, beaming all over his face, “I will.” He said, “I really will.”

  Chapter 21 – Wedding plans…

  Quentin

  Later on that evening, we were lying together in my bed, fingers entwined and curled up into each other. We’d just made the most perfect love together and I was feeling totally blissed out.

  Thai sighed and it made me wonder if he was as cool about his altercation with his father earlier in the day as he’d made out.

  I decided it was time to broach the subject. But how was I supposed to do that? Suddenly inspiration struck. It was the truth but it was also loosely related…

  “Arthur wanted me to find my mother and make things up with her.” I said quietly, “It wasn’t a condition of the will or anything. I don’t have to – but he wanted me to.”

  Thai shifted so he was leaning up on his elbow. He looked at me, a slight frown on his face, “Okay,” he said, “And uh, what do you want to do about that?”

  I shrugged, “I don’t know.” It was true. I had no idea what I really wanted to do about it. My feelings towards my mother were conflicted to say the least.

  He smiled at me, “You’ve obviously been thinking about it.” He said, “Or you wouldn’t be bringing it up.”

  I looked up at him and nodded, “I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently – and seeing you and your dad today has made me think about it even more…” I bit my lip, “What are you going to do about your parents?” I asked.

  He frowned at me, “It’s hardly the same thing…” he said, a little defensively.

  I shrugged
again. “It’s not so different.” I pointed out, “They’ve treated you badly – or at least, your dad has. My mother treated me badly…”

  He sighed, “You mother chose an abusive partner over her teenage son. She made a mistake.”

  I looked at him incredulously, “She let that bastard throw me out of my home. She totally let me down. I was on the streets! I was willing to sell my body to survive – at least your parents gave you everything money could buy!”

  It was his turn to look at me incredulously, “That’s as maybe.” He said, “But money really isn’t everything.”

  I raised my eyebrows, “Try telling someone who doesn’t have any.” I murmured, earning myself a scowl.

  “They were trying to force me into marriage!” he said hotly, “They knew that what they were asking of me was unreasonable even if I had been straight. I wasn’t interested in her – or in any other woman – or man that they wanted to choose for me, for that matter!”

  I sighed. I didn’t really know why I was arguing their corner – and I seriously didn’t want to get into a fight about whose parents were the worst, “I don’t want to find her.” I said quietly, “I feel that I deserve better than that.”

  He nodded, pulling me into his strong arms and giving me a big hug, “Me too.” He said, “I want our real family around us for the wedding – the guys from Studs and your friends from uni. That’s enough family for me. Some people don’t get to choose – but we do.”

  I nodded, smiling at him, “That sounds perfect to me.”

  Epilogue

  The wedding…

  Thai

  “Who’s going to give you away?”

  I looked up to find Buzz standing there, looking slightly awkward and red in the face.

  “No one,” I scoffed, “Why would I need someone to give me away? I’m not a fucking bride, mate – I’m a groom!”

  He blinked, “Oh…” he sounded disappointed. What was eating him up?

  I frowned, “What the hell are you getting at, man?” I asked, “I feel like I’m missing something here…?”

  He went pink, “Nothing…”

  My frown became a scowl. Was this some kind of cheap shot at me for wanting my boyfriend to top me? “Who’s said something?” I growled. He knew… I knew it and he knew I knew it…

  “Franz and Quentin are good friends…” he spluttered, “Franz said something and I wondered…”

  “What did you wonder?” I ground out. Holy shit. Had Quentin actually told Franz about what we did in bed? Surely not…

  Buzz looked at me almost shyly. What the fuck was going on here? I was totally confused now. “Maybe I got the terminology wrong. What I meant was, would you like me to be your best man?” he asked.

  Ohhh. That made far more sense. I hadn’t expected that… But I had no brothers to ask – and I really didn’t have a whole lot of close friends either. I was mostly friendly with Alfie and Harley but I couldn’t choose between those two. Buzz and I had kind of bonded over the whole fire at the uni thing. “Would you do that for me?” I asked.

  He beamed at me and nodded, “Franz is being one of Quentin’s because his eldest brother can’t make it – they’re going to see Tony’s family in Canada – it was booked months ago and we had no idea.” He said excitedly, “And the idea of dressing up in the same top hat and tails as him really appealed to me.”

  Top hat and tails? Fuck me… When was Quentin actually plan on telling me about the wedding plans?

  I smiled, “Sounds fantastic.” I said, “Let me get back to you once I’ve spoken to Q.”

  Buzz nodded, still looking delighted to be able to dress up.

  I finally managed to catch up with Q a little later on in the day when he came in to see me.

  “What have you been talking to Franz about?” I asked, trying my best not to look like I was pissed off at him but failing miserably. “And did you actually tell him that you topped me?”

  His jaw dropped, “No!” he exclaimed indignantly, “Why on earth would you think I’d told him that?”

  “Just something Buzz said,” I mumbled, feeling my face heating up. Of course Q wouldn’t talk about our sex life. I was losing my mind…

  Quentin shook his head and gently took my chin, forcing me to look at him, “I would never tell anyone about our love life.” He said softly, stroking his fingertips across my lips before he leaned forward and did the same with the tip of his tongue and making my cock go hard in an instant, “because it’s no one’s business but ours.”

  I nodded. Deep down, I didn’t honestly think he would but I was still insecure enough to worry, “It’s just that he’s your best friend…”

  Quentin shook his head, “He’s a good friend,” he corrected, “But you’re my best friend.”

  I smiled, “I’m your lover.” I corrected him right back.

  He shrugged, “Best friend, lover, almost-husband – you’re all of the above and I couldn’t love you more.”

  I sighed, “Oh, Q,” I said, wrapping him up in my arms and giving him a massive hug, “I love you so much.”

  He grinned up at me, “And I love you too,” he said.

  “So, we’re wearing full formal attire, huh?” I asked.

  Quentin looked a little like a rabbit caught in headlights, “Do you mind?” he asked, biting his lip.

  I shook my head, “Not at all – but what’s all this I hear about Buzz and Franz doing it on the same day – is that an exaggeration on my best man’s part?”

  He grinned and shook his head, “Actually no.” he said, “Franz is being my best man – and I’m going to be one of his, with his brother Eduard – and it kind of makes sense to have the party at Studs afterwards – if that’s cool with you, too?”

  I smiled, “Sounds amazing.” I said. Studs wasn’t like a place of work – it was more like our daily social club and I couldn’t think of a better place to have all of our family and friends join us for our special day. I wasn’t returning the favour of being Buzz’s best man because that duty went to his brother, Simon…

  It was going to be one hell of a party…

  *

  Finally, it was our big day… I’d never met any of Franz’s family – well, why would I? I wasn’t all that close to Buzz and Quentin was the one who was mates with Franz, but if I’d known what a total wanker Franz’s brother, Eduard was, I’d have kicked his arse and thrown him out. I appreciated that Buzz couldn’t since he was now family, but I wasn’t…

  Eduard wasn’t unpleasant to look at. He was actually very attractive – but his personality left a lot to be desired.

  He wasn’t so much as grumpy. It was more that his face seemed to be in a permanent sneer. I didn’t think it was that he was terribly homophobic. He didn’t have the look about him that my father had – but he had some sort of issue. Maybe he was closeted or something because he’d totally come with another guy as his plus one and they seemed to have a very friendly relationship…

  Franz was totally oblivious and threw his arms around his brother, pretty much hugging the life out of him. I watched them intently. Eduard was quick to disentangle himself from his brother but there was no denying that he looked pleased to see him and he’d been very quick to introduce the guy he was with. Well, at least he was human…

  It was nerve-wracking watching Buzz and Franz tie the knot, knowing that it was my turn next.

  Their vows were obviously their own though – and mine were mine.

  I was really stoked that Buzz was going to be stood at the side of me – it all seemed far more intense somehow, knowing that he’d only been through the exact same thing in the last hour.

  Buzz’s and Franz’s wedding seemed to pass in a total blur. I was just waiting for our time.

  Finally, it arrived. Buzz was beaming all over his face, sporting his new wedding band (that as far as I was aware was a fine, white gold) with the utmost pride.

  “You’ve got the rings, haven’t you?” I checked with him for a
bout the millionth time.

  He chuckled, “Yes, you dork.” He said, “I’ve got them right here. You could have halved your stress if he’d got yours and you’d only got his to worry about – you do know that, don’t you?”

  I nodded. Yes. I did – and I was suffering from the slightest feeling of discomfort that I was actually treating Quentin like a bride – but he deserved it. I wanted to treat him like a princess. He was my Christmas miracle and always would be. I adored him and I wanted to treat him the way he deserved every single day.

  Buzz grinned at me and we walked into the registry office together.

  There was my beautiful Q waiting for me, looking utterly stunning in his morning suit. Oh, my God. I’d thought I looked pretty damned good in mine – but Quentin in his. Words would never be enough to describe how I felt in that moment. I would never forget this day for as long as I lived.

  He walked over to me with the biggest grin on his beautiful face, “Ready?” he asked.

  I nodded, “I’ve never been readier for anything in my life.” I assured him, “Let’s do this thing!”

  He chuckled, “This way.” He said.

  The ceremony was everything I wanted it to be and more. My only twinge of regret was that my mother wasn’t there to see me marry the person I loved more than anything else in the world. I was quite sure she wasn’t the same as my father in his beliefs. I was sure she’d be happy for me. I had a feeling that she’d turn up but disappointingly, she hadn’t turned up even though I’d sent her an invitation, just like Quentin had relented and sent his mother one, too…Neither of them had turned up.

  We were having the reception at Studs – in a joint celebration with Buzz and Franz. Well, it totally made sense – we couldn’t stop the general public from enjoying the place twice in the same week – there’d be a total outcry.

  The DJ was one of our good mates and he knew our favourite songs.