11. Gregory
CHAPTER 11
GREGORY
It had been a horrendous few days, and the last thing Gregory felt like doing was celebrating the New Year. His best friends had insisted, so he was crammed into Madame Hoes – a cabaret club owned by Joey Raynor, who was Eric’s older brother. Langdon had worked here for years, but recently quit to work on their new venture in the city, which was coming along wonderfully.
He was supposed to be with Oscar, but after his mother had made her feelings quite clear, he knew it was best to walk away. He’d needed to make a deal with the literal devil to settle Barty’s debt, and not a word of thanks from his parents or his brother. Was he surprised? No. Did it still hurt? Yes. It was probably for the best that he didn’t get married to Oscar. Gregory had never had chemistry with anyone like that in his life, and he doubted he ever would again, but Oscar confused him. He couldn’t process all the different feelings he was having, and he didn’t like that. Gregory needed simplicity and predictability in his life. His friends brought enough drama. He didn’t need his own as well.
“Daddy, can you get me another drink?”
Speaking of drama, Jason had gone AWOL for four days, re-emerging glued to Patrick, who was Sebastian’s best friend. He was in his forties, and a giant bear of a man, who gave off major daddy vibes. He and Jason had been doing this dance around each other ever since Charlie and Sebastian met back in March, but this was the first time Gregory had seen them being openly affectionate to each other.
Patrick kissed Jason gently on the temple. He practically vibrated, then Patrick asked whether anyone else wanted a drink before heading to the bar with Sebastian and Max. Eric was working behind the bar tonight, so it left the five of them together, with no boyfriends.
“Come on, spill it,” said Charlie. “What’s going on with you and Patrick?”
“We’re together now.”
Charlie smiled, as did Paolo. Langdon frowned.
“What’s got you looking like that, grumps?” asked Jason.
“And you’re okay with the whole daddy thing?”
“We’re giving it a go. Seeing if it works for us.”
“Jason, I love you,” said Charlie. “But if you break that man’s heart, I’ll bitch slap you so hard.”
“I’m not going to hurt him. I’m just not sure if the boy thing is right for me and he knows that. He can just be a daddy in the bedroom. And let me tell you this, I have never been fucked so good in my life. I swear... I mean, I’ve had bigger, but he’s got nothing to be ashamed of, and he knows how to rail me. I actually had to have a break today, I’m that sore. Me. Taking a break from being fucked. It’s like a Christmas miracle.”
They all cracked up laughing.
“Never change, little brother,” said Langdon affectionately.
Gregory was happy for Jason. He’d been through a lot of shit and not had an easy life. The thought that he could meet someone and even think about the future was indeed a miracle.
“So, that just leaves Gregory as the single one,” said Jason.
“Be quiet,” he grumbled.
“How is Oscar?” asked Jason.
“I have no idea.”
“At the Fitzwilliam-Smythe ball, I’m sure.”
“Who knows? I don’t go to things like that.”
“He had a date, I heard.”
That got Gregory’s attention. Oscar had texted him earlier today about meeting tonight. He’d ignored it. Had he really gotten another date already?
“How do you know all this?” asked Langdon.
“Daddy told me.”
“And how does Patrick know?”
“Did someone say my name?” asked Patrick, smiling and carrying a tray of drinks, followed by Sebastian. “I got two for everyone, so we don’t have to keep going back. It’s heaving up there.”
“Is Eric alright?” asked Langdon, standing up.
“He said for you to stay out of the way because you’ll be too distracting.”
Langdon laughed, but he still glanced over at the bar, looking worried. Gregory wouldn’t be surprised if he jumped in and started helping them before the night was over.
“What were you talking about?” asked Patrick.
“The Fitzwilliam-Smythe ball and Oscar’s date,” said Jason.
“Are you shit stirring, boy?”
“No.” Jason pouted.
Everyone laughed, including Patrick. Jason tried to look incredulous, then laughed with them.
“Tell them about the Montgomery will.”
“Jason! How do you work in HR? You can’t keep anything to yourself, can you?”
“I’m always the consummate professional, but I’m off duty now and this is juicy gossip.”
Gregory was on edge. Did Patrick know something about Oscar? He was the editor of the biggest tabloid in Britain, so he probably knew a lot about everyone, and a lot of it would be unpublishable. Gregory wanted him to get to the point, but he couldn’t say anything himself. The last thing he needed was his friends thinking he had a vested interest.
“Look, it’s mostly rumour and conjecture, which is why nothing has even been reported.”
“Why would Oscar Montgomery going on a date be newsworthy?” asked Charlie, shooting a look at Gregory who was doing his best to look indifferent.
“It’s just something I was told by a source. His mother needs him to get married before his thirtieth birthday so he gets his full inheritance.”
Paolo, Max, Langdon, and Charlie were hanging on Patrick’s every word. Sebastian looked amused, and Jason was bouncing up and down, clapping like a seal. He couldn’t sit still for thirty seconds.
“Settle down, boy.”
“Yes, Daddy.” He stopped, looking all bashful, and sipped his cocktail.
They all looked at Jason, open-mouthed. What the fuck was happening?
Sebastian snorted, which snapped them all out of their shock. Patrick had to have a magic dick; there was no other explanation for Jason’s behaviour.
Gregory was hit with an overwhelming wave of sadness. Seeing all his friends, his loyal brothers, with partners made him long for something he’d never really wanted. He was too stuck in his ways, too weird to be someone’s other half. His thoughts wandered to Oscar, but he shook them away. There was too much history there, and just because they had insane sexual chemistry didn’t mean their compatibility would go beyond the bedroom. Oscar was into fitness, and Gregory was allergic to exercise and healthy food – he just had a fast metabolism, so he was what could be described as skinny fat. He didn’t like to take his clothes off in front of anyone, and his preference was to always fuck guys from behind so he could keep his shirt on. And he couldn’t look the guy in the eyes anyway; it was too intimate. Thankfully, anyone he fucked just wanted to be pounded hard, though, and he was happy to oblige. Then there was Oscar, who was... something.
“Old man Montgomery left Oscar a generous trust fund of ten million pounds, but there was an additional twenty million to be given on his thirtieth birthday on condition he was married,” said Patrick.
“Should you be sharing this?” asked Charlie.
“It’s not exactly a secret. The old man’s been dead for five years. It’s easy to find if you know where to look.”
“So, Oscar knows about it?”
“I assume so.”
Four pairs of eyes landed on Gregory. His head spun. Was that true? Did Oscar know? Was that why he’d wanted to get married? It was never about helping Gregory. Was that why he’d been so willing to hand over a million pounds to someone who had barely spoken to him for over a decade and rebuked all his attempts at an apology? His heart rate rose as he was overcome with rage. Thank fuck he hadn’t gone through with their plan tonight.
“Tell them about the conditions in the will,” said Jason.
“You need to keep your nose out of my office, boy,” grumbled Patrick.
Jason pouted again, causing them all to laugh.
“This part is not public record, so it goes no further. I haven’t seen a copy of the will, so I can only go on what I’ve been told by a reliable source. If he doesn’t get married, the money defaults to the primary heir – his mother.”
Gregory wasn’t sure what to make of that.
“The other stipulation, which is strange, is that the man he marries needs to not come from a privileged background. If he marries another trust-fund kid, she gets the money as well.”
“What the fuck?” said Gregory.
All eyes turned to him.
“Did I say that out loud?”
They all nodded.
“It’s just, Oscar said she was setting him up with men from blue-blood families and pushing him to get married to one of them. Are you sure he knows about the marriage condition of the will?”
“Only if his mother has told him. It’s in trust, so there’s no obligation to share the details until he’s thirty.”
Gregory wasn’t sure what to think. Why would Oscar want to marry Gregory if it meant he would lose twenty million pounds? Whether he liked it or not, he came from a privileged background.
“What are you thinking?” asked Charlie.
“I don’t think he knows about it.”
“How do you know?”
“Why would he offer to marry me? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Sorry to say this, Gregory, but it does. You would meet the stipulation of the will.”
“How? I was born into that life.”
“Yes, but you abandoned it. Well, they abandoned you. You’re not a trust-fund kid.”
Gregory glared at Jason.
“Oops, sorry. I get very chatty after orgasms.”
Everyone laughed. Even Gregory couldn’t help but smile.
“Gregory,” said Patrick. “You’re a self-made success. None of your parents’ money helped you build your business. That was all you, and something you should be really proud of. You’re a role model to young queer kids who get rejected by their families.”
All his brothers beamed at him. He looked at the floor, feeling embarrassed. Patrick was just placating him. Gregory wasn’t a role model for anyone, he was weird, and his brothers only put up with his oddities because they loved him. That was something he didn’t doubt. He had at first, wondering why they even liked him, but over the years he realised it was genuine. He felt the same way about them, which is why he’d bought the flat as soon as he had the means to do it. Gregory always wanted them to have security and a safety net should they ever need it. He hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but no matter what was going on in his life, he would always provide a home for them.
The chatter started up again, about mundane topics such as work or people’s goals for the new year, his brothers giving him space to collect his thoughts. They knew him well, and discussing emotions or what he was feeling wasn’t something he found as natural as others did. If someone he cared about had a problem, his default response was to throw money at it. Was that what Oscar was doing as well? Is that why he’d offered to help Gregory, or did he want to marry him to get the money? Gregory wouldn’t have minded that at all the more he thought about it. Their arrangement would feel more equal, as they were both getting something out of it. But thinking about what Patrick had said made him question Victoria Montgomery’s motives.
Gregory had to know what Oscar was aware of. He didn’t need their arrangement anymore as he’d resolved things himself, albeit for a price he’d regret later, but Oscar had offered to help him, and he had to understand why he’d done it. If it was to get his hands on his inheritance, then he would understand. It made good business sense – a favour for a favour. But if he thought he was knowingly throwing away millions of pounds, that was different.
He stood up and grabbed his jacket. Everyone looked at him.
“Where are you going?” asked Langdon.
“To check something.”
“Is it a work thing?”
“No.”
“Are you going to tell us what it is?”
“No.”
They all laughed.
“Is it an Oscar thing?”
He looked at the floor, not answering. He couldn’t lie to his friends, but he didn’t want to get into it now and try to explain what was spinning through his mind.
“I’ll explain tomorrow,” he said, and hurried off before they could say anything. He then stopped and rushed back. “Happy New Year!” He didn’t give them a chance to respond, but he heard a few whoops behind him. What did they think he was about to do? This was hardly a rom-com moment.
Gregory had needed to make a detour home to put on his tuxedo, because his casual trousers and button-up shirt wouldn’t have gotten him over the threshold here. It was a big event, so it could take him a while to find Oscar. He could have called or texted, but this was something he needed to speak to him about in person. Gregory would know by looking in his eyes what Oscar knew. He really hoped Oscar didn’t know about the conditions with the money. He wasn’t sure why, but it was important to Gregory.
He entered the hotel and made his way to the vast ballroom, which was hosting the event. People were hovering around outside, clustered into little groups, no doubt speaking about their investment portfolios or something equally banal. Not that he could talk. Gregory had his own stocks, and a financial adviser, but it wasn’t his entire personality.
As he walked into the ballroom, he bumped into someone who wasn’t looking where they were going – a big someone – and it took Gregory a few seconds to realise he was looking into a familiar set of deep brown eyes, which made his breath hitch. Oscar.
“Gregory, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see you.”
“That’s a coincidence. I was just coming to find you.”
“You were?”
Oscar nodded. Someone walking past knocked Gregory forward. They were both standing directly in the middle of the entrance to the ballroom, and there was a heavy flow of foot traffic going in and out.
“Shall we go somewhere quieter?” suggested Oscar.
Gregory nodded. Oscar took his hand, which Gregory didn’t question. He walked them away from the ballroom, and the crowds, and as the noise dimmed, Gregory felt like he could think again. Gregory was conscious of them still holding hands, which felt intimate. He should be uncomfortable, but wasn’t.
He wasn’t sure where Oscar was taking them. They approached the main entrance of the hotel, but then veered left, away from the door. Within a few seconds, they were in a quiet bar, although there was a man playing the piano and enough people to provide a gentle murmur of conversation. The room was like something out of the Victorian age – high ceilings, grand drapery, and stylishly old-fashioned wallpaper. A small bar was tucked away in the corner, and there were tables dotted around, all with wingback lounge chairs. Oscar took them to a quiet corner and gestured for Gregory to sit down.
“Whisky?” he asked.
Gregory nodded.
“Be back in a minute,” he said, then he kissed Gregory on the cheek.
The intimacy was overwhelming, but before he could respond, Oscar was gone, talking to the barman like he was an old friend. He gestured over to where they were sitting. The barman nodded and Oscar walked back over before Gregory had even taken his seat.
“Drinks will be here in a minute.”
“Did you know about the money?” Gregory blurted out.
“What money?” asked Oscar, looking confused.
“The twenty million,” he whispered.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
From the look on his face, Gregory knew he was telling the truth. Not how he thought this conversation was going to go.
“Are you going to tell me what this is about?” asked Oscar.
Before he could say anything else, someone delivered their drinks. Oscar thanked her, and Gregory mumbled the same. He had an overwhelming urge to run. He didn’t want to have this conversation. Victoria should have done this years ago. And what if Patrick was wrong and he caused a load of upset for nothing?
“Why do you look like you want to bolt?”
“Am I that obvious?”
“I know you don’t like confrontation, so you’ll walk away or...”
“Or what?”
“Do something which wouldn’t be appropriate in a public place,” he said, raising an eyebrow and smirking.
Gregory instinctively glared at him, but had to shuffle in his seat as he was hard just thinking about fucking Oscar over that piano. Oscar noticed and grinned at him.
“Don’t push your luck,” Gregory grumbled.
Oscar chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of it. So, are you going to tell me?”
Gregory sighed, and then explained what he knew about the additional inheritance and the conditions in the will. Oscar’s face remained impassive the whole time as he absorbed what Gregory was saying. He knew that face, because he could do it himself. It was one he’d been trained to do since he was a child. Never show your emotions to other people, is what his father had drummed into him.
“This could all be just rumour,” said Gregory.
“I have a feeling it’s not.”
“Why?”
“Her reaction when I made a joke about marrying you.”
“Oh!”
“Yes, she didn’t deem you as being suitable.” He looked at his watch. “Oh, shit. Do you need me to send the payment over to Grant? We can forget the whole wedding thing. I don’t want you thinking that’s why I wanted to do this.” He took his phone out.
Gregory put his hand over Oscar’s and shook his head.
“I took care of things.”
It looked like a flash of hurt went across Oscar’s face, but Gregory must have been mistaken. Why would Oscar be bothered that he’d gotten Grant Kincaid off his back? That was a good thing, although Gregory knew there would be a price to pay. Still, that could be a January problem.
“Oscar, I think you need to talk to your grandfather’s lawyer as soon as possible.”
“Why?”
“You need to get the full picture, and from someone who’s objective.”
“What am I going to do if you’re right?”
Gregory wasn’t sure what he could say in response. He knew what it was like to be hurt your by parents, and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone, let alone a man he had more feelings for than he should.