The Perfect Gentleman
[Memory, Summer Break After Sophomore Year]
Lyn studied the high ceilings and large mirrors that made the enormous room appear even grander than it already was. Despite his protestations, his mom had worked hard to convince him to accompany her to this event for the posh and arrogant, and since he knew that she needed him there, he had eventually agreed.
Now she was several feet away from him, looking gorgeous in a crimson silk dress that made her hair shine as if she was twenty years younger. Lyn was well aware of the work needed to achieve that kind of look. His mom was beautiful, but the man she was here with – they both were in a way – was way too old for her. A widower, she’d told him, letting him deduce on his own that making a good impression here mattered to secure a better future for both of them.
Lyn wished she didn’t need to do that. He wished he was already many years older, someone with money, well established in the field of his choice, capable of taking care of his mom.
He went rigid as the whispers reached him. As he had done many times before, he drowned them in the humming of his own brain, always on high alert. They didn’t matter. His mom wasn’t getting any younger, and they needed the money. It was as simple as that – a math equation.
The women who dared to talk like that about his mom were worse than she was, they had only been lucky enough to be born into riches. Otherwise, their makeup couldn’t hide the ugliness of their souls.
“I heard she has a son. Imagine the sort of environment she’s providing for that child. He must have grown up with plenty of issues.”
Lyn pressed his lips together and retreated closer to the wall and toward the balcony exit. He was good at making himself invisible when such occasions required his presence, but that also meant he got to overhear way too much.
He pulled at his tie, which was too tight and made his neck itch. Arya had managed to procure a nice-looking suit for him, via the man she was dating, a man who had a son about Lyn’s age. What would the guy think if he knew his father’s mistress was making use of his wardrobe in this manner? Most likely, he wouldn’t even notice the thing missing; Lyn had a trained eye and could tell the suit wasn’t new.
To escape to the balcony was a good strategy. He’d wait out there for most of the time until his mom messaged him to tell him she needed him.
He stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes fell on the last person he wished to meet under these circumstances. Alexander had his back to him, but Lyn could pick the guy out from a thousand. He looked at home in this glittery environment, dressed in a sleek suit that made his perfect body stand out. He had nice broad shoulders, Lyn noted. And, after two years of catching glimpses of him, the same familiar jolt of recognition made his head turn and his eyes watch for a while until his friend noticed him.
A young woman dressed in an expensive evening gown was giving Alexander her undivided attention. She was resting her gloved hand on Alexander’s arm, standing close enough to suggest that they were there together.
Lyn reminded himself he was supposed to run and hide, not stare at Alexander’s date. She was conventionally pretty, he noted without overthinking, and a perfect match for the young man in question. They belonged here, unlike Lyn, who was the proverbial fly in the soup if anyone chose to look closely.
He turned on his heel, determined to disappear from the opulent room while there was still air in his lungs.
“Lynton, fancy seeing you here.”
Lyn rolled his eyes but schooled his face into a mask of perfect indifference as he turned to face Alexander. His friend looked just as at home in that posh environment from the front as he looked from the back.
“That should be my line. I didn’t peg you for the type to attend this sort of affair.” Lyn gestured vaguely around, one hand in the pocket of his dress pants in what he hoped looked nonchalant enough to prevent Alexander from asking more than Lyn wished to share.
He threw a quick look to where his mom was standing, hanging on the widower’s arm. They were engaged in quiet conversation with another couple.
Alexander turned, catching on fast, as usual. “Is that your mother, Lynton?”
In the light of heavy chandeliers and surrounded by the heavier scent of lilies, Alexander seemed more overbearing than usual.
“Yes,” he said, without offering to introduce him as his friend to his mom. “I need a bit of air.”
***
Lyn rested his elbows on the stone balustrade, looking bleakly ahead. Would Alexander blab about this to Brad? How Lyn and his mom were in the company of an elderly gentleman, even though they clearly didn’t belong at this sort of event? He should think of something to bribe the demon with. Or threaten. His lips curled into a smile for the first time tonight.
The doors to the balcony opened, allowing the sound of music and cheerful conversation to escape, but only for a few moments. Lyn didn’t have to look to know who had decided to keep him company.
“So,” he started, “is that what you like?”
“I can’t begin to fathom what you mean by that.” The emphasis fell on the last word, decisively so.
Lyn turned, leaning against the cold stone, trying his damnedest to look like he belonged there. “Let me refresh your memory then, Lord Byron. Strawberry blond hair, chic black dress, perfect pedigree, a smile that could charm a hundred demons.”
Alexander’s smile was so subtle, Lyn almost missed it.
“You are quick to jump to conclusions. Not that I’m surprised. How is Bradley?”
The question caught Lyn unawares. “I don’t know. We haven’t spoken in the last three weeks or so.” It was impossible to figure out why he felt the need to lie. Alexander was a master at prying; Lyn wasn’t in the mood to get picked apart tonight.
The tight collar of his shirt itched again. It took a lot of effort not to adjust it.
“Ah,” Alexander let out. “I talked to him last night.”
Lyn quirked an eyebrow. “Really? What about?”
Alexander came to rest beside him, too close for comfort. His tailored clothes were absolute perfection. Everything fit him. Lyn could hardly suppress a stab of envy. Even if he got everything he wanted, he wouldn’t be able to wear confidence on his sleeve the way Alexander did.
“The things he likes – shooting the breeze, women, you.”
Lyn felt a hard tick in his jaw threatening to become visible. “You’re joking.”
“No, not at all. He was complaining that you said ‘no’ to his invitation to join him and his family on some camping trip. Not one for the great outdoors, Lynton?”
It wasn’t that. Lyn had to be here – and other places – for his mom. Even if she needed him very little, he had to be present, and yes, he had almost thrown a tantrum once he realized he couldn’t give Brad a positive answer to his invitation.
“My mom and I had other plans,” he said.
Alexander turned his head slightly, putting his profile on full display. Lyn’s jaw tightened.
“Would you stop with the pointed looks?”
“What do you mean?” Alexander looked at him, frowning a smidge.
“I’m not some charity case. And no, you don’t have to repeat the gossip making the rounds in there.” He gestured abruptly with his chin in the direction of the balcony doors.
Alexander stared at him in disbelief, making him bite his bottom lip hard. He shouldn’t have said that, or anything else.
“I wasn’t--” Alexander began.
“Save your breath. By the way, I came out here to be alone. So, read the room already.”
Alexander’s defensive stance relaxed. “I’m not the one judging you. You’re doing a fine job yourself.”
Lyn clenched his fists tightly. He moved closer, jutting his chin out. “Watch it, Alexander. You’re not as good at reading people as you pretend to be. With the wrong person, your attitude might get you in trouble.”
He had gotten too close without realizing it. The balcony was lit by stylish vintage torches and lamps, so he had nowhere to hide. He was trapped looking into Alexander’s unusually beautiful eyes, and for a moment, Lyn forgot he was furious and right to be so.
“I did read the room,” Alexander said, reducing the distance between them even more by leaning close. “You looked lonely.”
Lyn felt a strange squeeze inside his chest. “You know nothing.”
They were both so caught up in their conversation that they missed the balcony doors opening again.
“There you are, Lyn,” his mom said as she walked toward them. She smiled and looked somewhat cautiously at Alexander. “We must leave. Who is your friend?”
Alexander could turn the charm on at the drop of the hat and he did so now. Being a woman of the world, Lyn’s mom caught on right away and offered her hand, which Alexander brought to his lips, bending at the perfect angle from the waist. “Alexander Montgomery III. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Calloway.”
“Blanche, please.”
“Has Lyn never mentioned me to you?” he asked, smiling so brightly Lyn needed a pair of sunglasses. “I’m his best friend.”
“Oh,” his mom stole a look at him, “of course. Thank you for taking care of my Lyn. You and Brad are both fine young men.”
Lyn moved to his mom’s side. “Aren’t we in a hurry? And Alexander needs to get back to his girlfriend.”
Alexander quirked an eyebrow, but his charming smile never left his face.
“Pleased to meet you, Alexander. And I apologize for Lyn’s lack of manners. I swear, I haven’t raised him to be like this.” She squeezed Lyn’s arm in warning.
“I have no idea what you mean, Mrs. Calloway. Lyn is simply perfect. The perfect gentleman, I mean. And I am certain he has you to thank for it.”
“That is quite the sweet tongue you have there, young man. I’m sorry that I must take Lyn away from you, but we’re on a tight schedule.”
“No worries. I must indeed return to my own obligations. Have a pleasant evening.”
***
“Montgomery?” his mom mouthed the name instead of saying it out loud.
“Yeah, mom, I know. Isn’t he an arrogant bastard? I mean, that introduction.” Lyn scoffed as he walked out with his mom on his arm.
“Don’t be mean, Lyn. I thought he was perfectly charming. And I believe he likes you a lot.”
“Yeah,” Lyn said, biting his tongue to prevent himself from adding anything else, like how Alexander liked him well enough to torture him. But his mom didn’t need to know that.
“You always talk about Brad. Although I have heard the name Alexander from you, I wouldn’t have imagined him to be--”
“He is who he is. Trust me, he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
“Lyn,” his mom scolded him with affection, “be nice. What do you have against him?”
“He’s obnoxiously good at everything. He even has an academic scholarship.”
“Ah, so this is about a bit of friendly competition. I see.”
Lyn snorted. “Is that how little you think of your son? I always leave him in the dust.”
His mom laughed, making him snicker as well. Two couples passed by them on their way to their cars.
“Really, the late Mrs. Flagstone is barely cold in the ground, and he does this? And with such a cheap woman.”
Lyn felt his mom’s hand clutch his arm, but the expression on her face remained serene and pleasant. He felt proud of his mom in that very moment. Nothing truly shook her. These people meant nothing to her.
“Are we going to take the Bentley?” Lyn said nasally, while walking faster to overtake those bastards. “Please, mommy, we must. And I need a new Rolex, like yesterday.”
No, his mom wasn’t a cheap woman. Or else, these men with shriveled souls wouldn’t need her radiant presence in their lives so they felt a little bit alive while entombed in the mausoleums they called homes.
His mom was shaking with barely suppressed laughter.
The couples overheard them and allowed them to pass, as Lyn showed no sign that he intended to move an inch to get around. They would gossip for days, but he couldn’t care less. He walked the straight and narrow every day to be perfect. He could afford an outburst of this sort to make some old fools clutch their pearls and pocket watches. He wouldn’t make it a habit, however. Once a year was enough.
“Lyn, you’re incorrigible sometimes,” his mom said, her face lit up with laughter.
“Sometimes,” he agreed with a lopsided grin.
He looked back at the building they had just escaped from, maybe not totally unscathed but still themselves. He caught himself staring at the grand entrance. A silhouette stood there, backlit by the bright lights inside, all sleek suit and loose elegance.
“You look lonely,” he muttered under his breath.
“Did you say something, Lyn?” his mom asked while searching in her purse for something only she knew how she fit inside that miniscule something.
“No. I was just thinking out loud. Let’s go. We don’t want to keep the man waiting.”
His mom squeezed his arm. “Thank you, Lyn. I know this isn’t easy for you.”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “It’s getting easier every day.”
TBC
Thank you for reading!
@Derek - oh, yes, Brad could have said some more... but it's all more complex than it looks. I am a bit evil and enjoy keeping you guys in the dark a bit too much... but I think it's how the story works. And that Bernardo Gui joke will earn Alexander... ahem, something (whispers: belt)
@DavidB - Lyn needs all the nudges in the world to get to see the truth... but he will get them. He'll end up having no choice.
@Buchanan - oh, I think Lyn and Brad at least could start a collection, lol.
@FCW Reading - I know I'm asking a lot from readers... but Lyn is someone with a single-minded plan and can't be nudged from it - a flaw, of course. And I know it's been long since what I'm about to say happened, but Lyn did ask Alexander once: Do you like me? And Alexander replied - off the top of my head - I don't like you. I find you insufferable.
Lyn didn't need anything else to make up his mind!
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