Charming Like Us (Like Us 7)

We all have that already. Back when I was single, I’ve been to gay bars with Tom, Maximoff, and Farrow. And Tom will ask questions. He constantly goes to Maximoff for guidance. We’re all willing to share in informal settings, but the formal one is needed too.

For Kinney and for moments where we’re too busy to hit the bars or grab a coffee.

I loved the LGBTQ club I joined in college, and the famous ones don’t trust easily. But they trust security. They trust production. They have us.

Maximoff continues, “And if you need advice or if something shitty happens and we feel like we can’t go to our parents or our friends, we can come here.”

“The Rainbow Brigade,” Kinney says as she slides a button and pin to Jack. “Welcome to the club.”

He picks up both, staring at the letters.

I squeeze him in a closer hug as his eyes redden with involuntary emotion. He seems surprised at his sudden surge of feelings.

I’d love to hear his thoughts, but he looks too choked to express them right now.

“Thanks…” Jack laughs into a brighter smile and lifts the button. “I’ll wear this proudly, Kinney.”

“Cool.” She tries to act nonchalant. Girl is bad at acting because clearly this shit means something to her. And it means something to us, or else none of our asses would be here.

Farrow and Maximoff even left Ripley with his grandparents, all their attention focused on the Rainbow Brigade.

Tom twirls the plastic hammer. “Okay, but the bees—”

“No,” Farrow and Maximoff say together.

“I’m in,” I say, digging into a pint of Rocky Road.

Tom snaps his finger to me. “We’ve got one.”

Maximoff blinks like his brain just malfunctioned. “I’m sorry, I just realized we have way too many Slytherins in this group.”

“Eh, could use one less dork,” Farrow says, smiling a smartass smile on his husband.

“Continuing on,” Maximoff ignores him.

We all laugh.

“Our confessions,” Kinney announces, and seriousness befalls on the booth. She smooths out lacy sleeves of her black dress. “We’re all here to confess something that we’ve kept in.”

That was my bright idea.

This can’t work unless we’re all willing to share here, or else Kinney will just feel like the Rainbow Brigade is for her and not us.

So we’re here knowing we’re going to open up, and that’s when Jack shifts against me. He sits up a little straighter. Runs a hand through his dark hair.

Should I be worried?

My eyes tighten on him with more concern.

“Do you want to start?” Maximoff asks his sister.

“No,” she says flatly.

Tom lifts the hammer. “I’ll go first.”

Kinney looks relieved.

I pass my Rocky Road pint to Jack. He offers a half-hearted, no thanks, smile. Usually Highland will eat my snacks.

“So…” Tom scratches his head with the toy. “I still haven’t found the perfect drummer to replace my old one. And the guy that got away is now playing for a mega-popular band that’s blowing up—and that could’ve been me.” He sighs out, and his eyes land on Maximoff. Tom looks like he’s a second from exploding by whatever else he’s holding in. “And I confess that I might’ve had a small, tiny…like so small you can’t even really see it. Is it there? I don’t think so. Yeah, that kind of crush on Farrow—waaaay before you two ever banged.” His face turns into a wince. “Ahhhh, that didn’t feel as good as I’d hoped.”

Farrow is sucking in a breath that sounds like a cringe.

I’d be laughing my ass off if I wasn’t worried about my boyfriend. Jack, though, looks more shocked at this revelation. I knew about Tom’s crush.

Farrow knew.

And I’m pretty sure he already told his husband too.

“It’s okay,” Maximoff says, not caught off guard or jarred.

“Is it?” Tom has sunken forward, forehead on the table.

“Yeah, it was a long time ago.”

Tom pops up, eyes on the ceiling. “My heart has definitively stopped beating.”

“Man, lots of people had crushes on me.” Farrow shrugs, and it’s just so easy. I can’t not take the swing.

“I didn’t,” I say into a grin. “Not even for a half-a-second.”

“That’s because you have questionable taste, Oliveira.” He holds out a hand to Jack. “Present company excluded.”

“Appreciated,” Jack says into a strong swig of root beer. Like he wishes that were actually liquid courage.

Tom starts to ease back. I wonder how long that has been weighing on him.

“Who’s next?” Kinney asks.

Maximoff takes his turn. “I confess that in the twelfth grade, this guy on my swim team told me that being a slut must be hereditary, since I like to get it in the ass just like my mom. I guess he assumed I had already bottomed because I’m bi.”

Wow, I’m shocked he shared that with anyone but Farrow.

Kinney looks overwhelmed. “You never told me that.”

“Kin,” he says. “You were eight.”

“Oh. Right.”

He nudges her shoulder. “I’m telling you now.”

She nods a lot, thankful he opened up. My idea is working like a charm so far.