Sugar Match Ch. 03

Previously on Sugar Match Ch.2

Being disoriented from sleep and still a little brain dead from orgasming to pieces earlier, I answered my phone without looking at who was calling.

"Perry, where the hell are you?"

On the list of people I didn't want calling me while I was naked in Gordon's bed, my Dad definitely topped it.

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

"I know what happened to your house and I know you're not staying at Teddy's. So where the fuck are you?"

"Wait, how do you know I'm not at Teddy's? And how did you know about the flood in the first place?"

My Dad paused for a good minute before continuing. His words came more measured than the irritated tone he used before.

"That's not the important issue right now. Right now, my son is God knows where and he didn't trust me enough to help him! Jesus, Perry! I know your independent but you're literally homeless! Don't you think a safe place trumps your ego?"

Anger and indignation rises in me as I listen to my father spew rapidly at me. By the end of his rant, my Dad is truly yelling at the top of his lungs. Which makes sense that at that moment, Gordon rouses from sleep to roll over and sleepily question, "Baby, who is that? Hang up and go back to sleep. Or do you want punished again?"

Horror washes over me like a wave as silence fills the line from the other end of the phone. There's no doubt that my father heard what was said but it's another question if he recognized Gordon's voice.

"Meet me at my house at 9 AM tomorrow," my father's voice is deadly as he orders me. Just as I'm about to sigh in relief, he adds, "And bring Gordon."

With that, my Dad hangs up.

--

Gordon

Usually, I don't mind silence. It's when I do my best work at the office. I know a lot of people can't function if there isn't some background noise but I revel in the quiet. I find peace in it.

But right now? I would do anything to make the silence stop.

Perry and I have been sitting outside of Oliver's house for five minutes in complete quiet, waiting for the courage we need to finally get out of the damn car.

When Perry woke me back up crying last night and told me what happened, and my role in it, I was crushed. He didn't blame me, but I certainly blamed myself.

I think part of the reason he didn't blame me for inadvertently revealing our relationship to Oliver, my best friend and his Dad, is because he was too afraid I would leave him again. And I really didn't blame him.

The last time were almost caught by Oliver, I left Perry naked and alone in my office and refused to trust in him. I hate myself for the way I treated him yesterday but today was a new day and I had a new outlook. Even though I'm scared to death over what Oliver is going to say when we walk in that house, this time I'm not leaving Perry. We're going to get through it; together.

Unclenching my hands from their position on the wheel, I let out a breath and glance over at Perry. He looks ahead, eyes covered by his bangs partially covering his pale face. All I want to do is take him home and pretend everything is okay. But right now, my boy doesn't need that from me. He needs me to be strong and take control over the situation. He needs me to put him first.

Reaching over, I slide my hand into his hair, run it down his jaw and stop at his chin, gently grasping it and pulling it toward me. Perry's eyes meet mine and my heart literally melts when they soften. I pull him toward me and without a word, I kiss his forehead. Hopefully without words, he'll understand that I'm giving him all my strength. That though uncertainty awaits us, we're gonna be just fine.

I know he understands when he leans his forehead against mine for a moment and then nods.

Pulling away from him, I adopt a serious expression and say, "Before we do this, I think it's best neither of us mention Sugar Match and its role in our relationship. If Oliver knew I intended to pay you for sex, I don't think I'd make it out of their alive."

At first Perry gives a small smile but then he realizes from the look on my face that I'm far from joking.

His face drops of all color as the severity of the situation hits us once again.

Grabbing his hand, I urge, "Baby, it's gonna be okay. Let's just get this over with, okay?"

Nodding, Perry squeezes my hand before releasing to reluctantly open the door and face our fate.

Together we exit the car and walk and hand to Oliver's front door. Glancing one last time at Perry, I knock on the solid wood in front of my face.

"It's open!"

Oliver's voice doesn't sound angry but it's hard to tell what kind of mood will meet us when we enter.

Perry leads the way as we head through the front door and trod quietly into the kitchen. There, Oliver stands leaning up against the counter, sipping a cup of coffee. His face is initially impassive but as soon as he sees our intertwined hands, his face shuts down.

The 25 years I've known Oliver means that I could name every single one of his facial expressions and what they mean. Right now, I wish I didn't know the meaning behind this particular one.

Perry and I stand in the kitchen doorway as Oliver continues to give us his "barely controlled rage" face. I assume that Perry also interrupts Oliver's face because he immediately lets go of my hand and walks forward.

"Dad, I'm-"

"No," Oliver interrupts. He slams his coffee mug down and motions to two stools on the opposite side of the island counter from him. After he takes a breath, he continues.

"You two sit down. I'll be the one doing the questioning here."

My instinct is to tell Oliver off for giving my boy orders but I doubt that would go over well considering the current situation we've gotten ourselves in.

Without a word, Perry and I take a seat and wait for Oliver to start the inquisition.

Folding his arms over his chest and standing ram rod straight in front of the island, Oliver looks at Perry and questions, "How long has this been going on?"

Perry looks to me and I squeeze his hand under the table.

"Well, technically, there's nothing really going on."

I can tell this is the worst possible thing Perry could have said because Oliver's face transforms from "barely controlled rage" to "three seconds from hitting the fan."

"So, when I called you in the middle of the night last night and heard Gordon's voice telling you to come back to bed, there wasn't anything going on there?" By the end of his sentence, Oliver's voice is reverberating around the room. I think he realizes it because he takes a deep breath while Perry rushes to answer.

"That's not what I meant. Gordon and I aren't official or anything. He and I...met on a website while I was working for him in the office. We both knew we had...attraction for each other but we decided to cool it because of you. Last night I saw him out at a club and yes, I went home with him. I'm so sorry this happened, Dad. Just know that neither of us wanted to hurt you. We just-"

"Snuck around my back and lied to my face? Is that what you were going say?" Oliver interrupted.

"Dad," Perry starts, "it wasn't like that! We tried to stay apart because neither of us wanted to hurt you."

"Well, great job, son," Oliver scoffs sarcastically. I see Perry flinch but Oliver keeps going. "You sure didn't hurt me when you answered my call from the bed of my best friend."

Watching Perry's face crumple at his father's words, I decide its time to interject.

"Woah, Oliver. I know you're upset, and you have a right to be. But there's no reason to talk to Perry like that!" I yell while throwing my hands out in front of me in a placating gesture.

Oliver turned and looked at me for the first time since we walked in the kitchen. This whole time he couldn't even look me in the eyes. But now he was staring straight into me with look of "you better run." And I wish I could. But I wouldn't leave Perry to face his father's wrath alone. Stealing myself, I watched as Oliver charged forward and came around the corner of the island while yelling,

"Are you really going to sit there and lecture me about how to talk to my son after you've been fucking him behind my back?"

Perry gasped while I flew out of my seat, ready to punch the lights out of the bestest friend I've ever had. Thankfully, Perry still had his wits about him because he launched out of his seat and pushed me back.

"You," he screamed while pointing at me, "Go sit back down! And you, go stand on the other side of the island! Nothing is going to get better if you end up fighting each other!"

Surprisingly, Oliver slunk back around the island and returned to his earlier position, but this time glaring daggers in my direction. I sat back down and put my hands out in front of me in another attempt at a placating gesture.

"Oliver," I start with my most genuine tone, "I am truly sorry for how you found out. I never wanted this to happen. I never set out to betray you like this. When Perry and I first connected, we tried to ignore our attraction to each other. We truly did. But what I feel for him is more than lust or a fleeting emotion. I've barely actually known him a week but it feels like I've known him forever. I never wanted to hurt you so in the end I ended up hurting him. The other day, you actually almost caught us in my office. And I was so scared that our friendship would be over when you found out, so I threw Perry away. And I hurt him very badly."

Here I look up into Oliver's eyes, expecting to see him come charging at me again. I'm filled with shock when I see that his face is full of only curiosity. And maybe a little anger but mostly curiosity. I take that as my cue to continue.

"He forgave me for choosing you over him. But I can't do that again. I can't have only him or you in my life. I need you both." Looking between them, I pause on Perry and say, "I haven't even told Perry this but I want something real with him. I want to explore what we have and one day be someone he can depend on for anything."

Perry smiles at me with tears in his eyes and I smile back before turning once more to Oliver.

"I don't plan to ever hurt him again, and I don't want to hurt you either. I know this must be so hard for you, but I hope you can consider supporting us. Because we need you, man."

Oliver is quite for several moments before he says to Perry, "So when you interned for us in high school, there was never anything going on between you to?"

Before Perry could answer, I interject with an emphatic, "No. No way, Ollie. I would have never touched him back then. Honestly we were so deep in the Rider Tech acquisition that I barely realized he was in the office at all. We only started this when he came to help out last week. I swear."

I can tell Oliver believes me when he nods and continues without any follow up. Looking at Perry, he questions again,

"So this is the real deal then? You actually want to be with him, kid?"

Perry quickly nods emphatically as he says, "Yes, I really do."

Oliver shakes his head and lets out deep breath but I can see the beginnings of a small smile peek out from the corners of his lips.

"Though I'm still a little wigged out by it being my son, I am really happy you've found someone for you, Gordon. It's going to take me a little bit to get used to this but I want to support both of you."

Perry surprises both us by launching from his chair and throwing his arms around Oliver.

"Thank you, Dad."

Oliver returns Perry's embrace. He shoots me a watery smile over Perry's shoulder and I know that everything is going to be okay.

Perry separates from Oliver and takes his seat beside me. Oliver picks up his mug again and asks before taking a drink, "So now that that's cleared up, let's talk about that house of yours. What's the update on the flooding situation, Perry?"

Perry snaps his head up and says, "Wait, you never said how you knew about that in the first place. Did Gordon tell you?"

I watch as the color sinks from Oliver's face. With all the drama over mine and Perry's relationship, Oliver neglected to tell Perry about his own relationship- with Perry's best friend.

At that exact moment, because life is a fickle bitch, the three of us are alerted to footsteps on the stairs. Horror rises in me as a feeling in my gut predicts who's about to pop into the doorway.

I wish I had been wrong. But I wasn't.

"All the yelling stopped so I'm guessing it's okay to come out now?"

Perry's mouth drops open as he takes in the sight of Teddy standing in the middle of the entrance way.

Oh yeah, everything's going to be just fine.

--

Perry

We're in a simulation. I'm having a stroke. The symptoms of early on set dementia are setting in.

Any of these reasons has to be the explanation for why my best friend in the entire world is standing in my father's kitchen wearing one of his button downs.

There has to be any explanation other than the obvious one. That while Gordon and I were sneaking around my Dad's back, he and my best friend were sneaking around mine.

God, is that what karma feels like? I don't think I've ever done anything truly bad enough to be met with such karmic bullshit such as this.

As I stare at Teddy, the hesitant smile that adorned his face slowly slips of his face to be replaced with a look of horror as he takes in my expression. I want to yell, and to scream, and maybe even cry but my voice is broken. No words will come out as I stand in shock.

My Dad breaks the silence as he comes around to take Teddy in his arms and say quietly,

"We didn't quite get to discussing you yet, baby boy. Go back upstairs and I'll come get you in a minute."

Teddy looks horrified as he looks between me and my Dad. The minute my Dad went to comfort him and then called him baby boy, my sudden laryngitis was cleared.

"Excuse the fuck out of me?"

Everyone in the room flinches at the hysterical scream I let out of my mouth. But Teddy most of all looks absolutely devastated. He rushes toward me but my Dad holds him back.

Through tears, Teddy cries, "I'm sorry, Perry. I'm so sorry. If you'll just let me explain-"

"Explain what? How the sugar daddy you were fucking was my dad? Are you insane? How could you let me sign up for Sugar Match knowing that's where you meet my dad!?"

"I didn't know he was your Dad-"

"Sugar Match?" My Dad interrupts Teddy's cries as his face goes stormy once again. "Was that the website you were talking about, Perry? You met Gordon on Sugar Match!?"

Oh fuck.

Everything goes quiet as my Dad stares me down. With a simple nod, afraid to say anything else, I confirm the final nail in the coffin. All my secrets are out now.

Even when things were tense earlier, my Dad never reached his final facial expression of rage. But it's clear on his face now. As he turns to Gordon, the "if looks could kill" face points clearly at my almost, maybe boyfriend.

"So you mean to tell me that you attended to pay my son to have sex with you when you knew he only needed money because of his house? Were you really going to give him money when he refused to take any from me, his own father?"

Gordons face betrays his panic and guilt as he stares at my Dad. Hearing it come out of my Dad's mouth sounds so much worse than it actually was.

Gordon finally speaks up and counters, "Oliver, I know this looks bad. But it's not anything different than what you did for Teddy, helping him out with his car troubles-"

"Teddy wasn't my best friend's son!"

Gordon and my father continue to spar back and forth but I've completely spaced out. All I can think about is what Gordon just said. About Teddy's car troubles. How did he know about Teddy's car troubles? Nobody has mentioned the reason they met in the first place while we've all been standing here yelling.

There's only one way he knew about that. My Dad must have told him about his sugar baby. He must have told him months ago. Which means that Gordon knew who Teddy was this entire time.

I thought all the secrets were out in the open. But it seems like there's one last more. Not only did Gordon know my best friend was fucking my Dad, he chose not to tell me. He had every opportunity, especially last night in the club when we were all there together.

And then it clicks. The club.

"You were there last night."

My Dad and Gordon suddenly stop as my voice, thick with emotion sounds through the room. I didn't speak above a normal speaking voice but just my tone was enough to grab all the attention in the room.

"What are you talking about, Perry?" My Dad questions. They're all staring at me but my eyes are solely trained on my Dad.

"You were at the club last night. That's who drug Teddy away last night from me and Sasha. It was you."

All the blood had drained to my father's face while he screamed at Gordon but now the rouge disappeared, leaving behind a pale mask of horror and guilt.

"Perry, I-"

"No. It's my turn to speak," I interrupted. "Not only did you obviously use Teddy to find out about my house yesterday, but then you call me in here and accuse me after sneaking away with my best friend last night under my nose! I had to sit here, terrified that you'd never forgive me while you had my best friend upstairs the whole time!"

All of them pulled the wool over my eyes. I knew what Gordon and I did was wrong, but not only did my Dad do the same thing, he also made Gordon lie to me for him. And Gordon went right along with.

Through my tears, I speak firmly through the yelling.

"Did you know?" I hiss.

Everyone goes silent again as they look at me. Gordon knows exactly what I'm talking about because the guilt comes back to his face.

Nodding, he confirms what I only just figured out. That he's as disloyal as my father and former best friend.

Heartbreak tears through me as my knees go weak. I could collapse right here in front of them but I refuse to let them see my cry. As my Dad and Gordon are struck silent with guilt and Teddy looks on in the corner with horror still on his face, I have the overwhelming need to leave. I can't stay in this place with all these people who betrayed me.

Walking toward the door, Gordon attempts to stop me as he says, "Perry, wait! Where are you going?"

Without stopping I whisper, "Far from here," and then quietly close the door on my way out.

--

Sasha's mouth remains open for a whole minute before the shock of my story wanes enough for speech to return to him.

Being that I couldn't go home because of the flooding, and I couldn't seek comfort in my best friend, potential boyfriend and father, there was only one last person to turn to.

Sitting on the counter at The Tasty Mug, I just poured out the entire story to Sasha while he served the few customers who came through. Thankfully, the Saturday morning rush was already over and the café was barely half full. Sasha was the only one working right now as both Teddy and I were off today.

When I came here seeking a listening ear and comfort, I expected Sasha to commiserate with me about how everyone in my life betrayed me but apparently he was taking none of my shit today.

"So, Teddy and your Dad were having sex for a whole year behind your back?" He questioned casually after I finished the story..

"Yeah."

"And Teddy knew it was your dad the whole time?"

That question gives me pause. I didn't stick around long enough to find that out.

"Uh, well," I choke out while rubbing the back of my head, "I don't really know," I say but Sasha's already spitting out another question.