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“Nicolas!”
“I’m sorry you had to hear about it this way, Mother. Dad walked in on a private moment. More importantly, though, you should know that there’s more to it than that.”
“What on earth else could there be?” blusters my father.
I look him straight in the eye. “Finn and I are also seeing Natalie.”
That takes a moment to sink in. “Your secretary?” he asks, his voice higher than I’ve ever heard it.
“Personal assistant,” I correct. “Yes.”
“Both of you.”
“Yes.”
I drain the rest of my wine in the ensuing silence.
“You will end this… association at once.” He’s shaking, pointing a finger at me.
“I will not.” My tone is measured, even, and calm. I don’t need courtroom tricks for this.
I know what I want. I know what I’m doing. The certainty is in my bones, deep down in the marrow, unshakeable. This is the right thing to do.
My mother reaches for her wineglass with a shaking hand, keeping her eyes downcast. I reach over and touch her hand across the table. She pulls back. Only a little, but the message is clear enough.
“I’m sorry if this upsets you,” I say after a moment. “And again, I’m sorry it had to come out this way. I am bisexual. I’ve been dating both men and women for years. Lately, I’ve been seeing two people named Finn and Natalie. Please understand, I don’t take this conversation lightly. This is the most serious relationship of my life.”
She looks up at that.
“You can’t be serious,” demands my father, as though he expects telling me so will change everything.
“I am perfectly serious. I will not end it, and because I prefer to keep my private life private, I don’t intend on telling anyone else about us at this time.”
“People will find out,” he yells, shoving out of his chair. “People always find out. That’s how the world works.”
I rise from the table.
“That might be true,” I say slowly. “But in my case, I only keep my relationship secret because we’d prefer to live our life privately. Not because I’m ashamed of myself.”
If looks alone could commit violence, I’d be dead on the floor. “What are you implying?”
“I’m not implying anything,” I say.
“The hell you’re not,” he yells. “If you’ve got something to say, come out and say it like a man.”
Mother keeps her head down. For the first time, I wonder how many times she’s heard him yell like this, and I wonder whether she’s seen worse.
“You seem to think this may have something to do with you,” I say. “It doesn’t.”
“Your behavior is shameful,” he says. “Do you really think anyone is going to have anything to do with you when this gets out?”
“We’ve been over this,” I say, mentally checking out. Finn and Natalie are at home with Cat right now. I can think of one or two things I’d rather be doing right this minute. Or ten.
“I’m not talking about professionally, though God knows what all you’re throwing away there,” he says. “Do you really think your brother is going to stand for this nonsense? When he gets back from Atlanta?—”
I meet his eyes instantly.
“What do you mean, Atlanta?”
