back here, but I don't think she will."
Baron said he'd call and reserve them a hotel room.
"But not the one Livvie's staying at."
"I heard she's staying with friends," Baron said. "I'll find you something in the center of town where there are good restaurants. Jay, why don't you wash up and change while I call. Then we'll all drive there together and go somewhere for dinner. We have a lot to discuss."
Cameron
Cameron had said he was in the mood for comfort food. "And in case you're wondering, it's not because I'm in need of comforting," he explained. "I want to eat the kind of food my mother used to make for me, since she's no longer with us and can't cook it herself."
"Barbecue?" Baron asked.
"Barbecue is great."
So he and Jay took them to a restaurant that served barbecue.
When they had been seated, Ed exclaimed, "A barbecue restaurant with a wine list? What's the world coming to?"
"An upscale barbecue restaurant," Jay admonished.
Ed glanced at the prices. "You can say that again."
"This isn't a barbecue restaurant," Cameron stated flatly, "but that doesn't matter as long as the food's good."
"Cameron's right. Strictly speaking, it's fine Southern dining that features, among other things, soul food," Baron agreed. It sounded like a pronouncement by the voice of authority. "And this meal's on us," he added.
Cameron and Ed immediately protested, but there was no dissuading Baron. Cameron insisted on at least covering the tip.
Despite the varied menu, they all ordered barbecue ("So Cameron won't be the only one eating with his fingers," Ed quipped) and beer to go with it.
"So, what is it you two do for a living?" Baron asked to get the conversation rolling.
"Ed's in social work and I'm a fancy-pants lawyer," Cameron replied.
Ed snorted. "Hah! Don't you believe him. This 'fancy-pants' lawyer could be raking it in right now, but he chooses to work for Lambda Legal, taking cases pro bono and earning a risible salary. All I do is volunteer at Pride House one measly day per week."
"You work for Lambda, Cameron?" Baron asked. "Ever come across a case like this before?"
"I can't imagine there's been another like it, but it's not the kind of case I handle, nor would I, even if I had a license to practice in Georgia. And besides, it being my mother's will would make it a conflict of interest."
"Cameron must be the only Lambda lawyer who hardly ever takes on a discrimination case," Ed explained. "He defends gay kids who've gotten on the wrong side of the law."
"Picked up for hustling, you mean?" Baron asked.
"Some of that," Cameron said. "Also theft, drugs, vagrancy, you name it. And you'd be surprised how many kids who aren't even hustling get charged with prostitution. You know, entrapment. An undercover cop hits on him and he agrees to whatever, but money was never a part of it. Of course, nobody's gonna believe some kid's word against a cop's. Not that there aren't plenty out there turning tricks for money or drugs."
"That could've been me," Jay said in a whisper.
"Or me," Ed said. "It could've been any of us."
"You know—" Cameron began.
Their server came with the food, and he cut himself short. The second they were alone again, though, he turned to his husband and said, "You know damn well it was me, Ed. Not the drugs or hustling, but I got arrested for shoplifting and vagrancy more than once."
Baron was surprised. "And they let you practice law?"
"All my convictions were as a juvenile, and my record's been sealed. By some miracle I managed not to get caught after I turned eighteen, and I eventually cleaned up my act. I'm not proud of what I did, but I am proud that turned myself around, and I did it without help."
"I've told you before," Ed said gravely. "Whatever you had to do to stay alive, I'm glad you did it."
"There're probably still a few cops in Atlanta who'd recognize me," Cameron said, continuing his story, "but I was Cory Smith to them. They'd've brought me down to Macon if I'd used my
Baron said he'd call and reserve them a hotel room.
"But not the one Livvie's staying at."
"I heard she's staying with friends," Baron said. "I'll find you something in the center of town where there are good restaurants. Jay, why don't you wash up and change while I call. Then we'll all drive there together and go somewhere for dinner. We have a lot to discuss."
Cameron
Cameron had said he was in the mood for comfort food. "And in case you're wondering, it's not because I'm in need of comforting," he explained. "I want to eat the kind of food my mother used to make for me, since she's no longer with us and can't cook it herself."
"Barbecue?" Baron asked.
"Barbecue is great."
So he and Jay took them to a restaurant that served barbecue.
When they had been seated, Ed exclaimed, "A barbecue restaurant with a wine list? What's the world coming to?"
"An upscale barbecue restaurant," Jay admonished.
Ed glanced at the prices. "You can say that again."
"This isn't a barbecue restaurant," Cameron stated flatly, "but that doesn't matter as long as the food's good."
"Cameron's right. Strictly speaking, it's fine Southern dining that features, among other things, soul food," Baron agreed. It sounded like a pronouncement by the voice of authority. "And this meal's on us," he added.
Cameron and Ed immediately protested, but there was no dissuading Baron. Cameron insisted on at least covering the tip.
Despite the varied menu, they all ordered barbecue ("So Cameron won't be the only one eating with his fingers," Ed quipped) and beer to go with it.
"So, what is it you two do for a living?" Baron asked to get the conversation rolling.
"Ed's in social work and I'm a fancy-pants lawyer," Cameron replied.
Ed snorted. "Hah! Don't you believe him. This 'fancy-pants' lawyer could be raking it in right now, but he chooses to work for Lambda Legal, taking cases pro bono and earning a risible salary. All I do is volunteer at Pride House one measly day per week."
"You work for Lambda, Cameron?" Baron asked. "Ever come across a case like this before?"
"I can't imagine there's been another like it, but it's not the kind of case I handle, nor would I, even if I had a license to practice in Georgia. And besides, it being my mother's will would make it a conflict of interest."
"Cameron must be the only Lambda lawyer who hardly ever takes on a discrimination case," Ed explained. "He defends gay kids who've gotten on the wrong side of the law."
"Picked up for hustling, you mean?" Baron asked.
"Some of that," Cameron said. "Also theft, drugs, vagrancy, you name it. And you'd be surprised how many kids who aren't even hustling get charged with prostitution. You know, entrapment. An undercover cop hits on him and he agrees to whatever, but money was never a part of it. Of course, nobody's gonna believe some kid's word against a cop's. Not that there aren't plenty out there turning tricks for money or drugs."
"That could've been me," Jay said in a whisper.
"Or me," Ed said. "It could've been any of us."
"You know—" Cameron began.
Their server came with the food, and he cut himself short. The second they were alone again, though, he turned to his husband and said, "You know damn well it was me, Ed. Not the drugs or hustling, but I got arrested for shoplifting and vagrancy more than once."
Baron was surprised. "And they let you practice law?"
"All my convictions were as a juvenile, and my record's been sealed. By some miracle I managed not to get caught after I turned eighteen, and I eventually cleaned up my act. I'm not proud of what I did, but I am proud that turned myself around, and I did it without help."
"I've told you before," Ed said gravely. "Whatever you had to do to stay alive, I'm glad you did it."
"There're probably still a few cops in Atlanta who'd recognize me," Cameron said, continuing his story, "but I was Cory Smith to them. They'd've brought me down to Macon if I'd used my
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