Gay on a Train by K.C. Wells

Author:K.C. Wells [Wells, K.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: K.C. Wells
Published: 2020-07-05T16:00:00+00:00

Dad poured a generous helping of gravy over his roast chicken and mashed potatoes, until his peas and carrots were swimming in it. “Now that’s proper gravy, like my mum used to make. You know, when you make it in the roasting tin with all the meat juices. None of this gravy granules nonsense here.”

It wasn’t as if that was the first time he’d said it. What made it interesting however, was the flush on my mum’s cheeks. Then I forgot all about gravy when Mum opened her mouth.

“So, Lee… are you seeing anyone?”

I’ll be honest, I didn’t know how to answer. I mean, I wasn’t ready to tell them about Daniel. “No,” I said at last, hoping that would bring an end to it.

My dad thankfully took the hint. “You won’t be able to move soon in London for rainbows everywhere.”

I blinked at the random turn of the conversation. “Excuse me?”

“That Pride thing. It’s this month, isn’t it?”

“It’s already started,” Ben volunteered. “It kicked off on the seventh, but the parade isn’t until the seventh of July.”

I’m not sure why Ben knowing that should be a surprise, but it was.

“Why do they need a Pride parade anyway?” my dad groused. “It’s just an excuse to prance around in the street, waving rainbow flags and carrying banners.”

Ben said nothing. I wasn’t going to let it go, however. “It’s once a year, Dad. And you don’t go anywhere near it, so it’s no skin off your nose.”

“But why isn’t there a straight Pride?” Dad demanded.

Ben cleared his throat, his face tight. “Pride in what? Being straight? I’ll tell you what. When straight people can get fired for being straight… when they can’t give blood because they’re straight… When they can’t adopt because they’re straight… Then yeah, then they can march.”

I think I did well not to fall through the floor at that. Judging by my dad’s expression, he was feeling the same way. No one spoke for the remainder of lunch.

Ben had gone right up in my estimation.

Rachel and I helped Mum clear the table, while Dad and Ben retreated into the living room to talk football, the previous conversation apparently forgotten.

But I hadn’t forgotten it. I was seeing Ben in a whole new light.

I went into the kitchen to make the coffee, while Rachel loaded the dishwasher. The jar of instant coffee was almost empty, but I knew there’d be a new one in the cabinet. The surprise was the jar of gravy granules hiding at the back. I removed it and turned to face my mum with an expression of mock horror.

Mum paled. “Put that back where you found it. And you haven’t seen it, okay?”

I brought my hand to my chest and gave a dramatic gasp. “He doesn’t know, does he?”

She glared at me. “Of course he doesn’t, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”

I frowned. “Why the subterfuge?”

Mum pointed to the hob. “Remember when we changed the kitchen five years ago? Your dad wanted to swap the gas hob for an induction one.

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