Boyfriend Chronicles 02 - The Boyfriend Mandate by River Jaymes Page A

his mouth. Brett Haines continued with his task, but something about the way he focused on the turkey hinted that he was familiar with this argument. If Tyler was reading him right, the man seemed braced for a confrontation.
    Christ.
    Tyler cleared his throat. “No, ma’am. He’s not partying too much.” Despite everything, his lips twisted wryly. “And he isn’t drinking that much.” He shot his boyfriend a look. “He says alcohol doesn’t jibe with his goals of getting drafted to a pro soccer team.”
    Anita’s eyebrows shot higher. “I thought that was just something he told his parents to get them to quit nagging.” A trace of concern entered her gaze. “Is he getting enough rest, or is he too busy enjoying company of a female variety?”
    Memphis shifted on his feet, his face set. “Mom, you need to quit worrying.”
    Tyler listened to the conversation that only involved him peripherally, even though Anita Haines had addressed every question to Tyler.
    “Quit worrying? That will never happen,” Anita said, turning to the refrigerator. “And I’m just asking your roommate a few simple questions.”
    “Actually, Mom”—Memphis crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, and the expression on his face left Tyler braced for the worst—“he’s more than just my roommate. He’s my boyfriend.”
    Fuck.
    The knife slipped from Brett Haines’s fingers and clattered to the tile floor, his gaze landing on his son. If Tyler had felt wide-eyed before, he had nothing on Memphis’s dad. Anita had paused, hand on the refrigerator door.
    Tyler briefly closed his eyes and wished he had something to do with his hands. Pockets would have been good, because his fingers were shaking. He gripped the counter behind him and watched Anita as she seemed to recover, slowly pulling out a bowl of salad.
    Finally, she closed the refrigerator door and faced her son. “I figured as much.”
    I figured as much ?
    Tyler’s heart, amazingly, continued to pound in his chest. He’d lived the first six months with Memphis completely clueless his roommate had any tendency toward liking men, and his mother had known?
    “You did?” Brett Haines finally recovered from his apoplectic look, although his hand still hovered over the turkey he was carving up. The knife lay on the kitchen floor, ignored. “And just when were you going to share your suspicions with me?”
    Anita waved his concerns away with her hand. “The news wasn’t mine to share, Brett.”
    Memphis studied his dad, and, for the first time, Tyler could see the tension around his boyfriend’s eyes. For all his confidence, Memphis was clearly worried about his father’s opinion.
    The older man rubbed his hands down his apron.
    Memphis turned his attention to his mother. “I’ve never said anything before,” he said. “Never given any indication of my interest in Tyler. At least, not that I know of. What gave me away?”
    “You’ve talked about Tyler since you first moved in together.” Anita set the salad on the center island. “But a few months ago, whenever you mentioned his name, I heard a change in your voice.” She turned to her husband. “Are you done carving the meat?”
    “I’m done, woman,” Brett said with a blustery huff. He picked up the platter of turkey and held it out to Memphis. “Here,” he said. “Just because you decided to announce you have a boyfriend doesn’t mean you get out of doing work. You can carry this to the table.”
    “You got it, pops,” Memphis said with a grin, his shoulders visibly relaxing.
    “Here, son.” Brett handed Tyler the gravy bowl. “You get to help, too.”
    The pressure in Tyler’s chest eased, and he accepted the bowl, interpreting his task to mean that the issue of his relationship with Memphis had been heard, processed, and accepted. Anita grabbed the salad and instructed her husband to bring the rolls. Memphis smiled at Tyler before the foursome headed down the hall and out a set of