Lonely Hearts by Heidi Cullinan Page A

Republicans will be all over me. The Democratic party has promised they’ll send in a crack team to support us, but no matter what we do, the opposition will dig deep. They’ll uncover all the dirt and rattle every skeleton. Of me and my family.” She laced their fingers together tightly and stared achingly into Baz’s face. “You, sweetheart. They’ll come after you.”
    Baz could see it already. Every nuance of his bashing, of Jordan’s death. Any trick he’d ever fucked would be interviewed. He’d be spun out as a playboy, a wastrel, an unstable bomb waiting to go off. After all these years of deliberately avoiding his past, it would be played out on the evening news. Over and over again. It would be hell beyond his worst nightmare.
    Yet as he took in the hope and eagerness on his mother’s face, he knew the real nightmare would be knowing he was the reason she didn’t take this step.
    He kissed her hand. “I think I’ll talk to Pastor Schulz tomorrow about how many courses I’d have to complete to leave Saint Timothy with a religion major. That ought to throw off their playboy story.”
    Her eyes glazed with tears she didn’t shed. “Oh, Sebastian. Are you sure?”
    â€œIt’ll be wonderful. I always wanted a senator for a mother.”
    She embraced him tightly. “Sweetheart—thank you. I suspected this was what you’d say, but I truly would decline if you wanted me to.”
    No, this wasn’t going to be fantastic. But what, she should say no because it might be hard on him? He who didn’t know when his graduation date was? “I’m sure. One hundred percent.”
    â€œThank you so much, darling.” She stroked his back. “Since you’re so certain of your support…I admit, I have a favor to ask of you already.”
    Baz blinked. “Um—okay?”
    â€œPart of the reason I’m approaching you now is because there’s an event this weekend. A house-party fundraiser for Chicago area Democrats. Paul thinks I should be there, and I’d love you to come too. The theory is to beat rumors off at the pass. It doesn’t have to be overt, obviously—we’ll let them assume.”
    â€œAssume what?”
    â€œIt would be wonderful if you could attend the gala with someone people would assume is your boyfriend.”
    Baz recoiled.
    She petted him, trying to hook him in the tractor beam of her fixer smile. “Sweetheart, I don’t mean you actually have to have one. We can find someone suitable to be your escort. It’s foregrounding, in case you need cover later. If the press bother you once the announcements are made, we have the narrative ready to roll out. Or we don’t use it at all—but then we have an option.” She adjusted her smile to full wattage. “So what do you think? Shall I have Stephan send you some profiles?”
    He stifled the urge to protest, having ridden this tiger before. Fighting would entrench him more deeply. He had no delusion this would be an escort-only situation. She was trying to marry him off. So he had to head her off.
    His options were to refuse to go, argue he didn’t want a date or provide his own. Which normally wouldn’t be a problem, but he couldn’t do this to any of his friends. Damien was obviously out, what with the engagement and all. Marius would do it, but when the shit hit the fan, he’d need to fake gay during his first year of med school. No. Aaron and Giles were out too, because he wasn’t messing up that relationship. Sid wouldn’t touch this with a ten-foot pole.
    One name lingered in his contact list, and suddenly his mother’s file of prospective suitors didn’t sound so bad.
    Except yes, it did. She’d call in favors from people in her network who had gay, bi or desperate sons. This one event would become four, or five, and if his mother liked the way they looked