Vincent Kinsington

"This is my boyfriend. Mateo."

I looked from my best friend - tall, beautiful, perfect blonde hair, green eyes, full pink lips, sculpted jaw, gentle Alex - to the short man with disheveled black hair, standard brown eyes, small heart lips, tanned skin from being in the sun too long, but not tanned because he chose to tan. No, peeking from underneath his short sleeves was lighter skin. He had a farmer's tan, not a beautiful, even tan.

This young man sitting next to my best friend was not worthy of him. None of his clothes - not even his shoes - were designer.

He stretched out a short, tanned arm across the table towards me. We sat in a cafe near the University. "It's nice to meet you," he said.

I sat back in my chair with my arms folded over my chest and turned my attention back to Alex. "No," I said.

The 'boyfriend' retracted his hand and looked at my best friend with a confused expression. The worry line began to form on Alex's pale forehead. He knew me just as well as I knew him.

"I'm introducing you because you are my best friend," Alex said in his soft voice. "Not because I need your approval."

"I thought you said he knew you were gay," the young man next to him whispered.

"I do," I said. I unfolded my arms and leaned forward in my chair. "I don't have a problem with him being gay." I let my eyes scan Mateo up and down and didn't bother to hide the disdain on my face. In fact, I exaggerated it just a bit so Mateo would be sure to know how much I disliked him. "I have a problem with the economical situation not being equal."

Alex frowned and let out a disappointed sigh. Mateo looked from me to Alex and back again. "Are you saying I'm too poor?" he asked.

"You could put it that way if you are unrefined," I replied.

His cheeks flamed with anger. He stood up to his full - short height as if that would intimidate me. The chair he had been sitting in slid backwards a few inches. It made a scritch sound against the hard floor. Alex grabbed Mateo's hand with both of his.

"He's kidding, aren't you?" Alex's green eyes pleaded with me. Mateo's stance softened a little at Alex's touch. He knew I wasn't kidding, but was willing to let it go for Alex. His act was good, but he wasn't fooling me.

"I'm not kidding," I said easily.

"Maybe we should go," Alex said softly. He stood while still holding Mateo's hand.

"What about Trevon?" I asked as they started to walk away.

Mateo was just a few inches taller than Alex's shoulders. The difference in the expense of their apparel was as clear as day from night. Alex tensed and stopped. He turned back to me. "What about him?" But I could tell from his eyes he already knew what I was going to say.

I leaned back in my chair and stretched out my long legs to occupy the space Mateo had been in when he sat across from me. "He just came out to his family as bi. Date him instead." At least I knew Trevon wouldn't be dating Alex only for his money.

Alex's hand tightened around Mateo's.

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"I'm not interested in dating Trevon. I already have someone."

I rolled my eyes and sat up straight. "It's going to be a repeat of what happened with Jason," I said.

The 'boyfriend' surprised me when he answered and not Alex. "I'm not Jason." He spit out Jason's name as if it were poison.

I didn't miss the small smile that came to Alex's lips as he watched Mateo.

"You told him about Jason?" I addressed Alex. "Just how long have you two been dating?"

"A month," Alex said quietly.

A mix of emotions rushed through me. They had been dating an entire month and Alex only told me now? And yet he told Mateo about Jason when they had been dating for only a month?

"I told him about Jason before we officially started dating," Alex said as if he could read my mind.

My jaw tensed. I moved my hands from the table to my lap and clenched them tight where no one could see. Alex was more serious about this relationship than I thought. I needed to find a way to break them up now before it got even more serious. Alex was bound to be not just hurt, but devastated when Mateo betrayed him. And I knew he would. Everyone betrays in the end. Alex was too naive.

"Let's go," Alex said. He gently tugged on Mateo's hand and led him out the glass door. I watched them through the large windows as they started down the sidewalk.

I took out my phone and sent Alex a text.

'Dump him'

The waitress chose that moment to show up with the three coffees we had ordered before Alex had introduced his 'boyfriend'.

"Where are your friends?" she asked. "Are they coming back?"

I ignored her. Alex stopped walking as he stared down at his phone. Mateo said something to him. Alex looked back into the cafe towards me, but he angled his phone so Mateo could see the text I sent.

The waitress set down all three coffees on the table, but didn't say anymore. She left quietly.

The glass door opened and Mateo came back in. He walked with purpose to the table and put down a twenty dollar bill. Alex watched him from the doorway.

"Wouldn't want you to think I wasn't paying for our share," he said to me. Then he turned and walked back to Alex. He took Alex's hand and led him away not once looking back.

My phone rang. I had hoped it would be Alex telling me he had a change of heart about his boyfriend, but the name on the screen wasn't Alex's. My finger hovered over decline.

I hated speaking with the caller. Hated it. Always. But he would know I wasn't in class at the moment. He would know I purposely ignored his call.

"Hello," I answered.

"There's my little brother," Aiden said in that mock friendly tone that in reality was a hidden threat.

"Yes," was all I said.

"Hanging out with that gay friend of yours? Disgusting. The whole thing is disgusting. Can you imagine kissing a guy and having his stubble...ugh. Nevermind. It's too disgusting to even think about, right?"

"Disgusting," I repeated. It wasn't the first time I repeated Aiden's words. I had even repeated it to other people. Just not in front of Alex. I was pretty sure Alex would forgive me even if I did. He knew how my brother was and he knew they were not truly my words. "What can I do for you?" My brother had a reason for calling me. He didn't call just to chat. That was never our thing and never would be our thing.

"You need to come home this weekend and help me hype up the girl I'm bringing. Grandma must love her. Got it?"

Aiden was bringing home a girl to introduce? The only way that would happen is if the girl's family was more economically sound than ours.

"Got it," I said. What else could I say? Behind everything Aiden said there was a veiled threat. He disconnected the call. I put my phone on the table next to the cup of coffee. I stared into the dark liquid as I dreaded the weekend.

I stood and put my phone in my pocket. I took out my wallet and placed a crisp twenty dollar bill next to the wrinkled one Mateo had put down. My hand was on the door to push it open when the waitress stopped me.

"Your change," she said.

"Keep it," I replied. I turned away from her, but she kept talking.

"Thank you," she said. Her cheeks had turned from cream to a slight pink. "That is very generous of you."

"I'm not that generous," I said. It was easy to read the sudden interest in her expression, but before she could ask me out I said, "We can make out if you want, but I'm not going to sleep with you."

Now her cheeks changed from the pink of a blush to the red of anger. I didn't care.

"What do you think I am?" she asked with venom in her tone.

"Same as everyone else," I said nonchalantly. "I'm rich. Not stupid. People like you can't take advantage of me."

I didn't wait for a response. I opened the door and left the cafe. There was no sign of Alex and his boyfriend. I had to break them up before Alex got his heart broken. Again.