Joey rubbed Gabe’s back sympathetically. “It’s just a town council meeting,” he said, his green eyes wide. “The police aren’t officially involved. It’s not gone to court.”

“Yet,” said Gabe.

They were sitting in his car on the curb down the street from the town hall. It was an imposing building; three stories high with big, white Georgian columns standing out in front. Gabe had never been inside before. He’d never had to.

Two days after he had brought Joey home from the hospital, he’d got a call from Mitch saying the council was going to discuss Gabe’s ‘situation’ at their next bimonthly meeting. Mitch had called on Monday; the meeting was Wednesday.

It was just a council meeting, so in theory, anyone could attend. Mitch had promised he and Mary-Lou would be there to speak up for Gabe. But in reality, Gabe had absolutely no idea how something like this worked. All he could imagine was a courtroom like you’d see on a TV drama, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be pulled up and cross-examined.

Pretty sure.

Joey took his hand and looked at him encouragingly. “Babe, you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. They haven’t got a leg to stand on.”

Gabe nodded and tried to absorb some of his boyfriend’s confidence. The only positive from being forced into taking vacation time from work was that it had happened to coincide with Joey moving in. Gabe wasn’t sure what he would have done the past two days without Joey there by his side.

Not only had he been supportive and comforting, but Joey had also contacted his lawyer friend on Gabe’s behalf. At such short notice, Gabe didn’t hold out much hope anything could be done, but he appreciated that Joey tried.

Gabe’s plan for attending the meeting tonight was simply to wait until they brought his name up. Then he would tell them that unless they had any proof of his wrongdoing, which they couldn’t have, they were in violation of anti-discriminatory laws.

The thought of saying that out loud filled him with dread. He hated confrontation. He was still too hung up on how these people he thought were his friends could turn on him like this.

“Because they’re assholes,” Joey had told him several times. “They don’t deserve your heart, so you need to stop giving it to them.”

Gabe knew he was probably naive, but he still clung to some faith in his town. He’d told Joey about the Good Samaritan who had found him freezing to death on that bench and called 911. Also Nurse Mullins, who had gone above and beyond to care for them both. Joey had begrudgingly admitted that maybe not everyone was an asshole.

But some people were. Some people had decided that Gabe had to be treated differently, simply because he was gay. Gabe needed to forget the part of him that was hurt because of that, and seize the part that was fucking furious.

How dare they abuse him like this? This was no different to being judged by race or religion. He wouldn’t stand for it. Couldn’t.

With a resolute sigh, he nodded at Joey, and they got out of the car into the snow that hadn’t let up since the weekend. Joey took his hand and they headed towards the council building together.

They were a little early, so they walked through the grand lobby by themselves. Their shoes echoed off the black-and-white-tiled floor. Both of them looked up in awe at the arched, pale pink ceiling, and white columns and banisters running around the room.

Gabe was aware you could get married in this room. The sweeping central staircase would certainly make a dramatic entrance for a bride. But for him in his current state of mind, it just seemed huge and impersonal.

He shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about weddings. He needed to focus on himself and the task at hand.

The council meetings were apparently held in an understated antechamber on the second floor. It was a simple room with white walls, grey carpet and wooden chairs with plush blue seats. The chairs were currently being set out like an audience for a play, all facing away from the door with a central aisle left down the middle.

A number of people were already in the room, either moving the chairs, sitting themselves down, or setting up with papers and notebooks at the table facing the seats where you might expect a stage to be. Gabe guessed the seven seats behind the table were reserved for the council representatives.

A few people glanced at him and Joey as they took a couple of seats in the middle of the room. He tried to ignore them, but then he made eye contact with Debbie Slater, talking at the front of the room with a man Gabe presumed to be her husband. He was a weedy-looking man, but he gave Gabe a bold enough sneer.

Debbie, oddly enough, gave Gabe a pitying smile. That was pretty daring of her. Gabe would have expected her to cower away from him, considering she was actively trying to ruin his life.

Gabe hadn’t realized how tense he’d got until Joey touched his arm. “Forget her,” he said. “Don’t let them get to you.”

Gabe nodded and took his seat. He tried his best to ignore the Slaters after that, but he couldn’t help but shoot them the occasional glare. Joey held his hand which was some comfort. Neither of them spoke much and Joey’s knee didn’t stop bouncing as the room gradually filled.

Gabe kept glancing towards the door. Where the hell were Mitch and Mary-Lou?

There were other faces Gabe recognized in the audience though, much to his surprise. Lara from the Goodwill store was there with her two almost-grownup kids. All three waved at him. He also spotted Brooke from the animal shelter, some of his buddies from the fire department, Maggie from the bakery, old Mrs. Turnell whose lawn he cut regularly, and a guy he took a moment to place as the dad of the little redhead girl with all the intricate questions about the fire truck at the fair. Every one of them gave him nods or smiles when he saw that they were there.

It wasn’t quite the same as Mitch and Mary-Lou, but it was heartening all the same. And he had Joey beside him, which was the most important thing.

“All right, looks like we have a full house here tonight,” a loud voice cut through the hubbub.

A portly man clapped his hands to get people’s attention. He had a scruffy beard encroaching down his neck and a stain on the corner of his shirt cuff that he was obviously aware of by the way he kept pulling at his jacket sleeve. Mr. Tallis, if Gabe remembered correctly. He was a dentist or chiropractor or something. He rubbed his bulbous red nose and waved for quiet.

“Now we have several items on the agenda tonight. However, one is of a somewhat, uh, delicate nature. Therefore, I have been advised we start with that.”

Gabe looked anxiously over his shoulder again. He couldn’t believe his friends were late.

“Mr. Slater,” said Mr. Tallis. “I believe you would like to address the council.”

Skinny Mr. Slater nodded and stood up from his seat behind the table, allowing Mr. Tallis to take the central chair amongst the other five representatives. “Thank you,” he said. His voice was slimy and ingratiating, grating on Gabe’s nerves immediately. “As some of you are aware, my wife recently brought some concerns to the Greenwich public library about one of their employees. Specifically, questioning whether or not it was suitable for such a character to be operating in such close proximity to children.”

Anger flared in Gabe’s chest. Joey squeezed his hand tightly, keeping him sitting still. Although the look on Joey’s face suggested he was even more livid than Gabe.

“As a father myself,” Mr. Slater continued, placing a hand over his heart. “I can promise you that nothing is more sacred than the safety and protection of the innocence of our children.”

“Of course,” Mr. Tallis chimed in.

Debbie Slater beamed at her husband from her seat in the audience.

Mr. Slater nodded at Mr. Tallis. The whole thing was sickening to watch. Gabe would have cringed if he wasn’t so busy snarling.

But Joey’s hand was warm in his, anchoring him. He reminded himself that he had to show them he wasn’t a threat. He couldn’t give them any excuses, so he managed to school his reaction back. However, Mr. Slater wasn’t going to make that easy.

“I see Mr. Robinson is here with us tonight,” he said, gesturing towards Gabe. Mr. Slater smiled, a grotesque thing that didn’t meet his eyes. “Good. Hopefully, that will make things simpler.” Mr. Slater turned his attention from the crowd to the head table. “My wife and I have a petition of over a hundred signatures urging this council to keep Mr. Robinson suspended from his job at the public library and the extracurricular activities he currently volunteers at. Until a thorough police background check can be run to assess his suitability to be around minors, he should not be in a position of authority around them.”

“This is outrageous,” Gabe cried. He shot to his feet despite Joey’s protests. “You can run a background check all you like, I’ve got nothing to hide. But to stop me from doing my job because of your prejudices is just – it’s-” What the hell was the law they were breaking? The word had gone clean out of his head and he began getting flustered and panicked. “It’s not fair!”

There were murmurs of agreement around the room. “Hear, hear!” Lara cried.

“Not fair at all,” said one of the guys that ran a computer course at the library.

Mr. Slater smirked. Mrs. Slater got to her feet. “This is nothing personal, Mr. Robinson. But when there are children involved we cannot be too careful.”

“So why aren’t you suspending all the staff at the library?” Gabe demanded. “Doing background checks on them, too. Why have you singled me out?”

He wanted to make them say it.

Debbie Slater huffed. “Mr. Robinson, it has become obvious your lifestyle choices are far from family-friendly. We can’t have our children exposed to such a destructive element.”

“What choices?” he growled. Joey touched his arm.

“Keep calm,” he muttered, looking around the room. Every pair of eyes was on Gabe.

Gabe took a deep breath and dared them to say it was because he was gay.

But Debbie gave him a sweet smile that didn’t reach her eyes, then glanced at Joey. “Why, the company you keep, of course.”

Joey’s hand dropped from Gabe’s arm. Fuck. Gabe had forgotten that Mitch had mentioned the Twitter pictures.

Mr. Slater laughed hollowly. “Mr. Robinson, you didn’t think this was about your sexual orientation, did you?” Mr. Slater tutted. “That would be illegal, not to mention immoral, to suggest you were unfit to be around children simply because you are gay.”

That was exactly what they were suggesting, Gabe was certain.

“I’ve had a boyfriend for the past five years,” he said. He refused to mention Lewis by name. He could have been there, helping Gabe in his hour of need. Instead, he’d left him to the wolves. “Who I date has no baring whatsoever on my ability to serve the community.”

Mr. Slater frowned. “It does when that person is a known drug and alcohol abuser of questionable moral character, not to mention barely more than a minor himself.”

Rage filled Gabe. How dare they drag Joey into this.

Joey leaped to his feet beside him, his fists balled. “I’m twenty-one and have more life experience than you’ll ever have, you piece of-”

Gabe yanked his arm before he could say something he’d really regret. Unfortunately, the people around them were looking at Joey and the tattoos that were visible on his arms and around his collar with raised eyebrows.

Fuck, this was not going well.

“Joey is not the one whose job and reputation is under threat here,” Gabe said as calmly as he could. “If you have issues with him, that’s your problem.”

Mr. Tallis sighed from his position at the table. “Unfortunately, Mr. Robinson,” he said to Gabe. “It is at this council’s discretion how the annual budget is allocated. And as we come to review for next year’s funds, it is fair to say that some of our members are uncomfortable supporting an institution that associates itself with such questionable behavior.”

“That’s discrimination,” Gabe said through his teeth.

“That’s good moral judgment,” said Debbie Slater haughtily.

Gabe looked around the room. Some people were looking smug. Many others were looking stricken. But like him, they didn’t seem to know what to say to that.

This wasn’t fair, it couldn’t be happening. He knew his job at the library wasn’t as important as what he did with the fire department. He was hardly saving the world making sure the art club or parent-toddler group was set up and kept in good supply. But damn it, he loved it. He loved being connected to the community and helping it tick by every day.

Now these people wanted to poison the town against him. Him and Joey, which was totally unacceptable. Greenwich had treated him badly enough as it was.

But he didn’t know what to do. Should he demand they file formal charges? What would happen if this went to court? Surely they couldn’t just get away with this because they didn’t like Gabe and Joey for who they were.

He opened his mouth, desperate for something to say.

Instead, the door to the council room flew open.

Gabe, like everyone else in the audience, turned to see the group of people marching through the doors, brushing snow from their clothes and breathing like they’d just sprinted up the stairs.

Beside him, Joey gasped. Gabe risked a quick glance at him. His whole face was lit up.

“I do apologize for the late arrival,” said the man at the head of the party. He smiled jovially at the room, totally at ease as he strode down the aisle. He was broad and blond, an expensive raincoat was hanging from one arm, an even more expensive briefcase swinging from the other hand.

Gabe realized people were suddenly whispering to each other like a nest of hornets. That was when he looked at the rest of the party following the blond man. He gasped too.

He identified Mitch and Mary-Lou immediately. Mitch had several sheets of paper clutched in his hands, and as soon as he met Gabe’s eyes, he mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ to him.

The other two younger guys Gabe had never met. But he recognized them all the same.

“Blake,” Joey squeaked, joy evident on his face.

Blake Jackson, star of Feet of Flames and formerly of Below Zero, was walking down the center of the room. He was stunningly good-looking, with pale blond hair like the man walking in front of him and had an athletic body that was visible even through his coat and sweater.

Beside him was a Hispanic-looking guy with barely contained glee evident on his face as he looked over the crowd, nodding to them until he spotted Joey. He grinned and gave him two thumbs up. That was Elion Rodriguez, Blake’s boyfriend, who had also been on the first season of Feet of Flames.

Gabe felt his jaw drop. What the hell were they both doing here?

“Can I help you?” Mr. Slater said to the blond man as he approached him at the front of the room. To his credit, he didn’t flinch away like a lot of other people might have done. The blond guy was like a lion, perfectly at ease as he thrust his hand out, forcing Mr. Slater to shake it.

“Richard Jackson,” said the blond man. “Of Jackson, Frazier and Pollak, Cincinnati. I’m here to represent Mr. Robinson.”