Angels In The City - Garrett Leigh

1

The start of the festive season had always been the bane of Jonah Gray’s life. Or at least for as long as he’d been old enough to attend the annual winter ball his parents hosted for the charity foundation attached to their city law firm. He didn’t even work for Gray & Gray anymore, hadn’t done since he’d quit his postgraduate internship four years ago, and yet here he was, flapping around at the last minute, carrying the same disquiet and anxiety he had at sixteen.

Calm down. If they try and pair you off with Edward again, just tell them you’ve changed your mind about being gay. Tell them you’re sleeping with Lily.

The thought made Jonah laugh as much as it would Lily Dawson, his long-time BFF and partner-in-crime, but his amusement did nothing to make the prospect of the long evening ahead of him any less daunting. He loved his parents…mostly, and he was proud of the charity they’d created with their ridiculous wealth, but Christ, no one had warned him being single and gay would be no less pressured than if he’d been straight. “You can’t cavort around the city forever, Jonah. It’s time to grow up.”

Nice. As if founding his own advertising agency and working eighteen-hour days to get it off the ground hadn’t been enough. Now he had to attach himself to one of the three queer bachelors his parents had deemed a suitable match and make a happy gay family just to satisfy other people.

Jonah fiddled with his bow tie one last time and stepped out of his glass office. As usual, he was the last to leave. Only a solitary member of the cleaning crew was there to wish him goodnight.

“Have a good evening, Mr. Gray,” he said.

Jonah nodded. “You too, Curtis. There are leftover cupcakes in the lounge, and coffee in the pot. Please help yourself. Take the cupcakes home if you wish.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gray.”

“You’re welcome.” Jonah left his company offices behind and headed for the lifts that would take him to his waiting car. His legs felt heavy and he’d have given anything to bypass the limo and take a cab home. Even a night alone with his left hand was preferable to the corporate bullshit he was about to endure. Add in the matchmaking he was fairly sure his mother had already started weeks ago, and he was pretty much ready to throw himself in front of the next London bus.

Drama queen.

Without doubt. And it was out of character for Jonah. On a normal day, he prided himself on his cool composure. Of his ability to steer any ship in any crisis and guide it safely to dry land, but the annual G&G ball unsettled him like nothing else ever could.

“…come on,” the older man crooned. “It’s just a quick fuck. I won’t tell anyone, not even your mother.”

Jonah shuddered. Nine years had passed since he’d wrestled those groping hands out of his trousers, but every time this night came around on his calendar, he was right back there, pressed against a wall, choking on the scent of fear and expensive cologne.

So stop thinking about it. Maybe he won’t be there this year and you can quaff champagne and canapés in peace. And in any case, he was just fucking handsy. Lily’s had worse taking the Tube.

That wasn’t entirely accurate, but the lift arrived, and the muted ding broke into the thoughts Jonah usually kept under control. He squared his shoulders and stepped into the empty elevator. His reflection distracted him and he couldn’t deny he looked good in his Armani tux. Black and white suited his auburn hair and green eyes, but Christ, wasn’t cataloguing his features in a mirror the worst kind of cliché?

Jonah turned away from himself and refocused on Curtis, tracking the old man as he moved the vacuum cleaner around the offices of Flash Gray, navigating his way past the vomit of festive decorations Jonah had allowed his staff to put up that afternoon. There wasn’t a bauble out of place in the red and gold colour scheme—the benefit of keeping his creative team close. Jonah wasn’t sure he could’ve handled the chaos of tinsel the app development firm in the offices next door had gone with. It was enough to make his eyeballs twitch as the lift doors began to close.

Hurried footsteps startled him. Jonah blinked, gaze still fixed on Curtis. He was in Jonah’s office, pushing the vacuum cleaner around. The footsteps belonged to