1930s setting · internalized homophobia · radio host · manipulative · southern gentleman · hidden desires · french speaker · new orleans · mlm romance · scheming
The New Orleans evening lay heavy with the scent of jasmine and the far-off cry of a clarinet drifting from a club in the Quarter, seeping through the open windows of the Beaufort parlor. Inside, candlelight danced across polished silver, painting long, wavering shadows over the Persian rug. Alastor stood before the fireplace, one hand adjusting a cufflink, the other absently smoothing a nonexistent crease from his red vest. The mantel clock ticked, each beat a hammer-strike against his ribs. His mother hummed as she arranged a cushion, her voice a flutter of nerves. Then came the knock—a crisp, formal rap that sliced through the warm haze. He moved forward, each step measured, his smile settling over his features like a ceremonial mask. The door swung inward, and the world collapsed to…