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“What is your evening routine with him?” I ask.
“I pretty much allow him to finish whatever he’s doing until about six-thirty. He has dinner, then it’s up to his room. If he had activity after his nap, like today, then it’s time for another bath. He usually works on his puzzle until bedtime anywhere between eight and nine. But on weekends, he is allowed to stay up a bit longer. And speaking of weekends, Lucan has asked me to invite you out to dinner with us on Friday night if you’re free,” Sylvia informs me.
I’ve been able to put everything about Lucan Forbes on a locked vault in my mind. but the mere mention of him unlocks it and brings back memories of the dream. I chase the memory of it immediately.
“I don’t think I have any plans. I’d love to join you,” I say.
Sylvia beams, “Great. You can either leave with us or meet us there. But we’ll work out the details when you come on Friday.”
I nod. “No problem. Have a good evening, Sylvia. And thanks for being so helpful.”
She smiles. “Trust me. It’s you who’s been a great help. He’s so relaxed.”
We look at Ryan as he continues to play with his soldiers on the carpet. I walk over to him.
“Goodbye, Ryan. Thanks for letting me stay with you today.”
“Are you coming back tomorrow?” He looks up at me with his bright green eyes and I feel my heart melt. I kneel beside him and lean in as close as he will allow, watching for any sign of retreat.
“Do you want me to come back tomorrow?” I reach out slowly, happy that he allows me to stroke his hair.
He looks down and there’s a shadow of a smile. “Yes.”
“Then I’ll be back tomorrow. You rest well. Okay?”
He nods. “Okay.”
I bid Sylvia goodbye once more and head home. The drive is filled with thoughts of Ryan. There is no doubt that money is no object in providing him with the necessary resources to stimulate his mind. But it is clear he is no ordinary child. What is also clear is that the adults around him are doing their best to work around his quirks and to make him as happy as possible. I think Ryan senses that I understand him. I feel that he will slowly come out of his shell and we will bond even more. And that is the easy part. I will move heaven and earth to keep him happy. The ideas are already tumbling over in my head.
Chapter Four
Lucan
“Fuck.”Igroanandroll into a sitting position. I fumble on the bedside table for my phone. It is way past noon and I sigh. I shuffle to the bathroom and find some ibuprofen in the medicine cabinet and swallow them quickly to stave off the headache I seem to have been having all night. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow when I crawled into bed around six thirty this morning.
I sit on the edge of the bathtub and run my fingers through my hair. This week has been absolutely horrible.
I love being a club owner. But times like this often make me wonder if the past twelve years have been worth it. I rub my hand over my face and move to the mirror automatically. I lather my face thoroughly and pull out my razor.
Frictionis on top of its game in the club scene and has been for ten years since I moved to California. It is in the top three in the city. The three I opened in the last five to eight years have been hovering on the border of the top ten. But that is not the problem.
I stare at my reflection and see the hunger burning in my eyes. I want more clubs. And the damn city building codes and regulations seem determined to starve me.
I finish shaving, then drag myself to the shower and stand under the stinging needles as I force my body to wake up. I step out a few minutes later with a towel slung low around my hips. I use a smaller one to rub through my hair, not caring that it leaves it sticking up in spikes. As I stand by the closet, pulling out a pair of joggers and a T-shirt, a movement beyond the window catches my eye. I pause.
Summer and Ryan are walking through the garden. I watch as he looks up at her and she smiles at him. They pause at intervals and she points at different things. I wish I could hear what they are saying. They continue their walk and I do not realize how long I have been standing there watching until they disappear from view. Then I remember: today is Friday. I was elated when Sylvia reported that Summer agreed to have dinner with us.
I get dressed and head down to the kitchen to grab a sandwich.
“Oh! I was wondering where you were, Lucan.” Sylvia comes into the kitchen and slides onto the stool next to mine. When she had joined my household with Ryan, I told her to dismiss the whole notion of a boss and employee as anyone living under my roof is considered family.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“About tonight. I’m not going to be able to make it. Jeff is in town this weekend and—”
I smile. “Far be it from me to spoil your weekend with your beau.”
She smiles demurely, a slight blush staining her cheeks. For a woman in her late forties, it is refreshing to know that she still has a side to her that could be as giddy as a teenage girl.
