They started walking and talked about going to Valleyweird for a couple days of fun before Kristoph started school and Uriel got too busy doubling as Blue Lennox. Uriel saw the man's schedule, and he couldn't help but wonder when the man would find time to sleep. After the two-week break, he had one event after another.
They were having a great time walking to the penthouse when Kristoph suddenly stopped.
“Dad, I just thought of something,” he said in Latin, one of the languages Uriel had taught Kristoph growing up.
“What?”
“One of us has to break the news to Uncle Orion that I want to become an actor.”
“Oh, for damnation’s sake,” Uriel cursed in Hebrew.
Uriel wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry on his son’s behalf. Orion could go overboard when it came to Kristoph trying new things. Uriel was certain that he was Kristoph’s father... however, Orion took his godfather’s job seriously. When the kid tried out for soccer, Orion was the pushy and annoying family member whose kid had to play in every game. He had a banner made with Kristoph’s name on it, as well as T-shirts. He cheered the loudest, drowning out the rest of the crowd, and outdid the other parents when it came to snacks—the list went on and on. No matter what it was, Orion took it a bit too far, to the point of embarrassment.
Uriel placed his hands on Kristoph’s shoulders. “Son, you’re going to have to buck up your courage and tell your uncle what you want to do.”
“Can we keep it a secret from him?”
Uriel had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at his son’s misfortune.
“You’re kidding, right?” When it came to Kristoph, Orion knew just about everything that the kid was up to. Even though Orion worked part-time for the company, his main job was taking care of Kristoph.
“It was a long shot.” Kristoph sighed.
Poor kid.“I'll tell you what, I’ll talk to him.”
“Does that mean you’ll tell him for me?” Kristoph stared at him with puppy dog eyes.
Uriel chuckled. “Yeah, don't worry about it."
Kristoph sighed. “You’re the best.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re just happy that you're not the one facing your uncle's wrath.”
“Yup.” Kristoph chuckled.
“Cheeky kid. Come on, let’s go home and watch a movie or two.”
“Sounds good.” Nothing else was said about Kristoph’s acting as they headed home. These were the moments that Uriel loved; spending time with his son, with no thought of work or anything else.
* * *
A couple of nights later,Azazel and Loki were having dinner at Mama Vee's, a high-class Italian restaurant with private rooms for guests who didn’t want to be interrupted while eating. Mama Greta’s was in the center of the city, like many major businesses, such as the art museum, the theaters, city hall, courthouse, and Valleywood Garden, and they were all within walking distance from his penthouse.
The restaurant was three floors, with one-way floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a kitchen and serving staff that served various Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Azazel was having the aged prime rib grilled to perfection and couldn’t help but hum with each bite.
He smiled, looking at his best friend, who’d shown up at his office and invited him out to dinner. Knowing that Azazel was a carnivore and enjoyed the meals at Mama Greta’s, Loki brought him to the restaurant, telling Azazel to order whatever he wanted since it was his treat.
“This is the second time in two weeks we’re having dinner. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to seduce me,” he said to Loki, giving him a playful smile. “Or maybe you did something you don’t want me to know about.”
Loki rolled his eyes. “Who the hell wants to seduce a grumpy-ass bastard like you?”
Azazel set his utensils down and looked at his friend, noting that Loki hadn’t disputed the last part of his sentence.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Loki asked.
“Call it a hunch, but I think you’re hiding something from me,” Azazel said. “So tell me what you did now, so that I can help or try to dissuade you from making another mistake.”
“You sound like my father,” Loki huffed. “And when have you tried to talk me out of anything?”
