Tallus
Diem went to meet Aslan for his nine o’clock meeting, leaving me alone with Darcy. The kid planted himself on the couch and was about to turn on the TV.
“Nope. Don’t get comfortable. We’re going out.”
“What do you mean?” Why was he so whiny?
“Your employer owns several properties. Not all of them are in the city, but a few are close enough that I’d like to check them out. One in particular is in Mississauga. Didn’t you say he took you to Mississauga last night?”
“Yeah. So?”
“So, aren’t you curious?”
“Shouldn’t we wait for Diem?”
“I just want to look around. We can visit a few locations and report back with our findings. Plus, my research told me Luke owns a seven-million-dollar house on Old Forest Hill Road, but his driver’s license put his home address as a penthouse in the Eglinton Park area.I’m curious where he spends his time. A little recon is in order. If you don’t want to join me, I can drop you off at home.”
“You can’t.” Sudden panic flared in his eyes.
“Well, you’re not staying here unsupervised. Diem might trust you, but I don’t.”
“Diem said I can’t go home. It’s not safe.”
“Then I guess you’re coming with me. Get your coat and shoes on. We’re leaving.”
“I lost my coat.”
Gritting my teeth, I found an old one of mine for him to borrow.
It took a thousand years to commute in Toronto traffic at rush hour. The congestion was so thick that we moved at a snail’s pace. Darcy didn’t say much, which was nice. He leaned his head against the window and watched the world go by, radiating teenage glumness.
As I drove, Memphis called. We typically connected daily to share about shopping deals, Hollywood gossip, and chat about our favorite TV shows. Lately, conversation was all about the new boy toy Joshua.
Since I was driving, I put the call on speaker. When Memphis detailed his recent exploits with his sexy new boyfriend, I didn’t stop him or tell him I had judgmental company. He happily shared about the copious dick sucking and ass fucking that had gone on the previous night. In typical Memphis fashion, his delivery oozed flair.
Darcy shrank in his seat, drawing the hood of his hoodie and pulling the strings so tight only his nose poked out the hole like it might somehow eliminate sound. It was so juvenile.
An evil voice in the back of my head told me I was equally juvenile, and Diem wouldn’t approve, but I couldn’t help it. Darcy rubbed me the wrong way.
By the time we arrived at Lukyan’s seven-million-dollar mansion, shame sat heavily on my lap. Darcy looked as miserable as I felt. Sincewhen had I become petty? The kid was nineteen, for fuck’s sake. I was twenty-nine. He had a reason to be moody. I didn’t.
So what if Diem paid attention to someone else.
It wasn’t even romantic attention.
God, I was pathetic.
I parked on the opposite side of the road from the mansion, wanting to apologize to Darcy but unable to admit I might have been out of line… or that I was jealous.
Instead, hoping to break the tension, I whistled as I sized up the property. “Not Hollywood Hills fancy, but I’d live here.”
Darcy shed the hood like Baby did her skin, and glowered. “You’re so gay.”
I sighed and prayed for strength. “Listen, kid. You’re beating a dead horse. It’s 2026. Make peace with it.”
“Yeah, but… What I mean is, youactgay.”
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I was not a walking stereotype. Even if I was, who cared? Memphis and I together tended to be… effusive, but that didn’t excuse Darcy’s commentary.
