“I remember when you just came here,” Morgan murmured as he leaned against the column which supported the building, crossing powerful arms over his chest. They had pooled together the money with Chad coming up with most of it to buy the building and spent a couple of months tearing down rotted boards and getting rid of mold and giving the place a fresh coat of paint. Chad had suggested that they get someone to see to the work, but Morgan had sneered at him for being soft, a poor little rich boy who could not get his hands dirty. Chad had lashed out at him and they had ended up throwing blows at each other with Morgan coming out the winner of course. They had become fast friends after that. “I thought you were a wimp with too much money and very little brain.”
“I recall you being shocked when I showed you my several degrees from Yale.”
Morgan snorted. “Money well spent.”
“I assure you, I earned those.” Chad braced his hands against the rail and stared out at the gathering dusk. “I once entertained the idea of becoming a lawyer.”
“Didn’t you play one in some sappy movie a few years back?”
Chad grinned. “Trial by Fire. As I recalled, I was damned good. The movie came up for several awards.”
Morgan eyed the younger man. He had stumbled into the center one day when he was at his most frustrated. The seller had been demanding more money than the crappy building was worth, and he had just been ditched by the woman he had been seeing for five years. Chad had stumbled apparently wasted and had puked all over the floor. Morgan had seen red, recognizing him as the spoilt rich actor and had not given a damn and had given him a sound talking to. The boy had kept coming back and had showed interest in what he was doing.
“Do you miss it?”
“No.” Chad told him immediately. “It was never my thing. I was pushed into it by my parents. I started going to audition before I could walk properly, and I hated it.” He shook his head. “What were you saying?”
“I think Joseph is using again.”
“Are you sure?” Chad asked with a frown.
“You were into all that man. The signs are there, the twitching, the flare ups and I discovered him going through my stuff.”
“What are we going to do?”
“I would like you to talk to him. You have a way with words, and they listen to them. If that does not work, then we try something else. We knew that there was a possibility that would happen.”
Chad’s expression turned bleak. “He has had it pretty rough. Is the father back in prison?”
“On multiple charges of abuse. The mother is terrified of her own shadow.” He blew out a breath. “The things these kids go through.” His dark brown eyes gazed at his friend speculatively. “You are having a rough time of it as well.”
“I had a rough time.” Chad corrected.
“There is still something that has a burr up your skinny white butt.”
“My butt is not skinny.”
“I beg to differ white boy.” Morgan said with a grin. “And speaking of butts – we are freezing ours off out here. Let’s go grab a beer and talk about your problems.”
“I don’t have any.”
“Yeah right….” Morgan snorted.
*****
“You found her.”
“I found her.” Joe put the folder on his desk and took a seat. “She did not move very far from where she was living before.” He hesitated as he looked at the domineering man seated at the desk. “I included her troubled past in the report. A drunken mother and a father who disappeared before she was born. She pulled herself up by the bootstraps and made something of herself. She is a ghost writer.”
James thick dark brows lifted. “A creative being.” He murmured in amusement as he leaned back in his chair. “Kindred spirits.” He opened the folder and stared at the photo. It was a candid shot and was taken with her seated outdoors at a restaurant with a guy leaning against the table and was smiling at her.
“Boyfriend?”
“I am not sure. There is a photo of her with another guy, this one is a doctor at the local hospital.”
“I see.” There was a frown on his brow as he skipped through the photos. She had flawless dark skin and thick black hair. Her smile was wide and lit up her entire face. She was beautiful in an unconventional way. He had found out about her and his son by chance when one of the drivers had reported seeing him riding his bike in the downtown area. When he had discovered that he was seeing a girl of that caliber, he had acted immediately, intent on destroying what they had. Now he was determined to fix it. The address where she lived was in the folder but knowing Chad and how obstinate he was, he was going to refuse to act on the info if he knew it came from him. “Thanks Joe.”
He dismissed the man and pondered how to give him the news and ensure that he acted on it.
*****
“I was surprised when you called.” Melanie unfolded the napkin and spread it over her lap.
“When you left without saying goodbye….”
“I am sorry about that.” He beckoned the waiter over and handed him the menu cards. It was an out of the way restaurant that he frequented and the staff and the people who came here were used to him. “I had a conversation with my dad, and I left shortly after.”
“You missed the cutting of the cake.”
“Your mother was quite upset.”
“It was the best pink champagne I have ever tasted.” Melanie continued with a mischievous smile. “I asked for seconds and thirds.”
“I am not much of a cake person myself.”
“Neither am I but that was sinful. I asked for the name of the pastry chef.”
“I bet he is outrageously expensive.”
“And worth every penny…..” She stared at him for a moment and sipped her water. “You are hot.”
His thick eyebrows lifted. “Thanks, I think.” There was an amused quirk to his lips.
“I was not finished.”
“Oh?”
“You are hot and rich ….”
“My parents are rich!”
“You are rich because you are the only child for them which means that you are their heir whether you like it or not and you made a hefty sum when you were into acting.”
“Is there a point to all this?”