After the Climb (River Rain 0.50)

“Can you listen to me for a second now?” I asked.

“Yes, but—”

“No buts, Matt. Your dad and I spoke of this and he admitted you both felt that way. So I know. And what you said didn’t upset me. Things have come to light where I’m fully aware that Corey had some significant issues, especially in regard to me. I’m fine. I can explain those to you the next time I’m in LA. But I can assure you that Duncan is no longer a friend of Corey’s. He hasn’t been for a very long time. They haven’t seen each other in decades. But we used to be friends, the three of us. And something Corey did drove me to seeing Duncan. So that’s what’s happening. Okay?”

“What’d Corey do?”

“Can we Skype about this later?”

“Only if you can assure me you’re okay.”

Now I was seeing Chloe’s side of the argument in her lifelong debate that there was a place for little fibs.

“This is a lot, I can’t deny it. But I’m fine. Truly. All right?”

“All right, Mom, but seriously. Who is this guy? You were practically making out with him.”

“We weren’t. It just looked that way. He’s an old friend.”

“An old friend?”

I gave Duncan big eyes.

His concern fled, his finger trailed my nape, but his hand disappeared.

Though he left his arm draped on the back of the booth.

And that nape touch shot all the way down my spine.

And farther.

Great.

“An old boyfriend,” I admitted.

Duncan chuckled and nabbed his beer.

“Are you starting things up again?” Matt asked suspiciously.

“Matthew, my only son, I love and adore you. But can we not talk about this now, or maybe forever, please?”

“Holy shit,” he whispered. “You’re starting things up again.”

“Don’t you have some life-saving technique you should be studying?”

“I am currently incredibly grossed out, so no. I’m going to be looking into finding the nearest isolation chamber so I can lock myself in it and try not to think of my mother dating. But this conversation can be done.”

“It’s always so gratifying when you demonstrate how mature you are,” I teased.

“Cut me some slack, Mom. I’m your only boy and no one will ever be good enough for you. And that includes Dad.”

Uh-oh.

I dropped my head and said gently, “Matt.”

“Nope. Not talking about that either, Mom. We’ll Skype. Soon. Love you.”

“Love you more.”

He hung up.

I put my phone on the table.

Then I turned to Duncan. “I’ve recently learned that my son has never liked Corey. He thought he was a creeper.”

“Sadly, your boy was very right.”

Dammit.

There was nothing for it.

“We should talk about Corey.”

The words were so tight, it was a wonder each didn’t snap the both of us like rubber bands pulled too long.

“We need to talk about something else first, honey.”

“I think—”

“Your daughter Chloe is right now stretched out on the sofa in my great room with a martini she ordered me to make her before I left, because I apparently make very good martinis, and my Amazon password, so she can order whatever she wants to stream.”

I stared at him, unblinking.

“She came to me yesterday after you visited, and I know this won’t come as a surprise to you, but she loves you very much and she wants to see you happy. It’s my understanding you shared with her about you and me and she’s decided what’s going to make you happy is me. So it isn’t coincidence Harvey and I were at El Gato today. And I haven’t been let in on all the varied facets of her diabolical but ultimately loving plan. But I suspect your building is not having a sanitation issue.”

I continued staring at him, unspeaking.

“She made me dinner tonight. Cheese soufflé followed by bouillabaisse accompanied by a hearty loaf of bread and ending in chocolate mousse. All homemade. She told me this was her ‘starter menu.’ If I was lucky, she’d allow me to work my way up. Which blows my mind, considering what she made was the best thing to come out of my kitchen since it was built, and I do not suck as a cook. And neither does Sully.”

That got me talking.

“I thought you said your ex-wife was a good cook?”

He seemed out-and-out astonished by this question.

And his answer was hesitant.

“Dora never lived in that house.”

“You moved into a six-thousand square foot house after you divorced your wife?”

“No, I built a six-thousand square foot house after I divorced my wife. I had two sons who had a lot of friends and I hope like fuck they give me a ton of grandchildren.”

I was out of questions.

Duncan said no more.

My mind remained a blank.

His didn’t.

He touched my nape again.

I felt it down my spine again.

Then he asked gently, “Are you pissed at Chloe?”

To which, of course, I burst out laughing.

He waited until I was finished, and when I could focus properly again, I noticed that he seemed like he wanted to smile, but he wasn’t sure it was appropriate.