Into the Light

Seeking solace in the familiar, I decided to visit my parents. Entering the building, I greeted Gerard, the doorman, and made my way to the elevator. As soon as I exited, Malcolm, my parents’ butler, greeted me at the door. I loved Malcolm like a grandfather, but honestly the whole “Master” thing should be kept in the bedroom alongside a crop and ball gag.

“Hey Malcolm, Mom and Dad home?”

“I believe your father is at a board meeting, your mother is in the den and your brother is also accompanying her.”

Great, my brother was here. Insert sarcasm times a million. I walked to the den to find my mother and brother discussing an article about religious changes in the Middle East.

Boring, with a capital B.

“Hey Mom.”

“Eric! What a lovely surprise.” She stood up and walked over to me; in familiar fashion she hugged me tight, her signature scent of Chanel number five lingering in the air.

“Hi, Dom.” I waved.

“Hello, Eric. It’s been a while,” he answered stiffly.

Okay, so this is the thing about my brother, he is from another planet, like seriously. He was eight years older than me, a computer geek, I mean like won awards in excellence and shit like that. He wasn’t gay, although I cannot confirm that because I’ve never ever seen him with a girl. He was quiet, lived alone in his apartment in SOHO, and well, much to my mother’s disappointment, we had nothing in common and didn’t get along.

He dressed well, actually really well for a straight guy. Occasionally I would ask him where he got a certain sweater vest but he would always answer in one syllable words which annoyed the fuck out of me. He was tall, like way taller than me. From what I could see he worked out some, but he was always covered up. He wore glasses, these thick black framed nerd ones. He didn’t look at all like me. His hair was almost jet black and he had a very masculine jaw line, not like mine. I may have been twenty two but I swear I could join Disney cause I looked so baby-faced. He looked like a man, a real man, but too bad he had the personality of a wet mop.

“So what’s been happening, you still doing that computer stuff?”

He huffed, only slightly under his breath “Yes.”

And that was the end of that conversation.

He ended up leaving and I spent the night on the couch watching Pretty Woman with my mom. God, I loved my mom. She was so beautiful, so refined. She was born in China, grew up there until her parents sent her to study here when she was eighteen. She met my dad not long after and, well, from the bits I heard, they spent the next few years trying to convince my grandfather why he should let her marry an American. They had thirteen years between them, and my dad was a colleague of my grandfather’s at the time. It was messy, like really messy. My mom broke every culture rule possible, but in the end I guess it was all worth it.

I snuggled into her side as we both sat quietly and watched a whore turn into a princess.

By Wednesday, I was experiencing major hump day issues. God, I just needed a good hump. The Bone Ranger was a great distraction but it wasn’t the real thing, yet. The only thing that made my day somewhat interesting was an email Nikki and I received from Lex in the morning.

* * *

From: Lex Edwards

Subject: Lunch Meeting

Sent: December 5th, 2012 9:23 AM

To: Eric Kennedy; Nikki Romano

Nikki & Eric,

Can I request that you join me for lunch today at George’s on 7th at 1pm?

I have some urgent matters that I would like to discuss with the both of you.

Your attendance would be highly appreciated and I ask that this not be mentioned to Charlotte which I will explain as to why during our lunch.

Lex Edwards

* * *

Okay, so, kinda weird because I had no idea what this was about. Nikki thought the same, but anyway we made up some lame ass excuse when Charlie asked if we wanted to go out for lunch.

“Where are you guys going?” she questioned.