Raya follows me into the kitchen to grab Duke’s soda. “So, how are things at the hospital?”
I grab a can out of the fridge. “Busy. The past few weeks have been really hard. I think I might take a vacation soon.”
“You shouldn’t work too hard. You’ll end
up going crazy in that place. I think a vacation will be a nice treat. Maybe we can do something together, me, you, and Layla. I’m sure Duke will have to work.”
We walk back to the living room and I pass Duke his Coke. Taking a seat next to Layla on the floor, I touch her wavy hair. She flashes me a smile and hands me a toy, wanting me to play with her.
As I play with Layla, I glance over at Duke. “Any new cases you’re investigating?”
“You know I can’t discuss my cases. All I’ll say is that there’s always someone that needs our help.”
Raya holds Duke’s hands, looking at him with a keen admiration. “He’s actually thinking about opening his own private investigation firm.”
“Really! That’s awesome!”
Duke chuckles. “Yeah, it’s not set in stone yet, but I’m really hoping for it. Oh, by the way, how was that trip to the bakery?”
At that moment, Layla’s head pops up as she lets out a squeal. “Cookies!”
We all laugh at her enthusiasm as she runs into Duke’s arms. “Cookie daddy. Pwease.”
“We will go soon baby girl. Promise.”
As they snuggle together, I smile. “It was fantastic. It’s just like I remember. The pastries were amazing and those éclairs, to die for. So so good. Speaking of, I actually ran into someone at the bakery. It was strange. I know I’ve seen him somewhere but I can’t remember.”
Raya’s brow arches. “What do you mean strange? The encounter was strange?”
“Actually it was more embarrassing. I literally crashed into this guy and he was so tall. He towered over me. I ended up just staring at him, trying to figure out where I’ve seen him before. It wasn’t until Layla started talking that I snapped out of it.”
Duke sits Layla on the ground. “What did he look like?”
I give them the stranger’s physical description but we all just draw blanks and can’t figure out who he was.
Duke reassures me. “I could always try to find him for you, if it’s that important.”
“No it’s fine. I haven’t thought about him for a couple months actually. I’ve been a little preoccupied at work.” I can’t help but think about Easton as a smile beams across my face. Raya catches my moment of glee and I know she’ll want to talk later, in private.
We continue our conversation and a few minutes later Rob arrives. As we sit at the dining table together, we eat and converse about our lives. Rob’s working on some hotshot case at his firm. He’s no longer the newest associate and has been promoted to a junior associate level. He spends most of his time in the courtroom or conducting some sort of legal research and he loves it.
I’m happy for Rob. In high school, he was always the jokester. Nobody could ever take him seriously. He was also a ladies man. Every single week, he had a new girl. Flirting was his forte and we all knew it. I’ve always loved that about Rob—his confidence, his demeanor, his attitude—but it’s his loyalty that holds no bounds. Whenever I needed something, he was always there, and still is. We don’t see each other as much as we used to, but we at least try to hang out every few months or so. It’s not like Taylor, who kind of dropped off the face of the earth.
“You will never guess who I ran into at the hospital.”
Everyone replies, “Who?”
“Taylor.”
Duke’s fork falls out of his grip, reeling from the revelation. “Taylor? Holy shit. How is he?”
“He’s doing well actually. He was at the hospital visiting his uncle. We spoke for a few minutes. He looks so different.”
Rob speaks up, “Yeah, it’s that fighting. His body did a complete one eighty. Who would have thought skinny little Taylor would have grown into a beast? I saw one of his fights on TV last month. That dude is an animal.”
“Really? I didn’t know his fights were televised. He didn’t tell me. He’s actually in Vegas right now for a fighting competition.”
Raya smiles. “I’m glad he’s doing well.”