Hot Boss, Wicked Nights

‘But don’t worry, we won’t get in your way, we live downstairs. I only come up here once a week to dust and make sure everything’s okay.’

‘I’m not staying,’ Kate clarified quickly. ‘I have my own place.’

And Damon had his, apparently. The shock still rocked her. Why hadn’t she and Damon ever shared details about their past? Because they’d agreed not to. The Now was all they had, all they wanted.

Only Kate wanted more. ‘When was the last time he was here?’

‘Three years ago. He was only here a couple of weeks, then he was off again.’ Jenny sighed. ‘It’s time he stopped running, came home, put some roots down.’

Running? ‘Damon’s always full-on. He’s not the type to back away. From anything.’ Behind Jenny’s blue eyes Kate saw secrets only Damon could tell her.

So Kate didn’t ask. Instead, they stuck to neutral topics and when she’d finished all she could eat of her bacon and eggs and helped clean up, she hobbled behind Jenny and let her show her around Damon’s home. ‘He spent a fortune on all this furniture,’ Jenny said, encompassing the airy living area with a sweep of her hand. ‘Hired a decorator and all, yet he’s never been here to enjoy it.’

There was nothing of Damon in the rooms Jenny showed her. No photos, no memorabilia. No travel souvenirs. Despite its beauty, the house seemed empty. They passed a room filled with boxes that Jenny said Damon had left when he’d bought the house and had never opened, along with some of his grandmother’s disused furniture. Finally Jenny left Kate to shower and dress.

Jenny had shown Kate to the sunroom off the kitchen, with its big-screen TV, panoramic views and comfortable lounge suite where Damon expected her to spend the day, but a token twenty minutes of mindless morning TV was more than enough. She discovered a DVD/video player but no DVDs. Outdated crime books and adventure novels. She didn’t want to disturb Jenny, who’d kindly offered to make lunch, but that was more than three hours away. Unable to settle, she half walked, half limped back into the house.

She stopped at what looked like Damon’s bedroom, which Jenny had skipped on her tour. Its navy and taupe quilt, typically masculine, lay undisturbed on the bed. A gentle push on the partially open door revealed a chest of drawers—and the first personal items she’d seen. She stepped inside for a better look.

Two photos. One she recognised as him and Bryce as kids. In the other he was standing beside a black-haired girl with large dark eyes, not unlike Kate herself at that age. In the photo they must have been in their mid-teens. Damon was tall and skinny, his hair longer, maybe lighter.

Beside the bed was a stack of outdated magazines. She picked up a couple. Skydiving. She shuddered and put them back. She didn’t want to think about him jumping out of a plane, but lots of people did it, it was no big deal. She’d just rather not know about it.

She looked at the photo again. Who was she? She must have been important because, aside from Bryce, she was the only person he’d thought enough of to display.

‘That’s Bonita.’

Kate jumped guiltily at the sound of Jenny’s voice. She turned and saw her in the doorway holding a bundle of what looked like letters. ‘I’m afraid you’ve caught me out,’ she said with a shaky laugh.

‘I’m not spying on you, Kate. I told Damon I’d check you were okay, so I’m checking.’

‘Thank you. I’m fine.’ Kate turned back to the photo. ‘Who is she?’

‘They were school mates and best friends. I think it was more, but he’s never said and I’ve never asked. Bonita died of leukaemia several years ago.’

‘That must have been hard.’

‘It changed him.’

How? Why? Had they been in love? Was that why he didn’t get involved now? ‘He projects this irresponsible, no-strings, fun-guy image but…I can’t figure him out.’

Jenny nodded. ‘Come back to the sunroom. I want to show you something.’

When they were seated, Jenny laid the bundle of papers on the couch between them. ‘At Christmas Damon always sends us a card and news on what he’s been up to.’ She passed Kate a photo of a seedy-looking nightclub. ‘He bought this run-down establishment with his share of the money he inherited when his grandmother died. This is what it looks like now.’ She passed her another photo.

‘I know this place,’ Kate said. ‘Wasn’t it renovated several years ago? It’s one of the most popular venues in King’s Cross. Damon did this?’

‘Yes. When Bonita died he sold it at a huge profit and went overseas.’ Jenny passed a couple more before and after shots. Another nightclub, a row of shops. ‘Each business was failing and he pulled them out of the red, got them up and running again before selling.’