The Man Who Has No Love (Soulless 3)

“I noticed you always have something for me to eat at your apartment, so I thought I would try to have things you’ll enjoy as well….

It was thoughtful—and observant. “I love your cooking, Deacon.”

“Yeah, but I know it’s repetitive.”

“Well, it’s a nice break from my burritos.”

“I’ll never serve you that,” he said with a light chuckle. “Not my style.”

“That’s why you’re so hot, so I don’t care.”

He smiled slightly and kept eating.

“So, how’s it going?” I’d been busy for the last few days, so we hadn’t seen each other.

He shrugged. “Fine.”

“Have you seen Derek much?”

“No, actually. I don’t want to push it.”

“Yeah. That means you haven’t seen her either?”

He shook his head. “Which is fine by me.” He finished his salad and moved on to his ravioli.

I’d wondered if she would talk to Deacon about Derek’s school supplies and meeting. I hadn’t said anything because I’d wanted to give it a chance to happen on its own. But obviously, she’d already forgotten about it. I didn’t want to make Deacon pissed off at his ex. Didn’t want us to spend our time talking about her at all. So, I phrased it carefully. “You know, Derek has a parent-teacher meeting this week. I guess it’s just a preliminary meeting, for them to get to know Derek, for him ask any questions he might have, gauge what he’s interested in…stuff like that.”

“Yeah?” he asked, clearly having no idea.

“It’s on Thursday at one. You think you could make it?”

“Yes.” He answered right away, not thinking about work at all, not giving a damn about it. “I’d love to.”

I’d never had any doubt what his response would be. “Great. Mind if I come along?”

“I’d love that. But I’m not sure how Valerie will feel about it.”

“She won’t be there, so it won’t be a problem.”

“She won’t?” he asked in surprise. “Why?”

If I told him she just didn’t give a damn, it would piss him off, so I was vague. “I think she said she had something to do…”

He looked skeptical, because he knew Valerie didn’t work or have any friends. She could be seeing someone, but that would have happened really quickly. But he didn’t dwell on it.

“And I thought we could go back-to-school shopping afterward. I’ve downloaded a list of supplies he’ll need. Of course, I can just pick it up for you, but I thought it might be fun to take Derek to personalize everything. It’ll teach him how to prepare himself for future endeavors.”

“Yeah, he’ll love that.” He kept eating.

I’d successfully sidestepped a really terrible conversation.

He finished his food and wiped his plate clean. “It’s crazy to think he’s just a few floors above me… Makes me feel better.” He paused for a moment before he gathered the plates and carried them into the kitchen.

I felt guilty for misleading him, but since I had his best intentions at heart, I brushed it off.

He turned and refilled our glasses before he shoved the cork back into the bottle. “What’s my girl been up to?” He took his seat again.

I loved every affectionate name he called me. They were all wonderful. “Just busy, as usual. I’ve got a lot of clients to juggle, and it seems like they always need something.”

“They didn’t need so much until they met you. You make their lives so simple, and it’s addictive.” He took a drink then licked his lips. “I’m speaking from experience…”

I smiled. “You’re a pretty easy client, to be honest.”

“Because I’m sleeping with you,” he teased.

“No. You were a great client before you gave my P some D.”

He laughed into his glass, spilling a few drops onto the table, finding it funny because it sounded exactly like something Tucker would say. He grabbed the cloth napkin and wiped his mouth, still chuckling slightly. “Fuck.”

I loved seeing him laugh like that, seeing all his teeth as he displayed that enormous grin. Nothing made me happier than seeing him happy, seeing that light fill his eyes with joy.

He rubbed his fingers along his jawline, catching the last drop, before his smile faded away. “I have to tell Tucker you said that.”

“You should.”

He chuckled again.

I finished my wine and left the glass on the table, tired from the long day I’d had and dreading the next one. I loved my job, but sometimes I wished the hours weren’t so long, weren’t so crazy, more like a nine-to-five job. But the kind of services I provided made it inherently impossible. In my heart, I knew I could never go to part time even if I wanted to, because my boss needed someone to put in the insane hours, someone willing to go above and beyond. The job came with a great salary for a reason. Not just anyone could afford a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan as a single person. But I’d never done the job for the money. I did it because I liked it, and liking it was what made me so successful.