The Seller

"Do you ever take a holiday?" she asked.

"Every second weekend, with Toby."

"I meant a proper break, lying out on a sun lounger thinking about nothing but the sound of the crickets."

"I haven't for a long while." He looked vaguely disturbed by her comment.

It tickled her. She tutted. "Mr. Eaglestone, shame on you. Everyone needs to take a break and refill the well, especially someone who works the way you do. Have I finally found a chink in your perfectly polished armor?"

"I didn't know you were looking for chinks." His gaze locked with hers.

He didn't falter for long, Naomi noticed. "It might be useful to know what they are."

"It might be dangerous."

The wicked look in his eyes quickly quelled her inquisitive line of thinking, because it made her think about sex instead.

An alert sounded and the fasten seatbelt light came on.

Lucas glanced at his watch. "We'll be landing soon."

Naomi watched him switch the laptop off and return it to her bag, wondering if he'd ever look at her spreadsheets again. Disconcerted, she pushed the odd question away. They were a long way off that. Instead she thanked him and got settled in for the landing.

A chauffeur driven car awaited them at the landing strip. Everything worked like clockwork, as if the plans have been set out weeks before and everyone had memos and agreed to be everywhere on time. It amazed Naomi, because this had all happened within a few hours. Lucas needed order and control, so everything fell into place, was that it? Or was it power and money? A combination of both, in his case, she surmised.

The car took them to an elegant hotel on the outskirts of the town.

"My assistant has booked a suite in my name," Lucas informed her as they pulled up at the entrance flanked by massive white pillars. "I'll check in then I'll leave you to get settled."

"You're going straight to your son?"

He nodded. "Yes, the car will wait while I check in. I'll be a couple of hours, tops. I'll order us some food as soon as I get back."

He escorted her to the reception and handled the check in. He kissed her forehead before leaving.

Naomi watched as he walked away, noticing his broad shoulders and how people turned to look at him as he passed them by. She felt an ache of loss and wanted to follow, to say something special to him before he left – something significant. The rights words didn't form.

Then he was gone.

* * * *

Lucas stood in the doorway of the activities room, watching his son.

He had just a few seconds to observe before Toby became aware of his dad's presence. The lad was sitting in a room set up for leisure activities for visiting school parties. He was deeply entrenched in the computer game he was playing, his unruly dark hair obscuring his face as he stared at the screen.

Lucas experienced the same contentment he always did when reunited with his son, but concern weighed heavily on him too.

"Dad," Toby said, dropping the games console. He hurtled toward his father.

Lucas put his hand on Toby's back, squeezing him affectionately while Toby hugged against his side "Okay, son, let's have a chat." He turned to look at the teacher who had escorted him to the room. "If that's okay with you?"

He wanted to be on his own with Toby to hear the story, but he respected the authority of the school.

The teacher, a young woman called Miss Jenkins, batted her eyelashes. "Of course, Mr. Eaglestone. I'd like you to know we plan to reintegrate Toby with his classmates this afternoon."

"Is that wise?"

"Some information has come to light that I think you ought to know." The teacher looked awkward.