Part Six: Prepared

“Master Evans.” Fulton hurried over to me as I climbed out of my car at Lava Springs. “Your father informed me that you were coming for the weekend.”

I smiled at him, “That’s right. I’m also going to be joined later by Chad Danforth- as my guest. When he arrives, I want him shown to my room with no questioning, no demoralising and no general problems. He’s not an employee anymore. Is that clear?”

He nodded, “Of course. Welcome back. Do you need shown to your room?”

I shook my head, “I think I know the way by now. But it would be great if someone could take my bags there for me. Is my father in the building?”

Fulton nodded as he motioned for a man to take my holdall, “He is in his office.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

*****

“Son!” my father greeted cheerfully. “I wasn’t expecting you so early.”

“I thought I’d come ahead.”

“Straighten the hat,” he said distractedly, and I fixed it with a scowl, even though both of us knew full well I was just going to tilt it again the second I stepped out the door. “So…” he said. “I’m finally going to meet this boyfriend…”

I rolled my eyes, “Yes. Tomorrow night. But one embarrassing childhood story, and I’m faking stomach pain so we have to leave.”

He looked baffled, “What’s wrong with that?”

“Remember the time you told Sharpay’s boyfriend that she wore diapers ‘til she was four?” I asked- a sarcastic tone in my voice.

“That’s a sweet story!”

“I had to confiscate her fork to stop her from stabbing you with it!”

He held up his hands in mock surrender, “Okay. No childhood stories.”

“Or puberty stories.”

“Right.”

“Or any stories concerning me at all.”

“Fine.”

I gave him a sweet smile, “I’m doing this for your own protection…”

He laughed, “I’m sure you are, son. You can be as bad as your sister when you want to be- though, don’t tell her I said that.”

“You adore her but sometimes she frightens the hell out of you,” I sympathised. “Fully understood.”

“I’m glad.” He shuffled some of the papers that were on his desk, “I’ll book a table for tomorrow night and send the details to your room.”

“Okay. See you then.” I left the office, nudging my red fedora back into place as soon as I was out of sight. Right. Next order to business…

*****

“So that’s confirmed?”

The maître d’ nodded, “Yes, Master Evans. Everything will be in place for your arrival at nine.”

I smiled, “Thank you.” I turned to leave, hoping to get away unseen.

“Coo-ee! Ryan!”

I winced. No such luck. Fixing another smile, fake this time, onto my face, I turned and walked over to the table where one of my mother’s cohorts was seated. “Miss. Braxton… How are you keeping?”

She giggled girlishly. A woman of sixty-odd trying to hold onto her youth, and going about it completely the wrong way. “I’m keeping just fine. I’ve got a lunch date.” She reached up, pinched one of my cheeks, “Got to keep myself entertained until you realise you love me. You are a handsome boy… Still homosexual?”

I bit my tongue gently in amusement, released it, “Still homosexual.”

She patted my hand contentedly as a man took a seat opposite her at the table, obviously having just come back from the bathroom. “You’ll get over it. You can’t fight fate, Ryan, and you and I are destined to be together.”

I nodded, keeping my face sombre as her lunch date looked at me in shocked horror, “Yeah… My brain’s just telling me I’m gay because no girl could ever match up to you.” I brought her hand up to my lips as she giggled again, and her date let out an obvious sigh of relief. “I’ll leave you be.”

And that’s when I realised. I’d thought there was something different about her, but it was only now that the penny dropped. Her nose! She’d had a nose job! Not much, but a slight difference, I noted with bemusement. I smiled as I moved away. “Love the adjustment, by the way,” I told her, tapping my nose. She blushed.

“You’re the first person to notice without being told.”

I gave her a playful wink, “That’s because it suits your face so well.”

*****

I was brought out of sleep by a sensuous mouth on my neck, lacing kisses up onto my jaw. I opened my eyes slowly, only for Chad to kiss me so tenderly that they slid closed again.

“What time’s it?” I murmured against his mouth.

“Seven.”

My eyes shot open, “Damn. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” I’d only lain down for a second, but wasn’t that always the way? “Did you just get here?”

“Yeah. And it’s fine.” Chad reached over to play with my hair as I sat up. “You look really cute when you sleep.”

“Glad you think so,” I told him, taking the hand that was mussing my hair and pressing a kiss to his palm. “I’m also glad you could make it.”

His grin was quick and cheeky, “Are you kidding? A posh country club… A weekend with the hottest guy ever… I would’ve been here yesterday if I could’ve been.”

I grinned, “Charmer.” I leaned across the bed, capturing his lips with mine.

*****

“Master Evans, your table is ready.”

“Master Evans?” Chad repeated as we were led through the restaurant, and I could sense his grin even though I wasn’t looking at him.

“Shut up…” I said in the sweetest voice I could muster.

“Ryan!”

I stopped in shock as I saw Miss. Braxton at a table, with a different man! “We can find the table ourselves from here,” I told our escort, pressing a five into his hand. He nodded and walked off. “Just say nothing and we can get away quickly,” I muttered to Chad as I led him over. “You’re a busy girl today, Miss. Braxton.”

She giggled, “Well, it takes a lot to match up to you.” Her gaze slid to Chad, “And who is this young man?”

I resigned myself to introductions, “This is my boyfriend, Chad Danforth. Chad, this is Helena Braxton- a friend of my mom’s.”

“Nice to meet you,” Chad said politely.

“Geoffrey,” I greeted, recognising her date.

“Ryan. How’s the sister?”

“As good as ever.”

“So, how long have you known each other?”

“Well, since kindergarten, but we only became close recently,” Chad told her.

“I’ve known him since he was a boy,” he told him. Oh, no… “Even then, he was a dramatist. Used to run around, singing and dancing for everyone.”

I felt my face flush red. Great… Threaten my father off it and someone else brings out the embarrassing stories… “Oh, really…?” Chad drawled, casting me a sideways glance.

“Well, love to stay and chat, but… Places to go, people to see.”

She giggled, “I’ve made you blush. You’re even cuter when you blush.”

Oh, my… Just kill me now, and spare me this humiliation… “We should get to our table,” I announced. “Always a joy, Miss. Braxton. And give my best to your daughter, will you, Geoffrey?” And with that and a plastic smile, I grabbed Chad by the arm and hauled him off.

“Remind me to book a resort that I didn’t grow up in next time,” I fumed quietly.

Chad laughed, “But then we wouldn’t get in for free…”

I smiled, my grip sliding down to his hand, “Mm… I knew there was a reason we were together.”

“My cunning mi- Whoa!” Chad let out an exclamation as I led him round a corner into our own private area. There was a single table with two chairs- surrounded by candles and all the other romantic stuff. He let go of my hand to take a couple of stunned steps into the room, then turned back to me with wonder in his eyes, “You did this?”

I cocked my head to the side, “Well, technically, I just told them how to set it up…”

“But it was your idea?”

I shrugged loosely, uncomfortable under his praising gaze, “Yeah.”

“It’s incredible.” He crossed to me, cupping my face in his hands and kissing me tenderly. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

“It’s to make up for the fact that I’m subjecting you to dinner with my father tomorrow evening.” I took his hand again, pulled him to the table.

Once seated, he picked up the menu, scanned it, “There’s no prices.” He saw my smirk before I could quite conceal it behind my own menu, and his eyes narrowed. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

I grinned at him, “I want you to buy what you want, not what you think you can afford.”

He rolled his eyes, “I can’t afford anything on this menu…”