Chain Reaction 3.38: Place

Drake

      I've recently hired someone to be Valentino's au pair. Her name is Morgan Haywood. She's attractive, of course, but she's no Melody. There's a kind of childishness about her, which is good for Valentino. Maybe not so much for me. Thus far she has been oblivious to any attempt at flirting. It's almost cute if it weren't also annoying. I guess I got used to Melody before.

     But today, my thoughts drift back to very familiar territory.

       "Hi!" I say with a smile when she picks up.

       "Drake?" she asks like she can't believe it's me.

       "Yes, it's me. I'm back in town."

       "Laura told us," she admits. She gets quiet. Oh, so she's 'Laura' now? Don't try to act like you're in Dad's generation when you know you're not. "How is Valentino doing?"

       "You're only going to ask about Valentino? You even sound like a grandmother," I tease.

       She sounds exasperated. "Drake, I am your step-mother, so yes, I'm his grandmother."

      "I will never think of you as my step-mother, Emily. You're the woman who holds my heart in her hands and always will."

      "Stop it, Drake. We dated when we were teens, which was ages ago, and you were terrible to me. The only reason I took this call was because you're Alex's son and I was curious about how Valentino was holding up now that his life has been rearranged. Again."

      "You're not even the least bit curious how I'm doing?" I bait her, ignoring her propaganda-learned bull-plum that Dad has fed her over the years.

      Another exasperated sigh. "Fine. How are you, Drake?"

      Yes! "Lonely. I miss you. So much."

      "You don't need to be going on like that. It's not right." She sounds way too calm.

      "Of course I do! And what's 'not right' is you being with Dad. I still think that's crazy."

      "Too bad. We have a son together, your half-brother. Not in a million years would it happen, but could you imagine how weird it would be for him if we were to somehow get back together?"

      "I don't give a rat's plum about him, Emily. You're the one I want, the one I'll always want."

      "No. I'm just the one that got away, and if you really cared about me, you'd know just how much it hurt to hear that you don't care about my son who means more to me than fifty you's." She hangs up.

      I sigh and look at my phone. I have so much work to do with her. 

      But I keep getting distracted by what's right in front of me.

      Valentino has been put down for his nap, so I decide to visit Melody, I mean Morgan, in her bedroom. It's the same room Melody used, but Morgan decorated it to suit her flowery taste.

      She's changed into her pajamas, perhaps having just awoken from a nap herself. She takes a quick one in the afternoons.

      I walk up to just a few paces from her, and she never looks up from the cookbook she reads.

      "Good afternoon, Morgan," I say, and she jumps up, startled.

      "Oh! Mr. Goth! I was just reading. Valentino is still asleep. But I should probably go and check on him anyway." She tries to dart past me.

     "Wait!" I reach down and grab her hands. "You're always running off." Not that I mind watching you as you walk away. 

     "I'm just trying to do my job, sir." She always either calls me 'Mr. Goth' or 'sir.' I've tried to correct her a few times, but then I decided I like it.

     "And you're doing a fantastic job. If you'd just slow down enough for me to have the chance to tell you. I've noticed Valentino has started having less tantrums." The only way I can get her to hang around for more than two seconds is by talking about my son.

     "I've been keeping him distracted."

     I don't check myself before I say quietly, "Yes, you're good at distractions." My thumbs caress the tops of her hands.

     She tugs at her hands, and I tighten my grip. "I really should go check on him. Thank you for the positive reinforcement."

     Huh? Oh. She means saying she's doing well with Valentino. 

      I kiss her fingers. She is decidedly uncomfortable, but I like it. She fumbles around, trying to figure out what to do or say.

      "I am full of positive reinforcement, Morgan. Let me reward you by taking you to dinner, just the two of us." I turn one hand over and kiss the palm of it before running my nose along her wrist for a second. She's trembling. I haven't lost my touch.

      She clears her throat. "Have you ever taken Roland to dinner, just the two of you?"

      I laugh. "No. Roland knows his place." I can't believe Roland, the butler that worked here when Violet was alive, is still working for me. Maybe he really did like that scene I had him play out with Melody.

     She manages to free her hands. "And mine is in the nursery, not out to a restaurant with my boss."

     That's a real shame, I think to myself as I watch her perfect ass walk away from me.

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