I forgive his laughter when he asks about work. Just like that tension runs out of me knowing Drake will not press me until I’m ready.
“Leo, savor that scotch. That’s your last before dinner.” Ria warns as she leans down to kiss my cheek. For the first few years of their marriage, Drake and Ria lived in Boston. They moved back almost three years ago. Drake and I had a monthly ritual of dinner at the restaurant he co-owned and talk of the market well into the night.
While Ria had not wanted to break up our monthly ritual she wanted it to happen at their home. The better for her to watch out for her husband. She was sweetly protective of him and thought he got depressed when we talked the market. Drake swore he was fine, to me. I laughed when after he thought about it for a minute he told me not to tell Ria. It was typical Drake, well, the Drake before he got married to the wrong woman and became bitter. I’m glad to have this Drake back.
“Ah, since the kids are not here I am the one you are going to boss and mother?”
“Heaven forbid someone be concerned about the great invincible Leandros Kaplan. I wouldn’t dare, nor will I tell anyone I’m limiting you to one glass of wine at dinner tonight. Unless you want to sleep in the guest room. Your secrets are safe with me. Like how you aren’t nearly as scary as you make out and how nice you are to women and small children. The children might out you
though with all the pictures they shared of your birthday party last month.”
It had not been much of a party, just Ria, Drake, Dmitri, and his wife Elise and their four kids which was more than fine with me. Last year she invited Dmitri and his wife after finding out through Drake that Dmitri was pretty much the only other person I saw outside of business. She and Elise have become close friends since then, and every once in a while, my dinner here included Elise and Dmitri as well.
Dinner is delicious as usual. The praise I give Ria is sincere, even if she had just picked the menu I would be impressed. Except Ria always does the cooking, saying I deserved to have someone cook with love for me. Drake had laughed at my confusion, knowing I had no idea what to make of the concept of someone cooking with love.
Ria teases me over the latest firing. “You didn’t really throw her out completely naked, did you?”
I shrug. “She didn’t seem very concerned with modesty when she spread her legs wide in front of the head of my human resources. She got her clothes back before she left the building.”
“And the new one, I’m guessing you’re sure she won’t cause any of those kind of problems.”
Shaking my head, I fight to school my features. Ria has somehow managed to read me. The last thing I want to do is talk about Alexa to Ria.
“Well, what’s she like?”
“She...” I shrug. “She’s an intelligent woman, very hard working, and patient.”
Ria’s eyes narrow. “Is she single?”
“No, she is married. She is also an employee. Don’t even think it.”
Ria’s eyes widen. “I’m not thinking anything. I know you and your obsessive-compulsive need to control everything and everyone in your life. I wouldn’t dare think a thing you wouldn’t allow me to.”
I look to Drake, he pulls her into his lap. His look tells me that he is not quite as convinced as Ria. “When did Alexa get married? I don’t remember her being married when we met. In fact, I remember Ernest mentioning she didn’t have much of a life outside of work.”
Ria sits up. “Why would you remember a woman being married or not? How pretty is she, Leo?”
“Don’t be jealous, she was pretty enough I remember, not so pretty I did anything about it. I was firmly in your grasp then and even more so now. Don’t pout.”
Watching Ria melt into Drake as he whispers something in her ear, I need to get the hell out of here. Seeing them made me wonder if Alexa was like that with her husband. Did he pull her into his lap, did she like it? Fuck. My phone goes off. It’s an alert of a stock hitting a trigger price. Drake and Ria do not know that though. “I have to go. This is work.” Technically, it was. “Thanks for dinner.”
“So soon? Is it that important?”
Drake pulls her against him as he stands. “Sweetheart, this is Leo. Work is always that important. Don’t guilt him.”
She sighs as she moves to give me a hug and a light kiss on the cheek. “Be careful driving home.”
“I will,” I promise as I make a beeline for the door. I’m not fast enough to avoid Drake though. He follows close until we’re outside.
His hand is firm on my shoulder, stopping me. “You want to talk, call me.”
“If I need to I will.”
He nods then lets me go.
***
Alexa