Confessions from the Chair
Talia smiled and returned the wave of the handsome young man waiting for her at the far table. She wove her way through the maze of diners, secretly pleased that heads still turned as she passed. Kenichi O'Brien rose as she approached and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Talia felt a little disoriented, trying to reconcile the tall man before her with the little boy she'd practically raised alongside her half-brother Tommy. She smiled wider, remembering her twenty-year old self trying to manage two motherless nine-year old boys. Wild Kenichi and quiet Tommy had been an unlikely pair of friends, but they'd brought out the best in each other. They'd grown up to be fine men, making every grey hair she'd earned worth it.
Then two years ago, Tommy had fallen ill. Four months later, he was gone. Ken made sure to keep in contact with her, but the hurt at the death of the brother she'd raised never went away. She was alone in the world now. Talia gave herself a mental shake. She still had Ken in her life. She'd noticed he's been more withdrawn of late, and she was worried. He kept saying it was work related, but she knew there was something more. Ken had some explaining to do, and Talia was not going to let him wriggle out of telling her again.
"How've you been Tal?"
"Great! Sent off the finished illustrations for the game manual yesterday, and have another job lined up." She paused as a waiter came to take their orders.
"I'll need you to model for me if you have the time." She continued.
"I'll make the time for you Tal." He grinned. "Can't be working all the time."
"Suuure you're working all the time. So who's the latest conquest?" she teased gently.
The waiter returned with their orders, and he gave his attention to the meal for a while, Kenichi talking about everything and nothing in particular. Bingo. That was a sore point. Talia waited patiently and repeated her question.
"Actually, I haven't been with anyone for the past year." He shrugged. "I really don't have the patience for the bar scene any more. Plus my business is growing, so it's taking a lot of my time."
Now she knew she was right to worry. The Ken she remembered always made time to party. Maybe Tommy's death had affected him more than he let on.
"Kenichi, I know you better than anyone else. There's something else."
He avoided her eyes. "It's not something I should bother you with."
"Kenichi!"
Keeping her face as severe as she could, Talia pointed to his seat and chanted,
"You're in the Confession Chair
No lies allowed
Being silent's not fair!
Ken smiled in spite of himself. "That hasn't worked since I was thirteen."
"Enough stalling Ken. Give. What's bothering you?" She reached out and covered his hand with hers. "Please?"
"Okay. I'll talk about it this once, but after, you have to answer a question for me."
"Deal."
He stared into his drink, not meeting her eyes, but he shifted to twine his fingers with hers. "This past year. Something happened. I discovered..." Various disasters flashed through Vanessa's mind as she watched him struggle to find the words. "Please don't let him be sick like Tommy was." she prayed silently.
"I discovered I'd fallen in love."
She blinked. "That's it?" She tried to keep her face serious, but failed. "Finally! What's she - or he - like?"
"She's intelligent, talented and an all round beautiful person inside at out." He looked at her intently. "I feel like I've known her my entire life."
Talia smiled at him, happy he'd finally found someone. She was happy damn it. She ignored the pang at the thought of sharing one of her few friends with someone, but maybe she'd still be able to play a part in his life.
"Great! When do I get to meet her."
"I haven't asked her out yet."
"Why not?"
"I don't think she'd say yes." He gave her that wry grin that drove her crazy while he was growing up.
Talia frowned, pissed on his behalf. "Is she crazy?" She pulled away from him. "You're a kind, wonderful man. You're intelligent, have a successful business and are damn sexy to boot!"
"I am all that." He conceded without a trace of modesty, "but I don't meet her major dating requirement. I mentioned it - feeling her out once, and she shot me down."
"She won't even give you a chance?"
"I don't know. Will you?"
"Will I what?"
Warm brown eyes held her. "Stop holding my age against me."
Talia realized her mouth was open. Kenichi gently pushed her chin upward.
"Your turn on the chair. Do you ever think of me as something more than a friend?"
Talia felt her face heat and struggled to think.
Then two years ago, Tommy had fallen ill. Four months later, he was gone. Ken made sure to keep in contact with her, but the hurt at the death of the brother she'd raised never went away. She was alone in the world now. Talia gave herself a mental shake. She still had Ken in her life. She'd noticed he's been more withdrawn of late, and she was worried. He kept saying it was work related, but she knew there was something more. Ken had some explaining to do, and Talia was not going to let him wriggle out of telling her again.
"How've you been Tal?"
"Great! Sent off the finished illustrations for the game manual yesterday, and have another job lined up." She paused as a waiter came to take their orders.
"I'll need you to model for me if you have the time." She continued.
"I'll make the time for you Tal." He grinned. "Can't be working all the time."
"Suuure you're working all the time. So who's the latest conquest?" she teased gently.
The waiter returned with their orders, and he gave his attention to the meal for a while, Kenichi talking about everything and nothing in particular. Bingo. That was a sore point. Talia waited patiently and repeated her question.
"Actually, I haven't been with anyone for the past year." He shrugged. "I really don't have the patience for the bar scene any more. Plus my business is growing, so it's taking a lot of my time."
Now she knew she was right to worry. The Ken she remembered always made time to party. Maybe Tommy's death had affected him more than he let on.
"Kenichi, I know you better than anyone else. There's something else."
He avoided her eyes. "It's not something I should bother you with."
"Kenichi!"
Keeping her face as severe as she could, Talia pointed to his seat and chanted,
"You're in the Confession Chair
No lies allowed
Being silent's not fair!
Ken smiled in spite of himself. "That hasn't worked since I was thirteen."
"Enough stalling Ken. Give. What's bothering you?" She reached out and covered his hand with hers. "Please?"
"Okay. I'll talk about it this once, but after, you have to answer a question for me."
"Deal."
He stared into his drink, not meeting her eyes, but he shifted to twine his fingers with hers. "This past year. Something happened. I discovered..." Various disasters flashed through Vanessa's mind as she watched him struggle to find the words. "Please don't let him be sick like Tommy was." she prayed silently.
"I discovered I'd fallen in love."
She blinked. "That's it?" She tried to keep her face serious, but failed. "Finally! What's she - or he - like?"
"She's intelligent, talented and an all round beautiful person inside at out." He looked at her intently. "I feel like I've known her my entire life."
Talia smiled at him, happy he'd finally found someone. She was happy damn it. She ignored the pang at the thought of sharing one of her few friends with someone, but maybe she'd still be able to play a part in his life.
"Great! When do I get to meet her."
"I haven't asked her out yet."
"Why not?"
"I don't think she'd say yes." He gave her that wry grin that drove her crazy while he was growing up.
Talia frowned, pissed on his behalf. "Is she crazy?" She pulled away from him. "You're a kind, wonderful man. You're intelligent, have a successful business and are damn sexy to boot!"
"I am all that." He conceded without a trace of modesty, "but I don't meet her major dating requirement. I mentioned it - feeling her out once, and she shot me down."
"She won't even give you a chance?"
"I don't know. Will you?"
"Will I what?"
Warm brown eyes held her. "Stop holding my age against me."
Talia realized her mouth was open. Kenichi gently pushed her chin upward.
"Your turn on the chair. Do you ever think of me as something more than a friend?"
Talia felt her face heat and struggled to think.