The Old Ball and Chain (1/4)
Title: The Old Ball and Chain
Rating: Let's say hard R
Summary: Lily, Luke and Reid have to clear Holden in Damian's "death."
Prompt: Here
Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who encouraged me on this story. Extra special thanks to broadlicnic for the beta!
Luke ran his fingers lightly over the wallpaper as he walked down the hall. With his background, he was used to staying in or visiting nice houses and hotels. This place knocked them all out of the water, and he was kind of concerned he might accidentally wreck some priceless artifact at some point while they were there. That wasn’t his main concern, of course, but it was a niggling one that refused to go away.
He sighed as he tried not to think of his larger problems. This week had gone from weird to downright unbelievable, especially once Reid became involved. Luke, of course, was grateful for that involvement, but the odd circumstances made for a very confusing last few days. Most confusing of all, perhaps, was how Luke had begun to feel around - Noah’s neurosurgeon. That was all he was. A doctor that could provide experience and knowledge, it turned out, for more than one problem Luke needed help with, but that was it. And no matter how much Luke’s appreciation for his help may have prompted the bizarre softening of feelings towards him, Reid had made it pretty clear that the change of heart was completely one-sided. That was probably for the best, though. Luke didn’t need any more complications in his life, and if maintaining a professional, distant, occasionally antagonistic relationship meant that Noah would get his eyesight back sooner, so be it.
Luke turned the corner and stopped abruptly at the sight in front of him. He suddenly felt as if he may puke, and he realized with a sudden bolt of clarity that all his justifications and mental ramblings had accomplished nothing. Had not even come close to a reasonable explanation for his feelings. Because his feelings were - they were -
He watched as his mother leaned against Reid’s chest, one hand wrapped around the crook of his arm. She nuzzled her face into his neck, and Reid himself looked down at her with a small smile playing at his lips. His hand rested on the skin of her lower back exposed through her dress; his fingers splayed even lower and moved in small caresses.
Luke tried to convince himself that this was just the usual shock and disgust he felt whenever he saw one of his parents in - an embrace, an occurrence which happened far too often for Luke’s taste. But he knew it wasn’t. The fact that it was his mother barely even registered. It was seeing Reid physically affectionate with someone. Someone else, the tiny voice in his brain added. Someone who wasn’t him.
“Young love,” an accented voice next to him said, and Luke turned to his Grimaldi cousin. He smiled weakly and swallowed down the taste of bile. “Your mother happy is some comfort in this horrible time, I’m sure.”
Luke cleared his throat. “It’s good for her,” he nearly whispered.
The older man nodded and stepped away. Luke turned to focus once more on his mother and Reid. Reid chuckled softly at something his mother said, and the throaty, almost dirty sound floated over to Luke. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. When he opened them again, they locked with Reid’s eyes. Luke couldn’t look away, and they stared at each other for a few brief moments. The heat and desire in Reid’s gaze - it wasn’t real; Luke knew it wasn’t real, or for him - was unexpectedly overwhelming. Luke had trouble breathing, and he felt his cock throb, suddenly hard. He flushed from the lust and shame, and he turned away, heading back down the hallway towards his bedroom quickly.
Forty-Eight Hours Earlier
Reid had trouble coming up with suitably snarky comments for Luke. The sight of him on his knees in front of Reid - and the naughty-hot thoughts that sparked - was too distracting. He finally just bent down himself and grabbed some of the papers. As he stood again, he was momentarily confused when he saw the picture in his hand.
“Interesting hobby.”
“What?”
“Looking at photos of dead people. You know, I prefer chess myself, but to each his own,” Reid teased, barely holding back his smile.
Luke’s voice was chilly when he responded. “For your information, that’s a photo of my father. Damian Grimaldi.”
“Ouch.” Reid paused, then looked back at the picture. “How’d this happen?”
“That’s why I’m looking for Dr. Hughes. I was hoping he could take a look at these photos and tell me exactly how Damian died.”
“Looks like he suffered a blow to the head. May I see the others?”
“Why?”
“Maybe I could solve this mystery myself.”
Luke laughed shortly. “No. Thanks. I think I’ll wait for Dr. Hughes.”
Reid dropped his humor. “Mr. Snyder, you’re being offered the expertise of one of the top neurosurgeons in the world and you’re gonna turn it down. Just how stupid are you?”
Luke inhaled, backing away slightly. He flashed Reid a frustrated look as he handed over the rest of the pictures. Reid stepped away, flipping through them and examining each one in turn.
“Hmm,” he murmured. “Must have been pretty tough dealing with your father’s condition.”
“What do you mean? What condition?”
“Huntington’s,” Reid replied, as if speaking to a child. He turned back to the pictures. “Advanced stages of it too, from what I can see here. He must not have been able to walk anymore. Or talk.”
Luke shook his head. “That’s impossible. Damian was in perfect health when he died!”
“You sure?”
“Of course I am!”
Reid handed the pictures back. “If your father didn’t have advanced Huntington’s, then the poor bastard in these photos wasn’t your father.”
Luke, clearly shocked and still confused, opened his mouth to respond.
“Luke! Luke!”
Both Luke and Reid looked to the side as a woman rushed up to them. Based on the similar appearances (not to mention the similar ability for overly emotional displays), Reid guessed this was Luke’s mother.
“They’ve taken him.”
“What?”
“They’ve extradited your father. There was nothing Tom could do. He’s already on a plane.”
“I - ”
Luke looked stricken, and Reid tried to ignore the concern he suddenly felt. He quashed it and, when he couldn’t think of anything to say, simply turned sharply on one foot and began to walk away.
“Dr. Oliver. Dr. Oliver, wait!”
Reid considered pretending he didn’t hear him, but he doubted Luke would buy that. So he turned, an innocently inquisitive eyebrow raised. Luke stepped closer as he opened and closed his mouth, struggling with his next statement.
“Can you - can you please - ?”
“What?”
Luke looked over his shoulder at his mother, then back at Reid. “Please, will you tell the judge what you saw in those pictures?”
Reid stared at him. He tapped his fingers quickly against the side of his thigh. Then he pointed out, “The judge no longer has jurisdiction, I’m sure.”
“Then…the authorities in Malta. We can take the plane and - ”
Reid laughed once, sharply. “No.”
He began to walk away again, and Luke ran after him, grabbing his arm and spinning him around. Reid stared pointedly at Luke’s hand gripping his upper arm until Luke released him.
“I may never see my father again,” Luke pointed out tersely.
“The dead one?”
Luke sighed, annoyed. “Obviously I have two different fathers.”
Reid looked around Luke and made an appraising face. “Well, no wonder with a hottie like that.”
Luke’s expression of confused disgust was priceless. Then he shook his head quickly and forced the file folder back into Reid's hand.
“Whatever. Look, you could save a man’s life here.”
“And how many will I lose?”
Luke narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Reid stared at him for one long beat. “You’ve dragged me away from sick, desperate patients to do your personal bidding once already, Mr. Snyder. You won’t do it again.”
Reid walked away again. This time, Luke didn’t follow him.
Forty-Six Hours Earlier
Reid stared at the reports on his desk. He was unable to concentrate on the patient records he was dictating, and he pressed pause on the tape recorder in his hand. He exhaled loudly, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at himself. He reached across his desk and picked up the file with the pictures of the supposedly dead Damian Grimaldi. He thought about his active cases and the immediate needs of his patients.
He thought about the distraught yet hopeful look on Luke’s face.
Reid groaned, pressing the heel of his palm into one eye before reaching out for his cell phone. When the person on the other end answered, he said one sentence only.
“I’ll give this 48 hours, including travel time.”
He hung up before Luke could respond.
Forty-Four Hours Earlier
“I don’t understand.”
Luke furrowed his brow at Noah’s upset, almost accusatory tone.
“Understand what?”
“You’re going to Malta? Now?”
“Yes. Noah, I have to.”
“It’s your dad. I know. But why does Dr. Oliver need to come with you?”
“Because he can tell the police that Damian isn’t the man in the pictures,” Luke explained. Again. He tried not to dwell on the thought that Noah seemed more upset about Dr. Oliver leaving than Luke himself leaving.
“Can’t he just - ”
“Noah,” Luke interrupted. He paused for a second, one hand in the air, as he tried to find a way to end the conversation. He had so much to do before they left, and he couldn’t spend much more time reassuring Noah. “It’s just going to be 48 hours. That’s all. We’ll be back before you know it.”
Noah sighed.
Luke smiled quickly, grimly. He thought about telling Noah he’d miss him, but in the end, he just said goodbye and walked out of the room.
Forty-Two Hours Earlier
Luke stared out the window next to his seat on the jet, his chin propped in one hand. He’d been sitting that way since they boarded, his thoughts a confusing mess. He, of course, was worried about his dad and wondering where Damian really was. He also had been thinking about the best way to get the information they might need to approach the authorities with. He’d been trying to care about Noah’s less-than-heartfelt goodbye or lack of any real concern about anything going on in Luke’s life. And he’d been struggling to ignore the body heat coming off the man sitting next to him.
Luke glanced away from the window and stretched, surreptitiously flicking his eyes over to the man in question. Dr. Oliver was reading a magazine, a serious expression on his face and his long legs stretched out in front of him. Just as Luke was about to look away again, Dr. Oliver tilted his head and reached one hand up to scratch at his now-taut neck. Luke involuntarily licked his lips, surprised at the jolt of arousal that shocked through him. But not too surprised. It had been happening more and more often around him, and Luke was hesitant to really explore what, if anything, that meant.
“We need to discuss how we’re going to do this,” Lily’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
Luke turned to face his mother, just as Dr. Oliver lowered his magazine and stared at her in slight confusion.
“I thought we’d go to the jail; I’d tell the cops - ”
Luke shook his head even as Lily interrupted him with a “No, we can’t.”
“Why not?” Dr. Oliver asked tersely.
“Because,” Luke explained with a sharp inhalation. “We don’t know who we can trust. We don’t know if Damian did this for any other reason than to get at my father; we don’t know if any of the other Grimaldis are in on it; and we don’t know which cops are on the payroll or being blackmailed or what.”
Dr. Oliver stared at him for a moment. “Are you serious? Am I in some sort of Godfather movie? Remember, you only have me for - ” Dr. Oliver looked at his watch quickly and was about to continue his protest when Lily interrupted him.
“Not to mention, we may not be taken seriously - the Grimaldis or the police may think we’re there simply to free Holden or to claim inheritance.”
Luke nodded. Dr. Oliver threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
“I think,” Luke said slowly, “we should…infiltrate. Pretend we’re just there to pay our respects and see Dad brought to justice. Find out who knows what, who’s involved in what, and then when we’re a little clearer on the lay of the land, then we go to the police.”
Lily nodded, a grim expression on her face. “I think that’s really the only thing we can do, if we don’t want to raise any suspicions.”
Dr. Oliver looked back and forth between them. After a moment, when neither had acknowledged him, he spoke up. “You realize the problem now, don’t you? And I can’t believe I’m actually talking about how best to fool a mob family.”
“What is it, Dr. Oliver?” Luke asked, sighing.
“They’re going to wonder who I am and why I’m there.”
Luke and his mother looked at each other, both at a loss. “Well...” Luke said.
“We’ll have to think of something,” Lily concluded.
Thirty Hours Earlier
But they hadn’t, and Luke was feeling a little nervous about that as they waited for someone at the Grimaldi estate to open the door. He was also feeling a little overwhelmed as he looked around the grounds. It had been a long time since he had been in Malta, and he didn’t remember any of this. Plus, he had hardly been there under pleasant circumstances. But now, as he looked around, it occurred to him once again just how rich his biological father’s side of the family was. Just how rich he’d be someday, if he accepted the rest of his inheritance. He felt a little sick to his stomach.
The surreal and nauseous feelings just got worse as the butler answered the door and led them into a small parlor. The three of them looked around somewhat nervously as they waited for someone to show up. And then, a few minutes later, an older man and woman both dressed in black mourning clothes, walked into the room. The woman stretched her arms out and headed straight for Luke.
“Luciano!” she called out. The rest of her statement was a foreign jumble as she kissed both his cheeks about four times each. Finally she switched back to English. “I am your cousin, Maria; this is your cousin, Nico. Oh, look at you! I have not seen you since you were a baby, except for pictures.” She put a hand to his hair. “So much like your father.”
Luke nodded, smiling tightly. Thankfully, he could stop pretending as the woman turned her focus on his mother. The temperature in the room seemed to drop five degrees, at least, and his cousin bit out a “Lily” in greeting.
Lily nodded graciously, holding her hand out to shake both of theirs. Then she turned to Dr. Oliver, and Luke began to feel nervous again.
“This is Dr. Reid Oliver,” Lily began. After a moment, she added hesitantly, “He’s…”
There was a short, uncomfortable pause. And then Dr. Oliver inhaled quickly and blurted, “Her boyfriend.”
Luke’s eyes widened in shock.
Continued
Rating: Let's say hard R
Summary: Lily, Luke and Reid have to clear Holden in Damian's "death."
Prompt: Here
Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who encouraged me on this story. Extra special thanks to broadlicnic for the beta!
Luke ran his fingers lightly over the wallpaper as he walked down the hall. With his background, he was used to staying in or visiting nice houses and hotels. This place knocked them all out of the water, and he was kind of concerned he might accidentally wreck some priceless artifact at some point while they were there. That wasn’t his main concern, of course, but it was a niggling one that refused to go away.
He sighed as he tried not to think of his larger problems. This week had gone from weird to downright unbelievable, especially once Reid became involved. Luke, of course, was grateful for that involvement, but the odd circumstances made for a very confusing last few days. Most confusing of all, perhaps, was how Luke had begun to feel around - Noah’s neurosurgeon. That was all he was. A doctor that could provide experience and knowledge, it turned out, for more than one problem Luke needed help with, but that was it. And no matter how much Luke’s appreciation for his help may have prompted the bizarre softening of feelings towards him, Reid had made it pretty clear that the change of heart was completely one-sided. That was probably for the best, though. Luke didn’t need any more complications in his life, and if maintaining a professional, distant, occasionally antagonistic relationship meant that Noah would get his eyesight back sooner, so be it.
Luke turned the corner and stopped abruptly at the sight in front of him. He suddenly felt as if he may puke, and he realized with a sudden bolt of clarity that all his justifications and mental ramblings had accomplished nothing. Had not even come close to a reasonable explanation for his feelings. Because his feelings were - they were -
He watched as his mother leaned against Reid’s chest, one hand wrapped around the crook of his arm. She nuzzled her face into his neck, and Reid himself looked down at her with a small smile playing at his lips. His hand rested on the skin of her lower back exposed through her dress; his fingers splayed even lower and moved in small caresses.
Luke tried to convince himself that this was just the usual shock and disgust he felt whenever he saw one of his parents in - an embrace, an occurrence which happened far too often for Luke’s taste. But he knew it wasn’t. The fact that it was his mother barely even registered. It was seeing Reid physically affectionate with someone. Someone else, the tiny voice in his brain added. Someone who wasn’t him.
“Young love,” an accented voice next to him said, and Luke turned to his Grimaldi cousin. He smiled weakly and swallowed down the taste of bile. “Your mother happy is some comfort in this horrible time, I’m sure.”
Luke cleared his throat. “It’s good for her,” he nearly whispered.
The older man nodded and stepped away. Luke turned to focus once more on his mother and Reid. Reid chuckled softly at something his mother said, and the throaty, almost dirty sound floated over to Luke. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. When he opened them again, they locked with Reid’s eyes. Luke couldn’t look away, and they stared at each other for a few brief moments. The heat and desire in Reid’s gaze - it wasn’t real; Luke knew it wasn’t real, or for him - was unexpectedly overwhelming. Luke had trouble breathing, and he felt his cock throb, suddenly hard. He flushed from the lust and shame, and he turned away, heading back down the hallway towards his bedroom quickly.
Forty-Eight Hours Earlier
Reid had trouble coming up with suitably snarky comments for Luke. The sight of him on his knees in front of Reid - and the naughty-hot thoughts that sparked - was too distracting. He finally just bent down himself and grabbed some of the papers. As he stood again, he was momentarily confused when he saw the picture in his hand.
“Interesting hobby.”
“What?”
“Looking at photos of dead people. You know, I prefer chess myself, but to each his own,” Reid teased, barely holding back his smile.
Luke’s voice was chilly when he responded. “For your information, that’s a photo of my father. Damian Grimaldi.”
“Ouch.” Reid paused, then looked back at the picture. “How’d this happen?”
“That’s why I’m looking for Dr. Hughes. I was hoping he could take a look at these photos and tell me exactly how Damian died.”
“Looks like he suffered a blow to the head. May I see the others?”
“Why?”
“Maybe I could solve this mystery myself.”
Luke laughed shortly. “No. Thanks. I think I’ll wait for Dr. Hughes.”
Reid dropped his humor. “Mr. Snyder, you’re being offered the expertise of one of the top neurosurgeons in the world and you’re gonna turn it down. Just how stupid are you?”
Luke inhaled, backing away slightly. He flashed Reid a frustrated look as he handed over the rest of the pictures. Reid stepped away, flipping through them and examining each one in turn.
“Hmm,” he murmured. “Must have been pretty tough dealing with your father’s condition.”
“What do you mean? What condition?”
“Huntington’s,” Reid replied, as if speaking to a child. He turned back to the pictures. “Advanced stages of it too, from what I can see here. He must not have been able to walk anymore. Or talk.”
Luke shook his head. “That’s impossible. Damian was in perfect health when he died!”
“You sure?”
“Of course I am!”
Reid handed the pictures back. “If your father didn’t have advanced Huntington’s, then the poor bastard in these photos wasn’t your father.”
Luke, clearly shocked and still confused, opened his mouth to respond.
“Luke! Luke!”
Both Luke and Reid looked to the side as a woman rushed up to them. Based on the similar appearances (not to mention the similar ability for overly emotional displays), Reid guessed this was Luke’s mother.
“They’ve taken him.”
“What?”
“They’ve extradited your father. There was nothing Tom could do. He’s already on a plane.”
“I - ”
Luke looked stricken, and Reid tried to ignore the concern he suddenly felt. He quashed it and, when he couldn’t think of anything to say, simply turned sharply on one foot and began to walk away.
“Dr. Oliver. Dr. Oliver, wait!”
Reid considered pretending he didn’t hear him, but he doubted Luke would buy that. So he turned, an innocently inquisitive eyebrow raised. Luke stepped closer as he opened and closed his mouth, struggling with his next statement.
“Can you - can you please - ?”
“What?”
Luke looked over his shoulder at his mother, then back at Reid. “Please, will you tell the judge what you saw in those pictures?”
Reid stared at him. He tapped his fingers quickly against the side of his thigh. Then he pointed out, “The judge no longer has jurisdiction, I’m sure.”
“Then…the authorities in Malta. We can take the plane and - ”
Reid laughed once, sharply. “No.”
He began to walk away again, and Luke ran after him, grabbing his arm and spinning him around. Reid stared pointedly at Luke’s hand gripping his upper arm until Luke released him.
“I may never see my father again,” Luke pointed out tersely.
“The dead one?”
Luke sighed, annoyed. “Obviously I have two different fathers.”
Reid looked around Luke and made an appraising face. “Well, no wonder with a hottie like that.”
Luke’s expression of confused disgust was priceless. Then he shook his head quickly and forced the file folder back into Reid's hand.
“Whatever. Look, you could save a man’s life here.”
“And how many will I lose?”
Luke narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”
Reid stared at him for one long beat. “You’ve dragged me away from sick, desperate patients to do your personal bidding once already, Mr. Snyder. You won’t do it again.”
Reid walked away again. This time, Luke didn’t follow him.
Forty-Six Hours Earlier
Reid stared at the reports on his desk. He was unable to concentrate on the patient records he was dictating, and he pressed pause on the tape recorder in his hand. He exhaled loudly, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at himself. He reached across his desk and picked up the file with the pictures of the supposedly dead Damian Grimaldi. He thought about his active cases and the immediate needs of his patients.
He thought about the distraught yet hopeful look on Luke’s face.
Reid groaned, pressing the heel of his palm into one eye before reaching out for his cell phone. When the person on the other end answered, he said one sentence only.
“I’ll give this 48 hours, including travel time.”
He hung up before Luke could respond.
Forty-Four Hours Earlier
“I don’t understand.”
Luke furrowed his brow at Noah’s upset, almost accusatory tone.
“Understand what?”
“You’re going to Malta? Now?”
“Yes. Noah, I have to.”
“It’s your dad. I know. But why does Dr. Oliver need to come with you?”
“Because he can tell the police that Damian isn’t the man in the pictures,” Luke explained. Again. He tried not to dwell on the thought that Noah seemed more upset about Dr. Oliver leaving than Luke himself leaving.
“Can’t he just - ”
“Noah,” Luke interrupted. He paused for a second, one hand in the air, as he tried to find a way to end the conversation. He had so much to do before they left, and he couldn’t spend much more time reassuring Noah. “It’s just going to be 48 hours. That’s all. We’ll be back before you know it.”
Noah sighed.
Luke smiled quickly, grimly. He thought about telling Noah he’d miss him, but in the end, he just said goodbye and walked out of the room.
Forty-Two Hours Earlier
Luke stared out the window next to his seat on the jet, his chin propped in one hand. He’d been sitting that way since they boarded, his thoughts a confusing mess. He, of course, was worried about his dad and wondering where Damian really was. He also had been thinking about the best way to get the information they might need to approach the authorities with. He’d been trying to care about Noah’s less-than-heartfelt goodbye or lack of any real concern about anything going on in Luke’s life. And he’d been struggling to ignore the body heat coming off the man sitting next to him.
Luke glanced away from the window and stretched, surreptitiously flicking his eyes over to the man in question. Dr. Oliver was reading a magazine, a serious expression on his face and his long legs stretched out in front of him. Just as Luke was about to look away again, Dr. Oliver tilted his head and reached one hand up to scratch at his now-taut neck. Luke involuntarily licked his lips, surprised at the jolt of arousal that shocked through him. But not too surprised. It had been happening more and more often around him, and Luke was hesitant to really explore what, if anything, that meant.
“We need to discuss how we’re going to do this,” Lily’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
Luke turned to face his mother, just as Dr. Oliver lowered his magazine and stared at her in slight confusion.
“I thought we’d go to the jail; I’d tell the cops - ”
Luke shook his head even as Lily interrupted him with a “No, we can’t.”
“Why not?” Dr. Oliver asked tersely.
“Because,” Luke explained with a sharp inhalation. “We don’t know who we can trust. We don’t know if Damian did this for any other reason than to get at my father; we don’t know if any of the other Grimaldis are in on it; and we don’t know which cops are on the payroll or being blackmailed or what.”
Dr. Oliver stared at him for a moment. “Are you serious? Am I in some sort of Godfather movie? Remember, you only have me for - ” Dr. Oliver looked at his watch quickly and was about to continue his protest when Lily interrupted him.
“Not to mention, we may not be taken seriously - the Grimaldis or the police may think we’re there simply to free Holden or to claim inheritance.”
Luke nodded. Dr. Oliver threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
“I think,” Luke said slowly, “we should…infiltrate. Pretend we’re just there to pay our respects and see Dad brought to justice. Find out who knows what, who’s involved in what, and then when we’re a little clearer on the lay of the land, then we go to the police.”
Lily nodded, a grim expression on her face. “I think that’s really the only thing we can do, if we don’t want to raise any suspicions.”
Dr. Oliver looked back and forth between them. After a moment, when neither had acknowledged him, he spoke up. “You realize the problem now, don’t you? And I can’t believe I’m actually talking about how best to fool a mob family.”
“What is it, Dr. Oliver?” Luke asked, sighing.
“They’re going to wonder who I am and why I’m there.”
Luke and his mother looked at each other, both at a loss. “Well...” Luke said.
“We’ll have to think of something,” Lily concluded.
Thirty Hours Earlier
But they hadn’t, and Luke was feeling a little nervous about that as they waited for someone at the Grimaldi estate to open the door. He was also feeling a little overwhelmed as he looked around the grounds. It had been a long time since he had been in Malta, and he didn’t remember any of this. Plus, he had hardly been there under pleasant circumstances. But now, as he looked around, it occurred to him once again just how rich his biological father’s side of the family was. Just how rich he’d be someday, if he accepted the rest of his inheritance. He felt a little sick to his stomach.
The surreal and nauseous feelings just got worse as the butler answered the door and led them into a small parlor. The three of them looked around somewhat nervously as they waited for someone to show up. And then, a few minutes later, an older man and woman both dressed in black mourning clothes, walked into the room. The woman stretched her arms out and headed straight for Luke.
“Luciano!” she called out. The rest of her statement was a foreign jumble as she kissed both his cheeks about four times each. Finally she switched back to English. “I am your cousin, Maria; this is your cousin, Nico. Oh, look at you! I have not seen you since you were a baby, except for pictures.” She put a hand to his hair. “So much like your father.”
Luke nodded, smiling tightly. Thankfully, he could stop pretending as the woman turned her focus on his mother. The temperature in the room seemed to drop five degrees, at least, and his cousin bit out a “Lily” in greeting.
Lily nodded graciously, holding her hand out to shake both of theirs. Then she turned to Dr. Oliver, and Luke began to feel nervous again.
“This is Dr. Reid Oliver,” Lily began. After a moment, she added hesitantly, “He’s…”
There was a short, uncomfortable pause. And then Dr. Oliver inhaled quickly and blurted, “Her boyfriend.”
Luke’s eyes widened in shock.
Continued