Chapter: 57.*****"Hey, dad!" her cheerful voice ranged through his ears and he smiled. She had begun to call him Dad after her seventh birthday and he must say he was getting pretty attached to the little monkey, she was the sweetest thing, in all this mess, she made it worth his while. "Hello, love, having fun." he returned and chuckled when he heard her giggle. "Hmm-hmm..." she replied and he smiled. "Is mom back?" she asked. Loud noise filled her background and for some reason it made him smile. She seems to be having loads of fun. "Yes, she is my love, look I will call you again soon, just checking on my little menace," she giggled and he laughed. "I have to go now, baby, be careful and play nice." "Bye, Dad!" "Bye, baby girl." The call came to an end, and just immediately another call came through it was his brother. "How long is it going to take for you to get here?" Matthew spoke into his phone. "I'm running out of patience."Michael laughed at his twin's impatience. "J
Chapter: 58.*****"Luca," The bartender looked up to find his Boss before him. "Need anything, Sir?" he asked."Yes," Micheal nodded as he approached the man and very slowly leaned into the table. "A little birdie told me you've admired my brother for a long time now and I think this might just be your lucky night as he seems to be staring holes into your forehead the past hour," Micheal smirked when he saw a smile so profound filled the man's heated face. "Come on..." Micheal charged with a chuckle and walked. The man quickly put down his towel and followed. Micheal returned to his seat first before the man got to them."Just what are you up to this time?" Matthew asked when his eyes caught his brother returning to his seat. "Doing you a favor..." he returned nonchalantly, picking up his glass and sipping from it very calmly. "You requested for me, Sir?" Luca asked, his head lowered in submission. Matthew looked up in time to find the bartender in front of him, immediately he wa
Chapter: 59.*****That morning came like every other, nothing specific, just two friends getting ready for work, Tide was sitting in the kitchen bar, staring at both men get dressed while he causally munched down on his breakfast. Easton is the man after his heart and belly, he would say. Once both men were done turning the house upside down, finally set, they stood before Tide as if awaiting his praise to boost their confidence."You both look beyond great!" He muttered as he threw the last of his breakfast into his mouth. "I'm going back into the pool." He whispered, a little sad. "Hey, Hey..." Alexander was holding his hands in place. "Don't make that face, baby, please, I promise, if I see as little as a one beep call from you I'm coming home." He said, giving him a gentle smile that proved his point."I know, but you don't have to do that..." Tide smiled back with a kiss on his lips, he left the house, and through the French doors, he could see him get into the pool and transfo
Chapter: 60.******He checked in the adjoining lobby, the departmental floor, and the employee lounge, and even asked a couple of the other secretaries if they had seen her. He sucked in a deep breath and considered his options. Where had he not checked, the ladies' restroom excluded?Still musing when the gentle clearing of a throat caught his attention, he had slowly turned to peer down at the secretary stationed nearest the HR office. She was pretty, with large hazel eyes and chestnut-colored curls. They were gathered up into a chignon, as per company standard he had learned, but a few errant locks tickled at her cheeks he watched her, she seemed to be speaking into the phone and at the same time addressing him."Sally?" She asked and he nodded. "She's in the office with Mr. Falcon." She explained, holding up a finger whilst she murmured into the receiver. "... yes, of course. I'll send him right in..." peeking up to glance at him she informed him. "Mr. Falcon would like to see
Chapter: 61.****That evening both men had returned home exhausted. Tide was lying at the bottom of the pool when both men arrived at the pool. For a moment there they panicked something was wrong but relaxed once they saw him breathing. "Tide, baby, you awake?" Alexander called and the merman opened tired eyes to acknowledge them but made no effort to come to the surface. The merman had spent the entire day thinking about his city, his home, Neptune, his mother, father, and brother, Nixie his friend, and his little merbabies from school. He wondered how Aquarial was holding up with his absence. Has Neptune taken another Tideian? What is the fate of the mermen who had betrayed him? Had they been discovered for their crime? That's very likely. Neptune would rage without his Tideian and the Festival could be held until his return. Surely, Naga must have seen into his fate and known he's still alive and if he's aware then Neptune must be aware too. He misses home. His duties?They w
Chapter: 62.****He hasn't been able to see Falcon since Tuesday last week. It's like the man had left him with all the work and had disappeared. And work was absolute hell and just about all of his energy had been spent keeping things together. It felt as though he was doing a one-man-show and no amount of coffee seemed to make any difference to his state of exhaustion. At night he wouldn't be able to sleep as his mind would remain consumed by the thoughts of Tide's and in the daytime, workloads would be piled up so much so he could fall dead from all of it.Easton had mentioned Jacob who tends to most of these things but neither Jacob nor Falcon had shown face in the company. He should have rejected to be chief secretary and to Falcon no less. He wanted to be able to at least speak with him, or see him from time to time, he must say he missed him, missed the way he was always in his way, always looking for his attention, always appearing at unwanted places, he missed that attenti
Chapter: 63.*****By seven, he had already returned to the house, showered, dressed, and departed for work with his breakfast sandwich in tow. He ate it on the way, carefully not to drop anything on himself, and bought coffee before he had reached the parking garage of Falcon Automotive. He was still sipping when he arrived at the elevator in the main lobby. He pressed his ID to the sensor, scanned his fingerprint, and stepped in to be whisked up to his respective floor.He greeted Sally and April on his way in and dropped off a box of doughnuts with two lattes for them before making his way into his office. It has become somewhat of a habit to do that for them every morning since he started there. It always seems to make them happy, and there's just something undeniably cute about women when they are happy.Before he had even had the chance to lower himself into his swivel chair, the phone on his table had gone off. He groaned, picked it up then reluctantly pressed it to his ear."D
Chapter: 64.*****The moment he had parked and retrieved his overnight bag from the passenger's seat of his truck, he climbed out and breathed, what had happened in the office that morning haunted his mind endlessly, the day was a mess and there was no Easton to talk with afterward, he had thought of calling him but remembering he could be at the meeting, he decided against it. He hasn't seen a glimpse of that stone but like Easton had said the man could have it tucked underneath those tightly fitted shirts he wore like a second skin and for him to see the stone he will have to get the man naked. Fuck!He shook his head as if attempting to rid his mind of those thoughts as he proceeded to enter the gate. First, he walked to the backyard to the pool, sitting by the edge of the pool he watched the fog dance across still waters, a constant flashes of light would spread across the pool ever so often as if it were lightning during a stormy night. Alexander kissed the ring on his finger