They either covered up, or they went elsewhere.
The doorman wasn’t some feeble looking man either. He was tall, built like Arnold in his early days, and from what Adam had heard, he was an expert in two forms of martial arts. He never declared himself to be former military. He wasn’t law enforcement. He was an enigma. Nobody knew exactly what this man did before he arrived in town, but they knew what he did now.
“Two,” Adam held up two fingers for the hostess. “Up top if you have one.”
“I do,” the bleached blond smiled warmly at both of them. “Follow me.”
“Following,” he said as he took Eve’s hand in his. After they were seated he sat his menu down on the table, leaned forward and looked into her eyes. “So, what’s going on?”
She sighed. “Thomas put a rush on my insurance check. He, oh God, who knows what he said to the poor man, but my claim got pushed ahead because of him.”
“And that makes you angry?” He didn’t understand why. Most people were probably still trying to get the insurance to even consider paying. He doubted that the renter’s insurance policies covered bombs. Knowing most corporations he was sure the insurance companies would try to find any excuse not to have to dish out millions of dollars in insurance.
“Yes. I’m an adult and I wish they would stop treating me like a child.”
“I see.” He leaned back in his chair. “You know, Eve, part of being treated like an adult is to act like one.” He could tell he had made her angry by the way her eyes widened and her cheeks flamed with red heat. “Your brothers are just trying to help you. Being an adult means you realize when you need help, to ask for it, and to accept it.”
“That sounds oddly hypocritical coming from you, Adam. You moved here to get away from your brothers and their controlling ways.”
“Yes, I did. When it came to my career I needed space to breathe, to grow. But there are times when I’m glad they are the men they are. And if I were in your situation now, homeless and out of a boatload of my personal things, I’d willingly accept their help.”
“I’m not homeless,” she shook her head as if she wasn’t quite ready to admit defeat. “Thomas made sure I would have a home to move into before he left. I should be able to get in on Friday, at least that’s what the landlord said when he called me.”
“See,” Adam felt the need to remind her of the reason she had that home now.
“It’s just that I wish they wouldn’t worry so much. When they worry it makes me feel…”
“It makes you feel what, Eve?”
“It makes me feel like I’ll never be able to make them proud of me—to show them I can take care of myself. To make him proud of me,” she sighed
“So the problem isn’t really your brothers, or shall I say, brother. The problem is that you think the only way to gain his respect, to earn his love, is to show Thomas that you can handle whatever the world throws at you without needing to be rescued.” He could tell from the interaction between Thomas and Eve when he first met her brother that she was closest to him; that her world probably revolved around him. He knew that was the person she wanted to make proud the most.
“Yes!” She took a deep, calming breath. She chuckled. “Okay Doctor Carrigan, I see your point.”
“I’m not a doctor, Eve. If I were I’d have you on my couch telling you to tell me about your mother. I’d have to bill you about two fifty an hour on top of that.”
“You’re cheap,” she grinned. “And you’re good, very good. I do need Thomas to be proud of me. My whole life I’ve looked up to him, and I’ve always wanted to make him proud. I’ve cared more about making Thomas proud of me than I did my own father.” She shook her head. “I’m a little stubborn. You’ll soon learn that about me,” she laughed. “It’s from my Irish side.”
“Irish?”
She nodded. “My mother is Italian and black, but my
The doorman wasn’t some feeble looking man either. He was tall, built like Arnold in his early days, and from what Adam had heard, he was an expert in two forms of martial arts. He never declared himself to be former military. He wasn’t law enforcement. He was an enigma. Nobody knew exactly what this man did before he arrived in town, but they knew what he did now.
“Two,” Adam held up two fingers for the hostess. “Up top if you have one.”
“I do,” the bleached blond smiled warmly at both of them. “Follow me.”
“Following,” he said as he took Eve’s hand in his. After they were seated he sat his menu down on the table, leaned forward and looked into her eyes. “So, what’s going on?”
She sighed. “Thomas put a rush on my insurance check. He, oh God, who knows what he said to the poor man, but my claim got pushed ahead because of him.”
“And that makes you angry?” He didn’t understand why. Most people were probably still trying to get the insurance to even consider paying. He doubted that the renter’s insurance policies covered bombs. Knowing most corporations he was sure the insurance companies would try to find any excuse not to have to dish out millions of dollars in insurance.
“Yes. I’m an adult and I wish they would stop treating me like a child.”
“I see.” He leaned back in his chair. “You know, Eve, part of being treated like an adult is to act like one.” He could tell he had made her angry by the way her eyes widened and her cheeks flamed with red heat. “Your brothers are just trying to help you. Being an adult means you realize when you need help, to ask for it, and to accept it.”
“That sounds oddly hypocritical coming from you, Adam. You moved here to get away from your brothers and their controlling ways.”
“Yes, I did. When it came to my career I needed space to breathe, to grow. But there are times when I’m glad they are the men they are. And if I were in your situation now, homeless and out of a boatload of my personal things, I’d willingly accept their help.”
“I’m not homeless,” she shook her head as if she wasn’t quite ready to admit defeat. “Thomas made sure I would have a home to move into before he left. I should be able to get in on Friday, at least that’s what the landlord said when he called me.”
“See,” Adam felt the need to remind her of the reason she had that home now.
“It’s just that I wish they wouldn’t worry so much. When they worry it makes me feel…”
“It makes you feel what, Eve?”
“It makes me feel like I’ll never be able to make them proud of me—to show them I can take care of myself. To make him proud of me,” she sighed
“So the problem isn’t really your brothers, or shall I say, brother. The problem is that you think the only way to gain his respect, to earn his love, is to show Thomas that you can handle whatever the world throws at you without needing to be rescued.” He could tell from the interaction between Thomas and Eve when he first met her brother that she was closest to him; that her world probably revolved around him. He knew that was the person she wanted to make proud the most.
“Yes!” She took a deep, calming breath. She chuckled. “Okay Doctor Carrigan, I see your point.”
“I’m not a doctor, Eve. If I were I’d have you on my couch telling you to tell me about your mother. I’d have to bill you about two fifty an hour on top of that.”
“You’re cheap,” she grinned. “And you’re good, very good. I do need Thomas to be proud of me. My whole life I’ve looked up to him, and I’ve always wanted to make him proud. I’ve cared more about making Thomas proud of me than I did my own father.” She shook her head. “I’m a little stubborn. You’ll soon learn that about me,” she laughed. “It’s from my Irish side.”
“Irish?”
She nodded. “My mother is Italian and black, but my
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