Chapter Two
Dade
Ieyed my new stepfather. And grinned inwardly.
I loved Kristoff. He made Mom so freaking happy, and he was good to the rest of us.
Celina, my younger sister, thought he was cute, but in a platonic way.
Bobby, our middle brother, was proving a harder nut to crack.
Still, I had faith that if anyone could win him over, Kristoff could.
“It’s temporary. Well, for as long as you need.” Kristoff pointed to my desk chair.
I nodded, then plopped my ass onto my bed. “And he lives in one of those fancy luxury towers?” I’d seen them, of course. They littered the downtown skyline.
“Yes. The building’s about fifteen years old. He’s lived there since the beginning.”
I cocked my head. “You said he’s forty-one?”
Kristoff nodded.
“So, like, he bought the condo when he was my age?” I might’ve squeaked that.
“Yes, I guess so.” He scratched his chin. “I’d never thought about it that way.”
“But you’ve been living there for almost nine years.”
Laughter burst out of my new stepfather. “Yes, I see your point. He’s always…felt old to me. He’s unbelievably successful in business. He might’ve been a junior executive for, what, about ten minutes? Pretty quickly, he moved to the C-suite.”
I cocked my head.
“Oh, the executive suite. For the top people. He’s the CEO of a major petrochemical company.” My horror must’ve shown, because he continued. “Not oil and gas. That’s mostly done out of Alberta. No, his company makes plastics.”
“Do you know how much plastic is in the ocean? Single-use plastics are slowly choking the ecosystems—”
Kristoff held up his hand, effectively cutting off my tirade.
He’d heard it all before. “Look, Dade, you might have your head in the clouds about some things, but you’re also an adult and can be a realist. I’ve found you a place where you can be independent.
You just have to heat food, load dishes into the dishwasher, and keep an eye out for anything the extremely competent cleaning staff might’ve missed.
” He leaned closer. “And he’ll never admit this, but he really appreciates when you make him an egg-white omelet in the morning.
But you’ve got to be up at six-thirty to do that. ”
My head ached. “Yes, I’m a realist.” And if this was my only realistic opportunity to move out while not having to sell a kidney, I’d take it.
I adored Kristoff. Loved my mom, Bobby, and Celina with my whole heart.
I also could admit when the time to grow up and move on had come.
“I’ll also look for another job. One that allows me time off to go for auditions and days when I’m an extra. ”
Kristoff smile. “Because you might always be plucked.” He leaned over to ruffle my overlong hair. “I love your optimism.”
I shrugged. “Despite having a shitty father, I’ve had a damn good life. I’m just not ready to give up on my dreams.”
“Right.” He straightened. “And maybe don’t tell Horatio you’re an out-of-work actor?”
“You mean lie?” This didn’t sound like Kristoff at all.
“No.” He said the word sharply. “You know I’d never advocate that. Just…maybe don’t share all your life with him. He’s pretty busy. He probably won’t even notice.”
That felt optimistic. If this guy was a CEO of a big company, I was pretty sure he’d notice whether or not I put a suit on every day. “Well, I could tell him I work from home. He’d never come into my room, right? So he wouldn’t know what I do.”
“Fair enough.” Kristoff scratched his cheek. “And if you’re making the rounds, you’re not actually lying.”
I wasn’t certain how close to the line I would be skirting—and I definitely wasn’t certain how lying would feel—but I needed a place to crash, and living downtown certainly wouldn’t be a hardship.
Three days later, as I sat at a formal dining-room table across from Horatio Payne, I questioned all my life choices.
And desperately wished I’d asked Kristoff to join me.
Again, though, I was trying to be the adult.
An adult didn’t beg their new stepfather to come and hold their hand through what felt like an interrogation.
Horatio looked down his nose at me. “A degree in English literature and theater, you said?”
“Yes, sir. Mom insisted I get a university education.”
“What would you have done otherwise?”
“A…vocational college…” Acting school, to be precise.
He arched an eyebrow. “And you graduated three years ago.”
“Yes, sir.”
He sliced his hand through the air. “Knock it off with the sir. I’m quite certain Kristoff didn’t tell you to do that.”
“No, sir—” I winced. “No, Mr. Payne.”
“You may call me Horatio. We’re going to be…roommates.” The word appeared sour on his tongue as he wrinkled his nose. “There might be a better term. Tenant doesn’t seem appropriate. Houseguest implies you’re staying for a short period of time—”
“It might be a short period of time.” I fidgeted with my fork. “If I find a good job, I’ll head out.”
“Do you have prospects for this phantom good job?”
“Um…”
“And when you land this imaginary good job, will you be able to pay sky-high rent and save for a down payment?”
“Oh, I’ll never be able to buy in Vancouver.” I gave him a dubious look. Surely, he must know this.
He shrugged. “There are always the suburbs.”
Buying a place in Hope, over three hours from Vancouver, didn’t even feel possible. “I need to be close to the city.”
“For this fantasy good job.”
Part of me was prepared to march down to an agency on Monday and take whatever they could give me starting that moment.
Except I had two auditions on Monday. “I’ll find something. I promise.”
He scowled. “Look, I frankly don’t care if you work or not. I can give you a small stipend if you help out around here. I’m not certain Kristoff realized just how much he actually did. As well as managed his clinical rotation and his PhD studies.”
In that moment, genuine admiration shone through. Horatio had a sparkle in those familiar green eyes. Truly, the resemblance was remarkable. I’d have pegged Horatio as Kristoff’s father, not his maternal uncle.
I’d yet to meet the rest of the Payne clan. If they were half as nice as Kristoff, I’d consider myself lucky to have them as family. If they were half as intimidating as Horatio, I’d be quaking in my boots.
Put on your big-boy underwear and stand up for yourself, goddamnit.
“I’ll do whatever you need. And I’ll pick up odd jobs.”
“Yes, well…”
Again with the looking down his nose at me.
“You’ve moved in, I take it?”
“Yes, Kristoff helped. You had agreed—”
He waved me off. “I’m being a bit of a grump, aren’t I? Kristoff does go on about that.”
Kristoff had the guts to stand up to this guy? I was quite certain I never would. “May I do the dishes?” We’d eaten in relative silence, as I’d worried about saying the wrong thing.
He placed his cloth napkin on the table. “Yes, that would be agreeable. I’ll be in my home office for the next few hours before I retire. Kristoff often enjoyed watching movies on the big-screen television in the living room.”
“Oh.”
One sculpted eyebrow raised.
“Well, it’s just…I thought I’d be confined to my room.”
He burst out laughing. “You’re not the hired help. As long as you generally stay out of my way—and out of my bedroom and den—you have free access to all areas of the condo. I converted one of the bedrooms into a workout room.”
“Don’t like working out with the masses?” The building happened to have an excellent fitness facility. Kristoff showed me earlier today. They even had a swimming pool, for crying out loud. I couldn’t wait to try that one out.
Horatio furrowed his brow. “I don’t dislike working out with, as you say, the masses.
I just like to be able to hop on my treadmill and take a run whenever the mood strikes.
I don’t want to be fussing with going downstairs and dealing with…
” The corners of his mouth twitched. “The masses.” He waved. “You do whatever you like.”
Even through his dress shirt and perfectly pressed wool pants, I’d glimpsed a damn sexy body. I wouldn’t mind running into him in the personal gym. All sweaty in a tank top and short shorts—
“I asked if you need a lesson in operating the entertainment system.” He glowered.
“Uh, Kristoff showed me while you were at the office. Do you, uh, spend most Saturdays in the office?”
He scowled. “Sometimes. Other times, I simply work from home. I do attempt to take Sundays off, but I doubt that will happen tomorrow. I have a busy week ahead.”
That sounded absolutely miserable to me.
Horatio rose.
I did the same.
He left the room.
I flopped back into my chair.
What the fuck have I gotten myself into?