Chapter Three #3
“I thought we already determined that wasn’t going to happen,” Ryan said, heading toward the kitchen.
Ryan started pulling food from the fridge and placing it on the kitchen island, taking inventory of their options. He stopped and looked at Damian.
“You have no idea how to cook, do you?” Damian questioned.
“I really don’t,” Ryan admitted. “I’ve never had to. We’ve always had staff who cooked for us.”
“Oh fuck,” Damian laughed, shaking his head. “You’ve never cooked anything? Not even an egg?”
“I know how to reheat, and I’ve made spaghetti,” Ryan defended, and Damian laughed harder.
Damian looked at the food in front of them. There wasn’t much, which was understandable given that Ryan and Callie ate out so often.
“Should we order in?” Ryan suggested.
“Oh no,” Damian said. “You’re not getting off the hook that easily. If you’re keeping me here against my will, you’re going to have to cook something.”
Damian slid the carton of eggs toward him, then selected some peppers and ham.
“Omelets?” Damian suggested. Ryan shrugged, confused.
Sighing, Damian moved around the kitchen island, gathering what he needed.
Once the bowls and pans were ready, he glanced at Ryan, who was watching but still didn't know what to do.
Damian handed Ryan a knife and told him to chop the peppers and ham.
Then he handed him the eggs, instructing him to break them into the bowl.
Ryan's first attempt to crack an egg sent shells and yolk dripping through his hands into the bowl. Damian chuckled.
“I’m glad you’re amused,” Ryan said, dropping the egg into the sink and washing his hands.
“Very much,” Damian replied. “Try again.”
“Wouldn’t it be more productive if you just did it?” Ryan protested.
“Definitely,” Damian replied, taking his seat at the counter once more. “But this is much more entertaining.”
Ryan picked up another egg and tapped it against the bowl.
This time, too softly, and the egg barely cracked.
Damian laughed again. Ryan hit it once more, and it shattered like the first one.
After Ryan washed his hands again, Damian reached for the next egg, snapped it against the bowl, and let the yolk drop into the bowl without any shell.
“Now you’re just showing off,” Ryan replied.
“Yup,” Damian grinned. He cracked a few more eggs into the bowl, then handed it back to Ryan. “Now cook it with the ham and peppers.”
Ryan lifted the frying pan, set it on the stove, then looked at Damian again.
“Wait! Add some oil,” Damian said quickly before Ryan poured the mixture into the pan.
Damian got up from his seat to find the cooking oil.
“You need to wait a minute for the oil to heat,” Damian said, pouring the oil into the pan. “Then add the eggs.”
As he poured, he reached around Ryan and brushed his arm.
Ryan flinched and stepped back, and an awkward silence fell between them.
Damian stepped back to give Ryan unobstructed access to the stove.
He pretended he hadn’t noticed Ryan’s reaction and continued to walk Ryan through making the omelets.
But when Ryan tried to flip them, they turned into scrambled eggs.
“This doesn’t look right,” Ryan frowned.
“What’s going on here?” Callie said, entering the kitchen and staring at the mess. Half-chopped peppers were scattered across the counter, and broken eggs were in the sink. She looked at the men suspiciously.
“I’m teaching Ryan to cook,” Damian replied.
“Are you sure?” Callie said as she glanced into the pan. Ryan laughed.
“It was a noble attempt,” Damian confirmed, handing her a plate.
“So how long do you intend to keep me hostage?” Damian asked as they sat to eat.
“I asked Amanda to come by,” Ryan confirmed.
Damian wasn’t in a position to protest. It wasn’t long ago that he and Ryan were worried about Callie and called Dr. Amanda Scott to assess her.
He didn’t mind meeting with Amanda. It was much better than being in the hospital, where he knew so many people.
He felt fine, but he couldn’t be certain he hadn’t done lasting damage.
Amanda arrived with a portable ECG and a blood collection kit. She suggested they return to the bedroom for privacy, and Damian sat on the bed with his shirt off. She spent a long time listening to his heart. She used the portable monitor to perform an ECG, then drew blood.
“I need to wait for the blood work to come back for confirmation,” Amanda said as she removed the blood pressure cuff. “But everything looks good right now. You look like you work out?”
Damian looked at her questioningly, and Amanda blushed when she realized how her comment sounded.
“When you do, you should be careful for a while,” she continued. “Don’t overdo it, and if you get dizzy at all, stop and call me right away.”
“Right, I’ll call you when I work out,” Damian repeated, grinning at her.
“If you start to feel dizzy,” Amanda finished for him.
“I will do that,” Damian smirked at her, making her blush again. He was having fun teasing her, but she seemed to know he was joking.
“Put your shirt back on,” she laughed as she packed up her things.
“Thank you,” Damian said as he dressed. “I know I probably should have stayed in the hospital, but I just couldn’t take it any longer.”
“I understand,” Amanda said. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him carefully. “Damian, you need to stop taking these risks. Look what happened to Callie. What you’re doing isn’t safe.”
“Ryan didn’t have any right to tell you,” he replied defensively.
“He didn’t need to tell me anything,” Amanda rebutted quickly. “Once he told me the medication you were taking, I figured it out, and you just confirmed it.”
“You don’t know me,” Damian said, harsher than he intended.
“No,” she agreed. “I don’t, but I’m a doctor, and when I see a perfectly healthy man harming himself, it bothers me, and I need to say something.”
Damian felt as if his mother were reprimanding him.
He glanced at Amanda, tempted to argue further.
She and Ryan grew up in worlds vastly different from Damian and Callie’s.
They had staff to prepare their meals and clean their homes.
They attended the city’s best private schools, and universities offered them spots before they even applied, simply because of their family names.
But when Damian looked at Amanda, he realized her concern was genuine; she cared, didn’t judge him, and was truly worried about his well-being.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I appreciate the concern. I’m not used to it, I guess. And you don’t need to worry; Ryan’s making me take a leave.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Amanda said, smiling and taking his hand in hers. “If you need anything, call me.”
With Amanda assuring them that Damian didn’t seem to have any lasting negative effects, Ryan and Callie decided to release him.
Ryan then insisted that Marco drive him home, and Damian, unable to find a reason to refuse, reluctantly agreed.
He was confused about what was happening.
Despite his dislike of feeling alone, he now felt scared when people tried to care for him and wanted to push them away.
Having been on his own for so long, he didn’t know how to accept help from others.
He checked his messages and saw a dozen from the Night Service and Annie.
He sent a message to Madame, saying he needed time off for medical reasons.
A quick reply asked if he was OK, but he ignored it.
He knew how much money he made for them; they wouldn’t let him off easy.
At least if they still thought he might come back, they may leave him alone for a while.
Damian definitely didn’t want to keep working for them, but it all depended on the outcome of the trial.
Ryan was in his office, reviewing the paperwork for Damian’s countersuit.
The more he read the hospital reports, the more confident he felt that Damian would win his case.
There were significant items that had been overlooked, and they needed to be presented to the court.
He doubted that Brittnay’s parents would ever forgive Damian, but it could clear his name.
Callie had told Ryan about Damian’s parents.
Ryan agreed that Damian was likely better off without them, but that left him very isolated.
Ryan was trying to stay focused on the trial, but he was confused.
He liked Damian and enjoyed his company, but there was more to it.
He wanted to pretend there wasn’t, to just hang out with Damian without any other tension between them.
But he couldn’t ignore how he felt, and the harder he tried to forget, the more it haunted him.
He started to wonder if there was something he would be OK with again.
What if it was just Callie with Damian? Ryan enjoyed watching them and didn’t even feel jealous when he did.
He was debating how to approach the conversation with Callie when there was a knock on the door.
His assistant apologized for the interruption, but Edward Kline was asking to see him.
Ryan sighed and told her to show him in.
He knew he needed to face the consequences of his actions at the party.
Edward was an important client, and he couldn’t ignore him.
“Ryan, thanks for seeing me,” Edward said as he took a seat on the sofa without waiting for an invitation.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Kline?” Ryan said, taking a seat across from him.
“I think we are on a first-name basis, Ryan,” Edward said with a smirk. “I wanted to ask for your permission to ask Callie something.”
“She’s just down the hall. You could have walked over and asked her,” Ryan said suspiciously. “What is it you want to ask her that you think you need my permission for?”
“I’m trying to find someone,” Edward replied. “The man she was with at my party a few months ago.”
“Damian?” Ryan said before thinking, and Edward raised his eyebrows at Ryan.