Page 13 of Natural-Born Cullers

He preferred the comfort of the Ritz Hotel to most, and Jack, oddly enough, had loved time away from the world in the safety of the private suites on the rare time Gray took a break. Privacy here was guaranteed, and that was something he’d always pay over the odds for. Although as he glanced up at the building, he saw the lie.

Outside of business meetings, he’d only ever paid for time away with Jack here. Which made Jack, his company… invaluable.

Jan.

He needed to bring Jan here, spend a few nights with him and Jack.

“Welcome back, sir.” The doorman met his walk across the pathway and took over for Ray with an umbrella, then he held the door for Gray as a member of staff made their way over.

“Thank you.” Gray nodded at him, then to the rather young-looking woman in her twenties who wore a suit that offered a soft play on gender roles with her finely cut trousers, he said, “Queen Elizabeth Room.”

“Of course, this way, sir.”

As she led the way, an email came through, and Gray ran a look over Jack and Jan’s latest care plan report off Halliday before heading in.

With cream seating and glass tables, this smaller suite was usually reserved for private functions on a more intimate level. Cal sat away from the window, the newspaper ruffling as he turned a page, a cup of Earl Grey steaming on the table.

“You’re a little late, son.” Cal’s look over the paper rested back on the door, then to Gray’s phone. “Business?”

“Family.” Gray took a seat. Unusually, Cal kept to the minimum dress requirement for the Ritz: suit, but with his long coat over the back of the chair. His father had never been a suit man, never happier in jeans, T-shirt, thick fur-lined waterproof jacket for hiking. But then he’d been brought up in the Welsh valleys too, where suits would just get a snort off the locals. That look had never really left him. Neither had his outdoor appeal. Thick, silver hair, matching silver beard with a contrasting dark moustache, dark tanned, all muscle that should have threatened Gray’s more slender approach—Cal could have been the deceptive lumberjack rogue given lead role in theTaming of the Shrewwith the suit he wore so well. There was safety in his look. In the hustle and fog of London, there was a taste of home, of walking Welsh valleys. “Care plans. Jack’s… Martin’s. Jan too.”

Cal smirked as the Tea Master made his way over, and he folded the paper and laid it to rest. “Did Halliday consent to that information or was it… acquired?”

Gray winced, and Cal raised a brow.

“Ah. Still a sore topic?” said Cal. “That fear over doctors as a young boy, more their ability to put you to sleep against your will and cut out your tonsils, it never really left you, did it? You know Halliday’s speciality is cult psychology? He comes with no threat of surgical instrument.”

“Just a love of sectioning and forced sedation.”

“Usually with good reason. And Jack and Martin did their time.”

“He wasn’t threatening to section them.”

“Ah.” Cal choked a laugh and looked Gray over. “That was… suicidal of him.”

As he drew up to their table, the Tea Master smiled Gray’s way. “May I get you something to drink before dinner, sir?”

“Ivory Coffee, black.” Cal spoke before Gray got a chance, and the newspaper was taken from the table before it was poured. “Thank you.”

As they were left alone, Gray eased back in his chair, leg crossed at the knee, elbow on the table as he took a sip of his drink. “Always did do a decent coffee here.”

“Just a little too much coffee in it for me.” Cal took a sip of his Earl Grey, looking very comfortable. Their meal was already pre-ordered, so they were left alone for a while. The dining suite itself stayed empty except for them, but then it had been reserved that way.

Cal flicked him a look. “How are you, son?”

Gray shrugged as he sipped his coffee. “Light—”

“No,” said Cal. “I asked howyou’redoing. That means you now continue the conversational turn-taking in first person, with you taking fronted position in the clauses. If you’re struggling with form and function over just what that means, let me help you….” He gently coaxed Gray on with a slight wave of hand, a smile. “I….”

Gray snorted a smile. “There’s onlywewhen it comes to relationships. Haven’t you been trying to get me to acknowledge that?”

Cal just cocked a brow, and Gray sighed. “We’redoing okay. I think,” he said eventually. “Still too far down the rabbit hole for most, but…?” He shrugged. “We’re down there together, which is all that matters, right?”

Cal nodded, more than satisfied despite the knowledge held in those eyes over exactly why they were still all down the rabbit hole. Their starters were brought over, and Gray said his thanks.

“What about you?” he said after a while to Cal. “How are you?”

The question startled Cal, and Gray’s head stumbled with it. How many years had gone by between them with Gray refusing to acknowledge his father’s name, let alone check on how he was?

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