Page 61 of The Bet
Chapter 18
That evening, they went out and watched a movie, then returned to the NYB burger place again where Laronde ordered the halloumi wrap thing. And, as usual, he dropped her back to her place, before returning Jacob home to his grandparents.
And then he waited another week before he could see her again.
He had decided to use his time better, to figure her out and get to know her better. He was confident that he could.
The following weekend he made his way to see Jacob again.
Except this time, it was Tobias who answered the door.
“Xavier? Didn’t Savannah call you?” Tobias asked when he turned up at their door. Tobias looked relaxed, fresh, even a few years younger.
“No, she didn’t. I came here to see Jacob. Didn’t realize you guys would be back so early.” For some reason he’d had it in his head that they were coming back Sunday evening. That was what Jean had told him.
He walked into the apartment, and at the same time looked around for Izzy and Jacob.
“Coffee?” Tobias asked.
He blinked. This was new, Tobias asking him if he wanted a drink. Marriage had changed him this much in a matter of weeks? Usually when Xavier turned up he was lucky to get a grunt out of him.
Back in the old days, Tobias’s dark days, he’d find his brother surrounded by bottles of whiskey.
“Yeah, sure.”
He watched Tobias and noted that the hard set of his jaw had softened and he looked different. It was as if the honeymoon, and being away from the pressures of work, had melted every worry away.
“How come you came back already? Jean said you were landing on Sunday evening.”
“We got back last night. Savannah was feeling sick.”
“Sick?”
“Homesick. She missed Jacob, was worried about him being alone for so long.”
He followed Tobias into the kitchen where Savannah was sitting.
“Look who’s turned up,” Tobias said to his wife. Xavier walked over and gave her a hug while Tobias started to make coffee.
It was pure domestic bliss, this picture before him, and domestic bliss and Tobias Stone were words which had never before appeared in the same sentence.
“One sugar?” Tobias asked him.
“Three.”
“Three?”
“I like my coffee sweet.” Tobias pushed a coffee cup towards him.
“You not having one?” Xavier asked.
“We’re taking Jacob out for lunch.”
“Oh. I was hoping to spend some time with him.” But the plans had obviously changed and, of course, Tobias and Savannah would want to spend time with Jacob.
“Aren’t you guys jetlagged?” he asked, looking around casually for signs of Izzy. “I can take Jacob out for the day, and Izzy usually turns up by now.”
“We’re okay,” replied Savannah, “and looking forward to spending the day with Jacob.”
