Page 14 of Blueberry Cake
He tried to restrain his thoughts by spending the afternoon browsing some new properties his real estate agent had sent him. He was always in the market to add to his portfolio, and there was a new development he wasrather interested in. It wasn’t on the market yet, but Alex had his connections and charm, which was the main reason Boyd had kept him around.
That evening, though, he pulled out his phone and dialled Luka’s number. Queenie’s inquiries that morning made him realise that he hadn’t heard from his son in quite some time.
“Hi, Dad,” Luka greeted with his usual casualness.
“Hi, son, how are you?”
“Good. You?”
“Same. I realised I haven’t checked on you in a while.”
Luka sighed and Boyd could practically see his bored and annoyed face before his eyes. “I haven’t been the best communicator either. Are you still stressed about that new client you got a while back?”
That was rather surprising. Luka usually never initiated much small talk. “No, they saw the results we gave them and calmed down.”
“So, you’re still working with them even though you said he’s a jerk?”
“Yes, but he’s rather tame now. Did you start that new job?”
“I did and hate every second I spend there. I mean, it pays well and it gives me experience but I fucking hate it with every bit of my soul. And no, I won’t quit.”
Boyd smiled to himself. Luka knew him far too well, it would’ve been his next question. “Okay.”
Some time later, they finally hung up and Boyd was surprised to see that their call lasted over twenty minutes—a record. Usually, they either ended up fighting or gave up trying to fill the awkward silence. Boyd pocketed his phone, wondering if their relationship was taking a turn.
Boyd
He rolled up to Queenie’s apartment complex, finding her exactly where she said she’d be. Before he could think a single chivalrous thought, she had the passenger’s door open and dropped into the seat.
“Good morning,” she cheerfully greeted, tucking her backpack behind her seat.
“I seem underwhelmingly prepared,” Boyd quipped. “I only brought my keys, wallet, and phone.”
“At least you remembered the most important thing—yourself.” Queenie punctuated her thought with a wink.
“Well, thank you.” Once she was safely buckled in, he drove off. “Do you have a favourite place for breakfast?”
“I usually opt for Chick-Fil-A.”
“Damn Sundays,” he joked.
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“There’s a taco place not too far away that does really good breakfast.”
“Perfect.”
From the corner of his eye, Boyd watched Queenie scroll her phone with a smile. “I downloaded a map of the zoo. Do you want to see anything in particular?”
“You,”he answered without hesitation. A deep, rosy red coloured her cheeks, and her grin widened. “I’ve never been, so anything we see is fine with me.”
“Do you have to be anywhere else today?”
“No.”
“Then maybe we can fit in a little of everything.” She studied the map, seeming to plan their entire visit. “Why have you never been?”
“By the time I could afford it, Luka wasn’t interested anymore.”
