Page 83 of The Professional
Rourke laughed. “Baby, it has everything you need, including me.”
Forrest beamed. “Well then, I’m all set. Lead the way, Mr. Provocateur, your Head of Professional Affairs demands you to show him his new room.”
Rourke’s laughter intensified. “Yes, sir.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Forrest, can you help me with these dishes, darling?” Nadene pointed at a bowl of spaghetti she’d set on a bar in the waiting room. He frowned at it and then back to her.
“I thought you said this was brunch?” Forrest brought the dish over to the large, round table she’d demanded Rourke bring out earlier in the morning.
Rourke had told his mother everything a month ago, and she hadn’t been surprised by any part of the confession—either that Rourke runs a brothel nor that Forrest had been a sex worker before his promotion. She managed to lecture him on taking care of the poor souls that lived in the Virtue, though, and convinced Rourke the workers deserved a brunch once a week for all their hard work. Rourke didn’t have a chance of arguing, and Nadene decided that every Saturday morning was the perfect time. She’d also told Forrest he wasn’t getting out of going to mass with her, and he didn’t argue, but only because he wanted to know her better. Being Rourke’s mother made her important to Forrest.
“This is brunch, darling. You can’t have brunch without spaghetti.” She tutted at him and placed a basket of French toast in the center. Clapping her hands together, she stared at her work. “Perfect, just perfect.”
“You’ve done an amazing job.”
Nadene laughed. “It’s the least I could do. If Rourke had told me about his job earlier, I could have been doing this much sooner.”
“He was worried about your reaction.”
She placed a hand on her chest. “I don’t know why. I know I’m religious, but I’ve never given him a reason to believe I’d be angry at him. He did things for us….”
“I know.” Forrest curled his arm into the crook of her elbow and kissed her cheek. “He loves you and Orla.”
“And we love him. He’s made me so proud.” She swiped at her cheek, where a tear had slithered its way down her face. “I don’t think he realizes how much.”
Forrest agreed. Since he’d started sleeping in the same bed as Rourke, and they’d begun to have deep conversations about feelings and all that jazz, he’d mentioned his mother and how afraid he’d been that she would disapprove of his work. For such a confident man, Rourke had his vulnerabilities too, and small the flashes of vulnerability made Forrest care for him even more.
The waiting room doors opened, and a few workers, including Angel, moved over the threshold nervously. They didn’t know what they should expect, and Forrest didn’t blame them. When he’d announced to them that the Virtue would be holding a brunch every Saturday morning, courtesy of Rourke’s mom, they’d balked at the idea. So had Forrest to be honest. But then they realized it wasn’t a joke, and some of them expressed interest. Angel had been first, though, and Forrest thought it was his way of supporting Forrest and his new role.
Explaining the nervousness to Nadene was a little harder. She didn’t understand their wariness to something new, even if the Virtue and the Killough Company treated them well. Then there was the idea of having a mother figure involved.
“Most of them never had a good upbringing,” Forrest explained to Nadene when she questioned their reluctance. “I certainly didn’t have a mother to rely on, and if I was still one of them, I’d be wary too.”
Nadene had been quick to understand, and she took measures to make them feel more comfortable. The table she made Rourke buy was large and round, made of cherry hardwood. She’d dressed the tabletop in a white tablecloth and topped it with silver utensils. Everything was silver, from the cutlery to the sugar bowl and water jug. To finish it off, she’d chosen the most delicious foods, including bacon, eggs, and grits. It was a meal for kings.
“Wow.” Angel smiled, dimples forming in his cheeks as he stared at the spread. “This looks amazing.”
Nadene giggled and she rushed over to him, dragging him farther into the room. “Come eat. My cooks only make the best.”
More workers followed Angel in. Jagger gave Forrest a fist bump before he dove into a chair and dished all kinds of food onto his plate, and his enthusiasm made Forrest laugh. He wondered if Nadene would demand they bless their meal first, but to his surprise, she merely smiled at them as they began to eat.
Forrest watched them from beside the bar, the sounds of their laughter warming him on the inside. This was his family, the men and women he competed with, but also loved, and his heart felt full when he looked at them. Except Ryder, because he was a dick.
His phone buzzed silently in his pocket and Forrest jumped. He wasn’t used to having his own phone, but Conall insisted that as the new Head of Professional Affairs, he required one. Rourke and Forrest had gone out the next day to buy the latest Samsung, and as embarrassing as it was, Rourke had to show him how to use it. He hadn’t regularly used a phone since before he joined the Virtue.
Forrest shook his head when he saw Conall’s name on the phone and accepted the call. “Hello, this is Forrest Brassard, Head of Professional Affairs at the Exotic Virtue. How may I assist you?”
Conall laughed. “Fuck off with that greeting.”
“That’s a little rude.” Forrest pouted. “I expected more professionalism from you, boss.”
“You’ll never get professionalism from me.” He scoffed. “But I do have some news that I think you and Rourke should know.”
“Then shouldn’t you be calling Rourke first? He’s higher up than me.”
“Sloan wanted to call him personally, and I told Sloan I wanted to tell you.”
