Page 30 of Troy

“Raff? Your phone is ringing!” I yell to him in the bathroom.

“Answer it for me, I’ll be right there.” He replies as the shower turns off.

“Hi, Raff McMahon’s phone.” I answer and track him as he comes through the door with a towel wrapped around his waist, another over his shoulders to dry his hair.

“Err, umm. It’s Corrigan. Is Raff there?” The nervous voice stammers down the line.

My eyes widen and shoot up to Raff. “It’s your brother,” I mouth at him. Raff stills and stares at me. Then he nods and walks up to me, so I hand him the phone.

“Hi, this is Raff.” Raff speaks.

Nervousness colors his voice and I run my hand down his back reassuringly. It’s been four days since Raff spoke to Ben about seeing his brother; we decided to do it through Ben, seeing how he had spent time with him. I turn to walk away and let Raff talk privately, but he snags hold of my hand, holding me close to him. I can’t hear the other side of the conversation but Raff relaxes and starts to smile.

“I can do that, yep… yep. Don’t keep saying that, Corr. Let’s just meet up. An hour? Yeah, sure, I can do that.” Raff looks at me, a sparkle in his eyes, one that had been hiding the last few days. “Okay, I know that hotel, no worries.”

After a couple of goodbyes, Raff ends the call. Turning to me, he smiles, relaxed, and shake his head as he clears his mind. “Wow! I didn’t expect that. I thought he’d ignored me, that I’d got my answer.”

“It’s great, Raff, really great. You’d better hurry up and get ready.” I kiss him lightly and step away. “Get dressed, Raff; you can’t go in a towel.”

He looks down at his body and laughs. “Yeah, clothes would be good.”

I watch with amusement as Raff rushes around. After about fifteen minutes, standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee, he stops and pales. I’ve been waiting for this; he’s going to panic.

“Shit, Troy, I don’t think I can do this. I can’t meet up with him, it’s too much.” Raff combs his fingers through his hair, pulling out the band only to tie it back up again. It is what he does when he’s agitated.

“Rafferty, he’s your brother. You’ve both lived ten years with the pain of the last time you saw each other, you need to clear this up. Forgive him if you want to, or just listen to what he has to say and then walk away again. You will be able to put this all behind you, you both will.” I wrap my arms around him, pulling him against me. “I promise you, Raff, this will all be good.”

As he rests his forehead against mine, I feel him expel the pent up, frustrated sigh he’s been holding onto since he ended the call. Running the tip of his nose up the edge of mine, Raff tightens his grip on my waist and plants his lips on mine. The kiss is hot and heavy, full of angst and desperation, but also love. I reciprocate, letting my tongue sweep over his, tasting coffee and smoke—along with his passion and love for me.

“Come on, let’s get you there. I’ll wait in the coffee shop for you; I’ve got some work I can do while you see you brother.” I grab my iPad from the counter and pick up my travel cup. “Come on, Raff, it’s showtime.”

The brothers have chosen to meet in one of the plusher hotels in the city, giving them a neutral space and privacy. When we pull up outside, the valet is ready to move and park the car as soon as we exit it. I guess, by the way his eyes light up at the sight of my Ferrari, it has little to do with being conscientious.

Hesitant after we enter the lobby, Raff grasps my hand. “I’m not sure I want to do this without you, maybe you should come with me.”

“Raff, sweetheart, as much as I’m looking forward to meeting your brother, I really think this is something you need to do alone.” I kiss him sweetly; sensing strength return to him. His shoulders straighten as he pulls away from me.

“Yeah, you’re right. Are you sure you want to wait? You can go back home if you’d rather not.” Raff’s concerned eyes observe me.

“It’s fine. But, if you want, you can text me if it’s going well and I will come back for you later. It’s your call, my love, just let me know.” Letting go of his hands, I step back smiling. “Get gone, lover boy; I’ll see you later.”

I watch as Raff steps into the elevator and, with one last smile, goes to meet his brother. Entering the trendy coffee house in the hotel lobby, I scan around and see a few men sitting with laptops or iPads, working away or maybe simply relaxing. It doesn’t look like I will be hustled here. Occupying a table next to the window, I wait for the waitress as the street fills with people dashing to their jobs.

After my coffee and pastry arrive, I settle down and open the screen of my tablet. Checking the Facebook and Twitter accounts for De’ath of You, I add a few comments and answer some questions that have been posted. After about an hour my phone comes to life with a text message from Raff.

All going well, I’ll call you

when I’m done if you want to

go home. I’ll probably be here

for a while.

Love you babe,

xxx

I smile, thrilled he has reconnected with his brother, and gather my bits and pieces, ready to leave, when a shadow crosses the table. Looking up, a distinguished and vaguely familiar man stands close to me. Uncomfortably close, if I’m honest.

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