Page 125 of Torrid Love
He picks it up without apologizing.
“Talk to me, Peter.”
Well, this turned out to be a strange reunion.
“What the hell? You’re a moron, Peter!” Gideon shouts so loud, I flinch. “I don’t even know who that is.” He lets out an exasperated sigh before shifting his eyes to me. “One second,” he mouths.
“Sure,” I mouth back.
“For fuck’s sake, Peter, you’re completely useless.”I wouldn’t want to be Peter right about now.“I’ll be thereasap.”
“Sounds serious,” I say when Gideon hangs up.
“God damn incompetent lawyers. They charge a fortune, but can’t solve shit. I wanted to go out for dinner, but I’ll have to take a rain check. What about tomorrow?”
After witnessing his outburst, I’m not certain I feel the need to spend any more time with Gideon, but to be fair, I’ve had my retarded moments in the past.
“Tomorrow night works for me.”
“Great. Give me your number and I’ll text you where we’ll meet.”
“It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, we can head to—”
“Rod, it’s my treat. Relax,” he pats me on the back.
Wow.
It’s incredible how tense I am around him.
CHAPTER 27
Roderick
When I got home last night, I texted Holt. I wanted his take on things. He was also surprised by Gideon’sMr. Universeappearance and his slightly—okay, insanely—abrasive attitude.
At least, I’m not the only one.
Gideon is nothing like I remember. Maybe he changed over the years and I never picked up on it. Then again, I met the guy when I was seventeen. I worshipped the ground he walked on because he allowed me to escape from the shit hole I grew up in. I owe him so much. Getting me signed with Random Misconception was a big coup for Gideon. As our career hit new heights, he received an offer he couldn’t refuse. He became the CEO of Streamify––a leading music streaming service––and moved to New York. Who knows? Maybe the Big Apple’s fast-paced life made him a lot more hardcore.
I pass the security gate at the Labyrinth Lounge and drive my Maserati up the driveway to the restaurant. I’ve never been here before, but I’ve heard of it. It might look like any other eatery in the city, but it’s not. It’s a members’ only restaurant––part of the umbrella of restaurants and clubs owned by Carl Zorion.
As I follow the hostess to Gideon’s table, I can’t help but notice the place is packed for a Tuesday night. The décor also catches my attention. It’s very opulent and matches the upscale note of the exterior of the building. Every detail has been carefully weighed. One glance at the patrons and you can tell they’re dripping in money.
“Rod!” Gideon waves.
I thank the hostess and make my way to his table.
“Gideon!”
We give each other a hug before sitting down.
“Did you find the place okay?” he asks.
“I did. It’s a little top-secret. Thank God for GPS,” I chuckle.
“It would kill the whole notion of privacy if it were too obvious.”
“No doubt,” I agree. “I guess you’ve been a member since the beginning?”
