Page 14 of Limitless

I exhaled and made a mental note to contact the security team I had hired in the past to protect us. Maybe I needed to rehire them…

I tried to put the strange encounter out of my mind. Perhaps he was just an old man who noticed my newspaper flying in the wind and watched out of interest. Maybe it was nothing more than an innocent bystander.

I exhaled and took the stairs to the apartment. Once inside, I sat on the sofa and eagerly opened the video Kate sent me and the reason for my fumbling hands earlier. I pressed play and while I watched Kate slowly arouse herself, her hands sliding over her curves, fingers tweaking her nipples to hardness, then her hand sliding between her legs, I had to unzip and pull myself out.

While she pleasured herself, I followed suit, and it wasn’t long after her orgasm started that mine followed, a moan of pleasure escaping both our lips.

It wasn’t as good as if we were together, but it would have to do until I got home…

CHAPTERFIVE

* * *

The next morning, after Sophie and I walked the beach, I returned home and got her busy with some coloring and went to check in on my father.

He seemed better, was lying with his eyes open, watching the flatscreen on the wall across from him. Beside him, Elaine sat crocheting.

“Daddy,” I said and bent down to give him a kiss. “You’re awake.”

He gave me a faint smile and nodded towards the flatscreen. “Just watching the mayhem.”

Elaine stood and gathered up her yarn. “I’ll leave you two to talk and sit with Sophie.”

“Thanks, Elaine. I’ll be going to the studio in a bit for about an hour if you don’t mind.”

“No problem,” she said and left me alone with my father.

I glanced at the screen and saw that his comment about mayhem was a reference to some football game back home. I knew he missed his old football teams and while we were able to watch the games from where we lived, they were never live and he used to like to watch in real time, cheer his teams on.

“Soon, you’ll be able to watch the games live, rather than recordings.”

He raised his eyebrows. “When are we leaving?”

I sat on the chair beside the bed and leaned in closer, adjusting his pillows so he was able to see me more easily. “In a week, depending on what happens in Manhattan with the lawyers. Elaine and I have been busy packing, but you can imagine it’s been slow.”

He adjusted his shoulders, trying to get comfortable. “Will you be glad to be back in the Big Apple?

He was talking well, but I could see it was still a struggle, his voice weak from under the oxygen mask he had to wear.

“I admit I miss the city,” I said and smiled. “I like its energy, but I do love the country here. It’s been good for us.”

“Except for the Covid…”

“Except for that,” I replied. “You’re getting better. Hopefully, by the time we leave, you’ll be your old self.”

“You mean the self with just a stroke, rather than the self with a stroke plus decreased lung function and periods of low consciousness? I heard the nurse giving Elaine a report…”

“Oh, Daddy…” I took his hand and squeezed. “I can tell you’re already much better today. Every day in every way, right?”

He smiled and I could see real hope in his eyes for the first time since he was so sick. “What’s Drake up to?”

“Meeting with lawyers. Meeting with old colleagues to feel them out. It’s been three years, and the admin has changed. New faces. New ideas. Given Drake’s experience here at the Children’s Hospital setting up the paediatric robotic surgery unit, he’s hopeful someone will give him a chance.”

“He should be snapped up immediately, if they had any sense. He can always work for Doctors Without Borders, if it comes down to it and no one will hire him, give him hospital and OR privileges.”

“He could, but that would make him very unhappy. We’ll see. Right now, his biggest concern is shared custody with Maureen and Chris. He’s hopeful about that, too.”

“Good. If those two are smart, they’ll realize it’s far better for Liam to have a good relationship with his biological father than to never know him. He’s done well these past few years here with Drake during the school year. Judges will look favorably on that.”

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