Page 4 of A Kiss at Midnight

Stanley smiles and speaks reflectively. “I came to realize that the anger I’d held for so long was pointless. I also realized having one woman to love doesn’t end my life or my freedom. It makes everything better. Becky is full of surprises and delights that I’ll never get tired of exploring. I know you’ll scoff at such talk, but what she does for me is indescribable.”

“Yeah, whatever, Stanley — and thanks fornotdescribing it. I happen to be a big fan of variety. After a few weeks, anything gets old, and women are no exception. I grow bored with them — always! Besides, though I know it’s not politically correct to say this, face it: women are weak, pathetic creatures, and they always have an agenda.”

Stanley knows of the horror that my brothers and I suffered when our mother’s little game she’d been playing hadn’t ended the way she’d wanted it to end. The woman who was supposed to protect and cherish her children hardened my heart, and though I’m letting my resentment toward one woman carry over to all of the females in the world, it’s understandable. Hell, Stanley did the same for a very long time, and he wasn’t a dick because of trauma, but just because he wanted to be. Stanley changed... I will not.

“Not every woman is like your mother, Blake. You’ll see that someday.” Before I can say anything, Stanley continues. “Who are you seeing now?”

We arrive in the lobby of my building and quickly move forward, stepping out onto a busy Seattle sidewalk. We’re heading toward a favorite bar of mine.

“No one at the moment. I haven’t had time — all of these deals to be closed. You know the drill. I’ve had to do a lot of the work on my own with my brother Byron being off in Greece for the past year, and my other brother, Tyler, gone for two years. Now that they’re home, I may take some vacation time of my own.”

“Now that’s a joke. Men like us don’t do vacations,” Stanley says. “Why were both of your brothers away?”

“Byron was working on his own project in Greece while still working with me on deals for the home front.”

“It’s good to branch out on your own, Blake. I’d like to hear more about this from him. I personally love spending time in Greece. It’s a beautiful country.”

“Yeah, and Tyler was simply gone for two years — we don’t know where, and we didn’t hear from him the entire time. I was about to send out the Marines, but he finally came home.”

“Now that sounds like a story,” Stanley says.

Before I’m able to give Stanley details, we’re interrupted.

“Stanley. Blake. How are you?”

I turn to see Mathew Greenfield, a man who’s helped me through more than one bad time in my life. He’s a business partner, but more than that, he’s been there when I’ve needed to choose which road I’m going to take in life.

Luckily, I’ve taken a more positive path than the one he originally thought I would. Mathew has given me the support and praise I needed to change my life for the better — no easy feat under the circumstances. Mathew also knows all of my dark secrets, and he’s someone I can not only count on, but fully trust.

“It’s good to see you, my friend,” I say.

“It’s been a long time,” Stanley tells Mathew.

“Too long,” Mathew replies.

“Join us for a drink,” I say. “We’re deliberating a possible new business venture.”

Mathew throws me a smile. “I have a few minutes. Why don’t you tell me about it?”

The three of us walk into the bar and proceed to the back, where I have a table on standby at this same time every day in case I need to conduct business away from the office. A waitress quietly sets down menus and disappears.

Once the topic of business is out of the way, the conversation turns back to my lack of a love life. This doesn’t make me a happy camper, especially since the last people on earth I’d want to discuss this with are teaming up on me.

“We all need to take time to have our itches scratched,” Mathew says with a knowing look.

“I have no trouble getting my needs met,” I tell him.

“Do you use professionals?” he boldly asks.

I laugh. “Never have and never will,” I quickly reply, disgusted at the thought.

“Don’t knock it till you try it. I went to this place a friend of mine runs and she has high-class girls who can escort us to functions, or ease the ache over a few days,” Mathew says.

Stanley looks at him in horror.

“You have to pay a female to be with you?” Stanley asks, making Mathew laugh.

“Weallpay women. At least through a service, we know how much we’re paying,” he says, not offended at either Stanley’s or my scorn over the subject.

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