An Unlocked Mind Page 8

  Rob turned Vic’s words over and over in his mind. He could hear them in that deep, rich tone of Vic’s, especially whenever things were going wrong in his messed-up life. Maybe Vic was right. Maybe Rob did deserve a little bit of happiness.

  Then his mind went off on a tangent. He recalled the look on Alex’s face when he’d come back to the house after Leo had been questioned by the police. He’d been so devastated, his entire body shook. Rob had watched how Leo supported him. They and a few other men had moved Alex out of the house that afternoon. Rob had watched him go, knowing it had all been his fault. All because he had—

  No, he had to stop thinking about it. He couldn’t turn back time. Alex was out of his life, and deservedly so. Rob had been nothing but a pain to his brother, and now he was reaping what he’d sown.

  When did I stop seeing him through eyes glazed by hate?

  He closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come. Too many conflicting emotions battled for supremacy within him. For so long Rob had felt like he was in a long, dark tunnel that seemed to stretch on forever. No matter how hard he fought, he could never see the end. Still, he knew it had to be there, so he soldiered on.

  And when did you first notice that glimmer of light?

  He knew the truth. It had all coalesced when a man—a stranger—held Rob to his body and whispered to him that things were going to be okay. A man who’d shown Rob more kindness in the short time he’d known him than anyone had shown him his entire life. Not that it was saying much. His mother was becoming increasingly erratic, and even though his father was there, he was absent. As far as Rob knew, no one had heard from Alex since he and Leo had stormed out of the house. Rob had pushed all his friends away, because after what happened, his whole world had shifted and he couldn’t handle it.

  So now he was lonely. Afraid to tell people the truth about who Rob Daniels was. Terrified that people might see the man behind the mask. Easier to be thought an arse and push people away, because being around people might reveal all the things Rob kept hidden. And there were a lot of layers to the onion that was Rob. He chuckled at the analogy. Then he started to think about Vic again. If Vic knew the truth, if he found out what happened between Rob and Alex, would he see Rob the way he did now? Would he still think Rob deserved kindness, or would he decide that everyone else was right and Rob wasn’t worth the effort? He shuddered at the thought.

  Rob knew he was being stupid. He’d come to London to apologize. To see Vic in person and let him know how sorry he was. He’d done that, and tomorrow he’d get on the train and head back to Manchester. Back to reality. Back to his life.

  Rob sighed. “Yep, my perfect life.”

  “NO, SERIOUSLY,” Vic said, wiping the corner of his mouth. “The designs were perfect, the material was grade A. Where it fell down was the company they hired to do the work. There was supposed to be a small bridge linking one area to another. It was supposed to be something light and airy, more whimsical than something for adults.”

  Rob laughed so hard, his stomach hurt. “You’re telling me they hired a contractor to come in and make a children’s play area, and pretty much everything they did wasn’t kid-friendly?”

  Vic smacked his hand on the table, rattling the dishes. “Yes! What they built was gorgeous, but it wasn’t the plans that had been agreed upon. Throughout the whole project, not one of the people bothered to check in. There was failure to communicate at every level.”

  “Unbelievable.”

  “The company who designed it blamed the laborers, who in turn explained that they did exactly what the plans showed. The client fired them and hired us. Turns out it was one of my favorite projects to work, because by the time we were done, it was like a fairyland for the kids, with twinkling lights and everything. Best of all, I got to help make the bridge that turned out to be the centerpiece of the whole project.”

  For two hours they’d sat chatting over lunch, and it had gone by way too fast. If Rob had been asked, he doubted he could have told anyone what they’d eaten—he’d spent the whole time being enthralled by Vic. His stories about his job ranged from serious to sidesplitting.

  “You must love what you do,” he murmured, a twinge of envy coursing through him.

  Vic let out a contented sigh. “I really do. I started out working as a laborer, but my boss saw I had potential. He gave me a shot at helping to design a landscaping project, and I haven’t let him down yet. Well, at least I haven’t built any play areas with sharp points and lots of wrought iron.”

  Rob chuckled again. “That sounds great,” he said, pushing his dishes to the middle of the table.

  When Vic reached across and picked up Rob’s plate, stacked it on top of his own, and then moved all the dishes to the edge of the table, Rob cocked his head.

  “Never make anyone’s life harder than it needs to be,” Vic explained. “The waitress? Her name is Sarah. She’s got two kids at university and a husband who was injured in an accident. So she has to work a couple jobs to make ends meet. It never hurts to think of someone else’s problems, because then you’ll know there are people who may be worse off than you.”

  It was a simple, off-the-cuff comment, but the truth of it shook Rob. He drained the last of his shake, then added his dishes to Vic’s. He had to admit, the thought that he was helping their waitress gave him a warm feeling. Rob had never found it easy dealing with people. He thought back to the woman who’d come in and asked questions about the food she wanted. He’d considered her an intrusion on his time, but what was her story really? Had she been sick and needed to ensure that her food wouldn’t hurt her? Maybe she was having a very important date and wanted everything to be just perfect. If he’d actually given her his undivided attention, could things have turned out differently? True, she could have just been a mean person, but had Rob even bothered to give her a chance?

  “I guess I never thought of it like that,” he murmured.

  “It’s not just you,” Vic replied. “So many people can’t see the wood for the trees. They walk around, their attention locked on their Twitter, Facebook, whatever. In the process, they lose themselves and their connection to people. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy having an online presence, but if I happen to go a few days without checking, it’s not the end of the world. I much prefer things like this.” He waved his hand between them. “Sitting down with someone, enjoying a meal, and talking for a change.”

  Rob couldn’t deny he was having a good time too. He thought back to his visits to Jamie’s house. They were raucous at best, filled with music that was way too loud, a little bit of pot, some kind of mischief, or inane talk about stupid things. Did we ever have a real conversation? If they had, Rob couldn’t recall it. If he tried to bring up something current, Jamie would change the subject and that would be the end of it. Rob never pushed, not once, and yet, looking back, he had to wonder at that. Had he really allowed himself to be so easily led by another person? And for what purpose? To win Jamie’s approval? Rob snorted inwardly. At least he’d finally opened his eyes to what kind of person Jamie was.

  But sitting across from Vic, Rob underwent a quiet epiphany. After only two weeks, what he thought of as a budding friendship with Vic meant more to him than anything he’d ever had with Jamie. Vic was smart, funny, and he treated Rob like his opinion mattered. When Vic had asked about the current political situation, Rob expected him to laugh when he gave his opinion about Brexit, but Vic nodded and said he completely agreed. It made Rob feel ten feet tall to know that he wasn’t going to be looked down on by someone as successful as Vic.

  “I guess we should be getting you to the train station,” Vic said.

  And just like that, Rob’s good mood turned to dust. He’d known it couldn’t last, but still….

  “Oh. Yeah, I suppose.”

  Vic smiled. “I had a good time, so thank you for coming. And I do appreciate the apology. It takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong.”

  Rob puffed out his chest a little and
his cheeks warmed from the unexpected praise. “Thank you for lunch. I had a really good time. And thank you for the chance to….” Rob snickered, and Vic’s brows scrunched together. “Mend bridges.” He grinned.

  Vic groaned, then burst out laughing.

  They kept the conversation light on the way to Euston, but inside, Rob was a mess. He didn’t want the day to end. He hated the idea of going back to Manchester, of dealing with his parents, of working in a job where he clearly wasn’t valued, and of being so damned lonely. In two weeks Vic had become someone Rob believed he could confide in some day. Whether he’d accept Rob once he saw what he was really like remained to be seen, but Rob was getting tired of hiding who he was. Maybe it was time to let someone in to see the real Rob Daniels.

  When they got to the train station, once again Vic parked the car, walked up to the barriers with Rob, and waited until the train had pulled in.

  “Thank you again for coming,” Vic murmured.

  “Thank you for having me.”

  For a moment, awkward silence filled the air. Then Vic reached out and took Rob’s hand. Rob wanted to pull away. To say something about public displays of affection. Instead, he stood and stared into the depths of Vic’s gray eyes.

  “You’re a good man, Rob. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

  And with those words, he turned around and hurried back to his car.

  Rob wanted to call out, to ask if he could spend the night again, but by the time his mouth started working, Vic had already disappeared from view.

  Rob boarded the train and found a seat that wasn’t reserved. He stretched out his legs under the table as the world zip by his window. In his head, he replayed their lunch on a loop, and the memory of their laughter filled him with a warm glow the spread throughout his body.

  What surprised the hell out of him was that it lasted all the way home.

  VIC LEANED back and stretched to pop his spine. He groaned after a series of gyrations finally released the pressure that had been building all day. Thank heavens it was nearly over and he could get out of there. The project was nearly complete; now only the final touches remained. Another hour or two of work and he could start his holiday. God, he couldn’t wait. He hadn’t been to the club since the night he met Rob, and the prospect of going there had him tingling all over. He knew exactly what he was going to do when he got there too. Find a sub in need of a good pounding, bend him over—once Vic had secured his ankles to a spreader bar, of course—and then plow that tight hole until both of them had had enough. Just the thought had him pressing his hand over his already-hard cock and sighing deeply.

  “Yeah, way too fucking long.” The prospect of sex was a big enough lure, but there was still part of him that hoped that Jack had been correct about the changes taking place at the club. What if there are subs who want more than a good pounding?

  Vic couldn’t wait to find out.

  He glanced at the clock, frowned, and got back to work. When his phone rang, Vic groaned. He wanted this done and dusted. When he peered at the screen, however, he brightened and pressed Connect.

  “Sam! How are you?”

  “Good, thanks. We wanted to call and say thank you for the painting. It’s beautiful. You really didn’t have to.”

  Vic was glad they liked the painting. When he’d seen it, there was something about it that made him think of Sam and Aaron. He’d intended on stopping by to give it to them, but then this project had come up and time had gotten away from him. He’d asked Janice to have it wrapped and shipped out. When she’d seen the painting, her eyebrows had arched.

  “They get this and all I got was a bottle of shitty brandy?” She gave a grin, and Vic knew she was having a go at him.

  Vic laughed. “I wasn’t aware you were an art connoisseur.”

  She shrugged. “Not big on art, but I do love sexy men.”

  Vic frowned at her. “How do you know he’s sexy? All you see is his back as he looks out over the sea.”

  Janice smiled. “You see a lot more than that. Look at him.” She pointed to the standing figure in silhouette. “He’s not looking, he’s searching. There’s something out behind the horizon that’s calling to him, and he wants to find it so badly.”

  Her words rattled Vic, because that was the exact reason he’d bought the painting for Sam and Aaron. He loved his friends, but he decided they needed a nudge to get them out of the house and looking for their perfect third. He hoped the painting would help.

  Sam’s voice broke through his reflections. “Vic? Did you hear me?”

  “Hmm? Oh, sorry. I’m still at work, poring over the details of this project.”

  Sam’s chuckle sounded positively evil. “All work and no play, my friend.”

  Vic barked out a laugh. “You’re telling me. I haven’t been in something hot and tight since…. God, I can’t even remember.” He wanted more than that, but Sam didn’t have to share Vic’s woes. Let’s keep this all about the sex.

  “Seems to be a lot of that going around,” Sam said, a tinge of sadness in his voice. “Anyway, I wanted to thank you for the painting. Aaron simply loved it. He’s hung it in the bedroom over the fireplace. It fits perfectly there and…. Okay, don’t tell anyone I said this, but from the look on Aaron’s face, I get the impression he’s thinking more about going to the club. He’s wanting, even if he—well, both of us—are afraid of getting hurt again.”

  Vic hesitated for a second before deciding to speak from the heart. “You’ll always run that risk, but unless you’re willing to take that chance, to get out there and meet someone, then you’re going to stew in your own regrets.”

  A sharp intake of breath. “Wow. You don’t mince words, do you?”

  “Sam, you know I care for you both. I remember the time you had with Seb. I’d never seen you guys so happy. You can find that again, you know. Just get out there and see what’s waiting for you. Or should I say, who?”

  Vic’s door opened and Janice stuck her head inside. “Why are you still here?” she whispered.

  He held up a finger. “Sam, I have to go. My slave driver just walked in.”

  Sam laughed. “Tell Janice I said hello,” he said, then disconnected.

  Vic slid his phone back into his pocket. “No more projects,” he insisted. “This one will be done tonight, and then I’m going on holiday.”

  She winced and Vic’s stomach clenched.

  “What?”

  “Another project has just come in. Word on the grapevine is that it’s the biggest one the company has ever had, and they’re rescinding all holidays for the time being. They’re saying it could take upwards of four years to complete.”

  Anger surged through Vic. “No, absolutely not! They are not fucking doing this to me! For the last two years, I’ve only been able to grab a few hours during the weekends, and most of those were spent cleaning house, washing clothes, and paying bills. I’m tired—both mentally and physically—and I need some time away.”

  She grinned, and Vic realized she’d been teasing.

  “You are evil,” he told her, lacing his words with as much venom as he could.

  She laughed. “You need to go somewhere to relax, Vic. Somewhere with sun, sand, and plenty of pretty boys in microscopic briefs.” She winked. “Or maybe someplace where they wear nothing at all.”

  Vic snorted. “Thanks, but I have plans for my time off. The club I belong to reopened under new management, and I’ve been dying to go check it out.”

  “Do they still have their ‘no girl’ policy?”

  Vic frowned. “They never—” He shook his head. “You know, one day I’m not going to be so gullible.”

  Janice waved her hand. “And you know that’s a totally made-up word from Doctor Who, right?”

  “What is?”

  “Gullible.”

  Vic gave her a hard stare. “That’s not true.”

  Janice opened her eyes wide. “It is, I swear. It was a Cybermen episode, and he used it to
describe their literal sense of the way the world works. People started using it, but it’s just a made-up word.”

  He scowled at her. “Did you need something?”

  When she chuckled, he couldn’t help but do the same. “No, I just came by to wish you a good holiday. I’m leaving tomorrow for Ireland. I have plans too, y’know.” She grinned. “My plan is to go to a pub, find me a redheaded Irish boy, and spend the next two weeks having him kiss the Blarney Stone.”

  “Your euphemisms need work,” Vic said dryly.

  Janice came around to his side of the desk and pulled him to his feet. She stretched up on her tiptoes and kissed Vic’s cheek. “Go out. Have a good time. You deserve it.”

  “You too. You’ve got my number, so if you need money for condoms or bail or anything, you give me a call.” He hugged her and rested his chin on her shoulder. She truly was one of a kind.

  After he let her loose, Janice practically bounced to the door. “See you in three weeks.”

  And then she was gone. Vic sat back down, sighed heavily, and started working on the final design specs. He was making sure the spacing on the cantilevers were correct when Janice’s words came back to him. He pulled up Google and typed in “gullible.” The next moment he was bouncing his head off the desk for having been so easily suckered in. Again. He blamed it on the buildup of testosterone. That had to be it. But come Friday, that situation was going to be rectified. Someone would be walking funny after this weekend. He’d make sure of that.

  At least one of Vic’s needs would be met.

  Chapter Nine

  FRIDAY AFTERNOON Rob made himself a mug of coffee, curled up in his armchair, and went through his mail. No bills, thank goodness. And continuing in a positive vein, the week hadn’t been awful. Mr. Peterson seemed to be increasingly frustrated with Rob’s inability to, in his words, “comprehend simple directions.” But Rob remembered what Vic said about trying to see it from someone else’s point of view. He knew nothing about his boss. Maybe what Neil had said the day Rob had been sent home was right: Mr. Peterson wasn’t about to take responsibility for Rob’s mistakes. And, even though he wished the man would be a little calmer, Rob did his best to keep his head down and do his work.