He was soaking in his hot tub when the doorbell rang. He wasn’t expecting anyone. It was Sunday afternoon and he’d cleared the little baggage from the night before out of his bed hours ago. Had she forgotten her panties or something? He toyed with the idea of ignoring it, but it rang again.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and padded into the cool of the house, still puffing on his cigar. The bell rang again and he felt like strangling the idiot girl. He didn’t hurry.
He swung open the front door with a menacing expression and a quip ready for the stupid little tramp but the words died on his lips.
He was staring at a younger version of himself. He shook his head slightly. He hadn’t had too much to drink the night before—this was real.
“Hello.” Grey Delaney said, trying not to sound self-conscious.
Vaughan’s lips twisted around the cigar into something approximating a smile. He hadn’t laid eyes on the boy in close to a year, probably, and then it had only been in passing at the country club. He wasn’t strictly allowed to speak to or interact with his son. He wasn’t exactly restricted from it though, not legally, not now that the kid was an adult, but he kept his distance for more than a few good reasons.
He nodded at the young man and, taking the cigar from his mouth made a sweeping gesture for the boy to come inside. He scanned the street outside after his son had passed by him into the house, and, satisfied no one was watching, closed the door.
Grey stood in the foyer; his air of casual confidence was charming but thin. Vaughan guessed the boy was in some kind of trouble.
“What’ll you have?” Vaughan asked, making his way toward the full bar he kept stocked at the far end of his living room. He could sense Grey following him, but he didn’t look back to see.
“Whatever you’re having.” The young man responded.
Vaughan puffed on his cigar and pulled out two tumblers and a bottle of bourbon. Grey’s eyebrows twitched just slightly and Vaughan smiled. ‘His daddy probably drinks scotch’ he thought to himself. Jonah Delaney looked like he might drink nice scotch.
“I have scotch if you’d prefer—“ Vaughan caught the boy’s reflexive squint. “Or gin?” Vaughan knew Velvet drank gin. It had been one of those surprising little idiosyncrasies he’d liked about her.
“Bourbon is fine.” The young man answered firmly.
So Vaughan poured two and handed one to his son. It felt unnatural for him to be standing there, so tall and grown up and good-looking. The older man took a drink and moved to sit on his leather couch.
“So, Mr. Delaney,” Vaughan smiled rogueishly, “What can I do for you this afternoon?” He stretched his arms across the back of the couch and nodded at the chair adjacent him. Grey obediently sat and took a sip of his drink.
He knew the boy wasn’t here for some loving reunion, knew he didn’t need to waste time on small-talk or ‘how’ve you been’. The only reason Grey Delaney would be on his doorstep was because he wanted something he couldn’t get from Jonah. What in hell might that be?
“I’m looking for a loan, sir.” The young man was cocky but he was polite. Good upbringing.
“A loan?” Why not simply ask for the money? Why the pretense? He supposed that was upbringing too. Damn that goody-two-shoes father-of-the-year.
“A substantial amount of money, truth be told.” Grey took another sip and Vaughan noticed his hands were just a shade unsteady. He was intimidated.
Vaughan nodded, friendly and accommodating. “Well I happen to have a substantial amount of money.”
Grey smiled, but he didn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet.
“And the purpose of the loan—“ Vaughan chose to take a long suck on his cigar, chose to let the question hang in the air, let the young man squirm. To his credit the boy didn’t crumble, he waited, aloof and calm for Vaughan to continue “—I presume whatever it is, your parents wouldn’t like it.”
The boy’s smile melted. “No sir.”
He played it close to the vest. Good.
“Trouble with a gambling debt?”
Grey looked affronted. “Not at all sir.” Vaughan grinned. He guessed by the boy’s offense that he considered himself to be a skillful gambler. Maybe he was at that, how would Vaughan know?
“Apologies.”
Grey looked away and took an over-large sip.
“A woman then.”
He pursed his lips. “Yes.”
Vaughan chuckled. The young man had been raised a Delaney but he was unquestionably his son.
“Not a problem.” Vaughan said smoothly. “How much do you need?”
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