Read Online Almost Always: A Love Unexpected Novel by Alissa Adams - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Alissa Adams
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enough, Kason. I'll just go up and throw a few things in a bag and I'll be ready to go." She hesitated at the foot of the stairs. "Do you think we could at least stop by and see Don before we go to the hotel?"
"Of course." Kason came over to me and gathered me in his arms.
"Thanks for coming, Kason. I didn't realize the situation had gotten this bad. You know, I've been away most of the last eight years."
"I know. Right now I have to go and meet some people. There's a lot more to this than a couple of roughnecks angling for a brawl. I intend to get to the bottom of it."
"Don't put yourself at risk, too." I didn't like the thought of Kason ruffling other powerful feathers.
"There are risks getting out of bed in the morning." He ruffled my hair. "Taishi will see you settled in and he'll . . . be around. Try to enjoy the hotel." And with that he was out the door.
Nine
We were hidden in plain sight. The night at in Brian's loft, Kason had offered me "any experience you ever imagined and wanted to try". Without knowing it, he had chosen something I'd longed to do for as long as I could remember—stay at The Plaza.
Mom and I were whisked through the lobby and up to an unimaginably lush suite looking out over Central Park. There were two bedrooms—one upstairs and one down, a dining room, living room, butler's pantry and three bathrooms. It was as big as my parent's house in Park Slope and a lot prettier. My mother was speechless. By now it was nearly lunch time. The events of the morning had given me a huge appetite and I suggested to Mom that we go find somewhere to eat.
"Or, would you rather eat in the room?" I looked at the ornate dining set and giggled. "I'd almost be afraid to eat at that table."
Mom got up to answer a knock at the door. The floor butler who had escorted us from the elevator to our suite had a rolling cart with several serving platters covered with silver domes.
"Mr. Royce thought you might be hungry. He sent this selection for you."
"He certainly thinks of everything, doesn't he?" asked my mother.
I didn't answer her. I was too busy salivating over the array of goodies the butler was putting on the dining table. There must have been twenty-five different items. Little bowls of different salads, cheeses, cold meats, olives, flatbreads and rolls were all laid out in perfect presentation. We sat down to a feast complete with some crisp and fruity white wine that seemed to go with every bite.
My mother isn't speechless often and when she is it doesn't last long. I knew I'd face the twenty questions sooner or later.
"How did you meet Kason?" "Have you known him long?" "What does he do?" ( Always a personal favorite of mine.) "Where is he from?" And the ultimate, ever uncomfortable, never truly answerable, "Is it serious?"
"No it isn't serious, Mom. He's got issues . . . I'd rather not get into it."
"Like what?"
"Did you not just hear what I said? Kason has set some very clear limits on what kind of 'relationship' he will and won't have."
"Oh? Don't you get a say in it?"
"Not if I want to continue to see him."
"I see."
"I'm glad you see because I am utterly confused."
"Well he seems a very nice young man. He's successful, handsome and obviously," she swept her hand around the room, "cares a great deal about your well-being."
"Mother, I'm not sure Kason is capable of caring in the way you and I would define it. But, yes, he has been very kind and generous. He's gone out of his way to take control of our problem."
"Do I detect a note of uncertainty?"
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the way he swept into our circumstance and made it his."
"I think you should be flattered. A lot of men would have wanted nothing to do with it. And Annalise?"
"Yeah, Mom?"
"There are still some men left in the world who aren't all about expressing their every feeling. You young girls want to turn all your men into females in male bodies. There's something left to be said for men who aren't as
"Of course." Kason came over to me and gathered me in his arms.
"Thanks for coming, Kason. I didn't realize the situation had gotten this bad. You know, I've been away most of the last eight years."
"I know. Right now I have to go and meet some people. There's a lot more to this than a couple of roughnecks angling for a brawl. I intend to get to the bottom of it."
"Don't put yourself at risk, too." I didn't like the thought of Kason ruffling other powerful feathers.
"There are risks getting out of bed in the morning." He ruffled my hair. "Taishi will see you settled in and he'll . . . be around. Try to enjoy the hotel." And with that he was out the door.
Nine
We were hidden in plain sight. The night at in Brian's loft, Kason had offered me "any experience you ever imagined and wanted to try". Without knowing it, he had chosen something I'd longed to do for as long as I could remember—stay at The Plaza.
Mom and I were whisked through the lobby and up to an unimaginably lush suite looking out over Central Park. There were two bedrooms—one upstairs and one down, a dining room, living room, butler's pantry and three bathrooms. It was as big as my parent's house in Park Slope and a lot prettier. My mother was speechless. By now it was nearly lunch time. The events of the morning had given me a huge appetite and I suggested to Mom that we go find somewhere to eat.
"Or, would you rather eat in the room?" I looked at the ornate dining set and giggled. "I'd almost be afraid to eat at that table."
Mom got up to answer a knock at the door. The floor butler who had escorted us from the elevator to our suite had a rolling cart with several serving platters covered with silver domes.
"Mr. Royce thought you might be hungry. He sent this selection for you."
"He certainly thinks of everything, doesn't he?" asked my mother.
I didn't answer her. I was too busy salivating over the array of goodies the butler was putting on the dining table. There must have been twenty-five different items. Little bowls of different salads, cheeses, cold meats, olives, flatbreads and rolls were all laid out in perfect presentation. We sat down to a feast complete with some crisp and fruity white wine that seemed to go with every bite.
My mother isn't speechless often and when she is it doesn't last long. I knew I'd face the twenty questions sooner or later.
"How did you meet Kason?" "Have you known him long?" "What does he do?" ( Always a personal favorite of mine.) "Where is he from?" And the ultimate, ever uncomfortable, never truly answerable, "Is it serious?"
"No it isn't serious, Mom. He's got issues . . . I'd rather not get into it."
"Like what?"
"Did you not just hear what I said? Kason has set some very clear limits on what kind of 'relationship' he will and won't have."
"Oh? Don't you get a say in it?"
"Not if I want to continue to see him."
"I see."
"I'm glad you see because I am utterly confused."
"Well he seems a very nice young man. He's successful, handsome and obviously," she swept her hand around the room, "cares a great deal about your well-being."
"Mother, I'm not sure Kason is capable of caring in the way you and I would define it. But, yes, he has been very kind and generous. He's gone out of his way to take control of our problem."
"Do I detect a note of uncertainty?"
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the way he swept into our circumstance and made it his."
"I think you should be flattered. A lot of men would have wanted nothing to do with it. And Annalise?"
"Yeah, Mom?"
"There are still some men left in the world who aren't all about expressing their every feeling. You young girls want to turn all your men into females in male bodies. There's something left to be said for men who aren't as
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