Page 36 of Emeric

“I’m good with that too,” Oleander added.

It was smart to talk about this first. Boundaries and rules would be necessary to help keep my anxiety in check and make sure we were on the same page.

16

EMERIC

Before continuing our conversation, we made our way to the kitchen, where Sylvan had prepared a beautiful meal. The man had a talent for cooking. I didn’t think it was his passion, like his greenhouse and what he grew was. There was pride in his voice when he spoke about the food he harvested to help prepare the meals he made.

“How’s this going to work in regard to location?” Sylvan asked after we began our dinner. He brought up a topic Oleander had previously mentioned.

We knew Sylvan wouldn’t want to travel to the city to see us all the time. He wasn’t comfortable there; however, both Oleander and I lived and worked there. We needed a compromise.

I didn’t think most relationships started with talk of logistics. We weren’t a typical relationship though. Given who we were and what we did, plus Sylvan’s anxiety, we wanted to make sure everything was done at a level we were all comfortable with. The other stuff would come after. The chemistry was there. The affection, desire, the depth of longing between Oleander and Sylvan.

I’d never dictated what others should do and wouldn’t want anyone to do that for me. The worry came from a lack of communication, a lack of boundaries. This put that out of the way so we could move on to the fun stuff.

“We’ll need to coordinate our schedules,” I said. “It will be difficult given my and Oleander’s jobs, but it’s not impossible.”

“I… I could come to you.”

Oleander was quick to say, “You don’t have to.” While I appreciated him trying to comfort Sylvan, I also thought we should hear what he had to say. We shouldn’t be the ones to dictate what Sylvan was and wasn’t willing to do. If he truly wanted to come to us, he could. I also wouldn’t force him to. A relationship was a partnership, not one-sided.

“It’s not that I don’t ever go that way; I have no reason to. While I don’t love driving into the city, I can.”

“We could also have a car bring you in,” I offered.

Money wasn’t an issue for any of us, if I had to guess. Sylvan had minimal expenses, plus he was a very successful author. I did a little research online after he let me borrow some of his books. He wasn’t only extremely talented; he also had a large reader base who loved everything he published and couldn’t wait for more.

Oleander worked for Jordan, whom I knew from experience paid well. If I had to guess, his guards made the most, especially considering Oleander protected one of Jordan’s partners. He wouldn’t spare any expense when it came to them.

“That could work. I could also hire my own,” Sylvan said.

“Or one of us could pick you up if we’re able to. With Ollie’s job, he needs to be close in case he’s needed, and I swear some nights I’m a hair’s breadth from losing my sanity with the calls I get. The drive out here could be a much needed break.” Between Lana and the hotel, it was a revolving door at times. Others, it was too quiet. Like those moments where I waited for the other shoe to drop, and it didn’t. It was freaky.

“I’m sure we can figure it out. Where there’s a will and all that.”

“Agreed.” Oleander grinned.

“Are there any other questions?” I asked. “I’d like to wrap this up so we can move on to other things.”

Oleander put his elbow on the table and propped his chin on his palm. The heat in his eyes nearly had me squirming in my chair. “I like the sound of that.”

“You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?”

“Gotta keep things interesting.”

Oleander’s phone began to ring where he’d placed it on the table. He glanced down. “Sorry, it’s my mom. I’ll call her later.”

“No, answer it,” Sylvan said. “You shouldn’t ignore your parents’ calls unless you’re in the middle of something bloody; then it’s understandable.”

Hitting the button on the phone, Oleander left it on the table for all of us to hear. “You’re on speakerphone, Mom.”

“Am I supposed to guess where you are and who you’re with, or are you sparing me from trying to figure this out?”

“Emeric and Sylvan.”

“Oh, lovely. Sylvan, are you growing anything new this year? Ollie’s mentioned you have a beautiful greenhouse.”