Boys day out

The trio’s first stop was at the hair saloon. Kan’s guards who had driven ahead had the whole building cleared by the time the trio got there.

The ‘boys’ had to take turns because all the barbers had also been asked out of the building except one. 

Kan watched his father-in-law get his hair washed, trimmed, and then styled. The man transformed before his eyes.

It seemed over a decade had been taken off Mr Grigor's age, and he began to look like he was in their age group again.

Kan held Oliver in his hands and walked closer to stare at the mirror, at the man’s reflection who was watching them with a smile.

“Do you see grandpa?” Kan looked down at Oliver in his arms, who immediately reached his hand out to grab a clump of his grandfather's hair.

Kan quickly pulled away, laughing.

“You want his hair cut too?” the barber asked, and Kan looked at Oliver’s full curls. 

Ariel had always cut it herself. The cut was decent and cute, but she was no professional.

“What do you think?” Kan looked down at Mr Grigor, but the man was already shaking his head even before he finished speaking.

“I already think she would make a pyre with our bodies as it is.” The man grimaced, and Kan began to laugh.

Then he shook his head at the barber.

“No haircut for you then, buddy.” He looked down at Oliver, who babbled back.

Kan got a haircut too, although he had a professional who came to the house weekly to do the job.

Then they went to an exclusive men’s custom clothing shop. 

With each outfit Mr Grigor tried on and then stepped out, Kan confirmed more and more that this man was actually Ariel’s father.

It had puzzled him before how the plain old man had been the love of Ruby Bailan’s life. 

That woman had been stunning till the day she died, and when the old man showed up, he had had a hard time believing he was responsible for the woman’s heartbreak and knocking her up.

That looks good.

Fits perfectly 

Just splendid

He said, till he could only just nod. The man looked good in everything.

He turned to his son as the attendant finally went to the front to bag all they had bought.

It was interesting to see how much calmer the toddler was. He was not restless or fussing. 

He played, but his eyes were mostly looking around every new place they went, his eyes taking it all in.

He had feared the opposite, that Oliver’s mind would be unable to handle the sudden exposure after his confinement since birth. 

He stood up finally when the shopping was done.

Man! Would he have loved to take the boy to a trampoline or a nature park! But even he knew that would be pushing Ariel to her limit.

So they settled for a restaurant. 

They took a private booth at the kid-friendly restaurant, and Oliver looked around wide-eyed every time he heard the sound of a baby or toddler. 

His fascination was almost painful to see.

What the hell were they still hiding him for? The old man was right, they were truly detracting from the quality of his life. 

Kan saw a flash, and turned to see someone outside the restaurant glass with a heavy-duty camera. 

His guards were quick to descend on the man, and Kan quickly looked away so he would not alert anyone in the restaurant to his association with the situation outside, or his true identity.

He waited a few minutes and stood up. 

Despite the bib, Oliver’s shirt still managed to be a mess. He picked him up as he thought he had a lot of work to do to purge that primitive Tucker blood out of his son.

He immediately thought about Ariel hearing his thoughts and he felt sorry and a little ashamed. 

He kissed Oliver’s cheek.

“An ice cream shop?” He turned to Mr Grigor, who was rising from his seat too.

“I think this is enough for one day. His mother would be home soon, if she already isn’t.” 

Kan nodded, although he doubted it. 

Ariel might be working till late. She was determined to catch up as much as possible on all they had behind, and Eleanor had still not resumed, so her work would be piled high.

He frowned as he settled Oliver into his carseat.

Could she be working with Tucker though? Now that would be too much. 

But their roles were not so different, and it was all still the same company.

As their cars drove up to the mansion, he thought about how best to go ahead with the weekend plans. 

All the rage he had felt earlier at the thought of her locked in the elevator with Tucker had suddenly paled in comparison to the fear of losing her.

Especially now that he had crossed the line and cheated with Eleanor. What if Ariel found out? 

His chauffeur would be lying if he said he heard nothing earlier.

Domestic staff were usually more loyal to the women of the house. What if the man told her? 

These thoughts disturbed his mind as he got out of the car, and then took his son out. 

“I’ll join you.” He smiled and nodded at his father-in-law.

The man nodded, and walked in with a guard helping him with all the shopping bags.

Kan walked around to the driver’s side, Oliver dozing off in sleep in his arms. 

“What you saw and heard today can never be repeated to anyone,” he said as the chauffeur stepped out of the car. 

The man looked at him for a whole second, then he bowed deeply, his body bending in half.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, chairman.” 

“Good.” Kan turned around and walked into the mansion. 

The housekeeper was shooting him glances as she helped his feet out of his shoes and pushed his house slippers towards him. 

He frowned at her, a little disgusted.

What the hell was wrong with her?

He walked past the lounge and stopped short in the living room. 

Mr Grigor was standing stiffly in the middle of the living room. 

And several feet ahead of him, Ariel had her back to them.

Kan could hear the clipping sound of the little shears he saw peeking out of her hand from behind, echoing round in the otherwise absolute silence.