Thorne and the Unexpected

by Atonia

Part 3 

Terry was preparing to leave for London and Toni had been sniffling all morning. It was only for a week but her emotions were running on a roller coaster. She couldn’t stand to be parted from him, and he reminded her of the nine months they were separated when they were at the House of Four Seasons. 

“I know, Terry, it’s silly of me, I can’t help it. We haven’t been separated since we came out.” 

“And that was two months ago, come on, luv buck up.” 

She was trying to help him pack and he kept taking out what she put in. “You don’t need my help.” She sat down on the bed. 

“I could do this in my sleep, Toni.” He closed his suitcase and set it on the floor joining her on the bed. 

He lifted her chin, “I have to make this trip, I asked you if you wanted to go and you said no. I’ll be back on Monday with Henry. That should give you something to do while I’m gone, figure out something we can do together when we get back.” 

“You’ll be working then.” 

“Not all the time, and Dino will be here to take care of some of that until we figure out where he’s needed the most. What is it, Toni…bottom line?” 

“I’m being selfish and unreasonable, I don’t want to share you. You were mine, all mine, and now it seems everyday something else takes a part of you, I don’t know if there will be any left for me.” Tears were rolling down her face. 

“Can I tell you what you have? You have my heart and my soul and all my love. You’re not that big Toni, I don’t think there’s room for much else inside you.” He wiped her tears away with his hand. “I’m not going to leave you crying.”  

He kissed her until she couldn’t breathe and pushed her back on the bed and lay on top of her, his weight pushing her into the pillows piled in the middle of the bed. He teased her lips with his tongue and down her neck, biting her breasts through her knit top. Her hands were in his hair and he took them and held them down. 

Toni rolled her head back and laughed gently, somebody was going to have to give; he moved back up and kissed her again, released her hands and slipped her shorts over her hips. His jeans followed her shorts in a tangle in the floor. He spent the next thirty minutes making love to her and then rolled her over on top of him.

“That should give you something to think about.” 

“You always know don’t you, Terry?” 

He bit her bottom lip gently, “I got a plane to catch, luv.” Toni slid off of him and curled up on the bed while he got himself ready to fly. “I’ll call you in the morning.” Quick kiss and he was out of the door. 

Downstairs milling about, Dino and Wyatt had no luggage except for a small bag apiece with a change of clothing Terry had sprung for at the local mall. 

“I can see it now, arriving at a board meeting in a welcome to Richmond Tee shirt, what is he thinking?” 

“He’s thinking he’s not going to be our daddy. We’ll have time in London to find something.” 

Terry came down the stairs with his bag looking at his watch, “Where’s Tom?” 

“Out front waiting in the car for the last twenty minutes, you’re cutting it close.” Dino followed him out the door. 

Terry settled in his seat and closed his eyes, Dino was in front of him and Wyatt somewhere behind him. He’d spent the last two days trying to introduce them to Securities International Ltd. It was still all up in the air and until he met all the people in London nothing would find it’s place. Everybody that could be spared except the operatives on the ground would be there, and he was counting on his own gut feeling and Dino’s quick assessment to determine what he had to work with. 

Toni took a shower after Terry left and went downstairs and found Munchie in the kitchen. She had her dinner with Munchie and spent the evening dragging furniture around in the den creating a little space for her grandmother’s writing desk. Munchie helped her until her back gave out but they were both pleased with the results. She set her laptop up on the desk and spent some time going through the drawers and cleaning them out. She was fine as long as she was busy, but bedtime found her in the big bed by herself holding onto to Terry’s pillow and softly crying. 

The phone woke her the next morning, “Hey, luv time to get up.” 

“Terry, you made it okay?” 

“No worries, I just stepped outside to smoke, you okay?” 

“Yeah, waking up now. I thought I’d go with Tom out to Armstrong Farms and see about a few horses today.” 

“That sounds good, how far is it?” 

“About ten miles from here, he bought my horse when I went to school. I miss you bad, Terry Thorne.”

He smiled, “Yeah I miss you too, luv, go get your coffee and get moving, I’ll call you later. Love you.” 

“Love you too, honey.” 

Toni wiped her wet eyes; what was wrong with her, she seemed to be about to cry all the time. Aggravated at herself she got up and  washed her face. 

The first day in London was spent at SI getting acquainted. Not everyone was in town for the meetings yet, which were scheduled Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Terry, Dino and Wyatt had lunch with Brian Hogeland and a man called Lester Frink, whose job was not fully explained. Afterward, Dino and Wyatt went shopping and Terry was driven to his flat.  

He walked inside and it felt empty without Toni there, all her little touches caught his eye, he’d been so tired the night before he hadn’t really noticed anything. He missed the vase of flowers she always had in the middle of the table and there was nothing in the kitchen except instant coffee; so he made a cup and sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV. After listening to the news he checked his watch and called Toni. 

“Hey, Terry, I’m glad you called. We’re out here at Armstrong’s and I found four horses, I don’t know what we need the forth one for but I like him, can I get them all?” 

Terry chuckled, “Buy the whole herd luv, you know you can do anything you want to.” 

Toni nodded to Tom about the fourth horse and walked away from the paddock with her phone, “I’m going to do it. How are you, what time is it there?”

“It’s a little after five, I’m okay, back at the flat…it’s awfully empty.” 

“I probably should have come with you, I just thought you’d be so busy and all.” 

“I will be, all that starts gearing up tomorrow. Right now I’m feeling a little lonely.” 

“Where are Dino and Wyatt?” 

“I got them a hotel room, I don’t know; they might still be shopping for clothes or sitting in a pub somewhere, most likely a pub.” 

“I’m surprised you aren’t with them.” 

“Yeah, so am I…I may give them a call and find out what watering hole they’re floundering in.” 

“Why don’t you, honey; I know how empty that flat is when you’re by yourself. I love you, Terry.” 

“Keep it warm for me, Toni.” 

Toni smiled, “I keep it on simmer when you aren’t here.” 

Terry did call Dino and found out he and Wyatt were gathered at a pub with several of the agents who’d come in town for the meetings to follow over the next few days. Terry thought it was good they were getting acquainted in a casual atmosphere, but as he was now the head honcho, Dino advised him not to come.  

“You’re telling me you blokes are too good for me now?” Terry lit a cigarette. 

“You have to think of your position, Terry. You may be firing a few this week, best not to be boozing with them the night before. Besides they’re more likely to talk to me and Wyatt than to you.”

“You’re right, but I don’t like this Dino, I’d like to think I can still go drinking with my mates.” 

“And you will, Tio, you will…but not tonight.” 

“Get yourself kitted out today?” 

“You’re going to look like the ugly step-sister tomorrow.” 

Terry chuckled, “Get back to your pint, see ya in the morning.” 

Hanging up the phone he picked up one of the pillows Toni bought and threw it to the other end of the sofa, thought better of it and put it back behind him. Well that was a turn up, it never occurred to him he was above the fray now. He checked his watch and dashed out the door and down the street just making it before the bottle shop closed. He stopped outside of his building and looked down toward the river. Ah well, he was still in Brazil. He opened the door and went to the elevator, just as the doors were about to close he heard someone say “Hold up.” And he pushed the open door button. Max Skinner stepped in. 

“Well, you weren’t planning on drinking that by yourself were you?” 

Terry smiled and leaned against the wall of the elevator, “I guess not, Max; what the hell are you doing?” 

“Keeping you company for a couple of hours, I have a dinner date later.” 

Max followed Terry into the flat and looked around, his eyes falling on obvious Toni touches. 

Terry took the bottle into the kitchen and pulled out a couple of glasses, “Ice?” 

“No, you’ve been hanging around Americans. This is a nice flat, Terry, view of the Thames.” 

Terry handed him a glass, “Yeah I guess it is, I never spent much time here until we came last month.” 

“So you’re back to take the helm.” Max sipped his drink and pulled out a chair by the table.

“I am,” Terry stretched and settled in his seat, fishing out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. “Are you looking for kudo’s” 

“I’m not looking for anything, Terry; just wanted to wish you well and if I can help in anyway…I know this city.” 

“I appreciate what you’ve done, Max, sorry about the tirade.” 

“No problem, I guess you were due. You don’t like people mucking about in your life.” 

“No I don’t, and without Dino and Wyatt I don’t think I could have handled this on my own.” 

“Give yourself a little credit, you spent enough time at Luthan to know how not to run a business. Get the right people around you and you’ll do fine.” 

“So how are things with you?”

Max smiled and looked into his glass, “Same old same old. I’m stuck you know, destined to do the same things over and over.” He took a drink. 

“You aren’t bitter are you, Max, that things turned out like they did?” 

“Bitter no, regrets yes. I envy you, Terry, not just for Toni but for having the balls to do what you did.” 

“What, do you mean moving over to the other side, reality?  I was never into the magic like you were, Max.  I’ve always searched for truth, something real I could see and believe in. The house had it’s purpose for me but it wasn’t important to me, Toni was.”

“It wasn’t the magic, Terry, it was the place…a place I could go and just be myself, relax and do nothing if that’s what I wanted to do…and then there was Toni.” He drained his glass and Terry reached behind him and pulled the bottle off the counter and refilled Max’s glass. 

“Who knows, Max, you may end up there again.” It had been the same for Max as it had been for him. 

Max looked at him a moment, “True it could happen, but I…I don’t know if it would ever be the same, well I know for certain it wouldn’t; she wouldn’t be there.” 

“No she wouldn’t, she’ll be with me. I’ve tried to put myself in your place because I knew how she felt about you, it could have gone either way, Max. You’ve handled it well, better than I would have done. She’s happy, she’s loved and she’s at home now in Virginia. You’d be surprised how similar the place is to the House but then that’s where her grandfather came from.” 

“I know all about that now, her grandmother recognized me, she knew. Ahh, Terry…I can’t do it…do it for me, love her, take care of her, be happy my brother.” He touched Terry’s glass and pushed his chair back. “I should go before I’m bleeding drunk, it promises to be a long night anyway.” 

“Got a hot date?” 

“No, at least I don’t find him so, my realtor. After that I may get blind drunk who knows.” 

“Take care, Max.,” Terry stood up and walked Max to the door. 

“Call me if you need me, Terry, I’ll be around here for awhile then I’m off to France, imagine that.” He smiled a crooked smile and walked to the elevator.

Terry walked back inside, closed the door and leaned against it. That could have been him, he picked up his glass, looked at the amber liquid inside and downed it. He felt for Max, but there was nothing he could do for him, he had his chance and blew it. He knew without a doubt what Max had done for him he’d really done for Toni.

TBC….

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