Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem

 novelbin

Tarquin squinted his eyes, glancing over at the insulated lunch box Lowell had just dropped off. Inside was a breakfast that Elysia had asked Lowell to bring over. Noticing Tarquin's distraction, Keaton also looked at the lunch box on the table. "What's this about?" he asked.

Keaton reached out to touch it, but Tarquin slapped his hand away. The slap was hard and loud, turning Keaton's hand red immediately. "Damn, what was that for?!" he exclaimed.

Tarquin extinguished his cigarette, opened the lunch box, and the aroma instantly filled the air. Keaton, intrigued, said, "Breakfast, huh?”

Tarquin took out the breakfast items one by one, lining them up in front of him. It was similar to yesterday's but noticeably more generous. Elysia probably thought he didn't get enough to eat the day before. Keaton was incredibly impressed.

"This definitely isn't some free meal from the government, nor does it look like something from a diner. Damn, who cooked this for you personally? Lowell isn't known for his cooking skills, right?"

Tarquin wiped his hands with a wet wipe, a smug look on his face. "Sure, I'm single, but that doesn't mean I'm unloved. This, my friend, is what you call charisma, get it?" He didn't forget to throw a jab back at Keaton. "See this? Does this look like an ordinary breakfast to you? You can't even buy this with money. It's all love!"

Now it was Keaton's turn to be less impressed. "It's just breakfast, and you're making a big deal out of it!"

Tarquin scoffed, "Try getting yourself locked up and see if any of those flings of yours bother to bring you a meal, let alone a homemade one!" Keaton grimaced, knowing well they'd all steer clear of him. Not a single one would show up. But he wasn't heartbroken; he wasn't serious about them either. It was all just for fun, a fair exchange.

After pondering for a moment with a sly grin, Keaton exclaimed, "No way! Did Elysia make this for you?" She was the only one he could think of.

As for Nola, well, she had a 'smart' mom. Tarquin doubted he'd be seeing much of her, especially now. Nola's mom would surely be telling her to keep her distance, to watch from afar. If Tarquin got sentenced, they'd instantly switch sides. But if he walked free, they'd come running back, pretending to

care.

Tarquin conceded silently, leaving Keaton surprised. "Elysia's really stepping up, huh? Given how you usually treat her, I'd have thought her keeping her distance was already kind. Didn't expect her to actually care about you!" Tarquin continued eating his breakfast, remaining silent.

Keaton added, "Speaking of Elysia, she called me last night."

Tarquin immediately looked up. "What did she call you for?"

"To ask about Callum."

"Huh?"

"She couldn't get in touch with Callum all day and asked me to help out."

"Why does she need Callum?"

"Don't know."

Tarquin frowned. "Then why did she come to you for help?"

Keaton explained: "Don't you remember? After Oriana kidnapped her, I apologized, and she asked me to get in touch with you, well, actually with Tarquin. You then had Callum go to the meeting in your place, which led to Elysia meeting Callum and getting all upset. That's the thing, she knew I was acquainted with Callum too, so when she couldn't reach him, she came to me for information."

Tarquin's face soured. “She knows I know Callum too. Why didn't she ask me for help?"

Keaton narrowed his eyes. "Jealous, are you?"

Tarquin, taken aback, frowned. “No, just stating facts. She's obviously closer to me than you. I'm just curious."

Keaton raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's debatable! Maybe in Elysia's eyes, she's closer to me. Why else would she ask for my help and not yours? That tells me I'm considered a friend in her book, and you're nothing."

“.......” Tarquin's face darkened, his breakfast suddenly tasting bland. He promptly kicked Keaton out. Then he had Josiah call Elysia, telling her to come over, now!