Wanted: Husband (ManxMan)

"Congratulations Rory! Daddy is so proud of you!" I exclaimed excitedly as Rory came running to me and jumped on my arms. I received his grade for the first semester and voila, straight A from major subjects down to minor. I still can't believe he beat me when I was studying. Well, he can't be this smart if he didn't inherit it from me. Ahem. At the age of twenty, I have my own restaurant, a house in London, Essex and in Bournemouth, a smart ass son, and the loving, supportive parents, brother and sisters. Mum let me run my own business instead of going to university to continue my degree in business. My step father owns two companies and a recording studio, which I am proudly to say that his studio produced some artists all over the city. My eldest sister, Leslie, helped me to drag my restaurant in a high profit and well known one in the entire city. While her twin sister, Lassie, helped me with Rory the first time I adopted him two years ago. You can tell I had him when I was eighteen and he was already nine years old. At first, Rory was shy and he seemed so fragile but I did all my best to mild him into a new bolder Rory, which ended very well. Mum and Lauret, my brother, always saying that I should find a 'husband' and a 'Papa' to Rory because we both need another man to complete our 'family'. But for me, Rory is enough. He is my life. Rory is my everything. It went down to Rory and me discussing about it. He told me, "I want you to be happy, dad, with someone else. I know you're happy with me but I'm only your son. You need a man who'll love you and cherish you, too, like you're doing to me. And I want to have a Papa, dad. I'll admit it, I'm kind of jealous on Kyle, he got two daddies. Coreen, with her two mums. I mean, I want us to be a complete family, dad." I think about it the whole night. Rory is right. He needs a Papa and I need a man, too. But he doesn't know what happened to me on my last relationship with another boy. Back then, I swore to myself I wouldn't need a boyfriend to fulfill my happiness so I planned on adopting a kid. But this kid is pushing me to have one. "You're heavy, Rory." He laughs at me and we high five each other. "I am your baby, dad. But I'm getting bigger and heavier." Time flies so fast. He was just a small boy before that I can carry all around, play with and now, in two more years, he's going to be a teenager. "I know, mate." I nodded, placing my arm around his shoulder and lead him to the car. "This is a treat, I sense." I teased him, opening the door and let him sit inside. "Surprise me, dad." He said before closing the door. I jog my way around the car and seated myself in. The drive was the usual, we talked about his day and mine, asked me how my restaurant goes, told me stories about his classmates and the new kid whom he kindly helped through the day. "What's his name?" I asked still my sight on the road. "Brent. He came from Ireland with his two daddies." I bit my lip on the mention of two daddies. I wish Rory wouldn't start about it. "He lives two blocks from home. He asked me if I could help him unpack some of his things, can I help, dad?" I look over to him and give him a sweet smile. "I'll drop you after we eat." I am so thankful to have a sweet, kind, intelligent and loving son. I could've wish anything but only him. "I knew you're going to do that, dad." Ah, and his smart ass remarks, too. "Be friends with his parents, too, for me, dad. Please?" I laugh at him and ruffle his hair with my free hand. "I'm going to do that, though. You don't have to beg." "I just did, dad." He grins. "Charming." I parked my car in my own parking lot since this my own establishment I made my own parking lot so that I don't have to run along with another cars and owners. We walked through the entrance door and greeted with Allan, our receptionist and Rory's best friend despite of their age difference. "Hello, sir. Hello, Rory." He greeted with his usual warm smile. "Hi Allan." I greeted back with a genuine smile. "Hi mate! Dad's going to surprise me today." Rory beamed. "Typical Levy." Allan teased. "Don't be cheeky, Rory. You know that, Allan." I wink at him. Allan laughs and congratulates Rory after he showed his grade. "In your office or in the same spot?" Allan asks letting Rory get inside. "Let him lead." I pointed Rory's back. "That's first, Levy." I patted his shoulder. "For being a smart ass." We both laugh that caused Rory to turn around with confuse look. I let Rory chose our table. He chose on the second floor so that lead us stepping up my carpeted stair with a touch of gold handle. Different paintings hanging on the wall and two plants set from the bottom to the top floor. When we got to the second floor, Rory ran towards a lad around his age together with two men who stood up from their chairs and I followed Rory. I was greeted by the two men with firm handshakes and Rory introduced me to them and to the lad named Brent. "Dad, this is Brent and his parents." Rory said politely. "Hi, I'm Levy, Rory's father. It's nice to meet you." "The pleasure is ours. You've got a nice son. Thanks for your son's company on school. Brent told us about this kind and sweet lad who helped him all through the day. And by the way I'm Mike Stanson." Said the taller man. He wears long sleeves tucked in his dark blue khaki. "Jessie Stanson. Nice to meet you, too." The smaller one with a plain blue tee shirt with vest matched with his tight jeans. "How about you sit with us?" I look to Rory and he quickly takes a sit next to Brent. I smiled at them. Mike sat next to me while Jessie took his next to Brent. We talked about how they ended up moving from Ireland to here. Mike was promoted to a District Manager and was asked to move here in Kensington because this is where their main office was located. I was surprised when he told me that he works one of my step father's companies, the Irvine Clothing Line. I wasn't just the only one who got surprised when Rory told them that his grandfather owns the company. "Of course! I didn't see that coming." Jessie exclaimed in astonishment. "So Levy Irvine, and that means you're the owner of this restaurant, too?" "I am. Yes." I answered happily seeing his happy reaction. Mike was still amused and can't form any word but Jessie helped him out. Throughout the entire conversation, we talked about the kids and businesses. Jessie was still looking for job after they moved so I offered him a job in our recording studio as a Manager. He was so happy and so glad he almost cried because of what I have offered. They're our friends now and I tend to help him. Plus, it would be good for the both of them and for their son, too. As for the beginning of a new friendship, I leave their payment for the dinner treat as a welcome to them and they promised me to treat in some other ways in some other time. I didn't bother to drive Rory on the Stanson's residence because Jessie and Mike offered him a lift and they promised me they're going to give him a lift way back home. When they head off of the building, I went inside of my office and continue my paper works I left before grabbing Rory from school. My phone buzzed on my pocket making me jump off of my swivel chair. It read Mum. "Yes, mum." I started. "Hey sweetie. How are you?" I can sense she's smiling on the other line. "I'm good. How about you and dad?" "Don't worry, Lev, we're perfectly fine. And Rory? I miss my baby boy." "Mum, he's not a baby anymore. He's so heavy!" I whined remembering his weight on my shoulder. "And guess what, straight As again." I proudly said. "Oh my God! I'm so proud of him! You're just like him when you're around his age. Can I talk to him?" "He's at Brent's, a friend of his. He's a new kid at their school." I said. "You did surprise me a call?" "Oh yes. We're coming tomorrow. Since its weekend we’re going to spend more time with Rory and there is someone we'll be dragging along." Someone? "Okay. Who is it? Leslie?" "No." "Lassie?" "No." "Okay. Lauret? I knew it. When did he-" "It's Lucas, Lev." There was a brief pause between us. I don't know how I am reacting to this. Of all the people my mother would mention, why him? And she doesn't know what happened to us before and I am not dropping any hint of weakness or let him affect me again. Never. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow and I'll tell Rory about you. Bye, Mum." "I hope you're alright, Lev. Bye sweetie. Hug and kisses to my Rory." She hung up but the phone is still on my ear. I don't know how to react. It was all mixed up anger, hatred, and I missed him, too. Should I be happy I am going to see him tomorrow or maybe I'll make an excuse so that they won't show tomorrow? Can I do that? Absolutely no. I can't. I calmed myself before exiting my office and calling it a day. I wave my goodbyes to Allan and headed off to my car out to the parking into the busy street of Kensington. People passing by across the path walk, families having a dinner outside the cake shop, some on ice cream parlour and others are just sitting peacefully on the bench watching the people move on their accord. I don't know how I am going to act in front of him and Rory especially to my parents and siblings. It's been four years. Four years of him inside my heart and still affects me with every bit of our memories together. I hate it but it was carved in my mind and left a scar on my fragile heart. My deep thoughts lead me to the place I was once felt happy and all the fairy tales in my life came true for a week. I can still our own back figures, my head on his shoulder and his arm hanging on mine, keeping me safe and closer to him. The saltwater racing to the shore from the depths of the ocean wetting our bare feet and letting the cold water touches our skins. The irony of his life, as he once told, is still up above the clouds, emitting a warm vibrant light reflecting harmoniously on the sea water. Then, I asked myself, what did I do wrong to him that he betrayed me, lied to me and leave me broken into million pieces? The promised he said crossed across the oceans and mountains that he will never break it? What happened to that? I can't face him tomorrow. I can't. But for my Rory, I'll stand my own ground and keep myself strong. It was long in the past. He moved on already and he doesn't care anymore about me, too. I took another glance at the place and the images were gone but leave a clear view of the calm sea. I turn my heels and walk to my car, leaving the every tiny pieces of memories of the past, for now, because tomorrow will be another day.