Usual disclaimers apply

"Kyle, this is Ryan. He'll be working here this summer."

Kirsten guided Ryan by the elbow into the large room open room. He resisted the urge to shake her off, knowing it was just her motherly instincts. There was a long conference table in middle of the room and a few drafting tables were pushed against the walls. But shelves stacked with large rolls of unruly paper occupied most of the wall space. There were many more rolls scattered on the tables, giving the room a look of disarray. It was so unlike Kirsten who needed everything neat, perfect and in place.

"I know I didn't give you any warning, but," she surveyed the room, "But I know you need the help here and in the past Ryan has expressed and interest in architecture. I thought this would be a good place for him to get his feet wet."

"Sure, no problem, Mrs. Cohen. There's always something to do here." Kyle didn't look embarrassed that his office was a complete mess. "Ryan can jump right in."

Kirsten smiled. "I knew I could count on you. I'll see you later." She waved and turned to leave.

As soon as she was out of sight, Kyle turned to face Ryan. "So you know Mrs. Cohen for long?"

Ryan shrugged. He had been grateful that Kirsten hadn't explained who he was and he wasn't about to blow his anonymity. He'd be better off if people didn't know he was the boss's foster son.

"I was surprised to see her back. You being new here, you're obviously out of the loop. The entire office has been abuzz since her dad, Mr. Nichol, tied the knot. Apparently, both her kids ran away after the wedding. One took off to Tahiti on a sail boat and the other went to take care of some girl he knocked up."

Ryan focused on the corner of the desk, trying not to show any interest in Kyle's gossip. But that didn't dissuade the other man.

"She hasn't been at work since the wedding. But I guess she had to come back sometime. Wonder how her kids are. Anyway," Kyle turned back to his desk. "We should get you to work. No point in angering the boss. It's not often that she comes down here."

For the next ten minutes Kyle proceeded to explain that this was where they kept the plans for every project the Newport Group was part of. He said that the original plans weren't stored in this office they just had copies. But there were times the projects overlapped, or someone whether it was the architect, the developers, or contractors wanted to refer to a past project. It was their job to keep it all in order and to be able to pull up plans at a moment's notice.

"My staff was cut by half and it's been nearly impossible to keep up."

"How many people did you have here?" It was Ryan's first question during Kyle's long-winded explanation.

"Including me… two."

Ryan laughed. "Well, your staff has been restored for the summer. Just put me to work."

"It's not exciting. A lot of filing." He walked to the back of the room where one of the shelves was a complete jumble. "You didn't tell me how you knew Mrs. Cohen. The Newport Group doesn't usually hire teenagers. So who did you have to sleep with?"

Ryan's face flushed a deep red.

"Come on," urged Kyle, oblivious to Ryan's discomfort. "You can tell me."

"Can we just get to work?" Ryan tried to keep the edge out of his voice. He didn't need to make enemies on his first day of work. Otherwise it would be a very long summer. And it looked like it would be just him and Kyle, in the bowels of hell as Seth had put it.

"Sure…"

For the next hour Kyle showed Ryan what to do and they companionably worked side by side. Music played in the background. It wasn't emo music or punk, which Seth and Marissa preferred and Ryan had gotten used to during the year, but oldies. Actually, it reminded him of the music Sandy and Kirsten listened to when they were trying to torture him and Seth in the guise of giving them a fine musical education.

Kyle prattled on, divulging his entire history. Ryan listened with interest. He was glad to listen to Kyle. Glad the other man wasn't asking him too many questions he didn't want to answer. But as soon as the phone rang, that all changed.

The shrill ring jostled Ryan out of his reverie. He heard Kyle say, "He's doing great Mrs. Cohen. He's right here. I'll get him on the phone."

Ryan took the phone, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. He couldn't believe Kirsten was checking up on him, like he was in Kindergarten. He took a deep breath and put the phone by his ear.

"Hey."

"Hi Ryan. How's it going?"

"Okay."

Kirsten tried not to sigh at her end of the line, reminding herself that Ryan's verbal skills would probably never improve. He was just a quiet personality.

"I just got off the phone with Sandy. He's coming over for lunch. Would you like to join us? He's in the mood for crab cakes. I was going to order from the Crab Shack."

"Oh. Okay. Sure."

"So what should I order?"

"Um. A cheese burger."

"Fries and a milkshake too?"

"Yeah. Thanks. That sounds great."

"Okay. Good. Come up to my office in an hour.

Kyle was looking at him curiously as Ryan hung up the phone. "You know, I kept thinking there was something familiar about you! Now I get it. You're her kid. Aren't you? I saw you at the Holiday Party last year."

Ryan looked at his shoes. Maybe he should have just told Kyle who he was right away. "The Cohens are my guardians."

"Right." He hit his forehead with the palm of his hands. "Right. I remember the grapevine now. You're the kid they took in after you burned down the model home."

"Yeah. Um. Yes. That's me."

"So which one of the kids are you?" Kyle asked, not letting the topic go, even though Ryan's eyes were pleading. "Are you the one who knocked up the girl or the one who ran to Tahiti?"

Ryan turned his back to Kyle and started to neatly stack the plans. He knew he couldn't avoid answering Kyle's question, so he finally said, "I went back home to Chino. But the Cohens made me come back."

"To live with your girlfriend," Kyle said knowingly. "So you've got a kid on the way."

Maybe, thought Ryan. "Can we not talk about it? I really don't want to talk about it." Ryan's voice was razor sharp.

"Yeah. Sure. I get it. Sorry."

For the next hour, they continued to work silently, with only the music in the background. When it was time, Ryan went up to find Kirsten's office. He had to ask someone how to get there, but he finally found it. The door to the office was open, but Kirsten was on the phone. He stood quietly, waiting for her to notice him. She did after a moment and smiled, waving for him to come in with her free hand.

"Look," she was saying. "These complications are nothing new. They're the same ole' same ole. So someone has got to get their a—" She looked up and remembered Ryan. "Butt in gear and just take care of it. I want progress by the end of the week. Okay, bye," she said after a brief pause. "I'll speak to you tomorrow."

"Nice office," he said.

"Thanks. Sorry about that. Can you give me just one more minute?" She jumped up from the desk. "I must go use the restroom."

Kirsten ran out of the room leaving Ryan alone in her office. He walked around looking over the framed sketches on the wall. He noticed the photo they had taken at Chrismukah, the four of them in front of the fireplace sitting on one of the end tables. There were more photos. Kirsten and Sandy at the beach, the wind blowing through their hair. There was a picture of a six-year-old Seth on a shiny red tricycle and two front teeth missing. Seth at twelve leaning against the pool house holding a skateboard. Then there was a picture that Ryan didn't remember taking. It was of him and Seth dressed in tuxedos. He stared at the picture and wondered which function it was from. There was one more photo of Ryan, eyes squinting in the sun, in a muddied soccer uniform. It had been after his first game and Kirsten had insisted on taking the picture, much to his embarrassment. He looked away from the pictures, trying not to think about what it meant that his pictures were in her office.

He walked around to her desk to check out her computer. He ran his fingers over the keyboard and the screen came alive. He quickly averted his eyes, thinking it might be confidential information he had no business looking at. A computer printout with bright bold colors caught his eyes. "Raising Kids Who Don't Smoke." He felt a twinge in his stomach. Kirsten wasn't printing out the brochure to stop Seth from smoking.

"Hey kid."

Ryan jumped. "Hey." He smiled at Sandy. "Let me help you with that." He took the large brown paper bag from Sandy and set it on the conference table.

"You hungry?"

"A little."

"Where's Kirsten?"

"Restroom."

"Hey guys. Sorry to keep you waiting." Kirsten breezed into the room, the hem of her jacket flying behind her. "I'm famished. What did you surprise me with?" She pawed through the brown paper bag.

Sandy laughed. "I knew it! You always do this. Oh just bring me a salad," he said, using a high-pitched voice that was supposed to mimic Kirsten. "That'll be fine." He threw a hand over Ryan's shoulder and tried not to notice that Ryan tensed. "Kid, when a lady tells you to just bring her a salad, just play it safe. Buy an extra burger or something." He walked over to the bag and helped Kirsten unpack. "I learned the hard way. Now, when Kirsten says salad for lunch, I always get something else, just in case. Otherwise, I walk away hungry."

Ryan's lips curled up into a smile.

"That's not fair. I wasn't hungry when you called."

"You always say that."

Kirsten shook her head, trying not to laugh. "Ryan, eat before your food gets cold."

He sat, because he was really more than a little hungry. Especially now that the scent of the cheeseburger and fries were permeating the office. He ate his burger slowly, alternating bites with fries and sips of his milkshake. He didn't feel the need to talk. He just wanted to relish in the company of Sandy and Kirsten. These were the moments he always enjoyed in the Cohen household, the banter back and forth between Sandy and Kirsten, or Seth and Sandy or any combination of Cohens. They were always at ease with each other, comfortable with one another's company, never afraid to talk. Good-natured teasing was just a natural part of their lives and they weren't afraid that their jokes would be misinterpreted and rewarded with a punch to the gut or a slap across the face.

"So Ryan how's the job?"

He took a long sip of the shake, trying to avoid answering Sandy's question. But Sandy and Kirsten just waited patiently for an answer.

"It's okay," he finally said. "Uh. Kyle figured out that I live with you." He said this more the Kirsten than to Sandy.

"Was it supposed to be a secret?"

Ryan shook his head. He didn't really know. She hadn't said anything to begin with, so he hadn't known how to proceed when Kyle had put it all together.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" Sandy asked.

"No." Ryan lied.

"So Kyle knows you're our son. Big deal. What's the worst that can happen? You get some preferential treatment?"

"I don't want any."

"And you won't get any. Don't let Kyle fool you," Kirsten said. "He's a slave driver. He'll work you for everything you've got." Finished with this topic, Kirsten turned to her husband and said, "Did you remember to call Rosa and remind her about dinner tonight?"

"Yes. And I gave Seth permission to go out with Summer tonight. A one night reprieve." Sandy held up his hand, stopping Kirsten's protest. "So he can work things out with his girlfriend while we talk with Theresa and her mother without him eavesdropping."

Ryan watched Kirsten suppress a disapproving look. Secretly, he was glad that Seth wouldn't be in the house. He was even gladder that Seth and Summer would be working things out. He liked her even more after his talk with her the night before. She was a good friend to him and an even better girl friend to Seth. H just wanted Seth to be happy. He wasn't sure how his love life would pan out. He'd been back in Newport for three days and he hadn't tried to call Marissa.

"Ryan, is there anything special you'd like Rosa to make?"

He shook the thoughts from his head and focused on Kirsten's words. "No. Anything is fine."

After that the lunch hour passed quickly. Ryan went back to work. Kyle seemed to have forgotten the earlier awkwardness and the rest of the afternoon flew by. Before Ryan knew it, Kirsten was calling him on the phone to meet her in the parking lot or they would be late for dinner.

Ryan went straight to his room to shower and change. Not that he got hot and sweaty moving around rolls of paper all day. It was nothing like working construction or waiting tables. He hoped it would get more interesting, but for now he wouldn't say anything to Kirsten. He didn't want her any more upset at him than she already was.

He was pulling on his boots when Kirsten knocked on his door to tell him that Theresa and her mother had arrived.