Reefside, CA
Tommy glanced up from grading when his phone rang. He had mostly been ignoring it all afternoon so he could finish as much grading as possible. But he wanted it close in case Jason called for help. No matter their past issues, he had not wanted to leave his oldest friend alone after what had happened Saturday night. Especially since Christine and Will's behavior had said they really didn't care. And then the blowup that happened after he left on Sunday had made it that much worse.
Seeing the resort on his caller ID, Tommy set down his pen to answer.
"This is Tommy," he said.
He paused, listening for a moment.
"Big guy, dark hair?" he asked. "Probably wearing red or black? Or some combination of the two. Has a teenager with him?"
He paused again.
"Yeah, that's him," he said. "Go ahead and put him in the Ambassador Wing. I'll update any pertinent information from here after you finish checking him in. Thanks for the heads up."
Hanging up, Tommy stretched and then pulled out his computer. Now that he knew Jason was taking him up on his offer, he wanted to make sure the resort would be on guard for any unwanted visitors. He had a feeling Christine and Will weren't going to leave Jason alone for long. Though he was relieved Jason had accepted the help.
"I should text Kim, too," he muttered to himself. "Tell her to let Jason settle in before she invades."
Angel Grove, CA
Once she was off the phone, she typed a few more things in the computer before she said anything else.
"Alright, Mr. Scott," she said brightly. "You are all set. Here are your keycards."
She handed him two cards as well as his ID.
"You'll be in Dr. Oliver's private hall—the Ambassador Wing," she continued. "Please be aware that any visitors must be approved ahead of time. Here are some brochures and other information on the resort and its amenities."
She handed him the papers and gave him directions to the hall.
"Oh, and before you go," she said, picking up a small device from the counter. "If you have no objections, I can add your fingerprints to the system so you can access the hall and your room without the key. It is not required, and everything is kept completely confidential—it is something we offer for long-term or frequent visitors. The keycard is sufficient if you choose not to use this option."
"Oh, umm…" Jason hesitated for a moment. "Yeah. That's fine. I can do that."
After registering his fingerprint, she quickly got the rest of his information in the system and repeated her directions to the hall before letting them go. Thanking her, Jason waved off offers for help with their luggage and headed with Marc to find their room. Marc stared around him excitedly as they walked.
"This place is awesome, dad!" Marc said. "Why haven't we come here before?"
"Because we live fifteen minutes away," Jason said, shaking his head. "And I know we couldn't afford it without Tommy letting us stay here."
Shifting the bag on his shoulder, Jason stopped in front of another door with an electronic lock.
"And he wasn't kidding about security," Jason muttered, inserting the key card.
They had needed the card or fingerprints on file to even exit the lobby. Then he had to use it again to get into the hall where his room was supposed to be. He hadn't even made it to the room yet. A security guard patrolling the hall stopped to watch them for a moment as Jason opened the door to the wing, making sure he wasn't someone trying to sneak in where he didn't belong. Jason just nodded and held the door open for Marc.
"We're in room… six," Jason said, glancing at the papers in his hand as they walked down the hall.
Marc ran ahead, holding his own card excitedly. He reached the room first and opened the door with his key card.
"Dad—it's huge!" he shouted back out the door. "Come look!"
"I'm coming," Jason chuckled.
He followed Marc into the room and was surprised to see he was right. It wasn't just a hotel room. Tommy had given them a suite.
"I have my own room!" Marc exclaimed, disappearing into one of the two bedrooms.
"Good," Jason said, heading into the other room and dropping his stuff on the bed.
He walked back out to see Marc racing across the room to open the curtains. There was a sliding glass door that led to an enclosed plaza.
"There's a pool!" Marc said, turning to look at Jason. "Can I go swimming?"
"Tomorrow," Jason said. "It's too late tonight. We need get settled and you have school tomorrow."
Tuesday June 12th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
"Hey dad?" Marc said, eating a bowl of cereal. "How am I getting to school today?"
It was early morning. After checking in the night before, Jason had been surprised to find out Tommy was putting them in a private hall that he was currently only sharing with Kim and Jake. He had expected to just get one of most basic rooms the resort offered. Instead, they had gotten a small suite that included a partially stocked kitchenette.
"I'm not sure," Jason sighed in answer, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't actually think about that. Give me a minute. I'll figure something out."
"I mean, I could just stay here today," Marc grinned.
Jason raised an eyebrow.
"You have exams this week," he said drily. "So school is happening."
When Rocky had dropped him off the night before, all Jason had been thinking about was getting some space so he could decompress and actually sleep—not that sleep had happened. He hadn't thought it through that he wouldn't have a car and that it was too far for Marc to walk to school.
"I can call Kim, I guess," Jason muttered, and then he shook his head. "No. She doesn't have a car either. I guess I can call a cab?"
While Jason was looking for options and Marc was finishing breakfast, there was a knock on the door. Jason got up to answer, fully expecting to see Kim. So, he was very surprised to see a man he didn't know waiting in the hall.
"Can I help you?" Jason asked.
"Your car is ready, sir," the man answered.
"Car?" Jason repeated, confused.
"Yes," said the man. "Car service was ordered for this room. A ride to Angel Grove High School and a brief stop at the mall. A pick-up from the high school has also been arranged."
"Who requested that?" Jason asked, knowing he didn't.
"The request came from higher up, sir," the man answered.
Jason smiled slightly, shaking his head.
"Tommy," he muttered. "Thank you. Give us five minutes."
He called for Marc to get his shoes on and then paused.
"How brief of a stop at the mall?" Jason asked.
"One hour," the man said. "I was given instructions to come in and get you if it took any longer than that for you to get what you needed. This should explain."
He handed Jason a note which he took. Leaving the man waiting in the hallway, Jason quickly read the note as he put his own shoes on.
I figured you wouldn't have thought about school transportation. So, for today at least this will get him there. Just let the resort know if you will need the service for the rest of the week. He will also stop at the mall to let you grab your work things from your office. The resort will provide everything else you need to work remotely from your room this week so you don't have to use anymore sick time but can still relax. If you need anything at all, just ask the resort staff and they will take care of it. ~Kat
Jason shook his head. He hadn't been expecting this, but he was grateful.
"Let's go, Marc," Jason said. "The car is waiting."
Wednesday June 13th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
Jason sighed as his phone rang again. He glanced at the caller ID just in case but wasn't surprised to see that it was Christine again. She had been calling and texting him almost constantly since Tuesday morning, leaving voicemails when he didn't answer. The texts and voicemails were full of apologies, begging him to come home. But Jason wasn't ready to talk to her yet. He hadn't even answered any of her text messages. He just read them and went back to what he had been doing.
Silencing his phone, Jason went back to his work. With some tweaking and a lot of remote help from Tommy's friend Hayley—who was apparently some kind of computer genius—he had actually managed to connect his computer to the system at the mall the day before. So now he was able to help monitor cameras, etc. from where he was at the resort while the other guards patrolled.
"And I thought watching the cameras got boring in the office," Jason said, leaning back in his chair and sending a message to one of the patrolling guards. "I would much rather be walking the mall…"
Jason sighed, tapping his fingers on the desk as he bounced his leg. He felt restless and exhausted all at the same time. Sleep was still a struggle and he spent most of the night tossing and turning, trying not to wake up Marc sleeping in the next room.
A knock on the door drew his attention away from the camera feed—not that he had been completely focused on it anyways. Standing slowly, he stretched and headed to see who it was.
"Hey, Kim," he said, not surprised to find her on the other side of the door. "What's up?"
"It's lunchtime," she said brightly. "I thought you'd like to join Jake and I and take a break from work."
Jason hesitated as Kim waited expectantly.
"I don't know, Kim," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not really that hungry. I think maybe I'll just find something small in here and try and take a nap."
"Jason, you have to eat," she said. "I've hardly seen you eat a thing since you got here two days ago."
"I eat," Jason said.
"A granola bar here and there doesn't count, Jason Scott," Kim said with her hands on her hips. "You need to eat real food."
"I don't need a babysitter, Kim," Jason snapped. "I'll eat when I'm hungry."
Kim didn't answer immediately, staring at him in surprise.
"I'm sorry," she said after a moment. "I didn't mean it like that…"
Jason took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.
"No," he said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. You're just trying to help. I think I'm just a little cranky today."
"Still haven't been sleeping well?" Kim asked.
Jason shook his head.
"No," he sighed. "I try but… I don't know."
"Come with us," Kim said. "Get out of the room for a little while and at least try to eat something. I promise to try not to annoy you too much."
Jason chuckled.
"Alright," he conceded. "Let me put shoes on and we can go."
"Great!" Kim exclaimed with a smile. "I'll go get Jake and we will be right back. And don't worry, we will cover you. And I won't take no for an answer."
Friday June 15th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
"So where exactly are we going again?" Jason asked irritably. "I was trying to fill out a report."
It was early Friday afternoon and Kim had interrupted Jason working again and dragged him out of his room, ignoring all of his protests.
"I told you, it's a surprise," she said, still holding tightly to his wrist. "You'll find out when we get there."
Jason sighed but let her continue to pull him down the hallway. Kim led him out into the lobby where he was surprised to see Aisha and Tanya waiting with Rocky and Adam and all five of their kids. Jake was waiting with them.
"Jason!" Aisha and Tanya exclaimed in unison.
Both women came to meet him, each giving him a tight hug.
"How are you feeling?" Tanya asked.
"Better," Jason said as they walked over to join the others. "Still not sleeping very well, but it's getting better."
"Hey, Jason," Rocky said. "Damien—no!"
Rocky's youngest had wandered away and was starting to climb onto a luggage cart full of suitcases. He jogged over and scooped up the three-year-old, slinging the little boy over his shoulder as he came back.
"I thought I told you to stay with your sister," he scolded.
Damien just giggled and tried to wiggle out of Rocky's hold. Aisha sighed.
"He won't listen," Karly said as she rolled her eyes. "I tried telling him to stay but he went anyways."
"It's alright, honey," Rocky said, ruffling her hair with his free hand. "He never does."
The adults all laughed a little as Karly huffed. Liam was holding his big sister's hand. Adam and Tanya's twins were attached to either side of their father, watching quietly.
"So, what are we doing?" Jason asked, looking at Kim expectantly. "Or did you really drag me out here just to walk them back to the pool?"
Kim exchanged a grin with Aisha and Tanya.
"Oh, you four won't be going to the pool," she said. "We are sending you to the spa to have some bonding time."
Jason, Adam, and Rocky exchanged surprised looks. Jake had clearly been informed of the plan ahead of time as he just nodded at his wife's announcement.
"Umm… Kim?" Rocky said. "I think you have it backward. Shouldn't it be the three of you going to the spa while we watch the kids by the pool?"
"Not today," Aisha answered before Kim could. "Jason needs to relax, and a spa day is perfect. And I don't want to hear any complaints about it being too girly."
"It's not like they are going to force you to paint your nails, after all," Kim said, still grinning. "And the massages they give are to die for."
"So, no pedicures?" Jake asked, sounding a little disappointed.
The other three men looked at him, a little surprised.
"What?" Jake said with a shrug. "I go to the spa all the time. They take really good care of you and it's a nice way to unwind."
"If you want a pedicure, Jake, just ask," Kim laughed. "I just set up a basic package since I knew those three wouldn't want anything fancy. They'll be serving you dinner later, too, in one of the private party rooms. Now get out of here. We will be checking to make sure you actually showed up."
Smirking at her friends, Kim gave Jake a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Play nice with each other, boys," she said. "Jake, if they are mean just remind them that I know all of their secrets and I'm not afraid to play dirty."
Jake laughed as Jason, Rocky, and Adam exchanged nervous looks. They knew Kim's threat was valid even if her husband didn't quite understand the extent of it. Rocky set Damien down next to Aisha, who immediately took his hand. Karly and Liam were still standing patiently next to her.
"Come on, girls," Tanya said, taking her daughters' hands. "Let's go to the pool and play. Daddy will be back later."
"Okay," they chorused, following her. "Bye, daddy."
As the girls started to herd the kids away toward the rooms, Jason's phone started ringing again. He sighed and pulled it out of his pocket.
"She just won't give up," he muttered, silencing the call.
"Oh!" Kim exclaimed. "That reminds me."
Leaving Aisha and Tanya to wait, she marched back over to Jason and the other three men.
"Phones, please," she said, holding her hands out.
Jake immediately handed his over, knowing better than to argue. Adam followed with a little hesitation. Rocky and Jason both frowned.
"Why?" Jason asked.
"Because you are never going to completely relax if you keep seeing her call and text you, Jason," Kim said. "So, give me your phone and forget about her for the afternoon. She will still be there tonight and maybe you will be more ready to deal with her. And everyone else is giving up their phones to make it fair."
She shot a look at Rocky.
"Alright," he said, handing over his phone. "I surrender. You can have my phone. But I have to keep my radio. Just because I'm not on shift doesn't mean I'm not on call for an emergency."
"I can accept that compromise," Kim said, taking his phone. "Jason?"
She held out her hand for his phone, wiggling her fingers expectantly. For another moment, he hesitated. Finally, he handed her his cellphone.
"Now go relax," Kim ordered. "We will see you all later tonight."
A staff member, who had been waiting off to one side, gestured for the four men to follow her. They did, three of them rather reluctantly. She led them into a room and left them. Jason, Rocky, and Adam looked around, unsure what they should be doing now.
"So, what now?" Rocky asked.
Jake raised an eyebrow.
"I'm assuming you've been in a locker room before," he said, slightly amused.
"This is not a locker room," Rocky retorted.
Jake laughed.
"Change into a robe," he said. "Leave your clothes there. Leave on your shorts if you if want, they won't care either way. And they cover you with a towel during a massage anyways."
"I've had massages before," Adam said. "But usually after matches. With my gym shorts on."
Jake shrugged as he started changing.
"That's not a problem," he said.
The three men took his lead, taking off their clothes and putting on the robes.
While they were changing, Rocky saw a courtesy phone. He grabbed it and dialed. Jason and Adam exchanged looks as they watched him.
"Tommy!" Rocky exclaimed. "You have to save us. The girls trapped us in the spa!"
"And the problem is?" Tommy asked drily. "I would much rather be there right now. Instead, I'm at school. I have to finish cleaning my classroom for the summer and still have some exams left to grade. Plus, I still have two—no, three—faculty meetings this afternoon and graduation is tonight."
"Oh," Rocky said sheepishly. "Um… I'm sorry. I guess we will see you on Sunday."
He hung up and turned back to his friends.
"So, we shouldn't interrupt Tommy right now," he said. "He's got a lot to do today."
Adam, Jason, and Jake exchanged looks and then laughed. A staff member knocked and then poked their head in.
"If you are all ready to go, please follow me," he said.
"Damien!" Aisha scolded. "Not so close to the edge!"
Aisha, Tanya, and Kim were at the pool with the five kids. Marc was still gone at school and would be going to the dojo after he finished his last day. Karly and the twins had already finished school for the year. Both Aisha and Tanya were in the pool while Kim was sitting on the edge with just her legs in the water. Damien had just jumped into the pool, splashing water all over Kim. She blinked, wiping water out of her eyes.
"Sorry, girl," Aisha said. "But I did tell you to just get in. Damien, that wasn't very nice."
Kim laughed, waving it off.
"It's fine, Aisha," she said. "He's just playing. If I was worried about getting wet, I would be sitting in one of the chairs."
They had all five kids in the shallow end of the pool. Karly, Lilla, and Jazmine were splashing around and playing with some diving toys that Tanya was throwing for them. Aisha was watching the two boys. Liam was mostly content to chase around a ball, but Damien kept climbing out to jump back in.
"I think it's time to reapply some sunscreen," Tanya said to Aisha, glancing at the time. "And probably eat some lunch."
"I think you are right," Aisha said, turning her head as Damon jumped into the pool again. "Alright—everyone out!"
"I'll place an order," Kim said. "I have the app on my phone."
Standing, she walked over to get her phone out of her bag while Tanya and Aisha shooed the kids out of the water. Trying to fish her phone out, Kim accidentally dropped Jason's phone on the ground. She had put all of the guys' phones in her bag when she took them. Picking it back up, she shook her head as she glanced at it.
"This is just ridiculous," she muttered. "17 missed calls in the last two hours? She's not letting him breathe. No wonder he can't relax."
Rolling her eyes, she set it down on the table and finally found her phone. Aisha and Tanya had gotten the kids out of the pool and had sat them down to apply sunscreen while Kim was ordering food. She was in the middle of placing the lunch order when Jason's phone started vibrating on the table.
"Seriously?" Kim said, picking it up.
"Who is it?" Tanya asked.
"Christine," Kim said irritably. "Again. She needs to stop. Hello?"
Kim answered the phone.
"Who is this?" Christine demanded.
"Someone your husband actually wants to spend time with right now," Kim snapped. "Now what do you want?"
"I want to talk to Jason. Where is he?" Christine demanded.
"Not here," Kim retorted. "And he doesn't want to talk to you right now anyways—though I would have thought all of the ignored calls would have been a hint."
"I am his wife!" Christine shouted in her ear. "I demand you give him the phone immediately."
"Again, he's not here," Kim snapped. "He's having a nice, relaxing day at the spa with friends and I'm not going to ruin it with you and your demands. So why don't you go sit in a corner somewhere and think about how you've acted while you wait for him to call you back?"
Christine sputtered on the other end of the line.
"You have no right to—"
Kim pulled the phone away from her ear, ignoring Christine for a moment.
"Karly, come here," she said, covering the microphone and beckoning to the seven-year-old. "I have someone for you to talk to."
Aisha raised an eyebrow, looking at Kim as her daughter skipped over. Kim just waved at Aisha. She knew exactly what she was doing calling over the seven-year-old chatterbox.
"Tell her all about your day, sweetheart," Kim said with a grin.
She turned the phone on speaker and set it down on the table next to her. Christine was saying 'hello' repeatedly because Kim had stopped answering.
"Hello!" Karly exclaimed excitedly, climbing onto the chair to talk into the phone. "How are you? I'm good. We are at the pool today! Mom told us this morning when she woke us up that we were going because Aunt Kim invited us. So, then I had to pick out what I was wearing to the pool. I picked a shirt first but couldn't decide between the orange one or the purple one. The purple one goes better with my skirt than the orange one does but I could have worn shorts instead. Then I remembered I had to pick out a swimsuit."
Aisha had a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh as her eldest prattled on. Kim was laughing silently, her own phone in hand as she finished placing the lunch order. Tanya was also laughing quietly as she put sunscreen on her girls. They could hear some sputtering from Christine, but Karly wasn't letting her get a word in. Kim was paying close attention, though, ready to hang up if Christine said anything inappropriate.
"So, I finally picked out my swimsuit," Karly continued. "Then I had to pick out what I was wearing over it. The purple and orange shirts didn't match so I found another—"
She stopped, frowning at the phone.
"She hung up…" Karly said with a frown. "Should I call her back?"
"Not right now, honey," Kim said, taking the phone. "Maybe she had to go and will call back later."
"Ok…" Karly sighed.
Kim, having finished the lunch order, grabbed a bottle of sunscreen from Aisha and started helping with the kids.
A little while later, as lunch was being delivered, Jason's phone rang again. Karly jumped in excitement when Kim called her over. Kim didn't say a word as she accepted the call and immediately turned it on speaker.
"Hi again!" Karly said. "Aunt Kim said you would call back when you weren't busy. I never told you what shirt I picked. I finally picked a yellow one cause it matches the flowers on my swimsuit and mom said I could wear my pretty sandals, too, and then I decided to wear shorts because they have pockets. We had breakfast after I was dressed. But I had to wait because Damien wouldn't let mom put his pants on and was running around the house. But dad made us pancakes and eggs and—she's gone again…"
Karly pouted as she looked over at Kim. Aisha and Tanya were both shaking with silent laughter at the table.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Kim said. "But we need to eat lunch anyways. Why don't you tell us the rest while you eat?"
"Ok, so maybe this hasn't been so bad," Rocky admitted. "Not something I want to do every day, but it's not bad."
It was late afternoon, and the four men were back in the locker room getting dressed. They had spent most of the day relaxing with massages and other treatments that Jake talked them into. Except the sauna—apparently that had been put on a not-allowed list for Jason since he was still recovering. As the day went on, Jason, Adam, and Rocky had relaxed more and more as they followed Jake's lead. It had been a good chance for the three friends to bond with Jake.
"I told you that you would," Jake said. "Next time you won't argue so much."
"We aren't all billionaires who grew up getting fancy spa treatments," Rocky said, shaking his head. "I definitely couldn't afford this on a regular basis."
"I've been there," Jake snorted. "I used to live on ramen in college."
Rocky, Adam, and Jason exchanged surprised looks.
"So, you made your money after you graduated?" Adam asked.
Jake shook his head.
"Not exactly," he explained. "I was born into a rich family. But when I went to college, they made sure I had the whole experience. I had to live on my own and take care of myself. That included getting a job and paying for an apartment and buying my own groceries and everything. The only thing my family paid for was any tuition not covered by scholarships. Dad said it was to make sure I could survive in the real world since you never know what is going to happen in the business world. He wanted to me to be ok if anything ever happened to our company."
"Well, that's not what I would have expected," Jason said.
Jake shrugged.
"It was a good thing overall," he said. "I grew up always having money. So, having to actually work for it made it have more value. And after I graduated, I had to work my way up in the company—I wasn't just handed my job. My parents made me earn it."
"So how did Kim feel about that?" Rocky asked curiously. "About your family making you fend for yourself?"
"Oh," Jake answered, a little sheepish. "Umm… Kim didn't even realize I had come from a rich family until after we were engaged. It never really came up in conversation because any money I had came from me working and I didn't make a big deal out of it. Until I took her home with me for the first time after graduation, she actually thought her family had more money than mine. I just never really thought it was important to compare family incomes."
The other three men laughed.
"I'll be she was surprised to find out," Jason said.
"Only a lot," Jake laughed. "She freaked out a little when I pulled up to what she called a mansion and called it home. And then maybe made the mistake of saying it was the small house… but it was nice to know she wanted to marry me for me—not for my money. She actually got mad because her family didn't have more money than mine."
"That seems about right," Jason chuckled. "So, you didn't visit your family at all before you graduated?"
A staff member interrupted.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but if you would follow me. We have a private room set aside for serving dinner."
The men followed as they carried on their conversation.
"Poor college student, remember?" Jake said. "And I didn't go to school close to them. So, they always came and visited me because I couldn't afford the gas to drive all the way home, let alone a plane ticket. Kim met my parents long before graduation and they got along great. They were very excited to hear I had proposed."
They followed the staff member toward the dining area.
"I wonder what dinner the girls ordered us," Rocky said, glancing at the others.
"Knowing Kim?" Jason said, raising an eyebrow. "Probably cucumber sandwiches or something like that."
"That's probably not wrong," Jake sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Mrs. Rosenberg did instruct us to provide you with a fine meal of fruit, light soups and tea," the staff member confirmed.
The four men grumbled at the confirmation.
"However," the staff member continued as they led them into the room. "When Dr. Oliver was confirming the details for today, he thought this might be more to your liking."
Walking in, the four men were pleasantly surprised to see food already waiting for them. There was chicken, steaks, roasted vegetables, salads, and a few other side dishes spread over the table family style.
"Much better," Rocky grinned as they sat down to eat.
"Well, what now, sis?" Will asked, leaning back and crossing his arms. "It's been almost a week and he still won't talk to you. The money in the account won't last forever and we can't get into his grandfather's accounts without him."
Christine scowled. She had been sulking all afternoon since talking with Kim—and Karly.
"I have a plan," she said shortly. "I know where Jason is. So, I'll just go see him in person."
"And how do you plan to get in?" Will said, raising an eyebrow. "We've talked about this already. That resort has crazy tight security—they aren't just going to tell you where he is."
Christine scoffed.
"He's my husband," she said. "I just tell them I lost my key and he isn't answering the phone—they'll give me a key and off I go."
"And if they don't?"
"It won't be that difficult," she said. "I'll just slip past with another group. You just have to act like you belong and blend in with the other guests. Once I get past the lobby I'll call him. I'm sure once I tell him I'm at the hotel he'll come out and meet me. And if he won't I'll just bribe a housekeeper—they are bound to be able to tell me where his room is."
Will shook his head but didn't argue as Christine dragged him out to the car.
A little while later, they pulled up at the resort. Will let Christine out in front of the door.
"Good luck," he said. "I'll be waiting for you in the car."
Christine stalked into the resort, heading straight to the main desk.
"Excuse me," she said.
"Welcome," the desk clerk said brightly. "How can I help you?"
"My name is Christine Scott. I need a new key to my room," Christine said. "My husband forgot to leave one with me and now he isn't answering the phone."
"Of course," she said. "I'll just need your ID and the room number."
"I don't remember the room number," Christine said. "And why do you need my ID? My husband is the one who checked us in."
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the clerk apologized. "But it is standard policy. If you give me your husband's name, I can look up the room number, but I will still need your ID to verify I am allowed to issue you a new key."
Christine rolled her eyes.
"Fine," she said shortly. "My husband is Jason Scott—he's a friend of the owner. And he isn't going to be happy that you are making this so inconvenient."
With a smile still pasted on her face, the clerk started typing.
"ID please?" she repeated, glancing up at Christine.
Huffing, Christine started fishing in her purse.
"I don't have my wallet," she said after a moment. "I must have left it in the room."
"I'm afraid I cannot issue you a key without that," the clerk said evenly, reading the screen in front of her. "And I have no record of you having been issued a key to a room at this resort."
She looked back up at Christine. Her smile had disappeared.
"That's ridiculous," Christine snapped. "My husband is waiting for me."
"I'm afraid he will have to come down here and escort you, then," the clerk said shortly. "I will not be issuing you a key."
"Is this how you take care of your guests?" Christine exclaimed.
"No, it's not," the clerk smirked. "But you are not a guest. So please leave before I have to call security to escort you out."
Christine glared at the clerk. Without breaking eye contact, the clerk started reaching for the phone. Scowling, Christine spun and stalked away. She pretended to head out the door, but once the clerk was busy with the next guest, she changed directions and skirted around the edge of the lobby.
The lobby was huge, with several doors leading off into the resort. Stopping near a map on one of the walls, Christine studied it for a few moments as she tried to decide which door to try. Making a choice, she casually strolled up to one of the doors and was annoyed to find it required a key. The door was also equipped with a fingerprint scanner, but she knew that wasn't going to work. Seeing a security guard eyeing her, Christine hurried on from the door and wandered to the other side of the lobby and pretended to study some of the information posted on the walls.
A few minutes later, she saw a housekeeper making a round of the lobby.
"Perfect," Christine muttered.
Glancing around for security again, she hurried over to the housekeeper.
"Hi!" Christine said brightly. "Could you help me with something?"
"Ma'am?" the housekeeper said.
"So, I lost my key, and I can't get ahold of my husband," Christine said hurriedly. "The front desk claims he didn't put my name on the room, so they won't give me a key and I don't want to wait hours in the lobby for him to get back. Could you let me through the door? My son is in the room and he'll let me in once I get there."
The housekeeper didn't answer her right away, just staring at her. Christine sighed.
"English?" she said irritably. "Speak English? Open door? Here. This is something everyone can understand."
Fumbling in her purse again, Christine pulled out a $20 bill.
"Open the door and I'll give you this," she said slowly. "No one has to know."
The housekeeper continued to stare for a moment, her face blank. Then she turned and walked away without a word.
"Great," Christine muttered, throwing her hands in the air. "Of course I just had to find some immigrant who can't even speak English."
As she was pacing in a circle by the door, the housekeeper came back with a security guard. Christine turned back around and froze when she saw them.
"Oh, I understand English just fine," the housekeeper smirked. "But you can keep your money—I like my job too much."
"If you'll come with me, please," the security guard said, reaching out to take Christine's arm. "I need you to leave."
Scowling, Christine yanked her arm out of his grip. However, she couldn't escape being escorted from the lobby. She glanced back over her shoulder outside, but the security guard was now standing at the door watching her with his arms crossed. With no other options, she stalked through the parking lot to find Will.
Saturday June 16th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
"Dad, when is the car getting here?" Marc asked as he sat down at the table.
Jason glanced up at Marc and then groaned.
"It's Saturday," he muttered. "You have karate. Hold on. I'll call and see if I can get one."
Jason picked up his phone and started to call the front desk. He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Getting up, Jason hurried to answer thinking maybe he ordered a car after all and didn't remember. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Aisha standing there.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Taking you both to the gym," she said with a smile.
"Both?" Jason repeated.
"Yes, both," Aisha said. "Marc for class and you to get out of the resort for a little while. No workout, but you get to relax and do some stretching and breathing with Tanya instead. Now hurry up so Marc isn't late."
Knowing that there wasn't much point in arguing with her, Jason told Marc to get his shoes on and went to change. A short time later, they were at the gym. Marc went sprinting inside to get ready for class while Jason and Aisha followed at a walk. Aisha led the way to Adam's private gym. Tanya was there with their kids. Kim and Jake were there, too.
"Hi, Jason!" Kim beamed, bouncing over.
She was dressed in workout clothes. Jake followed behind her, wearing sweats and a t-shirt. Kim hugged Jason tightly in greeting.
"How are you feeling today?" she asked. "Jake said you had a good time yesterday—and that you ate a full meal!"
"Better," he said, hugging her back as he shot a look at Jake. "Yes, I did."
Jake shrugged sheepishly.
"Sorry we didn't bring you with us," Kim said. "I met Tanya and Aisha for breakfast this morning and left Jake here. I didn't think about just bringing you."
"It's fine, Kim," Jason said. "To be honest, I had kind of forgotten it was Saturday…"
Tanya came striding over with a smile as Kim and Jake both laughed at Jason's forgetfulness. She had passed off the kids to one of Adam's assistants who had volunteered to watch them for a couple of hours so the adults could concentrate on their workouts.
"You ready, Jason?" she asked with a smile. "I have a routine all worked out to get you moving but not stress your body out too much."
"Bring it on," he said.
He followed her to a corner of the mat. Aisha, now changed into her workout clothes, joined Kim and Jake.
"So, what do you want to do today, Kim?" Aisha asked.
"Why don't we spar?" Kim said. "I haven't actually fought anyone in years—but I've stayed in shape and kept my skills up. Though you could probably wipe the mat with me in a match."
Aisha laughed.
"Girl, you'd be surprised," she said. "I have three kids. I do what I can, but I don't get to work out like I used to. You have met my youngest, right?"
They bickered back and forth a little as they stretched. Jake, not wanting to be in the way, found a comfortable spot to sit and watch. He had already gone for a run that morning while Kim was gone. After they stretched, Kim started doing some flips and tricks across the mat. While Kim was tumbling, Aisha started working on some kicks. It wasn't long before the two women were sparring.
Jake watched, impressed. He had never actually seen Kim use her gymnast skills to fight. Actually, he had never seen her fight before. He knew she was strong, but this showcased a whole set of skills he hadn't realized she had.
The two women sparred for a while, laughing and enjoying themselves. Eventually they broke it off. Catching their breath, they walked over to where Jake was now standing. He held out a water bottle to both of them. Tanya and Jason were still working on the other side of the room.
"I have to say, sweetheart," Jake said to Kim. "You scare me a little. I guess I don't have to worry too much about you being able to defend yourself."
"I'm so out of practice," Kim laughed, shaking her head. "But you should see me with a bow."
"A bow?" Jake said, a little confused.
"Her weapon of choice," Aisha said. "She used to be quite deadly with it. Muscle memory would probably bring that back very quickly."
Jake looked at Kim in surprise. She just shrugged.
"I'd love to do archery again," she said wistfully. "I haven't used a bow in years. Jake, can we do archery?"
"Whatever you want, sweetheart," he said. "As long as you promise not to laugh at me—I've never even held a bow in my life."
Kim laughed and gave him a kiss.
"So, you understand the plan?" Christine asked, looking at Will.
He rolled his eyes, opening the car door.
"I think I can handle it," he said. "Just wait here. I'll call once I'm in."
Will sauntered into the hotel and right up to the desk.
"How can I help you?" the clerk asked with a smile.
"I'm just here to visit my brother-in-law," he said, leaning on the counter with a smile. "He was supposed to leave a key for me at the desk. Name is Will."
"I'm sorry, but no," she said. "There has been nothing like that left today. Why don't you give him a call and he can come down here and sign you in?"
"No phone," Will said with a shrug. "Left it in his room last night. You seem really familiar. Have we met before?"
"I don't think so," she said. "What is his name? I can check and see if you are an authorized visitor."
"Jason Scott," he said. "Has anyone ever told you that you look just like Halle Barry?"
"Oh, really?" she said, looking up from the computer. "Well thank you."
"Anytime," he grinned. "When do you get off? I'll be here all night tonight. Maybe we could meet at the bar? I wouldn't mind buying a couple of drinks for a cute girl like you."
"That sounds like fun," she said. "I don't know how late I could stay out tonight though. I do work tomorrow morning again."
"Don't worry about it," he said. "I won't keep you out too late. We'll just have a little fun. How is that keycard coming? Got to see the brother-in-law so I can get my phone and wallet."
"Well, I'm not seeing your name on the authorized list," she said. "I would have to speak with Mr. Scott to issue a keycard. Would you like to use the desk phone to call him?"
"Don't have his number memorized," Will said with a shrug. "You have my word that he is expecting me. I just need the card for a few minutes. I'll pop up to his room, grab my stuff, and be right back down. Maybe you could sneak off a little early? I'll take care of everything. Dinner, drinks—a whole night out."
"I might be able to get someone to cover," she said. "What was your full name again—I just want to double check my list one more time."
"Will Harrison," he grinned.
"Thank you," she said briskly, typing something into the computer.
When she was done, she reached over and pushed a button on a small machine.
"Is that the keycard maker?" Will asked.
"No," she answered with a smirk. "It calls security."
Will instantly lost his smile.
"Wait—what?" he stammered. "Security? But why?"
"Because your name is on the do-not-admit list," she said smugly as two security guards came walking up behind Will. "But thank you so much for your cooperation in letting our cameras get a nice shot of your face for future reference. Have a nice day!"
The security guards stopped on either side of Will.
"You can walk out or we'll throw you out," one of them said. "So, which one do you want?"
Scowling, Will spun and stalked out of the lobby with the guards right behind him. He stormed back to the car and got in.
"What happened to handling it?" Christine asked.
"Apparently my name is on a list," Will snapped back. "I can't go back."
"So now what?" Christine snarled. "We have to get to him."
He glared at her, not answering immediately.
"Let's use a side door," Will suggested. "Only one person in the way."
"And how do you plan to open the door without a card or a fingerprint in their stupid security system?"
"Easy," Will grinned, reaching over to dig through the glovebox. "Have any bandaids?"
Ten minutes later they were walking up to one of the side entrances. The security guard watching the door didn't move as they approached.
"Hey, do me a favor and let me in?" Will asked. "I left my keycard in my room and—as you can see—I've had a bit of a situation."
Will held up his hands. He had bandages all over his hands and fingers, obscuring his fingerprints.
"Oh, of course," the guard said.
But instead of reaching for the door handle, he pulled a phone out of his pocket.
"I'll just use facial recognition," he said.
Will and Christine froze. They hadn't expected that as an option.
"Ah yes," the guard said with a smirk. "This is you—right?"
He turned the phone so they could see a picture of Will's face with the word 'banned, police to be called' stamped across it.
"Oh, ah, I—" Will stammered. "I just forgot I left my card in the car."
Grabbing Christine's arm, he hauled her back out into the parking lot.
Sunday June 17th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
"Dad, I'm going to meet Jarrod, Alex, and Matt!" Marc called as he ran out the door of the room. "I have my key!"
Without waiting for an answer, he rushed toward the lobby. He'd been waiting excitedly for Sunday to come since he got permission for his friends to come over a few days before. Instead of going to the dojo, they were going to have a fun day at the resort to celebrate the start of summer. They had all texted that they were either parked or already in the lobby, so now Marc was going to get them.
"Marc, over here!" they called as he glanced around for them.
Racing over, he greeted them excitedly. While the parents of the three boys were signing them in, Marc excitedly started talking about everything he had planned for that evening.
"They are gonna give you wristbands to wear after your parents' check you in," he started explaining. "That's how they know you are allowed to be here with me. But you still can't wander off without me—they are really strict about people not going where they shouldn't."
Marc, distracted talking to his friends, didn't see Christine come stalking into the lobby to try to sneak past security again. But she saw him and an opportunity.
"We are going to have a whole pool to ourselves," Marc said as his friends let out excited exclamations. "And Aunt Kim says she'll order pizza later and we can stay up late and watch movies in her room so dad can sleep and—"
"Marc!" Christine exclaimed, grabbing him by the arm and spinning him to face her. "Where is your father?"
"Mo—mom?" Marc stammered, staring up at her in surprise. "You aren't supposed to be here."
"Nonsense," Christine said. "Now, I need you to take me to see your father. It's important that I speak with him."
Marc was shaking his head as he tried to free his arm from her tight grip. His friends just watched in confusion, not sure what was going on.
"Dad doesn't want to talk to you yet," he said. "And I can't let you in—you aren't authorized. And I'm not allowed to sign you in. An adult has to approve it."
"Fine," she snapped irritably. "Then you can come home with me—then your father will have to come talk to me."
She started to pull Marc with her as he protested. But she had barely taken a couple of steps with him when they were stopped by security. Marc's friends had darted over to get their parents' attention. People in the lobby were staring.
"Can I help you?" she asked irritably.
"I was about to ask you the same thing," the security guard said, crossing his arms. "What do you think you are doing?"
"I am taking my son home with me," she said shortly. "Is that a problem?"
"I'm afraid I can't let you take him," the guard said sternly. "You did not enter the premises with him and it doesn't seem as though he wants to go with you."
Christine tightened her grip on Marc's arm.
"You can't keep me child from me," she snapped. "He is going home with me."
"He didn't arrive with you," the guard responded. "So, we don't know he is yours. Now let go of him—I don't want to involve the police unless absolutely necessary."
But Christine didn't let go, she just tightened her grip again.
"Ouch, mom," Marc exclaimed. "That hurts."
"See!" Christine exclaimed. "He acknowledged that I'm his mother. Now get out of the way. We are going home."
"Mom, no," Marc said, trying to pull his arm out of her grip. "I don't want to go home. I'm staying here with dad."
"You are a child," Christine snapped at him. "You will do as I say. Let's go."
Marc finally managed to pull his arm away.
"No," he said. "I don't want to, and you can't make me."
"Get over here," she ordered, reaching for his arm again.
Marc ducked behind one of the guards.
"I'm not going with you," he said again.
Security blocked Christine from grabbing Marc.
"How old are you, Marc?" one of the guards asked.
He was one of the guards Marc had seen on multiple occasions over the past week. He hadn't officially met him, but he recognized his face.
"I'm fourteen," Marc answered. "Please don't make me go with her."
"Do you want to go?" he asked.
Marc shook his head.
"No," he said adamantly. "I want to stay here with dad."
"Then that's settled," the guard said. "Age of choice is fourteen. Marc is old enough to decide which parent he wants to go with in the case of separation. So, he will be staying here."
"He is my son, and he will be going with me!" Christine shouted.
"You lay another hand on him," security warned. "And I will call the police to remove you. Now leave."
For a brief moment no one moved. Finally, Christine, realizing she wasn't getting anywhere, turned and stormed out followed closely by several of the security guards.
"You are banned from the property," they said as they escorted her out. "You and your brother both. If you set a foot on this property again, the police will be called."
With Christine gone, Marc's friends and their parents hurried over.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Jarrod's mom asked.
He nodded.
"Come on, kid," security said. "I'll walk you and your friends to your room."
Marc didn't protest as both security and his friends' parents walked the four kids back into the resort. He just followed quietly. Reaching the room, Marc unlocked it with his card and walked in with everyone else following. Jason looked up from his computer. Surprised to see so many people he stood up and came to the door.
"What's going on?" he asked, looking at Marc.
"Mom happened," Marc muttered.
Jason frowned and looked at security.
"He handled himself well," the guard assured him. "We just wanted to make sure he made it back. I also need to talk to you."
Jason nodded but turned back to Marc.
"Marc," he said quietly, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Do you still want to have them here today? We can reschedule if you aren't up for it."
"I want them to stay," Marc insisted. "We already have everything planned and they're here and—"
"Ok, ok," Jason chuckled. "Then go put their stuff in your room and change before you go out to the pool."
Assured that the kids were in good hands, the parents allowed themselves to be escorted back out by the second security guard. The first guard stayed to talk to Jason while the boys were out of the room. He quickly explained what had happened in the lobby.
"She has been officially banned from the property," he said after he explained. "And she will be arrested for trespassing if she enters the property again. So, if you do need to speak with her, we would prefer you do so elsewhere."
Jason sighed, shaking his head but agreeing.
"Oh, and one more thing," the guard continued. "That gentleman? Your brother-in-law? Be glad the boss wasn't in the building when he made his attempt yesterday. He has also been banned permanently—and a note has been made that physical altercation is acceptable in his case."
Jason grimaced. He didn't know what Will had done but he figured it wasn't good.
"I'm so sorry…" he said. "I had no idea they would try anything like this. I should have warned you about her…"
The guard shook his head.
"Not necessary," he said. "All of the appropriate security alerts were already on the account. We knew to be watching."
Jason frowned.
"Wait—what?" he asked. "But I didn't—"
"Not you," the guard said. "The boss put them there. Wanted us to be aware that there was a potential domestic situation."
"Oh," Jason said. "Uh… thanks, again."
"Anytime," the guard said. "Have a good day."
A couple hours later, there was a knock on Jason's door. He got up from his chair to answer. He'd been listening to the boys shouting and playing in the pool while he tried to get some work done. He had shut the curtain, but had the door cracked so he could still hear what was going on. Jason was avoiding going outside as long as possible because he knew Kim would be waiting to pounce—and she would want to talk about what happened. Jason had heard Marc tell her part of it.
"Kim, not right now," Jason said as he opened the door, expecting to see Kim there. "Oh. You're not Kim."
"No, no I'm not," Tommy said, raising an eyebrow. "Were you expecting her?"
"After what happened earlier today, yeah," Jason sighed, letting Tommy in.
Tommy paused, frowning.
"What happened earlier?" he asked.
"Christine showed up and tried to force Marc to go with her," Jason said, shaking his head.
"Oh, that," Tommy said. "I heard all about it already."
Jason paused, giving Tommy a look.
"My resort, Jase," Tommy said drily. "I do get updates when things happen. Especially if it involves my friends—or possible calls to the police."
"Right," Jason said sheepishly. "You know, you didn't have to come all the way down here just because my wife has lost her mind."
Tommy snorted.
"I was already coming down, Rex," he said. "Remember? Kim's party is on Wednesday. Not to mention school is out for the year. I spend a lot more time here during the summer."
"Oh, right," Jason said as they sat down at the table. "I didn't think about that."
The door connecting Jason's suite to the suite next door opened and Jason turned to look in surprise. Kat walked in, smiling.
"JJ has gone straight out to the pool," she said. "Hi, Jason. How are you feeling?"
She walked over and gave him a hug.
"Oh, right," Tommy said, laughing at the look on Jason's face. "My suite is the one attached to yours."
"Oh, good," Jason grumbled. "There goes my privacy."
Kat smacked him on the shoulder.
"Don't be a jerk," she said. "If you don't want us in here, just lock the door. That's why there's a lock on it. I'm going out to the pool."
Giving Tommy a kiss on her way past, Kat headed out the sliding glass door to the pool area. As soon as she was gone, Tommy leaned forward on the table.
"Wanna have some fun and mess with Kim?" Tommy asked with a grin.
"What does that mean?" Jason said.
"Nothing much," Tommy said. "I'm just going to sneak into her room while she is distracted and move some things around. It'll drive her nuts when she can't figure out how it happened."
"I'm not opposed to this," Jason said slowly. "But how are you planning on getting in? Do you have a key?"
"Nope," Tommy said. "Jake is going to let me in—and text me if I need to make a break for it."
Jason laughed.
"Alright," he said. "I'm in. Let me make sure Kim is distracted first. Are you going to text Jake?"
Jason walked over to the door to peek out into the pool area. He pulled back the curtain just enough to look out without being seen. The five boys were still in the pool yelling and splashing each other and having fun. Jason was happy to see Marc relaxing. Then he realized it wasn't just the boys in the pool. Jake had joined them. As Jason watched, Jake swam up behind Marc and dunked him.
"I think we're going to have to wait till later, Tommy," Jason laughed. "Jake's a little busy."
Kim was standing on the edge of the pool now. Jason couldn't hear what she was saying clearly, but the look on her face said she was scolding someone. Marc and his friends were now chasing Jake across the pool to retaliate for the dunking.
"Nope," Tommy said, joining Jason at the window to see what was going on. "Jake left the hall door propped open and made sure to pull the curtain partially closed so Kim won't see us. Five minutes and we can be back in here without her having any idea."
Jason laughed again and followed Tommy out of his room.
An hour or so later, Jason and Tommy walked out to the pool. They had snuck into Kim's room successfully and then spent some time just talking and catching up in Jason's room. It was the first time the two of them had actually just taken time to talk without Jason's illness being a motivating factor. It had been a little awkward at first, but pranking Kim first had helped break the ice. Seeing the time, though, Jason had realized they had missed lunchtime, and he hadn't fed Marc or his friends.
"It's fine, Jason," Tommy said as they left the room. "A late lunch isn't going to hurt them. They're having fun."
He was texting on his phone as they walked. As they approached the pool, JJ quickly swam over to the edge closest to them.
"Dad, you missed it!" JJ exclaimed, grinning up at Tommy. "Jake did a cannonball and got Kim all wet! It was great."
Tommy and Jason both laughed, glancing over at Kim. She was sitting in a chair away from the pool and Kat was in the chair next to her. Kim glared at them once she realized they were laughing at her. Jake, still in the pool, grinned sheepishly.
"I'm a little disappointed I missed it," Tommy chuckled.
"Come on, boys," Jason said, still grinning. "Everyone out. You need to eat. You can swim more later. And when was the last time any of you put on sunscreen?"
There was some grumbling, but Marc, his friends, and JJ slowly started getting out of the pool with some encouragement from Jake. They all grabbed towels and started drying off as they crowded around Jason and Tommy.
"What's for lunch, dad?" Marc asked, his towel wrapped around his shoulders.
Jason didn't answer for a moment. He hadn't actually thought about what he was going to feed all four of the boys he was responsible for—he was still a bit scattered from everything happening.
"Umm… not sure yet," he admitted. "But get dried off and put more sunscreen on while I figure it out. Unless you want to go in and change."
The boys quickly shook their heads.
"I've got it covered, Jase," Tommy said. "Actually…"
There was noise as a door that led straight to the hall opened. A staff member pushed a food cart through the door and headed over to the tables where they had all gathered.
"Lunch is here," Tommy said.
"When did you have time to order anything?" Jason asked in surprise. "It's been ten minutes—there is no way they made lunch for ten and got it here that quickly."
"They were already bringing food up," Tommy shrugged. "So, I just had them load extra on the cart. That's who I was texting on the way out here—the kitchen."
"Why were they bringing food?" Jason said.
"Dad always has a second lunch around now," JJ inserted with a grin. "He eats all the time so people are always bringing him food."
"I burn a lot of calories," Tommy protested as he ruffled JJ's hair. "So, I have to take in a lot of calories. You can put the food on this table, Kayley."
Tommy grabbed some extra towels off the table to clear the space as Kayley started unloading food. She also grabbed a pile of plates and silverware as well as some glasses.
"I only brought water and tea with me since I wasn't sure what everyone would want," she said. "But I can take an order and have it back soon."
"I think this will be fine for now," Kat smiled as she took a look at the lunch. "Thank you, Kayley."
"Of course," Kayley said brightly. "Call if you need anything else."
She started to turn to leave as the boys crowded around the food. Jake quickly headed toward his room.
"Hold on a minute," he said. "Let me get my wallet."
Kayley shook her head.
"That's not necessary," she said. "We don't accept tips while serving this wing."
Jake paused, frowning, and Kim shot a look at Tommy.
"Of course it's necessary," Kim said. "You delivered our food, you should get something."
Kayley started to protest but Tommy beat her to it.
"She does, Kim," Tommy said. "All staff members who serve this wing get an automatic 35% tip added to their pay. They actually fight over it so much that there's a rotation."
Kim, Jake, and Jason all looked at Tommy in surprise as Kayley grinned.
"Tommy set it up years ago," Kat said, having moved out of the way of the boys. "He rarely carried cash at the time and would always feel bad about not having money to tip. This way they always get a tip no matter what."
"It's a good system," Jake admitted.
"This is the best shift to work at the resort," Kayley inserted. "It really couldn't get better than being assigned to this wing when Dr. Oliver or any of his friends or family are staying here. There are no poolside Karens screaming at you for ridiculous reasons, the tip is great, and it's an easy schedule to follow. Even if there is a big group. The only thing that is occasionally better is the imperial suite—and that's only if the guest is one of the nice ones that also tips 50% or more."
She shot a grin at Tommy as she spoke. He just shook his head in amusement. Kayley turned to leave again, pausing as she caught sight of something.
"Well, that looks like it hurts a little," Kayley said with some concern. "Did you bang your arm in the pool?"
She was frowning as she looked at Marc's left arm. Marc, who had been walking over to a seat, paused and looked at his arm. He had dropped his towel on a chair. A dark red bruise was forming on his upper arm.
"Oh," he said in surprise. "Uh… no. I don't think so."
Jason walked straight over to Marc to take a closer look at the bruise. Tommy and Kat exchanged a concerned look. Kim, however, rounded on Jake.
"I told you that you were being too rough," she scolded. "You shouldn't have been tossing them around like that in the pool."
Jason shook his head. He had taken Marc's plate and set it aside so he could take a closer look at the bruise. His expression darkened as he realized the bruise was actually in the shape of a hand—like someone had grabbed Marc's arm and gripped it too tightly.
"It couldn't have been Jake," Jason said darkly, interrupting Kim's lecture. "It's too small to have been from his hand."
Hearing Jason compare the bruise to a handprint, Tommy strode forward to take a look, too. The rest of the adults were sharing grim looks. Marc shifted anxiously in place as Jason's gaze moved to his face.
"Marc, what happened?" Jason asked.
Marc hesitated.
"You aren't in trouble," Jason said quickly. "But I need to know what happened."
"It was—that's…" Marc started to say, stumbling as he tried to figure out what he wanted to say.
Jason stayed quiet, waiting expectantly for the answer. Tommy was standing next to him. Kat, sensing the tension, quickly shooed the other boys to a table further away so they weren't staring. Kim and Jake followed knowing it would be easier for Marc to answer if he wasn't crowded.
"It's where mom grabbed me this morning," Marc finally said, not meeting Jason's gaze. "When she tried to drag me out of the lobby… it hurt but I didn't think it was that bad…"
Jason flinched, clenching his fists and taking a deep breath.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his jaw clenched.
Marc ducked his head again. Tommy turned to Kayley.
"Get Mark," he said sharply. "I want the security footage from this morning right now."
Kayley, eyes widened, nodded and bolted from the courtyard. Jason was still looking at his son for an answer.
"I'm sorry…" Marc mumbled. "I didn't think about it…"
Jason sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He was very clearly agitated and trying not to show it to Marc. Turning away, Jason stalked away from the group. Marc watched him go, but it was Tommy who followed.
"Are you going to be alright, Rex?" Tommy asked.
"She hurt him," Jason snapped, turning to look at Tommy. "So—no. No, I'm not. It's one thing for her to yell at me. Our fight was just a matter of time with how things have been since we left New York. But bringing Marc into the middle of our problems like that… she didn't just try and take him somewhere he didn't want to go—she grabbed him hard enough to leave a mark…"
Jason shook his head, angry.
"What if he had still been at school?" Jason continued, pacing back and forth now. "Or at my parents' house? I wasn't there, Tommy. The only thing that stopped her from dragging him away was your security. And at this point I wouldn't put it past her to keep him away from me until I agreed to whatever she wants…which is to somehow miraculously be able to afford to live in New York again."
"Jase—"
"What if she tries again?" Jason interrupted, running a hand through his hair as he continued to pace. "I don't want her trying to use Marc against me like this… the fight is between her and me. We should be able to resolve it without involving our son."
"You can stop that from happening," Tommy said. "And I can help you if you want me to."
Jason stopped pacing to look at Tommy.
"What do you mean?" he frowned. "I can't keep Marc here forever, Tommy. He has friends now and he likes going to the dojo and the park and hanging out with them. I don't want to lock him up here for however long this goes on. It's not fair to him."
Tommy shook his head.
"That's not what I meant," Tommy said. "But there are legal ways to keep her away from Marc until you figure things out. I can help you with the process, but it has to be your decision. And Marc's."
Jason hesitated, looking and Tommy and then over at Marc. The teenager was still watching Jason, anxiety clear in his expression.
"What do I need to do?" Jason asked.
"I'll take care of it," Tommy said, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, I do have connections for dealing with these kinds of situations—part of working with kids. Right now, just focus on Marc and I'll get everything else going. Both of you should eat something and try to relax."
Jason started to protest, but then he saw the look on Marc's face. He nodded, taking a deep breath before he walked back over to his son.
"Let's eat lunch," he said roughly, gently putting a hand on Marc's shoulder.
Marc nodded and let Jason lead him over to sit with his friends. Tommy watched them go and then headed in the same direction Kayley had disappeared in several minutes before.
It was quiet for a while as everyone settled down to eat. The kids sat at one table together. Marc was very subdued now, a big change from the laughter in the pool a little while before. He picked at his lunch as his friends tried to get him to relax with JJ's help. The younger boy was chatting away as he tried to break the tension.
Jason was sitting at another table with Kat, Kim, and Jake. He wasn't really eating, just moving the food around on his plate as he watched Marc at the other table. Kim watched him, clearly wanting to say something about him not eating. But she stayed quiet, settling for giving him a comforting squeeze on his shoulder.
Marc eventually got up from his seat and walked over to sit next to Jason. Jason put his arm around his shoulder to give him a quick sideways hug. Marc didn't pull away like he normally would, complaining that it wasn't cool to hug his dad.
"I'm sorry, dad," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to make you mad…"
"I'm not mad at you," Jason said immediately, dropping his arm and turning to face him. "You didn't do anything wrong, Marc. She shouldn't have done that. She's the one who should be apologizing to you. And I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop her…"
Marc shook his head, rubbing his arm without thinking about it.
"You didn't know mom was gonna be there…" he muttered.
A door opening drew their attention. Tommy walked back into the courtyard followed by Mark, his head of security, and a police officer. Jason immediately got up to meet them, Marc trailing behind him hesitantly. Mark and the officer waited while Tommy met Jason to talk to him first.
"Mark pulled the footage of the incident this morning," Tommy said. "And the officer is here to take a copy and document that bruise. You are sure this is what you want? Because once you start this you can't stop it. And it could make things worse between you and Christine."
Tommy was fully prepared to go through with legal action, but he wanted to make sure Jason knew what he was getting into. Jason just shook his head, glancing down at Marc standing next to him.
"She already did that," he said firmly. "So as long as Marc is alright with it…"
Tommy and Jason both looked at Marc.
"What's going on?" Marc asked hesitantly.
"I'm trying to make sure your mom can't take you away without your permission like she tried to today," Jason said. "But if you'd rather go home with her—"
"No," Marc said quickly. "I want to stay with you. Mom doesn't want me around. She just wanted me so you would talk to her again."
Tommy nodded and glanced behind him, gesturing for his head of security and the police officer to join them.
"Why don't we go talk in my room," Tommy suggested. "It will be a little more private."
Jason nodded and the group followed Tommy into his room. Jason, Marc, and Tommy sat down at the table with the officer. Mark stood out of the way since he wasn't needed immediately.
"So, what now?" Jason asked.
Tommy didn't answer for a moment, trying to decide the best way to start.
"Alright," he finally said. "Now, remember I'm not a lawyer by any means—though if you want to talk to one before you make any decisions, I can make a phone call. I can have a lawyer here in maybe twenty minutes max."
Jason shook his head.
"I trust you," he said to Tommy.
Tommy nodded with a faint smile.
"Then what I would recommend as a temporary solution is that Marc get a restraining order against Christine," Tommy said. "She tried to kidnap him from a public place and hurt him in the process. The restraining order would give you automatic custody until the issue is settled in court."
Jason nodded, hesitating a little as he looked over at Marc.
"It's better to have it and not enforce it, than to not have it and need it," the officer offered. "Because if she were to take him right now it would be a lot harder for law enforcement to help you since there is no custody agreement. It is only a temporary measure, but it should give you some time to get more permanent measures in place."
"It will initiate an automatic custody hearing," Tommy added. "But Marc is old enough to choose which parent he wants to stay with while you are separated. So as long as he wants to stay with you there would be nothing to worry about."
Jason took a deep breath and looked at Marc.
"What do you want to do?" he asked. "If this is what you want, we will make it happen. But I'm not going to force you into the decision."
Marc hesitated, looking down at his lap.
"Do I have to tell her?" he asked quietly.
Tommy and the officer both shook their heads quickly.
"You don't have to talk to her at all," Tommy said. "You will have to talk to a judge about it and answer some questions, but they will not make you talk to your mother if you don't want to."
"Ok," Marc nodded, looking up again. "Then I want to. I want to stay with dad, not with mom and Uncle Will."
Jason let out a sigh of relief, realizing he'd been holding his breath as he waited for Marc's answer. The officer immediately got to work filling out the paperwork and explaining next steps.
After the officer and Mark finally left, Jason, Marc, and Tommy headed out to join the rest of the group back out by the pool. Jake had gotten the other kids back in the pool to play and keep them distracted.
"Do you want to get back in the pool?" Jason asked, looking down at Marc as they stepped outside.
"Yeah, I think so," Marc answered.
"Then go have some fun," Jason said with a faint smile.
Marc nodded and ran to join his friends in the pool.
"Don't run!" Jason shouted after him.
Marc slowed down a little, shooting a look back over his shoulder at Jason.
"He's going to hurt himself," Jason grumbled as Marc cannonballed into the deep end.
"He's a teenager—they do that," Tommy chuckled. "Mine does it all the time and he's only ten."
Kim and Kat were watching as the two men walked over to join them. They were both stretched out on lounge chairs and had been watching the boys and Jake in the pool. Tommy went straight to Kat and leaned down to give her a kiss before he grabbed a chair to sit next to her.
"Get everything figured out?" Kat asked quietly, looking at Jason.
"We're going to see a judge in the morning to make everything official," Jason said, rubbing the back of his neck. "They'll send someone to serve Christine with the restraining order. I'm just hoping she won't show up here and cause a scene after…"
"That will only get her arrested," Tommy said, shaking his head. "She's been banned from the property already—remember?"
"Right," Jason muttered, dropping into another chair.
He sighed, watching Marc playing with his friends.
"I'm going to have to send them home tonight," he said. "I don't want to but trying to get all four of them home in the morning before going to the courthouse isn't going to work."
"I don't think Marc will be mad at you for it," Kim said, reaching over to squeeze Jason's hand.
"It's been a stressful day for him," Kat agreed. "He'll probably crash after dinner."
Jason nodded quietly. Tommy watched him for a moment and then stood up.
"Come on, Rex," he said, holding out a hand. "Let's get in the pool with the kids. I'm sure Marc would enjoy trying to dunk you."
Jason raised an eyebrow. Tommy just grinned back.
"Alright, fine," Jason conceded, letting Tommy pull him out of his chair. "Let me go put on a swimsuit."