Chapter Two

“Here let me” he reached and took the bag containing her laptop off her.

“Thank you” she smiled up at him happy to have one less thing to lug around with the weight of the folder she was carrying. “So why did you decide to live in New York?” she asked as they walked across the street.

“Because my wife, or I should say my soon to be ex wife, lived here.”

“Oh I’m sorry”

“Don’t be, I’m not.” he looked down at her

“That sounds harsh doesn’t it?”

“Maybe, I don’t know, I don’t know what things were like with the two of you do I?”

“Let’s just say when we met I really needed to be with somebody like her at the time but eventually we drifted apart so I ended it before things got really nasty.”

“Oh right, but you’ve stilled stayed on here though? ”

“Yeah we have a daughter together so I’m not moving anywhere far, I couldn’t bear not to see her all the time.”

“Aww that’s nice” she smiled “Most Dads are just happy to make do with the odd weekend visit.”

“Not me, Stella is one of the most important things in my life, I’d die for her if I had to.”

“So do you have custody of her then?…” Suddenly she stopped and blushed “I’m sorry that’s none of my business, Sorry I shouldn’t have asked.”

“Don’t be Callan, I don’t normally make a habit of talking about my private life with strangers but for some reason with you I’ll make an exception ok, No I don’t have full custody of her, but her Mom, obviously my ex works away a lot so I get to take care of her all the time, in fact probably more than if I had sole custody of her and had to comply with access visits and all that. Anyway sometimes I have to work away a lot, so it wouldn’t be fair on her to keep moving her round all the time, so Jen and I work around each others schedules, if I’m here and she’s at Jen’s I take her to and pick her up from school each day and just fit my work into suit. So far the arrangement works well.”

“I can see that you really love her.”

“Yeah I do,” He stopped outside a building

“Here we are”, entering a key code he pushed the door open for her and followed her through.

“So you’re an artist then, what kind of stuff do you, painting sculpture?” She asked as they waited for the elevator.

“Honey no I’m not an artist” he laughed.

“But.. but you said you had a studio here?” she looked at him warily

“Relax” he placed his hands on her shoulders

“I’m a musician, I’ve got a small recording studio here”

“Oh right” silently the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside the car.

“Yeah I had it built a few years ago, you can check that it met with the building regulations at the time if you want to” Dave chuckled

“Mmm very funny you said studio and I presumed you meant you were an artist that’s all” she blushed.

“Ignore me I like to tease” he apologised “ Actually you’d have no reason to think otherwise honey.”

“So I bet your neighbours were pleased to find out that you were planning to build that.”

“Actually I have the apartment below so there was no trouble there and the other neighbours were pretty cool about it, to be honest you’d never know it was there, it’s only a small setup where I work, it’s not like there are people coming in and out all the time.”

The doors slid open and they stepped out into the hallway “It’s just across here” placing his hand in the small of her back he ushered her down the hall to a door at the end.
“You can leave your stuff over there” he pointed to a desk in the corner.

“Thanks” she smiled gratefully rubbing at the ache in her shoulder where her bag had been.

“Here let me rub it for you.” Gently Dave massaged her shoulders with his long fingers

“How does that feel ?”

“Mmm yeah that feels good.”

“Dave” Came a voice from the adjoining room “Martin wants you to call him back and there’s a list of people who’ve been chasing you on your desk.”

“Yeah ok Chris. Give me a minute Callan” quickly he walked over to his desk “I’ll just see which of these can wait, ring Mart and we can get off ok?”

“Ok”

“Have a look around if you want while you wait.”

“Ok” Slowly she walked around taking everything in. Artwork of various albums were on the walls, two or three paintings that she liked, she stopped and smiled as she saw a photo of a little girl surrounded by flowers who was obviously his daughter.

“Right I’m all yours there’s nothing urgent needs doing”

“Is this your daughter?” she asked nodding towards the photograph.

“Yeah that’s Stella” he smiled. “He pointed to another photo “That’s her brother Jimmy”

“Oh you have a son too?”

“No he’s actually Jen’s by her last partner but he feels as if he is my own son.”

“Oh I see” she smiled.
Dave pointed to a third photograph “And this is my son Jack.”

“Wow he really looks like you” she blushed again and looked up at him “Actually I thought perhaps that it was a photo of you when you were younger.”

“Oh no Jack is far better looking than I was at his age.” he laughed

“How old is he?”

“Why? Do you want me to set you up on a date or something?” he teased

“No I was just curious that’s all.” she answered blushing harder.

“Relax I’m only teasing you again, Jack’s 21”

“You must have had him when you were really young then…” she started “Sorry I’m doing it again aren’t I?.”

“Dave looked at her and laughed “Yes you are, you really are nosey aren’t you?”

“Sorry I can’t help it I just find some people fascinating and want to know everything about them that’s all and I’m afraid you are one of them.”

“Oh so you think I’m fascinating do you I thought you were only interested in bridges?”

“Well yes bridges mainly,but sometimes I do find people who interest me.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment then, I don’t think I’ve ever been compared to a bridge before,” He chuckled softly for a moment

“Other things yes and many of them not very complimentary but I think I can safely say I’ve never been likened to a bridge before.”

“So” she looked at him red cheeks burning

“How old were you?”

“Callan” he smiled at her “ I was 27 when Jack was born.”

“Oh yeah of course you were how old were you really? 18, 19?”

Dave looked at her surprised “If I said yes would you believe me?”

“Well you were about that age weren’t you?”
Once again he chuckled and placed his hand on her shoulder “Honey you are so good for a old man’s ego, how old do you think I am?”

“I don’t know I’m hopeless at this kind of thing, erm 37, 38 I guess”

“Sweetheart I’m 46.”

“Yeah of course you are go on how old are you really?”

“Chris” he said turning to guy who had just come into the room “Please would you tell Callan how old I am.”

“What’s this some new type of chat up line you’re trying out?” Christian laughed.

“I’ll explain in a minute, now tell her how old I actually am.”

“Believe it or not this old git is actually 46” he held out his hand “I’m Christian and you are?”

“Callan.. Callan Matthews” Callan replied automatically extending out her own and shaking hands with him.

“So what are you doing in the company of this reprobate?”

“Callan is taking me to the Empire State for a private tour.” Dave said smiling at her “Aren’t you?”

“Yes somehow Dave talked me into it.” she looked around her “Do you think I could use your bathroom before we go.”

“Of course honey through that door and second door on the right.”

“Thanks.”

“Very nice” Christian whispered as watching her appreciatively as she disappeared through the door way, “But way too young for you. What is she 22, 23?”

“Something like that I guess.”

“Like I said way too young for a dirty old man like you, and far too good to be one of your fuck and runs perhaps I should take her off you.”

“I don’t think so” he said smiling as she came back into the hallway “Anyway she’s not going to be one of those.”

Christian looked at him and raised his eyebrow skeptically

“I mean it Chris, there’s something about her and I want to find out more.”

Next chapter

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