Leanne nudged Curtis with her elbow and looked up to say, "Your room is upstairs, first on the left."
Without any fuss, Larson headed upstairs to his room.
The guest room Leanne had prepared for him was a suite. It opened into a small living area, and beyond that, the bedroom.
Toothbrush, towels, shaving kit... all the essentials were neatly arranged, and the bedding was brand new. However, the soft champagne pink color of the linens seemed oddly mismatched with his rugged persona.
On the table, there was a vase with a bunch of pink lilies, real ones. Larson plucked one out to examine it more closely.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
He hadn't closed it, and Leanne walked in, placing some clothes on the couch: "These are your cousin's; brand new, never worn. Make do for now, and we can take you shopping tomorrow if you need anything else."
His cousin probably wouldn't be thrilled about taking him shopping, and Larson was way past the age of needing adult supervision anyway.
"Leanne, I'm nineteen, not nine."
"I know," Leanne said. "A nine-year-old wouldn't end up in a police station."
Larson got nothing to retort.
"I thought you're the gentle one."
"Well, you might have misunderstood me a bit." As Leanne turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of his phone lighting up with a new message. The lock screen showed a woman's profile surrounded in a warm glow, her wind-tossed hair and a mysteriously smiling face all added a touch of romance.
"Girlfriend?" Leanne asked.
"No." He denied it quickly, flipping his phone over so the screen faced down, a move that revealed more than it intended. "Just an actress."
She had only glanced briefly at the photo, which had a somewhat blurry, atmospheric vibe, making it hard to make clear of the celebrity's face. She hadn't kept up with entertainment news much, so she didn't recognize her.
"You're a fan-chaser?"
"Is that a problem?" Larson countered.
"Not at all." Leanne acknowledged with a knowing smile and then headed downstairs.
By evening, the house staff and Betty had already turned in. Curtis joined Leanne in the living room to binge-watch a medical drama.
As autumn ushered in cooler temperatures, they shared a cashmere throw, occasionally exchanging thoughts about the plot.
Footsteps echoed from the staircase, slow and dragging. Leanne glanced back to see Larson, almost as tall as Curtis, his borrowed clothes fitting well enough.
He had come down for a drink but, seeing them, veered towards the couch, propping his chin in his hands to join in watching TV.
The show didn't hold his attention for long, and soon enough, his mind wandered.
The main lights were off, leaving only the soft, blue glow from the TV screen to illuminate the two on the adjoining couch.
In the dim light, it was hard to make out their exact position under the throw, but it seemed like Leanne was sitting in Curtis' lap. Perhaps sensing Larson's gaze, Curtis glanced over and said in a low voice, "Take the wheel elsewhere."
Larson looked around: "What wheel?"
Curtis: "I meant you."
Larson was speechless.
Leanne was about to extricate herself from Curtis' embrace, thinking it might be too much in front of Larson, but Curtis pulled her back.
"Focus on the show," he said, wrapping his arm around her. "He's a grown-up, not a kiddo. Anyone his age should know better than to be the extra wheel." Larson, entirely lacking in self-awareness, said, "Well, I may be an adult, but I'm still a virgin."
No words from Curtis nor Leanne.
Dealing with a rebellious teenager was indeed a headache, and Leanne was grateful she had a darling daughter instead.
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