Surprises and gifts

ELIOT

I claim Revean one more time before we fall asleep, both of us sated, and for the first time in a long time I sleep peacefully. I think the last time it happened was before my mother died.

"Revean , Andrew , Mery . Come right now," I shout, standing in the hallway of my mansion a week later. I glance at the clock and hit the stopwatch to see who shows up first and how long it will take. "I'm waiting." I growl a little louder.

Andrew shows up first after twenty-five seconds. "Eliot , what the fuck?" He glances at me and bursts out laughing. "You have legs!"

He's referring to the fact that I'm dressed casually in shorts and a t-shirt. And not my usual business suit.

"And so do you in less than five minutes, or I'll shoot you in the foot for laughing at me." I raise a telltale eyebrow at him.

Mery is next to appear. I see the astonishment on her face at my attire, but she is more sensible than her husband and says nothing. She is already dressed casually and not in a suit like Andrew .

She turns to Andrew . "Are you all right, do I need to call a doctor?"

"She's fine, just getting a little soft with age." Andrew laughs.

I tap the pistol secured in the waistband of my shorts. "Last warning."

Andrew waves his hand in the air and disappears down the hall, a deep chuckle following. "Think about it, Eliot . A couple of months ago you would have threatened to shoot me in the balls, not the foot."

He's right, part of me is mellowing, but I'm still a dangerous asshole if need be.

Revean finally arrives. She's wearing a light summer dress and long hair pulled back in a French braid. He stops, mouth open, staring at me.

"Going somewhere?" he asks me.

"Let's all go."

Revean and Mery glance sideways at each other.

"Next one who questions my appearance will spend some time in the basement!". I retort, growing increasingly frustrated that my shorts and t-shirt are causing so much amusement. I wear the same outfit when I go to the gym, although the Gucci designer clothes I'm wearing today aren't as sporty as the ones I wear to work out.

"Then it's still there." Revean smiles.

"I look like a real idiot." Andrew comes back dressed the same as me. "Where are we really going?"

"It's a surprise," I offer as the sound of a helicopter landing in the yard fills the house.

Revean grabs me tight. "What the hell is that noise?"

"This is going to be fun." I laugh and lead them all to the waiting plane.

"No way." Revean digs his heels into the ground. "I'm not getting on that thing."

"You will because you'll love where we're going and it's the best way to get there," I command and push her forward. "Mery , you ride in front, and Revean , you between Andrew and me, to even out the weight distribution."

Mery has already ridden in the helicopter with us several times and she climbs on delightedly. Andrew climbs into the back first and shifts to his seat.

"Revean?" I gesture for him to climb in.

"I'm scared, Eliot I didn't like the plane ride up here. This seems even scarier."

"It's safe. I wouldn't ride in it if it wasn't. Trust me."

"Okay," Revean reluctantly agrees and climbs aboard.

I strap him in and we put on our headsets.

"We wear them because it's noisy in here," I explain to Revean . "The headphones allow us to talk during the flight."

The pilot starts the rotors. And we rise into the air. The gentle back-and-forth motion comforts me, but the fact that Revean grips my hand tightly and digs her nails into it tells me that it's not the same for her.

"Let me get off. This is not natural. Let me. Please, Eliot," she pleads with me.

"Relax, it's going to be fine."

"It's not going to be fucking fine, Eliot . That's a load of shit. This thing is fucking dangerous. Fucking bollocks. Fucking asshole . I hate you. Put me back on the fucking ground right now." Revean glares at me. His nostrils flare with rage, but his eyes are wide with fear. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," he repeats as we turn left and drive away from Las Vegas toward Los Angeles. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" he repeats over and over.

I can see the smile on Andrew's face . He enjoys the show as Revean tries to climb into my lap. I have to admit, it's pretty funny. I can't stop the smile from creeping onto my face.

"You idiot! You're laughing at me." Revean slaps me across the chest.

I grab his hand as he goes to do it again.

"Turn the mics on for Revean and me only, please," I order the pilot. "And turn them off for everyone else."

He flips the comm switch just as the helicopter reaches full speed and flies over the desert. The weather for today's trip is good, and I'm told it will only take an hour and a half to reach our destination.

"Revean , listen to me." I pull his face so that his eyes look into mine. "As much as I like your swear words, there is nothing to be afraid of. I travel this way often. Relax and look out the window. When have you ever had a view like this? You can see all around you. Look below us. That's the Mojave Indian Reservation. Keep looking and you'll see how the aridity of the desert gives way to the richness of the Angeles National Forest. You can't get these views anywhere else."

Stretching over me, Revean looks out the window.

"It looks like a giant sandpit. There's nothing around. We're in the middle of nowhere."

"We really are."

"You can see patterns in the sand, shapes of different things."

Revean gradually calms down as she begins to point out what she sees in the landscape and, aside from a small period of turbulence, her language is less that of a weathered sailor and more suited to the beautiful young woman she is. I take her in my arms and enjoy catching more of her first times.

As we approach our destination, the helicopter begins to descend and Revean looks anxiously out the window.

"Are you going to tell us where we're going?" he asks.

"Keep looking."

The helicopter descends and we see our destination.