Dylian Book II Chapter 26
As Greyson and I made our way home, I spotted the Bentley dealership. I decided to get my vehicle serviced, so I pulled in, at the same time my son parked in a visitor's spot.
The service manager came out to see me.
"Good Day, Mr. Thomas, what can we do for you today?"
"My Baby needs its fifty thousand mile check up, give her the works."
"Will you require a loner, or a ride, Sir?"
"No, my boy followed me in his new car."
"Wow, a Mustang Shelby, what a beauty!"
"Thanks!" the smiling boy said.
"Jamie, is that the latest Brooklands?"
"Yes, Sir, our first on the lot! The gentleman, who ordered it, sadly passed away, before he took possession. I should tell you, these autos are special order only."
"Any chance of me taking it for a spin?"
"Let me call Fred, I am only the serviceman, he is the sales manager."
As he walked over to the phone, I whispered into Greyson's ear,
"Don't let him fool you, he owns of this dealership."
Within seconds, the man walked up to us.
"Sir, I understand you are interested in the white Brooklands."
"Yes. I originally thought about a Mulsanne, but this beauty caught my eye. However, I want to take it for a spin."
"Certainly, Sir, simply give me a copy of your license and a major credit card."
"Here you go."
"Dad, you are not thinking of buying it, are you?"
"Yes, I wanted to trade in my Continental GT for a more family friendly car, while I like the Mulsanne sedan, this seductive baby screams at me!"
"But,... never mind."
After this exchange, I decided the time arrived to tell Greyson about my wealth, despite us not being in an ideal location. Therefore, when the sales manager returned with a set of keys, I asked,
"Fred, please give us a few moments."
"Sir, with pleasure."
I led Greyson over to a couple of secluded chairs, where I began our private talk,
"Son, I recognize your train of thought: Simon and Dylian reacted the same way. Hence to alleviate your concerns, I'll explain. Even if I bought both the Mulsanne and the Brooklands, plus kept my Continental GT, it wouldn't put a dent in my wealth. Simply put, I'm worth billions. I already set up, for each of you, a trust fund in the amount of twenty million dollars. Therefore, I have enough to support everyone, plus get Misha the treatment he needs."
For the second time today, Greyson cried.
"I am so sorry, Sir, I wasn't trying to doubt you. I simply worried about my little siblings, as I always do!"
I held my child, while the tears ran down his face. I whispered words of encouragement. Once he calmed himself, I asked,
"Sweetie, are you feeling better?"
"Yeah, Dad. Thanks for telling me, now I can relax."
He thought for several moment, becoming increasingly nervous, then he gathered enough courage to inquire,
"Um, Sir, may I keep my job?"
"Depends, tell me more about it."
"I work at Wallace's IGA grocery store on Mondays, Wednesdays, plus weekends. I earn eight-fifty per hour. I want to keep it, because they need me. Also, Mr. Wallace treats me well. In fact, he pays me more than I could get elsewhere. I would feel terrible, if I quit on him."
"I suggest we finish here, then we visit your boss. However, I'm against you putting in too many hours, your family and school comes first!"
"Fair enough. While you wrap up here, may I go over to apologize to him? With everything that went on yesterday, I forgot it was Monday. As a result, I missed work, worse yet, I neglected to call, so he might be mad at me."
"Sure, you have your cell phone on you, right?"
"Yeah, Dad, including all your numbers!" My youngster replied with a giggle.
"I will stop by in a while. I want to meet Mr. Wallace, before I give my permission for you to continue in your job. As your father, I must feel comfortable you work in a good environment, and he isn't taking advantage of you. I hope you understand my concern."
In answer to my question, I received a bone crushing hug, which rivaled any from Bradley.
After Greyson left, I took the Brooklands for a test drive. I immediately made up my mind to buy it. Now, I needed to decide whether I should keep my other Bentley. Knowing me, I would find justification to hang on to it!
Arriving back at the dealership, I told Fred my decision,
Not wanting to wait for the paper work to be completed, I hitched a ride to IGA
Entering the grocery store, I didn't see my son. Therefore, I walked up to customer service counter to ask for the manager. The high school female attendant answered,
"Sir, Mr. Wallace is in a meeting with a former employee."
Her reply upset me, so I angrily snapped,
"Look, Miss, that young man happens to be my son. You need to call your boss right now, or else!"
With a huff, she picked up the phone. Once she informed the man, the two spoke for a few moments. By the end of their conversation her, demeanor radically changed.
Greyson walked down the stairs from the office, accompanied by a kindly looking, white haired man. Both seemed in jovial moods, which upset the girl (I smiled).
"Hi, Dad, this is Mr. Wallace. Sir, may I introduces my new father, Drew Thomas."
"THE Drew Thomas?"
"Guilty as charged! It is a pleasure to meet you. I assume, you worked out your differences."
"Oh, yes, I was very upset, when Greyson missed his shift. But, after he explained what happened, I understood. I might catch grief for it, but I am the owner! The boy mentioned you wished to talk to me about his employment. What can I do for you? By the way, my name is Lee Wallace."
"Nice to meet you, Lee. My problem concerns the number of hours my child works, not the idea he holds down a job. I insist he set aside a period dedicated to his pleasure, during the remainder of his childhood. If I permit him to continue here, you must promise me, he will get time off for school functions as well as family events."
"Greyson works a set schedule, but with flexibility for his personal needs, including his little bother's illness. I can't tell you how happy I am, the kids are no longer with that tyrant. I worried about them for a long time. I wish I reported the bastard, but your boy always told me things were manageable at home. While I would love to have him working full time, for now, his employment remains part time. Mr. Thomas, I recognize your status in our community, and with it, the added risk it brings to your children. I will be more than happy to accommodate any measures, you feel are needed."
"I'm grateful for your cooperation. Please, treat him in the same manner as your other employees. I enjoyed meeting you, thanks for speaking with me."
After I shook his hand, I asked my son, who was chatting with a coworker, to give me a ride back to the Bentley dealership. I wasn't sure, which car I would pick up, but I expected one awaited me. Imagine my delight, when it turned out to be the new Brooklands. Smiling at my child, I asked,
"Greyson, where are you off to?"
"Dad, I have a great deal of homework, I must finish. Bradley said, he would help me with the part I don't understand. So, I'm heading back to his cottage."
His surprising reply made me happy.
After my son left, I went in search of Fred, however Jamie found me first.
"Drew, I want to thank you for coming in today. I had your Continental delivered to your country estate. I'm sure your grandfather would be pleased the old place is filled with noisy happy youngsters. By the way, should you find a drawing of two young boys in a boat, I would love to buy it. It's a painting made by your grandmother of your dad and me, during a visit to your great grandparents."
"I had no clue the two of you were friends. I don't ever remember seeing you out at the house, while I grew up."
"We had a falling out in high school. He refused to speak with me, even when he bought his Rolls Royce a few years before his death. I think of the purchase, as his way of making amends."
"Do you mind, if I ask what caused the break."
"Not at all: It was over my being gay."
"My sister told me, he expressed his regret close to his demise. So, I believe the vehicle to be his peace offering."
"Sorry, I'm in the dark."
"When I revealed my sexual orientation to my parents, my father threw me out, after he severely beat me. My sister helped me over to my friend's house, whose folks took me to the hospital. My mother collapsed with a massive stroke, she died two days later. I wasn't permitted to attend her funeral. I never spoke to that bastard again!"
"Drew, if you ever decide to sell that Rolls, please let me buy it."
"Sure, in the meantime I insist you come visit us for dinner one night, so you can meet all my children. Perhaps, you might be able to shed light, on some of my son's questions, concerning the old house."
"I would like that."
After receiving the keys to the Brooklands, I headed off to the hospital. I wanted to check up on my two sons. However, I intended to make one stop on the way.
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