The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 55

The casual outdoor patio was tucked into an up-and-coming neighborhood, featuring a dozen wooden tables under a metal awning with matching red plastic stools.

There were no private VIP rooms here, and Charley had to roll up his sleeves to wipe down the table himself.

The owner strolled over in flip-flops and clapped Charley on the shoulder. "Hey man, you made it. What are we eating?"

"Whatever's freshest today. You call it."

"You got it." The owner glanced at Lavinia. "She's gorgeous. Your sister?"

"My niece."

"Ah, well, good to meet you." The owner waved and headed for the kitchen.

Lavinia crossed her arms. "I thought I was your cousin. Now I'm your niece?"

He laughed. "If I'm a generation older, I can give you a bigger gift card for the holidays."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not even married. I should be the one giving you a gift."

The easy banter quickly washed away her earlier awkwardness.

"How's the new job?" Charley asked warmly.

"Not bad. It's pretty flexible, so I still have time to check in on Latham."

"It suits you." He looked at her closely. "Speaking of your uncle, I recently heard about a new treatment, even better than the P-Drug. It's called radiopharmaceuticals."

Lavinia's eyes widened. "You know about radiopharmaceuticals? They just started mass-producing them, but they're only available in the Aethelgard Country. And since everyone's target markers are different, the patient actually has to travel there to get it synthesized."

"But it's the best viable treatment right now." He paused. "Nothing is impossible. I'll see what strings I can pull."

Lavinia realized that when it came to her uncle's treatment, Charley was the only person she could truly talk to.

The food was incredibly fresh and full of flavor, and Lavinia ate her fill. When it was time to pay, the owner flat-out refused their money and even packed them each a container of roast chicken to take home.

Charley drove her back to the Arden Estate. On the way, he mentioned his house was undergoing renovations and he needed a six-month short-term rental.

"Isn't your house already perfectly renovated?" she asked.

"It's an older property, a lot of hidden structural issues," Charley replied. "Your building seems great, and it's close to my office. Do you know of any direct owner rentals?"

"I'll ask around in the community group. If I hear anything, I'll let you know."

Under it was a handwritten note from Charley: [Leave the jar in the locker when you're done. I'll grab it after work.]

How amusing.

She stared at the note for a long time, a warm feeling spreading in her chest.

Saul had mentioned that Charley hired a specialized nutritionist for Latham's meals. Now, she didn't have to rush across town to deliver food anymore, which freed her up to actually focus on work.

Lavinia grabbed the jar and headed out.

...

After a grueling morning of meetings, her head was spinning. The company had a cafeteria, so she went down to grab lunch with her colleague, Yumi Sawyer.

Once they sat down with their food, Lavinia unscrewed the thermos.

"Whoa, you get homemade soup? Who made that for you?" Yumi asked.

Lavinia paused for a second, then smiled. "A close family friend."