My Wife, My Man?

Chapter Thirty-seven

"To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life." Elizabeth Gilbert

"Whose idea was it?" A smile played on Daniel's lips.

Jack scratched the back of his head, a little laugh escaping from his sealed mouth. Somehow, through the hours of endless chatter between them, he knew that this question would soon pop up.

A faint smile rested on his lips as he thought of his wife. "Perli," he replied.

If he expected the mentioning of Perli's name to create some sort of uneasiness on Daniel's face, it didn't. Surprisingly, the same smile remained on Daniel's face.

"And Maggie," Jack added, leaning back against his chair. "They thought I needed rest, so we went to Kimberley."

"Ah, women and holidays," came a statement accompanied by a chuckle. "Don't they know you have to work?"

And there it was, the almost rhetorical question that Jack had learned not to answer.

He faked a laugh at the question and drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. "I needed the rest, Dad," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I became a walking zombie."

Daniel shook his head and smiled at his statement. "Your mother sends her greetings," he shifted away from the current conversation, "and a few gifts. I will be fetching them from my hotel—"

"Hotel?" Jack raised his brows. "Why are you staying there? I mean you have a son who lives in the country, who owns a house. Big enough to accommodate you," he spoke slowly, emphasizing his words.

Daniel laughed pleasantly. "Okay, okay." He drummed on his lap. "I get your point. Just have some things to do there."

Jack elevated his brows. With mischief twinkling in his eyes, he stared at his father. "Something that you can't do at my place?" His lips curved upwards to complement the look on his face.

Daniel tilted his head and said nothing.

"Dad," Jack narrowed his eyes as he warned, "Mom is just a call away, so don't you even dare."

Daniel laughed at his threat. "I'm too old for those stupid games, and you know that," he reminded him.

"You still got the looks and charm," Jack stated, shrugging his shoulders. He then leaned forward to his desk. "So, I'll have to keep an eye on you. Just in case you decide to be naughty."

"I should be saying that to you." The amusement masked the smile on Daniel's face.

Jack gave a toothy smile. He liked that. The smile on his father's face was a sign of something good. It had been long since he last spoke to his dad without the conversation ending up in an argument. If it wasn't work-related for the past months, then they had nothing to talk about. Daniel had sworn not to speak to him if he had gone on with the wedding, but it appeared as if he had had a change of heart.

Besides, no parent could ever stay angry at their child for that long!

But there was something about his dad's demeanour that baffled him. Even as they drove to this place, he couldn't stop to wonder what Maggie had fed him. Did Maggie say something to him?

He decided not to ponder upon that, and simply appreciate his dad's — seemingly, change of attitude towards Perli. It was too soon to conclude though, Daniel had just arrived.

"Now, Dad," he took on a curious tone, resting his arms comfortably on the desk. "Tell me, why are you here? And don't give me that can't-I-just-visit-my-son answer you gave me back home."