"Do a lot of people who work for Heron live in Two Heron Frankie?" I asked her. While following the stylish woman.

"Yes," Frankie answered me. While George seems stuck in full stoic mode. He's a huge guy even bigger than Hadrian and he's linebacker size. I could use George as a convincing shade umbrella. Frankie was still his contrast though as she spoke. "We both have apartments here. It's a mixed resident not only people who work at the company. It's a co-op apartment building. People who work all over the city and have nothing to do with The Castle or Heron. At some point there's a plan to build Three Hibernia." A third building is interesting, but the thought of what to do with all that space floats in my head. It finally distracts me in a way nothing else has yet from the meeting ending disaster.

"How do you like it here?" Toni asks.

"It's a good place to live," Frankie replies. Short and straight to the point of no frills. Everything about her says straight to the point except the shoes. Those red bottom heels were made to slay and I could tell even Toni would respect them.

We passed the armed doorman into the classic style building. A front desk man nods at Frankie, and George waves us inside. Instead of heading for the group of elevators we head for a black door.

Signs hang on the inside of the black door. Tea Party date and time in fancy text. I wouldn't even call it a true flier more like a royal summons done artsy. Frankly, they should have framed it. The calligraphy was beautiful; the paper was handmade and pretty. Sunday spar bring full kits, eventing sign-ups, and jumping sign-ups. A part of me could not stop reading the pretty fliers. You'd not know it wasn't something out of some bygone Victorian day except each announcement had a sign with a QR code. The low-tech signs with a high-tech edge. Sometimes I forget that The Castle as described in the brief was a luxury gym. As I leaned in to take a look, the gym took up the whole first floor by itself. Sleek, beautiful, filled with fit stylish people. It's not empty, members walk around in colorful outfits with badges. Crests maybe? Do all the locations both internationally and nationally do the same badge system. The crests were as high budget and detailed as any historical movies. Diamonds, golds, some silver, all types of various precision metals and gems. But for a luxury gym visit what did all of this mean? Then again people wear Louis Vuitton exercise clothes so who am I to judge?

Some of the crests were the same while others were one off examples of it. Not all members were in colorful outfits though. A few were in gray workout clothes. Don't get me wrong they were stylish gray workout clothes, the contrast though gave me pause. The colorful flowers of the crested people vs the grays that the not was quietly loud.

My nerd Spidey senses were going off like crazy. But it didn't exactly match the fit in-shape people in classes. It was a damn dichotomy on display. And my geeky heart didn't know what to do with it.

I was speechless, when I should be talking up a storm but Toni was with me. And Toni wasn't saying shit either. As the cold air of the AC was on high, my skin shivered. Is this what it feels like to walk through the glass mirror into wonderland? Because there was something alien about this place. Not a bad alien but as if I wasn't supposed to be here. I remember once when Toni and I were thinking about taking on a contract for a local private school. They were historically top 5 in the nation's prep high schools. But it had this quality to it that we so didn't belong here. We ended up not being the contract. The fancy school they went with some guy on the board of the director's brother's company. Yeah, an all too familiar feeling. That not like us, you can never buy your way. And were never meant to be born in either. There's been a glitch, and we were the glitch waiting for the code to correct itself.

Men and women with swords and fencing masks walk out of one of the side rooms. My mouth hanging open full gawking, roaming the roam drinking in the place. We kept walking through the lands of the looking glass. They weren't the thin swords of fencers. The protective gear wasn't the simple type. Some of it was a modern play on knight's training armor. My eyes were damn near bulging out of my skull as my head tracking the group heading for the gym showers. I was left with more questions than answers. Hell, I was left with zero answers at all because George, and Frankie, were treating it all as normal.

We went down a side hall with two rooms and some chairs. A guy from the class rushes down the hall after us with thunderous footfalls. A clip clop from the fancy footed carbon fiber armored boots. The young man in gray stumbles to a stop in front of us. His breaths come quick and heavy. The young guy fights the urge to bend over and put his hands on his knees as he holds out his hand to... to me?

"I'm Lucas, the designers?" He asks us. The younger guy has got something so unfinished about him. The boy next door or a guy who'd be cast in a John Hughes 80s romantic teen movie. I smile at Toni, I got to name this one, Mr. Guy Next Door. I'd tell her later but now, called name dibs with my eyes. The name feels like it works for this twenty-something Lucas. His floppy black hair and soft hazel eyes is the embodiment of the guy next door. My finger moves on my phone in my other hand typing a text to Toni one handed to add his name to the list. Even if we didn't take a picture of him. Toni's an artist and she could draw up something for him. So, I didn't have to worry, but I got to name him. "Grant Lucas Lager, nice to meet you." Lucas repeated with full name. The man should have been a damn high end clothing brand. Because his name sounded like millions of dollars. He laughs, beautifully awkwardly handsome. But his smile went to his eyes and I trusted it.

"Yeah, I know, I know. I'm working as a line cook. I'm one of the regulars not even a member yet." He said it like we should know what a regular was and we didn't. "Your food was amazing to cook with. I loved it, and worked the full event!" The joy was clear in him and I wanted to move this man in next door immediately. Full Dawson Creek boy next door all that 90s 80s cuteness. He was just over six feet tall with dyed black hair and adorable glasses. That kind of striking handsome without trying. Combined with dreamy gray eyes he was a complete guy next door who used to be a boy next door but damn he grew up! "So, thank you, and you're the designers, right my guess was right?" I just realized that we had been full shook not talking back to this guy who's being nice to us.

"Yes, landscaper, gardener, farmer, I still don't know what to put on the card. I'm Akeisha and this is Toni." I turn to introduce Frankie and George on the off chance Luca doesn't know them. In a very small gesture, Frankie shakes her head at me. George is in full stoic mode and stares right past me in guard mode. It's as if down the hall a mob might show any minute to kill us all. I guess they know each other. Luca hands me a leather folder with a red envelope. Frankie took the two items from him instead of me smoothly tucking it under her arm. And I give her a nod of thank you for keeping my hands free for any greetings.

A mischievous smile sneaks out on Toni, as she extends her hand to the young guy. He's not much younger than us but he has that fresh out of college or trade school shine. Lucas' fresh workout flush cheeks it makes him look even younger. It lightings his extremely light complexion. I shake his hand as well following Toni's lead.

"Nice to meet you Lucas," said Toni. "I know we'd both love to talk to you more about our produce." It wasn't real sexual innuendo but Toni's cocoa butter mischievous smile was hard to resist for most men or women. And Lucas fell to it like a ton of bricks. His boy next door features flush red all the way up to his ears and down to his neck. But I actually think she was serious about talking to him about the produce. For years I've been doing a lot of the recipes ourselves. Sometime even buying them from pro chefs after the school nutritionist gets a hold of all them first. We'd been looking to talk one on one with someone from that professional chef world for years. Lucas just got done catering a huge event. He might not have been running the show, but I bet he at least had great knowledge. Plus, he gave me a good vibe and I tend to trust my vibe.

"I'm an initiate in the castle. My specialty is crafting as both of yours will be." Luca tells us. As I will be? What is an initiate? What the heck is crafts? Initiate? I need a decoder badly.

"We have someone waiting," Frankie says politely shooing us along from the tomato red Lucas.

"I hope we'll be working together. It's great to meet you," Lucas calls after us his voice cracking. He was still red as fuck all the way to his ears, I giggle, he was cute. Trust the vibe. But the younger guy left me with so many damn questions all the same.

"Thanks," I call after him, grabbing the unwanted attention of the people working out in the luxury gym.

A/n: A lot going on not a ton of time to talk here. Remodeling bathroom

finally fix one bathroom so the tile goes all the way up to the ceiling (mold :() adultinging

thank you for reading stick with me. And thank you for reaching out. I didn't realize that the time release  chapter thing wasn't on.