The New Guy; My neighbour

Chapter 24 - Uncle Hull

Trevor was deep in concentration as he sat in his luxurious study, intermittently nibbling on the diamond-encrusted Boheme pen he was holding. As usual, it was a calm afternoon in Greensville, with the first signs of spring gradually settling in. Trevor enjoyed the anonymity that came with staying in Greensville, much like he relished his good days at Collegiate University. How would anyone even detect that he is the son of Boulevard's current richest man, a public-selected mayor who owns hectares of land and chains of thriving businesses? He smiled at the thought of it.

He thought back to how his father's side project, a casual digital business startup, had evolved into his sole passion within the family company. The mayor initiated the Beaumont digital business as a pilot project to obtain business insights, but Trevor has been the main beneficiary. It has made it easier for him to lead the life he has always desired. He believed that people who were famous lived in pretense and constant awareness, which was not something he desired for himself. He therefore disliked the attention the fame he had in Boulevard brought him.

He continued to swivel in his ergonomic chair at a 180-degree angle, his mind now wandering to reminisce about his love exploits. It was unusual for him to be without a woman for several months, given how relationship-dependent he considered himself to be. He was wrong, perhaps, or he had grown up and needed to be more responsible, so he had to choose partners with caution.

For now, Ashley was the only woman he was smitten with. He didn't know if it was love at first sight, but he kept seeing visions of the two of them in passionate poses. Ashley's presence brought him a sense of calm, and he was convinced he should give it a shot, even if he had to wait for the right moment. Ashley's life appeared to be chaotic, so he needed to establish a genuine friendship with her before demanding more.

He'd been working on a lot of technical paperwork for the company, and he had been up most of the night putting it all together. He yawned wearily, sensing that going without a proper, soapy shower for the previous two days was the reason he was starting to feel uncomfortable in his skin. He wasn't a fan of less-soapy shower days, so he rarely went a day without one.

He glanced at the Hermle wall clock, which was elegantly hanging in the study, and realized it was only a few minutes until Edmund's discharge. Ashley had texted him to let him know when Edmund would be released and to let him know that Venita's company had already set up her place for Edmund's warm welcome. He finished the last paper he was working on and got ready to take a shower. His phone rang just as he was ready to get in the shower; it was Ashley.

"Hello, Trevor."

"Ashley, how is it going?"

"Eddy has been discharged. We have just boarded the cab, and we are on our way to the house."

"Ashley? You sound drab. Are you okay?" Trevor inquired after catching the dullness in her voice.

"Yeah, it's nothing to worry about. It's been a long day for me. Maybe that's why."

"Oh, okay. The discharge was swift, anyway."

"Yeah, it was. I hope you will come around."

"Yes, I will. Soon. Let me know when the cab is approaching your place."

"Okay. I've gotta go now; we will catch up later."

"I will. Bye."

Trevor hung up, placed the phone down on the couch bed, and headed to the bathroom for a shower. He hummed happily as he vigorously washed himself until his skin felt squeaky clean. Trevor was surprised at how well he blended into Ashley's life. It seemed he was even getting closer to her circle of people. He imagined Edmund's expression when he saw the surprise. There was an easy rapport between them, and Eddy had a pleasant personality. He's as adorable as his sister, and his smile is enough to make anyone like him. He lightly shook his head and began to dress.

He was dressed casually about fifteen minutes later, looking into the massive dressing room to make sure he looked presentable. He finished off by wearing a Noir perfume that softly wafted into his nose. He exited his room and made his way to the stairs. It was one of those days when he didn't feel like driving; after all, it was his neighborhood, and Ashley's house was only a few poles away. He lingered in the hallway for a few moments before entering the corridor, narrowing his eyes to better handle the abrupt contrast between the natural and interior lighting. His neighborhood was devoid of life, save for the distant howling sounds of dogs. His elegantly extending toes were visible as he gazed down at his newly handcrafted leather sandals. He took a moment before proceeding to call Ashley and confirm that she was already in Greensville. He dialled her number using his sleek smartwatch.

"Hey, Trevor. Good heavens, I almost got busy and forgot. We have arrived," Ashley said hurriedly.

"Interesting. I will be there soon." Trevor could hear Edmund chatting away in the background, expressing his delight, and he smiled widely. He moved into the streets and made his way to Ashley's house. Trevor noticed the boys riding their bicycles in the enclosed playground as he passed Doctor Murray's house. Jose was the first to shout out in his tiny voice when he saw Trevor. Trevor was forced to take a quick break from his walk to speak with the boys. He opened the door to the dwarf barricade and entered the playground. Jose and Gillard ran playfully to him, and Jose jumped into his arms. Using one hand to support Jose, he swept him off the ground and carried him up.

"Trevor! We have not seen you around in ages," Gillard expressed.

"It's because I've been working hard to earn money, so I'll be able to buy your favorite doughnuts whenever I visit."

"Did you come with doughnuts?" Jose asked innocently.

"I will come with your doughnuts another time. I promise. I was only passing by to meet one of my friends."

"Who is your friend, Trevor?"

"Ashley. Do you know Ashley?"

"Yes. She is our friend too. She was our friend before you. She bought Jose his favorite cartoon building blocks on his birthday."

"O wow. That's great." Trevor looked around to confirm if there was anyone in sight minding the boys.

"Are you out here by yourselves?"

"No. Mom is watching us through her cameras," Gillard replied, bending to touch Trevor's sandals playfully.

"Oh, I see."

"Uncle Hull came to visit. Mommy said they wanted to talk about something important and gave us our play time."

"Uncle Hull?"

"Yes." Gillard giggled. "He talks so fast, I do not understand what he says sometimes."

"Have you seen this uncle in my house too?"

"Yes. I heard you call him Mister Hull before. Why was that?"

"It's nothing that should bother you. We like calling him Mister Hull."

"Can we come and see Ashley too?" asked Gillard with pleading eyes.

Trevor cleared his throat, knelt at Gillard's level, and gave him a playful pat on the cheeks.

"Some other time, boys. If mommy grants you another playtime, we will."

"You can go back and play now. I'll stop by again at a later time, so we can go swimming like we did when I was here previously."

"Wow. That will be amazing."

Trevor dropped Jose and hugged them both before releasing them.

"Trevor needs to get going before he runs late for his meeting. Stay safe, boys, and call out to Mommy if you think you are in trouble."

They both nodded and waved him goodbye. Trevor walked out slowly, head bowed, remembering Katie's concern about Mr Hull's intolerable work attitude. He breathed heavily and continued to walk to Ashley's place.