One of Us [Pestovo Country Club]

[Dorian]

Dorian paced in the lobby of the club house at Pestovo Country Club. He was meeting Christian for the first time since the divorce without Ana.  Christian came to the Country Club only once before and it wasn't as a guest.  He wasn't married to Ana, but he was now known to be her lover.  And Dorian actually found Christian a friend, and he wanted to both remove the stimga people saw around Christian but also show them he, Dorian, had no issues with what had happened.  It was of his design after all.  And most people still didn't know his true reason for the divorce or his life choices.

Christian arrived. "Hey man. I wasn't sure you'd join me."

Christian chuckled. "I thought about standing you up.  Not that I don't wanna hang out."

"I get it."

"I don't think you do. You've always been a part of this world."

Dorian nodded. "It's always an uncomfortable place."  He nodded toward the golf courses.  "You play right?"

[Christian]

Christian rolled his eyes. "You know I do." Dorian had taught him when he was a teenager. It had been an exercise for Dorian, but Christian had taken to the game. For all that they had gone through the past few months, he had missed Dorian's face around the estate. They were friends and had been for many years.

Christian slung his clubs over his shoulder and followed Dorian out of the clubhouse and out to the green. Such as it was. It was a wonder what the power of technology could do. It wasn't the same as outside, but the large room was full of other golfers who stood in their own little booths and played a virtual game of golf. It was nothing more than a glorified putting range, but with specialized balls and video it was like playing a video game but with real golf.

"This will be interesting."

Dorian chuckled. "It's a lot like Nox's set up downstairs, except the balls aren't being flung at us."

Christian joined Dorian in the laugh. "He took it from the basement and Sage set it up at his new place in the Red Light District."

Doian sighed. "I'm sorry he's becoming estranged."

Christian laughed as he set his ball down to tee up in their paid for space. "He isn't estranged. He's been hunting the past few months. Before that he stopped by every day to say hi, and refresh the protections. His uncle is in town. And, don't tell Ana, but he and his guy had a falling out. I think his uncle got him back in that damned cult of yours. And Ana refuses to speak about Cruz."

Christian cut the ball and watched it sail through the vitual landscape and land in the green of hole one.

Dorian nodded and took up his space. "Neither one speak to me. Even at work, Nox pays me little mind."

"Do you blame him. You betrayed his trust. Be glad he's talking to you at all. Cruz is still angry about the meeting we had. Ana couldn't stay quiet, she told Cruz she was worried, and so was Master Emillio. They both are young. You remember that age. I think you were conspiring to marry get Ana laid."

[Dorian]

Dorian chuckles. "I suppose. But I did what I did for family."

Christian nodded as Dorian took his swing, and when they were both watching it sail through the landscape. "Nox is family, Dorian. He thought of you like a father and you gave him over to the Syndicate for nothing. They didn't have anything on you that you couldn't turn on her. And she's dead now anyway. And you get to deal with the ramifications of what you did."

The landscape changed and a holographic ball showed up on the green where he should place his ball. Christian placed the ball in the spot and the image vanished. Dorian smiled. "It's almost too easy like this. It's not hot, or cold or windy."

"We could use one at home."

Dorian chuckled. "I suppose that could be an interesting set up. I'm sure Sage could figure something out."

"Or Cruz." Christian added as he started looking for down the lane and making aim for the first hole.

"Cruz was never any good at golf. Not that Sage is either, but he's got the better head for technology." Dorian chuckled. "Quite literally."

Christian took his swing and the ball came close to the mark, but it was just a little short. Still under par if Dorian didn't knock his ball out of the way.

"Sage has his fingers too many places, and doing too many things. He's another one who Ana is upset has left her nest. All three boys who needed parents -- gone."

"They grow up and leave the nest."

"Two of them needed loving parents more than they needed to grow up. Both of them on their own for far too long."

[Christian]

Dorian and Christian played a couple more holes with idle chit chat -- memories and small talk.

Christian waited till Dorian was done putting for the fourth hole. "Without the duties of the house, I need to find something to do."

Dorian laughed. "You sound like Ana. She was the one who asked me to take you golfing. Said, and I quote 'Christian needs to get out, take him golfing'"

Christian rolled his eyes. "So this wasn't out of friendship?"

With a sigh Dorian frowned. "I wasn't sure you'd come. Things... and all."

"There is no bad blood between us Dorian. The boys are the only one, Ana maybe, but not really. It is not my place to judge you, or them. I am here to support my friends and family."

Dorian smiled. "I know. I should have asked you sooner." He nodded for Christian to take his turn, and Christian finished the hole and the fifth one appeared in their visual arena. When Dorian finished his first swing with a frown, he landed in the rough and Christian chuckled at Dorians bad luck. But Dorian nodded. "Laugh it up."

Christian played his next stroke and got very close to a hole in one. But sadly it skipped past the hole.

Dorian shook his head. "Too bad. Ana runs a charity, you could ask her about."

"It's Ana's thing." Christian said. "I don't want to step into her zone without her permission. I need to find myself something to do."

Dorian chuckled. "Sage and Nox can always use a hand. Those boys are always busy. Even if I never see them, Nox could probably use a manager with all he's got going on."

Christian nodded. "Have you seen the viral videos?"

[Dorian]

Dorian didn't have a habit of checking social media or the internet. It wasn't really what his father wanted and he was inclined to agree. How Cruz ever picked up the nasty addition he'd never know. It was not something seen in his house -- the joys of youth he supposed.

"I have not. But I've seen the injuries from the fights." Dorian chuckled. "His dancing could amount to something if he ever decided to focus on that instead of violence."

Christan laughed. "Nox being normal is too far out of the question. It would be like asking Cruz to give up the his designer jeans. You remember the ones he bought with the holes preworn in that Ana threw such a fit about."

Dorian shook his head as he laughed. "I was not there for that, had a case that took me out late. Ana was not happy when she told me of it several nights later." And that was the crux of the problem, Dorian hadn't been there, he hadn't been there many nights -- most days. And it wasn't that he hadn't loved his family or even that he hadn't wanted to be there. He had his loyalties, and apparently they ran deeper than family back then. And when he makes a family choice it bites him in the ass. Maybe Christian had been right and Nox was family even if he wasn't blood. But it was too lat4e for that now.

They finished their game chatting and reminiscing about Cruz' childhood, their shared histories. People stopped by and chatted with Dorian and he graciously introduced Christian as Ana's new beau, even though Christian was with her far longer than the world aught to know.