He gave Ian a sheepish glance, feeling doubly guilty about his outburst. Ian had guessed he’d reached his limit for crowds and civilized conversation and confinement. He really did read Kam well for having only known him nine months.
“Make that tea a bourbon and you’ve got a deal,” Kam mumbled, standing.
Did Kam think Lucien, Ian, and him would end up bosom brothers, the idealistic family featured in make-believe and television sitcoms? Not a chance. Not with their common screwed-up origins.
Still, there must have been a whisper of a promise of something that had enticed him out of his solitude and brought him to Chicago, he admitted to himself with dark amusement.
He trailed Ian and Francesca, who walked arm in arm, out of the bustling coffeehouse. Francesca paused abruptly, making Ian halt in turn. She extended her free hand to Kam with a warm smile. He hesitated a second before he took it, managing to return her smile this time without frowning. Or at least he hoped so.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Lin methodically briefed Ian on how things had gone with the Gersbach meeting. Ian listened intently as he sat at his desk and she sat in her usual chair before it. She must have reinforced her defenses as she slept last night, because she felt back on track today . . . steadier. In the morning light, what had happened in that cloakroom with Kam seemed like an incredible dream—an exciting, forbidden dream, yes, but also a foreign one, as if she’d somehow tapped into someone else’s brain.
It was fortunate, this morning-light distance, because last night, she’d feared becoming completely unwound. The feeling was not entirely unfamiliar to her, a mild version of the numbness that settled upon her when she finally understood that her father and mother had left for Taiwan, leaving her behind for good.
“Why hasn’t Kam mentioned before that he’s uncomfortable with only a small portion of the population having his product?” Ian asked.
“You probably know the answer to that better than I do,” Lin replied.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Ian said slowly, studying her face.
“Your brother thinks a lot of things, Ian. The problem is getting him to reveal them. One has to either wait for the right opportunity for something to come out or pry the details out of him, and good luck with that,” she added wryly.
Ian’s smile was nearly imperceptible to someone unfamiliar with him. Lin immediately recognized it. “I have a feeling you might be more skilled at decoding Kam than any of us. Do you think it’s worthwhile to even continue with these meetings, given his preference for his product?”
“He says he wants to continue. He wouldn’t tell me why, exactly, except to agree that it was good experience.” She hesitated.
“But? Why do you think he’s doing it? You know I value your opinion,” Ian said intently.
“At first, I thought Kam was nervous about these meetings because he felt out of place, like an outsider. Awkward.”
“Not to mention being completely derisive of the industry,” Ian added, a smile tickling his mouth again.
“Right,” Lin agreed.
“But now? You’ve changed your mind about where he stands?”
She met Ian’s stare. “Kam might feel uncomfortable in formal social situations, but I don’t think it’s his biggest concern. If your brother were curious about something, he’d find a way to get answers. And he is curious,” she assured with a significant glance. “It’s like . . . he’s on a scouting mission or something. He’s getting the lay of the land.”
“You make it sound like he’s planning a battle,” Ian said wryly.
“Not a battle, no. But he’s planning something.”
“What?”
Lin shrugged. “His future company? His life?” she replied uncertainly, saying the first things that came to mind. “Circumstances outside of his control have always kept Kam from doing that in a proactive sense. Trevor Gaines’s neglect and emotional abuse, his mother’s illness, lack of financial security. For the first time in his life, he’s got this amazing product, millions of dollars, supportive people. If I were him, I’d relish taking control and constructing the exact future I wanted, wouldn’t you?”
“No doubt.”
She told Ian about Kam’s request for her to set up tours for him of telecommunications-sector companies in the city. “He’s brewing on possible alternative purposes for his invention, immersing himself in the industry, wetting his feet in a way he couldn’t living in isolation,” she explained. “It might make him uncomfortable to do it, but he’s not the type of man to back down from a challenge because of his lack of social graces. It’s seems very odd to say it, but he genuinely doesn’t care what other people think of him. He’s never admitted it, but I think he’s curious about the premier watchmakers, despite his disdain for luxury. I don’t think he’d suffer these meetings with them for any other reason.”
Ian took a moment to absorb her information. “I think you’re right,” he murmured thoughtfully after a moment. “I guessed right away Kam was a very complex individual. He makes the world believe he’s this social misfit, when really he’s more complicated than his inventions. Do you like him?”
His unexpected question made her blink. “Yes,” she admitted honestly before she could engineer a lie. “He’s a puzzle at times, but I like that about him. He’s extremely original. He never ceases to surprise.”
“You seemed less thrilled with him yesterday, here in the office,” Ian observed dryly.