The rest of the drive home was done in silence while Ezra recovered from his thoughts. When they got to the underground garage, Alex parked and turned around to look at Ezra.
"Ez, today we have something to do, and you are going to accompany us."
Ezra's head shot up. "Accompany you? To what? "
Alex smiled mysteriously, "Don't worry about that for now. Just know that we all need to go get ready, okay?"
Seeing Ezra's look of befuddlement, Theia burst into laughter. He turned his confused gaze to meet her amused one.
"Nope, I'm not telling either. Don't think you can use those lost puppy eyes on me," Theia said, happily.
Ezra sighed. What were they going to do that they couldn't tell him about? Would it kill them to tell him?
He looked at them both and saw the mirth in their eyes.
Alright, apparently it would kill them. Or at least, it would take away their fun, so he'd leave it alone.
Alex laughed at the beleaguered look on his face. Opening his door, he said, "Don't worry. We can guarantee it won't kill you."
".....wellllll, maybe," Theia said, joining in.
Much to their continuing amusement, he stared at them with dead eyes. They got out of the car and continued to tease him all the way to the elevator. As much as Ezra sighed and acted like they were exhausting him, the fluffy atmosphere soothed his heart, warming him.
****
"Is it going to happen today?"
".....yes. She said it would."
A bitter voice came from nowhere: "At least we got advance warning, right? It wasn't necessary, and more than anything, we were the ones owing… It doesn't make it easier though."
A hand came up, wiping the tears away.
"No, it doesn't make it easier, but we had it easier at the end of the day. We can't begrudge this. We can't begrudge them."
Silence reigned prevalent.
"We….we should watch. Silent support is also good. Also, we need to know how to respond."
"Yeah."
They embraced each other. Emotions swirled through them. Pain, joy, loss, regret, sadness. It was a complex cocktail that expressed both their happiness and despair at the situation, but there was nothing more they could do. Maybe later, things would change.
****
When Ezra got to his room, he saw a garment bag laid on his bed by Armani. When he opened it, he saw a tailored suit in grey with a blue-green tie that matched his eyes. His eyes twitched. Where were they taking him? When he checked the measurements, he saw that they were exactly like his. He sighed for the hundredth time in this hour, this time purely from joy. The corners of his lips curled upward. This type of meticulous care wasn't something that could be faked. Everything was made just for him. Even the colors chosen were meant to complement his skin tone and his eyes.
After putting the garment bag back on the bed, he started undressing to go take a shower. Before he could do more than take off his windbreaker, he heard a knock on his door. He opened it to see Theia with her hands raised as if she were about to knock again. Her hands were full of products he barely recognized since he only used shampoo and conditioner.
"Oh, hey. Use this shampoo and conditioner while you bathe, "she said, holding out two of the bottles. He took them, prepared to thank her, when she continued.
"When you're finished, use this leave-in in your hair and follow it up with this."
He took the additional bottles, his eyes twitching again.
"Is there anything else I need to take?"
She paused. "Right, when you finish, don't get dressed yet. Come out to the living room first and let the stylist cut your hair and style your hair. That's about it."
Ezra wanted to rub the bridge of his nose, but his hands were full at the moment.
"Got it." He took everything to his bathroom, lining them up in order on the caddy to make it easier to use. As he took off his clothes, he wondered just what he was getting into.
Theia walked out to the living room.
"He's taking a shower and washing his hair. When he comes out, I'd like this particular style for him, "she said, pointing at a picture in the book. "It emphasizes the lines on his face."
The stylist nodded. "By chance, will I be styling yours and your brother's hair as well?"
"Which one? The first one? "
The stylist was momentarily speechless. As far as she knew, the Lexingtons only had two children. Could it be there was another one?
"....the second one?"
"Yes, you'll be fixing Alex's hair as well."
As Theia turned to walk off, she saw the stylist pull out her phone in a rush. Her face darkened.
"If you're thinking about spreading gossip about my brothers, I will personally ruin you in society. After I do so, I'll sue you for breach of contract and ensure that it is an amount you won't be able to pay off in this lifetime. "
The stylist's hands froze. She looked up and saw Theia's cold eyes and expression, and her heart dropped. She had heard many rumors about how cold Alexander Lexington was. She'd even experienced it herself, but since they'd been using her services, Theia Lexington had always been warm and polite. She spoke to her as if she were an equal, so she had forgotten.
Regardless of how nice or polite she was, she was still a Lexington and her employer.