Chapter 4: Reduction

We arrived at the house around mid-afternoon. During the trip, I had managed to get an idea of the reality I was involved in: Tabatha was Adrian's sister, Samuel her fiancé. Marcos and Adrian had been married for years, dividing their time between the penthouse and this house until, after a very expensive renovation, they decided to keep only the semi-detached house. Tonight's dinner was a small inauguration before the big party next month.

I parked in front of the house and was relieved to see that the exterior had barely changed. The windows had dark gray moldings instead of white, but that was all. The interior, however, was a different story.

I opened the door to Marcos and Adrian and followed them to the vestibule. I was glad to be behind them: that way, they could hide my shocked face. The layout was the same, but the finishes and furniture were incredibly improved. Nothing that hung on the walls sounded familiar to me. Everything was from Marcos' life with Adrian, not with me.

"David," said Adrian, "do you mind taking the boxes from the attic to the office upstairs? That room can be messy tonight, but I prefer everything to be impeccable downstairs."

He took out some keys from his pocket and threw them at me.

"Those are the spare keys for the Escalade. Keep them."

"Of course, Mr. Adrian," I replied.

I had no idea where his office was, but I needed to see the rest of the house. Part of me was still trying to find some trace of my previous life.

"David, one more thing," said Marcos, grabbing my elbow. "I'm going to take the roast out of the fridge so it can rest. What temperature should I preheat the oven to?"

I opened my mouth without knowing what to answer, but it came out automatically:

"To 475 would be perfect, Mr. Marcos. Thank you. It will start with high heat and then lower the temperature after sealing."

Marcos smiled.

"Some day you'll have to teach me how to cook like you! Although I don't think I'll reach the level of a professional chef."

He patted me on the belly and left with Adrian towards the kitchen.

Where the hell did that come from?, I thought. Apparently, I also had culinary training now. What versatility I had.

I went up with the first box. When I arrived upstairs, I was sweating. I had gotten more tired than I expected.

"I'm not as agile as a young man," I murmured. My tiny dick stirred among the folds. Never mind.

The first thing I saw was an elevator where the linen closet used to be. The second thing: a hallway that crossed the wall of the adjacent semi-detached house.

"They bought the one next door and joined them," I said out loud, amazed.

Until that moment, I had not realized the level of money Adrian had. Now everything fit: the renovation had taken years.

I walked around the second floor. Adrian's office was in the "annex" area. I left...