Serves Me Wright

by Linde, K. A.

  “Well, thanks for sitting for me anyway.”

  “Hey, I asked you. Your work is great. I’d love to use it as a new headshot. My other ones are so…stuffy. Or staged.”

  I nodded, taking a few pictures of him to test the equipment. “That makes sense. The record label wanted that?”

  “Yeah. Standard bullshit.”

  I snapped another picture and looked down at it. “You deal with a lot of bullshit?”

  Now that I was behind the camera, everything else disappeared. I was no longer Jennifer Gibson—nerdy, anxious girl. I was just me, and I was in control. I felt good here. And I wanted to keep him talking. People worked the best when they were comfortable. Didn’t I of all people know that?

  “You have no idea,” he said with a laugh.

  Snap.

  “Can you lean forward? Elbow on your knee.”

  He did what I’d said.

  “Yes, good. Tell me about the bullshit.”

  He sighed and looked off in the distance. Snap. “Music is just one big bureaucracy. I love creating and making music and touring. But everything in between reminds me it’s still a job.”

  His eyes looked straight on at me. Snap. “Know what I’m talking about?”

  “I do. Plus, you’re in the public eye. What’s that like?”

  He frowned. Snap. “Depends on the day. Right now, things are low-key. I kind of like being back in Lubbock for that. It’s not like LA.”

  I laughed. “Understatement.”

  “What about you?”

  “What about me?” I asked, pulling the camera from my eye.

  He shifted in his seat. “How do you feel about your job?”

  “I love it. Though not everyone thinks it’s a real job.”

  He pulled his arms up over his head and leaned backward.

  I jerked my camera back up. Snap.

  “Why wouldn’t it be a real job?”

  I shrugged. “I’m not a doctor or lawyer or pharmacist. You know…real jobs.”

  He snorted. “Hell, I don’t have a real job either. Seems to work out for me.”

  It did.

  “And what about you and Julian?”

  I stared at him through the viewfinder. The thoughtful expression on his face. “What about me and Julian?”

  “You’re into him, right? That’s why he wanted to fake date you—so he could real date you.”

  I nearly dropped the camera. “What?”

  His face froze, as if he’d realized he’d said too much. “He…told you that, right?”

  “He didn’t. No,” I whispered. “He made all the fake dating up?”

  “Uh, I didn’t mean to say any of that. I thought you already knew that he liked you.”

  “Julian…likes me?”

  Campbell stood from his seat and adjusted his jacket. My brain was frozen though. The only thing functioning was the camera. I managed to keep shooting through all of it. But I couldn’t seem to process what he’d said. It didn’t fit in with anything that had happened. Well, other than the sex, and we’d both just gotten drunk.

  “I mean, isn’t it obvious?” Campbell said.

  No, it wasn’t obvious.

  Then I replayed every interaction over the last several weeks. Every touch and smile and flirtation.

  I lowered the camera this time. My mouth falling open as I rewrote all the things we’d done together, layered with this information. I felt kind of stupid. But I’d convinced myself that there was no way Julian really wanted to date me. Why would he when he could have better? But if he’d liked me all along, then every time we had been together was him getting closer and closer to me.

  “He likes me,” I whispered.

  “Yeah, dude, but don’t tell him I told you. I don’t think I was supposed to do that.”

  I laughed softly. A smile hit my features. Julian liked me.

  And we were going out tonight. I rewound to the time when he’d asked me. I was the one who had suggested it be a fake date. He hadn’t said anything like that. Jesus Christ, had I been self-sabotaging myself this whole time? Could I actually have Julian Wright?

  “Forget I said anything. What should I do next?” Campbell asked with a sly smile. Like maybe he’d said it all on purpose. Little matchmaker.

  21

  Julian

  Milli hummed almost noiselessly as I put her into park outside of the studio. I was a few minutes early to pick up Jennifer, but I wasn’t looking forward to this dinner and couldn’t help myself. I dicked around on my phone for a few minutes and then gave in to the inclination, getting out of the car and knocking on the door.

  After a minute, I heard Jen yell, “Come in.”

  I stepped inside and froze. Campbell was lying on the ground, shirtless, while Jennifer hovered over top of him. She had one knee against his hip, practically straddling him, and grounded herself with her elbow on the other knee. She was taking picture after picture, shifting here and there to get different angles. I had no idea what was going on, but I immediately didn’t like it.

  “Hey,” I said, clearing my throat loudly.

  Jennifer pulled back from her camera. Her smile was magnetic when she swiveled to face me. “Hey. Is it time already?”

  “A few minutes early actually.”

  She turned back to Campbell and laughed at something he’d muttered.

  “We got all we need.” She hoisted herself to her feet and offered him a hand, which he declined.

  He reached for his discarded white T-shirt and slung it back on. “Hey, man.”

  He must have seen the scowl on my face because he chuckled softly. I suppressed the urge to be pissed at him. This was Jen’s job. Nothing about what had happened was inappropriate…probably. And anyway, I was clearly being a jealous dick.

  “How’d it go?” I asked.

  “Really great,” Campbell said. “Jen’s a natural. I saw a few back-of-the-camera pics, and they’re crazy good.”

  Jennifer flushed at the praise. “Thanks.” She smiled back at me. That same smile she’d given me when I first walked in. Something different than I’d seen from her before. I didn’t know what it meant. “I’m going to get changed, and then I’ll be ready.”

  “Cool.”

  She disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me alone with Campbell. We shook hands, and then he reached for his perpetual leather jacket.

  “Where are you two headed?” Campbell asked.

  “Dinner.”

  “A date?” He arched an eyebrow.

  “With my dad.”

  “Oh,” he said with a laugh. “Why? Uncle Owen’s a dickbag.”

  “He is. Hopefully, this is the last time I have to see him.”

  Campbell nodded. “Good luck with that. Parents are complicated.”

  That was an understatement. I’d learned that the Abbeys’ mom had died when Campbell was a senior in high school. Hit-and-run. Their dad had stepped up and tried to make up for it, but it would never be the same. Hollin didn’t really talk about it. I assumed Campbell was the same way.

  “Okay. All set,” Jennifer said, stepping out of the bathroom.

  Campbell and I both froze at the sight of her in a little black dress. But she only had eyes for me. The smile on her face was perfection. No averted gaze. No pulling back. Just me and Jen. Seriously…what had changed?

  * * *

  We arrived at Funky Door right on time. Punctual as ever, Jordan and Annie were already waiting at the entrance. Our father was nowhere in sight. Shocker.

  Jennifer ran right over to Annie and enveloped her in a hug. Jordan shook my hand, his gaze drifting to Jen in surprise even though I’d told him I was bringing her. I wasn’t the one who ambushed people.

  “So, where is he?” I asked.

  “He’s on his way,” Jordan said.

  “And no one is surprised he’s late.”

  “It’s five minutes, Julian,” Jordan said with a sigh. “His flight was delayed, or he would have been here hours ago
. Can you cut him a break?”

  I bit my cheek to keep from retorting. Because, no, I wasn’t giving my dad another undeserved break. He’d done enough. I didn’t believe that he was here just to see us. Not after everything.

  “That’s probably him,” Annie said, pointing to a car that pulled into the parking lot.

  Jordan put his arm around her and kissed her hair. A thank-you for backing him up.

  Jennifer gently touched my arm. Just enough for me to break my attention and turn to her.

  She smiled. “It’s going to be okay.”

  I nodded and released the tension in my shoulders. She was right. I’d get through this dinner, and then I could go back to my life. It was one night.

  Jennifer released me by the time my dad strode over to us. I hadn’t really paid attention the last time I’d seen him at the vineyard, but he looked different. The last few years had aged him. His typical dark hair had silver at the temples. There were lines on his forehead that I’d never seen before. As if us leaving had really changed him. Or maybe it was the loss of the company that he’d tried to steal.

  He’d clearly been talking to Jordan more frequently because they shook warmly when he appeared. Then he turned to me, that same Wright smile on his face. “Son.”

  “Dad.” I shook his hand, withdrawing quickly.

  He seemed like that was good enough for him now. He and Jordan exchanged a look. I didn’t want to know what they’d talked about when it came to me.

  Annie kept up a steady stream of conversation. She was good at that. Directing us so that we all went inside. Funky Door had a stunning interior with a large circular set of stairs at the heart of the building, which housed hundreds of bottles of wine. It was the best place in town for wine selection. And I was working on getting our bottles on that shelf.

  The hostess sat us at a round table near the center of the room. Jordan ordered a bottle of red for the table before we were even seated. I gestured for Jennifer to sit next to Annie. That I’d bite the bullet and sit next to my dad, but she smiled that same smile at me and moved one over. I looked at her in confusion, but she was already sitting next to my dad. A buffer. Just like I’d been for her parents.

  I didn’t argue with her and took the seat between the girls, drawing the menu up in front of my face. Everything at Funky Door was delicious, but I barely saw the options. I was thankful when the wine Jordan had ordered was placed in front of me. I needed it to get through tonight.

  “I really appreciate you boys agreeing to have dinner with me tonight,” my dad said with a smile. “And your lovely girlfriends, of course.”

  Annie raised her glass to him. “We’re all here for the free wine.”

  My dad guffawed. He looked at Jordan and winked. “I like this one.”

  Jordan’s gaze landed on Annie. “Me too.”

  “So, your flight was delayed?” I asked.

  Jennifer touched my knee under the table. Not a warning, but reassurance. She was here. We could get through this.

  “Yes,” my dad said, ignoring the bite in my voice. “Getting out of Sea-Tac is always an adventure.”

  My brow furrowed. “You flew in from Seattle?”

  “Yes. I thought Jordan told you.” He looked at Jordan, but Jordan’s face was neutral. He clearly hadn’t revealed anything to me. Dad would have to win this one on his own. Good. “I relocated a couple years ago.”

  “Why?” I hated to give him the satisfaction, but there it was. I hadn’t even known the most basic thing about my dad.

  “Well,” he said, clearing his throat, “everyone and everything I loved was gone. Vancouver held old memories. I didn’t want to stay there anymore and deal with it being empty.”

  “That sounds difficult,” Jennifer said thoughtfully.

  My dad smiled at her. “It was, but nothing compared to these boys moving across the country to be with their mom. That took real guts.”

  I almost rolled my eyes. Had he always been so transparent?

  “What are you doing there?” I asked. “I can’t see you moving somewhere and doing nothing.”

  “Julian, this isn’t an interrogation,” Jordan said. “It’s dinner.”

  Our dad held his hand up though. “It’s fine, Jordan. Julian is entitled to his questions. I haven’t always been the best father. He has every right to be skeptical.”

  I almost snorted. The best father? What an understatement.

  I’d worshipped the ground he’d walked on. Then he’d shattered every ounce of that love into pieces. He was a liar. He’d always been a liar. And I didn’t know how to let him build back the trust.

  “I’m working in corporate America now. I’m sitting on three boards right now. Before, I was consulting with a local commercial construction company. Nothing like running my own branch of a Fortune 500 company, but I ruined that for myself.” He shrugged. He almost sounded…remorseful. Like he regretted the actions that had led to him being removed from his position at Wright Construction. He’d lost everything when he bet on that.

  “We all make mistakes,” Jennifer said softly. “It’s learning from them that’s important.”

  Our eyes met, and she smiled again. That new smile. The one I’d never seen before. Not just when she was looking at me, but when she was looking at anyone. I’d thought I had all of her smiles memorized. This one made me want to try hard, do better, be more. And maybe that meant giving my dad an actual chance here.

  “You’re right,” I agreed. I looked back at my dad, prepared to start this conversation over. “Tell me about Seattle.”

  22

  Julian

  By the time dessert was served—a decadent chocolate fondue—everyone had loosened up. I was still hesitant about my dad. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. For him to step out of line and prove my point. But so far, it seemed like he’d actually flown in from Seattle to Lubbock, Texas to see us.

  “So, you’re saying that Julian is running the entire vineyard on his own?” my dad asked.

  Jordan grinned. “Yes. I’ve basically handed it all off to him. I did a lot of the setup, but he’s in charge.”

  “Hollin does a lot of the work, too,” I said quickly.

  “Sure,” Jordan said. “Day-to-day stuff. He manages the team. That’s what he’s good at. He already knows the winery. He’s worked in every position before this, so he’s perfect for it. But you’re the businessman.”

  “That’s incredible, Julian,” my dad said.

  “Thanks,” I said with a smile.

  “Seriously, it’s such a relief,” Jordan said with a laugh. “Working two jobs…”

  “Was terrible,” Annie finished for him, dipping her piece of cake into the chocolate. “He was running himself ragged.”

  “Yeah,” Jordan said with a shrug. “What else is new?”

  “Doesn’t sound healthy,” Jennifer said.

  Annie gestured to Jen with her cake. “Exactly!”

  “Well, I’m proud that Julian can handle it all on his own. Doesn’t even need me anymore,” he said with a laugh.

  “That’s not true,” I told him.

  He waved me off. “I like it that way. That the winery is doing well enough on its own without me. Especially with all the distribution options.”

  “Distribution?” my dad asked with actual interest.

  “Yeah. I’m working with the wine distribution company out of Dallas to get Wright wine in stores all over the state.”

  “That would be huge,” my dad said with a proud light in his eyes.

  “It would, but we’re still negotiating. We’re meeting face-to-face on Friday. It’s probably the most important meeting since we bought the place.”

  Jen squeezed my knee again. As if she could hear the hint of fear in my voice. This distribution would make or break where Wright Vineyard was going. I couldn’t fuck it up. Not when Jordan had handed everything over to me.

  “I know you’ll handle it the Wright way,” my dad said with a l
augh.

  I sat back, waiting for him to fuck up, to offer to step in and help, to take over the vineyard in some small way. It’d be supremely stupid, but I’d never put it past him. Except it didn’t happen. He genuinely seemed interested.

  “And you, Jen?” my dad said, turning to her. “You’re a photographer for the vineyard?”

  “Yes, I’m full-time on events,” she said with a smile.

  “Don’t be modest,” Annie jumped in. “She’s a genius.”

  Jennifer blushed and stared down at her chocolate-covered marshmallow.

  “She really is,” I agreed. “I’m using her work as my headshot, and she did a photoshoot with Campbell Abbey.”

  My dad blinked. “Your cousin?” he asked. When I nodded, he added just to clarify, “The rockstar?”

  Jennifer laughed. “Yes. You all make it sound so glamorous.”

  “Don’t undersell yourself,” Annie said. “You’re still doing weddings with all of the rest of this going on.”

  “Elopements,” she corrected. Power returned to her voice as she talked about her passion. She lit up when discussing her art. I didn’t know how anyone hadn’t seen it before. “I actually have an elopement next weekend. I’m flying into Cabo on Saturday for a sunset wedding.”

  “Cabo.” My dad whistled. “Are all your elopements that fancy?”

  She laughed. “Sometimes. I’ve gone all over for them. I actually accepted the position at Wright because I was gone most weekends.”

  “Every weekend!” Annie corrected.

  “It became taxing to always be gone.”

  My dad nodded. “A girl with a vision and brains. No wonder my son is smitten.”

  She flushed crimson at the compliment. It was my turn to squeeze her knee under the table. Her eyes met mine. I wondered if she could see that my dad had spoken the truth. I was smitten with her.

  My dad flagged the waiter down then. “I’ll take the check. Just one.” Jordan protested, but my dad waved him off. “I can take care of my boys.”

  Once he paid, we all headed out of the restaurant. The girls huddled together, gossiping. Well, it appeared that Annie was mostly rambling to Jen, and Jen was laughing at her. My dad shook Jordan’s hand and then mine.