by Emma Nichole
Carlson looks very confused and glances over to Caroline for confirmation, which she gives him in the form of a nod.
“Ah, well, the old brain isn’t working so well nowadays,” he says. “What do you say we go get some pancakes? I’m starving.”
“You all go on ahead. Piper and I will be right behind you in my car,” Nathanial says.
“Are you sure? I can drive you. I don’t mind,” Carlson says to him, patting his pockets. I think he’s looking for his keys.
“Actually, it’s okay if we all ride together. I don’t mind,” I offer up to avoid there being any unnecessary tension, since I’m assuming he isn’t allowed to drive anymore, and I can feel Nathanial go icy cold and his hand flexes against my back.
“That would be great!” Caroline says, clasping her hands together. “Nath, sweetie, would you care to drive? It’s been a long morning for us already.”
He clears his throat. “We are in the Stingray, so we’ll have to take your car.” His voice is stoic and monotone.
“Fine with me,” his father offers up. “We’ll meet you two outside.”
“Yeah, I just need to run up and get my purse and cell phone,” I say. “I shouldn’t be long.”
We part ways for now, them heading out to the car, and Nathanial and I heading back to the bedroom to retrieve my things.
He closes the door behind him, but doesn’t say anything to me.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have insisted we all ride together, but I could tell there was something brewing in the air, and I know you don’t want there to be any tension, and neither does your mother. He doesn’t drive anymore, does he?”
Nathanial shakes his head. “No, he doesn’t. He forgets that part a lot. Gets upset sometimes over it.”
“That’s what I thought.” I step closer to him and take his face in my hands. “I may not know exactly what happened between you and your father, or why it’s so hard for you two to be around one another, but it’s one breakfast, and I’ll be right there the whole time.”
He closes his eyes and leans into my palm.
“That’s what makes me more nervous than anything.”
That’s not exactly what I was expecting him to say. I shake my head slightly. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” He turns his face and kisses my palm. “We should go before they come looking for us.”
I don’t push him to elaborate on what he meant by what he said, because I know there is no point. If there is one person on this earth who is more stubborn than I am, it’s Nathanial Lennox.
Chapter 21
Piper
The ride to the restaurant wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be.
I sat up front with Nathanial, even after insisting I could sit in the back, I mean, it is their car after all, but Caroline wasn’t taking no for an answer. Truth be told, I don’t think her son would have allowed me to be anywhere but by his side either.
He kept his hand on my thigh for the entire drive, occasionally giving it a squeeze anytime his father would mention Lennox Publishing or asking if he was or wasn’t doing something correctly.
Clearly, Old Man Lennox has high expectations for his son. Some could say too high.
When we stepped into the quaint restaurant, I was delighted by its charming wooden floors and simple décor. It’s small, with only ten to twelve tables, and a walk-up counter for baked goods.
It smells heavenly.
We have to wait for a few moments for a table in the middle to be cleared, as apparently this is the place to be this early in the morning in the area, but soon we are all settled and have made our breakfast selections.
While we wait, we’re only left with coffee and conversation.
“So,” Caroline says, breaking the silence. “How long have you two been…” She waves her finger between us.
I look to Nathanial, and thankfully, he answers for the both of us. “It’s fairly new. We are still trying to figure things out as we go.”
“So, it’s not serious then?” Carlson chimes in.
“Dad, that’s personal and not a conversation I want to have at the breakfast table.”
“I’m just asking, Nathanial. You’ve been dating Jessica here for quite awhile. Isn’t it about time you make an honest woman out of her?” His question is like a punch to my gut, because I’ve never heard that name before. Not even once.
Caroline steps in immediately. “Carlson, Jessica and Nathanial broke up three years ago. This is Piper. She works at Lennox Publishing with Nathanial, remember?”
He has to stare at me for a few moments before the realization dawns on him.
“Oh, yes, yes. I’m sorry.” He shakes his head and looks down, clearly embarrassed. “I remember.”
“It’s okay,” I say. “Really. I have one of those faces,” I joke. “Very forgettable.”
“Well, that’s absolutely not true at all,” the brooding younger Lennox says as he takes a sip of coffee.
“You’re biased.” I playfully bump him with my shoulder.
“Piper, your family owns the Italian restaurant, right?” Caroline asks. “How’s that going? Everything still chugging along and going well?”
My first inclination is to lie to her, because I don’t even want to say the truth out loud, like it’s going to make it somehow more true to admit to it, but what does hiding it do for me?
Nothing but riddle me with guilt.
“Business is good, yes, but finances are a bit tight at the moment. It’s hard running a business right now.”
“Yeah, you just said a mouthful there, Miss,” Carlson says.
Our server appears at our tableside with her arms full of steaming, mouthwatering food, and my stomach begins to rumble. I’m starved.
Carlson instantly digs into the pancakes he was craving, while I enjoy an omelet with a side of bacon, and Nathanial and his mother both chose eggs Benedict.
The food, thankfully, serves as an easy talking point for the next little while, though I am unable to ignore the fact that not many words are shared between Nathanial and his father directly.
It makes my heart ache for both of them, and my thoughts race to my own father and how desperately I wish I could see him or even talk to him.
I lean in to whisper to Nathanial, “I’m going to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.”
He nods and I can feel him watch me the entire way until I am able to disappear around the corner.
I take a few moments in the mirror, splashing some water on my face and taking a few deep breaths. The last thing I need to do is dump my daddy issues squarely into the lap of someone else with intense father issues.
When I’m finally able to clear my head, I head back out to the table to find they aren’t really even speaking to each other.
“Hi. I’m back. Sorry. Did I miss anything?” I ask, trying to ignite some form of conversation.
I see Nathanial open his mouth to speak, but Carlson says something first.
“Well, who is this beautiful woman? Nathanial didn’t tell us anyone else was going to be joining us today.”
I try my best to keep an even demeanor on my face because I don’t want him to feel bad, but unfortunately, I’m a bit too late.
“Dad,” Nathanial snaps, a bit too harshly. “This is Piper. She’s been with us the entire time. Piper Kingston. You’ve known her for years.”
Carlson takes a few moments and then finally speaks, “My Piper? My assistant. You’re seeing my assistant?”
“You don’t work at Lennox anymore, sweetheart. You retired,” Caroline says, trying to take his hand but he yanks it away.
“What are you talking about? That’s ridiculous. I’m not retired. I was just in the office… uh… I was just in the office a few days ago.” He begins to slide his palms up and down his trousers in some kind of nervous habit.
I’m frozen. All I can do is sit and watch the scene play out in front of me because I just don’t know what to say or how
to handle this situation.
“You haven’t been in the office in over a year,” Nathanial tells him, which doesn’t seem to make things better.
“Then who is making sure things run? Who is in charge?” he asks.
“Nathanial stepped up, Carlson. We signed everything over to him, remember? You decided it was going to be for the best?” Caroline says, with clear panic in her voice. Her eyes search the scene around us. Everyone seems to be looking because Carlson’s volume is hard to ignore.
“Nathanial?” Carlson begins to laugh. “That’s rich. He’s the last person I would have asked.”
“And why is that, father?” Nathanial asks and sits up straighter in his chair.
“He doesn’t take anything seriously. He’s a screwup. You know we can’t trust him to do anything he is supposed to.”
At that, Nathanial just laughs in clear frustration, but I know, deep down inside, that hurt him.
“Carlson, don’t do that. Nathanial has been doing a wonderful job at Lennox,” Caroline says.
“Why are you lying to me?” Carlson shouts, jumping to his feet. “I have no reason to retire. Stop screwing around.”
“We aren’t, sweetie.” Caroline looks around frantically. “Please sit down.”
Nathanial and I both rise to our feet.
“Dad, you’re causing a scene for no good reason. Sit down and listen.”
“No. No. I won’t sit down and let you continue to try to trick me into… whatever you’re trying to trick me into. You even pulled Piper into this? You’re sick. All of you.”
I don’t know what he means. I don’t even think he knows what he means. He’s just confused and upset.
He tries to walk away from us, to escape the multitude of triggers that must be flying through his brain, but his second step is a missed one, and he topples forward and to the ground.
“Dad!” Nathanial reacts quickly and I’m right behind him.
Everyone around us jumps into action too, trying their best to help him up off the ground, but he pushes us away.
“No. I can get up without your help,” he says angrily.
I try to reach out again to help him, but Nathanial wraps his hand around my arm and shakes his head, stopping me.
We all watch helplessly as this very confused, very broken, very sick man ambles to his feet, hiding his embarrassment as best he can… and walks out the door.
Caroline is wiping tears away when she gathers her bag. “I have to go out there with him. I don’t want him walking away alone.”
“I’ll take care of the bill, Mom.” Nathanial walks over and kisses her on the head.
She looks my way and mouths that she is sorry.
I smile, telling her she doesn’t have to apologize. She hugs her son goodbye once more before she goes out the door after her husband.
Nathanial
“Do you have a ride share app we can use?” I ask Piper after coming back to the table once I settle the bill, throwing in some extra cash for the disturbance that was caused.
“I have Lyft.” She reaches into her bag to pull out her cell phone. “Is everything okay?”
“My mom just texted me. They are going to head back to the city. She asked me to apologize to you about all of this.” I sink back down into my chair beside her.
“It’s not her fault. It’s no one’s fault at all. Not yours. Not hers. Not even your father’s.”
I look down at my hands as memories I’d rather put away come rushing back to the forefront of my brain.
“I’m just sorry you had to see it. I didn’t want that for you. I know how much you respect him.”
“What happened here doesn’t change my respect for him. He’s sick. This disease is a monster, and he can’t control that any more than you can.”
I close my eyes when I feel her start to gently rub the back of my neck.
“We should get back to the house. I think we’ve both seen enough of the Hamptons for today. I’d like to be alone now.”
She pulls her hand away to focus on the app on her phone, and I miss the connection, her touch, immensely. It calmed my frazzled nerves and gave him something to focus on.
“Our ride will be here in six minutes. A lovely older gentleman named Howard in a green 2016 Honda Civic,” she says matter-of-factly, shoving her cell back into her bag.
“Very specific.”
“The advantages of modern technology.”
I watch her eye me closely, and it’s like I can almost feel her trying to think of what to say.
“What?”
“I can see your wheels turning from over here. Do you want to talk about it?” She reaches over and takes my hand.
Do I want to tell her about the falling out I had with my father? No. I don’t. My brain doesn’t want her to think less of me. I don’t want anyone to know about that night.
But the part of my heart that wants to rip itself open and bare it all for the first time in my life is fighting with my brain. That part is banging on the walls, screaming and shouting, looking for a way out so I can just tell this girl how I feel.
“Piper… I…”
Her phone dinging in her bag pulls her attention away from me.
“Ah. That must be Howard,” she says. “He is waiting out front.” I watch her stand, and she grows into a beautiful Italian giant from my angle. She catches me gawking and smiles. “What?”
“I’m just staring. That’s all.”
“Well, you can stare all you’d like. I don’t mind.” She takes my hand and helps me stand. “Let’s go.”
The entire ride to the house, Piper is chatting it up with our Lyft driver, Howard. He is a charming older man, who beams with pride talking about his grandchildren and his wife who passed away a few years ago.
To be honest, I’m happy he is keeping her attention.
A few moments of simply sitting quietly, being a bystander in a situation that isn’t chaos is something I need right now.
I stare out the window to watch the passing houses and children out for a bike ride. This area is known for its parties and over-the-top nature at times, but it’s also a place where families can come to escape their everyday lives.
The sun is high in the sky, given the nearing midday hour. The weather is perfect, for now, but there is an incoming storm according to Howard from the front seat.
One hell of a storm was the exact verbiage.
It’s kind of ironic, actually. An impending storm on the area. A brewing storm in my mind.
Life certainly has a way of being poetic, doesn’t it?
Chapter 22
Piper
Nathanial does not physically keep to himself for the rest of the afternoon, but he certainly does mentally.
We spend time on the beach, in the pool, and having drinks on the patio but he doesn’t really say much. He lets me do most of the talking, and while I’m usually okay with that, given the circumstances of our day and the fact I can see the scowl on his face, I know he’s keeping something inside.
“Would you like to help me cook dinner? I’m making carbonara and if you’re a good boy, I’ll let you know all the secrets,” I tease, hoping he will smile.
He finishes his third glass of whiskey since five o’clock and nods. “Sure. I can help.”
“All right then. Let’s go do that.” I stand from the sofa and take his hand, pulling him up. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“You don’t have to ask me that every hour, Piper. I’m fine.”
“Your actions would disagree.”
I shake my head and go into the kitchen with him hot on my heels, pulling out everything I need for our meal.
He follows in after me and instead of defending himself or even acknowledging what I said, he gets right to the task at hand.
“Tell me what you need me to do.”
I sigh heavily and point to the stove. “If you could start a pot of boiling water, that would be great.”
He moves on autopilot,
like I’ve seen him do many times in the office when there is a storm brewing inside of his head.
Those days usually end in some kind of aggressive demand from him that winds up in a battle of wills between us, which I ultimately lose.
Oh well, I’m not going to let him just wallow and not address this shit head on. I wouldn’t want him to let me do the same thing.
“How long ago was your father diagnosed?” I ask him, as I begin to fry the pancetta.
He freezes for just a moment and I can see his shoulders stiffen but he shakes it off. “I’m not talking about this anymore, Piper.”
“Why? There is clearly a bigger issue at play. I guess I don’t understand why you’re so… against even speaking of it.”
“Because I don’t want to talk about it. It’s that simple. Leave it alone.” He places the pot on the stove a little too aggressively. The sound makes me jump, and really, it just pisses me off.
“You’re too hard on him and yourself. I don’t know what the history is between you, but I know your father…”
He laughs sarcastically and cuts me off. “You think you know my father. You don’t know shit.”
I take a couple steps back. “Don’t talk to me like that. I’m doing nothing but standing here trying to have a conversation about something that is bothering you, and you’re tossing it in my face.”
“I don’t need you to try to fix me or my issues with my father. Stay the fuck out of it, Piper.”
He opens the cabinet above the fridge and pulls down another bottle of whiskey and I can’t hide my bratty retort.
“Yeah, have another one. That’s definitely helping everything.”
“What would you have me do then, huh?” His voice has raised a few octaves. He isn’t shouting, but I can feel that it’s not far away. “What is your magical plan that is going to fix everything?”
“I want to know where this came from!” I shout back. “We were having a perfect time and something happened that was well outside of your control, by the way, and it’s plunged you into the asshole I thought you were finally leaving behind!”
