by K E Osborn
My life is about Levi and work.
I can’t add anything or anyone else into the mix, it’s just too hard.
I wrap his arm in Saran Wrap as I clear my throat. “Where is it you disappear to between visits, Just Xander?”
He weakly smiles as I finish wrapping him up, and then I pull off my gloves. “I’m busy at work.”
Turning, I start putting all my equipment away and begin cleaning up as I nod matter-of-factly. “And where do you work again?”
He exhales, then cracks his neck. “Family business, nothing exciting.”
“Yeah. But doing what, dipshit?”
He flashes me his pearly whites. “Anyone ever told you you’re full of sass?”
My lips turn up at the side. “Anyone ever tell you, you’re a master of avoidance?”
“All the time.” He chuckles.
I let out a groan, rolling my eyes. I slap his thigh while standing from my stool. “Well, you’re done for today. I gotta get Levi home, but maybe next time you wanna come in, give a girl a little heads-up?”
He stands to place his hand in his pocket and pulls out his wallet. “Sorry I came at a shitty time, it was the only spare hour I could find this week. I’ll try to schedule in the future.” He pulls out a wad of cash, places it on my tray as he dips his head, then turns walking toward the door.
I glance at the notes noticing they’re all hundreds, and there’s at least five of them, maybe more. I stand to go after him, but as I glance up, he’s already out the door and walking down the street. My stomach falls through the floor. Not at the thought that he left me with so much damn money but because he left, period.
Xander’s been coming here periodically for the last two years. In that time, I’ve seen him maybe four or five times. Each time he’s come in, my heart seems to beat faster in his mere presence. Each time he seems to know more and more about me.
Where he’s finding his information from, I don’t know.
But there’s one thing I do know.
Xander has me in a spin, and I don’t think the fucker even knows it.
ALEX
Pulling on my suit jacket, I feel like crap as I fasten the buttons. I’ve been feeling like this for months now, and I can’t seem to shake this damn mood every time I walk into this godforsaken office. Sure, I owe my father everything, and I do find it rewarding at times, but then there are other factors that make this hellhole a real chore to handle.
It’s hard to deal with.
It’s hard to live with.
Sure, we might be bringing a huge profit to Scott Enterprises but at what cost?
The door to my office flies open with brute force as it smashes back against the frame, making me turn to see my father storming in. His fiery demeanor leaches off him in waves. So much so, I can feel the burn from here. His graying hair is looking particularly combed over today, and his suit impeccably tailored as he leans forward aggressively ready to lash out at me.
It takes merely a millisecond for his voice to rise to where the entire level can hear. “What in the name of all things holy were you thinking, Alex?”
I lean back against my desk, my fingers wrapping around the edge, gripping on tightly to restrain my anger. They turn white, but I’ll contain myself.
I must.
He’s not only my father but my boss, and I’m in the wrong.
At least in his eyes.
“In my defense—”
“There is no defense, Alex! You walked out of the final eviction briefing. Damn you! It was the most important one. The last tenants in the area need to vacate, and they’re being fucking difficult...” The redness in his face makes me wonder if he’s going to stroke out right here, right now. “We need them gone, Alex. Like yester-damn-day! You understand this, don’t you? It’s not a difficult concept to grasp.”
I scoff, turning around glancing out my fourteenth-story window overlooking the city of San Francisco. It’s a beautiful spring day, the sun’s shining, but it feels like there’s a sinister storm brewing in this very room.
“What I don’t understand is why you can’t offer them something more.”
Dad lets out a boisterous laugh that’s so loud it almost rattles the pictures and certificates on my walls. “Something more? Something. More! Boy, we’re offering them a place in the new mega-complex, what more could I give them?” He stops, composes himself, lowers his voice to deadly serious and continues, “This is all beside the point, Alex. You left the meeting. And for a long fucking time you disappeared without a goddamn word.” He glances at my desk, and I follow his line of sight to see a wad of Saran Wrap sitting there.
I tense as Dad scrunches up his face with a groan. “Keep your damn office tidy and don’t have fucking trash lying around, Alex. Have some godforsaken pride in your workplace. I don’t know who the hell you’re turning into, boy. You’re such a disappointment to me right now.”
Fuck! That hit right where it was meant to. I may not approve of everything my father does or the way things are run around here, but his approval means everything to me. If he’s disappointed, it fucking stings. So, I pick up the wad of Saran Wrap and throw it toward the trashcan. As I do, my arm grates on the lining of my shirt, the pressure of my suit jacket sends a sting through my fresh tattoo.
My father steps closer with rage burning red hot in his obviously infuriated eyes. “You have to know how bad this looked to everyone, our second-in-charge merely standing up and walking out like that. How fucking irresponsible it is of you to leave everyone in the damn lurch, boy!”
I spin, anger now igniting inside of me which I can’t control. I usually try to keep calm, keep everything under control out of respect to my father, but he’s pushing my buttons too hard this time. I slam my fist down on my desk, hard. The stapler rattles, my pen rolls off the desk all while I glare at him with intense ferocity. My nostrils flare while I feel the vein in my neck twitch as I stand and move around the desk. “And what about the people whose lives we’re destroying by taking over their businesses with this deal, Dad? Isn’t that irresponsible… putting hard-working people in distress for nothing more than our gain?”
Dad scoffs, shaking his head. “You’ve never been able to see the bigger picture, son. Sure, some of the retailers who can’t buy into the new mega-complex will have to close up shop.” He shrugs. “But they’ll move on and be fine somewhere else. They’ll get a nice sum of money from us to vacate. They won’t be left in the lurch. And those who can afford to come over and be part of the new mega-complex will be even better off.” He exhales, stepping closer to me, his puffed-out chest seeming to soften as he relaxes a little. “This initiative isn’t just about our gain, son, it’s about sustainability for San Francisco. It’s about job growth. About making that area a retail experience for everyone…” He exhales. “I know you’re looking out for the little guy in all this, but there will be far more who benefit than the few who lose out.”
I grunt, turning my back on my father and move to sit at my desk. “I get it, I do. I know the stats on job growth. I know this mega-complex can only be a good thing, but I’m concerned for the people who will lose out.” My stomach sinks. “It’s not right.”
Dad exhales while stepping over in front of my desk, glaring right at me, his gray-blue eyes appearing old and worn with the number of lines around them. “I see so much of your mother in you. Your compassion and unwavering loyalty are admirable, but… it’s also something you can’t afford to have in this business. If you want to head this company…” he stands taller, his chest puffing out again, any tenderness of before gone, “… you have to pull your head out of your ass. I don’t know where it is you go to when you run off, but Alex, you need to focus. I’m counting on you to see this through, son.”
Glancing into my father’s eyes, I simply nod. Guilt riddles me. It flows through every part of my being—toward my father for not working as hard as I should, and of course, for Tomi. Because I actually like her. Guilt because th
is mega-complex is going ahead whether I like it or not, and it’s going to wipe out Hope & Faith Ink. It’s going to take away the place her parents helped her build including the memories of her family.
This is the part of business I fucking hate.
And she’s going to have nothing to do with me if she ever finds out.
So, she never can.
Tomi’s far too perfect. I can’t bear the thought of her knowing.
“Pull yourself together, Alex. This is all business,” Dad relays then turns, storming out of my office.
I glance over to see Sasha, my personal assistant, peering over her high desk watching on, but when she spots my eyes on her, she turns back to her computer and starts typing. Letting out a long exhale, I sink back into my chair.
This is the job I signed up for.
It’s not pretty, but with the bad comes the good.
Some people have to suffer for good to flourish. When this mega-complex is built, the job opportunities will be tremendous. I know that, but the people losing their jobs because of the complex is what’s getting to me.
I can’t be here anymore.
Today’s been a day of crazy highs and dramatic lows. I need to go home, have a drink, and relax. So, I turn off the screen to my computer and hit the buzzer on my desk to call for Henry, my driver. Yes, I’m that fucking uppity. I hate myself for it sometimes, but Father insists if you’re the Vice President of Scott Enterprises, you must play the part. That includes the penthouse apartment and having a fucking driver at my disposal. Personally, I’d rather drive myself, though Henry’s been with me for a very long time, and he’s more of a friend these days.
And don’t get me wrong, I’ve worked hard to get here. It wasn’t handed to me on a silver platter as some people think. But I do wonder sometimes if I’m suited to it like my father. I know when I’m the president of the company, I will run things differently, especially when dealing with business acquisitions.
Grabbing my briefcase and duffle bag, I head out the door, dipping my head to my personal assistant on my way. “Night, Sasha.”
“Evening, Mr. Scott, see you in the morning,” she chimes with a toothy grin which could light up the entire room. She’s a beauty for sure, a little ditsy sometimes, but she gets shit done, and that’s all I care about.
I stride past her toward the elevator, then ride it to the parking garage. The doors slide open, and Henry’s waiting in his black Audi, as always.
Smiling, I open the rear door and jump in. At the start, Henry always opened the door for me, but I quickly put a stop to that shit. I’m not fucking royalty, and I have a hard enough time with the idea of him driving me around, so I’m good to open a damn door by myself. Though I must admit, I do like his company.
“Evening, Henry, how was your day?”
“Hello, sir. Quite pleasant, thank you. Straight home tonight?” he questions.
My answer is typically yes, but tonight something clicks in my mind. All day since seeing Tomi and having her tattoo my arm, I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind. So, I make a choice. “Not tonight, Henry. Can you go to the mega-complex site, I want to check something out?”
“Certainly, sir.” Henry pulls out, then drives up the ramp and out onto the city streets. The pale moonlight shines through the glow of the streetlamps giving the night a harmonious hue. My chest squeezes at the thought of seeing her twice in one day. It’s usually weeks, sometimes months between visits. I don’t even know why I’m going to see her.
I just know that I want to.
I need to.
We drive for a short time—it’s not far from the office to the mega-complex. With every turn of the tires, my heart beats a little faster. My breath quickens. I haven’t had a female in my life for a long time. I’m twenty-seven, and my last girlfriend was in high school. I’ve been far too focused on work and occupied on getting where I need to be to impress my father and to be the man I need to be for him. Sure, I’ve had women in my bed, but none I’ve wanted any more from. There’s something about Tomi, a definite attraction. I care about her. We may have only had a few interactions, but in those, I feel like I’ve gotten to see the real woman. She’s not fake or hiding anything. She is who she is, and she makes no apologies for it.
Plus, I love the look she has going on—the pin-up, retro vibe. She doesn’t wear dresses, but more skinny jeans with flannel shirts. Her platinum-blonde hair is always pulled up in a ponytail with bangs and a red scarf around her head. Not to mention the bright red lipstick she always wears with the killer red heels to match. She’s drop-dead gorgeous. Her unique style is her own, and it suits her perfectly.
As Henry pulls up to the mega-complex designated area, I direct him toward Hope & Faith Ink. But as we get closer, I notice Tomi on the side of the street hopping into a bright red and black Mini Cooper. The car is just her style as I lean forward toward the driver’s seat. “Henry, see that red Mini?”
He glances at me, then to the Mini that Tomi has disappeared into. “Yes, sir.”
Taking a deep breath, I steady my shoulders. “Follow it.”
Henry nods as Tomi takes off down the road, and Henry follows safely behind. My heart hammers in my chest. This is new territory for me—being a stalker. I didn’t know I had it in me or that my night would turn into this. I came here to talk to her, but I don’t want to stop her from going home if that’s where she’s going. Plus, I’m still dressed in my suit—I didn’t stop to think about that fact when I left work.
That’s kind of a problem.
Yeah, I didn’t think this through.
So, now, I’m in my car following hers like some creeper.
Good one, Alex.
Eventually, she pulls up at a medium-size home. It’s a nice place as Henry stops across the street so I can watch. Luckily, the car’s windows are tinted, so even if she tried, she couldn’t see inside the car. My crazy stalking is safe, for now.
She slides out of the car, then walks around helping Levi. With his trusty backpack over his shoulders, they race to the front door like a pair of young siblings, not ones with a nine-year age gap. It’s special the way she looks after him.
They enter the house as I sit watching. The front window is a bay, and it’s wide-fucking-open for me to see right in. Shaking my head at Tomi’s inability to keep her private life private, I swallow a lump in my throat as she helps Levi with his backpack, kicks off her heels, then pulls Levi to her. They start bouncing around the living room together to something that’s playing on the television.
Sinking into my seat, it warms my heart at how a woman so full of life, so full of fight and bravado can come home and simply give her younger ‘special needs’ brother so much attention. It’s making me feel things I didn’t know I had in me.
I’m an only child, and I’ve never known what it’s like to have someone to grow up with. But I can imagine if I did, our lives would have been very different from Tomi and Levi’s. My parents were strict, tough, though fair. But playing wasn’t something which was permitted very often. I had to work to get what I wanted in life, to get to where I wanted to be. Maybe it’s why I rebel against my father because I never truly got to live growing up.
Dad has no idea about my tattoos. If he saw them, he would lose his shit. He doesn’t like that I do things which aren’t considered upper class, elite, and his version of normal.
I just want to live my life.
To be able to express myself in a different way than what’s classed as normal. Maybe even to bounce around a room like an idiot and enjoy myself like Tomi and Levi are currently doing.
Suddenly, Tomi’s eyes turn to look out the window and single in right on my car.
I tense up. Even though I know she can’t possibly see me, it feels like she’s looking straight at me. The hairs on my arm stand at attention at the way her eyes are studying the vehicle. She stops, moves to the window, her hand’s pressing against the pane in an attempt to see further. My muscles seize a
s my breath catches.
She’s on to me.
I don’t want to scare her, so I make the call.
I’ve gotten my fix.
This will tide me over until I can see her again.
I hope.
“Take me home, Henry,” I instruct, keeping my eyes locked on Tomi. It’s as if she’s staring right at me even though I know she can’t see through the tint. If only she could. I feel this unbelievable connection, like a magnetism, pulling me toward her. I’m not quite sure I know what it is just yet, but there’s something there, and I want to protect her. I want nothing to stop her from living the life she’s supposed to.
I wish I could tell her.
I want to tell her everything.
I’m Just Xander to her, but she also knows me as Alex-asshole-Scott from Scott Enterprises.
I’m the man ruining her life.
I’m the man evicting her.
I’m the man who’s going to come in and stop her from having everything she’s ever wanted.
And it definitely makes me a fucking asshole.
TOMI
It’s been a long-ass day. I’m exhausted. I just want to go to sleep, but I’m lying in bed awake waiting to see if Levi has any issues with going to sleep tonight. For the past couple of nights, he’s called out to me. But tonight, he’s been quiet in his room for the past twenty minutes. Levi will either call out because something scares him, or it will be fine, and he’s drifted off. Then I can finally go to sleep until he wakes me up, usually the next morning.
