by Jill Patten
I’m normally not a nervous person. Most things people stress over slide right off my back, but because this is a necessity, I have to make sure I do it right. And I’m doing it in front of the most prestigious, judgmental person I know. He can make me or break me. Not internally, only externally. I’ll never allow him inside my heart again.
My hand is on the handle about to open the door when I pause. Everything I’ve ever fought for is about to be erased. I’ve rebelled against my father and swore I’d never do things his way, but those words are now all a waste. I never in a million years thought I’d throw in the towel.
“Does he know I’m coming?”
Molly steps out of the car. “Yes.”
“Is he gloating with victory?” I ask, sarcasm heavy in my voice.
She stops walking and looks at me. I do the same.
“Lance, please don’t go in there anticipating a fight. If you walk in with the attitude you’re carrying now, this will turn into a disaster. I don’t care how much he belittles you, just suck it up and be the better person.”
“Says the daughter who can do no wrong in his eyes.”
She ignores my comment because she knows it’s true, and no matter how much she tries to make our father see differently, he won’t.
I walk in with my head held high. He will not intimidate me. He will not break me down. I’m not doing this for him. I’m doing this for myself, and most importantly, Phoebe.
Molly steps around me and greets the lady with overly tanned skin and short, black hair at the front desk. “Hi, Melissa, can you let my father know we’re here?”
She smiles at Molly and eyes me suspiciously. She’s probably trying to figure out why Molly has a guy with her. It’s no secret to anyone who knows our family that Molly is gay. If she has any brains, she’d see the resemblance. I’m a spitting image of my father. He’s never given me a damn thing worth having, but I do have to give the old man props for passing his ridiculously good-looking genes down to me.
“Hey, Molly,” she greets cheerfully. “He’s expecting you. Go on up.”
If I’m going to become acquainted with these people I might as well start here. I throw my hand out and introduce myself. “Hi, Melissa, I’m Lance King.”
“Oh…uh…hi,” she says, stammering all over her words. She blinks repeatedly as if she’s trying to see something different each time. I can see the realization set in when her grayish eyelids stop flickering and she stares at me wide-eyed.
She doesn’t seem to be able to conjure anything else to say, so I ease her discomfort. “It’s okay, I’m not offended. Wade tends to forget to tell people he has a son,” I say with a low voice, leaning over the desk. I wink, give her a toothy grin, then turn around to follow Molly.
“Ignore him, Melissa. He gets off on the slightest scent of estrogen,” Molly says over her shoulder.
Following behind Molly, I chuckle.
We head down a long hallway with offices lined up along both sides. “Do you always have to flirt?” she asks in a hushed tone. Everyone’s head pops up from whatever they’re doing to watch us as we walk by.
“Ah, c’mon, sis, I’m just trying to release some of this tension. You don’t want me going in coarse and uptight, do you?” I ask, taking my steps in long strides. “Damn, are you in a hurry or something?”
“Um, in case you forgot, we are late. Let’s not make this any worse than it has to be.” I roll my eyes. Fuck him. He’s lucky I’m even going through the effort of being here. It’s only because my hands are tied that I’m going through the trouble of bowing down to him.
After stepping off the elevator, we walk to the end of the hall until we’re standing outside his door. Molly turns to me looking hopeful and says, “You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I reply. Time to put my big boy pants on.
She opens the door and there he sits in his big, black leather chair like a king on his throne. His elbows rest on his deep mahogany desk with hands folded and his chin resting on them. A massive smile graces his face when he catches sight of Molly then it quickly diminishes as soon as he spots me walking in behind her.
“Hey, Daddy,” she says, stepping around his desk to kiss him on the cheek.
“Hi, baby girl. This is a pleasant surprise,” he says as if he didn’t know we were coming. His matching blue eyes cut over to mine.
I nod. “Dad.” I’m barely able to choke the word out. Normally, I call him Wade or jackass, but I figure I better be on my best behavior.
“Lance.” He nods back. His lips pull in tight, forming a thin line.
Our cordial greetings are forced. I guess it’s better than our usual screaming match. The tension between us is like a crackling electric current. I’m waiting for him to strike at me any second.
Molly sits down in one of the maroon pleather chairs and points at the empty one beside her for me to do the same. “Okay, before things become any more awkward than they already are, I want you both to be open-minded with each other. I don’t want to act as the mediator with you two. I’d rather you both handle this like adults without me overseeing it all.”
For her to speak to me like a child is one thing, but for my father to sit here and listen to her is another. He takes orders from no one. I’m pretty sure if God were to tell him to get on his knees and pray, he’d probably refuse. The man is sinister.
I thank God every day I’m nothing like him.
His hands steeple in front of his face. “Molly, please,” he says, staring her into silence. His voice is flat. He clearly doesn’t appreciate her talking down at him.
She nods, understanding he doesn’t need to be chastised by his daughter. There’s the father I know.
Not wanting to waste any of his precious time, he starts in on me. “So, Lance.” He rolls his chair back and stands up. “I hear you’re ready to grow up and become a respectable man.” He adjusts his already perfect tie and walks around his room as he inspects all the plaques on his wall. This is his how he likes to ridicule me—he berates me while he looks over all of his accomplishments. He might as well take them and rub them in my face and tell me I’ll never amount to anything. Oh, wait, he already did that six years ago. That was the day after I graduated and refused to follow in his footsteps. When I told him I wanted no part of this company, he told me to never step foot on any of his property again and that I was a disgrace to the King name.
In my eyes, he’s the disgrace. I’m sure my grandparents have already rolled over in their graves. Besides doing what’s right, I’m also here for them. I want to do right by them. If my father is going to slowly drill this company into the ground, then it’s up to me to build it back to what it used to be. What my grandfather built it on—love, valor, and equality to all.
If my grandparents were still alive, they would’ve turned this company over to me in a heartbeat. They knew my father was incapable of running the company without ruining its reputation, but with no one else to hand it over to, they took the only choice they were left with—my dad, their only child. If only they’d lived long enough to see my eighteenth birthday.
No sense in dwelling on what could’ve been. This is here and now, so I need to brace myself for what’s ahead.
“If you’re going to work here then you’re going to have to learn to speak up when someone’s asking you a question.”
“I didn’t know you were asking me anything. I thought you were just making a statement,” I reply, trying my best to keep my attitude in check. Every time he speaks to me all I want to do is come back at him with a good old-fashioned ‘fuck off.’
He cuts his icy blue eyes my way. “Don’t be a wiseass. You need me more than I need you. Remember that,” he snarls, pointing his finger at me.
“Okay, okay, okay!” Molly shouts, jumping up from her chair. “This is the crap I was talking about. Just stop the nonsense, please?” she begs.
I remain in my chair with a placid expression on my face. I act almost as if I’m
bored. I’m not giving him what he wants. No fucking way.
Wade’s nostrils flare, and he pulls his lips in between his teeth. The flat line of his mouth is his signature look of when he’s pissed off. He’s battling within himself. He’s working on cooling down. I’ve seen it so many times before, and it’s funny how after not having any contact with him in six years he’s still the exact same miserable man. Misery still loves company.
He walks back around his desk and sits in his chair. He reclines back and stares at me without saying a word. I’m not sure if he’s challenging me to a staring match, but I watch him watch me. We both forget Molly is in the room.
After what seems like hours passing by, he sits up in his chair and rests his arms on the top of his desk. “You’re on the payroll starting Monday, but I promise you this, I won’t make it easy. You will follow my orders. If you so much as wipe your ass wrong, you’ll be instantly terminated. Any questions?” It’s killing him to do this. I can hear it in his voice; the way his teeth nearly grind together when he addresses me.
I have a million questions I want to ask, but if I do, he’ll know it’s something I’m concerned with and he’ll tell me the opposite of what I want to hear. “No, sir,” I reply, shaking my head.
He forced us to call him sir instead of Dad when we were kids. He knows I’m doing it now to be a jackass. He’s no fool. He knows I’ll never respect him.
Molly and I leave his office in silence. It’s not until we’re in the safety of her car before she screams like a five-year-old girl on Christmas morning and claps her hands with excitement. “Oh my God, I’m so happy for you, Lance!”
I wish I had the same reaction as her. I’m dreading the hell out of Monday and every day that follows.
As much as I hate this entire situation, I’m happy for my sister. Our broken family has always put her in the middle. She’s the peacemaker. She remains neutral with everyone. I know it’s her dream to have all four of us to be together as one big happy family, but sadly, that’ll never happen. Not because I don’t want to, but because I can’t ever allow it. Wade would have to suffer from permanent memory loss in order for him to change his lifestyle.
It’s better if I don’t say anything, so I offer her my megawatt smile. I’ll allow her to bask in the moment. Her happiness means so much to me.
She turns the key and starts her car. “You two scared the shit out of me in there. I thought things were gonna blow up when Dad came at you with his nasty remarks.” She blows a hard breath and turns serious on me. “Thank you, Lance, for doing this.”
“Don’t thank me. You’re the one who made it happen. I need to thank you for going out on a limb for me.”
“You know what I mean.”
That I do. And in the end, Phoebe is the one we all should be thanking.
“C’mon, enough of this sappy shit. I’m starving. You buying? I am unemployed, you know?” I laugh. “And, who knows how long it’s going to take for my trust fund to come into effect.”
She rolls her eyes as she pulls onto the main road. “If I recall, you have two jobs now, so you should be buying my lunch.”
“Yeah, well, that one doesn’t pay and the other has an asshole boss.”
She whips her head in my direction. “What? Thad doesn’t pay you?” she asks, appalled.
I start laughing again. “Of course, but it’s not much since he takes my rent out of my check.”
“Oh, phew, thank God. I was about to drive over to the Surf Shack and kick his ass.”
“I know I need rescuing every now and then, but I think I can handle this one, little sister.”
She throws a punch my way and her protruding knuckle gives me a charley horse instead. “How’s that for little? Don’t underestimate the power behind these muscles.”
BLUE
The plane lands a little bumpy, but I don’t care. The sun is shining and I’m about to see my girl. It seems like it took ages for this day to get here. I just hope she’s as excited to see me as I am her.
As I’m scooting along down the escalator to the baggage claim, I spot her immediately. She’s jumping up and down with a sign that reads “Hot Surfer Boy.”
Shaking my head, I laugh at her goofiness. Her hair looks longer than last time, and she’s wearing shorts short enough to show pube hairs, if she had them. I know where my hands are going to be in the next thirty minutes. Maybe I’ll be lucky and she won’t be wearing any panties. Damn, I’m a fucking horn dog.
If we were in a more serious relationship, I’d jump the heads of all these fools blocking me, pick her up, and swing her around like a fucking lunatic. But, we haven’t reached that level yet.
My eyes roam over her body from head to toe as I approach her. She’s even more gorgeous than I remember. With our blue eyes and blond hair, we’d make some gorgeous babies together.
What. The. Hell. Did. I. Just. Think?
Never in my life have I ever pictured kids in my future. I don’t know if I’m even capable of taking care of a pet. She really is fucking with my head. The sad part is she doesn’t even know it.
“Blue!” she screams. “Get your ass over here.”
The smile on my face hasn’t weakened for a second. She makes me so fucking happy. I always thought I was happy with my life. Always felt content. She’s brought on a whole new meaning to the word.
“What’s this?” I ask, taking the sign from her hand then engulfing her in a massive hug. I’ve been dying to feel her smokin’ hot body against mine. And her mouth. Lowering my head, I gently press my lips to hers, then lick her bottom lip to take a taste. I’ve definitely missed her sweet mouth. Our lips part, and we both slip our tongues against the other as we explore and dance in unison.
She ends the kiss, and I’m kind of thankful because my dick is about to jump out of my shorts. It’s seeking attention from her too.
“Mmm, you taste good. You taste like some kind of berry,” I tell her. I lick my lips as I try to figure out exactly which berry it is.
She giggles. “That would be my strawberry flavored gum.” She sticks the pink wad out between her teeth to show me. “I was going to share it with you, but I figured that was so junior high. Besides, it’s still new. I haven’t chewed all the flavor out yet.”
“Well, I sure as hell don’t want it when you’re finished with it.” I smush my lips against hers and give her a long closed-mouth kiss.
Hiking my duffel bag up on my shoulder, I take her hand in mine and lead us out the sliding glass doors.
We both slide our sunglasses on, and Phoebe pulls me, leading me the way to where she’s parked. Remembering back when she drove me to the airport, her Mazda struggled to start. She said she thought her alternator was going bad, but I think it’s more than that. It made a weird whining noise every time it sat idle. I’m not any kind of mechanic, but I can point on when a vehicle isn’t running at full capacity. Her safety means everything to me, so I make a mental note to help her trade the questionable piece of junk in for a newer one once I get the extra money.
We’re riding down the freeway, and I swear I can’t take my eyes off her.
“Stop staring at me. You’re making me feel self-conscience,” she says, never taking her eyes off the road.
“Who says I’m staring at you? I could be looking at the beautiful scenery surrounding us.”
“Yeah…sure…okay.” She smiles, still not looking at me.
“Seriously, dude, everything is so colorful around here! I think you’re just fishing for compliments if you ask me.”
She rolls her eyes and laughs. “Um, I’m not a dude, and I wasn’t asking. Just stating a fact.”
Holding my hands up in front of me, I surrender. “Okay, okay, you caught me. I’ve missed staring at your gorgeous face, and…I can’t decide on whether or not I should tell you about the booger hanging out of your nose.”
Her hand slaps over her nose and mouth at lightning speed. “Oh my gosh!” she garbles behind the palm of her hand.
She starts mumbling on about more, but I can’t make out exactly what she’s saying.
I’m laughing so hard, I can barely catch my breath.
Her eyebrows knit together, and she glares at me with piercing blue eyes that could turn someone to ice. It doesn’t bother me, though. I continue chuckling. Then I tell her the truth.
“I’m joking. There’s nothing there. I promise.”
She eyes me warily. With sleek moves, she rubs her fingers under her nose so that I don’t see anything if there were to be one there. I guess she doesn’t believe me. Can’t say I don’t blame her. When she feels confident enough, she pulls her hand away, looks up at herself in the rearview mirror, then backhands my arm. Hard. “You’re a jerk!”
Her anger only triggers me to start laughing again. “But you like this jerk, and that’s all that matters.”
Her eyebrows are gathered, causing a deep crease to form between them, and her lips are pulled tightly together. She looks absolutely adorable, and I tell her so.
“Whatever.” She tries to act like she’s irritated with me, but I see the corner of her mouth twitching. She wants to smile, but she’s fighting it.
And I egg her on.
Reaching over, I swipe my finger underneath her nose. “Here, you’ve got a little somethin’ somethin’.”
She chomps at my hand, and I pull it back with quick reflexes. “What tha…”
She’s the one laughing now.
“Stick your fingers over here again and see what happens.” The side of her lips curls up, and I immediately want to kiss her.
Turning in my seat to face her, I reach over, grab the inside of her thigh, and slide my hands all the way up until my fingers sneak past her shorty shorts and are touching her panties. “Be careful how you threaten me,” I growl as I push her panties over and my fingers glide into warm, wet paradise.
A gasp escapes her. Her lids lower as I insert two fingers.
