Selfish

by Shantel Tessier

  CHAPTER TWO

  RYDER

  “What did you say?” Luke growls as he lets go of the glass door and turns to fully face me. Shoulders pulled back and chest puffed up.

  “He can’t—”

  I look down at my watch as if I have somewhere else to be. “He can,” I interrupt his lawyer with an annoyed sigh. “You will be notified within days,” I tell him.

  “You little shit!” Luke hisses stalking towards me. “You think you can blackmail me?” His voice roars with anger.

  “I’m not blackmailing you, Luke. I’m giving you a reason to take the very generous deal we offered you. That’s all.”

  He comes to stand before me, his face inches from mine even though I tower over him. I look down at him, trying not to roll my eyes. I get it. I’ve cornered him, and he doesn’t like it. But he alone is the reason he’s in this position. He can only blame himself. “And between you and me,” I say, lowering my voice, “we both know that those other offers are non-existent. So”—I lean over and pick up the papers off the table and hold them out to him—“take the deal, Luke. Take the money and start over.”

  “I’m so sorry I’m late!” my father declares five minutes later, as he bursts through the glass conference door with his assistant, Jessica, hot on his tail. I smile at her, and she adjusts her black-rimmed glasses as she turns her nose up in the air.

  “O’Kane,” Luke says his name with hatred.

  “Mr. Hahn. If you could just allow me five minutes of your time …”

  “No need,” he says, interrupting him. “You know you’ve done well with him,” he says, eyeing me with disgust. It was an insult, but I take it as a compliment.

  “I’m glad someone can appreciate me around here.” I give a pointed look at my father.

  “We’ll be going,” Luke announces to the room before tossing the now signed papers onto the conference table. They slide across the black marble and come to a stop right before they fall off the side.

  He pins me with an evil glare before spinning around and walking towards the door, and his lawyer makes sure to throw me a screw you look.

  My father turns to me, wearing his own pissed-off look. The one I used to always get as a kid when I disobeyed him. His dark green eyes narrow, and his lips purse. “Ryder,” he growls, calling me by my middle name. The only name I answer to these days. “What the hell just happened?” he demands.

  You have to know one thing about my father. This business is his life. His favorite child! He loves my sister, Becca, and me, but his business never lets him down. It’s made him enough money to buy anything he freaking wants. It has made him a God. And that is more precious than any living soul to him.

  I reach over, gather the papers from the table, and slap them to his chest. “What I was thinking was that I have a plane to catch in a couple of hours, and there was a deal to close. You’re welcome.” He reaches up and grabs the papers before they fall to the floor. “Oh and, Dad, sometimes mixing work with pleasure does benefit you.” In more ways than one. I walk past him and wink at Jessica. She stands there staring at me with a look of hatred, but it turns to heat when I watch her eyes drop to my slacks.

  I make my way down the long hallway, passing an office here and there before I come to a waiting area. My assistant sits behind her desk on the phone. She doesn’t even bother to look up at me as I walk past her and into my office.

  “Ryder.” No surprise my father followed me, slamming my door shut behind him.

  “By all means,” I say, plopping down in my office chair. The windows behind me that showcase Manhattan have the morning sun shining on his face, making his green eyes look brighter than normal.

  He squints as he lets out a huff. He comes to a stop and stands in front of my desk. One hand in the pocket of his dark gray slacks while the other hand still holds the signed contract. “How did you know he was on the verge of bankruptcy?” he demands.

  “Does it matter?” I ask carelessly.

  “Goddammit, Ryder. Answer the fucking question!” He snaps.

  I sit back in my seat as I look him in the eyes. My sister and I both got our dark green eyes from him. Our mother’s eyes are a purpleish blue. “I’ve been hooking up with his daughter for almost a year. A few months ago over a bottle of wine, she told me he was nearing bankruptcy and needed help with the restaurant.”

  He shakes his head confused. “You …” He pauses and runs his hand through a full head of dark hair. For as hard as he works and stresses, my father still looks very young for his age. I guess he can thank my mother for that; she’s into all of those oils and all that facial shit. She’s obsessed with appearances as much as my father is with his career. But he draws the line at any medical procedure. My mother, on the other hand, has no limits when it comes to staying young. “You told me you heard word of it on the streets.”

  “On the streets. In my bed. It doesn’t matter, Dad.”

  He stands there for a few more seconds before he spins around and walks to my office door. No, thank you, Ryder, you did a fabulous job. Does he even know how hard I worked to get that information? He goes to open my door but stops and looks back at me. “I have to go to Paris.”

  “What? When?”

  “Now! That’s why I was late to the Hahn meeting. William couldn’t get the deal signed, and I need to go and do it myself. Have a safe and happy birthday in Panama City.” I nod. Naked chicks. Alcohol. My sister. What’s not to love? “Oh and Ryder?”

  “Yes, Sir?”

  “Take care of your sister. There are some perverted fucks out there.” Then he exits just the way he came in—pissy and in a hurry. His normal self.

  I reach over and press the button for my assistant. “Yes, Mr. O’Kane?”

  “Can you call Milton and tell him I’ll be ready in ten? Please!”

  “Yes, Sir.” She answers happily.

  I’m checking last-minute emails on my computer when my door opens. “What’s up, man?” I ask as my best friend enters my office.

  He walks in as if he owns the place. His flower-patterned shirt and holey jeans have me raising my eyebrows in question. I don’t have time for him to go through a mid-life crisis at the age of twenty-nine. “Hey, man, we gotta go,” he declares as he checks his silver Rolex watch. I hate to tell him his careless attire doesn’t match the twenty thousand dollars he’s wearing on his wrist. “We should have been on the road fifteen minutes ago. You know New York traffic is a bitch.”

  “I know. I know.” I say, closing everything out. I can’t help but yawn. God, I’m tired.

  “How was California?” He asks.

  “It went well.” I literally just arrived back from my business trip at three o’clock this morning. I had to miss my sister’s college graduation yesterday because I had business in California. My father was scheduled to go, but my mother got mad and told him work did not trump his only daughter’s college graduation, so I volunteered to go for him. He wasn’t for it, but what choice did he have? My mother would have killed him, and he really did want to be there for Becca. There’s not much my mother cares about, but for appearances sake she would not allow him to miss a photo op. So instead, I went to California for two days and watched my sister walk across the stage while my father FaceTimed me. It wasn’t what I had planned, but at least, I got to watch her walk.

  I landed this morning on our private jet and was going to go home and get some rest until I needed to be at the airport, but then I remembered this meeting my father had this morning and I couldn’t miss it.

  Jaycent taps his foot and looks at his watch again. “Dude …”

  “I had a meeting run late,” I inform him, gathering up my things. “Why are you dressed like that?” I ask, truly concerned for him. He’s been my friend my entire life, and I’ve never seen him dress in anything with floral designs on it. “Your shirt looks like you’re wearing wallpaper and your pants look like you lost a fight with a pair of scissors.”

  “What?” He a
sks, looking down at his shirt and running his hand down the front of the fabric. Is that silk? “We’re going on vacation. I wanted to dress the part.” He says with a smile.

  “Well, as your best friend, I feel that I must tell you... You look stupid!” He doesn’t get to go on a vacation very often.

  He waves it off. “Quit worrying about how I choose to dress and let’s get out of here! We’ve got alcohol and ladies waiting for us on a beach.” He rubs his hands together excitedly. “And someone is having a birthday tomorrow.”

  I smile at that. We’ve been planning this trip for two weeks now. I got a call from my little sister a couple of months ago, and she wanted to come home to New York to see me on my birthday. But at the time, I had been scheduled to be in Paris for business. My father ended up sending William instead. Too bad William couldn’t get it done. I would have.

  I spoke to Becca the following week, and she told me that she and her friend were going to take a small vacation to Panama City since I was gonna be out of town. I haven’t seen her much since I graduated high school and went off to college eleven years ago. But that’s to be expected when one of us lives in Seattle and the other in New York.

  I started to think about the last vacation I took, but it had been so long, I couldn’t even remember. I just work. And work some more. This job is my life. I’ve become my dad, just without the wife and children at home. I’m fine with that. One day I will run this company, but I want my father to know that it won’t be just because my last name is O’Kane.

  “Come on! Let’s go!” I say, standing from my chair. I can’t wait to see

  Becca. She’s been going through a hard time lately, and I hate how much we don’t talk anymore. But this is also why I never told her I was gonna meet her in Panama City. I never told her that I didn’t go to Paris. She knows how busy my schedule is, and at times, I’m only home for one day out of a week. I’m constantly flying here or going there. I wanted my trip to Florida to be a complete surprise.

  I know it’s different for a brother and sister to be close, but we always were growing up. We may be seven years apart, but I’m her big brother, after all. She needs someone to look after her. I’m all she’s got; my father sure as hell isn’t gonna be there for her, and my mother is too wrapped up in herself to stop and worry about her unless the situation will benefit her.

  We walk out of my office, and I make my way over to my assistant’s desk. “Kelly?”

  She looks up at me from her computer and smiles. Her bleach blond hair is pulled up into a tight and perfected bun. Her red lipstick which I swear has stained her lips that color, is perfect as usual. Her dark blue eyes look from me over to Jaycent for a quick moment, and her cheeks turn as red as her lips before her eyes dart back to me. They have something going on. Only an idiot would miss it.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. O’Kane?” she asks sweetly as she places her forearms on her desk.

  “Has my father already left for Paris?” I ask her, going through the mail that sits in the wire basket on her desk.

  “Yes. The helicopter has left to take him to the airport. Are you out as well?” New York traffic can be a bitch, and he has no patience for such nonsense. Or so he would say.

  I nod, answering her previous question. “I won’t be back until Monday. Forward all calls to my cell.”

  She smiles cheerfully. “Will do, sir.”

  I walk away from her desk and over to the stainless steel elevator doors, the heels of my shoes clapping on the white tile floor. I look over at Jaycent standing next to me, but he’s still looking over his shoulder at Kelly. “Can you be any more obvious?” I whisper. I can see why he wants to stare at her. She is a replica of Barbie—the hair, the shape of her body, and even her eyes—if you’re into that kind of woman. When I was interviewing for an assistant and she walked in, my first thought was fuck her working for me. I’ll do her right here and now and then send her on her merry way. But the big rock on her left finger stopped me from voicing that idea. And by the time the interview was done, I realized she would be much more reliable to me as an assistant than a quickie. But in the three years she has worked for me, her fiancé broke her heart. And now, Jaycent wants to be her rebound.

  He turns his head to look at me, his light brown eyes full of mischief. “I still don’t know how you haven’t hit that.” He states, whispering in awe.

  After her fiancé had dumped her the thought had crossed my mind, but then realized I didn’t want to lose her as an assistant. So the answer was easy! “Haven’t you heard of the saying don’t bite the hand that feeds you?” She’s never even tried to make a pass at me, and I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.

  “Haven’t you heard of work perks?” He questions as the doors glide open. “You slept with your father’s assistant.” He reminds me.

  “Yes, I remember. It was just weeks ago. But she is also not my employee. Yet.” I add. Once I take over, I’ll let her go. Kelly will always be my assistant. But I doubt Jessica makes it that long.

  Entering the elevator I press the button for the lobby. As the doors slide close, I add. “And I’m sure as hell not gonna dip where you’ve been.”

  He turns to face me with a shocked look on his face. “I have not slept with her!” He announces as if that was offensive.

  Bingo! That’s exactly what I wanted to know. “Yet!” I push the subject.

  He shrugs as he turns to face the doors. “We’ve had dinner once, but that’s it.”

  “Wow!” I say impressed. “You were able to eat a meal with a female and keep your dick in your pants.” I add with a smile.

  “Baby steps.” He replies.

  “Gotta crawl before you can walk.” I smirk.

  “I’d crawl anywhere for a piece of her.” He says in an awe-like voice.

  “Down boy,” I order, laughing. “I’ll make sure to buy you a walking leash for Christmas.” I tease.

  “Make sure it’s a studded one,” he says with a big smile. “Those are my favorite.”

  I laugh and then change the subject. “I gotta run by my apartment first.”

  As the elevatror comes to a stop he asks, “Why? Have you not packed yet?”

  “No.” I admit.

  “Are you serious?” He sighs heavily as we walk through the lobby. I wave and say goodbye to Mason, the security guard who works the front desk.

  I push the glass front door open and step out into noisy Manhattan. I love it here. The hustle. The traffic. The noise. It’s my home and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. “I was a little busy last night.”

  “How did you have time to hook up with someone? You didn’t get back from California until like four this morning,”

  I lift my finger in the air. “It was three. And I take offense to that. I have a life besides work.” I roll my eyes.

  He snorts. “Whatever you wanna tell yourself.” He also knows I’m lying. “Why don’t you just grab the bag you have packed from California? I know you haven’t unpacked it yet.”

  “It was business. All I took with me were two suits. I have to pack a new one.” I explain.

  We walk up to the black Cadillac Escalade that is parked curbside. People walk past us on the sidewalk while taxis and other vehicles fill the busy streets.

  “Hello, Sir.” My driver says opening the door for me.

  “Hello, Milton.” I get into the backseat of the SUV and Jaycent follows behind. “How did you get here?” I ask, looking over at him.

  “I had a car drop me off. I called you a few times and then decided to just come up here and drag you out of the office if need be.”

  I nod my head in understanding. “Yeah, my phone is on vibrate …” As I trail off he frowns. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, there are three missed calls from Jaycent, along with several text messages from Hahn’s daughter. I sigh, ignoring them and place my phone back in my pocket.

  ASHLYN

  “November Rain” by the amazing Guns N’ Roses blar
es in my ears while I sit in my cramped little seat. While on our first plane for the day as we fly over … well, I don’t know where we are flying over at the moment.

  I have the tray table in front of me down and a book propped up on it as I read one of the greatest love stories ever told. Romeo and Juliet! I find it amazing! These days you don’t find people fighting for what they believe in anymore. They just whine and bitch about how it should be, in their opinion, but they don’t actually fight for it. For love. They would rather give up and call it quits. People have this mentality that shit should just be given to them. If they actually have to work for it, they walk away.

  Romeo and Juliet fight till the end. And what an end it is. Have you ever loved someone so much that you couldn’t see yourself living, knowing that they are dead? I haven’t. You hear couples say it all the time. When I die, I want you to move on, be happy. Find someone else to live the rest of your days out with. Screw that! If you love someone that much, how can you even imagine them being with someone else? Call me selfish, but that is how I imagine I would feel if I ever fall in love. But that raises another question. Does that kind of love even exist? That soul-crushing, heart-ripping agony? I’m not sure. People fall in and out of love daily it seems. It’s pathetic.

  I let out a cuss word when douchebag shoves his elbow into my side and then pulls out my right earbud. “What?” I demand as I turn to look over at Conner. Somehow, he got the middle seat and Becca got the window seat. Leaving me with the aisle. And it wouldn’t be so bad if the guy with the wandering eyes across the aisle, would stop staring at me while he licks the salt off his peanuts. It’s disturbing and hard to ignore. I take a quick look noticing Becca is sleeping as her head rests on the window, the shade down.

  “How do you listen to music and read at the same time?” Conner asks in wonder.

  I snort. “I can multitask. You should know how that works, considering you can juggle three women at a time.” Becca has to know how he truly is. She has to see how he stares at the other women on campus and how when they break up for a week, he goes and hooks up with several of them. I swear she took Conner on as a project. She wants to save him, but I hate to tell her it’s too late. He falls in that category where they think shit should be given to them—the entitled. And for Conner, that includes women.