Teacher's Pet Complete Series (36 page)

My older brother was nothing more than an obstacle, however frustrating he was. I had gotten past worst hurdles before. Lynn and I were destined to be together. I knew it in the depths of my being. It was as clear as clear could be to me. Everyone else needed to hop on board and see it too, and stop getting in my way. Let it be what it was supposed to be.

Lynn still wanted to be with me, and that was clear, but it was also clear that she wanted to be with Simon, and that was something that I couldn’t take. It wasn’t in my nature to share. When I was a kid I had played on my own, scavenged for myself, and achieved my accomplishments with little to no help. What was mine was mine. The deplorable situation had to be remedied. With me, it was all or nothing.

I considered relationships like a business, in many ways. Relationships only worked when everyone knew without a doubt who was the boss and who owned the controlling stake in the company. One of us had more to lose than the other. The problem with Lynn was that she hadn’t realized the stakes at hand. She hadn’t realized what she stood to lose if I got fed up enough and walked out of her life for now and forever.

I blamed it on her youth and how inexperience could make a person miss out on the important things in life. Careless and immature, the young were driven by hormones and emotions. My libido was in good working order, but under very restrained self-control. It took more than a flash of tits and ass to derail me, and as for emotions, they had no place in making logical, rational decisions.

I forced thoughts of Lynn out of my mind again. There’d be time to deal with her after I dealt with my meeting with Cornelius. However, I resolved I would indeed have to deal with her. There could be no more of this back-and-forth bullshit she was playing. My infatuation with her had much to do with allowing the fickle behavior to go on for far longer than it should have, but decisions had to be made.

The elevator door slid open. I pulled at my suit coat and made sure my collar was straight. Presentations are always important to people, even if they see you every day. Walking into this office always made me feel good. There were smiles from the ladies, nods from the men, and handshakes from those who thought kissing my ass would advance their careers. It was both funny and ego stroking to be treated like I was treated at FVC. (Unfamiliar, in some ways, because though I had always been treated with respect, it was a new experience to be treated with deference.) I ate it up, because there was a time where I didn’t know where I belonged.

“Good morning, Mr. Foster. How are you today?”

“For the hundredth time, Lisa, you can call me Dane. It’s okay, I promise.”

“I know, I know, but I feel like if I start calling you by your first name it’ll become a habit, and what if I call you Dane in front of your father? You know how he feels about that.”

“Ah-ha, point taken. But you’re a smart cookie, and he trusts you. It’s your job to not make mistakes, so I doubt you’ll have any slip-ups. I mean, I can trust you with a secret, can’t I?” I winked. It was a habit and part of my charm; I couldn’t help myself.

“Being trustworthy is a quality that I possess. Yes, you can trust me…Dane.” She lowered her head like she had something important to read on her desk, but I caught a schoolgirl blush spreading across her face.

“Is he in?” I nodded toward the door in the hall.

“When is he not? Coffee?”

“No, not today, thank you. I’m hyped enough as it is. I don’t need the extra caffeine to boot.”

“Suit yourself. I’ll ring him to let him know you’re coming.”

“No.” I put my hand over hers. It was a reaction to stop her from pushing the button on the intercom. I retracted it quickly. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to, umm—”

“No, it’s okay.” Her blush deepened, and she smiled, her eyes giving me an appreciative once-over. “I, uh—just go right in. He’s not scheduled for any meetings. He should be free to talk, but I’d knock first, if I were you. Dealing with surprises isn’t his strong suit.”

“Yeah, mine either. Talk to you later.”

“Bye, Dane.” She waved, wiggling her fingers.

As I approached my father’s office door, I felt a sinking feeling deep in my stomach. It was the usual feeling I got, making myself nervous, working myself up, putting pressure on myself to make a good impression every time I saw him. I didn’t know why I did it to myself, but my father had extended to me a wealth of responsibilities and opportunities, and I was determined not let him down. I didn’t plan on doing it in the future. He was the only living person whose opinion I cared enough about to modify my behavior. I wasn’t the take-orders subordinate type. Authority was my middle name.

I raised my hand to knock.

“Come in,” he said, before my knuckles rapped the door.

Fucking Lisa, she told him I was coming.

My father’s office was a sight to behold. It was grand in scope, about the size of an impressive loft apartment. A wall of windows was behind him so he could catch a stunning view of the city by simply turning around in his chair. There was art on the walls that collectively cost more than my car; oil paintings, portraits, water abstracts, some hand-drawn sketches by artists I wasn’t familiar with. But art really wasn’t my thing.

I had a decorator who cost an arm and a leg. I entrusted all my interior decorations to her so I didn’t have to deal with that stuff. My dad, however, I knew, could probably not only name every artist associated with the works on his walls, but give a tidbit of information on their personal lives as well. He was a well-rounded intellectual—not just a shrewd businessman—and I envied his expansive knowledge. Like a child, I looked up to him, though he didn’t know it. I wanted to be just like him.

My father’s personal tastes, unlike mine, remained simple. He was the sort of man who was so focused on his work that he didn’t care about things that didn’t appreciate in value. He could get a job done from a closet with nothing but a student’s desk, if he had to. If it weren’t for having to impress his clientele, I had little doubt his office wouldn’t be so impressive, save for the art.

There were a couple of modern chairs directly in front of a huge desk made of stained dark wood, and a comfortable-looking black leather couch off to the side against the wall. I entertained thoughts of lounging on the couch, but I knew better. Sitting, let alone lounging, in front of my father could be intimidating even for me. I pulled up one of the two chairs and sat to face him.

He pulled his glasses down to the tip of his nose, looking serious with his arms folded across his chest. He pushed back toward the wall in his high-backed chair with a slightly perturbed “you’re disturbing me” look on his face. I felt like at any given moment he could squash my career and send me home packing, escorted by security. He wouldn’t, though; it wouldn’t be a wise business move. But he could.

“Son.” He rarely said my name. I assumed it was because he had nothing to do with giving it to me. “How can I help you? Is everything good with our project in New York?”

“Oh, yeah. Everything’s perfect. The construction is ahead of schedule, and I’ve got Tom supervising everything out there in my absence. He’s doing a great job. Turns out he was a good choice after all.” He nodded, acknowledging what he had known all along, though I had been skeptical of his choice of Tom in the beginning. “But that’s not really why I’m here.”

“Of course it’s not.” He sat forward and placed his elbows on the desk. “What’s troubling you, son?”

“Well, before I get into all of that, I’m curious about something. Why aren’t you at the hospital with Caroline?”

He adjusted in his seat. “Because I’m not very fond of hospitals. Let me tell you something, son. I’m old, and to old people hospitals are like gateways to the grave. They’re plagued with the sounds of sickness, the constant smell of disinfectant tricking your mind into thinking it’s normal. And with my son just lying there, helpless…with us standing over him like we’re attending his vigil… No, I don’t see what good would come of it…all of that tortuous waiting. I don’t have the patience.” He paused and looked, locking his eyes with mine. “I presume you’ve gone to visit your brother by now, since I know you weren’t at the hospital with the rest of us.”

My father had a way of looking at you until you were compelled to tell the truth, no matter how bad it made you look. This time was no different, and I wasn’t immune. “No, I haven’t visited him.”

His eyes narrowed to slits.

“I was there, but in the lobby. I couldn’t bring myself to go up.” Not exactly a lie, but not a hundred percent truth. “I just didn’t want to see him…in that way.”

I waited for his response, feeling my stomach muscles clench. My father hadn’t gotten where he was without being able to peek into souls and see through deceit. If he felt like I was being untruthful, there was no doubt that would spell trouble.

He sighed, taking off his glasses to look me directly in the eyes. “I completely understand.” I quietly let out the breath I was holding between my lips like I was blowing out a candle. I’d come too damn far for my career to be squashed over something as insignificant as Simon. My father, of course, knew how much my brother and I were at odds, but I didn’t need to remind him.

“I had a hard time being there myself, son. But that’s no excuse. You’ve got to buck up. He is your brother, and he should be supported until he gets back to full health. And by supported, I mean both physically and spiritually. I expect you to see him in the next couple of days…and there will be hell to pay if you don’t. Understand?”

Fuck!

“Yes, sir. I understand, completely.”

“Good.” He placed his glasses back on his face, slipped them down the bridge of his nose, and began to read the papers on his desk again. I was beginning to feel like I was dismissed.

“Oh,” he said. “Now what is it you wanted to see me about originally?”

I was hoping I could get out of there before he asked. Suddenly, what I wanted seemed not so important anymore, or rather it was the timing that seemed inappropriate. “Never mind. It wasn’t that important.” I turned to walk away, lengthening my strides.

“It was important enough for you to disturb me in my office when you know I like to take my preparatory time in the mornings. What’s the emergency? I don’t hear any fire alarms ringing, but I assume you infringed upon my solitude because whatever you needed from me was important to you. Now, I could be wrong, but you’re not going to tell me I’m wrong, are you? Are you, Dane?”

By him calling me by my name I knew this could be a slippery slope if what I had to say didn’t sound important enough to him… Fuck it. I just stuck out my chest and spilled it. “What I need to talk to you about is twofold. One being business, and the other thing is personal.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Okay, then. Continue.”

“I’ve been thinking of moving back to New York, but permanently this time. I’m no good out here in California. There’s too much happiness and too many trees. You know, a lady stuck her head out of her window and yelled thank you to me the other day because I let her pass in front of me on the road. It’s too much for me, full of hippies and tree huggers. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the weather’s great out here, and it’s nice to be able to see you in person, as often as I have been…”

“But?”

“But…I don’t belong. I need to get back to where I’m comfortable, and I’m a New Yorker, through and through. I wear it like a suit, and the natives can tell. Besides, I believe the project needs me. Tom is great and all, but I need to be hands-on with it. I can only do so much conducting business via phone calls and video meetings—”

“I agree.”

“With what?”

“With all of it. I understand where you’re coming from, son. I was raised in New York as well, so I know how it is, and I can see how you would miss it. The deafening sounds of the big city, the hustle and bustle, people looking so stressed out that if their faces got any tighter they’d crack and fall to the ground like brittle clay. Ha! Oh, and the traffic! Can’t forget about that, the culture of rudeness and the smell.”

“Pop, c’mon, I’m serious.”

“I know you are, son, but my question is, are you are you being truthful with me? More importantly, are you being truthful with yourself? Is your wanting to leave really about going back to New York or is it about you being with a certain lady? I’m assuming you’d want to take her with you, if you could? And I’m also assuming part of the reason for this discussion is you’ve been thinking about taking her with you. Perhaps so you could get her away from your brother?”

Damn, I hated my father sometimes.

“Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not immune, it just rarely happens.”

I said nothing, rocking back on the legs of my seat.

“Exactly. So, that’s obviously the case. You have to know, I can’t in good conscience give you advice one way or the other. I can’t advise you in a way that would hurt Simon, and, to be fair, I wouldn’t advise him on this matter if he asked because it would hurt you. Either way, I’d be betraying one of my sons, and as a father, that’s something I just won’t do. Understand?”

I nodded, trying to keep my face impassive.

“So what little advice
I can
give you is do what you have to do, son, but do it with respect for your brother and this family. No matter if it hurts you…because that’s what real men do.” He paused to think for a moment. “But I will say this, and then let’s close the matter. Make absolutely sure this girl is really and truly what you want, because once you follow your heart down a road like this, it’s hard to find your way back home again. A woman can be a man’s best ally in helping him build or she can be his worst enemy, destroy him and all that he’s accomplished. Trust me when I say this to you.”

“I see. On which side of that coin did Mom fall?”

Instantly his face soured and he shot me a glare. “You know I can’t discuss your mother with you. It’s just too painful for me.” He stood up from his chair, shooting it back to the wall with a bit too much force, and it bounced off the windows with a soft thump. “Now, see your way out and let me get back to my work. Make sure you visit your brother like I asked. Have a good and productive morning, son. It was nice to see you again. And on your way out, could you do me a favor and ask Lisa to come in to see me, please? There seems to be discrepancies in this report she laid on my desk.”