Once everyone was seated, I stood and cleared my throat to get everyone’s attention. They turned to me, looking eager for whatever I had to say, probably because they knew the year-end meeting was when I thanked everyone for their individual contributions and handed out rather substantial bonus checks. The only one who seemed to sense something awry in my demeanor was Orlando. He exchanged looks with his mother but came away with nothing.
“First of all, I want to tell you all that your mother and I are blessed to have everybody together tonight, including our new guest,” I said, with a nod to Paris’s friend Trevor.
I couldn’t help but notice how the acknowledgment chafed Harris, the last outsider to become something more within the family and the business. I could see he had already begun assessing whether the young man was a potential threat.
I continued, “As I do at the end of every year, I have called all of us together for a brief slowdown from the crazy pace we set for ourselves. This moment is to reflect and to thank you for your hard work. You’re all very special to me and your mother, and not just for your value as part of what we’ve built here, but as a family. It’s not my normal demeanor to be so emotional, but I do love all of you, despite some of our differences. I’m proud of you all.” I purposely glanced in Rio’s direction. Chippy patted my leg approvingly under the table.
“Damn, Pops!” Rio exclaimed, a mischievous grin forming on his lips. “You tryin’ to break a brother down or what? You acting like you got cancer or somethin’.” He wiped fake tears.
“Rio!” Chippy scolded.
“Oops. Sorry, Momma.”
Rather than burning Rio with my gaze, I said, “Let him be, Chippy.” This unusual action got everyone’s attention. London shushed Mariah, who was now seated on her lap. Paris stopped fidgeting with her hair for Trevor’s benefit. Junior sat with his mouth agape. “Right now, each one of you owns three percent of the company, for a total of eighteen percent. Your mother and I are giving each one of you five percent more.”
“Dad, what’s up? You and Momma okay?” Orlando asked.
With a glance at Chippy, I spoke, my deep growl diminishing with each successive word, to where it was almost a whisper at the end. “Yes, son. We’re okay, but your mother and I will be ending our hand in the day-to-day business operations.”
The room was silent, until Paris stood, ready to take on the world to protect me.
“Why, Daddy? Did something happen? ‘Cause don’t nobody mess with the Duncans. ’Cause—” Paris cut herself off, glancing down at her date. I was sure she would have loved to say more, but Trevor’s presence kind of hindered that.
“No, princess. Nothing happened other than old age. All of you are grown now, and your mother and I aren’t getting any younger. We’ll be retiring to the house on Fisher Island soon, so we wanted to give you all time to adjust to the changes ahead.”
“Retiring,” Harris blurted out. I guess my right-hand man was caught more off guard than anyone. He looked hurt, too, probably because Chippy and I had kept this announcement very close to the vest, and he was used to being in the know. I was sorry for that, but he’d have to get over it, because it was already done.
“So if you’re retiring, who’s going to be in charge? Who’s going to be you while you’re in Florida?” I was sure Junior was simply seeking clarity. Although he was the oldest and possessed unquestionable loyalty to the family, nothing in his makeup said
leader.
The room fell silent again as they all waited for my answer.
“I’m glad you asked, Junior. Your mother and I thought long and hard about this,” I replied, sure to make eye contact with each of them. “First of all, technically nothing changes. Your mother and I are still the majority shareholders, but someone has to make decisions in our absence, and ultimately... we decided the person best suited for the job is Orlando.”
All eyes turned to Orlando, and as they studied him, I studied them. They had no idea what the future would bring, and neither did I, but I knew something wasn’t right, and that was why I was stepping down so that I could prepare.
Orlando
3
Every eye in the room was upon me the second my name slipped out of my father’s mouth. I scanned the room, looking each of my siblings in the eye as I tried my damnedest to hold back a smile. Yes, my father had chosen me to lead them, and I was sure there was going to be some resistance, but he had to choose me. It was the most obvious choice. Who else would he have chosen to lead us—Harris, Junior, or Rio? I don’t think so. I mean, Rio didn’t have a chance, and although Harris was smart and close to the old man, he still wasn’t blood, and everyone knew Junior didn’t want the responsibility. Besides, I’d worked my ass off for this business, for this family, so why wouldn’t they appoint me its new leader? I just wished Pop had told me ahead of time so that I could have come up with something inspirational to say.
No matter. I’d think of something when the time was right. I hadn’t even gotten a chance to let things sink in before my pain-in-the-ass little sister Paris stood up, pointing her finger at me and shouting with her usual lack of tact, killing the moment. “Daddy, why him? Why would you choose Orlando to be in charge?”
My father’s head swiveled in her direction. “You wanna know why? Because I said so, that’s why.”
Paris’s spoiled nature, along with the fact that she was my father’s unquestionable favorite, allowed her leeway in most situations, but the look in the old man’s eyes was all that was needed to remind her to sit down and not question him any further.
It was obvious to us all that he wanted to say more to my sister but held his tongue due to her guest, the politician’s kid. Why the hell would she bring someone she barely knew to a business function like this, anyway? All she was really doing was trying to seek brownie points with the old man. Maybe if she were more focused on business, like the rest of us, instead of partying and men, she’d have his attention the way she wanted it.
Foolishly, she mumbled something to my brother Rio, and my father looked even more pissed.
“What was that?” he snapped, his eyes shifting back and forth between Paris and Rio. “You two got something to say?”
Rio slumped back in his chair, but Paris boldly stood up again and said, “I’m sorry, Daddy, but I gotta say this. What about Vegas? How you gonna put Orlando in charge and pass by Vegas?”
Once again the room fell silent, and this time all eyes, including mine, were on LC. Heck, now that she’d mentioned it, I wished I had asked that question myself. Vegas was my older brother, between Junior and me. He’d been away for almost three years, but everyone in the family, including me, knew he’d been groomed to be the heir apparent since we were little. He was the only one in my family, other than the old man, I’d have no problem taking a backseat to.
Pop glanced knowingly at my mother, as if this had been the subject of many conversations between them. He sighed, then glanced at each one of us. “Your mother already spoke to Vegas about this, and he’s one hundred percent behind our decision to have Orlando run the business. As you all know, he’s got other things he’s taking care of right now.”
Yeah, but what’s going to happen when he comes back?
I thought as I watched Paris take her seat. My little sister and I were going to have a long talk in the near future, because there were going to be some changes around here now that I would be in charge. Her spoiled behind wouldn’t like the changes one bit, but she was going to have to deal with it.
“Are you sure about this?” I asked before adding, “Um ... about the retirement?” Couldn’t let them think I was unprepared for the announcement—even if I was.
“Mm-hmm. We’re sure about our retirement, son, just as we are about you leading this family.” The look he gave me almost dared me to refuse. Of course, he knew I wouldn’t, even though it was not going to be easy to deal with my siblings—and Harris. But life isn’t about knowing everything, especially in our business. It’s about how you handle the unknown; how you stare it in the eye, laugh in its face, and conquer it.
“Is this something immediate, LC?” Harris asked. I knew he hoped it wouldn’t be, because that would give him time to manipulate things to his benefit. Despite the fact that my brother-in-law and I worked well together, it didn’t mean I trusted him completely. Maybe it was our matching ambition and intensity that put us naturally at odds.
Harris had made us all a lot of money over the years, but I still questioned my father’s reliance on this dude. He hadn’t done anything to betray the family, and I didn’t have any clear-cut reason to distrust him, so it probably just rubbed off on me from Vegas. He had never trusted Harris, and wasn’t shy about his feelings, despite Harris’s hard work and apparent loyalty to our family. Vegas never told me what his beef with Harris was, but I was pretty sure it had something to do with our sister London.
“No, Harris. We’ll have time before Chippy and I wash our hands entirely of the business, but I felt it was time to let you all know. That way those who may need to step up and pull their weight will have the opportunity to do so. You don’t have anything to worry about, Harris. Orlando may be sitting in my chair, but yours will remain next to it. He’s going to need your advice and counsel.”
“I see. That’s good to know,” Harris replied, adjusting his suit jacket. It had been established that there was still a need for him, and I was sure he’d do all he could to exploit that. Still, my father had made his decision, and the decision was me. I didn’t think it could have been any clearer.
“Congrats, bro,” Junior succinctly uttered. He’d have my back in this. He was too easygoing to want to deal with this leadership shit. As good-natured and gentle as he was, that was what Junior did so well—the not-so-gentle stuff.
“You okay with this, bro?” I whispered. I really didn’t want him to feel as if I were taking him for granted.
“Yeah, you know me,” he said, as expected. “Can’t say the same about the rest of them, though. With them you’re going to have to prove yourself. Maybe even knock a few heads, if you know what I mean.” He let out a chuckle and looked around the room at my other siblings and my brother-in-law.
I already knew where Paris stood in all this. She’d made her position clear, but the rest were riddles, sure not to talk about or reveal their true feelings in front of Momma, Pop, or the outsider at the table. All I had were my assumptions, as Rio, Harris, and London took turns sizing me up the rest of the night.
While they did that, I tried digesting what it was going to mean to head an organization created by the great LC Duncan. What would I do differently once given complete free rein? What I did know was that I had to continue to build the empire my father had worked so hard to establish.
Finally, Harris walked over, extending his hand. “Congratulations, O. How about we sit down at the house with a cocktail and go over your vision for the future? I’ve got some great ideas for expanding in the South and Midwest.”
I wasn’t sure what he was up to, but if he was extending an olive branch, I was going to take it. “Sure, Harris, I’d like that. We’re going to take this family to the next level. You wait and see.”
“We sure are.” He gave me a smile that almost looked like a smirk as he walked back over to my sister. “See you back at the house in, say, an hour?”
“I’ll be there.” I slipped my BlackBerry from my pocket when I felt it vibrate. I’d received a text.
Just got some new shit in right off the boat. You were the first one that came to mind. You interested?
I lifted my head from the phone, then glanced left and right to make sure no one was within eyesight of my BlackBerry screen.
I glanced over at Harris, who was guiding my sister and niece toward the door, then replied to the text.
Damn right I’m interested. I was just given a big promotion at work and have a lot to celebrate. Give me about an hour to slip away.
The return text read, Congratulations. I’ll have my sister set everything up for the exchange.
I glanced over at Harris again.
Sorry, Harris, but our little meeting may have to wait until morning
.
Paris
4
I’m sorry, but I couldn’t get with the Kumbaya after hearing Daddy was leaving us—leaving me—for palm trees and sunshine. So, with Trevor in tow, I bolted out of there right after Daddy adjourned the meeting, so I could fucking breathe. There was nothing else to talk about, anyway. At least nothing left for me to talk about.
I’m sure King Orlando had a lot to say after Trevor and I were in the wind. I just didn’t understand what the hell Momma and Daddy were thinking about by leaving Orlando in charge, anyway. I swear, I loved my brother, but if he tried to put me on an allowance, I was gonna kill his ass.
“You have quite a family,” Trevor said as he drove me away from the dealership.
I guess he didn’t notice that I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. And what the fuck did he mean by “quite a family”? I wasn’t sure if he meant that shit as a compliment or sideways-ass insult. Right about now, I didn’t give a damn what he meant by it. I just wished he would shut the fuck up and drive. I needed a drink and some good music, and perhaps, if he was lucky, some dick, so I told him to head to the Jackie Robinson Parkway and good old Brooklyn.
Orlando in charge?
Orlando?
I could see Vegas, but all Orlando cared about were his reports and numbers. He couldn’t see the big picture, my picture. Pompous ass. He already thought he ran things, walking around like he owned the dealerships, telling me what I could and couldn’t do. Luckily, Daddy was always there to set him straight. But now? Now it was gonna end, because basically Daddy had confirmed what Orlando had always thought: that he was the king of the world—or the Duncans, anyway. Well, we’d see how much of a king he was when Vegas came home. If he ever came home.
I rolled my eyes in Trevor’s direction as I opened my phone to read a text that had just come through: You ain’t had to say bye, heifer. Despite how angry I was about everything that went down, I had to laugh at my twin brother’s text. He and Vegas always knew how to bring a smile to my face.
Sorry, bro. Had to get outta there. Going to BK for some drinks and music. Wanna meet us there? I replied.
Can’t. Got to work the club, or big bad O may fire me. LOL.
He ain’t gonna do shit! I replied.
I know. Just messin’ with you. So what’s up with your boy Trevor? Thought we were into bad boys.
I know, right? Shit, I’m still trying to decide if he’s on your team or mine.
Don’t get it twisted, sister. He ain’t on my team. If he was, I would know and would have let you know when he first walked in. I wish he was, though. He’s cute, in a preppy kinda way.
He’s kinda boring. That’s what he is. The things I do for Daddy. Listen, we need to talk about O when you get home.
“Paris?” Trevor called just as I hit SEND. From the tone of his voice, you would have thought he read my text.
“Huh?” I turned to him.
Dammit, if somebody had told me there was going to be an announcement tonight, I would have never brought Trevor’s preppy ass to the meeting. He made me look like a fool in front of Daddy and the rest of the family. Without him around, Daddy never would have snapped at me and probably would have answered my question.
Not that I gave a shit about Trevor. Sure, he was cute, and I was a little curious about what he was packing under the Ivy League suit, but he was as boring as watching snow melt. Nah, to be truthful, I think I’d rather watch snow melt than listen to his boring ass. All he ever talked about was his father’s election and what graduate school he planned on attending. God, if he told me one more time about how hard it was to choose between Harvard Law and Princeton, I was going to throw up in my mouth. Why the hell couldn’t he talk to me about something important, like when the hell he was gonna fuck me? This was the third time I’d been out with his ass, and he ain’t even tried to sniff the pussy. I’d basically written him off. Only reason I dragged his ass along today was so I could show Daddy that I could attract the same kind of boring-ass man as London if I wanted to.
“Why aren’t you talking?” he asked as we entered the Jackie Robinson Parkway.
“I’m sorry. My brother was texting me,” I answered just as Rio’s reply came in.
We sure do. Knock on my door when you get home.
I gave Trevor a fake smile, then texted, K, gotta go. Mr. Boring wants to talk. LOL.
“Your father surprised you, huh? Mine does that to me all the time, always springing a change in campaign strategy or unscheduled appearances. I know a car dealership—”
“Ships. Dealerships. Plural. We own many,” I said, correcting him as I held one hand aloft. He was starting to bug me more with each passing minute. Why couldn’t he just sit there and look cute?
“Oh. Sorry. What I was saying was that car dealerships are different than politics, but some things are the same.”
“It’s all politics, Trevor.” I swooshed my hand and stared out the window.
“Yeah. You’re right,” he agreed. “I should’ve learned that when I attended Harvard.... You know, I never asked you this. Where did you go to school, Paris?”
Damn. Now it was twenty fuckin’ questions. “I didn’t. After high school I attended a very special finishing school in Europe, and then I came home and got involved in the family business.”
“Oh, wow. I never knew you didn’t go to college.”
“Why? Is it a problem?” I snapped back with attitude. I knew he wasn’t about to talk shit about my upbringing!
“No, no, not at all. I just assumed you went, is all. Most people our age who have family like yours have gone to college.” This SOB sounded genuinely disappointed that I hadn’t experienced the richness of an Ivy League life like he had. “Ever thought about college?”
Blah. Blah. Blah. “Too busy for college.”
“Too busy? Too busy doing what?”
“Stuff for my dad. I’m the company troubleshooter. I handle collections.”
“Collections, huh?” he scoffed. “Sounds like your dad just made up a job for you. You trust fund babies got it made. But I’m not mad at you.”
“Huh? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Nigga, for your information, ain’t nothing I do for my father made up. I work for a living, and I probably make more than you and your daddy combined, so what the fuck I need with college?” As I pierced him with my eyes, I prayed that he didn’t call me out for lying. The truth was that although I did have a job with the company, I wouldn’t know where to send the check if Orlando handed me my American Express bill.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I always heard about you and your brother Rio at parties and clubs and stuff. I figured you were living off of some inheritance. I never knew you worked a real job. Poor assumption on my part.”
That was the problem with men: they could ruin their chance of getting a good piece of ass by opening up their mouths and letting some dumb shit come out.
“Yeah. Poor assumption, all right. You have no clue, no clue at all how hard I work,” I muttered, looking at my reflection in the car window.
He changed the subject. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I couldn’t help but notice that you and your siblings are all named after cities. What’s that all about?”
I wanted to say, “None of your fucking business, and why the fuck do you keep asking me all these dumb-ass questions?” but instead I answered with plenty of attitude, “My mother was real poor when she was growing up, and she always wanted to travel. So, after they named my brother Junior after my father, she named the rest of us after cities she wanted to see. I hope you don’t have a problem with the fact that she was poor.”
“No, no, I think it’s interesting, really. Truth is, my mom was kinda poor until she met my dad also,” he said, like I was supposed to care. “So, has she had the chance to go to any of those places?”
“Every damn one of them, and so have I.”
“Oh yeah? What did you think of Rio? I went down there as part of this National Geographic photography program when I was in high school.”
“Jesus Christ, can this motherfucker get any more boring?” I muttered under my breath.
He leaned over in my direction. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”
“Yeah,” I replied, reaching over into his lap. “I said you’re boring me, and I hate to be bored, so let’s try something a little more interesting. You drive while I suck.” I unhooked my seat belt and leaned my head over into his lap to give him a blow job. Shit, maybe if I was lucky, this would finally shut him the fuck up.