Chapter Twenty-Three #2
I nod slowly. “Or son, I guess.” I think about having a child—a boy or girl, it wouldn’t matter.
Maybe one of each. Tossing them a rugby ball on the grass.
Taking them with me hiking. Showing the boy how to shave.
Hmm. “I used to think children weren’t in my stars.
I liked teens, but I knew I’d have to start with a baby, and I wouldn’t have a clue what to do with one of those.
But I can see it now. Watching them grow up.
It would be cool to have a kid like Thea. ”
She looks at her. “I know what you mean. She’s so lovely. I wish she hadn’t had to go through what happened yesterday.”
“No, of course. We’d much rather protect our children.
But she will have built a lot of resilience by dealing with that.
It will help her in the long run, as she grows up, compared to other kids who sail through their childhood then get hit with all the horrors of being an adult that life throws at you. ”
Chessie looks back at me with a kind of puzzled smile. “I suppose that’s true. You can be incredibly insightful when you choose to be. I guess that’s one reason why they wanted you for the CEO job.”
“That and my cash, I’m sure.”
She scratches at a mark on her cut-downs. “I was thinking about that. I know you talked about tearing up the contract. But I wanted to say that I think we should get Tane to draw up a new one. I want to make it clear that if we part ways, I don’t want any of your money.”
I sit back, lace my fingers together on my chest, and give her an amused look. “Like a prenup?”
“I guess. And I want you to tell your father about it.”
My smile fades, and I frown. “Our relationship is none of his business.”
“I know. But I’d like him to know that it’s not your money I’m after.”
“You want me to tell him you’re after my magnificent cock?”
“I’m sure that will put his mind at ease.” She giggles, and I grin. “Will you tell him?” she asks softly. “About the money, I mean.”
“If you want.” If it puts her mind at ease, I’m happy to do it. It won’t make any difference. If I want her to have money, I’ll find a way to give it to her. No contract is going to stop me from spoiling the girl I love.
*
It’s Monday morning, but I call the office and say I’m going to be late, and I spend the morning with the girls.
It’s only when Chessie gets a call from Nina to say the hospital is releasing both Mark and Joe that it’s time to make a move.
I give Thea a hug, then Chessie, and tell her I’ll contact her later and find out how they’re all doing.
I wave goodbye to them as Chessie drives off, and then, after putting on a suit, I take my Range Rover and drive to the Midnight Club, Bearcub in his crate in the back.
Orson’s waiting in the car park, and he puts Bearcub in the back of his car. “Was he good?” he asks.
“Yeah, and it was the perfect distraction for Thea, so thanks for loaning him.”
“How’s Chessie?”
My gaze drifts off into the distance as I think about what happened last night. With effort, I drag my eyes back to Orson. “She’s… good.”
His lips slowly curve up. “Bwah… bwa, bwa, bwa…”
“Yeah, yeah.” I give him the finger. “You were right. And I don’t care.”
He grins. “So what does that mean?”
“Not sure yet. But I’m hoping to make the engagement real. I’m working on it.”
His face lights up with genuine pleasure. “Dude, I’m so pleased for you.”
I laugh as he gives me a bearhug. “Thank you. We might yet be able to have a joint engagement party.”
“Scarlett was hoping. She said Chessie is crazy about you, and girls seem to know these things.”
“True.” I smile, warmed through at the thought. “Okay, I’ll catch you later.”
“Yeah, see ya.” He gets in his car and heads off home with Bearcub.
I know that Dad had a meeting here this morning, and I’m hoping he’s still around.
I go to his office, and sure enough, he’s in there, at his desk, on his phone.
His door is half closed, and I stand in the doorway.
He’s facing away from me, his feet propped on the windowsill, looking out at the gardens, so for a moment he doesn’t realize I’m there.
“…yeah I’ll be with you by six,” he’s saying. “But I need to go home tonight. She’s organized a meeting of one of her groups tomorrow and she wants me to be there to meet and greet.”
I lean on the doorpost, arms folded. Anger flares inside me. He’s talking to his girlfriend in the city.
“I know,” he murmurs. “I don’t want to do it either, but it’s about keeping up a front. We’ve been through this. You know I’m not doing it to hurt you.”
He must have switched his gaze from the view of the garden to the reflection in the glass, because he obviously sees me, and he sits up hurriedly and drops his feet to the floor.
“Gotta go,” he says into the phone. “I’ll call you later.
” He ends the call, puts the phone on his desk, and gets to his feet.
I slide my hands into my trouser pockets. “Next time, maybe you should think about closing the door.”
“I thought I had.”
We study each other from across the room for a moment.
“It’s not what you think,” he says eventually.
“It’s exactly what I think. Mum told me.”
He stares at me. Then all the fight goes out of him. He exhales, his shoulders slump, and he lowers into his chair.
“You need to sort it out.” I go into the room and take the chair on the other side of his desk. “It’s not just going to go away.”
He looks past me, out to the gardens. “I know.”
“You’re not treating either of them well, Dad. I don’t know who this woman is, but she deserves better, and so does Mum.”
He sighs.
“She wants to stay in the house,” I say. “She’s comfortable there.”
“So am I,” he snaps. “My family built that house. I don’t see why I should give it up.”
“You should give it up because she’s spent a lifetime with you. She’s given you two children. And you’re the one who’s cheating.”
“You don’t know the full story. Nobody knows what goes on in a marriage.”
“Dad, I spent eighteen years in that house with you both. I know exactly what went on. I know it takes two to tango. She’s not an easy person to live with.
And she’s made mistakes. But she’s your wife.
And she deserves honesty. It sounds as if your marriage is over.
So what’s the point in hanging on to it by your fingernails? ”
“I’ve spent years building my reputation. My business relies on me being trustworthy and respectable.”
That word again. “Fuck respectability,” I say savagely. “It’s meaningless if you’re unhappy. I don’t like the thought of my parents divorcing. But if you’re both unhappy, why stay? Who is this woman, anyway?”
He squares his phone on his desk. “Her name’s Ataahua. She lives in Wellington, but she travels a lot.”
“Where does she work?”
“At… the Beehive.” It’s our government building.
I blink. “Not Ataahua Ratana?”
He nods.
Shit. She’s a top National Party politician. It might be the twenty-first century, but it still wouldn’t reflect well on either of them if it came out that they were having an affair.
“Do you love her?” I ask.
He nods. That hurts, but I hide it for now.
“Then you should do what’s right,” I say earnestly. “Start divorce proceedings. Move out of the house and sign it over to Mum. And show Ataahua that you’re serious about her.”
He leans forward, his elbows on the table, and rests his face in his hands, then dips his head, running his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t want you to find out.”
I wonder why. Because he didn’t want to lose my respect? Because he feels ashamed? “This sort of thing doesn’t stay hidden forever. Look, I know you’re worried about the business, but I think being honest and doing the right thing looks much better than being discovered having an affair.”
He lowers his hands and gives me a half-hearted smile. “When did you get so wise?”
“Oh, I’ve made my mistakes, you know that. But I’m trying to learn from them.”
“You mean Chessie?”
“She’s not a mistake,” I snap.
He holds up a hand. “I mean, is she helping you learn from them?”
“Oh. Yes. Definitely.”
“You really like this girl, don’t you?” he asks softly.
I study my hands for a moment. Then I say, “She’s asked for a prenup that states she doesn’t want any of my money if we break up.”
He stares at me. Then he leans back in his chair. “Really?”
“Yeah. She wants you to know that she’s not after my money.”
He lowers his gaze. Then he sighs. “I suppose I asked for that.”
“She understood why you think that’s likely to be the case.
That’s why she wants the clause. Dad… I think we’ve both learned that the person who is right for us isn’t necessarily the one that seems the most suitable.
Love takes no notice of money or social standing.
Chessie isn’t from my world… but she appeals to me greatly because of that.
She’s not pretentious at all. She doesn’t care about labels or flash cars.
What’s important to her is her friends and family, and living a good and happy life.
She’s good for me, Dad. She grounds me, and lifts me up at the same time. She makes me feel like a better man.”
He looks surprised. “I never thought I’d hear you say anything like that.” His lips take on a cynical twist.
“You taught me how to be respected in business,” I tell him.
“You made me what I am today. A financial powerhouse. I’m strong, confident, and authoritative.
You showed me how to be hard, even brutal, when I need to be.
I’ll always be grateful to you for that.
But I’m not sure you taught me how to be a good man. ”
His smile fades.
“Chessie said I’ve always been like a bull in a china shop,” I continue, “and she was right. I’ve barged my way through life, trampling over others to get where I needed to be.
But she told me the fable about the North Wind and the Sun—that persuasion is better than force—and she’s right. It was like a revelation to me.”
“You’ve always been charismatic,” Dad says, “you’ve always known how to use charm to get what you want.”
“Yes, but it’s been a tool, the same as brute force when I need it. Chessie’s taught me how to genuinely care. And I want to use that going forward, with the Foundation. I don’t want to teach the kids how to succeed in business. I want to teach them how to be better people.”
The corner of his mouth quirks up. “Maybe she has been good for you after all.”
“I don’t think Mum made you feel like a better man.” It’s not easy to say, but I force the words out. “Does Ataahua?”
He looks away, out at the garden.
“Don’t see what’s happened with Mum as a failure,” I tell him. “It’s a successful marriage that has come to an end. Let her go, Dad, and move on. She deserves better.”
He leans an elbow on the arm of the chair and lifts a hand to rest on his lips. His eyes have turned glassy. Whoa. I can count the number of times I’ve seen him get emotional on the fingers of one hand.
I rise to my feet. “Think about it,” I tell him. “But if you don’t let her have the house, I’ll tell you now that I’ll take her side, and I’ll help her fight you for it. I don’t blame you for the breakdown of your marriage. But I do blame you for having an affair. She never deserved that.”
He doesn’t look at me. I wait a moment, then I turn and leave the office.