25. Daddy Downer
daddy downer
Deirdre
I ’m dreading the catch-up work that comes from being out of office, but secretly looking forward to being left alone while I settle in. There’s a new proposal waiting for me to review, and I will be indulging in a new audiobook while I lock in.
From the moment I step foot inside the distillery, the usual energy is off. Everyone has their heads down, and I brace myself because I have no idea what I am walking into, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve earned another drop in.
Dad’s been rather quiet lately, and while Angie mentioned he’s been wanting to back off, I don’t buy it. He never lets go of the reins when it comes to me. I haven’t seen Dad since I moved here, and I’d like to avoid him until I have good news to share.
Then again, with how unpredictable my father can be, I must stay ten steps ahead so he never catches me slipping.
I hope that Darius will give me a heads up beforehand. My brother has the luxury of being a free bird who has earned his trust. Regina is the spitting image of Cici. And then there’s me, the odd one out.
It’s not that I don’t love this family or being a part of it.
I’m grateful for our history and understand how hard we’ve worked for all we have.
I’m not naive to the sacrifices we’ve made for success or survival, nor am I embarrassed.
So my family has buried some skeletons along the way, who hasn’t?
Except when civilians say “skeletons,” they don’t actually mean bodies.
But we do.
The closer I get to my office, the looks on everyone’s faces tell me all I need to know.
Visits from my family really kill the mood around here.
My guess is Darius, Regina, or Dad. My money is on the latter.
I’m not sure why anyone needs to check on me now that Scar is here studying my every move and likely sending daily updates to them, even if Regina’s the one who hired him.
Surely his updates go straight up the pipeline to my parents.
I’m greeted by an awkward silence the moment I step off the elevator, and I brace for impact.
The Klarke on the other side of this door is gonna ruin my fucking day.
I take a deep breath and turn the knob to find none other than my father seated at my desk, wearing a hopeful smile that has indeed ruined my day.
“Hi, Daddy,” I say, attempting to sound excited.
“Hey, Dee,” he croons, getting up to wrap me in a bear hug. It’s a far cry from the abrupt phone call we last had. But this is the cycle. He hovers, we get into it, he comes crawling back after my mother catches wind of it, and then it starts over again from the top.
His deep baritone voice is soothing as he holds me tight, bringing me back to moments when I was a child and he still cherished the softness within me. It’s the same softness he now wishes I didn’t have.
“I miss you so much,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
I want to ask him if Mom sent him to make nice, but I already know the answer.
“What are you doing here? Where’s Ma?” I opt to ask instead.
“Getting straight to it, huh?” He chuckles, stepping back to say, “Your mother stayed back. It’s just me. I told her you’d be disappointed.”
We stand there for a moment, and I finally find the nerve to ask, “She sent you down here, didn’t she?”
“I know that look, Dee. Believe it or not, I’m not here to give you a hard time. I was in town to sign off on some things, and hoped I could take you to lunch before I flew back. Are you free this afternoon?”
He avoids answering, but I know.
Mom can’t force him to be the father she wants to be. That’s probably why she sent his ass here alone to grovel.
“I can be,” I sigh, trying to go through my mental checklist to make room for someone who couldn’t even call in advance. “I’m playing catch up today, but I’ll have Brian move some things around.”
After hinting at my workload, I maneuver him toward my office door, my hand on his upper back. He nods, stepping out in time for me to catch some of my staff averting their gazes.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget who my father is.
Elgin Klarke is no ordinary man, nor is he the face you wish to see before closing your eyes for the final time. Or in my case in my office.
To me, he’s my grumpy dad who’s still so in love with my mom that it feeds the hopeless romantic in me. He hates everyone but her and us, and he’s proud of it.
My parents are polar opposites in every sense of the word. My mom is to blame for my gentle heart. I attribute my mother’s calm demeanor to spending so much time around plants.
Plants absorb energy, release it back into the world, and breathe life into us. My mother is no different, a true breath of fresh air and balance for dealing with a personality as strong as Dad’s.
Not to mention she could salvage anything , nursing it back to health with love and attention. Even her smile could mend the cracks in a broken heart.
So it makes sense that not only is she able to rein in the powerful Klarke patriarch, she also has the power to get his ass on a flight to make nice with his daughter.
I shut my office door behind him and mutter, “Thanks a lot, Mom,” under my breath.
12:15 p.m. | 60 minutes before ‘the sixth incident’
The waiter brings us our meals, and I wait until he’s out of earshot before addressing the elephant in the room.
We don’t discuss the family business around civilians.
“Alright. Let’s talk shop and get it out of the way.”
He unravels his napkin, eyes fixated on me as he sits up straighter. “Deirdre, we don’t talk shop over meals, and that isn’t why I asked you to join me.”
I resisted the urge to call my mother and ask her why she sent him here with his tail tucked between his legs, but now I want to tell her to come and get her husband.
Instead, I twirl my fork in the pasta and opt to play nice. “What did you want to talk about?”
“How are you adjusting here?” he asks while slicing into his filet mignon.
Sorry, Dad. We’re talking shop during this meal whether you like it or not.
I sigh. “I’m doing okay. I’ve always loved this area.
Here, I feel important and optimistic in a way I don’t back home.
My input has value with this team. I don’t share many updates on this venture, because if there isn’t a win to share, it’s not worth celebrating.
” To you all , is the part I can’t say out loud.
He chews slowly; eyes that were once staring at his steak trek up to meet mine. And when he parts his lips, he slides his speared steak into his mouth, rather than engaging in this conversation.
Don’t say anything, Dad. It’s not like we were having a serious conversation.
I huff. “Tell me why you trusted me to lead Divin through an expansion in another country, but won’t support me doing it here? The success of the cognac launch had nothing to do with Lawrence. I volunteered to spearhead that project to get away from him.”
By the time I’m finished, my fork is pointed in his direction and I have to remind myself that we’re in public. I take a breath, waiting on his response.
He gently sets down his utensils, wipes the sides of his mouth with his napkin, and breaks his silence.
“Dee, I—” He takes a beat, exhaling. “I am damn proud of what you accomplished in France. You’ll notice I haven’t denied any funding for the bid, nor did I give you an issue on partnering with Gi,” he reminds me, leaning back in his seat.
I take a sip of water, debating whether or not to air out my other grievances, and decide why not. Since he wanted to fly here unannounced and fuck with my workday, let’s take it all the way there.
Fuck it.
“I know Regina offered that contract out of guilt, not because she believes in me. I’m grateful for the opportunity and exposure for our brand, but it was busy work to shut me up. If that was the goal, she succeeded.”
He tilts his head as he assesses me. “Baby, I don’t like hearing that you feel this way, but I can assure you that you earned that opportunity.
As for Regina, I have no say in how she handles her business.
She does whatever the fuck she wants, and the only person who could level with her isn’t here anymore,” he says with a frown.
We don’t talk about this, so the fact that he let it slip into our conversation has me smoothing my napkin over my lap and staring down at it as I try to find the words to say.
Maybe hurt people hurt people. And even though I wasn’t in love with him anymore, it still broke all of my trust in her. I miss the trust more than I miss him.
“I know. I don’t think I ever looked at it that way, like we’re both grieving,” I murmur, meeting his gaze again.
“What happened with Lawrence,” he starts, pausing to consider his response.
“I know you didn’t want that for him, but an example needed to be made.
Do you understand? He hurt my daughter and stole from my family.
I’d order that hit again, and he was lucky Regina let him go out with some dignity, because I wouldn’t have been so kind,” he adds, keeping his voice low.
He didn’t have a lick of fucking dignity, and damn sure wasn’t deserving of kindness.
Frustration builds in my gut, and I ball my fists in my lap in an attempt to hold my tongue.
“But I got accused of it, not her. They walked me out of Divin headquarters in cuffs, Daddy. I’ve never been more afraid in my life. She hasn’t even fucking apologized for it,” I lean in to whisper-shout.
He rubs his jaw. “Now, I’m disappointed to hear she hasn’t even apologized.
Nobody thought it would come back on you, and it shouldn’t have.
You had a solid alibi and were released quickly.
Thanks to the lawyer she called in. Uh—what was his name?
” he asks himself, snapping his fingers as he attempts to refresh his memory. “Pineros. Emiliano Pineros. That’s it.”
“Pineros? Why does that name sound familiar?” I glance at the ceiling, willing my brain to remember.
“Oh, they’re looking out for you down here. Have you met them yet? Good people.”
“Dad. Seriously?” I shake my head, urging him to get back on track.
“As I was saying, signing off on your ideas isn’t the same as showing up.
I never intend to make you feel stifled or silenced, and for that, I am sorry.
You’re my gentle child and thrive with TLC.
You take after your mother in that way. Those damn plants,” he says as he chuckles.
“I love you more than you even know, and I worry about you. You’re so different, which isn’t always a bad thing.
But I’m relieved to hear that you’re happy here. ”
I pat away the tears threatening to fall and clear my throat. “I love you, too. And as much as I miss you, can you at least call before you drop in? You scare my staff,” I tell him before I snort at the ridiculousness of the situation.
“I can do that. Will you visit soon? Your mom will kill me if you don’t,” he grimaces as if he can hear her now.
“Well, we can’t have that, huh?” I joke. “Thank you for listening. Don’t tell Mom we talked shop the whole lunch.”
He shakes his head, shoulders bouncing as he laughs softly. “I knew you were going to do it anyway, but it’s just us. You know better than to pull that shit with your mother back home.”
We don’t discuss the family business around civilians or at the dinner table.