Chapter Twenty-two #2
“Thank you, and West, you’re not a hot mess. You’re just learning new things. You’ll be just fine.” I didn’t add that I had twenty more years of life experiences on him. I didn’t want to point out the age difference again. We’d settled that a long time ago.
While I didn’t like the idea of anything being rigged in my favor, when it came to spending time with my boyfriend, I’d pull out all the stops.
“Good morning, son. Sorry I’m late.”
I watched him pull out the chair and sit across from me, picking up his menu and perusing it without further comment. Something was definitely up.
I checked the time on my phone. “Only three minutes. How’s Mom?”
“It’s never acceptable to be late. If you’re not fifteen minutes early for an appointment, you’re already late.”
God, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that one.
“Anyway, I waited for you before I ordered.” I lifted my hand to signal to our server, who hurried over with a carafe of coffee.
After we ordered our breakfast, I stared at my father for a moment. “What’s going on? Why are you acting so jumpy?”
Dad sighed. “Your mother ran into Scott at Old Ebbett Grill yesterday. He asked about you. She told him you were just fine. Business is doing well, and you’re happy.
He asked if it would be okay to call you, and she said not unless the two of you have any unfinished business.
Do you have any unfinished business with Scott? ”
“Aside from wanting back my youth without the cheating bastard in it? No. We sold the house and I got my half. He was never on any of the paperwork for the shop, so that’s never been an issue. As far as I’m concerned, our business is concluded. End of story.”
Dad nodded. “Did you get closure from how your marriage ended?”
Number one, my father wasn’t the person I expected to ask me that question. My need for closure on anything has never been his concern. “You’re a man and you always act like a man. You don’t cry and you don’t show anyone that you’re upset under any circumstances.” Again, if I had a nickel...
“Pardon my language, Dad, but Scott stuck his dick in too many guys for me to have counted. I get closure every time I get a negative diagnosis from my half-yearly STI and HIV tests. What made you come up with this?”
Dad’s surprised expression nearly made me laugh.
He put cream in his coffee and stared over the top of the cup at me.
“Bridges, I want you to be happy, son. You know I thought you’d join me at Aames Investments when you finished college, and maybe I was upset when you announced you were going to make bicycles and race them around the world.
I mean, you’re successful now, but your mother and I worried about you.
“We were shocked when Claude told us he was going to invest in your company, and we felt guilty that we were blinded by our own expectations to see you were passionate about what you planned for your future. We don’t want to see anyone take advantage of you.”
I bit my tongue for an instant. Was he alluding to Weston? Did my parents think he was taking advantage of me?
“If you’re referring to Weston, Dad, you have nothing to worry about. He and I love each other and we’re making a life together. He makes me happy, and I’m doing my damnedest to do the same for him.” I meant it.
“How do you feel about the situation Claude created with his will? This whole thing about Weston needing to convince the Board that he’s prepared to run the company?”
Before I sent my lover to the slaughter, I wanted to know my father’s feelings about Claude’s bullshit. If I got a bad vibe from him, I’d make Weston put him at the end of his lunch date rotation.
Dad shook his head. “I loved Claude like a brother, but he had some fucked-up guilt complex about how his marriage with Elise ended and how he got together with May. If he got a couple scotches in him, he’d talk about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know how they got together, right?” Dad raised an eyebrow at me.
“Yes, Claude told me when we rode out to Long Island once. He didn’t say anything about guilt or regret, though.
He just said that May was a one-eighty from Elise, and his marriage to Elise had been in the shitter for quite a while—his words not mine.
Anyway, I got the impression he didn’t really want to talk about it, so I didn’t ask questions. ”
I thought about it for a moment and looked at Dad.
“Was it guilt over his poor choices that’s driving this stupid caveat for Weston taking over Aames?
Him having to prove himself to the Board?
That CJ and Claudia get to vote regarding whether they think Weston can run the company?
What’s the contingency plan if they don’t approve Weston? Who runs Aames Investments?”
That was something that had never been clarified as far as I knew. Edmond didn’t reveal much information, which gave me the feeling that there was more going on than either West or I knew about.
“What are you and Edmond hiding? You know West had an accident and has been going to physical therapy. He was clipped by a cab as he was going to Edmond’s office to pick up a package, or so Edmond says.”
I was getting pissed. If the two of them had conspired to do anything to sabotage Weston, I’d find a lawyer and figure out how to take them to court for fraud of some sort.
No way were they going to tank my guy’s success. “Are you going to answer me?”
“Look, son. When Claude told me he’d been diagnosed with stage four cancer, he asked me what I thought of Weston as his successor.
We all knew that CJ wasn’t the guy to take on that level of responsibility, and Claudia would likely have bled it dry without a thought.
At the time, I didn’t think Weston would be a very good fit either.
He’s young. He’s had issues with impulse control.
Hell, he permanently lost his driver’s license here in New York because of his lead foot.
The kid as his MBA and he had no plan for a future. ”
Dad took a gulp of his cooling coffee and shook his head. “That damn caveat was my fault. I told Claude to give Weston a challenge. A chance to earn the company. I said it would give him a sense of accomplishment if he succeeded, and then I’d be around to help the kid if he needed it.
“I blame myself for it, but maybe it’ll give Weston some incentive to prove everyone wrong. I hope so.”
That was not the answer I wanted to hear. Sadly, it was exactly what I expected.