18. Alec
Chapter eighteen
Alec
I rub small circles on Jasmine’s skin as she clears her throat and answers my father's question. “I’m a fresh graduate. I graduated from NYU.”
“Oh, that’s the same school Alec went to,” my dad said, grinning. “Is that where you met him?”
“No. I met Alec through my brother. He’s—”
“Let’s not get sidetracked here,” Mother said, bursting into the conversation. “Jasmine, the question David asked is what you did for a living and not where you graduated from. You must admit that there’s a difference, right?”
“Mom!” Alec tenses beside me, and I smile at him before turning to his mother.
“I guess you’re right. They’re two different questions, but there’s also an overlapping line, especially in my life because while I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Admin., I don’t have a job yet. ”
“Hmph.” My mother scoffs, disappointment heavy in her eyes. Why is she being openly vindictive? She’s worse than I thought!
“How old are you again, Jasmine?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Twenty-five and jobless.” Mother picks up the wine glass and rises to her feet. “Lunch is over, thank goodness.”
“Sit down, Lillian.” Father glares at her. “It’s rude to walk out on visitors when you’re hosting lunch.”
“Visitors?” My mother asked, laughing. “This one is our son, I know that. But I don’t know who this lady is…”
“Her name is Jasmine, Mom.” Annoyance swirls in my belly.
“Jasmine…” Mother weighs the name on her tongue like she's hearing it for the first time. “Jasmine, do you know what Alec was doing at twenty-five?”
“I don’t know. School?”
“Tsk, that school is trash,” Mother says. “He was already running a foundation that racks in millions. He already does mini-side jobs that earned him peanuts.”
“How did you know that?” My mouth falls open. I did my side jobs in New York, so there’s no way she could have found out if someone didn’t tell her. My first guess is Damien.
“I’m simply trying to explain to Jasmine why being jobless is unattractive. ”
“I’m not being jobless on purpose,” Jasmine answers, her voice clear and confident. “I’ve been sending out job applications; I’m positive I’ll get great news, too.”
“Hmm.” My mother nods, genuinely unimpressed, but thankfully doesn’t say any more.
I glance at Jasmine, who still manages to smile, and my heart swells with pride.
“So, who are your parents?” My dad asks.
“Uh, that would be Mr. And Mrs. Ambrose,” Jasmine chuckles. “My dad is retired. He was a teacher. My mom was a clinical laboratory attendant.”
“Oh, wonderful,” my father says. “Any siblings?’
“Yes. A brother. Riley.”
“Oh, the one through which you met Alec?”
“Yes, sir.”
My father glances at me with laughter in his eyes. “Who is Riley?”
“My best friend.”
“Ohh.” Father nods. “New York definitely changed you. It’s a good thing, though.”
“Oh, Eve said you should give her a call.” My mother glances at me. “I suggest you do that immediately.”
“No.”
“No, what?”
“I’m not calling her.”
“Why not?” She asks coolly.
“Can you stop it?” I almost bow to the fury radiating through me, but as always, when it comes to my mother, I choose calm and peace. “I’m sitting beside my woman, and you’re asking me to call Eve? Another woman? That doesn’t make any sense, Mom.”
My mother squints at me. “You will not use that tone with me, young man. I am still your mother.”
“And I deserve respect, too. I won’t sit here and watch you disrespect Jasmine. Either take it down a notch, or we’re leaving.”
“That’s enough.” Father clinks his fork against a glass cup. “Please, let’s be cordial. We’re all adults. And Lillian, as much as Jasmine is trying to make a good first impression on you, you must strive to impress her, too.”
My mother laughs demurely and signals the servers for dessert. As lunch progresses, I see the enthusiasm for this lunch slowly leave Jasmine’s eyes until it becomes dull and uninteresting. I honestly do not blame her at all. I am already fed up with it myself, and this is my family we’re talking about.
After dessert, my father glances at Jasmine. I’m impressed by how polite and friendly he is to Jasmine, even though I know he doesn’t support her. To them, everything is for the success of their business; it doesn’t matter whose happiness is annihilated on their path to it .
“Will you be in France next week?” Father asks me. “There’s a business meeting I want you to join me in.”
“Sure, I’ll be there. I’m spending all my time showing Jasmine around town. There’s—”
“Is that a good idea?” My mother asks. “The paparazzi have been looking for you. I don’t want your face seen anywhere with a strange woman. It’ll cause an uproar, and we aren’t ready for that.”
“Thanks, Mom. But you don’t have to worry about me. The French masses will soon find out, regardless of anything.”
“What places do you plan to show Jasmine?” Father asks, wisely changing topics. I smile gratefully at him.
“First, we’re going to the Garden of Versailles. You won’t believe she wants to see the Eiffel Tower first.”
“Spoken like a true American,” my father laughs. “The tower is a beautiful place, but you’ll enjoy a better view elsewhere,” he says to Jasmine.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Didn’t you take Eve to the Garden of Versailles the other day?” My mother asks. “I remember—”
“Excuse me,” Jasmine interrupts her. “Where is the bathroom, please?”
“Down the hall,” my mother answers. “First door on the left. ”
“Thank you.” Jasmine rushes to her feet, and I rise with her. She touches my arm gently. “Please, stay. I’m fine. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Are you sure? Will you be able to find the bathroom?”
“It’s unmistakable,” my mother says. “First door on the left in the hallway.”
“Thank you,” Jasmine thanks her again and flashes me a smile before walking out the door.
As soon as she’s out of earshot, I turn to my mother. “I don’t know why I’m disappointed. I should be used to your attitude by now, but I keep expecting more.”
“Oh, please.” Mother waves me off. “What do you expect? That because you brought her over, she’s entitled to my goodwill and politeness? You must be joking.” She leans forward. “She doesn’t belong here. If you know what’s good for her, you will let her go.”
I smile at my mother and shake my head. “You know you seem to think I brought Jasmine here for your approval, but that’s far from the truth.”
“What do you mean?” My mother frowns.
“I didn’t bring her here to be approved by you or Dad.” I glance at my father, who is picking at his plates. “I’m a grown man who is capable of making his own decisions, and I’ve already decided that Jasmine is mine. I brought her here out of courtesy, so you’ll know I didn’t reject Eve for nothing.”
“Eve’ s father is a billionaire,” Mother counters heatedly. “Not to mention that her family has deep roots in Sicily, which is an untapped market for us. Imagine being married to Eve, and all this will be yours. Jasmine’s father is a retired teacher! Her mother is a clinic laboratory assistant. People like us don’t form meaningless relationships; we have to think with our heads.”
“I will not sacrifice my happiness for this business, Mom,” I answer solemnly. “I’m sorry, but I won’t. All these things you mentioned can be achieved. We can take our products to Sicily, invest in aggressive marketing, and the rest will fall in place. I don’t have to marry Eve to do that.”
She turns to my father with angry eyes. “David, say something!”
“Alec,” my father starts, and I almost roll my eyes at him. Sometimes, I swear he acts like a puppet whose strings are controlled by my mother. “I need you to consider this carefully. This isn’t just a minor detail; it’s important enough to affect every part of our lives. Do you realize that?”
“I don’t think so, Father. The only reason we want an alliance with the Sicilian Corps is for ease and speed. Everything we will get by working with them is still the same things we will achieve on our own in a few years. There’s no going back to Eve.”
“You’ve known Eve for years!” Mother fires. “How long have you known this girl for? She’s a gold digger. I’m sure of it.”
Laughter trickles out of me when I remember that it’s barely been over twenty-four hours since Jasmine learned who I really am. She definitely isn’t a gold digger .
“Mom, that’s enough. I don’t care about anything you have to say concerning her.”
“She is not welcome here, and I will remind her of that with every chance I get.”
The door opens, and Jasmine walks in again, her eyes smiling and polite. She settles into her chair, and the table remains awkwardly silent for a few more seconds before she leans into me. “Can we go now?”