Chapter Twelve
Twelve
Alistair
What seems to us as bitter trials are often blessings in disguise.
—Oscar Wilde
Another fucking meeting.
When you were this high up the corporate ladder, it’s what the majority of your workday consisted of.
Luckily, my business partner, Jonathan, insisted on leading the meeting.
The minotaur was fifteen years my junior, and he was slowly taking on more responsibilities at Rocky Roots Cannabis Corporation, the company we’d spent the last seven years building from the ground up.
I leaned back in my chair and watched Jonathan advance the slideshow he’d prepared. The social media profile of an attractive sun-kissed blonde with a joint hanging out of her mouth appeared on the screen, boasting an impressive 1.3 million followers on the platform.
But I had no clue who she was.
“The last item on today’s agenda is the influencer social media campaign. We’ve already had an impressive number of influencers sign on—”
I cut in. “I thought we decided to table that idea so we could test organic promotion before moving forward with paid.”
“Well”—Jonathan sucked his teeth—“the majority voted to pursue this paid strategy to increase revenue this quarter.”
I understood that, but in my mind, that money could be used for raises for our harvesters and factory workers—the people who were the backbone of this company. What happened to the days when it was enough to send a box of swag and a bunch of free rolling papers?
Was I really that out of touch?
“All right, then. If we think it’ll increase revenue,” I said with a sigh. “Must have missed the memo on that while I was gone.”
“Don’t worry, Al. Change is scary, but this will really benefit the company.” Jonathan walked around the table, stopped behind me, and clasped one of his hands on my shoulder. “We’ll do lunch soon, and I’ll bring you up to speed on everything.”
What in the actual fuck?
Who was this condescending prick, and what had he done with Jonathan?
I seethed through the rest of the meeting, letting each word that came out of Jonathan’s mouth go in one ear and out the other. Instead of making small talk with everyone on the board or joining them for lunch, I retreated to my office and slammed the door shut behind me as I went.
“That motherfucker,” I hissed and plopped down in my chair.
Was this some sort of power play? I thought that alpha-male posturing had gone out of style.
As I massaged the base of my ears and contemplated my choice in business partners and, hell, my life in general, my phone vibrated with a text message.
It was like she knew I needed something to pull me out of my funk.
Pam: Look what I did today!
She followed the message with a picture of her Leviathan Fitness membership card. Her smiling face beamed at the camera, her glasses catching the glare from the flash. She was so beautiful, and even though she couldn’t see me, I couldn’t help but smile back.
Alistair: Look at you, pretty lady! When’s your first class?
I was glad Pam had taken this step. I wanted her to pursue anything that interested her, to do something for herself.
It’s hard prioritizing yourself when you’re a parent, but now that her kids were grown and Don wasn’t around, there was nothing holding her back except her own self-perceived limits.
While I waited for her to respond, a phone call notification flashed over the screen.
Chai.
My daughter rarely called me, preferring text messages to keep in touch.
Fuck.
“Hey, kid. Everything all right?” I asked, my pulse hammering. I was doing my best to steel my emotions and seem chill, but there was still a slight tremble in my voice.
She sighed, the same “I’m sick of you worrying about me” sigh she’d given me for the past few months. “Dad, can you stop? I’m fine. I called to tell you something exciting, and you totally killed my vibe.”
Could I stop?
When you had a kid, there was no stopping. It was like a piece of your heart lived outside your chest. No matter how old they were, how far away, you’d always love them fiercely, worrying about them until you took your last breath.
“All right, all right,” I huffed. “I’m sorry for killing the vibe. What’s up?”
“I just met Pam,” she said slyly.
“No shit. I was just texting her. Were you working the desk?”
“Actually, Atlas introduced us because I’m teaching the beginner yoga class she signed up for.”
“Why are you teaching the beginner yoga class?”
Chai normally worked the front desk and had her own personal training clients. She had yoga teacher training and had worked at a studio when she lived in Colorado, but I’d never known her to teach any classes at Leviathan Fitness…
“Our normal instructor is really busy with her own studio, and I wanted to make a little extra money, so I told Atlas I would—”
“Do you need money, hon? You know I’m happy to help you. The past few months have been a lot for you.” I hated the idea of her struggling, especially when I had more money than I knew what to do with.
She let out an exasperated breath. “Dad, if I really needed help, I’d ask you, but I like being independent. It’s not like I’m in dire straits or anything. I’m just trying to make up for the work I missed.”
That was my kid. Headstrong and independent. Sometimes I loved it; other times she made me want to rip my hair out.
“Just remember the offer’s always there, kid. I’ve got your back.”
“I know, Dad. I never doubted that for a second.”
I grinned, feeling like this was one of those parenting wins. “So, what did you think about Pam?”
I was dying to hear what she had to say.
After all, she was the one who’d encouraged me to start dating again.
Chai had zero hang-ups when it came to my relationship with her mother.
We’d been divorced for so long that she’d never harbored any negative feelings toward anyone new I brought into my life—unless it was deserved.
“She is freaking precious. I mean, I figured she was going to be a total sweetheart because Tegan is, but Reece is also her kid…”
“Is he really that bad?” I asked with a laugh. The more I learned about Reece, the more anxious I got about meeting him one day.
“He’s a lot better with Cyrus in the picture, but I’ve heard he was kind of a jerk before that.”
What Pam and those photographs told me about Don came to mind. Poor Reece was probably riddled with childhood trauma, and he’d likely dealt with it the unhealthy way a “man’s man” was taught to—by lashing out.
“Well, at least he’s working on himself. From what Pam told me, his father wasn’t the best role model.”
“We can’t all have amazing dads.”
I laughed, feeling the tension from the meeting slipping away. “You did get pretty lucky, didn’t you? But that’s enough stroking my ego. Tell me more about the class you’re teaching. I want to know what Pam is in for.”
“It’s Hatha Yoga for Beginners, so I’ll be focusing on poses and breathing exercises. Making sure they have good form. We’ll discuss mantras and meditation, so there’s a mental health component to it as well.”
Mantras.
Since Pam had read that book, mantras and affirmations had become her thing. She’d even texted me one this morning: I release all negativity from my mind and body.
It was perfect for the afternoon I’d had.
“She’s going to love that. I think she’s on a little bit of a journey,” I said.
“I hope she does, and I mean, yoga is a healthier coping mechanism than buying a sports car.”
“Are you forgetting that we met on a dating app, went on one date, and decided to embark on a long-distance relationship? I think we’re both having some sort of crisis.”
It was the first time I’d admitted it, but maybe I was. Perhaps this whole thing with Pam and with work was the culmination of my age and loneliness catching up with me.
Chai sighed and I imagined that her tail was twitching with annoyance. “Dad, you’re not having a crisis. You met, hit it off, and decided to see where things go. And honestly, with the way everything fell into place, the whole thing feels like it might be fate.”
“Fate, huh?”
“Even if minotaurs don’t have fated mates, the universe works in mysterious ways. I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.”
Other than the distance and the tension at work, she was right.
This was the happiest I’d felt in years.
“You’re right, kid. I’m probably just overthinking it.”
“I am right, and you’re totally overthinking it,” she said with a laugh. “And you know, in terms of the whole distance thing, you could always move to Briar Glenn.”
“Hon, my job—”
Chai interrupted before I could continue with my list of excuses. “Respectfully, fuck that job. You’ve made your money, Dad. Retire early so you can enjoy it.”
I could retire early, but then what? Just sell my house and all my shit and move to Briar Glenn?
While the idea of living in the same town as Pam and my daughter was appealing, I wasn’t sure I was ready for retirement.
I’d spent so much of my life working, pulling long hours, and dedicating myself to the various companies I’d worked for that I wasn’t sure I knew how to just relax.
Hell, even the time I spent working remotely while caring for Chai had been tough on me.
“I’ll think about it,” I said, doing my best to sound convincing.
“Mm-hmm,” she hummed, totally unconvinced. “Well, I’ve gotta run, Dad. I have a client arriving in a few minutes.”
“All right, baby. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye.”
As soon as we hung up, I got a text message from Pam.
Pam: Sorry, I was driving! Oh my gods!! I met Chai today! She is so sweet! She’s instructing the yoga class I’m taking!
I smiled down at my phone before typing out a message. Her excitement was contagious.
Alistair: She just called and told me all about it. I’m glad the two most important ladies in my life finally got to meet.
Pam: You’re making me blush. How’s your day going?
Alistair: Let’s just say the mantra you sent me this morning applies to today.
Pam: That bad, huh? Would a dinner date help?
Just the thought of chatting with her while she cooked, watching as she blew her bangs out of her face and held the knife in a way that made me concerned for her fingers perked me up.
Alistair: I’d never turn down a date with a beautiful woman.
The rest of the day would drag, but at least now I had something to look forward to.