Chapter Two Family Dinner
JAYCE
Dinner with my family is always a minefield, and every time I attend one, I wonder why I agreed to deal with this disaster-in-the-making.
I should’ve taken it as some sign when hockey practice ran late and I had to rush over here without even showering, sweaty and mussed, only for my mother to demand that I shower in the bathroom next to my old childhood bedroom so I can be “presentable.” There’s something about being a grown man and having my mother chide me to bathe that’s fucking aggravating.
It’s just not my night. I should’ve stayed home.
Yet here I am, sitting around my parents’ massive dining table, pretending we’re one big happy family instead of the dysfunctional dumpster fire most families in our tax bracket tend to be.
The dining room is large and luxurious with ornate molding along the ceiling, elaborate oil paintings decorating the walls, and a crystal chandelier hanging above us.
My parents, Valerie and Alexander Vaughn, are seated in their usual spots on opposite sides of the long mahogany table, putting as much distance between each other as possible.
The air between them is tense and icy, but that’s not unusual.
As they eat the filet mignon and seared asparagus the family chef has prepared for us tonight, they barely even look at each other, let alone talk to each other.
They’ve never bothered hiding how much they despise each other—not even for the sake of their children.
No wonder we’re all a little messed up.
My brother Ryan and sister Hallie are also present, because these family dinners are all but mandatory.
Unsurprisingly, Ryan is sitting across from me, glaring at me like I kicked his nonexistent puppy right in front of him.
He’s usually a little prick, his weasely face scowling and his mouth pressed together like a tight butthole, but tonight he’s being especially dickish.
Fucker won’t stop bouncing his leg under the table or tapping his finger against the side of his plate as his beady little eyes dart around, and they always settle back on me.
He seems almost impatient, but why? What’s this guy up to now?
He’s clearly got something on his mind that he’s desperate to say, and I’m not looking forward to whatever it is.
God, I hate being here for these dinners.
Finally, there’s my grandfather, Thomas Parker, founder of the Denver based Parker Global, one of the largest commercial real estate companies in North America, and de facto patriarch of our family…
much to my father’s chagrin. When my father married into the family, I don’t think he was expecting to be so low on the hierarchy, falling behind Grandfather, Mother, and now even me.
He anticipated a more prominent position among the family and in the company.
It doesn’t help that Grandfather’s still a big, intimidating looking man despite his age and is the type who commands respect just by walking into a room.
Dad doesn’t have that kind of presence and has to work twice as hard to gain that same kind of respect.
I know he resents my grandfather for that.
Combine that with his loveless marriage to my mother, and it’s really no surprise he’s become a bitter, petty man.
The silence is punctured by, thankfully, Grandfather’s friendly voice. “Jayce, my boy,” he says, pulling my attention to him. “How is your season going so far?”
I give him an appreciative smile. He’s about the only member of the family who gives a fuck about my hockey career.
“It’s going really well,” I tell him. “We’ve got every team in the league gunning for us since we won the Cup last season, but we’ve got a really good chance of making a repeat performance this year if we don’t have major injuries.”
Grandfather smiles, his navy eyes crinkling at the edges. He strokes a large hand over his thick gray beard as he nods.
“That’s good to hear. The Night Hawks have no shortage of talent, from what I’ve seen. Even a few injuries might not get in your way.”
“Oh, please stop talking about injuries,” my mother chimes in, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “The thought of Jayce getting hurt keeps me awake at night.”
The insomnia claim is probably not true, but Mom would genuinely care if I got hurt. Not so sure Dad would. Ryan would fucking love it.
“Don’t fret too much, sweetheart,” Grandfather says to Mom. “Jayce is young and strong. Let him have his adventure. He’ll be stuck behind a desk, safe and sound, soon enough.”
That seems to mollify Mom enough that she nods and sits back in her chair.
“You might want to reconsider your choice to hand the company to Jayce,” Ryan suddenly says, giving me a superior smirk.
Hallie releases an exasperated sigh next to me. “Can’t we get through one dinner without you being a dickhead, Ryan?”
“Language, Hallie,” Mom chides.
Ryan glares at our sister before standing and tapping a fork against his glass like he’s about to give a toast. Pretentious ass. We’re already all looking at him.
“I was going to wait until at least dessert, to bring this up,” he begins. “But I suppose now’s as good a time as any.”
He bends down, and with an unnecessary flourish, pulls a folder from beneath his chair and slaps it on the table.
I frown down at the folder then back up at him. “What the hell is this, Ryan?”
Hallie rolls her eyes. “We’re not interested in your porn stash.”
“Hallie!” Mom exclaims, shocked.
“That’s enough,” Dad snaps before softening his tone for Ryan. “What is it you want to show us?”
I just keep myself from rolling my eyes. Ryan has always been Dad’s favorite.
“What could possibly be worth this interruption?” Grandfather grumbles, annoyed.
“Jayce doesn’t take the reputation of the company seriously,” he insists.
“What are you talking about?” I snap. “Of course I take it seriously.”
“Oh, really?” He reminds me of a bratty little kid as he cackles and smirks at me. “You sure about that? Or are you so caught up in your perverted little pastime that you lose all sense of reason?”
Mom gasps and Dad groans, dropping his face into his hand. Grandfather narrows his eyes at Ryan, clearly pissed. Ryan just keeps gazing at me, triumph in his eyes.
What the actual fuck?
“I’d tread very carefully right now, Ryan,” I growl. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He scoffs before opening the folder and spreading out what appear to be large photographs. My heart starts hammering hard in my chest, but I fight to keep an outwardly cool expression.
Ryan continues, “Just look at what he’s doing in his free time!”
I pick up one of the pictures and feel a surge of rage that I have to keep in check so I don’t lash out at him and show him how affected I am by what I’m looking at.
It’s an image of me going into my favorite private sex club, Club élysée.
All the pictures are of me either going into the club or coming out of it.
My brother is a little fucking bastard.
“You’re having me followed?” I narrow my eyes at Ryan, my voice a low snarl.
He looks momentarily fearful but shakes himself out of it.
“I hired a P.I., yes, but I wanted to make sure you weren’t doing anything to tarnish the family and company’s reputation.
And look what we uncovered! If your own brother can catch you so easily, it’s only a matter of time before a reporter does the same thing.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not actually getting the company until you’re thirty-five.
You’re already putting it at risk with your… proclivities.”
Motherfucker. He wants to embarrass me, but he’s dragging our whole family into the middle of this as well.
Laying out my kinks and sexual preferences, which isn’t exactly something I ever wanted our parents, or our grandfather, to know about.
When did he turn into such a complete prick?
What kind of asshole drops this at a family dinner?
I wonder what sleazy P.I. Ryan hired for this.
Maybe I should contact Grandfather’s old private investigator, Harvey, and have him do a real investigation on my brother, and see how he likes it — that P.I.
is a family friend now, after all, and he’s helped me out before.
“You’re a fucking prick, Ryan,” I snap. “This is a new low.”
I look around the table, hoping for anyone in my family to come to my defense, but Mom looks horrified, Hallie is blushing and staring at her half-eaten plate of food, and Grandfather is pinching the bridge of his nose, as if he’s getting a headache.
“Your brother is simply looking out for us,” my dad hisses. “If you’re not going to take this seriously, someone has to.”
Of course Dad would take Ryan’s side. He always has, and I’ve no doubt it’s because Ryan takes after him with his dark hair, his gray eyes, and his insecurities.
Ryan is a true Vaughn, unlike me, who looks more like my mom and grandfather with my blonde hair and blue eyes.
Hallie’s the only true mix with her long black locks and deep blue Parker eyes.
Dad’s always been bitter that he has to play second fiddle to his wife when it comes to the company and the family’s wealth, and he’s extended that feeling toward me in a lot of ways.
Maybe if my parents didn’t hate each other, things would be different…
but this is literally a house divided, and I’m stuck in the middle of it.