Chapter 2 #2
"And tell them what?" Jagger barks condescendingly.
"It isn't even a threatening letter, man.
What am I going to say? Gee, officer, some dude politely suggested that I don't do business with the guy that I'm doing business with currently?
" He chuckles mirthlessly. "They'll hang up the fucking phone, Rush. Don't be stupid."
"My laptop is back at the house." Stone says. "Why don't you email it to me and I'll see what I can do?"
"Sounds good." Jagger states as he sends the file to him.
Stone sits back down and clears his throat. "So, did you knock her up? That was my next guess."
"You are such an asshole." My voice is low and guttural. "Don't you think that if we were having a baby together that I would have said so first?"
He frowns and tilts his head. "Just checking."
"Hardy har." I'm pissed off now. "I'm outta here."
"Oh, come on, Rush." Stone whines. "I'm just fucking with you, man."
Jagger interjects. "Look, I've got some work to do, if you two bozos don't mind. You can fight it out elsewhere. And make sure you get back to me on that video software, too."
Stone nods. "Will do."
"Sounds good. The less I bother Wesley the better." Jagger states fairly.
"Maybe if you stop sucking his ass you wouldn't have to worry so much about bothering him." I add.
"Once you remove your lips from his ass I'll find out." He volleys back, giving me a look that says that he knows he won that round. "But since you're boning his daughter, maybe you ought to keep those lips on his ass."
My teeth grate together. "I'm marrying her, jackass."
"Well, until that ring is on her finger, you're still just boning her, dude."
"Fuck you."
Stone grabs me by my arm. "Okay, you two. Let's get out of here, before we have to take security off this mystery man to bust up a fight."
"Later, asshole." Jagger says casually, eyes on his laptop.
"Eat my fucking ass."
Stone pulls me out of the office. "What the hell is wrong with you, man? What the hell are you losing your head like that for? That's not like you."
"What are you? My fucking therapist?" I say, pulling my arm from his hand, walking towards the back door.
"Maybe you need one."
"Look, Jagger's just under my skin lately, that's all.
And with the shit that's been going on with Wesley and now this fucking letter, it's just all getting to my head.
And Jagger's all over that like white on rice.
Ever since he and Bowie got married, he's been too high for his own fucking horse and it pisses me off. "
We open the door and walk to the parking lot. There's a bank of reserved spots for executives only, which is where both of us parked.
"Dude, he just got married, and he's rolling out the biggest deal of his life. Cut him some slack."
There is a set of picnic tables set out back. It's way before lunch and the weather is a little chilly for today, so nobody is using them. Stone directs me over there. "I'm also a little concerned about Axl."
Stone licks his lips. "What about him?"
"I want to help him get to the next level, but I'm not sure if he's there yet."
"So hang tight. Give him some time. Did he give up drinking and whoring around again?"
"It looks that way. But I already told him that nobody's going to cut him some slack if he doesn't stay off it for good."
"So, you did your due diligence, man. It's up to him."
"That's the thing, Stone. Sure, it's up to him, but anyone who's been around a substance abuser knows that they need a lot of support."
"Yeah?"
"And I think that Jagger was just paying me some lip service about being there for him. It's his best friend and he's being a dipshit."
"And that's the real reason why you almost tore Jagger a new one in there."
"Exactly. I get it that he's got a lot going on, but fuck, I wouldn't exactly call that being humble. Jesus, Axl's seen him through a lot of shit, and if it weren't for him, Jagger wouldn't be where he is now."
"Weren't you the same guy that said Jagger should stay the fuck away from Axl?
Weren't you the one, in your professional consultant capacity, that said if Jagger does business with him, that it would be the kiss of death for Lawson Enterprises?
Are we retracting our thoughts here, Rush?
" His tone is matter-of-fact as he plays Devil's Advocate. But he's right.
My gaze is on my hands as I think about my response. When it comes out, it's level, honest, and I almost don't recognize my own voice. "I've never seen Axl like this before, Stone. I swear, it's like he had an epiphany or something. Like some switch turned in him and he's a different man."
My cousin purses his lips, measuring his response.
He waits a beat before his reply comes. "Not that I want to take anything away from the guy, Rush.
But I've seen it before. We've all seen it before.
I think that maybe falling in love has softened you some, because you can see that in him, and your hopes are showing.
God bless you for this, and I'm sure that if it all works out for him, that you and Axl will be closer and be better people because of it, but I love you, man, and I don't want to see you get hurt. "
I pat his back. "I appreciate that. I really do. But I just wish that Jagger would be more on board with him. I hate it that this merger with Drummond has stripped him of so much, even though it's also given him everything that he's ever wanted."
"Don't cut Jagger short, Rush. Quit looking at him through that lens. No matter what happens, Jagger always comes through and does the right thing. You Lawsons all do." He changes the subject. "Now, tell me more about this Izzy chick that you're marrying."
I smile. "She's amazing. Smart, beautiful, well-rounded."
"You mean she's fat?" He jokes.
I elbow him. "You'll love her. Once she gets home from Paris, I want you to meet her."
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dying to meet the woman that gave my cousin such a different perspective on life."
My phone rings in my pocket. I pull it out. "Oh, it's Izzy. Speak of the devil."
I put her on speakerphone. "Hi, babe. I'm just sitting here with my cousin, Stone. Are you French enough yet?"
Her voice is low, almost a whisper, and she sounds like her best friend is about to die. "Rush, God, I don't know what to do."
My brows furrow. "What's wrong, babe? What can I do to help."
She sighs. I can't decide if she's been crying or not. "This is a disaster. I, I absolutely cannot tell you over the phone."
"Jesus, Izzy, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Do you need me to hop on the jet and come out there?"
Her voice is urgent. "No, no, God, please don't!" Then she gasps. "Shit! I have to go, Rush! I'll call you as soon as I can."