I tell him how our conversation went.
“Not as severe as I would’ve proposed, but it’s your business and you’re the boss. So I respect that.”
“Out of curiosity, what exactly would you have proposed?” I ask.
“Oh, that’s easy. I would love it if you’d fired him. Then I could’ve beaten the shit out of him. Drew did always say I needed to simmer down a bit.”
In my silence, he finally adds, “Don’t worry, Sam. I won’t touch little Nick the Dick. He’s safe for now.”
Everything is perfect just like Sam. I really hate she can’t be here to get the praise for pulling everything off in such a short period of time, especially during the wedding season in Charleston. It’s nothing short of a miracle. I still want to kick that Nick’s ass though.
“What’s going on with you?” Jenna asks resting a hand on my shoulder.
“Nothing. How about you? It’s strange not having Cate here.”
Her smile fades and I know how she feels. It’ll be odd not having Cate living in Charleston. I can’t remember a time Jenna and Cate were separated. They’ve done everything together including attending the same college.
“She’s looking for an apartment. And because her new job assignment starts in a few weeks and she has to work here until then, she wanted to get out of town.”
I pull her in a hug. “Where’s Kenneth or did you bring Brandon?”
She narrows her eyes at me before she punches my arm. “Don’t say that so loud. You know damn well who I brought.”
This is true. Kenneth is everything my dad wants for his princess. His words not mine. “You’re going to end up an old woman alone. He’s the kind of guy that trades out his wives every few years for a newer model.”
“You are so mean.” She punches me again.
“God, you’ve turned violent.”
Rolling her eyes, she says, “And I wanted to tell you I really like Sam. She was amazing to work with. Maybe she’ll be my new best friend.”
Before I can respond, Kenneth shows up. And for a second I think of Horace and all the things he said at the pool party. I wonder if he ever found his friend.
“Ben, how are things in the investment business?” Kenneth asks.
“Couldn’t be better. And you, how are things on the hill?”
Kenneth, dry as toast, just shrugs. “Not bad at all.”
“Excuse me,” I say when a vision of pure beauty rushes in the door.
She searches the room as I head towards her.
When she spots me, her face lights up. “Ben.”
“You were able to come after all,” I say, drawing her close. I’m obsessed with touching her. It has to be because when she’s near, the world quiets and all the shit that’s plagued me the whole day disappears.
“I did. There was no way I would miss this. So, I left everything in Nick’s hands after all the major stuff happened.” She smiles.
I capture her face in my hands and kiss her like we are the only two people in the room.
She pulls back, her hands covering mine. “Ben.”
Her face the color of a ripe tomato, I know I’m lost for her. And that’s the only four-letter L word I can mutter yet. But it’s a word I’ve never been able to use with anyone else.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?”
I finally let go and straighten to my normal height. Some people are looking, but I don’t care.
Then my sister is tapping her wine glass with a fork. Time for the reveal of our present, and it turns out better than expected. Jenna does a good job of manipulating Dad in front of everyone to admitting he hadn’t taken Mom on a vacation in over a decade. Mom cries about how she’s wanted to go to Italy forever. I can only hope Dad doesn’t somehow figure a way out of the month-long trip to tour all over the country.
For my speech, I piggy back on Jenna and give honors to her and Sam for a great party. When I take her home that night, I show her how much it meant to me for her to help us pull this off, paying her back in too many orgasms to count.
Monday, bright and early, Dad’s at my door.
“This isn’t the best time for me to leave. But I’m pretty sure you know that. With that said, don’t fuck things up while I’m gone.”
I do know that, but I won’t admit it. “I can handle it.”
“I’m counting on you,” he commands as if he’s sending me out into combat. And maybe he is. If I don’t win this battle, I will lose the war.
After Dad leaves at noon, almost immediately it seems like the shit hits the fan.
Mark steps in my office a few hours later. He and his ex are apparently giving it another go. She’d been at the company weekend event and I did my best not to say anything. He has to live with her, not me.
“What did she do now?” I ask automatically.
He shakes his head. “Nothing. But we may have a problem.”
“We?”
He reaches across my desk to hand me a paper and my world spins out of control.
“Who’s seen this?”