The Boss's Son Box Set

by Sierra Rose

  “Maybe,” Britt said vaguely, not wanting to argue with her friend.

  Britt went home and threw away the cookies so she wouldn’t binge on them. She scrolled through Netflix in search of a series she hadn’t watched yet and debated whether to order Chinese or pizza. Her phone lit up and it was a number she didn’t recognize on the screen.

  “Oy, girlie, it’s Charlie Fitzsimmons. You rang me yesterday about my dad.”

  Chapter 7

  “Yes, Charlie. What is it? Your brother isn’t here if that’s what you were hoping for.”

  “No, I’m not looking for Jakie boy. He’ll be at the bottom of a bottle just now with his hand down some girl’s top.”

  “Thanks for that image. What do you want exactly? I’m not so sure I can be of any help. Because Jack said he needed a few days alone. He’s treating me like a total stranger and he’s off with his friends.”

  “Whoa. No reason to passive aggressive all over me, Brittney. I’m calling to say I’m thankful you’re there for him. I’ve got a flight home for the funeral but I missed my connection in Dusseldorf so I’m on standby for the connection. I was just worried about Jack. I didn’t speak to him yesterday except when he was with you at the hospital. I want you front and center because I could tell you didn’t like me yesterday, which means you’re protecting our Jakie boy. That’s what he needs.”

  “How do you know what he needs? How long since you’ve seen him exactly?”

  “Three or so years, I guess. Why not save the hostility and try to learn from me, girlie?”

  “You’re not my idea of a sensei.”

  “Why? Because I’m a barfly halfway across the world? You’re his girlfriend. He’ll need you to get him through this.”

  “I’m trying, but he’s blocking me out.”

  “He’s blocking me out too. Make no mistake, I want what’s best for my brother and I think that’s you. So give him his time to go wild. He’s bound to rebel after being the good boy all these years. He’ll right the ship and come back to you. Just wait and see if he doesn’t.”

  “Are you drunk, Charlie?”

  “Maybe a mite. It’s been two hours in a German airport. What else is there to do? Did I mention my heart is breaking, shattered into a million pieces?”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  He started to sob and Britt gave him words of encouragement. Maybe he wasn’t the best brother in the world, but he was just as heartbroken as Jack. Britt realized that much after their conversation.

  The next day passed in a haze of Thai noodles and episodes of Orange Is the New Black. She stayed all day in her pajamas and never called Jack to touch base even once. She would give her boyfriend his space to grieve. And everyone grieves differently.

  Charlie called her three more times, obviously bored and seeking someone to update about his magnificent lack of progress from Germany. At last she received a text that he was landing in Newark and could report to her on the health and wellbeing of his brother in the next few hours. He also offered helpfully to dunk Jack’s head in a toilet to sober him up if needed.

  Around eleven that night, she had a call from Jack. His words were slurred and she could hear Charlie in the background.

  “Tell her,” she heard Charlie say.

  “I’m sorry,” he managed.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Britt said, embarrassed that his brother had made him call. “Just take care of yourself.”

  “I worried you. I freaked out. I’m sorry.” He sounded a bit clearer. “I just need to be alone. Life is sucking a lot right now. Did I mention I punched Charlie?”

  “You what?”

  “You should’ve heard what he called me! So I got mad and threw him a right hook, or maybe it was a left hook. Truthfully, I can’t remember.”

  “Please put Charlie on the phone.”

  “Sure. I need another drink anyway. Or maybe another bottle.”

  Charlie came back on. “Hi, girlie. Figured out I’m the superior brother yet?”

  “Did you put his head in a toilet?” Britt asked.

  “Nah, only threatened to. He’s a bit out of it, but he’ll come through all right. D’you want to come over?”

  “I just want to be alone,” she heard Jack say.

  Britt didn’t want to intrude. “No, thanks. I think you’ve got this under control,” she said and hung up.

  She hadn’t imagined she’d rely on Charlie for anything but she was sure he’d take care of Jack till he sobered up. There might be more to Charlie than she’d first thought...that must’ve been the reason Jack wanted him at the funeral. She went to sleep, less worried than she’d been in twenty-four hours. She was so relieved to have heard Jack’s voice, but she missed him terribly all the same.

  The next day she slept late and then got ready for the funeral. She had a simple black sheath, flats, and a chunky silver necklace. She pulled her hair back on top and wore muted makeup. When she met Marj, she was surprised to see that even her outspoken and flamboyant friend was subdued in a brown pantsuit and with her hair pulled up.

  “What do you think’s going to happen to the company?” Marj asked. “With nobody at the helm?”

  “I hope they don’t bring back that last bastard. I’m guessing...won’t Jack and his brother be in charge now?”

  “I guess. Jack has a brother?”

  “Yeah, Charlie,” Britt said without thinking.

  “How do you know about the brother?” Marj asked.

  “Insurance forms. You know all the information you have to put on those.”

  “Ah. They did ask a lot of crap.”

  “Anyway, it’s a successful firm. I imagine if they don’t want to run it themselves, they’ll just hire somebody to do it.”

  Marj sighed. “Maybe. I just hate to think they’d shut us down because this was the boss’s last project...the one he should’ve quit instead of doing. Like they might blame us, or blame the company.”

  “I hope not,” Britt said, linking arms with her. “We look positively grown up today. Is that sheer polish you chose for your mani?”

  “Yes. Are you suitably impressed?”

  “Very,” Britt told her.

  At the funeral home, they stood in line for nearly an hour. When they finally reached the casket, there stood Jack looking lean and sharp in a dark suit and his brother, stockier, with a close-trimmed beard, looking like Jack gone to seed, wearing a t-shirt and jeans with his sport coat. A girl, the one Jack had kissed when his band performed the week before, was hanging on his arm, looking lovely and slim and very attached. Britt drew a long slow breath and relaxed her shoulders with intention.

  Marj looked at Jack. “Please tell me he didn’t bring a date to his dad’s funeral.”

  “He better not have,” Britt said. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to have a word with her.”

  Marj grabbed my arm. “Hey, it’s his choice. It’s best to stay out of it. It’s none of your business or mine.”

  “Oh, it’s my business.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since I’ve been sleeping with him.”

  Her jaw dropped down to the ground. “You’ve been sleeping with the boss’s son?”

  “Yeah.”

  “We’re talking about Jack, right?”

  I blinked. “Jack was my one-night stand the night Kevin dumped me.”

  “No fucking way!”

  “Yes...fucking way. I didn’t know who he was when we slept together. When I saw him at the office, I was mortified.”

  “Trust me, running into your one-night stand is never fun.”

  “But we re-connected. I’m sorry I kept it a secret. I should’ve told you. But I figured the less people that knew the better, and I wanted to keep that secret at all costs. I didn’t want to overhear people saying, ‘Psst! Have you heard who Britt is banging?’ And I didn’t want to get accused of favoritism or trying to sleep my way to the top or getting better raises. I didn’t want to be treated any different.” />
  “But I’m your best friend. You tell me everything. How could I have not known there was an office romance brewing right under my nose? How could you live the life of a cheap fiction novel and not tell me?”

  “I didn’t want anyone to know. We all know the main three main subjects everyone talks about are celebrities, office dramas, and office romances. And I didn’t want to be the talk of the water cooler. Nobody knows, so please don’t say anything.”

  “You know I won’t.” She gasped as all the pieces suddenly connected. “Wait! You’re the girlfriend he’s been babbling on about?”

  Britt bit her lip. “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “And why aren’t you on his arm consoling him?”

  “He said he needed space after his dad died.”

  “So if he needs space, then why is she on his arm?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  “No cat fights! We’re at a funeral.”

  “Give me more credit than that.”

  As Britt approached, she extended her hand to the girl.

  “Hi, I’m Britt Collier. And you are?”

  “Miranda,” she said.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “You can scram now,” Miranda said. “Jack needs me through this difficult time.”

  “Miranda!” Jack said.

  Ignoring Miranda, Britt brushed past her and hugged Jack. He hauled her against him and kissed her forehead. Britt smiled.

  “Miranda, you remember I told you about Britt,” he said. “My girlfriend.”

  She rolled her eyes at Britt, then walked away.

  Marj’s eyes widened with shock at the news Jack had just delivered. She had heard it firsthand from Jack’s mouth and was totally blown away.

  That statement from Jack meant everything to Britt. He’d told the hot girl he was taken. And he didn’t care who heard because a few others turned heads at his words. He had practically just announced them to the world. A few gasps erupted. Jaws dropped. More heads turned. All eyes were on Britt and Jack.

  “Britt is dating Jack?” Kara, their scheduler, asked.

  Jack wrapped his arm around Britt. “Yes, I’m dating Britt. And she’s been so supportive. She gave me the strength to come here today and say goodbye to my father.”

  “She’s the girlfriend?” Joe asked.

  Jack met his gaze straight on. “She is.”

  “Whoa. I never expected that one.”

  “So that’s how you knew he had a brother,” Marj said triumphantly.

  “I’m Charlie. The other brother,” he said and extended his hand.

  Britt could hear the whispers already starting.

  Jack must’ve heard them too. “Just stop it. Office romances happen all the time. Now are we going to gossip about this? Or give my father a proper tribute and goodbye.”

  Britt shook Charlie’s hand. “I’m Britt.”

  “The lovely girlfriend. We spoke on the phone when Jakie-boy was indisposed.”

  “Yes, we did.” She leaned in closer to whisper to him. “And if Miranda lays one more hand on him, you have my permission to stick her head in a toilet.”

  Charlie chuckled softly.

  “I’m sorry for your loss. For both of you,” Britt said.

  Jack’s arm was around her waist as if he were reluctant to let her go for an instant. Jack kissed Britt’s temple and she whispered that she loved him.

  Marj and Luke moved off to find seats for the funeral as more of the massive crowd filed by, pausing to speak to the Fitzsimmons brothers and pay their respects. Jack and I sat up front with Charlie as the minister spoke.

  When Charlie stood and went to the podium, Britt was surprised. He tapped his iPhone and looked down at his notes before looking not at the crowd, but at his father lying still as stone in the open casket.

  “My dad told me the last time he came to visit me in Auckland that he’d never live to see the day I came back to New York. I guess he was right.” He gave a nervous laugh. “But the fact is, nothing short of this would have brought me back. I should have done a great many things differently, but if I learned one thing from my father, it was to live a life without regrets. I’m trying to do that, to honor him in that way. But it’s hard as hell—pardon me, Reverend—to stand here and not wish things were different.”

  He shook his head.

  “If I had been here, well, I’m no surgeon so I’d not have done any good to save him. My brother, Jakie boy, he’s the good son. Our dad relied on him a great deal the last couple of years and Jack is in many ways the kind of man I could never aspire to be. I am thankful for him even more for that reason. He was what Dad needed him to be, and he’s made a number of sacrifices that allowed me to live my life the way I want. But this isn’t Jack’s eulogy. He’s not over. Not by a long shot. What I wish for him is a life as free as mine has been. As free as Dad’s was. He did everything he’d ever wanted to do. He never had a bucket list because he didn’t put things off or brood over what he hadn’t done. He took us both to the Galapagos a few years back and he said at the time, it was the only thing he’d always wanted to do that he hadn’t done yet. That’s the kind of life we should all aspire to lead. I thank all of you for being here.”

  Charlie resumed his seat and Jack stood. He didn’t go to the podium but instead retrieved his guitar and pulled his folding chair to the front of the room. He strummed a chord and began to sing.

  “Just yesterday morning/they let me know you were gone/seems like their plans put an end to you.”

  Jack sang the rest of Fire and Rain. Britt wept quietly, her shoulders shaking. Charlie patted her shoulder, dry-eyed. When he finished, his voice thick with emotion, she had to hold herself in her chair by force of will. She wanted, she needed to go to him, hold him in her arms and let him sob out his sorrow on her shoulder. Still, Britt knew she mustn’t disrupt the funeral so she stayed seated. An older man, Maxwell James, spoke about coming up in the ranks of the Fitzsimmons conglomerate and how Peter had taken him under his wing and helped him to succeed and become a close family friend as well.

  “He’s godfather to my daughter, Kim, and he never missed a recital of hers or a graduation. He was as caring and as thoughtful as he was ambitious and brilliant. He did, as Charlie boy said, lived the kind of life that we should all hope to. A brave life, without second-guessing ourselves. I know that he meant the world to a lot of us and I know his boys meant the world to him. After Joanna, his wife, passed away many years ago, he told me he’d never marry again. He had his sons and that was more than any man deserved. He didn’t want to find another love. In his heart of hearts, Peter Fitzsimmons believed that you love only once truly, and he had had everything a man could want. A loving wife. Two fine sons. All the success and achievement he could dream of. Another man would have been greedy for more, but not Peter Fitzsimmons. He was a man who knew how to be grateful. We should take that lesson and put it in our pockets today, take it home and remember it no matter what.”

  The crowd applauded once again and the minister gave the word for the assembled guests to take a final pass by the casket for viewing before leaving the family alone with the departed for their goodbyes. When Britt paid her respects at the coffin, she saw that Jack was deep in conversation with Mr. James who had spoken during the service, so she withdrew to the anteroom with Marj. The graveside service was private so they went ahead to the banquet hall nearby for the dinner.

  “I can’t believe how huge this meat tray is,” Amy said. “Where did you order it from? The Flintstones?”

  “I got a really good deal,” Marj said.

  “It would seriously feed a hundred people. Like if they ate just this meat alone, it would feed them.”

  “There’s bread,” Lauren said. “Some cheap ass sent loaves of bread.”

  Marj crossed her arms. “Hey, those are brioche buns from a bakery. That is not cheap ass bread. It is expensive ass bread.”

  “Not meat tray expensive,” Joe
said. “Now we showed love and respect with that massive meat tray. All he meant to those people was some buns. That’s just sad.”

  “What about the mini cheesecake sampler?” Liz asked. “Do you think they were cheap?”

  Joe blinked. “No, that’s designer cheesecake. I saw it on a morning show. Whoever sent the cheesecakes may have us beat.”

  “It’s not a contest,” Liz said.

  “Of course it’s a contest. Whoever sent the most impressive tribute wins.”

  “Wins what? He’s still gone.”

  “I know that, but don’t you think his sons will consider that when they’re selling off companies? Like, oh those people really revered our dad, so we should keep his legacy going. Or, oh those sad cheap ass people who sent the bread can totally go on welfare.”

  “Joe, you’re horrible,” Marj said.

  “I’m glad to be of service. What about the olives and the pickles?”

  Rebecca pondered. “Depends. If those are Dean and Deluca olives and pickles, they probably had to take out a second mortgage to pay for them. If they’re regular olives and pickles, I say downsize their asses.”

  “Right. Now, the cheese?” Jenny asked.

  “Only three kinds. Swiss, pepper jack and that bright orange chalky processed cheddar shit. They are so over,” Joe said decisively and they giggled.

  Amy looked at me. “Before you wet your pants over how wrong it is to laugh right now, remember, this is a celebration of his life and also gallows humor is helpful at times like this.”

  Joe cocked his head. “Nice pre-emptive strike. Is it rude to go for the open bar?”

  Amy bit her lip. “My feeling is that if there’s an open bar after a funeral, it’s morally wrong to refuse it. It’s like dishonoring his memory. Let’s go.”

  A few others stayed behind and spoke at what an inspiration Jack’s father was. The death was hard on everyone, and everyone handled it differently. Some used humor, some bottled their feelings away, yet, others grieved openly. Eventually, the others walked away to mingle with other people from the office. So it was just Marj and Britt.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Britt told her. “You’re the only thing keeping me from just crying and wailing like a moron.”