6
Chase
Harrington spotted at O’Hare.
I do a double take as I read the text from a fellow paparazzi who likes to spend his days stalking the private plane terminal at O’Hare International Airport. What the fuck? I’ve been trying to get in touch with Cal for days. He could have at least warned me that he was heading home. I quickly text Robert for confirmation and ten-seconds later, he responds.
Robert: He just showed up as a surprise thirty minutes ago. He and Jenna are slapping skin right now, so don’t expect to hear from him for a while.
I shake my head to clear out the mental image that Robert just provided me when my phone starts ringing in my hand. I look down to see that it’s my brother, Rhys, calling…again. I’ve ignored his calls the last three times, but I know I can’t continue avoiding him. With a heavy sigh, I sit down on my couch to brace myself for what is expected to be an unpleasant conversation and answer his call.
“Nice of you to finally pick up the fucking phone, Chase!” he growls into my ear.
“Why, hello to you too, baby brother,” I respond back, enjoying getting some sort of rise out of Rhys. Rhys is known as the ‘Ice King’ — not only for his career in hockey, but because he shows zero emotion or feelings.
“Chase,” he warns, his voice full of tension and I can just picture him rubbing his eyes like he normally does when frustrated. “I really need you to answer the phone when I call. Better yet, I need your ass on a plane home now!”
“Why?” I ask, sitting up in alert. “What’s going on?”
“Same shit, Chase, just a different day. I’m barely keeping this company afloat. I can’t do this by myself. All the potential investors we’ve approached refuse to have a meeting with me if you aren’t going to be a part of it.”
“Why do they have to know I won’t be there?”
“Because I’m not going to lie to people who I’m seeking millions of dollars from,” he counters.
“It isn’t lying, per se, Rhys. Once they arrive for the meeting, you can tell them I unexpectedly couldn’t make it,” I suggest. Rhys was always the good boy. Never wanting to lie or mislead people. He never got in trouble at school or at home. He knew from a young age that he wanted to play hockey so that’s what he focused on. I was supposed to inherit the family company and Rhys was supposed to play in the NHL. Our father even bought a minor league hockey team for Rhys to run when his future hockey career was over with. But his dreams of getting into the National Hockey League died that day our father did.
“Unlike you, Chase, I value my honor and reputation.”
I ignore his insults that are directed at my current profession because I’m tired of fighting with him. He disapproves of my life as a paparazzi - hell, so do I - but it’s the quickest way I can help save our family business. He refuses to acknowledge the sacrifices I’m making for our mother, for him, for this company that I now don’t even want to be associated with.
A company that if it wasn’t for my mother’s birthright, I would let go straight to hell where my father is.
I never wanted to run the family business. Owning the world’s largest ice wine estate sounds pristine, but doing the actual labor of producing the ice wine is boring as shit. I used to hate being dragged into the fields as a young boy by my father while he watched and yelled at the employees. Don’t get me wrong, I have huge respect and admiration for all of our employees who harvest the grapes in the summertime and freeze their asses off by picking the grapes off the vine during below freezing temperatures in the winter. Yes, I enjoyed the good life of the revenues my family made off of the ice wine, but that was not the division of the company that interested me. When my father wanted to be the most recognizable name in Canada, he created an entertainment division of Wilson Enterprises. He wanted Wilson Enterprises, and our wine, to be associated with every major VIP event and party in Canada. He started buying sports teams, sponsoring VIP parties, event venues and arenas. I loved the idea of growing our business and brand outside of the wine industry and that was the division I wanted to run. I went to college to study business and once I graduated, I moved permanently to Vancouver to start my internship with Wilson Enterprises. My father made sure I started from the bottom to see how hard it was to run a company. No favors were handed out to me for being the heir and oldest son to Thadeus and Lara Wilson.
We grew up privileged and lived lavishly. I didn’t know any other way of life, never having to work during high school or college. Being taken seriously was an everyday battle - even to my father - and I had to prove my worth by working endless hours, showing that I was smart and dedicated to growing the company name in the entertainment industry. As the years went by and my marketing plans started turning a profit, I was finally taken seriously.
Even my father was impressed — mildly, of course. Thadeus Wilson never showed he was impressed with anyone, let alone his children. He was the face of Wilson Enterprises and loved being in the spotlight. Good looking, charismatic, and hardworking, my father always made sure he was well-dressed and in shape for the public appearances that took priority over his family. He lived and breathed Wilson Enterprises and never wanted to be behind the scenes. In front and center of attention is what he preferred.
And I started to become exactly like him.
I started to enjoy all the benefits — the riches, the parties, and the notoriety of being Thadeus Wilson’s son and heir. I even threw an unforgettable party at being named one of the most eligible bachelors in Canada. Vancouver, and the good-looking women that spread their legs for me, was my very own playground. But Vancouver became not enough and I wanted to dominate all of Canada-just like my father. So I traveled more, worked harder to get our name visible in other Canadian cities, and soon became more in demand than even my father. Most fathers would have been proud of their son’s drive and determination to grow the family business.
Instead, mine became jealous.
I was blind as to what was coming my way. Blind, or maybe just in denial. Denial of not wanting to believe that a father would sabotage his own son. I took notice when my marketing budgets were lowered. I grew suspicious when other employees were assigned to my accounts. Accounts that I hunted, pitched and won for the company. When I was passed up twice for a promotion after pouring my blood, sweat and tears into the company, I started to investigate why.
I should have minded my own damn business.
“I need more time in Chicago, Rhys,” I start up again, not ready to go back to Vancouver as I feel my time in Chicago is not done yet.
“I don’t understand how staying in Chicago benefits us financially. The money that Cal Harrington is paying you to spy on his girlfriend barely covers the new equipment I need for the vineyard.”
“Are you saying we’re running out of money again? What happened to all the money we had left over after the sale of the hockey team?” When my father died, we had to start liquidating our assets, which included the indoor arena football team and one of the hockey teams. I refused to let Rhys sell our other hockey team. The team that he loved as a child and eventually, played for. I’m determined to keep it so that when this nightmare is over with, he can go back and do what he loves. It won’t be as a hockey player, but as a general manager.
“Yes, Chase, we have no money! After paying employee wages and creditors, we barely have anything left. That is even after the mass layoff we did once we sold the sports teams. We were in the red last fiscal year with ice wine sales due to lower than normal productions. We won’t last another year if this continues.”
I suck in my breath, not prepared for this kind of news. I stand up and start pacing my living room. I run my hand through my hair and grip my scalp, hoping the pressure might help with any ideas of what to do to get the money to save us.
“Okay… okay. We’ll fix this. We can do this.” I keep repeating out loud, needing reassurance for myself and my brother.
“How in the hell do you expect u
s to get millions of dollars from photographs, Chase?”
“I’ll start traveling more. I’ll go back to Los Angeles, New York… maybe even London! The money is better over in Europe.” My mind races at all the places I can envision myself in, knowing exactly where to place myself to get the right kind of scandal for a bigger payout.
“I don’t want any more of that blood money!” he spits out in disgust, while rage fills me at his righteousness.
“I’m busting my ass trying to save us, Rhys! What more do you want from me?” I yell, as the stress of the situation washes over me.
“I want you back in Vancouver, in your office, finding and courting investors,” he commands. “You have two weeks to get your shit together in Chicago and then I expect you to come back and completely take over in the quest of saving this company. You will be the one rebranding our image. You will be the one convincing people that Wilson Enterprises is still worthy of their business. You will fix this mess since you helped create it!” And with that, he hangs up on me.
I look down at the now silent phone and throw it on the couch. I walk over to the mini bar and pour myself a large glass of bourbon.
One sip.
Two sips.
And then I hurl the glass as hard as I can against the floor, watching it shatter into what seems like a million pieces. I fall to the floor, my knees absorbing the impact as I scream out my frustration at what life has thrown my way.
Rhys is right that I helped create the situation that my family is now in because when I started to investigate why my father was holding me back from taking the company to greater heights, I uncovered his dark secrets.
The secret of embezzling money from the company.
It took me awhile to figure it all out, but when I did, I immediately went to our family home in Victoria, hoping to talk with him in his private office. My mother greeted me at the door and told me he was upstairs, working on budgets with the accountant.
Instead, he was fucking his accountant from behind.
Everything happened in slow motion from that moment on. It was an out of body experience as I approached him, pulled him off of her and shoved him to the floor. An uncontrollable fury took over my body, making me a completely different person.
A person who was experiencing the worst kind of betrayal and hurt from his own flesh and blood.
I didn’t hear his whore screaming at the top of her lungs due to my roars of rage filling my own ears while my fists smashed continuously into his face. I didn’t feel his blood splattering all over me, nor did I feel the arms wrap around me as I was hauled off of him by the house staff. All I remember was his face as he was struggling to breathe through his broken nose and mouth. I remember hearing my mother’s cries and the heartbreak written all over her face when she came in and saw what was happening. And I will never forget the words I left him with before I departed.
“I hope you fucking go to hell!”
He died two hours later of a heart attack.
7
Layla
“You realize things are about to change, right?”
Change. A word that triggers warning bells in my head. I don’t do well with change and for Robert to suggest it as imminent makes me uncomfortable. I loudly gulp down the delicious cider that my taste buds were soaking in and look at Robert with raised eyebrows. We are sitting in our favorite Irish pub, O’Malley’s, treating ourselves to some cocktails and bad food due to the whirlwind of a day it has been.
“If you are referring to me winning the lottery so I don’t have to work anymore, then I gladly welcome that change.” I give him my best signature smirk and stuff my mouth with some French fries. It has been an emotional day starting with my conversation with Jenna on our walk this morning and then the arrival of Cal. I wish I could say I was happy to see him, but his appearance signifies the end of my alone time with my best friend. Selfishly, I’m not ready to give her up yet.
“I’m referring to Cal being back in town. Did you see the way his whole face changed when he saw her? He was ready to pounce on her and he didn’t care who was around. It was so fucking sexy!” Robert sighs and I can’t help but roll my eyes at him. Robert is the optimistic romantic — wants love for everyone and is always on the search for his future boyfriend, but Cupid’s arrow keeps missing him. His last couple of boyfriends just ended up in lust, not love, and Robert is quick to cut it off if he sees no potential future.
“Why are you rolling your eyes? Aren’t you happy for your best friend?” he asks incredulously.
“Of course I’m happy for Jenna, but I just don’t think this is a healthy relationship for her.”
He narrows his eyes at me and gives me a condescending smile. “Layla, I love you and don’t mean any disrespect, but with the way you’ve been carrying on in your personal life, you aren’t one to talk about knowing what a healthy relationship is.”
“Exactly and that is why I’m perfectly fine being alone. But we aren’t talking about me, we are talking about Jenna, and you asked me my opinion. I still have trust issues with Cal and I don’t like how he consumes her whole world.”
“Why don’t you trust him? Because he’s a celebrity?” Robert asks while stealing some fries off my plate.
“I still can’t get over how he made decisions for her without telling her. I don’t like that and think it’s wrong,” I say a little too loudly and with more force than I mean to.
Now it’s Robert’s turn to roll his eyes at me. “Layla, he did that for her safety! And he already admitted he was wrong and apologized.”
“How do we know that it won’t happen again in the future?” I question.
“C’mon Layla, you see how in love with her he is. He didn’t give up all the times she kept pushing him away. Why would you think he would mess that up by repeating past mistakes?” He leans back and crosses his arm against his chest. “I think there’s something else going on with you.”
“Oh yeah? Let’s hear it!” I challenge. I don’t know why I’m doing this to myself as Robert’s intuition is usually crazy accurate. He tilts his head and looks at me. This is Robert’s signature move before he decides to unleash tough love on you. He assesses you in silence and then makes his move when given permission.
“I think you’re afraid Jenna is going to stop needing you. That Cal makes her so blissfully happy that she’ll forget about you. You want Jenna to be happy, but you also want her to always need you. You’re afraid he’ll take your spot in her life and therefore, you refuse to accept him.” He leans forward and places his elbows on the table. “You’re also scared that without Jenna mothering you, you’ll slip into your old bad habits of drowning your sorrows in alcohol and fucking any penis that comes your way. You aren’t blind — you see that the looks of pity that you used to receive from your friends and family have now turned to disgust with the reputation that you have created for yourself.”
I swallow the lump that has formed in my throat from his truth and try to interject, but he raises his hand to stop me.
“You are not fine with being alone, Layla. That’s complete bullshit! No one willingly wants to be alone. It’s an excuse to guard your heart from finding someone just as wonderful as Charlie was and them leaving you or worse, dying again.” He sighs and grabs my hand and squeezes it. “Life is so crazy, beautiful, fucked up and fragile. But I believe that people can have more than one true love of their life. Some people are lucky to live the rest of their life with one. That’s not going to be your life and you need to accept that. I do believe there is another love out there for you, Layla. You just need to start believing that you are worthy of it.”
Damn him and his intuition!
“Jenna, Avery, and I love you so much, Layla. We only want to see you happy. This past month, we started to see that in you. You are so much stronger than you think! We will never stop helping you, but you need to continue working on you.”
“I’m trying, Robert. I really, really am,” I softly say,
drinking in his words. The old Layla would have refused to listen and become defensive. I’m learning that I don’t want to go back to being the old Layla. I want to move forward. I want to be healthy. I want to be happy.
But it’s so much easier said than done.
“We know you’re trying, Layla. We’ve seen that from your actions this past month and it’s given us so much hope. Of course it’s going to take time and you’ll have some more bad days ahead. That’s life! But you’re not alone. You never have been and you never will be. We will always be here for you.”
I can’t hold back the tears that cloud my vision. I give him a small smile and squeeze his hand back. “Thank you, Robert. Thank you for always caring. For being there for all of us. I truly don’t know where our lives would be without you.”
“Ah well, thank you, but it goes both ways as I don’t know what my life would look like without you ladies as well. We need to thank Jenna for paying me so well that I stick around.” He winks at me and we laugh at his joke. We both know he could probably make more money somewhere else, but wouldn’t get the flexibility, creative freedom, or the love that he gets with a boss like Jenna.
“We need to make a toast,” he yells to Nico, the bartender, for two more drinks. Nico quickly gets us more cider and delivers it to us. “To you, Layla! Cheers to your determination and strength to lead you on the path of health, wealth, love, and happiness!” We click our glasses together and drink.
“I’ve started looking for other jobs. I know my job is unhealthy for me, but I don’t know if I’m ready to ease myself back into the dating world quite yet,” I tell him as I put my glass down and take another bite of my food.
“Start off slow. I know, let’s create an online dating profile for you!” he says with excitement as he claps his hands together. I look at him with unease, dreading the fact that I might need to tell him I already have an online account that I used in order to find one nights stands.
Perfectly Lonely: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Let Me In Book 2) Page 4