“I don’t know. Just curious.”
We run back to my place, him in the lead. Lucky for me, I snicker quietly. “Hey, how did you know where I live?”
He doesn’t answer immediately, but then says, “I have a security team at work. They can find out just about anything, Vivi.”
“If you want to walk me home from work, just show up next time. It’s a little disturbing having you stalk me.”
A smile twitches at the corners of his mouth. “I might do that. Will you consider giving me your work schedule?”
“Maybe. But it’ll cost you.”
“How much?” he asks.
“One piece of chocolate,” I say and then turn around and run through the door. I don’t have much time before I have to meet Vince, so I strip off my clothes and hop in the shower. Eric comes into the bathroom while I’m showering.
“That was pretty cozy,” he says.
“He was actually fun, although my tailbone hurts like a mofo.”
“So? I want details.”
“I caved, Eric. We’re going to try the friend thing. I don’t know if that was the smartest thing to do, but I couldn’t resist. Why does he have to be so fucking hot?”
“That he is. I had to move on or my running shorts would’ve looked a little awkward there.”
“Lusting after Beckham, are you?”
“What hot-blooded gay man wouldn’t? If it makes you feel better, I think you did the right thing.”
“I hope so.” I rinse off my hair and put conditioner in. “I’m going to be late and Vince will kill me.”
“He’ll survive. Just text him.”
“I will. Scram. I have to dry off.”
The door opens and closes and I rush through the rest of my routine. My hair is still damp as I dash out of the apartment.
When I show up a few minutes late, Vince is waiting on me.
“Hey.” He waves me over. “You look a little flustered.”
Filling him in on most of the details of my life, leaving out the Prescott bits, he says, “Damn, I’m exhausted just listening.”
He gives me the skinny on what’s been happening with everyone. School’s good; he’s working in another coffee shop; and he’ll hopefully graduate in two semesters. He’s semi-dating someone he’s super excited about. Or at least that’s my impression.
“What’s her name?”
“Milli. She’s from Oklahoma of all places, studying music at Juilliard.”
“That’s awesome. Good for you, Vince.”
“Yeah. She’s way more talented than me.”
“What does she play?”
“The violin. She’s unbelievable. I’ve never heard anything like it.”
“Wow. I always wanted to play an instrument. My mom enrolled me in piano and then flute, but it was a huge fail. I sucked.”
He laughs, saying, “Same. I was awful at music.”
“So, do you ever talk to Jenny? Or Jackie?” I ask.
“Jenny called a few weeks ago. She dropped out of school and decided to move back to Florida. This semester took it out of her, I guess. Jackie found a job at another coffee shop. She’s doing well.”
“Aw, I should call both of them to wish them the best.”
Afterward, Vince and I promise to stay in touch. He also says he’ll stop by The Meeting Place for a drink one weekend and bring Milli.
Eric is waiting for me when I get home. “How was your friend?”
“Fine.” I take off my jacket and just as I’m getting ready to put my feet up and relax, a packet that sits on the small dining table catches my attention.
“What’s that?”
“No idea. It’s for you.”
“Hmm.” I grab it and unwrap it. Inside are two items—a gourmet chocolate bar and another smaller box. Inside the other box sits a large strawberry dipped in chocolate.
“Gee, I wonder who sent you that,” Eric says, joking.
Opening the card that accompanies it, a flush heats my face as I read it.
“My, oh my. Must be something sexy,” Eric says.
“Uh, a little.”
“What happened to ‘we’re going to be friends’?”
“He acknowledges that in here.”
“Please share,” he begs.
Holding the note to my chest, I say, “I can’t.” Then I inspect my little gifts. Prescott’s sense of humor is contagious and I laugh out loud.
“You can’t do this to me.”
“Okay. I told him not to stalk me after work, because it creeped me out. So he asked if I’d share my work schedule. I said it would cost him a piece of chocolate.”
“That’s not even funny.”
“Yes, it is.”
Pulling out my phone, I text Prescott the following:
The Meeting Place, Friday, 7 to 1:30 a.m. Thx :)
Eric stares at me. Then he says, “Wanna make a bet?”
“What kind?”
“Do you or don’t you?”
“Depends on how much.”
“Five bucks,” he says.
“Okie dokes.”
“You’re going to fuck his balls off within a month.”
Chapter 16
Prescott
Grand was right. The chocolates were a score. I was a little worried the strawberry and note went too far, but when I got her text, everything was cool.
Yeah, the note must’ve scored some points. I hesitated a few times on it.
Vivi,
We said friends and I promise it’ll be that. You wanted a piece of chocolate in return for your schedule, so here you go. But dammit, I had to get you the strawberry too. Do you want to know why? Of course you do. And don’t say I’m breaking my promise because I’m not. This is only Prescott paying Vivi the sincerest compliment.
I bought the strawberry because when I saw them all lined up in a row, they reminded me of your lips—perfectly shaped, red, plump, and the sweetest things I’ve ever tasted in my life.
So now you know. And you’ll also know that as long as I live, whenever I see strawberries, I’ll always think of you.
Your dear friend,
Prescott Whitworth Beckham
How the hell did I become such a romantic? I have no idea, but I admit the note was genuine and I sent it in the hopes she wouldn’t run away screaming like her ass was on fire. She didn’t.
I’m going to listen to Grand from now on.
Next, flowers, or dinner or something similar—but I won’t overwhelm her now. Baby steps, Beckham. Baby steps.
This shit is hard. It’s not in my nature to do things this way, but this fucking horse is going to learn to do pony tricks if it kills him.
When I get to work, Lynn is waiting on me.
“Hey, Lynn, I hope you had a nice weekend.”
“I did. Have you forgotten your meeting this morning?”
“No, I haven’t. I’m prepared. I had a productive weekend.”
“Well, this is a change.” She hands me a bottle of water and a coffee. I smile my thanks.
“You have thirty minutes.”
“Thank you.”
We’re making an offer on a piece of property in lower Manhattan that my grandfather and I think would be a great turnaround for a hotel. When I enter the conference room, I’m the first one there. Soon, Granddad joins me, and then later Dad follows. He glowers when he sees me.
“Hey,” I say.
He nods slightly but offers no other greeting.
The agents for the sellers of the building arrive, along with the owners, and Lynn comes in to provide coffee and refreshments. When everyone is comfortable and we exchange greetings, the meeting begins. Everything is running smoothly. The owners are happy with the fair price we’ve offered. We’re about to get signatures on paper, when Dad decides to fuck it up.
“I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with this price. I think it’s too high, Prescott. I don’t think you are capable of handling this transaction.”
“Exc
use me?” I say. This is so completely wrong. You don’t conduct business like this with customers sitting here.
“You heard me.”
“Jeff,” Granddad says. “What is this? We’ve done the comps and you’ve had the figures for over a week.”
“I did some research of my own,” Dad says.
Our clients watch this unprofessional display progress until I finally say to them, “Excuse us all a minute. We need to discuss this outside.”
“No, we don’t. We can talk right here,” Dad says.
“Jeff,” Granddad says, his tone menacing. “Enough already.”
“The price is too generous. I don’t think we should go forward with this.”
Granddad leans forward. “You’re forgetting something. You’re not in a position to make that decision and your approval isn’t necessary or required in order for this transaction to go through. If you can’t stop interrupting us, I will ask you to leave this room.” Then he looks at the clients, who are clearly uncomfortable by this exchange, and says, “I apologize for my son-in-law’s lack of manners. Shall we proceed?”
Damn. Granddad put him in his place. He sits there, pouting like a scolded kid, and I guess he is that, but why did he act like such an ass in front of clients?
The rest of the meeting runs without a snag and we close the deal with everyone happy, except Dad. After everyone files out, my grandfather asks us to remain behind.
“Jeff, what was the meaning of that?” he asks.
“I think you made a huge error and I tried to warn you.”
“That’s not what you did. You tried to make Prescott look like a fool and you failed. My question is why?”
“I didn’t do that. I was trying to save this company from foolishly spending money.” Dad’s face is mottled.
“That’s ridiculous. Prescott has an astute business mind, much better than yours. He never would’ve gone after that building in the first place if it hadn’t been a viable option. And let’s talk about foolish spending. How many times have I had to bail you out of your awful business proceedings? Don’t bother answering that. It was more than I care to count. I’m beginning to think it’s time to sever your ties with Whitworth. As it stands, you’re not even a shareholder. I’ve only allowed you to remain here because of my daughter and Prescott, but I have no idea why I didn’t boot you out after the shit you pulled last Christmas. I’m giving you one week to get your business dealings in order, Jeff. After that, you no longer have a role here.”
Holy fucking shit. Granddad did it! I never thought he would. Dad’s jaw sags open as the words penetrate.
“Close your damn mouth, Jeff. You brought this on yourself. You and that liar you’re married to. And don’t worry—you’ll be compensated. Maybe not as well as you are now, but I’ll work something out so you won’t be living on the street. But tell that wife of yours she might have to cut back on the number of plastic surgeries she gets every month.”
I bite my cheek to keep from laughing. I wish Grand were here. Would she ever be proud of her husband.
Dad storms out the door without uttering a word.
Granddad says, “I’m sorry you had to be a witness to that.”
“I’m not. It’s been brewing for a while. Thank you for supporting me.”
“Prescott, I meant every word. You have a keen sense about you and I trust your judgment. Your father never did have that, no matter how much I worked with him.”
I’m proud to hear those words from the man I respect most in the world.
“Thank you, Granddad. That means a lot to me. Can I say I loved the plastic surgery comment?”
“Your grandmother would’ve loved that one, too.”
“I thought of her when you said it.”
“Honestly, if that woman’s lips get any more inflated, they’re going to explode.”
“That image is a little disturbing.”
“As it is to me,” he says.
“Hey, we got a great deal on that building. Now it’s time to get it refitted.”
“Son, you have your work cut out for you,” he says, chuckling.
“Nah, I love this part. The change is what I like best.”
“You do have the best eye for it.”
“Nope. Weston does. I’ll send him the floor plans as soon as we get them. He’ll come up with something amazing. Then we go to work.”
“You’re lucky you met him at Crestview, coming from a long line of architects,” he says.
“Yeah, and his own firm has really taken off.”
“That doesn’t surprise me. Weston Wyndham is a talented young man.”
On my way back to my office, I pass Dad’s and see him cleaning out his desk. Why does he have to be such an ass? It’s obvious where I inherited that trait from—a chip off the old block. Right at that moment, he glances up. A look of utter contempt comes over him as he barrels toward me.
“This is all your fault. You planned this. You set out to ruin me, didn’t you? Made my life miserable all those years, getting into fights and never doing what you were told. And now this. You think you’re clever, worming your way into the old man’s business. And all because you can’t have what’s mine.”
The venom that spews from him shocks me. I step backward as he jams his face into mine.
“That’s right. You. Can’t. Have. Her. No matter how hard you try. She’ll never be yours.”
What the fuck? Then it hits me. He still thinks I’m after the step-cunt. Shoving him off me, I growl in his face, “I don’t want her. I never have. And she’s playing you for a fool.” Removing myself from his presence, I walk to my office, head held high, and notice how everyone on the floor is staring. “Sorry for the disruption, everyone.”
Lynn follows me inside and closes the door. “Jesus, this place is a soap opera today.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“I can’t because you know everything.”
Falling back into my chair, I say, “And I thought today was starting out great.” I lean my head back and groan.
“It’s not all bad. You closed the deal. And your dad won’t be here to make you feel like shit anymore.”
“You’re right about that. But he has it in his head that I’m after his stupid wife. And she’s fucking around on him only he doesn’t see it.”
“He will when she dumps him. As soon as she finds out about today, she’ll move on to greener pastures.”
“You think?” I ask.
“Hell, yes. Jeff is what, fifty?”
“He’s forty-nine.”
“Okay, and she’s what, in her thirties?” Lynn asks.
“Maybe late thirties.”
“Prescott, she’ll want a younger, richer version of him, which was why she was hitting on you.”
I shudder at the thought. “That’s sick.”
“Just saying. Anyway, I hate to break up your self-pity party, but while you were in the meeting, five calls came in that you need to handle right away. All of them are urgent and have to do with the merger you’re working on.”
“On it. And FYI, it was not a self-pity party. I’m just blown away by everything.”
She pats me on the back. “I know you are.” Lynn gets the whole situation as she’s been with me throughout the entire mess.
“Hey, Lynn, thank you.”
She gives me a thumbs-up on her way out the door.
I take care of the phone calls and Granddad comes in. He wants to discuss the house.
“The house?”
“The house you grew up in.”
“Oh, you mean Dad’s.”
“No, son, it’s not your dad’s. It’s yours.”
“Mine?”
Granddad explains that my grandparents bought the house for my parents to live in when they got married, but the deed is still in their names, which makes them the current owners. They’ve only allowed Dad to stay there because of me, but under the circumstances, they don’t feel comfortable wit
h that anymore. They’re signing the deed over to me because they believe my mother would’ve wanted it this way.
I start to laugh, a little at first, but then I’m bent over at the waist. “Oh, God, that bitch will die when she finds out. And thanks, Granddad, for making me do the dirty work.”
He laughs right along with me. “Hey, Scotty, do you think her lips will be able to handle the shock?”
We’re both snorting so loud that Lynn comes in to check on us. “Are you two up to no good?”
“You might say that,” I answer her.
“I’m glad to see your spirits have lifted.”
“Oh, they have.”
Lynn leaves, and suddenly I rethink things. “Granddad, would you mind if I sit on this for a bit?”
“What do you mean?”
When I stop to think about it, I don’t want to stoop to his level. My grandparents had a better influence on me than that. Even though it may sound crazy after all the shit he’s put me through the last few years, I don’t feel good about evicting him from the house. Her, I wouldn’t mind. But he’s my father and even though he may not have much integrity, I do.
Granddad beams. “I’ve said it before, but I don’t say it nearly enough. Your mother would be so proud of the man you’ve become. Take all the time you want, son.” He leaves before I can respond.
Those words always stagger me. I’ve never thought of myself as someone who’d make my mom proud. To hear him say that means more than I can say. As I analyze it, a question arises. When did I become so caring? For whatever reason, I attribute this change in me in part to Vivi. A mere few days ago, I would’ve told my dad to kiss my ass. Now, I’m making a conscious effort to become a better person. I know I treat my employees well, but I do have a nasty streak that sneaks out from time to time. But if I can behave exactly like I did about the house, maybe I’ll become my grandfather instead of my father. It’s Granddad I’ve always admired.
Maybe if I can let go all of the issues I have with Dad and focus on the future, I can become a better man—a man I’d be proud to be.
When I get home that night, I text Vivi, but then I remember she’s probably still at work. So I’m surprised when I get a response.
Chasing Vivi Page 14