Dangerous Daddy

by Sarah J. Brooks

  Although the ballet wasn’t exactly a charity, after my sister passed away in a car accident, I became such a big supporter of the ballet. Every event and show I was at because it reminded me of how much Kimberly had loved to dance. If I closed my eyes, I could still picture her dressing up in her little dresses and getting so excited when our parents took her to the ballet.

  “Kevin, can I get a selfie with you?” a young woman said as she thrust herself between Miranda and me.

  Miranda’s face went from all smiles to being totally annoyed about what was going on. She stared down the young woman. This was going to be a really long night for Miranda if she was already annoyed by one selfie request. Because of her reaction, I already knew things between Miranda and me were not going to work out.

  I could already tell that this event had a lot of younger people, which meant they actually knew who I was. They probably followed my social media pages or knew one of the young ladies I’d dated in the past. Being a high profile guy who hangs out with models is fun at times, but at other times it can be exhausting. It took a strong and confident woman to be able to go on a date with me and not feel like they were playing second fiddle.

  “Sure,” I said and turned and smiled as she held her camera up.

  “Thank you so much!” the girl squealed as she ran off.

  “By the way, Miranda, that dress has had me speechless all night long. You look amazing,” I said and leaned over to kiss her cheek in an effort to calm her obvious agitation.

  Her face instantly lit up with the attention I’d given her. Too bad it was fake, and I already knew that this girl wasn’t going to last past this one date. There was nothing particularly wrong with her; she was a beautiful woman. I could tell she was really trying to be a great date, but there was no chemistry, no connection between the two of us.

  “Thank you, it’s by Labanese,” she said as if I had any idea who that was.

  “Oh, it’s nice.”

  “Excuse me Mister Fox, could we have you take a photo with the boys?” a woman asked and pointed to a group of young men who were wearing the suits I’d sent to them.

  Instead of sending my old suits, I’d ordered some new ones of various sizes and had them sent to the boys. They really did look sharp in their outfits. They were probably between twelve and eighteen years old and standing so tall in their new suits; I couldn’t help gravitating over toward them.

  “Of course,” I replied and went over to greet the boys. “You guys look like chick magnets.”

  They laughed. It was heartwarming to see that my small donation was making these young men so happy. Each of them stood in line to shake my hand and personally thank me. They seemed to be practicing their handshakes and making eye contact too.

  The boys made a point to look me in the eye and kept their handshakes firm, but not too firm. Whatever they were doing in this organization was really making a difference. These young men were going to be ready to rock any interview they had, and I had a feeling they were going to make some major changes in the world with this confidence they were exuding.

  “Thank you, Mister Fox,” a meek looking young man said as he shook my hand but didn’t look at me.

  “Eye contact, remember the eye contact,” I coached him.

  “I’m sorry,” he replied as he looked up at me with tears in his eyes. “You are an inspiration. I want to be like you. This is the best moment of my life.”

  “Well, this is a pretty exciting moment for me too,” I said as I pulled him in for a hug.

  The second my arms wrapped around him, his tears burst into a waterfall of emotion, and I could barely hold back my own tears. He was so overcome that his mother ended up joining us and was rubbing his back as she looked up at me through her own tears.

  “Thank you,” she mouthed softly.

  I let him stay wrapped around me for nearly two whole minutes as he gathered himself and then hugged his mother. He was probably twelve or thirteen years old and nearly as tall as she was.

  “What’s your name, young man?” I asked.

  “Derik Anderson,” he said as he whipped his tears away and stood up straight to try shaking my hand again. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Fox.”

  “That was perfect,” I encouraged him as he made eye contact this time. “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I asked in an effort to keep him talking. He obviously had been looking forward to meeting me, and I couldn’t just walk away from him after that hug he had given me.

  “An engineer,” he replied feeling a little more confident in our conversation.

  “It takes a lot of hard work and good grades to go to school to be an engineer. Are you ready to work hard?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “What college do you want to go to?”

  He looked at me a little mystified about the answer to this question. He was pretty young still, and there was plenty of time for making college choices down the line. I was about to move onto another question when he looked over at his mother and shared a moment.

  “I think he’d like to go to the Air Force Academy like his father did and then maybe CalPoly,” she said with a big smile. “He passed away a couple of years ago overseas though so we haven’t really talked about college much. But we will start talking about it,” she said as she cleared her throat.

  Up until that moment, I had this notion that all the boys in this program just had absentee fathers. Or fathers who were deadbeats, but at that moment, I realized that this young man had lost his father. His father wasn’t some drunk who couldn’t afford child support or find time to come see him; this young man had a hero for a father.

  I’d lost my own parents the last couple of years. Even though I was an adult, it still hurt horribly, so I could only imagine what it was like for this kid. I connected deeply with people who had gone through losing their loved ones; it was the one thing I understood on a very deep level. I took a deep breath before leaning down to talk with Derik.

  “You know I think no matter which college you go to, you’re going to be pretty successful. That handshake is perfect.”

  “Thank you,” Derik said shyly.

  “Okay, we better get going,” his mother said.

  “I think we should take a picture first. Would you mind taking a photo with me? I want to document that I knew you before you were famous,” I teased as I pulled my phone out. “Are you on Instagram? Can I tag you in this?”

  “Yeah, I’m on there,” he said as his eyes lit up.

  We snapped a photo and then spent a minute finding his page, and I followed him. Although I had a couple million followers, I didn’t follow very many people in return; 382 to be exact, now that I was following Derik.

  “Man, the ladies are going to go crazy for you once I post this. Are you sure you want me to tag you?”

  “Yes!” He practically screamed with excitement, and both his mother and I laughed.

  An Instagram photo with me was certainly going to garner some excitement from the kids at school. I could only imagine what they’d say and how they might start being especially nice to Derik once they knew he and I were friends. Although social media could have a dark side, I chose to concentrate on all the positive things that could come from it.

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I laughed as his mother playfully rolled her eyes. “You’re going to be the big man on campus when you get back to school on Monday.”

  “Thank you so much,” she said as she guided Derik away. “This is going to be a memory he will never forget.”

  “Me too,” I said, smiling back at her.

  It was true. I wasn’t going to forget Derik. I’d already made up my mind that I was going to check in with him down the road and keep an eye on him. Sometimes making a difference wasn’t just about giving people money; sometimes, it was about sharing a moment that transcended everything else in the world. I couldn’t wait to continue the new friendship Derik and I had started.

  As Derik
and his mother walked away, I posted the photo on my Instagram page. I didn’t tag the event. I didn’t hype anything, I just posted it with a note telling Derik how awesome it was to meet him, and that he and I were going to be friends for a very long time. I was smiling from ear to ear as I hit send on my post.

  “Are you going to spend any time with me?” Miranda asked as she came up behind me. “I’ve been sitting over there alone for like twenty minutes.”

  “Let’s go sit down,” I said without remarking further. This date was clearly going to be our last. I was so annoyed with her reaction that it took me a few moments to gather my thoughts and calm myself down so I didn’t react rudely to her.

  The talent show was going to start soon, and at least then our attention could be on the kids and what they rehearsed for the show. I enjoyed events like these much better than stuffy or formal charity events. Coming out and having fun always made me want to donate more money than sitting at a boring auction did.

  “So Kevin, how is work going? Ed says you’re selling your company?” Barbra asked as she tried to make small talk.

  “Yes, I recently accepted a deal, and I’m very excited. I’ll stay on for about a year and help with the transition of new leadership. Then of course I’d like to stay on the board, but I’m not sure they will want me to. Still some things to decide.”

  “So at thirty-two you’re retiring?” She laughed.

  “Not exactly, I’ve got some other businesses I’d like to spend my time on. And, of course, I’d still like to mentor and help small businesses. I think the sale will just free up more of my time so I can concentrate on what really matters.”

  “Wow, I bet you’re selling it for lots of money,” Miranda added. “Rider is one of the most popular apps I know. I use it all over the world when I travel for photo shoots.”

  My first inclination was to assume Miranda was interested in the money aspect of my sale. In my gut, I cringed at her comment but did my best not to overly judge her. Even if we weren’t going to see each other again, I genuinely wouldn’t say something to a woman that was purposely hurtful.

  “Yes, we have had amazing growth,” I said in agreement.

  “Awesome luck you’ve had,” she added.

  Again, I cringed. The growth of my ride share company hadn’t been luck. I’d dedicated the last ten years of my life to it. I’d been working seven days a week, sometimes up to twenty hours a day. I gave up my twenties for this company. My friends were out partying and traveling to beaches, and I was in my office or in some meeting most of the last ten years; it wasn’t luck.

  Sure, I’d been on social media with models and seen in the tabloids with celebrities. But those brief moments of free time were nothing compared to the days, weeks, and months that I sat alone working. When someone said I was lucky, it always took self-control for me not to lash out at them. Being a successful business did have an aspect of luck when it came to hitting the market at the right time, but by no means was luck the reason my company had become successful. It minimized all the work I did and all my staff who had been equally as dedicated over the years.

  “Wow, the turn out tonight is amazing,” Ed said as he joined us breathing heavily after hurrying across the room.

  “Did you run a marathon?” Barbra teased him.

  “Hey, I’m not as young and fit as you are. I’ve got to take it easy at my age.”

  Ed was only about ten years older than Barbra, but he had developed a bit of a stomach over the last few years. His dedication to work was all-consuming, right up until he met Barbra. There was something so powerful about meeting a woman that meshed perfectly with you. She got him on a level that even I didn’t understand. Together, I felt an energy between them that was inspiring to me, and I hoped I’d find something like that in my future.

  While I was building my company, I didn’t have time for relationships. When I tried to keep a woman around, I inevitably disappointed her. Work always came first. It didn’t matter how beautiful, talented, or kind a woman was; I always had to get work done. With the sale of my company, I hoped to spend a little more effort and time on my personal life. Perhaps I’d even find a woman I could stand for more than one date and a woman who could handle my various imperfections.

  It wasn’t going to be easy to find a woman, though. I had clearly developed a reputation over the years as a man who played the field and didn’t settle down. I couldn’t lie, that was who I had been, and maybe I was going to be the same even without my company. I’d learned through business that I wasn’t the type of person to settle. I would wait until that perfect creature came into my sights, and then I’d convince her that we were meant to be.

  “Kevin Fox, oh, my gosh, can we take a picture with you?” a group of young women said as they approached us. They were all beautiful, and in their early twenties; I knew this wasn’t going to go over well with Miranda.

  “The show is about to start,” Miranda announced as she crossed her arms. “Tell them to go away.”

  Miranda clearly didn’t understand how the business of being a public figure worked. If I smiled and took the picture, I got good press. These young ladies would post about me on their social media pages, and they’d rave to their friends about how nice I was. If I scowled at them or pushed them away, I was likely to get some sort of social media backlash. That was how the world worked in today’s age of technology.

  “Of course,” I said as I got up. “Ed, would you snap a photo of us?” I said as I took the young woman’s phone and handed it to Ed.

  “You ladies look beautiful,” I said and shook their hands briefly and gave a couple of them hugs. “Make sure to donate as much as you can to these young men. They are pretty darn amazing.”

  “We will,” the girls squealed.

  “Okay Ed, take a good one,” I said and found a spot right in the middle of the group.

  Ed snapped the photo, and I talked to the women for another sixty seconds or so until the lights went down and the show got started. The group of women happily scurried back to their table, and I sat down next to Miranda who was seething with anger by that point.

  It was becoming rather hilarious to me how angry Miranda was that I was taking pictures and talking to people at this event. Clearly, this was the person I was, and she knew this when she met me, yet it came as some sort of surprise while we were out on a date.

  The talent show was amazing. The overall talent the young men had was far superior to shows I’d actually paid for at big arenas. But the best part of the night was seeing the young men’s faces as they finished their talent and the audience applauded. I hoped to visit them all after the show was finished, and I intended to take pictures and talk with any of the kids who wanted to. They clearly had worked hard for this event, and it was important to me to show them that hard work paid off.

  “Wow, that was a damn good show,” Ed said as we were all clapping and cheering the finale. “I bet a few of those boys could make professional careers out of performing. Do we have any summer acting or singing camps that we are connected with?” he asked me.

  “Unbelievable talent,” I added. “I don’t think I’ve got any camps that I contribute to right now. I’ll ask my assistant to look, though.”

  “I guess we should go write some checks?” Ed said and motioned toward Augustine Fresno, the leader of the event. “I bet she’s dying to see our checks.”

  “Yeah, let’s go,” I said as I leaned toward Miranda. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Of course you are going again,” she huffed back at me.

  For such a beautiful woman, Miranda had a dark inside. It was sad that she was so consumed by jealousy, especially when it involved young men who were trying to find their way in the world. But I wasn’t about to let Miranda get me down that evening. I had an amazing time watching the talent show and couldn’t wait to write a big fat check to ensure these young men continued on the paths they were on and had the best resources possible.

>   “How did you like the show?” Augustine said as she welcomed Ed and me with open arms. “Ed, thank you for everything you’ve done tonight. I really appreciate the extra helping hand in getting everyone to their seats.”

  “I’ve always wanted to be an usher,” Ed teased.

  “Well, thank you very much. I know the guests really liked seeing you both here. Would you like to go backstage and say hi to the boys?”

  “Yes, definitely,” I said.

  “Yes, but we wanted to write some checks first,” Ed said as he handed her the two checks we had decided to give her.

  It took Augustine a moment as she looked at Ed’s check and then mine. Neither of us were sure what amount was appropriate or how much the group needed to continue and expand. But we were generous with our money, and the look of shock on her face assured me that we had given her enough to accomplish the goals they had for their upcoming year.

  When donating money, I preferred to give so much that I shocked people. It was purely selfish on my part, though; I just really liked seeing how happy a big donation made people. I could afford, and it truly did make me happy to know I was doing good.

  “Let us know if you need anything else; either one of us would be happy to help out,” Ed said as Augustine wrapped her arms around him and hugged him.

  “This is so generous. You two are our heroes. You know I would love to have you come out and talk with the boys some time. Maybe discuss following their dreams or interview techniques, anything you’d like. You are both such positive male role models.”

  “Well, I am. I’m not so sure about Kevin,” Ed said with a playful nudge in my direction. “He’s got some good qualities, though.”

  “Both of you are welcome anytime. The boys really need men around, and even the philandering kind like you, Kevin,” she teased.