Chapter 29

Damon

Fury burned through him at the fact that she'd ignored his request for her to join him at the house at ten the night before. Not only had he closed down shop early and left a ton of shit for the next day while they were traveling, but he'd skipped out on drinks with some old friends who just happened to be in town.

What was she trying to prove? That she was in control? That the promise of a future wasn't worth shit if it couldn't be instantly built before her eyes?

He pushed the door open to the tiny hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint on the east side of Dallas that he loved to haunt during his college days. It was quick, cheap and delicious. He pulled out his phone after glancing around and seeing that Charles wasn't there yet.

Having been a great mentor to him in college at UT, Damon tried to stay in contact with the old guy as much as he could. The last minute breakfast was the perfect excuse to save him from having to fly to Seattle sandwiched in between Beth and Matt. He loved them both but wasn't in the mood for Matt's positive attitude or Beth's questions over his devotion to her. He'd been a dick lately, but she had too, period.

After shooting off a quick text to both of them, he sat down at a booth and glanced over the menu that was all too familiar to him.

"Well, well... look what the cat dragged in." An older woman with a bright smile and platinum-colored hair stopped by the table. "Mr. Bryant. It's been at least three years since I've seen you in here."

Damon tilted his head to the side as a genuine smile spread across his mouth. "Heather, right?"

"That's right!" She let out a soft giggle. "You're not in college anymore from what we all gathered around here."

"Nope. I've been out six years now, but I'm meeting Charles-"

"Charlie, boy. How many times I gotta tell you to call me Charlie like the rest of the world?" The portly mentor pulled out the chair across from Damon and smiled up at Heather. "Nice to see you again, Pumpkin. Grab me a coffee, black, and a glass of fresh squeezed tomato juice."

Damon turned his nose up. "You guys squeeze your tomato juice?"

"We do for Mr. Darek. He's been keeping this place open by having breakfast here every morning for the last fifteen years." She laughed, patted Charles’ back and walked off.

"Well, tell me why we haven't gotten together for a quick meal in the better part of a year. You so busy that you can't spare an old man a few minutes?" Charles lifted his eyebrow and leaned back.

"Never. I guess our paths just stopped crossing so often, but that's my fault. Obviously with me locking myself in my office at M&B for sixteen hours a day, every day, my social interactions have almost ceased to exist." Damon pulled his napkin into his lap and pressed his forearms to the table, preparing himself for the lecture that was sure to come.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Mine, of course. How have you been, Mr. Darek? Still teaching with as much vigor as you did six years ago when I almost failed your finance class?"

He chuckled deep in his chest, the action causing his belly to dance around. "Of course I am, and I do. I love my job. They're going to have to kick my old ass out of there, and I have tenure, so good luck to 'em!"

Damon smiled and let his anger go. It wasn't well founded and only served to fuck up his day with the promise that he and Beth would have another explosive fight over nothing more than her being the strong woman that he wanted her to be. Funny when you got what you wanted, you weren’t quite sure if that's what you were after in the first place.

"I'm heading out to Seattle after this."

"Oh yeah?" The old man reached up and took his juice from Heather as she put a few drinks on the table. "I'll have three eggs, over easy, sweetheart. Bacon and sausage, well done on both accounts. Grits made with milk and loads of butter. I wanna die young and beautiful."

Damon smirked. "Me too. I'll take the exact same thing."

Charles shook his head and rubbed his belly. "I think you might actually have a chance at it. You only seem to be getting better looking as you're getting older. Good thing too, seeing that I remember you being an ass and a half with the ladies back at UT."

"Me? An ass? No..."

"Right. Why are you headed to Seattle? Got a lady friend up there, or is your father still holding on to his tax practice in that area?"

"Both, but the trip is to work on an audit up there. We have some people not doing their jobs. Go figure?"

"Kids nowadays. Entitlement. That's what it's all about."

Damon smiled and kept his thoughts to himself. "It's a quick turnaround, and I'm hoping for positive results."

"And this lady friend. Tell me about her. You have to be nearing thirty by now. Most people are having kids at your age. As crazy as it feels to say it, you're behind the curve, old boy."

Damon chuckled. "I'm thirty-one, and I'm right where I want to be."

"That so?" Charles lifted his eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "You ever had grits with milk and butter in them?"

"I'm happy. I guess I could be a little more content, but happy will work for now. She's a graduate from UT herself. She's studying to be an accountant and just recently started her master’s, and yes, my mother used to make grits just the way you've described. They're shit any other way."

Charles slapped the table and sat up. "Finally. I swear! All these northerners with their watery grits and scones. Why in the world would you want to mess up a perfectly good biscuit?"

"No clue." Damon moved back as the food was delivered.

"Tell me more about the girl. How long have you been together?"

"Three weeks, but she's the one. I have no doubt." He said a quick prayer over his food and worked to cut his eggs as the image of Bethany on her knees in the living room washed over him.

So beautiful and compliant. So right for him. His pulse spiked just thinking about having her again. Her rejecting him was more of a message than the loss of interest. Now he needed to figure out what the message was.

"Three weeks? How in the hell do you know if she's the one if she's only been with you three weeks? Aren't you one of the last self-proclaimed bachelors?"

"Am I? I don't remember making that proclamation." He shrugged.

"You were drunk, and it was the last football game of your senior year. I still have the footage if you'd like to revisit it."

"No, I'd rather not, to be honest."

"Is she working at the firm with you and Kent?"

"Yes. She's an intern for us this fall and next spring. She'll work her way up fast; I have no doubt."

"Is that because she's sleeping with the boss?"

"No. Of course not. She's brilliant."

"And beautiful?"

"Beyond." Damon folded the last piece of bacon on his plate and watched his old mentor to see what he was getting at.

"You know what happened to Kendal with a situation very similar to this, right?"

"Of course I do, Charles-"

"Charlie."

"Of course I do, Charlie, but this is different. We're not under the watch of the university. My father owns the company, and he's quite happy with mine and Bethany's relationship. It's just... complicated."

"Complicated, how?"

"Her mother married my father last weekend." Damon glanced down and waited for the berating that never came. He glanced up to find Charles watching him in what appeared to be stunned silence.

"Wait. So this girl is not only six years younger than you, but an intern at your firm and she's your step sister?"

"Well, when you put it like that-"

"Put it like what?" Charles huffed and picked up his bowl of grits. "You're up shit creek without a paddle my friend. As brilliant as you are, this has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever seen you do."

"I love her. It's simple really." Damon sat back and licked his lips. There was an expectation somewhere inside of him that anger would be his response to Charles, but it wasn't. Telling his old mentor how he felt about Bethany felt natural. Right. Maybe he wasn't being fair with his concerns about letting the world know that she was his.

"Well, keep that shit to yourself, or you'll ruin the poor girl."

"What? Why would us being in love ruin her?"

"Damon. You just touted out every fucking taboo in the book. Are you serious right now?" He reached across the table and popped Damon in the forehead with the back of his spoon. "Think with your head and not your dick, son. She's a young girl who's about to enter the world of Corporate America. She needs a good start, a clean record. You're throwing down a stripper pole and covering it in grease."

"What?" Damon chuckled, unable to help himself. The older Charles got, the less sense he made.

"You're making a mistake. Close it down and offer to be a big brother to her, or give her another mentor. You don't need a relationship with that much baggage already attached to it. For shit's sake. What does Kent say about this? He's fine with it?"

"Yes." Damon wiped his mouth and picked up his phone from the table. "I gotta get going. The flight’s taking off in forty-five minutes. I just wanted to-"

"I'm sorry if I upset you, but you know I shoot straight. There are very few guys who I still invest my time in, but you're one of them."

Damon stood and nodded, forcing himself not to react with anything but gratitude. "Of course. I'm good, though I disagree with your advice this time. Bethany is the woman I'm going to spend my life with. We just have to get over these hurdles. We can do it."

Charles extended his hand but didn't get up. "You trying to convince me, or yourself, son?"

"Only you, old friend. I have no doubt."

“Right… tell someone else that lie.”