My dad’s hands shake as he reaches for the glass of water sitting on the stand beside his bed. I hand it to him and he nods his thanks to me, appearing stern, as if he doesn’t want to acknowledge how weak he is.
“My lawyer was by to see me just a bit ago and that’s why I had Cora leave,” he tells me, which explains the absence of his caretaker. “I wanted to have attorney-client privilege and discuss some serious matters. So that’s why I called you here, to let you know of some changes that have been made.”
“Okay, Dad,” I say, massaging a crink that’s formed in my neck from sitting in his old wooden chair.
I didn’t realize that this visit had such a serious purpose behind it. I had been happy he invited me over to see him. I always offer to come by but he usually says he’s fine with Cora’s help, and the most I can get him to let me come visit is twice a month.
I know he doesn’t like me to see him in this fragile state. But it’s nice to spend whatever little time with him that I have left. I should have known he had a business reason to invite me over, rather than just for father- son bonding time. He’s never been the type for that.
“I’ve put a clause in the partnership agreement saying that you’ll inherit the company if and only if you’re married by the time I pass away,” my dad says. “If you’re not, then it goes all goes to Charles.”
“Charles!”
I scratch my head and jump up from the chair.
“Dad, he’s crazy. You’ve told me so yourself. You said you couldn’t wait to give the company to me.”
His exact words at the time had been somewhere along the lines of saying that even though I’m incompetent, Charles is crazy, so he can’t wait to give me the company, because even though I have no idea what I’m doing, at least I’m not a madman.
“Oh, you know how Charles and I have had a love-hate relationship ever since we started this business,” my dad says. “He’s crazy but he sure knows how to run a company.”
He doesn’t say it but I know he’s thinking: unlike you.
I’m still determined to show him that I can run the company and I wish he would just drop this whole marriage thing. There are bigger issues to worry about then whether or not I settle down and commit to some flaky girl. I hadn’t wanted to bring it up right now because I think he should rest and relax, but since he’s talking about the company, I decide there’s no better time than the present.
“Dad, I’ve been going over the books and I really think there’s something strange about what’s in there…”
Before I can even finish telling him, I hear him snoring. He’s already fallen asleep. Or maybe he’s just pretending because he doesn’t want to talk about it.
I suppose it’s for the best, since I don’t fucking understand the numbers enough to explain to him what I mean, and he’ll just think I’m stupid and incompetent like usual, but I’m convinced that something is definitely off. I’ll have to have Dan look at the books at some point. He’s more of a numbers guy than I am.
Judging by how my dad is insisting on this marriage thing, I better have Dan look at it sooner rather than later. Especially since Dad is going to leave the whole business to Charles if I don’t do what he wants, and who knows where Charles’ own interests lie.
A thought suddenly strikes me when I think about Dan. This exchange club he wants me to go to: he says the women will do whatever I want. Whatever I need.
What I need that probably no other woman will give me is an engagement. Sure, lots of women would probably be happy to marry me but I need one who knows it’s fake. She has to be on board with the arrangement. And what better way to ensure that she is than to know that she needs the money and that money is the sole reason she’s doing it?
It really fucking irks me that my dad is giving me this ultimatum. I think about telling him off before I leave but I know that now is not the time. He’s a sick old man. Despite our many differences, I don’t want to make him more uncomfortable than he already probably is. And he’s finally asleep when he clearly needs his rest.
So, I walk up to the bed and pat his feeble, cold, limp hand.
“Goodbye, Dad,” I tell him. “Thanks for having me over.”
Even if it was to spring this awful news on me, I think, but don’t say. I’m so mad at him but he might not have a lot of time left.
“See you soon,” I add, as if to reassure both him and me.
He opens an eye long enough to say, “Don’t forget about getting that Jennifer lady to marry you. I know it will be for the best.”
I’m glad he can’t even remember the name of the girl I had thrown out as a possibility. Because I’m about to find one to stand in her place.
It’ll be the perfect set up one that will make my dad happy, give me the company and not have to result in an actual marriage. Before I head back down the stairs I text Dan again.
Alright, I tell him. I’ll go to this new club with you. It better be everything you say it is and more.
He has no idea what I mean when I say “more.”
He quickly texts me back: You aren’t going to regret it.
I sure hope I won’t.