Chapter 19
Jason pulled his car into the driveway of his father’s mansion. He stalled the engine, although he didn’t particularly want to get out of his vehicle. Over the past several hours, he’d rehearsed the meeting in his mind even knowing that his father’s reaction was unpredictable.
A few droplets of rain splattered on his windshield and he sighed. The storm clouds were moving in. Either he left his car now or risked getting soaked. A part of him wanted to turn his engine back on and get the hell back to his beachfront condo. The argument he had with Caitlin crushed him, and he didn’t feel like interacting with anyone, least of all his father. But eventually he knew he had to face his old man. At least if he confronted him now, he would do it on his own terms. Deciding to finally make his move, he dashed to the front entrance and banged his fist on the oak panel.
“Master Jason,” the butler said, looking surprised when he opened the door.
“Morning, Leo.” Jason ran his hand over his slightly dampened hair. “Is my dad in?”
“He’s in his office.”
“Right, where else would he be?”
Jason took off his leather sandals and parked them near the front door. Several months had passed since he was last here, and he saw nothing had changed. A long spiral staircase led to a second floor and overlooked the grand entrance. The foyer was as impressive as ever, and the dark hardwood on the floor gleamed with polish. As soon as a guest walked in, he was treated to a view of the large front room. The elegant furniture that decorated the space was flown in from the mainland. However, the true accent was the massive window built at the far end. The window spanned the entire length of the wall, affording visitors an impressive view of land, sky, and ocean.
But Jason remembered that it wasn’t always like this. Before Phil Wekiu started his first restaurant, their ohana lived in a dingy house he inherited from his grandmother. With time, the restaurant became a success, and his father expanded his empire. And with that expansion, their living conditions improved.
Walking across the mahogany floor, Jason made his way to his father’s home office. He should’ve called ahead, but he figured that if he just showed up, he’d at least have the element of surprise on his side. His father was a man of careful control, and he didn’t like his world messed up.
As Jason reached the office, he heard a female voice on the other side of the door. A moment of indecision gripped him as he tapped his fingers against his thigh. Was this a good time to come calling? Jason had reviewed all the things he wanted to say to his old man, but nothing sounded right. Maybe Jason needed to be honest with him and come clean. He forcefully shook away the feeling of doubt that sat in the middle of his chest and stepped forward. Since he was here already, there was no point in delaying the inevitable.
He rapped lightly on the door with his knuckles.
“What is it, Leo?” his father said through the door.
“It’s Jason,” he said.
He heard some rustling noise before the door opened.
“Why, Jason,” his stepmother said, her ruby lips stretched into a smile. “It’s such a surprise to see you!”
There was no doubt that his father’s new wife was a stunning woman, although she went overboard with her makeup. And while she was pleasant, she always looked slightly wary whenever she encountered Jason.
“Aloha, Stella,” he said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a word with my dad.”
“Of course.” She exchanged glances with her husband before slipping out of the office.
His father watched him as Jason approached his desk.
“David Molowa called me earlier,” his father said, lacing his fingers together. The relaxed look when his wife was present had all but disappeared. His face was now stern and unmoving.
“I know that look,” Jason said, taking a deep breath. “You’re angry with me for not finishing at the top of the class.” He glanced at the wall behind his father, seeing a picture of his brother smiling back at him. Wincing, he dropped his gaze. “Maybe you’re disappointed that I’ll never turn out like Vincent.”
“No, you’ll never be like Vincent.” Jason caught the bitterness in his father’s voice. “Your brother was a stellar student, and he would’ve become an excellent chef had he lived. You don’t have the drive, and at the rate you’re going, you won’t amount to anything.”
Jason frowned ferociously at the corner of the oak desk. He knew that his father spoke the truth, but he didn’t like to be reminded of his failings every time they met.
“I know you think I screwed up,” he blurted. “And you probably think I didn’t apply myself in school.”
“The thought crossed my mind, yes.” His eyes narrowed as if he deliberated whether he should launch into a new speech about his son’s latest shortcomings. But Jason didn’t come here to be reprimanded.
Ignoring the dangerous look, Jason continued as if his father hadn’t spoken. “The person who won the job deserved it more than I did, so I helped her get the position.” He took out the keys from his pocket and placed them on the desk. “As per our initial agreement, I’m giving you back the car keys. I haven’t packed my things yet, but I’ll be out of the condo by the end of the month.”
His father’s gaze dropped to the keys, although he didn’t reach for them. Instead, he lifted his scrutiny and studied him. Jason couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but then he figured that maybe he didn’t want to know.
“All right, I’m going to take off now,” he said, turning to make his exit.
“I don’t know whether I should be surprised that you won’t be graduating as the leading student,” he said loudly, his words stopping Jason in his tracks. “Or maybe I should be more surprised that you gave up your Porsche and condominium so easily for a classmate.”
“Giving up the job was the right thing to do.” He turned to face his father. “Caitlin Moray is a good chef, and I feel she deserves a break.”
The cold, simmering anger from before had disappeared from his father’s features, and was replaced by puzzlement and something else. Suddenly he let out a sigh. “To be truthful, I never thought you could replace Vincent, nor should you. I only wanted you to find your way and maybe reach your true potential.”
His words momentarily stunned Jason. Then just as quick, he felt his throat tightening. “Ever since Vincent died, you’ve compared me to him all the time,” he reminded him. “You said that I would never measure up to him and what he achieved. You never let me forget how disappointed you were in me.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Guilt splashed across his face. “I saw many things in you that are similar to people I know from the industry. Take David Molowa for example. The man is an extremely talented chef, but he’s obsessed with taking shortcuts.”
This was the first time Jason heard him speak about Molowa. “What’s wrong with taking shortcuts?” he asked.
“There’s nothing wrong with it in theory. There’s an incredible amount of hard work and passion involved in making anything happen. Molowa tells me that he’s getting his own TV show; however, I’m willing to bet that the show won’t last long. The reason? It’s because Molowa lacks direction and doesn’t like working. Soon he’ll discover that the show will require too much from him. He’ll quit, and search for the next get-rich-quick scheme. It’s inevitable for a man like him.” He dropped his hands to the desk surface. “So if you’re not careful, you might find yourself walking a similar path. I believe you’ve got great potential, Jason. And I want more for you than a series of short-term enterprises.”
Jason crossed his arms over his chest and moved to the window. The sky was dark and gloomy. Peering out of the rain splattered pane, he saw that he had just missed being caught in the storm. Although his father’s house wasn’t located next to the water, the beach was still within view. The few palm trees scattered on the water’s edge bent slightly, their fronds whipping dramatically in the storm. Meanwhile, the wind had full control of the ocean, causing the waves to surge and plunge at irregular intervals.
“You could have spared me the of criticisms, and just told me this right from the start,” he said, his tone accusatory.
“I doubt you would have listened. You needed to come to your own conclusions. As I said, I only want you to be at your best.” He paused as if reflecting on his previous behavior. “Perhaps I went about it the wrong way.”
Jason spun around to face his father and dropped his arms to his side. “You did,” he agreed. While his father didn’t outright apologize for his conduct, he was telling him in his own way that he was sorry. “But I forgive you. At first, I was angry that you forced me into the culinary program. But it turns out the course has been the best thing that happened to me in a long time. In these past five weeks, I’ve discovered who I am, and what I want to do with my life.”
His father held still as if he braced himself for the worst. “And it doesn’t involve cooking, does it?”
“Not really,” Jason said. “Although it involves a lot of baking.”
“Baking?” he repeated, the ends of his lips curving downward.
Jason already started in this direction so he needed to finish his explanation. “I discovered that I like making cakes and desserts.” The image of the birthday party flashed through his mind, and he remembered the happy chatter and laughter as the keiki gobbled up the Minecraft cake. Another image floated in front of him as he saw Caitlin closing her eyes as she bit into the cupcake he had made. But it was his turn to brace himself. His father was a classically trained chef who was highly regarded, and Jason was about to tell him that he, his only remaining son, wasn’t going to follow in his footsteps. He took a deep breath. “People seem to enjoy my creations, so I’m opening up a bakery.”
“A bakery,” he said, his expression unreadable. “Why would you get into that when my restaurants are already established and successful? If you open a bake shop, you’ll have to toil in the early mornings. You won’t have time to relax or be social because all you’ll be doing is work. Is this what you want?”
Jason had already spent hours researching his options, and he knew what he was up against. “Yes, this is what I want.”
His father nodded as he considered his response. “How much do you need to start this venture?”
“I have some savings so I’m not asking for your money,” he said, shaking his head. “And while I can always use your guidance, I have to do this on my own.”
Observing him for a long while, his father said finally, “You’ve changed.”
“Yeah,” Jason said. “I’ve grown up.”
Phil Wekiu got up from his chair and came to stand in front of him. He locked eyes with Jason. “You won’t be taking any shortcuts,” he said, his voice stern.
“I don’t intend to.”
His father clapped him on the back and smiled. “Then I have no doubt you’ll succeed in your endeavor.”