Chapter 1 – Scott
“Are you really that stupid, son? Do you even think about the business and what it will look like? Did you think about it even once? I told you to go there and learn about her, not spend the day working there. What were you thinking, Scott? This is beneath you.”
For a moment I wanted to hang up. I knew that he was talking about Jesse. Well, actually I still wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but if it had to do with Jesse, I didn’t want to hear his opinion. I thought Dad was mad that I’d given her the money and now she wouldn’t sell. I’d tried to tell him that buying wasn’t a good idea, but I was sure that he hadn’t listened.
“Dad, what are you talking about? I didn’t work there, and nothing I’ve done would put the family or the business in a bad light. So if you’re going to call me yelling, you’re going to have to be a little more specific, or I’m going to hang up.”
“Do you know who you’re talking to?”
I was sure that he wanted me to calm down, show him respect, but I’d just woke up and the last thing that I wanted to hear was him try to lecture me on anything. He really needed to look at his own life before he started to judge mine. His life was a mess and for the first time in a long time, I felt like my life was finally going in the right direction. I wasn’t going to let him ruin that for me.
“I’m your father and I’m your boss, Scott. You need to remember that. Your position can change at any time. You’re where you are because of me.”
I could feel my temperature going the same way my blood pressure was going. Hearing his condescending tone was always hard, but it was even harder when I knew that I couldn’t tell him what I really thought of him. It wouldn’t have been good, I was sure of that, but I would have felt better about it. Sadly, I just wanted him to be happy, or proud of me, but I knew that wasn’t ever going to happen. I needed to stop trying, I would tell myself all of the time, but even now I wanted him to approve.
“What is it you’re calling about?”
“Well, I was calling about the paperwork that I wanted you to sign. Did Caroline not give it to you?”
His voice told me that he knew she had. Caroline did his bidding without question, and I knew that was what he wanted from me too. But I wasn’t wired that way. I figured that it had a lot to do with his DNA.
“Yes, I got it, but I left early before I could get it all taken care of.”
“Where do you have to go that’s more important than the job?”
I could have named just about anything and it would have been better than the job I had now. I was sick of it, but that wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He wanted to know where I’d gone, and I wasn’t ready to tell him about falling for the girl. I couldn’t tell him that I was head over heels for Jesse. He wouldn’t understand at all.
“I just had some things to take care of. I’ll look over it and sign it before the end of the day today.”
“Fine. So what about the pictures of you working with an apron on at that bistro I’m trying to buy?”
Oh, that. I hadn’t realized that there were pictures, but with everyone walking around with phones nowadays, it’s hard not to get your picture taken. Someone must have recognized me and posted it. My father was embarrassed that his son was working as a cashier. It would reflect badly on him somehow, but there was nothing that I could say about the truth. Dad didn’t want to hear the truth, especially when it came to women. He would never understand, because he used women like playthings and not much else. I’d been the same way, but I couldn’t be that way with Jesse. I just couldn’t.
“I was just there and offered to help. No big deal, really.”
“No big deal? Son, you’re the face of the company and my son. I can’t have you helping a girl out and getting photographed with her. Do you even know anything about her?”
He was getting too personal, and I didn’t like the way the conversation was going. I was still literally glowing from being with her, and I didn’t know why my father didn’t care for the idea of it. It was bad enough that he was my boss and dad; I wasn’t going to let him dictate my life any more than he already was.
“I know a lot about her. I’ve gotten to know her because you made me. You want to buy her bistro, remember?”
“Of course I remember. What does that have to do with you helping her?”
“You told me to charm her. That’s what I’m doing.”
I heard derision in his scoff, and I knew that he wasn’t happy about my words, or my plans. When Dad realized that I’d paid for her to get out of debt, I was sure that he was going to hate me, but for now I just had to keep my mouth shut.
“There are ways to charm her without making yourself look bad. Have I taught you nothing?”
“I never did pay attention when you talked about women, Dad. You never were good at keeping them happy.”
I regretted it as soon as I said it, but it was too late. It was out of my mouth and there was no taking it back.
“Women are only worth the amount of time that you ride them. Why haven’t you gotten that yet?”
The conversation was getting nowhere and it was just pissing me off. I needed to get off the phone with him before he drove me crazy.
“Well, Dad, I got a lot of work to do.”
“I’m not done talking about this, Scott. You don’t get to just write me off. You still work for me.”
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and shook my head. I was sick of being reminded who I worked for. I likened it to being a slave, but there was really nothing that I could do about it. I did work for him, and for the moment I had to listen to what he had to say.
“I know who I work for. I’m reminded of it every day when I have to continue to use Caroline. She hates me, and I know the only reason you wanted me to hire her was because she tells you everything that is going on. It’s like you have your own mole here.”
“Caroline is a good assistant. I’ve used her for over twenty years.”
“Well, then, why are you even asking me about this?”
“Because when I heard it, I wanted to check with you. I was sure that she was wrong, but she wasn’t. This is not over, Scott. I want you to really think about what you’re doing and how you look to others when you make poor decisions like that.”
I finally got off the phone with him, but my day was already ruined. I wasn’t going to take anything that he said to heart, but it worried me. He had too much control over my life, and he was far too interested in Jesse.