As we walked along the beach, I played out the different scenarios in my head, always landing on the fact that, if it started to affect us personally, I could quit and go to something different. Best case scenario, I learned a lot, picked up some serious tricks of the trade, and ended up killing it with me and Maria’s new business. It was so blatantly obvious what I needed to do, but I was nervous since taking chances on things wasn’t my normal MO. In fact, I had been taking chances on things a lot lately, and though it landed me Nathan, it also put a huge rift between me and the family. But I couldn’t think about that. I needed to think about my career and making it big in the business. I stopped and turned to Nathan, taking in a deep breath.
“Okay,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll do it. I need to put in two weeks at my other job, but I can do that first thing tomorrow.”
“Yes,” he said, smiling and picking me up off the ground.
He leaned in and kissed my lips softly, gazing into my eyes. Maybe working with this man wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Chapter Thirteen
Nathan
I was more excited than normal to be in the office as I was beginning preparations for Ronni to start with the company. I had set up the perfect arrangement where she would be considered a paid intern for the company. I figured this would allow her to go from department to department, so she could learn the ins and the outs of the business. She would also be able to travel with me when meeting with long distance clients and have a desk set up right outside of my office. I knew there would probably be some friction between her and Nick, but I figured that would die out over time. Nick was a pissy little guy, but he wasn’t usually one to hold a grudge.
I looked down at the new hire packet I had my secretary fill out and looked over and out the window as the maintenance staff carried in Ronni’s desk, filing cabinet, and computer. In all reality, if this worked out, I could have a regular intern here at the company. That way, we were giving back to the community and getting our name out there to the universities. My father used to talk about implementing this exact program, but after my mother died, it fell to the wayside.
I really wanted to do everything I could for Ronni, to really give her the experience she needed to be successful in her venture. She soaked everything in like a sponge, so I knew once she got here, she would kick ass. In fact, I slightly worried about having her be so good that I wouldn’t want her to leave. I kept trying to tell myself that placing her here was all about her learning experience, but I knew in the pit of my stomach that there was a part of me that also wanted to keep her close.
Knowing I could look out the window and see her beautiful face was extremely exciting, and I tried to keep my wits about me. Not to mention the fact that I kept imagining the late nights spent in the office. Everyone would go home, we would be working late on a client, order take-out, get naked, fuck on the desk. The normal stuff. I laughed at myself for my fantasies, knowing full well Ronni would be more than professional here. That being said, I couldn’t promise that I wouldn’t stare at her ass or cop a feel in the elevator every once in a while. She was so sexy in her little professional skirts and high heels, and I could picture her now with little black glasses, her hair pinned up, and a tight ass pencil skirt, hiked up as she kneeled down under the desk to suck me off.
I adjusted my cock in my pants, taking a deep breath and trying to shift my attention. I’d never get anything done today if I didn’t get her off my mind. As soon as I thought that, I heard a loud noise and my door swung wide open. I looked in shock as my father, Noah, walked in the office, anger covering his face. He stomped over to the chairs and plopped down, taking a deep breath and crossing his legs. My father hadn’t come into the office in several years. What in the world was he doing here now? From the snarled, angry look on his face, I imagined he would have no problem letting me know exactly what he was thinking. Hopefully, Nick didn’t go purchase any stupid properties on our dime and not tell us about it. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to speak, but my father put his hand in the air.
“Don’t speak,” he said angrily. “I have caught wind of some interesting news, and to be honest, it shocked the hell out of me. I thought I raised my son with a bit of class, but apparently, that isn’t the case.”
“Speak plainly, Father,” I said, irritated by his jabs. “I have work to get done.”
“Apparently, that’s not all you’ve been doing,” he said, leaning forward. I stopped what I was writing and looked up at him in surprise. “It seems you’ve been sleeping with that little Mexican housemaid, and now you want to give your whore a job here.”
“Be very careful how you choose your words, Father,” I said slowly, standing to my feet and leaning forward on the desk.
“I still own this company, or have you forgotten?”
“That doesn’t give you the right to—”
“That gives me whatever God damn right I want,” he said through gritted teeth, standing and facing me nose to nose. “I will not allow this to happen. We are not running a daycare service for your sluts, and
I am sure not going to allow you to taint this business with the likes of her.”
“Listen to yourself,” I scoffed. “My mother would be ashamed of you. She loved Ronni like family. I will not allow you to stand here and demean her like that. You may be my father, but that doesn’t keep me from kicking your ass for being a racist old fool.”
“Your mother had her play thing, but she’s dead now,” he yelled. “And I’m not here to play babysitter to every immigrant that crosses the border.”
“Again,” I said, trying to keep my anger controlled. “I would shut your mouth if I were you. Besides, I make the business decisions here. You made sure of that when you quit, running off to hide and wither away in your office at home. You are the one who gave up on life, and I won’t let you take it out on Ronni because you can’t handle Mom’s death.”
By that point, my father and I were standing nose to nose in the office, our eyes strongly fixed on each other. How dare he come in here and talk that way about Ronni after all she had been through? How dare he act holier than thou. At that moment, I realized exactly where Nick got it from, and I was utterly disgusted. I stepped forward, challenging my father’s intentions, and I watched as a smile spread across his old, angry face. He put his finger up and shoved me in the shoulder, laughing out loud.
“You are not going to do this,” he whispered. “And if you do, I’ll have you fired and cut out of the will. See how well you will do in a city where you have been blacklisted and dumped by your own father.”
“If that’s the kind of man you’ve turned into, then I don’t want your disgusting money anyway,” I said angrily.
We stood there, staring into each other’s eyes for several moments. I didn’t even recognize the man standing in front of me. This was the same man that took a scared six-year-old little girl into his lap and hugged her tightly as the funeral procession for her parents began. This was the man that loved my mother more than anything, even this company. He had changed, and it was a damn shame he had become so hateful that he was attacking his own family. He had no right to talk about Ronni in that manner, and I wouldn’t stand for it, no matter how much I had to lose.
I had made it this far just fine, and I could do it again without his help. He shook his head and turned toward the door, freezing in his tracks at the sight of Ronni standing in the doorway, tears tugging at her eyes. She had heard everything. My father grunted and pushed past her, knocking her to the side. I watched him march out of the office, slamming doors and yelling at staff as he went. He had lost his damn mind, and I didn’t know what to do about it.
I stood there, staring down at the papers on my desk, trying to collect my thoughts. I had never had a confrontation with my father like that before, and my blood boiled knowing who set him up for this. Nick wanted to run this company into the ground, and he would do anything, including hurting his own blood to get his paws on it. It was a good thing he wasn’t here right now. Otherwise, I might throw him through the window with how angry I was. I looked up at Ronni who was standing there, looking down at the floor. I couldn’t believe that she had heard everything. It must have been so hurtful to her. She stepped forward and forced a smile, looking at me with glistening eyes.
“I, uh, I gave my two weeks,” she said, looking at her box of things. “My boss said she knew how amazing the opportunity was so she didn’t make me work those last two weeks. I was really excited so I came right over. I didn’t mean to walk in on you. I didn’t realize your father felt that way.”
“No,” I said, walking forward. “Do not apologize for anything. You have no reason to apologize. My entire family, including myself, should be the one begging for your forgiveness. We have treated you terribly. You didn’t deserve any of this, and whatever you do, don’t listen to one word my father said. He is an old fool.”