Brazen Bossman: A Hero Club Novel, стр. 18

“Ma, you’re scaring us,” I say.

“Whatever it is, you need to just tell us. We can handle whatever you’ve got,” Benjamin adds.

“Are you sick?” Oliver asks, and my stomach drops to my feet because I hadn’t even thought of that.

“What? Oh my God, Ma. Please tell me you’re not sick.”

“First of all, everyone relax. I’m not sick. No one died. It’s nothing like that,” my mother says to the relieved sighs of all three of her children.

“You gotta come out with that straightaway. You can’t scare us like that.” Oliver runs his hand through his hair, giving a bit of a tug.

“This is about Kingston’s.” She looks down at the handkerchief as she talks. “You all know what is going on with the restaurant, and the bills. We currently have two mortgages on the building, debt collectors are breathing down my neck every day, and we just can’t seem to get above water.”

I go to speak, but my mom holds a hand up, asking me to please hear her out before I ask any questions, and I, of course, oblige.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and weighing all of my options. I have had some interest in the building itself and there have been offers. If I accept one of them, and sell this apartment… I could pay off the mortgages and the outstanding loans your father left.”

“Whoa. Wait. Hold on.” I say, shaking my head. “You want to sell the restaurant and your home? Are you kidding me?”

“What choice do I have, Piper? I’m drowning.”

“We can help you. There have to be other options. This can’t be the only option.”

Benjamin is unusually quiet; resting his chin in his hand with his elbows on the table and Oliver is pacing the room.

“I could even have money left over, guys. This is my best option at this given time. I don’t relish the idea of losing the only piece of your father we have left, but sometimes… hard choices have to be made.”

“So many people have tried to talk you out of our building. Years and years you’ve turned people away because it means too much to you, why now?” Benjamin speaks softly.

“Because… I’m entertaining an offer I nearly can’t refuse. The city wants to take the entire block and convert it into sustainable housing.”

“Ma, look.” I take her hands in mine. “I understand the desire to do this. I really do. But… Kingston’s… this apartment… I know that’s what keeps you going.”

“It does, especially on days when I think I can’t but, Piper, I’m left with very few options.”

I take a breath, fighting the tears that are threatening to fall. “Just promise me… you won’t make any decisions yet. We have time to think. This isn’t something that has to be decided today, right?”

“Let us help you figure something out, Ma.” Oliver chimes in. “Just give us time to do that, okay?”

“I love you all dearly, I do, but I’m meeting with them again in two weeks. That’s when they need a final say.”

“Two weeks. Okay. We can work with that.”

Even as I say the words, I know it’s a lie. My mother is nothing if not stubborn, and it seems to me her mind is made up.

Nathanial

My home office is dark when the clock strikes midnight. I’ve made a ritual out of sitting in my desk chair, facing the large floor-to-ceiling windows with a scotch in hand, people watching from my penthouse on the sixteenth floor.

I tip the tumbler back and let the amber liquid pass over my tongue, relishing in the heat it leaves behind as it glides down my throat.

This is when I should be turning my brain off and unwinding for bed, but I’m not sure my mind has slowed for a single minute in years.

Between my father being sick, leaving my career behind, taking over for him, and all the bullshit in between, I live in a twisted cyclone of thoughts, anger, frustration, and sadness.

Those emotions are put into a blender and out pours a temper for the fucking ages.

The streets below are relatively empty, given the hour, but I am able to see directly across from me into a few of the apartments in the other building.

The vast variety of things I see sometimes is enough entertainment for anyone. Fighting, to fucking, to singing, to dancing. It’s a clear statement to the fact people really need to learn to close their goddamn curtains.

Tonight though, even I couldn’t get lucky enough to see anything even mildly entertaining to occupy my brain for a single moment.

I scrub my hand through my hair, giving it a tug, then push to stand up from my chair. I down the remainder of my scotch in a single gulp, discarding the glass on my desk. It’ll be dealt with tomorrow.

Loosening my tie as I walk into my bedroom, I catch my phone lighting up on the nightstand where it is charging.

As it is after midnight, I can only expect it is an email or a text from one of two people. Gabrielle, with some kind of lawyery shit… or Courtney, or another woman like her, reaching out for a fuck.

However, I’m confused, and intrigued when I see the flashing email notification from one Piper Kingston.

From: Kingston, Piper

To: Lennox, Nathanial

Subject: Initial Twisted Vines Read Through

Mr. Lennox,

I couldn’t sleep tonight, so I went ahead and did an initial read through of Laura Fowler’s latest submission. I have attached my thoughts on it all. I thought it could be one less thing on your plate, since I know this is not your favorite part of the job.

Let me know if you need anything else on this.

Piper

I read over her email twice then open up the file she attached and just as she said, there are multiple red highlights indicating she’s made notes on the file itself. She is so good at her job that it makes mine significantly easier; especially when she does things like