Brazen Bossman: A Hero Club Novel, стр. 41
And they are going to lose it because of something beyond their control. Because of the mistakes of a dead man who isn’t here to make things right. His choices are crippling them from beyond the grave. If I were in their position, I’d want so badly to hate him, but he was the patriarch of this family, the one holding them together… so I wouldn’t be able to.
“We have a table back here. Come sit. Beer? Water? Wine?” Piper asks me, pulling me from my train of thought.
“I have a feeling your wine selection is stellar, but since we know you aren’t a wine lover… how about a bourbon on the rocks and one for yourself?” I tell her.
“No, I’m not a wine drinker at all. I’ll be back with the bourbon.” She motions to the large booth I noticed when I first walked in. “We’ll all join you in a few minutes.”
***
They say time flies when you’re having a good time, and even with my mind on my fight with my father seventy percent of the time, two hours melt away over dinner and drinks with Piper and her family. The remaining thirty percent of the time when I’m able to give them all of my attention, I can see why Piper is so incredible.
This is the type of family everyone should have. Close, but not stuck up each other’s ass, able to throw jabs back and forth and laugh about it without being offended. It’s what I wanted my own family to be once upon a time.
“So, Piper tells me you’re an architect, Nathanial,” her mother mentions as she pours another glass of chardonnay for herself
“Yes ma’am, I am. That’s taken a bit of a back seat for now though. I’ll get back to that eventually, but Lennox needs my help for now,” I tell her, keeping it vague, hoping she doesn’t press any further, but I’m not so lucky.
“And you’re leading Lennox since your father chose to retire? I hear it was very abrupt. Why is that?”
“Jesus Christ, Mom.” Piper puts her head in her hands. “Nathanial, I’m so sorry.”
I place my hand on her thigh and squeeze. “It’s okay.” I swallow a gulp of bourbon before I continue, “It was a family decision based on multiple factors.” I don’t specify any more than that.
“You don’t have to talk about this anymore. At all,” Piper says to me, but her glare is on her mother.
“I said it’s okay. It is.”
“So does that mean you’ll be taking over Lennox Publishing permanently then?”
Her mother’s question hangs in the air, making it thick enough to cut with one of the bread knives on the center of the table. I don’t answer right away, opting instead to watch the condensation slip down the side of my water glass as I contemplate how to best answer this question, because the truth will, without a doubt, cause Piper to lose her shit.
“Publishing isn’t something I wanted to work in, well, ever. I’m an only child, and was forced into a literature major, even though all I wanted to focus on was architecture. I doubled up, got a degree in both and opted to utilize the architecture degree, much to my father’s chagrin. He’s a stickler for wanting to keep the business in the family, so when he decided to retire, I was the only option he was willing to entertain, but I do not plan on staying in this position forever because I do have my own company that needs my attention.” I look to Piper and release a breath. “So, I am in the process of maybe looking into selling Lennox Publishing in its entirety. I don’t know what it will look like once the new ownership takes over, but at that point, it will be out of my hands.”
If looks could actually kill, I’d be a fucking dead man.
“Wait.” Piper shifts in her seat to face me a little more. “You’re selling Lennox Publishing? Why?”
“Because it is what needs to be done to work in the grand scheme of things in my life.”
Piper clearly doesn’t accept this answer and gives me one of her famous scoffs, “And what if this new owner decides to shut down and restructure? The entire staff would be out of work in the middle of a pretty shitty economy.”
I have to admit, the spoiled rich kid I was raised as has never had to worry about the economic blowback of anything… ever.
The business owner that I am now, however, knows a thing or two about it.
“I wouldn’t have any control over something like that once the new owner takes over.”
“Have you chosen someone yet? Is it final?” Piper asks me while everyone else at the table remains quiet.
“Piper, I don’t think this is the place to have a conversation like that. I’ve emailed you my request for a staff meeting Monday. We will discuss it then and I’ll answer any question you have, so until then I’d rather not let that place suck up any more of my time outside of the office. Drop it.”
“Fine.” Piper begins to stack our plates. “Can you let me out of the booth, please? I’m going to help my mom close out the night. You’re more than welcome to stay for another drink, but you are driving home. If you choose to have another, I’ll call you an Uber.”
“Piper, there is no reason to react this way over this.”
“We shouldn’t discuss this here. My boss is having a meeting Monday. I’ll discuss it with him then.” She throws my own words back at me.
Just like that, I’m being dismissed. Usually, I like pushing her buttons and pulling a tone and spark from her, but there is a total sense of sadness and confusion washing over her.
She doesn’t look at me. She sits completely stoic waiting for me to