I like her confidence.
“You don’t believe me?” she asks.
“I do.”
“You don’t. Let me explain something to you.”
She pushes up to her elbow while I lean back into the cushions.
“Boys and men are the way they are as long as they don’t want much from us. I don’t want much from them either. We have fun, they say something stupid, we roll our eyes, and life goes on. All of us get to the point where we want something else. When that happens, we clean up our act and even lie about ourselves to have someone take us seriously. When that happens, I’ll be right there, casting a wide net and catching something for myself. I already have him pictured in my mind. He’s a math professor with brown hair and warm dark eyes. He likes to hold me in his arms, cook for me, work out and garden for fun. We have a blast chatting, drinking our morning coffee together, and talking about our workday. We both like kids, obviously, and plan on having them after we buy a house in a small town. He is my man, all right. And he has nothing to do with the dicks I meet right now. How about you?”
I jolt out of my paralysis yet keep my lips closed.
“How is the man you want to be an affliction for?” she asks humorously.
“Uh...”
My brain goes blank for several moments.
“You got me,” I say. “I haven’t gotten so far. Frankly, I have no idea. I think he’s mere fiction,” I say, grappling with a pang of angst when my phone starts ringing.
I shoot my eyes to the patio table before rising to my feet and collecting my cell phone.
“Yes?”
Frankie’s eyes stay on me while I talk with a man.
“All right,” I say, and end the call.
“Who was that?” she asks.
“Jose, the mechanic. The car will be here in half an hour.”
“Woohoo. How much? I’ll chip in.”
“No need to,” I say, falling back into my seat. “Rex paid for it.”
Her eyebrows wiggle up, talking to me.
“No way. He did?”
“He told me last night. I doubt he did, though. He didn’t pay for our food. Seemingly people owe him a lot of favors in this town.”
“Huh... Interesting.”
“Yeah,” I grump.
I close my eyes, refusing to think about it.
“You should call him and thank him.”
I flick my head to her, cracking an eye open.
“We’ve discussed this already. I want to forget about him,” I say sternly.
She weighs my words for a moment and concedes, shrugging.
“As you say, Luna Rae.”
10
REX
“Mr. Jackson?”
Anette, my father’s secretary, tips her chin down in a greeting before gesturing largely and pointing to the boardroom.
“Your brother is late. Your father is on his way, and the board members and lawyers are all in. The meeting should start momentarily. Would you like something to drink?”
I touch my tie knot, loosening it a little.
“I’m good. Thank you.”
My clipped hand gesture prompts Anette to veer to her office while I walk toward the boardroom.
Owned by my family, the place, one of the most expensive office buildings in San Francisco, stands out in our commercial real estate portfolio not only because of its location but also the architectural value.
I check the time on my phone before pushing the door open. Eyes lift around the table, and greetings are exchanged.
Kian and I used to sprint up and down the corridors in this building when we were kids.
At my father’s instructions, Annette had often coordinated our playdates, lunches, and homeschooling.
It was his idea after our mother passed away.
She didn’t believe in having her kids raised by someone else, and he shared her belief, so his driver brought us to his office every day.
His employees liked the idea too. He put policies in place and built a children-friendly environment, garnering people’s gratitude.
This is the place where Kian and I grew up. We watched our father work out deals and had lunch with him. We witness his conference calls and board meetings later on.
This is how we became a part of the business as young adults.
Baron Jackson turned out to be a great father... For a stepfather.
I touch my tie knot again and unbutton my jacket as I take a seat at the front of the room, people chattering in the background.
An alert on my phone screen notifies me that my father’s jet has landed.
Where is Kian?
Just as I raise my gaze, the door opens largely, his imposing silhouette looming in the doorframe.
People greet him.
People also fear him.
They don’t know why but they surely do.
It’s the vibe he gives whether he runs a board meeting, rides his Harley-Davidson, pilots a plane, or hooks up with women.
He’s everything most people aren’t. And he’s always been like that. He has no limits, boundaries, beliefs. Nothing holds him back.
His fearlessness instills fear in other people.
He intimidates everybody except my father.
With me, it’s a draw, but we can’t see eye to eye. And we still don’t know why. I wish I could say it’s a lifetime animosity, but no, it’s not.
The differences between us became more obvious as we shaped up into young men.
Something crushed the good side of him–– if he’d ever had one–– and changed him into the man he is today.
Three years older than me, he grabs life by the neck, wrestles with it, and taunts it at all times as if he has a death wish.
He’s like the storm you wish you never rode out. And that’s what feeds him.
He walks across the room–– strong swagger, sharp eyes, and broad shoulders–– hard muscles filling his dark designer suit.
A smooth white shirt and blue-green tie complete his look.
His eyes shoot lasers around the room.
If our father would ever step down, people would unanimously vote for me to replace him at the helm of our company. Anyone but Kian.
Not that it would matter to me since I wouldn’t consider it at that point. My eyes are set on a political career.
It’s too early to think about it, and things might change.
He occupies the seat at the other end of the front table and sets his phone on the smooth surface, face down.
The empty seat between us waits for our father.
My phone starts humming when I glance at Kian.
He doesn’t flinch. His eyes are set on the stack of papers in front of him.
I flip my cell over and read the text.
Baron: Start the meeting. I’ll be there in a few minutes.
I look in Kian’s direction, wondering if he’s received a similar notification from our father.
Nothing indicates that he has, so I clear my throat and start speaking.
LUNA RAE
The car arrives around noon, and soon after, we head to the beach, much better prepared than yesterday.
The weather is perfect today, and the shore is almost empty when we set our things down, shed our clothes, and begin lounging in our beach chairs.
Olivia and Sasha call us within minutes, giving us an update on their trip. They arrived safely, settled in, and now plan on going out to eat Pizza Romana.