The worst part was that he didn’t even tell me why he wanted to cash out. Things were going smoothly, and we were making money, but not nearly enough to buy his share. I could have made my exit as well and sold the company outright, but it didn’t feel right to abandon all of the people who trusted us with their livelihood.
No man left behind. Our philosophy in the desert. He let go of it. I didn’t.
How do I tell him that my first call in five years is because I saw his baby girl taking her clothes off for money?
What if he already knows?
“Fuck it.” I down my whiskey and toss my phone on the counter.
I’d rather just drink.
I wake up the next morning with a hint of a headache, and I barely get a moment of peace before I remember why I had more to drink than usual.
Kiana.
Sweet little Kiana who used to sheepishly watch me when I would come to visit, always around the corner where she thought nobody could see her. She was nothing more than a teenager with a crush back then who got upset every time I brought my girlfriend with me. It was comical in a way. Completely harmless.
I never expected to see her on a stage, six years later, with curves that made my dick throb before I realized who they belonged to.
Thinking of her like that makes me ill. Or maybe it’s just the whiskey that still hasn’t left my system. I feel like a scumbag for not knowing which one it is.
I should call Lawson. I know that. I just don’t know how. Thankfully, I’ve got other things to distract me. I need to get to the office and make sure Jack’s check is going to clear. I’ll be scraping to make payroll if it doesn’t.
Yeah, I’ll take the easy way out. Avoidance. It may be the first time in my life than I haven’t ran headfirst at a problem with every intention of wrecking what stands between me and the solution. Is there a solution to a problem like this? It’s going to cause heartbreak if he doesn’t know. If he does, and has come to terms with it, then I would just be reopening a wound.
I think it’s time for some hair of the dog.
“Good morning, Mr. Ward.” My secretary, Joanna, greets me as I walk into the office.
“Morning…” I say with a sigh. “I need you to call Dan and have him come to my office as soon as possible.”
“Yes, sir!” She nods and reaches for the phone.
Dan is in charge of our biggest accounts. Jack has just become the largest stakeholder, so it will be Dan’s responsibility to build a portfolio. Jack strikes me as the type who will invest his money poorly without Dan’s guidance, and probably still have too much input than needed, but it’s the boost my company needs to get things going.
Every time I look at a financial report, I’m reminded how much shit Lawson left me knee deep in when he cashed out. He was the one who was good at investments. He would have gone to college for it if he hadn’t knocked up his girlfriend in high school and joined the Army so he could take care of his family.
My path to the service wasn’t one fueled by obligation. I wanted to be my own man, and eighteen seemed like the right age to buck the future that was decided for me the day I was born with the last name Ward.
Funny thing is, I still ended up at the head of a company with my family’s name on the building, even after my detour through the desert.
“You wanted to see me, sir?” Dan appears at my door and waves as he enters.
“Yes.” I reach into my pocket and pull out Jack’s check. “I closed the deal last night, so you’re in charge of the account.”
“That easy, huh? I need to go with you one night when you entertain future clients—you make closing deals look easy.” He smiles and takes the check from me.
“Consider yourself lucky that you got to skip this one.” I exhale sharply.
Maybe Dan would have been better company than me, but I doubt he would be able to walk into church with a straight face on Sunday if he had to cater to Jack’s whims for the evening. The important thing is that the deal is closed. Everyone will keep getting paid, and Jack’s money will grease the wheels so we can finally push past the hump we’ve been stuck behind since Lawson left the company.
“Mr. Ward, I’m so sorry to interrupt…” Joanna gives my door a light knock before pushing it open.
“I’m talking to Dan,” I reply with a cold tone, and a hint of annoyance sweeps through my veins; she knows better.
“Yes, sir, but you have a visitor.” She steps into my office and closes the door. “It’s Mr. Brooks’ daughter.”
“I can come back later…” Dan’s face reflects almost as much surprise as mine does.
“Yes, I’m sorry,” I say apologetically.
It appears that Kiana isn’t the kind of person to run from her problems. She shows up to handle them personally. It’s admirable, but I don’t really want to deal with it myself; not at my office in the middle of a workday.
I should have called her father. That’s obviously why she’s here—to beg me not to do it since she has figured out I haven’t made the call yet.
Dan vacates my office, and Joanna goes to retrieve Kiana. I’m not sure what I will say when she walks through the door. Should I apologize for being at the strip club in the first place? For seeing her? I certainly won’t breathe a word about the reaction I had to those gorgeous curves before I realized who they belonged to.
“Thank you for not having me thrown out of the building.” Kiana walks through my door with
