“Go straight in,”Martha said. “Coffee?”
“Love one.”
He knocked first.Years of being taught etiquette from his little misdemeanors was hard to break.
“Come in,” hisfather said. “You made it in quick time.”
“I was alreadyheading into the office when you called,” he said, taking a seat in front ofhis father.
“Is Martha gettingyou a coffee?”
“I believe so.”
“Good. Good.” TimothyTurner removed his glasses, which he used to look over the computer, and puthis entire attention onto him.
He hated this.
His fatherwouldn’t move the conversation on until Martha brought them coffee. This was astare-off, and the longer he waited, he knew his father was pissed.It was the unmistakable twitch of the eye that gave it away.
He waited.
The time ticked by.
A soft knock atthe door and his father’s command followed. Martha entered with two drinks,leaving them to it. The door closed.
“Tell me what thisis about.” Timothy slammed the paper onto the table.
He hadn’t gotten achance to read the morning papers. He leaned forward and didn’t need to second-guess.
It was rightthere, in nice technicolor, his latest exploits. He’d met up with some women.They all had a blast. Some of the women had used drugs. He didn’t. He’d neverused the damn stuff but from the look on his father’sface, he didn’t believe him.
“It was just alittle fun.”
“No, this isn’t alittle fun. You’re forty years old. You know every single member on the boardis a settled, married man.”
“Yeah, and I betmost of them have a couple of mistresses in hiding as well.” He snorted.
“No, they don’t,”he said. “Look, Caleb, I know you think you can do whatever the hell you wantand get away with it. Partying, disrespecting board members, even pissing off the media so they’re gunning for your blood.”
“Dad, it will blowover.”
“I had hoped toone day announce my retirement. Not one day, on my sixty-fifth birthday. I’vemade this a gold mine and I know in the right hands, it will be taken care of.You were supposed to be that man.”
“Wait? Were?”
“Caleb, you’respoiled. You have this sense of entitlement that has earned you the title of cockybillionaire. No one likes cocky people.”
“The media makesshit up all the time.”
“You’re foul-mouthedand expect people to bow down to you. It’s not going to happen anymore. I setthis company up to be a place for families, Caleb. Men and women who would beable to go home to their families every single night with the knowledge thiscompany had their back. Having a hard time at home, needing extra days, noproblem. We’re here to help. I wanted to be the kind of company people crave towork for and love being here. Where loyalties are never tested because to losea place in my company would mean losing themselves. I don’t give outultimatums, I don’t like them, but this is one step too far. I cannot step downand leave my company to a party animal who has no idea what family really is.”
“One bad article—”
“This is the tenthbad article this month, Caleb. I’ve been following your exploits, and I don’tlike them. I never have, which is why I’ve come to my decision. Until youunderstand the true meaning of family. Until you find yourself a woman or a manto settle down with, marry, have children, and show me that you’re capable ofearning your place right here at this desk, I won’t retire, and your place willno longer be guaranteed at the board.”
“Are you fucking seriousright now?”
“I am.”
“Does Mom knowabout this?” Caleb asked, and he couldn’t believe he was using his other parentcard.
“Who do you thinkadvised I do this?”
Gritting histeeth, he should have known. His parents, every decision about parenting, theymade together. When his little sister Cassie decided she wanted to be a doctorand not follow into the family company, their parents had talked it over andmade it work.
“I suggest you goto work. You’ve got a lot to do.”
With that, he wasdismissed.
He grabbed hiscoffee and headed out.
“Are you okay?”Martha asked.
“Yeah, fine. Just perfect.” He stepped into the elevator, pissed-off andfeeling two inches tall.
At least hisfather hadn’t embarrassed him in front of everyone; that he would’ve struggledto live with.
Running a handdown his face, he didn’t know what the fuck he wasgoing to do. The place at the board was where he was supposed to be, as wastaking over from his father. He’d been training for it his whole life.
Now, it was beingtaken from him and he couldn’t let that happen.
****
Don’t steal shit?
Lauren Wyatt fumedall day as she cleaned Mr. Turner’s apartment. How dare he! She should be usedto his kind of abuse, though. Yep, he liked to believe everyone else was beneathhim. Well, fuck him.
She didn’t like tocuss out loud but this man was just one hundred percent asshole.She really should quit and tell him to clean his own damnspace. He was an amazing tipper, though.
She’d beencleaning for him for the last two years, and on each holiday throughout theyear, there was always an envelope with the words cleaning ladyattached. Inside, some money and a thank you card.
See, cocky asshole billionaire had something about him, and it was whyshe kept coming back. Sure, he said the rudest things, but whatever.
She’d justfinished preparing the week’s worth of meals that hedidn’t know she did. Cleaning up the dishes, she put everything away. The firstweek she’d been working for him, she’d overheard the conversation with thepeople who delivered his cooked food about not listening to what he wanted, andso they used cheap ingredients and didn’t even follow a recipe. She’d been so pissed off she canceled his service and took over preparingeverything he liked instead. So far, no complaints, not that he was aware of theadditional work she did. She’d just finished up when she heard the door open.
Normally, she waslong gone by the time Mr. Turner returned. Oh no, this is going to be bad. Idon’t want to be here with him. She didn’t know what to do. Grabbing herbag from the corner, she
