Lukas seemed more than just busy with work. From where I’d been sitting during our meeting a short hour ago, it seemed like he was his work.
“I’m sorry again about him,” Lisa said. She dabbed her lips with her napkin and slumped in her chair to sip her drink. “I really didn’t expect him to act that way, especially in front of you. I thought a familiar face might…” She sighed. “I don’t know what I thought.”
“Stop apologizing, Lisa. I mean it. You have nothing to be sorry about.”
Lisa fidgeted with her thumbs and tapped them against the side of the copper cup in her hands. “I can’t help it. The jackass embarrassed me.”
“What? In front of me? Come on, Lisa. Don’t be silly.”
“He should know better than to treat one of my friends like that.”
I shrugged. “I think it’s probably better that he treated me like that than a stranger, don’t you?”
Lisa peered up at me. “Stop giving him the benefit of the doubt. He doesn’t deserve it.”
“You’re right.”
“That’s better.” She sat up a little straighter and gave me an assertive nod. “I think I’m just disappointed. He actually listened to me the other day when I finally had time to sit down with him and talk about all this stuff. His image in the public eye isn’t good, Kayla. If he’s not careful, he’s going to become so disliked that he won’t be able to go anywhere without people taking pictures of him and shouting at him. My brother can talk a big game but I know that would be hard on him.”
“It would be hard on anyone.”
“Part of me wonders if he deserves it.”
That seemed harsh. Sure, Lukas had been an ass this afternoon, but did that mean he deserved for the whole public to look scornfully at him? I didn’t think so. “I think he deserves a chance to do better.”
Lisa chewed the inside of her cheek. “He’s been hoarding all of his wealth since his software company went public. I don’t think he’s given a dime to any charities.”
“Just because people have money doesn’t mean they’re obligated to give it away,” I said softly. “Even if it is for the greater good. Humanity is…” I trailed off and took three gulps of my mule. “Humanity is flawed.” That seemed like the best word to use. As someone who saw the seedy underbelly of this city more than most, I could attest that there were more accurate words than flawed.
Evil was one that came to mind. Along with cruel, vile, narcissistic, and ignorant.
But there were other words, too. Inspiring, driven, courageous, determined, and good. Not every person could be painted with the same brush.
“Well, my brother has more than his fair share of flaws. That’s for damn sure.” Lisa set her copper cup down on the table and went in for another pita crisp. “If he wants to keep his company’s image positive, he’s going to have to make some changes. He’s part of Big Tech and the backlash against techies like him making millions upon millions of dollars is insane. They’re driving up rents and making a killing without lifting a finger to make the world better. Tech CEOs like Lukas are the new media villains. I really don’t want my brother to be lumped into all that. His reputation may never recover.”
I felt bad for my friend. It was obvious that she was agonizing over this. “These are Lukas’ decisions, Lisa. We can’t make them for him.”
“We just have to convince him to be charitable,” Lisa said earnestly. “For his own good.”
I licked my lips. In my experience, convincing someone to do something for their own good never went well. At least, it never went the way it was supposed to.
“I’m not in the business of pressuring people for donations,” I said evenly. “Even if said people have billions of dollars and plenty to give away.”
Lisa shook her head and wiped her salty fingers on her napkin so she could reach across the table and take my hand in hers. “It’s not like that. You’d be doing Lukas a favor. Trust me.”
“I don’t know.”
Lisa released my hand and leaned back in her chair. “All he cares about is his business and making more billions for his bank account. He doesn’t date, doesn’t have hobbies, doesn’t do anything besides work. Oh, and taking care of his mother, of course.”
His mother, Ally.
I’d learned about her car accident a couple of weeks after it happened. Lukas had sworn Lisa to secrecy and asked her not to tell anyone so he could handle things privately. He’d been that way since he was just a boy.
I’d also learned about the early onset dementia that was eating away at her mind. Lisa had told me in confidence a few years ago when things started to get really bad.
I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to face the truth that your mother would forget who you were one day. The thought made my throat feel tight and that was all it was. A thought.
“He just needs to realize there’s a whole other world out there,” Lisa continued. “All he’s doing by building this wall of money is isolating himself from people who care about him. There are worse things than poverty and I’m genuinely worried that this fear of his is costing him more than he realizes.”
I popped a Thai bite and some crispy noodles in my mouth and chewed.
Lisa kept talking. “Maybe if we can get him involved in something that makes him focus on other people’s lives and not his own, he’ll be able to see
