JAKE PHARMACEUTICALS,
New York
Lunch break
"C'mon man, chug a glass quick, you look a little dehydrated, I must tell you" Pablo nudged, helping his friends to a bottle of whiskey. He poured into three glasses but Jake shook his head when he was offered one.
"What's up man? You don't take whiskey no more?" Andres scoffed, giving Jake the up and down look, while helping himself to a large chunk of burrito.
"I can't take alcohol at work" he sighed, staring at his friends like they were two damned souls on their way to hell.
"We came here to help you destress you know. That brunette you got back home's gon' kill you if we don't do nothing" Pablo shook his head from side to side. He could see how much flame his friend had burning, underneath all that wealth.
"Thank you, friends. I appreciate your coming, but I can't take alcohol right now. I'll drink water later. I'm really tired" he yawned, stretching his feet and unbuttoning his shirt.
"I understand" Pablo mumbled, eating and drinking away his time. "We shouldn't be drinking in a drug company even. It's coz we got a CEO for a friend, right?" he laughed and Andres soon joined in. Jake shook his head, forcing a subtle smile. His friends could be a little rough but they were the realest. The little he could do for them was give them some freedom around him.
But for them, he would have sunk into depression a long time ago.
When he saw that they were done eating, he called Maria in to pack away the box and bottles, especially the other two which were not opened yet. He was not going to let his friends get themselves drunk in his office.
Pablo and Andres let Maria put them away without an argument.
"But really, Jake, do you have to come to work everyday? I mean, as the CEO, You got employees that could do all the job for ya, don't you?" Pablo quizzed.
Noiselessly, Jake walked up to the window, pulled up the slides, pulled off his bow tie aggressively and sucked in fresh air that rushed in, simultaneously. He prefered that to the aircon.
And It was a good thing to be able to breathe fine fresh air, even if temporal.
"Jake, you're doing too much" Pablo went further when he saw his question was left unanswered. "You should give yourself a well-deserved rest every now and then. If you die today, the work's gonna continue."
Andres, the quietest of the gang raised a thumb to support his friend's words.
"I told you I got a jacuzzi in my house, right? That's where I be chilling on a daily. I got work to do everyday, I be working on the ranch 9-4, and at my food store 24/7, but man, when I feel the jitters, I give myself days off, chilling at home while on a phone call order to help my employees, you feel me?" Andres said loudly, one of the rarest times he spoke very critically loud.
Jake sat down in his rocking chair and placed his hands on his jaw.
"Look at all you got. You're flourishing, man.
You got a pharmaceuticals, plus an automobiles biz all in your name. You gotta be happy with yourself. Don't go letting no sick woman suck your joy, man" Pablo chipped in. Their faces were expressionless.
"That's why I come to work everyday, it's just to avoid having to confront her daily" Jake finally confessed.
"Whatchu gon' do 'bout Fiona though? You act like you don't care that much about your own daughter" Andres cut in. "Are you gon' betray Poor Lena so quick?"
Jake shook his head. He wished Lena would come back, like literally jerk out of her grave and come back to him.
He missed his former life when he had people to call his own family- Ethan, Fiona, Lena and he living together. They had all seemed unshakeable, powerful together and immortal, especially Lena, who unfortunately, died.
Since he began chasing wealth, everything had been taken away from him. Now he got what he wanted, but he's lost what he once had as well.
Perhaps in his next life, he'd purely embrace simplicity- a pretty wife and kids living averagely but in happiness.
He blamed Scarlett for his misfortune, because she's been a lot of trouble since she came into his life, but he knew that what befell him was largely his own fault.
Andres shook his friend's shoulders to jerk him out of his reverie.
"You know it's been weeks I went home.
One thing I don't wanna do is leave Scarlett alone with my property at home, I don't trust her. That's why I don't wanna take Fiona away" Jake admitted.
"Even when she makes her do all the housework and hits her like a punchbag?" Pablo's mouth was wide agape
"I'll eventually take her away but where? How? It'll only bring Scarlett closer to me. I don't want her coming here or to the automobiles as she wishes. I'm pissed as hell, guys" his stomach growled. He already lied to his friends that he had lunch before they arrived, but he hadn't even had breakfast yet. He was done with junks now.
"It's simple. Divorce the brunette, and bring your children closer. I'm surprised you don't think about this"
"You want to know why I no longer think about doing away with Scarlett?" He whispered. Both of them nodded and inched closer.
"Scarlett's dad dared me to leave her last month. He claims I'm going to regret it because according to him, it's because of him I'm where I am today. All because he connected me when I was establishing myself. He told me I'm going to lose everything he built for me if I laid hands on that woman- his daughter, and I've never feared anyone as much as I fear him" he announced. The announcement sure took his friends by surprise, or maybe it was the fact that he feared his father-in-law's threat that much.
"Who the hell is he?" Pablo asked. Andres just watched, his mouth wide open. He shook his head every second.
"I said, who is he?"
The question was straightforward, but hard to reply.
"Leave that question and answer this. What exactly is scaring you? Does he have that much power over you?"
Jake checked his wristwatch. He was not ready to answer that question.
His alarm clock beeped;
Lunch break was over.