Lucas
Uncle Mathew used to visit our house while Grandpa was still alive, he would come with his pregnant wife and two boys. The family usually appeared to be happy until one visit when the wife and kids did not show up. It was all hush-hush but I knew that the wife filed for divorce and took the children.
I never knew what happened but one thing stuck- there is no forever with women, they would always leave- like my mother, like Uncle Mathew's wife, like freaking Brittany.
A less common perspective is that women know how to dig their claws into you. Well, that is when you give them the chance, if you get what you want in a pre-agreed manner, there should be no claws. Margaret, Maggie, has sunk her claws deep into my father's soul and his pockets too.
She was probably aware of his side businesses and could be the owner with my father acting as the ATM.
If I have the chance, she was going to fuck off the four walls of the Ferguson empire and never return but unfortunately, she had the title 'wife' and thinks it is appropriate that I supervise the interior decorators. When you don't have a lot to do, you go about creating meaningless engagements like stripping a country home bare and redoing the whole interior once a year. Why? Okay, it could make sense if there are always people occupying the space but my father travels more than a pilot, Maggie accompanies him most times and I don't stay in the house anymore so how is it my business to see to the decoration of the house?
To say my father didn't like my question in the board meeting would be an understatement. Sad that I didn't hear his response because I was locked in a bathroom having a panic attack. He waltzed to my office after the meeting to have a conversation and I cringed at the
thought.
"Are you busy?" He asked while standing at the entrance of my office and holding the door open. He also didn't wait for my answer before he walked and sat in one of the chairs facing my desk.
"I see you are becoming very interested in this organisation since you came back. Your effort is noted." I mumbled okay while waiting for him to continue delivering his speech.
He continued "You know, many of the shareholders have come to me. They thought you should handle the legal part of this business and excuse the finan-"
"I hope you told them that it is not possible," I interrupted him. I could see anger registering on his face at my interruption.
If I were younger, he would say a demeaning word next or ban any hangout outside the house, he could also raise his hands on him but I was not seventeen anymore and he didn't have anything to threaten me with.
"Of course. You are the highest shareholder and a leading voice," he responded and I detected a mocking tone but I didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
" That's why we must work together. We are Fergusons and have the right to rule this empire. You need to cooperate with me and watch me lead so that your transition to the head will be smooth. Let's keep the intriguing questions in meetings until later. okay?"
At that point, there was no energy to continue having any discussion with him so I agreed but he didn't leave until he dumped his wife's demands on me.
"Maggie and I will not be around much this coming week. It is that time of the year when we have the house redone and it is our turn to host the end of the year gala. I need you to help her supervise the decorations. You will do that for me right?" It was a demand and not a question but I answered anyway, "Right."
So now, coupled with the responsibility of running this organisation while trying to avoid any episodes- if the light doesn't go off unexpectedly and my nights are not interrupted by nightmares, I should be fine-, I will be supervising the interior decorator. What an important task.
Maggie doesn't do things half-assed evidenced by the crazy budget of redecorating the house. Left to me, the house should be burned down. It housed happy memories and more sad memories of my childhood but it was built by my grandfather and no other person, except a few, can afford to buy such a large, expensive and exquisite house in Los Altos Hills.
The decorating company scheduled a meeting to finalise the terms of the contract but I declined. They called, but I didn't answer. They rescheduled meetings and calls, and I cancelled.
Someone with a big ball directed a call to Maggie. She cried to my father and he gave me a call, so here I am, waiting for the decorating company's representative to show up at a restaurant after failed attempts by them.
I worked on my laptop as I waited for the decorator to show up. Years later, Uncle Mathew's two sons came back to live with him, I attended Havard with the older one. He was getting a degree in business administration while I did Law. They are both working in different capacities in the Ferguson company and are trusted assets.
Mark, my financial guru cousin, was quick to help me uncover fake accounts in the company finance department. I was sending him an update when she appeared. I thought darkness, nightmare and blood were my only trigger but I could have sworn that I felt the light go out when we locked eyes.
Dark blue on blue.
I saw her before she saw me. How long has it been since I last saw her? 13? Forever? The restaurant felt hot and I was crushing my phone in my hands but I couldn't look away. Of all the anger, reaction and response that I thought would ensue when- if - we met again, the only thing on my mind was how beautiful she looked.
Brittany had always been tall and round, she had that ass that shuddered and I used to tease her about how easy she could ride a man. She would blush, call me a pervert and insist that I walk ahead of her but we would go back to the initial walking arrangement and I could stare at my friend's ass all day.
She spoke to a waiter who pointed to the table where I sat and that's when she saw me. I don't even think she recognised me until she got close to the table and her steps wobbled. She drew out the chair and deposited herself and we just stayed like that.
The plan was to spend just thirty minutes with the decorator and direct them to report to one of my assistants, going forward. But a minute with that woman and I wanted to bolt and panic in solitude. The waiter interrupted our moment "Good afternoon, sir. He nodded at me and turned to Brittany. Good afternoon, ma. I will be your server this afternoon. What would-"
"Later," we said in unison.
Fuck.
If it's weird that we had no words for each other after thirteen years, it is weirder that we still say the same thing at the same time. She stared at her fingers under the table and I stared at her. Thirteen years was enough to change a person's outlook and time has been good for her.
She squared her shoulder and stretched her hands out, "Hi, I am Brittany and a senior interior decorator at Timeless Glamour. I am here in place of my colleague, Clarrissa who will be working with me on the project." Was that how ex-best friends or ex-lovers-no, runaway friends, did things? You just make up and pretended that nothing happened.
If Brittany wanted to pretend like the three years we spent together before she ghosted me were not the happiest she had then I could do the same. I just needed to remind my mouth about what to say to a woman that I spent my happiest Christmas with after thirteen years.
"You grew up nice," I said while I shook her hands. They are not as little as they used to be but definitely still felt tiny compared to my hands. She smiled and shook her head " I see you are still an asshole. Just bigger"
"I don't know if you are still a docile, witty girl. She shifted uncomfortably at my serious tone. So, a decorator? I thought you wanted to write about architecture and technology."
I knew I shouldn't have said that after I already said it. Now, she might think I was some obsessed boy who remembered everything that talked about and hadn't moved on.