This Love, page 8
part #45 of Forever and Ever Series
My father hated him.
But I had to deal with him for the greater good. There was no other option. At least I only had to speak to him once in a blue moon.
The building was quiet. There were no people going in or out. When I peeked through the window I saw a small bar inside. A few people sat at the stools and downed their beers. TV’s were on in the corners.
I walked inside and searched for Keith but didn’t see him anywhere.
“Hamilton?” The bartender stared at me like he knew exactly who I was.
“Yeah. Sean Preston.”
He nodded toward the back. “Come with me.”
At least we were meeting in private. I buttoned the front of my suit and followed him to the rear. The further inside we moved, the louder the music became. The bass echoed against the walls.
Where were we going?
The bartender got to the end and pulled the curtain back. “He’s on the left.”
I stepped through and stopped in my tracks. On the stage were topless girls dancing. They spun on their poles, only wearing thongs and heels. Cigarette smoke filled the air, and the waitresses were topless too.
This was not my scene.
A man in a suit grabbed my arm.
I immediately twisted out of his grasp with lightning speed. “Touch me again and that’s the last thing you’ll ever do.” I threatened with him with my eyes so he knew I meant business.
He raised his hands in apology. “Let me show you to Mr. Hamilton’s table.”
I followed behind him, growing more irritated. Only a pig like Keith would want to meet at a dump like this.
I arrived at his table and saw him flirting with one of the waitresses. She had long blonde hair and a navy blue mini skirt. She was topless but I didn’t look at her chest.
“Sean.” Keith stood up. “So great to see you.” He extended his hand to shake mine.
I eyed it with disdain. I had to force myself to take it. The second I did, I quickly pulled away. “Keith.”
“Take a seat.” He leaned against the back of the booth. The girls danced to the music on stage. All the guys in the room were staring at them like it was the last sight they would ever see.
“Keith, perhaps we can have our discussion somewhere more quiet.” The last thing I wanted was to be seen in a place like this. It would ruin my reputation. I didn’t want Scarlet to think I went somewhere like this voluntarily. Since I was married it was just creepy. Plus, I was a father. I would never want my kids to look at me like I was some pervert. Technically, I was a pervert—but only for Scarlet.
“Why?” he asked. “Losing your hearing already?”
“No. I just don’t think it’s appropriate.”
“Well, this is my meeting,” he said. “And we’ll have it wherever I damn well please.”
I wish this fucker would die just like his father did. “I’m married.” I had to remind him because he probably forgot.
“I am too,” he said. “What difference does that make?”
“I’m happily married.” It was sad that I had to make a distinction.
Keith was my age but he looked fifteen years older. He was losing his hair, and his body packed on the pounds from all the booze and fried food from places like this. He looked ridiculous in a suit because he simply wasn’t built for it. I felt sorry for his wife. “Loosen up, Sean.”
“This isn’t professional. My office is always available.”
“Are there pretty, naked girls there?”
I clenched my jaw.
“Thought not.” He waved the waitress over. “Sweetheart, I’ll have another gin and tonic. And whatever Sean wants.”
She turned to me.
I saw her in my peripheral but I didn’t stare at her head-on. “Rum and coke.”
“Sure.” She walked away, her skirt almost to her ass.
“Now, let’s get to the negotiations. You need the Cerium XS and I’m asking for a certain price.”
This conversation could have happened over the phone. I suspected he dragged Mike and I to places like this because he had no one to go with him on his own. He didn’t have any friends and his kids turned their backs on him a long time ago.
Can’t say I blame them.
We continued the conversation, and the waitress returned with the drinks. She bent over the table to pass them to us, and I immediately darted my gaze elsewhere. Just because I had to be in here didn’t mean I had to look at anything.
“So, we have a deal?”
I’d give him anything he wanted just to end this conversation. “Sure.”
“Did you hear that, Clarissa?” He turned to the waitress and grabbed her by the wrist.
I didn’t like that one bit.
“We’ve reached another fruitful relationship,” Keith continued. “Give him a lap dance as a thank you.”
“Whoa, no.” I held up my hand to keep her away. “No, thank you.”
She sat on my lap anyway and hooked her arm around my neck. “You’re shy, aren’t you?” She tapped my nose with her finger.
“Get off me.” I didn’t want to push her but that didn’t mean I had to be nice to her.
“Come on.” She started to grind her hips. “I’m really good at them.”
I gave her my darkest glare. “Get. Off.”
A guy came around the corner with his phone pointed directed at me. The flash came on and he snapped a picture. “Sean Preston, man of the year.”
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
I pushed Clarissa off me and let her fall to the ground. Then I raced after the photographer so I could break his neck and destroy his phone. It was dark in the club and I wasn’t sure which way he went. Every time I looked in a different direction there was no one to see.
“Fuck.”
***
Ryan sat across from me in the booth. “You look like shit.”
“Really?” I said sarcastically. “Because I feel like shit.”
Ryan had a burger and fries in front of him but it didn’t seem like he intended to eat them. “You want to talk about it?”
“Why else would I call you?”
He raised both hands in surrender. “Calm the hell down and tell me what happened.”
I told him the story from beginning to end.
Ryan ate a few fries and didn’t seem phased about it. “Scarlet will believe you. Don’t stress about it.”
“I know she’ll believe me.” Even if the entire world were against me she would still stand by my side. “It’s not her that I’m worried about.”
“Then who?”
“My kids. They look up to me. How do you think they’re going to feel when they see that on the front of every tabloid tomorrow?” I did everything I possibly could to be a role model to my kids. If they saw me in a strip club they would always think less of me.
“Like Roland hasn’t been in a strip club before.”
“That’s totally different and you know it. He’s not the parent. I am.”
“And Skye has never been judgmental.”
“Skye puts me on a pedestal,” I said. “I don’t want her image of me to be shattered.”
“Just tell them the truth,” Ryan said calmly. “They’ll believe you.”
“I haven’t seen the photo yet but I’m sure it’s incriminating as hell.”
“Again, your kids will believe you.”
“Everyone in the country is going to think I’m some disgusting pig.”
“When have you ever cared about their opinion?” He sipped his root beer and acted like we were discussing something so boring as the weather.
“When it affects my image in a negative way.”
“When the world found out Roland was gay you didn’t blink an eye over it.”
“That’s different,” he said. “That’s my son. Of course I don’t care what anyone thinks of him.”
“And your kids don’t care what anyone thinks of you. It’ll be fine.”
“Fuck, I hope so.”
“Did you at least get that deal?”
“Yes…” Not that I care anymore.
He eyed his watch on his wrist. “Well, you should probably head home soon. Scarlet is going to wonder where you are.”
“I’m dreading this conversation.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Whether she believes me or not, I shouldn’t have been there. The second I realized it was a strip club I should have walked out.”
“Scarlet has never been controlling like that,” he said. “Why are you acting like she is?”
“I know she’s not. But I don’t want her to think I would ever disrespect her like that. Or worse, I don’t want her to think I would sacrifice our marriage just for work.”
He rolled his eyes. “It’s always the worse case scenario with you.”
“What if this was you?”
“I would tell Janice what happened. If she didn’t believe me, then that’s her problem. I never lie so she has no reason to suspect I ever would.”
Ryan saw everything in black and white. Sometimes it was hard to talk to him because he made everything seem so easy.
“Now go home and tell her what happened. I promise you, it’ll be fine.”
“So, you don’t think less of me?”
“Why would I?” he asked. “And more importantly, why do you give a damn?”
It was the first time I somewhat smiled. “You’re my brother-in-law. Of course I give a damn.”
“Well, don’t. You want a piece of advice?”
“Not particularly.”
Ryan kept talking like I hadn’t said anything. “Stop caring what people think. The second you do, you’re free.” He finished his fries then pushed the tray away from him. “Also, selfish people live longer.”
***
When I came home Scarlet had dinner on the table. “Everything okay?”
She always knew when something was on my mind the second I walked through the door. Our minds and hearts were in tune in such a unique way. I didn’t have to say a single word to tell her what I was thinking.
She just knew.
“I had a bad day at work.” I pulled my tie off and tossed it aside.
She came to me in the entryway and rubbed my shoulders. “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
The sadness in her eyes told me she felt the same pain I did. She carried everything with me, never leaving me to suffer alone.
“You’re going to see something in the media tomorrow, and I want to explain what happened before you do.”
She stepped back but her hands moved down to my forearms. “I’m listening.” Even in the most stressful situations she remained calm. I had no idea where she got that ability. The only possibility was Ryan.
“I had a meeting with Keith today. You know how much I love him…”
“This doesn’t sound good.”
“We met inside a bar, but that bar turned out to be a strip club. I asked if we could have it somewhere else like at PIXEL but he refused.”
She sighed in relief. “That’s it?”
“There’s more.”
“Okay.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“A topless waitress was hovering around us the entire time. After Keith and I made a deal he told her to give me a lap dance. She sat on my thighs and I pushed her off, but not before someone got a picture. I’m sure it’s going to be on the front page of every tabloid.”
She rubbed my arms again then cupped my cheeks. “I know you would never do something like that. Even if I saw that picture I wouldn’t assume the wrong thing.”
She was the best wife in the world. “I know.”
“Then why are you so stressed out?”
“The kids.”
“Oh…” Her eyes fell.
“I don’t want them to think I’m a piece of shit who goes out to strip clubs while my wife is home making dinner for me.”
“They won’t think that.”
“When they see the picture they might.”
She shook her head. “They know you as well as I do. Just explain what happened. They’ll understand.”
“I hope so…I know they both look up to me.”
She gripped my shoulders and gave me a soft kiss. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”
It was hard to stress about anything when I looked into those beautiful eyes. Whenever I was home with her, I felt safe. Everything outside the walls of our house couldn’t penetrate us. It was just she and I. “Okay.”
Chapter Seven
Silke
“Dad, I’m not sure how I feel about this.” I sat beside him at the bank. The doubt was gripping me by the throat. I wanted to pursue this head-on but I was also scared. My dad had done so much for me. What if I failed and threw away his investment?
“I do.” He gave me that look I’d known my entire life. It said he was certain, like always. “Don’t worry about it.”
Arsen sat on my other side. He didn’t touch me or try to show affection, which was appreciated. There were discreet moves he made toward me. He thought I didn’t know what he was doing but I did.
And I fell for them anyway.
“You really think this is going to work?”
“Yes.” He wore jeans with holes at the bottom, and the hoodie he wore had an old coffee stain that wouldn’t come out no matter how many times he washed it.
“But—”
Dad rested his hand on mine. “Sweetheart, this is exciting. Don’t overthink it.”
I tended to do that.
The banker came into the office and then the papers were signed. Dad bought the old firehouse for a reasonable price, and after an hour of more paperwork we finally got the key.
We walked out, Dad spinning the key in his fingers. “We’re officially the owners of an old firehouse.”
Arsen wore jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt. It highlighted the muscles of his arms and chest. His body was ripped and toned, and I missed feeling it against me while I slept. I missed feeling it on top of mine, covered in sweat. “You know, we could just be firefighters instead. That would be pretty cool, huh?”
Dad chuckled. “I think we would just add fuel to the flames.”
“We should put a staircase where that pole is.” He turned to me. “Unless you plan on sliding down it.”
That was too dangerous. My hands would be covered with paint and clay pretty often, and I would probably slip and fall. “No, too advanced for me.”
“We need to start remodeling,” Dad said. “I have a guy that can do it for a reasonable price.”
“In exchange for what?” Arsen asked.
Dad shrugged. “You let me worry about that.”
“Free ink?” I asked.
Dad had a knowing look in his eye. “Yeah. But I’ll have Radio do it. I hate that shithead anyway.”
I laughed because I knew he was teasing.
Dad grabbed my hand and placed the key inside. “It’s officially yours, sweetheart. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” I felt the metal in my fingertips and watched it shine under the light of the sun.
“Well, we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Dad said. “But I think it’ll be worth it.”
“It will,” Arsen said firmly.
I placed the key on my keychain. “I hope you’re right.”
***
I examined the new concrete floor placed inside the firehouse. It was sleek and shiny. It was so clean I could see my reflection when I looked down. The bricks on the walls had been hosed down. Now they looked brand new. The residue from the fire trucks and smoke had disappeared.
The place was looking good.
The door opened and Arsen walked inside. He wore running shorts and a black t-shirt. It was the clothes he usually worked out in.
I didn’t want to see Arsen anymore but there was no way for me to avoid him. He was too close to my father. I’d have to accept the fact that Arsen would always be there.
“Hey.” He eyed me with that look he only gave me when we were alone together.
“Hi.” Our conversations were always awkward.
Arsen opened the garage door by hitting a button on the wall. Slowly, it rose up to the top of the building.
“What are you doing?”
“I have a delivery.” He walked out without elaborating. Then he backed a truck into the firehouse. In the bed were large ovens, perfect for my sculptures. They looked brand new.
Arsen hopped out then opened the tailgate. Then he placed a ramp down.
“Where did you get those?”
“The store.” He smiled because he knew he was being a smartass.
I crossed my arms over my chest.
“They’re pizza ovens,” he explained. “I thought they would be the perfect size for you.”
They were. “Shouldn’t we have professionals move them?”
“Nah. They put them in the truck to begin with. Unloading is the easiest part.”
“Do you need help?” I wasn’t sure how much help I could be.
“I got it.” He used a dolly to place the ovens inside, and then effortlessly he pulled them down the long ramp and to the rear of the wall. “They’re going here, right?”
“Yeah.”
He positioned the first one against the wall. “It’ll take me a while to hook them up to the gas line. But other than that, it’s a walk in the park.”
I appreciated his help, but whenever he was near me he made it more difficult. “I’m sure my dad can figure it out.”
“I’m sure he could too,” he said. “But I don’t mind doing it.” He pulled the dolly from underneath the oven.
“Arsen.”
He turned to me.
“I appreciate everything you’re doing, but I think it’s best if you just let my father and I handle it.”
His expression didn’t change, but I knew he was hurt. “This whole thing was my idea. I want to watch you succeed.”
“Watch from a distance.” I hated being so cold to him.
He rested his hand on the dolly, and his eyes started to darken in pain. Arsen would never give up on me. But that needed to change. “I’m a part of this family whether you like it or not, Silke. And I’m still your man whether you accept me or not.”
I glared at him. “No, you aren’t.”
He abandoned the dolly and came closer to me.
