Page 77 of Brutal Kingdom

“I’m good, thanks. I’mma just head out.”

“What’s your hurry?”

“Logan, you can’t just invite me for food. I mean, what are you even thinking?”

Time to get her back on my side. “Have you eaten dinner?”

“No. Not yet.”

“Are you meeting Kassidy for dinner?”

She shakes her head. “She’s at her study group.”

“Okay, then. I have food. You need to eat. Why can’t we share a meal?”

She looks at me like I’m an idiot. “Because we’re mortal enemies.”

I walk into the living room, putting a plate in front of her. “Sometimes the easiest way to end a war is to lower our swords and break bread.”

“I’d like to lower my sword on the back of your neck.”

“And I’d like to plungemysword between your legs, but how about we just eat and keep our literal and metaphorical swords to ourselves for a while?”

She’s staring at my crotch, which isn’t helping me keep my sword to myself. “Jordy, are we eating, or should I take the way you’re eyeing my cock as an invitation to impale you?”

She rubs her hands down her thighs, pressing her legs together. “Fine. I’ll eat. Just. Eat.”

I could tell her I’m fine with just eating her. But I settle on the couch my food in my lap and bring up something mundane to talk about, because I know as much as Jordy loves when we’re intimate, she craves the connection of friendship too, and I always make the most progress when we’re friends.

THIRTY-ONE

LOGAN

Dad’s waiting for me in his office behind the glass desk I’ve admired for the last few years. A lot of kids in our town fantasize about sitting behind their parents’ desk. My dream is to create an office space of my own. We’re expanding our digital media format and renovating the upstairs floors of the building to accommodate the new staff. There will also be living quarters on the uppermost floors. The twenty-first and twenty-second floors will be one penthouse unit. The twentieth floor will have twelve separate units. One for visitors, the others are corporate housing.

The largest units are for our Vice Presidents. The position that started it all and is still up for grabs. It’s looking like I’ll be in the position to appoint someone sooner than I expected. That’s what today’s meeting is about. Dad wants to go over the list of candidates for an opening he has in the photography department.

I’m here to help him go through their employment history and review previous interview questions. He thinks a more experienced person should get the position, and I want to shake things up. I’m hoping we can find someone who makes us both happy. The irony isn’t lost on me, that this is what the rest of my life will be like. Making a series of decisions based on compromises for the most tolerable outcomes.

“Son, glad you could make it.”

“I didn’t know my attendance was optional.”

“It’s not. There are a lot of things we’ll need to go over in the coming weeks, so that when we announce your engagement to Bella, your Uncle Alex won’t have any room to counter our decisions.”

And we wouldn’t want that. Uncle Alex’s opinions about me are what led to this accelerated timeline to get me closer to the altar. At least grad school is still on the table.

We go through the packets, and dad explains why the panel asks each question. He tells me he ranks the answers based on a scale of informative or utter bullshit. He goes over each file twice, tallying up the scores.

It’s a lot of work, and a few times I question my choices but, dad tells me my opinions matter and when we can’t come to an agreement to move the candidate to the next phase, we discard the folder. It’s a learning experience and I’m glad I have the type of father who’s willing to teach me and walk me through it. We’ve always had that kind of relationship, and I know how lucky I am that I don’t hate or resent my dad.

When we wrap for the night, my mind is still swirling with ideas and the type of interview questions I want the panel to ask when it’s time to hire the new VP of digital media.

* * *

Bella dropped by unannounced this morning. I’ve been waiting for her to say something, and this little visit is her way of checking if the rumors are true. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t just pop up like this.”

“They gave me an extra coffee because they ruined my first order. I was on my way to class and thought you might want it.”

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