Page 5 of Crash

And maybe it’s been so long since my face was acquainted with a razor that I might not remember how to use one. Unlike my brother Jake and his perfectly trimmed facial hair, mine grows in tufts, and despite my dirty blond hair, my facial hair is red. Go figure.

“Jake and Troy didn’t have to start in the mailroom,” I remind my dad. If I thought those words were going to shame him into giving me a more prestigious position, I was sadly mistaken. He pulls off his reading glasses, throws them on his desk, and fixes his eyes on me.

“Troy is in-house counsel. He came here with a law degree from Columbia and a license to practice law in this state. Jacob has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in economics, Lucas. They’ve worked here since they were teenagers. Hell, they used to come to work with me when they were nine and ten. You barely graduated from college and haven’t worked a day in your life.”

I open my mouth to refute his rebuke, but he holds his hands up, indicating he’s not done speaking. “Now, part of that is on your mother and me. We spoiled you. Your brothers spoiled you. You’ve been out of college a year and a half and all you’ve done is go from my house, to Jake’s house and Troy’s house. It’s time you took responsibility for yourself, son.” Despite the now softer tone, I’m cut down to size at my father’s words. I have no defense because everything he said is true. I’m a spoiled rich boy, and I know it. I just didn’t think that everybody else knew it too.

My mother spoils me, and despite being twenty-three years old, she calls me her baby. The creator pretends to be tough, but he pays off my credit card every month, no questions asked. The BMW I drive was bought and paid for by him. In fact, it was a gift for graduating from college, and it replaced the last BMW he bought me.

My older brothers spoil me too, and whenever they decide they are sick of me, their wives jump in to save the day.

Sandy, Jake’s wife, says I’m the little brother she’s always wanted and Tracy, Troy’s wife, loves me simply for the fact that I was the one Clark who accepted her for the first five years of her marriage to Troy.

Whatever Lucas Clark wants, Lucas Clark gets, but apparently, a year and a half of couch surfing, sleeping in until noon, and watching daytime talk shows has run its course. Maybe if I appeal to my mother, the creator will give me more time.

“And don’t even think of going behind my back and talking to your mother. She agrees it’s high time you get off your lazy ass and do something with your life.” Damn, he’s good, but I school my features so he won’t know how his words affected me.

“Fine,” I mutter, but I’m not defeated yet. I play my ace card, the one I know will get his attention. “At least with this new job, I’ll be able to move out.” That does the trick. He doesn’t know this, but I hate being alone, and the thought of moving into my own place does not appeal to me in the least. I also know my mother hates the idea of an empty nest and if she has her way, I’ll live there until I’m twenty-five, the age where I get access to my trust fund. The same age my brothers were when they were gifted a house by our grandparents.

“Be grateful that no one else wanted the job, otherwise, your first job out of college would not be a management position. I need you here Monday at eight. And for fuck’s sake’s, put on some damn clothes that aren’t ripped. You look like you got attacked by a pack of wild dogs. And as for you moving out, here is what you’ll be giving up if you decide to move out now.”

I ask him to repeat himself twice when he tells me what’s at stake. He knows he has me when he gives me a satisfied smirk. He soon wipes the smile off his face, puts his glasses back on, and turns back to his computer screen, effectively dismissing me. The only sound in his large office is the sound of his keyboard.

I get up, stretch my legs, and look around his office. It’s filled with pictures of our family. There’s one of the entire family taken at Jake and Sandy’s wedding. My parents are on one side of the married couple, and Troy, Tracy and I are on the other. I pick it up, remembering that day and how happy everyone was. Next to it, is a picture of my niece and nephews, all three belonging to Troy and Tracy.

There’s also a picture of me and my parents taken at my graduation from Boston College. I’m smiling in the picture, but that day was nothing if not stressful. It was a relief to be done with that part of my life. The friends I thought I had turned out not to be my friends. In the end, I realized all I had was family, and when it came to family, I hit the jackpot, so it was all good.

“I’ll see you later, creator. The least you can do is take your favorite son to lunch. I’m talking about myself, by the way.” I walk around to his side of the desk and playfully punch his shoulder

He takes off his glasses again and looks up at me. He sighs and rubs his face, and for the first time since I walked into his office, he smiles at me.

“Sorry, son. I have a meeting soon, and I’m working late. Don’t forget your mom and I are taking off for the weekend. I’ll see you when I get back. We’ll have lunch next week.”

I nod at him, and he nods back. “Maybe I’ll stay with Jake and Dee this weekend.” Hopefully, Jake won’t tell me to get the fuck out, but if he does, Sandy will tell him to let me stay. And she’ll cook for me.

Defeated, I grab my coat and walk out of his office. It’s a cold November afternoon, and I resent having to come here only to be dismissed by my father. He could have told me this shit at home. Now, I’m hungry and he didn’t even have the decency to take me to lunch.

I could grab some lunch on my way home, or eat there, but the thought of being alone in that big house depresses me. I decide to go one floor down and make my way to Jake’s office. When I turn the corner to his office, I see Troy walking ahead of me.

I know we’re headed to the same place. I walk faster, trying to catch up, so damn relieved that my older brothers are in a place where they can occupy the same space without coming to insults or physical blows.

Just as Troy opens the door to Jake’s office, I run up to him and hit his back with my chest, causing him to lose his balance and almost fall.

“Luke the Nuke, bitch!” I say, calling myself by the name they gave me when I was a kid obsessed with wrestling. When you have brothers who are ten and twelve years older than you, you have to watch what they like and in their case, it was wrestling

“Jesus, Luke. Stop with that shit,” Troy says as we both stumble into the office. Jake looks up and shakes his head at us. He opens his mouth to speak, but his phone vibrates. By the look on his face, the caller can only be one person.

“Both of you, shut the hell up,” he says before he picks up the phone. “Hey, gorgeous,” he says, smiling into the phone. He sits back in his chair, putting both feet up on his desk.

I start to shove Troy again, but he’s quick. He turns and puts me in a headlock, rendering me immobile.

“Just Luke and Troy in here acting like a couple of idiots,” Jake says to his wife. “Yeah? A pasta maker, huh? No, I had no idea.”

I try to move away from Troy, but he tightens his hold on me. I try to punch him in the stomach, but he shifts his body and I end up punching into the air.

“That sounds good, princess.” Jake uses one of the many pet names he has for his wife. “Everything you make is delicious. Do you need me to get any special wine?” He listens to whatever she says. “Okay. Surprise me. I won’t be too late tonight.” He gives us the finger as he holds the phone to his ear. “Sounds perfect. I love and miss you too.” He has no shame and blows his wife a kiss before ending the call.

“What are you two clowns doing in my office?” he asks, but he’s not pissed. He’s actually smiling at us.

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