Page 56 of My Book Boyfriend
“Tom wants you tothinkhe’s mellowed,” my dad says. “He wants you to lower your guard.”
But Tomhasmellowed.Dad doesn’t know.
It’s best for Dad if Tom is an ogre.Then Dad doesn’t have to admit that he made mistakes too.
Shit.This is making me question my dad.
I grab the water and finish setting the table. Dad feeds Freckles. We’re both silent.
Mom comes back in with two plastic bags and sets them on the kitchen counter. She proceeds to take out the various containers. “Help yourself.”
“If Rowena is on board with the co-CEO idea and came up with a kick-ass design, I think you’re in the clear.” My mom finishes filling her plate and sits at the table. “Tell your grandfather what you want to do. If he’s going to make either of you CEO, he’s giving you the decision-making power anyway.”
“That’s very rational of you,” my dad says, following her with his plate.
“I’m allowing for irrational decision-making as well. I do teach game theory,” my mom says. My parents met at business school, and my mom is a tenured professor at Columbia Business School. “But Rupert’s relationship with Rowena is different than yours with Tom.”
I sit down at the table with my overflowing plate and pick up a piece of chicken with my chopsticks.
“You only met me after we had the fallout,” my dad says.
My mom shrugs and turns to me. “Isn’t that what you want to do?”
“Yes.” I stare at my mom. I don’t have any doubts about what I want to do. “I need to convince Grandpa that this is the right way.”
Lily wiping away that tear.And me powerless to go comfort her because I was the cause.
But I was also sure Grandpa was bluffing until I saw Percy Anderson’s name on the visitor logs.
“He can’t save that garden,” Dad says. “Dad will choose Percy Anderson to run the company. Percy Anderson is brilliant, and it’s not like Rowena or Rupert will leave. Dad can dangle that CEO carrot for a little longer while he gets the benefit of Percy’s expertise.”
“Ultimately, as CEO, these are the decisions you and Rowena have to make,” my mom says.
“You’re right,” I say. It’s up to us.
“But you can also leave,” Dad says. “I know you think this is your dream, but leaving was the best thing for me.”
I can’t leave.I want to grow my family’s company. I certainly don’t want to compete against it.
“Who was the woman in thePage Sixphoto?” my mom asks. “I know that’s not as important as the CEO decision, but I am quite curious.”
“What? Did you also not think I was the hand-holding type?” I ask.
“Are you not? I quite like hand-holding,” my mom says.
“I like holding your hand,” my dad says.
I eat my food. I hope to find a relationship like theirs, but I could do without thiswhen my hopes of something similar are in the hands of a “don’t be emotional” businessman.
“No comment?” my mom asks.
“Her name is Lily,” I say. “She’s a librarian. I met her at the library.”
“And you invited her to the New York Public Library Gala? That’s quite on brand,” my dad says. He takes a bite of his shrimp dish. “Unless she’d have work colleagues there.”
“I’m not quite that clever,” I say. “I met her there again, and we ended up talking and walking home together. But …”
“But?” my mom asks.
