Page 79 of Café Diablo

“I’ll go on the record,” I say playfully. “The sex was fucking amazing!”

Edwin turns a shade of purple I’ve never even seen, and Connor laughs so loud I think the people who live in the condo below us can hear. I blow a kiss toward Edwin and start skipping toward the next room.

“When you two are done playing cops n’ robbers,” I say, nodding to the handcuffs, “I’ll be in the kitchen making breakfast.”

“I thought you didn’t cook,” Edwin shoots at me, which makes Connor smile like he ought to pull up a chair and get himself a bowl of popcorn.

“I can make Pop Tarts, remember?” I say, and Connor’s full-on covering his mouth to keep from ruining the moment. “Of course, I’m sure you don’t own any, but I can probably figure out the nuances of toast—after watching about six internet videos on the topic, mind you.”

“You do realize this is my version of Christmas morning,” Connor interjects, pointing at the two of us. “The two of you talking all domestic after what must have been eight, maybe ten, hours of epic sex. I mean, how longhaveyou been handcuffed to that bed?”

“Not long enough to worry about being put back in them by the cops after I’m done murdering you!” Edwin shoots back.

“Oh, I know a lawyer that would be great for you if you end up going through with it,” Conner continues to sass. “I think he’s opening up a new branch of Voss Associates in Southern California. I can’t wait for you to tell our father exactly what motivated your little—” He holds up his hand and makes a stabbing motion as he adds the soundtrack from thePsychoshower scene for emphasis. “Reent! Reent! Reent!”

“You’re really bringing up our father?” Edwin is pissed now.

“Too soon?”

“I found out yesterday!”

“Yeah,” Connor tilts his head like that’s a good point. “But then youdidhave epic sex all night, so…”

Edwin is out of the bed—naked and chasing his brother. I’ll be honest, it’s a sight I never in a thousand years thought I would see, and truth be told, it’s completely endearing.

31

Ned

The silence on the other end of the phone is a black hole.

My father’s silence—calculating, plotting—drawing out the tension of the moment and deciding where he’ll strike the next blow. It’s a dance he taught me and I know exactly where it’s headed. Despite all my plans and contingencies, I made my decision—quickly, without double and triple checking—and now my heart is barreling off a cliff. The balloon inside my ribs is panicking like last night, the organ on the outside of my chest, filled with more emotion than I know how to process.

It’s almost eight PM and it’s dark at the office. Everyone at the branch has been running around all day like mad men and women. I told them what my father was doing and how he blindsided me. It’s a blow to the ego, a big one, but sometimes the best play is to stop holding your cards close to your chest, but share them instead, especially with those who’ve helped you build what’s about to be pulled out from under them.

I promised I’d come up with a plan. I’m not going to leave all of my employees out to dry. Not on my watch.

Step one … tell my father to fuck off.

Quite literally.

And figuratively.

And in all the ways imaginable.

And that’s exactly what I just said. I told him to fuck off like Connor did. I grip the phone, and the ground beneath me feels like quicksand. I sit as still as I can, waiting, knowing I can’t delay the inevitable—my father’s wrath.

There’s no turning back now.

I chose a side.

“I’m not moving to Southern California,” I repeat. “And I’m no longer your employee.”

Silence.

This isn’t what my father expected. I was supposed to fall in line. I was supposed to choose him and be the good son. I’m not supposed to be a disappointment like Connor. This was a careful and calculated plan that my father’s been weaving for months now to get me to abandon Connor and leave Hawaii. If he’d done it a year ago, it would’ve worked.

Only, I’m not a child anymore, and if he’d paid attention, I already chose Connor once. Which makes this conversation inevitable. This end point. This fork in the road.

---