Page 2 of Daddy's Best Friend

“You’re the one that got all cuddly and fucked it up. We had a good thing. Now you want to get emotional? This was always just sex and friendship. Always. I never led you on.”

I whipped around and glared at him. “You’re right. You didn’t. But you never gave me any indication that we couldn’t be more either. Asshole.” I slammed the door behind me, hopefully to never see him again.

The Uber driver was a typical, “turn your radio up and ignore the passenger” type, so the 45-minute drive home from UM to Weston wasn’t awful. Mom and Dad wouldn’t be expecting me, but I couldn’t go back to my dorm room. I shared it with Wendy Romer—daughter of billionaire David Romer, hedge fund manager. She was the most superficial person I’d ever met, and half the reason why I refused to continue living under my father’s shadow. I just wanted privacy tonight, not a lengthylecture on how crying would make my face pucker when I was older. Wendy was good for that.

“Here?” The Uber stopped in front of my father’s house; the gate locked.

“Yeah, sorry. I have to type in the code. Thanks for the lift.” I was out of the car and sneaking in the back of the house before he was even at the end of the street driving away. I thought I could get to my room unnoticed, because Mom and Dad had given me the only bedroom on the ground floor of the fourteen-million-dollar home. But Mom and Dad sat snuggled up together on the sofa in the media room, eating popcorn and watching a movie. The minute the door slid open; Mom sat up.

“What’s wrong, Ella? What are you doing here? Your face!” She left dad in a pile of popcorn and walked over to me with arms outstretched. “Did something happen? Are you okay?”

I pushed her away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Oh, dear. Did someone hurt you?” She hugged me and pushed a few strands of hair behind my ear. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed they had mascara streaking them.

“No, Mom. I just tried to tell Paul I loved him, and he didn’t feel the same way.”

She hooked her arm around me and refused to let me leave. Because April in Miami was already sweltering, the air-conditioned temperature of the room made me shiver. It was no wonder they were under a warm blanket.

“Dear, you should just focus on your studies. You have too much going for you to let it get screwed up by puppy love.” Mom tried to guide me to the couch, but I planted my feet.

“What you should really be doing is not wasting your time on boys. You should be working for me. The business is really doing well, and I could really use your skills in our accounting department.” Dad set the half-empty bowl of popcorn on the table and shook out the blanket after Mom’s spill. The housekeeper would be irritated she had to clean up after that mess, and he seemed not to care.

“I don’t want to work for you, Dad. I want to make my own way.” It was the age-old argument. Every time I came home, he reminded me how bad I was screwing up and what I should be doing. Still easier than Wendy Romer.

“The path you’re on right now is destructive, Ella. You are playing with fire. Your future is only a breath away and you’ll destroy it by the partying you’re doing. Mark my words.”

He pointed his finger and shook it and I rolled my eyes. My bed, a bottle of gin, and a good night’s sleep were calling to me.

As I slunk out of the room, I called, “Good night.”

I just couldn’t win.

2

ALAN

Two years later…

Elaine had outdone herself, choosing to send the help away to make her own pot roast. It was delicious, and the wine they paired with the meal was incredible too. My stomach was full and the slight buzz from the strong drink made conversing quite pleasant. Todd and Elaine were long-time family friends. They’d been there for me when Kirsty left, taking Trevor with her. And they were there every step of the way as I put the pieces back together.

“What an incredible meal.” I rubbed my stomach and sat back in the chair, sipping the wine more slowly now that I had a buzz. “Thank you, Elaine, for going through all this trouble.”

“It was no trouble really.” She nodded politely as Todd offered her a top-off for her wine. Alex sat next to her, absorbed in scrolling his phone. At 23 he should have known better than to have his device out during dinner; Trevor was only a few months older than him but sat without a phone in hand.

Todd seemed to notice me staring at his son and made a comment about it. “Alex, we don’t have Alan and Trevor over very often. Please put your phone away.” He turned to me. “Sorry, Alan. It seems our children have no manners at times.”

I smiled, remembering the days when we would have dinner together more frequently, our kids running around the backyard or splashing in the pool as Todd, and I talked business and Elaine chased down errands or served us dessert. That seemed like ages ago, and now our children were grown adults, pursuing their own lives. The only one missing from this nostalgic meal was Todd’s daughter, Ella.

“I completely understand. It’s difficult today to do anything without having a phone attached to your hand. Alex is networking.” I winked at Trevor who snickered. I could see the disdain in his eyes and wondered if I had been the one to teach him that judgmental attitude or if it had been his mother. “What is Ella up to these days?”

Elaine’s eyes shot down to her plate when I asked about her daughter and Todd’s expression soured. I wondered if I had chosen a poor subject. Ella was their pride and joy though. They always spoke so highly of her, her grades, her drive, and even her potential to succeed her father in the company.

“Ella is off at college right now.” Todd’s tone was dry, and he took a gulp of wine to wash down what seemed to be bitterness. “She comes to visit now and then.”

“Ella is majoring in finance, accounting… something. She has straight A’s. She’s on the dean’s list and set to graduate magna cum laude.” Elaine’s smile returned as she focused on the positive attributes Ella displayed, though I sensed there were some shadows on her life that didn’t please them at all. Alex,suddenly interested in what we were talking about, put his phone down and leaned in.

“Why do you guys play this ‘my daughter is perfect’ routine?” Alex rolled his eyes. “Alan is like a family. Just tell him she’s a fuck up.”

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