“Dude, where you going?” his best friend’s boyfriend said with a wide yawn.
“Job begging,” Ryan replied.
“Good luck.”
Iz poked their head out at this exchange.
“Gonna see you at Nopalitos later?” they asked.
“Depends, Iz. I hope so.”
“Tell Alex hi from me.”
Ryan grabbed his helmet and keys and headed out the door. It was only a fifteen-minute drive to the offices of DeMarco Property Management. He parked his bike under the solar panels that covered most of the lot. His dad’s Mercedes was already there, as was his brother’s Buick. Since he was a few minutes early, and the door wouldn’t be unlocked yet, he took a moment to gather his thoughts.
His dad would be pleased his power play had worked. Ryan hoped he’d be able to work maintenance, the only thing about property management he enjoyed. Hell, he’d even been able to help his current landlord, who’d taken a bit off his rent when he’d been available to help other tenants with urgent or emergency maintenance problems.
The click of the door unlocking brought him back to the present.
“Ryan?” A woman about his age opened the door. Valerie, the office manager who would soon be moving.
“Hi, Val.”
“Come on in. You should’ve knocked.”
“Nah, I needed a moment. Alex says you’re moving soon?”
Val had been with the company since it had become apparent Ryan wanted nothing to do with it, six months after he’d graduated from the U.
“Yeah. Ben got a great offer in Phoenix. We close on the house there next week, and the movers come in three weeks, the Saturday after my last day.”
He stepped inside and the door closed behind him. The lights were on, but Val seemed to be the only person here. Most of the employees came in around eight. Tuesdays and Thursdays, DPM was open until seven at night to help accommodate people who worked typical business hours. The office manager usually came in early. His dad’s schedule varied, but Alex was usually in during normal operating hours.
Most of the employees worked in an open office, each with their own cubicle, but there were several offices on the perimeter. His dad and brother each had one, CEO and Chief Operating Officer respectively. His two aunts had their own offices as well. Annetta was the bookkeeper and Gisella was in charge of marketing.
“You here to see your father?” Val settled into her seat at the reception desk.
Ryan sighed. It was his last chance to walk out of here, find work somewhere else, convince Iz’s family to give him more hours. But unless he worked in a similar field, his dad wouldn’t relent until Ryan had a job he approved of. Bartending, podcasting, and living off the trust fund didn’t qualify.
“Yes.”
“Head on back. I’ll let him know you’re coming.” She picked up the phone as he trudged toward his father’s office.
Before he could knock on his father’s door, it opened to reveal his brother’s slightly taller, slimmer frame. Alex took after their mother in this, as well as with his lighter brown hair and hazel eyes. But in his approach to life and business, he was their dad’s twin. Ryan, on the other hand, looked almost exactly like their dad, but his personality was unique in the family. His grandmother had once told him he was a pearl in the middle of gold coins. Then she gave him a cookie.
“Hi, Ryan. Come on in,” Alex said with a professional smile.
His brother clapped him on the back as he moved into the office. His dad stood as Ryan entered and held out a hand. He took it and gave it the firm shake Alessandro had taught him at age ten.
“Ryan. We weren’t expecting you.” His dad sat down. Alex took a chair in front of the desk, but Ryan remained standing. “What do you need?”
Fair. Except for planned family events, Ryan usually only ever talked to his father when he needed something from him or when his mother passed the phone on their weekly calls.
He steeled himself.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about your ultimatum at New Year’s,” Ryan said. “I graduated five years ago, and I can see from your perspective where I haven’t accomplished much. My goals are different than the rest of the family, and in order to reach those goals, I need access to my trust fund.”
“If you’re trying to argue your way out of working for the family business—” his father said.
