“Collin Kemper is fading. Have you spoken to Aiden?” he asks.
I clear my throat and nod. I’m closest to Aiden out of all of my brothers. He’s three years older, but we have the most in common. He co-owns a sports supply company with Collin Kemper, who is slowly losing his battle with cancer.
“He’s been busy trying to keep Kemper’s up and running while Collin’s been sick.”
“He hasn’t been answering my calls or wanting to schedule anything. I thought maybe you could talk to him, get him out of the office, and take a little break.”
“I can do that,” I tell my dad.
“And what about you? How are things at the office?”
“Don’t act like you don’t have Marjorie in HR spy on me.”
“It’s not spying, she plays mahjong with your mother, if I happen to overhear things.”
“Yeah, sure, dad.”
“She says you work too much,” he says as we pull up to the pizza place.
“Is that a bad thing?”
“I know times are different now, but when I was your age I had four sons, one of them entering middle school and a wife to come home to. I don’t want you to lock yourself away, Linc.”
“I’m dedicated to the company,” I say, resisting the urge to walk back to the office so I can be spared this talk.
If there’s one issue with the Carlson family, it’s that they’re all up in each other’s shit. It’s why I’ve kept so much to myself. It’s easier that way.
“It’s just I thought you and Vanessa were happy, and then we never saw her again.”
“Drop it, Dad,” I say as I hold open the door and we sit at a table and order food.
“It’s been four years, Lincoln.”
I sigh and look at my dad, trying to plead with him to change the conversation.
“It didn’t work out. She’s married now.”
I don’t mention all the other details of that horrific breakup or how long she’s actually been married. Anytime I think of Vanessa I get a fucking ulcer and find myself wanting to drink myself into a coma. It’s best not to remember what happened four years ago and how it’s all been fucking down hill from there.
“I just worry about you is all.”
“I know, Dad.”
Me too.
“I should get home,”Aiden says, sipping his whiskey.
It’s uncanny how much we look alike. He’s a little taller, his eyes a little greener than blue, and right now his dark hair that matches mine is slightly shorter. But the Carlson brothers are undoubtedly carbon copies of our father in looks and size.
“We just got here,” I say as Tex pours me another beer.
“It’s just not going to work for me tonight,” Aiden says, and I smack his shoulder.
“We can stay at the bar,” I suggest.
The front of Avalon is set up like any high end bar would be. You wouldn’t suspect that once you go into the backrooms, everyone is giving into their most intimate fantasies. Aiden and I are both members, but we do our best to keep some secrets between us.
Front of the house is a safe zone. Once you go into the back, all bets are off and where we head our separate ways.
