“You can’t blame me for needing to touch you one last time.”
“I’d better go.”
“Stay.” He waves his hand towards the entrance to the restaurant. “We’re here.”
“What are you expecting?” It wouldn’t be fair to lead him on.
“Only your company for a meal. You can at least give me that.”
“Okay.” Guilt makes me give in.
Once the meeting in Las Vegas concluded, I headed to San Francisco. It turns out Trevor remained in California after graduating college. He readily accepted my invitation to meet at the Falcon located downtown, which doesn’t surprise me in the least. He has an angle, but I’ve played this game before. I invented it. There’s no doubt in my mind I’ll come out the victor. I know everything about him, down to his credit score. The motherfucker was supposed to be here a half hour ago. I detest tardiness.
The office phone rings. “Yes.”
“Mr. Trevor Brooks is here to see you,” the front desk clerk says.
“Thank you. Send him in please.”
“Yes, sir.”
He struts in, smug and disinterested. The fucker is putting on a show already.
“Trevor.”
His appearance hasn’t changed much, though his facial features are a bit worn.
“Arthur.” He drops into the chair and crosses his ankles on the desk—displaying complete disrespect. Dirt and debris from his shoes fall to the gleaming oak surface.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Opening the drawer, I retrieve a folder containing the adoption documents and slide it in front of him.
“What do we have here?” He peruses the contents. “So, you want to be the little bastard’s father?”
“Call him that again and I’ll break every bone in your fucking body.”
He laughs. “Boy, she has her hooks in you.”
“Sign the document.”
“Maybe I don’t want to.” He throws the folder on the desk. “Maybe it’s about time I step up and play daddy.”
“You’ll give me what I want.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“You’re on the brink of filing for bankruptcy.”
His indifferent attitude disappears promptly.
“No flippant comeback.”
Checkmate.
“Your small IT company is drowning in debt.” I pull my checkbook from my breast pocket and toss it on the desk. “Money is your motivation for agreeing to meet me today.”
He licks his lips. “I want five million and he’s yours.”
