“Well, fancy that,” my father said drily. “Pretty evolved of you, kid.”
“Shut the fuck up, Dad,” I interrupted. “That’s no way to speak to our guests.” My father gave me a look designed to melt metal.
“Don’t you tell me what to do, boy,” he bit back. “This is my house and I’ll speak any damn way I please.”
“Actually, it’s my house, Drew,” my mother spoke softly. I saw my father freeze. “And you’re being a bigot. Wind your neck in, darling.” The disaster with the Syscorp takeover was still unfolding, but in the interim, my mother had stepped in to bail my father out of his financial mess. There was something to be said for ‘old money,’ after all.
She aimed a wink at Sasha, who grinned in response. Between the pair of them, they might eventually whip my fucker of a father into place. Though Sasha had made a point of keeping her distance from him since that first dinner when he’d hit on her. I suspected this was as much for me as it was for her. She knew my insecurities about the man. Though somehow, it didn’t bother me anymore. I’d realized I no longer had anything to prove to him.
The silence grew uncomfortable for a moment.
“Can I get you another lemonade, Mrs. Ramirez?” I asked, noticing that Sasha’s mother was sitting silently with an empty glass. The woman seemed almost painfully shy. But I suspected she was just overwhelmed by it all. She lowered liquid dark eyes that were much like her son’s. Although the rest of her features strongly resembled the woman I’d grown to love these past months. Except where Sasha was fire and creaminess, Gabriella Ramirez was the quintessential Latina. Dark-haired and olive skinned. She was as much a beauty as my own mother, but in a very different way.
“I’ll get your drink, Mama,” Emilio said enthusiastically. As he reached for her glass, it was hard not to notice the white gauze around his hand. The missing pinkie might be the best deterrent to another foray into crime. For Sasha’s sake, I prayed he’d get it right.
“Actually, I’ll do it,” my mother broke in. “Would you like to join me in the kitchen, Gabriella? I have some table setting ideas I wanted to run by you for the wedding.” She turned to Sasha’s mother, who visibly relaxed.
“Yes, I would be happy to,” Gabriella Ramirez murmured. She stood and began gathering our empty plates from around the table.
“Ay, Gabriella!” Inocencia stepped forward smartly, tutting at the other woman. She broke into Spanish and Gabriella looked sheepish. It was going to take her a while to get accustomed to it all. And it would take me a while to grasp the great divide between the worlds Sasha and I had occupied our whole lives.
She’d been right. I had no idea of the battles she’d faced.
Mom looped her arm through Gabriella’s and led her from the table. “Don’t interfere with Nonno’s duties, darling,” she said lightly. “Even I wouldn’t dare intrude into her domain.” Gabriella’s smile was still shy, but I could see her softening around my mother’s warm charm.
“Hey, if there’s going to be a girls’ gathering in there, I’m coming too!” quipped Sasha, brushing her lips against my cheek as she stood up and followed the others.
As the women left the room, my father fixed me with a hard stare.
“So, I’m assuming you’re still determined to marry into this family of ingrates?” he said, completely ignoring Emilio sitting across from him. The young man shifted uncomfortably, glancing from my father to me and back again. I gave him a small smile, then turned my attention back to my father.
“You’re talking about the woman I love, Dad,” I said mildly. He wanted a reaction from me, and I wasn’t going to give it.
“For fuck’s sakes, you idiot. This is not about love. It’s about a tight pussy and a big pair of tits. Fuck her and get it over with. You should be marrying someone closer to your own station!”
Emilio’s eyes were wide. He went tense for a second, then rose. “I think I’ll go and see how the ladies are getting along.” I didn’t stop him. He was way out of his league, and clearly afraid to cause offense by standing up for himself and Sasha. That was just fine. I was there to do it for them.
“Dad,” I kept my voice as mild as before, “this will be the last time you speak this way about Sasha and her family, do hear me?”
“Or what?” my father scoffed. “You’ll punch my lights out? Young bull coming in to try to take out the old leader?”
I rolled my eyes. “I couldn’t be bothered, Dad. We both know I had that battle won years ago.” I could see him twitching to disagree, but I didn’t give him a chance. “No, I’ll hit you where it hurts.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really? And where would that be?”
“Your bank balance, Dad,” I replied, leaning back in my chair, and taking a sip of my scotch and soda. The ice clinked as I swirled the glass.
My father narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“When Mom bought out the 51% shares to keep Syscorp from taking over Cedar, I bought half with her,” I answered. I saw him visibly gulp.
“You did what?” he asked. “How the fuck did you get that right?” He’d reached for his own glass and was mimicking my casual stance. But I could sense the tension radiating from him. He was gearing for a fight.
“I told you, Dad. I don’t need your money. Or Mom’s.” The deal with Andy’s investors had been signed off, and the first wave of rollouts had begun. My new company had finally been birthed. And it was going to be a giant.
“You’re shitting me,” he snapped. I didn’t care if he believed it or not. The news would hit the papers within the week. Already we were fielding calls from financial analysts and trend predictors. Our technology was going to change the IT landscape. Every major investor wanted a piece of it. But we were sticking with our Swiss partners. They’d been solid from the outset. And I was learning the true value of loyalty and integrity.
“So, I guess you’ll be firing me from the Board, huh?” He’d set his jaw, as if daring me to say I’d planned exactly that.
