Bennett
Ten meetings, five more interviews, lunch with the board, one-hundred e-mails to respond to...
I stared down at the meeting schedule on my iPad, trying to mentally organize the other tasks I had to do. Henry stood beside me quietly, hands clasped together in front of himself. It gave me a bit of nostalgia to have him back at my side again.
I hadn't decided on a job for him yet, so he was temporarily my second assistant. Considering Lee's abrupt departure, I figured it would be fine to allot the funds to this for now. Henley had picked up more classes for the next semester, so there was a chance this could become Henry's permanent position, anyway, depending on what Henley wanted to do.
"I truly hope one of these candidates at least passes the first round of interviews," I said wearily, placing the iPad back down on my desk.
"There are two from within the company already," Henry pointed out.
"That doesn't mean anything. I've already passed over ten other people from the company."
Henry frowned. "That's true."
"Maybe I'm being too picky. I just compare everyone to Lee. There's just no one like him," I said, rubbing my forehead.
Now Henry smiled. Soft, and full of affection. "True. There is no one like him."
I gave him a dry smile. "I'm strictly speaking of his work effort."
"And my response remains the same."
My eyes narrowed a bit. "Why do I feel like you're insinuating something?"
Henry shrugged casually. "If you are, there must be something in your mind that thinks I would be insinuating something."
"You're quite different now, Henry."
"I am more confident with myself and my abilities now," he said.
I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest. "Is that so?"
"Considering my direct competition for this spot, especially so."
"Now that's just mean," I said, feeling the need to instinctively defend Henley. "She has only been working here for a few months."
Henry grinned, taking the iPad from my desk. "I'm not saying it in a mean way. I just have ten years on her. So, if she's not doing anything wrong, I'm definitely not."
"Uh-huh..."
"You'll be late for your meeting if you don't start getting ready," Henry advised me, glancing at the watch on his wrist, and not the iPad that had switched on.
Sighing, I pushed myself up from my desk, straightening out my blazer. "Right, right. Ugh. I'm tired."
"You know you don't have to attend the first-round interviews."
"I know, but I want to. This person will be directly working with me for the unforeseeable future. I want to get a good feeling right from the beginning."
Henry followed me to the door of my office, clutching the iPad to his chest, pausing before he opened the door for me. "...Have you ever considered someone who has done this before and knows the business?"
"Like who?" I asked, pushing past him. "There is no one like that. I wish there was, but there isn't."
"There is. One person," he said hesitatingly.
I glanced over my shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow. "Who?"
"Your father."
His words caused a stillness to wash over me. At first, I thought he was joking, but after scanning his face again and seeing the seriousness in his eyes and the way he held on tightly to the iPad, I knew he was being earnest. "How could you suggest that?" I asked, feeling my pulse rise. "You know what he did to Lee."
Henry lowered his eyes. "But did he do that? Really? You heard it from himself, didn't you? That he felt no other choice."
"Yes, butâ"
"And you did the same to Henley, Bennett."
I shut my mouth, my heart sinking in my chest. I knew it, I did, but being called out on it still sent anxiety through me.
Henry looked back up at me again, his expression not unkind. "You know what it's like to feel helpless like that. Fortunately for you, you had a support system, and someone who truly loved you. It wasn't like that for your father."
"How do you know that?"
Henry chewed on his lip for a moment. "Well... we've been meeting up with him."
"We?" I echoed.
"He is Lee's father," Henry said, as if it explained everything.
My hands curled into fists. "Why didn't Lee tell me this? Why didn't he? Were you trying to hide it from me?"
Henry stood a little taller. "Respectfully, Bennett, Lee does not need to tell you what he does or does not do. Meeting up with his father is his choice alone, and it's not something terrible enough for him to need to hide it from you. He just simply is doing this on his own terms."
I stared hard at Henry for a moment longer, trying to ignore the initial annoyance at his claim. Of course, Lee could make his own choices, but wasn't this something we would talk about together? Then again, Lee had talked to literally everyone else about leaving the company before me. It wasn't even about me needing to know. It was about communication. "So, what? Are they the perfect father and son now?"
"Bennett."
"Henry, how do you know this isn't some plan of his? Get close to Lee, convince him to leave the company, and then replace him?" I said the words without really thinking of them, but after they left my mouth, my chest tightened. Couldn't it be true? "Maybe that was his plan all along. Coming back and dropping a bombshell on Lee and making him question his whole life. Does he want the company?"
Henry didn't respond, taking a step closer to me. Once close enough, he put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it tightly. "Bennett, take a breath."
I looked down at his hand sharply, ready to brush it off, but then I noticed how my chest was heaving.
"That is your anxiety and trust issues speaking," Henry told me, taking his hand off my shoulder. "I'm not saying you have to hire him. I'm saying it's an idea, and maybe worth speaking to your father about."
I took slowly breathed in and out, trying to even out my breathing again. "What I said sounds plausible, though..."
"Really? You think your father came back from out of nowhere to steal the company from you by making Lee leave? Did you forget he is still legally married to your mother? I am sure from a legal stand point he has more claim to this company than you do," Henry said. "Your mother's stakes should have gone to him not you and Lee had he been here to fight for them."
"I suppose that makes sense," I said, but still felt suspicious. "How long have Lee and him been meeting up?"
Henry pursed his lips and for a moment I thought he wouldn't answer. "Once a week."
"He hasn't attempted to meet up with me."
"Have you attempted to meet up with him?" Henry countered. "Lee reached out first. It's clear to me he doesn't want to over-step with you."
He had me there. I hadn't reached out to my father since the day he left me his card. Too much else had been going on. I'd all but forgotten about him, and he hadn't tried to reach out to me first again, either... but I hadn't been very receiving of him.
"When I say this, I'm not saying it to change your mind, or force you to have a relationship with your father, but Lee has decided to let his father back into his life, and you need to accept that, whether you want him back, or not," Henry said. "Lee lost who he considered his mother, and wants to have your father replace that loss. I don't blame him. If I could have a relationship with my parents, I would in a heartbeat, but it's not possible for me"
Silence spread between us as I considered his words, but was shortly broken by an alarm going off, reminding me I needed to get to my meeting. "I'll consider it," I told Henry. His eyes lit up a little and I leveled him with a strict look. "I said consider it. Besides, who knows if he'd actually be interested? He ran away from it in the first place."
"That was because the way your mother ran this place. You are different, Bennett."
Even through the tension of our conversation, my chest warmed at his words. You are different. I would never get tired of hearing that. I was nothing like my mother. And things would never be the same here because of it.
And my father would have years of experience...
The alarm went off again and I shook the thought from my mind. Work came first. I could deliberate later.
By the time end of day came, I was ready to collapse, and give up in trying to find a co-CEO. No one passed the first interview. Not enough experience, a terrible interview, being thirty minutes late... the reasons went on and on. I trudged back to my office, ready to grab my keys, and head home.
I entered my office and flipped on the light, nearly having a heart attack as I noticed someone sitting in my chair at my desk. Henley grinned at me. "Did you have an appointment?"
"I almost had a heart attack," I told her, smiling.
She stood up from my desk as I walked over and threw her arms around my shoulder, pressing her body to mine as she hugged me. "Are you done?"
"Yes," I responded, hugging her back. All the tension of the day left me. Her hugs were perfect. "What are you doing here?"
"I asked Ariana to drop me off here so I can go home with you," she said. "We carpooled from my house today."
I hugged her tighter. "Well, I'm happy you're here."
"Rough day?" she asked, rubbing my back.
"Just long." I paused. "Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
I rolled my eyes, pulling back, seeing her smirking at me. "Let me rephrase that. Can I ask you something and I'm not meaning for it to sound accusing, nor do you have to answer me if you're uncomfortable."
Her smile fell, but her arms stayed around me. "Yes?"
"Has Lee mentioned him meeting up with our father to you?"
She shook her head. "No. Why? Is he?"
"Apparently," I said, feeling oddly relieved. I wasn't the only one who didn't know. "You know, Henry suggested hiring my father to replace Lee."
I expected surprise to flitter across her face, but it didn't. She just nodded. "Yeah, Sebastian said the same thing."
"He did?"
"He thought your dad could help you out."
Even Sebastian thought so? I furrowed my eyebrows, deliberating. Maybe it was worth a conversation with my father. If I separated my personal feelings from professional ones, maybe I could look at the situation with a clearer eye. But, this was assuming my father would be interested in the position. And it also meant reaching out to him and meeting up with him. Was I ready for that?
A knock on the door came and my heart jumped into my throat as it opened and I expected my father to walk through, but it was just Lee. Henley and I stepped away from each other, but I took her hand in mine. "You're supposed to wait for a response," I told Lee.
Lee grinned. "Maybe you should just lock the door. You two must share a habit of not doing that."
Henley's face flamed. "I thought we agreed to never bring that up again!"
Lee laughed. "It's just a lesson learned at this point."
"It's still mortifying," she said through gritted teeth.
"Did you come to pick up Henry?" I asked Lee to try and divert the conversation away from Henley's embarrassment.
Lee fiddled with the photo of us on my desk, straightening it. "Mm, yes and no."
"Then?"
"Well, Henry told me he let it slip that I've been meeting up with our father, and I wanted to come here to assure you I wasn't purposefully going behind your back," he said, turning to me. "Because I know that's where your mind went."
I schooled my features. "Not necessarily," I lied.
Lee's eyebrows rose and I knew he didn't believe me. Not unsurprising. "Oh? I'm impressed, Bennett."
I gave him a flat look. "Did you have something else to say?"
"Well, now that you know, I figured you might like to come to my house for dinner tonight."
"What do those two things have to do with each other?"
"Obviously Dad will be there."
I didn't know why it startled me so much to hear Lee refer to him as dad. It sounded so strange coming from Lee's mouth. How had he adapted so quickly to this? It was almost concerning. Had Lee latched onto our father because everything ourâ my mother had done? Was that a smart idea? How could Lee trust him so easily?
"We'll go," I decided immediately.
Both Henley and Lee looked at me in surprise. Apparently neither thought I would agree so easily. But now it was more than just my personal feelings or a candidate for a jobâ I needed to know his motives. I needed to make sure our father had no ulterior motives. And the best way to do that was to face him head on.
"Me, too?" Henley asked, pointing at herself. "Is that okay?"
"There's nothing I wouldn't want you to be there for," I said. "Unless you're uncomfortable. I wouldn't force you to come."
Henley shook her head. "No, it's not that. I'll definitely go with you."
I squeezed her hand, smiling. Good. I needed my support system.
"All right," Lee said, still looking mildly shocked that I was going to go. "I'll have Henry pick up some extra ingredients on his way home. We'll meet you there."
Lee exited my office and I took a second to consider my actions. Was I rushing into this? I supposed it was better than dragging it out.
Henley swung our entwined hands, gaining my attention. "What are you thinking about, Bennett? This doesn't seem like you."
"It doesn't, does it?" I agreed. "I'm concerned about Lee, a bit. I'm just trying to take out two birds with one stone. Perhaps three."
"Will you be okay?"
"If you're with me, I'll always be okay."
She scrunched up her nose. "That's soâ"
I cut her off with a kiss. "Attractive? Thank you."
Laughing, she pulled on my hand. "Come on. I'm excited. I haven't been to Lee and Henry's house since they're house warming."
I liked to not think about their house warming. What a guilt-trip that was. But my house technically was mine, not Lee's, and it made since for him to move out since he wanted to live with Henry. I wasn't the bad guy in that situation, but Lee had made me feel like it. Even though he had plenty of money to buy a new house, not to mention, it was way better than mine.
Even Henley liked it. She'd tried to assure me she liked my house better, but I was on to her ways. She liked to appease me. Cute. But I didn't fall for it as much anymore. She could have her own opinions. She could like Lee's house and car more than mine. It was fine.
Her hands slapped to my cheeks, startling to me, and she gave me a knowing look. "Don't tell me you're still thinking about how I said I liked Lee's house."
"I'm not," I tried to say, but my cheeks were too mushed together for it to be very understandable.
"Right..."
I pulled her hands away. "But while we're on the topicâ"
"Bennett."
I smiled. "I'm just kidding. Come on, I think I need some caffeine before we go."
Once we got into my car, the reality of what I was about to do started hitting me hard. The anxiety came back so much so that I felt like I couldn't feel my arms. I tried to swallow it down, trying to focus on the positive outcomes that could come out of this. Trusting my father a little more? Potentially finding a competent employee? Seeing Lee happy? Or would it all go bad?
I glanced over at Henley to ask her for her opinion and noticed she was tapping away crazily on her phone. "What's up?" I asked.
"Sebastian and Ariana finally told Brandon he's going to Spain."
"Oh, just now?"
She lifted her head up to look at me. "Just now? Didn't Sebastian just buy the tickets like two weeks ago? How much time has passed since then?" She stared out the window for a minute. "Yeah, it's only been a few weeks."
I tapped on the steering wheel. "He requested time off for Brandon before Ariana even made her decision."
"What?" Henley gasped. "Are you for real?"
"He told me to keep it a secret since he wasn't even sure Ariana would be going. But truthfully, I think he knew Ariana would go before Ariana knew herself."
"And he knew he was going to bring Brandon too? Were they really that good of friends already? That's kind of crazy."
"It's a bit strange," I mused. "Sebastian is not normally like this. I remember a long time ago Sebastian told you that I don't have many friends, but he is much the same."
"That's kind of hard to believe. Sebastian is so kind and friendly."
"Are you saying I'm not?"
She let the silence draw out. "Well..."
I lifted my chin up. "I'll let that one go. I will admit I am not as personable as Sebastian, but I doubt most people are. However, he is very closed off."
"Probably because he comes from a lawyer family."
"Maybe."
"But then it makes even less sense for him to become close to Brandon of all people. He's so..."
"For what it's worth, your brother is also friendly and personable."
"In what way?" Henley deadpanned. "He literally threatened you when you first met."
"For good reason," I defended. "Didn't Sebastian also defend me to you once?"
She placed her phone down on her lap, considering. "I guess that's true. I guess their friendship is just a bit strange to me. I mean, I'm happy for them, obviously."
"You don't want to go to Spain, too?"
"Are you saying you'd go with me?"
"I would, if you wanted to go."
"You're afraid of flying, too, though."
"Well, if it was for you, I think I could do it."
Her eyes softened when I glanced at her again with a smile. "Bennett... but I wouldn't do the same for you, though."
I chuckled, reaching over to put my hand on her thigh. "I know. It's okay."
"She'll be plenty busy with Sebastian and Brandon there, anyway. I think it's okay if I don't go to visit," Henley said, putting her hand on top of mine. "We don't need to put ourselves through that."
"We should go on a vacation together," I said, the thought suddenly hitting me. "We haven't gone on one by ourselves yet."
She turned in her seat, her knees pointing toward me. "You're right. We haven't. But where would we go?"
"Anywhere we can drive?"
"I'd be down to do that. It'd be fun. Maybe we can plan it when you find a replacement for Lee?" Henley suggested.
"Now I feel even more motivated to find one."
"If we're lucky, maybe your father will be a good fit," she said, holding my hand tighter.
"Yeah..." I trailed off, my chest feeling tight again. "We'll see."
After Henley and I got coffees, and checking to see if anyone else wanted one, we made our way to Lee's house. His car was there, as well as one that I assumed belonged to my father, but Henry's car was still missing. I didn't move for a moment after I turned off the car, trying to mentally prepare myself.
"It'll be okay, Bennett. If he tries anything, I'll get him," Henley said, flexing her arm at me.
I covered my mouth as I snorted. "Really?"
"Hey, if I can scare someone off with a windshield wiper, I might be handy with my fists."
I grabbed her wrist, bringing her balled up hand to my lips, and kissed it. "No. You're not allowed to get injured."
"So demanding," she teased. "Come on."
Feeling a bit better, we headed up the steps to Lee's massive porch together. It was just Lee's type of houseâ while I preferred a modern look, he appreciated a classical one. There were pillars on each side and large arched windows, and a balcony over-head accessible by the second floor. The first time I'd seen it, I thought I'd stepped back in time.
Lee didn't appreciate my comments on his house though, so I mainly kept them to myself.
I let myself in despite Henley's protests. If Lee did it at my house, I would do it at his. And Henry wasn't even here, so there would be no awkward encounters. We took our shoes off in the mud room, and entered the main hallway. I could hear Lee's voice coming from his kitchen.
I didn't give myself a chance to get anxious again. I forced my feet forward, keeping Henley by my side, and entered the kitchen.
My father immediately looked over at me from where he sat at the kitchen island. He stood up, his cheeks turning a little red. "Oh, Bennett. Lee said you were coming, but..."
"Are you interested in coming back to work for Calloway hotels?" I asked bluntly.
My question took Lee, my father, and Henley off guard. I folded my arms over my chest, trying to keep my expression even. I hadn't meant to start the conversation like that. It just came out. I tried not to panic.
"Um..." my father trailed off, glancing between Lee and myself.
Lee balked at me. "Bennett, what are you talking about?"
I ignored Lee, staring down my father. "What's your answer?"
"This isn't something I can answer so easily, Bennett," he responded, gripping the back of the chair he was sitting at. "Can we talk about this? I abandoned the company for a reason..."
Surprisingly, his answer calmed some of my anxiety. If my thought about him wanting to boot Lee out and take his spot was true, would he have reacted like this? Wouldn't he have jumped at the chance to get hired? "We can talk about it," I agreed.
"You want our father to work with you?" Lee asked, eyes wide. "What? Why?"
"Why are you asking why?" I asked, taking a seat at the island across from my father. "I need to hire a replacement for you still."
"Butâ"
"We can discuss it," my father said, holding a hand up to Lee. "I can see why Bennett had this thought."
"I wasn't the only one," I clarified.
"It's nice to see you again," my father said to Henley as she took a seat beside me, offering her a smile.
"You, too," she said, giving him a small smile back. "What have you been up to these days?"
I turned toward my father, interested in his answer as well. I knew she asked it to be polite, but I was curious. "Did you go see my mother?"
"I did," he said. "I've been busy trying to get my life back in order again. I'm finally in a position to do so, and one of the things I have to do is sort things out with your mother."
"As in?"
"Divorce, namely," he stated. "I'd like to cut all my ties with her."
"Why now?"
"Because I'm strong enough to now," he said. "I know I was weak before, and Bennett, even if you choose not to have me in your life again, I am still going to try and repair my life. I would like you to be in it, though."
"Would she even let you divorce her?" I asked. "Did you not try before, or?"
My father pulled a glass of water that was on the counter closer to him, taking a sip. "I've never tried before. I wasn't lying when I said this is my first time coming back. If she fights it, then it'll just be a longer court process."
"You should talk to Sebastian about this. I know there are many laws relating to divorce in New York."
He nodded. "That's a good idea. I'd be willing to speak to Seb if he would agree to it."
"My mother lost all her stakes in the company when she was fired and arrested," I told him. "You would get nothing there." Even though that wasn't quite true, it would likely be in the future. We were in the process if clawing back some stakes she legally was allowed to hold on to.
He paused mid-sip, placing the glass back down on the corner, and frowning at me. "I'm not looking for money in this, Bennett."
"You're not?"
"If it was money I was after, I would have never left in the first place."
Henley nudged me in the side and I figured she understood my father perfectly. But I did, too. I was just asking to judge his answer. "That makes sense," I said, because I wasn't sure if Henley was catching onto my plan or not.
"It's likely your mother will try to force herself back into the company when she is released from prison," my father said, leaning back in his chair. "And even after the despicable crimes she's committed, there is a chance she'll be able to get released early."
Lee placed a glass of ice water in front of me. "We've thought about that."
"There are multiple ways to prevent her from doing that, though," my father said. Then he paused, eyes widening. "Not that you need to take my advice, or anything. The legal team is best to confer for this. Not that I don't think you're already doing that."
Lee laughed. "We aren't thinking that, Dad."
Dad. It was still weird to hear that again. "What do you do for work right now?" I asked.
"I work as a bartender."
That wasn't what I expected. I furrowed my eyebrows. "What?"
"I needed to stay lowkey, so I just got a job at a local bar. It paid my bills. I rented a room from a nice older couple who needed some extra cash for bills."
He was living like that? "For all this time?"
"Yes, until recently. I quit to come find you two here. Now I've been renting a room in an Air BnB and working at a bar a few towns over."
"You're staying in a stranger's house?" I said, startled.
"I offered to let him stay here," Lee told me, giving Henley a glass of soda before taking a seat next to my father. "He said no."
My father scratched his head. "I didn't come to bother you two."
"But still staying in a stranger's houseâ"
"Oh, no. It's a very sweet family," my father said quickly. "They're very kind. I don't mind at all."
"But with your background, couldn't you get a better job?"
He gave a weary smile. "Well, I wasn't allowed to put that on my resume. I had to leave it all behind, Bennett. Your mother made it very clear."
"But you have degrees, don't you?"
"I was too worried about over-stepping my boundaries. But I've been happy with that I've been doing. Although the cost of living is getting higher, so I suppose I'll have to start looking into a better job."
Lee propped his elbows up on the island, placing his chin in his palms, and staring at me. "A job, huh..."
I hated how Lee looked at me like that. I resisted the urge to glare at him.
"I'm not sure I really trust you yet," I said to my father, "but I'm trying to separate personal issues from business ones. The truth of the matter is I'm struggling to find someone qualified and competent enough to replace Lee."
"And you're thinking of me?" my father asked, head tilting to the side. "How did you come to that conclusion?"
"You worked for our company for years already. You're qualitied. You know the ins and outs."
"But that was so long ago."
"Not much has changed."
"I hated working there," my father pointed out.
"You hated working there when you worked with my mother," I said. "It's different now. It will continue to be different. We... or, well, I, now, refuse to run the company like my mother did. And the point of having two CEO's is to ease the burden of the responsibilities we used to pile on ourselves. But not just that, we've appointed new positions to help with the burden in other places as well."
My father's lips twisted to the side. "Really?"
"If I'm being completely honest, I think you having past experience and also sharing the same vision of not having the company become a stressor for its employees will work out well in our future plans. There will be on resistance toward each other. I can't be sure of that with other prospective hires."
My father stared at the marble counter top of the island for a moment. "I don't really think I'm in a position to deny something you request of me."
Was that what he thought I was doing? "I'm not forcing you to say yes. I just think you'd be a competent employee."
"I know, but how can I say no to my son? How could I pass up this chance to get closer to you?"
"That's not the point of thisâ"
"Maybe not, but it's certainly a benefit," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Can I take you asking me this as a sign that perhaps we will be able to become closer in the future?"
I avoided his gaze, my pulse quickening. "It could happen, or it might not. This is strictly professional."
"Right."
"You also don't have to say yes," I repeated, now worried he felt obligated. But why would he? Just because I was his son?
My father let out a long breath, looking up toward the ceiling. "I never thought there'd be a day where I'd work for this company again. Let alone holding a position equal to your mother. I'd love to see her face when she finds out the news."
I folded my arms over my chest, uncomfortable. "Does that mean you'll consider it?"
"I started considering it the second you walked in the door and asked me, Bennett. When should I go in for an interview?"
I tensed up. I almost couldn't believe it. He'd agreed that easily? "You're not just saying this because I asked?"
"In part because you asked, in part because I need a better job, and in part to spite your mother," he answered.
"That's... an acceptable answer," I said. I especially liked the part about spiting my mother, but he didn't need to know that. "You can come in for an interview whenever. You'll have to go through the full process."
He nodded. "That's fair. Just give me a few days to prepare."
"That's fine."
"Wow, I didn't see this coming," Lee commented, looking bemused. "Was this your idea, Henley?"
"Huh?" Henley said and then held up her hands, waving them defensively. "No! Not at all. Bennett decided this for himself."
"Even more shocking."
"Shut up," I muttered, feeling my cheeks warm up.
"I appreciate it," my father said. "Regardless of why."
Too embarrassed to answer, I was eternally grateful when Henry came spilling into the kitchen, the bag of groceries leaving his hand as he tripped on what appeared to be nothing. Lee shot up to help him up, giving him a quick once over to make sure Henry was okay.
It brought a new question to my mindâ did my father know about Henry and Lee?
Before I could think more on it, my father smiled at the pair. "What a caring husband you'll be, Lee."
"I'd prefer Henry becomes less clumsy than me more caring," Lee responded with a chuckle.
Henry, red-faced, pushed up his glasses. "I put on an old pair of shoes this morning by accident. They're too big so I've been tripping all day."
"We should throw them out."
"No, that's a waste Lee."
"You'll never fit them," I pointed out.
"Maybe he likes them," Henley said, always on Henry's side.
I turned to her. "Is this like the clothing you haven't touched from that time we went shopping together when I first met you?"
"It'd be a waste to get rid of it," she said with a nod.
Lee picked up the groceries that'd fallen on the floor and walked over to the counter and put them on display. Judging from what Henry had bought, he was making some kind of chicken pasta. I stood up and walked over to help and my father mimicked me.
"Should I get the pasta water started?" he and I said at the same time.
Lee looked bemused again as he turned to us. "Are you guys hungry or something? I guess I could use an extra pair of hands or two. Dad, you can prep the chicken, and Bennett you can get started with the pasta."
"What will you do then?" I asked.
"Sit with your pretty girlfriend," Lee answered, slipping by us, and nearly jumping on the stool next to Henley. "How's it going my little business major?"
With Lee gone, I felt awkward next to my father. I think he felt awkward too. He gave me a half-smile. "Well, shall we?"
I tried to swallow the awkwardness. I had to get over it. If I couldn't even cook dinner with him, how would we work together?
Hopefully, dinner would go well...
Author's Note:
Where have I been? Horribly busy. Where will I be? Even more so. My mom has been diagnosed with cancer and started treatment this week and my cat had an emergency and was diagnosed with a life-long illness that must be carefully watched. I can't make any promises anymore. My anxiety can't deal with anything else. I will update whenever possible, though.