honked outside.
“There’s my limo. You okay?”
“Sure, I’m fucking peachy.”
“See you on Sunday.”
“Yeah. Sunday.”
Fueled by sugar, I ransacked his office, searching for clues of his infidelity, but came up empty. Undaunted, I thumbed through his desk calendar and found out where he was staying, then booked a flight of my own. I cried as I packed a bag, wondering what I would do if I really caught him with another man.
I was tied up in knots for the entire flight, my stomach cramping over what I might find. The trip seemed to take forever, but I finally arrived at his hotel room around 9:30 p.m. He was surprised to see me, and pretty annoyed.
“What are you doing here?” Tony’s face was flushed and his tie was askew.
“I missed you. Can’t I at least come in for a while?”
His suite was large and tastefully decorated. A small glass of whiskey sat on the coffee table untouched. The bed looked like an office supply store had thrown up all over it.
“I’m expecting a conference call in about five minutes. Maybe you can sit over there and watch TV or something.”
“And stay out of the way?”
“Sure.”
The fact that he wasn’t overjoyed to see me broke my heart, but at least he was alone. I halfheartedly watched a movie in the living area while Tony sprawled out on the bed, up to his eyeballs in business transactions. I could hear the tension in his voice amidst the frantic shuffling of papers and clicking of keystrokes. When he finished his call, I picked up the glass of whiskey and offered it to him.
“Thanks.” He knocked it back in one swallow.
“Better?”
“Not really.”
I traced his crotch with one finger. “I could take some of your tension away.”
“Not now, Braiden.”
“Later?”
“See this stack? I have to read this entire file tonight, for a meeting I have tomorrow afternoon. I’ll probably be up until two as it is. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have time for any fun and games.”
His phone rang again, and he scowled when he glanced at the screen. I slunk back into the living room while he took the call. While I listened in, it all became clear. Tony was miserable, but not because of me. His job was killing him.
“Listen, Robert, I told you on Wednesday, the company is not for sale. Yeah, well, you would sound stressed, too, if you were me. Sure. Right. Look, I have to go. Bye.” Tony groaned and tossed the phone aside.
“Someone wants to buy you out?”
“Robert Langford offered me four million.”
I sat on the bed. “Why didn’t you take it?”
“Why would you want me to?” He looked stunned.
“Tell me something, are you happy?”
“Sure, I’m happy. How can you ask such a ridiculous question?” His phone rang again and I shoved it under a pillow. “What are you doing?”
“I want your full attention for five minutes. Can you give me five minutes?”
He glared at me while he nodded and held up five fingers. When I spoke, the tears started, no matter how hard I tried to blink them back.
“I can tell you’re miserable. Why not sell the business? You would be free.”
“I can’t sell, what would we do for money?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You couldn’t live for the rest of your life on four million? Besides, I still work you know. The ad agency pays pretty well.”
“I could live on four million, but I don’t think you could.”
“What?”
“I know how you like to live. That’s why I do all this, to keep you happy.”
“You think I’m some shallow gold digger?”
He stood up and grabbed the bottle of whiskey. “For fuck sake, Braiden, you go through money like it’s water. Parties, clothes, Italian shoes. You can’t tell me that shit doesn’t make you happy.” He tipped more liquor into his glass. “Ask yourself a question, could you give that up?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“I can’t lie, being rich is fun, But not at the expense of our relationship. Do you even love me anymore?”
“Of
“There’s my limo. You okay?”
“Sure, I’m fucking peachy.”
“See you on Sunday.”
“Yeah. Sunday.”
Fueled by sugar, I ransacked his office, searching for clues of his infidelity, but came up empty. Undaunted, I thumbed through his desk calendar and found out where he was staying, then booked a flight of my own. I cried as I packed a bag, wondering what I would do if I really caught him with another man.
I was tied up in knots for the entire flight, my stomach cramping over what I might find. The trip seemed to take forever, but I finally arrived at his hotel room around 9:30 p.m. He was surprised to see me, and pretty annoyed.
“What are you doing here?” Tony’s face was flushed and his tie was askew.
“I missed you. Can’t I at least come in for a while?”
His suite was large and tastefully decorated. A small glass of whiskey sat on the coffee table untouched. The bed looked like an office supply store had thrown up all over it.
“I’m expecting a conference call in about five minutes. Maybe you can sit over there and watch TV or something.”
“And stay out of the way?”
“Sure.”
The fact that he wasn’t overjoyed to see me broke my heart, but at least he was alone. I halfheartedly watched a movie in the living area while Tony sprawled out on the bed, up to his eyeballs in business transactions. I could hear the tension in his voice amidst the frantic shuffling of papers and clicking of keystrokes. When he finished his call, I picked up the glass of whiskey and offered it to him.
“Thanks.” He knocked it back in one swallow.
“Better?”
“Not really.”
I traced his crotch with one finger. “I could take some of your tension away.”
“Not now, Braiden.”
“Later?”
“See this stack? I have to read this entire file tonight, for a meeting I have tomorrow afternoon. I’ll probably be up until two as it is. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have time for any fun and games.”
His phone rang again, and he scowled when he glanced at the screen. I slunk back into the living room while he took the call. While I listened in, it all became clear. Tony was miserable, but not because of me. His job was killing him.
“Listen, Robert, I told you on Wednesday, the company is not for sale. Yeah, well, you would sound stressed, too, if you were me. Sure. Right. Look, I have to go. Bye.” Tony groaned and tossed the phone aside.
“Someone wants to buy you out?”
“Robert Langford offered me four million.”
I sat on the bed. “Why didn’t you take it?”
“Why would you want me to?” He looked stunned.
“Tell me something, are you happy?”
“Sure, I’m happy. How can you ask such a ridiculous question?” His phone rang again and I shoved it under a pillow. “What are you doing?”
“I want your full attention for five minutes. Can you give me five minutes?”
He glared at me while he nodded and held up five fingers. When I spoke, the tears started, no matter how hard I tried to blink them back.
“I can tell you’re miserable. Why not sell the business? You would be free.”
“I can’t sell, what would we do for money?”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You couldn’t live for the rest of your life on four million? Besides, I still work you know. The ad agency pays pretty well.”
“I could live on four million, but I don’t think you could.”
“What?”
“I know how you like to live. That’s why I do all this, to keep you happy.”
“You think I’m some shallow gold digger?”
He stood up and grabbed the bottle of whiskey. “For fuck sake, Braiden, you go through money like it’s water. Parties, clothes, Italian shoes. You can’t tell me that shit doesn’t make you happy.” He tipped more liquor into his glass. “Ask yourself a question, could you give that up?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“I can’t lie, being rich is fun, But not at the expense of our relationship. Do you even love me anymore?”
“Of
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