Walking home in the cold is getting real old real fast. I almost miss the forceful way James would stuff me into his car and take me home.
Mmmmm and that seat heater.I may not be a car girl, but I can appreciate certain extras.
I almost blow right past the spindly blonde woman smoking on my stoop. She puts out her cigarette as I slow down, approaching cautiously. I didn’t expect to see Mrs. Finlay out in the wild, much less at my apartment.
Although, it’s not like she doesn’t own the freaking building,I think to myself as her threat from earlier floats through my head. My muscles lock up, sensing the danger I may be in.
“Can I help you?” I call from the bottom step.
Great, now she’s literally above me, I grumble to myself.
“You already have,” she says, a wicked thread of glee in her voice. She walks down until we’re almost nose to nose. I refuse to back up. If this is the one time I’ll be able to stand up to her, by god am I going to take that opportunity. “I believe you’ve earnedthis,” she says, handing me a thick envelope. I hesitate, unsure of what to do until she pushes it directly into my hand. “Take it. You did well, Stella. Much better than I ever expected from you.” This freaking woman still thinks she can boss me around.
I’m about to give her a piece of my mind when a voice calls out.
“Mom, what are you doing here?” James says as he strides up to us. Some of the tension I’ve been holding seeps out of me.
“Just catching up with Sarah here,” she says smugly.
“It’s Stella, Mom, you should know. I know you’ve seen the P.I. reports.” Okay, so we’re not pulling punches today.
“In any case, I have to get going. Stella, it was lovely to see you. James, your father will see you in the office on Monday. What time can I tell him to expect you?” she says offhandedly, already making her way to a ridiculously expensive car parked right in front.
“Never.” That one word has her stopping in her tracks.
“Excuse me?” she asks, affronted.
“I won’t be coming in. Ever. I want nothing to do with the business. Give it to someone else.”
“There’s no one to give it to, we’ve talked about this,” she hisses. “Stop being difficult. We raised you better than this.”
“Come on, Mom, we both know the nannies raised me,” he jokes, a sharp edge lacing his tone. Venom curls into her eyes, her sleek façade starting to show its cracks.
“I have no patience for your attitude today. You will uphold our agreement and fall in line.”
“Or else what?”
“I swear, James, if you defy me in this I’ll dissolve your trust fund just like Vanessa’s!” she screeches.
“I’m fine with that.” James shrugs his shoulders, seemingly unbothered. My head is whipping back and forth between them like I’m at the tennis match of the century. Mrs. Finlay looks like she’s been slapped.
“James, you don’t want to do this. We have been planning this transition for years. You agreed to this. You made promises to our family and this company.”
“No, Mom. I was coerced into this. I’m sorry I’m disappointing you, but I’m not sorry that I’ll be following my own path. I wish you could be supportive, but I know that’s too much to ask.” He lets loose a weary sigh. “I really wanted to do everything right by you guys. I wanted to make you proud, continue our legacy, but I have to start making decisions that I can live with.”
“And what kind of life is that? With this gold digging trailer trash?”
Well, that’s a new one for me.
“NO.” His loud voice cracks through the frigid air. “You don’t get to speak about her like that. As for who I spend my time with, it’s no longer your concern. I will be pursuing what I want in life. A life that I would love for you to be a part of.”
“This is disgraceful! What will your peers think? Or our business associates? You are well aware of the consequences if you fail to take over.”
“That’s no longer my concern,” he repeats slowly.
“You’ll regret this, James. You’ll lose everything. Your trust fund, your inheritance, your father and me.”
“Then fuck the trust fund, Mom. I don’t need it that badly.” NowI’mthe one who’s flabbergasted. I gape at him, mouth hanging open and everything.
