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"Well when a man and a woman have sex, and the man comes inside—"
"Shut up ... I'm saying ... Where did he come from? Your mother has a whole charity set up for women who have infertility issues."
I clench my jaw and let out a sigh, I hate that he's making me spell this shit out. " Good thing my father is as fertile as they come."
Greg's eyes go wide, and then he nods. "Oh ... yeah ... got it. Well, it's nice to meet you." He puts his hand out and shakes Ian's. The bright smile that I haven't seen from my brother in quite some time lights up the room. I'd never have the charm Ian has. When we get him in that restaurant people are going to flock to it, not just for the food but for him.
"Nice to meet you too." Ian shuffles around. I’d made him wear business attire. It's not a suit and tie, but it's not the graphic tees and jeans he's used to.
"Now that everyone knows who everyone is. Let's talk about how we're going to make this restaurant a success." The three of us walk over to my desk and go over Ian's notes.
Everything seems so perfect. I guess that should have been my warning.
* * *
Six hours. Greg and I have been listening to Ian and his ideas for six hours. The thing is they're so good that I didn't even realize all that time had passed. My brother truly has some great ideas and if we put them together perfectly I don't see how the restaurant could fail.
"We need to figure out how to get Basile Chabert. Percy, that might be your department right there." Ian rubs the back of his neck and I look over the plans to see where that name falls.
"Who the hell is that? I don't know anyone named Basile." I shake my head, waiting for him to elaborate why he'd need me to do anything.
Ian's eyes open up in shock and even Greg chuckles as if they both know something that I don't. "Are you kidding me you've never heard of Basile Chabert? He's one of the best Chefs on the east coast. At every restaurant he's worked at they've gotten a Michelin star. That's the goal here isn't it?" Ian asks.
"No way, I thought you were going to be the chef?" I don't want him to think that he's not capable. Though he might not be, I've never actually tasted any of his food. Ella had said it was delicious though.
"Percy, as badly as I want to be the one calling the shots behind that stove, I'm not trained properly. Some of these chefs have been working in kitchens for decades. From being the dishwasher all the way up. I'd feel like I hadn't paid my dues if I just plop myself in the kitchen because I have a partner."
"Decades isn't going to do, but I can understand the not being trained properly. How do you feel about going to culinary school? Even if we started today getting the restaurant up it'll take months before we can open. You could get the training and if you still feel like you can't handle the kitchen we can get someone in there to mentor you until you feel like it's time for you to step up." It's a great compromise, but it all hinges on the fact that Ian had to believe in himself. If he thinks he'd never get to that place there is no reason for us to even be talking about this.
"That's a deal." He puts his hand out and we shake.
"I'm hungry ... how long have we been in here?" Greg looks toward the window as if he were trying to see just how much the outside world had changed while we were planning Ian's life.
"Damn, it's late. I should call Ella." I mutter and in the most juvenile matter both Ian and Greg start ribbing me.
"Oh lovey lovey ... do you need kisses from your sweet Ella?" Ian says and I keep my mouth shut. Greg blows kissing noises at me. I can't help but smirk, the jerks. I flip them both the bird before I go over to my sports coat to get my cell phone.
The air seems to get colder suddenly and before I realize what’s going on my office door is slammed open and my father is storming in with a purpose.
"Percy, how could—" My fathers voice trails off as his eyes turn and take in my brother who is still sitting in the chair where he'd been all day. "This is your doing. You bastard! You're not going to take what I've worked so hard for." Percy Sr. moves faster than I've seen him move in years as he attacks Ian. Grabbing him by his collar and punching him over and over in the face, all the while screaming obscenities and accusations.
"You're a leech. You can't just accept what is! No, you have to try and destroy us too. This is why I can't accept you. This is why I never will!"
After staring at the scene in shock for longer than I should have I jump into action. I get between Ian and my father except this time I'm pushing my father away. I push him so hard he falls down to the ground onto his ass.
"Percy, what the hell are you doing? You just put your hands on me." He snarls out as if I didn't know what I had actually done.
"I know it. You're not going to beat Ian down anymore Dad, not physically, not mentally, not emotionally, nothing. He's my brother and I'm going to start protecting him like I should have." I clench my jaw and my fists as I watch my father get up off the floor and get right in my face. I don't back down. I raise my chin and pull my shoulders back. If my father is hell bent on going after Ian he's going to have to go through me to do it.
"Protecting him? Really, you're here talking about protecting him?" My father took a few steps back as he throws his head back and guffaws like he's just heard the best joke in all of history. Maybe when he fell he hit his head? He's delirious.
"Was he protecting you when he smeared your entire life on the front page of the newspaper? He's ruined our reputation and you're over here championing him. You're fighting the wrong fight, kid. He may have my blood running through his veins, but Ian isn't part of this family." My father snarls before he reaches around his back and pulls out a folded up newspaper. He slams it into my chest before he turns and storms right back out of the room without so much as looking back.
"Your entire family is a fucking soap opera." Greg mutters from behind me where he's standing next to Ian. He must have helped him up while I was going toe to toe with my dad.
I don't have time to focus on Ian or Greg right now, instead I open up the newspaper my father had shoved in my chest. It’s the First Break Gazette, nothing but a gossip rag, but they delivered a breaking news mid day release.
The world stops and all I hear is the sound on a high pitched whine in my ears. My eyes can't be seeing this. The Snow family is breaking news this afternoon.
