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“I am telling you the truth.” He finally glances at me, and I can see that there's something else he's holding back.
“You just want me to go to Japan because you know it'll ruin my relationship with Stacia.”
He's refusing to look at me again and part of me wants to come across the desk and punch him in the face. I should have known better than to believe him when he said that it was fine and that he trusted that I can live my life my own way.
“It's a really good opportunity to make a lot of money for very little work and risk.”
Anger fills my gut and churns around like I've eaten something rotten. “It's a good opportunity foryouto make a lot of money for very little work and risk, you mean?” I love my brother, but he's going too far this time. A lifetime ago, after Valerie's father screwed over our father, I would have followed him to the ends of the earth and trusted him with anything. After the way he's been behaving for the last week, I'm not sure I'd follow him anywhere.
“What do you mean by that?” he asks.
“Would you leave your wife to go do this?”
He shrugs away my concerns, as if I'm being ridiculous. “I have small children at home and another one on the way. You wouldn't ask me to do this.”
“And I'm getting ready to announce my engagement to a woman I haven't been with very long. But you're comfortable asking me to risk what I’ve built. Why is your relationship more important than mine?” I sit back slightly in my seat and study him, waiting to see what answer he comes up with.
Instead of answering, he turns things around on me.
“So you would sacrifice doubling your net worth not to lose a year with her?” He's watching me very closely and for a second I wonder if he's figured everything out, if I’ve been caught in my lie.
“I’d ask you the same thing, but we both know the answer to that, don't we?”
As soon as the words leave my lips, I see his eyes narrow and know that he wants to do battle. I know I'm not being fair, and what happened with Valerie isn't the same as the situation we're currently talking about, but some small part of me is satisfied to have jabbed at him. It’s a low blow, maybe, but he has it coming.
“If you're really that serious about her, you can just take her with.” He leans back in his chair and kicks his feet up on my desk and a gesture that makes me want to lean over and punch him in the thigh.
“You mean drag my brand new fiancée to a place she has never been, have her spend time around people she doesn't understand because they speak a language she doesn't, while I work twelve to fifteen hour days and have absolutely no time to spend with her?” His idea is downright ridiculous and laughable and I won't even consider it.
“I think you're making a big mistake.”
“The same mistake you would have made if it was you and Valerie in my place instead.” I'm not going to let him win this tug of war struggle.
But he clearly seems unconvinced as he waves a hand at me and curls a lip in disgust. “This isn't the same. I had history with Valerie. We grew up with her. We were friends. I fell in love with her long before we did anything.”
“That's disgusting, actually. How young was she when you fell in love with her?”
My brother jabs a finger my direction. “Don't even start. It's not like that, and you know it.”
“Just going off what you said, brother.” I don't like this back and forth. I don't like feeling like my brother's trying to back me into a corner, and I really don't like the feeling that he's leveraging my relationship against the company.
“If you're not going to do it, just say so.” He stands back up, putting the knuckles of both hands on my desk and leaning in as if he’s in any way threatening or intimidating.
“Do you want me to take some time to think about it, or...?” With that one statement I see hope flood his features and a small stab of satisfaction punctures my gut.
“Do you need time to think about it?” His cautiously curious tone tells me he's taking me seriously.
I tilt my head to the side and stare up at the wall behind him, as if I'm seriously taking a moment to think about it.
The thought of what I'd be sacrificing giving up Stacia for a year, going to Japan, which I love, helping a new CEO, and doubling my net worth.... It's all a good idea in theory. A smart businessman would jump at the opportunity.
Maybe I'm not a smart businessman.
But I don't give a damn.
“No, I don't. I'm not interested. If you want this deal,youcan sacrifice for it.”
I've sacrificed enough for this company. I'm not going to give up more.
