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“Enough of this bullshit,” I interrupt, leveling my gaze on the two jackasses on the opposite side of the table. “One more word out of either of you and I’ll have you removed. Unlike you worthless sacks, Tina works hard for a living. In fact, without her hard work and the efforts of her team, you two wouldn’t be able to rest on your fat asses. Tina’s team has done a fantastic job with this, and you’ll treat her with the professional respect she’s due, or you can get the fuck out of this room.”
They shut their mouths but spend the rest of Tina’s presentation staring daggers into the camera. I don’t give a fuck, as long as they leave Tina alone. She’s clearly rattled by being the center of conflict, but is otherwise confident and makes it through to the end of the presentation. I thank her and give her a reassuring smile, letting her know she did a great job.
“Any questions, you can direct them to me,” I instruct the room.
I finish the agenda and close out, meeting every member’s eyes as I pan the camera to each of them, one at a time. “You can expect the product launch at the end of next week and I’ll be giving the launch team an extra week of paid vacation for their efforts. Thank you. Feel free to see yourselves out.”
They file out, and once they’ve cleared the room, I sit for the first time and try to relax.
Before I can shut down the videoconference, Rebecca walks into the empty conference room. “It’s half-past six,” she says, her purse over her shoulder like she’s on her way out the door. “Remember, you’ve got dinner with your family at seven on your calendar. Might be time to go.”
I groan and put my head in my hands, elbows on my desk. “Dammit. You’re right. Thanks, Rebecca. Have a nice night.”
She gives me a knowing smile. “Good luck, boss.”
I gather up my files and fight the latch on my briefcase, trying to get it unstuck. When it finally opens, I shove the files inside. I close my laptop with a snap and stuff it in on top of the books. I’m definitely going to be late and I want to stop to get flowers for Mom, something to brighten her day. There’s traffic, of course, and after swinging by the florist for an immense bouquet that perfumes the whole car, I’m running way behind schedule. Text messages from Cole, then my Mom, scroll by on the car’s touchscreen but I ignore them, focusing on weaving in and out of the city’s traffic. By the time I make it to Cole’s, I’m almost an hour late and frustrated as hell.
Chapter 10
Tyson
Iscurryfrommycar in the driveway and hop up the front steps, pulling the door open to find Cole waiting for me in the hallway. “I already know I’m late,” I mutter to him, kicking off my shoes. “Don’t give me any crap about it.” I’m here for Mom, and seeing Cole first thing does nothing to help my mood.
“It’s okay. I wasn’t going to say anything,” he says. “I tried to text you to let you know dinner was taking longer than I expected anyway and not to rush, but I guess you were driving. You’ve got pretty good timing, actually, we were just setting the table.”
“Mom shouldn’t have to set the table.” I sigh and hurry down the hall to the kitchen, following the smell of roasted chicken.
“Honey, there you are.” Mom, still wrapped in one of Cole’s kitchen aprons, sets down the last of the silverware on the table and holds her arms out for a hug. I crack a smile, as the apron is three sizes too big for her. I hold out the bouquet I picked up on the way home, and she bends to breathe in its fragrance.
“Oh, are those for me? Thank you, honey. I was getting worried you might not come.”
“Peonies. Are they still your favorite?”
She nods. “Beautiful. I’ll bring them to the hospital with me. They’ll cheer up the room tremendously.”
“Is the room okay? Does Dad have everything he needs there?” I ask.
“It’s perfect. Thank you so much for going through all the trouble with the hospital.
“Here, I’ll put those in a vase while we eat.” I take the bouquet from her and search through the cabinets for a vase, or a glass big enough to hold the flowers.
“I got you.” Cole appears at my side, pulling a quart jar from the cabinet and filling it with water. “Here, tuck those in the jar and let’s go eat before it gets cold.”
There he is again, interrupting my conversation with Mom and swooping in when I’m trying to do something nice, but I grit my teeth and nod, following the two of them into the dining room.
Mom’s table settings show the same meticulous placement of napkins, silverware, serving dishes, and glasses that Cole and I always laughed about when we were kids. I take the seat next to hers, and Cole sits across from us, with his back to the dining-room windows overlooking the darkened backyard.
Before we eat, Mom takes one of my hands and one of Cole’s and gives us both a squeeze. “Both my boys together again under one roof. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. With your father in the hospital, I just… I couldn’t do it without you two.”
She tears up, the week’s chaos of emotions catching up to her. I hand her my napkin and she dabs the tears from her cheek. “I want to be here for you, Mom.”
“Seriously, it’s great having you around again, Ty,” Cole adds.
I pull my hand away and reach for the tray of chicken, grabbing a breast, then I pass the tray to Mom.
“Look, I even made a vegetable for you.”
Cole wrinkles his nose and pulls two crowns of broccoli from the bowl then pushes it across the table to me. “And I’ll eat some too.”
