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Exhaling, I turned and focused my attention on my brother. "Fine. Text me the address, and I'll be there. And I swear to God, if you show up here, I'll maim you like I did to one of the monsters in Jungle Justice last night."
Derick's chuckle swarmed into my ear. "I keep telling people that you're prone to violence, but they never believe me. See you soon, Fliss."
His text came almost as soon as the call ended. I sighed again. If Derick showed up here, everyone would know who he was instantly. While I preferred to be lowkey, Derick loved the attention. Considering he was the lead programmer in one of the world's largest gaming companies, and a top gaming influencer…he was a sort of demi-god in our line of work.
It was bad enough that people didn't seem to believe I was cut from the same cloth, but having him come to my workplace? I would never hear the end of it. And given that I was still reeling from the threat my father had issued that every man was to stay at least fifty feet away from me—not that I was complaining—I could do without the added tension.
I ordered an Uber before tossing my phone into my tote bag, swinging it over my shoulder, and heading out. As I passed by Aaron's office, I made sure to keep my eyes straight. I couldn’t lie: He disconcerted me to some extent. It was probably the creepy staring, and I wondered how I was supposed to collaborate with this man for the next few months.
It turned out that Derick had chosen a restaurant close to OceansPlay. I could've walked. It was an open rooftop spot that seemed oddly quiet for lunch. A few people were scattered around, but a closer look told me this was exclusive access. A waiter had personally brought me here once I gave him my name. My brother was nothing if not pretentious.
He was easy to spot. All I had to do was look for the guy who thought he deserved wings to fly; his level of self-importance was high enough to reach the heavens.
Let's get this over with. Sucking in a breath, I edged forward and came to an abrupt stop when I saw the man sitting opposite him. Derick would rather die than be caught wearing anything that made him look homeless—his words, not mine—Stephen Wiley -the same- he was more than comfortable wearing a suit for the rest of his life. Morning, afternoon, midnight, you name it. I could count on one hand how many times I'd seen him in casual attire, and that was saying something because I'd lived with the man until I was twenty.
My father's gaze snapped to mine. Judging from his downward expression, I could tell he didn't know I would be here either. Now, that meant Derick had pulled a fast one on both of us; my father hadn’t expected me to show up either.
I turned my gaze to Derick and narrowed my eyes.
He sighed before raising his hands in mock surrender. "I know. I know. Mom couldn't make it, or this would have been the family lunch of the century. You're welcome." He got to his feet to pull out a chair for me.
"Derick—" I started.
"No." He plopped down into his seat, his eyes roaming for the waiter, and snapped his finger when he finally got the attention of one. "It's been too long since we’ve gotten together like this. I don't know what's happening between you two, but we're a family, and need to start acting like one."
I agreed with him, except for the tiny detail that he had utterly blindsided me. I supposed it was for the best. I probably wouldn't have come if I'd known my father's blatant disapproval would be on the menu.
"Family wouldn't work for another company,” my father said then, “especially when they know their family needs them."
I bit my lower lip—a habit I had whenever I was nervous or angry—and forced myself not to take the bait. That was what he wanted anyway—to rile me up and get a reaction out of me. Instead, I focused on the menu, counting the seconds until I could stand up and walk away.
"Dad, come on. Not today, please." Derick's usually cheerful voice disappeared and was replaced by exasperation. "I invited Fliss here for lunch. Can we just do that?"
"What?" My father tried to sound innocent. "You know I'm telling the truth. Your sister has chosen to be unreasonable. Would I not be a terrible father if I didn't try to help her see the error of her ways?"
I couldn't help it—I took the fucking bait. "Aren't you a terrible father generally?"
"Fliss." Derick shook his head at me, his eyes knowing. "Don't."
However, my father's gaze narrowed, and there was a glint in his eyes. I'd seen it before. It was the same one he got whenever his plan to rile me up worked.
"You have something to say, Felicity?" he asked coolly.
"Just one thing: Even if I did quit my job, I'd walk around New York naked before I’d come work for you."
His gaze darkened, and his jaw clenched. My father and I had never seen eye to eye, especially with all that went down four years ago. It’d gotten worse though, so bad that I couldn't stand to look him in the eyes and had eventually opted to move out of the house. He and my mother didn’t like it. Derick either. But at least my brother understood they couldn't stop me.
I'd long since learned that while I chose to let my father have his way most of the time, it wasn't that I couldn't fight back.
"This back-and-forth is getting tiring, Felicity,” he said. “I've given you enough time to explore, but this nonsense ends now. Come work for Blizzard. You have a good position and an office waiting for you. Do you understand how many people would kill for this opportunity?"
I leaned back against the seat and shrugged. "So? Find them and give it to them."
My father clenched his fist, his face flushed as the veins in his neck throbbed. Now, it was important to note that I was the only one who could bring out this side of him, and that was because I'd spent years perfecting it. Stephen Wiley had once been described as a blank canvas by a popular gaming blogger, a man who was not only tactical in his business dealings but also a force to be reckoned with.
Too bad his twenty-three-year-old daughter was the bane of his existence.
"Fliss," Derick said, reaching forward to grab my hand in his. “You know we care about you and are committed to seeing you happy. I know Dad has his faults, but can you reconsider? I'm not asking you to pack up at OceansPlay, but just think about working for the company. I'd really love to have you there, and it'll be one step forward in fixing your relationship with Dad."
