AllFreeNovel
Share Us
2
Charles Drew, the head of the Drew household, had worked hard for every single thing he had. Growing up, his parents had struggled to make ends meet, but the work ethic they instilled in him was equivalent to gold. He grew up in a tenement building in Providence, where both of his parents worked two jobs to keep a roof over his head and food on the table. His parents were never able to acquire wealth of any sort, but they were able to show Charles the importance of dreaming big and staying determined. Charles also knew at a very young age that he didn’t want history to repeat itself. He didn’t want to struggle in life. He wanted to accumulate great wealth and never have to worry about money again. He also wanted this for his sons, but it was becoming clear that his drive and goals in life might have been a disservice to his boys, or at least one of them.
“You’re making me do what?” Austin asked his father, confusion on his face.
Charles leaned back in his office chair and folded his arms across his chest. Of all his sons, Austin was the one who took the most advantage of the family wealth. He was the baby of the family and when it came to Austin, he and his wife, Olivia, had always had a soft spot for him. Austin always seemed to try his best to get out of any kind of work. Thankfully, he couldn’t say that about his other three sons.
“You’re going to be working with the Director of Events on a big wedding we’ve got coming up,” Charles responded calmly, trying to keep himself from getting worked up. “And for the record, I’m not making you do anything. If you want to maintain your lifestyle, you’re going to have to get a job. You have always had an opportunity to become involved in the family business. We’ve talked about this before, and now it’s time.”
“Since when?” Austin asked, confused by the sudden change. He knew his father and mother expected him and his brothers to pull their weight at The Oxford, but it had never been a big deal before. His older brothers had bounced in and out of The Oxford for years, and he couldn’t understand why, all of a sudden, there seemed to be a different set of rules for him.
“Since when?” Charles asked, beginning to heat up. “Are you serious? You just came back from a six-week trip to Palm Beach where, let’s face it, it appears that you did a masterful job of relaxing by the pool at our condo and enjoying life down south,” he said, gesturing toward Austin’s tanned body from the Florida sun.
“You all knew I was trying to figure out if I wanted to move down there permanently,” Austin answered, trying to defend himself, but sounding petulant.
“Yes, we did,” Charles nodded, “we just didn’t think the trial period was going to be six weeks long. You’re 30 years old, Austin.”
“You’ve never had a problem with me jetting off before,” Austin said. “What’s the difference now?”
Charles took a deep breath and looked at his son. He knew Austin was right; he had let Austin’s playboy, carefree life go on for too long. If his own parents were still alive today, they would have given him hell years ago about how he and Olivia were raising their boys. Not that they had raised horrible human beings--it was just that the Drew boys had never wanted for one single thing in life and now it was obvious he and Olivia had misjudged things…badly.
Charles and Olivia had worked hard building The Oxford into what it was today. Over the years, it had become the largest and most successful banquet hall, event business, and restaurant in Rhode Island. Located in Newport, The Oxford offered guests a full-service dining room, banquet rooms, and conference facilities. They were renowned for their reputation of excellence in hospitality, thanks to the impeccable taste and care that Charles and Olivia Drew had poured into The Oxford. It was an iconic Rhode Island institution.
“You want to know the truth?” Charles asked. “The difference is that now your mother and I are getting older, and we don’t want to have to work so hard anymore. It’s past time for us to start handing more responsibility for the business to you and your brothers. I built this for our family, and the goal has always been to keep it within the family. I’m 66 years old, Austin. It’s time to start passing the torch.”
Austin sat silent for a minute, unable to say a word. He had known that his parents would retire at some point, but he hadn’t thought it would be so soon. Although his father was 66 years old, he seemed to still run on speed and energy as if he was 40. Not to mention, The Oxford was his father’s life; it was his identity. He had hosted thousands upon thousands of events, had wined and dined celebrities, and had hosted more weddings and conferences than could be counted, never mind how many people had dined at their establishment throughout the years. People traveled from near and far to go to The Oxford, and that was thanks to the hard work of his parents. He couldn’t imagine The Oxford without them.
“Are you seriously thinking of retiring, Dad?” Austin asked, confused, trying to process the very idea. “Why do I find that so hard to believe?” He gave his father a small smile, hoping to see his father crack one back.
“It’s not that hard,” Charles responded, looking at his son seriously, “but it is something that will definitely happen and, if we had our way, your mother and I would like it to be sooner rather than later. In the meantime, we need to make sure you and your brothers know this business inside and out.”
“But you have Chris, Ben, and Harry here with you,” Austin replied, curious as to the sudden emergency to get him into the mix. “Do they know what’s going on?”
Charles looked at his youngest son and nodded, “Yes, we’ve discussed it with them already. I wanted to talk to you on your own because you’re the one who---I’m just going to say it--takes too much advantage of the benefits of being part of this family,” he said matter-of-factly.
“What does that mean?” Austin asked, feeling annoyed by the accusation, and also pissed about why his brothers hadn’t given him the heads up on any of this.
“You should know what that means, but let me spell it out for you. You don’t take this family business seriously, unless it is to practice being retired yourself, Austin,” Charles shot back. “At 30 years old, you need to get your shit together. Your oldest brother, Chris, has been shadowing me over the last year, and he’s taken to it seamlessly.”
“So he’s being groomed to be you?” Austin asked, knowing this was the case.
“In some ways, yes,” Charles nodded. “He has always worked here in some capacity, and he’s proven himself a great leader here over the last year.”
“What about Ben and Harry?” Austin asked, waiting to see how his father was going to spin this one. His middle twin brothers had floundered like him over the last few years but seemed to have found themselves back at The Oxford over the last six months.
“Your twin brothers have become more and more involved over the last few months, and it’s been wonderful seeing each of them take a liking to a certain area of the business. Ben’s supervising the kitchen staff for the restaurant and Harry is helping to supervise the grounds and maintenance. They’ve both found spots that they enjoy and that they’re, quite frankly, very good at. You boys were raised here, you know this business inside and out, whether you believe it or not. And now it comes down to you,” his father added, looking directly at Austin.
“And where do you see me? Events? Come on, dad,” Austin joked, “I don’t plan parties.”
“I don’t see you planning the actual parties,” Charles replied, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his desk to get a better look at his son. “I see you doing what you do best.”
“What’s that?” Austin laughed, looking at his father, curious to hear what was going to come out of his mouth next.
“Schmoozing and networking.”
“Schmoozing?” Austin chuckled back, “Is that an actual job title here? I never expected to hear that come out of your mouth.”
“You’re a master at bringing people together and working a room, Austin,” his father stated seriously. “Nobody does it better than you. You’re also a great salesman, whether you know it or not. I have a feeling you could sell ice to an ice cream shop. Not to mention, from what I’ve heard,” Charles answered coolly, wanting his son to know that he had eyes everywhere, “one of my contacts at our Palm Beach condo association told me that you hosted some pretty incredible parties while you were down there.”
