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“What’s going on?” I press.
“Nothing, but I want this deal closed. You know that after the holidays, things slow down, and I don’t want to miss this opportunity. My secretary will send your travel information later today.”
Before I can argue, he hangs up. What in the world? I stare at my office door in confusion. Being away from the office has never been an excuse for my father not to send me work-related updates. If he knew about this deal, why didn’t he bring it up before?
I get back to work but feel unrest. My hand reaches into my desk drawer, blindly grabbing my phone. I open my messages and write a text to Lex. I don’t know how I’m going to tell her about this trip. I’ll wait until I have all the details before saying anything in case it can be changed. If not, I’ll book Scott a flight myself and send him instead. I’m tired of the puppet games my dad tries to pull.
Hudson: Hey babe
Lex: Hi
Hudson: What are you up to?
Lex: Going over my workshop presentation
Hudson: You’re going to do great
Lex: How’s work? I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so early in the day
Hudson: Boring and I miss you
Lex: Lol I miss you too
Hudson: I’ll call you during my lunch break before you start teaching
Lex: Ok
I set my phone on my desk and sigh. Talking to Lex for a few minutes, even mundane things through text message, makes everything better. Tension rolls down my shoulders, and I close my eyes for a beat.
“Napping on the job. Maybe I should’ve asked Dad for a position here.” Tristan laughs when he walks into my office.
“What are you doing here?”
“Tell me what’s on your mind. I can be your personal therapist.” He smirks and sits on the chair across my desk, folding his hands together.
I scratch the back of my head and stare at him. “Dad called telling me he needs me to go to Texas from the tenth to the fifteenth, right when Lex will be here.”
“Really?” He lifts his eyebrows.
“Yes, and when I told him I couldn’t, he basically told me I had no choice. Normally, I’d hear about meetings like this more than a week before.” I shake my head, rubbing a hand across my cheek.
“I think I know why.” Tristan’s eyebrows lift slowly. He leans forward, his elbows on my desk.
“Elaborate.” I wave my hand to hurry him up.
“Mom called me. She had questions about our holidays. She wanted to know how we spent the day, where we had Christmas dinner and if we went to their house and had Mary cook for us.”
“Why would she say that?” She never even offered for us to go to their house and eat there. I thought Mary was off those days.
“Right,” he shakes his head in anger. “I didn’t want to give much away since I know they aren’t fans of Lex, but apparently, she already knew. She then told me to give her all the details I knew about you and Lex in exchange for my trust fund. She’d heard Lex was going to be in New York for the conference since word had spread around town.”
“That…” I trail off. My fists clench on my lap, and my teeth threaten to crack under the pressure of my bite.
“Yeah,” Tristan nods pensively. “She thought I’d turn my back on you for some money. I sometimes wonder if we were adopted.”
“Same.” Disgust fills me. “I don’t get it. I’m working the job they wanted me to do. I went to the college they approved of. Why can’t they let Lex go?”
“The answer is simple: She’s not good enough in their eyes. She’s not rich or from their high society groups. She’s of Hispanic descent, which for them is a lower standard.”
