I waited five minutes and was about to let my frustration be known when his assistant popped her head up from her desk. “You can go in now,” she said with a smile.
“Thank you.”
I walked to the doors and put my hand on the door handle. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. I was immediately assailed with the smell of heavy cologne and cigar smoke. It turned my empty stomach.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. I looked around the office that was the size of a studio apartment. Again, it was all about appearances. There was a full seating area with leather couches and a couple of chairs. A thick, fuzzy bearskin rug was between the couches that faced each other. More framed pictures of him with the rich and famous covered the walls.
An ugly piece of artwork hung on the wall to my right. I was sure it cost a small fortune, but it was uglier than sin. I never understood art. It was all for show, the uglier the more attractive to the wealthy elite. My gaze moved to the man behind the big desk. His head was down as he furiously scribbled across what looked to be a contract of some sort.
His once dark hair was more salt than pepper. His hands looked wrinkled and arthritic. He put on some weight since the last I saw him. His broad shoulders sagged and had the look of an old man. I stood in front of the desk and waited for him to acknowledge me. He had to be about the rudest man alive. I would never treat a client so poorly.
“Give me just a minute,” he mumbled. “God damn incompetent people can’t get one thing right. I have to look over every single one of these contracts with a fine-tooth comb. I guess it isn’t their money they’re losing. They don’t give a shit.”
I slowly shook my head. Never would I behave so unprofessionally. “Take your time,” I said.
He didn’t flinch. He just kept scribbling. There was no recognition. “Have a seat,” he growled.
I didn’t sit down. I wanted to be standing when he looked at me. I wanted to have the upper hand. He dropped the pen and leaned back. He looked at me. His face was wrinkled and pale. He didn’t look healthy. That year-round tan he used to have from spending his weekends playing golf was gone. He aged fifty years, it looked like. Time had not been kind to him.
I waited for him to say something. “I really hope you aren’t here to waste my time,” he said with irritation.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting him to say, but I wasn’t surprised to feel his anger. This reunion was never going to be sweet or loving, but I supposed I had a little tiny bit of hope that it would at least be cordial.
“Hello, Dad, nice to see you too,” I said before taking my seat. He was an old, worn-out man. I had nothing more to prove. We both knew I could run circles around him. No need to rub it in.
Chapter 59
Saige
We stepped off the elevator and slowly moved toward the massive lobby. I insisted Jace let me hold his hand while we navigated the crowded area. It was a lot to take in. We were from New York City and had been around the busy city life, but this was different. This was like taking a walk in a foreign country.
“Mom, look,” Jace said and jerked on my hand.
I looked to where he was pointing. A woman with a patrician nose, massive black sunglasses sitting on her face, and an actual fur coat was walking behind two tiny dogs. Yorkies, I thought. She looked like a Hollywood star. I had no idea if she was actually a celebrity or just very wealthy.
“You can’t pet them,” I told him.
“But they’re so cute,” he complained.
“No, Jace. Those aren’t the kind of dogs you can pet.”
“Why?” he asked.
“Come on, let’s go get breakfast,” I told him.
We decided we preferred to explore the swanky hotel a bit. I wasn’t sure I was brave enough to leave the hotel, but it was big enough to keep us busy for a while. We walked into the restaurant.
“Hi.” A young woman wearing a white shirt and black tie greeted us.
“I’m sorry, was I supposed to make a reservation?” I asked. The restaurant was very upscale. Jace and I