that!” His lips flatten in irritation.
“I just want you to have more options in life.” He puts down his fork and the
plate is magically taken away. He spreads his palms on the table.
“Why can’t you accept that I’m happy with the choices I’ve
made?” My hands curl into fists.
“Fine! We’ll discuss this when you’re in a better frame of
mind.”
I want to bang my head against the table. My father has a
knack for making me feel like a rebellious teenager.
“How are Cael and Maggie?”
I welcome the topic change. “They’re both fine. Maggie is in
the city now. She’s attending medical school.” Whatever I may think about my
father, I can’t fault his genuine affection for the Jackson siblings.
His face brightens. “Oh! You must invite her to dinner next
time!”
I try to hide my distaste for bringing Maggie into this
toxic environment. “I’ll check, but she may be too busy with school.”
“Nonsense. It’s just for one evening. I’m throwing a small
party next month at the apartment in the city. Bring her.”
“I’ll check,” I repeat shortly. A server places the main
course, a filet mignon, in front of me and I cut viciously into the meat.
“Fine. Fine.” He leans forward. “How are things on the
personal front? Are you dating anyone right now?”
My brows pull down in annoyance and confusion. My father has
never shown an interest in my love life unless it’s to disapprove of whomever
he deems unworthy. “No one at the moment. Why the sudden interest?” I ask
suspiciously.
“Why shouldn’t I have an interest in my son’s life?” He cuts
into his steak as if he were a surgeon.
The nonchalant tone of his voice makes me wary. After years
of watching the way he operates, I know he’s angling for something. Instead of
asking directly, he always plays these games. His time in Washington has
destroyed his ability to be straightforward, even with his own flesh and blood.
“Just tell me what this is about,” I say bluntly, not
interested in spending twenty minutes dancing around the issue.
He sighs in frustration, as if he considers my candor to be uncouth.
“Michael Samuelson’s daughter is back in the city. She was just offered a
partnership at a top law firm.”
“Alicia has always been smart and ambitious. I’m glad to
hear about her success, but what does that have to do with me?” I dated Alicia
briefly after I moved back to New York after college. She was beautiful and
vivacious, but the chemistry was lacking and she was a bit too self-involved.
If I remembered correctly, we stopped seeing each other after a few dates. My
father expressed his disappointment about the breakup, but I suspected he was
more concerned about losing ties with a wealthy and influential donor than with
my wellbeing.
“Since you’re not dating anyone seriously, maybe you could
escort her to the benefit in a couple of weeks?”
I swallow the curse on the tip of my tongue. “I wasn’t
planning on bringing anyone.” Seldom do I bring a date to my father’s
high-profile events. It allows me to duck out as soon as I’ve fulfilled my
duties. It also starves the ever-hungry tabloids of gossip fodder.
“I thought you’d like to reconnect with an old friend. I’m
sure she’d love to hear from you.”
I grit my teeth. I already know where this conversation is
going. Daddy Samuelson had made a sizeable donation and the Senator is pimping
me out to his daughter. To my father, everyone and everything is a commodity,
including his own son.
I’ll be damned if I make this easy for him. “No. Alicia and
I don’t anything in common. If we wanted to remain friends, we would have done
so over the years.”
His tone becomes curt and impatient. “Fine. Consider it as a
favor, then. Can you bring her as your date to the benefit dinner?”
I’m tempted to tell him no, but he adds, “By the way, it’s a
benefit for the NYPD.”
I can feel the smugness oozing out of his pores.
“I just want you to have more options in life.” He puts down his fork and the
plate is magically taken away. He spreads his palms on the table.
“Why can’t you accept that I’m happy with the choices I’ve
made?” My hands curl into fists.
“Fine! We’ll discuss this when you’re in a better frame of
mind.”
I want to bang my head against the table. My father has a
knack for making me feel like a rebellious teenager.
“How are Cael and Maggie?”
I welcome the topic change. “They’re both fine. Maggie is in
the city now. She’s attending medical school.” Whatever I may think about my
father, I can’t fault his genuine affection for the Jackson siblings.
His face brightens. “Oh! You must invite her to dinner next
time!”
I try to hide my distaste for bringing Maggie into this
toxic environment. “I’ll check, but she may be too busy with school.”
“Nonsense. It’s just for one evening. I’m throwing a small
party next month at the apartment in the city. Bring her.”
“I’ll check,” I repeat shortly. A server places the main
course, a filet mignon, in front of me and I cut viciously into the meat.
“Fine. Fine.” He leans forward. “How are things on the
personal front? Are you dating anyone right now?”
My brows pull down in annoyance and confusion. My father has
never shown an interest in my love life unless it’s to disapprove of whomever
he deems unworthy. “No one at the moment. Why the sudden interest?” I ask
suspiciously.
“Why shouldn’t I have an interest in my son’s life?” He cuts
into his steak as if he were a surgeon.
The nonchalant tone of his voice makes me wary. After years
of watching the way he operates, I know he’s angling for something. Instead of
asking directly, he always plays these games. His time in Washington has
destroyed his ability to be straightforward, even with his own flesh and blood.
“Just tell me what this is about,” I say bluntly, not
interested in spending twenty minutes dancing around the issue.
He sighs in frustration, as if he considers my candor to be uncouth.
“Michael Samuelson’s daughter is back in the city. She was just offered a
partnership at a top law firm.”
“Alicia has always been smart and ambitious. I’m glad to
hear about her success, but what does that have to do with me?” I dated Alicia
briefly after I moved back to New York after college. She was beautiful and
vivacious, but the chemistry was lacking and she was a bit too self-involved.
If I remembered correctly, we stopped seeing each other after a few dates. My
father expressed his disappointment about the breakup, but I suspected he was
more concerned about losing ties with a wealthy and influential donor than with
my wellbeing.
“Since you’re not dating anyone seriously, maybe you could
escort her to the benefit in a couple of weeks?”
I swallow the curse on the tip of my tongue. “I wasn’t
planning on bringing anyone.” Seldom do I bring a date to my father’s
high-profile events. It allows me to duck out as soon as I’ve fulfilled my
duties. It also starves the ever-hungry tabloids of gossip fodder.
“I thought you’d like to reconnect with an old friend. I’m
sure she’d love to hear from you.”
I grit my teeth. I already know where this conversation is
going. Daddy Samuelson had made a sizeable donation and the Senator is pimping
me out to his daughter. To my father, everyone and everything is a commodity,
including his own son.
I’ll be damned if I make this easy for him. “No. Alicia and
I don’t anything in common. If we wanted to remain friends, we would have done
so over the years.”
His tone becomes curt and impatient. “Fine. Consider it as a
favor, then. Can you bring her as your date to the benefit dinner?”
I’m tempted to tell him no, but he adds, “By the way, it’s a
benefit for the NYPD.”
I can feel the smugness oozing out of his pores.
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