Chapter Six

Chadwick

After that angry redhead walked out of my office, Ken walked in and I transferred my aggression to him, venting about how I felt insulted that a semi-literate girl insulted me. 

Ken sat opposite me, silent for a second and burst out lauhhing like a demon on steroids the next second. The more he laughed, the more my annoyance fueled.

 Crossing my arms, I drew in slow, steady breaths irritated that he had the guts to laugh at my expense.

"How's this funny?”

"You poor thing. What do you want me to do? Breastfeed you?” he said between fits, his shoulders shaking as he tried to calm down. 

"It's your damn fault, you pie face," I wagged a finger at him. "Because what else would give that girl the audacity to walk in here and challenge me with such an insult “

“You're making it sound even more ridiculous when you put it like that,” Ken regarded me with amusement. “Maybe this is a wake-up call for you to loosen up, Chad. It feels like nobody can challenge you, and that's not always a good thing."

“So you're saying I should let others treat me poorly and disregard my authority just because I crave their validation, even though I don't actually need it?

"No, just reevaluate your approach to leadership. There were other ways you could have expressed your displeasure."

He kept on laughing and my heartbeat pounded with anger. “I'll have to deduct some money from your salary for this gross misconduct. We may be best friends but I'm still your boss."

"You wish," he chuckled, drumming his fingers on the table. "If you ask me, I think it's good to hire the girl to fire you up and keep you on your toes."

"Thanks, but I'll pass. My son's constant request for a mom and the company's faceless shareholders who think they can mount pressure on me for higher dividends is enough of a headache. As my vice president and best friend, you should work on reducing my stress rather than compound it."

“Fair enough, but I've not had a good laugh in such a long time. Especially the wolf part. Imagine a high school holder mocking someone holding several degrees in his portfolio.”

“Whatever,” I grumbled under my breath. 

“That aside. Let's discuss Elen. When are you going to tell him the truth?"

I bristled. “Tell a five-year-old kid that his mother does not want him? He's going to get traumatized.”

Ken nodded all traces of amusement gone. “At least something good came out of your mistake. You have a healthy boy who loves you to death. But I think it's high time you went into the dating pool."

I threw him the middle finger, and he leaned in.

"I'm serious, Chad. Elen needs a mom. If he's already feeling that absence at five, just think about how it could affect him when he's twice that age.”

"He'll be fine. He's got me, you, and my mom.”

"Come on, Chad,” Ken pleaded. “You're loaded with cash, and you've got the looks. You're so handsome that it hurts my eyes... “

“Ew, I've told you countless times never to call me handsome. It's giving fruity vibes."

His gaze narrowed to slits."I'm not gay! Do I have to beat this into your head a thousand times?”

"Hey, relax, man. It was just a joke,” I said, stunned by his response. 

He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Back to Ashanti. I'm hiring her whether you approve or not. I suppose you might want your little slice of revenge."

 That kind of made sense.

"Fine, hire her and put her on probation. If she underperforms, I'm kicking her ass off my property.”

"Yes, sirrr!" he mockingly saluted, and I turned away, focusing on the pile of work I've got.

After work, I headed home. My boy jumped on me, happy that I was home. Children were indeed saints on earth. 

Unlike adults who would bear a grudge forever over the slightest issues, take me, for instance, whose ego was bruised because of that woman, my kid had totally forgotten that he was supposed to be mad at me.

"Sonia baked a vanilla cake for me, and I had lots and lots of ice cream,” he said when I crouched beside him in his toy room.

"Yum," my fingers raked across his hair. "Sounds like you had lots of fun."

"I played soccer around the yard,” he bounced with excitement. “Then Grandma called me and promised to spend the weekend with us.”

A silent groan escaped my lips. I picked up a Lego brick from the numerous ones scattered on the floor in my son's room. I love my mom to death, but she never stopped going on and on about me needing to settle down and have a girlfriend.

I usually didn't want Elen to hear her and get the boy's hopes up. Ever since I messed up by having an affair with my ex secretary, got her pregnant, and inherited a truckload of problems, I avoided women like the plague. 

Casual sex was my go-to. I made sure I used the best condoms available and was careful with my partners.

Elen and I prepared for dinner at Ken's parents' house for a Jewish dinner called the Passover seder, where all of Ken's family members gathered to hold the liberation of their country from slavery.

Sarah and Ezra Cohen, Ken's parents, were great hosts, and because I've been best friends with Ken since forever, his parents were automatically mine. Although Ken wasn't a practicing Jew, he obeyed and pleased his parents to the core.

Elen and I drove in my Bugatti Chiron, with Ken in his Range Rover ahead of us. Sarah welcomed us as usual with warmth and hugged me. She had a permanent smell of exotic spices.

My son glanced around, curious, and just like his father, ready to fire off questions. There were several symbolic items that he couldn't stop staring at. When everyone settled around the table, Elen, looking puzzled, asked Sarah why they were eating bitter herbs without serving us.

Everyone around the table burst out laughing, and I shook my head at Elen's innocent curiosity.

"Honey, during Passover, we eat bitter herbs to remember the bitterness and hardships our ancestors faced when they were slaves. It's a way to honor their journey to freedom, but you don't have to eat it. That's why I specially made the matzo ball soup for you and your dad."

"He's so smart," Ken's sister Lisa cooed while rubbing her pregnant belly and leaning against her husband Jonah. "I can't wait to have babies," she said to him with affection in her gaze.

"Amen to that," Ezra, who was an older version of Ken, agreed and turned to face his son. "Son, you also are going to have an amazing child just like your friend Chadwick. All we need from you is a good woman, Jewish or not. Bring her home and let us give our blessings."

"Dad, good things happen to those who wait, you say this all the time, don't you?"

"Cliche," Ken's sister Lisa snorted. "I've introduced you to over six of my friends, and I mean the most beautiful ones among them, but you rejected them all. Perhaps you need to reevaluate your sexuality."

Ken banged the table, spilling his glass of water. "This is the second time in a row that someone is questioning me about my sexuality, and I don't appreciate it. I love women, and I will find one at the right time."

Everyone in the dining room fell silent, watching Ken storm off, but trust Elen to be the first one to speak up.

"Dad, what is sexuality, and why's Uncle Kenneth worked up?"

Fuck me.

Sarah scolded Lisa for ruining her brother's mood and I offered to go talk to him.

"Don't blame yourself, Lisa. Ken doesn't have to be so touchy about a joke. After all, he teases me all the time and has a good laugh while at it.”

Ken's father disagreed. "He does not appreciate that joke. He knows I would have a heart attack if he goes against our beliefs."

I wanted to school Ezra and tell him that we were in the twenty-first century where everyone was sexually liberated. There was no crime in being gay.

Ken returned on his own accord, apologizing to everyone. Lisa sighed in relief. My weirdo friend never ceased to amuse me because how in the world can someone with an even temper only get angry for something as insignificant as his own family jokingly teasing him about his sexuality?

After dinner, Elen was knocked out in my arms while I respectfully waited for the family to recite their prayers, sing songs, and share stories of their ancestors' liberation. I was glad my son wasn't awake, else he was going to yap off with questions.

"Don't forget what I said, boys," Sarah smiled at me as she accompanied me to the car. "You are both successful in your endeavors, and you have more than enough money to feed a community. Look around you, pick good girls, and bring them for our blessings."

"Ken will keep that in mind," I said, rushing towards my car while Ken called me a traitor.