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“What?” He scoffs. “Why would working for a bigger and better company be a dangerous move? Haven't you always wanted to work closely with her father? Well, she’s the next best thing and now, I will be too. What? You don’t want to see your own son as your competition?”
My eyes shoot to his like darts. I can’t believe he thinks I'm afraid of him being my competition. All I've ever wanted was for my son to be greater than I am. It's why I push him as hard as I do. It's why I won’t let up or let him slack off and fall behind, because I know just how great he can be.
“She’s only doing this to get back at me,” I say. “Heiress plays the game a lot dirtier than her father does. She'll do anything to become as big as he is. Even if it means backdooring me with my own son. She wants to know how we operate over here, Kyle. Don't let her use you as her scapegoat to get what she wants. She'll only discard you the minute you're not useful to her anymore.”
“Bullshit!” he shouts. “Why do you always do this? Every time I have a good opportunity in front of me, you always shoot me down! I wasn’t good enough to become director of marketing here. You fired me the minute I got too close to your secret. Now you’re trying to deter me from working with one of the biggest corporations in the world? You don’t love me. You're just like mom. Maybe even worse than she is.”
“That’s not true, Kyle and you know it,” I say. “I’m nothing like your mother. I took care of you from the time she walked out of your life until now. I will always take care of you. You're my son! I forbid you to work for this woman. You don’t know her like I do.”
We're standing face to face, breathing like two wolves ready to tear each other's throats out. I would never have a physical fight with my son, but there’s no telling what he’ll do with me.
“Unfortunately, Dad, this isn’t your decision,” he says, standing firm. “You wanted me out of here. Where I go next is none of your concern. Have a nice life.”
Kyle brushes past me as he grabs his box and leaves the office. He's made it clear. His mind is made up and he’s accepting the job with Heiress. I know this will bring nothing but more problems for me, for him, and for Heiress. I won’t let her get away with what she’s trying to do. Kyle may not be able to see past her charades, but I can.
“What was that all about?” Felicia stops me as I'm on my way out. “The girls said you and Kyle got into a fight.”
“He’s going to work for Heiress,” I huff.
“Ok. What's wrong with that?”
I almost lose my cool behind her questions, but I have to remember, she doesn't know Heiress the way I do either. No one does. I'm the only one who knows how wicked of a woman she can be when she really, really, wants something.
“It’s not the place for him,” I say. “She’s only bringing Kyle on board to get back at me. She made a pass at me the last time we met, and I turned her down. Kyle may walk around with his chest puffed out around here, but in the face of someone like her, he’ll end up hiding with his tail tucked between his legs.”
“Maybe that’s what he needs.” Felicia says. “A real wake up call. I know he’s your son and everything, but you can’t keep allowing him to get away with the things he does. And every time you bail him out, he’ll only think he can get away with it again.”
She's right, but I can't let my son walk into the lion's den blind. He's not as smart as he thinks he is. He isn’t as tough as I am in business. Kyle is still growing into the man he should have been grown into. He's too delicate right now.
“I have to go,” I say. “I’m going to talk to Heiress before she gets too deep into whatever her antics are, and we have a real problem on our hands.”
“What are you going to say to her? I mean, it’s pretty clear she’s a woman who gets whatever she wants. She won’t quit working with Kyle because you say not to.”
I don’t respond to Felicia’s question. Whatever I need to say to Heiress, I'll figure it out on my way there. All in all, I want her to know that she’s stepping out of line and crossing boundaries that won’t be good at all for her moving forward. Selling cars is a lot like being a kingpin. You don’t cross into other people's territory unless you’ve asked for permission to be there.
“Where are you? We need to talk.”
“Well,” Heiress chuckles into the phone. “Someone sounds angry. I'm at the Chow’s Boat Dock getting ready for my next shipment. You can meet me here if it’s something that can’t wait.”
I hang up the phone and head straight for the dock. I know where she is because it’s the same dock that my shipments come into. Kyle must have introduced her to one of my dealers, because why else would she be getting a shipment in New York?
It takes me no time to get to Chow’s. He and I will be having a conversation about this as well, but for now, Heiress and I need to have a word about what she’s doing with my son. And at my dock.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I bark as I approach her.
“Why so angry, Marc?” she laughs. “What seems to be the problem?”
“You and Kyle? What, are you fucking him?”
Her eyes widen with concern in a sarcastic way. Almost as if she knows my secret too. I wouldn’t put it past Kyle telling her everything she wanted to know about my relationship with Felicia in order to secure his position at her company. That's just how devious she is. And apparently him as well.
“I don’t sleep with my potential,” she says. “That’s more up your alley.”
I'm silent. The truth has fallen upon the ears of my now assumed enemy. I can only imagine what’s coming next from her.
“Oh yeah,” she continues. “Kyle told me everything. About how you gave Felicia his job after sleeping with her. About how you fired him because he called you out and threatened to tell her father. Speaking of her father, what would Jeppie think of all this? His best friend of twenty years is sleeping with his daughter. That would send any man into cardiac arrest.”
“You don’t know what you're talking about,” I say. “Kyle doesn't either. He's just angry because I won’t let him get away with murder anymore.”
