Page 26 of The Bratty Heir
I head over to the barista to order. I’m surprised to find out my father even has a photo of me on his desk. Does he actually think about his family when he’s at work, or is it a kind of social requirement that you have pictures of your family on your desk to make you seem like a real human?
I head back to the table with my latte. “Thanks for meeting with me. I’m not exactly sure what we’re supposed to do in this meeting.”
“I’ll be honest,” Klein takes a sip from her mug. “Your father told me to try toconvinceyou to go into law. I’m happy to answer any questions or share what it’s like for me. But I’m curious if that’s what you want to do?”
Klein’s honesty sets me a little more at ease. I’m so used to people trying to get me to do what they want. My father. Archie. Even my mother, in her own way. I don’t get the space to even think about what I want to do at this point in my life, much less do it.
“It’s not something that’s ever interested me.” If Klein is being honest, maybe I will be too.
“I get it. It’s a very particular type of career. It’s not for everyone.” Klein smiles at me. I’m relieved. I’m so used to people being annoyed that I don’t want to do what they want me to do. Klein doesn’t seem to care.
“I don’t know what I want to do,” I say. I can’t quite bring myself to talk about choreography. It’s even more difficult to make it as a choreographer than a dancer.
“That’s okay.”
I’m surprised how quickly Klein has read me. It’s like she knew that’s what I needed to hear. Is Klein just good at reading people, or is it simply obvious that I have no clue what to do with my life?
“A lot of people don’t know what they want to do with their life. Do I want to be a lawyer for the next 40 years? I don’t know. I got into it because I liked the challenge. I wanted to prove I could do it. And because I knew it would make my parents happy. I like it well enough. I like parts of it quite a lot. But I still wonder sometimes if it’s exactly what I want to do.”
“I don’t think I’d enjoy it.”
“Don’t ignore that feeling.” Klein looks more serious now. “Your father would be pissed if he knew I was telling you this. But my advice to you is, it’s okay to not know what you want to do. But if you know what you don’t want to do, don’t waste your time trying to do it. It’s like dating. You can’t just focus on what you want, you have to learn what you don’t want too.”
I chuckle to myself. Not at what Klein said, but about how it reminds me of ending things with Archie. I knowhe’snot what I want.
Klein raises her eyebrows inquisitively at my response.
“I think you’re right. I just broke up with my boyfriend. I do feel like I spent so much time seeing what I thought I should like in him and trying to ignore the things I didn’t like.”
“Ah, exactly. Well good on you for that.” Klein holds up her mug and clinks it against mine. “It’s easier said than done. But there’s no time in life for shit relationships.”
I like Klein. I didn’t expect to like anyone my father worked with. She’s what I imagine an older sister would be like.
Klein and I continue to chat. Once we abandoned my father’s premise for the meeting, it’s become meaningful to both of us. Now we’re talking because we want to, enjoying the easy flow of the conversation.
Klein tells me about when she was younger. I think she’s almost nostalgic about it. She said she used to go out to clubs with her friends almost every night and really loved it. Then she switched over and focused almost entirely on her career. She said she felt like she had a lot to prove.
She looks pensive as she recalls her own journey. “I think it’s important to remember there’s more to life. It’s nice to have something to concentrate on, but you can’t forget about everything else.”
I try to think about what Klein is saying. I see some similarities between how she focused on becoming a lawyer, and how much I’ve had to put into dance. I wonder if there are parts of life I’ve forgotten about. I’m not sure.
Klein looks at her watch. “Well, I should get back to work. If your father asks, could you tell him that I told you all about how great it is to be a lawyer?”
“I’ll tell him you were very persuasive,” I smile at Klein and stand up to say goodbye to her.
She holds out her hand for me to shake. It seems oddly formal after everything we just shared. I feel like we should hug. Instead, I take the offered hand.
“If you need anything,” she says. “I’m happy to talk.”
“Thanks,” I nod. “I appreciate it.”
13
LUCA
Rafand I join Mateo in his office. The June sun shines brightly through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I’ve always found it interesting that we’ve discussed some truly ugly topics in such a beautiful place. If this were a movie, these kinds of conversations would happen in the dark basement of some grimy club.
Would the people I kill feel any better if they knew the decision was made in front of such a spectacular view?