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Fuck. I will never, never get involved with anyone again. In no small part because no one will ever compare to her, liar or not.
Talk to Mark, I type, He says you sent him your resume, complete with cover letter and letters of recommendation. Not sure why you felt the need to lie to me, but here we are. Enjoy the rest of your stay in the suite. Don’t try to contact me again. I hope it was worth it.
Shoving the phone back into my pocket, I close my eyes, feeling my blood pressure pounding in my skull. Kasey responds immediately, but I ignore her calls and texts, not even bothering to look at the screen. I just can’t, even if I can feel the vibration of my phone in my pocket, the constant reminder of her presence.
I’ll get through the rest of the week, and then I’ll go back to New York and be the successful, immovable man that I’ve always been. Now, there is no other choice for me.
I head to the resort bar after work, hoping to lose myself in a sea of strangers and booze. Maybe I'll be able to stop thinking about Kasey by instead thinking about the bottom of a glass. But even as I order my first drink, I know it's a lost cause. I can't stop thinking about her. The way she looked last night under the stars. The way her eyes lit up when she talked about the constellations. The way she felt in my arms.
How she sobbed my name when she came for me. The way she tastes.
The way her face had fallen when I rebuffed her once she told me about the interview. How she looked shattered, broken, like she had trusted me and I’m still letting her down. Could I be wrong?
No, I can't think like that. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. The only thing I regret about last night is the last biting insult I had to get in about her using me, just like Devin said, but looking back on it, I know it was a bridge too far.
Kasey wouldn't do that. She's not like that. But then, why did she have to go and apply for that job? Why did she have to leave me wondering if she was going to abandon me for a better opportunity?
I down my drink in one gulp and order another. Maybe I'll just drink until I forget about her. But deep down, I know that's not going to happen. Kasey is too deeply ingrained in my heart now. I can't just forget about her, no matter how much I want to.
It’s not a crowded bar, for which I’m thankful. Everyone is out at the poolside bar, drinking and celebrating. If it wasn’t for that fucking interview, I could be out there with Kasey, too. Showing her off, letting everyone know that she’s mine. These thoughts swirl in my mind, making me angrier and more frustrated by the second.
Suddenly, I hear someone sit down next to me. I turn to see Devin, and I frown. Seeing my son brings my temper right to the surface, and I open my mouth to tell him to get the fuck away from me if he wants to avoid trouble. But before I can even say a word, he holds up his hands, a peace offering.
"I don't want to fight anymore, Dad," Devin says, his voice calm and steady. “Will you hear me out?”
I wave to the bartender to bring me another glass and, despite my better judgment, add on a second for Devin. “I’ll give you five minutes, Dev, and if I don’t like what I’m hearing, I have no problem hauling you out of here. Do you hear me?”
His eyes widen but he nods. “Yeah, I hear you. Look, Dad, I…” He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know I messed up here, over and over again. First by bringing a girl here and then dumping her first thing, publicly, at an event you set up for the company. Then, for being angry that she found a connection with someone else, even if that someone is my dad. I guess…I guess it’s really none of my business what you and Kasey do. It just pissed me off, you know?”
I narrow my eyes, searching his face for any sign that he’s lying, but from what I can see, he’s being genuine. It surprises me. “I’m not mad because you weren’t happy about Kasey spending time with me. I know it’s uncomfortable for you. What I’m mad about is how you treated her like she’s disposable, and then continued to tear her down to other people. I can work with uncomfortable. I can’t work with disrespectful. And that’s what you’re being.”
“I know,” he sighs. “I know. Listen, I don’t want to lose my job, okay? And I want the chance to earn your respect back. I’ll deal with…whatever you and Kasey have going on.”
I can tell the last few words leave a sour taste in his mouth, which makes the fact that he said them even more meaningful. This is the Devin I envisioned taking over the company. The truth is, I’ve already lost Kasey, but if it shakes out that Devin learns to be a good man by losing her too, then there is at least some silver lining. I’m not ready to tell him that we’re not speaking, though. Let him squirm and deal with the idea of his Dad dating his ex for a while longer.
“Fine,” I tell him finally. “You prove it to me, and I’ll keep you around. But you have no strikes left, boy, and as I’ve proven to you, I have no problem reprimanding you in public if need be.”
Devin rubs his neck, remembering how I had held him by his collar, and smiles sheepishly. “Yeah, you’ve made that perfectly clear, Dad.”
We start talking, recalling old times and reminiscing about our successes together. I wanted to be drinking alone, but having my son with me, especially now that he’s repentant, isn’t so bad. For a moment, I forget about Kasey and the way she’s betrayed me…betrayed the new-found love that I have for her.
But then, three drinks in, Devin lets something slip that makes me freeze. It becomes immediately clear to me that he’s much more drunk than I thought, and while he slurs his words, I’m able to hear enough of them that my hackles go up instantly. "You’re a good man, Pops. To hell with that job interview. Kasey should be giving you her full attention."
I feel my blood boil, my fury rising like a tidal wave. "What job interview?" I demand, my voice low and dangerous.
Devin looks taken aback like he didn't mean to say that out loud. "Uh, nothing, forget I said anything."
But I won't let it go. "No, you said something about a job interview. How did you know about that, Devin?"
Devin looks uncomfortable, but then he admits it. "I might have applied for that job for her…her account is still logged in on my laptop from when she used it a few weeks ago. I, um…thought it would be a good opportunity for her…?”
“When, Devin?”
He swallows, eyes flickering around nervously like he doesn’t want to look at me. “Oh, I don’t know?—”
I slam both my hands down on the marble bartop, standing. Rage burns off any lingering effects of what I’ve drank, and my mind is crystal clear. “When, Devin?”
Devin’s gaze is fixed firmly on the wall of liquor over my shoulder. “Right after someone told me they saw you two having breakfast together.”
