The One who got Away

“What can I do for you, Ronni?” he asked impatiently.

“I am all packed up,” I replied. “I just wanted to come in and thank you. Thank you for taking me in all those years ago and giving me the amazing opportunities that you have. I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am.”

“Mmhm,” he grunted, staring out the window.

I waited for a moment to see if he was going to say anything else, but he never turned to look at me. I took a deep breath and turned from the room, leaving the house without saying goodbye to the boys. I was hurt by Mr. Landers’s reaction, but there was nothing I could do but walk away. I looked up at the large mansion before getting in my car, excited about my future but sad to leave the place behind.

Chapter Three

Nathan

I was back in the office Monday morning, surrounded by people who either loved me or hated me. It came with the territory of being the boss. But even though I was at the top, a constant feeling nagged at me that my father was waiting around every corner, watching over my shoulder. The company wouldn’t be fully mine and my brother’s until my father was gone, not that I was looking forward to that day. But after I got out of college, my father wanted to retire, so he made me the head of the company. I knew that chapped my brother’s ass, but my father could see just as well as I could that Nick was not interested in taking over this company. I looked up at my phone as the secretary came over the speaker.

“Mr. Landers, your brother, Nick is here to see you,” she said.

“Thank you, send him in,” I replied, rolling my eyes and sighing, wondering what in the world he wanted now.

Nick strolled through the door, his hand in one pocket, and the other making sure his perfectly coiffed hair hadn’t moved from the same position it was earlier that morning. He looked around my office, picking up different items, scoffing, and putting them back down. I sat at my desk watching him, wondering what the hell he wanted.

“So,” he said, sitting down in the chair and looking at me. “Why haven’t you taken my advice on the acquisition I brought you?”

“Nick, we talked about this already,” I said, sighing.

“Remind me,” he said, lifting his eyebrows.

I wanted to slap that smug look off of his face.

“The property value is crap,” I replied without sugar coating it. “After estimating the number of repairs that we would have to do, the cost of the people we would have to pay, and the commissions that would come out of it, it wasn’t a smart business venture.”

“I thought profit was a smart venture,” he said angrily.

“Only if the profit is more than the cost of a light bill,” I said, looking down at the paperwork in front of me. “Time is just as valuable as money here, Nick. We could invest that time in a property that gives us five times the return.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the return,” Nick said angrily leaning forward. “It’s your irritating need to control every decision in this company.”

“That’s my job, Nick,” I replied, still not looking up at him.

“No, it’s your job to make this company money, and you’ll never do that if you keep turning down proposals based on your own sick need to be right,” he growled.

“Look,” I shouted, shutting him up quickly. “I would be more than happy to buy a property that will make us money. But you’ve got to find something more than these money pits you’ve been putting on my desk. They are a waste of everyone’s time, including yours.”

“Whatever,” Nick growled. “You don’t want to give me a chance. You never have. In reality, I know you’re intimidated by me. I’ve always been the one that people enjoy talking to. I’ve always been the one with creative ideas. You hate the fact that I’ve had the spotlight our entire lives. You hate that when people come to this company, they’d rather deal with anyone but you.”

“Enough,” I yelled, slamming my fists on the table. “While you’re out there daydreaming about bad business ventures, spending the family’s money, and frolicking all over California, I’m here running a business. I am the one putting the blood, sweat, and tears into it, and I would be a fool to let you come in and ruin our father and mother’s legacy. Now, if there isn’t anything else, I have work to do.”

“Fine,” Nick said, standing up and walking toward the door. He stopped in the doorway and looked back at me, a coy smile on his face. I knew whatever this was, it was not going to be good. “By the way, I have a date with Ronni tonight. Enjoy being alone in your office.”

I shook my head and watched Nick walk out of my office laughing. He was such an asshole, and I blamed my father for spoiling him and never putting his foot down. I didn’t know why it was a surprise to me

, though. Nick had been a spoiled little jackass since we were kids, always flaunting his money and skirting his responsibilities. I was pretty sure the only reason he got into an Ivy League college was that he had someone else do all his work and had my father send them a very large donation.

Now he was taking Ronni out, the girl our mother had begged us to treat like our sister. I was slightly taken back by just how upset I was over this turn of events, but I knew it had to be because I was concerned for her, especially because of Nick’s playboy ways. I had seen the kind of man he was when it came to women, and it was shameful. Irritated by it all, I sent Nick a text message.

Nick, you cannot take Ronni out on a date. Did you forget everything that Mom asked from us? Ronni is like a sister to both of us.

I sent the message and sat back, waiting for a response. I knew he wasn’t going to have a lightbulb moment and cancel the date, but I hoped that the memory of our mother would be enough for him to leave poor Ronni alone. However, after about fifteen minutes, I realized that he wasn’t going to text me back. I picked up the phone and dialed my assistant’s line.

“Mary, I need you to call Nick’s assistant and butter her up,” I said. “I need to know where he is going to dinner with Ronni.”