I step up to him and slam my fist into his face. His head cracks back and he staggers away from me, coffee spilling all over his fake-ass kimono.
“Oh, shit,” he gasps, looking up at me with wide eyes. His lip is split and a bit of blood drips down his chin. “Why did you do that?”
“Because you’re a piece of shit and you deserved it.” I stare at him, breathing hard, but I know I have to go. If I let this go on any more, it’ll only get worse.
I turn away from him and leave the kitchen.
“You better compete!” he calls after me. “You think that’s the first time I’ve been hit? You better compete!”
I leave his house, rage flowing through me. I get in my car and drive back home.
I want to shout and break things. I want to go back there and beat her father senseless.
But fortunately, there’s nothing like LA traffic to calm the nerves. I put on some music and try to force that bastard’s face from my mind.
When I get home, I find Klara sitting in my kitchen, wearing one of my old t-shirts and a pair of running shorts. Even in my baggy clothes, she looks gorgeous. She smiles and sips some coffee. “Hey,” she says.
“Hey.” I walk over and pour myself a mug. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
“Where’d you go so early?”
“Just ran an errand,” I say, not exactly a lie. I don’t want to tell her that I just saw her father. I’m afraid she’ll get the wrong idea. “Listen, I’ve been thinking. You should go ahead with your plan. You know, to buy your dad out.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Make your offer. I’m afraid he’ll say no, but make it anyway. Let him know you’re serious and looking to take this on all on your own.”
“Okay,” she says, and grins at me. “I was gonna do that anyway but I’m glad you’re on board.”
I laugh and kiss her neck. “Now you’d better get going,” I say.
“Why?” she asks.
“Because if you stay, I’m afraid we won’t get anything done today.”
She gives me a little grin and tilts her head back. “Maybe that’s my intention all along.”
I let out a little chuckle and kiss her neck, followed by her ear, followed by her delicious lips.
“Okay then,” I whisper. “We can get something done tomorrow then. Today, you’re all mine, every single inch of you.”
“Take it all,” she whispers back.
And I do.19KlaraI find my father in his office in a strangely sober mood for once. He has a cup of coffee next to him, and although it smells like whiskey, he’s not slurring his words or otherwise visibly intoxicated.
“You busy?” I ask him, lingering in the doorway.
He shakes his head. “Not too busy for you.”
I smile and walk into the room, shutting the door behind me. He sighs and stretches.
“What are you up to?”
“Going over expense reports,” he says. “Doing the money.”
“Ah, I should’ve known. That’s your favorite.”
He grins at me. “It’s the only way I’ve kept alive all these years. Got to be active in your own money or else it can all disappear.”
I sit down across from him. Say what you will about my father, and I’ve said it all, but he is truly good with the books in this company. He tracks spending and income closely and calculates return, revenue, profit, all that almost every day. It’s his favorite pastime, aside from drinking and getting high, of course.
“I want to talk,” I say. “About the company.”
“Now’s a good time, I guess,” he said, smiling. “I came up with a new challenge for you and Shaun. I’m not supposed to tell you but I really, really want to.”
“Listen, Dad. This is better.” I open up the folder I have tucked under my arm and hold it out to him.
He frowns and takes it. He reads it over and his face gets serious by the time he reaches the end. He looks up and tilts his head. “Is this for real?” he asks.
“For real,” I confirm. “I believe it matches Shaun’s offer, plus a little bit extra for you in particular.”
He nods slowly. “It’s a very generous offer, Klara. Where did you get all this?”
“I held some meetings,” I say. “I found some investors willing to go in with me.”
He winces. “You did what?”
“Listen, Dad, I know you don’t really want to sell. You’ve made that pretty obvious. I mean this whole contest thing has been a little… absurd. I know you’re doing it for fun and you have no intentions of ever selling to Shaun. I think you plan on staying the head of this company until the day you die.”
“I’ve said as much,” he grumbles.
“But this is your chance. You can cash out and get rich. You can do whatever the hell you want with all your money. Go live in Europe, buy a mansion in the hills, do whatever. You can finally have all the cash you want.”