“Damn it, am I the only competent one in this whole place?”
Running his dad’s company, that he had built from the ground up, was an honor, but also a curse. When he hadpassed away, there was no question that Jax would take over the company. But doing his dad justice was the hard part.
I was a strong-willed, business-minded man. The man who hardly took a break. A vacation was unheard of and when Mom had to be placed in a nursing home, I hated the idea of it. I fought Kerrigan on it the whole way. I wanted her to stay home with around-the-clock care.
The argument I’d had with Kerrigan played out in my head all the time. Kerrigan had refused. “It’s too much, Jax. We can’t count on the part-time help we have, let alone count on someone or an agency for around-the-clock care. Besides, how cost effective is that? Mom needs people her own age to talk to and keep her going. She’s lonely. If you would ever stop for five minutes to visit, you’d see how lonely she is.”
His sister always argued that he didn’t make time for the family.
“Kerrigan, you’re not being fair. I keep the company running for us, to provide for us. I can’t keep that a success if I’m not there working for it.”
I was tired of the argument that happened every time I talked to my sister. But for now, there were more pressing issues.
The secretary for this week came in.
“Why the hell am I only getting this information now? I asked for this three hours ago. If I’m going to move on this property, I needed this information three hours ago. Damn it! Is everyone in this office asleep?”
The secretary argued with him. “It was just dropped off to me by the development research team. I brought it immediately to you, sir. I can’t make the papers magically appear.”
I harrumphed at her and started flipping through the assessment. The company purchased land to develop shopping malls, casinos, you name it, and the Diamond Corporation was the go-to company for developers and entrepreneurs.
As my secretary was leaving the office, she said, “By the way, it’s five thirty p.m. You wanted to leave to go see your mother.”
Looking up at her, I cursed again under my breath. Damn it, now I would be late for my visit with her. Throwing the paperwork into my briefcase, I headed out to my car.
It was an hour-and-a-half drive to the nursing home without traffic, so the drive grated on my nerves. In order to get my sister off my back, I promised I’d make it to the nursing home at least three times a week in the evening for an hour. Today was one of those visits. My mind was on business the whole ride. As I pulled up, I looked at the clock. There had been no traffic. Seven on the dot. Dinner would be over with and she would be watching television, but I’d still go and sit with her for a bit to see how she was doing.
Walking through the halls and to Mother's room, I arrived as the nurse was giving her medication, so I waited. Once Mother took her medication, I moved into the room.
She stood and smiled as she watched me enter. “Jax! My handsome boy, how are you?”
I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer she’d really remember any of us. It was hard to imagine Mother not being sharp anymore. She was always good to talk a deal over with. Dad talked a lot of business with her, but now… I let the thought fade. “Mom, how are you? Are they treating you okay here?”
She hugged me, then told me, “Jax, I’m fine. Please stop worrying about me. I’m in the best of care. Now, about you, when are you going to settle down? I want to see you happy before I can’t remember you’re happy.”
“Mom, please don’t talk that way.”
I shrugged my suit coat off and sat next to her.
“Jax, I’m not kidding. You need to slow down. How many secretaries have you gone through in the last month? What’s the name of your current secretary?”
I shrugged and said, “I want perfection, Mom. I’m paying them to do their job. If they can’t perform simple tasks, then I’ll keep searching until I find someone who can.”
Mom shook her head.
“At what cost, Jackson Gray Hewitt? You’re giving up too much of your life for this company. You deserve so much more than to go home to an empty bed every night.”
Looking at my mother, I said, “I don’t want to talk about my bed partners again, Mom. The last time we had this discussion, I couldn’t even look at a woman without thinking about the things you said. Gross! I don’t need you interfering with my personal affairs. I can handle it. Besides, I’m not alone every night.”
Gail crooked an eyebrow at him. “Really? When is the last time you went out on a date? When was the last time you got good and laid, Jackson?”
“Mother!” I said. “I’m not having this conversation with you again. Drop it.”
Mom smirked at me. “Come on, Jax. You are so handsome, and I love you. Is it a crime that I want you to be happy, like your dad and I were? Do you think I let him stay at the office day in and day out like you do? Hell no. That man knew he needed a life outside of work. He spent time with his family. I told him it was a mistake giving you the company. I wanted more for you. You are too damn driven for your own good.”
I stood up and paced the room.
“Mom, please. I just want to sit and enjoy a visit without arguing. All I do is argue with you and Kerrigan these days. Please understand. I will settle down and spend less time at the office after this deal goes through. Besides, I haven’t found the right woman yet, if she even exists.”
Mom stood up behind me.
“That’s just it, Jax. After this deal, there will be the next one and then the next. It never ends with you. As far as finding the right woman, hell, Jax, you wouldn’t notice her if she sat down beside you. You are too caught up in the company. Promise me you’ll go out on a date at least once a month from now on. You need to start looking for someone to spend your life with.”
I turned to look at her. The worry in her eyes was too much for me.
“Okay, Mom. I promise.”
She smiled and said, “Good, then go. Get out of here. I want you to go have a drink and relax. No business calls and no work for the rest of the night. Got it?”
I shake my head to argue.
“No, Jackson! I mean it. Take your coat, find a bar, go have a drink, get something to eat and relax. Look around you. You never know who you’ll meet. I love you, but go!”
Hugging her, I said, “I love you too, Mom.”
I picked up my suit coat and headed out the same path I used to enter the nursing facility.
Before leaving the building, I asked the security guard if there was a place nearby with good food. The man smiled and recommended a local place.
Pulling into the parking lot of a place called The Tavern, there were a few cars in the parking lot. I figured I’d give it a go. I rolled up the sleeves of my dress shirt and left my suit coat in the car. It was time to loosen up and relax. I walked in the doors. My first impression was it was a local down-home bar. But it was clean and the smell of food drew me in further.
I moved to the bar, where the bartender immediately took my drink order and handed me a menu. I perused the menu but couldn’t decide what I wanted. I heard a voice from beside me say, “Try the black and blu burger. It’s phenomenal.”
I turned to look at who the voice belonged to, just in time to see her take a bite out of her burger. Not a dainty bite, but a bite that left no doubt in my mind that this girl knew what she was talking about with her food recommendation. She didn’t look at me right away, but finished chewing her bite. When she turned to look at me, all I saw were crystal-blue, beautifully shaped eyes on the face of an absolute angel.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her, but yet I felt like I’d just been sucker punched. I cleared my throat and said, “Is that what you’re having?”
The woman smiled, and I was glad I was seated, because my body went limp. She had beautiful dimples to go with that smile and her long black hair begged for me to run my fingers through it to see if it felt as silky as it looked.
“Of course. I wouldn’t recommend it if I wouldn’t eat it as well. I’d give you a bite of mine, but I don’t like to share my burger. Seriously, it’s the best tasting thing on the menu,” the woman responded, chuckling at her words, then turned her attention to taking a drink from her glass.
The bartender returned. I wasn’t going to turn down the advice of a beautiful woman. “I’ll take the lady’s recommendation. Black and blu burger.”
The bartender moved on and placed my order.
I reached out my hand. “I’m Jackson. Thanks for the recommendation.”
The woman wiped her hands on her napkin, then reached out. “I’m Lacie. Not a problem.”