Jensen
making snarky comments under her breath the whole meeting. I should’ve asked Miranda to switch spots with me. The chocolate éclair wasn't worth the torture of dealing with Daisy," Jensen shouted over the wind rushing past his convertible.
It hadn’t been two days since his dad announced his intended retirement at the end of the fiscal year. Yet, his impatience jumped several steps ahead, counting the days. Jensen went to bed each night, wishing to wake up in December instead of May.
No matter what happened in the next several months, he would defeat Daisy for good. She spent too long as the unwanted thorn in his side, standing between him and what belonged to him since his dad promised.
Jensen pulled into the turn pocket at the intersection, underneath midnight-painted skies and the streaks of pink from the sun below the horizon. The air stayed warm with the summer months right around the corner, more balmy than the scorching of a true California day. He loved summers in LA.
His eyes wandered to the passenger seat, where his girlfriend, Delaney, curled into the leather upholstery. She sat with knees tucked to her chest and her face buried in her phone. She’d been entranced by it since he picked her up for dinner.
“Delaney? Earth to Delaney?” Jensen asked, waving his hand in front of her face. Despite the noise of the city enveloping them in its embrace, Delaney pressed her phone to her chest like he scared her.
Delaney Malone was a quiet beauty. Her jet-black hair glowed silkily underneath the neon lights they passed on their drive, framing her slender cheekbones. Behind dramatic lashes, her round, hazel eyes gleamed. She wore the same preppy clothes as their high school days when she ran the drama class, and Jensen reigned as class president.
“I’m sorry that work’s been stressful for you, babe,” Delaney sighed, sounding more irate than sympathetic. The slight curl of her top lip pulled together an expression of annoyance, darkening her eyes. “But I think you’re being nearsighted again.”
'Nearsighted' was a term between them when Jensen became fixated on work, or more specifically when Daisy got under his skin with her attitude.
Jensen's shoulders hunched over. He didn't want to spend all day frustrated and come home to fight with his girlfriend again. "Del, please."
"I'm serious, Jensen. You've been obsessed with the promotion and her for the last two days. I'm tired of hearing about her. I know this promotion or whatever is important, but tell my boyfriend that there’s more to life than his dumb job.”
“I understand that it’s a lot—”
"Do you? Because you've been ranting about it for the last thirty minutes, and I don't know what else to say. It's bad enough that no one will switch offices with you, so you’re stuck in close quarters with that bitch every day,” Delaney spat.
“Don’t call her that-”
“Oh, so you’re defending her now? I’m your girlfriend and on your side, Jensen.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. Look, I understand you’re frustrated with me because work has taken over. Believe me, I know I get wrapped up in it too much. But I’m not comfortable calling anyone a ‘bitch’, even Daisy,” Jensen murmured while making the turn as the light flashed green. He caught sight of Delaney’s narrowed eyes, harsher than before. “We’ve talked about this before. It crosses a line I’m not comfortable with.”
He sped down the side street, lined by gated properties in the opulent designs of The Flats. Wealth radiated from the sidewalk like the streets were paved with gold, but the novelty still burned bright. Living in a neighborhood like this for most of his life could’ve turned Jensen jaded and unimpressed.
It hadn’t.
The car slowed to a roll as he approached the gate outside his family’s home, its spotless white walls and black metallic accents framed by bright greenery. With all the lights on, the glow trickled through the open windows to the gradually dimming skies.
Jensen reached for his gate remote, but his hand brushed against Delaney’s. Her mouth twisted into a grimace, neither angry nor guilt-ridden, while she leaned forward in her seat. “Sorry. I know you don’t like me calling her that. It’s just frustrating to see you stressed out because of her. I don’t know what else you want me to do. I’m trying to be supportive.”
"I'm not mad at you," Jensen sighed. "The situation isn't ideal, but we're almost at the end. I'm sorry for being nearsighted and ranting about work again. Let's put it behind us for the night and enjoy dinner."
“Good. Office rivalries should stay there once working hours are over.” Delaney clicked her tongue. Jensen parked his car behind his sisters' shared SUV, basking in the night's warmth.
Office rivalries should stay there. But the reality meant extra baggage came home, especially with change in the air. Jensen hoped that, with some time, Delaney might understand his perspective. She was to be the partner of the CEO, after all.
Jensen jumped out of his seat and ran to open Delaney’s door for her. Grabbing her hand, he spun her close to him. Del’s soft hum barely preceded his mouth brushing against hers. His hands slipped to grab her waist, but Delaney backed from the chaste kiss in the same breath.
“We should head inside,” Jensen suggested. Delaney hovered next to him as the two headed inside, greeted by the smell of something chocolatey and the excited screeches of his sisters.
Jensen peered over the couch to find Piper and Hayley sitting on the floor with several bottles of nail polish stacked on the glass coffee table. The two giggled like conspirators and held up their hands, gleaming with fresh polish on their nails.
“What are you two losers doing down there?” Jensen asked, leaning over the couch. He grinned as his younger sisters nearly jumped out of their skin, screaming and scrambling away from him.
"Jensen!" Piper, the youngest of the Ramsey clan, quickly launched to her feet and barreled straight for Jensen. He, like a good older brother, caught her in his arms. "You made it!"
Piper was the only one of the three Ramsey kids who looked like the happy medium between their parents. Her tousled brunette hair, cut into a shoulder-length shag, matched his and their dad, but her eyes were stormy like Hayley and their mom. A rogue smattering of freckles dusted across her nose and round cheeks, stopping right above her lips, which glowed in shimmery pink lipstick.
“You think I’d miss dinner with my favorite people? Not a chance.” Pulling her into a bear hug, Jensen lifted Piper clear off the ground, careful not to smudge her newly painted nails against his nice shirt.
"Mmm. Hayley said you might've been glued to your desk since the Dad’s CEO announcement went down.”
“Hales has an interesting sense of humor. Ignore her.”
“I heard that,” Hayley popped up from behind the couch like a meerkat, hands lifted with her fingers splayed wide open. “You could use some of my humor. The shareholders love me, which you need right now.”
In stark contrast to Piper, Hayley shook out her dirty blonde ponytail, done by the skilled hands of a former cheer captain. A lean, athletic frame sported a nice pair of jeans and a silk top in a rich, woodsy brown. Her eyes gleamed like gathering storm clouds over the ocean while she climbed off the floor, hands incapacitated by powder blue nail polish.
She wandered over with arms wide open, and Jensen welcomed her into the Ramsey sibling sandwich. He peered over Hayley’s high ponytail to Delaney, ready to envelop her in the hug; his family considered her one of their own after seven years.
Yet, Delaney's eyes stayed glued to her phone as her fingers whipped out a rapid response. The phone chimed, and she cringed, switching the ringer off. She didn't notice her boyfriend’s quiet stare.
He had to wonder. For the last few months, Delaney rarely went a moment without her phone in hand, always busy with something.
Sensing his distraction, Piper and Hayley relinquished him from their bone-crushing hug. All three turned to Delaney, still occupied by her phone, until Hayley cleared her throat, "Delaney!"
Delaney nearly dropped her phone with how quickly she shoved it into her purse, emotions flashing across her face in a dizzying array. Yet, they vanished behind a polite smile. “Hales! So good to see you!”
The two embraced, sharing air kisses and holding each other at arm's length to squeal about each other's outfits. Piper hung back at Jensen's side and waved to Delaney from there, who waved back.
Something metallic clattered against the granite countertops in the kitchen. The chocolate aroma from before intensified, filling every inch of the room with its presence.
“They’re perfect!” His mom’s victorious yelling followed a brief silence, drawing a smile out of him. “Is that Jensen I hear?”
“He and Delaney are in the living room with us!” Piper shouted back before Jensen announced his arrival. “So, you’ll need an extra chocolate lava cake!”
"It's fine. I don't need the carbs," Delaney interjected, but her voice faded with more clattering from the kitchen. Seconds later, Jensen's mom sped through the doorway, a flower-patterned apron thrown over her shoulders in her haste.
“My last baby has returned!” his mom exclaimed, racing toward him with a wide smile. She piled her light brown hair high into a bun and dressed in a sensible but classic black dress. Eileen Ramsey glowed, defying aging because she didn't look a day over thirty-five.
"Hi, Mom." Jensen stepped forward to catch her like he had with Piper, curling up in her arms. Some of the best memories of his childhood involved his mom and hugs. “You look lovely tonight.”
“I’ve missed you, sweetheart. You need to come over for dinner more often. I know you’re busy with work, but our family lives too close not to see each other.”
“You’re right. How about we plan for dinner once a month, just the five of us?”
“Yes. We’ll give Chef Shiloh some much-needed time off. Piper has taken a real shine in cooking, and I'm sure she and I can manage dinner and dessert for one night."
“Is that so?”
Hayley groaned, "You have no idea. I'm eating Michelin-star meals at home because Piper loves me,” she gushed, draping herself over Piper dramatically.
Jensen watched Piper pull a face, prompting the two to flash middle fingers at one another once their mom’s back had turned. Hard to believe they were eighteen and twenty-two.
He turned when feeling a hand on his bicep, seeing Delaney beside him again. The far-off glaze over her eyes wavered when their gazes locked. Delaney murmured, “I’m going to wash up. Be right back.”
“Sounds good. I’ll be here,” Jensen whispered. He buried a hurried kiss into her hair before Delaney left the room. She knew her way around the Ramsey home after all the years she visited for holidays, Jensen’s birthday, and the occasional work party.
Jensen's eyes followed her trail long after she left his sight, only broken from his staring contest with the empty archway when something pressed into his palm. His eyes snapped toward his mom, whose smile deepened as she pushed a velvet box into his hand. Understanding passed between them, silent but precise.
His mom always had his back.
Footsteps echoed against the spiral stairs across the room, where all eyes landed on his dad as he entered. A tumbler filled with dark liquid sloshed along the glass’ rounded edges, rattling the ice lost in the sea of liquor. His dad raked his fingers through his hair, mousing the strands loose from the rest slicked back with pomade.
His eyes scanned the living room, brightening at the sight of his kids. “Welcome home, everyone. I’m happy to see you all here. . . especially you, Jensen.”
“Me?” Jensen rammed the velvet box into the pocket of his slacks, walking toward the stairs. “You see me at the office every day. Besides, I promised I’d come.”
“Good. Could I borrow you for a few moments? Alone?”
“Of course.”
“We’ll be back shortly.”
Jensen jogged up the stairs, meeting his dad halfway. A look passed between them. So much for leaving the office for work hours.
The two men climbed the stairs to the second story and quickly ducked into his dad's personal office, the first door on the left. Unlike the modern feel of the rest of the home, his dad's study exuded old money, with dark stained walls and matching leather furniture surrounding the hand-carved wooden desk.
His dad walked halfway around the table before he leaned against it, setting down his partially finished drink. He sighed, “Are you doing alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be alright?” Jensen replied instantly. The frown on his dad’s face made him want to kick himself in the shin. Nice lie, idiot.
“Well, when you’ve been “too busy” to have lunch with your old man for the last two days, I caught the impression that you might be angry with me,” his dad said. “So, want to try that again?”
Jensen stared at his dad, caught off-guard. He tried to keep his distance while processing his dad’s resignation, racked with the competing urges to demolish Daisy’s entire career and the lurking fear that he might lose the job that was supposed to be his.
“Why didn't you pick me, Dad? You know how much I care about the company. You don’t want an outsider acquiring your legacy. Daisy is the definition of an outsider,” Jensen questioned, arms crossing over his chest.
Was he mad? Kind of.
He needed to understand how his dad couldn’t see him as the obvious choice for the promotion. Yes, Jensen hoped that his dad might honor the promise he made to him years ago, but Jensen never sat around when it came to the company either. Arguably, he worked just as hard as Daisy in his position, even as the boss’ son. He loved Hidden Oasis more than he got credit for.
His dad’s shoulders dropped. The tension woven into his body softened. Jensen turned his face, not interested in witnessing his dad’s disappointment in him. So rarely did they clash, but he couldn’t back down.
“Jensen,” his dad remarked. Jensen heard his voice become kinder than he would be if the roles were reversed. "There was a time that you didn't want to run the company when I retired. You vehemently rejected the thought, and I didn't push you to change your mind. Instead, I found someone else to take over in case you left the company."
"Found. You say you 'found' Daisy like she wasn't already working at Hidden Oasis."
“Jensen, you’re focusing on the wrong things.”
“She’s not made for the position!”
“I disagree. Daisy is more than capable of being the CEO. You disliking her doesn’t change that fact.”
Jensen’s nose flared, stricken by frustration. His dad should be in his corner, not pulling for his rival. He spoke through clenched teeth, "I have every reason to dislike her.
“It’s been seven years since you two first met. Have neither of you apologized for getting off on the wrong foot?” his dad asked.
“I’m stubborn. I get it from you. Daisy’s petty and likes to make it her mission to remind me how much better she thinks she is. You know what she told me?”
“She said you're like all rich people: pretty but with no substance. You thought the best reply would be accusing her of being intimidated by your good looks since she called you pretty. She doubled down by calling you vain, and the rest is history. Jensen, you two have both ranted about how you met so many times to me that I have it memorized.”
Jensen paused, lips parted open in a failed retort and closed his mouth. His gaze wandered away from his dad, who stared at him with that annoyingly knowing glint. Daisy’s closeness with his dad shouldn’t bother him as much as it did, but sharing him with her never became easier. “Well, I suggested eliminating this issue back then.”
“You came into my office and suggested I drop her as my protege. You apparently changed your mind about being CEO overnight after swearing you needed more time. I knew what you actually wanted," his dad reminded, still calm even in the face of Jensen's mounting annoyance. “I didn't stop mentoring Daisy because I needed a backup CEO. I'm not surprised she still holds onto a grudge after you asked me to dismiss her because she ‘wasn’t needed’.”
In Daisy’s shoes, Jensen would latch onto that grudge like his life depended on it. But he would never admit it to his dad.
Before he spoke another word, a knock on the door derailed the conversation. Piper poked her head in without Jensen or his dad calling for her to enter. She offered a shy smile.
“Mom says dinner’s ready. She doesn’t want it going cold.” Piper blinked, glancing between Jensen and their dad. She held onto the door, so all the tension raced out of the room.
“We'll be there in a moment,” Jensen promised and gently eased Piper's grip off the door. She jogged down the hall in a ball of soft pink fabric.
His dad grabbed his drink off the desk, stopping at Jensen’s side to loop his arm around Jensen’s shoulder. “Son, I don’t want this to come between us. I love you. I want you to succeed.”
“I know,” Jensen replied. “I’m sorry for avoiding you and being petty. You have my word that I’ll prove I can be a great CEO. You can trust me with the company.”
“Jensen, you don't have to prove it to me. I've long overcome the indecision, but many shareholders haven't. Show them that you've matured enough to have a whole company on your shoulders. Daisy may not be my blood, but she gets things done. That's why our shareholders trust her.” His dad clapped his shoulder, bringing the conversation to a close.
Jensen stared at him. His dad might've not said it explicitly, but he uncovered a gem of advice in those words. Maybe his dad couldn't play favorites, but Jensen knew how to move forward.
He could still win. . . if he erased the mark on his record and became the decisive, confident CEO that Hidden Oasis needed.
The two men headed into the kitchen, finding the table set with plates full and their family waiting for them. Jensen slid into his chair next to Delaney, who shoved her phone into her purse without a word.
Jensen raised his brow, choosing to say nothing. She had been jumpy, but everyone had their off days. When she was ready to lean on him, Jensen trusted her to come clean.