Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 167(@200wpm)___ 134(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Their grandfather helped bring this company into what it’s known as today, or at least the good and admired aspects of the company. Something Uncle Ed had gone out of his way to destroy, and Luca hadn’t understood why, considering it was his livelihood.
David got to his feet and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t come here to insult you. I came here to offer friendship, not because you’ve helped bail out the company and kept me on.”
“You talk a lot, don’t you?”
Luca watched as he burst out laughing.
David pressed a hand to his stomach, almost as if what Luca had just said was the most hilarious thing in the world. He wasn’t entertained.
“I’m sorry. Believe it or not, I’m considered the quiet one of the family. My mom is the talker. Tillie and I, we’re kind of on equal footing in the whole not-talking department. Hopefully, you won’t get mad with her for me putting my foot in it?” David asked.
“If you’re implying that I’m going to hurt Tillie, then I have to warn you I don’t like being threatened twice in the same day.”
“You’ve been threatened?” David asked.
Once again, Luca didn’t say a word, but he reached behind him and grabbed the small file with the note that had been left for him this morning. He figured it was the PA’s parting gift, and she did it for Uncle Ed. Just a simple letter, written in red pen, stating that he was going to kill him.
“Fuck, man, did you call the police?”
“There is no need. It’s merely an idle threat.” Luca snapped the file closed.
“Do you know who sent it?”
“Your Uncle Ed.”
“Uncle Ed? What the fuck?”
“I had no idea you cursed a lot.”
David put a hand over his mouth. “Yeah, ugh, if my grandfather were to hear me, he’d give me a clip around the back of the head and tell me real businessmen talk the talk without dirty words.”
Luca saw a wave of sadness pass over David’s face. “You’re sad.”
“Yeah, sorry, I just … you ever have those moments when something happens, and you don’t think too much about it until after you don’t get it anymore?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“In a nutshell, I’d give anything right now for my grandfather to be here, clipping me around the back of the head. I never cared too much for it when he was alive, but he was a good man. I miss him.”
“Tillie misses him as well.”
“She would. After things with the whole beauty pageant went sour, Mom and Tillie’s relationship did as well. She spent a lot of time with them growing up. Probably more than I did. Even when she was a teenager. I was out being cool, and Tillie loved hanging out with our grandparents.” David sighed and then reached out his hand. “Believe it or not, I came here to also extend friendship. I know it doesn’t seem like much, and trust me, with how this meeting went down, I can understand if you don’t want to be friends, but that’s what I offer.”
Luca looked at the hand. A friend. He’d not had a friend in his life, and the temptation to tell this man so was strong, but he ignored it. Instead, he reached out and gripped the other man’s hand.
“Friends.”
****
Tillie couldn’t help but laugh as Luca recounted the whole afternoon with David. She had already gotten the heads up from David, that he felt like he’d been an asshole, but it was fun to watch Luca as he retold the tale.
“I’ve never known my brother to be so nervous. You must bring it out in people,” Tillie said.
Luca sat back and smiled at her.
For a brief second she was a little taken aback by just how powerful that smile was. Then it suddenly dawned on her that ever since they had gotten married, she had never seen him smile. It was a beautiful smile, breathtaking.
Tillie placed her chin on her hand and just watched Luca as he sat back. They had already enjoyed the meal she’d spent most of the day cooking for him. Mainly because she’d cooked him a chocolate cake with lots of chocolate, and also chocolate ice cream, but she had started that yesterday.
“I’ve been known to bring it out in people. Do you want to tell me more about the beauty pageant?”
Tillie laughed. “Trust me, David pretty much covered it. Mom loved it, and I hated it. I couldn’t stand the makeup and getting dressed up. She spent hours trying to get me to find my talent. I remember my grandmother and Mom fighting over it as well. It was meant to be fun, but then it was all about competition, which I didn’t mind. Trust me, I can be quite competitive, but this was just different. I guess, even as a kid, I didn’t care much about what they were doing and why they were doing it.”