Jase (14 page)

I looked up and Xavier and
Zandor and they hung their heads avoiding eye contact.

“You
’re all crazy, this is billions of dollars, if nothing, accept the shares and sell them to DeLuca,” Abe spat, my mother gave him a look and he hung his head just like my younger brothers did, “Sorry, Joe.”

“
Let’s all sit and let Abe show us what he came up with and then discuss, please Momma,” I gave her my sad look and called her Momma, I knew she wouldn’t say no. And now that I have Bella, I understood why.

Abe opened up his computer and then pulled out a
projections camera which made Cyrus and I laugh. He looked at me momentarily and then continued.

“The first
slide shows the largest, most profitable companies owned by DeLuca. They have their hands in everything from Art, entertainment, they own an Italian football team, food and wine, a distillery, to industry and medical, it’s far too much to get into as an intro. I have looked into the strongest and here are the top five, and then, the weakest again the top five.”

Abe stopped and gave us a chance to look things over.

“Livorno Italy is on the western coast, major import and export hub, also houses the main distillery. They just acquired this one. I like it, great potential, huge profit margin. Art buying and selling of course, iffy profit but in the right hands it could be huge.” He smiled at my mom,
damn he was good,
“They’re building a casino in Venice, ground breaking in a week, great one to have your hands into.”

I looked at Zandor and his eyes met mine, he was in, may take some
persuading but he was in.

“There should be some movement to The United States…”

“Art and Medical research, and possible dabble in music,” Xavier looked up and Mom scowled at me.

“Abe you
’re talking about two large companies in Italy, one on each coast. And now we want to add two, possibly three in the United States. You're not thinking clearly,” my Mom gave the sad, you’re a misguided boy look, trying to lure him in.

He looked away quickly, “It’s doable
, Momma Joe.”

“Your wrong Abe, the
distillery would take months to get up and running. The casino would be competing with many others, The art, eeh possible and music to much competition. Medical, no one here could pull it off.”

“The east coast houses some of the top medical schools. If we found the right
organizations to help fund it, it would be easy Mom. ALSO, it’s important to me and Bella, which makes it important to all of us. Finding the right person to run the program would be the only time sensitive issue.” I would not back down from this one, watching Charlotte literally rot in front of me was killing me, I could only imagine what it was doing to my Little Bell.

“Alright, now the very interesting part. Your grandmother
Isabella, set you up so well. Between all of you here and Little Bell, you have fifty six percent ownership in the whole thing.” I watched my brothers eyes light up and Abe smiled.

“But if I sell mine to DeLuca you have forty four,” my mother warned.

“Momma, I love you and I know how you feel about this. We also have Dominic and Valentino who own together twenty percent.”

“They will sell to DeLuca as soon as they find out.”

“Rossi promised to give us a week before going to them. He also knows where they are and that we have ninety days to decide. Grandmother insisted her will be public at that point, all major business transactions halted for thirty days, and no one is allowed to buy, sell, or make large transaction during her mandated sixty days of grieving. Mom, she did this for you. You know this. Now, you do it for us.”

“Jase, this is way to
o much and your father…”

“Gave his blood, sweat, tears, and life for us. He honored you Momma by never going to your family no matter what. He
was a stubborn man…”

“Yes
, and so are you Jase!”

“I love you Momma, and yes I am.”

Abe reached into his bag and pulled out plastic covered presentation packets, “I made these up for you all to see the key players. I am having background investigations done on all of them, the preliminary findings are there…”

“Abe how much did this cost you?” Mom all but yelled at him.

“My graduation money, and I don’t regret it. What was left over was used to buy plane tickets for Dominic, Valentino, and Rossi. They’re flying in Thursday for a few days. There are three suites on the boardwalk, I got them cheap. You should all meet and discuss everything. A law professor that I’m close with will be there and bringing her husband, an international business lawyer.” Holy shit I was impressed, “I accept whatever position you offer me, I will be turning in receipts for my expenses, and if you have nothing more to ask of me at this time, I’m going to go sleep in Jase’s bed for at least twelve hours. I am fucking exhausted.”

“This package is for Carly Smythe,” the mail delivery man tried to hand it to me. I backed up and he looked at me curiously, “Ma’am?”

“Who is it from?”

“A mobile phone carrier.”

“I don’t want it, please return it.”

He looked at me like I was half crazy, and when I say half, I’m kidding myself. He looked at me like I should be institutionalized--
What the hell? Hasn’t he ever had anyone refuse his package
?
Fucking men
!

I signed the big brown computerized clip
board and on comment I put,
Fuck Off
! I walked in the house and slammed the door. Dealing with Jase this early in the morning was going to set my mood for the entire day.

I looked in the mirror and cringed, yeah I can see why the delivery man looked at me like that. My hair looked like
Einstein’s on a bad day. It had been a month since I had responded to Jase’s text and he stopped texting and now the bastard sends a phone. So he can what? Give me a booty call? Yeah right pig bastard! If he thought for a second I would still be going to Jersey for spring break, he was sorely mistaken. Jane and I were going to Mexico, yeah that’s right-- Cancun baby! Booked and paid for. I was getting over Jase and not by hanging out with Brad, because quite frankly I hated men, all of them were disappointments and maybe, just maybe, I would become a male version of Jase while I was on vacation. Except my mother and Mimi were coming along and I won’t actually do anything.
Ugghhh
… I frustrated myself.

I didn’t miss Jase
, because I was still pissed at him, I did miss seeing Bella and hearing her sweet little voice. That sucked, but what sucked worse was that I told a little girl I loved her and then fell off the face of the earth. I never wanted to disappoint her
… fucking Jase
!

My phone ran
g and it was a number I didn’t recognize, “Hello.”

“Hey Baby…” I hung up the phone immediately.

-answer your fucking phone Carly or I will come there and sit on your patio until you talk to me…Jase

-I
won’t be here. Just leave me alone please…C

My phone rang again and I declined the call, three times as a matter a fact. I was pretty proud of myself.

-Baby it’s important…Jase

The phone rang.

“I am giving you two minutes more of my time, that’s it, and that’s being rather generous!”
Firm, strong, setting expectations, a woman in control
Jase. That’s what I am
.

“I miss you,” he paused
, possibly waiting for a response but he wasn’t going to get one
. “I need to see you.”

“Look at a picture,”
ha
!

“I do
, several times a day. Look when you get here, I have a hotel…”

“Not coming and
definitely not ever going to happen,” I laughed mockingly.

“Why
aren’t you coming? Did you have another fight with your father?”

I was pissed, very pissed but I was trying
to teach myself to think before I spoke, let’s see how that works, “My relationship with my father is none of your concern.”

“Everything about you is my concern
, Carly,” he was also trying to control himself, his voice had a bit of a bite though.

“No Jase
, and I’m not going to get into…”

“I love you, you love me, stop
fucking kidding yourself. You’ll…”

“Jase, I’
m trying to be nice here. I’m also trying to…”

“Lie to yo
urself Carly? Is that what you’re trying to do?”

“No Jase, but I won
’t let you do that either!”
Okay, calm it down there Carly.

“Bella misses you,” he whispered into the phone.

“Don’t do that Jase. Not to her,”
Or to me, or you
. I felt the burn of pending tears and I stopped talking.

“Come, just for a few days. A
lot has changed, Carly,” his voice was strained and I definitely could not deal with that.

“
I’m going on a spring break trip with a friend. I can’t do this to me anymore, and I will not do that to your…”

“Fucking BRAD!”

“No not fucking Brad, fucking Jane,” my voice squeaked.

“Who is Jane
, Carly?” he snapped.

“My friend.” I could not fight with him, “Jase
, I need to go.”

“I have one minute and thirty seconds left Carly,” his voice shook in anger.

“Jase this is stupid, you get so pissed at me and I …this is not who I am Jase, it’s not. I can’t do this. I freaked out a delivery man the other day. I’m starting to hate men, I am turning into Mimi,” I heard him chuckle which made me smile. “I’m glad I knew you but please, no more…”

“Let me talk baby. You hating men is perfect, I am not going to lie
. I know who the girl I fell in love with is and I know what I have done to you, and I promise I will more than make-up for…”

“Listen, you take care of that little girl and worry about being happy. The man I fell for was amazing. But I am going to step back, heal, and move forward. Everyone has a first love that breaks them and they get over it.”

“You won’t, I won’t let you.”

“You don’t get to choose for me,” God this was hard, but I was doing it.

“Where are you going on Spring Break? I’ll meet you, just three or four hours and…”

“I’
m hanging up now,” and I did.

I shut off my phone and got in my car. I drove to the mobile phone store and changed my number. It was easier than I thought. Until I act
ually realized what I had done.

I had just cut ties with Jase Steel
.

A
nd it hurt.

~

We returned from Spring break and I was burnt to a crisp. I cannot begin to tell express how good it felt to not stare at my phone waiting for a call or text from him. I could relax… finally. My mother and I had more fun than I expected. She is, and always will be, my best friend. Jane and Mimi were a source of ninety percent of the laughs for the whole trip. We splurged and spent two full days out of six in the resort’s spa. Mimi grumbled about it the first day but then when Jose, the most beautiful Mexican man on the planet removed his shirt during a deep tissue massage, she looked like she’d died and gone to heaven. The look in her eyes when he pampered her for the entire day, mirrored how mine must have looked whenever I was in a happy place with…him.

We pulled into the driveway and Thomas’s car was there. Mom looked so happy, she must have missed him. When we walked into the house there were flowers everywhere
. Mom gasped and covered her mouth.

“H
old up there beautiful, I didn’t do this,” Thomas looked embarrassed. “But I would have, if I knew it would have made you react like that.”

I grabbed one of the cards and opened it, “Jase.”

I threw it on the ground and went back outside and grabbed the rest of our bags. I walked into Mom and Thomas sucking face.

“I am going to bed. See you in the morning,” I am not sure if they heard me or not but I didn’t care and I am sure they didn’t either.

~

I looked at those flowers every
day for a month. The first day my mother watered them and I asked her not to do it again.

“Why?”

“I want to watch them die.”

Yep.
I actually said that.

A
nd meant it.

They were a reminder of Jase
, and I was going to use them as a focus. Each day they died, so would my love for him. Each day I woke and one was missing, I knew Mom couldn’t let them all die and she knew I needed to get through this in whatever crazy way I deemed fit. I was worse than those women in books, I was a freaking martyr.

~

The research program for the semester was ending. I had decided to spend the summer continuing to work with Thomas on it, there was no funding but it didn’t matter, what we were seeing was almost miraculous. Neither of us wanted to stop. Brad was going home for the summer. I was relieved because the hurt from Jase was lessening and I may just take it out on Brad. I could pull out some Jase Steel moves and have him wrapped around my finger. Of course that may mean I would have to do my hair, and maybe apply some make up. Oh and wax, I was letting that grow, trimming of course, but no wax, and ABSOLUTELY no creams.

I’d
be entering my third year in college as a senior, yes, I over-did the course load but it was just the distraction I needed. I was also trying to get my mother to agree to let me take courses over the summer. She insisted I needed a break, and she was right of course, but I also needed to grow up and let my mom live.

Without asking permission
, I called Dad and he sent me the money for twelve credits. He also sent me money for three months’ worth of rent. He was shocked I wanted to move out and I let him make assumptions that Mom and I were on the outs.

Mom was shocked as well, “No Carly
, send him back the money…”

“My
relationship with him is what it is. If it’s easier for him to feel like I need him for money than for a true connection, that’s fine. He’s my father, I love him. I also love you and I know you and Thomas need to move forward, you have already taken a huge step by telling Mimi,” I smiled and wiped away her tears and she laughed.

“You are my priority,” she
raised her eyebrows.

“And you are mine, the heart wants what the heart wants right Mom. Thomas wants yours
, and you want his.”

“He’
s going to move in with both of us, Carly,” she shook her head, “I was going to tell you.”

“Are you kidding me? His house has a pool and is
closer to town. This house is…”

“Ours, this house is ours,” I understood how hard she worked for us to have everything we had, plus ensure I had no
student loans and at twenty I was ready to become an adult. I would never tell her that of course, she would feel like it was her fault I felt this way and it wasn’t. Damn the woman should be proud, she raised a twenty year old in this day and age that was a virgin.

~

Mom and Thomas moved into our house, he sold his. He couldn’t break her heart either, and with the profit he made, he paid off her house, their house. He was amazing and smart, very smart. His golf night was on Thursday nights, Book Club. He said it was for her but I saw him almost sprint out the door as soon as they started filing in. I loved Thomas, and I loved that he loved my mother.

I even loved my little studio apartment, Dad’s three month allotment got me six months due strictly to the fact that I took a couple months, which gave Mom time to get used to the idea, and waited for the best deal. I was a five minute walk from school, so gas was not an issue and groceries
weren’t either. Every Sunday I went home for dinner and every Sunday night I got a text from mom to check my trunk. Always full of groceries.

Jane and I hung out a lot and she always brought a movie or take out when she and I hung out at least three days a week.

My last week of school was finally here: I was graduating in the winter. The funds for Thomas’s research were depleted but he and I both felt we couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t ask for more money, and Mom and Thomas had enough saved that they had decided together that if I moved back home, we could continue, just until I got a job or we found funding. I moved back in the weekend before graduation. I was grateful to have experienced my own sort of dorm life for almost five full months. Jane took over my little pad and was happier than could be.

~

Thomas and I were going over findings waiting for Mom to finish grading finals when there was a knock on the door. I got up and answered it.

Sally Henderson stood looking at me, “May I come in?”

“Of course, Mom is still at work but she should be home any minute.”

“Carly there is no easy way to tell you this,” and then everything went black.

Thomas was so strong for me. He made phone calls, my father was his first. He told him that I was sleeping and as soon as I woke, I would call him. Cameron was next, then Mimi and on down the line.

Mimi walked in and her face
showed obvious signs of tears, but she held her head high and asked Thomas and I to follow her. She opened the safe that neither of us knew of and pulled out paperwork. A will and a file from a nearby funeral home. Mom had planned her own funeral, it was paid for and planned to the last detail. Her instructions were for immediate family and very close friends only. She wanted to be cremated, she even picked out the Urn.

“Two days from today and after the service, we are
n’t allowed to cry,” Mimi’s voice broke, “We celebrate her life and our time with her.”