2 Chapter 2

“Hunter, tuck in your shirt.” Mrs Davenport instructed me when I entered the beautifully decorated suburban house. It was just before 7 o’clock so I should still be in time for dinner. I felt a little dirty so I wanted to go up to my room and shower me but I didn’t think my parents would allow me to especially since it was so close to dinner time. At least I looked presentable, well I wore a white shirt and black blazer so that was presentable enough.

“Sorry Mrs D.” My apology was one the older woman heard me give her almost daily. She was in her late 40’s so she wasn’t that much older than my parents but she had raised me as much as my parents did and I kind of saw her as my grandmother. She hated when I called her grandma but I refused to call her Mrs Davenport so we came to a compromise which led to ‘Mrs D’. Didn’t sound too old and still a bit formal but I had to make sure that my parents never heard me call her that or else they would give me a boring lecture about respect and manners and some other boring nonsense which would ultimately lead to me apologizing and getting punished anyway.

“Are you leaving?” I tucked in my shirt and straightened my clothing as I saw her put on the elegant coat I had gotten her for her birthday last year. When I saw it in the shop last year I immediately bought it for her and it fit her perfectly.

“Yes. My work for today is finished so I’m heading home.”

“Are you sure that you aren’t headed to date?” Suddenly she hit my right arm but smiled.

“You’re over enough to take care of so I don’t need another man in my life.”

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, well for the most part at least.” This time I smiled while she rolled her eyes at me.

“I’d believe that more if Stella was living with you. I honestly don’t see how you could live without the two of us.” That was kind of true. With Stella and Mrs Davenport around, all I had to do was wash me, dress me and go to the toilet. They did almost everything else for me even though I was more than capable of doing it myself, except cooking where my skills sorely lacked.

“You’d better not be planning on leaving me to fend for myself anytime soon then Mrs D.”

“You just need to stop being lazy.”

“I can’t promise anything.” That got a lighthearted chuckle out of her. “Can I give you a lift anywhere? Or maybe call you a cab?”

“Don’t you worry about me. I’ve been doing this since you were in diapers. Your parents and some guests are waiting for you by the dining table as well. Be good tonight.” That was just like her to refuse my offer and change the subject. She never wanted anyone to fuss over her and I respected that but sometimes I just wanted to do something to make her life a little easier. She helped my mother raise me which I can promise was no easy feat so if I could do anything for her then I would jump at the opportunity.

“That I can’t promise as well. Travel safely.”

“I will. I’ll see you tomorrow and I’m making a cake for Stella to celebrate her first art showcase so you’re going to have to take me shopping tomorrow.” That was sweet of Mrs Davenport. I was planning on taking Stella out tomorrow night to celebrate as well but we could come here first. Mrs Davenport and Stella really got along with each other and was honestly like a grandmother to both of us. Hell, my parents probably loved Stella more than me at times. She was like the daughter they always wanted but I couldn’t deny that she was perfect. I honestly didn’t see why my parents didn’t want me to have a romantic relationship with her.

“I will. See you tomorrow.” Mrs Davenport gave me a quick hug then exited the house. I watched her walk down the smooth stone steps then down the bricked pathway and out onto the pavement before I closed the door and got ready to go greet my parents and our guests. I fought my urge to go up the polished wooden staircase on my right and go to my room and wash me but I didn’t want to leave everyone waiting for me. I walked down the passage and passed the neatly cleaned lounge on the left that led into the dining area.

“Good evening everyone.” I immediately began analyzing our guests and try to assess the situation in the room. Besides my parents, there were 2 other adults who were there with their 3 children I suppose; two older girls and a younger boy. Our families seemed to be getting along by the look of things. The opened bottle of red wine on the table probably had something to do with that as well.

“Good evening honey.” My mother gave me her usual greeting. Suddenly everyone stood up which made me a little nervous but I kept my outward appearance of composure.

“Son, I would like you to meet the Andrews family. Everyone, this is our son Hunter.” My father came over to me and put his hand on my back as he urged me. He had an uncharacteristic smile on his face so he was definitely trying to create his best first impression which meant that I would have to do it as well. This whole evening immediately irritated me but I plastered a smile on my face and followed my father’s lead.

“This is Mr and Mrs Andrews and their children Naomi, Michaela and Zendé.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” I shook their hands and most of them seemed friendly except for Michaela whose deathly stare nearly broke her red-framed glasses.

“The pleasure is all ours.” Pretty standard reply from Mr Andrews but I knew that I shouldn’t let my guard down because of it. We might want them as clients but that didn’t mean that we should let them dictate the terms of our partnership.

“Now that we’re all here, let’s have dinner.” My mother suggested.

“Good idea.” This was weird, my parents never agree with each other this smoothly unless they were really trying to impress someone. Even when my grandparents were around, they never acted this in sync with each other.

“Mrs Andrews, can you help me in the kitchen please?” My mother politely asked the other mother in the room.

“Definitely.” That was a rather eager reply. Was there something going on right now that I wasn’t aware of?

“Let’s take our seats again.” My father led them as they began taking their seats around the table again. I waited to see where everyone sat so that I could find a comfortable spot to sit since my left-handedness could cause to be an unwelcome nuisance to whoever sat down next to me. I quickly saw the seating arrangement and knew where our mother’s were going to sit and saw that they left a seat open for me between my mother and Michaela. Our father’s took the heads of the table which was to be expected so their wife’s took their seat on the right side of them. Naomi and Zendé took their seats next to their mother on the opposite side of where my mother, Michaela and I were supposed to sit.

“Michaela, would you mind if we switch seats please?” I walked towards the seat she was sitting on and stood next to where her father was seated.

“Why?” She was straightforward and a little stern which I actually found comforting in this situation. Everyone was doing their best to keep this false sense of happiness around us that her abruptness was such a relief right now.

“I’m left-handed.” I casually answered her but she looked even more confused right now. It was unfortunately a situation I faced often when it came to seated dinner events. I hated being a nuisance to others but I couldn’t really help that I was different than most of the people in the world when it came to our dominant hand.

“And that’s an issue because…?” I had to stop myself from laughing at her innocence but this was probably a situation she hadn’t encountered yet.

“Your right arm might bump into my left arm while we eat which could cause an unnecessary mess.” I could see that she understood what I meant now but for some reason she still didn’t look like she planned on moving.

“One of our cousins are left-handed as well and he sits on my right side and we’ve never had a problem.” It made sense now why she looked so confident but I wasn’t going to back down now either.

“Your cousin and I are different I suppose. This is the first time we’ve met as well so we might not have as much chemistry as you do with your cousin.” I made my way around her seat and took my seat next to hers as I waited for her response.

“We won’t know unless we try.” We sat next to each other but she chose to look ahead while she spoke. I, on the other hand, studied her facial features as she spoke and her face was flooded with confidence right now. She thought she had me beat.

“I prefer to use the ‘prevention is better than cure’ approach rather than the ‘hit and hope’ one.” That got her attention. She slowly turned to face me and the expression on her face right now instantly told me that she was planning on destroying me. I was honestly enjoying this little battle between us right now. It was different than the battles Stella and I had. This battle was purely academic while my battle’s with Stella tended to be more sensual. It was a great change of pace but I’d always prefer if it was Stella was sitting next to right now instead of Michaela.

“Wouldn’t ‘prevention’ in this case be for you to become right-handed then?” Wow, she was good, I had to give her that. She readjusted her glasses with her left hand as she tried to stare me down now.

“I would classify it as being a ‘cure’ rather. A highly unethical one which would infringe on our basic human rights to freedom of choice and general freedom overall.”

“What would you rather suggest then?”

“To act in a manner that is comfortable, appropriate and respectful for all types of people so that we could live in a way that is convenient for everyone even if it is merely a simple act of switching seats in this case.” Checkmate. I was actually interested in hearing her reply to that if she had any.

“Hear we go, dinner is here.” My mother announced as she and Mrs Andrews appeared carrying trays of some of the most delicious smelling food. Looks like she was saved there.

“Is there anything I can bring from the kitchen mom?” I asked her as they set the food in the middle of the table.

“There’s a bowl of salad still on the counter and you can bring the sauces as well.” My mother instructed me. I stood up then quickly made my way to the kitchen. I was grateful for the temporary peace the kitchen provided right now. The lounge and dining room is an open floor plan kind of set up but the kitchen was walled for some reason so it was clearly a distinct part of the house. I always wondered why my mother never convinced my father to open it up to the rest of the house. It would provide a more comfortable and family friendly feel to the house. I never spent a lot of time in the kitchen but that was mainly because I always ended up breaking something or getting hurt or both in some cases. I grabbed the rather cute wooden stand that housed a range of sauces then secured my grip around the bowl of Greek salad before heading into the dining area again.

I immediately spotted a distinct difference when I walked in; Michaela was now sitting on my seat leaving the corner seat next to her father open for me. I was grateful for it but the frustration on her face definitely scared me. If she was planning on getting me back somehow then I was certainly not going to like it.

“Thank you honey.” I handed the items to my mother then took my seat. I refused to make eye contact with anyone so that I didn’t end up in an unwanted argument again. I think once was enough for me so now I just wanted to have a great meal in a comfortable atmosphere.

“Well everyone, let’s dig in.” I definitely wasn’t going to say no to that. It was customary to let the guests go first though so I waited for the Andrews to dish their food. I liked this set up of a family-style meal where everyone dished for themselves instead of preparing a plate for everyone beforehand. It gave each person some sort of power and made them feel more comfortable with what they had on their plates. It was a pretty cool idea.

“So Hunter, your father tells me that you run the electronic advertising division in the company.” Mr Andrews might’ve been making a statement there but I knew that he meant it as a question. I guess he was trying to intimidate me so that he could hopefully intimidate my father in return. This might seem like a simple dinner between two families but this is where the negotiations started. Unfortunately, I had no idea what was being negotiated so I didn’t know what the appropriate response was. Hopefully honesty was the right way.

“I do. I made a pitch to my father a couple of years ago to join in on the electronic advertising that seems to be going extremely well in most places around the world and we’d be the first in this town so we’d basically control it. He agreed but then put me in charge of it.” I explained while I dished me some of the food. My actions were careful and calm so that it hopefully didn’t reflect my nerves. I would’ve felt more at ease if my father had briefed me on the deal he was hoping to make with the Andrews beforehand but that was probably my fault. I chose to hangout with Stella instead but that was always a decision I would never regret.

“One of my best decisions I’ve made for the company.” I immediately turned to my father to see if this was still just part of the act he was putting on for the Andrews. He looked at me and smiled then gave me a slight nod so I knew that he meant it. An immediate sense of pride swept over me and calmed my nerves. I really appreciated my father saying that. I had defiantly voiced my view on joining the family business on many occasions but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to try my best at whatever I did.

“See dad, why can’t you give me an opportunity like that? Give me a team and we’ll build whatever you need us to build.” Zendé suddenly stated. I guess Zendé and I were complete opposites. I didn’t want anything to do with my family’s business yet I was forced into it while he wanted to be apart of whatever his father did but he wasn’t getting the opportunity. He did say that they that he needs a team to build something so maybe they were builders.

“You aren’t joining your father until you finish school.” Mrs Andrews clearly ran their household or else Zendé would’ve asked his mother.

“That’s unfair. You let Michaela go with dad when she was in school and she doesn’t know anything about construction.” Construction? Was this the Andrews family who owned Andrews Construction? Damn, this really was an important meeting then. I knew that Andrews Construction was one of the most reputable construction company’s along the coast. My father has been wanting to get them as a client for years so I guess this was finally his chance. I might not want anything to do with my family’s business but I was sure as hell not going to mess this up for my father. This could only benefit our family in the long run anyway.

“I was shadowing one of the managers of the company for school.” I was glad that Michaela’s frustration was directed at her brother right now rather than at me.

“So? I also need to get some work experience.” There was no quitting in him it seems. I had to admire Zendé’s tenacity though. This was actually fun watching them argue with each other like this while we ate. If anything, this could only put the Andrew’s on the back foot and give my father the opportunity to lead the negotiations.

“You are barely passing at school so what makes you think that you’d do any better at dad’s company?” That was a little harsh from Michaela but I didn’t understand her relationship with her brother so I wasn’t going to jump in right now.

“Michaela has a point there. Maybe if you pull up your socks then dad will let you help him on a job.” Naomi suggested. I guess she was the voice of reason between the 3 of them.

“That’s stupid. Dad knows what I can do and it’s better than you and Michaela combined.” I’m pretty sure that if they were at their own house right now then one of the girls would’ve ended up slapping him silly. I leaned closer to Michaela who looked like she was ready to jump across the table and strangle her brother.

“If you want to bury your fork in your brother’s chest right now then I’m pretty sure I can get our parents to overlook it.” I jokingly whispered into her ear.

“That’s not the problem, cleaning up the blood is.” I was pleasantly surprised when she whispered that in response. I turned to her and I couldn’t help but smile at our playful stupidity. Despite our first conversation, she seemed okay to have around. She was smart and playful at least so that was enough.

“Anything the two of you would like to share?” My mother asked me as Michaela and I tried not to release a laugh while we looked at each other.

“I just asked Michaela if it would be appropriate to take whatever leftovers there are to my room because this food is seriously delicious.” If anyone believed that lie then I must’ve either sounded extremely convincing or they must’ve been drinking too much of the bottle of red wine our parents were nursing.

“Sure.” My mother clearly wasn’t convinced. That was to be expected, she did raise me so she would definitely know when I was lying.

“Mr Andrews, what was your favorite building to work on?” My question was trivial but I just wanted to start a conversation around the table again before things got uncomfortably awkward for everyone.

“I don’t really have a favorite. I love what I do although I don’t get the chance to be as hands on as I would like to be these days.” At least he wasn’t ending the conversation there. On the contrary, he opened up a brand new list of questions for me to ask him.

“Which one did you enjoy the most though?” I continued prying.

“Definitely renovating our house. That was one of my favorites you could say.” I could see that he was being honest and not just answering me for the sake of shutting me up.

“Really? You and I remember those months completely differently then.” Mrs Andrews suddenly piped up. She sat opposite me so I could clearly see the slight smirk on her face before she put a forkful of food in her mouth.

“My husband tends to have that same problem.” My mother added as she turned to look at her husband. Both heads of the table were suddenly overcome with nerves. How did my questions suddenly turn into this? I swear, I was going to be silent for the rest of the night so that I didn’t cause any problems for anyone else but I had to do something about this situation I caused.

“They do say that every successful man is made by a woman who endured most of the stress. I’m sure dad and Mr Andrews would agree.” Hopefully that could defuse the tense atmosphere right now.

“Definitely.” My father nervously agreed.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.” Mr Andrews looked relieved so that clearly worked. Now it was in their hands to lead the conversation.

“You said that you couldn’t be as ‘hands on’ as you would like to be so will that mean someone else will be leading the construction?” What construction was my father talking about? Was this the deal they were negotiating?

“I’ll definitely be leading the team, you don’t have to worry about that. We’ll use our best resources to construct your new headquarters.” New headquarters? Why wasn’t I informed of this? If we were moving offices then my father should’ve at least informed me since it affected my department within the company as well. I’m not going to lie, I felt the ugly beast of betrayal and anger clutching their claws around me but I needed more information if their presence was to be justified.

“That’s good to hear. I look forward to working with you.” My eyes fixed themselves on my father who refused to look at me right now. He probably knew that I had a sea of questions ready to drown him. I wasn’t going to make a scene about it now though but I was definitely going to question him after dinner about this because he really couldn’t afford to have me angry right now and sink the deal he was cultivating with Mr Andrews.