Egotistically Yours by Hayley Faiman

Chapter Thirty-Six

LAURENT

I completely stopped reassuringBethie that everything was going to be okay about thirty minutes ago. We’re on our way to work, me driving Bethie and Tucker into LoneSTAR Investments. Not only did I promise to take her to work today, I also need to speak with my dad again.

Once Tucker is settled into the day care center, I reluctantly leave Bethie at her front counter. Though, I do ensure that the security my father said he would hire is in place and watching for her and anyone else, before I head up to his office.

A couple of years ago, my father would be behind his desk before the first person even arrived in the building. These days, he arrives at a normal business hour.

I could try to claim that it’s because he’s getting closer toward retirement age, but I know without a doubt that it’s because he doesn’t want to leave Tennessee and the kids at home.

It’s still weird to think of my father having children that are the same age as Tucker, but when you see how happy he is, that weirdness completely melts away. Plus, my dad looks damn good for his age and I hope that I’m the same way when I get there.

Lifting my hand, I make a fist and rap on my father’s office door a few times. He clears his throat, then calls for me to come in. Another thing that’s pretty fucking awesome about him is that he doesn’t care who knocks on the other side of his door, they’re always welcome. Whoever they are.

Slipping into his office, I close the door behind me, then lift my gaze up to meet his. He doesn’t look surprised to see me, in fact, he looks expectant, which means that Lawrence called him. That doesn’t shock me at all, Lawrence and Dad have always been close.

“Lawrence called you,” I announce as I walk over to the empty chair that sits across from him and flop down.

My father doesn’t speak right away, but his gaze is assessing as he watches me for a long moment. “He did. And I can see that he was telling the truth. Which I thought was a bit far-fetched. My son, a grown man? Beating up another grown man over a woman?”

“Not over a woman,” I snap.

He arches a brow, waiting for me to continue. Sitting straight up, I lean forward and clear my throat. “Over disrespecting, over making Bethie feel trapped and uncomfortable, over a myriad of things, but not something I was pissing on to mark my territory.”

“No?” he asks.

My lips tip up. “Maybe a little,” I confess.

He chuckles. “You think I don’t know my own son? But a lot of this could be solved with marriage, maybe?” he asks.

Shaking my head, I let out a sigh. “I want to buy her a ring, but it absolutely won’t be an engagement ring.”

My father closes his eyes as if he’s had enough of my shit. As if I annoy the absolute fucking crap out of him and test him to his limits, all things that I’m pretty sure I do and always have done.

“You’re a grown man. I won’t pressure you about it. I’m just saying things would be easier.”

“They might be,” I say. “But it wouldn’t feel right to me.”

His gaze searches mine for a long moment, then he nods his head once. “I can respect that, Laurent.”

“Thanks,” I mutter. Then I inhale a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I need help.”

Saying the three words kills me. I don’t want to ask for help, I haven’t needed help since I was a kid, but I also have to swallow whatever pride I have left. My business is failing and I have a family.

“With?” my dad asks.

I know him, he wants to hear me say the words out loud. It’s not about pride or boasting, it’s about me being forced to own up to whatever it is that I’ve been part of. In this case, it’s admitting that I’m not perfect. That I’m not able to create something from nothing. That I need help.

It’s just admitting that I’m not perfect.

I’ve always been able to succeed without much effort, so this is a real hit to my ego, but I don’t feel too horrible, maybe because I’m trying to help other people in my company, trying to ensure a decent future for Tucker and Bethie, too.

“Astor Investments isn’t going to make it.”

Saying the words, admitting defeat sucks. It’s terrible. I hate every second of it, but this is growth. A year ago, I wouldn’t have ever admitted this. I would have tried to figure something out, even if I had to scheme and steal. I’m not that man anymore. I refuse to be sitting in a cell next to my mother and miss the beautiful life that I have with Bethie and Tucker.

“I’ve been watching,” he admits. “I don’t like to see this happen, but I was worried when your mother handed it all over to you, that this is exactly what would happen. I set her up to fail, never intending it to bleed on to you.”

“I know,” I say with a nod of my head.

He clears his throat, then leans back in his seat. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. Putting a proposal together for you, just in case. However, I wanted it to work with the oil industry. I really hoped that it would. I know that if you had been given a true opportunity, you would have made that thrive, Laurent. I don’t want you to think that you’re a failure at all.”

My dad, always the fucking kind of man to make even a failure feel good about himself, even when it’s his own son. Biting the inside of my cheek, I don’t say anything, there’s no need to. Instead, I wait to hear his proposal.

I’m almost on pins and needles, filled with excitement for what he could potentially be offering me. I know without a doubt it won’t be a handful of money, that’s not how Landry Astor works—ever.

Nobody is ever handed anything.

“I want to offer you a position to run your own investment company, but underneath LoneSTAR Investments.”

“Like a franchise?” I ask.

He nods his head. “Something like that.”

“Okay…” I start to answer, but he holds up his hand, his palm facing me.

My dad shakes his head once. Then he clears his throat. His eyes lift to mine, then he starts to speak again.

“It isn’t cut and dry,” he announces. “You’ll have to move.”

“Move?” I ask.

His eyes find mine and he nods his head once. “Colorado.”

My eyes widen and immediately all I envision is snow. Mountains and mountains of snow. Just the name, Colorado, sounds fucking cold.

BETHANIE

I’m sittingat my counter, one eye on the guard, the other on the elevator as I wait for Laurent to descend from his father’s office. He’s up there for a while, a little too long and I start to become nervous. Then as soon as I’m putting my thumb in my mouth and chewing on the edge, the elevator doors open and he steps out.

I watch as he makes his way toward me, jerking his chin up at the man guarding me. “We have a lot to talk about. Want to go out to dinner tonight? Tenny will watch Tucker for us, she offered.”

Frowning, I flick my gaze behind him, wondering when Tennessee walked through the lobby, because I certainly didn’t see her. Laurent must realize what I’m looking for because he lets out a low, sexy chuckle.

“My dad called her,” he offers.

“Oh, okay.”

“It’s all good, baby,” he murmurs.

Lifting my gaze to meet his, I watch him for a long moment. “Is it?” I ask.

He nods his head once. “It is, trust me.”

I’m too nervous to ask him any more questions. Instead, I nod my head, my eyes focused on his. He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t attempt to alleviate my anxiety and stress. He leans over the counter and touches his mouth to mine, then says that he’ll be by later this afternoon to pick me up.

With a little wave, I watch him walk out of the building and if I am not mistaken, he has a little extra bounce in his step that he didn’t have when we walked in earlier.

Frowning, I jump when my phone rings and I shift to answer it. My thoughts no longer on whatever is happening with Laurent. I focus on work and work alone the rest of the day, only breaking for lunch and to feed Tucker, then getting right back to work.

I don’t even realize it’s late afternoon until Laurent is standing in front of me, Tucker in his arms. My eyes widen and I look up at him in surprise, then glance down at the clock on my computer screen and notice that it’s four.

“It’s only four,” I point out.

Laurent laughs. “It is, but your boss says you can clock out early. I asked him.”

Shaking my head, I smile as I go about clocking out, then grab my purse and stand. Hurrying over to them, I touch my lips to Laurent’s before I look down at Tucker and slide my finger along his cheek.

“I need to feed him before we go to dinner.”

Laurent hums. “You do. But can you do that at Tenny’s or do you want to do it here?” he asks.

I look around the office and decide that Tenny’s sounds a lot better than anywhere around here. Shifting my gaze back to him, I grin.

“Okay, Tenny’s,” I say with a nod. He smiles, and together we leave the office and head toward Tenny and Landry’s.

Once we’re in the car, I start to think about what he could want to talk to me about at dinner. And going out to dinner, too? What is happening? My anxiety starts to fill me all over again. My heart slams against my chest as the thoughts of what this could be about flow throughout my mind.

Then we arrive at Tenny’s and he shifts the car into park. I turn my head and look over at him. Laurent smiles, but I can’t meet his smile. I’m too freaking scared. He reaches out, wrapping his fingers around the side of my neck.

He holds my gaze with his own. “It’s all good, baby.”

“Is it, really?” I breathe.

His eyes search mine and he nods his head once. “It is,” he whispers. “I fucking promise you that it is. Everything is going to work out the way that it was always meant to.”

“What does that mean?” I ask.

He shakes his head once. “You’ll see.”

Then, without another word, his hand falls from mine and he unfolds from the car. I watch as he opens up the back door and starts to take Tucker out. I let out a heavy sigh, and slip out of the front seat myself, then together we walk up the steps toward Tenny and Landry’s front door.

Tennessee opens the door, Hanna in her arms and a smile on her face.

“Hey,” she greets.