When We Meet Again

Chapter 10

Dean sat down to face Samantha and she leaned forward proffering her cheek for his peck. He obliged her and then leaned back as far as his chair would allow, just so she wouldn’t get any ideas.

“How’s work?” he asked her, seeking to break the ice with a neutral topic.

“Great. It’s so easy to smile and look sexy when your heart is breaking,” she said, sarcasm thick in the air. So maybe not such a neutral topic.

“That’s too bad,” Dean said vaguely and signaled the wine steward to come forth at once.

“How are you doing? Being the new CEO must be fun,” Samantha asked looking like she was actually interested in the answer.

“Actually it’s tedious and boring but also scary so I guess it’s great,” Dean said.

“What could possibly be boring about it?” she asked.

“The endless paperwork is nerve wracking. Also the decision making, although in a different way from the paper work. It also does not help that the CFO seems to have a nervous condition where he second guesses all my decisions.”

“Well you’re in charge, what are you going to do about it?”

Dean shrugged, “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Well, sounds like you have an exciting time ahead of you. How will you make time for your little wh*re?”

“You know it’s funny you should call her that. When we first had s*x all those years ago, I don’t believe you were a virgin. She however, was,” Dean stated then regretted the words immediately. He was pretty sure Meaghan would not have wanted Samantha to have that information.

“So you admit that you’ve been sleeping with her all along?” Samantha’s voice was rising dangerously.

“No Sammy, Meaghan and I only got together recently,” he said.

“And by recently you mean she’s the reason you broke up with me?” Samantha pressed.

Dean thought about the answer to that question seriously. “Yes and no,” he said at last then hastened to continue before she could ask what he meant. “Yes she made me see that there was possibility beyond…us. No, we were not sleeping with each other while I was still with you.”

“And how did she ‘make you see’? By hoodwinking you into thinking she’s some kind of saint? A 28 year old virgin Dean? Pull the other one.”

“It wasn’t even like that. And explaining to you is counterproductive anyway. All I’m saying is that you have her all wrong. If you want to blame someone for our break up, put the blame where it belongs. On me.”

“How very chivalrous of you to shield your new toy. How long do you think this will last Dean, before you come crawling back to me? Do you really think this ‘relationship’ of yours could possibly go anywhere?”

“That’s up to us to see isn’t it?”

“Is it? Because a lot more people are affected by your ‘relationship’ than just the two of you. Your mother is very distressed.”

“My mother feels thwarted and she doesn’t like that. I wouldn’t go as far as calling her distressed though. That would take having actual emotions.”

“Dean don’t be like this. This isn’t you.”

“Oh yeah? Who is it then?”

Samantha looked at him sadly like he was the most misguided human being on the planet.

“I’ll leave now before this gets any uglier Dean but mark my words; you’ll come looking for me once you tire of this…novelty.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” Dean said quietly as she walked away.

*****

Dean stopped by the house to visit his father. He was in and out of consciousness but at least when he was conscious he was also lucid. He didn’t know about him and Samantha breaking up and Dean wanted to keep it that way. He had no idea how his father felt about Samantha but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be happy about anything that threatened perceptions on the firm being in good hands. And as much as Dean hated to admit it, the fact that he was perceived to be almost settled down with a girl from a ‘good’ family was part and parcel of his acceptance as CEO. To rock that boat now of all times was risky business and he knew it. He also knew that he could not pretend to be what he was not. The result was a delicate balancing act that made him feel like he was dancing on the sword of Damocles.

His father was awake when he stepped in the room and his eyes lit up when he saw Dean.

“Hello father,” Dean said softly coming to sit by the bed and clasp his father by the hand, “How are you today?”

His father squeezed his hand weakly and made a shrugging gesture with his mouth.

“Yeah. Me too,” Dean said ruefully.

His father lifted an eyebrow in inquiry and Dean wondered which of his problems he could discuss without causing his dad to suffer a second stroke. His father squeezed his hand again his eyes open and trying to communicate something that Dean suspected was to do with him telling him exactly what the trouble was. He took a breath and opened his mouth.

“Were you in love with mother when you got married?” he was as surprised as his father was to hear the question come out of his mouth. His father stared at him as if trying to discern what was in his soul. He nodded his head, watching Dean carefully as he did it.

“Are you in love with her now?” was Dean’s next (unexpected) question. His father frowned at him, asking with his eyes what this was about.

“I just…I don’t want to make a mistake with this marriage business. It’s too important,” he told his father whose brow cleared as he understood where Dean was coming from. His father looked away and then back at Dean then lifted his hand to point at his dresser. Dean looked over to see what was there but couldn’t immediately spot anything that could be relevant.

“What do you want father?” he asked.

His father pointed again, indicating the drawer underneath the dressing table.

Dean moved toward it and opened the drawer. There was a leather bound journal sitting in it; it looked old yet well preserved. He picked it up and turned toward his father with a raised eyebrow. His father nodded briefly so Dean closed the drawer and brought the journal to his father. His father looked at him and nodded silently as if giving permission for Dean to look. He opened the first page and read.

Journal of Jeffrey Morgan Wesson given on the occasion of his 21^st Birthday

2/7/1961

With love from Mother

Dean smiled, “You have a journal?” he asked his dad unable to hide his amusement.

His father glared at him and then cut his eyes to the journal again.

“Okay, okay, I’m reading,” Dean said and turned the page.

I’ve just left the ball being held in honor of my 21^st birthday and my head is buzzing. I don’t know if it’s all the alcohol I’ve drunk or its Poppy St. Claire’s attentions. I vote for the former but I suspect the latter. Whatever that young lady’s been up to in France sure has paid dividends for her. Never have I seen so lovely a creature from so close up. And boy was she close up!

Dean stopped reading immediately. He glanced up at his father with a grimace.

“Don’t tell me you did it for the first time at your 21^st birthday ball father. That is just too much information for me.”

His father gave him a wry look and a smile and then closed his eyes and shook his head.

“What? You didn’t do it for the first time or not at the ball?” Dean asked, feeling himself color just discussing the possibility of his parents having s*x. His father waved a hand without opening his eyes indicating that Dean should keep reading.

Dean looked back at the writing in trepidation. He had no desire to know how his father had wooed his mother but he’d asked so…

Even I didn’t fail to notice how the sapphire of her ball gown exactly matched that of her eyes, or her earrings. If ever there was a jewel to complete my crown then she is it-

“Dad, who knew you were such a poet?” Dean teased and his dad smiled sleepily. Dean really looked at him, the shadows under his eyes seemed deeper and his crows’ feet were more pronounced.