I’d Rather Dig Horses’ Shit
XANDRY
After hearing Dad’s faint deep voice telling me to come in, I walked inside. He was sitting behind his glass top desk. His office was modern and boring surrounded by glass walls. There was no decoration other than his chair, the desk, two chairs in front, a small coffee table, and a single file drawer. No family photos, paintings on the wall, nor rags.
Alexander Phoenix Williams had a principle that family would come first, and he made sure to leave the office on time and spend time with us. He had a high ceiling symmetry dark-stained wood office and a library at home he shared with Mom. My mother, Samantha collected all the books published by her publishing house plus the books she had when she was young. She was also a fantasy-adventure author under the pseudonym of Hanna Andry.
Dad’s fingers were linked together on top of his desk without uttering a word.
“Hey, Dad,” I greeted, offering him a smile.
“Have a seat.” His face remained neutral, and that made me a little nervous, in fact, my hands were getting sweaty inside my pockets.
“Why did you ask for a vacation?” he asked skeptically.
“I’ve been working for three years and I haven’t asked for a vacation, so I guess it’s about time.” I already prepped my answer because I knew Dad would question me when I passed my request to his assistant two days ago.
“Are you sure that was it all about, Xandry?” His voice was low, but there was something in it that gave me goosebumps and churn my stomach.
“What are you trying to say, Dad?” I stayed relax despite my agitation was crawling under my skin.
Dad didn’t answer, instead, he pulled his drawer, took something, then threw them on top of his desk.
My jaw instantly tightened, making my teeth grind. My heart started to race in my chest.
There were pictures of me and Blaine taken during the wedding while I was dancing with her. The other was when I helped her into my car and my hand was on her back, then when I was holding her hand and Ben was on her right, and the last picture was when I was kissing her at the airport.
“You followed me?” My eyes narrowed at Dad. I was already standing and gestured to the pictures scattered on top of his desk. “This is an invasion of my privacy. I can’t believe you did this, Dad.”
“When I heard you had something over a woman for the first time, of course, I was curious,” he growled, looking at me with a mixture of disgust and anger on his face.
“To the point that you have to hire someone to follow me? Can’t you even ask your own son face to face?” I took all the pictures one by one.
“And that’s the reason why you want to take a month’s vacation, Xandry? To be with some—”
“Someone like what, Dad?” My breathing went heavy. “Someone like Blaine? A hometown girl? A single mother who raised her child alone? Well, your PI clearly didn’t do his job pretty good and didn’t dig into her deepest secrets.”
“Xandry, look at your sister.”
“And what about, Saph? Is this because she has a multi-billion dollar heir at her disposal?” I swallowed the thickness in my throat for saying something against my sister because Saph had nothing to do with this.
“You can find someone —”
“Someone like Harriet Hirington?” I replied quickly.
“Because I know her family and she grew up in this city.”
“Oh, Dad, please. You don’t know anything about that brat.”
He knew nothing about that woman whom my parents were pushing me to go out on a date with. And I’m aware of what she did all her life because we grew up together. Her messes didn’t get out publicly because her dad was a public figure and they had money to wipe out their dirty little secrets from the media. And I better strangled myself than going out on a date with her because I knew for a fact that once I did that, I’d be tied and ended up pulling the trigger directly into my head.
“You’re not going to that town again, Xandry,” Dad ordered firmly, face flushed red.
“You might forget I’m a man, and you can’t control me anymore. F— to hell this damn job! The trust fund! And I don’t need them.” I huffed. Another surge of anger flowed through me.
“Don’t use that tone on me, Alexander Henry! You are being disrespectful!” Dad’s voice thundered with anger.
I knew I just poke the bear, but he controlled me enough and I couldn’t let that happen again when I somehow found the light to where my life I wanted to be.
“You’ve controlled me enough and I did what you wanted me to be. I stayed here instead of going with Bash to London. I gave up my supposed to be modeling career and instead of walking the runway I walked the path you chose for me, and now what? You still want to be your trained puppy over dating a woman?”
“At least try to date a decent woman!” He slammed his hands on his desk and leaned, pinning his intense glare at me. And he just shocked me the almost that made me jump with fear. The last time I had a confrontation with him was about the stupid bet with Pyke over Cam.
I breathed deeply trying hard to calm my nerve and my chest constricted while my heart was excruciatingly aching inside.
When I gained enough courage, I stood up to my defense and said, “Don’t you f— dare talk to me about decency! She is the most decent, strong, willed, and beautiful woman I’ve ever met. You don’t know anything about that woman you are trying to push me with. You better ask your PI to dig into her background. And you’ve just wasted your money over Blaine because you can’t stop me from seeing her.”
“Is that so, son? You will give up the things that I built for years over that woman?” he challenged me with determination. I knew Dad’s patience was wearing thin, but I had to say something on my behalf.
“If it comes to that, yes. I finally found something important in my life, Dad. And don’t take that away from me because I better give up this…”I raised my hand and looked around. “Everything you want me to be is not me and not making me happy either.”
“You clearly throw your dreams away, Xandry. Do you want to stay in that place? Go, but don’t ever come and ask for my help and I will pull out your trust fund at this instant.”
“I’m old enough to work for my ass, Dad. And you might forget mom came from a small town too,” I snorted.
“Your mom is different!”
“And Blaine is different as well. Is it because she has a child? I’m even proud of her for being a single mother, Dad.”
“Are you out of your goddamn mind, Xandry!”
I raised my hands for surrender, shaking my head of disappointment. I could see Dad was not fond of my relationship and he was damn disappointed with me but I could care shitless. This was my life and I stood for what I believe made me happy. Over the years, I was under his control and now I wanted to try spreading my wings and explore my life and be happy without him nagging at me.
I stepped backward, reaching for the door. I paused, turning my head and he was still in the same position, raging with anger. “I’m not giving this up, Dad. And I’d rather dig horses’ shit than literally make myself insane dating that spoiled brat who knows nothing about life than painting toenails and going out shopping until her feet give up.” I quickly pulled the door open and stormed out of his office.
“Whoa!”
“Fuck!” My hands were quickly on the slender woman’s waist and I instantly knew that smell.
“Twinnie, how’d the meeting go with Dad?” Saph’s eyes wandered with curiosity, then suddenly filled with sympathy.
I released her from my arms. “I fucked up and this is all because of you. You can’t just keep your mouth shut and you know what dad did?”
She quickly shook her head, brows furrowed and gave me a quizzical look. “What?”
“Don’t play dumb with me now, Saphoera. I’m in a shitty mood for your innocent shit.” I strode past her, but I could hear her heels clicking against the floor. She was following me.
“Wait! Xandry, hold on!”
I quickly turned around and narrowed my eyes at her. “What?”
“Whoa! I get it, Dad didn’t approve our plan, right?”
“You really don’t know anything?” I asked her, searching for a lie in her eyes, but I knew Saph inside out, and lying was not her best trait. I was a little harsh by throwing my anger on her and I loved Saph to death not to spare what had happened in that room.
She rolled her eyes. “No. Now, tell me.”
“Dad ran a background check on Blaine and literally shoved into my face who Blaine is when Dad threw the pictures on his desk.”
“No way. Tell me he did not do that,” Saph said in disapproval.
“Why would I lie to you about that? And why don’t you go and ask your father yourself?” I sneered, pressing the L button on the elevator. I was still beyond pissed and not in a mood to discuss with her, but she was the only person I could trust right now. I was sure Mom had known about this as well.
“You know I like her, brother and whether Dad likes it or not as long as it makes you happy, I’m on your side and I saw how Blaine looked at you and not just because you have a pretty face but she clearly adores you, Xandry. And I’ve never seen anyone who looked at you that way other than wanting to get a taste of Xandry Williams.”
My heart melted at Saph’s words. I knew the first time she met Blaine she instantly liked her. She had been babbling about what they talked about during the wedding and on the yacht when they had a girls’ moment together. She said that Blaine liked me and was just afraid if I just wanted to be between her thighs and left her after I got what I wanted.
“Thank you, Saph. That makes me feel a little bit better. I don’t know what to do without you.” I looked at her, smiling genuinely.
“I know, brother, and that’s why I have a little surprise for you.” She wrapped her arms around me and kissed my cheek.
My brows arched high, eyeing her with curiosity. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“Way better, twinnie. It will if you will move your ass quickly.” She gave me a goofy grin.
“What did you do, Saph?” I asked as we walked out, her arms were still all over me ignoring the people with us in the elevator.
“Your suitcase is at the reception and a gift for Blaine and a toy for Ben. Your flight will leave in less than three hours, the cab just arrived and you better hurry your ass up and make up for your girl for the five days you’ve missed.” Her smile widened, and I was grinning back like a fool.
“You’re shitting me, right?”
“But you have to be back on Sunday night. Good luck and enjoy your weekend, twinnie.”