The Assassin's Folly
Chapter Ten
Jareth paced his office on Friday afternoon. His father had called down, sounding frustrated. Jareth knew what he was going to say. He had crossed the line with Peter. But he couldn’t help it.
Who was Peter to lecture him? Who was Peter to even mention his father’s failing health? Just thinking about it made his blood boil and he clenched and unclenched his hands.
There was a knock on the door and he opened it. His father walked in with a grim look on his face.
“Do you need to sit down on the couch?” Jareth asked but his father shook his head, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Jareth’s desk. Jareth sat in his and said, “Look, about yesterday-”
His father held up a hand to stop him. “You’re going to face a lot of that, son,” he said sadly.
“What do you mean?”
“Peter came to me yesterday and told me everything that happened. The secretary heard your argument, also. Basically, Peter got his feelings hurt because you know more about marketing than he does. So, instead of handling it like an adult, he acted as a child and turned it around on you. I’ve already spoken to him about it but I want to warn you: You will face that a lot,” he repeated.
“How do I say no to him?” he asked, leaning back in the chair. “He’s worked here longer than I have and he’s older than me.”
“Age does not define wisdom. And Peter has a whole lot of growing up to do; especially for a man in his forties. Don’t worry about that. It’s going to take some practice, but eventually it’ll be easy to say no. And don’t feel like you have to justify yourself all the time. They’re your employees, not your employers.”
Jareth nodded. “Thanks. I’m nervous about this,” he admitted, rubbing his temples where a headache was starting. “What if I screw everything up?”
His father laughed. “Spoken like a true business owner! I’ve spent many sleepless nights over the years with the same fear. But you have to learn to push past that fear, to wake up every morning determined to make that day your best. Are you going to make mistakes? Of course! But don’t let those mistakes consume you.”
He went into another coughing fit.
“You should go home, Dad,” Jareth said firmly. “You need rest and don’t try denying it. I can handle things for the rest of the day.”
His father smiled graciously. “Are you going to bring Zarah to the Christmas party?”
Jareth nodded. “It’s strange, but she hasn’t mentioned her restaurant at all….”
“Maybe her plans fell through,” his father said, standing up. “That’ll happen a lot, too.”
They hugged briefly and Jareth helped his father to the car. He turned and looked up at the ten level building in front of him. In there were 100 employees, five divisions, and a new concept starting to form – branching out to other business loans. A multi-million company stood before him and soon it would be his.
-
On his way home from work, he bought a necklace for Zarah. It was a golden quill on a chain. He also went by a book store and found the journal he had viewed online and a feather quill. He put those carefully in his closet and pondered some more about what he would cook for her. Finally, he decided to take her out to eat again.
Saturday morning brought another layer of snow. He rushed to the flower shop down the street and purchased two bouquets of roses. One he took back home, the other he had sent to her apartment with a note telling her to dress in her best evening gown and meet him at the same restaurant they went to. Afterward, he placed the gifts in right spots and changed into his suit. He spent the rest of the afternoon pacing around his house.
He couldn’t focus on anything at all. He tried to watch TV but got distracted by the dust on the top of it. He wiped it down only to get dust on his jacket so he had to change again.
Then he couldn’t decide what tie he wanted to wear. He wanted to match her dress but he also didn’t want to call her and ask. The whole point was for this to be a surprise….
Finally seven o’ clock came and he made the final preparations before putting on his heavy coat and locking the door behind him. His mouth was dry as he drove to the steak house. He gripped his steering wheel tightly, trying not to think about how everything could go terribly wrong.
He had a valet take his car, too afraid he’d lose his nerve and drive off. Zarah was waiting for him just inside the door and he felt like someone punched the air out of him.
She looked stunning. She was in a red cocktail dress with glitter. It came just above her knees. She wore a pair of black boots and she had put her hair up in a ponytail. Woven through her hair was a strand of gold. Her neck was bare, something he was thankful for. It would make giving her the necklace a little less awkward.
“You look amazing,” he breathed, offering his arm as they went to their table.
“Thank you,” she smiled. “And thank you for the roses. Something tells me that phone call wasn’t about your sister.”
He laughed, helping her into her chair. “But you have to admit it was pretty smooth.”
She laughed, too. “Indeed it was.”
“I promise I won’t drink any wine tonight,” he said, ordering a glass of Coke.
“I don’t know,” she said thoughtfully, her eyes glittering. “It was pretty interesting.”
“God I hope I didn’t do anything embarrassing?”
She just winked at him and they ordered dinner.
He fidgeted a lot, trying to focus on what she was saying. They were talking about her writing, how her manager was pushing for her to be done by Christmas Eve.
“He must not realize it’s only ten days away,” Jareth said.
She shook her head. “He knows. He’s just being a pain in the ass.”
He smiled and pulled his card out of his wallet, handing it to the waiter.
“I want you to come by my house after this, if that’s ok,” he said. “I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“How did you get here?”
“I took a cab,” she shrugged.
“Then I’ll take you,” he smiled and led her outside.
The valet brought his car up and he held the door open for her. After she was safely in, he gave the valet a tip and got in the driver’s side, hoping that everything would go as smoothly as it did at dinner.
Who was Peter to lecture him? Who was Peter to even mention his father’s failing health? Just thinking about it made his blood boil and he clenched and unclenched his hands.
There was a knock on the door and he opened it. His father walked in with a grim look on his face.
“Do you need to sit down on the couch?” Jareth asked but his father shook his head, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of Jareth’s desk. Jareth sat in his and said, “Look, about yesterday-”
His father held up a hand to stop him. “You’re going to face a lot of that, son,” he said sadly.
“What do you mean?”
“Peter came to me yesterday and told me everything that happened. The secretary heard your argument, also. Basically, Peter got his feelings hurt because you know more about marketing than he does. So, instead of handling it like an adult, he acted as a child and turned it around on you. I’ve already spoken to him about it but I want to warn you: You will face that a lot,” he repeated.
“How do I say no to him?” he asked, leaning back in the chair. “He’s worked here longer than I have and he’s older than me.”
“Age does not define wisdom. And Peter has a whole lot of growing up to do; especially for a man in his forties. Don’t worry about that. It’s going to take some practice, but eventually it’ll be easy to say no. And don’t feel like you have to justify yourself all the time. They’re your employees, not your employers.”
Jareth nodded. “Thanks. I’m nervous about this,” he admitted, rubbing his temples where a headache was starting. “What if I screw everything up?”
His father laughed. “Spoken like a true business owner! I’ve spent many sleepless nights over the years with the same fear. But you have to learn to push past that fear, to wake up every morning determined to make that day your best. Are you going to make mistakes? Of course! But don’t let those mistakes consume you.”
He went into another coughing fit.
“You should go home, Dad,” Jareth said firmly. “You need rest and don’t try denying it. I can handle things for the rest of the day.”
His father smiled graciously. “Are you going to bring Zarah to the Christmas party?”
Jareth nodded. “It’s strange, but she hasn’t mentioned her restaurant at all….”
“Maybe her plans fell through,” his father said, standing up. “That’ll happen a lot, too.”
They hugged briefly and Jareth helped his father to the car. He turned and looked up at the ten level building in front of him. In there were 100 employees, five divisions, and a new concept starting to form – branching out to other business loans. A multi-million company stood before him and soon it would be his.
-
On his way home from work, he bought a necklace for Zarah. It was a golden quill on a chain. He also went by a book store and found the journal he had viewed online and a feather quill. He put those carefully in his closet and pondered some more about what he would cook for her. Finally, he decided to take her out to eat again.
Saturday morning brought another layer of snow. He rushed to the flower shop down the street and purchased two bouquets of roses. One he took back home, the other he had sent to her apartment with a note telling her to dress in her best evening gown and meet him at the same restaurant they went to. Afterward, he placed the gifts in right spots and changed into his suit. He spent the rest of the afternoon pacing around his house.
He couldn’t focus on anything at all. He tried to watch TV but got distracted by the dust on the top of it. He wiped it down only to get dust on his jacket so he had to change again.
Then he couldn’t decide what tie he wanted to wear. He wanted to match her dress but he also didn’t want to call her and ask. The whole point was for this to be a surprise….
Finally seven o’ clock came and he made the final preparations before putting on his heavy coat and locking the door behind him. His mouth was dry as he drove to the steak house. He gripped his steering wheel tightly, trying not to think about how everything could go terribly wrong.
He had a valet take his car, too afraid he’d lose his nerve and drive off. Zarah was waiting for him just inside the door and he felt like someone punched the air out of him.
She looked stunning. She was in a red cocktail dress with glitter. It came just above her knees. She wore a pair of black boots and she had put her hair up in a ponytail. Woven through her hair was a strand of gold. Her neck was bare, something he was thankful for. It would make giving her the necklace a little less awkward.
“You look amazing,” he breathed, offering his arm as they went to their table.
“Thank you,” she smiled. “And thank you for the roses. Something tells me that phone call wasn’t about your sister.”
He laughed, helping her into her chair. “But you have to admit it was pretty smooth.”
She laughed, too. “Indeed it was.”
“I promise I won’t drink any wine tonight,” he said, ordering a glass of Coke.
“I don’t know,” she said thoughtfully, her eyes glittering. “It was pretty interesting.”
“God I hope I didn’t do anything embarrassing?”
She just winked at him and they ordered dinner.
He fidgeted a lot, trying to focus on what she was saying. They were talking about her writing, how her manager was pushing for her to be done by Christmas Eve.
“He must not realize it’s only ten days away,” Jareth said.
She shook her head. “He knows. He’s just being a pain in the ass.”
He smiled and pulled his card out of his wallet, handing it to the waiter.
“I want you to come by my house after this, if that’s ok,” he said. “I have a surprise for you.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“How did you get here?”
“I took a cab,” she shrugged.
“Then I’ll take you,” he smiled and led her outside.
The valet brought his car up and he held the door open for her. After she was safely in, he gave the valet a tip and got in the driver’s side, hoping that everything would go as smoothly as it did at dinner.