My Father's Friend
My Father’s Friend – Chapter 4

With no choice he sat down next to his father, but without taking his eyes off Cauther. It was irritating to know that after he got on her nerves for a million he was sitting there as if he had done nothing. Suddenly, her father’s secretary deposits a folder in front of her, snapping her out of her musings.

What the hell was she doing? Why the hell was she looking at Cauther like that? Since she was very young she was never curious about that man and vice versa. She denied, she had to pay attention to the meeting and not to… something led her to raise her eyes a little, she looked only over the folder, as soon as she saw Cauther she realized that he was looking at her in the same way.

She was startled, she looked down and tried to concentrate on what the documents said, she could not see the man’s full face, but she could clearly see the fierce look he had. Shit! She was shaking like a pudding… she was counting on him not to go off on her father and get her into trouble. She had enough of her dad’s indifference to her without adding to her trouble by causing an unnecessary argument.

[…]

As she was dying of fear to know if she would tell her father that he had caught her on the terrace, she was quite irritated when he interrupted her while she was smoking her cigarette. He had known her little secret for a long time when one afternoon he saw her running on the roof and leaning against the railing as if she was short of breath, of course he was in a part where he was not visible to her, but he was a front row spectator. Since then he caught her very often going up, what he could not understand was why she went up to the terrace so often.

The truth was that, discovering her had left her quite disconcerted, since her pale entrance in the office had taken him by surprise.

Although he didn’t care about that… for that reason, he didn’t pay the slightest attention to her at first, but when he felt that she was looking at him undisguisedly, it really pissed him off. For that reason he decided to watch her so that in the end she ended up hiding her eyes like a puppy, what the f**k was she playing at? He didn’t have time for that bullshit, he only went to his company for that annoying meeting.

Rafael loved to do meeting after meeting, although he shouldn’t complain, really the company was making him richer every day and that was his goal… so he continued reading the documents while he listened to his employees talking about the growth of the company.

[…]

-Cauther, I hope to see you again at the next meeting,” Rafael shakes his hand enthusiastically.

-He answers so reluctantly that Casey wonders, What the f**k was wrong with him? Did he not care about his company or what? -You know I don’t really like these kinds of meetings.

-You’re the only company owner who’s bored with meetings,” Casey shared his father’s opinion, it was as if he didn’t care.

-I trust you completely, I have no reason to distrust my partner,” his tone of voice was cutting.

She was sitting in her chair reading some documents of which she was understanding absolutely nothing, as she kept alert to her father’s conversation with Cauther. She harbored a deep terror with being accused, it was stupid, she felt like a child who had done something wrong.

-Well, I’m flattered by your confidence,” the man smiles at her, but Cauther remains serious. I’m sure that when Casey takes my place, you two will know how to run the company perfectly,” The young woman tenses immediately at the mention of his name.

-I must go, Rafael” -And that’s all that f*****g guy answered, didn’t he take her seriously as his partner or what the f**k? The red-haired woman complained internally.

-Of course, don’t worry about anything.

-Goodbye!

At that moment, Casey looked towards the exit and could only see Cauther’s huge back. That guy was so strange, you could only see his face when his father was in the program together. Otherwise he never showed up, not even when they inaugurated a new assembly plant or when they put a unique car on display.

She bit her lips, worried that when it was her turn to take over the company she would have to do it alone. With that man, she couldn’t count on much.

[…]

That night, as usual, Casey waited for her father for hours, dinner got cold and the candles finished

and the candles eventually burned out. The young woman’s plate lay half tasted as she poked at some unprovoking vegetables. She let out a sigh and then stood up.

-You sure had a lot of work, Miss Casey,” the maid said to her as she picked up the untasted dinner.

-It’s always the same,” she replies as she leaves the dining room.

Lying on her bed, she looks at her mother’s picture, Casey smiles, she liked to remember her when she was so lonely in that house. A situation that happened very often, then her smile faded as she remembered her father. He always made promises to her, but he never kept them. It was as if he didn’t want to be by her side, but why?

Suddenly the image of Cauther’s face on the rooftop came into her memories, causing her to gasp. And what the f**k was she doing thinking about him?

-I must be crazy, Cauther is super older than me and…” She smiles, knowing that thinking about it was bullshit.

And with those wandering thoughts, Casey fell fast asleep.

[…]

The night before she didn’t see her father, and that afternoon even less… she was driving so angry, it was unbelievable that she sent her secretary to tell him that they would meet directly at Genaro’s house. She hated it when he reached her there. Because she was more than sure that he would not attend that event, leaving all the burden on her. It was always the same with him.

And since she had given her word to her uncle, how the f**k was she going to get out of this mess? She couldn’t leave him on board, it would be a horrible disappointment. So, that night she looked for a cocktail dress suitable for the occasion. Since she had always known Genaro, she knew that his parties were a bit extravagant. When he said it was a simple get-together, he was lying.

He drove his own car, as he was adamantly opposed to arriving in a limousine as his father did with his famous triumphal entrances. As soon as the black-haired woman spotted her uncle’s mansion, she slowed down. She parked at the entrance, handing the keys to a young man who was in charge of parking the cars, picked up a little the tail of her dress avoiding having to step on it as she climbed the stairs to the entrance of the house, but in doing so much of her thigh was exposed. You could even appreciate that lace garter that adorned her leg.

As soon as she entered the residence she let out her breath, I knew it! This was more than a charity fundraiser, it was a party for the wealthiest and most powerful people in Washington. Immediately, a waiter passes in front of her with a batch of tubular glasses, half-filled with bubbly champagne. She takes one and takes a long sip, the night would be long and even longer when she had to spend it alone.

-Casey, pretty girl…” Genaro hugged her effusively as soon as he saw her at the entrance.

-Hello uncle, what a good party,” he lied.

-Oh, no, it’s just a few friends.” He played it down. Where is your father? Some friends want to say hello to him.

-I don’t know, uncle Genaro. I’m very sorry.

-That Rafael, always doing the same thing,” he denies. I’ll try to contact him, but I want you to enjoy yourself.

-Thank you.” “Although I doubted it, I was already bored.

-Be careful with one-night stands, huh? Your father would kill me.” The man pats her shoulder, leaving her petrified in the middle of the whole world.

What the hell was that? It was as if she had two fathers. If Rafael wasn’t there, then Genaro was doing daddy’s job, for God’s sake, he drank the rest of what was left in his glass and immediately looked for another waiter with more full glasses.

By the time he has a new glass in his hands, the first thing Casey does is replace some shelter. He needed some fresh air, he was starting to have another anxiety attack. He was suffering from it a lot lately….

So, there he was, on the balcony of his uncle’s office, it overlooked the garden which by then was all lit up and best of all solitary. All the guests were inside the mansion, nobody was interested in the beauty of that place.

Suddenly the wind blew, it was a fresh breeze that was quite good for him or maybe the champagne went to his head… he closed his eyes and leaned back on the balcony railing enjoying the fresh air, but most of all that intimacy.

-The glass in his hand slips and falls off the balcony and shatters on the floor.