WHERE ENDS MEET

CHAPTERTWO

The October weather seemed to sit well with Ken, New York was pleasant to be in this time of year. He stared out at the bustling street of Manhattan below him and took in the city’s view. If he wasn’t grateful for anything, the view the office gave was a beautiful sight he loved. His office was a lavish space, but he had little love for it. It had been decorated by his mother. His table was a grand one, made from oak and enough to sit eight people comfortably. The chair was a plush leather, paired to match the two armchairs for guests, only that his was grander, as if to impose on anyone he was to look down on from his throne. The table had some antique pieces and carvings from collectors, a Victorian styled vase of fresh flowers and a place organizer. The walls behind him held portraits of the current US president and the chairman of the chain of hotels, his father. As if it wasn’t enough to have to work for him, he had to have him towering over his head whenever he sat in this office. That was perhaps the main reason Ken hated this office.

People in the streets below buzzed below him with so much frenzy and yet oblivious of the next person. There was so much freedom and abandon, and Ken wished he could throw off the tie and walk on the streets like they did. A Havard law graduate with no interest in practicing. He had stuck to it to grind his father’s gears. His father had no love for the law or lawyers too and had wanted Ken to major in business. A rebellious child as he had always been, ken went for the thing his father detested the most. He’d learnt early on that nothing could ever please Robert Briggs and so made it a point to displease him every chance he got. They finally reached a truce when he finished law school, he would work for his father for a while before starting off his full career in law.

A smart and intelligent child, Ken had moved from private elementary school to a private all boys’ high school. He wasn’t one for the rules but had learnt early on how to use his charm and sharp wits to get out of just anything. He was exceptional at talking himself out of any serious trouble as he had the grades to make up any shenanigans, he engaged in. His teachers fell for his charm, and those who didn’t learned to ignore as much as they could as there wasn’t much talking they could do to a student’s parents who weren’t ever around to have a meeting with. By the time he got to Harvard, he had learned how to use his brain to not only get what he wanted from staff but also to woo the ladies. Girls were never a hard thing for him, but he was exceptionally good at always receiving and never giving when it came to commitment. Over the years, Ken had managed a few relationships, none ever lasting long enough to mean a thing really, but for the while they lasted, he made sure to make it worth everyone’s while.

Born as the first of two children, Ken got as much love and attention his mother Claire Briggs could spare between her soirees and social events. There was always a gala to attend or a charity fund raiser to give money to. When Bianca was born seven years later, Claire stuck around long enough to hand her over to the never-ending sea of nannies and went about her life, it was as if she had merely gotten rid of an inconvenience. His father Robert worked so Claire could live the life she wanted. He had never been a man for love or emotions either, when he wasn’t acquiring a new hotel, he was out on some golfing trip with business associates. Everything was an avenue to close a deal. Their love had been a whirlwind romance that at the time they realized they were ill fitted for each other; Ken had already been born. Bianca’s birth had been described as an unfortunate accident by Claire, an attempt at rekindling old embers that resulted in a child. They had endured each other long enough to still stay married. Claire finding solace in her numerous social callings and Robert submerging himself into his business. It was a perfect arrangement so far.

Ken’s secretary had to repeat herself a second time before he realized she had entered his office. “Your 9’Oclock meeting with the branch mangers is in fifteen minutes, there all seated in conference room one”. “Thank you, Martha, I’ll join then shortly”. His secretary was quite efficient for her age, she was getting old. He had no idea why a woman pushing seventy worked as hard as she did. He was sure his father ensured she remained his secretary to make sure he didn’t try anything silly. But Ken was smarter than that. He knew never to bring his dealings to work. For all the disagreements he had with his father, this was one thing his father didn’t have to worry about. But he wouldn’t know this. All Robert knew about his son was that he would go to any lengths to go against his wishes. Besides that, he knew just as much as the news tabloids did when they publish their tabloids. Attention grabbing and heavily embellished articles about his personal life. He honestly didn’t do much to change the narrative. He enjoyed the version of him they displayed, it kept the bad blood flowing between him and his parents.

Ken grabbed his tablet and headed for his meeting. He didn’t need to go over anything. He was sure of all his agendas for the meeting and everyone at the conference room knew what to expect. They had once made the mistake of underestimating him and had long learnt the hard truth. Kenneth Briggs might be a rake outside the office, but inside, he proved to be every bit his father’s son with a sharp mind for the family’s business.