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1406 Words
Dane found his father at work the next morning. He was going over contracts and signing paycheques when Dane let himself into his office. David smiled when he saw his son and placed his pen on the desk in front of him. “Dane, my boy, come on in. What’s brought you to see me?”
“Can’t a son just want to visit his father at work?” Dane asked taking the seat across from the desk.
David smiled knowingly. “What don’t you want your mother to know?”
Dane could never pull anything over on his father. It wasn’t that he was hiding Nadia from his mother. It was just that he didn’t want her to get her hopes up over something that might very well be nothing. “How did you know you were in love?” Dane came right out and asked.
David leaned back in his chair folding his hands thoughtfully. “Do you think you are in love?” He asked.
It was frustrating when his father answered a question with a question. “I promised a woman to be faithful last night.” He admitted.
“To get s*x?”
“No. To prevent her from being upset with me.”
“I would say that is a step in the right direction. You obviously care about the girl if you are making such promises.” His father said. David stared at his son with the same scrutinizing gaze he had all of Dane’s life. “There is something more isn’t there?”
Dane leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees he looked at the floor and then at his father. “How do you make a woman love you?”
His father leaned forward resting his elbows on the desk. “Son, every woman in the world loves you.”
That was not really what he had meant. “I know how to make women want me. I mean love. Not the name, not the money, not the fame, and the houses… but me, the man. How do you do that? How did you make mom love you?”
David sighed. “Your mother loved me long before I ever loved her. I’m not sure what to tell you. Why do you think this woman would not love you? Is she a gold digger?”
“No.” He shook his head. Nadia was probably the most non-money driven woman he had ever met. “Nothing like that. She’s nice. Pretty, intelligent, she makes me laugh. I think about her when she’s not around. I could not even enjoy the poker game last night. I was losing miserably because I couldn’t stop thinking about her. And later that night I was hit on by this fly freak and all I could think about was getting back to her.”
David grinned. “It sounds to me like you are very taken with Nadia.”
“I didn’t say it was Nadia.”
“You didn’t have to.”
So, it was that obvious. There was no sense in lying to his father. The man was smarter than he was. So, he might as well lay his problem on the table. “Nadia doesn’t trust men. She has been hurt before. So, she isn’t open to a relationship if you know what I mean.”
“And you want to make her open to it?” David finished.
Dane smiled and nodded. “I thought about it all night, and I’d like to see where this goes, but I don’t want to scare her off.”
“My suggestion is, show her that you are not like other men. Show her that you are the man that should be in her life.”
“Now that proves hard to do since I got this release date coming up, and after that, you know a tour is coming.”
David shook his head. “You can put a tour off for a few months, and you know it. Plus, you are in a position now to barter. If you wanted, I’m sure you could insist on Nadia coming with you. I’m sure she would like to travel and see the world. Might be a good way to bond.” His father said closing the files on his desk and rising from his seat. “What do you say that you and I go get an early lunch? I skipped breakfast, and I’m starving.”
Dane was not surprised his father was well known for skipping meals. Beth was always complaining that he ate poorly, that he drank too much, and partied too hard for a man of his age; but it was all part of the lifestyle. Besides even at sixty-five his father was in better shape than most men his age.
Dane looked at the closed files on the desk. “What were you working on?” He asked curiously.
David sighed, and Dane could see the weary look in his father’s face. “Just some renewal contracts for some bands and a few Divas we produce.”
“You look a little stressed,” Dane observed.
David shrugged. “I am starting to think that your grandfather had it right when he retired. I’m getting too old for this business. There is a part of me that says ‘you can’t do this anymore,’ but my pride says ‘oh yes you can.’”
Dane had a hard time picturing his father retired. It was difficult to see him as old and feeble. David had always been so dynamic and virile. A pillar in the community and a titan in the industry. To give it all up so he could spend the rest of his days lounging poolside and taking it easy just wasn’t in him. Besides, Dane was not ready to take the reins. Managing his career was more than enough work for him without the added stress of taking over the daily management of Paradise Records.
“You got a few good years left in you,” Dane said coming to his feet.
David laughed and patted his son on the back. “Thanks for the vote of confidence; but I am getting up there in age, I admit it. At some point, I have to accept my limitations.”
“Not for some time.” Dane grinned opening the door. “Besides even when you are old and gray, I anticipate you chasing the nursing staff around with your walker.” Dane teased.
David laughed. “I doubt your mother would appreciate that.”
“Oh, don’t worry she will forgive you. By then dementia will have set in, and she will have to forgive your behaviour.” Dane said as they headed through the office to the elevators.
“Dementia? Do you think so?”
“Oh sure.” Dane pressed the button, and the doors opened. “You’ll be blissfully unaware.”
“Well, I suppose one could hope. Maybe then you could talk your mother into hiring me a hot little nurse. A busty blonde maybe.” The doors opened, and they stepped out into the underground parking lot. “Then again perhaps I’ll just buy the sexy nurse outfit now and talk your mother into wearing it while I’m still lucid enough to enjoy it.”
Dane turned up his nose. “Oh, Dad come on, child present. Save that sort of talk for your boys.” He protested heading toward his car. “Let’s take my car. By the way, could you have Rolland call Nadia and give her some tips on planning a release party? I need the party planned for two weeks from now so if he could call in the next day or so.”
David reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. “Consider it done.” He said dialling his assistant. Dane smiled, he could always depend on his dad.
- Writer
