Read Online The Gatekeeper's Son by C.R. Fladmark - Free Book Online
Authors: C.R. Fladmark
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her second glass of wine when she pointed her fork at me.
“You look so nervous,” she said. “Relax.”
I leaned toward her. “Everyone’s checking me out,” I whispered. “I feel like the newest panda at the zoo.”
She nodded to the tables around us. “There are some very important people in this room. They know who I am and they’re figuring out who you must be.”
I crossed my arms. “Did you bring me here on purpose?”
She put her knife down and gave me a look I didn’t like. “Yes.” She lowered her voice. “Look, he’d never admit it, but I can tell your grandfather’s scared. Something’s eating away at the company like cancer. The losses are spreading from one department to the next, and with this credit problem …” Her face was dead serious now. “Your grandfather wants to show everyone that with or without him, the Thompson Group has a future.”
I plunked down my fork. “So I’m the savior of the company?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Not quite, but you are the crown prince. And everyone knows it.”
I let out a deep sigh. I’d probably never be able to go to school again.
“You can never forget you’re his grandson.” She signaled to the waiter for more wine. “I’d like to let loose in a nightclub once in a while, go dancing with the girls, but I won’t. Everyone the Chairman does business with knows me, so any bad behavior reflects back on him.” She paused as the waiter refilled her glass. “And you know how he’d take that.”
I had to ask. “But what about dating and stuff? He can’t control your personal life.”
She paused, her wine glass suspended halfway toward her lips.
“It’s hard to know where work ends and personal life begins.” She took the sip. “Like now—is this business or pleasure? People are always watching, so I must adhere to higher standards. And you must, too.”
I sat up a little straighter. “Do you like being his assistant?”
She got an odd expression on her face. “He’s the best boss I’ve had—demanding but fair.” She smiled, but it seemed sad. “He’s given me one hell of an opportunity, no matter what his reasons for hiring me might be.”
I winced. “You heard what he said?”
She toyed with her food. “I’ve never heard of Tomi, but he named his yacht after her, so she must be pretty special.” She frowned at me. “Have you ever heard of her?”
I shook my head.
“Well, apparently I’m just like her.” She kept her voice neutral. “I hope he’s enjoying her memory.”
A frozen silence followed and I stared down at my plate. I wiped my face with the napkin and looked up at her. “I’m sorry, Lin. Grandpa wasn’t himself, all the medication and stuff …”
Lin’s eyes were shiny, but her jaw muscles were set tight. “Don’t worry, Junya, I’m a big girl.” She emptied her wine glass and the waiter reappeared to refill it, as if that were his only purpose. “And you and I both know I wouldn’t still be here if my body was my only asset.” She took another sip of wine and put the glass down with a thump. “I’m a businesswoman now, the right hand of Edward Thompson. The experience I’ve gained and the contacts I’ve made are a gift that’ll last long after this asset”—she indicated her body—“is gone.”
“You think he’d fire you if you … lost your looks?”
Her eyebrows arched. “He’ll move me somewhere else and get another, younger assistant. It’s the way of things. You’ll do the same.”
“I won’t.”
Lin raised her eyebrows and, with a shake of her head, went back to her meal. I took a few more bites.
“May I ask you a personal question, Lin?” As if I hadn’t been grilling her all night.
“Shoot,” she said, but I sensed apprehension in her voice.
“When you were my age, what did you think you’d be doing now?”
She smiled. “I wanted to be a famous model, working in Paris and Milan, traveling to exotic places for photo shoots.”
“So why
“You look so nervous,” she said. “Relax.”
I leaned toward her. “Everyone’s checking me out,” I whispered. “I feel like the newest panda at the zoo.”
She nodded to the tables around us. “There are some very important people in this room. They know who I am and they’re figuring out who you must be.”
I crossed my arms. “Did you bring me here on purpose?”
She put her knife down and gave me a look I didn’t like. “Yes.” She lowered her voice. “Look, he’d never admit it, but I can tell your grandfather’s scared. Something’s eating away at the company like cancer. The losses are spreading from one department to the next, and with this credit problem …” Her face was dead serious now. “Your grandfather wants to show everyone that with or without him, the Thompson Group has a future.”
I plunked down my fork. “So I’m the savior of the company?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Not quite, but you are the crown prince. And everyone knows it.”
I let out a deep sigh. I’d probably never be able to go to school again.
“You can never forget you’re his grandson.” She signaled to the waiter for more wine. “I’d like to let loose in a nightclub once in a while, go dancing with the girls, but I won’t. Everyone the Chairman does business with knows me, so any bad behavior reflects back on him.” She paused as the waiter refilled her glass. “And you know how he’d take that.”
I had to ask. “But what about dating and stuff? He can’t control your personal life.”
She paused, her wine glass suspended halfway toward her lips.
“It’s hard to know where work ends and personal life begins.” She took the sip. “Like now—is this business or pleasure? People are always watching, so I must adhere to higher standards. And you must, too.”
I sat up a little straighter. “Do you like being his assistant?”
She got an odd expression on her face. “He’s the best boss I’ve had—demanding but fair.” She smiled, but it seemed sad. “He’s given me one hell of an opportunity, no matter what his reasons for hiring me might be.”
I winced. “You heard what he said?”
She toyed with her food. “I’ve never heard of Tomi, but he named his yacht after her, so she must be pretty special.” She frowned at me. “Have you ever heard of her?”
I shook my head.
“Well, apparently I’m just like her.” She kept her voice neutral. “I hope he’s enjoying her memory.”
A frozen silence followed and I stared down at my plate. I wiped my face with the napkin and looked up at her. “I’m sorry, Lin. Grandpa wasn’t himself, all the medication and stuff …”
Lin’s eyes were shiny, but her jaw muscles were set tight. “Don’t worry, Junya, I’m a big girl.” She emptied her wine glass and the waiter reappeared to refill it, as if that were his only purpose. “And you and I both know I wouldn’t still be here if my body was my only asset.” She took another sip of wine and put the glass down with a thump. “I’m a businesswoman now, the right hand of Edward Thompson. The experience I’ve gained and the contacts I’ve made are a gift that’ll last long after this asset”—she indicated her body—“is gone.”
“You think he’d fire you if you … lost your looks?”
Her eyebrows arched. “He’ll move me somewhere else and get another, younger assistant. It’s the way of things. You’ll do the same.”
“I won’t.”
Lin raised her eyebrows and, with a shake of her head, went back to her meal. I took a few more bites.
“May I ask you a personal question, Lin?” As if I hadn’t been grilling her all night.
“Shoot,” she said, but I sensed apprehension in her voice.
“When you were my age, what did you think you’d be doing now?”
She smiled. “I wanted to be a famous model, working in Paris and Milan, traveling to exotic places for photo shoots.”
“So why
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