Chapter 30: Brotherly Love
- DEX -
I’m sitting in my office that used to be a conference room. The desk is technically a conference table, and I’m merely set up on one side of it, but it doesn’t bother me. There is plenty of room for people to come in and brainstorm in team sessions with me, and that’s how I like to operate anyway.
I’m used to being on my own traveling and taking photographs, but when it comes to the creative side of things, I value the hive mind mentality. It’s often the case that one person brings a piece of the puzzle for a client project that snowballs into contributions from a variety of viewpoints. That kind of creative alchemy is my absolute favorite.
Not many people in the Western world realize that this idea of the individual as creative genius with original ideas is relatively new. Now we have copyrights to protect those original ideas so that no one else steals them. Can individuals have brilliant ideas? Yes, of course. But collaboration and communal creativity have the ability to be so much more powerful, because there are multiple individuals with multiple brilliant ideas that all compound and grow, reaching new heights with the help of one another.
My father is such a proponent of this kind of team and communal atmosphere for work and creativity. That’s why he created Möbius Media the way he did. I think part of the challenge he has had with Lawson is that my brother feels less inclined to share the wealth, so-to-speak. Lawson is pretty narcissistic and entitled, and I could totally see him taking credit for a collaborative idea as if it were his own. That’s just the way he is. The sexual harassment cases settled out of court are basically the nails in his coffin, I imagine.
Not that I anticipated having the company passed to me because Lawson is a dick. I didn’t. But it’s just that my father’s death was not something that has even been on the horizon for me or for the company. All of that was far down the line in the future. He’s only in his fifties.
And who knows—maybe this form of pancreatic cancer that he has will actually be operable. It’s just that... not many are.
Ugh, I can’t think about this now. I’m not going to hope or worry or think much about his prognosis until the tests are completed and the results come back. If I get caught up in all of those thoughts, there is no way anything will get done here. I already have thoughts of my dream and of Auraya distracting me.
The flowers have been ordered and will be delivered this afternoon. I want to find her a project so that I can get her something to work on, and then I can spend the rest of the day focusing on everything I need to catch up on.
"Hey, Dex," Lawson says, all smiles as he comes in through the door joining our offices. I know that smile. It’s like a cat that got the cream, and I’m sure I know why. "How long were you at the hospital last night?"
"Good morning, Lawson," I reply, only glancing at him briefly before turning back to my laptop.
"I guess I picked the right assistant for you, huh?" He grins, sitting in the chair across from me. "You seem to like her."
"Is that why you assigned me an assistant? Not to help me get acclimated?" I push away from desk with my hands folded. "No wonder Dad has such a problem with you."
His grin slowly sours. "Dad doesn’t have a problem with me."
"Right. Only with your questionable behavior with our employees. Weren’t you planning on taking Raya out?"
His eyebrows shoot up. "She told you that?" There is a flash of something that passes behind his eyes that makes me uncomfortable, and it turns my stomach at the same time.
"I guessed. I saw you give her your number yesterday."
He shrugs. "She’s cute, but I just wanted her to be able to reach me if she has any questions."
"Bullshit," I chuckle. "Your personal number? She can’t just walk to your office if she has questions? And why would she be asking you anyway?"
Lawson grows visibly annoyed and shifts in his seat. "Whatever. I wasn’t going to do anything with her. Besides, you’ve claimed her as yours." His shit-eating grin returns.
"I only said that because I don’t want you to get your hooks in her and leave another casualty that the company has to clean up after. From what dad told me, you’ve done enough damage as it is. If it were up to me, you would have been out on your ass long ago."
"You don’t know anything about what happened, Dex. Stop acting like you’re all high and mighty. You fucking ran away and never returned, and dad was kind enough to keep you on the payroll."
"I was doing work for the company. It’s not like I was getting a paycheck for no reason."
"Yeah, but you’re too big of a pussy to face your problems."
For a moment, I imagine launching myself out of the chair and tackling my brother with his stupid pressed suit and tie and making him bleed all over it. But thankfully I’m in control of my emotions, because he is just waiting for me to lose it. I know that. I’m not an idiot.
"Was there something else you came in here for?"
"I was thinking about visiting Auraya at the hospital. I thought it would be a nice gesture. After all, she did get into an accident while she was on the clock and because you sent her out to run an errand. We don’t want her to have any hard feelings against the company." His hands are tented, one corner of his mouth turned up slightly as he waits for my reaction. "I got her a card for everyone to sign."
"Good idea." I give him a tight smile. "You should do that. If you were coming in to get permission, then you have it. And I applaud you for being so thoughtful, Lawson. Maybe you’re turning a corner."
His half smile falls, and he pushes out of the chair. "I’m also meeting with a potential client later, so I won’t be in the office. If they sign with us, it will be a really big win for the company, which we need. If news of dad’s diagnosis gets out, it’s likely that business will fall... at least initially. We need to be prepared for a rebound."
"I realize that. I’m working on some clients, too."
He buttons his jacket, staring me down. I can see his mind working on who those clients might be. Lawson knows that I have a lot of contacts in the city who will be happy to have me back, and that alone will likely boost business. I also used to photograph a lot of models who have gained popularity in part due to my pictures. Some of them are pretty big influencers now on social media, and if I can reconnect with them, there are definitely some joint ventures we could do in the future.
"Good," he says and then walks out, the air of his arrogance like a tidal wave that washes over me. God, why has dad kept him on so long? It seems like he’s only gotten worse. Or maybe it’s just because he sees me as a threat now when I wasn’t one before.
Fuck, and he’s visiting Auraya at the hospital. I really wish he wouldn’t.
