Sailing With Destiny

Petty

"If you really don't feel like going over to Owen's, you can join us for dinner," Mom offered. 

I couldn't be that person who ruined their parents' first date night in a long time and I couldn't blow Owen off. I planned to show face, mingle a little, and come back home early. I shook my head, "No, you guys have fun, I'll head over to Owen's for a little while."

"Alright, we'll see you later," Dad nodded. "Be good."

"One thing," Dad stopped midway and glanced at me over his shoulder. "Legal sent over two contracts, I skimmed over it and highlighted some things that don't sit too well with me. You'd know better than me, I left it in the study, check it out, yeah?"

The idea of reading through pages of fine print was a recipe for a migraine but I knew how big the project we currently worked on was so the sooner I got work done, the better. I nodded, "I'll have a look befo-"

"Mason," Mom cut me short and shot Dad a stern look. "It's Friday evening, I'm sure it can wait until Monday."

"The sooner Mitch..." Dad trailed off when Mom's look slowly turned into a glare. He pursed his lips and firmly nodded, "Take the rest of the night off, tomorrow is another day."

"Enjoy the rest of your evening, son," Dad tapped me on the shoulder. 

"See you later, sweetheart," Mom stepped closer and kissed my cheek. "If you're planning to drink, go with the driver, I don't want you driving under the influence."  

I swear she forgets I'm almost twenty-five sometimes.

"And I got a housewarming present for Faith and Owen, it's in the kitchen, don't forget to take it before you leave," Mom added and I was so grateful to her meticulousness because it slipped my mind to get them a gift.

I nodded with a grin just to please her and stood at the end of the staircase as I watched them leave. Mom linked her arm through Dad's and I overheard Dad say to her, "You need to stop babying him, Carly."

"I am not..." I didn't hear the rest of their conversation because they left and I took quick steps up the stairs. 

After a quick shower I got ready, I dressed casually in dark pants, matched with a navy button-down. I rolled up the sleeves before I sprayed cologne, put on my watch, and neatened my damp hair with my fingers. 

I grabbed the Jaguar car keys and my phone before I headed down, as I walked downstairs, I checked my phone and was pathetically disappointed when I still got no response from Mila. I glanced at the silver watch around my wrist that she gifted and hated how much I missed her, I wished she would've attended Faith's birthday with me. 

I glanced at my phone once more and idly wondered if she was MIA all day because she was on a plane on her way to LA for a surprise visit. I shook away baseless thoughts and told myself not to be absurd and have any expectations, Mila was busy apartment hunting with her father and she wouldn't have missed her brothers' graduation. 

After I grabbed the gift from the kitchen and a bottle of wine from the cellar, I made my way down to the garage. I got in my car and just as I was about to start the engine, Mila's voice referring to the Jaguar as Barry Allen rang in my ears, I couldn't suppress a grin as I recalled how she had nicknames for almost everything I owned. 

I reversed out of the garage, drove around the rounded driveway, and made my way out. Security opened the gates and I thanked them with a wave of my index finger before I pressed down on the accelerator and drove off. 

Owen and Faith moved into a condo in Beverly Hills which was only about a twenty-minute drive from my parent's place. It was a little after six pm and I was already an hour late but Owen knew how busy work was so I figured he'd understand.