Don't Say Anything

98. Nothing Else Is Important

We both sit in chairs across from him without a word, although a thousand are scratching at my throat. It’s obvious that he raised his chair so it would appear he’s sitting on a throne. He’s acting like we’re the servants he’s called into yell at while we feed him fruit. I’ll make him choke on a grape.  

“I’ll keep this quick and to the point,” he says looking between the two of us. “But first I need to get something straight.” He looks directly at me, his eyes becoming fierce. “We’re not friends, and I don’t particularly like you, but I do recognize your knowledge and persistence. I think you’ve had some outside help, but I won’t dwell on that. It wouldn’t surprise me if you figure out a way to become president in the next year. In fact, I would be surprised if you didn’t.”

“Then why not just give me the job?” I ask already getting angrier than I should be. Think of Jessi, I repeat over and over in my head. She’s going to hate it if I let my temper get the best of me again.

“Because you broke a promise,” Jack says rapidly become as irate as me.

“Are you really still stuck on that?” Vin chimes in. “It’s obvious that Will really cares about Jessi, a hell of a lot more than anyone else. So why do you have to put him in the position of choosing between you and her?”

Jack and I are both a little shocked by Vin’s outburst. He’s normally so quiet around Jack. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say anything to Jack that wasn’t an answer to a question, let alone a declaration against him.

“Then you shouldn’t have suggested her in the first place!” Jack roars not moving his eyes from me. What is the deal with him?

“You’re acting like a five year old who didn’t have a chance to play in the sandbox before recess was over,” I sneer. “It’s over now, Jack. I don’t know why you have this fixation or why we’re still talking about it. It’s done. You’ve made your point. You didn’t get what you wanted so you didn’t give me what I wanted. Congratulations. You made us both miserable. Are we done now?”

I start to stand up, but the look in Jack’s eyes stop me. He doesn’t look mad, he looks like he’s in control. I don’t like that look in his eyes. It means he knows something I don’t. I have no idea what it could possibly be, but I have a feeling it’s not going to sit well with me.

“We’ll make a deal,” Jack says sitting forward in his chair.

“I don’t want to make a deal. This was the deal,” I say gesturing between him and Vin. “An eye for an eye.”

“And that was a fair deal.” It was not in any way a fair deal. The way he tricked me into thinking I was going to get the job and then pulling it away was by no means fair. “But I still didn’t get what I want.”

“Neither did I.”

I don’t even know why Vin was brought to this meeting because it’s basically a conversation between Jack an I. He’s probably just acting as a buffer so we don’t rip each other to shreds.

“What you want is the job,” Jack states. “But you also want me to leave you and Jessi alone. Correct?”

“I thought the second part came with your retirement.”

He makes a disgusting snickering sound at my comment and then continues.

“So my deal is, you keep your end of your promise, and I’ll give you the job as president and from then on, walk out of your life completely. That okay Vinny?”

Vin looks completely uncomfortable being in the middle of this whole thing.

“Well, I mean, I’m fine with giving Will the job as president, if that’s what you’re asking.”