Chapter 10

“So, Dad, what’s going on?” I asked my father after calling in response to his text.

“A few things at once, actually. One of which involves Mike, if he’s cool with it. First things first. Cheyenne ... wants to sign a prenup. Yeah, it was HER idea, strangely enough. I’m really not worried, as most of my assets are protected, but to her, it’s the principle of the matter to get all of the property issues settled in advance.

“She doesn’t plan to divorce me, of course, but the odds are 50/50 for first marriages and even worse for second ones, as you know. I’d need Mike to draw one up with reasonable haste ... and yet attention to detail, to protect Cheyenne’s interests as well as mine. So there’s that. She’s got it in her head that she needs to prove that not all women are gold-diggers, hypergamous ways notwithstanding. She thinks that prenups should be standard for marriage in the future to save a lot of court costs, lawyer fees. She might have a point there.

“The next thing is that ... your Uncle Gavin can’t serve as best man after all. He’s been ... indicted. Yep. For securities fraud, insider trading, perjury, etc. The grand jury convened and produced an indictment ... something that he never mentioned was even a risk before. This also means that he has to step down as Executive Vice-President of Grant Limited. Yes, I had to fire my own damn brother for cause! It was rough! I’m pissed-off!

“This is very short notice, but Uncle Sam is done with you ... so how about filling in both spots, son? Don’t worry ... if you start to fuck up, I’ll tell you, but the bar is very low right now. And we need a clean slate to repair our public image, to protect it from the vultures and such. I know that you’ve distanced yourself from the family in recent years, but this is your old man asking you ... and well, there ... are some perks, you know. As there are with being my best man, of course,” Dad urged me now.

“Well, I ... I’m engaged, Dad ... so, yeah, I could use the job. Especially as my fiancee is a pregnant movie usher from Bulgaria. So ... yeah, I’ll take it ... on ONE condition,” I insisted.

“What’s that?” Dad wondered, probably a bit confused.

“One of my first acts is to set up a gym in the firm. We’ll find space for it, trust me. And part of my duties, separate from the others and it won’t compromise them, will be to train and instruct any staff who voluntarily apply for membership. I want to apply some of the techniques that work in some Asian businesses, for instance. A gym, eventually a spa, a nursery, benefits, perks, and amenities like that. A more holistic approach to management in some ways. Improving the body can also help improve the mind ... and boost morale,” I proposed.

“Well, it would be excellent PR and would aid our lagging office morale, no doubt of that. This is going to be your business, your company, someday. I’m planning to leave it to you. I hope that you want to save it for you and your children. The big house, with the estate, that sort of thing, that I’m gonna leave to Vicky. She could use that more than the firm.

“And I’m leaving all of my cars and my RV to Cheyenne and Kara, but don’t tell them that. I think that’s only fair. The bed and breakfast I’m leaving to Arnie. He needs something to occupy him when he gets back from the Peace Corps for good,” Dad continued, much to my surprise.

“The Whaler ... on Nantucket? That bed and breakfast? He’s gonna kiss you, Dad, though I’d say hopefully not with tongue! His mother wouldn’t appreciate that, nor would his boyfriend, for that matter, if he has one. Unless they have an open/poly deal, that is. But seriously, he’ll be over the moon about The Whaler.

“How is everything else? I’ve meant to talk to you, but with everything leading up to Mother’s Day, you know that is ... and settling in ... and resolving some family drama at Mom’s place, of course. Wayne dumped his shiny new girlfriend pretty fast, I might add ... I think that he’s sweet on a waitress from brunch today. At the Omeleteer, in fact. That nice breakfast diner. That’s the one. Her name’s Becca. I think that his taste in women is ... how shall I put it, starting to improve a bit,” I briefed my father a bit now.

“Yeah, I figured that would happen. Whatever my beefs with Mike Chung, he’s not a bad man. He has mostly good morals, ethics, etc. I’ve become convinced that he never slept with your mother while he represented her in court. And I don’t think that he’s cheated on her, not to my knowledge, which puts him over me, though well ... you know the backstory with all of the affairs, hers and mine.

“So, yeah, I kinda thought that, sooner or later, once he kicked back a bit more and spent more time with Wayne, Mike would be able to encourage a better set of values. And your mother is always a wonderful woman ... it’s been hard to find anyone close to being in her league, let alone her equal, in spite of her adultery. She has flaws, true, but so do I. But the only women that I’ve known who are in the same ballpark have been Patty and Cheyenne.

“No, I wouldn’t count Wendy at all. I found out later that she cheated on me ... a LOT! But it wasn’t just that. She was a vain, conceited, narcissistic person with a real sense of entitlement. Patty’s close, but not quite there. She still prizes the church’s standards over developing a moral code of her own.

“I decided, long ago, that my own code matters more than what any church would teach you. A church can only give you the broad guidelines. The hard and fast rules you have to determine for yourself. And it can best be summed up in the Golden Rule, which is universal and is about empathy more than anything else. Don’t do to others what you’d hate done to you.

“That includes lying to others, saying hurtful things, bashing your partner in front of others, cheating on your SO, that kind of thing. That’s the best of Christianity ... living like Christ. Doing what he taught ... treat others as they should treat you. Cheyenne is the first person after your mother that I’ve dated who really shares that set of values, of ethics,” Dad stopped for a second, probably to light a cigar.

“And what are your thoughts on ... open relationships?” I broached the subject.

“If that’s your cup of tea, son, just be sure that everyone involved is aware and agrees freely to it. I tried it, but it didn’t work because your mother wasn’t into it, okay? That kinda thing, well it happens. I stupidly cheated out of annoyance and frustration with your mother about that, but that’s not the same thing. That’s not swinging. That’s cheating. And it’s wrong. Period.