14- Alex
“Such a disappointment, you’re nothing like your brother.”
I blinked, chopsticks hovering just short of my mouth and looked at my grandmother. Her pinched face had only become sourer and more wrinkled since I had left, and she peered at me, shaking her head.
“Disrespectful haircut, Cheap clothing. Just disappointing.”
I rolled my eyes, looking at my dad, who shook his head and brought his finger to his lips. My teeth ground together, and I put my chopsticks down and sat back in my chair, watching as my grandmother fussed over Jake and Phoebe. My dad lifted himself from his chair and helped my grandfather to his feet, and they walked outside into the crisp air for a cigarette, leaving me alone with my ma, grandmother, brother and Phoebe.
Definitely felt like the black sheep of the family now.
My grandmother had already admonished me for not being married and having children. Being the oldest child, she had told me it was my duty to be the first one married, not leave it to my baby brother to set an example.
Blah, blah, blah…..
“Are you not eating, Alexander?”
My gaze moved to Phoebe, the annoyance at even being in the same room as her, obviously shone brightly, and she blinked, lowering her gaze.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Shouldn’t have had so much to eat with your lunch date.” Jake chimed in, pointing his chopsticks at me. It wouldn’t have taken much for me to reach over, take one of them, and I mean, obviously you had a big meal..” his words trailed off with the death glare I gave him, and he also lowered his gaze.
I guess that was one thing I was glad Yuka Takada had taught me.
Intimidation.
Without uttering a word, I could stare down anyone. Anyone except for Yuka himself,
“It’s a shame that big friend of yours couldn’t be here.” My grandmother chattered to my brother. “What’s her name? Zoey?”
“Joey, okaasan. “Jake corrected her. “And she’s not that big.”
“Jake, I had to buy her an extra–large dress. Honey, that’s big.” Phoebe added and my gaze moved to her, in time to see her face flush and her eyes avert from mine again.
I smirked. I was starting to enjoy this
The only reason my grandmother wasn’t doing the same thing, was because the woman was as blind as a bar. Probably why she kept referring to my hair and clothing, as disrespectful and cheap. In my youth, I’d had no problem wearing outlandish hairstyles, including mohawks, and wearing grungy clothing.
But since working for Takada, I had changed drastically, she just couldn’t see it because she hadn’t bought her glasses with
her.
Thinking about what Phoebe had said about Joey, I frowned. Extra–large, was not that big when it came to clothing. I wore an extra–large shirt, to accommodate my physique. Surely Joey didn’t have broad shoulders like mine. And I liked women with more meat on them, and my mind went back to Rosey instantly…
“And you running off to hide…” There she went again I rolled my eyes and tipped back my head, staring at the ceiling as my grandmother continued. “Leaving your parents all alone, to raise their son. No help to them whatsoever.”
I lowered my head and looked at my mom, whose gaze was firmly planted on the plate in front of her. It had been always a sore point between me and her, the fact she wouldn’t stand up to my grandmother, when she started on me. I had been the woman’s favorite victim as a child, and it hadn’t seemed to change now that I was an adult.
Obviously, mom hadn’t told my grandparents the reason they weren’t in a nursing home was because of me and the money I sent every month, Because even though Jake was in business, he wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle Phoche demanded and help ma and pa at the same time.
I sighed and sat up, reaching into my pocket and pulled out some cash. Leaning over, I kissed my mom on the cheek. pushing the notes to her hand as I did and whispered quietly in her ear. “I’ll pay for everyone’s dinner. I’m going to head back to the hotel now, unless you want Pa’s okaasan’s funeral to be the next big event.”
My mom’s hand tightened around mine and she lifted her gaze, looking up at me and nodding. “Okay. Drive safe please. And we will see you tomorrow.”
I kissed her cheek again and stood, the table falling silent, except for my grandmother’s babbling. Jake and Phoebe looked up at me in anticipation.
“I will see you both tomorrow.”
“You’re leaving? But we haven’t even had dessert… Phoebe almost whined and the last nerves which she had managed to not play on, snapped, as Jake put his hand out and patted hers, saving her from a full blast of my temper.
“I’m sure Alex is tired. He’s had a full–on day, and he only flew in last night”
Icommended his attempt at trying to play civil and I nodded. “Yeah, I’m toast and I have to check in with my boss and send him some paperwork I had to finish on the flight down.”
Bullshit.
“Oh.” Phoebe frowned, pouting and the frown lines which should have been on her forehead, didn’t appear. “Well, he’s not a very nice boss then, is he? You’re supposed to be here, celebrating with us, and he’s got you working.
Oh please. I could tell a mile away, Jake didn’t want me there and the only reason she wanted me there, was to drool over
The
I’d caught her checking me out on more than one occasion and the thought she was thinking about me sexually, had made my stomach turn with sickness. She had nothing on the woman I had shared a bed with the night before.
“Well, I’ll be sure to tell him when I speak to him next. I’m sure it’ll go down a treat.”
Phoebe’s face paled and I turned to my grandmother, and as much as I didn’t like the woman, I planted a kiss on the top of her hair. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okaasan.”
She muttered and I turned, kissing the top of my mother’s head.
“Night, Ma
“Good night, Alex. We will see you in the morning.”
I turned and left the restaurant, ignoring the scantily clad women hanging around at the bar as I walked past. After Rosey last night, every woman I’d seen today had done absolutely nothing for me and I knew the curvy beauty had ruined other women for me, Like I knew she would
Stepping out into the cool night air, I sought out my father and grandfather. “I’m heading back to the hotel.”
tomorrow.”
Pa nodded, still propping my grandfather up, while the man smoked a thinly rolled cigarette. “Alright, Alex. We will see you
“Night.” I walked through the car park, climbing into my car and sat back in the seat, watching my father as he guided his own back into the restaurant. I could see my family sitting inside, talking, laughing. Everyone else at that table, bar my beautiful parents, could have gone to hell and I wouldn’t have given a fuck about any of them.
Sighing, I started the rental car and pulled out of the car park, heading back to the hotel which would be my home for another two nights. Parking the car and making my way up to my room, I stripped off to my trunks. fell face–first into bed. and slept like the dead.
