Читать книгу Five Star Desire - Jacquelin Thomas, Jacquelin Thomas - Страница 11

Chapter 3

By the time Saturday arrived, Kellen was more than ready to enjoy the weekend after a week of training classes and observing his coworkers as they worked on various projects.

Harold and Amy’s wedding would be a great distraction.

A few years ago his family had been an embarrassment to their DePaul relatives, but they had finally managed to come together. Kellen was grateful. His father had often told them that they were stronger as a family. He agreed.

As a team, Malcolm and Harold were a force to be reckoned with. Harold had great ideas and vision for the future. It was Harold’s idea to expand the Alexander-DePaul brand into other countries.

He gazed at the two-story, Cape Cod-style venue overlooking the ocean with an architect’s eye. Harold and Amy had chosen the Swan Manor in Manhattan Beach for their wedding. It was the perfect choice for them, Kellen decided after overhearing his mother say the couple favored beautiful gardens and the beach.

He followed the stream of guests to the back of the house where cocktails were being served by a waitstaff dressed in black pants and bow ties with crisp, white shirts, amid bougainvillea, koi ponds and lush greenery. Kellen glimpsed the Pacific Ocean in the backdrop of the garden.

“This is very nice,” Kellen heard Zaire remark. She and her husband arrived within seconds of him and Dreyden.

“Leave it to Harold to invite any and everyone on L.A.’s social register.” He took a sip of his wine.

Dreyden chuckled. “Looks like he invited all of Hollywood, as well.”

Kellen agreed. “The big jewels are definitely out of the safe today, and there is more couture out here than on the entire third floor of Neiman Marcus.”

When time drew near for the ceremony to start, Kellen and his family made their way inside one of the elegant banquet rooms that was filled with light from French windows.

His mother dazzled in a royal purple Oscar de la Renta gown. Sage mingled nearby in a black-and-white Ralph Rucci haute couture gown from Paris while Zaire wore a turquoise-colored gown designed by Vera Wang with Cartier turquoise-and-diamond jewels.

Livi was the matron of honor. She walked up, looking lovely in a champagne gown with a train. “Has Blaze arrived?”

“I haven’t seen him,” Kellen responded.

“He should be here by now.”

“Did you try to call him?”

She nodded. “It’s going to voice mail.”

He could see that she was worried, so Kellen told her, “You go back and tend to the bride, Livi. I’ll hunt down your husband.”

Her lips turned upward. “Thanks.”

Blaze arrived ten minutes later. “I heard there’s supposed to be around seven hundred people at the wedding.”

“Your wife was looking for you,” Kellen stated. “You should call her.”

He looked concerned. “Was she upset?”

Kellen laughed. “No...just worried.”

“I left my phone at home,” Blaze explained.

Kellen pulled out his phone. “Call Livi and let her know that you’re here. She’s dealing with enough, I would imagine, as the matron of honor.”

Blaze agreed.

“Hey, baby, I’m here. I left my phone at the house by accident.”

Kellen walked away to give Blaze some privacy as he talked to his wife. Mostly all of his siblings had found love, and he was happy for them. At this point in his life, he was not looking for a serious relationship. He wanted to focus on his career.

Inside the lavish mansion, Kellen noted that three large banquet rooms were converted into three distinct and equally chic rooms: one resembled a Parisian backdrop for the ceremony, another served as a luxury lounge and the third was the massive grand ballroom where the reception would be held. Golden lovebirds were situated among thousands of votive candles throughout.

Kellen sat down beside Dreyden, pulling at his bow tie. “I can’t wait to get out of this tuxedo.”

“I know what you mean.”

Guests were seated while being entertained by a harpist.

Kellen and Dreyden were joined by the rest of their family and DePaul relatives, taking up the first five rows on the groom’s side.

Near boredom, he released a soft sigh when the processional began.

Twelve bridesmaids. Kellen hoped whoever he married didn’t want a high-society wedding. He preferred something short and simple. He never understood why people wanted to spend so much money on a ceremony that lasted thirty to forty-five minutes at most.

Once the bride made a dramatic entrance, the ceremony didn’t take long, much to Kellen’s relief.

In the ballroom, after the pastor gave the blessing, more than a hundred perfectly choreographed attendants served dinner. After the bride and groom finished eating, they navigated around the room, pausing at each table to greet their guests.

When they reached Kellen and Dreyden, both men stood up.

“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. DePaul,” Kellen stated as he gave Amy a hug.

“Thank you,” they said in unison.

Dreyden embraced her and said, “Keep this man in line.”

“Don’t worry, she does,” Harold responded with a big grin. “I’m glad you all could be here to share this day with us.”

“I wouldn’t have missed it.”

Dreyden nodded in agreement.

The happy couple moved on to Zaire and Tyrese, who were seated at the same table along with Sage and Ryan.

“They really look good together,” Kellen said in a low voice. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Harold so happy.”

“She’s good for him,” Dreyden responded.

Harold’s sister, Meredith, walked over with her husband. “Hello, cousins.” Kellen hadn’t had a chance to speak with her until now because she was also a bridesmaid in the wedding.

He broke into a smile. “Marriage looks good on you both. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here for your wedding.”

“You were in the middle of your exams. We understood,” Meredith told him. “Thank you for the beautiful gift you sent.”

They talked a few minutes more before joining his siblings at the table. Dreyden and Kellen walked over to the bar to get something to drink.

“You know the pressure is about to increase for you to find a wife,” Kellen told his brother.

Dreyden laughed. “What about you? You’re single.”

“I’m just starting out in my career, though. You have your own business and your own place. Sorry, but the focus is going to be on you, bro.”

“I’m not seeing anyone seriously, so it might be a while.”

Kellen laughed. “Mom’s going to be so disappointed.”

His brother chuckled.

The band, La Chapelle Rhénane Orchestra from Paris, kept the dance floor packed all night long.

Kellen finished the last of his champagne. “You know...I don’t think I’ve ever seen Harold dance.”

Dreyden glanced over at his brother and said, “It’s his wedding day. He’s having a good time.”

“So what’s going on with your love life?” he asked Dreyden. “I can’t believe you haven’t met anyone special.”

“I’ve been so inundated with work that I haven’t had time to build a relationship. However, there is this girl that I think is special. She’s a workaholic just like I am. Only she’s in Hong Kong. Her job transferred her there eight months ago.”

“Bro, you need some downtime.”

“I know. I am going to take some time off in a couple of months. I’m thinking about going to Hong Kong.”

“I think you should, especially if she’s special to you,” Kellen advised.

“If I do that, I’m not sure I’ll have a restful vacation.”

He laughed. “I guess you’re right about that.”

“What about you?” Dreyden inquired. “Have you left anyone special behind in Atlanta?”

Kellen shook his head. “I’m not looking to get serious with anybody. I want to get my career on track first.”

He accepted a second glass of champagne from a passing waiter. “There is a sea of gorgeous women here,” he said. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen so many in one place like this.”

Dreyden agreed.

They stopped to chat with a couple of friends who were in attendance. Kellen smiled at the daughter of the couple he was conversing with. She smiled back and gave a little wave, but it was Dreyden who seemed to have captured her attention.

When they walked away, he said, “She was pretty. I saw the way she kept looking at you.”

Dreyden chuckled. “Maybe I should ask her to dance.”

“I think you should,” Kellen encouraged. “Go on...have fun.”

He watched his brother make his way back over to the young woman. They made their way to the dance floor.

“What’s this?” Blaze asked as he joined Kellen at his table. “I guess Dreyden’s feeling much better. He’s out there dancing.”

“He needs to have some fun. The man does nothing but work.”

“What about you? When was the last time you had a date?”

“It’s been a while,” Kellen responded. “I didn’t want to be tied to anyone since I was moving out here right after graduation.”

“So you’re ready to break some hearts in Los Angeles.”

He grinned. “I’m definitely not going to get mine broken.”

“I can’t wait to meet the woman who steals your heart, Kellen.”

“Hey, I can’t, either. She’s really going to have to be something special to get me to want to settle down.”

* * *

Kellen drove to Dreyden’s condo the next day. He was looking forward to watching a basketball game with him. He was a Lakers fan while his brother favored the Atlanta Hawks.

“Hey, I just got off the phone with Ari,” Dreyden announced. “He’s bringing pizza and beer.”

“Great,” Kellen replied. He took note of Dreyden’s grayish pallor and the dark circles beneath his eyes and the way his clothes hung loosely on his frame. “Hey, when was the last time you saw a doctor?” he inquired.

“I think it’s been about two years,” Dreyden responded with a slight shrug. “I think I may have a virus or something, but I don’t think it’s anything serious.”

“I don’t agree,” Kellen responded. “This has been going on for a while now. I’m not the only one who has noticed how much weight you’ve lost, and that you haven’t had much of an appetite lately.”

“The whole family has said something.” Dreyden was quiet for a moment. “If it’s that noticeable, then I guess it’s time for a checkup, at least.”

“Make the call to the doctor’s office.”

“Enough about me,” Dreyden said as he settled back in his chair. “Let’s talk about you. How was your first week on the job?”

Kellen shrugged in nonchalance. “It was okay. I spent most of the day in technical workshops and the rest getting familiar with some of our current projects. I haven’t been able to touch anything yet.”

“So what do you think of the new Special Projects Director?”

“When did you find out that Addison was getting the position?” Kellen asked.

“I think Ari may have mentioned it a couple of weeks ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Dad didn’t want us to say anything,” Dreyden responded. “He wanted to be the one to discuss it with you.”

Kellen gave a short laugh. “There was no discussion. Dad straight out told me that he had given the job away. He didn’t think that I could handle the position.”

Dreyden took a long drink of his bottled water. “You’re still upset with him, I see.”

Shrugging in nonchalance, Kellen responded, “I don’t agree with his decision, and I never will.”

“Dad wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

“That may not have been his intention, but he did,” he stated. “He clearly has no faith in my abilities.”

“You’re taking this the wrong way.”

“I don’t know any other way to take it, Dreyden. Dad didn’t even consider giving me a chance to prove myself. He just gave the position to someone else.”

“Kellen, do you honestly think that you could have gone to another company and walked into a director position with no experience?”

“I’m really tired of hearing that. Maybe I should put some feelers out there and see,” he countered.

Dreyden scratched his arm before folding them both across his chest. “Maybe you should. Who knows...it may work out for you.”

Kellen eyed his brother for a brief moment, noting the way he was scratching his skin.

“Dad would probably see it as a betrayal of some sort.”

“No, I’m pretty sure he would understand,” Dreyden uttered. “Dad has always allowed us to make our own choices. You’re free to do whatever you want.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Kellen said with a sigh of frustration.

“I would give the job six months,” Dreyden stated. “If you still feel the same way, then start sending out your résumé.”

He nodded in approval. “I can do that.”

“I think I need to change the soap I’m using or something. My skin is dry and itchy.”

Kellen chuckled. “I’ve told you about buying that cheap stuff. You need to stop being so frugal.”

“And you need to start putting away some money for the future,” Dreyden advised. “God bless the child that’s got his own.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, big brother. You, Blaze and Ari have been good role models for me. I’ve learned from all of your mistakes.”

“But have you learned from your own?”

Kellen laughed. “The jury’s still out on that.”

* * *

“Charles will provide leadership for all team members throughout the life of this project to ensure continuity, meaningful collaboration and clear communication,” Addison stated Monday afternoon. “Kellen, I would like for you to shadow the team.”

He gave a slight nod, but did not respond otherwise.

Kellen had been with the company for almost three weeks now and hadn’t been able to touch a project. She could tell that he wasn’t happy with her decision, but this project was too important to the company—Addison was not willing to risk placing a novice on something like this.

After the other employees left the room, she said, “I get the feeling that you’re upset about my decision to just let you shadow the team.”

“I’m here to work. All I’ve been doing since training ended is shadowing this person and that person.”

“I understand that you’re ready to jump in and get to work, however, you need to observe a few projects first.”

“You saw my portfolio,” Kellen uttered with a hint of arrogance. “You know what I can do. Is all this necessary? Why can’t I learn by actually working on something?”

“This is a major project...”

“Oh, I get it,” he responded. “You’re afraid I’ll make a mistake and it’ll reflect badly on you. This is about you.”

She responded coolly, “This isn’t about me at all.”

“You don’t have to worry about me tarnishing your sterling reputation, Addison. I’ll shadow the team as you decided, but I’m not about to let you think I’m okay with it.”

Addison sat there, her cheeks on fire but trying desperately to appear calm, refusing to let Kellen see just how upset she was. “Kellen, I shadowed for a month before I was given a small project to work on. Just be patient.”

“I hope you don’t plan on having me shadow for a month.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Actually, I was thinking it might be a good idea.”

“You can’t be serious.”

Addison met his gaze. “I am very serious about this, Kellen. Let me be clear. I’m not going to let you touch anything until I know that you’re ready.”

“I hear you, boss,” he uttered before walking away.

She could not believe his gall. If she’d been a man, there was no way that Kellen would talk to her this way. Clearly, he didn’t like having a female in charge. Some men believed that female managers were emotional and leadership-ability lacking. She knew that some of her male employees felt that way. Well, she wasn’t going anywhere. Addison led her teams with a firm hand, while being open to their thoughts and opinions.

In a way, Addison understood Kellen’s desire to get to work. She had been the same when she started, but not as arrogant. He had a lot to learn about the specific technical parts of the job—things he wouldn’t have learned in school. Kellen was very talented and he was intelligent. Still, there was so much he had to learn about his job.

* * *

Kellen sighed in frustration as he made his way home. Addison was just as bad as his father. Apparently, neither one of them had any faith in his skills. He’d spent the rest of his day at the office sitting in a conference room listening as a team of engineers discussed a project he wanted in on. It had been a struggle for him to just sit there quietly and contribute nothing.

At home, Kellen changed into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. He needed to work out some of his aggravation.

“I suppose you’re still angry with me,” Malcolm said when he entered the exercise room.

Kellen shook his head. “I’m not angry, Dad. I’m just really disappointed with the way things turned out.”

“I understand that. Do you want to talk about it?”

“It won’t change anything,” he responded. “So there’s really nothing for us to discuss.”

“Your mother made roast chicken for dinner,” Malcolm announced. “Will you be joining us?”

“I’m going to have dinner out, but I won’t be out late,” Kellen answered. “I’m in the mood for Italian.”

Malcolm stood in his path. “Son, I don’t like this distance between us. I’m sorry that you’re so disappointed and upset. It’s not what I wanted for you.”

“How did you expect me to feel, Dad?” he questioned, meeting his gaze.

“I knew that you would be disappointed, Kellen. It just didn’t occur to me just how much you wanted the position, but even if it had—I stand by my decision.”

“Dad, I accepted the position offered to me and I’m grateful to have a job, period. I know that you believe this is the best career path for me, but I don’t agree.”

“You’re right. I do believe this is the best career path for you,” Malcolm responded. “In time, you will feel the same way.”

Kellen smiled. “We’ll see, Dad.”

“Why don’t you stay and have dinner with us? Your mother would love to spend some time with you.”

“What about you?”

“I would like that, as well.”

“I’d like that, too,” Kellen confessed. He was tired of being angry and he hated the distance between them. It was time to accept what he could not change and just move on.