The Forbidden Room 01 - The Forbidden Room (32 page)

“Jayden?” The voice asked quietly. “Is this Jayden Carter?” Well, at least they knew my name.

“Yes, this is Jayden Carter,” I said rolling my eyes at Kimberly, she giggled quietly.

“Jayden, this is Harold Rotes. I was your father’s attorney, and am trustee to his estate,” he said solemnly. I appreciated that even though he wanted to give his condolences, he held back.

“Hello, Mr. Rotes. I remember you,” I said, picturing the older, balding, quiet man who used to stop by the house when I was younger with papers for dad to sign. Silently, I thanked my father for putting his affairs into such good order. Kimberly and I had barely had to do anything.

“Jayden, I’ll get right to the point. There is trouble in your father’s company. The stock prices have fallen some since his death and the board is worried. There is a provision in your father’s will…well, maybe it would be better to discuss it in person. It would be helpful if you and your sister could come to Chicago and meet with me, and then the board,” he explained gravely. I don’t know anything about business; I was getting my Master’s in history for God’s sake.

“I’ll talk to my sister, but I will definitely be there. You and I can meet when I arrive, and we can discuss things with the board on Monday.” I heard Mr. Rotes chuckle lightly on the phone.

“I’m sorry, Jayden. You sound just exactly like your father when you put on your professional voice.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said quietly, and then hung up the phone.

“Jay, what do you need to talk to me about?” Her face was set and determined as I explained to her about the board and she relaxed. While she knew that I would take care of whatever it was, but she was happy to head out to Chicago with me. Josh had some time coming too, so he could go with us. Hesitantly, she even asked, if I wanted to take Ethan and I snorted. It wasn’t exactly ‘bring your Dom to work’ day. He had come with me the last time I needed to go to Chicago, and with his history there, I think he’s more than met his quota.

When I got home that night, Ethan was sitting at the table eating dinner. “I made enough for two, if you’re interested,” he said lightly, smiling at me. Things had become much more relaxed between us since the definition of our relationship had changed. I was still his sub, but I was also a Dom. Well, technically, I was a switch, someone that could confidently fill both roles. However, I felt that I was not really a switch, as the only one that I would ever sub for was Ethan. I filled a plate and sat down at the table with him while he poured me a glass of wine.

“Thanks.” I took the merlot from him, having developed an appreciation for wine since I’d lived with Ethan. I liked to think that I had a similar influence on him, that I had enriched his life in some way. He had certainly enriched mine. “By the way, I got a call from my father’s attorney,” I began, might as well get it over with. “I need to go to Chicago for a few days.”

“If you’d like company, all you need do is ask,” he offered. I told him that I while appreciated the offer but that Kimberly and Josh had to come with me anyway. “I didn’t think of that, I guess that she would. If he hassles you about anything and you need a good attorney, I know someone.” Always the optimist, I had to chuckle and he smiled. He offered to drive us to the airport, but I told him we’d just keep the car in long term parking – we wouldn’t be gone that long.

The flight to Chicago was uneventful, well, unless you count Josh’s rendition of some eighties pop song for the flight attendants. They thought it was funny. Kimberly and I, however, changed seats when he went to the bathroom. It took him two trips through the nearly empty plane to find us as we sat very low in a couple of seats. Mr. Rotes had a car waiting for us at the airport. It still felt so strange to know that I had so much money. I had never really given it much thought when it was my parents’ money. Now, it was mine and Kimberly’s. We literally didn’t know what to do with it. Josh both surprised and impressed me when he told Kimberly not to buy him a huge red jeep that he’d had his eye on. He said that we should discuss things with terms like P/E ratio, EPS, and market value with a reputable financial planner and get everything organized before we did anything else. I gaped at him, but he just shrugged.

It took nearly an hour in traffic to get to my parents’ townhouse. Eerily, my childhood home looked exactly the same. Though for me, so much had changed since I’d been there last. Kimberly stopped dead on the sidewalk too. This would be the one event, more than any other, which drove the point home that our parents were dead. As we walked up the sidewalk to the house, I held my sister’s hand; she was shaking slightly next to me.

I unlocked the front door. Some things had changed, as you would expect through the passing of time, but many other things had not. Our school pictures still lined the staircase, stacked one on top of the other, first Kimberly on top, then me – all the way up the stairs. My mother always made sure that neither of us felt the other was favored, she was just like that. I felt the weight settle in my chest just thinking of her.

I waited in my father’s study for Mr. Rotes to arrive. It had been years since I’d been in here, but everything was much the same. While he had updated the phone and the computer, the big cherry wood desk was still the same. Sitting in his chair, I looked around where we’d had all of our talks - the ‘be nice to your sister’ talk, the ‘boys and girls are different’ talk, the ‘treat women right’ talk, and the ‘condom’ talk - all of them. I began to lament all of the talks that we would never have – the ‘wedding’ talk, the ‘kids of my own’ talk - none that would ever happen. As I took in the wall next to the desk, I noticed something that made my heart stop. The check and letter I had sent back were pinned to a corkboard hanging on the wall. leaned over and pulled it down.

“You know, I asked him about that recently,” Mr. Rotes said from the doorway, startling me out of my thoughts. I looked over at him, and he must have seen something in my face. “He told me how you wanted to make it on your own steam. He said he kept it up there as a posted reminder of his son’s outstanding character.”

With that, the weight of his statement hit me – my father wasn’t ashamed of me, he was
proud
of me even though I had done so many fucking things wrong. So many things…my relationship with my parents, with Kimberly, I made it so much worse than I needed to, putting them through so much grief, and my parents had no idea why. I should have just talked to them while I had had the chance.

“What is it that you wanted to discuss with us?” Kimberly asked as she walked into the room. “It’s not very easy for us to be here, so if we could just get through this?”

“Of course,” Mr. Rotes said lightly. “As you know, your father started his company from nothing, and built a rather large business from it. He was revered by his employees because he never lost touch with the people he worked with – he was their leader, more than their boss. With his death, people have started to become very worried. The stock price has fallen, and the board is at a loss on what to do about it. They see only one option. They need a Carter on the board.” I was stunned; he couldn’t be asking what it sounded like he was asking.

“Mr. Rotes, with all due respect, I have a degree in American history. I’m not a businessman.”

“No, but your brother-in-law here,” Rotes said as Josh and Kimberly came into the room, “has an MBA. They’re looking for a name, a figurehead. You can give them so much more than that, if you’re willing. I think our proposal should be that you be on the board for a year to calm peoples’ nerves. Then, you let Josh take your place. You would all have to move here, Josh would need to work closely with our other executives to familiarize himself, but from what I’ve heard about him, I’m confident in his abilities.” I stared at Josh, and his open, but slightly smug, look. I assumed he was a just a jock.

“Mr. Rotes, I still have two semesters left to get my Masters. I’ve worked…” I started but he cut me off.

“Your father had mentioned that were accepted to UIC. I’ve talked to them. Your father was a pillar in the community, they would be honored for you to finish and accept your degree from them,” he said in a rush. With that statement, my last argument was lost. I knew that I owed it to my father to help save the company he had built; it was selfish of me to think of myself first right now. After having done everything for me, the least I could do was give my father’s company a year of my life. I looked at Josh who nodded at me. Then, I looked to Kimberly who did the same.

“We’ll do it,” I said weakly, wondering how in God’s name I was going to explain it to Ethan.

* * *

The plane ride back was quiet. Kimberly gave me space to let me work through uprooting my life for the next year. She and Josh were excited about moving to Chicago, and I had given them my blessing to live in, and renovate, our parents’ townhouse. I thought it was fitting that eventually they would raise their children there because we’d had such a happy childhood there.

When I arrived home, it was dark and quiet, and after leaving my jacket and shoes in the closet by the door, I went in search of Ethan, finding him in his den. He looked up, almost surprised to see me standing in his doorway.

“I didn’t think you’d be back so soon.”

“Well, the board accepted our proposal fairly quickly, so there was no real reason to stay. I had to come back and get things ready.” I replied, it would be better just to do it, I rationalized.

“What recommendations did you offer?” His jaw tightened, as it always did in times of stress. He knew there was something wrong as I avoided eye contact, my feet shifting in my discomfort.

“That I serve on the board of directors for a year as a representative ‘Carter’. After that, Josh will take over,” I said solemnly, still looking at my shoes.

“So, you’re giving notice?” he asked, his voice in a forced calm. Giving notice? Subs gave notice? Like a job?

“Giving notice?” I asked, not fully sure what he was asking.

“To move out,” he continued in a business-like tone. “Fine, after I inspect the space, I’ll refund your deposit.”

“Ethan…”

“No, Jayden. It’s not a big deal. I can always find another tenant,” he said, and went back to typing. I knew was upset, but that fucking hurt. Although, I had to remember he was panicked now at the possibility of having his only sub taken before he’s ready. I turned and left the room. It was eerie how calm he had taken that, but I was sure that would not be the end of it. When I entered my bedroom a few minutes later, I had to stifle a groan. Mr. Rotes may be taking care of the college transfer, but he certainly wasn’t going to pack for me. Deciding to put it off until tomorrow, as I was tired, and a little peeved at Ethan, I grabbed my laptop and started an email to Lexi. She’d kill me if she found out about this from anyone other than me. That thought made me chuckle as I started to type.

“I thought you’d be packing….” Ethan said from the doorway nearly twenty minutes later. I looked up at him, but he didn’t say anything, so I went back to typing.

“Jayden….”

“Look, I know you want this space for you next tenant,” I said, injecting more venom into the last word. “But I am paid up through the end of the month. I’ll be out before then.” The color slowly drained from his face.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean….” I cut him off.

“I know, but to hear you call me just a tenant – it pissed me off, Ethan.” I looked away.

“I’m sorry,” he offered again, his hands balled up into fists at his sides. I hoped he wasn’t there for a session, because I would have safe-worded before the words were all the way out of his mouth. There was no way I would risk a repeat of our last session when he was upset. “I’m not used to having so many strong feelings, Jayden. I know that you have to go, and I know why, but that doesn’t make it any easier. You have come to be my friend, probably my closest friend. It is selfish of me to want to keep you here.” He looked at the floor and I sighed.

“Ethan, you are probably my best friend too, if I needed to quantify it. I don’t want to live in Chicago for a year, but I caused my father enough grief. It’s my duty and really, my honor, to help save something he had worked so long to build.” He nodded and we said our goodnights. It was a long time before I fell asleep.

Over next few days, while I was getting everything ready, Ethan was very quiet, only making a few comments on the houses I’d looked at online, but otherwise had kept to himself. I was having my stuff shipped to my parents’ townhouse – well, now Kim and Josh’s townhouse, until I decided on a house. Mr. Rotes had put me in touch with a fantastic realtor and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I found something. Honestly, I was excited about buying my first house. That simple transaction, more than any other, made me feel like an adult. Even though I’d been on my own since I had started college, I’d always had my parents to fall back on. Now, I would be standing alone, making my first major purchase. My life was changing so drastically so fast, I was just trying to keep up.

As I tossed the last two boxes into my truck, I caught Ethan watching me from the doorway. Just before he turned away, I caught the look of pain that ravaged his perfect face.

My heart clenched at the sight.

“Well, everything is finally finished. When I leave for Chicago tomorrow, all of my stuff should be there.” I knew that working in my father’s company was something I needed to do; something Kimberly needed to do, but that didn’t make leaving Ethan any easier. Over the last year and a half, somehow, amazingly, he had become my best friend. Even though I knew we would not lose contact, I would still miss our daily interactions. “I should probably get to bed, tomorrow is going to be a long day.” I turned toward the stairs when Ethan’s hand on my arm stopped me, the depth and clarity of the emotions shown in his eyes was staggering.