My Company

"Hello, son," Todrick spoke out as he opened the door to his son's office.

"Father, I wasn't expecting you," Becket replied as he rose from his chair, and nodded toward the honey-blonde woman leaning on his desk. "Uh, thank you, Ms. Carver,"

"Still at it, I see," Todrick retorted as he made his way to the brown leather chair in front of the large oak desk. "Son, need I remind you that you are still under a probationary period, this is still my company to take back as I see fit." He grabbed a handful of cashews in the marble bowl in front of him and he brought them to his mouth. Becket and Todrick were the spitting images of each other, it was as if someone copied Todrick and gave him a different name.

"What are you talking about, Father?" Beck asked as he sat back down in his chair across from Todrick. "Ms. Carver was just bringing me the Connecticut file,"

"Yes, among other things, last time I walked in here, she was laid out on top of your desk, sprawled out like some animal." Todrick scoffed as he dusted off his hands. "You need a wife, Becket, you are thirty-three and I am not getting any younger, your mother keeps pestering me about grandkids, and I was married with both you boys before I was your age." 

"Yes, Father I know, but I'm not you," Beck began as he sat back in the chair. "I know, when you look at me, clearly I must remind you of yourself, but I am not you, nor do I wish to follow in your footsteps."

"So, since you are not me, does this mean that you do not want my company?" Todrick rose to his feet as he brushed off his light blue suit, "Shall I then go ahead and inform your younger more inexperienced brother that I shall indeed be handing my company over to him so I can watch all my hard work go down the tubes?!" 

"No, of course not Father, that's not what I meant, I only mean..." Becket quickly gathered his thoughts as he stumbled getting up.

"Yes, yes, you are not me, but you damn well better start acting like it, I'm giving you an ultimatum, Son, either you find a good respectable wife within the allotted time I have given you, or I will give my company to your brother or worse yet one of your cousins." Todrick moved closer to his son as he pleaded with him.

"Father, Kaleb, Nick, and Mark aren't married either, will you be giving them the same ultimatum as well?" Becket replied louder than he intended to.

"Do not raise your voice to me, boy, I will, I will give them the same ultimatum as I'm sure it would be less difficult than it is with you!" He yelled out equally frustrated as he put his hand on the door to open it. "Mark my words Becket Levi if you do not settle down in three months' time, I will be settling this company in someone else's hands." Todrick swung open the door and stormed out walking past Philippa Carver as she was making her way to her boss' office. Philippa Carver had been hired two months prior and was hard at work wiggling her way up the cooperative ladder, with her done-up honey-blonde hair, long legs, bright blue eyes, and big luscious lips it's no wonder she made it from mail woman to the CEO's secretary in under two months.

"Sir, is everything alright here?" Philippa questioned as she knocked on the big wooden door before entering his office.

"What?" Beck began pacing the floor as he furrowed his eyebrows and rubbed his hand on the stubble that had begun to show. "Oh, Ms. Carver, yes everything is fine, is there anything you need?" He brushed his hair back as he slumped back into his chair.

"Yes, there is something I had in mind, Mr. Petersen," Philippa started as she walked seductively over to Beck and began to straddle his legs.

"Becket, Uncle Todrick just called me..." Mark threw open the door to Beck's office interrupting whatever was about to transpire between the boss and his secretary. 

"Oh, Mark, you're here," Beck lightly pushed Philippa off of him as she pressed down her black pencil skirt, cleared her throat, and walked past Mark as he closed the door behind her.

"Yes, I'm here, and she shouldn't be, Beck, Uncle Todrick called me and I'm sure he's on the phone with Nick as we speak. Look, Uncle Todrick means business Beck, this whole marriage thing, he called to tell me all about it and to keep an eye on you." Mark sat on the brown leather sofa looking at his cousin pacing around the office. "Meaning to keep all these women who don't look like suitable candidates, his words, away from you."

"Wait, seriously?" Beck asked as he plopped down on the sofa next to his cousin.

"Yeah, sorry bud, but it looks like you'll have a tail on you from now on," Mark reached his hand into the blue ceramic bowl full of pecans and began cracking them in his hand. "Look, why don't you just ask one of the nice-looking women you know and write up a contract?" 

"What?" Beck inquired as he got up and slumped toward the golden mirror that doubled as a bar. "What are you talking about?"

"Get me a drink will you?" Mark swallowed as he shifted his weight to the back of the sofa. "I mean, ask one of your women the friendly type to go in on a contracted marriage, it'll get your dad off your back. You know sweeten then deal with a little money and have it in there that you divorce her in about a year or so, make it believable." He grabbed the rum and coke from his cousin before continuing. "Make it to where she can't take half of your money or business, you know real legit."

"Actually, that doesn't sound half bad, now the only dilemma is which girl?" Beck swished back his rum and coke before fixing another glass.