The Vacation

Chapter Eleven

Hey readers! So where we left off was Alessio and Jessie were on a bus tour around London. This is actually a few days after that. I know most of my chapters start right after the previous ends but this is different. I felt like I was just dragging it out. So yeah! I'm sorry. That was lame. I'll just get to it then.

-----

"Sorry I've not been able to spend much time with you in the last few days, Jay. Mr. Cararra thought it would be a good idea to get me settled into the office right away. And one of our major clients was adamant about fixing a certain problem by last week but didn't tell us until last week." My dad made a face where he looked really insincerely apologetic and also guilty. I found that funny and started to laugh. Very unattractively. After a few seconds, he joined in.

We probably looked like idiots, sitting there in our booth of the five star restaurant, laughing our heads off. And snorting. Oh lord, my dad had a habit of snorting when he laughed. But then, so did I. Good thing I didn't know anyone in London besides Alessio, and I knew he wouldn't see me like this. (My dad invited him to dinner. Of course he did, because the two of them are like bffl's. But anyways, Alessio turned it down. He had a thing with his brother.)

"You're good, Dad. Don't worry about it. Alessio and I have been hanging out. He's cool," I respond.

"You really think so? Good. I'm glad you two are hanging out! He seems like a rule follower, just the way I like my - I mean your - friends! I have to be honest, Jay. We've only been here a week and I already like Alessio more than I like any of your other friends back in Dummerston. That Michelle is a bad influence. And before you say anything, Jay, please know that I've talked to her parents. She's been caught by her father sneaking out of her house more times than they could count! I'm just glad you've never done anything like that, sweetheart." My dad ends his lecture (yes, still in the restaurant) by placing his hand on top of mine and patting it a few times with a smile on his face.

Gasp. "Dad, Michelle sneaks out? I'm so glad you raised me better than that! I don't know what I'd do if she ever asked me to sneak out to meet her at a party or something..." Right. Probably make sure to be quieter than she is and make sure my bedroom window is cracked so I could get back in? Just an idea. Not like I've ever snuck out or anything.

Just then the waitress came up to us. She was kind of short but not petite, with light chestnut hair and really tan skin. She cleared her throat and then when we looked at her, she said in a soft voice, "Hi, I'm Lindsey. I'll be your waitress tonight. Are we ready to order? I can get you started on drinks?" She didn't have an accent, at least to me, so I assumed she was also from the United States. At least originally.

"Sure, Lindsey. Thank you," my dad answered her, "I'll have a twelve ounce sirloin. Medium rare. And a glass of Merlot, please. Your best. And Jay, what do you want?" He said, turning to me, eyebrow raised.

"Um...can I have just a salad...? And do you have Pepsi? I'll have that," I say in answer to Lindsey's eager nod. I look back at my dad as if to say Seriously? You had to choose a restaurant that didn't have anything but steak or shrimp on the menu?

As Lindsey walked away, my dad busted out laughing. "Oh my gosh I thought she would never leave! Seriously, Jay, salad? Since when do you go out to dinner, my treat mind you, and not get something like pasta or a burger or something else equally as filling and, ya know, expensive?" He chuckled. I shrugged.

"There wasn't any of that on the menu, Dad, or didn't you notice? And who says I don't like salad? Michelle and Taylor only eat salad. They tell me I need to stop eating carbs, also." I was laughing at the look he gave me and could barely finish my fake argument. His face was saying Yeah, right, you've always liked salad. And I don't make $400K a year. Okay so maybe I didn't like salad, but Michelle texted me that we still had to make college tryouts when I got back to America and I couldn't come back "fat" so I had to send her a picture of my meals "until further notice" because I "needed to learn the proper meal for the softball team captain to eat". I don't know. She was kinda go-out-running-or-don't-go-out. But besides that she was awesome. We were the two most popular girls at school. And she was my best friend. By default. So I had to do what she said. Because she did what I said. That's how our friendship worked.

"Hey, Dad," I change the subject, "What exactly does Mr. Cararra have you do? I mean like I understand what you did in Vermont and I get that this is pretty much the same thing but like, I don't think you ever spent every waking moment at your office in the US..."

"Well I'm still the CEO of the American branch, but I work under the discretion of Cararra, who is the CEO of the whole international company. Actually, he's my "boss" all the time, but when I'm in the US, we Skype or have long distance conference calls. Here, however, I'm actually in the office with him, where I still have to oversee the American branch, but I also help Cararra with the plans for a new branch. One in - don't tell anyone - Luxembourg. Which we will be co-CEOs together, both from long distance, of course. But we would hire someone to run the branch and who would be there, at the building, all the time. For things that wouldn't need a long distance conference call or business trip from both me and Cararra. We're also working on that. Preliminary interviews and looking at resumes. It's a lot of work, almost triple my workload from Vermont, but I enjoy it. And you know Cararra and I are friends. So it's not completely bad that I've been working more. Again, I'm sorry I've not been able to spend more time with you here lately."

That made sense. Dad was a great businessman. And I did know that he got along with Mr. Cararra. Really, I'm proud of my dad. He worked hard. He deserved an amazing opportunity like this one.

But I wouldn't tell him that out loud. Don't want him thinking I actually like spending time with him.