Loving Damon

|2| I Can't Be That Man

| Damon |

Unbuttoning the top three buttons of my navy blue dress shirt, I hastily take long strides down the corridor, heading towards my office. Opening the door with force, it slams against the wall and I throw my blazer to the side where it falls on the black leather couch. A loud groan rises from my throat as my hands thread their way through my hair in pure frustration.

I don't know how much more of this I can take. Four years have come and gone and Im still here stuck in a suit and tie tending to spoiled, rich asshole who have nothing better to do with their time than try and tell my Uncle and Brother how to do their jobs which in turn leaves me to get stuck in the middle.

Walking around my desk, I slam my palms down on the table, a loud thud reverberating off the walls as I shake my head in utter disbelief.

Having just come back from a meeting with Uncle Eric and Dean I already felt like I needed to have my sanity reexamined. We were meeting with a client who wanted us to design and build a brand new dance studio for his daughter, as an unexpected Christmas gift — which is an amazing gesture, crazy but amazing. I didn't have any problems with the man until Uncle Eric showed him the floor plans and elevations, all of the sudden he knew more than an architect with twenty plus years under his belt, my uncle.

There were clients I had no issues with and days went by busy but with no hardships. There were clients who were easy to deal with and trusted us on our input but then there were days like today where client made me want to drink and punch my hand through these clean white walls.

Taking in a deep breath I sat down at my chair and looked down at all the paper, pencils, and sticky notes on my desk. A day didn't go by when I didn't have work to do. Dean and I were Mid-Level partners which means Uncle Eric was Senior Partner, in my fathers will it was said the the firm is to be split two ways between my mom and Uncle Eric and from there my mom would give Dean, Emma and I our shares but truly I didn't care about the money, I simply cared about keeping my fathers business as successful as it is.

Right now Hendrix Architects is very well known and one of the most sought after in NY. There are others above us, we are not the greatest yet but we are up there and that is one thing I can definitely be proud of — that simple fact makes coming into work a bit easier.

If I didn't care about this company with all my damn soul, If I wasn't grateful for the legacy my father left me I would have been out of here yesterday! As a matter of fact I wouldn't have even stepped foot into this building but I can't let my dad down like that and I won't! He made this company because it was his passion, he worked his ass off day and night, week after week for us so we would be happy and have a good life and I loved him for it but everyday in this office brings me more resentment because Im not out doing what I truly want to do.

With my finger on my temple and my thumb under my chin I thought deeply about how successful Hendrix Architects Firm is and how I need to stay and work hard with my Uncle and Dean to keep it that way. I sure as hell didn't spend five years earning my Bachelor of Architecture for nothing. The great thing about those five years was being able to tap into my creative side, drawing and sketching were my —

"Hey Damon," My Uncle Erics voice stopped my thoughts dead in their tracks as he knocked with his fist on the door molding to gain my attention "Do you have the preliminary building arrangements for Mr. Constinello?" He questioned glancing around my office space.

Sitting back in my chair, I let out a deep breath, one I didn't realize I was holding for so long. "Yeah actually, I was going to have them sent over to you in a minute," I replied grabbing from behind me a rolled up floor plan of the Italian restaurant we were designing for said client.