Forgive Me

Business Casual

Everyday that I wake up it's the same routine, shower, get dressed in a suit, swallow down some coffee and attend meeting after meeting after meeting for about 6 hours and then I sign papers and fix mistakes for 5 more hours, say goodbye to my assistant and get coffee at the local coffee shop and then I go home.

So why would today be any different?

Because I can't get those beautiful brown eyes out of my brain, they followed me home and into my dreams and now here I am laying in bed, late to start my day thinking about the boy with captivating, curious, soft brown eyes.

I drug myself lazily off the bed and to my closet to pick out a suit. I sent a quick text to push my meetings by ten minutes and made up some lame excuse about oversleeping. After finding a suit I decided a shower would take my mind off of him. I turned on my shower playlist but it just felt wrong to have fun when I was wound up about what I had observed in the car last night. I knew it wasn't my place to step in but I was going to anyway, who does that. Growing angry I turned off the water, quickly getting dressed. Looking at my watch I was late for already pushing my meetings back I ran out the door forgetting my coffee.

'I am never late. I am not a late person. You can't just be a late person and take over a company'. I thought to myself.

I pulled into the parking lot just as my phone rang, showing my assistants name. "Lucy I am coming up the elevator now I will be there in one minute" I answered. I shut the phone before she could even respond and boy was that stupid.

I rushed into the office and handed my briefcase to Lucy before walking into the conference room. I heard a faint sir and I think the word dad before I came face to face with the last person I wanted to see. My father.

"Late as always Matthew. I should have expected that, but I had hoped you changed." My father spoke in a smug tone. "This is the first meeting I've been late to in the last 3 years. I'm 23 and I'm serious about this business, I have brought tons of new clientele and have increased profits almost double. I am doing a fantastic job. I don't give a damn what you think and if you don't like it you can leave." I bit back while leaning forward on the table. I hadn't seen a fire that large in my father's eyes since our last fight back when I first took over this company. "How dare you come in here and just think you can talk to me as if I was a child again, as if I wasn't a grown man who makes millions from a company I successfully run." I yelled.

I couldn't stop yelling and all I pictured was that giant hand smacking him across the face, the brown eyes showing fear, the way he cowered away, how scared he must have been and how many times has it happened. I slammed the door to the conference room open and walked to my office. Lucy was right behind me and caught my office door as I attempted to slam it shut.

She spoke quickly knowing my dad was about to storm into my office and rip me a new one for speaking to him like that. "I have pushed all of your meetings until tomorrow, he is going to come in here and scream at you, just keep your mouth shut and apologize and then you and I are going to the cute coffee shop down a few blocks and you're going to explain to me why you are in this glum late mood because you haven't been late since rehab." Before I had a chance to respond to her the door flung open hitting the two chairs that sat on either side.

"How dare I speak to you that way? Oh no boy you are beyond out of line, how dare you ever speak to me in that tone of voice. I'm the only reason you still had a chance at this job after you became a drunk. Don't you ever speak to me that way again or you won't like the repercussions." He spat at me. He was so close I could smell his cigar breath. I nodded my head and mumbled out an apology as I remembered how my dad used to scream at me for hours as a child or how he would take his belt and whip me and my siblings with it. I quickly shook my head effectively shaking the thoughts from my brain.

I slid on my suit jacket and pulled out my car keys. Lucy had watched the whole interaction and silently walked with me to the car which I was grateful for because I don't think I could have managed words quite yet. It was a short quiet drive over to the coffee shop, but as soon as the smell of coffee hit my nose I couldn't help but inhale the beautiful scent and smile.

We took a seat at the bar and looked over the menu. I was intently reading the menu to avoid talking to Lucy about my boy troubles. "So spill why were you late." She said bluntly "I just overslept." I gave her the same lame excuse I gave her this morning. "Matt you never oversleep. I have know you since we were in diapers. You absolutely do not oversleep." I rolled my eyes at how dramatic she was. We sat in silence until the barista brought over two waters and asked our orders. I ordered a black coffee and Lucy ordered a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and extra sprinkles. "I'm not drinking again. I know that's what everyone is thinking. I went to rehab for two years I am just fine." I quickly blurted out to her. She nodded her head but let me continue on blabbering. A soft voice again silenced me, "You um you ordered t-the black coffee right?" I looked straight into the most beautiful brown eyes again. I could see a faint bruise line on his face, it looked like where a ring would be. I nodded my head at him and thanked him in a gentle tone and I watched as his eyes grew from anxious to much more calm and I couldn't help but smile. He walked away and I took a sip from my coffee and continued observing him as I drank. "That's why you were late." I heard Lucy say but all I could do was nod and confirm because why deny it.

It was quickly approaching 7, Lucy and I began finishing up and getting ready to pay. "Also you obviously don't know how to dress business casual so we definitely need to work on your style this weekend" I scoffed hearing Lucy talk down on my outfit. "I'll have you know I look spectacular in my suit you're just mad because you couldn't pull off these lines." A giggle caught my attention. I spun around and smiled at the brown eyed boy. I spotted a name tag with the name Luka poking out. "Is that my receipt Luka?" I asked softly and he nodded with a smile. "Don't you think my suit is spectacular?" I joked with him, he giggled  and boy I couldn't help but smile. "that's what you call business casual?" Another giggle. "Well I guess I better take some lessons then if I want to ace my next meeting." I sent him a soft smile as I handed back my receipt with my phone number under my signature, "let me know if you need any help with business" I left a 30 dollar tip under the edge of a coffee cup along with a business card.

Lucy and I headed for my car until I noticed the same truck from yesterday. I turned my car on and waited for Luka to exit the coffee shop. "What are you waiting for?" Lucy asked while hooking her phone up to my car. "Shush just watch what happens when he gets in the truck. And we watched right as Luka handed the man in the driver seat a handful of cash, what looked like his tips. The man who I'm assuming is his father  counted through the money and stuffed it into his wallet. Luka looked down and I felt rage as I saw his father's hand once again smack him. The truck pulled out as his hand swung back again and I couldn't help but pull out right behind them.