Part 19 (1/2)
I stare across at this guy, only a couple of years younger than me. ”I didn't mean that at all. Whoever set this all up, it looks amazing. I'm thankful you all invited me.”
”Jackson, tell us about your work,” Martha says in a clear effort to smooth things over. ”Emily hasn't told us much about you but she did mention that you met through the Children's Education Fund.”
”It's such a great organization,” Joe says. ”What made you decide to get involved?”
”Emily,” I say. ”She stormed into my office one day, demanding money.”
”It didn't happen like that,” she says. ”We had an appointment and he tried to cancel-at the last minute and for the third time. I couldn't believe it. I was so annoyed.”
”You've got a headstrong daughter here, Joe,” I say. ”She wouldn't take no for an answer.”
”So what'd you donate?” Sabrina asks. ”Time? Services?”
”Oh yeah,” Dax says. ”CEF has that great mentors.h.i.+p program. Is that what you're doing?”
”No,” I say. ”I donated money.”
”Yeah, but what else?” Dax asks. I stare at him for a moment, not understanding the question. Finally he says, ”I mean, you didn't just write a check, did you?”
”It was a check for a hundred thousand dollars,” I clarify.
”Jackson was very generous,” Emily says.
”Yeah, but I mean,” Dax continues, ”what are you doing now?”
I'm ready to strangle this guy's neck when Joe steps in and says, ”I think maybe what Dax is getting at is perhaps how you got involved with CEF. What drew you to them out of all the other worthy non-profits?”
”Just Emily, really,” I say. ”Truly, she was very persuasive.”
”Being so wealthy you probably donate to lots of causes?” Joe asks.
”Just Emily's.” I smile at her, hoping she's feeling more relaxed. ”And I'm not that wealthy.”
”Oh, come on,” Sabrina says. ”Everyone knows you're rich as h.e.l.l.”
”G.o.d, Sabrina,” Emily says.
”Sabrina, please,” Martha says, looking a little mortified. ”I'm sorry, Jackson. We shouldn't talk about such things anyway. Although it must make life a little easier, not having to worry about money.”
”I still worry about money,” I say. ”My company certainly has profit goals every quarter. If I don't make them, I hear about it from the board.”
”Croft International is one of the wealthiest companies in the country,” Joe says. ”How can you sit and worry about making even more money?”
”It's my job,” I say simply. ”We have shareholders who expect a certain amount of return on their investments. I don't think it's too outrageous to give them that.”
”But don't you think, at some point, it's enough? How much money do you have to make for you to say, Okay, I've made enough. Now I'm going to start giving it away?”
”There is no number. We live in a capitalistic society.”
It looks like old Joe is on the verge of a head explosion when Emily steps in. ”Come on, guys. Stop being so hard on Jackson. h.e.l.lo, we met because of his donation. A very generous donation that shouldn't be overlooked. It's the biggest in the fund's history.”
Martha mutters something about how that's not the issue as Joe refocuses on his eggs.
”What about the mentors.h.i.+p program?” Dax says.
I look across at Dax. ”What about it?”
”Why don't you get involved in it? Being the head of a company is the exact kind of person I'd think they would be looking for. Wouldn't you want to mentor a young kid, expose them to the business world and help them see the heights they can climb?”
”Believe me, if I could find a way to add more hours to the day, I would. I hardly have the time to do much of anything, besides work. My days are filled from top to bottom, keeping the company running and earning money. It's an eighty hour a week job, and that's when things are slow.”
”You make time for exercise, right?” Dax says, eyeing me carefully. ”It's the same concept. You just do. You make the time.”
What this kid is not getting is that I don't want to make the time for s.h.i.+t like that. I'd rather write the d.a.m.n check. But of course I don't say that.
”Can we ease up on the third degree?” Emily says. ”Jeez, guys. He's not on trial. He's here so we can all get to know each other.”
”Emily is right,” Martha says. ”I'm sorry, Jackson. We're just so focused on charity in this family. We've all chosen to donate our lives to service so we're a bit pa.s.sionate about it.”
”Well, I'm happy to help fund that pa.s.sion,” I say. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret it. f.u.c.k, what a mistake. Condescending a.s.shole, that's me. ”What I meant was-”
”No, it's fine,” Martha says. ”There are those who do, and those who write the checks. It all makes the world go around. When you do have a moment to relax, what do you like to do?”
She's good-moving on quickly after her dig at my money. What is it about this family and money? I thought it before about Emily and now I see where it comes from. They really hate money. I've never known such a way of thinking could exist.
”Honestly, in the past few years I haven't even had time to even take a vacation. Pathetic, I know. Work is just so demanding that it takes up almost all my time.”
”Is it fulfilling?” Martha asks. ”Working so much?”
”Fulfilling?” I repeat, as if I don't know the meaning of the word-and maybe in this context, I don't. I work because it's what I do. I work because it's expected of me. I work because it's been drilled down deep in me, into my core, that I have to work harder and longer and better than anyone else-including my brothers. ”Yes, I suppose I like what I do. It is rewarding.”
”That's wonderful,” Martha says. ”And not to harp on the issue but I bet you'd feel even more rewarded if you found the time to do a little volunteer work. It doesn't take much to make a difference in a life.” She smiles like she's not harping on the issue.
”Well, you've certainly all made me think,” I say-or rather, I lie.
We finish the rest of the meal with the sort of pleasantries this afternoon should have been filled with. Sabrina talks about her professors and some guy she's seeing and Dax talks to his father about ways to increase volunteer services at the non-profit he works at. He makes sure to shoot a few side-eyes in my direction. I want to ask, What the f.u.c.k did I do? For such a sweet family, these people seem like a bunch of a.s.sholes. Sabrina gets a pa.s.s, I suppose. She didn't say much, but at least she didn't insult me or take shots at me.
One thing is for sure: this brunch did not go as planned. Now I have to go back and figure out where it all went wrong. But first order of business is getting the h.e.l.l out of here and back to the sanity of the city.
Emily
We're all about to move into the living room for more conversation. I see this as a fresh start to get things back on track after the contentious brunch. But it seems that Jackson has had enough.
”Emily?” he says. ”We should head back into the city.”
”You think?” I glance at my watch. It's not even noon.