Page 18 of Out of Bounds
“That I whoever I hand it to in the family is married with a view to starting his own family.”
“What!” I sit straighter because he can’t seriously mean that. “Grandfather that is ridiculous.”
“It might be ridiculous to you because you’re young and marriage these days doesn’t have the same significance amongst you, young ones not like old folk like me.”
I glance at Mom who’s gone pale as she shuffles next to me.
“Mac, this is a bit much don’t you think? You can’t force Ethan to get married. Seriously?”
“I have no intention of doing so.”
“So, what are you going to do?” I cut in.
“This. I am going to transfer the business to you, but it won’t go to you until you’re married. Until then, I’ve set up a trust and I’d like to appoint your mother as the executor of the trust. Once you get married, it’s all yours.”
My fucking mouth falls open.
“You’re serious?”
He nods.
Damn it. I was hoping for that money to tie me over for six months or more while I was away.
“Grandfather I don’t plan to get married.”
His face hardens. “Don’t tell me such a thing son. I’m sure that girl you’ve been with for the last five years gets on her knees and prays to the Good Lord every night for marriage. Boy, what’s stopping you from asking her?”
Oh shit?He’s talking about Miranda, the air hostess girlfriend I made up to stop him from trying to set me up and riding my ass about marriage.
Jesus the fucking idea has come right back to bite me.
I feel Mom’s eyes burning a hole into me. She doesn’t know about this girlfriend plan of mine, but she knows me. That why she won’t say anything.
“You know she travels a lot,” I say as if that’s a good answer.
“Since when did that stop anybody from getting married? I served in Vietnam and I married your grandma. We were just fine.”
Of course, they were.
“It’s just that we’re not at that place yet where we’re talking about such a thing.” How the hell do I get myself into things like this?
This is karma, isn’t it?
It’s being a bitch because of what I did to Bree.
Jesus. The one fucking thing I had to look forward to has gone to shit.
“That makes no sense Ethan.”
“Thismakes no sense.”
“Yes it does. To be quite honest it might give you the nudge you need in the right direction. Five years is a long time to be with a woman. It’s time to think of settling down.”
Oh my God. I’m dying here. What am I actually going to do?
“Grandfather,why does this have to be about marriage? You know I’m more than capable of running this business. Marriage shouldn’t even be a discussion here.”
“Well, unfortunately for you it is and that’s final. You get married, you get the business. It’s simple and I don’t mean one of these get married quickly schemes to satisfy a means to an end. So don’t even think about it.”
