Touched by a Phoenix (27 page)

He put his cigar out as he remarked, “I believe it’s time to retire for the evening darling.”

She grinned mischievously, “I thought you would never ask. Let me put the glasses in the sink and I’ll be right there.”

“Don’t be long,” he whispered as he placed soft kisses on her neck.

“Yes sir,” she tried to sound stern.

Alexis stepped out of the bathroom in a little blue negligee to find her handsome lover sound asleep. He was sleeping so peacefully, it was impossible to be angry with him.

On her way into work, Alexis reflected on Brad’s sincere apology this morning. He was so sweet as he promised to make it up to her this weekend. He would be finished with the concept show and tell for Phillip on Friday and they would celebrate with a long overdue weekend alone.

She had been upset but not angry. She did not know what her father had said to Brad at brunch nor would Brad elaborate other than to tell her she should not worry—it was a man-to-man conversation and that everything would be fine in time. She knew Brad’s obsession with this project had something to do with whatever Phillip had said to him. She had been angry with her father for pushing Brad so hard…and now—well now she was past angry.

After berating her for the past several years for allowing work to consume her life, to find someone to fall in love with—to marry and to give him grandchildren—now he wanted to interfere with her happiness. She didn’t understand. She had finally fallen in love and now he was not happy with her choice!

She arrived at the office and parked beside Brad’s car as always. Only this time she did not get outright away; instead she laid her head against the steering wheel for a minute trying to collect her thoughts. She had kept her resentment towards her father in check for weeks, but this morning…she just couldn’t get it under control. Last night was her breaking point; Phillip had waved the red cape.
The hell with this
she thought as she opened the car door and slammed it behind her.
Men
…as she stepped onto the elevator. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

By the time she reached the sixth floor…her blood was boiling. The elevator doors opened. She knew she should head left…to her office, she needed to calm down, before she ran straight at Phillip. Instead, she charged past Margie and barged into Phillip’s office, slamming the door so hard behind her that the resounding boom reverberated throughout the floor.

The thunder roared as she tore into Phillip, “What the hell did you say to Brad?”

“What are you talking about,” he looked thoroughly confused.

Phillip was dismayed at her tone. The dull roar rumbling was threatening—almost menacing as she growled, “At brunch that day.”

“Why do you want to know?” his tone was becoming firm.

“He’s been working fourteen hours a day seven days a week since your little conversation at brunch.”

“It’s none of your business, young lady.”

“You are wrong, Father. Everything that has anything to do with Brad or this company is my business.”

“Alexis, I’m doing what’s best for the company.”

“I’m just as much a part of this company as you are, and I say enough is enough. You’re driving him into the ground and I won’t allow it!”

“Sit,” he commanded.

“I’ll stand, thank you,” she quipped in total defiance.

“Are you sure you really want to know?”

“Yes, if I’m going to run this company in the future, I need to know everything that’s happening now.”

“Dammit Alexis, he asked for your hand in marriage.”

She sunk down in the chair. “He did what?”

“Yes, he asked for permission to marry my only daughter.”

“And what did you say?”

“I told him I hired him for a reason and his job was to take the company into the next century, not to fall in love with you.”

Alexis came to her feet as if the chair had suddenly scalded her backside. The thunderous boomed crashed around him as the floor shook with her anger. Like a ball being discharged from the cannon with a violent detonation, the deafening sound exploded within his chest, “YOU DID WHAT?”

“Alexandria, my job is to protect you and your future and that is exactly what I’m going to do.”

“No, your job is to be my dad and if you can’t do that—then the hell with the company. You will have my resignation on your desk before the day is over!”

Phillip’s face flushed crimson with anger. “Alexandria Nicole, this is your father’s legacy. How dare you disrespect his memory,” his explosive voice shouted at her.

Alexis’s face softened…tears glistened. When she spoke, her tone was so soft and full of emotion, “No Phillip, I am my father’s legacy…he would want me to put my love for Brad above the company.”

She turned on her heel and walked out. Phillip’s roar could be heard yelling for her to stop as the door slammed behind her.

She rolled through her office like thunder rumbling across the sky. “Tiffany, the only call I will accept is from Brad. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Phillip sank down in his chair and closed his eyes as he laid his head back. He reflected over the past twenty-nine years. Alexis had been so tiny when she was born. He had never seen anything so small—so delicate. He remembered holding her for the first time and being afraid, he might hurt her.

Marshall had laughed at him, “She won’t break, you know.”

He and Catherine were there for her every step of the way. She was covered in cake on her first birthday and Catherine had lovingly kissed most of it off her face and hands. She had called the day she lost her first tooth and they had taken her a little fairy doll to keep her company while she waited for the Tooth Fairy. Then the pain—it had been unbearable when he tried to explain why she survived the car accident, while God had taken both of her parents. He held her hand for hours while she cried, so broken no one could hold her—comfort her. The next year had been difficult on all of them. He and Catherine had never had children of their own and while Catherine was a natural born mother—meanwhile, he had struggled at becoming a father. He had promised Marshall and Ellen that he and Catherine would take care of Alexis if anything ever happened to them, thinking it never would.

He spent years being her practice partner when she wanted to learn to dance, although he never understood why she did not like the girly dance stuff. He taught her the things he knew—soldier things. Like how to be hard and unyielding, business, and technology. She would have made a good Marine he thought. She was an exceptional sharpshooter, with both a gun and a bow. Could wield a knife and filet a fish in seconds flat. Her defensive fighting skills were outstanding and had she elected to continue, he believed she would be able to outmaneuver most men. After the funeral, he had never seen her cry, not once. She was such a strong little girl.

Alexis was a brilliant student, graduating high school a year early…managed to finish law school in six years instead of seven…graduating at the top of her class. She was fierce and most people cowered before her. She simply had to be the best at everything. Driven. Just like him. He and Alexis had bonded from the very beginning, in every way. He had never understood how or why, they just did. Catherine was far better at motherly things than he was with his fatherly duties but there was something special between he and Alexis.

Be her dad—
that was not his job—that was Marshall’s job. His job was to protect and watch over her for his best friend. The tears began to fall; he realized all she had ever wanted was for him to be her dad. Instead, he had taught her to take care of herself, to be self-sufficient, to depend on no one. Well… he had taught her well, and she had been an excellent student. He never wanted to take Marshall’s place. Doing so would have meant Marshall was really gone. But, she is just like me. She is my daughter! He groaned as regret and sorrow washed over him. He had messed up…big time!

“Mr. Kincaid, Miss Saunders didn’t want to be….”

Phillip barged past Tiffany and opened the door to Alexis’s office without a word.

“Tiffany?”

“No Alexis, it’s me.”

“I’ll be out in a minute,” she replied numbly.

When he turned to take a seat, he noticed Alexis had stacked some of her personal belongings on her desk. This was like a horrible nightmare unfolding before his eyes. As he scanned the hellish scene….her resignation lay on her desk.

He picked the stack of papers up. Not only did he hold her resignation—she had signed over her half of the company—to him. A huge lump rose in his throat, would he ever be able to make things right with her? Was he too late? Had he driven her away?

He looked up as she exited the restroom; she had been crying. A searing pain constricted in his chest; he fought tears as his throat continued to tighten until he believed he might suffocate from a lack of air. Whether he deserved it or not, she was Daddy’s girl. The little girl he adored had grown into a beautiful young woman…a woman who now belonged to someone else—it was time for him to let go.

“Are you all right,” he asked tenderly.

“Yes, Father. I’m fine,” her voice void of emotion.

“Alexis, I am so sorry about earlier. This is not necessary.” He held out her paperwork.

“Father, I believe I have made it clear….”

Phillip put up his hands. “Alexis honey, from the day you were born, you became our little princess. The reason I breathe, the reason I smile. As much as I wanted you to be happy, I tried to defy the laws of nature and hold on to you as well. I have held on too tightly and I apologize,” his strong voice shook with emotion.

“Father, what on earth made you think you would lose me?”

“I believed if I let you go, I would be letting Marshal go too. I never wanted you to think I was taking your father’s place. I didn’t want to admit he was really gone. I never realized you needed…I didn’t want to lose you too.”

“Father, you will never lose me, but if you force me to make a choice between the company and Brad, I choose Brad.”

“Would you give up your inheritance, everything your father left you, everything we’ve worked for? Does Brad really mean that much to you?”

“Yes.”

“Alexis, how can you be sure this love you say you feel for Brad will last?”

Tears welled in her eyes. “Dad, I would die for him and I will certainly die without him.”

Phillip’s shoulders shook as tears began to fall softly down his cheeks; she had never called him Dad, but then again he had not acted much like one either.

“Honey, I love you and want you to be happy. If Brad makes you happy, I will give you both my blessing. I won’t lose you, not over this.”

He stepped closer to her with his arms open, “I’m sorry Alexis, I love you more than anything in this world, I never meant to hurt you.”

“I love you too, Dad,” as she kissed him on the cheek.

Both savored a rare and tender moment. Phillip gently pulled away as he tore the paperwork into pieces. “I need to talk to Brad.”

“Dad….”

“Don’t Dad me, I need to make things right,” he insisted tenderly.

He tossed the pieces in the trash, kissed her on the forehead, and walked away.