Mid Life Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

felt
this way, I had to force myself to revisit painful memories of my past;
memories that made me realize that I needed to be grateful for all that I
had—that I could still be wandering around in a trailer park going through
people’s trashcans, begging disabled neighbors for their leftovers.
    Still, sometimes
that wasn’t enough. I was starting to hate my company and all the obligations
that came with it.
    For the past few
months, the board had been pressuring me to lay off thousands of low level
employees. They swore it would save us millions, but I didn’t want to do that.
If I was going to fire anyone to save money, I would lay off the people that
made the most money—the senior level executives that spent more time on
the golf course than they did at their desks.
    As a matter of
fact, ever since I made the decision to relocate company headquarters from New
York City to San Francisco six years ago, the board members had questioned my
every decision—as if I hadn’t started the company myself, without their help.
    If their past
donations hadn’t helped me grow my first software company from a side job in
college to a billion dollar empire within a decade, I would’ve written them off
years ago. 
    Why did I ever
bother becoming the CEO? Why didn’t I just sell the company once I dropped out
of college?
    My cell phone
started to ring. An Ohio number. Allen Correctional Institution.
    I debated
whether or not I should answer it, letting the full chorus of Coldplay’s
“Clocks” play before picking it up.
    “Father.” I
answered.
    “Jonathan! How
are you son?”
    “I’m fine.”
    “And how’s your
company?”
    “Great.”
    “You don’t have
to be so short with me all the time. I was just...I was just calling because I
haven’t heard from you in a while...I wanted to say thank you for putting all
that money on my books last week.” He paused. “I stocked up on honeybuns and
blue shampoo...Are you going to your mother’s graduation?”
    “I always go to
her graduations. She seems to graduate every year...”
    He sighed.
“She’s going to stay clean this time. She promised me.”
    “Okay. I believe
you,” I said like I had several times before.
    “I meant what I
said last month. I want to be a part of your life again, Jonathan. I know I
wasn’t the best father but...I’ve always been very proud of you and I want to do
whatever I can to fix our relationship.”
    “This call is
currently being monitored and recorded by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation
and Corrections. There are thirty seconds left on the call.” The
all-too-familiar automated voice droned on the line.
    “Okay.” I
sighed. “Well...I’ll do my best to remember that. I’ll send you a letter this
week and...Don’t forget that I promised to take you out for a beer in six years.
Hope you’re still looking forward to that.”
    “I am. I’ll hold
you to that, son.”
    “Goodbye.” I
hung up.
    I knew I
should’ve been more enthusiastic about his phone call or about my mother
completing drug rehab, but the excitement tended to wane after someone relapsed
twelve times, after someone disappointed you so much that you no longer
believed in them.
    I tried to shake
the thought of my messed up parents out of my mind and revved up my car. I was
about to hit the gas in reverse, but I suddenly heard the jangling of a grocery
cart from behind.
    I sighed and
looked in my rearview mirror, prepared to honk at whoever was there, but I saw
that it was the beautiful woman I’d seen days ago.
    She was wearing
a dark gray pencil skirt and a pink silk blouse, but her hair was different
today. It was bone straight and the wind seemed to enjoy tossing it as she
walked.
    She pushed her
cart past my car without looking my way, but I still caught a glimpse of her
gorgeous green eyes.
    I watched her
walk inside and turned off my car.
    Before I could
step out, my phone rang again. Oasis Drug and Rehabilitation Center.
    My mother.
    So much for