Who: Caius and Anthony When: Early evening, Aug 27th Where: Anthony's office near the Pleasant Marina Status: Completed
Anthony always found this time of year to be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because the tourists were packing up their things and getting the hell out of his town. The curse was that they took their money with them. They still had a couple good months of decent weather left before nearly everything on the harbor would slow down, or shut down, and Anthony was determined to milk it for all it was worth. There was the Oysterfest happening later in the month, and next month's Harvest Festival in the Harbor. Shit he was able to delegate to people like his son, while he supervised. Anthony would have to participate, of course, because that was part of the package, but at least he wouldn't have to weigh himself down with the mundane details.
It was getting late, and his assistant had already left for the day, along with the rest of his employees. Most of them, anyway. Anthony was sitting in his chair behind his desk, facing the wall to wall windows behind him where he could see the sun setting over the ocean below. The rest of Point Pleasant had somehow maintained it's cozy, little seaside town feel over the years, but the first thing Anthony had done when he'd purchased this building to work out was to gut it completely and renovate it with a more modern look. New floors, furniture, and windows. Windows everywhere. What use was an ocean view building if you couldn't fucking see the ocean?
With the sky turning different shades of purple, pink and blue as the sun disappeared over the horizon, Anthony picked up his phone to see Miriam had called twice. After both calls had gone to voicemail, she'd sent him a text; Francois LeClerc. Wine. Right. He had promised to pick some up on his way home. Anthony set the phone back on his desk without responding and returned his attention back to the window, and the colors in the sky that were quickly fading to black. He'd leave as soon as he saw Caius. He knew his son would be by the office eventually. Perhaps once he assumed Anthony had left for the day. But that was all right. Anthony could wait. He was, for the most part, a patient man.
Caius wasn’t stalling on purpose, but he did end up working a bit later than normal. He didn’t like to stay at the office too late into the evening -- spending so much time cooped up inside during the day was bad enough. He got antsy and itchy for the wide open sky, in spite of the view his own office had. But that day had him busy finalizing some things for the upcoming festivals and making lots of phone calls. Which he hated, but they were a part of life now. Once he was ready, he gathered up the expense reports into a folder to take to his father’s office, and locked up behind him.
He felt instantly more relaxed as soon as he was outside, and Caius took several deep breaths as he walked to his car. Anthony didn’t work too far away, so the drive was short. He kept the windows down. Caius noted his father’s car still in the parking lot and felt a mile wave of uncomfortable irritation. Why hadn’t he left yet? With a soft sigh at himself, Caius parked and walked into his father’s office, already feeling like he wasn’t going to get through this as swiftly as he wanted to.
Anthony got notification that someone had entered the building, and he assumed it was Caius, since the doors had been locked when his assistant left. Anthony stood and walked over to the open doors of his office, just so Caius couldn't pretend not to have seen him as he passed by. There were evenings where he might have let Caius do his thing and leave without saying a word to him, but tonight was not one of those nights.
Anthony slipped his hands into the pockets of his slacks and waited until Caius came into view. "Long day?" he asked, turning to walk back into his office, as he fully expected Caius to follow him. The sky was dark now, but the lights from the harbor and pier illuminated the town just below.
Caius would have preferred to just drop the folder off and go home, but that didn't seem to be in the cards. His father had obviously been waiting on him. Caius didn't hesitate to follow him, in spite of his reluctance, knowing it wouldn't help him any. When Anthony D'Onofrio expected something of you, you gave it. Or at least Caius gave it. He'd learned that lesson enough times throughout his childhood.
"Somewhat," he answered. He settled into one of the chairs in front of his father's desk and stretched his legs out to cross them at the ankle. "Just putting out some catering fires for Oysterfest." Caius leaned forward enough to set the folder down on Anthony's desk. "Brought you some numbers."
Anthony sat behind his desk and reached for the folder when Caius set it down. He opened it and gave it a cursory glance, pleased when the numbers were all within the range he had been expecting. He would give it a more thorough examination later. Not that he didn't trust that Caius knew what he was doing. Anthony wouldn't have given his son as much responsibility as he had if the young man didn't have a brain between his ears.
Anthony shut the file and left it on the desk before he settled back against his own chair to give Caius his attention. "The season is almost over," Anthony said, lips quirking briefly. "I'm sure it'll be nice for you to enjoy a little bit of downtime. You've been busy this summer."
Caius was conscientious and thorough and careful in part because he knew just how detailed Anthony was when it came to business. He'd been taught to be that way, in addition to it covering his own ass. He had held his position for long enough to be good at it, efficient and capable, and he knew his wiggle room for making too many mistakes was long past. It wasn't something Caius absolutely loved to do, but it afforded him a very nice life and he was obviously good enough at it.
"It's been a good year," Caius agreed with a faint smile in return. They'd turned quite a profit, and there would probably be at least one more financial boost before they started winterizing and things quieted down. "But I'm definitely looking forward to a bit of a break."
It had been a good year, and the year wasn't even over yet. The cooler months always slowed things down, but the marina wasn't the only business Anthony profited from, so he wasn't worried. He had accrued enough wealth in the past decade that a dozen slow winters wouldn't bankrupt him. Caius, however... well, he had money, but Anthony didn't expect his son to stop working. Laziness was an unacceptable trait in the D'Onofrio household.
"Have you given any thought as to how you plan on enjoying the break?" Anthony asked. "A side project? A vacation, maybe?" He was being nosy, but that's what fathers did. He wanted to know what was going on his children's lives. Anthony preferred to know first hand, than to find out from town gossip. Anthony hated being the last to know, especially when it came to his family.
There was no such thing as stopping working altogether. There was always something to do for the marina, even in the dead of winter. So Caius knew any vacation he took wouldn't last through the whole season or anything. It did free up a lot of his time though, and he liked to take advantage of that when he could. The way Anthony asked the question though, he wasn't sure he would get to enjoy it for too long. Caius was sure his father had some ideas to keep him occupied if he didn't do it for himself.
"I was considering some sort of trip for a week or two," he answered mildly, gazing across the desk at his old man. "Maybe take Reagan to Cancun or something. I haven't really decided yet. Still busy in the present. Other than that ... do you have anything else you want me on?" It was better to offer than be told, he supposed.
"Nothing specific," Anthony said with a smile. "You'll be busy enough as we inch closer to the holidays." Point Pleasant sometimes turned into a ghost town when winter struck the seaside town, but the promise of Christmas lights and sales and fattening food tended to get people out of their house, even on the coldest of days. Anthony was always sure to be in the middle of the festivities wherever he could. If there was one thing he worked on every day of the year, it was his reputation.
"I've been giving some thought to buying out the homes on Ludlow Lane and turning into a new development. Black Cove is doing well. It might be time to get rid of some of the eye sores in this town. I could use someone to head up that project," he continued, eyeing Caius. "But I won't know for sure until some of the preliminary numbers and evaluations come back. But, you know, I think a couple of weeks in the sun might be good for you. You're looking a bit tired, Caius."
Caius knew right where Ludlow Lane was, of course -- it didn't take long to memorize every nook and cranny in Point Pleasant, and he'd lived there his entire life -- and he couldn't think of that street without thinking of number 19. He imagined it was the same for everyone his age and younger. After the Zinneman tragedy, it had become something of a legend. He'd been in high school when it happened, but he remembered plenty of murmurings about hauntings even back then. The idea of tearing it down was a rationally sound one, but it didn't sit quite right in his stomach. Caius tried to brush that off. If it was more than just a house -- and he was a believer that such things were possible, given what he himself was -- then they would deal with it accordingly.
"Could be a great opportunity," he said, drumming his fingers briefly on the arms of the chair he was in. "I think only a handful of families still live there, could be a lucrative buyout. Keep me updated." Anthony would, of course. He was never shy about putting more work on Caius's shoulders. Caius gave his father a smirk then and shrugged. "Probably so. I haven't been on a proper beach in a couple of years. A man needs sand sometimes." The Maine coast was rocky and tumultuous for the most part, and Caius was starting to crave warm water and a blazing sun.
Anthony was as aware of that street's history as anyone. He had heard the whispers and rumors, and dismissed most of them. There were a few, of course, that were completely true, but it wasn't his job to educate people on the dead. Even so, the entire street was horrific to look at. Even if the darkness remained behind, at least there would be sleek, modern homes and well maintained lawns to look at in the midst of the horror.
He would, of course, keep Caius updated. Anthony didn't need his son's approval when it came to his business ventures, but he always kept him abreast of what was coming. Caius would take over for him someday, and it made little sense to keep Caius in the dark. At least where it came to business.
Anthony laughed a little and nodded before glancing outside. He could see the lights illuminating some of the ocean. There were people still in the marina, on their boats, enjoying what they could of the warmer weather before it was gone for another eight to nine months. "Yes, I could agree with you there. It's always been a curse, living near such a beautiful beach that's generally too cold to do much more than wade in. Your mother seemed to love St. Barts when I took her last spring. I'm sure this time of year would be less crowded, but still warm enough to enjoy it. You should take Reagan," Anthony suggested, despite the fact that Caius had already mentioned it. "Assuming you two are on good terms at the moment."
That sounded like a subtle way to ask about his relationship to Caius. His dad was good at that -- asking subtle questions. Caius had never actually been able to pinpoint whether his old man even really wanted him to be with Reagan. Sometimes he made sideways mentions of marriage, sometimes he seemed completely ambivalent to their ups and downs. There were a lot of them to keep up with, Caius had to admit. It was just another way that his father was something of a mystery to him.
“St. Barts,” he repeated with a vague nod. “I’ll look into it. We’re on good enough terms for now, I suppose.” Caius shrugged one shoulder. Even if they hadn’t been, he was pretty sure he could convince Reagan to make up with him enough to go to the Caribbean for a couple of weeks. Hell, they might come back with a renewed relationship. There was something magic about vacations. “She’s loving her new place in Black Cove,” he added, his tone a bit sardonic. He still felt a little stung and bitter about that, no matter how unfair it was.
Good enough terms for now was really all they needed. Anthony knew Caius and Alan's daughter would get married eventually, but he doubted the commitment would quell their problems. And maybe that was a good thing. But Anthony also felt like Caius needed to figure out just who he wanted to be before he pledged himself to another human being in that manner. Reagan might not be on the same page, and that would lead to bigger problems. Dangerous ones.
Caius's tone drew Anthony's attention again and he cocked a brow, a mild smile playing at his lips. "It suits her," Anthony said. He had given Reagan quite a deal on the cottage in Black Cove. If he hadn't, she wouldn't have been able to afford it unless her parents bought it for her outright. "It was her idea," Anthony added with a pointed look, just in case Caius blamed Anthony in some manner for Reagan's decision to get a place of her own. "She owns her own business, why not own her own home?"
There were plenty of reasons that Caius hadn't proposed to Reagan Kelly yet, almost all of them revolving around himself and his dissatisfaction with his current place in life. He'd tried to explain that to her a dozen times, but he could never seem to make her understand. But Caius knew he wouldn't actually lose her, and eventually he would pop the question and she would be thrilled and they would get married and life would go on with everyone satisfied. It was just getting there.
He pursed his lips a tiny bit at what Anthony said, but the expression didn't last long. He and Reagan had just been through a bit fight about it all, and he didn't want to get into it again. Especially not with his father. "I have no doubt it was," he answered in regard to who's idea it had been. It didn't ultimately matter. What was done was done. Caius wanted a cigarette.
Anthony knew his son well enough to know when he didn't want to talk, and it was very clear that Caius didn't want to talk. At least not about Reagan. That was all right. He got hounded enough about his personal life from his mother whenever he came by to visit, and Anthony was happy enough to leave that particular discussion to his wife. Still, Anthony couldn't exactly deny that he had nudged Reagan toward real estate ownership. Her parents had been on board with it as well, so what chance did Caius really have? His gut told him that keeping the two 'kids' apart would only serve to benefit Caius in the long run. And Anthony wanted what was best for his children.
Anthony studied Caius silently for a good, long moment before he leaned forward to pick up his phone and slip it into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. "You should come home with me," he suggested. "Have dinner with us. Your mother would be thrilled to see you. " He didn't expect Caius to take him up on the offer, but Anthony could at least tell Miriam he had extended the invitation.
Caius didn't like discussing anything of an emotional nature with his father, and everything having to do with Reagan was fraught with emotion for him. He'd tried a few times in the past, and always ended up sounding like a babbling idiot to himself. He envied Anthony's seemingly unruffled-able nature sometimes. Caius had seen him angry before, naturally, but other than that, his father seemed to be above all of that messy feelings business. Like it was all unnecessary and silly, somehow. He knew he was loved in a distant, obligatory sort of way, but Caius never would have called the two of them close. Except maybe when it came to magic -- they bonded over that, but that was ... different.
He sighed internally at the invitation, aware that turning it down like he wanted to do was just another small mark against him in the mental ledger his parents kept. Caius considered it briefly, just to make his mother happy, but he could always stop by some other time soon, when he was feeling more prepared for everything he knew she probably had to say to him. "Thank you, but ... I think I'll just go home," Caius said, giving Anthony a wan smile. "Give her my love, though. I'm sure she'll call me." He paused, then added, "Are we still on for Sunday?" It was generally the day they got together privately to practice magic. Their own worship service, so to speak.
It would have been rather clichéd of Anthony to say that emotions were a weakness, but quite honestly, he had no idea if that was true or not. Anthony supposed he had never felt emotions the way other people had. Did he love his wife? Yes. Did he love his children? Of course. But was it something all encompassing, filling him with warmth and affection whenever he thought of them? No. Those kind of feelings were not something Anthony had ever experienced, and he knew it wasn't from lack of trying. They just weren't there. Grief, pain, guilt... Anthony knew he felt them differently than others. He always had. And it didn't bother him to know that. He could see Caius was different, however. Anthony had never felt the kind of sibling affection toward his brother that Caius showed Sera. He never felt for a woman the way Caius did for Reagan. Anthony had yet to decide if that would work in Caius's favor or not. The boy had darkness in him as well. Untapped potential. Anthony had known that for years. It would be interesting to see what path he chose for himself.
"Oh, I'm sure she will," Anthony said with a small smile. "But I'll reassure her that you're doing well, and maybe that will delay the call for a few days." He stood then, taking the folder Caius had brought him to slip into his briefcase. "And yes, I have plenty of time set aside for us on Sunday." Anthony glanced at Caius. "I have a few things I want to show you that you might be ready for. It's not for the weak of heart, or stomach, but I think you'll be able to handle it."
Caius stood when Anthony did, as that was always the signal that it was nearing time for him to leave. He didn’t think he had ever been in his father’s office when he wasn’t present, even for a minute or two. He chuckled faintly, appreciative that his dad didn’t mind fending off his mother for a couple of days for him, however benignly. It wasn’t that Caius didn’t want to talk to her, per se, she was just such a mother. And she always pestered him more about Reagan when they weren’t currently together. She would probably be thrilled if they ended up going to St. Bart’s together, maybe even more so than Reagan.
“When have I ever shied away from that?” Caius posed with a small smirk. Anthony knew better than anyone else just how strong his stomach was. And his heart. Even when things got distasteful, he was determined to dig deep into his potential and make good on it. The prospect of learning something new, something he only might be ready for was tantalizing, and he felt a bit of eager energy buzz through him. “Looking forward to it,” he added.
"Never," Anthony affirmed as he picked up his briefcase to slip the strap over his shoulder. "Which is why I think you'll pick up on it fairly quickly." And be good at it. Anthony knew he didn't praise his children as often as he should - or as often as others feel he should - but Caius had talent, both in business and in magic. It was the only reason he spent as much time on the boy as he did. The potential was there.
Making sure he had his keys, Anthony walked around the desk to lead Caius out of his office. He flipped the light switch on his way out. The lobby and hall lights were still on and would remain so until the cleaning people came and went. "Just promise me you'll talk to your mother before Sunday, otherwise she'll be chirping in my ear for the rest of the week about it." Anthony locked the office and led Caius down the hall. "And see about that vacation. We have a busy holiday season approaching. You might as well enjoy the brief downtime now, while you can."
It wasn't much in the way of praise, but when it came to Anthony D'Onofrio, it was a lot. Caius felt a bit of pride bloom warm in his chest and he was still smiling faintly as he followed his father out of his office and down the hall toward the front door. One day this whole building would be his office, he felt sure. Maybe he would eventually be escorting his own son out of it while chiding him about not calling his mother often enough. Reagan wasn't anything like Miriam, so it was doubtful it would be the same conversation, but the thought still gave him mixed feelings. On one hand, it would be nice to be so secure, on the other ... he was never sure that he wanted that particular security.
"I'll call her tomorrow at the very latest," Caius promised. He pushed open the front door and held it for his father. "And I'll look into St. Barts and keep you updated on plans." It went without saying -- he was still an employee and Anthony was his boss -- but it was a courtesy to say it anyway. Even if Reagan didn't want to accompany him, he thought he could use the time off, and come back rested and refreshed for the holidays.
Caius was a man of very little words, at least around Anthony, but that was all right, because Anthony was the same. And it was probably best for the both of them that they didn't have any real in depth conversations unless it was about magic. They didn't exactly see eye to eye on a lot of things, and Anthony was not fond of arguing with his children, especially Caius.
Anthony stepped outside and drew in a breath, enjoying the smell of the salt water coming off of the ocean. The door would latch shut and lock behind them. "I'll let your mother know," Anthony told Caius with a faintest of smirks. "She'll be beside herself with excitement." That was an exaggeration. It was a small town, and Miriam could visit Caius anytime she wanted. They lived in the same goddamn neighborhood for Christ's sake. But... Miriam was who she was, and she felt it her children's duty to contact her first. "Give Reagan my best, and be safe driving home."
Caius chuckled and nodded. He knew how his mother was too, and he had no doubt that she would pout about his not wanting to come over that night. It wouldn't be the first time, and surely wouldn't be the last. She was going to be insufferable once he had his own children, Caius thought with a bit of affection. He wondered vaguely how Anthony would be around grandchildren, if he would take any real interest in them, then decided it wasn't worth thinking about until the time actually came. Who the fuck knew how anything would turn out, really?
"I will. You too," he said. Caius ventured to give his father a pat on the shoulder as they walked toward the parking lot. That and handshakes were about as affectionate as they ever got, and sometimes he wondered if that hadn't influenced him more than he knew. There was no sense in fretting about it though; they had magic together, and that had been enough for years. "Goodnight, Dad," he added before veering off toward his car.
"Goodnight." Anthony watched Caius wander off into the small parking lot before he pulled out his keys to unlock his own car. Thank god for Miriam and her affectionate smothering, otherwise Anthony was quite sure both of his kids would have grown up to be psychopaths. He was self-aware enough to know that to be an absolute fact. Anthony slipped into his car and shut the door, still watching Caius as he did the same.
Pleased that their brief interaction hadn't evolved into an argument, Anthony started up the car and pulled out his phone to call his wife and let her know he was on his way home. He had wine to pick up.