The Last Job
by Vixx
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
He's waiting for nothing, not even his ship to come in. He's exercising his right of free speech in the morning air, a free man, six feet above the shallow earth in a clean shirt silent in summer on a rented porch.
You'd have thought a man such as Tom McClaren had it all. Successful business, beautiful fiancee, 4 year old daughter whom he doted on and who hung off his every word, move, nuance. Thinking, watching, learning. So why did his feet grow restless? Why did his fingers ache to be clinging onto the rock he knew so well. Looking at the back of his hands, he felt almost like he'd been betraying them by not using them for the reasons they'd been made.
He was rich enough and successful enough to have people paid to run the company, a mountaineering outfit that trained the best and supplied the best. No one knew the mountains like Tom's team. For the last year or so he'd not been working as much, putting more emphasis onto his home life. He promised his fiancee faithfully he'd stay home from now on. He promised.
He turned round, rolling up his sleeves and went back inside the summerhouse. Over to where his desk stood. Checking he was definitely alone, he sifted through a pile of papers on his desk and pulled out a contract. Unsigned. Some Big Shot commercial venture or what not. One of those Branson types who wants to go around the world in 80 days in a hot air balloon.. only this time they want to scale the K2. And they don't just want Tom's company to do it. They want The Pleasure of Tom's Company. In Person. They want the best. They deserve the best surely? And K2? Wow. I mean.. Everest was grand enough. K2 would certainly be a challenge.
But did he love a challenge more than he loved his family? That's the question he would get asked the most. His answer? Challenges come and go.. his family would be there for him forever. But dammit… Shana would be pissed at him for breaking that promise. But she would understand that its K2? That its big business? That its one of those ‘Boys and Their Toys' dealies that always drove Tom to work harder, be better, learn more. She would. She'd understand.
His hand wavered over the document, holding a pen poised over the dotted line. ‘I'd be signing my life away…' he chuckled to himself, as he thought of how she'd berate him. Then of how she'd spend the cool million bucks this trek would net him. How fantastic a wedding dress would that sort of money buy? She deserved it.. he'd kept her waiting long enough, long enough to have their daughter be old enough to be a flower girl at her own parents' wedding. It was about time he changed his priorities once and for all.
His train of thought was broken by a crying upstairs, then a scuffling. Someone was indeed awake. He checked his watch. 6.27am. Time to face the music.. He turned his attention back to the papers in front of him, half closed his eyes as he signed his name. Rolled them up, strode into the kitchen, picked up a pitcher of fresh cold OJ and 2 glasses and headed upstairs, where Shana was settling their daughter.
"Bad dream…?" he asked her. "She wants you…" Shana replied sleepily, nodding, taking the juice and the glasses and returning to the bedroom, half blowing him a kiss on the way. Tom smiled, tucked the papers under his arm and went into the bedroom, where his daughter lay, red eyes, arms outstretched.
"What is it?.." he asked softly. She clung to him.
"Don't go away. I had a bad dream that you went away and you never came back.."
"That's never going to happen.. I mean.. you know daddy works sometimes, and sometimes I'm not back right away. But.. I always come back don't I?"
A nod, followed by a sniff. "And have I ever not come back before when I said I would?"
A shake, followed by a kiss.
"OK daddy I believe you."
"Now go back to sleep for a little while, here's Mr Polar Bear.. you snuggle in and dream nice dreams. I'm going to go now, go and see mommy. But.. you know that I'm just in the next room. I'm not going anywhere, see? And if you need me, you yell me.. and I'll be right back. OK?"
"OK."
Tom walked to the door and out onto the landing… he wasn't gone more than 2 seconds when he heard the familiar…. "Daddy…"
He walked back in... "yes?"
"Like that?"
"Haha.. just like that. Now back to sleep."
"OK"
Tom waited for a little while out on the landing outside the door... until he was certain that Julia was not going to call on him again. He took one last look at the papers in his hand and started to run over in his head what he was going to tell her. Just this last trip, just this last job, its important, what would the money mean to them and their lives.. she would never have to worry about money another day from that point on, they could comfortably retire. No more 2-3 day stints in the office, making sure everything was running right.. she'd have him all to herself..
Just this last job, I promise, no more jobs after this one last job, he said over and over to himself as he pushed the door open.
This time, he would keep his promise.
The End
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
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