Meet Your Son

Chad // Vera

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It had been years since Chad had last stepped at Metric. It had been seven years since Chad got the opportunity for work with his father and left his school life behind. At the time he figured it was a good thing – who needed the connections he made at school when he was doing graphics with his father? It was amazing. Instead of balancing out classes and work he was able to focus fully on art. His designs for RichCorp extended beyond just slogans. He created murals and became the total head of the marketing team. He worked with businessmen and negotiations to get the company out there.

He had thought that, with his father’s already success, that it would be easy. He had his struggles, especially with competing with newer companies that challenged theirs. For almost a year Chad was happy, balancing success with drawback and coming forward on top. But then, there was another call from his goddamned mother, and the loneliness was back.

His father, Geoffrey, was not a personable person. He was quiet, reserved, and stayed to himself. He liked spending time with Chad but didn’t like to have emotional conversations. Honestly, Chad forgot his wife even existed, and didn’t bother trying to confide anything in her. Chad just went through life, going through girlfriends and talking to a few friends he made through the years. He thought about Mal, sometimes, and wondered where she was. A girl like that had to have settled down with someone, right?

He got a letter for a reunion and immediately decided to go. He knew a few people who would be there – Chardonnay, Todd, Wyatt, Arthur, -- and wondered if he may see Mallory there. It was a longshot. But it would be nice to catch up! And, if she had a boyfriend or husband, he could taunt them about how he still probably gave Mal the best orgasm ever. He put aside the discomfort he felt at the idea of her in a relationship, and pulled into Metric.

It was the same Metric, aged by ten years. He wondered what kinds of students were here now! It was so nostalgic. Chad began to walk inside.

”Euh? Chad?” The woman who had accompanied him said. Chad looked around to see Vera, brushing down her long coat. Chad smiled and held out his arm. She took it. ”This is your old school?”

”Sure is! Man, I want to go back sometimes,” He said.

"Excuse me? Man?" Vera rose her brows threateningly. Chad held his hands in mock surrender.

"Sorry! You are definitely not a man," He said, and Vera didn't look convinced. Chad laughed and kissed her cheek -- which appeased her temporarily.

On the way inside, he saw an advert for RichCorp he’d designed and grinned. ”I see old Jean convinced the new guy to keep up my work.”

Vera admired the advert, her eyes twinkling at the prices of the computers they sold. As they entered the gates she fit right in, dressed in designer with an expensive bag at her hip. Chad didn’t look at her as he looked around, and spotted a few people. After striking up a few conversations, he decided to go find Chardonnay by the food. Vera excused herself to use the facilities and Chad told here where to meet him. He was en route to the oeuvres when a kid hit him in the leg!

”Oh!” Chad looked down, spotting Cooper. He knelt down to the boy’s height. ”I didn’t hit you hard, did I? Sorry, kid!” Wow! The kid had blonde hair and blue eyes, and looked like he had when he was younger. Chad smiled. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence – he was the poster boy for generic white boy – but it was still nice! ”Are your parents close by?”

This kid sure had a sense of humor to him! Chad beamed at that, wondering if he recognized any part of the kid’s face. Maybe he was the son of someone Chad knew? Above them, the sun shifted, bringing out the blue in Cooper’s eyes. There was something comfortingly familiar about him that made Chad really think he knew the kid’s parents, somehow.

”Oh! Yeah! I remember you, only a class or two behind me, right?” He laughed. ”Don’t know if you remember me! I’m Chad – “ He heard a frantic mother’s voice and, lo and behold, it was Cooper’s mother. Chad straightened up to his full height, pulling his coat slightly to fix the wrinkles. He brought his mouth to his chin to scratch his jawline, small hairs tickling his fingers, when he caught sight of Mal.

He froze.

She had changed, but not completely. It was difficult to describe. There were age lines on her face, and her hair seemed different than it used to be, but she was still beautiful. He had wondered if she’d be here. Well, it turned out she was. He felt some odd, throbbing kind of ache begin in his chest, but couldn’t place it. The loneliness was back, eating away at him. This was her son. She had a husband, or a boyfriend, perhaps here in the other area. Had he graduated Metric? Been a film student, someone who Mal saw in classes and just connected with after he left?

”Mal! Hey!” Chad said, smiling wide and giving her a smile as though nothing was wrong. He looked at Cooper. ”So! Cooper, huh? He’s your son! He’s devilishly handsome! Is his dad around?”

Chad was surprised to hear this boy’s father was nowhere in the picture. What kind of a guy would abandon his son and Mal? Mal of all people? He wondered what would have happened had they stayed fuckbuddies for longer. The kid had to be conceived not too long after Chad had left. Or, maybe, she had always had someone on the side? The boy looked nothing like Mal, for sure!

”Oh! I’m sorry to hear,” He said, but he honestly wasn’t, he couldn’t picture Mal with any guy. He wondered what bigger and better things this guy had gone to do? He blinked at the mention of Gracie. ”Aw! Gracie! I miss him! How’s he doing?” Chad asked. He grinned back down at Cooper. ”You don’t look much like your mom – it’s a shame, because she was always the most beautiful person I knew! But you probably don’t want to be beautiful, you want t be handsome,”

He grinned over at Mal. ”How old is he? Did I ever meet his dad? Don’t tell me it’s that weird Thomas guy, I think I’d die laughing!”

”Oh, wow! That’s amazing for Gracie! He’s probably here. Him and Todd were a thing, right? And I saw Todd over there,” he gestured towards the other side of the campus, where a tall figure was speaking to who could only be Amy O’Neal.

Cooper was a riot already! Chad laughed and when he said he had five girlfriends his jaw dropped. ”Aw, no way! Were they cute? Any redheads catch your eye?” Chad inquired, smirking back. He glanced at Mal just as she shook her head. Wow! Seven... ”Seven...” so she had slept with someone else then, for him to be seven. Chad tried not to bother about that fact, though it did sting. It did make him laugh when she said it was not Thomas. ”Good! You always deserved better than him!”

Chad stood up and crained his neck, noticing Vera navigating her way through the crowd. ”Vera! Babe, c’mere,” he gestured. He turned to Mal with a smile. He pointed to the tall, tan, rich looking woman approaching. ”That’s my girlfriend, Vera!”

”I thought so! They were always... something.” Chad said. ”I actually got to work with Todd once! He did some modeling for an advertisement! We didn’t talk much, but he looked really hot in drag,” Chad grinned.

When Cooper said he liked brown hair, Chad nodded firmly, his hand on the boy’s shoulder. ”Ah. Brunettes are gorgeous too, kid. I’ve chased my fair share of brunettes in my day,” he said. None of them were redheads, though. Chad grinned up at Mal. Man, he missed behind around her. He snickered at the reminder of Thomas and his failure of a pickup. Man, he remembered that party. That was the one where she chained him to a bed and left him to run home naked. It was hilarious. He kind of missed that – even if it had been humiliating.

When Vera arrived, it knocked Chad out of the trance and left an odd emptiness to him. She was doing her best to look good, but he couldn’t help but glance over at Mal. Vera caught this and her eyes narrowed. She came to a stop beside Mal, and took one look at Cooper. Her eyes widened and she looked right at Mal, then at Chad, then at Mal and back down to Cooper.

Unlike Chad, she got the picture.

”Isn’t she, kid?!” Chad grinned and nudged Cooper gently. ”Man, I got good taste. So do you!”

Vera turned her gaze on Mal. ”Mallory. An old friend,” She drummed her nails against her hip. She regarded Chad and Cooper again. Cooper was practically Chad’s clone. ”How good of a friend? If you don’t mind my asking.”