Chapter 22 - WITHOUT THE SUPERCARTwo months after the incident, Aaron saw Chase again by accident.
No lawyers.
No board meeting.
No restaurant manager.
They were both at a youth charity fundraiser in Santa Monica.
Aaron had brought Milo because the organization provided sports equipment for public schools.
Chase was there because Barron Mobility had been a sponsor for years.
Aaron noticed him across the room.
For a moment, both men considered pretending they hadn't.
Then Chase walked over.
“Milo.”
The boy looked up.
“Hi.”
No fear.
Aaron noticed that first.
Chase did too.
“Having fun?”
“There's basketball.”
“I saw.”
A pause.
Then Milo asked, “Where's the car?”
Chase blinked.
“What car?”
“The black one.”
Aaron almost laughed.
Chase smiled.
“Home.”
“Did you break it again?”
“No.”
Milo nodded.
“Good.”
Then he ran toward a group of children.
Aaron watched him go.
Chase stood beside him.
“He seems better.”
“He is.”
Chase nodded.
Neither spoke for a moment.
Then Chase said, “The company had its best operating month.”
“I saw.”
“Of course you did.”
“The reports come to our fund.”
Chase smiled faintly.
“Expenses are down.”
“I saw that too.”
“You know what's annoying?”
“What?”
“Martin was right about almost everything.”
Aaron laughed.
“Don't tell him.”
“Too late.”
Chase looked across the room.
“I used to think control was the same thing as leadership.”
Aaron said nothing.
“You're not going to give me some wise sentence?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“You seem to be doing fine.”
Chase nodded.
Then he asked, “Why do you dress like that?”
Aaron looked down at his navy sweater and jeans.
“Like what?”
“Normal.”
Aaron smiled.
“I am normal.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yes.”
“So?”
Aaron considered.
“My father had money. Not what I have, but enough.”
Chase listened.
“He used to tell me if you need strangers to know you're powerful, you're probably asking strangers for something.”
Chase frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“I asked him the same thing.”
“And?”
“He said, ‘You’ll understand when you're older.’”
“Did you?”
“Eventually.”
Chase laughed softly.
“My father told me not to let a car make me stupid.”
Aaron looked at him.
“Did it?”
“For a while.”
They both looked toward Milo.
The boy was shooting baskets.
He missed badly.
The ball bounced off the rim and rolled toward a display table.
Milo froze for a fraction of a second.
Then ran after it.
He caught it before anything fell.
He laughed.
Aaron felt something loosen in his chest.
Chase noticed.
“He still thinks about the window?”
“Less.”
“I’m sorry.”
Aaron looked at him.
This time there was no audience.
No deal.
No lawyer.
No board vote.
“Thank you.”
Chase nodded.
It was the first apology Aaron accepted personally.
Not forgiveness.
Not friendship.
Just acknowledgment.
Later that evening, Milo and Aaron drove home.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Chase seems less mean.”
“He does.”
“Did we fix him?”
Aaron laughed.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
“Chase has to do that himself.”
Milo looked out the window.
“Maybe the board helped.”
“Probably.”
“And his coach.”
“You know about his coach?”
“Mom told me.”
Aaron sighed.
“Again. Information security.”
Milo grinned.
Then became thoughtful.
“Do people change?”
“Sometimes.”
“Do bad people become good people?”
Aaron hesitated.
“I think people are usually more complicated than good or bad.”
“Was Chase bad?”
“He did something bad.”
“Different?”
“Yes.”
Milo frowned.
“I don't like complicated answers.”
“Neither do investors.”
They drove in silence.
At home, Claire was waiting with mail.
One envelope had no return address.
Aaron opened it.
Inside was a cashier's check.
Nine thousand, two hundred and eighteen dollars.
The exact cost of the repaired window.
There was a note.
The company should never have paid for this repair. It was my car benefit, my anger and my responsibility. I reimbursed Barron Mobility and returned the payment your card covered. — Chase
Aaron stared.
Claire read it.
“What are you going to do?”
Aaron looked toward Milo, who was kicking off his shoes.
“Deposit it.”
“You're not sending it back?”
“No.”
May you like
“Why?”
“Because this is what responsibility looks like.”
