"Allow us," begged Roger Hannigan, stepping forward with Mike Binng. The two guards captured Frank's arms.
"Make sure he doesn't get back in," Rick ordered as they escorted a struggling Frank from the room.
"Are you all right?" Rick demanded, looking at Joe with a worried expression. Joe gave him a wan smile and nodded. "Don't worry," Rick told him. "I'll have Jerry," he named the company's lawyer, "prepare a restraining order."
"Don't bother," Joe told him. "They have a limited life span."
"Only if they aren't renewed regularly," Rick returned with determination. "I promise, they won't get an opportunity to hurt you again."
"Thanks," Joe said softly, gazing up into Rick's eyes. Lani retreated from the office and closed the door softly to give the two some time alone.
"I think Doug will be pleased," Joe said at two that afternoon. He, Lani and Sally had finished taking the new photographs and had decided to have lunch at the resort's dining hall before returning to work.
"He better be," Sally agreed. "You have a good eye," she complimented him.
"Thanks," replied Joe blushing a bit. Sally's had been one of the voices he and Rick had overheard talking about them. He had been positive she didn't like him and thought he had only been hired because of Rick's infatuation with him.
Sally gave Joe a big smile, feeling more than a little guilty. Like the other employees at the Tyrell Enterprises headquarters, she had believed Joe was a "golden boy." She strongly disliked people whom she believed had been given everything without having to work for it. Although she had kept her mouth shut since Mr. Tyrell had given her and the rest of the staff a stern lecture about gossiping, she had still believed Joe's job was nothing more than a token to give credence to his salary for services performed outside of the workplace. At least, she had until today.
Word had spread throughout the building of the encounter in Joe's office with the unwelcome intruder. Everyone at the office now knew something about Joe's past and that something was enough to gain him their sympathy. His hard work was earning their respect but it was their boss's reaction to Joe's brother that really let Joe into the inner circle.
Lani's report, corroborated by the two security guards, left none in doubt that Rick Tyrell wasn't just interested in the head of the new photographic department; he was in love with him. It was equally obvious that Joe wasn't aware of the depth of Rick's feelings.
Sally watched Joe order from the menu and smiled. He had a business credit card to cover expenses but he still ordered the cheapest items on the menu. No, she decided. Joe wasn't going to take advantage of his position of their boss. He just might be exactly what Rick needed.
Most employees didn't really care or even think about the well being of their employers but Rick Tyrell wasn't your average boss. He cared about his employees.
When Sally's father had a stroke the previous year, Rick had forced her to take time off to be with her family. He had also paid the medical bills and visited twice during the two month span. At first, she had been worried about not getting paid during her leave of absence but her checks arrived in the mail every week and, when she returned to work, Rick had insisted she ease back into it by working only part time for the first couple of weeks with full pay. And, Sally knew, he had done similar acts of kindness for some of his other employees. Rick was more than a boss; he was a friend.
"Has Rick mentioned our next project?" asked Lani, breaking into Sally's musings.
"No," Joe answered. "But there's a meeting first thing in the morning. He will probably let us know then."
"Um, Joe," Lani said a bit hesitantly after their meal had been brought. "That guy this morning: your brother?"
"What about him?" asked Joe, taking a bite out of his sandwich.
"There is a man who just came in who looks a lot like him," Lani said.
Joe swallowed and turned his head. Paling, he set his sandwich down on his plate. "What's wrong?" Sally demanded, her face a picture of concern.
"Nothing," Joe replied, obviously lying. He looked at his watch, wondering how long it would take Lani and Sally to finish their meal because he had just lost his appetite.
"You know him?" Lani asked.
Joe thought about lying but decided against it. "He's my father."
"I'm finished," Lani said, pushing his plate away.
"Me too," Sally concurred.
"No," Joe said, touched. "Eat your lunch. It's okay."
"Did your family really change the locks so you couldn't get in?" Sally asked. Joe gave a curt nod. "Maybe the place was broke into while you were out and they just didn't..." she broke off as Joe shook his head.
"They sat in the kitchen and ignored me when I knocked," Joe said, his eyes tearing up although he blinked them away.
"Let's go before he gets here," Sally said, standing up.
"What I don't get is why your brother came to see you after doing that," Lani said.
"Because he realized how evil he had been," stated Sally scornfully.
"Joe," Fenton said, arriving at their table as Lani stood and pulled Joe to his feet. "I need to talk to you."
"Why?" Joe asked, looking him in the eyes with his head held high. "You didn't before."
"Son, I'm sorry," Fenton said, his voice pleading. "It was all a terrible misunderstanding."
"No, it wasn't," Joe replied. "Oh, maybe the last few days, but all of my life I have tried to be what you, mom and Frank wanted me to be. I tried my best but it was never good enough. I never wanted to be a detective. I hated it. I did it so you would love me. So you would spend time with me. So you would be proud of me," Joe informed him.
"But I wasn't good at it. Not like Frank. So I kept getting into trouble which only made you sorry I was around. Don't," Joe said, holding up his hand when Fenton opened his mouth to object. "I knew it, deep down, all along. But when Frank told his friends he wished he were an only child and then you and everyone else started ignoring me completely; it only confirmed what I already knew. I loved you. All of you," Joe said, unable to stop the tears from slipping down his cheeks. "But it wasn't enough for you then and it isn't enough for me now."
"Joseph," Fenton tried to interrupt again but Joe refused to allow it.
"You wanted me out of your lives so I left," Joe continued. "I don't know why you are here or why you're trying so hard and honestly, I don't care. I'm not going to be hurt by you anymore. You're no longer a part of my life. Accept it and move on. I have."
"Make sure he doesn't get back in," Rick ordered as they escorted a struggling Frank from the room.
"Are you all right?" Rick demanded, looking at Joe with a worried expression. Joe gave him a wan smile and nodded. "Don't worry," Rick told him. "I'll have Jerry," he named the company's lawyer, "prepare a restraining order."
"Don't bother," Joe told him. "They have a limited life span."
"Only if they aren't renewed regularly," Rick returned with determination. "I promise, they won't get an opportunity to hurt you again."
"Thanks," Joe said softly, gazing up into Rick's eyes. Lani retreated from the office and closed the door softly to give the two some time alone.
"I think Doug will be pleased," Joe said at two that afternoon. He, Lani and Sally had finished taking the new photographs and had decided to have lunch at the resort's dining hall before returning to work.
"He better be," Sally agreed. "You have a good eye," she complimented him.
"Thanks," replied Joe blushing a bit. Sally's had been one of the voices he and Rick had overheard talking about them. He had been positive she didn't like him and thought he had only been hired because of Rick's infatuation with him.
Sally gave Joe a big smile, feeling more than a little guilty. Like the other employees at the Tyrell Enterprises headquarters, she had believed Joe was a "golden boy." She strongly disliked people whom she believed had been given everything without having to work for it. Although she had kept her mouth shut since Mr. Tyrell had given her and the rest of the staff a stern lecture about gossiping, she had still believed Joe's job was nothing more than a token to give credence to his salary for services performed outside of the workplace. At least, she had until today.
Word had spread throughout the building of the encounter in Joe's office with the unwelcome intruder. Everyone at the office now knew something about Joe's past and that something was enough to gain him their sympathy. His hard work was earning their respect but it was their boss's reaction to Joe's brother that really let Joe into the inner circle.
Lani's report, corroborated by the two security guards, left none in doubt that Rick Tyrell wasn't just interested in the head of the new photographic department; he was in love with him. It was equally obvious that Joe wasn't aware of the depth of Rick's feelings.
Sally watched Joe order from the menu and smiled. He had a business credit card to cover expenses but he still ordered the cheapest items on the menu. No, she decided. Joe wasn't going to take advantage of his position of their boss. He just might be exactly what Rick needed.
Most employees didn't really care or even think about the well being of their employers but Rick Tyrell wasn't your average boss. He cared about his employees.
When Sally's father had a stroke the previous year, Rick had forced her to take time off to be with her family. He had also paid the medical bills and visited twice during the two month span. At first, she had been worried about not getting paid during her leave of absence but her checks arrived in the mail every week and, when she returned to work, Rick had insisted she ease back into it by working only part time for the first couple of weeks with full pay. And, Sally knew, he had done similar acts of kindness for some of his other employees. Rick was more than a boss; he was a friend.
"Has Rick mentioned our next project?" asked Lani, breaking into Sally's musings.
"No," Joe answered. "But there's a meeting first thing in the morning. He will probably let us know then."
"Um, Joe," Lani said a bit hesitantly after their meal had been brought. "That guy this morning: your brother?"
"What about him?" asked Joe, taking a bite out of his sandwich.
"There is a man who just came in who looks a lot like him," Lani said.
Joe swallowed and turned his head. Paling, he set his sandwich down on his plate. "What's wrong?" Sally demanded, her face a picture of concern.
"Nothing," Joe replied, obviously lying. He looked at his watch, wondering how long it would take Lani and Sally to finish their meal because he had just lost his appetite.
"You know him?" Lani asked.
Joe thought about lying but decided against it. "He's my father."
"I'm finished," Lani said, pushing his plate away.
"Me too," Sally concurred.
"No," Joe said, touched. "Eat your lunch. It's okay."
"Did your family really change the locks so you couldn't get in?" Sally asked. Joe gave a curt nod. "Maybe the place was broke into while you were out and they just didn't..." she broke off as Joe shook his head.
"They sat in the kitchen and ignored me when I knocked," Joe said, his eyes tearing up although he blinked them away.
"Let's go before he gets here," Sally said, standing up.
"What I don't get is why your brother came to see you after doing that," Lani said.
"Because he realized how evil he had been," stated Sally scornfully.
"Joe," Fenton said, arriving at their table as Lani stood and pulled Joe to his feet. "I need to talk to you."
"Why?" Joe asked, looking him in the eyes with his head held high. "You didn't before."
"Son, I'm sorry," Fenton said, his voice pleading. "It was all a terrible misunderstanding."
"No, it wasn't," Joe replied. "Oh, maybe the last few days, but all of my life I have tried to be what you, mom and Frank wanted me to be. I tried my best but it was never good enough. I never wanted to be a detective. I hated it. I did it so you would love me. So you would spend time with me. So you would be proud of me," Joe informed him.
"But I wasn't good at it. Not like Frank. So I kept getting into trouble which only made you sorry I was around. Don't," Joe said, holding up his hand when Fenton opened his mouth to object. "I knew it, deep down, all along. But when Frank told his friends he wished he were an only child and then you and everyone else started ignoring me completely; it only confirmed what I already knew. I loved you. All of you," Joe said, unable to stop the tears from slipping down his cheeks. "But it wasn't enough for you then and it isn't enough for me now."
"Joseph," Fenton tried to interrupt again but Joe refused to allow it.
"You wanted me out of your lives so I left," Joe continued. "I don't know why you are here or why you're trying so hard and honestly, I don't care. I'm not going to be hurt by you anymore. You're no longer a part of my life. Accept it and move on. I have."