Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

Perfect For Me

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 02:

Three days later…

Jasper was sitting in his office crunching some numbers when his father stopped by for a chat.

“How are you doing, Son?”

“Fine, as usual.”

His father nodded his head and seated himself across from Jasper. “That’s good to hear. Uh, I spoke to Rich Brandon today.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“He said Alice and you have split up.”

“That’s right. She broke up with me.”

“And for good reason, too. Apparently, you were throwing wild orgies with your no-good friends.”

Jasper rolled his eyes and sighed. “Orgies, seriously? We were testing out a new brew. Since when does that construe an orgy? And my no-good friends? Is that what she called them again? You’ve met them, Dad. I have two engineers, a chiropractor, and a lawyer as friends. They’re a lot more successful than I am.”

“Yeah, but their backgrounds are… well, let’s just say, they aren’t from our level of society.”

“You’re criticizing my friends, Dad?”

His father shook his head. “No, no, of course not. I would never criticize your friends.”

“But you just did.”

“I’m just pointing out facts to you. You were born into an abundance of wealth. They weren’t. On the other hand, Alice was born into similar circumstances as you were; she understands there comes a time when you have to give up your college friends and start living the life you were born into.”

Jasper crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared at his father, who was about six feet tall with blond hair, a tan complexion, and was very good looking for a guy in his mid-fifties. Daddy was vice president of Whitlock Energy, the largest, privately owned oil company in the United States. The only reason he wasn’t president yet was his Grand-Daddy was seventy-seven, as healthy as an ox, and still at the helm of the company.

As the only son, Jasper was expected to follow in their footsteps; hence, he was gifted with an ostentatious house as a graduation gift upon earning his MBA and a new set of new golf clubs. The golf clubs were from Grand-Daddy; and he had to admit, they were pretty nifty. The rest he really didn’t give a crap about.

“Dad, I’m not giving up my friends, nor am I getting back together with Alice.”

“Why not? She’s a good-looking, young lady. If I were young, I’d be proud to have a woman like that on my arm.”

“Well, why don’t you date her then?”

“Son, stop joking. I’m being serious here. It’s time you settle down with a good woman and stop partying with those no-good friends of yours.”

“And I’m being serious when I say I will not give up my friends, nor will I get together with that self-centered bitch, Alice, again.

“Now, Jasper, that’s not a nice way of referring to Rich Brandon’s daughter.”

“Rich Brandon is a dick!”

“Rich Brandon is a respected colleague.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that he’s a dick.”

“Jasper, maybe you’re not ready for the big leagues, Son.”

“Are you threatening me? Because that sounded suspiciously like a threat.”

“Well, if you’re not ready to make certain sacrifices for the sake of the company…”

Jasper stood up and glared at his father. “Sacrifice myself and marry that bitch for the sake of Whitlock Energy? I’ll never be ready for that. You can expect my resignation on your desk in the morning.”

Beauregard Whitlock put his hands up in a form of surrender. “Whoa there, Son! Let’s not jump the gun. I never said anything about wanting you to resign. I just don’t want you to let go of Alice Brandon. She’s good for you.”

“No, she’s good for the company image. And I’m never getting back together with her.”

“Well, if that’s how you feel, I understand.” His father flashed him a weak smile and left the office with a sigh of disappointment. Jasper was used to the guilt tripping; it wasn’t going to work. He was serious when he said he’d hand in his resignation. He really didn’t want to work for Whitlock Energy anymore – not if it meant making sacrificial marriages for the sake of business. His love life wasn’t a business deal. He’d rather be poor than marry someone like Alice.

The fact was, he’d never be poor. His trust fund was handed over to his complete control once he turned twenty-five years old three years ago. And Jasper was no idiot.

He didn’t go wasting his money on fancy cars and big vacations. Alice always wanted him to take her on some big, exotic holiday to Paris, but he told her she’d have to pay her own way. She huffed, puffed, and screamed until her father gave her the cash, but she ended up going on her own anyway because he had no interest in going to Paris – at least not with her.

In any case, Jasper wasn’t about to cede to his father’s wish for him to marry the perfect society wife. He’d throw himself in front of a speeding train before he did that. Couldn’t his father see how wrong he was? Jasper sighed. Of course he didn’t.

To Beauregard Whitlock, a perfect image was everything. He was married to the former Edythe ‘Edie’ Cullen, who came from another big oil family and was society’s perfect daughter and wife. His maternal grandparents Carlisle and Esme Cullen encouraged their daughter to marry into the Whitlock Family because she would be the sole heiress of Cullen Oil upon their deaths, and they wanted the company looked after.

Of course, his grandparents were still alive and well, but it didn’t change the fact his parents’ marriage was a business transaction through and through. In fact, his father went into it with his eyes wide open and was proud as hell of what he’d achieved with his marriage. Apparently, he expected his son to do the same. Well, Jasper Whitlock – the imperfect son – was about to shatter his father’s dreams. He was quitting his job.

He quickly fired off a resignation letter and got to the business of packing up his office. He only had a few of his belongings here. He tossed the framed portrait of Alice, which she had set on his desk, into the trash. He contemplated setting it on fire, but didn’t feel like going to the trouble. He then grabbed his belongings, asked his secretary to give his father the sealed envelope containing his resignation letter in the morning, and then left the building without a word to anyone except for the security guard.

On the way home, he stopped at the mini mart to grab a gallon of milk and some Lucky Charms cereal. On a whim, he decided to buy a scratch-off lottery ticket just because he knew Alice nor his parents, would approve. According to them, lottery tickets were supposedly a form of gambling for trailer trash who couldn’t afford a trip to Monte Carlo. Jasper rolled his eyes, thinking about their snobbery.

The cashier handed the ticket to him. Jasper scratched off the little dollar signs, and lo and behold, he had a match. Cool! He cashed the ticket in, took his money, and headed home with his hundred dollars.

At home, he stared at the hundred-dollar bill as he ate his cereal. Wow! He actually won a hundred dollars. He couldn’t believe it. Of course, to him, a hundred dollars was pocket change, but this particular hundred-dollar bill was special because it was his and his alone. It was won due to his moment of rebellion.

He grabbed a framed portrait of Alice off the shelf. He took her picture out, ripped it in half, and replaced it with the hundred-dollar bill. He put the framed cash smack dab in the center, to remind him today was the end of living life for the sake of others. Tomorrow would be a new day, and open up a brand new life for Jasper Whitlock.

The next day…

Jasper woke up bright and early, trying to figure out what to do. He decided a good purge was in order, so he grabbed some garbage bags and went through the house from top to bottom. All the fufu decorating Alice did went into the bag along with any photos of herself that she had strategically placed all around the home.

By noon, he was done, but he needed new bed linens since all the pink, floral crap went into the donation bag along with all the rest of the tchotchkes Alice used to decorate his house. Come to think of it, he didn’t even want his mattress anymore. It was too soft. He needed a nice, firm mattress.

When he removed the mattress, he heard a clunk, and discovered the engagement ring he had given to Alice. He threw it in the top drawer of his bureau. It was a family heirloom, so he’d have to return it to his grandmother, eventually.

He took the mattress and threw it into the bed of his truck along with the bags of crap he didn’t need. He brought everything to the Salvation Army. They took everything except the mattress and told him where he could dispose of it for a fee.

Jasper grabbed lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and then drove to the furniture store to buy a new mattress before going to the department store for sheets more to his taste. He returned home to find Alice sitting at the dining table.

“Jazzy, I forgive you.” She greeted in a sickly, sweet voice, and then ran up to him, putting her arms around him.

“Alice, get out of my house.” He removed her arms from his person and stepped away, picking up his box of Lucky Charms cereal and hugging it in front of his chest for protection.

“You don’t mean that, Darling,” she simpered, approaching him.

He backed away a few steps. “Yes, I do mean it. Get the hell out of my house!”

“Absolutely not! We are a power couple! You’re the future president of Whitlock Energy!”

Jasper turned to her with a snarky smile. “Not really. I resigned my position this morning.”

“But… but…” Alice blinked a few times with her jaw dropping open. “How could you? That was our future, you idiot!”

“Well, my father gave me an ultimatum – get back together with you, or quit. I decided quitting was more to my liking because it’ll be a cold day in hell before I spend another moment with you. Now, get the hell out of my house before I call the cops and report you for trespassing.”

“Jasper Whitlock! You need to march back to your office and beg for your job back! You’re making a stupid decision. Now, where is my engagement ring? I want it back!” Alice demanded.

“No, the ring is a family heirloom, which means it goes back to my grandmother. Now, please leave my house, Alice. You’re not welcome here anymore.”

She sat on the dining chair with her chin raised in defiance, refusing to budge. If Alice wanted to play that game, it was fine by Jasper. He simply picked up the chair, with his ex-fiancé still sitting on it, and placed it out on his front porch. He, then, proceeded to lock the door.

Alice started shrieking at the top of her lungs for Jasper to open the door. “I am appalled by how you’re treating me. We’ve been together for six years! Let me back into the house!”

Jasper noticed Alice’s purse sitting on the dining table. He picked it up, opened the window, and tossed the bag onto the porch. He shut the window and locked it for good measure.

“How dare you throw my Birkin Bag onto the ground? Open the door this instant, Jasper Whitlock!” Alice hollered from outside. “Open the door now! I don’t give you permission to break up with me!”

He didn’t bother replying and simply ignored her rant. A few minutes later, she finally gave up and sped out of his driveway in her Mercedes.

Jasper slumped by the front door, relieved his batty-ex was finally gone. He immediately put in a call to a locksmith to get the locks rekeyed, and even had him install one of those doorbell video security cameras as well. He didn’t need his psycho-ex showing up on his doorstep again.

He went downstairs to the basement to see how the new IPA was coming along in the beer lab. His friends and he started fermenting this particular batch about ten days ago. It wasn’t ready yet, perhaps a week and a half more to go on this batch before they could bottle it, which meant another huge blow out party with his buds.

Of course, Jasper had to admit Alice was correct about one thing; the parties were getting out of hand. A recliner on the roof and a grill in the pool was beyond ridiculous. Perhaps, he should curtail them to every month instead of every week or two. Even Paul said Rachel would kill him if he partied like that at his house every week. And Rachel was pretty chill.

The doorbell rang, Jasper used his new doorbell security system, and found his father and grandfather standing on the doorstep in their business suits. He sighed and went to the answer the door.

“Daddy, Grand-Daddy.” Jasper greeted as he opened the door wide to let them in.

“Jasper, we received your letter of resignation today,” his father stated.

“I figured you did.”

“And we do not accept it.”

“Well, it ain’t up to you, is it? I’m a grown man. I have an MBA, and I don’t feel like using it at Whitlock Energy.”

“You have your MBA because I made it possible for you!” his father shouted. “The least you can do is show some appreciation and some familial pride!”

“I do have familial pride, but I can’t work for a tyrant, who demands I drop my friends and marry a whiney, elitist brat just because she has the right business connections. I’m a human being, not a sacrificial lamb for you to offer up to the highest bidder!” Jasper argued.

“Is that what happened?” his grand-daddy asked, arching an eyebrow at his son. “You neglected to give me any background information, Beauregard.”

Colton Whitlock was a formidable man. At seventy-seven, he refused to give up his position as president of the company he had founded. Everything crossed his desk before any final decisions were made. “Why didn’t you tell me you interfered in Jasper’s personal life?”

“I didn’t interfere in Jasper’s life. I just explained to him that it might be prudent for him to marry Alice Brandon because she comes from a family background similar to his. She’s a good girl. And she’d be able to guide him in society as my son rises through the ranks. I’d be proud to call her my daughter-in-law.” sure his father would agree, Beauregard nodded.

“You want Alice Brandon to lead Jasper through society? Really? My grandson needs a strong, intelligent woman, not some whiney, society princess. Besides, I never liked the girl. You did a good job getting rid of the brat, Jasper.”

“Actually, she broke up with me. I had one of my beer-tasting parties. And she didn’t appreciate it.”

“Ah, a new brew, huh? Why don’t you give your grand-daddy a sample?”

“Sure. Let me just get some for you from the beer lab.”

“No, no. I’m not so high in the instep that I can’t get my own beer. I’ll come with you. You can show me this beer lab of yours.”

“Sure,” Jasper replied, surprised. “Follow me.” Jasper led his grandfather and his reluctant father down to the basement where his friends and he had created a home brewery. They kept this part of the house pristine, and as a rule, there was absolutely no partying in here.

His grandfather took in the sight of the beer lab and seemed surprised. There were several covered buckets of beer, with different brews of beer fermenting and awaiting bottling. There was also a full kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, and various brewing equipment; including thermometers, hydrometers, airlock fermenters, and other tools. They had also built a bar with some stools.

His friends and he had spent weeks building the beer lab to their specifications so they could pursue their hobby in comfort. Everyone had contributed to building it. Alice cried for months about how it was a waste of space, but Jasper didn’t care because she didn’t live with him. It was his house.

His grandfather and father sat down at the bar.

“Um, this is our latest one. It’s an IPA, but Sam and I thought it was a bit too hoppy. Emmett, Paul, and Pete liked it, though.” He popped the cap off and handed the bottle to his grandfather. “Dad, do you want one, too?”

“Sure, why not?”

He popped off the cap from two more bottles, handed one to his father and took one for himself. “Cheers.”

“This is surprisingly smooth. I thought it would be more bitter, but it’s not,” his grandfather noted. “I’m impressed.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Well, Jasper, it seems to me you’re at a crossroads in life. So I have two questions to ask you.”

“I’m not getting back together with Alice for the sake of the company,” Jasper declared firmly.

“I’d never ask you to do that. Alice Brandon is a twit. And her father is a jackass. You don’t need to be shackled with that thing for the rest of your life.”

“Now, now, she’s not that bad,” Beau noted.

“Yes, she is!” Colton Whitlock insisted. “I’ve never met a more money-grubbing girl, and the parents are even worse. You do realize Rich Brandon’s company is under investigation for corruption, don’t you, Beauregard?”

“No… no… I had no idea.”

“Clearly. They’re under investigation because twenty-million dollars is unaccounted for. Tell me, Jasper, does twenty-million dollars suddenly go missing from our company?”

“No, sir.”

“And why not?”

“Because we have checks and balances along the way. Plus, several people are always performing the same calculation and the last stop is always you, so insider fraud is impossible.”

“Exactly! Every dollar and cent is accounted for at Whitlock Energy – always.” Jasper’s grandfather looked his grandson in the eyes. “Now tell me. Are you bored at your position? Because when you tell me about your beer making, your eyes light up brighter than fireworks on the Fourth of July, yet when you’re at work, you don’t seem yourself. Are you bored?”

“I am, sir,” he answered honestly.

“So, number crunching isn’t your favorite thing. Let me ask you this. Why did you bother getting your MBA? I’m asking you this because you majored in engineering, but you changed tunes and went for your MBA instead for graduate school.”

“Well, Daddy said he wouldn’t pay for a master’s degree in engineering.”

Colton glared at his son. “You fucking idiot. No wonder you’re buddies with that Rich Brandon. You’re cut from the same cloth as he is!”

“Daddy?” Jasper’s father questioned.

“How the hell, do you expect my grandson to learn how to run the company if you don’t allow him to make decisions by himself? You’re a bully, is what you are! A good father lets his kids make their own decisions so they can learn from their failures and successes.”

Then he turned to Jasper. “You are twenty-eight years old, a college graduate with bachelor degrees in both chemical and electrical engineering, and a master’s in business administration. With all of those fancy degrees, did it ever occur to you to stand on your own two feet? Grow up! And I don’t mean grow up by marrying that twit, Alice because if you do, I’ll make sure I run Whitlock Energy to the ground so you and your father have nothing to inherit!”

After he calmed down, Colton Whitlock continued. “Jasper, the bottom line is Whitlock Energy will eventually be yours whether you want it, or not. I don’t care if, after you inherit, you leave the running of the businesses to someone else, but until I am gone, and your father is gone, it behooves you to learn all you can about the family business.

“Don’t forget Cullen Oil will be merging with Whitlock Energy upon your Grandpa Cullen’s death. You need to learn this business.” He paused and let out a big sigh. “Looking around your beer lab, I can tell your first love is engineering, not number crunching. So I’m going to offer you a new position in the company. On Monday, you will start working as an entry-level engineer at the company.”

“Entry-level?” his father questioned, with a dismayed expression on his face.

“Yes, entry-level, and I should have done the same with you instead of putting your pampered ass into a cushy administrative position from the start, Beau. No, no… I will not make the same mistake again. Jasper, you will start as an entry-level engineer and learn everything you can about the engineering side of the business.

“For the next few years, you’ll be floating from position to position until you know everything there is to learn about the business, including the administrative side. It’s how I learned about the business, and it’s how you’ll learn. You will not become successful unless you know how to run every single part of the business.”

“But… but… what will my colleagues say? Having Jasper float around from job to job is an embarrassment. What am I… how am I…”

“I don’t give a damn about your colleagues, Beauregard! I only care about the future of Whitlock Energy; and Jasper is the future – you know it, and I know it! How is he going to learn about the company if you have him constantly crunching numbers? Look around you, your son is not a number’s cruncher! He has built a chemical lab here for himself; and this beer is amazing! I’ll take another one, if you don’t mind.”

Jasper cracked open a porter this time and handed it to his grandfather. “I didn’t actually do this by myself. I built it with my friends from college.”

“Yes, yes, but I can tell you put your heart and soul into this project. Tell me about your friends. What do they do?”

“Well, Pete’s a mechanical engineer with Ganvel Industries. And Sam’s a petroleum engineer for your friend Winston Gates. Paul is an attorney with Wright and Ronge. And Emmett is a chiropractor in private practice.”

“So your friends are accomplished. Not the ‘good-for-nothing trailer trash’ your father described them as.”

“No, not at all. Pete’s dad is a mechanic, and his mom is a school teacher. Sam’s father isn’t a part of his life, but his mother is the principal of the tribal school on the reservation he’s from. Paul’s father owns a fleet of fishing boats, and his mother helps run the business. He’s from the same reservation in Washington as Sam. And Emmett is from Gatlinburg, Tennessee. His parents own McCarty Distillery.”

“The whiskey manufacturer?”

“Yes, sir. They sent us those two barrels there, we’re going to attempt to ferment some beer in them after we figure out how to put an airlock system in there. Anyway, Emmett is considered the black sheep because he decided not to go into the family business, but they still encouraged him to pursue his dreams. Besides, his dad said it helps to have a chiropractor in the family because he gives them free adjustments. In any case, his brothers are learning the ropes of the business. Em still gets a share in it just for being born a McCarty.”

“They all seem like respectable boys to me. As you know, my daddy was a simple worker on an oil rig. It didn’t make him any less respectable. He always put in a solid day’s work; and our family never went hungry. My mama babysat the neighborhood kids for extra cash. I was never coddled, like your daddy and you. It seems to me, your friends are from good, hardworking families, too.” He sighed as he took another sip of beer.

“I have no doubt you can put in a solid day’s work. What I want you to say at the end of the day is, ‘I enjoyed myself. I’m happy with what I do for work.’ You can’t do that crunching numbers – that much is obvious. What do you say to my offer, Jasper? Will you take on the challenge of learning everything you can about Whitlock Energy and perhaps even discovering a little about yourself?”

Jasper took a minute to consider the offer. His first love had always been engineering. It was why he majored in it during college. He enjoyed tinkering with tools and figuring stuff out. He only got his master’s degree in business administration because his father expected it of him, and – sad to say – but because Alice persuaded him it would look impressive. But he was through living for his father, or for anyone else. He had to live for himself now. He had an opportunity to prove himself in a field he loved, and he planned on doing it.

He looked up at his grandfather and stated, “I’ll take the job.”

“Excellent. I’ll arrange it all. You’ll be reporting to me as your direct supervisor instead of your father.” Colton cut a scathing look to his son, who looked resigned.

“I suppose it would be for the best. Jasper always learned better from you.”

“It’s because I never bullied him, Beau. Jasper is your son to love unconditionally, whether you’re pleased with his choices or not. There is one catch, though, Jasper.”

Sighing, and with a grimace, he asked, “What is it?” He knew the offer was too good to be true. There was always a catch.

“If you bring home Alice Brandon, or another prima donna like her again, the deal is off!” Jasper’s grandfather broke into a grin. His father, on the other hand, looked glum because his aspirations of brokering a power marriage for his son came to nil.

“You’ve got a deal, Grand-Daddy.” Jasper extended his hand to shake his grandfather’s, who pulled him in for a hug instead.

“You make me proud. Do you understand me, boy?”

“Yes, sir. I will.”

“Good boy.”

A few minutes later, Jasper walked his father and grandfather to the front door.

“Why is your dining chair out on your front porch?” his father questioned, staring at it with a perplexed expression on his face.

“Oh, Alice let herself into the house today and refused to leave when I asked her to. I carried her out of the house, chair and all, and then locked the door.”

“I didn’t realize she was the stalker-type.” His father noted. “Maybe your grand-daddy is right, you don’t need that kind of crazy in your life.” It was the closest thing to an apology he’d get from his dad. Jasper would take it for now.

“Good for you, boy. Stand your ground!” His grandfather clearly approved of his actions. “You relax and clear your head for the rest of the week. I’ll see you in my office at 9 am sharp on Monday.”

With that, his grandfather and father left the house. Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. Life seemed to be gradually improving for him.