by Parker, Ali
“You have always been about your business and making sure you were set up for a bright future. I don’t think you truly care about me. We had something and it was good. It was familiar. We fell into old habits.”
“You make me sound selfish! Vacuous. You cannot actually think that about me.”
She shrugged. “If the shoe fits.”
“The shoe doesn’t fucking fit,” I shot back. “I’m not a greedy motherfucker. I’m not all about money and power.”
“If you say so. I guess what you do in the next few minutes will determine that.”
“How? How does what I do in the next few minutes determine anything?”
“Let’s see if you truly care about me and are really looking out for my best interests or if you are all about the money and power.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You are giving me an ultimatum?”
“No. I think of it as a test. I want to see if you really care about me. You’ll understand I am a little hesitant to jump in with both feet.”
She was challenging me. That dominating male side of me wanted to sign the paper to prove I wasn’t afraid. The other, more rational part of me told me I would essentially be signing away my business. I looked at her. “This isn’t necessary.”
“It is. I am asking if you trust me. Do you trust me with your business and your heart?”
“My heart?”
“If you sign that, I will know you want more than just my museum.”
I stared down at the document. “One has nothing to do with the other. I think the real question is do you trust me with your business and your heart?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I honestly can’t answer that.”
“Because you don’t,” I whispered.
She let out a sigh. “I don’t.”
“I think we are at an impasse here,” I said as I looked into her eyes. I was struggling. I wanted to be the guy that said he would sign over everything if it meant he could have her. I wasn’t sure I could.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to decide right now. I’m going to go.”
“Can I call you?” I asked.
She looked at me and laughed. “Why would you call me?”
“Because I do care about you and I do want to see you. I’ve missed you.”
She softened just a little. “I’ve missed you too, but there is something pretty big standing between us.”
I looked down at the paper. “I know and that’s my fault.”
“Yes, it is. I guess we’ll have to see how this all plays out.”
She walked out of the office, leaving me alone with the paperwork. My eyes fixated on the division of the company. My heart was demanding I take the leap of faith and sign the damn papers. In many ways, it was like a prenuptial agreement. If things worked out between us and one day we married, the division of the merged company wouldn’t matter a bit. But if we didn’t work out, we would be stuck working with one another.
No, I would be working for her. She would own more of my company than I did. That was a huge leap of faith. That was like jumping across the Grand Canyon. I picked up the pen and stared down at the little pink arrow that told me where to sign. Great risks earned great rewards. Great risks also earned huge regrets.
Chapter 47
Mae
I was thrilled to have my first tour booked since my takeover of the museum. A paying tour. The school tour was excellent practice. I felt like I knew my stuff and I was ready to show it off.
The tour was a group of active seniors. They were part of some historical club or something and had heard about my takeover and wanted to see the place. I wished there were more changes to show off.
“Good morning,” I greeted them each as they came into the museum.
They were a lively group. Lots of fancy hats on the ladies and the gentlemen looked like they’d stepped out of the pages of GQ from the sixties.
“Good morning, young lady,” a man wearing a fedora said as he stepped forward. “My name is Burt. I’m the de facto leader of this band of misfits. We are excited to see what you’ve done with the place.”
Benjamin came out of nowhere and eagerly shook the man’s hand. “Burt, good to see you. You are going to be pleasantly surprised by my young protégé.”
I smiled, feeling my cheeks blush a bit. “Thank you.”
“We’ve heard good things,” Burt said. “I’m looking forward to revisiting some of the older displays.”
“You’ll have to come back for the big unveiling,” Benjamin told them.
“We definitely will. There has been a lot of buzz. You wouldn’t want to give us a sneak peek, would you?”
I grinned. “It isn’t here. Saturday is the big day.”
Burt chuckled. “We’ll be here.”
“Why don’t we get started?” I said and clapped my hands together.
I led the group around, enjoying the easy laughs and their genuine interest. They had all been in the museum before but acted as if it was their first time. They were kind and making me feel good. We moved on to the next exhibit when I noticed someone lurking off to the side.
“Will you excuse me for just a second?” I asked the group.
Benjamin, who had been following along, quickly stepped forward. “Take your time, dear,” he said with a friendly touch to my shoulder. “I’ll take care of our guests.”
“Thank you, Benjamin,” I said before walking away. I looked at my brother, Patrick, wondering why he was in my museum. We weren’t exactly on speaking terms. I wasn’t completely pissed at him, but I wasn’t ready to bury the hatchet.
“Hey, sis,” he greeted me with his usual lopsided grin.
“What are you doing here?”
He shrugged. “I thought I would drop by.”
I shook my head. “Liar. What are you doing here?”
We were not on the best of terms. He knew that. He knew better than to sabotage me at work. If this was about the Tyson buyout thing, I would take him out at the knees. The man had already shaken up my life. I wasn’t about to let my big brother do it again. I didn’t care if he was convinced he was right and was doing it for me. Patrick was going to learn I was a grown-ass woman and didn’t need him managing my life.
“I thought we could talk, catch up a little.”
“I’m at work, Patrick. Some of us still have jobs.”
He gave me a look. It was the look he always gave me when he thought I was being irrational or freaking out because he’d taken the last cookie. “Mae, please. Have lunch with me.”
“I don’t want to,” I said. I was going to make him beg a little. He owed me that much.
“Stop it. Let’s get some lunch.”
“It’s early.”
He let out an exaggerated sigh, letting me know I was frustrating him.
Mission accomplished.
“So we will make it an early lunch,” he said. “It looks like your helper has things in hand.”
I turned to look at Benjamin, who was laughing and chatting with the group. He did have things in hand. Benjamin’s final days in the museum were at hand. I knew he was struggling to leave it in my hands. I could do him this favor and let him enjoy his museum before he officially retired. “Fine.”
He grinned. “Thanks.”
“Give me a minute.”
I walked back to Benjamin and asked him if he would be okay for an hour. He was obviously very happy to be in charge of what I very much saw as his museum still. It was hard to call it my own when he still showed up every day. He wasn’t pushy, and he didn’t micromanage, but I saw the looks on his face when I moved something or changed up a display. It was hard to let someone else in your sandbox to play.
I walked out of the museum with Patrick leading the way. He was up to something. I had a strong suspicion that “something” involved Tyson. If I found out Tyson had gone to Patrick to try and get him to convince me to give him control over my museum, both of them were going to be permanently on my shit list.
I would never speak to either again.
We took a seat at a Mexican restaurant close to the museum.
“How have you been?” Patrick asked as he sipped on a margarita.
“Must be nice to day drink,” I said.
He shrugged, offering a cheesy grin. “It is. You could have enjoyed a margarita with me.”
“I have to go back to work.”
“You don’t need to work.”
“Yes, I do.”
He took another long drink. “I don’t think your buddy would have minded if you came back a little tipsy. He seems to have a bit of a thing for you.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s old enough to be my grandfather.”
“He doesn’t look that old. He looks very spry. He’s probably one of those silver foxes I hear ladies cooing over all the time.”
“Not this lady.”
“How is Hayden?” he asked. She was the only thing we really needed to talk about in my opinion.
“She’s fine. Mom dropped by for a little visit a few days ago. She was kind enough to bring her own pharmacy with her.”
His eyes narrowed. “To your apartment?”
I nodded. “Yep. Hayden invited her to stay for dinner. I couldn’t say no. Mom was being all normal and trying to be the perfect mom. Then she asked Hayden to come home. I think Hayden was actually considering it until Mom’s drugs fell out of her purse. I told her to leave and never come back.”
“Do you think she will listen?”
“Not for a minute,” I answered.
He sighed, shaking his head. “You know where this is headed?”
“I know.”
“I can retain a lawyer.”
“If we do that, we are forcing Hayden to stay away. Right now, it is her choice. I don’t want to take that choice away from her.”
“Mae, it isn’t safe for her to go back home. We need to have some kind of legal rights to protect her. You know Mom. She can clean up and put on a good show. If she gets Hayden back, it might not be so easy to get her out of Mom’s clutches again.”
I groaned and looked out the window. “I know.”
“Besides Hayden, how is everything else going?”
“Fine.”
“You seem to be enjoying the museum.”
I shrugged. “What’s not to enjoy? It’s mine. No one can sell it out from under me.”
He shook his head. “I hope you will forgive me one day. I truly did what I thought was for the best for our family. “
“You’ve said that. It seems like it was best for you. You bought a boat?”
His boyish grin almost made me laugh. Almost. “I did. I would love to take you and Hayden out for a day.”
“You are going to blow through all your money. Don’t come to me begging for a job.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a laugh. “I invested some. I’ll be okay. I want to live life. I don’t want to toil away at a job I don’t like.”
I felt a little guilty. I had been able to enjoy the freedom of being the second born. I was able to enjoy college and have some freedom. Patrick had been saddled with our parents and the business from the time he was about seventeen. He was finally getting to live out his youth. “I get it.”
“I’ve been reading the news about your museum,” he said. “You are doing great. I’m very proud of you. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry again for selling the business. I’m not sorry that you landed on your feet. You are doing far more now than you could have with that albatross around your neck. I hope one day you will be able to see that.”
“I might be able to one day, but I’m still pissed, Patrick.”
He chuckled. “Yes, I gathered that. It isn’t like you are quiet about it.”
“One day, it will be fine. That day is not today.”
“Got it. Has Tyson given you any grief?”
I suddenly felt very guilty. “What?”
“Tyson. Now that you own a rival museum, has he said anything?”
I shook my head. “Not much. We collaborated together to give Hayden’s class tours of our museums.”
“Really? How did that go?”
I couldn’t help the smile on my face. “Very well.”
“What about the statue? He told me you bought a statue he wanted.”
I grinned. “I did. That’s what all the media buzz is about. I’m planning an unveiling on Saturday. I’m hoping he will be there. I want to rub it in his face a little more. I want him to see the crowd of people that better be there.”
He laughed. “Atta girl. Show him how it’s done.”
“I plan on it. All in all, he’s been a really good sport. He doesn’t seem all that pissed. It isn’t like he can’t go out and buy ten more expensive relics.”
“But you bought the one he wanted,” he reminded me.
“He’ll want more.”
“I used to think he had a thing for you back in the old days,” he commented.
There was an icy shiver that ran down my spine, followed by heated blush. “What do you mean?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seemed like he was more interested in hanging out at the house when you were home. When Mom and Dad would order me to take you somewhere or pick you up, I always put up a fight. He was the one who told me to just do it. I don’t know if it was like a big brother thing or if he had a crush on you.”
“I don’t know,” I murmured.
I knew Patrick well enough to know he would not approve. At least, he wouldn’t have approved back then. I wasn’t sure he would approve now. I was sure Tyson felt the same way. I told myself it didn’t matter. Tyson and I weren’t a thing. There was nothing between us. He didn’t want me—he wanted my museum. He wasn’t going to get it. Or me.
“Are you planning on buying any more things for the museum?” he casually asked.
I shrugged. “Not anytime soon. I want to make some renovations first. I’m hoping the statue will increase business and then I can use that to make those changes. Once I do the renovations, then there will be an increase in business again and I can look at some more big-ticket items.”
He was smiling and nodding. “You really do know what you’re doing.”
“I’m trying. I’m learning. I know the basics and I’m sure I’ll figure out the rest.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that you will. If you need any help with the books or filling out paperwork to get a loan, just give me a holler. I don’t want to be a part of your business, but we are family. I will help out.”
“Thank you. I just might take you up on that offer soon.”
“I hope you do.”
Chapter 48
Tyson
The hired car was waiting for me when I touched down at the small, private airstrip in Bellevue, Washington. My meeting in Los Angeles was canceled at the last minute. I wasn’t prepared to fly across the country and turn around and go home with nothing accomplished. I decided to return Alec’s favor and drop in on him.
I was driven through the busy streets to a building that was very new and very grand. I was impressed as I climbed out of the back seat. I headed inside and was a little overwhelmed by the smell of pine. The lobby had what appeared to be a forest right in the middle of it. Potted trees and plants surrounded a water wall. I wasn’t sure if the smell was artificial or natural, but it was powerful. I walked to the directory and looked for the name of the company Alec was running.
I spotted the auction house that was an up and comer in the world of expensive collectibles. It would soon rival Sotheby’s Auctions one day with Alec at the helm. I walked to the elevator and stepped inside. Instead of pine, I smelled coffee. I smiled to myself. Of course, I smelled coffee. It was what the Seattle area was known for. It was why Alec was such a coffee snob. He had been born and raised in the area and had some very specific coffee preferences.
I stepped inside the office and was immediately greeted by a beautiful, young blonde s
itting behind a desk that practically swallowed her whole. Behind her was a picture of Alec with a huge smile on his face. He was definitely fitting in nicely.
“Hello,” I greeted.
She looked at me and prettily smiled. “Hello. Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Alec Indus.”
“Is he expecting you?” she asked with a small frown as her eyes dropped toward her computer.
“No. I’m an old friend in from Philadelphia. It’s a surprise visit.”
“Oh, let me see if he’s available.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Tell him it’s Tyson. I’m sure he’ll make the time.”
She smiled and nodded as she picked up the phone. A minute later, Alec came through a pair of double doors with a smile on his face. “This is a surprise!” he exclaimed.
I shrugged. “I was in the neighborhood.”
He chuckled and jerked his head back through the doors. “Come into my office.”
I walked into the massive space that was far bigger than mine. He was doing very well by the looks of things. I noticed a stack of paperwork on his desk and knew he had been busy. It made me feel good he dropped everything to see me.
“This is nice,” I commented as I sat down on the plush couch while he sat down in a large tub chair across from me. I kind of felt like I was in the Oval Office.
“Thank you.”
“You have really done well for yourself.”
He smiled. “Thanks. So what really brings you all the way to Seattle? I think we are a little off your usual path.”
“I was headed to LA and the meeting was canceled. Slight detour.”
He laughed. “Well, I am glad you are here nonetheless. How long are you going to stay?”
“I’ll head back today.”
He stared at me for several seconds. “What’s really going on?”
I let out a long sigh. “Man, I really wish you were back. I miss your expertise and guidance. I feel like I’m floundering.” They were words I had never spoken before. I felt vulnerable and raw just saying them, but it was the truth.
I wanted to be a better man, a better friend. I needed to be those things in order to win the woman I loved. I did love her. It was something I had known for a long time, but it was only recently I could admit it to myself.