Good Intentions (Welcome to Paradise) (Volume 2) (32 page)

“I saw how good you felt when you closed Pinho, so before you go throwing away opportunities, I want you to give me more than a hundred percent over the next couple months. I think you will find this business even more rewarding than today.” He stands, setting his glass down, and walks towards the door. “In many ways, but you have to give it a chance.”

He leaves me there with over-priced cognac and a lot to think about. I down the drink to spite his previous warning. Standing, I set the crystal glass on the side table and go back to my apartment across the hall.

When I open the door, Kate is sitting at the dining table with combed wet hair, a robe on, and her glasses. She looks up from a stack of papers lying in front of her, and says, “Hey, how’d it go over there?”

“Fine.” I walk past her tugging at my tie to loosen it. “I’m going to bed.”

She follows me down the hall to my room. “What’s wrong?”

Maybe it’s the cognac or feeling like I was under a microscope all night. Or maybe it’s all the pressure everyone’s putting on me, but I snap. “Shit!” I go inside my room, hearing her trail behind me. “What am I doing here, Kate? This isn’t me,” I state, disgruntled, as I pull off my tie and throw it on the bed.

“What’s not you? The business, the clothes, the city? Evan, it might be time to grow up.”

“I don’t want another fucking lecture in the form of ‘advice’ if that’s okay with you.”

“Try this on for size then. What you’re doing here is important. It’s important to more than just you. You’re a part of something here.” She walks to my bed and sits on the edge as I remain standing, arms crossed, and listen. “Hawaii is great. Murphy is great and Mallory is great, but they have chosen their path and you have one that has chosen you. You need to stop thinking about only the here and now, and start thinking about the future. I’m not trying to lecture you, but you really do need to think of the big picture.”

“Nice,” I start, having trouble keeping the sarcasm at bay. “So you’ve moved back here with the go-getters and ladder-climbers and you fall in line and forget all about Murphy? Just like that. That easy, huh, Kate? Well, I’m sorry, but I refuse—”

She’s looking down at her feet when her head bolts upright. “I’m not forgetting about Murphy! I love him, but he’s in school and I’m working. We’re trying to make it work the best we can and right now that means we’re apart. We’re doing what we have to do in the present. Sometimes that’s not the easy route, but it’s the mature thing to do. What’s wrong with that?”

I sit down next to her, looking at the wall straight ahead, my gaze following the lines of the plaster. “There’s nothing wrong with that if you have to do it, but don’t you miss him?”

“More than anything, but me being in Hawaii doing nothing wouldn’t help either of us.” I see a half smile cross her face, and with a light laugh, she says, “It would probably tear us apart.”

Keeping my voice as low as I can where she can still hear me, I let her know my inner thoughts. “I love her. I love Mallory.”

“I know you do, but you still need to live your life. I’m not saying you have to date someone else. I’m just saying that you have to be able to function and work and play and live even when you’re not together.” She wraps her arm around me and leans her head on my shoulder. “Mallory should be going to parties and class and hanging out with her friends. She deserves to have the full college experience while she can. You don’t really want her to miss out on the fun that she should be having because she’s at home pining over you.”

“I want her to enjoy herself, but I don’t want to lose her either. And that’s looking very fucking likely if I’m working all the time.”

“She loves you. It’s time to trust her, Evan. Mallory is pretty damn hot and she’s going to get hit on, but you have to trust that the feelings you share for each other are more than a superficial summer thing.”

“Being a grown up is
way
over-rated!”

Kate bursts out laughing, “You can say that again.”

“Being a grown up…OW!” She pops me in the arm.

“Smartass!”
She leaves on that note.

I change into a t-shirt and pajama pants and join Kate at the table. Sitting down, I smile. “Okay, let’s do this then.”

Kate and I ride into work using the car service together. We get to the office right before 6:30 in the morning, the only ones there this early. The lights flicker on automatically as we walk from the elevator to our offices in the back.

After checking our voicemails and emails, we meet in the conference room and place the handouts in front of each chair at the table. Yes, we have people who can hand the files out to each board member, but the easy task helps to calm my nerves.

At seven, the catering company shows up to set up the breakfast buffet. I’m walking back to my office, to return emails and mentally prepare, when I notice light coming from under my dad’s office door. I knock lightly and he responds, “Come in.”

The door has a creak when it opens. I walk inside. “Morning, I didn’t know you were here.”

He looks up from his paperwork spread out on his desk, removes his glasses, and rubs the bridge of his nose. “I’ve been here for a few hours.”

“If I’d known, I would’ve stopped by sooner.”

“I knew you and your sister were busy. I appreciate all the efforts.”

I sit down next to him. “Of course, I know this is serious.” I look at the photo frames on the shelves behind him and notice that they’re all of me and Kate. In one photo, I’m sitting in my father’s desk chair when I was two or three. I was happy spinning around. There’s another one of me smiling with pride while holding the varsity jacket letters I earned my senior year in high school. There were six for all the activities I participated in. That was taken before Lani’s death. I look happy and hopeful despite the hard partying I was doing. I’ve been trying to get back to that emotional state ever since, but it’s been a struggle. I have different goals than I did back then. Now I want to do everything I can to help my dad retain his position in his company. After that, I’ll get the hell out of this city to follow my own dreams, which are still somewhat to be determined.

There are other pictures behind him, Kate winning Prom Queen and one of her graduating last May cum laude from NYU. But when my eyes meet his, he asks, “Have you ever seen this picture, Evan?”

He turns an eight by ten silver frame from his desk around for me to see. I nod, recognizing it instantly. It’s a picture of my mother holding me, as a newborn, in her arms with Kate on her hip. Kate is kissing or licking my head, I can’t be sure, but it makes me smile. My mother looks so young which is amazing because she looks pretty damn young now. She’s relaxed and happy. Her hair hangs down all natural, soft waves catching the light from the window. She’s beautiful.

“I’ve always loved this picture of the three of you. It actually motivates me to do my best because it reminds me that I have people relying on me. Have you seen this picture?” My dad hands me a smaller silver framed photo. “That’s all of the New York office employees last year at the Gala. It’s also a good reminder of my responsibilities to this company.”

I look up, meeting his focused gaze and I reassure him, “You’re not going anywhere. Kate and I will make sure of it. I know you’re not ready to retire. We all do.” I stand up, knowing I need to take care of a few things before the meeting starts. Leaning forward, he takes my hand in his and shakes it. His other hand covers the back of mine. He doesn’t need to say anything more. He’s placed his trust in us and I refuse to let him down. Standing up, I hang onto the company photo. “Can I hold onto this one? I’d like to have it in the meeting.”

He nods, puts his glasses back on, and starts flipping through the papers on his desk again.

Kate and I welcome the board members to the offices and she leads the discussion. As representatives of the company and our father, she plans to show that he’s behind all the success of Ashford Holdings.

We listen to eight of the twelve members and the opinions seem to vary based on that individual’s goals for the company or what they want to see happen with the company in the long run.

Lunch is brought in and during that time, we break from the meeting to return emails or call-backs. Kate and I sit on opposite ends of the large conference table and through casual conversation, drive our message home. I glance at the silver frame of the employees throughout the meeting to remind me of the importance of keeping my father in his rightful place, leading this company to further success.

I stand behind Kate as she knocks on my fathers’ office door. Most of the employees have gone home, but my father calls, “Come in.” He’s always the last to leave.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in a tux and across town in an hour?” Kate asks, sitting down in front of his desk.

“Your mother is going to kill me if we’re late to the cocktail party before this ball. As one of the organizers, she is supposed to be there to greet guests, but I had a few things on my mind.” He stands and puts on his jacket, preparing to leave. He looks distant and worried.

“Dad, don’t you want to know the results of the board vote?” Kate asks, watching him look for his keys.

He doesn’t say anything, but stills.

“You’re in. It’s all okay. You’re still in charge, old man,” she says.

His head pops up and looks at her in disbelief. “What?” He looks at me and asks, “What?”

I walk toward him and confirm what Kate said. “You’re still running this place. You think you can handle it?”