Chapter 4 #2
On the deck below were five spectacular guest suites, each with its own marble bathroom.
Below that were things like massage rooms for the guests, a hair salon, and the movie theater.
The designers had thought of everything, and so had Patrick, including an area for a helicopter to land on the top deck.
Being there was like a dream. They walked back up the stairs and in every hallway and on every landing was the art he loved, much of it by famous artists.
He lived in a rarefied world, and Eugenia couldn’t help wondering how much he would lose if he lost everything.
Her heart went out to him, knowing the pain he must be in, if he felt anything like she did about her business.
And he had so much more to lose. He didn’t look panicked or depressed, though.
He seemed relaxed as he took her around the boat, and everywhere she looked, she was struck by how beautiful it was.
They stopped at the deck where his stateroom was, and stood at the rail, looking out over the water, as the yacht continued to slice through the small waves, heading toward their destination.
“The pandemic has taught me a lot,” he said softly.
“You learn a lot of lessons when things are difficult. I was always looking ahead to the future, and never thinking about today. Now I enjoy every minute that I have. And I’ve stopped worrying so much about tomorrow.
I love this boat, but if I lose it, I will have been lucky to have had it at all.
And one day, I’ll have another one, if it’s meant to be.
I always had to have the biggest and the best, but I could probably be happy with a sailboat I could sail myself.
I don’t want to waste today, worrying about tomorrow.
The future takes care of itself somehow.
Better than you think it will. You’ve probably heard that I have seventeen big office buildings standing empty in New York.
I’m probably the poorest rich man in the world, or the richest pauper.
One way or another I’ll figure it out. Maybe I’ll have ten buildings when it’s over, or two or five.
Whatever happens, I know I’ll get through it.
” There was a wonderful sense of calm about him.
He wasn’t frightened or frantic or panicked, as he might have been.
He had a quiet self-confidence that reassured her.
She liked just being there and talking to him.
“The pandemic hit me hard too,” she said just as softly.
“I design evening gowns. I was proud of the business I built for fourteen years. And then, from one day to the next, no one was wearing evening gowns, and everything stopped. My ship has been sinking for two years. I’m not sure if I’m going to hit bottom, or if I can pull it up again, or do something completely different.
That’s why I wanted to talk to Austin Wylie.
If he can give me enough money to hang on, maybe I’ll make it and I won’t lose my business. ”
“The theory is good,” Patrick said, frowning.
He looked deep into her eyes and liked what he saw there.
“Just be careful with him. I don’t trust him, and my instincts are pretty good.
Except about commercial office buildings.
I guessed wrong on that one.” He smiled at her, not hiding the truth from her.
“I overstocked. Who knew that offices would become obsolete? Maybe they’ll come back, or maybe they won’t, or they’ll change.
I’ve got nearly fifteen hundred floors of empty office space.
I have to figure out what to do with it.
That’s a lot of vacant space.” She loved how calm he was, and how peaceful, even in the midst of what was a crisis for him.
“Me too. I have to figure out what to do now. I don’t think evening gowns are going to make a comeback for a while. I need to broaden my horizons and figure out what to do in the meantime. Maybe evening gowns are obsolete too. Maybe forever.”
“You can design anything, Eugenia. I’ve heard of your brand.
You’ve got the talent and the taste, the experience and the training.
You can apply it to anything you want. They have buildings in Chicago that are combined office buildings and hotels, apartment complexes and stores, all piled on top of each other, so people don’t have to go out in bad weather.
They don’t do that in New York. Maybe that’s what I need to start.
I’m thinking about it.” The idea sounded fascinating to Eugenia, and what he had said about her business did too.
He made it sound as though it wasn’t dead, it was just sleeping.
And she had to figure out how to wake it up.
“I’ve designed a line of easy daywear that I’m going to show at Fashion Week in New York. That might be a new direction for me. We’ll see how it goes.” She still didn’t know if it would be profitable or not.
“You’ll figure out what to do,” he said confidently. “And if you want any advice from a guy with seventeen empty office buildings, give me a call. Maybe we can help each other.” He liked that idea and so did she, although she didn’t see how he could help, and he was in trouble too.
“I’m meeting Austin Wylie tomorrow,” she said.
“Two words. Be careful. Don’t be greedy and don’t panic.
He’s not the last train out of the station.
That’s when we make mistakes. There’s always another train, or a boat, or a truck, or a scooter.
You won’t get left behind. Neither will I.
We just aren’t that kind of people. We’re winners, both of us.
Don’t forget that. I have faith in you,” he said, and she believed him, and he didn’t even know her.
“I have good instincts. I’ll bet you do too.
You built a big business for yourself. Your talent didn’t go away in the pandemic.
Things are dormant right now. They won’t be forever.
And when it’s time to wake up, you’ll be there on the ground, ready and waiting to get moving again, with the right idea at the right time.
I’d stake my life on it. You just have to be brave enough to try something new.
” He thought of something else then. “Do your kids know you’re struggling?
” She shook her head with a rueful look.
“I figured. You seem like a courageous woman, Eugenia.”
“I don’t want to scare them.”
“What about how scared you are? Who’s there for you?”
“Me. I’ve found that that’s usually the right answer. I’ve never had anyone I could rely on except myself.”
“That’s a tough place to be. Call me if you need me, if I can help, or even if you just want to talk,” Patrick said gently, and she could see he meant it.
“Thank you.” Eugenia had tears in her eyes when she said it.
“My son does know, by the way, because there’s no way you can hide the seventeen biggest empty office buildings in New York.” He smiled ruefully.
“And who do you rely on?” she asked him.
“Me. Just like you do. That’s a lonely place. Maybe we can help each other out. If you want to. You’re doing fine on your own, but I’m happy to help if I can.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, and he took her hand and they walked up the stairs to find the others. She wondered now if the answer to her prayers wasn’t Austin Wylie. Maybe it was Patrick.
“Where’ve you been?” Stefano asked her when they came back on deck.
“I gave your mom my personal tour. The purser will give all of you a tour, if you’d like.
” They said they would, and ten minutes later, they took off to explore the boat and left Patrick and Eugenia alone on deck.
The yacht was slowly headed back toward shore to a protected cove where they would have lunch.
Patrick had planned the route and the day for them.
He wanted them to have fun, especially now that he knew Eugenia better.
She needed some fun and good times to balance the bad ones.
He could guess what a strain the last year and a half had been while she struggled with her business, with no one to help or advise her.
He could at least do that for her now, even if they were only friends.
He could sense that she was a brave woman and he wanted to help her.
—
They reached the cove he had chosen for lunch, just as the others returned from their tour.
The chef had set out a sumptuous buffet on the dining deck, and it looked delicious as Patrick led them to their seats.
They sat down at a table immaculately set with linens, crystal, and china with the boat’s name on it, My Dream .
It said everything about how he felt about the boat.
And it was quite a dream for any man to have.
“I dream big,” he said to Eugenia in a whisper as he leaned over to talk to her.
“I noticed,” she whispered back, and he laughed. He was a big man with a big life and a massive business, and his problems were commensurate. Her own problems seemed like nothing compared to his, but they were big to her and had nearly drowned her.
Patrick had spoken to all of them by the end of the day, and the crew took out the water toys for everyone after lunch.
The young men took off on the Jet Skis, including Phillip, and Eugenia’s daughters and Liz floated around on the inflatable rafts and swam with each other.
Daphne was in a big pink inner tube and loved it.
They all had a fantastic time, and it was a day they wouldn’t soon forget.
Patrick had enjoyed it too. He liked Eugenia and her family even more than he had expected to.
They were lovely young people with good values and bright minds, and he could see how much they all loved each other.