Chapter 20 #2
A waiter stopped by, and Reese ordered sparkling water and a salad. She had every intention of keeping her wits about her. Stan ordered another beer and a burger, sans cheese, because he’d told the waiter that he was “watching his figure.”
Reese put her menu down to find Stan watching her, eyes inscrutable. “And how are you doing? How is the inn going?”
Well, wasn’t that a loaded question. She’d been muddling through, though Hallie was still indispensable to her survival.
“A very different type of business than I previously managed,” Reese admitted, wondering if Stan had ever felt like he’d gotten in over his head .
“The first one is always the hardest, but I have no doubt that it’ll get easier.”
“First one?” Reese asked before taking a sip of her water.
“If that’s what you want. I’m not sure if The Stone’s Throw Inn is the last stop for you, but if it’s not, I thought it would be a good idea for us to connect. I’d love to know what you’re considering in the future to see how I can avail myself to you if it’s a good fit.”
She almost spat out her water. In all the turns she’d considered their conversation taking, this wasn’t one of them. She swallowed deeply and tried to ignore the burning in her nose.
But she’d be lying if it hadn’t been something she’d been thinking about lately. The reality was, she was no good at managing an inn. Her interpersonal skills were less than up to snuff, and the reality was, when Sydney was available, she wanted to spend as much time with her as she could.
Hallie made some semblance of normalcy possible, but there was always a guest need or issue that cropped up in the middle of the already busy list of logistics and higher-level operations.
And Reese, more and more these days, felt a little bit like she was drowning.
Regardless of her excitement at the possibility Stan was opening up before her, she didn’t think it was realistic. “As far as I know, you’re also working with The Devereux Group. Don’t you think that’s a slight conflict of interest?”
Stan took a long sip of his beer before meeting her stare.
“That deal’s paused. I met with Tripp yesterday about it.
We have some financial questions that need to be worked through.
At best, I’d be able to pick it up early next year if their annual projections come to fruition.
Longer if it takes the terms of the divorce to materialize. ”
So Stan did know about the divorce. She doubted that there was much that got past him.
His language was couched, but it was clear he had misgivings about going into business with The Devereux Group for a variety of reasons. And that, for all her dad’s bravado about the success of the company, it wasn’t doing as well as he let people believe.
“I am sorry to hear about your parents, by the way. It’s never easy when things change.”
“But sometimes it’s for the best,” Reese said, leaning forward. “From one businessperson to another, I’m surprised you didn’t have their projections and earnings statements already. Earlier this summer, I was told that the deal would be closed by now. Seems like it all fell apart right at the end.”
Which, Reese knew, could always happen. People got cold feet all the time in multimillion-dollar transactions, but she didn’t take Stan for the type of man who didn’t dot all his i ’s and cross all his t ’s well ahead of schedule.
She could see Stan considering how much to tell her, and as he placed his hands on the table, she waited to hear what decision he’d come to.
“Between us, I waited longer than I initially would for some financial documents, as a courtesy to your father because our children were getting married. Regardless of that marriage, I won’t enter into a deal without the necessary information—and that information making sense from a business standpoint.
No matter how close to the finish line we are. ”
Reese leaned back in her chair, trying to hide her smile. “That makes sense, and I appreciate your candor.”
“Brynn’s spoken very highly of you,” Stan said, and Reese’s whole body snapped to alert. They couldn’t be talking about the same Brynn, to whom Reese had broken the news to that her fiancé was a philanderer. And that she’d been an unknowing party to it.
But she wasn’t going to bring that up to Stan, regardless of what he may know already.
“I haven’t talked to her since the bachelorette party.
How is she doing?” She was here if Brynn wanted to reach out, but she wasn’t going to bring it up again, given that she’d already said her piece, and with the admission hanging between them, there wasn’t a whole lot else for them to talk about .
“Thinking a lot about her future.”
A look passed between them, but Reese held herself back from asking more. “Seems like there’s a lot of that going around these days.”
“All I want is for my daughter to be happy. She’s so brilliant and focused, and she has this genuinely positive outlook on the world that her mother and I never want to see dampened.”
“It is a rare quality,” Reese agreed.
Maybe believing the world was a good place wasn’t realistic, but that outlook only had consequences when other people abused it.
People like Grant.
And it rankled Reese all over again. That he walked through the world, using people up and spitting them out when they were no longer convenient for him.
“It is. So, whatever she decides to do, her mother and I will support her,” Stan said pointedly.
“I’m glad she has you in her corner. And she always has me, too,” Reese said, meaning it.
“ If I do decide to build a portfolio, the inn will be going through a lot of transition soon. I’m not sure it’s the right vibe for a curious intellectual, but I’m always happy to find a place for Brynn there. ”
Stan smiled then, his eyes bright. “I started as a porter at a hotel I eventually went on to invest in for a majority share. Regardless of where Brynn ends up, a little more hands-on practical application in the world may not be a bad thing.”
“Well, if she’s interested, have her call me. I can’t promise it will be glamorous, but it’s an option.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Stan said as the waiter dropped off their lunches. Placing his napkin on his lap, Stan looked at her like they hadn’t just run a conversational marathon. “Now, tell me all about you. I like to know who I may be getting into business with.”
Reese’s lunch with Stan had given her a lot to think about.
Namely, if she did decide to expand her footprint in the hotel space, how would she make sure that The Stone’s Throw was taken care of?
She had no plans to leave Hallie, or anyone else who worked there, in a lurch.
It was antithetical to who she was as a person, and she couldn’t imagine doing something like that to Sydney on top of everyone else who’d be impacted.
Which was why, when she got back and found Hallie sitting at the front desk, eyes focused on the tablet in front of her, she decided to test the waters.
“Got a minute?” Reese asked. “In the office?”
Hallie looked up at her, confusion drawn across her features. “Sure. Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong. I just want to run something by you.”
Reese walked past Hallie and into the small office, Hallie a few seconds behind her after she’d placed the ‘Back in five minutes’ sign on the check-in desk.
On her drive back from Boston, the idea had started to crystallize more clearly in her mind, but it all hinged on Hallie, which meant there was no reason to wait to discuss it.
Instead of sitting behind the desk, Reese sat across from it. Hallie squinted at the only open seat before sitting down.
“You’re being weird.”
“You don’t mince words. I just had a really interesting lunch, and it got me thinking.”
Hallie leaned forward in her chair, placing her forearms down on the desk. “With Stan? About Brynn?” Her eyes grew wide. “Oh no. Are you fleeing?”
“Why would I be fleeing?” Reese responded dryly.
“Sydney keeps me abreast,” Hallie said matter-of-factly. “The cheating is out in the world, and you’re the one who released it.”
Reese shook her head. “No, Grant released it by doing it. I just passed along information that I thought she should know.”
“That’s a fair point, and I think you did the right thing.”
“Your approval means the world to me, Hallie. ”
“So if it’s not that, what do you want to talk about?” Hallie asked, looking around the room.
Reese wondered how Hallie felt about the inn, a place she’d known for her entire life. She loved it, obviously, but had she only stayed out of obligation when her parents sold it? Was it what she really wanted?
“I want to talk to you about what comes next. After your six-month commitment as part of the purchase.” They were two months into that agreement, but it would be the end of the year before they knew it, and if Hallie wasn’t planning on staying, Reese should be looking for someone pronto to learn the ropes and take it over.
She’d accepted that person was not going to be her, and that was best for everyone. If Sydney did accept the commentator role, this would give Reese more flexibility to make their relationship work.
“That’s, like, four months away.” Hallie looked around the room again, a little evasive.
“I know, but, to be completely honest, I don’t think that long-term I’m the best person to run the inn,” Reese admitted, waiting to see how Hallie would respond.
She was surprised when Hallie let out a barking laugh. “Wow, I’m glad you came to this conclusion. I absolutely agree.”
“I’m not that bad,” Reese protested, even though Hallie’s assessment was fair.
Hallie smiled softly at Reese. “You’re right. But I can tell you don’t enjoy it. Hearing stories from people. Asking banal questions about their trip and their days. You don’t even get excited when the checkouts all line up perfectly so there’s always something to do but it’s at peak efficiency.”