Chapter 7
ALEX
“You’ve got cream all over your top lip,” Kaitlyn said, smiling as Alex set down the cup of hot chocolate.
He laughed, taking a paper napkin and wiping it away.
Mason’s was exactly as Alex remembered: the same scrubbed tables, folding chairs, and Manhattan skyline prints on the walls.
Even the staff were the same, and the two of them had been greeted like long-lost friends by Jeannie Wells, who’d insisted on their drinks being on the house.
“I always liked having you in here. You and those… mathletes, wasn’t it? You all had the same order every time. Who was that boy who only drank water?” she’d asked as she’d brought over their unchanged orders that she still remembered.
“Drayton. He works for the CIA now. Something to do with coding,” Alex said, smiling at the thought of their friend Drayton, whose mathlete prowess had led the team to state-level victory.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Jeannie said, shaking her head as she returned to the counter.
Alex smiled. It felt pleasantly familiar to be back at Mason’s, another reminder of the life he’d once lived, and which now, unexpectedly, he’d stepped back into again.
He’d been surprised when Kaitlyn had agreed to his marriage proposal, surprised because it had been made partly in jest. But her emphatic yes had made him realize there was a serious side to what he’d asked, the fulfillment of so many regrets.
It was extraordinary to think they were to be married, having only just reconnected, and yet it felt entirely right, too.
“How do you know that?” Kaitlyn asked.
Alex smiled. “He was at a White House briefing I went to last year,” he said.
Kaitlyn raised her eyebrows. “With the president?” she asked.
Alex smiled. He had a direct line to the White House.
Lancaster Holdings had government contracts.
The president occasionally asked his opinion on important matters.
But the look on her face was another reminder of the very different worlds they inhabited.
He’d been embarrassed when they’d talked about staff, forgetting that his own situation was far from normal.
“It’s nothing major,” he replied, taking another sip of hot chocolate.
Kaitlyn shook her head. “What a different world,” she replied.
“But one you’ll be happy in, I hope?” Alex said.
He was worried she’d rushed into their agreement without properly thinking it through.
Alex knew how different his life was now from how it had been when he’d been living in Cedarhurst, and while Kaitlyn’s was different too, her own life had taken a far more “ordinary” course than Alex’s own.
At times he had to pinch himself, hardly daring to believe the experiences he was having or the people he was meeting.
It was surreal at times, and seeing her reaction to his comment about advising the government was yet another reminder of the privilege he’d entered into.
“We’ll be happy together. That’s how it was meant to be. We’re just… catching up with one another,” she said.
Alex nodded. He was excited about the change and introducing her to her new life. He wanted her to feel comfortable, and he already had several ideas of how to achieve this.
“I’ll walk over to my mom’s and tell her the good news,” Alex said after they’d finished their drinks at Mason’s and said goodbye to Jeannie.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Kaitlyn asked, but Alex shook his head.
“Let me tell her on my own, then perhaps we could arrange dinner for tonight,” he said.
He’d sent his mom a text the previous evening, telling her he wouldn’t be home after the wedding. He’d given no further details. It wasn’t like he was eighteen anymore. She’d not responded, but he knew she’d seen the message. He didn’t think she’d disapprove. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“I’d like that. You could both come over to my house. I’ll cook something,” Kaitlyn said.
Alex was relieved. He didn’t know the first thing about cooking, and his mom had gotten so used to ordering in, she’d not be much use, either.
“That’d be nice,” he replied, and they parted ways with a kiss.
It was as though nothing had changed between them. Alex hadn’t quite come to terms with how easily they’d slipped back into being together.
Not that we ever really were.
It had been a strange situation before college.
They had behaved like a couple, yet with a tacit understanding of finality.
Not that Alex had helped matters. He still felt guilty for having allowed them to drift apart.
It was his fault, not Kaitlyn’s, and she’d have had every right to tell him she wasn’t interested.
“Oh, there you are,” Alex’s mom said when he found her in the hot tub behind the house, sipping iced tea.
“It was just one night,” Alex said as his mom raised her eyebrows at him.
“I forget you’re not a kid anymore, Alex. You’re old enough to do what you want,” she said.
Alex nodded. There was no point beating around the bush. “I was with Kaitlyn,” he said. “We’re going to get married.”
At these words, his mom stared at him in disbelief. “Married? But you haven’t seen her for twelve years. How can you decide to get married after one night? Are you crazy?” she exclaimed.
Alex shrugged. He had to admit it was somewhat hasty, but not crazy.
It wasn’t as though he and Kaitlyn had met for the first time the previous night.
They’d known one another since kindergarten, when Kaitlyn had offered to share her building bricks with Alex, who’d just been pushed into the sandpit by an older, bigger kid wielding a large toy digger in his hand.
They’d been friends ever since, and more than that, too.
“It’s not just one night, Mom, is it? You’ve known her as long as I have,” he retorted.
“And I think she’s a sweet and lovely girl. It’s her I’m worried about. Does she know what kind of life you lead?” his mom asked.
Again, Alex shrugged. “She knows about the company and what the day-to-day life entails. She knows I work hard.”
His mom raised her eyebrows. “Last time we were in Florida, I hardly saw you. You had meetings until goodness knows what time, then you were up again at five to exercise. It was nonstop. Is Kaitlyn just going to be left in your wake, floundering in the water?”
Alex shook his head. “Florida wasn’t a good time for me. We were closing a deal on some Canadian investments. It had to go through there and then,” he said.
“Excuses. And more excuses to come. I hope she knows what she’s doing.”
“You won’t say anything to her, will you? She wants you to come over for dinner tonight. Try to be pleased for us,” Alex said.
His mom sighed. “You’ve got to admit it’s a bit of a shock, Alex,” she replied. “I am pleased, but don’t take her for granted. Look after her. She’s been through a lot.”
Alex promised he would. He had every intention of doing so. Things would be different from now on. Florida had been an exception. He didn’t usually schedule meetings for the early hours of the morning. Walking back to Kaitlyn’s house, his phone rang. It was Hilary.
“The Mexican financiers are threatening to pull out of the Jamaica deal. Apparently, they want to back some firm developing golf resorts in Brazil,” she said.
Alex cursed under his breath. The Jamaica deal — an agreement to buy twenty thousand acres of prime development land along a stretch of picture-perfect beach on the island — was meant to be the start of a new project.
Alex had spent weeks cultivating his Mexican investors; he’d lost count of how many tacos he’d eaten at Margarita Oasis on Christopher Street.
“Then do something about it. Increase their return to fifteen percent. Negotiate,” he said.
There was a pause. “I already offered,” Hilary said, sounding stern.
Alex sighed. “All right… I’m sorry. Look, I’ll put some thoughts together. You know I trust you to make whatever decision you think is best. But there’s something else I need you to do for me, Hilary,” he said as his thoughts turned back to Kaitlyn.
“I have a pen,” Hilary replied.
“I need you to find a studio space for an artist. Somewhere not too far from the apartment. Rent it for me. The cost doesn’t matter. There needs to be exhibition space, perhaps some other artists, too, like a collective. I need it ready for when we get back.”
There was a pause.
“We?” Hilary asked.
She’d been Alex’s EA for the past five years. There wasn’t much she didn’t know about him, but the announcement of a marriage was sure to cause even the unflappable Hilary some surprise.
“That’s right. I’m… getting married. Her name’s Kaitlyn. We know one another from high school. She’ll be moving into the apartment, too. Can you let Brett know? He’ll need to make it… suitable,” Alex said.
He knew explaining his plans in this way made them sound almost incredible. Most people didn’t go away for a week and return engaged. But Alex had to keep reminding himself this was more than just a fling, an infatuation, or a whim. He and Kaitlyn had history, and this was the natural progression.
“All right, I’ll see what I can do,” Hilary said, for she’d never been the sort to question his instructions. “What about the Mexican financiers?”
“I’ll handle the Mexican contingent,” Alex replied.
Hanging up a moment later, he shook his head, knowing he wasn’t going to have an easy time ahead. Having almost closed the Japan deal, the Jamaica investment was meant to be his new project. If the Mexican investors pulled out, it would be a bitter blow.
Don’t think about it right now. Just get back to New York and deal with it then.
He tried to push thoughts of the Mexican investor problem aside. His mom was right; he could so easily be distracted by work. It wasn’t that he didn’t have other interests. He liked personal training, movies, and his collection of comic books.
“How did you get on with your mom?” Kaitlyn asked when Alex returned to her house a short while later.
A delicious smell was coming from the kitchen, and the table had been laid for dinner, with flowers picked from the garden in a vase.
It was all very homey. Kaitlyn’s mom had been a collector, so there was nothing minimal about the house.
It was a far cry from the clean lines and minimalist aesthetic of Alex’s own apartment in New York.
“She’s looking forward to dinner. It smells wonderful,” he said.
“It’s one of my mom’s recipes. Horseshoe sandwiches. Do you remember she used to make them for us? I made a fruit salad because we won’t want anything heavy after that.”
Alex smiled. He hadn’t had a horseshoe sandwich in years.
“Ham and cheese sauce, is that right?” he asked, and Kaitlyn nodded.
“That’s right. Ham steaks, seared and topped with the sauce. I got hoagie rolls. That was all they had in the store.”
“I’m sure it’ll be delicious. Is there anything I can do to help?” Alex asked.
He felt guilty for having inadvertently allowed Kaitlyn to do all the work.
“No, it’s all right. There’s plenty of time for you to learn to cook once we’re back in New York.”
Alex smiled. He didn’t think that was going to happen.
There was never time to cook. Sitting down to a home-cooked meal was something he hadn’t done since…
well, he couldn’t remember. He was looking forward to it and was grateful to Kaitlyn for the effort she’d made.
She’d even bought a bottle of Californian wine, now chilling in the refrigerator, and just before his mom was due to arrive, Alex opened it and poured himself and Kaitlyn a glass.
“Here’s to the future,” he said as they shared a toast.
“It’s certainly going to be interesting. I called a few friends in San Francisco. I’ll keep the gallery on for now. I’ve got an assistant who can run things for me until I make a decision. I didn’t want to put her out of a job. She’s a good artist, very gifted in ceramics,” Kaitlyn said.
That seemed sensible. Alex didn’t want Kaitlyn to give up everything she’d worked so hard for; he wasn’t about to stifle her creativity. Though he wanted the studio in New York to be a surprise.
“I hope you’ll bring some of these pieces to put in the apartment,” he said, glancing along the countertop in the kitchen, where a number of Kaitlyn’s pieces were displayed.
She had a particular style, blues and greens, different shades, all a reminder of the sea and what lay beneath it. Alex knew he’d be able to tell her work if he saw it in a gallery or someone’s home. It had a timeless elegance about it. She was an exceptional talent.
“Some of these are commissions. But I’ve got a few pieces around the house I’d like to bring. As long as there’s room.”
Alex smiled. “There’s room,” he said, just as the doorbell rang.
It was his mom, and she came bearing a bottle of champagne and a bunch of flowers for Kaitlyn. Alex was relieved to see she intended to congratulate them, rather than repeat her fears of earlier that day.
“Your mom would’ve been so pleased. What a nice person she was, a real lady,” she said as Alex poured her a glass of wine.
“Kaitlyn’s made horseshoe sandwiches for dinner, Mom. Remember when we used to have them at Uncle Bert’s?” Alex said.
His mom made a face. “I remember you getting sick from eating too many. He thought he was being kind by overfeeding you. I was the one who had to stop the car on the way home for you to throw up,” she said. “I remember that admission of guilt when I asked how many you’d actually eaten.”
“It was four,” Alex admitted, remembering the episode well.
Kaitlyn laughed. “It’ll just be one tonight. Those ham steaks are enormous,” she said.
It was nice to sit down at the table and eat together.
Alex and his mom had never really done so when he was a kid.
She’d taken jobs where she could, and that often meant Alex was home alone.
The conversation was relaxed. They talked about life in Cedarhurst, and about Kaitlyn’s mom.
Alex learned more about Kaitlyn’s life over the past year and the many difficulties she’d experienced.
It was sobering to hear of the troubles she’d been through, and he wished he’d been able to do more.
“So, when do you two leave for New York?” his mom asked after they’d finished the fruit salad.
Alex and Kaitlyn looked at one another.
“Well… as soon as possible, I suppose,” Alex replied.
They hadn’t discussed it yet, as there was a lot they hadn’t discussed, but, to his relief, Kaitlyn nodded.
“There’s no point in waiting, is there?” she replied, smiling at him across the table.