Chapter 10
T hey walked back to the same place Charlotte had entered the park earlier in the morning, before Gregory’s arrival derailed her meandering morning. She turned around and gave Gregory a questioning look. “I’m guessing you know where the main office is since you made it into the park this morning?”
“I do. I left my things there before Emily pointed toward the way into the park.”
“Ah. Did Emily show you the coffee bar this morning?”
“Excuse me, coffee bar? No, she did not.” After their time together Charlotte still didn’t know what to make of Gregory or Ever Fund, but she did know offering someone caffeine was a mark of human decency. They walked into the office, and every head in the room turned their way. Charlotte noticed her aunt’s ever-present weathered gray cardigan wasn’t on the coatrack by the door. Things were quieter than usual but the few employees hanging around weren’t subtle. The collective inquisitiveness hung in the air as Charlotte wound past the cubicles and conference room to the office kitchen. People in suits were a rare sight in the mostly casual offices, but then again, maybe it wasn’t only her who was appreciating Gregory’s eyes. And hair.
She cleared her throat and gestured to the office kitchen. “It’s not like those businesses that have a full-service coffee shop in their offices or anything, but we have a nice selection of coffees we rotate through for the drip coffee maker and an espresso machine with all the bells and whistles. My aunt makes a latte as good as any barista.”
Uncle Frank’s decades-old drip coffee maker looked sad next to the chrome and black of the espresso machine, but no one had the heart to upgrade it—Frank was attached and, like he often pointed out, it was dependable.
“When you said coffee bar, I was expecting a Nespresso or something, not an espresso machine. This is an exceptionally nice model. I appreciate how seriously you take coffee.” Gregory might fondle the machine if Charlotte didn’t keep an eye on him.
“Yeah well, Queen Emily insisted on treating the office after seeing a machine like it last time she visited her college roommate’s place in the Hamptons.”
“Queen Emily?” Gregory asked.
Charlotte winced at exposing her cousin’s nickname to Gregory. “Yeah, it’s a family joke—one she does not like, so you didn’t hear me say that.”
Emily had come home from getting her business degree with a different standard for living. She’d thrived in New York and Charlotte had been happy for her cousin finding her place; she knew Emily had felt a little out of step with Lands. To Emily, Lands was a business. Columns on a spreadsheet. A business that, albeit, made her parents happy and supported them and her, but Emily didn’t understand the parts of Lands that made it special—the theming, the affordable prices so whole families could come without emptying their savings, the little character moments. She did excel in school, but she tried to wave her business degree like an explanation for every idea she’d brought up in the decade-plus since. Ideas that, as far as Charlotte could tell, were often devoid of heart and full of dollar signs. It had caused Emily to butt heads with her parents over the business more and more.
While her notions for Lands rarely made it past the suggestion phase, Emily transformed herself and her home. Designer shoes and purses, Smeg appliances, endless comments about New York, where she visited often. If Charlotte didn’t know how much of a bargain hunter Emily was to afford the luxuries she liked to show off, she’d think Lands of Legend was filling her cousin’s coffers.
Charlotte waved to the whole counter. “Help yourself. I need to do some work before the meeting. I’m in that office up there if you have questions about the espresso machine or anything.” She walked upstairs to her cozy but functional office and recited an item from the list in her head with every step she took, letting go of tracking down Frank and Marianne. She would see what Gregory had to say and go from there.
· Check emails
· Make sure the Cosmic Catastrophe article went up and share it with the Wonder World publicists
· Also read Mel’s thoughts on Cosmic Catastrophe and then text Mel about her impeccable taste
· Look at the park’s social media calendar
· Schedule some planning meetings for the summer season
· Stop thinking about Gregory’s eyes
She stopped cold halfway up the stairs. Maybe she should pause on some of the to-dos for Lands until after the meeting? No. Any changes Ever Fund wanted to make wouldn’t happen tomorrow . Charlotte had been so occupied with selling the unique qualities of Lands to Gregory, she’d temporarily forgotten the possible implications of an investor. All the things she freaked out about last night came roaring back.
Charlotte resumed her trip upstairs with less pep in her step. She rounded the corner for her office door and walked right into her cousin.
“Emily! Good morning—er, almost afternoon!” Charlotte greeted her.
“I saw you walked into the office with Gregory. Do you even know who he is?” Emily replied, businesslike as ever. “And good morning,” she tacked on.
Emily had her hair, a few shades darker than Charlotte’s, in her signature topknot, pulled so tight Charlotte often wondered if it gave her cousin headaches. She always dressed in either designer clothing or pieces she’d had expertly tailored so they looked like designer brands, but today she appeared extra sharp. Emily wore a black single-breasted Alexander McQueen suit that had not a crinkle in sight, no doubt for the meeting. At least Gregory wouldn’t be the only one in a suit after all, Charlotte thought.
“Yes, I do know who he is. Funny thing. I ran into him outside Sir Cinna-Swirls. He was going to take a walk around the park on his own, but I gave him the full tour to show Lands in its best possible light,” Charlotte answered. “I figured showing him what we offer would only strengthen the deal.”
Emily crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “I see. Well, I was too busy with this potential contract and with prepping Mom and Dad to accompany him this morning, and he said he would be fine on his own. But I appreciate you stepping up since you apparently had loads of free time anyway.”
Emily didn’t hold Charlotte in the highest regard anyway, and once Charlotte no longer had a full-time job, she seemed to think Charlotte was lazy for not immediately replacing it with another full-time job, never mind that Charlotte’s part-time “Vice President of Fun” role and part-time theme park reporter role combined was almost like working a full forty hours a week. Almost. But she knew Emily’s attitude was more about Charlotte’s mere presence at Lands after so many years away at DreamUs.
“Yep, that’s me. All the free time in the world.” Charlotte let her reply drip with sarcasm.
Emily uncrossed her arms and flared her nostrils. “How do you think the tour went?”
Charlotte grinned mischievously. “I took him on Hydra’s Fury. It was his first roller coaster.”
Emily’s eyebrows jumped in alarm. “And did he like it or does he now hate theme parks forever? Will he even give Ever Fund’s presentation today?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Emily. I’d say he tolerated it. Honestly, he was more open-minded about it than I expected. I also educated him about the difference between an amusement park and a theme park, so now he gets that, too.”
Emily facepalmed, complete with a loud, smacking sound effect. “Of course you did.”
“What? He didn’t have any clue!” Charlotte defended.
Emily sighed. “Charlotte, you know how you get. It’s like Dad. You can both be so intense. You’re so zealous about it and I know that worked well for you at DreamUs, but it’s not the same here. No one cares as much about the theming as you and my parents.”
Charlotte had heard this all from Emily before. Repeatedly. And it wasn’t true. Charlotte knew others cared, but Emily didn’t understand so her cousin thought no one else did. She was bewildered by how Emily had learned so much from school and her time in New York, but not how to see beyond her own perspective.
Maybe Charlotte was guilty of that, too.
“I didn’t veer too much into evangelical territory, Emily. I wanted him to get it. And I think he did.” She remembered his surprise about Hydra’s Fury having a story. “Okay, he mostly got it,” Charlotte amended.
Charlotte kept going before Emily could chide her more. “Look, I was surprised to hear about Ever Fund. I know you’ve been looking for a way to get Under the Waves open for your mom and dad and for revenue, but I guess I didn’t think it would come to having to get someone, a whole other company, outside the family involved. If this investment will help Lands move forward and stay open, I want to help that happen. If Ever Fund and Gregory can make a difference here, so be it. But not at any cost, I hope. I don’t want Ever Fund to turn Lands into an amusement park.”
Her cousin took a few beats to process Charlotte’s comments. “I appreciate that,” Emily mumbled. Emily wasn’t known for talking about or even getting close to talking about feelings. Then her voice got clear again. “I am thinking about my parents, but more importantly, the longevity of Lands and making sure it brings in enough people and cash to keep running. Like I learned from Dr. Stevens at school, businesses have to make compromises, be flexible, ready to pivot. You’re not even here full time, so while I hear you, your input will not necessarily stop those compromises. I have to look out for the park and those of us who will keep running it for years to come.”
Everyone in the family had heard the name “Dr. Stevens” many times over the past several years. She was Emily’s favorite professor at school, Emily’s mentor, really. Charlotte was sure Dr. Stevens was a knowledgeable person, but she couldn’t. She also couldn’t deal with Emily being a shit to her right now.
“Emily, why bother?”
“Excuse me?”
“You want to make money? Wait for your parents to retire. Sell the park. Better to sell it than them watch you turn it into a personality-less park.”
Emily stepped back like Charlotte had slapped her. Then she stepped close to Charlotte and hissed, “Just because I want to make this business that I’m stuck with successful and profitable enough not to be on the brink of closure all the time does not mean I don’t care about my parents. They love this place, I know that, and they always will even when they retire. I can’t and won’t just let it go to someone else. I’m doing the best with what I have, and I don’t need judgment from you. It’s not like you’ll even stick around this time.”
Brink of closure. It sounded like the situation at Lands could be more precarious than Charlotte realized. Unless Emily was exaggerating. Charlotte didn’t have the energy to continue the conversation, didn’t have a whole lot of ground to stand on in regards to knowing the park’s financial details. She could ask her aunt and uncle later. Besides, if she kept talking to Emily, the flames on her face would turn into words she’d regret. She took a step to the side to increase the space between them. “On that note, I should get some work done before the meeting.”
Emily’s jaw muscles went tight. “You aren’t involved in the meeting.”
“Uh, yes I am. Aunt Marianne invited me.”
Emily arched an eyebrow. “I see. Well, it’s mostly a courtesy anyway, just Gregory telling us more about Ever Fund and going over some initial thoughts for Lands’s next steps.”
Charlotte smiled because she knew it would annoy her cousin. “Can’t wait.”
“Do not ruin this for us, Charlotte.” With a glare that would make flowers wilt, she pivoted on her heel and walked way.
Ooookay , Charlotte thought. Just like riding Hydra’s Fury with Gregory, this meeting was going to require fortitude.