6. Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Jake
A few days later, I entered the announcement meeting not worried about the attention I would get. That was the gift from being so consumed by the idea of spending more time with Vi, and finally having the perfect excuse for it. Self control would have to be my copilot, but I could do that. I had done it for years. At least, for the next few months, I'd have more of Violeta.
Ten minutes went by in the meeting, but they were barely more than background noise.
"Jake, Gabe— it's my pleasure to announce this to everyone." Tío Raúl smiled at his son and me, drawing our attention to the news he would share.
I blushed. Not at the anticipation of all the attention, but because of the thoughts I'd been having about Tío Raul's daughter. Suffice to say, I'd struggled finishing my workout that day, knowing Vi had been naked in the shower a short distance from me.
Get it together, Jake Stewart.
And yet, I couldn't help stealing a glance in Vi's direction, sitting a few spots away from me across the big boardroom table.
Tío Raúl continued to grin. "We have now gotten approval from the Board for a corrected transition toward my retirement. My son, Gabe, will join me as co-CEO for a year. Jake, who you all know is like a second son to me, will take Gabe's place as the Vice President of Operations. Both have shown great skills in their respective roles, and we all believe they are a great fit for their new position."
People around me clapped, and my neighbor patted me on the back in congratulations. I smiled and did my best to take it in. We spent the next half hour discussing different aspects of the transition strategy, and doing initial estimations for a timeline. It seemed more and more certain; in six weeks, I'd be a Vice President in the Sotomayor Group.
"To wrap this up," Gabe said, "I'll meet with Dad and the Board to further finalize the process. Same with Jake— he'll meet with all of the VPs to help the transition, as well as with his successor. We're pretty sure it'll be Samar, right?"
I nodded. "My vote is still with Samar, but I'll bring it to the VP meeting in a couple of days to confirm."
"Excellent." Tío Raúl dropped an excited, single slap on the table. "I'm confident this will be a great change for the Group. I'm honored to have led this conglomerate all these years, but I'm glad I get to do it with my son for the next few months. I'm looking forward to leaving it in the hands of the next generation."
"Don't start saying goodbye yet," Gabe said. "Or you'll have us crying for the next year."
Tío Raúl laughed. "No need to cry yet. We'll get to it. For now, let's do this right, everyone."
Secretly, I was a crier. My emotions always came fast, flooding my system until it seemed like I was nothing but heart and skin. I'd worked hard over the years to regulate my inner world, but it still could overflow at times. Even something as simple as the idea of saying goodbye to Tío Raúl had me with a knot in my throat.
So I took the congratulations from the executive team with a smile on my face, while internally counting through controlled breathing. Just in case.
It all went to shit for several seconds when, on the way to each of our offices, a familiar bouquet of flowers made its way to Violeta's office.
A bouquet she used to receive each week… from her ex.
Two hours later, I had waited long enough. I wandered out of my office to sate my curiosity. Very friendly, just to check in about the party planning.
The first hint of Vi to reach me was her laughter. As soon as I turned into the VP offices section, her energy made itself known. It called me in as it had for a decade, and I resisted it like I had for just as long.
I had lost her smiles when I kissed her and we decided to move on. As much as I missed her open grins and warm, bright laughter, I didn't make attempts to reclaim them. Getting them second hand was usually my best option.
I stopped at Violeta's assistant's desk. "Hey, Stephanie. How are you doing today?"
"I'm well, thanks, Jake. How can I help you?"
I stole a quick glance into Vi's office. The privacy glass was in transparent mode, and Vi's beauty hit me unencumbered. Her hair, a lustrous, loose river down to her breasts, begged for my fingers to check just how soft it was. Her grin lit up her office.
My heart skipped a beat, and I forced my eyes back to Stephanie. At least Lina was in Vi's office, giving me more of a reason to stop by.
I smiled at Vi's assistant. "Please reach out to Ryan and find a time in my calendar for my meeting with Vi for the transition. She and I will also have to block a few dates for a family project."
"For sure. Does Ryan know what you and Vi are thinking for the personal project? So we can coordinate with both your schedules."
"I need to finalize a few decisions with Vi. We'll let you know."
Stephanie nodded and, with no more excuses to stall, I went into Vi's space.
"I have a vision," Vi told Lina in hushed tones. "The fortieth is the ruby anniversary, so decorations should fit with that— oh, hi, Jake."
"Hey. Hi, Lina. Are you here for Gabe?"
I bent down to give a kiss hello to Lina, cheek-to-cheek Chilean style again. As my best friend's girlfriend, it was a sign of our friendly closeness. It was the same reason why she and Gabe had said goodbye to Vi that way the other night. Once more, the fact that Vi and I didn't do it stood out, stark in its absence.
Lina nodded. "His meeting went long, so I'm killing time by bugging Vi instead."
"Nonsense!" Vi exclaimed. "You could never bug me. What kind of sister-in-law would that make me, ah, cu?adita? Besides, if the door is open and the glass is transparent, then you can be sure I'm available."
"But I'm sure you're as busy as the rest of us," Lina said.
"Of course I am, but the work gets done, and I'm always happy to bond more with you."
"We should really make that chat group between us and Eva. Give the guys a run for their money."
"Poor Eva won't know what to do with chatty me." Vi laughed. "We'll have to break her in slowly. At least we know she likes chatty people since she fell for Max."
"Are you going to the gala this year?" I asked Vi.
Her eyes shot to me. Maybe any mention of the gala brought up the same memories for her as it did for me.
I shrugged, like none of it was a big deal. "Max said he's bringing Eva again. You can break her in a bit more then."
Vi hid a smile. "I am attending this year. Everyone has made it a point to insist. Apparently, it'll fit right around the official transition, and we're meant to celebrate. I heard you're going, too?"
I nodded, my eyes steady on her, my mind lost in the memory of our walk that night. The garden around us, and finally knowing what kissing her could be like. For a moment, the ghost of her lips on mine fought to take over.
"That's going to be fun." Lina smirked, eyes sparkling and taking turns between Vi and I. "In any case, we were talking about the party for your parents?"
Her voice had taken a quieter tone for the second half, so we wouldn't be heard. Vi pressed a couple of buttons and her door closed, and the glass turned an opaque white.
"There, that'll be easier," she said. "Did you and Gabe look at the guest list I started, Lina?"
"We did. Gabe added a few more people, but it's looking like we may end up having, what? Two hundred guests?"
"More, if we fly people in from Chile." Vi cocked her head. "I did some sleuthing and I got a couple of names, and reached out to the family and swore them to secrecy. I'll confirm who can come and add them to the list. We'll need that before sending the official invitations."
"Yes, let's focus on finalizing the guest list first." I crossed my arms and glanced at her flowers. "Are you bringing anyone, Vi?"
Yellow roses and chrysanthemums, mixed with the blue hues of irises and statice sat at the corner of her desk. I had looked it up after the second time her ex had sent her the same bouquet, when they had just started dating. By the fourth time, I had memorized it. By the sixth, I had found the flower shop and the specific fucking vase he'd chosen for it. At least he hadn't cheapened out, I supposed.
I gazed at Vi. She stared at me with a small smile and an arched eyebrow.
"Not really planning, to, no." She leaned back on her chair and contemplated me. "You?"
I forgot that Lina witnessed the conversation.
I raised an eyebrow in a challenge. "Me? No. I'm not planning on dating— there's no one to invite."
She lifted both hands as if she meant no harm. "It's totally fair. I was just wondering, since you asked me about it."
"You have flowers from your ex on your desk, Vi. I just got curious. If you're going to get together again, we should count him on the list."
She let out a sad laugh. "Oh, no way. He wants to, judging from the texts he's been sending and these flowers, but I'm so over him—"
A knock at the door interrupted us. The three of us turned to it, to watch Gabe make an appearance.
"I was told Lina was here," he said. "Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine." Lina got up. "But I feel like I should have had popcorn at the ready. Can we make some tonight?"
Gabe entered Vi's office, and I shrugged off some of my discomfort. I hadn't realized how quickly Vi and I had drifted into dangerous territory. Too fast, too soon, and suddenly I had been showing some of my restrained jealousy.
"If you like, of course." Gabe met Lina in the middle of the room and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "But we have to go now or my team is going to pester me for months for being late."
"Sure, let's go." Lina took Gabe's hand and turned to Vi and I. "Text me if there's anyone else you want to add to the guest list— but I took note. No dates for either of you. You both plan to be single for the foreseeable future, and go to the party alone. Check."
Gabe gave Lina a suspicious look, but said nothing. I avoided glancing at Vi.
"One thing, though." I scratched my eyebrow. "Should I take care of the music?"
Gabe cut a look at Vi, but put his attention back to me, fast. "Do you want to take care of the music?"
I shrugged. "I thought it made sense… I'm supposed to be a little more public about it these days."
I could feel Vi's eyes on me, but I kept mine on my best friend.
"I see. Well, we'll talk about it. I have to go but… we'll figure it out."
I nodded and Gabe and Lina left. It took me a second to turn around to face Vi. I hadn't meant to talk about music in front of her, but I had dug one hole trying to get myself out of another.
She gazed at me with understanding, and a large dose of patience.
"Do you still play music?" she asked.
Once upon a time, I practiced at the Sotomayor's house after school. Guitar and piano, mostly. Vi had watched me play more than once but, with time, she had had fewer and fewer chances to see me in action. And I kept it private; a thing I did for myself in a sound-isolated room in my apartment.
Except my therapist had challenged me to open up about it, as a way to open up more to life.
I sighed. "Yeah. A bit every day. A lot, some days."
She nodded. "Would you… play for my parents?"
"Hell no." I scoffed. "For them at the lake house… maybe, one day. At the party in front of so many people? Never."
"If you want to practice… if you're supposed to do it in front of people… there's a karaoke place I like…"
I groaned. She wrinkled her nose in humor, but hid her smile.
"Great idea," I said, "but maybe not."
"It's a small place. A hundred people at most—"
"A hundred people?!"
"No one knows you or your story and everyone is there to sing, some of them terribly. I have to guess you've gotten better with time, haven't you?"
I shrugged again, trying to release the discomfort still clutching my shoulders. It wouldn't leave.
"I'll think about it." I checked my watch. "But I should go back to my office. I came here only to make a plan about the venues, etcetera. I saw the links you sent me. We should go check a few, right? I asked Stephanie to coordinate with Ryan."
I had also come to her office to inquire about the flowers, but that was an added benefit to the visit, and one that had only worked halfway.
"Sounds good," Vi said. "We'll go soon. And think about karaoke, okay? I think it could be fun for you."
"It would be a challenge, for sure. I'll think about it," I added, on my way out of her office.