Chapter 24
When I arrived in work the next week, there was no sign of Ellis at his desk. By ten in the morning, I called Liz to find out what was going on.
“He needs some personal time. He says he doesn’t know when he’ll be back.”
“Fuck. Have you anyone that will cover, even for today?”
“Sorry, Mr Munroe. No one is free today. I can have someone in place for you by tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
“Right. I guess.”
“I’ll send you their details later in the day.”
I didn’t wait to hear her say anything else. I just hung up. He was hiding from me and I knew it. Jesus, I really had fucked up big time. I needed to sort this out. I needed to get him back. I needed to come clean. I was also getting an idea of just how to do that.
There was a London business news show that had been trying to get an interview with me for a long time, and because of everything Dad had always said, I had refused. I was familiar enough with the show to know that it would eventually come around to questions on my personal life.
I lifted the phone and I called the producer who gave me her card about sixteen months ago. “Erica? Aiden Munroe here. Are you still looking for that interview?” I pulled my phone from my ear when she shrieked with delight. “I’m going to assume that means yes.” I laughed.
“Mr Munroe, you know I’ve been trying to get you on our show for well over a year now. You’re about the only man in London who hasn’t spoken to us yet!”
I shook my head with a smile. “I have a condition for you, Erica, and if you can’t meet it, I’ll be calling the next producer who has been hounding me. Understand?”
“Anything,” she agreed, and I outlined to her exactly what I wanted, and when the interview needed to happen.
When I was done with the arrangements for the interview, I called a florist and I arranged to have a huge bunch of flowers sent to Sylvie with a note telling her all about the interview, that I knew I had fucked up, and that I needed her to get Ellis to watch it.
I didn’t know if it was going to work. But it was the best shot I had of getting him back.
* * *
It was a long week without Ellis, but I was feeling confident that my plan would work. I stood on the edge of the set in the TV studio on Friday evening, nervous about being on television, and more nervous about whether or not Sylvie was on my side, and if Ellis would be watching.
“And next on the show, we have Aiden Munroe.”
I smiled politely and walked onto the set and settled myself at the desk opposite the presenter, Gaynor.
“Thank you so much for being here, Aiden. I know we’ve been trying to get you onto the show for a long time.”
I nodded. ‘Thanks, Gaynor. It’s lovely to be here. I’ve been incredibly busy, as you can imagine.”
“Indeed. One of the youngest CEO’s in London, and not without your doubters initially.”
I knew what she meant. Plenty of people had just assumed that it was the fact that I was my father’s son that led me to the position, and not any real skill.
“Well, when you take over from your father, it’s going to happen, really, isn’t it?
But that was three and a half years ago now, and I feel that the prosperity the company is experiencing more than illustrates my ability in the position. ”
Gaynor smiled. “I agree. I know that just recently you have had a very successful deal for several properties with JLC?”
Someone had done their homework for the show. I nodded. “Yes. We recently acquired forty-three of their properties. I’m very happy with how that deal turned out. It has increased our portfolio, and we will soon have new tenants in those properties.”
“You take care of your tenants and the properties they’re in.”
I nodded. “Yes. Munroe Holdings has always had a reputation of being a company based on family values. We don’t treat people as a cash commodity. They are human beings, and these are their homes.”
Gaynor nodded. “You value family, and your company has always had that reputation. Do you have a family, Aiden?”
Finally, we got to the questions I knew they really wanted to ask. I shook my head. “Other than my parents and sister, no. Not at the minute.”
She nodded. “Is that something you would like? To get married and have a family?”
I smiled. “Well, I’m gay, so my method of getting a family might be a little unusual, but I would love to have a husband and get married and have some children with him.”
I prayed Ellis was watching this. I saw the presenter’s face when I said it; she looked like she’d won the television journalist’s version of the lottery. In a way, I guess she actually had. She’d just out-scooped everyone else who ever tried to get me for an interview.
“Has being gay provided you any difficulties in the business world?” She didn’t falter; she was a complete professional at handling the bombshell I had dropped in her lap.
“To be honest, I have kept my private life very much out of the public eye. It wasn’t anyone else’s business and I didn’t need to have it printed up in gutter rags when they were having a slow news day.”
“So, what changed?” She went straight to the point. I think she knew only too well that there was a good reason for my sudden change of mind.
I smiled and looked at her and gave a small side glance to the camera.
Please God be watching this, Ellis. “I met someone, and for the first time in my life, I can see myself settling down and having a family, and that was something I couldn’t hide so easily.
That’s something I want to be shouting from the rooftops. ”
Gaynor grinned. She had the scoop. I was gay. I was in love. I was ready to tell the world.
“Does this person have a name?”
I nodded. “He’s called Ellis, and he’s the most amazing man I’ve ever met.”
Gaynor nodded, chatted about other stuff, and introduced other panel members. I sat the whole time hoping that Sylvie had got the flowers, read the card, and that Ellis had seen everything.