Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
IRIS
I’m finishing up an email when there is a knock at my office door.
“Come in,” I yell as I hit send.
“Surprise!” Ari and Olivia yell as they step inside.
“What the…” I say completely surprised.
Ari runs to me, and I spin myself in my chair just in time for her to launch herself into my arms. Closing my eyes, I squeeze my eyes shut.
“Gosh, I’ve missed you. Have you grown?” I murmur to Ari, making her giggle.
“Daddy says as long as I eat all my fruits and vegetables, I’ll grow big and strong,” she tells me.
“Well, your daddy is pretty smart.” I look up at my friend. “What are you guys doing here? When did you get in? How long are you staying?”
Olivia steps inside with a smile on her face. “How about we go get some lunch, and I’ll answer all of your questions?”
My stomach chooses that moment to let me know that it’s been far too long since I’ve eaten anything.
“Sounds like a plan. Is Mason here? Are we inviting him and Max?”
“Max and Mason have their own plans. It’s just us for the day, and before you say anything, Chad already cleared your calendar. You are free to hang with us, if you want to.”
“Of course I do.” I look down at Ari. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving,” she says dramatically, making her mother and me laugh.
“We can’t have that, now can we?” I tease as she slides off my lap.
Leaning down, I open the bottom drawer of my desk and grab my purse. Quickly I shut everything down.
“Okay, ready. Do you guys have anywhere you want to go for lunch?” I ask as I stand.
“Nope. You choose,” Olivia says as she shakes her head.
“I want a milkshake. A chocolate one,” Ari tells me.
I nod. “I think I can make that happen.”
Thirty minutes later, we are sitting in a little hole-in-the-wall place that’s located between my place and the office.
“Okay, so tell me everything. What spurred this trip on?” I ask Olivia after we’ve placed our order.
“Mason wanted to come up and see Max. They are working on something, and he thought it would be easier if they were in person. So Ari and I decided to tag along and make a trip out of it,” she says as she looks down at her daughter with a smile.
Olivia is a rock star of a mom and has come so far since I’ve known her. Love and happiness look good on her.
“Do you know what they are working on?” I ask.
Olivia shakes her head. “No, honestly, I never asked. Do you have an idea?”
“He says he is surveying everyone to see how to make the workplace somewhere people want to be. I even offered him my own ideas. Now I’m wondering if that’s true. Why would Mason need to be involved?”
“Mason was the CEO for a long time. Maybe he wants his opinion on how to bring it up to the board. You know they can’t make any decisions without approval from them. I’m sure he is just asking for his advice,” she reassures me.
“True. I hadn’t thought of it like that.” I feel relief at her words.
“I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about. You know how Max gets sometimes.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” I murmur even though I wish he was consulting me a little bit more.
That comes from being his right hand for so long, though. I know that Mason has more experience than me. It would make sense that he is going to his brother. While I have helped him manage a hotel for a decade, managing a Fortune 500 company is different.
Still, I am a little hurt that I am not more involved.
“Look at my star, Aunt Iris,” Ari says, showing me her drawing.
“Wow, that’s so good,” I praise her.
Sure, it’s a little lopsided, but it’s a better star than I can do.
“Do you guys have any plans while you are in town?” I ask Olivia.
“I want to try and see Six before we head home tomorrow, but tickets seem hard to come by. It’s fine though, that just means we have to come back soon and plan in advance.”
“No more last-minute trips sprung on you,” I tease, making her laugh.
“Exactly. God, I love him, but sometimes Mason forgets that it takes a little more planning with a little one involved.” She sighs.
I hum. “You know, I can probably get you tickets. I know someone who’s good at that type of thing.”
Olivia’s eyes soften. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. Give me a second.” I pull out my phone.
I pull out my phone and type out a quick text.
Me
Hey, I need tickets for Six for tonight. Can you make it happen?
Chad
Let me see what I can do. I’m assuming for the five of you?
“Do you want tickets for just you three, or would you mind if Max and I tag along?” I ask.
“We would love for you guys to join us, but only if you don’t have plans.”
Me
Yes, please.
I know I should ask Max if he wants to go, but knowing him, he would just say yes. He would never turn down spending time with his family.
I set down my phone. “Okay, we should know here in a little bit if tickets are secured.”
“Thank you. You really didn’t have to do that.” She smiles.
“It’s my pleasure and not a big deal. What is the point of having connections if I can’t use them?” I ask her.
“Oh, I meant to tell you, Tristen says hi,” she says, referring to one of the girls who works back at the hotel in Boston, who she had grown close with.
She’s a sweet girl.
“How is she?” I ask.
“Good. Busy but good. Mason promoted her from front desk to supervisor. She’s taking on night shifts,” Liv informs me.
“Aren’t we all busy?” I muse. “I’m glad she got the promotion. I know Max had his eye on her. She’s good for business.”
“That she is. She somehow knows how to handle even the toughest guests. I’m glad she stayed after everything went down,” Liv says, alluding to the mass exodus we had a few years ago, which led to her being placed to work at the hotel in the first place.
“How are the girls?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Good. We missed you the last time we had a spa day,” she says, making my heart pang.
“I’m sorry I missed it,” I tell her, hating that I am so far away.
It’s not so easy hearing all about their lives moving on when I’m stuck in New York wishing I was back home. It makes me miss the place more than ever.
“It’s fine. I think you were in London, and we know you love it there,” she tells us.
“God, I love that city.” I smile. “I swear I eat my weight in food every time I go.”
“Do you love it enough to move there?” she asks quietly so her daughter doesn’t hear.
I smile. “Adrianna told you?”
“Sorry. She let it slip, then wondered if it was a secret. She didn’t mean to.”
I nod. “I know. It’s okay. I assume you didn’t tell Mason since Max hasn’t chewed my ass.”
“It’s none of his business. I don’t keep secrets from him, but he hasn’t asked, and I feel no reason to tell him,” she admits.
“Thank you. To answer your question, I don’t know. I’m weighing my options,” I murmur.
“Either way, we will support you, but you know our vote,” she says as the server brings our food over.
I do. They think I am too far as it is. Putting an ocean between us would change everything.
The conversation shifts as we eat, and we catch up. I didn’t realize how much I missed girl time and just being able to catch up with someone other than Max or Clint.
My heart aches as I think about them going home tomorrow. I don’t want them to go. Or I want them to go and take me with them.
I miss the unfiltered access I used to have to all of them. How we would be able to make last-minute plans.
Some days I wish we never had to come to New York. That I wished The Williamson Group had never moved their offices to New York all those decades ago.
Still, I know I wouldn’t change my decision. Max was leaving, and I couldn’t stand the thought of being without him, so I followed him.
I can’t regret that.
MAX
I check my watch for the hundredth time. Mason and his family’s flight landed an hour ago, and he told me they are on their way. They should be here soon.
I’m excited to see my brother and the girls. It’s been far too long since I’ve seen them, and I miss them like crazy
Just another reason we need to make sure the board agrees to move our headquarters back from New York City to Boston.
Just the thought makes me smile. I can’t wait.
Don’t get me wrong, the city is great, but it’s just not for me.
Not long-term, at least. I miss the atmosphere of Boston.
It is a city as well, but it’s different than New York.
Slower in a way, yet still a bit hectic.
I miss being able to meet the guys down at the pub for a beer or being able to attend every birthday party for everyone.
Now with Ari in the picture, I know I am missing milestones.
The sound of pounding little feet makes me smile, and I spin away from my desk.
They’re here.
“Uncle Max!” Ari cheers as they step into my office.
I jump up and round my desk. I pick her up and hug her tight as her parents walk in and shut the door behind them.
“I missed you,” I murmur.
“I missed you too.” She pulls back and cups my face. “Daddy said he needed to come help you. Is everything okay?”
She is such a sweet girl. She cares so deeply with her whole heart. She has her mother to thank for that. She showed her how to love so she could bestow that love on the rest of us.
I hate that we missed four years with her, but Olivia did one hell of a job.
“Everything is fine,” I reassure her.
Ari’s head bobs. “Good.”
She squirms in my arms, so I let her down and then make my way to my sister-in-law.
“It’s good to see you,” I say as I give her a quick hug.
“It’s been too long,” she tells me.
“Okay, let go of my girl and give me a hug,” Mason demands.
“But what if I don’t want to?” I tease, making Olivia laugh.
Letting go of her, I move to my brother and hug him back.
“How was your flight?” I ask as I step back.
“Nice and short,” he tells me.
“Are you sure it’s okay if we steal Iris for lunch?” Olivia asks.
“For sure. I actually had Chad clear her schedule. She’s all yours,” I tell her. “She has no idea you are here.”
Olivia smiles. “Awesome, well, if you two don’t need us, we are going to go find her.”
Ari skips over to me and hugs my legs before moving on to her dad. She gives him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too. Be good for Mommy and Aunt Iris today,” he tells her.
“I’m always good,” she says, making us laugh.
“My apologies,” he says with humor in his voice.
He lets go of Ari, and she goes to her mom and takes her hand. They leave us behind and go search for Iris.
Mason rubs his hands together. “All right. Let’s do this.”
“You know you didn’t need to come up here, right?”
Mason looks at me like I’m crazy.
“It’s not every day my younger brother decides he wants to make changes. Of course I’m going to be here. Besides, we need to make sure we plan this out just right, or the board won’t go with it.”
“Do you think they will?” I ask, not worried about hiding my doubts.
Mason waves me over to my couch, and we sit down.
“Look, do I think it will be easy? No, not with the board involved. There is always an asshole or two who never wants to cooperate. With that said, it’s also in our favor that New York is getting more expensive year by year.
Shit, this area is something crazy, like, fifty-four percent more expensive than Boston.
Our company was also founded in Boston. Between those two reasons, I think we could make it work. ”
“They just don’t need to know that neither of those are why we want to do it,” I muse.
Mason nods. “Exactly. You just have to appeal to them. Make sure we have all the numbers and all that shit.”
I look away from Mason and look out the window. When the idea of relocating back to Boston came to me, I didn’t know if it would be possible, but the more I thought about it, the more it took root. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the city, but it’s got nothing on Boston.
Boston is where our friends and family are.
Our home is in Boston, and if Iris and I are going to happen, well, I want it to be there.
I want us to be able to go to all of Ari’s dance recitals and anything else that she does.
I want to be able to hang out with our friends at a moment’s notice.
I want her to never miss a spa day with girls because we live in a different state.
I want it all, and this is the first step.
“Have you mentioned this to Iris?” Mason asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I shake my head. “No, not yet, but I know she will be down for it. I don’t want to get her hopes up. I know she misses home. I do too.”
“We miss you too. Shit, Eli almost came with to help us plan. He said he knew how the board thinks, but I told him we have it under control. He’s on speed dial, though, if we need him.”
Gratitude fills me. Not only did my brother drop everything he has on his plate to come help me plot, but one of my friends was willing to do it too, and I know if Brantley had known, he would have jumped in on it too. They want us at home as much as I do.
Mason pulls out his phone and smiles. “The girls are leaving and heading to lunch. You ready to get to work?”
“Yeah, but first, are you hungry? I can have Chad order us something and have it delivered,” I tell him.
He nods. “Let’s do it.”
“Sandwich work?”
“Sure.”
I get up and go over to my desk, grabbing my phone.
Me
Hey, can you have lunch delivered for Mason and me? We were thinking sandwiches.
Chad
Sure, do you have a place in mind?
Me
No, I’ll let you decide.
Chad
Consider it done.
Me
Thanks.
I put my phone back down and turn to face my brother.
“All right, let’s get started,” I say, clapping my hands together.
Let Operation Move Back to Boston commence. It can’t be that hard, can it?