Chapter 56 Astrid
ASTRID
“Thank God for the free-flowing champagne,” Paige says as we mingle in the ballroom of the lavish hotel, watching the wealthy patrons saunter by dripping in jewels, designer gowns, and fake smiles.
“It’s the only way to survive these events.
” Paige has come to a few charity balls with Seán and me, usually as Liam’s platonic date.
As lawyers, they always find things to talk about, and there’s a lot of mutual respect.
“I’m with you. It’s hard to stomach these people sometimes, but I remind myself all the money is supporting people in need, even if most everyone in this room is here for notoriety, not the charitable cause.”
If Seán were here, we’d be deluged with people eager to claim his attention and favor.
By myself, I’m nobody despite the massive diamond on my finger.
Most of these people look down their noses at people like me, and I really don’t give a fuck.
It took a long time for me to rebuild my self-worth.
These self-obsessed social climbers don’t get to tear it down again.
I’m here tonight on Seán’s behalf. One of his Irish uncles has Parkinson’s, so it’s a charity dear to his heart. I’ll stay for dinner to show my face, make the donation, and then I’m leaving these vacuous people with their obnoxious wealth and flawed morals behind.
“Let’s grab our table, and then you can tell me what’s eating at you.”
“I’m that obvious?” I say as we head toward the circular tables at the top of the room.
“I’m your best friend, Astrid. We’ve held one another up plenty of times over the years. I know when something is bothering you.”
After we get comfortable, I turn to face my best friend. “Noémie has just assigned me the biggest project of my career. With this kind of experience under my belt, I’ll be able to set up my own interior design consultancy next year.”
It’s been my dream ever since I graduated college.
But I wanted to work for a reputable firm to gain experience and references before going it alone.
On several occasions, Seán has offered to help me establish my own business, but I want to do it by myself, hence why I’m currently so mad at him for engineering this situation.
It’s important to me to achieve my goals through my own talent and hard work.
I don’t want my fiancé pulling strings for me, and I have told him he needs to let me do this my way.
“Sounds perfect.” Paige sips her champagne as she watches me. “Where’s the catch?”
“It’s in Ryemont.”
Her eyes pop wide.
“At the hotel and resort I used to work at, which The Devlin Hotel Group took over a year ago. They’ve expanded it, and now they want me to project manage the remodeling on the ground, using the designs I’ve spent the past nine months working on.”
My core responsibility when I was transferred to this account was to create a unique and cohesive new look to be applied to each hotel within The Devlin Hotel Group, so no matter where you are in the world, the look is signature and aligned solely with the brand.
I’ve worked with my colleagues from Essential Space and the various in-house teams to confirm deals with manufacturers and suppliers, and a schedule for remodeling has been drawn up to start rolling out within the month.
“I thought you were starting with the Connecticut hotel.”
“That was the plan, but according to my boss, my fiancé has specifically requested me for this project, for reasons I think I know, but I can’t be sure because I haven’t managed to speak to him since he left for Vegas.
” I knock back my bubbly. “I suspect he’s waiting until I cool down because the messages I left told him exactly how I feel about this stunt. ”
“I get why you’re mad. He shouldn’t have done that, but you can’t tell me you’re surprised. You know the man you’re marrying.”
“He doesn’t get to do this. It’s embarrassing.
I specifically warned him not to meddle in my career.
Going behind my back to my boss most certainly classifies as interference.
At the Essential Space Christmas party, I picked up vibes from some of my colleagues.
I know what they’re already thinking, and now Seán is proving them right.
Melissa won’t be pleased. She was supposed to be handling Vermont, and now she’s managing the much smaller Connecticut hotel. ”
Melissa is my manager on-site, and she has six years more experience than me.
She’s been on the Devlin account for four years and is the senior member of the team.
As it is, there have been a few clashes between us since I was assigned to the client.
After I started dating Seán, I discovered he’d fucked her one time years ago.
Apparently, she pursued him quite aggressively, but he wasn’t interested.
I’ve no doubt that plays into our dynamic, which makes things uncomfortable at times.
“Screw that bitch. She’s tried to undermine you plenty of times, so she deserves it. I still think you should tell Seán about her.”
“He’d have her fired…or killed,” I add, remembering the earlier conversation.
She laughs, dismissing it as a joke. “So what if he fired her? It’d get her off your back.”
“I can handle her, and besides, it’ll be a moot point if I take the project I’m being offered because then I’ll be reporting directly to Noémie, and I’ll be quitting when it’s completed.”
“Which is why you should take it.” Paige sits up straighter in her chair.
“I get why you’re angry, but that’s not really the issue, now is it?
” She arches a brow. “Seán shouldn’t have done it, but he’s only trying to help.
The experience you’ll glean will enable you to set up your own business.
If Noémie didn’t think you could handle it, she would not have agreed to assign it to you.
Who gives a shit what Melissa or any of the girls in the office think?
Given the choice, they’d all do the same.
You know you want to take it, but your past is holding you back.
” Her features soften. “I thought we agreed we wouldn’t let that happen again? ”
“Why do you think I’m so troubled?” I force a smile at a couple as they pass by. Glancing around, I see the tables are starting to fill. “How can I go back to Ryemont? I assume they’re still living there, and I can’t face running into them again.”
“You’re assuming a lot. Anything could’ve happened. Callan is a professional soccer player, so at best, he’s only in Vermont a few weeks at a time. It would be easy to avoid him if you needed to.” We halt our conversation when a waiter appears to refill our glasses.
“Thank you.” I smile at him before he walks off. “It’s not just running into him. The whole town holds memories of us together.”
“Babe.” Paige sets her flute down. “You’re strong enough to do this. You have a fiancé and a successful career now. Your life is good, more than good, and you have nothing to fear. Seán is going to be there in Vermont, right? That’s what you said a few months ago.”
I nod. “He’ll be spending three days a week in Vermont, working with local management in Ryemont to get the hotel reopened on schedule and overseeing the construction of the two other hotels in Woodstock and Stowe.
He’ll be in New York the rest of the working week, and he was planning to stay with me in Connecticut on weekends, but that was clearly before he came up with this new plan. ”
I’m seething again. He could at least have suggested this to me before talking to my boss. Or told me he’d done this, so I was prepared to receive an email, but no, he left it until the last minute, when resource plans have already been altered, making it virtually impossible to decline.
“Then you’ll be fine. You’ll have Seán for support.”
“He doesn’t know the details. He has no clue the guy who broke my heart is from Ryemont or that he owns a house there.”
The last thing Mom confirmed before she and Dad moved themselves, my sisters, and their businesses from Ryemont to Ystad seven years ago was that Callan had bought a house near his parents for him, Gwen, and Darcy.
There was no further information forthcoming because a) I told Mom I didn’t want to hear a single thing about them—it’d only set back my healing process—and b) she cut all contact with the Hunts because there was too much hurt for any of the Nevans and Hunts to remain friends.
“Maybe you should tell him now.”
“I don’t want to. We don’t discuss our past relationships, and I’ve no desire to start now.” Especially not after the comments Seán made earlier. “Seán has restored my faith in men, and Callan is in the past.” I thrust my shoulders forward. “I’m being ridiculous.”
“You’re not.” Paige squeezes my hand as couples surround our table, starting to take their seats.
“It’s understandable you’d be nervous, but I think you need this, babe.
I think you need to go back to that town and confront your past. It’s the closure you need, and then you can truly move forward and leave it all behind. ”