Chapter 3
Izzy
"That's absurd!" Daddy repeats. "Who told you this? Who, at my office, told you this?"
"Monsieur, I do not know, but I can find out. My assistant called over to me yesterday and told me."
Daddy's voice is demanding. "And you never thought to call me directly and check?"
"Sir, I was instructed not to. That it was a family emergency. My deepest apologies."
"I need to get to the bottom of this."
"Monsieur Drummond, I promise you, I will. As soon as I speak to my assistant, I will get to the bottom of this."
His voice is still firm, irritated. “Call me immediately once you learn something.”
“Oui, Monsieur.”
Daddy ends the call and shakes his head. "This better be good. I did not just sign this agreement for nothing. Nobody makes a fool out of me."
Mum pats his arm. "Wesley, I'm sure that there is a logical explanation for this. It was just a misunderstanding, I'll bet."
"My darling." His voice is soft, but his words are poignant. "Anyone that I do business with had better check twice. This is a slip. And it's unacceptable. Something happened that I want to know about. Nobody better walk on eggshells over this, either, because I'll smell that rat."
Mum looks at us girls. "Why don't you two go and enjoy the day.
I'll settle him down." I don't like how she talks about him like he's not here, nor the fact that she's treating him like a child.
But daddy doesn't flinch at her comment.
In his eyes, mum can do no wrong. It usually works out fine that way, but then, this is the first time in a long time that something has gone awry.
"Are you sure you don't need me for anything?" I ask, addressing them both.
Daddy waves, frustrated. I hate seeing him like this. So upset.
"Take the limo, darling." Mum adds. "Have him come back here to get us."
With a nod, both me and Bowie head outside. "God, I hope this isn't anything too serious." Bowie says.
"Whatever it is, daddy will figure it out, and heads will roll."
"I've never seen this side of your father. It's so disconcerting."
My lips are pursed as I agree. "It is. Daddy is a very level-headed man, but he doesn't like it when his time is wasted. Just like anyone else."
"No, I get it." She changes the subject. "I'm starved. Do you mind if we go somewhere to eat?"
"Definitely. This is Paris."
She blushes.
"What is it?" I chuckle as we walk to the awaiting car.
"Don't think I'm cracked, okay?"
My face scrunches slightly. She's so adorable. "I would never."
"Well, the thing is. Um, I don't really like French food. Like, a baguette or a plate of French fries is as far as I would go."
I can't help but laugh out loud. "God, Bowie. You and I are such similar creatures. It's uncanny. In so many ways, I think we were twins that were separated at birth. I can't stand French food, either. Escargots? Blech!"
She sighs as we get inside the car. "Thank God."
Fortunately, the driver knows the best place to go for North American cuisine. It’s a cute little mom and pop style restaurant only about ten minutes from the site. Unfortunately, the wait for food is insane.
“Your dad was so upset back there. Rightfully so, of course, but it’s so out of character for him."
“It’s not a side that anyone gets to see very often, thankfully, but there’s a reason why my daddy is who he is and has gotten as far as he has in life.
And I’m sad to say it, but if it is one of the girls at the office, I’m afraid that somebody is going to get fired.
That was a pivotal meeting that got completely turned upside down.
It’s unforgivable. In fact, I remember once, my father fired his entire office staff. "
Bowie leans in closer. “Are you serious?"
I nod. “I saw it myself. Daddy didn’t raise his voice or lose his cool or anything.
He walked into the office, having heard that staff were in there poking fun at him.
There was a rumor circulating that he was having an affair with one of the girls in the office.
Of course, at that time, mum and daddy were completely inseparable.
It would’ve been physically impossible. Nonetheless, my mum told me years later that the rumors were disgusting.
She’d overheard some of them and knew who had spread them.
It had created polarity among the staff.
Those who believed that daddy did it and those that didn’t. "
As I’m speaking, Bowie is shaking her head slowly.
“As you can imagine, there were a few unlawful dismissal cases that came from that. But daddy said it was worth the legal fees over having to pay toxic staff members who were doing absolutely nothing for production. And, in fact, a year after, when we had a whole new set of staff, production had doubled. It proved to us all that having a healthy work environment is paramount. Ever since then, daddy only does business with the best. Which is why he’s so upset over this. "
Bowie sips her water through the straw. “I would’ve done the same. Plus, having such a toxic work environment like that, it only costs. Your dad did the right thing."
I scoff nervously. “I’m not saying that it was an easy transition, you know, replacing all your office staff in one fell swoop. If Halen had been around at that time, daddy would’ve struck gold."
“It sounds like he did, anyway."
I agree with her. “And that’s why this is so difficult. The staff that we have now are the original staff from that first turnover. Plus the rest that have joined us since, of course.”
Finally, more than a half hour later, our food is finally delivered to the table.
I watch Bowie dive into hers, while I pick away at mine, realizing after a few minutes that I’m breathing through my nose.
“Does the cheese taste okay?" I ask her. We’ve both ordered a plate of grilled cheese and French fries.
She finishes chewing and then answers me. "Yes, it’s delicious, in fact. Is something wrong?"
I sit back in my chair and fold my arms over my chest. Jetlag doesn’t usually affect me like this. But I have been travelling an awful lot lately. “The cheese just smells off to me. I must be jetlagged or something.”
“I’ve never heard of that before. Are you okay? Do you want to go back to the hotel?”
I wave her off. “It’s fine. I’ll see if they have some ginger ale or some ginger tea.”
“You said yourself that your dad being so angry was upsetting to you. Is it possible it’s your nerves?”
I breathe in deeply and exhale. “I suppose anything is possible. It has been a whirlwind week. A whirlwind couple of months, as a matter of fact. First, my near a proposal with Chas, then the breakup, the merger, and I only just had my gallbladder removed two months ago. I’ve been travelling like a mad woman. Something is bound to give.”
“You should take some time off, Izzy. Things have a way of catching up to you without you noticing it until it’s too late.”
“I figured that was what happened with my gallbladder. Evidently not.”
Bowie gestures for the server. "Do you have ginger ale or tea?"
"We have both."
She looks at me.
"Ale, please."
When the server leaves, Bowie looks at me. "Honestly, I don't know how you do it. When I was in my twenties, I used to travel a lot for Boston, when I worked with him, but I slowed down on the travel after that. It was much more fulfilling to stay on site and work with the people at the plant."
"Well, my job is very staggered. I'm all over the place.
Even when I was convalescing, I worked remotely.
The tasks I have vary by the day, but I'm mostly out of town, collecting valuable input from all the sites, from all conglomerates, everywhere.
I am where daddy and mummy aren't, essentially.
" I touch her hand. "But I'm not complaining by any means. I love what I do. Every minute of it."
"It's very evident, Izzy. But sometimes you have to slow down and listen to your body. It can take months to heal from surgery, and you said yourself that it's only been a couple of months."
The restaurant isn't terribly busy, but I notice a girl sitting alone, and she's been sitting alone this whole time.
She looks enamored with her food, and then a server walks by and brushes the table with a cart, and her napkin is accidentally dropped on the floor.
Instantly, I rise and pick it up for her. "Oh, thanks." She smiles.
"You're quite welcome." I smile back. It comes out before I can stop it. "Are you alone?"
Her English is perfect. She must be American. "I am." She seems friendly enough. "I took my first vacation in five years, and nobody could venture out here with me, so I came alone. Best decision ever." She accentuates the last part, spacing out her words.
"I travel alone often myself. It's the best." I look over at Bowie, and she's smiling. "I'm just with my friend here. Would you like to sit with us?"
"Oh, no. I couldn't impose."
Bowie gestures with her hand. "It's not an imposition. Come on over. Bring your plate with you."
I love how she's so friendly. Always. Girl power.
"Okay. Thanks." She brings her plate, and I take her water for her, and her wine, while Bowie grabs her chair and we scooch on the table to make room for her.
"So, I'm Bowie. I'm from North Carolina." Bowie sticks her hand out for the girl to shake.
"And I'm Isabelle, but everyone calls me Izzy. I'm from Wales." I shake her proffered hand.
"I'm Lark. I'm also from North Carolina." She smiles.
Lark is tall and petite, with long brown hair in loose waves. "Small world." Bowie says. "What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a realtor. Mostly serving the elite, which has its ups and downs. One of the ups being my income, the down is that I hardly have the time to enjoy it. But I love it, so it's worth it." She takes a sip of her water. "What do you two do?"
Bowie lets me speak first. "My family business is called Drummond Motors. We're based in the United Kingdom; however, we do have a site in North Carolina."