I gave her a wink before I spun back to Asta to help her put everything I had just purchased into a bag.
When Asta had shoved me out of the office that morning, telling me that getting out of the house would be for my good, I had no idea that the day would turn out the way it had.
After leaving Agotia’s stall, I wanted to return to the lodge as soon as possible. If she was coming over tomorrow for dinner, I needed to ensure the crew I had hired to do the repairs on the lodge was on time. I had arranged with Lucas for him to start working on the landscaping, but there was nothing to be done before Agotia visited that account.
If Asta noticed my nervous pacing and irritation with the renovation crew today, she refrained from commenting. I had woken up an hour earlier than usual and had gone on a run to try to burn off part of my energy. When that didn't work, I powered on my computer and spent half the day sorting through emails and contracts that needed my attention. Just as I could truly focus, the phone in my pocket started to buzz. I picked it up and answered without looking at who was calling.
“Alexander.”
My eyes popped open at the familiar matronly voice. I did not need to see her face to know that my mother was just as concerned for me as Nori.
“Yes, mother?” I asked with a warm smile.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her words painting the picture of her icy blue eyes, the lines in her forehead becoming more pronounced the longer I held the silence.
“Working. Is there something you need?”
“You know that is not what I am asking. Do not be coy with me.”
I chuckled warmly at her directness. No one else would dare to speak so candidly with me, but no one else was my mother.
“I have no doubts that you have already heard of my conversation with Nori. You know exactly what I am doing,” I told her, arching an eyebrow at the voice on the other end of the phone.
"I know you are in Voss, and you claim it is to take care of your grandfather's house and strategize. But there is more to it than that. Otherwise, you would have just hired someone to do the work."
I shut my eyes again, trying to decide what level of honesty I could afford.
"Bridget is refusing to leave me alone. She calls me constantly, showing up at the offices and my condo. I cannot think, work, or be productive with her acts, and the media picked up the story too. I just needed space to clear my head before acting rashly and causing regret."
The words were angry but truthful. I had reached my breaking point, and if I wanted to maintain any semblance of decorum, I needed space. My mother said nothing for several seconds as she processed the information. I am sure she had heard of Bridget's behavior, but I doubt my mother realized what a nuisance she had become.
"She's threatened to go to the press and sell them some salacious stories about me if I don't change my mind about our breakup. And I will not. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better, and the chaos will die down much quicker if I am not around to be hounded with questions and photographed at every opportunity. Here, I am just another face in the crowd, and that is exactly what I need right now."
My mother stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "alright."
It lacked her usual conviction. For the first time since I packed my bags last night, I wondered if I had made the right decision, leaving New York for the summer.
“What is it, Mother? What’s wrong?”
She huffed out a laugh, the sound tired and a bit forced.
"You were always the noble one of my children, always ready to jump in and save the day if you suspected anything was out of place. I hate that the Fredericksons name is being dragged through the mud. I can only imagine what your father would say if he were here.”
"If he were here," I say, "none of this would have happened. He was smart enough to see through Bridget and would have warned me against her. He was smart enough not to share family secrets with anyone who was not family. It is a mistake I will not repeat."
My words were stiff and cold, but I was angry with myself more than anyone else.
“It is not your fault, Alex. None of this is. You could not have seen that this would happen.”
It was my turn to laugh at my mother's words.
"Sometimes we never really know people until they show us. Eventually, the media will get bored, and you can return to a normal life."
“That’s the plan.”
We ended the call after a few more minutes, and I remained in the room's silence, pondering my mother's words. It was not the advice that stuck with me but rather the fact that my thoughts were no longer circling Bridget for the first time in a long time. Instead, they had been around a Norwegian native with the most beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair - Agotia.
Chapter six
