I smile to myself, proud of starting the conversation. There. Now he knows I want to talk to him about something, so I can’t get out of it later.
“Well, that worked out perfectly, didn’t it?” He chuckles, then shuffles the papers on his desk into a neat pile and places them on top of the ledger he was looking over. Pushing it to the side, he folds his hands, resting them on the desk in front of him.
“Your marriage to Marianne had been discussed between her father and me for years. We knew our families wanted to be joined, and it made perfect sense. You’re both the same age and got along well enough. You like her, don’t you?”
“Of course I do,” I say with a smile. “We've been friends for as long as I can remember.”
“Good. That’s important these days, right? Liking the person you marry?” I frown. “All I mean is, when your mother and I married, things were different. It didn’t matter if we liked each other. Plenty of people our age are married and can’t stand one another. Thankfully, after some time, your mother and I realized we were fond of each other, but the beginning wasn’t all that easy.”
I’m growing concerned over what he’s saying. Why is he talking about this?
“Is this the good news?” I ask carefully. “That you like Mom?”
He huffs out a laugh. “You’re funny, Theodore.”
I smile, genuinely. I don’t think my father has ever told me I’m funny before. My father doesn’t act this relaxed with me, and I’m not sure why he is now, but I like it. This is who he is with my brothers, the ones who don’t have responsibilities. This is what I’ve always wanted from him—to act as a father and not as a business partner.
“The good news is that our company, Celesti, is partnering with Shadownet, all thanks to you, son.”
“Thanks to me?” I ask, my face screwing up into confusion. I didn’t do a damn thing to make that happen. Marianne’s father is the CEO of Shadownet, a cyber security system.
“Vern trusts our family, Theodore. Apparently, he had a conversation with Marianne, who expressed her true adoration for you and excitement over this wedding. Because of that, he wants to partner.”
My stomach drops at least twenty floors. “Partner?”
“We will provide our clients with one year of free Shadownet protection, starting on your wedding date.” He taps his desk with his palm on the last word, grinning from ear to ear. “Additionally, all Shadownet customers will receive complimentary cloud storage as part of this offer.”
“Shadownet and Celesti?” I mutter, my brain not caught up with what’s going on. I hear his words, but I’m not sure I understand what’s happening.
“Do you understand what this means, Theodore? Do you see what you’ve done for the company? This calls for a celebration and certainly a bonus.” He grins, leaning back in his chair.
“A bonus?”
“That’s right, son. A bonus.”
I don’t care about money; I have plenty of it. But I’ve never gotten a bonus a day in my life. For all the years I’ve worked for my father, I got my salary and an annual increase based off that year’s sales. Not once has he ever offered me a bonus. It’s not that I even need it, but… I did something worthy of a bonus in his eyes.
“Wow, I… don’t know what to say.”
Hope you didn’t send it yet, I have something to tell you?
That would be a good place to start.
“Just say thank you.”
“Thank you.”
The phone on his desk rings, and he holds up a finger as he reaches for it.
“Channing Beaumont. Yes, Remi! Of course. No, no, now’s a perfect time.” He makes the shooing motion for me to get out of his office, and I guess this conversation is done.
He didn’t even give me the chance to say what I needed to say. I use that as an excuse for why I don't tell him about my concerns all the way to my car. And then I push it from my mind completely. How the hell can I call off my wedding now?
Chapter Thirty
Tobias
I stare at my phone, specifically at the request from Charlie for a date on New Year’s Eve and a ridiculous amount of money. Of course he doesn’t say that in the official request, just in the email he sent me afterward, letting me know the deal like he usually does.
