“A good talk?” he asks on a laugh. “To hear him tell it, you practically sweet talked him into buying the damn university and the charity you’re raising money for. He was impressed, and believe me, he doesn’t give out compliments easily. I’ve known Chris for over twenty-five years, and he’s a straight shooter. If he says you’re good, he damn well means it.”
“Thanks. That means a lot.” This is the second compliment I’ve gotten from my dad in the past few weeks, and it feels good.
“Are you and Fallon flying out for Thanksgiving? Because your mother and I might stay up at the cabin over the holiday. You’d be welcome to join us, of course. I thought maybe we could have lunch that weekend, you, me, and Chris. We could talk shop.”
My parents own a cabin about an hour away from here, and it won’t be the first holiday we’ve spent there, but this will be the first business lunch my dad has ever invited me to. “Uh, yeah. That sounds great. I’m not sure what day we’ll get up there. Fallon and I haven’t made plans yet, but I’ll let you know.”
“Good, good. Listen, Oliver, you’ve made a goodimpression, and this is a solid opportunity for you. I have quite a few acquisitions on the East Coast, and it’s tough to keep going back and forth. I need someone to manage them for me, especially since Chris and I are considering joining forces to get in on the ground level of a resort that’s in the planning stages. It’s not far from where you are now, and if you keep living up to your potential, I think this could be a good fit for you. We can talk more about it over the holiday. Let your mom know when you’re coming up to the cabin, okay?”
“Yeah, absolutely. Definitely. Great,” I sputter as he says goodbye and hangs up the phone. I don’t even know what my dad just offered me, but I know I’m going to take it.
With just one phone call, my day got exponentially better. I can’t wait to tell Fallon. And forget tacos. She prefers enchiladas, so I better pay for my coffee and get my ass to the grocery store.
35
Fallon
I’ve been avoiding Ollie all week. I really do have a Calc test tomorrow, and a project to work on for one of my design classes, but mostly I’ve been hiding from my husband.
And that’s bad.
But my grandparents want an answer. They are ready to go to the Dean with what they know about Ollie’s extracurricular activities, unless I agree to “take a break” and go on this trip. But we all know it’s not a break. And we all know it’s not just a trip. Ollie won’t ever go for something like this, so if I leave, I have to sever ties with him completely. I’d have to lie and say that this has all been a mistake. Otherwise, if I tell him I want to travel, he’ll start looking at flights and sending me ideas. He’s already talking about taking time off after graduation to do some backpacking in Europe.
He couldn’t be more perfect for me.
It’s hard to look at him without confessing everything that’s going on, but I have to keep my mouth shut. Things will be worse if I don’t.
When we made love late Sunday night, I felt like he took a piece of my soul. We connected so deeply, and I don’t want to lose that.
But I can’t let my grandparents ruin his future.
My phone lights up and I nearly jump off the couch. I’m on edge, afraid that every text or phone call is going to be Gran asking for an update, or worse—Ollie calling to tell me that someone leaked his MyFans account to the Dean.
There’s no need for alarm, though. It’s just Emersyn.
Em: So…what’s up? Any big news?
Fallon: Getting spontaneously married wasn’t big enough?
Em: That was weeks ago. It’s old news.
Fallon: Not much else to tell here. How about you? How’s the wide world of ice dancing?
Em: Competitive as hell. Just the way I like it.
Em: But seriously. You have nothing to tell me?
Fallon: No…and don’t even think about asking me if I’m pregnant. I have an IUD, and I told Booker years ago that he’s responsible for siring grandchildren.
Em: Damn right he is. That’s not what I was asking.
Em: What I want to know is why you’re spending New Year’s in Paris? Is that your honeymoon? How freaking romantic. Although, tbh I expected something a little more creative from Ollie.
Fallon: What are you talking about?
Em: I just talked to Gran. She said we all have to come home for Thanksgiving because you’ll be in Europe by mid-December. I told her I’ll be in Japan for Thanksgiving, so she suggested we all visit you in France for New Year’s.
I love my grandmother. I really do, but she’s taking things too far. I know damn well Gran never mentioned Ollie in these plans. Em just assumed. And why wouldn’t she? He’s my husband. But by telling Em I’m going to Europe, she’s forcing my hand. For the thousandth time, I wonder what would happen if I told Ollie. If there’s a way we could mitigate the damage. He hasn’t posted in weeks, not since we’ve been married. Shouldn’t that count for something?
