Twelve months ago, Jim would have smiled politely at the suggestion, horrified at the thought of being fast-tracked to cosy domesticity. But now the thought of a stable relationship, without the highs of a Manhattan romance with someone young and beautiful, or the complexities of an affair with the love of your life, was an appealing one. There was comfort in the ordinary.
‘So what happens next? Now this place is finished?’ said Sarah, putting the bottle down. ‘Are you staying in New York?’
‘No, I’m heading back to London tomorrow, actually. I’m officially the new CEO of the Omari group.’
‘That’s amazing,’ said Sarah, giving him a hug.
‘It’s what I’ve always wanted,’ he said, not convinced by the words coming out of his own mouth. ‘Besides, I can’t turn an opportunity like this down.’
‘What does Jennifer think about it?’ she asked cautiously.
Jim took a sharp intake of breath to compose himself. After his father’s death, he had made a resolution to put Jennifer Wyatt completely behind him, which wasn’t easy, especially given that he was renovating her old home. It had been particularly difficult finding Bryn and Sylvia’s love letters the previous day, a discovery that had unleashed a mixed bag of emotions.
He remembered something his father had said to him – was about to say to him – just before his heart attack: Look what she did with me . . . it was a fuck-you to her mother . . .
At the time, Jim hadn’t known what he meant, but now the knowledge of Bryn and Sylvia’s affair helped him make more sense of what had gone on that summer. Perhaps it confirmed that Jennifer had had no real feelings for Bryn; that it had been a one-off affair. Her relationship with her mother had always been complicated, and so sex with Sylvia’s lover could well have been some twisted cry for attention that hurt all of them.
But right now, it brought little consolation to Jim, reflecting badly as it did on both Jennifer and his father, two people Jim had adored. His feelings about his father were especially complex. Bryn had always been both his tormentor and his hero, but since his death, Jim could barely countenance any negative thoughts about him, even though he knew how unfaithful he had been towards his mother. Death had exonerated his wrongdoings. No, it was best to forget everything about that summer.
‘It didn’t work out between us,’ he said finally.
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ replied Sarah, touching his shoulder.
They were distracted by the appearance of Simon.
‘My new CEO,’ he said, striding over and slapping Jim on the back. ‘What an amazing party. I never doubted for a minute you could do all this.’
‘Well here we are,’ said Jim, g
rateful for the supportive words.
‘For one moment, I thought I saw Connor Gilbert,’ Simon said, glancing back towards the crowd. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he had the bare-faced cheek to turn up here.’
Jim smiled nervously at the mention of his nemesis.
‘I heard about Marshall Roberts,’ said Simon, looking at him over the rim of his glass.
Jim glanced at Sarah, hoping she would take the hint to leave them alone, but she stayed rooted to the spot.
‘It was all sorted,’ he said diplomatically.
‘So I hear,’ chuckled Simon. ‘I thought that showed the sort of initiative I expect from my CEO.’
Jim felt his shoulders sag with relief. Whatever Simon knew about RedReef clearly no longer mattered. He had no idea how his boss had found out about the extortion that was going on at the hotel, but the fact that he had sorted it out had obviously earned him some brownie points.
‘As for Connor, let’s just say I’ve dealt with him,’ said Simon, leaning in more closely. ‘Nothing too serious, just enough pressure to make him sweat with his condo development.’
‘Whatever you’ve done to put that slimeball in his place isn’t enough,’ said Sarah, brazen in her eavesdropping.
Simon roared with laughter. ‘Know Connor Gilbert then, do you?’
‘Unfortunately,’ she snorted.
‘Simon, meet Sarah Huxley,’ said Jim, introducing them.
‘I know who you are,’ said Sarah, extending an eager hand. ‘I just wanted to say how much I loved the cover feature on you in Forbes. I didn’t realise you were from Jaipur. I did my university dissertation on the reign of Man Singh II, the state’s last maharaja.’
Simon’s eyes lit up and the pair began to talk animatedly. Suddenly Jim felt painfully alone.