“Bianca and I are taking care of it personally.”
Deborah squinted.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Risky business. But we really can’t do worse than my parents.”
“Fair point.”
Last year, for Bianca’s birthday party, they decided she was old enough to have an adult party. Read: five-course meal, a quartet playing classical music, and a goddamn waltz to open the dance.
Her friends had bolted before the cake was even brought out, leaving my parents’ acquaintances as the only guests. It had bored me, let alone my little sister.
The meeting with the developer took well over an hour. I was toying with the idea of opening a third hotel. A risky endeavor, but I was ambitious. He’d given me some food for thought.
I wasn’t cocky enough to think I had all the answers. Sure, I had decision-making power, but I liked listening to other’s viewpoints, especially when they were backed up by hard data. He’d made some interesting observations about making sure the development wouldn’t go up above a certain liquidity threshold. I had to check with the finance department, but that could wait until tomorrow. Now, I had Hailey on my mind.
God, I missed her. We’d gone to dinner a few times since the night she’d gotten sick, but a few hours here and there weren’t enough. I wanted her all to myself all night long.
I called her as I strode through the empty office. Deborah had left too.
“Hello, beautiful,” I said when she picked up. “What are you up to?”
“Just deciding what to have for dinner.”
“Might I suggest me?”
She chuckled. “Not beating around the bush, are you?”
“Have dinner with me. Spend the evening here.”
Hailey was silent for a few beats.
“That
would mean waking up at five to go home and change.”
Fuck. Was she just worried about logistics or was she brushing me off? It wasn’t my style to back off, though.
“You can stop by your house first and get a change of clothes for tomorrow.”
“You, mister, have some very, very good ideas.”
“Does that mean I’ve convinced you?”
“Hmm... the honest answer is yes, but I feel as if I should play coy for a bit longer, you know?”
I laughed. “No, I don’t know. But feel free to explain.”
“Well, what will you think about me if I just agree right out of the gate?”
“That you want to spend time with me just as much as I want to spend time with you.”
“Now you’re really disarming me. Tell me more.”
“You have to agree first.”
“Playing this for all it’s worth, huh?”
“Definitely. Have some aces up my sleeve but won’t reveal them until you’re here.”