I pass on dessert when it’s offered. Ivan and Barrett do the same.
Both men are dressed in gray suits and blue ties. That’s where their similarities end. Barrett is on his second glass of whiskey since I arrived at the restaurant. Mr. Garent is nursing what looks like a vodka and tonic. I’m assuming that’s what it is since it’s the only drink he ever ordered when he’d join Duke and me for working lunches or dinners.
I miss those meetings. I miss Duke.
Talking about Rusten’s Reads brought a flood of memories to the surface. Duke was passionate about breathing life into the bookstore since he met the owners a few months ago.
Duke has given dozens of small businesses a second chance. If the owners could convince him that their dream was worth saving, he’d strike a deal to take them under Garent’s umbrella as a subsidiary.
The owners would continue to focus on day-to-day operations, and Duke would find ways to breathe new life into those struggling businesses. I’ve watched him succeed a few times since I became his assistant, but not all of those rags-to-riches stories ended with a happy ending.
Garent Industries is funding several ventures that won’t succeed. I have no doubt that Barrett will shut them down within the next few weeks.
Ivan touches the top of my hand with his finger. “Isabella, I’m leaving in the morning for Boston. I don’t expect to be back in New York for at least a couple of months.”
I manage a small smile. Being near his son is important to him, even if he can’t see Duke at the moment. The Garent family is as close as the Calvetti clan. I understand his need to leave New York City.
“I’ll be checking in with Barrett weekly,” he goes on, “I’ll call you as well. As soon as I’m able to see Duke, I’ll let him know that you’re thinking of him.”
He steals the words right out of my mouth. That’s the only message I want him to convey to my former boss. I’ve never dealt with addiction, so I don’t know firsthand what the Garents are facing, but I’ll do what I can to help.
“Thank you.” I pat his hand.
“We’ll hold down the fort,” Barrett chimes in. “I don’t want you to think about business while you’re in Boston, Ivan. I can handle anything that pops up.”
Ivan nods slowly. “That’s why you’re the CEO. I have faith in you, Barrett. I know that every decision you make will be for the good of Garent. I trust that you’ll only reach out if the matter is pressing.”
I glance at Barrett and the smug smile on his face. Ivan is handing him the keys to the Garent kingdom. Every decision going forward will be Barrett’s alone.
He may not say it aloud, but the look on Barrett’s face is easy to read. The Garent Industries that existed when Duke was the CEO is about to change forever.
***
I wave one final time as I watch Ivan round the corner and disappear out of view. He may live in Chicago, but he keeps an apartment a block from here in a pre-war building.
“I have a car.” Barrett points at a dark sedan parked next to the curb in front of the restaurant. A gray-haired driver sits at the ready behind the wheel. “We can drop you at your place.”
I firm my grasp on the clutch purse in my hand. “That’s wasteful.”
His lips curve into an almost grin. “What’s wasteful?”
I glance down the sidewalk toward the nearest subway stop. “Manhattan isn’t that big. You can get where you need to go by foot, or by subway.”
“The car is a perk of the job, Isabella.”
“It was a perk when Duke was CEO and he took the subway or walked to the office,” I point out.
“I’m not Duke.” He glares at me. “The sooner you accept that he’s no longer your boss, the better.”
I can’t fault him for speaking the truth. He’s not Duke. He’s nothing like Duke.
“How are you getting home?” He questions with a glance at the driver.
“I’m taking the subway,” I say proudly.
The sound of a chime lures his hand to the pocket of his suit jacket. He tugs out his phone. Without a word to me, his fingers fly over the screen.
“The subway is the easiest way to get around the city,” I continue my pitch for public transportation. “Once you get accustomed to it, it’s a breeze.”