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“There’s a quiet area inside still if you want to consume these in peace?” he asked me, and I took up the opportunity. For now, I wanted to be away from everything. I was hurting and trying to process my feelings.
I went inside to find Richard sitting by himself in a corner and I went over to join him.
“Too much for you as well?” Richard asked.
“Of course. But it’s easy enough from here. Just smile and be nice.” I settled in while Henry went off to get himself refreshments as well. He had found me a good whiskey and I noticed Richard had something similar.
“Managed to find the next project you like from all these would-be builders?” Richard asked.
“Not yet, but I know there’s always a list I could work on. If one of them says something interesting, I’ll see what I can do about it.” I sat back and surveyed the room while I ate and considered this new piece of the puzzle. Maybe Richard could help me find something that would be a much better fit for Kit.
“What have you found? Anything similar to this?”
He thought for a moment, chewing on some kind of pastry as he considered the question.
“We’re done with this sort of building for a bit. Got to get this up and running and make the investors happy, of course, but I know there were a few people talking about doing something similar over in LA. Not sure what they plan, but some kind of movie thing.”
I nodded, not sure who that would have been but grateful for the information. It might help.
“Not that we want too many people to copy us exactly. At some point we’ll want to expand.”
“Naturally. Would you consider it if the right investor came along?”
Richard looked at me for the first time as if trying to figure out what I might mean by the suggestion.
“You’d have to talk to Sarai if you were thinking of something like that. She’d have to feel like we weren’t stretching ourselves. Only she knows when the team here will be ready for us to back off.”
“Understood,” I replied and let it go for now. I knew it was a big ask to suggest we should do more than we had together, but I also knew I liked the idea. If I could make it up to Kit and keep her in the US a little longer, maybe she would give me another chance. But I wasn’t sure I could hope for it. Was all this a fool’s errand?
CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN
By the time we’d finished eating, Henry was back with us, some of the other tour guides had reappeared, and more and more people were coming into the building to get food. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable and worried that I would get bombarded with more people looking to get my time and attention, but we were still tucked away enough and a group of men standing and talking near the end of the food table partially obscured us from view.
I was considering getting myself a second helping, letting Henry take care of himself, when Kit and her friends came in. She appeared to have recovered and they were all talking happily together. I was grateful she was herself again, and enjoyed the view of her in the dress once more.
Richard coughed beside me a few seconds later, and as I looked toward him, he glanced at her and back to me. I swallowed and considered my next words carefully.
“Sometimes opportunities turn into regrets. I think maybe I should put a few things right.”
“Want me to see what I can do, boss?” Henry asked, making it clear he had also noticed.
I shook my head instinctively. “It’s for me to do, not anyone else. Not this one. If it’s even possible.”
“Good luck with that.” Richard got up, Sarai calling him over to her. She was with their investors again and I knew they would be busy for a while.
“I know I’ve been vocal about my opinions on certain people on this project over the months, but if I’ve influenced a decision that’s led to you being unhappy, I apologize,” Henry said before finishing off his drink.
“No. It’s not you either. Honestly...” I trailed off and ran a hand through my hair. I didn’t know how to put this into words.
“Need a hand, boss? I mean it—I’m willing to help.”
Again I didn’t want to answer in the positive. “I need time to process stuff. There was a misunderstanding and I thought something was true that I’ve discovered wasn’t today. It changes…everything.”
“But you don’t know if she would be interested?”
“Let’s assume I screwed that up, shall we?”
Henry nodded, and I got up.
