For now.
It took a minute to swallow my pride, then I called Harrison.
He picked up immediately. “Hey, bro?—”
I cut to the chase. “Did you put yourself up for the UK position?”
Harrison barked a laugh. “Heck no. You think I want that much responsibility? I was as surprised as you are.”
Maybe that was true, but if there was one thing that’d always motivated Harrison, it was competing against me in anything he could. Even if he didn’t want the job, he couldn’t resist doing something sure to annoy his big brother.
I exhaled slowly and rubbed at my jaw. “What’s he even thinking? There’s no chance you’re more qualified. While I was working internships and co-ops and taking classes, you partied your way through college.”
“Thanks for the support, bro,” he muttered dryly.
“He’s lost his mind,” I said, ignoring my brother. “He’s never had a problem with my work ethic before, but suddenly not taking PTO is a crime and you’re getting rewarded for a two-month honeymoon?”
“Hey. Don’t take this out on me. He’s just worried about you,” Harrison said. “Especially when you blew us off last night for work.”
I gritted my teeth to stop myself from correcting him. It wasn’t blowing off when I never said I’d be there.
“What happened to rewarding hard work?” I asked. “He built this company from nothing, and I’m doing everything I can to add to his legacy. Instead of seeing that, he’s complaining because I missed one Christmas.”
Harrison coughed. “Well, three Christmases.”
I paused. “What?”
“You missed the last three Christmases. Not just one.”
Huh. I could’ve sworn it’d only been one.
“Grandfather sees everything you do for the company,” Harrison added. “He just wants you to take more time off and see your family outside the office. …Unless you hate us all now and that’s why you’ve avoided anything family-related outside of my wedding?”
My lips thinned. This was the first I’d heard he felt that way.
“I don’t hate you.” My relationship with our mother might be strained with her hopping from one husband to the next faster than anyone could keep up with, but they were my family. I loved them. …If I needed to go on a little vacation for my grandfather to see that, so be it. “Fine. Guess I’m doing this yacht thing. How soon do we leave?”
Harrison snorted a laugh. “As lovely as it would be to see you martyr yourself by taking aluxury vacation on a superyacht, you don’t need to. I know you want to run the UK division, and you don’t have to worry about me stepping on your toes. I’ll tell Grandfather I’m not interested.”
“I don’t need a pity promotion.” I scowled, knowing my brother would hold that over me for decades if he thought he had a hand inletting meget anything. “If the old man wants to see me take a vacation, then I’ll get on the damn yacht. When do we leave?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, about that. We ship out tomorrow, but it’s not a boys’ trip this year. Madison turned it into a whole romantic getaway thing with some friends. She’s spent weeks curating a ‘small, intimate guest list.’ No party crashers allowed.”
“Then just add me to the guest list,” I said. “There’s plenty of room on board.”
He blew out a long breath. “It’s couples only. Sorry, bro.”
My brows rose. “Couples only?”
“Afraid so. Madison follows an influencer who raves about how ‘life-changing’ it is to travel with other couples. She has a week of stuff planned out and made at least two dozen inspiration boards while putting it together. Honestly, the number of pink flowers involved makes me nauseous.”
Part of me wanted to throw in the towel and tell Grandfather I’d tried, but he’d never liked half-assed attempts. I had to see this through.
“That’s fine,” I said as an idea sparked. “I’ll bring someone.”
“… You’ll what?”
“I won’t be solo. I’ll bring a date.”
