Page 99 of The Truth of Us

His answer came immediately. "I think you've been ready for a very long time." The words sat between us. Then he smiled again. "Also, Oliver's coming."

I laughed despite myself. "Of course he is."

"He insisted." My dad added, with a grin on his face I had seen too many times.

"I didn't know he could insist with you."

"Oh, he can't." My father stood. "I simply decided to allow him the illusion." That sounded about right. My father chuckled and then added, “Plus, maybe he will help shake some things up in Chicago.”

The plane felt smaller with Oliver on it. I am not sure how else to describe it, just smaller. My father spent the first hour reviewing documents and pretending not to watch us.

Oliver was swirling a glass of wine beside me, and when he finally took a sip, he followed it with an appreciative groan that had me shooting a look over at my dad.

"I think your father is clearly trying to manipulate me."

I blinked and looked up from my book to look at Oliver. "With alcohol?"

"With investment opportunities," he countered.

I laughed. "You think he's trying to convince you to invest?"

"I know he is," he replied with a wink.

"Maybe you should."

He looked toward my father, and my father looked up from his paperwork and said, "I support this conversation."

I laughed harder, and Oliver shook his head, saying, "See?"

"You'd make money," I pointed out.

He smiled and said, “I don’t think that’s why he'd want me involved."

"No?"

His gaze held mine. "No."

I suddenly found the view outside very interesting.

After a moment, he asked, "Can I ask you something?"

"That depends," I replied, feeling suddenly too warm, but trying not to fidget in my seat.

"On?"

"How invasive it is."

He laughed. "Fair."

I closed my book, my eyes trailing over his features that were both so familiar and different. "What?"

He swirled the wine again, asking, "Why Chicago?"

The question surprised me. "What do you mean?"

He glanced toward my father, then back to me, lowering his voice, "Why did he choose Chicago? Out of all the places in the world he does business, why would he choose for your first major public event with the Foundation to be held in Chicago?"

I blinked. The answer should have been obvious. Business. But our North American headquarters was in New York.... Media, or opportunity. But none of those answers felt right.