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"I'm on it. We'll update the presentation and the numbers."
"Good. You know what to do, so do it. I want it on my desk in one hour."
"You got it." He left the next second. Ben was good, great even, but he was still soft on negotiations, and he needed a push every now and then. I, on the other hand, was tenacious. He would eventually learn how to do this, but it would take time.
I got up from behind my desk, stretching my legs and glancing out the window. From up here, I couldn't even see Wall Street properly. I was on the fortieth floor and could literally see over the tops of other buildings. The skyline of New York was lighting up. It was six o'clock in the evening. Most people would prepare to leave work for the day, but Wall Street didn't tick like that. Burning the midnight oil wasn't just necessary, it was expected.
I heard my phone vibrate on my desk and went to pick it up. Thinking this might be the client calling to complain about the proposal we sent, I was surprised when Grandmother's name flashed on the screen.
"Grandmother," I said quickly, curious as to what this call could be about. The CEO search was in motion, though I hadn’t had any time to fill in my grandparents on the latest details.
"Jake, how are you?"
"Just fine. Working as usual. You know me."
"At this time of day? Wait, it's practically morning for you, isn't it?" she asked sarcastically.
"No, I'd say dinner counts as lunch break around here."
"Oh, my boy,” she tsked. “I was calling to ask how the CEO search is going."
"We have three leads now. I only like one of them. The rest were not a good fit.” I'd taken one look at their résumés and called the recruiting firm back, berating them for even wasting my time by sending them.
"Oh yes, it's the one who can only start in six months, right?"
"Correct."
"Hmm."
I knew that tone of voice. Grandmother was preparing to emotionally blackmail me again. Ever since I came back from Boston two weeks ago, I’d been searching high and low for a CEO, putting out feelers everywhere. This wasn't going to be an easy process, or a quick one.
"Have you given our question more thought?"
I put a hand on top of my leather armchair, looking out the window.
"I have. There is no possibility of me being able to put things on hold here to come to Boston."
"You can't or you won't?"
Straight to the point as always.
“Both,” I admitted. No sense in lying. She’d figure it out anyway.
"Mm-hmm, I thought as much. Well, that was too much to ask, I suppose."
I straightened up, suspicious of her tone. It sounded resigned, and that was not my grandmother's modus operandi.
"Now, I know we've talked about my ninetieth birthday," she continued.
"Yes, ma'am."
“The lovely event planner I've hired had a wonderful idea. She suggested a destination party."
A destination party for a ninety-year-old? That was the most insane thing I'd heard.
"Okay," I said, trying to sound neutral. "Where would the destination be?"
"That depends on you."
