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"Yes, I'm sorry. Someone walked in at that most inconvient time. Forgive my language." I answer doing my best to salvage the conversation as best I can. Greg shows me the paper and it says that I'm talking to Mrs. Heathman who is the CEO of the Crimson Pages. It used to be a great magazine but now it's a little more than a soap opera rag. I had set up this meeting long ago to speak with her about buying her company and folding it into Snow Chronicles. So far she'd never really paid any mind to my offers but after that article from Ella, she's more than willing.
I feel like such an idiot thinking that having an article would cheapen our status, it actually helped us get over the infidelity scandal. With that article instead of Ian just being some sort of black mark on our name, we became one of the people. Someone who makes mistakes, a company that knows how to pull themselves out from the bottom. Ella might have single handedly saved us from ruin.
"Should I call back at another time?" Mrs. Heathman asks.
"No, everything is fine now." I answer and buckle down to focus on the conversation. Greg leans back in his chair and lets out a deep sigh. The poor man has been doing his absolute best to make sure the company rides this wave.
He's making sure that I move on with my life. A life that seems more than just a little bit muted.
After the call I pull out the next articles that are supposed to run in tomorrows paper and before I can even get through the first paragraph the door to my office swings open and Ian strolls in. His bright smile fades when he trains his gaze on me.
"Percy, you look like shit."
"You don't look that great either. Asshole." I grumble out and toss the article onto desk.
Greg pipes up, "No man, I think you need to listen to your brother. You look like absolute shit. I thought keeping you busy would be what you needed to help you but honestly it seems like you might be worse now than you were before."
I clamp my teeth together so I don't scream at the both of them. Of course I'm worse now. She's still gone. "I'm fine." I grit out.
"Bullshit. I know you Percy. This isn't fine. You need to take some time off." Ian crosses his arms over his chest like I'm going to be intimidated by him.
"I don't need to do anything Ian. I need to get these articles read and you need to hurry up and tell me why you're here." I snap at him but Ian doesn't flinch. He knows all about my bark by now. I let out a rough exhale and my head falls forward. "I can't take any time off Ian. If I do all I'm going to do is stay in the house and think about Ella. She's not coming back. I don't know where she is and she doesn't want me to know. It's over and I need to get on with my life. That includes working."
Ian moves Greg out of the way and sits down right in front of me, "This is a first. I never thought I'd see the day that the great Percy Snow would become a quitter."
My body tenses as i have to fight the urge to jump across the table and throttle my brother. I know he means well but right now I can't be bothered to hold my temper. "Fuck you Ian, you dont know shit about what I'm going through right now."
"No I don't, but I do know what it feels like to think that there's no hope. I see that shit all over your face." Ian leans forward close enough that I could grab hold of him if I wanted to instead I just wait for him to finish what he has to say.
"It's not hopeless. You read that article and I knew it before than as well. Ella loves you, and a love like that doesn't just disappear over night. She's hiding away from you because she's going through the same things you are right now. She's hurting. She's angry but I would put good money on the fact that she's still in love with you. You can't give up hope. You have to keep on fighting. The girl didn't vanish off the face of the globe. Find her, grovel and get your woman back."
His words strike a chord inside of me. He's right. I can't just give up. "Ian, if she doesn't want to be found how the hell do I go get her. It's impossible." I grumble out.
"Are you kidding me?" Greg says from the side where he's pouring himself a drink, "Percy, you're a billionaire. You never do anything for yourself. It's almost like you don't want anyone else to know that you have emotions. Go a little crazy Percy. Call people in the middle of the night. Act like you want your woman back and people are more inclined to help you get her back."
My mind starts to race as I try to put together the clues that Greg and my brother are trying to give me. I wish I just had a fucking guide book for what you should do when in love. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"If Carrie loves her as much as you think she does, she's going to want her to be with someone that loves her as much as she does. That's you Percy. She knows where Ella is you just need to prove to her that you're not going to give up until she helps you."
"I'd wear a cup though, that girl is scary." Ian shivers dramatically and I roll my eyes at him.
It felt wrong to basically go against my norm, basically stalking my ex's best friend but if it was what I needed to do in order to get some answers I would. I don't want anyone to be able to say that I didn't give this everything I have.
"Greg, you think you can-"
"If you ask me if I think I can handle running the company I've been running the past week and a half I'm going to quit." Greg glares at me and I put my hands up in surrender. I can't have him doing that.
"Ian, how are the plans and things going with the restaurant? Do you need me on anything pressing?"
"No I need my sister in law. I'm not going to ask you for decor advice."
Sister in law. I thought about marriage before but after Ella left me I figured that was off the table. I don't want to dangle that over her head if she does give me a chance to explain what happened but I damn sure want to get my ring on her finger as soon as possible if she lets me.
Ella is my everything and it's time I start acting like it.
"Fine, you two do what you have to do here and make sure someone has some bail money for me." I stand and pick up a few items that I want to have with me like my cellphone and my ipad. I don't think I'm going to have any time to keep up with what's going on here.
Greg and Ian share a look before they turn to look at me, "Bail money? Why the hell would we need bail money?" Ian asks.
