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I tilted my head slowly. "What I'm saying is that Audrey is an insanely great person who deserves more than: 'You can't eat cake or you'll gain weight’, and ‘you have to marry this man because I want him in the family.' You probably still think I forced myself on her to take advantage of her vulnerable position."
"Did you?"
Although I took a deep breath, I rolled my eyes. Of course, Matthew had no idea how I had stepped back to give her the space she needed. How I had supported her and pulled her out of a deep hole. How I had been haunted for half an eternity by the fear that in the end she would choose to fly free and start a whole new life where there was no place for me. None of this I wanted to explain to him. For one thing, it was none of his business, and for another, it would fall on deaf ears. If he didn't recognize it himself and preferred to read something into it, that would never be the case... I had probably underestimated when the time was ripe for a conversation.
"You better get used to the idea of your future son-in-law sitting across from you, Matt. Otherwise, this is going to be one of the next big surprises that catches you off guard," I finally said, standing up. "If you're ever ready to go back to the old days, you can come back to me. Until then, I guess this was my last attempt to talk some sense into you."
Part of me said that just to see his reaction. But the other part was completely serious. Audrey would one day be wearing my ring on her finger– and my last name. I had no doubt about it. Rarely had I known anything so precisely.
Matthew stood up as well. "You're not going to get my company."
I started to laugh. "I don't give a damn about your company. I have Audrey. That's all I need."
Actually, that was not the level at which I was operating. It might have been below the belt to give him a verbal slap in the face, but in this case I could not help myself.
If he actually thought that I was interested in taking over his damn business and that I was using Audrey because of it... he was probably beyond help for the moment.
"Obviously, there's really no point in talking. Have a good day, Matt." And most of all, I wished that he would finally come to his senses and realize that it wasn't just about him and his fortune. That would help not only our struggling friendship, but also his family relationships and probably a few other people who were more or less involved in all of this.
Audrey
Even after the opening, I didn't get any rest. The very next morning, after little sleep, I drove to the bookstore to take one of the shifts as usual.
During the week, especially in the early morning hours, there was always so little going on that I could just sit behind the cash register and wallow in my thoughts. Last night had proven to me what can happen when you follow your dreams and commit to your goals. We had worked hard and every minute, every drop of sweat, every threat and every hurdle had been more than worth it. All the guests had been thrilled, we had made new contacts, and we had made a first impression that would be hard to top.
We all kept a low profile and instead made sure the guests were comfortable, problems were solved promptly, and safety was always guaranteed. There were also many conversations. With interested people who had waited outside the building to possibly gain access to the party. With reporters who showed up this morning with a camera crew to cover the event. With journalists who had been bold enough to ask if there would be another video that would spread like wildfire on social media.
I had not been with Lei when he answered the question, but I had heard his answer through Amo. With a wink and the sentence, "The next person who wants to see my girlfriend like this will have to pay a lot of money."
Hardly anyone knew my site still existed. But no longer under the same name and with even more exclusive access. Lei and I used it regularly– without being recorded and betrayed, only no one had to know about it.
Half the shift passed without anything happening. I wasted the other half checking our inventory and selecting books to put on the shelf in Lei's new office.
A few companies had offered him jobs, but he had turned them all down for various reasons. He wanted to focus on the current project and had also started working for some of his former clients on a freelance basis. Not for my father, but that was no surprise after the conversation they had yesterday.
Although my father was obviously trying hard, he seemed to have a hard time not falling back into old patterns. Either he would wake up one day and realize what needed to be done or there would remain forever this state between two planes where neither of us felt comfortable.
Time would tell. Just as it had shown in so many other things.
* * *
From my placeon the floor, I looked up and studied the shelf, which now no longer looked like a loveless decorative element in Lei's office, but much more like a collector's item. It was the proud possession of someone who read a lot, knew a little, and had good taste. In fact, it did not reflect Lei at all, but rather me– and his future reading list.
On the middle shelf, I had placed several books that were directly related to our club's priorities. Visitors to the office would notice them first, and who wouldn't find it a little exciting to discoverKama Sutraon a shelf– and maybe even flip through it? I didn't leave it at that, of course, and ordered a few more books from the broader BDSM field and put them on the shelf. I hadn't read them myself, but since the layout alone was eye-catching and most of them dealt with topics I also encountered in this place, they were quite suitable for the office.
Lei probably wouldn't even remember my complaint in his original office, but I would keep my word anyway. After all, he had told me to make him a more well-read man. Whether he would torture himself with Leonard Cohen’s,Love Lettersremained to be seen.
I placed the last of the books on the lower shelves and rose to take a last look at my work. When he arrived in the morning, he would surely notice the change. Until then, however, I had to control myself and keep my mouth shut so I wouldn't accidentally reveal this surprise to him earlier. After packing my things, I closed the door behind me. But not without taking a look at another office. Kaia was no longer juggling the job at her brother's resort, but was also fully engaged at the club.
Her concentrated gaze was glued to the computer screen. Only when I leaned against the door frame and cleared my throat did she look up.
"You should go home. Aren't Amo and Blake waiting for you?"
"They both flew back to Hilo this morning," she mumbled, glancing at her watch. With a sigh, she pressed several buttons before getting up. "But you're right. That's enough for today. Shall we have a drink?"
"How many hours did you sleep last night?"
"Three."
