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“Well. That’s… something.” He stares at me a moment as if concentrating. “Do they treat you with respect?”
“Tremendous respect. And they demonstrate their love all the time in many ways.”
“Huh.”
He sounds like me!
“Well, perhaps we can all talk about this together then, if you promise me this isn’t some kind of experiment or a wild-oats fling you’re having.” I shake my head vehemently at him, and he continues. “You said one of them is a chef and the other is a psychologist, yeah?”
“That’s right,” I say, but I can’t imagine where he’s going with this. “They are both brilliant and talented.”
“Do you know what kind of company I run?”
“Just that it’s some kind of investing and that you don’t have a website. Frankly, in this day and age, I find that pretty odd, but…”
“I don’t need one, Petra. We have a very short list of extremely exclusive clients, and they know us without having to refer to a website.”
“Oh?”
“I invest in a few select companies that build exclusive restaurants all over the world. Some are at destination resorts, and some are private clubs, but the one thing that is common is that they are completely top-drawer.”
“Oh!” Suddenly, I feel my hopes rising.
“We may just have a place in the company for a talented writer who can deal with publicity and training manuals, not to mention hundreds of other applications, a psychologist who can evaluate the wants and needs of the prospective customers so we can advise accordingly, and a talented chef who can create wonderfully unique menus. Do you know three people like that?” He grins at me conspiratorially.
“You could find us positions to work in our own fields together in your company? That’s amazing!”
“It’s going to take some hard work and dedication, but the company will eventually become yours anyway. You may as well figure out how to run it.”
“And you would trust me with that responsibility?”
“I hardly have a choice, Petra. I won’t be around much longer. It will be up to you and your men to see to the future of the company. I’ll guide you and give you the best opportunities to learn what you need, and I have managers already in place who will assist you, but this infusion of talent might be just what the company needs. We’ve stalled out a bit over the past year due to my health, I’m sorry to say.”
“How would we do this?”
“First, you’ll need to come to Chicago and meet with the various divisions of the company. Your psychologist friend…”
“Weston.”
“Yes, Weston. He’ll have to meet with the division that evaluates the customer experience possibilities. They’ve been looking for a psychologist to take onboard for a while actually.” He stops then as we hear the sound of the TV turning off downstairs and the voices of the guys sounding like they might be coming up. “Sweetheart, let’s table this discussion for a little later. I’d like to get to know these men a little more before we go on, alright?”
“Sounds good, Dad.” I grab his hand. This is such a bittersweet moment. I have tremendous hope and terrible grief all rolled into one big ball in my stomach. I don’t want to go to Chicago just to watch my dad die bit by bit, but he needs me with him. And this could be the best opportunity—not just for Callum and his future plans—but a way for Weston and me to be involved in a meaningful way as well. I can’t wait to hear what they have to say about it.
Forty-Two
Weston
It’shalftime in the football game, and Bing seems nervous. He’s checked his phone a few times and asked us if we thought Petra was okay. I don’t really get the sense he’s worried about Petra as much as something else, however, so finally I ask, “Do you want to go up and check on them?”
It’s as if I’ve just given him permission the way he jumps up and heads up the stairs. I decide to follow and tell the dogs to follow me so they can go out. Obviously, I could have let them out the back door on this level, but Bing’s worry has me on edge, and I need an excuse to check on Petra too.
Callum is in a group text session with his family who are all gloating over the score that Ohio State has racked up over Purdue at this point. He’s grinning and laughing at their comments, so I don’t want to make him a nervous wreck too. The irony of it strikes me as funny that they are rooting against an Indiana team because his brother Declan was recruited out of state to play football. Blood is thicker than water, as they say.
When I get to the kitchen, I see that the conversation has taken an emotional toll on both Jameson and Petra. Their eyes are red, and they are gripping each other’s hands like a lifeline. If people could somehow manage to look both happy and sad at the same time, Petra and her dad have that covered. I’ll let Petra fill us in later as she sees fit. There is no reason to pump either of them for information.
As soon as I register this, Callum bounds into the room all smiles and announces, “I can have lunch ready in ten minutes.” He heads for the refrigerator and starts pulling out containers of whatever he has in his mind to fix for us.
“Can I help?” Bing asks. Petra and I get out the cutlery and plates and arrange drinks for everyone.
