by Parker, Ali
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I approached the subject of a merger with Mae.”
He winced. “It didn’t go well?”
“No. No, it did not. She took offense to my offer of thirty-three percent interest.”
He made another face. “Are you surprised?”
“Kind of. My company is worth ten times what her museum is. I thought my offer was generous. She did not see it that way. I upped it to forty-nine percent and she acted like I tried to buy her for a goat.”
“I think that is a very generous offer,” he agreed.
“She didn’t.”
“What’s really going on? In the business world, that offer would have been jumped at by anyone with a true financial interest. Did you insult her? Does she just not like you?”
I looked down at the black slacks I was wearing in preparation for the now canceled meeting. I picked at invisible lint before looking back at him. “I don’t think I insulted her. I think she does like me, but she does not like me as the man I am at work.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means we are a thing. I don’t know what that thing is, but we enjoy each other when we are not talking business.”
He laughed. “I figured that much.”
“She doesn’t want me to have control of her museum. I wasn’t suggesting I would be her boss but that is the way she sees it. She came to me with her own offer, bringing her lawyer in tow. The papers give her fifty-one percent interest. How could I possibly agree to that? What if things go badly with us? Not that they are going anywhere at the moment, but what if what we have fades?”
“Why would it fade? You have told me very little about her, you, and your past, but it’s obvious there is a strong bond between you. How long have you pined after this woman?”
I smirked. “Fifteen years, give or take a year.”
“Yeah, I don’t see this fading. You’re scared.”
“Hell yeah, I’m scared. She wants control of my company. I spent the bulk of my life preparing and building that company. I’m not interested in just handing it over.”
“Are you handing it over?”
“You know what I mean.”
“Admit it. You are terrified you are handing over your heart with the company. You are a very guarded man, Tyson. You let no one in. The percentage of control is essentially a metaphor for your heart. You are worried about giving up that tight hold on you. The you under the façade.”
“I’m not a fake,” I argued.
“No, you are not, but you are reserved. I’ve only managed to catch a glimpse of who you are on occasion. I’ve been able to figure out what makes you tick because I’m smart like that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course, you are. This is different. This is my company. My means. How in the hell am I supposed to sign that over? Is that even a little fair?”
“Technically, no. Do you trust her?”
“With?”
“All of it. Do you trust her? Do you think she is after your money?”
“Mae isn’t like that.”
He slowly nodded. “You do not believe she is after your money.”
“No.”
“Does she want your company?”
That one, I had to think about for a second. “I don’t think so. She’s very independent. She likes to do things for herself. Her museum makes her very happy. I think she just wants to have it all to herself.”
“So, she doesn’t want your money or your company,” he surmised. “She only wants control of her museum.”
“Yes.”
“Then why would she want to merge with you at all?”
He made a good point. “The financial help I could offer her. I could help her fulfill all the wishes she has for her museum.”
“Did you ask if she wanted your help?”
“No, but I am offering it.”
He shook his head. “And she is essentially declining your offer. She doesn’t want you to be her overlord. I can’t say I blame her. You said you built your company from the ground up and poured your blood sweat and tears into it. What about her? You took her last business. I would guess she’s a little gun shy.”
“I didn’t take it!” I argued.
“You did.”
“But I paid for it. A lot. I gave her family a huge payout so they could be comfortable.”
“You said she isn’t about money,” he reminded me.
“This is why you shouldn’t have left me,” I said. “I’m clearly helpless. I can’t make a right decision to save my life.”
He laughed. “You are fine. This isn’t a business matter. This is a matter of the heart. You were going to step in the shit with or without me.”
“Fuck. I really fucked this up, didn’t I?”
“I cannot tell you what to do. This has to be your decision. This is what I have to say on the matter. To me, forty-nine percent of a very healthy company with a very high revenue stream is more valuable than having zero percent of someone you care about. Love even. You have to decide if it’s the company or her that is most important to you.”
I groaned. “Now you sound like her.”
“She wants you to prove you care about her. I don’t know what has happened between you, but it sounds like she might not completely trust you.”
I didn’t like the sound of that but considered it was likely true. “And to make her trust me, I have to give her my company.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. You are not giving it to her. You are sharing it with her. You can always have some legal verbiage put in that allows you to make certain decisions if you are worried. I don’t think that is going to be the problem. She is only trying to make sure you don’t run roughshod over her and her ideas for her museum.”
“I wouldn’t do that!” I protested.
He shrugged. “Tell her, not me. Tell her how you feel or you’re going to lose her.”
The way he said it sounded dire. It was terrifying. I didn’t want to lose her. I had lost her once. Instead of dwelling on a subject I couldn’t quite fit into a box just yet, I asked him about his work and life in the Seattle area.
After catching up for a while, it was time to say goodbye. “I should probably let you get back to work. Thank you for giving me so much of your time. And your great advice.”
“Anytime, Tyson. Really, anytime. Pick up the phone and call me or grab the keys to your jet and come over for dinner.”
I laughed. “I’m not sure it works like that, but I will keep it in mind.”
I got up and shook his hand before leaving him in his office. I wished like hell he would come back. I couldn’t ask him to. I couldn’t guilt him into saving me from myself. I walked through the lobby and was resolute in my decision to leave Alec be. He was doing great and was very happy. I wouldn’t get in his way.
I had made the mess and it was up to me to clean it up. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about the Mae situation, but he had given me some excellent insight. It was up to me to decide what to do with it. I was at a crossroads.
I was drawn to her. I knew without a doubt I would always be drawn to her. Even if by some chance I ended up with another woman in my life, it would always be Mae. She would be the woman every other woman was compared to.
I didn’t know if she felt the same way about me, which was the real problem. I was a chickenshit. I didn’t want to show my cards first. It felt very adolescent. Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.
Chapter 49
Mae
I leaned my ass against the edge of the kitchen counter and sipped on my coffee while Hayden chatted away about a test she was preparing for. I liked our morning routine. It was nice to have someone to talk to. Living alone could be lonely. I never realized just how lonely until I had someone to share my mornings with. I liked having someone to chill with in the evenings. We would watch our favorite reality shows, get excited by a performer, and give running commentary.
“How is J
ared?” I asked her.
She blushed, as always. “He’s fine.”
“How late did you stay up texting with him last night?”
Her mouth fell open. “How did you know?”
“I would say because I’m a mom and moms know. Since I can’t make that claim, I’m going with I’m a girl and I have spent many nights staying up late texting a boy.”
“Really?”
“I’m not a dinosaur. Or a nun.”
She giggled. “I forget sometimes.”
“Ha ha. Very funny. What do you guys talk about?”
“I don’t know. Stuff.”
I rolled my eyes. “Way to be vague.”
She was quiet for a second before she looked at me. “He asked me to be his girlfriend.”
I sipped my coffee, giving myself a few precious seconds to process the information. I was thrilled for her, but I was also worried for her. Young love was a very difficult sea to navigate. It always ended with heartbreak on both sides. There was also the little matter of contact. Did I have to have the talk with her? The thought made me very uncomfortable. It was necessary but I was dreading it and hoping to put it off just a little longer.
“That’s exciting,” I said with a bright smile. “What did you say?”
“I told him I would think about it.”
I burst into laughter. “Good girl. Make him wait.”
“I don’t know what I should say. I’ve never had a boyfriend.”
I sent up a silent prayer that I would say the right thing. “There isn’t a lot to it. The most important thing is you are friends and you respect each other. You respect what one another are feeling. You respect each other period, even if you get in an argument.”
“What about kissing and stuff?”
“If you are okay with kissing and holding hands, then that is up to the two of you to decide. I will ask that you remember you are thirteen and you are not ready for some things yet.”
She turned bright red. “Mae!”
I laughed. “I’m sorry. I just want you to know you can talk to me. Don’t rush this. Your first real love is going to be a doozy. You’ll know if Jared is your true love. You either feel it or you don’t. If you don’t, go with the flow. No pressure but don’t do anything you will regret.”
“How do I know I will regret it?”
Tough question. “I want to say you have to listen to your gut.”
“But?”
“But I don’t know if we always get a sign. I think we do, but damn if we don’t get caught up in the moment and ignore all those signs.”
She looked at me like I was crazy. “Uh, okay.”
I reminded myself she wasn’t me. Jared wasn’t Tyson. They weren’t us. They weren’t going to fall madly in love and then walk away without a second glance backward. “Just have fun. Don’t let it get too serious.”
“I’m not going to marry the guy,” she spat.
“Fine, then don’t have sex with him.”
“Mae! Oh my god! I’m not!”
I shrugged. “Good. I just wanted to put that out there. Now that we have that out of the way, are you ready to go?”
“I wanted to talk to you about something else,” she said. The way she said it told me it was serious. If she told me she was pregnant, I wasn’t sure what I would do.
“What’s up?” I asked, doing my very best to sound casual.
“I was thinking about going to see Mom and Dad,” she blurted out.
“What?” I nearly choked.
“I kind of miss them.”
“I understand that,” I said, trying to be calm and rational. “Hayden, Mom and Dad are not healthy people to be around.”
“They might need groceries or laundry done,” she said.
“Hayden, I hate that you think you have to do those things for them. They are parents. They are the ones who should be doing things for you.”
“It’s not a big deal. I do a grocery order and it will be delivered. They don’t always eat. You saw Mom. She was hungry.”
I shook my head. “If she is hungry, she can make herself dinner. She can order groceries. You do not need to take care of her.”
“She needs help,” she insisted. “They both need help.”
“Yes, they do. They are adults and they can get help if they want it. That’s the problem. They don’t want the help. They like living in a fog. They like feeling numb.”
“Mae, just one visit,” she begged.
I bit my bottom lip. “Hayden, I get it. I really do. I felt the way you do for a long time. Too long. I clung to the hope they would wake up one day and be better. Patrick always told me to give up hope. I couldn’t do it. I hung on for years and I have to tell you, it sucked. I cried a lot. I was miserable. I gave up a good part of my youth to their addiction. I can’t let you do that.”
“I’m just talking about a visit.”
I slowly shook my head. “It starts out that way. Then you get sucked back in. Think back to those days when you first came here. Do you remember how sad you were? How often you cried?”
She nodded. “I guess.”
“It hurt. I know it hurt you. It took you a couple of weeks to recover. I don’t want you to go back to square one. You have moved forward. You’ve been so happy. I don’t want you to see them and fall back into old habits. I think it is best for you to keep your distance for a while longer. I know you want to help them, and I love you for wanting to help. You’re a good person. Let me protect you just a little.”
“I don’t need protection,” she retorted.
I smiled. “Yes, you do. You are a young girl who needs and deserves protection. I am going to do that. I can’t forbid you from seeing them, but I am asking you to give it some more time. You need to live your life. You need to find happiness. Once you find that and you are settled, then visit them. Then, it will be easier for you to walk away.”
She let out a long sigh. “Fine. But I think we are all they have. We are the only ones that can help them.”
“No, they are the only ones that can help them. Remember that. This is on them. This is not on us to fix. We will be wasting our time and spinning our wheels if we try to give them help they don’t want.”
She was quiet for several seconds. “Fine. I won’t go over there. But should I call?”
“Even that is risky, but I understand if you want to check in. Just promise me you will keep it at that. Don’t let her or him pull you into their tales of woe. Whatever situation they are in is of their own doing.”
“I know. I get it. I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you. Now, we better get a move on or you are going to be late.”
“And you.”
I winked. “I’m the boss. I’m never late.”
She giggled as we walked out of the door. “I’m going to be a boss one day.”
I was glad I could be an inspiration to her. It made me feel good. “I have no doubt that you will.”
I drove to the school, getting in the drop-off line. I pulled to a stop. “I’ll see you later,” she said, opening the passenger door.
“Tell Jared I want to have a long talk with him. I want to make sure he knows what he is getting into.”
“No!” she squealed and jumped out of the car.
I burst into laughter, nearly ramming my car into the bumper of the car in front of me. I got myself together and headed back onto the road. It was fun being able to tease her. I prayed she would take my advice and leave our parents alone. It took me going to college to finally get some clarity. It didn’t happen right away. I still had a hard time not falling into the old traps.
I was almost to the museum when I got a call from Tyson. I experienced a combination of emotions. I felt angry and then hopeful and then worried he was going to tell me he shredded the contracts I dropped off. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised. He was certainly taking his sweet time to give me an answer.
“Hello,” I answered, pretending like it was totally no
rmal to get a phone call from him.
“Hi,” he replied.
I waited for him to say more. He said nothing.
“Tyson? Did you want to say something?”
“Yes. Are you busy tonight?”
That was not what I was expecting. “Not necessarily. Why?”
“I would like to invite you to dinner. My house.”
“Your house?”
“Yes.”
“Dinner?” I questioned. In reality, I was stalling. I didn’t know what to say.
“Yes. I want to talk, and I was thinking it would be better to talk without interruptions.”
I was a little worried but there was no point in worrying about what I didn’t know. “Sure, I guess.”
“Great. Is seven too late?”
“No, that works. I’ll let Hayden know.”
“I’ll see you then. Italian okay?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Italian is perfect.”
“See you soon,” he said and ended the call.
I parked my car behind the museum and took a minute to process. Dinner at his house sounded serious. Then again, it could be a repeat of what happened in the Egyptian Sky room. Suddenly, I was pissed. The man better not be planning to try and persuade me with a good dinner and sex. I wasn’t going to be bought off.
I was stalwart in my decision. I would not give him control. I couldn’t do it. I needed to know what he was willing to sacrifice. I would never take the man’s company. I didn’t want his money. I didn’t want his business. I wanted my own business without anyone interfering. For too long, I had given up control. First my parents, then Patrick and now Tyson. I couldn’t do it.
I would entertain his thoughts and his explanations, but I was not going to change my mind. I wasn’t going to let him have fifty-one percent of my museum. He could wine and dine me all he wanted. It wasn’t going to happen.
I went to the back door, using my key to unlock it, and walked inside. I inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of old. It was such an odd, unique smell that I doubted most people would notice, but I did. It was the smell of independence and freedom. My independence. My freedom.
