Mr Right Stuff

by Sophie Brooks

  The three of us shared that corner dorm room for an entire year and then rented an apartment together after that. We still lived together now and knew each other well enough that I could confidently say, “His manager probably offered him a gazillion dollars to stay on.”

  “Probably,” Julie agreed. Dan was an assistant manager at a tire and auto shop, and they loved him there. That was due partly to the fact that though he had a business degree, he didn’t mind helping out in the garage when needed. Despite living with Julie and me, Dan was a real man’s man. “Too bad he can’t stay. I liked visiting him there.”

  I laughed. What Julie actually liked was the way the mechanics fawned over her when she went to visit. Well, they fawned over me, too, but that was often more embarrassing than enjoyable. Julie was a fair-skinned blonde while I had brown hair and an olive complexion—yet I was the one who blushed at the slightest provocation. Sometimes life wasn’t fair.

  Glancing at my watch, I winced. “I’ve gotta go, hon.”

  “Okay, but turn in your letter or else!”

  Julie’s parting words echoed in my ears as I made my way back to my desk. I grabbed my letter and headed to Mrs. Henderson’s office.

  Entering my boss’ office, I almost ran into her. Mrs. Henderson was standing near the door, rifling through a file cabinet. “Ah, there you are, Kate. Do you have a car?”

  It seemed like a non-sequitur, but I nodded.

  “Good,” she said. “I need you to take some paperwork over to the Grants.”

  “Who?”

  Mrs. Henderson rolled her eyes and marched over to her desk, tossing a folder onto it. “You are aware that you work for Grant Industries, aren’t you? As such, our department occasionally interacts with the founder and president of the company, Walter Grant.”

  “Yes, of course,” I said, flustered. I’d worked here for almost a year without ever exchanging a syllable with anyone named Grant. Why on earth was I being sent to one of their houses now?

  My boss flipped open the folder, pulled out a stapled stack of papers that looked like some kind of legal document. “Mr. Grant, the elder Mr. Grant, that is, signed some papers for a property transfer last week, but he missed two spots where he was supposed to initial. Those idiots in Legal didn’t catch it, but we did. So I need you to take these to him.” She showed me the two pages that needed to be initialed.

  “Sure, but… I don’t even know what this contract is for.”

  “And you don’t have to. Mr. Grant is well aware of the details—he just failed to sign in two of the dozens of places he was supposed to. Which is not surprising given how poorly this was written. You’d think Legal was trying to confuse the enemy.” She straightened up, shaking her head. “Bob and his team are at a conference, and Nancy’s still on maternity leave. You’re the only one available to go at the moment.”

  “Happy to help,” I said. That phrase had been my go-to response to most of the tasks thrown my way this past year.

  Mrs. Henderson nodded to the door. “My secretary can give you directions.” Clearly, I was being dismissed, but there was something I needed to do first.

  “Mrs. Henderson, I umm…” Now that the time had come, I didn’t know quite how to say it. “I really like working here…”

  “Glad to hear it,” she said crisply. “Best get going—it’s a bit of a drive and you wouldn’t want to keep the Grants waiting.”

  “Right,” I said, edging toward the door. “But I just wanted to let you know…”

  She put her hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at me. “What?”

  “Umm… that… this is for you.” I held out the sealed envelope and she took it, glancing at it briefly before setting it down on her desk. I watched for a moment as she returned to her executive chair and looked at her computer screen. My letter remained on her desk unopened.

  With one last glance at it, I left the office, closing the door after me. I located the secretary in the copy room and got directions to the Grants’ house.

  As I strode back to my desk to get my purse and keys, my mood lifted. It hadn’t gone quite like I’d expected, but I’d done it. I’d given my two -weeks’ notice. A huge smile broke out on my face as I headed toward the elevator.

  Two weeks from today, I’d walk out of this office for the last time.

  And three weeks from today, Julie, Dan, and I would embark on the trip of a lifetime—a three-month European tour.

  Three

  Kate

  Wow.

  The wrought iron gates slid apart, gliding majestically as I stared in awe. Slowly, I drove up the circular driveway to what could only be described as a mansion. An honest to god mansion.

  The departmental secretary had given me thorough directions and warned me that this place was grand, but that had been an understatement of epic proportions. The Grant’s house was massive, and gorgeous with turrets, archways, columns, and a bunch of other architectural features I couldn’t name. But the overall effect was magnificent. More stunning than a castle. Not that I’d ever seen a castle. We planned to see a bunch of them on our trip.

  I pulled up near the front door, but didn’t shut off the car. Was I supposed to park there? Or off to the side? Or in front of the garage? But I didn’t even see a garage. Just a whole lot of house.

  Finally, I decided to park at the end of the circular driveway and walk back to the door. That way, I wouldn’t be blocking anyone—and my ten-year-old car wouldn’t spoil the magnificent view of the mansion.

  Tentatively, I knocked on the door. I’m not sure who I expected to answer. A doorman? A butler? A man named Jeeves? But the woman who opened the door was tiny with curly gray hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a wide smile.

  “Welcome, dear. So sorry you had to make the trip for a few missed signatures. My husband’s eyesight isn’t quite what it once was. I’m Bridget. Bridget Grant.”

  She looked too friendly to be one-half of the ultimate senior power couple, but I smiled and shook the hand she offered.

  “Please, come in,” she said, stepping back and opening the door wider. But before I could, she squinted up at me for a moment. Seconds passed—long enough to make me self-conscious. Self-consciously, I lifted my hand to clutch the blue and silver charm on the chain around my neck.

  Mrs. Grant was still watching me closely, which made me nervous. Still, I tried for a polite smile. “Is something the matter?”

  She blinked and shook her head rapidly. “Of course not, dear,” she said, a smile growing on her face until she was positively beaming. “I was just admiring your blue pendant on your necklace. It’s so lovely. And has anyone ever told you that in the sunlight, your hair almost looks bronze?”

  Five minutes later, I was sitting in a dining room approximately the size of my entire apartment. The table seated at least twelve, but Mr. and Mrs. Grant and I were sitting at one end having tea and scones. As if this were a social call. Mrs. Grant had led me up here and gone to get her husband. I thought it was just to get him to initial the document, but the next thing I knew, servants were bringing food.

  Servants! It felt like an alternate world. Then Mrs. Grant had returned, whispering something to a stately elderly gentleman whose salt and pepper hair was a shade or two darker than her own.

  “Do you want to see the papers now, Mr. Grant?” I ventured for the second time.

  “No, we can do that later. And please, call me Walter, Ms. Barnes.” He’d said that before, but he was the chairman of the entire company. “Right now, we want to know more about you. Since I stepped down from being CEO, I’m not as involved in the day-to-day operations of the company as I used to be. I don’t know all the new employees.”

  For a moment I gaped at him. The company named after him had hundreds of employees in the headquarters alone. Surely he didn’t used to know them all? And I was a little bit uneasy about the way they were looking at me. As if I were a new episode of a show they enjoyed binge-watching. If they expected me to be as entertai
ning as Game of Thrones, they were in for some disappointment. “Umm… well, first of all, please call me Kate.”

  Mrs. Grant nodded. “It’s really nice to meet you, Kate.”

  “Thank you.” I took a sip of tea. It wasn’t the chai tea latte I was used to having at this time of the day, but it was still good. “I work in the accounting office.”

  “Ah, with Mrs. Henderson,” Mrs. Grant said, smiling. “I used to work with her mother.”

  “Yes, for Mrs. Henderson. She’s, umm, really nice.” For a minute I wondered if she’d looked at my letter yet. Maybe I should’ve e-mailed it instead, but didn’t companies need things like that in writing? I didn’t know—I’d never quit a job before.

  “And what about family? Do you have family around here?” That was from Mr. Grant. If he used to be this inquisitive about all his employees, it was amazing that he had time to build the company to what it was today.

  Still a little self-conscious at being the center of their attention, I explained that my father had died when I was an infant, and that my mother had remarried and moved to Pennsylvania. I refrained from adding that we weren’t particularly close.

  For many of my teen years, I’d often felt that I didn’t really have a family, but once I started college and met Dan and Julie, it was like finding my long-lost siblings. I didn’t tell the Grants we all lived together, though. People their age might think it strange that I had a male roommate.

  A servant brought in a tray of little finger sandwiches even though it wasn’t quite eleven yet. They looked so good that I had to try one.

  “Have another,” Mrs. Grant urged.

  I did because it was delicious. And because when I was eating, it made them slow down with their questions.

  They had a lot of questions.

  About everything. My family. What kind of pets I liked. My favorite foods and restaurants. My degree at school. My experiences at the company. Apparently, Mr. Grant still viewed his company as one big happy family, because he asked me about Ethan.

  “Ethan?” I repeated, stalling for time. Surely they didn’t think the lowest person on the accounting totem pole hung out with the big boss? “He’s the CEO,” I said.

  They laughed, and I flushed. “I meant, he’s in a different department. We don’t see each other much at work.” Even as I said that, a random thought popped up in the back of my mind. Even though I didn’t know him, I did see him sometimes. Lately, quite a bit. He had a habit of taking phone calls in the lobby in the morning. It seemed like a strange place to talk on the phone, but maybe he focused better amongst the hustle and bustle the way some writers enjoyed working from a busy coffee shop.

  Sometimes I saw him when I went down for my morning dose of caffeine. He was hard to miss. He was six feet two and attracted quite a bit of attention in his designer suits. His short hair was dark, almost black. Even from a distance, I could see how well he filled out his suits. Plus, I had to admit that I’d read a few articles about him online. Hey, he was the CEO of the company. It was good to know more about him. It’s not like I just Googled him to see the pictures of him up close. Though I may have saved a few of those pictures on my laptop.

  The Grants were looking at me expectantly, so I tried to think of what I could say about Ethan without letting them know that I thought their grandson was hot as hell. “He, umm, he runs the company really well.”

  Mrs. Grant brushed that aside. “Yes, but what about him?”

  Wow. She was really putting me on the spot. I didn’t even know Ethan, but I had to admit that I’d spent some time wondering what he was like. “He’s… he’s really smart. And kind.” That last statement had been based on something I’d witnessed last week. I’d seen the CEO taking a phone call near the revolving doors when I’d been waiting in line at the coffee cart. Then there’d been a few shouts from outside. Ethan rushed out the door, and a few moments later, he led an elderly woman inside and insisted she sit down. A security guard followed with several packages she’d been holding. Someone said she’d fallen out on the pavement. I wasn’t entirely sure what had happened, but I know that Ethan sat with her for a few minutes and then led her back outside where a taxi was waiting. It looked like he’d paid the driver, too.

  “He’s considerate.” I wracked my brain, trying to think of what else I actually knew about him. But I didn’t know anything else—except that he was drop-dead gorgeous. But I couldn’t tell that to his grandmother. Or could I? She was obviously proud of him. And it’s not like it would ever get back to him—he didn’t know I existed. “He’s really handsome, too.” I blushed, but there, I’d said it.

  Mrs. Grant chuckled. “I think so too, dear. Just like his grandfather was at that age.”

  “Hey,” Mr. Grant protested. “I’m still handsome.”

  “Of course you are.” The look that Mrs. Grant gave her husband was so sweet that I had to look away. What must it be like to not only find your soulmate but to spend half a century with him? I couldn’t even begin to imagine. “Anything else?”

  That last bit was directed at me, and I gaped at her for a moment. Hadn’t I already said enough? “Umm… everyone looks up to him. Everyone thinks it’s a great place to work.”

  Apparently, this was the right thing to say—both of them were beaming. “That’s my boy,” Mr. Grant said. “I’m proud that he’s carrying on the Grant family name. He’s a good leader, and he’ll be a damn fine husband and father.”

  “I’m sure he will,” I said, unsure of what else to say.

  Mrs. Grant poured some more tea for me, and I seized the chance to change the subject. “That’s a beautiful teapot, Bridget.” It was hard to call her by her first name, but she’d insisted several times that I should.

  “Thank you, dear. I got it in Germany ten or fifteen years ago.”

  “Oh, Germany. I’ve always wanted to go there.”

  As it turned out, the Grants were avid travelers, and soon we were talking about all the places in Europe they’d been. Which were almost all the places I wanted to go. I didn’t tell them that I would actually get to go to some of those places soon. Even though our plan was in motion, sometimes it still didn’t feel real. Dan, Julie, and I had dreamed about this trip, talked about it, planned for it, and saved up for it for so long that it blew my mind that it was almost time.

  Mr. Grant was talking about a ski lodge in Zermatt, Switzerland, and I took mental notes. We were going to be in Switzerland for a week. But that was week three. The United Kingdom was first. We were flying into London and spending a few days there before heading north. “Have you ever been to Ireland?”

  Mrs. Grant reached out and grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze. “Sure have, dear. The very first time I was there was on the day I was born.” Her voice had changed to an Irish accent, and I smiled back. I should have guessed with a name like Bridget.

  “It all looks so beautiful, so picturesque. I’ve never been able to narrow down which part to visit first.”

  “Well, that depends, Kate. Do you like big cities or quiet countrysides?”

  “Quiet countrysides.”

  “Rolling green hills or seaside towns?”

  “Green hills. No, the sea. Or maybe both?”

  She smiled. “I’d start with County Clare, then. Over on the west side. It’s by the water, full of small villages, and you’ll find some pretty impressive ruins to explore.”

  “That sounds perfect. Is that where you’re from?”

  “Yes, dear,” she said, sounding pleased. “My family’s from a small village outside of Ennis. My grandfather was the town butcher. And my grandmother was the matchmaker.”

  “Wow. That sounds a lot more exciting than accounting.”

  They chuckled, and Mr. Grant put his hand over his wife’s.

  “Thank you for the suggestion. It sounds wonderful,” I said, returning her smile. I wish I could take notes, but the only paper I had with me was the legal papers. Which I really needed to get taken care of.
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  “Maybe you’ll go there with someone special someday.”

  I thought about Julie and Dan, my two best friends in all the world. “I’m pretty sure I will.”

  For some reason, this pleased them again, and they both gazed at me fondly. They really were a super sweet couple, but I knew I had to get back to work. After refusing several more offers of tea, sandwiches, and sweets, I finally got Mr. Grant to initial the spots he’d overlooked before.

  Then they walked me to the front door. Were all billionaires that nice? I’d never met any before, so I had nothing to compare them to.

  I drove away happy, though. It had been an unusual but very pleasant morning. Ethan Grant was a lucky man to have grandparents like that. They were a very sweet couple.

  Four

  Ethan

  “Mr. Grant, your grandfather’s on line two.” Then speaker on my desk brought me back to the present. It was after ten—I’d been working at the computer for three hours straight. It was definitely time for a break.

  “Thanks, Mona.” I stood up, stretched, and picked up the phone. “Morning, Grandpa.”

  “Morning, Ethan. How’s corporate America treating you?”

  “Same as always.” I kicked my chair away so I could lean against my desk and enjoy the view of the city behind me. If my desk faced the window, I’d never get any work done.

  “That bad? Well, at least it’s Friday.”

  “Indeed,” I said, but in truth, Fridays didn’t mean very much anymore. Maybe thirty years ago the only person here over the weekend was a security guard or two, but now it was a different story. Something was always going on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It was the way of the world nowadays.