by James, Avery
“Hmph,” Stanton mumbled. “About what?”
“Harry,” Maggie said. “Is there somewhere where we can talk privately?”
“I told you he’d move on quickly,” Stanton said. “Come with me.” Stanton led Maggie into an empty conference room and closed the door once she was inside. “So what is it you’d like to discuss?”
“Harry is going to take over the company,” Maggie said.
“While I appreciate your concern, I’m no longer your client, and my son lacks the skills or the wherewithal to pull off a board room coup.”
“It’s already done,” Maggie said. “He has the votes. It’s a formality at this point. He needs a majority. From what I can tell, he’s got all but two votes.”
“How?” Stanton asked.
“He did his research,” Maggie said.
“So did I,” Stanton replied.
“But his is better,” Maggie said.
“And how can you be sure of that?”
“Because I did it,” she said.
“I guess I’ll take your word for it.”
“Your mistress left three weeks ago. She’s working on a tell-all book deal with a major publisher. Your personal driver is likely informing on you to the Department of Justice, and you’re still not out of the woods on some serious charges for everything that went down in your hotels.”
“You could have guessed all of that,” Stanton said.
“You’ve been transferring money overseas through a back channel in the Caymans, and you’ve kept your private jet fueled and ready since we returned from Cuba. My guess is that you know the writing is on the wall, too. Amy Haven has had your mistress under wraps for weeks, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ll have to face reality at some point. You made bad decisions, Stanton. It’s time to make a good one.”
“Let me guess. It involves you,” Stanton said.
“I came here to present an opportunity,” she said.
“What’s that? I pay a certain sum of money and you keep quiet? I pay more and you help me keep control?” he said.
“No. You go in and give Harry your full support. You step down willingly, and you walk away. Get on your plane. Take a nice long vacation, and come back when you realize there are more important things in this world than money. He’s your son, Stanton. He deserves a father, not a blackmailer.”
“Why in the world should I excuse this behavior?” Stanton asked.
“Because everyone deserves a second chance,” Maggie said.
“My son has had too many chances,” Stanton said.
“I was talking about you,” Maggie said. “Harry has gone out of his way to do this without harming you. He even gave fair warning. After everything you’ve done, he still cares about you, and I won’t let you hurt him. Do you love your son?”
“Of course I love my son. That’s not the issue,” Stanton said.
“It is exactly the issue,” she said. She thought about what Harry had said earlier about love. He had been right, but there was more to it than that. “Sometimes, when you love someone, you have to put them first,” she said.
“That’s a funny thing to say before telling me what you want out of this,” he replied.
“I don’t want anything you can give me,” Maggie said. “What you get out of it is up to you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.”
Chapter 29
By the time Maggie made her way into the conference room, Harry was ushering everyone inside. He gave her a quick wink as he closed the doors and headed to the front of a large conference table. “I took the privilege of putting together a little slide show,” he said as the board members took their seats. Maggie kept to the back of the room, carefully watching everything as she tried to figure out what was going on. She thought of Harry’s last plan and hoped he had something a little more nuanced in store for the board. Of course, there was the chance that Stanton would find a way to call the whole thing to a halt or Katrina would decide to throw a wrench in the works for her own gain.
Unlike Maggie, Harry didn’t seem worried. He looked confident and excited. He seemed to savor the attention he held as he spoke to the board. “I thought the slide show would be a fun way of reintroducing myself to many of you and focusing our discussion before you make any decisions. Images are important. Some are good,” he said, flashing a picture of his college graduation. “And some are best forgotten.” Maggie couldn’t help but laugh along with most of the board as she saw the picture of a teenaged Harry with frosted tips. “Some are important in the moment.” A picture of a news segment with the words “Capitol Scandal,” and an image of the very hotel they were in. “And some, some can sustain you for a lifetime.” The hillside. Maggie recognized the picture instantly as the one she’d taken with Harry’s phone. She could remember every detail of that afternoon. The way the wind felt against her skin. The way the light fell over the hilltop. The sounds and the smells. The memory was so vivid, it almost felt like a dream. She didn’t know Harry had kept that photo.
Harry continued to the next picture. “This is a chart of our stock price over the past five years. A week ago, an analyst at a major New York financial firm was asked to comment on whether Avalon was still a good investment in light of recent news. Do you know what his response was?” Harry clicked again. “According to him, as long as we make money, nothing else matters. If the profits are good enough, they excuse almost anything.
“I don’t want good enough. I want the best,” Harry said. “I guess I was raised to have unrealistic expectations.” He clicked to the next picture of his father’s yacht. “But I was taught never to settle, and right now we’re settling. If you’ve watched the news, if you’ve paid attention to anything that’s happened over the past few years while that stock price has ticked slowly but surely up, you’d know that somewhere along the line we lost our way.
“And today, we find ourselves in the middle of a scandal that threatens to bring this entire company to its knees. And for what? If you ask me, it’s because we weren’t willing to make hard choices. We weren’t willing to stand up, and we weren’t willing to stand for something. We wanted to be all things to all people, and as a result, we’re nothing. Why did we do this? Because it was easy, because doing the right thing had risks, because it was hard. We had an opportunity to step up, and we didn’t. We have to own that. No amount of PR will change the past.
“That brings me to the present. This is a picture of the past few weeks,” Harry said. He showed a still of a newscast showing the Avalon D.C., with the phrase “Scandal Central.” Harry clicked through a series of headlines about the scandal surrounding Avalon. Pictures of the hotel, pictures of the congressman, his wife, and his mistress splashed with more headlines like “Den of Sin” and “Capital of Corruption.” Harry stood silent for a moment as he looked across the room.
“Not too long ago, I didn’t think any of this was a problem. What congressmen do or don’t do in the privacy of their hotel rooms really doesn’t matter to me. Were there things I didn’t like about the way this company was run? Of course. Was I going to do anything about it? No. I was content to go through life taking what opportunities came to me, shrugging off anything that required too much effort.
“Then someone came along and changed all of that. Someone helped me see that I could be so much more than just a fortunate son, and this company could be so much more than it is. So today, I’m here to ask you to join me and her in moving this company forward. I’d also like to take this opportunity to introduce her, but first I want to ask you a question. How you answer will determine what we do next.”
This was the man Maggie knew Harry could be. He had purpose. He was powerful, persuasive, and, more than that, he seemed like the kind of person who really could turn this mess around. This was what he needed to do. All she had to do was stay out of the way. The fixer in Maggie hoped that Harry would say Katrina, but deep down she wanted to hear him say her name. She wanted their lov
e for each other to be out in the open for everyone to see. She didn’t want to be a liability. She didn’t want to hide her feelings anymore. Maggie could feel the little hairs on the back of her neck standing up and chills running down her spine.
Harry clicked to the next picture. “So here’s my question: How many of you have seen this?” he asked. He flashed the picture of Katrina’s ring up on the screen. “Can anyone tell me what this is?”
“A blessing,” someone said.
“A chance to take control of the media cycle,” another board member replied.
“Spoken like a true politico,” Harry replied. “But it’s much more than that. Yes, it’s a chance to change the story about this company, but it’s also your chance to change the way this company sees itself. Does anyone know why?” Harry asked.
“Because it’s a lie,” Katrina said as she stood up from her seat. “And, as far as I know, it’s a lie that every one of you has approved of. Harry’s family name plus my personal brand equals a new start for the company. We posted this picture together last night. It’s already the most-talked-about photo of the past six months. Where are we again?” Katrina asked someone at the far end of the room.
“Top post on TMZ, Perez Hilton and Gawker,” one of her assistants replied.
“More free positive press in one photo than you’ve had in years,” Katrina said.
“We have a proposition for you,” Harry said. “This company has gone to great lengths to set up this fake relationship as the basis of a rebrand and PR campaign. We’re proposing something different.”
“What’s that?” a board member asked.
“We want to highlight our real relationship,” Harry said. “Right now there’s a reporter outside waiting for an exclusive interview with the new management team of Avalon Hotels. The article, and the ensuing campaign, will focus on being married to the job. We’ll play the fervor over Katrina into a repositioning of our brand. Naturally, hers will evolve with it.”
“Fewer fashion shows and more serious endeavors,” Katrina said. “Harry and I both believe this will be mutually beneficial for us and for the company.”
Stanton Howard cleared his throat, but didn’t say anything. It felt like he’d chilled the temperature of the room by ten degrees just by reminding everyone that he existed. Maggie worried what would happen if he decided to go down fighting.
“My father is skeptical,” Harry continued. “He’s right. My personal life and Katrina’s personal life shouldn’t matter to anyone else in this room, but we’re here because of your personal lives. We want to turn the page. Many of us have made mistakes in the past, but we can fix that together. I do not intend to start my tenure as head of this company with a lie. Honesty matters. Integrity matters, and anything worth doing is worth doing the right way. Before you vote for me, there’s something I’d like to say.” He locked his eyes on Maggie. She felt the same rush she’d felt the first time their eyes had met.
He looked to Maggie again. He was going to tell the board everything. “Maggie, will you come up here?” he added.
As Maggie felt the eyes of the room on her, she also felt rooted in place. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Harry smiled and walked over to her in slow, deliberate steps. “Whenever I’m with you, I feel like we’re the only two people in the room,” he said.
“We are most definitely not the only people in this room. What are you doing?” she whispered in his ear.
“Something I should have done from the start,” he said. “I’m not going to risk losing you again.”
“Are you really doing this right now?” Maggie said.
“Ahem,” Stanton Howard said as he stood up from his seat. “I hate to break up this tender moment, but last time I checked, I was still CEO of this company, and, at least nominally, I was still in charge. Before you say another word, there are a few things I’d like to get off my chest. It has been brought to my attention that many of you are questioning my ability to guide this company. When I took over Avalon, it was little more than a few lakefront cottages and a lodge. I built it from the ground up into the empire you see today.” He settled his gaze on Harry and Maggie.
Harry slid his arm around Maggie, like he was shielding her from Stanton.
Stanton continued. “Since day one, this has been a family company, and I hope to continue that tradition. I want to take this opportunity to assure you that if he is elected as CEO of Avalon, I will make myself available to my son in every capacity. I will not allow myself to be pushed out of the company I built.”
Maggie knew what was coming next: threats, grandstanding, some desperate attempt to hold power. She looked from Stanton to Harry as she tried to size up the situation. She wondered if she’d made a horrible mistake by approaching Stanton before the meeting.
“Maybe my son is right. It’s time we take responsibility for our actions. That is why, effective immediately, I am announcing my retirement.” Stanton sat back down and watched the stunned silence of the board. Maggie couldn’t believe what she’d just heard, and from the looks of it, neither could Harry. “Gavin,” Stanton said, pausing for a moment. “I mean, Harry, what was it you were going to say?”
Harry looked at his father in disbelief. “I was saying some things are more important than business, and it’s never too late to start over. If my belief in that disqualifies me from running this company, so be it, but I won’t compromise. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve been putting something off for far too long.” He turned his attention back to Maggie, sliding his hands over hers.
“Maggie,” he said, “I love you with all my heart, and if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here today. I want to make a difference. I want to change the world, but I want to do so with you at my side. And if this board doesn’t want to accept that, then to hell with all of them, because the way I feel about you is everything that’s right in this world.”
“I love you too,” Maggie said. She couldn’t believe she had a crowd of multimillionaires watching her tell him that for the first time, but when had anything with Harry ever been normal or predictable? “So does this mean you’re not marrying Katrina?” she said with a smile. Harry broke into laughter as he shook his head.
“Kiss her!” Katrina said, but Harry didn’t have a chance. Maggie planted her lips against Harry’s and wrapped her arms around his waist. She all but jumped into his arms. The board’s vote, the interview, the rebranding—all of it would have to wait.
“I thought I’d lost you,” Maggie whispered.
“You’ve found me,” he said.
She’d found him, and lost him, and found him again. Now that she was back in his arms, she was never letting go.
Epilogue
“Can we talk?” Those three little words could make even the most steadfast and trusting girlfriend’s head spin with worry. When Harry texted those words at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning at the tail end of a business trip, Maggie wondered what he could have done. Some women’s minds might go to jealousy or suspicion, but not Maggie’s. In the six months they’d been a couple, Harry had never given her a single reason to doubt his love. He’d been a perfect boyfriend. Even as he’d juggled his duties as the head of Avalon with the demands of a relationship, he’d been nothing short of incredible.
Maggie wasn’t worried about their relationship. She was worried about what Harry would ask of her when he returned. He’d already become one of Haven Communication’s biggest clients, and he had no qualms about asking calling on Maggie to help him solve crises big and small. He almost seemed to seek them out. It had gotten to the point where she spent more time working with Harry than all of her other clients combined. Maggie had helped oversee the relaunch of Avalon Hotels. She’d even personally handled an embarrassing situation for Katrina Nussbaum involving a close acquaintance of an English duke.
Maggie received another text a few minutes later. “I have a proposal,” it said. “It has to be in person.” Since Harry’s proposals usually involve
d extralegal maneuvers, the in-person requirement made sense. Maggie decided to make a pot of coffee. She had a feeling it was going to be a long day. Some men wooed their women with flowers and chocolates. Harry’s idea of romance involved late nights and high stakes. Maggie wouldn’t have it any other way.
She was groggily pouring coffee grounds into the coffeemaker when Harry knocked on her front door. His knock was unmistakable. “You have a key, you know!” Maggie called to him. She pulled her hair up in a loose bun as she headed to the door to let him in. As she swung the door open, she felt a gust of warm spring air. Across D.C., the cherry blossoms were in bloom, the cold had lifted, and for some reason, her boyfriend was wearing a heavy wool coat as he stood and waited. For some reason, he had one arm under the breast of the jacket.
Maggie leaned against the door frame. “You have a proposal?” she said. “It better be good.”
“More of a confession,” Harry said. He couldn’t keep from smiling as he spoke. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’m disappointed in you.”
“You’re what?” Maggie asked. She crossed her arms. “Don’t even think about stepping inside until you explain that one.”
“For the longest time, you told me how you were going to end up telling all of these great stories to your cats, and well, you don’t even own a single one. I thought I’d help you get started.” Harry pulled his hand out of his jacket to reveal a gray-and-tan kitten with bright blue eyes. “Surprise,” he said.
Maggie couldn’t help but aww as she took the little kitten from Harry. She rubbed her finger against the kitten’s tiny paw. She started counting as she stepped back inside.
“Six toes,” Harry said. “You have no idea how much I had to donate to adopt this little guy, but if you’re going to own a cat, I figure it should be one with a story.” He shut the door as Maggie held the kitten up. He had a thin blue ribbon tied like a bow around his neck instead of a collar.
“What’s his name?” Maggie asked.
