Finn
*
A knock on my door roused me from sleep. My eyes were barely open when I heard it come open.
"Shit, I'm so so sorry," Parker's startled voice said before the door shut abruptly. Slowly, I rose my head and found him nowhere in sight. I felt weighed down and I looked to find my arm around Amanda with her buried in the crook of it, sleeping soundly. My heart hammered violently in my chest. My former peaceful, half-asleep state was replaced by mild panic. No wonder Parker had reacted that way. How had Amanda and I gone from being two feet apart to practically glued together?
Shirtless, I could feel her breaths on my chest while her hair tickled my nose. My hand was encircling her waist. When I tried to lift my leg, I realized she had hers over mine. It was like being tangled up in a web. How we ended this way seemed incomprehensible to me.
The last thing I wanted to do was wake her, so with plenty of care, I untangled myself from her and got off the bed. I spared one glance at her from over my shoulder before I got out of the room and shut the door.
Parker was stood in front of me now, hands behind him with a flushed expression on his face.
"I'm sorry I intruded. Your phone has been unreachable all morning and I needed to remind you of your meeting at eight."
"Wait, what time is it?"
He looked at his watch. "Ten past seven."
I rubbed a hand across my face. We had managed to sleep all evening through morning.
"I'll be ready in fifteen. My phone's in the living room, please turn it on," I said and returned to my bedroom to grab everything I needed before leaving for the guest bedroom. While in the shower, I marvelled at how well I'd slept. Nights like this were awfully rare, and with the news of Nik from yesterday, last night was supposed to be miserable. Was her presence that profound that it kept the darkness away?
I rushed through my routine. I was mildly nervous about the meeting I had in the next thirty minutes. I'd not sat in the audience of the board of directors in over two years. Today we'd be evaluating the state and affairs of the company, as well as scheduling my take over of the position of CEO.
When I joined him in the living room, Parker handed me my phone. I had twenty-three unopened voicemails and countless text messages left for me during the course of the night. I heaved a sigh and fished for my earphones from a table and popped them on.
On the ride down the elevator and to the office, I went through them and returned a few calls. Condolences, condolences, condolences. A bulk of them came from partners and family friends, short and straight to the point. I was surprised to find none from Elliot. I turned to Parker while we rode at the back of the car.
"Did Elliot contact you?"
"He did, early this morning. I already let him know we're on our way."
I gave a small nod. One text from my stepmother simply read, call me. It was expected, very on brand of her.
When I got to Elliot's office, he was sat behind the desk, unoccupied. He lifted his eyes to meet mine and pushed himself out of his seat. With arms outstretched, he walked to me and I was engulfed in a hug that smelled of the signature Dior perfume he'd stuck with since he began working with me.
Elliot's beginning was the humble type romanticized in stories. He was smart, earning himself a full-ride scholarship. We hated ourselves as roommates, but after the situation with his breakup, things took a one-eighty.
And then it was just bliss. We grew to be almost inseparable. We both loved our space and knew how to respect each other's. He liked that I was sort of a child prodigy, after all, I did get admitted at thirteen. I liked that even being three years his senior, he didn't feel the need to humble me to make himself feel better and treated me like an equal, and with respect. At the time, I was the worst at forming connections with people and was very short tempered with zero patience, but somehow, he knew how to relate with me. Prior to that, we avoided engaging with each other altogether.
Elliot taught me patience and how to loosen up, and to see things different from how I was conditioned. He showed me that I didn't have to be alone in the world, and that my family didn't define who I was. And most of all, that not everyone leaves. My birth mother had, my father too, even Elizabeth, but he'd been an exception to my ill streak. I didn't know if he knew, but he'd helped my trust issues a great deal.
When I took over the company, he accepted the offer to work for me. I became the CEO, and he made no fuss while assuming the position his qualifications could earn him at that time. And over the last decade, he'd been climbing up, working his way and proving himself more than fit to the point that when I became indisposed, he was the man chosen to fill in my position. And I wouldn't want it any other way. My best friend.
"I'm so sorry about Nik, Finn. It's such a hard loss."
I hugged him back, and my mind went to Elizabeth. Was it better if she knew or not? I decided that the news wouldn't be reaching her for the time being, unless my mind was swayed.
"Thank you, Elliot."
He drew back and stared me in the eye, and I added, "I have lost both parents and an uncle, but at least I still have Genevieve."
His expression fell. "Hey, don't say it like that!"
"But it's true, isn't it? She's the only actual family I have that sees me as one."
He remained pensive for a while then let out a resigned sigh. "It's a good thing you have us then."
"Us?"
"Yeah. Natalie would not mind adopting you as our second child, but you'd have to deal with Cole who hates to share his mother's attention. Greedy little fella. But asides that, you're good to go!"
I shook my head and walked out of the office, en route the meeting room.
"And Amanda's here too," I heard him say under his breath as he tailed me. I didn't react. I couldn't indulge him in talk about her, not when I had to force all my focus on the meeting. The doors of the room were pulled open for us, and with three minutes to spare, we got into the room with a seated audience. The major shareholders halted their chatter and phone tapping to focus on us.
"Good morning, everyone. It is a pleasure to be granted your audience today," Elliot started.
The stoic faces around the desk wordlessly accepted the greeting as Elliot and I took our seats.
"I'm sorry about the news of Mr Young," one man said, eyes on me.
I looked at him, trying hard to convey the image of a man put together enough to run a company. I didn't want to appear too composed, though. They might perceive the behavior as sociopathic, for someone who had just lost a monumental figure in their life, so I looked down at the table, like eye contact with my sympathizer was too much for me and responded with a small nod.
"Thank you. I appreciate it. Nicholas Young was a great man who did a profound job at building his empire and served as a mentor and inspiration to many, myself included. He taught me much of what I know today. I will miss the times when he was be seated here among us, sharing his impact. He will be greatly missed."
They murmured in agreement, and Elliot cleared his throat. "I'd like a moment of silence for Mr Young."
Dead silence descended in the room. The men and women in their seats, and their assistants stood around the room all went sober. During this time, I tried to remember what it was like to have Nik in the room. It was almost five years since he last attended any meetings, before his illness got the best of him.
The last time we spoke, he'd had trouble recalling who I was. It was the day I'd gone to seek permission to marry someone else, rather than his beloved niece. A plan I'd been alright with since I was kid. He'd consented, but it always felt alien to me considering the fact that he wasn't in a complete state of mind. It had felt like they were two of him. One before the dementia worsened, who still believed his niece was safe and sound with a future with me, and the one after, whom had asked me who I was twice within a thirty minute conversation.
"Finn," Elliot called, pulling me out from my thoughts. I looked at him and around to find everyone else staring at me too. I'd zoned out. "Mrs Elaine Dunn was just making a suggestion."
I turned to the middle aged woman sat two seats to my left. "I'm sorry, could you come again?"
*
"Do you want to grab a drink?" I asked Elliot after we returned to his office.
"It's ten thirty, Harris. Way too early to be drinking. But if you're really in need of something to take your mind off things, how about two hours of mindfulness, rest and relaxation that will have you in even better shape?"
"The spa?" I asked, thinking a few shots in a barely lit room with music included less effort than a trip to the spa. I doubted it would be distracting enough too, considering how desperate I was to quiet my loud head.
"Is that a yes?"
But I wasn't fighting. "Alright."
I updated Parker on our whereabouts while Elliot drove, sans any bodyguards or escorts.
"When did you become a spa enthusiast?" I asked after I put my phone away.
"Nat has successfully initiated me into her way of life."
I chuckled. "It's very like her. She recommended a spa in Paris for me once."
"Really? When was that?"
"Two years ago." It struck me that saying the words two years ago felt a lot like before the shooting. I wondered if it was just me. "I had a meeting there and made Amanda go with me impromptu."
Elliot acted completely natural at me bringing up a memory with Amanda before things took a turn for the way they were now. It made it easier on my part. I didn't feel sad this time. In fact, the memory made me mildly elated. It was a fun one.
"And she agreed to go with you?" His voice was plenty amused, like he was enjoying my little storytime.
"I didn't tell her where we were going until we were parked near the jet."
Elliot's immediate laughter made my chest lighter. It stirred up mirth from my throat, until I was laughing too. He broke eye contact with the road to glance at me.
"Very typical of you. So the spa rec was for her, I believe."
"Yeah. I wanted to treat her like a princess for the duration of our two-day stay."
"Did you?" He asked like he didn't already know.
"I booked a private exhibition of the Louvre and bought her a diamond necklace."
"I couldn't be any more proud."
"She still wears the necklace." I thought aloud. It silenced Elliot for a moment.
"Ha, well you know diamonds are a girl's best friend. She's gotta wear them. So, no Eiffel tower? I guess your social anxiety couldn't handle that."
I hummed in agreement. "It would have been torture. She made it easier for me though. I told her how I felt about it and she didn't make a fuss. But Lord knows I'd have given her anything she asked, even if it killed me."
I didn't add that I still felt that way. What did that even make me? Crazy?
In love. A crazy son of a bitch in love.
"How is she? I haven't seen her since the wedding. Are you two getting along well as neighbors?"
Well enough that I woke up with her in my arms this morning. Then it hit me that I hadn't checked up on her since I left her at my place. Fuck, that wasn't good. I got out my phone to text her and stared blankly at the five contacts on my phone that excluded hers. What the actual hell. The woman who'd spent the night with me and made it remotely bearable, the same person who I spent my waking hours thinking of... I didn't have her phone number.
I texted Natalie.
10:43 a.m.
hey, nat. I need Amanda's number, please.
She replied in a flash, with no questions asked. No further instructions. It was very unlike her, but I didn't think too much about it and quickly saved Amanda's number. I deleted Jeff Levine's number, since I didn't think I would be needing his services anymore. I wasn't in Zürich after all. And I was back at five contacts. It would be expanding soon, by a large amount.
10:45 a.m.
hey, it's Finn. how are you? I had a meeting this morning so I left early.
I dropped my phone and was met with Elliot's curiosity.
"I assume you're texting her because you whipped your phone out right after I asked. I'm guessing all is well."
Was it really? One thing I was certain about was that it didn't feel like I was on a course to crash and burn. That had to be a good thing. My phone vibrated.
Amanda
10:46 a.m.
I'm doing good. a meeting at your company? I want to hear about it, so let me know when you're back at your place.
The text filled me up with an indescribable feeling. She would be waiting for me, and was interested in knowing about my business. Suddenly, I felt like I didn't need the spa anymore. I wanted to return to my apartment right now, but I had to stick with Elliot's plan. He was doing this for me after all. All I had to do was sit tight for two hours, and I would see her again.
*
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