I’m taken to a podium and I speak a little before we eat. I wasn’t prepared to say anything, but I’m good at going off of the cuff. Chalk it up to a lifetime of little white lies necessary to survive in my circle. My old circle, anyway.
I don’t even remember what I say, but whatever it is, it does the trick. I could probably have gotten up there and squawked like a chicken and they still would have been falling over each other to pledge donations.
“I can’t believe it! I think I’ve got everything I need for the auction,” I tell Dane as we get back into the limo while everyone waves at us just an hour or so later.
He’s smiling, and I realize I haven’t really seen him genuinely smile before. “You were perfect,” he says, looking a little impressed. “Your father would have been proud of you. I think if you keep up that kind of confidence you’ll be just fine. And, I’m glad that you got so many things for your auction, but you’re not even remotely done.”
I stare at him. “I’m not?”
“No. You’ve got two more companies to visit today, and three more on Thursday. If we have to, we can even fly out to a few places in Southern California. It’s your shot though. I’d need a couple days to make the necessary arrangements with the school.”
My mind is a cyclone of thoughts and emotions. I think my father would have been proud of the way that I handled his company today. I don’t know him, but I’ve heard about how good a man he was from his family, his friends, and now from those who worked for him. It makes me want to do my best for him.
He built this empire, and now he’s given it to me. I don’t want to let it fall.
Dane spends the whole day taking me through the next two companies where we have lunch and then a dinner, and at each one it’s the same thing. Everyone loved Paul White. It’s more than sucking up to his daughter and heir, there’s a genuine sadness at his loss.
I wish I got the chance to meet the sort of man that had this sort of effect on people. My whole life, I’ve left little to no impression. I doubt anyone ever even noticed when I was gone, moved to another foster home yet again.
For the first time, I feel comfortable in my own skin—here, with a member of my blood family. We don’t talk about my father much, and we certainly don’t talk about Sadie. It’s something, and at the same time, it’s everything.
Dana is waiting up for me when I get back, and I collapse onto my bed as soon as I get my pajamas on. I miss my boys spending the night with me in my room, but I’m so glad to have her back too.
“Well? How did it go today? Tell me everything,” she pleads wide-eyed with excitement.
“It was … a lot. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of people whose livelihood depends on me. It’s kind of staggering, really.” I’m still dumbfounded by the perspective that I got today, just meeting the upper management employees. There are thousands of employees I have that I haven’t seen yet.
“It’s a lot, but I know you can handle it. I know you can do it,” Dana encourages me. “How did it go getting prizes for the auction? Did anyone donate anything?”
I start laughing. It’s all I can do for a moment.
“Dana … we have more things to auction off than we’ll ever be able to get rid of, and they are fantastic things. Fantastic. You wouldn’t believe it.”
I start rattling off the very best part of today. There’s no way Victoria can outdo me. I got pledges of every kind; everything from time shares to new cars boats, vacations, artwork, and antique furniture. All that just to name a few.
“I even ran out of dinner tickets to sell. I had to save a couple of tickets for my aunt and uncle, or they would have been gone, too. I’m going to have to ask the school for more. It’s crazy, but you know what the funniest thing about this is?”
Dana is grinning so widely at me; her eyes dancing with happiness over my success. “What’s that?”
“Everything Victoria has done to undermine me and destroy me has backfired on her. Every single thing, and this explosion she caused is no exception. There’s literally no way she can win this. I have three more companies to visit later this week. It’s kind of poetic justice, really,” I say thoughtfully, and I love the truth of that.
I just wish my father hadn’t died. It was a hell of a price to pay.
Chapter 12
I’m pleasantly surprised when there are a lot more people at Dana’s return party than any of us anticipated. I thought that it would be just the drama club, the boys, and some of our friends.
Instead, there are so many students that we barely fit on the stage area of the theatre and some of it spills down into the seats facing the stage.
I give Dana a bouquet of flowers, and she hugs me. “Thank you so much for this. I’m so glad to be back!” she tells me happily.
“We’re glad you’re back, too,” I reply, and the boys chime in with me.
“It hasn’t been the same without you, and I’m so glad that you’re healing okay,” Blair tells her earnestly. “I know Teddy was worried out of her mind.”
“We all missed you,” Wills adds with a grin. “Not just Teddy was worried.”
Laura, who is standing beside Dana, slides her hand into Dana’s and entwines their fingers. “I’m glad you’re back because it means I get to see you all the time now, instead of just visiting. Plus, I want you healthy and strong.”