“Hey, I have a question. Do you want to come to London and Aspen with me? We’d spend a week in London, celebrate Christmas Day,” Sienna said.
“I’d love to, but you know I need to finalize things with the board.”
“What if I work with you while we’re gone? A certain someone once told me we could work remotely.”
I loved it when she used my own arguments against me.
“You could meet the board before we go to Aspen,” she suggested.
“We can do that.”
“So it’s a yes?”
“It’s a yes.”
Her smile was so big that I just couldn’t resist kissing her—again.
We were so lost in each other that we were almost late for lunch.
Christopher, Victoria, Lucas, and Chloe were already in front of the restaurant when we arrived.
“Chloe, Sienna and I are going to a movie afterward. Want to come with us?”
Her eyes lit up. I knew she already liked me, but I wasn’t above bribery to make sure I was in her good graces.
“Ooooh, yeah. I’m a movie junkie.”
Lucas grinned, patting my shoulder as we all went inside the restaurant. “You just earned some extra points for making two of my sisters happy.”
“Good to know.”
I wanted Sienna deeper in my life, and permanently. But this was also the worst time in my life to think about anything being permanent, when so many things were up in the air. So much depended on the next few weeks, my meeting with the board. So much was out of my control that I didn’t know if it was even fair to promise Sienna anything permanent. I couldn’t help myself, though. I wanted a future with her. I saw it so clearly t
hat I could almost taste it, and I’d fight for it.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Winston
I took Sienna’s advice and spoke to my parents the following week.
“Son, I’m sure that whatever course you take will be the best one,” Dad said.
Mom wasn’t as calm. “Goodness, we never knew Gerald made such a mess of things. Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I didn’t want you to worry. This is my responsibility now.”
“But it was our decision to employ Gerald. What is going to happen to everyone working here?”
“I’m going to make sure they’re taken care of. Any piece of advice?”
“Just make sure you consider all options, weighing the pros and cons before deciding,” Dad said.
I smiled. “You’re not going to tell me your opinion?”
“No. You’re in charge now. Whatever decision you make, you must be happy with it. Doesn’t have to be the one we would take.”
That didn’t clarify anything for me, but knowing my parents trusted me one hundred percent did take a weight off my shoulders.