“Tabby, let me ask you a question,” I begin slowly, formulating the words as I speak. “Opal must talk about her job. What does she say about it?”
Tabby shrugs, not understanding.
“I mean if there was one word, what would it be? Does she say it’s challenging, inspiring, difficult, frustrating?”
“Grateful,” Tabby blurts out. “She says she’s grateful.”
Suddenly, it hits me. I framed the problem completely wrong. I never gave Opal a chance to succeed. I never set out the parameters for success, and allowed her to meet them. Basically, this has all been one giant trick question. It wasn’t fair.
It wasn’t fair for me to leave her.
“Tabby, do you think I should invest a few hundred million dollars in a tropical resort in the Florida Keys?”
“Excuse me?” she swallows.
I lean forward anyway, resting my elbows on the glass of the display. “It just as a for instance… If you had a couple billion dollars, would you give your brother, say, a quarter of it to do something that was probably insane?”
“I don’t have a brother,” she whispers.
“Well, would you give it to Opal?”
She nods emphatically. “Absolutely. I would give it to Opal. I would probably give it all to Opal, because you couldn’t trust me with a couple billion dollars. I would go nuts!”
“Tabby, you seem like a nice lady,” I observe.
She smiles, wrinkling her nose. “Thank you for noticing!”
“Would you like to take a trip?”
Her eyes go wide. “What? Excuse me?”
“I have to go back to the island. I forgot something there. Don’t you think Opal would be surprised to see you?”
“Are you serious?”
“Apparently, I am always serious.”
“Then, yes!” she declares excitedly. She leans over one shoulder, craning her neck. “Miguel! Come fix this man’s iPad! Also, I am punching out!”
“Really? Just like that?”
Tabby shrugs her rounded, freckled shoulders. “Just like that,” she confirms. “When do we leave?”
“Can you be ready in a couple of hours?”
“I can be ready in a couple of minutes,” she answers seriously.
I have to chuckle. She really is a charming creature. I can see why they are such close friends.
“I’ll give you the address of the airfield, and you can meet me there. I have to pick something up.”
Chapter 22
CALVIN
As expected, Veronica takes over everything. I have to admit, I can barely turn my eyes away from her. When Opal returns with her iPad, Veronica is already locked and loaded. Before Opal even has a chance to sit down, Veronica is already firing off a detailed list of specifications. She has an organizational structure all worked out, as well as a funding schedule and repayment schedule.
She paces back and forth as she talks, gesturing with one hand, while the other hand claws her narrow waist. Her hair sways behind her like a banner unfurled.