Page 17 of Secrets, Scandals and Baby Shoes

Lucy picked up her pace, throwing in a lap of the butterfly stroke to really raise her heart rate. She didn’t like the butterfly much, but it felt good to push herself. At just after six in the morning, there weren’t many people in the pool, so she had a whole lane to herself to go at her own pace.

As she swam, Lucy thought back on the last few years. She’d chosen to focus on her brother and the company he was building, which had left little time for her own hobbies or love life. After all, Dominic had only had a few years left, so it had made sense to spend as much time as she could with him. Even now, Lucy didn’t see that changing. She’d devote herself to the company Dominic had spent the last years of his life building. Who really needed love, anyway? It only ever ended in heartbreak, either the kind she’d faced when her relationship with Elliot had ended in college, or the kind she was facing now with Dominic gone.

Thoughts of Elliot reminded her of the last time she’d seen him in college — on the stage at his and Dominic’s graduation.Although Dominic and Elliot had stayed best friends after college, Elliot and Lucy had done an excellent job of avoiding each other since that fateful day outside Lucy’s dorm room. Elliot had been at the funeral, though. Of course he had. Sunil and Mike had been there, too. Elliot had worn a tailored black suit and a solemn expression, and he hadn’t met Lucy’s eyes.

Lucy tapped the edge of the pool and came out of the water, drawing in long breaths of chlorine-scented air. It was time to get going. She lifted herself easily out of the water, pivoted to stand, and headed for the dressing rooms. After a quick shower, she dried her chin-length brown hair with one of the pool’s overhead driers, put a little makeup around her blue eyes, and got dressed in a fitted black skirt and green blouse. A glance in the mirror showed a woman who looked professional and in control. Hopefully, that’s what Lucy would be today.

The September weather was warm, but the sky outside was covered in a layer of dark clouds. It felt right for Lucy’s first day back at work. She walked the seven blocks to the office quickly before she could lose her nerve. Inside the building, the receptionist greeted her with a friendly smile and not a word of condolence, which was a relief. Lucy rode the elevator up to the first of the two floors housing Borderless and walked to her desk. It was still early, so she was practically alone, exactly as she’d hoped.

Lucy sat down at her desk, smiling briefly at a picture of her and Dominic with their arms around each other. In the picture, they were dressed in warm coats and woolen hats as they visited a ski resort in the French Alps that was one of Borderless’s clients. Then she booted up her computer and lost herself in work. Even though her team had tried to stay on top of things and had mostly done a great job, there was a lot that neededLucy’s attention. She spent the morning so focused on her tasks that she half expected to see Dominic strolling down the hallway, greeting employees with a cup of coffee in his hand.

Of course, he didn’t come.

A little after eleven, Edwin Goshawk, the head of the company’s board of directors, stopped by Lucy’s desk. She braced herself for another round of mutual condolences.

“How are you holding up, Lucy?” Edwin asked. He was in his fifties, with silver hair and kind green eyes, and he always had a smile for Lucy. Even today.

“I’m all right.” She smiled back. “Thank you. What brings you by?”

“I’d like to invite you to a meeting this afternoon,” he said. “We’ve sent a few emails, but I realize you probably weren’t checking your work email given… everything. Anyway, would you be free for a meeting at three with the company lawyers?”

“Certainly. I’ll clear my schedule.” Lucy knew what this meeting would be about. With Elliot gone, someone would need to take over as CEO of Borderless. It would likely be one of the directors or a C-suite employee, but Lucy wasn’t sure which. Dominic probably had some kind of plan in place; he had a plan for everything. He’d even planned his funeral so that Lucy and their parents wouldn’t have to worry about it.

That afternoon, after a quick lunch at her desk, Lucy headed over to the main conference room. Most of the chairs were already occupied, either with the five members of the board or with the two company lawyers. Lucy stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and took the free seat near the end of the table. It wasn’t until she was seated that she noticed an eighth personat the table — a familiar face she’d never expected to see again. Elliot. Her heart skipped a beat.

He looked much the same as he had in college, though his often-tousled blond hair was now neat and shorter than before, and he wore a tailored suit instead of his jeans and a T-shirt. The firm line of his jaw was the same, as was the evaluating look in his brown eyes. His gaze met Lucy’s, and they looked at each other for a long moment before both looking away. Lucy wanted to ask what in the world he was doing here, but she couldn’t very well ask in front of so many company leaders.

Before, in college, Elliot had always had a smile for Lucy. At the very least, his eyes would crinkle when he saw her. Now, he looked distant. Cold. Lucy felt terribly awkward. What if he was here because Dominic had left the company to his best friend?

Lucy knew a little of what Elliot had done since leaving college. He’d relocated to Chicago, where he founded a cybersecurity company, Keype Data Security, that produced some cybersecurity products used by other companies that Lucy didn’t know much about. She knew that he was a millionaire in his own right now. She knew that he rarely came to New York, instead asking Dominic to meet him in Chicago or somewhere else — probably to avoid Lucy. She couldn’t blame him. She was good at avoiding Elliot, too.

The bigger problem was that Elliot had demonstrated leadership experience, so it would make sense for Dominic to have appointed him the new CEO. After all, Dominic had no way of knowing about Lucy and Elliot’s complicated history. Lucy just wasn’t sure how she would work with a man who had broken her heart — especially since he’d walked away without a scratch.

“Thank you all for coming,” the first of the company’s lawyers, a woman Lucy knew only as Ms. Johnson, spoke up. “As I’m sure you’ve guessed, you’ve been called here to receive more information on the future direction of Borderless. Before his passing, Dominic Winter worked with us to prepare a succession plan, which he asked to be kept under wraps until now. He also wrote a letter which I will read out. Before I proceed, does anyone have any questions?”

Lucy had plenty of questions, but she kept quiet. She was focused on the fact that she was about to hear her brother’s words again. He’d left her a letter to open after he passed away, a sweet letter about chasing her dreams and following her heart and living on after he was gone, but she hadn’t expected to hear his words after that.

Elliot didn’t ask anything, either, nor did the board members, so the lawyer proceeded.

“Dear members of the board, Lucy, and Elliot,” Ms. Johnson read. Lucy was tempted to close her eyes to soak in her brother’s words but didn’t want to show any weakness in front of the others. She needed to be strong. “As you all know, I built Borderless from the ground, beginning with a small travel recommendations app I coded in my college dorm. Since then, it’s grown beyond what I could ever have imagined, which is something that gives me great pride.

“However, I also knew there would come a day when I could no longer lead Borderless myself. Therefore, I’ve prepared for this eventuality by appointing the leaders who will take the company on.”

Lucy’s mind hung on the wordleaders.Was he asking the whole board to take over until a new CEO could be found?

“Elliot Cobb,” Ms. Johnson continued. “You’ve been by my side from the earliest brainstorming sessions about my company. Your good business sense, proven by the creation of your own company, makes you highly qualified to steer Borderless in the direction it needs to go. I feel confident relying on you to ensure that Borderless remains profitable, continues to expand, and is always defined as a workplace where people want to be.”

Lucy’s heart stopped. So, Elliotwasgoing to take over. She glanced at him across the table, hoping to see some sign of how he felt, but his face was expressionless. Lucy had no idea how she was going to work for this man. She didn’t even know what kind of person he was now.

“Lucy,” Ms. Johnson said. Lucy sat up a little straighter. “You’ve headed Borderless’s creative team for several years now. Thanks to your unwavering effort and creativity, our app is not just useful but also a work of beauty. You understand better than anyone what I want Borderless to become: a place of inspiration, of growth, of understanding, and of fun. With you at the helm, I am confident that Borderless will continue to grow in the right direction.

“Therefore, I have chosen to appoint Elliot Cobb and Lucy Winter as co-CEOs of Borderless. Together, they have the right balance of industriousness and creativity that this company needs. Starting today, I ask that they take over my legacy.”

Ms. Johnson paused, looking back and forth between Lucy and Elliot. “Of course,” she added, “Dominic can’t force you to take over the business without your agreement. Lucy, Elliot, do you accept the role?”

“Of course.” Lucy didn’t even hesitate. She’d never wanted to take a management role, but this was Dominic’s last wish, andshe wouldn’t waver. She would learn to run Borderless the way Dominic would have wanted — even if it meant she had to work with Elliot. “I accept.”

All eyes turned to Elliot, who took a sip of water from the glass on the table in front of him. Lucy thought he was stalling for time.

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