Page 75 of Blame It on the Bikini
"No. It's not love. It's not that serious."
"Is that true or just what you're telling yourself?"
"Maybe a little of both," she admitted. "But whatever it is, I'll get over it, right?"
"Perhaps in Morocco," her aunt suggested.
She gave her a somewhat sad smile. "Perhaps so."
Chapter Eighteen
Grayson walked into his father's office on Monday morning. He'd spent Saturday night and Sunday in his LA apartment trying to salvage his deal and also remember who he was and what he wanted, because after three weeks in Ocean Shores and his whirlwind relationship with Lexie, he wasn't sure if he'd really changed or if he'd just gotten caught up in a moment.
By the time Monday morning rolled around, he was only sure of one thing, and that was that he needed to speak to his father.
Emerson Holt's corner office overlooked downtown Los Angeles from a commanding view on the thirty-second floor of the Cromwell Building. It was the kind of space meant to inspire those who stepped into the office suite. It was also the kind of space he had always aspired to inherit, and that day was coming soon, but standing here now, he didn't feel the same sense of anticipation he once had. Instead, he was filled with a restless energy.
His father leaned back in his chair, giving him a thoughtful look. "What are you doing here, Grayson? You still have a week left at Ocean Shores."
"The Singapore deal isn't going to happen," he said, taking a seat in the leather chair facing his father's massive desk.
"I had a feeling. It's disappointing but not catastrophic. We can recover from this."
"Not without taking a loss."
"It not the first; it won't be the last. I'm actually impressed you decided to pull the plug."
His father's words reminded him of what Frank had said. "Well, I don't want to spend the next few years trying to plug up the leaky holes in that sinking ship."
"Sometimes, you have to cut your losses," Emerson agreed. "But I know you're disappointed. Your vision for the property was excellent. Hopefully, you can find something similar somewhere else to develop. But we could have had this conversation on the phone. I already read the report you sent last night to the executive team. Why are you here and not where I asked you to be?"
"I can't stay there anymore. You have to let me out of the agreement."
"Why? And don't give me some bullshit reason about how Singapore is an example of why you shouldn't be working from Ocean Shores, because your location didn't affect this at all."
"I'm not sure that's true. I took my eye off the ball. I was distracted. I wasn't working ten hours a day. I was fixing up an old car and exploring caves and a park with crazy ass trees in it."
His father smiled. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but it doesn't sound like you've been having a horrible time. Tell me about the cave. Is it where you can only get in during certain tidal patterns?"
"That's exactly how it works. How did you know that? And don't you give me some bullshit answer about how you read about the cave. You spent time at Ocean Shores, didn't you? You were in that cave."
"I was," his father admitted. "Thirty-five years ago, six months before I married your mother."
"And that's when you bought the Ocean Shores property. Why didn't you tell me you'd been there?"
He shrugged. "I had my reasons."
"What reasons? It's time to stop being so mysterious and tell me why the hell you sent me there."
"I wanted you to experience a different way of life."
"What does that mean?"
"The last few years, I've been very proud of the man you've become, Grayson. I've been honored to work alongside you, impressed with your intelligence, your business savvy…"
"You taught me everything I know."
"But I didn't teach you how to have a balanced life. I didn't teach you about prioritizing your happiness over your work."
